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nWith Mighty Thunder activated, Howard seemed as if possessed by the Thunder God himself, making a beeline directly for the Werewolf Guard.

nWithout Mike’s control, the Werewolf Guard finally broke free from its uninterrupted subdued state, its animosity firmly fixed on Howard, the one with the highest damage output.

nAs Howard lunged forward, the Werewolf Guard, brandishing its sharp claws, slightly bent its legs. In the next moment, it leapt powerfully, swinging its claws repeatedly.

nClang!

nHowever, before the Werewolf Guard’s claws could reach Howard, bursts of lightning erupted, instantly paralyzing the airborne creature in place.

nImmediately after, Howard swung his wand, and as the fireball detonated, his wand struck down, summoning a burst of lightning.

nIt unleashed a formidable force that sent the Werewolf Guard flying.

nThis sight left Judy astounded, exclaiming, “A melee magus? My God, is the lineage of the melee magus still alive?”

nPerhaps the legends of the melee magus were so abundant that even Judy overlooked the fact that Howard’s core strength was in his spells, not in combat.

nHis ferocious appearance was purely due to the skill effect of Mighty Thunder.

nRandom attacks producing powerful bolts of lightning — how could that not appear fierce?

nUnder the suppression of an SS-level skill, the Werewolf Guard was steadily pushed back by Howard.

nCoupled with the amplification from skills like Radiant Flame, the rate at which the Guard’s health dropped accelerated.

nYet, the Werewolf Guard, being a BOSS, boasted an impressive HP of over 240000.

nEven if it stood still, allowing Howard to assault it, it wouldn’t perish easily in a short span of time.

nAs the Werewolf Guard’s HP dwindled to around 20,000 points, the horde from the Mercenary Guild arrived.

nTheir numbers were staggering, roughly a hundred strong.

nEach one exuded a palpable intent to kill, their gazes particularly fierce.

nUpon spotting the Werewolf Guard, exclamations rippled through the mercenaries, “Damn it, someone else discovered this dungeon?”

n“Damn it! Move quickly! We need to land a hit on the Werewolf Guard!”

nNo sooner had the words fallen than the mercenaries either drew their weapons, rushing towards the Werewolf Guard, or waved their wands and nocked arrows, locking their skills onto the beast.

nWitnessing this, Judy’s brows knitted slightly in consternation, and Howard looked on in utter astonishment.

nIt seemed these mercenaries were well aware that they needed to partake in the defeat of the Werewolf Guard to gain entry into the dungeon.

nThey must have known about this place for some time.

nBut Howard was no saint!

nIn this dog-eat-dog world, possession of a map didn’t equate to ownership.

nStrength mattered most.

nJudy and Abby, well-aware of this, quickly sheathed their weapons and moved closer to Howard.

nNick, clutching his shield, watched the approaching mercenaries with a hawk’s eye, allowing Howard to continue his assault on the Werewolf Guard.

nSeeing the mercenaries drawing near, Nick’s eyes flicked with an idea.

nHe shouted assertively, “Who are you lot? I’m from the Alliance. If you don’t want to die, get lost now!”

nNormally, the Alliance exerted considerable influence over other provinces, even within city walls.

nBut these mercenaries were like starving wolves!

nWithin the cities, they might bow to the major families.

nBut out here in the wilds?

nThis was their domain, their paradise.

nWhy would they give a damn about any family within the Alliance?

nThe leader of the group sneered, “The Alliance? What of it? Judging by your age, you’re nothing but a junior member of your family. Even if I kill you, what could your clan possibly do to me? I don’t believe for a second that those old bastards in your house would risk a feud with us mercenaries over some greenhorn.”

nAt these words, Nick’s face darkened. .𝒎

nAs much as he hated to admit it, he knew there was truth in what the man said.

nThe Mercenary Guild was a vast, intricate power. Without an immediate catch, even great families would not dare to demand someone from within the Guild’s ranks.

nUnless, of course, they had undeniable evidence and could identify the perpetrator.

n“Such young ones, managing to get this far. Quite impressive,” the leader said with a smirk. “We of the Mercenary Guild aren’t always thirsty for blood. Cease your actions and leave this place, and I, Barnus Douglar, will see to it that you’re spared.”

nEven though he made this offer, the Mercenary Guild would avoid clashing with major families unless absolutely necessary.

nEven uncertain of Nick’s identity, Barnus chose to provide an avenue for escape.

nYet, Barnus Douglar wasn’t a fool. Even as he spoke, he gestured for his men to attack, a rain of arrows filling the sky.

nAs the arrows descended like a storm, Abby, Judy, and Nick swiftly retreated, dodging the barrage.

nHoward, however, driven to defeat the Werewolf Guard and still under the effects of Mighty Thunder, stood his ground.

nWhiz, whiz, whiz–

nIn the next moment, the arrows fell like torrential raindrops, either hitting the Werewolf Guard or targeting Howard.

nBut before they could inflict any damage on Howard, the arrows were split in twain by the surging lightning around him.

nWitnessing this spectacle, Barnus Douglar’s pupils constricted, his gaze upon Howard suddenly taking on a solemn weight.

nEven for someone of his caliber, facing a barrage of nearly a hundred arrows unscathed was no mean feat.

nIn that brief moment, in the eyes of BarnusDouglar, Howard’s standing had elevated to that of a master.

nBut then again, what of it?

nWith swift purpose, BarnusDouglar lunged forward, his longsword dancing in his grip, a crimson radiance converging around it. .𝘤𝘰

nAs the blade descended, that ruddy gleam manifested into the form of a dragon, viciously lunging at the Werewolf Guard.

nIndeed, Barnus Douglar’s intent wasn’t Howard – it was to gain access to the dungeon.

nAlmost instantly upon contact, the crimson dragon seemed to come alive, its talons raking and rending the Werewolf Guard’s form.

nWith the Werewolf Guard’s HP plummeting dramatically, Howard’s eyes sparkled. Seizing the moment, he stepped forth, and as his fist swung, a surge of thunder rumbled straight into the Werewolf Guard.

nA thunderous boom resonated, and the Werewolf Guard’s form, like tattered cloth, was torn asunder, splattering blood, its body segmented into multiple parts.

nDing! Congratulations to the awakened Howard for successfully defeating the Diamond-grade BOSS, Werewolf Guard. All awakened participants will be rewarded based on their contribution.

nDing! Congratulations to the awakened Howard for earning 150,000 experience points.

nIndeed, the rewards from such high-tiered challenges were remarkably generous.

nCoupled with Howard’s significant contribution, a staggering 150,000 experience points boosted his progress bar substantially.

nSilver coins littered the ground, hinting at more spoils of battle.

nHowever, in that moment, not one among the awakened, including Howard, spared a thought for the loot; their expressions were all of grave seriousness.

n“Ha ha ha!” Before long, Barnus Douglar erupted in hearty laughter. “There’s an old saying: heroes emerge young. Today, it seems that saying holds true! Who would’ve imagined, you youngsters managed to fell an LV50 Diamond-grade BOSS!”

nIn reality, had it not been for Barnus Douglar’s decisive strike, and the collective onslaught of the archers and magi, Howard might not have defeated the Werewolf Guard so swiftly.

nFurthermore, while Barnus Douglar may not have landed the killing blow, he still reaped a portion of the rewards, including the right to enter the dungeon.

nThis likely stayed his hand from turning openly hostile.

nMembers of the Mercenary Guild might be fierce, but they aren’t rabid dogs who bite every hand they see.

nBarnus Douglar was no fool. Judging by the age and capabilities of Howard and his companions, he surmised that they either hailed from a formidable backing or possessed astounding talents.

nWhy risk animosity unless absolutely necessary?

nAnd if hostility was on the cards, the open wilderness was no place for it.

nAfter all, the wilderness is accessible to everyone.

nShould the forces backing Howard and his group possess the ability to trace back events in time and space, any aggression shown, if proven, could spell doom for the aggressors — even if they succeeded in eliminating Howard and his friends.

nAny confrontation would have to take place within the dungeon.

nDungeons are ever-shifting realms.

nEven if one were to commit a crime, once the dungeon resets, the most adept would find it challenging to trace back through space and time to identify the culprits.

nHad the Bat Cave dungeon not been teeming with students at the time, Howard would’ve acted immediately, instead of waiting to emerge and expose his identity.

nFortunately, Howard’s acceptance into Holy Abyss Academy provided a deterrent to potential adversaries.

n“You flatter us; we were just fortunate,” Howard replied with a soft chuckle. “From the looks of it, you don’y hail from Adia City.”

nFierce Wind Valley borders several cities. While it’s not a central area, it’s still a fair distance from the outskirts of Adia City.

nCoupled with the fact that they didn’t recognize the emblem of Holy Abyss Academy, Howard quickly deduced that these mercenaries likely came from another city.

nOf course, with this remark, Howard also inadvertently revealed their identity — a bait he willingly dangled.

n𝑖𝘦.𝑐𝘰𝘮

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