Chapter 177 Chapter 177-Reinforcements
A humming resonance filled the air.
A crushing force descended, as if a mountain range itself bore down upon them.
The assassins had no chance to retaliate, oppressively pinned to the ground, unable to even grasp their weapons.
For a moment, a look of sheer terror painted their faces.
Howard's earlier display marked him as a warrior of formidable attack prowess, but how could he wield such a skill?
However, they no longer had the luxury of pondering.
Trapped by the Gravity Field, Howard's gaze swept over the two magi and he unleashed a second skill, Roar of the Fire God!
The temperature soared, flames rapidly converging, forming the ethereal semblance of a god of fire that stood atop Howard.
The dreadful aura and momentum also stirred the other awakened ones rushing to the scene.
Even those mighty beings, who were recovering, were jolted awake, opening their eyes wide in astonishment at the sight of Howard.
"Such a presence... Could it be an SS-level skill?"
"Hisss... Who is that person?"
"To possess an SS-level skill at such a young age, he must be from one of those top-tier forces!"
"We must be cautious in the upcoming scramble for the Starry River Map. We cannot afford to harm him."
It had to be admitted, an SS-level skill was indeed intimidating.
The group of powerhouses had misunderstood Howard's identity, which, of course, was a fortunate misunderstanding.
If the awakened ones hesitated to strike fatally, it would significantly increase Howard's chances of escaping unscathed.
The ethereal image of the god of fire burst forth, roaring as flames swept out, engulfing everything around Howard.
The assassins closest to Howard were scorched by the terrifying flames, their skin blackened and charred.
Had it not been for their remarkable equipment and life-saving abilities, the Roar of the Fire God alone might have been enough to vanquish them.
Even so, after being seared by the flames, their HP plummeted below 20%, leaving them in a state of extreme vulnerability.
And the magi?
They fared even worse.
With a Defense Value more fragile than that of the assassins and directly struck by the Roar of the Fire God, they were reduced to ashes.
The sky was filled with flames, causing immense damage and halting the advance of the other awakened ones.
Not a single awakened dared to charge through that sea of fire!
However, by the time the inferno dissipated, Howard had already put nearly 80 yards between himself and the multitude of awakened pursuers.
At this point, the powerful beings could no longer remain passive. Ignoring their injuries, they rose and swiftly moved to pursue Howard.
"Young man, your talent is not weak, but alas, you are too young, not yet a match for us!"
"That's right, lad, I advise you to give up."
"The waters here are too deep for you to fathom!"
"The Starry River Map is not something you can aspire to at this stage!"
Voices of persuasion rang out incessantly, causing Howard to frown slightly, but he paid them no heed.
Instead, he accelerated, desperately fleeing for his life.
Suddenly, Howard heard Glutton's voice again by his ear: "Kid, just run another 100 yards forward, and Ice Ghost will be able to step in and hold off that crowd for you. After that, all you need to do is lead the other awakened ones and follow my guidance."
"Okay!"
Howard immediately agreed, quickening his pace even more.
However, he couldn't help but grumble internally. If Rick and his group intended to give him the Starry River Map, why go through all this trouble?
It was one thing for Howard to fight his way out of the crowd, but another bout seemed unnecessarily convoluted, almost like taking off one's pants just to fart.
"We could indeed give you the Starry River Map directly, but that wouldn't enhance your combat abilities in any way. Besides, defeating numerous awakened ones will also help you make a name for yourself within the Alliance."
"To stand out in the Alliance, reputation is just as important as strength."
Hearing Glutton's explanation, Howard finally understood Rick and his team's intentions.
Clearly, they hoped Howard would also ascend to the higher echelons of the Alliance.
After all, in this era, the Alliance was the most formidable force!
Even the Church, to some extent, was no match for the Alliance.
Knowing that someone would be there to back him up after another 100 yards gave Howard a glimmer of hope.
Yet, he continued to glance back at the powerful beings chasing him.
With one look, his brows furrowed, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.
They were moving too fast!
Bear in mind, they had been meditating to recover, and there had been a distance of over 100 yards between them and Howard.
However, at this very moment, they were less than 50 yards behind him.
"Run!"
Howard immediately realized he stood no chance against the awakened ones above level 70.
The disparity in levels and equipment was insurmountable, and no amount of fortune could bridge that gap.
Fortunately, Howard possessed the Blink skill, allowing him to leap continuously.
With just three uses, equivalent to three seconds, he could reach Ice Ghost.
All Howard could do was silently pray that the awakened ones would underestimate him, thinking they could easily catch up, and thus refrain from using their skills.
In reality, Howard needn't have worried.
To those awakened, he was just a lone figure with a lower level, not meriting serious concern.
Moreover, their misconception about Howard's affiliation with a top-tier power deterred them from rashly using their skills.
What if they accidentally harmed Howard?
Many great powers were notoriously protective of their own, and any harm done would necessitate retaliation.
With so many witnesses around, silencing them all was impractical, so they had no intention of harming Howard.
However, their hesitation in using skills to block Howard's path provided him with an opportunity.
After just two Blinks, Howard saw Ice Ghost sitting atop a rock, eyes half-closed.
"Uncle Master, save me!" Howard shouted.
This cry immediately sent a shiver through the awakened ones' hearts.
At this moment, they finally became anxious, hastily deploying their skills to increase their speed and chase after Howard.
Earlier, their relaxed pursuit was due to ignorance of Howard's backup.
Now that reinforcements had arrived, they were bound to exert their full strength.
But now, as they thought of using their skills, it was already too late!
Howard deployed his Blink skill once more, leaping past Ice Ghost, and then, following Glutton's guidance, veered off in another direction.
Simultaneously, numerous powerful beings also rushed towards Ice Ghost.
"Above Level 60 awakened, halt!" Ice Ghost opened his eyes, his voice chillingly cold.
A bone-piercing frost quietly gathered, causing all the awakened ones to shiver involuntarily within just two breaths.
The sensation of being plunged into an icy abyss filled them with terror.
However, having reached above Level 70 and being veterans of countless battles, they were not ones to give up so easily.
They scoffed, "Just because you say we should stop, we must comply? Aren't you being overly domineering?"
"And may we inquire as to who you are? Which power do you hail from?"
Faced with the inquiries of the awakened ones, Ice Ghost remained silent, closing his eyes once again.
It was as if these awakened ones before him were not even worthy of his attention.
This reaction only fueled the anger of the awakened, and at this point, they disregarded the potential backing behind Ice Ghost.
Consumed by rage, they immediately began to unleash their skills.
However, before they could successfully deploy their abilities, Ice Ghost simply drew his ice-blue sword from his waist.
An intense chill swept forth, instantly freezing the high-level awakened ones into ice statues, rendering them motionless on the spot.
In the distance, numerous other awakened ones witnessed this scene, their eyes widening in shock, hearts filled with fear.
A group of powerful beings above Level 70, equipped with notable gear, couldn't withstand a single breath against Ice Ghost.
What chance did they have?
"Above Level 60 awakened, halt; others, feel free to chase and vie for the Starry River Map!"
As Ice Ghost repeated this declaration, many of the awakened ones couldn't help but show signs of elation.
They had initially thought Ice Ghost was bluffing, but now it appeared to be true!
This realization brought smiles to the faces of the lower-level awakened ones.
With the higher-level awakened present, their chances of seizing the Starry River Map were less than one percent.
Now, with Ice Ghost detaining the higher-level awakened, it seemed like they had a real shot at obtaining the Starry River Map.
With this thought, they didn't hesitate, swiftly bypassing the frozen statues and rushing towards the direction where Howard had run.
Some level 60-ish awakened ones also tried to take advantage of the situation.
However, before they could get past, an icy blue blade aura sliced through the air, decapitating them in a swift, chilling blow!
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