Our Family Has Fallen

Time to open the chest!

Lance stepped forward, about to perform Sacrifice on the Limping Walker’s corpse, but he suddenly seemed to recall something and hesitated. After a moment, he rummaged through the Exhibition Room and found an item.

It was a lump of flesh about the size of a toddler’s fist, congealed and with veins crawling through its crevices. A closed, One-Eyed dominated the center, giving it a somewhat sinister appearance. This was the Fleshcrafting core. Lance had obtained it through Sacrifice after Geralt severed the evil cult Saintess’s arm, along with her flesh Magic Wand, during their attack on the outpost. This core was the heart of Fleshcrafting, capable of creating a special piece of Extraordinary Equipment, but it required a very specific material: flesh and blood.

The opportunity was singular. Ordinary materials like human or Pigman flesh held little appeal. However, for the flesh of a Limping Walker, a Void Demon, Lance couldn’t think of anything more suitable. Lance’s hesitation, however, lay in using this core; the outcome of crafting an unknown piece of Extraordinary Equipment from the Limping Walker’s remains was uncertain. If he chose to Sacrifice, he’d at least receive a guaranteed amount of Spiritual Essence, and there was also a chance of obtaining something good, whether a trait or equipment, which might not necessarily be worse than what Fleshcrafting could create.

Simply put, should I gamble on the potential returns...?

After a brief indecision, Lance made his choice and tossed the core toward the Limping Walker’s remains. The reason was quite simple: there might be more Limping Walkers in the future, but there was only one Fleshcrafting core, and nothing was more appropriate for it than the Limping Walker’s flesh. Besides, he needed a specific piece of equipment: armor.

In terms of weapons, although the [Giant Slayer] was broken, the Extraordinary Equipment [Wolf Fang] was by no means inferior, perhaps even better. The successive battles had shown that as enemies grew stronger, his only weakness was his fragile human body. He needed a solid suit of Heavy Armor to allow him to fully commit to offense.

”Fleshcrafting, activate!”

The core landed on the Limping Walker’s remnants and was instantly activated by Lance’s will. As if awakening, the eye on it slowly opened. Then, the flesh began to writhe, rooting itself into the Limping Walker’s unresponsive flesh and spreading relentlessly. The flesh gradually lost its original form. Even the parts crushed to a pulp returned to their essence, continuously merging into the core. The sturdy blades on its tentacle ridges also melded in, as if being forged like molten steel.

This scene of melding flesh was grotesque and reeked of potent eeriness. Anyone else witnessing it would surely consider it a sacrilegious ritual. But Lance didn’t care; he was only concerned about the effectiveness of the equipment he would receive.

Everything was progressing normally at first, but accidents are an inevitable part of life. Lance had overlooked something crucial: the strange Meteorite that had smashed through the Limping Walker was also mixed in with the flesh. When the Fleshcrafting core extended over it, the Dark Flame, which had subsided with the Limping Walker’s death, suddenly erupted, spreading over the flesh like wildfire and engulfing the core.

Yet, what troubled Lance even more was the invasive nature of the Dark Flame. Under its scorching torment, the flesh twisted and withered.

Damn this accursed stone! It’s actually reversing the Fleshcrafting, devouring the remaining Spiritual Essence!

The situation stunned Lance. What is this? He didn’t know all the details, but Lance was aware that if he allowed the Dark Flame to continue burning, not even ashes would remain.

”Sacrifice! Sacrifice! Sacrifice!”

Lacking time for deliberation, Lance immediately initiated Sacrifice; salvaging even a little was better than nothing.

The Void Devourer arrived, and the Dark Flame surged as if trying to resist the mighty force of the unknown entity. But one should remember, even the Butler created by the Old Ancestor had been Sacrificed and swallowed alive. This thing’s resistance was like a death throe, fleeting. In an instant, the Void Devourer consumed everything, even the Dark Flame-emitting Meteorite, causing it to vanish from reality.

This all transpired in two or three seconds. Before it could spread, it was directly Sacrificed. Lance had also left the torch with them. Under the cover of darkness, he thus avoided alarming anyone.

Yet Lance’s mood soured. He had hoped to get something good, but now he was left with only the bare minimum. However, he was also puzzled. What was the deal with that Meteorite harboring the Dark Flame?

Before he could ponder further, the Void delivered its gift. Lance had assumed the Fleshcrafting process, interrupted by the Dark Flame, meant the equipment was ruined, and being forced to Sacrifice it would only recover the remaining Spiritual Essence. But unexpectedly, the feedback was a black flame that broke free from the Void and flew towards Lance. In that instant, he vaguely saw a Limping Walker with tentacles thrashing wildly within the black flame, roaring as it charged at him.

What on earth?!

Lance threw a punch, directly shattering the illusion, and something materialized in his hand. When he opened his hand, he found a pitch-black ring. It was made of a rough, meteoric iron-like material, and its surface depicted the Limping Walker engulfed in black flames, just like the illusion he had just seen.

He had wanted a suit of armor, but in the end, it turned out to be an accessory. With a hint of resignation, Lance slipped the ring onto his finger, where it fit as if custom-made. Having had no expectations, the moment he put it on, Lance felt as if he understood something. The gloom on his face instantly vanished, replaced by a burgeoning excitement. He couldn’t suppress his smile.

Ecstasy!

Because the effects of this item were far beyond his expectations. Without further ado, he immediately tried to activate it. The Limping Walker on the ring seemed to come alive. Its tentacles twitched slightly, and the black flames entwining it actually ignited, spreading all the way from his finger, across his palm, and finally to his forearm. Where the black flame passed, a Gauntlet connected to a bracer appeared.

Lance flexed his fingers; his dexterity wasn’t affected in the slightest. It felt like his own skin, without any sense of obstruction. The armguard was as black as ink yet shimmered with a faint, star-like luster, resembling the night sky. Its design was rugged, with distinct, sharp edges, and the material, like raw forged meteoric iron, felt substantial. Just looking at it conveyed a sense of power and solidity. Furthermore, the bracer featured miniature versions of the Limping Walker’s tentacle-backed blades, and the fingertips could transform into sharp claws at his will, equally exuding aggression.

The Gauntlet and bracer were not the entirety of this equipment, just a part Lance had manifested for testing. What made him ecstatic was that this was a complete set of Full Body Armor, a suit of Heavy Armor named [Meteorite]. Moreover, it possessed many interesting abilities, but unfortunately, this was neither the place nor the time to test them, so Lance had to suppress his curiosity.

Why did Lance dislike wearing armor? Besides their poor effectiveness and restrictive nature, another reason was the hassle of putting them on. Some Full Body Armor and Heavy Armor couldn’t even be donned by one person alone. The battles he faced often erupted suddenly, and enemies wouldn’t give him time to prepare slowly, much less help him put on his Armor.

But this was Armor stored in the Void, or rather, a type of Supernatural Power. It completely lacked the cumbersome donning process of ordinary armor. A mere thought could cover his entire body, fully equipping him. Similarly, it vanished with just another thought.

Lance watched as the Armor dissolved into black flames and vanished. His arm reappeared, but... Where’s the clothing on my arm?

This... this isn’t right... Lance’s clothes weren’t of the finest make, but as a Noble Lord, he used good quality materials. But now, only some burnt ashes and scraps remained.

Lance was speechless but could guess that clothes made of ordinary materials couldn’t possibly withstand the power of the Dark Flame. At the same time, direct contact with his skin was necessary to unleash the power of [Meteorite]. Lance also felt fortunate that he had only equipped the armguard for testing. Otherwise, if he had equipped the full set, wouldn’t he be stark naked after deactivating it post-battle?

Damn it!

Now Lance understood. This ability couldn’t be used casually to show off, at least not when fully equipped. Otherwise, he risked exposing his rear.