Chapter 310: Soul Hunt Squad

Bulaimit was startled; he was too focused on bargaining with Lei En to notice anyone approaching.

The electric claw pulled back a shadow warrior, whose lithe figure was clearly female.

She wore form‑fitting, exquisite leather armor, two daggers at her waist, a black veil over her face, hair tied at the back of her head, only her eyes exposed; but now her gaze was unfocused, her body curled like a large shrimp lying sideways beside the campfire, trembling incessantly.

The shadow warrior finally overcame the electric paralysis, rolled over and tried to leap up, but with a clang the two massive swords crossed and pressed against her neck.

The force emanating from the swords was unbearably heavy, rendering her immobile.

She looked up and saw two towering warriors as massive as small mountains, their bodies hidden within armor.

"Boss," an Extreme Warrior muttered apologetically.

They were on night watch around the camp, and being discovered this close was a dereliction of duty.

Lei En lifted his hand, indicating it was fine.

This is a high‑rank shadow warrior; from the Element in her soul one can tell her power is outstanding, absolutely an elite transcendent, her Shadow‑Escape reaches Level 5, and she possesses a rare Element called "Silent Breath," which makes no sound when she moves, not even the sound of her own being.

He only saw the figure in the shadows thanks to the Truth Willpower.

It's normal that Extreme Warriors can't perceive her.

Kelu Nuan stepped forward and ripped the shadow warrior's veil off; the firelight revealed a beautiful face, smooth skin, bright eyes, with a hint of wildness in her expression.

"Who are you?"

"What are you doing near our camp?" Kelu Nuan asked in a deep voice.

"Everyone, I mean no harm," the shadow warrior hurriedly explained, not daring to move, and said quickly: "I am Lao Ruina, a soul‑hunting scout from the Empire, sent to the Dead Forest Sea. I came to scout for my teammates; I heard your voices and, out of curiosity, got a bit closer. I have no ill intent toward you."

As she spoke, her gaze fell on Lei En, clearly recognizing him as the leader across from her.

Lei En simply stared at her without speaking.

Bulaimit was surprised; as a legendary hunter with extraordinary perception, he is a natural counter to shadow warriors, and Lao Ruina's ability to sneak nearby was truly impressive.

"Esteemed sir..." Lao Ruina's eyes were filled with anxiety.

Lei En raised an eyebrow; judging from the color of her soul, she was not lying.

But she hadn't told the whole truth; she was withholding something.

She had likely been sneaking around for a while, heard his and Bulaimit's conversation, recognized her own identity yet pretended not to.

Lei En didn't know how much she heard; it involved the Lambo's Gun, and even without revealing the real secret, its spread would cause trouble.

He stroked his chin and tentatively asked, "How much did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

Lao Ruina wore a baffled expression, though inside she was terrified, her soul's color shifting rapidly.

"Good acting, good looks, a pity," Lei En turned to Kelu Nuan and gave a slight signal to eliminate the woman.

Kelu Nuan swung his massive sword without hesitation.

"My lord Earl, please don't kill me!" Lao Ruina shivered all over, shrieking sharply.

Lei En raised his hand to stop Kelu Nuan.

In fact, Kelu Nuan was only pretending to strike; the command transmitted through the original‑body symbiosis was not to kill but to intimidate the shadow warrior.

Their coordination was seamless, even Bulaimit was fooled into thinking Lei En truly killed to protect the Lambo's Gun secret.

He felt both surprised and frustrated, seeing how resolute Lei En's Willpower was, making it hard to obtain the gun's manufacturing method.

Lei En glanced at the dwarf and asked teasingly, "Now you recognize me?"

"Yes, yes." Lao Ruina's head bobbed rapidly like a chick pecking grain, "Lord Glamorgan, I have just arrived, not even half a minute ago. I only heard this dwarf gentleman say he would serve the lord in exchange for something, didn't catch the details, and then you discovered me."

"Is that so?" Lei En hummed, his eyes flickering.

"It's absolutely true!" Lao Ruina, desperate to survive, dared not conceal anything, "I can swear in the name of my master 'Eluna'; every word I speak is truth."

The Dark‑Moon Goddess Eluna is a powerful deity who holds the offices of "Night," "Moon," "Dream," and "Elf," serving as the chief god of the elves; many humans also worship her, so it is not strange for a shadow warrior to follow her.

To swear by Eluna shows Lao Ruina was driven to desperation.

In fact, even without the oath Lei En could tell she was telling the truth this time and truly hadn't heard much.

Lei En pretended to ponder for a moment, then said, "Release her."

The two Extreme Warriors sheathed their massive swords but stayed close, standing beside Lei En, alert.

Lao Ruina felt a weight lift, as if she had just walked the path of the underworld and discovered the leather armor on her back was soaked with cold sweat.

Even her legs grew weak, nearly unable to stand.

Seeing her discomfort, Lei En smiled faintly, made a beckoning gesture, "Sit down. It's rare to meet someone else in the Dead Forest Sea; would you like a drink?"

He produced a clean glass cup, filled it with fruit juice, and handed it over.

"Thank you, my lord Earl," Lao Ruina could not refuse, sat down, took the cup without hesitation and drank. The juice was sweet and fresh, icy down her throat, instantly easing her fatigue and pain, and she let out a contented sigh.

She thought to herself that enjoying such a cup of juice in the Dead Forest Sea was a rare luxury, surely stored beforehand in a dimensional‑space kit.

Looking at the luxurious tents of the camp, the sumptuous food by the fire, these were true comforts in the wilderness.

And those four renowned Extreme Warriors perched on the massive flying dragon outside the camp; because of them, she had been curious enough to sneak a look.

No wonder the Earl of Glamorgan is famed throughout the Empire.

Lao Ruina recalled her usual hardships of braving wind and rain, felt conflicted, and momentarily drifted off.

Lei En asked casually, "Lao Ruina, how did you end up in the Ismu River Valley?"

Empire soul‑hunt squads enter the Dead Forest Sea from the east; Ismu River Valley lies in the southwest of the Dead Forest Sea, at least three times the distance away. Whether coming from the Sein Plateau or circling the forest's outer rim, the journey is long and perilous; ordinary soul‑hunt squads would not take such a route unless they have a special purpose.

Lao Ruina snapped back, replying, "Sir, we are the top‑tier soul‑hunt squad. The east side of the Dead Forest Sea has been swept clean by too many squads, making valuable demon souls scarce, so we took a detour to Ismu River Valley to try our luck."

The explanation was reasonable, but Lei En didn't believe it.

Lao Ruina still hadn't told the whole truth.

He gave a noncommittal smile, "Did you harvest anything in the valley?"

"We secured a few decent demon souls," Lao Ruina said modestly, "If my lord Earl wishes to purchase them, you may be disappointed."

"What do you mean?" Lei En asked further.

"These are the agreed rules for all Soul‑Hunting Teams, and before the hunt ends, none of the spoils may be sold, to avoid internal conflict caused by uneven distribution of wealth; they must be dealt with together after returning to the Empire." Lao Ruina gave a brief explanation.

"So that's how it is." Lei En's expression cleared, the rule made some sense.

But I'm not a member of a Soul‑Hunting Team myself; I was just asking.

"Do you have a demon soul with the Lightning Affinity Element?"

Lei En had only asked casually without much hope, but Lao Ruina's expression froze, and the color of her soul shifted rapidly.

His eyes lit up instantly.

He asked again, "What kind of demon soul?"

"Sorry." Lao Ruina hesitated for a few seconds, rose, respectfully bowed, and said, "Lord, according to the rules I cannot tell you; I must return."

Lei En stared at her without speaking.

Lao Ruina dared not leave on her own, and the camp fell silent, with only the crackle of the campfire.

"My teammates are still waiting for me…" she tried to use the presence of her teammates as a warning, to show she was not alone.

"You don't need to go back," Lei En said suddenly, startling Lao Ruina, then added, "Your teammates have already come looking for you."

Lao Ruina turned toward the dark forest but saw nothing.

Bu Laimei Te was also skeptical.

Two minutes later, a faint movement came through; low voices drifted on the wind from outside the valley, drawing ever closer to the camp.

Soon, a booming male voice called from this direction, "Lao Ruina?"

"Captain, I'm here," Lao Ruina replied quickly.

Footsteps rang around the camp, and several figures stepped into the firelight; among them were men and women, a complete set of transcendent professions, each fully armed, eyes wary as they stared at the Flame Dragon before them, unwilling to approach too closely.

At the front was a burly Iron Guard, clad in silver‑gray heavy armor, his face hidden behind a helmet, wielding a two‑handed greatsword.

He is the Legendary Iron Guard!

The other five were all High‑level Transcendents.

A flickering figure of a Gale‑wind Demon Swordsman; two Wizards, a man and a woman, both High‑level Elementalists; a middle‑aged priest clad in metal chainmail, wielding a spiked mace and an oak round shield; and an Elemental Archer at the rear, whose enchanted longbow glowed with a cold light.

Lei En and Bu Laimei Te were both astonished.

Lao Ruina said her Soul‑Hunting Team was top‑tier, and indeed she was not exaggerating; none of her teammates were mediocre, all were elite among High‑level Transcendents.

The Soul‑Eye saw more clearly; these people's strength was rare even among High‑level Transcendents.

That Legendary Iron Guard was especially formidable and was probably the captain.

He observed Lei En's party cautiously, not relaxing his guard merely because Lao Ruina was in the camp, and asked, "Lao Ruina, what's going on, who are they?"

(End of Chapter)