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nAfter some contemplation, Lanas set his sights on Nick.

nAfter all, Nick was a warrior.

nWhile an archer might not counter a warrior directly, neither would they be at a disadvantage.

nAs long as Lanas maneuvered well, not allowing Nick to close the distance, he could easily triumph.

nThe battle unfolded much as Lanas had anticipated.

nThough Nick had mastered an A-level talent, his strength still fell short compared to Lanas and Mike.

nOther than a fleeting moment where he neared Lanas using his Charge skill, Nick found himself mostly on the defensive.

nEven when Nick switched to his shield, aiming to resist Lanas’s arrows as he closed the gap, Lanas’s Mighty Bow skill shattered the shield and even inflicted a control effect on Nick.

nA warrior without his shield’s protection has far less resilience compared to shield bearers or knights.

nAfter a barrage of arrows, Nick was left dazed and was declared defeated.

nWitnessing Lanas’s victory, two other S-level Talent Awakened individuals grew excited, setting their eyes on Mike and Abby.

nHowever, both Abby and Mike, having also awakened S-level talents and being mentored by Howard, held advantages in level and equipment over the other students.

nHow could they be easily defeated?

nAfter fierce battles, both Abby and Mike emerged victorious.

nAnd as for Judy?

nShe is none other than the renowned Holy Maiden of the Church. The majority were well-aware of her identity and strength. Who would dare challenge her?

nThe challenge didn’t last long before concluding.

nAfter witnessing several battles, the students realized that those securing top positions were indeed the elites.

nThey didn’t possess the confidence to measure up. .𝒎

nUpon conclusion, Jack announced the rankings of the students.

nHoward secured the first position, followed by Abby in the second and Mike in the third.

nLanas, having succeeded in his challenge, was fourth, with Judy securing the fifth position.

nPoor Nick only managed to secure a seventh-place finish.

nAs for the rewards, they would be distributed once they returned to the academy.

nSubsequently, mentors Jack, Wales, and Tana summoned the Dragonhawk, leading the students back.

nAs before, Jack led Howard’s team, riding the Dragonhawk back to the academy.

nHoward, watching the receding figure of Wales, couldn’t help but frown slightly.

nDuring this assessment, he had hoped to spend some private time with Wales, seeking clarity about the gifted skill.

nUnexpectedly, throughout the entire evaluation, he never found the opportunity.

n“Ha! I never expected you to be this formidable, lad. You truly plundered those students’ points,” Jack laughed heartily, unconcerned about his prior losses.

nLosing a treasure but discovering a talented student was, in his eyes, a fortuitous twist!

n“It was pure luck. They were caught off guard at first, and I seized the chance to ambush them. As for freezing them later, everyone bought me the time to execute my skill,” Howard replied with modesty.

nAfter all, with the rewards already in his pocket and more to come upon their return, a touch of humility might endear him further to his teammates.

nSure enough, upon hearing Howard’s words, both Nick and Mike broke into smiles.

nJack chuckled, “Modesty is a virtue, but overdoing it is not!”

nHe paused for a moment before continuing, “By the way, with the talent displayed by your team, you might have a shot at the Alliance Academy Tournament. Just a heads-up — spend the next six months exploring the wilderness, train hard, and make sure you attend every activity organized by the academy.”

n“In half a year, if you guys measure up, you must participate in the Academy Tournament. Not only are the rewards substantial, but it can also put you directly under the purview of the Alliance’s upper echelons.”

n“Alliance Academy Tournament?”

nUpon hearing this, Howard, Abby, Nick, and Mike exchanged surprised glances.

nThis was the first they had heard of such a competition.

n“Exactly,” Jack chuckled. “This is a decision made just this year. There was no such tournament before, so you all need to give it your all! If you manage to clinch the title in the inaugural competition, the entire Alliance will remember you.”

n“Thank you for the heads up, mentor,” Howard quickly acknowledged.

nAs for the veracity of the competition’s existence, Howard hardly cared.

nGiven his rapid rate of progress, in half a year, he might be on par with some of the mentors within the Holy Abyss Academy.

nCompeting against other students, even older ones, would seem like he was bullying them!

nHaving shared details of the Alliance Academy competition, Jack had little else to add.

nTime, under the swift wings of the Dragonhawks, gradually slipped away.

nSoon enough, under the guidance of the three mentors, the fleet of Dragonhawks landed in the training grounds of Holy Abyss Academy.

nDaniel had been waiting for some time and promptly approached them.

nAt this point, the mentors relayed the students’ performances and rankings to Daniel.

nLearning that Howard had truly cleaned out all the students, a smile graced Daniel’s face.

nNext up was Daniel’s address.

nHe specifically brought up the matter, causing a wave of shame to wash over the students, their guilt palpable.

nDespite being fellow students and expected disparities among them, the gap shouldn’t be that pronounced.

nThey, in their vast numbers, had been overpowered by a single team. The sheer thought of spreading such a tale was mortifying!

nOnce Daniel laid out the facts, a surge of resolve welled up within the students, each vowing to seek retribution.

nAfterwards, the distribution of rewards commenced.

nHoward and those ranked in the top ten were even ushered onto a raised platform.

nThe rewards brought immense joy to them, as they were bestowed with low-level, high-tier equipment, plus a skill book that matched their individual class.

nHoward, being the top ranker, received a pair of LV20 Diamond-grade equipment — Galewalker Boots!

nThe skill book was an A-level Cryo skill book — Icy Deluge!

nFurthermore, Daniel initiated the class allocation.

nGiven Howard’s exceptional performance, he was placed in the premier class, consisting of only fifteen students.

nThe remaining hundred-odd students were distributed among other classes.

n“The class allocation is complete. Tomorrow morning marks the beginning of your academy journey. I hope you all have a delightful experience.”

n“Dismissed!”

nWith the conclusion of Daniel’s speech, the students dispersed.

nJust as Howard was about to leave, he noticed Wales eyeing him.

nRegrettably, Wales was incredibly sharp.

nThe moment Howard turned his gaze towards him, Wales abruptly walked away.

nAfter a brief hesitation, Howard let Abby return to the dormitory on her own while he quickly made his way towards the administrative office.

nHowever, by the time Howard reached the office, Wales had vanished again.

nWith a sigh, Howard decided to head back to his own dormitory.

nThe consecutive days of assessments had worn him out, and he felt that a night’s rest was well-deserved.

nAs for Nick and Mike?

nThey had already succumbed to deep slumber, so deep that they didn’t even notice Howard’s return.

nInstead of immediately resting, Howard decided to inspect the rewards granted by the Holy Abyss Academy.

nGalewalker Boots

nLevel: 20

nGrade: Diamond

nEquipment Attribute Bonuses:

n1. Defense value 300

n2. Movement Speed 30%

n3. Agility 100

n4. Gale Rush: When moving, there’s a 10% chance to enter a Wind Chaser state, increasing one’s movement speed by 100% and dodge chance by 15%. This effect lasts for 30 seconds with a cooldown of 600 seconds.

nCompared to other equipment, the attribute bonuses might not seem significant, but Howard knew the importance of movement speed and agility.

nEspecially that staggering 100% boost to movement speed — it was almost game-changing.

nThe only drawback was its chance-based activation and a long cooldown.

nNevertheless, once this effect is triggered, it offers substantial aid to Howard.

nWithout any hesitation, Howard replaced his current boots.

nThen Howard shifted his attention to the Icy Deluge skill book.

nIcy Deluge (A-level active skill)

nLevel: 1

nEffect: Harnesses the cold within a 30-yard radius, transforming it into a chilling deluge that surges in a chosen direction. Any target touched by this tidal wave of cold suffers damage equivalent to 130% of the caster’s magic attack power and is thrust into a frostbitten state. This reduces their movement speed by 70% and skill casting speed by 50% for a duration of 10 seconds.

nCooldown: 60 seconds

nMana Cost: 300

nProficiency: 0

/100

n“!!!”

n“A control effect lasting 10 seconds? This skill is remarkable.”

nReading the description, Howard’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

nA 70% reduction in movement speed almost immobilizes the target, making it akin to a hard control effect.

nWith the addition of another powerful controlling skill, Howard was undeniably elated.

nHaving reviewed his rewards, the weight of exhaustion pressed heavily on Howard, and he drifted into a deep sleep.

n…

nThe next morning, when Howard awoke and stretched lazily, he felt something beside him.

nJolted fully awake, he focused his gaze and couldn’t suppress a twitch of his lips.

nLying at the head of his bed was unmistakably a silver-white cloak!

n“What the… What’s with this cloak?” .

nHis pupils sharply contracted as he picked up the cloak, thoroughly inspecting it, but he found nothing else.

n“Could it be… Is this from Wales too? Damn… What is that guy playing at?”

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