Our Family Has Fallen

"Damn it, what a bunch of garbage! The Lord would be better off raising pigs than you lot!" Dismas cursed when he noticed the soldiers weren't reacting quickly enough. The pressure within him mounted, and he began to berate them, realizing they were utterly unreliable.

However, his hands didn't stop reloading his musket; on the contrary, he accelerated the process even more.

As he watched the monster in front of him continue to mutate, he knew someone had to take a stand, whether to buy the others more time to react or to show them the strength of humanity.

He swore he would not betray My Lord's trust.

"Watch and learn, kid. The enemy is terrifying, but Hamlet will never yield!"

With a loud cry, Dismas threw himself at the creature.

Many might succumb to panic and chaos, but not this man, at least not today.

This time, Dismas didn't conserve his ammunition. As soon as he was close enough, he fired directly at the monster, aiming for the large eyeball on its chest instead of its head.

No sooner had the creature stood up and pulled out its Spear, the eyeball that had just formed was blown to pieces by Dismas's Lead Bullet. This alleviated the pressure on everyone else, and some of the mentally stronger soldiers quickly came to their senses.

But this wound was not enough to immobilize the monster. Instead, it enraged it even further, causing it to let out an inhuman, piercing howl that sent shivers down the spine.

The monster's attention was drawn to Dismas. Its swollen, dual faces turned to look at him, and with a swing of its hand, it lashed out with tentacles, its sheer fury on full display.

Faced with the incoming tentacles, Dismas could only dodge. He had no armor; getting caught meant certain death. Moreover, he couldn't find any opportunity to get closer.

BANG! A gunshot echoed. A Lead Bullet struck the monster as a Musketeer finally overcame the fear in his heart and fired at the source of his terror.

Although the minor injury healed instantly, it distracted the creature, giving Dismas a chance to attack.

When his Short Sword sliced out, Dismas could usually sever an enemy's head effortlessly along its joints. However, the sensation transmitted through the Sword Blade now was perplexing, like cutting through thick cowhide.

His attack didn't deal much damage, but the tentacles were already curling towards him. At this distance, dodging was nearly impossible.

Was this the end for him?

His heart pounded violently, and he could almost hear death calling to him.

AH! A fierce shout erupted as Balistan charged forward with his shield, like an enraged bull, unleashing immense power.

The shield struck the monster's head, crushing several eyeballs and sending the creature stumbling back, while also interrupting the tentacle attack aimed at Dismas.

"Brother, are you alright?" Balistan halted and turned to glance at Dismas.

"I'm fine. Be careful; it's getting stronger," Dismas replied.

The support from his comrade pulled Dismas back from the brink of death. The accumulated pressure dissipated, and calm reclaimed his mind as he immediately began reloading his musket.

Turning back to face the fight, Balistan held his shield up front. He saw the wounds on the monster's face had already recovered, but not in any way a normal person would understand. Instead, the shattered eyeballs turned into black tears that slid down its face, and then even more, denser eyeballs split open from beneath the skin and emerged.

Reynard rose from the ground. He had blocked most of the force from the tentacles with a swing of his Longsword, and his armor and padding prevented any serious injury.

But the sensation he felt when his Longsword hacked into the creature told him something was amiss. He had fought similar monsters before; in the Ovando City club, he had killed one.

Back then, beheading it meant certain death, but now, even with its head blown apart, the creature still mutated.

Plus, the difference in strength and physical durability seemed exaggerated. Previously, they could heal rapidly, but a single sword strike could easily break through their defenses, whereas now, it took much more effort.

Not to mention, the creature was at least twice its original size. Reynard keenly sensed that the monster was still mutating uncontrollably, and it was uncertain what was now controlling its body.

They couldn't wait any longer. Trouble was brewing...

"I bask in the sunlight!" Reynard shouted, charging with his Longsword. It gleamed in the sun's rays like a Spear graced by the Holy Light.

His sharp weapon pierced the monster's Flesh with his charge, but Reynard didn't slow down. He drew his Longsword back and swung it fiercely at the creature's grotesque arm, cutting deep to the bone.

The monster's massive body lurched into action, launching heavy, unrefined attacks at Reynard.

But Reynard was never alone.

Balistan moved in with his shield, swinging his Warhammer at the creature's legs.

Dismas maneuvered behind the monster, struggling to cut it with his Short Sword.

The trio fought it together, but the battle was no longer as effortless as before. The more they slashed, the greater the damage inflicted, and the more the creature mutated. Soon, it was no longer recognizable as humanoid but had transformed into a true monstrosity of twisted Flesh.

If there were someone with a bit more expertise among them, a true Transcendent, they would know that the Spiritual Essence all around had become restless, and that the monster was undeniably an out-of-control Heretic!

In the midst of the chaos, Reynard chopped down with his Longsword. He never expected the monster to ignore the potential damage and, with a fierce counterblow, send him flying.