Our Family Has Fallen

He even found a corresponding book from those piles of books, "Postpartum Care of Sandworms".

"Found it..." Lance couldn’t help but smile as he held the book.

He discovered a unique worm, the Sandworm, from things brought by the Sect of the Mother Worm, then modified it to study the Flesh Devourer.

This discovery allowed Lance to grasp the prototype of the Devourer; he might create a more docile worm with the same effects.

At this moment, Lance’s state visibly improved, having been irritable earlier, now simply.

Joy!

He realized that those things were not entirely forbidden and could benefit the world if used properly.

Quickly accelerating his movements, he organized these things and could roughly guess the experimental accident that occurred here with the information he now held.

This place was once part of the sewers, assumed by the ancestors as a laboratory-like venue.

Still, it was researching the bizarre creature called Flesh Devourer until one day an oversight of its potent corrosive ability led to an escape.

Then, it damaged the passage causing a collapse, burying these under the ground, cutting this place from the sewers.

If not for this coincidence, this might have been buried forever.

The Beast Lair was the new experimental place opened later, explaining everything.

The Beast Lair was initially opened by the ancestors, later used to raise pigs, modified further by the Pigmen.

However, none of this mattered anymore...

Soon Lance crawled back up from the collapse, the surrounding situation already fortified due to previous events, with Reynard and the Honor Guard busy handling the aftermath.

At this moment, Lance received feedback from the scattered reconnaissance.

The turmoil in the ruins alarmed the Skeletons, spreading them slowly, unable to reach in a few days.

"My Lord, do we need to mobilize the army?"

"No need." Lance dismissed it, instructing them to "completely blow up the lower section, restore the road quickly, and prepare to open the ruins."

Mobilizing the army consumed significantly; Hamlet shouldn’t tangle with remnants, leaving these Skeletons to Adventurers for leisure.

"Yes!"

The people didn’t understand why, nor needed to know, simply following the Lord’s orders.

Previously, the Ascension Sect and Hamlet’s Army clashed on the border, but this time, Lance’s peach-picking urgency provoked the ancestors, congregating Heretics for a final counterattack.

Though initially driving Hamlet’s troops strategically to retreat, they soon reversed the situation.

With the frontline battles ending, it signaled the road leading to the ruins had cleared.

Once everyone got busy, Lance took the opportunity to inspect the new town’s construction and the outpost’s armament.

Though unlikely problematic, following Bastia’s major case, Lance remained cautious, never testing humanity, ensuring sound systems.

Thankfully, a batch of rats caught recently thwarting anyone’s maneuvering, Lance finding situations akin to his grasped understanding.

Soon Lance returned to his loyal Hamlet Town, and following Baldwin’s operations, Lance announced Hamlet’s army triumphed over a terrifying enemy, completely opening the road to the ruins.

Setting an accurate time to two days later for complete opening, spreading messages that the ruins wouldn’t forbid guns, and buying supplies possible.

However, entering the town required storing guns and ammo, offering transportation service, retrieving your ordnance once leaving Hamlet bounds.

Charging a small storage fee.

Lance’s decision was simple, as beyond the town’s reach, things were out of control. Meanwhile, ruins needed these monsters cleared, boosting their strength for survival.

More critically, guns demand ammunition, with Lance monopolizing corresponding supplements.

Each gunshot resonated in Lance’s ears as Gold Coin dropping.

Besides, firearm development sought market feedback. The institute has many weird guns, inadequate test conditions, so selling to them explored markets.

Converting research outcomes to income, replenishing the institute’s considerable consumption, and funding a pile of self-pay experiments.

Everything was business...

Yet these messages didn’t excite the greedy Adventurers, Baldwin’s previous messages still holding sway.

The people suspected the army’s defeat, tricking them to the frontlines, as it seemed too fast.

This amusing misunderstanding didn’t concern Lance, as time revealed answers.

Returning, Lance didn’t intervene in Baldwin’s matters, admitting with the coming of the Governor and trained officials, Lance’s relief considerably, finally finding time for special affairs.

In the sanatorium, Paracelsus, Lance, and Grendel’s appearance didn’t signal ordinary events, eyes settled on the murky liquid in the large barrel.

The Deep Sea Pearl retrieved from the Bay, transformed through special rituals into wondrous potions.

"The flesh fully digested, surprisingly no foul odor or strange scent. Truly magical."

Grendel cared more about another matter than these.

"Who drinks?"

"Don’t look at me!" Lance noticed both staring, promptly denying.

Others might not know, but he undoubtedly understood the ingredients of this concoction.

Unlike the ancestors, Lance didn’t indulge in bizarre drinks.

Reluctantly, they dragged a convict and fed them a bottle.

Soon the effect ensued, several observed, Lance discerning something interesting given his Power of Flesh and Blood mastery.

"Though the flesh digested, the residue easily infects with pathogens, needing sterilization before use, else users might catch infections."

"Will filtering and high-temperature sterilization damage the effect?"

"Herbal disinfection is another way."

"Does distillation concentration boost effectiveness?"

Research remains prolonged work, dividing countless projects demanding validation.

Product launch embodied their monumental efforts; before, Lance couldn’t assist, but now finding time to aid a little.

This project couldn’t be divulged publicly, at least until Lance grasped authority.

Human experimentation could use heinous capital offenders as a fig leaf, but employing flesh as materials mirrored the evil wizard’s deeds in Knight novels.

Moreover, Lance consistently enforced corpse cremation; knowledge of these deeds might...

The revelation must stay concealed from the public, especially the Church, avoiding scandalous attacks.

The swelling risks with marginal gains led Lance to ponder halting it?

Now is premature for such discussions, as achieving full-fledged research beyond the lab is challenging, awaiting complete data for further considerations.

After series of studies, Grendel anchored an initial conclusion.

"Though similar to Church’s Holy Water, this isn’t identical."

The Deerhead Tribe’s herbology expertise lent insights into the Church’s classic products.

"Regardless of similarity, as long as it’s effective." Lance, a pragmatist, dismissed duplication concerns.

Nonetheless, these prompted a recollection, sparking a self-answered query.

"I recall those two from the Church are still locked up, almost forgot."