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nAfter losing her wings, Serena’s cries became even more heart-wrenching. However, Howard and his team were not the ones to show compassion.

nAfter all, no matter how beautiful Serena appeared, she was, at her core, a Butterfly Fae.

nThey certainly didn’t have any unusual inclinations and surely harbored no feelings towards her.

nHaving severed the wings, the next step was relentless assault.

nYet, they had overlooked something!

nThe previous Butterfly Fae, after losing their wings, had virtually no ability to counterattack.

nBut Serena was, after all, a Butterfly Fae Chieftain. Nick and Mike, caught off guard, were instantly affected after just a few blows.

nFrom Serena’s blazing red lips came a stream of multicolored pollen, settling directly onto Nick and Mike.

nIn an instant, both were frozen in place, their bodies stiffening.

nThen, Nick collapsed with a thud, while Mike’s eyes turned blood-red. He seemed to lose all sense of himself as he swung his dagger, charging ferociously towards Howard and Abby.

nIt was then that the crisp alert of the system chimed in.

nDing! Due to the influence of the skill — Hypnotic Pollen, Nick has entered the Stiffness state, lasting 3000 seconds. If harmed during this period, he may very likely enter the Sudden Death state!

nDing! Due to the influence of the skill — Hypnotic Pollen, Mike has entered the Trance state, lasting 3000 seconds. If harmed during this period, he may very likely enter the Sudden Death state!

n“Damn it!”

nUpon seeing these alerts, Howard couldn’t help but curse under his breath.

nThe Sudden Death state, as the name suggests, is a unique condition that could directly result in death.

nIn other words, Howard couldn’t afford to attack Mike and Nick now, nor let them take any damage.

nFortunately, with the Butterfly Fae Chieftain Serena’s wings severed, even if she had the capability to release Hypnotic Pollen, she was devoid of other means of attack.

nAs long as Howard and Abby refrained from attacking Mike and Nick, the two would remain safe.

nWhile Nick was unresponsive, lying peacefully on the ground, Mike had entered the Trance state and was now targeting Howard and Abby.

nIf Howard and Abby chose not to retaliate, their only option would be to flee. If they did resist, there was the looming risk of fatally injuring Mike.

nFor a moment, Howard and Abby exchanged helpless glances, caught in a dilemma.

nThankfully, once Mike had entered the Trance state, his movement speed had decreased, preventing him from rapidly closing in on them.

n“Right! Let’s split up and lead Mike away. He’s an assassin; at a distance, he won’t be able to touch us!” Howard quickly came up with a plan.

n“We’ll move while attacking Serena. But remember, don’t get close. If both of us fall victim, we’re done for.”

nHoward’s words lent a grave tone to the situation, and Abby’s expression turned serious.

nWithout hesitation, they separated— one wielding a wand, the other drawing an arrow— both launching their assaults on Serena.

nUpon seeing Howard and Abby split, Mike hesitated momentarily before chasing after Abby. .

nOriginally, Mike’s movement was already hampered, and this moment of uncertainty only widened the gap between them.

nHoward and Abby, moving with the precision of mobile turrets, continuously barraged Serena, eliciting from her anguished screams.

nTo the unacquainted, it might have seemed like some wild skirmish unfolding.

nEven Tana couldn’t help but blush. After all, she was still an innocent maiden!

nFortunately, after losing her wings, Serena could only deploy the Hypnotic Pollen skill.

nWhile this skill was indeed elusive, it came with its constraints, necessitating close proximity for casting.

nFrom a distance, the pollen would dissipate under the gentle caress of the breeze before even taking effect.

nThis was when Howard’s skills truly shone.

nWind Blade, Frost Arrow Spell, and Fireball, all had short cooldown times, enabling him to cycle through them without any gaps in between.

nCoupled with his impressive equipment and high spirit, the damage he inflicted was substantial.

nFor a moment, Serena’s health rapidly declined.

nAfter an unrelenting onslaught that lasted a good three minutes, Serena’s HP finally plummeted to its lowest. With a heart-rending scream, she collapsed.

nThe crisp chime of the system echoed, and a golden light radiated from both Nick and Mike.

nRegrettably, aside from the attribute enhancements that came with leveling up, there were no other effects.

nNick remained unconscious on the ground, while Mike continued his frenzied pursuit of Abby.

nDing! Congratulations to the awakened Howard’s Team for successfully defeating the Platinum-grade BOSS, Butterfly Fae Chieftain Serena. You’ve been awarded 60,000 experience points!

nThe generous experience reward was bestowed, and Howard’s experience bar was almost full.

nIt had to be said, as they progressed, leveling up had indeed become significantly more challenging.

nEven though Howard had consumed an Experience Amplifier Pill, and despite Nick and Mike consecutively leveling up, he hadn’t. His experience bar had only risen slightly.

nHowever, upon seeing the reward, Howard felt no elation. Instead, he gazed with concern at Nick and Mike.

nThe BOSS had been defeated, so why hadn’t the skill effect vanished?

nHoward had never encountered such a monster and was clueless about how to dispel the peculiar effect on Nick and Mike.

nNoticing that Mike was still pursuing her, Abby’s complexion shifted subtly.

nShe hastily ran towards Howard, exclaiming, “Howard, what’s going on? The BOSS is dead, shouldn’t the effect have worn off by now? Or do we need a priest?”

n“I honestly don’t know.”

nHoward shook his head, promptly grabbing Abby’s hand. Dodging Mike’s advances, he pondered over how to resolve the issue.

n“Merely running won’t suffice.”

nSuddenly, a voice emerged, startling Howard and Abby as it whispered near their ears.

nBoth Howard and Abby, taken aback, initially feared the appearance of another BOSS.

nSwiftly turning to the source of the sound, they were relieved to see the graceful figure of Tana floating towards them.

nThough neither Howard nor Abby was intimately acquainted with Tana, they recognized her as a mentor from the academy, bringing an immediate sense of relief.

nAs Tana gracefully approached, Abby blinked in surprise and abruptly inquired, “Mrs. Tana, we didn’t call for you. If you intervene, our assessment won’t be terminated immediately, will it?”

nUpon hearing this, Tana cast a sidelong glance at Abby before replying with a smile, “Of course not. The assessment would only be halted if you sought our aid in the face of danger. Since the BOSS is already defeated, there won’t be any issues.”

n“That’s a relief.”

nHearing Tana’s response, Abby couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

nHoward then inquired, “Mrs. Tana, what exactly has happened to them? Why hasn’t the controlling effect on them ceased even after the BOSS has been defeated?”

nTana replied with a smile, “Normally, once the BOSS is defeated, its skill effect would become null. However, when reaching a certain power level, even if the BOSS is defeated, as long as the skill has taken its effect, it won’t fade with the BOSS’s demise. Instead, it will either last until its duration expires or until the toxin is dispelled.”

nCasting a glance at the Butterfly Fae, Tana continued, “This particular Butterfly Fae has spent years absorbing various peculiar pollens, making it potently toxic. Hence, once afflicted, one would either need a top-tier priest to neutralize it or locate the Moonlight Herb and Clearheart Flower. Grinding them into a powder and allowing the afflicted to ingest it is essential. Otherwise, once the effect’s duration ends, they may face a fatal consequence.”

nUpon hearing this, the expressions of Howard and Abby instantly turned grave.

nThough they had known each other for only a short time, they had been comrades in battle and wouldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to their teammates.

n“That’s 3000 seconds of duration, which means 50 minutes. We need to detoxify them within 50 minutes!”

nHoward, with a glint in his eye, turned to Tana and asserted, “Mrs. Tana, since you’re here, you must have the ability to detoxify, right?”

n“Indeed,” Tana replied with a smile. “You are indeed astute. The Moonlight Herb and Clearheart Flower are nearby. I can guide you there. However, as a mentor, I can’t directly intervene during your assessment. I can only support from the sidelines. If you encounter any monsters, you’ll have to fend for yourself.”

n“Agreed, please lead the way!” Howard responded promptly.

nAbby quickly interjected, “I’m coming too!”

n“No,” Tana responded, shaking her head. “Mike and Nick cannot be left unattended here. Abby, you need to stay and protect them. Of course, I’ll also set up a formation here to ensure nearby monsters won’t detect your presence.”

n“I see… Alright then,” Abby, not one to be easily baffled, recognized the necessity of having someone remain behind.

nAs for gathering the herbs, she was also apprehensive about encountering formidable monsters she might not be able to handle.

nLogically and emotionally, it made sense for Howard to go.

nHowever, as Abby cast a glance at Tana, a peculiar feeling stirred within her.

n𝑖𝘦.𝑐𝘰𝘮

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