Over thirty jungle natives had arrived, among them, the middle-aged Priest was the only spellcaster, and apart from the leading middle-aged Priest, there were two other Extraordinary Exponents among the natives—a pair of brothers with the power of Bloodline.
Their height almost reached two meters, having inherited the Bloodline of the "Heavy Stone Demon Bear," a type of magic beast commonly found in the jungle that could provide a considerable increase in strength and defensive power.
Just as they arrived on the street and were still more than two hundred meters away from the Fischer Family's estate, they suddenly heard a sharp whistle.
The middle-aged Priest quickly raised his hand and shouted, "Be careful!"
Although unclear of the reason for being discovered, he knew the sound came from within the Fischer Family's residence, and that family was definitely on high alert.
"What's going on?"
Some nearby residents began opening their doors to check the commotion, and the elder brother among the warrior siblings threw his axe, smashing the head of one curious onlooker.
"Aaaaah!"
Immediately after, screams ensued as someone peering through the crack of a door bore witness to the scene.
"What happened?"
"It's the jungle natives!"
"Where is the patrol team!"
People began emerging from all directions on the street, and the original plan to raid and kill the Fischer family was now utterly exposed.
The middle-aged Priest's expression fluctuated, and he suddenly bellowed, "An eye for an eye! Cyart people dying is of no concern! Kill them!"
Dozens of weapon-wielding jungle natives roared as if liberated, swinging axes and spears, hacking at anyone they encountered.
"Run, my son, run!"
"Aaaaah! Help!"
"Damn it, I'm going all out against you bastards!"
In an instant, more than a dozen civilians were slain, and the men on the street grabbed their weapons in an attempt to fight back, managing to kill a few of the jungle natives but were soon cut down by the three Extraordinary Exponents among the natives.
Women and children who could not escape in time cried and begged for mercy, but the towering warrior brothers each grabbed a pleading mother and daughter, slamming them to death on the ground, as the bloodthirsty natives stepped over the corpses and began setting fires house by house.
Fierce flames danced, casting everything nearby into a shade of orange-red. The dark sky was lit up as the fire reached toward the heavens, illuminating the surrounding buildings and trees.
"Revenge! The will of the Lord of Bloody Cult! People of the East Coast will eventually reclaim their land!"
The middle-aged Priest shouted as he rallied the twenty or so surviving jungle natives, charging towards the Fischer Family's residence nearby, aiming to finish the battle before the town's patrol team could return.
Thick smoke hung in the night sky, making the fire scene even more terrifying and gloomy. The flames jumped, soared, and twisted as if possessed by life itself.
Inside the Fischer Family's mansion, ten guards, all fully armed and led by Lucius, sported fearful expressions, their courage waning.
Lucius, holding a sharp blade and clad in full armor, stood in front of the door with a bag of alchemical tools at his side, bellowing,
"Don't be afraid! The patrol team will be here any moment! We have over a hundred people! They'll be surrounded soon!"
Listening to the crackling flames and wails from outside, Lucius contemplated the unfolding battle.
The walls surrounding the courtyard were over three meters high, too tall for an ordinary person to leap over, and the main gate, reinforced with iron, would take quite a while to breach. In fact, the most critical point to defend against was the enemy's Extraordinary Exponents.
Once an Extraordinary Exponent from the enemy side climbed over the wall and opened the front gate, all enemies would flood in, and the Fischer Family would suffer heavy casualties in an instant.
"You must hold this position!"
He had already instructed the servants to stand at various observation points within the estate, and the moment an enemy was spotted climbing over the wall, they were to blow their whistles immediately.
At that time, Lucius would personally lead his men to deal with the Extraordinary Exponents who had breached their defenses.
Irene, wearing a black dress, held Chris by the window on the second floor, gazing out at the fiery blaze. The sky was already alight with fire.
Why hadn't the patrol team arrived yet?
Byrne, wearing a breastplate, quickly arrived and said, "Father told me to take you to the basement!"
"No, we cannot leave."
Irene drew her flintlock, specially crafted through alchemy, and spoke rapidly, "Because of 'God Worshiping,' I am blessed by the Lord of the Lost every day. Don't worry, His will shall protect me."
"God Worshiping" abilities varied in blessings depending on the chosen entity; Irene chose the Lord of the Lost, and Karl discovered that a strand of black light was bestowed deep within the girl's soul.
Although the specific effects of Irene's soul being gradually tinted by the black light were unclear, it definitely wasn't without effect.
Byrne's expression shifted, realizing that the most devout person in the family was only Irene; he and his son Lucius could never achieve such devotion.
Irene said in an extremely indifferent tone, "You just need to follow my orders."
Byrne stood dumbfounded for a while before nodding, acutely aware of his cousin's gradual transformation over the past two years.
Initially, the girl was similar to ordinary humans; now, she had become capable of assuming the family's responsibilities.
Karl silently observed the entire strategic situation, knowing that if the Fischer family was pushed to the brink, he wouldn't hesitate to spend his Spirituality to intervene directly.
Soon he noticed three Extraordinary Exponents among the natives scaling a side wall: nearly two meters tall, the Heavy Stone Demon Bear bloodline brothers wielded long spears, while the middle-aged Priest carried a blue stone axe imbued with faint Magic Power.
"Shh!!!"
The servant who spotted the three people climbing over the wall immediately blew a whistle, and Lucius quickly led five people over, ordering the rest to defend the main entrance at all costs.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Over twenty natives outside furiously pounded on the door, turning the guards' faces an ashen color; had the door not been reinforced with iron, it would have broken from the outside instantly.
The strongest middle-aged guard pulled a black sphere from his bosom and threw it out the door with all his might; an explosion followed, then came screams of agony while the guards subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
One part of the alchemical explosive obtained from the five trades was used here, while Lucius personally carried two parts, and Byrne also carried two on him.
Lucius and the five guards quickly encountered the middle-aged Priest and the warrior brothers.
"Kill!"
"Blood for blood!"
There was no excess of words between the two sides; combat commenced the very second they met.
Lucius executed his usual rapid forward thrust, aiming to capture the leader first; his first target upon encounter was the middle-aged Priest whom he deemed of highest status.
"Clang!"
The Priest's axe blocked the thrust effortlessly, his speed and reaction not a bit slower than Lucius, even swiftly unleashing a force stronger than his to raise the axe.
The primary effects of the "Shadow Shark Tiger" bloodline power was the dual enhancement of speed and strength!
"Ha!"
Lucius was repelled by the axe, stumbling back several steps while the five guards beside him thrust their two-meter-long spears at the three Extraordinary Exponents.
Bellowing like bears, the warrior brothers activated the Heavy Stone Demon Bear's bloodline power and charged forward, ignoring the spears that barely managed to pierce their flesh, failing to reach any vital organs.
With their bloodline power focusing on defense, their flesh and bodily defensive power were troublesome even for mortals.
The warrior brothers swung their axes, and two guards were killed in their bewilderment while the remaining three screamed and turned to flee.
Suddenly, a black sphere rolled at their feet, hissing ominously.
"Boom!"
The explosion from the alchemical explosive hurled the two warrior brothers through the air, their bodies a gory blur before they collapsed, grievously wounded and unable to rise.
This device wouldn't explode immediately, so it was vital to first draw the enemy's attention; Lucius crouched slyly nearby, ready to take out the last alchemical explosive he carried.
The power of low-level Extraordinary Exponents was not insignificant, but the power of the explosives was clearly even more devastating!
"Oh Lord of Bloody Cult, my destiny is to enact Your will, to impose curses upon my enemies with Your power; the Cyart people must repay blood with blood!"
The middle-aged Priest chanted solemnly, extending his hand towards Lucius's head to unleash the power of his magic heritage, "Blood Magic."
Lucius didn't hesitate to dodge swiftly but still felt an invisible force locking onto the periphery of his body.
The next moment, the battle-hardened Lucius couldn't help but wail in agony as searing pain emanated from his arm.
"Aaaaahhhhhhhh!"
The blood within his arm boiled furiously, the entire limb under his armor trembling uncontrollably, ready to burst!