"This human seems to have awakened our race's Stoneform Skin ability!? But why is his stone-skin strength so high?"
"You noticed it too? My attacks can easily shatter alloys, yet they barely harmed him!"
The six gargoyle prodigies briefly regrouped, exchanging information and discussing their next course of action.
"I have a feeling his stone-skin toughness might even surpass ours!"
"Impossible!"
One gargoyle prodigy scoffed arrogantly.
"We've studied the Obsidian Golem Codex and reinforced our bodies multiple times. Even though we haven't officially entered it yet, our strength far exceeds the norm!"
"Exactly. For a mere human to awaken our racial talent is already a heaven-sent miracle. I bet he's using some armor or special ability we don't know about!"
"Enough with the nonsense," the leading gargoyle prodigy cut them off coldly.
"Just kill him. Once he's dead, every truth will come to light."
"Right! Yobir's correct!"
With Yobir at the center, the five gargoyles surged toward Raine once more!
"When did the human race produce such a young powerhouse?"
Watching the ferocious battle unfolding below, Bonebreaker Quin's gaze turned icy.
The combat strength Raine displayed had already exceeded the scope of a mere trial for noble youths.
He had become a threat capable of influencing the local battlefield—and even the future of the alien races themselves. Such a danger had to be strangled here and now!
The four guards were brimming with killing intent, their cold eyes locked onto Raine.
If not for Tetra and the others desperately tying them down, they would have already moved to kill that human soldier!
Aaron and the other human Master-rank experts understood perfectly well that their most important task at this moment was to hold back these high-tier alien races and create an opening for Raine.
Roderick even took on two enemies alone—an Expert-rank Soul Devourer and a Master-rank guard—roaring furiously:
"Want to touch him? Step over my corpse first!"
"Your gargoyle nobles have guards—our human warriors have us, willing to protect them with our lives!"
Boom!
Boom! Boom!
The melee in the sky grew ever more intense.
The six gargoyle prodigies grew increasingly alarmed—and increasingly enraged—the longer the fight dragged on.
In just half an hour, the two sides had clashed thousands of times.
Despite their numerical advantage, they still couldn't take down Raine. Worse yet, each of them had suffered injuries.
For beings as proud and arrogant as they were, this was an unbearable humiliation!
"This can't go on. I'll kill him!"
One gargoyle prodigy with the strongest aura barked coldly.
As soon as he spoke, the other two prodigies understood at once.
They attacked from left and right, weapons raised, aiming to restrain Raine.
At the same time—
The strongest gargoyle prodigy began chanting a string of ancient, guttural syllables.
In the next instant, a heavy, primordial aura spread from his body.
"By our race's ancient covenant, I summon the slumbering guardian!"
As the final syllable fell, countless runic streams of light formed a massive phantom before him!
Confidence flashed in Yobir's eyes.
As one of the few prodigies granted the Blood Pact skill, he had more than enough reason to be confident!
"Blood Pact — Ossuary Warbeast!"
Yobir let out a low roar as crimson light exploded around him!
Vast streams of dark-red bloodlight burst from his body.
It wasn't his own blood—but the refined essence of blood cores he had consumed and stored over time through the Blood Pact secret art!
The bloodlight rapidly condensed and transformed in midair.
Soon, it formed a towering Ossuary Warbeast, over five meters tall—entirely assembled from massive bones, with flames burning in its empty eye sockets!
Rooooar—!
It released a soundless roar, radiating ferocious, violent energy.
"Elite rank… but infinitely close to Expert rank," Raine muttered, frowning slightly.
In the distance, Yobir smiled smugly.
This skill was no trifling matter!
By consuming enormous quantities of precious blood cores, it could evolve powerful abyssal constructs or extraordinary divine weapons!
Though not permanent, during its duration its combat power was terrifying—and it carried the unique corrosive properties of abyssal energy.
Normally, only members of the gargoyle royal bloodline were qualified to even come into contact with such a skill.
"It's Blood Pact! Yobir's getting serious!"
A trace of awe flashed through one guard's eyes.
The Ossuary Warbeast stomped through the air and lunged forward, swinging its massive claw at Raine!
The attack sealed off a wide range of Raine's evasive options, while Yobir controlled it from the rear, his gaze icy.
"Careful!"
"That's a forbidden gargoyle combat art! That beast carries corrosive properties!"
Tetra shouted a sharp warning.
Raine felt the danger as well.
The Ossuary Warbeast's power far exceeded the attacks of the gargoyle prodigies he'd faced earlier.
Even with temporary Elite Rank 9 strength, he couldn't afford to mindlessly tank it!
But he also knew he couldn't just keep dodging.
Facing the coordinated siege of six gargoyle prodigies, he had to break the deadlock—or he would only be suppressed indefinitely!
In a split second, Raine made his decision.
A violet gleam flashed in his eyes—Bewitching Eye activated!
But not toward Yobir.
Instead, it targeted the gargoyle prodigy on the left who was coordinating with the Ossuary Warbeast's attack!
That prodigy felt his mind waver for an instant, his thrusting spear deviating ever so slightly.
That minuscule opening was enough!
Raine pushed his entry-level Obsidian Golem Body to its limit, his entire form glowing faintly with interwoven red and gold light.
He charged with everything he had!
The gargoyle prodigy clearly hadn't expected Raine to charge straight at him under such pressure.
"What a madman!"
"You think I'll give you a way out just because of this? Ridiculous!"
He slashed viciously with his stone sword, trying to force Raine back.
But he grossly underestimated both Raine's resolve and the power behind this strike.
BOOM—CRACK!
A deafening explosion rang out as the gargoyle prodigy was cleaved clean in two and hurled far away!
[Ding! You have slain an Elite-rank gargoyle noble. Bloodstone +3100!]
Before Raine could even feel a flicker of triumph, the massive claw was already unavoidable!
Raine twisted slightly, slamming his right shoulder—protected by layered defenses—straight into the Ossuary Warbeast's claw!
At the same time, Ironstrike flashed in his left hand.
A condensed blade aura slashed toward another charging prodigy, forcing him to retreat and defend.
BANG—!!!
A heavy, muffled impact!
The Ossuary Warbeast's claw smashed solidly into Raine's right shoulder!
The violent force sent shockwaves through his body, his blood and qi churning violently.
Yet the bone-shattering outcome the prodigies had expected never came!
With Elite-level power as its foundation and blood qi reinforcing it, the entry-level golem body displayed astonishing defensive resilience!
Fine cracks spread across the stone-skin surface. Beneath it, searing pain tore through bone and flesh—but he endured it!
The price was severe numbness in his right arm, leaving it temporarily unable to exert strength.
Using the force of the blow,Raine's body was knocked sideways—straight toward the position of the other prodigy!
"What?! He tanked a hit from the Ossuary Warbeast?!"
Yobir's pupils shrank in disbelief.
Even he wouldn't dare take a direct blow from an abyssal warbeast with his bare body. This human's defense was absurdly strong!
In that instant of shock, Raine gritted his teeth through the pain in his shoulder and shot forward with the borrowed momentum.
His body flew like a fired cannonball, charging straight at the gargoyle prodigy who had just regained his stance!
Ironstrike became a blood-red arc, slashing upward from below!
The prodigy hastily raised his spear to block—but this strike carried the recoil of tremendous force and Raine's full-body strength, overwhelmingly heavy!
CRACK!
The spear was smashed high into the air, his guard completely blown open!
The blade flashed past—
A gargoyle head, frozen in shock, flew up into the air!
[Ding! You have slain an Elite-rank gargoyle noble. Bloodstone +3100!]
The third prodigy!