Our Family Has Fallen

He wasn’t on the battlefield, so naturally, he still had the leisure to let his thoughts wander. However, the intensity on the battlefield escalated as the Flesh Devourer fought back.

Do not assume these creatures that can survive in the Beast Lair are easy to bully.

The spilled body fluids didn’t cause damage, but when those millstone-like mouthparts bit down, even the Pigmen’s special skin couldn’t prevent flesh from being scraped away.

Keep in mind that the digestive juices secreted by its mouth were far more corrosive than its other bodily fluids. When a Pigman Butcher was bitten on the shoulder, a large patch of its flesh immediately began to decay.

At the same time, the corrosive digestive fluid spread through its body with the flow of blood vessels. In just ten seconds or so, the flesh dissolved into a thick, grey pulp.

Lance instantly recognized it. Damn it, isn’t this the same stuff we found on the road earlier?

But the next second, Lance witnessed a horrifying scene—the worm charged again and, with its massive mouth, swallowed the Pigman’s entire head. The Pigman Butcher’s robust body deflated like a balloon; even the little skin and flesh remaining were devoured completely.

Simultaneously, the ghastly wounds on the Flesh Devourer’s body began to heal at a rate visible to the naked eye. Although it couldn’t match the Heretics of the Ascension Sect, it still demonstrated a powerful recovery ability.

Seeing this made Lance even more certain that this thing was a concoction of the Old Ancestor.

After all, isn’t this level of flesh recovery ability the Old Ancestor’s signature skill?

After devouring the Pigman Butcher, the Flesh Devourer didn’t even spit out the bones, making it clear that nobody would want to stick anything into that bloody maw.

What had seemed like a lopsided situation changed due to the Flesh Devourer’s ability to recover by devouring corpses. Lance understood that the victories they had witnessed along the way were not staged.

”This is a Scavenger Beast, a unique beast with an Extraordinary Bloodline found in the wastelands. It likes to burrow into sand dunes, waiting for prey before suddenly surging out to hunt. The reason for its name is that it doesn’t consume its kill immediately. Instead, it injects digestive fluids into the carcass, waiting until the body dissolves before devouring it. This often misleads observers into thinking it only consumes rotting corpses. However, prey bitten by it usually can’t escape. If the bite is severe, ’Juicing Syndrome’ will occur—the flesh and even bones dissolve. But… their size isn’t typically this big, and such regenerative abilities are abnormal.”

Alhazred also saw the battle ahead. He hadn’t been quite sure what Lance meant by ’Flesh Devourer,’ but the sight of the creature clarified its origins.

But he had seen Scavenger Beasts before, and they didn’t have this devouring-recovery ability, did they?

Lance picked up on his confusion and casually explained, ”The Beast Lair is where the Ascension Sect conducts its wicked experiments. Most monsters that appear here have been modified by them; it’s normal for them to have some special abilities.”

Lance and Alhazred had different names for the monster. Hearing Lance’s explanation, Alhazred likely understood that the worm-like creature’s prototype was the Scavenger Beast, but after being modified by the Old Ancestor, ’Flesh Devourer’ was a more fitting name.

Just at that moment, an even bigger ”surprise” awaited them up ahead!

The Flesh Devourers could recover, but that didn’t mean the Pigmen were helpless. They were more numerous and had protective gear.

The Pigman Hookhands’ battered shields and the heavy, spiked helmets atop their heads were somewhat effective in defending against being swallowed whole, as had just happened.

With the Hookhands’ efforts to restrain it, once the Flesh Devourer’s gaping maw was blocked and it lacked effective means of attack, the victor was essentially decided.

Of the original four Flesh Devourers, two were quickly torn into pieces by the Pigmen. The remaining two were riddled with wounds and on the brink of collapse.

Lance, watching the fight, even suspected that the Pigmen’s armor wasn’t designed to counter humans but was specifically made to deal with these creatures.

Soon, another two-meter-long Flesh Devourer was dismembered. The remaining Pigmen charged straight for the last one.

That one had just devoured a Pigman Butcher. However, even though it had recovered, it was once again covered in wounds from the Pigmen’s assault.

Restrained by two Pigman Hookhands, agile Pigman Concealers leaped onto its body, continuously stabbing it with their knives.

Under the frenzied rhythm of the Pigman drummers, a Pigman Mob struck. Its blow landed like a mallet on meat, smashing in one side of the Flesh Devourer’s oversized mouth. The creature crashed to the ground, lifeless.

The defeat was certain…

”Attack!” Lance said. He wouldn’t give those Pigmen time to rest; this was when they were weakest after the big battle.

When the snipe and clam contend, the fisherman profits. It was his turn to reap the rewards.

Lance wasted no words. He stepped forward, raised his musket, and shot the drummer hiding in the back right through the head.

Instant kill!

This shot marked the beginning of a new round of battle.

They hid around the corner, still some distance from the Pigmen ahead. The shocking flash and thunderous boom plunged the Pigmen into momentary confusion, and for a time, they didn’t react.

But amidst a shrill pig-like squeal, they quickly realized new enemies were present. They immediately abandoned the Flesh Devourer and charged in their direction.

”Here they come!”

The musket in Lance’s hand vanished. With a grab, he pulled Wolf Fang from the Void, his eyes coldly watching the approaching Pigman Mob.

As it surged forward, he immediately swung his blade.

The Pigman Mob, a more perfectly evolved version of the Pigman, displayed a confident demeanor. Utterly unafraid of the person before it, it swung its Bone Hammer in response.

The Pigman Mob’s crude iron bone club and Lance’s bone knife, Wolf Fang, collided with a muffled thud. The Mob’s strength could suppress Boudica even when she was equipped with two Extraordinary adornments, but the disparity was immediately apparent when facing Lance.

In the collision, its body was thrown back uncontrollably, while Lance remained unmoved.

”That’s it? Not even close to Warwolf~” Lance sneered dismissively, seemingly bored.

The Pigman Mob didn’t understand his words, but it could feel the mocking attitude.

Could it tolerate this?

It had to strike back hard!

But just as it raised its arm, it felt something strange sweep through its body. By the time it tried to exert force, it found its body twisted in half.

Too fast! When did it happen?

The Pigman’s simple mind obviously couldn’t ponder such complex issues, because it was already dead.

When the corpse collapsed with a THUD, and the internal pressure was released, its fat belly burst like a bomb, spewing innards and fat everywhere.

”Yuck! Should’ve gone for the head,” Lance said, dodging the mess on the ground with disgust. Before it could spread, he quickly raised his hand to Sacrifice the remains.

The Pigman Mob, which had been able to contend with Boudica, was killed instantly by Lance’s move. Flesh was so fragile before a Legendary Weapon.

Or perhaps Lance had already far surpassed what it meant to be human...

However, the battle on the other side was not over yet. Amanda raised her hand and threw the Windmill Blade, forcing the skulking Pigman Concealers out of hiding. However, the damage inflicted wasn’t enough to kill them easily.

That was when Alhazred intervened. Muttering something, he held a candleholder in one hand and made strange gestures with the other. His gaze lifted towards the ceiling, his hollow eyes seeming to penetrate reality and glimpse the Void.

Found it!

Alhazred’s hand gesture snapped shut. Immediately, two beams of red light shot out from the eye sockets of the Skull Candleholder in his hand. The candle flame flared to life, no longer the ethereal, cold blue of a will-o’-the-wisp, but now an eerie and evil purplish-red.

Above the passage, bizarre patterns and an aura began to emerge. Then, numerous slender, phantom tentacles rained down, crazily lashing at the Pigmen.

Abyssal Bombardment!

Two Pigman Concealers, exposed by Amanda and unable to dodge in time, were directly struck by the tentacles.

They soon understood why this attack bore such a name. Under the frenzied power, the Pigman Concealers were struck as if by cannon fire, sent flying to smash against the wall, lifeless.

One move directly took out two weakened foes.

Never underestimate a frail scholar. Otherwise, this is the consequence.