Our Family Has Fallen

Chapter 342: Chapter 246: Cytoplasmic Bodies and Maggots_1

Lance’s abrupt shift in focus was rather dramatic, not to mention the strange words he uttered. Balistan couldn’t understand why the Lord had suddenly started talking about eating. Even Boudica, who wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, gave Lance a peculiar look.

Has the boss’s brain gone haywire?

Lance, of course, noticed Boudica’s gaze. Feeling it a disgrace to be questioned by her, he hurriedly shared his speculation.

”Without a doubt, these are the doings of the Ascension Sect; only they delight in fiddling with flesh like this. They arranged a ritual here. The stench is unnoticeable to humans, but it’s sure to attract animals.

That’s why they stationed a Ghoul here to guard the place. Likewise, those wild beasts also become the Ghoul’s food; the bones scattered outside are proof enough.

However, the Cannibal Witch, by spreading the plague, took all the surrounding beasts. This left the Ghoul without food, forcing it to venture out in search of more. Naturally, its attention was drawn to the overly conspicuous vanguard camp.

The reason it wasn’t caught is that the Ghoul spends most of its time hiding here, guarding the ritual and hunting randomly. Most of the missing serfs became its food.

The only reason it left bodies behind this time was because three serfs died simultaneously—more than it could eat. That’s what led to our operation today.”

Lance spoke at length, but only Balistan could vaguely understand him, while Boudica, with her bewildered look, was likely already pondering what to eat that night.

”So, it seems we’ve unwittingly stumbled upon an unfinished ritual set up here by an evil cult,” Lance summed up, his attitude changing as he looked back at the flesh.

There’s a difference between being proactive and being reactive.

If the Ancestor were controlling the Ghoul to interfere with his plans, it would mean the reins of control were in the Ancestor’s hands. His journey would then be one of compulsion, easily leading him into a trap.

Now, however, he had inadvertently discovered the Ancestor’s plot ahead of time. Although he still didn’t know the specifics, he was sure it was nothing good and was most likely designed to take out Hamlet.

But with premature discovery, control was now in his hands.

With that thought, Lance pressed the torch against the flesh nest. The heat of the flames sent the writhing worms into a frenzy, but they couldn’t escape due to their sheer density and burst under the flames with a crackling sound.

The sight of these maggots squirming had caused their stress levels to skyrocket, so watching them burn actually brought a strange sense of relief.

What a relief...

Lance’s attention, however, wasn’t on this. It seemed they could be burned to death easily enough, apparently possessing no special abilities.

However, as the fire burned away the surface maggots and drew close to the flesh, the nest itself twitched, prompting Lance to instinctively pull back the torch.

”This thing is alive!”

This exclamation tensed both Balistan and Boudica, causing them to step back instinctively to increase their distance from the flesh nest.

But this step made them both feel like they had stepped on something. Balistan lowered his torch, only to discover a clear gelatinous substance had spread around their feet.

But it hadn’t been there when they ascended. When had it appeared?

The others noticed it too, and Lance, seeing it as well, couldn’t help but cry out.

”Damn it! Quick, let’s get out of here.”

As he spoke, Lance’s greatsword appeared in his hand. He swung it upwards; the blade scraped coarsely against the stone floor, but its formidable power cleaved through the gel surrounding their feet.

Boudica and Balistan didn’t hesitate, immediately bolting along the path Lance had cleared. This strike seemed to trigger something. The bright yellow gel on the ground quivered violently, which in turn agitated the piles of bones within the flesh nest, causing them to begin coalescing.

Lance, however, did not leave immediately. Instead, he turned and struck the flesh nest with all his might.

The Giant Slayer, in Lance’s hands, had slain a Corrupt Giant and beheaded the Cannibal Witch, already proving that its exaggerated size wasn’t just for show.

This stroke caused both flesh and bone to collapse upon contact, cleaving the flesh nest right down the middle.

With no time to inspect the contents closely, he reached into the cleaved nest under the flickering firelight.

Sacrifice!

When that familiar sensation came, Lance understood that this thing probably only had neural responses and no consciousness.

Until now, Lance had not seen anything escape after ’Sacrifice’ was initiated, and this was no exception.

The power of the Void surged forth, devouring. The entire nest collapsed. Everything that had been on top fell from mid-air like a water-filled balloon crashing to the ground. It burst and spread instantly, its contents—bones, debris, rotten flesh, and maggots—spilling out uncontrollably.

The sight was intensely unsettling. As maggots surged toward his feet, Lance hastily tried to retreat.

But he hadn’t realized that a mere two or three seconds of delay were enough for the gel to regroup and form, cutting off his retreat.

Before, it was unobtrusive, merely covering the ground. But now, with the flesh nest sacrificed, it stood out distinctly. However, before Lance could process this, the gelatinous entities began to crawl—or rather, writhe—toward him.

In this process, they continued to devour incessantly, incorporating the bones that had fallen to the floor into their mass, visibly growing larger before his eyes.

Under the firelight, he could see their semi-transparent bodies becoming increasingly complex as they mixed with all manner of jumbled materials.

Gazing upon this, Lance felt a headache coming on. What the hell have they created?

The other two had already run out, but they looked back to see their Lord cornered by that bizarre thing. Boudica didn’t hesitate for a moment, immediately gripping her War Halberd and turning back.