Our Family Has Fallen

”The Pigmen’s screams signaled that the battle was just ahead. Lance and his group quickly made their way toward the disturbance. In the unique environment of the Beast Lair, sounds carried far, allowing them to hear these familiar noises. After all, it hadn’t been long since they had witnessed the Flesh Devourer battling the Pigmen. This clearly indicated that the Beast Lair was anything but safe; on the contrary, endless combat was the key to survival here.

As they drew closer, they heard the frenzied shouts of the Heretics and instantly understood the situation.

”’The Pigmen are fighting the Heretics! The show’s starting!’” Lance exclaimed, suddenly excited. There was nothing more entertaining than watching a dog-eat-dog fight. He knew the Old Ancestor didn’t care about this. In fact, the Old Ancestor actively promoted such conflicts, using Pigmen to train new Heretics and, in turn, using humans to feed the Pigmen. That old bastard seems to have completely abandoned what it means to be human, Lance thought. Only his own Ascension is truly important to the Old Ancestor.

”’Big Flying Pillar is right on target!’” Boudica, who had been stealthily observing the battle, couldn’t help but exclaim. Her shout drew Lance’s attention back to the conflict, and he soon understood her reaction. The reason was simple: the Pigmen couldn’t defeat Heretics who possessed powerful self-healing abilities. Unless their heads were severed, any wounds would heal mid-battle. Furthermore, even on their home turf, the Pigmen lacked a significant numerical advantage. These factors combined ensured they were at a disadvantage.

But just as the Pigmen seemed to be faltering, a Pigman Mob emerged and turned the tide. One hammer blow for each ’little friend,’ as it seemed to consider them. Those hit directly without helmets died instantly, their heads bursting like watermelons. Even those wearing helmets weren’t spared. The blunt force of the hammer smashed through armor, and its furious power left them clinging to consciousness for only a second or two before they too succumbed to death. Its left hand, armed with sharp claws, was particularly vicious. A single jab could literally ’rip out their hearts and lungs,’ tearing out internal organs, or it would simply grab a Heretic and hurl them aside. Like a motherfucking Ares!

The Heretics’ desperate counterattacks only managed to leave superficial scratches. Its tough hide and thick layers of fat allowed it to endure far more damage than other Pigmen, making it unafraid of the Heretics’ iron claws, at least in the short term. Now it’s clear why Boudica had such a hard time fighting it alone, Lance realized. She lacked the Heretics’ unnatural self-healing ability, meaning she couldn’t afford to be struck even once. This forced her to be extremely cautious, especially when her movements were restricted. The current pitiful state of the Heretics, by contrast, only highlighted Boudica’s strength; she had managed to hold her own against the Pigman Mob without being overwhelmed.

”’No wonder those Pigmen could capture Heretics and hang them on the Sacrificial Stele,’ Lance mused, rather enjoying the spectacle; all that was missing were sunflower seeds and soda.

Suddenly, Lance sensed something and involuntarily turned to Alhazred, who had clearly felt it too. ’Spellcasters!’” Lance exclaimed. ”’Corrupted power!’” Alhazred added, both speaking almost simultaneously. Just as their voices faded, the Pigman Mob shrieked in terror, as if struck by a Curse.

Having spent some time in the Beast Lair and dealt with Pigmen extensively, Lance knew their excited vocalizations sounded like ’oink-oink’ or ’grunt-grunt.’ A bloodcurdling squeal like the one they just heard, however, akin to a pig being slaughtered, only emerged from extreme fear and pain. Before Lance’s very eyes, a black fog began to erode the Pigman Mob’s soul. No matter how robust its physical body, it could not resist such a spiritual attack.

Just when everyone thought this was the end for the Pigman Mob, it defied all expectations. It didn’t fall. Instead, it seemed to fly into a rage, diving back into the slaughter with an even greater frenzy than before. The Pigman Mob’s will was being tested... unleashing its savagery! For a human, that single Soul-Entangling Curse would have been enough to plunge them into utter despair, possibly even pushing their body beyond its limits to the point of fatal heart failure. But Pigmen lacked such complex human emotions. Compared to humans, their bestial aspects were far more dominant. This extreme despair, rather than breaking it, triggered a frenzied will to survive, inherent in its animalistic nature!

The surrounding Heretics had intended to seize the opportunity to finish off the Pigman Mob, but what awaited them was its hammer. It was a chaotic, whirlwind hammer technique—also known as ’smash everything indiscriminately.’ The hammer blows were even more ferocious than before. This time, however, it wasn’t specifically aiming for heads but attacking wildly, without any discernible pattern. Yet, even a glancing blow was enough to shatter limbs. The other Pigmen, who had initially wanted to assist, didn’t expect to become targets themselves. A Pigman Concealer, venturing too close to the enraged Pigman Mob, was struck by the hammer and sent flying, dying instantly upon impact.

At this moment, it was like an uncontrolled wild boar, rampaging through the enemy ranks. It slaughtered the already sparse Heretics until only a scant few remained. Just as the Pigman Mob prepared to continue its massacre, a furious shout erupted from among the few remaining Heretics.

”’Damn it! A bunch of worthless trash!’”

A figure in a black Hooded Cloak appeared. She needed no Magic Wand. Instead, she extended a hand with missing fingers from beneath her cloak, gesturing towards the frenzied Pigman. No rituals or complex preparations were necessary. As she reached out, an entity from the Void responded to her summons. A thick, Dark Red Tentacle, its base as wide as a bucket, materialized from nowhere, lashing out like an extension of her own limb toward the Pigman Mob. A single, fierce lash sent the massive Pigman Mob flying, causing it to crash heavily to the ground. That behemoth had to weigh at least four to five hundred pounds! What kind of power could send it flying like that?”