Our Family Has Fallen

The appearance of the two monsters made Lance frown. Could this Witch continue to summon these rotting parasites endlessly?

"We can't drag this out!" Lance declared. With that, he dragged his greatsword and charged towards the creatures. He was well aware of the reason for his mission and knew he had no time to waste.

No sooner had Lance approached than the Maid opened the two halves of the fungal cap that enveloped her upper body, revealing a skull where the flesh had already dissolved into the fungus.

But instead of spores, a strange odor permeated the air. Lance, leading the charge, couldn't help but feel his body react strangely.

An aphrodisiac!

It wasn't only he who was affected; the soldier-like parasite didn't attack but instead rushed to the Maid's side to guard her.

But Lance's greatsword was no joke. The old, battered armor stood no chance against the strike and was sent flying, naturally revealing the Maid hidden behind.

In that instant, Lance's second sword strike lashed out. Empowered with brutal force, it tore through the air with a strange howl. In a flash, it sliced between the two halves of flesh, completely splitting the upper body.

With the power of his greatsword, dealing with monsters of a regular size was too easy; this was exactly why he had forged this weapon.

The soldier that had been sent flying tried to stand up, but Reynard was quick to follow up. He had faced difficulty dealing with the overweight creature before, but now, facing a monster of normal human size, his true strength erupted.

After Lance sacrificed the Maid, the soldier's body was easily dismantled.

Hastily sacrificing the two monsters, Lance used the offerings to strengthen the Wolf Spirit, preparing to tear the Witch apart to prevent her from summoning more.

However, after the death of these four creatures, the Witch seemed to have been greatly weakened. Her form became ethereal, and her appearance changed. One pale arm rose, pointing towards the protruding mushroom grove, while her other hand covered her face as she sobbed.

This turn of events left Lance and his companions feeling strange. It was their first encounter with a Spiritual Body like the Witch, and the fierce momentum of their advance abruptly halted.

Lance hesitated only briefly before stepping forward; he was not afraid of traps.

He swung his greatsword at the dense mushroom grove before him, and the stirred-up spores crackled in the flames.

Also using the light of the fire, Lance spotted a hidden tombstone.

A graveyard?

Not everyone was privileged enough to be buried in the Church's cemetery after death, because it required payment—a significant fee at that.

Most families scratched a living from the soil. With high taxes, there was hardly any money left. Thus, without funds, even if they desired it, they could not be buried there; the Church did not redeem the poor.

Naturally, there was also the case where the deceased was not acknowledged by the Church. For example, tax evaders also could not be laid to rest within. This served as a means for the Church to control the common folk.

This situation led to the creation of graveyards outside the Church, which became the true final resting place for commoners.

In fact, such graveyards were all too common in the wilds and along old roads, a testament to the vast number of deaths caused by the cataclysm in years past. Yet this particular tomb was somewhat unique; it was not a solitary grave.

Lance picked up his pace. With a few casual swings of his sword, he cleared away the protruding mound, only to discover it was a mass grave, unevenly marked by five crooked tombstones.

Of these graves, four had already been unearthed—clearly the origin of the four creatures that had emerged earlier.

Now, only the central one remained. Lance looked back and saw that the Witch was pointing directly at this spot.

He plunged his greatsword into the ground and began shoveling away the dirt, revealing a worm-eaten, decaying wooden coffin within.

As Lance was about to pry open the coffin, his companions couldn't help but warn him.

"Sir, be careful. There might be something wrong."

"Could it be a trap?"

"Will opening it anger the Witch?"

The warnings from his companions reached Lance's ears, but they did not sway his resolve.

"Open the coffin for inspection!" Lance declared, forcefully driving his greatsword into the seam and prying open the coffin lid.

But when the contents were revealed, everyone present, who had been tense and wary, was perplexed.

For there was no corpse inside the coffin, only a white dress stained with old blood, along with an exquisite hat.

A Clothed Grave? Then where is the body?

Lance knew this matter was far from over. A blood-stained hatchet was embedded in the bottom of the coffin, pinning the dress down. Inscrutable, mystical runes were scrawled on the coffin's interior.

He could sense the Extraordinary Spiritual Essence emanating from the hatchet and also felt that this was a seal.

As for the target of the seal, there was no need to guess who it was; this set of clothes was identical to what the Witch was wearing.

According to the three principles of a Transcendent, one should never carelessly interact with unknown rituals or artifacts. Even if one were to study them, it would only be after thorough preparation and with full precautions.

But Lance showed no fear whatsoever; he reached out and pulled the hatchet free without hesitation.

It wasn't for any complex reason; he was simply confident enough that even if something went wrong, he could handle it.

The moment the hatchet was pulled free, he could feel some kind of ritual breaking and a surge of power being unleashed.

He turned to look back at the Witch. She hadn't flown into a rage. On the contrary, her fingers, which had been grotesquely shaped like scimitars, returned to normal. Her hands clasped before her, and her once-twisted features softened into a surprisingly delicate and pretty face.