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n“Blade of the Gale! Strike!”

nTana’s status as a mentor within the Holy Abyss Academy wasn’t merely ornamental.

nThe resolute and decisive woman wasn’t about to let those mercenaries slip away.

nWith a deft flick of her wrist, Tana tossed her dagger into the air.

nHer ten pristine fingers fluttered like a swarm of delicate butterflies, summoning a deep blue glow.

nAnemo energies converged, and with a resonating hum, the sharp essence of the Anemo transformed into hundreds of blade-like projections.

nWith a graceful sweep of Tana’s hand, the blades tore through the air, roaring towards the scattering mercenaries.

nTo the astonishment of Howard and the others, the blades effortlessly pierced and tore through the bodies of the fleeing adversaries. 𝑖.𝑐ℴ𝑚

nScreams of agony echoed, one after the other.

nThe mercenaries fell in succession, their bodies twitching in their death throes.

nThe deep crimson of spilled blood began to pool on the ground, forming puddles that radiated a pungent, metallic aroma.

nSo strong was the scent that even Judy couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose in discomfort.

nHaving watched as every mercenary was cut down by the Anemo-formed blades, Tana extended her right hand, summoning her airborne dagger back to her grasp.

nA moment later, with a flash of cerulean light, the dagger vanished as if it had never existed.

nUpon witnessing this scene, Howard and the others couldn’t help but reveal expressions of shock.

nThat wasn’t a piece of equipment, but something forged from elemental power!

nSuch a revelation greatly astonished Howard and his group.

nThroughout the entire Alliance, very few individuals could boast such abilities.

nIt was evident just how formidable the strength of the Holy Abyss Academy truly was.

nA crystalline laughter chimed, “Look at you all, quite startled, aren’t you?” Tana gracefully descended in front of Howard’s group, her gaze, however, landed on Judy.

nShe teased with a chuckle, “The Church’s Holy Maiden shouldn’t be frightened by such a display, should she?”

nJudy, sizing Tana up, responded, “What surprises me is that a mentor responsible for freshman assessments possesses such capabilities. I can hardly fathom how powerful your Dean must be.”

nHearing this, Tana burst into laughter. “Our Dean has always been elusive, like a dragon seen in glimpses. However, just the Vice Dean alone possesses strength that far surpasses mine!”

nIndeed, within the Holy Abyss Academy, Tana didn’t rank among the very top.

nShe wasn’t upset by Judy’s remarks, and turning her attention to Howard, she exclaimed with astonishment, “Howard, were you that certain I would intervene? Daring to deliberately lure members of the Mercenary Guild?”

nBeing a battle-hardened mentor, who had reached beyond LV80, Tana naturally saw through Howard’s earlier ploy.

nUpon hearing this, Judy, Nick, and the others had their realizations too.

nNo wonder Howard seemed so reckless earlier; it was all intentional!

nHoward chuckled, “I believed the mentor wouldn’t stand by if our lives were at risk.”

n“You are rather astute,” Tana laughed in response. “However, I can’t enter this dungeon. You all need to take good care of yourselves.”

nSetting aside Howard, the other four had awakened remarkable talents.

nTana surely wouldn’t want to see them in danger.

nAbout this dungeon,” Howard hesitated for a moment before saying, “I don’t plan on exploring it just yet.”

n“Hm?”

nUpon hearing this, not just Abby and Judy, but even Tana appeared taken aback, casting a surprised glance at Howard.

n“We don’t have enough time,” Howard whispered, “The dungeon guardian alone is a high-level, LV50 Diamond-grade BOSS. A thorough exploration would take at least two to three days, and we’d miss the assessment ranking.”

nHearing this, Abby, Judy, Nick, and Mike had their realization and quickly nodded in agreement, “Exactly. If we miss the final assessment ranking, our loss would be even greater.”

n“It’s always Howard who thinks ahead,” they mused.

nSeeing that even Judy had deep respect for Howard, Tana felt a profound sense of admiration.

nWhether it was his individual strength, strategic foresight, or his charismatic allure, Howard’s performance was impeccable.

nAt this point, Tana no longer believed that Wales had given Howard undue advantage.

nInstead, she genuinely recognized Howard’s immense potential and talent.

n“Continue your training, and do your best. I’ll bring you all back to the academy tomorrow!” Tana gazed deeply at Howard. A soft blue light started to envelop her, and then, like a gentle breeze, she vanished from their sight.

n“I’d never heard of Ms. Tana before,” Nick mused, “but who could’ve imagined she’d be so formidable? Over a hundred mercenaries, none below LV50, yet they couldn’t withstand even five breaths against her. Truly awe-inspiring.”

nMike nodded, “No wonder my elders told me, before coming here, to always heed the mentor’s advice. The mentors in Holy Abyss Academy are truly fearsome in strength.”

n“I believe only the Alliance and the Church possess such might,” he added.

nAs they conversed, both Nick’s and Mike’s gazes inevitably settled on Judy.

nJudy couldn’t help but smile, “Ms. Tana is indeed considered powerful within our Church. Just not quite at that level.”

n“Incredible!”

n“It’s truly befitting of the Church!”

nAmidst Nick and Mike’s praises, Howard, leading Abby and the others, continued their exploration of the map.

nTime passed gently amidst the relentless onslaught of the five-member team. .𝒎

nWith Judy as their safeguard, Howard was freed from concerns over Nick and Mike’s safety.

nAllowing them to unleash their full power, every monster they encountered on their path was utterly defenseless before their combined might.

nConsequently, their scores on the bamboo tablet skyrocketed.

nSince Judy wasn’t a part of their academy team and possessed a separate bamboo tablet, when Tana led them back to the entrance of the Valley of Fierce Winds, Howard transferred all the points to her.

nBy the time Howard’s team arrived, the other students had already assembled.

nAfter all, given their consistent activity on the outskirts, it was relatively easy for the mentors to locate them.

nAlmost instantly, numerous eyes turned toward Howard.

nSome bore resentful glares, while others displayed unmistakable admiration.

nThe memory of Howard single-handedly immobilizing all the students with his power was still fresh in their minds, leaving many astounded.

nEven those like Lanas, known for their S-level Talent Awakening, regarded Howard as exceptionally gifted.

nSome even speculated he might be the sole individual in the Jano Province to possess an awakened S-level talent!

n“Now that everyone has gathered, let’s begin tallying the points’ rankings. Step forward one by one, and I will inspect the points you’ve garnered,” Jack said, stroking his beard and grinning as he stood up.

nHowever, upon hearing Jack’s words, a sense of resignation painted the faces of the assembled students.

nEven though they had an entire day to grind for more points, their efforts paled in comparison to their previous totals.

nFor a moment, the way students looked at Howard was filled with silent reproach, reminiscent of a jilted lover’s lingering bitterness.

nJudy was the first to step forward, handing her bamboo tablet to Jack.

n“Judy, you’ve earned a total of 9,700 points. Impressive, indeed!”

nAfter reviewing the points, Jack nodded in approval.

nHis remark left many students astonished.

nApart from Howard, was there anyone else amassing so many points?

nBut then it dawned on them. Judy was one of Howard’s “accomplices,” which clarified everything.

nFollowing suit, Howard, accompanied by Abby and the others, submitted their bamboo tablets.

n“Ah, the bamboo tablet has a total of 63000 points. Divided equally among the four of you, it’s 15750 points each. Since Howard is the leader, he gets an additional 1000 points.”

nEven though Jack knew Howard had claimed points from all the students, the sight of that bamboo tablet still left him in sheer astonishment.

nSuch a score had surpassed records set over decades, if not centuries!

nWith Howard and Judy’s points already disclosed, the other students acknowledged the inevitable and stepped forward in turn.

nHowever, their points seemed rather pitiable.

nThe lowest had just over 100 points, and the highest barely surpassed 800, not even a tenth of Howard’s team’s scores.

nIn the end, Howard secured the top spot.

nHis entire squad effortlessly swept the top five positions.

nAfter Jack announced the rankings, many students heaved deep sighs of resignation, while Lanas and her group locked their gaze intently on Howard.

nNoticing this, a smirk crept onto Jack’s face.

nHe suddenly proposed, “If anyone disputes the rankings, you may choose to challenge the contender. If you succeed, both rankings will be adjusted.”

nAs his words settled, every confident student’s eyes sparkled with anticipation, their gazes shifting squarely onto Howard, Abby, and the rest.

nClearly, they didn’t believe they were any less skilled than Howard’s group.

nThey felt that Howard had merely blindsided them, incapacitating them right from the outset, leaving them unable to mount an effective counter.

nAnd as for the skill Howard executed?

nThey weren’t fools.

nThey discerned that before Howard cast his skill, not only did Nick intervene, but Judy also unleashed a skill affecting everyone’s vision, facilitating its success.

nIn a one-on-one battle, they were confident in thwarting Howard from using that particular skill.

n𝑖𝘦𝑎.𝗇t

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