Our Family Has Fallen

Lance and his team burst into a space, never expecting it to be a gathering place for Pigmen. Naturally, combat erupted instantly within this expanded underground cavern.

Mixed in were quite a few other Pigmen. Besides Pigman Knights, basically all those they had encountered earlier could be found here. Among these Pigmen, the corpulent figures of the Pigman Mob were especially conspicuous. However, what concerned Lance even more were those disgusting crippled Pigmen.

”Wang Cai, go! Tear apart their souls!”

Lance didn’t waste a word at the start of the battle, immediately gesturing towards a crippled Pigman sprawled on the ground. For him, the pressure this creature brought was even greater than that of the Pigman Mob.

Wang Cai’s form emerged from the Void, its spiritual radiance much more intense than when they had first entered; apparently, it had consumed a fair amount of ”pork” along the way. Not all Pigmen could sense Wang Cai’s presence, so it leaped over the others, heading straight for the crippled Pigmen.

A piercing pig squeal suddenly cut through the air, as if a switch had been flipped. Instantly, seven or eight assorted Pigmen charged, the small but swift figures of Pigman Concealers being the most numerous among them.

”Quick, fall back into the corridor!” For the first time, Lance felt the pressure of so many Pigmen. He could hold on, but he wasn’t sure about the others. It was best to take advantage of the environment, using the corridor space to bottleneck some of the Pigmen and deny them the chance to swarm.

Everyone present was a veteran and naturally understood this, so they quickly retreated into the corridor. Then, Lance witnessed an outrageous scene.

After retreating into the corridor, Alhazred took up a position and cast Hand of the Abyss. Sinister, twisted tendrils stretched from the Void, wielding a wicked power to control a Pigman Butcher that was at the forefront due to its proximity to the passage. Its steps abruptly halted, as if its soul were being dragged into the Void by those ethereal tendrils.

However, the Pigman Mob, disdainful of the Pigman Butcher blocking its way, simply swung its hammer and burst the pig’s head, leaving the stunned Pigman Butcher with no need to wake again. The other Pigmen cried out in panic at the sight. They even ignored their pursuit of Lance and his team, clearing a path for the Pigman Mob. This act of casual brutality further showcased the cruel hierarchy within the Beast Lair’s ecosystem.

But the pressure on Lance and his companions didn’t lessen with this incident. The Pigman Mob had already stepped over the corpse and entered the corridor, followed closely by the small-statured Pigman Concealers.

Lance was at the back of the group. He wasn’t sure if Boudica could hold them off. I’d better charge forward and intercept that Pigman Mob, he decided.

But quickly, Boudica and the others showed Lance what true coordination meant. This wasn’t their first encounter with a Pigman Mob; everyone had a plan.

Amanda raised her hand and threw a Flying Dagger, embedding it fully into the Pigman Mob with only the hilt protruding. Previously, Lance had thought most of Amanda’s abilities relied on the tools in her hand, such as the bloodletting whip or the Windmill Blade that could break invisibility. But he later realized it wasn’t the weapons that were key, but rather her own spellcasting abilities. These abilities were actually the effects of spells Amanda had cast on the tools; otherwise, those items would be nothing special. Just like now, the power imbued in the Flying Dagger erupted. The wound bled profusely, and simultaneously, the power of her secret technique softened the Pigman Mob’s tough hide.

As a Spellcaster on the cusp of becoming a Master, even though Amanda also possessed melee combat abilities, her true core remained her ritual magic.

On the other side, Alhazred had recovered from his previous spellcasting and now raised the Skull Candleholder towards the most threatening Pigman Mob, beginning to cast a spell.

Weakness Technique!

The instant the ritual was complete, power settled upon the Pigman Mob, rendering its robust constitution vulnerable and fragile. Under this force, the Pigman Mob became an easy target, unable to dodge.

”KILL!!!”

With a ferocious bellow, Boudica released all restraint on her strength. Her eyes instantly became bloodshot and turned crimson, veins snaking up her neck to give her a fierce and terrifying appearance. The Axe Spear in her hands was already swinging. The muscles bulging on her arms like solid rock tore through the air as she brought it down, the weapon emitting a deafening shriek. When the blade of her Axe Spear fell upon the twice-weakened Pigman Mob, its once-robust constitution was now as fragile as porcelain. Its massive head was struck directly, and unrestrained, savage power poured in, splitting its face clean in half.

A devastating strike!

The moment Boudica withdrew her Axe Spear, the Pigman Mob’s bloated body collapsed.

Their detestable leader had finally fallen!

This combined strike from the three of them displayed terrifying power, stunning even the brainless Pigmen for a moment. They couldn’t fathom why the most powerful Pigman Mob had been slain so swiftly. But one could tell by Boudica’s heavy panting just how burdensome that burst of effort had been for her.

However, fear was not in the Pigmen’s nature. Within moments, a drumbeat started up. Driven by the rhythm, the Pigmen grew restless and charged forward again.

While the Pigman Mob had drawn everyone’s attention, several Pigman Concealers had seized the opportunity. They activated their stealth and swiftly closed in on Boudica, who was still panting heavily from her recent exertion.

In her haste, Amanda threw a Windmill Blade. However, the Pigman’s scrap armor provided some defense. Her attack only managed to knock one out of stealth without killing it. Its stride didn’t even falter, to say nothing of the several others who had vanished into the darkness, their locations unknown.

But if you think that’s all a Seeker of Omens is capable of, then you’re sorely mistaken.

Amanda was far from panicked. A golden disc materialized in her hands, but before anyone could get a closer look, they heard her shout.

”Close your eyes!”

Closing one’s eyes with enemies so close was a dangerous act. If Lance had given the order, I would have complied without hesitation, but Amanda... Boudica thought. She was often disinclined to dwell on complicated matters, but this didn’t mean she was foolish. Though hesitant, she ultimately chose to trust. It’s not so much that I trust her, but I trust the boss.

At that moment, a blinding golden light burst forth from the disc in Amanda’s hands, its power magnified several times over in the darkness. It was like an incredibly powerful flashlight; the dazzling glare instantly filled the entire corridor.

Almost simultaneously, countless swine-like, heart-rending screams filled the corridor. These Pigmen, who might have never seen light in their lives, experienced their lifetime’s quota of light in one go.

Boudica, standing at the front, also closed her eyes. Even through her eyelids, she sensed an incandescent flash. Luckily, her back was to the source, so she wasn’t too badly affected. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the stealthed Pigmen had all been revealed, completely blinded and writhing on the ground in agony.

The few people standing behind the golden disc were largely unaffected; the torch in Lance’s hand had mitigated some of the glare.

However, what he noticed wasn’t this. These Romani, they all share the surname ’Dora,’ right? Always having some strange things in their pockets?

Lance raised his hand to refresh Boudica’s status, pulling her out of her state of exhaustion from the earlier outburst. At that point, she picked up her Axe Spear and began finishing off the blinded Pigmen one by one. The intense light was too much for them. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience—see the light and then die.

It was colloquially known as ”death upon seeing light.”

Lance also stepped forward to help, felling one Pigman with each slash. He looked like a veritable butcher, sacrificing them on the spot so efficiently that no blood even touched the ground. All seven or eight Pigmen here turned into Spiritual Essence that went into Lance’s pocket. The sensation of feasting on these ’fat pigs,’ seemingly raised by their ancestors, brought him a long-missed pleasure.

For a greedy exploiter like me, Lance reflected, nothing is more satisfying than watching my private coffers slowly fill with wealth.

But this isn’t enough, he thought. I need more pigs!