Our Family Has Fallen

Although the Pigman Butcher was not the subject of this ritual, the power imbued in the dagger was still enough to drain its Life Force. The Unfettered Strength feedback from the ritual also allowed Alhazred to temporarily suppress the internal afflictions within his body, even bringing a brief look of relief to his face.

However, to outsiders, this exuded a twisted and bizarre aura; after all, it somewhat resembled an evil Wizard performing a sacrificial ritual.

But the others were immersed in battle and didn’t have the energy to pay much attention to him.

Alhazred’s true strength was far greater than this. However, due to his special condition, most of his power was dedicated to suppressing these internal afflictions.

Now, with a temporary release, he directed his full attention to the Pigman Knight.

The preparation time was longer than for any spell he had cast before. Both the complexity of the muttered incantations and the solemn posture of holding the Skull Candleholder with both hands indicated that this move was no simple matter.

Not until the ritual was complete did Alhazred raise the Skull Candleholder. As an indescribable power erupted from within it, the skull’s eyes on the candleholder burst forth with intense, dark-red beams.

Curse Extinguish!

Lance certainly noticed the intense, even somewhat chilling, spiritual fluctuations behind him, but he had no idea what grand spell was being prepared.

Not until he saw wisps of strange smoke, seemingly imbued with vitality, or perhaps like flickering flames, emerging from the Pigman Knight.

When this power touched the wounds inflicted during their recent combat, Lance saw those energies invading the torn flesh. It burned like flames from the Abyss, causing injuries akin to severe scorches.

The Pigman Knight displayed extreme discomfort at this moment, as if being roasted over a fire. It suffered greatly, its four hooves flailing as if dancing, yet it was entirely unable to escape. As time went by, the wounds even began to rot and dissolve.

HISS... So terrifying!

What a vicious power. Still, I like it when it’s used on the enemy.

Lance’s earlier conservative attacks were because he had promised Paracelsus to bring back a somewhat intact specimen, as it was important material for research.

But at this point, there was no need to hold back. He swung his longsword with full force, leaving wound after wound on its body. The invading power grew ever more intense, as if devouring its flesh.

Soon, a single stroke severed the Pigman Knight’s disproportionate head, and the body, consumed by the abyssal flames, finally ceased its suffering.

Lance raised his hand to perform a Sacrifice, fearing this strange power would devour the Pigman Knight’s Spiritual Essence.

Fortunately, his worry was somewhat unnecessary. As the Void Devourer manifested and consumed, the peculiar traces entangling the corpse instantly dissipated.

Turning his head, Lance saw that Alhazred looked somewhat strained after executing that move, clearly having suffered some backlash.

Lance raised his hand to cast Bless, refreshing Alhazred and pulling him out from the agitation of his Spiritual Essence.

Neither said anything, merely exchanging a glance. Lance gave him a slight nod.

But the battle gave them no opportunity for rest, as Boudica was caught in a fierce fight, being pummeled by a group of Pigmen.

She was covered in blood, some from the Pigmen, some her own. A distinct wound marred her back; a hook had nearly gouged out one of her kidneys.

And in front of her, she still had to contend with a Butcher and a Hookhand harassing her.

Usually, it’s Hamlet’s group doing the ganging up!

Can this be tolerated, damn it?

BANG!

At the moment the gunshot rang out, a Pigman Butcher’s head snapped to the side as it collapsed to the ground.

A shot to the body might have been survivable, as the Life Force of Pigmen is much stronger than that of humans. However, a headshot puts all creatures on an equal footing.

Alhazred, too, raised the Skull Candleholder and instantly cast Hand of the Abyss to immobilize a Pigman Hookhand.

Such rabble didn’t even warrant the use of his Curse-type spells to weaken them.

Lance raised his hand, casting Flesh Reconstruction on Boudica. Her wound immediately gushed blood but then began healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Meanwhile, the power from the Bless dispelled her exhaustion, shaking off the debilitating weakness.

Her blood boiled with fervor!

Boudica, feeling the support from her teammates, held nothing back and unleashed her full strength.

With a strike originating from her right shoulder, she cleaved the immobilized Pigman Hookhand’s body in two.

Only amidst relentless attack could one witness the true Boudica.

By comparison, Amanda had a much easier time. After all, she specialized in dealing with Spellcasters, and the Pigman Priest’s abilities were no match for a Seeker of Omens who was almost at the Master level.

It couldn’t even think of casting spells, as every movement was met with a lash. Its Magic Wand was utterly useless, unable to block the supple whip. Blood flowed incessantly with each strike of the small whip.

The Priest did attempt to summon other Pigmen for help, but the two corpses at its feet told the tale of its failure.

Death’s arrival was slow—unforeseeable, unavoidable.

In the end, it collapsed during its charge towards Amanda.

Actually, once the Pigman Knight died, the battle had effectively ended, as no Pigman remained who could stop Lance.

The only ones left standing were the members of their group; all the Pigmen had fallen, littering the ground as corpses.

Lance crouched to examine the newly appeared Pigman Priest.

The injuries on its body showed that it hadn’t been beaten to death but had bled out. In its final moments, this Spellcaster had been driven to such desperation that it attempted a melee charge. Amanda is indeed ruthless, Lance mused.

But Lance wasn’t concerned about that; rather, he focused on its bodily structure and the abilities it had demonstrated.

”This Pigman Priest should be the advanced version of the Pigman Drummer, just as the Pigman Concealer is an upgrade from the Pigman Cripple,” Lance stated, essentially providing the answer. Indeed, these Pigmen were capable of iteration.

The Pigman Drummer’s failure lay in its lack of sufficient intelligence and Extraordinary Talent. Consequently, it had to rely on items like the Human Skin Drum to produce effects, placing it in an awkward position.

The Pigman Priest, on the other hand, was clearly a product improved by the Progenitor. It was born with an innate Extraordinary Talent that allowed it to cast various Sorceries.

The spell it had cast earlier, whatever it may have been, stemmed from its own abilities, not from any external tools.

Both the Pigman Priest and the Pigman Concealer exhibited Supernatural Power. This demonstrated that the Progenitor had somehow overcome the instability of Extraordinary Talents.

Even if Lance had his issues with the Progenitor—that scoundrel—he couldn’t deny the being was a genius.

Although the corpse was riddled with whip marks, it was relatively intact. Since Lance wasn’t sure if they would encounter more later, he opted to keep it instead of performing a Sacrifice.

”Everyone, take a look around,” Lance called out. ”Why are so many Pigmen gathered here?”

The space within this cave was larger than the others. Lance took out several torches and distributed them. Once all were lit, their combined radiance dispelled the darkness, revealing the surroundings.

They were only at the cave’s entrance. Walking further in, they discovered blood flowing across the ground—not remnants of their recent battle, but originating from deeper inside.

During the preceding chaos, they hadn’t paid much attention. Now, away from the heat of battle, an intense stench of blood and decay filled the air. Whether it was due to the recent slaughter or simply the nature of this place, even Lance, long accustomed to such odors, could detect it clearly.

As Lance drew closer, he witnessed a truly shocking sight: piles of various remains, stacked almost to the height of a small hill.

To one side was a tabletop made of large stones, upon which lay several corpses that had not yet been dismembered.

On the other side were carts, stained dark red with blood, their empty state indicating they were waiting to be loaded.

I finally understand why there are so many Pigman Butchers and Pigman Hookhands here, Lance realized. This place is a slaughterhouse!

The Pigman Butchers were responsible for cutting, while the Pigman Hookhands handled tasks like sorting, dragging bodies onto the stone tables, and then distributing them.

As for their slaughter targets...

Lance lifted his torch towards the corpses. Aided by the flickering light, he could barely discern a plethora of human limbs mixed with the torn-apart remains of Flesh Devourers. No wonder the flesh on those corpses appears dissolved, he thought.

From this, it was apparent that the Pigmen had always been hunting the Flesh Devourers. It also begged the question: who were the true masters of the Beast Lair?