Our Family Has Fallen

Chapter 1275: Chapter 697: Dungeon Phobia

”Open a room.”

Audrey laid out a few copper coins on the counter, her exhausted expression and disheveled state made whoever saw her think she was an adventurer returning disappointed from ruins.

Unlike Boudica and Amanda, who had their own foundations in Hamlet, they had people to rely on and didn’t need to think about anything but going home and sleeping.

But Audrey couldn’t; she had no home, just a small room in a hotel.

The last time she provocatively challenged the Lord, she was caught and thrown into the asylum; at that time, she truly thought she was finished.

Now the Lord really let her go and even gave her a bounty, all of which made her feel unreal.

If not for the combat scars that remained on her body, she probably would only think this was a nightmare.

But there were no wounds behind the torn clothes, not even scars, which made her feel even more off.

Her brain instinctively did not want to touch that memory, which further confused her.

Was I hurt? Where have I been? What am I doing?

I can’t tell! I can’t tell!

The dungeon trauma strikes; not everyone can endure that despair-inducing suffocation.

Although Amanda and Boudica were afraid, they could still use Lance to anchor their understanding of self and reality.

They knew they were doing something to save the world, or they clearly just needed to follow the Lord’s lead.

But Audrey didn’t belong here; she had no ideals or beliefs, not even a purpose. She didn’t know what she wanted to do or what she should do.

It was said before that Audrey is a very twisted person, similar to the ancestors, having enjoyed then grown bored of the constant unchanging, luxurious, decadent life, even like a continually rotting piece of flesh, living without much attachment.

Only after she tasted the intense fear from grave robbing and killing did she awaken her sense of self; only continuously pursuing thrills could make her feel alive.

Her thrill came from breaking free of reality’s constraints, so when first arriving at Hamlet, she wanted to challenge the order; that death-seeking mentality sprouted again, even suppressing fear, or rather only dancing on the wire could give her the climax feeling!

Under those Tomb Guardians’ eyes, she took burial items from tombs filled with mechanisms and traps, escaped from the Empire and Church’s pursuit, in the local Lord...

But clearly, that so-called thrill and excitement before was predicated on her success.

In Hamlet, she stumbled just because of a Blood Garment, got caught in the asylum, and the feeling of imprisonment was consuming her with fear.

The loss of freedom was too unbearable, trapped in a small, dim room, under pressure from hunger, thirst, and psychological fear. Every second felt like something was gnawing at her soul, the whole body uncomfortable, as if ants were crawling.

She was released, but at a tremendous cost; in the old mansion, under the dungeon, the fear she experienced was more horrifying than anything else she’d faced combined.

The dungeon claimed her soul; even after walking out, it felt like her soul stayed behind in that place.

Audrey’s will is being tested... never again!

”No! I will never go back there! Forever... forever...”

In the hotel room, Audrey was like a frightened mouse, curled up on the bed, muttering chaotic words.

(Never again: Heroes returning from the Dark Dungeon having witnessed too many mind-breaking horrors, refuse to return.)

...

At a construction site somewhere in Hamlet, day laborers were lining up to receive their wages after work at dusk; unlike contract workers, they were basically odd job workers and their pay was a bit less than those official workers.

Ordinary workers got three copper coins a day; they only got two, yet still a lot of people competed for the job as soon as the Government Office put up notices, a bunch of people signed up.

Because more and more people were coming to Hamlet to seek a livelihood now, competition was growing fiercer.

Though the money wasn’t much, it depended on circumstances; there was no mess like arbitrary deductions here, the agreed amount was the amount paid.

Of course, lazy ones who couldn’t complete their work would be blacklisted, unable to sign up anymore.

”Here’s your wages for today.”

”Thank you.”

The man wrapped in tattered rags extended his hand, and the sound of chains rang out, visible shackles adorned his scarred wrists.

The foreman showed little reaction, initially a bit uneasy, but quickly finding that the man worked diligently, had a good temper, never caused trouble, saying he was hardworking and complaint-free would be an understatement.

And though he seemed somewhat weak, he was very capable, able to handle two people’s workload alone.

More importantly, orders came from above to care for and keep an eye on him, though unclear why, he completed the task well.

As time passed, that construction site’s rules also grew more complete; long gone were the days of pooled meals.

Since there were no wages back then, now wages naturally cancelled out those, releasing this market, stimulating internal demand in Hamlet, driving circulation.