Our Family Has Fallen

Chapter 1248: Chapter 683: Ancient Vestibule_2

Lance nodded in confirmation and briefly explained the new mission details.

”There is a grand palace underground here, hiding the real treasure; that is our true objective. What you encountered yesterday were just the guardians.”

Although Audrey felt something was off, she couldn’t resist the conditions Lance presented, her gaze fixed on the vial of potion Lance held.

”You have only seven days... no, it should be six days.”

Lance waved the potion around but then put it away, making Audrey feel a tightness in her chest, her face turning a bit pale.

To Lance, this was not coercion; it was a kindly reminder.

Audrey had no choice; the indignation of being manipulated shattered her last traces of sleepiness, forcing her to focus on the old mansion.

Before long, the sun rose, its first rays touching the old mansion in the northeast corner of the ruins, gradually illuminating the entire area.

How the defense force conducted itself didn’t concern Lance; he led his adjusted team back into the old mansion.

The difference was, they previously climbed through windows and over walls, but now they walked in brazenly through the dilapidated front door.

Yesterday’s mission was to clear out the cultists; today’s goal was singular—finding the dungeon entrance.

The problem was, they had already inspected everything yesterday; if they were going to find it, they would have found it then. The ruined first floor didn’t seem to hold any secrets.

After wandering around in circles and wasting time, they returned to the main hall.

”Can you do it or not?” Amanda, already displeased with the tomb robber, immediately quipped.

”If you can, then go ahead!”

But Audrey was not one to let Amanda off easy; she retorted directly.

Apart from Lance, Audrey was the most anxious to find the dungeon entrance; after all, she didn’t want to die.

Both had suffered losses during previous capture operations, and neither of them was known for their magnanimous spirit.

One nursed an unending grudge against Tamara, and the other had poisoned her ex-husband, both could be described as narrow-minded.

If not for the Lord mediating between them, they might have ended up fighting.

”Alright, such a big place can’t just disappear; let’s keep looking carefully,” Lance intervened to stop their argument, his calm demeanor showing no sign of being affected by minor setbacks.

In truth, Lance had many options, like summoning Wang Cai to peer into the void.

But Wang Cai’s Spiritual Essence-based body had low resistance to these things, and much like Amanda’s methods, Lance worried about polluting its essence, so he hadn’t summoned it.

If all else failed, he could use the Black Armor helmet; it offered Sanctuary and might withstand any threat.

But Lance wasn’t sure if what they faced was the power of the ancient ancestor or that of the Primordial God, so he didn’t dare gamble on Sanctuary’s protection.

Thus, avoiding such contact would be best, as they were in a favorable position, and he didn’t want to take unnecessary risks.

”I thought we’ve ruled out everything; isn’t there just one place left...?”

Boudica’s leisurely voice came through, puzzled why the two would argue, hugging her battle-axe with a look of disdain.

Her words caught everyone’s attention, prompting Lance to ask.

”What have you found?”

”There’s a room on this side; there should be one over there too.” Boudica raised her hand, pointing to the hall’s staircase.

Immediately, Lance understood; the old mansion’s structure was symmetrical. There was a room cleared out under the left staircase, so there should be one under the right.

However, the right staircase had collapsed, concealing it, leading everyone to subconsciously overlook it.

The others realized this as well, moving closer in unison.

”Do you think these stairs were deliberately collapsed by the cultists back then?”

”Who cares? Let’s move them and see.”

Lance moved without hesitation. The materials used to build the old mansion might have been the best, but they crumbled in the face of brute strength. The heavy timber was effortlessly dragged aside by him.

The wooden frame that once vaguely retained the shape of stairs collapsed entirely like something losing support, bringing down some bricks as well and raising a dense cloud of dust.

”Cough, cough, cough!”

Lance and the others stepped back a few paces, waiting for the dust to settle before they saw the faint outline of a door hidden beneath the bricks and wood.

”Boudica, you’re really smart!”

Lance smiled in praise, making Boudica a bit pleased with herself, swinging her shovel with more vigor.

Under their efforts, they quickly cleared the area. Without much ceremony, Lance opened the door, lit a torch, and stepped through the doorway.

The torchlight illuminated the hidden room, an ordinary-looking room cluttered with some debris.

Audrey immediately started looking for possible clues as soon as she entered. She hadn’t performed well earlier; not knowing if Lance would give her the antidote, she had to do her best to show her worth.

Soon, she seemed to have discovered something, a joyful smile appearing on her face as she pushed aside debris, constantly tapping the brick-and-stone wall with her pickaxe.

Just as Amanda was about to say something, she saw the wall tremble, and the brick wall actually moved aside, revealing a spiraling passageway downward.

”Found it!”

Audrey looked excitedly at the Lord, but Lance didn’t respond, his eyes fixated on the dark, deep portal, emanating an indescribable eeriness.

Lance understood somewhat why the old mansion fell, yet the ancient ancestor didn’t organize a counterattack.

It was likely because they knew recovery was impossible, hoping the destruction of the mansion’s cultists would mislead Hamlet into believing the Ascension Sect was eradicated, buying time for others.

But... did you really think I didn’t know about the dungeon’s existence?

”Let me go first; there could be traps ahead.” Audrey, skilled in reading the room, took the initiative when she noticed the Lord was indifferent.

”You did well, but it’s too dangerous; I’ll go.” Lance nodded to acknowledge Audrey’s contribution but rejected her proposal, holding the torch and stepping forward.

Following the spiral stairs downward, they soon found themselves in a tunnel reinforced akin to a mineshaft.

Wooden beams supported the ceiling in sections, with piles of bricks filling up the excavated space on both sides.

Every so often, they saw some rubble and long-abandoned, now decayed mining tools, and broken wooden crates off to the side.

”What’s this? Why is it leaking?”

”Do you guys feel the air getting more humid, and a bit salty...?”

”Is that salt crystallizing on these bricks?”

Lance noticed it too, the bricks coated with a frost-like layer. The current scenario reminded him of a curious place, the salty, humid bays.

The old mansion sat atop a seaside cliff, and beneath lay the intricate Diver’s Bay; was there a connection?

”Let’s go; be careful everyone.” Lance didn’t elaborate, just reminded everyone before continuing forward with the torch.

The tunnel was long and desolate, where even droplets of water dripping from above echoed loudly.

The damp, thin air made breathing feel strange, the oppressive surroundings unsettling even someone like Audrey, who was used to tombs.

It was only because the team consisted of experts; anyone with weaker nerves would succumb to claustrophobia.

In silence, they marched until the team reached the end of the tunnel, entering a vast cavernous space.

How big was it?

Inside, it wasn’t just the people but even the torchlight felt like a mere firefly, a sense of insignificance enveloping them as they stood at the entrance.

Thin crevices in the cliff’s rock layer let sunlight stream in, draping the whole space in a delicate veil.

With the added light, they could roughly make out the interior, leaving everyone, including Lance, stunned.

Because what he saw...