Our Family Has Fallen

The Heretical Saintess was, after all, a Spellcaster. Even though her body had been enhanced by the Patriarch’s blessing, the power gap between her and Lance was still too great. Not to mention, the soul-manipulating Sorcery she excelled at was a complete joke when used against Lance.

After just a few exchanges, her body was covered in wounds. It was only due to her rapid recovery and some Curse Magic she had cast, which made her tentacle Bone Blades as hard as ironstone, that Lance hadn’t already cleaved them open.

”Lady Saintess!”

Just then, an unexpected shout came from behind. Lance instinctively turned to look, only to see a Heretic stumbling over. Several Flying Daggers were embedded in him, and his body was covered in dense, profusely bleeding whip marks. His wretched state didn’t suggest he was coming to provide support; combined with his shout, it sounded more like a plea for help.

But turning one’s back to the enemy during battle was a grave mistake.

”Hmph! Trying to escape?” Amanda snorted coldly. With a flick of her wrist, her whip shot out, its tip instantly coiling and tightening around the Heretic’s ankle. Already unsteady, he immediately fell face down.

Before he could get up, Boudica swung her Axe Spear, chopping down at the back of his head. With such a stationary target, there was almost no chance of missing; his head instantly split in two. When she withdrew her Axe Spear, splattered blood stained her face, and her bloodshot eyes made her look frenzied.

Lance glanced back and saw that all the other Heretics had fallen. So, it was time for a one-on-one battle… Lance turned back to the Saintess—she was single-handedly fighting his entire team.

”Attack! Finish her!” Lance shouted. Boudica, without a word, gripped her Axe Spear and charged forward, while Amanda had already drawn a Flying Dagger, ready to throw.

Just then, the shrieks of Pigmen could be heard from outside. Though faint and distant, Lance’s expression couldn’t help but change upon hearing it.

Damn it! I actually forgot about that.

The Patriarch couldn’t directly control the Pigmen, but he could do so indirectly through the Pigman Priests. This was Pigman territory, and by extension, half the Patriarch’s territory as well. The Patriarch didn’t care about the slaughter between Pigmen and Heretics; they would all end up in his pocket anyway. However, Lance’s appearance was like someone reaching into the Patriarch’s pocket to steal his pension—it had undoubtedly drawn his attention. Especially this woman called ”Saintess”—to be given such a title meant she was likely precious to the Patriarch.

However... could I use her to bait the Pigmen?

Lance had come here to wipe out the Pigmen and harvest their Spiritual Essence. He’d been troubled by how scattered they were, making it inefficient to hunt them down individually.

If I could use the Saintess to coerce the Patriarch, would orchestrating a massive Pigman slaughter be a viable idea?

Lance made his decision in an instant.

”Kill her first!”

Without hesitation, Lance raised his hand, his musket already in his grasp and aimed at the Saintess. He disliked taking risks. The Pigmen could be dealt with anytime, but only dead Heretics would put his mind at ease. As a leader, hesitation could mean missed opportunities and confused subordinates. But a decisive leader also firmed their conviction.

Barely ten seconds of respite had passed since Lance had paused. The Saintess had just begun to recover when she heard the gunshot. Instinctively, she raised her left arm, and the next second, a Lead Bullet pierced her tentacle. Previously, she wouldn’t have cared about such a minor injury, but now it was enough to divert her attention.

Amanda made her move, flinging a Flying Dagger that buried itself directly in the Saintess’s chest. The attached ritual power erupted, forcing even the Saintess, not made of ordinary flesh and blood, to struggle against it. This Flying Dagger didn’t just cause bleeding; it also carried a Curse Magic to weaken constitution. Amanda had previously only used it against Pigman Mobs; ordinary enemies weren’t worthy of it.

Then Alhazred completed his ritual, holding aloft the Skull Candleholder. It bloomed with an eerie candlelight, its empty eye sockets seemingly staring at her.

Weakness Technique!

While the Saintess might have been able to resist Amanda’s Curse Magic—delivered via the Flying Dagger—thanks to her Ascension Blessing, the power wielded by a Champion-level Mystical Scholar like Alhazred left the nearly exhausted Saintess with no way to fight back. The Weakness Technique deeply imprinted itself upon her, rendering her already collapsing body fragile.

”WAAAGH!!!”

As the melee fighter, Boudica now charged. Roaring, she leaped high, swinging her Axe Spear in a wide arc as she brought it chopping down.

Howling End!

Tormented by the barrage of Spells, the Saintess looked up to see Boudica’s shadow looming over her and the axe blade rapidly approaching. She instinctively raised a tentacle to defend herself. The next moment, a sound like clashing metal rang out. It showed that even after being repeatedly weakened, her Sorcery-strengthened bones still possessed terrifying hardness.

Fortunately, Boudica’s explosive power was considerable. The Axe Spear’s blade sliced through the tentacle, but that was all. It lodged in the Saintess’s forehead, failing to split her in two. Boudica yanked hard. As the Axe Spear was withdrawn, shattered brain matter mixed with blood gushed out.

The Saintess displayed her terrifying Life Force. An ordinary person, or even a typical Heretic, would have experienced their life flashing before their eyes and died within seconds from such an injury. Yet, she wasn’t dead. Her eyes, nearly obscured by welling blood, still stared intently at Lance as words like a Curse escaped her lips.