Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

It was all because they were so used to working together, both in teams and individually, that they hadn't yet adapted to Rhett's presence.

Quickly realizing this, Blackstar shrugged and said, "I'll leave it to you, Rhett."

Rhett smiled slightly. "It's a small matter."

After a brief discussion, the four of them, along with the magical beast, began following the stream northward, carefully exploring every side path they encountered, adhering to a thorough search method.

A day and night passed.

Along the way, Rhett occasionally chatted with Blackstar and Goldsand. With their previous interactions, Rhett felt that his relationship with Blackstar was becoming more familiar, and their conversations grew broader.

It was now the second day in the White Rat Range.

As night fell, the stars twinkled in the sky, and they found a passage between two mountains. The path led into a valley to the northwest, but the way was blocked by a high ridge. Its dark edges stood out against the sky, jagged like the teeth of a blunt saw.

Seeing this, Blackstar was intrigued. The day's casual conversations had relaxed him, so he remarked, "What strange rocks! I've never seen peaks shaped like this before. How fascinating."

Even Goldsand, gazing at the serrated peaks ahead, showed a glint of interest in her eyes. Beautiful and novel landscapes always caught people's attention, brightening their moods, and she was no exception.

However, Rhett glanced at the scene, noting their expressions.

He pondered briefly but maintained a calm face as he said, "Oh? Doesn't the Kingdom of Kinlen have plenty of mountainous terrain? It's only here on the Southwest Frontier that the plains are relatively vast.

I've heard that the Kingdom of Reem is mostly plains and forests, with few mountains. Blackstar, could it be that you came from Reem?"

At this, Blackstar's body stiffened. His expression was hidden by his scarf, but Rhett sensed a slight tension.

After a moment, Blackstar replied, "Of course! Wherever there are evildoers, you'll find me. A few years ago, I was indeed active in the Kingdom of Reem.

But in recent years, I've been staying on the Southwest Frontier." His voice returned to its usual cool tone.

Goldsand glanced at Rhett subtly, then quickened her pace, moving forward. "If we go a few more kilometers, we'll reach the Thunder Bear Range. If we still don't find any traces of that group, it means, Earl Rhett, that your information might be wrong.

And we have other matters to attend to—we can't waste too much time."

"It won't be wrong!"

Rhett's voice was full of confidence, drawing a sideways glance from Blackstar and Goldsand.

He raised his head, looking at the mountains ahead, and said softly, "They're just ahead!"

"Just ahead?" Goldsand's eyes lit up, and she looked forward. The mountains stretched endlessly before them, and her face showed a look of realization. She asked, "In an internal mountain space?"

"No, beneath the mountain itself. They seem to have constructed an underground cave—there's an unusual collapse there." Rhett shared what he had sensed.

Goldsand's expression fell, disappointed by the news.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get moving!" Blackstar, now fully alert, forgot the earlier conversation and hurried forward.

Rhett, however, didn't rush. He stayed close to Taylors, his third son, ensuring he didn't fall behind or encounter danger.

The mountains were near, and they reached them within minutes.

With Rhett, a fifth-level magus, present, even if they didn't find a clear cave entrance, Rhett could sense the underground void and forcefully manipulate the earth element to create a passage.

In just a few dozen minutes, he crafted a sloping tunnel, several hundred meters long.

Although Rhett could have taken the time to find the evil alchemists' entrance, he didn't trust their path.

Facing such evil and ruthless alchemists, caution was necessary.

He was wary of traps or poison gas devices. Even as a fifth-level magus, he couldn't guarantee safety if he were poisoned.

Digging his own tunnel was the safest option! As Rhett continued manipulating his mental energy, large amounts of dirt floated and piled up at the foot of the mountain, forming mounds of dark brown soil.

However, about two-thirds of the way through, Rhett suddenly frowned and said urgently, "Not good. They've sensed the disturbance—some of them are starting to flee."

More than half of them were escaping through deeper tunnels, heading in the opposite direction.

Goldsand asked urgently, "Where are they fleeing? I'll go intercept them."

Rhett silently sensed and replied, "Circle around to the back of this jagged mountain and ambush them there. You should be able to catch some of them. I'll stay here to deal with those remaining in the cave."

"Understood!" Blackstar responded, his figure gradually blurring, blending into the shadows until he disappeared.

Rhett resumed his "digging" process!

Finally, after another ten minutes or so.

The soil suddenly loosened, signaling the end of the tunnel. A dark red hue filled his vision, and a strong scent of blood wafted through the passage.

Rhett frowned. With his experience on the battlefield, he immediately deduced that such a thick stench of blood likely meant the death of hundreds.

"Evil alchemists... damned monsters..."

In the next moment, the dark red light was replaced by a deep blue glow. Bursting with vigor, a fourth-level earth knight charged out of the cave, like a phantom, aiming for Rhett.

A flash of killing intent crossed Rhett's eyes. Unfazed, he summoned his mental energy and conjured a ground spike aimed at the fourth-level earth knight.

The knight's eyes gleamed with ferocity as he wielded a blood-red sword, rushing straight at Rhett.

Hmm? Rhett's eyes flashed with suspicion, and his movements slowed slightly.

Despite the knight's strong life force, his eyes were filled with madness and emptiness, as if he had lost all self-awareness.

Rhett deliberately retreated, luring the knight away from the tunnel, giving him more space to fight on level ground.

Sure enough, the knight charged at Rhett with no hesitation, as if he didn't recognize the threat of facing a fifth-level magus.

Moreover, his attacks were direct and predictable, lacking the finesse of a seasoned knight.

Since that's the case...

A cold light flashed in Rhett's eyes. With a swift motion, a ground spike shot up from the earth, piercing the knight from behind.

"Argh!" A blood-curdling scream echoed through the night sky.

Even Blackstar and Goldsand, who were rushing ahead, couldn't help but glance back. But with the mountains blocking their view, they couldn't see what Rhett had done to cause such agonizing screams.

The sharp spike had impaled the knight from behind, paralyzing him on the spot. His eyes, once wild and chaotic, briefly cleared, reflecting intense pain.

Rhett chuckled. "So you're not just a mindless puppet after all—you can feel pain."

"K-kill me!" a broken, desperate voice stammered from the knight's throat.

"Hmm?" Rhett sensed something amiss. Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "Tell me first—how many experiments have you conducted here?"

"No... not me... they controlled me... they're conducting inhumane experiments... I'm just a sacrifice!" The knight's eyes widened in agony as he trembled, forcing the words out.

Rhett was stunned, momentarily speechless. Controlled? How could someone be controlled? He had never heard of such a thing!

Seeing Rhett hesitate, the knight's voice turned pleading, "P-please... kill... kill me... they're... down below..."

Before he could finish, the knight's body suddenly emitted a blood-red glow. He let out another scream, his body convulsing as the brief clarity in his eyes vanished.

Madness and emptiness returned, replacing the momentary lucidity.

Rhett's pupils contracted sharply as he realized the knight's life force was rapidly draining. But at the same time, a surge of power erupted from within him, indicating a final desperate burst of strength. Rhett wasn't about to give him that chance!

Sandflow!

The ground beneath the knight turned into a swirling vortex of sand, trapping him and rendering him immobile.

Rhett's expression calmed as he signaled to Taylors.

Taylors, still in shock from the bizarre encounter, snapped out of it at his father's command. He began gathering shadow energy, launching wave after wave at the knight's throat.

[Family member defeated an opponent four levels above, Destiny Points +4]

Soon, a notification appeared before Rhett. With his help, the knight had been gravely injured, leaving him barely alive. Taylors only needed four shadow waves to finish him off.

Rhett then decided to wait patiently, to see if any more "puppet-like" knights would emerge.

Unfortunately, after several minutes, there was no further movement. It seemed those inside had realized they couldn't match the intruders. After all, a fourth-level knight had fallen in under a minute, making it clear that their opponents were formidable.

Rhett decided not to wait any longer—he would charge in directly!

Sandwolf Howl!

In an instant, three sand wolves appeared at the tunnel entrance, their faces twisted into snarls. Forming a line, they charged down the tunnel