When they learned that their nearest enemy was about a hundred meters away, a well-built young man in the group quickly decided, "Get inside."
The three immediately moved toward a room by the roadside, on guard.
Just then, the slender auxiliary Soul Master was suddenly hit. His body jerked to one side, and blood sprayed out.
"Bang!"
The next instant, a sound loud enough for all three to hear rang out from a hundred meters away.
"A long-range Martial Soul."
The three were aghast. The young man who had just made the decision suddenly rolled toward the roadside.
At the same time, two long vines sprouted from his right hand, rapidly stretching toward his two teammates and wrapping around their waists. Then he yanked hard.
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"
A string of gunshots pursued them like their shadows.
His burly teammate reacted just as quickly. He immediately grabbed the wounded man, then kicked off the ground as his Soul Power surged. Pulled by the vines around his waist, he raced into the nearby house.
In the blink of an eye, all three had put every ounce of their strength into escaping Zhang Yang's line of sight.
A hundred meters away, Zhang Yang lifted his eye from the sight and began replenishing the bullets with Soul Power.
"Damn, I missed." Zhang Yang cursed under his breath.
Originally, Zhang Yang had planned to let them get a little closer before firing.
He hadn't expected the group to be so cautious. The moment they sensed someone nearby, they decided to duck into a room.
There was no choice. Zhang Yang could only fire first and weaken some of their fighting strength.
But he hadn't expected that first shot to miss. His follow-up shots had landed only once, too.
Soul Masters could move far too quickly, especially when the other side had a control-type Martial Soul like vines.
Hiding behind the sign again, Zhang Yang opened the map and kept his eyes fixed on the Mandel Brick's movements.
Inside the room, the white Soul Ring beneath the auxiliary Soul Master's feet glimmered. He had been shot in the shoulder.
The milky-white staff in his hand tapped lightly against the ground. Three beams of milky-white light burst from it and entered their bodies.
As the light entered them, the three let out a soft breath, as though their bodies had eased considerably.
The control-type Soul Master, the brains of the team, took a roll of bandages from his pocket and wrapped the auxiliary Soul Master's shoulder wound.
In a corner of the room, the Power Attack System Battle Soul Master complained, "This Soul Tool really is a death warrant. We killed that three-man team and took it, and now someone else is hunting us down."
"Enough, Grayson. Stop complaining." The control-type Soul Master cut off the Power Attack System Battle Soul Master's endless grumbling.
"Right now, we have two choices."
"First, we abandon this Soul Tool. We throw it away, then slip out of here without anyone knowing."
"The three of us aren't in good shape. If we get into another fierce battle, someone could end up dead. Besides, we just looted those three and got some treasures. At least we have something to show for it."
"Second, we take out that long-range Soul Master up ahead..."
Before the control-type Soul Master could finish, the Power Attack System Battle Soul Master interrupted him. "We'll take the second option. We kill him."
"From the day we became Soul Masters, we had one foot in the grave. We've long since learned to take life and death lightly."
"This Soul Tool is the most valuable treasure our team has come across since we formed. I can't bear to just hand it over to someone else."
The control-type Soul Master nodded, then turned to the auxiliary Soul Master beside him, whose face was still somewhat pale. "Dylan, what do you think..."
"I heard this Soul Tool can raise a Soul Master's Soul Ring by one level."
Dylan, the auxiliary Soul Master, didn't state his opinion outright. But his words had already made his decision clear.
The difference between a Ten-Year Soul Ring and a Hundred-Year Soul Ring was immeasurable for an auxiliary Soul Master.
Both teammates had made their positions clear, so the control-type Soul Master nodded as well. "Since we're all in agreement, get ready. We'll fight that long-range Soul Master."
Just then, Dylan, who was holding the Mandel Brick, suddenly changed expression. He cried out in alarm, "An enemy's coming! The Soul Tool's reaction is getting stronger... No, it's getting much stronger. The enemy's approaching fast!"
The other two teammates' expressions changed at once.
Soul Power erupted around Grison, the Power Attack System Soul Master. His muscles swelled, and the character for "king" appeared on his forehead. His already fierce eyes turned into beastly pupils that made the heart skip a beat.
"Thud, thud, thud..."
A rapid series of footsteps sounded in their ears. Grison's ears twitched, then his body burst into motion. He slammed straight through the door and charged outside.
The control-type Soul Master followed close behind.
As soon as they came out, several streaks of icy light met them.
Facing them were three Battle Soul Masters with Tool Martial Souls.
The newcomers' Soul Rings shone brightly beneath their feet. They had clearly already activated their Soul Ring skills, and they attacked with their strongest moves, showing no mercy.
"Crack!"
"Whoosh~"
As cold weapons clashed, several vines shot from the control-type Soul Master's hands and swept toward the three men.
"Vines? A control-type?"
One of the enemy Soul Masters, who was wielding a broadsword, narrowed his eyes. He redirected his blade and smashed the vines reaching for him.
Vine fragments scattered across the ground. The broadsword wielder didn't retreat. He charged straight at the control-type Soul Master.
In a team fight, a control-type Soul Master could usually play a greater role than a Battle Soul Master.
The narrow terrain limited how much the control-type Soul Master could do.
But having an opposing control-type Soul Master on the field was always an unpredictable factor in the battle.
Seeing the enemy Battle Soul Master charge right up to him, the control-type Soul Master sent out even more vines. They surged toward his opponent in a swarm.
After several slashes, vine fragments littered the ground. The Battle Soul Master had closed in on the control-type Soul Master. The Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up, and he raised his broadsword high, about to decapitate his opponent with a diagonal slash.
Just then, a milky-white staff thrust out from the side and stretched across the control-type Soul Master's front, as though its two- or three-centimeter diameter could somehow block the attack for him.
At the same time, the control-type Soul Master's gaze swept rapidly across the battlefield. Then the Yellow Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly blazed brighter.
In an instant, dozens of broken vine fragments scattered across the floor grew into a long, slender, yet sturdy vine.
"Entanglement!"
With a roar from the control-type Soul Master, dozens of vines suddenly wrapped the broadsword wielder in front of him and another Battle Soul Master charging behind him, binding them up like dumplings and leaving them unable to move.
A beam of milky-white light surged from the staff and swiftly entered Grison, who was some distance away.
With his teammate's support, Grison bared a ferocious grin. He swept his claws about, forcing back the enemy Agility Attack System Battle Soul Master wielding two daggers with a fighting style that traded injury for injury. Then he pounced on the enemies bound up like dumplings.
After a while, the room fell quiet, with only heavy panting left.
They had won another battle, but the auxiliary Soul Master had suffered new injuries. Feeling the Mandel Brick still vibrating violently, he gave his teammates a bitter smile. "Brothers, there are more enemies approaching. Looks like we're going to have a hard time getting through this round."
"It should be that long-range Soul Master. He's probably planning to let the snipe and clam fight while he reaps the reward."
The control-type Soul Master looked at the vine fragments covering the floor and let out a long breath. "If he's alone, he won't be a match for us indoors."
Grison, whose Martial Soul was Fierce Tiger, revealed the claws on his hands, each like a small dagger. He snarled, "If he dares come into this room, I'll rip him to pieces with my bare hands."
As the two men traded threats to steel their resolve, a ball of blazing fire suddenly smashed in through the window.
The three of them immediately paled.
"Boom!"
Before you continue