"Still couldn’t make it, huh..."

The intense pain surging through her entire body made Lorin feel her consciousness scatter, her vision blacking out, even her eyelids felt so heavy and sticky as if every blink exhausted all her strength.

Her chest seemed to be leaking air, each breath carrying a wet hollow sound, her nose and mouth filled with the metallic scent unique to blood.

She didn’t know the state of her injuries, nor did she have the energy to pinpoint the source of her pain.

Her consciousness was gradually sinking into her rapidly depleting Life Force.

Lorin had years of adventuring, having been in close encounters with death before.

She could smell the increasingly deep and obscure scent of death lingering in the air, feel the shadow of the Grim Reaper’s scythe slowly falling over her face.

So many times, whenever she fell into a hopeless situation, she always found a glimmer of hope to turn the tide.

Whether it came from timely support from her teammates, or from an equally battered and dying enemy... she ultimately survived.

But now, where was hope?

Lorin couldn’t see it.

Akken was hit square in the chest by a Shark Beast’s punch, and though the unique Path of the barbarian professional spared him from instant death, he was barely holding onto a life thread. Forget getting up to fight again; it’s uncertain how long his state could persist;

Sasha’s injuries appeared even more severe than Akken’s, with a broken arm and dislocated leg bone; even if he awoke from unconsciousness, standing up would be difficult, let alone continuing to fight;

And the only wildcard on the field, the black-haired youth named "Xia Nan," who had joined the team as a "temporary member" and whose combat prowess far exceeded her expectations, she didn’t even know if he was dead or alive.

Just moments ago, amidst the stream gushing from the ground’s crack that temporarily lifted her into the air, Lorin saw with her own eyes the Shark Beast’s thick arm, like an iron whip, directly swing against Xia Nan’s crossed arms trying to block in front of his chest.

Also saw how, under the mighty force of the Shark Beast, the Good Plate Chain Composite Armor on his body twisted in transformation, scarlet blood accompanying the crisp sound of bones breaking, mixed with shredded meat spraying from his mouth.

She was merely caught in the aftermath and suffered such severe injuries.

Xia Nan was directly hit by the completely enraged Shark Beast, his injuries undoubtedly worse than hers.

She couldn’t even hear Xia Nan’s cries of pain.

Considering the worst-case scenario, he might already be...

"Boom, boom, boom."

The heavy footsteps of the Shark Beast approached amidst the slight tremors on the ground.

The air filled with the dense stench as the beast’s huge body breathed with rough, echoing gasps.

Lorin lay silently on the ground, blood spreading beneath her, her pair of slowly unfocused reddish-brown eyes gazing at the sky.

In this moment, she could almost foresee the upcoming scenes.

With her and several other main members all gravely injured and withdrawn from the battle, the only ones left on the field were Hai Yin, Alton, and Rein.

Even if the Shark Beast was heavily injured, it was apparent it wasn’t something these team members, inclined towards support, could handle.

The most sensible strategy would actually be to turn around and retreat, return to port, get on a ship, and leave, hoping the heavily wounded Shark Beast wouldn’t pursue. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

But...

Lorin knew that Hai Yin wouldn’t run.

The seemingly calm and determined Druid hadn’t changed inside.

Despite possessing the rare flight ability among low-level professionals, entirely capable of escaping safely.

Given her character, facing such near-total destruction despair, she would only charge at the enemy like a moth to a flame, striving for that last sliver of non-existent possibility.

Perhaps thinking of something, the corner of Lorin’s blood-stained mouth suddenly revealed a faint smile.

Maybe because death was about to descend, the female captain’s thoughts drifted like a kite with a broken string, and past memories, once somewhat blurry, suddenly became clear and flashed constantly before her eyes.

Lorin suddenly remembered years ago, standing by the quay, a little girl carrying a wicker basket taller than herself, looking pitifully.

In oversized robes that didn’t fit, with wet, stubborn, and sensitive eyes, she looked like an abandoned stray puppy.

Until today, she might appear steady and calm to outsiders, but Lorin knew that was just the persona she deliberately maintained due to being the team’s Core Caster, pretending for so long that her character seemed like that.

Only occasionally when alone with her, one could notice the shadow of the stubborn girl she once was.

Then there were Rein and Gordon.

Honestly, these were the two people Lorin felt most guilty towards in the team.

Clearly following her the longest, yet daily handling all the troublesome tasks like managing crewmates, material inventory, guarding the ship... but these two brothers never complained, always working diligently, completing the tasks entrusted to them excellently.

She had originally planned to hand over the captain’s position to Rein when she decided to retire in the future, but now that opportunity was gone.

Akken, the good news is that she didn’t have to personally deliver the news of his death to his family, didn’t have to face those disappointed and grieving eyes in the tribe;

Sasha, she had intended to mentor him for a few more years, teaching him how to read the weather, how to face storms, a Spotted Cat race who naturally feared water, endeavoring at sea was not easy. Now that chance was lost too.