Chapter 66 Chapter66-Howard's Outburst
Back to back, the group of five led by Howard ventured deeper into the castle, encountering an increasing number of eerie scenes.
Every now and then, a coffin would emerge, startling the quintet. Fortunately, the lids were open, revealing no bodies within.
The walls were adorned with numerous portraits, the subjects of which appeared alarmingly lifelike, as if they might step out of their frames.
Unbeknownst to Howard and his team, as they moved past each painting, the depicted figures subtly turned their heads, cold and menacing eyes fixed intently on them.
"It's odd, but I can't shake the feeling that we're being watched," Glyn remarked, scratching his head. "Do any of you feel the same?"
Hearing Glyn's words, Abby, Caitlin, and Aisha all furrowed their brows, their bodies instinctively tensing.
"Now that you mention it, I too sense danger," Abby shared, her voice tinged with apprehension. "It feels as if someone, or something, is spying on us."
"It seems the vampire BOSS has been alerted to our presence," Howard deduced astutely.
If they all felt this way, it likely meant they were being targeted. The only mystery was the vampire's hideout.
Scanning the surroundings, Howard's gaze swept over the entire living area, finding nothing amiss.
But then a thought struck him, "If not here... could it be... above?"
With that, he instinctively looked up, but the ceiling bore no anomalies.
It was then that Howard's eyes finally settled on the haunting portraits.
"Something's not right," Howard murmured, "Usually, only the master of the house has the privilege to be displayed on the wall. There shouldn't be this many portraits!"
"Attack them directly; something's off about them!" Howard wasn't one for indecision.
The moment he sensed something amiss, he issued a decisive command.
Simultaneously, he swung his Soul Nurturer, instantly conjuring a fireball.
The fireball, trailing flames, rocketed towards one of the portraits.
But before it could make contact, the figure in the painting revealed a sinister grin.
Suddenly, a swarm of Crimson Bats surged forth like a tidal wave, colliding with the fireball.
Then, shockingly, the figure stepped out from the confines of the canvas!
It wasn't just one, but all the portraits in the grand hall seemed to come alive.
They emerged from the walls, their cloaks billowing as if caught in a phantom breeze, levitating just above the ground.
"Wait... Are all these vampires... BOSS?!"
Witnessing this scene, Abby, Caitlin, Aisha, and Glyn were utterly stunned.
They involuntarily swallowed hard, their throats tightening.
Facing one or two BOSS would pose no threat to them.
But dozens, if not hundreds of them?
Even if they were weaker, they'd still be a challenge!
Should these creatures unleash their skills collectively, how would they counter?
Even if a single skill could only diminish a tenth of their vitality, with hundreds of BOSS simultaneously launching attacks, they'd undoubtedly be obliterated without a trace!
Aisha's expression grew tense, her hands clasped together, summoning forth a crystal orb from thin air.
Its sacred radiance cascaded down, forming a protective barrier around the five of them.
?[Ding! Congratulations to the awakened Howard for receiving the boon of the skill — Holy Light Shield. For the next 15 seconds, all awakened beings within the Holy Light Shield will be immune to all forms of attack. However, if the Holy Light Shield sustains excessive damage, the skill will be interrupted.]
Upon seeing the skill's description, Howard's eyebrows raised subtly.
No wonder Caitlin had roped her into their team; this skill was indeed impressive!
"Hee hee hee hee!"
Yet, even with the presence of the Holy Light Shield, the hundreds of vampires unveiled their malevolent grins.
Drawing nearer to Howard and the others, their voices resonated with a sinister growl, "Humans! It has been ages since we've encountered your kind!"
"Tonight, we finally feast, relishing the taste of fresh blood!"
"Thank the heavens for this gift!"
Hearing these words, Abby, Caitlin, and the others grew increasingly anxious, swiftly assessing the attributes of the vampire horde.
And with every discovery, their expressions grew more and more grim.
"Oh my God, all these vampires are BOSS level! The weakest among them are of the Baron tier, and there are even those of Viscount tier!"
"We're done for, how do we deal with so many BOSS?"
Even Glyn, typically composed, began to panic, "Could it be, just after stepping into the Castle of Vampires, we need to call for our mentor?"
Caitlin, Glyn, and Aisha were all prodigies, carrying a fierce sense of pride.
They had previously boasted that perhaps they wouldn't even need Daniel's intervention throughout this journey in the Ruins.
Yet now, barely into the ancient castle, they found themselves possibly requiring Daniel's rescue.
The humiliation was almost unbearable.
Meanwhile, standing outside the entrance, Daniel slightly shook his head.
He wasn't looking down on Caitlin and the others; rather, he felt they had rotten luck.
Who encounters so many BOSS right upon entering the Ruins?
However, just as Daniel prepared to intervene and save Howard and the team, he abruptly sensed a peculiar fluctuation.
Swiftly lifting his gaze, his pupils constricted instantly, and astonishment filled his eyes.
Following Daniel's line of sight, it was clear to see Howard raising the Soul Nurturer. A soft yellow radiance surged forth from him in powerful waves.
This intangible force erupted, raging and tumultuous, sending the hundreds of encroaching Vampire Barons flying into the air.
In the next moment, the power of Geo converged, transforming in the blink of an eye into a small mountainous formation.
It thundered down, pinning the hundreds of Vampire Barons firmly to the ground.
"This... This..."
For the first time, Aisha witnessed Howard unleashing an SS-level skill, leaving her utterly stunned and at a loss for words.
Even the worldly Daniel found himself taking sharp, quick breaths, murmuring, "An SS-level skill... It's definitely an SS-level skill! Impressive lad. Even within the entire Alliance, there are but a few awakened who can master an SS-level skill. And he, an orphan, has managed to grasp it. Astonishing!"
"A single SS-level skill book would cost at least a thousand gold coins, something he surely can't afford. Could it be a skill he devised himself? If that's the case, I've struck gold!"
"No wonder Caitlin had such confidence in Howard. Turns out he had this up his sleeve! Fascinating. I hope this Howard continues to surprise me."
A smirk formed at the corner of Daniel's mouth as he intently observed Howard, readying himself for combat.
If there were any signs of Howard's team faltering, he would immediately intervene, eliminating all the vampire bosses himself!
Howard's spectacle was far from over.
As hundreds of Vampire Barons and even some Viscounts found themselves suppressed by the Wrath of the Earth, a fiery glow began to emanate from Howard.
The intense Pyro energy coalesced, and in but a few breaths, the ethereal figure of the god of fire materialized behind him.
Even as a mere silhouette, the god of fire exuded a formidable aura, its scorching heat seeming to sear the very space around.
Howard, brandishing the Soul Nurturer, unleashed the Roar of the Fire God to its fullest.
"Roar!"
The deafening cry echoed to the heavens.
With the god of fire's figure releasing a ferocious blaze, flames rapidly spread, filling the grand hall in mere moments, engulfing and consuming countless vampire bosses.
A blinding surge of flames obstructed the view of Abby, Caitlin, Aisha, and Glyn.
But Daniel saw it all too clearly.
The rampant flames, though formless, bore a violent power, reducing the bodies of the vampire bosses to mere ashes.
Crimson damage numbers kept surfacing above their heads.
In no time, the health bars of some of the lower-ranked Vampire Barons were completely depleted, their bodies reduced to cinders.
Only the Vampire Viscounts, with their higher HP, held on a little longer.
Yet, the Roar of the Fire God had a multi-layered damage effect.
In just a fleeting moment, all the vampires were incinerated, leaving nothing but ashes in their wake.
[Ding! Congratulations, awakened Howard, for successfully vanquishing the Silver-grade BOSS, Vampire Baron Suleman. You've been awarded 30,000 experience points! ]
[Ding! Congratulations, awakened Howard, for successfully defeating the Silver-grade BOSS, Vampire Baron Darral. You've earned 30,000 experience points! ]
[Ding! Kudos to the awakened Howard... ]
[...]
The crisp notification chimes echoed in succession through the minds of Howard, Abby, Caitlin, Glyn, and Aisha.
In an instant, a shimmering golden light radiated beneath Howard and Abby's feet as their levels surged dramatically.
Even Caitlin, Glyn, and Aisha experienced the thrill of leveling up.
Though as Howard and Abby advanced in levels, the amount of experience gained reduced, the accumulated experience from defeating hundreds of BOSS totaled in the millions.
This massive influx propelled both of them up by several levels in one fell swoop.
Howard now stood at an impressive LV19, just a hair's breadth away from LV20.
Abby, on the other hand, had soared to LV17.
If other awakened individuals were to learn of Howard and Abby's meteoric rise, they would undoubtedly be rendered utterly dumbstruck!
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