Chapter 955: Chapter 476: Devastating Blow
The situation on the field has reached the worst possible point.
The scales of victory, which had been subtly tilting toward the Vengeance Blade Squad a few minutes ago, now almost completely lean to the other side.
Xia Nan could even hear the heavy breathing of barbarian Akken, like a bellows, from the distant ruins, along with the unconscious moans of pain from Sasha of the Spotted Cat race under the nearby stone wall.
The consecutive losses in a short period have left the squad completely unable to use the advantage of numbers to gradually wear down the opponent’s life energy as before.
Not to mention that the overall strength of the Shark Beast in its berserk state is now a notch higher than before. With the loss of Akken and Sasha, the remaining two and a half close combat forces have no way to continuously divert the opponent’s attention.
Rashly approaching for an assault would only allow the Shark Beast to exploit the flaws under the pressure of its attacks, pushing the already dire situation into an irretrievable state.
What should be done?
Xia Nan stood in place, staring at the blood-covered giant beast, his brain racing.
Is retreat possible?
This thought was almost immediately dismissed by Xia Nan as soon as it appeared in his mind.
He believed that at least for now, he was not the type to abandon teammates, whom he had developed a good camaraderie with, and run away alone.
Moreover, where could he run to?
They were already trapped inside the Twin Canyon; fighting the aquatic Shark Beast on land was the most advantageous position for everyone involved.
If they entered the water, even on board a ship, and moved the battle to the Shark Beast’s domain at sea, it’d be akin to handing their fate over to the opponent.
Unless the opponent chose to retreat voluntarily, the fight was unavoidable.
Given this premise, it must be understood that although the battle situation is precarious, he personally is far from running out of options.
He still holds two unplayed cards.
The four-ring healing spell "Spring Vein Purification" enchanted on the Tear of Spring Breath can greatly enhance Xia Nan’s tolerance for mistakes, ensuring recovery from all but the most severe injuries like severed limbs or instant loss of consciousness.
Embers Resonance, needless to say, is the trump card among his trump cards and the core upon which he relies to turn the tide.
But...
Xia Nan’s face showed no obvious change in emotion, yet inside, he found himself lost in deep thought.
The effects of Embers Resonance are incredibly strong. Not only can injuries heal rapidly in a short period, but the 33% amplification of the five-dimensional attributes hugely boosts his combat effectiveness.
And with the added effects of "Endurance Overload," "Resilience Enhancement," and "25% Embers Damage Bonus" in the residual fire state, Xia Nan can unleash his firepower against the enemy without hesitation.
He is confident that activating Embers Resonance can change the current situation on the field.
The only limitation is time.
Once activated, the residual fire state lasts only sixty seconds, after which it enters a cooling phase lasting a month.
Can he truly, within this brief minute, reverse the odds and completely kill the Shark Beast before him?
On this point, Xia Nan was uncertain.
Especially since, despite the Shark Beast’s seemingly severe injuries, aside from the human head location on its chest side shattered by Gravity Etching, the other wounds are ordinary and rapidly healing, not affecting its activity.
The sound of the lute that had played started to fade quietly. Realizing the urgent need for close combat strength after the squad’s successive losses, Alton promptly tied his lute back to his back, grasped two daggers, and rapidly approached to provide support to Xia Nan and the others;
Hai Yin reverted from his transformed Albatross state back to human form to evade the Shark Beast’s targeting, currently standing at a slight distance atop the exotic realm’s ruins, tightly clutching his magic wand, lowering his eyelids slightly, lips moving, surrounded by disturbed magic particles.
Meanwhile, Lorin, as the only remaining close combat member besides Xia Nan, naturally felt the suffocating pressure brought by the Shark Beast.
Her identity as the squad leader and the bonds formed over the years with her team members allowed her to witness firsthand the graying faces of teammates who suffered severe injuries and were now in unknown states.
Lorin’s current mood, only she herself knew.
Lorin didn’t know that the black-haired young man beside her still had his final trump card, nor did she comprehend that the short person nearby, shorter even than the Shark Beast’s arm length, was the chosen one of the goddess of fortune.
What she saw was her squad, led by her, in severe crisis due to the Shark Beast’s sudden outburst, with two teammates completely out of play, the Vengeance Blade Squad seemingly teetering on the brink of life and death.
Faced with such despair, Lorin did not give up.
The concerns for severely injured teammates, anxieties about the team’s future, and inevitably, the fear of death...
All these negative emotions were suppressed within by this captain, who had sailed the seas for years.
In those brown-red eyes, only the burning fire of fighting spirit remained.
She suddenly turned her head and glanced in the direction of the black-haired young man beside her.
Without speaking, at that moment, Xia Nan understood her intention—to act according to circumstances.
"Boom!"
Scorching flames suddenly erupted from her body surface, and waves of heat surged and rolled.
The instantaneous temperature difference generated a "fizz" of mist enveloping her, vaguely distorting the surrounding air.
Scorching Temperature Domain!
