Chapter 607: The Disadvantage

Thaor wielded two one-handed war axes with crimson blades. The crimson blades were etched with intricate patterns - lines of interwoven runes that looked like black vines. They were the Magma Warhaven Axe Artifact Set, Pseudo-Epic Tier-3 Artifacts with the customized ability to compress and enhance Thaor's Crimson Aura.

Thaor twisted his upper body after plunging one of the Warhaven Axes into the skull of the closest Tier-3 Ashen Knight. The Ashen Knight tried to block the attack but Thaor was too fast and too strong. The Warhaven Axe chipped the Ashen Knight's blade in two pieces before cleaving the Ashen Knight's skull in one go.

The Berserker's movements didn't slow down after he killed the Ashen Knight. He stared at the lifeless body with a gleam and charged ahead. Thaor delivered a high kick to the head of another enemy and split another with a horizontal slash. Most enemies coming Thaor's way were natives from the Zentika Empire. They weren't any Awakened in his path, but that was what made it even easier for Thaor to pave his way deep into the enemy's army.

However, he was not alone.

Lokai was right next to her brother, her Burning Fury Soultrait's full potential unleashed. The greater the disadvantage in terms of power and numbers the stronger was Burning Fury's amplification. By now, Burning Fury strengthened the allies in the Soultrait's range by more than 20%. That was another reason for Thaor's greatly amplified combat prowess.

However, Burning Fury was not Lokai's only Soultrait. She was one of the few Awakened who managed to purchase two Soultraits and upgrade both straight to 3-Star. As a Berserker at the Late rank of the 3rd Tier, Lokai was already among the strongest members in Michael's territory. Her new Soultraits granted Lokai even more power befitting of a Berserker's Champion.

3-Star Recuperation was one of the Soultraits she purchased and upgraded. It was a Soultrait that altered Lokai's body, granting her stronger natural regeneration. Her wounds healed faster and both her used-up energy and stamina would recuperate faster as well. As her health deteriorated Recuperation's effect would grow stronger, allowing her to remain on the battlefield even after sustaining lethal injuries.

The Soultrait suited all Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs since they were known for charging onto the battlefield recklessly. Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs were more likely to sustain wounds. Recuperation helped Lokai solve that issue, indirectly at least.

Her third Soultrait was also 3-Star and it fit perfectly to Recuperation. The 3-Star Soultrait was called Life Conversion.

The Soultrait's effect was pretty simple. Life Conversion consumed Lifeforce to strengthen the User's physical body drastically or unleash the converted lifeforce in the form of an energy blast.

At this point, both Recuperation and Life Conversion weren't overly powerful. It would be difficult for Lokai to compete against Soultraits and Soultrait Combinations like Frederik's Aeroan combi. However, as she gained more compatible Soultraits or upgraded them, Lokai would transform into an unstoppable killing machine.

Lokai used Life Conversion to amplify her physical strength in exchange for a portion of her life. It was only temporary, but the amplification of her physical strength lasted quite long. It was long enough for Recuperation to replenish the lifeforce that had been consumed.

The Berserker smashed her enemies' shields and armor sets. She didn't pay much attention to the blazing flames that engulfed her and continued to fight fiercely. It was not that the flames didn't hurt as they burned through her skin, but Lokai couldn't be bothered to extinguish the flames. The Lesser Elemental that had partnered with her could do that.

A Lesser Wind Elemental chose to partner up with Lokai. It extinguished the flames by repelling the flames. That was not a perfect solution, but it was the best the Lesser Wind Elemental could do as a being at the Peak of Tier-1. Once the flames burned through his wind repulsion barrier, the Lesser Wind Elemental sealed the flames and removed the oxygen within, slowly extinguishing the fiercely burning flames.

Lokai and Thaor were not the only ones who fought fiercely against the Heart of the Blazing Lion army. The remaining members of the Untamed Awakened gave their utmost as well. They unleashed their new Soultraits and mixed them with their familiar Soultraits and Martial Arts. They created a new variety of movements and unleashed more power than ever.

Their destructive power was not unnoticed. However, three Lowest Tier-4 High Lionhearts and close to 600 Soldiers were killed before more High Lionhearts and other powerhouses diverted their attention to them.

Traveling through the Untamed Jungle was not easy and it was impossible to watch the entire battlefield. The thicket and plant life of the Untamed Jungle covered most parts of the battlefield. That was the Untamed Awakened's greatest fortune. They weren't in the center of the battlefield and moved within the Untamed Jungle's outer ring to smash their enemies.

The Untamed Awakened didn't try to cover their traces or stay hidden, otherwise, they wouldn't have been making such a commotion. Nonetheless, only a dozen High Lionhearts changed their targets to the Untamed Awakened. They deployed their underlings to charge at the Untamed Awakened and pushed ahead as well.

Even though the Untamed Awakened weren't scared of the High Lionhearts, it was a fact that none of them had ascended yet. They were all Lesser Lifeforms and weren't strong enough to deal with a Higher Lifeform yet.

Only Hiraku was strong enough to overpower a High Lionheart, but even his strength was not unparalleled. His transformation was not permanent and he didn't have the means to heal himself either. It was only a matter of time before he would grow tired.

Lokai and some other members of the Untamed Awakend used their Support-type Soultraits to strengthen Hiraku and their strongest members, but no one was certain to be capable of fighting a High Lionheart head-on.

Fortunately, the Untamed Awakened were not alone. 30 High Beast from the Monster Horde were also wreaking havoc on the battlefield. High Lionheart Awakened and Soldiers fought them head-on and it looked like they were about to overpower the High Beasts until Lokai and the others decided to spread their Soultraits out.

Lokai and her comrades took a while to consider the ferocious monsters of the Untamed Jungle as their allies, but it was necessary. Their Soultraits amplified the High Beast Horde's strength. Lokai's Burning Fury was already more than enough to grant some ordinary monsters enough strength to overpower their enemies and charge ahead.

All of a sudden, the High Beast Horde gained tremendous strength as a whole, the Lesser Elementals and Demon Monkeys included.

The sudden power-up was enough to take some High Lionhearts by surprise. The Awakened Higher Lifeforms managed to react in time and use their Artifacts and Soultraits to block the ferocious monsters' attacks, but a handful of native High Lionhearts weren't that fast. They had been certain of their victory and stopped focusing on defending. Their sides were open, granting the more intelligent High Beasts the opportunity to strike.

But even the support from the Untamed Awakened wasn't enough to protect the High Beast Horde. There were only 30 High Beasts and 20,000 ordinary monsters. They weren't weak, but their forces were too small to hold a candle to the Heart of the Blazing Lion army.

Even the Untamed Awakened were too weak to deal with all of them. The High Lionheart Awakened were the worst enemies, right after the Commanders, of course.

Only Hiraku and a handful of High Beasts - those who lead the entire monster horde onto the battlefield - were strong enough to deal with them.

Three High Beasts possessed combat prowess comparable to a Peak Tier-4 Awakened. They were fighting fiercely against the Commanders of the Heart of the Blazing Lion army. However, the Commanders didn't even think about fighting fair and square. Their mission was to obliterate the High Beast Horde and invade the Untamed Jungle to secure food and a particular set of resources. There was no need to defeat their enemies fairly.

The Commanders ordered their underlings, several High Lionhearts, to join the battle and gang up against the mighty beasts.

Michael couldn't stay back and watch anymore. He knew that trouble awaited him and his territory if he allowed more High Beasts to die.

'I planted enough Extraction seeds. Their energy should last me a while.' Michael told himself as he utilized Taming to fuse with the Elemental Empress. The Elemental Empress' body covered Michael tightly like a fiery armor.

He licked his lips as his eyes wandered across the battlefield once more. Most enemies hadn't noticed it yet, but Michael had planted Extraction seeds inside them. The origin energy within them was drained slowly. It was a minuscule amount that Michael drained at a time, but the massive number of Extraction seeds was the crux of his tactic. Michael's energy storage would fill up within seconds even after he used up everything.

He had completed a few more preparations while his subordinates battled valiantly against the Heart of the Blazing Lion army, and he aided them whenever he could.

However, now it was time to join the battle as well.

He manifested the Soul Grimoire next to him where hundreds of Soul Tears had formed from his subordinates' slaughter, and used three Soul Tears to amplify and reinforce his Soul, Enhancement, and Taming.

His connection with Zeroa was reinforced the moment the Soul Tear's effect applied.

Michael made his move.

He utilized Zeroa's spatial affinity and crafted a portal to the center of the battlefield. He leapt through the portal with several tiers of Enhancement applied to his body. The Heavenly Beast Physique Soul Technique was unleashed to the brim and Spirit Eyes was infused with origin energy.

Michael's eyes flicked left and right, the position of his targets deeply imprinted in his head.

It was time to overpower the Heart of the Blazing Lion!