Chapter 193 Chapter 193-An Ominous Premonition
As the Stellar Realm unfolded, Howard's very form began to glow with an ethereal light, surrounded by a myriad of twinkling stars.
From a distance, he resembled a deity which was radiant and majestic.
Not only that, but under the enhancement of the Stellar Realm's powers, the peculiar attributes of the monstrous creatures were significantly suppressed.
Howard, too, received a bolstering in strength.
In this exchange of power, the gap between his abilities and those of the monsters widened dramatically.
The Celestial Descent shone with a brilliant light, each meteor that fell not only inflicted substantial damage upon the monsters but also burst open like a firework, obstructing their view with its dazzling display.
Particularly when three meteors struck, the creatures were bound by the starlight, rendered immobile on the spot.
"Run now!"
As the eerie monsters were subdued by Howard, the remaining awakened beings snapped to their senses and scrambled to flee.
Upon witnessing this, Howard's pupils contracted sharply.
According to Atael, these monsters seemed to possess a peculiar Power of Law – as long as they remained unseen by humans, they could instantly teleport behind their target.
Even though Howard was facing the monsters, his vision was obscured by the flames and the explosive brilliance of the starlight.
Indeed, as expected, even though they were in a controlled state, as soon as no human eyes were upon them, they could rupture the very fabric of space and perform a Space Jump.
Yes, the Space Jump!
For it was explicitly stated in Howard's skills – once hit by the arrows transformed from the stars, the target should be immobilized.
To shift their position while being unable to move could only be achieved by a Space Jump!
Fortunately, even after performing a Space Jump, they remained immobilized, under a control that rendered them unable to move or act.
Thus, they posed no threat to the humans, merely flickering in and out of existence behind them.
At this moment, Maithus, leading a group of close-combat specialists, charged into the fray.
A swift glance revealed a scene of horror: bodies and blood strewn across the ground, alongside the relentless burning flames.
They couldn't help but inhale sharply, exclaiming in shock and disbelief, "What the fuck?! How could so many have perished?"
"Terrifying!"
"Don't just stand there in shock, let's move in quickly!"
"Remember, when you encounter those monsters, keep a close watch on them. Also, we must stand in rows, ensuring there is always someone behind you!"
With these words, Howard, brandishing his wand, conjured a fierce, cold air.
The chilling breeze, swirling into existence, howled as it surged forward.
Upon contact with the flames, the cold air was instantly melted by the intense heat, transforming into countless droplets of water that fell in succession.
Pfft, pfft!
As the droplets hit the burning flames, a peculiar sound emerged, followed swiftly by plumes of white smoke.
Gradually, the flames began to dim.
However, the fire was so intense that, despite the assault of water, it refused to be extinguished completely.
Seeing this, Howard hesitated no more and unleashed a powerful skill – Wrath of the Earth!
Geo energy, known for its supremacy over Pyro, was about to prove its might.
When the wave infused with the potent essence of Geo energy erupted, the already-weakening flames could no longer withstand the pressure.
They were immediately extinguished, smothered under the dominating force of the Earth.
With the flames extinguished, the full scene was finally laid bare to their eyes.
Outside the base, a horrifying sight unfolded: hundreds of bizarrely shaped monsters were massacring the group of awakened.
The ground was littered with thousands of corpses.
In some areas, the remains were piled so high they formed small mounds.
The pungent scent of blood hung heavy in the air, assaulting the senses.
Witnessing this scene, the students couldn't help but tremble, rage boiling in their hearts.
The thought of thousands of their kin slaughtered in such a manner was unbearable for any sane person.
This feeling assaulted the minds of every student present.
At that moment, the control period of Celestial Descent came to an end.
The massacre by the monsters resumed.
Their hands, sharp as blades, crossed and slashed with ferocity, emitting blood-red blade lights.
These lights, infused with astounding power, instantly tore the bodies of the awakened into halves.
Some monsters, confronting the surviving awakened head-on, underwent a grotesque transformation.
Their heads sprouted rows of blood-red, razor-sharp teeth, which they used to bite through the survivors' bodies, letting the blood flow into their mouths.
"Cursed creatures!"
"Such vicious monsters! Brothers, attack, let's annihilate them!"
Upon seeing this, the students could no longer contain themselves.
Gripping their weapons, they charged into battle.
Of course, they all firmly remembered Howard's instructions and kept their eyes fixed intently on the bizarre monsters.
Even when multiple monsters targeted them, each student focused on one.
When other monsters flickered behind them, their companions at the back played a crucial role.
Indeed, it wasn't necessary for the individual themselves to watch the monsters; as long as someone's gaze caught them, their Space Jump ability was nullified.
Howard had already analyzed their specific attributes.
Known as Sneaky Murderers, their level was around LV35, not much higher than the students. In a direct combat situation, there was no need to worry.
When these monsters transformed into beings with only two rows of blood-colored teeth on their heads, the awakened would slam their shields down on them, causing them to reel in confusion.
Howard continuously unleashed skills – fireballs, Frost Arrow Spells, and many others, bombarding the Sneaky Murderers like a relentless stream, sending them flying.
However, their numbers were simply too many!
Moreover, their HP was not low, and even Howard didn't have the ability to kill them instantly.
If it weren't for Maithus and the others charging quickly and drawing some of the Sneaky Murderers away, Howard might not have been able to prevent the massacre of the awakened.
Eventually, Howard went all out, deploying every wide-range AOE skill he had, barring those above SS-level.
In a short while, some Sneaky Murderers finally fell at the hands of Howard and his companions.
At that moment, the attention of the group of Sneaky Murderers was finally drawn towards them.
"Roar!"
Deep, angry growls resonated continuously as hundreds of Sneaky Murderers, like wolves lurking in the darkness, only revealed their ghastly green eyes, sizing up Howard and his fellow students.
Unfortunately for them, Howard and his companions, being top students from a prestigious academy, were not as easily intimidated as the previously massacred awakened.
As the group of Sneaky Murderers attempted to encircle and close in on Howard and his team, Abby, Lanas, and other archers deployed their skills.
The crisp twang of bowstrings vibrated incessantly, and arrows, glimmering with light, were shot into the air, transforming into a rain of arrows that crisscrossed down from the sky.
Abby, an elemental archer, lacked AOE skills, but each arrow she released shimmered with different colored lights, each carrying different elements.
Every element came with its special effects.
Some arrows exploded upon impact, others pierced through the bodies, blasting them away or skewering the Sneaky Murderers together.
There were also arrows that reduced the attributes of the monsters they hit or inflicted controlling effects on them.
The archers were just the first wave!
Soon after, the second wave of attack from the magi followed.
Glows and bursts like beads on a string continuously struck the monsters.
Flames transformed into razor-sharp blades, fiercely slashing, and brown glows shattered the earth, forming huge boulders that heavily smashed down onto the monsters.
For a moment, countless Sneaky Murderers were hit by the barrage of skills, scurrying in panic, utterly devoid of any capacity to fight back.
They attempted to utilize their Space Jump ability, but to no avail.
The students, having immense faith in Howard and being numerous themselves, kept a vigilant watch on one or two monsters each, leaving no room for the creatures to execute their ability.
As the Sneaky Murderers continued to fall, Howard switched his weapon to the Soul Nurturer.
One magic skill after another, like precision-guided missiles, accurately struck the Sneaky Murderers.
[ Ding! Congratulations awakened Howard, you have successfully killed a Sneaky Murderer, awarded 2000 experience points! ]
[ Ding! Congratulations awakened Howard, you have successfully killed a Sneaky Murderer, awarded 2000 experience points! ]
[ Ding! Congratulations awakened Howard... ]
[ ... ]
The crisp sound of the system notifications echoed, yet an ominous premonition suddenly surfaced in Howard's heart.
Even his heartbeat began to accelerate!
Howard looked up sharply, but nothing seemed amiss.
Some Sneaky Murderers were still pursuing the surviving awakened, while the rest were being utterly overpowered by the students, fleeing in disarray.
What could possibly be giving him such an ominous feeling?
A surge of ominous foreboding instantly tensed Howard.
His mind raced with speculation – could there be a BOSS among these monsters?
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel