Our Family Has Fallen

Chapter 483: Chapter 308: Pigman_2

Balistan also understood this was a rare opportunity. If the monsters’ location could be confirmed, it would be ideal.

No one felt like resting anymore. They simply gathered their things and followed the trail left by the monsters deeper into the wasteland.

Both Geralt and Tadiff had some skill in tracking. Unlike William’s Fergus, who used scent, they, in contrast, pursued their enemy through environmental clues.

Following the Pigmen’s tracks took some time, but eventually, they arrived at a place both unfamiliar and familiar.

The familiar aspect was that this was the very camp they had eradicated before.

As for the unfamiliarity, it was because, for some reason, the camp was now extensively destroyed, leaving only ruins.

Upon arriving there, Geralt became even more certain that these monsters were connected to that peculiar passage.

”No sign of the monsters,” Tadiff said, returning alone after scouting ahead.

The squad couldn’t be reckless now. If they alarmed the enemy, there would likely be trouble, especially since they were outnumbered.

After Tadiff completed his reconnaissance, Geralt led the team toward the passage.

It was pitch-black, and the enemy might be nearby. This presented a significant psychological test, but fortunately, they were all experienced adventurers and coped easily with the situation.

When they returned, Geralt’s golden, night-vision-capable vertical pupils witnessed a horrifying scene. Part of the cave entrance had collapsed, and the iron bars that originally sealed it were also damaged. Only a fraction remained embedded in the wall; the rest had broken off.

It was cast iron. Although brittle, it clearly wasn’t something that could be broken by just anything. The breach in the entrance was at least two to three meters high.

Tadiff finished examining the tracks on the ground. ”There are many fresh tracks, indicating frequent passage back and forth,” he reported. ”Most are non-human, hoof-like footprints. This doesn’t look like a sewer; it’s more like a Beast Lair.” It seemed there were quite a few of these monsters.

For Geralt and his team, however, this was good news: the monsters hadn’t spread out.

”Let’s go, we’ve gathered the information we needed.”

Geralt didn’t dare to linger and quickly led the squad away from the entrance.

But he didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he set up a watch near the camp and then explained his reasoning.

”We’ve now collected information about those creatures,” Geralt began. ”But to convince the Lord, we lack one thing: proof of the Pigmen’s existence. We must find a way to kill one and bring back part of its body. Otherwise, the Lord will find it hard to believe us.”

Geralt approached this situation with the mindset of a Witcher.

It was their custom to bring back part of a monster to convince their employer, proving they had indeed slain the beast before receiving their bounty.

He had encountered many monsters, but this twisted, pig-headed creature was a first. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t believe it himself, let alone expect others to.

That was why he felt it necessary to kill one of the monsters as proof.

It had to be said, Geralt’s professional ethics were very high; he insisted on obtaining evidence to corroborate his information.

The others didn’t mind accompanying him; even Tadiff had no objections.

But it was somewhat ironic. On Tadiff’s first mission in Hamlet, he had encountered a night attack by heretics and faced Supernatural Power in his first battle. After hardly any rest or chance to recover, he had then run into a group of Pigmen.

With such experiences, it was uncertain whether to call his luck good or bad.

The squad settled into a brief rest, with only Geralt keeping watch over the surroundings.

The complex footprints at the cave entrance indicated the creatures moved in and out frequently. Indeed, before long, they spotted a group of Pigmen emerging, moving about openly.

Geralt’s golden vertical pupils followed them closely, but he noticed a problem.

It appeared the monsters preferred to move in groups. This time, too, there were three of them, with none isolated.

This, however, posed a problem for their ambush. After all, they didn’t know the monsters’ exact combat capabilities, but their sturdy physiques and weapons suggested they would be formidable. After considering various factors, Geralt realized it wouldn’t be possible to kill all three at once.

If it were Lance, Geralt mused, he probably would have charged forward already, brandishing his sword without a care for what stood before him, yelling something like, ’Taste my blade!’

But I can’t do that, he thought. I’ve suffered too many setbacks and learned the value of caution.

Should we give up on this group and wait for a possible straggler, or make our move now?

After a slight hesitation, Geralt turned to his teammates, quietly sharing his concerns.

”What do you think?”

”We can’t pin our hopes on the unknown. Let’s act now,” Balistan said. His reasoning was simple: they didn’t know if more would come, and if they missed this chance, it would be gone.

This was somewhat strange. Just earlier, he had leaned towards caution. Why the change of heart now?

Actually, it was quite understandable. Initially, Balistan had worried if the team could endure. Now, however, his concern was the greater risk posed by further delay.

He had never been averse to battle.

”I’ll take the one on the left,” Tadiff declared, wasting no words as he marked his target. The gaze from beneath his helmet sized up the distant Pigman, as if he were contemplating how best to swing his axe when the time came.

Junia had always longed to slay these sacrilegious, twisted monsters. How could she refuse?

”Alright,” Geralt said, seeing everyone agree. He didn’t hesitate further. ”When the time comes... then...” He then laid out the tactics.

He led the team, trailing the group of Pigmen. They would wait until the monsters were far enough from the cave encampment before striking.

The three Pigmen seemed unaware of the humans trailing them. Combat erupted without warning while they ambled along leisurely.

Light—a ball of light, about the size of a lightbulb, suddenly appeared before them, initially sparking their strange curiosity.

However, when the sphere burst, the three Pigmen shrieked as if being slaughtered. Living in the dark depths had made them far more sensitive to light than ordinary people, and now they were completely blinded.

Meanwhile, the waiting team members sprang into action. Geralt, sword first, charged and impaled one Pigman through the heart.

Elsewhere, Balistan quickly advanced and delivered a vicious shield bash to a blinded Pigman’s head. The blow silenced its screams and stunned the creature.

Tadiff also charged into combat, showing no lingering effects from the earlier blow he’d taken. His movements were clean and decisive as his axe struck a Pigman.

Unfortunately, though he had aimed for the back of its head, the Pigman’s blind thrashing caused the axe to strike its sturdy shoulder instead, failing to kill it instantly.

The pain, however, allowed the Pigman to pinpoint Tadiff’s location, and it swung its cleaver backward. If the blow had landed, even Tadiff’s Scale Armor might not have withstood the sharp teeth lining the blade.

But Tadiff was not alone. Junia, nearby, had already prepared her second Divine Art. Its potent holy energy enveloped the Pigman, causing it to pause mid-action.

Seizing the opportunity, Tadiff yanked his axe free and swung it in a full circle, bringing it down hard on the Pigman’s head.

A dull THUD echoed as the axe blade clashed fiercely with bone.

From the impact traveling up his arms, Tadiff knew his axe had penetrated, but not completely; it was wedged in the tough skull.

His axe, designed with a blade that prioritized slicing, was less effective at cleaving and penetrating armor.

It could slice off a Priest’s head as if cutting through butter—by striking between the joints. Luck had been on his side then.

But now, in this predicament, he felt somewhat helpless. The Pigman’s hide was tough and its skull hard. Two consecutive strikes had failed to achieve a decisive result, instead infuriating the Pigman and rousing it from its daze.

Tadiff sensed the danger but had no intention of backing down. Instead, he forcefully withdrew his axe, reversed his grip, and chopped down on the monster’s previously wounded shoulder.

The axe blade split flesh and severed tendons. With a precision akin to a master butcher dissecting a carcass, he sliced the bulky arm clean off.

Dismemberment!

That previous decapitating strike had been no fluke. It stemmed from Tadiff’s understanding of anatomy; he had anticipated that the angle would allow for a clean cut.

Such a terrifying talent!