Our Family Has Fallen

Lance was temporarily unaware of the chaos outside due to the Blood Moon’s arrival. Still, once Alhazred activated the beacon and they passed through the portal, the surroundings underwent a drastic change.

No longer were they in a scene covered entirely by flesh like within a giant beast; instead, it felt as though they had fallen into a void.

Visible only were ambiguous directions in a maze, with the Abyss-like darkness adorned by countless spectacular yet eerie purple starlights. Floating within the void-like passage were numerous ethereal light flows, seemingly serving as reference points to prevent getting lost in this spaceless dimension.

Lance merely observed briefly before resuming his steps. Reynard and the others followed suit with minimal conversation.

It felt like a never-ending journey. Yet, at that moment, from within the void emerged a ghost-like, humanoid phantom, startling those advancing forward.

Dismas’ gun was already aimed at the apparition, while Reynard’s longsword was half-drawn, but Lance raised a hand to stop them. "It’s just a fabricated shadow, doesn’t even dare to show its real body. And it thinks it can disturb us?"

Only then did everyone see the ghost-like spiritual body was a middle-aged noble with a dignified appearance, half-bodied, arms crossed arrogantly over his chest.

Lance paid no heed, walking straight through, his composed demeanor immediately soothing the others.

The phantom seemed agitated by Lance’s disregard, not waiting to question as a resonant sound echoed through the void passage.

"In all my terrifying studies, the only thing I’ve sought was a glimpse behind the curtain, a tiny fragment of cosmic truth.

Here, I’ve found it, and in that moment of revelation, I forsook the human flesh to become a ’harbinger,’ transforming into this creeping embodiment of chaos."

"A rubbish chaos, not even evading my blows here."

Lance continued forward, adding taunting words, making it clear — if you’re so clever and powerful, why are you still stuck here, afraid to leave?

Reynard and the others naturally heard this. Still, after hearing the Lord, they paid it no more attention and kept moving forward.

Did some mere fantasies really wish to interfere with their resolve to follow the Lord?

Yet this manner only drove the phantom more mad, disappearing from sight only to reappear suddenly ahead on the path, trying again to sway them with words.

"Life feasts on life. In your trivial pursuit of family redemption, you sacrificed those gathered here.

In doing so, you strengthened that ’thing,’ hastening the end of all things. It was inevitable...and that’s why you came here."

"I came here to kill you, have you bled and cut, what have you succeeded in? A complete failure."

Lance’s mocking tone grew stronger, even bursting into laughter, saying that the ancient ancestor’s accumulated wealth had almost been depleted by him.

Without those gears, without these battles and flesh, Lance couldn’t have pulled together a powerful team so quickly, nor reached the point he’s at today.

An ancestor? Just a stepping stone...

Lance’s advancing steps didn’t pause a bit, forcing the pretentious phantom to flash again, appearing ahead to block them, its mouth chattering nonstop.

"We will be eternally bound here; you and I, at this world’s nearing end.

Unlock your self-restraints, awaken that ’thing,’ and embrace the inescapable, the cosmic horror and ugly truth living within us."

At this moment, Lance suddenly stopped, his expression instantly solemn.

Ignoring further taunts about the ancestor, before him appeared a darker red tear than any other in the void, like an eye opening, emanating an even more terrifying aura than within the giant beast’s depths.

The force emanating from it seemed to reveal the source itself, compelling people to worship it as a deity, yet what was faintly glimpsed within also brought intense chaos and distortion, provoking an inexplicable urge to destroy.

It’s not that Lance didn’t mind the ancestor’s barking, the others were the same, even failing to understand those words fully, but they could comprehend what the sight before them represented.

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Finally, this world’s twisted heart lay unguarded, waiting to be annihilated or praised.

And Lance’s choice was, of course...

"Kill!"

Lance shouted and rushed straight into the rift, stunned as he landed within.

All around was still the void, but above him in the void grew a massive, grotesque sphere entirely composed of twisted flesh, woven together seamlessly like the moon.

From that core, countless flesh extended outward, rooted in the void, anchoring it there, appearing to rotate somehow.

Who knows if it’s the void moving, the Blood Moon shifting, or their hearts trembling.

At this moment, a figure suddenly emerged from the void, drawing Lance and his men’s attention back to the forefront.

Undoubtedly, it was the ancestor forced out, the bodied flesh manifestation of the earlier phantom, but the cold face and arms-crossed, indifferent stance revealed he’s displeased at his successor’s arrival.