Our Family Has Fallen

But such an attack was still not capable of instantly killing a large, evolved Flesh Devourer. The body hanging from the Lance twisted madly.

The Pigman Knight didn’t coddle it at all, directly flinging the Lance to smash the Devourer against the wall.

The inconvenience of the Lance became apparent, and the Pigman Knight was forced to backpedal to gain the distance needed to thrust his Lance again.

But the large Flesh Devourer scrambled up the next second. Its ghastly puncture wound had no effect on its movement, displaying its tenacious Life Force.

As one advanced and the other retreated, the corridor left no room for the Pigman Knight to turn, promptly giving the Flesh Devourer the chance to charge forward again. Once bitten, any flesh could only end up as nourishment.

However, Lance, who had clashed with the Pigman Knight, knew it was not so simple.

Indeed, when that squirming maw struck, the Pigman Knight’s armor-inlaid right arm swung out fiercely, smashing down on its head.

Backhand smash!

The brute force of the blow sent the charging Flesh Devourer flying.

It wasn’t until it hit the ground that everyone saw clearly. Even its evolved carapace couldn’t withstand the Pigman Knight’s ferocious armored arm strike. This resulted in a clear dent, with cracks spreading to the previous puncture wound, causing fluids to seep out from the entire area.

Having completed his retreat, the Pigman Knight charged again, thrusting his Lance through the Devourer’s body once more.

The Flesh Devourer, skewered again, no longer exhibited the intense reaction from before. The weakening of its struggles was evident, indicating it had indeed suffered significant damage.

Moments ago, the large Flesh Devourer had been chasing the Pigman, its unpredictable evolution putting pressure on everyone. Now, it was brutally killed by the Pigman Knight. This turn of events made the situation feel somewhat surreal.

But Lance quickly realized why he had felt something was amiss earlier. These Flesh Devourers were modified by the Priest, which explained their abilities. However, there had to be limits. Otherwise, if they were truly that formidable, the Beast Lair wouldn’t be dominated by Pigmen.

With this in mind, Lance felt like he was beginning to understand the modifications and structure of the Pigman Knight’s body.

The shields hanging in front would prevent the gaping maws from latching on, avoiding the situation that had happened with the Pigman Mob earlier. The metal armor on its arms also offered protection, and the Lance could pierce from a distance.

In a way, the Pigman Knight’s equipment was specifically tailored to counter the Flesh Devourer’s attack patterns and abilities.

Then, considering the marks of modification on the Pigman Butcher and Pigman Hookhand, could it be that the Priest was backing the Pigmen to combat the Flesh Devourers?

Lance remained calm, even able to spare some thought for other matters.

But the others, witnessing the Pigman Knight’s strength, couldn’t hide their evident unease. What is this place? And why is everything here so outlandish?

No matter how tenacious its Life Force was, the Flesh Devourer was no match for the Pigman Knight’s violent ravaging, and soon, it stopped moving entirely.

And Lance didn’t hold back.

”Get to it. As long as we prevent it from charging, it isn’t much of a threat. This idiot can’t attack enemies behind it; once its legs are broken, it’s just a target,” Lance said.

Lance usually had a good understanding of the monsters he fought. So, instead of firing his gun and alerting it, he charged forward with a torch in hand.

Seeing this, the others could only follow. Neither Boudica nor Amanda showed much resistance, evidently aware of Lance’s capabilities.

Alhazred didn’t have much of a reaction either. He appeared more curious than pressured.

Given his calm demeanor, he even seemed confident in taking down the Pigman Knight by himself.

Whether it was Lance rushing out or the sudden appearance of the torchlight that startled the Pigman Knight, it didn’t charge. Instead, it decisively abandoned the Flesh Devourer and retreated into the darkness behind it.

Lance had initially thought it was trying to gain distance for another charge, but when he reached the former battlefield, there was still no sign of it charging out. This reaction was starkly different from the Pigmen’s previous relentless killing instinct.

The abnormal situation made Lance discard any lingering complacency. His steps became cautious as he scanned the surroundings, wary of traps—such as axe-and-swordsmen lying in wait on either side, ready to charge out and attack them at a signal.

His gaze fell on the Flesh Devourer’s body. It was nearly torn apart, with only its gaping maw relatively intact—dead beyond a doubt.

But Lance couldn’t concern himself with that. He casually collected it and tossed it toward the Exhibition Room, to be dealt with more thoroughly later when there was time.

By this time, Boudica and the others had caught up, seemingly puzzled as to why there hadn’t been a fight.

”Something’s not right. Be careful, everyone,” Lance cautioned.

No sooner had Lance given this brief warning than Alhazred, as if sensing something, looked towards the darkness ahead.

”The power of an evil ritual lies ahead,” he said.

This statement added to the weighty atmosphere. Everyone eyed the darkness as if it were a gaping maw waiting to swallow them, stirring humanity’s instinctive fear of the dark.

But humans have survived to this point thanks to their intellect.

”Amanda, bring out something to shine a light ahead,” Lance instructed.

Lance’s words instantly shattered the heavy atmosphere, which then shifted into a strange, indescribable tension.

Nevertheless, Amanda took out the item and moved to the front of the group.