Our Family Has Fallen

"What is that guy up to?" Paracelsus grumbled with slight dissatisfaction.

A lot of his belongings, including those experimental materials, were still inside.

If all the Devourers were buried, then the healing potion would become extinct.

Grendel, however, said nothing about it; she simply carried a hint of worry in her eyes, turning over the [Messenger] in her hand, waiting for something.

Fortunately, news came back soon, which gave her a bit of reassurance...

The collapse area was large, but ultimately it was limited to the underground section of the ruins.

In contrast, the part the Pigmen had newly dug extending into the wilderness did not collapse due to the lack of pressure from over-developed buildings.

However, there was still considerable impact; the swirling dust clouds surged through the passage.

And soon, strange noises were heard from within, but the first to rush out of the smoke was not Lance, but those Devourers.

They dashed forward like they were fleeing, paying no heed to their compatriots around them.

They only gradually slowed down after escaping the collapse zone, raising their chrysanthemum-like mouthparts as if trying to sense their surroundings.

Yet soon they seemed to be influenced by something to continue moving forward, although this time their action was not as chaotic as when escaping.

Within them, the Giant Devourer did not attack the smaller and larger Devourers; it even seemed strange as if they were lining up to walk.

At that moment, someone emerged — it was Lance.

He had changed into a fresh outfit, blowing a conch to control the Devourers, as though herding sheep.

He was indeed the Insect Herder, driving these strategic resources.

Luckily, before going deep, he first controlled most of the Devourers, attracting them outside; otherwise, they would have all fed the Ancestor.

Now that part is saved, there is still a future; Lance always held this optimistic mindset.

Yet, this collapse also helped him cut off the routes from the Beast Lair to other directions.

Sadly, it also shattered Lance’s thought of "smuggling into the Beast Lair to seize the old house directly."

Lance quickly drove all the Devourers to the vicinity of the exit, and then let them enter dormancy.

Here, besides those few Devourers with severed spines frantically struggling unable to run, there was also a Giant Devourer that was half dissected.

It had been completely cut open, yet unexpectedly still alive, which seemed absurd. Perhaps it was awakened by the recent commotion, struggling and causing chaos.

Lance gave it a merciful end, completely ending its suffering.

Now, after enhancing his understanding of flesh, Lance felt that the appearance of Giant Devourers was entirely due to the excessive devouring of mutant flesh imbued with grotesque power.

Indeed, this was rather an accident; under supernatural power, don’t try to comprehend it; that’s its allure.

However, the scene still needed addressing, and crafting a new breeding scheme had to be considered.

......

Hamlet, the wilderness.

It was roughly similar to when Lance thwarted the witch’s conspiracy, advancing into the wilderness for development.

Although the fungal parasite army was eradicated, the Ascension Sect still lingered therein, persistently launching attacks against them.

That time was tough, as most were inexperienced new recruits, equipped primarily with spears, only a few possessing the simplest muskets.

The armor consisted merely of some crudely assembled iron breastplates, characterized by simplicity.

But Lance would never abandon a single person, sparing no effort to rescue them; no matter how severe the injuries, as long as they were still alive, he insisted on saving them.

Hence, Hamlet’s medical treatment, especially surgical first aid, was quick to take off, having countless on-the-spot experiences.

With logistics pushed to the limit, the medical team waited behind, providing instant emergency care for injuries and carting them back; as long as there was a breath, they could make it.

Each critically injured person was brought back; unless there was a severed limb, Lance’s journey would have them discharged and back to the battlefield fighting the heretics within days.

Some soldiers had their bellies cut open by the heretic warriors’ claws, intestines falling out, yet they could still stuff them back and continue fighting ferociously.

If Bastia’s way of eliminating the weak through war, leaving only the veterans alive applied, then the old soldiers of Hamlet were roughly still those people, only having grown through battle.

One was selection; the other exhausted cultivation, for Hamlet’s population could not bear such a mode.

But Lance’s efforts bore fruits; the soldiers’ abilities and will were fully honed, each veteran returning from death would become the heretics’ nightmare.

If it were you, upon surviving multiple critical injuries, upon regaining consciousness, discovering your wounds healed as if you died and respawned in a game.

Yet, crawling out from Hell, you wouldn’t find yourself on a carriage, instead a Lord standing beside, encouraging you to burn all heretics into ash.

Moreover, Lance secretly blessed them with [Bless] during rescues, igniting a surge of fervor — one reason why many soldiers hold a fervent admiration for the Lord.

From the initial large-scale intense skirmishes where both sides suffered casualties, even with Hamlet’s Army enduring more severe and heroic losses.

At the time, Lance had to run between the town and the wilderness until later when the mass adoption of muskets and widespread armor significantly boosted combat effectiveness.

By that time, with the enhancement in equipment and personnel quality, the heretics struggled in large-scale confrontations, shifting to small-scale raids and harassment.