Howard’s reflexes proved slightly quicker than Caitlin’s as he called out in alarm.
But it was already too late.
By the time Howard’s voice echoed, Modona, previously vanished, suddenly materialized behind Caitlin.
A blood-red hand swiftly thrust forward, piercing through Caitlin’s chest.
Caitlin trembled, the light in her eyes gradually dimming.
“Vampiric Conversion!”
As Modona’s voice faded, the health bar above Caitlin’s head instantly depleted, leaving only a sliver of health remaining. In contrast, Modona’s health bar surged, recovering a whopping 12000 points!
Though not fully restored, it was a significant boost for the fiend.
“Heh heh heh heh!”
This rejuvenation sent Modona into fits of maniacal laughter.
With a flick of its right hand, it callously flung Caitlin aside.
“Damn it!”
Howard’s eyes widened in alarm.
He realized that with Caitlin’s critical health, if she hit the ground, she might die instantly.
Without hesitation, he lunged forward, using his own body as a cushion to catch Caitlin.
Aisha quickly reacted as well, her crystal ball dancing in the air. A silvery-white radiance immediately descended into Caitlin.
Thankfully, in this digital realm, as long as Caitlin wasn’t dead, restoring her HP would prevent any life-threatening danger. At worst, her injuries might take a long time to heal.
Relief washed over Howard and Aisha as they saw the green numbers emerge above Caitlin’s head.
At least, Caitlin was alive.
Unbeknownst to them, had Daniel been present, Caitlin would surely have been safe.
What a joke! Caitlin was, after all, the cherished daughter of a mayor and Daniel’s prized disciple. How could she possibly be without any means to protect herself?
Nevertheless, Howard’s selfless act of leaping to her rescue deeply moved Caitlin, causing her feelings for him to blossom.
It also earned the nod of approval from the watchful Daniel.
So many students in battle are solely concerned with their own well-being. If they avoid getting their teammates killed, they consider themselves fortunate.
Students like Howard, willing to risk themselves for another, are truly one in a million.
“This young lad, the more I see of him, the fonder I become,” Daniel mused.
“Should I take him under my wing as well? Wait… Lord Rick intends to make him his disciple. If I poach him, will Rick chastise me?”
“Forget it. Maybe not as a disciple, but I must keep this boy on my side.”
With a nod of approval, Daniel wholly recognized Howard’s worth.
At this point, if anyone approached Daniel to say that Howard only possessed an F-level talent and couldn’t be admitted to the academy, they would likely be met with a resounding slap from him.
Judging by Howard’s rapid progression – reaching LV20 within half a month and obtaining several SS-level skills – his capabilities weren’t something mere talent ratings could constrain.
Daniel understood all too well: while awakened talent might indicate one’s potential peak of power, it doesn’t define their starting point.
Howard’s baseline already surpassed many with an A-level Talent Awakening, even some with an S-level Talent Awakening.
Given that, why wouldn’t Daniel consider admitting him?
…
“Ah, such a touching sentiment!” Modona observed the scene with a mocking tone, “I wonder, when I come for you, will anyone be there to save you?”
With its HP somewhat restored, Modona’s arrogance flared once more. .𝒎
Throwing its cloak back, in the next moment, it astonishingly transformed into a crimson whirlwind, rushing towards Howard with a incredible speed.
The intense gusts were akin to the edges of sharp blades, and their howling sounds made Howard’s expression turn grave.
Yet, Howard couldn’t evade.
Right behind him stood Abby.
Howard wasn’t one to let his woman shield him from danger.
Taking a deep breath, Howard gazed at Modona, who had transformed into a whirlwind of blood-red.
Gently setting Caitlin down, he squared off against Modona, unleashing his skill — Icy Touch of Winter Goddess!
Whoooosh—
Silvery-white snowflakes began to fall abruptly, filling the vast expanse in mere moments.
The chilling cold surged, and it was only because Howard didn’t target Caitlin, Abby, Aisha, and Glyn that they weren’t immediately encased in ice as the snowflakes swirled around.
Crack—Crack—
Distinct crystalline sounds echoed continuously.
Frost rapidly climbed up the crimson whirlwind, and in just a couple of breaths, it had turned into a massive ice sculpture.
Modona was trapped right at the heart of this icy maelstrom, immobilized and motionless.
By this point, fear finally dawned on Modona. Regrettably for it, it was already ensnared in the frozen trap.
The ethereal visage of the Winter Goddess materialized behind Howard.
In a fleeting moment, she cast a glance at Modona before swiftly drifting towards it, extending her porcelain-like finger.
Though the Winter Goddess’s fingertip appeared delicate and crystalline, the power it contained was incredibly fierce.
Almost the instant the Winter Goddess touched Modona’s head, its body violently shattered.
?[Ding! Congratulations, Awakened Howard, for successfully defeating the Diamond-grade BOSS, Vampire Marquess Modona. You have been awarded 300000 experience points! ]
The crisp system notification rang out, and Howard couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.
This time, Modona was truly defeated.
The rewards were indeed generous, a whopping 300000 experience points, more than tenfold of the previous BOSS’s.
Both Howard and Abby advanced to LV21, their attributes receiving a slight boost.
Aisha was utterly astounded.
While Abby and Glyn had witnessed the Icy Touch of Winter Goddess before, Aisha hadn’t.
Therefore, seeing Howard consecutively unleash such potent skills left her so astonished that she almost forgot to heal Caitlin!
“Well done! This time, you all performed exceptionally.”
Just as Howard was about to collect the spoils of battle, Daniel emerged from behind, remarking with a light chuckle, “I initially believed that the Diamond Vampire Marquess would require my intervention. Yet, you managed to eliminate it on your own. Impressive indeed.”
Seeing Daniel’s presence, Glyn exhaled a sigh of relief and wryly inquired, “Mentor, what exactly is going on with these Ruins? Why is there such a vast disparity in strength among the BOSS?”
“If I’m not mistaken,” Daniel began, pausing momentarily, “these Ruins have existed even before the advent of the Alternate World. Over the years, these vampires haven’t left this place, remaining unaffected by the laws. Hence, their power disparities seem unusually pronounced.”
He continued, “If I were in your shoes, I’d choose to depart now.”
“Why?” Howard, sensing deeper implications in Daniel’s words, couldn’t help but inquire.
Daniel, instead of providing a direct answer, smirked, “Having just scavenged this castle, you have leveled up and reaped significant rewards. Aren’t you content to leave?”
After a contemplative pause, Howard nodded, “Caitlin has been injured. Even if her life isn’t in danger, it will be a while before she can regain her combat capabilities. We certainly must leave.”
This highlighted the stark distinction between the game and this digitalized world.
In a game, once Caitlin’s HP is fully restored, she could continue battling without hindrance.
But in this digital realm, Glyn was previously rendered combat-incapable with mere leg injuries. How could Caitlin, with her severe wounds, be any different?
This isn’t just a game.
When injuries reach a certain threshold, both the pain perception and various limitations can significantly affect combat capabilities.
“Excellent, not letting lavish rewards cloud your judgment. Howard, I believe you’ll prove to be an admirable leader in the future,” Daniel remarked with a smile.
“In the past, whenever Glyn and Caitlin teamed up, Glyn might come across as easy-going, but he’s incredibly stubborn deep down. He tends to believe his choices are the only right ones. Yet, in this expedition, under circumstances where you are evidently less powerful, you have managed to command his respect and obedience. It’s truly astounding!”
Hearing this, Glyn’s cheeks flushed slightly as he retorted, “Mentor, when have I ever been stubborn? I’ve always been easy to get along with!”
“Ha-ha-ha!” Daniel laughed heartily, then turned serious. “During your battle with Vampire Marquess Modona, peculiar energies emanated from the other castles, probing the situation here.”
At these words, Howard’s expression subtly shifted.
Exploring one castle at a time was already fraught with perils.
Should they simultaneously provoke several of the remaining castles, their demise would be inevitable.
Given the setup and descriptions, the vampires deeper inside these castles were bound to be even more formidable.
“Mentor, there’s no need to intimidate us. Since you can speak of it with such levity, you have probably already dealt with it, haven’t you?” Glyn and Aisha, having known Daniel for a while, immediately voiced their queries.
Daniel nodded in affirmation, “At that time, I set up an Illusion Array, deceiving the beings within those castles. However, with Modona now deceased, its aura will gradually fade. If we linger, they will undoubtedly detect the anomaly here. Even I might struggle against too many of those vampires simultaneously. Some of them are nearly as powerful as I am, if not equally.”
“LV80 monsters?”
At this revelation, shock registered on the faces of Howard and the others.
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