Our Family Has Fallen

But many of the people gathered around him did not understand the specific situation; they were coerced into joining under a veil of deception.

These heroes... those soldiers... those townsfolk...

Many of them actually did not know what they were facing, just because someone stood on the frontline against evil.

No matter the reason, they truly are heroes.

”I’m just a soulless, barely surviving shell...” Alhazred seemed unwilling to dwell on this topic further, initially wanting to say something more but hesitated.

Finally, he seemed to make a decision, sighed, and unconsciously held his head in his hands, a hint of uncontrollable terror crossing his expression.

”Alas, that limp was not from the void; I have seen it, and it was likely coming for me.”

Upon hearing this, Lance understood why he collapsed upon seeing the Limping Walker.

At the same time, he could sense the profound story behind those words. Achieving the rank of Champion meant breaking the limits of human capability.

It generally indicated the mastery of some sort of supernatural power, like the Warwolf who relied on the Spirit of the Wilderness of their tribe to become a champion.

In Lance’s view, Alhazred seemed stronger than that elder of the Romani, possibly differing only in the extent of the supernatural power they wielded.

However, the elder’s control over the supernatural power was stable, whereas Alhazred was hindered by it, becoming weighed down instead.

For someone like Lance, who did not know much about mysticism, this person’s rich experiences were fascinating.

Or perhaps it was the power behind them that intrigued him.

”The night is long; if you don’t mind, tell me more,” Lance said, absentmindedly rubbing the Meteorite in his hand. ”Perhaps I could help you.”

Originally, he intended to go back to sleep, but now he couldn’t sleep, so he decided to stay and listen.

Upon Lance’s words, Alhazred fell into silence.

Lance did not urge him, simply got up to pour some water.

For a moment, the only sound in the living room was the running water, until he finished pouring and handed it over.

”No tea for the evening, just water.”

Taking the glass, Alhazred exhaled deeply and then slowly began to speak: ”The origin of all this lies in that ruin...”

Although he did not recount his origins before his fame, being able to secure a position in the Council of Fate already testified to his considerable talent and strength. He was only thirty when he reached the Master Rank.

Initially, his future was bright, with a promising future waiting for him.

The turning point in all of this was the discovery of a ruin.

Previously, when Alhazred had just arrived in Hamlet to search for the Evil God statue, he had briefly mentioned it to warn Lance.

A civilization that perished through the worship of an Evil God, the ruin is the testament of their existence, and the artifacts unearthed there demonstrated the Evil God’s power, sparking a crisis.

The Council of Fate dispatched the vigorous Alhazred to handle this matter, and this experience completely changed the course of his life.

A Master-ranked Transcendent, also a Spellcaster, with a group of followers sharing extraordinary talent.

Such a powerful team quickly resolved the crisis, sealing the evil object that emerged from the ruin.

Then the Council of Fate took over the ruin, intending to clear its contents and apply a seal.

During this process, Alhazred acquired many mysterious rituals and superordinary items that vanished alongside the ancient civilization.

As a Mystical Scholar, he inevitably studied these things.

Alhazred’s capabilities were indisputable, or else he wouldn’t have achieved such accomplishments at a young age.

Then, when he deciphered the secrets of the ruins, he discovered that the ancient civilization attempted to manipulate the evil powers belonging to the Abyss.

They thrived because of this, and naturally perished because of it, but they buried all of these within the ruins.

However, these ruins do not refer to the real-world ruins. The ruins buried in the earth were merely a place to store a key.

As for the true ruins, they were hidden within the Void, where their former glory was evidenced.

No spellcaster could resist the temptation of the unknown, especially since Alhazred had been stuck at the Master Rank for some time.

For someone who had never encountered bottlenecks before, such restrictions were unbearable; he gradually realized that some limits couldn’t be overcome by talent and effort alone. He urgently needed external assistance.

And now, one path lay before him, to venture into the Void, seeking the documented ruins, possibly finding a route to advancement within.

Being a Mystical Scholar, he was aware of the risks, but his too-smooth early life laid the groundwork for his downfall now.

At the time, drunk with power, he never anticipated what would come...

It was on an ominous night chosen by the alignment of the stars.

He gathered his devoted followers, assembling around an ancient onyx table, holding hands, conducting a ritual with the help of numerous precious ceremonial items.

Using the ritual’s power, Alhazred’s soul was sent into the Void, safely tethered by his followers’ life force, allowing him to roam freely beyond domains, searching between dimensions for connections to darkness and incredible power.

His extensive knowledge of mysticism and research on the real-world ruins quickly led him to the entrance of that space established within the Void.

A space solidified by the ritual, the true place created by the ancient civilization—Desert’s Gate.

”That pyramid changed everything for me...” Alhazred narrated slowly, suddenly his voice shifted, sounding as if he lamented something.

He paused, falling silent as if reminiscing.

However, Lance did not interrupt him, continuing to listen patiently as an observer.

After about ten seconds, Alhazred seemed to come back to his senses and continued his story.

Using the ”key” obtained from the real-world ruins, his soul passed through the Desert’s Gate.

When he came to, he found himself amidst endless dunes, with a temple in the shape of a pyramid before him, its rocky pinnacle drawing down numerous bolts of lightning under a cloudy sky.

Feeling as if being guided, he fearlessly entered the tower, ascending to the highest point of the central platform,

where he discovered an enormous tentacle statue, powerful inspiration allowing him to perceive the statue as shrouded in a thin, blood-colored mist.

Countless bones lay scattered all around, some belonging to powerful spellcasters, radiating a terrifying aura even though they were mere skeletons.

These individuals came here for various reasons, yet they all fell, collapsing at the final step of pursuing power.

”I wasn’t wise enough back then to appreciate fear,”

Alhazred commented on his younger, more arrogant self at the time.

His immense confidence verged on arrogance, viewing those fallen ”predecessors” as failures, he walked over their bones to explore the ritual site.

Upon a stone stele aged beyond reckoning, there were warnings left by the ancient civilization, detailing the trial’s difficulty.

Surviving against It required discarding excessive emotions, as any flaw would lead to failure.

No matter the terror, he was willing to pay any price for power.

Being constructive required destruction, he understood that he had to discard excessive emotions to embrace the formidable strength.

Under the temple’s ceremonial power, he re-evaluated himself, readying for the upcoming sacrifice.

Within, he tried to awaken his selflessness, conscience, and compassion.

But they were restrained, ignored, forgotten.

Eventually, Alhazred killed a part of his humanity.