Our Family Has Fallen

The position of the old mansion, relative to the city ruins, is actually in a remote corner of the outskirts, so undead skeletons are not seen here.

Similarly, those cultists scattered around, even if they received the information from the cult’s cardinal immediately, would still have to run a distance to get here.

This is only if they are not deep in the ruins but rather on the outskirts that they can arrive now.

Unfortunately, Lance and his team have already cleaned out the old mansion; are those guys coming here to die?

"Go down and take them out."

Even though it was anticipated, when Lance saw the cultists fighting with the soldiers, he was still somewhat annoyed.

These cultists are really like cockroaches; no matter how many are killed, more inexplicably appear.

Their task of clearing the old mansion has ended, and there is a plan for the next stage; there’s nothing worth lingering for.

Lance took those documents and casually dismantled the telescope.

Leaving is leaving, but the items must be taken...

Even before Lance and his team stepped into the old mansion, the soldiers had already started operating.

They continuously came over from the seaside cliffs and then took over the equipment left by the Lord to set up camp on the outskirts of the old mansion.

In fact, there were cultists in some of the ruins on the outskirts of the mansion. Though more than three hundred people swarming in could not go unnoticed, under the absolute advantage in numbers, they turned into mere mud under a musket.

These sailors rarely have a full complement of handguns because the long-barreled muskets are difficult to maneuver in the cramped spaces on ships, so their training includes a lot of close-quarters combat subjects indoors.

Similarly, they are one of the few in the military who retain cold weapon training, and their sidearms, be it a sailor’s knife or an axe, are chosen by themselves.

This is why Lance called them over; they are suited for combat in the ruins.

The three hundred men have transformed into small squads clearing the areas around the old mansion, acting quickly and with clear objectives, targeting the high ground first.

Inside a half-toppled brick and stone tower within the ruins, several gunshots reverberated, the sound echoing deeper until it faded.

Soon the tower was retaken from the cultists by the soldiers, who climbed its spiral staircase to its broken section, where sharpshooters mounted their guns and had assistants responsible for observing and keeping watch.

It’s estimated that this was designed to guard the old mansion back in the day. Though the top has collapsed, leaving only a large section, it once again served its purpose.

From this vantage point, they could better perceive the surroundings and spot the approaching cultists nearby.

Dealing with the scattered cultists on the outskirts doesn’t showcase their skills; it’s only now they’re truly tested.

"Rally! Rally! The enemy is coming."

"Take cover, take cover, where’s my ammo?"

"Hurry up and bring the artillery up here!"

Indeed, the navy also has its own artillery team; though Hamlet’s artillery hasn’t been loaded onto ships yet, talents can be trained first.

All parties were ready, waiting for the cultists to come up and then deliver a heavy blow.

"Kid, why are you shaking? One would think you’re still rocking on a ship." An old soldier in the shelter, noticing the newbie’s condition, couldn’t help but tease with a laugh.

"I’m not scared. I just took down a cultist earlier." The new soldier mumbled without minding the old soldier’s teasing, just tightened his grip on the musket.

"Hahaha, just hide behind us when the time comes."

"Don’t laugh at him, you kid. Remember the first time you went to battle, you couldn’t even hold your gun steady."

"Bullshit! The first time I went to battle, I took down two enemies."

"Shut up, they’re here!"

The lookout warned, casting silence over the entire position as everyone busied themselves checking their equipment and preparing their ammunition.

The last Deep Diver incursion took many lives, including the already small number of navy personnel.

New recruits filled the ranks afterward, who also diluted the veteran ratio, but as long as they survive a few battles, they are veterans too.

War is a very serious thing; life takes decades to grow, but death only a moment, and war is filled with death.

These veterans are indifferent to death; they have seen too much death of both allies and enemies, to the point of numbness.

Of course, there are also more important things worth fighting for than survival.

It is not some vague slogan or an abstract individual, but a new social order they have personally witnessed and experienced.

For Hamlet...

Ordinary cultists can’t directly receive divine commands; they must be conveyed through spellcasters like witches, head clerks, or cardinals, and the information received is vague.

But the problem is, Lance has taken out the high ranks of the Ascension Sect, all the head clerks, cardinals, and even the Choir have fallen in a short time, except for the mysterious leader.

This is equivalent to taking out the entire command of the Ascension Sect, leaving the incoming cultists’ minds still stuck at the time when Lance first invaded, with no time to update the information.

In any case, they charged forward recklessly, crashing into the ambush laid by the army as they entered the outer ruins.

"Fire the cannon!"

On the distant artillery position, several cannons roared in fury, as the curious unscathed ones curiously watched the thick white smoke rising, only for projectiles to tear their bodies apart the next second.