Our Family Has Fallen

Chapter 482: Chapter 308: Pigman_1

But soon, these minor details would cease to concern them. The Pigmen were clearly drawn by the charred corpses in the flames.

However, they also seemed to fear the bright flames, circling the campfire and grunting like pigs.

One of them, growing impatient, swung its Chain Hammer to scatter the fire. It then brandished its Meat Cleaver, using the serrated edge to drag a charred corpse from the flames.

Initially, the team wondered what the monsters were up to. Perhaps intending to save the Heretics?

But the next scene plunged them into an indescribable state of shock.

The Pigman monsters then proceeded to hack the corpses to pieces with their cleavers. One grabbed a charred black arm and began to devour it voraciously, a look of crazed satisfaction on its porcine face.

This scene of Pigmen eating humans was so shocking it left them all stunned.

Junia, upon seeing this, wanted to grab her spiked mace and attack, but Geralt stopped her with an outstretched hand.

After the Pigmen had eaten their fill, they dragged the remaining charred corpses into the darkness.

It wasn’t until that moment that Geralt and his team could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

”Damn it... I need a raise...” Tadiff’s mental state was already fragile, and witnessing this scene pushed him to the verge of collapse. He muttered, ”This is insane... I’m going to have nightmares for life!”

The others weren’t much better off. Even Balistan, accustomed to the bloody chaos of battlefields, felt physically sick at the sight. Junia, on the other hand, had wanted to kill these profane monsters if Geralt hadn’t stopped her.

This reminded her, and she finally voiced her question.

”Why didn’t we attack just now?”

Only Geralt seemed relatively unfazed. His unique constitution allowed him to filter out most emotions, enabling him to respond calmly.

”Three monsters appeared simultaneously, all with similar equipment. They clearly understood teamwork and are likely social creatures. There could be more nearby. Acting rashly without knowing the situation could invite trouble. Besides, those were just the corpses of some Heretics; it wasn’t worth the risk.”

With that, he rose and stepped out of the Sanctuary.

”I’m going out to check. You all be careful.”

Geralt scouted the area. Once he confirmed there were no immediate threats, he and the others approached the nearly extinguished campfire.

Most of the remains had been dragged away by the Pigmen, leaving behind only fragments or bare skulls.

Someone wondered, ”What kind of monsters were those, and why are they here?”

Another surmised, ”Undoubtedly, they were lured by the scent of the burning corpses. They’re hunting, or perhaps just scavenging for food.”

It was also noted, ”They didn’t just take the corpses; they took the metal objects too. They possess some intelligence.”

Then a realization: ”By the way, did any of you notice? The leather scraps wrapped around those Pigmen’s waists looked exactly like the clothing of the Heretics.”

As the others discussed their observations, analyzing the clues left at the scene, Geralt knelt, picked up a pinch of soil from a Pigman’s hoof print, and sniffed it.

His expression immediately grew serious, a hint of surprise replaced by deep concern.

”What did you find?” Junia asked urgently. Her question immediately drew the attention of Balistan and Tadiff; all three now fixed their gazes on Geralt.

”I’m not sure if you noticed the smell earlier,” Geralt said, ”but the odor from those monsters... it’s the same as the one from the ancient sewer.”

Only Junia likely understood his meaning regarding the sewer; Balistan and Tadiff were somewhat confused.

”That sewer is near a campsite I previously discovered,” Geralt explained. ”Under the Lord’s command, we eliminated the Heretics there and found a passage they were guarding at the back of the camp.”

Geralt let the soil fall from his hand and stood up. He gazed in the direction the monsters had departed and continued,

”The passage was sealed back then. Clearly, it’s been opened now, and whatever was inside has escaped.”

”Let’s go back and report this to the Lord! Tell him terrifying monsters are lurking in that passage,” Junia urged. She hoped the Lord would lead troops to eliminate these creatures, just as he had with the Heretics.

”No,” Geralt countered. ”We need to track these monsters to their lair first. We also need to inspect the passage entrance to see if it was breached there, or if they emerged from somewhere else.”

Geralt knew they still had too little information. Reporting to the Lord now would be useless. They needed more intelligence—that was the entire purpose of their current expedition.

”But our food supplies won’t last much longer,” Balistan voiced his concern, always inclined towards caution.

He preferred to report back and have a new mission organized. The team’s current condition wasn’t ideal, and acting rashly could lead to unforeseen dangers.

”The advantage now is that we’ve discovered these monsters early, and they’ve left plenty of tracks,” Geralt argued. ”Plus, I know the exact location of the passage. That’s far better than fumbling in the dark like we have been for the past few days.”

Geralt understood the team’s predicament. However, he also knew that if they retreated now, the tracks they’d found would likely be lost, and this opportunity would vanish.

Besides, returning empty-handed after being paid in Gold Coin would be quite a letdown.