Following Roland and the others, the group pressed north.

“This location is…”

Agnes seemed to have pieced something together.

“There was a disturbance over there—was that your doing?”

“How could we possibly make that much noise?” Thuke shrugged.

“Well, if I *really* went all out, maybe…”

Before Thuke could finish boasting, Roland cut in:

“There’s likely another team to the north—large in number. We should rendezvous ASAP and combine our strength against this monster.”

“True enough…”

Tina glanced back toward the distance, murmuring softly,

“Can we really shake it off?”

The earth trembled.

Dewdrops slid from leaves; ripples spread across puddles; even the sky dimmed further.

Something monstrous was coming.

BOOM!!

A deafening roar erupted as the Lionbite Shark burst from the soil like a colossal drilling machine, looming directly behind Roland’s group.

“Chase battle,” Xue Die stated flatly.

“In situations like this, fighting head-on is suicide. We should run while healing.”

“Can you *stop* mapping game logic onto reality?!” Thuke groaned. He gamed often enough to get her reference—but that only frustrated him more. Reality and games weren’t interchangeable.

Still, no one dared stop.

They fled north, the Lionbite Shark hot on their heels. Trees slowed its massive frame—for now. But ahead lay open plains. Once there, escape would be impossible.

“This won’t work,” Agnes voiced the group’s shared dread.

“The northern exit is still far. It’ll catch us first. Miss Tina… it’s time to activate that function.”

“…”

*That function?*

Tina hesitated slightly.

Why hold back now? If there was a trump card, use it!

“Tina, what *is* it?” Sasha pressed urgently. The silver-haired young lady fell silent for seconds before answering:

“Another experimental ability of the Faithhunter Goggles.”

“Faithhunter Goggles?”

Mentioned again—*now*?

Weren’t they hunting the Lionbite Shark *to test* these very goggles? Why hesitate?

“It links all our goggles, channeling every ounce of Faith Power into one person. It unlocks their limit—multiplying output by participant count.”

“Then it’s perfect for this!”

“But…” Tina’s voice tightened.

“It forces someone to wield Faith Power far beyond their capacity. Say Sasha’s max is forty per strike. With all seven of us linked? Two hundred eighty. It breaks the limit—but inflicts severe bodily strain.”

*Strain?*

Sasha glanced back at the closing Lionbite Shark.

“Either way, we can’t fight freely here. Lure it to the plains first,” Agnes declared, steeling herself for a brutal clash with this Grade-A monster.

Roland’s group had no choice but to grit their teeth and follow.

“Aaagh! Why does it *always* end like this?!” Thuke raked his hands through his hair, groaning.

After roughly thirty seconds of pursuit—

Plains appeared ahead.

The instant they cleared the treeline—

Autumnwater’s trap triggered.

Tree shadows solidified into rigid ropes, tripping the charging Lionbite Shark. Its colossal body sailed over their heads.

“Ice Art: Fourteenth Form—Frost Spear!”

Tina cast instantly where it would land.

Jagged ice blades erupted from the earth.

As the beast crashed down—

“Earth Art: Thirteenth Form—Stone Hammer!”

Boulders plummeted from above. Autumnwater’s earth magic aimed to pin the monster onto the spikes.

Yet the coordinated assault barely registered.

The Lionbite Shark crushed the ice beneath its weight, swatted boulders aside with its tail, twisted nimbly mid-fall, and lunged again—

*Grade-A monster indeed.* A creature this size should need seconds to reorient. It countered in an instant.

Sasha didn’t retreat. She surged forward, seized the beast’s jaw mid-lunge, and *held* its charge.

Roland flashed out beside her.

Drifting Cloud Step!

Simultaneously—

[Lunar God Style]

Crescent Slash!

Five crescent blades slashed from five directions.

*Clang!* Like striking iron—its hide tougher than the Ironscale Lizard’s.

And it deliberately shut its eyes during frontal strikes.

Protecting its weakest point.

This Lionbite Shark possessed cunning. It had *learned* human tactics.

No wonder so many mercenaries fell to it.

“Crystal Fire!”

Thuke seized the opening Sasha created, unleashing his divine beast flame.

But the moment flames neared its hide, crimson crystals on its skin absorbed them completely.

“Huh?”

Thuke froze for a split second—

[WATCH OUT!!]

Roland’s mental shout via the Faithhunter Goggles pierced his mind.

Too late. The tail whipped toward him. He instinctively raised his halberd—*CRACK!*—and flew backward, spitting blood mid-air. Not fatal, but agony flared through his ribs.

More injuries would follow.

Sasha clenched her fists. *I’m a refined egoist*, she’d always told herself. Yet every time… she got swept up.

Couldn’t stick to her creed. Not calm enough.

But…

…

Thuke’s easy laughter. Autumnwater’s quiet steadiness.

Agnes’s gentle care. Xue Die’s quiet support. Miss Tina’s warm smile.

*These are what I refuse to lose.*

Wasn’t “refined egoism” precisely about protecting *everything* you hold dear?!

Then—

Only one path remained!!

[Miss Tina! Agnes! Channel *all* your Faith Power to me!]