Our Family Has Fallen

Lance, observing the battle from the periphery, noticed something – the tentacle summoning seemed not unlike Alhazred’s move.

But unlike Alhazred, who was cautious with his spellcasting and needed to stabilize his Spiritual Essence afterward, this Heretic Priest seemed to unleash it instantly and with much more ease.

In some respects, this Heretic Priest appeared to be even stronger than Alhazred!

Only Lance, with his extraordinary inspiration, could recognize this – in reality, their schools of magic were entirely different.

Alhazred used ritual constructions to create illusory tentacles, and his caution was a basic quality of a Transcendent.

Whereas this Heretic Priest was actually summoning power from the Void – a privilege that seemed to be open to her without fear of backlash, thanks to the Old Ancestor’s modification.

Simply put, one was a Spell, and the other, Divine Arts.

But the trouble lay with Alhazred, who seemed to panic at the sight, clutching his Magic Wand and murmuring something.

No... This is impossible... How could this world still have...

Amanda spotted his cautious movement and slightly increased the distance between them.

Among Transcendents, Spellcasters were the most prone to losing control, and among those, the radical madmen were the most volatile.

Clearly, a Mystical Scholar dedicated to researching the Abyss was included in this category.

Not to mention that his Spells were similar to those of the Heretics, and his constant fervor made her even more wary.

Even the thick-skinned Boudica grew discontent with Alhazred’s reaction. Showing fear before the battle even started was, in her eyes, a display of cowardice.

Yet among them, it was Lance who calmly placed his hand on Alhazred’s shoulder.

”Stay calm. In Hamlet, nothing is impossible.”

”No! That is not human, it’s an Aberrant Demon wearing human skin!” Alhazred suddenly looked up at Lance, his voice trembling slightly. It will find me...

His true fear lay not with the person in front of him, but with the sinister presence lurking behind.

Lance, upon hearing this, did not waver in the slightest but rather cracked a smile.

Even better, I was just complaining that she was too weak.

His steady demeanor made Alhazred freeze for a moment. He then came to his senses, nodding at Lance to indicate he was alright, though the worry on his face, difficult to dispel, betrayed his true emotions.

And just as their side got slightly distracted, the confrontation ahead involving the Pigman Mob was decided in that short span of time.

The Pigman Mob stood little chance of resistance, their massive forms as vulnerable as piglets before the tentacles formed from Demonic Power.

With the death of the Pigman Mob, how could the remaining Pigmen possibly stand a chance against the Heretics?

The momentarily improved situation collapsed instantly, portending a massacre.

The Pigmen’s fate was too tragic. Everyone was beating on them; they had no dignity left at all.

Soon, the remaining Pigmen were also slaughtered by the Heretics, leaving behind only their mad laughter and maddening gibberish at the scene.

And even more grotesquely, after the fighting ceased, those Heretics threw themselves onto the corpses of their dead comrades, frantically devouring their flesh.

Even those who had their bones shattered by great hammers and were drawing their last breath crawled over to feast.

Lying atop bodies, they bit down hard, tearing off chunks of flesh, blood staining their mouths and even dyeing their whole faces red.

Some even buried their heads in abdominal cavities, savoring the sweet innards – who knew if they would end up eating unprocessed intestines.

The scene was like demons devouring humans, a display of utter madness.

Flesh empowering flesh!

A bizarre scene unfolded: the injuries on the Heretics’ bodies healed at an even faster rate. Even those with severed limbs or paralyzed legs stood up once again.

It was evident that the surviving Heretics grew stronger from the nourishment of their comrades’ flesh. Could this also be part of the Flesh Rite?

And to make matters worse, the black-robed Heretic Priest seemed as though she was about to perform some Sacrilege Ceremony on the corpse of the Pigman Mob.

Lance had intended to observe the Heretics further, to figure out why they had appeared in the Beast Lair.

But seeing this scene, he grew aggravated.

Damn it! That’s my offering.

Mine!!!

Butchering it on your own is one thing, but you still want to eat the pork?

Unacceptable. I must strike hard!

”These Heretics who defile corpses must be brought to justice!”

Lance wasted no words. After uttering this, he strode out, producing a rifle.

BANG!

The roar of gunpowder abruptly interrupted the Heretics’ feasting as, simultaneously, bullets tore into the black-robed figure.

Lance didn’t pause, rapidly firing three more shots from his rifle, all hitting their mark on the black-robed figure.

To get the rider, first shoot the horse. To capture the thieves, first capture their leader.

Lance’s sudden assault directly disrupted the Heretics’ revelry, once again sounding the call to battle.

For Heretics, bullet wounds weren’t severely damaging, but they were a profound insult.

”It’s you again... It’s always you!”

As soon as these words fell, the black robe was torn away, revealing the Heretics’ Saintess, her body somewhat divine and seductive.

Visible to the naked eye, flesh squeezed the crushed Lead Bullets out of her wounds, which then healed, her skin remaining as smooth as before.

Yet her one arm and severed fingers were grotesquely exposed, marring the perfect body sculpted by rituals and inexplicably evoking a sense of regret.

Upon seeing the maimed arm, Lance instantly reacted. Is this the Heretic Priest who attacked the outpost, the one whose arm was slashed off by Geralt?

Her strength wasn’t comparable to that of a regular Heretic Priest; she was capable of breaking down high walls and, moreover, executing large-scale Evil Curses.

If Geralt hadn’t interrupted her, perhaps few would have survived at the outpost.

After I sacrificed that severed arm and Magic Wand, I even obtained a Superordinary Item of Fleshcrafting.

Clearly, these Heretics were the ones who had fled into the Beast Lair from the wilderness after being hunted down by the Honor Guard.

And she was, naturally, the Saintess of the Ascension Sect!

”I already spared you! Why did you still come after us?”

The woman’s features twisted into a hideous expression of rage. Coupled with the blood from the recent gunshot wounds that tore her flesh, she looked particularly crazed.

Having suffered repeated heavy blows before, she had endured with patience, even leading her people to retreat into the Beast Lair.

But to think they dared to pursue me?

”You are courting death!” the Heretic Saintess screamed in madness, then abruptly raised her hand towards Lance.

As soon as she spoke, power from the Void descended, and a tentacle shot towards Lance.

”Boss, be careful!”

”Get out of the way, quick!”

Everyone had seen the power of that strike, which had sent the Pigman Mob flying. It was clear that Lance’s stature was...

But instead of retreating, Lance charged forward, his longsword Wolf Fang appearing in his grasp as he swung at the tentacle.

The speed was so fast that no one could see the blade clearly, only hearing a whistling sound that seemed almost to tear through space itself.

The next second, Wolf Fang collided with the tentacle.

A dull thud resounded as the terrifying tentacle disintegrated under the blade, the resulting blast even generating shockwaves in a place like the Beast Lair.

When the dust settled a bit and vision cleared, Lance still stood firm, while the Heretic Saintess looked astonished.

My Sorcery was actually split by a single strike?

”Attack!”

Lance had no intention of wasting words with them; he gripped his weapon and charged forward.

The others also came to their senses. It was unusual for Boudica not to charge straight into the fray; this wasn’t her style.

But then they saw her take out a small vial and pour its contents onto her Axe Spear.

That powdery substance... if not Corpse Decomposition Spores, what else could it be?

In tribal hunts, various herbs were also used to assist. After their last return, Lance had provided them all with some Corpse Decomposition Spores, specifically for dealing with these Heretics.

Previously, there was no need for such powders when fighting Pigmen, but now it was certainly time to apply it, to give these Heretics a taste of real trouble.

In the meantime, Amanda had already thrown a Flying Dagger, striking a Heretic.

The Heretic pulled it out nonchalantly and tossed it aside. Under normal circumstances, such a wound would have healed instantly. However, the power infused in the Flying Dagger had already invaded the wound; though flesh writhed, it couldn’t close the injury, and blood flowed uncontrollably.