Chapter 169 Chapter 169-The Pursuit
Of course, Howard wasn't foolish enough to confront high-level awakened beings in isolated areas!
Having himself used the cover of solitude to eliminate numerous enemies, why would he expose himself to such peril?
Unaware of Cameron's arrival, Howard had been out of touch with Saint City for quite some time and had even forgotten the grudge between him and Cameron.
There was no way around it; Cameron's influence didn't extend to Adia City.
Over the past month, Howard hadn't heard Cameron's name mentioned once.
With so many events transpiring, it was natural for him to slip from Howard's mind.
Little did Howard know that Cameron had surmised he was the culprit behind his son's murder and had been harboring a deep grudge ever since.
Thus, when Howard returned to Saint City with Rick the previous day, Cameron immediately gathered his forces and led them into the Dark Mausoleum.
In a strategic move, Cameron split his forces into two.
One group, disguised as bandits, rampaged, killing residents near Saint City, while another group was dispatched to find Rick and divert his attention.
Meanwhile, Cameron himself, leading a troop of elite cavalry, set out to track down Howard.
Cameron knew that since Rick had brought Howard back, it was undoubtedly to contest the Starry River Map, meaning Howard wouldn't leave the Dark Mausoleum.
Indeed, Cameron's ability to achieve a noble title in these peaceful times, both in strategy and strength, was exceptional.
His plans worked perfectly.
When Rick Suleiman learned that bandits had killed over a hundred innocent residents in just over a day, he was enraged.
Leaving Howard behind, he quickly returned to Saint City.
Howard, on the other hand, remained alone in the Dark Mausoleum, gathering information about others vying for the Starry River Map.
This provided Cameron with the perfect opportunity!
Thunderous hooves echoed relentlessly across the mountain range.
When Howard heard the sound, he couldn't help but be surprised: "Such noise can only be made by a group of cavalry!"
"Could it be that an army has come to vie for the Starry River Map?"
Unaware of Cameron's arrival, Howard turned around curiously.
What met his eyes was a surging tide of black cavalry, rolling toward him like a relentless wave.
As they drew closer, Howard finally sensed something amiss.
Malice!
And this malice was directed squarely at him, making the hairs on his body stand on end.
A chill ran down his spine, as if he had fallen into an ice cave, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Looking more closely, Howard finally spotted Cameron among the cavalry, causing his pupils to constrict sharply.
All the memories came flooding back.
He knew, without a doubt, Cameron had come for him!
In that instant, Howard had only one thought - to run!
To escape as fast as he could!
What a joke, Cameron wasn't just a titled noble and an awakened being above level 70, he also commanded hundreds of cavalry.
In a real battle, Howard stood almost no chance of survival.
What about using an SS-level or SSS-level skill?
He would need an opportunity to cast it in the first place!
With the speed of the cavalry, even if Howard started casting a skill now, he would likely be interrupted before he could complete it.
In this situation, his only option was to flee.
Realizing this, Howard didn't hesitate.
He swiftly waved his wand, casting the Blink skill.
Whoosh -
With the sound of tearing air, Howard's figure shattered the space, instantly appearing fifty yards away.
Witnessing this turn of events, Cameron Bartel couldn't suppress a cold snort.
In the next moment, he let out a long howl, and suddenly, flames burst forth from the bodies of the numerous cavalry horses.
Once the flames appeared, the horses' speed incredibly increased, rapidly closing the distance to Howard.
Realizing this, Howard's eyes flickered with calculation, and he immediately darted towards areas with dense forestation, undulating terrain, and rugged landscapes.
Like cars, horses require flat terrain to maintain their top speed.
Although they can leap over some landscape features, their speed is correspondingly reduced.
But Howard, guiding his own body, was a different story. Incredibly agile, he found the narrow, uneven terrain more to his advantage.
For a time, Cameron Bartel and his group were surprisingly unable to catch up with Howard.
At that moment, Cameron Bartel abruptly called out: "Howard, stop right there! There's a major problem in Saint City. Rick sent me to bring you back!"
Cameron was gambling, hoping Howard didn't know that he was aware of Howard being the murderer.
However, Howard was extremely cautious. Even if not certain, he wouldn't put himself in a dangerous situation.
He didn't even respond to Cameron Bartel's shout.
Seeing this, Cameron Bartel's expression immediately darkened.
He realized that Howard was aware of everything.
Now that the pretense was shattered, Cameron Bartel had no choice but to signal his cavalry to pursue Howard.
However, Howard's physical condition was freakishly formidable.
In the narrow terrain, his movement speed was not slower than those flame-engulfed horses.
Moreover, Howard occasionally used his Blink skill, instantly creating a gap of fifty yards.
Even with Cameron Bartel and his men's full effort, they were unable to catch up.
This infuriated them immensely, and they were filled with confusion.
Cameron Bartel, aware of Howard's class, couldn't comprehend how a magus could have such a terrifying physique!
However, Cameron Bartel was not in a hurry.
He knew that Howard would eventually feel tired, or his MP would deplete. In contrast, they, on horseback, didn't have such concerns.
Thus began a chase.
Hundreds of cavalry closely followed Howard.
No matter how he maneuvered, even when leading them into skeleton monsters, they were relentless and refused to be shaken off.
Time slowly passed in this pursuit between Howard and Cameron Bartel.
Howard felt a sense of relief, thankful for awakening an F-level talent.
Despite its low rank, its effect on restoring MP was remarkably efficient.
Without that talent, Howard surely wouldn't have lasted as long.
As night fell and moonlight bathed the area, the spawn rate of nearby skeleton monsters visibly increased.
Fortunately, with the enhanced strength of the skeleton monsters, not only Howard was affected but also Cameron Bartel and his cavalry, who still couldn't catch up to Howard in the short term.
However, Howard quickly adjusted his strategy.
He no longer used the Blink skill as soon as it cooled down.
Instead, he waited until a significant number of freshly spawned skeleton monsters gathered around, then used Blink skill to create a considerable distance and escape from combat.
As a result, the startled skeleton monsters, losing their original target, turned their attention to Cameron Bartel and his pursuing cavalry.
The distance between Howard and Cameron Bartel and his men grew even wider!
However, after such a long pursuit, just as Howard was about to enter the deeper parts of the Dark Mausoleum, Cameron Bartel no longer held back. He leapt up, his spear radiating intense fiery light.
"Flame Bite!"
The moment the spear swung, a sweep of flames burst forth, resembling a fierce beast baring its fangs. The blast instantly hit the group of skeleton monsters near him.
With Cameron Bartel's attributes, the intense heat contained in the flames instantly annihilated all the skeleton monsters.
The gap in attributes was too vast!
Even the skeleton monsters in the depths were around level 70.
Compared to awakened beings, it depended on the specific equipment.
Possessing a set of Diamond grade equipment, one only needed to reach level 50, and their attributes wouldn't be inferior to them.
Cameron Bartel, a titled noble with rewards from the Alliance, was decked in a mix of Epic and Legendary grade equipment, comparable to a level 100 monster. It was no surprise he could instantly slay those skeleton monsters.
Unless a high-tier BOSS appeared, none of the monsters here could pose a threat to Cameron Bartel.
After annihilating the monsters, Cameron Bartel, unleashing his full power, seemed to conjure wind under his feet and flames flared up, propelling him towards Howard.
The speed of flight was definitely faster than that of horses.
Even with Howard's Blink skill, the distance between them was quickly closing.
Sensing this, Howard realized the truth: Cameron Bartel's earlier actions were deliberate.
He knew he couldn't openly attack Howard in public, especially with the imminent emergence of the Starry River Map, a time when encounters with others or discovery by witnesses were highly probable.
Thus, Cameron Bartel had deliberately trailed behind Howard, intending to drive him into the secluded depths of the Dark Mausoleum and also waiting for nightfall.
Under the cover of darkness, killing a person and concealing all evidence wasn't particularly challenging.
It was only because Howard, being too young and careless in speaking while acting, had given himself away.
Breathing more rapidly, Howard felt no fear but instead continuously surveyed his surroundings, looking for a way out of this predicament.
In his Storage Bag and Space Ring, various life-saving items were ready to be activated at a moment's notice.
The most uptodate nove𝙡s are published on fr(e)𝒆webnov(e)l.com