Our Family Has Fallen

There was no powerful information network in this world. Even the Romani had not completely gathered information about the Transcendents of the world. Only those who became the subjects of regional legends or performed acts of global significance were well-known to others.

For instance, Geralt, a Master Witcher who wandered the world, had undertaken so many commissions that his footsteps could be found everywhere; there were even minstrels who sang of his exploits.

But what truly made him well-known was that he had lived for an unknown number of years, bolstered by a legend of his resurrection.

Thus, the information Alhazred provided Amanda consisted only of a little-known name and the Levantine identity she had guessed herself.

In the Levant, there were many paths for the Extraordinary, such as Sorcerers, Court Magicians, Mystical Scholars, and Priests.

Therefore, Amanda was uncertain about this person’s situation. However, the inspiration she felt emanating from him was unsettling, somewhat reminiscent of a Sorcerer.

What was even more perplexing was how Hamlet had suddenly produced such an individual?

The relationships between Transcendents were never very good; many were even prey to their own kind.

Teaming up with a stranger—a powerful one inclined towards evil, at that—exerted an inexplicable pressure.

This unease made Amanda uncomfortable with the mission, prompting her to instinctively draw a few cards.

It was that action, or perhaps the spiritual fluctuations from the divination, that caught Alhazred’s attention, compelling him to speak.

”Do not be too curious, lest you pay the price.”

Alhazred’s message was simple: do not target him with divination.

This statement, whether a warning or a reminder, instantly made the already somewhat awkward atmosphere turn solemn.

Amanda paused, cards in hand, her expression filling with caution. She said in a low voice, ”I’m not a child. I don’t need your reminders!”

Except in special circumstances, it was unlikely any Extraordinary would willingly become the subject of another’s divination or ritual. Thus, any capable veteran would have tricks up their sleeve.

More peaceful Extraordinaries might simply cover their tracks, making it impossible for divination or similar rituals to find them, or they might just be on their guard.

Similarly, some Extraordinaries set traps to attack or corrupt the Spiritual Essence of the diviner to protect themselves.

This situation was well-known to Romani proficient in divination, and they had many ways of handling it. For example, Tamara had previously attempted to harm Lance by using the Crystal Ball to transfer the damage.

Amanda merely drawing the cards already indicated that the subject of her divination was herself. She was no rookie who would make such a simple mistake, nor would she provoke another Transcendent without cause.

But the man’s words undoubtedly treated her as a novice. This felt more like an insult than a warning.

”Alright, that’s not what Alhazred meant,” Lance said, perhaps sensing something amiss between them. He intervened before the situation could worsen, calming Amanda.

He also wanted to complain to Amanda. Even Boudica would have noticed that scrutinizing gaze she wore like a professional habit. The fact that Alhazred had held his peace until now before offering a reminder was commendable.

It could be said that professionals were nemeses; one was an expert in divination, the other in prophecy.

Lance had carefully considered the team’s assembly. Aside from harvesting Pigmen during this venture, he needed to delve deeper into their development and investigate their object of worship.

He brought the two of them because their abilities could help him find his target within the complex Beast Lair.

Fortunately, Lance’s intervention still had an effect. Alhazred returned to his quiet, meditative demeanor, while Amanda focused on the outcome of her divination.

Yet, what unsettled her was that the divination’s result seemed to bode ill...

The carriage could only take them as far as an outpost; the road ahead had yet to be repaired.

The high wall, which had collapsed during the Heretics’ attack, had been cleared and repaired, but construction on the outpost was not yet complete.

The outpost was to be expanded and fortified, thoroughly crushing the Heretics’ dreams of invading Hamlet.

A large number of laborers had been summoned. A continuous stream of oxcarts and horse-drawn carts brought all sorts of building materials.

In truth, Hamlet struggled to produce even a few bricks or hew stone, as there were no quarries or brick kilns nearby.

However, there was still some legacy left; usable materials from the abandoned ruins common in the area were dismantled and brought back.

Not just here, but the entirety of Hamlet now relied on clearing those ruins for bricks and stone. Otherwise, how could they have found so much material for construction in such a short time?

However, Lance and his companions had not come to act as supervisors. A soldier led them to a pit shaded by an awning near the outpost.

”Just this morning, patrolling soldiers discovered a triggered trap. It wasn’t a Heretic, but by a very strange beast,” the soldier said.

As they approached the trap, even from a slight distance, they could smell an unpleasant odor—one all too familiar to the group—the stench of decaying corpses.

”This smell?” Amanda couldn’t help but frown. ”The body’s condition doesn’t suggest it died this morning.”

What she said was indeed a key point. Logically, even with the sultry weather, since the body was discovered in the morning and a canopy erected for protection, it shouldn’t have reached this degree of decay so quickly.

But no one paid much attention to this detail; instead, they focused on the corpse on the ground.

It was a wild boar, a creature common in the wilderness. How it ended up here and was killed by the trap was unknown.

But the group soon noticed something odd about the body.

”It’s corruption. This is not a normal beast; its Flesh has mutated,” Alhazred noted immediately after a quick glance.

The Flesh on the boar’s corpse wasn’t just normally rotting. It was interspersed with irregular tumors, resembling swollen, raw muscles after being skinned, its surface covered with string-like adhesions of varying sizes.

The mutation was not very advanced; only parts were corrupted by some strange power. However, upon closer inspection, one could still feel a chilling effect that inexplicably increased the surrounding pressure.

”Normally, they wouldn’t come near humans. Their presence here indicates that an evil power is desecrating this land. Corruption is spreading, driving them from their habitats...”

Lance muttered, though he seemed unconcerned.

Before coming here, he had roughly guessed what was happening. He had seen many cases of Flesh mutations, usually on those Heretics. Now that it had spread, he was unsure if it was intentional or accidental. What trick was this? And what was the Old Ancestor brewing up again...

A decaying corpse didn’t provide many clues. After observing for a while, Lance raised his hand to initiate a Sacrifice. The power of the Void instantly consumed the corrupted corpse, and a trickle of spiritual light returned, flowing into his body.

This scene didn’t seem to affect Boudica much, but the other two felt a strong impact.

The instant casting of the spell ritual, its terrifying effect, and the lack of excess Spiritual Essence dissipation made them realize Lance’s immense power.

The two had their own thoughts but didn’t voice them. They still had much to learn about Hamlet’s secrets.

Suddenly, Lance smiled at Alhazred. ”I want to find the location of those Heretics.”

Lance intended to use Alhazred’s ability to see evil corruption. If he could track someone thousands of miles to Hamlet by sensing the brief emanations from the Bald Sorcerer, he should also be able to detect those Heretics whose Flesh had been corrupted.

”I can. I can sense the evil in this wilderness,” Alhazred said, his brow furrowing slightly, as if he too hadn’t expected the corruption to be so severe.

”Good,” Lance nodded, satisfied.