Our Family Has Fallen

Chapter 1241: Chapter 680: Artificial Warmth

The young man was momentarily stunned, thinking he had misheard something, but the subsequent barrage of words tied him down, shattering his hopes completely.

Demand, all they do is demand.

He had to help them, had to help them unconditionally.

In their eyes, it seemed like that was what he should do.

But his title of ”big brother” was nothing more than a childhood nickname given by some village playmates; he couldn’t just listen and decide. He never received even a copper coin from them, let alone any benefits; instead, he often had to clean up their messes.

Originally, it wouldn’t have mattered if everyone parted ways amicably; breaking his own ring to share had already been more than generous. Yet, these words once more enraged him.

This gun held a special significance for him, not to mention the humiliation he had endured.

”Screw you! This gun is something I snatched back from the bandits myself. If you want it, go retrieve it yourselves; stop annoying me with this nonsense. I don’t owe any of you a damn thing; you owe me instead.”

The young man previously wanted to preserve the last bit of dignity, so even when parted, they could greet each other upon returning to the village.

But since they didn’t want dignity, then let it end here, sever the bond completely!

The young man had no intention of haggling over words any further and simply turned away, leaving them behind.

The sudden outburst from the young man startled those guys, and only after he walked away did they begin to complain.

”Pfft! Acting all high and mighty.”

”Damn, really thinks he’s something special.”

”Deserved to be beaten by those people...

Were the evil spirits from the ruins amplifying their sinister thoughts? Or did greed blind their hearts? Or maybe they were like this all along...

No one knew for sure. Regardless, a few others with a bit of conscience also left, distancing themselves from those people.

Not everyone craved the thrill of adventure; most people preferred a stable life.

As for those who remained, they were still fantasizing about getting rich quickly and slapping everyone in the face, then decided to go have some fun based on a suggestion from one of them.

They had seen various entertainment venues in the city before, but shy of money, they could only watch. Now, having a little money in their pockets, they were eager and couldn’t wait to go.

If the young man were still around, he would undoubtedly choose to use the money to buy a gun rather than indulge in frivolities. Two guns would pose a certain threat to those looters, and after several rounds, they’d all be armed, making no one dare to provoke them. Only then could they venture deeper to find more valuable items.

But these guys, separated from the young man, were like a body without a brain, lacking foresight completely. Seeing others indulge, they wanted to indulge too, never realizing the disparity.

Perhaps they thought since they were saved today this way, tomorrow would be the same.

As for investing money in themselves, it felt unnecessary; leisure was the priority.

After scavenging garbage all day, am I not allowed to enjoy myself?

At this time, in the ruins, the sun dipped below the horizon, leaving only the faint afterglow. It was at this moment that the looter leader, tormented into unconsciousness by Dismas, groggily awoke.

Perhaps his body had adapted, or maybe his nerves were so numb that he didn’t feel any pain, instead feeling something fuzzy.

Something climbing on his body?

Only then did he realize what had awakened him; it was the rats that appeared out of nowhere, gnawing at him.

Sudden panic prompted his instinct to resist, his abrupt movements scattering the rats, but the next instant, excruciating pain surged, as if waiting for this very moment to erupt.

”Ah~”

He wanted to scream, to wail, but opening his mouth filled him with bloodlust that rushed to his brain, the searing pain in his mouth reminding him of his bitten-off tongue.

Fortunately, Lance wasn’t present, or he might be amused by the fact that this tough guy surviving suggests ”biting off one’s tongue to commit suicide” is unreliable.

The leader didn’t care about this now; under the assault of pain, he vaguely recalled what had happened. Dammit, how could they get caught right after starting?

Hell, not even in the city and still hunted down; no room to live.

Rage and resentment welled up, devoid of regret.

But who cared now... the rats cared.

One might say the distribution of rats was even crazier than humans; they were everywhere and in considerable numbers.

Those rats that awakened the leader didn’t scatter when startled; perhaps their ancestors hadn’t seen humans for hundreds of generations, and today they were indulging in something new; can’t let dinner escape.

The leader also noticed countless pairs of red eyes watching him from the shadows, and looking at the sky, it had gradually darkened.

Adventure seekers had previously cleared this area, but with the night falling, those Skeletons hidden in the building ruins began to emerge.

He wanted to escape this place, but the gunshot wound on his leg, though large burns stopped the bleeding, left the leg useless. Not to mention the injuries on his hands, turned into a mess by arrowheads, as if losing control over his fingers.

Yet never underestimate a person’s survival instinct; his only advantage growing up was his resilience, and after struggling, he managed to crawl to the wall and stand up, bracing himself.

This desperate attempt allowed him to struggle a distance, but it was already the limit. The split wounds leaving fresh blood behind with noise from behind led him to glance back, realizing countless rats had gathered, licking the trails of blood, even fighting each other for it.