Our Family Has Fallen

”WAAAAH!” Boudica, wielding her Axe Spear, let out a furious roar. The blood spattered on her body only added to her frenzy, for there were no enemies left standing before her upon whom she could unleash her rage.

”Calm down, take deep breaths, and learn to control your fury,” said Lance in his usual composed manner. ”Draw strength from it rather than becoming a slave to your emotions.” His Wolf Fang was still dripping with blood.

Following his gaze, one could see Boudica panting heavily, leaning on her Axe Spear. Her mask did little to muffle the discernible sounds, and her bloodshot eyes indicated that her excitement had not yet fully subsided.

Littering the ground were the corpses of Pigmen. Their deformities varied, but all bore familiar, altered appearances.

It was clear that a battle within the Beast Lair had just concluded.

Such events were triggered by wearing both the Legendary Bracers and the Berserk Pendant, two pieces of Extraordinary Equipment.

Previously, she had worn them separately, but this was the first time she donned both simultaneously. The increase in speed was considerable, and the boost to her strength was nothing short of terrifying!

But it was at that moment that her emotions began to destabilize, and she became prone to losing control.

Whenever she encountered an enemy, she would become excessively excited and sometimes could not control herself in her killing frenzy.

Now Lance understood why the game restricted equipping only two Extraordinary ornaments at once.

Not only did Supernatural Power bring great enhancement, but it also affected the wielder.

Boudica was not a Transcendent, so she couldn’t feel the turbulence in her Spiritual Essence caused by Supernatural Power. As a result, the pressure she experienced from environmental stimuli was intensified.

Her psyche became more fragile and was more prone to collapse.

However, as they continued their journey, her control gradually improved, and she managed to keep herself in check.

While Boudica struggled internally to pull her consciousness from the battle, Lance raised his hand and sacrificed the Pigmen corpses to bolster his Spiritual Essence. Only then did he turn back to address the other two.

”We explored this far before and cleared out the Pigmen then. To think that just a few days later they have replenished their ranks; their numbers haven’t decreased but actually increased.”

Pressing on to make good time, Lance had stormed in with overwhelming force. This Extraordinary weapon, with its inherent armor-piercing and sharpness traits, was incredibly effective. No Pigman could withstand a single blow from him; he slaughtered them as easily as chopping vegetables as he advanced.

It had taken several days to reach this place before, but this time it took only one day, with most of that spent traveling.

Along the way, they encountered familiar faces like Pigman Butchers, Pigman Hookhands, Pigman Drummers, and Pigman Cripples.

Alhazred and Amanda barely participated in battles along the way; or rather, in their current state, they didn’t seem to have much combat capability.

The reason was simple: the pressure from the environment of the Beast Lair.

The teams formed before consisted of bandits and Bounty Hunters, individuals accustomed to roughing it in the lower rungs of society. They were no strangers to unhygienic conditions, so such vile surroundings were something they were naturally somewhat resistant to.

But Amanda and Alhazred were both Transcendents and came from significant backgrounds; they would normally never encounter such environments.

This was evident when comparing Tamara’s carriage, cluttered with all sorts of miscellaneous items, to Amanda’s, the interior of which was like a delicately decorated room.

Their experience in the Beast Lair allowed them to gain a more profound understanding than what Lance had previously described.

The Lair truly embodied filth and squalor. Even more terrifying was the amalgamation of various odors, a single whiff of which was like a bolt of lightning striking straight to the soul!

Even though they were prepared with scented masks, it was almost too much to bear. Simply breathing in such a place was akin to being under attack.

Not to mention, in the dark surroundings, the uncertainty of what strange things their next step might land on greatly increased their psychological pressure.

The good news was that with the masks’ help, they had successfully endured the most difficult initial period. Now, their reactions weren’t as severe; they had somewhat adapted, much like Lance and Boudica, who had been here once before.

”Just ahead is the Sacrificial Pillar I mentioned before. There used to be a Pigman Knight guarding it, but I took him down. Now, I’m unsure if new enemies will appear.”

Holding a torch aloft in one hand, Lance moved forward, his steps steady, showing no trace of worry.

His strength had increased drastically compared to his last visit, not to mention he had switched to an Extraordinary weapon. He wouldn’t fear even if he encountered another Pigman Knight.

Boudica, too, gradually regained her composure by adjusting her breathing rhythm. She hefted her Axe Spear and followed in the second position.

Lance had been prepared to engage the enemy, but when they reached the space, no Pigmen were to be found.

”It seems that our damaging the Pillar last time made them abandon this place.”

Lance circled the area with his torch but saw no sign of Pigmen, which led him to guess the reason.

The Pillar had lost its power, so even the Pigmen stopped worshipping it.

Was it gods they sought? It was nothing but power they craved.

The Pigmen were indeed too utilitarian; they needed a proper lesson!

Alhazred finally saw the object in question. Holding the Skull Candleholder in one hand, he approached the Pillar.

Amanda, not to be outdone—and one mustn’t forget she was professionally trained and, through Romani channels, her eyes had appraised countless valuable items—also drew near.