Chapter 88: Turning the Tide
This was all part of the Eldest Prince\'s plan to savor the expressions of despair on his brothers\' faces.
However, the next second, the Eldest Prince\'s expression changed.
From high above, the Celestial Stars, burning with a blue flame, were hurtling down at an unprecedented speed.
This time, Sterl did not increase the range of the Celestial Stars but instead focused on enhancing the power, control, and shield capacity of the technique.
As a result of the reduced size, the speed at which the Celestial Stars descended was significantly increased.
In an instant, Celestial Stars crashed down!
The terrifying blue flames shimmered, and several NPCs who were originally gravely injured and on the verge of death were suddenly enveloped by a layer of azure shields, instantly turning their peril into safety.
As for the soldiers of the Atlantic Empire, they were not so fortunate. Many of them were directly vaporized under the power of the Celestial Stars.
Even those who were lucky enough to escape the first wave of flames could not withstand the direct impact of the second wave of meteors, being crushed into minced meat.
Even worse were the young commanders of the Atlantic Empire. Though they could withstand the output of the Celestial Stars and wouldn\'t be killed instantly, they were still overwhelmed by the control effects accompanying the meteors.
For the first time, Sterl witnessed the aftermath of the Celestial Stars\' impact—blue starlight flames transformed into chains, binding the NPCs and rendering them motionless, their faces contorted in agony.
The NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire were overjoyed.
"Well done!" they couldn\'t help but shout in excitement.
They quickly began to move and counterattack! In a head-on fight, they couldn\'t match the commanders of the Atlantic Empire. However, even if the NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire weren\'t skilled in combat, they could handle a group of immobilized enemies.
They unleashed their ultimate skills, aiming to kill.
Various skill effects flashed across the battlefield, and a few third class powerhouses of the Atlantic Empire, caught off guard and immobilized, died on the spot, blasted into pieces of foul-smelling flesh.
The only ones who remained unaffected were Constantine, who seemed to trigger some passive ability that freed him from control, and the Eldest Prince, who activated a life-saving item to dispel the azure starfire.
However, even though they reacted, in those few seconds, the battle had already turned.
The soldiers of the Atlantic Empire, despite their considerable losses, still found the casualties within acceptable limits due to their large numbers.
However, the young commanders suffered a graver fate. Originally numbering seven, three were killed instantly by the recent barrage of Celestial Stars, and the remaining four were severely injured.
They had no choice but to rely on their soldiers for protection while they hastily consumed various potions to heal their wounds.
Seeing this, the Eldest Prince\'s expression collapsed: "How is this possible?"
"So many people were killed by a single move of his??"
"No! No! It\'s fake! It\'s an illusion!"
He was losing his mind! The Eldest Prince had to pay a high price for collaborating with the Atlantic Empire, which included paying hefty ransoms for each soldier or commander killed.
Sterl\'s single use of Celestial Stars left the Eldest Prince flushed with embarrassment, a stark contrast to his earlier confident demeanor.
Constantine, too, wore a dark expression. He frowned at the tiny blue starfire flickering on his body while protecting a few severely injured commanders, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
"A true genius indeed. That\'s why you must not be allowed to live." If Constantine had initially intended to toy with David, he now saw him as a formidable enemy.
Such talent was tolerable if born in the Atlantic Empire, but David was from the Divine Mountain Empire!
If he participated in major historical events, it would surely spell significant losses for the Atlantic Empire.
David was merely a second class now and already this terrifying—what would he be like after advancing to the third class?
Constantine decided David had to die. His eyes turned red with determination.
In the players\' parlance, "major historical events" referred to main storyline quests.
The next second…
Bang!
A loud explosion echoed through the air!
"Watch out!" Faye\'s alarmed cry pierced the tension as Constantine sprang into action!
He played a psychological tactic, first glancing at the Fourth Prince and saying, "Rest assured, I\'ll kill you first, and then quickly send David to join you."
In the next moment, he ignored the princes and charged towards Sterl, his hand radiating an incredibly terrifying energy, clearly intending to strike with full force!
Compared to his earlier attacks on the third class NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire, where he had maintained a relaxed demeanor, Constantine now unleashed his full power with a fierce expression!
Helping the Eldest Prince ascend the throne, eliminating his brothers—such concerns were trivial! Clearing obstacles for the Atlantic Empire\'s future was far more important!
David had to die!
Faye was the first to react. David was the first person she met after no longer relying on her teacher\'s "power." She did not want anything to happen to him!
Immediately, she conjured multiple layers of water shields in front of Sterl, attempting to block Constantine\'s attack.
However, the general of the Atlantic Empire remained unfazed. The blazing flames on his body pierced through the water shields!
For a moment, the entire banquet hall was filled with the sound of burning flames!
Constantine\'s fist, engulfed in flames, struck towards Sterl with immense force!
Boom!!
The shockwave rolled out, forming a transparent vacuum zone.
Upon witnessing this scene...
All the players and NPCs present were overjoyed!
Yes, yes, yes! Chase down David!
No problem, we all support this!
Everyone knew David had two extremely tricky teleportation abilities. No matter how strong Constantine was, he wouldn\'t be able to deal with David in a short period.
Instead, with Constantine\'s attention diverted, everyone else present would be much safer!
Sterl, living up to expectations, activated the teleportation effect of the Stellar Domain. In an instant, he swiftly dodged to the side, evading the imminent danger.
"What?" Constantine was slightly taken aback. He knew about David\'s abilities and how potent his teleportation was, but he hadn\'t expected it to be this exaggerated!
Initially, when facing Sterl\'s teleportation, Constantine had maintained the demeanor of a strong contender, scoffing coldly.
But soon his expression changed.
"Is this kid made of grease? He\'s so slippery, I can\'t catch him at all."
Constantine continuously unleashed his ultimate moves. The first wave was a fiery canopy covering nearly half of the banquet hall, with countless blazing meteors crashing down. Yet Sterl easily evaded them with a combination of blinks and dashes.
The second wave saw Constantine using another one of his purple-tier skills. Countless flames were driven into the ground with a single palm strike, erupting rapidly and unexpectedly.
Sterl, however, merely smiled and shook his head. As a faint blood-red glow appeared around him, he deftly navigated the ground like a stroll in the park. Every time the flames threatened to hit him, he would burst forward with an almost otherworldly speed, elegantly dodging the fiery assault.
This made Constantine, a third-class player far stronger than Sterl, look quite ridiculous, like a heavy bear being toyed with.
Even though the surrounding NPCs and players of the Divine Mountain Empire were busy with their own struggles, they couldn\'t help but brighten up at the sight.
"Well done!"
"Keep toying with him like that!"
"So what if he\'s a third-class elite? If he can\'t touch you, all that strength is useless!"
Constantine\'s face grew darker. He still had a golden-tier skill left unused: "I don\'t have any legendary skills yet, and my golden-tier skill is only slightly stronger than a purple-tier skill."
"And it\'s not even a large-scale attack…"
"Looks like there\'s no quick way to deal with David."
A seasoned veteran, Constantine quickly realized that continuing to chase David would waste an unpredictable amount of time and might not even succeed. It could also introduce many variables into his plan.
Constantine sneered, "Looks like your subordinates aren\'t willing to die in your place."
"I\'ll just have to send you off first."
He turned towards the Fourth Prince, partly to see if David would come to his rescue, but also because he was determined not to waste more time. He decided to kill the others first.
Seeing Constantine shift his focus, the Fourth Prince was terrified, knowing things were about to go south.
Moments ago, he had felt relieved and encouraged by David\'s ability to toy with such a powerful general even in dire circumstances.
Now, the Fourth Prince wished David was in a bit more trouble. At least then he might survive a little longer…
Constantine waved his hand, "You few, go distract him. I\'ll handle the rest."
He directed the remaining third-class commanders, who had survived the initial Celestial Stars attack, to engage Sterl. Constantine couldn\'t just ignore Sterl, after all.