Chapter 94 Chapter94-The Turncoat
While unsure of the veracity of Howard's words, Nick and Mike, as his confidants, chose to trust him.
Subsequently, Howard, leading Abby, Nick, and Mike, retraced their steps to the group of students they had previously raided – those who had regrouped after their misfortune.
The abrupt reappearance of Howard's team caused a surge of tension among the hundreds of students.
Some among them, brimming with indignation, stood up, glaring at Howard and barking, "Howard, we've already handed over our points. Why have you returned?"
They had planned to band together, to stand united against him.
Yet, having been humbled by Howard just a short while ago, none dared to harbor thoughts of rebellion.
Noticing this, Howard chuckled, "Rest assured, I'm not here to raid you again. I've come to inquire if any of you know the whereabouts of other students?"
"What are you playing at, Howard?"
"Ridiculous! Are you expecting us to be your accomplices?"
"You're delusional!"
Outbursts of indignation continued to echo, yet among them, some students' eyes sparkled, as if an idea had struck them.
Suddenly, one student stood up, voicing, "I have a rough idea of their location. But what's in it for me if I tell you?"
"You're asking me for a reward?" Howard paused at the audacity, then broke into a grin.
Indeed, students were so naively straightforward.
If they weren't schoolmates, asking for a benefit in such a circumstance would be a death wish.
Yet, unable to harm his peers, Howard responded amiably, "If you can lead me to the other students, I'll give you a tenth of the points we seize."
"Are you serious?"
Upon hearing that, excitement instantly flooded the student's face.
Flashing a grin, he said, "The name's Jimmy. My aptitude is the Psychic Probe, allowing me to scan hundreds of yards around. I can definitely help you locate the remaining students."
"Traitor!"
No sooner had he spoken than others began hurling insults at him.
Yet, Jimmy remained composed, appearing utterly unaffected by the barrage of words.
Who was he kidding? If bearing some verbal abuse translated to acquiring thousands of points, he'd rather be verbally skewered to death!
More than that, he harbored a plan of his own.
"Alright, come with me," Howard nodded slightly, finding himself intrigued by Jimmy.
A man should know when to bend and when to stand tall.
Howard wasn't perturbed by Jimmy's decision. On the contrary, he felt that in the future, Jimmy might just become a figure of significance.
Having found his informant, Howard wasted no more words on the other students and promptly departed.
As Howard and his group departed, a sudden cacophony of discussion broke out.
"I never thought Jimmy was that sort of person!"
"Is he really that desperate for points? Ugh! For a few measly points, he betrayed our friendship!"
While some spat out their anger, others chuckled, "Oh come on, what friendship are we talking about? Besides, Jimmy didn't spill the beans about us. He's after the students who haven't been robbed yet."
"Exactly! Let's be real: there are still plenty of students who remain unscathed. If they get through this untouched, how are we supposed to face them when we return to the academy? Should we accept that only we got robbed and, what, we're the losers?"
"Putting it that way, if everyone gets robbed, then at least we won't be the only ones shamed. Moreover, if everyone's points drop, we'll actually have more time to collect some for ourselves."
"Seems I judged Jimmy too hastily. A noble move on his part."
"Noble? He's just after the points."
"Still, we might be able to turn the tables on him!"
"Right, let's tail Howard from a distance. For every group he robs, we can rally them to our cause. Once he's done, we ambush him, seize his spoils, and then split the loot!"
"Brilliant plan!"
It's uncertain who first voiced the idea, but as it spread, the energy among them surged, many feeling it was a splendid strategy.
Not only would it salvage their pride, but it could also redeem their standing.
Although ganging up might seem unsporting, if it secured the desired outcome, it was a pill they were more than willing to swallow.
Unbeknownst to Howard, Jimmy was using his gift to sense the other students.
Ever the schemer, when Jimmy sensed a group of students trailing them, he immediately understood the situation and chose not to alert Howard.
The power of information!
Had Howard been informed about the group tailing them, he surely would have put two and two together.
Regrettably, due to a mismatch in their talents, neither Abby, Nick, nor Mike noticed the shadowing students.
It was in moments like these that Jimmy's cunning truly shone.
With remarkable diligence, it took Jimmy merely a quarter of an hour to lead Howard and the others to a new student.
This student, named Maithus Cabin, had awakened an S-level talent.
He'd selected the warrior class and wielded a massive sword akin to a door plank, projecting an aura of formidable strength.
Unfortunately for him, among Howard's team were two individuals with S-level talents and the prodigious Howard himself.
Following the familiar playbook, they approached Maithus with a friendly demeanor, dispelling his initial wariness.
In the next moment, the invisible Mike launched a surprise attack, simultaneously employing his Backstab and Toxicity skills, which not only stunned Maithus but also poisoned him, significantly diminishing his abilities.
An instant later, a Frost Arrow Spell whistled through the air, encasing Maithus in a solid block of ice.
For a student who had only recently awakened, regardless of the level of his talent, he was no match for this coordinated onslaught.
Frozen and incapacitated, he was powerless as Howard effortlessly took his bamboo tablet.
"Wha?! This guy's impressive. Alone, he's amassed 4100 points!" Howard exclaimed as he glanced at the bamboo tablet's tally, genuine surprise crossing his features.
It's worth noting that after Howard and his group had ambushed numerous students, their combined points amounted to roughly 7000, averaging out to each member.
For this lone individual to gather over 4000 points was indeed a commendable feat.
Moreover, the strength of an adept always surpasses that of a novice.
Previously, any student Howard managed to immobilize effectively lost their ability to resist.
But Maithus, within a mere two-second span, showed a crack forming in the icy casing around him, emanating a distinct cracking sound.
Crack--
The next instant, the ice shattered.
Maithus jolted awake, his pupils constricting sharply, locking onto Howard with the intensity of a fierce tiger.
Although the freezing had numbed his entire body, Maithus still felt searing pain.
But he forcibly suppressed it, letting out a mighty roar.
With that, he swung his massive, door-sized blade, aiming it straight at Howard's face.
"Ah, impressive! Still putting up a fight? Gravity spell!" Sensing Maithus's counterattack, a smirk graced Howard's lips.
Unperturbed, he effortlessly invoked the Gravity spell, and in an instant, an invisible force, heavy as a mountain range, bore down on Maithus.
At this moment, the gap between an S-level Talent Awakening and an ordinary student became starkly evident.
Even those awakened with an A-grade talent found themselves flustered under Howard's onslaught.
Yet Maithus remained unflinchingly composed.
"Indomitable Will!"
With his roar echoing, a golden radiance enveloped Maithus.
Almost instantly, as the weight of the Gravity spell approached him, it dissipated—much like how snow melts under the blazing sun.
For a split second, astonishment flashed in Howard's eyes.
A skill that can nullify control effects? Or did it simply dispel them?
Despite his surprise, Howard wasn't about to give Maithus a window of opportunity.
Swinging his Soul Nurturer again, a blazing flame coalesced into a fireball, rocketing towards Maithus.
Typically, skills of immunity would wear off after enduring a series of attacks.
Banking on this, Howard signalled for Abby, Nick, and Mike to join him in assailing Maithus.
As the old saying goes, "Two hands are no match for four."
And in this case, with Howard and his team, it was essentially eight hands against one.
The golden radiance around Maithus began to wane after enduring several blows.
This turn of events made Maithus's face tighten with intensity.
Gritting his teeth, he swung his massive sword, akin to a door plank, and leaped into the air, bringing it down with a thunderous crash onto the ground.
A brilliant glow immediately emanated from the sword—clearly not a skill of Maithus's, but an intrinsic effect of the weapon itself.
"Multiple Wind Blade!"
Howard retaliated swiftly.
As he waved the Soul Nurturer, a series of pale wind blades formed, slicing through the air as if tearing space itself, flying fiercely to meet the descending giant sword.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In an instant, sharp, crisp sounds echoed relentlessly.
The wind blades danced around, much like moths to a flame, fully aware that they'd be shattered by the mammoth sword, yet they persisted, rushing forth to collide with it.
Witnessing this spectacle, both Nick and Mike's expressions subtly shifted.
Just as they began to worry for Howard, they failed to notice that the remaining wind blades had slightly altered their course.
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