Natalie kept moving as she worked, but her mind had grown more alert. She had thought she was the only one carrying a "hard hitter." Turns out, just three months into the apocalypse, and she'd already run into someone else packing heat. But this was Drakoria—maybe firearms were just out in the open like that now? Still, Cassian's gun was worn openly on his hip. Hers, in contrast, had to be carefully stashed in the storage space. It wasn't exactly legally obtained, and flaunting it around would only bring trouble. Especially if that mysterious big boss ever found out. If he came back to settle the score, that would be a headache she didn't need. After all, she had cleaned out both his private stash and his marketplace. As she kept unloading supplies, Natalie thought to herself, "It's only been three months since the apocalypse. A guy like him definitely made it through." Maybe it's better to just stay under the radar. No rush. With disasters rolling in like waves, sooner or later, the guy wouldn't survive them all. He couldn't last forever. "Ah-choo!" Cassian suddenly sneezed beside her. Natalie was walking past him with a load of supplies and immediately took a quick step away, frowning. "Great, is he sick now?" she thought. She didn't need to catch anything. Not with how things were already going. With everyone pitching in, the supplies were exchanged in no time. Roderick lingered at the edge of the boat, clearly reluctant to say goodbye. "Ms. Ashford, where do you live? Do you think we might run into each other again?" Natalie wasn't about to give up her location that easily. "Who knows. If fate says we'll meet again, we will," she said casually. Roderick nodded thoughtfully. "You're right. Well then, until next time. I hope everything goes well for you." "You too," Natalie replied. Having secured what they came for, Natalie's crew wasted no time heading off. Roderick watched them disappear into the distance and let out a quiet sigh. "They say dogs take after their owners. Ms. Ashford always seemed so cold and aloof, but her dog? Total lovebug ... " Cassian didn't say a word. He lounged lazily against the side of the inflatable rescue boat, his long fingers tapping a steady rhythm on the edge. "Mr. Holland, where are we heading next?""Just wandering around." "Got it." Roderick started up the motor, though in his head he couldn't help grumbling, "Married men and single men really are built different." All he wanted was to hurry back home to Nadia and Dominic. Nadia was holding down the fort alone, caring for Dominic and tending the vegetable garden, it had to be exhausting. Meanwhile, Cassian, unattached and living by himself, wasn't even in a rush to get back. Honestly, what was waiting for him at that cold, empty mansion of his anyway? No one to talk to. No one to come home to. How pathetic. Poor guy. Guess he'll keep him company a little longer. Cassian, of course, had no idea Roderick was busy painting him in his head as the most pitiful man alive. He reclined comfortably, enjoying the breeze and watching the scenery drift by. Not long after leaving the Pharmville District, the quiet waters suddenly grew crowded. Up ahead, seven boats had gathered. Five kayaks were circling around one inflatable rescue boat and another kayak. "The hell? Are you kidding me? Thought the whole boat was loaded with supplies, but it's just packed with fertilizer?!" "Yeah, the only thing useful was one damn dog, and it's tiny! Not even enough for us to snack on!" "Forget that, I want the chick. She's hot!" "The one next to her's not bad either!" "I like the guy ... " The group shouted their crude comments without a care in the world, while the three people on the inflatable rescue boat stayed silent.It was Natalie and her crew. Olivia glanced at the empty kayaks circling them and snapped impatiently, "Cut the crap and get lost! There's nothing here worth taking!" Their kayaks didn't have a single thing on them. What the hell were they even trying to rob for? What a waste of her time. "Oh, really now?!" The men across from them heard Olivia's sharp retort and instantly rushed forward, itching for a fight. Realizing this wasn't going to end peacefully, Natalie, who had been silent until now, rose to her feet. For some reason, she'd been burning with a restless fury all day. The moment she caught sight of a few of those thugs leering at her with filthy grins, that fire only flared higher. What the hell are you staring at? Never seen a woman before? Pathetic. She yanked the starter on her chainsaw, the engine roaring to life, and grabbed the nearest one. In a single brutal swing, she carved half his body clean off. In an instant, blood sprayed everywhere. The others, brandishing nothing but rusty kitchen knives, were stunned into silence by the sight. The ones closest instinctively staggered backward in horror. Natalie didn't give them the chance. She snagged another man, dragging him close, and this time pressed the saw straight against his neck. "Wasn't it you who just said you wanted me?" she snarled. The man trembled so hard his teeth rattled, lips quivering as he tried to stammer some excuse, but in the next moment, his head hit the floor. The roar of the chainsaw drowned out everything else.Blood mist filled the air, and the young bandits completely lost their nerve. Natalie wasn't in the mood to toy with them. She hated how heavy and clunky the chainsaw felt, so she cut the engine and switched to her weapon of choice—a triangular bayonet. Quick, efficient, deadly. One thrust, one corpse. Each blade slid straight into a throat. It wasn't just the raiders who were shocked. Even her own teammates froze behind her, staring wide-eyed. Olivia and Harold exchanged a look, bewildered. Why was Natalie fighting like this today? This wasn't her usual cautious, steady style—she was reckless, vicious, feral. She leapt straight onto the enemy's boat without hesitation, hauling men up like they were nothing more than scrawny chickens, killing them as fast as she grabbed them. With the triangular bayonet flashing in her hand, she became little more than a blur—piercing, stabbing, slashing—a storm of steel and blood.