CHAPTER 481: CHAPTER 307: INHUMAN MONSTER_2

Tadiff had just suffered a heavy blow. He had survived only due to his tenacious will as he struggled to slay the Priest, but now, how could he possibly withstand these frenzied Ascension Cultists?

The Ascension Cultists didn’t care about that, stumbling forward with outstretched iron claws aimed directly at him.

Had it not been for the hit he took, Tadiff wouldn’t fear these guys at all.

Unfortunately, his condition was already poor. The axe strike earlier had caused him severe pain in his head, and with his mind in a daze, he entirely failed to notice the iron claw thrusting towards him.

"CLANG!"

The sound of metal colliding rang out as Geralt swung his sword and deflected the iron claw. This action also freed him from his constraints.

It was clear Geralt wouldn’t stand by and watch his comrade in trouble.

Without speaking, Geralt charged into the fray, battling the Ascension Cultists. Defense was the most difficult part, however, as there were weaknesses, especially when the opponents were so crazed they would rather sustain injuries than be stopped.

Not to mention, there were more than one of them. Geralt could block one or two, but he couldn’t stop them all.

Just as an Ascension Cultist broke through and charged at Tadiff, a roar suddenly filled the air.

"Get the hell back!" Balistan charged forward with his Shield, swinging it to block the blow, and then stood firm in front of Tadiff. "Don’t be afraid, they won’t get past me!"

At the same time, Junia activated her Divine Arts, pouring a flash of light into an Ascension Cultist’s head, causing him to pause. Geralt seized the opportunity and beheaded him with one stroke.

With Balistan’s arrival, Geralt was freed from his protective duties, and a Witcher Master without weaknesses was about to teach them what battle really meant.

There weren’t many to start with, and once the most threatening Priest was killed, the remaining Ascension Cultists were no match for them and were quickly dispatched.

When the battle subsided, even Geralt couldn’t help but catch his breath.

How much easier it was to be on missions with the Lord. Even when the Lord was struck down by Sorcery, as soon as he stood up again, the evil cult was dealt with as easily as sweeping away decayed branches. Now, even though they were all well-versed in combat, they still ended up in such a messy state. If Tadiff hadn’t risked his life to kill the Priest earlier, things could have been even more difficult.

Geralt’s golden gaze scanned the surroundings to ensure there were no further problems before he let out a slight sigh of relief.

"Everyone check for injuries," he said.

"None," Balistan replied, armored and holding a Shield. It would be a shame if he got easily injured after all these years.

"Me neither," Junia added, also clad in Armor. There were indeed a few jabs at her, but the armor had blocked them. The armor was a bit damaged, that much was true.

So, everyone’s gaze turned to Tadiff, as it was obvious he had been affected.

"I’ll heal him," Junia said without hesitation, casting Divine Arts, but it was apparent there was no significant response.

Balistan, having heard something about this from Lance, took the opportunity to explain.

"The Lord mentioned that these sorceries involve the soul; it’s not simple physical damage. It primarily causes psychological pressure, disrupting emotions. With a strong will, recovery will gradually take place."

None present had experienced such a thing, so they could only hope Tadiff would pull through on his own.

"I’m alright..." Tadiff also struggled to get up. Geralt quickly instructed Junia to help him, while he had to deal with the corpses.

"Junia, help him rest over there for a while. Balistan and I will take care of these bodies."

"How should we deal with them?" It only now dawned on Balistan that the Flesh and blood of the corpses would enhance the power of the Evil God. After all, the Lord had always dealt with them directly; when had he ever needed to worry about this?

"Burn them. The Lord already told me this before, but we need to examine their bodies first."

Tadiff was helped to the side to sit down. Soon, a campfire, using human bodies as kindling, rose. They were in the old campsite, where they found enough dry wood, even dismantling parts of the decrepit barracks.

The vigorous flames illuminated the whole campsite. The smell that initially emanated was a bit strange; slowly, the acrid scent of burning flesh mixed with smoke and rose to the sky.

"It seems our position has been exposed. Should we move?"

"It’s still deep in the night, and moving rashly might be even more dangerous. Staying here gives us some initiative. Besides, we’ve just had a big fight, and everyone is quite exhausted, so it’s not suitable to move now." Geralt was aware of the risk but chose the more cautious approach: to wait until daylight.

Balistan had no objection to this. "You all expended a lot of energy just now. I’ll take the watch for the remainder of the night; you should all get some rest."

He wasn’t just talking. He had used the least energy. Geralt, as the main combatant, had expended significant energy killing three of them. Junia’s use of Divine Arts had also taken a toll, and Tadiff, meanwhile, was in no condition to keep watch.

The camp became peaceful once again. Worn out from the day and the night assault, everyone felt drained. After briefly settling in, they lay down to rest.

As for Tadiff, he also recovered a little. With the passage of time, that peculiar sensation was indeed gradually weakening.

During the earlier situation, he had still been conscious; it was as if he had been stripped from his body, yet he could sense what was happening around him.

Truth be told, he hadn’t expected the others to desperately protect him. He had been betrayed and thrown into prison, so he didn’t believe in such things as camaraderie; only Gold Coins were real to him. But their reactions just now had indeed made him a bit uncomfortable—he too had once been like that...

Wordlessly, Tadiff turned over, tightened his grip on the axe in his hands, and fell asleep.

Balistan did not possess Geralt’s inhuman senses, so he had to be fully vigilant for any stirring in the surrounding undergrowth.

The huge bonfire on the other side cast an abundant glow, illuminating them as well.

Keeping watch was tough; Balistan had always known that. But he couldn’t help but remember the times their Lord would take up this task himself, guarding them through the night. Such behavior was not typical of a Noble Lord; their leader truly was a savior, the last hope of this world.

Having already been ambushed at night was outrageous enough; Balistan thought they could get a peaceful night’s sleep for the remainder of it.

Unexpectedly, however, not long after, noises began to emerge from outside again, with no attempt at concealment.

Balistan cautiously looked outside and quickly witnessed an extremely horrific scene, hastily waking up the others.

Geralt and the others had not been in a deep sleep. They were quickly awakened by a light touch, only to see Balistan’s exceedingly grave expression.

Without a sound, they followed the direction Balistan was pointing and looked outside.

Although they hadn’t moved the campsite, they had switched to a more concealed position. Their spot was some distance from the bonfire and shielded by ancient stone ruins, so their enemies hadn’t discovered them immediately.

And then, illuminated by the light from the bonfire of burning bodies, they finally saw what it was. In an instant, everyone, including Geralt, couldn’t help but show shock on their faces.

The newcomers disturbing them were not humans but a group of indescribable monsters.

The proportions of the monsters’ bodies were not at all human-like. They had dark skin and strong, exaggerated muscles, even more pronounced than those of the Heretics who had earlier received a trace of Flesh.

But that wasn’t the strangest part. These monsters had pig-like heads, with upward-curving tusks protruding beyond their prominent snouts. Instead of hair, they had a mane of pig bristles on their heads.

The structure of the monsters’ hands was somewhat similar to humans, but their lower bodies were more pig-like, with short, squat legs and trotters.

It was truly strange that bodies with such odd proportions could stand and walk.

These pig-like humanoid monsters were not ordinary. They had learned to wrap cloth around their bodies and had tied small, heart-protecting shields at their waists. They were armed with Chain Hammers in one hand and serrated Meat Cleavers in the other.

If not for these creatures being draped in beast skins, one might even suspect they possessed iron-forging skills.