Other than Enhancement, there were many other Support Soultraits at play. Two Berserkers used Soultraits similar to Lokai. They enhanced their physical strength and those their allies by a large chunk, while simultaneously elevating their energy circulation.
Their Soultraits made it much easier for Michael to use his Soultraits with a single thought and unleash a barrage of attacks. Given his usual combo of Glacicles that were either strengthened through Enhancement and Reinforced Sword Qi to increase their lethality or used as mass-produced projectiles to Insert traces of Extraction inside the enemies, Michael could now combine both means of attacks.
That was definitely not helpful for his rapidly decreasing mental power but the Extraction traces inside the enemy took root quickly. They drained the enemy's origin energy and tapped into their lifeforce as well once Michael used Spirit Disturbance on them several times in a row.
Unfortunately, the Soul Techniques of the Tekur were quite powerful, nonetheless. The physically enhanced Tekur's power skyrocketed, and he pushed back the leading Warlock Centaur even after six-layered Enhancement and the Support Soultraits of the two Berserkers strengthened him.
The Golden Bell and the Infernal Aura's power increased the combat prowess of the physically enhanced Tekur even more. He slashed through the Warlock Centaur's abdomen, inflicted various deep gashes and nearly severed the Centaur's left arm.
The other Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs didn't have it much better. The Spheres of Light transformed into dazzling bullets. They were compressed and accelerated rapidly once they were released. Their velocity didn't reach the speed of light but the thunderous explosion that rang out once the Tekur released them was more than enough to instill worry and a seed of fear in the hearts of the prideful Warriors.
The Spheres of Light broke through the sound barrier and pierced neatly through the highly refined bodies of the Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs.
A single glance was enough to tell that Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs would either bleed to death in the next ten minutes or they would end up dying in some other way.
Meanwhile, the Tekur with the Shadow Doppelganger turned out to be even more frightening than the Tekur using the Spheres of Light. Once his Soul Technique was unleashed, the Shadow Doppelganger split into five. Each of them was as strong as the original!
The Tekur and his five Shadow Doppelgangers began to beat the living shit out of six Berserkers. The Berserkers gave their utmost to deal with the Tekur, but not even their physical strength was superior at this point. Too many adverse effects of the enemies' Soultraits affected them, whereas too many enhancing Soultraits amplified their combat prowess.
The only advantage on Michael's side was that he was not yet injured. His Extraction traces had taken root in the enemies' bodies and they hadn't even been noticed yet. Maybe the Tekur could sense them but they thought that eliminating their enemies swiftly would be the most efficient way to deal with this issue.
While that was certainly true, Michael would never allow them to kill him. The reason was obvious. He didn't want to die.
Michael used the numerical advantage of the Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs to his advantage. He used Leviathan Diffusion and eight layers of Enhancement to move in a zigzag pattern. Another use of the Power of Energy Imprint stored within the Legendary Ring was used up as he initiated the next step of his attack: He used Insert to insert several layers of Enhancement inside every Berserker and Warlock Centaur before Inserting Reinforced Sword Qi, and the Power of Extraction inside their weapons.
His mind was going crazy as a throbbing pain began to torment his mind, but Michael couldn't think of a better way to help the others. This time the Tekur were much harder to deal with than the ones before. They used their Soul Techniques early enough to inflict considerable damage. Simultaneously, their Soultraits weren't that bad. The Golden Bell and Infernal Aura were the most annoying. However, it was even more bothersome that the Mysterious Staff of the Tekur in the back invigorated all Tekur with vigor. It seemed like they were suddenly blessed with infinite Stamina now that the staff-wielding Tekur used his Soul Technique.
Fortunately, Michael's support allowed the Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs to hold their fort against the enemies. He then used some of the power accumulated within Archangel's Grace to tend to the leading Warlock Centaur's wounds. Thereafter Michael used Spirit Disturbance with a total of eight layers of Enhancement on the physically enhanced Tekur.
The Tekur had once encountered Michael's Spirit Disturbance so he was prepared for the impact. However, the impact was not as strong as before. It was thrice as strong, sweeping through the Tekur's mind like there was no tomorrow. The physically enhanced Tekur was momentarily stunned, creating the opportunity the leading Warlock Centaur needed to cleave down with the heavy broadsword.
The heavy broadsword cleaved down and cut deep into the Tekur's shoulder…and stopped. Blood spurted out of the Tekur but he didn't die. If anything, the Tekur's body blocked the advance of the heavy broadsword. He wouldn't die from such a wound, not as long as the staff-wielder would keep on invigorating him continuously.
Michael's breathing grew ragged. He had long since tapped into the Extraction traces that had taken root in each of the remaining six Tekur, and more traces of Extraction found their way into the Tekur's bodies while he took a moment to catch his breath. However, Michael didn't allow the Extraction traces to unleash their full power yet. It was only now that he retreated to focus on using Enhancement onto the Symbol of Extraction. A surge of energy streamed out of the six Tekur and Michael devoured it all. He reused the energy he'd absorbed to apply more layers of Enhancement onto the Symbol of Extraction until the energy consumption of enhanced Extraction reached a terrific high.
Michael took note that the Tekur with the Golden Bell, the Infernal Aura, and the Mysterious Staff started to attack him. However, he evaded all their attacks using Roc Eyes and Spirit Gaze. His mental power was hitting an all-time low, but Michael couldn't stop anymore.
Extraction devoured energy which was instantaneously consumed to maintain enhanced Extraction at its peak whereas the lifeforce channeled into his body. Most of the lifeforce entering his body was immediately consumed by his mind which converted the lifeforce into mental power to aid him in the final moments of his battle against the three Tekur, who'd decided to attack him simultaneously.
Michael was cut dozens of times but none of the injuries were lethal. Two or three attacks were serious but Archangel's Grace managed to heal him long before the wounds could turn into serious problems.
At last, the Soul Techniques of the six Tekur stopped. Their Soul Power was used up and their Soultraits' tremendous power deteriorated drastically. Their Soultraits were not even powerful enough to harm the Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs anymore. After all, their Soul Power – the only means they could use to turn their weak-ass Soultraits into the highly dangerous Soultraits everyone feared – was drained and had to be recharged.
Michael managed to kill the Tekur with the Golden Bell Soultrait and the Tekur with the Infernal Aura before he slumped to the ground, bleeding from his eyes and nose. His entire back was drenched in sweat. The leading Warlock Centaur killed the physically enhanced Tekur. Meanwhile, the numerical advantage of the other Alliance members finally came to use once the tremendous power of the Tekur's Soultraits disappeared. The Tekur were still powerful in terms of physical strength but there was no way they could deal with the Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs by relying only on their physical strength – not after Michael and the two Berserkers used their Soultraits to empower their comrades as much as possible.
At last, the battle ended. It was a fearsome battle, yet, oddly enough, no member of the Alliance died.
However, that didn't mean everything was fine. The Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs were knocked out. Some barely managed to retrieve a bunch of potions to tend to their wounds before they slumped to the ground. Others, on the other hand, crashed down and fell unconscious in the middle of the battlefield. Their comrades had to feed them potions to make sure that they would survive.
Michael forced his breathing to steady. It took him a while, but he managed to get up. He retrieved a Nutrition Serum from his War Rune and swallowed the content in an instant. The Nutrition flooded his body and mind, easing his headache considerably.
'I need a better mind-refinement technique or a Soultrait that focuses on enhancing my mind strength drastically. Or I should advance to Tier-3 and refine Caesurium Menta to the Peak of Stage three as quickly as possible.' He thought, running a hand through his hair.
He had been certain that he finally got accustomed to the tremendous power of the Tekur, but they surprised him with every encounter. The seven Enemy they'd fought just now had been much stronger than the rest. Why? Because they fought in a team. Their individual Soultraits were already quite strong given the Soul Power they'd accumulated but the reason they managed to nearly annihilate He and a group of Coalition members was their teamwork and the great synergy of their Soultraits.
Michael didn't like to acknowledge it, but he was 100% sure that he would have died miserably if he had encountered the seven Enemy all alone.
"Strength," He mumbled, eyeing the Enemy corpses. He really had to get his first Soul Technique.
