Chapter 126 Chapter 126-The Eerie Skill
Those summoned by Athena were almost without exception masters of their craft, boasting an accuracy that was nothing short of astonishing.
In an instant, arrows rained down, striking the legs of the warhorses with precision.
A barrage of impact sounds erupted.
The horses, wounded, immediately collapsed, taking the cavalry on their backs down with them.
The heavy armor, at this moment, turned into a cage restricting their movement. In an instant, they crashed heavily to the ground, dizzy and disoriented.
However, this relief was only temporary.
The cavalry group was evidently well-trained, very likely stemming from a bona fide military background.
Even when there were fallen cavalry in front, those at the back could quickly respond.
With a pull on their reins, they spurred their horses to leap over the fallen, closing the distance between them and Howard's group even further.
At this point, it wasn't just the magi; even the archers had lost any possibility of further attack.
They were too close!
If they didn't retreat now, a swift counterattack from the cavalry would spell certain death.
The cavalry understood this as well.
They put away their shields, and in their right hands, sharp short swords appeared.
Cavalry, or shield bearers, typically wielded two weapons: a shield in one hand and a short sword, also known as a single-edged sword, in the other.
They had no choice.
They were responsible for defense, sometimes even while riding horses, and thus could only wield single-handed weapons.
Daggers were too short to be effective; long swords were too lengthy and difficult to control with one hand, making short swords their weapon of choice.
This was the wisdom of thousands of years!
The cavalry had learned a multitude of combat skills tailored to their single-edged swords.
Upon closing in, the group immediately swung their short swords.
As they leaned forward, their arms twisted, and the short swords traced a graceful parabola from below upwards.
Directing their attack at the nearby archers and magi, they unleashed the Cleave skill.
With the momentum from the charging horses and the swinging of their arms, the strike was formidable on its own.
But when augmented by the skill, it could prove fatal or severely injurious to any of the more fragile classes upon impact.
At this moment, Wales sighed and finally made his move.
He knew that if he did not act now, the archers and magi would suffer significant losses.
Athena was dominating the leading cavalry, and victory seemed imminent.
This meant that he would need to cooperate with Athena for the time being.
Maintaining the strength of their team was thus crucial.
Moreover, there was money to be made!
Although Wales was unaware of Howard's awakening to Supreme Synthesis, he could see that Howard was in dire need of money.
To ensure Howard could earn a bit more, he decided not to hold back any longer.
Almost the moment his sigh ended, a burst of purple light erupted from within him.
"Source of Plague!"
A sinister voice rang out, and the purple light instantly enveloped all the cavalry.
The next moment, phantom-like, purple hands emerged from the ground, tightly grasping the legs of the horses and entwining the bodies of the cavalry, as if they were the hands of ghosts or shadows.
In an instant, the cavalry were bound as if shackled, completely immobilized, their eyes widening in terror.
"Damn it, what's going on?"
"What the fuck?! Why can't I move?!"
Suddenly, all of the cavalry were bound in place by the purple, phantom hands, frozen and unable to move.
And yet, it was far from over.
With his right hand opened wide, Wales swiftly clenched it into a fist.
In the next moment, a red glow emerged from within the bodies of the bound cavalry, resembling threads, and it flowed towards Wales.
"Ah!"
"So painful!"
"Damn it, my strength... my strength is draining away!"
"What… what is happening?!"
Cries of alarm and agony rose instantaneously as the cavalry began to wail, their voices growing weaker by the moment.
Eventually, Howard could clearly see their wrists becoming emaciated, resembling branches on the verge of withering away.
However, he distinctly remembered that each of these cavalrymen had been robust and well-built just moments ago.
This bizarre transformation caused Howard to widen his eyes in shock, and he turned to look at Wales in astonishment.
He couldn't believe that Wales possessed such a strange skill, capable of sapping the strength of others, not just mentally, but physically as well.
What shocked Howard even more was the sight of Wales.
As the red glow from the bodies of the cavalry met with him, it seemed as though he was absorbing some kind of tonic.
His aura surged, and even his body swelled slightly, resembling an inflating balloon.
In the next moment, Wales took a deep breath, opened his mouth wide, and a torrent of blood surged out, engulfing the cavalry in an instant.
Crack—crack—
The sound of something crisp breaking echoed, and when the bloody torrent finally dissipated, the cavalry were nowhere to be seen, leaving only remnants and bare bones scattered across the ground.
Witnessing this scene, Howard couldn't help but have his pupils constrict sharply, his heart filled with shock and disbelief.
Had Wales really managed to annihilate an entire group of cavalry in just a few short breaths?
No, it was not just annihilation. He had even destroyed their corpses, leaving nothing but bones.
Such power was simply terrifying beyond belief!
It was at this moment that Howard finally realized just how terrifying the strengths of Wales, Tana, and the others truly were.
Keep in mind, according to what Tana had said, Wales' combat capabilities weren't even the strongest.
If he could be this powerful, wouldn't the other mentors be outrageously formidable?
However, upon further contemplation, Howard noted that Wales seemed to maintain a low profile within the Holy Abyss Academy.
Perhaps, his strength was not much less than that of Athena or Daniel.
Lost in his own thoughts, Howard was musing when the group of archers and magus sighed in relief, gasping for breath and expressing their thanks continuously.
There was no helping it; if Wales hadn't stepped in, they would undoubtedly be dead.
And Wales was under no obligation to save them!
It was also at this moment that Athena's battle came to an end. Under her relentless and fierce attacks, the shield of the leading cavalry was shattered, leaving him defenseless.
His chest was split open by her longsword, spilling blood and entrails.
Witnessing this scene, Howard couldn't help but feel moved.
She was so ferocious!
Undoubtedly, the powerful bigwigs seemed to each have their unique style, a realization that struck a chord in Howard's heart.
After slaying the leading cavalry, Athena swiftly descended, scanning the surroundings before speaking, "I extend my thanks to Lord Ravenous Wolf for lending a hand. We shall discuss the matter of your compensation later. Others must have seen the signal and will be rushing here soon. We must enter the Medea Ruins immediately."
"You're right; we can't afford to search for a specific route now. Let's get inside first, and then we can use the ruins' architecture or mechanisms to shake off the pursuers," agreed Wales, clearly understanding the urgency of the situation.
The group quickly adjusted their direction, hastening towards the Medea Ruins.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—
The sounds of the air being torn apart incessantly rang out.
Almost two minutes had barely passed since Howard and his group departed when several figures arrived, treading on thin air, directly at the battleground.
Each one of them was capable of floating mid-air. One of them even had a pair of wings formed entirely from thunder, holding a scepter in hand.
Clearly, the strength of this group was immensely formidable.
Those capable of walking on air were at least at the level of mentors like Tana, and judging by their ease in doing so, their strength might very well be comparable to Daniel's.
Across the entire Alliance, they were definitely forces to be reckoned with!
"The battle just ended!" A skinny man, resembling a monkey, landed and, sniffing the bloody scent in the air, spoke, "They couldn't have gone far. Let's continue the pursuit."
"Hehehe, I told you, Shelley, being a veteran powerhouse of Crimson Dragon City, definitely couldn't be trapped in Mordun Wasteland now. Those who went back are probably regretting it to death."
"Yes, let's head straight to Medea Ruins. If we can intercept Shelley, the rewards might even allow me to touch the Power of Law."
"Touching the Power of Law? What, are you close to reaching LV95?"
While some powerhouses were tracking the route taken by Howard and his group, others, not versed in tracking, engaged in casual conversation.
"That's right, just a touch of the Power of Law, and I'll be able to advance to LV95. If I can comprehend the Power of Law, perhaps I could even step into the realm of LV100!"
"Stop dreaming. For hundreds of years, no one has ever stepped into the realm of LV100."
"Even if there is someone... it's only those who have earned the recognition of Transcendent Sacred Artifacts that might have a chance to break through the LV100 limitation."
At this point, the group couldn't help but fall silent.
Advancing past LV90 was incredibly difficult!
Almost every few levels there was a bottleneck.
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