Our Family Has Fallen

Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Extraordinary Equipment_1

Could it be because of this bloodline?

Lance pondered for a moment. He felt the real reason the Butler didn’t intervene was that the estate needed a Lord. An unclaimed estate would inevitably attract the attention of other forces, which would be unfavorable for the Old Ancestor’s subsequent plans. Therefore, after the Old Ancestor himself had made a mess of the estate, he faked his own death and went into hiding, perhaps fearing there were beings in this world that even he dreaded. Was it the Church or the Empire?

And the Butler, as a follower of the Old Ancestor, apparently also wanted to fake his own death and escape. He was likely waiting for Lance to perish after inheriting, at which point he would revive and find the next naive victim.

Unfortunately, they hadn’t considered one thing:

”I have someone backing me up!”

Lance noticed an object the Butler had dropped after the [Sacrifice]. Picking it up, he discovered it was a golden ring.

Lance examined the ring closely. The band was engraved with strange patterns, and the face of the ring bore a curved spike, exactly like the seal on the wax of that initial letter. Wasn’t this the Old Ancestor’s Family Crest Ring?

Due to [Sanctuary]’s presence immunizing him from those fancy tricks, Lance didn’t hesitate much and immediately put on the ring that symbolized his family. At that moment, he felt a strange power emanating from the ring. The nearsightedness from years of reading vanished, and the world before his eyes grew clearer. His senses felt sharper.

This was not just a ring symbolizing family identity; it was also a piece of Extraordinary Equipment. Its effects appeared to enhance the wearer’s senses, making it a very good piece of equipment.

Jackpot!

Lance knew this world contained many strange powers, and there were countless pieces of equipment in the game, but those were just strings of data. Only by truly coming into contact with this Extraordinary Equipment could one truly appreciate its miraculous nature.

Lance, now in a good mood, finally noticed Dismas standing to the side. Dismas had a vacant expression, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead, clearly indicating his profound fear.

”Are you afraid?”

Lance’s words jarred the stupefied Dismas from his daze, allowing him to break free from the haunting scene that lingered in his mind, though his expression remained vacant.

Dismas was silent, but Lance understood his state just by looking at him.

”You saw correctly. That is the kind of monster we must confront, and it’s only one of them. If we cannot stop the resurrection of the Evil God, and corruption spreads, there will be many more monsters, even stronger than that one.”

Lance had no intention of comforting him; instead, he laid out the stark reality.

He needed a fearless hero, not a terrified bandit.

Dismas felt as if a hand were tightly clenching his heart. Each breath he took seemed to squeeze not air, but his very courage from his chest.

He couldn’t forget the scene he had glimpsed just moments ago and vaguely felt that this cursed land would be his end.

”I... I’m not ready...”

Dismas realized he lacked the courage to remain loyal. Fear had taken hold of his soul. Now, all he wanted was to run away, to a faraway place where he could forget everything, as if he had never been here.

”But we killed it,” Lance said slowly, interrupting his fantasy.

Dismas was momentarily stunned, as if grasping something but not quite fully comprehending.

”That’s right, you’ve seen it too. Monsters are indeed powerful, but not invincible. Like ordinary people, they can be hurt, feel fear, and die—just like the one we killed right in front of you.”

Lance placed his hand on Dismas’s shoulder, activating [Bless]. Faint specks of light flowed into him, and his words did not cease, growing even more resolute. ”We are not without the power to resist. You can make them afraid, you can hurt them, you can kill them!”

The effects of [Strengthening] manifested. The body, previously drained of courage by fear, inexplicably felt an urge. He began muttering Lance’s words, and his spirit started to recover.

That’s right! The monster was eliminated right before my eyes. It bled and died just like an ordinary person. Why should I be afraid?

”I abandoned the fear of life and death long ago, so I am fearless. If you don’t even have the courage to confront corruption, I’ll give you some money tomorrow morning, and you can leave,” Lance said, withdrawing his hand and gazing at him.

When Dismas came to his senses, he saw Lance standing tall before him, his face showing not a hint of fear but rather a trace of indescribable disappointment.

At that moment, Dismas felt an overwhelming shame. He should have been protecting the Lord, but instead, he had been petrified by the monster, requiring the Lord to protect him instead.

”My Lord! I will not yield to fear. If necessary, I will charge into Hell itself!”

The more he thought, the angrier he became. Dismas was now desperate to prove himself. His veins bulged as he shouted, gripping his gunblade tightly.

Now, the image of the monster in his mind was no longer terrifying. On the contrary, if that monster appeared again, he truly dared to grab his weapon and fight!

”Fear itself isn’t terrifying, because the hymn of humanity is courage.”

Lance nodded in approval, then casually changed the subject, glossing over what had just happened.

”Don’t speak too much about what happened here; it could cause chaos.”

Once outside, Lance, noticing Susan’s somewhat unnatural expression, gestured for her to come over.

”The Butler betrayed my family and colluded with the Town Head to plot against me, but I’ve dealt with him now.”

Speaking, he took Susan’s hand, unwound the handkerchief from it, and placed his own hand on her wound.

[Flesh Reconstruction] activated. The recently received [Tribute] was consumed. In Lance’s vision, it turned into tiny points of light that seeped into the wound.

What followed was even more miraculous. The wound that had just been cut began to heal rapidly, even skipping the scabbing process.

Dismas and Susan watched in surprise. Unlike their previous skepticism and confusion when [Sacrifice] was used, they now seemed to accept it naturally.

It’s quite normal for a savior to possess some magical abilities; it would be abnormal if they didn’t have anything special.

However, Lance had a new realization: [Flesh Reconstruction] consumed much less than [Bless].

If [Strengthening] affected the entire body while healing only targeted a part, then the difference in consumption made sense.

Lance’s actions also diverted their attention from the recent events, allowing them to continue their cleansing operation.

As Lance moved forward, claiming the lives of those scoundrels, he encountered surprisingly little resistance.

These men had only themselves to blame. Corroded by wine, women, and a depraved lifestyle, they had lost their vigilance. They could only bully ordinary people; they would be the first to flee if bandits attacked again.

He raised his hand and sacrificed the mercenary’s corpse. With the death of the last sheriff loyal to the Town Head, the violent force the Town Head used to control the town completely disintegrated.