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n“Why should I be afraid? It’s just some points. If we lose, we lose,” Judy stared deeply into Howard’s eyes, whispering confidently, “Besides, I don’t believe we’re the ones who will lose.”

n“Bold move!” Impressed, Howard couldn’t help but give her a thumbs up.

nAbby, Nick, and Mike were calm because they knew their strengths.

nBut for Judy, who had just joined, to show such spirit, it piqued his interest.

nWhile Aisha was also a powerful priest, she was an upper-year student and couldn’t often team up with Howard’s crew.

nMaintaining a good relationship with Judy would ensure their safety during future adventures.

nPlus, if Aisha could join them, that’d be a cherry on top.

nWith two mighty priests on their side, unless they were instantly taken out, almost any injury could be healed.

nAs they conversed, footsteps echoed all around. Lanas Bayley and his crew, along with hundreds of students, rapidly approached from every direction, quickly surrounding Howard and his companions.

n“Damn you, Howard! Even you have days like these!”

n“Hand over the bamboo tablet now, or we won’t be so polite!”

n“Return the points you stole from us!”

n“Heh, guys, they’ve racked up quite a bit of points themselves. Not only should we take back our own, but let’s snatch theirs as well.”

n“Absolutely right!”

nThe students previously robbed were clearly agitated, their eyes burning with fury towards Howard.

nAs for the few who hadn’t been robbed, they were over the moon.

nWithout any losses, they now had an opportunity to pocket more points.

nWasn’t this like hitting the jackpot?

nHoward responded with a chuckle, as Nick swiftly stepped forward, raising his shield to protect him.

nNick knew that no matter the number of opponents, if he could shield Howard for even just a second or two, allowing him to unleash his SS-level skill, they could definitely secure victory.

n“Thinking of resisting?”

n“Attack!”

nThe group of students was no fools.

nRecognizing Nick’s intent, they immediately understood the stakes.

nIn an instant, they readied themselves, their elemental powers gathering frenziedly.

nWith a sharp cry, Nick deployed his skill. At the same time, Howard brandished the Soul Nurturer, ready to strike.

nThe fish were hooked. If not now, when would they strike?

nThe only concern was whether Nick could withstand the onslaught of so many students.

nHowever, before the students could launch their attacks, Judy executed her skill. .

nIn the blink of an eye, she soared into the air, a dazzling golden radiance bursting forth from within her.

nFor a moment, Judy seemed like the sun incarnate, her golden glow enveloping the entire area.

n“What the…”

n“What on earth is happening?”

n“My eyes! They burn!” .

nGasps and cries of surprise echoed.

nThe group of students, caught off guard and yet to deploy their skills or initiate their attacks, stumbled back, their heads turned away.

nYet, even so, their eyes stung fiercely, as if pierced by some unseen force.

n“Perfect timing!”

n“Icy Touch of Winter Goddess!”

nWhile Howard was taken aback by Judy’s skill, he didn’t miss the window of opportunity.

nA chilling coldness surged from within him in an instant.

nAn icy blue apparition appeared, and as the gaze of the Winter Goddess swept across, frosty air consumed the entire space, swiftly encasing all the students within its grip.

nCrack–

nA crisp sound echoed as hundreds of students, including Lanas and his group, were encased in ice, turned into statuesque ice sculptures.

nWitnessing this, mentor Jack, hovering above, couldn’t help but have his pupils sharply contract, exclaiming in astonishment, “My God! How did this happen? Howard has such a skill?”

nBeside him, both Tana and Wales sported satisfied expressions.

nWith a light chuckle, Wales remarked, “Jack, you’ve lost! If this had been a fight to the death, all the other students would already be gone.”

n“I… I admit defeat,” Jack sighed in resignation. “Let’s head down. This spectacle should come to an end. There’s only a day left. If we let Howard and his team continue their plunder, I fear all the other students might end up penniless!”

nAmidst the conversation, Howard on the ground had already terminated his skill.

nAfter all, these students weren’t truly his enemies. It was improbable for Howard to unleash the second wave of his assault.

nSeconds later, as the coldness dissipated, the students began to thaw from their frozen state. Yet, those freshly thawed had barely recovered, their bodies still shivering uncontrollably from the cold.

nHoward grinned, “So, have you all had enough?”

n“I…” Lanas clenched his teeth, “Damn you! I didn’t expect such tactics from you!”

n“It was intentional!”

nMany were seething, but most of the students came to a realization: they were no match for Howard.

nAs for Lanas and the others with S-level Talent Awakening, they were brimming with rage.

nIn a one-on-one situation, they believed they weren’t inferior to Howard.

nHowever, they were no longer at their peak, and continuing to fight seemed to promise only a more humiliating defeat.

nBeing the savvy individuals they were, they understood that conceding now was the wisest move.

n“It seems you’ve all come to terms with the situation,” Howard remarked with a smirk. “Nick, Mike, go collect the bamboo tablets. Bring me all the points.”

n“Right away!”

nAs the words left his lips, Nick and Mike promptly stepped forward.

nHoward, wielding the Soul Nurturer, kept his gaze firmly fixed on the cluster of students.

nAt that moment, Judy acted once more. A silver radiance unfurled, enveloping all the students as if they were blanketed by light.

nJudy’s voice drifted down, ethereal and clear, “Ladies and gentlemen, if you resist, don’t blame me for showing no mercy.”

nSome of the students from the Alliance recognized Judy.

nThose who initially harbored intentions of ambushing Nick and Mike, with plans to take hostages, swiftly abandoned their schemes.

nThey were well aware of Judy’s capabilities. Coupled with Howard’s formidable area-effect skill, their resolve waned.

nUnder the combined pressure from Howard and Judy, the students remained compliant, and all the points were transferred without a hitch.

nOnce Howard and his team had seized all the points, the figures of Jack, Wales, and Tana descended.

n“Mentor!”

n“Mentor, please save us! Howard and his group are taking our points!”

nAt the sight of their mentors, many students cried out in desperation.

nLanas and the other S-level Talent Awakenings, however, felt deeply embarrassed and hung their heads in shame.

n“Ahem!” Jack cleared his throat, reprimanding Howard, “What do you think you’re doing? You were instructed to focus on the assessment, not to turn on your fellow students!”

nHearing this, Nick and Mike couldn’t help but tremble inside, fearing Jack would demand the points be returned.

nHad they just wasted all that time for nothing?

nHoward replied with a smirk, “Mr. Jack, it’s unfair for you to frame it that way. I haven’t harmed them, and there were no rules against taking points from other students before the assessment began!”

n“Indeed,” Wales nodded, sweeping a glance over the assembly of students. “If you’re outmatched, who can you blame?”

nIn truth, the mentors were playing a classic ‘good cop, bad cop’ routine to keep resentment from brewing among the students.

nTana, being the female mentor, took on the role of offering consolation.

nShe chimed in with a light laugh, “That being said, you mustn’t seize any more points! We’ll overlook what has already been taken, but should you continue to target the students’ points, don’t expect me to stand by idly.”

n“Alright then, we’ll take our leave now. Farewell to our mentors!”

nHoward clearly grasped the underlying message in the mentors’ words. He quickly signaled Nick and the others to make a swift exit.

nHaving just gained a substantial advantage, they would be fools to stay and risk the wrath of the spurned students.

nAfter being consoled by the three mentors, the group of students, realizing they still had one final day of assessment left, shook off their lamentations and self-pity.

nThey promptly regrouped, delved deeper into the map, and set out once again to earn points.

nBesides, aside from Howard’s team, all other students had lost their points.

nIn a way, this meant they were now on an even playing field, competing fairly, and the day’s events wouldn’t affect the final rankings!

nMeanwhile, Howard and his team gathered at a location to divide their spoils.

n“This time, we’ve managed to snatch a total of 31,560 points. If we divide that into five shares, it amounts to 6,312 points for each of us.” Howard glanced around the group and softly inquired, “Any objections?”

n“Well…” Jimmy began tentatively, “I put in effort too, why am I not included?”

nJimmy, not being a fool, realized that if the points were split five ways, he wouldn’t receive a share.

nMike’s face shifted slightly, disdainfully retorting, “You damned coward, thinking of running away just moments ago, and now you want points? Too late for that!”

nJimmy involuntarily swallowed hard, his throat bobbing.

nHoward chuckled, “Considering how quickly those students caught up with us, it’s evident they’ve been close by all along. Given your skills, you surely could’ve sensed them, yet you chose not to inform us. Is that what you call ‘putting in effort’?”

n“Had this not been an assessment, with your traitorous behavior, you’d be worthy of death!”

n𝑖𝘦𝑎.𝗇t

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