Chapter 202 Chapter 202-Space Turbulence
While gaining an SS-level skill might be attributed to luck, the acquisition of an SSS-level skill was another matter entirely.
How had Howard managed to obtain such a power?
The SSS-level skills are considered treasures among the most powerful elite factions.
While they are not completely off-limits, they are rarely shared without significant consideration.
The idea of stumbling upon an SSS-level skill inheritance in the wild borders on the impossible.
This is primarily because current methods of inheritance lack the capacity to handle such colossal power.
SSS-level skills are typically conveyed directly by supreme experts or stored in high-level skill books, which are sustained and nurtured with spiritual power by influential forces.
For example, Howard's access to advanced Draconic Magic came through the Guardian Divine Dragon of the Chan family.
Therefore, when Howard unleashed the SSS-level skill – Annihilation of the Tempest Goddess, it completely stunned both Wales and Daniel.
Wales was somewhat less shocked; he had always perceived Howard as an extraordinary figure.
However, Daniel was truly startled, rooted to the spot in shock.
His brief hesitation gave the mighty Extraplanar creatures time to gather their wits.
They understood that their underlings were no match for the continuous attack of an SSS-level skill and realized the failure of their strategy.
Their goal had been to divert attention, so the actual result – victory or defeat – was not their primary concern.
Nevertheless, they were reluctant to see their forces decimated.
In a flash, they began converging on Howard.
Their logic was clear: if Howard was the source of the skill, then perhaps defeating him would interrupt the SSS-level skill!
In a fleeting moment, the most formidable among the Frost Giants took the initiative.
Despite their enormous size and seemingly sluggish movements, their large physique granted them a significantly wide attack radius.
Thus, it was a Frost Giant who first managed to strike Howard's transformed storm.
A massive fist pounded onto the ground, shattering the once brownish-yellow earth.
This was followed by the explosive emergence of several towering ice pillars, enveloped in a shocking chill, fiercely striking the storm incarnation of Howard.
Thankfully, as an SSS-level skill was in effect, Howard was in an invulnerable state during its activation.
Therefore, although the ice pillars, borne from the cold, appeared menacing, they were unable to inflict any damage on Howard.
Nevertheless, the group of Extraplanar creatures was not without intellect.
In that brief moment, they understood that they couldn't injure Howard under these circumstances.
However, their inability to harm Howard didn't equate to a lack of alternative strategies.
"Strike all at once, use overwhelming force to rend his storm form!"
"If we disrupt the state of his storm form, the skill itself will cease!"
A shrill roar echoed as a winged Mortality Murderer appeared.
Its multitude of legs shimmered with razor-sharp, frosty edges, lunging towards Howard's storm form with astonishing velocity.
The Frost Giants followed suit, their hands balled into fists.
As they summoned a gale of chilling air, it swiftly morphed into a colossal axe.
This axe tore through the very fabric of space, fiercely descending upon Howard as well.
Meanwhile, the blood-red ants ignited into blazing infernos.
Bi-bo, bi-bo!
The air resonated with the sound of intense burning, the heat rising so rapidly it painted the sky a fiery red.
It was at this pivotal moment that Howard's expression shifted.
Wind is inherently linked to air, and in an environment of extreme heat, there was a real possibility that the wind could be extinguished.
The Extraplanar beings, human in appearance, lacked long-range offensive abilities.
However, they quickly pivoted, launching an assault towards Daniel and Wales.
They understood the imperative of stopping Daniel and Wales from aiding Howard against these formidable attacks.
Just then, Wales and Daniel snapped into action, albeit too late.
The human-like Extraplanar beings were already upon them.
Given the relative physical inferiority of humans to Extraplanar beings, a close-quarters confrontation was not favorable.
Daniel, unable to risk being hit, hastily retreated to widen the gap between him and the encroaching foes.
"This is bad!"
Tana, witnessing Howard on the brink of being overwhelmed by the trio of fearsome attacks, had her face contort with alarm.
She sprung into action, propelling herself towards Howard's position.
A shield of spiritual power erupted around her.
It was evident that Tana intended to use her own might to absorb the brunt of the assault for Howard.
Why didn't anyone attempt to intercept her?
The Extraplanar entities still in the fray were immensely strong and seemed to underestimate Tana, hence their focus on obstructing Wales and Daniel.
This, however, allowed Tana to tap into her strength, reaching Howard's side just as the multitude of attacks were about to erupt.
With a resounding boom, the next moment was a maelstrom of attacks converging upon Tana.
The formidable force tore through her shield in an instant. Luckily, at that critical juncture, Tana had reached Howard's vicinity.
The storm he had embodied unleashed its power, drawing Tana into its spiraling embrace, offering her protection.
Howard, intrinsically a deeply sentimental and relational individual, valued Tana's kindness towards him.
Now, as she was willing to lay down her life for his protection, he couldn't stand idly by as she faced attack.
Yet, Howard had not foreseen the magnitude of the Extraplanar creatures' concerted assault.
Blazing flames and terrifying heat, coupled with bone-piercing frost axes and the relentless stabs of sharp limbs against the storm, resulted in a chaotic confluence of forces.
Already volatile and ferocious, the intermingling of fire and wind was now uncontrollable, further complicated by the infusion of other elements.
Even Howard's execution of an SSS-level skill struggled to sustain the balance of the elements.
Boom!
In the ensuing moment, a formidable energy burst forth.
Invisible waves of force unfurled, laden with staggering power.
Every Extraplanar being and student it touched felt as though hammered by an unseen force, leaving them stunned and strewn across the ground.
Wales and Daniel were no exceptions.
They were hurled away by the sheer might of the blast.
Though they remained conscious, they were wracked with intense pain, rendering them immobile.
What about the nucleus of the explosion?
It radiated an ominous black light, an eerie force that contorted space itself, evoking the image of a black hole—profound and enigmatic.
Thankfully, this black hole was transient, fading away after a short duration.
Yet, in the aftermath of the black hole's disappearance, Howard and Tana were nowhere to be seen.
Also vanished was the space rift.
The immense power of the blast could be attributed to the detonation of the space rift, resulting from the convergence of multiple forces.
This explained why even a combatant of Daniel's caliber found himself immobilized, his consciousness blurred.
Time seemed to stand still before Daniel finally came to.
He shook his head to clear it, rising to his feet and scanning the area.
Noticing the Extraplanar creatures in a severely weakened state, he exhaled a breath of relief.
They had, at least, emerged victorious from this battle.
But the realization that Howard and Tana were absent struck a chord of panic in him.
"What is happening?!"
"Where have Howard and Tana disappeared to?! They... wait a minute! What happened to the space rift?!"
Daniel's pupils dilated abruptly.
As no mere ordinary awakened, the moment he witnessed the space rift's vanishing, a potential scenario swiftly materialized in his mind – Howard and Tana might have activated the space rift, resulting in their transportation elsewhere.
Normally, space rifts are associated with random teleportations.
Yet, given the enigmatic nature of the present Extraplanar creatures, it was conceivable that the rift could have a predetermined destination.
With this realization, Daniel swiftly sprang into action, soaring towards one of the humanoid Extraplanar entities.
Intent on communication, he subconsciously assumed that only those with human-like forms would be capable of interaction.
Observing the Extraplanar creature still unconscious, a chill glinted in Daniel's eyes.
He raised his hand, delivering a series of sharp slaps to its face.
Startled awake by the sudden strikes, the Extraplanar being's eyes flew open to meet the fierce gaze of an imposing figure, instilling a deep sense of dread.
...
As Daniel was engaged in questioning the Extraplanar creature, Howard and Tana, just as he had speculated, were indeed drawn into a space channel at the instant the space rift exploded.
However, due to the rift's explosive state, the channel was far from stable.
Rather than being transported back via the intended space channel, Howard and Tana found themselves halfway through when the channel abruptly collapsed.
They were then separately cast into the chaotic Space Turbulence.
Had it not been for their unconscious state, the sheer psychological toll inflicted by the Space Turbulence could have been enough to shatter their sanity.
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