Our Family Has Fallen

Putting the painting down, Lance turned his attention to another item hidden within the secret compartment.

It was a bizarre pendant of purple and black, shaped like an oddly round face with vaguely humanoid features. However, its open mouth revealed rodent-like incisors, giving it a macabre appearance.

Within it, Lance could feel a strong Spirit Light. This meant the item was not ordinary—it was a piece of Extraordinary Equipment, and certainly better than any common Magic Stone.

Lance disregarded the intricate rules of the Supernormal Realm and directly picked up the object, immediately feeling an overwhelming power surge through him.

He felt as if he had been thrown into a frenzy; his reaction speed and strength experienced a significant boost. However, the madness also caused a sharp drop in precision, and the berserk Spiritual Essence made the holder suffer from more severe Spiritual Essence agitation.

The effects are good, but unfortunately, there are many drawbacks as well, Lance concluded, toying with the Berserk Pendant.

He understood all too well that in this world, the greater the Supernatural Power, the greater the cost. Perfect equipment without drawbacks, like those gifted from Sacrifices, were not unheard of, just extremely rare.

Nevertheless, Lance felt this pendant would be quite suitable for Boudica. After all, she was already accustomed to frenzy.

Or perhaps for Tadiff. Even in a frenzy, if he didn’t land a hit with one swing, he could just pick up two axes and increase his attack speed to strike more often. That should do the trick, right?

The specifics would need to be tested to obtain more accurate data. For now, Lance tacitly decided that Boudica would test the equipment. It was a good way to give her something to do, as he couldn’t let her remain idle.

To Lance, the Berserk Pendant was even more important than Gold Coins; money had lost its significance to him, but power was essential.

With his plans made, Lance set the pendant aside for the time being. The loot from their trip to the Beast Lair had surpassed his expectations: securing Gold Coin drops from the old inhabitants and bagging a couple of pieces of Extraordinary Equipment.

But the greatest treasure from the trip wasn’t among these items.

What could a Pigman possess? Only philanthropists were the real tycoons.

Within the assimilated Exhibition Room—similar to what he had seen in a previous collector’s hoard—Lance sifted through a myriad of weapons and equipment.

Chosen by a collector, these items were of fine quality, not the shoddy work of Pigmen. Therefore, they were unsuitable for melting down to forge military gear, as standard-issue quality couldn’t possibly match.

They were equally unsuitable for direct use in the military, as they would disrupt formations.

Lance had already prepared for this, picking out a portion of suitable weapons to replace the equipment used by Dismas and his comrades.

They only had usage rights over Extraordinary Equipment due to regulations. However, Lance generously offered these items lacking Spiritual Essence; after all, they were ”voluntarily” donated by the philanthropist for Hamlet’s construction.

As for the remaining weapons and equipment, Lance already had plans. His Honor Guard had not yet been established, but once formed, its members could choose directly from this collection.

This force was not intended to be an army but a unit to confront true evil. Their bodies needed to be strong, and their spirits stalwart.

Unfortunately, the intensity of current battles was still too low to select sufficiently brave warriors.

Due to his experiences in the Beast Lair, Lance selected a delicately crafted Longsword from among the equipment. Despite its unknown age, the Sword Blade remained incredibly sharp, revealing a brilliant, cold gleam—a quality that was in no way inferior to Reynard’s Champion’s Proof.

Caressing the unnamed Longsword, Lance wondered who its last wielder had been, but he was certain he would not dishonor it.

Packing away the items, Lance suddenly found an egg-sized, mysterious, multi-faceted crystal in his hand.

Holding it up, he observed it. The crystal was dark and profound, its colors transforming with the shifting beams of light.

A Spiritual Crystal, without a doubt.

Lance could feel the surging spiritual fluctuations emanating from it. Its purity was uncertain, but regardless, such an item was far more valuable in the Supernormal Realm than Gold Coins.

The philanthropist had given him three of these. Truly, its dedication to supporting Hamlet’s construction was so overwhelming... I could just cry.

Lance then recalled something. When he first acquired the Exhibition Room, there seemed to have been a stone box, though it was locked. He had been so busy all this time that he had completely forgotten about it.

After some effort, he managed to open it. However, instead of the expected Extraordinary Equipment, Crystals, gemstones, or gold and silver treasures, the inside contained an assortment of variously sized, multifaceted crystals that resembled shattered rocks.

Among these crystals lay a blood-stained pouch. Noticing the large bloodstains soaking the fabric, Lance felt a premonition of ill omen.

After a moment’s hesitation, he opened it and indeed found a head. The man to whom it belonged must have been rugged and weathered in life. His features were serene, showing none of death’s usual gruesomeness, and he appeared pallid, as if killed in his sleep.

Beyond that, Lance could discern nothing else. Yet, the Spiritual Essence contained within was plentiful, indicating the head had once belonged to a Transcendent of considerable power, which was why the collector had specially preserved it.

Damn it, I don’t have the slightest interest in collecting other people’s heads; it feels ominous just holding it, Lance thought.

Lance was about to offer it as a Sacrifice when, as he reached out, he inexplicably felt a mysterious ”vitality” emanating from the head—as though it were still alive.