In that instant, John subconsciously activated all his defensive skills.
Without any hesitation, he even deployed the blood shield!
But then...
Boom!!
A massive blow exploded right in front of John.
The shields, flimsy as paper, shattered instantly.
The shockwave struck John, hurling him backwards!
Thud!
John smashed through the protective barrier and crashed into the city wall!
The solid wall was dented with a huge hole in that moment!
[Barrier durability nearing zero, please replenish with an energy stone immediately!]
[Wall damage at 35%, please repair promptly!]
Archibald, without any hesitation, repaired the barrier!
The consumption of energy stones flowed like water, yet he did not falter!
The monsters outside were terrifyingly numerous and frightfully high-level. Without the barrier, they would only have death to await!
No matter what, they had to keep control of the rear!
Thankfully, repairing the barrier required only a thought and confirmation, otherwise, in their current state of oppression, they would not have been able to deploy energy stones.
Rosalind and the others' pupils dilated sharply!
John was already acknowledged as the strongest among them.
And in that moment, it was clear to her that John had activated all his defensive skills.
Yet even so...
He still could not withstand a strike from a semigod-tier powerhouse!
John slammed against the city wall, the aftermath of his skills even damaging the durability of the protective barrier and the wall itself!
Had it not been for some defenses along the high wall, they would likely have been corpses by now!
Everyone's hands trembled as they stared at the figure suspended in mid-air.
Teeth chattering as if in tune with a fear that welled up from deep within, uncontrollable despite their efforts to suppress it!
The oppressive aura of the powerful, like a mountain weighing down on them, caused many to bleed incessantly, their health slowly depleting.
If this continued, they feared they wouldn't last much longer!
Alastair's eyes were glued to the panel, his heart climbing to his throat as he saw John's health drop to the last few points!
John was down to his last ten health points!
Even a shard of stone could send him to his demise!
But then came a surge of relief.
Despite such a formidable attack, John was still alive!
As long as there was life, there was hope!
Everyone watched anxiously in this direction, eager to know the state of the man in question.
Outside the secret realm, everyone's hearts leapt into their throats.
This was a semigod-tier powerhouse, after all!
As Alastair lifted a finger, a wave of despair swept through everyone, certain that John was doomed.
Yet, unexpectedly, John managed to hold on!
Though his HP was nearly depleted, he was still alive. All he needed was to recover his HP!
Geoffrey, trembling, wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling nearly broken by the moment.
It was terrifying, truly terrifying!
This ordeal was pushing him to his limits!
He had almost screamed out loud but somehow managed to suppress it.
John truly lived up to the expectations of the principal who had chosen him; he was extraordinary!
But only John knew just how precarious his situation was.
In the moment he was hit by the skill, he activated the blood shield.
The Dragonblood Stone's blood shield would automatically use its stored HP to replenish his, as long as his own HP was not full.
But now, the blood shield's reserves were completely depleted, leaving him with only 10 points of health.
This meant that if it weren't for his abilities, he might have died countless times by now, perhaps not even a trace of him would remain!
No wonder...
No wonder they say all are mere ants beneath the semigods. No wonder the immense pressure felt upon that person's arrival was so overpowering.
Is this the power of a semigod-tier powerhouse?
Indeed, an insurmountable chasm.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and quickly replenished his HP with a high-level healing potion.
He knew Alastair was surely watching his every move, and he could not afford to show any weakness now.
Any sign of fear that revealed a flaw would lead to a death without a place to lay his body.
John slowly climbed out of the rubble, with stones continuing to fall around him.
As the commander of the first fortress, he too had noticed the extensive damage it had suffered.
The durability of the protective shield had hit zero in that instant!
Had it not been for the pre-set reminders to replenish energy stones to repair the shield, they would have completely lost their protection by now.
The damage to the city wall was also significant, making today's repair work exceedingly difficult.
Alastair stood atop a flying beast, looking down at the small fortress below.
"It is an honor for you to contribute even a small part towards the descent of the dark god."
"Now, please face your death, my dear geniuses."
A slight curve formed on Alastair's lips, his finger gently pointing again, as if gathering boundless power at the tip!
Despair began to rise in everyone's hearts; they wanted to resist, to kneel and beg for mercy, to weep bitterly, even to commit suicide to escape.
But no matter what, they could not move!
The weight on their shoulders grew heavier, pressing them down relentlessly, and no one could budge.
They watched as a tiny pinpoint of light formed at the tip of that finger, where boundless power had gathered.
But the next second, they heard a voice all too familiar:
"Do you think you can kill anyone?"
John, exerting himself, summoned the Thorned Rock Serpent and once again positioned himself atop the city wall.
There he stood, with the immobilized people behind him.
His finger gently tapped, and then he invoked the power of control!
Under the influence of the power of control, the semigod-tier oppressiveness was greatly reduced—
Lowered to a transcendent-tier oppressiveness.
Though still uncomfortable, it was not like before, when they could neither speak nor move.
Everyone supported each other and stood up; they stood atop the city wall, looking out at the people outside.
Despite the fear, despite the great fright, at that moment they stood together, supporting each other, striving together, as if only by doing so could they lend each other a bit of strength.
Alastair watched these so-called prodigies, previously so abjectly sprawled on the ground, and actually felt quite pleased.
But who could have imagined that these little ants would dare to stand up and resist him again?
"Interesting, are you all willing to forsake your lives for this man?"
Alastair chuckled softly, reveling in the feeling of wielding boundless power.
Once, he was a teacher at Star Cluster Academy, but what of it?
When facing the offspring of nobility, didn't he still have to bow and scrape?
Though a teacher, he had never felt respected.
In their eyes, only pedigree mattered!
But now, things were different. Now he possessed a power that allowed him to stand above those people.
He savored the sight of their fearful expressions, their painful screams, their despairing wails.
Look at this.
What a delightful scene it was.
This was exactly what the dark god needed.
He would surely offer up this most wonderful hymn to the dark god!
With their flesh and blood, he would create a cradle for the great descent.
Even if it only earned them a moment more of the dark god's gaze, it was still these people's honor.
Madness gleamed in Alastair's eyes.
He seemed to care for nothing else but to destroy this place!
Destroy it all, let everything be destroyed, only then would the dark lord be pleased!
Only through such destruction could they gain more, could they truly delight their lord!
Boundless power surged forth once again at that moment!
Despair filled everyone's hearts!
This was not a force they could possibly withstand!