Unaware of Howard’s inner machinations, Abby and her companions believed their venture deeper into the Valley of Fierce Winds was purely to compete for the top spot against the group of six.
Their fervent desire for first place, coupled with their formidable awakened talents, bolstered their courage, compelling them to trail closely behind Howard.
As the quartet ventured further, there was a noticeable shift in the local monster populace.
Kobold Captains were now ubiquitous, boasting higher levels and attributes than those near the valley’s periphery.
These enhanced adversaries demanded more time and strategy from Howard’s team to defeat.
But among these, a new type of monster emerged.
Devoid of flesh, they existed solely as skeletal beings.
Though only the size of a human palm, they possessed bone wings that granted them agility akin to a bolt of lightning.
Every time they swooped down, they cut through the air, generating a sharp sonic disturbance.
Thankfully, Howard’s extensive arsenal of skills came to the rescue.
With a single Gravity spell, he instantly forced these aerial menaces to the ground.
Otherwise, their initial stealthy attack might have inflicted damage upon Abby, Nick, and Mike.
“That’s a Deathbone Bird!” Mike exclaimed with a grave expression. “This monster has incredibly potent attack power, but its weakness is also quite evident. Lacking flesh, composed only of bones, their defense value is remarkably low. A direct hit can take them down instantly!”
At moments like this, the advantage of teaming up with members of great houses became evident: recognizing various monsters and even knowing the strategies to defeat them.
Nick swiftly sheathed his blade and drew forth a shield. .𝒎
Due to the unpredictability of battles, many warriors carry a shield as a precaution.
With the shield in hand, the sudden assault of the Deathbone Birds became considerably less threatening.
Though fragile, their sharp beaks and skeletal forms can inflict severe damage upon humans, even piercing through the body.
However, if they collided with a shield, they would be instantly defeated.
Even though Nick only possessed an A-level talent, the rigorous training from his prestigious family had endowed him with commendable combat skills.
Coupled with Howard’s ability to control the Deathbone Birds to some extent, Nick was able to intercept all of them with his shield.
[Ding! Congratulations to the awakened Howard’s Team, for successfully defeating the Deathbone Bird. Awarded 1000 experience points!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the awakened Howard’s Team, for successfully defeating the Deathbone Bird. Awarded 1000 experience points!]
[…]
What once were formidable monsters now consecutively transformed into bountiful experience points for Howard and his team, yielding a plethora of bones in their wake.
Though these bones might seem fragile, with a touch of human craftsmanship, they could be repurposed.
As a result, these bones fetched a handsome price in the market. Seeing this, the faces of Howard, Abby, and Mike lit up as they eagerly collected their spoils of war.
Perhaps due to the overwhelming number of Deathbone Birds they had slain, the attacks on the team ceased.
Once more, tranquility settled upon the vast wilderness.
However, the quartet of Howard and his companions didn’t let their guard down; they were well aware that the dangers would only intensify.
This much was evident from the bloodstains and severed limbs scattered throughout the terrain. .
There were fresh bodies, and others whose bones had already been worn away by the elements, indicating that the battles here never truly ceased.
And the variety? There were many.
Yet, most of the monsters had their heads devoured, making them unrecognizable from limbs alone – so much so that even Nick and Mike couldn’t identify them.
Kobolds were still present, but the ones they occasionally encountered were no longer merely Kobold Captains.
At the very least, they were of Chieftain-level, having leveled up to a staggering LV30!
In such times, even Howard could no longer hold back. He unleashed his SS-level skills one after another, managing to defeat the LV30 Kobold Chieftains.
The prowess he displayed left both Nick and Mike in awe.
Yes, their families possessed SS-level skills, but they would never allow the younger generation to grasp and learn them so early.
Such revelations led Nick and Mike to believe that Howard held a lofty status, and they didn’t hesitate to shower him with flattery.
Had it not been for their remarkable innate talents, Howard might have doubted whether they truly hailed from prestigious clans at all!
After resting for a while and waiting for the SS-level skills to cool down, Howard and his party continued their exploration.
By this point, they no longer focused on the Kobolds. They realized that other monsters yielded higher points.
Especially the Deathbone Birds – each one awarded 10 points, and they proved much easier to defeat than the Kobolds.
Regrettably, the Deathbone Birds seemed rather timid. After a certain number were slain, they appeared too cautious to assault Howard’s group again.
Fortunately, as they ventured further, the variety of monsters increased. Before long, a butterfly-like creature fluttered into the sight of the four adventurers.
At first glance, the butterfly astonished all four of them – just its wings alone stood as tall as a man.
With its belly bulging and a peculiar-looking head, its large, bell-like eyes immediately locked onto Howard’s group, emitting a shrill, haunting screech.
In the next moment, the butterfly flapped its wings, and an eerie gust of wind instantly formed behind it.
The forceful wind, whistling from behind the Butterfly Fae, surged toward Howard and Abby.
Seeing this, Nick swiftly stepped forward, positioning his shield in front to counter the gust.
However, almost the very instant his shield met the wind, a hint of alarm crossed Nick’s face.
Immediately, he was sent flying as if he’d been blown away, crashing heavily to the ground.
The strange, forceful gust continued unabated, now charging straight for Howard, Abby, and Mike.
Witnessing this, Howard sensed the imminent danger and promptly cast the Frost Arrow Spell.
An intense chill converged, causing the air itself to momentarily stagnate.
The onslaught of the gust was affected, its speed drastically reduced.
The next moment, as the icy arrow collided with the gust, frost swiftly spread, encasing the fierce wind in ice.
However, this frosty barrier lasted merely a breath or two before shattering into fragments that fell to the ground.
It’s worth noting the beauty of the real world; many attacks aren’t just negated by their opposing elements but involve what’s known as Elemental Counter or Elemental Reaction.
The wind, while in motion, relies on the presence of air. Howard’s Frost Arrow Spell effectively sealed off this space, naturally shattering the aggressive gust.
Had the Butterfly Fae shaped the gust into blades, Howard’s move would have been futile!
Having neutralized the assault, Mike quickly went into stealth mode, while Abby, with her bow drawn, manifested icy-blue feathered arrows, preparing to coordinate with Howard to subdue the Butterfly Fae.
As Howard swung the Soul Nurturer, he scanned the Butterfly Fae, translating its attributes into a visible panel which he shared with his team.
[Butterfly Fae]
[Level:25]
[Tier:Platinum]
[Description:A unique mutated Butterfly Fae, evolving progressively towards a human-like form. Perhaps in time, they might transform into the beautiful Butterfly Fairy.]
[HP:7100/7100]
[Attack Power:880——1020]
[Defense Value:610]
[Skill:Wind Rush, Wind Blade, Multiple Wind Blade]
“Well, would you look at that! They can evolve into human forms? Beautiful Butterfly Fairies?!”
Suddenly seeing this, Nick and Mike were invigorated, hastily exclaiming, “Boss, if we could capture such a monster, let’s not kill it! Once they mutate further and if we can capture them, they could fetch a high price.”
“Exactly! I remember at the Alliance’s top-tier auction house, they had a Fox Enchantress for sale. Even a humanoid Fox Enchantress, despite her low power, went for a price of 100 gold coins—and it was still in high demand with scarce availability!”
Hearing this, Howard’s eyebrows subtly raised, surprised that the higher-ups of the Alliance had such peculiar tastes!
Howard inquired, “How long would it take to transport something from here to the Alliance?”
“About three days,” Nick replied with a grin. “Don’t worry, boss. I can have my family take care of the transportation and security. As long as we can capture the mutated Butterfly Fae, we can surely get a handsome price for it. We just have to sit back and count our coins then.”
Howard shook his head, “We don’t know how long these Butterfly Faes will take to evolve. Let’s finish them off now and delve deeper. If we come across any that have already mutated into humanoid form, we’ll mark the location and return to capture them later.”
Pausing for a moment, Howard continued, “Remember, we’re in the middle of an assessment. Our ranking takes precedence.”
“True,” acknowledging Howard’s point, it dawned on Nick and Mike that they had been too fixated on potential profits, overlooking other crucial factors.
Wouldn’t capturing the Butterfly Fae now risk being discovered by the academy’s mentors?
Even if the mentors of Holy Abyss Academy turned a blind eye, there was no telling if other students would stumble upon them.
Who knows if their influential families and backers might be tempted?
After all, trading in servitude has been a lucrative business since time immemorial.
“Boss, we’ll follow your lead. Whatever you say goes!” Having realized the stakes, Nick got up from the ground, switching his shield back for a longsword, while Mike swiftly closed in on the Butterfly Fae.
If they couldn’t capture it, they had to find a way to eliminate it!
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