Our Family Has Fallen

Chapter 1256: Chapter 687: 3_2

This is why she panicked the moment she knew Tamara returned to the organization; she felt abandoned and feared retaliation in a few years.

By turning around and clinging to Lance’s leg, it was like stepping onto a level-up booster, directly breaking through her bottleneck, giving her a sense of security.

She had been with Lance for some time and was very clear about that feeling.

Although she envied it, she knew she couldn’t actively seek it.

She understood Lance’s character: kind and generous to his people, full of patience. No one could provide her with warmth like he did, something neither the organization nor her teacher could give.

But once he became disgusted, that warmth would transform into a bone-chilling coldness, a chill she didn’t want to experience again.

This situation still left her uneasy after all, for selfishness is human nature, and not many can overcome this instinct.

For some unknown reason, that sense of crisis cultivated from long-term missions in dangerous environments surged again.

Trust seemed to waver...

Lance quickly cleared away the corpses and seemed to feel Amanda’s gaze. He turned back and met her eyes, seemingly understanding something, but only smiled and nodded to indicate he understood, without saying much.

The sun doesn’t need to announce its rise because it is right there.

As their eyes met, Amanda froze for a moment, and the complex emotions in her heart vanished instantly, melting away like ice and snow under the scorching sun.

It was then that she abruptly realized she had almost been influenced again?

This intense internal struggle went unnoticed by others. Once Amanda came back to her senses, she felt a chill of fear, her back becoming drenched in seconds.

The real terror of this place wasn’t those cultists, but the perpetual erosion of one’s sanity.

”Are you okay?”

Lance noticed her unusual demeanor and asked. Amanda waved her hand to indicate she was fine.

”I’m fine, just a bit tired earlier. It seems the more supernatural power we harness here, the more we are affected.”

”Perhaps it’s because the power saturating this place is too intense.”

The power of the Transcendents has its sources, either from within oneself or from equipment, but ultimately it derives from the outside world.

As Lance entered, he could feel the area was suffused with an intense vitality that coalesced into a blood-red mist visible to the naked eye.

As someone who mastered the Power of Flesh and Blood, Lance could sense these energies were akin to human nature; simply breathing here provided a sense of enhancement.

But it came with its influences, and those with weaker wills could be assimilated like those cultists.

This was why Lance only reminded them of the consequences without explaining the reasons, as supernatural power always comes at a price.

The team adjusted and left the platform, continuing down the passageway.

Oddly enough, Lance thought the Ancestor would have complete control over this place, but even after such a long incursion, there hadn’t been a counterattack from the cultists.

It seemed the Ancestor’s hold over this place wasn’t as strong as imagined. Was he entangled in some trouble, or was he just that incompetent?

Lance wasn’t sure, but as he traversed the passage to the next platform, he encountered new foes.

A troublesome group of cultists, composed of the Sect of Ascension Priests, Heretic Priests, Ascension Witches, and Frenzied Cultists.

Like the priests, the witches appeared similar to those outside, except their gear was forged in dark gold.

However, compared to priests who hadn’t mastered sorcery, the appearance of the witches immediately put Lance on alert.

”Kill the witch first!”

As Lance’s words fell, he raised his hand and fired a shot, but the Frenzied Cultist near the witch clasped its hands together in front.

Wall of Flesh!

The bullet tore through flesh, but such a wound was inconsequential to it.

This distraction allowed the witch to unleash her sorcery.

The moment the spell was cast, her disguise shattered, revealing a twisted form. The lower half under her skirt had transformed into tentacles resembling those of a priest.

Perhaps due to being a spellcaster, tumors grew on her head or had taken over the brain, the excess flesh squeezing out of a skeleton helm, even extending down her neck.

The tentacles emerging from it wrapped around the arm holding the magic wand, visibly indicating who was controlling this body.

With the dense power in this place, the witch completed her spell with a mere wave, the disturbance in the red mist signaling its terrifying potency.

But unlike the previous ones who targeted the most threatening, Lance, this witch targeted Amanda hiding at the back.

Manifestation of Fate!

Sparks of light erupted from Amanda, illuminating the protective gear on her, only to dim after briefly resisting, revealing the outcome.

”Ah!”

Amanda let out a heartrending scream as her once-stable condition withered instantly.

She felt something had her in its sight...

Almost simultaneously, the Heretic Priest and Sect of Ascension Priests charged in, all clearly directing their attacks at Amanda.

”Boudica, block that one.”

Even without direction, Boudica swung her axe toward the priest...

Meanwhile, Lance aimed his hand cannon at the witch, knowing he couldn’t let her launch a second attack.

The fuse burnt out, and the roar of the war machine exploded instantly.

The shell arrived at a terrifying speed before the Frenzied Cultist, creating a fist-sized hole in its chest, and the exaggerated force pierced through, reaching the witch behind.

Protection?

Screw it, I hit them all in one go!

Attacking and blocking are two different things. Even though Boudica had advanced to a champion level, confronting reckless cultists who cared not for life was no easy task; they were fearless in trading wounds for wounds.

Boudica could only try to stop the Sect of Ascension Priest with all her might, but the faster Heretic Priest seized the opportunity to charge ahead.

Audrey was stunned for a moment and, seeing the priest approaching, had an indescribable expression on her face.

”Ah! I have to fight it?”

Even though she despised that harlot, she wished she’d die.

But Audrey knew fleeing wasn’t an option in this situation, or she’d be next. She could only throw daggers and other projectiles to slightly hinder it.

Yet, as it turned out, the priest deflected them all effortlessly with its tentacles, all of them!

Audrey, having observed earlier, was aware of the Heretic Priest’s strength, and now she felt the difference in their power even more.

How to fight? Bash it with my head?

Amanda was only injured, not dead, and, gritting her teeth through the searing pain, she flipped over a small golden shield.

The next second, blinding light exploded toward the priest.

But, clearly, Amanda, in her dazed state, overlooked one thing: the Heretic Priest didn’t have eyes at all.

It was not until this moment that Amanda realized something was amiss, and with her survival instinct sharp as ever, her mind cleared up, but there was no time to react. She noticed the priest lowering its head and charging forward.

Because of Lance’s injuries, she specifically remembered what this was about. Audrey also noticed the situation, and both sides realized something was wrong.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, there was no time to react as they saw the priest break free from its black robe, and just after, its flesh mutating; the spinal blade shot out from its head, thrusting forward with terrifying speed.

Amanda could only watch as the spinal blade’s tip drew closer to her head, almost reaching her face.

However, just before the spinal blade pierced Amanda, the priest’s charging silhouette suddenly halted, stopping its advance.

At this moment, everyone saw a harpoon had already pierced through the priest’s body, the barbs tearing into the flesh, halting its movement.

Whale Hunting Harpoon!

Lance knew the witch was a high threat, but more importantly, he understood the danger of the priest. So after blasting a shot that took two down, he quickly spun to throw the harpoon, finally stopping the priest at the last moment.

Dare to ambush! Was the priest ready to bear the brunt of Lance’s wrath?