Our Family Has Fallen
Chapter 63: Unexpected Enemy_1

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Unexpected Enemy_1

"Lord!" Dismas saw Lance sent flying, his eyes nearly splitting with rage. His entire being fell into a frenzy as he raised his gun, pressed it close to the alpha wolf’s arm, and pulled the trigger.

Bursts of light flared, spraying a large quantity of blood. The alpha wolf’s right arm was hit so hard that the flesh was mangled, the thick muscle torn open, revealing the bone underneath.

But Dismas did not stop. His Short Sword drove into an unarmored spot on the alpha wolf’s shoulder.

"Ah!"

The alpha wolf, struck by consecutive heavy blows, let out a painful howl. Having completely lost the strength to hold his Great Shield in his right arm, he could only awkwardly swing the Great Shield with his left hand to force Dismas back.

Dismas easily dodged the alpha wolf’s clumsy attack, taking a slight step back to reload. However, he lacked his initial casualness, his worried gaze frequently shifting to the Lord lying not far away.

As for the fallen Lance, he felt a suffocating pressure in his chest and a wave of nausea. Dizziness and ringing filled his brain, and an unprecedented pain inflicted serious damage to both his body and spirit.

But that stubborn will did not yield.

I can’t fall... not now... the fight isn’t over yet...

Lance bore through the agony, and his consciousness returned as [Bless] activated.

In the past, he had used it sparingly, mainly to refresh his state while saving most for emergencies.

But now, sensing danger, he completely released his restraints. As [Tribute] depleted, the warm flow turned scorching, as if he could feel his heart pumping and hot blood surging.

The continuous warmth greatly eased his pain, and with it surged—strength!

"Ah!"

A roar burst from him as if expelling the tightness in his chest. The nauseating feeling vanished, and the next second, Lance scrambled up from the ground. His backpack fell away, leaving only the Short Sword still clenched in his hand.

The alpha wolf certainly noticed this. Within his gaze, Lance was charging towards him, his shaky figure swiftly stabilizing, showing no signs of injury.

If not for the familiar sensation from before, he might have doubted if he had hit him at all.

He had hoped to take one down with him, but now it seemed he had failed.

But he had no intention of waiting to die.

The already severely injured alpha wolf, on the verge of death, hurled the Great Shield at Dismas, then kicked Balistan away, freeing himself from the entanglement.

With the loss of his Great Shield, he also lost his last defense, but it also freed him from constraints.

Dragging his wounded body, he charged at Lance, astounding everyone with the burst of speed from such a massive frame. In an instant, the two were face to face.

Although he had lost his weapon, he lifted his left arm, his fist as big as a sandbag swooping towards Lance’s face.

"YEAAAAH!"

This punch, thrown with all his might... who could possibly withstand it!

"BANG!"

A gunshot sounded. The alpha wolf’s movement faltered, his tightly clenched fist meeting the bullet head-on and becoming a bloody ruin.

His forward-leaning posture also revealed a long-concealed vulnerability.

Lance thrust his sword through a seam in the Fish Scale Armor and across the wolf’s throat. As they passed each other, the alpha wolf’s massive body fell to the ground.

Their despicable leader had finally fallen!

Lance stopped as well, turning back to look at the alpha wolf, whose expression had completely lost its prior frenzy and had become very calm instead.

"I have two guns," he said, tucking the pistols back into his waist.

"Are you alright, My Lord?" Dismas and Balistan hurried over, examining their Lord closely.

"I’m fine. The armor blocked the damage."

Lance, reaching toward his chest, couldn’t help but feel a surge of fear. His clothing was slashed, revealing a slightly dented iron plate underneath.

His armor wasn’t traditional; it was made exceptionally thick specifically to prevent critical internal injuries. Other external wounds were a small matter, merely requiring a bit of [Tribute] to heal.

No matter how strong the alpha wolf was, he couldn’t maintain a burst of power, not to mention his condition was rapidly declining. So, the actual damage Lance took was much less than Reynard.

But having never taken such a beating, he was momentarily dazed. Because his armor held, the full force of the impact transferred to his body, like a blunt-force blow, directly causing dizziness.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly and dispelled the negative status effect; otherwise, he would have been incapacitated for half a day before regaining consciousness.

However, thinking of the other injured party, Lance immediately led the two of them over.

By this time, Reynard was able to stand. Although his armor was punctured and bloodstained, making him look somewhat bedraggled, he had, in fact, mostly recovered.

Lance’s rescue had been so prompt that the wounds had no chance to bleed much before he used [Flesh Reconstruction] to heal them.

Noticing the condition of his companions, Lance realized they were exhausted. Dismas had even sunk to the ground, gasping for breath, releasing the tension that had built up over time.

"It’s good that everyone is alright. The hardest part seems to be over. The remaining bandits pose no threat."

After comforting them, Lance shifted his attention to the immense corpse of the alpha wolf, scoffed, and muttered,

It seems an impressive physique can’t block a sharp blade.

He approached, intending to Sacrifice it.

But at that moment, Lance inexplicably felt an evil scrutiny that made his hair stand on end. His advancing foot subconsciously retracted as he scanned his surroundings.

"What’s wrong?"

His odd behavior immediately caught the attention of Reynard and the others. Just as they voiced their question, they heard Lance’s urgent shout.

"Prepare for battle!"

Dismas immediately stood up from the ground. His gun and Short Sword, still in hand, were readied once more. But as they looked around, they saw no sign of danger.

Whether it was due to his bloodline or the power granted by the system, only Lance could see the scene unfolding before him. The stable reality around them began to ripple without cause, the distortions growing more intense, like the surface of boiling water.

Suddenly, a strange force invaded, tearing through the final barrier between dimensions. It spread like ink in water, rapidly corrupting the existing space and forming a rift—or perhaps a portal?

And this power, the owner of the gaze that had been scrutinizing them, finally emerged from that portal.

The massive creature hovered in midair. A wide Yellow Robe obscured most of its body, with only its hands and head exposed.

Its hands looked as though they had suffered severe burns, the flesh melted and congealed. The head protruding from the Yellow Robe was even more bizarre: a bare skull, devoid of any flesh, emitting a faint blue glow. A cage-like headpiece resembling a prison was fixed upon its crown.

The creature’s lower jaw clacked uncontrollably up and down. Periodically, it would slam its skull against the headpiece, much like a madman lost in a violent frenzy.

With the creature’s appearance, the rippling space, no longer sustained by any power, quickly stabilized and smoothed out once more.