Our Family Has Fallen

Lance once again stood up to the Limping Walker. This time, however, there was none of his previous haste; instead, he exuded an unusual calmness, even a hint of confidence.

This thing isn’t as terrible as I imagined, he thought. The Void Demons’ appearance simply came with an Aura of Dread, and compounded by this being their first encounter, it had put immense psychological pressure on everyone. But Lance blocking that strike had already shattered that aura. And the counterattacks from Amanda and Boudica had completely ripped away the Void Demon’s veil of mystery, even trampling on it a few times.

Yet, this was still beyond their capabilities to handle. As expected, demons that freely traversed the Void didn’t possess such simple body structures; the wounds Boudica had inflicted on its wriggling tentacles were already healing.

Reality afforded Lance no time to grandstand, as the Limping Walker began to advance again. He was unwilling to waste the weakening effect Amanda had fought so hard to achieve, nor would he allow the battle to draw nearer to his teammates. He immediately charged forward to lure the Limping Walker away.

Merely approaching it was enough to disrupt the Limping Walker’s grotesque, writhing advance, but its whip-like tentacles still lashed out at him.

If even a steel Great Shield could hardly block them, how was Lance, unarmored, supposed to cope?

The difference this time, however, is that I have no teammates behind me to protect. That means... it’s killing time!

Seeing the tentacles lash out, Lance accelerated, unhesitatingly drawing Wolf Fang from the Void with a raised hand and swinging the blade—a slash to sunder steel and shatter iron!

The Limping Walker’s combat instincts were formidable; it immediately whipped its tentacles in response. When the tentacle’s bladed edge and Wolf Fang collided, the impact of the two non-metallic weapons striking each other rang out with the sound of clashing steel. More accurately, this was the sound produced when two objects of immense hardness collided.

Weakened by Amanda, the Limping Walker was less formidable than before. Lance felt the feedback through his blade and used the opportunity to retreat a few steps, examining the longsword in his hand.

He had been a bit worried whether Wolf Fang, seemingly made of bone, could withstand the force. But now, it appeared to be more a clash of Supernatural Power, something beyond ordinary physical understanding.

Clearly, Wolf Fang had the upper hand: the bladed ridge on the tentacle’s back was chipped, but his sword remained undamaged.

This meant he could fight without holding back!

The Limping Walker possessed multiple tentacles, and that initial exchange was merely the prelude to its assault. After a brief pause, more tentacles surged forth. The Limping Walker’s colossal form advanced with crushing pressure, like a collapsing mountain or a surging tsunami.

Yet Lance, undaunted, drew his sword and charged, determined to carve out a path to survival with his blade.

”Kill!”

The tentacles didn’t just lash out fiercely; they also sought to crush and constrict.

He wasn’t afraid of a head-on clash, but if they tried to ensnare him, that would be troublesome.

Lance swung Wolf Fang, slicing into a tentacle’s flesh. But before he could sever it, others swarmed him, forcing him to use his blade purely for defense. He could parry one, but countless more writhed towards him. Even with his swift swordplay, Lance couldn’t fend off so many tentacles with a single blade.

Finally, a tentacle, half-severed but refusing to release its grip, coiled around his longsword. Instantly, other tentacles slithered up its length towards him.

Lance reacted instantly. He couldn’t abandon his weapon; there was only one way to break free.

With his free hand, he drew a musket. Instead of aiming at the tentacles, he pointed the muzzle directly at the myriad eyes covering the Limping Walker’s face. He fired almost the instant he drew it. Flames and smoke erupted from the muzzle as the shot was discharged. It turned out the musket wasn’t loaded with a single slug, but with buckshot, which sprayed out over a wide area, blanketing the Limping Walker’s entire face.

Buckshot lacked the penetrative power of a solid slug, but eyes were a critical vulnerability for any creature—even an Aberrant Demon like the Limping Walker was no exception.

With a series of sickening POPS and SQUELCHES, a third of the eyes on its face instantly dimmed or burst, splattering grotesque fluid. This single attack inflicted more damage than all previous blows combined, causing the Limping Walker to emit a hollow, mournful wail.

Lance seized the chance to wrench himself free from the tentacles’ grasp and retreat, but not without paying a price. The bladed ridges on the tentacles’ backs could tear steel, and the suckers on their undersides were far from simple. Each sucker was lined with dense, sharp teeth, capable of tearing away a layer of flesh on contact.

Inevitably, Lance was hit. The clinging tentacles scraped several bleeding wounds across his body. Worse still, the wounds began to rot. The bladed ridges on the tentacles inflicted bleeding wounds, while their suckers caused flesh to corrode. The powers of this Void Demon were truly vile.

Lance activated his ability, dispelling the corruption from his wounds, and then used Flesh Reconstruction to heal the injuries.

Simultaneously, the wounds on the Limping Walker’s face began to mend, new eyes rapidly growing to replace the damaged ones. It stood there, its gaze fixed, and then, moments later, the two clashed once more.

For a human to confront a Void Demon, regardless of victory or defeat, was the stuff of legends that would be told throughout the world. The difference lay in whether it would be a comical farce like Don Quixote, or a heroic epic.

But now, in Amanda’s eyes, Lance’s figure was undoubtedly heroic. She began preparing another round of Curse Magic, ready to intervene and contribute her strength to the battle.