The unexpected arrival of a Marquess, a Diamond-grade BOSS, was certainly beyond Howard’s predictions!
Not just Howard, even Caitlin and Glyn, both seasoned adventurers in major dungeons, hadn’t anticipated such a possibility.
After all, according to past patterns, the monster ranks within dungeons wouldn’t vary by more than two tiers, and level gaps wouldn’t exceed 15 levels!
No one could have foreseen the vast disparity in the strength of the BOSS within the Castle of Vampires Ruins.
However, the battle had already commenced, and regardless of the unexpected turn, Howard and his team had no choice but to immerse themselves in the fight.
As the tidal wave of Crimson Bats was about to strike, Howard, without any hesitation to unveil his full strength, leaped forth.
To the astonishment of Abby and Caitlin, he charged headlong into the onslaught of the Crimson Bat surge.
Yet, before the torrent of Crimson Bats could engulf him, brilliant bolts of lightning burst forth from his being: Mighty Thunder was unleashed.
Crackling and booming!
Thunder roared as Howard was enveloped in its radiance, resembling a deity. With every strike, flashes of lightning surged, tearing through the very fabric of space.
And at that moment, the Crimson Bat torrent collided with Howard.
Bright streaks of lightning continuously flared, reducing those Crimson Bats to mere ashes in an instant!
In the span of merely three breaths, the sky full of Crimson Bats was obliterated.
Only Howard, cloaked in the embrace of the thunder’s brilliance, remained suspended in mid-air.
“What the fuck?!”
“What kind of skill is that?”
“My God! Just how many skills does Howard possess?”
For a moment, both Abby and Caitlin were utterly stunned. As for Glyn and Aisha, they were wholly awestruck by Howard’s prowess.
Especially Glyn. Most of his own skills revolved around Electro abilities. He hadn’t expected Howard’s display of Electro skills to leave him so astounded.
In Glyn’s understanding, Electro skills were typically externalized since their volatile nature meant they could harm the user if too close.
Yet, Howard managed to enshroud himself in those arcs of electricity. Not only did he remain unharmed, but the displayed effects were also unexpectedly impeccable! 𝑖𝘦.𝘤𝑜𝘮
“Could it be… Is Howard truly a prodigious master of all elemental magic? Why does it seem he grasps every elemental skill so profoundly?”
Glyn’s body trembled with excitement, his gaze fervently fixed on Howard. He even seemed to forget about his injured leg, as if it didn’t belong to him at all.
Howard was unaware of the thoughts running through the minds of Caitlin and the others.
With a determined shout, he charged, wreathed in arcs of electricity, straight towards Vampire Marquess Modona.
Boosted by his SS-level skill, Howard feared no assault.
Physical damage was rendered ineffective against him, and magical damage was significantly reduced.
He had to pin down Modona while the effect of his skill lasted.
After all, given Modona’s attributes, if it were allowed to fully unleash its offensive capabilities without restraint, Howard and his team would undoubtedly be outmatched.
With this thought, Howard’s attacks became more ferocious.
Unlike any conventional magus, he closed the gap and engaged Modona with physical strikes, punches and kicks.
Of course, Howard wasn’t well-versed in hand-to-hand combat.
But with the aid of Mighty Thunder, even a simple swing of his fist or a kick was accompanied by a burst of electrical energy, inflicting staggering damage.
The rest, unaware of this, watched in disbelief.
Even Daniel murmured to himself, “Is this a melee magus? Damn, I recall, five centuries ago, there was a powerhouse who possessed an SSS-level talent, and he was a melee magus! Could it be that Howard inherited his legacy? No wonder an orphan like him could master so many SS-level skills!”
If Howard were privy to Daniel’s musings, he’d undoubtedly be puzzled, thinking, “I’ve earned my abilities fair and square, how can you just assume I’ve inherited someone else’s legacy?”
Crackling sounds filled the air.
With the support of the lightning, Howard, for a moment, indeed managed to suppress Modona, forcing it into a continuous retreat.
At that moment, Caitlin snapped back to reality, quickly urging, “Aisha, heal Glyn immediately! We need to assist Howard!”
With these words, she firmly grasped her sword’s hilt, already gathering momentum.
A howling blade aura emerged, swirling around Caitlin, producing a succession of sonic booms.
Upon hearing Caitlin, Aisha swiftly turned, her hands spinning in a mesmerizing dance. Behind her, a ghostly apparition of an angel appeared.
“Angel’s Healing!”
Under Aisha’s guidance, the celestial specter glided directly in front of Glyn. With arms outstretched, the angel embraced him, its wings enveloping Glyn entirely.
In the next instant, a dazzling silver-white brilliance erupted.
Glyn felt a soothing sensation wash over him.
With newfound strength, he managed to thrust off the coffin lid pressing down on him.
His injured leg had miraculously healed, looking as good as new.
Without hesitation, Glyn darted towards Modona.
Swinging his right hand, a surge of electric energy immediately took the form of a lance, tearing through the very fabric of space and hurtling towards Modona.
However, just as the electrified lance touched Modona, it disintegrated into nothingness.
Witnessing this, Glyn’s eyes widened in shock as he exclaimed, “Impossible! How can it be immune to my skill?”
Both using Electro skills, and with Howard being of a lower level than him, the fact that his own skill was nullified by the BOSS was something Glyn could neither fathom nor accept.
Did this mean his prowess was inferior to Howard’s?
Glyn was unaware that the efficacy of a skill depended not only on its caster but also on the skill’s grade.
His electrified lance was merely a B-level skill. How could it compare with the SS-level skill, Mighty Thunder?
Recognizing this discrepancy, Howard’s brow furrowed.
If the assaults from Glyn and Caitlin proved ineffective against Modona, relying solely on himself to combat the foe would be futile.
Even though Howard possessed an array of Epic-grade and Legendary-grade equipment, and even though he had a supreme talent, he was still in his formative stages.
The vast chasm of several dozen levels, coupled with numerous grade disparities, left him virtually powerless.
Were it not for Daniel’s presence behind him, Howard might already have considered a strategic retreat.
Meanwhile, as Modona noticed the waning lightning aura around Howard, it tauntingly remarked, “It seems your power is nearing its end.”
Silent, Howard persisted, leveraging the electric energy to continually push Modona back. Amidst the battle, he continued to scan the surroundings.
Though Howard ignored Modona’s jibe, Aisha was incensed. With fiery indignation, she retorted, “Depleted? With me here, none shall falter in battle!”
The next moment, a solemn look crossed Aisha’s face.
She pressed her hands together, slightly tilting her head upward. In an instant, an ethereal figure, bearing the visage of a goddess, emerged.
Radiating benevolence, she cast a gentle smile upon Howard, Abby, Caitlin, and Glyn. An overwhelming power suddenly surged within the quartet.
[Ding! Congratulations to the awakened Howard. You have been bestowed with the skill— Divine Bestowal. All your attributes increase by 30%, damage taken is reduced by 30%, and you recover 1000 HP per second for a duration of 300 seconds!]
“What the fuck?!”
“This… such a potent buff? Aisha, when did you acquire this skill?”
“My God, why didn’t you mention having this skill before?”
Witnessing the prompt, not just Howard, but even Caitlin and Glyn cried out in astonishment.
Almost immediately, their gazes towards Modona turned fierce.
Modona, ever perceptive, instantly sensed the shift in the group’s energy.
Without hesitation, it shimmered out of place, reappearing several yards away.
Witnessing this, a thought struck Howard. Blink — he knew that skill too!
Glancing at the remaining duration of Mighty Thunder, Howard promptly cast his skill—Blink.
Without warning, Howard’s silhouette shattered the air, appearing right beside Modona, leaving it no time to react.
Crackling and popping!
Bolts of electricity struck Modona, paralyzing it on the spot.
“Now’s our chance, strike!”
Seeing Modona immobilized by the lightning, both Glyn and Caitlin unleashed their skills.
Boosted by a 30% increase in all attributes, Glyn’s skill finally took effect, no longer being nullified by Modona.
And Caitlin?
When she moved, swift as a bolt of lightning, piercing through Modona’s body, a fissure materialized on its chest.
Subsequently, blood gushed forth, causing Modona’s health bar to plummet sharply.
HP dropped dramatically!
Observing this turn of events, a weight lifted from Howard’s heart.
As long as they could harm Modona, there was a chance to vanquish it.
Yet, he couldn’t help but marvel at Caitlin’s devastating offensive prowess.
Her only drawback? A lack of defense!
Once Modona was subdued, its fate seemed no different from the previous bosses like Vampire Count and Vampire Viscount.
It was relentlessly assaulted by Howard, Glyn, and Caitlin, its HP rapidly dwindling.
However, just as Howard and the team believed they were about to defeat Modona, its form began to mysteriously waver and blur!
Updated from 𝑖𝘳.𝒸ℴ𝑚