"You can't go wrong here. Go in, assault, and kill them all—leave none alive. Remember, the followers of Tishachar have the means to blow themselves up."
Punk reminded his two teammates without looking back. He didn't waste more words and immediately began preparing a large-scale spell to prevent any survivors from escaping.
Kang Kai's expression turned solemn at Punk's warning. As a kind-hearted ranger, he despised killing, but when it came to these "heinous" cultists, he had no qualms about staining his hands with blood if it meant protecting the innocent.
"Obai, great god of nature, forgive my brutal slaughter."
With an incomprehensible prayer, spiraling vindictive energy wrapped around Kang Kai's short sword.
He was ready for battle.
At the rear, Bahanger was the most impatient.
The enraged dwarf either ignored or outright disregarded Punk's warning. With a powerful stomp, his short figure blasted into the air, propelled by an explosive burst of vindictiveness. Warhammer raised high, Bahanger roared as he hurtled toward the farm's hut, his speed tearing through the air in a streak of bright yellow light.
Official-level Combat Skill — Blasting Leap Strike!
"Damn cultists of Tishachar! Taste Bahanger's hammer!"
His attack was the very embodiment of violent aesthetics.
The moment his warhammer made contact, the concentrated force erupted with devastating power.
BOOM!
The farmhouse instantly collapsed into a crater.
The force of impact sent a towering plume of dust into the sky, forming a small mushroom cloud. The sheer weight of the earth element energy split the surrounding ground apart like a massive earthquake, tearing through stone and soil.
Below, the cave hidden beneath the farm was completely exposed.
At the same time, Punk's spell activated.
"Official Summoning Spell — Summon Thorns: A large-scale thorn barrier to entrap all enemies!"
A vast cluster of razor-sharp thorns sprouted around the farm, each at least five meters tall. Their spikes gleamed like dagger edges under the morning sun, cold and menacing.
The thorny wall encircled the entire pasture, its roots piercing several meters underground to block all possible escape routes.
With this, unless Tishachar herself arrived, none of her followers would leave this place alive.
Although their plan was high-profile and lacked subtlety, the sheer speed of three official-level powerhouses made up for it.
From a tactical standpoint, if Tishachar was caught off guard, there was at least a 30% chance of neutralizing her forces before she could react—an opportunity well worth seizing.
Punk had no intention of letting any loose ends inform her.
But in truth, when dealing with fanatical zealots, Punk's caution was almost unnecessary.
With most of the farm's underground structure demolished by Bahanger's hammer, the surviving cultists—despite their injuries—frantically clawed their way out of the rubble.
Ignoring their broken bodies, they charged toward the dwarf standing amidst the debris.
"Blasphemers of Tishachar must die!"
"This is holy war! Holy war has begun!"
"The great Tishachar will grant us power!"
"Die, heretics! Victory belongs to Tishachar!"
The fervent believers, led by a single apprentice-ranked warrior, were otherwise ordinary people whose sheer devotion pushed them to their limits.
They paid no heed to the overwhelming power gap, rushing forward with crazed determination.
"Tch, I don't have time to play whack-a-mole. If you're all coming at me at once, then I'll make this quick."
Seeing these ragged cultists charging with nothing but shattered stones and bricks, shouting about victory, Bahanger sneered.
He adjusted his grip on his warhammer, his muscles tensing audibly.
"Watch closely, and learn what true skill looks like!"
With that, the dwarf prepared to unleash a devastating combat technique.
Official Combat Skill — Wind Pressure:
Condenses air pressure into a high-density shockwave, blasting enemies away.
"Wait, Bahanger! Keep one alive!"
Kang Kai sensed the sheer force gathering around the dwarf's hammer. If this strike landed, the zealots would be reduced to bloody smears.
Desperate to extract information on Tishachar's whereabouts, he shouted a quick warning.
"Tch, you're no fun. I was just getting warmed up."
Bahanger grumbled but understood the necessity. Reluctantly, he reined in the bulk of his power.
Even at reduced strength, the shockwave still shattered the internal organs and bones of the weaker cultists, leaving only the apprentice warrior barely clinging to life.
"Killing should be a last resort," Kang Kai said solemnly, turning to Bahanger. "It is not something to be spoken of lightly."
His words, however, fell on deaf ears.
Neither Punk nor Bahanger so much as acknowledged his sentiment.
Without sparing him a glance, Punk stepped into the wreckage, using his Mage Hand to clear away debris, meticulously examining every brick for traces of hidden passages.
Bahanger, on the other hand, gave Kang Kai an exasperated look before barking:
"Enough with the preaching! If you're so concerned, come help interrogate this idiot. If he doesn't talk, I'll turn his balls to pulp!"
The dwarf stomped toward the barely breathing cultist, lifted him up like a ragdoll, and growled menacingly.
"Listen up, scum. Tell me where your damn priestess is hiding, and I'll grant you a quick death. Otherwise, I'll show you the methods of the Hammer Clan!"
Bahanger was itching to fight Tishachar.
His patience for interrogation was nonexistent.
If this prisoner refused to talk, the dwarf would make him talk.
Kang Kai watched his two "companions" in silent dismay.
He had never expected these two neutral-aligned fighters to follow his ideals, but seeing their blatant disregard for morality still made his stomach churn.
In the end, Kang Kai merely sighed and joined the interrogation.
His priority was saving the people of Dolez City.
Anything else, he could only entrust to the will of Obai, the god of nature.
Unlike Bahanger's brute-force approach, Kang Kai crouched before the wounded warrior and spoke gently.
"My child, you have been deceived by evil. Open your eyes and witness the beauty of this world. Your family still awaits your return. They would not wish to see you like this."
His voice was filled with genuine compassion.
If Kang Kai had lived in another world, he might have been hailed as a true saint—the type who would even feed his own flesh to an eagle in self-sacrifice.
But here—
in this reality—
his words were utterly meaningless.
The fanatical cultist stared back, unyielding.