Our Family Has Fallen

A mushroom-headed creature blocked the horse's path. After the collision, the horse reared abruptly and toppled. Reynard, who was mounted, was thrown off. Fortunately, with his considerable combat experience, he managed a roll and landed unscathed, but he found himself surrounded by monsters.

Without a moment's hesitation, Reynard swung his sword, chopping off the head of a monster before him, and then continued to charge toward the leader.

But without the aid of his mount, how far could he really go?

Another swing of his sword, yet lacking strength, left the blade lodged in a monster's body. Before he could pull it free, he was engulfed by the surging mass of creatures.

Reynard watched the White Bone Mask of the leader as it slowly disappeared from view. So unwilling! Just a little closer, I was almost there...

It was at that moment, a familiar voice rang out.

"It's okay, because I've returned."

Hearing this, Reynard felt the intense pain he had been suppressing vanish, and a strong Life Force surged within his body. At the same time, a warm current blossomed from within him, unleashing a powerful force.

This familiar sensation...

Reynard turned back and saw that all the straggling cavalrymen had been rallied. They had few wounds, and each one was booming with fervor. Among these men, one figure wielding an exaggeratedly large sword stood out.

That's right, the Lord has returned!

"Now lead the squad out. Tell them I have returned."

With a casual swing of his weapon, Lance cleared a swath of monsters, showcasing the terrifying power unleashed when gigantic weaponry meets immense strength.

Reynard didn't hesitate for a moment. He mounted up and led the Cavalry Squad out. This time, however, they encountered little resistance. All Reynard saw were corpses scattered everywhere, seemingly all slain by the Lord.

This meant that the Lord had just charged in alone? How immensely powerful...

There was no time for them to ponder. They broke through to the outside and raced towards the farm, shouting at the top of their lungs, "The Lord has come!"

Lance also ran out, cutting off the monsters chasing the squad. He was unclear on the specifics. When he rushed back, all he saw were monsters besieging the farm and Reynard charging forward. Considering that there were only a few of them left in the whole town, losing them would be heart-wrenching! Now was not the time for thought; he plunged in to rescue the Cavalry.

As the Cavalry raced around spreading the news of Lance's return, by the time Lance arrived back at the farm, he saw nothing but heavy casualties.

Witnessing the scene before him, Lance was furious!

Without hesitation, he raised his hand. All soldiers within his sight received the "Flesh Reconstruction" treatment. Their wounds were wiped clean, and even those on the ground, barely breathing, managed to stand up and continue the fight. He then applied "Bless" and "Strengthening" to every soldier, refreshing their state. Those already exhausted soldiers once again erupted with tenacious strength.

With morale boosted and vigor renewed, fiery blood surged through the soldiers' veins! The soldiers, initially pushed to their limits, were invigorated by Lance's appearance and the miraculous turn of events. They shouted their Lord's name, unleashing a terrifying frenzy.

Not only did the soldiers get a respite, but the accumulated pressure on the few instructors fighting on the front lines was also alleviated by Lance's arrival.

However, the pressure in Lance's own heart had increased. Had he realized just how much Spiritual Essence those two moves had consumed? The Spiritual Essence he had painstakingly conserved was nearly depleted. Thankfully, the monster corpses littered everywhere allowed him to recover some. Otherwise, this expedition would have been a total loss. But he couldn't bear to watch those soldiers die. How many families did each of these men represent? Not to mention the pensions and various policies crucial for Hamlet's future development.

Yet, this alone was not enough. The Corrupted Parasites tirelessly assaulted them, spitting out poisonous spores that incapacitated many soldiers. Lance knew he had to find a solution; otherwise, even if they won this war of attrition, the cost would be unbearable.

Looking around, he saw the cattle sheds, chicken coops, and sheepfolds, now evacuated of livestock. These wooden structures, the most common type, were filled with flammable materials like straw.

"Let the monsters in, then set the farm ablaze!"

When Lance gave this order, everyone was puzzled—after all, their grain was still inside the farm.

"What's more important, grain or people? I want you all to live!" Lance raised his greatsword and struck down an approaching monster. "Get people to clear flammable materials around the granary. The fire won't reach there."

The granaries, too, were designed with fire prevention in mind. Their construction materials weren't wood, but rather earth and stone. Furthermore, their positioning was relatively isolated. Even if fire consumed the rest of the farm, as long as a firebreak was maintained, the granaries would be safe.

As for the farm, if it burned, so be it. As long as the people survived, they could always rebuild, especially since all valuables had already been evacuated.

"Hurry! Abandon this place, fall back to the granary."

His command was carried out. The soldiers retreated in an orderly fashion as more and more monsters poured in.

Only when the flames rose high did the seemingly one-sided situation instantly reverse.

At that moment, the pathogens infecting the monsters frantically tried to escape the environment. However, the spores diffused in the air were burned by the fire or dispersed by the smoke, causing them to lose unified control. It was then they realized this place had become a Hell. They struggled within the flames and were purified.

This also gave the army a moment's respite.

Lance watched the chaotic Corrupted Parasites. This fire would consume at least two-fifths of them, but what about the rest?

"Milord, there's a leader hidden among those monsters. Now is the best chance to strike while they're in disarray," Reynard stepped forward with sword in hand, clearly realizing the crisis was far from over.

"I know..." Lance had already spotted that uniquely shaped monster. However, when faced with the choice between killing the leader and saving his men, he had chosen to return and rescue the latter.

"You few, come with me. I'm going to kill the monster leader."

There were no tactics involved. He had even set fire to the farm, leaving him no resources beyond his soldiers. Now there was only one way left to go—a direct assault...

Dismas and the others did not hesitate to step forward at this order. Some soldiers also wanted to follow, but Lance restrained them. He didn't need senseless sacrifices. Besides, these common soldiers lacked the strength to keep up with them.

Torches were lit, and at Lance's command, the small team charged through the burning buildings, directly into the midst of the monsters.

Lance swung his greatsword, Sacrificing the monster corpses along the way. The Spiritual Essence from the monsters flowed into him, slightly replenishing the vast amount he had expended.

The fire threw the monsters into chaos, leaving them with little ability to resist. It had to be said that while Lance's move incurred significant losses, the monsters suffered greatly as well.

The team advanced methodically; otherwise, they would have easily been trapped. Lance led the way, with the other four on his left and right flanks to prevent monsters from attacking their rear. Meanwhile, Dismas, accustomed to a gun in his left hand, now wielded a torch; Barton, who used a one-handed sword, did likewise.

Previously, Reynard hadn't advanced far before being trapped. What was the reason? It was still a matter of strength. For the severely injured Reynard, accompanied by only a few new recruits, to think of accomplishing such tasks was pure delusion.

But Lance wielded his greatsword with powerful, sweeping blows. Not a single monster could withstand one hit, and he even had the presence of mind to Sacrifice their corpses. When they encountered monsters spitting poisonous spores, a torchbearer would thrust their flame forward, stirring the air and incinerating the spores. The torches held aloft by the team acted like protective talismans, providing Sanctuary to their small squad.

In game terms, this would be considered exploiting enemy mechanics; otherwise, how could it be so easy?

Taking advantage of the monsters' confusion, Lance and his team hacked and slashed their way through, leaving countless severed limbs and broken arms in their wake. They finally cut a bloody path through the horde and confronted that bizarrely shaped leader.