Lucas's expression was fierce, his mind consumed by madness, devoid of any restraint.
Pointing his blood sword at John and Seraphina, a sick smile spread across his face as he raved, "A whore and a lowlife, both of you can go to hell!"
As Lucas's words ended, the sea of blood surged.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!"
Arrows, seemingly condensed from blood, tore through the air with a terrifying sound, showering down on John and Seraphina like rain.
Seraphina, witnessing the dense barrage of blood arrows above, showed a grave expression.
With such an exaggerated range and intensity of attack, it was impossible for them to evade!
Seraphina glanced at John's figure ahead of her and sighed softly.
Were they truly destined to meet their end here?
Once again, the outside world held its breath, eyes filled with tension.
Whether it was Seraphina or John, their demise here would undoubtedly cause a major uproar in the Federation.
The case for Seraphina was clear; as the granddaughter of House Harris, a dual awakener, and the one who had awakened House Harris's inheritance class, the Holy Light Magus.
If something happened to her here, not only would Theodore seek vengeance, but it's likely that the elder of House Harris would confront House Carter at their doorstep, sparking an outright war!
As for John, although his status might not be as noble as Seraphina's, his terrifying talent had been witnessed by all.
The word 'terrifying' seemed barely sufficient to describe John's innate ability.
Moreover, with Victor right there in the midst, the stakes were even higher.
None of the powerhouses present were confident they could stop this harbinger of death.
No one dared to imagine what Victor would do if John died before him.
After all, the reason Victor was relegated to Zone 301 was his dissatisfaction with the heir of a major family who committed atrocities, leading Victor to kill him with a single stroke of his sword.
Yet, he still lives, protected by the intervention of the higher-ups of Hidden Stars.
No one wished to cross someone who not only possessed terrifying strength but also had such a formidable background.
In the trial, the blood arrows fell like rain.
John's Gold Mail Armor flickered in and out of visibility, and the blood-colored light was about to fade.
The duration of John's skills was nearly up, sinking everyone's hearts.
Lucas's eyes gleamed with a sick excitement.
Once the effects of John's skills wore off, the two would be like fish on a chopping block, ready for his slaughter.
John's black mask was illuminated by the green and earthy lights in his hands, his expression unreadable.
He looked up at the sky filled with blood arrows, his eyes exceptionally bright and tranquil, devoid of any other emotion.
With a long exhale, John, seemingly out of nowhere, now held a spear in his hand.
It was an ordinary iron-tier spear.
Awakeners could actually wield weapons of other classes, but without attribute bonuses, they were no different from ordinary weapons, making them rarely used.
But for John, this was enough.
"Whoosh!"
A blood arrow shot straight towards John's head, which could have been fatal if it hit.
But just as the arrow was about two meters away from John, the light in his eyes suddenly intensified.
With a swift thrust of his iron-tier spear, John astonishingly struck the tip of the blood arrow with pinpoint accuracy!
"Bang!"
Under John's formidable strength, the blood arrow shattered explosively!
Before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief, four or five more blood arrows targeted John's vital points, with an additional three arrows aimed at Seraphina behind him.
The pair was instantly plunged into a desperate situation.
Just when everyone thought they had no way out, even Seraphina closing her eyes in resignation to death, the next moment left everyone in utter shock.
"Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!"...
A series of explosive sounds continuously echoed throughout the palace.
John's gaze was icy as he lashed out with his spear like a violent storm, shattering every swiftly approaching blood arrow!
Meanwhile, a dense barrage of blood arrows crazily targeted the two.
Yet, not a single arrow could penetrate the vicinity around John and Seraphina. The ordinary spear in John's hands became an impenetrable absolute barrier!
Everyone outside watched this scene in astonishment, hardly believing their eyes.
This was no longer the prowess of a mere magus but that of a warrior with unparalleled mastery over the spear!
What was even more baffling was that John was still in the midst of skill fusion.
How could he spare the focus to counter the blood arrows' assault?
Baron glanced at Seraphina behind John, marveling, "I've always heard that House Harris's Holy Light Magus is not only a top-tier magus class but also a top-tier support class. Today, I've truly witnessed it."
Eldritch also expressed his thoughts,
"Under normal circumstances, this Hidden Stars newcomer wouldn't be able to manage the fusion of two skills while fending off the blood arrows. However, Miss Seraphina recently applied a 'Sacred Blessing' on him, significantly enhancing the newcomer's mind power and strength, which allowed him to spare effort to counter Lucas's assault."
Alexander nodded, adding, "This lad's close combat skills were already decent. With Seraphina's assistance and enhancement, he's become even stronger. Indeed, he's a promising soldier material!"
The corners of Theodore's mouth twitched at Alexander's words, noting his relentless intent to recruit John into the military, seemingly oblivious to Victor's presence beside them.
It was undeniable that Alexander could be quite shameless.
Upon seeing John pick up the spear, Victor had shifted his gaze, almost as if he had anticipated that John wouldn't be in any danger.
He didn't react to Alexander's comment, his thoughts inscrutable.
"Sssss!"...
Countless blood arrows burst, turning into a vast expanse of blood mist.
Any ground touched by the mist corroded, forming numerous pits.
Surprisingly, the blood mist was corrosive!
John frowned, intending to retreat, but a divine platinum light suddenly radiated from Seraphina.
A platinum light shield emerged, quickly enveloping them and keeping the blood mist at bay.
"Holy Light Protection!"
John's eyebrow twitched, finally understanding why many awakeners liked to have support by their side in dungeons.
They could focus solely on dealing damage without worrying about anything else, an arrangement far too comfortable.
Noticing John's gaze, Seraphina slightly lifted her chin, prompting a desire to tease her in John, which he suppressed due to the situation.
Watching the duo's seamless cooperation, Lucas ground his teeth in frustration, his envy and resentment transforming into a towering intent to kill.
Flames of blood erupted around him, and with a fierce flap of his wings, his figure turned into a crimson meteor hurtling towards the golden shield.
Seraphina's brows furrowed slightly.
Her Holy Light Protection could fend off the blood mist adequately, but it was far from sufficient to withstand an assault from Lucas.
Should the Holy Light Protection be breached, they would once again be plunged into peril.
Lucas understood this all too well.
Breaking through the Holy Light Protection would engulf the two in the blood mist, sealing their fate regardless of their struggles.
With a fierce expression, Lucas's blood sword blazed with roaring flames as he struck down towards the golden shield!
However, just as Lucas's attack was about to hit the Holy Light Protection, a light that fused green and earthy hues suddenly sparked in John's eyes.
He whispered, "Thorned Rock Serpent!"
His skill fusion had succeeded!
Lucas's pupils trembled, a strong sense of impending doom swiftly rising within him.
He no longer cared to attack the Holy Light Protection; instead, his bat wings flapped wildly, attempting to flee the area.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion erupted as the palace floor suddenly cracked open.
A fearsome giant serpent, several meters thick and of indeterminate length, burst from the ground and lunged at Lucas with incredible speed.
Lucas's eyes widened in horror.
"What... what kind of monster is this!"
His shock was understandable, given the terrifying nature of John's skill.
This was a thorn-covered serpent, its body a vibrant green with earthy spots scattered across its overlapping scales.
Its massive serpent eyes were a dull yellow, slit with green pupils.
If not for the utter lack of life in its gaze, one might never guess this was merely a spell, rather than a summoned beast or dungeon monster.
Everyone outside was equally stunned by John's Thorned Rock Serpent.
"This is no low-level skill; even calling it a high-tier wouldn't be far-fetched!"
Seeing the serpent swiftly closing in, Lucas frantically flapped his bat wings, desperately trying to dodge.
But the serpent's head was unexpectedly agile, twisting mid-air and then diving towards Lucas with its gaping maw.
"Boom!"
The Thorned Rock Serpent's jaws snapped shut forcefully!
Despite his frantic struggles, Lucas was caught by the terrifying maw, half his body ensnared.
"Crack!"
The sound of breaking bones emanated from Lucas as the serpent nearly crushed half of his body in its bite.