Our Family Has Fallen

The moment they activated it, a blinding light filled the entire tunnel, extending ahead and allowing Lance and his party to see the cave beyond.

Though it was only a brief flash, without any direct harm, the unreasonable glare sent the Pigmen, who had never seen light in their lives, into chaos as if a pot had just exploded.

”SKREEE!” The ambushing Pigmen’s shrill squeals inflicted great distress on Lance and his allies.

”Here they come!” Lance yelled, not sure if they could hear him.

But everyone could see the frightened Pigmen charging toward them in a panic-stricken rush.

Amanda’s face instantly grew grim at this spectacle. She excelled at one-on-one combat, capable of entangling stronger enemies even if she couldn’t defeat them. But in this situation...

”Stand behind me,” Lance stepped forward to shield Amanda, taking the front position. ”I’ll take care of these. Boudica, protect the two of them. Amanda, watch our backs.”

It was clear that Lance’s words were not just directed at Amanda but were laying out tasks. However, Amanda seemed to automatically ignore something and was slightly stunned.

But with the Pigmen charging, Lance had no intention of wasting words and immediately rushed them. Only then did Amanda snap back to reality.

Her gaze swept over the Pigmen, identifying valuable targets to alleviate some of Lance’s pressure.

But did it matter to Lance? Once Wolf Fang swung out, everything else became unimportant.

Lance, on his own, faced the onslaught of Pigmen head-on. They thought they were a pack of pigs hunting sheep, but it turned out to be a tiger entering a pig herd.

His blade swung, shattering whatever it met and severing whatever it struck. The sharpness and armor penetration of Wolf Fang were fully demonstrated at that moment.

None of the Pigmen could keep up with Lance’s speed; by the time they realized it, their bodies had already been sliced open.

Amanda had seen Lance’s fierce battle with the Warwolf and knew how terrifyingly strong the man was, but what unfolded before her made her realize she had still underestimated his power.

Despite being surrounded by Pigmen, not a single one could touch him. Instead, the blade in his hand easily cut through their bodies from various angles.

The ease with which he wielded the longsword contrasted starkly with the ferocity of the Pigmen.

His way of fighting wasn’t as savage as Boudica’s; it didn’t even seem like a fight, but more like an art imbued with fluidity.

Yes! Fluidity! Amanda couldn’t think of a better word to describe it.

Lance’s killing efficiency was incredibly high. Armed with a sharp weapon, he quickly felled the charging Pigmen; the only thing that could touch him was their splattered blood.

Soon, a dozen Pigmen who had charged in lay dead by Lance’s hand.

They had only just escaped the clutches of a large Flesh Devourer, only to perish here after all.

Lance stopped, examining the blade in his hand—worthy of its Legendary Weapon status, it showed not the slightest damage after a round of slaughter. Amidst the Pigmen carcasses, Lance was unwilling to linger and quickly offered all the flesh as a sacrifice. The returning Spiritual Essence brought a smile to his face.

The appetizer was quite satisfying~ But where was the main course?

Lance’s gaze slowly shifted toward the depths of the cave.

He had been ready for the Pigman Knights to emerge. Why was there no movement?

”Boss, why didn’t you leave a couple for me to play with~” Boudica complained as she came up carrying her Axe Spear, looking a bit displeased.

Lance turned, patted her shoulder, and said with a smile, ”You take the lead going in. Have some fun.”

”That’s no good! I don’t think I can handle that,” Boudica was no fool. She had seen with her own eyes how the Pigman Knights had violently slain the large Flesh Devourer.

Self-awareness is important. She couldn’t even handle Pigman Mobs without assistance, let alone face a Pigman Knight. A single hit from them, and she wouldn’t stand a chance.

Boudica had a talent for lightening the mood, and her jesting indeed eased the atmosphere a bit. Amanda’s mouth even twitched slightly in response, while Alhazred remained as calm as ever.

”Alright, be careful. There’s more than one Pigman in there,” Lance was just teasing her. Boudica leaned more towards dealing damage and wasn’t a tank that could hold aggro; if it really came down to it, only he could withstand their attacks.

Lance did not take out his Shield but instead held his blade in one hand and a torch in the other as he pushed forward.

Without any surprises, when the party stepped inside the cavern, the familiar sound of tapping accompanied by vibrations came from the ground.

Under the light of the torch, the figures of Pigman Knights appeared.

”Be careful!” Lance didn’t take out his Shield to block head-on but prepared to engage them.

But at this moment, Alhazred, who had been preparing, raised his Skull Candleholder to cast a spell.

Hand of the Abyss!

In Lance’s eyes, the ground suddenly seemed to open a connection to the Void, from which countless inky tentacles exuding an evil essence swept over the Pigman Knights.

The abyssal power contained within them instantly invaded the Pigman Knights’ bodies, disrupting their charge. Their bodies uncontrollably slid forward and then collapsed with a boom.

The Pigman Knights, a type of foe that could contend with the Flesh Devourer, couldn’t withstand a single move from Alhazred and immediately lost control of their bodies.

This scene made Lance reflect. No matter how strong a body is, if it isn’t driven by a matching powerful will, in the eyes of Spellcasters wielding Supernatural Power, it is ultimately nothing but rotting flesh.

But it wasn’t time for him to reflect; the Pigman Knights were not dead, just temporarily unconscious.

Boudica, seeing this, excitedly picked up her weapon and charged forward.

If she didn’t take advantage of the moment to get a few hits in, she wouldn’t get a chance to enjoy herself later.

But just then, Lance seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up toward the darkness enveloping the area behind the Pigman Knights.

This small premonition allowed him to see a swirl of black mist aiming straight for Boudica, and he couldn’t help exclaiming.

”Be careful!”

As soon as he spoke, Lance quickly rushed forward and swung his blade.

Wolf Fang could cut through flesh and bone, but obviously, it couldn’t interrupt a spell that had already formed.

Fortunately, Boudica, hearing the commotion, withdrew without hesitation. Obedience once again saved her. Although Lance hadn’t managed to disrupt the spell in time, she dodged it on her own.

The spell exploded in midair, and the evil essence dissipated.

Meanwhile, Amanda, though unsure of what had happened, followed the direction Lance had just looked and threw her Flying Dagger blindly.

All that could be heard was the sound of something colliding, not the thud of it entering flesh.

She didn’t expect to inflict damage; a slight disturbance was enough.

For she had already drawn out her golden disc.

The next second, dazzling golden light pierced the darkness, revealing the enemy hiding behind the Pigman Knights.

Unfortunately, the brief flash of light only revealed a figure wrapped in something. It seemed that the enemy, having seen this tactic before, was now on guard.

However, Lance had already picked up a torch and charged forward, illuminating the monster.

It was a Pigman of a slim build, similar to the Pigman drummers but taller. It wore a rough, misshapen cloak stitched together from unidentifiable leathers and held a ragged, improvised Magic Wand.

At the top of the Magic Wand was the shape of the Ascension Sect’s arc with a few strokes forming a spiky crown pattern, only here it was inverted, making the wand resemble a pitchfork.

But this wasn’t what was truly terrifying. What was truly disturbing was that, unlike the Pigmen they had encountered before, this one had fewer pig-like features in its body and head, and more human characteristics.

Most noticeably, this creature actually had hair instead of bristles on its head. Coupled with its face, the first impression it gave was a peculiar kind of terror.

And with these features fully present, it was identified as the Pigman spellcaster—the Pigman Priest!

The flash of light not only revealed the Pigman Priest but also startled some other Pigmen hiding nearby.

They were mainly Pigman Butchers and Pigman Hookhands. Surprisingly, no other types of Pigmen were discovered.

Facing such a scene, even Lance, who had just slaughtered Pigmen, couldn’t help but feel pressured.

”Kill it first!” Lance immediately made a judgment with one look and marked the Pigman Priest.

It was standard procedure to eliminate the spellcaster—the primary source of pressure—first in a group fight.

After all, he could heal flesh wounds easily, but he was uncertain about dealing with those evil spells.