Crush them all!

"Stand behind me!" Lance roared, raising the massive steel shield with one hand, and yet having the strength to wield the Candlelight Priest’s great shield with the other, raising them both to block half the passage, deflecting the spears hurled by the Hunters.

But the immense force on the spears had to be borne down, and for a moment, his shield-bearing arms felt numb. This stuff felt off even to Lance, as if the throw had been endowed with supernatural power.

Even the heavy spear couldn’t pierce through the shields, let alone these short spears, which made the escape plan seem less viable.

If it had just made a hit-and-run attack earlier, it might have stood a chance, but after being knocked over and now faced with so many people, it had no chance of survival.

Amanda launched a Flying Dagger and broke its attempt to flee, while Laura drew her bow and released an arrow, Junia raised a hand and shot a beam of Holy Light, and Dismas fired a shot.

In just an instant, the Hunter was hit by a dagger, an arrow, and a bullet, and even struck by a flash of light, left with no room to struggle.

Boudica couldn’t hold back and charged in, chopping down with her axe. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

It turned out that even an Elite monster wasn’t so simple, as it dared to counterattack Boudica even while injured, charging forward with its head held high.

Tusk Stab!

The steel mask clashed with the axe blade, but perhaps due to its injuries, Boudica’s overwhelming strength easily overpowered the Hunter, hacking it down.

After a desperate final strike, it lost all ability to resist, and Boudica’s axe cleaved into its body, ending its life completely.

Lance then pulled out the heavy spear lodged in the shield, relieved that the spears hurled at Balistan earlier were only light ones; otherwise, Balistan might not have withstood them.

Collecting his belongings, Lance walked over and glanced at the corpse, and called out to Paracelsus.

"Doctor, do you want the corpse?"

Paracelsus glanced at the body, riddled with injuries and chopped into pieces, lost interest, and dismissively said,

"No."

Laura stepped forward to retrieve her arrows, having grown accustomed to saving resources even if they were now less expensive.

Amanda also retrieved her Flying Daggers to reset the ritual power on them.

Lance casually offered a sacrifice, receiving only a bit of Spiritual Essence as a reward.

The team was nearly unaffected; most didn’t even get a chance to act before it was resolved.

They moved forward swiftly and soon encountered a blockade by the Pigmen, getting pincered on both sides.

But they were easily crushed, Lance slicing through them, then offering sacrifice to the Pigmen corpses.

Lance led the charge into a cave, suddenly feeling a sense of openness in the expansive space that the Pigmen had excavated over an unknown period.

Once everyone entered and the light from multiple torches illuminated the space,

there was a strong aura of primitive blood sacrifice, heaps of skulls reduced to bleached bone, flayed human skins used as canvases covered in bizarre, indecipherable symbols.

But what truly stunned everyone was a massive structure in the middle of the area—a giant effigy of pieced-together iron, a reversed symbol mimicking the Ancestors’ Ascension Cult emblem created by the Pigmen.

This thing stood against the wall, its highest point reaching seven or eight meters. It was hard to imagine how the Pigmen had managed to construct it.

But this was just one of the decorations. When the true target they were seeking appeared, everyone, including Lance, couldn’t help but be dumbfounded.

Under the gigantic backdrop wall was the monster Laura had spoken of.

A colossal figure, standing over five meters tall, with a single arm thick and towering as a person.

The enormous head bore the visage of a fat pig, except its eyes were hollow and shriveled, and it lacked even a skull.

A crude iron crown rested on its head, though it was questionable if it protected the pig brain, as it visibly trembled in the firelight, exposed to the air.

In its hand was a giant cleaver the size of a literal door, easily over a hundred pounds, making even the great sword Lance previously wielded seem like kindling in comparison.

The Meat Mountain’s muscles were exaggerated, with the body seemingly growing uncontrollably with sharp bone spurs of varying lengths and thicknesses, surfaces marred with signs of corrosion and decay.

The lower half, starting at the abdomen, was a chaotic blend of unchecked flesh and bone, rendering it immobile.

God of Pigmen!

It was a grotesque aberration, a monstrosity unfit for the real world, birthed by chance—an embodied mountain of flesh filled with hatred and fury.

While everyone stood in awe, a piercing scream jolted them back to reality.

Their attention shifted from the Pig God to a tiny Pigman behind it, a red cloth tied around its head, wielding two flags made of human bone and skin.

Remarkably, this little creature, barely half a person’s height, could command the Pig God.

With its shriek, the previously dormant God of Pigmen was suddenly ignited to life, unleashing a deep roar.

The shadows revealed a squad of Pigman Priests, the only ones qualified to remain here permanently.

Guarding the Pig God were several Misty Cave Hunters, the lair’s finest hunters, their red fur denoting their distinction.

As a continuous wave of Pigmen surged forth with that scream, the entire Beast Lair seemed awakened, with every Pigman in the vicinity converging immediately.

Lance’s gaze swept over the deity worshiped by the Pigmen, his heart resolute,

It was an unnameable abomination, evidence of the Ancestors’ evil experiment—it must be destroyed!

"Melee fighters, take advantageous positions, rotate to block the passage, ranged attackers focus on Priests and Hunters, don’t touch the little pig! Avoid the big pig."

Lance wasted no words, immediately casting a group Bless to refresh everyone’s state.

Pulling out a horn, he blew, boosting everyone with an amplification, dispelling fear and unease, leaving them with only fervor.

Enthusiasm surged!

Lance wasn’t done, pulling out some grenades and tossing them precisely among the Pigman Priests.

Gathering together in front of me, do you really underestimate me?

These Pigman Priests likely hadn’t been on the front lines and didn’t recognize these objects, a hesitation which proved fatal.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Three explosions echoed almost indistinguishably from each other, the shrapnel and shockwaves flipping several of them over.

The reverberations inside the cave left Lance and his team with ringing ears, not to mention the direct damage done to the targets.

Lacking the self-healing abilities of the Heretics, the seemingly dangerous group of Spellcasters was blown apart, with some dying instantly.

For those who survived, they were met with the same treatment as the Misty Cave Hunters.

Flying Daggers, bullets, arrows, flashes, and the summoned Void tentacles.

Laura was in a frenzy of rapid-firing, having only come here initially due to getting spooked by the sight of the God of Pigmen.

Originally believing this object of fear would haunt her forever, since meeting the Lord, the fear was shattered piece by piece.

Now, she harbored no fear, only zeal!

Lance, having thrown the grenades, now lobbed an Incendiary Bottle, setting it alight and tossing it out, the flames springing up as the Hunters ready to throw spears turned into torches, struggling wildly.

The flames instantly dispelled the darkness, properly illuminating the cave, making it impossible for the Hunters hiding behind to escape, and instantly drawing attacks.

Though they attempted a counterattack, the thrown spears were intercepted by Lance, Balistan, and Geralt.

No matter how elite, exposing their positions to this formidable group left them no chance to turn the tide.

If harm alone could eliminate them, why else would I lead such a large party out?