The man in the velvet suit clearly knew that slowing down now would only lead to death.
But reality often goes against expectations.
One by one, his teammates surpassed him. His legs became uncontrollably heavy, as if shackled by heavy iron chains. Every step sent twinges of soreness through his tightly tensed muscles.
His erratic breathing accelerated his physical exertion.
"Roar—!"
The roar of the Ice Scaled Dragon grew louder.
The man in the velvet suit turned pale.
Fear forced a stiff, despairing expression onto his face, his voice trembling like a sieve, hoarse, "I... I, can't, can't run anymore..."
As the last trembling syllable fell, his steps faltered, and he tumbled onto the frozen, thick ice.
The middle-aged man leading the pack clearly heard the voice filled with despair.
His eyes flickered with hesitation.
Meanwhile, the other teammates gritted their teeth, not daring to look back, nor to help the man in the velvet suit.
Because at a time like this, their own lives were more precious.
"Screech—!"
A sharp blade sliced a groove into the surface of the thick ice.
The middle-aged man, who had pulled out a cold weapon from his soul tool to forcibly brake and stabilize himself on the ice, suddenly turned, pushing off the ground with his foot. He shot back like an arrow loosed from a bow, in the exact opposite direction of the other four fleeing for their lives.
"Swoosh!"
The middle-aged man used his slide to successfully catch the falling man in the velvet suit.
The moment he caught the man in the velvet suit, his demeanor completely changed. Like cold wine that cuts the throat, icy currents surrounded him, and a potent soul power fluctuation emanated from him. A white bear, over three meters tall, suddenly appeared. Six soul rings rose from beneath it. The middle-aged man's muscles bulged, and his aura grew heavy, like a true polar king. He instantly completed his martial soul fusion.
"Roar—!"
The white bear, its limbs and head encased in ice armor, let out a commanding roar. Its heavy, massive bear paw slammed towards the agitated Ice Scaled Dragon pursuing them. The immense force deflected the dragon's head, but its immense body, still surging forward with momentum, rolled towards the two men like a vehicle.
The middle-aged man gritted his teeth, a flash of madness in his eyes. The fifth, deep purple soul ring on his body shone. The white bear, which was over three meters tall, instantly expanded to over five meters, its body several times thicker. As the Ice Scaled Dragon's body rolled down, the enlarged white bear curled into a defensive posture, stubbornly resisting the dragon's heavy impact with its excellent defense.
As for the other four teammates, they only glanced back once when the Ice Scaled Dragon was deflected by the middle-aged man's blow.
Seeing that the dragon wasn't knocked unconscious by that single strike, they immediately turned their heads and fled at full speed, effectively ending their flimsy camaraderie.
The "overturned" Ice Scaled Dragon rolled to the side. After a brief period of dizziness, it quickly righted itself, its beastly eyes filled with hatred and fury fixed on the two cornered humans. It let out a menacing roar, as if to say, "Now, let's see how you two can escape!"
"Cough..."
The middle-aged man, who had absorbed the brunt of the impact, coughed out a mist of blood. Tiny droplets splattered onto the exhausted but still conscious man in the velvet suit.
Watching his plastic teammates abandon him, the man in the velvet suit felt an indescribable emotion towards the temporary captain he had only known for a little over three months.
The middle-aged man gasped for air, his eyes locked on the approaching Ice Scaled Dragon. He muttered, "Can you still stand?"
The man in the velvet suit managed a strained, ugly smile. "I... I have no strength left..."
The middle-aged man chuckled. A look of determination appeared on his weathered, rough face. "Then it seems we have no choice but to fight to the death."
The man in the velvet suit froze. Looking at the middle-aged man, who still hadn't abandoned him to act as bait and flee alone, his nose tingled. "Captain... how about..."
"Don't speak! Recover some strength, and escape when the time is right!"
The middle-aged man sharply interrupted him. As he spoke the last words, he had already charged forward, engaging the Ice Scaled Dragon.
When Tang Sui arrived, this was the scene she witnessed.
Although she had just arrived, she had seen everything that had just happened through her spiritual power, including the middle-aged man's refusal to abandon the other at the brink of despair.
'Should we save him? This person doesn't seem like the backstabbing, ungrateful type,' the fox-masked voice spoke softly.
'The man's soul power, though still at Soul Emperor, seems to be around level 68, not far from breaking through. He's worth investing in,' the ape-masked voice said in a low tone.
Tang Sui's gaze shifted from the middle-aged man fighting the Ice Scaled Dragon to the exhausted man in the velvet suit.
Hmm... he was that Soul King.
She watched the growing light in his eyes, like a torch lit in winter, his yearning for survival and desperation so dazzling, so dazzling that she felt a hint of familiarity.
A flicker of compassion stirred in her heart. Tang Sui emerged from her concealment, leaped into the air with a gentle push, and flew towards the battle. Rings of beautiful, radiant soul lights flashed. A dark golden mask sliced through the air, arriving at the same time as a black-red auxiliary light descending upon the two.
"Second Soul Skill, Benevolent Face."
Her depleted soul power rapidly replenished.
The dark golden mask, like a flying knife, appeared light and small, yet the force it carried was so great that when it impacted the Ice Scaled Dragon, known for its excellent defense, it sent the creature flying over ten meters away from the pair of scarred, heavy bear paws. Winding scratches also appeared on its incredibly tough scales.
The middle-aged man, momentarily stunned by the incredible speed at which his soul power and injuries were recovering, turned his head. The dark golden mask flashed through his vision and returned to its owner.
"Are you two alright?"
A clear voice reached their ears.
The man in the velvet suit looked up blankly. Tang Sui, clad in a blue velvet suit, descended gracefully and stood beside him.
This, this must be a goddess!
Her exquisite profile, her ethereal aura, and her descent from the heavens made the man in the velvet suit's heart pound a little faster.
Sensing the gaze, Tang Sui glanced at the man in the velvet suit still sitting on the ground and politely reminded him, "I just cast my second soul skill on you. My second soul skill can heal your internal and external injuries, and clear all negative effects. One restores sixty percent of your soul power, the other restores fifty percent."
Exhaustion was also a negative effect. Although it couldn't recover as quickly as soul power, she figured he'd have enough strength to stand up.
Understanding Tang Sui's unspoken implication, the man in the velvet suit: "......"
"S-sorry..." He silently lowered his head, hiding his tearful expression.
This was so embarrassing...