Chapter 201 Chapter201-Dropping the Disguise, The SSS-level Skill That Shocks Everyone!
The Icy Touch of the Winter Goddess didn't achieve an effective kill, merely creating a temporary setback for the group of Extraplanar creatures.
Luckily, this delay allowed the students to hold out until Tana's arrival.
Tana's prowess, though incomparable to the likes of Wales and Daniel, was still remarkably potent against the ordinary Extraplanar beings.
In just the blink of an eye, as Tana made her approach, she launched her dagger.
It swiftly pierced and ripped through several Extraplanar beings, sending a shower of blood into the air.
But that was not all; the dagger seemed to possess a boomeranging effect.
After slicing through several Extraplanar beings, it returned, attacking from a new angle.
In that instant, bright red numbers indicating damage floated up from the heads of the Extraplanar beings.
For a few, hit multiple times, their health bars were depleted in a flash.
It was only the robust nature of the Frost Giant race that allowed them to endure this fierce attack.
A roar thundered. The Frost Giants tightened their grip and powerfully pounded the ground.
A crisp sound resonated, followed by a surge of biting cold. This cold swiftly transformed into a frost wave, spreading rapidly across the terrain.
Within mere moments, the frost had blanketed the entire area. Everyone present, Howard included, felt a cold so intense it seemed to freeze their very souls.
[Ding Dong! As awakened Howard is affected by the 'Frostbound Realm' skill, his attack speed decreases by 50%, movement speed by 30%, and casting speed by 30%, lasting for 30 seconds. Should Howard remain within the Frostbound Realm for a continuous 10 seconds, he will enter a deep freeze state, taking an additional 200% damage upon any injury!]
Witnessing the skill alert, Howard and his comrades' pupils dilated in shock.
In the longevity of combat, these kinds of restrictive skills often posed a greater threat than those dealing direct damage.
Tana, too, fell victim to this. Instantly impacted by the Frostbound Realm skill, her attack, movement, and casting speeds were all drastically reduced.
Her previously swift movements now seemed to drag, as if mired in molasses.
It was at this juncture that the Murderers executed a special tactic.
With the students distracted by the Frost Giants, they quickly teleported behind Tana.
Thanks to Tana's superior attributes and faster reaction time, she was able to perceive the impending danger.
Despite the slowdown in her attack speed, she swiftly turned and swung her dagger in a wide arc.
The sound of slicing air was followed by the dagger's razor-sharp edge making contact with a Murderer.
The intense aura radiating from the blade cut through the Murderer's body, causing blood to spurt out violently.
But Tana's troubles were far from over.
Even though she avoided the Murderer's sneak attack, the continuous appearance of Murderers and Extraplanar beings, human-like and adept in Invisibility, quickly entangled her.
Simultaneously, the Frost Giants and the blood-red ants initiated a fierce onslaught, determined to eliminate Howard and his team as quickly as possible.
Their strategy was clear – despite their brute force, they recognized Tana's overwhelming superiority.
The only way to shift the balance was to eliminate Howard and his group.
Amidst the relentless offensive of a multitude of Extraplanar beings, only Howard, with his MP Shield, and Ying Chan, morphing into a blazing phoenix, could claim any sort of upper hand.
However, the rest of the students, including notable talents like Hadman and Caitlin, were increasingly overwhelmed.
Caitlin's strikes were quick, her blade aura ferocious, but the immense size of the Frost Giants posed a daunting challenge.
Their punches and skill executions covered an astonishingly broad area, effectively trapping Caitlin within their reach.
What about her retaliations?
The Frost Giants, armored in ice and rock, shrugged off the sharp assaults of the blade aura with ease.
Their real vulnerability lay in Pyro skills.
To inflict damage with blade aura, one needed a colossal disparity in attributes, enough to bypass their defenses for an instantaneous kill.
Hadman, hindered by his slower movement speed, struggled against the blood-red ants.
Their diminutive size and the agility granted by their wings made them nearly impossible to hit as they darted through the air.
As Caitlin, Hadman, Abby and others were progressively forced back, Howard's countenance grew increasingly tense.
He deliberated over how to salvage the situation for these students.
His options were limited: he could intervene directly and eliminate the Extraplanar creatures himself, or he could stall for time, hoping for Daniel and Wales to intervene.
Yet, to unleash a formidable force capable of vanquishing all the monsters present, Howard would need to resort to either the Soul Fusion skill or an SSS-level skill.
Merely relying on SS-level skills seemed inadequate.
The remaining skills at his disposal, Roar of the Fire God and Mighty Thunder, appeared insufficient to ensure the students' safety.
In the midst of his quandary, Howard couldn't help but waver. "Do I expose my SSS-level skill or do I opt for the Soul Fusion state?"
The Soul Fusion skill was, arguably, Howard's most potent ace up his sleeve.
In such a state, augmented by the Draconic State, not only would Howard's foundational attributes surge dramatically, but he would also unlock a series of formidable Draconic Magics.
Under that transformation, Howard possessed the strength to squarely defeat adversaries around the 70th level.
However, as for the SSS-level skill, in all honesty, it was mainly effective against opponents with lower attributes than Howard.
In face-offs with higher-level awakened or formidable enemies, a single SSS-level skill, let alone a barrage of five or six, might not even scratch their defenses.
Contemplating this, Howard swiftly reached a resolution.
He would unveil his SSS-level skill!
This decision would allow Howard to save his classmates while keeping his ultimate cards close to his chest.
Howard's choice to reserve his trump card was not out of distrust towards his classmates.
In the unpredictable and perilous world they inhabited, dangers lurked in every corner, demanding prudence.
Suppose an awakened being proficient in soul manipulation infiltrated and took over a student's consciousness, thereby uncovering Howard's abilities.
Wouldn't that leave him vulnerable?
Howard's affection for his fellow students was genuine.
If not, he wouldn't even contemplate deploying his SSS-level skill, preferring instead to let them face their destiny.
Given the protection of his MP Shield, Howard could effortlessly safeguard himself and even ensure Abby's safety.
Amidst a sudden and profound drone, a tumultuous wind began to howl, emerging abruptly as the Extraplanar creatures neared breaching the students' defenses.
This intense gale, appearing out of nowhere, exerted a tremendous pull, dragging the Extraplanar beings towards where Howard stood.
It was then that the students noticed something extraordinary: Howard was levitating, his body spinning in a vortex that was gaining speed by the second.
With Howard's rotation quickening, his entire being transformed into a cyclone, catalyzing the surrounding winds to converge upon him.
"This..."
"Has Howard actually become a storm?!"
This scene left the students in awe, having never before witnessed a skill that could transform an awakened into such a form.
Their astonishment intensified as the wind's terror magnified.
Its relentless pulling force made it impossible for the Extraplanar creatures, previously overwhelming them in combat, to break free.
They were all ensnared in the vortex, whirling uncontrollably within its grasp.
"What kind of skill is this?!"
"The control is immense! To single-handedly subdue so many Extraplanar beings!"
"These beings are around level 60, aren't they?"
At this moment, the students stood transfixed, exchanging looks of sheer disbelief.
Even the human-like Extraplanar beings and the Murderers, who were entwining Tana, were caught in the tempest's embrace, being inexorably pulled into the swirling heart of the storm.
Furthermore, with each passing moment, the power of 'Annihilation of the Tempest Goddess' gradually escalated.
As time went on, even without Howard specifically targeting the other students, the formidable wind began to sway them, complicating their ability to remain upright.
Confronted with the might of the wind, the students' faces turned ashen.
They quickly moved back, putting distance between themselves and Howard.
Simultaneously, Daniel and Wales, engaged in their own battle, felt the impact of this massive gust of wind.
As they turned their heads towards the source, their eyes gleamed with recognition.
They immediately discerned that this was Howard's doing.
"This... a skill that gains strength continuously, its range expanding to nearly 100 yards, and it shows no sign of stopping!"
"Has Howard really learned an SSS-level skill?"
At that moment, even Daniel was taken aback, his eyes widening in astonishment.
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