Our Family Has Fallen

”I recall the Council of Fate doesn’t usually concern itself with these matters, right?” Lance pushed the teacup toward Alhazred, placing it before him, and asked quite naturally.

Any organization represents its own interests. Without benefits, who would travel the world to recover a statue of an Evil God? This world doesn’t have 3,000,000 Knights, not to mention that in the eyes of the Romani, the Council of Fate consists of those who would stop at nothing for power, even daring to trade with the Abyss. Even the Romani looked down on these foreign Wizards, which said a lot…

Lance even suspected that the Bald Sorcerer had once been a member of the Council of Fate, which might explain his uncontrollable desire for power that led him to steal the statue.

”I have discovered that corruption and depravity are spreading across this land.” Alhazred’s warning grew more intense. ”That statue is extremely dangerous. It will tempt its holder into corruption, and any attempt to extract power from it will come with severe consequences!”

Lance found that one had to be very straightforward when talking with these scholars. Initially, he had wanted to see what price Alhazred would offer for the statue. But listening to him, why did it seem like he believed Lance had gained power from the statue, thereby causing Hamlet’s corruption?

At this thought, Lance almost couldn’t maintain his composure. If it were that simple, he would be immensely grateful. Unfortunately, the statue’s power meant nothing to Hamlet; it was mere child’s play.

”I think you’ve misunderstood something. No power has leaked from the statue, nor has anyone tried to gain power through it.”

Lance paused, as if remembering something. ”Hmm... that’s not entirely accurate. The last person who tried to use the statue to gain power was killed by me. As for the corruption here, that’s due to other reasons.”

With that, Lance raised his hand, and the statue materialized in it. ”I obtained this by killing a fallen Wizard at great cost. What’s your offer?”

The wooden box originally used to seal the statue had been damaged during a previous great battle. Without the seal’s protection, trouble would have surely arisen if this statue had fallen into anyone else’s hands. But Lance was unfazed; in the face of Sanctuary, all corrupting powers were mere illusions. After obtaining the statue, he’d simply tossed it into the Exhibition Room and hadn’t detected anything unusual since.

However, his reckless action startled Alhazred, who hadn’t paid much attention to Lance’s words. As soon as the statue was produced, his gaze locked onto it, and he abruptly stood up, creating distance.

The statue depicted a figure, its face seemingly carved with sheer terror, its limbs in exaggerated positions, as if portraying a person in elegant attire trapped in some tentacled snare. But upon closer inspection, the expression on the figure’s face was not fear, but ecstatic joy. The exaggerated posture suggested not a struggle, but gleeful dancing. The contrast between these elements conveyed a distinct eeriness.

Yes! That was the evil power...

Alhazred’s calm expression vanished, replaced by a barely perceptible unease. He could feel the strange aura emanating from the statue—his special ability, but also a curse...

But he soon noticed something was wrong. His gaze shifted from the statue to the hand holding it, then to the Lord’s gentle smile, which disoriented him. Any Transcendent with a bit of common sense wouldn’t handle an evil object so casually. Especially since I just warned him of its dangers. But... why... how could he dare to hold it so casually? This was a powerful individual, capable of easily resisting the statue’s influence. No wonder I didn’t sense any Supernatural Power from him before; his control over it must be so refined that none of it leaks out.

Alhazred seemed to have formed an assessment of Lance and began to reconsider Lance’s earlier words. Was this an invitation to a trade? If the statue were in the hands of an ordinary person, it would be a lost cause; best to seal it before it caused greater trouble. If it fell into the hands of a Transcendent, the statue would undoubtedly influence its holder. When he eventually came to retrieve it, they would even have to thank him. If they had already fallen, he would act directly. It was clear he never intended to retrieve the statue through normal means. But now... Wait! Alhazred suddenly seemed to realize something crucial. The statue wasn’t the main issue at all. If the statue had always been contained, then how did this land become so corrupted?

Silence fell. Alhazred seemed to slip into a strange state. His attention shifted from the statue and Lance. He scanned his surroundings, but his eyes didn’t seem focused on the physical world, as if he were perceiving things invisible to ordinary people. He mumbled strange, unintelligible words, and his movements became unnervingly bizarre.

Alhazred had sensed the evil presence here while still on the ship. He initially assumed it was the statue’s power, but he now realized his assumption was incorrect. If it wasn’t the statue’s power, then what kind of force could cause such terrifying corruption? At that moment, he felt a nameless presence observing him, countless black eyes blooming in the Void.

I knew it... It must be you, attracting your kind... Damn it! This is a trap; I’m being targeted! Get away! I’m not one of those foolish mortals... No!... I sense it; it’s coming!... This isn’t real... It’s a hallucination!

Alhazred stood frozen, his chaotic thoughts threatening to overwhelm him as an unknown entity lurking in his consciousness devoured his sanity...

Lance watched from the side. As Alhazred grew increasingly strange, even appearing deranged, the faint smile on Lance’s face faded. Wielding Supernatural Power as a mere human always comes at a price. But to cause trouble in Hamlet? Have you asked for my permission?

”Wake up!” Lance commanded in a low voice, instantly using the effect of Bless to refresh Alhazred’s state and pull him back from the hallucination.

Alhazred’s soul felt as if it had detached from the physical realm. But then, a shout, like a clap of thunder, resounded in his ears. A surge of power coursed through his body, granting his reeling mind a moment of tranquility, as if even a being from the Abyss would respect the power of the one who had shouted. Though only for an instant, it was enough. His sanity seized the opportunity, and the mental defenses he continuously constructed held back the encroaching corruption.

When he regained his senses, the vision before his eyes shattered. The purple-black, star-filled curtain was torn apart, and reality reasserted itself. His composed expression, however, was gone, replaced by sheer exhaustion. His breathing was still ragged and uneven. Only he knew how perilous that moment had been, how close he had come to unleashing *it*.

”Are you alright?” A calm voice reached him. Alhazred couldn’t help but fix his gaze on Lance and ask, ”Why... why would it appear here?”

”What thing? What are you talking about?”

”That...” Alhazred started to say, but he abruptly stopped. After a brief pause, he rephrased, ”What on earth happened to this land? Why is the boundary with the Abyss so fragile? I’ve never encountered such a terrifying place...”

Lance observed the Scholar, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. Even I, whose terrifyingly keen inspiration allows me to perceive Spiritual Essence, find it difficult to probe into such matters. Yet, this man could actually see the ancient one’s erosion of Hamlet.