Our Family Has Fallen

Chapter 344: Chapter 247: Aberrant Demon Sacrifice_1

”Let’s get out of here. This place isn’t safe to stay in anymore.”

In this kind of underground setting, although there’s an exit leading outside, it’s one-way, and the air doesn’t circulate. The flames will soon deplete the oxygen. Not to mention, the smoke from incomplete combustion is life-threatening.

Once outside, they saw a tense William. He was close enough to hear the noises from inside and had wanted to go down several times. However, accustomed to strictly following orders, he chose to stay outside on guard without new instructions. Now that he saw the Lord and the others emerge safely, he breathed a sigh of relief. His stress was significantly reduced, though he couldn’t help but be curious about the situation inside.

”What happened inside?”

Balistan and Boudica looked somewhat peculiar. The scenes they had witnessed were hard to describe in words, and the successive abnormalities also made them feel uneasy. If it weren’t for the Lord being their main force, their morale would have likely collapsed facing those monsters in that underground crypt. They would be escaping, not walking out as they were now.

Lance, however, was unfazed and briefly described the situation in the crypt: the ritual made of flesh, the giant cytoplasmic entity, the twisted maggot-men... He spoke lightly, but William could tell from the other two’s expressions that it wasn’t that simple.

Lance noticed this and reassured them, aiming to ease their anxiety. ”There’s nothing to be afraid of,” he said. ”Fear comes from the unknown. Once you’ve seen it, understood it, and found a way to deal with it, the situation becomes simple.

”For example, that cytoplasmic entity might seem scary, but its method of attack is very simple. It relies on its massive size to engulf prey, suffocating them before digesting them slowly. After observing and understanding this behavior, simply dividing it renders it no significant threat.

”As for those maggot-men, they seem able to change forms based on the food they consume. In reality, they rely on the biting of maggots. Until their numbers reach a critical level, it’s difficult for them to devour a person instantly. The greatest danger is actually infection. Even without an Incendiary Bottle, I could burn them to death with a torch...”

Lance debriefed them on the recent situation. In truth, it hadn’t been too perilous. The darkness had made them frighten themselves, compounded by encountering unfamiliar, non-human monsters, which naturally caused their panic. If they followed him a few more times, they would soon adapt, as people accumulate experience. The most obvious example among them was Boudica. Previously boisterous and excitable, her demeanor had improved significantly since recovering from her injuries; at least, she wasn’t as impulsive.

Reynard, Dismas, and Balistan... each of them had emerged from life-and-death situations, their combat capabilities beyond doubt. The only issue was their previous enemies were mostly human; they lacked experience and the right mentality for dealing with various non-human monsters.

One could only say the Ancestor was quite something, creating so many strange things; it was suspected that Hamlet alone accounted for the vast majority of all monsters in the Empire.

After seeing everyone rested, their stress reduced, Lance waited until the time seemed right. He didn’t leave but instead re-entered the underground.

Finishing off enemies is a good habit. He wouldn’t feel at ease until he saw they were completely dead. His lack of security in this desperate world had fostered this somewhat pathological mindset.

Nothing unexpected occurred. The place was made of brick and stone, with no flammable materials and insufficient oxygen to sustain a large fire. When he descended, only charred remains were left, crumbling to dust under his foot. There were some stray maggot remnants, which he gathered, along with a small piece of cytoplasmic tissue from the ground. He put them into a bottle, planning to study them later.

The Ancestor must have intended something by setting up this ritual here. Though he had ruined it and its effects were unclear, Lance remained curious.

Still, I need someone adept in Mysticism...

Thinking of this, Lance felt somewhat annoyed. Extraordinary knowledge is too scarce in this world. It could change the current situation, a tool to develop productive forces, yet it’s locked away by those in power—truly a waste.

Lance was, of course, aware of the side effects that came with Supernatural Power. But restriction doesn’t equate to blockades or monopolies. Feudal and religious powers are too strong. Under their suppression, without any upheaval, the world’s development might remain stagnant even after a thousand years. But these aren’t my immediate concerns. First, I need to survive the Ancestor.

He activated Spiritual Vision and scanned the area to ensure nothing was missed before finally turning to leave.

”This was unprecedentedly smooth. The target mission is complete,” Lance announced after emerging. ”Now, do we head back or delve deeper?”

He looked at his companions, briefly explained his plans, and sought their opinions. Lance certainly had the authority to decide the team’s direction alone. However, the mission agreed upon beforehand was to locate and kill the assassin who had been slaughtering Serfs and disrupting their operations. Now that this primary objective was completed, any further tasks would exceed the agreed-upon scope. With this in mind, Lance wanted to gauge the others’ attitudes and show them the respect due to team members.

Lance personally was more inclined to continue exploring. After all, this trip has been a bit too smooth... so smooth that I suspect this might also be a trap set by the Ancestor, leading me here... to disrupt this place...