《The Paladin in the Abyss》 Chapter 1: Prologue Chapter 1: Prologue With a thud, the hurried footsteps suddenly stopped, as if someone had tripped over a wide robe. But the footsteps quickly resumed, seemingly even more urgent than before. In a majestic hall, a man dressed in luxurious attire paced back and forth on a high platform, restless. This place had once been where the lords met with the Emperor, the center of power for the entire empire. Yet, aside from the man on the platform, there was no one else in the hall at that moment. Still, he felt as if he stood at the center of a stage, being watched by countless eyes. "Your Majesty! The eastern gate has been breached. Albert''s knights have stormed in!"No?v(el)B\\jnn The footsteps finally reached this place. A male servant rushed into the hall, only realizing after he had shouted that the hall was empty, except for the man on the platform. He looked around in terror, then swiftly turned and vanished into the shadows outside the door without a backward glance. The man referred to as His Majesty seemed not to have heard the servant''s shout, merely muttering to himself: "Rebels! Traitors!" "Buried alive! Burned at the stake! Hanged! No, no, no... that would be too easy for you. I will personally slice, slice..." "I am the Emperor of the Pharis Empire, the great Turas the Ninth. You must, you must submit to me!" "Die, die, die! All of you, die! All of you, all of you, all of you die!" The sound of steel clashing with stone interrupted him. At the entrance of the hall, knights clad in heavy armor, wielding swords and long spears, filed in, led by a striking blonde man adorned with a gold griffon on his cloak, who walked in surrounded by the crowd. The Emperor of the empire gasped for air, his eyes still crazy, flashing a bizarre smile. "I am the master of this world! A master has the right to do anything with his property! Yes...anything...the army is coming...you all...you all...will join my burial..." He fell to the ground, blood gushing out, the floor seemingly activating something, as a deep humming echoed through the air. The three elves looked shocked, the foremost elf urgently said: "This is not good! It''s a large spatial array, Albert, get everyone out! Quick!" The Knight King, confused by the sudden change, but trusting the elves whose accuracy had been proven multiple times, waved his hand, and everyone quickly but orderly evacuated the hall. As the last few knights were still walking out of the hall, the sounds around them suddenly vanished. They saw their comrades ahead gesturing wildly as if shouting, but heard nothing, pausing in bewilderment. Above the hall, the space seemed to have split open, and the entire building shattered like a mirror, the fracture smooth and polished, the fragments floating mid-air as if gravity had been lost. The few still dazing realized something was amiss only because their comrades were looking at them with fear and gradually retreating backwards. They finally reacted, sprinting forward frantically. Unfortunately, it was too late. Onlookers watched as they abruptly split apart, turning into chunks of flesh ensconced in armor, maintaining their original direction of motion until they finally crashed to the ground. The three elves'' faces turned pale, they exchanged glances as if confirming something. The lead elf spoke: "Albert, have everyone prepare for battle." Albert had regained his composure by then; he drew his longsword, signaling readiness for battle. Chapter 2: Prologue_2 Chapter 2: Prologue_2 "Everyone on guard! Captains, come to me." Soon seven or eight people emerged from the crowd. They were the Knight King Albert''s trusted lieutenants and his strongest warriors. All of them had a serious look on their faces; this was supposed to be a moment of celebration for victory, but the turn of events seemed to have surprised everyone. "What enemy are we facing?" A tall knight spoke up. He was around 30 years old, approaching six and a half feet tall with slightly curved black hair. His resolute face was chiseled like a sculpture, covered with a stubble that seemed carelessly shaved. Beneath deep-set eye sockets were a pair of light blue eyes that reminded one of a lake nestled in the valleys. "Sir Lancelot, do you remember the ancient history I once spoke of?" The leading elf spoke warmly to the valorous knight. You''ve told many fine stories, High Priestess Aspasia," the tall knight named Lancelot replied politely. "Which one do you refer to specifically?" Elves, the favored children of heaven and earth, immortal beings. They had joined the Rebel Army not long after the rebellion broke out¡ªsuccessive Emperors of the Pharis Empire had ordered the dense forests of the Eastern Continent to be burnt to the ground, and those forests were the elves'' home. They guided the rebel forces through the woods, used mysterious herbs to heal the wounded, and were also the finest scouts and archers, greatly aiding the cause of the rebellion. "Of course, I''m talking about the great war that shattered the elf race thousands of years ago," said Aspasia, the leader among the three elves. "I feel the presence of the Abyss. It seems the elders have always been right to suspect the Pharis Empire''s Royal Family. Brace yourselves, the portal is stable now; something is about to come through." The grand hall had been thoroughly destroyed, and the gravity in the area seemed to have returned to normal, with broken tiles and rubble scattered everywhere.No?v(el)B\\jnn When they were still several yards apart, the beast suddenly leapt into the air, all three ferocious mouths biting viciously forward. Seeing this, Lancelot forcefully stepped forward, and the ground immediately spider-webbed with cracks. Using this foot as a pivot, he concentrated all his strength, swung his Longsword from below, and viciously thrust upward at the falling creature. The Great Sword''s length played a decisive role in this confrontation, striking the creature''s middle head midair. Fangs and sharp teeth were no match for the fearsome force of the Metal weapon; the Sword Blade cut through like a hot knife through butter, splitting the creature''s upper body in two, drenching Lancelot in crimson blood. But Lancelot didn''t pause for a moment, spinning around with a Horizontal Slash, and completely cleaved the body still in the air into two halves. His triumph greatly inspired the knights behind him, and the crowd surged forward, quickly cutting down the remaining creatures, leaving the square filled with spilling blood and chunks of flesh. "Looks pretty fierce, but it wasn''t much in the end, scared me to death, hahaha..." Relaxed voices echoed through the crowd. Fear always stems from the unknown, but once the object of your Fear is slain by your weapon, Fear vanishes like smoke. But the captains under the Knight King didn''t relax; they gathered again, looking towards the Portal in the sky. Albert spoke to the elves: "High Priest, what exactly are these creatures? Where do they come from? What world lies beyond the Portal?" The elven Priestess Aspasia stared bewilderedly at the bodies of the creatures, not speaking right away, while another elf responded: Chapter 3: Prologue_3 Chapter 3: Prologue_3 ``` "It looks like a dog, larger in size, with bone spurs on its back, multiple heads, just like the descriptions in the sacred texts, High Priest, take a look..."No?v(el)B\\jnn "It is indeed an Abyssal Hound, I never thought I would see these creatures again," Aspasia said, seemingly awakened from her memories, her voice deep and solemn, "Albert, we have trouble." Albert frowned at these words and hesitated before speaking: "You mentioned the great war from tens of thousands of years ago..." "Yes," Aspasia nodded. "About 50,000 years ago, the Elves, like humans now, spread across every corner of the world and even started exploring other worlds. Soon, we discovered a plane called the Abyss." "That plane was fascinating, filled with all sorts of terrifying creatures and rich in magical resources. Initially, we only thought the environment was harsh and failed to realize that it was the creatures of the Abyss that posed the real threat." "We constructed a vast portal in an attempt to delve deeper into this plane. Although the beings there were powerful, they seemed mindless and unorganized, and at first, we encountered little resistance. However, when several Abyssal Lords combined their forces, a terrible war erupted." "The enemy had an overwhelming advantage in numbers, and some of their higher creatures were incredibly powerful. We simply couldn''t hold them back. After the portal fell, these Abyssal creatures rushed into our world through the passage." "The Elves finally realized their grave mistake, but it was too late. In the final moments, the five Elf Kings united and assembled the last of their armies, making a suicidal assault on the portal''s location, the once supreme royal city." "The attack succeeded. The portal was destroyed, along with the enemy''s main forces and an entire tract of land. The inner sea of the Western Continent was formed from that explosion." "Although Elves have near-infinite lifespans, because the environment of this world was severely damaged, it became difficult for us, born from natural forces, to reproduce. The remnant Elves, less than one percent of the original population, retreated into the dense forests of the Eastern Continent." Everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Albert looked complicatedly at the person who had volunteered. The strong Lancelot, the brave Lancelot, the righteous Lancelot, the Lancelot who always charged ahead. Everyone knew of a Lancelot in the rebel army who had never lost a battle, but not everyone knew that the leader of the rebel alliance was Albert. Reality was so ironic. Even though Lancelot had always been loyal to Albert, the increasing fame had made Lancelot the greatest threat to Albert. "Are you sure?" The High Priest hesitated slightly. The lifespan of humans, compared to Elves, is very short, so she could not quite understand human thoughts. The black-haired Knight didn''t speak but simply nodded lightly. "Very well, Sir Lancelot. On behalf of the Elf Race, I extend the deepest gratitude to you," Aspasia said solemnly. Lancelot managed a strained smile: "I trust in your wisdom; someone had to do it. What exactly should I do?" The Elf took out an exquisitely woven bag and loaded it with gemstones she had prepared earlier. Then she took out a dark red branch, inserted it into the mouth of the bag, and tied it securely. She handed the bag to Lancelot, explaining: "Once inside, you will find yourself in a corridor-like environment, surrounded by the most beautiful starry sky you have ever seen." "Do not look at those stars; they will cause you to get lost. Focus straight ahead, and you will see a door in the distance, the exit to another world." ``` Chapter 4: Prologue_4 Chapter 4: Prologue_4 "Words cannot describe the distance between you and that door; you won''t feel like you are moving, but the light door in the distance will become closer and closer, while the door behind you will grow farther and farther away. After about a thousand heartbeats, you will arrive in front of the door on the other side," "Just before you leave, snap the branch sealing this bag and violently throw the bag backward," Aspasia pointed to the bag that had just been handed over. "The gemstones in the bag will explode within three breaths, releasing energy that will destroy the passage and thoroughly disrupt the surrounding space. Of course, you should be fine as long as you sprint forward immediately after exiting through the light door." Lancelot listened silently, then nodded his head and said, "There''s no time to delay, I will depart now." He turned to look at Albert, "Your Majesty, I wish you all the best." Albert suddenly felt somewhat ashamed, yet he had never loathed the man before him so intensely. He suppressed all his emotions and said blankly, "Thank you for your service; we will all remember your achievements." "Thank you, you will surely be a fine Emperor," Lancelot bowed one last time to Albert, resettled the Great Sword on his back, adjusted his armor and cloak, and turned to walk toward the light door. He had once sworn to serve this man forever, but perhaps he had performed too well, as Albert seemed to wish he had never appeared. The timing of this door''s opening was perfect. The Elves didn''t need to recount those ancient tales. Whether he truly wished it or not, he was inevitably the one to sacrifice himself to save the world. Stepping forward was actually his easiest choice. He spoke immediately, not wanting to give Albert time to think. Everything so far had been within his acceptable range. But had Albert shown even a hint of coercion, he was unsure whether he could remain loyal to his previous vows. Lancelot subconsciously reached to touch his ears. The High Priest playfully winked, "But unfortunately, elf-like ears are not included." "That''s the essence," Lancelot realized he was speaking an unfamiliar language. "It seems you''ve noticed, this blessing also includes much knowledge, and..." The High Priest paused. "It grants you a lifespan many times that of an ordinary person." Lancelot was utterly stunned. The High Priest smiled. "This blessing has drained the magic power we three have accumulated over countless years, but we gladly did so, as this is the Elves'' way of thanking you." "The world beyond is barren and dangerous, a place of survival of the fittest, but I believe you can survive. Go forth, bearing our blessing; from now on, time shall not weaken you. We hope that one day, you will find your way back home." Lancelot smiled, his smile no longer heavy. "Thank you, High Priest, I am suddenly filled with anticipation for the future," he said. Having spoken, he no longer lingered but stepped through the light door. Oh, homeland, will I ever see you again... Chapter 5 - 1 Entering the Abyss Chapter 5: Chapter 1 Entering the Abyss Lancelot fell from a light door in mid-air. Remembering the High Priest''s advice, he immediately scrambled to his feet and ran forward. A violent explosion erupted behind him, and the blast wave forcefully threw him to the ground. Fortunately, the blast did not bring with it rocks, metal, or other worse things. Lancelot slowly got up, confirming that, aside from being covered in dust and grime, his body hadn''t lost or gained any parts. Only then did he begin to observe his surroundings. What first caught his attention was the dark red sun in the sky, weakly casting rays that held barely any warmth. The ground was as if covered with a thick layer of volcanic ash, desolate and barren all around. Strange bushes were scattered messily across the land, and the occasional tall trees appeared aggressive. To his left lay a vast plateau, the ground pockmarked with frightening depressions, and it seemed there was a river in the distance; to his right stood an immense mountain range, obstructing his view. The blessings of the Elves included much knowledge about this world, and Lancelot closed his eyes, sorting through the information that kept bubbling up from the depths of his heart. This place called the Abyss had a multi-layered spatial structure, with each layer being like a separate small world. The surface of each layer harbored portals leading to unknown layers, but digging downward from any point on any layer for a certain distance resulted in being forcefully teleported to a fixed next layer, a property that established the ordered hierarchy of layers. The vastness of the Abyssal Plane lay beyond the Elves'' imagination; their furthest explorations had only reached the sixth layer, and the area they had charted was already larger than their own world. Each layer was slightly smaller than the one above, leading the Elves to speculate that the Abyssal world likely presented a cone-shaped spatial structure, and must have a bottom. According to a widely held belief among the creatures of the Abyss, there were at least 666 layers. According to them, it was a chaotic, barren, and cruel world, where the very land was saturated with evil energy, rendering any virtuous traits inappropriate and out of place here. Yet it was a rich world, teeming with precious mineral deposits, powerful magical items, wonderful natural creations, and Abyssal creatures of considerable research value. At least the "Elves'' Blessing" version imparted to Lancelot rated the creatures of the Abyss as "of considerable research value." Demons are the original inhabitants here; the difference in strength and intelligence between the various kinds is vast, but their common traits include being irritable, evil, shameless, and unpredictable in behavior. The Elves speculated that this is likely related to the long-term influence of the rampant evil energy in this place. To a certain extent, low-level Demons are like creatures driven mad by intolerable pain, but this view still needs sufficient evidence to support it. The Demons seem to have an allergy to any form of order, so much so that even a neatly arranged formation would cause intense discomfort to low-level Demons, but what they feared more was the authority of high-level Demons. Therefore, the Demons had practically no social organization structure, but the strongest among them could muster terrifying legions by virtue of their superior authority, and war with each other for any valuables or territory that might be worth seizing. However, Demons are not the only creatures here; from time to time, travelers from other worlds find themselves lost here. They either arrived by accident or deliberately came using Teleportation Magic. Through contact with these travelers, the Elves confirmed the existence of multiple upper worlds, and even in other worlds, there was the race of Elves, their language being variants of the Dragon tongue. Furthermore, according to the Elves'' records, they had also come into contact with a creature that called itself a Demon. They were as powerful as the Demons but displayed a high level of intelligence and discipline. The Elves soon realized that the evil of the Demons was not inferior to that of the Demons, and since the Demons did not possess the uncontrollable madness of the Demons, they were much more dangerous. The Demons at that time seemed to be exploring the Abyss as well, and with the power and cunning they displayed, it is very likely that they have now gained a foothold in the Abyss. The Elves had also mastered the Demonic language commonly used in the Abyss; this knowledge was included in the blessing they gave Lancelot. The mountains within the Abyss were all sharply angular, as though ripped right out of the earth by a giant. He chose the most gradual ascent within his line of sight, intending to march to the mountaintop from there. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Riding horseback, Lancelot slowly advanced along the winding mountain path. The dark red sun climbed gradually higher, suggesting that day and night alternated here too, but the sun in the sky, still crimson like a setting sun, was stingy with its warmth to the land beneath. After turning at a mountain pass, Lancelot suddenly heard a cacophony of noises, as if many creatures had gathered together. He hurriedly dismounted and crouched low, making his way stealthily towards the source of the sounds. After skulking forward a bit further, Lancelot located the origin of the noises in a valley ahead of him. He carefully crawled to the edge of the cliff, poked his head out, and peered down. The scene below momentarily halted his heartbeat. The valley swarmed with an enormous number of demons, mostly humanoid ones. They had bloated bodies and filthy skin that obscured their original color, and their grotesque faces featured a wide mouth full of sharp teeth. At the ends of their thick forelimbs were paw-like hands. The knowledge passed down by the elves identified these lowliest demons as Coward Devils, known for their simultaneous cowardice, weakness, and cruelty, almost universally bullied and enslaved by all other Abyssal creatures. A large gathering of them indicated only one scenario: they were under the domination of a more powerful force. Lancelot noticed several demons wielding magic wands, wearing helmets with tall horns, who looked like magicians. Even farther off, there was an imposing figure, nearly three meters tall, resembling the mythic centaur with bull horns on its head and wings on its back, wielding a great axe, watching over the scene with a cool gaze, They were evidently performing a ritual. The Coward Devils were all on their knees (or perhaps lying prone? Lancelot couldn''t tell), their heads pressed tightly against the ground. The demon magicians moved among them, chanting incantations, occasionally using their bone blades to slit the throats of unfortunate victims. Only then did Lancelot notice a strange magic formation drawn in blood on the ground directly below him. As victim after victim had their throats cut, the magic formation began to pulsate, signaling that something was about to emerge. Suddenly, all the demon magicians shouted in unison in the demonic tongue: "Oh mighty being, hearken to our summoning!" Lancelot couldn''t help but hold his breath, curious about what was to be summoned. A familiar flash of summoning magic light flickered, and Lancelot''s pupils contracted, for the summoned was evidently of the Human Race. The person appeared to be in their early twenties, dressed in an ordinary white robe, and looked quite bewildered by the situation at hand. "Not good, that''s a civilian!" ``` Chapter 6 - 2: Lending a Helping Hand Chapter 6: Chapter 2: Lending a Helping Hand Lancelot''s heart raced with urgency. As a knight, protecting the weak and helpless was his fundamental creed. The demons seemed unsatisfied with the outcome, the magicians confused and urgently communicating among themselves, and the suppression applied to the Coward Devil seemed to have loosened. Some Coward Devils quietly slipped away from the arena, while others set their sights on the recently arrived creature. This newcomer wore neither metal armor nor scales or sharp fangs, clearly an easy target to bully. The Coward Devils, like a pack of wild dogs baring their teeth, crowded around the man, who seemed to still be in a dream, staring blankly around, unresponsive to the looming threat. Several impatient Coward Devils even started running, hoping to be the first among their peers to taste this tender flesh. Lancelot clenched his teeth and drew his great sword, leaping out fiercely. The Coward Devil in the lead had already stretched out its claws, about to touch the man''s body. At that moment, a dark shadow fell, and with the momentum of his descent, Lancelot''s great sword cleaved the overly bold Coward Devil in two with a single strike. The feel was surprisingly good, like chopping into a fat, plump pig on a farm. Like startled sparrows, the Coward Devils scattered in all directions. They were accustomed to seeing their kind sliced in half, but it was the sudden appearance of this iron-clad figure that had truly taken them by surprise. Lancelot, his great sword in hand, stood protectively by the man''s side and turned to say, "Stay behind me, I''ll protect you!" The young man in the white robe appeared utterly unfazed, the stark and brutal scene of dismemberment doing nothing to alter his expression, now looking at Lancelot with curiosity.No?v(el)B\\jnn Noticing Lancelot''s gaze, he even smiled back in response. What kind of dark eyes were they! Just a simple exchange of looks, and Lancelot felt as if the other could see right through to the bottom of his heart. He wanted to continue interacting with the stranger, but the sound of approaching footsteps forced Lancelot to refocus his attention on the enemies at hand. His abrupt descent from the sky had been brief, the demon magicians by now had regrouped, casting spells once more to control the Coward Devils, sending them flood-like towards Lancelot. Lancelot swung his great sword, its gleam whirling over his head back and forth, whipping up waves of blood. From a distance, he resembled a high-speed juicer, pulverizing the approaching Coward Devils into shards. Lancelot was no stranger to being deep in enemy lines, his great sword in hand performing brilliantly against the Coward Devils'' sharp teeth and claws effortlessly carving through creating a vast array of severed limbs and flesh. But there were simply too many enemies; he could only defend with all his might and not advance a step forward. As time ticked away and his stamina ebbed, his sword''s arc inevitably slowed, and one or two claws found their way through his once impervious defense, leaving only a faint scratch on his armor before swiftly being severed from their bodies. Knights were formidable, half due to their long-term military training, the other half owing to their expensive armors. The morale of the Coward Devils finally shattered; fear utterly overwhelmed them, rendering the demon magicians'' mind-control spells ineffective. Collapse came swiftly, the Coward Devils vanishing as though shadows under sunlight, gone without a trace. In the world of the Abyss, no one ever expected Coward Devils to win with sheer number. The mission the demon magicians entrusted to them was simple: deplete the target''s stamina as much as possible. In this, the Coward Devils had excelled. As he stopped the frenzied dance of his great sword, fatigue surged over Lancelot. He now felt the soreness and swelling in his arms, a possible strain on his left shoulder; there was a cut on the back of his right thigh, burning painfully where his armor had not protected him. He turned to look once more at the person he was protecting, the civilian in the white robe. Upon hearing this, the young man in the white robe smiled again and explained: "I was saying ''swift,'' meaning quick and fierce, just a spur-of-the-moment exclamation as I was controlling the Green Bamboo Flying Sword to attack." Lancelot''s brain finally returned to normal operation, and he roughly figured out the situation¡ªthe demons'' attempt to summon a powerful being hadn''t failed, in fact, it was very successful. It''s just that this powerful being happened to be a human. Suddenly, he felt unsure. Could humans really be this strong? Had they accidentally summoned a deity instead? And what did this peculiar address of ''fellow Taoist'' mean? However, now was not the time to dwell on these questions; this powerful being had just asked him something, and he had not yet provided an answer. Lancelot quickly began to explain the situation of this place, revealing everything he''d learned from the Elves about planes, the Abyss, and demons. "It''s unexpected that such a world exists, truly vast and wondrous indeed. But why are you here? Could it be that our Human Race also flourishes in this land?" When he heard the other person also referring to the Human Race, Lancelot couldn''t help but marvel. How did he manage that? "I do indeed come from another world. Due to certain reasons, a portal to the Abyss world was opened by a group of evil beings. To prevent demons from entering our world, I had to step in to destroy the passage, but the price is that I can never return." Throughout the conversation, the young man in the white robe stared into his eyes, and Lancelot felt that the gaze could see right through him, as though all his secrets were laid bare. "I see," the young man in the white robe nodded. "I can feel that this space is beginning to reject me, and I am afraid that I will have to return to my original world soon. It''s a fate that we met here¡ª Is there anything I can help you with?" "Can you take me with you when you leave this place?" Lancelot asked with full hope. "I''m afraid not," the young man in the white robe shook his head. "Your Spiritual Sense is too fragile to withstand the impact of crossing barriers, and even if I protected your body, it would be of no use." Lancelot felt dejected, but then a flash of inspiration struck him, and he quickly asked: "Then can you teach me how to become as strong as you?" At this, the young man in the white robe laughed: "You want to pursue cultivation in this world? Interesting, very interesting! Hahaha..." As the laughter died down, the young man in the white robe spoke in earnest: "If you wish to be like me, you''ll have to endure loneliness, withstand solitude, remain unswervingly dedicated, and never forget your initial resolve¡ªcan you do this?" "I can!" "Cultivation is like rowing upstream, you cannot slack off at all. Each breakthrough in strength invites Heavenly Tribulation, and any lapse could lead to Five Thunderbolts Striking the Top, annihilating your soul. Are you willing?" "I am willing!" "It will be a lonely path. No one in this world can help you. I can only point you towards the Dao. You''ll have to explore and attempt on your own. You are destined to face countless failures. Can you persist?" "I can persist!" "Hahaha! Good! Good! Good! If that''s the case, why not pass on the Dao to you?" Lancelot knelt down, showing the most solemn obeisance he knew, as if he were in the presence of the Emperor. After the ceremony was complete and he looked up to rise, he saw the man place his hand on the top of his head, give him a smile that seemed like a sigh, somewhat like talking to himself: "The Immortal touches my crown, my life is bound to long existence!" Chapter 7 - 3 Paladin Chapter 7: Chapter 3 Paladin A familiar sensation came once again. Within a single day, Lancelot''s mind had been directly infused twice, and he had already experienced it before. The elves'' blessing turned a vast amount of information into a part of his memory. Although direct, it made his recollections quite chaotic. This time, however, was different. Lancelot discovered that a bamboo slip had appeared in his spiritual world, which seemed to contain endless information, but it usually had no effect on his thinking. Only when he intended to open the bamboo slip could he access the knowledge within. The young man in white robes saw Lancelot regain consciousness so quickly and showed a slightly surprised expression. He smiled and spoke: "We are Spiritual Cultivators, who borrow the power of nature and seek the truth of the ''Tao'', aspiring to live as long as the heavens and Earth, to shine with the sun and the moon." "Today I impart to you the ''Tao'', yet I cannot provide any further teaching in the future. It is difficult for us to claim a master-disciple relationship, so consider this a chance I''m giving you." "I''ve left you with the introductory Cultivation Technique, but the power of nature in this world is different, and the advanced techniques may not be suitable. You''ll need to explore slowly on your own. For this reason, I''ve also left you the cultivation experiences of myself and many wise predecessors, which should serve your cultivation well." "You must know that in the path of Spiritual Cultivation, seeking the ''Tao'' is fundamental, and techniques are merely minor details. I believe you can forge a distinguished and most fitting ''Tao'' for yourself." "My name is Han Li, and I am the Heavenly Master founder of the Qingyuan Palace in the Spiritual Realm. If destiny allows, perhaps we will meet again." The figure of the young man in white gradually became ethereal, and Lancelot respectfully bowed his head in a salute. "Thank you, Master Han, for imparting the method, farewell, Master Han." By the time he raised his head, the white figure had already disappeared, as if it had been a dream. But a faint laughter still echoed in the air, and the scattered corpses and sore arms around him reminded him that everything that had just happened was real. Lancelot closed his eyes and felt again the bamboo slip in his spiritual world. He was eager to thoroughly comprehend it, but clearly, this was not the right place. Vultures were already circling overhead. What beings would be attracted by the flesh scattered all over the ground, Lancelot did not want to know. If the great demon had carried any valuables, they were probably now sliced into countless pieces. Nonetheless, Lancelot successfully found a red gemstone in the pile labeled "skulls." It flickered with a beautiful glow, hard to miss. The gemstone still retained the demon''s warmth, and Lancelot, holding it in his hand, felt the powerful force contained within. Better to study this thing later. It was time to leave. He put his fingers in his mouth and blew a loud whistle. The clattering of hooves quickly approached, and a black warhorse appeared at the entrance of the valley. The demon warhorse seemed to be startled by the gruesome scene in the valley; the look it gave Lancelot even carried a hint of fear. Lancelot smirked inwardly; this creature had completely lost its haughtiness, and he had indeed bluffed successfully. He re-slung his great sword on his back, leapt onto the horse, and disappeared into the mountain range. ------------------- Upon further reflection, he felt his body was like a net that, through the posture of organs aligned to the heavens, captured the spiritual energy of the heavens and the earth in every corner of his body. And to control the True Qi to circulate inside his body was to gather the diffuse spiritual energy across his body and eventually channel it back to the Dantian, where it was stored as a Qi Sea. After completing one Heavenly Cycle, he immediately began another with a strand of True Qi. According to the bamboo slips, when one first felt True Qi in the body, the body was still in a primordial state with a large amount of Innate True Qi remaining inside. After completing the first Heavenly Cycle, the vital points opened, and the body began to automatically absorb spiritual energy from nature, causing the Innate True Qi to flow away. Within less than a day, the Innate True Qi distributed throughout the body would dissipate entirely. Innate True Qi had a significant impact on combat strength in the early stages, though its influence gradually diminished in later stages, yet it still retained many marvelous uses. Therefore, upon first feeling the "Qi" inside the body, one should perform as many Heavenly Cycles as possible to retain the Innate True Qi within the body''s Qi Sea. The bamboo slips also warned that initially learning the Heavenly Cycle circulation was very taxing on one''s physical strength. If one were to faint from exhaustion midway, it would result in a significant loss of True Qi, a counterproductive outcome. Therefore, one should act according to one''s capacity and not be greedy. However, Lancelot felt no resistance during the Heavenly Cycle circulation, and his body, after enduring long-term knight training, was in excellent physical condition. Therefore, he repeatedly performed the Heavenly Cycle, circulating it precisely forty-nine times, the maximum emphasized in the bamboo slips, before stopping reluctantly. Lancelot slowly opened his eyes, and a sharp gleam shot from them, briefly illuminating the dim cave. The brilliance quickly retracted into his eyes, and Lancelot felt his spirit fuller than at any other time. He stood up and moved his long-seated body slightly. There was not a hint of numbness, and he felt even lighter than before. Just as he was about to test his body''s capabilities, a foul, putrid smell invaded his nose, causing him to cough violently. Only then did he notice that his skin was covered with a sticky, dark red filth. This was impurity from the flesh and blood, clogging the vital points throughout his body and preventing the absorption of the power of the heavens and the earth. However, it had been pushed out from his body with the first circulation of the Heavenly Cycle. Luckily, there was a small hot spring in the cave. Lancelot ran over and jumped into the boiling pool, comfortably beginning to wash himself. The originally steaming water quickly turned a contaminated dark red, and even the strong sulfur smell of the hot spring couldn''t mask the foul odor. "Hahaha, starting today, I can also be considered a cultivator," he thought. Soaking in the hot spring, Lancelot sincerely thanked Master Han Tian, who had generously taught him the way. He was only at the beginning now, but as his realm increased, his survival rate in the Abyss would greatly improve. Moreover, the strength of cultivators is contained inwardly and difficult to discern from outward appearance. In the Abyss, muscle size is a significant indicator of strength, so enemies would undoubtedly underestimate his abilities, which would be a great advantage. As long as he kept a low profile, it would be easy to create a favorable situation where enemies he couldn''t handle would hardly provoke him, but those who did would severely underestimate his strength. It was perfect - an unbeatable position indeed. But he furrowed his brows, worried about another matter. "My fighting style is still that of a knight, so saying I''m a cultivator doesn''t quite fit, does it?" "A warrior who fights with the power of faith is called a Holy Warrior; a swordsman who masters the power of magic is called a Demon Swordsman..." "So, what should a knight who has learned the ways of spiritual cultivation be called?" Lancelot''s eyes sparkled, and he leaped from the hot spring. "Decided! From today onward, I am the world''s first Paladin!" Chapter 8 - 4 Dwarf Chapter 8: Chapter 4 Dwarf Standing by the hot spring, Lancelot twisted and turned to check himself. His body seemed younger, his skin finer and smoother, with all previous wrinkles vanished. Perhaps it was due to just having taken a hot bath, his skin was slightly red, more akin to the color of Abyss creatures. Dressed and armored, Lancelot performed several jumps and dodging maneuvers where he stood. True Qi naturally surged from his Dantian, spreading throughout his meridians, enhancing his strength, speed, and agility. After several movements, Lancelot felt quite relaxed, almost as if he wasn''t wearing armor at all. He then picked up his weapon lying beside him and swung it through the air a few times. The previously somewhat heavy great sword now felt much lighter in his hands, making the whooshing sound it would only make when swung with full force. Lancelot was sure his strength had increased by at least thirty percent. "I''ll have to find a way to get another one later," he muttered to himself. The demon who wielded two great axes had left a deep impression on him, and despite not wanting to admit it, the image of swinging two two-handed weapons was undeniably cool. He also tried the various wonderful uses of True Qi mentioned on the bamboo slips: concentrating True Qi in his eyes, his vision greatly improved, clearly seeing the leg hairs of an ant passing by the cave entrance; focusing True Qi on his fingertips, his fingers became incredibly sharp, easily poking a hole in a rock; gathering True Qi at his nostrils... He successfully blocked his sense of smell, and the unpleasant odors in the air miraculously disappeared. The world''s first Paladin sat down once more, meticulously checking his body''s condition. Small streams of True Qi flowed slowly through his meridians, while the Qi Sea inside him was half-full. A thought crossed Lancelot''s mind; according to the records on the bamboo slip, he already had the characteristics of the Great Perfection at the initial stage of the Qi Refinement Realm. "The bamboo slip says that reaching Great Perfection at the initial stage takes at least a month, so why has my progress been so rapid?" After some thought, Lancelot felt it was related to his own condition. First, he was already a high rank knight with a strong physical body, and long-term military training had resulted in substantial accumulation in his body; second, the Elves'' blessing might have had some mysterious effect on his body, enhancing his affinity with the power of heaven and earth; and third, a common person would only perform four or five Heavenly Cycles per cultivation session, while he completed forty-nine Heavenly Cycles, the maximum, on his first sensation of Qi, absorbing a large amount of Innate Qi, naturally leading to extraordinary effects. Considering these three factors combined, he was able to make such rapid progress. However, the accumulation of physical strength and absorption of Innate Qi were one-time effects, and his future cultivation speed will likely not differ much from that of an average person. Let''s talk about the future later. The night had passed, and the dying sun had reemerged on the horizon of the Abyssal world. Lancelot had packed his bags and, summoning his black warhorse, once again set off on his journey toward the mountaintop. ------------------ From the foot of the mountain, the Shattered Mountain Range loomed incomparably high, but when you climbed to the summit, you would be amazed to find a vast expanse of flat land at the top, as if a deity had sheared off the peak. To say the land was flat was not entirely accurate, because upon closer inspection, one would discover that the area was littered with abandoned mines. The Demons, who never considered the consequences of their actions, had dug the place so full of holes that it was difficult to traverse. "He''s the best blacksmith in Rivet Fort! You imbeciles have him slaving away!" The Dwarf shouted angrily, only to be met with the lashing whip from the Berserk Demon''s hand, falling like raindrops. "Ah ah ah!" The Dwarf screamed, half from the pain wracking his body and half from the humiliation. But his hands remained firmly planted on the ground, never reaching up to protect his head, for he wanted to shield his father from the lashes with his own body. "Go back, work." The whipping finally ceased, and the Berserk Demon bared his wide mouth, spitting out two words. "Go on, my boy." The old Dwarf regained consciousness and spoke. "Your dad here isn''t dead yet." The young Dwarf, holding back tears, stood up. He gave the ugly humanoid toad a glare filled with hatred from the corner of his eye and, with his head bowed, walked towards the Cross Pickaxe he had thrown to the ground. The sound of the whip crackled behind him again, and he instinctively crouched, hands covering his head, trying to fend off the terrible blows. But the sound of the whipping continued, and the anticipated pain did not come. He looked up in confusion, and the scene before him made his eyes instantly bloodshot. The Berserk Demon was still swinging his whip, lashing at the old Dwarf, incessantly repeating the words "go back," "work," while the old Dwarf, eyes tightly shut, had passed out from the beating. "I''ll fight you all!" Something long suppressed finally erupted. The young Dwarf let out a roar of rage, charging at the Berserk Demon with all his might, like a cannonball shot from its cannon. The ugly toad demon turned his sluggish head just in time to be met with a full embrace from the charging young Dwarf. He flew backwards as if hit by a great hammer, crashing heavily against the wall. The young Dwarf knelt on the ground, shaking the old, unconscious Dwarf desperately, crying out with a choking voice: "Dad, wake up, please wake up!" "Roar!" The flung toad demon staggered to his feet, letting out an angry roar. The Berserk Demon might have been a simpleton, but his physical prowess was not merely for show. It bared a terrifying grin. Guard duties were too boring; battle was more in line with its nature. The young Dwarf picked up the Cross Pickaxe from the ground and turned to face the Berserk Demon. His figure was unexpectedly tall, perhaps because he was standing straight; he seemed to tower above the other Dwarves. All the Berserk Demons around the mine looked on, but they had no intention of intervening. Instead, they prepared to watch this rare duel unfold, for this was the most favored form of entertainment in the Abyss. The show was about to begin. Chapter 9 - 5: Battle in the Mines Chapter 9: Chapter 5: Battle in the Mines The Berserk Demon discarded the whip in its hand. To them, whips were too soft, and their own claws were far more useful. The young Dwarf clutched his Cross Pickaxe tightly in both hands. He knew he might not see tomorrow''s sun, but he would rather die than continue living such a humiliating life. The Demon and the Dwarf merely confronted each other briefly before the Demon impatiently launched its attack. Using its powerful legs, like a real toad, it leaped fiercely, slashing downward at its target with both claws. The Dwarf tried to defend himself, but the Cross Pickaxe was not a very good substitute for a shield. He barely managed to deflect the first strike, but he was powerless against the second one that immediately followed. He only had time to protect his vitals as he was struck squarely by the claw and sent flying. The watching Berserk Demons let out a cheer, and even the overseer forgot his duties, issuing a shrill shout of encouragement. The young Dwarf struggled to his feet, his arms and shoulders bearing horrific wounds, but only a little blood flowed out. Dwarves had rock-like bodies and were naturally resistant to bleeding. Although the young Dwarf looked quite disheveled, he had successfully avoided a fatal hit and had not lost his combat ability. Seeing him stand again, the toad Demon roared angrily. This time, it charged on all fours like a wild boar, opening its gaping maw to bite ferociously. The young Dwarf hugged his head and rolled on the ground, narrowly dodging the attack. The audience let out a huge boo, disliking this kind of evasive combat. As the dominant Duelist, the Berserk Demon, spurred on by the booing of its peers, became somewhat frantic. It turned around impatiently and lunged at its opponent, intending to use its previously successful double claw strike again. This time, the young Dwarf did not try to parry with the Cross Pickaxe; he continued to roll on the ground, keeping low and dodging the attack. But this time there was something different. The upper limbs of the Berserk Demon were extremely thick, and its head was directly atop its shoulders with almost no neck, which made it unable to see clearly the actions of the Dwarf beneath it while in midair. As he rolled underneath, the Dwarf maliciously extended the Cross Pickaxe. A relatively small body had many clever uses, such as quickly adjusting one''s posture and exerting force for an attack while rolling and dodging. A sound of bones shattering was heard. The young Dwarf drove the sharp end of the Cross Pickaxe into the Berserk Demon''s knee, shattering the bone inside. The Berserk Demon let out an earth-shattering scream. Its landing aggravated the knee injury, rendering it completely unable to stand, only able to prop itself up with its claws, sprawled on the ground. "Haha, who said three-legged toads are hard to find? Here''s one right here!" All of the Dwarves burst into mad laughter, and not even the fiercely falling whips could stop them. The pain completely enraged the Berserk Demon. Madness and the desire for slaughter completely took over its mind, and it wanted nothing more than to tear the detestable little Dwarf to pieces. It charged at the Dwarf again, using its one good leg and two arms, while the young Dwarf turned and ran, circling around the bottom of the mine. The three-legged toad Demon couldn''t catch up with the nimble Dwarf, its dragging, injured leg and crawling with claws on the ground appearing quite comical, eliciting laughter from everyone, including the other Berserk Demons. Perhaps it was the laughter that irritated it, or perhaps the young Dwarf grew tired from running, but the gap between them gradually closed. Finally, the three-legged toad seized an opportunity, pushed off the ground with its single leg, and sprang forward ferociously, while the Dwarf ahead seemed to have carelessly run into a dead end, facing a rock wall with no space to dodge. "No, no, no, no!" A breaking point was finally reached: first, the lower jaw of the Berserk Demon tore completely off, and its lengthy tongue, no longer supported by the chin, dropped right out of its throat; next, the steel helmet-like skull was utterly flipped open, revealing an inside covered with numerous revolting tumors and a brain slightly bigger than an apple. Following a brief silence, the entire mining pit erupted. The dwarves cheered wildly, despite themselves, the Berserk Demons roared in anger, but the most piercing was the demon overseer''s scream: "Berserk Demons! Kill him for me! I want to skin him alive!" In reality, some Berserk Demons had already leaped down before the overseer''s words even finished, and the young dwarf stood no chance. He could only rely on his small stature to dodge back and forth. However, overwhelmed and outnumbered, he was tripped and fell to the ground, struggling to get up, and the situation was extremely dire. The dwarf slaves sprang into action. They grabbed cross pickaxes and swung them wildly, delaying the steps of several Berserk Demons, but more leaped down from the spectator seats, ready to join the onslaught against that gladiator. A shadow moved faster than them; it was Lancelot, who had been watching from the sidelines for a while. The young dwarf''s battle had made his blood boil, but he had restrained himself from taking action immediately, as interrupting an honorable duel was not the conduct of a knight. However, he had also taken the opportunity to clearly observe the enemy''s situation. The Berserk Demons were strong and heavily relied on their sharp claws and fangs in combat, but they were irritable and foolish, with brute strength but no more skill in battle than wild beasts. The overseer didn''t appear to be skilled in close combat, but its fly-like body and stiletto-like mouth suggested its combat style might favor stabbing, and its shrill voice indicated it could also have some kind of sonic attack. Energy surged from his Dantian, True Qi rushing through each meridian. This was Lancelot''s first battle since becoming a Spiritual Cultivator, and he felt his great sword was so light, as if he had boundless vigor throughout his body. The moment he landed, he skewered an enemy to the ground. Twisting the hilt of his sword, a bloody hole appeared at the back of his foe''s head. On human battlefields, wielding a two-handed great sword, he would be at the very front of the line, shattering the enemy''s dense spear formations. In the Abyss, against enemies like the Berserk Demons, who stood a head taller than humans, the great sword was even more outstanding. The long sword blade ensured Lancelot could stay as far as possible from the dangerous claws of the Berserk Demons while the destructive power of the great sword allowed him to critically injure every enemy he struck. After chopping off several claws and cleaving several toad heads, the assault against him ceased. The Berserk Demons surrounded Lancelot but refrained from approaching out of fear. Only then did Lancelot reach out to pull up that brave young dwarf, laughing as he said, "You fought very well, little brother." "Who you calling ''little''? You''re the one without even a beard," replied the dwarf. The two of them burst into hearty laughter before Lancelot introduced himself: "My name is Lancelot Durek, a knight who has fallen to this place, no, a Paladin. What''s your name?" The young dwarf bowed: "Thank you. I''m Bruto Frostforge, a blacksmith. It seems you won''t be needing that shield on your back for the time being, may I borrow it for a while?" "You haven''t formally completed your apprenticeship!" It seemed that the elder dwarf wouldn''t be dying anytime soon. "That''s because of these damned demons!" Bruto, realizing his father was awake, yelled back excitedly yet somewhat embarrassed. Lancelot unhesitatingly removed the shield. It was a cavalry shield, used to fend off enemy knights'' long spear charges, very thick and durable but too heavy for dismounted use. However, it was quite suitable for Bruto¡ªdwarves, while only two-thirds the height of humans, weighed about the same, with very sturdy builds and strength surpassing that of humans; and the shield was large enough to protect their entire body. Lancelot nodded in satisfaction, seeing Bruto looking like a fully-equipped infantryman: "Ready to handle the rest of these toads?" "Let''s go, pal. I''m positively starving for action!" Chapter 10 - 6 Barrend Chapter 10: Chapter 6 Barrend As the roar erupted, a tall and a short figure charged towards the Berserk Demons. Although it was their first time working together, they exhibited a good understanding ¡ª mainly Lancelot coordinating with Bruto. With a sturdy shield and powerful muscles, Bruto could directly block the Berserk Demons'' bites and claws, smashing a few knees in his spare time, while Lancelot took care of protecting Bruto''s flanks and rear, slashing off claws that Bruto didn''t see, stabbing his sword into the mouths of giant toads, and stomping on the brains of the fallen Berserk Demons with his steel boots. They had knocked down several Berserk Demons almost instantly, and just as they were about to clinch an overwhelming victory, suddenly, a piercing howl sounded from above. This was an attack using sonic waves emitted by the wings of the Demon taskmaster, a sound so loud and sharp it was unbearable, forcing everyone to huddle and squat on the ground, trying to block out the maddening noise. The Demons were much less affected, seizing the opportunity to break away from the fray. Demons have terrifying regeneration abilities; given a short period, severe injuries could become minor, but there weren''t many giant toads left alive, and those remaining were almost crippled by Lancelot and the other Dwarves. The Demon taskmaster, like a spider, crawled down the nearly vertical pit wall and moved towards Lancelot and Bruto. As it drew nearer, the horrific sound waves it emitted became more intense, robbing people of the ability to resist and leaving them at its mercy. This ability was almost impossible to counter for the Mortal Races with hearing and required a higher level of strength to withstand. This is also why these humanoid fly-like Demons are often appointed as taskmasters; their terrible screeching could quickly quell any slave uprising. It moved step by step towards Lancelot, this unexpected human. If not for him, the bold Dwarf would have been torn to shreds, a scenario proven multiple times to be very effective in boosting the work efficiency of the slaves. As for the death of a Berserk Demon, it couldn''t care less; after all, Berserk Demons were just cannon fodder. With a wave of their mighty hands and a bit of their seemingly inconsequential magic power, the Demon Lords could turn swathes of Coward Devils into Berserk Demons with screams of agony ¡ª they were then usually thrown into meat-grinder battles, resulting in Berserk Demons having the shortest average lifespan in the entire Demon Race, less than 24 hours. It walked up to Lancelot, satisfied to see the human clutching his ears in a death grip, oblivious to the approach. The humanoid fly Demon raised its head, its half-meter-long pointed beak gleaming with lethal cold light, ready to plunge into the throat of the man. It glanced at its prey out of the corner of its eye, sensing that something was off. Although the man was covering his ears, his expression was not one of agony; in fact, the corners of his mouth were curling into a faint smile.No?v(el)B\\jnn In that brief moment of its hesitation, an iron hand shot out like lightning, seizing it by the root of its beak. Lancelot had actually used True Qi to block his ears from the start, and while it couldn''t completely shield out the terrifying buzzer, it was at least no longer unbearable. The Demon struggled violently in his grasp, but Lancelot''s hand was like a clamp, holding it firmly in place. He pulled down on the beak with his left hand, forcing the Demon''s head to droop, then drew his sword with his right hand and swooped down in one motion to decapitate the Demon from its body. The remaining few Berserk Demons, seeing this, let out a strange cry and fled clean away. The decapitated body continued to flutter its wings, emitting that terrible screech, forcing Lancelot to chop off the pair of translucent wings as well. The world finally fell silent. When Bruto lifted his head, removing his hands from his own, the first thing he saw was Lancelot holding a head. "Abyssal Ranger? What is that?" "A good person wandering in the Abyss," shrugged Bruto. "Some are forced to flee here yet are fortunate enough not to lose their freedom, like you," the old Dwarf said, sighing. "The Abyss is a dangerous place, but it can also easily make one stronger. Those who gain power here yet refuse to fall are called Abyssal Rangers. But you must understand, such individuals are few and far between, and they mostly lead a life in hiding." By then, the other surviving Dwarves had also gathered around, thanking Lancelot, with Barrend introducing them one by one: "This is Adrick, this is his brother Adbeke, and these three are Delg, Dain, and Darak..." "We wanted to forge a warhammer as a gift for the coronation of the new King. I organized this mining team to enter an ancient mine in hopes of finding the finest Mithril Ore." "We knew the dangers deep within the mine, but that was the only place where Mithril Ore could still be found." "Deep underground, we found what we were looking for. In fact, we discovered an entire vein of Mithril Ore, and everyone was so excited that they forgot the repeated admonitions of the Miners'' Guild before we set out." "There wasn''t much left to mine inside, and if a new vein was discovered, what we should have done was to leave quickly, not linger on." "Just as you humans cannot resist the temptation of gold, we Dwarves also cannot step away when we discover a precious ore vein. By the time we came to our senses, the mine behind us had disappeared." "The Demons that roam the underground quickly found us; they seem to frequently capture such unlucky fellows. They didn''t tear us to pieces on the spot, but instead brought us to a steel fortress on the surface, where our slavery began." "There, we saw a large number of other slaves, most of them Dwarves but also humans, Elves, and even Orcs and Goblins. A Demon with huge wings was our master; it drove us to collect ores and forge equipment for it, until one day a more powerful Demon Lord came and hung its corpse on the city walls, and we had a new master." "Such events happened every few months. We''ve been in this world for over a year, right up until we met you." Lancelot nodded sympathetically, consoling: "The days of hardship are finally over. We will surely find a way back to our original world." "That''s almost impossible," the old Dwarf''s eyes darkened. "We once met an Elf who was a well-learned Scholar before he became a slave. He told us that the Abyssal Plane is beneath all the Main Planes, like a rubbish bin, the destination for all evil, fallen souls. Descending from the upper planes through portals is quite easy. Any careless Mage might accidentally open a portal to the Abyssal Plane, but ascending from a lower plane to an upper one is very difficult, requiring the strength of at least a Demigod to achieve." Lancelot was also struck by this news, but he immediately thought that with his own practice of the Spiritual Cultivation Tao, there might be a glimmer of hope. "That Elf may not be entirely correct; there might be other methods he doesn''t know of," Lancelot tried to sound more upbeat. "What are your plans now?" A small debate quickly broke out among the Dwarves, but Barrend eventually persuaded everyone. "We plan to head to Twin Bridges Town." Chapter 11 - 7 Demons and Demon Chapter 11: Chapter 7 Demons and Demon "What kind of place is Twin Bridges Town? Is there anything special about it?" Barrend''s eyes lit up with longing as he answered: "Twin Bridges Town is one among the few neutral towns in the Abyss, and it''s the closest to us. It lies just beyond the foothills on the other side of the Shattered Mountain Range. We should be able to see it once we get over this hill." The word ''neutral'' caught Lancelot''s attention, and he asked with confusion: "Neutral Town? Neutral between whom and whom?" "Between Demons and Devils, of course. Didn''t you know?" Bruto looked at Lancelot oddly, then remembered something and apologized with a smile, "Sorry, I forgot you''re new here. Old man, better you explain." "I''ve heard of Devils." Lancelot answered, "They don''t get along with Demons?" "It''s more than just not getting along. If one day all the Demons in the Abyss vanished completely, the first suspects would definitely not be the Holy Warriors from Mount Heaven." Barrend stroked his gray white beard. "Although both Devils and Demons are incarnations of ultimate evil in this universe, they severely clash over many doctrines." "How does one differentiate evil from evil?" Lancelot asked curiously. "If there are distinctions within the good alignment, there are naturally also distinctions within the evil alignment." "Wait, could you first explain the distinctions within the good alignment?" "Well, the simplest example: A just Judge and a robin-hood-like thief. They''re both good people, with kind hearts, the latter mocks the former''s prudishness and naivety while the former believes that regardless of whom the stolen items come from, or how they''re handled, theft must be punished by the law." "Correct, this is the topmost layer of the Abyssal Plane, named the Plains of the Abyss. The Plains of the Abyss is the largest layer in the Abyssal Plane and the battlefield of the eternal Blood War." Lancelot pondered for a moment; a neutral town was immensely enticing to him. He could obtain information, supplies, and even refuge there. If he wanted to survive in the Abyss for a long time, a neutral town that welcomed him would be very helpful. "A neutral town sounds perfect for me right now. Can I come with you?" "Of course, no problem!" Bruto interjected happily. "The Abyss is full of dangers. To have a powerful and noble knight like yourself accompany us would be our pleasure," Bruto''s father added more seriously. "But we are not in a rush to leave; we might still stay here for a few days." "What? Why not leave immediately? Is there something else you haven''t handled yet?" Lancelot asked, puzzled. "Haha, look around you, there''s a group of Dwarves and a mine here," Bruto answered with a laugh. "And to be honest, this is a really good mine. If the demons would treat us a bit better, there would be no need for whips. Just two days, no, three days, and we can arm everyone here." Lancelot asked, genuinely surprised: "Can you start work right here?" "With a Cross Pickaxe and Blacksmith Hammer, we can start work anywhere. There are ore materials here, magma for heat, and a true master¡ªI''m talking about my old man. Speak now if you have any requests; it will cost you later." "What nonsense are you speaking?" Bruto was again soundly punched by his delighted father. "Don''t mind this lad''s nonsense, Sir Lancelot. If you have any needs, you can approach me anytime. Dwarves never forget those who lend a hand during tough times." "You''re too kind. I really don''t have anything to offer as payment right now," Lancelot said, scratching his head awkwardly. "I would like to turn this fellow''s mouth into a short sword or a dagger. Also, this armor might need some maintenance. If you could make the moving parts quieter, that would be great¡ªcharging head-on in the Abyss might not be a good idea." "Making weapons from special materials is my forte. We''ve also found some excellent copper ore and Dragon Scale Charcoal here. Just a small technique is needed to make your armor as smooth as if it were oiled," the former best blacksmith of Rivet Fort proudly said. "Just you wait and see." Chapter 12 - 8: Methods of Cultivation in the Abyss Chapter 12: Chapter 8: Methods of Cultivation in the Abyss Not far from the Dwarf mines, Lancelot was sitting cross-legged in a cave. He had been cultivating here for the past two days, striving to enhance his cultivation level. It wasn''t that there was anything special about the cave, it was simply because the hammering of the Dwarves wasn''t as piercing here. He found he no longer required sleep; after finishing his cultivation sessions, he could naturally enter into meditation. Resting for just an hour or two in a meditative state would leave him as refreshed as if he had slept through the night. His cultivation speed was now much slower than when he first experienced sensing Qi, but Lancelot was clear that this was the normal state of affairs. A rapid increase in strength out of nowhere was nothing but a castle in the air, and the journey of Spiritual Cultivation was really about building a tower of sand¡ªaccumulating slowly day by day until, eventually, countless streams return to the ocean, transcending the mundane and entering the realm of the holy. Of course, these eloquent words were not his own; they came from Han Tianzun who left the bamboo slips containing his cultivation insights. Every day, Lancelot would read the contents related to cultivation knowledge and experiences with a voracious thirst, in addition to his own practice. Han Tianzun came from a world where Spiritual Cultivation was mainstream, where there were various Magical Treasures and Elixirs that could aid in cultivation, some great sects even provided these for free to their outstanding members'' progeny; there were abundant spiritual energy reserves in blessed lands and caves, typically occupied by various powerful forces, but where one could advance by leaps and bounds in cultivation; and there were also ancient caves and secret realms left by sages of old, where obtaining the lost Divine Skills and Magical Treasures could be exchanged for rich rewards from the great sects, or the bold among them might quietly keep the treasures for themselves, silently amassing a fortune. Such things obviously did not exist in the Abyssal Plane, but Han Tianzun had left behind methods of Alchemy and Artifact Refining, which Lancelot might try out if he got the chance. Another matter that he took great interest in was the mention by Han Tianzun one day regarding the "anomalous" nature of the spiritual energy in this world. In the words of the old Dwarf Barrend, the Abyssal Plane was practically the Main Plane''s trash bin, septic tank, the ultimate destination for all that was evil, filthy, and Fallen. Naturally, the spiritual energy one could absorb while cultivating in this world had its issues. The Qi Sea in his Dantian was currently dominated by his own Innate Power. Innate Power was like an unfathomably deep ocean, deep and serene when calm. The spiritual energy he absorbed through cultivation from the outside world was different, however; they were like raging magma and roaring waterfalls, powerful but difficult to control. Yesterday, Lancelot tried practicing a Qi Refinement Realm Combat Technique called Gathering Qi Slash. The essence of this technique was to channel True Qi along a special path through the Meridians before releasing it with a slashing motion. He used the stone platform on which he was seated as the object of his experiment. When he exercised his power using Innate True Qi, the stone platform was sliced into two pieces as easily as a hot knife through butter. But when he switched to the spiritual energy of the Abyssal Plane, his Great Sword glowed red as he began to channel Qi, and with one strike, the platform exploded into over a dozen pieces upon contact with the Sword Blade. That was why he was now sitting on the ground. Although visually the effect of a single explosive slash was very cool, the actual utilization of energy was quite low. In terms of power, it was clear that the version using Innate True Qi was much stronger. Lancelot felt quite helpless about this; he had tried many methods from the bamboo slips, including the Ice Heart Spell for resisting the Heart Demon, and the Three Purities meditation for controlling emotions, but sadly, they were not very effective. Instead, they did help to stabilize his impatient state of mind considerably. "My dad''s always had a knack for naming weapons," Bruto beamed, continuing to pull more items out of his little cart. "Here''s your armor. We''ve made some modifications at the joints as you asked, so you can try it on." Lancelot took the armor, now disassembled into parts, and noticed the joints had turned the color of brass, dotted with coin-sized black spots. "That''s graphite. We extracted it from Dragon Scale charcoal. It will make the brass very slick. You''ll know once you put it on." Lancelot, filled with curiosity, put on the armor right there. "Wow, I didn''t think you''d manage on your own," Bruto exclaimed, impressed that Lancelot had swiftly donned the full set of armor without assistance. Lancelot was also startled for a moment. Full body armor was very heavy, and it was quite difficult to put on without an attendant''s help, but now he had managed to do it by himself. It seemed that cultivation had indeed greatly improved his physical condition. "I''ve specifically trained for it," boasted Lancelot modestly. He moved around and found that the clanging of metal no longer sounded; now it was more like the noise of sand rubbing against sand. Although it was far from silent, it was much quieter than before when it could be heard from thirty paces away. "I really can''t thank you enough," Lancelot suddenly felt a bit ashamed. "I don''t have much to offer as a reward, but I will ensure your safety with all my might on our upcoming journey to Twin Bridges Town." "Don''t mention it, but speaking of a reward..." Bruto suddenly seemed a little embarrassed. "Well, about that shield of yours, I found it quite handy to use. Could I possibly..." "Haha, not a problem. We worked really well together when you took the shield," Lancelot pointed at the great sword leaning against the wall. "I prefer using this now." Bruto looked at the weapon, nearly two heads taller than him, with awe, "That thing sure is imposing. It''s very fitting in this world. Unfortunately, we Dwarves can''t use it ¡ª its center of gravity is just too high, making it hard for us to maintain balance when swinging it." Lancelot chuckled and patted his shoulder, "Now whenever I see a Cross Pickaxe, I can almost feel an ache in my knees." "Haha, the Cross Pickaxe is certainly the greatest invention of this world after the forge," Bruto said with a laughing smile. "Alright then, the preparations are all done. It''s time for us to set off." Chapter 13 - 9: The Way Down the Mountain Chapter 13: Chapter 9: The Way Down the Mountain Lancelot followed Bruto out of the cave where he''d been practicing his cultivation and returned to the edge of the mine. In just three short days, the place had been transformed into a temporary Dwarven forge. Lancelot saw piles of coal, earthen forges, casting molds dug into the ground, and bellows fashioned from the wings of Demons. Although the facilities were very simplistic, they had successfully equipped all the Dwarves with Armor and Helmets, and each had a Hand Axe and Warhammer tucked at their sides, fully armed to the teeth. "Only those who have lost their freedom know how sweet it tastes." Bruto placed the Helmet he''d been carrying on his back on his head. "And those who try to enslave us will either get our corpses or nothing at all." "What is that on your Helmet?" Lancelot noticed a tall statue of a Berserk Demon that was quite lifelike on Bruto''s Helmet. "Ha, it''s a memorial of the first enemy I killed," Bruto answered proudly. "Now everyone calls me Frog Slayer." "Was that your first battle?" Lancelot asked in surprise, Bruto''s calmness and bravery had left a deep impression on him at the time. "True as true can be, I''m only 35 years old, and before that, I was an Apprentice in my dad''s forge," Bruto said, straightening his back. "Maybe I have a knack for being an Adventurer." Lancelot inwardly sighed at the thought of being only 35 years old. But for Dwarves, who lived past 300 years, one was considered young until the age of 50.No?v(el)B\\jnn He took another look at Bruto''s Helmet and secretly suspected that the main purpose of the toad-like figure was to make the wearer appear a bit taller. "Oh, Sir Lancelot, you''re here. How''s the Armor?" Bruto''s father, a master-level Dwarven Artisan, walked over. "The craftsmanship of the Dwarves truly lives up to its reputation. Thank you, Master Barrend, I am very satisfied." "Ha! These are all makeshift, put together in haste." Barrend laughed. "The conditions here are really poor. When I get the chance, I''ll show you what true Dwarven craftsmanship is all about." Lancelot too smiled. In the company of these cheerful Dwarves, he''d almost forgotten he was in such a terrifying plane. -------------------------- "No need for two days, half a day at most," Bruto approached, holding something. "As long as you learn to use our dwarven mode of transportation." Hearing this, Lancelot turned around and saw that the so-called mode of transportation was just a pair of slender metal boards, with one end curled upward and what looked like a place to put boots welded in the middle. "Uh, what''s this?" Lancelot asked, suddenly having a bad feeling. "This is called a pair of skis," Bruto said, his face filled with an excited frenzy. "Skiing is one of the favorite sports among us mountain dwarves, and skis are simple to use, very easy to learn." "I know what skiing is," Lancelot swallowed hard. "But where is the snow here?" "Look under our feet, big guy," Bruto stomped on the ground, kicking up some dust. "Every corner of the Plains of the Abyss is covered with a thick layer of ash that you can treat just like snow, its friction is even less than that of snow. See those smooth slopes? The ash layer there is at least three meters thick." "But this seems very dangerous," Lancelot insisted. "That''s why we have a full set of protective gear. Well, they''re also armor." Bruto handed two ski poles to Lancelot and began helping him put on the skis. "We''ll just follow behind the others. The veterans will find a suitable path ahead." Barrend had already set off with the other dwarves. It''s worth noting that skiing is indeed a very simple sport for dwarves, who have a lower center of gravity. Besides, their bodies were like stone; if they were to crash into something, the one taking more damage might not be these dwarves. With Elves'' blessings and the enhancement of Spiritual Cultivation, I should be able to survive the journey down the mountain, Lancelot consoled himself. "By the way, your armor should be able to withstand an impact of over a ton, right?" Lancelot''s face changed and he was just about to answer when Bruto pushed him out. "Bruto!!!!!! Aaaaaah!!!!!!!" Bruto wore a mischievous grin, then adjusted his helmet and leaped out after him. Chapter 14 - 10 Alpine Slides Chapter 14: Chapter 10 Alpine Slides After a brief moment of panic, Lancelot swiftly regained his balance thanks to his excellent physical conditioning. His memories of skiing were instinctively awakened, a skill he learned during a vacation with his brother when he was younger. After the initial steep descent, the slope became slightly more gentle. Lancelot worked hard to control his skis, making wide turns on the dusty slope to avoid picking up too much speed. Bruto, making smaller, quicker turns, caught up from behind and crossed paths with Lancelot while skiing. "You''re skiing pretty well!" "What?" The wind blowing straight at him was too loud, and Lancelot couldn''t hear clearly. "I said you''re doing pretty well!" Bruto roared, and Lancelot quickly nodded to show he had heard. "I won''t wait for you!" Bruto bent his body and, like a fish, shot forward instantly, leaving Lancelot in the dust at the back. Lancelot shook his head and continued at a comfortable pace, moving steadily forward. The wind from the Abyss carried the scent of sulfur as it brushed Lancelot''s face. He skied down following the marks left by the Dwarfs, fully enjoying the thrill speed brought. His heart gradually became calm, quietly feeling the atmosphere of becoming one with nature. From his Dantian, a strand of True Qi naturally separated and began circulating through his Meridians in the Circulation of Qi. At this moment, he entered a mysterious state. According to the records on the bamboo slips, Spiritual Cultivators sometimes feel very attuned with nature and subconsciously enter a state of "Enlightenment," where their primary Cultivation Technique naturally operates, significantly increasing their cultivation level and providing an indescribable insight into the "Tao." Compared to normal Cultivation, the speed of absorbing nature''s Spiritual Energy was much faster now. By the time Lancelot came out of this state, his body emitted a visible white vapor. He realized that he had unknowingly broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Cultivation, but he had no time to rejoice over this; he was merely annoyed that the mysterious state had ended so quickly. During that state, it seemed like he had comprehended many things, and questions about Cultivation that he had been pondering over for a long time seemed to have answers, but now, he could remember none of it, only a vague impression remained. He could only collect his thoughts and continued skiing while resuming his Cultivation. Lancelot wanted to help, but he simply couldn''t catch up, so all he could do was watch anxiously from behind. Suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashed in his mind, remembering the records about "Flying Sword" on the bamboo slips. The day Han Celestial Sovereign controlled a small Flying Sword, he almost instantly chopped a demon wielding great axes into pieces¡ªthe image deeply embedded in his memory. So, when he learned from the bamboo slips that he would need the cultivation level of a Demigod in the Nascent Soul Stage to operate a "Flying Sword", his heart sank in disappointment. According to the explanation in the bamboo slips, the Flying Sword''s ability to fly relies on the control of the Spiritual Cultivator''s outwardly exerted Spiritual Power. Spiritual Power originates from the Transformation of True Qi after reaching the Golden Core Stage, and being able to manipulate it with ease requires reaching the Nascent Soul Stage. Although he only had True Qi and couldn''t exert it outward, the principle of the Flying Sword could still be borrowed. True Qi surged from Lancelot''s Dantian, he referenced the Gathering Qi Slash technique to accumulate the True Qi under the snowboard at his feet, and then released it explosively from the back of the board. A loud explosion came from the back of the snowboard, the strong thrust causing his body to lean back instantly, and Lancelot felt like an arrow shot from a bow. After breaking through to the Middle Rank of Qi Cultivation, the True Qi in his Dantian Qi Sea was nearly full, and he could feel a clearly stronger flow of True Qi during cultivation. This strength made Lancelot initially lose control due to excessive force but thankfully adjusted quickly. Bruto heard the sound of rushing wind from behind, thinking the sandworm was about to bite him, and too terrified to look back, he screamed out loud. Suddenly, he felt light, as Lancelot had caught up with him, grabbed Bruto with his left hand, and tucked him under his armpit. Lancelot continued to spur the snowboard under his feet, their speed skyrocketing, quickly leaving the terrifying sandworm far behind. "Whew, whew, thank you so much, Lancelot. You really are, truly are, my lifesaver," Bruto said, breathless. "Haha, your screaming just now was truly magnificent. Could you give us another one?" Lancelot teased, seeing his face smeared with snot and tears. At these words, Bruto managed an embarrassed smile, but suddenly his face stiffened, turning into horror, and he shouted: "The cliff ahead! The cliff!" Chapter 15 - 11: Lord of the Sandworms Chapter 15: Chapter 11: Lord of the Sandworms Lancelot fixed his gaze and discovered that there was a cliff ahead of them, their speed too fast to turn in time now. In their haste to escape, they had long since veered off the path. What lay below the cliff was now unseen; they could only take a gamble. "Hold on to me!" He shouted loudly, then once again spurred the snowboard beneath his feet to increase his speed. There was likely nothing but unaccumulated dust and scattered rocks below the cliff, so he had to fly as far as possible to hopefully find a suitable area to land. "No, no, no, no, no! Don''t jump, don''t jump! Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!" Amidst Bruto''s screams of terror, two figures flew out from the cliff. Lancelot continued to stimulate the snowboard with True Qi. Although he couldn''t manage it like flying a Flying Sword, he was still able to adjust the direction and speed of his glide through the air. Lancelot looked around for a suitable place to land but what he saw once again brought his heart to a stop. In front of them was a gigantic sand worm, at least ten feet in radius and nearly a thousand feet long, rearing up like a cobra with its gaping maw wide open, waiting for them. In that disgusting giant mouth were rows upon rows of sharp teeth, and Lancelot had no doubt that anything caught between them would be reduced to a paste. "Fuck, fuck, fuck! Not like this! We''re going to die!!!" Bruto had lost all coherence, the shock of the past five minutes had exceeded what a Dwarf could bear. "Hold tight!" Lancelot too was scared by the massive mouth resembling a tunnel entrance, but he knew he still had a chance to fight. He drew his Greatsword from his back, silently estimating the distance as he poured all his might and Innate Power into the Gathering Qi Slash. A golden-red Sword Aura extended along the sword, making the Greatsword appear to have doubled in length. Just as he was about to fall into the maw of the Lord Level monster, Lancelot twisted his body into an inverted position and funneled all the remaining True Qi sourced from the nature''s spiritual energy into the snowboard on his feet. An explosion sounded in the air as the snowboard beneath Lancelot''s feet shattered, his body changing its original trajectory by utilising the explosive force, plummeting like a meteor. It seemed he would narrowly miss the gaping mouth, but with his current velocity, hitting the ground would likely still spell certain death. Bruto let out an odd cry, once again clinging tightly to Lancelot''s thigh. Lancelot thought Bruto''s voice had taken on a sharper tone, considering how often he had made such cries today. Following that was a large amount of sand, which was the food the sandworm consumed into its belly. A sandstorm descended upon the two of them, as Lancelot held the shield steadfastly; a clinking sound filled the air, obviously mixed with rocks and other hard substances within the sand. Bruto, still clutching Lancelot''s thigh, twitched his ears, as if discerning something carefully; then he tilted his head up, staring dumbly at the shield raised above his head. Perhaps it was some faint, crisp collision sound that stirred him; Bruto suddenly released his grip on Lancelot and leaped outside. "What are you doing?" Lancelot cried out in surprise, perplexed by Bruto''s strange behavior. "I heard it! I heard lots! There are so many!" Bruto''s voice was instantly drowned out by the sand; in fact, his entire body had been buried completely by the continuously falling sand. Fearing that Bruto would be suffocated, Lancelot quickly reached out and dragged him back. "Have you gone mad? This is..." Lancelot''s words were cut mid-sentence when he saw that Bruto was holding a fist-sized yellow crystal stone, grinning foolishly. "Bruto, what is this?" "Pure mountain crystal! Even bigger than the one on the Dwarf King''s crown! And there are lots more inside! I definitely didn''t hear wrong!" Lancelot paused for a moment, then suddenly realized. The sandworm had been burrowing through the ground, consuming sand and soil, surely swallowing many precious ores and gemstones over time. This huge sandworm overlord might be like an old clam, with its belly full of treasures. What caught his attention more was the feeling that this mountain crystal contained a large amount of spiritual energy, very much like the spirit stones described in the bamboo slips. Spirit stones are a very common resource in the world of spiritual cultivation, classified into lower, middle, upper, and even top grades based on the quality of spiritual energy they contain. They could be directly absorbed by cultivators to replenish energy during battle or cultivation, and were used in artifact refining, alchemy, to power formations, and many other aspects, acting like currency among the lower and middle rank spiritual cultivators. Lancelot''s eyes suddenly gleamed with excitement, as the bamboo slips recorded several rare encounters, including killing fierce beasts and seizing the treasures they guarded, which appeared to apply just as well in the Abyssal Plane! We''ve struck it rich! Chapter 16 - 12 Bruto’s Career Chapter 16: Chapter 12 Bruto''s Career As the sandstorm had just started to subside, Lancelot and Bruto plunged into the sea of sand. Strictly speaking, within a few days, these grains of sand would have become the excrement of sandworms, but who could ignore the treasures buried within? This wasn''t the time to be squeamish. Describing their current state as wading through a ''sea of fecal maggots'' was not an exaggeration. Lancelot, with his sensitivity to spiritual energy, could pinpoint and retrieve a crystal stone with each try. Bruto, on the other hand, leveraged a Dwarf''s innate sensing (or perhaps obsession?) for gemstones, frantically digging in the sand, which allowed him to find quite a lot as well. Lancelot grasped a mountain crystal and with a thought, the spiritual energy within the crystal stone was absorbed into his body, quickly restoring much of the True Qi he had expended in the recent battle. Absorbing the spiritual energy from crystal stones could replenish his strength, but it couldn''t exceed his original limits; to improve his level of cultivation, he still needed to practice assiduously. However, confirming that these mountain crystals could be used as spirit stones greatly exhilarated Lancelot. This made many actions that required spirit stones now feasible. Once they had thoroughly sifted through the sand dunes, the two huddled together, exhausted, counting their spoils of war. Lancelot had found a large number of what Bruto called mountain crystals¡ªcrystal stones emanating rich spiritual energy, which a sensitive Spiritual Cultivator would find hard to miss. Bruto, on the other hand, had collected various gemstones and pure ores. Sandworms were not picky eaters when it came to feeding; sometimes, they would even consume an entire vein of ore. Those raw ores would be refined in their stomachs, leaving behind just a small, undigested part of pure ore, which was an exceptionally precious forging material. The young Dwarf looked at the vast treasure scattered on the ground with eager eyes, painfully yet firmly pushed them towards Lancelot, saying, "These are your spoils of war, Lancelot. They do not belong to me. It was you who killed that monstrous worm and you also saved me. If it weren''t for you, I might be with these gemstones right now¡ªinside the belly of a sandworm." Lancelot chuckled, patted Bruto, "Those mountain crystals are indeed useful to me, but if it weren''t for you, I might have missed them. How about this, you pick three of your favorite gemstones from here as a reward for discovering the treasure." "I think one would suffice for the merit I contributed," Bruto said seriously as he picked up the largest and most beautiful ruby. "Are you sure? Don''t you want to take more?" Lancelot asked politely. "Lancelot! Are you a Demon? Resisting temptation is really difficult!" Bruto roared in anger. "I am willing!" As these three words were spoken, the atmosphere suddenly turned very peculiar, and both fell silent. "I mean, from now on, we are an adventuring team," Lancelot was the first to speak, trying to break the awkward silence. "Of course, of course, haha," Bruto seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Right, then let''s pack up and head out. Your fathers must be getting anxious waiting." Their skis had been destroyed in the fight, but they were not far from their target. Lancelot cast a spell to summon his warhorse, first helped Bruto mount it, then he too leapt onto the horse and they rode towards their originally intended destination of the crazy mountain descent. After riding for about half an hour, they met Barrend and the others, who were anxiously waiting in place. On the road, Lancelot had already agreed with Bruto not to disclose all their gains, for even if these Dwarves had no ill intentions, letting even a little information slip could attract more trouble than they could handle. The final explanation they gave was that they had been chased off course by a sandworm and their skis were broken, so they were delayed for such a long time. Barrend was still a bit skeptical; all of them had heard the earth-shattering scream which had come from the direction Bruto and Lancelot were coming. However, seeing his son unharmed, he lost the interest to probe further. After the group joined up, they continued on toward Twin Bridges Town, and finally, as the round, blood-red sun was about to completely disappear from the horizon, they reached one of the two arch bridges that spanned the Stygian River, the entrance to Twin Bridges Town. A humanoid figure with huge bat wings was giving instructions to a pair of Berserk Demons guarding the bridgehead. On hearing someone approaching, she turned around. Lancelot felt as if his heart had skipped a beat. This was a shockingly beautiful female Demon. She wore a leather outfit that barely covered anything, her proud figure seeming as if it would burst free from its confines. Two straight horns extended from amidst her black hair on top of her head, and behind her were a pair of large bat wings and a tail with an arrow-shaped tip. This was a Succubus, rumored to be born directly from mortals'' fantasies and desires for beauty and sex. Countless facts proved they were the perfect embodiment of the word ''licentious.'' The Succubus smiled at them enticingly and greeted: "Good evening, gentlemen, my name is Tijana, welcome to my town. Are you here for business or pleasure?" Chapter 17 - 13 Tijana Chapter 17: Chapter 13 Tijana Facing the scantily clad Succubus with stunning looks, Lancelot couldn''t help feeling parched and his heartbeat sped up. He struggled to move his gaze away from that beautiful face, but the body of the Succubus was even more blood-stirring. The verses of the Ice Heart Spell naturally came to his mind, and the True Qi inside his body circulated in tandem, completely calming him down. He refocused his attention on the Succubus''s face, but his gaze had become pure. Tijana noticed his wandering gaze, which made her turn her head, just in time to meet Lancelot''s eyes. She realized these pale blue eyes were looking at her without any impure thoughts, as if merely appreciating a beautiful piece of art. She had been very familiar with this kind of gaze, but it had been hundreds of years since someone had looked at her this way. She carefully sized up this tall, dark-haired human male with strong self-control, and involuntarily licked her lips. This action nearly made the Berserk Demons around them shoot fire from their eyes, but the Dwarves seemed indifferent to it. Barrend cleared his throat and said, "Honored lady, we are a group of skilled craftsmen seeking shelter. Is there any use you have for us? But we must clarify in advance that no matter what your conditions are, we will not surrender our freedom." "Ah, shelter, Twin Bridges Town indeed provides such service, and I''m not interested in your freedom." Tijana moved her gaze away from Lancelot, which finally allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief; something in the Succubus''s gaze earlier had made him want to turn and run. "I only need you to hammer these metal ingots into the specified shapes. In fact, there are already quite a few Dwarves in the city, and they are free to leave whenever they wish." "What is the cost for them to become residents of Twin Bridges Town?" Barrend was still cautious. "Talk to your kin first, they will probably use many pleasant words to describe me. When you''ve decided you still want to stay, come find me." Tijana''s gaze returned to Lancelot. "You haven''t introduced yourself yet, is this how you show courtesy to a lady, Sir Knight?" "My name is Lancelot, honored lady." Lancelot gave a knightly bow. "At your service." "Ha ha, had I not known you better, I would have taken that statement seriously," Tijana laughed lightly, her wings stretched behind her, obscuring her smile and her exposed body, leaving only a pair of beautiful eyes looking at Lancelot. "Not at all," Bruto shook his head. "Just imagine your perfect partner in your mind, then double her height and compress her width to a third." "Okay, they''re definitely not your type," Lancelot shrugged and began walking towards the bridge. "But you have to admit she''s pretty." "Indeed, very pretty, that''s how they make their living," Bruto said, stepping forward and gazing up with a look of disdain at the Berserk Demons serving as guards along the bridge. "It''s said that Demons originate from the souls of mortals who fell into the Abyss, so the Succubi have the same deadly allure to them, throwing themselves upon this to curry favor with the Demon Lords." "That requires some serious diplomatic skill, hard to imagine a Demon having the patience for that." "No, women are born with it and enjoy it, even among the crazy race of Demons," Bruto said gravely. "Never trust the words of a being without a handle; their sweet nothings are like beautiful bubbles that ultimately leave you with nothing." "Sounds like you''ve got plenty of stories," Lancelot said, barely holding back a laugh. "Yes, hopefully, we''ll find a tavern here, or we definitely won''t be settling in this place." As they spoke, the group had already crossed halfway over the arch bridge, and Twin Bridges Town was now fully in their view. Despite being naturally protected by the Stygian River, Twin Bridges Town still boasted towering city walls, although they looked very decrepit and seemed to have been breached not long ago. At the end of the bridge was a massive gate; after passing through a narrow and dark passage, the group entered the interior of Twin Bridges Town. The first thing that caught their eye was a crowded and chaotic street made of broken paving stones, and the buildings on both sides fully reflected the chaotic nature of the demons, each constructed haphazardly, bizarre and ugly, each appearing as designs that survived numerous wild attempts, clearly lacking anything resembling a city planning bureau. Despite this, Lancelot noticed some less unconventional structures including taverns, shops, and brothels, obviously operated by non-Demonic races (or possibly less crazy among the Demons). At the end of the street was a small square with a rather exquisite statue in the center, depicting a Succubus leading an army like a commander, Lancelot recognized that Succubus as the likeness of Tijana. Just as he was about to examine the details of the statue, he suddenly felt his Spirit Perception triggered. His right hand shot backward, grabbing a claw that had reached into his pocket. The claw was attached to a small, grey-skinned Demon, gradually fading from invisibility, looking at the person who caught him with a face full of fear. "Oh, great," Bruto raised an eyebrow. "A Quasimodo Demon thief." Chapter 18 - 14 Dingke Chapter 18: Chapter 14 Dingke "Dingke surrenders! Dingke has surrendered!" "No one should expect the peacekeeping standards here," Lancelot said to Bruto. "However, I''m quite curious as to what would happen if we handed him over to the guards." "No! Don''t! Dingke has treasure! For you! All for you! Don''t hand Dingke over to the big toad, the big toad will tear Dingke to pieces, and you''ll get nothing!" "Oh, that''s possible," Bruto said, rubbing his hands together, "For instance, we could witness a scene where a Quasimodo Demon is ripped in half, and maybe that Berserk Demon will even throw the corpse straight into its mouth. Such spectacles are not easily seen." "No! You can''t do this!" the captured Quasimodo Demon screamed. Suddenly, Lancelot saw the image of the Quasimodo Demon before him contort in a terrifying manner; its eyes emitted a horrifying glow as it opened its mouth full of fine teeth, saying: "Mortal, release me at once!" Its voice became eerie and hoarse, like an existence that absolutely must not be defied. However, Lancelot was not frightened at all, viewing the poor performance of this green demon with an amused spectator''s attitude, but Bruto seemed to have been influenced slightly, retreating several steps with a look of terror. "Hey!" shouted Lancelot at the Dwarf, his voice slightly laced with True Qi. Bruto immediately came to his senses, realizing he had been cowed by the little trick of the Quasimodo Demon, which made him fuming with anger. He rolled up his sleeves, preparing to hit the detestable creature. Lancelot found the behavior of the little demon quite amusing and decided to use its own methods against it. Nature''s spiritual energy from the Abyssal Plane flowed from his Dantian, filling the meridians throughout his body and gathering in his eyes. He stared fixedly at the Quasimodo Demon and said in a voice that startled even himself: "How dare you!" The intimidation had a very good effect, in fact, it might have been a bit too effective. The demon named Dingke''s eyes bulged, and its body went limp, collapsing on the ground. Its gray-green skin oozed a dark brown, foul-smelling mucus, but thankfully, Lancelot had released his hold before it hit the ground. "Uh, what did you do to it?" Bruto was also utterly bewildered by the situation. Moreover, he was acutely aware that if he destroyed this small orb, the demon in front of him would immediately scream and dissolve into a pool of blood, completely vanishing from this world. It seems this Quasimodo Demon mistook him for some formidable being, and the way it thought of ''mother'' was also intriguing, but that could be researched later. Pretending to be stern, Lancelot said to it: "Stand up, Dingke, I accept your loyalty." The Quasimodo Demon named Dingke immediately stood up, eagerly asking: "Master, what do you need Dingke to do?" Bruto, who was standing nearby, watched all this with his eyes wide and mouth agape. He turned to Lancelot, confused: "You''ve just taken on a demon as a minion?" Lancelot shrugged his shoulders and said with a smile: "It must have been subdued by the murderous aura on me. After all, we did kill quite a few Berserk Demons before, which it fears the most." "Makes sense, but I''ve also killed plenty, why isn''t it afraid of me?" "Who made you freeze up because of it just now?" Lancelot rolled his eyes. Everything that had happened was actually over in an instant, and Barrend and the other Dwarves had also gathered around by now, all looking curiously at the small demon who was less than half their height, with sharp horns on its head. Some Dwarves complained indignantly: "Quasimodo Demons, they''ve often caused trouble when we were working, hiding the ore we painstakingly mined, just to see us whipped!" The demon being scrutinized covered its head and shouted in its defense: "Dingke didn''t! Dingke never did! It wasn''t Dingke''s doing!" "Alright, alright, this Quasimodo Demon has already been subdued by me." Lancelot took out the red orb. "See, it willingly gave me its demon essence." "I''ve heard of this thing, very few demons are willing to hand over their essence, they''d rather howl and fight to the death, except for the Quasimodo Demons." Barrend frowned as he looked at the item in Lancelot''s hand, "They''re too weak, so they often serve more powerful beings in exchange for a chance to survive. How did you get it?" "It stuck its claw into my pocket and I caught it on the spot, then I simply showed it a bit of my power, and so it was." Lancelot sensed Dingke''s intense distress due to the onlookers, so he turned and said to it: "Aren''t you familiar with this town? Introduce us to it, lead the way." Chapter 19 - 15 Twin Bridges Town Chapter 19: Chapter 15 Twin Bridges Town After wandering through the twisted and oppressive streets of Twin Bridges Town for two hours, Lancelot and Dingke found themselves back in front of Tijana''s statue. The intelligence and language abilities of the Quasimodo Demon were not great, and it couldn''t quite fulfill the role of a tour guide. Luckily, Lancelot was able to read its thoughts directly, eventually getting a rough understanding of the situation in Twin Bridges Town. This town, built on Riverheart Island, was not small, equivalent in size to a county seat in the human realm. According to their main functions, the entire town could roughly be divided into four areas: First was the blacksmith district, where a large number of craftsmen shielded by Tijana gathered, including dwarves, humans, goblins, and other odd races, tirelessly producing goods day and night for her weapons trade business. In that area, Barrend met several of his former "prison mates," who were now inquiring about the local working conditions, while Bruto stayed there with his old man. Then there was the trade zone, where most of the "shop owners" were sales agents sent by the Demon Lord to deal with the spoils of war. There were also members of the mortal races from the higher planes. Lancelot regretfully learned that they all belonged to certain organizations, brought here in the form of a summon by his predecessor. They would automatically return to their original world when their time was up, receiving a substantial allowance for their externship in the dangerous zone. The merchandise here included treasures with potent curse effects, various toxic substances that even demons could not immunise against, and even jars of human-faced worms that wailed; basically, there was nothing he could use, except for one human shop whose employees dressed in red robes. The enchanted equipment and magic scrolls inside seemed quite practical. The street they had just passed was part of the mercenary quarters. This area was filled with plenty of taverns, inns, and residences of local inhabitants (some more accurately called dens), some of which were even available for rent. Types included single rooms above taverns, villas with gardens, dungeons, and interrogation rooms, tombs under mass graves, channels that lead directly to the Stygian River, and cesspits connected to all the public toilets¡ªessentially, most races could find a place that met their needs here. However, the most important building was a mercenary hall, akin to an arena, offering services to the foolhardy adventurers who dared enter the Abyss. They could accept various dangerous missions, with rewards so substantial that one would take any risk, though of course, no reward is worth anything if you''re dead (though in some cases, taking the form of undead or spirits also works). Finally, there was the military area with Tijana''s red castle at its core. The castle was surrounded by the barracks of the Succubus Lord''s army, the exact number of troops stationed there was undetermined, composed of various types of soldiers including Berserk Demons, iron cavalry demons, Flomos, and other low-level demons. The commanders, according to Dingke, were "several snake women with lots of hands," but Lancelot noticed a lava lake behind the chaotic and dense barracks, empty for a hundred feet around, conspicuously noticeable, which reminded him of a particularly terrifying high-level demon recorded by the Elves. "Master, what do you command?" "You''ve served well today, come with me." Lancelot found a deserted street corner and ordered Dingke: "Kneel down, I''m going to bestow a reward upon you." On hearing the word "reward," an overwhelming fear welled up in Dingke''s heart, which Lancelot felt clearly. In the context of the Abyss, this was not a good word at all. Owing to the demons'' cruel sense of humor, a "reward" usually preceded phrases like "eternal slumber" or "endless agony." The skin color of the Quasimodo Demon directly reflected its psychological changes; it turned ashen grey, like cinders. But still, it knelt down, unable to resist because of the red orb Lancelot held in his hand. "No, Master! What did Dingke do wrong ... Dingke has treasures, more treasures to offer the master!" "What nonsense are you thinking, kneel properly!" Lancelot placed his hand on Dingke''s head. Chapter 20 - 16 Demons Promotion Chapter 20: Chapter 16 Demons Promotion Lancelot had just placed his hand on Dingke''s head with nothing happening initially, but as he began to mobilize the True Qi within his body, a list seemingly appeared before his eyes, detailing the energy needed for various demonic transformations. The sensation was quite vague, possibly due to his not very high realm. He cautiously injected about one-tenth of his True Qi. This amount was not enough for Dingke to transform into a higher-level demon, but it should enable a comprehensive enhancement of its current form. As the True Qi surged from his Dantian, the diminutive demon let out a muffled grunt, as if it had been struck on the head. Its body began to change dramatically. Muscles swelled fiercely, skin tore into pieces; its skeleton instantly grew larger, piercing through the skin, but was quickly covered by new flesh; the demon horns on its head gradually grew thicker and larger, forcing the skull to crack open, revealing the boiling brain inside. "Aaaahhhhhhh!!!" As the body''s transformation neared completion, only then did Dingke scream out, the entire process taking less than a minute. It lay on the ground, gasping heavily, then slowly stood up, incredulously sizing up its new body, a euphoric emotion permeating its heart, the color of its entire skin rapidly changing from newborn pink to lush green. With the completion of the advancement, through the mysterious bond between them, Lancelot felt that he too had received some form of enhancement, his resistance to magic seemed to have improved. "Thank you, Dinke, my great master! Dingke will forever and ever serve you!" Lancelot took a step back, feeling his boots being nearly corroded by Dingke''s kisses. It appeared his conjecture was correct. The True Qi formed from cultivation came directly from the Abyssal Plane''s natural spiritual energy. Since high-level demons could consume magic power to advance low-level demons, his True Qi certainly should too, and the effect would only be better. "Go now, when I need you, you will hear my call." "As you command, my Lord!" The figure of the newly born demon gradually became transparent, eventually disappearing into the air, the sound of its hooves gradually fading away. Lancelot sensed briefly and discovered that Dingke''s small brain was racing, plotting how to retaliate against a few Quasimodo Demon peers who had once bullied it. "That does sound incredibly harsh." Lancelot sighed. "But I guess your dad still plans to stay." "Uh, how did you know?" "Because there aren''t any better options." "Yeah, there are no better options." Bruto found a rock and sat down. "I talked to my dad about it." "What did you tell him? About your plan to change careers?" "Yeah. He always wanted me to inherit his skills and reputation, so he was always extra strict with me. I prepared a whole lot of excuses, but he just stayed silent for a long while, then agreed." Bruto hung his head, looking quite disheartened. "Staying here means barely surviving with no hope. Being an adventurer is filled with dangers, and being one in this world is downright terrible, but at least there''s hope to leave." "Come on, it''s not that bad when you have me. We''ll definitely make it back to where we came from." Lancelot tried to lighten the mood, "I''m good buddies with the Emperor over there, I''ll make you a Royal Blacksmith, and you''ll absolutely bring honor to your ancestors, I guarantee your dad would be pleased." "Pfft, as if I cared." Bruto laughed too. "What about that little guy named Dingke?" "I let him go. But if needed, I can call on him anytime." Lancelot decided it was best not to reveal his unique abilities just yet. "How about the thing you were helping me with?" "It''s already been processed." Bruto handed Lancelot a small box. "Had limited time, couldn''t make anything too complex, but it''s a classic design. Are you sure this thing works on demons too?" "Not sure, but it''s better to have it than not." Lancelot opened the small box and took a quick peek. "Though I don''t know much about this, I can tell the craftsmanship is really exquisite, thanks a lot." "Mostly, it''s because the stuff we got from that sandworm''s stomach is all top grade. You should have seen those guys'' reactions¡ªthey nearly wanted to go back to the Shattered Mountain Range right away and strip every sandworm there." Bruto displayed a silly grin, making one doubt whether he had exaggerated his role in the battle with the sandworm. "Are you sure you want to give it away as just a meeting gift? In our world, this thing could trade for a castle." "There''s plenty of good stuff in the Abyss, and by the time we find a way back, you''ll definitely struggle deciding which treasures to throw away." Lancelot looked disdainful. "No matter how precious, it''s of no use to us now, and besides, they might not even fancy it." Chapter 21 - 17 Gifts Chapter 21: Chapter 17 Gifts Lancelot was not entirely confident about this gift either. Earlier at the bridgehead, he had confirmed that the Succubus Lord was not wearing any jewelry. "In the coming period, this will be our base of operations, and it''s essential to be on good terms with the Lord, considering your old man is working for her, isn''t he?" "That''s logical enough. But your actions still don''t match my impression of humans." Bruto stroked his chin, "Are you sure you haven''t been charmed or hit with some sort of suggestive technique? Do you need me to hit you with a shield? No offense, just to be safe." "No, thank you. A person under the influence of these spells could come up with so many reasons?" "They can, but they can only convince themselves with strange logic, unlikely to articulate it completely to others as you do." "Well then, that settles it." Lancelot put away the small box but suddenly became hesitant again. "I''ve changed my mind, hit me after all." "Kneel down." "...Alright." Clang (a loud crash). "Any new thoughts?" "Yes, lots of regrets." "As expected, you were charmed." "No, I deeply regret cooperating with you." "Was my strike too light? Do you want another one?" "Can you pull me out of this hole first?" "Sorry about that. As you''ve seen, this is Riverheart Island; the soil is quite loose." "That was quite a heavy hit just now, enough to break most controlling spells." Lancelot climbed out of the hole, rubbing his head. "Let''s get going and see what tasks our hostess has in store for us." ------------------------- Lancelot and Bruto waited for almost two hours before they were finally summoned by Tijana. It was a typical fortress-style castle, likely designed by human or Dwarf craftsmen, or possibly magically copied from a template in the Mortal Realm. After entering the main gate, the first area was a waiting zone for servants to dine and stand by, which also served as the first line of defense inside the castle during wartime, as the narrow passage could only accommodate two people side by side. Meanwhile, guards could be positioned along the second-floor corridor for ranged attacks, cross-firing at invading enemies from various angles. At the end of the waiting zone were two returning staircases, and after stepping onto the steps and passing through two reinforced doors, Lancelot and Bruto entered the main hall used for audiences with the Lord and hosting banquets. The main hall of the castle was spacious and splendid, fit to host banquets for hundreds of people. Long tables were set up in the hall for banquets, plush carpets covered the floor, and lifelike gargoyle statues served as candle holders on the walls. Thin gauze hung on the corridors of the second floor, obscuring the view inside. "I will allow you to kiss my hand." With her wings subtly folded behind, she bashfully extended a jade arm, as if inviting him, while the revealing leather she wore emanated a primal allure, making one want to pull her into an embrace without a second thought. Lancelot rolled his eyes inwardly; this woman''s acting was a bit over the top. He removed his steel gauntlet from his right hand, tucking it under his arm, and then cautiously cradled the succubus''s palm, pursing his lips to lightly brush the back of her hand. The fingers were rather firm, certainly capable of piercing his throat with not much difficulty. The palm, however, was incredibly soft. "I''m not one of those disgusting toads, and I don''t have poison glands in my skin," Tijana commented, apparently surprised by Lancelot''s restraint. She was well aware of the actions males might take under her charm and had rich experience in dealing with them. She returned to her throne, resuming her lazy posture, and began: "To become a resident of Twin Bridges Town, you must prove you can be of use to me. Dwarves make excellent craftsmen, so their value is beyond question. If you wish to stay as mercenaries, you must show you''re at least capable of completing low-level tasks." "Please give your orders." "It''s simple, just accompany me for one night," she stated. Lancelot began to cough dramatically, Bruto silently stepped back several paces during their exchange. Tijana had said ''you'' not ''you all,'' right? So this had nothing to do with him whatsoever. "Cough, cough, I''m sorry, what did you say?" "Hehe, I''m just joking, seeing that look of panic on you," Tijana played with her hair idly. "That stench called ''kindness'' emanates from you. I can smell it from this distance." "I apologize, please don''t put me in a difficult position." Upon hearing this, the Succubus Lord''s face darkened. "What do you mean? How is that putting you in a difficult position?" Oops. Sweat instantly broke out on Lancelot''s forehead. He hesitated for a moment, then decided to speak candidly: "I believe that in this dangerous world, any sexual conduct is extremely crazy and perilous, even if the proposition comes from someone as charming as..." "A succubus," Tijana interjected. "Lady," Lancelot corrected. "That''s quite right, your thinking is indeed very accurate," Tijana suddenly flashed an ambiguous smile. "Gentlemen, let''s end this topic here." "I just so happen to have a little matter that needs handling, consider it a test for you. The task involves rescuing helpless maidens from the hands of demons, which should suit the tastes of you altruists just fine." Chapter 22 - 18 Saving Succubus Grace Chapter 22: Chapter 18 Saving Succubus Grace ``` "Twin Bridges Town has always been like a lighthouse on the bank of the Stygian River, attracting those runaway slaves, mortals who''ve strayed here, and ambitious adventurers. It''s one of the few places willing to shelter them, and the price is very reasonable." "Recently, I''ve been receiving numerous complaints, near the Screaming Woods upstream, a Bagula named Kuka has been abducting passersby with reckless abandon." "I can''t possibly take out every guy on the menu who belongs to the mortal races, but it keeps attacking travelers headed for Twin Bridges Town, and there''s no doubt that this is an affront to me." "Just eight hours ago, I sent a maid to warn it, but she hasn''t returned yet. Clearly, that buffoon has done something to her." "Your mission is to bring poor Grais back to me and give Kuka whatever punishment you can administer." The Succubus Lord produced a scroll, and with a mysterious fluctuation, it seemed as if shadows were diving into it. "This is the Mission Scroll, it has the target location and detailed information about Bagula Demons," Tijana tossed the scroll to Lancelot, "There''s also Grais''s portrait inside¡ªshe has quite the pretty curled horns, so don''t you go doing anything weird with it." Lancelot carefully opened the scroll and glanced over it, confirming there was nothing wrong with it. "Are you really that curious," Tijana mocked, "Grais might be suffering unspeakable torment right now. If you want to see her, you better set off quickly." "I hope she''s unharmed," Lancelot said as he bowed with Bruto. "We will take our leave now." Tijana waved her hand, indicating they were free to go. "Wait a moment." Just as Lancelot was about to step out of the hall, Tijana called out to her again. Lancelot turned around and caught the object that Tijana threw at him. He looked down to find he was holding an emblem engraved with the Twin Bridges Town emblem, emitting a strong evil aura as if it had just been blessed with magic. "The scent of goodwill on you creatures... it''s simply too strong. In this world, even a stone on the ground would wish to come alive and attack you," Tijana explained, "Carry this trinket with you¡ªit''ll conceal the presence of any good creatures within a radius of five meters. It''s effective for three days." "Ah, Abyssal language makes my head spin reading it; this script is mostly cursed anyway." Bruto said helplessly. Having spent over a year here, he had learned to speak the language of the Abyss, but reading its script was still very difficult. The language of the Abyss, resembling hieroglyphics, is derived from the various insane natural phenomena of the Abyss and is mentally unbearable to read. "You read it; I''ll take a look at the picture. This gorilla-like demon is Kuka, right?" "Correct. Kuka, an elite Bagula Demon, nearly 10 feet tall, estimated to weigh around 1000 pounds, wow!" "That''s a big one. Apart from that mouth full of fangs, it''s basically an enlarged gorilla. What is this long passage on the side about?" "Mostly about its behavioral patterns and combat style." Lancelot had a photographic memory, another benefit of becoming a Spiritual Cultivator. He recited the content from the scroll, "Bagula Demons, when in trees, possess incredible agility, skilled in climbing, jumping, and ambushing. They have natural invisibility and can also see through an enemy''s invisibility spell." "Their main weapons are their incredibly powerful fists, and if the opportunity arises, they can also bite your head off from your neck with their mouth. They like to hide in the dark and launch ambushes, using their terrifying leaping ability to jump on your head before you can react and deliver a rapid succession of devastating blows." "They have a supernatural ability called ''kidnapping,'' which can forcibly transport one large or two small creatures over a short distance, difficult for normal beings to resist. This ability allows them to remove an injured target from its teammates to be dealt with one-on-one. It will also use this ability to capture innocent travelers as snacks for its amusement." "Sounds like it would likely use that ability on me." Bruto was somewhat anxious. "It shouldn''t, as long as you''re fully defending, it won''t be able to do much to you in the short term, and since the transportation distance isn''t far, I can quickly come to support you. Bagula Demons aren''t stupid; they can only use that ability once a day. If I preserve some strength from the start, it''s very likely to assume that I am the easier target." "Good plan. Anything else?" "It mentions it appeared in Screaming Woods about half a year ago, initially only attacking those who entered its territory, but later began leaving its region regularly to attack passing travelers." Lancelot frowned as he remarked, "I feel there''s something off about this." "What part seems off? Based on the description, this Kuka sounds like a model demon of the Abyssal Plane." "The issue is the pattern. Within a hundred miles, you''d only find a speck of order from Tijana, and I can''t see any reason why a wild demon would behave in any orderly manner. Demons don''t need to feed; abduction and torture are merely out of a cruel nature, they relish in the screams of living beings being torn apart and don''t have a need to replenish their food stores regularly." "Who cares, we just have to find this Succubus Grais, and then use my new hammer to give a few knocks on that stupid gorilla''s head, and the mission is done." "Let''s hope so," Lancelot mused as he looked at the Twin Bridges Town emblem in his hand. A bat was following them from a distance, that was Dingke. Chapter 23 - 19 Ran Away by Itself Chapter 23: Chapter 19 Ran Away by Itself Thanks to Tijana''s adept diplomatic skills, there were no other significant powers near Twin Bridges Town. On the way to the Screaming Woods, they didn''t encounter any obstacles, except for a group of entwined Coward Devils. These timid and foolish low-level demons feared any creature stronger than themselves and scattered at the first sound of Lancelot''s horse hooves. But the journey was definitely far from pleasant. The sun overhead blazed like a furnace, scorching the earth, making the entire sky seem aflame, and the ground temperatures were unbearably hot. The occasional gusts of wind could bring a slight coolness, but they offered limited relief for Lancelot and Bruto, clad in full suits of armor. Fortunately, the Screaming Woods were not far off. After riding along the Stygian River for about an hour, they could see the distinctive, spear-like tree crowns of the Screaming Woods. Here grew the Abyss''s unique fang-like fir trees. These trees could reach up to eighty feet tall but had neither branches nor leaves¡ªjust a bare, iron-hard trunk, shooting straight out from the ground like the quills on a porcupine, standing solitary in the desolate land. Lancelot suddenly pulled on the reins, and Bruto, due to the abrupt stop, bumped into his back. He twisted his head around in surprise and swept a gaze forward but didn''t find anything unusual. "What''s wrong?" Lancelot nodded towards the front, "Look there." There was a dark shadow in the sky, gradually growing larger. Bruto shaded his eyes with his hand and squinted in that direction. After a while, the outline of the shadow finally became clear, and Bruto could see what it was. "Your eyesight is really good," the Dwarf said enviously, then yelled at the top of his lungs, "Hey! Over there, Succubus! Are you Grace?" The Succubus in the sky paused momentarily, then flew towards them. "Who are you? Why are you here?" This Succubus kept her distance, remaining wary. Lancelot scrutinized her, confirming that she was indeed the rescue target described in the Mission Scroll. Though known for their boldly revealing attire, the Succubus before them was disheveled by any standard. Her exposed skin bore many bruises and purples, seemingly after enduring a terrible ordeal. Grace revealed a bitter smile: "Yes. A succubus isn''t harmed by such activities, except in pride." "I understand," Lancelot nodded, "I''m glad you''ve escaped its clutches. Please allow us to escort you back to Twin Bridges Town." "Oh, that would be wonderful!" Grace seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, "Whenever I close my eyes, I see those people locked in cages. If I hadn''t escaped, I might have lost my freedom forever like them, getting eaten at any time. That would be worse than death." She turned to Lancelot with a sweet smile: "You are a knight, right? I''ve heard knights protect helpless ladies, and I''ve always hoped a knight would protect me." "I am indeed a knight, and assisting the weak is my duty," Lancelot turned to look at the Screaming Woods. "But I am sorry, my lady, I''m afraid I must retract my offer to escort you. There are others who need my help even more right now." At those words, Grace''s face showed surprise, "I''m sorry, I don''t quite understand..." "You mentioned there are prisoners held captive in the lair of the Bagula Demon," Lancelot pointed out, "At least 9 hours ago, they were still alive." "But I''ve just been through that ordeal, and I''m really scared. Please don''t leave me alone," Grace pleaded, her tear-stained beautiful face making it difficult to refuse. "Once that gorilla realizes I''ve escaped, he will surely take out his full rage on those prisoners. By now, most of them are probably eaten. Let''s head back quickly, I... I really don''t want to see that creature again." "It will pay for its actions," Lancelot assured her. "But we have just come from Twin Bridges Town, and the road is very safe. Human lives are at stake; we must check if the prisoners are still alive. Going there a second earlier could save an innocent life." Grace opened her mouth as if unable to believe Lancelot''s decision, but then she adopted a serious expression and earnestly said, "I''m sorry, I was being selfish, only thinking of myself. Let me go with you, I want to see that gorilla punished with my own eyes! I know the location of its lair and can guide you, but I''m not good at fighting. Please make sure to protect me, I beg of you!" "Rest assured, your safety is directly linked to the success of our mission. I won''t let Kuka lay a finger on you," Lancelot considered for a moment, then said, "You will fly above us later, staying at a height it can''t reach. You can observe from above and guide us. Leave the fighting to us." "Good, after such an intense exercise, it might be very weak now." Grace showed a sly smile, then murmured in a low voice, "If it were a mortal, it would be dried up by now. These low-level creatures are really annoying, not providing me with Essence, really..." Grace abruptly stopped talking, her face flushed with embarrassment, but she then sneakily glanced at Lancelot again. "Please lead the way," Lancelot said, pretending to have heard nothing, with an impassive expression. Chapter 24 - 20: Battle in the Woods Chapter 24: Chapter 20: Battle in the Woods In the Screaming Woods, Lancelot and Bruto had dismounted their steeds, gripping their weapons and shields tightly, cautiously guarding against a lethal ambush from the Bagula Demons. The Fang Tooth Trees had no branches or leaves; although tall above the ground, they were actually degenerate, relying on a vast underground root system to sustain their life. This allowed for a considerable distance between each Fang Tooth Tree, enough for a ten-foot-tall gorilla to move and strike freely. The wind slicing through the woods shattered into piercing howls as it clashed with the sharp trunks, as if the souls of the damned lingered there. Bruto, shield in hand, walked ahead of the two. The large trunks easily obscured visibility from the ground, and the massive apes could hide in the shadow of the treetops, ready to strike from above at any moment. The Dwarf had to frequently look up to check his surroundings, a situation he found quite uncomfortable. Although Grace was flying high above, the Bagula Demon''s ability to become invisible made it difficult for her to issue timely warnings. Bruto suddenly stopped and pointed ahead, panic-stricken: "By Muradin''s beard! What in the world is that?" On an unusually thick trunk ahead of him hung a horrifying totem. It was likely made from a Coward Devil, its legs brutally broken at the knees, with the shinbones piercing through the eye sockets, pinning the corpse to the trunk. It wasn''t hard to imagine that the primary material was likely still alive at the start of its making. Flesh from the Abyss degraded rapidly; using a body that had already perished would hardly keep the entire skeleton intact on the trunk. With its legs cut in half, the skeleton resembled a gorilla. It was a typical Bagula totem, whose true significance was unknown to outsiders, but everyone knew what it represented: you had entered Bagula territory, and you should prepare to become such a totem. Bruto, hands on his hips, mustered the courage to stare directly at the terrifying totem. Once he saw it clearly, there was nothing to fear, the totem was merely a declaration of its creator''s cruelty, a reminder Bruto knew all too well. Lancelot, on the other hand, had a thought. He noticed a blood-red little plant below the totem, emitting faint waves of Spiritual Energy. He knelt down, dug up the little plant along with the surrounding soil, then carefully brushed off the dirt clinging to its roots, and tucked it into a small bag filled with mountain crystals. Various knowledge about Spiritual Cultivation was recorded on the bamboo slips left in his mental world by Han Tiansun; Lancelot, regardless of his understanding, would read them in his mind when idle, and thus, he learned how to identify usable herbs. ¡ª Shadow Spirit Grass, commonly found beneath the suspended bodies of the tragically died, nourished by the deceased''s resentment and fresh blood, with red leaves and black stems, extremely Yin in nature, often used to neutralize other overly Yang medicinal materials, the method to ascertain its medicinal properties is... This was the record regarding Shadow Spirit Grass on the bamboo slips, and the plant before him matched the description well. He didn''t have a Jade Box to prevent the loss of Spiritual Energy, but the slips said surrounding it with Spirit Stones could work the same; so, he stored the plant with the mountain crystals, planning to study it further upon his return. "You know how to identify herbs too?" Bruto asked, surprised. "A little bit," Lancelot replied. The blade had gone nearly a foot deep, blood reddening the area around the wound, but any injury to the buttocks was hardly fatal, something Lancelot was well aware of. "Ha ha, you stupid ape, why is your butt as red as a monkey''s?" Bruto teased shamelessly. Seeing Lancelot''s successful strike and Kuka turning its back again, he wanted to try out his new hammer too. "Bruto, watch out!!" Lancelot urgently shouted, but it was too late. The ape demon spun around with alarming speed and threw a punch. Bruto couldn''t dodge in time and could only barely lift his shield to block. "BOOM!" A loud sound, the Bagula demon landed a direct hit on its target for the first time that day. Bruto flew backward like a ball kicked with great force, smashing hard against a tree and spitting out blood from his mouth. Seeing the attack effective, the ape demon immediately lunged at Bruto, its body beginning to emit magical fluctuations. Lancelot, sensing trouble, drew a dark green short sword from his waist. He had asked Barrend to make it from the beak of that demon overseer when they encountered the dwarves. The True Qi surged out of his Dantian, he executed the Gathering Qi Slash technique, fiercely hurling the short sword at Kuka. The Kiss of Deadly Poison shot out like a green bolt of lightning, easily entering the ape demon''s back. Unfortunately, it didn''t hit the heart for a fatal blow, nor did it stop the Bagula demon''s supernatural ability from taking effect. A flash of white light, and both Kuka and Bruto disappeared from the spot. Lancelot immediately concentrated his Spiritual Energy in his ears and soon heard the sound of two heavy objects landing not far away. "I see them, they''re over there!" Just then, Grace landed on the ground from the air, pointing in the direction of the sounds. Lancelot didn''t look back as he dashed towards that direction, astonishingly fast, with the succubus straining to keep up. "Hang in there, little dwarf!" Chapter 25 - 21: Sneak Attack Chapter 25: Chapter 21: Sneak Attack As soon as the teleportation ended, Bruto saw a pot-lid-sized fist coming right at his face. "Fuck! Why me!" He raised his shield as fast as he could and took another solid punch, but this time, the mountain crystal on the shield emitted a burst of light. The shield became incredibly heavy the instant it was struck, absorbing most of the impact force, allowing Bruto to only stagger back a few steps before tripping over a rock and falling to the ground. This was an occasional effect triggered when mountain crystal-embedded equipment was hit by a massive force, in the blink of an impact, converting its contained energy into extremely high mass. When embedded in a weapon, it would inflict tons of damage (literally) upon activation; when in a shield, it could render a potentially fatal blow harmless. Bruto had no time to feel relieved, as he quickly rolled to the side to avoid the imminent follow-up attack. However, the anticipated fist didn''t materialize. As the dwarf got up with the help of his roll, there was no sign of the Bagula Demon in his line of sight. "What, it ran away? Could it be that it sprained its hand with that last hit, haha!" Bruto mumbled to himself, holding up his shield and hammer, anxiously scanning his surroundings, fearing another ambush from the enemy. Only then did he notice a large pool of blood where Kuka had stood, and it seemed a weapon was discarded there. He cautiously approached and realized it was his father''s creation, Lancelot''s Kiss of Deadly Poison. This less than a foot long sword was now slanted in the soil, with all but the top two inches of the blade drenched in bright red blood. Clearly, the weapon had plunged deep into some part of Kuka''s body, causing severe injury. After knocking Bruto away, the ape demon did not pursue but instead ran off. "What kind of monstrous burst strength does Lancelot have." Bruto murmured softly to himself. Lancelot really had quite a few secrets up his sleeve, Bruto still hadn''t forgotten the lord of sandworms gutted and dismembered corpse from last time. It seems this guy''s trump card is these sudden outbursts, catching the unprepared enemy completely off guard. Footsteps approached rapidly; his knight teammate and the succubus rushed over. "I scared that guy off." Bruto said with his hands on his hips. "Since when is bragging one of your dwarves'' traits?" Lancelot replied with a smile, stepping forward to pick up his shortsword. "After it hit me, it ran off. I misspoke just now," Bruto shrugged his shoulders, "It''s too agile, I couldn''t hold it down."No?v(el)B\\jnn Lancelot cast a skeptical glance at Bruto''s clean new hammer and decided not to pursue the topic any further. "While it''s heavily injured, we should hurry and catch up to it," suggested Grace. "Stupid gorilla, sorry about killing your big wife, why don''t you spend more time pampering your little wife next, hahaha!" Lancelot did not join the fray but remained on full alert, watching his surroundings. The Entanglement Technique just now must have been cast by Kuka, who was certainly hiding somewhere, waiting to deal Lancelot a fatal blow. "Ah!" Behind him, the Succubus screamed, but Lancelot did not turn his head and instead looked sharply upwards. The huge figure of Kuka was descending rapidly. The Ape Demon''s fists were raised high, ready to smash the detested human below to a pulp. Had Lancelot been distracted by her cry just now, it would have been too late to dodge. Suddenly, a familiar voice rang in Lancelot''s ear: "Watch out behind you!" Behind him, Succubus Grais extended her claws that glinted with cold light, but her target was not Kuka, it was Lancelot! If Lancelot had jumped back as he had previously, he might have landed right into Grais''s sneak attack, which could have left him seriously injured or even dead. But as if he had anticipated this, he had already crouched down before the voice even warned him, rolling forward. At the same time, the Emblem of Twin Bridges Town fell beside him, its surface splintering inch by inch, emitting a dazzling white light. Grais looked on in horror as a whip shadow flew out from the white light, binding her tightly in an instant. "It''s you! How is this possible!" The answer came in the form of a slap from the Lord of Twin Bridges Town, her sharp claws tearing Grais''s delicate cheek to a bloody mess. "How dare you betray me!" Anger was written all over Tijana''s face, but then, a loud thud of a heavy object falling to the ground behind her made her expression change, and she quickly turned her head to look. Kuka''s massive body lay in an odd position on the ground, limbs touching the floor, back arched as if sheltering something underneath. Tijana then noticed something new on its back. It was a section of a Sword Blade, protruding like a Bone Spur from the Bagula Demon''s broad back, with fresh blood flowing down from the tip of the blade. Lancelot had seized the deadly flaw of his enemy. With a roll, his 7-foot Great Sword stood erect like a flagpole, and Kuka, falling fast and unable to dodge, was impaled. The Human Knight, as if having bathed in blood, crawled out from under Kuka, kicked over the massive corpse of the Ape Demon, and pulled out his Longsword. Turning to the familiar figure, he smiled and greeted Tijana: "Good day, my lady. I''m so pleased to see you again." Chapter 26 - 22: The Truth Chapter 26: Chapter 22: The Truth "Come back, you bastard! We haven''t settled the winner yet!" Bruto''s indignant roar came from the other end of the battlefield. The Bagula Demon that Bruto was dueling was becoming increasingly ethereal. Its face was also full of anger, its left arm grotesquely twisted outward, clearly Bruto''s handiwork. The young Dwarf''s condition wasn''t good either. His face was battered and bruised, his armor smashed to pieces by the iron fists of the ape demon, and even the reinforced shield had a chunk missing, looking like a chipped plate. Bruto, still displeased, walked over to Lancelot, loudly complaining: "What''s this about now? How can it just run off in the middle of a fight?" "That was Kuka''s summoned assistant. Once a Summoner is killed, the entities they''ve summoned immediately return to their original location," Tijana explained, hands on hips, "If you''re unsatisfied, our Arena is always recruiting volunteers, and the rewards are very generous." "Uh, are you... Tijana?" Bruto only then noticed that the Succubus before him was no longer Grace. He quickly bowed his head in greeting, "I mean, good day, madam. That''s... Grace? What happened? Why is she tied up?" "She tried to stab your companion in the back," Tijana explained succinctly, then raised an eyebrow at Lancelot, "It seems you were prepared for this and have been waiting for her to slip. Care to explain why?" "There were too many suspicious things about her," Lancelot said, bending down to pick up the fragment of the Twin Bridges Town Emblem, "First off, does this emblem have any functions other than masking our presence?" Upon seeing the emblem, Grace cried out in horror, but Tijana promptly gagged her with her whip. "This emblem allows me to hear and see the affairs around it, and it has a positioning function that lets me teleport to its location in the form of summoning." "So you witnessed the entire process," Lancelot nodded, "That makes it much easier to explain." "Is this... concern for our safety?" Bruto eagerly interjected. "Hahahaha, you are really... adorable," Tijana laughed delicately. "No, I''m worried that Grace is in a very weak state and you foolish males might get ideas." "Ouch," Bruto grimaced. "That hurts a little; we are all gentlemen here." Tijana looked surprised, "An elite Quasimodo Demon, these little fellows can indeed be very useful if utilized properly. No wonder you seem to have eyes on the back of your head, it turns out you actually do have eyes watching your back." "You flatter me." Lancelot humbly said, "I am used to making thorough preparations beforehand." "Demons should be thankful that mortals have such a habit for being over-cautious," Tijana maintained her superior level of sarcasm as she pointed to Kuka''s lair, "Now go in and bring out all the prisoners for me, I want to hear what this little wretch doesn''t want me to know." Lancelot and Bruto obediently crawled into Kuka''s huge hut. Thanks to the former owner''s size, the hut was very spacious, but the overpowering stench was almost suffocating. Inside, it was filled with various items: the wreckage of wagons, smashed boxes, barrel mounds (most of them empty), a few piles of Gold Coins, and a large hole dug in the ground. Bruto just glanced at it and then started retching violently on the side. The pit was filled with half-eaten limbs and mutilated bodies. Lancelot silently stared at the pit, reminding himself repeatedly of where he was. "Stop looking, it''s no good for you, no matter how much you look, you''ll never get used to a scene like this." A hoarse voice rang out behind him. Lancelot turned towards the sound and saw that there was a cage, like the ones used for transporting prisoners, and it held four or five humans, one of whom, a tall, thin man, was leaning on the bars waving at him. "I heard some wonderful noises, has that Bagula Demon been killed?" "I avenged those in the pit." Lancelot turned back and patted the still retching dwarf, "Bruto, we need your hammer." "What?" Lancelot pointed at the newly discovered prisoners. Bruto staggered up, walked unsteadily to the cage, and looked up at the approaching inmates, managing to spit out two words. "Back off."No?v(el)B\\jnn Chapter 27 - 23 Prisoner Chapter 27: Chapter 23 Prisoner With a loud bang, the prisoners staggered out of the cage, supporting each other. "Congratulations on leaving that tiny cell and coming to a slightly larger one," Lancelot said with a bitter smile. "Thank you, Sir," the tall and thin man said gratefully, "at least we don''t have to worry about the fate of becoming food anymore." "Uh, actually, that risk hasn''t decreased by much. How long have you been locked up here?" "I just got here three days ago." "About two weeks, I guess." "Me too." "I don''t remember, at least a month I think." "I remember, I''ve been counting the days; you''ve been here for two months." "I know you have a lot of questions, but a lady is waiting for you, she has some questions that need answering. Please follow me." Lancelot nodded, signaling everyone to follow him out. The prisoners walked out of Kuka''s lair timidly, but the moment they saw Tijana, a look of fear appeared on everyone''s face. "A Succubus, it''s a Succubus!" "It''s over, is this a trap? Are we going to be executed?" "Wait a minute, this isn''t the same one from before..." Tijana frowned at the noisy situation and let out a delicate scold: "Silence!" Everyone immediately fell silent, as if their throats had been suddenly squeezed shut. "Good," Tijana nodded in satisfaction. "Who among you has been here the longest?" No one spoke, but involuntarily, everyone''s gaze turned to one person. Seeing there was no way to hide, that person stepped forward and stammered: "Succubus Lord, I''ve been captured for half a year, the longest among those still alive." "I need you to answer a few questions for me." "Where is this?" "Are we free now? How do we get back?" Lancelot looked helplessly at the barrage of questions, raising his voice to interrupt, "Hold on! One at a time!" The newly freed prisoners silenced at once. They looked at each other, and finally, the tall, thin man who had first greeted Lancelot spoke, "Thank you again for rescuing us. We haven''t had the chance to ask your name, Sir?" "My name is Lancelot, and as you can see, I am a knight," Lancelot decided to forgo promoting the title of Paladin. "Thank you, Sir Lancelot. My name is Kalalin, and I am a scholar. I don''t hold out much hope, but I have to ask if you have a way to get us back to the Main Plane?" "I''m ashamed to say that I, too, am searching for such a method," Lancelot replied with a wry smile. "As expected," the man sighed, "My second question, pardon my bluntness, but... are we your captives now?" "Of course not, you are free to go wherever you want," Lancelot hurried to clarify, "But this is the Abyss, and you don''t have many options." "Yes, ordinary people are like walking desserts on this plane, sigh," Kalalin sighed heavily. "I know that there are some neutral towns in the Abyss where mortals can survive as something other than slaves. Can you tell us about the place you''re taking us to next?" "Uh, actually, I''ve just arrived here myself and am undergoing a mercenary qualification assessment," Lancelot scratched his head, "Ordinary people can find refuge there as hired labor, but as you might guess, these are very hard and poorly paid jobs." "Such work probably isn''t suitable for me," Kalalin said despondently, feeling very hopeless about his future. "There''s a market district in the town. Maybe you can find a shop there willing to hire you?" "Sigh, I guess I can only hope... And what was with those two Succubi just now?" "The one killed was named Grace. Her Lord thought she had been kidnapped by that gorilla; my mission was to rescue her, but it turned out the two were lovers, and they hoped no one would expose their secret." "What about the other Succubus? Was she the Lord''s lieutenant?" "Oh, no, that was the Lord herself, Tijana of Twin Bridges Town." As Lancelot spoke, Kalalin looked as though he had been struck by lightning, his face etched with shock. "You mean to say... that was... the Pearl of Stygian Riverbank, the legendary Tijana who rose to prominence three hundred years ago, the Lord of Twin Bridges Town?" "Well, it should be her," Lancelot said, a bit puzzled, "Is she that famous?" "To certain people, she''s practically a superstar." Kalalin bowed deeply, "Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Kalalin, a Seeker of the Black Cult. Please ensure my safe arrival at Twin Bridges Town, I beg you!" Chapter 28 - 24 Black Cult Chapter 28: Chapter 24 Black Cult "The Black Cult? That doesn''t sound like a respectable organization," Bruto leaned in closer. "You''re not some kind of secret society that worships demons, are you?" "Our primary research subject is indeed demons, but our purpose in understanding them is to combat them," Kalalin said, pulling out a notebook from somewhere and jotting something down, "We can discuss the specifics on our way to Twin Bridges Town, let''s get moving." "Hold on a minute, we need to clean up the loot," Lancelot efficiently took out several empty bags. In the end, they filled four full bags with at least a thousand Gold Coins. After Kuka''s body dissolved, Lancelot found a pair of metal rings that, after being struck year after year by the ape demon, had become extremely hard; Bruto took them to use as bracers and they fit perfectly. Lancelot cast the spell to summon his warhorse again, this poor Abyssal creature being treated as a packhorse every time, Lancelot had never once ridden it into battle. Fortunately, it seemed to harbor no desire to complain and followed obediently behind Lancelot. The group proceeded downstream along the Stygian River. Compared to their journey coming here, the sky was no longer clear, and large patches of dark clouds made the temperature no longer so unbearable. Lancelot and Kalalin walked side by side, both full of curiosity about the other. "Mr. Kalalin, could you tell us more about your Black Cult?" "Just call me Kalalin," Kalalin fanned himself with his notebook. "Let me ask you a question first, where does your knowledge about the Abyss come from?" "The Elves of my world. Thousands of years ago they explored the Abyss deeply, but after that, a great war broke out, and ever since they have lived in the shadow of a potential demon invasion. Before I entered the Abyssal Plane, they left me with a wealth of knowledge about the Abyss, but I''ve found a lot of it seems outdated... Kalalin?" Lancelot realized the person beside him was gone; the Kalalin who had been walking with him was now standing still behind him, staring at him with a look that appeared when he first learned Tijana''s identity. "The general view is that the key lies in the theory he proposed about demons and the origins of the world. The Abyss cooperated with his research to a certain extent because it hoped he would spread this theory." Lancelot''s curiosity was piqued, and he asked several consecutive questions: "Does the Abyss itself have a will? What kind of view could have such an effect? Is it dangerous to discuss the specifics of that theory?" "Discussing these theories will neither attract demon attacks nor divine intervention, which in itself proves their credibility in a certain form," Kalalin, talking about her field of expertise, became very talkative and looked excited. "Am''s theory contends that the Abyss is the source of everything, the universe was originally a complete chaos, and the first deities who emerged from it took the beautiful things out of chaos, creating mountains, earth, life, and civilization, forming the Prime Material Plane that belongs to mortals, along with the various purer upper planes, taking them over, dividing them, and calling them the domains of the deities." "Conversely, the Abyss became the abandoned dump, a breeding ground for demons. Am believed that the Abyss itself has will, an existence that even deities cannot comprehend, and demons are the crystallization of this will. Demons are the tools of the Abyss, their impulse to destroy everything is the mission given to them by the Abyss. The Abyss wishes to return everything back to the state of absolute, pure chaos of the origins; it sees that as the proper state of the universe." "This is the core theory of our research into demons, the Abyss, and the eternal battle between order and chaos. It effectively answers three key questions: what demons are, where their power comes from, and what their purpose is." Kalalin spoke with fervent passion, and Lancelot listened, his heart surging with excitement. He inquisitively followed up: "What happened to Am in the end?" "As his research deepened, his powers grew stronger, but in the end, he could not escape the fate of destruction," Kalalin said regretfully. "His works contained too many accurate descriptions of demons and even Abyssal Lords. Just as deities hear the prayers of their followers, the entities described in his works established a mysterious connection with the works themselves." "From the day his famous Scroll of Darkness was completed, attempts to destroy it didn''t cease. In the end, several Abyssal Lords who felt threatened took action. Am and his homeland were destroyed together, but most of the Scroll of Darkness survived. Many claim that Am enchanted these scrolls, giving them a sort of living quality. After that, many were fortunate enough to see fragments of the Scroll of Darkness. These scrolls had the ability to teleport on their own, actively avoiding demon searches, preventing them from falling into a fate of complete destruction." Kalalin paused and gave a wry smile. "But there''s one problem when it detects danger and makes a run for it, it doesn''t take its reader along." Chapter 29 - 25 Kalalin Chapter 29: Chapter 25 Kalalin Lancelot was surprised and asked curiously: "You''ve read the Scroll of Darkness before?" "Yes, a foolish decision. As a Seeker, when one finds the Scroll of Darkness or any demon-related items, the correct move is to immediately bring them to the nearest Cult branch. But just like everyone in the Cult, I was filled with curiosity about demon knowledge," Kalalin spread his hands, "The attacking demon pulled an entire room into the Abyssal Plane, but at the last moment, the scroll teleported away from my arms." "Uh, how did you escape from that attacking demon?" "The attacker was a Succubus. These demons are not as keen on slaughter as others, so it seemed to have little interest in me. Anyway, I survived that attack. With some understanding of the Abyss, I managed to survive the initial days, but eventually, a Bagula Demon named Kuka captured me." "I see." Lancelot nodded, "You mentioned you are an Explorer, what exactly does that entail?" "The Black Cult''s mission is to collect writings of Am scattered across the universe, and to continue exploring demon-related knowledge in his footsteps. The job of a Seeker is to search for items or information related to this for the Cult. This could be weapons and items used by demons or exact descriptions of encounters with them, even capturing a demon for research. The Cult calculates contributions based on the value of findings, provides rewards, and accordingly elevates a member''s rank within the Cult." "I see, so the Black Cult must be a highly respected organization." "Uh, actually, that''s not often the case. As you can imagine, the demons have a predictable attitude towards the Cult. Most of the time, a branch of the Cult, for safety reasons, must remain low-key and secretive. And because we''re always engaged in demon-related activities, you can imagine how bad the Cult''s image might look to the uninformed public," Kalalin shrugged helplessly, "Fortunately, the ruling class usually recognizes the role of the Black Cult, especially when a real demon invasion erupts in their territories." "This does sound incredibly useful, but I guess you don''t actually like reaching the lairs of the subjects you study." "Indeed, those who study war don''t enjoy being on the battlefield, and those who study demons certainly don''t want to face them directly," Kalalin sighed again. "We are experts in theory more than practice, far less capable in combat than professional adventurers. Our greatest value is actually the knowledge in our heads, which can help adventurers correctly respond to various demons." "You have in front of you a man who could use that knowledge," Lancelot said interestedly. "What advice do you have for fighting demons?" ------------------------ The group advanced along the Stygian River with Lancelot and Kalalin chatting as they walked. But after they rounded a small hill, they unexpectedly encountered a creature familiar to Lancelot. About ten Abyssal Hounds were drinking from the Stygian River. These demonized beasts seemed immune to the deadly toxins in the water, as well as other various negative effects. Among the pack was one with two heads, who immediately noticed Lancelot and his group. Unlike their last encounter with these creatures, Lancelot didn''t have the advantage in numbers this time, so the pack of hounds showed no signs of backing down. They glanced over, their sharp teeth bared and saliva dripping continuously, clearly deeming the human party before them as a meal sent from heaven. Lancelot knew he couldn''t hesitate at this moment; if the enemy surrounded them, it would be hard to protect everyone. He immediately drew his weapon and charged at the pack of hounds, shouting to Bruto: "I''ll handle these guys, you protect the others!" The Abyssal Hounds charged at him with no less ferocity, but Lancelot was no ordinary knight. True Qi naturally surged from his Dantian, his Great Sword swinging at an inconceivable speed, like a tornado rising out of nowhere. The charging enemies were like little fishing boats caught in a storm, instantly torn to shreds. The two-headed Abyssal Hound, seeing this, let out a whining sound, and a few hounds tried to bypass Lancelot to attack the people behind him. Lancelot thought this was bad, but as the enemies tried to flank him from both sides, despite his best efforts to block them, two Abyssal Hounds slipped past. "Bruto! Stop them!" Chapter 30 - 26 New Member Chapter 30: Chapter 26 New Member Bruto roared as he went up to meet the enemy, swinging his chipped shield fiercely, knocking one of the hounds to the ground, followed by his hammer coming down and smashing the enemy''s dog head into a shattered apple. The other Abyss hound had no intention of helping its companion, it lunged towards the people at the back who were not wearing armor, its eyes red with hunger and madness. Lancelot had already drawn the Kiss of Deadly Poison, ready for another throwing attack. Just then, Kalalin suddenly raised his right hand, and a ring on his ring finger emitted a strong flash, the nearby beast let out a pained howl, covering its eyes as it fell to the ground. By this time, Bruto had already arrived, and with one hammer blow, he completely eliminated this potential threat. "Kill the one with the most heads first!" Kalalin yelled at Lancelot. Lancelot didn''t think twice, directly throwing the Kiss of Deadly Poison he was holding in his hand. The dark green dagger accurately hit the heart of the two-headed Abyss hound, nailing its body firmly to the ground. The two-headed demon dog''s limbs twitched violently in the air a couple of times, then it moved no more. All the Abyss hounds immediately stopped fighting, tucked their tails, and ran away completely. "Not bad," Lancelot swung the Great Sword, flicking the blood clean off it. "You''re much more useful than you claim to be." "The leaders generally have the most heads among these creatures. Once you deal with the leader, the rest will scatter. That''s the power of knowledge." Kalalin grinned, pointing to the bodies of the Abyss hounds on the ground, "These creatures are beasts, not demons, hence their flesh remains after death instead of dissipating quickly like demons. Their hide is great material, whether for making boots, handbags, or belts, and it''s a shame to waste it." Upon hearing this, Bruto took out a dagger and skillfully started skinning. Lancelot, curious, asked: "Unfortunately, it''s almost impossible for Scholars to master Ninth Circle Magic," Kalalin shook his head. "The strongest Scholar I know could barely cast an Eighth Circle Spell, and he had to spend a full month preparing for it in advance and then spent three days in bed due to the physical toll." "Ah, well," Bruto''s face showed disappointment. "At least we know how to leave this damned world, find a high-level Spellcaster, right?" "A high-level Spellcaster could indeed do that," Kalalin nodded. "But don''t forget, high-level Spellcasters are incredibly powerful and convincing them to help isn''t easy, especially not in the Abyss." "What''s the highest Circle of Magic you can currently master?" Lancelot was more concerned about Kalalin''s strength. "My limit is two Second Circle spells and four First Circle spells. Cantrip Spells are not limited, but I still need to prepare scrolls in advance, and I must have a full rest before I can restore my magic power," Kalalin confessed somewhat sheepishly. "However, we have an advantage, most spells can be memorized in our minds, we don''t need to carry a spellbook like Mages do, and due to a lot of practice and prior preparation, Spells cast through scrolls by Scholars are slightly more powerful and harder to resist." "How powerful are the Second Circle Spells?" Bruto asked curiously. "Well, Acid Arrow is a typical Second Circle Spell, and with my capability, I can release three Acid Arrows at once, which... just about seriously wounds a Coward Devil," Kalalin admitted somewhat sheepishly. "I know, it''s not even comparable to Sir Lancelot''s recent display of combat ability, but my primary focus is on academics, not just enhancing fighting power." "If you sacrifice offensive capabilities, do you have any supportive or self-protective spells?" Lancelot''s expression became serious. "Among the Cantrip Spells I''ve mastered, there''s ''Mending'' which can repair equipment; ''Detect Poison'' to check if an object or area is poisonous; a First Circle spell similar to your horse summoning called ''Mount''; ''Grease'' which greatly increases your movement speed, ideal for escaping; ''Protection from Evil'' which is effective against various evil beings; and even one that can double your height and strength, called ''Enlarge Person''." At this moment, Kalalin realized the implication in Lancelot''s words and his expression turned solemn. He continued: "I can only cast two Second Circle spells per day, so I must choose carefully. The Second Circle spells I''ve mastered include the previously mentioned ''Acid Arrow,'' ''Wind Creation Spell'' that can summon a strong wind, ''Levitation Skill'' to free a willing subject from gravity, ''Invisibility Spell'' to make a person or item disappear along with its counter ''See Invisibility,'' and several other spells that enhance teammates'' strength, agility, and other attributes." "All very useful." Lancelot smiled brightly, "So, Mr. Kalalin, may I formally propose you join my adventure team? On one hand, you wouldn''t have to worry about how to obtain residency in Twin Bridges Town anymore, and on the other, our adventures could fully satisfy your curiosity about demonology." "I was just wondering how to approach you about the same thing," Kalalin smiled as well. "It would be my pleasure, Sir Lancelot. I believe I can definitely be of help." Chapter 31 - 27: Six-Armed Serpent Demon Chapter 31: Chapter 27: Six-Armed Serpent Demon In the magnificent hall, Lancelot awkwardly adjusted his stance. On the way in just moments before, all the Succubi seemed to be looking at him with a strange gaze, which made him quite uncomfortable. "Oh, your little band of adventurers has a new companion?" Tijana lounged regally in her throne. Although she was speaking to Lancelot, her half-closed eyes were not looking at him. The captives whom Lancelot had rescued earlier had been led away by a foreman, about to start their careers in the blacksmith area, while Kalalin did not follow them. At this moment, his gaze was intently fixed on his own toes, trembling slightly, whether from fear or excitement, it was hard to tell. "Interesting, a member of the Black Cult actually ran away to the Abyss." Tijana''s smile was chillingly sinister. "This group, keen on studying Demons, has hardly refrained from summoning them and then dissecting them alive." "But his knowledge is indeed useful," Lancelot hurriedly defended Kalalin. "With his help, I believe many missions will go much more smoothly." "Just as long as he doesn''t set his sights on undermining Twin Bridges Town," Tijana teased. "These people are very focused on the situation in the Abyss, I believe he''s well aware of the consequences of such actions." "I swear on my soul, I will absolutely not do anything that harms the interests of Twin Bridges Town or yours, my lady," Kalalin spoke eagerly. "My lady, if there is anything you need, my wisdom is at your service." "Rather use your wisdom against this knight''s enemies," Tijana said, shifting her attention away from him and back to Lancelot. "You''ve already completed your assessment task, recruit whom you like but you are responsible for their safety, including a head tax of 300 gold coins per person per month. No refunds in case of death, remember that." "Thank you, my lady," Lancelot bowed. "Take this, it''s your proof as a mercenary." Tijana tossed a Twin Bridges Town emblem to him. "Use it to purchase a residence at the Mercenary Hall, accept missions, and pay the Head Tax." "Understood, my lady." "Let''s first sort out where we''re going to stay, then take Kalalin around the city to familiarize him with the environment," he said as he put away the emblem and glanced at the young Dwarf, "and finally, visit your father regarding the Cold Iron matter. We still need to hear a professional''s opinion." Bruto completely ignored the criticism in Lancelot''s words. He clasped his head with both hands and strode towards a building resembling an arena not far away. The Mercenary Hall was located on the east side of the castle, very close by. Further east lay a sprawling series of buildings, constructed year by year by mercenaries who came here. The road to the Mercenary Hall wasn''t very crowded, but each individual looked fierce and malevolent, almost as demonic in temperament minus the antlers. When the three stepped into the Mercenary Hall, they were startled by the receptionist. This was a creature straight out of myth. ''She'' stood over nine feet tall, the upper body resembling that of a humanoid female, even beautiful in face, but the tightly pursed lips displayed a very cold demeanor, and her eyes emitted a terrifying murderous aura that could stop one''s breath. Her overly elongated torso was flanked by three pairs of arms, adorned with various types of jewelry, the clearly defined muscle lines signaling that this was a highly efficient killing machine. ''Her'' lower body was an extremely thick serpentine tail, broader than Bruto''s shoulders, covered with green scales that could invoke one''s primordial fears, stretching about twenty feet from head to tail tip. Bruto turned to run but was grabbed by Lancelot. Kalalin, after the initial shock, seemed quite interested in observing her. "This is a Merrylis, also known as a Six-Armed Serpent Demon," his words squeezed out between clenched teeth in a very soft volume. "Don''t panic, you see, she isn''t holding any weapons in her hands, which means chopping up visitors isn''t her current duty." Bruto recovered from his panic and then noticed that the Serpent Demon was holding various documents and seals, while weapons rested in twelve sheaths on her back. In Lancelot''s mind, he recalled the Elves'' information on such creatures. Six-Armed Serpent Demons were masters of close combat, each of her arms wielding a longsword during battle, unleashing a tempest of strikes against her enemy. If you were lucky enough to parry all six of her arms'' attacks, her tail would be the last straw to crush you while you gasped for breath. More importantly, they were among the finest commanders in the Demon armies, one of the few who could rally other Demons during battle. Their strategic and tactical acumen was as outstanding as their combat skills, striking the battlefield at the most opportune moment, wreaking havoc on the most vulnerable part of the enemy lines. Without them, Demons'' performance in the blood battles would likely be much worse, perhaps even risking the first layer of the Abyss becoming dominated by the Devils. "If you don''t have pressing matters, it''s best you disappear from my sight immediately." The ghostly voice that rose, reminiscent of a snake slithering over sand. Chapter 32 - 28 Goblin Phil "Um, hello, Miss Sonam, you¡¯re called Sonam, aren¡¯t you?" Lancelot glanced at the table in front of the six-armed serpent demon, which had a small rectangular sign on it with the name Sonam written on it. Lancelot guessed this was probably meant to be a nameplate. "State your business," the six-armed Serpent Demon Sonam said, looking impatiently at the human in front of her, one hand already on the hilt of her sword behind her. "We are here to register as mercenaries," Lancelot hurriedly took out the emblem and placed it on the table. "Oh, newcomers, just passed the assessment, did you?" One of Sonam¡¯s hands pulled out a short wand from somewhere under the table and lightly tapped Lancelot¡¯s emblem with the crystal on top. The emblem emitted a faint glow and a line of text emerged on the surface: "Number 9527, Tijana" "It looks real, indeed," the six-armed Serpent Demon said, her face showing a hint of regret. "So, how many of you are there?" "Three." "The head tax for the first month, 900 Gold Coins." Lancelot exchanged a helpless look with Bruto and threw out a large bag. They had previously agreed that spoils from future adventures would be allocated as needed, while gold would be divided equally among the three. Lancelot and Bruto suggested that they pay Kalalin¡¯s head tax for the first month, but he insisted it was just an advance and would be offset by his future spoils. Sonam took the bag, weighed it in her hand, and tossed it behind her, where it landed in a large chest. "Um, aren¡¯t you going to count it?" Bruto asked, curious. "We might count it on a whim once in a while," the six-armed Serpent Demon lifted an arm and pointed behind them, "that¡¯s for the fools who dare to underpay even by a single coin." The three of them turned around and saw a small hill made of skulls, with the ones at the top appearing relatively fresh, still with remnants of flesh and blood. "Um, we¡¯ll make sure to throw in a few extra each time, just in case," Bruto said, a bit uneasily. "Greetings, I¡¯m Phil," the Goblin said, taking off the ill-fitting hat to salute Lancelot, revealing his balding pate. "For any services you need, you may come to me." "Uh, we would like some information about this place," Lancelot said, noticing a sign hanging above Phil¡¯s head which read ¡¯Absolutely Fair Trading Company.¡¯ "That means you¡¯re in need of consultation services," the Goblin snapped his fingers and leaned back. "Our company¡¯s charges are very fair¡ªone Gold Coin per question." "Do you charge even if you don¡¯t know the answer?" Bruto asked curiously. "Oh no," Kalalin let out a wail. "Not knowing is also an answer," Phil extended a palm. "The first question, one Gold Coin." Bruto, infuriated, rolled up his sleeves ready to throw a punch, but Lancelot stopped him just in time. He noticed a price list behind the Goblin with ¡¯Getting hit, five Gold Coins per punch¡¯ written in an inconspicuous spot. "That¡¯s fair," Lancelot said as he took out a Gold Coin and tossed it over. "You must have made a good amount of money with this trick, huh?" "Thank you for your patronage, but generally speaking, I earn more from taking a punch. However, let me remind you, only paid inquiries count as services provided; not paying is considered assaulting the staff, and the Guards would be very happy to have a reason to cut you into pieces," the Goblin caught the Gold Coin, bit it with his teeth, and then began to cough violently. "Ptui, ptui, ptui, why is there a stench of gorilla?" "If you don¡¯t like it, you can give it back to me," Lancelot extended his hand. "I like it; I like any gold," Phil slapped away Lancelot¡¯s hand and pressed the Gold Coin under his buttocks. "Do you have any other questions?" Lancelot took out another five Gold Coins and dropped them down; the Goblin pounced on the table with a howl, scooping the Gold Coins into his bosom, bubbles of joy covering his face: "Wow! Boss is awesome! Boss is generous! May the boss have good health, awooo! Five questions, right? Just ask away, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re satisfied!" "Good, you¡¯ve already taken the money, so you should provide the service. Right?" "Of course, of course," Phil gathered the five Gold Coins in his hand, shaking them gently near his ear, delighting in the tinkling sounds they made. "Oh, such a delightful sound! What would you like to know?" "No, you¡¯ve misunderstood," Lancelot pointed at the remote corner of the price list. "I was talking about the service that costs five Gold Coins at one time." Chapter 33 - 29 Service Area Phil¡¯s complexion changed, and then he put on an expression like a dead pig not fearing boiling water, "No refunds once services are provided, come on! Just punch me!" "Are you sure? Maybe I should demonstrate the power of my punch first." Lancelot raised his fist, thought for a moment, and then summoned up thirty percent of his True Qi, slamming it viciously into the nearby stone wall. With an explosion-like bang, the wall was hit as if by a battering ram, creating a three-foot-wide depressed crater surrounded by a cobweb of cracks. "Phil! Are you dead? If you¡¯re not, make a noise, or else I¡¯m heading to your cellar!" A shrill female voice came from not too far away. "I¡¯m fine! And there¡¯s nothing in my cellar!" Phil quickly recovered from his daze and shouted back, then pushed the five Gold Coins back with a pained expression. "Erm, actually, the service wasn¡¯t provided this time, so refunds are supported." "But I feel like my Dwarf companion was played for a fool and needs to vent." "That¡¯s indeed a problem, and I did provide an answer to it," the avaricious Goblin said, his face turning red with the effort of holding back tears. "How about we treat that previous question as a free promotional gift, and you ask me a new one?" "Hmm, sure. First question, what¡¯s the purpose of this area?" "This is the service area for mercenaries," Phil said, timidly extending his palm. "Be more specific." Lancelot took out a Gold Coin but didn¡¯t hurry to hand it over to the Goblin in front of him. "Well, it caters to various needs of mercenaries, like renting a bed for the night, treating injuries and diseases, lifting curses, recharging magical equipment, and so on. You can also find information brokers and traders who buy war spoils. Of course, all these services come at a reasonable price." "Good," Lancelot flicked the Gold Coin to Phil and continued, "Second question, what¡¯s the approximate price of property suitable for the Mortal Races to live in?" After traversing a not-so-lengthy corridor, the three of them entered into a bustling hall. It resembled a small marketplace with dozens of stalls, and figures that looked like mercenaries weaved through, occasionally stopping to converse softly with a stall owner. Phil was right; that Red Dragon was indeed very conspicuous. It coiled at the entrance of a huge aperture on the wall, looking down at the crowd below with a contemptuous gaze. Lancelot came here naturally wanting to sell some gemstones that were of no use to him to first take care of his lodging situation. He also quickly spotted the Devilspawn named Catez, who was absent-mindedly scanning the crowd. Even though the Goblin had said that the Red Dragon¡¯s offer was highest, Lancelot had no intention of trading with someone he probably couldn¡¯t handle. "Find a place with a better view and keep an eye on our surroundings," he whispered to Bruto and Kalalin before walking up to Catez¡¯s small stall alone, silently sizing up the Devilspawn. Although uncommon, it was indeed possible for Fiends from the lower planes to reproduce with humanoids, and the most common of such couplings involved Succubi and Nightmares, who seduced mortals through lust. It was impossible for Fiends to conceive or cause conception by accident; they had various reasons for choosing to create offspring, love also being a possibility. But their progeny were destined to be taboo. If one parent was merely an ordinary mortal, the offspring would mostly still be a pure-blooded Fiend, but if the mortal¡¯s strength surpassed that of the Fiend, the child might end up being a hybrid with the physical features of both parents, along with Antlers, tails, and bat wings. This was how Devilspawn came to be. The first generation of Devilspawn could almost never escape the evil nature that came with their bloodline, regardless of their upbringing. However, after several generations, the Fiendish characteristics in the offspring started to diminish, the evil from their bloodline being restrained by reason and emotion, and they didn¡¯t necessarily take the path of evil, although the constant discrimination they faced often forced them to do so. This Devilspawn in front of him was undoubtedly a first-generation; he had deep red skin, an exceptionally handsome face, and a well-proportioned, slender figure. Short sharp horns adorned his forehead, and giant demonic wings splayed from his back, while a thick tail rhythmically thumped the ground. He raised his eyes that seemed forever ablaze with anger and spoke in a condescending tone, "What can I do for you?" Chapter 34 - 30: The Price of a Soul Lancelot was not annoyed by the attitude of the Devilspawn; in fact, this was already considered relatively polite by Abyss standards. "I heard there¡¯s a guy named Catez who can offer a good price for gemstones." "A fresh, unfamiliar face," the Devilspawn looked at Lancelot with an amused gaze, "Today, with that damn Red Dragon around, someone still comes to me?" "I don¡¯t like dealing with someone who is much stronger than me," Lancelot stated the reason he didn¡¯t go to see the Red Dragon Krivtar. "That creature isn¡¯t even of age yet. Sooner or later, I will slaughter it and take all the treasures from its lair for myself," Catez glared hatefully at the Red Dragon and then asked, "How much do you think your goods are worth?" "I¡¯m not sure, but they are all beautiful." "Is that so," Catez sneered, "Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re a fool who picked up a few pretty pebbles and is fantasizing about making a fortune. Show me what you have." Lancelot reached into his pocket, thought for a moment, and drew out three gemstones, giving his wrist a gentle shake to let the gemstones roll slowly on the table. They were three blue gemstones, two of them were very clear, and one was so dark it almost appeared black. The experienced Bruto had already appraised these gemstones, the two lighter-colored ones were ordinary sapphires, each worth about a thousand Gold Coins; the darker one was a Black Sapphire, also known as ¡¯Black Pearl,¡¯ starting at five thousand Gold Coins, it was one of the most valuable gemstones. Bruto had already carried out a preliminary cutting of these gemstones. Although he claimed that his skills were not even one-tenth of his father¡¯s, Lancelot believed that to be modesty, for he couldn¡¯t discern any flaws with his naked eye. As the gemstones gently tumbled, their facets continuously flashed dazzling highlights, especially the dark gemstone. Greedy and excited eyes appeared in Catez as he reached out for the gemstones. "Roar!!!!!" An urgent dragon¡¯s cry came, followed by the strong gust of wind from the flapping of massive wings. Catez¡¯s face changed, he turned and grabbed a Spear leaning nearby, pointing it at the incoming Red Dragon and roaring: "Krivtar! It¡¯s not your turn to run wild in Twin Bridges Town!" "Is the deal settled?" A beautiful figure descended gracefully from the air, interrupting the Devilspawn¡¯s self-praise. She was a Succubus; she glanced around the room and her eyes lit up when she saw Lancelot. "Oh, if it isn¡¯t Sir Lancelot, good afternoon, Sir." "You know me?" Lancelot touched his nose. "My sisters have all been hoping to receive such gifts one day," the Succubus Letisha giggled, turning to Catez, "Silver Spear Pretty Boy, what do you want with me?" "Watch your language!" Catez shouted angrily, "Pay Sir Lancelot eighty Soul Coins from my treasury." "Uh, what are Soul Coins?" Lancelot asked curiously. "You¡¯re new here, it¡¯s normal not to know," Letisha explained enthusiastically, "Soul Coins are issued by the banks of the Nine Hells of Demons, one Soul Coin is worth a hundred Gold Coins, or ten Platinum Coins." "Currency issued by Demons?" Lancelot asked, shocked. "Do Demons accept this...?" "We prefer Soul Stones that directly store Souls, but those are of no use to humans like you, and you don¡¯t have the ability to assess the value of a Soul. However, the ruler of the Nine Hells, Asmodeus, has publicly promised that each Soul Coin can be redeemed for a Soul or a hundred Gold Coins," the Succubus shrugged nonchalantly, her simple gesture oozing endless Charm, making those around her stare blankly, "Thanks to the well-known preferences of Demons, they will never give you Souls. A Soul Coin is worth a hundred Gold Coins, which Demons believe is the minimum price to make a Soul fall." "This... What kind of fool would go to a bank in Hell to withdraw money?" Bruto was incredibly shocked. "Devotees of Demons, merchants who travel between the lower planes, and even the Demons themselves," Kalalin explained, showing his profound knowledge of the lower planes, "It is said that for every Soul Coin issued, there¡¯s a corresponding soul wailing, hanging on the fireplace of the ruler of the Nine Hells." "I¡¯d rather not find myself one day in Barto Hell demanding Gold from Demons," Bruto said, showing his disgust, "Let¡¯s just stick with Gold Coins." "Gold Coins, gold bars, whatever form you want, you pick." "Do you have Platinum Bars?" Kalalin interjected, "A Platinum Bar should weigh two pounds, worth the equivalent of a thousand Gold Coins." "Of course, we do," Letisha winked at Lancelot, "They¡¯re as hard as your body, Sir, if you know what I mean?" Chapter 35 - 31: The New Owner of Hagrid Manor A moment later, the trade among the three parties was completed, and Lancelot and Bruto had several dozen pounds of "cargo" on them. Watching the two skillfully insert Metal Ingots into the gaps of the armor as if they were armor plates, Kalalin, who could only wear robes as a scholar, couldn¡¯t help but feel some helplessness. The Red Dragon Krivtar had already left, satisfied, while the Devilspawn Catez looked at them meaningfully and spoke: "It¡¯s said that the Sandworm Lord of the Shattered Mountain Range was slaughtered, a huge gash left on its body. Everyone says it was probably done by a Barlow Flame Demon passing by." "Oh." Bruto raised his eyebrows, "What does that have to do with us?" "Someone heard some interesting rumors in the Blacksmith District, too exaggerated, must have been those Dwarves bragging after a few drinks," Catez chuckled, "There¡¯s also a rumor about a new Human Knight in town, incredibly generous, who sent our revered Lady Tijana a beautiful big Diamond, driving all the Succubus mad with envy." "That¡¯s just the Dwarves¡¯ way of saying thank you," Lancelot replied coolly, unflustered, "The Demons in charge of the work wouldn¡¯t actually go into the mines themselves, watching over every stone the slaves dig up." "Of course, of course, no one takes such absurd rumors seriously." The Devilspawn leaned back, his bat wings relaxing and stretching out. "We had a very pleasant trade today, didn¡¯t we? If you have any good items to sell in the future, remember to look for your old friend Catez, Sir Lancelot." --------------------- Afterward, Kalalin ¡¯borrowed¡¯ some money from Lancelot and Bruto to buy some Parchment and writing materials for making scrolls. After leaving the service area, the three of them came again to the entrance where the Six-Armed Serpent Demon was. "Speak." Sonam clearly didn¡¯t like her current role. "We need to buy, no, rent a property." Now that he had money in his pocket, Bruto felt a bit more confident, although it might also be due to the several large chunks of Metal Ingots at his waist. The Six-Armed Serpent Demon looked skeptically at the group before him. Most mercenaries were miserly until they survived long enough to reach the Silver Level, and even if they had some money, they spent it on brothels and equipment. Where did these guys get the money to buy property? Lancelot took out a Platinum Bar and said: "We just dealt with some spoils of war inside." "Lucky you," Sonam turned around, and only then did Lancelot notice behind her many bronze tubes, open at the ends like trumpets, resembling the speaking tubes used for communication in castles. The Six-Armed Serpent Demon knocked on one of the trumpets and spoke into it: "Clues to some divine artifact, mysterious rumors, who knows," Vidia shrugged, "But you can rest easy, that Lich definitely won¡¯t come looking for trouble in Twin Rivers Town. Let¡¯s go in and have a look now." Lancelot was actually very pleased and didn¡¯t have much in terms of interior de?cor requirements, but the furniture inside was somewhat beyond his expectations. Contrary to what he had anticipated, only the drawing-room and dining room felt somewhat luxurious, and the only presentable furniture was the kitchenware. The furnishings in the other rooms were very modest, reflecting the former owner¡¯s true financial situation, which wasn¡¯t great, but everything looked very tidy, as if someone cleaned it often. The first floor housed a dining room, drawing room, kitchen, and two bedrooms. Both the second and third floors had five rooms each, but they were all empty. The basement was even more extensive than the building above ground, and unsurprisingly, Lancelot found a storage, prison cells, a torture chamber, and a tomb. Considering the former owner¡¯s identity, the tomb probably served as the actual master bedroom, containing several stone coffins, most of which were empty. "I am satisfied," Lancelot finally decided, "How much would it cost to rent this place for three years?" "Just seven thousand gold coins, and you¡¯ll be the new master of Hagrid Manor." "Why so expensive?" Bruto frowned, "Can¡¯t we get a discount?" "What mercenary level are you now?" "Uh, iron." "Sorry, no. Only Gold Rank Level mercenaries can enjoy a fifty percent discount." "That¡¯s pricey, Lancelot, shall we look somewhere else?" Lancelot shook his head; the place met his requirements in every aspect. As a Spiritual Cultivator, he shared the need for discretion with the vampires. "As the leader, I¡¯ll cover the cost; this will be our base from now on. But Vidia, are you sure there¡¯s no one from the Barlow family who can inherit his estate? I don¡¯t want any disputes." "Don¡¯t worry, properties in Twin Rivers Town can only be inherited by residents registered in Twin Rivers Town. I¡¯m certain that the guy thrown into the Stygian River was the last of the Barlows. Besides, this place has already been reclaimed by Lady Tigana, and once you pay, it¡¯s yours." A moment later, the succubus Vidia, carrying several pounds of metal ingots, flew away satisfied. "Lancelot, can I have a room on the first floor?" Bruto asked happily as he sprawled onto the drawing room¡¯s sofa, exhaling at the end of a long day. "Hold on," Lancelot said, glancing at the setting sun and pulling a silver dining knife from a kitchen cabinet. "We still have a little problem to take care of first." Chapter 36 - 32 Pre-Battle Analysis "Uh, what do you mean by that?" Bruto was a bit puzzled, while Kalalin¡¯s expression changed. "Lancelot, what did you discover?" "There is a coffin in the crypt that is covered, and I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a vampire lying inside, but it doesn¡¯t feel very strong. Kalalin, how much do you know about vampires? I¡¯ve only heard of such creatures in folklore." "Vampires are a relatively common type of Undead." Kalalin¡¯s face became serious, "In addition to the widely known weaknesses like stakes, running water, and sunlight, vampires also have these characteristics." "Firstly, vampires are actually a kind of Earthbound Spirit, bound by their own coffin or burial site, and must rest there during the day. High-level vampires can resist this nature to some extent, but during the day their strength is still greatly diminished." "Secondly, they carry the curse of the gods, and without the invitation of the owner, cannot enter any human dwelling." "Thirdly, apart from the well-known bat form, vampires can also turn into mist form. In this state, they can¡¯t attack or manipulate objects, but they can move and are immune to all damage except magic." "Fourthly, when they are killed outside their lair, they actually transform into mist form. They must return to their lair within two hours to recover from their injuries, otherwise, they will be utterly destroyed." "Fifth, not all creatures bitten by vampires become vampires. Only those killed by vampiric abilities and then buried will awake as a vampire the night of the burial, the most common being those blood-fed by vampires. Vampires transformed this way are under the absolute control of the vampire that created them, thus they are referred to as vampire derivatives, and only when the controlling vampire dies can they gain freedom and become a true vampire." "Lastly, the state of being a vampire is more like a curse, or a blessing, depending on your point of view, so it¡¯s a reversible condition. The Seventh Circle divine art of Resurrection used by priests is the most common method, which after resurrection, will revert the individual to their state before becoming a vampire, but since this spell doesn¡¯t work on naturally dead beings, it can¡¯t be used to transform those vampires who have lived for a very long time, having exceeded the limits of their lifespan; another method is the Ninth Circle magic Wish used by mages, which, as I¡¯ve explained before, has the power to alter reality and can directly remove the vampire state." "So you¡¯re saying that since we are actually sitting right on top of the vampire¡¯s lair, the one in the crypt is easy to deal with?" "Why not on me or yourself?" Bruto asked curiously, "Shouldn¡¯t we be weaker?" "The reason I¡¯m not giving it to myself is that I¡¯m the least threatening; charmed by me, you¡¯d pose no threat to each other," Kalalin said nonchalantly, "The reason I¡¯m not giving it to you is similar; even if you were charmed, Sir Lance would not have much trouble dealing with you. But if he were charmed, that chamber below ground might well become our resting place." Bruto opened his mouth to say something in rebuttal but could only helplessly agree, "You make a good point." "One of my second-level spells, ¡¯Stream of Water,¡¯ is also suitable; this spell creates a gentle stream of water, usually used for swimming, but since living water affects vampires like strong acid, this spell can cause them significant damage." "Lastly, in line with the principle of not wrongly accusing a good person, I have a very practical first-level spell, ¡¯Detect Alignment.¡¯ This spell can reveal whether the target¡¯s alignment is good or evil, but it requires the zero-level ¡¯Detect Magic¡¯ to first confirm whether the target is under the effects of magic or carries magical items." "That¡¯s all the spells I can think of," Kalalin concluded. "Magic is truly marvelous," Lancelot exclaimed. He pondered for a moment before saying, "Prepare the zero-level spells ¡¯Light Spell¡¯ and ¡¯Detect Magic¡¯; they will indeed be useful. The first-level ¡¯Detect Alignment¡¯ should be enough; hold off on ¡¯Piercing Scream¡¯ for now, as its lair is right beneath us and it can¡¯t escape. As for the second-level ¡¯Owl¡¯s Wisdom¡¯... I think I can resist it, after all, I withstand the likes of Tijana... I should have resisted, right? And with the sun setting in a little more than an hour, is there enough time to prepare second-level spell scrolls?" "Not enough time indeed," Kalalin nodded reluctantly, "My speed of making scrolls is already fast, but an hour is indeed only enough for me to prepare two zero-level spell scrolls and one first-level spell scroll." "We must resolve this threat tonight; let¡¯s get ready quickly," Lancelot then checked the sun¡¯s approximate position again, "We should have enough time. Bruto, can your hammer be used as a Blacksmith Hammer?" "Sure, what for?" Lancelot pulled out a silver coin, "I think I have a pretty good throwing arm, so help me sharpen the edges of these coins." "Throwing money at them, huh." Bruto excitedly lifted his hammer, "That¡¯s a good idea, leave it to me." Chapter 37 - 32 Isabella As the dull sun completely vanished below the horizon, Lancelot and his two companions were ready inside the tomb. The room neatly housed rows of coffins, but the most eye-catching were the three ornate stone coffins in the center. Carved from a single massive rock, they were adorned with intricate patterns and ancient characters that had long become indistinct from the ravages of time. Their actual target appeared to be nothing more than a box, carelessly tossed into an inconspicuous corner of the chamber. If not for Lancelot¡¯s extraordinary sensitivity of Spiritual Sense developed after becoming a Spiritual Cultivator, he certainly wouldn¡¯t have noticed this ¡¯bonus¡¯ that came with the tomb. Spiritual Sense is a very mysterious sense, somewhat like an enhanced sixth sense. It could help Lancelot detect precious materials dense in energy, as well as allow him to gauge the strength of his enemies. Creatures like Succubi and Berserk Demons felt relatively weak to him, the six-armed Serpent Demon Sonam was extremely dangerous, and the Succubus Lord Tijana was unfathomable. Lancelot was very certain that with his current strength, he had not even a tenth of a chance of victory. That¡¯s why he made sure to avoid making Tijana an enemy, besides which it made no sense for a visitor to fall out with their hostess. From the wooden box began to come creaking and squeaking noises, sending a surge of tension through the trio. Bruto and Lancelot stood at the front while Kalalin postioned himself at the rear, forming an inverted T formation behind the box. The lid was gently pushed open, and a female figure sat up. She stretched lazily, then just sat there staring blankly at the ceiling. After spacing out for a while, she let out a deep sigh and began to crawl out of the box. At that moment, Bruto subtly adjusted his stance, making a slight noise. The sound caused the figure to stiffen with fear. She seemed terrified of something behind her, and yelled into the air: "I¡¯m an Undead too, please no ghosts or zombies come looking for me..." "Mmm-hmm," Lancelot decided it was best to make his presence known. She turned around trembling, revealing a beautiful human face now dominated by an expression of fear. It was then that Lancelot took out a dining knife on which he had cast a Light Spell, illuminating his face from below like a torch. "Ghost!!!!!!" --------------------------- In the drawing room, the three of them sat on the sofa, listening to Isabella recount her ordeal. As soon as Isabella mentioned she came from a kingdom called ¡¯Amberhill¡¯, Kalalin jumped up from the sofa, saying that he had heard of this nation. It was located at the other end of the continent in his origin world, renowned for exquisite art and fine wines. Isabella did not understand Kalalin¡¯s excitement until he explained that the world they came from, the world that Lancelot and Bruto came from, and the world they were now in were all different; only then did she show a shocked expression. She said she was a servant to a princess and was attacked in a royal garden about three months ago. The princess was killed on the spot, and none of her entourage escaped the calamity. But when she opened her eyes once more, all she saw was darkness, and a voice in her head that she couldn¡¯t resist commanded her to push the lid open and climb out. The one who killed her had become her master; she remained a maid, but now her range of activities was limited to a tiny tomb and this small building. While she was narrating her story, Lancelot carefully watched her expressions. Aside from lying about some trivial details, her account was mostly true. Lancelot did not expose her, as everyone has their secrets, and he was no exception. As long as the secret didn¡¯t harm anyone, it was okay. "So you¡¯ve only been ¡¯transformed¡¯ recently. No wonder you don¡¯t look at all like a vampire; even your fangs haven¡¯t grown out yet," Kalalin said with a sigh, "The good news is, you¡¯re free now surrounded by friendly people, and that vampire who killed and enslaved you will never come back to trouble you again." "There¡¯s always bad news after good news." Isabella curled up on the sofa, hugging her knees, "Tell me, it can¡¯t get any worse." "The world we¡¯re in now is called the Abyss, and this is exactly where Demons hail from. Things worse than death are quite common here. Our long-term goal is to return to our original worlds, but for the near term, surviving is our main task." "Speaking of which, who exactly are you, and why are you here?" she asked. Lancelot had to spend some time again to give her an overview of Twin Bridges Town and their situation as a trio. "No wonder I felt like I hit a wall just now. So there¡¯s a rule that vampires can¡¯t enter a residence without the owner¡¯s permission," Isabella suddenly remembered something and blushingly said, "Um, I must return to that box to rest during the day, may I continue to stay here? I can help you clean the rooms, do the housekeeping, and watch the house when you¡¯re not around..." Her voice grew softer as she spoke, seemingly less confident about the task of house watching. "Of course, a knight would not abandon a damsel in distress," Lancelot said with a smile, "Welcome to join us, Isabella. That tomb will be your room from now on. But for now, let¡¯s leave this place and get to know the city where we¡¯ll be living next." Chapter 38 - 33 Vampires’ Nature The night descended upon Twin Bridges Town, yet it remained as bustling as ever. The streets were crowded with laborers out to unwind after a day¡¯s work, mercenaries in search of amusement, and demons who seemingly had no concept of rest. Torches were lit along the streets, primarily for the sake of the pitiful mortals, as most demons possessed excellent dark vision. But this did not mean that the pedestrians could afford even the slightest drop in their vigilance. Quasimodo Demons weaved through the crowd, punishing those careless enough not to watch their wallets; the passersby would sometimes get into fights over mere shoves, with the guards enthusiastically joining the onlookers before dragging away the losing party; horrific screams would occasionally rise from dark alleys only to stop as abruptly as they started, but no one was interested in taking a closer look. "It¡¯s just like Twin Bridges Town to have such good public order," Lancelot remarked as he walked down the most bustling Chaos Street in the mercenary quarter. His comment was not without reason. The standard of comparison matters. In a city of the Abyss, it was an achievement to keep the streets free of fresh corpses, and petty thievery and public brawls were completely normal here. Moreover, because of Dingke¡¯s influence, no Quasimodo Demon would trouble them. The enhanced Dingke was overwhelmingly powerful against ordinary Quasimodo Demons. According to it, it was now the boss of all Quasimodo Demons in the East City District, though this "boss" title seemed to serve no actual purpose. Lancelot took Isabella shopping with the intention of helping these Quasimodo Demon thieves recognize who to avoid, though he wasn¡¯t very confident in their observational skills. Luckily, being a vampire, it wasn¡¯t that easy to be killed, and even if they were reduced to nothing but a cloud of mist, a night¡¯s rest in the tomb chamber back at Hagrid Manor would likely be enough for recovery. Little Isabella remained agape throughout the experience. The inhabitants of the lower planes were always whimsical in appearance, and the chaotic power of the Abyss twisted things to the utmost, while Twin Bridges Town, as a neutral city, included all kinds. Here one could see beautiful women who, if placed in the Mortal Realm, could cause a rift between father and son, as well as repulsive monsters that made one feel like bugs were crawling out of their pores. The more approachable Kalalin was bombarded with questions by the curious vampire, while Lancelot and Bruto eavesdropped nearby, taking the opportunity to familiarize themselves with a host of new species. Having passed through the mercenary quarter, they arrived at the market district. As a maid, Isabella would likely have to shop here in the future, so it was necessary to familiarize herself with the area beforehand. After several rounds through the market district, they found a few shops selling food for the Mortal Races. The prices were obviously exorbitant, with a piece of ham costing ten Gold Coins, which made Bruto curse the rip-off, but in the end, they still bought some bread and dry rations to have a supply of food. "Turning wine into blood is the solution offered by magic. As a second-tier Transformation System spell, it can change a bottle of wine into the blood of an ordinary animal, enough to satisfy a vampire¡¯s craving for fresh blood. Of course, the higher the quality of the wine used as a material, the better the taste of the transformed blood," Kalalin¡¯s face became serious again, "Your craving for blood has been suppressed while you were controlled, but starting from the day the vampire who controlled you died, you can probably go about two weeks without thinking about blood. After that, you must feed on fresh blood, or you¡¯ll gradually experience withdrawal and slowly lose your sanity. Right now, I happen to be able to cast second-tier magic, and once I learn this spell, I¡¯ll be able to solve your ¡¯eating¡¯ problem." "Phew, that¡¯s such a relief," Isabella sighed, then looked embarrassed, "Thank you, Mr. Kalalin, I will be in your debt from now on." "Haha, no trouble at all, no trouble at all, we¡¯re fellow villagers after all, helping each other is only right," Kalalin laughed happily, while Lancelot and Bruto moved slightly away from the two. After a short stay in the market district, the group headed to the blacksmith district. From a distance, they could feel the heat emanating from the blacksmith district, and after entering, it was like being in the desert at noon. Even at night, the blacksmith district showed no sign of rest, with every forge radiating intense heat and the sound of hammering metal ringing nonstop. It seemed to be a shift change, as Smithy Street was crowded with bare-chested workers. Dwarves were undoubtedly the main force, but there were also men and other races easily identified by their stature. They joked with each other, or cursed loudly about something. Though it seemed chaotic, the atmosphere was full of vitality. Bruto quickly led the group to the place where his father worked. New craftsmen would be assigned to respective positions, and Barrend had been appointed as the manager of a larger blacksmith shop. Tijana said that Barrend had proven his worth, which seemed no lie. "Dad!" Bruto found his father, who was working hard at the forge, and ran over happily. The father and son embraced each other tightly, a scene that reminded Lancelot of two black bears wrestling. "It¡¯s great that you¡¯ve come back safe and sound, and you¡¯ve made so many new friends," Barrend¡¯s eyes were slightly moist as he looked at the three people behind Bruto. "Give me five minutes to hand over my work, and then we¡¯ll go for a proper drink!" Chapter 39 - 34: Dwarf Gathering The Blacksmith district was located to the west of Twin Bridges Town, and the dormitory area for the blacksmiths was in the farthest western corner. This cluster of buildings had the typical characteristics of a Dwarf architecture, with half of the houses on the surface and the other half underground, each bedroom connected by a common living room. Barrend and three other companions, who had initially ¡¯rebelled¡¯ together, shared a dormitory. The Dwarves did not find this arrangement to be objectionable; in fact, they were quite adapted to this collective style of living. At the moment, Lancelot and his companions were sitting on the sofas in a public lounge of the dormitory area, holding a mug of beer in their hands, watching a group of Dwarves gather around Bruto, listening to him recount the adventures they had just experienced. Lancelot had never been exposed to this type of drink before, with alcohol content not very high and giving off white bubbles, but he found that he preferred this lively atmosphere of drinking and chatting, compared to the polite ritual of sipping red wine from a glass at a dining table. "... the gorilla¡¯s fist was as big as Aunt Berya¡¯s cooking pot. With a whoosh, it came smashing down from above, but it was too tall, and with a roll to the side, I easily dodged it..." Bruto, standing on a table, was telling his story with such animation that his saliva flew in all directions, captivating the audience around him, including Lancelot, who found him to be truly entertaining. Little Issa was also attracted by this story, her pale blue eyes wide open, as if she were watching Bruto¡¯s heroic battle with her own eyes. Lancelot clinked glasses with Kalalin and said with a smile, "If only we poor souls cast down into the Abyss could have half his optimistic attitude." "Dwarves are just such a resilient and optimistic race." Kalalin drained his glass in one gulp. "I also want to thank you, Sir Lancelot, for if one can be assured of their personal safety, the Abyss is simply paradise for us scholars who study Demons." Lancelot took the bottle and refilled his own and Kalalin¡¯s glasses, "Regarding safety, it¡¯s best not to be too optimistic. The Abyss always has unexpected ways to take your life." "Indeed. The more you study the Abyss, the more you realize that chaos is its essence. Moreover, according to Am¡¯s theory, the gods have extracted most of the good from this chaos, so the chaos we see here is often filled with malice." At this point, Barrend left the crowd around his son and came over to Lancelot. He raised his glass formally and said, "I¡¯d like to toast to you, Sir Lancelot, in gratitude for taking care of Bruto." This little girl¡¯s sorrow was probably no less than theirs. As the singing faded, the dwarves one by one went to rest. With no outsiders present, Lancelot nudged Bruto¡ªit was time to talk business. "Er, Dad, where do we find Cold Iron?" "Weren¡¯t you always impatient with learning these sorts of things? Why the sudden question now?" Bruto could only cast a pleading look towards Kalalin, "You explain." "Many know that Holy Weapons are the best choice against Fiends, but few realize that Cold Iron is also highly effective, and this type of weapon doesn¡¯t have user restrictions; even Fiends can use it," Kalalin explained. "Bruto mentioned that your Frostforge Clan are experts in processing Cold Iron. He believes this could make the Succubus Lord view you differently." "I see," Barrend nodded and glanced sideways at Bruto, "Let me guess, this impatient young man has already spoken to Lady Tijana, and because he couldn¡¯t produce any actual goods, he got a bloody nose?" "Dad, you know me so well, heh heh." "What¡¯s more important is, we want to hear your thoughts on this matter," Lancelot¡¯s expression became serious, "Would it be a good idea to give this weapon to Tijana? What do those dwarves who have stayed here for a long time think about Tijana?" "I¡¯ve been carefully considering this as well," Barrend said, frowning, "The feelings of the dwarves here towards Tijana are quite complex. On one hand, they detest Tijana¡¯s endless orders and exploitation, and on the other hand, they are very aware of how precious the shelter she provides is." "Tijana is indeed an anomaly," Kalalin agreed, "Among all known towns in the Abyss, Twin Bridges Town is one of the few that has always maintained a stable relationship with its mortal residents." "And to some extent, she has also granted us a degree of autonomy. The affairs of the blacksmith district are mostly handled by the Craftsmen Committee, and the chairman is a dwarf over 200 years old. These early settlers of Twin Bridges Town seem to be loyal to Tijana, and a dwarf¡¯s trust is not easily won, let alone maintained for such a length of time." "So your opinion is?" "The expertise in processing Cold Iron is not a closely guarded secret. Although Tijana is a demon, she is our protector now, and she has a good reputation in this aspect," Barrend nodded, "It is beneficial for us to provide her with something valuable." "That¡¯s great, but where do we go to find Cold Iron Ore?" Chapter 40 - 35 Foundation Establishment 3 Methods "I¡¯m sorry, Bruto, that foolish boy, just hasn¡¯t got the hang of it yet; it¡¯s difficult to explain the gist of it to you in a sentence or two," Barrend¡¯s large hand landed heavily on Bruto¡¯s head, causing the latter to cover his head with a look of grievance. "I¡¯m now a senior craftsman, and there¡¯s a rest day coming up in four days. I¡¯ll come with you then. However, I need to report this to the Craftsmen Committee first and apply to review their mining records to find the most likely spot." "Then it¡¯s settled, we can use these next few days to rest and build up our strength," Lancelot reached into his pocket, "Ah right, there¡¯s one more favor I need to ask of you." Confronted with the old Dwarf¡¯s puzzled gaze, he placed three clear blue gemstones into Barrend¡¯s hand. "I need a single-hand longsword for fighting in relatively confined spaces; this is the upfront payment," he explained. "How can this be!" Barrend refused to accept, "You are our savior; I must refuse the money." "I will be commissioning many more weapons and pieces of equipment from you in the future," Lancelot patiently explained, "If you refuse payment every time, it will only make me feel guilty and turn to other blacksmiths." "Alright then." Barrend took another look at the beautiful gemstones and finally accepted them. "You truly are an honorable human. So, do you have any special requirements for this sword?" "Hmm... I hope it¡¯s a bit longer, so I can also wield it with both hands. It will be a frequently used weapon, so there¡¯s no need for fancy decorations. I don¡¯t require any enchantments either, as that¡¯s likely out of my budget and the production time might be too long. Therefore, as long as its performance is good enough, that¡¯s all I need." "Understood, four days¡¯ time is more than sufficient then." Lancelot nodded, bowed to Barrend, and then rose to leave with Kalalin and Isabella, while Bruto planned to stay here tonight to spend some quality time with his old man. -------------------------- Three days later, just before dawn. Another method is used by the vast majority of cultivators who¡¯ve successfully established their foundations, relying on an Elixir known as the Foundation Establishment Pill. This broad bean-sized Elixir greatly enhances the activity of True Qi, allowing cultivators at Great Perfection of the High Rank Qi Cultivation Realm to attempt Foundation Establishment, significantly compressing the time needed for cultivation and creating possibilities for challenging higher Realms later. The only problem is that the various medicinal ingredients required for refining this Elixir do not exist in this world, at least not in the disgusting place called the Abyss. Han Tianzun, who granted him the legacy and claimed to be "extreme in the Alchemy Dao," passed down the complete set of Alchemy Dharma Methods and even included an analysis of various Elixir principles and how to create Pill Recipes with existing materials. But that could only be done after Foundation Establishment, when the Divine Sense can be projected outward to inspect items. Lastly, there¡¯s a theoretically viable method that no one has ever tried: using the Spiritual Power from Spirit Stones to forcibly break through to Foundation Establishment. Han Tianzun anticipated the problems Lancelot might encounter and specifically mentioned this method in the bamboo slips he left behind. According to Han Tianzun¡¯s estimates, this method would require consuming about one hundred Upper Grade Spirit Stones to establish a foundation. In the world of Spiritual Cultivation, this is an insane number. The price of one Foundation Establishment Pill is about twenty thousand Spirit Stones, which is also two Upper Grade Spirit Stones. Therefore, while this method is theoretically feasible, no one has ever tried it. However, this was the method that held the most hope for Lancelot. The Earth Crystals he obtained from killing the Sandworm Lord last time had seven or eight pieces that reached the level of Upper Grade Spirit Stones. Gathering one hundred of them would not be easy, but at least it was possible. If Spirit Stones were stripped of their monetary attribute, they were just items used for recovery in battle, as well as the energy source for mechanisms, Formations, and prohibitions. They didn¡¯t serve well as a means for Lancelot to store wealth. In fact, with the life extension blessings from the Elves, Lancelot could also succeed using the first method, but if possible, he still wanted to improve his strength as quickly as he could. After all, this was the Abyss, and if one day a wicked wind blew past and a seemingly innocuous Abyssal worm suddenly turned into a Barlow Flame Demon, he at least wanted the ability to escape. Speaking of escaping, it was necessary to mention some of the Cultivation Techniques that Han Tianzun had left him. Han Tianzun said that the world was different, and Lancelot would need to explore the later stages of cultivation on his own, but that was for the stages after the Body Integration Realm. He still left Cultivation Techniques for the early and middle stages for Lancelot. He would gain access to higher level techniques once he reached the appropriate Realm, but the techniques he could currently see fell far short of his expectations. Why were there so few attack-type techniques like ¡¯Gathering Qi Slash¡¯, and mostly various ¡¯survival-type¡¯ techniques for running away? Chapter 41 - 36 Cultivation Technique and Training Lancelot had spent the last few nights meditating and cultivating, while during the day he practiced several cultivation techniques from a few bamboo slips. Although reluctant to admit, techniques like concealing one¡¯s breath and shifting position were indeed extremely useful in combat. He had realized that the forthright style of the knights was actually based on the premise of having strength and equipment no weaker than the opponent¡¯s. Against fiends and strange creatures whose muscles were much larger than his own, it was best not to be too attached to formality. He had already self-taught the various applications of Gathering Qi Slash without a mentor and had spent the last couple of days organizing them thoroughly. In particular, the throwing attack technique using the principle of Gathering Qi Slash had a really good effect. Throwing the silver coins that Bruto had sharpened for him previously was incredibly effective, striking with the force of thunder and the speed of lightning. When utilized with full force, the impact was enough to bury a coin a foot deep into rock, and ordinary armor couldn¡¯t begin to stop it. In addition to practicing these combat techniques, Lancelot also delved deeply into the various knowledge of spiritual cultivation, of which the ¡¯Five Elements¡¯ theory interested him most. The Multiverse perspective he was familiar with held that there were four basic elements¡ªQi, earth, water, and fire¡ªthat constituted matter, while the Spiritual Cultivation theory posited that all things possessed gold, wood, water, fire, and earth as Five Elements attributes. After a careful comparison, Lancelot found that although the concepts seemed conflicting, they didn¡¯t actually clash. One theory spoke of elements and the other of attributes. Another concept that greatly interested Lancelot was the idea of a ¡¯Spirit Root¡¯. Corresponding to the Five Elements theory, Spirit Roots were also divided into gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. The Spirit Root determined a person¡¯s ability to sense and absorb nature¡¯s spiritual energy and the effectiveness with which they practiced cultivation techniques. Those with good Spirit Roots could practice cultivation for one day and achieve what took others three, naturally progressing faster. Sir Han had already checked when he passed on the techniques; Lancelot had wood, fire, and earth Spirit Roots, not bad, but merely average. In the early stages of spiritual cultivation, fewer Spirit Roots were better as they made it easier to sense and absorb the spiritual energy of the corresponding attribute. Having many Spirit Roots could complicate discerning the spiritual energy, making cultivation extremely difficult. However, Sir Han had said that he started off with even poorer innate talent than Lancelot, possessing four Spirit Roots, yet his strength had become one of the top-most existences in the realm, illustrating that there are no absolutes in anything. At the higher realms of spiritual cultivation, cultivators form a cycle of their own Inner World. At this stage, they would use various methods to complete their Spirit Roots to balance their Inner World. Some of the top Divine Skills and Immortal Laws also require a complete set of Spirit Roots; otherwise, they would be like castles in the air or mirrors and moon reflected in the water, impossible to perfect. When Sir Han bestowed the inheritance, he also taught Lancelot a special language filled with interesting four-character phrases like ¡¯mirrors and moon reflected in the water¡¯. The cultivation technique Lancelot was practicing now was called the Cauldron Immortal Technique. Sir Han claimed it was a peerless Divine Skill he created based on a treasure of heaven and earth, boasting unmatched abilities to connect with the universe. Practicing it was meant to be as pleasant as walking on a broad road, and it had many marvelous uses. Lancelot remained skeptical because Sir Han had said these were all his conjectures. He had already been at a very high realm when he created this technique; naturally, he couldn¡¯t start all over again. Though he made many improvements afterward, he indeed hadn¡¯t let others try it. "Ah, finally woke up, huh? Carry on, but don¡¯t use all your strength every time. Always save a little for unforeseen circumstances," Lancelot counselled. Without a word, Bruto charged again. This time, he didn¡¯t launch a desperate attack and Lancelot cooperated by feeding him moves, occasionally pointing out Bruto¡¯s vulnerabilities and reminding him to stay alert. After clashing back and forth for about twenty moves, Bruto began to grow impatient and once more exposed a weakness during an attack interval. The Human Knight deceived Bruto with a feint, opening his guard wide, and then the sword tip touched the dwarf¡¯s beard like a bolt of lightning. "Much better than before," Lancelot encouraged, "but remember to stay cautious in a tight spot, especially against an opponent stronger than yourself." "Huff..." Bruto panted heavily, "Again... let¡¯s go again!" ... An hour later. "Boom!" The two weapons had clashed countless times that morning, but this time Bruto¡¯s grip faltered. His wooden hammer flew off at an angle, and the young dwarf ended up sitting on the ground with a thud. "Ahh, I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t," Bruto gasped, out of breath, "I need a break." "Brilliant." Clapping came from the sidelines, where Kalalin was sitting on a bench with a book whose origins were unknown. "Why don¡¯t you come and try with me?" Bruto said, annoyed. "I surrender," Kalalin said with a smile, "As everyone knows, we mundane spellcasters can¡¯t cast spells in heavy armor, not to mention close combat." "That¡¯s not necessarily always the case," Lancelot said, picking up a wooden staff from a nearby rack, "I¡¯ve heard that monks from the east can bare their chests and still send fiends running scared. Come on, I¡¯ll teach you some basic techniques." "Uh," Kalalin approached with a gloomy face, "Is that really necessary?" "Very necessary," Lancelot nodded, handing the wooden staff to Kalalin, "If a Mage runs out of mana, should he just surrender without a fight?" "Indeed, some Mages prefer to resolve fights using a magic wand," Kalalin nodded in resignation, "In this plane, it¡¯s always beneficial to know how to defend oneself. I just tend to bicker with this guy out of habit. Please go ahead, Sir Lancelot." ``` Chapter 42 - 37 Frostslash The next morning, Lancelot and his two companions arrived at the craftsmen¡¯s quarters located in the blacksmith district, where Barrend was already waiting for them. The old dwarf was also fully armed today; he wore a set of plank armor, donned a Dwarf Giant Helm with pointed horns, had a folding shovel and a Dwarf Cross Pickaxe at his waist, and carried a Heavy Steel Shield on his back. "Hey, old man, your gear looks pretty impressive. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you dressed up like this," Bruto said with a face full of excitement, like a child eager to go out and play with his father. "Back in my youth, I also crushed a few Orc skulls!" Barrend said with a laugh, "I might not be as agile as you young people anymore, but after all these years of blacksmithing, I still have some strength." "Dad, I doubt your gear will see any action this time." Bruto said arrogantly, "Lancelot has been giving me special training these past few days. You just stay safely behind me!" "You little rascal has grown up, eh? But don¡¯t be too confident; your old man still has a few tricks up his sleeve," Barrend scolded with a smile. Then he turned to Lancelot, "Sir, your weapon is ready, and I guarantee you¡¯ll be satisfied!" With that, he retrieved a long, narrow object wrapped in thick leather from the corner of the room and handed it to Lancelot. With the enthusiasm of a warrior for a new weapon, Lancelot eagerly unwrapped his new toy. What appeared before him was a beautiful longsword, slightly shorter than 4 feet. The blade was sheathed in a black leather scabbard, complete with a sword belt; the crossguard, slightly curving toward the tip like a pair of bull¡¯s horns, was thickened; and the hilt was tightly wrapped in circles with dark red leather, ending in a metal sphere that served as a counterweight. Lancelot gripped the hilt and drew the blade partway from the scabbard. "Uh, could this be?" Kalalin expressed with a surprised look. The drawn portion of the blade was about four fingers wide and much lighter in color than typical metal weapons. As he drew the blade, it emitted a cold light, making it seem as though the temperature in the room had dropped. "This is definitely my masterpiece. The handle is wrapped with fire serpent skin, providing a good grip; the end ball is removable, allowing you to easily replace it with any shape you desire or any magical item with special effects," Barrend said proudly, lifting his chin, "Go ahead and give it a try, Sir Lancelot." "It¡¯s that the mine shaft shows no signs of magma flow! That I can knock it out of you shows you don¡¯t remember well enough!" Barrend almost roared into Bruto¡¯s ear. Sparing Bruto, he turned to Lancelot and said: "I¡¯ve found several suitable mines, the most appropriate is an ancient mine that existed before Twin Bridges Town was established, no one can say for sure how deep it is, but it¡¯s at least ten thousand feet deep. Records indicate that cold iron was found there before, and I suspect there might be a significant ore vein waiting for us to discover." "That sounds amazing." Lancelot shrugged, "Where¡¯s this mine located?" "Right at the foot of the Shattered Mountain Range to the south, about a two-hour journey from here, still within the dominion of Twin Bridges Town. The mining difficulty has been increasing over the years, and now very few mining teams go there; many sections of the mine have become lairs for subterranean creatures." Barrend frowned, "In fact, a twelve-man mining team, though composed of annoying gray dwarves, was supposed to have returned three days ago. Though we all serve the Succubus Lord of Twin Bridges Town, it would be best if we could locate them." "Gray dwarves? What are they?" "A bunch of lunatics," Bruto succinctly explained. "They were once one of us, but have since fallen, and vehemently despise us who still adhere to the faith of Muradin," Barrend sighed, shaking his head. "Even in the demons¡¯ homeland, they fiercely resist working under the same roof as us." "It¡¯s because of their tragic experiences. Driven by a yearning for subterranean riches, they dug too deep and encountered an evil race capable of controlling the minds of creatures, which then enslaved them for several generations." Kalalin explained. "Ironically, they finally gained freedom with the help of the Evil God disguised as ¡¯Asmodeus,¡¯ the ruler of the Nine Hells. The suffering of enslavement and the pernicious guidance of the Evil God permanently changed the gray dwarves. From slaves, they turned into slave masters, just as wickedly as their former masters." "This is a perpetual disgrace for our dwarf race, reminding us not to let greed blind us," Barrend lamented. "But there are always foolhardy ones who can¡¯t remember, like this one in front of you." "At least we still have a chance to rectify this mistake:" Lancelot clapped his hands, "Is everyone ready? Let¡¯s set out, then!" Chapter 43 - 38 Kalalin’s Preparation The dark red sun of the Plains of the Abyss hung slanted on the horizon, leaving one uncertain whether it was dawn or dusk. Across the barren and desolate land, a four-wheeled carriage was making its way to the south at a steady pace. To call it a carriage might not be entirely accurate, for the two creatures pulling it did not resemble normal horses. Their bodies were as black as solidified magma, with fierce flames blazing around their hooves, manes, and tails. These were Nightmares, evil creatures born from the transformation of noble Pegasus, providing services to such powerful beings as Liches, Death Knights, or Demon Lords. As part of a Craftsmen Committee-backed operation, Barrend had acquired a brass whistle engraved with mysterious Runes. Blowing the whistle required strong lung capacity, but once sounded, a carriage pulled by two Nightmares, roomy enough for eight, would appear to serve the summoner. The carriage could exist for four hours or could be dismissed by sounding the whistle again, after which it could not be summoned again for another four hours at least. In theory, the summoned Nightmares were bound to obey the commands of the Summoner, but the old Dwarf who handed the whistle to Barrend advised that it was best to prepare some meat and tubers that Nightmares favored; otherwise, they might intentionally misinterpret your commands and make the passengers¡¯ travel as thrilling as possible. The party, having prepared dried meat and cassava in advance, did not suffer too much, aside from the usual sins of traveling in the Abyss, including but not limited to the rugged terrain (there were, of course, no roads here), eerie gales, rapidly rising temperatures, and the constant appearance of various small Demons and Abyssal beasts. "The Abyss is indeed the home of Demons, but those more formidable ones generally belong to a legion and are unlikely to be seen in the wild. Amidst the wilds, between iron fortresses and war bastions, the survival game of Low Level Demons is constantly unfolding," While playing the role of a tour guide, Kalalin practiced his slingshot. The wild creatures that tried to charge at the speeding carriage became Kalalin¡¯s targets. Of course, this often only served to enrage the enemies further, and it became Lancelot¡¯s job to help by chopping those that got too close into two. "What¡¯s the point of all this?" Bruto asked with curiosity. "The rules of the game in the Abyss force them to attack each other, and those who are stronger and more cunning often survive, absorbing the essence of the losers and repeating the process," Kalalin sent a smooth stone flying, which narrowly missed a flesh ball with three mouths. "Some lucky ones accumulate enough essence energy before being killed to advance to a more powerful Demon. The Transformation process is enormously painful, beyond any torment you can imagine, and Demon bodies ensure they do not lose consciousness during it; they must experience every detail of the process while fully awake, making them increasingly vicious." "Great, I almost forgot about that," Barrend smacked his thigh, grabbed two vials, and put them in his pocket. "Um, can someone explain why we need to bring these things?" Bruto was still reluctant to carry such dangerous items. "I¡¯ve been down mines countless times and never needed this." "That¡¯s because you never worry about these things," Barrend said irritably. "Have you forgotten those annoying mud monsters underground? A strong alkali reacts violently with their acidic slime. When you¡¯re grabbed by a mud monster, you¡¯ll be glad to have a vial of this stuff." "Oh, I think the miner¡¯s school did mention something about this," Bruto awkwardly took the two vials and stowed them away. Lancelot also reached out for the vials. He was certain he could break free from the mud monsters with his own strength, but carrying two vials would clearly be helpful to rescue friends in trouble. "What other preparations have you made?" Lancelot asked, curious about all the odd equipment Kalalin had on. "You¡¯ve already seen my Flash Ring, which works great against creatures accustomed to living in the dark. I¡¯ve also crafted a necklace that can Detect Magic, a staff that can cast the Light Spell, and various trinkets that can unleash cantrips," Kalalin continued, opening the pouch slung across his body to show neatly arranged scrolls, "Most of these are for detecting secret doors, Feather Fall Spells, and other supportive techniques. I don¡¯t know many 2nd-level spells, just the Enlarge Spell, See Invisibility, but the most important one is Magical Weapon. Enemies that require magicked weapons are tough to deal with; let¡¯s hope we don¡¯t have to use that spell this time." "Let¡¯s hope so," Lancelot wasn¡¯t sure. Not far away, a dark cave entrance appeared in their field of vision, growing steadily larger. They had arrived at their destination. Chapter 44 - 39: Mine Entrance "Gentlemen, welcome to the Demon¡¯s Gut Mine," Barrend hopped off the carriage first, greeting everyone like a host. "I think the name is terrible," Kalalin followed suit, jumping down. "Existing autopsy reports have proven that a demon¡¯s digestive tract ends at the stomach, they don¡¯t have intestines, let alone excretory organs."No?v(el)B\\jnn Lancelot and Bruto were the last to disembark, as they unloaded a heavy backpack filled with various mining equipment and supplies from the carriage. Watching Barrend struggle with the backpack, bigger than a dwarf himself, Lancelot curiously asked: "Isn¡¯t this thing too heavy? It would be hard to escape if we encounter danger down there." "There¡¯s a hidden miner¡¯s rest room not far from the mine entrance," Barrend explained. "We can rest there, store supplies and mining tools, and only carry the equipment needed for exploration." "I see," Lancelot nodded in understanding, the situation sounding much better than he had anticipated. Lancelot¡¯s experience with underground combat was not lacking, although it involved dealing with bandits occupying caves rather than entering mines. The entrance to the mine in front of him was much larger than he imagined, big enough to admit five carriages, dark and gaping like the maw of a monster waiting for food to deliver itself. Additionally, there was a small trouble lurking at the entrance of the mine. His Spiritual Sense unequivocally told him that several entities were hiding in the shadows of the rocks and cliff walls, watching him expectantly. "Get ready," he said in an offhand manner to his companions, whispering, "There¡¯s an ambush at the entrance." "What are the enemies?" Barrend, showing a bit of nervousness, managed to rein in his overly dramatic actions. "I haven¡¯t seen them, but they are humanoid, not demons. Should be five of them, as for their strength..." he carefully felt around, glancing at Bruto, "they should be a bit weaker than this guy." Bruto said nothing, but by looking at his trembling hands and tense body, Lancelot was sure he was very excited now. "Barrend, you and Kalalin stay in the back and just focus on defense," he instructed. The Scholar and craftsmen nodded, as Kalalin opened up his pouch containing scrolls, ready to draw them at any moment. The two goblin bears had not lost their minds completely, they carefully watched Lancelot while slowly sidestepping to occupy positions on his left and right, preparing to launch a pincer attack. Meanwhile, Bruto was already locked in combat with his opponent. The dwarf initially took a defensive stance, calmly sidestepping the ferocious charge of the goblin bear, dodging the first strike, then quickly raised his shield to block the subsequent attack. But he didn¡¯t give the enemy a chance for a third strike. The attack he had just blocked made him realize the enemy¡¯s strength was not greater than his. When the rebound of the blocked weapon gave him the opportunity, he swiftly fanned his shield outward with his left hand, throwing off the enemy¡¯s balance, followed by his right-hand wielding the hammer, accurately striking the goblin bear¡¯s closest knee. With a ¡¯crack,¡¯ the clear sound of breaking bones echoed in everyone¡¯s ears. The goblin bear instantly fell to its knees, soon followed by a sharp scream of agony. "Ah, the knee, my favorite target." Having landed his blow, Bruto immediately leapt back, dodging the enemy¡¯s aimless counterattack. Lancelot¡¯s attention was also drawn to Bruto¡¯s commotion, and he glanced back. Seeing him turn his head, the two goblin bears encircling him immediately launched their attacks from both sides simultaneously, but Lancelot, as if he had anticipated this, weirdly twisted his body backward, moving three steps back and causing the two attackers to crash into each other heavily without time to react. "Don¡¯t rush, ladies." He stepped forward, and a torrent of sword light immediately enveloped the two goblin bears. Lancelot did not even use True Qi, merely relying on his swordsmanship to suppress both enemies at once. He was not quick to deal the killing blow; each time his sword blade was about to slice through their bodies, he forcefully stopped, avoiding a fatal wound. He was rapidly getting used to the new weapon¡¯s length, weight, and balance. As his movements grew faster, the two goblin bears couldn¡¯t keep up at all, just wildly swinging their nail-headed hammers in vain attempts to inflict some damage on Lancelot. The knight finally felt the weapon had become a part of his body, his sword hand twisted, and almost simultaneously, the sword¡¯s blade struck both enemies¡¯ faces, sending them flying out. Another lurking goblin bear peeked out, trying to throw a javelin to cover his allies, but a stone hitting right on the nose knocked it to the ground. Kalalin flashed Lancelot a victorious sign. Lancelot shrugged, turned his head to look at the enemies struggling to get up, and yelled with True Qi surging: "Scram!" Chapter 45 - 40 Miner’s Rest Room "Scram!"No?v(el)B\\jnn The volume of Lancelot¡¯s shout even startled himself, and the two bear goblins in front of him were shocked to the point of falling on their butts, eyes rolling back as they entered a dizzy state. The scene momentarily entered a rather eerie silence, and Lancelot had to use a normal volume to say, "Hurry up and disappear from my sight!" The two bear goblins finally reacted, scarcely believing they could survive, and quickly scrambled up to flee the place. Two more bear goblins jumped out from behind a large rock, loudly calling out and hastily following their companions to escape. Lancelot turned back to find Bruto had already dealt with his enemy. The corpse on the ground had both its knees shattered, and a large dent in its head. The dwarf looked to be in not too bad a shape, his shield now sporting a few more white marks, and it seemed he had taken a hit from a nail-headed hammer, leaving his armor somewhat deformed. "Are you alright?" Lancelot asked as he walked over, concern in his voice. "Just a little bruising, I¡¯ll be fine after some rest," Bruto said with a carefree smile. "I took a hit, but in return, I landed a fatal blow. It was a good trade." "What did I tell you before?" Lancelot shook his head helplessly. "Never mind, it seems anger really does give you strength." "The victory over the Berserk Demon might be attributed to anger and luck, but in this fight, you truly showed the talent of a warrior," Barrend and Kalalin also approached, the elder dwarf looking at his son with emotion. "I must admit, among dwarves your age, you¡¯re the strongest I¡¯ve seen." "Isn¡¯t that true for all the dwarves you¡¯ve seen?" Bruto said, unable to conceal his joy at his father¡¯s praise. "No, your dad at his peak was still a bit stronger than you." "Dad, you must be bragging!" "Hahahaha..." Kalalin¡¯s eyes shone with a bright magical light, and his vision suddenly gained a powerful penetrating ability, allowing him to see through rock and earth. After getting used to this peculiar vision, he quickly spotted an unusual patch of ground. "There, there¡¯s a room underground." Kalalin continued to examine the area and finally found further clues, "Under that pile of ore, there¡¯s a handle, that must be the mechanism." Bruto, too impatient to wait, rushed over and started shoveling away the loose ore, and indeed found a handle. He pulled the handle up and suddenly a low rumbling sound was heard, and the ground beside them slowly parted, revealing steps leading down to a small room. "Ha, so it was underground." Barrend scratched his head, "I had been focusing on the surrounding walls just now, no wonder I couldn¡¯t find it." "Empiricism can be deadly." Bruto teased as he entered the basement room with the others. The room had clearly been designed with only Dwarves or Gnomes in mind, the ceiling not exceeding seven feet. Lancelot had to lean slightly, or his great sword would get stuck. Inside the room, there were dozens of bedrolls, boxes and barrels for storing goods, as well as spare shovels and cross pickaxes. Barrend was not pleased with the condition of the tools, but it was well-known that years of enslavement had robbed the Gray Dwarves of any passion for their work. His gaze shifted from the shabby tools and he walked to the end of the room, where there was a small table. On the table hung a giant mining map with markings of new tunnels added by miners from different eras, or spots where collapses had occurred. Looking at the map, the group realized that the nickname ¡¯Demon¡¯s Intestines¡¯ was quite apt. The directions of the tunnels were so chaotic that if demons had intestines, they probably looked like this. Barrend, however, was engrossed in reading a journal. The journal was written in Dwarven, the lingua franca of the mining world. It recorded information about each team that went down into the mine, their purpose, and what they harvested. The most recent entry was from a week ago, written in simple terms: "Twelve Gray Dwarf Miners, team leader Dunif. Plan to head to workings fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen." The harvest column was left blank, it seems they had not made it back here. Chapter 46 - 41 Digging Worm After setting down the heavy equipment and supplies from their backpacks, Barrend and Lancelot¡¯s group set out once again, this time traveling light, each carrying supplies for two days. They unanimously agreed to first search for the whereabouts of their Gray Dwarf colleagues. This mission itself was considered a Black Iron Level task, and they had firsthand data on the resource distribution of the ancient mine. Searching for a mining team in this labyrinth-like mine was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, Barrend and Bruto had a set of skills for underground orientation. Dwarves had undergone special training that enabled them to sense the magnetic fields in the rocks. Walking at the front of the group was Lancelot. As the strongest Warrior in the team, he played the role of the vanguard, the first target of the enemy¡¯s attacks. Following in second was Barrend. The old Dwarf¡¯s prospecting experience was no less than his craftsmanship. As a top Blacksmith, he often had to search for the best raw materials himself. Now, following behind Lancelot, he was directing the vanguard. Behind them came Kalalin. As the most vulnerable member of the team, he was both nervous and excited. Researchers who studied the Abyss rarely entered it personally (more precisely, few could come back alive to tell of their experiences), and his curiosity for knowledge now suppressed his fear of death. Even at this moment, he was continuously scanning the surroundings with the night vision enabled by his potion, and taking notes in a small notebook. Assigned the task of rear guard was Bruto. The young Dwarf had officially become an Adventurer just over a week ago, but had already shown reliable strength. Bruto was also very familiar with burrowing about in the mines, as his dad had taken him underground before his beard had even started to grow. They walked through the winding tunnels, where Barrend only needed to glance at the entire structural map and he memorized it in his mind. Under his guidance, the team progressed swiftly. Suddenly, Lancelot raised a hand, signaling for everyone to stop. "What¡¯s wrong?" Barrend asked, puzzled. "I sense danger," Lancelot said, frowning. His Spiritual Sense had just flashed a warning, and this mysterious sixth sense had become increasingly accurate since he became a Spiritual Cultivator, but the complex underground environment made it difficult for him to determine the exact location of the enemy, only that it was somewhere ahead. "But I don¡¯t see anything," Barrend said softly, frowning. He wasn¡¯t questioning Lancelot; the Knight had already proven his keen Perception Ability back at the entrance of the mine. "It feels like a big one," Lancelot said, still not reassured about proceeding further. He sensed the threat¡¯s distance once more and sat down cross-legged. "Give me a moment." The other three looked on in surprise as Lancelot entered a state of meditation, leaving them no choice but to pick up their weapons and stand guard beside him. Lancelot quickly entered that state with the strange perspective, which according to the bamboo slip in his mind, was a Divine Skill of the High Rank in the Qi Cultivation Stage, called Divine Sense Projection, which for now he could only enter during Cultivation. Lancelot suddenly charged forward with large strides. The moment the sound of his footsteps rang out, he distinctly felt an excited tremor from the monster beneath the ground. True Qi was already surging through his meridians, and when he was ten feet away from the underground maw that resembled a pair of pincers, Lancelot suddenly leapt up, his body nearly skimming the top of the tunnel as he flew forward. However, the sound of footsteps did not cease, for Kalalin had also activated the ¡¯Lesser Illusion¡¯ magic from his scroll at the same time. This spell could create an image of an object or a sound the caster wanted, like the roar of a lion, human conversation, and of course, footsteps. It was merely a 0-level trick that could easily be seen through by any creature with a bit of intelligence. However, the burrowing worm was probably only a little smarter than a rock and relied solely on its feelers to sense vibrations on the ground. As the sound of footsteps passed over the burrowing worm¡¯s hiding spot, the ground suddenly burst open, a pair of three-foot-long fangs snapped shut like a pincer, an attack no flesh and blood could withstand. But what awaited it on the ground was not flesh and blood. Lancelot, who had jumped into the air, dangled his great sword below him, and the burrowing worm emerging from the ground bit down right on it. The chitinous jaw naturally couldn¡¯t contend with a weapon made of steel, and with a snap, a fist-sized gap appeared on the worm¡¯s pincers, while Lancelot¡¯s weapon remained unscathed. After landing, Lancelot immediately turned back and charged at the burrowing worm. He had to restrain the enemy to allow his companions to complete a pincer attack from behind. This burrowing worm was clearly influenced by the Abyss, its body covered with demonic-like spikes, and its two front limbs were like two longswords, characteristics not seen in a normal burrowing worm. His great sword executed a flurry of airtight thrusts, enveloping the burrowing worm¡¯s mouthparts and keeping it too busy to spray acid. Bruto finally reached the enemy¡¯s rear. He jumped high, letting out a roar as his warhammer smashed down fiercely on the bending part of the burrowing worm¡¯s hind leg. "Knees! My favorite!" Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Bruto had some kind of special fetish for knees. The burrowing worm let out a pained and angry shriek from its mouth. It twisted its head sharply, planning to deal with the foe at its rear with a spurt of acid, while relying on the thick carapace on its back to fend off the sword blade in front. The Scholar, standing at the very back, was fully focused on watching the battle unfold, while Baron stood in front of him with a shield raised. In the instant it turned its head, Kalalin made his move as well. He raised his arm, and on the ring finger of his right hand, a spell was already poised to release. Chapter 47 - 42 Clues Kalalin¡¯s right hand emitted a strong glow, the very Flash Ring he had used against the Abyssal Hounds before. He stood at the rear of the group, with all but Lancelot facing away from him, and with the giant body of the worm creature shielding Lancelot, the bright light didn¡¯t affect any of his teammates. Enjoy new chapters from empire The worm creature¡¯s four black eyes granted it excellent dark vision, but as a consequence, it was extremely sensitive to intense light. Instinctively, it turned its head away, spraying the acid that was in its mouth onto the walls. Immediately, a hissing sound came from the tunnel¡¯s rocky walls as the soil softened like heated chocolate, slowly flowing to the ground. Some residual acid still flew toward Kalalin¡¯s direction, but Baron, ever vigilant, blocked it all with his shield. Lancelot naturally wouldn¡¯t just stand by and watch. In the moment the enemy turned its head, he seized the opportunity at the vulnerable spot between the thick back armor and the jaw of the worm creature, stabbing the tip of his Great Sword in and effortlessly out the other side. "Beautiful!" Bruto shouted loudly, commencing his attack on the second knee. Under the stimulus of pain, the worm creature flailed wildly at Lancelot with its forelimbs, which resembled two Longswords, while desperately twisting its body in an attempt to turn its head around and spew acid at the Human Knight. But Lancelot tightly gripped the sword¡¯s hilt, unmoving, and his 7-foot Great Sword kept the worm creature from reaching him no matter how it tried. However, such an injury was not enough to kill the worm creature immediately. For this type of creature, each nerve node in the limbs could function like a brain, and the one in its head was just a more versatile one. If destroyed, it could simply grow a new one. "Bruto!" called Lancelot, now a bit embarrassed as the enemy wouldn¡¯t die anytime soon and he couldn¡¯t draw his weapon out, nor could he push it further in; he could only call for the Dwarf¡¯s help. "I¡¯m a bit busy here!" Bruto¡¯s warhammer swung wildly, and soon enough, the worm creature¡¯s thickest middle leg also collapsed. "Never mind those legs for now!" Lancelot shouted. "Hammer my Sword Blade!" The Dwarf quickly grasped Lancelot¡¯s intent; he leaped up from where he was and, with all his might, smashed his Warhammer onto the exposed sword edge on his side. The Great Sword propelled forward with the impact, the Sword Blade slicing through all the flesh and Carapace blocking its path, leaving the body of the worm creature from a position roughly corresponding to its lower jaw. A horrific wound appeared at its jaw, with copious amounts of Acid mixed with blood flowing out. The giant insect¡¯s body convulsed, and its two front limbs futilely attempted to cover the wound, but the outpouring Acid corroded them together. Barrend crouched down and examined the bodies of his kin carefully, his face looking very grim. "Was it the burrower worms?" Lancelot noticed a huge hole in the ground nearby that looked quite similar to the state after a burrower worm emerged from underground. "Doesn¡¯t look like it; burrower worms wouldn¡¯t leave a body behind," Barrend shook his head, pointing to a basin-sized hole in the chest of one of the bodies. "They couldn¡¯t make wounds of this severity." "The bodies also show no signs of acid corrosion," Kalalin stared solemnly at the hole in the ground, "and this hole is a bit too large for a burrower worm; it¡¯s big enough to fit three of them. The culprit must have a very thick waist." "There¡¯s also a pool of blood over here," Lancelot found another clue, "Someone was lying here, barely alive. How much blood do your people have to lose before dying?" "They would have been dead long before bleeding this much out," Bruto said with a frown, "but where did the body go?" No one responded to him; everyone had the same explanation in mind. "So here¡¯s the question," Lancelot gestured towards the other two bodies, "Why are these two corpses here? Judging from the monster¡¯s girth that Kalalin deduced, one Dwarf wouldn¡¯t be enough to fill its stomach." "Uh," Bruto tried to explain, "Maybe it ate the first one and realized it didn¡¯t quite suit its taste?" "These creatures that tunnel through the ground aren¡¯t picky eaters," Barrend said gloomily, recalling some not-so-pleasant memories from his long mining career. "No, Bruto is right," Kalalin suddenly spoke up, his voice trembling slightly. "What did you think of?" Barrend looked at the Human with surprise, unable to believe that the robed figure could guess the true identity of the culprit before him. "Huge size, terrifying puncture wounds, not fond of eating Dwarves," Kalalin spoke softly, as if afraid of awakening some dreadful existence. "In our world, there¡¯s also a kind of food these monsters do not like, Elves." The look of fear on Barrend¡¯s face showed he had come to the answer. The old Dwarf¡¯s lips quivered softly as he uttered a name. "Shark Lizard Beast." Chapter 48 - 43 Mud Monster "What are you talking about? What is a shark-crocodile beast?" Lancelot¡¯s ignorance only confirmed one thing again, his world must be tucked away in some extremely remote corner of the Multiverse. Although Barrend and Kalalin hailed from different worlds, they seemed to both be familiar with this terrifying monster. "It is a calamitous creature, over 10 feet in length," Barrend said, his face displaying fear. "It is the absolute ruler wherever it roams, with all creatures above ground as its fodder." "That powerful, huh? What does it look like?" "It resembles a reptilian, with a thick, shark-like carapace on its back. Its lower half is like that of a crocodile, with claws capable of cleaving a multitude. Its head is the most terrifying part, resembling an oversized snapping turtle¡¯s head, except the end is pointed like a spike, allowing it to break through the soil and burrow wherever it wishes," Barrend said, his face turning pale. "Luckily, it makes a lot of noise as it tunnels underground, and its high-and-mighty self won¡¯t ambush prey like a burrower. This at least allows us to know when it¡¯s coming." "People have always been unclear about the origins of the shark-crocodile beast. Some scholars think it might be the result of a mad spell, like the Demon Prince Dimogorgen creating the Chimera," Kalalin added. "No one has ever found where shark-crocodile beasts breed. Several times throughout history they have been thought extinct, only to reappear decades later. A reasonable guess is that their homeland is in some corner of the lower planes, and occasionally for unknown reasons they are sent to the Prime Material Plane to wreak havoc." "That sounds terrible," Lancelot frowned. "Kalalin, I remember you said you prepared a magic called ¡¯Enlarge Spell¡¯. Tell me more about the effects of this spell." "It¡¯s a second-level spell, it can double the recipient¡¯s height and increase their weight eightfold. Your strength will grow with the Enlarge Spell, but your agility will decrease due to the change in size. Your equipment will enlarge under the spell¡¯s influence, but will revert to its original size as soon as it leaves your grasp." "How long can this spell last?" Lancelot pursued the important details. "With my current strength, around 8 minutes," Kalalin hesitated. "Are you sure you can deal with the shark-crocodile beast just with this?" "At least it can buy some time for you all to escape," Lancelot said seriously to everyone. "From now on, keep the Enlarge Spell scroll where you can reach it at any moment. As soon as I hold it off, you need to quickly distance yourselves, and if you see something¡¯s wrong, run. Save as many as you can." They quickly found themselves back in the main tunnel, where the footprints continued intermittently deeper inside. Barrend guessed that the group of Gray Dwarves had probably split into two teams, and the survivors they were tracking were likely trying to meet up with the other team. Just when the footprints were about to become indiscernible, they came across new leads. The first to notice the faint sound of a Cross Pickaxe striking rock were two Dwarves, and with their prompt, Lancelot also heard the sound. "Could this be some kind of trap?" Lancelot asked cautiously. "We can¡¯t rule that out. Many creatures have tricks for luring victims with sounds," Kalalin chimed in, "but those are usually enchanting songs or beguiling whispers, I¡¯ve never heard of one using the sound of a Cross Pickaxe to attract prey." "Better to be cautious, nonetheless." No one objected to this, and they proceeded with caution, following the sound. Barrend noticed they were heading towards Worksite Sixteen. But as they neared Worksite Sixteen, the sound became muffled. Baffled by this, they decided to go there directly to uncover the mystery. Their question was quickly answered. The tunnel leading to Worksite Sixteen was blocked by some sort of nearly transparent gel-like substance. If it weren¡¯t for the skeleton of a decomposing Gray Dwarf floating in midair, they might have walked straight into it. Lancelot looked with astonishment at this strange occurrence, finding these bizarre beings even more incomprehensible than Demons. In front of this mass of gel-like substance, the sound of the Cross Pickaxe striking stone was incredibly muffled, but it was clear enough to understand that the sound was coming from behind it. "Is this... a mud monster?" Though his martial techniques surpassed everyone present, his knowledge of various monsters was truly limited. "This is one of the stronger kinds of mud monsters, a Gelatinous Cube," Barrend said, frowning at the obstacle in their path. "If those Gray Dwarves hadn¡¯t brought several large buckets of strong lye, this creature would be enough to block their escape route. I guess the ones inside are desperately trying to dig another way out, and even if we leave them alone, they¡¯re about to succeed." Chapter 49 - 44 Stuffed into the Belly "But they are thirsty and hungry; they might not be able to make it back to Twin Bridges Town." Barrend had no good impressions of these Gray Dwarves, but Lancelot knew the old Dwarf would not really ignore his kin who still harbored hatred towards him. "Besides alkali, is there any other method to deal with it?" "You won¡¯t think of a way to deal with it; you¡¯ll only think of how to go around it," Kalalin explained, "The Mud Monster¡¯s bodily fluids are highly corrosive. The fluid that sprays out from a wound will harm the attacker, and the weapon used to attack will quickly corrode into a pile of scrap metal." "These creatures have almost no intelligence. Generally speaking, if left alone, they will move away after a while. I have never seen any Mud Monster so persistently block an entrance, and it seems this has been going on for several days." "Regardless, it is blocking our path," Lancelot declared, "Scholar, do we have enough alkali to deal with this creature?" "I¡¯m afraid not," Kalalin shook his head. "The alkali will react with the strong acid in its bodily fluid, releasing a lot of heat, but on one hand, the concentration of acid on its surface is not high, and on the other hand, such surface damage is unlikely to be fatal." "What if we pour a bottle of alkali directly into its body?" Lancelot stroked his chin, looking at the corpse hanging in midair. Baldness was a prominent feature of the Gray Dwarves, and even though the flesh had been corroded away, the skull of the corpse still shone faintly in the weak light. "Theoretically, this would cause it immense damage," Kalalin looked at him strangely, "but Mud Monsters do not have mouths, and you can¡¯t pour alkali into its stomach." Discover hidden stories at empire "We could stuff it in," Lancelot turned and looked at Barrend, "I¡¯ve heard that the skulls of Dwarves are very hard. Is that so?" "Few Dwarves die in battle from their skulls being shattered," Barrend replied, his tone laced with pride. "Why ask this?" Bruto subconsciously covered his head while turning to check the position of his father. "What are you thinking? I¡¯m not interested in your head," Lancelot said, amused, looking at Bruto, "but I do plan to smash a Dwarf¡¯s skull. Kalalin, do you still have ammunition for practicing your sling?" Kalalin took out a small pouch filled with stones the size of pigeon eggs. Lancelot grabbed one from inside, tossed it in his hand, and then hurled it with all his might at the Mud Monster. Lancelot coughed loudly to interrupt their debate over the source of his abilities, feeling somewhat guilty for having to hide his true situation, but he believed that now was definitely not the right time to reveal the secrets of Spiritual Cultivation. "Stop arguing, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m human." "You will awaken more such powers from your bloodline in the future, don¡¯t worry," Kalalin said with conviction, and Barrend and Bruto both nodded in agreement. Lancelot shook his head, deciding to let the topic drop for now. He threw another stone, this time aiming slightly lower, and the stone ultimately grazed past the skull of the Gray Dwarf corpse. The mud monster shook again violently, seemingly confused but still refusing to move. Lancelot didn¡¯t hesitate any longer and took out the alkali bottle he had gotten from Kalalin earlier. This time, he used the power of his Innate True Qi to throw the alkali bottle. Unlike the previous two times, this alkali bottle didn¡¯t show a splendid flame tail in the air and made hardly any noise during flight, but it was as fast as Lightning, speeding unslowed into the gelatinous body of the mud monster. The other three were wide-eyed; they could all see the power of the strike, but what was truly terrifying was that the attack appeared very ordinary on the surface, which could catch an opponent off guard in combat and result in them making a costly mistake. The alkali bottle struck the Gray Dwarf¡¯s head precisely, and the small bottle shattered on impact. The Dwarf¡¯s skull was indeed exceptionally hard, just as Barrend had claimed. The mud monster¡¯s body began to tremble as the alkali reacted violently with the acids in its body fluids, releasing a lot of heat. Its transparent gelatinous body started to become murky, and before it became completely opaque, Lancelot threw another alkali bottle. Just like adding fuel to the fire, the mud monster turned pitch-black, and its surface began to bubble incessantly like boiling water. This process lasted for about five minutes until the large mass of gelatinous substance finally softened down, much like a snowman under the blazing sun. As the mud monster died, many items fell to the ground. These were the remnants of its victims over the years. Aside from the most dreadful kind, most mud monsters only consume flesh and leave behind bones, Metal, and magically rich items inside their bodies. It was no doubt that the victims mostly devoured by the mud monsters were various miners, so there were several fine gemstones that fell onto the ground, which the sharp-eyed Bruto quickly picked up. Lancelot¡¯s Spiritual Sense alerted him to an inconspicuous small bag. He picked it up and immediately noticed something unusual about the bag. Although the Storage Bag appeared somewhat different from the description in the bamboo scrolls of cultivation anecdotes, Lancelot knew for certain that this was a Storage Bag. Chapter 50 - 45 Gray Dwarves "Kalalin." He raised his voice to catch the Scholar¡¯s attention, "Come take a look at this!" "Is this... a Dimensional Bag?" As a Scholar seasoned in a variety of rare artifacts, Kalalin quickly recognized the item in Lancelot¡¯s hand, "Just a moment." The Scholar took out a scroll and unfurled it. It was a scroll for a 1st-level Magic Identification Spell, allowing Spellcasters to learn various information about an item they touched. Lancelot glanced at the scroll¡¯s content. Despite not recognizing a single Arcane Symbol on it, he vaguely understood the magic power those symbols represented. The text soon vanished, and a complex surge of Magic Power flowed into Kalalin¡¯s brain. The Scholar¡¯s hand clutched the bag tightly, yet his eyes lost focus as if reading some text that didn¡¯t exist in the real world. About a minute later, he finally came out of the trance. It was a relatively simple spell, but even for a Scholar, casting it was no easy task. Noticing the three pairs of curious eyes fixed on him, Kalalin knew everyone was awaiting his verdict. "This is indeed a Dimensional Bag, though its effect is weaker. It can store about 25 cubic feet, carrying no more than 150 pounds, which is roughly a third of a normal Dimensional Bag¡¯s capacity." "Not that impressive," grumbled Bruto, arms crossed. "The head prospecting leader of Rivet Fort has a bag that can hold two thousand pounds. Now, that¡¯s a real treasure." "This is more than enough for our use," Lancelot was quite satisfied with the bag¡¯s performance, "Just think about how much supplies we can carry in here, it¡¯ll save us a lot of effort." "By the way, whatever was originally in here has now been reduced to nothing but the Acid of mud creatures. I suggest you refrain from putting your hand or any items into it," Kalalin added, "Turning the bag inside out will not cause the contents to fall out, as the bag actually holds an independent, extradimensional space unaffected by the gravity of our world. There are two ways to retrieve items: one is to reach in, and the other is to turn the bag inside out, which will cause everything inside the bag to fall out at once." "We don¡¯t currently have anything to put in, and the Acid inside might prove unexpectedly useful," Lancelot handed the bag to Bruto, "Take care of it, Dwarf. Just don¡¯t mix it up with your gemstone bag." "Stone above, that will never happen," Bruto muttered as he hung the bag at his waist, and Lancelot noticed that he tied the bag¡¯s opening tightly with a string. That way, even if he made a mistake, he wouldn¡¯t be able to put anything in it. "Now let¡¯s go meet those unfortunate colleagues of ours," Barrend gestured for the group to move forward, the sound of the Cross Pickaxe became clearer after the mud creatures were exterminated, "I hope they¡¯ll show us at least a bit of gratitude." The structure of the sixteenth workface resembled a belt carelessly thrown on the ground. The party followed the sounds through the low corridors for about a quarter of an hour until they finally saw who they were looking for¡ªnine dispirited Gray Dwarf Miners with low morale. "Alright, maybe it wasn¡¯t your doing this time." "Don¡¯t mention it," Bruto replied sarcastically. "We¡¯ve left some supplies in the rest area; you can get some rest there before heading back to Twin Bridges Town," Barrend offered in a gentle tone, fully aware of the deep hostility between the Gray Dwarves and their near-surface dwelling cousins. "Damn it, what are you playing at now?" "Just giving a little help to our kin in distress," Barrend spread his hands. The Gray Dwarves fell silent, torn between their longstanding hostility and the Dwarves¡¯ innate sense of honor. Finally, a few nearly inaudible words of thanks were heard, though they were addressed to Lancelot. Perhaps for the Gray Dwarves, thanking a human was somewhat less difficult. "No need to thank me," Lancelot nodded. "We haven¡¯t found what we¡¯re looking for. We¡¯ll part ways here." "May I have your name, sir Knight?" asked the Gray Dwarf who had stopped them earlier, seeming to be the least hostile toward his cousins and likely the leader of the group of miners, as Lancelot felt his strength was significantly above his companions. "My name is Lancelot." "I am Dunif, captain of this mining team," the Gray Dwarf introduced himself awkwardly. "I think we owe you thanks. What are you looking for? Do you need any, well, help?" Lancelot stared at Dunif for a moment and finally said: "No, thank you. I think we can manage on our own." "Are you sure? I know this mine very well," the Gray Dwarf captain persisted. "There are still many dangerous creatures deeper in, and we were recently attacked by a terrifying monster." "I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be fine, goodbye," Lancelot declined again, then turned and left decisively. As he turned, he did not miss the flash of disappointment that crossed Dunif¡¯s gaze. Chapter 51 - 46 Aberrant Demon "These clueless bastards!" Ten minutes had elapsed since the separation from the Gray Dwarves, and Bruto was still seething about the recent events. Lancelot carefully scouted ahead for danger. He felt slightly uneasy, always sensing that he might have overlooked some detail, and Dunif¡¯s parting glance must have held a particular reason. Under the subconscious operation of the Ice Heart Spell¡¯s mental method, he found himself calming down and began to meticulously recall the entire recent process. "How many people did the Craftsmen Committee say were in that Gray Dwarf mining team?" he suddenly turned back and asked Barrend. "Twelve, why?" "The group of Gray Dwarves we just saw was nine, right?" "Correct." The old Dwarf nodded, "There was a Gray Dwarf¡¯s corpse inside that mud creature, and the flesh hadn¡¯t even decomposed properly, clearly it had been devoured recently. Plus, the two bodies we found earlier at the fourteenth worksite, the numbers exactly match up." Lancelot nodded; he figured out where the unease stemmed from. "From now on, maintain the highest alert for any Gray Dwarves we encounter in our sight," Lancelot declared. "What are you talking about?" Barrend looked at him confused, "Didn¡¯t we just count? Three bodies, nine survivors, the numbers match up." "Especially those survivors," Lancelot answered without turning back. Everyone shrugged their shoulders and discontinued the topic. They continued downwards for another half hour, stopping as they encountered waves of pitiful wailing. "I might know what creature made that sound," Kalalin whispered, "Move lightly, let¡¯s get closer and see." The group stealthily made their way forward and, around a corner, they saw five Demons emitting continuous wails. Lancelot took out a sharply-edged silver coin, specially modified by Bruto for him. He took a deep breath and aimed the coin at the farthest enemy, throwing it. A silver streak flashed across the sky, and the struck Aberrant Demon fell with a large chunk of its skull sheared off, but it seemed not yet dead, struggling to stand. The rest of the Aberrant Demons instinctively looked towards their attacked kin; just then, Lancelot and Bruto charged out. Lancelot employed a footwork technique he had learned from ancient bamboo slips. According to the revered Han Tianzun, it was a favorite move of his youth that had saved his name multiple times in critical moments, but Lancelot found it extremely useful for launching surprise attacks on enemies. The effect was striking. Although dwarves were naturally a bit slower than humans, when Lancelot reached the first enemy, Bruto had only covered half the distance. As he charged, Lancelot held his longsword aloft on his shoulder, grasping the handle with both hands. The Aberrant Demon finally noticed the incoming enemy, but as it turned its head, the great sword¡¯s blade filled its entire field of vision. "Damn! Leave some for me!" Bruto witnessed Lancelot¡¯s astonishing over-the-shoulder charge and slash, and the unguarded enemy was cleaved in two by the strike. He couldn¡¯t help but shout anxiously. Lancelot had no time to chat; following the downward slash was a horizontal slash, parrying an incoming trident from another Aberrant Demon. Taking advantage of the enemy¡¯s exposed defense, he turned his sword back for a thrusting stab, ending the twisted demon¡¯s agony. This was his most commonly used attack combination, executed countless times on the battlefield, polished to perfection. But only when facing the enemy again did Lancelot truly appreciate how much spiritual cultivation had enhanced him. True Qi naturally circulated within him, making the longsword feel as light to wield as a broomstick. His speed had increased by at least a third, and his final thrust even left him with time to aim for the heart. Moreover, the cold iron construction of the weapon inflicted significant additional damage to the demons. Demons naturally possessed extremely tough bodies, their musculature acting like armor, but Frostslash could easily breach this defense, frosting the impacted area and suppressing the demons¡¯ powerful regenerative abilities. Two more Aberrant Demons came at him; Lancelot calmly parried all their attacks, never falling into disadvantage despite being outnumbered. Then Bruto joined the fray, slamming his shield hard into an Aberrant Demon that tried to join the assault on Lancelot and then habitually swinging his hammer at where the knee should be. He missed; there was nothing where the knee was supposed to be. Chapter 52 - 47: Battle in the Dark The Aberrant Demon¡¯s thigh slanted to the right, his shin to the left, with the knee just beside Bruto¡¯s left hand¡ªhis swing completely missed the target. Naturally, the enemy wouldn¡¯t let this opportunity slip by. With a swift hack of its long-handled pincers, Bruto could only barely deflect the attack with his shield, but it still left a huge gash on his thigh. "Damn mongrel!" Blood filled the dwarf¡¯s eyes as Bruto let out a furious roar. He charged again, his leg wound unnoticeable thanks to a sudden surge of adrenaline. With a fierce lift of his shield-bearing left hand, the top edge of the shield met the enemy¡¯s chin with what could only be described as enthusiasm. This maneuver, purely instinctual for a dwarf, was so powerful that the Aberrant Demon¡¯s twisted fangs pierced through its own tongue, emerging from under the chin. The unnatural strike momentarily stunned the Aberrant Demon, but the demon¡¯s constitution allowed it to recover quickly. But the dwarf wasn¡¯t about to wait for that. Bruto¡¯s body rotated clockwise, unleashing the most fearsome and infamous combat technique of his stout race: the Low Slash. The Warhammer, inscribed with Mithril Runes, traced a circular path and struck the Aberrant Demon¡¯s twisted knee as desired, and Bruto finally heard the sound of the patella shattering that he had been waiting for. "That¡¯s more like it!" The Dwarf roared and leaped onto the grounded Aberrant Demon. Elsewhere, Lancelot was dominating this two-against-one battle. His speed and strength completely overwhelmed the enemies, and after a series of Horizontal Slashes, he suddenly changed tack¡ªa heavy blow sent one enemy reeling backwards, and then his Longsword blocked the trident of the other enemy. The enemy tried to withdraw his weapon to defend against his next attack, but Lancelot wouldn¡¯t miss this brief opportunity for a one-on-one. His weapon didn¡¯t rebound naturally from the collision but instead he gently guided it, while stepping forward in coordination with his Footwork Technique to quickly sidestep to his adversary¡¯s side, with the trident¡¯s point facing the opposite direction. The Sword Blade, like a supple snake, slid up the trident¡¯s shaft, severing the enemy¡¯s wrist just above the grip. The frenzied adversary opened his mouth to bite at the Human Knight, but Lancelot had already released one hand from his sword and used his steel-clad elbow to knock the enemy to the ground. As Bruto was smashing his hammer into his opponent¡¯s skull, he caught sight of Lancelot standing over an Aberrant Demon, decapitating his enemy with a swing of his sword. A strange wind blew past, and Lancelot suddenly felt utterly delighted, making him laugh lightly. He wasn¡¯t the only one laughing. A ridiculous, idiotic laughter emerged from the darkness, reminiscent of a group of drooling imbeciles trying to light ants with a magnifying glass. Another type of laughter was much more unpleasant, as if a prisoner tied to a chair was undergoing the torture of having their feet tickled with a feather, allowing one to clearly sense the pain involved. These were the laughters of the Coward Devil and Aberrant Demon, respectively; these sounds didn¡¯t cause any harm nor did they affect their actions, but they were enough for the dwarf in the darkness to pinpoint the enemies¡¯ locations. Bruto, fueled by rage from being blinded, finally found an outlet for his anger. He charged toward the nearest source of the silly laughter with his shield raised in front, ready to block any possible attacks. The demons¡¯ vision was unaffected. The Coward Devil instinctively tried to avoid the massive iron ball charging toward it, but the continuous stupid laughter gave away its position. Bruto¡¯s shield struck the side of the Coward Devil, making it lose its balance, but then the dwarf¡¯s hammer made balance irrelevant for it ever again. A lower body slash was just a standard horizontal slash, only that when performed by a dwarf, it was perfectly at the height of a typical humanoid creature¡¯s knees. The move was so simple that dwarves could execute it even with their eyes closed. The Coward Devil was flipped onto the ground, still laughing foolishly. So the furious dwarf smashed his shield onto that mouth, again and again. The steel shield was large enough to cover the entire head of the Coward Devil, and by the sixth hit, Bruto felt like he had smashed a watermelon. The dwarf finally snapped out of his frenzied state, realizing that his enemy was completely unable to fight back. Bruto scrambled up from the ground, raising his ears to search for the next target. But he had spent too much time on that Coward Devil, and there were no more targets left. With the death of the last Aberrant Demon, the effects of the Dark Arts also dissipated. Bruto looked around; the bodies of demons lay scattered everywhere. Most had been run through with a sword, and the human knight stood in a dashing pose, flicking the blood off his sword blade. "I¡¯ve found that ears are better at finding demons¡¯ weaknesses than eyes," Lancelot smiled as he noticed everyone looking at him. "After all, their hearts keep thumping loudly." Chapter 53 - 48 Original Magic "Lancelot, considering the sword my old man made for you, couldn¡¯t you have left me with more?" Bruto complained loudly, perhaps his desire for battle was unfulfilled, or maybe he was annoyed that his body got splattered with quite a bit of Coward Devil brain matter. "You only asked to keep two of them," Lancelot spread his hands and then turned to Kalalin, "The effect of that magic just now was really good, how come you never mentioned it before?" "Uh, this magic is called ¡¯Breeze of Smiles¡¯, it¡¯s something I created by combining Wind Creation Spell and Mad Laughter Spell," Kalalin scratched his head, "To ensure that the spell¡¯s Circle Rank does not exceed the second circle, which is my highest casting capability, the wind was weakened to a gentle breeze, and the mad laughter was turned into a smile. The purpose of creating this spell was very simple, merely to break the awkward silence that often occurs during scholars¡¯ gatherings. I made this scroll for practice, but because I felt it didn¡¯t quite fit the adventurous atmosphere, I did not bring it up." "Well, the situation just now proved that this magic is definitely more useful than you thought," commented Lancelot. "You say you can create new magic?" Baron Barrend asked with a face full of surprise. Dwarves have mixed feelings about magic, consisting of fear and distrust, even though they understand how to imbue equipment with magical power better than any other race. "Well, not really," Kalalin explained, "Only those who can directly manipulate the Magic Net might be able to create a completely new spell. Scholars, in order to grasp the ability to cast, understand an existing spell very thoroughly, and on that basis, they can make certain modifications, such as increasing or decreasing its power, or combining several spells together. Such modifications usually lead to a disproportionate change in the difficulty of casting or the power of the spell, a widely circulated spell is generally the best version after repeated trials." "It seems like that¡¯s not absolute," Lancelot said with a smile, "Weakened spells may have entirely new uses, as we just witnessed." "Yes, yes, this is indeed a very useful idea," Kalalin¡¯s eyes shone brightly. The recent experience had opened up a whole new door for him, and he was eager to experiment with various new ideas. "The creator of a spell gets to name it, right?" Bruto said with a mischievous grin, "That spell¡¯s full name should be ¡¯Kalalin¡¯s Breeze of Smiles¡¯." "Agreed." "Agreed." "Then it¡¯s settled, hahaha...." However, as stone chips flew, a thin fog began to rise around them, causing unease. "Err, Barrend, what¡¯s with this fog?" Kalalin walked over and tapped the Dwarf engrossed in his work, "Is this specific to the coldness from the Cold Iron Ore?" Only then did Barrend notice the abnormal situation behind him. He shook his head and said, "That shouldn¡¯t be, I¡¯ve never encountered something like this before." Lancelot¡¯s spirit tensed up; his Spiritual Sense was already sending him a warning as if some threat had reached a level that could not be ignored. Suddenly, a terrifying monster appeared before his eyes. The creature, thirty feet tall, resembled a winged toad. Its entire chest, from under its chin down to its legs, was completely split open, lined with countless sharp, bone-like teeth, like a gaping maw ready to devour all in its path, and it lunged towards him with its teeth bared and claws outstretched. Lancelot¡¯s heart was struck by lightning, the horrific sight delivering a strong shock that inevitably threw him into a state of panic. He fell to the ground, his heart convulsively twitching uncontrollably as his body ached as if it had truly been attacked. True Qi swiftly surged from his Dantian, and the recitations of the Ice Heart Spell naturally resonated within him, allowing Lancelot to regain his composure. He quickly realized that the monster before him was nothing but an illusion; its appearance had too many inconsistencies, and other than its terrifying stance, it hadn¡¯t actually charged at him to cause any harm. While he was scrutinizing the details of the monster¡¯s form, a figure rapidly approached him. "Sir Lancelot! What¡¯s wrong with you?" The newcomer was Dunif, the captain of the Gray Dwarf mining team. "I was worried something might happen to you down here, so after I settled my team, I came looking for you..." He ran up to Lancelot and reached out to help the fallen Knight. Lancelot abruptly looked up, and Dunif internally cursed, knowing it was too late. What greeted him was a flash of a chilling blade. Chapter 54 - 49 Evil Spirit Demon Lancelot¡¯s sword was swift and fierce, and Dunif was cleaved into two before he could even react. The noise of his sudden fall had already caught everyone¡¯s attention, now they were all stunned by Lancelot¡¯s abrupt assault. But a more horrifying scene unfolded, the body of the Gray Dwarf bubbled as if boiling, emitting white smoke continuously, which gathered above into a vague, jellyfish-like form. The mist in the air had dissipated, replaced by a sickly sweet, rotten scent. Kalalin¡¯s pupils constricted violently, recognizing what it was. "Evil spirit demon!" His quivering voice exposed his fear, sending a shiver through everyone¡¯s heart. But Lancelot didn¡¯t care about that; he fearlessly raised his weapon again and struck at the gaseous jellyfish form in the air. The chill-emitting Frostslash passed through the location of the evil spirit demon without any hindrance, failing to cause any damage. "Only magic can harm it!" Kalalin shouted while unrolling a scroll, "Beware its touch!" The Scholar had already channeled magic power into the scroll, and the spell was about to be completed, but the evil spirit demon raised a gaseous tentacle and pointed it at him. Kalalin emitted a terrified scream and turned to run away from the evil spirit demon, dropping the scroll on the ground. The evil spirit demon, recognizing the robed figure as the only spellcaster among the group, used a Fear Spell to drive him away, leaving the three remaining people incapable of inflicting any harm upon it. The Human Knight named Lancelot continued vainly attacking the air with his sword, yet he was the target of the evil spirit demon this time. Evil spirit demons are a peculiar type of demon; they are not generated by mortal souls but can possess a corpse that is not severely damaged. Afterward, they will continue to play the role of the original owner of the body or adopt a new identity, blending into the social fabric of the deceased¡¯s community. "That type of demon is a new species; their existence was first confirmed less than a thousand years ago," Kalalin managed to catch his breath and began to share what he knew about the demon spirit. "...In summary, this is a kind of demon that is not yet fully understood. It¡¯s known that they can occupy a corpse that has not been beheaded or severely damaged, and can repair all the damage the body had suffered the instant they possess it. Moreover, there¡¯s always been speculation within the Dark Cult that they possess a terrifying supernatural ability: they can kill a living being immediately with just a touch, though the specific conditions for this to take effect still require further investigation." "My initial attacks seemed ineffective against it," Lancelot expressed his confusion. "How is such a demon normally dealt with?" "They are like spectral beings, immune to all non-magical damage. Clerics, Holy Warriors, and the like are specialists in dealing with them, or a proper Mage would do," Kalalin said awkwardly scratching his head. "My second circle ¡¯Magic Weapon¡¯ spell can grant your swords and hammers a magic attack effect, which under normal circumstances is the only effective method we have because even if I use all my spell slots to cast offensive magic, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to kill it. But it seems I was hit by its Fear Spell and was of no help. It looks like that plan won¡¯t work either." "That¡¯s terrifying," Bruto said, glancing around fearfully, a bit concerned the incorporeal demon hadn¡¯t gone far. Dwarves abhor any foe that can¡¯t be killed with a hammer or axe. "Such demons can indeed be devastating if lacking the means to counter them," Kalalin said, as though recalling something, then turned to Lancelot. "You used the same power you had against the mud creature before, didn¡¯t you? The effect seems quite good; otherwise, we would have been in real danger today." Lancelot nodded. In a moment of desperation, he had used up nearly a third of his Innate True Qi, which pained him. Innate True Qi could not be replenished and could only be slowly recovered by one¡¯s own body. He reminded himself inwardly not to lose his cool again until life and death were truly at stake. "It¡¯s good we have you," Kalalin seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "A disembodied demon spirit is actually very fragile. It used a teleportation spell to escape just now and probably wouldn¡¯t dare to trouble us again." As if in response to his words, the expressions of Barrend and Bruto suddenly changed, followed by Lancelot feeling a rumbling beneath his feet, as if some huge creature was rapidly approaching from underground. The pale faces of the dwarves signaled the identity of the incoming attacker. Lancelot shouted at Kalalin: "Enlarge spell! Now!" Chapter 55 - 50: Shark Lizard Beast Kalalin relied entirely on her subconscious reaction to complete the casting of the Enlarge Spell. The power of magic surged into Lancelot¡¯s body, and he felt not that he was growing larger, but that the world around him was shrinking. However, to Bruto and the others, Lancelot did indeed grow larger. His figure soared upwards, but it stopped at around ten feet and did not reach twice his original height. "Kalalin! What kind of Enlarge Spell is this? What happened to twice the height, eight times the weight?" Bruto, leaning against one of Lancelot¡¯s enlarged thighs, shouted anxiously. "Impossible! I have not tampered with this spell at all! And even a true Mage couldn¡¯t have done it better than me!" Kalalin, unconvinced, retorted with her neck outstretched. "It must be my problem," Lancelot spoke, his voice like the muffled thunder of a summer day. He could feel the force surging into his body was extremely powerful, but the flesh and blood strengthened by nature¡¯s spiritual energy were not so easily duplicated. Everyone clung tightly to Lancelot, as scattering at this time would be akin to giving the enemy the opportunity to defeat them individually. With the large figure of Lancelot present, at least the shark-lizard beast would not be able to swallow them all in one bite. The vibrations from the ground grew stronger and stronger, making everyone¡¯s hearts rise to their throats. "Lower your center of gravity, brace for impact!" Lancelot called out a reminder, and everyone did as told immediately. Then, Lancelot suddenly leaped into the air. "What the hell..." Bruto was baffled by his movement and blurted out without thinking. Of course, Lancelot had no time to respond. He jumped nearly ten feet high, and at the apex of his leap, he drew his enlarged Great Sword, pointing it downward, and let gravity pull him back to the ground. As though it were a pre-arranged signal, the moment the tip of the sword pierced the ground, the earth burst apart simultaneously. A terrifying figure sprang from below; it was going to send all creatures on the surface flying and swallow the one in the middle in a single gulp. That is, if there wasn¡¯t a sword blade lodged in its mouth. Lancelot¡¯s sword tip pierced through the lower jaw of the shark-lizard beast, his feet planted on either side of its gaping maw, like a spread pair of tongs, preventing the monster from closing its devastatingly large mouth. But one Dwarf thought differently. Bruto had already made his way to the rear of the shark-lizard beast, holding up his Shield to block the flying mud and stones, cautiously trying to approach the enemy¡¯s hind legs, all the while wary of the shark-lizard beast¡¯s tail, which was like an iron rod. Lancelot naturally didn¡¯t overlook the Dwarf¡¯s movements; he executed a set of flashy sword Techniques, firmly capturing the enemy¡¯s attention. Bruto finally reached the enemy¡¯s feet. The shark-lizard beast¡¯s hind legs were as thick as pillars, filled with explosive power, but the Dwarf still found his favorite target, the protrusion where the monster¡¯s thigh met its calf. Bruto threw away the Shield, grabbed the hammer with both hands, and swung it high over his head, striking down hard on that protrusion. The beast, engaged in combat with Lancelot, let out an earth-shattering cry of pain, its body losing balance and toppling to one side, nearly crushing the Dwarf who was trying to deliver another hammer blow. The shark-lizard beast turned its head around; it would rather use its already partially shattered Helmet to block another of Lancelot¡¯s strikes than to tear apart that detestable little Dwarf. It hated Dwarves; the taste of Dwarves was difficult to stomach, like chewing on stones. It also detested Elves, for their flesh was scant and had a wooden stench to it. But the Knight¡¯s sword did not chop down as it had anticipated. Lancelot suddenly changed his move, unleashing an Upper Slash he hadn¡¯t used before in the fight. It was his trump card, which had helped him defeat countless enemies. Aside from being well-practiced, there was nothing special about the move itself, but Lancelot would initiate with a series of downward and Horizontal Slashes to create a defensive pattern in the enemy¡¯s mind, then he would suddenly perform an Upper Slash, often achieving a decisive effect. This time was no exception; the sword struck fiercely against the shark-lizard beast¡¯s unguarded, scar-riddled jaw. The force of this sword was so tremendous that it sent the upper body of the shark-lizard beast soaring upwards. Lancelot¡¯s Longsword did not hesitate; he had already considered three follow-up moves before his strike. The Longsword turned and stabbed, its blade piercing through the shark-lizard beast¡¯s lower jaw, through its mouth, and lodged against the part of the skull likely near its nose. The Knight roared, his body¡¯s True Qi circulating at full strength, and his giant-like physique burst forth with terrifying power, impaling the shark-lizard beast off the ground. The shark-lizard beast¡¯s mouth was forcefully pried open, its limbs flailing wildly, like a hooked carp. Although Lancelot¡¯s sword had controlled it, it failed to strike its brain and was not lethal. Looking at the shark-lizard beast¡¯s gaping mouth, Lancelot had a flash of inspiration and shouted: "Bruto! Climb onto my shoulders, quick!" Chapter 56 - 51: Pouring into the Belly "Bruto! Climb onto my shoulder!" The young Dwarf was seizing this rare opportunity, attacking the supports behind the Shark Lizard Beast¡¯s hind legs with ferocity when he heard the call. Startled, he hesitated for a moment, but his unquestioning trust in Lancelot kicked in immediately. He dashed over, dropped his hammer, and clambered onto Lancelot¡¯s ten-foot-tall frame using his hands and feet. Lancelot¡¯s body felt to him like freshly forged steel, hot and hard. It must be the effect of the Enlarge Spell, the Dwarf muttered to himself. As he climbed, Lancelot¡¯s arms continued to lift; his lips were tightly shut, and the muscles in his arms and shoulders bulged, indicating he was exerting all his strength. The Knight¡¯s current posture resembled that of a farmer wrestling a chayote, except his prey was twice his size. "Dimensional Bag!" Lancelot managed to utter between grunts, "Acid!" Bruto hesitated for a moment, then his face lit up with surprise. He absolutely loved Lancelot¡¯s idea. The Dwarf stepped onto the enlarged Frostslash and moved in front of the Shark Lizard Beast¡¯s gaping maw. He glanced down and nearly vomited. Starting from the throat, the beast¡¯s maw was filled with teeth¡ªits blood-red, razor-sharp teeth evoked images of the meat grinders Dwarves use to make sausages. Taking a deep breath, he took off the Dimensional Belt he had previously looted from the Mud Monster¡¯s body. With a flick of his wrist, he untied the rope around the bag¡¯s opening and upended it into the Shark Lizard Beast¡¯s mouth. A full 150 gallons of acid poured from the extradimensional space down the creature¡¯s gullet, which was thicker than Bruto¡¯s waist, straight into its belly. "How¡¯s the taste?" A triumphant smile spread across the Dwarf¡¯s face as the hissing sound of strong acid corroding flesh rose, and a potent, pungent odor filled the air. The Shark Lizard Beast¡¯s limbs twitched at a frequency only a dying animal could achieve, its movements so violent that even Lancelot, exerting himself to the maximum, could not hold onto his sword tightly. Bruto began to sway, on the verge of falling off the Sword Blade. But before he dropped, he took out two small bottles from his pocket and threw them into the Shark Lizard Beast¡¯s mouth. "Like that? Want me to season it more for you?" It had been used by the Malevolent Spirit Demon for hundreds of years, providing it with countless fresh corpses without raising any suspicion, after all, this was the Abyss¡ªwhere it would be strange if a mining pit never had any miner deaths. But the gift had another effect: once the recipient died, as long as the Malevolent Spirit Demon was on the same plane of existence, it could immediately occupy their corpse, regardless of the distance between them. "You damned fiend, will this never end!" Bruto, who had just been sitting deflated on the ground like a punctured ball, suddenly sprang up, running towards his hammer and shield that he had tossed aside earlier. Lancelot didn¡¯t understand how the Malevolent Spirit Demon managed all this, but he was very clear about the situation at hand. He was not unprepared, either. During the battle with the shark lizard, he had never used his most powerful move¡ªInnate True Qi¡ªintending to save it for this threat that had previously slipped away from him. The original plan of the Malevolent Spirit Demon was to command the shark lizard to kill these people, but the Human Knight had proven to be exceptionally strong under the effect of the Enlarge Spell, further fueling its desire for that body. In the last view of the shark lizard, it saw the effects of the Enlarge Spell dissipate, deciding it was time to take matters into its own hands. In fact, Kalalin had already used up all of his second-ring Spell slots, the only thing he could do now was to make sure he didn¡¯t become a burden to Lancelot. However, the Malevolent Spirit Demon had no plans to let him go. The shark lizard glanced at Kalalin, and the poor Scholar once again fled uncontrollably. Lancelot charged forward proactively. Given the size difference, once the shark lizard started its charge, nothing could stop it aside from the solid rock walls here. The Malevolent Spirit Demon-controlled shark lizard looked disdainfully at the human. He had indeed demonstrated great courage and skill in the recent fight, but what could courage and skill amount to in the face of absolute power? The shark lizard opened its massive mouth, revealing a full set of neatly arranged sharp teeth. Just as it was about to bite down on the human, who clearly overestimated his abilities, the target vanished from its sight. Lancelot once more used the Footwork Technique he had learned from the bamboo slips. Seizing the moment the shark lizard¡¯s eyes narrowed as it opened its mouth, he leaped mightily into the air. In this jump, he applied the mental method of Gathering Qi Slash, concentrating True Qi into his feet. To the onlookers, Lancelot¡¯s leap was so swift that he looked just like a tree frog. Given its body structure, it was difficult for the shark lizard to raise its head and observe above itself, but its upper body was covered with a thick Carapace, typically disregarding any threats from above. The Demon occupying the shark lizard¡¯s body was well aware of this, though it had yet to realize the disappeared Human Knight had now positioned himself on its head. In mid-air, Lancelot tapped into the very essence of the power within his Dantian Qi Sea. Chapter 1 Prologue With a thud, the hurried footsteps suddenly stopped, as if someone had tripped over a wide robe. But the footsteps quickly resumed, seemingly even more urgent than before. In a majestic hall, a man dressed in luxurious attire paced back and forth on a high platform, restless. This place had once been where the lords met with the Emperor, the center of power for the entire empire. Yet, aside from the man on the platform, there was no one else in the hall at that moment. Still, he felt as if he stood at the center of a stage, being watched by countless eyes. "Your Majesty! The eastern gate has been breached. Albert''s knights have stormed in!" The footsteps finally reached this place. A male servant rushed into the hall, only realizing after he had shouted that the hall was empty, except for the man on the platform. He looked around in terror, then swiftly turned and vanished into the shadows outside the door without a backward glance. The man referred to as His Majesty seemed not to have heard the servant''s shout, merely muttering to himself: "Rebels! Traitors!" "Buried alive! Burned at the stake! Hanged! No, no, no... that would be too easy for you. I will personally slice, slice..." "I am the Emperor of the Pharis Empire, the great Turas the Ninth. You must, you must submit to me!" "Die, die, die! All of you, die! All of you, all of you, all of you die!" The sound of steel clashing with stone interrupted him. At the entrance of the hall, knights clad in heavy armor, wielding swords and long spears, filed in, led by a striking blonde man adorned with a gold griffon on his cloak, who walked in surrounded by the crowd. The Emperor of the empire gasped for air, his eyes still crazy, flashing a bizarre smile. "I am the master of this world! A master has the right to do anything with his property! Yes...anything...the army is coming...you all...you all...will join my burial..." He fell to the ground, blood gushing out, the floor seemingly activating something, as a deep humming echoed through the air. The three elves looked shocked, the foremost elf urgently said: "This is not good! It''s a large spatial array, Albert, get everyone out! Quick!" The Knight King, confused by the sudden change, but trusting the elves whose accuracy had been proven multiple times, waved his hand, and everyone quickly but orderly evacuated the hall. As the last few knights were still walking out of the hall, the sounds around them suddenly vanished. They saw their comrades ahead gesturing wildly as if shouting, but heard nothing, pausing in bewilderment. Above the hall, the space seemed to have split open, and the entire building shattered like a mirror, the fracture smooth and polished, the fragments floating mid-air as if gravity had been lost. The few still dazing realized something was amiss only because their comrades were looking at them with fear and gradually retreating backwards. They finally reacted, sprinting forward frantically. Unfortunately, it was too late. Onlookers watched as they abruptly split apart, turning into chunks of flesh ensconced in armor, maintaining their original direction of motion until they finally crashed to the ground. The three elves'' faces turned pale, they exchanged glances as if confirming something. The lead elf spoke: "Albert, have everyone prepare for battle." Albert had regained his composure by then; he drew his longsword, signaling readiness for battle. Chapter 2 Prologue_2 "Everyone on guard! Captains, come to me." Soon seven or eight people emerged from the crowd. They were the Knight King Albert''s trusted lieutenants and his strongest warriors. All of them had a serious look on their faces; this was supposed to be a moment of celebration for victory, but the turn of events seemed to have surprised everyone. "What enemy are we facing?" A tall knight spoke up. He was around 30 years old, approaching six and a half feet tall with slightly curved black hair. His resolute face was chiseled like a sculpture, covered with a stubble that seemed carelessly shaved. Beneath deep-set eye sockets were a pair of light blue eyes that reminded one of a lake nestled in the valleys. "Sir Lancelot, do you remember the ancient history I once spoke of?" The leading elf spoke warmly to the valorous knight. You''ve told many fine stories, High Priestess Aspasia," the tall knight named Lancelot replied politely. "Which one do you refer to specifically?" Elves, the favored children of heaven and earth, immortal beings. They had joined the Rebel Army not long after the rebellion broke out¡ªsuccessive Emperors of the Pharis Empire had ordered the dense forests of the Eastern Continent to be burnt to the ground, and those forests were the elves'' home. They guided the rebel forces through the woods, used mysterious herbs to heal the wounded, and were also the finest scouts and archers, greatly aiding the cause of the rebellion. "Of course, I''m talking about the great war that shattered the elf race thousands of years ago," said Aspasia, the leader among the three elves. "I feel the presence of the Abyss. It seems the elders have always been right to suspect the Pharis Empire''s Royal Family. Brace yourselves, the portal is stable now; something is about to come through." The grand hall had been thoroughly destroyed, and the gravity in the area seemed to have returned to normal, with broken tiles and rubble scattered everywhere. When they were still several yards apart, the beast suddenly leapt into the air, all three ferocious mouths biting viciously forward. Seeing this, Lancelot forcefully stepped forward, and the ground immediately spider-webbed with cracks. Using this foot as a pivot, he concentrated all his strength, swung his Longsword from below, and viciously thrust upward at the falling creature. The Great Sword''s length played a decisive role in this confrontation, striking the creature''s middle head midair. Fangs and sharp teeth were no match for the fearsome force of the Metal weapon; the Sword Blade cut through like a hot knife through butter, splitting the creature''s upper body in two, drenching Lancelot in crimson blood. But Lancelot didn''t pause for a moment, spinning around with a Horizontal Slash, and completely cleaved the body still in the air into two halves. His triumph greatly inspired the knights behind him, and the crowd surged forward, quickly cutting down the remaining creatures, leaving the square filled with spilling blood and chunks of flesh. "Looks pretty fierce, but it wasn''t much in the end, scared me to death, hahaha..." Relaxed voices echoed through the crowd. Fear always stems from the unknown, but once the object of your Fear is slain by your weapon, Fear vanishes like smoke. But the captains under the Knight King didn''t relax; they gathered again, looking towards the Portal in the sky. Albert spoke to the elves: "High Priest, what exactly are these creatures? Where do they come from? What world lies beyond the Portal?" The elven Priestess Aspasia stared bewilderedly at the bodies of the creatures, not speaking right away, while another elf responded: Chapter 3 Prologue_3 ``` "It looks like a dog, larger in size, with bone spurs on its back, multiple heads, just like the descriptions in the sacred texts, High Priest, take a look..." "It is indeed an Abyssal Hound, I never thought I would see these creatures again," Aspasia said, seemingly awakened from her memories, her voice deep and solemn, "Albert, we have trouble." Albert frowned at these words and hesitated before speaking: "You mentioned the great war from tens of thousands of years ago..." "Yes," Aspasia nodded. "About 50,000 years ago, the Elves, like humans now, spread across every corner of the world and even started exploring other worlds. Soon, we discovered a plane called the Abyss." "That plane was fascinating, filled with all sorts of terrifying creatures and rich in magical resources. Initially, we only thought the environment was harsh and failed to realize that it was the creatures of the Abyss that posed the real threat." "We constructed a vast portal in an attempt to delve deeper into this plane. Although the beings there were powerful, they seemed mindless and unorganized, and at first, we encountered little resistance. However, when several Abyssal Lords combined their forces, a terrible war erupted." "The enemy had an overwhelming advantage in numbers, and some of their higher creatures were incredibly powerful. We simply couldn''t hold them back. After the portal fell, these Abyssal creatures rushed into our world through the passage." "The Elves finally realized their grave mistake, but it was too late. In the final moments, the five Elf Kings united and assembled the last of their armies, making a suicidal assault on the portal''s location, the once supreme royal city." "The attack succeeded. The portal was destroyed, along with the enemy''s main forces and an entire tract of land. The inner sea of the Western Continent was formed from that explosion." "Although Elves have near-infinite lifespans, because the environment of this world was severely damaged, it became difficult for us, born from natural forces, to reproduce. The remnant Elves, less than one percent of the original population, retreated into the dense forests of the Eastern Continent." Everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Albert looked complicatedly at the person who had volunteered. The strong Lancelot, the brave Lancelot, the righteous Lancelot, the Lancelot who always charged ahead. Everyone knew of a Lancelot in the rebel army who had never lost a battle, but not everyone knew that the leader of the rebel alliance was Albert. Reality was so ironic. Even though Lancelot had always been loyal to Albert, the increasing fame had made Lancelot the greatest threat to Albert. "Are you sure?" The High Priest hesitated slightly. The lifespan of humans, compared to Elves, is very short, so she could not quite understand human thoughts. The black-haired Knight didn''t speak but simply nodded lightly. "Very well, Sir Lancelot. On behalf of the Elf Race, I extend the deepest gratitude to you," Aspasia said solemnly. Lancelot managed a strained smile: "I trust in your wisdom; someone had to do it. What exactly should I do?" The Elf took out an exquisitely woven bag and loaded it with gemstones she had prepared earlier. Then she took out a dark red branch, inserted it into the mouth of the bag, and tied it securely. She handed the bag to Lancelot, explaining: "Once inside, you will find yourself in a corridor-like environment, surrounded by the most beautiful starry sky you have ever seen." "Do not look at those stars; they will cause you to get lost. Focus straight ahead, and you will see a door in the distance, the exit to another world." ``` Chapter 4 Prologue_4 "Words cannot describe the distance between you and that door; you won''t feel like you are moving, but the light door in the distance will become closer and closer, while the door behind you will grow farther and farther away. After about a thousand heartbeats, you will arrive in front of the door on the other side," "Just before you leave, snap the branch sealing this bag and violently throw the bag backward," Aspasia pointed to the bag that had just been handed over. "The gemstones in the bag will explode within three breaths, releasing energy that will destroy the passage and thoroughly disrupt the surrounding space. Of course, you should be fine as long as you sprint forward immediately after exiting through the light door." Lancelot listened silently, then nodded his head and said, "There''s no time to delay, I will depart now." He turned to look at Albert, "Your Majesty, I wish you all the best." Albert suddenly felt somewhat ashamed, yet he had never loathed the man before him so intensely. He suppressed all his emotions and said blankly, "Thank you for your service; we will all remember your achievements." "Thank you, you will surely be a fine Emperor," Lancelot bowed one last time to Albert, resettled the Great Sword on his back, adjusted his armor and cloak, and turned to walk toward the light door. He had once sworn to serve this man forever, but perhaps he had performed too well, as Albert seemed to wish he had never appeared. The timing of this door''s opening was perfect. The Elves didn''t need to recount those ancient tales. Whether he truly wished it or not, he was inevitably the one to sacrifice himself to save the world. Stepping forward was actually his easiest choice. He spoke immediately, not wanting to give Albert time to think. Everything so far had been within his acceptable range. But had Albert shown even a hint of coercion, he was unsure whether he could remain loyal to his previous vows. Lancelot subconsciously reached to touch his ears. The High Priest playfully winked, "But unfortunately, elf-like ears are not included." "That''s the essence," Lancelot realized he was speaking an unfamiliar language. "It seems you''ve noticed, this blessing also includes much knowledge, and..." The High Priest paused. "It grants you a lifespan many times that of an ordinary person." Lancelot was utterly stunned. The High Priest smiled. "This blessing has drained the magic power we three have accumulated over countless years, but we gladly did so, as this is the Elves'' way of thanking you." "The world beyond is barren and dangerous, a place of survival of the fittest, but I believe you can survive. Go forth, bearing our blessing; from now on, time shall not weaken you. We hope that one day, you will find your way back home." Lancelot smiled, his smile no longer heavy. "Thank you, High Priest, I am suddenly filled with anticipation for the future," he said. Having spoken, he no longer lingered but stepped through the light door. Oh, homeland, will I ever see you again... Chapter 5 Battle in the Mines The Berserk Demon discarded the whip in its hand. To them, whips were too soft, and their own claws were far more useful. The young Dwarf clutched his Cross Pickaxe tightly in both hands. He knew he might not see tomorrow''s sun, but he would rather die than continue living such a humiliating life. The Demon and the Dwarf merely confronted each other briefly before the Demon impatiently launched its attack. Using its powerful legs, like a real toad, it leaped fiercely, slashing downward at its target with both claws. The Dwarf tried to defend himself, but the Cross Pickaxe was not a very good substitute for a shield. He barely managed to deflect the first strike, but he was powerless against the second one that immediately followed. He only had time to protect his vitals as he was struck squarely by the claw and sent flying. The watching Berserk Demons let out a cheer, and even the overseer forgot his duties, issuing a shrill shout of encouragement. The young Dwarf struggled to his feet, his arms and shoulders bearing horrific wounds, but only a little blood flowed out. Dwarves had rock-like bodies and were naturally resistant to bleeding. Although the young Dwarf looked quite disheveled, he had successfully avoided a fatal hit and had not lost his combat ability. Seeing him stand again, the toad Demon roared angrily. This time, it charged on all fours like a wild boar, opening its gaping maw to bite ferociously. The young Dwarf hugged his head and rolled on the ground, narrowly dodging the attack. The audience let out a huge boo, disliking this kind of evasive combat. As the dominant Duelist, the Berserk Demon, spurred on by the booing of its peers, became somewhat frantic. It turned around impatiently and lunged at its opponent, intending to use its previously successful double claw strike again. This time, the young Dwarf did not try to parry with the Cross Pickaxe; he continued to roll on the ground, keeping low and dodging the attack. But this time there was something different. The upper limbs of the Berserk Demon were extremely thick, and its head was directly atop its shoulders with almost no neck, which made it unable to see clearly the actions of the Dwarf beneath it while in midair. As he rolled underneath, the Dwarf maliciously extended the Cross Pickaxe. A relatively small body had many clever uses, such as quickly adjusting one''s posture and exerting force for an attack while rolling and dodging. A sound of bones shattering was heard. The young Dwarf drove the sharp end of the Cross Pickaxe into the Berserk Demon''s knee, shattering the bone inside. The Berserk Demon let out an earth-shattering scream. Its landing aggravated the knee injury, rendering it completely unable to stand, only able to prop itself up with its claws, sprawled on the ground. "Haha, who said three-legged toads are hard to find? Here''s one right here!" All of the Dwarves burst into mad laughter, and not even the fiercely falling whips could stop them. The pain completely enraged the Berserk Demon. Madness and the desire for slaughter completely took over its mind, and it wanted nothing more than to tear the detestable little Dwarf to pieces. It charged at the Dwarf again, using its one good leg and two arms, while the young Dwarf turned and ran, circling around the bottom of the mine. The three-legged toad Demon couldn''t catch up with the nimble Dwarf, its dragging, injured leg and crawling with claws on the ground appearing quite comical, eliciting laughter from everyone, including the other Berserk Demons. Perhaps it was the laughter that irritated it, or perhaps the young Dwarf grew tired from running, but the gap between them gradually closed. Finally, the three-legged toad seized an opportunity, pushed off the ground with its single leg, and sprang forward ferociously, while the Dwarf ahead seemed to have carelessly run into a dead end, facing a rock wall with no space to dodge. "No, no, no, no!" "Tear it to pieces!" The dwarves cheered wildly, despite themselves, the Berserk Demons roared in anger, but the most piercing was the demon overseer''s scream: "Berserk Demons! Kill him for me! I want to skin him alive!" In reality, some Berserk Demons had already leaped down before the overseer''s words even finished, and the young dwarf stood no chance. He could only rely on his small stature to dodge back and forth. However, overwhelmed and outnumbered, he was tripped and fell to the ground, struggling to get up, and the situation was extremely dire. The dwarf slaves sprang into action. They grabbed cross pickaxes and swung them wildly, delaying the steps of several Berserk Demons, but more leaped down from the spectator seats, ready to join the onslaught against that gladiator. A shadow moved faster than them; it was Lancelot, who had been watching from the sidelines for a while. The young dwarf''s battle had made his blood boil, but he had restrained himself from taking action immediately, as interrupting an honorable duel was not the conduct of a knight. However, he had also taken the opportunity to clearly observe the enemy''s situation. The Berserk Demons were strong and heavily relied on their sharp claws and fangs in combat, but they were irritable and foolish, with brute strength but no more skill in battle than wild beasts. The overseer didn''t appear to be skilled in close combat, but its fly-like body and stiletto-like mouth suggested its combat style might favor stabbing, and its shrill voice indicated it could also have some kind of sonic attack. Energy surged from his Dantian, True Qi rushing through each meridian. This was Lancelot''s first battle since becoming a Spiritual Cultivator, and he felt his great sword was so light, as if he had boundless vigor throughout his body. The moment he landed, he skewered an enemy to the ground. Twisting the hilt of his sword, a bloody hole appeared at the back of his foe''s head. On human battlefields, wielding a two-handed great sword, he would be at the very front of the line, shattering the enemy''s dense spear formations. In the Abyss, against enemies like the Berserk Demons, who stood a head taller than humans, the great sword was even more outstanding. The long sword blade ensured Lancelot could stay as far as possible from the dangerous claws of the Berserk Demons while the destructive power of the great sword allowed him to critically injure every enemy he struck. After chopping off several claws and cleaving several toad heads, the assault against him ceased. The Berserk Demons surrounded Lancelot but refrained from approaching out of fear. Only then did Lancelot reach out to pull up that brave young dwarf, laughing as he said, "You fought very well, little brother." "Who you calling ''little''? You''re the one without even a beard," replied the dwarf. The two of them burst into hearty laughter before Lancelot introduced himself: "My name is Lancelot Durek, a knight who has fallen to this place, no, a Paladin. What''s your name?" The young dwarf bowed: "Thank you. I''m Bruto Frostforge, a blacksmith. It seems you won''t be needing that shield on your back for the time being, may I borrow it for a while?" "You haven''t formally completed your apprenticeship!" It seemed that the elder dwarf wouldn''t be dying anytime soon. "That''s because of these damned demons!" Bruto, realizing his father was awake, yelled back excitedly yet somewhat embarrassed. Lancelot unhesitatingly removed the shield. It was a cavalry shield, used to fend off enemy knights'' long spear charges, very thick and durable but too heavy for dismounted use. However, it was quite suitable for Bruto¡ªdwarves, while only two-thirds the height of humans, weighed about the same, with very sturdy builds and strength surpassing that of humans; and the shield was large enough to protect their entire body. Lancelot nodded in satisfaction, seeing Bruto looking like a fully-equipped infantryman: "Ready to handle the rest of these toads?" "Let''s go, pal. I''m positively starving for action!" Chapter 6 Barrend As the roar erupted, a tall and a short figure charged towards the Berserk Demons. Although it was their first time working together, they exhibited a good understanding ¡ª mainly Lancelot coordinating with Bruto. With a sturdy shield and powerful muscles, Bruto could directly block the Berserk Demons'' bites and claws, smashing a few knees in his spare time, while Lancelot took care of protecting Bruto''s flanks and rear, slashing off claws that Bruto didn''t see, stabbing his sword into the mouths of giant toads, and stomping on the brains of the fallen Berserk Demons with his steel boots. They had knocked down several Berserk Demons almost instantly, and just as they were about to clinch an overwhelming victory, suddenly, a piercing howl sounded from above. This was an attack using sonic waves emitted by the wings of the Demon taskmaster, a sound so loud and sharp it was unbearable, forcing everyone to huddle and squat on the ground, trying to block out the maddening noise. The Demons were much less affected, seizing the opportunity to break away from the fray. Demons have terrifying regeneration abilities; given a short period, severe injuries could become minor, but there weren''t many giant toads left alive, and those remaining were almost crippled by Lancelot and the other Dwarves. The Demon taskmaster, like a spider, crawled down the nearly vertical pit wall and moved towards Lancelot and Bruto. As it drew nearer, the horrific sound waves it emitted became more intense, robbing people of the ability to resist and leaving them at its mercy. This ability was almost impossible to counter for the Mortal Races with hearing and required a higher level of strength to withstand. This is also why these humanoid fly-like Demons are often appointed as taskmasters; their terrible screeching could quickly quell any slave uprising. It moved step by step towards Lancelot, this unexpected human. If not for him, the bold Dwarf would have been torn to shreds, a scenario proven multiple times to be very effective in boosting the work efficiency of the slaves. As for the death of a Berserk Demon, it couldn''t care less; after all, Berserk Demons were just cannon fodder. With a wave of their mighty hands and a bit of their seemingly inconsequential magic power, the Demon Lords could turn swathes of Coward Devils into Berserk Demons with screams of agony ¡ª they were then usually thrown into meat-grinder battles, resulting in Berserk Demons having the shortest average lifespan in the entire Demon Race, less than 24 hours. It walked up to Lancelot, satisfied to see the human clutching his ears in a death grip, oblivious to the approach. The humanoid fly Demon raised its head, its half-meter-long pointed beak gleaming with lethal cold light, ready to plunge into the throat of the man. It glanced at its prey out of the corner of its eye, sensing that something was off. Although the man was covering his ears, his expression was not one of agony; in fact, the corners of his mouth were curling into a faint smile. In that brief moment of its hesitation, an iron hand shot out like lightning, seizing it by the root of its beak. Lancelot had actually used True Qi to block his ears from the start, and while it couldn''t completely shield out the terrifying buzzer, it was at least no longer unbearable. The Demon struggled violently in his grasp, but Lancelot''s hand was like a clamp, holding it firmly in place. He pulled down on the beak with his left hand, forcing the Demon''s head to droop, then drew his sword with his right hand and swooped down in one motion to decapitate the Demon from its body. The remaining few Berserk Demons, seeing this, let out a strange cry and fled clean away. The decapitated body continued to flutter its wings, emitting that terrible screech, forcing Lancelot to chop off the pair of translucent wings as well. At this, Lancelot grew curious: "Abyssal Ranger? What is that?" "A good person wandering in the Abyss," shrugged Bruto. "Some are forced to flee here yet are fortunate enough not to lose their freedom, like you," the old Dwarf said, sighing. "The Abyss is a dangerous place, but it can also easily make one stronger. Those who gain power here yet refuse to fall are called Abyssal Rangers. But you must understand, such individuals are few and far between, and they mostly lead a life in hiding." By then, the other surviving Dwarves had also gathered around, thanking Lancelot, with Barrend introducing them one by one: "This is Adrick, this is his brother Adbeke, and these three are Delg, Dain, and Darak..." "We wanted to forge a warhammer as a gift for the coronation of the new King. I organized this mining team to enter an ancient mine in hopes of finding the finest Mithril Ore." "We knew the dangers deep within the mine, but that was the only place where Mithril Ore could still be found." "Deep underground, we found what we were looking for. In fact, we discovered an entire vein of Mithril Ore, and everyone was so excited that they forgot the repeated admonitions of the Miners'' Guild before we set out." "There wasn''t much left to mine inside, and if a new vein was discovered, what we should have done was to leave quickly, not linger on." "Just as you humans cannot resist the temptation of gold, we Dwarves also cannot step away when we discover a precious ore vein. By the time we came to our senses, the mine behind us had disappeared." "The Demons that roam the underground quickly found us; they seem to frequently capture such unlucky fellows. They didn''t tear us to pieces on the spot, but instead brought us to a steel fortress on the surface, where our slavery began." "There, we saw a large number of other slaves, most of them Dwarves but also humans, Elves, and even Orcs and Goblins. A Demon with huge wings was our master; it drove us to collect ores and forge equipment for it, until one day a more powerful Demon Lord came and hung its corpse on the city walls, and we had a new master." "Such events happened every few months. We''ve been in this world for over a year, right up until we met you." Lancelot nodded sympathetically, consoling: "The days of hardship are finally over. We will surely find a way back to our original world." "That''s almost impossible," the old Dwarf''s eyes darkened. "We once met an Elf who was a well-learned Scholar before he became a slave. He told us that the Abyssal Plane is beneath all the Main Planes, like a rubbish bin, the destination for all evil, fallen souls. Descending from the upper planes through portals is quite easy. Any careless Mage might accidentally open a portal to the Abyssal Plane, but ascending from a lower plane to an upper one is very difficult, requiring the strength of at least a Demigod to achieve." Lancelot was also struck by this news, but he immediately thought that with his own practice of the Spiritual Cultivation Tao, there might be a glimmer of hope. "That Elf may not be entirely correct; there might be other methods he doesn''t know of," Lancelot tried to sound more upbeat. "What are your plans now?" A small debate quickly broke out among the Dwarves, but Barrend eventually persuaded everyone. "We plan to head to Twin Bridges Town." Chapter 7 Demons and Demon "What kind of place is Twin Bridges Town? Is there anything special about it?" Barrend''s eyes lit up with longing as he answered: "Twin Bridges Town is one among the few neutral towns in the Abyss, and it''s the closest to us. It lies just beyond the foothills on the other side of the Shattered Mountain Range. We should be able to see it once we get over this hill." The word ''neutral'' caught Lancelot''s attention, and he asked with confusion: "Neutral Town? Neutral between whom and whom?" "Between Demons and Devils, of course. Didn''t you know?" Bruto looked at Lancelot oddly, then remembered something and apologized with a smile, "Sorry, I forgot you''re new here. Old man, better you explain." "I''ve heard of Devils." Lancelot answered, "They don''t get along with Demons?" "It''s more than just not getting along. If one day all the Demons in the Abyss vanished completely, the first suspects would definitely not be the Holy Warriors from Mount Heaven." Barrend stroked his gray white beard. "Although both Devils and Demons are incarnations of ultimate evil in this universe, they severely clash over many doctrines." "How does one differentiate evil from evil?" Lancelot asked curiously. "If there are distinctions within the good alignment, there are naturally also distinctions within the evil alignment." "Wait, could you first explain the distinctions within the good alignment?" "Well, the simplest example: A just Judge and a robin-hood-like thief. They''re both good people, with kind hearts, the latter mocks the former''s prudishness and naivety while the former believes that regardless of whom the stolen items come from, or how they''re handled, theft must be punished by the law." "An interesting view, but most people probably aren''t that extreme, right?" "Indeed not, but to some extent, everyone has some inclinations," Barrend spread his hands, continuing, "Perhaps that''s why we''re mortal. Unfortunately, Demons and Devils happen to be at these two extremes." Lancelot was utterly engrossed, as these pieces of information were not in the knowledge left to him by the elves. He remembered another question and hurriedly asked: "By the way, are we in the first layer of the Abyss?" "Correct, this is the topmost layer of the Abyssal Plane, named the Plains of the Abyss. The Plains of the Abyss is the largest layer in the Abyssal Plane and the battlefield of the eternal Blood War." Lancelot pondered for a moment; a neutral town was immensely enticing to him. He could obtain information, supplies, and even refuge there. If he wanted to survive in the Abyss for a long time, a neutral town that welcomed him would be very helpful. "A neutral town sounds perfect for me right now. Can I come with you?" "Of course, no problem!" Bruto interjected happily. "The Abyss is full of dangers. To have a powerful and noble knight like yourself accompany us would be our pleasure," Bruto''s father added more seriously. "But we are not in a rush to leave; we might still stay here for a few days." "What? Why not leave immediately? Is there something else you haven''t handled yet?" Lancelot asked, puzzled. "Haha, look around you, there''s a group of Dwarves and a mine here," Bruto answered with a laugh. "And to be honest, this is a really good mine. If the demons would treat us a bit better, there would be no need for whips. Just two days, no, three days, and we can arm everyone here." Lancelot asked, genuinely surprised: "Can you start work right here?" "With a Cross Pickaxe and Blacksmith Hammer, we can start work anywhere. There are ore materials here, magma for heat, and a true master¡ªI''m talking about my old man. Speak now if you have any requests; it will cost you later." "What nonsense are you speaking?" Bruto was again soundly punched by his delighted father. "Don''t mind this lad''s nonsense, Sir Lancelot. If you have any needs, you can approach me anytime. Dwarves never forget those who lend a hand during tough times." "You''re too kind. I really don''t have anything to offer as payment right now," Lancelot said, scratching his head awkwardly. "I would like to turn this fellow''s mouth into a short sword or a dagger. Also, this armor might need some maintenance. If you could make the moving parts quieter, that would be great¡ªcharging head-on in the Abyss might not be a good idea." "Making weapons from special materials is my forte. We''ve also found some excellent copper ore and Dragon Scale Charcoal here. Just a small technique is needed to make your armor as smooth as if it were oiled," the former best blacksmith of Rivet Fort proudly said. "Just you wait and see." Chapter 8 Methods of Cultivation in the Abyss Not far from the Dwarf mines, Lancelot was sitting cross-legged in a cave. He had been cultivating here for the past two days, striving to enhance his cultivation level. It wasn''t that there was anything special about the cave, it was simply because the hammering of the Dwarves wasn''t as piercing here. He found he no longer required sleep; after finishing his cultivation sessions, he could naturally enter into meditation. Resting for just an hour or two in a meditative state would leave him as refreshed as if he had slept through the night. His cultivation speed was now much slower than when he first experienced sensing Qi, but Lancelot was clear that this was the normal state of affairs. A rapid increase in strength out of nowhere was nothing but a castle in the air, and the journey of Spiritual Cultivation was really about building a tower of sand¡ªaccumulating slowly day by day until, eventually, countless streams return to the ocean, transcending the mundane and entering the realm of the holy. Of course, these eloquent words were not his own; they came from Han Tianzun who left the bamboo slips containing his cultivation insights. Every day, Lancelot would read the contents related to cultivation knowledge and experiences with a voracious thirst, in addition to his own practice. Han Tianzun came from a world where Spiritual Cultivation was mainstream, where there were various Magical Treasures and Elixirs that could aid in cultivation, some great sects even provided these for free to their outstanding members'' progeny; there were abundant spiritual energy reserves in blessed lands and caves, typically occupied by various powerful forces, but where one could advance by leaps and bounds in cultivation; and there were also ancient caves and secret realms left by sages of old, where obtaining the lost Divine Skills and Magical Treasures could be exchanged for rich rewards from the great sects, or the bold among them might quietly keep the treasures for themselves, silently amassing a fortune. Such things obviously did not exist in the Abyssal Plane, but Han Tianzun had left behind methods of Alchemy and Artifact Refining, which Lancelot might try out if he got the chance. Another matter that he took great interest in was the mention by Han Tianzun one day regarding the "anomalous" nature of the spiritual energy in this world. In the words of the old Dwarf Barrend, the Abyssal Plane was practically the Main Plane''s trash bin, septic tank, the ultimate destination for all that was evil, filthy, and Fallen. Naturally, the spiritual energy one could absorb while cultivating in this world had its issues. The Qi Sea in his Dantian was currently dominated by his own Innate Power. Innate Power was like an unfathomably deep ocean, deep and serene when calm. The spiritual energy he absorbed through cultivation from the outside world was different, however; they were like raging magma and roaring waterfalls, powerful but difficult to control. Yesterday, Lancelot tried practicing a Qi Refinement Realm Combat Technique called Gathering Qi Slash. The essence of this technique was to channel True Qi along a special path through the Meridians before releasing it with a slashing motion.No?v(el)B\\jnn He used the stone platform on which he was seated as the object of his experiment. When he exercised his power using Innate True Qi, the stone platform was sliced into two pieces as easily as a hot knife through butter. But when he switched to the spiritual energy of the Abyssal Plane, his Great Sword glowed red as he began to channel Qi, and with one strike, the platform exploded into over a dozen pieces upon contact with the Sword Blade. That was why he was now sitting on the ground. Although visually the effect of a single explosive slash was very cool, the actual utilization of energy was quite low. In terms of power, it was clear that the version using Innate True Qi was much stronger. Lancelot felt quite helpless about this; he had tried many methods from the bamboo slips, including the Ice Heart Spell for resisting the Heart Demon, and the Three Purities meditation for controlling emotions, but sadly, they were not very effective. Instead, they did help to stabilize his impatient state of mind considerably. Bruto involuntarily shrank his neck back and continued, "This weapon also retains the demon''s poison, so enemies hit by it will become very weak, uh, if they aren''t killed by you on the spot, that is." "Thank you, I''m very satisfied," Lancelot said as he put the short sword away. "I also like the name Kiss of Deadly Poison; it suits it." "My dad''s always had a knack for naming weapons," Bruto beamed, continuing to pull more items out of his little cart. "Here''s your armor. We''ve made some modifications at the joints as you asked, so you can try it on." Lancelot took the armor, now disassembled into parts, and noticed the joints had turned the color of brass, dotted with coin-sized black spots. "That''s graphite. We extracted it from Dragon Scale charcoal. It will make the brass very slick. You''ll know once you put it on." Lancelot, filled with curiosity, put on the armor right there. "Wow, I didn''t think you''d manage on your own," Bruto exclaimed, impressed that Lancelot had swiftly donned the full set of armor without assistance. Lancelot was also startled for a moment. Full body armor was very heavy, and it was quite difficult to put on without an attendant''s help, but now he had managed to do it by himself. It seemed that cultivation had indeed greatly improved his physical condition. "I''ve specifically trained for it," boasted Lancelot modestly. He moved around and found that the clanging of metal no longer sounded; now it was more like the noise of sand rubbing against sand. Although it was far from silent, it was much quieter than before when it could be heard from thirty paces away. "I really can''t thank you enough," Lancelot suddenly felt a bit ashamed. "I don''t have much to offer as a reward, but I will ensure your safety with all my might on our upcoming journey to Twin Bridges Town." "Don''t mention it, but speaking of a reward..." Bruto suddenly seemed a little embarrassed. "Well, about that shield of yours, I found it quite handy to use. Could I possibly..." "Haha, not a problem. We worked really well together when you took the shield," Lancelot pointed at the great sword leaning against the wall. "I prefer using this now." Bruto looked at the weapon, nearly two heads taller than him, with awe, "That thing sure is imposing. It''s very fitting in this world. Unfortunately, we Dwarves can''t use it ¡ª its center of gravity is just too high, making it hard for us to maintain balance when swinging it." Lancelot chuckled and patted his shoulder, "Now whenever I see a Cross Pickaxe, I can almost feel an ache in my knees." "Haha, the Cross Pickaxe is certainly the greatest invention of this world after the forge," Bruto said with a laughing smile. "Alright then, the preparations are all done. It''s time for us to set off." Chapter 9 The Way Down the Mountain Lancelot followed Bruto out of the cave where he''d been practicing his cultivation and returned to the edge of the mine. In just three short days, the place had been transformed into a temporary Dwarven forge. Lancelot saw piles of coal, earthen forges, casting molds dug into the ground, and bellows fashioned from the wings of Demons. Although the facilities were very simplistic, they had successfully equipped all the Dwarves with Armor and Helmets, and each had a Hand Axe and Warhammer tucked at their sides, fully armed to the teeth. "Only those who have lost their freedom know how sweet it tastes." Bruto placed the Helmet he''d been carrying on his back on his head. "And those who try to enslave us will either get our corpses or nothing at all." "What is that on your Helmet?" Lancelot noticed a tall statue of a Berserk Demon that was quite lifelike on Bruto''s Helmet. "Ha, it''s a memorial of the first enemy I killed," Bruto answered proudly. "Now everyone calls me Frog Slayer." "Was that your first battle?" Lancelot asked in surprise, Bruto''s calmness and bravery had left a deep impression on him at the time. "True as true can be, I''m only 35 years old, and before that, I was an Apprentice in my dad''s forge," Bruto said, straightening his back. "Maybe I have a knack for being an Adventurer." Lancelot inwardly sighed at the thought of being only 35 years old. But for Dwarves, who lived past 300 years, one was considered young until the age of 50. He took another look at Bruto''s Helmet and secretly suspected that the main purpose of the toad-like figure was to make the wearer appear a bit taller. "Oh, Sir Lancelot, you''re here. How''s the Armor?" Bruto''s father, a master-level Dwarven Artisan, walked over. "The craftsmanship of the Dwarves truly lives up to its reputation. Thank you, Master Barrend, I am very satisfied." "Ha! These are all makeshift, put together in haste." Barrend laughed. "The conditions here are really poor. When I get the chance, I''ll show you what true Dwarven craftsmanship is all about." Lancelot too smiled. In the company of these cheerful Dwarves, he''d almost forgotten he was in such a terrifying plane. -------------------------- "No need for two days, half a day at most," Bruto approached, holding something. "As long as you learn to use our dwarven mode of transportation." Hearing this, Lancelot turned around and saw that the so-called mode of transportation was just a pair of slender metal boards, with one end curled upward and what looked like a place to put boots welded in the middle. "Uh, what''s this?" Lancelot asked, suddenly having a bad feeling. "This is called a pair of skis," Bruto said, his face filled with an excited frenzy. "Skiing is one of the favorite sports among us mountain dwarves, and skis are simple to use, very easy to learn." "I know what skiing is," Lancelot swallowed hard. "But where is the snow here?" "Look under our feet, big guy," Bruto stomped on the ground, kicking up some dust. "Every corner of the Plains of the Abyss is covered with a thick layer of ash that you can treat just like snow, its friction is even less than that of snow. See those smooth slopes? The ash layer there is at least three meters thick." "But this seems very dangerous," Lancelot insisted. "That''s why we have a full set of protective gear. Well, they''re also armor." Bruto handed two ski poles to Lancelot and began helping him put on the skis. "We''ll just follow behind the others. The veterans will find a suitable path ahead." Barrend had already set off with the other dwarves. It''s worth noting that skiing is indeed a very simple sport for dwarves, who have a lower center of gravity. Besides, their bodies were like stone; if they were to crash into something, the one taking more damage might not be these dwarves. With Elves'' blessings and the enhancement of Spiritual Cultivation, I should be able to survive the journey down the mountain, Lancelot consoled himself. "By the way, your armor should be able to withstand an impact of over a ton, right?" Lancelot''s face changed and he was just about to answer when Bruto pushed him out. "Bruto!!!!!! Aaaaaah!!!!!!!" Bruto wore a mischievous grin, then adjusted his helmet and leaped out after him. Chapter 10 Alpine Slides After a brief moment of panic, Lancelot swiftly regained his balance thanks to his excellent physical conditioning. His memories of skiing were instinctively awakened, a skill he learned during a vacation with his brother when he was younger. After the initial steep descent, the slope became slightly more gentle. Lancelot worked hard to control his skis, making wide turns on the dusty slope to avoid picking up too much speed. Bruto, making smaller, quicker turns, caught up from behind and crossed paths with Lancelot while skiing. "You''re skiing pretty well!" "What?" The wind blowing straight at him was too loud, and Lancelot couldn''t hear clearly. "I said you''re doing pretty well!" Bruto roared, and Lancelot quickly nodded to show he had heard. "I won''t wait for you!" Bruto bent his body and, like a fish, shot forward instantly, leaving Lancelot in the dust at the back. Lancelot shook his head and continued at a comfortable pace, moving steadily forward. The wind from the Abyss carried the scent of sulfur as it brushed Lancelot''s face. He skied down following the marks left by the Dwarfs, fully enjoying the thrill speed brought. His heart gradually became calm, quietly feeling the atmosphere of becoming one with nature. From his Dantian, a strand of True Qi naturally separated and began circulating through his Meridians in the Circulation of Qi. At this moment, he entered a mysterious state. According to the records on the bamboo slips, Spiritual Cultivators sometimes feel very attuned with nature and subconsciously enter a state of "Enlightenment," where their primary Cultivation Technique naturally operates, significantly increasing their cultivation level and providing an indescribable insight into the "Tao." Compared to normal Cultivation, the speed of absorbing nature''s Spiritual Energy was much faster now. By the time Lancelot came out of this state, his body emitted a visible white vapor. He realized that he had unknowingly broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Cultivation, but he had no time to rejoice over this; he was merely annoyed that the mysterious state had ended so quickly. During that state, it seemed like he had comprehended many things, and questions about Cultivation that he had been pondering over for a long time seemed to have answers, but now, he could remember none of it, only a vague impression remained. "Aaaaaah!!! Keep it away from me! Get this thing off me!!" Bruto glanced back and saw the mouth was almost upon his backside, scaring him out of his wits, flailing with all his might to slightly increase the distance from the sandworm again. Lancelot wanted to help, but he simply couldn''t catch up, so all he could do was watch anxiously from behind. Suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashed in his mind, remembering the records about "Flying Sword" on the bamboo slips. The day Han Celestial Sovereign controlled a small Flying Sword, he almost instantly chopped a demon wielding great axes into pieces¡ªthe image deeply embedded in his memory. So, when he learned from the bamboo slips that he would need the cultivation level of a Demigod in the Nascent Soul Stage to operate a "Flying Sword", his heart sank in disappointment. According to the explanation in the bamboo slips, the Flying Sword''s ability to fly relies on the control of the Spiritual Cultivator''s outwardly exerted Spiritual Power. Spiritual Power originates from the Transformation of True Qi after reaching the Golden Core Stage, and being able to manipulate it with ease requires reaching the Nascent Soul Stage. Although he only had True Qi and couldn''t exert it outward, the principle of the Flying Sword could still be borrowed. True Qi surged from Lancelot''s Dantian, he referenced the Gathering Qi Slash technique to accumulate the True Qi under the snowboard at his feet, and then released it explosively from the back of the board. A loud explosion came from the back of the snowboard, the strong thrust causing his body to lean back instantly, and Lancelot felt like an arrow shot from a bow. After breaking through to the Middle Rank of Qi Cultivation, the True Qi in his Dantian Qi Sea was nearly full, and he could feel a clearly stronger flow of True Qi during cultivation. This strength made Lancelot initially lose control due to excessive force but thankfully adjusted quickly. Bruto heard the sound of rushing wind from behind, thinking the sandworm was about to bite him, and too terrified to look back, he screamed out loud. Suddenly, he felt light, as Lancelot had caught up with him, grabbed Bruto with his left hand, and tucked him under his armpit. Lancelot continued to spur the snowboard under his feet, their speed skyrocketing, quickly leaving the terrifying sandworm far behind. "Whew, whew, thank you so much, Lancelot. You really are, truly are, my lifesaver," Bruto said, breathless. "Haha, your screaming just now was truly magnificent. Could you give us another one?" Lancelot teased, seeing his face smeared with snot and tears. At these words, Bruto managed an embarrassed smile, but suddenly his face stiffened, turning into horror, and he shouted: "The cliff ahead! The cliff!" Chapter 11 Lord of the Sandworms Lancelot fixed his gaze and discovered that there was a cliff ahead of them, their speed too fast to turn in time now. In their haste to escape, they had long since veered off the path. What lay below the cliff was now unseen; they could only take a gamble. "Hold on to me!" He shouted loudly, then once again spurred the snowboard beneath his feet to increase his speed. There was likely nothing but unaccumulated dust and scattered rocks below the cliff, so he had to fly as far as possible to hopefully find a suitable area to land. "No, no, no, no, no! Don''t jump, don''t jump! Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!" Amidst Bruto''s screams of terror, two figures flew out from the cliff. Lancelot continued to stimulate the snowboard with True Qi. Although he couldn''t manage it like flying a Flying Sword, he was still able to adjust the direction and speed of his glide through the air. Lancelot looked around for a suitable place to land but what he saw once again brought his heart to a stop. In front of them was a gigantic sand worm, at least ten feet in radius and nearly a thousand feet long, rearing up like a cobra with its gaping maw wide open, waiting for them. In that disgusting giant mouth were rows upon rows of sharp teeth, and Lancelot had no doubt that anything caught between them would be reduced to a paste. "Fuck, fuck, fuck! Not like this! We''re going to die!!!" Bruto had lost all coherence, the shock of the past five minutes had exceeded what a Dwarf could bear. "Hold tight!" Lancelot too was scared by the massive mouth resembling a tunnel entrance, but he knew he still had a chance to fight. He drew his Greatsword from his back, silently estimating the distance as he poured all his might and Innate Power into the Gathering Qi Slash. A golden-red Sword Aura extended along the sword, making the Greatsword appear to have doubled in length. Just as he was about to fall into the maw of the Lord Level monster, Lancelot twisted his body into an inverted position and funneled all the remaining True Qi sourced from the nature''s spiritual energy into the snowboard on his feet. An explosion sounded in the air as the snowboard beneath Lancelot''s feet shattered, his body changing its original trajectory by utilising the explosive force, plummeting like a meteor. It seemed he would narrowly miss the gaping mouth, but with his current velocity, hitting the ground would likely still spell certain death. Bruto let out an odd cry, once again clinging tightly to Lancelot''s thigh. Lancelot thought Bruto''s voice had taken on a sharper tone, considering how often he had made such cries today. Following that was a large amount of sand, which was the food the sandworm consumed into its belly. A sandstorm descended upon the two of them, as Lancelot held the shield steadfastly; a clinking sound filled the air, obviously mixed with rocks and other hard substances within the sand. Bruto, still clutching Lancelot''s thigh, twitched his ears, as if discerning something carefully; then he tilted his head up, staring dumbly at the shield raised above his head. Perhaps it was some faint, crisp collision sound that stirred him; Bruto suddenly released his grip on Lancelot and leaped outside. "What are you doing?" Lancelot cried out in surprise, perplexed by Bruto''s strange behavior. "I heard it! I heard lots! There are so many!" Bruto''s voice was instantly drowned out by the sand; in fact, his entire body had been buried completely by the continuously falling sand. Fearing that Bruto would be suffocated, Lancelot quickly reached out and dragged him back. "Have you gone mad? This is..." Lancelot''s words were cut mid-sentence when he saw that Bruto was holding a fist-sized yellow crystal stone, grinning foolishly. "Bruto, what is this?" "Pure mountain crystal! Even bigger than the one on the Dwarf King''s crown! And there are lots more inside! I definitely didn''t hear wrong!" Lancelot paused for a moment, then suddenly realized. The sandworm had been burrowing through the ground, consuming sand and soil, surely swallowing many precious ores and gemstones over time. This huge sandworm overlord might be like an old clam, with its belly full of treasures. What caught his attention more was the feeling that this mountain crystal contained a large amount of spiritual energy, very much like the spirit stones described in the bamboo slips. Spirit stones are a very common resource in the world of spiritual cultivation, classified into lower, middle, upper, and even top grades based on the quality of spiritual energy they contain. They could be directly absorbed by cultivators to replenish energy during battle or cultivation, and were used in artifact refining, alchemy, to power formations, and many other aspects, acting like currency among the lower and middle rank spiritual cultivators. Lancelot''s eyes suddenly gleamed with excitement, as the bamboo slips recorded several rare encounters, including killing fierce beasts and seizing the treasures they guarded, which appeared to apply just as well in the Abyssal Plane! We''ve struck it rich! Chapter 12 Brutos Career As the sandstorm had just started to subside, Lancelot and Bruto plunged into the sea of sand. Strictly speaking, within a few days, these grains of sand would have become the excrement of sandworms, but who could ignore the treasures buried within? This wasn''t the time to be squeamish. Describing their current state as wading through a ''sea of fecal maggots'' was not an exaggeration. Lancelot, with his sensitivity to spiritual energy, could pinpoint and retrieve a crystal stone with each try. Bruto, on the other hand, leveraged a Dwarf''s innate sensing (or perhaps obsession?) for gemstones, frantically digging in the sand, which allowed him to find quite a lot as well. Lancelot grasped a mountain crystal and with a thought, the spiritual energy within the crystal stone was absorbed into his body, quickly restoring much of the True Qi he had expended in the recent battle. Absorbing the spiritual energy from crystal stones could replenish his strength, but it couldn''t exceed his original limits; to improve his level of cultivation, he still needed to practice assiduously. However, confirming that these mountain crystals could be used as spirit stones greatly exhilarated Lancelot. This made many actions that required spirit stones now feasible. Once they had thoroughly sifted through the sand dunes, the two huddled together, exhausted, counting their spoils of war. Lancelot had found a large number of what Bruto called mountain crystals¡ªcrystal stones emanating rich spiritual energy, which a sensitive Spiritual Cultivator would find hard to miss. Bruto, on the other hand, had collected various gemstones and pure ores. Sandworms were not picky eaters when it came to feeding; sometimes, they would even consume an entire vein of ore. Those raw ores would be refined in their stomachs, leaving behind just a small, undigested part of pure ore, which was an exceptionally precious forging material.No?v(el)B\\jnn The young Dwarf looked at the vast treasure scattered on the ground with eager eyes, painfully yet firmly pushed them towards Lancelot, saying, "These are your spoils of war, Lancelot. They do not belong to me. It was you who killed that monstrous worm and you also saved me. If it weren''t for you, I might be with these gemstones right now¡ªinside the belly of a sandworm." Lancelot chuckled, patted Bruto, "Those mountain crystals are indeed useful to me, but if it weren''t for you, I might have missed them. How about this, you pick three of your favorite gemstones from here as a reward for discovering the treasure." "I think one would suffice for the merit I contributed," Bruto said seriously as he picked up the largest and most beautiful ruby. "Are you sure? Don''t you want to take more?" Lancelot asked politely. "Lancelot! Are you a Demon? Resisting temptation is really difficult!" Bruto roared in anger. "Uh, you were also quite scared today, so consider it a consolation for your emotional distress," "I am willing!" As these three words were spoken, the atmosphere suddenly turned very peculiar, and both fell silent. "I mean, from now on, we are an adventuring team," Lancelot was the first to speak, trying to break the awkward silence. "Of course, of course, haha," Bruto seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Right, then let''s pack up and head out. Your fathers must be getting anxious waiting." Their skis had been destroyed in the fight, but they were not far from their target. Lancelot cast a spell to summon his warhorse, first helped Bruto mount it, then he too leapt onto the horse and they rode towards their originally intended destination of the crazy mountain descent. After riding for about half an hour, they met Barrend and the others, who were anxiously waiting in place. On the road, Lancelot had already agreed with Bruto not to disclose all their gains, for even if these Dwarves had no ill intentions, letting even a little information slip could attract more trouble than they could handle. The final explanation they gave was that they had been chased off course by a sandworm and their skis were broken, so they were delayed for such a long time. Barrend was still a bit skeptical; all of them had heard the earth-shattering scream which had come from the direction Bruto and Lancelot were coming. However, seeing his son unharmed, he lost the interest to probe further. After the group joined up, they continued on toward Twin Bridges Town, and finally, as the round, blood-red sun was about to completely disappear from the horizon, they reached one of the two arch bridges that spanned the Stygian River, the entrance to Twin Bridges Town. A humanoid figure with huge bat wings was giving instructions to a pair of Berserk Demons guarding the bridgehead. On hearing someone approaching, she turned around. Lancelot felt as if his heart had skipped a beat. This was a shockingly beautiful female Demon. She wore a leather outfit that barely covered anything, her proud figure seeming as if it would burst free from its confines. Two straight horns extended from amidst her black hair on top of her head, and behind her were a pair of large bat wings and a tail with an arrow-shaped tip. This was a Succubus, rumored to be born directly from mortals'' fantasies and desires for beauty and sex. Countless facts proved they were the perfect embodiment of the word ''licentious.'' The Succubus smiled at them enticingly and greeted: "Good evening, gentlemen, my name is Tijana, welcome to my town. Are you here for business or pleasure?" Chapter 13 Tijana Facing the scantily clad Succubus with stunning looks, Lancelot couldn''t help feeling parched and his heartbeat sped up. He struggled to move his gaze away from that beautiful face, but the body of the Succubus was even more blood-stirring. The verses of the Ice Heart Spell naturally came to his mind, and the True Qi inside his body circulated in tandem, completely calming him down. He refocused his attention on the Succubus''s face, but his gaze had become pure. Tijana noticed his wandering gaze, which made her turn her head, just in time to meet Lancelot''s eyes. She realized these pale blue eyes were looking at her without any impure thoughts, as if merely appreciating a beautiful piece of art. She had been very familiar with this kind of gaze, but it had been hundreds of years since someone had looked at her this way. She carefully sized up this tall, dark-haired human male with strong self-control, and involuntarily licked her lips. This action nearly made the Berserk Demons around them shoot fire from their eyes, but the Dwarves seemed indifferent to it. Barrend cleared his throat and said, "Honored lady, we are a group of skilled craftsmen seeking shelter. Is there any use you have for us? But we must clarify in advance that no matter what your conditions are, we will not surrender our freedom." "Ah, shelter, Twin Bridges Town indeed provides such service, and I''m not interested in your freedom." Tijana moved her gaze away from Lancelot, which finally allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief; something in the Succubus''s gaze earlier had made him want to turn and run. "I only need you to hammer these metal ingots into the specified shapes. In fact, there are already quite a few Dwarves in the city, and they are free to leave whenever they wish." "What is the cost for them to become residents of Twin Bridges Town?" Barrend was still cautious. "Talk to your kin first, they will probably use many pleasant words to describe me. When you''ve decided you still want to stay, come find me." Tijana''s gaze returned to Lancelot. "You haven''t introduced yourself yet, is this how you show courtesy to a lady, Sir Knight?" "My name is Lancelot, honored lady." Lancelot gave a knightly bow. "At your service." "Ha ha, had I not known you better, I would have taken that statement seriously," Tijana laughed lightly, her wings stretched behind her, obscuring her smile and her exposed body, leaving only a pair of beautiful eyes looking at Lancelot. "Okay, they''re definitely not your type," Lancelot shrugged and began walking towards the bridge. "But you have to admit she''s pretty." "Indeed, very pretty, that''s how they make their living," Bruto said, stepping forward and gazing up with a look of disdain at the Berserk Demons serving as guards along the bridge. "It''s said that Demons originate from the souls of mortals who fell into the Abyss, so the Succubi have the same deadly allure to them, throwing themselves upon this to curry favor with the Demon Lords." "That requires some serious diplomatic skill, hard to imagine a Demon having the patience for that." "No, women are born with it and enjoy it, even among the crazy race of Demons," Bruto said gravely. "Never trust the words of a being without a handle; their sweet nothings are like beautiful bubbles that ultimately leave you with nothing." "Sounds like you''ve got plenty of stories," Lancelot said, barely holding back a laugh. "Yes, hopefully, we''ll find a tavern here, or we definitely won''t be settling in this place." As they spoke, the group had already crossed halfway over the arch bridge, and Twin Bridges Town was now fully in their view. Despite being naturally protected by the Stygian River, Twin Bridges Town still boasted towering city walls, although they looked very decrepit and seemed to have been breached not long ago. At the end of the bridge was a massive gate; after passing through a narrow and dark passage, the group entered the interior of Twin Bridges Town. The first thing that caught their eye was a crowded and chaotic street made of broken paving stones, and the buildings on both sides fully reflected the chaotic nature of the demons, each constructed haphazardly, bizarre and ugly, each appearing as designs that survived numerous wild attempts, clearly lacking anything resembling a city planning bureau. Despite this, Lancelot noticed some less unconventional structures including taverns, shops, and brothels, obviously operated by non-Demonic races (or possibly less crazy among the Demons). At the end of the street was a small square with a rather exquisite statue in the center, depicting a Succubus leading an army like a commander, Lancelot recognized that Succubus as the likeness of Tijana. Just as he was about to examine the details of the statue, he suddenly felt his Spirit Perception triggered. His right hand shot backward, grabbing a claw that had reached into his pocket. The claw was attached to a small, grey-skinned Demon, gradually fading from invisibility, looking at the person who caught him with a face full of fear. "Oh, great," Bruto raised an eyebrow. "A Quasimodo Demon thief." Chapter 14 Dingke "Dingke surrenders! Dingke has surrendered!" "No one should expect the peacekeeping standards here," Lancelot said to Bruto. "However, I''m quite curious as to what would happen if we handed him over to the guards." "No! Don''t! Dingke has treasure! For you! All for you! Don''t hand Dingke over to the big toad, the big toad will tear Dingke to pieces, and you''ll get nothing!" "Oh, that''s possible," Bruto said, rubbing his hands together, "For instance, we could witness a scene where a Quasimodo Demon is ripped in half, and maybe that Berserk Demon will even throw the corpse straight into its mouth. Such spectacles are not easily seen." "No! You can''t do this!" the captured Quasimodo Demon screamed. Suddenly, Lancelot saw the image of the Quasimodo Demon before him contort in a terrifying manner; its eyes emitted a horrifying glow as it opened its mouth full of fine teeth, saying: "Mortal, release me at once!" Its voice became eerie and hoarse, like an existence that absolutely must not be defied. However, Lancelot was not frightened at all, viewing the poor performance of this green demon with an amused spectator''s attitude, but Bruto seemed to have been influenced slightly, retreating several steps with a look of terror. "Hey!" shouted Lancelot at the Dwarf, his voice slightly laced with True Qi. Bruto immediately came to his senses, realizing he had been cowed by the little trick of the Quasimodo Demon, which made him fuming with anger. He rolled up his sleeves, preparing to hit the detestable creature. Lancelot found the behavior of the little demon quite amusing and decided to use its own methods against it. Nature''s spiritual energy from the Abyssal Plane flowed from his Dantian, filling the meridians throughout his body and gathering in his eyes. He stared fixedly at the Quasimodo Demon and said in a voice that startled even himself: "How dare you!" The intimidation had a very good effect, in fact, it might have been a bit too effective. The demon named Dingke''s eyes bulged, and its body went limp, collapsing on the ground. Its gray-green skin oozed a dark brown, foul-smelling mucus, but thankfully, Lancelot had released his hold before it hit the ground. "Uh, what did you do to it?" Bruto was also utterly bewildered by the situation. Moreover, he was acutely aware that if he destroyed this small orb, the demon in front of him would immediately scream and dissolve into a pool of blood, completely vanishing from this world. It seems this Quasimodo Demon mistook him for some formidable being, and the way it thought of ''mother'' was also intriguing, but that could be researched later. Pretending to be stern, Lancelot said to it: "Stand up, Dingke, I accept your loyalty." The Quasimodo Demon named Dingke immediately stood up, eagerly asking: "Master, what do you need Dingke to do?" Bruto, who was standing nearby, watched all this with his eyes wide and mouth agape. He turned to Lancelot, confused: "You''ve just taken on a demon as a minion?" Lancelot shrugged his shoulders and said with a smile: "It must have been subdued by the murderous aura on me. After all, we did kill quite a few Berserk Demons before, which it fears the most." "Makes sense, but I''ve also killed plenty, why isn''t it afraid of me?" "Who made you freeze up because of it just now?" Lancelot rolled his eyes. Everything that had happened was actually over in an instant, and Barrend and the other Dwarves had also gathered around by now, all looking curiously at the small demon who was less than half their height, with sharp horns on its head. Some Dwarves complained indignantly: "Quasimodo Demons, they''ve often caused trouble when we were working, hiding the ore we painstakingly mined, just to see us whipped!" The demon being scrutinized covered its head and shouted in its defense: "Dingke didn''t! Dingke never did! It wasn''t Dingke''s doing!" "Alright, alright, this Quasimodo Demon has already been subdued by me." Lancelot took out the red orb. "See, it willingly gave me its demon essence." "I''ve heard of this thing, very few demons are willing to hand over their essence, they''d rather howl and fight to the death, except for the Quasimodo Demons." Barrend frowned as he looked at the item in Lancelot''s hand, "They''re too weak, so they often serve more powerful beings in exchange for a chance to survive. How did you get it?" "It stuck its claw into my pocket and I caught it on the spot, then I simply showed it a bit of my power, and so it was." Lancelot sensed Dingke''s intense distress due to the onlookers, so he turned and said to it: "Aren''t you familiar with this town? Introduce us to it, lead the way." Chapter 15 Twin Bridges Town After wandering through the twisted and oppressive streets of Twin Bridges Town for two hours, Lancelot and Dingke found themselves back in front of Tijana''s statue. The intelligence and language abilities of the Quasimodo Demon were not great, and it couldn''t quite fulfill the role of a tour guide. Luckily, Lancelot was able to read its thoughts directly, eventually getting a rough understanding of the situation in Twin Bridges Town. This town, built on Riverheart Island, was not small, equivalent in size to a county seat in the human realm. According to their main functions, the entire town could roughly be divided into four areas: First was the blacksmith district, where a large number of craftsmen shielded by Tijana gathered, including dwarves, humans, goblins, and other odd races, tirelessly producing goods day and night for her weapons trade business. In that area, Barrend met several of his former "prison mates," who were now inquiring about the local working conditions, while Bruto stayed there with his old man. Then there was the trade zone, where most of the "shop owners" were sales agents sent by the Demon Lord to deal with the spoils of war. There were also members of the mortal races from the higher planes. Lancelot regretfully learned that they all belonged to certain organizations, brought here in the form of a summon by his predecessor. They would automatically return to their original world when their time was up, receiving a substantial allowance for their externship in the dangerous zone. The merchandise here included treasures with potent curse effects, various toxic substances that even demons could not immunise against, and even jars of human-faced worms that wailed; basically, there was nothing he could use, except for one human shop whose employees dressed in red robes. The enchanted equipment and magic scrolls inside seemed quite practical. The street they had just passed was part of the mercenary quarters. This area was filled with plenty of taverns, inns, and residences of local inhabitants (some more accurately called dens), some of which were even available for rent. Types included single rooms above taverns, villas with gardens, dungeons, and interrogation rooms, tombs under mass graves, channels that lead directly to the Stygian River, and cesspits connected to all the public toilets¡ªessentially, most races could find a place that met their needs here. However, the most important building was a mercenary hall, akin to an arena, offering services to the foolhardy adventurers who dared enter the Abyss. They could accept various dangerous missions, with rewards so substantial that one would take any risk, though of course, no reward is worth anything if you''re dead (though in some cases, taking the form of undead or spirits also works). Finally, there was the military area with Tijana''s red castle at its core. The castle was surrounded by the barracks of the Succubus Lord''s army, the exact number of troops stationed there was undetermined, composed of various types of soldiers including Berserk Demons, iron cavalry demons, Flomos, and other low-level demons. Another common method is for higher-class demons to directly promote lower ones at the cost of expending magic power, but this approach is generally used to create cannon fodder; demons don''t actually look forward to this type of promotion. Sometimes, the Abyss itself directly "blesses" a demon, which wholly depends on the Abyss''s own chaotic and insane will. Dingke had a multitude of memories where, at some place and time, a peculiar wind blew, or a bolt of lightning struck, or a surge of lava erupted, and a Quasimodo Demon was instantly transformed into a higher-class demon. This made Lancelot unable to resist the surge of another idea, and he signaled Dingke to come over. "Master, what do you command?" "You''ve served well today, come with me." Lancelot found a deserted street corner and ordered Dingke: "Kneel down, I''m going to bestow a reward upon you." On hearing the word "reward," an overwhelming fear welled up in Dingke''s heart, which Lancelot felt clearly. In the context of the Abyss, this was not a good word at all. Owing to the demons'' cruel sense of humor, a "reward" usually preceded phrases like "eternal slumber" or "endless agony." The skin color of the Quasimodo Demon directly reflected its psychological changes; it turned ashen grey, like cinders. But still, it knelt down, unable to resist because of the red orb Lancelot held in his hand. "No, Master! What did Dingke do wrong ... Dingke has treasures, more treasures to offer the master!" "What nonsense are you thinking, kneel properly!" Lancelot placed his hand on Dingke''s head. Chapter 16 Demons Promotion Lancelot had just placed his hand on Dingke''s head with nothing happening initially, but as he began to mobilize the True Qi within his body, a list seemingly appeared before his eyes, detailing the energy needed for various demonic transformations. The sensation was quite vague, possibly due to his not very high realm. He cautiously injected about one-tenth of his True Qi. This amount was not enough for Dingke to transform into a higher-level demon, but it should enable a comprehensive enhancement of its current form. As the True Qi surged from his Dantian, the diminutive demon let out a muffled grunt, as if it had been struck on the head. Its body began to change dramatically. Muscles swelled fiercely, skin tore into pieces; its skeleton instantly grew larger, piercing through the skin, but was quickly covered by new flesh; the demon horns on its head gradually grew thicker and larger, forcing the skull to crack open, revealing the boiling brain inside. "Aaaahhhhhhh!!!" As the body''s transformation neared completion, only then did Dingke scream out, the entire process taking less than a minute. It lay on the ground, gasping heavily, then slowly stood up, incredulously sizing up its new body, a euphoric emotion permeating its heart, the color of its entire skin rapidly changing from newborn pink to lush green. With the completion of the advancement, through the mysterious bond between them, Lancelot felt that he too had received some form of enhancement, his resistance to magic seemed to have improved. "Thank you, Dinke, my great master! Dingke will forever and ever serve you!" Lancelot took a step back, feeling his boots being nearly corroded by Dingke''s kisses. It appeared his conjecture was correct. The True Qi formed from cultivation came directly from the Abyssal Plane''s natural spiritual energy. Since high-level demons could consume magic power to advance low-level demons, his True Qi certainly should too, and the effect would only be better. "Go now, when I need you, you will hear my call." "As you command, my Lord!" The figure of the newly born demon gradually became transparent, eventually disappearing into the air, the sound of its hooves gradually fading away. Lancelot sensed briefly and discovered that Dingke''s small brain was racing, plotting how to retaliate against a few Quasimodo Demon peers who had once bullied it. "Uh, how did you know?" "Because there aren''t any better options." "Yeah, there are no better options." Bruto found a rock and sat down. "I talked to my dad about it." "What did you tell him? About your plan to change careers?" "Yeah. He always wanted me to inherit his skills and reputation, so he was always extra strict with me. I prepared a whole lot of excuses, but he just stayed silent for a long while, then agreed." Bruto hung his head, looking quite disheartened. "Staying here means barely surviving with no hope. Being an adventurer is filled with dangers, and being one in this world is downright terrible, but at least there''s hope to leave." "Come on, it''s not that bad when you have me. We''ll definitely make it back to where we came from." Lancelot tried to lighten the mood, "I''m good buddies with the Emperor over there, I''ll make you a Royal Blacksmith, and you''ll absolutely bring honor to your ancestors, I guarantee your dad would be pleased." "Pfft, as if I cared." Bruto laughed too. "What about that little guy named Dingke?" "I let him go. But if needed, I can call on him anytime." Lancelot decided it was best not to reveal his unique abilities just yet. "How about the thing you were helping me with?" "It''s already been processed." Bruto handed Lancelot a small box. "Had limited time, couldn''t make anything too complex, but it''s a classic design. Are you sure this thing works on demons too?" "Not sure, but it''s better to have it than not." Lancelot opened the small box and took a quick peek. "Though I don''t know much about this, I can tell the craftsmanship is really exquisite, thanks a lot." "Mostly, it''s because the stuff we got from that sandworm''s stomach is all top grade. You should have seen those guys'' reactions¡ªthey nearly wanted to go back to the Shattered Mountain Range right away and strip every sandworm there." Bruto displayed a silly grin, making one doubt whether he had exaggerated his role in the battle with the sandworm. "Are you sure you want to give it away as just a meeting gift? In our world, this thing could trade for a castle." "There''s plenty of good stuff in the Abyss, and by the time we find a way back, you''ll definitely struggle deciding which treasures to throw away." Lancelot looked disdainful. "No matter how precious, it''s of no use to us now, and besides, they might not even fancy it." Chapter 17 Gifts Lancelot was not entirely confident about this gift either. Earlier at the bridgehead, he had confirmed that the Succubus Lord was not wearing any jewelry. "In the coming period, this will be our base of operations, and it''s essential to be on good terms with the Lord, considering your old man is working for her, isn''t he?" "That''s logical enough. But your actions still don''t match my impression of humans." Bruto stroked his chin, "Are you sure you haven''t been charmed or hit with some sort of suggestive technique? Do you need me to hit you with a shield? No offense, just to be safe." "No, thank you. A person under the influence of these spells could come up with so many reasons?" "They can, but they can only convince themselves with strange logic, unlikely to articulate it completely to others as you do." "Well then, that settles it." Lancelot put away the small box but suddenly became hesitant again. "I''ve changed my mind, hit me after all." "Kneel down." "...Alright." Clang (a loud crash). "Any new thoughts?" "Yes, lots of regrets."No?v(el)B\\jnn "As expected, you were charmed." "No, I deeply regret cooperating with you." "Was my strike too light? Do you want another one?" "Can you pull me out of this hole first?" "Sorry about that. As you''ve seen, this is Riverheart Island; the soil is quite loose." "That was quite a heavy hit just now, enough to break most controlling spells." Lancelot climbed out of the hole, rubbing his head. "Let''s get going and see what tasks our hostess has in store for us." ------------------------- Lancelot and Bruto waited for almost two hours before they were finally summoned by Tijana. It was a typical fortress-style castle, likely designed by human or Dwarf craftsmen, or possibly magically copied from a template in the Mortal Realm. After entering the main gate, the first area was a waiting zone for servants to dine and stand by, which also served as the first line of defense inside the castle during wartime, as the narrow passage could only accommodate two people side by side. Meanwhile, guards could be positioned along the second-floor corridor for ranged attacks, cross-firing at invading enemies from various angles. At the end of the waiting zone were two returning staircases, and after stepping onto the steps and passing through two reinforced doors, Lancelot and Bruto entered the main hall used for audiences with the Lord and hosting banquets. The main hall of the castle was spacious and splendid, fit to host banquets for hundreds of people. Long tables were set up in the hall for banquets, plush carpets covered the floor, and lifelike gargoyle statues served as candle holders on the walls. Thin gauze hung on the corridors of the second floor, obscuring the view inside. "I will allow you to kiss my hand." With her wings subtly folded behind, she bashfully extended a jade arm, as if inviting him, while the revealing leather she wore emanated a primal allure, making one want to pull her into an embrace without a second thought. Lancelot rolled his eyes inwardly; this woman''s acting was a bit over the top. He removed his steel gauntlet from his right hand, tucking it under his arm, and then cautiously cradled the succubus''s palm, pursing his lips to lightly brush the back of her hand. The fingers were rather firm, certainly capable of piercing his throat with not much difficulty. The palm, however, was incredibly soft. "I''m not one of those disgusting toads, and I don''t have poison glands in my skin," Tijana commented, apparently surprised by Lancelot''s restraint. She was well aware of the actions males might take under her charm and had rich experience in dealing with them. She returned to her throne, resuming her lazy posture, and began: "To become a resident of Twin Bridges Town, you must prove you can be of use to me. Dwarves make excellent craftsmen, so their value is beyond question. If you wish to stay as mercenaries, you must show you''re at least capable of completing low-level tasks." "Please give your orders." "It''s simple, just accompany me for one night," she stated. Lancelot began to cough dramatically, Bruto silently stepped back several paces during their exchange. Tijana had said ''you'' not ''you all,'' right? So this had nothing to do with him whatsoever. "Cough, cough, I''m sorry, what did you say?" "Hehe, I''m just joking, seeing that look of panic on you," Tijana played with her hair idly. "That stench called ''kindness'' emanates from you. I can smell it from this distance." "I apologize, please don''t put me in a difficult position." Upon hearing this, the Succubus Lord''s face darkened. "What do you mean? How is that putting you in a difficult position?" Oops. Sweat instantly broke out on Lancelot''s forehead. He hesitated for a moment, then decided to speak candidly: "I believe that in this dangerous world, any sexual conduct is extremely crazy and perilous, even if the proposition comes from someone as charming as..." "A succubus," Tijana interjected. "Lady," Lancelot corrected. "That''s quite right, your thinking is indeed very accurate," Tijana suddenly flashed an ambiguous smile. "Gentlemen, let''s end this topic here." "I just so happen to have a little matter that needs handling, consider it a test for you. The task involves rescuing helpless maidens from the hands of demons, which should suit the tastes of you altruists just fine." Chapter 18 Saving Succubus Grace ``` "Twin Bridges Town has always been like a lighthouse on the bank of the Stygian River, attracting those runaway slaves, mortals who''ve strayed here, and ambitious adventurers. It''s one of the few places willing to shelter them, and the price is very reasonable." "Recently, I''ve been receiving numerous complaints, near the Screaming Woods upstream, a Bagula named Kuka has been abducting passersby with reckless abandon." "I can''t possibly take out every guy on the menu who belongs to the mortal races, but it keeps attacking travelers headed for Twin Bridges Town, and there''s no doubt that this is an affront to me." "Just eight hours ago, I sent a maid to warn it, but she hasn''t returned yet. Clearly, that buffoon has done something to her." "Your mission is to bring poor Grais back to me and give Kuka whatever punishment you can administer." The Succubus Lord produced a scroll, and with a mysterious fluctuation, it seemed as if shadows were diving into it. "This is the Mission Scroll, it has the target location and detailed information about Bagula Demons," Tijana tossed the scroll to Lancelot, "There''s also Grais''s portrait inside¡ªshe has quite the pretty curled horns, so don''t you go doing anything weird with it." Lancelot carefully opened the scroll and glanced over it, confirming there was nothing wrong with it. "Are you really that curious," Tijana mocked, "Grais might be suffering unspeakable torment right now. If you want to see her, you better set off quickly." "I hope she''s unharmed," Lancelot said as he bowed with Bruto. "We will take our leave now." Tijana waved her hand, indicating they were free to go. "Wait a moment." Just as Lancelot was about to step out of the hall, Tijana called out to her again. Lancelot turned around and caught the object that Tijana threw at him. He looked down to find he was holding an emblem engraved with the Twin Bridges Town emblem, emitting a strong evil aura as if it had just been blessed with magic. "The scent of goodwill on you creatures... it''s simply too strong. In this world, even a stone on the ground would wish to come alive and attack you," Tijana explained, "Carry this trinket with you¡ªit''ll conceal the presence of any good creatures within a radius of five meters. It''s effective for three days." "Bagula Demons." Lancelot corrected. "Ah, Abyssal language makes my head spin reading it; this script is mostly cursed anyway." Bruto said helplessly. Having spent over a year here, he had learned to speak the language of the Abyss, but reading its script was still very difficult. The language of the Abyss, resembling hieroglyphics, is derived from the various insane natural phenomena of the Abyss and is mentally unbearable to read. "You read it; I''ll take a look at the picture. This gorilla-like demon is Kuka, right?" "Correct. Kuka, an elite Bagula Demon, nearly 10 feet tall, estimated to weigh around 1000 pounds, wow!" "That''s a big one. Apart from that mouth full of fangs, it''s basically an enlarged gorilla. What is this long passage on the side about?" "Mostly about its behavioral patterns and combat style." Lancelot had a photographic memory, another benefit of becoming a Spiritual Cultivator. He recited the content from the scroll, "Bagula Demons, when in trees, possess incredible agility, skilled in climbing, jumping, and ambushing. They have natural invisibility and can also see through an enemy''s invisibility spell." "Their main weapons are their incredibly powerful fists, and if the opportunity arises, they can also bite your head off from your neck with their mouth. They like to hide in the dark and launch ambushes, using their terrifying leaping ability to jump on your head before you can react and deliver a rapid succession of devastating blows." "They have a supernatural ability called ''kidnapping,'' which can forcibly transport one large or two small creatures over a short distance, difficult for normal beings to resist. This ability allows them to remove an injured target from its teammates to be dealt with one-on-one. It will also use this ability to capture innocent travelers as snacks for its amusement." "Sounds like it would likely use that ability on me." Bruto was somewhat anxious. "It shouldn''t, as long as you''re fully defending, it won''t be able to do much to you in the short term, and since the transportation distance isn''t far, I can quickly come to support you. Bagula Demons aren''t stupid; they can only use that ability once a day. If I preserve some strength from the start, it''s very likely to assume that I am the easier target." "Good plan. Anything else?" "It mentions it appeared in Screaming Woods about half a year ago, initially only attacking those who entered its territory, but later began leaving its region regularly to attack passing travelers." Lancelot frowned as he remarked, "I feel there''s something off about this." "What part seems off? Based on the description, this Kuka sounds like a model demon of the Abyssal Plane." "The issue is the pattern. Within a hundred miles, you''d only find a speck of order from Tijana, and I can''t see any reason why a wild demon would behave in any orderly manner. Demons don''t need to feed; abduction and torture are merely out of a cruel nature, they relish in the screams of living beings being torn apart and don''t have a need to replenish their food stores regularly." "Who cares, we just have to find this Succubus Grais, and then use my new hammer to give a few knocks on that stupid gorilla''s head, and the mission is done." "Let''s hope so," Lancelot mused as he looked at the Twin Bridges Town emblem in his hand. A bat was following them from a distance, that was Dingke. Chapter 19 Ran Away by Itself Thanks to Tijana''s adept diplomatic skills, there were no other significant powers near Twin Bridges Town. On the way to the Screaming Woods, they didn''t encounter any obstacles, except for a group of entwined Coward Devils. These timid and foolish low-level demons feared any creature stronger than themselves and scattered at the first sound of Lancelot''s horse hooves. But the journey was definitely far from pleasant. The sun overhead blazed like a furnace, scorching the earth, making the entire sky seem aflame, and the ground temperatures were unbearably hot. The occasional gusts of wind could bring a slight coolness, but they offered limited relief for Lancelot and Bruto, clad in full suits of armor. Fortunately, the Screaming Woods were not far off. After riding along the Stygian River for about an hour, they could see the distinctive, spear-like tree crowns of the Screaming Woods. Here grew the Abyss''s unique fang-like fir trees. These trees could reach up to eighty feet tall but had neither branches nor leaves¡ªjust a bare, iron-hard trunk, shooting straight out from the ground like the quills on a porcupine, standing solitary in the desolate land. Lancelot suddenly pulled on the reins, and Bruto, due to the abrupt stop, bumped into his back. He twisted his head around in surprise and swept a gaze forward but didn''t find anything unusual. "What''s wrong?" Lancelot nodded towards the front, "Look there." There was a dark shadow in the sky, gradually growing larger. Bruto shaded his eyes with his hand and squinted in that direction. After a while, the outline of the shadow finally became clear, and Bruto could see what it was. "Your eyesight is really good," the Dwarf said enviously, then yelled at the top of his lungs, "Hey! Over there, Succubus! Are you Grace?" The Succubus in the sky paused momentarily, then flew towards them. "Who are you? Why are you here?" This Succubus kept her distance, remaining wary. Lancelot scrutinized her, confirming that she was indeed the rescue target described in the Mission Scroll. Though known for their boldly revealing attire, the Succubus before them was disheveled by any standard. Her exposed skin bore many bruises and purples, seemingly after enduring a terrible ordeal. Grace revealed a bitter smile: "Yes. A succubus isn''t harmed by such activities, except in pride." "I understand," Lancelot nodded, "I''m glad you''ve escaped its clutches. Please allow us to escort you back to Twin Bridges Town." "Oh, that would be wonderful!" Grace seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, "Whenever I close my eyes, I see those people locked in cages. If I hadn''t escaped, I might have lost my freedom forever like them, getting eaten at any time. That would be worse than death." She turned to Lancelot with a sweet smile: "You are a knight, right? I''ve heard knights protect helpless ladies, and I''ve always hoped a knight would protect me." "I am indeed a knight, and assisting the weak is my duty," Lancelot turned to look at the Screaming Woods. "But I am sorry, my lady, I''m afraid I must retract my offer to escort you. There are others who need my help even more right now." At those words, Grace''s face showed surprise, "I''m sorry, I don''t quite understand..." "You mentioned there are prisoners held captive in the lair of the Bagula Demon," Lancelot pointed out, "At least 9 hours ago, they were still alive." "But I''ve just been through that ordeal, and I''m really scared. Please don''t leave me alone," Grace pleaded, her tear-stained beautiful face making it difficult to refuse. "Once that gorilla realizes I''ve escaped, he will surely take out his full rage on those prisoners. By now, most of them are probably eaten. Let''s head back quickly, I... I really don''t want to see that creature again." "It will pay for its actions," Lancelot assured her. "But we have just come from Twin Bridges Town, and the road is very safe. Human lives are at stake; we must check if the prisoners are still alive. Going there a second earlier could save an innocent life." Grace opened her mouth as if unable to believe Lancelot''s decision, but then she adopted a serious expression and earnestly said, "I''m sorry, I was being selfish, only thinking of myself. Let me go with you, I want to see that gorilla punished with my own eyes! I know the location of its lair and can guide you, but I''m not good at fighting. Please make sure to protect me, I beg of you!" "Rest assured, your safety is directly linked to the success of our mission. I won''t let Kuka lay a finger on you," Lancelot considered for a moment, then said, "You will fly above us later, staying at a height it can''t reach. You can observe from above and guide us. Leave the fighting to us." "Good, after such an intense exercise, it might be very weak now." Grace showed a sly smile, then murmured in a low voice, "If it were a mortal, it would be dried up by now. These low-level creatures are really annoying, not providing me with Essence, really..." Grace abruptly stopped talking, her face flushed with embarrassment, but she then sneakily glanced at Lancelot again. "Please lead the way," Lancelot said, pretending to have heard nothing, with an impassive expression. Chapter 20 Battle in the Woods In the Screaming Woods, Lancelot and Bruto had dismounted their steeds, gripping their weapons and shields tightly, cautiously guarding against a lethal ambush from the Bagula Demons. The Fang Tooth Trees had no branches or leaves; although tall above the ground, they were actually degenerate, relying on a vast underground root system to sustain their life. This allowed for a considerable distance between each Fang Tooth Tree, enough for a ten-foot-tall gorilla to move and strike freely. The wind slicing through the woods shattered into piercing howls as it clashed with the sharp trunks, as if the souls of the damned lingered there. Bruto, shield in hand, walked ahead of the two. The large trunks easily obscured visibility from the ground, and the massive apes could hide in the shadow of the treetops, ready to strike from above at any moment. The Dwarf had to frequently look up to check his surroundings, a situation he found quite uncomfortable. Although Grace was flying high above, the Bagula Demon''s ability to become invisible made it difficult for her to issue timely warnings. Bruto suddenly stopped and pointed ahead, panic-stricken: "By Muradin''s beard! What in the world is that?" On an unusually thick trunk ahead of him hung a horrifying totem. It was likely made from a Coward Devil, its legs brutally broken at the knees, with the shinbones piercing through the eye sockets, pinning the corpse to the trunk. It wasn''t hard to imagine that the primary material was likely still alive at the start of its making. Flesh from the Abyss degraded rapidly; using a body that had already perished would hardly keep the entire skeleton intact on the trunk. With its legs cut in half, the skeleton resembled a gorilla. It was a typical Bagula totem, whose true significance was unknown to outsiders, but everyone knew what it represented: you had entered Bagula territory, and you should prepare to become such a totem. Bruto, hands on his hips, mustered the courage to stare directly at the terrifying totem. Once he saw it clearly, there was nothing to fear, the totem was merely a declaration of its creator''s cruelty, a reminder Bruto knew all too well. Lancelot, on the other hand, had a thought. He noticed a blood-red little plant below the totem, emitting faint waves of Spiritual Energy. He knelt down, dug up the little plant along with the surrounding soil, then carefully brushed off the dirt clinging to its roots, and tucked it into a small bag filled with mountain crystals. Various knowledge about Spiritual Cultivation was recorded on the bamboo slips left in his mental world by Han Tiansun; Lancelot, regardless of his understanding, would read them in his mind when idle, and thus, he learned how to identify usable herbs. ¡ª Shadow Spirit Grass, commonly found beneath the suspended bodies of the tragically died, nourished by the deceased''s resentment and fresh blood, with red leaves and black stems, extremely Yin in nature, often used to neutralize other overly Yang medicinal materials, the method to ascertain its medicinal properties is... This was the record regarding Shadow Spirit Grass on the bamboo slips, and the plant before him matched the description well. He didn''t have a Jade Box to prevent the loss of Spiritual Energy, but the slips said surrounding it with Spirit Stones could work the same; so, he stored the plant with the mountain crystals, planning to study it further upon his return. "You know how to identify herbs too?" Bruto asked, surprised. "A little bit," Lancelot replied. The blade deeply penetrated the raised behind of the ape demon, causing Kuka to scream in pain. It whirled around with a swinging punch, but hit nothing; Lancelot had immediately lept back after delivering the stab. The blade had gone nearly a foot deep, blood reddening the area around the wound, but any injury to the buttocks was hardly fatal, something Lancelot was well aware of. "Ha ha, you stupid ape, why is your butt as red as a monkey''s?" Bruto teased shamelessly. Seeing Lancelot''s successful strike and Kuka turning its back again, he wanted to try out his new hammer too. "Bruto, watch out!!" Lancelot urgently shouted, but it was too late. The ape demon spun around with alarming speed and threw a punch. Bruto couldn''t dodge in time and could only barely lift his shield to block. "BOOM!" A loud sound, the Bagula demon landed a direct hit on its target for the first time that day. Bruto flew backward like a ball kicked with great force, smashing hard against a tree and spitting out blood from his mouth. Seeing the attack effective, the ape demon immediately lunged at Bruto, its body beginning to emit magical fluctuations. Lancelot, sensing trouble, drew a dark green short sword from his waist. He had asked Barrend to make it from the beak of that demon overseer when they encountered the dwarves. The True Qi surged out of his Dantian, he executed the Gathering Qi Slash technique, fiercely hurling the short sword at Kuka. The Kiss of Deadly Poison shot out like a green bolt of lightning, easily entering the ape demon''s back. Unfortunately, it didn''t hit the heart for a fatal blow, nor did it stop the Bagula demon''s supernatural ability from taking effect. A flash of white light, and both Kuka and Bruto disappeared from the spot. Lancelot immediately concentrated his Spiritual Energy in his ears and soon heard the sound of two heavy objects landing not far away. "I see them, they''re over there!" Just then, Grace landed on the ground from the air, pointing in the direction of the sounds. Lancelot didn''t look back as he dashed towards that direction, astonishingly fast, with the succubus straining to keep up. "Hang in there, little dwarf!" Chapter 21 Sneak Attack As soon as the teleportation ended, Bruto saw a pot-lid-sized fist coming right at his face. "Fuck! Why me!" He raised his shield as fast as he could and took another solid punch, but this time, the mountain crystal on the shield emitted a burst of light. The shield became incredibly heavy the instant it was struck, absorbing most of the impact force, allowing Bruto to only stagger back a few steps before tripping over a rock and falling to the ground. This was an occasional effect triggered when mountain crystal-embedded equipment was hit by a massive force, in the blink of an impact, converting its contained energy into extremely high mass. When embedded in a weapon, it would inflict tons of damage (literally) upon activation; when in a shield, it could render a potentially fatal blow harmless. Bruto had no time to feel relieved, as he quickly rolled to the side to avoid the imminent follow-up attack. However, the anticipated fist didn''t materialize. As the dwarf got up with the help of his roll, there was no sign of the Bagula Demon in his line of sight. "What, it ran away? Could it be that it sprained its hand with that last hit, haha!" Bruto mumbled to himself, holding up his shield and hammer, anxiously scanning his surroundings, fearing another ambush from the enemy. Only then did he notice a large pool of blood where Kuka had stood, and it seemed a weapon was discarded there. He cautiously approached and realized it was his father''s creation, Lancelot''s Kiss of Deadly Poison. This less than a foot long sword was now slanted in the soil, with all but the top two inches of the blade drenched in bright red blood. Clearly, the weapon had plunged deep into some part of Kuka''s body, causing severe injury. After knocking Bruto away, the ape demon did not pursue but instead ran off. "What kind of monstrous burst strength does Lancelot have." Bruto murmured softly to himself. Lancelot really had quite a few secrets up his sleeve, Bruto still hadn''t forgotten the lord of sandworms gutted and dismembered corpse from last time. It seems this guy''s trump card is these sudden outbursts, catching the unprepared enemy completely off guard. Footsteps approached rapidly; his knight teammate and the succubus rushed over. "I scared that guy off." Bruto said with his hands on his hips. "Since when is bragging one of your dwarves'' traits?" Lancelot replied with a smile, stepping forward to pick up his shortsword. "After it hit me, it ran off. I misspoke just now," Bruto shrugged his shoulders, "It''s too agile, I couldn''t hold it down." Lancelot cast a skeptical glance at Bruto''s clean new hammer and decided not to pursue the topic any further. "While it''s heavily injured, we should hurry and catch up to it," suggested Grace. "Stupid gorilla, sorry about killing your big wife, why don''t you spend more time pampering your little wife next, hahaha!" Lancelot did not join the fray but remained on full alert, watching his surroundings. The Entanglement Technique just now must have been cast by Kuka, who was certainly hiding somewhere, waiting to deal Lancelot a fatal blow. "Ah!" Behind him, the Succubus screamed, but Lancelot did not turn his head and instead looked sharply upwards. The huge figure of Kuka was descending rapidly. The Ape Demon''s fists were raised high, ready to smash the detested human below to a pulp. Had Lancelot been distracted by her cry just now, it would have been too late to dodge. Suddenly, a familiar voice rang in Lancelot''s ear: "Watch out behind you!" Behind him, Succubus Grais extended her claws that glinted with cold light, but her target was not Kuka, it was Lancelot! If Lancelot had jumped back as he had previously, he might have landed right into Grais''s sneak attack, which could have left him seriously injured or even dead. But as if he had anticipated this, he had already crouched down before the voice even warned him, rolling forward. At the same time, the Emblem of Twin Bridges Town fell beside him, its surface splintering inch by inch, emitting a dazzling white light. Grais looked on in horror as a whip shadow flew out from the white light, binding her tightly in an instant. "It''s you! How is this possible!" The answer came in the form of a slap from the Lord of Twin Bridges Town, her sharp claws tearing Grais''s delicate cheek to a bloody mess. "How dare you betray me!" Anger was written all over Tijana''s face, but then, a loud thud of a heavy object falling to the ground behind her made her expression change, and she quickly turned her head to look. Kuka''s massive body lay in an odd position on the ground, limbs touching the floor, back arched as if sheltering something underneath. Tijana then noticed something new on its back. It was a section of a Sword Blade, protruding like a Bone Spur from the Bagula Demon''s broad back, with fresh blood flowing down from the tip of the blade. Lancelot had seized the deadly flaw of his enemy. With a roll, his 7-foot Great Sword stood erect like a flagpole, and Kuka, falling fast and unable to dodge, was impaled. The Human Knight, as if having bathed in blood, crawled out from under Kuka, kicked over the massive corpse of the Ape Demon, and pulled out his Longsword. Turning to the familiar figure, he smiled and greeted Tijana: "Good day, my lady. I''m so pleased to see you again." Chapter 22 The Truth "Come back, you bastard! We haven''t settled the winner yet!" Bruto''s indignant roar came from the other end of the battlefield. The Bagula Demon that Bruto was dueling was becoming increasingly ethereal. Its face was also full of anger, its left arm grotesquely twisted outward, clearly Bruto''s handiwork. The young Dwarf''s condition wasn''t good either. His face was battered and bruised, his armor smashed to pieces by the iron fists of the ape demon, and even the reinforced shield had a chunk missing, looking like a chipped plate.No?v(el)B\\jnn Bruto, still displeased, walked over to Lancelot, loudly complaining: "What''s this about now? How can it just run off in the middle of a fight?" "That was Kuka''s summoned assistant. Once a Summoner is killed, the entities they''ve summoned immediately return to their original location," Tijana explained, hands on hips, "If you''re unsatisfied, our Arena is always recruiting volunteers, and the rewards are very generous." "Uh, are you... Tijana?" Bruto only then noticed that the Succubus before him was no longer Grace. He quickly bowed his head in greeting, "I mean, good day, madam. That''s... Grace? What happened? Why is she tied up?" "She tried to stab your companion in the back," Tijana explained succinctly, then raised an eyebrow at Lancelot, "It seems you were prepared for this and have been waiting for her to slip. Care to explain why?" "There were too many suspicious things about her," Lancelot said, bending down to pick up the fragment of the Twin Bridges Town Emblem, "First off, does this emblem have any functions other than masking our presence?" Upon seeing the emblem, Grace cried out in horror, but Tijana promptly gagged her with her whip. "This emblem allows me to hear and see the affairs around it, and it has a positioning function that lets me teleport to its location in the form of summoning." "So you witnessed the entire process," Lancelot nodded, "That makes it much easier to explain." "Is this... concern for our safety?" Bruto eagerly interjected. "Hahahaha, you are really... adorable," Tijana laughed delicately. "No, I''m worried that Grace is in a very weak state and you foolish males might get ideas." Tijana looked surprised, "An elite Quasimodo Demon, these little fellows can indeed be very useful if utilized properly. No wonder you seem to have eyes on the back of your head, it turns out you actually do have eyes watching your back." "You flatter me." Lancelot humbly said, "I am used to making thorough preparations beforehand." "Demons should be thankful that mortals have such a habit for being over-cautious," Tijana maintained her superior level of sarcasm as she pointed to Kuka''s lair, "Now go in and bring out all the prisoners for me, I want to hear what this little wretch doesn''t want me to know." Lancelot and Bruto obediently crawled into Kuka''s huge hut. Thanks to the former owner''s size, the hut was very spacious, but the overpowering stench was almost suffocating. Inside, it was filled with various items: the wreckage of wagons, smashed boxes, barrel mounds (most of them empty), a few piles of Gold Coins, and a large hole dug in the ground. Bruto just glanced at it and then started retching violently on the side. The pit was filled with half-eaten limbs and mutilated bodies. Lancelot silently stared at the pit, reminding himself repeatedly of where he was. "Stop looking, it''s no good for you, no matter how much you look, you''ll never get used to a scene like this." A hoarse voice rang out behind him. Lancelot turned towards the sound and saw that there was a cage, like the ones used for transporting prisoners, and it held four or five humans, one of whom, a tall, thin man, was leaning on the bars waving at him. "I heard some wonderful noises, has that Bagula Demon been killed?" "I avenged those in the pit." Lancelot turned back and patted the still retching dwarf, "Bruto, we need your hammer." "What?" Lancelot pointed at the newly discovered prisoners. Bruto staggered up, walked unsteadily to the cage, and looked up at the approaching inmates, managing to spit out two words. "Back off." Chapter 23 Prisoner With a loud bang, the prisoners staggered out of the cage, supporting each other. "Congratulations on leaving that tiny cell and coming to a slightly larger one," Lancelot said with a bitter smile. "Thank you, Sir," the tall and thin man said gratefully, "at least we don''t have to worry about the fate of becoming food anymore." "Uh, actually, that risk hasn''t decreased by much. How long have you been locked up here?" "I just got here three days ago." "About two weeks, I guess." "Me too." "I don''t remember, at least a month I think." "I remember, I''ve been counting the days; you''ve been here for two months." "I know you have a lot of questions, but a lady is waiting for you, she has some questions that need answering. Please follow me." Lancelot nodded, signaling everyone to follow him out. The prisoners walked out of Kuka''s lair timidly, but the moment they saw Tijana, a look of fear appeared on everyone''s face. "A Succubus, it''s a Succubus!" "It''s over, is this a trap? Are we going to be executed?" "Wait a minute, this isn''t the same one from before..." Tijana frowned at the noisy situation and let out a delicate scold: "Silence!" Everyone immediately fell silent, as if their throats had been suddenly squeezed shut. "Good," Tijana nodded in satisfaction. "Who among you has been here the longest?" No one spoke, but involuntarily, everyone''s gaze turned to one person. Seeing there was no way to hide, that person stepped forward and stammered: "Succubus Lord, I''ve been captured for half a year, the longest among those still alive." "I need you to answer a few questions for me." "Where is this?" "Are we free now? How do we get back?" Lancelot looked helplessly at the barrage of questions, raising his voice to interrupt, "Hold on! One at a time!" The newly freed prisoners silenced at once. They looked at each other, and finally, the tall, thin man who had first greeted Lancelot spoke, "Thank you again for rescuing us. We haven''t had the chance to ask your name, Sir?" "My name is Lancelot, and as you can see, I am a knight," Lancelot decided to forgo promoting the title of Paladin. "Thank you, Sir Lancelot. My name is Kalalin, and I am a scholar. I don''t hold out much hope, but I have to ask if you have a way to get us back to the Main Plane?" "I''m ashamed to say that I, too, am searching for such a method," Lancelot replied with a wry smile. "As expected," the man sighed, "My second question, pardon my bluntness, but... are we your captives now?" "Of course not, you are free to go wherever you want," Lancelot hurried to clarify, "But this is the Abyss, and you don''t have many options." "Yes, ordinary people are like walking desserts on this plane, sigh," Kalalin sighed heavily. "I know that there are some neutral towns in the Abyss where mortals can survive as something other than slaves. Can you tell us about the place you''re taking us to next?" "Uh, actually, I''ve just arrived here myself and am undergoing a mercenary qualification assessment," Lancelot scratched his head, "Ordinary people can find refuge there as hired labor, but as you might guess, these are very hard and poorly paid jobs." "Such work probably isn''t suitable for me," Kalalin said despondently, feeling very hopeless about his future. "There''s a market district in the town. Maybe you can find a shop there willing to hire you?" "Sigh, I guess I can only hope... And what was with those two Succubi just now?" "The one killed was named Grace. Her Lord thought she had been kidnapped by that gorilla; my mission was to rescue her, but it turned out the two were lovers, and they hoped no one would expose their secret." "What about the other Succubus? Was she the Lord''s lieutenant?" "Oh, no, that was the Lord herself, Tijana of Twin Bridges Town." As Lancelot spoke, Kalalin looked as though he had been struck by lightning, his face etched with shock. "You mean to say... that was... the Pearl of Stygian Riverbank, the legendary Tijana who rose to prominence three hundred years ago, the Lord of Twin Bridges Town?" "Well, it should be her," Lancelot said, a bit puzzled, "Is she that famous?" "To certain people, she''s practically a superstar." Kalalin bowed deeply, "Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Kalalin, a Seeker of the Black Cult. Please ensure my safe arrival at Twin Bridges Town, I beg you!" Chapter 24 Black Cult "The Black Cult? That doesn''t sound like a respectable organization," Bruto leaned in closer. "You''re not some kind of secret society that worships demons, are you?" "Our primary research subject is indeed demons, but our purpose in understanding them is to combat them," Kalalin said, pulling out a notebook from somewhere and jotting something down, "We can discuss the specifics on our way to Twin Bridges Town, let''s get moving." "Hold on a minute, we need to clean up the loot," Lancelot efficiently took out several empty bags. In the end, they filled four full bags with at least a thousand Gold Coins. After Kuka''s body dissolved, Lancelot found a pair of metal rings that, after being struck year after year by the ape demon, had become extremely hard; Bruto took them to use as bracers and they fit perfectly. Lancelot cast the spell to summon his warhorse again, this poor Abyssal creature being treated as a packhorse every time, Lancelot had never once ridden it into battle. Fortunately, it seemed to harbor no desire to complain and followed obediently behind Lancelot. The group proceeded downstream along the Stygian River. Compared to their journey coming here, the sky was no longer clear, and large patches of dark clouds made the temperature no longer so unbearable. Lancelot and Kalalin walked side by side, both full of curiosity about the other. "Mr. Kalalin, could you tell us more about your Black Cult?" "Just call me Kalalin," Kalalin fanned himself with his notebook. "Let me ask you a question first, where does your knowledge about the Abyss come from?" "The Elves of my world. Thousands of years ago they explored the Abyss deeply, but after that, a great war broke out, and ever since they have lived in the shadow of a potential demon invasion. Before I entered the Abyssal Plane, they left me with a wealth of knowledge about the Abyss, but I''ve found a lot of it seems outdated... Kalalin?" Lancelot realized the person beside him was gone; the Kalalin who had been walking with him was now standing still behind him, staring at him with a look that appeared when he first learned Tijana''s identity. "Uh, what''s the matter?" "If I told you I am now extremely grateful to have come to the Abyssal Plane, would you believe me?" Lancelot''s curiosity was piqued, and he asked several consecutive questions: "Does the Abyss itself have a will? What kind of view could have such an effect? Is it dangerous to discuss the specifics of that theory?" "Discussing these theories will neither attract demon attacks nor divine intervention, which in itself proves their credibility in a certain form," Kalalin, talking about her field of expertise, became very talkative and looked excited. "Am''s theory contends that the Abyss is the source of everything, the universe was originally a complete chaos, and the first deities who emerged from it took the beautiful things out of chaos, creating mountains, earth, life, and civilization, forming the Prime Material Plane that belongs to mortals, along with the various purer upper planes, taking them over, dividing them, and calling them the domains of the deities." "Conversely, the Abyss became the abandoned dump, a breeding ground for demons. Am believed that the Abyss itself has will, an existence that even deities cannot comprehend, and demons are the crystallization of this will. Demons are the tools of the Abyss, their impulse to destroy everything is the mission given to them by the Abyss. The Abyss wishes to return everything back to the state of absolute, pure chaos of the origins; it sees that as the proper state of the universe." "This is the core theory of our research into demons, the Abyss, and the eternal battle between order and chaos. It effectively answers three key questions: what demons are, where their power comes from, and what their purpose is." Kalalin spoke with fervent passion, and Lancelot listened, his heart surging with excitement. He inquisitively followed up: "What happened to Am in the end?" "As his research deepened, his powers grew stronger, but in the end, he could not escape the fate of destruction," Kalalin said regretfully. "His works contained too many accurate descriptions of demons and even Abyssal Lords. Just as deities hear the prayers of their followers, the entities described in his works established a mysterious connection with the works themselves." "From the day his famous Scroll of Darkness was completed, attempts to destroy it didn''t cease. In the end, several Abyssal Lords who felt threatened took action. Am and his homeland were destroyed together, but most of the Scroll of Darkness survived. Many claim that Am enchanted these scrolls, giving them a sort of living quality. After that, many were fortunate enough to see fragments of the Scroll of Darkness. These scrolls had the ability to teleport on their own, actively avoiding demon searches, preventing them from falling into a fate of complete destruction." Kalalin paused and gave a wry smile. "But there''s one problem when it detects danger and makes a run for it, it doesn''t take its reader along." Chapter 25 Kalalin Lancelot was surprised and asked curiously: "You''ve read the Scroll of Darkness before?" "Yes, a foolish decision. As a Seeker, when one finds the Scroll of Darkness or any demon-related items, the correct move is to immediately bring them to the nearest Cult branch. But just like everyone in the Cult, I was filled with curiosity about demon knowledge," Kalalin spread his hands, "The attacking demon pulled an entire room into the Abyssal Plane, but at the last moment, the scroll teleported away from my arms." "Uh, how did you escape from that attacking demon?" "The attacker was a Succubus. These demons are not as keen on slaughter as others, so it seemed to have little interest in me. Anyway, I survived that attack. With some understanding of the Abyss, I managed to survive the initial days, but eventually, a Bagula Demon named Kuka captured me." "I see." Lancelot nodded, "You mentioned you are an Explorer, what exactly does that entail?" "The Black Cult''s mission is to collect writings of Am scattered across the universe, and to continue exploring demon-related knowledge in his footsteps. The job of a Seeker is to search for items or information related to this for the Cult. This could be weapons and items used by demons or exact descriptions of encounters with them, even capturing a demon for research. The Cult calculates contributions based on the value of findings, provides rewards, and accordingly elevates a member''s rank within the Cult." "I see, so the Black Cult must be a highly respected organization." "Uh, actually, that''s not often the case. As you can imagine, the demons have a predictable attitude towards the Cult. Most of the time, a branch of the Cult, for safety reasons, must remain low-key and secretive. And because we''re always engaged in demon-related activities, you can imagine how bad the Cult''s image might look to the uninformed public," Kalalin shrugged helplessly, "Fortunately, the ruling class usually recognizes the role of the Black Cult, especially when a real demon invasion erupts in their territories." "This does sound incredibly useful, but I guess you don''t actually like reaching the lairs of the subjects you study." "Indeed, those who study war don''t enjoy being on the battlefield, and those who study demons certainly don''t want to face them directly," Kalalin sighed again. "We are experts in theory more than practice, far less capable in combat than professional adventurers. Our greatest value is actually the knowledge in our heads, which can help adventurers correctly respond to various demons." "She indeed is a very charming lady," Lancelot agreed, nodding his head. Bruto rolled his eyes discreetly. ------------------------ The group advanced along the Stygian River with Lancelot and Kalalin chatting as they walked. But after they rounded a small hill, they unexpectedly encountered a creature familiar to Lancelot. About ten Abyssal Hounds were drinking from the Stygian River. These demonized beasts seemed immune to the deadly toxins in the water, as well as other various negative effects. Among the pack was one with two heads, who immediately noticed Lancelot and his group. Unlike their last encounter with these creatures, Lancelot didn''t have the advantage in numbers this time, so the pack of hounds showed no signs of backing down. They glanced over, their sharp teeth bared and saliva dripping continuously, clearly deeming the human party before them as a meal sent from heaven. Lancelot knew he couldn''t hesitate at this moment; if the enemy surrounded them, it would be hard to protect everyone. He immediately drew his weapon and charged at the pack of hounds, shouting to Bruto: "I''ll handle these guys, you protect the others!" The Abyssal Hounds charged at him with no less ferocity, but Lancelot was no ordinary knight. True Qi naturally surged from his Dantian, his Great Sword swinging at an inconceivable speed, like a tornado rising out of nowhere. The charging enemies were like little fishing boats caught in a storm, instantly torn to shreds. The two-headed Abyssal Hound, seeing this, let out a whining sound, and a few hounds tried to bypass Lancelot to attack the people behind him. Lancelot thought this was bad, but as the enemies tried to flank him from both sides, despite his best efforts to block them, two Abyssal Hounds slipped past. "Bruto! Stop them!" Chapter 26 New Member Bruto roared as he went up to meet the enemy, swinging his chipped shield fiercely, knocking one of the hounds to the ground, followed by his hammer coming down and smashing the enemy''s dog head into a shattered apple. The other Abyss hound had no intention of helping its companion, it lunged towards the people at the back who were not wearing armor, its eyes red with hunger and madness. Lancelot had already drawn the Kiss of Deadly Poison, ready for another throwing attack. Just then, Kalalin suddenly raised his right hand, and a ring on his ring finger emitted a strong flash, the nearby beast let out a pained howl, covering its eyes as it fell to the ground. By this time, Bruto had already arrived, and with one hammer blow, he completely eliminated this potential threat. "Kill the one with the most heads first!" Kalalin yelled at Lancelot. Lancelot didn''t think twice, directly throwing the Kiss of Deadly Poison he was holding in his hand. The dark green dagger accurately hit the heart of the two-headed Abyss hound, nailing its body firmly to the ground. The two-headed demon dog''s limbs twitched violently in the air a couple of times, then it moved no more. All the Abyss hounds immediately stopped fighting, tucked their tails, and ran away completely. "Not bad," Lancelot swung the Great Sword, flicking the blood clean off it. "You''re much more useful than you claim to be." "The leaders generally have the most heads among these creatures. Once you deal with the leader, the rest will scatter. That''s the power of knowledge." Kalalin grinned, pointing to the bodies of the Abyss hounds on the ground, "These creatures are beasts, not demons, hence their flesh remains after death instead of dissipating quickly like demons. Their hide is great material, whether for making boots, handbags, or belts, and it''s a shame to waste it." Upon hearing this, Bruto took out a dagger and skillfully started skinning. Lancelot, curious, asked: "What was that just now? Are you a spellcaster?" "Unfortunately, it''s almost impossible for Scholars to master Ninth Circle Magic," Kalalin shook his head. "The strongest Scholar I know could barely cast an Eighth Circle Spell, and he had to spend a full month preparing for it in advance and then spent three days in bed due to the physical toll." "Ah, well," Bruto''s face showed disappointment. "At least we know how to leave this damned world, find a high-level Spellcaster, right?" "A high-level Spellcaster could indeed do that," Kalalin nodded. "But don''t forget, high-level Spellcasters are incredibly powerful and convincing them to help isn''t easy, especially not in the Abyss." "What''s the highest Circle of Magic you can currently master?" Lancelot was more concerned about Kalalin''s strength. "My limit is two Second Circle spells and four First Circle spells. Cantrip Spells are not limited, but I still need to prepare scrolls in advance, and I must have a full rest before I can restore my magic power," Kalalin confessed somewhat sheepishly. "However, we have an advantage, most spells can be memorized in our minds, we don''t need to carry a spellbook like Mages do, and due to a lot of practice and prior preparation, Spells cast through scrolls by Scholars are slightly more powerful and harder to resist." "How powerful are the Second Circle Spells?" Bruto asked curiously. "Well, Acid Arrow is a typical Second Circle Spell, and with my capability, I can release three Acid Arrows at once, which... just about seriously wounds a Coward Devil," Kalalin admitted somewhat sheepishly. "I know, it''s not even comparable to Sir Lancelot''s recent display of combat ability, but my primary focus is on academics, not just enhancing fighting power." "If you sacrifice offensive capabilities, do you have any supportive or self-protective spells?" Lancelot''s expression became serious. "Among the Cantrip Spells I''ve mastered, there''s ''Mending'' which can repair equipment; ''Detect Poison'' to check if an object or area is poisonous; a First Circle spell similar to your horse summoning called ''Mount''; ''Grease'' which greatly increases your movement speed, ideal for escaping; ''Protection from Evil'' which is effective against various evil beings; and even one that can double your height and strength, called ''Enlarge Person''." At this moment, Kalalin realized the implication in Lancelot''s words and his expression turned solemn. He continued: "I can only cast two Second Circle spells per day, so I must choose carefully. The Second Circle spells I''ve mastered include the previously mentioned ''Acid Arrow,'' ''Wind Creation Spell'' that can summon a strong wind, ''Levitation Skill'' to free a willing subject from gravity, ''Invisibility Spell'' to make a person or item disappear along with its counter ''See Invisibility,'' and several other spells that enhance teammates'' strength, agility, and other attributes." "All very useful." Lancelot smiled brightly, "So, Mr. Kalalin, may I formally propose you join my adventure team? On one hand, you wouldn''t have to worry about how to obtain residency in Twin Bridges Town anymore, and on the other, our adventures could fully satisfy your curiosity about demonology." "I was just wondering how to approach you about the same thing," Kalalin smiled as well. "It would be my pleasure, Sir Lancelot. I believe I can definitely be of help." Chapter 27 Six-Armed Serpent Demon In the magnificent hall, Lancelot awkwardly adjusted his stance. On the way in just moments before, all the Succubi seemed to be looking at him with a strange gaze, which made him quite uncomfortable. "Oh, your little band of adventurers has a new companion?" Tijana lounged regally in her throne. Although she was speaking to Lancelot, her half-closed eyes were not looking at him. The captives whom Lancelot had rescued earlier had been led away by a foreman, about to start their careers in the blacksmith area, while Kalalin did not follow them. At this moment, his gaze was intently fixed on his own toes, trembling slightly, whether from fear or excitement, it was hard to tell. "Interesting, a member of the Black Cult actually ran away to the Abyss." Tijana''s smile was chillingly sinister. "This group, keen on studying Demons, has hardly refrained from summoning them and then dissecting them alive." "But his knowledge is indeed useful," Lancelot hurriedly defended Kalalin. "With his help, I believe many missions will go much more smoothly." "Just as long as he doesn''t set his sights on undermining Twin Bridges Town," Tijana teased. "These people are very focused on the situation in the Abyss, I believe he''s well aware of the consequences of such actions." "I swear on my soul, I will absolutely not do anything that harms the interests of Twin Bridges Town or yours, my lady," Kalalin spoke eagerly. "My lady, if there is anything you need, my wisdom is at your service." "Rather use your wisdom against this knight''s enemies," Tijana said, shifting her attention away from him and back to Lancelot. "You''ve already completed your assessment task, recruit whom you like but you are responsible for their safety, including a head tax of 300 gold coins per person per month. No refunds in case of death, remember that." "Thank you, my lady," Lancelot bowed. "Take this, it''s your proof as a mercenary." Tijana tossed a Twin Bridges Town emblem to him. "Use it to purchase a residence at the Mercenary Hall, accept missions, and pay the Head Tax." "Understood, my lady." Lancelot nodded knowingly, Tijana had not asked for the gold coins seized from Kuka, meaning he didn''t have to worry about being evicted in the short term. Bruto stepped forward and began, "There''s one more thing, milady. Are you familiar with Cold Iron?" The Mercenary Hall was located on the east side of the castle, very close by. Further east lay a sprawling series of buildings, constructed year by year by mercenaries who came here. The road to the Mercenary Hall wasn''t very crowded, but each individual looked fierce and malevolent, almost as demonic in temperament minus the antlers. When the three stepped into the Mercenary Hall, they were startled by the receptionist. This was a creature straight out of myth. ''She'' stood over nine feet tall, the upper body resembling that of a humanoid female, even beautiful in face, but the tightly pursed lips displayed a very cold demeanor, and her eyes emitted a terrifying murderous aura that could stop one''s breath. Her overly elongated torso was flanked by three pairs of arms, adorned with various types of jewelry, the clearly defined muscle lines signaling that this was a highly efficient killing machine. ''Her'' lower body was an extremely thick serpentine tail, broader than Bruto''s shoulders, covered with green scales that could invoke one''s primordial fears, stretching about twenty feet from head to tail tip. Bruto turned to run but was grabbed by Lancelot. Kalalin, after the initial shock, seemed quite interested in observing her. "This is a Merrylis, also known as a Six-Armed Serpent Demon," his words squeezed out between clenched teeth in a very soft volume. "Don''t panic, you see, she isn''t holding any weapons in her hands, which means chopping up visitors isn''t her current duty." Bruto recovered from his panic and then noticed that the Serpent Demon was holding various documents and seals, while weapons rested in twelve sheaths on her back. In Lancelot''s mind, he recalled the Elves'' information on such creatures. Six-Armed Serpent Demons were masters of close combat, each of her arms wielding a longsword during battle, unleashing a tempest of strikes against her enemy. If you were lucky enough to parry all six of her arms'' attacks, her tail would be the last straw to crush you while you gasped for breath. More importantly, they were among the finest commanders in the Demon armies, one of the few who could rally other Demons during battle. Their strategic and tactical acumen was as outstanding as their combat skills, striking the battlefield at the most opportune moment, wreaking havoc on the most vulnerable part of the enemy lines. Without them, Demons'' performance in the blood battles would likely be much worse, perhaps even risking the first layer of the Abyss becoming dominated by the Devils. "If you don''t have pressing matters, it''s best you disappear from my sight immediately." The ghostly voice that rose, reminiscent of a snake slithering over sand. Chapter 28 Goblin Phil "Um, hello, Miss Sonam, you''re called Sonam, aren''t you?" Lancelot glanced at the table in front of the six-armed serpent demon, which had a small rectangular sign on it with the name Sonam written on it. Lancelot guessed this was probably meant to be a nameplate. "State your business," the six-armed Serpent Demon Sonam said, looking impatiently at the human in front of her, one hand already on the hilt of her sword behind her. "We are here to register as mercenaries," Lancelot hurriedly took out the emblem and placed it on the table. "Oh, newcomers, just passed the assessment, did you?" One of Sonam''s hands pulled out a short wand from somewhere under the table and lightly tapped Lancelot''s emblem with the crystal on top. The emblem emitted a faint glow and a line of text emerged on the surface: "Number 9527, Tijana" "It looks real, indeed," the six-armed Serpent Demon said, her face showing a hint of regret. "So, how many of you are there?" "Three." "The head tax for the first month, 900 Gold Coins." Lancelot exchanged a helpless look with Bruto and threw out a large bag. They had previously agreed that spoils from future adventures would be allocated as needed, while gold would be divided equally among the three. Lancelot and Bruto suggested that they pay Kalalin''s head tax for the first month, but he insisted it was just an advance and would be offset by his future spoils. Sonam took the bag, weighed it in her hand, and tossed it behind her, where it landed in a large chest. "Um, aren''t you going to count it?" Bruto asked, curious. "We might count it on a whim once in a while," the six-armed Serpent Demon lifted an arm and pointed behind them, "that''s for the fools who dare to underpay even by a single coin." The three of them turned around and saw a small hill made of skulls, with the ones at the top appearing relatively fresh, still with remnants of flesh and blood. "Um, we''ll make sure to throw in a few extra each time, just in case," Bruto said, a bit uneasily. "Greetings, I''m Phil," the Goblin said, taking off the ill-fitting hat to salute Lancelot, revealing his balding pate. "For any services you need, you may come to me." "Uh, we would like some information about this place," Lancelot said, noticing a sign hanging above Phil''s head which read ''Absolutely Fair Trading Company.'' "That means you''re in need of consultation services," the Goblin snapped his fingers and leaned back. "Our company''s charges are very fair¡ªone Gold Coin per question." "Do you charge even if you don''t know the answer?" Bruto asked curiously. "Oh no," Kalalin let out a wail. "Not knowing is also an answer," Phil extended a palm. "The first question, one Gold Coin." Bruto, infuriated, rolled up his sleeves ready to throw a punch, but Lancelot stopped him just in time. He noticed a price list behind the Goblin with ''Getting hit, five Gold Coins per punch'' written in an inconspicuous spot. "That''s fair," Lancelot said as he took out a Gold Coin and tossed it over. "You must have made a good amount of money with this trick, huh?" "Thank you for your patronage, but generally speaking, I earn more from taking a punch. However, let me remind you, only paid inquiries count as services provided; not paying is considered assaulting the staff, and the Guards would be very happy to have a reason to cut you into pieces," the Goblin caught the Gold Coin, bit it with his teeth, and then began to cough violently. "Ptui, ptui, ptui, why is there a stench of gorilla?" "If you don''t like it, you can give it back to me," Lancelot extended his hand. "I like it; I like any gold," Phil slapped away Lancelot''s hand and pressed the Gold Coin under his buttocks. "Do you have any other questions?" Lancelot took out another five Gold Coins and dropped them down; the Goblin pounced on the table with a howl, scooping the Gold Coins into his bosom, bubbles of joy covering his face: "Wow! Boss is awesome! Boss is generous! May the boss have good health, awooo! Five questions, right? Just ask away, I''ll make sure you''re satisfied!" "Good, you''ve already taken the money, so you should provide the service. Right?" "Of course, of course," Phil gathered the five Gold Coins in his hand, shaking them gently near his ear, delighting in the tinkling sounds they made. "Oh, such a delightful sound! What would you like to know?" "No, you''ve misunderstood," Lancelot pointed at the remote corner of the price list. "I was talking about the service that costs five Gold Coins at one time." Chapter 29 Service Area Phil''s complexion changed, and then he put on an expression like a dead pig not fearing boiling water, "No refunds once services are provided, come on! Just punch me!" "Are you sure? Maybe I should demonstrate the power of my punch first." Lancelot raised his fist, thought for a moment, and then summoned up thirty percent of his True Qi, slamming it viciously into the nearby stone wall. With an explosion-like bang, the wall was hit as if by a battering ram, creating a three-foot-wide depressed crater surrounded by a cobweb of cracks. "Phil! Are you dead? If you''re not, make a noise, or else I''m heading to your cellar!" A shrill female voice came from not too far away. "I''m fine! And there''s nothing in my cellar!" Phil quickly recovered from his daze and shouted back, then pushed the five Gold Coins back with a pained expression. "Erm, actually, the service wasn''t provided this time, so refunds are supported." "But I feel like my Dwarf companion was played for a fool and needs to vent." "That''s indeed a problem, and I did provide an answer to it," the avaricious Goblin said, his face turning red with the effort of holding back tears. "How about we treat that previous question as a free promotional gift, and you ask me a new one?" "Hmm, sure. First question, what''s the purpose of this area?" "This is the service area for mercenaries," Phil said, timidly extending his palm. "Be more specific." Lancelot took out a Gold Coin but didn''t hurry to hand it over to the Goblin in front of him. "Well, it caters to various needs of mercenaries, like renting a bed for the night, treating injuries and diseases, lifting curses, recharging magical equipment, and so on. You can also find information brokers and traders who buy war spoils. Of course, all these services come at a reasonable price." "Good," Lancelot flicked the Gold Coin to Phil and continued, "Second question, what''s the approximate price of property suitable for the Mortal Races to live in?" After traversing a not-so-lengthy corridor, the three of them entered into a bustling hall. It resembled a small marketplace with dozens of stalls, and figures that looked like mercenaries weaved through, occasionally stopping to converse softly with a stall owner. Phil was right; that Red Dragon was indeed very conspicuous. It coiled at the entrance of a huge aperture on the wall, looking down at the crowd below with a contemptuous gaze. Lancelot came here naturally wanting to sell some gemstones that were of no use to him to first take care of his lodging situation. He also quickly spotted the Devilspawn named Catez, who was absent-mindedly scanning the crowd. Even though the Goblin had said that the Red Dragon''s offer was highest, Lancelot had no intention of trading with someone he probably couldn''t handle. "Find a place with a better view and keep an eye on our surroundings," he whispered to Bruto and Kalalin before walking up to Catez''s small stall alone, silently sizing up the Devilspawn. Although uncommon, it was indeed possible for Fiends from the lower planes to reproduce with humanoids, and the most common of such couplings involved Succubi and Nightmares, who seduced mortals through lust. It was impossible for Fiends to conceive or cause conception by accident; they had various reasons for choosing to create offspring, love also being a possibility. But their progeny were destined to be taboo. If one parent was merely an ordinary mortal, the offspring would mostly still be a pure-blooded Fiend, but if the mortal''s strength surpassed that of the Fiend, the child might end up being a hybrid with the physical features of both parents, along with Antlers, tails, and bat wings. This was how Devilspawn came to be. The first generation of Devilspawn could almost never escape the evil nature that came with their bloodline, regardless of their upbringing. However, after several generations, the Fiendish characteristics in the offspring started to diminish, the evil from their bloodline being restrained by reason and emotion, and they didn''t necessarily take the path of evil, although the constant discrimination they faced often forced them to do so. This Devilspawn in front of him was undoubtedly a first-generation; he had deep red skin, an exceptionally handsome face, and a well-proportioned, slender figure. Short sharp horns adorned his forehead, and giant demonic wings splayed from his back, while a thick tail rhythmically thumped the ground. He raised his eyes that seemed forever ablaze with anger and spoke in a condescending tone, "What can I do for you?" Chapter 30 The Price of a Soul Lancelot was not annoyed by the attitude of the Devilspawn; in fact, this was already considered relatively polite by Abyss standards. "I heard there''s a guy named Catez who can offer a good price for gemstones." "A fresh, unfamiliar face," the Devilspawn looked at Lancelot with an amused gaze, "Today, with that damn Red Dragon around, someone still comes to me?" "I don''t like dealing with someone who is much stronger than me," Lancelot stated the reason he didn''t go to see the Red Dragon Krivtar. "That creature isn''t even of age yet. Sooner or later, I will slaughter it and take all the treasures from its lair for myself," Catez glared hatefully at the Red Dragon and then asked, "How much do you think your goods are worth?" "I''m not sure, but they are all beautiful." "Is that so," Catez sneered, "Don''t tell me you''re a fool who picked up a few pretty pebbles and is fantasizing about making a fortune. Show me what you have." Lancelot reached into his pocket, thought for a moment, and drew out three gemstones, giving his wrist a gentle shake to let the gemstones roll slowly on the table. They were three blue gemstones, two of them were very clear, and one was so dark it almost appeared black. The experienced Bruto had already appraised these gemstones, the two lighter-colored ones were ordinary sapphires, each worth about a thousand Gold Coins; the darker one was a Black Sapphire, also known as ''Black Pearl,'' starting at five thousand Gold Coins, it was one of the most valuable gemstones. Bruto had already carried out a preliminary cutting of these gemstones. Although he claimed that his skills were not even one-tenth of his father''s, Lancelot believed that to be modesty, for he couldn''t discern any flaws with his naked eye. As the gemstones gently tumbled, their facets continuously flashed dazzling highlights, especially the dark gemstone. Greedy and excited eyes appeared in Catez as he reached out for the gemstones. "Roar!!!!!" An urgent dragon''s cry came, followed by the strong gust of wind from the flapping of massive wings. Catez''s face changed, he turned and grabbed a Spear leaning nearby, pointing it at the incoming Red Dragon and roaring: "Krivtar! It''s not your turn to run wild in Twin Bridges Town!" "Is the deal settled?" A beautiful figure descended gracefully from the air, interrupting the Devilspawn''s self-praise. She was a Succubus; she glanced around the room and her eyes lit up when she saw Lancelot. "Oh, if it isn''t Sir Lancelot, good afternoon, Sir." "You know me?" Lancelot touched his nose. "My sisters have all been hoping to receive such gifts one day," the Succubus Letisha giggled, turning to Catez, "Silver Spear Pretty Boy, what do you want with me?" "Watch your language!" Catez shouted angrily, "Pay Sir Lancelot eighty Soul Coins from my treasury." "Uh, what are Soul Coins?" Lancelot asked curiously. "You''re new here, it''s normal not to know," Letisha explained enthusiastically, "Soul Coins are issued by the banks of the Nine Hells of Demons, one Soul Coin is worth a hundred Gold Coins, or ten Platinum Coins." "Currency issued by Demons?" Lancelot asked, shocked. "Do Demons accept this...?" "We prefer Soul Stones that directly store Souls, but those are of no use to humans like you, and you don''t have the ability to assess the value of a Soul. However, the ruler of the Nine Hells, Asmodeus, has publicly promised that each Soul Coin can be redeemed for a Soul or a hundred Gold Coins," the Succubus shrugged nonchalantly, her simple gesture oozing endless Charm, making those around her stare blankly, "Thanks to the well-known preferences of Demons, they will never give you Souls. A Soul Coin is worth a hundred Gold Coins, which Demons believe is the minimum price to make a Soul fall." "This... What kind of fool would go to a bank in Hell to withdraw money?" Bruto was incredibly shocked. "Devotees of Demons, merchants who travel between the lower planes, and even the Demons themselves," Kalalin explained, showing his profound knowledge of the lower planes, "It is said that for every Soul Coin issued, there''s a corresponding soul wailing, hanging on the fireplace of the ruler of the Nine Hells." "I''d rather not find myself one day in Barto Hell demanding Gold from Demons," Bruto said, showing his disgust, "Let''s just stick with Gold Coins." "Gold Coins, gold bars, whatever form you want, you pick." "Do you have Platinum Bars?" Kalalin interjected, "A Platinum Bar should weigh two pounds, worth the equivalent of a thousand Gold Coins." "Of course, we do," Letisha winked at Lancelot, "They''re as hard as your body, Sir, if you know what I mean?" Chapter 31 The New Owner of Hagrid Manor A moment later, the trade among the three parties was completed, and Lancelot and Bruto had several dozen pounds of "cargo" on them. Watching the two skillfully insert Metal Ingots into the gaps of the armor as if they were armor plates, Kalalin, who could only wear robes as a scholar, couldn''t help but feel some helplessness. The Red Dragon Krivtar had already left, satisfied, while the Devilspawn Catez looked at them meaningfully and spoke: "It''s said that the Sandworm Lord of the Shattered Mountain Range was slaughtered, a huge gash left on its body. Everyone says it was probably done by a Barlow Flame Demon passing by." "Oh." Bruto raised his eyebrows, "What does that have to do with us?" "Someone heard some interesting rumors in the Blacksmith District, too exaggerated, must have been those Dwarves bragging after a few drinks," Catez chuckled, "There''s also a rumor about a new Human Knight in town, incredibly generous, who sent our revered Lady Tijana a beautiful big Diamond, driving all the Succubus mad with envy." "That''s just the Dwarves'' way of saying thank you," Lancelot replied coolly, unflustered, "The Demons in charge of the work wouldn''t actually go into the mines themselves, watching over every stone the slaves dig up." "Of course, of course, no one takes such absurd rumors seriously." The Devilspawn leaned back, his bat wings relaxing and stretching out. "We had a very pleasant trade today, didn''t we? If you have any good items to sell in the future, remember to look for your old friend Catez, Sir Lancelot." --------------------- Afterward, Kalalin ''borrowed'' some money from Lancelot and Bruto to buy some Parchment and writing materials for making scrolls. After leaving the service area, the three of them came again to the entrance where the Six-Armed Serpent Demon was. "Speak." Sonam clearly didn''t like her current role. "We need to buy, no, rent a property." Now that he had money in his pocket, Bruto felt a bit more confident, although it might also be due to the several large chunks of Metal Ingots at his waist. The Six-Armed Serpent Demon looked skeptically at the group before him. Most mercenaries were miserly until they survived long enough to reach the Silver Level, and even if they had some money, they spent it on brothels and equipment. Where did these guys get the money to buy property? Lancelot took out a Platinum Bar and said: "We just dealt with some spoils of war inside." "Lucky you," Sonam turned around, and only then did Lancelot notice behind her many bronze tubes, open at the ends like trumpets, resembling the speaking tubes used for communication in castles. The Six-Armed Serpent Demon knocked on one of the trumpets and spoke into it: "Clues to some divine artifact, mysterious rumors, who knows," Vidia shrugged, "But you can rest easy, that Lich definitely won''t come looking for trouble in Twin Rivers Town. Let''s go in and have a look now." Lancelot was actually very pleased and didn''t have much in terms of interior de?cor requirements, but the furniture inside was somewhat beyond his expectations. Contrary to what he had anticipated, only the drawing-room and dining room felt somewhat luxurious, and the only presentable furniture was the kitchenware. The furnishings in the other rooms were very modest, reflecting the former owner''s true financial situation, which wasn''t great, but everything looked very tidy, as if someone cleaned it often. The first floor housed a dining room, drawing room, kitchen, and two bedrooms. Both the second and third floors had five rooms each, but they were all empty. The basement was even more extensive than the building above ground, and unsurprisingly, Lancelot found a storage, prison cells, a torture chamber, and a tomb. Considering the former owner''s identity, the tomb probably served as the actual master bedroom, containing several stone coffins, most of which were empty. "I am satisfied," Lancelot finally decided, "How much would it cost to rent this place for three years?" "Just seven thousand gold coins, and you''ll be the new master of Hagrid Manor." "Why so expensive?" Bruto frowned, "Can''t we get a discount?" "What mercenary level are you now?" "Uh, iron." "Sorry, no. Only Gold Rank Level mercenaries can enjoy a fifty percent discount." "That''s pricey, Lancelot, shall we look somewhere else?" Lancelot shook his head; the place met his requirements in every aspect. As a Spiritual Cultivator, he shared the need for discretion with the vampires. "As the leader, I''ll cover the cost; this will be our base from now on. But Vidia, are you sure there''s no one from the Barlow family who can inherit his estate? I don''t want any disputes." "Don''t worry, properties in Twin Rivers Town can only be inherited by residents registered in Twin Rivers Town. I''m certain that the guy thrown into the Stygian River was the last of the Barlows. Besides, this place has already been reclaimed by Lady Tigana, and once you pay, it''s yours." A moment later, the succubus Vidia, carrying several pounds of metal ingots, flew away satisfied. "Lancelot, can I have a room on the first floor?" Bruto asked happily as he sprawled onto the drawing room''s sofa, exhaling at the end of a long day. "Hold on," Lancelot said, glancing at the setting sun and pulling a silver dining knife from a kitchen cabinet. "We still have a little problem to take care of first." Chapter 32 Pre-Battle Analysis "Uh, what do you mean by that?" Bruto was a bit puzzled, while Kalalin''s expression changed. "Lancelot, what did you discover?" "There is a coffin in the crypt that is covered, and I''m sure there''s a vampire lying inside, but it doesn''t feel very strong. Kalalin, how much do you know about vampires? I''ve only heard of such creatures in folklore." "Vampires are a relatively common type of Undead." Kalalin''s face became serious, "In addition to the widely known weaknesses like stakes, running water, and sunlight, vampires also have these characteristics." "Firstly, vampires are actually a kind of Earthbound Spirit, bound by their own coffin or burial site, and must rest there during the day. High-level vampires can resist this nature to some extent, but during the day their strength is still greatly diminished." "Secondly, they carry the curse of the gods, and without the invitation of the owner, cannot enter any human dwelling." "Thirdly, apart from the well-known bat form, vampires can also turn into mist form. In this state, they can''t attack or manipulate objects, but they can move and are immune to all damage except magic." "Fourthly, when they are killed outside their lair, they actually transform into mist form. They must return to their lair within two hours to recover from their injuries, otherwise, they will be utterly destroyed." "Fifth, not all creatures bitten by vampires become vampires. Only those killed by vampiric abilities and then buried will awake as a vampire the night of the burial, the most common being those blood-fed by vampires. Vampires transformed this way are under the absolute control of the vampire that created them, thus they are referred to as vampire derivatives, and only when the controlling vampire dies can they gain freedom and become a true vampire." "Lastly, the state of being a vampire is more like a curse, or a blessing, depending on your point of view, so it''s a reversible condition. The Seventh Circle divine art of Resurrection used by priests is the most common method, which after resurrection, will revert the individual to their state before becoming a vampire, but since this spell doesn''t work on naturally dead beings, it can''t be used to transform those vampires who have lived for a very long time, having exceeded the limits of their lifespan; another method is the Ninth Circle magic Wish used by mages, which, as I''ve explained before, has the power to alter reality and can directly remove the vampire state." "So you''re saying that since we are actually sitting right on top of the vampire''s lair, the one in the crypt is easy to deal with?" "Why not on me or yourself?" Bruto asked curiously, "Shouldn''t we be weaker?" "The reason I''m not giving it to myself is that I''m the least threatening; charmed by me, you''d pose no threat to each other," Kalalin said nonchalantly, "The reason I''m not giving it to you is similar; even if you were charmed, Sir Lance would not have much trouble dealing with you. But if he were charmed, that chamber below ground might well become our resting place." Bruto opened his mouth to say something in rebuttal but could only helplessly agree, "You make a good point." "One of my second-level spells, ''Stream of Water,'' is also suitable; this spell creates a gentle stream of water, usually used for swimming, but since living water affects vampires like strong acid, this spell can cause them significant damage." "Lastly, in line with the principle of not wrongly accusing a good person, I have a very practical first-level spell, ''Detect Alignment.'' This spell can reveal whether the target''s alignment is good or evil, but it requires the zero-level ''Detect Magic'' to first confirm whether the target is under the effects of magic or carries magical items." "That''s all the spells I can think of," Kalalin concluded. "Magic is truly marvelous," Lancelot exclaimed. He pondered for a moment before saying, "Prepare the zero-level spells ''Light Spell'' and ''Detect Magic''; they will indeed be useful. The first-level ''Detect Alignment'' should be enough; hold off on ''Piercing Scream'' for now, as its lair is right beneath us and it can''t escape. As for the second-level ''Owl''s Wisdom''... I think I can resist it, after all, I withstand the likes of Tijana... I should have resisted, right? And with the sun setting in a little more than an hour, is there enough time to prepare second-level spell scrolls?" "Not enough time indeed," Kalalin nodded reluctantly, "My speed of making scrolls is already fast, but an hour is indeed only enough for me to prepare two zero-level spell scrolls and one first-level spell scroll." "We must resolve this threat tonight; let''s get ready quickly," Lancelot then checked the sun''s approximate position again, "We should have enough time. Bruto, can your hammer be used as a Blacksmith Hammer?" "Sure, what for?" Lancelot pulled out a silver coin, "I think I have a pretty good throwing arm, so help me sharpen the edges of these coins." "Throwing money at them, huh." Bruto excitedly lifted his hammer, "That''s a good idea, leave it to me." Chapter 33 Vampires Nature The night descended upon Twin Bridges Town, yet it remained as bustling as ever. The streets were crowded with laborers out to unwind after a day''s work, mercenaries in search of amusement, and demons who seemingly had no concept of rest. Torches were lit along the streets, primarily for the sake of the pitiful mortals, as most demons possessed excellent dark vision. But this did not mean that the pedestrians could afford even the slightest drop in their vigilance. Quasimodo Demons weaved through the crowd, punishing those careless enough not to watch their wallets; the passersby would sometimes get into fights over mere shoves, with the guards enthusiastically joining the onlookers before dragging away the losing party; horrific screams would occasionally rise from dark alleys only to stop as abruptly as they started, but no one was interested in taking a closer look. "It''s just like Twin Bridges Town to have such good public order," Lancelot remarked as he walked down the most bustling Chaos Street in the mercenary quarter. His comment was not without reason. The standard of comparison matters. In a city of the Abyss, it was an achievement to keep the streets free of fresh corpses, and petty thievery and public brawls were completely normal here. Moreover, because of Dingke''s influence, no Quasimodo Demon would trouble them. The enhanced Dingke was overwhelmingly powerful against ordinary Quasimodo Demons. According to it, it was now the boss of all Quasimodo Demons in the East City District, though this "boss" title seemed to serve no actual purpose. Lancelot took Isabella shopping with the intention of helping these Quasimodo Demon thieves recognize who to avoid, though he wasn''t very confident in their observational skills. Luckily, being a vampire, it wasn''t that easy to be killed, and even if they were reduced to nothing but a cloud of mist, a night''s rest in the tomb chamber back at Hagrid Manor would likely be enough for recovery. Little Isabella remained agape throughout the experience. The inhabitants of the lower planes were always whimsical in appearance, and the chaotic power of the Abyss twisted things to the utmost, while Twin Bridges Town, as a neutral city, included all kinds. Here one could see beautiful women who, if placed in the Mortal Realm, could cause a rift between father and son, as well as repulsive monsters that made one feel like bugs were crawling out of their pores. The more approachable Kalalin was bombarded with questions by the curious vampire, while Lancelot and Bruto eavesdropped nearby, taking the opportunity to familiarize themselves with a host of new species. Having passed through the mercenary quarter, they arrived at the market district. As a maid, Isabella would likely have to shop here in the future, so it was necessary to familiarize herself with the area beforehand. After several rounds through the market district, they found a few shops selling food for the Mortal Races. The prices were obviously exorbitant, with a piece of ham costing ten Gold Coins, which made Bruto curse the rip-off, but in the end, they still bought some bread and dry rations to have a supply of food. "Turning wine into blood is the solution offered by magic. As a second-tier Transformation System spell, it can change a bottle of wine into the blood of an ordinary animal, enough to satisfy a vampire''s craving for fresh blood. Of course, the higher the quality of the wine used as a material, the better the taste of the transformed blood," Kalalin''s face became serious again, "Your craving for blood has been suppressed while you were controlled, but starting from the day the vampire who controlled you died, you can probably go about two weeks without thinking about blood. After that, you must feed on fresh blood, or you''ll gradually experience withdrawal and slowly lose your sanity. Right now, I happen to be able to cast second-tier magic, and once I learn this spell, I''ll be able to solve your ''eating'' problem." "Phew, that''s such a relief," Isabella sighed, then looked embarrassed, "Thank you, Mr. Kalalin, I will be in your debt from now on." "Haha, no trouble at all, no trouble at all, we''re fellow villagers after all, helping each other is only right," Kalalin laughed happily, while Lancelot and Bruto moved slightly away from the two. After a short stay in the market district, the group headed to the blacksmith district. From a distance, they could feel the heat emanating from the blacksmith district, and after entering, it was like being in the desert at noon. Even at night, the blacksmith district showed no sign of rest, with every forge radiating intense heat and the sound of hammering metal ringing nonstop. It seemed to be a shift change, as Smithy Street was crowded with bare-chested workers. Dwarves were undoubtedly the main force, but there were also men and other races easily identified by their stature. They joked with each other, or cursed loudly about something. Though it seemed chaotic, the atmosphere was full of vitality. Bruto quickly led the group to the place where his father worked. New craftsmen would be assigned to respective positions, and Barrend had been appointed as the manager of a larger blacksmith shop. Tijana said that Barrend had proven his worth, which seemed no lie. "Dad!" Bruto found his father, who was working hard at the forge, and ran over happily. The father and son embraced each other tightly, a scene that reminded Lancelot of two black bears wrestling. "It''s great that you''ve come back safe and sound, and you''ve made so many new friends," Barrend''s eyes were slightly moist as he looked at the three people behind Bruto. "Give me five minutes to hand over my work, and then we''ll go for a proper drink!" Chapter 34 Dwarf Gathering The Blacksmith district was located to the west of Twin Bridges Town, and the dormitory area for the blacksmiths was in the farthest western corner. This cluster of buildings had the typical characteristics of a Dwarf architecture, with half of the houses on the surface and the other half underground, each bedroom connected by a common living room. Barrend and three other companions, who had initially ''rebelled'' together, shared a dormitory. The Dwarves did not find this arrangement to be objectionable; in fact, they were quite adapted to this collective style of living.No?v(el)B\\jnn At the moment, Lancelot and his companions were sitting on the sofas in a public lounge of the dormitory area, holding a mug of beer in their hands, watching a group of Dwarves gather around Bruto, listening to him recount the adventures they had just experienced. Lancelot had never been exposed to this type of drink before, with alcohol content not very high and giving off white bubbles, but he found that he preferred this lively atmosphere of drinking and chatting, compared to the polite ritual of sipping red wine from a glass at a dining table. "... the gorilla''s fist was as big as Aunt Berya''s cooking pot. With a whoosh, it came smashing down from above, but it was too tall, and with a roll to the side, I easily dodged it..." Bruto, standing on a table, was telling his story with such animation that his saliva flew in all directions, captivating the audience around him, including Lancelot, who found him to be truly entertaining. Little Issa was also attracted by this story, her pale blue eyes wide open, as if she were watching Bruto''s heroic battle with her own eyes. Lancelot clinked glasses with Kalalin and said with a smile, "If only we poor souls cast down into the Abyss could have half his optimistic attitude." "Dwarves are just such a resilient and optimistic race." Kalalin drained his glass in one gulp. "I also want to thank you, Sir Lancelot, for if one can be assured of their personal safety, the Abyss is simply paradise for us scholars who study Demons." Lancelot took the bottle and refilled his own and Kalalin''s glasses, "Regarding safety, it''s best not to be too optimistic. The Abyss always has unexpected ways to take your life." "Indeed. The more you study the Abyss, the more you realize that chaos is its essence. Moreover, according to Am''s theory, the gods have extracted most of the good from this chaos, so the chaos we see here is often filled with malice." At this point, Barrend left the crowd around his son and came over to Lancelot. He raised his glass formally and said, "I''d like to toast to you, Sir Lancelot, in gratitude for taking care of Bruto." This little girl''s sorrow was probably no less than theirs. As the singing faded, the dwarves one by one went to rest. With no outsiders present, Lancelot nudged Bruto¡ªit was time to talk business. "Er, Dad, where do we find Cold Iron?" "Weren''t you always impatient with learning these sorts of things? Why the sudden question now?" Bruto could only cast a pleading look towards Kalalin, "You explain." "Many know that Holy Weapons are the best choice against Fiends, but few realize that Cold Iron is also highly effective, and this type of weapon doesn''t have user restrictions; even Fiends can use it," Kalalin explained. "Bruto mentioned that your Frostforge Clan are experts in processing Cold Iron. He believes this could make the Succubus Lord view you differently." "I see," Barrend nodded and glanced sideways at Bruto, "Let me guess, this impatient young man has already spoken to Lady Tijana, and because he couldn''t produce any actual goods, he got a bloody nose?" "Dad, you know me so well, heh heh." "What''s more important is, we want to hear your thoughts on this matter," Lancelot''s expression became serious, "Would it be a good idea to give this weapon to Tijana? What do those dwarves who have stayed here for a long time think about Tijana?" "I''ve been carefully considering this as well," Barrend said, frowning, "The feelings of the dwarves here towards Tijana are quite complex. On one hand, they detest Tijana''s endless orders and exploitation, and on the other hand, they are very aware of how precious the shelter she provides is." "Tijana is indeed an anomaly," Kalalin agreed, "Among all known towns in the Abyss, Twin Bridges Town is one of the few that has always maintained a stable relationship with its mortal residents." "And to some extent, she has also granted us a degree of autonomy. The affairs of the blacksmith district are mostly handled by the Craftsmen Committee, and the chairman is a dwarf over 200 years old. These early settlers of Twin Bridges Town seem to be loyal to Tijana, and a dwarf''s trust is not easily won, let alone maintained for such a length of time." "So your opinion is?" "The expertise in processing Cold Iron is not a closely guarded secret. Although Tijana is a demon, she is our protector now, and she has a good reputation in this aspect," Barrend nodded, "It is beneficial for us to provide her with something valuable." "That''s great, but where do we go to find Cold Iron Ore?" Chapter 35 Foundation Establishment 3 Methods "I''m sorry, Bruto, that foolish boy, just hasn''t got the hang of it yet; it''s difficult to explain the gist of it to you in a sentence or two," Barrend''s large hand landed heavily on Bruto''s head, causing the latter to cover his head with a look of grievance. "I''m now a senior craftsman, and there''s a rest day coming up in four days. I''ll come with you then. However, I need to report this to the Craftsmen Committee first and apply to review their mining records to find the most likely spot." "Then it''s settled, we can use these next few days to rest and build up our strength," Lancelot reached into his pocket, "Ah right, there''s one more favor I need to ask of you." Confronted with the old Dwarf''s puzzled gaze, he placed three clear blue gemstones into Barrend''s hand. "I need a single-hand longsword for fighting in relatively confined spaces; this is the upfront payment," he explained. "How can this be!" Barrend refused to accept, "You are our savior; I must refuse the money." "I will be commissioning many more weapons and pieces of equipment from you in the future," Lancelot patiently explained, "If you refuse payment every time, it will only make me feel guilty and turn to other blacksmiths." "Alright then." Barrend took another look at the beautiful gemstones and finally accepted them. "You truly are an honorable human. So, do you have any special requirements for this sword?" "Hmm... I hope it''s a bit longer, so I can also wield it with both hands. It will be a frequently used weapon, so there''s no need for fancy decorations. I don''t require any enchantments either, as that''s likely out of my budget and the production time might be too long. Therefore, as long as its performance is good enough, that''s all I need." "Understood, four days'' time is more than sufficient then."No?v(el)B\\jnn Lancelot nodded, bowed to Barrend, and then rose to leave with Kalalin and Isabella, while Bruto planned to stay here tonight to spend some quality time with his old man. -------------------------- Three days later, just before dawn. Another method is used by the vast majority of cultivators who''ve successfully established their foundations, relying on an Elixir known as the Foundation Establishment Pill. This broad bean-sized Elixir greatly enhances the activity of True Qi, allowing cultivators at Great Perfection of the High Rank Qi Cultivation Realm to attempt Foundation Establishment, significantly compressing the time needed for cultivation and creating possibilities for challenging higher Realms later. The only problem is that the various medicinal ingredients required for refining this Elixir do not exist in this world, at least not in the disgusting place called the Abyss. Han Tianzun, who granted him the legacy and claimed to be "extreme in the Alchemy Dao," passed down the complete set of Alchemy Dharma Methods and even included an analysis of various Elixir principles and how to create Pill Recipes with existing materials. But that could only be done after Foundation Establishment, when the Divine Sense can be projected outward to inspect items. Lastly, there''s a theoretically viable method that no one has ever tried: using the Spiritual Power from Spirit Stones to forcibly break through to Foundation Establishment. Han Tianzun anticipated the problems Lancelot might encounter and specifically mentioned this method in the bamboo slips he left behind. According to Han Tianzun''s estimates, this method would require consuming about one hundred Upper Grade Spirit Stones to establish a foundation. In the world of Spiritual Cultivation, this is an insane number. The price of one Foundation Establishment Pill is about twenty thousand Spirit Stones, which is also two Upper Grade Spirit Stones. Therefore, while this method is theoretically feasible, no one has ever tried it. However, this was the method that held the most hope for Lancelot. The Earth Crystals he obtained from killing the Sandworm Lord last time had seven or eight pieces that reached the level of Upper Grade Spirit Stones. Gathering one hundred of them would not be easy, but at least it was possible. If Spirit Stones were stripped of their monetary attribute, they were just items used for recovery in battle, as well as the energy source for mechanisms, Formations, and prohibitions. They didn''t serve well as a means for Lancelot to store wealth. In fact, with the life extension blessings from the Elves, Lancelot could also succeed using the first method, but if possible, he still wanted to improve his strength as quickly as he could. After all, this was the Abyss, and if one day a wicked wind blew past and a seemingly innocuous Abyssal worm suddenly turned into a Barlow Flame Demon, he at least wanted the ability to escape. Speaking of escaping, it was necessary to mention some of the Cultivation Techniques that Han Tianzun had left him. Han Tianzun said that the world was different, and Lancelot would need to explore the later stages of cultivation on his own, but that was for the stages after the Body Integration Realm. He still left Cultivation Techniques for the early and middle stages for Lancelot. He would gain access to higher level techniques once he reached the appropriate Realm, but the techniques he could currently see fell far short of his expectations. Why were there so few attack-type techniques like ''Gathering Qi Slash'', and mostly various ''survival-type'' techniques for running away? Chapter 36 Cultivation Technique and Training Lancelot had spent the last few nights meditating and cultivating, while during the day he practiced several cultivation techniques from a few bamboo slips. Although reluctant to admit, techniques like concealing one''s breath and shifting position were indeed extremely useful in combat. He had realized that the forthright style of the knights was actually based on the premise of having strength and equipment no weaker than the opponent''s. Against fiends and strange creatures whose muscles were much larger than his own, it was best not to be too attached to formality. He had already self-taught the various applications of Gathering Qi Slash without a mentor and had spent the last couple of days organizing them thoroughly. In particular, the throwing attack technique using the principle of Gathering Qi Slash had a really good effect. Throwing the silver coins that Bruto had sharpened for him previously was incredibly effective, striking with the force of thunder and the speed of lightning. When utilized with full force, the impact was enough to bury a coin a foot deep into rock, and ordinary armor couldn''t begin to stop it. In addition to practicing these combat techniques, Lancelot also delved deeply into the various knowledge of spiritual cultivation, of which the ''Five Elements'' theory interested him most. The Multiverse perspective he was familiar with held that there were four basic elements¡ªQi, earth, water, and fire¡ªthat constituted matter, while the Spiritual Cultivation theory posited that all things possessed gold, wood, water, fire, and earth as Five Elements attributes. After a careful comparison, Lancelot found that although the concepts seemed conflicting, they didn''t actually clash. One theory spoke of elements and the other of attributes. Another concept that greatly interested Lancelot was the idea of a ''Spirit Root''. Corresponding to the Five Elements theory, Spirit Roots were also divided into gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. The Spirit Root determined a person''s ability to sense and absorb nature''s spiritual energy and the effectiveness with which they practiced cultivation techniques. Those with good Spirit Roots could practice cultivation for one day and achieve what took others three, naturally progressing faster. Sir Han had already checked when he passed on the techniques; Lancelot had wood, fire, and earth Spirit Roots, not bad, but merely average. In the early stages of spiritual cultivation, fewer Spirit Roots were better as they made it easier to sense and absorb the spiritual energy of the corresponding attribute. Having many Spirit Roots could complicate discerning the spiritual energy, making cultivation extremely difficult. However, Sir Han had said that he started off with even poorer innate talent than Lancelot, possessing four Spirit Roots, yet his strength had become one of the top-most existences in the realm, illustrating that there are no absolutes in anything. At the higher realms of spiritual cultivation, cultivators form a cycle of their own Inner World. At this stage, they would use various methods to complete their Spirit Roots to balance their Inner World. Some of the top Divine Skills and Immortal Laws also require a complete set of Spirit Roots; otherwise, they would be like castles in the air or mirrors and moon reflected in the water, impossible to perfect. When Sir Han bestowed the inheritance, he also taught Lancelot a special language filled with interesting four-character phrases like ''mirrors and moon reflected in the water''. The cultivation technique Lancelot was practicing now was called the Cauldron Immortal Technique. Sir Han claimed it was a peerless Divine Skill he created based on a treasure of heaven and earth, boasting unmatched abilities to connect with the universe. Practicing it was meant to be as pleasant as walking on a broad road, and it had many marvelous uses. Lancelot remained skeptical because Sir Han had said these were all his conjectures. He had already been at a very high realm when he created this technique; naturally, he couldn''t start all over again. Though he made many improvements afterward, he indeed hadn''t let others try it. "Ah, finally woke up, huh? Carry on, but don''t use all your strength every time. Always save a little for unforeseen circumstances," Lancelot counselled. Without a word, Bruto charged again. This time, he didn''t launch a desperate attack and Lancelot cooperated by feeding him moves, occasionally pointing out Bruto''s vulnerabilities and reminding him to stay alert. After clashing back and forth for about twenty moves, Bruto began to grow impatient and once more exposed a weakness during an attack interval. The Human Knight deceived Bruto with a feint, opening his guard wide, and then the sword tip touched the dwarf''s beard like a bolt of lightning. "Much better than before," Lancelot encouraged, "but remember to stay cautious in a tight spot, especially against an opponent stronger than yourself." "Huff..." Bruto panted heavily, "Again... let''s go again!" ... An hour later. "Boom!" The two weapons had clashed countless times that morning, but this time Bruto''s grip faltered. His wooden hammer flew off at an angle, and the young dwarf ended up sitting on the ground with a thud. "Ahh, I can''t, I can''t," Bruto gasped, out of breath, "I need a break." "Brilliant." Clapping came from the sidelines, where Kalalin was sitting on a bench with a book whose origins were unknown. "Why don''t you come and try with me?" Bruto said, annoyed. "I surrender," Kalalin said with a smile, "As everyone knows, we mundane spellcasters can''t cast spells in heavy armor, not to mention close combat." "That''s not necessarily always the case," Lancelot said, picking up a wooden staff from a nearby rack, "I''ve heard that monks from the east can bare their chests and still send fiends running scared. Come on, I''ll teach you some basic techniques." "Uh," Kalalin approached with a gloomy face, "Is that really necessary?" "Very necessary," Lancelot nodded, handing the wooden staff to Kalalin, "If a Mage runs out of mana, should he just surrender without a fight?" "Indeed, some Mages prefer to resolve fights using a magic wand," Kalalin nodded in resignation, "In this plane, it''s always beneficial to know how to defend oneself. I just tend to bicker with this guy out of habit. Please go ahead, Sir Lancelot." ``` Chapter 37 Frostslash The next morning, Lancelot and his two companions arrived at the craftsmen''s quarters located in the blacksmith district, where Barrend was already waiting for them. The old dwarf was also fully armed today; he wore a set of plank armor, donned a Dwarf Giant Helm with pointed horns, had a folding shovel and a Dwarf Cross Pickaxe at his waist, and carried a Heavy Steel Shield on his back. "Hey, old man, your gear looks pretty impressive. It''s been a while since I''ve seen you dressed up like this," Bruto said with a face full of excitement, like a child eager to go out and play with his father. "Back in my youth, I also crushed a few Orc skulls!" Barrend said with a laugh, "I might not be as agile as you young people anymore, but after all these years of blacksmithing, I still have some strength." "Dad, I doubt your gear will see any action this time." Bruto said arrogantly, "Lancelot has been giving me special training these past few days. You just stay safely behind me!" "You little rascal has grown up, eh? But don''t be too confident; your old man still has a few tricks up his sleeve," Barrend scolded with a smile. Then he turned to Lancelot, "Sir, your weapon is ready, and I guarantee you''ll be satisfied!" With that, he retrieved a long, narrow object wrapped in thick leather from the corner of the room and handed it to Lancelot. With the enthusiasm of a warrior for a new weapon, Lancelot eagerly unwrapped his new toy. What appeared before him was a beautiful longsword, slightly shorter than 4 feet. The blade was sheathed in a black leather scabbard, complete with a sword belt; the crossguard, slightly curving toward the tip like a pair of bull''s horns, was thickened; and the hilt was tightly wrapped in circles with dark red leather, ending in a metal sphere that served as a counterweight. Lancelot gripped the hilt and drew the blade partway from the scabbard. "Uh, could this be?" Kalalin expressed with a surprised look. The drawn portion of the blade was about four fingers wide and much lighter in color than typical metal weapons. As he drew the blade, it emitted a cold light, making it seem as though the temperature in the room had dropped. "This is definitely my masterpiece. The handle is wrapped with fire serpent skin, providing a good grip; the end ball is removable, allowing you to easily replace it with any shape you desire or any magical item with special effects," Barrend said proudly, lifting his chin, "Go ahead and give it a try, Sir Lancelot." "It''s that the mine shaft shows no signs of magma flow! That I can knock it out of you shows you don''t remember well enough!" Barrend almost roared into Bruto''s ear. Sparing Bruto, he turned to Lancelot and said: "I''ve found several suitable mines, the most appropriate is an ancient mine that existed before Twin Bridges Town was established, no one can say for sure how deep it is, but it''s at least ten thousand feet deep. Records indicate that cold iron was found there before, and I suspect there might be a significant ore vein waiting for us to discover." "That sounds amazing." Lancelot shrugged, "Where''s this mine located?" "Right at the foot of the Shattered Mountain Range to the south, about a two-hour journey from here, still within the dominion of Twin Bridges Town. The mining difficulty has been increasing over the years, and now very few mining teams go there; many sections of the mine have become lairs for subterranean creatures." Barrend frowned, "In fact, a twelve-man mining team, though composed of annoying gray dwarves, was supposed to have returned three days ago. Though we all serve the Succubus Lord of Twin Bridges Town, it would be best if we could locate them." "Gray dwarves? What are they?" "A bunch of lunatics," Bruto succinctly explained. "They were once one of us, but have since fallen, and vehemently despise us who still adhere to the faith of Muradin," Barrend sighed, shaking his head. "Even in the demons'' homeland, they fiercely resist working under the same roof as us." "It''s because of their tragic experiences. Driven by a yearning for subterranean riches, they dug too deep and encountered an evil race capable of controlling the minds of creatures, which then enslaved them for several generations." Kalalin explained. "Ironically, they finally gained freedom with the help of the Evil God disguised as ''Asmodeus,'' the ruler of the Nine Hells. The suffering of enslavement and the pernicious guidance of the Evil God permanently changed the gray dwarves. From slaves, they turned into slave masters, just as wickedly as their former masters." "This is a perpetual disgrace for our dwarf race, reminding us not to let greed blind us," Barrend lamented. "But there are always foolhardy ones who can''t remember, like this one in front of you." "At least we still have a chance to rectify this mistake:" Lancelot clapped his hands, "Is everyone ready? Let''s set out, then!" Chapter 38 Kalalins Preparation The dark red sun of the Plains of the Abyss hung slanted on the horizon, leaving one uncertain whether it was dawn or dusk. Across the barren and desolate land, a four-wheeled carriage was making its way to the south at a steady pace. To call it a carriage might not be entirely accurate, for the two creatures pulling it did not resemble normal horses. Their bodies were as black as solidified magma, with fierce flames blazing around their hooves, manes, and tails. These were Nightmares, evil creatures born from the transformation of noble Pegasus, providing services to such powerful beings as Liches, Death Knights, or Demon Lords. As part of a Craftsmen Committee-backed operation, Barrend had acquired a brass whistle engraved with mysterious Runes. Blowing the whistle required strong lung capacity, but once sounded, a carriage pulled by two Nightmares, roomy enough for eight, would appear to serve the summoner. The carriage could exist for four hours or could be dismissed by sounding the whistle again, after which it could not be summoned again for another four hours at least. In theory, the summoned Nightmares were bound to obey the commands of the Summoner, but the old Dwarf who handed the whistle to Barrend advised that it was best to prepare some meat and tubers that Nightmares favored; otherwise, they might intentionally misinterpret your commands and make the passengers'' travel as thrilling as possible. The party, having prepared dried meat and cassava in advance, did not suffer too much, aside from the usual sins of traveling in the Abyss, including but not limited to the rugged terrain (there were, of course, no roads here), eerie gales, rapidly rising temperatures, and the constant appearance of various small Demons and Abyssal beasts. "The Abyss is indeed the home of Demons, but those more formidable ones generally belong to a legion and are unlikely to be seen in the wild. Amidst the wilds, between iron fortresses and war bastions, the survival game of Low Level Demons is constantly unfolding," While playing the role of a tour guide, Kalalin practiced his slingshot. The wild creatures that tried to charge at the speeding carriage became Kalalin''s targets. Of course, this often only served to enrage the enemies further, and it became Lancelot''s job to help by chopping those that got too close into two. "What''s the point of all this?" Bruto asked with curiosity. "The rules of the game in the Abyss force them to attack each other, and those who are stronger and more cunning often survive, absorbing the essence of the losers and repeating the process," Kalalin sent a smooth stone flying, which narrowly missed a flesh ball with three mouths. "Some lucky ones accumulate enough essence energy before being killed to advance to a more powerful Demon. The Transformation process is enormously painful, beyond any torment you can imagine, and Demon bodies ensure they do not lose consciousness during it; they must experience every detail of the process while fully awake, making them increasingly vicious." "Great, I almost forgot about that," Barrend smacked his thigh, grabbed two vials, and put them in his pocket. "Um, can someone explain why we need to bring these things?" Bruto was still reluctant to carry such dangerous items. "I''ve been down mines countless times and never needed this." "That''s because you never worry about these things," Barrend said irritably. "Have you forgotten those annoying mud monsters underground? A strong alkali reacts violently with their acidic slime. When you''re grabbed by a mud monster, you''ll be glad to have a vial of this stuff." "Oh, I think the miner''s school did mention something about this," Bruto awkwardly took the two vials and stowed them away. Lancelot also reached out for the vials. He was certain he could break free from the mud monsters with his own strength, but carrying two vials would clearly be helpful to rescue friends in trouble. "What other preparations have you made?" Lancelot asked, curious about all the odd equipment Kalalin had on. "You''ve already seen my Flash Ring, which works great against creatures accustomed to living in the dark. I''ve also crafted a necklace that can Detect Magic, a staff that can cast the Light Spell, and various trinkets that can unleash cantrips," Kalalin continued, opening the pouch slung across his body to show neatly arranged scrolls, "Most of these are for detecting secret doors, Feather Fall Spells, and other supportive techniques. I don''t know many 2nd-level spells, just the Enlarge Spell, See Invisibility, but the most important one is Magical Weapon. Enemies that require magicked weapons are tough to deal with; let''s hope we don''t have to use that spell this time." "Let''s hope so," Lancelot wasn''t sure. Not far away, a dark cave entrance appeared in their field of vision, growing steadily larger. They had arrived at their destination. Chapter 39 Mine Entrance "Gentlemen, welcome to the Demon''s Gut Mine," Barrend hopped off the carriage first, greeting everyone like a host. "I think the name is terrible," Kalalin followed suit, jumping down. "Existing autopsy reports have proven that a demon''s digestive tract ends at the stomach, they don''t have intestines, let alone excretory organs." Lancelot and Bruto were the last to disembark, as they unloaded a heavy backpack filled with various mining equipment and supplies from the carriage. Watching Barrend struggle with the backpack, bigger than a dwarf himself, Lancelot curiously asked: "Isn''t this thing too heavy? It would be hard to escape if we encounter danger down there." "There''s a hidden miner''s rest room not far from the mine entrance," Barrend explained. "We can rest there, store supplies and mining tools, and only carry the equipment needed for exploration." "I see," Lancelot nodded in understanding, the situation sounding much better than he had anticipated. Lancelot''s experience with underground combat was not lacking, although it involved dealing with bandits occupying caves rather than entering mines. The entrance to the mine in front of him was much larger than he imagined, big enough to admit five carriages, dark and gaping like the maw of a monster waiting for food to deliver itself. Additionally, there was a small trouble lurking at the entrance of the mine. His Spiritual Sense unequivocally told him that several entities were hiding in the shadows of the rocks and cliff walls, watching him expectantly. "Get ready," he said in an offhand manner to his companions, whispering, "There''s an ambush at the entrance." "What are the enemies?" Barrend, showing a bit of nervousness, managed to rein in his overly dramatic actions. "I haven''t seen them, but they are humanoid, not demons. Should be five of them, as for their strength..." he carefully felt around, glancing at Bruto, "they should be a bit weaker than this guy." Bruto said nothing, but by looking at his trembling hands and tense body, Lancelot was sure he was very excited now. "Barrend, you and Kalalin stay in the back and just focus on defense," he instructed. The Scholar and craftsmen nodded, as Kalalin opened up his pouch containing scrolls, ready to draw them at any moment. The two goblin bears had not lost their minds completely, they carefully watched Lancelot while slowly sidestepping to occupy positions on his left and right, preparing to launch a pincer attack. Meanwhile, Bruto was already locked in combat with his opponent. The dwarf initially took a defensive stance, calmly sidestepping the ferocious charge of the goblin bear, dodging the first strike, then quickly raised his shield to block the subsequent attack. But he didn''t give the enemy a chance for a third strike. The attack he had just blocked made him realize the enemy''s strength was not greater than his. When the rebound of the blocked weapon gave him the opportunity, he swiftly fanned his shield outward with his left hand, throwing off the enemy''s balance, followed by his right-hand wielding the hammer, accurately striking the goblin bear''s closest knee. With a ''crack,'' the clear sound of breaking bones echoed in everyone''s ears. The goblin bear instantly fell to its knees, soon followed by a sharp scream of agony. "Ah, the knee, my favorite target." Having landed his blow, Bruto immediately leapt back, dodging the enemy''s aimless counterattack. Lancelot''s attention was also drawn to Bruto''s commotion, and he glanced back. Seeing him turn his head, the two goblin bears encircling him immediately launched their attacks from both sides simultaneously, but Lancelot, as if he had anticipated this, weirdly twisted his body backward, moving three steps back and causing the two attackers to crash into each other heavily without time to react. "Don''t rush, ladies." He stepped forward, and a torrent of sword light immediately enveloped the two goblin bears. Lancelot did not even use True Qi, merely relying on his swordsmanship to suppress both enemies at once. He was not quick to deal the killing blow; each time his sword blade was about to slice through their bodies, he forcefully stopped, avoiding a fatal wound. He was rapidly getting used to the new weapon''s length, weight, and balance. As his movements grew faster, the two goblin bears couldn''t keep up at all, just wildly swinging their nail-headed hammers in vain attempts to inflict some damage on Lancelot. The knight finally felt the weapon had become a part of his body, his sword hand twisted, and almost simultaneously, the sword''s blade struck both enemies'' faces, sending them flying out. Another lurking goblin bear peeked out, trying to throw a javelin to cover his allies, but a stone hitting right on the nose knocked it to the ground. Kalalin flashed Lancelot a victorious sign. Lancelot shrugged, turned his head to look at the enemies struggling to get up, and yelled with True Qi surging: "Scram!" Chapter 40 Miners Rest Room "Scram!" The volume of Lancelot''s shout even startled himself, and the two bear goblins in front of him were shocked to the point of falling on their butts, eyes rolling back as they entered a dizzy state. The scene momentarily entered a rather eerie silence, and Lancelot had to use a normal volume to say, "Hurry up and disappear from my sight!" The two bear goblins finally reacted, scarcely believing they could survive, and quickly scrambled up to flee the place. Two more bear goblins jumped out from behind a large rock, loudly calling out and hastily following their companions to escape. Lancelot turned back to find Bruto had already dealt with his enemy. The corpse on the ground had both its knees shattered, and a large dent in its head. The dwarf looked to be in not too bad a shape, his shield now sporting a few more white marks, and it seemed he had taken a hit from a nail-headed hammer, leaving his armor somewhat deformed. "Are you alright?" Lancelot asked as he walked over, concern in his voice. "Just a little bruising, I''ll be fine after some rest," Bruto said with a carefree smile. "I took a hit, but in return, I landed a fatal blow. It was a good trade." "What did I tell you before?" Lancelot shook his head helplessly. "Never mind, it seems anger really does give you strength."No?v(el)B\\jnn "The victory over the Berserk Demon might be attributed to anger and luck, but in this fight, you truly showed the talent of a warrior," Barrend and Kalalin also approached, the elder dwarf looking at his son with emotion. "I must admit, among dwarves your age, you''re the strongest I''ve seen." "Isn''t that true for all the dwarves you''ve seen?" Bruto said, unable to conceal his joy at his father''s praise. "No, your dad at his peak was still a bit stronger than you." "Dad, you must be bragging!" "Hahahaha..." Kalalin''s eyes shone with a bright magical light, and his vision suddenly gained a powerful penetrating ability, allowing him to see through rock and earth. After getting used to this peculiar vision, he quickly spotted an unusual patch of ground. "There, there''s a room underground." Kalalin continued to examine the area and finally found further clues, "Under that pile of ore, there''s a handle, that must be the mechanism." Bruto, too impatient to wait, rushed over and started shoveling away the loose ore, and indeed found a handle. He pulled the handle up and suddenly a low rumbling sound was heard, and the ground beside them slowly parted, revealing steps leading down to a small room. "Ha, so it was underground." Barrend scratched his head, "I had been focusing on the surrounding walls just now, no wonder I couldn''t find it." "Empiricism can be deadly." Bruto teased as he entered the basement room with the others. The room had clearly been designed with only Dwarves or Gnomes in mind, the ceiling not exceeding seven feet. Lancelot had to lean slightly, or his great sword would get stuck. Inside the room, there were dozens of bedrolls, boxes and barrels for storing goods, as well as spare shovels and cross pickaxes. Barrend was not pleased with the condition of the tools, but it was well-known that years of enslavement had robbed the Gray Dwarves of any passion for their work. His gaze shifted from the shabby tools and he walked to the end of the room, where there was a small table. On the table hung a giant mining map with markings of new tunnels added by miners from different eras, or spots where collapses had occurred. Looking at the map, the group realized that the nickname ''Demon''s Intestines'' was quite apt. The directions of the tunnels were so chaotic that if demons had intestines, they probably looked like this. Barrend, however, was engrossed in reading a journal. The journal was written in Dwarven, the lingua franca of the mining world. It recorded information about each team that went down into the mine, their purpose, and what they harvested. The most recent entry was from a week ago, written in simple terms: "Twelve Gray Dwarf Miners, team leader Dunif. Plan to head to workings fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen." The harvest column was left blank, it seems they had not made it back here. Chapter 41 Digging Worm After setting down the heavy equipment and supplies from their backpacks, Barrend and Lancelot''s group set out once again, this time traveling light, each carrying supplies for two days. They unanimously agreed to first search for the whereabouts of their Gray Dwarf colleagues. This mission itself was considered a Black Iron Level task, and they had firsthand data on the resource distribution of the ancient mine. Searching for a mining team in this labyrinth-like mine was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, Barrend and Bruto had a set of skills for underground orientation. Dwarves had undergone special training that enabled them to sense the magnetic fields in the rocks. Walking at the front of the group was Lancelot. As the strongest Warrior in the team, he played the role of the vanguard, the first target of the enemy''s attacks. Following in second was Barrend. The old Dwarf''s prospecting experience was no less than his craftsmanship. As a top Blacksmith, he often had to search for the best raw materials himself. Now, following behind Lancelot, he was directing the vanguard. Behind them came Kalalin. As the most vulnerable member of the team, he was both nervous and excited. Researchers who studied the Abyss rarely entered it personally (more precisely, few could come back alive to tell of their experiences), and his curiosity for knowledge now suppressed his fear of death. Even at this moment, he was continuously scanning the surroundings with the night vision enabled by his potion, and taking notes in a small notebook. Assigned the task of rear guard was Bruto. The young Dwarf had officially become an Adventurer just over a week ago, but had already shown reliable strength. Bruto was also very familiar with burrowing about in the mines, as his dad had taken him underground before his beard had even started to grow. They walked through the winding tunnels, where Barrend only needed to glance at the entire structural map and he memorized it in his mind. Under his guidance, the team progressed swiftly. Suddenly, Lancelot raised a hand, signaling for everyone to stop. "What''s wrong?" Barrend asked, puzzled. "I sense danger," Lancelot said, frowning. His Spiritual Sense had just flashed a warning, and this mysterious sixth sense had become increasingly accurate since he became a Spiritual Cultivator, but the complex underground environment made it difficult for him to determine the exact location of the enemy, only that it was somewhere ahead. "But I don''t see anything," Barrend said softly, frowning. He wasn''t questioning Lancelot; the Knight had already proven his keen Perception Ability back at the entrance of the mine. "It feels like a big one," Lancelot said, still not reassured about proceeding further. He sensed the threat''s distance once more and sat down cross-legged. "Give me a moment." The other three looked on in surprise as Lancelot entered a state of meditation, leaving them no choice but to pick up their weapons and stand guard beside him. Lancelot quickly entered that state with the strange perspective, which according to the bamboo slip in his mind, was a Divine Skill of the High Rank in the Qi Cultivation Stage, called Divine Sense Projection, which for now he could only enter during Cultivation. Lancelot suddenly charged forward with large strides. The moment the sound of his footsteps rang out, he distinctly felt an excited tremor from the monster beneath the ground. True Qi was already surging through his meridians, and when he was ten feet away from the underground maw that resembled a pair of pincers, Lancelot suddenly leapt up, his body nearly skimming the top of the tunnel as he flew forward. However, the sound of footsteps did not cease, for Kalalin had also activated the ''Lesser Illusion'' magic from his scroll at the same time. This spell could create an image of an object or a sound the caster wanted, like the roar of a lion, human conversation, and of course, footsteps. It was merely a 0-level trick that could easily be seen through by any creature with a bit of intelligence. However, the burrowing worm was probably only a little smarter than a rock and relied solely on its feelers to sense vibrations on the ground. As the sound of footsteps passed over the burrowing worm''s hiding spot, the ground suddenly burst open, a pair of three-foot-long fangs snapped shut like a pincer, an attack no flesh and blood could withstand. But what awaited it on the ground was not flesh and blood. Lancelot, who had jumped into the air, dangled his great sword below him, and the burrowing worm emerging from the ground bit down right on it. The chitinous jaw naturally couldn''t contend with a weapon made of steel, and with a snap, a fist-sized gap appeared on the worm''s pincers, while Lancelot''s weapon remained unscathed. After landing, Lancelot immediately turned back and charged at the burrowing worm. He had to restrain the enemy to allow his companions to complete a pincer attack from behind. This burrowing worm was clearly influenced by the Abyss, its body covered with demonic-like spikes, and its two front limbs were like two longswords, characteristics not seen in a normal burrowing worm. His great sword executed a flurry of airtight thrusts, enveloping the burrowing worm''s mouthparts and keeping it too busy to spray acid. Bruto finally reached the enemy''s rear. He jumped high, letting out a roar as his warhammer smashed down fiercely on the bending part of the burrowing worm''s hind leg. "Knees! My favorite!" Lancelot couldn''t help but wonder if Bruto had some kind of special fetish for knees. The burrowing worm let out a pained and angry shriek from its mouth. It twisted its head sharply, planning to deal with the foe at its rear with a spurt of acid, while relying on the thick carapace on its back to fend off the sword blade in front. The Scholar, standing at the very back, was fully focused on watching the battle unfold, while Baron stood in front of him with a shield raised. In the instant it turned its head, Kalalin made his move as well. He raised his arm, and on the ring finger of his right hand, a spell was already poised to release. Chapter 42 Clues Kalalin''s right hand emitted a strong glow, the very Flash Ring he had used against the Abyssal Hounds before. He stood at the rear of the group, with all but Lancelot facing away from him, and with the giant body of the worm creature shielding Lancelot, the bright light didn''t affect any of his teammates. The worm creature''s four black eyes granted it excellent dark vision, but as a consequence, it was extremely sensitive to intense light. Instinctively, it turned its head away, spraying the acid that was in its mouth onto the walls. Immediately, a hissing sound came from the tunnel''s rocky walls as the soil softened like heated chocolate, slowly flowing to the ground. Some residual acid still flew toward Kalalin''s direction, but Baron, ever vigilant, blocked it all with his shield. Lancelot naturally wouldn''t just stand by and watch. In the moment the enemy turned its head, he seized the opportunity at the vulnerable spot between the thick back armor and the jaw of the worm creature, stabbing the tip of his Great Sword in and effortlessly out the other side. "Beautiful!" Bruto shouted loudly, commencing his attack on the second knee. Under the stimulus of pain, the worm creature flailed wildly at Lancelot with its forelimbs, which resembled two Longswords, while desperately twisting its body in an attempt to turn its head around and spew acid at the Human Knight. But Lancelot tightly gripped the sword''s hilt, unmoving, and his 7-foot Great Sword kept the worm creature from reaching him no matter how it tried. However, such an injury was not enough to kill the worm creature immediately. For this type of creature, each nerve node in the limbs could function like a brain, and the one in its head was just a more versatile one. If destroyed, it could simply grow a new one. "Bruto!" called Lancelot, now a bit embarrassed as the enemy wouldn''t die anytime soon and he couldn''t draw his weapon out, nor could he push it further in; he could only call for the Dwarf''s help. "I''m a bit busy here!" Bruto''s warhammer swung wildly, and soon enough, the worm creature''s thickest middle leg also collapsed. "Never mind those legs for now!" Lancelot shouted. "Hammer my Sword Blade!" The Dwarf quickly grasped Lancelot''s intent; he leaped up from where he was and, with all his might, smashed his Warhammer onto the exposed sword edge on his side. The Great Sword propelled forward with the impact, the Sword Blade slicing through all the flesh and Carapace blocking its path, leaving the body of the worm creature from a position roughly corresponding to its lower jaw. A horrific wound appeared at its jaw, with copious amounts of Acid mixed with blood flowing out. The giant insect''s body convulsed, and its two front limbs futilely attempted to cover the wound, but the outpouring Acid corroded them together. Barrend crouched down and examined the bodies of his kin carefully, his face looking very grim. "Was it the burrower worms?" Lancelot noticed a huge hole in the ground nearby that looked quite similar to the state after a burrower worm emerged from underground. "Doesn''t look like it; burrower worms wouldn''t leave a body behind," Barrend shook his head, pointing to a basin-sized hole in the chest of one of the bodies. "They couldn''t make wounds of this severity." "The bodies also show no signs of acid corrosion," Kalalin stared solemnly at the hole in the ground, "and this hole is a bit too large for a burrower worm; it''s big enough to fit three of them. The culprit must have a very thick waist." "There''s also a pool of blood over here," Lancelot found another clue, "Someone was lying here, barely alive. How much blood do your people have to lose before dying?" "They would have been dead long before bleeding this much out," Bruto said with a frown, "but where did the body go?" No one responded to him; everyone had the same explanation in mind. "So here''s the question," Lancelot gestured towards the other two bodies, "Why are these two corpses here? Judging from the monster''s girth that Kalalin deduced, one Dwarf wouldn''t be enough to fill its stomach." "Uh," Bruto tried to explain, "Maybe it ate the first one and realized it didn''t quite suit its taste?" "These creatures that tunnel through the ground aren''t picky eaters," Barrend said gloomily, recalling some not-so-pleasant memories from his long mining career. "No, Bruto is right," Kalalin suddenly spoke up, his voice trembling slightly. "What did you think of?" Barrend looked at the Human with surprise, unable to believe that the robed figure could guess the true identity of the culprit before him. "Huge size, terrifying puncture wounds, not fond of eating Dwarves," Kalalin spoke softly, as if afraid of awakening some dreadful existence. "In our world, there''s also a kind of food these monsters do not like, Elves." The look of fear on Barrend''s face showed he had come to the answer. The old Dwarf''s lips quivered softly as he uttered a name. "Shark Lizard Beast." Chapter 43 Mud Monster "What are you talking about? What is a shark-crocodile beast?" Lancelot''s ignorance only confirmed one thing again, his world must be tucked away in some extremely remote corner of the Multiverse. Although Barrend and Kalalin hailed from different worlds, they seemed to both be familiar with this terrifying monster. "It is a calamitous creature, over 10 feet in length," Barrend said, his face displaying fear. "It is the absolute ruler wherever it roams, with all creatures above ground as its fodder." "That powerful, huh? What does it look like?" "It resembles a reptilian, with a thick, shark-like carapace on its back. Its lower half is like that of a crocodile, with claws capable of cleaving a multitude. Its head is the most terrifying part, resembling an oversized snapping turtle''s head, except the end is pointed like a spike, allowing it to break through the soil and burrow wherever it wishes," Barrend said, his face turning pale. "Luckily, it makes a lot of noise as it tunnels underground, and its high-and-mighty self won''t ambush prey like a burrower. This at least allows us to know when it''s coming." "People have always been unclear about the origins of the shark-crocodile beast. Some scholars think it might be the result of a mad spell, like the Demon Prince Dimogorgen creating the Chimera," Kalalin added. "No one has ever found where shark-crocodile beasts breed. Several times throughout history they have been thought extinct, only to reappear decades later. A reasonable guess is that their homeland is in some corner of the lower planes, and occasionally for unknown reasons they are sent to the Prime Material Plane to wreak havoc." "That sounds terrible," Lancelot frowned. "Kalalin, I remember you said you prepared a magic called ''Enlarge Spell''. Tell me more about the effects of this spell." "It''s a second-level spell, it can double the recipient''s height and increase their weight eightfold. Your strength will grow with the Enlarge Spell, but your agility will decrease due to the change in size. Your equipment will enlarge under the spell''s influence, but will revert to its original size as soon as it leaves your grasp." "How long can this spell last?" Lancelot pursued the important details. "With my current strength, around 8 minutes," Kalalin hesitated. "Are you sure you can deal with the shark-crocodile beast just with this?" "At least it can buy some time for you all to escape," Lancelot said seriously to everyone. "From now on, keep the Enlarge Spell scroll where you can reach it at any moment. As soon as I hold it off, you need to quickly distance yourselves, and if you see something''s wrong, run. Save as many as you can." They quickly found themselves back in the main tunnel, where the footprints continued intermittently deeper inside. Barrend guessed that the group of Gray Dwarves had probably split into two teams, and the survivors they were tracking were likely trying to meet up with the other team. Just when the footprints were about to become indiscernible, they came across new leads. The first to notice the faint sound of a Cross Pickaxe striking rock were two Dwarves, and with their prompt, Lancelot also heard the sound. "Could this be some kind of trap?" Lancelot asked cautiously. "We can''t rule that out. Many creatures have tricks for luring victims with sounds," Kalalin chimed in, "but those are usually enchanting songs or beguiling whispers, I''ve never heard of one using the sound of a Cross Pickaxe to attract prey." "Better to be cautious, nonetheless." No one objected to this, and they proceeded with caution, following the sound. Barrend noticed they were heading towards Worksite Sixteen. But as they neared Worksite Sixteen, the sound became muffled. Baffled by this, they decided to go there directly to uncover the mystery. Their question was quickly answered. The tunnel leading to Worksite Sixteen was blocked by some sort of nearly transparent gel-like substance. If it weren''t for the skeleton of a decomposing Gray Dwarf floating in midair, they might have walked straight into it. Lancelot looked with astonishment at this strange occurrence, finding these bizarre beings even more incomprehensible than Demons. In front of this mass of gel-like substance, the sound of the Cross Pickaxe striking stone was incredibly muffled, but it was clear enough to understand that the sound was coming from behind it. "Is this... a mud monster?" Though his martial techniques surpassed everyone present, his knowledge of various monsters was truly limited. "This is one of the stronger kinds of mud monsters, a Gelatinous Cube," Barrend said, frowning at the obstacle in their path. "If those Gray Dwarves hadn''t brought several large buckets of strong lye, this creature would be enough to block their escape route. I guess the ones inside are desperately trying to dig another way out, and even if we leave them alone, they''re about to succeed." Chapter 44 Stuffed into the Belly "But they are thirsty and hungry; they might not be able to make it back to Twin Bridges Town." Barrend had no good impressions of these Gray Dwarves, but Lancelot knew the old Dwarf would not really ignore his kin who still harbored hatred towards him. "Besides alkali, is there any other method to deal with it?" "You won''t think of a way to deal with it; you''ll only think of how to go around it," Kalalin explained, "The Mud Monster''s bodily fluids are highly corrosive. The fluid that sprays out from a wound will harm the attacker, and the weapon used to attack will quickly corrode into a pile of scrap metal." "These creatures have almost no intelligence. Generally speaking, if left alone, they will move away after a while. I have never seen any Mud Monster so persistently block an entrance, and it seems this has been going on for several days." "Regardless, it is blocking our path," Lancelot declared, "Scholar, do we have enough alkali to deal with this creature?" "I''m afraid not," Kalalin shook his head. "The alkali will react with the strong acid in its bodily fluid, releasing a lot of heat, but on one hand, the concentration of acid on its surface is not high, and on the other hand, such surface damage is unlikely to be fatal." "What if we pour a bottle of alkali directly into its body?" Lancelot stroked his chin, looking at the corpse hanging in midair. Baldness was a prominent feature of the Gray Dwarves, and even though the flesh had been corroded away, the skull of the corpse still shone faintly in the weak light. "Theoretically, this would cause it immense damage," Kalalin looked at him strangely, "but Mud Monsters do not have mouths, and you can''t pour alkali into its stomach." Discover hidden stories at empire "We could stuff it in," Lancelot turned and looked at Barrend, "I''ve heard that the skulls of Dwarves are very hard. Is that so?" "Few Dwarves die in battle from their skulls being shattered," Barrend replied, his tone laced with pride. "Why ask this?" Bruto subconsciously covered his head while turning to check the position of his father. "What are you thinking? I''m not interested in your head," Lancelot said, amused, looking at Bruto, "but I do plan to smash a Dwarf''s skull. Kalalin, do you still have ammunition for practicing your sling?" Kalalin took out a small pouch filled with stones the size of pigeon eggs. Lancelot grabbed one from inside, tossed it in his hand, and then hurled it with all his might at the Mud Monster. Lancelot coughed loudly to interrupt their debate over the source of his abilities, feeling somewhat guilty for having to hide his true situation, but he believed that now was definitely not the right time to reveal the secrets of Spiritual Cultivation. "Stop arguing, I''m pretty sure I''m human." "You will awaken more such powers from your bloodline in the future, don''t worry," Kalalin said with conviction, and Barrend and Bruto both nodded in agreement. Lancelot shook his head, deciding to let the topic drop for now. He threw another stone, this time aiming slightly lower, and the stone ultimately grazed past the skull of the Gray Dwarf corpse. The mud monster shook again violently, seemingly confused but still refusing to move. Lancelot didn''t hesitate any longer and took out the alkali bottle he had gotten from Kalalin earlier. This time, he used the power of his Innate True Qi to throw the alkali bottle. Unlike the previous two times, this alkali bottle didn''t show a splendid flame tail in the air and made hardly any noise during flight, but it was as fast as Lightning, speeding unslowed into the gelatinous body of the mud monster. The other three were wide-eyed; they could all see the power of the strike, but what was truly terrifying was that the attack appeared very ordinary on the surface, which could catch an opponent off guard in combat and result in them making a costly mistake. The alkali bottle struck the Gray Dwarf''s head precisely, and the small bottle shattered on impact. The Dwarf''s skull was indeed exceptionally hard, just as Barrend had claimed. The mud monster''s body began to tremble as the alkali reacted violently with the acids in its body fluids, releasing a lot of heat. Its transparent gelatinous body started to become murky, and before it became completely opaque, Lancelot threw another alkali bottle. Just like adding fuel to the fire, the mud monster turned pitch-black, and its surface began to bubble incessantly like boiling water. This process lasted for about five minutes until the large mass of gelatinous substance finally softened down, much like a snowman under the blazing sun. As the mud monster died, many items fell to the ground. These were the remnants of its victims over the years. Aside from the most dreadful kind, most mud monsters only consume flesh and leave behind bones, Metal, and magically rich items inside their bodies. It was no doubt that the victims mostly devoured by the mud monsters were various miners, so there were several fine gemstones that fell onto the ground, which the sharp-eyed Bruto quickly picked up. Lancelot''s Spiritual Sense alerted him to an inconspicuous small bag. He picked it up and immediately noticed something unusual about the bag. Although the Storage Bag appeared somewhat different from the description in the bamboo scrolls of cultivation anecdotes, Lancelot knew for certain that this was a Storage Bag. Chapter 45 Gray Dwarves "Kalalin." He raised his voice to catch the Scholar''s attention, "Come take a look at this!" "Is this... a Dimensional Bag?" As a Scholar seasoned in a variety of rare artifacts, Kalalin quickly recognized the item in Lancelot''s hand, "Just a moment." The Scholar took out a scroll and unfurled it. It was a scroll for a 1st-level Magic Identification Spell, allowing Spellcasters to learn various information about an item they touched. Lancelot glanced at the scroll''s content. Despite not recognizing a single Arcane Symbol on it, he vaguely understood the magic power those symbols represented. The text soon vanished, and a complex surge of Magic Power flowed into Kalalin''s brain. The Scholar''s hand clutched the bag tightly, yet his eyes lost focus as if reading some text that didn''t exist in the real world. About a minute later, he finally came out of the trance. It was a relatively simple spell, but even for a Scholar, casting it was no easy task. Noticing the three pairs of curious eyes fixed on him, Kalalin knew everyone was awaiting his verdict. "This is indeed a Dimensional Bag, though its effect is weaker. It can store about 25 cubic feet, carrying no more than 150 pounds, which is roughly a third of a normal Dimensional Bag''s capacity." "Not that impressive," grumbled Bruto, arms crossed. "The head prospecting leader of Rivet Fort has a bag that can hold two thousand pounds. Now, that''s a real treasure." "This is more than enough for our use," Lancelot was quite satisfied with the bag''s performance, "Just think about how much supplies we can carry in here, it''ll save us a lot of effort." "By the way, whatever was originally in here has now been reduced to nothing but the Acid of mud creatures. I suggest you refrain from putting your hand or any items into it," Kalalin added, "Turning the bag inside out will not cause the contents to fall out, as the bag actually holds an independent, extradimensional space unaffected by the gravity of our world. There are two ways to retrieve items: one is to reach in, and the other is to turn the bag inside out, which will cause everything inside the bag to fall out at once." "We don''t currently have anything to put in, and the Acid inside might prove unexpectedly useful," Lancelot handed the bag to Bruto, "Take care of it, Dwarf. Just don''t mix it up with your gemstone bag." "Stone above, that will never happen," Bruto muttered as he hung the bag at his waist, and Lancelot noticed that he tied the bag''s opening tightly with a string. That way, even if he made a mistake, he wouldn''t be able to put anything in it. "Now let''s go meet those unfortunate colleagues of ours," Barrend gestured for the group to move forward, the sound of the Cross Pickaxe became clearer after the mud creatures were exterminated, "I hope they''ll show us at least a bit of gratitude." The structure of the sixteenth workface resembled a belt carelessly thrown on the ground. The party followed the sounds through the low corridors for about a quarter of an hour until they finally saw who they were looking for¡ªnine dispirited Gray Dwarf Miners with low morale. "Alright, maybe it wasn''t your doing this time." "Don''t mention it," Bruto replied sarcastically. "We''ve left some supplies in the rest area; you can get some rest there before heading back to Twin Bridges Town," Barrend offered in a gentle tone, fully aware of the deep hostility between the Gray Dwarves and their near-surface dwelling cousins. "Damn it, what are you playing at now?" "Just giving a little help to our kin in distress," Barrend spread his hands. The Gray Dwarves fell silent, torn between their longstanding hostility and the Dwarves'' innate sense of honor. Finally, a few nearly inaudible words of thanks were heard, though they were addressed to Lancelot. Perhaps for the Gray Dwarves, thanking a human was somewhat less difficult. "No need to thank me," Lancelot nodded. "We haven''t found what we''re looking for. We''ll part ways here." "May I have your name, sir Knight?" asked the Gray Dwarf who had stopped them earlier, seeming to be the least hostile toward his cousins and likely the leader of the group of miners, as Lancelot felt his strength was significantly above his companions. "My name is Lancelot." "I am Dunif, captain of this mining team," the Gray Dwarf introduced himself awkwardly. "I think we owe you thanks. What are you looking for? Do you need any, well, help?" Lancelot stared at Dunif for a moment and finally said: "No, thank you. I think we can manage on our own." "Are you sure? I know this mine very well," the Gray Dwarf captain persisted. "There are still many dangerous creatures deeper in, and we were recently attacked by a terrifying monster." "I''m sure we''ll be fine, goodbye," Lancelot declined again, then turned and left decisively. As he turned, he did not miss the flash of disappointment that crossed Dunif''s gaze. Chapter 46 Aberrant Demon "These clueless bastards!" Ten minutes had elapsed since the separation from the Gray Dwarves, and Bruto was still seething about the recent events. Lancelot carefully scouted ahead for danger. He felt slightly uneasy, always sensing that he might have overlooked some detail, and Dunif''s parting glance must have held a particular reason. Under the subconscious operation of the Ice Heart Spell''s mental method, he found himself calming down and began to meticulously recall the entire recent process. "How many people did the Craftsmen Committee say were in that Gray Dwarf mining team?" he suddenly turned back and asked Barrend. "Twelve, why?" "The group of Gray Dwarves we just saw was nine, right?" "Correct." The old Dwarf nodded, "There was a Gray Dwarf''s corpse inside that mud creature, and the flesh hadn''t even decomposed properly, clearly it had been devoured recently. Plus, the two bodies we found earlier at the fourteenth worksite, the numbers exactly match up." Lancelot nodded; he figured out where the unease stemmed from. "From now on, maintain the highest alert for any Gray Dwarves we encounter in our sight," Lancelot declared. "What are you talking about?" Barrend looked at him confused, "Didn''t we just count? Three bodies, nine survivors, the numbers match up." "Especially those survivors," Lancelot answered without turning back. Everyone shrugged their shoulders and discontinued the topic. They continued downwards for another half hour, stopping as they encountered waves of pitiful wailing. "I might know what creature made that sound," Kalalin whispered, "Move lightly, let''s get closer and see." The group stealthily made their way forward and, around a corner, they saw five Demons emitting continuous wails. Lancelot took out a sharply-edged silver coin, specially modified by Bruto for him. He took a deep breath and aimed the coin at the farthest enemy, throwing it. A silver streak flashed across the sky, and the struck Aberrant Demon fell with a large chunk of its skull sheared off, but it seemed not yet dead, struggling to stand. The rest of the Aberrant Demons instinctively looked towards their attacked kin; just then, Lancelot and Bruto charged out. Lancelot employed a footwork technique he had learned from ancient bamboo slips. According to the revered Han Tianzun, it was a favorite move of his youth that had saved his name multiple times in critical moments, but Lancelot found it extremely useful for launching surprise attacks on enemies. The effect was striking. Although dwarves were naturally a bit slower than humans, when Lancelot reached the first enemy, Bruto had only covered half the distance. As he charged, Lancelot held his longsword aloft on his shoulder, grasping the handle with both hands. The Aberrant Demon finally noticed the incoming enemy, but as it turned its head, the great sword''s blade filled its entire field of vision. "Damn! Leave some for me!" Bruto witnessed Lancelot''s astonishing over-the-shoulder charge and slash, and the unguarded enemy was cleaved in two by the strike. He couldn''t help but shout anxiously. Lancelot had no time to chat; following the downward slash was a horizontal slash, parrying an incoming trident from another Aberrant Demon. Taking advantage of the enemy''s exposed defense, he turned his sword back for a thrusting stab, ending the twisted demon''s agony. This was his most commonly used attack combination, executed countless times on the battlefield, polished to perfection. But only when facing the enemy again did Lancelot truly appreciate how much spiritual cultivation had enhanced him. True Qi naturally circulated within him, making the longsword feel as light to wield as a broomstick. His speed had increased by at least a third, and his final thrust even left him with time to aim for the heart. Moreover, the cold iron construction of the weapon inflicted significant additional damage to the demons. Demons naturally possessed extremely tough bodies, their musculature acting like armor, but Frostslash could easily breach this defense, frosting the impacted area and suppressing the demons'' powerful regenerative abilities. Two more Aberrant Demons came at him; Lancelot calmly parried all their attacks, never falling into disadvantage despite being outnumbered. Then Bruto joined the fray, slamming his shield hard into an Aberrant Demon that tried to join the assault on Lancelot and then habitually swinging his hammer at where the knee should be. He missed; there was nothing where the knee was supposed to be. Chapter 47 Battle in the Dark The Aberrant Demon''s thigh slanted to the right, his shin to the left, with the knee just beside Bruto''s left hand¡ªhis swing completely missed the target. Naturally, the enemy wouldn''t let this opportunity slip by. With a swift hack of its long-handled pincers, Bruto could only barely deflect the attack with his shield, but it still left a huge gash on his thigh.No?v(el)B\\jnn "Damn mongrel!" Blood filled the dwarf''s eyes as Bruto let out a furious roar. He charged again, his leg wound unnoticeable thanks to a sudden surge of adrenaline. With a fierce lift of his shield-bearing left hand, the top edge of the shield met the enemy''s chin with what could only be described as enthusiasm. This maneuver, purely instinctual for a dwarf, was so powerful that the Aberrant Demon''s twisted fangs pierced through its own tongue, emerging from under the chin. The unnatural strike momentarily stunned the Aberrant Demon, but the demon''s constitution allowed it to recover quickly. But the dwarf wasn''t about to wait for that. Bruto''s body rotated clockwise, unleashing the most fearsome and infamous combat technique of his stout race: the Low Slash. The Warhammer, inscribed with Mithril Runes, traced a circular path and struck the Aberrant Demon''s twisted knee as desired, and Bruto finally heard the sound of the patella shattering that he had been waiting for. "That''s more like it!" The Dwarf roared and leaped onto the grounded Aberrant Demon. Elsewhere, Lancelot was dominating this two-against-one battle. His speed and strength completely overwhelmed the enemies, and after a series of Horizontal Slashes, he suddenly changed tack¡ªa heavy blow sent one enemy reeling backwards, and then his Longsword blocked the trident of the other enemy. The enemy tried to withdraw his weapon to defend against his next attack, but Lancelot wouldn''t miss this brief opportunity for a one-on-one. His weapon didn''t rebound naturally from the collision but instead he gently guided it, while stepping forward in coordination with his Footwork Technique to quickly sidestep to his adversary''s side, with the trident''s point facing the opposite direction. The Sword Blade, like a supple snake, slid up the trident''s shaft, severing the enemy''s wrist just above the grip. The frenzied adversary opened his mouth to bite at the Human Knight, but Lancelot had already released one hand from his sword and used his steel-clad elbow to knock the enemy to the ground. As Bruto was smashing his hammer into his opponent''s skull, he caught sight of Lancelot standing over an Aberrant Demon, decapitating his enemy with a swing of his sword. A strange wind blew past, and Lancelot suddenly felt utterly delighted, making him laugh lightly. He wasn''t the only one laughing. A ridiculous, idiotic laughter emerged from the darkness, reminiscent of a group of drooling imbeciles trying to light ants with a magnifying glass. Another type of laughter was much more unpleasant, as if a prisoner tied to a chair was undergoing the torture of having their feet tickled with a feather, allowing one to clearly sense the pain involved. These were the laughters of the Coward Devil and Aberrant Demon, respectively; these sounds didn''t cause any harm nor did they affect their actions, but they were enough for the dwarf in the darkness to pinpoint the enemies'' locations. Bruto, fueled by rage from being blinded, finally found an outlet for his anger. He charged toward the nearest source of the silly laughter with his shield raised in front, ready to block any possible attacks. The demons'' vision was unaffected. The Coward Devil instinctively tried to avoid the massive iron ball charging toward it, but the continuous stupid laughter gave away its position. Bruto''s shield struck the side of the Coward Devil, making it lose its balance, but then the dwarf''s hammer made balance irrelevant for it ever again. A lower body slash was just a standard horizontal slash, only that when performed by a dwarf, it was perfectly at the height of a typical humanoid creature''s knees. The move was so simple that dwarves could execute it even with their eyes closed. The Coward Devil was flipped onto the ground, still laughing foolishly. So the furious dwarf smashed his shield onto that mouth, again and again. The steel shield was large enough to cover the entire head of the Coward Devil, and by the sixth hit, Bruto felt like he had smashed a watermelon. The dwarf finally snapped out of his frenzied state, realizing that his enemy was completely unable to fight back. Bruto scrambled up from the ground, raising his ears to search for the next target. But he had spent too much time on that Coward Devil, and there were no more targets left. With the death of the last Aberrant Demon, the effects of the Dark Arts also dissipated. Bruto looked around; the bodies of demons lay scattered everywhere. Most had been run through with a sword, and the human knight stood in a dashing pose, flicking the blood off his sword blade. "I''ve found that ears are better at finding demons'' weaknesses than eyes," Lancelot smiled as he noticed everyone looking at him. "After all, their hearts keep thumping loudly." Chapter 48 Original Magic "Lancelot, considering the sword my old man made for you, couldn''t you have left me with more?" Bruto complained loudly, perhaps his desire for battle was unfulfilled, or maybe he was annoyed that his body got splattered with quite a bit of Coward Devil brain matter. "You only asked to keep two of them," Lancelot spread his hands and then turned to Kalalin, "The effect of that magic just now was really good, how come you never mentioned it before?" "Uh, this magic is called ''Breeze of Smiles'', it''s something I created by combining Wind Creation Spell and Mad Laughter Spell," Kalalin scratched his head, "To ensure that the spell''s Circle Rank does not exceed the second circle, which is my highest casting capability, the wind was weakened to a gentle breeze, and the mad laughter was turned into a smile. The purpose of creating this spell was very simple, merely to break the awkward silence that often occurs during scholars'' gatherings. I made this scroll for practice, but because I felt it didn''t quite fit the adventurous atmosphere, I did not bring it up." "Well, the situation just now proved that this magic is definitely more useful than you thought," commented Lancelot. "You say you can create new magic?" Baron Barrend asked with a face full of surprise. Dwarves have mixed feelings about magic, consisting of fear and distrust, even though they understand how to imbue equipment with magical power better than any other race. "Well, not really," Kalalin explained, "Only those who can directly manipulate the Magic Net might be able to create a completely new spell. Scholars, in order to grasp the ability to cast, understand an existing spell very thoroughly, and on that basis, they can make certain modifications, such as increasing or decreasing its power, or combining several spells together. Such modifications usually lead to a disproportionate change in the difficulty of casting or the power of the spell, a widely circulated spell is generally the best version after repeated trials." "It seems like that''s not absolute," Lancelot said with a smile, "Weakened spells may have entirely new uses, as we just witnessed." "Yes, yes, this is indeed a very useful idea," Kalalin''s eyes shone brightly. The recent experience had opened up a whole new door for him, and he was eager to experiment with various new ideas. "The creator of a spell gets to name it, right?" Bruto said with a mischievous grin, "That spell''s full name should be ''Kalalin''s Breeze of Smiles''." "Agreed." "Agreed." "Then it''s settled, hahaha...." However, as stone chips flew, a thin fog began to rise around them, causing unease. "Err, Barrend, what''s with this fog?" Kalalin walked over and tapped the Dwarf engrossed in his work, "Is this specific to the coldness from the Cold Iron Ore?" Only then did Barrend notice the abnormal situation behind him. He shook his head and said, "That shouldn''t be, I''ve never encountered something like this before." Lancelot''s spirit tensed up; his Spiritual Sense was already sending him a warning as if some threat had reached a level that could not be ignored. Suddenly, a terrifying monster appeared before his eyes. The creature, thirty feet tall, resembled a winged toad. Its entire chest, from under its chin down to its legs, was completely split open, lined with countless sharp, bone-like teeth, like a gaping maw ready to devour all in its path, and it lunged towards him with its teeth bared and claws outstretched. Lancelot''s heart was struck by lightning, the horrific sight delivering a strong shock that inevitably threw him into a state of panic. He fell to the ground, his heart convulsively twitching uncontrollably as his body ached as if it had truly been attacked. True Qi swiftly surged from his Dantian, and the recitations of the Ice Heart Spell naturally resonated within him, allowing Lancelot to regain his composure. He quickly realized that the monster before him was nothing but an illusion; its appearance had too many inconsistencies, and other than its terrifying stance, it hadn''t actually charged at him to cause any harm. While he was scrutinizing the details of the monster''s form, a figure rapidly approached him. "Sir Lancelot! What''s wrong with you?" The newcomer was Dunif, the captain of the Gray Dwarf mining team. "I was worried something might happen to you down here, so after I settled my team, I came looking for you..." He ran up to Lancelot and reached out to help the fallen Knight. Lancelot abruptly looked up, and Dunif internally cursed, knowing it was too late. What greeted him was a flash of a chilling blade. Chapter 49 Evil Spirit Demon Lancelot''s sword was swift and fierce, and Dunif was cleaved into two before he could even react. The noise of his sudden fall had already caught everyone''s attention, now they were all stunned by Lancelot''s abrupt assault. But a more horrifying scene unfolded, the body of the Gray Dwarf bubbled as if boiling, emitting white smoke continuously, which gathered above into a vague, jellyfish-like form. The mist in the air had dissipated, replaced by a sickly sweet, rotten scent. Kalalin''s pupils constricted violently, recognizing what it was. "Evil spirit demon!" His quivering voice exposed his fear, sending a shiver through everyone''s heart. But Lancelot didn''t care about that; he fearlessly raised his weapon again and struck at the gaseous jellyfish form in the air. The chill-emitting Frostslash passed through the location of the evil spirit demon without any hindrance, failing to cause any damage. "Only magic can harm it!" Kalalin shouted while unrolling a scroll, "Beware its touch!" The Scholar had already channeled magic power into the scroll, and the spell was about to be completed, but the evil spirit demon raised a gaseous tentacle and pointed it at him. Kalalin emitted a terrified scream and turned to run away from the evil spirit demon, dropping the scroll on the ground. The evil spirit demon, recognizing the robed figure as the only spellcaster among the group, used a Fear Spell to drive him away, leaving the three remaining people incapable of inflicting any harm upon it. The Human Knight named Lancelot continued vainly attacking the air with his sword, yet he was the target of the evil spirit demon this time. Evil spirit demons are a peculiar type of demon; they are not generated by mortal souls but can possess a corpse that is not severely damaged. Afterward, they will continue to play the role of the original owner of the body or adopt a new identity, blending into the social fabric of the deceased''s community. "That type of demon is a new species; their existence was first confirmed less than a thousand years ago," Kalalin managed to catch his breath and began to share what he knew about the demon spirit. "...In summary, this is a kind of demon that is not yet fully understood. It''s known that they can occupy a corpse that has not been beheaded or severely damaged, and can repair all the damage the body had suffered the instant they possess it. Moreover, there''s always been speculation within the Dark Cult that they possess a terrifying supernatural ability: they can kill a living being immediately with just a touch, though the specific conditions for this to take effect still require further investigation." "My initial attacks seemed ineffective against it," Lancelot expressed his confusion. "How is such a demon normally dealt with?" "They are like spectral beings, immune to all non-magical damage. Clerics, Holy Warriors, and the like are specialists in dealing with them, or a proper Mage would do," Kalalin said awkwardly scratching his head. "My second circle ''Magic Weapon'' spell can grant your swords and hammers a magic attack effect, which under normal circumstances is the only effective method we have because even if I use all my spell slots to cast offensive magic, it wouldn''t be enough to kill it. But it seems I was hit by its Fear Spell and was of no help. It looks like that plan won''t work either." "That''s terrifying," Bruto said, glancing around fearfully, a bit concerned the incorporeal demon hadn''t gone far. Dwarves abhor any foe that can''t be killed with a hammer or axe. "Such demons can indeed be devastating if lacking the means to counter them," Kalalin said, as though recalling something, then turned to Lancelot. "You used the same power you had against the mud creature before, didn''t you? The effect seems quite good; otherwise, we would have been in real danger today." Lancelot nodded. In a moment of desperation, he had used up nearly a third of his Innate True Qi, which pained him. Innate True Qi could not be replenished and could only be slowly recovered by one''s own body. He reminded himself inwardly not to lose his cool again until life and death were truly at stake. "It''s good we have you," Kalalin seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "A disembodied demon spirit is actually very fragile. It used a teleportation spell to escape just now and probably wouldn''t dare to trouble us again." As if in response to his words, the expressions of Barrend and Bruto suddenly changed, followed by Lancelot feeling a rumbling beneath his feet, as if some huge creature was rapidly approaching from underground. The pale faces of the dwarves signaled the identity of the incoming attacker. Lancelot shouted at Kalalin: "Enlarge spell! Now!" Chapter 50 Shark Lizard Beast Kalalin relied entirely on her subconscious reaction to complete the casting of the Enlarge Spell. The power of magic surged into Lancelot''s body, and he felt not that he was growing larger, but that the world around him was shrinking. However, to Bruto and the others, Lancelot did indeed grow larger. His figure soared upwards, but it stopped at around ten feet and did not reach twice his original height. "Kalalin! What kind of Enlarge Spell is this? What happened to twice the height, eight times the weight?" Bruto, leaning against one of Lancelot''s enlarged thighs, shouted anxiously. "Impossible! I have not tampered with this spell at all! And even a true Mage couldn''t have done it better than me!" Kalalin, unconvinced, retorted with her neck outstretched. "It must be my problem," Lancelot spoke, his voice like the muffled thunder of a summer day. He could feel the force surging into his body was extremely powerful, but the flesh and blood strengthened by nature''s spiritual energy were not so easily duplicated. Everyone clung tightly to Lancelot, as scattering at this time would be akin to giving the enemy the opportunity to defeat them individually. With the large figure of Lancelot present, at least the shark-lizard beast would not be able to swallow them all in one bite. The vibrations from the ground grew stronger and stronger, making everyone''s hearts rise to their throats. "Lower your center of gravity, brace for impact!" Lancelot called out a reminder, and everyone did as told immediately. Then, Lancelot suddenly leaped into the air. "What the hell..." Bruto was baffled by his movement and blurted out without thinking. Of course, Lancelot had no time to respond. He jumped nearly ten feet high, and at the apex of his leap, he drew his enlarged Great Sword, pointing it downward, and let gravity pull him back to the ground. As though it were a pre-arranged signal, the moment the tip of the sword pierced the ground, the earth burst apart simultaneously. A terrifying figure sprang from below; it was going to send all creatures on the surface flying and swallow the one in the middle in a single gulp. That is, if there wasn''t a sword blade lodged in its mouth. Lancelot''s sword tip pierced through the lower jaw of the shark-lizard beast, his feet planted on either side of its gaping maw, like a spread pair of tongs, preventing the monster from closing its devastatingly large mouth. But one Dwarf thought differently. Bruto had already made his way to the rear of the shark-lizard beast, holding up his Shield to block the flying mud and stones, cautiously trying to approach the enemy''s hind legs, all the while wary of the shark-lizard beast''s tail, which was like an iron rod. Lancelot naturally didn''t overlook the Dwarf''s movements; he executed a set of flashy sword Techniques, firmly capturing the enemy''s attention. Bruto finally reached the enemy''s feet. The shark-lizard beast''s hind legs were as thick as pillars, filled with explosive power, but the Dwarf still found his favorite target, the protrusion where the monster''s thigh met its calf. Bruto threw away the Shield, grabbed the hammer with both hands, and swung it high over his head, striking down hard on that protrusion. The beast, engaged in combat with Lancelot, let out an earth-shattering cry of pain, its body losing balance and toppling to one side, nearly crushing the Dwarf who was trying to deliver another hammer blow. The shark-lizard beast turned its head around; it would rather use its already partially shattered Helmet to block another of Lancelot''s strikes than to tear apart that detestable little Dwarf. It hated Dwarves; the taste of Dwarves was difficult to stomach, like chewing on stones. It also detested Elves, for their flesh was scant and had a wooden stench to it. But the Knight''s sword did not chop down as it had anticipated. Lancelot suddenly changed his move, unleashing an Upper Slash he hadn''t used before in the fight. It was his trump card, which had helped him defeat countless enemies. Aside from being well-practiced, there was nothing special about the move itself, but Lancelot would initiate with a series of downward and Horizontal Slashes to create a defensive pattern in the enemy''s mind, then he would suddenly perform an Upper Slash, often achieving a decisive effect. This time was no exception; the sword struck fiercely against the shark-lizard beast''s unguarded, scar-riddled jaw. The force of this sword was so tremendous that it sent the upper body of the shark-lizard beast soaring upwards. Lancelot''s Longsword did not hesitate; he had already considered three follow-up moves before his strike. The Longsword turned and stabbed, its blade piercing through the shark-lizard beast''s lower jaw, through its mouth, and lodged against the part of the skull likely near its nose. The Knight roared, his body''s True Qi circulating at full strength, and his giant-like physique burst forth with terrifying power, impaling the shark-lizard beast off the ground. The shark-lizard beast''s mouth was forcefully pried open, its limbs flailing wildly, like a hooked carp. Although Lancelot''s sword had controlled it, it failed to strike its brain and was not lethal. Looking at the shark-lizard beast''s gaping mouth, Lancelot had a flash of inspiration and shouted: "Bruto! Climb onto my shoulders, quick!" Chapter 51 Pouring into the Belly "Bruto! Climb onto my shoulder!" The young Dwarf was seizing this rare opportunity, attacking the supports behind the Shark Lizard Beast''s hind legs with ferocity when he heard the call. Startled, he hesitated for a moment, but his unquestioning trust in Lancelot kicked in immediately. He dashed over, dropped his hammer, and clambered onto Lancelot''s ten-foot-tall frame using his hands and feet. Lancelot''s body felt to him like freshly forged steel, hot and hard. It must be the effect of the Enlarge Spell, the Dwarf muttered to himself. As he climbed, Lancelot''s arms continued to lift; his lips were tightly shut, and the muscles in his arms and shoulders bulged, indicating he was exerting all his strength. The Knight''s current posture resembled that of a farmer wrestling a chayote, except his prey was twice his size. "Dimensional Bag!" Lancelot managed to utter between grunts, "Acid!" Bruto hesitated for a moment, then his face lit up with surprise. He absolutely loved Lancelot''s idea. The Dwarf stepped onto the enlarged Frostslash and moved in front of the Shark Lizard Beast''s gaping maw. He glanced down and nearly vomited. Starting from the throat, the beast''s maw was filled with teeth¡ªits blood-red, razor-sharp teeth evoked images of the meat grinders Dwarves use to make sausages. Taking a deep breath, he took off the Dimensional Belt he had previously looted from the Mud Monster''s body. With a flick of his wrist, he untied the rope around the bag''s opening and upended it into the Shark Lizard Beast''s mouth. A full 150 gallons of acid poured from the extradimensional space down the creature''s gullet, which was thicker than Bruto''s waist, straight into its belly. "How''s the taste?" A triumphant smile spread across the Dwarf''s face as the hissing sound of strong acid corroding flesh rose, and a potent, pungent odor filled the air. The Shark Lizard Beast''s limbs twitched at a frequency only a dying animal could achieve, its movements so violent that even Lancelot, exerting himself to the maximum, could not hold onto his sword tightly. Bruto began to sway, on the verge of falling off the Sword Blade. But before he dropped, he took out two small bottles from his pocket and threw them into the Shark Lizard Beast''s mouth. "Like that? Want me to season it more for you?" It had been used by the Malevolent Spirit Demon for hundreds of years, providing it with countless fresh corpses without raising any suspicion, after all, this was the Abyss¡ªwhere it would be strange if a mining pit never had any miner deaths. But the gift had another effect: once the recipient died, as long as the Malevolent Spirit Demon was on the same plane of existence, it could immediately occupy their corpse, regardless of the distance between them. "You damned fiend, will this never end!" Bruto, who had just been sitting deflated on the ground like a punctured ball, suddenly sprang up, running towards his hammer and shield that he had tossed aside earlier. Lancelot didn''t understand how the Malevolent Spirit Demon managed all this, but he was very clear about the situation at hand. He was not unprepared, either. During the battle with the shark lizard, he had never used his most powerful move¡ªInnate True Qi¡ªintending to save it for this threat that had previously slipped away from him. The original plan of the Malevolent Spirit Demon was to command the shark lizard to kill these people, but the Human Knight had proven to be exceptionally strong under the effect of the Enlarge Spell, further fueling its desire for that body. In the last view of the shark lizard, it saw the effects of the Enlarge Spell dissipate, deciding it was time to take matters into its own hands. In fact, Kalalin had already used up all of his second-ring Spell slots, the only thing he could do now was to make sure he didn''t become a burden to Lancelot. However, the Malevolent Spirit Demon had no plans to let him go. The shark lizard glanced at Kalalin, and the poor Scholar once again fled uncontrollably. Lancelot charged forward proactively. Given the size difference, once the shark lizard started its charge, nothing could stop it aside from the solid rock walls here. The Malevolent Spirit Demon-controlled shark lizard looked disdainfully at the human. He had indeed demonstrated great courage and skill in the recent fight, but what could courage and skill amount to in the face of absolute power? The shark lizard opened its massive mouth, revealing a full set of neatly arranged sharp teeth. Just as it was about to bite down on the human, who clearly overestimated his abilities, the target vanished from its sight. Lancelot once more used the Footwork Technique he had learned from the bamboo slips. Seizing the moment the shark lizard''s eyes narrowed as it opened its mouth, he leaped mightily into the air. In this jump, he applied the mental method of Gathering Qi Slash, concentrating True Qi into his feet. To the onlookers, Lancelot''s leap was so swift that he looked just like a tree frog. Given its body structure, it was difficult for the shark lizard to raise its head and observe above itself, but its upper body was covered with a thick Carapace, typically disregarding any threats from above. The Demon occupying the shark lizard''s body was well aware of this, though it had yet to realize the disappeared Human Knight had now positioned himself on its head. In mid-air, Lancelot tapped into the very essence of the power within his Dantian Qi Sea. Chapter 52 Decapitation An invisible Sword Aura extended from the blade made of Cold Iron Ore, and if one observed closely enough, they could see a slight refraction of light in the air. To Bruto and Barrend, the sword Lancelot slashed in the air felt light and airy, as if a snowflake was gently falling from the sky and daintily landing on the shark lizard beast''s smooth Back Armor. Then it continued forward without hindrance. The demonic spirit found itself suddenly unable to control the shark lizard beast''s body, while the ground rapidly approached him. Lancelot was like an old farmer selling winter melons at the market, cleanly and neatly chopping off the shark lizard beast''s turtle-like head in one stroke¡ªso smooth and complete that it was even pleasing to the eye. The monster had already died just moments before; it was the power of the Demons that sustained its life. Thus, from the wound, only a small amount of fresh blood surged out, with more of it being a kind of hazy smoke, quickly reforming into the shape of a jellyfish in the air. Lancelot knew that the enemy would immediately try to use the same portal Technique to escape, and he could no longer tolerate letting this Demon slip away from his grasp again. Many years of warrior training had equipped him with a skill akin to a Barbarians'' rage, only it was more proactive and controllable, and now was the time to use it. His adrenaline surged wildly, and strength flowed out from within his body like the tide, making everything around him seem to slow down. Innate True Qi gathered again on his sword, and in the blink of an eye, Lancelot swung three consecutive times, slicing at the head of that jellyfish-shaped demonic spirit in the air. The Sword Blade, imbued with Innate Power, carved the body of the demonic spirit into several pieces. The Demon had not even had the time to scream telepathically with its Sensory Ability before being killed by Lancelot, dissipating into the air. As Lancelot killed the demonic spirit, he vaguely sensed a weak force, similar to nature''s spiritual energy, being absorbed by him. He immediately thought of the cruel survival games between Demons but upon slight introspection, he found that apart from a strong scent of the Abyss, the force would soon be integrated by his Cauldron Immortal Technique and was nothing inappropriate. As the demonic spirit was slain by him, the surroundings became completely silent. From the moment the shark lizard beast was resurrected to Lancelot''s amazing strike that decapitated it, to the three strikes that shredded the demonic spirit, the entire sequence took less than twenty seconds. After dealing with the shark lizard beast, Lancelot also picked up a Cross Pickaxe, ready to join the Dwarves in packing the rest of the Dimensional Bag to the brim with Cold Iron Ore. But as he was about to walk around the large pit created by the shark lizard beast, his Spiritual Sense alerted him to something important down below. "Hey Barrend!" Lancelot called out loudly, "Come take a look at this!" The old Dwarf put down his work and ran over. When he stood at the edge of the mine pit, Lancelot was sure his heart skipped a beat. Inside the tunnel bored by the shark lizard beast, the faint blue spots twinkled like the pre-dawn night sky, and the chilly air flowed out like the fresh breeze that greets you when you open your door after the first snowfall. This was a truly gigantic vein, bigger than any the old Dwarf had ever seen, and the Cold Iron Ore that sparkled with starlight was of a Top Grade seldom seen. Lancelot sensed around for any danger and, confirming there was none, was the first to jump down. There was something even more valuable inside calling to him. The shark lizard beast too seemed to fancy the coolness the Cold Iron Ore brought; perhaps the Cold Iron Vein was much larger than they had imagined¡ªthe entire tunnel was completely within the Cold Iron Vein. At a certain turn, Lancelot stopped and began swinging the Cross Pickaxe in a specific direction. Barrend and Bruto came to help him. The Dwarves also sensed something vaguely but they were not as certain as Lancelot. Finally, they uncovered a patch of blue crystals associated with the Cold Iron Ore. These crystals exposed to the air emitted a mist like cold smoke, and when Lancelot placed his hand on them, he unsurprisingly felt a significant amount of Spiritual Energy, like that of a mountain crystalizing. "Coldwater Crystals, treasures comparable to mountain crystals," Bruto glanced at Lancelot, "Boss, your treasure-finding ability, how should I describe it?" "Cut the chatter," Lancelot scowled at him, "This is all ours, get moving. Afterwards this place will be handed over to the mining team from Twin Bridges Town, you wouldn''t want to let..." He didn''t finish his sentence, because the two Dwarves had already speedily begun swinging their Cross Pickaxes, their eyes so fervent they seemed capable of melting the Coldwater Crystals. When it comes to a love for gemstones, perhaps only Dragons could be mentioned in the same breath as Dwarves. Chapter 53 Harvest After collecting these blue crystals, the Dwarves immediately began mining Cold Iron Ore. They worked with incredible efficiency, and due to their innate talent, their Cross Pickaxes always hit the weakest spots in the rock layers, never showing signs of fatigue, growing more spirited the harder they worked. Kalalin cast a 0th-level Light Spell to brightly illuminate the surroundings, then studied the corpse of the shark-lizard beast until she could no longer stay awake and fell asleep in a corner, wrapped in her cloak, unaffected by the intermittent tapping of the Dwarves'' mining. Lancelot, meanwhile, sat cross-legged, meditating, cultivating, and expanding his Divine Sense, to stay alert to any threats that might approach. He was pleasantly surprised to discover a noticeable increase in his True Qi, small though it was, it was much faster than his usual rate of progress. He conjectured that it was likely related to the fierce battle that day, similar to how intense physical exercise can enhance the body''s strength. Bruto and Barrend attacked the ore vein with their Cross Pickaxes throughout the night. The high-quality Cold Iron Ore stimulated their enthusiasm for work like a stimulant, and in one night, they excavated nearly a ton of ore, filling up all the space in the Dimensional Bag, enough for Barrend to forge dozens of weapons of various styles. In addition, they found over thirty pieces of Cold Water Crystals of various sizes, six of which met the Upper Grade Spirit Stone standard. The larger Cold Water Crystals that contained more Spiritual Energy tended to be big and had various inclusions, not really meeting the criteria for ornamental gemstones. Since most of the battle was Lancelot''s effort, after he expressed how these stones could help improve his strength, everyone agreed to let him pick the larger ones first. They set out early the next morning, taking nearly four hours to climb from seven thousand feet underground back to the surface. They retrieved their tools from the rest area (the supplies had been completely scavenged by the Gray Dwarves), then summoned the Nightmare Chariot and smoothly returned to Twin Bridges Town by midday. It must be said, without that Dimensional Bag, the journey would definitely not have been so easy. Upon entering the town, their first stop was to report the results of their exploration to the Craftsmen Committee. Five white-bearded elderly Dwarves were thrilled by the news of the discovery of the massive Cold Iron Vein, and the ton of high-grade ore in the Dimensional Bag made everything more attractive. They also expressed gratitude for Lancelot and his group''s efforts to rescue the Gray Dwarf mining team¡ªhaving returned to Twin Bridges Town the day before. But upon hearing Lancelot''s account of the shark-lizard beast and the Spirit Demons, the committee members all wore looks of relief. Clearly, the actual difficulty of a mission often did not match its appearance, but whether to accept it was up to the mercenaries themselves. Moreover, unless it was a designated mission item, all the spoils of war belonged to the mercenaries. This time, they had obtained a Dimensional Bag, cold crystals, the carapace and leather of the shark-lizard beast (as well as its backstrap meat, which Lancelot was very curious about), and enough ore to offset Barrend''s work for a month. Apart from nearly losing their lives, the return could be said to be extremely generous, and no wonder so many desperadoes dared to venture into the Abyss to become mercenaries. "Not bad, not bad, you''ve already outlasted more than one-third of the mercenaries by returning alive," Sonam hissed with a sinister laugh, her gaze falling on Lancelot''s shoulder, "It seems you''ve exchanged for a rather fine weapon." "Ha! Remember what I told you last time? This is the craftsmanship of our Frostforge clan!" Seeing Sonam interested in his old man''s work, Bruto couldn''t suppress his excitement, "Lancelot, take it down and let her have a good look! We just got our hands on some raw materials, are you interested in becoming our first client?" Sonam''s human pupils slowly condensed into a vertical slit, giving Lancelot a tingling sensation on his scalp, as if being watched by a giant python. He helplessly drew out Frostslash and handed it over to the six-armed Serpent Demon. Sonam took the sword with her lowermost right hand and examined it closely. As a skilled swordsman herself, she could easily discern the weapon''s fine quality, and its slightly longer size than a regular longsword suited her well. She flicked the sword blade lightly with her finger, then reached out to touch the blade to test its sharpness. "This is a masterwork from my old man; he''s the best blacksmith in Rivet Fort," Bruto boasted, "It''s a weapon made from cold iron..." The six-armed Serpent Demon cut off one of her fingers. "... very effective against Demons and Devils..." Bruto''s voice gradually trailed off. Chapter 54 The First Order Sonam''s expression was a bit awkward as she stared at her wound, which was covered with a thin layer of frost that inhibited the Demons'' inherent self-healing ability. A gleam flashed in her eyes, and some kind of energy within her body focused on the wound. The flesh squirmed slowly and took about thirty seconds to finally restore her severed finger to its original state. "A treasured sword like this only costs 3,000 Gold Coins," Bruto regained his ability to speak. Sonam threw Frostslash back to Lancelot and turned to stare at the Dwarf. "Uh, if you really want it..." Cold sweat streamed down the Dwarf''s forehead, "Order six at a time, and you can get one free with five purchased." "Sure, I''ll take six of these," the six-armed Serpent Demon suddenly laughed, showing off her sharp, venomous fangs, "but I don''t have any gold to pay you. How about we offset it with your monthly Head Tax?" "Alright, consider it an installment plan," Bruto said happily, "before it is delivered to you, it will first be shown to Tijana as a sample, about a month from now." "Deal." Kalalin and Lancelot watched dumbfounded as Bruto completed the first order. It wasn''t until they reached the service area that Lancelot patted the Dwarf on the shoulder and joked: "You really have a knack for this, selling things to demons must be quite rare, right?" "If you have something Demons are interested in, they usually just come to steal it directly, and casually kill you in the process," Kalalin said with interest, "Twin Bridges Town really is a magical place, all thanks to the great Lady Tijana." "What can I do, 3,000 is already the cost price," Bruto was a bit gloomy, "and she kept staring at me, I just couldn''t help but give her a discount." "I felt like I was about to suffocate, and you, who were directly stared at, only gave an eighty percent discount, truly a typical Dwarf," Kalalin joked too, "but from Sonam''s perspective, she made a big profit from this deal." Lancelot was speechless at Bruto''s casual act, noticing several pairs of eyes turned towards them as soon as Bruto took out the gemstone. His instincts told him that Bruto had already gotten into big trouble. Catez quickly recovered, his wings suddenly unfolded forward, blocking the view from all around. "What are you doing?" Bruto quickly stuffed the gemstone back into his chest, "I just asked you for an appraisal, don''t overthink it." "You give it to me, I don''t want it," Catez replied with a cold laugh, sitting back down, "My advice is, the next time the Red Dragon comes around, give this gemstone to it and accept the lizard''s first offer. Before that, make sure nobody takes this gemstone from your corpse." "Don''t worry about it!" Realizing his own reckless actions, Bruto glanced around and said loudly, "My elder brother is Lord Tijana''s paramour, I''d like to see who dares..." With a loud bang, Lancelot punched the Dwarf on the forehead with True Qi. "Ouch, that hurts..." Bruto, with a look of aggrievement on his face, was pulled away by Kalalin. ... The trio then passed through the door on the right-hand side of the Six-Armed Serpent Demon''s front desk and entered the mission area to see what kinds of common Black Iron missions were available. Inside, there were four halls, each bearing emblems made of Black Iron, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. They took out their Black Iron rings proving their identities and were allowed into one of the halls. At the front of the hall was a large board covered in Bounty Orders, arranged according to reward. Most Black Iron level tasks offered rewards under 1,000 Gold Coins, some even offering magic items as payment. They briefly reviewed the tasks, most of which involved clearing monsters from a mine, escorting trade caravans to nearby Neutral Towns, or gathering somewhat rare magical materials. If one ignored the characteristic that the locations were in the Abyss, it wasn''t much different from a typical Mercenary Guild. Lancelot pondered that those mine-clearing missions might be quite suitable for them as they already had experience delving deep into mines, and it would also be an opportunity to gather some mountain crystals or cold water crystals as substitutes for Upper Grade Spirit Stones to prepare for their Foundation Establishment. However, they didn''t need to take on any mission for the moment as they weren''t under any immediate pressure to pay the Head Tax (if they could produce six Longswords that satisfied Sonam within a month), but they did need to quickly convert their recent adventuring resources and experience into enhanced strength. Moreover, there was a piece of tender and juicy shark lizard loin in the Dimensional Bag, and it would spoil if not eaten soon. Chapter 55 Unexpected Visitor After leaving the Mercenary Hall, the group first went to the market, where they purchased some ingredients and red wine, and they also picked up the "Turn Wine into Blood" Spell Scroll that Kalalin had ordered previously for the little vampire maid. They returned to Hagrid Manor in the evening. Isabella was still asleep, but she had done her duty and tidied up the room very cleanly. As soon as Bruto entered, he threw himself onto the sofa in the living room and soon after, snores could be heard. Kalalin headed straight to his room to examine the newly acquired scroll. Based on his estimation, little Isabella would soon experience withdrawal symptoms if she continued without fresh blood. Lancelot took out a tenderloin of shark lizard meat from the Dimensional Bag. After an exciting and fruitful battle, it was time to reward the team members with a delicious meal. He was not skilled in cooking, but his years of field combat had provided him with a wealth of experience in handling various kinds of meat. The shark lizard tenderloin was quietly lying on top of the Cold Iron Ore. The feel of that part during the dissection had convinced Lancelot that it would definitely taste good. The tenderloin was firm and resilient, with a marbling of fat resembling snowflakes between the dense muscle fibers, emitting a faint scent of meat¡ªit would be surprising if it weren''t tasty. Lancelot decided to go with pan-frying, as almost no kind of meat would turn out bad with that method. He took off his sword belt, shed his armor, and put on an apron that Isabella usually wore when working, which he took from the kitchen wall. He cut about five pounds from the meat, enough for eight ordinary humans to eat, but Barrend would be joining them soon, so Lancelot decided to make a rather aggressive estimate of the dwarf''s appetite. The remaining meat and the Cold Iron Ore were put away in a large cupboard in the kitchen. He also threw in a couple of frost crystals, which could turn water into ice in low temperatures. The cold would slow down the spoilage of food, a very practical knowledge that the Elves had taught the Rebel Army. He first washed off the ore dust on the meat with clean water, and then placed the meat on a chopping board lined with absorbent parchment. Before slicing the meat, he used the back of his knife to tenderize the muscle fibers, ensuring a tender texture once the steak was cooked. With a little use of True Qi, the originally stiff meat soon became as soft as a girl''s waist. He then rubbed a layer of salt and black pepper onto the surface, along with some other spices highly recommended by Kalalin, and set the meat aside to marinate. This small amount of powder had cost him ten Gold Coins at the market district, which Lancelot found rather painful. Considering their situation where they could die at any moment, he thought it best not to regard money too heavily whenever there was a chance to enjoy oneself. After the preparations were done, Lancelot started to prepare the sauce to pour over the meat. He opened a bottle of red wine and took a small taste, very satisfied with the smooth palate of the wine that had cost them thirty Gold Coins. He then poured all the red wine into the pot and lit the stove, waiting patiently for the wine to boil. "I''ll bring my highest level of craftsmanship to it." "I''m very much looking forward to it." With the oil now at the right temperature, Lancelot laid the steak in the pot, and with a sizzle, the aroma of meat immediately filled the whole room, causing Bruto on the couch to sit up with a start. "Wow! What smells so good! Oh, old man, you''re already here." The young dwarf dashed over to Lancelot, eyes fixed on the steak in the pot. "I didn''t see it coming. When will you show Tijana how to do this?" No sooner had he spoken than he noticed Lancelot''s expression suddenly stiffen. Then a familiar voice sounded from behind the dwarf. "What is it you want to show me?" Lancelot had just sensed an anomaly in the space, and Tijana appeared in the living room. As the mistress of Twin Bridges Town, she could use portals to appear anywhere in town at will. Her wings were not visible behind her, probably under the effects of some kind of transformation magic. For now, she looked like an ordinary human female. No, she didn''t look ordinary at all. Lancelot had to admit in his heart that mortals couldn''t possess such lethal beauty, and he almost let a piece of steak burn. "Good evening, my lady," Lancelot said, spreading his hands, one with a kitchen knife and the other with a spatula, and nodded to Tijana. "What brings you here?" "What are you doing?" Tigana asked, staring wide-eyed at Lancelot in his pink apron, blurting out before adding, "I came looking for Barrend." "He''s right behind you, I''m making dinner for everyone," Lancelot said, pointing at Barrend, then skewered a shark lizard steak as a gesture, "Um, would you like to join us?" "It smells delicious," a gentle female voice piped up. The vampire maid crawled out of the basement. "Ah! We have guests! I-I-I, I''ll go make some tea!" "What''s all this?" Tigana burst out, "Where did you pick up another girl to bring home?" Chapter 56 Dinner "It wasn''t found; it came with the house," Lancelot said, feeling a headache coming on, "She was murdered by the previous owner of the manor and enslaved by her killer even after her death. We only discovered her after we moved in. Poor child, you should be able to view people''s memories, right? See for yourself." Tijana stared at little Esha, her eyes emitting a mysterious allure. Esha, not knowing what to do, stood there looking into Tijana''s beautiful eyes, her focus gradually fading. Many images quickly flashed through Tijana''s eyes, and a look of disgust appeared on her face, but she soon regained her composure. "I understand, but the Head Tax still needs to be paid, be diligent about it next month." "Uh, okay." Lancelot checked the meat patties while introducing the somewhat puzzled Esha, "This is Miss Tijana, Lord of Twin Bridges Town, and that Dwarf uncle is Barrend, Bruto''s father." "Ah! My apologies, esteemed lady! Good evening!" Esha''s right foot slid back to the left behind her left foot as she curtsied to Tijana. Being from a court lady''s background, she naturally understood what the title of Lord of Twin Bridges Town meant. She did not neglect the Dwarf uncle and greeted him politely. Tijana simply nodded without speaking. She turned to Barrend, "The Craftsmen Committee just reported to me the results of this expedition. You''ve discovered a new major vein in that ancient mine? What''s the situation like? Roughly how much are the reserves?" "Yes, yes." Facing his literal demon boss, Barrend was still a bit nervous. "At a depth of about seven thousand feet underground, we were lucky to find this vein in a tunnel dug out by a shaleback beast. The exact reserves still need to be thoroughly surveyed, but I believe it will not be less than a hundred thousand tons." "Very good." Hearing the numbers, Tijana showed satisfaction. "I''ve also heard that you''ve made a Cold Iron Weapon, and the chief craftsman spoke very highly of it. Where is the sword?" "It was made for Sir Lancelot, and it performed very well in this operation." "It''s right there on the shelf to your right." Lancelot volunteered, lifting his spatula and pointing to his weapon. Tijana took Frostslash out upon hearing this and examined it closely. "Uh, it''s extremely sharp, please be careful." Bruto looked anxious as he watched the Succubus, "In fact, just two hours ago, it cut off a finger from a six-armed Serpent Demon at the Mercenary Hall." "Sonam told me about it," Tijana answered absently. She didn''t need to harm herself to see the special nature of this weapon; this Metal indeed had a restraining effect on demons'' innate Protection abilities. "If you have enough materials, how many such weapons can you produce every week?" "For weapons of this quality, I can make about three a week," beads of sweat formed on the bottom of Barrend''s forehead. "If it''s ordinary Cold Iron Weapons, my kin and I can produce fifty a week." Tijana watched his actions with interest. "Why do you do this? Can''t they pour for themselves?" "I poured for you, too." "You serve me because you want to win my favor," Tijana sneered, "But what about serving them?" Tijana''s question forced Lancelot to think about the reasons behind his actions, which he hadn''t consciously considered, and he concluded: "Because they are my friends, and this is a way for us to convey our care for each other." "Meaningless behavior among altruists," Tijana commented coldly. "Perhaps it is indeed meaningless," Lancelot evidently wasn''t foolish enough to argue with the lord, "but many mortals really do feel fulfilled by helping others." By then, everyone had arrived, and Kalalin brought a bottle of a special "wine" for little Isha, pouring her a glass of the bright red beverage. "Everyone," Lancelot stood up with his glass raised, "A toast to our lord, the ruler of Twin Bridges Town, the beautiful and noble Lady Tijana. She may be a demon, but she has sheltered countless mortals who have strayed into this world and, more importantly, allowed them to live with dignity using their own skills. My lady, my highest respect." Everyone raised their glasses to Tijana, including Barrend, who had just been thoroughly exploited by her. This took the succubus by surprise and caught her off guard. "Please sit," Tijana finally responded simply. "How does it feel?" Lancelot winked at her. Tijana cut off a small piece of meat and put it in her mouth. With a light bite, rich, succulent juices and melting fat flowed out of the tender meat, mixed with a slightly charred flavor. "It feels quite nice," she said, raising her glass and taking a sip, then showing Lancelot a smile. Chapter 57 Their Own Intentions Tijana had quickly left, giving Lancelot a meaningful look before she departed, to which Lancelot responded with a serene smile. Everyone enjoyed the meal immensely, all agreeing it was the best dinner since they had arrived in the Abyss. Kalalin''s magic wasn''t perfect, as he hadn''t managed to completely transform all the alcohol, resulting in young Esha, who had just gotten up, ending up drunk, much to the shame of the undead. Kalalin found the process of carrying Esha''s breathless body to the tomb and then placing it into the wooden coffin eerily reminiscent of a certain Evil God''s sacrificial ritual. Lancelot stood on the patio outside the dining room, glass of red wine in hand, looking over the brightly lit main area of Twin Bridges Town. The air contained a kind of invisible magic that suppressed the propagation of sound, making the surroundings quite silent, allowing him to clearly hear his own inner voice. What was Tijana doing at this moment? Would those words about friendship and respect linger in her heart? He had some guesses about Tijana, but was not yet certain. Was her attitude toward the vast mortal races of Twin Bridges Town purely driven by maximizing benefits, or was there another reason? Out of his sight, Tijana sat atop the spire of her massive castle. She had transformed back into her Succubus form, her large wings relaxed and spread behind her, bathing in the glow of the Abyss''s red moon, creating a beautiful and harmonious scene. In the deepest dreams of some fortunate ones in the Multiverse, they could vaguely see this beautiful shadow, and then it was etched into their minds forever, leaving them in a daze for months to years. But if someone could get a little closer, they would notice the Succubus''s eyes aimlessly staring into the void. "Mother, I wish you were here..." Bruto walked up to Lancelot, looked up at him for a while, and seeing no response, he gently coughed. His cough caught Lancelot''s attention, and then he spoke, "I saw how she smiled at you tonight, I think you have a chance." "What are you talking about?" Lancelot laughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject, "Did you need something from me?" "Great, such effects are enough to compensate for other flaws." Bruto finally revealed a relieved smile as he headed to his room, "Get some rest everyone, we need to pour our strength into it tomorrow." Lancelot and Kalalin exchanged smiles and returned to their own rooms. He took a deep breath and sat down cross-legged. The night was still young, and his cultivation had just begun. Little Isabella woke up in the late night, but she was noticeably better than before. Blood had temporarily appeased the curse she bore; she even had breakfast with everyone in the morning and then rested in the crypt. After breakfast, Lancelot and Bruto headed to the Craftsmen''s District, while Kalalin stayed home studying Magic and scrolls. The Enchantment would have to wait until after the crafting was complete, so he had nothing to do for now. It was easy to find Barrend in the Craftsmen''s District. The newly promoted master craftsman was assigning tasks to a bunch of Dwarfs, as Tijana''s production quotas allowed no room for negotiation. Bruto took a moment to briefly explain their situation to Barrend. Taken aback, Barrend led them to a small workshop. "This isn''t suitable for mass production, but it''s free right now." The old Dwarf checked the forge and bellows to ensure everything was working, then helped light the fire. "You should have enough materials, get anything else you need from Uncle Darak. Let me emphasize once again, temperature, temperature, temperature! Don''t take your eyes off the furnace, focus!" "Got it, old man." Bruto answered, feeling a bit guilty and unable to look Barrend in the eyes. "If you have any problems, don''t hesitate to ask me!" Barrend advised again, then nodded to Lancelot and went back to his tasks. Time was becoming ever more precious for him; once large-scale production began, it might be a long while before Bruto could see his old man again. "Let''s get started." Bruto clapped his hands and pointed to the bellows near the forge, "You sit there first..." Lancelot resignedly acknowledged one fact, he was indeed Bruto''s human power source. He mechanically operated the bellows, moving his hands as fast as possible to make the flames in the furnace burn fiercer. He quietly channeled a thread of True Qi into it, satisfied as he felt the temperature inside the furnace rise even faster. "The efficiency is just different with a big guy doing this." Bruto, unsuspecting, excitedly watched the color of the flames, "Put some muscle into it, we might even start working before everyone else, haha!" Chapter 58 Thousand Hammerings Bruto''s expectations were dashed; the temperature in the forge sky-rocketed, and not even the innate chill of the cold iron could suppress the heat. In the end, the molten iron poured into the mold had lost all the unique qualities of cold iron and was indistinguishable from ordinary iron. Lancelot wondered if it was the True Qi he had secretly mixed in that had caused the anomaly, but even when he stoked the bellows in the normal way the next day, the result was the same. Then the third day, the fourth day... Luckily, their furnace was small, and these trials hardly wasted any materials; otherwise, Barrend might have been tempted to beat his son to death. The entire blacksmithing district resembled an ant nest doused with boiling water, with dwarves scurrying about and steam rising from every corner. The forging process of cold iron released a vast amount of chill, which only the Dwarves of the Frostforge Clan and the strongest blacksmiths could endure. Such Dwarven artisans were mostly highly skilled and incredibly proud, with bad tempers, and hardly any were willing to take orders from Barrend. The old Dwarf had no choice but to station the few members of the Frostforge Clan at the iron anvil, while he himself acted like a supervisor, directing the hands sent by the Craftsmen Committee in other tasks. Unsurprisingly, every time he strolled into Bruto and Lancelot''s small workshop, he would point out at least three things Bruto was doing wrong before berating him severely. Perhaps Bruto was inherently allergic to smithing knowledge, because as time went on, Lancelot remembered the mistakes, but Bruto kept repeating them. By the tenth day, they finally succeeded. Seeing the iron flow into the mold a bright blue-white instead of the usual red hue of iron, Bruto excitedly embraced Lancelot, laughing loudly. It was finally time for Lancelot to truly shine. Bruto, with tongs in one hand holding the sword blank and a small hammer in the other, indicated where to strike for Lancelot; while Lancelot was responsible for swinging the great hammer, ensuring each blow landed exactly where Bruto required. Bruto tapped the middle of the sword blank lightly twice with the small hammer, signaling Lancelot to begin. Taking a deep breath, Lancelot estimated and exerted about fifty percent of his strength for the first blow. A ''clang'' echoed, and a burst of chill emerged from the hammered spot, slightly reducing the stifling heat in the workshop. But Bruto was not satisfied. He tapped the same spot twice more and bellowed, "Human, what are you doing? Haven''t you eaten?" Lancelot added another twenty percent to his strength and delivered another hammer blow, this time unleashing more chill, but still not satisfying Bruto. "What are you two up to?" More dwarves gathered around, and some noticed the huge dent in the Sword Blank; they were all savvy folks, and a murmur rippled through the crowd. "Uh, nothing, Lancelot just now¡ªI don''t know what he was thinking¡ªput too much strength into it." Bruto cast a guilty glance at Lancelot and again tapped the Sword Blank a couple of times with a smaller hammer, "Let''s just, uh, continue." Lancelot, too, wasn''t sure why he had gotten so carried away, but fortunately, the chilling air that hit him helped him regain his composure. He lifted the hammer once more, pushing most of the True Qi back into his Dantian, and then swung the hammer again. The head of the hammer viciously struck the Sword Blank, and a visible ring of cold air burst out from the Sword Blank, spreading all around. "Oh!!" Amazement echoed around them. Lancelot and Bruto didn''t stop; the large and small hammers fell like a waterwheel, one after another, relentlessly. "My god, what kind of strength is this!" "Such precise movement! Such perfect muscles! I could stand here all day just to watch him swing that hammer!" "Incredible, how does this human have such fine craftsmanship?" "What nonsense are you talking about, he''s just swinging a large hammer. The real determinant of the work''s quality is that dwarf with the tongs!" "That guy''s beard is still red; I bet he''s not even a hundred years old! I''m really curious about what kind of work they''ll produce!" The continuously spilling cold made people unconsciously draw closer together, while Lancelot''s immense strength turned the cast blank into a long strip of flattened metal, completely unrecognizable as a Sword Blank. Bruto put it back into the furnace to reheat and directed Lancelot to work the bellows. Baron Barrend finally came to his senses and began loudly shooing people away: "What''s so interesting to look at here! It''s nothing but my newly come-of-age son doing some Apprentice work! Get back to your own stations, don''t you have your own jobs to do?" Chapter 59 Hundred Refinements Barrend himself didn''t leave. He watched the roaring flames in the furnace and suddenly said, "You lad, planning to use the method of thousand-layer forging?" Bruto revealed an ambitious smile. "With Lance''s strength here, it would be a waste not to!" Barrend gave his son a meaningful look and smiled. He patted Bruto''s shoulder, turned around, and walked out, his words of caution floating back from his retreating figure: "Remember to scrape it clean every time you fold it, I''ll come over when it''s time to quench." Lancelot, curious, watched the conversation between the two Dwarves and asked, "What is thousand-layer forging?" "Thousand-layer forging is flattening the metal, then folding it, flattening it again, and continuously repeating the process." Bruto controlled the heat to concentrate on a small segment in the middle of the sword blank, quickly heating that part to the required temperature. After clamping it out, he merely tapped it a few times with a small hammer and bent it over. He stuffed the folded sword blank back into the furnace and continued, "One fold is two layers, two folds are four layers, three folds are eight layers. Once you fold it ten times, you''ve created over a thousand layers, which is why this method is called thousand-layer forging. If you feel like it, you can keep folding indefinitely, but beyond a certain number of times, it''s not very meaningful." "What''s the benefit of doing this?" Lancelot carefully pulled the bellows, trying not to let the furnace temperature rise too high like the last few times. "It greatly improves the performance of the weapon and creates beautiful patterns," shrugged Bruto. "Some seasoned blacksmiths can even form specific Arcane Runes in the pattern, bestowing powerful magic power on the weapon, but of course, I''m not at that level." "If this method is so good, why doesn''t everyone use this technique?" "Because it''s troublesome, and not everyone has the freakish strength you do," Bruto shrugged. "It would take at least a week for my old man to fold it ten times." "We''ve already been working for ten days," Lancelot pointed out a harsh reality. "That''s because Cold Iron Ore is such a pain! A bit too hot, and it turns into ordinary iron!" Bruto replied irritably. "If you don''t chase after repeated usability, you can pour the molten iron into a mold, fold it once or twice and start sharpening. I guess that''s what they do everywhere else. "I''m feeling very energetic right now." "That''s good, we''re starting our second forging today, but first, we have to finish the last step of our first creation." Bruto stretched and walked out, "I''m going to get my old man to come over." Barrend quickly strode in, full of energy. The old dwarf had shifted his perspective on his task, treating it as a grand project with the aim of ensuring production while improving quality as much as possible, which invigorated him all over again. First, he checked the quenching trough next to the iron anvil¡ªthe bottom was filled with iron ore to keep it cool, and the keen-eyed Lancelot even spotted a few small pieces of cold crystals. Then he inspected the tempering furnace next to it, and he was satisfied with its condition too. After completing these checks, Barrend praised Bruto for his preparation, then picked up the tongs and extracted the glowing white-hot sword blank from the furnace. After overnight heating, the sword blank was incandescent, a wave of heat hitting Lancelot, making him wonder if another sword had been ruined by overtraining. However, Barrend seemed very pleased with the condition of the sword blank, and without any hesitation, he immediately plunged the searing sword blank into the water trough set aside for quenching. A puff of white smoke rose, but less than Lancelot had expected; it was then he realized that the liquid in the trough was not water, but oil. In less than 5 seconds, Barrend removed the sword blank and placed it directly into the tempering furnace. "I have a feeling this will be a good sword," the old dwarf patted Bruto''s shoulder. "The tempering temperature for cold iron weapons should be a bit lower than that for ordinary iron¡ªabout thirty percent hotter than boiling water. Just be careful." "Don''t worry, dad." Bruto rubbed his hands excitedly, "Temper for an hour and a half, cool for half an hour, repeat three times, right? See, I''ve got it all memorized." Barrend looked at Bruto, fell silent for a moment, and suddenly pulled his son into an embrace. "I think I''ve been too harsh on you in the past." He ruffled Bruto''s disheveled hair. "You''re doing much better than many of your peers." With that, he turned and walked out, leaving Bruto standing there, stunned. "You alright?" Lancelot asked. "Of course, I''m fine." Bruto turned around, and Lancelot noticed his eyes were red. He walked over to one side, shoveled up a batch of Cold Iron Ore, and added it to the furnace. "Let''s continue, we still have five more swords waiting for us to finish." Chapter 60 The Son and His Father Over the next five days, they completed the remaining swords. Lancelot''s work was now done. Polishing, sharpening, and wrapping the hilt could be done by Bruto, and Lancelot wasn''t able to assist with those tasks. However, new work quickly came knocking at their door. This time, Barrend had invited Lancelot to assist him, which left Lancelot puzzled. The old Dwarf soon answered his question. "Don''t think that I''ll be satisfied with making these disposable pieces of junk," Barrend openly expressed his disdain for the products made under his supervision. "I want to create a genuine masterpiece to prove my skills!" "But what can I possibly help with?" Lancelot asked, puzzled, "Is it because of my strength?" "Exactly!" Barrend nodded in confirmation. "I plan to make a whip suitable for a Succubus. The braid will be made from the finest Cold Iron Filament. Producing metal filament is a very time-consuming and strenuous process, and braiding them is even more so, hence I need to draw on your strength." Lancelot thought for a moment and agreed. He had originally planned to take advantage of the days Bruto was occupied to go find trouble with the sand worms in the Shattered Mountain Range, but his cultivation had seen impressive progress over these days, clearly relating to his True Qi being depleted from forging during the day. He was still a distance away from the later stage Great Perfection of the Qi Refinement Realm, so it was more important to focus on improving his cultivation level first, and there was no urgency to gather materials for Foundation Establishment. Moreover, since it was a gift for Tijana, he was naturally willing to be involved. Lancelot once again swung his hammer, and as he repeatedly struck the Cold Iron raw material, impurities were continuously expelled. But Barrend was not so easily satisfied; he repeatedly carried out the process of heating, hammering, and folding until the third day when he finally allowed Lancelot to stop. The humans'' next task was to push a stone mill-like disc, stretching the white-hot Cold Iron raw material into filaments as fine as hairs. Every time he pulled out a length of nine feet, the disc would automatically cut the thread, and Barrend would come over to collect the Cold Iron Filaments. The old Dwarf wore thick gloves, but his arm was still accidentally cut open by the filament. The skin of a Dwarf is as tough as callus, highlighting the sharpness of these metal strands. Each metal filament was specially heat-treated; after quenching, they were tempered at relatively high temperatures. This process made them less hard than swords, but significantly increased their flexibility, which is the characteristic needed for making a whip. After that, Barrend used a device similar to a loom to wrap seven Cold Iron Filaments into a single metal thread, then wrapped seven such threads into a slightly thicker metal rope. The power of Spiritual Cultivators, however, operated on an entirely different system. In the early stages, Spiritual Cultivators turned themselves into vessels, amassing the power of heaven and earth to enhance their strength; in the middle stage, they would expand their own universe, gaining power as this universe expanded. When a Spiritual Cultivator''s universe reached a certain extent, they would be rejected by the universe they were in and undergo the so-called ''Ascension'' to leave this universe. Han Tianzun had only existed for a very short time before being rejected and leaving this universe, and having his legacy was an extreme stroke of luck. Over here, Barrend was ready to pray to the Dwarven God, Moradin. The ritual was very simple; he just had to place the offering on an iron anvil next to a lit forge. Kneeling on one knee, Barrend chanted: "Great Father of Dwarves, protector of kindness and order, guardian of the hills and treasure hoards, patron of craftsmen, soul forger Moradin, your child, Barrend of the Frostforge Clan, son of ''Dragon Slayer'' Bruno, I present to you my work, a whip. It is composed of three hundred and forty-three strands of Cold Iron Filament, completed with the help of a human endowed with Divine Power. It will be given to Tijana, the lord of Twin Bridges Town, uh, a demon who has sheltered many dwarves, saving us from a fate of enslavement." The old dwarf''s voice grew quieter, clearly burdened by his own guilt. When he finished chanting and nothing happened, he sighed, unsure whether it was regret or relief he felt. "Well, at least we are still alive and well," Lancelot sighed in relief and helped Barrend to his feet. Just then, Lancelot''s Spirit Perception alarmingly signaled an extremely powerful, utterly terrifying, and completely immeasurable force rushing towards him. In that instant, he understood this was what people meant by Divine Power. Barrend truly was the son of his father, a success in courting death. "We''re done for." That was the only thought on his mind at the moment. Chapter 61 The Shrine ``` Fortunately, that power had not come to destroy him. The range of the divine power burst was very small, confined to an area of less than nine feet centered on Barrend. Barrend''s eyes bulged as he realized that the Father God had just responded to his prayers. The holy light was slowly infusing into the cold iron-made whip, and the iron anvil serving as the base was imbued with a very sacred aura, one that he was very familiar with¡ªit was the presence found only within Moradin''s shrine. According to dwarven standards, with a burning furnace and an iron anvil, this place had become an unmistakable Dwarf Temple, blessed by Moradin himself. At that moment, a flash of white light passed, and the Lord of Twin Bridges Town appeared on the scene through teleportation. Tigana was in full battle gear, wearing a set of mithril full body armor that snugly fit her curvaceous figure; her right hand held a longsword, her left a light shield, and attached to her belt were a whip, throwing knives, handcuffs, and several vials of potions. She had obviously felt the surge of divine power within her domain and rushed over at the first instance, her eyes scanning for enemies, ready to confront whichever celestial being had dared to trespass. "Ah..." Lancelot called out to her, "Tijana, calm down for a second, I can explain..." "How are you here?" ... A moment later. "So you''re telling me, you used cold iron to make a whip for me, and after it was completed, this old dwarven man thought the product was so exceptional that he prayed to the great divine power of order and goodness, the Soul Forger Moradin, hoping he would bless this gift intended for demons?" Lancelot felt Tijana''s description was a bit too dramatic, but on second thought, there didn''t seem to be anything wrong with it. "Do you know what you''re saying, human?" Tijana glared at Lancelot, "Look around you, this is the Abyss, have you considered the consequences?" "From my point of view, having one more temple like this won''t make your enemies hate you more, since they already have ten thousand reasons to despise you," Lancelot analyzed patiently, "And about your allies, sorry, does Twin Bridges Town truly have any? My friend Kalalin has told me about this city''s grand history. During the most dangerous times for Twin Bridges Town, it seems no power has ever reached out to help you except for the city''s own citizens, those Dwarves who were the first to serve under you." "So what?" Tijana was still quite irritated, but seemed willing to let Lancelot continue. "It means that from the outside, whether or not you destroy this Dwarven temple makes no difference to you," Lancelot found his mind racing, "And internally, the benefits of keeping this temple are obvious. The vast number of Dwarves in Twin Bridges Town would have a much more positive opinion of you. They would respect and even revere you, which would make them much less resistant when you make various demands." "I don''t need their reverence! What I want is their obedience and submission!" Tijana said impatiently, "I can get all of that through fear alone!" "What you want is not merely obedience and submission, you want their skills, their products, and even their military strength if necessary," Lancelot was not daunted by Tijana''s impatience, "Respect and reverence can provide you with these too, and possibly even more. A craftsman who lives in fear will not put his whole heart into his work; he is just trying to save his own life." "But this is still too dangerous, it might even attract the attention of the Abyssal Lords, and you know nothing about their power. Here in the Abyss, even the incarnations of deities are mostly no match for the Abyssal Lords." Though Tijana seemed somewhat swayed by his words, she was still not convinced. "We could adopt a compromise," Lancelot continued persuasively, "Not far from here, the Shattered Mountain Range has countless caves suitable for hiding. You could have the Dwarves move this iron anvil there, and proclaim to be unaware of the matter, while Barrend will ensure that the Dwarves'' gratitude towards you is not diminished." "All Dwarves would be grateful to you, I assure you," Barrend quickly joined in, "Perhaps except for those gray-skinned bald ones." Tijana silently looked at them, saying nothing, and Barrend had no choice but to summon his resolve and throw out his last bargaining chip. "With the rallying power of Father God''s miracle, I''m certain that the production of cold iron weapons can be increased to fifteen hundred... no, at least two thousand pieces a month!" Finally, a smile appeared on the Succubus''s face. "You have half a day to make this iron anvil disappear from Twin Bridges Town." Chapter 62 The Inspiration of Miracles The impact of this iron anvil on the dwarven community of Twin Bridges Town greatly exceeded the expectations of Lancelot and Tijana. After Barrend and the Craftsmen Committee made the announcement, the entire blacksmith district was in an uproar. The dwarves on duty did not leave their posts, for taking one''s work seriously is one of Moradin''s most important teachings. Though they had tears in their eyes as they swung their hammers. On this day, Moradin''s name was praised countless times, and Tijana''s name came closely second. Some fervent dwarves had already regarded Twin Bridges Town as a final opportunity bestowed by the deities, and the appearance of this anvil further convinced them that Tijana was the one chosen by Moradin to save them. Seven of the strongest dwarf warriors proudly stepped forward, taking on the responsibility of guarding this holy relic, just like the seven platinum guards of legend under Moradin''s command. They would venture to the Shattered Mountain Range in search of a place neither too close nor too far to establish a temple for Moradin. Although dwarves can be stubborn, they are not inflexible. They fully understood and were grateful for the succubus lord''s decision. If possible, they would express their respect to the Father of Dwarves with the most magnificent architecture, but they also knew it was essential to keep a low profile to avoid attracting unnecessary enemies to the temple and Twin Bridges Town. On the surface, the disruption this event caused quickly settled down. The demon residents and Blood War mercenaries of Twin Bridges Town merely heard that the god of the dwarves had performed a miracle in the Craftsmen''s District, and they were indifferent. This is the Abyss¡ª even if the deity themselves descended in person, they would be overwhelmed by the countless demons. However, the Craftsmen''s District was far from as calm as it appeared. The dwarves felt the gaze of the creator upon them once more, and now they worked with fervor, just as Moradin had taught them. Production in the Craftsmen''s District had seen a significant increase in those days, with more and more blacksmiths joining the ranks to manufacture cold iron weapons. Lancelot and Barrend secretly breathed a sigh of relief, believing that these positive signs would please Tijana. Barrend quickly finished the gauntlet, which was made of mithril and very light, able to prevent damage to the bearer from the holy weapon. According to his observation when he delivered it, Tijana''s mood seemed to be very good lately. Another item delivered along with it was a leather cover, which, when put on the Abyssal Lash, made the weapon look like an ordinary heavy whip. This meant that they could catch the enemy by surprise at a critical moment in battle. Needless to say, Tijana was very fond of this design. In the following days, Barrend completed the great sword that Lancelot had requested, with Lancelot himself also contributing. At Lancelot''s direct request, the great sword was over seven feet long, with the grip itself exceeding two feet. The blade was single-edged on one side, with only the tip of the other side sharpened, making it more like a massive longsword. The final step of the ritual was to stick the weapons to be enchanted into the ground. Seven days later, the enchantment would be complete, and within a hundred miles radius from the insertion point as the center, the enchantment would take effect. In this area, the weapons would possess magical power, becoming sharper and more precise. Under the inspiration of Moradin''s divine acts, the craftsmen under Barrend easily met the production targets set by Tijana. The old Dwarf naturally remembered the promise he had made to the Succubus Lord, so he did not relax at all and immediately began the next batch of production without stopping. As the day drew closer for the clients of Twin Bridges Town to arrive, the Low Rank Demons of the town grew restless. Lancelot learned from Dingke that whenever these representatives from different forces congregated, Twin Bridges Town would hold a grand gladiatorial event, featuring participants such as Prime Demons, Coward Devils, and Quasimodo Demons. The rules were simple. These Low Rank Demons would engage in a battle royale in the arena, with the last one standing being the sole victor. For the Demons gathered here to compete for the craftspeople''s output for the next three months, this was an insanely entertaining event. They would capture a large number of Low Rank Demons on their way here and place heavy bets on their slaves. But not all participants were forced. There were always some mad souls who believed they could rise to great heights and shed their weak bodies in one fell swoop. This notion was not unfounded. Those souls who were most evil and cunning in life, upon arriving in the Abyss and becoming Low Rank Demons, still retained fragments of their mortal memories. After figuring out the game''s rules in the Abyss, they would do whatever it took to ascend to higher-ranked Demons, usually by scheming and betraying, to slaughter their kind en masse. However, the ascension process for Demons was so excruciating that it could cause a soul to completely forget everything about itself, which was unacceptable for those Demons that still held on to memories of their former lives. This is why some Demons volunteered to participate in these grand battles¡ªit''s a precious opportunity to bypass several ranks and directly promote to mid-level Demon status. Lancelot even specifically asked Dingke if he was interested in participating, but the Quasimodo Demon expressed great reluctance, stating that if the master insisted, it wasn''t impossible, but he felt he could serve his master better as is. Thus, Lancelot did not persist. Finally, the day arrived for the clients of Twin Bridges Town to visit. Except for young Isabella who could only stay at home and sleep in annoyance, everyone else got up early to go out and join the spectacle. Chapter 63 Peripheral Powers ```No?v(el)B\\jnn Under the effect of magic, the small square with the statue of Tijana expanded more than a hundred times in size, while the ground sank down step by step, forming an arena-like structure. Many demons had already arrived early, seizing the innermost and frontmost positions, ready to thoroughly enjoy the spectacle of slaughter. Lancelot and his companions had no intention to squeeze into such inner spots. They sat down on the edge of the depression, near a group of Dwarven Artisans, observing the audience that had already gathered. The most common sight was the Berserk Demon, a human-shaped toad known for its simple mind and rare loyalty to its superiors among demons. If the cannon fodder is not counted, they were the most common in the armies of the Demon Lords, Next were a type of lean demons with the heads of goats and the tails of long snakes protruding from their behinds. Lancelot often saw these demons, formally known as Brezu Demons, but Bruto preferred to call them Goat-Headed Demons. These demons, wielding huge tridents, were skilled martial artists. However, they were mostly solitary creatures unless they were on a mission. Then there were the muscular human-shaped demons with two pairs of arms¡ªknown to Lancelot as Arrow Demons, they made up the archers of the demon armies. This rare type of demon understood teamwork, making them incredibly dangerous on the battlefield of The Abyss. Besides those sitting in the stands, the high points of the venue were also filled with these demons. The above three types constituted the main forces of Tigana''s army. To Lancelot''s regret, there was no cavalry. This might be related to the traditional defensive stance of the Twin Bridges Town''s army. The rest of the audience consisted of civilians from Twin Bridges Town, most numerous being the Devilspawn and their descendants. They worked in the town''s shops, bars, and inns, striving to survive in this society that did not ostracize them. There was also a considerable number of Succubi mingling in the crowd, flirting with all sorts of strangely shaped creatures. Although they were the product of mortal desires, their definition of male charm did not adhere to mortal aesthetics. Additionally, there were many Blood War Mercenaries like Lancelot. This crazy group of adventurers feared neither heaven nor earth, and for wealth and treasure, they actively (mostly of their own accord) came to The Abyss, ready to face any challenge, for the right price. The rest of the demons were mostly unnameable by Lancelot due to their bizarre appearances. However, their appearances did show some humanoid traits. According to Kalalin, these were all members of the Tanali Demon Race, created from the souls of fallen mortals in The Abyss. In the wilderness, Lancelot had encountered some highly deformed native demons of The Abyss; some resembled giant mouths with seven or eight legs, others were fleshy orbs covered in mouths and eyes, and still others were immense heads floating just above the ground, a mere glance of which made Lancelot feel his sanity was being tainted. Fortunately, these demons didn''t get along with the Tanali, leaving no trace of their kind in Twin Bridges Town. "I see." Lancelot felt his face grow warm, "I am honored." "Don''t get ahead of yourself," Letisha said with a light laugh, covering her mouth, "Lady Tijana always finds a male creature for this job, don''t get the wrong idea." "Serving a lady is an important part of the knightly spirit," Lancelot said earnestly, "This... suitor, what''s his deal?" "You really don''t know?" Letisha looked at him in surprise, "Are you familiar with the power dynamics around Twin Bridges Town?" "I know a bit." Kalalin raised his hand to answer, "To the south is the Shattered Mountain Range, which currently has no dominant power; to the west, there is a region belonging to the Barlow Flame Demon, who claims to be the ''Destruction Flame''; to the east was ''Punisher'' Wisk, a lord of the Serpent Demon. To the north, there''s another Neutral Town called ''Oasis Fort,'' with a leader known as ''Seducer'' Molo, a male succubus... wait, could it be this Molo?" "Your information is out of date. Wisk was murdered by its pet and lover last month; its territory and forces have been split, and now there are two opposing forces to the east: ''Destruction Horn'' Goel, a Giant Bull Demon, and ''Spider Lady'' Ilmaris, an Arachne Elf," Letisha glanced at Kalalin, "But you guessed right, it is that self-important, annoying worm Molo. If it wasn''t for the caravans that pass through that area to Twin Bridges Town, Oasis Fort would have no chance of thriving, and Molo would be nothing but a sad gigolo under Mekanshut." "The ''Seducer'' Molo is backed by the Queen of the Succubus?" Kalalin''s face was filled with shock. "Who is Mekanshut?" Lancelot asked with surprise. He was not familiar with the name, but the title of Queen of the Succubus was no trifling matter. "She''s one of the earliest born succubi. After defeating all the original succubi like her, she received the title of Queen of the Succubus and currently rules the 570th layer of The Abyss, Shendiravir," Kalalin explained to Lancelot, "She''s also the current lover of the strongest devil, known as the ''Demon Prince'' Dimogorgen. And Dimogorgen''s former lover, also one of the original succubi, Sami-Amor, fell out of favor due to Mekanshut''s instigation." "For some reason, Lady Tijana doesn''t get along with this self-proclaimed Queen of the Succubus, but I''m not clear on the specifics either," Letisha shrugged, suddenly pointing, "Look over there, guests from Twin Bridges Town have arrived, I should get back. Goodbye, Sir." The succubus flashed a charming smile, flapped her wings, and flew away. Chapter 69 64 Chapters of Demonic Figures Lancelot turned his head to look in the direction Letisha had pointed, his gaze not lingering on the succubus''s retreating figure. The approaching line of demons gave him an unusual feeling, and Lancelot quickly realized the problem: the group was quite orderly, its members all silent and serious, reminding him of seasoned soldiers, amongst whom he once counted himself. The most eye-catching among the group were six demons enveloped in flames. Lancelot knew they were Fireburn Demons, creatures that had failed in their attempts to advance to the rank of Flame Demon. Their bodies were like emaciated humans, with ragged wings sprouting from their backs. Except for the parts near the spine, the wings were all bone. Without the power of magic, such wings would likely be incapable of flight. Following them were dozens of centaur-like demons, known as Iron Cavalry demons. These demons had a pair of huge, pointed horns on their heads and well-developed muscles. They wore a complex set of full-body heavy armor, covered with spikes suited for ramming, and they held aloft lances with flags bearing the emblem of a volcano. They were the cavalry troops among the demons, whose longbows and flails on their backs indicated they were versatile on the battlefield. However, Lancelot knew that their lances posed the greatest threat. The collective charge of such demons would be one of the most destructive forces in the Abyss. Next was a large group of Prime Demons and Coward Devils, led by ropes and iron chains. These pitiful creatures were undoubtedly the ''gladiators'' about to enter the arena. They had clearly suffered considerable torment and abuse on their journey, and Lancelot wondered if they could survive the first round of combat. But the leader at the forefront had an air that seemed out of place with the rest of the troop. He appeared to be a human with dark skin and handsome features, though the small horns on his head and the goat-like hooves betrayed his demonic nature. He was dressed in somewhat ostentatious formal attire, with a noble''s rapier tied at his waist, and rode a majestic Nightmare steed with fiery hooves. However, his scanning eyes revealed his nervousness. Lancelot noticed that the hand he used to grasp the reins seemed to have six fingers. "Is that guy with the six fingers a male succubus?" Lancelot asked Kalalin, his tone containing a relaxedness he didn''t realize himself. "A male succubus? Definitely not, it must be an emissary from ''Destruction Flame'' Visuvius, the Barlow Flame Demon particularly likes to send these failed Flame Demon wannabes," Kalalin replied subconsciously, then his expression changed suddenly. "What did you say, the guy walking up front has six fingers?" "Yes, what''s the issue?" Lancelot asked, puzzled. Considering the myriad appearances of demons, having an extra finger hardly counted as a noteworthy demonic trait. "You really should brush up on your knowledge of the Abyssal Lords to avoid inviting trouble you shouldn''t," Kalalin said with an expression of resignation. "The six fingers are a trait of ''Lord Wu''an'' Grazzt, and many of his offspring inherit this feature. Lord Wu''an is one of the three titanic demons, ruling over three contiguous planes of the Abyss." Following it were a group of minotaurs over 7 feet tall, carrying simple flails, their hooves deep red as if they had just traversed a swamp filled with fresh blood; hence, they were called Bloodhoof Demons. The other group was made up of various types of spiders, these creatures over ten feet in length invoked a visceral disgust in everyone, and their leader was particularly memorable. Her lower half was that of a spider with a massive abdomen and eight sharp legs, while her upper body was that of a beautiful woman with dark skin and white hair. Lancelot knew this creature was the notorious Arachne Elf, a creation of the fallen Dark Elf deity ''Spider Queen'' Rose, who transformed those Dark Elves that angered her in this manner, to showcase her Divine Power and warn against defying her will. On this occasion, Tigana did not rise to greet them, instead, a six-armed Serpent Demon stepped forward and rebuked them: "Strangers, state your names!" "I am Kavalan, representing ''Madam Web'' Ilmaris, and I extend greetings to Madam Tigana of Twin Bridges Town," the Arachne Elf spoke first, voice filled with grace and head bowed in a respectful gesture. "Pami represents ''Destruction Horn'' Goel!" the bull Demon shouted roughly, "Tigana! Don''t listen to the Spider''s lies! They''re worth nothing!" "You stupid bull, a fool whose head is full of rocks, what do you know of the value of gemstones!" "Ah! You dare call me stupid! I''ll kill you!" Explore stories on empire The bull Demon Pami let out a roar of rage, charging headlong towards the Arachne Elf Kavalan with lowered head. The opponent was just as unrestrained, drawing her Longsword in readiness for battle, and their followers also drew weapons, ready to dive into the fray. "Enough!" A furious shout came, and the six-armed Serpent Demon made her move. Three of her arms, each wielding a sword, pressed against the bull Demon''s horns and forehead, while the other three swords barred the Arachne Elf''s Longsword and throat. "See that big pit over there? If you want to fight, we provide the venue," she said. Chapter 65 The Original Protocol The Bull Demon and the Spider''s team ultimately did not lay hands on each other. They led their captured Prime Demons and Coward Devils separately, occupying a corner of the high platform and glaring angrily at each other. Tigana did not stand up throughout, possibly due to her dissatisfaction with their impoliteness or her disdain for their masters.No?v(el)B\\jnn "Letisha mentioned that the Demon Lord named Wisk was killed by his pet and lover?" Lancelot asked Kalalin, "These two groups don''t look like representatives of pets or lovers, do they?" "Don''t try to guess the tastes of the Demons with a mortal''s thinking," Kalalin rolled her eyes. "The pet definitely refers to that Giant Bull Demon, also known as ''Destruction Horns.'' It''s a creature which can grow over 50 feet tall and is quite popular among the Demon Lords, appearing in sieges as catapults and battering rams." "Then the lover must be the ''Web Madam.''" Lancelot nodded, "That at least makes more sense, at least their upper half is still humanoid." "You''re still too narrow-minded," Kalalin shook her head. "Demons'' practices in that regard far exceed your imagination; that unfortunate Wisk might have loved her spider-like lower half." Lancelot and Bruto opened their mouths but eventually did not continue this distasteful topic. At that moment, a smug, nauseating voice was heard: "Oh my, it seems I''ve arrived late, can''t help it, Twin Bridges Town is really hard to find." Lancelot looked in the direction of the voice and saw a bunch of Berserk Demons walking over haphazardly. These ugly toads were each dressed in silver chainmail and wielding golden weapons, a strong nouveau riche aura hitting everyone face-on. These Berserk Demons were carrying a luxurious soft bed with a nearly naked male Succubus sitting on top, flanked by two Succubus Maids. The attire of this male Succubus Lord was very strange, with only a few metal sequined leather belts wrapped around his body and a collar around his neck reminiscent of one used for fierce dogs, from which long spikes protruded. Lancelot couldn''t help but intently examine this individual who harbored inappropriate thoughts toward Tigana. As a male Succubus, his physique was impeccable, and his extremely handsome face bore a wicked charm, making him nearly irresistible to mortal women. Of course, for Lancelot and Bruto, this face involuntarily conjured fantasies of what that self-satisfied smile would look like after a punch. "Lord of Oasis Fort, ''Great'' Molo has arrived!!" shouted a Berserk Demon, clad in a silk robe, who was walking at the front, and he was met with a huge round of booing. "Isn''t he the Seducer? How can he still change his nickname?" "Hey Molo! When are you going to perform that forever memorable act of using your tail to pleasure yourself again?" "Your minions'' clothes are quite nice! Where should I cut to peel it completely off your corpse?" "Molo, are you still offering a buy-one-get-one-free service? I still have your coupon here, your round buttocks are just irresistible, use it before it expires!" ... "What is the Deities'' stance on this?" "The Abyss is an existence higher than the Deities, and there is not much the Deities can do about it. However, they establish churches in the Mortal Realm, vigorously spread faith, encourage acts of goodness, and try their best to thwart the conspiracies of Demons and Devils. Sometimes, they even descend themselves to intervene," Kalalin shrugged, "But if mortals truly choose the path of corruption and don''t repent and receive forgiveness from a deity before dying, then no one can save their soul. The Deities detest those mortals who embark on an evil path and are indifferent to the screams in Hell and the Abyss." "It''s hard to believe," Lancelot shook his head, "knowing that such a terrible punishment awaits after death, why do some still willingly take the path of corruption?" "The Deities are very curious about this too," Kalalin said with a sinister smile, "in fact, the Devils were originally Angels tasked with battling Demons. They became tainted from their constant battles with Demons, disliked by the Deities but still depended on to fight Demons. Thus, the Deities agreed to the proposal of Asmodeus, ruler of the Nine Hells, allowing them to punish the Fallen souls and derive power from it to maintain their own independent existence. This agreement is known as the Prime Covenant, which led those Angels who fought Demons to leave the realm of the Deities and eventually led to the creation of Barto Hell and the Devils." "My God," Bruto groaned, "what a terrible agreement." "The Deities underestimated Asmodeus''s ambition, which led to the current situation." "I guess they also had no choice, since the soul possesses free will," Lancelot spoke up, "Under the premise of free will, one must rely on punishment and reward to establish order. Only under the premise of free will do nobility and virtue make sense." Lancelot''s words plunged Kalalin and Bruto into deep thought, and for a moment, there was silence among them. But on the high platform, the male Succubus, Molo, was delivering his lofty speech. "Tijana, I really feel sorry for you! You have so many Dwarves, just put iron chains on them, and assign some Berserk Demons to whip them harshly when they slack off, and I guarantee your monthly output of that scrap metal will multiply! Come see my Oasis Fort to learn the proper way to treat these Dwarf slaves!" the tempter boasted, leaning back on his soft bed, tilting his head to receive some kind of bright red snack handed over by a Succubus Maid. "This is my town, I govern it however I like," Tijana said disdainfully, "As for what you do in your slave pen, I couldn''t care less, but since you think I only produce some scrap, you can leave right now. I believe Prince Kailon would be happy to take your share." "What Kailon? Why call him Prince?" Molo seemed puzzled. "My father assigned me to command the Destruction Flame legion," the young man with six fingers spoke blandly. "What? You actually are... I mean, are you really a prince... from Lord Wu''an?" Molo exclaimed, his expression suddenly darkened, and he fell silent. Tijana glanced at him, and seeing the annoying man finally shut up, she clapped her hands. "Let''s start the gladiatorial match, the audience is getting impatient." Chapter 66 Chaos "Wait, we haven''t placed our bets yet," the annoying voice of the male Succubus rang out again. "I even collected a special soul in advance for this." "The winner has the right to bid first, just like before, right?" asked the Arachne Elf named Kavalan. "How boring that would be." Molo looked at the Arachne Elf askance. "Why don''t we make it interesting? The loser also gives up their corresponding share, how about that?" "Hmm, that''s a big gamble. I''m afraid someone can''t afford to play!" Kavalan implied, glancing at the Minotaur on the other side. "Why is the spider looking at Pami? Does the spider think Pami can''t afford to play?" the Minotaur bellowed. "As long as you dare, Pami will keep you company to the end!" "Then it''s settled." Molo turned to the dark-skinned offspring of Grazzt. "Great Prince Kailon, won''t you join us for some fun?" "Firstly, I''m just an unremarkable one among my father''s many offspring, lucky enough to be remembered by him, and don''t deserve to be called great," Kailon glanced at the male Succubus, then turned his head towards the Lord of Twin Bridges Town. "Lady Tigana, our past cooperation has been very smooth, and I come with the same sincerity this time. You must also be aware of what it would mean for your Twin Bridges Town if the Volcano Fortress were to fall." "You will definitely be satisfied with today''s harvest." Tigana nodded, then raised her hands and clapped them together. This was a prearranged signal. The Dwarven Artisans by Lancelot''s side began to pull out various weapons from their backpacks and threw them into the arena. A rain of metal gleaming with cold light descended, and the ground of the arena was instantly filled with a dense forest of weapons, as a chilling atmosphere immediately arose. The sharp-eyed Lancelot spotted the distinct cold reflection unique to Cold Iron Weapons. This was a tradition of the Twin Bridges Town gladiatorial tournament. The gladiators would use these weapons to kill each other, making the fighting more bloody and exciting, while it also served as a clever marketing ploy to help indecisive potential buyers make up their minds. Weapons were far more efficient at inflicting damage than fangs and claws, turning the battle into an even bloodier spectacle. Limbs and blood occasionally flew by, prompting screams from the audience. But Lancelot noticed that, seemingly subconsciously, not a single demon picked up a Cold Iron Weapon. The first Prime Demon to fight was now struggling with a hand axe, yet he displayed skilled combat tactics. As a Coward Devil armed with a longsword lunged at him, the Prime Demon awkwardly shifted his bulky body to dodge while slyly leaving a foot behind to trip the oncoming Coward Devil. He then pounced on the fallen foe, severing the Coward Devil''s head with his axe. "Good!!" On the high platform, the male Succubus Lord of Oasis Fort shouted his approval. The Prime Demon, emanating the Magic Aura of Oasis Fort, was one of Molo''s sent-out fighters. "This one, Litt, was a serial killer in his previous life. Look at his cunning tactics!" Molo announced proudly, like a rich second generation showing off a new toy. "Such a cruel fellow he was. Never left a single survivor during his robberies, not even the mute babies. I didn''t even have to guide him at all; I just lent him a bit of power!" Just then, the Prime Demon who had just performed the decapitation suddenly stood still as if paralyzed by something. Molo was initially taken aback, then his face lit up with joy, Discover exclusive tales on empire "So soon?" Before their eyes, the Prime Demon''s body seemed to boil over as energy burst from somewhere within, tearing through flesh. Pain flickered in its eyes, and the next second, even its eyeballs burst. A bewildered Prime Demon attempted to take advantage of the chaos, but as soon as it got too close, its flesh appeared to dematerialize and was sucked towards that writhing mass of flesh, merging into one with it. This spectacle caused the other demons to keep their distance from the strange clump. For demons, there is no such thing as dying from a surge of power. This indicated that the Prime Demon had accumulated enough energy but lacked the technique to suppress it, hence it evolved right there on the battlefield. Chapter 67 The Ripper The promotion process was quick, lasting only about ten seconds before it ended. From that writhing mass of flesh, a Coward Devil was born, its eyes full of confusion, and the soul-twisting pain it had just endured caused it to forget some things. But its fighting instinct was still intact. Faced with an incoming longsword, the newborn Coward Devil instinctively ducked down, grabbed the axe on the ground, and delivered an Upper Slash, embedding the axe blade accurately into the throat of the attacker. "Hahaha! What a beautiful strike!" Molo laughed proudly. The Arachne Elf and Minotaur at his side, however, turned an ashen hue, as if they had already resigned themselves to the likelihood of losing the bet. It seemed that the male Succubus''s move had truly taken them by surprise. Witnessing the smug look on the male Succubus high on the platform, Lancelot felt a surge of annoyance. Why would Tigana tolerate this annoying creature? Was there something in Twin Bridges Town that made her susceptible to others'' control? Or was it that Tigana was trying to avoid conflict with the Queen of the Succubus? Meanwhile, the slaughter in the arena had reached a fever pitch. In this free-for-all of Low Rank Demons, participants were dying continuously. The losers burst into stinking gases or turned into acidic clouds, but these were immediately dispersed by magically generated gusts of wind, allowing the audience to enjoy every angle of the bloody spectacle without dead angles. There were over a hundred Low Rank Demons thrown into the arena, including Prime Demons and Coward Devils, as well as a few Quasimodo Demons. These cunning creatures didn''t opt for a head-on clash but instead used their ability to turn invisible at the first opportunity, hiding away until the moment was right to leap out from invisibility and deliver a finishing blow to a gravely wounded enemy, reaping the benefits like a fisherman watching for his catch. Nevertheless, these crafty little demons were quickly eradicated. Quasimodo Demons had an extremely vulnerable constitution, and even the lowest level Prime Demons could easily tear these ashy-grey little creatures in half. Their patience wasn''t as good as they thought. Amidst the chaos, an invisible figure quietly slipped into the arena, unnoticed by all. As time passed, most of the Prime Demons had died, and a few particularly ferocious ones had completed their promotion. These Coward Devils, evolved from Prime Demons, were more proficient with weapons, and their combat strength was clearly a whole order of magnitude higher than their brethren. More importantly, they possessed a higher evil talent. Not only did they exhibit various cunning moves in combat, but they also tacitly avoided each other, choosing instead to pick on weaker prey. The Ripper held the broken body aloft and let out a wild roar, venting the pain that had utterly twisted its mind due to the upgrade process and the pleasure of having its killing desire satisfied. The response was the crazed cheering of the Demons in the spectator stands. This was what they wanted to see, each Demon with blood-red eyes as if they were on the field themselves, joyfully chopping off heads and tearing bodies apart. Bruto turned his head away, unable to stomach the bloody spectacle below, even though they were all despicable demons. Kalalin, too, was pale, but he did not avert his eyes and was briskly recording something in his notebook. As a Scholar studying the Abyss, confronting these horrific scenes was his job. Lancelot watched the fighting Demons expressionlessly. The eviscerating scenes no longer aroused fear in him. Rebellion (or rather, insurrection) was never a dinner party, and the bloodiest sights in war were actually the battlefields right after the fight, which he had seen too many times. The remaining few Coward Devils temporarily stopped fighting and gathered at the other end of the Arena. They all had various degrees of injuries, but none of these survivors were simple foes; almost all had just advanced from Prime Demons. The few Coward Devils clumsily communicated with each other in the Deep Language, word by word, and barely reached an agreement to deal with this four-armed fellow first. The Abyss Ripper was unfazed; it picked up several weapons of varying sizes from the ground around it, instantly turning into a makeshift six-armed Serpent Demon, looking quite impressive. "Hahaha! See? The outcome is already clear," Molo lay back on his soft bed, pulling the two Succubus Maids into his arms. His hands began to roam like two snakes, while the two Succubi obediently snuggled up to him. Tijana glanced at Molo''s disgraceful behavior with a slight squint of her eyes, then turned her attention back to the situation in the arena. The Coward Devils might have reached an agreement to fight together, but they kept retreating in the face of the Ripper''s terrifying presence. Were it not for the Arena being tightly enclosed, they would have scattered and run away. Suddenly, one of the Coward Devils felt something underfoot, tripped, and fell to the ground. It quickly tried to get up, only to discover a large gash on its foot that was exceptionally painful. It looked closely at what tripped it and found it to be just an ordinary-looking shortsword, but it emitted a coldness that made it very uncomfortable. Its little brain suddenly became curious about what it would feel like to plunge this coldness into an enemy''s body. Chapter 68 Demons Instinct But at this critical moment of life and death, this Coward Devil certainly wouldn''t ignore the weapon it felt was dangerous anymore. Other Coward Devils, too, either due to stumbling or being hit by flying objects they didn''t see coming, took notice of the previously ignored Cold Iron Weapons. To the Demons in the stands, these desperate fellows were just trying to grasp at straws. They were all too familiar with such reactions, but they knew them to be destined for futile struggles. Some Dwarven Artisans secretly clenched their fists. They didn''t understand why the Gladiators on the field had initially avoided the cold iron crafts, nor why they suddenly came to their senses, but the enemies they faced were too strong. Whether the performance of the Cold Iron Weapons was enough to compensate for the gap in strength, these Dwarven Artisans also had no confidence. "Ah, such a headache, what should I do with those junk items from Twin Bridges Town?" Molo''s annoying voice rang out again, "I''m afraid they can only be thrown into the furnace as scrap metal, to be turned into materials for the slaves." Tijana didn''t have the time to pay attention to him. Due to past experiences, this clown''s only understanding of social interaction was humiliation. When the time was right, she would make this fool pay for all the offenses. She just hoped that when that day came, Molo wouldn''t have died for some other reason beforehand. The Succubus Lord narrowed her eyes to slits, not wanting anyone to notice the magic glow flickering in them. Under True Sight, she saw a familiar figure sneaking around the arena with an axe, quietly placing it at the feet of the last Coward Devil that hadn''t gotten a Cold Iron Weapon yet. She turned to look at the stands, where a Human Knight had his eyes closed tightly, seemingly unable to bear to watch the bloody scene below. The Succubus Lord revealed a sliver of a smile, then quickly flattened the corners of her mouth and looked back to the field. There, the Coward Devils were finally cornered by the Fillet Demons, with no way out. A slightly taller Coward Devil let out a roar with all its might, leading a few other Coward Devils into the fray. The Coward Devil holding a Nail-headed Hammer swung with all its might at the head of a Fillet Demon, only to hear a ''clang'' of metal striking metal, followed by a sharp pain in its stomach. The Fillet Demon effortlessly caught the Nail-headed Hammer with its strong upper limb, while the two arms on its stomach swiftly plunged the Dagger into the Coward Devil''s belly. The sharp blade sketched left and right, spattering blood and pus all over the ground. In its mind, if it could just injure the opponent''s axe-wielding wrist, it would be a great success. But the outcome far exceeded its expectations. The icy Sword Blade, like a scythe through stalks of wheat, effortlessly chopped off the palm that held the battle axe at the wrist. A spurt of blood jetted from the bare end of the limb; it staggered back, staring incredulously at its own wound, emitting a pained and angry scream. The Coward Devil was also startled; it gazed dumbfounded at the weapon in its hand, as if trying hard to comprehend what had just happened. The surrounding audience also noticed something was amiss, people began whispering to each other, discussing the scene that had just unfolded. The most dramatic reaction came from a certain arrogant Succubus Lord named Molo, whose mouth hung wide open in surprise at seeing his highly-regarded Warrior easily grievously wounded. "Tijana! What kind of trickery is this!" the Succubus Lord shouted angrily, "That sword is definitely not normal! You''ve mixed such a powerful weapon in, did you want to create this accident? This Coward Devil was arranged by you beforehand, wasn''t it!" "Calm down, Molo," Tijana''s voice was unfluctuating, but inside she couldn''t help secretly praising, well done. "It''s merely our new product, and there is more than one such weapon below. Anyone could have picked it up." Molo wanted to say more, but the gasps of surprise from the stands redirected his attention back to the arena. The remaining three Coward Devils started charging the Abyssal Creature from different directions. Its foot, injured by the previous blow, had never recovered enough to move freely and now, with one precious upper limb disabled, this beast, which had the upper hand just moments before, suddenly became dangerously vulnerable. Its one remaining fully intact upper arm wildly swung the battle axe, causing another Coward Devil to halt its attack out of fear. The Abyssal Creature seized the momentary fear of its enemy, turned sharply and cleaved another Coward Devil to pieces. It had no time to deal with yet another opponent, but its instincts told it that accepting the attack of one Coward Devil in exchange for reducing the enemy''s number from three to two was the best decision under the circumstances. But it had forgotten something; its instincts had been wrong several times today. Chapter 70 Concealing Strength "This is indeed a rare sight," Tigana cocked her head in the direction of Lancelot, who shrugged at her. "In that case, I shall grant you some power." A red glow gathered in Tigana''s hands and then submerged into Dingke''s body. The Quasimodo Demon collapsed to the ground with a scream of agony. Its muscles trembled violently as if they were cramping, but it did not experience the skin-tearing, bone-piercing pain it had when Lancelot had ''bestowed'' his ''gift''. Lancelot felt intense pain through the mental link, but it was within a tolerable range. After a few moments, Dingke stood up again. From a distance, it still looked like a Quasimodo Demon, but up close one could see it now stood over six feet tall, twice the height of a normal Quasimodo Demon. Its bulging muscles and the pair of majestic horns on its head set it apart as something extraordinary. It knelt respectfully before Tigana, demonstrating its subservience. "I bestow upon you the title of ''Warrior''," Tigana announced loudly, "Every resident of this town must show you respect." "Dingke! Dingke! Dingke!" The crowd cheered loudly, applauding the daring, greedy, and cunning Quasimodo Demon; of course, those traits were considered commendable for Demons. Furthermore, the town''s Demons held feelings for their Lord that extended beyond fear; they were quite pleased to see the male Succubus humiliated. "Alright, lads, you''ve had your fun, now scram," Tigana waved her hand, signaling the end of the contest. At this point, Tigana gestured directly at Lancelot, beckoning him with a clear implication to come to her. Lancelot stood up reluctantly and, after giving a few instructions to Bruto and Kalalin, made his way alone towards the high platform. Juggling swords before a group of High Rank Demons? He did not like this idea one bit. But Tigana was right; sending Barrend or any other Dwarven Artisan would be even less appropriate. And with her there, he shouldn''t encounter too much danger. ------------------------------------------- Atop the high platform. "So what kind of weapon is that, exactly?" As soon as Tijana landed back on the ground, the impatient Arachne Elf Kavalan closed in to ask. "It''s Cold Iron, a type of metal particularly effective against Elven kind," Kailon, who had been rather quiet before, answered for Tijana with great certainty. "Even the treasury of my father has weapons made from this metal. ''King of the Frost Giants,'' Kostcheqi''s famous warhammer, is also made of Cold Iron." "Hmph, even if that''s true, they are surely rare and exorbitantly priced," the Demonic male Molo said disdainfully. "I''ve heard about Wisk, how could he possibly die at the hands of that dumb ox and spider? The treasures from his vault must have gone into the pockets of those filthy assassins by now." "You?!" The spider shouted in anger, raising its sharp front claws threateningly, yet it dared not take any further action, while the Bull Demon Pami kept silent, pretending as if it didn''t exist. Tijana didn''t even glance at them. All Neutral Towns were hubs of information; if those two managed to remember the route this time, that was already an achievement. There would be plenty of opportunities for business in the future. "What do you mean ''you''! Don''t think I can''t see that you intended to deliberately lose to me," Molo sneered. "But Tijana, since these guys are broke anyway, why not give them all to me? I do know some real big shots, you know." "Twin Bridges Town can manufacture 300 such weapons every month," Tijana said nonchalantly, showing Molo a mocking smile. Having recognized the immense power of Cold Iron Weapons, Tijana naturally prioritized rearming her own forces first. Succubi aren''t like Dragons; they don''t enjoy sleeping on piles of gold. What they need is the power to achieve their goals, and wealth is just one of the means to garner that power. "This... this is impossible!" Molo went pale at the number, then as if something occurred to him, he blurted out, "I get it, they must all be shoddily made imitations, you can''t fool me!" "They might probably look a bit shabby compared to your group of Gold Toad Fighters," Tijana scoffed. She saw that her Berserk Demons had gathered the weapons in the arena, piling them up together. With a wave of her hand, the large mass of metal was instantly teleported in front of everyone. "If you''re interested, have a look for yourself." Chapter 71 The Unscrupulous Middleman Before Tijana could finish, Molo was the first to dart forward, with the others soon crowding around the pile of weapons that had just been used. Kailon accurately pulled a longsword made of cold iron from the heap of metal. He immediately noticed the poor craftsmanship of the sword, but that didn''t stop the weapon in his hand from giving him a sense of danger. He carefully drew the sword blade across his own arm, easily leaving a trail of blood on his skin. On the other side, a male succubus was rummaging through the pile with an ashen face. He had to admit one fact, Twin Bridges Town could indeed mass-produce cold iron weapons, but he still stubbornly said, "Hmph, just as I thought, a bunch of trash. You have the nerve to trade these disposable weapons?" "As long as someone is willing to pay the right price," Tijana said with a smile, "Isn''t that right, Prince Kailon?" "As long as the price is right, Volcano Fortress will take as many of these weapons as there are," Kailon nodded in agreement, "But what I''m curious about is, is this really the limit of that famous blacksmith district in Twin Bridges Town?" "Oh no, of course not." Tijana cocked her head to one side, "Sonam, your order has arrived." Lancelot came over carrying six swords. You know the saying, don''t show off your wealth; he certainly didn''t want to be pulling things out of his Dimensional Bag one by one in front of a group of high-ranking demons. Tijana took an extra look at Lancelot, surprised; she noticed right away that something was off about the Human Knight. The feeling he gave her now was different, he had become very inconspicuous, others would probably ignore him involuntarily. What an interesting fellow. Six-armed Serpent Demon Sonam excitedly approached Lancelot. This was the first time Lancelot had seen how a serpent demon moved, the image of that massive snake body undulating forward on the ground was enough to invoke humans'' most primal fear. For a long time, the rules of the game here had been established around Twin Bridges Town: nearby forces must continuously pay up to buy weapons from Twin Bridges Town, otherwise, they will be swallowed up by other forces with better equipment. In the end, it created a strange situation: if Twin Bridges Town did not exist, it seemed like the distribution of nearby forces would not change at all, the only difference being that they would no longer have to pay a hefty ''protection fee.'' "The dwarf blacksmiths of Twin Bridges Town truly live up to their reputation," Kailon was the first to speak, "What would be the price for purchasing a weapon of this quality?" "Ten thousand gold coins without enchants, or equivalent goods," Tijana shrugged, "I have no plans for mass production of this weapon; each piece has to be custom-made. Special requests can also be made, but of course, the price is additional." Lancelot heard the number Tijana quoted, he almost couldn''t keep a straight face. So expensive, outrageously expensive! He suddenly felt that the fifteen thousand gold coins he had just earned were quite pointless, not even paid upfront but deducted in installments. No wonder numerous dwarfs grind their teeth whenever they mention her; he now also felt a slight shift in his image of Tijana. The Succubus Lord sneakily glanced at the Human Knight, but quickly averted her gaze. "I''ll place an order for ten right now, just like this one," Kailon said as he handed over the longsword and a deep purple crystal to Lancelot, "This is the soul of a Fallen noble, it should suffice to cover the payment. There''s no need to be surprised by the evil power it contains; this fellow ate a boy''s heart every week to maintain his vigor in bed." Even without Kailon''s description, Lancelot could feel the intense discomfort the soul crystal in his hand brought him. He handed the soul crystal to Tijana, who merely glanced at it before tossing it into a dimensional bag. "You can come to collect the goods in three months, but the value of this soul crystal is more than a hundred thousand gold coins," the Succubus Lord was not planning to take this advantage, "For the excess, what would you like?" "Just consider it a personal gift from me to show my good will," Kailon shrugged nonchalantly, "Now, let''s discuss something truly meaningful." He walked over to the pile of metal, accurately pulling out longswords, nail-headed hammers, flails, spears, and battle axes made of cold iron. "Perhaps the Lord of Oasis Fort thinks these are all rubbish, but I''m not that foolish," he said with contempt as he glanced at the male succubus, "Please feel free to name your price." Chapter 72 Monkey See, Monkey Do "Each for a thousand Gold Coins," Tijana stated the price directly. "So expensive!" Kailon had yet to speak when Molo couldn''t help but exclaim from the side, "Those ordinary weapons used to only cost three hundred!" "You won''t find cold iron products anywhere else." Kalon clapped his hands decisively, "How much stock do you have now? We''ll take it all." Standing to the side, Lancelot felt speechless inside. What is called a windfall, he truly experienced today. Those cold iron weapons of such quality could be produced two or three a day by that kid Bruto, and Tijana was asking for a thousand Gold Coins each, while the other party readily agreed. "Not much, just about two hundred pieces left, you can take them all if you want, same price," she responded. "Tijana!" Molo''s dissatisfied roar erupted, "The rule is that all surrounding forces get a share, do you want to defy the treaty recognized by the Wind Demon King?" "That foolish ceasefire agreement does say that, but what''s being divided is the output for the coming three months, these are merely some trial production samples." Tijana leaned back comfortably in her throne, calmly watching the male Succubus, "If you''re willing to pay, naturally you''ll have your share." Lancelot keenly seized on the term ''ceasefire agreement'', it seemed that Twin Bridges Town was still under some constraints; of course, it could also be indirectly protected by that agreement. "As for you two," Tijana turned her head to look at the Giant Bull Demon and the Arachne Elf, "Have you seen enough? If so, then give them back to dear Sonam. You have the right to divide the one-third production originally belonging to Wisk evenly. I''ll give you three days to think it over. Come over with the money after three days, otherwise, your share for these three months will belong to Volcano Fortress." Without a word, Pami and Kavalan handed the cold iron longsword they were holding to Lancelot, who then passed it to the increasingly anxious Sonam. "Think it over," Tijana said without another glance at the two who had been revealed as paupers, and with an impatient tone, she addressed Molo, "So what''s your decision? I assume you don''t have financial problems. Leave three hundred thousand Gold Coins, or you won''t get a share this time." "Don''t rush me, Tijana," Molo''s eyes narrowed, "You don''t think a few Coward Devils holding this thing and killing a Berserk Demon is enough, do you?" Here we go, Lancelot thought. "I I I... I want one this big, make sure you look closely," Lancelot stuttered all of a sudden, shaking the mountain crystal, "A big gemstone for a big toad." "What are you up to?" Tijana''s voice rang directly in her head, a telepathic ability many middle-rank and above Demons possessed. "I''m just asking, didn''t think he''d actually have one," Lancelot didn''t have the ability to telepath, but he did know a small Dharma Method from the Spiritual Cultivators that allowed him to send his words directly into the target''s ears, unheard by others. "Don''t worry, I can still handle a Berserk Demon." "You, do you not have enough fun just remote controlling a Quasimodo Demon?" Tijana too was startled by his skill of speaking as if right next to her ear, but showed no sign of it, "No matter what strength you''re hiding, don''t even think about making a move on Molo. He''s not something you can handle, and I can''t let him die here; this fool is more useful alive than dead." "Okay," Lancelot replied, succinct and to the point. Molo quickly assigned a strong Berserk Demon to come forward, but Lancelot still stood in place, not moving an inch. "What are you waiting for?!" Molo bellowed in rage, "Get up here and face your death!" "You haven''t paid yet," Lancelot rolled his eyes. He suddenly began to understand what Tijana meant; if he were the Lord of Twin Bridges Town, he too would hope the leaders of the surrounding forces were such fools. The male Succubus furiously tossed a mountain crystal at him, which Lancelot caught and then exaggeratedly tumbled several times across the ground, as if the throw had been so powerful he couldn''t catch it properly. "Showy," Tijana''s voice echoed in his mind, "Anyone smarter than a rock could tell you''re playing him." "I''m just getting into character, heh heh," Lancelot dusted off his clothes and got up, bowing his head to check the mountain crystal in his hand. The quality of an Upper Grade Spirit Stone, filled with abundant Spiritual Energy, merely holding it caused a resonance with the Spiritual Energy inside him, as though with just a thought, the Spiritual Energy within would surge into his body. Although such gems were rather rare, their sole purpose in this universe was to be crushed into powder during the forging of weapons to provide energy for enchanting Runes, so they were not expensive. However, with this one included, Lancelot only had seventeen gemstones that could be considered Upper Grade Spirit Stones, still far from the one hundred he needed for his Foundation Establishment. "Strike now, tear him to pieces!" Molo''s roar erupted. Along with his roar, the Berserk Demon clad in Golden Armor charged fiercely toward Lancelot. Chapter 787 Not Ready Yet All the toxic snakes on Medusa''s scalp bit into that hand, injecting their venom into the tender flesh; yet, the pale hand remained unshaken, firmly covering the eyes of the snake-haired gorgon. Lancelot charged to Medusa''s front within the span of two heartbeats. When he stopped, his sword tip had already pierced her chest, followed by a horizontal slash that completely severed the gorgon''s spine. The snakes instantly lost their vitality, slipping off like dehydrated octopus tentacles and leaving several round bite marks on the arm belonging to the vampire. "Are you alright?" Lancelot kicked the headless corpse aside and steadied the young girl by her shoulders. "I''m sorry, I really need to rest now," little Isa weakly smiled at Lancelot, "I thought I was immune to the toxins..." "You did great just now," Lancelot said as he removed a dimensional bag from his belt, "Get a good sleep, and leave the rest to us." "Hmm..." The vampire girl turned into a wisp of smoke and then drifted into the human knight''s dimensional bag. This dimensional bag contained a small wooden box belonging to her. When she was killed by a vampire, her body was placed inside it, and it was in that wooden box she awakened as a vampire. Thus, the box was her coffin, and wherever it was, there was her grave. All vampires were bound to their grave soil; they had to return to their coffins, crypts, or graveyards daily to rest, or else they would quickly weaken, much like sleep-deprived mortals. However, at the same time, they could also restore their life and strength by resting in their place of death. Isa, bitten by the toxic snakes in Medusa''s hair, could not be effectively healed by the elf priest''s divine arts, so she needed to heal her wounds this way. Unlike the damage caused by toxins, Medusa''s petrifying gaze was a form of spell-like ability that did not directly harm the life of the target. Isa had stopped the petrification from taking effect the moment she transformed into her gaseous form. Once she reformed in the box, she immediately realized this and informed Lancelot through a mental link, asking to join the fight again. However, the human knight asked her to wait a bit longer, as he had a better idea. Lancelot immediately placed his hand on the hilt of his Longsword and intentionally made the sword blade rub against the floor¡ªa warning to the newcomers as well as a reminder to his mates. Hearing the sound, everyone quickly turned around, raised their weapons and Shields, and prepared for battle. Even Barrend picked up a broken golem''s leg from the ground¡ªDwarfs had no taboo, and the knee end proved a suitable Hardhead Hammer. "Did you kill the Madam?" The Elf peered at Lancelot, then at the headless female corpse on the ground, and her snake-haired, mop-like head lay dozens of feet away, "Just you guys?" "What, you wanted to capture one alive?" Bruto replied mockingly, "You should know that''s impossible, right?" "No, just didn''t expect the famous Madam could be defeated by you all," the Elf shook his head solemnly, "How did you do it?" "That''s none of your business," Lancelot responded coldly, "Now, we want to leave. Are you planning to stop us?" "Of course not." The Elf stepped aside, pointing to Tiflin, "You saved Tory''s life and helped us take down the most dangerous enemy... Thank you very much." "She captured someone she shouldn''t have." Lancelot shrugged and walked towards the exit stairs, "When we came knocking, she shouldn''t have expected any less." "We all saw what happens as a result," the Elf nodded, but as Lancelot passed by, he suddenly spoke up, "Wait a minute." "What?" "I think this belongs to you." The Elf picked up a longbow next to the female corpse and handed it to Lancelot, "By the way, my name is Soveris Nightwind. It''s clear you all are outsiders. I suggest you leave this city immediately. If you need help, you can find me most nights, except nights like tonight, at the Wolfhead Tavern in Raventown to the east," he said. Chapter 73 Cold Iron Shows Its Power Lancelot seemed to react only at the last moment, suddenly jumping to the side and crashing into the pile of weapons. Instantly, all sorts of weapons clanged and scattered across the ground. "You-you-don''t come any closer! Weren''t you going to see the effect of the Cold Iron Weapon? I haven''t even picked up a weapon yet!" Lancelot shouted in a panicked tone, swiftly climbing to his feet with a very ordinary Cold Iron Longsword now in his hand. The Berserk Demon, having lunged at empty air, slowly came to his senses. This creature, clad in Golden Chainmail and wielding a Golden Scepter, was as garish as a giant toad, almost as much as those bald Cultivators in their Monastery with their venerated icons. This Molo seems to be really wealthy, I''d better play out this act in full. Lancelot retreated step by step, seemingly terrified. The Berserk Demon, upon seeing this, revealed a sinister smile. All Demons were intimately familiar with fear, the very bridge that maintained the order of Demon society, something they endured every day and couldn''t wait to inflict on others. When your enemies are afraid, fearful, and faltering, no matter their original strength, killing them becomes a simple task. "If you want to make it more convincing, you should have a faster heartbeat, constricted pupils, and secrete an unpleasant sweat," Tijana''s teasing voice echoed in Lancelot''s mind, "This trick might fool only a stupid fellow like the Berserk Demon." "I haven''t got that ability," Lancelot replied without a change in his voice, though the expression of fear on his face exaggerated a tad more. He continued to back away and then suddenly, as if tripped by the messy weapons on the ground, he appeared to fall backward. "Die!!!" The Berserk Demon roared angrily and lunged at Lancelot with increased speed. Lancelot''s rear end landed perfectly on the upturned butt of a spear, the point of which flicked upwards like a cobra, penetrating the wide-open mouth of the Berserk Demon and exiting through the back of its skull. It wasn''t even a Cold Iron Long Spear, but it was enough to kill the Berserk Demon before it could comprehend what had happened. "My God!" Only then did Lancelot move his firm rear end, stabbing the Longsword into the heart of the Berserk Demon. He pulled the sword out from the chest of the now lifeless toad-like creature, and with an utterly ecstatic expression, exclaimed, "Hahaha! The Goddess of Luck, Tamara, must have smiled at me just now; my luck is just too good!" In this strike, he had not used any True Qi nor had he exerted much physical strength; it was solely the restraining effect of cold iron on demons. This way, he could avoid revealing his own strength while also demonstrating the effectiveness of cold iron, killing two birds with one stone. The Berserk Demon howled in pain, but such an injury was far from fatal. The pain stimulated its nerves, causing its eyes to slowly turn red as rationality was gradually overtaken by a berserk desire. It stamped its foot, shaking off the toes still attached to flesh and skin, then charged at Lancelot again. This time, Lancelot didn''t dodge, swinging his longsword to meet the Berserk Demon''s onslaught head-on. Although many believe that Berserk Demons are favored by High Rank Demons as a staple in the Demon Lords'' armies due to their simplicity and manipulability, there are many types of demons with low intelligence. The combat prowess of Berserk Demons is certainly top-tier among Middle Rank Demons. Moreover, with their tremendous strength, it was challenging for Lancelot to contend with them while intentionally suppressing his own power. The longsword and scepter collided incessantly, with Lancelot''s weapon always knocked away upon contact, seemingly completely overpowered. However, he skillfully avoided every attack and still found time to lightly slash the Berserk Demon''s arms and thighs. Under normal circumstances, such minor attacks wouldn''t harm the Berserk Demon at all, but the miraculous properties of the cold iron made the crudely made blade edge as sharp as the finest razor, causing horrific wounds with a mere graze and the cold aura contained within also prevented the wounds from healing. Before long, the Berserk Demon was drenched in blood, despite the fact that these were only superficial wounds. Aside from Molo, the other demon representatives and their attendants began whispering among themselves. Lancelot had achieved his goal; he made it all seem like the merit of the cold iron weapon. The earlier gladiatorial match wasn''t clear enough, and the combatants were of too low a level. The battle at hand possessed better reference value because these relatively inferior cold iron weapons were designed for use against enemies at the Berserk Demon''s level of strength. Though none of the wounds on its body were fatal, their inability to heal caused the accumulated pain to eventually reach a threshold. Suddenly, the Berserk Demon roared in rage, casting aside its scepter and attacking Lancelot with its claws. Chapter 74 Rolled Blade The Berserk Demon that used its claws was much faster than when it wielded a weapon, and Lancelot was unable to dodge in time, only able to swing his sword toward the demon''s claws. At the moment of collision, Lancelot''s wrist twisted slightly, rotating the longsword in his hand half a turn, so that what met the toad-like claws was the sword blade instead of the back. There was a squelch as all four fingers of the Berserk Demon''s right claw were severed. But Lancelot didn''t pause, his longsword drawing a half-circle in the air, cleanly severing the wrist of the other claw that the demon swung at him. However, the Berserk Demon had already entered a Berserk State; its limbs didn''t stop for a second despite the horrendous injury and struck Lancelot solidly, sending the Human Knight flying. Lancelot rolled to his feet from the ground. Although he looked quite disheveled, the claw-less Berserk Demon was clearly more wounded than he was. "Tijana will need to expand her treasury," Kailon whispered to a Fireburn Demon beside him, whose eyes were fixed on the weapon in Lancelot''s hand and silently nodded in agreement. "Quick! Kill him for me!" Molo shouted from the side. Hatred and humiliation had completely taken over his reason, and although Lancelot had demonstrated the effectiveness of the Cold Iron Weapon in a very persuasive way, the male Succubus now equated killing Lancelot with preserving his own dignity. Lancelot performed a flourish with his sword, regaining his stance. However, when the weapon cut through the air, the wind resistance made him sense something wrong. He looked down to see that his longsword had started to roll at the edge, which likely meant a reduced effectiveness. This quality is truly a shoddy product, Lancelot thought to himself. No wonder Barrend was so resistant to the idea of mass production. If he were in his place, he certainly wouldn''t want anything to do with something that rolls its edge after two uses. The Berserk Demon''s eyes, once golden, were now completely overtaken by blood red. In its Berserk State, all it wanted was to rip its enemy to shreds. Claws unusable? No problem, as long as it could grapple the guy, its mouth full of sharp teeth could bite off his head in one gulp! The giant toad leaped at Lancelot again, its clawless arms wide open, set on enclosing Lancelot in a tight embrace. Lancelot once again used a half-turn maneuver. However, without the threat of sharp claws, he started his move later and got even closer to his enemy. "Clap, clap, clap, clap." Timely applause broke the silence in the air. The one clapping was Kailon, the six-fingered prince. Raised in the famous Silver Palace of Zerata, he had witnessed all manner of battles and slaughter, but the one he just saw could rank in the top ten for its splendidness. The skill displayed by this Human was unmatched in brilliance, lacking only in strength, but no matter, the Demons had ways to grant mortals power. However, he glanced at the beautiful figure on the throne, realizing the likelihood of taking this male under his wing was slim; after all, he didn''t have a face that turned all heads, or 36F pectoral muscles, nor would he likely strut about in a thong daily. "What a splendid battle. This Warrior, I wonder now..." Kailon still spoke up. Tijana had said this man was a mercenary, meaning that as long as the price was right, it wasn''t impossible to employ him. "Cough, cough!" Lancelot suddenly let out a violent cough, quickly covering his mouth with his hand. Under the astonished gazes of others, he slowly removed his hand, and everyone could see a deep red in his palm, as if he had suffered a severe internal injury. "Ahahaha!" Inappropriate laughter echoed; Lancelot turned his head in dissatisfaction to look at Tijana¡ªwhat are you doing, laughing at this juncture! Tijana returned his gaze expressionlessly; the laughter had arisen inside his own head. "I''m fine!" Lancelot quickly wiped his hand on the front of his breastplate, leaving a conspicuous red stain. "I can still fight! Lord Molo, do you have any more mountain crystals?" "Yes! Loads of them!" Molo laughed angrily, tossing out three Upper Grade Spirit Stones worth of mountain crystals while bellowing arrogantly, "How about bringing several at a time, would that work?" Chapter 75 Old Tricks Repeated "Only one at a time!" Lancelot pulled another Cold Iron Longsword from the pile of weapons on the ground and conveniently picked up a Shield, "Taking on two at once, the price doubles! You need to add another large gemstone!" "Here you go!" Molo was already driven mad with rage, the Human Knight had just coughed up blood, and now with two attacking him together, they were determined to butcher this detestable fellow! "Thanks!" Lancelot stuck the sword into the ground and reached out to catch the fourth mountain crystal thrown his way. Two Berserk Demons were already charging at him, Lancelot holding the Shield, unwaveringly met them head-on. The three bodies, sprinting at high speed, were about to collide, the two Berserk Demons'' Scepters raised high above their heads, ready to smash down, but Lancelot suddenly came to a ghostly abrupt halt, catching the enemies off guard, their swings missing and striking the air. Everyone''s jaws dropped, Lancelot''s sudden halt was indeed impressive, but what was most crucial was the charge he had mounted was so overwhelmingly fierce, it deceived everyone. Lancelot still did not want to reveal his real strength, but since he had to fleece Molo, the fat sheep, today, he inevitably had to show some skills. He had set himself up to be a master swordsman with advanced techniques, fitting the profile of a self-important Blood War Mercenary who had come to the Abyss, while at the same time concealing the inconceivable power he possessed as a Spiritual Cultivator. A fac?ade embedded with truth, and behind that truth lay another truth, Lancelot himself did not know if he could deceive everyone, but so long as he did not resort to using techniques like the Gathering Qi Slash, no one else, including Tijana, could possibly guess his real situation. Besides, to deal with Berserk Demons, who possess sheer brute strength, relying on movement techniques and skills alone was enough. In the moment the Berserk Demons missed their strike, Lancelot, already tensed like a spring, charged out once again. The two Berserk Demons, who had no time to retract their weapons, were wide open, and the Human Knight thrust out a sword cleanly and accurately into the gap of the armor over the right opponent''s chest, then with a twist of his wrist, he pulverized its heart. "What are you waiting for! Charge now! If you don''t, I''ll send Dagarin next, and once we get back to Oasis Fort, I''ll flay your hide and throw you into the snake pit to feed Bashila! You know it has a taste for skinless Berserk Demons!" The accumulation of pain from the wounds and the fear of Molo finally forced the Berserk Demon to take action. It knew it had no other choice and had to go all out. So, it let go of its mind, allowing the deep-seated, impatient desire to kill that was ingrained in its bones to take over control of its body. The Berserk Demon let out a thunderous roar as it swung its scepter at three times the speed from before, knocking away all incoming weapons. Then, with its powerful hind legs kicking off the ground, it charged at Lancelot like a cannonball. However, all the High Rank Demons present foresaw the outcome for this Berserk Demon, except for Molo, who was standing directly in front of Lancelot. The spectators clearly saw that while Lancelot had turned his back to gather the throwing weapons, he had casually hidden a long spear behind him. The butt of the long spear was firmly planted in the pile of weapons, with the cold iron spearhead almost touching the Human Knight''s back. Lancelot''s movement wasn''t concealed; anyone standing slightly to his side would easily notice this simple trap, but the enemy in front of him was completely obscured by his figure. As expected, the bold and skilled Human Knight dodged to the side at the last moment with a ghostly movement technique, revealing the chilling gleam of the spearhead behind him. The charging Berserk Demon had no chance to react and ran straight into it. Under its own terrifying momentum, the gold armor provided almost no resistance to the spearhead. The long spear pierced straight through the body of the Berserk Demon, exiting its back, making it look like a frog skewered by a fishing harpoon. Its roar turned into a wail, but was quickly silenced. Lancelot, holding his nose, pulled out the longsword that was planted in the ground and stabbed it through the heart of the Berserk Demon from behind. He shook the sword to dismiss the heavy stench in the air and shrugged his shoulders to the surrounding spectators. "The old tricks always work." Chapter 76 Big Business "Damn it!!!" Molo let out an angry roar, his figure flashed, and he rushed towards Lancelot like lightning. "Enough!" Tijana intervened, her wings suddenly shooting up, her eyes emitting a strong magic light. She employed her ability to cast spells instantaneously, and a large, thick, and sticky white spider web appeared out of nowhere, into which the furiously charging male succubus slammed head-first, becoming entangled and unable to move. "Tijana! Let me go!" Molo yelled from within the web, "Are you planning to lay a hand on me?" "Perhaps, but not now. You''d better calm down and look at yourself," Tijana answered in a threatening tone, "Do I need to remind you whose territory this is? You are just a customer who wanted to see the performance of the weapons you intend to buy in actual combat, and I have obliged you. If you have any complaints, it''s best not to vent your anger on my subordinates." "Hmph!" The male succubus, reminded thus, realized his own impropriety. He looked around only to see the Minotaur, the Arachne Elf, and the six-fingered Prince all watching him with a particularly peculiar gaze. It was a gaze he was all too familiar with, one that contained mockery, contempt, and schadenfreude¡ªit was the same look he had faced almost incessantly when he was a low-rank lieutenant under the Queen of the Succubus, Mekanshut. When he could no longer endure and killed a Zoel Elf who enjoyed tormenting him and was also a plaything of the Queen of the Succubus, nobody looked at him with that gaze anymore. His act of murder was witnessed by the Queen of the Succubus herself; perhaps she construed it as a lover''s quarrel between two male pets, which exceedingly excited her lascivious nature. As Molo plunged the dagger into the heart of that Zoel Elf, the Queen of the Succubus appeared beside him, between her legs as wet as a beer barrel stabbed with a blade. For the following three hours, he used all his craft, even burning away most of his Demon Essence, to successfully sate the Queen of the Succubus''s insatiable desire, if only slightly. Although Mekanshut quickly lost interest in him, Molo had succeeded in earning the appreciation of the Queen of the Succubus. He gained a low-level noble title, was appointed as an Official on Special Assignment to the Plains of the Abyss, responsible for establishing an outpost, collecting gold, treasures, and any valuable information for the Queen of the Succubus. Due to its proximity to Twin Bridges Town, this small outpost quickly flourished into a very wealthy town, and his status rose with its fortunes. He had nearly forgotten his humble origins and sordid past until he saw that gaze again¡ªafter all, it seemed to penetrate through his pathetic adornments, reminding him of exactly what kind of creature he was. "That''s not a small amount either, and there are also ordinary iron weapons. What about their prices?" "As before, Twin Bridges Town''s production capacity is 3000 military melee weapons per month, uniformly priced at 300 Gold Coins each." "That means, I now owe you..." Kailon paused, wincing at the number he was about to reveal, "1.5 million Gold Coins." Tijana said nothing, just watching him with her bright, sparkling eyes. Lancelot silently cursed to himself on the side; it really was a huge business deal. "Can I get a discount?" the Prince with six fingers could not control the twitching of his facial muscles. Tijana answered him with silence. Kailon helplessly exchanged glances with his Fireburn Demon attendants, who gave him a slight nod. "So be it, then. As for the payment method..." "Same as before, grain or minerals are fine, and the exchange rate hasn''t changed; we''ll trade money for goods on the spot," Tijana sat up straight, "Let''s talk about something useful. How''s the front line looking?" "I am not the one suited to answer this question." Kailon turned his body to the side, pointing to a Fireburn Demon attendant, "Surely, you are already quite familiar with Felbank, Supreme Commander Visuvius''s chief of staff." "I''ve heard much about you," Tijana nodded her head, "It''s said that Destruction Flame trusts you greatly." "An honor to meet you, the Pearl of Twin Bridges Town," the Fireburn Demon''s flames seemed to burn even more vigorously in Tijana''s presence, "The situation is not optimistic. Ever since the Fallen Angel Zariel became the Demons'' Supreme Commander again, their tactics have become increasingly aggressive..." Felbank then spent fifteen minutes briefly explaining the state of the battle. Lancelot, standing by, hardly understood anything and only vaguely grasped that the Demon army''s offensive was extremely fierce and, despite the great sacrifice by the Demons, they were still being driven back. Chapter 77 The Frontline Situation "I didn''t expect the situation to have gotten this bad," Tijana frowned after hearing the briefing from the Fireburn Demon''s strategist. "Why haven''t you sought assistance from Zerata? Lord Wu''an surely would not ignore the perilous situation at the front." Seeing Tijana''s expression, Lancelot felt an urge to rush out and annihilate the demon army just to smooth the furrowed brows above her lovely eyes. Truly befitting of a succubus¡ªthe mere furrowing of her brows was so tempting, Lancelot silently mused. Fortunately, these thoughts merely circulated in his mind without causing even a flutter in his heartbeat. "Father certainly won''t tolerate the fall of Volcano Fortress, at least not before the defense lines of other Abyssal Lords," Kailon interjected. "But Lord Visuvius is equally reluctant to be the first among peers to ask for help. Many are eyeing his position as Legion Commander, not to mention those coveting Azgralath..." "Hmm-hmm," Felbank cleared his throat, interrupting Kailon''s speech. "Apologies, we have reached the purpose of our visit and shouldn''t waste your precious time with these tedious political topics," Kailon bowed, only then noticing Lancelot, who had been standing silently to the side. "Ah, I have yet to ask for the distinguished name of this courageous warrior¡ªyour performance in the recent battle was splendid." Lancelot did not hurry to answer, instead glancing at Tijana, who gestured indifferently to him. "My name is Lancelot, a knight." "Delighted to meet you, Sir Lancelot," said Kailon graciously. "Volcano Fortress has always had long-term mercenary contracts in Twin Bridges Town, and we are always generous to those who can offer help. The kind of gemstone you desire is also produced by the fortress, perhaps you should visit the Mercenary Hall when you have time." "Thank you, I''ll consider it if it is appropriate," Lancelot answered calmly, though inwardly he had already completely rejected the offer. Rushing to the battlefield willingly? Do such people really exist? "He is still at the Black Iron Level, not yet qualified to take on your Silver-Level contracts," Tijana spoke up. "And compared with the fatality rate, you dare claim your reward is generous?" "Why are you telling me this? I have no use for that thing," Tijana replied coldly, and Lancelot silently agreed in his heart. "You misunderstand," Kailon hurriedly explained, "We have information suggesting that the Cross Pickaxe is likely a Divine Artifact that once belonged to Muradin, the Platinum Guard of the Dwarven God who went missing in the Abyss a thousand years ago. This object is of no use to us, but for you, who have a large number of Dwarven Artisans under your command, retrieving this Dwarven Holy Relic would surely benefit your rule substantially." Tijana narrowed her eyes at him, not opening her mouth for a long time as Lancelot''s Divine Sense flickered, sensing that Tijana might have harbored an intent to kill Kailon in an instant. "Interesting," the Succubus Lord finally spoke, "Let me guess, the team you''ve dispatched to attack the Succubus Palace, is it already en route, and you plan to shift the blame to Twin Bridges Town afterwards, suggesting that only I would have a motive to steal that broken hoe?" "You really have a way with jokes, I assure you that informing you is entirely out of goodwill." Kailon denied vehemently, "In fact, given our relationship with the Queen of the Succubus, if you could set aflame to the scene after your success and make it look like the work of a Fireburn Demon, we would be more than happy to come forward and claim responsibility." "I see," Tijana said, as if suddenly losing interest, and waved them off, "The deal is done, you can leave." "As you wish, my lady," Kailon said respectfully to Tijana, and also nodded to Lancelot, "I look forward to seeing you at Volcano Fortress, Sir Lancelot." As Kailon and his entourage receded into the distance, the imposing aura around Tijana gradually dissipated. "You all go back first," she instructed her Serpent Demon Guards and Succubus Maids, then beckoned to Lancelot, "Join me for a walk, Sir Lancelot." Upon hearing this, Lancelot''s heart uncontrollably filled with joy, but he immediately realized that things were not that simple. So, he stepped forward, following the Succubus Lord who had already turned to walk out, and answered: "At your command, my lady."``` Chapter 78 Merit and Arrogance A streak of magic flashed by, and Tijana''s massive wings on her back disappeared, replaced by a beautiful deep black evening gown that tightly wrapped around her graceful figure. Walking along a scarcely populated path, the Queen of the Succubus moved forward, with Lancelot quietly following behind, enjoying the serenity of the atmosphere. The silhouette ahead was like a rose with thorns, and now his distance from this rose was neither too far nor too close, perfect for fully appreciating Tijana''s beauty. Lancelot suddenly realized that the reason this road was scarcely populated was that it led to the eastern district inhabited by Vampires. The vicinity of the Vampires'' hive was always shrouded in fog and deathly still, causing both humans and Demons to stay away involuntarily. "You''re a very interesting fellow," Tijana suddenly spoke up, just as the atmosphere of solitude was starting to become somewhat ambiguous. "May I take that as a compliment?" "Hmph." The light laughter of the Succubus floated from ahead, causing Lancelot''s mind to sway uncontrollably. "You did well today, but a bit too showy. In my plan, your mere presence was enough to make that guy doubt himself, and having Sonam find an excuse to chop up his retinue would have been enough to make him run away crying, but it seems you took care of it all by yourself." "It sounds like a perfect plan, much more prudent than my adventurous act." "Hahahahaha, I always thought you were a very serious guy, but I didn''t expect you to pull off such a scheme." "You flatter me," Lancelot said, somewhat embarrassed, "serious people are not commonly found in the Abyss, right?" "Hmm, but I do know one, the person I respect the most." Lancelot was a bit surprised, half because Tijana actually knew such a person, and the other half because she could feel respect at all. "What kind of person is that?" "A very stubborn fellow," Tijana''s expression became somewhat melancholic, "Let''s not talk about these old matters anymore. I think I must reward you, as Cold Iron Weapons have become an important bargaining chip for Twin Bridges Town, and you were the one who facilitated this." "You''re giving me too much credit; it''s mainly the work of the Frostforged clan." Let her look, the Succubus Lord is so beautiful, such an overt opportunity to admire her is rare indeed. Of course, in order to avoid any strange reactions, Lancelot silently repeated the Ice Heart Spell to himself and endeavored to keep his eyes from wandering. Unexpectedly, the succubus was the first to back down from this ambiguous stare, shifting her gaze away. She turned and continued walking forward. "You asked Molo for the mountain crystals, right? What do you need those for?" Lancelot hesitated for a moment and decided to wield the theory that Kalalin and his colleagues had concocted: "I have awakened a special bloodline power that can absorb the energy contained in those gemstones, much like drinking a mana potion." "You are also a magician?" Tijana turned back in surprise to look at him, "You seem to have never shown a magician''s abilities before." "My situation is a bit special," Lancelot scratched his head and pulled a silver coin from his pocket, "Have I told you about the teleportation channel I passed through when I came to the Abyss?" ... "You really are an interesting fellow," Tijana remarked once more, then tossed a bag toward Lancelot. Lancelot caught it and found it contained ten Upper Grade Spirit Stone-level mountain crystals. "I don''t have any more to spare. These gemstones aren''t particularly attractive, and merchants rarely use them to replace cumbersome gold coins. If it weren''t for the blacksmiths needing them, I probably wouldn''t be able to offer even one." "Thank you very much," Lancelot expressed his gratitude with a formal bow to Tigana. This was truly a great help; Tigana had given him these ten crystals at once, allowing his reserve of Upper Grade Spirit Stones to reach thirty-three, already one-third of the number required for Foundation Establishment. "It''s what you deserve," Tijana smiled, "If needed, I know where you can find more." "Where?" "The Succubus Palace in Oasis Fort." Chapter 79 Platinum Guards Lancelot halted abruptly upon hearing this. "Scared?" Tijana raised an eyebrow at him. "Not really," Lancelot shook his head, "I was just surprised. Are you doing this for that Dwarf''s Divine Artifact?" "I still remember our last conversation at the dining table," Tigana continued walking forward, "I''ve been watching the recent changes in the Craftsmen''s District. Do you think acquiring the Divine Artifact of the Dwarven race will make them more... efficient?" "Humans have their limits," Lancelot cautiously said, "but I am quite sure more Dwarves will genuinely respect you." "It feels strange to hear the Dwarves sing my praises, but I quite like it." Lancelot couldn''t suppress the joy in his heart. As he understood, creatures of the evil alignment hardly ever derived any satisfaction from good deeds; it was a good sign that Tijana was showing such emotions. If he could steer Tijana away from the path of evil, some things wouldn''t be so complicated for him. Moreover, considering the past of the Succubus Lord, it wasn''t impossible. "You seem very pleased," Tijana, sensing Lancelot''s mood, became curious. "I am happy for the admiration you''ve received," Lancelot quickly composed himself, "What exactly is this Succubus Palace?" "As you''ve heard, it is a brothel specifically for succubi, lavishly decorated, filled with vast treasures, and it also holds a large number of mortal men," Tijana sneered, "Molo uses this facility to curry favor with nobles and high officials in the Court of the Queen of the Succubus, ensuring his position remains unshaken." "It sounds like a place that should be leveled sooner rather than later," Lancelot said, playing along, though he was still a bit curious. "The entire Oasis Fort should be," Tijana expressed her detestation for this ''Neutral Town'' that thrived by leeching off the trading routes, "There are quite a few of my people in Oasis Fort, I have a plan..." This means he hasn''t fallen nor turned corrupt, most likely he is secretly imprisoned somewhere." "Ordinary Demon Lords probably can''t deal with a powerful Platinum Guard," Lancelot mused, "Any suspects?" "The most likely suspects are the Abyssal Triumvirate," Bruto shrugged, "But other Lords of the Abyss cannot be excluded. If this Cross Pickaxe really belongs to Dain, we might be able to find some useful clues from it. Damn it, I need to go to the Craftsmen''s District right now, all the Dwarves will be armed!" "And then launch a siege in the Abyss, letting countless Dwarves sacrifice their lives?" Lancelot pushed Bruto back down onto the couch, "Tijana wouldn''t tolerate her Dwarven Artisans heading to their deaths like that. All we need to do right now is retrieve that Cross Pickaxe, not to destroy Oasis Fort." "So what should we do?" Bruto''s voice lowered in an angry growl, "I won''t just sit around doing nothing!" "Tijana has a plan," Lancelot revealed with a smile, "But you might need to make some... sacrifices." "For the glory of the Dwarves, I am willing to do anything!" Bruto bellowed eagerly. "Oh, don''t be too sure," Lancelot pulled out a few strands of intertwined hair from his breast pocket, looking at Kalalin, "Tijana said you should be able to make a Transmutation Spell ring?" "This will take quite some time and materials, but it is indeed possible," Kalalin eyed Lancelot''s palm skeptically, "This requires a small piece of body from the creature to be transformed into, could it be..." "Aha," Lancelot winked at him, interrupting Kalalin''s query. "What exactly is the plan?" Bruto asked eagerly. Lancelot couldn''t help but smile. If anyone doubted the powerful Divine Power of Moradin, they just needed to look at the Dwarves. This hot-tempered race had an average lifespan of nearly four hundred years; what more convincing evidence could there be? "That male Succubus'' nominal allegiance is to the Queen of the Succubus, in his castle there''s a Portal that leads directly to Shendiravir, the realm of the Queen of the Succubus," Lancelot briefly explained, "Once he leaves, that will be our chance. The specific action plan will be discussed later. Right now, the task is to prepare well, as that day won''t keep us waiting too long." Chapter 80 Rubbing Hands in Anticipation The waiting time was a bit longer than they had anticipated; a whole month passed, and the Succubus Lord had not sent any instructions to start the operation. Lancelot used this time to meditate in tranquility, practicing Qi Cultivation and studying cultivation techniques. As Han Tianzun had predicted, the progress of Cauldron Immortal Technique was not fast, yet there were almost no obstacles encountered along the way. Normally, the transition from the early to mid stages of the High Rank in the Qi Cultivation Stage is a minor threshold. If one does not consume a Foundation Establishment Pill, it''s normal for a typical Spiritual Cultivator to struggle for one or two years without a breakthrough. However, Lancelot''s cultivation progressed as naturally as water flowing in a channel, and he easily entered the mid stage of the High Rank. If the True Qi in the meridians at the early stage of the High Rank was like several trickling streams, then at the mid stage, it was like a series of raging rivers. The growth in strength was very noticeable, which made him look forward to the power he might possess after successful Foundation Establishment. Moreover, since the Cauldron Immortal Technique was so exceptional, perhaps Foundation Establishment would not be as difficult as commonly described in the spiritual cultivation anecdotes. Lancelot also took this time to learn a few simple spells. He possessed Wood, Fire, and Earth Spirit Roots, but whether it was due to the Cauldron Immortal Technique or because he was blessed by the Elves, he found he grasped Wood System Spells the quickest. In terms of Fire System Spells, he was only able to cast a few small fireballs, far less powerful than the large fireballs demonstrated by Kalalin, and since almost all Demons were immune to fire damage, he doubted whether he would truly have an opportunity to use this type of spell. For the Earth System Spells, he could now cast Earthquake Technique, effective within about ten feet from himself as the center. If used at the right moment, it would prove very practical. His mastery of Wood System Spells, however, was much stronger. He could instantly summon a large mass of vines to tightly entangle his enemies, making it difficult for even himself to escape when using True Qi; he could turn ordinary leaves into blades sharp enough to slice through iron, or make common wooden sticks as hard as if forged from Mithril. But what satisfied him the most was a set of Swordsmanship called ''Qingyun,'' which Han Tianzun had modified from an ancient sword technique. The small bamboo scroll contained many techniques related to spiritual cultivation, martial techniques, insights, and even anecdotes, and Lancelot had found that anything created or recommended by Han Tianzun tended to be very useful. This Qingyun Sword Art was said to have corresponding levels from the Qi Refinement Stage all the way up to the spiritual transformation stage, and it was very powerful. It was said to aid breakthroughs during the Foundation Establishment Stage, with the only drawback being its difficulty. But what was most magical was the hammer''s boomerang trait; when thrown as a projectile, it would automatically fly back to its master''s hand. However, until then, Bruto could only rely on his shield and fists to contend with enemies, for which he had specially made a steel glove covered with terrifying protrusions and sharp spikes. According to Bruto himself, he was not sure whether he liked his hammer or the glove more. Meanwhile, another companion, Kalalin, was also busy. During the month they spent hurrying to forge cold iron weapons at Lancelot''s, he was either practicing spells or preparing scrolls needed for future adventures. This life resembled more that of a half-baked Mage Apprentice, rather than that of a Scholar focused on research. After receiving the ''raw materials'' from Lancelot, he immediately started making transforming rings. It took him just a week to complete three rings. The rings worked wonderfully, becoming effective as soon as they were worn, but after trying them out with Lancelot, they both agreed it was best to keep their effects a secret from Bruto until they were needed. In the following days, he continuously repeated the routine of copying scrolls, practicing spells, and undergoing ''physical training'' with Lancelot. For someone who had almost never trained before, his improvement was significant, now able to dodge arrows shot from thirty yards away while fully focused. Lancelot also taught him how to wield a spear. With a cold iron spearhead, he could now handle one or two Coward Devils on his own. If allowed to use magic, facing two more wouldn''t be impossible. Another person who hadn''t relaxed was young Isha. Every evening, she diligently cleaned the house, and afterward, she would go out for combat training with an ancient vampire introduced by Tijana. It was said that she was now an apprentice Wanderer, but Lancelot felt that as long as Isha could fend for herself within Twin Bridges Town, it was good enough; joining them in this operation was still too dangerous for her. In Twin Bridges Town, as a vampire, if Isha wasn''t killed on the spot, she could turn into a waft of air and return to the crypts beneath Hagrid Manor to sleep a bit more and recover. Finally, after more than a month of waiting, Tijana sent a message. She summoned them to bring their equipment and gather at her castle immediately. Chapter 81 Setting Out on a Journey When Lancelot reached the throne hall in Tigana''s Castle, the Succubus Lord had not appeared yet, but he was not the first one to arrive¡ªfour fully armed Dwarves were already there waiting. Lancelot recognized these Dwarves as vaguely familiar, then realized that he had indeed seen them before: when it was decided to establish a Temple of Moradin in the Shattered Mountain Range to house the Holy Iron Anvil, seven powerful Dwarf Warriors had stepped forward, taking on the duty of guarding the Temple. The four in front of him were of those seven Dwarves; they were all veterans of many battles, skilled in martial arts, among whom the leader was also a Dwarf Priest of Moradin, possessing Divine Arts abilities to protect against toxins and heal life. Of course, before becoming a priest, he was also an experienced warrior. "You must be Sir Lancelot." The Temple Guards, all Dwarves, stood up and greeted Lancelot. "Uncle Vito?" Bruto''s voice rang out in surprise, "How did you come here?" "We were directly summoned by Tigana, she mentioned it''s about the honor of the Dwarves." The Dwarf Priest named Vito said with conviction, "We have been informed of the situation. Retrieving the platinum relic is an indisputable duty for every Dwarf. We will fully support your actions, but what exactly is the plan?" Lancelot was about to speak, but suddenly closed his mouth, turning his gaze towards a step behind the throne. The figure of the Succubus Lord appeared there, followed by an uneasy Goblin and a Demon with a calm demeanor. Perhaps in an effort to reduce the unease of these devout Dwarves, Tigana currently adopted a human form, dressed in a well-tailored black long skirt, with her wings nowhere to be seen. Lancelot noticed she was wearing a beautiful diamond necklace around her neck, the very one he had gifted her before. "Good morning, my lady." Lancelot performed a knightly bow toward Tigana, "You look especially beautiful today." "Good morning, knight." Tigana returned the greeting with a smile and slightly lifted her chin. "Meet the guide for the operation. This Goblin is Phil, whom I believe you might have seen in the mercenary area." Bruto jumped up; how could he possibly forget this little swindler? "How could this be? Has our plan been leaked?" "The plan should not have been leaked; his arrangements seem to be geared towards a large-scale military attack. Furthermore, the focus of the guards inside the city is not the Succubus Palace but his own castle," Tijana spoke with certainty, "Perhaps he has guessed something or learned of some plans from other forces. He does not know that someone is targeting an ordinary item in the Succubus Palace, and that''s our advantage." "If things go smoothly, we''ll just need to silently take out one or two guards." "If things go smoothly," Tijana agreed and then seemed to recall something amusing, flashing a sinister smile, "Is that item ready?" "It''s ready," Kalalin quickly replied. "Let me see the effect," Tijana''s expression became even more bizarre, her voice filled with anticipation. Discover exclusive tales at empire "Uh, better not," Lancelot awkwardly declined the Succubus Lord''s request, "I''ve already tested it, and the effect is better than anticipated; it will definitely help us blend in seamlessly." "Are you sure? I can make you more persuasive," "It''s already very persuasive," Lancelot declined again, his tone very firm. "Well, perhaps next time we''re alone, you''ll have some new ideas." Apart from Lancelot and Kalalin, the others listened to their conversation with confusion; even Bruto was baffled, but he didn''t dwell on it¡ªafter all, who knew what Tijana and Lancelot might have discussed privately. It was perfectly normal for him not to understand. "Let''s set out, my warriors; three carriages are already waiting for their masters at the head of North Bridge," Tijana waved her hand, "I await your good news and truly believe you won''t disappoint me." Chapter 82 Oasis Fort Oasis Fort was located north of Twin Bridges Town, about 500 li away. By the normal speed of a carriage, it would take approximately two days. The journey went smoothly for the most part because there were no unsolvable troubles, yet small-scale robberies were incessant. The Abyss was hardly a peaceful place, and the first layer, Plains of the Abyss, where they were, could be considered very livable compared to other layers, where almost all evil races could be found. The robbers they encountered included large goblins, hyena-men, orcs, ogres, and even a two-headed giant, but they were all easily dispatched by the Dwarf warriors. Lancelot didn''t even need to lift a finger. Like all goblins, Phil did not like Dwarfs, and Dwarfs had the same sentiment towards goblins, so most of the time it was Lancelot and Kalalin who sat in Phil''s first carriage, diligently playing the role of guards for the Goblin merchant. Phil''s view of his fellow tribe members who blocked the road to rob was no different from others; he would first ''politely'' ask them to leave, and if they refused, he would draw his weapon to force compliance. The only difference was that his taunting in the Goblin language was always particularly limited, and his slingshot and dagger looked far more threatening than he did himself. The caravan also witnessed groups of Prime Demons and Coward Devils, these pitiful Low Rank Demons wandering aimlessly on the ground, loudly arguing with each other in their unclear language. Kalalin was very interested in this situation. According to him, normally, these wild Low Rank Tanari were always in a state of being chased, either by a conscription team or a food requisition team, depending on the situation of the war. Normally, a Serpent Demon would be responsible for the conscription work in a region, but perhaps because that guy named Wisk was killed, these newly born demons had not yet had the opportunity to experience the cruelty of ''demon'' life. Even though these Tanari demons had a brief respite, they still did not dare to attack the guarded caravan. These lowest-level demons were not mad enough, and their desire for blood and battle was not enough to overcome their fear of death. But the Abyss also gave birth to some native demons, and these mad creatures did not care as much. The demons born from mortal souls were called Tanari, and if you overcame your fear and observed their forms carefully, you would find that they still had some human-like features, such as having their heads on their necks, and having two legs below the waist. But the wool eventually comes off the sheep. Despite Molo''s full-effort slander, the weapons, armor, and iron ingots produced by Twin Bridges Town were among the most popular goods in the Abyss. If they could be transported to demon legions in the north lacking ironware, the profits could be more than tenfold, sufficient to make many greedy merchants overcome any risk. Phil, who knew the ins and outs, led the caravan to a secluded inn. The owner, a taciturn Devilspawn, showed an unmistakable look of surprise upon seeing Phil, seemingly an old acquaintance of the goblin. He opened his mouth to say something, but Phil plugged it with a bag of gold. He shut up, handed Phil a brass key, and actually stepped right out the front door. "Dealing with clever folks is easy. All right, this will be our temporary base for the coming week." After settling the team down, Phil went out to sell the goods meant to distract others while Lancelot and Kalalin followed the goblin outside, playing the role of guards. The hot-tempered dwarves stayed in the inn to guard the goods. The marketplace in Oasis Fort was much more chaotic compared to Twin Bridges Town, with its nauseating stench and garbage everywhere making a poor first impression. Another characteristic was the large number of slaves, wearing chains and covered with scars from long-term abuse, which made Lancelot clench his fists tightly, but he was very clear about what he could and could not do. This cruel scene was not enough to make Lancelot lose his reason, but it did strengthen his resolve to defend Twin Bridges Town. Phil quickly struck several deals, arranged delivery times and locations with the other parties, then pretentiously left the filthy market satisfied, light-footedly signaling his desire to grab a drink. Lancelot was certain that no one was watching them, but he agreed with the goblin''s caution. If anyone reported them to the guards for suspecting their actions as abnormal, it could bring unnecessary trouble. Naturally, grabbing a drink was a pretense; all those activities were to cover their real purpose: to connect with Tijana''s informant in Oasis Fort. Before laying out detailed plans for their next steps, they needed to gather enough intelligence. Chapter 83 Lansna Oasis Fort didn''t have as vast a mercenary community as Twin Bridges Town, so the standard of the bars inevitably suffered. Most were dirty and dilapidated, and their meeting place was no exception. Phil led them to a bar on the edge of the business district, snuggled next to the largest slave enclosure in Oasis Fort. The bar''s entrance was adorned with a rusty sign that swayed gently in the occasional breeze, featuring a goblet with a rose. It was the afternoon, and the bar was devoid of customers, save for a burly barkeeper who leisurely cleaned glasses behind the bar. As Lancelot had just pushed open the bar''s heavy doors, the barkeeper immediately lifted his head. He squinted his eyes at Lancelot like a threatened animal, with sharp, fang-like teeth protruding from his mouth, and his cup-holding hand silently morphed into deadly claws. "Ease up, old Reap, he''s one of ours," said Phil, startled by the barkeeper''s reaction, hurriedly interjecting. "Phil? What are you doing here?" The barkeeper only then noticed the Goblin''s presence, expressing surprise as his fangs and claws swiftly retracted. He leapt from behind the bar with agile movements, promptly shutting all the windows of the bar and hanging a ''Closed for Business'' sign on the door. "Let me introduce..." The barkeeper gestured with his hand to cut off Phil and pulled open a hidden door behind the bar that led to the cellar. "Come in, then we talk." "Old underground, huh." Phil shrugged at Lancelot. The group followed old Reap into the cellar, which was a small basement of about two hundred square feet, brimming with wine barrels draped in cobwebs. Old Reap did not rush to converse with them. First, he lit all the torches on the wall and cautiously checked each corner to ensure nothing strange was eavesdropping. Having completed this, he turned to Phil with a disdainful look. "What are you doing here?" "Obviously, our great Queen has commanded, otherwise I wouldn''t want to come to this stinking place." "I''ve barely managed to make this bar turn a small profit; please do me a favor and try not to blow it to the heavens, alright?" "How long has this state of affairs been going on?" Phil quirked an eyebrow. "Nearly three weeks," Old Reap replied with a skewed smile, revealing his sharp molars. "This is unusual, he might have received other intelligence, but it''s been too long," Phil shook his head. "Our operation seems easier than expected." Lancelot exhibited a peculiar expression; could it be that maintaining heightened defenses for too long had some drawbacks? "Most demons are rather impatient creatures," Phil explained, seeing Lancelot''s confusion and speaking for humans. "If no battle happens, they''ll grow slack, lose focus, or even start fighting each other. A smart Demon Lord would try to prevent this at all costs, but a fool like Molo only knows to force them with violence." "Are you saying that demons become weaker in combat under these circumstances?" "Not weaker, if a battle occurs, they''re even more reckless and destructive than usual," Phil answered. "But our goal is to slip in quietly, right? What''s better than a bunch of distracted guards?" "The Succubus Palace has strict guards, sneaking in won''t be so easy," Old Reap shook his head. "We need a thorough plan, understanding the guards'' patterns, and a retreat strategy. Honestly, if I had been informed of the goal in advance, I could have prepared, but Molo could return at any moment, and we might not have the time now." "We are indeed pressed for time," Lancelot nodded. "But we don''t actually need to sneak in." A Werewolf and Goblin looked at him with puzzled expressions, and Lancelot scratched his head, exchanging a glance with Kalalin. "Here''s the thing, Tijana gave us strands of her hair..." As he spoke, he and Kalalin each put on a delicate ring. A pale blue magic light flashed, and two stunningly beautiful and voluptuous succubi appeared in their place, leaving Phil and Old Reap stunned for a moment before they shot out blood from their nostrils and fell backward onto the ground. "Uh, are you guys alright?" A seductive and enticing feminine voice rang out. "Lansna, they didn''t faint, did they?" Hearing the name Lansna, the Goblin Phil, who had just sat up, toppled over once again. Your journey continues at empire He felt he needed a moment to recover. Chapter 84 Bomb Man Phil The two succubi who suddenly appeared were none other than Lancelot and Kalalin wearing Transformation Rings. There are many types of magic items, with a myriad of effects, but the most common are those that have a fixed spell. The production process is very similar to that of creating a Magic Scroll, except it is more like micro-sculpting rather than writing, so as long as it is within their capabilities, Scholars are better at creating magic items than Mages. Transmutation Spell is a Second Circle spell, and Kalalin had no problem handling it. The casting medium involves part of the body of the creature one intends to transform into, and they used hair provided by Tijana. Tijana was no ordinary Succubus. Even without considering her astonishing Charm, her combat prowess was exceptional. Although she couldn''t compare with those Lords who reigned over entire layers of the Abyss, she was definitely on par with the average Demon Lord, which is incredible for a Succubus not known for their combat abilities. Correspondingly, her hair contained powerful energy, making the effect of the Transformation Ring exceptionally good; not only did the appearance after the transformation attract attention, but the aura was also indistinguishable from an ordinary Succubus. The Transmutation Spell also affected the user''s clothing and armor. The Full Body Armor that Lancelot was wearing remained, albeit in a female style, but its design was assertively provocative, likely compromising its protective functions; Kalalin''s robes had turned into a semi-transparent thin veil, definitely seductive to behold. "It seems this spell works," said Lancelot, feigning calm, as he reached to adjust the limited-coverage Breastplate he was wearing. This action caused Phil and old Reap, who had just caught their breath, to feel a surge of blood to the head, almost fainting once again. Lancelot (now should be called Lansna in the form of a Succubus), shrugged his shoulders and took off the ring, reverting back to his human form. Kalalin also removed his ring, cancelling the effect of the Transmutation Spell. "This must be a devil''s idea," Phil finally regained his ability to speak, "It''s too cruel. I feel like I fell in love with a fake illusion, the feeling is too surreal." "I have to admit, you were absolutely beautiful after the transformation. For a moment, I even felt the beastly power inside me losing control," the bartender spared no praise for Lansna, "Those Succubi who occasionally come to the bar for fun are nothing but vulgar compared to you. I fear I can never forget the visage from just now." "Alright," Phil scratched his head, "You guys probably won''t engage in any fighting before getting the Cross Pickaxe, so the remaining question is how we''re going to retreat." "This is where you excel," Reap suddenly spoke up, "But can I make a small request? When you plan the retreat route, could you possibly avoid my tavern as much as possible?" "Why?" Lancelot was somewhat astonished, "Are you worried that it might expose you?" "It''s got nothing to do with that," Reap shook his head as if seeing through Lancelot''s thoughts, "His retreat plans always involve a lot of explosions, and you''ll understand when it happens." "What do you know! Explosions are the greatest phenomenon in the universe! It''s just that you fear this mighty force, which is why you''re biased against explosions!" Phil protested vehemently, "Is there anything better than an explosion? That''s a pre-planned explosion! BOOM, and the enemies who were fiercely chasing you are suddenly blown sky-high. Could there be anything better than that?" "Um..." Kalalin timidly interjected, "What was the reason for ending your career as a secret agent, again?" "Who said my career as a secret agent is over? Who said that?" Phil glared at Kalalin, "I''ve never left active duty! It''s just that I''m not needed for the usual minor tasks, Lady Tijana highly values me, didn''t she send me out again?" "I don''t care! Just keep away from my tavern!" Reap shouted at the Goblin, "What the hell did Molo, that ass-selling old thing, do to make Lady Tijana let you out!" "Everyone, calm down!" Lancelot had cast a Soundproof Barrier spell as soon as the two started arguing and hurriedly interjected to stop the increasingly fierce dispute, "If properly arranged, explosions can indeed be very effective. We''ll plan the route in advance and make sure to avoid your tavern as much as we can." "Well said!" Phil looked gratefully at Lancelot, as if he had found a kindred spirit, "Sir Lancelot, you''re the one who truly understands!" "You still don''t get it," Reap shook his head, "Do you know Boulder Town? Blackflame Castle? Or High Tower City? Have you heard of any of them?" Chapter 85 Things Dwarfs Hate "No," Lancelot shook his head, admitting he knew nothing about those names. "Haha! That''s because I''ve flattened all those places!" Phil laughed heartily, clapping his hands with a face full of pride. Old Reap made a grand introducing gesture towards the goblin, giving Lancelot a ''you get it now'' look. "Before the action starts, I certainly need to hide far away." Old Reap sighed, "Now, let me introduce the distribution of guards and the patrol plans inside the fort. I have a map here..." An hour later, the three of them came out of Old Reap''s tavern, their minds crammed with information about Oasis Fort. The operation would begin the next night. Tonight, Lancelot would first familiarize the dwarfs with the environment, while Phil would deal with the goods they had brought and prepare some explosives. Although many demons possessed exceptional dark vision, escaping at night was still much easier than during the day, and there would be fewer mortals on the streets after dark. If it ultimately became necessary to use Phil''s explosives, they could at least try to minimize casualties. Lancelot asked Phil how he was preparing explosives since he hadn''t brought any dynamite. Phil rattled off more than a dozen names, all common household items. The goblin claimed that with the right techniques and purification, they could all be turned into ingredients for explosives. The plan was for Lancelot, Kalalin, and Bruto to enter the Succubus Palace to find the Cross Pickaxe, while Phil and four dwarfs disguised as guards would loiter nearby. Once the target was acquired, Lancelot would use a small device given by Phil to signal him, and the goblin would immediately detonate the pre-placed bomb, blowing a huge hole in the Succubus Palace. But this big hole wasn''t for Lancelot to escape, it was to create an atmosphere of panic. Then, they just needed to follow the fleeing crowd, casually exiting the Succubus Palace. Of course, this was the best-case scenario. If a battle occurred, the four dwarf warriors would need to provide reinforcements. However, Lancelot indicated his confidence in fighting his way out; the dwarfs would just need to meet him at the entrance, and it was crucial not to expose themselves too early. If, after leaving the Succubus Palace, the Oasis Fort''s patrol was already alarmed, then they would have to rely on Phil. The goblin would have preemptively filled a road with remote-controlled bombs, blowing up any enemies following them to the skies. Eventually, they would find a sewer at the end of the road to completely lose the guards. Accompanied by several dwarf warriors, Phil sold the iron ingots they had transported, then pretended to buy some mining supplies needed by Twin Bridges Town and swaggered back to their lodging yard. These goods were naturally the materials he used to make potent explosives. Upon returning to the yard, he instructed the dwarfs to move all the goods to his room, then he firmly closed the door and began his dangerous manufacturing work. "Let''s go, didn''t we say we need to get familiar with the surroundings tonight?" Bruto walked towards the door enthusiastically, only to be pulled back by Kalalin. "Uh, aren''t you forgetting something?" He pointed at Bruto''s fingers. "What''s wrong?" Bruto looked at Kalalin, puzzled but then understood the Scholar''s hint, "Shouldn''t we all wear the rings when we go out? That way, no one will recognize us." "A Succubus - such Demons are very noticeable on the streets," Kalalin patiently explained, "If you can''t flirt very proficiently with those who approach you, you''ll quickly be found out." "But Tijana wouldn''t be like that." Explore more stories with empire "Tijana''s identity is different, she is the Lord of Twin Bridges Town. Besides, she has killed quite a few careless folks before, do you want the Guards to think you are such a special Succubus too?" "Alright, fine." Bruto reluctantly removed the ring, and with a flash of magical light, he transformed back into the Dwarf. But his complexion suddenly changed, and he clutched his chest, stumbling backward several steps. "Are you alright?" Lancelot rushed to support him, asking with concern. "I... what was I thinking just now, how could I have such strange thoughts." The Dwarf looked dazedly at the air, seemingly both confused and frightened by his recent transformation. "You weren''t charmed by yourself, were you?" Lancelot incredulously asked, blurting out. "Exactly, exactly! It must be that!" Kalalin clapped his hands together, "The power of Charm must come from Tijana''s hair. Although the Dwarf had seen Succubi many times before, he never felt anything due to his beard. It''s only now that he saw a Succubus fitting their aesthetic for the first time that he was charmed." Lancelot shook his head, still remembering the stun he felt when he first put on the Transformation Ring and saw himself as a Succubus in the mirror. "Let''s go, we''ve already delayed too long." Chapter 86 Entering the Palace That night, Lancelot spent three hours touring Oasis Fort with Bruto and four Dwarf Sanctuary Guards. By the time the dwarves finally went to rest, everyone was clear on the details of the plan, and the map of the entire Oasis Fort was firmly imprinted in their minds. In the middle of the night, Lancelot accompanied Phil back to the streets, placing hundreds of large and small, ordinary-looking iron spheres along the predetermined retreat route. Fortunately, they had the Dimensional Bag, otherwise they would have had to run back and forth several times, which could have led to them being discovered by patrolling guards. During the entire day that followed, Lancelot stayed in his room practicing meditation and Qi Cultivation, getting himself into the best possible condition. The others rested as well, because the coming night was likely to be very long. As the powerless ruby sun hurriedly sank below the horizon, Lancelot and his party began their move. The guards at the entrance of the Succubus Palace were two strong and ugly two-headed giants. The stupidity of these creatures was directly proportional to the stench emanating from them, offering no resistance to the transformed Lancelot and his party, allowing them straight in. "Welcome, welcome! Esteemed guests, please come in!" Just as they entered the Succubus Palace, they were immediately greeted by an enthusiastically welcoming Succubus Maid dressed as a servant. Compared to an average succubus, the servant''s outfit was quite conservative, but Lancelot and his three companions were also clad in thick cloaks, which not only hid their transformed bodies (and beards) but also concealed the fact that they were fully armed. Moreover, perhaps due to the powerful force contained in the hair provided by Tijana, their appearances post-transformation were stunning even by succubus standards. So, like Bruto, all three wore veils over their faces to avoid unnecessary trouble and prevent anyone from disregarding their succubus identity. "My name is Daryl, may I ask how I should address our guests?" "I am Lansna, this is Karalinda and Brutolia," Lancelot, walking at the forefront, replied very naturally. Under the effect of the Ice Heart Technique, he managed to keep his face expressionless no matter what happened, making him the best choice for negotiations. "Of course, we will make sure to satisfy you," Daryl suddenly realized something and hesitantly asked, "Do all three of you wish to be together?" "We only need one, the best one," Lancelot said as he pulled out a glittering ruby from his chest and briefly flaunted his spending power. Daryl reached out to grab the ruby, but Lancelot had already placed it back into his chest, giving her a reproachful look which forced the Succubus Maid to reluctantly withdraw her arm. "It appears you have all heard of our famously renowned Priest," she revealed a knowing smile to Lancelot, "Normally, his rate is a thousand Gold Coins for three hours, but since there are three of you, I''m afraid we''ll have to charge triple the fee." "No problem," Lancelot nodded. "Then please follow me," she said. The Succubus Maid led them through a corridor outside the main hall, the opposite side of which featured tightly closed doors, between which were hung paintings depicting the Queen of the Succubus in fierce battle with various heroes, Demons, and monsters. The corridors were also carpeted with soft mats, and curtains hung from the ceiling not only obstructed the view but also effectively absorbed the sounds emanating from the rooms behind the doors. But Lancelot had far superior hearing than an ordinary person. Those subtle sounds reached his ears, as clear as if the entwined bodies were right before his eyes, forcing him to silently recite the Ice Heart Technique to suppress the fervor within him. From time to time, men would come towards them, stepping aside at the first sight of them to stand respectfully, yet they also stared at the three with a longing gaze, showcasing their muscles and subservience, hoping to be chosen for a shared pleasure. It was not chains that enslaved them, Lancelot sadly realized. These people were enslaved by their instincts, and Lancelot doubted any of them would want to leave even if they were given the choice of freedom. Their bodies might remain robust to please the Succubus, but their souls would be gradually drained. When keeping them alive was no longer of any value, the Demons had plenty of ways to continue exploiting their souls. Finally, they reached their destination and stopped in front of a grand door. Chapter 87 Alamir "This is our best suite," Daryl pushed open the door, leading the three into a bedroom filled with mirrors, ropes, and soft beds. Kalalin and Bruto walked in first, their faces flushed as they took in the various facilities in the room, wisely keeping silent without making any comments. Just as Lancelot was about to enter, Daryl quietly pulled him aside. "It seems your two sisters are a bit restrained," Daryl''s words caused a flicker of murderous intent in Lancelot''s heart, and he was about to invoke the Qingyun Sword Art to release his Sword Qi, but the Succubus Maid''s next sentence dispelled his doubts. "Is it their first time?" Daryl''s face broke into a wicked smile, "The first time is always special, especially with our star performer. He is a true priest of passion. There''s no one more suitable than him." "That couldn''t be better," Lancelot said vaguely, "Where is he?" No sooner had he spoken than the sound of chains rubbing against each other could be heard, and another succubus led in an elf dressed in a long robe. The elf looked very young, with the distinctively delicate features of the elves, pointy ears, pallid skin almost tilting towards blue, and light golden hair. Unlike the other tamed males, this elf had a mithril collar around his neck, which was attached to a thick chain. The other end of the chain was held in the hand of the succubus who had brought him, making him look more like a slave. His eyes were like two emeralds, filled with despair and helplessness, but upon seeing Lancelot, they flickered briefly then suddenly ignited with the light of hope. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Alamir. He''s yours now," the succubus who brought him gave a slight flap of her wings and hooked the other end of the chain onto a hook in the ceiling of the room. The chain wasn''t long; if the elf stood up straight, he could only move within a range of about four or five feet. "Just in case, after all, he''s a genuine priest," Daryl grinned at Lancelot, "And it''s more exciting this way, isn''t it?" "Very well, I think this should be sufficient," Lancelot took out several gemstones, "We hope to be undisturbed for the time being. We''ll leave when we''ve had enough fun; you can come clean up after three hours." It was an outright massacre." Explore more at empire With that, the Elf closed his eyes in sorrow, as if by doing so, he could erase that terrible scene from his mind. "Such things would never happen among us Dwarves," Bruto crossed his arms, "We never leave our armor and weapon out of reach." "Ah, so you''re a Dwarf." Alamir Silverleaf nodded, "I''ve been wondering what would happen if you took off that beautiful ring on your hand." The atmosphere became awkward again. At this moment, Lancelot stepped forward and put a hand on the Elf''s shoulder. Seeing the approach of the Succubus, Alamir Silverleaf instinctively felt fear, but as he detected no hostility from Lancelot, he did not dodge and remained compliant. "We must first confirm your identity, please relax." Lancelot''s Divine Sense passed through his palm into Alamir Silverleaf''s body, to carefully investigate whether he was truly an Elf as he claimed and not a disguise created by magic like himself. Divine arts were indeed exclusive to priests, but from Tijana, he knew of a type of Demon that could also achieve this. This terrifying Demon, known as a Succubus, by deceiving a group of good-hearted mortals into conducting a blasphemous ritual, could open a Portal to the deepest furnaces of the Abyss. The Succubus would burn to ashes in the supernatural heat and then be reborn from those ashes as a Succubus. It goes without saying that the deceived mortals who conducted the ritual would become the targets of the Succubus''s horrific suffering during its birth process. There is a belief that as Demons directly born from desire, Succubi do not experience the terrible suffering other Demons go through during evolution. This leads them to act (in most cases) loosely and casually, even engaging in romantic affairs with creatures of completely opposing alignments, such as lawful or good, making them one of the few kinds of Demons that prioritize pleasure over a desire for destruction. But a Succubus would not do so. Chapter 88 The Whereabouts of the Cross Pickaxe In fact, although Mekanshut held the title of Queen of the Succubus, the succubi were more like her subjects, or as the Queen herself would say, "children." The true enforcers of her brutal rule over Shendiravir were her band of professional, ruthless, and highly efficient enforcers, the succubi. The thirteen succubi at the top tier were known as the "Glorious Sisters," publicly acknowledged as the Queen''s royal choir but in reality were the most cold-hearted special agents and assassins under her command. After all, many tasks were unsuitable for the "playful" succubi, while the succubi required much more patience when orchestrating various cunning schemes. In their true form, the succubi no longer possessed the astonishing beauty typical of succubi. They still had bodies similar to human females and appeared reasonably attractive at first glance, but a closer look would reveal abnormalities. Their faces resembled those of streetwalkers who had been in the business for over fifty years. What was once graceful wings were now no more than charred remains, replaced by several thick, slippery, nauseating tentacles protruding from their backs, with scorpion-like stingers at the ends. Unlike most succubi, the succubi were very competent warriors, and if forced into close combat, their claws and spikes were as sharp as swords. But their greatest pleasure still came from using their Quasi-Divine Art abilities to disguise themselves as divine office members, infiltrate a true god''s church, patiently accumulate reverence and power, and covertly convert real priests into devotees of some Demon Lord, a process that brought them immense fun. This disguise could deceive most detection and protective magics, but could not evade direct scrutiny by Divine Sense. As Lance swept his Divine Sense over the elf''s body, Alamir''s true condition clearly emerged in his mind, confirming that he indeed was an elf, with the only exception being an extraordinary talent in some aspect. Lancelot turned and nodded at Kalalin and Bruto, and the three of them simultaneously removed their Transforming Rings. "Wow," Alamir uttered, not particularly surprised. "My name is Lancelot, and I''m a knight. This is Scholar Kalalin and Dwarf Warrior Bruto, son of Barrend," Lancelot introduced, "We can help you get out, but you''ll have to assist us in retrieving something we desire." "What are you looking for?" The elf priest looked at Lancelot with skepticism, his gaze shifting to Bruto, "Let me guess, it wouldn''t be that Dwarf Cross Pickaxe, would it?" "We can signal Phil to act at that moment," proposed Kalalin, "That should briefly distract the guards." "Then I''ll just stash the Cross Pickaxe in this Dimensional Bag," Lancelot slapped the small pouch on his belt. "Great," Bruto clapped his hands, "this plan sounds solid!" Lancelot nodded, pondering if there were any slips in the plan. The worst case would be that they had to fight their way out, but from the auras he had sensed along the way, if he really wanted to leave, he doubted anyone here could stop him. However, going out would surely mean facing swarms of guards, and if it did come to that, he could only hope Reap hadn''t exaggerated about the destructive powers of the goblins. "Let''s wait for now," said Lancelot, "It might not be reasonable if the time is too short." "Indeed, you are my first guests today," the Elf Priest said with a wry face, "Normally, I wouldn''t need the Cross Pickaxe''s help until the third guest arrived. But today, there are three of you, so maybe waiting an hour will be sufficient." Continue your adventure at empire "Ha, Elves'' stamina doesn''t seem very good," Bruto said with a mischievous grin, "The third one already needs the help of a magical item?" "The doctrine of the Goddess requires I perform an act of love every day, and try to awaken love in someone''s heart with each new day. At least once a day, I must respond to love," Alamir explained with some embarrassment, "I always do my best to fulfill those succubi''s desires. It''s not easy, as it always takes a full three hours to barely satisfy a customer." It was then that Bruto realized Alamir was catering to succubi. It was astonishing that he, with his mortal body, could satisfy a succubus and, after dealing with one, could continue to satisfy a second, fighting for six consecutive hours. "Uh, sorry, I almost forgot where we are," Bruto scratched his head, the Dwarves always quick to acknowledge their mistakes, "So, do you have any tips? Don''t get me wrong, I''m just asking for a friend." Chapter 89 Restoring Divine Arts Lancelot realized that he had his ears perked up, fully attentive to what the Elves were about to say. "Uh, Shuni''s church does indeed teach some... techniques." Alamir''s expression made it clear that he was not proud of this, "After that, it''s a lot of practice. Succubuses have very sensitive bodies, and it''s not too difficult to figure out what they like, but obviously, you need good stamina." The Human Knight silently cursed in his heart. He must bring this guy back, and when there''s time, learn a thing or two from him¡ªthis was his current thought. Of course, Lancelot had fantasized about what would happen with Tijana once all those beautiful scenarios had been realized, but he actually wasn''t very confident about it; after all, at their core, succubi were born from mankind''s most primal, wildest desires, naturally possessing the highest standards in matters of men and women. He shook his head, casting aside those stray thoughts from his mind. He glanced again at the collar around the elf''s neck, and suddenly felt that perhaps he could do something about it. "Is it this collar that''s preventing you from using your Divine Arts?" he asked, "Maybe I can disable it." Hope appeared on Alamir''s face, and he nodded vigorously, indicating that it was indeed so. Lancelot walked over and placed his hand on the mithril collar. At the Qi Refinement Realm, he couldn''t project his Divine Sense from afar and could only probe the condition of creatures and objects through direct contact. He discovered an intricate magic circuit within the collar, the details of which required advanced magical knowledge that the occasional tidbits picked up from Kalalin were not enough to comprehend. But he didn''t need to understand the workings of this magical item; Lancelot just needed to destroy it. The Human Knight carefully began to circulate his qi, using only a tiny bit of his most purified Innate True Qi. The Innate True Qi, like a little brush, wiped the delicately structured interior of the mithril collar into a meaningless blank slate. Alamir immediately sensed an invisible restraint disappear, and with trembling hands, he cast a Holy Fire Technique again. The muscles on his neck instinctively tensed, fearing the usual burst of intense pain. The searing light descended like flames, but he stood there just fine, and nothing happened. "You must be sent by the Goddess to save me; words can''t express my gratitude, friend." He bowed deeply to Lancelot, the last word spoken in the language of the Elves. Tears flowed from Alamir''s tightly closed eyes as he appeared very happy, yet he continued with the prayers from his mouth. "What''s happening?" Bruto nudged Kalalin with his elbow and turned back to see the Scholar with his mouth wide open in astonishment. "That is a sign of the Deities'' favor to a believer," Kalalin explained, "Perhaps the Lady of the Flame is pleased with his constant faith." The red light gradually faded, but the energy it contained slowly merged into the Elf''s body. Lancelot felt that it wasn''t just the Elf''s body that had healed; his soul, which had been heavily strained, seemed to have been repaired as well. Finally, Alamir ended his prayer, stood up with his eyes open, giving off a refreshed aura. Seeing everyone looking curiously at him, the Elf gave a slight smile. He tore a small piece of white cloth from the robe placed beside him, bowed his head to softly utter a Spell, and then threw the white cloth in his hand outwards. The white cloth quickly turned into three larger illusions in mid-air, and immediately flew towards Lancelot and the others. Feeling the nature of the power contained in the magic, Lancelot didn''t dodge, but instead stood curiously in place. The illusions took on the form of cloaks, gently wrapping around them before vanishing from sight. Lancelot felt his Life Force had become slightly more vigorous, and though the increase wasn''t large, it was still a decent Blessing Divine Art. "This is Aid! Have your Divine Arts been restored?" Kalalin asked excitedly, for his own physique was relatively weak, and the strengthening effect of the Divine Arts was much more apparent on him than on Lancelot and Bruto. "Yes, I never imagined the Goddess would directly respond to my prayer and even bestow upon me many new Divine Arts, including even the Resurrection Art!" Alamir happily replied, then his face betrayed a slightly embarrassed expression, "My domain of Divine Arts is life, so I am not skilled in attack, but I can use Divine Arts to quickly heal any injuries you incur. If a battle occurs later, could you try your best to protect me?" "No problem, that''s a very reasonable tactic," Lancelot nodded and then stood up, "It''s about time, let''s get moving." Chapter 90 Infiltrating the Depths Continue reading at empire Upon hearing this, everyone promptly put their Transformation Rings back on, and Alamir looked at the transformed group with appreciative eyes, his face brimming with a sincere smile. Shuni taught her followers to appreciate all beautiful things and creatures, and the Succubus were among the most beautiful creatures in the Multiverse. That was until the Elves saw what Bruto looked like after his transformation. The sight of this bearded Succubus shocked the Elves so much that their face turned pale and they promptly sat down on the ground with a thump. Lancelot chuckled inwardly, noticing that Alamir was still in a state of shock, and he motioned for Bruto to quickly wrap his scarf around. "What''s the matter, you see, he''s completely mesmerized by me." Bruto reluctantly said, even throwing a flirtatious wink at the Elf on the ground. "Just wrap it," Lancelot couldn''t stand the gesture and pressed the scarf onto Bruto''s face himself, feeling that if he were any slower, the Priest on the ground might even begin to question their faith. As Bruto''s red beard was covered by the scarf, Alamir finally came back to his senses. He breathed heavily, as if he had forgotten to breathe the whole time. "From a Dwarf''s perspective, we guys without beards are the real monsters," Kalalin consoled, "I believe the lady of fire can understand that Dwarves have their own standards of what is beautiful." "Thank you, I...I understand," the Elf Priest staggered to his feet, his face still pale. Seeing that others were armed, he pulled a chair over and with a bit of force, broke off a chair leg. "You''re pretty strong, huh," Brutolia commented. "Not hard to guess why," Alamir shrugged, stuffing the chair leg into his robe, "I''ll rely on this until I find a proper weapon, just in case." "Definitely better than nothing," Lancelot shrugged and opened the door. Bruto, surprised at how easily the giants were persuaded, widened his eyes. He wanted to take off his mask and charm the giants too but was quickly stopped by Kalalin''s swift intervention. With a gentle push, Lancelot nudged aside the massive club blocking their way and walked past. The burning gaze of the two-headed giants closely followed Lancelot, making him feel like a thorn in his side until he disappeared into another room together with the Elves, vanishing from the giants'' view. "Very effective," Kalalin briefly remarked. Lancelot shrugged, hiding embarrassment that seemed to come from nowhere. They entered a hall resembling a dungeon. On either side were rooms sealed with iron doors, containing groups of slaves chained and shackled. Several foul-smelling Berserk Demons here acted as guards. The guards noticed the Elves and the Succubus behind them immediately, but they just glanced at Alanis and then looked away, indicating that the collars and shackles had served their purpose. Just then, the ground suddenly shook, and a loud noise came from above, causing the Berserk Demons to jump up and look at the ceiling uncertainly. Bruto and Kalalin immediately looked at Lancelot with questioning eyes, but he shook his head gently, indicating that the noise wasn''t caused by Phil, at least not at his request. However, a sense of unease still emerged in his heart. There might have been an unexpected disturbance outside, and it was best to get out of there quickly. He quietly picked up his pace, urging the Elves to lead them into the next room. "Alamir? What are you doing here?" a familiar voice called out. Lancelot looked up to see that the room was a kitchen, and speaking was Daryl, the Succubus Maid who had welcomed them earlier. She led several Goblin servers carrying trays and was about to exit through another door. "I need to recover," the Elf Priest said calmly, turning to signal the others following him including Lancelot, "The three guests insisted on accompanying me." "He''s indeed great, but he doesn''t seem as miraculous as you described. He couldn''t last even an hour," Lancelot complained, displeased. "Rest assured, guests. We have magical items that can quickly revitalize these men," Daryl said, smiling apologetically at Lancelot, but then she turned and fiercely told the Elf Priest, "Get going, and put on your best performance. If the guests are even slightly dissatisfied, I''ll force-feed you with healing potion and flay you myself!" Chapter 91 Koula Daryl had finished scolding and once more saluted Lancelot before leaving with the goblins who were carrying the plates. "Maybe we shouldn''t have rejected that succubus''s offer so directly," Bruto sniffed, "The food on those plates really smelled good." "Alamir, are you alright?" A delicate voice sounded, and only then did everyone notice that there was still someone else in the room. At first glance, she could easily be mistaken for an underage human girl, but a closer look revealed that she was a halfling. She had pink skin and brown hair, along with a cute doll-like face. She wore a tall chef''s hat, yet her true height was apparent, probably only three feet, less than half of Lancelot''s. The room''s air was filled with the scent of food: stewed meat, melons and fruits, cakes, and desserts. These conflicting odors mingled together but still smelled very good, stirring one''s appetite irresistibly. It seemed she was the one who had made the tasty dishes that Daryl had strongly recommended, but Lancelot still noticed the shackles on the halfling''s ankles, linked by a chain to an iron ball bigger than Bruto''s head, suggesting that this little one had likely made numerous escape attempts. The chef looked fearfully at the three figures of Lancelot, seemingly very afraid of the succubus, but still mustered the courage to say to Alamir: Read exclusive adventures at empire "I have some cheese tarts here that might make you feel a bit better..." "Thank you, Koula, I''m fine," Alamir said with a smile to the halfling, but Lancelot, standing behind him, saw that the elf''s back was soaked from the confrontation with Daryl. "Cheese tarts sound amazing, get us one," the gluttonous Bruto suddenly spoke up, sounding very enthusiastic. Lancelot''s facial muscles twitched involuntarily. Bruto must be one of the few dwarves exceptionally interested in food, and here he was, blurted out his request so casually in this tense situation. "She has a heart of gold, and although she has suffered various injustices, she still chooses to treat everyone kindly," Alamir said, not averting his gaze from Lancelot. "She is my only friend here, and I certainly trust her." Lancelot nodded, and this gesture made the Elf show a genuine smile, convincing Lancelot that he had made the correct decision. "Uh, what are you guys talking about?" the halfling chef asked, confused by their seemingly inexplicable conversation, and suddenly as if he understood something, "Is someone going to redeem you, Alamir?" The word ''redeem'' almost caused the Elf Priest to bite her tongue, while Bruto let out a string of barbell-like laughter on the side. "Koula, are you still planning to escape from this place?" Alamir looked at Koula. "I''m about to leave this damned place." "What are you rambling about?" The Elf''s words made the halfling turn pale, her nervousness apparent as she glanced at the three succubi standing to the side. She quickly pulled an apple pie from underneath her and stuffed it into Alamir''s mouth, trying to stop the Elf from saying more. "No, you got it wrong, oh, my goodness, this apple pie is really delicious," Alamir mumbled unclearly with food suddenly stuffed in her mouth, unwilling to spit out the delectable treat, she could only hurriedly swallow faster. "Eat more slowly, don''t choke," Lancelot patted Alamir''s back and then smiled at the halfling, "Cover your mouth first, and make sure it''s tight." Koula did as told, and Lancelot closed his eyes, feeling the atmosphere around to ensure no one was approaching the room. He then took off his Transformation Ring. The halfling''s scream from within her mouth stifled by her hand came out as a muffled groan. Lancelot smiled at her, then put the ring back on. "A Transformation Ring? You relied on this to sneak inside?" Koula stared in amazement at Lancelot''s finger, suddenly smiling as if she had figured everything out, "I get it now, you''re here to rescue Alamir!" "We''re here for the Cross Pickaxe in the rest room, it might be a holy relic of the Dwarf race," Lancelot shook his head. "Alamir will help us get that item, in exchange, we will take her out. Do you want to come along?" "Thank you, Alamir, for still thinking of me when such a chance has appeared!" The halfling gratefully looked at the Elf, but she shook her head, lifting her leg, and jingling the shackles on her ankle, "But I can''t go with you, I would just be a burden to you." "Don''t be too quick to refuse, my diminutive friend, you don''t take up much space," the Elf Priest said with a smile. "I have a good place for you to hide, but you might have to take a nap first." Chapter 92 Faking Death to Escape "Um, where exactly is this place you''re speaking of?" Koula looked at Alamir with a skeptical gaze. "I may be a little short, but I definitely can''t hide inside your robe." "No, no, no, not inside my robe." Alamir laughed. "When I was praying to the Goddess just now, she gifted me a new spell¡ªthe Feign Death Technique. With this magic, you''ll be able to stay inside the Dimensional Bag. Sir Lancelot, your Dimensional Bag should be able to fit my petite friend here, right?" "No problem there," Lancelot asked with curiosity, "but are you sure this Feign Death Technique can keep her safely in the Dimensional Bag?" At the moment, his Dimensional Bag was mainly occupied by the Giant Sword Glacier and some gemstones, while his real wealth was actually inside his spiritual world. "It should work." Kalalin, who was well-informed, spoke up. "I can cast that spell too. It makes the recipient''s heartbeat and breathing stop, just like they are dead, lasting for one hour. During that time, her body will be indistinguishable from a corpse." "Sounds pretty interesting," the Halfling said, eyes glinting with hope, but still a bit afraid. "What happens if the spell fails? It won''t just kill me, will it?" "Could you have a little faith in me?" the Elf Priest responded with a cry-laugh. "And I''m also a Priest, you know. If it fails, I have the Resurrection Art to bring you back to life." Stay updated through empire "It must be within one minute of death," Kalalin added. "Better make a decision fast," Lancelot prompted, "We''ve delayed for too long already." "Alright, alright, go ahead, Elf," the Halfling closed her eyes. "I knew my life of adventure wouldn''t end as a cook. Considering all the cakes you''ve eaten, don''t screw this up." Upon hearing this, the Elf Priest didn''t delay any longer. He muttered a spell in a low voice, and soon a purple light gathered in his hands. Then, reaching out, he gently patted Koula on the shoulder. The Halfling''s eyes rolled back, and she collapsed straight down. "Uh, she looks completely dead," Bruto said uncertainly, "Should we consider this a success?" Lancelot stepped forward, took Koula''s hand, and extended his Divine Sense to check the Halfling''s body. He was worrying too much, though; the Qingyun Sword Art, personally improved by the great Han Tianzun, was a top-tier cultivation technique that was only slightly suppressed when dealing with Metal Attribute materials. It was infinitely stronger than the Gathering Qi Slash, a technique almost everyone in the realm of cultivation could perform. The current average power of the Art was purely because Lancelot had only cultivated it to the first level. Furthermore, the Qingyun Sword Art had many wonderful uses; it was merely that Lancelot''s current level was too low to have mastered them yet. After cutting the shackles, Lancelot directly stuffed the ''corpse'' of the Halfling into his Dimensional Bag. He glanced at the severed shackles and the large iron ball and took these items with him as well. While the disappearance of the person might only confuse the Guards, if the cut instruments of punishment were left behind, even a fool like the two-headed Giant would realize there had been a prison break. "All set," Lancelot said as he patted his hands and stood up, once again taking hold of Alamir''s chains. Just then, the ground shook even more violently than before, accompanied by muffled cries. Above them, they heard a series of hurried footsteps that changed everyone''s expressions. "Something must have gone wrong," Lancelot said urgently in a low voice, "we don''t have time to delay." "Follow me, we''re almost at the resting room," Alamir pushed open another door, leading everyone quickly through it. Behind the door was a staircase descending deeper into the Succubus Palace''s underground. After navigating the staircase, Lancelot and his group entered a small hall which seemed to be the resting room mentioned by the Elves. Long couches were placed around casually, food and drinks were on tables against the wall, and his Divine Sense alerted him to a special magic item placed on a pedestal in the center of the room¡ªit was the object of their quest. Lancelot quickly scanned the vicinity. In the hall, several male slaves wrapped in robes were looking up at the ceiling with uncertainty, seemingly frightened by the recent commotion. A few Berserk Demons, evidently the guards, were poised for battle. Upon hearing someone enter, they all turned their gaze, but when they recognized that it was Alamir, they looked away, joining the slaves in watching the dust fall from the ceiling above. Chapter 93 Accident Several Succubus Maids were also in the corner, and they were equally unsettled by the recent commotion, currently huddled together and discussing something. One of the Succubi looked up and saw Alamir, her expression briefly stiffened before she sternly began, "Alamir! Why have you returned? And you brought guests here?" Instantly, the group of Succubi turned their heads, they only glanced at Lancelot and the two wrapped in cloaks for a moment before their attention settled on the Elf. Explore stories at empire The looks in the eyes of the Succubi were very complex, with concern, disdain but mostly, there was an unabashed desire. "I bet every Succubus here has slept with an Elf," Bruto murmured to Kalalin, who nodded ever so slightly in agreement. "I need to recover, and the three distinguished guests insisted..." The Elf had just begun speaking when she was abruptly cut off by a gesture from the Succubus. "Alright, alright, do as you please. Do you know what happened above? What''s with these strange vibrations?"No?v(el)B\\jnn "I''m not sure," Alamir shook her head, "Everything was normal before we came down." While the Succubus was talking with the Elf, Lancelot had already quietly made his way to the center of the room, near a countertop, feigning curiosity as he surveyed the resting area. Kalalin, who had been keeping an eye on Lancelot''s movements, naturally understood the signal. Under the concealing folds of his large cloak, a palm-sized mini scroll quietly unfolded, already primed with the spell "Minor Illusion." On the countertop was a case made of crystal, inside which lay their target, a Cross Pickaxe, casually tossed with no particular care. Aside from the faint luminescent glow on its surface, the pickaxe didn''t seem extraordinary at first glance. But Lancelot''s Spiritual Sense told him that this item was far more special than it appeared. Lancelot was sure that something major must have happened at Oasis Fort. The plan was just to blast a hole through an unguarded segment of the outer wall of the Succubus Palace, at most collapsing an entire wall, certainly not including the boulder that almost claimed his life. "We''re under attack! Come out and fight!" While the people inside the room were still staring at each other, a hoarse and ferocious voice suddenly rose directly from the depths of their hearts. This was a High Rank Demon using its wide-range Sensory Ability to shout out to all the Demons nearby. Lancelot was startled, what exactly had happened? He touched another small sphere in his pocket, assuring himself his worries were unfounded. That sphere was from Phil, meant to warn him in case their team encountered trouble. The other Demons in the room jumped up, but their reactions varied. The Succubi seemed panicked, flitting about like headless flies, not knowing what to do. Fighting was generally not the Succubi''s forte, they preferred to provoke jealousy-fueled conflicts among suitors. If fighting was inevitable, their tactic typically involved using their Charm ability to control someone, having this temporary ally take a hit for them so they could flap their bat-like wings and take off. But the Berserk Demon Guards let out excited roars, some even entering Berserk State, casually tearing a nearby human slave to shreds as if just to vent their destructive impulses. These giant toads leapt straight out of the large hole in the ceiling, howling as they charged outward, as though fearing the fight would end too quickly, and they''d miss out. The remaining slaves were either foolishly standing still or smartly taking the chance to slip away. This chaos was a rare opportunity to escape; if not now, then when? Lancelot patted the confused Alamir to get his attention. "It''s time we left." "Oh, yes, of course!" The Elf quickly regained his composure, "Follow me!" He ran to the side of the room, next to a gargoyle statue, and pulled the entire sculpture backward. A secret door on the wall immediately opened up, leading to a rather spacious spiral staircase winding upwards. "This staircase leads directly to the stage of the great hall. Let''s go this way!" Chapter 94 Breaking Walls to Enter the Warehouse Lancelot pulled out his hand half sword Frostslash from under his cloak and took the lead, running forward. As he passed Alamir, he swung his longsword, startling the Elves. The plain sword blade struck the iron chain that was holding him, and to everyone''s surprise, it cleanly cut through the chain as thick as a forearm, leaving only half a foot of chain still attached to the collar around the elf''s neck. Alamir stared blankly at the smooth cut, until Bruto pushed him to snap out of it. Too much had happened today, and he found himself distracted several times. The Elves shook their heads, disdainfully threw the chain that symbolized their enslavement aside, and quickly followed the three Succubus who had already run into the passage, towards their freedom. The group quickly ran up the stairs, but halfway up, Lancelot and Bruto suddenly stopped, causing Kalalin, who was right behind them, to bump into them. "What are you doing? This body really is hard to balance..." the Scholar muttered in dissatisfaction, but then noticed the odd expressions on Lancelot and Bruto''s faces, staring intently at a nondescript spot on the outer wall of the passage. Stay updated via empire "What''s wrong, what''s wrong?" Alamir also came up to look, following their gaze, "There''s no secret door there, I''m quite sure." "Do you feel it?" Lancelot ignored the confused pair and asked Bruto directly. "Of course!" Bruto answered excitedly, "It feels as clear as if there''s an extra Goblin in my trousers!" "What did you feel? What is behind this wall?" Kalalin was beginning to understand. "Gemstone!" "Gold!" Lancelot and Bruto answered in unison, exchanging glances and smiling knowingly. "What are you talking about?" the Elves were getting anxious, "Let''s hurry and escape from here." "Listen to me, Alamir," Lancelot turned to look at the Elves, his face serious, "You''ve been enslaved for ten years, right? It''s time you received the compensation you deserve." Bruto, surprised, looked at his shield, shrugged his shoulders, and according to Lancelot''s instructions, pressed the shield against the wall. The sharp fin, which belonged to the shark beast, sank into the stone wall''s surface as easily as a bread knife into butter. Bruto moved the shield like a glass cutter, tracing a square shape on the wall. The Dwarf then pushed against the cut area, but the wall remained immovable. He shook his head in resignation and spoke: "It won''t budge, this wall is too thick." "I''ll take it from here," Lancelot stepped forward, starting with a Soundproof Barrier spell, then stood quietly in front of the square Bruto had cut, quietly beginning to gather his energy. The Transforming Ring only changed his physical appearance; his body''s interior remained as that of a human. True Qi roared out of his Dantian, rushing through his Meridians like a flood, bringing infinite power to Lancelot''s body. Succubus Lansna let out a delicate-sounding roar, her palms striking forward powerfully, hitting right inside the square Bruto had just traced. The wall emitted a sound like an explosion, and the impacted area sent out a visible airwave, forming a deep indentation but still stubbornly refusing to break open a passage to the treasury. Lancelot would not stop there, as his palms delivered one blow after another, like waves slamming against a rock, cracking sounds emerging continuously. Finally, after more than a dozen strikes from Lancelot, the wall groaned and collapsed with a crash, revealing a large hole before everyone. Alamir looked at Lancelot''s superhuman strength with awe and was speechless. The wall had a thickness of more than three feet, and while the fin on Bruto''s shield only made a cut less than six inches in depth, the rest of the wall had been forcefully shattered by Lancelot''s tremendous strength. What further disconcerted him was that Lancelot was still in his Succubus form. Over the past decade, he fought up close with Succubi daily, so he had seen all sorts of states of these demons, but the sight of this Succubus in a horse stance, continuously slamming the wall, was particularly jarring. But now, no one cared whether Lancelot damaged the image of Succubi because everyone was blinded by the dazzling gold light. Behind the large hole was a room filled with treasures, with piles of gold coins nearly transforming it into a swimming pool of gold. Gemstones of every hue were scattered everywhere, and both luxurious and finely crafted artifacts were easily seen. Armors and treasured swords sparkled with a brilliance, as if shouting: "Hey! Look here! I''m a treasure! Quick, take me out of this forsaken place!" Chapter 95 Treasury Guard Lancelot quickly took off the dimensional bag from his waist and tossed it on the ground, instructing crisply: "No more than 5 minutes, grab the valuable ones first, no gold! Hurry up!" Everyone cheered and rushed in frantically. Lancelot, relying on his sensitivity to Spiritual Energy, immediately picked out the gemstones equivalent to Upper Grade Spirit Stones. Bruto''s eyes turned red as he lunged at the most valuable jewels, while Alamir carefully placed the delicate artworks into his dimensional belt. Kalalin was the only one who didn''t scurry around the piles of gold like a dung beetle on the scent. He pulled out the necklace from around his neck, murmured a spell softly and activated the Detect Magic spell embedded in the necklace. In his eyes, the world initially lost its color rapidly, then the items containing Magical Power lit up one by one, emitting their own Magic Aura. Under the effect of Detect Magic, the caster could determine the type of magic by the color of the Spiritual Light and the strength of the magic by the intensity of the light. Read exclusive adventures at empire Magic was roughly divided into eight Arcane schools: Energy Sculpting, Protection, Curse, Transformation, Illusion Technique, Charm Control, Necromancers, and Prophecy, with the corresponding Spiritual Lights being crimson, dark red, orange, light blue, deep green, deep blue, deep purple, and yellow-green respectively. The intensity of the light ranged from dim to blindingly bright, and it was said that the light from a Divine Artifact could even rival the midday sun. Kalalin effortlessly identified several of the most powerful magical items, including a staff wrapped in dragon scales, a great sword that could sing, shoes that seemed alive, a helmet decorated with wings made of numerous small swords, a slippery snake-shaped belt which was nearly impossible to pick up, and various other peculiar outfits, all of which he stowed one by one into the dimensional bag. These treasures, earned with the lives and blood of slaves like Alamir, had lain quietly in the master''s treasure room for many years. The four intruders took what they pleased and quickly filled the dimensional bag, even though they had only taken less than a tenth of the treasures in the room (of course, the most precious tenth). Lancelot didn''t waste any words and charged directly at the Succubus for close combat. While the Succubus was exceptional in hand-to-hand combat, her incessant Quasi-Divine Arts were the real trouble. "Cowardly scum!" Facing Lancelot''s aggressive attacks, the Succubus secretly marveled inside. Every Succubus once desired power due to their detest of their intrinsic weakness as a Succubus and hence chose to transform; yet, here was this Succubus daring to engage her in melee combat! But with just a swipe of her claw colliding with Lancelot''s incoming Great Sword, she knew her enemy was not a mere Succubus. The weight of the Great Sword exceeded her expectations, its power overwhelming for her to handle. What was more mysterious was the eerie blue glow on the blade, causing a small notch to appear on her claw, as tough as mithril, which frightened her from intercepting his attacks any further. "I know who you are now!" The Succubus said as she skillfully dodged Lancelot''s attacks using her agile movements, while her four lightning-fast tentacles continually slapped the sword, causing Lancelot''s attacks to skew, "Take off your mask, Tijana!" Lancelot maintained his rhythm of attacks and slightly shook his head, letting the face mask fall aside. It wouldn''t be good to let Tijana take the blame if this enemy had some bizarre means of escaping, as it might lead the Queen of the Succubus''s wrath to him instead. Compared to this, Lansna was indeed a more suitable scapegoat. "Hmph, who is Tijana? Another Succubus?" Lancelot ostensibly asked while striking with his sword, "And who are you then, wanting to snatch the treasure we discovered here?" "I am Samantha, the Enforcer of the Fifth Execution Squad!" The Succubus screeched in rage, "Cease immediately, this all belongs to the majestic Queen of the Succubus!" "Oh, that''s too bad." Lancelot said impassively, as his swordplay suddenly changed. He had realized he could barely gain the upper hand in the fight against the Succubus, yet he couldn''t breach her tentacle''s defenses. He could unleash his full strength without reserve, but if he couldn''t ensure a one-strike kill and the enemy had some tricks up her sleeve, his teammates might be in danger. At that, he shifted his focus toward those tentacles as his targets. He raised his hands and executed a downward chop, seemingly no different from his previous moves, but only his right hand grasped the sword handle, while his left hand swiftly grasped the hilt of Frostslash on his shoulder. Chapter 96 Fierce Battle on the Pile of Gold Coins (Part One) Another flash of sword light suddenly brightened, and the Succubus, unguarded against this sudden change, was a bit slow to retract a tentacle, which Lancelot directly slashed off at the sharp end, causing her to scream in pain and leap backward abruptly. The combat had been too fierce just now, with Lancelot''s wide and sweeping sword moves covering all the space within seven feet of him, preventing Bruto from stepping forward to help. Kalalin and Alamir also found it difficult to lock onto the target with their spells due to Lancelot''s close entanglement with the enemy, fearing they might accidentally hurt their teammates and thus hesitated to cast. Now, as the Succubus moved away in pain, the two immediately threw out the spells they had prepared for a long time. Although it was Kalalin''s first encounter with a Succubus, he was familiar with such demons from legends (for well-known reasons, anything related to Succubi was a hot research topic among scholars). He knew well that Succubi possessed high spell resistance, and at his current level, the probability that his magic would be resisted was higher than two-thirds, so instead of casting offensive spells at the Succubus, he chose to cast enhancement spells on Lancelot. He unfurled a scroll and hurriedly recited a series of spells. Magic power was drawn by him through the Magic Net, flowing through the Arcane Runes on the scroll, which gently quivered as if ready to fly off the surface of the parchment at any moment. Kalalin pointed his finger at Lancelot and uttered the last word of the spell, and suddenly, a blue light appeared out of nowhere above Lancelot and then surged into his body. This was a Third Circle Haste Spell, significantly enhancing the recipient''s attack and movement speed. Kalalin, seeing Lancelot''s intent to engage the enemy, and aware of how dreadful the Succubus was, hesitated not a moment to use his once-daily capability of the Third Circle spell, casting the most suitable auxiliary spell for the situation.No?v(el)B\\jnn Alamir''s approach was much more straightforward. As a Priest of the Domain of Life, he had little combat experience. Moreover, his repertoire of offensive Divine Arts was quite limited, except for a zero-circle Divine Art common to all priests of good alignment: the Holy Fire Technique. Although it''s called the Holy Fire Technique, it causes Radiant Damage, and most Fiends from the lower planes are either completely immune to fire damage or highly resistant to it, but they cannot resist this type of damage. But her troubles were not over yet; a rapidly spinning hammer, carrying immense force, hurtled toward her. Barely turning her head in time, the hammer grazed past her face and struck a large pile of Gold Coins, creating a delightful clinking sound as the coins collided. Although she wasn''t hit directly, the left side of the Succubus''s face swelled as if she had been harshly slapped. Find adventures at empire What kind of damnable Succubus uses a bloody hammer as a weapon? In the blink of an eye, this thought flashed through her mind, and she instinctively looked in the direction from which the hammer had come. Bruto, who had just completed his throw, hadn''t yet managed to retract his arm when the cloth mask slipped from his face. The red-bearded face of the Succubus was fully captured in her sight. In the heat of battle, her mind went through a brief, complete non-magical blank. Facing an opponent like Lancelot, even a momentary lapse could be fatal. The Human Knight, under the effect of a Haste Spell, instantly closed in on the Succubus. Glacier and Frostslash intersected, swinging horizontally and vertically at her. Thanks to the four tentacles growing from her back, the Succubus propelled herself backwards in a defiance of common sense at the last moment, avoiding being cleaved in two. She flew backwards again, a deep gash from her left shoulder to her thigh, as copious amounts of blood sprayed into the air. Lancelot hadn''t expected the Succubus''s agility to be of this caliber; his sure-kill strike failed to eliminate his opponent, slowing his pursuit momentarily. The Succubus was likewise a veteran in battle. The demon''s constitution allowed her to ignore the excruciating pain of her grievous wounds, seizing this brief opportunity. Still airborne, she swiftly recited a spell and cast a life-saving healing spell on herself, then crashed into a small mountain of Gold Coins at the other end of the vault. Chapter 97 Fierce Battle on the Pile of Gold Coins (Part Two) The Succubus''s wounds on her skin rapidly writhed, nearly healing the bone-deep gashes in an instant. However, a bright flash of Holy Fire Technique immediately enveloped her, eliciting another infuriated, anguished scream. Desperate, she attempted to charge forward to take out the Priest first. A light clawing would render him incapable of casting Divine Arts ever again, or she could use her once-a-day ability to dominance over humanoids, making the priest truly believe she was his best friend. Yet that sword-wielding Succubus instantly closed in again, blocking all her escape routes. Damn it, how could a Succubus move so fast? And what''s with that bizarre armor she''s wearing? Lancelot was quite the sight at this moment. His robe had long been torn away, revealing the exquisite armor beneath, looking every bit the part of a knightly Succubus. In stark contrast with his slender frame was the weapon in Lancelot''s hands. In his left hand was the four-foot Hand Half Sword Frostslash, while his right brandished the terrifying seven-foot Giant Sword Glacier. The two Two-Handed Weapons transformed into a metallic whirlwind, and its ferocious attacks left the Succubus gasping for air. The Succubus had a dozen powerful spells at her disposal¡ªany one of them could have turned the tide of the battle. But Lancelot didn''t give her the chance. She had already realized just how formidable this Succubus was; a moment''s distraction in battle would let that Great Sword deprive her of her combat abilities completely. Moreover, it wasn''t just the terrifying strength and swift attacks of the opponent that troubled her. The Succubus had detected something off with the weapons in Lancelot''s hands. The swords contained a frosty element that discomforted her, as if it could extinguish the fire of life, greatly diminishing the effectiveness of her Healing Spells. Years of combat experience told her she couldn''t keep fighting like this. Escape was her only option, or death would be her only conclusion today. A brief moment was all she needed to cast a high-level Teleportation Technique and make her escape. However, the situation made it clear she would have to pay a significant price before she could leave. With that in mind, the Succubus steeled herself, her claws, and tendrils erupting with ultimate speed, trying to seize a Split-second advantage. Lancelot knew his enemy was fighting desperately. He pushed the True Qi in his Dantian to its limit almost instantly. Coupled with Kalalin''s Haste Spell effect, he surprisingly kept pace with the adversary''s two claws and four tendrils. Continue your adventure with empire The cheerleaders next to them had been awestruck by Lancelot''s still posture, and at this word, they unconsciously spoke out at the same time. The Succubus wanted to say something else, but after she finished speaking, her mouth didn''t close; her right upper lip and left lower lip were stuck together, as if they couldn''t separate. What''s going on? This was the last thought in the Succubus''s mind. Because of the movement while speaking, some kind of balance seemed to have been disrupted. The Succubus''s head split open like a watermelon from the top, a large amount of blood mist erupted from the cracks, like a boiling kettle. The bisected vitreous body slipped from the eye sockets but was caught by the optic nerves, swaying in mid-air like wind chimes. The crack continued to extend downward, through her neck, chest cavity, heart, stomach, all the way to the base of her right thigh. The Teleportation Magic didn''t trigger for some reason until now; a flash of yellow light passed by, and half of the Succubus''s right side disappeared, leaving behind half of her brain, a major part of her body, and two relatively intact legs. The exposed cut surface spewed out a large amount of blood, and broken internal organs slipped from the abdomen. The surface rapidly grew a mass of tumors and ulcers, as if some supernatural force sustaining the demon''s life was quickly dissipating. The unbalanced corpse fell on a pile of Gold Coins stained with blood; this Succubus died, dying on the treasure she was meant to protect. It''s unknown if her brain, before splitting in half, could comprehend what the Succubus Knight''s words "You''re already dead" meant. The reality was, the moment Lancelot had swung that Great Sword, she switched the True Qi that powered the Qingyun Sword Art with Innate True Qi. This not only extended the Great Sword''s Sword Aura by three feet but also caused its color to become nearly transparent from a faint cyan glow. This was Lancelot''s final killing move. The bulkiness of the Giant Sword Glacier was too obvious, so he powered a singular attack with the Qingyun Sword Art using Innate True Qi, and although the Sword Aura was nearly transparent, it would still cause a slight refraction of light. An opponent fully focused might still be able to dodge, but the Succubus''s own tentacles blocked most of her view, coupled with the need to concentrate on casting spells, which allowed Lancelot to strike a killing blow on the enemy on the spot. Chapter 98 Succubus Dimensional Bag lancelot''s heart was still beating frantically. in this battle, he truly pulled out all the stops, holding nothing back. he was fortunate to have detected the fluctuations of the teleportation magic in advance and launched a preemptive attack while the enemy was unprepared. he then made his initial advantage snowball, never giving the enemy a chance to turn the tables, and in the end, seized on the fatal error made by the opponent due to their intent to retreat. find exclusive content at empire but in reality, lancelot had expended a great deal. this was the first time he had gone all out since becoming a spiritual cultivator, and his control of power was far from perfect. if the fight had dragged on, he might have run out of true qi and been unable to maintain his suppression over the enemy. had the succubus realized that these few succubi were merely humans affected by transfiguration, the situation would have been even more perilous. they possess a series of potent enchantment control system spells targeted at humans, and lancelot did not want to test whether his mental techniques for controlling emotions could withstand the enchantment. he reached into his breastplate and extravagantly pulled out an upper grade spirit stone crystal to recover his true qi quickly. upper grade spirit stones had a much swifter recovery rate than middle grade, and with such a big haul today, there was no need to be stingy now. while recovering his true qi, he turned to say something only to realize that bruto and the others were still in shock. there was no helping it; lancelot''s performance just now had been terrifying. despite kalalin''s haste spell''s influence, that overwhelming might had broken through the limits of mortals, making one wonder if this succubus form of lancelot had become something else. "alright, alright, it''s all taken care of," said lancelot in a relaxed tone, bringing back a sense of familiarity for everyone. he picked up the dimensional bag from the ground, peeked inside through the opening, and was nearly blinded by the radiance of the treasures. "we''ve really hit the jackpot today, we should head out. if we don''t leave now, i''m afraid others will come," he declared. only then did the group snap out of their trance, with alamir giving lancelot a thumbs-up and saying in admiration, lancelot, bruto, and kalalin looked at the nearly naked corpse on the ground and simultaneously turned their questioning gazes towards the elf. "er, maybe i''m just too familiar with these demons," the elf said helplessly as he walked toward the mutilated body. "gentlemen, i suggest you avert your eyes..." ... a minute later, the completely stripped body of the succubus was cast aside, and everyone looked awkwardly at a sticky bag in alamir''s hand¡ªan actual dimensional bag. "i still haven''t developed the habit of looting bodies right after killing enemies," lancelot lamented internally. back in the military, one only needed to fight; nobody would carry treasures on them, and magical items were mere legends. cleanup after a battle was someone else''s job, and he had almost missed out on this valuable find. the elf priest''s face stiffened as he cast a first circle divine art, the water conjuring spell, and a stream of water appeared out of thin air. alamir used the water he had summoned to clean the surface of the bag, then opened it to peer inside, while the others watched his actions intently. "uh, there''s nothing else here, just a set of cleric equipment." he turned the dimensional bag inside out, a move that would spill all of its contents. instantly, a cleric''s robe, a set of chainmail, a uniquely designed nail-headed hammer, and a shield fell to the ground. seeing nothing unusual emerge, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. alamir, who had turned the dimensional bag right side out again, tossed it to lancelot and asked, "i can use these equipments, right?" "of course," lancelot replied, accepting the dimensional bag. he probed it with his divine sense and, confirming it was empty¡ªbut with quite a bit more space than his current one¡ªstowed the great sword glacier inside it and then tied the new bag around his waist. the one already filled with treasures was tucked into his chest. "look, this shield has the emblem of tir." kalalin pointed at the pattern of a warhammer and scales painted on the shield. "this is probably what the succubus used to disguise itself as someone else." a glow emanated from alamir''s hand as he gently touched the shield''s face, transforming the pattern of the warhammer and scales into the portrait of a lady with fluffy hair. "now it bears the emblem of the lady of love, shuni," said the elf with a shrug, donning the rest of the equipment. Chapter 99 Aerial Reconnaissance "ha! another dimensional bag, let''s pack some more!" bruto said excitedly, rubbing his hands together enthusiastically. lancelot was about to say something, but his expression suddenly changed. he pulled a small ball from his bosom; it had several cracks on its surface that were expanding rapidly. within moments, it had completely turned into a pile of fragments. "the goblins are in trouble," lancelot said with a solemn face, and started running out, "we''ve already gathered enough, they need help now." upon hearing this, everyone was stunned, but they immediately followed him. bruto had already grabbed a handful of gemstones and was stuffing them into his robe haphazardly. it was still too difficult for a dwarf to discard these shiny stones. the group ran up the stairs a bit further but found that there was no way to go. at that moment, alamir pulled a lever on the wall, and the ceiling above creaked open. after they climbed out through the exit, they realized they were right in the center of the stage. lancelot glanced around and immediately understood the severity of the situation. there were several large holes in the ceiling, with flashes of fire visible in the night sky; the floor too had many holes, apparently, the boulder that had crashed into the resting room came from here. the succubus palace had already partially collapsed, and there was no one around. from afar, the dense sound of weapon clashes and shouts indicated that a large-scale battle was underway. lancelot spotted a huge hole in a wall not far from them, identified the direction, and confirmed that it was where phil had placed explosives. he then led everyone towards that hole. passing through that hole, they arrived at a main street in oasis fort. looking around, battles were taking place everywhere, with various types of demons and humans fighting against magical creatures they had never seen before, plunging them immediately into the midst of battle. a volley of arrow-like objects flew towards them from above, and lancelot, quick as a flash, swung his sword and deflected them all. he looked up and saw a group of creatures resembling small gargoyles with purple skin, holding long spears, and with a spiny tail hanging beneath them; a flick could shoot out a spine. bruto let out a roar, quite coarse for a succubus, and threw his hammer. the hammer, spinning rapidly, traced a wavelike path through the air. one of the creatures failed to dodge in time, was struck squarely, and screamed as it fell out of their sight. "ha! bullseye!" bruto proudly exclaimed, catching the hammer as it flew back to him. "that''s a bazt demon!" kalalin said with a furrowed brow, "how could they be here?" after grasping the general situation, lancelot didn''t look closely anymore, but quickly scanned the nearby areas where battles were occurring, hoping to spot phil and the others. catching on that concentrating true qi in his eyes enhanced his abilities, he quickly spotted several dwarves within less than a block''s distance, surrounded and attacked by about seven or eight enemies with purple skin, wielding large cleavers. the dwarves, back against a street corner, had formed a tight defensive formation, with the light of healing divine arts occasionally flashing over them, which seemed to barely keep them supported, but lancelot knew that once the priest exhausted their divine arts, they would be in danger. he confirmed the route over, folded his wings, and plummeted downwards. just before hitting the ground, he vigorously flapped his wings a few times which slightly slowed his descent, but he still crashed heavily onto the ground, creating a circle of web-like cracks centered around him. "how is it? did you find them?" bruto burst out immediately after hearing the noise, anxiously asking. "follow me; they need support," lancelot said briefly, then turned and ran out along the route he had memorized. the rest quickly followed, as under their succubus forms, their speed was not slow, and surprisingly, alamir, clad in chainmail, effortlessly kept up with them. "tough guy," bruto looked back and winked at the elf. "regular training," the elf responded tersely. after about two minutes of running, they could already hear the battle cries of "moradin" up ahead. bruto let out a roar, his eyes turning blood red, and his speed increased by a third, rushing past lancelot to lead the charge. the moment he saw the enemy''s back, the bearded succubus fiercely threw his hammer, not slowing his steps, and crazily charged forward holding his shield. Chapter 100 Beard Demon the hammer whistled through the air and slammed into the back of a purple demon, sending the enemy flying with a deep dent formed in its back. the sudden attack from behind caught the enemy off guard, but these demons exhibited a discipline that left a deep impression on lancelot. generally, such pincer movements would send most soldiers into a panic, but these demons did not show the slightest disarray. the three that stood at the back quickly turned around, forming a defensive formation, ready to face this new foe. it was then that lancelot got a clear view of these demons. at first glance, these demons looked like muscular humans, but their purple skin, thick tails behind them, long and sharp fingernails, and elf-like pointed ears all indicated their extraordinary nature. but what was most impressive were their ''beards.'' the beards of these demons were as thick as thumbs, nearly a foot long, and ended in thorn-like spikes. these vine-like whiskers grew from their chins to the roots of their ears. from the small booklets kalalin had previously given him, which introduced common creatures from the lower planes, lancelot had read about these types of demons. in the infernal language, the name for this kind of demon is barbazu, but they are more widely known as beard demons, for obvious reasons. these demons were the backbone of the nine hells legion, unlike those barbarian-like berserk demons in the demon army, the barbazu were true professional soldiers. although their individual strength was greatly inferior to the berserk demon, their iron discipline and tenacious combat spirit often allowed them to defeat enemies several times their own strength. this is the nature of demons, their lawful disposition ensures they act in a completely different manner from demons. the eternal blood war between demons and demons started before mortals came into being, and will likely not end until mortals are completely extinct. despite being outnumbered and not as powerful individually, demons have mostly been on the winning side for the majority of the blood war. while infighting and individualistic combat among demons is certainly a reason, there is no denying that with iron discipline, superior command, and clever strategy, demons perform much better on the battlefield than demons. lancelot had also read several reports of the blood war, and amidst all the sensational, contradictory, and nonsensical text, he could still roughly piece together the process of battle. aside from the scale and gore far exceeding ordinary mortal understanding, the process of the battle reads like a large mob of peasants with pitchforks attacking a well-armed, well-trained regular army¡ªthe outcome was hardly difficult to predict. by the time they snapped out of their momentary daze, lancelot had already charged to bruto''s defense. taking advantage of the momentum from his charge, lancelot skillfully executed an over-the-shoulder slash and shouted at bruto, "fall back!" frostslash''s blade shone with a cyan light, the signature color of the cold iron weapon infused with the qingyun sword art''s sword aura. the beard demon that lancelot attacked swung its cleaver in an attempt to deflect the knight''s assault¡ªwhat turned out to be perhaps the gravest, and definitely the last mistake of its demonic existence. the beard demon''s large cleaver was like rotten wood, easily split by lancelot''s longsword without any deflection of his blade. the knight''s sword glow continued forward, passing between the demon''s eyes, which bulged in shock¡ªfreezing its expression forever. discover exclusive tales on empire with words and attack that seemed to carry a compelling force, bruto found himself retreating rapidly to the rear as lancelot had instructed, something a dwarf in combat mode would definitely not normally do. but retreating was undoubtedly the wise choice. a shield pressed against his back, and alamir''s voice echoed from behind, "for great love!" it must be said that the battle cry of the fiery-haired lady''s priest was laden with incongruity. fortunately, this did not affect the effectiveness of the healing spell. the emblem of shuni on alamir''s shield lit up, and a surge of positive energy in the form of a white radiance flowed into bruto''s body. this was the priest''s circle 1 divine arts healing spell, but bruto''s wounds were far from light, and alamir performed a circle upcasting, consuming a circle 2 spell slot to make the divine arts more powerful. Chapter 101 Phils Explosion shuni''s holy emblem emitted a bright red light, filled with positive energy and symbolic of life force, which surged into bruto''s body. the wounds on his back and shoulders healed at a visible rate. bruto blinked and realized that the pain had left his body; the formerly dire wounds had now become no more serious than scrapes from a fall. thanks to bruto''s reckless move, the previously dire situation of several temple guards had greatly improved. each of the dwarf warriors was injured, but none severely. dwarves, too, possessed a fine warrior tradition, with military prowess no less inferior to that of the demons. after lancelot and bruto each killed a beard demon, the number of beard demons decreased to six, turning the tide immediately. now outnumbered, these demons were caught between attacks from the front and the rear. "good heavens, lancelot, you arrived just in time," came a voice from behind the temple guards. it was a goblin, sounding lively and completely unharmed, "what in the world is this bearded succubus? is it that fool bruto?" "you''re the fool! green-skinned dwarf melon!" bruto roared back in the roughest voice a succubus could possibly have and charged forward again, swinging his hammer. meanwhile, lancelot was entangled in a fierce battle with the remaining two beard demons. while the demons were assaulting the city, many more battles awaited him that night. to conserve his true qi, he now relied solely on his physical strength to fight, still holding the upper hand despite facing two opponents. the demons had seen alamir heal bruto and, after witnessing lancelot''s superb swordsmanship, they understood clearly they had no chance of winning. suddenly, one of the beard demons shouted something in a very rough language, and the demons sprang into action. a beard demon launched a fierce attack on lancelot and the temple guards, while the remaining four without hesitation fled down a nearby small path. as a cleaver from a beard demon suddenly stabbed at him, lancelot executed his signature sword move ¡ª a downward swing followed by a turn and horizontal slash, ending with a stabbing thrust. his first downward swing knocked the enemy''s weapon into the ground, the following horizontal slash severed the unretreated arms of the beard demon at the elbows, and the final thrust pierced directly into the beard demon''s face ¡ª he remembered kalalin had said the weakness of demons was the heart, and that of demons was the brain.no?v(el)b\\jnn these swordsmanship skills he was already highly proficient in had been further enhanced by his physical augmentations as a spiritual cultivator, enabling him to execute the triple-move as fast as lightning, almost within the blink of an eye. however, the enemy''s purpose was still achieved, as another beard demon, which had also been engaging lancelot, had now escaped dozens of feet away. read new chapters at empire old reap suddenly ran towards lancelot''s side, lancelot noticed that the bartender was now in a half-werewolf state. apart from his nails that seemed excessively long, his body was still mostly human, but on his neck was a terrifying wolf''s head, running while frequently turning to check the fuse''s burn. lancelot was startled by his actions, flapping his wings instinctively forward, causing his whole body to slide backward. when the bomb''s fuse was finally about to burn out, old reap had already run more than twenty feet away. he abruptly threw himself to the ground, firmly covering his head with both hands. this posture stunned everyone, but after a few seconds, nothing happened. the beard demons, trapped in the web, also stared tensely at the bomb, heaving a sigh of relief and opening their mouths as if to say something. just then, the explosion occurred. first, there was a strong flash of light, followed by burst flames that engulfed all the demons, and then a circle of visible shockwave followed. lancelot sharply turned around, his wings tightly wrapped around his body, using his sword to brace against the ground, barely managing to stabilize himself. bruto and kalalin didn''t react as quickly, their succubus wings like sails absorbing too much wind, blasting them backward like sheets of paper fiercely blown away. "oh haha! what a beautiful explosion!" phil''s voice came up, filled with a sick frenzy. all of a sudden, lancelot particularly understood old reap''s earlier reaction, noting that the werewolf apparently wasn''t a first-time victim of this goblin''s explosive schemes. Chapter 102 The Secret of the Signature Dish "phil!!" a piercing howl of a wolf echoed as old reap suddenly leaped from the ground and pounced toward the culprit responsible for the explosion. lancelot looked towards where the demon had been trapped. the cobwebs were evidently flammable; the blaze from the explosion first ignited them and then blew them apart. if oasis fort had been a town mainly built of wood, a terrible fire would have already begun. the three demons at the center naturally couldn''t have survived the blast. if they had spent the time they were staring dumbfounded at the bomb trying to get free of the web, they might have had a sliver of hope, but now their bodies had been blown into a hundred pieces, evenly scattered over a nine-foot radius, dead beyond any doubt. faced with the ferociously approaching werewolf bartender, phil frantically began running circles around the dwarf guards, attempting to avoid capture by the angry victim. but his short goblin legs were obviously no match for the half-werewolf reap, who caught him by the collar and lifted him high into the air. "easy, easy!" the goblin cried out, "your claws are hurting me!"no?v(el)b\\jnn "they! were! already! tangled!" reap''s terrifying wolf face roared in phil''s face, showering him with saliva, "all you needed was a longer stick to poke them to death!" "what''s wrong with using a bomb? i clearly left you plenty of time to get away!" phil argued anxiously, "oh look, there''s a toe, here''s a nose, and what''s that lump of mush over there? the demon''s little ding-dong? why are they all over the place? because my bomb did the job quick and well!!" "i swear, if it happens again, i''ll twist off your head, have the chef from the succubus palace take care of it, and then eat it spoonful by spoonful!" the werewolf raged with bloodshot eyes, and if his threatening words hadn''t sounded so logical, lancelot might have thought he would actually lose control and tear the goblin to pieces the next moment. "uh, excuse me for a moment, we brought out that chef from the succubus palace," lancelot said, barely holding back his laughter, and pointed behind him, "as well as the top male host. gentlemen, please allow me to introduce, this is alamir, a priest of the god of love." "uh, please disregard the first part of the introduction about me," the elf priest walked over somewhat embarrassed, "as sir lancelot mentioned, i am a priest of shuni, and if you have any worries or questions about love, you can come to me." "no way, you''re that priest?!" reap exclaimed, dropping phil to the ground, the latter also looking surprised at alamir. "what a pity, i was hoping you could do something with this guy''s brain," the half-werewolf glared fiercely at the goblin, "so he won''t blow us all to smithereens one day with his bombs!" at this point, the four dwarf temple guards also finished tending to their wounds and walked towards lancelot''s group. bruto''s eyes lit up, and he hurriedly went forward to greet them: "uncle witt!" the bearded succubus called out to the dwarf priest, "are you guys alright?" "by moradin, bruto? is that you?" the dwarves looked completely shocked by bruto''s present form. they were well aware of the details of the plan but had not actually seen the transformed appearances of lancelot''s group. "it''s me, haha!" bruto took off his transforming ring and reverted back to his dwarven appearance, rushing up to give old dwarf witt a big hug, "we succeeded!" "why did you have to take off that ring before hugging me? i''ve seen plenty of succubi in twin bridges town, but no one could compare to you!" priest witt chuckled, "those demons'' whiskers are poisonous, but we dwarves are not afraid of such mild poison. however, their weapons did give us quite a bit of trouble, just a scratch would cause unstoppable bleeding, but luckily you all arrived. did you get the cross pickaxe? where is it?" "it''s with me," lancelot said, taking the cross pickaxe out of the dimensional bag and handing it to witt, "take a look, was this worth risking so much for?" stay updated through empire upon seeing the cross pickaxe, the dwarf priest''s expression became very serious. he carefully took it, murmuring something in dwarven under his breath, his hands gently brushing the surface of the cross pickaxe. a gold emblem appeared on the cross pickaxe, and lancelot saw it was in the shape of a mountain with a gemstone within it, and next to it was a line of text written in dwarven. "that''s the emblem of dumasong, the keeper of secret treasures among the dwarven gods," kalalin explained to lancelot, "with the power of this deity, any items related to the dwarves can reveal much information to them." Chapter 103 Evacuation Route "this is indeed dain frostbeard''s holy relic," vito declared, his eyes filled with fervor. "give us more time, and perhaps we could uncover some clues that tell us the whereabouts of this platinum guard. the father god would surely be pleased!" "sorry to interrupt," old reap, the werewolf, spoke up impatiently. "it''s enough to confirm that the thing is alright. when you return to twin bridges town, you''ll have plenty of time to study it slowly, but right now, we have worse things to worry about." "when i flew up into the sky just now, i saw the demons fiercely attacking the city," lancelot said with a frown. "you''re the local leader here, have you heard anything?" "no more than anyone else," the werewolf shrugged. "there was absolutely no warning. the demon legion just appeared like that, probably using some kind of concealment magic. wait, no wonder some of the scouting teams went missing; they must have stumbled upon some traces and then got caught by the demons." "at least molo has boosted the guard''s strength, so this still doesn''t count as a successful surprise attack," lancelot nodded. "but why would the demons attack oasis fort? just a month ago, i heard that volcano fortress was fiercely battling the demon legion. could it be that volcano fortress has fallen?" "that''s unlikely," old reap shook his head. "''destruction flame'' visuvius might be a temperamental tyrant, but breaking through his defenses would require one of the eight demon generals in person. however, it would not be difficult for a small troop to bypass the fortified zone of volcano fortress." "what''s bad is, once oasis fort falls, twin bridges town will not only have its supply routes cut off but will also have to face the edge of the demon legion directly," phil said, his face looking extremely grim as his deep green skin nearly turned black with worry. "anyway, we must let lady tijana know about this as soon as possible," old reap shook his head. "i definitely don''t want to stay in a place that''s about to be conquered by demons." "why don''t we try to help defend oasis fort?" lancelot cautiously suggested. "we''re not short of hands, and these ordinary demon soldiers don''t seem too hard to deal with." "help molo, that backstabbing scum, protect his house?" old reap looked at lancelot incredulously, trying to make his words sound less harsh. "if we succeed, that male succubus won''t be grateful in the slightest, highly likely he''ll even round up all the impressive performers as spies and torture them for interrogation, i definitely don''t want to attract any of his attention." "well, i hadn''t really thought that much about it." old reap looked very sincere, "that leaves only the third route. there''s always been a legend in oasis fort about a secret passage under the slave pens that the slaves used to escape. the passage does exist, but the legend isn''t entirely accurate, because it was actually dug by hyena-men studying necromancy to steal bodies, and now it''s filled with packs of undead creatures, and something even worse. indeed, some slaves discovered this passage and thus disappeared from oasis fort, but the fate awaiting them was not escape but becoming part of those undead creatures." "undead creatures? you mean like zombies and skeletons?" lancelot asked curiously, "weapons still hurt them, right? i mean, considering they''ve already died once..." "chopping off the head of an undead can surely quiet them, but you have to be careful, undead won''t lose their combat ability just because their kidney is hit or an arm is chopped off," old reap explained, "but my main concern was thinking about our two priests; their divine arts are a bane to undead creatures." "good." lancelot nodded, "where''s the entrance and exit of this secret passage?" "the entrance is in the corpse pit at the bottom of the slave pens, not a very pleasant place. the exit leads to a hyena-man den underground in a small grove outside the city, from where we can find many exits, and of course, a bunch of hyena-men eagerly welcoming us at home, though they won''t be tougher to handle than the demon legion." while they were talking, fireballs streaked across the sky, and one fell on a street not far from them, smashing into the ground creating a large crater. the massive tremor caused everyone to stumble and fall to the ground. continue reading at empire "that grove is also precisely the rally point we arranged with iados," phil said while dusting off his clothes, "the demon''s assault seems to be getting stronger. let''s use the passage beneath the slave pens and leave now." "is he here too?" the werewolf raised an eyebrow and looked up to determine the direction, "seems like the choice is quite clear now, follow me." Chapter 104 Slave Enclosure "so, can we take off the transformation rings now?" bruto complained as he followed along. "i guess those zombies and skeletons aren''t exactly interested in beauty." "yes, but it''s best to keep one. the identity of the succubus might help us get into the slave enclosure." "i''ll keep it," lancelot said confidently. "the transformation doesn''t greatly affect my combat abilities." "whatever makes you happy." bruto shrugged, removed his transformation ring, and, with a flash of magic, he turned back into the young dwarf. "ah, this feels much better." the werewolf reap led the way at the front, with bruto and the succubus-figured lancelot following close behind. kalalin didn''t revert from his succubus form either; he, along with alamir, koula, phil, and dwarf priest witt, walked in the middle of the group. the remaining three temple guards of moradin followed at the very end, these brave dwarves responsible for covering the rear. aside from the halfling koula, everyone in the group had impressive combat capabilities. phil might be an unstable factor, since the goblin''s bombs posed a great threat to both enemies and allies alike. however, koula seemed familiar with this type of adventurous activity. nobody noticed when she ended up with a small knife in her hand, apparently the blade of the large cleaver that lancelot had chopped off. moreover, lancelot noticed that her furry bare feet made no sound on the ground, just like a cat''s. lancelot reminded himself to ask this little one how she ended up in this dreadful plane. the group swiftly navigated through oasis fort, occasionally encountering small bands of demons. these purple bartez wisely chose not to trouble them¡ªpartly because the group looked genuinely formidable. the berserk devils whimpered and retreated, once again proving that fear was the most effective means of ruling over demons. "it''s ironic," kalalin laughed, shaking his head, "that demons, creatures utterly dominated by violence and the desire to destroy, are most afraid of pain. a demon captured alive by demons would spill all they knew within minutes, no need for high-level spellcasters'' assistance." "i''m afraid these big toads won''t let us in," lamented the werewolf with a pained expression, "entry to the slave enclosure requires a slaver''s certification, a token issued by molo that allows slavers to rent a warehouse inside to store their ''inventory.'' i can''t get such a thing now." "what do we do then?" bruto asked anxiously, "do we just wait here for them to leave on their own?" "exactly. there is a real blood battle outside, and without high-level demons watching, want to bet how long these big toads can hold out?" bruto closed his mouth and said no more, as everyone patiently hid in the shadows of the building across from the slave enclosure, pricking up their ears to the sounds around them. lancelot, touching a mountain crystal equivalent to a middle grade spirit stone, restored his true qi for the possible upcoming battle. his hearing was much more sensitive than the others, clear on any significant noise within a mile radius. the latest battle occurred less than six hundred feet from them, mostly between beard demons and mercenaries within oasis fort, as he heard the distinctive sound of the beard demons'' large cleaver, the screech of colliding weapons, and the particular crunch when plate armor was breached. the victorious side marched off in uniform steps, and he knew without guessing who the winners were. faint yet dense battle sounds drifted from farther away. the siege was still intensely underway, mixed with the rage-filled roars of demons in battle and their dying wails. by contrast, the demons were much quieter, save for occasional loud, crude language that seemed like shouting orders. from the sounds, the attack seemed to be occurring from all directions. the demonic lines had not collapsed, but the falling boulders were gradually destroying key defensive structures. Chapter 105 Kalalins Plan the siege engines launching these boulders seemed to have poor accuracy; many of the stones smashed into the city instead of hitting the walls. this didn''t quite fit with the strict impression demons usually made on people, and it was likely because these siege engines were hastily assembled. then the question arose, where to find the materials to build these siege engines? "old reap, aside from that forest to the south of the city, are there any other woods nearby?" "no, this plane has a severe allergy to most plants," the werewolf shrugged his shoulders, "why do you ask?" "i was wondering where these stone-launching devices were made." lancelot pointed upwards as a burning fireball flew about fifty feet above their heads and smashed a stone tower nearby to rubble. a few berserk demons crawled out from the ruins, bellowing in anger. the few pieces of cloth they wore were on fire, but the tanari possessed high flame resistance. such flames couldn''t cause much damage but were enough to ignite the demons'' anger. "i see what you mean," the werewolf said dryly, "there probably aren''t many demons left there now. what i mean is, the battle has already begun, right? and the wolf-men''s tunnels usually have many exits, so slipping out unnoticed shouldn''t be hard." "we''ll talk about it when the time comes." the werewolf made some sense, so lancelot didn''t dwell on the topic any longer. as long as they weren''t emerging right in the middle of the demon camp, there shouldn''t be a problem. he had just slaughtered a succubus today and was brimming with confidence. on the other hand, those berserk demons who had climbed out from the ruins of the tower were mumbling to each other. out of curiosity and boredom, lancelot focused his hearing on those giant toads and overheard the following conversation: "those damn bartez! i''m going to break their bones and drink their brain juice!" "just stay put! legion commander raziel ordered us to hold this tower! do you want a taste of his fury?" "ah! to hell with it! such bad luck! why did it have to be me guarding this crappy tower?" "most of those bartez are probably lining up, giving those guys on the walls the thrill of the kill, and we''re stuck here guarding these damned stones!" lancelot had a flash of inspiration and, using the technique of secret sound transmission, imitated the voices and tones of the berserk demons and whispered a sentence into the ear of the loudest complaining toad. "can your illusion magic mimic the effect of a fireball falling from the sky?" "er, i''m afraid not," kalalin shook his head, "minor illusions can either create a static, small-scale illusion or produce some sound. to mimic the effect of a giant rock crashing down would require a third circle spell, advanced illusion, but i''ve already used up my only third circle spell slot during the fight with the succubus." "do you have any plans?" phil asked curiously, "can my bombs help in any way?" "i''m thinking, if we can destroy that gate, then the demons won''t have anything left to guard," lancelot explained, "at the same time, if we can convince the big toads that the destruction was the work of the devils'' siege engines, maybe that would be enough to drive them off." "oh! that''s a good idea!" phil rubbed his hands excitedly, "i have several bombs that can utterly destroy that gate!" "i originally planned to go up and talk to them myself while kalalin created an illusion of a falling fireball. while the demons were distracted by the sky, you''d throw your bombs and blow the area to smithereens, then persuade the berserk demons to seek revenge on the devils," lancelot shrugged, "looks like that''s not going to work now." "oh, no!!!!!" like a child learning there''s no gift for midwinter, phil was anxious, pacing back and forth on the ground, "i love that idea so much! kalalin, can''t you cast another third circle spell? aren''t there any second circle spells that might work? those big toads are stupider than you think; even a fake illusion would fool them!" "i''m sorry, but i''m afraid that''s not possible," kalalin looked apologetically at everyone, "alamir, uncle vito, do any of your divine arts have something that can help?" the elf priest and his dwarf companion exchanged a glance and helplessly shook their heads. the goblin looked miserably wronged. he sulkily took a dimensional bag off his waist and pulled out a massive bomb, two heads taller than himself, and caressed the black shell as if it were a lover, muttering to himself: "don''t be sad, casalilia, daddy will find you a better home next time, i promise..." "this guy''s completely lost it," old reap anxiously observed the giant bomb, "i think we''d better stand back. anything this guy makes in my line of sight makes me uncomfortable." "lancelot has provided a good line of thought," kalalin stroked his perfectly sculpted succubus chin, "how much does this thing weigh, approximately?" "two hundred forty-seven pounds, twelve and three-quarter ounces," phil reported the exact number immediately, the goblin looked at the disguised scholar with hope, "what are you thinking?" "if a fake illusion won''t do, why not just use the real thing?" for once, a mischievous smile appeared on kalalin''s face, "first, let me confirm, this bomb won''t explode from moving and shaking during transport, will it?" Chapter 106 Brotherhood in the Abyss "she''s called casalilia!" the goblin huffed, pulling out a small box from his pocket with a big red button on it, and a metal wire at the top, "it''s only when you press this button on the remote control that she''ll explode! no matter if you throw her off a cliff or chuck her into a foundry, casalilia, like a stubborn nun, will refuse to show you her true passion!" "impressive, but can you put that remote away first?" kalalin asked nervously, eyeing the device in the goblin''s hand, "lancelot, are you able to carry this thing and fly?" "are you joking, of course not," lancelot shook his head, "but couldn''t i just put it in the dimensional bag?" "uh, right, didn''t think of that," kalalin said with an embarrassed smile, "last question, phil, this... casalilia, right? what''s her... explosion radius approximately?" "i''ve never tested it," phil shrugged, "listen, each bomb like casalilia is a work of art, have you ever seen two paintings that are exactly the same?" "what he wants to know is, how far away do we need to be standing to be safe when this bomb explodes?" the werewolf interrupted the goblin''s endless self-promotion, clearly annoyed, "you''d better give us a conservative number, though i''m sure i''ll be enjoying your fireworks from twice that distance." "a hundred feet will do," the goblin said, puffing out his chest and looking squarely at the werewolf. "got it, three hundred feet then." "come on!" phil deflated, "if you want to enjoy a sexy explosion, you need to be close enough!" "wow! thank heavens, there are no holes to stick on the bomb, such a pity!" old reap rolled his eyes and spread his hands to everyone, making it clear that this goblin was beyond help. "so you want me to fly over those guys'' heads and then drop this bomb, right?" lancelot said with interest to the scholar, "but a flying succubus is just too eye-catching, how are you planning to solve this problem?" at these words, kalalin smiled and pulled out a scroll from underneath his robe, saying: unexpectedly, the halfling koula raised her little arm. "i... i''m quite curious," koula said somewhat sheepishly, this being the first time she had spoken up in quite a while, "i''m an alchemist too, although my specialty is primarily potions... but i''m also interested in explosives, it''s a great learning opportunity." "you''re an alchemist too?" alamir looked very surprised, "i... i always thought you were a professional chef." "all halflings are professional chefs," koula shrugged, "but to reach my level, you still need a little help from alchemy..." "oh! my dear colleague!" the goblin''s face turned emerald green with excitement, "you''ve read dr. alfred''s notes, haven''t you? casalilia is using the alchemical formula of that yellow explosive, it''s safe, controllable, and powerful!" "wow! really? i''ve always wanted to try, but the ingredients for making that fire oil are too hard to find..." "hahaha, that''s because you haven''t encountered coward devils, a type of low rank demon almost as when it comes to status, completely fatty, whose fat is the best ingredient for it..." "the halfling race is full of curiosity," kalalin explained to the somewhat stunned lancelot, "this often leads them into all sorts of trouble, like being trapped in a demon brothel as a chef, but halflings always believe they have the luck to get out of these predicaments." "i heard halflings are the goddess of luck''s favorites and they bring good fortune to their companions," lancelot shrugged, "judging by the current situation, her luck does seem pretty good." "um..." the nearby alamir swallowed hard, "i can still cast a 3rd circle divine art, but resurrection can''t restore limbs that have been blown off, so if possible, try to keep your body intact..." "oh, don''t worry, i won''t die!" the goblin had already taken out a small shovel and started digging a hole on the spot. "if i do die, don''t bother resurrecting me. i don''t want to go through the pain of death only to come back and see your ugly mug again!" "i don''t want that either," the werewolf shook his head, "let''s walk a little farther and then use that invisibility technique scroll, we don''t want those big toads to see the flash of magic." Chapter 107 High Altitude Bombing a moment later. lancelot carefully flapped his wings and gradually rose in the air. kalalin''s invisibility spell had taken effect on him, but if one looked closely, one would still notice a significant refraction of light as it passed through his body, as if his body had become a transparent fish tank. however, if one didn''t pay special attention, it was indeed difficult to notice the strange change in the light, and just as he had guessed, none of the berserk demons near the gate were paying attention to what was above their heads. he was very sure of this, since demons without necks, if attempting to tilt their heads back over 60 degrees, would present a comically out-of-character temperament for their species, which would be very conspicuous from his vantage point. worried that moving too vigorously might disrupt the effect of the invisibility spell, lancelot dared not fly too fast. however, the view from up high was very wide open, allowing him to see many things clearly. oasis fort now resembled a burning doughnut, with the entire ring of walls set ablaze. this was a common trick used by demons in battle against demons¡ªalthough the tanari demons had high resistance to flames, the bartez demons were completely immune to fire. the siege was fiercely intense, and by his reckoning, only an hour had passed since the demons launched the first boulder. lancelot had experienced sieges before; the shortest one lasted nearly half a year, and from the posture of the demons, seemed they planned to end this battle before sunrise. thanks to molo''s near-psychotic sixth sense, a tripled guard force kept the walls from falling at the first onslaught. without the walls, the undisciplined demons would have quickly fallen into a state of every demon for himself and then been systematically devoured by teams of demon soldiers. it looked like the demons could hold out for a while longer, unless the demons had some tricks up their sleeves. fortunately, he didn''t expect the device to cause much harm; the bomb was like a tiny spark thrown into a haystack, meant to ignite the berserk demons'' fury. with just a whisper of a secretive incantation, he hoped to incite them to recklessly seek out the demons for a fierce battle. considering the wind''s influence, lancelot flew forward a few more feet. at that moment, a pattern of lights¡ªlong, short, and continuously repeating¡ªflickered from a corner on the ground below. it was phil signaling to him that it was time to drop the bomb. lancelot took a deep breath, reaching into the dimensional bag and felt for the smooth body of the bomb and the handle made for gripping. he then yanked the bomb out of the dimensional bag. space and matter around the opening of the bag were strangely distorted, returning any object passing through to its normal size. the bomb, weighing over two hundred pounds, made him plummet downward, far exceeding what his succubus wings were capable of carrying. lancelot quickly let go, allowing the bomb to fall freely downwards. lancelot raised his hands, pleased to find himself still invisible. he flapped his wings to ascend, eager to witness the bomb''s explosion. the goblins'' over-the-top reactions piqued his curiosity. seconds later, the surface of the bomb began to emit a blaze, powered by a dwarven incendiary. aside from being slightly small and too vertically aligned, it looked strikingly similar to the fireballs launched by demons using siege weapons. lancelot was satisfied with his accuracy; from his perspective, the bomb would land within twenty feet of the slave enclosure gate. this level of precision should suffice. as the bomb''s descent sped up, it emitted a sharp whistling noise. the big toads looked around uneasily, but for these neckless demons, spotting a threat coming directly from above was too difficult. it was only when the bomb was less than fifty feet above their heads that some of the berserk demons noticed the incoming fireball. by then, its descent was too swift, and the toads on the ground had no time to dodge. the fiercely burning bomb trailed a long tail of flames, allowing phil, who was observing from a short distance, to clearly see its position. he needed to detonate it just before it hit the ground. if not, the triggering mechanism might get damaged by the impact. however, he could not do it too early; otherwise, the bomb would explode mid-air, greatly reducing its destructive power. Chapter 108 Explosion Scene the goblin seized the perfect moment, pressing the red button on the remote control just as the bomb was less than ten feet from the ground. however, like most goblin-made devices, something malfunctioned, and the bomb didn''t detonate immediately. instead, it smashed directly onto a berserk demon, grinding the nearly eight-foot-tall demon into a disgusting mound of flesh. "what''s going on? this can''t be!" phil repeatedly pressed the red button and then knocked the controller against the ground, but nothing happened. meanwhile, the group of berserk demons at the gate had excitedly gathered around to enjoy their comrade''s creatively gruesome death. just then, perhaps due to the impact of hitting the ground, the bomb inexplicably started working again. the goblin pressed the red button on the remote once more, and a sudden flash restored the sparkle to his face. "get down!!" he threw himself to the ground and reached out to pull the halfling down with him. lancelot''s vision was instantly filled with an intense white light. fortunately, the true qi he had focused in his eyes beforehand provided protection, or else he would have been blinded for a long time. realizing something wasn''t right, he activated his wings with true qi and flapped them desperately, flying away as fast as he could. as the light began to fade, lancelot saw a blazing fireball rising, with a column of smoke below it. together they formed a jellyfish-like shape, slowly moving upward. lancelot felt a wave of regret. it seemed that the werewolves'' accusations and precautions against the goblins were justified, and he should have realized this after witnessing the bomb that had killed three beard demons. but regret was useless now. he flapped his wings viciously, increasing his speed, then folded them to minimize resistance. he also circulated the true qi throughout his body to ensure its maximal strength. after all, having survived an explosion before, he knew exactly what was coming next. the shockwave caught up to him about fifteen seconds after the detonation, the violent air current making him feel like a football being fiercely kicked by a giant. thankfully, he was high in the sky, where there was nothing but air, which greatly weakened the shockwave''s lethal force. lancelot was pushed by the wind and tumbled through the air, but he managed to control his rolling body and realized he was nearly blown outside of oasis fort. now, with a few flaps of his wings, he could leave oasis fort and accomplish his goal of escape. but this would likely mean doom for the companions he left inside the fortress. from a purely selfish perspective, this was undoubtedly the best option, but lancelot couldn''t abandon his friends. he struggled to determine his bearings, attempting to locate the slave enclosures. it was not difficult. meanwhile, alamir had begun to chant the resurrection art spell, ready to pull his friend''s soul back from the netherworld. as everyone was halfway through digging, the debris suddenly began to churn on its own, and goblin phil burst out from underneath, followed by the not-quite-lucid halfling koula. "ahem, ahem, ahem... what''s everyone busy with? did you see that..." old reap delivered a kick, sending phil straight back to the ground. "goddamn goblin, your explosions never have a consistent yield! how come you didn''t get blown to bits this time, you green-skinned monkey?" the werewolf looked very agitated; the explosion, far exceeding expectations, had clearly triggered many unpleasant memories for him. "oh!!! old reap! i''m so glad to see you too!!!" the goblin''s hearing seemed to be off, and he wasn''t aware that he was kicked over, showing a sincere smile to the werewolf, "did you see that beautiful mushroom cloud?? wasn''t it awesome!!" the werewolf rolled his eyes and turned away from the explosion maniac. "hey!! alamir!!!" koula greeted the elf with enthusiasm, his face full of excitement, like a child who had played to his heart''s content outside. seeing that goblin phil and koula were alright, lancelot couldn''t help but sigh in relief. he turned his head toward the site of the explosion. the raging fire had gradually died down, and where the gate once stood, there was now a large hole with nothing within a three-foot radius around it. there were no remnants of demons at the scene; the blast had scattered their remains far and wide, some still lodged in the crevices of the dwarves'' armor. clearly, the next planned step¡ªto deceive the guards into a final battle with the demons¡ªwas no longer necessary, for there were no guards left to deceive. "so we can go in now, right?" he looked at the werewolf, who was also assessing the damage caused by the explosion. "of course," the werewolf shrugged, "there''s no one to stop us now." Chapter 109 Rapid Descent into the Deep Pit a group of people circled around the pit on the ground that seemed not yet fully solidified and entered the interior of the slave enclosure. along the walls of the pit, a descending passageway was built that spiraled around several times, appearing to reach all the way down to the bottom. an eerie layer of black mist hovered above the pile of skeletons at the bottom, obscuring the details of the pit''s depths from their vantage point. for lancelot, who knew all too well what lay beneath, the black veil offered little comfort. "what''s down there?" bruto asked curiously, staring at the bottom of the pit, "seems like there''s something dense and numerous?" "there, lies the pit of corpses." the werewolf reap stroked his chin, "just to give you a heads-up, there are billions of skeletons down there, filling up the entire bottom of the pit. it''s a scene of horror you blokes from the prime material plane haven''t even seen in your nightmares. if any of you are scared of seeing skulls or have claustrophobia, you''d better find a blindfold now." the group exchanged silent glances, and it was bruto who eventually spoke: "and what''s with this layer of black mist?" "i don''t know, the resentment of the unjustly dead? souls that can''t leave? with so many corpses piled up, isn''t it normal to have some strange phenomena?" reap shrugged, "the sun in the plains of the abyss is weak. even at noon, its light can''t dispel that black mist." "has this black mist always been so thick?" kalalin asked, frowning as he looked towards the bottom of the pit, "i mean, it''s almost tangible." "seems thicker than when i was here last time." the werewolf scratched his head, "to be honest, i haven''t paid much attention to it. whenever i sneak in here, there are troubles more worthy of my attention than this black mist." "where''s the entrance to that secret passage?" the goblin phil approached one side of the path, examining the interior of the slave enclosure, "we''re not going to have to go down to the very bottom, are we?" "if the entrance were somewhere else, it''d have been discovered long ago." the werewolf replied and urged the group to move on, "let''s get going. if we walk fast, it should take us about half an hour to get to the bottom." "go down?!" phil let out a cry of despair, and koula, who was about the same height as him, also showed a fearful expression, "do we have to circle around and around? isn''t there any shortcut or something?" "thank you, mr. kalalin. i''m sorry for the trouble. i''m quite skilled at making potions myself, and i''ll definitely return the favor someday." "don''t mention it," kalalin winked at her, "i''m sure i''ll be drinking plenty of your potions in the future." the antitoxin potion was much more popular. except for the dwarf, nearly everyone drank a bottle, lancelot included. the dark green, semi-transparent potion left a memorable impression with its taste¡ªlike a blend of bitter melon, lemon, and mint leaves. but once it was swallowed, it brought an incredibly strong sensation of coolness, as if even the air taken into the lungs was much fresher. one after another, the group jumped into the dimensional bag. even kalalin, who was still wearing the transformation ring and carried the form of a succubus, went in¡ªthe scholar had never practiced using the wings of a succubus'' body, so jumping down was about as effective as holding an umbrella. lancelot picked up the dimensional bag, reaching one hand inside. someone tapped on the back of his hand¡ªit was kalalin''s since it was a succubus claw and matched his current state. he walked to the edge of the road and leaped down with a bound. in mid-air, the succubus knight dove down the curved edge of the large pit like a swallow. by slightly adjusting the angle of his wings, he could change the direction of flight, which was a technique he had just mastered. as he descended, he noticed demon guards patrolling the path that circled the pit walls. these demons were checking each cell, and when they found one filled with coward devils or prime demons¡ªwho were cannon fodder for the battles¡ªthey were immediately released and driven to run upward. from time to time, some demons would notice lancelot flying past, but after a mere glance, they would look away. succubi held a special status in demon society¡ªwherever they wanted to go, they went, and no one interfered. under normal circumstances, these demons might have tried to show off their masculine charms to the succubus, but at the moment, no one had time to pay attention to her. in less than a minute, lancelot reached the bottom of the pit. from this distance, the bottom of the pit was like a desert made of bones. lancelot spared a moment of sympathy for the mental state of everyone and proceeded to pull each of his companions out of the dimensional bag, one by one. Chapter 110 Eckmond "by moradin''s long beard! i effing hit a big hammer!" after coming out of the dimensional bag, bruto was instantly shocked by the surrounding scene, repeatedly exclaiming in horror, "what in the blazes is this damned place?" "this is the corpse pit," the werewolf patted the young dwarf''s shoulder, "i warned you, get used to it." in fact, that bruto could still swear was quite impressive. aside from old reap who had been here before, all the others fell into a state of severe shock, staring blankly around them, shocked into a loss of speech by this overwhelmingly impactful scene. the most strongly affected were alamir and vito. these two good-aligned priests were shaking violently, seemingly driven to the brink of madness by this mountain of evidence of sin. lancelot silently exercised the ice heart technique and gently coughed. the voice, carrying true qi, was like the tolling of a bell in a desolate valley, awakening those in a state of shock. "how on earth was this place formed?" kalalin muttered, the trembling in his voice betraying the fear in his heart. "to prevent slaves from escaping, slavers nailed the cages tight during transport, not opening them until they arrived at oasis fort. when they finally reached the fort, often times less than half of the slaves in the cages were still alive. and those who died along the way..." the werewolf said grimly, stamping his foot, "their bodies were thrown here." "may the souls of these sufferers find peace with their gods," alamir said with a face full of sorrow. he worshipped shuni, the god of love, who under the lady''s blessing celebrated the beauty of love, and these victims naturally could no longer taste the flavor of love. "rest in the embrace of the father god, my fellow brethren," vito crouched on the ground, sadly caressing a skull that clearly belonged to a dwarf. such thick-topped skulls were common; because of the dwarves'' exceptional skills in stonemasonry and forging, they were the slave race most favored by the demon lord. it is said that tijana did not attempt to enslave dwarves at the very start of twin bridges town, perhaps only succubi, a rare type of demon not dominated by the desire for destruction, could understand that enslavement is the least efficient form of rule. "uh, i can''t answer that question either," the skull expressed helplessly. "you don''t know yourself?" lancelot asked with curiosity. "i''ve lost most of my memories." the skull made a helpless gesture, "i know how to use language, and my mind is filled with knowledge about mark city and other outer layer planes, but i don''t know anything about my own past experiences. my memory starts at the bottom of a dark pile of bones, which took me who knows how long to crawl out of, and since then i''ve been trapped in this desert made of bones." "do you still remember your name? how long have you been here?" lancelot continued to ask. the place was full of bones, the air too chaotic, so he hadn''t sensed this creature''s presence before. "the only name i remember is eckmond, so i guess that''s my name. as for how long i''ve been here..." the skull glanced with its mouth, "since the first time i saw the sky above, i''ve witnessed the alternation of light and darkness ten thousand times. my only pastime has been to watch the fresh corpses thrown down from above. if i''m lucky, i come across some that can still breathe and can chat with them for a while. other than that, there''s nothing else, this life is really driving me mad..." "can''t you fly?" lancelot asked, noting there were no supports under the skull, "why not just fly out of here?" "i can only fly up to six feet off the ground, with this height, i can''t possibly fly out. by the way, i suspect that was my height when i was alive. and with only a mouth, i can''t climb rocks, don''t ask me how i know," the skull chattered rapidly, clearly excited to be able to talk to someone. "according to my observations, the height of these bones rises about half a foot every hundred days, which means i have to wait another thirty-thousand-plus days to reach that circular platform. then, i could follow the spiral upwards and escape from this maddening tedium, but now you''ve come, which is truly a godsend..." "have you seen this guy before?" lancelot, seeing that the skull was quite the chatterbox, quietly asked reap while it babbled on. "no, the entrance to the secret passage is there, and i''ve always made a point of leaving this ghastly place as quickly as possible," the werewolf shook his head, pointing to a certain spot on a platform on the edge of the pit of bones, "when i said at the bottom of the pit i meant the deepest part accessible by road, i''ve never actually hopped onto this mountain of bones." Chapter 111 Master-Servant Contract "how about it, take me with you?" eckmond, the talking skeleton, scanned everyone with hopeful eyes, "i don''t consume your provisions, nor do i take up much space. if you need to fight, my forehead is much harder than it looks. and, although it''s hard to believe, my bite is quite strong. occasionally, some corpses here get up again, and these guys usually don''t like me, but now they''ve turned into shattered bones..." "a strange talking skeleton." kalalin turned to lancelot, "but i''ve heard that mimir is indeed very useful to adventurers. shall we take him, lancelot?" continue your saga on empire "why not?" lancelot shrugged, "i''ve heard talkative guys aren''t usually that bad." "yahoo!!! that''s great!" the skeleton rejoiced, spinning in midair, "you''re called lancelot, right? from now on, may i call you my boss?" "uh, sure." "hey, wait, that''s not right! how come there was no reaction?" eckmond, confused, swayed in midair, looking as if an invisible hand were slapping his skeleton head, "could you please take off the transformation ring on your right finger, and let''s do it again?" "do what again?" lancelot cautiously asked, "why should i take off the transformation ring?" "let me call you boss again." eckmond seemed equally puzzled, "i... i don''t understand why, but i''m quite sure it''s important, and it''s likely your transformation ring interfering." lancelot considered for a moment and took off the ring, but before doing so, he mobilized his true qi to protect his entire body, enhanced his spirit perception to the maximum, and silently activated the ice heart technique, which is particularly effective against psychic attacks, to guard against any unforeseen events. a flash of magical light passed, and lancelot''s form changed back to that of a human knight. "hello, handsome! um... so, may i call you boss from now on?" "sure." he had such requests too, lancelot silently commented to himself, but he readily agreed. lancelot put on the transformation ring again, and so his wings, claws, and... other parts that a succubus would have grew out again. eckmond let out a whistle. "boss, i must say, you look absolutely stunning in your transformed state, if i didn''t know you were actually a guy... no, why should i worry about these things..." lancelot decided to ignore this chatty fellow for the moment. he placed the dimensional bag on the ground, allowing everyone to re-enter it, so he could take them all to the platform at the edge of the pit of bones, where the secret passage''s entrance was actually located. "uh, boss, i also have a dimensional space inside me, so i can''t go into that bag," the skeletal head eckmond circled above the dimensional bag, "how about you carry me instead?" lancelot realized this skeleton was not only talkative but also lecherous. he picked up the dimensional bag with one hand and the skeletal head with the other, and, flapping his wings, he flew upwards. leaving that pile of bones eased a very oppressive feeling in his heart. although he didn''t show any abnormalities, he always felt there was something not quite right about the bones beneath his feet, yet he couldn''t pinpoint what was abnormal since he hadn''t stood on other piles of bones. lancelot pulled his companions out of the dimensional bag one by one, and it seemed everyone felt much lighter. bruto surveyed the surroundings and asked, "where''s the entrance to the secret passage?" "right behind you." old reap lifted up a tarpaulin hanging on the rock wall, revealing a dark hole behind it. "uh, isn''t this a bit too obvious?" the dwarf was a bit stunned, "aren''t the entrances to secret passages supposed to be very hidden, appearing only when you recite a spell or move a mechanism or something?" "ah, those kinds of things used to exist, but everyone found it simpler to break the mechanism than to learn the language of the jackals," the werewolf shrugged, "and who would come here for no reason, right?" Chapter 112 The Secret Passage of the Corpse Pit in the dimly lit passageway, three dwarf temple guards marched in the front row, adept in combat within subterranean environments. behind them, priest witt and four dwarves formed an arrowhead formation, well-prepared for any crisis. kalalin, koula, phil, and alamir walked in the middle of the group, well-protected by their teammates. bruto and the werewolf reap moved on the flanks, a position suitable for strikers to comfortably attack the enemy''s side without the risk of being caught in a pincer. lancelot lagged at the rear, certainly not out of fear, but rather because the bone pits gave him an uneasy feeling; he was somewhat concerned that something unpleasant might catch up and take a bite out of their rear. "an underground passageway¡ªhow many great adventures have taken place in such settings!" a certain enthusiastic skeleton, having been confined for far too long, darted about, studying every stone in the passageway, "this place is quite spacious. who built it? definitely not those tanari; they wouldn''t exert effort on anything that doesn''t bleed..." "for the jackalwere tribe that steals corpses," old reap interrupted eckmond''s rambling, "we are descending now; the passage will go right through the bottom of the bone pit and then spiral upward, leading directly to the interior of the jackalwere warrens outside oasis fort." "are there many jackalweres at the exit?" bruto tapped his shield with his hammer, "i wouldn''t mind slaughtering a few stinking dogs to blow off some steam." "the jackalwere tribe that originally dug this passage is long gone, probably done in by their own necromancy. now, there''s only a small jackalwere tribe that occupies but a tiny part of that vast network of tunnels." old reap shrugged, "given the current situation, i don''t recommend seeking out trouble with those creatures." as they were talking, the group turned a corner and were suddenly faced with a massive cavern. the cavern was very spacious in area, but less than twelve feet high, which made the space feel oppressive. several places in the ceiling had collapsed, letting a mass of bones spill through and accumulate into piles that reached up to the ceiling. read latest stories on empire "this is the doing of the jackalweres, but at the bottom of the pit are only bones that have been dead for a long time; i guess the jackalweres kept digging to that entrance we passed earlier to get to fresher corpses," the werewolf explained like a tour guide, "let''s stop here a moment." "ha! seems pretty simple!" seeing the enemy apparently less challenging, bruto cheered and rushed out swinging his hammer. phil had already pulled out a few bombs, but the sight of the dwarf already deep in the enemy ranks brought to mind the image of lancelot punching a wall, so he begrudgingly put the explosives back. skeletons were innately vulnerable to blunt trauma, and with bruto''s hammer endowed with mithril and his body sheathed in armor suited for a head-on charge, the young dwarf was like a bull in a china shop. the skeletons crumbled upon impact, leaving a trail of shattered bones in his wake. the werewolf, too, surged forward with his dual swords, his bearings suggesting an experienced hand at dealing with skeletons. his blades would first block the clumsy attacks of the enemy, then he''d launch a kick to shatter their bones¡ªalmost as effective as the hammer. for those skeletons attempting to piece themselves back together on the ground, he''d kick their skulls far away to also prevent their revival. an unexpectedly potent fighter was eckmond; his bald head worked like a cannonball flying through the air, smashing the skeletons to bits while the enemies struggled to land a hit on him. that guy had rushed out without even asking for lance''s opinion, clearly demonstrating the so-called master-servant contract meant little. alamir had been ready to unleash a powerful divine art to disperse the skeletons, but seeing the warriors looking quite amused in battle, he ceased his movement and comfortably watched the spectacle. kalalin didn''t plan to waste his spells on these skeletons¡ªthere was no better opportunity to utilize a sling. he hardly needed to aim; simply throwing at the dense crowds of enemies was sufficient. koula, meanwhile, stayed put. halflings were always clear on what they needed to do, and koula was no exception; she was certain her larger friends didn''t need her help, so she just waited. lancelot, too, remained out of the fight, not because he believed bruto and the others didn''t appear to need his help, but because, with his spirit perception fully engaged, he had sensed a cold, malevolent wave of magic. the werewolf''s words might have contained some bravado, but there was no lie about the ''normal'' circumstances here. these resurrected skeletons must have been awakened by magic, and the spellcaster was likely nearby. Chapter 113 Steel Demon gradually, the number of enemies began to decline. although these skeletons looked quite frightening, they did not pose any real threat, except to consume the physical strength of the warriors. enjoy new adventures from empire but lancelot''s heart rose to his throat because at that moment his spirit perception had clearly warned him that something extremely dangerous was approaching. he was certain the danger did not come from the skeletons around him, but the chaos was too great for him to pinpoint the source of the threat; he did not dare to sit down and enter a state of spiritual sight through meditation because the hair on his neck stood on end, feeling as though a dagger was already pressed against his throat. he still maintained a relaxed posture, appearing like a succubus enjoying watching its servants fight, but beneath his wide robe, his right hand had already reached into the opening of his dimensional bag, gripping the hilt of the giant sword glacier. as the last skeleton crumbled into a pile of bones under bruto''s hammer, the crowd erupted into cheers, and everyone relaxed. bruto was about to boast to lancelot about how many enemies he had taken down when he turned and found that lancelot had not joined the fight and had remained motionless at the back of the group. just then, a sudden change occurred. each pile of bones started to churn, and ten times more skeletons than before appeared before them, stretching as far as the eye could see. it was as if they were once again in a pit of corpses, only this time those bones had all come to life, ready to engulf them. everyone was shocked by this transformation. bruto almost rolled and crawled back to the middle of the group, while lancelot''s mind stirred, as he felt the fluctuations of magic again, and the aura displayed by the enemies did not match their numbers. suddenly, his spirit perception started screaming like an alarm clock, and lancelot completely instinctively lunged forward, rolling away in a very awkward posture. he looked back and saw four javelins quivering slightly in the ground where he had just been standing. as his gaze moved upward, four steel figures appeared before his eyes. at first glance, the enemy looked like human knights, clad in impractically heavy armor, with great swords six feet long resting on their shoulders. they were almost as tall as lancelot, and each step they took shook the ground, looking like a group of approaching bears. lancelot''s heaviest armor weighed a full 50 pounds, but it did nothing like this. lancelot didn''t rush to attack but adopted a defensive stance. he always remembered the fluctuations of magic when summoning skeletons. these four demons didn''t look like spellcasters at all; there must be one more enemy hiding nearby, and he needed to conserve as much strength as possible to deal with this hidden foe. but the four steel demons had no intention of conserving their strength. the front two suddenly accelerated, launching a left and right overhead slash at him so fast that it caught him off guard, their previously cumbersome appearance now revealed as mere deception. lancelot, highly alert, didn''t relax his vigilance. he flickered strangely to the side with a marvelous footwork technique, sliding horizontally away, and avoided the range of the two great swords'' attacks. still, he swung the glacier in his hand, intending to test his opponents'' strength. the two great swords collided, emitting a deafening boom. he and the steel demon on his left each took a step back, but it was worth noting that lancelot''s meridians were filled with true qi, and yet the opponent''s strength was no less impressive. however, becoming a spiritual cultivator wasn''t just about increased strength. the great sword in lancelot''s hand suddenly sped up, returning with a lightning-fast upper slash. the steel demon on the right extended his great sword to block the strike for his comrade, but his own weapon was knocked high into the air. this was all within lancelot''s calculations. he darted his right foot forward diagonally right in a lightning-like movement, then rotated his body counterclockwise, perfectly dodging the left steel demon''s avoided vertical slash; simultaneously, he clasped the great sword with both hands, using the rotation''s momentum to unleash a powerful horizontal slash from right to left. the steel demon on the right''s great sword was still midair, unable to return to defense in time. lancelot''s great sword, glowing with a blue light, struck his waist resolutely. the enemy was flung away by the immense impact, knocking down his teammate to his left as well. just as lancelot was about to pursue, the two steel demons who had been standing in the back already made their move toward him, disrupting his intention to chase. from the feel of striking the enemy, his intention to bisect the steel demon at the waist had failed. it seemed like the qingyun sword art, as a wood system cultivation technique, was still somewhat lacking when facing these metal-clad foes. Chapter 120 114 Guiding Divine Power the two enemies who had fallen to the ground got up, one of them, a steel demon, severely injured by his strike, had a huge gash at the waist, from which a large amount of blood was flowing. he barely stood up with the support of another steel demon. this showed that the qingyun sword art was not lacking in power. heavy armor was almost impossible to be breached by slashing weapons, yet his strike had torn through the steel demon''s armor, dealing a severe injury directly. to take down an enemy in full heavy armor on the battlefield, one either relied on the terrifying impact of a lance thrust to penetrate, or used a warhammer to literally shake the enemy to death. in knight duels, swords were more like tools for wrestling; you only had a chance to deal a fatal blow through the gaps in the armor after making the enemy fall. of course, in most cases, knights who had fallen decisively surrendered. the knightly code required them to treat surrendering captives well; killing an enemy who had surrendered was considered a highly dishonorable act. moreover, a living knight could be exchanged for a large sum of money, enough to buy at least two sets of armor. read latest stories on empire "damn! boss is awesome!" eckmond exclaimed excitedly, cursing outright, "that strike was really powerful!" the steel demons were surprised by lancelot''s formidable combat ability. in their view, these blood war mercenaries were merely guards for a succubus, who had accidentally run into them while fleeing, and had come on a secret mission. they thought if they killed the succubus, the morale of those mortals would quickly collapse. but clearly, that was not the case. after completing a formation rotation, lancelot was once again facing two unharmed enemies. these demons no longer rushed forward but adopted a defensive posture, planning to hold him there. lancelot had no time to waste with them. he needed to quickly take out these enemies to assist his companions surrounded by the skeleton sea. he charged once again, wielding his great sword, while eckmond, even faster, shot forth like a cannonball, a floating skull agilely passing through the clumsy blades of the steel demons, making intimate contact with a steel demon''s faceplate. "are you alright?" lancelot asked as he examined the deep wound on the skeleton''s head, noting that the skull was unusually thick. the wound was nearly an inch deep, yet it still showed the metallic gleam of its bone quality. "don''t worry, boss, i''m not dead yet," the skeleton swayed in the air, "it will heal slowly. in a few days, my forehead will be as smooth and shiny as ever." lancelot turned his attention back to the enemy, feeling a bit anxious. he had to deal with the enemy quickly, or his companions might truly be in danger. he still didn''t understand his new teammates well enough. in his world, priests were more like a part of the ruling class, providing spiritual guidance and comfort to people. deep down, lancelot always thought those priests were just tricksters exploiting faith for their own gain. but in this world, the gods intervened directly in worldly affairs, and their agents in the mortal realm were the priests. these priests underwent extensive combat training, convincing enemies and conveying truths more with a nail-headed hammer than with words, not to mention they were also endowed with powerful holy magic to execute the will of the gods on earth. seizing a fleeting opportunity, alamir raised his shield bearing the holy emblem of shuni and exclaimed: "without the capacity to love and be loved, there is no meaning to existence, in the name of lady shuni, i command you, undead, to back down!" this was one of the priests'' most potent abilities, channeling divine power. it was as if a portal had opened inside the elves, and a vast surge of holy power poured out from his body into shuni''s holy emblem. the dazzling radiance burst from the holy emblem, sweeping around like a tsunami over the skeletons encircling them. the holy energy directly destroyed the magic power sustaining the skeletons'' movement; the clatter of bones hitting the ground echoed all around. however, something strange occurred. the holy nova rolled over all the skeletons in the cave, but apart from those closest to them, those in the distance pushing and shoving in eagerness to join the assault were seemingly unaffected. moreover, though there was clearly space before them, they continued to make pushing motions in mid-air. alamir paused momentarily, but after a short observation, he understood the reason and shouted: "those are illusions!" Chapter 115 Bone Demon seeing the powerful burst of divine power, even the normally taciturn steel demon was shocked, exclaiming: "priest!" lancelot realized he somehow understood the demon''s language, but he immediately knew he hadn''t directly "heard" it. instead, through his connection with eckmond, he grasped the meaning of the word the demon had uttered. the steel demons'' surprise was understandable. if a priest was controlled by a succubus, they must already be on a path of corruption, and it would be impossible to receive any power from the divine. the present situation clearly defied logic, suggesting this team was not as the fiends had anticipated. the demons, who highly valued logic, planning, and strategy, were well aware of how severe the consequences could be if they misjudged their enemies'' strength. bruto and kalalin rushed to support lancelot''s fight as soon as they could. faced with the dense skeleton sea, bruto hesitated slightly, but still gritted his teeth and charged through. the dwarf''s form easily passed through the illusions of skeletons, encountering no resistance. he shouted joyfully as he hurled his warhammer at a steel demon in front of lancelot; meanwhile, kalalin pulled out a scroll, ready to cast a spell to strike at the demons. the rest were slightly slower, but they soon reacted and ran toward lancelot''s side. bruto''s warhammer hit a steel demon right in the chest, knocking him back, but a wounded companion behind him caught and steadied him. the hammer spun back to bruto''s hand, and a noticeable dent appeared in the chest of the steel demon¡ªclearly, bruto''s strike had caused some damage, certainly more effective than eckmond''s headbutt. just as they were about to envelop the demons, an unexpected event occurred. the surrounding skeletons, previously illusionary, suddenly vanished, bringing smiles to everyone''s faces. yet, kalalin, as if remembering something, suddenly turned pale and shouted: "be careful! high-level illusions require focused casting, there''s..." find your next adventure on empire every vertebrae of its spine was equipped with huge bone spurs, protruding from the flesh, with the longest ones measuring about a foot. however, its sharp, spiked tail, which ended with a beak-like tip, was now lying at lancelot''s feet, resembling a giant snake with its head chopped off. "a succubus of the good alignment!!" this giant demon let out an unbearable, bone-grating screech, which eckmond translated in real time without delay. "boss, this is an osai demon, also called a bone demon, it seems they are middle-rank demon spellcasters, possessing the ability to instantly see through a creature''s true nature," the skeleton intensely stared at the demon, "i don''t know why, but seeing it just irks me." "hey! you, the skeleton frame over there!" eckmond yelled carelessly at the demon, "what''s that thing on your butt? does it mean that you never wipe after you do your business, and it just clumps up like that!" the provoked demon immediately raised its hand, and a green acid arrow flew toward eckmond, who dodged it with a strange laugh. this movement acted like a signal, and both sides clashed again. bruto and lancelot charged from left and right, while eckmond, using his nimble stature, bypassed the frontline steel demons and headed straight for the bone demon. but the fastest was kalalin. he unfolded a scroll that had been prepared for some time, drew magic power from the magic net into the arcane symbols on the scroll, forming a purple ray that directly hit a steel demon. lancelot immediately noticed the enemy''s change; the steel demon that was struck by the ray seemed slightly weakened, causing his heart to leap with joy. kalalin, however, slightly frowned. this was a first circle spell ''ray of enfeeblement'', and its effect seemed less than expected, but that was unavoidable; all bartez demons have a strong resistance against spells. he reached for another ray of enfeeblement scroll, ready to try again on another enemy, but suddenly, an unbearable metallic friction sound interrupted the scholar''s casting. the steel demons were collectively moving their bodies rhythmically, causing their armor to rub against each other, producing that horrendous noise. the sound was so irritating that kalalin wished he could tear up the scroll he was holding and stuff it in his ears just to block out this terrible noise, utterly unable to focus enough to cast his spell. Chapter 116 Change Tactics lancelot immediately formed a soundproof barrier spell, casting it over the steel demons. this minor divine skill of a qi refinement realm cultivator could only block the spread of sound, allowing kalalin, who stood at a distance, to no longer be affected by the noise; however, the steel demons within the barrier were oblivious to the change. as such, lancelot, who needed to fight at close quarters, naturally had to continue enduring the annoying noise. but he had nothing to complain about. such noise might make it difficult for spellcasters to concentrate and wield magic, but it wasn''t enough to stop a warrior from wielding his weapon. if anything, it was inspiring greater destructive power within him, eager to smash the source of this irritating noise into smithereens. bruto seemed to have entered into such a state. the earlier battle with skeletons was more like a game to him, but the antics of this group of steel demons truly enraged him. he and lancelot charged at two steel demons, one on the left and the other on the right. lancelot left the one with a dent on its breastplate to the dwarf warrior, focusing himself on the other opponent who was still in perfect condition. the frenzied dwarf held up his shield and rushed at the steel demon with relentless force. but the demon was far more composed than the dwarf. the steel demon violently swung its great sword, delivering a mighty blow that struck bruto''s shield, not only stopping the dwarf''s charge but also pushing him back several steps, taking him out of attack range once more. the dwarf spat out a mouthful of blood-stained saliva at the steel demon (which was deftly avoided) and charged again, hammer in hand. on the other side, the steel demon facing lancelot had clearly learned from its companion''s mistake. its great sword danced impenetrably, clashing with lancelot in several bouts, leaving the knight no chance to strike. but lancelot knew he couldn''t count on eckmond to hold off the bone demon for long, and the sword moves in his hand suddenly changed. he raised his longsword high, feigning another sequence of heavy slashes that had grievously wounded another steel demon earlier. the demons intended to swap positions again, allowing the one with a light injury on its waist from lancelot''s sword to take the front again, but lancelot no longer had time to tangle with this group of wounded soldiers, for his peripheral vision had caught sight of a skull getting brutally beaten, looking as if it would fall apart at any moment. his hand pinched a spell, and the true qi within his body surged in a specific pattern before being released. suddenly, a mass of vines burst from the ground beneath the huddled steel demons'' feet, entangling the demons tightly in place. "magician!!!!!" the demons finally collapsed. what exactly was this situation? a succubus using a great sword instead of a whip, possessing the strength of a giant, and midway through a fight casting magic that could manipulate plants, a power normally wielded only by nature-loving druids, was simply too much for the demons that detested any unpredictability... lancelot silently expressed his sympathy for the enemy in his heart, but his hands did not stop moving. his true qi instantly shifted to the technique of gathering qi slash, his body spun around, and he hurled his great sword at the bone demon. the bone demon, which was distractedly observing the fight, panicked as its soul seemed to leap out of its body. it hurriedly tried to dodge but, without its tail, its sense of balance was severely damaged, and lancelot''s thrown great sword, as swift as a javelin, struck the base of the bone demon''s wings on its back regardless of its evasive attempt. the glacier, heavier than an average great sword and containing terrifying kinetic energy, lifted the large bone demon into the air and nailed it firmly to the wall. meanwhile, lancelot had already drawn frostslash strapped to his back, dashing forward like lightning. as the bone demon regained its senses from the shock, it lifted its head only to see the silhouette of a succubus raising a longsword, closing the distance at great speed. it stretched out its clawed hands, attempting to block the enemy''s weapon, but the claws as hard as mithril were like decayed branches against the longsword in the hands of the succubus, effortlessly cut through. the last image that etched into its mind was a sword blade glowing with a bluish light, filling its entire vision. Chapter 117 What Demons Fear lancelot''s sword fell, cleanly severing the ugly head of the bone demon from its neck. the energy that maintained the existence of the bone demon seemed to be extracted in an instant. its shriveled flesh and exposed bones quickly lost color, then, like wood hollowed out from within, they couldn''t sustain the body''s strength and fell from the wall impaled by the glacier, turning into a pile of bones that seemed weathered over many years. the steel demons, witnessing the death of their charge, let out cries of despair and venomous curses: "no! you have no right to kill it!" "succubus! how dare you oppose barto! hell will take its revenge!" "we were about to achieve eternal victory, you can''t change anything!" apart from bruto''s opponent, the remaining steel demons were tightly entangled by lancelot''s vines, unable to do anything. normally, with their strength, it would not be difficult to break free from these vines, but these three steel demons had been somewhat injured. kalalin also ensured each one was hit by a weakening ray, completely depriving them of their ability to resist. the steel demon fighting bruto wasn''t faring any better. after losing the support of its companions, its strength seemed significantly weakened. its legs were visibly deformed, and it appeared completely unable to move, barely managing to stand. clearly, bruto had targeted its knees extensively. the dwarf''s condition seemed even more pitiful. several noticeable gaps appeared on bruto''s shield, like a door chopped by an axe; his face was also covered with large patches of bruises, his left eye swollen nearly shut, and fresh blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. however, the dwarf himself seemed utterly unaffected by any setback, his hammer still swung swiftly and powerfully, and he was loudly singing a dwarf battle song that to lancelot sounded not much better than the steel demons scraping their armor. the death of the bone demon clearly shook the steel demon''s will to fight; it seemed to foresee the inevitable outcome of today, and its attacks became frantic, driven only by duty to continue fighting. bruto now seized the enemy''s subtle wavering. with his battered shield, he blocked a downward chop from his opponent, and the hesitant strength allowed the dwarf to swing his hammer full force at the steel demon''s left knee. "they are not truly dead," kalalin approached and explained, "all lower-plane fiends can only be truly killed in their native planes. those killed in other planes are reborn in their native plane with all their memories intact. although it seems their power is not diminished, scholars speculate there must be some cost to such rebirth." "the greatest cost is that they cannot re-enter the plane where they were killed for 99 years," eckmond floated over shakily, "the process of rebirth is also extremely painful, similar to flaying and bone-crushing, though in reverse order. however, for demons, that is not their greatest fear." enjoy new chapters from empire "you seem quite knowledgeable about the conditions in barto hell," lancelot eyed him skeptically. "stop teasing and tell us the truth already," kalalin''s face was full of curiosity. his expertise in abyss and demons left him with little knowledge about the demons of barto hell. however, as a deadly adversary in the blood wars, any information about demons could deepen his understanding of tanari. "what demons fear most is always one thing: degradation." the floating skull was very pleased to show off its knowledge, "demon society has a strict hierarchy, and almost all demons exhaust their cunning to climb higher, to revel in the delightful privileges and the thrill of tormenting those beneath them. this makes them fear degradation more than complete obliteration, which is often the punishment for failing important missions." at that moment, a loud explosion erupted behind them. the three turned around to see a huge hole blasted through the solid ice wall; phil was striding through the hole with others, looking proud. "achoo!" the goblin sneezed loudly, "wow, this thing is really cold... could you see anything from behind the ice wall, or is everything resolved?" "you can''t imagine the amazing battle you missed," the floating skull boasted, "how many get the chance to see a succubus fight? the scene combined beauty, sexiness, gore, and violence¡ªmissing that is a lifetime''s regret. uh, boss, no offense, but right now, you''re in the form of a succubus." "pfft, we''ve seen that sort of thing many times already," phil dismissed eckmond''s bragging, "and what''s that? a few steel demons, a bone demon? once, lady tijana fought a barlow flame demon on the ramparts of twin bridges town with a whip; now that was something worth dying with no regrets..." "i''m going to report this conversation exactly as it happened," the werewolf''s words fell like a bucket of ice water over the goblin, instantly rendering him mute. Chapter 118 Eckmonds New Trick "however, why did the demons appear here?" lancelot frowned and asked, "if they wanted to launch a surprise attack from here, they shouldn''t have sent so few soldiers." "furthermore, with terrains like the slave enclosures, it would have been easier for them to attack the walls directly." old reap crouched on the ground, examining the skeleton left behind by the bone demon, "demons always engage in meticulous planning, these guys must have had some special purpose for coming to the bottom of this pit of corpses." "think about that ice wall, and how easily they summoned the skeleton sea." kalalin seemed to have realized something, "lancelot, you might have unintentionally saved oasis fort, sparing it from a fate of being overrun by demons." "what did i do?" lancelot scratched his head, "was this bone demon some big shot or something?" "i don''t know what kind of figure it was, but it was definitely a very powerful spellcaster," kalalin confidently stated, "think about how many skeletons there are in the pit. i guess it was preparing a very powerful spell that would awaken all the skeletons in the pit." "then an endless stream of skeletons would burst out of the slave enclosures, overwhelming every living being inside oasis fort," lancelot smacked his lips, "in a way, this kind of death is quite fitting for molo and his oasis fort." "oh! boss! what a deep irony this is!" eckmond exclaimed excitedly: "the bodies of the slaves rising up to completely destroy the city that enslaved and murdered them¡ªit''s exactly the demons'' style! the original plan must have been just like this!" "don''t get too happy too soon," the werewolf said gloomily, "demons are a bunch of creatures with a severe thirst for revenge, especially against those who hinder barto hell in any way. you better be careful the next time you use this succubus identity." "thanks for the reminder," lancelot nodded, though he thought to himself that he better wear this disguise whenever he did something big in the future. having already plundered the treasure vaults of the succubus palace, completely looted molo''s treasure vault, and killed a succubus¡ªa demon with a special status in shendiravir; now he had also foiled the demons'' plan. the bone demon, once resurrected in barto hell, would surely exaggerate and report him, which now put him on the demons'' radar. however, fiends'' ability to resurrect was really annoying, making it difficult to conceal his true strength. he would have to seriously research if there was a way to break this ability. "hey! come and check this out!" koula was looking at a large rock that lancelot had sliced open with his sword, and found the tail of the bone demon on the ground. upon hearing this, everyone walked over only to see that the tail had not decayed like the rest of the bone demon''s body but was still very firm and strong. "noted." eckmond flew back to lancelot''s side. "how about it, boss? can i keep this thing then?" "until i find a better use for it, you can use it," lancelot nodded, then turned to look at bruto, "are you alright? alamir, can you heal him?" "i''ll do it, let''s not waste precious divine arts." witt opened his backpack, pulling out bandages, potions, and other tools for treating wounds. healing the sick and wounded is the responsibility of most priests, who usually receive good medical training, so they aren''t caught off-guard once they''ve used up their daily quota of divine arts. apart from bruto, the others had also sustained some minor injuries, only phil and koula, the two small ones, were unharmed. after a quick treatment, the group resumed their journey to escape from the oasis fort. worried that other demons might have entered the passage and could ambush them ahead (a common trick among demons), the group proceeded with extra caution, but fortunately, they encountered no trouble along the way. after walking for about an hour, by the dwarfs'' instinct, they were already close to the surface. lancelot could feel it as well, as the air in the cave was starting to freshen, though using ''fresh'' to describe the air in a world devoid of plants wasn''t quite accurate, but that was the general idea. suddenly, old reap sniffed the air, frowning as he warned: "there''s a smell of blood ahead, be careful." "what a sensitive nose." phil commented casually. the atmosphere suddenly quietened down, everyone staring at the forthright goblin, especially the werewolf old reap, who squinted his eyes, dangerous fangs poking out from the corners of his mouth. "uh, i mean, what a sensitive nose, bro! what a sensitive nose, bro!" phil scrambled in his explanation, "please, stop looking at me like that. everyone knows goblin meat is sour and stinky, it could easily upset your stomach for a month and make you unable to eat anything!" "seems like you have quite a clear understanding of yourself," old reap withdrew his gaze, "this blood smell seems like it''s been on the ground for a while, let''s go see what died up ahead." Chapter 119 Return to the Surface the group carefully continued forward, entering a cave with a fork in the road. on the ground lay the corpses of three werewolf beings, the source of the bloody smell. "they''ve been dead for at least an hour, must be the work of those demons," old reap crouched to inspect the bodies, announcing to everyone. for lancelot, it was his first time seeing such creatures that were said to be like the plague. the werewolves were very tall, capable of reaching over 7 feet if they stood straight, but they had severe hunchbacks, their spines bent at almost right angles. they had hooves like wild beasts, hands resembling those of humanoid creatures, and atop their necks were hyena-like heads, even in death their expressions remained vicious and malevolent. their weapons and armor were clearly stolen from other beings, but evidently, this was not enough to stand against the steel demon''s cold iron greatsword. judging from the nearly bisected corpses, these werewolves never had a chance to fight back. "the demons clearly knew of this secret passage, handled these blokes blocking the way without breaking a sweat," phil commented, "i thought this secret passage was really hidden." "there are still a few who know of this secret passage. if the demons got to one of them, i believe they would sell out this secret without hesitation for any insignificant reward," old reap sighed, "and it might well be that the spy was sent by the demons themselves, having already figured out everything about oasis fort." "what about twin bridges town?" bruto asked, "are there spy demons there too?" "definitely, it''s inevitable. demons are masters of seducing others into their service. not just blood war mercenaries, even demons have been foolish enough to be tempted," the werewolf explained, "but no matter how hard we try, there are always new fools ready to sell their souls to the demons for a bit of gold. we can''t even count the number of ''rats'' we catch each year." "and this guy has won the rat-catching contest many times. i''ve always thought it had something to do with his... keen sense of smell," phil was about to say the word "dog nose" again, but he stopped himself just in time. "twin bridges town has always been a key military supplier for tanari and a major infiltration target for demons. speaking of which, there''s a joke on that topic. want to hear it?" "oh, let''s not, that bit is too old," old reap shook his head, "and they''ve definitely heard it already." several sections of the wall had been completely destroyed, but it seemed the demons were still resisting. lancelot also saw the demons'' siege engines, giant catapults placed between this small forest and oasis fort, but most had been burned down, with only a few still operational. it seemed the bone demon he had killed might indeed have been the demons'' backup plan. without the support of the skeleton sea, the demons would probably pay a much heavier price than originally planned. if the demons managed to luckily hold oasis fort, then those treasures looted from the succubus palace could be considered molo''s compensation to him, lancelot thought silently to himself. "i never thought i''d say this, but not having a few thousand tons of rocks above my head does make me feel a lot lighter," bruto stretched his body, "so, where is that brezu demon named iados? goblin, do you know how to contact that guy?" find more chapters on empire "no need to go looking for him specifically," phil shook his head, "we just need to make a round, and he''ll come to find us. if he doesn''t show up, then we''ll just go straight to the backup rendezvous point." so the group moved cautiously through the woods, but there was no sight of iados. lancelot extended his spiritual sense to its limit and likewise detected no sign of the brezu demon, so they had likely withdrawn to the backup rendezvous point upon discovering the demon army two days earlier. lancelot had actually expected this. it was no big deal for iados''s men to ambush a few guards at oasis fort, but it would be foolish to directly confront the demon army. if that were the case, he would have to greatly downgrade his estimate of iados. just then, his spiritual sense was suddenly triggered, and he turned his head to look up at the sky above the demon catapults'' position. a humanoid creature with two gigantic wings was circling in the sky. the creature was so beautiful, just like the angels of legend. but upon closer inspection, it was clear that this was not any holy creature from the heavens. her wings were a deep, near-black red, like those of a vulture, not the pure white of an angel''s. although lancelot knew little about demons, he had heard of this creature''s notoriety. it was an enreyes, more commonly known as a lust demon, a fallen angel or their offspring. while their beauty was by no means inferior to that of the succubi of tanari, it was the desire for battle and slaughter that dominated them, making them the fiercest and most disciplined warriors of bartez. Chapter 121 Struggling to Support lancelot took the initiative, turning to face the enemy and delivering an upper slash with his longsword¡ªa signature opening move of his triple strike. as if the succubus had eyes in the back of her head, her longsword swept low from behind to parry lancelot''s weapon and, with a half-turn, she was precisely positioned to catch lancelot''s following horizontal slash. the human knight''s longsword retracted like lightning, thrusting out the final move of the triple strike straight at the enemy''s face. a sneer appeared on the succubus''s face as if she had anticipated the thrust. the moment lancelot''s hand began to lift, she started to duck, her longsword aiming for lancelot''s forward-stepping right foot. however, unexpectedly for the succubus, lancelot''s thrust was a feint. his figure suddenly flickered and he leaped into the air, spinning rapidly and unleashing a powerful sword strike at the succubus''s nape! "well done!"no?v(el)b\\jnn the succubus let out a fierce shout as her wings flapped backward, making her fall forward as if pushed. her right hand''s longsword, swift as a serpent, recoiled to her back in a flash to block lancelot''s thunderous strike. with her left hand pressing against the ground, the succubus spun around like a top, swiftly realigning herself. like a cobra coiled on the ground, she thrust upwards. had lancelot been reckless enough to pursue his attack, the sword would have pierced straight through the human knight. but after his fastest and strongest strike failed to hit, lancelot naturally didn''t dare to pursue further. he used the recoil from the clashing swords to create distance, lightly touching the succubus''s sword tip with his weapon as he landed solidly at a standoff distance where neither could continue their assault. "not bad," the succubus teased with a fancy flourish of her longsword, licking her fingers with her tongue, "that move just now was brilliant, i haven''t had such a thrilling fight in a long while, and you''re making me almost reluctant to kill you." lancelot focused on calming his irregular breathing, steadying the surging true qi within him. despite his readiness for difficulty, the succubus''s strength still exceeded his expectations. in terms of reaction speed and agility, the previously defeated spiritual cultivator was superior, but the succubus''s swordsmanship had reached a level of near-perfection, making her a far more lethal enemy than the spiritual cultivator. "hey, boss, you alright? anything i can help with?" the voice of eckmond suddenly rose from the depths of his heart. lancelot then realized the fellow hadn''t left; he''d been lying on the ground all along, right by his feet, pretending to be an ordinary skull. "how come you... just lie there, don''t move," lancelot ordered via telepathy, while the succubus strolled over with an easy gait, speaking as she walked: "my name is valtira, a humble servant of duchess graecia. remember my name, for when i kill you, your soul will go to a place awaiting the divine envoys. there, there are also envoys from hell. speak with them, then give them my name, and they will offer you a generous contract." "thank you, my name is..." "that''s not important, once you''re in hell, you''ll have a new name," lancelot was cut off mid-sentence by the other, "now, let''s continue, this pleasing dance, how much longer can you keep up with me?" valtira charged again, expecting lancelot to evade with that strange movement technique once more, so she didn''t charge too fiercely, ready to change direction at any moment. lancelot''s body leaned slightly to one side, a motion the succubus recognized as his prelude to dodging. she swung her weapon forward swiftly, her mind already plotting the follow-up attack. unexpectedly, the human knight didn''t dodge, but swung his longsword with all his might, catching the succubus''s casual strike. the two longswords clashed tightly, and lancelot, using the entangling sword technique and catching his opponent off guard, managed to block her charge and found themselves at a stalemate. the outwitted valtira was infuriated, her hand forcefully adding pressure to her sword, but lancelot suddenly let go with one hand that was gripping the sword while giving the other hand a light flick. caught off-guard, the succubus''s weapon was deftly directed toward the ground. just then, a skull that had lain on the ground suddenly bounded up, pressing down hard on the succubus''s sword, while lancelot''s now free left hand shot forward like lightning, already touching the chest of the succubus! Chapter 122 Fleeing in Panic the scene seemed to momentarily pause, but in reality, lancelot''s movements never ceased. with a clench of his fingers, the innate true qi within his dantian burst forth. an invisible sword aura emitted from his palm, which was pressed against valtira''s chest, piercing viciously into the demon''s body. "ahhhhhhhhh!" the demon screamed miserably, its wings flapping wildly as it rapidly retreated more than thirty feet. a hole, as thick as a small arm, appeared in her chest, and her exquisite armor was covered with web-like cracks. a massive amount of blood spilled between her and lancelot, like a person cut in half had crawled over it. lancelot was also startled by the horrific amount of bleeding from his opponent, but he had no time to examine her injuries closely. he grabbed a skull that had proved very useful off the ground, turned, and ran. his movements seemed slow, yet with each step, he covered dozens of feet, surprisingly three times faster than the demon''s pained retreat. from the feedback from his hand, he had used his trump card, the innate true qi, yet it still didn''t penetrate the demon''s body, whose weakness wasn''t the heart. continuing to fight could hardly guarantee even a fifty-fifty chance of victory. moreover, considering the teleportation magic the demon used in her surprise attack, she was a strong spellcaster. who knew what other strange techniques she hadn''t yet revealed? he had no real reason to keep fighting. from the beginning, the goal had been to buy as much time as possible, then seize the chance to escape. thanks to eckmond''s superb acting and a few of his own tricks, he had managed to injure his opponent. if not now, when? "you scoundrel! give me back my sword!" a furious roar came from behind, and lancelot looked down to see eckmond slowly "swallowing" valtira''s sword into his own dimensional space, leaving only the hilt visible. together with the sword marks on its skull, the look was indescribably bizarre. "why are you taking her sword?" lancelot shouted through their mental link, "we need to run for our lives!" the distance and speed gave lancelot a chance to dodge; he slightly shifted twice, confident he could evade, but the arrow seemed to have eyes of its own, changing directions as he did. before lancelot could react again, the arrow had embedded itself in his back. the sturdy plate armor was ripped open by the triangular arrowhead before it pierced into lancelot''s flesh. his inner true qi responded immediately, fighting hard against the foreign object, but still, the arrow penetrated nearly two inches deep, causing him to violently spit out a mouthful of fresh blood. worse yet, he discovered that the arrow was poisoned, these fallen angels really went all out. although he had previously taken kalalin''s antitoxin potion, its effect was limited against such a strong poison. lancelot had to divert some of his true qi to suppress the spread of the poison, which slowed him down a bit. feeling that one upper grade spirit stone could no longer keep up with the consumption rate of his true qi, he lifted eckmond towards his waistband, and mentally commanded the skull: "bite!" "ah? isn''t it inappropriate now, boss?" "bite the waistband!" lancelot was speechless about the skull''s thought process. he didn''t care if the guy understood or not, he relaxed his grip on the skull and reached for another earth crystal. now holding an earth crystal in each hand, his true qi was quickly drawn from the gemstones, and his speed dramatically increased once more. the skull, ever the mouthy one, was firmly biting his waistband, vigorously shaking up and down in the air due to the headwind. seeing her attack connect and the enemy''s speed momentarily slow down, valtira hadn''t even started celebrating when lancelot''s speed returned to normal, and it seemed even slightly faster than before, causing her to curse like a housewife who just discovered her husband''s secret. just then, a violent magical fluctuation arose from the direction of oasis fort, a blood-red column filled with a frenzied aura shot straight into the sky, turning her complexion deathly pale. "damn it, damn it, damn it!!!" she yelled furiously at lancelot''s retreating figure, "human, we are not done yet!!!" with a furious stomp, she turned towards oasis fort, activated the teleportation technique again, and vanished on the spot. Chapter 123 Eckmonds Memories "boss," eckmond''s shaking voice arose in lancelot''s heart, "the succubus seems to have stopped chasing us, should we take a break?" he continued, "i can''t hold on much longer, and the ride is really bumpy." upon hearing this, lancelot slowed down. it had been five minutes since he was shot, and with the power of two upper grade spirit stones, he had sprinted nearly three miles. within the range of his spirit perception, he could no longer sense enreyes. he naturally noticed the magical fluctuations from oasis fort; something must have happened there that reminded the demon''s high rank commander of his duties. lancelot hid in the shadow of a huge rock, his chest heaving violently as he spat out another mouthful of green, glowing, foul blood. the venomous arrow shot by the succubus was still stuck in his back; he hadn''t had the time to deal with it, making him move like a wind-up toy. "boss, let me help you pull the arrow out?" the skeleton''s skull floated behind lancelot, "i''m not afraid of the poison on the arrows. that stuff doesn''t work on the undead." lancelot shook his head, and he channeled his true qi, hardening the muscles around the wound like iron, slowly pushing the arrowhead out of his body. he then cautiously removed his blood-soaked back armor from the inside and extracted the arrow stuck in it. this arrow was exquisitely made; the shaft was crafted from a dense yet flexible wood, with very neat patterns; the fletching used fine, black feathers that appeared as if they grew directly from the shaft; the tip was a cone of precious mithril, with fine notches for holding poison and vicious barbs, designed to inflict maximum pain on prey that wasn''t immediately killed. lancelot thought for a moment and then wrapped the arrow in the robe he wore when transformed into a succubus, stowing it away in the dimensional bag. it wasn''t in his nature to leave a debt unpaid; he resolved to return the favor to the succubus named valtira whenever the opportunity arose. if there was no chance, the arrow would also serve as a great storytelling prop¡ªa certain vampire maid would certainly love it. the wound from the arrow still struggled to heal; although he could not yet clear the toxins, lancelot fully suppressed their spread. once he rendezvoused with his companions, he believed alamir and vito would have a way to completely resolve his poisoning. priests with divine arts were specialists in countering these adverse effects. "not at all, it just made me more confused," eckmond said gloomily. "all these meaningless fragments make me feel like i''ve remembered something, but in reality, i haven''t at all." "tell me about it, what kind of images?" lancelot asked curiously, "maybe i can notice some details you missed from a different perspective." continue reading at empire "that makes sense." eckmond, excited, replied. then a sequence of images was projected directly into the man''s mind through the bond with lancelot. lancelot focused intently, realizing it was a first-person perspective, apparently on a battlefield in the midst of a blood war. countless coward devils surged like a tide towards the demon''s lines by the riverside, and on the other end of the battlefield, the significantly fewer beard demons stood in neat rows, marching out of warships to form rock-solid squares, quietly waiting for the demons to arrive. the owner of the perspective looked up, noticing that the battle in the air had already ignited. several enyeries continuously showered the demon army with arrows from longbows and would occasionally swoop down with longswords, carving a bloody wave through the dense sea of demons. this spectacular and glorious sight was deeply impressive and perhaps it was the scene of the succubus diving at lancelot today that had awakened this fragment of eckmond''s memory. the perspective shifted to the side, where a group of blood war mercenaries, obviously mortals, were making their final preparations for battle. at that moment, a voice from off screen was calling the name ''eckmond'', its cold and bone-chilling tone echoing. the perspective turned to look behind themselves, only to see a skeleton in a robe staring in the direction of the perspective, after which the image faded to darkness, marking the end of the memory fragment. "it looks like you were on the side of the demons," lancelot commented. "when you turned your head, i noticed that below the perspective was emptiness, clearly you were already a skull at that point." "yes." eckmond said, dispiritedly. "that lich called out my name; i guess that must have been my previous master, but i have no recollection of that person whatsoever." "not necessarily," lancelot argued. "i''ve heard that liches generally have a vast wealth of knowledge, and i find it hard to believe that such a creature would need the services of a mimir. also, why are all these images in grey? is that an issue with your memory?" Chapter 124 Convergence "it must be related to the location where this memory occurred," eckmond shook his head, "between the bottomless abyss and barto hell lies a plane called hades in the grey wastelands. most of the time, that''s the main battlefield for the blood wars. any object entering this plane loses its color, turning into shades of black and white, which is why you saw the images like that." "but the demons have already attacked the abyss," lancelot said with a frown, "this memory must be quite old." "it seems i''ve really been dead for a long time," eckmond''s mood visibly low, "besides making me irritated and confused, this memory doesn''t provide any useful information." "there''s still plenty of content, just not enough to deduce your identity," lancelot consoled, "this memory seems to have been awakened because of the image of enreyes. maybe, as our journey continues, more and more of your memories will be awakened. once we have enough pieces, maybe you''ll be able to piece together your past." "heh, thanks boss, i think this approach sounds reliable." eckmond''s fleshless skull revealed a frightening smile, and he seemed less downcast. as they conversed, the iconic cliffs of crackskull valley gradually came into lancelot''s view. after about half an hour, lancelot finally arrived at the second rendezvous point that had been agreed upon. his spirit perception told him that bruto and the others were just ahead; almost arriving simultaneously. lancelot did not try to hide his presence, and soon bruto spotted him, loudly greeting and pulling everyone out to meet. "ha! what did i tell you, lancelot is definitely fine," bruto said cheerfully, "what about enreyes? did you deal with her?" the one responsible for rendezvousing with them, iados, was also startled and came over from the shadows. the dwarf''s words made him somewhat incredulous. as a demon, he knew very well how formidable a creature like enreyes was, an antithesis to demons before and after their fall. if lancelot could kill an enreyes one-on-one, then he had to reassess the strength of human knights. "i''m no match for her," lancelot patted eckmond''s bald head, "this guy was playing dead on the ground, but at a critical moment, he struck the opponent suddenly, creating a chance for me to break away from the battle. plus, something unexpected seemed to have happened at oasis fort, which forced her to give up on chasing me, though she did shoot me with an arrow before leaving." but, the foul stench emitting from those creatures confirmed they were indeed a group of bartez, not to mention their work method reminiscent of a swarm of bees." "what about your subordinates?" kalalin suddenly interjected, then immediately felt it was abrupt and quickly explained, "lady tijana mentioned that you would lead twenty bruto warriors to meet us..." "there is a whole army of bartez attacking the city over there, and we are behind enemy lines," iados calmly looked at kalalin, "if it were two hundred years ago, i would have charged forward without hesitation, just like my subordinates, to relish in this feast of slaughter." "you seem..." the scholar carefully chose his words, "different from other demons." "a former superior changed me," the goat-headed demon''s voice fluctuated slightly, "he taught me the meaning of duty. my current duty is to bring you back, although i did not hold much hope for your escape earlier. if you had not made it out, then i would have had to ensure that lady tijana was the first to learn of these developments." "hey, i was there too," old reap spoke up at this point, "i''m glad to see you again, iados." "i didn''t know before that you were in there, werewolf," iados and old reap seemed to know each other, as he nodded to the latter, "as always, you manage to keep a good escape route." "hey, this guy is as aloof as ever, acting as if showing any more emotion would ignite the arsenal inside him," phil shrugged his shoulders, "did you notice any other information? lady tijana would certainly want to understand where this demon army came from." the goat-headed demon was silent for a while, seemingly uncertain about what he was about to say, but still spoke: "there was a guy, his body wrapped in iron chains, guarded by a group of beard demons, wielding an axe that seems to be ''punisher'' wisk''s giant flying beheading axe." "are you sure?" old reap''s eyes widened in surprise, "wisk, the ''punisher'' who was murdered by his own pet and lover a few months ago, his weapon appeared in the hands of demons? what does that imply?" Chapter 125 The Way Home "this indicates the shadow of bartez behind wisk''s death, but it still doesn''t explain the origin of these demon armies," iados shook his head, "anyway, lady tijana must be informed of the situation here immediately." "there''s no time to delay, let''s set off." phil took out three magic whistles, blew them in sequence, and a sound of horses neighing came from nowhere; soon, three carriages appeared in the distance and rapidly approached them. when the carriages first appeared, they were almost transparent, as if they were still in another world, but as they drew closer, their outlines gradually became clear, and when they stopped in front of everyone, they had completely solidified into their physical forms. lancelot looked closely and realized that these were the very carriages they had ridden to oasis fort. just a few hours ago, they had been parked in the courtyard they had left at oasis fort. it had never occurred to him that these carriages were magical items. "you didn''t think i''d just abandon these assets, did you?" phil, as if reading lancelot''s mind, said, "that''s not the style of us goblins." "most goblins send their lives away for a bit of scrap metal." the werewolf mercilessly struck phil, "but you are different, you''re more likely to blow yourself up." "that would be my best fate," the goblin replied nonchalantly, "as for you, i''m sure you''ll die at the hands of some succubus, don''t think i don''t know why you''re so keen on doing undercover work in various neutral towns¡ªit''s dangerous, and where your so-called ''intelligence funds'' go!" "no matter where, succubi are the best source of intelligence," the werewolf retorted cheekily, "you wouldn''t believe how much some idiots will divulge just to prove they are someone of importance, all for a succubus''s favor." "so your intelligence gathering is just sitting behind the bar pretending to be profound?" the goblin sneered, "i''ve noticed, as long as there''s a succubus around, you''ll reveal your wolf head, so you don''t even need to speak yourself¡ªcurious succubi will come up asking this and that." the goblin then started pinching his voice, imitating the succubi''s voice in a high and shrill tone: "why do you have such a head? can i touch your ears? do you go crazy when you see round and smooth things?" then, he switched to a pretend-deep hoarse voice, mimicking the werewolf''s manner of speaking: their discussion did not last long, and soon alamir was lost in thought on his own. lancelot didn''t really need to rest, as a high rank qi cultivation stage spiritual cultivator, his energy was much more vigorous than before; he could maintain a vibrant state for several days continuously. however, since he had used a lot of energy today, even though he had replenished his true qi several times with the essence of the earth and sky, meditating to cultivate qi was obviously more sensible now that he had the chance. today, he had used up three upper grade spirit stones and several middle grade spirit stones, which indeed made lancelot feel a bit pained. upper grade spirit stones were what he had been painstakingly saving for his foundation establishment, and it was said that even golden core stage spiritual cultivators could use them to recover true qi. but then again, if today he had died at the hands of that succubus, keeping these spirit stones would have been meaningless. lancelot found a relatively less bumpy corner inside the carriage, slowly calmed his mind, and entered into a state of cultivation. compared to their outward journey, they no longer needed to disguise themselves as a merchant convoy and were without heavy cargo, so the speed of the caravan was very fast. by the evening of the second day, they had crossed the stone bridge over the stygian river and entered the walls of twin bridges town. the first thing upon returning was naturally to report their mission to the succubus lord. tijana didn''t make them wait long and almost immediately summoned them to the throne hall for an audience. ... "this is alamir, a priest from shuni, and this is koula, an alchemist and cook," lancelot introduced the elf and the halfling. "during this mission, they provided me with great assistance. i hope to keep them in my mercenary group." on the way here, lancelot had already introduced to the two new companions various aspects of twin bridges town, while phil and old reap added many details. the two now seemed quite constrained, partly because of the identity of the succubus lord and partly overwhelmed by tijana''s stunning beauty. "wow, last time a scholar from the black cult, this time a genuine cleric of a righteous god¡ªwill you bring a paladin to meet me next time?" tijana said languidly from her high throne, "as long as they agree to abide by the rules of twin bridges town, i don''t mind at all, of course, but don''t forget the monthly head tax; go pay it in a bit." "there are only a few days left in this month," bruto muttered dissatisfiedly. Chapter 126 Unrequited Love (note: this chapter is titled "chapter 126: report back") "my ears are just fine, you dwarven brat," tijana glanced at bruto, "no need to hand it over, just have them set up a tent outside twin bridges town. where''s the cross pickaxe?" lancelot took out the cross pickaxe from the dimensional bag and handed it to a succubus maid standing by. continue your saga on empire tijana took the cross pickaxe from the maid and played with the ordinary-looking mining tool with a complex expression, while lancelot took the opportunity to admire the beautiful profile of the succubus lord. so beautiful, the very purpose of a creature like a succubus is to make one lose self-control. the dwarf priest witt was also staring at the succubus lord, but unlike lancelot, his face was filled with tension, as if he feared she would accidentally smash the precious holy relic. "don''t be nervous, old man," tijana shot a glance at witt, "this cross pickaxe can still smash these floors." "i have no such intention," witt quickly denied, "as you see, besides its healing effects, this holy relic does not possess any particular power, but as a relic of dain frostbeard, it holds an extremely special meaning for us dwarves." "i know," tijana''s tone was surprisingly gentle. she touched the cross pickaxe one more time and finally tossed it back to the dwarf priest. "i permit you to keep this holy relic inside twin bridges town, just put it in the great hall of the craftsmen committee," tijana turned her head to lancelot, "well done, knight, those looks you stole just now are your reward. besides this cross pickaxe, did you get those... stones you needed?" "thank you for the provided intelligence, the spoils from this trip have been quite substantial, but there is more urgent intelligence that you must know immediately," lancelot turned to the silently standing brezu demon, "iados, you tell her." "heh, things are getting interesting now," tijana''s fingertips sprouted sharp claws, gently tapping on the armrest of the throne, "why am i not surprised at all? whether or not those cunning bartez intentionally let you see this, the information is critical." "additionally, during their escape from oasis fort, they killed an aosai demon and its four steel demon guards within the underground passageway." "those oversized skeletons? aren''t they spellcasters? what are they doing underground instead of staying on the battlefield?" tijana looked at lancelot again, "even though you had a considerable number, defeating an aosai demon is no simple feat." "in fact, the aosai demon that sir lancelot killed might have been the most important move in reserve for the demons," old reap spoke up, this time obediently taking on a human''s head. "lady tijana, do you remember the slave pens at oasis fort?" "of course, i remember; molo proudly showed me the bottom of that shithole which made quite an impression on me." tijana''s expression darkened, but suddenly as if she realized something, "are you suggesting that..." "during the battle with that bone demon, its magic caused a mass of skeletons to rise again," old reap divulged the conclusion they had come to after repeatedly discussing it on their way back, "this bone demon seemed to be quite proficient in necromancy. we believe its purpose there was likely to initiate some sort of large-scale ritual spell to awaken all the skeletons in the pit." "i knew that shithole in oasis fort would blow up sooner or later; molo, that fool, even considered it a symbol of power, utterly ignorant." tijana shook her head, "i quite like the idea, though. you have to admire the demons'' creativity in schemes and plots. well done, knight; i suppose you took quite a reward from molo, didn''t you?" "to cover our retreat, lancelot even clashed with that bird creature," bruto couldn''t help adding, "the one you call the enreyes." "oh?" this time genuine surprise appeared on tijana''s face as she sized up lancelot, "you didn''t manage to kill an enreyes on your own, did you?" "of course not, i barely escaped from the succubus''s grasp with the help of my companions," lancelot, a bit overwhelmed by the succubus lord''s gaze, quickly shook his head in denial, "let me introduce eckmond, a mimir. you can see, he has a natural advantage when playing the role of a skeleton." "salutations to you, noble lady!" eckmond rarefied his behavior to seriousness, "i am currently following sir lancelot, but if you have any commands, i would be most delighted to serve you!" "we''ll have to count him as well, don''t forget to go see sonam for the taxes later," tijana merely glanced at eckmond, then turned to lancelot to inquire, "an enreyes is not an easy opponent to dismiss, how did you escape?" Chapter 127 Memory of Carp Cuisine (i apologize for updating the wrong content today; i''ve added an extra chapter as compensation! the previous chapter should have been chapter 126, and the content has been corrected, though the title can''t be changed at the moment. if readers find the content doesn''t connect, re-downloading it should resolve the issue.) "i was merely holding on by a thread," lancelot revealed only part of the truth. "at that time, we had just emerged from the secret passage when a succubus spotted us from afar and instantly saw through my... disguise. while the succubus was chasing after me, a strong magical fluctuation suddenly erupted from the direction of oasis fort, and a red light beam shot up into the sky, which immediately made the succubus leave via a portal." "a red light beam, huh..." tijana narrowed her eyes. "was that beam also filled with chaotic, destructive aura?" continue reading at empire lancelot nodded and asked, "do you know what that was?" "it was just a portal on the ground, leading to a plane nearly inside a volcano," tijana waved her hand dismissively. "it must have been molo who came back just in time. it seems the demons largely returned without success this time. that''s quite a blow for those bartez folks, hehehe..." tijana stood up and waved to lancelot. "next is the military meeting for twin bridges town, you mercenaries can leave now." the group bowed to tijana and walked out. the group pondered this, especially a certain human knight. however, he quickly decided to put those thoughts aside for now and focus on shopping in the market. koula was eager to show off her cooking skills to her new companions; the halfling''s way of life was to ensure that everyone around her liked her, so she was very serious in choosing ingredients in the market area. her time cooking in the succubus palace had taught her how to handle many ingredientes that were characteristic of the abyss. she recognized many ingredients that lancelot and his companions had never tried before, such as dried giant monster tentacles, flammable-looking chili peppers, tough skins suitable for making armor, and highly suspicious cheese with worms crawling on it¡ªall of which she insisted on buying. the only thing that slightly comforted lancelot was that the owners of these goods seemed to really like halflings, appearing genuinely pleased as if they had found a customer who truly knew their goods. when koula carefully bought a dried fish that smelled like a sour mop from a tiflin, the expression on the tiflin''s face was as if he was parting with his own child. "this is a stygian river memory carp; it may look like it''s been dead for hundreds of years, but once you soak it in tears, it''ll start bouncing around again," koula said happily. "you can imagine, catching a fish that lives in the stygian river is nearly impossible, but occasionally a few jump ashore and are picked up by those who know their stuff." "but this fish grows in the stygian river, is it really edible?" bruto asked skeptically, looking at the fish which was almost taller than a halfling. "moreover, how many tears would it take to soak it entirely? we don''t really have many sentimental folks here..." "if it''s prepared properly, its flesh is fragrant and tender, and it can even help spellcasters remember an extra magic spell the next day. it''s said to feed on the memories in the waters of the stygian river. as for the tears..." koula walked over to an alchemy materials store, looked around, and quickly spotted a block that looked like black glass, "this is it." "what is this?" lancelot asked, handing over a thousand gold coins for a brick whose use he couldn''t discern, already feeling a bit of financial pain. "this is a brick, extracted from a place called the fortress of regret, made entirely of solidified tears. just soak this brick in water and a whole bucket of water will turn into tears," koula shrugged. "what did i tell you? if you want to be a top chef, you''ve got to know a bit of alchemy." "alright then," lancelot shrugged, "let''s buy whatever other materials you need, consider it from our team funds. let''s not buy weapons and gear here; we''ll ask bruto''s dad if he''s free later." Chapter 128 Going Home clinging to their large and small packages, everyone finally returned to hagrid manor after dark had completely fallen. enjoy exclusive chapters from empire having lived here for over a month, lancelot, bruto, and kalalin had come to regard hagrid manor as their home. seeing the silhouette of the three-story building once again, an involuntary sense of relaxation swept over them. it might have been an illusion, but after not seeing it for a few days, the surroundings of hagrid manor seemed a bit more ghastly. the small building was brightly lit at this moment, making the darkness not seem so utterly still, likely due to some maid who only worked at night. alamir, highly sensitive to the presence of undead, had already furrowed his eyebrows, but after all, this was abyss, and it was they, the breathers, who were the anomalies here. as they drew near, lancelot established a clear mind link with dingke. the elite quasimodo demon reported that everything was safe at home, and there had been no disturbances during their absence. this quasimodo demon had become the top force in twin bridges town. its strength had long surpassed that of its level, but it stubbornly refused to advance; it believed following lancelot would bring greater benefits. thus, it had always diligently served the human knight, guarding the house and acting as a bodyguard to a small vampire whenever they ventured out. bruto, taking the lead, pushed open the grand doors of the building, shouting: "little isabella? we''re back!" "i~am~up~stairs!" a voice came down from upstairs accompanied by the sound of a broom accidentally hitting the ground. the sounds of stomping resounded as the adorable maid in a maid''s outfit appeared on the stairs, joyfully shouting: "welcome home! you''ve finally..." while lancelot was showing them the rooms, little isabella had already boiled the hot water, allowing everyone who had been traveling for a whole day and night to wash away the dust from their journey. lancelot himself took a comfortably hot bath. true qi could naturally help him stay clean, but bathing served more to relax him. the scalding hot water flowing over his body took away the muscle soreness and smoothed his tense nerves, rejuvenating his spirits. meanwhile, koula had donned a chef''s apron and was bustling in the kitchen. the enticing aroma filled every corner of the house, and lancelot, smelling it after his bath, knew that bringing the halfling back was an absolutely right decision. lancelot went to the living room and saw little isabella standing behind koula like a well-behaved apprentice, while the others were on the couch, sharing stories of their adventure. "by the way, kalalin, there''s something i want to ask you," lancelot sat down across from kalalin, "during the battle with enreyes, she said some interesting things." "oh? what did she say?" kalalin straightened up, and the others were drawn in by lancelot''s words, gathering around. "her exact words were," lancelot recalled with a frown, "''when you are killed by me, your soul will go to a place waiting for a divine envoy to lead, where there is an envoy from hell. talk with that envoy, and they will offer me a satisfactory contract.''" "she told you that?" kalalin was surprised, "maybe she really admires you, but remember, demons are all expert liars; always prepare for the worst when dealing with them." "but what does it mean?" lancelot asked curiously, "do souls really go to such a place after death?" "that''s true, at least that''s what those awakened from eternal slumber by divine arts and magic have said," kalalin organized his thoughts, "every mortal''s soul after death proceeds to the domain of the vague, the realm of the lord of the dead, to await the envoy of the god they believed in. the divine envoys judge these souls, deciding whether they reenter the cycle of rebirth or can go to the god''s realm. the devil''s representatives reside there too, tempting every soul to sell themselves to the nine hells." "what kind of fool would sell their soul after they die?" bruto asked in shock. Chapter 129 Demon Corps """ "such people are not uncommon..." kalalin curled his lip, "imagine you''re in the prime of your life, yet die on the battlefield for your lord, leaving behind a helpless wife and daughter. as your soul worries about their miserable remaining lives, the demon appears, offering to send a large sum of gold to your living relatives. if you still don''t trust them, demons have plenty of patience. they can even allow you to watch over your loved ones in the netherworld, seeing them happily live out their lives, and all it costs is your soul. if it were you, would you be willing?" bruto opened his mouth, wishing to say something, but ended up keeping silent. seeing that everyone had fallen into contemplation, kalalin waited for a while before continuing: "those who choose to sell their souls after death typically have some compelling reasons. for a person important to them, for the answer to a problem, for an unachieved revenge, for a long-standing desire." kalalin''s voice carried a weary undertone, "put yourself in their shoes and think about it. if you were faced with such a situation, could you truly refuse the demons'' offer?" "how terrifying." bruto shuddered, "do those deities just stand by and watch their followers be tempted by demons?" "it is said that according to the contract signed between the demons and the god of the dead, demons cannot deceive these newly deceased souls and must fulfill their promises to mortals," kalalin''s expression was very serious, "unlike the contracts that tempt mortals to become fallen, agreements signed in the domain of the vague must be executed with honesty and in full." "what do you mean? are there issues with their agreements with mortals in general?" "the issues are numerous. demons are experts at playing with words," kalalin sat up straight, "take a few examples, such as promising to prevent your body from aging, by turning you into a stone statue; or promising to reveal an important secret, but whispering it in your ear while you''re asleep; willing to offer you a large fortune, but killing you immediately after handing it over. when dealing with demons, you''d best have a team of lawyers examine every punctuation mark to ensure there are no loopholes for wordplay, or terms written with invisibility potion. even then, don''t expect to gain any advantage from a deal with a demon; a fair exchange is the best outcome you can hope for." "i detest any text longer than three sentences, including what you''ve just said," bruto sighed and slumped back into the couch, "priest, what''s your take on this?" "don''t mention it, i know very little about barto hell, it''s eckmond who has more extensive knowledge," kalalin said somewhat sheepishly, scratching his head, "i should ask him for advice more often in the future." enjoy more content from empire "uh, i''m not obliged to answer any of your questions, you know!" eckmond grumbled dissatisfied, "but it''s a different story for the boss, ask me anything you want to know, don''t be shy." "in that case, i have another question i want to ask you," lancelot said, causing the skull to pause in its expression, "today at tijana''s place, what did iados talk about regarding the demons'' second group army? what does that mean?" "oh, that, i know about that," eckmond seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, "demons have three group armies, most of the soldiers in the first group army are high-rank bartez, they are the elite forces of the nine hells. in war, they are the first to charge into the enemy''s lines, carrying out those outright suicidal missions. despite this, serving in the first group army is considered a very high honor for demons. their commander is arusur, a deep hell demon refiner." "is this arusur one of the eight archdemons?" bruto asked curiously. kalalin had mentioned this term in their chats earlier; they were said to be the eight noble demons responsible for all blood warfare affairs. "no, these front-line commanders still have to follow the orders set out by the archdemons; the archdemons also have many responsibilities in intelligence, diplomacy, military supply, and more. remember, fighting is just a small part of warfare." lancelot could relate to this, but he was more eager to know about the second group army, especially since he had surely made certain enmity with them, particularly after that slap before parting. kalalin had once mentioned that when you fight with a demon, you are only hostile to that individual demon; but when you attack a demon, you are practically challenging all demons collectively. while this statement could be intentionally spread by demons, as the person involved, he had to be cautious. "the second group army is the naval force of the demons. almost all types of demons can be seen in this group army. they are not only responsible for transporting demonic legions through the stygian river but are also excellent in both offensive and defensive strategies that rely on the stygian river." the skeleton continued to share its knowledge with everyone, "indeed, there are quite a few seducing demons serving as senior commanders in this group army, their wings giving them a distinct advantage in traversing the stygian river." "i understand," lancelot nodded. according to iados''s judgment, this army that attacked oasis fort was the naval marine corps of the demons. if they could move silently through the stygian river, then it would explain how the demonic forces could suddenly appear outside of oasis fort." Chapter 136 130 "as for the third army corps, they are either bruto''s cannon fodder or his main force, depending on how you see it." seeing that lancelot had no further questions, eckmond continued, "this army is composed of a large number of low rank demons and is looked down upon in demon society, but don''t underestimate them. with iron discipline and excellent command, the third army corps often achieves a terrifying casualty ratio in battle. it was precisely because of their distinguished military achievements that their former commander, bayer, was able to be promoted to the lord of the first layer of the nine hells, avernus, and become the supreme commander of the three demon armies." "your information seems a bit outdated." kalalin looked at eckmond strangely, "even i, a scholar holed up in the prime material plane and studying the abyss, know that bayer has been deposed by astimos, and the current archduke of avernus is zariel again." "uh..." an awkward look appeared in the skull''s eye sockets as it hastened to defend its mistake, "the knowledge in my head doesn''t update automatically, is it so abnormal that some of it is outdated?" "who is this zariel?" lancelot couldn''t help but ask, "why say the archduke of avernus ''again'' is her?" "it''s said that she was once an angel, at one point imprisoned by her subordinate bayer, but about a hundred years ago, it seems like a series of major events occurred across the lower planes, and even time experienced rifts. when everything calmed down, people found that zariel had reclaimed her position," kalalin looked to the floating skull, "i believe eckmond has more accurate information about her past." "what has happened can perhaps also be changed," the skull sighed, "zariel was once an angel in charge of overseeing the blood war, since this great conflict involves the fate of the entire multiverse. she repeatedly requested the gods to send troops, to take advantage of the demons and devils'' fierce fighting, to wipe out these two evil forces in one fell swoop. after being repeatedly denied, she took matters into her own hands, deciding to do it herself, and the result was, naturally, drowning in the vast ocean of the blood war." explore more at empire "so how did she become a great demon archduke?" bruto asked curiously. "astimos witnessed the death of this battle-thirsty angel and sent a special forces unit to find her remains of consciousness under a small hill made of the bodies of tanari she had killed," eckmond said with authority, "the ruler of the nine hells personally resurrected zariel. "oh!!!!!" bruto and kalalin cheered simultaneously, even alamir couldn''t help but show a smile, isha was full of expectation, only koula was still unclear about the situation. "what are you standing around for, come help me move these sofas," lancelot said cheerfully, and kalalin and alamir immediately rose to help. bruto sneakily grabbed a piece of meat of unknown origin from the plate and stuffed it into his mouth before scampering over. the group cleared a large space. lancelot stood in the center and carefully turned the dimensional bag, which collected the spoils, inside out. with a swoosh, everyone''s eyes were briefly blinded by a sudden burst of light. when their vision returned, the previously empty floor was now covered with a dazzling array of treasures. a whole little mountain of gemstones that lancelot and bruto had collected, the magical equipment dotted around it was kalalin''s victory haul¡ªhe had no time to choose carefully, picking solely based on the strength of the magic aura, probably mixing up quite a few items with powerful curses. the beautiful and luxurious works of art were brought out by alamir. his goddess taught followers to acquire all kinds of beautiful things, wherever and whenever they discovered them. with a ''clatter,'' koula''s fork dropped to the floor, and isha''s condition was similar, both their faces full of shock. just as lancelot was somewhat proudly admiring everyone''s expressions, his own face suddenly changed. a blue-white light flared up without warning next to the dining table, and a beautiful figure emerged from the teleportation magic, tijana''s voice filled the room: "lancelot, i came to remind you about that enrei... what the hell is all this!!!" the succubus lord was dumbfounded as she stared at the heap of blinding treasures, equally overwhelmed. "good evening, tijana," lancelot''s tone sounded incredibly resigned, "have you eaten yet?" Chapter 131 The Enemy is Not Dead "No... not exactly, what are you doing? Where did you get all this stuff from?" Tijana, a Demon Lord who had seen her fair share of grand appearances, quickly composed herself after the initial shock. "Where else, the treasure vault of the Succubus Palace," Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, "We were just about to have a meal, planning to tell little Isa about this adventure while distributing these spoils of war." "Oh? Is that so..." Tijana circled the huge pile of treasure, her eyes spinning non-stop, "That Goblin and Werewolf are my subordinates, right?" "Indeed they are, they''re very satisfied with the payment I gave them..." "The information about the Succubus Palace was provided by me, correct?" "Correct, but we found the vault ourselves, and that Succubus Guard inside was taken down by us as well..." "Samantha was killed by you? Not bad, not bad... The one responsible for backing you up, Iados, he lost all his men and suddenly became a ''lone commander''. How pitiful." "That doesn''t seem to be my fault, does it?" "...I don''t care!!" The Succubus Lord grabbed Lancelot by the collar forcefully and said righteously, looking up, "I must have a share of these war spoils!" "Alright, you do have your merits here." Gazing at the face so close to his, Lancelot struggled to suppress the urge to kiss Tijana''s red lips and reluctantly nodded. Tijana still clutched tightly onto Lancelot''s collar as if she hadn''t heard what he said until Bruto cleared his throat softly, and then she turned her head blankly toward the Dwarf. "Shall we eat first?" Bruto looked innocently at the Succubus Lord, "All these delicious dishes are going to get cold." "Koula is the chef of the Succubus Palace, very famous indeed." Lancelot took a step back discreetly, "Would we have the honor of dining with you this evening, my lady?" Only then did Tijana look towards the dining table, her eyes full of disdain as she flatly refused: "A memorable experience, I hope the story will please you." Lancelot lifted his glass and gently sipped the wine claimed to be from Shendiravir, beginning with their arrival at the Oasis Fort. When it came to sneaking into the Succubus Palace, under Tigana''s strong insistence, he eventually put on the Transformation Ring in front of the Succubus Lord. "Wow!!!!!" Little Issa looked away after a mere glance, her face flushed with embarrassment. Lancelot had just been wearing a casual shirt, and upon putting on the Transformation Ring, it turned into an extremely provocative sheer garment. Even Tigana had a weird expression on her face, her eyes fixed on Lancelot''s enlarged part, her hand unconsciously reaching out as if to confirm its authenticity. "What are you doing?" Lancelot instantly took off the ring, watching the succubus warily. "Tch, boring." Tigana pouted, "Continue." Lancelot went on to describe how they discovered the treasury, and the astonishing vast treasure within. Undoubtedly, his words held conviction, as the best part of the story was right before their eyes. "Just thinking about Molo''s expression right now fills my heart with sweetness," Tigana said with a sultry look at the Human Knight, "but what''s the deal with Samantha? Did you really kill her?" Lancelot described the succubus'' final fate, but Tigana furrowed her brows. "Something''s not right, the Teleportation Magic shouldn''t have been effective," the Succubus Lord tapped her fingers lightly on the table, her sharp claws unconsciously extending from the tips, a habit she had when deep in thought, Lancelot had learned. Continue your journey with empire "Are you saying she might not be dead?" Bruto asked in surprise, "But her body was... like that." "A body is just a shell," said Tigana with disdain, "a powerful Tanari can split off a small portion of their life essence to create a container, so when we are killed within the Abyss, we can resurrect using this amulet. Considering Samantha''s relationship with Molo, she would certainly have the resources to make such an amulet." Lancelot let out a sigh within his heart; it seemed he had gained another enemy. He had actually suspected this, having absorbed some demon power from the evil spirit demon he had killed, though he didn''t know why that happened. Yet, when he killed the more powerful succubus, that phenomenon didn''t occur, which made him doubt whether that malicious woman with an octopus growing from her back was truly dead. Chapter 132 Keep a low profile ``` "But you don''t need to worry about her seeking revenge." Tijana looked as though she wasn''t too concerned, "She''s very weak after being resurrected, and her position is a coveted one. Her first priority is to secure her own place, not to go after an unknown Succubus." "How does the bureaucracy in Shendiravir function?" Kalalin asked curiously, an opportunity to directly question a Succubus Lord was rare. "I don''t know, nor do I care." With graceful poise, Tijana speared another tentacle-like piece of food, noticing Lancelot watching her. The Succubus Lord covered her mouth with her other hand, but left a gap just large enough for Lancelot to see through. She then stuck out her long, supple tongue and rolled the food from the fork into her mouth. This suggestive and extremely provocative gesture forced Lancelot to look away involuntarily. Tijana laughed out loud as if she had won a victory, leaving those around her who were unaware of what had transpired looking at one another in confusion. "It''s just a game for Mekanshut to pass the time," the well-humored Succubus Lord added a few more details, "The Succubus who sat on the Razor Throne with the help of baboons finds life dull without rivals. The courtly intrigue at the Heart of Tearing is a drama she willingly indulges in. As the lover of a Demon Prince, very few adversaries can truly threaten her, so she stirs up various plots in her own court for her amusement." Tijana''s expression showed utter disdain but if Mekanshut''s rule is as she described, then her contempt was understandable, even by mortal standards. As a lord, Tijana was commendably capable, and that was saying something considering she was in the Abyss, where half of her subjects were ruthless Demons. "Your relationship with this... Queen of the Succubus seems..." Bruto began, pausing as he remembered to mind his words, "not very amicable?" "Who says?" Tijana glanced at the young Dwarf, "I love our Queen with all my heart, as you can tell from my cordial relationship with Molo. Continue with what you were saying, what was that about a Bone Demon?" Lancelot thus continued the narrative of their entrance into the slave pen. Tijana was impressed with the way they destroyed the gate, and little Isa trembled at the description Lancelot gave of the bottom of the mass grave but couldn''t help wanting to hear more. When it came to the fight in the secret passage of the mass grave, Tijana had a heap of questions: the style of the Steel Demon Armor and weapons, the sequence of spells cast by the Bone Demon, and the words spoken with emotion by the Demons. Throughout this process, Lancelot found that he could recall all the details clearly; he practically replayed the entire battle. She tapped the blade gently, and a bit of magic power flowed from her fingertips into the treasured sword, causing a line of burning text to appear on the blade. "That''s... Heavens language!" Kalalin exclaimed again in surprise, "Does it mean... ''Glory is my mission''?" "Correct," Tijana nodded. "This sword is very ancient, probably a witness to the initial fall of the Enreyes, and has developed a mind of its own to some extent, which is why it was affected by my charm." "This item must be quite valuable," Lancelot said with a grim face. "That succubus named Valtira is surely going to be after me relentlessly now." "From the moment you disrupted their plan to conquer Oasis Fort, those Bartez have been relentless. By the way, I saw the retreat of the Bartez forces in the divination crystal before coming here. The plan to strike at Oasis Fort is utterly ruined," Tijana said playfully, looking at Lancelot. "As a mercenary, getting involved in bloody battles is inevitable, but making dozens of High Rank Demons face degradation punishment right off the bat is showing off a bit too much." Lancelot didn''t say a word and simply stared at Tijana, who couldn''t find the expression of fear on his face she was expecting, which felt somewhat disappointing to her. "I''m taking this sword," Tijana said as she tucked the succubus''s treasured sword into an elegant Dimensional Bag at her waist. "I''ll declare that I saved Oasis Fort, which should transfer the Bartez''s attention onto me, and this sword will be the most convincing piece of evidence. The hostility of demons is too burdensome for mortals like you, but it makes no difference to me." "Thank you, my lady," Lancelot said softly, his expression very sincere. Tijana seemed to want to say something sarcastic, but after seeing Lancelot''s earnest face, she swallowed the words back down. She stood up and walked towards the heap of spoils of war, casually picking a few items that emitted an eerie glow and stowed them away. "You won''t need these anyway, so I''ll take them. Keep a low profile for a while, and don''t wander off," the Succubus Lord waved her hand and cast the Teleportation Technique again. In the moment before her figure disappeared, Tijana''s voice resounded directly in Lancelot''s heart. "Dinner was nice." Chapter 133 Unrequited Love "Wow, that''s Tijana," said the Halfling who had been nervous all along, finally relaxing, "Although she looks fierce, I''m pretty sure she enjoyed the dinner." "It''s easy to tell," Bruto observed the piles of empty plates in front of him, "She almost ate a third of it by herself. Isn''t her stomach bursting?" "Sister Tijana is actually not fierce at all," Isabella whispered in defense of the Succubus Lord. "Food disappears into a demon''s stomach as if it goes directly to the core of the Abyss through a portal. Researchers have always suspected that there''s a portal going straight to the core of the Abyss inside their stomachs," Kalalin said with a smile, "But this really was a fantastic dinner, Koula, thank you." "You must not have had enough," the Halfling jumped up from his chair, "Don''t worry, I still have dessert here. Who wants a couple of flowing heart tarts?" "Me!" Everyone spoke up simultaneously, except for a certain distracted knight and his jawbone-leaking skeletal servant. "I need to figure out a way to get a body soon," Eckmond lamented, watching others, "Eating seems like such a fun, meaningless activity." "These cookies are fantastic," Bruto almost instantly ate his share, "Lance, if you''re not planning on eating yours, it''s going to be mine, okay?" "Are you okay?" Alamir looked at Lancelot with some concern, "Still worried about the revenge of the demon that Tijana mentioned?" "He''s probably thinking about Tijana herself," Bruto crossed his arms and sighed, "I just can''t appreciate those types without beards." "Lancelot? Tijana?" The Elf looked quite shocked, then suddenly his expression turned a bit strange, "Is that why the Succubus Lord suddenly visited? How far has their relationship progressed?" Listen to the true voice of your heart, be honest with yourself, and then you can be honest with her, which is essential for true love." "But what if demons are incapable of feeling love?" Lancelot''s voice sounded somewhat desperate, "Does that mean any effort is in vain?" "The power of true love is beyond your imagination," the Elf''s expression was very calm, but these words were indeed at the core of Shuni Priest''s beliefs, "Such feelings can arise in the hearts of any intelligent race, a power capable of contending with any magic or Divine Power." Your journey continues on empire "I hope so," Lancelot sighed, his expression appeared much more relaxed, "but Kalalin is right, so far it has been unrequited love, and even if a demon''s heart could be ignited by the flames of love, it would certainly require a tremendous amount of effort." "Maybe it''s not as hard as you think," Alamir raised an eyebrow, "She''s already come to your house and had dinner with you. And with Koula around, she''s bound to come again." "Should I start planning the wedding menu right now?" Koula suddenly spoke up, making everyone laugh, and the previously somewhat oppressive atmosphere was swept away. "All right, let''s talk about distributing the loot," Lancelot''s expression became serious again, "I believe that what will bind our team together in the future is not the spoils obtained in adventures, but I''m also aware that unfair distribution can turn even the closest comrades against each other." Everyone nodded in agreement, and so Lancelot continued. "Here''s my proposal for the distribution of the loot. All monetary gains are to be evenly distributed, and the acquired equipment will be distributed as needed, and if one day you no longer need it, the income from selling it will also be shared equally," Lancelot looked at Elf Priest, "Alamir, I know your fondness for these artworks, you can own them before we sell them, but once sold, the money obtained will also be evenly distributed among everyone." "No problem," the Elf Priest nodded, "I will use them to decorate this house, the beauty of art should be appreciated by everyone, I have no intention of monopolizing these exquisite creations." Chapter 134 Treasure Appraisal "This sounds great, but we all know that it''s not fair," Kalalin stared at Lancelot, "Although I hate to admit it, you are stronger than all of us, and if we are to judge by merit, at least half of the spoils should belong to you." "Ordinary treasure means little to me," Lancelot walked over to the pile of loot, bent down, and picked up an Earth Crystal, "What I need are gemstones like these, they are to me what potions are to others, consumables." "But they aren''t all that valuable, although they are not common," Bruto shrugged his shoulders, "And basically, you''re the one who found them among those more precious gemstones. Since you can use them, they might as well all be yours." "If it weren''t for you, we would have died at the hands of that Succubus, not to mention escaping from the Demon," Kalalin looked at Lancelot very seriously, "Sometimes I wonder if you would have it easier without us." "To me, you are far more important than you imagine," Lancelot shook his head, "A mortal can easily be assimilated by the chaos and evil essence of the Abyss, but with you, my dearest friends, we can fight together against these corrupting and fallen forces." "Ah, that''s really touching," Bruto rushed over from his seat, "Let''s have a hug of friendship!" "Uh, I think..." Before Lancelot could say anything, he was embraced by the sturdy Dwarf and found the hug unexpectedly pleasant. He patted Bruto on the back, smiling, "Alright, alright, I can hardly breathe now. Remember what we said? We will definitely find a way back home." Bruto hugged Lancelot tightly once more before finally letting go. The corners of his eyes seemed a bit moist, but Lancelot was sure he must have seen it wrong. "Ahem," the Human Knight cleared his throat, "Kalalin, can you identify the properties or curses on these equipment?" "No problem. The 1st circle Magic Identification Spell is made for this. This spell can clarify any magical effects and curses attached to an item," Kalalin pulled out several scrolls from his pocket, "I can cast this spell four times a day, it''ll take several days to identify everything. Where do you want to start?" "Does anyone have a preference?" After Tijana had taken some, there were still ten pieces of equipment left on the pile of gemstones, lying there quietly. "That hammer," Bruto pointed at a Hardhead Hammer, "That glowing one there, I''ve had my eye on it for a long time, let''s see what effects it has?" Kalalin nodded, rolled out an Identification Spell scroll, activated the magic within, and then placed his hand gently on the hammer. "It''s not that your legs have grown, but your stride has increased," Lancelot observed Koula''s movements for a while before drawing a conclusion. "Let''s move on to the next item. How about this necklace?" "This is an Amulet of Adaptation," Kalalin concluded quickly, "It allows the wearer to breathe normally in any environment and provides advantages against various magically created noxious gases." "I don''t need it," Lancelot shook his head, "Does anyone else need it?" Both Bruto and Alamir shook their heads in turn, Koula seemed interested but felt she shouldn''t take another item since she had already taken the boots. "Then I''ll take it for myself; as a normal human, I don''t have much resistance to toxins," Kalalin said with a smile, taking the necklace, "Besides, with it, I won''t have to worry about gagging on foul odors when casting spells." "Where shall we use the last Identification Spell of the day?" Lancelot''s gaze scanned the remaining items before he picked one out, "Let''s look at this belt." "Wait a moment," Kalalin again cast the Identification Spell, placing his hand on the belt, but after a short while, he threw the belt to Bruto with a strange expression, "Dwarf, this belt is yours." "Eh?" Bruto caught the belt with a puzzled face, "How can you be so sure I''d like it? What does it do?" "It''s a rare magical item named the Dwarf Belt, most likely crafted by a Dwarf," Kalalin explained, "It significantly strengthens your constitution, but not beyond that of a young dragon; it grants knowledge of the Dwarven language, darkvision, and resistance to poison like a Dwarf. Additionally, the wearer will appear especially charming in the eyes of Dwarves." "Well, the belt is quite stunning, but these effects are also great for you; why must it be mine?" "Because it has one very special property." The Scholar seemed to be holding back a laugh, "Wearing it gives you a fifty percent chance each day to grow a Dwarven-style beard. If you already have a beard, it will make your beard noticeably longer and thicker." "By Moradin!!!" Bruto let out a delighted shriek, "Are you sure this is only a rare item? This is a Divine Artifact!" Your next read awaits at empire Kalalin rolled his eyes; he knew this would be Bruto''s reaction. Lancelot had long expressed no interest in growing a beard, and he didn''t want one either, while none of the Elves sported facial hair. For Koula and little Isha, the two females, this was more like a terrifying curse. "Thank you all, I''ll happily take the belt," Bruto beamed as he immediately put on the belt, then added a bit reluctantly, "If anyone of you needs it, I''m not opposed to lending it for a couple of days, huh." Chapter 135 Fragments of History After Kalalin used up his first-ring spells, he temporarily couldn''t continue the equipment appraisal. However, even without a master of equipment appraisal, there was still a master of gemstone appraisal. Bruto, who had obtained the Dwarf Belt, was in a very good mood and energetically began appraising the gemstones for everyone. For a Dwarf, they could almost glance at a gemstone and roughly estimate its value, and this sort of activity, akin to counting money, obviously brought him great joy. Of course, Koula was also very enthusiastic about it. While Bruto sorted the gemstones into several small piles based on their value, he introduced the types of gemstones to everyone. The gemstones worth around 10 Gold Coins included blue crystals, malachite, turquoise, and others, which Bruto didn''t even bother with due to their low value. Those worth 50 Gold Coins included various agates, moonstones, zircon, and gemstones worth 100 Gold Coins included amber, jadeite, and amethyst. Because of their moderate value, these gemstones were highly popular among merchants and were the most collected type during this trip. As for those valued at 500 Gold Coins, there were ice crystals, yellow jade, black pearls; these were quite rare. Up the scale were sapphires, emeralds, opals, each worth a whole 1000 Gold Coins; and those exceeding 5000 Gold Coins included diamonds, rubies, black sapphires, which were even more uncommon. This time they found only two rubies, and Bruto swore they were the only two in the entire treasure vault, which he had pocketed right away. So it seemed, although they had amassed a considerable quantity this time, most of them were merely "trade" gemstones, valued at 50 or 100 Gold Coins. The gemstones they found after slaying the sandworm appeared to be of a higher value. In the end, they tallied up the gemstones they had harvested to be worth approximately 80,000 Gold Coins, a number so large that even the Elf Priest was breathing heavily. Eventually, Lancelot suggested they each take gemstones worth 10,000 Gold Coins, with the rest to be used as team funds for expenses such as rent, spellcasting materials, and food. "I''ve never seen so much money in my life," Koula said, holding her share of the gemstones with a somewhat overwhelmed expression, "but here, what can I even use this money for?" The Halfling''s words made everyone feel a bit deflated. Wealth had very limited use in the Abyss. Lords needed money to buy equipment, pay troops, and recruit new soldiers, but ordinary people could buy very limited things with money. Twin Bridges Town was already one of the more active neutral towns for trade in the first layer of the Abyss, but even so, the price of food here was more than ten times that of the Prime Material Plane, and the choices were very limited. However, some specialties only available in the lower planes were quite affordable, like worms with human faces, deadly poisons that could even bring down demons, and various strongly addictive hallucinogens. But clearly, these items were of no use to them. "But just looking at these gemstones makes me so happy," said little Isha happily, holding a small bag of gemstones which were Lancelot''s "logistics funds" for her. "This is what''s so strange about you humans." Bruto spread his hands out and slumped back into the sofa. "Did you just mention that the Elf High Priest who blessed you had experienced a war thousands of years ago?" Alamir''s point of interest was different from the others''. "Now that you mention it, I realize." Kalalin murmured, "How could that be possible?" "Is there a problem?" Lancelot asked in surprise. "We Elves do live very long lives..." Alamir seemed to be pondering something, "but under normal circumstances, the average lifespan of an Elf is only about 700 to 800 years, and few Elves live beyond a thousand years old." "How can that be? Aren''t Elves immortal and ageless?" "All mortals die, it''s a natural law, unless..." "Unless what?" "Unless there is still a living Tree of Life in your world," Alamir''s gaze became somewhat distant, "Legend has it that Elves originated from a homeworld called Faerlil, and Corellon Larethian, the chief deity of the Elves, created the first Elves from the tender branches of the Tree of Life. The Elves once established a very glorious Magic Empire, colonizing countless worlds from Faerlil and always bringing with them seeds of the Tree of Life because as long as the Tree of Life was present, Elves would not age." "What happened after that?" Bruto asked curiously, "When did you tree-dwellers become mortal?" "Due to some disaster long forgotten, the connection between other worlds and Faerlil was severed. I''m not clear about other worlds, but in the one I came from, the Tree of Life was destroyed in a terrible magical accident thousands of years ago, blasting the entire continent into several pieces, thanks to those self-righteous highborn Elf Wizards!" Alamir shrugged helplessly, "Since then, Elves were no longer immortal and undying. This is why I''m so shocked; maybe the disaster of the demon invasion taught the Elves in your world a good lesson, making them retain a sense of reverence while exploring the unknown." Chapter 137 Summoned to Appear Upon receiving the summons from Tijana, Lancelot''s heart muttered discontentedly. What kind of mission would require his presence? Could it be that the Succubus Lord had discovered the location of an Earth Crystal or a Cold Water Crystal or some other gemstone he needed and was preparing him for another looting spree? Despite his doubts, Lancelot quickly gathered his companions. He left a note for little Esha, who was still sleeping in her coffin (weighted down with a small bag of gemstones), and then set off for the red castle at the center of Twin Bridges Town. The companions trailing behind him looked quite different from a month ago. Bruto wore his belt every day, and now his large beard made him appear to be three hundred years old, although it was still the fiery red color of a young Dwarf, knotted into three braids with a thick one in the middle and two thinner ones on the sides. Aside from that, he also donned a majestic red cloak. This cloak was more than just decorative; it was one of the spoils they conquered from the Succubus Palace, which gave the wearer an advantage in resisting spells¡ªa very satisfactory piece of equipment for a Dwarf who despised all magic. Kalalin, on the other hand, had replaced his scroll-case with a backpack worn over both shoulders. This, too, was a magical item, but it hadn''t come from the Succubus Palace; rather, Kalalin bought it from the market for five thousand Gold Coins. Such a large sum of money indicated the backpack''s extraordinariness. Named the Convenient Bag by Howard (meaning the inventor was called Howard), it had three Dimensional Pockets¡ªone large and two small¡ªallowing for storage of approximately twelve cubic feet or one hundred pounds of items. This backpack''s storage capacity was only about one-fifth that of a Dimensional Bag, but it had a very special ability: when you wanted to take something out, the first item you touched would be the one you were seeking. This feature was extremely important for a Scholar like Kalalin, who relied on scrolls for casting spells. To be prepared for various situations, they had to carry many scrolls, and searching for the right one among a pile on the anxious battlefield was incredibly awkward. Enjoy more content from empire Koula also had the same type of backpack as Kalalin''s, but hers was filled with all sorts of prepared potions, alchemical ingredients, as well as a complete set of cooking utensils, spices, and ingredients. She wore an exquisite suit of dark red leather armor, which she purchased from the market for three thousand Gold Coins. "I actually don''t care much about scars, but the teachings of the Goddess require believers to take care of their bodies," Alamir''s muffled voice emanated from behind the face mask. "The design, pattern, and ornamentation of this armor were all my own making, which includes an ''equilibrium'' enchantment effect, allowing me to gain a reactive force to stay standing if I''m about to fall, and the cold iron trait also keeps the wearer cool even under the scorching sun." "That''s so good! Make me one too when you have the time..." Lancelot praised sincerely. The effects sounded amazing, and indeed, Alamir looked very handsome in it. "No problem, I''ve kept the design sketches, so you can take a look when you''d like," Alamir said cheerily. "It''s just a bit pricey, it cost me 7500 gold coins, and Mr. Barrend said that it was already at cost price." "That expensive!" Lancelot exclaimed instinctively. As a knight, he was extremely sensitive to the price of armor. Normally, a knight''s full body armor set would cost around 1500 gold coins, and even that was often the most valuable possession in a small noble family in the countryside, typically passed from grandfather to father, and father to son. Lancelot, due to his background, actually had little concept of the prices of daily necessities such as bread, eggs, or soap, but this suit of full body armor finally provided him with a tangible sense of the prices in Twin Bridges Town. When Lancelot was young (or any boy who dreamed of becoming a knight), wealth was not measured in gold coins, but in full body armor. This manor is worth 5 sets of full body armor, that warhorse a half set, his father''s annual income a third of a set, and so on. Fortunately, it was also easier to make money in the Abyss¡ªmore precisely, there were more opportunities. Besides, apart from spending on purchasing equipment, there really wasn''t much else to use it for. During their conversation, the group had already arrived at the gates of Tigana''s Castle. The Berserk Demon guards looked at this fully armed party of mortals with unfriendly eyes, but after the Succubus who led Lancelot over communicated with them briefly, the Berserk Demon guards shook their heads, gesturing for everyone to enter. Chapter 138 The Mysterious Client With the guidance of Tijana''s Succubus Maid, the group didn''t linger in the waiting room but went directly to the Throne Hall. At that moment, the Throne Hall had been transformed into a military command center. In the very center of the hall, a gigantic sand table was displayed with countless images of Demons and Demon armies, generated by magic, depicting the situation around Oasis Fort. Next to it was a Crystal Ball, through which a beam of light passed and projected the scenes inside onto a nearby screen, showcasing a battle between Demons and Devils. Tijana was discussing something with her two six-armed Serpent Demon generals, but when Lancelot and the others entered the Throne Hall, she immediately looked up and her gaze met Lancelot''s. "You''ve arrived, good," Tijana''s voice echoed directly in Lancelot''s mind, "Arina will take you to the highest room in the North Tower, where the client is waiting. She insists on speaking with you first before deciding whether to entrust you with this mission." "Must I accept this mission?" "You certainly have a choice," Tijana had already withdrawn her gaze from Lancelot, "but I believe you will indeed take it. Go and talk to the client, and it doesn''t matter if you really don''t want to do it, but do not disclose any information about the client." Lancelot nodded, and Tijana didn''t send any more mental messages. The Succubus Maid named Arina then turned her head to Lancelot and said: "Lady Tijana has already instructed, please follow me." "What''s happening?" Seeing Lancelot looking like he was about to leave without speaking, Bruto felt a bit puzzled. "Tijana just communicated with me via mind-link, saying that the client wants to meet us first," Lancelot shrugged, "Let''s go see who this mysterious client is." Exiting the large doors of the Throne Hall, the Succubus Maid led the group into an area they had never been to before. After passing through several corridors and corners, they arrived in front of a large door, flanked by two humanoid stone statues, each nearly twice as tall as Lancelot. As the Succubus Maid approached the door, the stone statues suddenly came to life. They stepped forward in unison, causing a dull sound on the floor. Judging from the sound, each statue likely weighed more than a ton. The Stone Gate''s arm reached forward, palms facing the group, the message was clear: no further advancement was allowed. With a creaking sound, the heavy Stone Gate was pushed open. The expressions on everyone''s faces were a mix of nervousness and curiosity, but the sight behind the door was somewhat disappointing. Behind the door was a round room, with various scrolls and books scattered all around, and some magical experimental apparatus on the tables. Equipment emanating a faint Spiritual Light was casually thrown around. Lancelot recognized a few items that were very familiar; they were indeed some of the trophies previously taken by Tijana from their collection at the Succubus Palace. "Could this be Tijana''s laboratory?" Kalalin remembered Arina''s instructions and obediently stood in place, but his eyes curiously surveyed the surroundings. "That''s not our concern," Lancelot said as he walked toward the staircase in the center of the room. "Don''t touch anything. The client awaits us in the room at the very top of these stairs." Everyone nodded and followed him up the winding staircase. The staircase was very tall and initially quite broad, but it narrowed to allow just two people to pass side by side. Besides the doors, the walls were adorned with many paintings depicting battles between Demons and Angels. These paintings imparted an unsettling feeling, but Lancelot was not in the mood to study them closely. After climbing at least fifty feet, they finally reached the top of the staircase. Flickering candlelight came from behind a partially open door, clearly indicating that someone inside was awaiting visitors. Lancelot stood at the doorway and gently knocked on the door. "Come in, the door isn''t locked," a gentle female voice came from inside the room. There was something enchantingly charming about the voice, making one eager to see the speaker. Lancelot pushed the door open and immediately saw who it was. The owner of the voice was a blonde beauty rising from a chair. A book lay open on the table before her, seemingly used to pass the time as she waited. Lancelot carefully surveyed the client. The woman was as beautiful as an Angel, her beauty no less impressive than Tijana''s. She had a pair of sky-blue eyes, which matched the color of her knee-length dress. One might say she resembled an Angel, given her serene and lovely demeanor, but the elegant bat wings folded behind her clearly identified her as a Succubus. She gracefully bowed to the group, and her pleasing voice echoed again: "Hello, I am ''Out of Favor.'' I suppose you are the mercenaries Tijana mentioned," she said as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear due to the bow. "May I ask if you are Captain Lancelot?" Chapter 139 The Fallen-Out-of-Favor Lady "I am." Lancelot returned a Knight''s salute, "Good afternoon, Fallen Lady. Is there anything we can assist you with?" "Indeed, I have a very urgent and dangerous task." The Fallen Lady nodded her head, her gaze sweeping over the group that filed in with Lancelot, "Are these your companions?" "Yes." Lancelot noticed her gaze lingering on Eckmond for a moment, "This skeleton head is called Eckmond, and he is also our companion." "Hello there." The skeleton head performed a bow that lacked a body, "It seems that you recognize me? I am very sorry, I''ve lost my memory, otherwise I would never forget a beauty like you." "No, but I had a friend who looked a lot like you." The Fallen Lady smiled gently, "I hope you find your memories soon. Long ago, I too embarked on a journey with someone very important to me, in search of his past." "If you''re willing, we''d be delighted to hear this story." Facing the Succubus, Lancelot involuntarily adopted an extremely polite tone, "You seem so different from all the Succubi we''ve met before... Please forgive my curiosity, but would you be willing to explain the meaning of ''Fallen''? It sounds more like an adjective rather than a name." "I understand you have many questions about me; everyone does when they first see me." The Succubus smiled again, "I''ve been to many places in the Multiverse and ultimately concluded that my kind leads a life that is a waste of time, meaningless. I fell from my race, and some say that was a sort of ascension, but I think ''fallen'' feels more accurate. That''s the origin of the name, ''Fallen''." The words spoken by the Succubus before him greatly shocked Lancelot, but he realized it was a very private topic, and to continue discussing it would be extremely impolite. Thus, he nodded and said: "Thank you for your explanation, Lady. You mentioned you had a commission?" "Yes, that''s precisely why I have come here." The Fallen Lady nodded, "But before that, I must ask a few questions to determine if you are worthy of my trust." "Understandable, you''ve already generously answered my questions, so please ask away." "The first question has no fixed answer, but I would like to hear each of your thoughts. What can change a person''s Essence?" "Love," Alamir said first, resolutely. "You must keep the following information strictly confidential," The Disfavored''s expression grew very serious, "Has anyone here heard of the name Elothysia?" "I think I''ve heard my old man mention it," Bruto said, frowning, "But I can''t remember anything about that name at all. Maybe I should have paid more attention when he was teaching." "Most Tanari despise me for my ''fall,'' but their hatred towards Elothysia is tenfold what they feel for me," The Disfavored Lady looked as if she was searching for the right words, "She is more... extreme than me. After turning away from the path of evil, she chose to become a Holy Warrior." "How... how is that possible?" Kalalin looked utterly shocked, The Disfavored''s words contradicting everything he knew about Demons. "What made her turn away from the path of evil?" Lancelot was more concerned about this, "What changed her Essence?" "For Elothysia, it was the power of love," said the Disfavored Lady with a smile to Shuni the Priest, "While in the Prime Material Plane, she fell in love with a beautiful Angel. Even though her nature resisted this emotion for a long time, she ultimately revealed her true feelings to the Angel." "The Angel saw an opportunity, a chance to redeem a Demon. His benevolent nature made him happy to help others. Besides, who could say no to a beautiful and sincere Succubus?" The Disfavored Lady smiled again, as if implying something. "What happened after that?" Koula asked eagerly, "Did they live happily ever after?" "Redemption can sometimes happen in an instant, but more often it is the result of many painful years of effort. As a Demon, she had to fight against her evil nature every moment of every day. Though the process was excruciating, she eventually learned to find satisfaction and joy in helping rather than harming others," The Disfavored''s expression turned sad, "She also realized how many wrongs she had committed and tried to make amends as much as possible. With the help of her Angel lover, she completely expelled her former master, a Barlow Flame Demon, from the Prime Material Plane. It was then she earned the title of a Holy Warrior and achieved her precarious redemption." "However, in achieving redemption, she also gained an eternal enemy. Her former master couldn''t re-enter the Prime Material Plane, but it had many evil minions at its disposal." The Disfavored Lady''s gaze darkened, "Elothysia chose to stay in the Prime Material Plane to help combat evil, and though she survived numerous assassination attempts, the latest plot against her succeeded. The Succubus Paladin was killed, and her Angel lover was seriously injured." Chapter 140 Elothysia "How could this happen..." Bruto clenched his fists tightly, "Do you wish us to seek revenge for her, Madam? Tell us who her killer is, we must make those people pay!" "I admire your sense of justice, but things are not as you think. Elothysia, after all, was a Tanari born in the Abyss, and when she was killed on the Prime Material Plane, her body was immediately reborn in the Abyss." Disfavored shook her head gently at Bruto, "When he realized what had happened, that Angel immediately came to Mark City to find me, hoping I could help rescue his beloved." "Why would that Angel come to you?" Lancelot asked puzzled, "What will happen to this Succubus Paladin after she is reborn in the Abyss?" "It''s not surprising that the Angel would come to me. As one of the few Succubi who publicly renounced the ways of the Tanari, I have had the fortune to gain the respect of certain groups." Disfavored''s face was very calm, showing not a hint of conceit, "As for Elothysia... according to my sources, she has been captured once again. Without intervention, her fate will be only one, to be sacrificed on the cursed stone altar in the Grove of the Twelve." "What is the Grove of the Twelve?" Lancelot was forced to ask again, "Is that a place in the Abyss?" "Correct, it is the name of the twelfth layer of the Abyss." Kalalin answered his query, "It is said to be a holy land for demons, named after the twelve towering great trees. Under the shade of these giant trees lies a large stone altar, where any evil spell cast upon it has its effect greatly amplified." "Your vast knowledge surprises me." Disfavored flashed a smile at Kalalin, "In ancient times, the Tanari invited twelve divine servants of benevolent deities to the Abyss under the guise of a peace meeting. Through a series of conspiracies and betrayals, the demons eventually bound these servants to the twelve trees and sacrificed them through an evil ritual, filling that plane with a perpetual energy of evil. Since then, this plane has become a holy land for the Tanari, and that altar is meant to commemorate this... ''great'' deed." "I see." Lancelot nodded, "What do you need us to do?" "My source confirms that she has not yet been taken to the Grove of the Twelve; her former master is there preparing a grand Sacrifice Ceremony. Lancelot examined the ornament closely, finding that the pendant bore the half-portrait of a succubus. This was a succubus with jet-black bobbed hair and a striking posture, her delicate face adorned with ruby-like eyes and a pair of slightly curved, half-foot-long horns protruding from her forehead. "Is this a portrait of Elothysia?" "Yes, but this pendant does more than just help you identify the one you''re to rescue." He smiled softly, "This is a magical item crafted by an angel. It will slightly heat up when directed towards Elothysia, and it works within a range of 300 li. However, only those with good intentions can hold it; anyone aligned with evil will find this pendant as hot as flames themselves." "That''s great. With this pendant, we can prepare in advance!" Bruto said excitedly, rubbing his hands together, "I wonder how strong the enemy is?" "Unfortunately, I do not know." He looked genuinely apologetic, "I suggest you make full use of this pendant to scout out your target first, then assess the enemy''s strength and numbers before launching an attack." Your next read awaits at empire "We will proceed with caution." Lancelot nodded, "One last question, if we succeed, how do we return? Or where should we take Elothysia?" "The summoning will end in seven days, at which point you will be instantly teleported back here. If any of you is holding onto her, she will also be brought back. Elothysia might reach the instant fortress within two or three days; after you successfully rescue her, you may need to find a way to endure the wait until the summoning ends." "No need." Tijana''s voice suddenly sounded, and everyone turned around to see the Succubus Lord already at the doorway. She walked in, her usual pride tucked away, and greeted him with a level of respect Lancelot had never heard before: "Good afternoon, Madam." She then turned to the human knight, tossing him an amulet bearing the emblem of Twin Bridges Town, "No matter which corner of the Abyss you are in, chant my name three times facing this emblem, and you will be immediately teleported back to Twin Bridges Town. You can take up to eight people with you, if they are willing." Chapter 141 Amulet "Thank you very much," Lancelot took the amulet, feeling the potent magic energy ready to burst forth, and carefully tucked it into his chest. "Leave early and return soon," Tijana dropped a line, nodded to the Fallen once more, and then turned and left through the door from which she had appeared. To Tijana''s actions, the Fallen seemed somewhat surprised. She thought for a moment, took out a delicately crafted silk pouch, poured from it another amulet resembling a red jade, and handed it to Lancelot as well. This amulet still bore the warmth of the Fallen; when Lancelot held it in his hand, the red patterns inside seemed to flow as if they encased a flame. Lancelot cast an inquiring glance at the Fallen and spoke: Stay updated via empire "What is this amulet for?" "When you face an enemy you absolutely cannot defeat, you can use it to summon powerful aid," the Fallen gazed at the amulet with a longing look, "To activate it, hold it and whisper softly to it: ''Time is not your enemy.'' "This amulet seems to hold a special meaning for you," Lancelot hesitated, "I''m not sure if I should carry it with me." "That''s why you must come back alive and return this amulet to me," the Fallen''s eyes showed that she was already lost in her memories, "Many years ago, someone gave me this amulet, just in the same way Tijana just gave that amulet to you." "We will definitely bring back both this amulet and Elothysia," Lancelot assured her, but he had already resolved in his heart that he would never use this amulet unless absolutely necessary.No?v(el)B\\jnn What kind of terrifying existence could sincerely belong to the succubus before him? Imagine summoning her beloved only to have the summoned ''descend'' and find that the summoner was a man, perhaps a hasty one who might cleave him in two at first sight, where would he go to argue his case? "I trust you," the Fallen regained her graceful demeanor. "But it seems you have forgotten something." Just as they stepped out of that entrance, the cave behind them thunderously collapsed, burying the secret of their arrival altogether. As for the man who had summoned them there, he surely had another secret passage in the dark corners of the cave through which he had quietly slipped away. Lancelot then surveyed their current surroundings. They were standing on a small hill, and the area around them was still the typical dry, cracked, dust-filled land of the Plains of the Abyss, with almost no clouds in the sky and the dark red sun a bit higher than it should have been. Not far away on the plains stood a huge and dilapidated stone fortress. Large sections of the outer walls had collapsed, likely unable to provide any defense, and a plethora of low and disordered buildings were scattered around; the fortress itself in the center seemed somewhat intact, but its gates were wide open, completely unguarded. Lancelot''s Spirit Perception suddenly stirred, he turned his head to one side, and Frostslash was already in his hand. The others were accustomed to his exceptional Perception Ability, and although the Human Knight said nothing, they all drew their weapons, ready for the imminent appearance of their enemy. From behind the small hill, a squad of four Berserk Demons emerged. Upon seeing Lancelot and his group, the demons seemed startled, but showed no immediate intention to charge into battle; instead, they watched them warily and continued advancing toward the fortress. Since the demons didn''t initiate trouble, the group wasn''t interested in starting a fight out of nowhere. In fact, unlike the terrifying impression they left in the Prime Material Plane, demons in the Abyss didn''t attack people indiscriminately like madmen (at least those as intelligent as mortals didn''t). This was because for most demons, dying in the Abyss meant true death. Even though as demons they endured constant terrible pain from their bodies (especially the Low Rank Demons), most believed that being alive was better than being dead, hence demons in the Abyss tended to restrain themselves to avoid unnecessary conflicts, despite their chaotic and impulsive nature. Of course, if they were sure their target couldn''t fight back, demons were still very happy to pop a few eyeballs or pull out a few intestines for fun. Lancelot took out the amulet with Elothysia''s portrait, holding it in his palm to feel it. The amulet was ice cold and did not emit any supernatural heat. "It seems our target is still quite far," Lancelot explained to his companions, "Let''s check out that fortress first." Chapter 142 The Structure of the Universe On their way to the Instant Fortress, Eckmond had shared much knowledge about the owners of this fortress, the Doomguard. The Doomguard is one of the many factions in Mark City, and speaking of Mark City, one must explain the structure of the multiverse. To put it simply, there are three types of planes in the multiverse: the Inner Layer, the Prime Material Plane, and the Outer Layer. Their current location, the Bottomless Abyss, where Demons live in the Nine Hells, and the Barrens where Mark City is situated, all belong to the Outer Layer. As there is an Outer Layer, naturally, there is an Inner Layer. The Inner Layer consists of various elemental planes, including the Earth Elemental Plane, Fire Elemental Plane, the plane of Positive and Negative Energy, etc. The base materials of the world indeed originate from the Inner Layer, while the Ether Realm connects the Inner Layer with the Prime Material Plane. The Prime Material Plane, also known as the transitional plane, is the plane of mortals, and also the homeland plane of Lancelot, Bruto, and the others. Here, materials from the Inner Layer and wills from the Outer Layer collide and combine, forming a myriad of races and worlds. Although the Prime Material Plane appears to host countless worlds, it is generally believed that they are all situated within the same plane, merely separated by vast distances. Meanwhile, the Outer Layer is inhabited by gods and Fiends, along with worshippers, mortal residents, and various other creatures. Although it might be hard to comprehend, the thoughts, desires, and emotions in the minds of mortals from the Prime Material Plane directly shape the various Outer Layer planes, with some deities even born purely because believers wished for their existence. This is why many of the known areas of the Outer Layer are larger than all of the Prime Material Planes combined, after all, human imagination is limitless. All the significant Outer Layers have clear factional tendencies, such as Barto Hell being Lawfully Evil and the Wild Fields being Chaotically Good. Another argument is, because of these clear factional tendencies, these planes are considered ''important''. The environments and creatures of different planes vary greatly due to their factional differences. The faction known as the Doomguard believed that decay was the ultimate fate of the entire Multiverse, the ultimate release from toil and pain. The meaning of "Guard" in their name was also very clear¡ªthey guarded the onset of this ultimate decay, preventing any fool from trying to delay or reverse the process. Of course, if they could help hasten this ultimate decay, it would be even better. Therefore, their cooperation with the Demons was very pleasant¡ªDoomguard made battleships, weapons, and armor for the Demons, asking in return only that the Demons use these items to cause as much destruction as possible. As long as there were profits to be made, the Demons were naturally happy to maintain this cooperative relationship. But do not think that the Doomguard was an inherently evil organization; they merely believed that ultimate decay equaled ultimate liberation, and they coincidentally shared this goal of world destruction with the Demons. So when a group of people passed through the broken city walls and entered the fortress interior, far from being attacked, a guard approached them, asking about their intentions for the visit and whether they needed any help, though his tone sounded utterly devoid of enthusiasm. Following Eckmond''s suggestion, Lancelot claimed they were a group of mercenaries, wanting to procure some weapons and equipment. The guard directed them to the armory, informing them where to find a bar and the inn. Once the guard had left, the group naturally headed straight for the bar. Anywhere in the world, if you''re confident in handling any unwelcome provocation, a bar is still the best place to learn about an unfamiliar location. Walking east along the broken city walls for a short distance, the group quickly arrived at a district filled with bars and shops. Patting the Storage Bag containing his Gold Coins, Lancelot led his companions to the largest, and seemingly least run-down bar. From the outside, the bar appeared to be four stories tall, each floor spanning more than 3000 square feet. According to the sign, the name of the bar was ''The Desiccated Rose.'' All the windows of the bar were tightly shut, with only a ''Open for Business'' sign on the door indicating that the bar was expecting guests. Chapter 143 Withered Rose Pushing open the solid and heavy door, made of some unknown wood, Lancelot was the first to stride in. The interior of the tavern was in better shape than its exterior appearance seemed to suggest. The spacious hall was divided into three smaller halls: one was a bar, one was a dining room, and another was the inn''s front desk. Since all the windows were closed, although it was daytime, candles were lit everywhere in the tavern. However, the light from those candles was so faint that it barely illuminated a third of the space. At the entrance of the tavern stood two guards (perhaps "bouncers" would be more appropriate), the one on the left with dark skin, solid muscles, a protruding chin, and sharp fangs stretching from the corners of his mouth was a half-orc; the other one with reddish-brown skin, a sloping forehead, and an enormous nose was a goblin, the disciplined and powerful cousin of Phil. Aside from the orcs'' inherent dislike for Elves and the goblins'' for Dwarves, the two guards did not obstruct the fully armed Lancelot and his companions. Like most taverns, the guards were there to protect their employer''s property and other employees. If a fight broke out in the tavern, they would only stand aside with their arms crossed, perhaps helping to protect the defenseless furniture, and after everything had ended, they would throw out the bodies of the losers. The group approached the bar, where a Tiflin, sporting a pair of backward-curving horns on his head, with purplish-red skin, and an aging appearance, was enthusiastically greeting them from behind the counter. "Welcome to the Dry Rose, travelers. I am Agamemnon, the owner of this tavern," he said with a very professional smile, "What would you like to drink? Our selection of beverages is quite extensive, ranging from beers as light as water to strong spirits that could knock Bartez on his back. Or perhaps you are hungry? Our signature dish is the Fesburn Fireball Spicy Meat Sauce Sandwich, guaranteed authentic flavor. If you dislike spicy food, we have plenty more to choose from. Here''s the menu, take your pick!" Rumors say that sacrificing her can grant immense power, power great enough to promote a Berserk Demon into a Barlow Flame Demon. You can imagine how many forces are eyeing her." "Is that so?" Lancelot feigned a bit of interest, "But she seems of little use to us mortals, doesn''t she?" "Oh, but of course, she is useful, great mercenary sir!" The tavern owner Tiflin had now completely assumed the role of a salesman. He pulled out a stack of parchments from under the table, "Take a look at these bounties. Batazo, a retired Blood War General, promises two hundred thousand Gold Coins to anyone who brings him that Succubus; Odinash, the Lady of Change, has put up a bounty of one hundred thousand Gold Coins, along with the right to choose any item from her collection. The Lord of the Broken Realm, the Blood Red Shroud, is only willing to pay thirty thousand Gold Coins for her Succubus kin, but she promises to fulfill any fantasy one may have of her once, if money doesn''t mean much to you, perhaps this might be the most attractive offer." "She''s worth that much?!" Lancelot put on a show of being shocked, then mockingly regained his composure, "But how much do you plan to sell this information for? And how can I be sure that your sources are reliable?" "Your skepticism is understandable, but think about it. If I give true information, you either return satisfied or get killed on the spot. Only if I give you false information, causing you to waste your time, do you get the chance to come back and trouble me. And my business is right here, it won''t grow legs and run away." Agamemnon tried to make his words sound as persuasive as possible, but Lancelot stared straight into the tavern owner''s eyes, unmoved. The latter suddenly felt that there seemed to be something else in the eyes of this Human Knight, a terribly horrific, ferocious entity that seemed to be watching him through those pale blue eyes, as if the next lie would invoke that terrible power to tear him to shreds. What Lancelot had employed was a small Divine Skill of Spiritual Cultivators, the Heart Capturing Technique, which could intimidate ordinary people with weak spiritual power with his gaze. But when coupled with the True Qi from the spiritual energy of the Abyss, the effects seemed unexpectedly potent. Chapter 144 Underground Sewerage "I have no reason to lie to you," Agamemnon couldn''t help but reveal his true thoughts, "You look well-equipped and experienced enough to help me with the trouble in the sewers. As long as you do me this favor, I will tell you everything I know... and you''ll have the right to free drinks in my tavern forever. Anyway, you''ll soon die at the hands of demons, or some other mercenaries." "I appreciate your honesty," Lancelot was about to say something profoundly insincere when Bruto excitedly jumped up and shouted: "What? Free drinks?" Lancelot rolled his eyes and decided he needed to teach Bruto how to avoid spoiling the mood. He turned to the somewhat stunned tavern owner, and spoke in a nonchalant tone that contrasted sharply with the dwarf''s excitement: "Tell us about your trouble." "It''s like this, the underground sewer of the fortress was built by the Kobolds, and they did an excellent job, making the sewers both efficient and spacious. This sewer system has been functioning well for many years without any issues... until recently," Agamemnon sighed, "Zombies keep crawling into the cellar entrance, messing up my stock, who knows what''s worse could come out from there." "It seems you''re not short of muscle willing to die for you," Lancelot glanced at the two guards. "Although Hank and Gru are both stupid and greedy, I''ve got dirt on them, and finding two more guys like them around here isn''t easy," the Tiflin proprietor whispered, glancing furtively at the door, "It''s not like I haven''t hired some mercenaries or a few adventurers to take a look, but they either find nothing, or they never come back. Now I can only hire two mercenaries to guard the basement temporarily, and for that, I have to feed them well and pay them twenty Gold Coins a day." "What about the Doomguard? Aren''t they supposed to deal with it?" Bruto asked incredulously, "This is their turf after all." "Why would they care?" the tavern owner looked at Bruto with disbelief, "If it weren''t for the fact that it doesn''t benefit them at all, I would have thought they were behind this." "What about your neighbors?" Koula asked curiously, "If the zombies are coming from the sewers, then all the buildings on this street should have the same problem." "I haven''t tasted authentic honey mead in a long time," Bruto observed his surroundings. "Although coming to this foul-smelling place for it doesn''t seem quite worth it." "Don''t mind that, Dwarf," Alamir lifted his Hardhead Hammer, the magic weapon casting bright light around them. "We''re mainly here for his information, not the free drinks." "Yeah, information!" Bruto replied in a flustered tone, clearly having forgotten. "Lancelot, how much farther? We haven''t gotten lost, have we?" "We are approaching the area where Agamemnon''s men never returned," Lancelot consulted a parchment in his hands, which was a map provided by the tavern owner. "Everyone, stay alert." "There''s a strong sense of evil ahead," the Elf Priest stretched his neck. "Let''s purge their vile nest!" "Seems like most of our adventures involve us crawling around underground," Bruto, shielding himself with a shield, led the group. "I bet this is the work of some Demon who must be really pissed at this mortal fortress and is determined to destroy it." "Unlikely," Kalalin shook his head, his neckline with an adaptation necklace making him, besides Eckmond, the one who was breathing the most comfortably. "This is clearly not the Demons'' style¡ªthey wouldn''t pass up the chance to vent their destructive urges to a few Zombies." "Then what could it be?" The Dwarf was getting bored and started kicking pebbles along the path. "Could it be the legendary Lich?" "Do you think a top-tier Spellcaster like a Lich would be so bored?" Eckmond bumped the Dwarf''s helmet irritably. "But it''s definitely the work of someone who''s mastered Necromancy. Though filthy, the ventilation here is good, unlike the pit at Oasis Fort, which can gather enough negative energy to make corpses rise again." Just then, a pebble kicked by Bruto seemed to collide with some invisible barrier in mid-air and suddenly came to a halt. "Hm?" The Dwarf was slightly startled when suddenly a cracking sound was heard from nowhere, and a rock larger than his head appeared, whistling towards the group from the front. "Watch this!" Bruto instantly reacted, raising the hammer that was always in his hand. "No!" Lancelot hurriedly spoke up to stop him, but the Dwarf''s hammer had already left his hand, smashing the rock into pieces with a whoosh. Chapter 145 Trap ``` "What''s wrong?" Bruto asked doubtfully, "Isn''t this fine?" There was a ''splash'' sound, and his shiny hammer twirled into the yellow-green sewage. The sewage was much stickier than it seemed, and it took two or three seconds for the hammer to sink. "Ah, no worries, no worries, my hammer will fly back to me." "That''s exactly the problem," Eckmond reminded him with a somber tone. A low buzzing sound arose as Bruto''s hammer broke through the water''s surface, carrying spattering yellow-green liquid, and shot straight towards its owner. "No!!!!!" the Dwarf let out a miserable shriek, "Stop! You damn hammer! Don''t come here!" The hammer naturally could not understand its master''s call. The magic affixed upon it made it automatically return to the owner''s hand after hitting the target, or falling to the ground, or at least fly back to the original position from where it had been thrown. Bruto watched in despair as the hammer drew closer. He raised his shield high, ready to catch the hammer with it instead of his hands. The others had already stayed far away, as no one wanted to get splashed with the fluid. Except for Lancelot. He gauged the distance, thrust his longsword out, and precisely tapped the head of the hammer while simultaneously, an air current burst forth around him, blowing back all the forward-spraying liquid. With a ''clank,'' the hammer fell to the ground, leaving a small pit. This powerful weapon still had disgusting slime on its surface, adorned with some suspiciously used cloth strips, which caused the Dwarf''s features to twist in pain. "Uh... Alamir!" Bruto sought some help, "Can''t you conjure up clean water out of thin air? I need that now!" "The Divine Arts bestowed upon me by the Goddess aren''t to be used for such things!" the Elf Priest firmly refused. "Look there!" Bruto pointed to the interior of this passage, his dwarven dark vision allowing him to clearly see what the Elf Priest''s hammer did not illuminate. The passage was filled with activated traps, the walls and floor studded with crossbow arrows and daggers. However, lying deeper inside was a humanoid corpse. They ventured cautiously forward, and upon inspection found that the body was riddled with weapons and indented from stone impacts, clearly having endured several rounds of traps before falling. "I fear these traps were not the cause of death," Kalalin said as he held a bracelet covered with Arcane Runes. A ghostly silver hand appeared out of nowhere, turning over the face-down corpse, revealing a dagger embedded in the chest of the body. Koula''s potion was still effective, but everyone still caught a whiff of a strong stench. The corpse was extremely swollen, having seemingly been soaked in water for a long time. Its entire front had been cleanly consumed by maggots, and the organs in its chest and abdomen were long gone, leaving only the dark, water-logged bones. Just as the Scholar had suggested, this body had died long before. Some force had made it rise again, and then it had blindly walked into these traps until severe damage prevented the evil power from maintaining its activity. "I guess Agamemnon isn''t the only one with zombie problems," Bruto suddenly yelled into the depths of the cave, "Goblins! I know you''re listening, tell us what''s going on with these zombies!" The sound echoed through the caves, seemingly travelling far, but met with no response. "If you don''t come out, I''m going in!" Bruto continued to shout. Still nothing stirred, so the dwarf started heading inside recklessly. Lancelot watched his hasty actions with some helplessness, but did not stop him. He first stepped on a pressure trap, and a stone sphere as large as the dwarf''s head fell from above, shattering against Bruto''s helmet. The dwarf merely looked up in confusion, then continued walking forward. Next was a tripwire trap, with three crossbow arrows shooting suddenly towards the back of the dwarf''s head, which Bruto blocked by turning around with his shield. "Nice try," the dwarf commented, "Now are you willing to talk?" Again, there was no response. Bruto shrugged his shoulders and then did something that left everyone dumbfounded: he raised his shield and began to sprint forward as fast as he could. "The Abyss has obviously affected his brain," Lancelot shrugged helplessly, and quickly followed after him. Chapter 146 The Gnoll Arrows, throwing knives, and explosions were left in Bruto''s wake; the traps seemed designed specifically for slow-moving targets like Zombies, yet the Dwarf charged through like a bull in a china shop, smashing everything to smithereens. "Whahahahaha! This is too much fun!" Bruto laughed wildly as he sprinted forward, with the occasional trap that did hit him failing to penetrate the fatherly brand of Dwarf Heavy Armor produced by Master Barrend. That is until he stepped on what appeared to be an ordinary suspension bridge. The bridge was engineered to barely support the weight of one and a half Kobolds, roughly 60 pounds, while the armor on the Dwarf alone approached that weight. The seemingly sturdy bridge snapped violently the moment Bruto''s right foot touched it, and the furiously charging Dwarf had no time to respond before plummeting downward. Lancelot''s figure flashed, and he dashed from dozens of feet away to right behind Bruto, grabbing the Dwarf''s left ankle in an instant. "Ahhhhhh!!!!" Bruto let out a frightened scream, yet what really fell was only his toad-shaped Helmet. Lancelot, thinking the Dwarf might have encountered some problem, quickly peered down, only to find Bruto with his eyes tightly shut, unharmed. "Stop yelling, I''ve got you," said Lancelot, annoyed. "If you had established even a bit of a fearsome image in the hearts of those Kobolds just now, it''s completely ruined," Eckmond''s voice came from behind. "Ahh~~~~~~~~! Eh?" It was only then that Bruto realized he hadn''t actually fallen down, "Uh, how did I..." The Dwarf couldn''t finish his sentence as he suddenly noticed that the winding tunnels below were filled with Kobolds, each clutching a Crossbow, taking aim at him. "Damn it!" The sound of springs releasing filled the air, and a multitude of gleaming projectiles flew towards him, looking like a sky full of stars flipping upside down. Bruto''s warrior instincts kicked in, and he instantly raised his Shield to tightly protect his head and upper body, but his exposed rear was not so lucky. Lancelot pulled hard, yanking the Dwarf back up. The first thing Bruto did was to yank all the arrow shafts out of his butt, but the Armor covering his hindquarters was riddled like a beehive, appearing as though it had been thrashed by an Ogre wielding a Wolf Fang Club. Fortunately for the Dwarf, he couldn''t see the state of his own posterior; at least until the next time he sat down, he would remain blissfully unaware; otherwise, Bruto would undoubtedly charge out in a rage, aiming a kick at the rear of every last Kobold below. An extremely obese dog-headed creature was pushed forward, appearing highly reluctant but still began speaking with a sense of looming danger, "Great Lord of Bones, why have you come to our filthy tunnels? We are a very poor tribe and cannot offer anything of value..." "Your bits of broken copper and iron are meaningless to me." Eckmond interrupted bluntly, "I am here because the boundary between life and death has been broken here. Do you know who has awakened the dead, preventing them from finding the peace of death?" Upon hearing this question, the dog-headed ''king'' opened his mouth to speak, but his words were immediately drowned out by the shouting of other dog-headed creatures. "The big Ogre! The big Ogre!" "The blue-skinned monster! Ten feet tall!" "He''s taken over the corpse-dumping room! We can''t touch the bodies anymore!" "Uh." Faced with the chaotic scene, Eckmond cast a pleading look at Lancelot, who, understanding the situation, once again shouted with a voice filled with True Qi, "Silence!" The effect was immediate, as if the throats of all the dog-headed creatures were clutched, only Lancelot''s voice echoing non-stop throughout the tunnel. "King, you may speak now." Eckmond said casually, completely unbothered by having Lancelot play the role of his underling. "About three tendays ago, a blue-skinned Ogre came to these sewers we built and also took over the corpse-dumping room," said the dog-headed creature king with trepidation, his eyes constantly stealing glances at Lancelot standing beside him. "Corpse-dumping room? What is that?" "No matter where a body is thrown into the sewer, it always gets caught there, and we can go rob those who can''t fight back! So many, so much loot!" The obese dog-headed creature seemed very proud of this strategy, but then his expression suddenly darkened again, "But after that Ogre came, not only does he forbid us to go near, but he also makes the dead stand up and wander the tunnels, it''s really too terrifying!" Chapter 147 Zombies "That indeed sounds like a very intelligent strategy, robbing bodies also requires quite a bit of bravery," Eckmond praised, "And what about those zombies?" "That blue-skinned Ogre made the bodies stand up again," the Kobold King shuddered, "These bodies guard the sunk corpses'' chamber, preventing us from entering! Some even run out from there, wandering in the tunnels, and they always pass by our doorstep, just as if they have come back to life! But they are still dead, we all know that!" "We all know that!" All the Kobolds chimed in unison. "Sounds like the original zombies went out of control after exceeding some limit," Kalalin murmured softly, "But why did they all run to dig into that Tiflin''s basement?" "Who cares why, we''ll just flatten that ringleader and that''ll be that," Bruto shrugged, "That guy can''t resurrect himself, can he?" "Typical Dwarf thinking, but quite reasonable," Eckmond commented. Then he turned to the fat Kobold, "My followers and I will put an end to this... blue-skinned Ogre''s evil, send us your smartest, most cunning, fearless Warrior to lead us to that sunk corpses'' chamber, and he shall witness my power!" The Skeleton King said a lot with a godstick-like tone, but the group of Kobolds below looked at each other without moving, clearly, the standards Eckmond set were a bit too high. "Just give me someone who knows the way," Eckmond threatened the Kobold King, "or else you can take us there yourself!" "No!" the fat Kobold screamed in fear, grabbing a guard by his side, "You, it''ll be you!" Once a target was set, the Kobolds swiftly sprang into action. They almost seemed to take malicious pleasure in grabbing their poor kin and then, working together, they threw him over. The pitiful representative, who was screaming all the while, hardly touched the ground before he tried to run, but was quickly pinned down by the agile Dwarf who stepped on his tail. "Very good, we will go and deal with the big guy in that sunk corpses'' chamber, and then you can continue to ''rob'' the bodies there," Eckmond maintained his inscrutable persona, slowly floating backwards, disappearing from the Kobolds'' sight, then his demeanor suddenly changed, "Excellent, now we have a guide." "I''ve noticed that you seem to have quite a talent for playing the charlatan," Lancelot remarked, then crouched in front of the trembling Kobold, and said softly: "Look at me." "Doesn''t sound too far." Bruto shrugged his shoulders, "Who knows what their candles are made of." The group returned to the crossroads and continued down the path with the water channel. Along the way, there were quite a few traps, which they avoided any damage to with the reluctant local''s guidance. After moving forward a bit more, the environment around them changed significantly. Moss on the walls began to die, a faint mist hung in the air, and even the water in the channel seemed to lose its color, turning into a morose gray (a far cry from its earlier vibrancy). The scene was all too familiar to the group since the surroundings of Hagrid Manor were in the same state. "Wait." Lancelot suddenly spoke up, halting the team''s advance. He silently drew his longsword from behind him, and everyone understood what that meant, becoming alert and closely watching the corner not far ahead. The sound of a thud, a thud, gradually grew louder, and a figure dragging a wooden stick appeared at the corner. Alamir extended his glowing hammer in front of his shield, slightly adjusting the angle to illuminate the limping figure with the metal shield''s reflective light. This was clearly a corpse, which seemed to have been soaking for a long time before standing up again. His face was twisted like melted wax, his belly swollen from prolonged soaking and burst, with numerous maggots feasting on his exposed innards, his long intestines dragging by his feet, but none of this caused any trouble for him, already dead. The sudden light seemed to aggravate it, or it might have been the scent of living flesh that made this undead creature become frantic, charging straight toward the group. Bruto intended to throw his hammer, but a sense of de?ja? vu made him stop, which relieved Lancelot, who was watching his actions closely¡ªthe Dwarf apparently still had a normal memory. Just as the zombie was about to enter the attack range of Lancelot and Bruto, something unexpected happened. It stepped on its own intestines, flailing around, and stumbled. The momentum of its charge made its body slide along the ground for a stretch, landing right at Bruto''s feet. "Is this the legendary epic fail?" The Dwarf asked his companions while turning around and smashed the zombie''s head into a pulp with a hammer blow. Chapter 148 The Drowned Corpse Room "Is this zombie guarding this area?" Koula carefully circled around the nearly headless corpse on the ground, "I''ve heard that zombies can still follow simple instructions, it looks like a patrolling guard." "I''m afraid not, zombies can only understand commands like stay here, move forward, attack a certain enemy, they can''t comprehend whether their surroundings are dangerous or not, like if their target is on the other side of a cliff, so it''s unlikely they could follow orders to patrol within such a complex tunnel system," Kalalin shook his head, "I guess this is another zombie that has broken free from the spellcaster''s control, acting on some kind of instinct." "How far are we from that corpse sinking room?" Lancelot asked the gnoll guide behind him. "Still about half a candle''s time!" "That means we''ve already walked half the distance," Bruto nodded, he scraped his hammer on the wall to try to clean off the flesh and blood sticking to it, and a whole piece of the wall crumbled away. "Considering the extent of decay, the enemy''s nest is not far," Kalalin looked at the damage caused by Bruto, "Our enemy is likely to have a large group of undead guards, during the battle make sure to protect Alamir, his Holy Fire Technique is the most effective way to ensure that fallen enemies don''t rise again." Everyone nodded in understanding and continued forward. The gnoll Taka had already positioned himself at the rear of the group, looking ready to flee at any moment, only speaking up to remind the others when they encountered a fork in the road. They encountered some more zombies, but against Lancelot''s sharp longsword and Bruto''s warhammer, these slow-moving and completely mindless enemies posed no threat at all. Occasionally, some enemies whose legs were broken by Bruto could still attack, but they all turned to ash under Alamir''s scorching Holy Light. Kalalin''s frown grew deeper. After the group had continuously taken down eight wandering zombies, he spoke again: "Something''s not right here." "What''s wrong?" Bruto asked, puzzled, "These guys are easy to handle." After walking for a while, they encountered seven or eight zombies clustered together, causing only a little trouble. Finally, the group arrived at the entrance of the abyssal chamber of corpses as mentioned by the dog-headed creature. The channel carrying trash and wastewater was designed as a waterfall about twenty feet high. In the middle of the waterfall, there was a chute made of metal mesh. The water would flow through the gaps of the sliding chute, but any larger solids (like the floating corpses) would be caught by it and then pushed aside into a cave by the falling force and the water''s thrust. It had to be said that this was a very ingenious engineering design. Any city in the Abyss could produce a large number of corpses every day, which should be an important source of materials for the underground kobold tribes, but these corpses were also excellent experimental materials for necromancers. Human wizards, who cared more for personal hygiene and quality of life, generally stayed in their Mage Towers, obtaining these experimental materials through hired help in exchange for money, whereas an ogre or some other creature would not mind the filthy environment of the sewers. "That is the chamber of sunken corpses, Taka has brought you here as agreed!" the dog-headed creature pointed to the side path beside the channel and then looked at Lancelot with expectant eyes, but dared not to speak up to claim the promised reward. "You did very well, and you were very brave." Lancelot took out another turquoise gemstone and handed it to the dog-headed creature. The dog-headed creature silently took the gemstone and then turned and ran, quickly disappearing from their sight. "What a coward." Bruto scoffed. "The instinct to seek profit and avoid harm is natural to all creatures." Lancelot shook his head, "And I feel there''s indeed a big one ahead, let''s go meet the true mastermind behind all this." They all agreed and entered the pitch-black cave. After a steep but not too long passage, they found themselves in a spacious hall. Purple demon fire burned all around, illuminating the underground cavity brightly. In the center of the hall was a huge pile of corpses, above which was the end of the slide that caught the bodies, and a giant figure in a cloak was turning to look at the visitors. "Ah, more fresh material. Are you adventurers sent by that Agamemnon? Welcome to my laboratory." The blue-skinned creature, looking like a demonized ogre, gave them a grin. "It''s a pity you won''t become a part of my great creation. I wonder which of you will have the honor of being its first victim?"No?v(el)B\\jnn Chapter 149 Evil Spirits "This is no ogre mage," Kalalin pushed a few words through clenched teeth, "this is an evil spirit." Lancelot watched the ghastly figure with a green complexion and fearsome fangs, towering over ten feet tall. Greyish-white hair hung from beneath the shadow of the entity''s hood, and from a pair of lantern-like eyes shone bright yellow light. It revealed a terrifying smile at him, displaying rows of sharp teeth. "What''s special about it?" Lancelot''s lips barely moved, his voice resonating directly in Kalalin''s ear. "Don''t let it cast any spells." "You must have many questions," the ghost cackled sinisterly, "feel free to ask. I don''t mind enlightening you..." His words cut abruptly short because Lancelot had charged at him like a wraith, trailing dense afterimages. He swung Frostslash high above his head. Even Bruto and the others didn''t react in time. Wasn''t the norm to announce one''s own name, clear up all questions, and then start the fight? Wasn''t Lancelot supposed to be a knight, then why did he just rush in? Indeed, honor held a very important place in the knight''s creed; they sought to defeat opponents fairly, but the war taught Lancelot to apply this rule only to those who shared a sense of honor. Against an evil being that lurked in the city sewers, creating the undead to attack taverns and inns, slaying the foe was the greatest honor. As for the enemy''s schemes? Who backs them? What is this so-called grand creation? Those were not his concern. Their goal was merely to obtain information about the Succubus Paladin, avoid getting entangled in other troubles as much as possible, not to ferret out every shadow behind evil deeds. Though it might seem disheartening, this was the Abyss, and they themselves needed to keep a low profile. Despite Lancelot''s swiftness, there was still some distance between them, and the ghost managed to draw a large cleaver from beneath its expansive cloak in time to attempt to counter Lancelot''s attack. That was a healing potion prepared by Koula in advance. As adventurers, how could they face off against villain bosses without the help of these items? Meanwhile, Lancelot, who had gotten up from the ground, circulated his energy slightly and expelled the chill from his body. He looked up at his enemy to see the wounds on the demon healing rapidly, and the enemy was muttering, seemingly preparing to cast another spell. However, three blue-white orbs flew from the distance and interrupted his casting. These were magical missiles released by Kalalin, a mere First Circle spell, hardly stronger than a blow from Bruto''s hammer, but the spell''s trait is that it never misses and causes force damage. This means that without prior protective magic, the spell would directly interrupt the target''s casting, which was exactly Kalalin''s intention. The demon, whose spellcasting was disrupted, let out a furious shriek, but he no longer had the luxury of thinking about how to retaliate against the hateful spellcaster, for Lancelot was already upon him. With no room to retreat, the demon steeled himself and swung his claw directly at Lancelot''s sword blade. As long as his hardened claws could block the opponent''s weapon for a moment, his other claw could tear the despicable human to shreds. Even if he lost an arm in the process, it didn''t matter, he would soon regrow it, while his opponent certainly didn''t possess such potent regenerative abilities. Lancelot easily saw through his opponent''s intent. On the battlefield, desperate enemies often hope to trade their own death for a severe injury to him, but that scheme had worked only once, a long time ago. Since then, Lancelot never allowed the battle to develop as the opponent wished, and today was no different. Your next read is at empire His thunderous charge convinced the demon that a clash of absolute strength was imminent, but in the moment of crossing, Lancelot''s figure twisted eerily. The blue-skinned, white-haired giant swung its claw, only to tear through an illusion leftover in his retina. In that instant, Lancelot seemed to vanish, but that was only because he was too fast, the bystanders couldn''t keep up with his pace. When his comrades not far away realized the human knight had already repositioned to the enemy''s side, Lancelot''s longsword had already slashed at the demon''s waist. His movement was so swift, yet time seemed to slow down in that moment. Everyone watched clearly as Lancelot''s sword, glowing with a green light, slowly cut into the giant''s abdomen, inch by inch, bisecting the terrible opponent at the waist. Chapter 150 Mountain of Corpses The blue giant''s body was severed in half, and it rolled forward under the force of inertia. But a shocking scene unfolded; despite appearing to be in great pain, the Demon that had been cut at the waist evidently had not died yet. Its upper body was struggling to crawl toward its legs as if trying to reattach them. Lancelot quickly followed up, his sword glittering as he sliced off the Demon''s arms as well. "Ahhhhhh!" The Demon let out another agonizing scream, now so high-pitched it resembled that of a woman. Yet it displayed a Troll-like vitality: flesh at the wounds wriggled rapidly, and countless buds of flesh began to cluster, forming new limbs; the limbs that had been severed from the body writhed on their own, desperately trying to rejoin the torso. A stream of fire landed on the struggling body of the Demon, igniting it instantly. This was a A-level Spell: fireball released by Kalalin. Demons had high resistance to fire damage, and he had never used this spell before. "Fire can stop its regeneration!" the Scholar yelled to Lancelot, who immediately caught on, sweeping his Longsword to gather all the severed limbs into the flames. Then he pinched a spell Technique, and several dark red Fireballs flew into the fire, causing the flames to leap up more than ten feet high and silencing the Demon''s screams abruptly. "Huff huff, looks like it''s been taken care of, huh?" It seemed as if a lot had happened, but in reality, only a few dozen seconds had passed. Delayed for a moment by the enemy''s magic, Bruto had only just run up to Lancelot''s side. Lancelot looked at the Demon''s body gradually turning to ash within the flames, yet his expression grew even more tense. His Spirit Perception was sounding an alarm, signaling the presence of something incredibly dangerous nearby, but he couldn''t pinpoint its source. Then, in his peripheral vision, he glimpsed something flash by, and, almost entirely on instinct, he grabbed Bruto and lunged to the side without thinking. With a tremendous boom, an ''arm'' made entirely of corpses smashed down where the two had just been standing. Looking up along the arm, Lancelot saw the most terrifying creature he had ever witnessed in his life. "...Don''t worry, boss, I''ve got this," Mind communication was extremely efficient, and this exchange was completed almost instantaneously. Lancelot took out his seven-foot Giant Sword Glacier from the Dimensional Bag, took a deep breath, and then charged out like an arrow released from its bow. The monster seemed to react sluggishly, it''s arm only slowly rising as Lancelot was already upon it. Leveraging the momentum of his charge, Lancelot''s overhead slash was immensely powerful, the blue-glowing blade cutting into the creature''s huge body like a knife through butter, leaving a terrible wound from which several severed bodies fell out, turning to ash upon hitting the ground like burnt wood. The myriad heads of the monster screamed in unison, almost drowning out the sound of rapidly approaching wind from behind. Almost. The Human Knight''s figure flashed eerily once more, already rolling five steps away to avoid the monster''s landslide-like fist. The Great Sword in his hand followed the motion of his rising, severing three of the creature''s fingers. If one looked closely, they would see that these were actually three human legs, the thickest one¡ªthe middle finger¡ªclearly once belonged to some man, while the smallest one and the other finger were previously part of the same body. But he did not have time to observe these details any further, because the other arm of the monster swung over overwhelmingly, and Lancelot had to roll back twice in a row to narrowly escape the creature''s attack range. Only once back in a safe area was the Human Knight free to survey the fruits of his efforts, yet all he saw caused his brow to furrow deeply. Read new chapters at empire The body of the monster writhed non-stop, the wound he had inflicted earlier was now indistinguishable, and from the creature''s palm where the ''fingers'' had been severed, new toes slowly emerged, followed by ankles, knees, thighs... Lancelot sighed. The enemy''s body was indeed as soft as cake, but he himself was like a cockroach holding a toothpick, trying to dismantle a creation beyond his comprehension. Chapter 151 United Efforts Fortunately, Lancelot was still considered the most threatening target. He and his companions were precisely on either side of the monster, allowing him to face it directly, so his magic and Divine Arts-using companions only needed to face the monster''s less intimidating "back." A holy radiance began to emanate from Alamir, prompting Lancelot to raise his Great Sword and charge again. He now needed to generate enough noise to attract the enemy''s attention, buying time for his companions. The Priest was loudly praying to his deity, asking Lady of the Flame to grant him and his companions vitality and hope. As the Elves chanted, his body emitted a wave-like radiance, and a mystical connection was established. The prayer seemed somewhat lengthy, and Alamir was not fluent in reciting it because it was a third-tier Divine Art, Beacon of Hope, recently bestowed upon the Priest. When Alamir uttered the last word of his prayer, the Divine Art took shape. The Divine Art Energy surrounding him instantly poured into his body, his eyes lighting up like lighthouses in the night, casting light into his companions'' hearts and dispelling the darkness and fear enveloping them. Bruto was the first to snap out of it, the Dwarf letting out a roar of anger and shame, charging towards the mountain of corpses that formed the monster. He relished the feeling of smashing knees, and this monster''s underside was made up of hundreds of limbs¡ªplenty of targets for the Dwarf. Kalalin also regained his composure, not hurrying to cast a Magic, but swiftly assessing the situation. The Priest had already used up all his third-tier Magic slots, so it was crucial how the Scholar chose his own two third-tier Magics. The Scholar pulled out another scroll of Flame Arrows. It was just a zero-tier trick, but it would help him test the plan gradually taking shape in his mind. Koula was the last to recover from the panic, Halflings not being a race known for their bravery. She instinctively hid in the shadows, and after making sure no one was paying attention to her, she quickly pulled a heap of alchemical materials from her backpack and began mixing a complex potion on the spot. On the other side, Lancelot charged again at the feet of the enemy. The monster''s arms, made up of corpses, kept swinging to squash him, but Lancelot used agile movements to dodge the devastating blows repeatedly, leaving one or two giant wounds on the monster''s body or arms. The Halfling let out a stifled roar, charging forward like an unsheathed sword, her two cold iron daggers (now more like short swords) whirling above and below, quickly severing limbs everywhere. "Hahaha! You still have this trick up your sleeve" Bruto laughed loudly, "Let''s see who''s faster!" Meanwhile, Kalalin kept casting the same spell, the 1st level magic Grease Spell. This spell could summon a large patch of grease, making anyone who walked over it slip. However, Kalalin did not try to make the mound-like enemy fall over; instead, he spread the large blobs of grease over the enemy''s body. The enemy disregarded the grease poured over it completely. The nearly mindless beast didn''t even realize it was under a spell attack. After using up the 1st level spell slots, Kalalin started to cast the 2nd level magic Web, another control-type spell, but he merely covered the giant stack of corpses with webbing, blocking the gazes fixed on them without seeming to have much other effect. But Kalalin knew personally how flammable these webs were; the last time, Phil had thrown a bomb at the Beard Demons trapped by the webs and found out. At the same time, the three close-combat companions also achieved considerable results, severely damaging the monster''s arms and legs that protruded like tentacles. It was nearly incapacitated from turning around, merely striking madly at the elusive Lancelot. The Human Knight caused the most considerable damage. Giant Sword Glacier in his hands was like a mobile meat grinder, and the entire front of the monster looked like a hillside just after a mudslide, covered with dire wounds far too fresh to heal. Only Eckmond remained stationary, understanding that his size wasn''t suitable for attacking such an enemy. But what if he used an Enlarge Spell like the Halfling? The skull promptly stopped itself from continuing with such a risky idea. The task Lancelot had entrusted to him was clear: to protect the Scholar and the Priest, the two spellcasters, a directive he strongly agreed with. Staying in place was fine. Just look how focused Kalalin was; it wouldn''t do to have his spells interrupted. Chapter 152 The Answers to Most Questions in the Multiverse Magic Power ceaselessly flowed through the Scholar''s body as he cast one Second Circle Spell after another, all used to cast the Web Technique. Kalalin had never before used magic so intensively, which left him feeling overburdened, yet there was also a strange sense of pleasure. Once the last of his Second Circle spell slots had been expended, the Scholar knew the preparations were complete¡ªit was time to deal with the enemy. He pulled a noticeably thicker scroll from his Howard convenience bag, a spell he often used while he was still on the Prime Material Plane, a low-ranking member of the Black Cult¡ªPit-Creating Spell. This Second Circle Magic could create a pit about 1,000 square feet wide and 30 feet deep. And since he had gained the ability to cast Third Circle Spells, as part of his daily practice, he had tried to upgrade all of his Second Circle Spells into Circle Upcasted versions, with mixed results. The Pit-Creating Spell was one of the more successful attempts, resulting in the visibly sturdier scroll now in his hands. With an inexplicable excitement, Kalalin unfurled the scroll, his gaze sweeping over the dense Arcane Symbols, and his spirit began to draw Magic Power from the void. The Runes on the scroll lit up one after another, and powerful Arcane Energy started to converge in Kalalin''s hands. The monster seemed to sense something and attempted to attack this troubling source, but Bruto and Koula''s hard-fought distractions made turning around immensely difficult, while Lancelot also burst forth vigorously, his Great Sword dancing in a whirlwind, firmly entangling the enemy. After nearly a minute, Kalalin finally completed this immature spell. His eyes glowing with a blue radiance, he intently stared down the enemy and, with a wave of his hands, released the potent magic energy. The Scholar''s strength suddenly depleted, and he almost collapsed, but Eckmond came over in time to hold him up. Kalalin didn''t have the chance to express his gratitude as he shouted to his companions still engaged in the fierce battle: "Back away!" There was no need for a specific reminder as everyone was keeping an eye on his actions. The three quickly retreated the moment the magic was released. This was the iconic technique of arcane casters, a spell that a magic apprentice must master before leaving the academy, the ultimate answer to most problems across the multiverse: the Fireball Technique! The scorching fireball exploded above the monster, the blast wave sweeping through every corner of the monster''s body, instantly igniting the greasy cobwebs and corpses. The entire mound of corpses began to burn intensely, with the accelerants Kalalin had prepared beforehand performing to a thousand percent of their effectiveness. Countless heads of corpses screamed in unison, a sound so full of agony that it was unbearable. Even Lancelot covered his ears, and the others had long since run out of the cave. Apart from that harrowing scream, the odor in the air was enough to make them nauseated. Not because it smelled awful¡ªquite the opposite, in fact¡ªit smelled too good, which made them want to stay even less. It was a trial that human reason should not have to endure. Lancelot used his True Qi to block his ears and seal his nostrils. These things did not affect him much. The reason he stayed was simply to confirm that the enemy was truly dead. He enveloped himself with True Qi, which possessed a natural affinity for flame due to its origins in nature''s spiritual energy from the Abyss, effortlessly absorbing the terrifying heat. Though the human knight appeared like a fire person, in truth, he was completely unharmed. As the mound of corpses burned down gradually, the flames did not diminish but grew higher. When Lancelot sensed that something was amiss, a terrifying presence suddenly enveloped the entire cave, the formidable pressure it exuded almost making him want to kneel. But he resisted the urge. A demon''s face with two massive horns appeared in the flames, expressing extreme joy. A voice resonated directly in Lancelot''s heart: "Hahahaha! Who is making a sacrifice to Kaldu, lord of Baro?" The voice reminded Lancelot of the flame itself, merely hearing it seemed about to ignite his Sea of Consciousness. "Oh! The screams of a thousand living beings being burned alive! Such a marvelous sound!" "Oh! Look at this, so many corpses. Is this all your handiwork? Merely to please me?" The demon''s voice sounded thrilled, "Boy, you really should learn how to summon me. With such grand sacrifices, I am bound to come personally, hahahaha!" At this moment, Lancelot hardly dared to breathe too deeply. The presence was only a projection, yet the pressure it exuded far surpassed that which Tijana had given him. He could only desperately release his True Qi to wrap himself up tightly, hoping that the Abyssal Aura within it would help him bluff his way through. Chapter 153 The Demons Reward "I am very satisfied, hahaha! I shall reward you!" Lancelot was startled, ready to refuse, when a fearsome energy had already surged into his body. "This bit of Flame Essence should be enough for your advancement. Perhaps one day you too will become a Lord like Baro. When that day comes, come before my throne, kneel down, and swear your loyalty to me in the name of the Stygian River, wahahaha!" The flames spiked like an explosion to their maximum before suddenly extinguishing, along with the face of the Demon Lord that vanished into thin air. Lancelot dropped down on his backside and immediately entered a state of cultivation. The energy that had poured into him was like a red-hot iron ball, rampaging through his body. Had the demon stayed a few more seconds, Lancelot''s physical body might have been completely destroyed by the energy. The True Qi that was extended outside was all retracted, wrapping the magma-like energy securely inside. He guided the energy, continuously conducting the Circulation Transfer, struggling to dissipate the ferocity and annihilation within it. As he continued his Qi Cultivation, a vast amount of energy seeped from the Meridians into all his muscles, then expelled through the acupoints around his body, making his armor crack and fall off like dried bark. Of course, the expelled energy was merely wasted, but letting it continue to wreak havoc inside was an even greater loss. Moreover, Lancelot himself didn''t want this energy in the first place. At this time, his companions returned to the cave. Everyone had heard the sounds from inside the cave, but the terrible high temperature inside made it impossible for them to approach. They were all prepared to find only ashes of Lancelot, but upon seeing that the Human Knight was still alive, they all cheered loudly. "Ha! You''re unscathed; you must have the bloodline of a Red Dragon running through you!" Bruto excitedly ran towards Lancelot but halfway, his beard suddenly caught fire. The Dwarf retreated with loud cries, frantically patting his beard to extinguish the flames. Fortunately, the fire was quickly snuffed out, and his beard looked just as ugly as before. "Err, that was close," Bruto said cautiously, cradling his beard and checking over each whisker before looking at Lancelot in confusion, "What''s happened to him? Why is he sitting naked on the ground?" "Same here, that Mutagen puts a huge strain on the body." Koula also pulled out an identical roll of bedding, which apparently came as a premium with the purchase of Howard''s convenience bags, "I want to sleep a bit too, just for a while..." "Oh, you guys are so weak, you really need to train more." Bruto proudly flexed his muscles, "Rest easy, and let''s hope Lancelot doesn''t cool down too quickly." Kalalin''s snoring answered him; the Scholar had full trust in his companions, and he was indeed very tired, falling asleep almost instantly. "You all go rest as well." Bruto waved at the others, "With me on watch, be at ease." Meanwhile, Lancelot, who was in the midst of Qi Cultivation, was oblivious to the outside world, but he equally trusted his friends to protect his body. The ''gift'' given by the Demon seemed to have a mind of its own, constantly trying to change Lancelot''s body. If it weren''t for his ability to suppress it with his high-rank Qi Cultivation Stage strength, the Human Knight might very well have turned into something strange by now. After repeated Circulation Transfers and purging impurities, Lancelot finally transformed it into ordinary True Qi, thoroughly taming the wild energy. Although about seventy percent of the energy was expelled from his body during the process, he ultimately assimilated the unexpected ''gift'' safely. He carefully continued guiding the True Qi to circulate within his body, gradually absorbing the energy into his Dantian. After dozens of repetitions, all the True Qi in his body were re-harmonized into the Dantian, fully amalgamating as one. As someone in the latter stages of the high-rank Qi Refinement Realm, under normal circumstances, there should always be True Qi flowing through Lancelot''s Meridians, like rivers in full flow. But at this moment, even his Dantian was half empty, with less than half of the depletion due to battle, the rest spent on absorbing the ''gift''. Once he confirmed that his body had returned to normal, Lancelot slowly opened his tightly closed eyes. "Boss, you''re awake?" Eckmond was the first to react, noticing that the mental connection with his master had been restored. "Oh? All better now?" Bruto''s voice came from behind Lancelot, "Koula was saying you would shoot out scorching rays the moment you opened your eyes, burning a hole in me or something. Such nonsense, haha, I never believed it!" Chapter 154 The Weight of the Dwarf "That kind of situation is indeed possible," Lancelot chuckled, turning his head to look at Bruto. He immediately noticed that Kalalin and Koula were sound asleep in their own blankets, while Alamir was immersed in meditation. "How long have I been like this?" "Not too bad, around three hours, I guess. Just enough time for me to sort them out again," Bruto caressed the braids made out of his beard on his chest, "I think I must thank you for my belt; it truly is a treasure..." By this time, the other companions had also roused from sleep or meditation. Alamir looked at Lancelot, his face breaking into a smile: "You''re awake? How do you feel? Do you still need my Healing Spell?" "I''ve still got several bottles of healing potions here!" Koula also raised several red bottles. "Thank you, I''m fine now," Lancelot jumped up from the ground, stretching his body. Although the True Qi in his Dantian was still pitifully scarce, his body had recovered to its optimal condition. "Lancelot, what exactly happened here?" Kalalin asked curiously, "We heard some unsettling whispers from outside..." "That..." Lancelot scratched the back of his head, "to be honest, I''m quite puzzled myself. Have you ever heard the name Kaldu? The voice proclaimed itself as such..." "Kaldu..." Kalalin furrowed her brow tightly, "I must have heard that name somewhere, but I can''t remember right now." "He claimed to be the Lord of Baro," Lancelot hinted. "The Lord of Baro? Kal?" The Scholar slapped his palm, "I remember now! Kaldu! The Lord of the twenty-first layer of the Abyss!" "His title of the Lord of Baro, does it refer to the Barlow Flame Demon?" Lancelot curiously asked, "I remember you said that the Barlow Flame Demon is one of the strongest demon forms, each having the strength of a Lord Level. Could they also have a king like Mekanshut?" Although they lacked a guide on their return, it was no problem in the face of Lancelot''s strong memory. In fact, he noticed several pairs of prying eyes in the shadows, those of the kobold scouts. These local residents silently helped them disarm traps along the way, so Lancelot was happy not to have to deal with them again. When the group crawled out of the basement of the Withered Rose, the two mercenaries hired by the tavern owner looked very upset, realizing that they would probably have to look for another job soon. It was nearing midnight, but the tavern was still exceptionally noisy. They walked straight to the bar and demanded their reward from Tiflin the innkeeper. "Oh my god! You guys really smell..." Agamemnon looked somewhat surprised, but at the same time, he deftly took out a can of cheap perfume from under the table and sprayed it into the air, "Special. Let me guess, you''ve been gone so long, you must have solved my problem, right?" "You promised us free drinks, now bring out the mead!" Bruto slammed his arm on the table, "Right now!" "We''ve taken care of the guy who woke up the Zombies," Lancelot shrugged, "But you better change your way of disposing of the bodies, otherwise, I can''t guarantee that nothing like this will happen again." "Uh." The innkeeper''s face turned slightly red, "What do you mean?" "We suspect that the Zombies were already dead in your tavern," Kalalin explained. "The one who woke these bodies was a ghoul, also called an Ogre-Mage. This guy has been conducting evil Necromancy experiments, and some Zombies got out of its control, driven by instinct to return to the last place they stayed in their lifetime." Just then, a commotion of tables and chairs being knocked over erupted behind them, followed by a loud roar: "You reeking vermin! How dare you threaten me! Die!" Lancelot looked back to see a brawl had broken out, and in the blink of an eye, several more corpses littered the ground. "My floor just sprouts corpses on its own," the tavern owner''s gloomy voice rose again, "Do you have any better suggestions on how to deal with them?" "Do whatever you want, but you''d better not just dump them directly into the sewer again. I suggest you burn them, but be sure not to accumulate too many at once to burn..." Lancelot''s eyes emitted a daunting glow again, "Alright, now let''s talk about the other part of the reward you promised. Let''s start with your source of information..." Chapter 155 Dangerous Tavern "Taifu told me, he''s one of my... my debtors," Akmenon stuttered, the sharp gaze of the other person piercing his mind like a hole, uncontrollable truths spilling from his mouth, "This establishment offers loan services, with interest merely doubling each month..." "This Taifu, who is he?" Bruto slammed an empty glass onto the bar counter, "And how can you be sure his information is accurate?" "It''s just Taifu, I was stuttering earlier." The tavern owner corrected helplessly, "He handles armament procurement for Yiltu, the former master of that Succubus Paladin. When my... collector brought him to me, he said the only valuable thing he had was this information." "Is that so..." Lancelot stroked his chin, "So what exactly did he say?" "Elothysia will arrive at this fortress in two days, escorted by Ashap, a Six-Armed Serpent Demon who has long played a game of cat and mouse with the Succubus Paladin in the Prime Material Plane. They will emerge from the Great Abyss in the south, traveling northward along a tributary of the Stygian River." "The Great Abyss?" Lancelot looked towards Kalalin. "It''s a place," the Scholar explained softly, "located on the first layer of the Abyss, appearing on the surface like a giant fissure, housing many portals leading to other planes, making it the densest area of portals in the entire Abyss." "Understood." Lancelot nodded, "How many subordinates does this Ashap have?" "Her retinue includes at least two Succubi, twelve Berserk Demons, and more cannon fodder." The expression in the Tiflin owner''s eyes mocks, "Thank me, you simply couldn''t handle this escort group, and any action towards that Succubus would only lead to your own destruction." "Perhaps we were indeed reckless." Lancelot said nonchalantly, "How many others have you told this information to?" "I think I''ve probably saved the lives of four or five groups of Adventurers," Akmenon shrugged, "Just for five hundred Gold Coins, those fools could avoid a near-certain death, what a profitable deal, I''m just too kind-hearted, where else could you find a tavern owner as benevolent as me..." "What about those Adventurers you sent into the sewers?" Lancelot raised an eyebrow, "And, during the battle with that Ogre Wizard, my armor was shattered. Had my skills not been sufficient, I doubt I''d be having this pleasant conversation with you. How will you address the loss of my equipment?" "Why must fools always release bolts of lightning in enclosed spaces? How much do these arrogant spellcasters fear their peers that they cannot even share such basic knowledge?" Tiflin, the owner, painfully covered his eyes, "Two of the dead guys still owed money!" "I will remember this incident," Kalalin assured Lancelot, who was half shocked, half helpless as he watched the guards drag away the bodies on the ground, while the living had already sat down to continue their drinking and merrymaking, as if this was all too familiar. "What a shitty world," Lancelot muttered under his breath, reminding himself never to surrender to this world. "I don''t want to stay a moment longer." Koula jumped down from the chair. "Let''s go back and rest, shall we?" Everyone nodded in agreement, even Bruto, who was reluctant to part with the wine, stood up, as they were all somewhat uncomfortable with the atmosphere where people could die at any moment. "Don''t forget to check out the meal menu, it''s on the stand to the left of the entrance!" Agamemnon called out from behind them. Lancelot entered the royal suite on the fourth floor a few minutes later than the others; he had raided the tavern owner''s collection of ''lost items'' in the storage, thus he sported a new chainmail¡ªnaturally, one couldn''t find plate armor there, nor did anything else fit him well. While chainmail was far inferior to plate armor in terms of protection, it was much lighter, allowing him to fully utilize his agility advantage. In fact, Lancelot rarely relied on the protective capabilities of the armor itself anymore; his movement technique was his greatest guarantee. The flesh, strengthened by True Qi, meant the weight of plate armor was no bother to him, but wearing plate armor in battle had become a habit, providing him with a psychological sense of security. Most importantly, human knights steadfastly believed that plate armor was the most handsome attire for a man, bar none. After everyone had freshened up and was ready to rest, Lancelot suddenly asked Eckmond to gather everyone. "Can''t we discuss this tomorrow? The succubus won''t arrive for another two days..." Bruto yawned as he came in from the next room, but his expression changed when he saw the human knight. "Lancelot, why are you still in your armor? Is the bathroom broken?" Chapter 156 Reconnaissance "I plan to go out on a reconnaissance mission tonight, to find out exactly how far away our target is and whether there are any other things in the wilderness," Lancelot spoke with calm assurance. "I can go alone. You all rest well, and I will be back before dawn." "That''s too dangerous!" Kalalin was the first to voice his opposition. "This is the Abyss, the home of Demons. Who knows what might be out there in the wilderness at night? If a battle breaks out, how will you manage alone?" "So the plan is not to let a battle happen," Lancelot shrugged. "This is just a scouting mission, and I''ll remain cautious. You''ve all seen how fast I am; ordinary Demons won''t be able to catch me." Everyone looked around at each other, but nobody spoke. "Let''s discuss the plans for tonight," Lancelot changed the subject. "Don''t be fooled by the comfortable surroundings; it''s still dangerous here. We need someone to keep watch at night." "I''ve already had enough rest, so I''ll take the first watch," Alamir offered firmly. "That bit of rest just now was enough for you?" Koula asked in surprise. "We Elves rest through meditation, and it''s twice as efficient as your way," Alamir explained. "Of course, it would be great if someone else could join me. Having two on watch is a bit safer." "I''ll do it!" Koula cheerfully volunteered. "I had a decent snooze just now and still feel quite alert, and I need to prepare some potions for upcoming use anyway. We left in such a hurry this time." "When you''re done, wake me up to take over. I need to make some scrolls," Kalalin also spoke. "Bruto hasn''t rested yet, so you don''t need to get up tonight." "I need to catch some sleep too," Eckmond said with a yawning sigh. "You can swap out for me on the last shift." "You need sleep as well?" Lancelot looked curiously at the skeleton head. "Aren''t you an Undead creature?" "Don''t know why, but I just do," Eckmond rolled his eyes. "And just to correct you, I''m a Mimir, should be considered a living construct, right? It''s just that I stayed in that pit for too long, so I got a bit of a dead-man''s stench. Don''t believe me? Ask Alamir; he''s very sensitive to the Undead." Clearly, these were Lancelot''s peers¡ªa band of desperados chasing bounties. It wasn''t difficult to identify their leader: a bare-chested, incredibly muscular Barbarian lying on a chair in the middle of the camp, with a gigantic hammer as big as an iceberg behind him and two Succubi kneeling at his feet, while the others around him viewed the beastly man with envious yet fearful eyes. "Boss, what do we do with that Holy Warrior bitch once we catch her?" The broken speech drifted in from the wind, still caught by Lancelot''s keen hearing. An Orc was greedily watching the actions of the two Succubi, asking without thinking. "First, I''ll get to enjoy a few good days with her, and then we''ll see who makes the best offer," the Mercenary Leader responded with smug assurance as if the prize was already his. He turned to look at the one who had asked the question, then his face darkened abruptly, and he lunged forward. "You traitor!" He grabbed the questioning Orc by the throat and hoisted him into the air with one hand, "Your eyes have betrayed you, speak! Have you been scheming all along to replace me?" Lancelot noticed that the leader was two heads taller than himself, nearing almost 8 feet in height. The hoisted Orc dangled his legs feebly, only able to plead with his eyes for his defense. The commotion drew everyone''s attention, but instead of intervening, the onlookers began to cheer loudly. As the clear ''snap'' sound echoed, the cheers reached their peak. While everyone''s focus was on the brutal leader, Lancelot quietly approached the camp. He cast a spell, leaving his Divine Sense mark on several mercenaries, then retreated silently. If the convoy escorting Elothysia was as formidable as the Tiflin boss had said, then this group might still be of some use. But as he returned to the rocks, preparing to leave the evil mercenaries and continue on his journey, he suddenly felt a chilling sensation, as if a snake slithered up the back of his neck. The Concealment Art was almost instinctively activated, and Lancelot lay motionless in the shadows, now indistinguishable from the lifeless stones around him. At the entrance to the camp, the light of Teleportation Magic suddenly flared, and a figure that presented an extreme danger emerged from it. Chapter 157 Mysterious Visitor The visitor was dressed as a merchant, adorned in a baggy robe with many pockets and glamorous accessories on his neck and wrists. His dark red skin, backward-curling horns on his head, goat-like hooves, and a long, thin tail revealed that he was a Tiflin, a mortal with Fiends as ancestors. But Lancelot knew the stranger was far from simple as he appeared; his Spirit Perception alerted him that this seemingly mere cunning merchant was extremely dangerous, just as terrifying as the entity they had attracted when they burned the animated corpses on a mountain. Luckily, this newcomer walked straight into the camp, oblivious to his presence. Lancelot mustered up some True Qi to his ears, daring to eavesdrop on the mysterious visitor''s purpose for coming here. The camp''s guards immediately spotted this uninvited guest, shouting loudly and feigning an attack, but the composure of the visitor, and some sort of unspoken Fear, kept these fearless mercenaries rooted in place, posturing with their weapons. Explore hidden tales at empire "Easy there, mercenaries, I''m not your enemy," the Tiflin merchant spoke lazily, his voice carrying a peculiar Magic Power that made one listen involuntarily, "Where''s your leader? I have a deal to discuss with him." The crowd parted way for him naturally, and in the center of the camp, the towering Barbarian Chieftain had already grabbed his giant hammer, looking menacing, while two Succubi hid behind him like startled rabbits. "Goodness me, it seems I''ve come at a rather inconvenient time, interrupting your fine pursuits," the enigmatic visitor breezed into the center of the camp, glancing at the Orc corpse on the ground with a look of regret in his eyes, "Allow me to introduce myself: I am Eckmond, and it''s an honor to meet you, the real chieftain of the Winter Wolf Tribe, the invincible Guarado." Upon hearing the name Eckmond, Lancelot felt a weird sensation in his heart. Perhaps it was just a common name, after all, not a rare one. "Speak your purpose!" roared the mercenary leader named Guarado, his voice thunderous, "Though the taste of Tiflin isn''t particularly good, we can''t be choosy in such a godforsaken place, hahaha..." "What good would it do me to assassinate you?" the Tiflin merchant shrugged, "As I said before, it''s just a gift. When we meet next time, we can negotiate a serious deal." "So, what is it that you really want?" Guarado, convinced that the other party must want something from him, snorted through his nostrils at the Tiflin merchant before him, "Slaves of a certain race? Or do you need us to attack one of your enemies?" "Oh no, it''s nothing so complicated. What I want is just a Holy Warrior," the Tiflin merchant finally revealed his true intent, "A Succubus Paladin with horns on her head, bat wings on her back, and a tail on her buttocks." "You''re indeed here for that bitch," the Mercenary Leader said with an understanding smile. "She''ll soon fall into my hands, there''s no doubt about that. But if you want to exchange for her, these gifts alone won''t suffice." "Of course, but do consider my offer when the time comes, based on the kindness of these gifts, alright?" the Tiflin merchant spread his hands enthusiastically, "No matter what conditions the other guys have promised, I can offer you better, and pay on the spot, guaranteeing your satisfaction." "If you happen to be the highest bidder, then she''s yours," Guarado spread his legs, and two Succubi crawled over to him, "I''m about to... get busy. Do you have anything else?" "Just one last thing. If your previous intelligence was that the target was heading north along the Stygian River, that information is outdated. The convoy escorting the Succubus Paladin has run into a bit of trouble; if you want to intercept them, it''s best to head southwest." "How do you know this?" Guarado eyed the merchant suspiciously, "Who exactly is the master behind you guys?" "What use is it for you to know? We indeed desire that Holy Warrior very much and are willing to offer a generous reward to the person who brings her to us. Isn''t that enough for you to know?" the Tiflin merchant bowed, "Now, may I ask for your permission to leave safely on account of these gifts?" "Get out," the Mercenary Leader waved his hand, looking down without glancing at him anymore. "Thank you very much," the Tiflin merchant bowed again, bagging his belongings and started to retreat backward. Lancelot, who had been peeking from not too far, quickly lowered his head and constrained his breath, making himself blend in like a stone. Chapter 158 The Importance of Bathing It was a full quarter of an hour later that Lancelot''s body moved slightly. The mysterious Tiflin had left directly using teleportation magic, but the spirit perception of the human knight, akin to eyes that had stared directly into the harsh sun, did not return to normal until this moment. The revelry at the camp continued, with the mercenaries eagerly fiddling with their new equipment, boasting to one another about how many battles they would win and how many heads they would sever with such weapons. But Lancelot had long understood that nothing was free, and everything had its price, especially in the dreadful plane of the Abyss. These fellows were so content and justified in accepting these obviously ill-intentioned gifts, either out of extreme confidence or extreme stupidity, and Lancelot felt that the latter was more likely. He took out the amulet that could sense the target, which was still ice-cold. He had been out for two hours that night, covering nearly 150 miles. If he explored for another two hours, it was time for him to head back. Lancelot put the amulet around his neck, hesitated slightly, then decided to change direction and search towards the southwest as the mysterious individual had suggested. If he walked another 150 miles and there was still no response, either the target was still far from the fort, or he had completely mistaken the direction. After confirming that he had left far enough that no one in the camp could spot him, Lancelot sped up once again. The night in the Abyss was a bit quieter than the day, although nearly all demons possessed good vision in the dark, hunting at night was often more strenuous. Although demons didn''t need sleep, they could still feel fatigue, and for those ever-fleeing Prime Demons and Coward Devils, the arrival of night meant these miserable creatures had survived another day. As Lancelot raced through the night in the Plains of the Abyss, his spirit perception occasionally spotted groups of low rank demons huddling together. For him, this was actually a sign of safety¡ªit meant that there were likely no powerful monsters around, nor were there any recruiting and foraging teams sent by the Demon Lord, otherwise these weaklings, hardly different from goblins, would have been wiped out long ago.@@@@ After advancing another 100 miles, Lancelot finally felt the amulet on his chest react. He immediately found an empty space and stopped, holding the amulet in his hand. This magical item, adorned with a succubus portrait, radiated a heat slightly higher than body temperature, accurately indicating to Lancelot that Elothysia had entered his detection range. Sitting in the comfortable chair of the Royal Family suite, Bruto was eating a Petrified Lizard Grilled Sandwich with beer, and asked Eckmond. "Not yet, but I''m sure the boss isn''t dead," Eckmond replied. "The grilled meat here is really good," said the Halfling gourmet, his cheeks bulging. "It''s just a bit too salty. Next time I''ll try to see if I can improve it. You occasionally see Petrified Lizards at the meat shop in Twin Bridges Town, and I heard they''re quite manageable in front of experienced hunters." "Having something to eat is already good enough." Kalalin had finished her breakfast and was standing by the window, watching the passersby below, many of whom were demons heading to the ''pilgrimage'' at the Twelve Trees, "If not for being on a mission, I''d really like to walk into the fortress''s Portal and take a look at that layer in the Twelve Trees. It would be significant in understanding the culture of demons." "That is, assuming the demons don''t find your presence offensive," remarked Eckmond, "Of course, as long as your power is sufficient, you might as well stroll through Shendiravir as if it''s a brothel." "What are you chatting about? You seem happy." Lancelot''s voice came from outside the window, and as everyone turned their heads, they saw his silhouette flash by, now standing by the window. "Boss! You''re back!" Eckmond floated over, excited, "Boss is awesome, strolling around the wilderness of the Abyss at night without any trouble!" "Because the wilderness roams with only Low Level Demons, I hardly encountered any danger," Lancelot shook his head, "This trip was very worthwhile though, I gathered quite a bit of intelligence... Wait, where''s Alamir? "He''s soaking in the bathtub," Bruto said with a scornful expression, "These Elves really have too many issues." "He''s conducting a ritual to pray to Lady Fire, which requires cleansing one''s body, standing in water in a pond or bathtub, gazing at an illuminated mirror," Kalalin reminded kindly, "Don''t forget where we crawled out from last night. It''s normal for him to take a longer bath. Besides, without his Divine Arts, you would have become an ice sculpture by now." "His Divine Arts are indeed useful," Bruto admitted reluctantly, "but I will never worship a deity that requires its followers to bathe every day!" "If you don''t bathe, love is less likely to favor you," Alamir''s cheerful voice rang as the neatly dressed Elf walked out of the bathroom, "Ah! Lancelot, you''re back already? Any good news?" Chapter 159 How the Priest Became Stronger "You seem to be in good spirits," Lancelot observed with amazement as he looked at the Elf, who was positively radiant and whose aura seemed to have grown stronger. "What could be more affirming of love''s greatness than the redemption granted by Elothysia? I prayed to the Goddess to grant me the strength to save this poor Succubus," Alamir declared with a look of devoutness, "and I have received the Goddess''s blessing." "Just to wish you good luck?" Eckmond flew in a circle around the Elf, "Even I can feel that you have changed quite noticeably." "The Goddess has also bestowed upon me new Divine Arts and power," Alamir could not contain the smile on his face, "Now I am capable of casting fourth-circle Divine Arts." "Damn!" Kalalin couldn''t help but swear, "Mages need to do a lot of research, experimentation, and practice to achieve a higher level of spellcasting, and us talentless hacks have to waste countless expensive scroll materials. But you, you Divine Art Casters, merely through ceremonies and prayers ..." "And devotion," Alamir said with a grin looking at Kalalin, "What is most important is that you sincerely believe in the ideals your deity stands for and do your utmost to enact His will. The Lady of Flame is the Goddess of Love and Beauty, and her domain is life. Our actions of slaying that mountain of corpses monster and saving the Succubus Paladin are what pleased the Goddess, which is why She was so generous to me." "I see, I''ll have to have a good talk with Uncle Vito, to see what specific demands the Father God has for us," Bruto sighed, "I hope it doesn''t include having to take a bath every day." Everyone laughed at the Dwarf''s comment, and then Lancelot briefed the group on what he had discovered in his reconnaissance, especially about that mysterious Tiflin merchant. "How irritating, using my name," Eckmond muttered discontentedly, "Judging by what he''s done, he''s definitely no good fellow." "We absolutely cannot let Elothysia fall into the hands of that Guarado," stated Alamir with a tense expression, "We should set out right away!" Arriving under a stretch of abandoned wall, Lancelot closed his eyes and sensed his surroundings, ensuring there was no one around. He then quickly formed several spell gestures and cast a Protective Barrier to isolate sound and block Divine Sense detection. "Where did you learn these amazing spells?" Kalalin asked curiously as she watched Lancelot, "I''m quite certain they aren''t cast through the Magic Net." "The power of these spells indeed comes from within me," Lancelot nodded, offering no further explanation. The next spell he cast was much more familiar to Kalalin¡ªthe Mount Technique. From a Scholar''s perspective, it appeared that Lancelot relied wholly on precise gestures and incantations to mimic the casting process of this magic, but the wondrous part was, the Magic Net actually recognized his method of casting. Though the Mount Technique was merely a 1st-level spell, Lancelot had managed to complete it despite having no understanding of its principles. It was like an illiterate person, who by using pictorial memory alone, managed to transcribe an article¡ªif his imitation was accurate enough, anyone who understood the script could comprehend what he wrote. Here, the so-called reader was the Magic Net, which was why Lancelot could cast spells. As the Human Knight completed his spell, the warhorse with a mane, tail, and hooves aflame with fire appeared once more. Everyone knew that this creature was a Nightmare, whose noble Pegasus ancestors had been transformed into their current form by a vile and cruel Fiendish ritual. Upon its arrival, the Nightmare, in habit, snapped at the one who summoned it, only to be met with a prepared punch from Lancelot and knocked down to the ground. The Demonic warhorse whimpered as it got up, head lowered subserviently, hooves nervously tapping the ground. Somehow, Lancelot could vaguely understand its intent¡ªessentially, it was submitting to him, suggesting that he hadn''t been called upon in so long it failed to recognize him immediately. "Haha, you rascal," Lancelot chuckled as he rubbed its neck, "I''m going to... give you a bit of a power-up." The Abyssal creature looked on, puzzled, but Lancelot simply placed his hand on its forehead and slowly began to channel his True Qi, apologetically whispering to the Nightmare, "This might hurt a bit, bear with it." Chapter 160 Lancelots Ability The familiar feeling came again, various ways to modify this creature and the energy required appeared in his Divine Sense, much clearer than when he had promoted Dingke. Lancelot did not choose the method of transformation for advancement; instead, he strengthened the creature''s existing form. True Qi from the Abyss''s spiritual energy of nature slowly flowed into the Nightmare''s body, then naturally into each of its meridians. The Abyssal Warhorse seemed to feel very comfortable, contently flicking its tail. "Here it comes." The amount of True Qi that Lancelot was channeling suddenly burst forth, and the Nightmare let out a piercing neigh as its body violently exploded into a mist of blood. True Qi, like a bursting dam, overflowed from its meridians and eagerly transformed the creature''s flesh and blood. What followed was a scene both bloody and cruel, yet it was not Lancelot''s first time witnessing such a sight. Muscles that suddenly grew large tore through the skin, only to be quickly pierced by thickening bones; its skull split open like an overripe watermelon, revealing the bubbling, boiling brain matter inside. The tumbling flesh incessantly healed newly-formed wounds, and the rising blood mist, ignited by the leaked energy, enveloped its entire body in flames. Gradually, the pain within the Nightmare''s cries lessened, and in Lancelot''s Spirit Perception, its energy began to climb rapidly. In the end, it raised its front hooves high and let out a resonant roar. Flames on either side of it morphed into a pair of enormous wings, and the Nightmare curiously flapped them, a sense of strange familiarity flooding its mind, as if it was always meant to have these wings. But as the strengthening process completed, the flames slowly retracted into its body, and the Nightmare calmed down. While it could not speak, the Abyssal Warhorse actually possessed the intelligence of a normal person. It understood what had happened to itself and was deeply impressed by the abilities of its ''master''¡ªthe creature had already accepted Lancelot as its master in its mind, but its instincts compelled it to resist a little. The proud beast raised its hoof toward Lancelot, only to find itself somehow already on the ground, with the master''s knee pressing against its head. "Any other issues?" Lancelot asked, knowing that the other could understand. The Nightmare blinked at Lancelot, the message could not be clearer. "Must we do this every time?" Lancelot moved his knee away with a sense of resignation, while the Nightmare''s expression seemed wronged, as if Lancelot had made an egregiously unfair request. "No! Not at all! What are you thinking about!" Lancelot helplessly covered his face, "I stay at home every night, how would I have any chance..." "That''s not necessarily true, she could come after we''re all asleep, and since she can directly teleport to the living room, teleporting to your bedroom shouldn''t be a problem either, right?" Bruto continued to search for evidence to support his point, "And that soundproofing Spell of yours is quite useful..." "There''s really nothing." Lancelot was completely defeated by Bruto''s wild imagination, "I''m still human, if you don''t believe it, ask Alamir." "How could I judge that? I''m just a Priest, and I''m only sensitive to Undead." The Elf Priest said with a mischievous grin, "As long as it''s true love, the fiery lady Goddess will bless you." "It''s my own power." Lancelot took out an Earth Crystal, "You all know I can absorb the energy contained within these gemstones. I know you''ve never heard of this, but it''s actually nature''s spiritual energy, a kind of... very special energy. Didn''t Kalalin say before that high-level Demons can use Magic Power to promote Low Rank Demons? I tried it on Dingke, and the result is what you all see now." "Dingke?" Bruto blinked in confusion, "What about him?" "Haven''t you noticed it''s more... robust than the typical Quasimodo Demon?" Lancelot glanced at the Dwarf helplessly, "Do you believe me now? It has nothing to do with Tijana!" "Alright..." Bruto nodded reluctantly, "But that doesn''t prove you and Tijana haven''t..." "Shut up, will you." Lancelot hoisted the Dwarf up onto the horse and then swung himself up as well, "And you, Alamir, if you say more weird things while we travel, be careful your crotch might catch fire." "Hehe, got it." The Elf Priest grinned mischievously. He didn''t wait for Lancelot to help, lightly leaping to sit on the horse''s rump. Kalalin then cast the Spell to summon his own warhorse, a hot-tempered Nightmare appeared. It lifted its forehooves, aiming to kick at Kalalin, but upon seeing the bulk of Lancelot''s steed, it paused, its hooves awkwardly hanging mid-air, and then slowly retracted them. "See, it''s smarter than you." Lancelot patted the neck of his mount, which let out a dissatisfied snort, as if it disdained its fellow breed''s submission without a fight, while Kalalin quickly climbed into the saddle, pulling Koula up too. "Alright, let''s set off." The Human Knight looked toward the southwest, "A helpless lady is waiting for us to rescue her." Chapter 161 Camping Five people plus a skull was a significant burden for creatures like Nightmares. After running continuously for eight hours and covering a distance of about 150 miles, these two pitiful creatures finally found relief and returned to their original dimension. "Go back and eat something good. We''ll continue tomorrow." Lancelot instructed his mount, whose glance at Lancelot before leaving was filled with despair. By then, night had already fallen. The group found a cave occupied by a group of Coward Devils. After Lancelot performed his demonstration of smashing a boulder with his iron fist, those Low-Rank Demons immediately fled. Lancelot briefly sensed the surroundings to confirm that there were no powerful creatures nearby, but both Kalalin and Alamir had their own methods. The Elf Priest cast a Divine Art to detect good and evil, confirming there were no hidden Fiends or Undead nearby, nor was there any curse present. This first-circle Divine Art could also detect Angels or blessed land, but such things were unlikely to be encountered in the wilderness of the Abyss. Kalalin then cast a warning Spell. This simple first-circle Spell could last for eight hours. Any creature larger than a rat that approached their campsite in the cave would trigger a clear ringing of bells, even if the creature was invisible, making it a good support tool for Adventurers camping in the wilderness. After ensuring the cave''s safety, Lancelot pulled the camping materials out of his Dimensional Bag. He now had two Dimensional Bags; the smaller one he used for his gear and personal belongings, while the larger one had become the team''s storage, filled with rolled-up bedding, tents, fuel for the fire, and various tools. Together, the group lit a campfire, laid out their sleeping rolls, and comfortably settled down. Kalalin cast a first-circle Spell that was said to repel insects. Koula set up a small pot over the fire, beginning to prepare dinner for those who needed to eat. A pendant with Elothysia''s portrait hung around Lancelot''s neck. It had begun to heat up a few hours ago, signaling that they were getting closer to the Succubus Paladin. Lancelot had already informed everyone that the battle was likely to erupt tomorrow, so they needed to make thorough preparations tonight. Bruto took out a set of blacksmith tools and maintained the equipment for Lancelot and Alamir. Koula, while preparing dinner, was also concocting some unknown potions; there was no strict distinction between the two since Lancelot had seen the Halfling pour liquid from a potion bottle into the pot on more than one occasion. Meanwhile, Alamir took out a small mirror and prayed devoutly to his god. "Why are you looking at me?" "If the succubus uses that ability, it''s best used on you," Kalalin shrugged. "If you are stunned and stand still, I believe Lancelot can pull you back in time. Besides, resistance to this spell depends on physique, and I think you have a great chance, and your cloak should also help a bit. Read latest stories on empire Even if you really get hit by it, the demons wouldn''t be able to find your neck, and snapping your waist is almost impossible, as it is way too thick." "That''s too dangerous," Lancelot shook his head reluctantly. "There must be another way." "I think it''s a good plan," Bruto shook his hand. "Let''s do that. You''ve already saved me more than once, I trust you." The dwarf''s unreserved trust was very moving, but Lancelot had no intention of letting his companions take such risks. He shook his head again and spoke: "There must be a more reliable method. How do they cast this spell? Do they need to chant a spell? Maybe I can interrupt it in time." "Very difficult," Kalalin spread his hands. "They just need to utter a powerful word to crush the target''s will. Since the succubus often deals with mortals, there has been a lot of research on them, and most past records indicate that defeating this kind of demon usually relies on having superior numbers. There aren''t many other ways." "Numerical advantage, huh..." Lancelot stroked his chin, about to say something, but his expression suddenly changed. He looked up toward the cave entrance. Frostslash had, unknowingly, appeared in his hand. Accompanied by a series of crisp bell sounds, a Tiflin with dark red skin and wearing a fancy robe entered their campsite in the cave, the same mysterious visitor who had appeared at that mercenary camp before. "Who are you?" Lancelot asked first. Having sensed the approach of the other party in advance, he had already adjusted his expression to appear as though he had never seen the other before.@@@@ Chapter 162 The Mysterious Person Returns "Don''t be nervous, everyone," the Tiflin merchant said with an extremely insincere smile, "My name is Eckmond, and I am here to talk business with you." "We don''t have anything you want, and I believe you don''t have anything we want either," Lancelot said cautiously, while others glanced indifferently at someone with the same name, only to find that the latter was lying motionless in the shadow of a corner just like an ordinary skull. "That might not be the case," the Tiflin said as he casually sat down in front of the campfire, "Hmm! What is this, it smells really good!" "Stygian River mixed fish soup, with my secret seasoning." Koula ladled a small bowl and handed it carefully to the visitor, "Would you like to try some?" "Of course!" The mysterious merchant accepted the bowl eagerly, tilting his head back to gulp it down, and then gave Koula a thumbs-up in approval, "The soup tastes even better than it smells. Now, since I have eaten your food and shared your campfire, according to the laws set by the gods, we cannot harm each other in this cave. So, can you put away your weapon now, Mr. Knight?" "The gods have no interest in meddling with the affairs of this dump," Lancelot''s Spirit Perception was going off frantically, but at that moment he could only pretend to stay composed and say, "I accept your good will, but we are under no obligation to promise you anything." "I was hoping for a warmer welcome," the Tiflin shrugged indifferently, "Since that''s how it is, I''ll get straight to the point. You are here for the Succubus Paladin, right? There''s no need to deny it, there are more competitors within a hundred miles than you can count on both hands, but I am not one of them." "Then why are you looking for us?" Lancelot inquired, though he had a clear idea why. "I told you, I am here to negotiate," the deep-red-skinned uninvited guest said, the insincere smile returning to his face, "Suppose, just suppose, if you are lucky enough to capture that Succubus Paladin, how do you plan to deal with her?" "Naturally, we will hand her over to whoever offers us a reward that satisfies us the most," Lancelot answered ambiguously. "So what would satisfy you? Endless riches? Powerful weapons? Exquisite beauties?" The smile on the Tiflin''s face grew even more resplendent, "We can provide all of these, as long as you hand her over to me..." "We don''t even know who you are, why should we believe you have the ability to fulfill these promises?" Bruto interjected from the side, "We were just discussing those tricks of seducing demons..." "Oh! You say that, but we can sign a contract, with our souls as the guarantee for fulfilling the contract!" The Tiflin was almost too eager as he pulled out several Parchment scrolls from his pocket, "You can read these terms carefully, just write down whatever reward you want, and sign your name in the corner!" "That Tiflin has left, and it''s the same one I saw yesterday." "Just who is this guy?" Bruto scratched his head, "And his name... Hmm? Where''s Eckmond?" "Right here." The skull''s weak voice came from the corner, "For some reason, I felt extremely scared of him, the kind of fear I couldn''t control." "Did any memories awaken for you?" Kalalin asked with concern, aware of the skull''s memory situation. "That''s what''s strange, not at all," Eckmond''s eyes showed a puzzled look, "but I''m sure I know him..." "Maybe you do know him, just not in that form," Lancelot conjectured, "When he took out those parchments, I couldn''t help but make some associations..." "Don''t be so sure; maybe that''s what he wants people to think," Kalalin shook his head, "Everyone knows that Demons fulfill their contracts, and Devils sometimes pretend to be agents of Demons, those words hold no sway over them." "After we rescue Elothysia, we must leave immediately, without wasting a moment," Lancelot said as he took out the amulet bearing the emblem of Twin Bridges Town, ensuring the magic item was functioning properly. "Our answers just now were okay, right? We didn''t inadvertently agree to any terms, did we?" "Shouldn''t have, right?" Scholar responded subconsciously before confirming with certainty after a moment, "Shouldn''t have." Explore hidden tales at empire "Boss, your answer was perfect," Eckmond interjected, "Saying to pay with what pleases you the most sounds very specific, but in fact, you didn''t mention what would please you. He thinks you''re after wealth or treasures, but you could just say that seeing the Succubus returned to her lover would be the most satisfying outcome." "That''s exactly what I meant," Lancelot nodded, "But his last sentence might have been his real intent. He wanted to lead as many mercenaries as possible to attack the convoy escorting Elothysia, simply using these mercenaries as cannon fodder to exhaust the escort''s strength and magic." "Then his wishful thinking is wrong," Bruto raised his hammer and roared, "We may not be the first to launch an attack, but we will definitely be the last!" Chapter 169 163 Chapter Mantis Stalking Cicada The remaining part of the night passed peacefully. The next morning, fully rested, they set off again, still traveling on two demons steeds, carrying all five of them. The team did not rush as they had the day before, but instead proceeded at a relatively stable pace. They wanted to remain as inconspicuous as possible to avoid encountering others who had designs on the Succubus Paladin prematurely. The low-level demons roaming around caused no hindrance; the very presence of the Nightmares was enough to make them keep their distance. In fact, these demon steeds were mounts for many High Rank Demons¡ªwhile a newly born Prime Demon might not understand what such a fiery-hoofed beast signified, a Coward Devil carried memories of being chased by such creatures in its mind. Find your next read on empire Lancelot handed the reins over to Bruto and closed his eyes, using Spirit Perception to sense the creatures nearby. The practice from their journey to Oasis Fort proved useful, allowing him to sense and avoid stronger life forms within a mile radius in advance. Guided by a Magic Pendant, they could maneuver extensively across the barren plains without worrying about losing their way. By the afternoon, the group had covered a distance of about a hundred miles; by then, the pendant had grown very hot against Lancelot''s chest, feeling like a warm water bottle, signifying that their target was very close now. As they passed a low hill, Lancelot called a halt to the group. "Let''s rest here," the Human Knight suggested as he rode to the top of the small hill and looked towards the south, "It won''t be long before the team escorting Elothysia passes by here; we can take the opportunity to observe the situation of our target." Everyone quickly dismounted and set up a makeshift camp in the shadow of the hill. They did not light a fire, as that could draw unwanted attention; they simply rested on the spot to recover the energy expended from their travels. After waiting for about half an hour, Lancelot, who had been meditating, suddenly changed his expression and stood up. "What''s happened?" Bruto, who was somewhat bored, was the first to notice Lancelot''s change and immediately grabbed his hammer. "The target is nearing," Lancelot nodded, "Let''s go up and have a look, and be careful to stay hidden." Everyone looked in the direction he was facing, but could see nothing, thus they looked at Lancelot with questioning eyes. "Hold off for now," the Human Knight''s voice arose directly at everyone''s ear. "Someone is coming." The dull sound of hooves gradually came from afar, causing the demons responsible for the transport to panic. However, following several fierce shouts from the leading Serpent Demon, the demons rearranged their formation, preparing for battle. The one coming fiercely from the north was none other than the mercenary group led by Guarado. This giant-like Barbarian was riding a huge Winter Wolf, strutting at the forefront of the troop. The mercenaries quickly intercepted in front of the demon''s troop, and Guarado stepped forward and said loudly: "Although it''s hardly necessary, I still have to say, if you''d willingly hand over that cage to us, I might just let you live," the Barbarian chuckled at his own words, "I mean, it''s possible." "Foolish mortals," the six-armed Serpent Demon''s weapons scraped against each other as it responded coldly. "With just you?" "True, you have more arms than I do, but how many can you handle at once?" the Mercenary Leader said with a brutal smile. "Listen up, brothers! A bounty of five thousand for slicing off an arm of this Serpent Demon, and thirty thousand for the one who beheads her! Charge!" "Ullah!" "Kill! Kill! Kill!" "Charge!" "Magrubiyeh! Witness my glory!" Chapter 164 Watching the Fire from Across the River Accompanied by the explosion of the Fireball thrown by the two-headed Ogre, the red-eyed mercenaries surged forward like a tide, attacking the Demons that were escorting the Succubus Paladin. For Lancelot and his companions, the scene evoked a distinct feeling, these mercenaries, for merely thirty thousand Gold Coins, dared to attack a six-armed Serpent Demon? Perhaps the numerical advantage gave them confidence; indeed, it seemed so. The Berserk Demon infantry were immediately embroiled in a bitter struggle, and two Succubi were surrounded. The weapons these mercenaries wielded were also peculiar; the ''gift'' from the Tiflin merchant appeared to specifically counteract the Demons'' Innate Armor, creating deep, bleeding wounds with a mere scratch. But when a few mercenaries actually launched their attack on the seemingly injured Serpent Demon, the situation reversed in an instant. A few flashes of cold light, and in a blink, several dismembered bodies lay on the ground. Lancelot, hiding aside, was closely observing the enemy''s movements. He noticed that when the Serpent Demon attacked, all its arms swung at once, and even though such attacks seemed bewildering, Lancelot saw that the strikes from the arms on the same side of its body all aimed at common points. To an experienced Swordsman, such sword moves were not unblockable. But among these mercenaries, there was no such Swordsman. The battle seemed to pause for a moment, everyone shocked by the carnage the Serpent Demon caused in an instant. A few mercenaries who had planned to join the siege abruptly halted, as if a bucket of cold water named death had been poured over their heads, startling them awake from their daydreams of how to spend their bounty in revelry. But the Serpent Demon Ashap would not stand still. She stretched her sword-holding arms, flinging the blood off her weapon, her massive tail slithering forward along the ground, a sight enough to awake the deepest fears in the hearts of mortals. Two humans watched the Serpent Demon approach, but their trembling legs were unable to move, as if bound hand and foot like living sacrifices, waiting in place for their imminent fate. Cold light flashed, and two more heaps of shattered bodies joined the others on the ground. The Demons'' morale rose with the Serpent Demon''s performance, while clear wavering appeared among the mercenaries. The less intelligent Ogres continued to fight fiercely, while the more ''clever'' humans and Zoel had already begun to attack with less conviction. "A bunch of trash!" The moment he made contact with the ground, the Barbarian executed a skillful breakfall, rolling to dissipate most of the force, and then he stood up. Transformed, the Barbarian had become a Giant, standing more than twice the height of the Serpent Demon, looking like a deity. He took two steps forward in a sprint, then leaped fiercely, launching a sky-covering assault on the Serpent Demon. This exaggerate attack, of course, could not hit the nimble Serpent Demon. Despite being severely injured, she barely rolled to the side, avoiding the blow. "You''re quick on your feet, but how many times can you dodge?" The Mercenary Leader felt a great power coursing through his body, a feeling he relished immensely, and he couldn''t wait to vent the destructive urge in his heart. A Berserk Demon focused on brawling with two Gray Dwarves became his victim. The Giant''s hand scooped up the Berserk Demon, then, grabbing one of the frog''s legs with one hand, he tore the unfortunate Demon in half. He himself hadn''t noticed, but the Serpent Demon, with her True Sight eyes, saw that the wolf-head tattoo on his chest had transformed into a Demon''s head. "Fool, the stench of Barto on you makes me sick," the six-armed Serpent Demon chuckled coldly, and then, in a flash, vanished from the spot. "Hahaha! Coward! You actually ran away!" Guarado was stunned for a moment, then burst into triumphant laughter. He looked towards the prisoner cart, ready to claim his spoils of war, only to find the figure of the Serpent Demon appearing beside the camel-like beast pulling the cart. "Think being big is impressive?" said the Serpent Demon with a sneer, casually unfastening the frame attached to the beast, "How about something bigger to play with?" Lancelot immediately sensed a very familiar magical fluctuation emanating from the beast, the same kind felt when wearing the Transformation Ring. "Roar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" A deafening roar erupted, and where the camel-like creature had lain, there was now a giant Demon over fifteen feet tall. This Demon had bull-like massive horns, a gorilla-like build, and thick red hair all over its body, blazing like flames. Lancelot recognized it as the Giant Bull Demon, a terrifying Demon that could be used as a siege weapon, with strength even greater than that of the six-armed Serpent Demon. These simple-minded Demons, misfits among the ruthlessly evil, often seemed somewhat straightforward, with many Abyssal Lords even keeping them as pets. Your journey continues on empire Chapter 165 The Price of Power The Giant Bull Demon, freed from its restraints, immediately knew who its enemy was¡ªthe giant nearly as tall as itself. With a roar of fury, the Demon charged on all fours, its antlers aimed at the Barbarian like an enraged bull. An enraged bull weighing over ten thousand pounds. Guarado cursed aloud, but the proud Barbarian refused to dodge, instead raising his heavy hammer high and smashing it down with precise timing. The heavy head of the hammer struck the Giant Bull Demon''s spine, but the Demon''s terrifying body withstood the attack and drove its spear-like horns into the Barbarian''s ribs, lifting him off the ground. "Eckmond," Lancelot called softly to the skeletal head, "do you think you can hold the Giant Bull Demon''s attention?" "Ah? Me?" Eckmond was surprised, but after thinking for a moment, he understood Lancelot''s intention, "Seems not impossible, as long as I can hold it off, right? I''m so little, it won''t be easy for that big guy to hit me." "Then, leave the mightiest enemy to you in a moment." Lancelot continued to survey the remaining enemies. One Serpent Demon was already dead, another was heavily wounded, so he said to Alamir: "Elf, that Serpent Demon with only half a claw left is yours, no problem, right?" "Right," the Elf Priest replied succinctly, eyes eagerly fixed on his target. "Bruto, aren''t you the toad slayer? Make sure no Berserk Demon distracts me when I fight that Serpent Demon." "Don''t worry, just hold on for one minute, and I''ll be able to help you!" "Very good," Lancelot finally turned to the Scholar and the Cook, "Kalalin, just stay put later, at most use some Illusion Techniques to help Eckmond, and do not reveal your position at all. Koula, if anything happens, drink your Mutagen and run with Kalalin." The two nodded understandingly; they had no objections to Lancelot''s arrangements. With the tactics in place, Lancelot looked back at the battlefield, waiting for the moment to strike. The sharp horn pierced the barbarian''s body once more, then sent him flying. The mercenary leader staggered to his feet, only to feel the strength draining from his body again. "No!" he cried in terror, calling out to the voice he had heard just moments ago, "Strength! Give me more strength!" "But I already gave you strength, and you agreed to any price." The voice sounded quite pleased, "The payment I want is simple, just your soul. It''s time to repay your debt, so would you be so kind as to die quickly? I''ve already prepared a very suitable collar for you, made out of Winter Wolf teeth. Just a little twist of the neck and it will poke multiple holes..." In Lancelot''s severity, the massive bulk of the barbarian began to shrink visibly, until he was not even as tall as he was originally. The flames that had covered his entire body were completely extinguished, and the once vigorous mercenary leader had become a decrepit old man, his withered skin clinging to his gaunt skeleton, like a corpse dug out from a grave. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but the Giant Bull Demon was not interested in listening. The demon lifted its hoof and crushed the detestable enemy underfoot, then twisted on the spot to ensure it ground the foe into a bloody pulp. The mercenaries'' morale collapsed, the demons quickly sniffed out the scent of fear, and death came swiftly upon the mercenaries. Only a troll or two, or rather parts of a troll, managed to escape, but for such creatures that could regenerate any part of their bodies, they had already dodged the fate of death. It was then that Lancelot turned back and gave everyone a signal for action. The Scholar quickly unrolled the Haste Spell scroll he had prepared for a long time. The moment the spell took effect, Lancelot charged out like an arrow released from a bow, closely followed by Bruto and Alamir, each racing towards their targets without a moment''s hesitation. But it was Eckmond who first engaged the enemy, having pretended to be an ordinary skeleton head, rolled close to the Giant Bull Demon. Receiving the command sent by Lancelot through a mental connection, he immediately leaped from the ground and floated in front of the Giant Bull Demon, which was still joyfully twisting its hooves. "Wow! What is this!" The skeleton head cried out in surprise, "A big, dumb bull! And so hideously ugly! What happened to your face, did you accidentally kiss a wolf spider?" "ROAR!!!!" The Giant Bull Demon was instantly enraged and responded to the derogatory remark about its appearance in a straightforward manner: it immediately charged its horns at the annoying skeleton head. Chapter 166 Waiting for an Opportunity But Eckmond was so small that the skull easily dodged the Giant Bull Demon''s charge. In fact, due to his floating nature, even if he had been hit, he would mostly be thrown far away, and wouldn''t suffer much damage as long as he avoided the sharp tips of the antlers, which wasn''t difficult for Eckmond. The situation with the Giant Bull Demon momentarily distracted the Six-Armed Serpent Demon, but in that brief instant, Lancelot had already sped forward with a trailing afterimage, ready to unleash a powerful overhead slash on her unguarded back in the next second. Unfortunately, for safety, their hiding spot behind the little mound was ultimately a bit too far from the battlefield. The Serpent Demon turned around just in time; her four arms crisscrossed, preparing to face this human knight daring to attack her directly.@@@@ However, the tremendous force transmitted from the opponent''s weapon caused her complexion to drastically change. The Serpent Demon''s strength was not outstanding among demons, and this knight, who had suddenly appeared, was even stronger than her previous enemy. Unable to withstand it with her weapon, she could only twist sharply to the left again. The blade of Frostslash landed on the Serpent Demon''s shoulder. The plate armor, already smashed by a hammer, did nothing to hinder the longsword as Lancelot easily cut off the Serpent Demon''s upper right arm, blood spurting from the cut like a vigorously shaken champagne bottle just opened. Find exclusive stories on empire But such a loss was completely within Ashap''s tolerance. That arm had already been disabled in a fight against barbarians, and it actually helped her get rid of an encumbrance. The loss of a limb wasn''t a fatal injury for her, as the demon''s physique could quickly heal the wound. Once the fight was over and she returned to her lair, she had ways to regenerate the lost limbs. Lancelot was also not satisfied with this result, but as an experienced warrior, he knew exactly what to do. As he had done thousands of times before, he took a step forward with his right foot and unleashed a swift horizontal slash with his longsword. The flash of the sword sliced through the air, only stirring the residual afterimage left by the Serpent Demon. The Human Knight had already witnessed the Serpent Demon''s teleportation ability. His spirit perception sensed the magical fluctuations behind him, and his body instinctively rolled forward while flipping the sword back, just evading two longswords swung by the Serpent Demon. "Just a knight trying to save the damsel," shrugged Lancelot, taking small steps towards the demon''s weaker right side, "You couldn''t possibly rely solely on having more arms without ever practicing real swordsmanship, could you?" As he spoke, the human knight''s foot stomped down heavily, and his body charged forward like a crossbow bolt. His longsword transformed into a whirlwind overhead, sweeping towards the Serpent Demon like a storm. The man and the demon clashed again, and blood occasionally burst forth, heavily splattering on the ground and emitting a sizzling corrosive noise. Not far from them, Alamir was also engaging with the seductive demon. Although the elf''s foe had already exhausted all its magic and was critically injured, this was still a terrifying beast nearly ten feet tall and weighing close to 5,000 pounds. If not for the plate armor carefully crafted by Uncle Barrend, Alamir could not have withstood five strikes from this demon. But whenever the Priest seized an opening to hammer the demon''s arm or claw, the beast would let out a ghastly scream. This was due to the Hammer of Dissolution in his hand, a magic weapon endowed with radiant damage¡ªdemons'' bane. The flesh around the struck area would ''flow'' off the demon''s body like melting wax. Knowing its end was near, the seductive demon furiously waved its half-broken pincers, while its opponent held up a shield emblazoned with Shuni''s emblem, standing firm against the fierce attacks. On the other end of the battlefield, Bruto darted about like an eel among several Berserk Demons. His combat style seemed naturally able to counter these monsters whose height was twice his own. The Berserk Demons found it exceedingly difficult to hit this ball-like guy, and once he slipped beneath them, the next second was followed by the cringe-inducing sound of shattered joints. Bruto quickly took down one Berserk Demon but didn''t rush to end its life; instead, he turned to deal with the next one. No demon was interested in helping its seriously injured kin, and the one with its knees and elbows shattered could do nothing but wail and cry in pain. There''s a saying: you might get a wrong name but never a wrong nickname, Bruto Toadkiller Frostforge, the reliable Berserk Demon bane! As for the Giant Bull Demon, Eckmond had already pulled it out of sight, but the group could still hear Eckmond''s voice coming from afar. The Mimir, with a brain filled with an encyclopedia of swear words didn''t stop for a moment, provoking the Giant Bull Demon''s anger in various creative ways. Chapter 167 The Invisible Blade Even demons seldom dared to insult the immense strength and simple-mindedness of a Giant Bull Demon. When they became enraged, even an Abyssal Lord found it difficult to calm such thick-skinned creatures, and most demons were an easy target for the Giant Bull Demon''s aim. Fortunately for Eckmond, the largest part of him was his voice. Thus, although it seemed extremely perilous, the task of the skull-head was not particularly difficult. The only problem was that Eckmond''s creativity was nearly exhausted; several adjectives had been repeated numerous times by the group. Nonetheless, the skull-head had successfully driven the powerful yet stupid demon into a complete frenzy, and no matter how desperately Ashap called to it with psychic signals, the Giant Bull Demon showed no response. Although her opponent had only a longsword, the myriad Sword Shadows overwhelmed her four arms. The Human Knight''s attacks were relentless like waves, and any slight gap in the Serpent Demon''s defense was met by lightning-fast strikes of his longsword, creating gruesome wounds on the Serpent Demon''s body. Your next chapter is on empire Ashap finally realized something unusual about the weapon; the blade was excessively sharp, and it even seemed to contain some kind of chill that suppressed the healing of her wounds. The Human Knight in front of her was more troublesome than she had anticipated. Under normal conditions, when she was in good shape and all her limbs were intact, he might not have been a problem, but now she couldn''t handle him on her own. The Serpent Demon began to defend with all her might while silently calling for help to arrive.@@@@ Many demons of Tanari have the ability to summon their kind. When a call for help is sent out, some random demons in the Multiverse receive the summon and can directly perceive the situation of the caller, deciding whether to answer the call. Although this ability can summon powerful allies, most demons are reluctant to use it unless absolutely necessary because of the rules of the Bottomless Abyss, which mean that the caller owes a ''favor'' to the summoned demon¡ªa debt that must be sufficiently repaid, even if the other party is an enemy. However, the more powerful the demon, the higher the probability that their call for help will be answered. The Serpent Demon, a rare leader among demons and a figure capable of rallying other demons, was not often refused the opportunity to owe a ''favor''. To her surprise, not a single demon responded to her summons¡ªnone at all. Some beings reached out with their spiritual power, but they seemed to see something terrifying and immediately fell silent. Agonizing pain shot through her, and inside, the Serpent Demon cursed Lancelot with the most venomous words, but her plan was still successful. Seizing the moment her wrists were severed, the Demon triggered Teleportation Technique again, leaving behind only two palms still clutching the sword, dropping toward the ground at the speed of freefall. But Lancelot was already very familiar with the fluctuations of Teleportation Magic, and before the severed palms of the Serpent Demon hit the ground, he had already rushed toward an unoccupied direction. In the next instant, the figure of the Serpent Demon appeared in front of him. This kind of demon needed only a simple movement to activate the Teleportation Technique, whose disadvantage was the limited teleportation distance, at most about a hundred feet. In most cases, the Serpent Demon would use this ability to suddenly appear behind her opponent, rarely relying on this short-distance teleportation to escape. But if she used this ability continuously, she could quickly leave the battlefield. The Six-Armed Serpent Demon swiftly looked back to find that although the Human Knight was charging furiously toward her, he was still about thirty feet away, definitely too late to prevent another teleportation. Lancelot suddenly thrust out his Longsword. The Serpent Demon thought the Human Knight intended to make a throwing attack, sneering coldly in her heart, her movements uninterrupted, ready to teleport again. But suddenly a stinging pain in her back stole all her strength. The Serpent Demon struggled to lower her head and saw a huge hole in her chest, as if pierced by a Ballista from the city walls. The spotty blood traces sketched out the shape of the Sword Blade, slowly fading away along with her Life Force. "What is this... Technique?" The Six-Armed Serpent Demon no longer had the chance to understand the answer to that question, as Lancelot, utilizing his Innate True Qi, shattered her heart with his Sword Aura, the life source of the Demons and the greatest vulnerability of the Tanari clan. Chapter 168 Trap ``` As the Serpent Demon breathed its last, Lancelot once again felt a strong surge of Spiritual Power being absorbed by him, just like when he had slain the Specter Demon before. Unlike the ''reward'' given by the Lord of Baro, this Spiritual Power was incredibly pure. The Cauldron Immortal Technique started automatically, quickly transforming the Spiritual Power into True Qi, replenishing his nearly empty Dantian Qi Sea. Lancelot was also surprised by this. He had thought that a High Rank Demon like the Six-Armed Serpent Demon would surely have preserved its essence to prevent accidental death in the Abyss, but now, it seemed that the phenomenon of absorbing Spiritual Power occurred, suggesting that not everyone knew the Dharma Method to conserve essence. "Eckmond, you''re still alive, right?" Lancelot called out through their mental link, "We''ve taken care of things here. How about you?" "Uh, you''re okay, boss?" Eckmond''s voice sounded quite perplexed, "Something strange just happened. That big dumb ox suddenly ignored me and ran off." "Ran off?" Lancelot grew tense upon hearing this, "It didn''t head our way, did it?" "No, no, it went in a different direction," Eckmond hurriedly explained, "Most likely that Serpent Demon had used some sort of control spell on it. That dumb ox was probably playing dumb just now, acting along with me."@@@@ "As long as it didn''t come this way, never mind it then. Come back here first," Lancelot said with a shrug and walked towards the prison cart holding the Succubus. Through the gaps in the cage, one could see the Succubus inside with eyes tightly closed, as if she had fainted, showing no reaction to Lancelot''s approach. The Coward Devils that pulled the cart were all cowering to one side, their eyes filled with fear and despair. The crowd also gathered around, looking at the metal bars thicker than Bruto''s arms and couldn''t help but feel at a loss. Lancelot attempted to cut through with the Sword Aura emitted by his Innate True Qi, but the results were disappointing. The Sword Aura only left shallow marks on the metal''s surface, and he feared that even if he used up all his Innate True Qi, he would at most be able to cut through half of it. He suddenly noticed Bruto looking at him with an odd gaze and couldn''t help but turn his head and ask: "What''s wrong?" "Brother, you really are a monster," the Dwarf sighed, "That''s Mithril, the most expensive and hardest of all metals. And you were able to leave marks on a Mithril object with your bare hands. Honestly, I''m impressed." The collar around the Coward Devil''s neck was not made of mithril. In just a moment, Lancelot had cut through the collar, and as he had expected, a magical light radiated from the demon''s body, indicating the fluctuations of a Transfiguration. When the light dissipated, there stood a Succubus Paladin with black short hair and two horns on her forehead, the very target of their commissioned mission, Elothysia. Seeing the Succubus wrap her huge bat wings tightly around her body, Lancelot promptly pulled out a set of undergarments and armor from his Storage Bag. Then he turned his back politely and signaled to the other flabbergasted companions to do the same. The armor had been taken from the storeroom of the tavern keeper, considering that the Succubus''s gear was most likely not with her, he had grabbed an extra set at that time. Stay connected with empire "All done," a weak voice, slightly hoarse, called out. Lancelot turned around and finally saw the complete figure of the renowned Succubus Paladin, Elothysia. Like most Succubi, Elothysia had a charming face and a perfect figure, but unlike the triviality usually associated with Succubi, she exuded a resolute, inviolable aura that made her all the more memorable. "Thank you for rescuing me," the Succubus bowed to the group. "I am Elothysia, as you must already know. You have my husband''s pendant¡ªmay I ask, is he... still alive?" "Don''t worry, it was your husband who commissioned us through the Fallen Lady to rescue you," Lancelot reassured her, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Lancelot, and these are my companions, and there''s another on his way here..." The group introduced themselves to the Succubus, but Bruto could not help asking: "Lancelot, how did you know that Coward Devil was Elothysia? And what about the one in the cage?" "It was because of the pendant," Lancelot shrugged. "When I turned to look at you just now, the pendant suddenly got hotter, and when I didn''t, it cooled down a bit. As for the one in the cage..." Lancelot drew his Longsword and jabbed it into the cage at the Succubus. The sword went right through the Succubus''s form, and only then did everyone realize it was just an Illusion. "Ashap was convinced no one could open the cage on the spot, so to kidnap me, one would have to take the entire cage away, and thus designed this trap," Elothysia said with disgust as she glanced at the Serpent Demon corpse not far away. "I apologize for my kind''s sense of humor being so cruel." "You needn''t apologize for that; they are not like you," Lancelot shook his head. "We need to leave quickly; this place is not..." His words abruptly stopped, and his face turned grim as he turned his head to the side. The sound of clapping came forth; a merchant-dressed Tiflin was applauding, his form gradually appearing from the void. "Ah, that six-armed Serpent Demon was quite cunning, wasn''t it? I didn''t expect it to be you who would end up with the prize," the Tiflin, also known as Eckmond, had a smile all over his face. "And it''s just perfect that you haven''t signed any contracts with me. This is just great." Chapter 170 Flame Demon VS Demon Refinement Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire Everyone was startled by the Flame Demon summoned by Lancelot, but the Flame Demon didn''t pay them any mind. Clutching the Flame Whip, still bound to the Demon''s body, in its left hand and a Great Sword that gleamed with electrical sparks in its right, it charged directly at the Demon Refinement. Its weapon slashed downward at the enemy''s head. With a thunderous boom, the Flame Demon''s Great Sword collided with the Demon Refinement''s Hardhead Hammer. Flames and electrical arcs shot out in all directions, and the shockwave sent everyone flying backwards. But they all quickly scrambled to their feet; battles like this between top-tier Fiends were not something one saw every day. The Demons'' most proficient ability, flame, was meaningless before the Barlow Demon since the latter was one of the few Demons completely immune to fire. The potent poison in the Demon Refinement''s fangs was equally useless against Tanari. This meant that to defeat the Flame Demon, it had to rely solely on brute physical damage. But this Flame Demon displayed astonishing combat skill. After delivering a strike with its sword, it immediately used a teleportation ability similar to the Serpent Demon''s to appear behind its opponent and thrust its sword into the enemy''s unguarded back. The Demon Refinement couldn''t turn around in time and could only fling its tail to block the Flame Demon''s attack, but the latter seemed to have predicted this move, its Great Sword swinging to sever half of the Demon''s tail with ease. "Ahh!!" The Demon Refinement cried out in agony, desperately flapping its wings to gain distance, but the Flame Demon''s Whip, like a venomous snake, instantly wrapped around its ankle, yanking the Demon backward with force. The Demon Refinement, flying and unable to gain any leverage, was pulled backward through the air. It twisted its body and swung the Nail-headed Hammer violently, trying to surprise its opponent with a sudden assault.@@@@ But the Flame Demon had already vanished from its original spot, with nothing behind the Demon. "Uh-oh." These were the Demon Refinement''s last thoughts before death, as the Flame Demon''s Great Sword then cleaved down upon its head. "How is that possible?" exclaimed the Succubus nearby, "Aren''t you influenced by Tanari''s evil nature, constantly feeling the urge to do evil?" "You must be Elothysia, the Succubus Paladin, it was before her fall that she entrusted me to find out your whereabouts," the man nodded to Elothysia, "When you become powerful enough, you will understand that those urges are in fact the will of the Abyss. A demon''s body is a mold shaped by the Abyss, to twist the soul that it pushes inside. But with a strong will and rational thinking, you can resist Its influence. I know it sounds difficult, but you seem to be managing quite well." "You refer to the Abyssal will as ''It''?" Kalalin grew excited, "Does the Abyss really have a personified consciousness?" "I''m afraid only the old crone Cang Ye knows that, and it''s likely not unrelated to her," said the scarred man, shrugging and turning to Lancelot, "What''s this about a Bazu Demon? How did Demons get involved?" "It had previously masqueraded as a Tiflin merchant, luring many mercenary groups here. Before we intervened, the escort seemed to have suffered several attacks already," Lancelot looked towards the Succubus, "Am I right?" "They had planned to escort me north along the Stygian River, but halfway there, we ran into a Bartez naval force and the Serpent Demon with six arms had no choice but to take a detour," Elothysia glanced nervously at the man with scars, "Since then, mercenaries have been attacking non-stop, every few hours." "Mercenaries?" "Yes," Lancelot nodded, "It''s said that sacrificing her can bring tremendous power, and many Demon Lords have offered large bounties for Elothysia." "A public bounty? That''s impossible; which lesser Lord would dare to openly oppose Yiltu?" Nameless shook his head, "Where did you hear this?" "From the owner of a tavern in Instant Fortress..." Lancelot began, then paused, suddenly realizing that probably the tavern, too, was a part of the Demon''s trickery, as many mercenary groups had been incited by it to attack the escort team transporting Elothysia. "Hmph, another trick of Bazu Demon?" the man, originally a Flame Demon, shook his head, "It''s fortunate that the Disfavored gave you that amulet, or else this group of schemers would have succeeded again. I can understand why she gave the amulet to you, but it should be returned to her as soon as possible. Take me to her, now." Chapter 171 Brother "The disfavored lady is visiting a castle of the Demon Lord," Lancelot said with some hesitation, "I''m not sure if a being as powerful as you would be welcome if you went directly there." "What is this Demon Lord''s attitude toward the disfavored?" the man asked calmly, looking at the other. "Very respectful." "Then I should have no problem." "I need your promise," Lancelot struggled to overcome the fear in his heart and said firmly, "Promise that you will not do anything harmful to that Demon Lord, or to that town." Everyone was astonished by Lancelot''s courage, but the nameless man merely narrowed his eyes, looking at the knight before him and his companions, and then a smile appeared on his face. "I''m someone who doesn''t like trouble unless someone provokes me first," he said with a look that was almost nostalgic as he looked at these comrades who had fought side by side, "Shall we get going then?" "Thank you for your understanding," Lancelot breathed a sigh of relief and took out the amulet bearing the emblem of Twin Bridges Town. But then he remembered something and said somewhat awkwardly to the man, "Wait a moment, just give me a minute." "What''s up?" the scarred man looked at him curiously, the Flame Demon showing far more patience than ordinary demons would. "Collecting the war spoils," Lancelot said with an awkward smile, pulling out the Great Sword Glacier, he swiftly pried the cage from the wagon, and using the dimensional scaling ability of the Dimensional Bag, he stowed the entire metal cage inside. "These are all made of mithril," the dwarf explained, "Great crafting material. Do you need a new weapon or armor?" "I once had a companion like that too," the nameless man pointed to the skeleton skull that Bruto was holding in his arms, the latter being what Lancelot had just handed to him, still unconscious. "They are much more tenacious than they appear, not so easy to die." "I hope so," Bruto sighed, "This fellow just went crazy all of a sudden, charging at that Abyssal Demon Refiner as if it saw an old enemy." By now, Lancelot had packed away the cage made of mithril. As for the weapons that the mercenaries had been carrying, they decayed rapidly with the death of the demon, no longer holding any value for collection. He didn''t plan on searching through each corpse for their wallets either ¡ª who knows what other trouble might come if they stayed any longer. "Everyone grab onto me," he said, holding the amulet Tijana had given him, then everyone extended their hands to grab his arm or belt. Nameless offered no further explanation, and Tijana did not seem intent on questioning further. Instead, she turned to another unfamiliar face and asked: "So you are the target of our rescue mission then?" Although Elothysia was a Holy Warrior, most of her life had been spent as a demon, so she did not show much hostility. Instead, she had been curiously observing Tijana. "That would be me," she nodded with neither humility nor arrogance. "I have long heard of your fame, the Pearl of the Stygian Riverbank, the great Lady Tigana." "All parts of you appear intact, it seems my mercenaries have completed their commission well," Tijana said to the Holy Warrior without particular warmth. "Come with me, the disgraced one anxiously awaits you. Lancelot, you and the others head back first; I will come find you later." "As you command, my lady," Lancelot bowed to Tijana, pretending not to see the joking faces his companions were making. The Succubus Lord gave him a deep look, the smile on her lips betraying her feelings upon seeing the Human Knight. After giving a few instructions to her generals, she led Nameless and Elothysia down a corridor behind the Throne Hall. Moments later, Lancelot and his party also returned to their home at Hagrid Manor. Surprisingly, although it was still early evening, little Isabella was already doing chores. "Ah! Brother Lancelot, are you back?" The vampire looked very weak but sounded exceptionally happy. "Hmm... huh? What did you just call me?" Isabella''s face turned a deep shade of red as she stammered: "Sorry, sorry, Sir, I mean, I..." "That''s just not fair," Bruto grumbled. "You used to call me uncle all the time..." "Who told you to grow such a big beard," said Lancelot with a chuckle. "But the sun hasn''t set yet; why have you come out now?" "Sir Zalovitch said I must learn to adapt to sunlight," Isabella''s voice became even softer. "If... if I want to go on adventures with Brother Lancelot." Chapter 172 Forging Materials "Hmm? You want to join us on an adventure?" Lancelot was taken aback upon hearing this. Although the little vampire had always been receiving combat training, he had only hoped that she would not be instantly killed within the vicinity of Twin Bridges Town and had never actually considered letting little Isha join them on an adventure. "I have been training very hard," the vampire girl said with a firm gaze toward Lancelot. "I''ve learned how to move silently, and how to climb nearly vertical walls. I''ve also learned how to keep my hands steady, whether I''m holding a weapon or disabling some mechanism. Moreover, Sir Zalovitch has taught me a lot about the traits and weaknesses of Abyss creatures and what to pay attention to when exploring various ruins..." "That''s good, but don''t just listen to the stories we tell and think that adventure is fun. It''s really dangerous out there." Lancelot still shook his head. "All of us see you as a dear sister and wouldn''t want you to get hurt." "Brother Lancelot..." Isha bit her lip and lowered her head, "I know what it''s like out there, with terrifying beasts and cruel demons, but I don''t want to be alone at home, waiting without knowing when or if you will return..." Lancelot fell silent, suddenly becoming aware of her pain. When everyone was out adventuring, they had the companionship of their friends, whereas Isha had nothing. Although she was a vampire, she was not even fifteen years old yet and should not have to endure such agony. "But how can you go out with us?" Bruto scratched his head. "I remember Kalalin saying that vampires need to rest in their coffins every once in a while." "That won''t be a problem," Isha hurried to explain. "Just have Sir Lancelot put my wooden box in his Dimensional Bag, and it will be fine. I don''t need to breathe, so I can stay in the Dimensional Bag indefinitely."@@@@ "Is that even possible?" The dwarf opened his mouth in surprise. "Did that Sir Zalovitch tell you this?" "It was... Mr. Kalalin who told me." "She asked me if it was possible for a vampire to become an adventurer." Kalalin spread his hands. "I merely discussed with her the potential problems she might face from an academic standpoint and what solutions there could be." "Please, Sir Lancelot." Isha pleaded, her eyes welling up with tears, making it difficult for Lancelot to refuse such a look. "As for Mithril, this extremely hard metal can enhance the quality of a weapon or armor. It''s only slightly heavier than steel, but nearly twice as hard. Because of those characteristics, the price of Mithril is more than ten times that of ordinary steel products. Considering the environment we''re in, Cold Iron is better for weapons, but Mithril is quite suitable for armor." "That expensive, huh," Lancelot smacked his lips. That meant a set of full body armor made of Mithril would be worth at least fifteen thousand Gold Coins. What was that in terms of weight? Five thousand Gold Coins were roughly a hundred pounds, and fifteen thousand Gold Coins, if all melted down, would be enough to cast several sets of pure gold full body armor. But in the Abyss, gold was truly worthless. Lancelot suddenly realized that the gleaming Berserk Demon guards of Molo he had seen that day might actually be wearing pure gold armor. "So our gains this time..." Lancelot took out the metal cage from the Dimensional Bag on the living room floor, the illusions inside long since vanished. Bruto walked over, grabbed the edges of the cage with both hands, and took a deep breath. One small corner of the cage lifted barely a centimeter off the ground. "This is at least five hundred pounds," Bruto released his hands, and the cage clanged loudly back down to the ground. "Enough for each of us to forge a brand new set of armor." "Let''s start with one for Lancelot," Alamir shrugged his shoulders. "I''m very satisfied with the set I''m wearing now." "I could make a new set to have as a spare," Bruto said, folding his arms. "When this one gets damaged, I can immediately switch out." Lancelot knew the Dwarf wasn''t joking. For humans, damage to armor often meant the death of the wearer, but Bruto''s fighting style involved a lot of rolling and ramming, and damage to his armor was truly not an uncommon event. Luckily, the Dwarf himself was a decent Blacksmith, very skilled in maintaining and repairing equipment. "Dinner''s ready!" the voice of the Halfling came from the kitchen, making everyone jump to their feet and rush to the dining table. Except for Lancelot. He twisted his head with a strange look and stared in a direction where there was nothing at all. Chapter 179 173ç«  Loves Feeling Tijana led two guests and pushed the door into the disfavored lady''s room. This elegant Succubus was reading by the window and looked up when she heard the door open, her eyes meeting those of the man approaching her. "I''ve brought this back to you," the nameless man stood before the disfavored, placing the fiery red amulet around the golden-haired Succubus''s neck, "It should never have left you." "I''m quite safe in Tijana''s castle, and those whom I''ve entrusted need your support more than I do," the golden-haired Succubus said gently, gazing at the man while the other two Succubi in the room clearly understood the implication of her look. The man naturally bowed his head and kissed her red lips lightly, without any regard for others around. "Hmm," Tijana had to clear her throat to make her presence known. "Ah, my apologies!" the disfavored slapped the nameless man on the chest, pushing him back, and he conveniently fell onto the bed nearby. "I''ve brought the person you asked for," Tijana tried to pretend she hadn''t seen anything, but her tone was quite cheerful, "You should take her and leave soon. You know very well this is no place for a Paladin to linger." "Greetings, respected disfavored lady," Elothysia bowed, "I''ve heard so much about you, and never imagined we''d meet under these circumstances. I am deeply grateful for your assistance; it is a huge favor." "We''re all on similar paths; it''s only right to help one another," the disfavored said with a gentle smile, which soon turned serious, "You are aware of your current situation, aren''t you." "Yes," the expression of the Succubus Paladin immediately became somber, "I... I don''t know what to do next." "Over the past couple of days, Tijana and I have discussed your situation," the disfavored glanced at the Succubus Lord beside her, "She mentioned a place, Androlina; we both agree that it might be the most suitable place for you." Upon hearing that name, a look of bewilderment crossed Elothysia''s face, but a spark of hope soon gleamed in her eyes. "Indeed." Elothysia admitted, "I had never paid attention to this side of the Abyss before." Tijana didn''t speak again, and the Succubus Paladin thus quietly stood aside, gazing down at the legendary town from up high. For a species like the Tanari, who possessed infinite lifespans, three hundred years was not a very long time, but it was within these three hundred years that Twin Bridges Town had risen into a force not to be overlooked on the Plains of the Abyss even she¡ªa succubus who spent most of her time on the Prime Material Plane¡ªhad heard about Twin Bridges Town''s massive blacksmith area and thriving trade activities. And its lord, known simultaneously for prowess in battle and beauty. Succubi were not usually built for the battlefield; most often, they would rely on their beauty to solve problems, which was a rarer and more effective ability. What was more difficult to overcome was the psychological gap; when Elothysia decided not to rely on her charm abilities and began to accept the training of a holy warrior, she had never felt so weak. Thus, when she first heard about Tijana''s exploits, she had thought it was just a well-disguised succubus after all. But when she actually met the Succubus Lord, she realized that all the rumors about Tijana had not been exaggerated in the slightest. "What does it truly feel like to fall in love with someone?" The quiet master suddenly spoke softly, her gaze still resting on the sunset, as if merely talking to herself. "It''s pretty confusing at first." Elothysia laughed, "You find yourself constantly thinking about him, seizing any opportunity to meet him; and when you''re together, just ordinary conversation can make you happy; you want to possess him, monopolize him, but you do not want to use your charm to twist his thoughts; you like his current appearance and personality, no longer wishing to see him corrupt or fall." The Succubus Paladin watched the sunset sinking into the earth, her eyes sparkling with bright light. "But what really alarms you is that you find yourself hoping that he is happy." After saying these words, she turned her head to look at Tijana, only to find her still gazing confusedly into the void, apparently not listening to her at all. So, Elothysia fell silent again, feeling the hot breeze of the Plains of the Abyss caressing their huge wings and black hair until the distant red sun completely disappeared below the horizon. "It''s time to go." The voice of the Succubus Lord rose again, turning to walk back the way they had come. When Elothysia realized and quickly followed, all she saw was a calm and proud silhouette. Chapter 174 Wind Demon King Tijana had sent the Succubus Paladin to a room arranged for her in advance, where a Dwarven artisan was already waiting to discuss with Elothysia her preferred armor style and weapon choices. Elothysia had accepted help from a Demon Lord with mixed feelings, although it was only a small effort for Tijana. The Queen of the Succubus then returned to her Throne Hall. Her Serpent Demon Generals had already left, and only a few deputies remained, monitoring the scenes in the Detection Crystal. She glanced at the sand table to confirm that there was nothing that needed her immediate attention. Almost subconsciously, Tijana cast Teleportation Magic. She regretted it the moment the spell was completed, but the magic had already taken effect, and the succubus''s figure disappeared from the spot. "Good evening, my lady." She was standing again in the dining room of Hagrid Manor, in front of that Human Knight, wearing the familiar smile. Looking at that smiling face, Tijana felt an inexplicable surge of anger inside her. You find you''re often thinking of him, wanting to meet him whenever there''s a chance. The words of the Paladin rang in her mind once again, being the source of her current irritation. Lancelot was taken aback by the expression of the Succubus Lord, quickly hid his smile, half-opened his mouth and asked. "Is something wrong? Is there anything I can do for you?" "Ah! Sister Tijana!" The delighted voice of little Isha came from the kitchen, her hands carrying a plate of fragrant grilled fish. "Are you here to join us for dinner? Please, take a seat!" "Would we have that honor?" The deep and gentle voice of Lancelot, combined with the aroma of the food, made Tijana temporarily forget the reason for her anger. When she came to her senses again, she found herself already seated at the head of the dining table, in the chair specially reserved for her. Damn, it was the second time today that she had been lost in thought! What was happening to her... Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire Lancelot suddenly found the food on the table less appetizing. The Lady in question was also a succubus, and what level was her unnamed might? At least it was of the Nascent Soul Stage... "What a fascinating story." Tijana picked up a napkin and wiped her mouth, suddenly realizing she might be showing too much interest. "By the way, when you first arrived, you looked very serious. Is there something troubling you?" Seeing that Tijana seemed to be in a much better mood, Lancelot cautiously brought up the question. Upon hearing Lancelot''s words, the Succubus Lord set down her cutlery and turned her head to stare directly at Lancelot. Her gaze was neither appreciative nor hostile, but decidedly strange, making the Human Knight feel uneasy. "The matter with Elothysia isn''t over yet." Tijana finally shifted her gaze, picked up a cup of wine and took a sip, "You need to send her to the 471st level of the Abyss, Androlina, quickly." "Ah?" Lancelot looked puzzled, "Isn''t the Lady taking her with her?" "She returned to the Abyss in the form of a rebirth." Tijana glanced at the Human Knight, "For the next 99 years, the Succubus Paladins will be trapped in this plane, unable to leave." "Then why not let her stay in Twin Bridges Town?" Alamir asked somewhat disappointingly, believing that, given enough time, he could make Elothysia a follower of the fiery lady. "Because it''s not safe for her here either." Tijana glanced at Kalalin, "You are a member of the Dark Cult, explain it to everyone." "The Plains of the Abyss have another name, called Pazunia." The scholar had been in a strange silence since hearing the name Androlina, only coming out of his reverie when Tijana summoned him, "Perhaps there is no supreme Lord on the ground of this layer, but its skies are ruled by the Wind Demon King, Pazuzu." "We''ve heard this name mentioned by that demon before, and you''ve also introduced me to this Abyssal Lord before," Lancelot curiously looked at the scholar, "But isn''t he disinterested in the affairs of the ground, hence having no enemies among the Abyssal Lords?" "Not entirely without, it''s said that Lord Wu''an and the Wind Demon King don''t get along well." Kalalin revealed a nerd-like smile, "Mostly because of the Queen of the Succubus, Mekanshut. It''s well known that Grazzt''s pursuit of Mekanshut failed, and the romantic relationship between the Wind Demon King and the Queen of the Succubus is an open secret." "The entire Abyss is in the dark about that but that baboon." Tijana added gloomily. Chapter 175 Important Person "But his conflict with Grazzt was limited to verbal exchanges only," Kalalin continued, "The greatest reason the Abyssal Lords do not consider him a rival is because the Wind Demon King has not demonstrated any ambition to expand his territory. Engaging in conflict with him yields no tangible benefits, yet it would expose their backs to far more dangerous opponents." "How does this relate to Elothysia not being able to stay in Twin Bridges Town?" The dwarf crossed his arms with an air of unconcern, "Since this Pazuzu fancies the sky, just let him stay up there." "Let me remind you first, do not casually utter that name; repeating it three times will allow the Wind Demon King to hear your call," the Scholar said to the dwarf with a grave expression, "This ancient Lord of Obyrith seeks something more... pure. He delights in corrupting innocence, purity, and righteousness into suffering, cruelty, and wickedness, and these virtues'' representatives¡ªthe Holy Warriors¡ªare the Wind Demon King''s favorite prey." "And I also dislike having a Holy Warrior loitering around my town, even if she is a Succubus," added Tijana, casting a glance at Kalalin, "What else do you know about Androlina?" "The 471st layer of the Abyss, the domain of Cang Ye, the Mother of Demons," answered Kalalin cautiously, "It is said to be the only bastion of goodness and hope in the Abyss."@@@@ "What?" This time it was Bruto who was thoroughly surprised, "What do you mean? Is that Mother of Demons actually a good person?" "No, no, no, it''s not like that at all..." Kalalin''s head shook like a wind chime, "Cang Ye is one of the most ancient Obyrith Demons, a senior even among the Obyrith. She also is the mother of several powerful Tanari Lords, including Lord Wu''an ''Grazzt,'' ''Baron Sloth'' Lupercio, ''Lord of Shackles'' Ukariik, and so on¡ªall significant figures in the Abyss. Some even more audacious theories suggest that, to a certain extent, the entire race of Tanari might be her descendants." "Given that, why does her domain have a bastion of goodness and hope?" This time it was Alamir who spoke up curiously, clearly very interested in the matter. "Do you remember the history of the Abyss I told you about?" Kalalin looked expectantly at everyone like a teacher presenting a question, "About how the Tanari overthrew the dominion of the Obyrith demon race and became the mainstream among demons?" Tijana gestured with her knife and fork, and Magic Power flowed along her utensils, turning a corner of the tablecloth into a map. "You will travel approximately eight hundred miles through wilderness, and if you''re lucky enough to survive, you will encounter the Stygian River again. Only this time, the water of that section of the Stygian River is red, resembling fresh blood. Continue along this Blood River and you will find Skeleton Tower Kai-Oine, a giant tower that stretches from the depths of the Great Abyss all the way to the surface." "What does this Kai-Oine look like?" Lancelot asked seriously, "And why do we need to go there?" "As the name suggests, Kai-Oine looks like a huge spine. Trust me, you won''t miss it," replied Tijana with a malicious grin, "At the base of the Skeleton Tower, twenty miles deep, is a neutral city called Mogrondale. The structure of the Great Abyss is always shifting, and only there can you get the latest map. Otherwise, you may never find the Portal to Androlina." "I see," Lancelot nodded, "And after we complete the mission, we return the same way?" "Use the Amulet I gave you, its Magic Power can be restored every thirty days. But by then, you''ll probably think it''s much better there and won''t want to come back," Tijana said sarcastically, as if she was certain the Human Knight would never return. "I will definitely come back," Lancelot said, looking into the eyes of the Succubus Lord, earnestly, "There are important people to me here." "Oh? Like who?" Tijana asked nonchalantly, yet her eyes were full of anticipation. "Like Bruto''s old man, Baron..." Lancelot didn''t finish his sentence before Tijana knocked him to the ground with a headbutt. As if that wasn''t enough to vent her frustration, the Succubus Lord stepped on him a few times. Chapter 176 Cromwell "Owww..." This, of course, wasn''t any fatal attack, but Lancelot still very cooperatively let out a scream. After beating up the Human Knight, Tijana seemed to be in a much better mood. She pulled out a heavy bag and tossed it carelessly, pressing the struggling Lancelot, who was trying to get up, back down to the ground. "This is your reward," Tijana explained to the others, "Rest well. In no more than five days, you''ll need to depart again." Having said that, she waved her hand, and the glow of Teleportation Magic lit up, causing the figure of the Succubus Lord to disappear from the dining room of Hagrid Manor. And from Lancelot''s angle, he could just make out Tijana''s upturned lips. "Big brother, are you alright?" Bruto poked his head out, looking down at Lancelot, who lay on the ground with a silly grin on his face. "What''s gotten into him?" the Dwarf cast a plea for help to his friends, "Did he damage his brain?" No one answered him; even little Isah looked at him with the expression one reserves for a fool. Lancelot himself rolled up from the ground in one swift motion, dumping the entire bag of gemstones on the table with a clatter and proudly proclaimed, "Come on, bros, time to split the money!" "Wow!" The Dwarf''s eyes shone brightly, "Emeralds, opals, starlight rubies, all the good stuff!" Lancelot''s attention, however, was first drawn to the mountain crystals mixed in among them, which were equivalent to Upper Grade Spirit Stones. There were easily fifty or sixty pieces, and although not highly valuable, they made up half the quantity, clearly a collection Tijana had specifically gathered for him. "Not more, not less, exactly fifty thousand," Bruto swiftly sorted and appraised the gemstones like a whirlwind, "That''s without counting those Earth Crystals." "What do you mean ''escape back''?" Lancelot replied discontentedly, "Why couldn''t we have defeated that creature?" "If there were eight of you there at that time, maybe it would''ve been possible," the skull, full of cracks, quipped, "Let me guess, you used the Amulet given by the disfavored, right?" "Did I have any other choice?" The Human Knight spread his hands and briefly recounted what had happened afterward. "Ah, a duel between a Flame Demon and a Demon Refiner, how could I miss such a scene?" lamented the skull, "The moment I saw that Demon Refiner, my mind exploded, and I had no other thought but to beat that creature up..." "Don''t be so impulsive next time," Kalalin consoled, "Otherwise, you could have seen your enemy getting cleaved in two." Afterwards, they talked about other things. As night fell, Koula, Alamir, and the skull (everyone was still a bit unaccustomed to calling it Cromwell) all went to rest; little Ysa turned into a small bat and flew to Tijana''s castle to continue her training; and Bruto headed off to the Blacksmith''s district, where, with the story of this adventure, he was going to have more ale than he could drink tonight. Lancelot, however, was seated cross-legged on his bed, checking the condition of his body. Since he had not fully recovered, he was unsure whether he had reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement Realm. But this adventure first yielded the Essence of Flames, gifted by the ''Lord of Baro'', Kaldu, and then he absorbed the Spiritual Energy of a six-armed Serpent Demon. Added to the inadvertent improvement during the fierce battle, Lancelot had an intuition that the opportunity for Foundation Establishment might arrive soon. He had saved up one hundred Upper Grade Spirit Stones required for Foundation Establishment, about two-thirds of which were acquired with Tijana''s help, a debt of gratitude that was significantly heavy. Lancelot silently vowed in his heart to repay the Succubus Lord''s kindness a hundredfold in the future. But Foundation Establishment was not something to be rushed. The wisdom of Spiritual Cultivation left in the small bamboo slip by Han Tianzun made it clear that, cultivators before Foundation Establishment had insufficient clarity in their perception of heaven and earth and of themselves, making it difficult to judge the success rate of their breakthrough. Thus, it was crucial to prepare thoroughly, to attack this first major barrier in the path of Spiritual Cultivation in the best possible state. The Human Knight pushed aside these chaotic thoughts, calming his mind slowly, and began his daily routine of seated Meditation and Qi Cultivation. Chapter 177 Prophecy Magic Meanwhile, at the battlefield where Elothysia had been rescued today, a portal composed of flames appeared out of nowhere, and a grayish-blue Quasimodo Demon crawled out of it. The sight of bodies strewn all over the ground filled this small demon with fear. Many large ones had died, some of whom it recognized, and others it did not. But it had no choice but to carry out its master''s order. Circling the site from a distance several times, the Quasimodo Demon''s eyes suddenly lit up because it had found something sufficient to report back. It was a massive skeleton, with a thick, long tail for its lower body and a humanoid upper body with many arms, the corpse of the six-armed Serpent Demon, Ashap. The Quasimodo Demon grabbed the skull of the Serpent Demon and promptly scurried back through the portal, returning to a place filled with flames and smoke. "You''re back so soon? What did you find?"@@@@ The inquirer was a Barlow Flame Demon, sitting on a throne formed from solidified magma, with a river of lava flowing from an active volcano behind it. "They''re all... all dead..." Fear suddenly surged in the heart of the Quasimodo Demon; its Flame Demon master probably would not like the news it brought back. "What!!" The Flame Demon roared, jumping up from its throne, its hand wielding a Flame Whip, which it used to pull the Quasimodo Demon close and gripped it tightly. "I brought back General Ashap''s skull!" the Quasimodo Demon cried out, its body exuding a foul-smelling fluid due to terror, "You can use magic to find out who killed her!" "Oh, that''s not bad," the Flame Demon nodded, taking the skull of the Serpent Demon. The Quasimodo Demon''s face showed a slightly relieved expression, but the Flame Demon suddenly flung it directly into the lava behind. "You shouldn''t have dirtied my hand," the Flame Demon let out a string of malicious laughter, dipping its hand into the lava as well. Then, using its sensory ability, it sent a summon to a much more important servant. "So this is the Knight who killed Ashap? He doesn''t look so impressive." "It seems the Serpent Demon is injured," the Demon Lord hinted, doing well to mask his disdain. "Is it?" the Flame Demon leaned in closer, "What happened to her arm? And why is she fighting alone, where did that stupid ox run off to?" The Serpent Demon slightly turned its head just in time to see a spinning hammer knocking down an Enchantment Demon. "Damn it! I will chop off this human''s fingers one by one and use his own fingers to burst his eyeballs!" the Flame Demon cursed malevolently, all the while lashing the projected image on the rock wall with a Flame Whip, as if he could strike the Human Knight directly through it. The rocks, formed by cooled lava, couldn''t withstand such abuse and soon crumbled, preventing the two demons present from noticing the details of the Serpent Demon''s final moments¡ªonly seeing the Serpent demon being stabbed in the back, directly piercing its vulnerable heart. "Hurry up and tell me where this human, who should be killed ten thousand times and revived by magic ten thousand and one times, is now?" Of course, there was no third person present to answer the Flame Demon''s question. The pig-faced Demon immediately cast another Spell, and the light within the Serpent Demon''s skull changed, but only projected a murky gray image that showed nothing. "Stupid pig! Your trick has failed!" the enraged Flame Demon roared, and even the lava behind him seemed to sense his fury, bubbling up massively. "No! My magic has not failed!" the Demon Lord shrieked, his voice like that of a fattened pig awaiting slaughter, "This just means he is currently in an area undetectable by prophecy magic, but I have other ways to find him!" Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire "Then do it quickly!" the Flame Demon lashed out fiercely with his Flame Whip, striking the Demon Lord hard. Such an attack was far from enough to kill a High Rank Demon like the Demon Lord, and the flames did not deal much damage either, but the humiliation was not so easily ignored. The Flame Demon knew, Flame Demons do not care. Chapter 178 Assassin Carefully concealing his resentful gaze, the soul-judging demon cast another spell, and the glow within the serpent demon''s skull began to change. A gigantic White Bone Tower appeared on the rock wall projection, its base nestled deep within a massive ravine on the ground. "What does this mean?" the Flame Demon asked suspiciously, staring at the iconic structure. "Isn''t that Kai-Oine?" "The spell reveals where the fellow who killed her intends to go next," the soul-judging demon patiently explained. "Kai-Oine is merely a landmark; their true destination is likely Mogrondale City, at the base of the Skeleton Tower.@@@@ It''s well known that the power of the Great Abyss prevents mighty demons like you from entering; I suppose that human has considered this and plans to hide there with Elothysia to evade your vengeance." "That wench is still in the Abyss?" The Flame Demon was confused. "She didn''t immediately flee?" "She returned to this plane through resurrection," the soul-judging demon thought it would never be surprised again by the Flame Demon''s stupidity. "Within 99 years, she''ll be trapped in the Abyss and unable to leave. Perhaps you could send a minion, a capable assassin, to bring back the soul of that human and the essence of the succubus..." "So that''s possible." The Flame Demon''s face took on a thoughtful expression as he began to summon another name in his mind. Soon, with the sound of heavy footsteps, a human clad in black armor entered the Throne Hall located at the mouth of a volcano, where the Flame Demon resided. The enormous helmet completely covered his face, and the black iron armor enveloped every inch of his skin, leaving not even a sliver of a gap. Upon closer inspection, one would notice that all the movable parts meant for disassembly on the armor were welded shut. It was less about providing absolute protection and more like a cage for the wearer. The soul judging demon watched the newcomer uneasily, someone who made it uncomfortable. This was a Dark Guardian, or rather, a Fallen Paladin. If one were to count which mortal profession has killed the most demons, Holy Warriors would undoubtedly be at the top of the list. Inspired individuals abandoned secular identities and positions without a second thought, willingly standing at the forefront of the grand war between good and evil in the Multiverse, tirelessly seeking traces of evil to utterly eradicate and never retiring from this calling unless through grievous injury or death. "I haven''t given you permission to leave!" the Flame Demon shouted angrily, flicking his whip and pulling the human back. "Is there anything else?" Despite being bound by the whip, the Dark Guardian remained unflustered, merely asking in a calm voice. "Take this." The Flame Demon took out a deep purple amulet from a small pouch at his waist and threw it to the Dark Guardian. The moment he saw the amulet, the eyes of the judge of souls flickered subtly. It was an item crafted by the night witches of the Grey Wastelands, made of Soul Crystal and Abyssal Metal, known as the Soul Snatching Stone. Besides being able to capture the souls of mortals, the greatest function of this item was to absorb the essence of demons, turning the trapped demons into complete slaves of the holder. "Bring that wretch Elothysia back to me with this," the Flame Demon said with a vicious smile on his face, "I want to forever relish in the pleasure of tormenting a Holy Warrior, so don''t let her die by someone else''s hands..." The Dark Guardian named Enrique stood still for a moment, and then pocketed the item before saying, "May I leave now?" "Go forth, my hero, hahahahaha..." The Flame Demon let out a grating laugh, winging back to his Lava Throne, beginning to fantasize about the numerous pleasures he could derive from having the essence of the Succubus in his grasp. The Dark Guardian left in silence, while the judging demon quietly flew out as well. No sooner had it left the sight of the Flame Demon than it changed direction, going after the human who had just departed. While it disliked Enrique, the Soul Snatching Stone was a critical element in the plan, so it had to have a talk with the Dark Guardian. Chapter 180 Instinct Elves are naturally endowed with keen senses and have excellent dark vision; under normal circumstances, this would not be an ideal choice. But at this moment, Alamir''s attention was fully captured by the human and the dwarf. He watched their every move with concentration, imagining how he would respond if he were in their shoes. Unlike the solemnly dressed bishops young Isabella had known, who seemed amiable, this elf completely overturned her impression of the clergy, starting with that exquisite yet sturdy full body armor. Of course, one could not blame her, for a girl who has lived her life in the court had little chance to interact with adventurers, let alone become a priest who adventures. But in reality, Shuni''s priest was still pretty good; if it were the church of Heim or Losanda, who see upholding justice and combating evil as their divine office, people would be unable to distinguish them from ordinary warriors until they performed divine arts. Having chosen her target, young Isabella started cautiously moving closer to the elf. The dim lighting around provided good cover, and with the skills she had learned, she masked her breath, movements, and noise, like just a shadow shifting with the clouds. When she was less than fifteen feet from Alamir, she stopped again, waiting for the right moment. Lancelot, who had already sensed her with Spirit Perception, could not help but silently praise her. Being able to stealth to this distance without alerting others was quite an achievement. The human knight decided to go easy on her. He quickened the movements in his hands, performing several flashy sword techniques, and little Isabella took advantage of the opportunity Lancelot had intentionally created for her. She swiftly and silently moved behind Alamir, her eyes darting around before inserting the wooden short sword into the elf''s boot, then silently retreated back. Tijana, who had been watching the entire process, could not help but laugh out loud, attracting everyone''s curious glances. "I don''t see anything funny about that," Bruto protested discontentedly, "This guy has been trained as a warrior since he was a child, and I spent most of my life by the forge." "You have the nerve to say such things?" Barrend scolded his son while casting an uneasy glance at the Succubus Lord, "Most of the time, you were on the streets of Rivet Fort, running away from your mother''s pursuit. You''ve spent more time there than by the forge by far!" "It''s none of your business," Tijana said with a wave of her hand, while pointing towards where the vampires stood, "Little Isabella has arrived. She''s the main character tonight, isn''t she?" Little Isabella didn''t attempt to block the attack at all. Instead, she stepped left, slightly crouched down, and easily dodged the sword. But Lancelot wasn''t planning to let the little vampire off that easily. His wooden sword quickly followed with a horizontal slash aimed directly at her waist, three times faster than before. The girl chose to dodge again, deeply squatting almost to the ground, elegantly straddling with her right foot, and slipping past Lancelot''s attack once more. "Good!" Lancelot couldn''t help but praise Little Isabella''s evasive moves, but his hands didn''t stop there. The wooden sword swiftly folded back and struck at twice the speed, targeting the little vampire''s chest¡ªthis was Lancelot''s signature triple combo''s last strike. Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire "Don''t!" Kalalin, who had been intently watching the duel, suddenly cried out anxiously. Though Lancelot didn''t understand what Scholar meant, he immediately stopped his motion. At this moment, Little Isabella burst forth with astonishing speed. She crouched down again, her short sword parried Lancelot''s thrust, while her left short sword stabbed upward, almost at the same time Lancelot stopped, reaching right under his arm. "Are you alright?" Lancelot looked at the little girl with concern. She was in an odd state, gasping for breath, and the red glow in her eyes was gradually fading. "I... I don''t know." Like someone awakened from a trance, Isabella quickly retracted. "My mind was blank just now. I''ve practiced that move, but I''ve never done it so fast..." "A wooden stake through the heart is a fatal attack for vampires, and you just happen to have a wooden sword in your hand." Kalalin explained from the side, "You scared her." "So that was actually an instinctive reaction when facing the threat of death," Lancelot nodded, "I''ve had that experience too, more than once saved by the body''s instinctive response. Let''s continue now, see if we can trigger that state again." Little Isabella didn''t quite grasp Lancelot''s meaning but nodded anyway, once more assuming a fighting stance.@@@@ Chapter 181 Test 3? Lancelot raised the wooden longsword above his head and charged again at the young vampire. He was still significantly holding back his strength, but the speed of his weapon swings increased, quickly covering the vampire girl in a myriad of sword shadows. Yet, little Isha was still holding on with astonishing agility, trying to dodge with minimal movements and occasionally using her dagger to deflect Lancelot''s attacks. Whenever it seemed she could barely keep up, Lancelort would thrust swiftly like lightning, aiming directly at her heart, prompting the girl to speed up even further. Soon, Lancelot noticed something different. Isha''s movements in both her hands were incredibly coordinated, and regardless of the angle from which he attacked, she managed to respond adeptly. He intentionally altered his moves, swinging a diagonal slash from the left followed by an identical attack from the right, all the while maintaining a peculiar rhythm, making Isha''s hands almost instinctively mimic the other''s movements. Before long, the audience also picked up on the vampire girl''s remarkable ability, and Tijana flashed a proud smile. "Ambidextrous," Alamir explained to Kalalin, "This kid has the makings of a warrior." Gradually, Isha''s stamina and speed truly reached their limits, and Lancelot gracefully ended the peculiar contest with a gentle retraction of his weapon. The girl was as soaked as if she had just been pulled from water, the red light in her eyes brightly piercing. Although the battle seemed over, she still maintained a defensive stance, ready to react to any attack from any angle. "You performed beyond my expectations," Lancelot nodded, "Well done, you passed." The words of the Human Knight seemed to carry a certain magic power, the red light in Isha''s eyes abruptly faded, and a smile appeared on her face. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly collapsed. A pair of slender arms steadily caught her, and Tijana, with a flap of her wings, gently carried the exhausted little vampire to one side. "Uh, seems like I went a bit too far," Lancelot scratched his head, "Should I not have continuously stimulated her instincts?" "No, you did nothing wrong. This kind of mortal threat truly brings out her potential; this one fight is worth half a year of training," Tijana held Isha''s hand, channeling a flow of negative energy that was harmful to mortals but healing for vampires into the girl''s body, causing her to slowly open her eyes. "You''ve been blessed by Lady Shuni," the Priest declared to him. Lancelot shrugged his shoulders. The result of the recent duel made him realize the gap between him and the Succubus Lord, so he temporarily ignored the point the Elves had made. "Brother Lancelot, I''m ready to take the next test!" Little Esha''s face still bore a strange flush, but her eyes shone with confidence. "There was supposed to be a third test, but I think your performance has already qualified," Lancelot said, smiling as he patted the little girl''s head. "From now on, we are adventure partners." "Yay!" Little Esha hugged Lancelot''s neck excitedly and gave him a big kiss. This surprising action startled everyone, including Little Esha herself. She immediately shrank back shyly, but still said very seriously: "I will perform well! Captain!" "Haha, I have confidence in you," Lancelot said as he ruffled Little Esha''s hair again. "From now on, you''ll handle the night watches, okay?" Find more to read on My Virtual Library Empire "Mm-hmm!" The young Vampire girl nodded vigorously, then her face showed curiosity, "So... what was the original third test?" "Well..." Lancelot glanced at the Dwarf, who was struggling to climb out of a hole in the ground. "Many fellows don''t want their dens disturbed, so they set up various kinds of traps, and disarming these traps requires keen observation and nimble hands..." "No problem there!" Little Esha patted her flat chest. "I''ve been specially trained in that area! I know how to disarm common tripwires, pressure plates, and even magic traps!" "Right, so the third test was actually having Bruto put on a full set of armor, blindfolded, and then entering a room full of traps," Lancelot explained, spreading his hands. "Your job was to ensure he didn''t trigger any traps. Of course, those would have been simulated traps, not really injuring the guy..." "Ooh, that sounds like fun," Bruto said, looking forward to Lancelot. "Where is that room?" "Kalalin successfully convinced me to abandon that idea," Lancelot said, smiling at the Scholar. "He said, don''t you know our Dwarf friend here? Even the God of Thieves couldn''t manage that feat." Chapter 182 The Journey to Androlina The companions returned to the house in Hagrid Manor amid joyful laughter, after which Lancelot handed over the mithral cage to Barrend. The old dwarf''s eyes widened at the sight of the ''luxurious'' cage, and when Lancelot told him he hoped to use the mithral to craft a set of full body armor for himself, the dwarf blacksmith''s expression became as excited as if he had found a dragon''s treasure. In addition, Lancelot also ordered a set of mithral chainmail and a pair of cold iron shortswords for Little Isha. He originally considered a mithral breastplate, which would offer the same level of protection but be one third lighter, but due to Isha''s vampire constitution, any contact with silver would cause her a burning pain. Thus, he had to settle for the slightly less protective chainmail. Of course, it was Lancelot who was footing the bill for these items, and he didn''t mind that at all. Beyond the feeling of satisfaction, ordinary money held little meaning for him, and now that he had amassed enough spirit stones, these could be considered a ''graduation'' gift from a brother to his sister. Speaking of spirit stones, Lancelot knew he had to mention his Foundation Establishment preparations. He was aware that such matters could not be hastened and was thankful for Tijana''s assistance. Without her help, gathering such a large number of upper grade spirit stones would have been a tremendous endeavor.@@@@ Thus, he had to be utterly confident before making an attempt to break through to the next realm, to ensure success on his first try. After achieving Foundation Establishment, his strength would undoubtedly greatly improve. Then he could seek Tijana out and spar with her... In the quiet of the night, harboring such thoughts, Lancelot started his daily meditation and qi cultivation exercises. The path of spiritual cultivation is like accumulating sand to form a tower, where perseverance pays off and not a single day should be taken lightly. --------------------------- Seven days later. Tijana flew alone high above Twin Bridges Town, watching Lancelot wave at her incessantly from below until he finally disappeared under the distant horizon. "I think so," nodded the beautiful Holy Warrior. "But I feel she has reservations, just like you do." "I don''t have any reservations..." Lancelot tried to sound firm, but his tone betrayed his unease. "How could you not? We are succubi, capable of arousing the most primal desires in mortals and experts at toying with emotions. To have no reservations at all would be foolish," Elothysia shook her head, "But what her true feelings towards you are, I believe you are well aware." Lancelot did not reply, riding forward silently, but in his heart, he already knew the answer. Three days later, the group caught sight of the walls of Volcano Fortress. Built within the mountain, the fortress drew its energy from searing magma. Watchtowers and battlements protruded from the ridges, surveilling any potential invader. This was one of the front-line fortresses in the Blood War, commanded by Visuvius, the Flame Demon General, who was loyal to Lord Wu''an, Grazzt. At the trade fair in Twin Bridges Town, Lancelot had met Prince Kailon who represented the Volcano Fortress, a demon with dark skin and six fingers. He''d left a good impression on the human knight and even offered Lancelot an invitation for employment. The group was soon stopped by a demon patrol nearby. Since they were flying the flag of Oasis Fort, the demons didn''t attack them outright. After examining a token given by Tijana (along with a Cold Iron Longsword as a ''gift'' for the patrol captain), the demons gestured them through. But they were not here to accept the employment invitation today. Instead, they turned southwest and entered the Desolate Wilderness. Unlike the region around Twin Bridges Town, the land here was deep red, as if it had been soaked in blood. Considering the endless battles between demons and devils throughout countless centuries, this description might well be the truth. Alamir''s Divine Arts played a substantial role in their journey. Although their Dimensional Bags were loaded with supplies, the priest''s Third Circle Divine Art ''Create Food and Water'' could produce enough sustenance to last them two days¡ªalthough the taste was not ideal, they had Koula with them. Lancelot was convinced that even a piece of bark would be exquisite under Koula''s touch; the Halfling chef himself claimed that this was the power of alchemy. The most delighted about this adventure was a vampire dwelling in Lancelot''s Dimensional Bag. She had now become able to tolerate the glow of the sunset. In the evenings, little Isa would eagerly crawl out of the pocket at Lancelot''s waist, transform into a tiny bat, and hang on the pauldron of the human knight, gazing curiously at the desolate yet magnificent landscape of the Plains of the Abyss. Chapter 183 Strange Patrol Team Every night after setting up camp, Lancelot would spend an hour mentoring young Isa, hoping to quickly enhance her combat abilities. It had to be said that the vampire girl''s talent was unbelievably exceptional; she grasped many concepts at once, and Lancelot rarely needed to instruct her, most of the time only needing to act as a powerful opponent. However, so far, Isa had not yet experienced real combat. With Lancelot''s Spirit Perception scouting, their nightly camping locations were carefully chosen to be essentially safe from any danger. The few attacks they had encountered occurred during the day when the group, under the command of the Human Knight, avoided large troops of bloodthirsty armies, but occasionally they were ambushed by Low Level Demons with intelligence not much higher than wild beasts. In this wilderness far from Tanari''s iron fortresses of the Lords, there still remained some Low Rank Obyrith Demons. Tanari Demons generally had humanoid forms, while Low Rank Obyrith Demons couldn''t even be called creatures. Take, for example, the Abyss Fiends they had killed most on their journey¡ªa kind of demon that from a distance resembled a shrub, but up close was revealed to be a fleshy orb with a mouth that split its body in two, with eyes and claws randomly distributed across its other parts. Their appearance was the very embodiment of madness and chaos. Everyone who saw an Obyrith Demon for the first time felt a strong assault on their sanity. Fortunately, the team included Priests and Holy Warriors, whose abilities helped everyone resist such shocks and avoid falling into madness simply from the sight of an Obyrith. Luckily, aside from their frightening appearances, these monsters were not very powerful. Whether it was Bruto''s hammer or Alamir''s Holy Fire Technique, they could easily dispose of the creatures, and both were especially eager to eradicate these nauseating monsters. Lancelot had to admit, when they turned into lumps of flesh or were burned to ashes, these Obyrith Demons were indeed a lot more pleasant to look at. Discover hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire The frequent detours to avoid the armies of bloodthirsty warriors cost them quite some time. It was only after ten days into the wilderness that the group finally encountered a red tributary of the Stygian River. This was twice the time they had originally anticipated, but it was obviously worth it. "This tributary of the Stygian River is known as the Blood River. It branches off to the north at a place called the Plaguehorn, while the main river continues westward towards another plane known as the Red Prison Castery; this tributary here flows south, eventually pouring into the Great Abyss," Kalalin explained to the group. As a scholar of the Black Cult, his knowledge of the geography of the first layer of the Abyss was deeply ingrained, even though this was his first personal visit to these lands.@@@@ "We''re going to Mogrondale City, that''s how you say it, right?" Bruto answered nonchalantly, completely unaware of any anomaly. "Ah! Mogrondale, it truly is a great place, with delicious food, soft cushions, and hospitable citizens." "Yes, yes, a really great place!" "You don''t even feel like leaving once you''re there!" These responses were not problematic in themselves, but it was strange to hear them coming from the mouths of these Demons. Everyone sensed something was off, as Mogrondale, though a neutral city, seemed to have guards that were overly enthusiastic. With a soft jingle, Frostslash appeared in Lancelot''s hand. The Human Knight dismounted from his warhorse, positioning himself at the forefront of the team. "Don''t come any closer," Lancelot commanded, his Longsword pointing towards the group of Demons. With his gesture, everyone else also became alert, drawing their weapons and preparing for battle. "Oh dear, you really don''t need to guard against us!" The rat-faced Demons revealed smiles that should not exist on their faces, "Let us tell you where to find the best bars and restaurants in Mogrondale City!" "Cut it out," Lancelot swung his sword again, halting the Demons from coming closer, "Who exactly are you guys?" A look of innocence and confusion appeared on the faces of the Demons¡ªemotions that should never manifest on such beings. "Have we been exposed?" the leading Demon turned to its companions, and the rest of the Demons shrugged, a very clear sign. "Then we''ll just have to go straight to..." The Demon turned back, but its declaration of flipping the script was left unfinished. The Human Knight''s Longsword pierced out like a lightning bolt, simultaneously silencing the rest of its sentence and its throat. Lancelot was not one of those old-fashioned knights¡ªif a battle was certain, he would not be the one standing still waiting for the opponent to make the first move. Chapter 184 Intelligence The Margon demon clutched its neck, slumping to the ground. As its life force dissipated, its body gradually took the shape of a humanoid creature with grey-blue skin that was smooth and hairless, and with vaguely defined facial features, much like melting metal. "It''s a shape-shifter! A big shape-shifter!" Cries of alarm from the Scholar rang out behind, and the battle erupted in an instant. With a roar, Bruto hurled his hammer, flipping another demon to the ground. "For Moradin''s beard!"@@@@ Not waiting for his weapon to return, the dwarf charged forward with his shield, toppling another demon. His hammer reappeared in his hand, and Bruto swung it furiously, hammering it like it was a mass of iron. With each of his strikes, the demon pinned beneath him gradually reverted back to the shape-shifter form, like a mound of clay. "These guys are so ugly! Never mind the beards!" Bruto complained loudly, "They don''t even have a single hair on their bodies!" Another demon swiped him off a clansman''s corpse with its claw, but the attack failed to breach the dwarf''s armor, only serving to give his anger a new target. "Die, you big morpher!" Fighting up close with the enemy along with them was Elothysia. The Succubus Paladin wore a form-fitting full body armor and wielded a treasured sword and shield made of cold iron, gifts from Tijana to her succubus kin. Her fighting style was the polar opposite of Bruto''s. Lacking Tijana''s superior physical capabilities, most succubi, Elothysia adopted a very conservative tactic: she held up her shield to bear the brunt of the attacks, then thrust her longsword at the moment her opponent''s weapon was deflected, precise and orderly like a Knight''s attendant. The practicality of such a tactic was undeniable. Although she seemed to be on the defensive, with the enemy attacking far more often than she counterattacked, the foe in front of her soon fell, with seven or eight clear holes puncturing its body. In the rear, Alamir and Kalalin busied themselves casting various defensive magics and divine arts, ensuring their own safety as the team''s spellcasters when the battle commenced. Skeletal heads remained by their side, assuming the role of protectors. Koula slipped into the shadows behind the larger figures, with a short bow in hand. As a halfling, she knew charging into the fray and facing ten at a time wasn''t what she should be doing (unless absolutely necessary). She waited patiently for her chance, occasionally loosing arrows that caught the enemy off guard. Lancelot was undoubtedly the most efficient of them all. No demon, or rather shape-shifter, could last more than three moves before him. The dancing Frostslash was like a streak of light, bringing down one enemy after another, and before the group of shape-shifters realized just how formidable Lancelot was, their numerical advantage had vanished. "We lost it." "Lost it?" The demon''s face fell in disappointment, "How did you lose it?" "It got heavier and heavier, slipping out of the bag on its own." "Where did you lose it?" "Near the Griffon Rift, close to where we were about to climb out of the ground." "Who instructed you to do all this?" The shape-shifter''s face showed a look of confusion, and after a while, it said: "I don''t know." As soon as the last words left its mouth, the corpse collapsed once more, its flesh rapidly desiccating, looking as though it had been dead for a long time. "Tch." The demon captain disdainfully kicked the corpse aside. Then it looked up at Lancelot and asked: "Are you mercenaries, planning to go to Mogrondale?" Lancelot nodded, it was the second time he had been asked that question today. "Then take this." The demon captain threw something to him. Lancelot caught it and found it to be a strange emblem, seemingly made out of a vertebra. "This token of passage will save you a lot of trouble." The demon spat vehemently, the corrosive saliva burning a small pit in the ground, "You did me a favor, and now I owe you nothing." With that, the demon captain turned around and left with its subordinates and the newly acquired information. "They sure are a bunch of weird ones, huh?" Bruto remarked, then turned to look at Kalalin, "Scholar, what''s up with that stick that made the corpse speak?" Chapter 185 Anti-Magic Stone "That was a type of Necromancy known as ''Speak with the Dead,''" Kalalin drew out his cold iron short spear and fiddled with the malformed corpse on the ground, "The spell merely animates the residual memory within the body itself, and cannot actually summon the soul of the deceased back, so it can only answer simple, direct questions. Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire After five questions have been asked, any remaining energy will be completely exhausted, leaving the corpse in this mummy-like state." "They seemed to have mentioned an artifact that was stolen, called the Eye of Sarezdon," Alamir reminded, "Do you know what that is?" "I have not heard of that item, but I have heard the name Sarezdon," Kalalin frowned, "Sarezdon, the God of Shackles, an ancient god who vanished before mortals appeared in the Multiverse. Legend has it that Their disappearance has a direct connection to the birth of the Abyss, and to this day, they are still imprisoned in the deepest part of the Great Abyss. Aside from a powerful Celestial Servant, no one has seen Them since." "Let me guess," Lancelot stroked his chin, "That Celestial Servant wouldn''t happen to be the current Lord of the Nine Hells, would it?" "Correct, but no prize," Kalalin shrugged, "It is said that in the bottom of the Great Abyss, alongside the God of Shackles, also lies the purest seed of evil in the universe. It was from that seed that Asmodeus obtained a power comparable to the Deities, as well as his corruption." "I knew nothing of these things," Elothysia looked at the Scholar in surprise, "Tijana says you''re a member of the Black Cult? What exactly is this organization? In the Prime Material Plane, this cult has always been searching for me. I thought it was some kind of evil cult that worships Demons, so I''ve been hiding from them." "The Black Cult has little to do with religion or faith. We are a group of Scholars who study the Abyss and Demons. Half of us hope to use this insight to combat the continuous invasions of Demons, and the other half are more interested in understanding the source of that immense power of the Demons, which is the Abyss itself," Kalalin explained, "However, your choice was not wrong. If it had been one of those fanatic researchers who found you, it probably would not have ended well. A living Demon is always excellent dissection material." "Well, that''s a relief," Elothysia shrugged, "Glad you''re not one of those fanatics." "The followers of other deities didn''t feel the same," Kalalin said with a twist of his mouth. "During that period, all priests lost their Divine Arts, and casting spells became a dangerous act without the management of the Goddess of Magic. By the time everything settled down, many gods had died completely, vanishing forever from the Multiverse." "That''s quite a story," Lancelot said, genuinely startled by the tale. "The gods walked the earth in person?" "Yes, and since their connection to the Divine Kingdoms was severed, the powers of these deities were greatly reduced. In those years, even mortals managed to achieve the feat of slaying a god, something unprecedented in the past." Kalalin handed the small box to Lancelot. "Stones like this are products of the Time of Troubles, said to be byproducts of divine beings falling into the Mortal Realm, quite rare." "I have heard of such things as well," Elothysia added as she came closer. "Many powerful Demon Lords are willing to pay a hefty price for them, especially when a daring spellcaster gets hold of a Demon Lord''s true name, because these stones can free them from the binding of Summoning Formations." "Indeed, while this item is not as rare as a Divine Artifact, in the hands of the demon lords weighing thousands of pounds, its effects are almost equal to that of a Divine Artifact," the Scholar said, frowning. "The masters behind these shapeshifters have really gone all out. There must be scores of Defensive Formations around the Eye of Sarizdon, but this Anti-Magic Stone renders all the anti-theft measures useless." Lancelot looked curiously at the stone in the box, touched it, and found it to be much colder than it looked, almost like a chunk of ice. He dropped one hand and silently activated the Qingyun Sword Art, generating a Sword Aura from his palm made of Innate True Qi, and quietly poked a hole in the ground. The efficacy of magic originated from the manipulation of the Magic Net, and the strength of Divine Arts came directly from the deities, fundamentally both being external forces. His own True Qi, as well as the physical strength that came from his Spiritual Cultivation, stemmed from himself and were not restricted by the Anti-Magic Stone. "How large is the effective range of this stone?" he looked up and asked Kalalin. "Why not try and find out," the Scholar shrugged. "Alamir, take your Hardhead Hammer and walk off into the distance."@@@@ Chapter 186 Great Abyss The Elf Priest immediately understood the Scholar''s meaning. He drew his Hammer of Dissolution, a trophy acquired from the Succubus Palace at Oasis Fort. In the past, whenever he held this weapon, it would emit a bright and warm light, but now there was nothing, as if it were just an ordinary weapon. However, after he had walked about thirty yards, the hammer in his hand suddenly lit up again. The Elf took a few steps back, and the light on the Hardhead Hammer went out accordingly. "That''s about the right distance," Alamir returned to the others, "The range isn''t that large, so if you plan to surprise the enemy with this, you''d better charge into the crowd first." "Don''t worry," Lancelot tucked the box into his chest, "If used well, this thing really can turn the tide." As he closed the box, the weapon in the Elf''s hand lit up once more. The group then got their equipment together and began to advance towards the distant Skeleton Tower.@@@@ On the way, they encountered several of the Demons'' patrol teams, but when Lancelot showed them the spine emblem, the patrol teams waved them through, though their attitude was still very unpleasant. As the sun was about to sink into the horizon, they finally arrived in front of the giant Skeleton Tower. Feeling the movement in his Dimensional Bag, Lancelot let out a little Vampire that had just woken up. "Good afternoon, everyone!" Little Isha''s cheerful voice appeared before she did. "Turn around and look behind you," Lancelot said with a smile, patting the Vampire girl''s head, "Such a view is not something you can see just anywhere." Little Isha did as told, and she was immediately deeply shocked by the magnificent scene before her. The Plains of the Abyss before her had split open. The ground abruptly vanished ahead, replaced by a vast rift. One could not discern the boundaries of this rift with the naked eye, as it stretched from one end of the horizon to the other. The waters of the Blood River poured down from the cliff''s edge, forming massive waterfalls and filling the rift with red mist, obscuring any view of its bottom. Lancelot shrugged. Naturally, he had no interest in challenging the so-called Lord of Kay-Oine; that fellow sounded more like a prisoner of the tower than its master. Lancelot certainly didn''t plan to walk down those steps. Not to mention the life-threatening dangers (or boredom) along the way, they first and foremost didn''t have the qualifications to enter Skeleton Tower. The emblem given by the captain of the Demon patrol wasn''t enough; only the nobility of Mogrondale City had the privilege to freely enter and exit the tower. Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire The other route to Mogrondale was even more despairing¡ªtwenty miles of vertical free climbing. It might not be too difficult for creatures with wings or those who could fly with the aid of magic, provided they could deal with the residents perched on the cliffs of the Great Abyss, mainly wild Kas Demons and Flomos. This wasn''t an unimaginable route. In fact, within the twenty miles between Mogrondale and the surface, there were numerous Portals distributed, leading to the various levels of the Abyss. Although these portals weren''t the sole entry points to their corresponding levels, they were mostly guarded tightly. The Demons serving as gatekeepers for the Abyssal Lords usually didn''t welcome visitors. Unless given clear instructions, their everyday job was to attack any creature within their line of sight, although most were the unlucky ones who happened to fall in front of them. The Great Abyss had another feature; Demons at the Lord Level couldn''t enter it, at least not in their normal state. Some scholars believed the reason was the red mist pervasive throughout the Great Abyss, after all, it was the vaporized water of the Stygian River, while others insisted it was due to some energy related to the core of Demons themselves. Furthermore, Teleportation Magic didn''t work there, except for the naturally formed ones; the efficacy of Prophecy Magic was also severely suppressed within the Great Abyss, making it difficult to track any creature using it. With no Lord Level Demons, some of the stronger mortal Adventurers could be a bit more arrogant in the Great Abyss. But only a bit. Due to the absence of a powerful entity capable of suppressing all rebellion, the Demons'' nature made it hard for them to control themselves and not attack others. The chaos within the Great Abyss far exceeded other levels, with battles occurring almost every moment. Even though the Demon armies were fighting off Devils invaders overhead, these chaotic and evil creatures still reveled in an endless cycle of fratricide within the Great Abyss. Of course, if the Demons could unite, the Multiverse would have been theirs long ago. Chapter 187 Mogrondale In such circumstances, Mogrondale was simply a beacon within the Great Abyss, being the only place that could offer security to Outsiders. In fact, despite the ubiquitous wars, the Great Abyss remained the transport hub of the entire Bottomless Abyss, and Mogrondale naturally became one of the busiest commercial cities in the Abyss. However, a city that required a twenty-mile climb to reach had no commercial value, no matter how alluring the clinking of Gold Coins in its Great Bazaar might be. It couldn''t attract merchants, mercenaries, and thieves from the entire Multiverse to complete countless deals that could change the tide of the bloody conflict as it did now. In reality, the most convenient way to Mogrondale was by ''boat,'' and Lancelot and his group were now standing next to a dock on the shore of the Blood Lake, looking at several dilapidated small boats moored to the bank. "Is this all there is?" Bruto lamented, "They look like they should have sunk a long time ago..." "Haha, that''s the reaction every brat has the first time they see a Stygian River boat," the skull-headed Cromwell scoffed. "Take a look at who the boatmen are. As long as they are in control of the boats, they will always float on the water." Upon hearing this, Lancelot concentrated and examined the figures standing at the stern of the boats, finding their bodies hidden under cloaks to be extremely withered, somewhere between skeletons and Zombies. The heads under their hoods were nearly identical to Cromwell''s¡ªa skull. The only difference was that their eyes shone with a faint red glow, whereas Lancelot''s skeletal companion''s eye sockets contained eyes no different from those of a living person. "Is that a Ferryman Demon?" Kalalin asked with curiosity, "I''ve heard of such creatures. Legend has it they possess supernatural abilities to control boats and are familiar with every inch of the Stygian River. As long as you pay enough for the fare, they can take you anywhere." "Not anywhere. They won''t go to places that threaten their own safety," the Succubus Paladin interjected. "They are a part of the Yugoroth Demon Tribe and maintain absolute neutrality in the Blood War. Be it Tanari or Bartez, as long as you are willing to pay, their services are yours. These Ferryman Demons are employed by Mogrondale''s administrator to shuttle any travelers needing to go to the city." "I see," Bruto shrugged, "Then let''s hurry onto the boat. How long have we been out in the wild? I can''t believe I''m saying this, but I hope to sleep in a bed tonight, under a solid ceiling, not a tent flapping noisily in the wind." No one naturally opposed the idea, and they chose a boat that could just fit them. Lancelot stepped forward to negotiate with the Ferryman Demon at the stern. "Destination?" "Use them to bind yourself to your seat," the Ferryman Demon said, revealing a wicked smile, "Tighten them well." Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire "Think about those waterfalls," Cromwell chimed in from the side, "Ferryman Demons'' boats won''t sink, but they also won''t fly." Bruto''s face fell instantly, and the Dwarf bound himself as quickly as possible, looking like a turtle that a vendor had taken to market. Everyone sprang into action, including Lancelot, who didn''t show off but obediently used two straps to secure himself to the seat. After the Ferryman Demon patiently ensured that everyone had taken safety measures, he gently pushed off with his oar, and the small boat left the shore, heading toward a waterfall at the edge of the Great Abyss. "Suddenly, I think rock climbing isn''t so bad," Bruto said with a pale face as he eyed the approaching cliff, "At least¡ªWhoaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" He couldn''t finish his sentence before the Ferryman Demon mischievously pushed hard with his oar, causing the boat''s speed to surge wildly as it shot out over the cliff like an arrow released from a bow. A second later, everyone found the boat was now completely vertical to the ground, sticking to the waterfall as it accelerated towards the Endless Abyss under the force of gravity. Koula and Isabella screamed, but Bruto''s voice was the loudest. The Dwarf''s screams even seemed to disperse the surrounding mist, clearly having accumulated too much energy from the days of ample food and steady journey. Soon, the terror in their screams disappeared, and everyone even began to enjoy this thrilling and exciting stretch of the journey. The boat landed in a large pit at the bottom of the waterfall, immediately leaping down another; sunlight naturally could not reach such depths, but glow-in-the-dark mushrooms dotted the cliffs and crags, providing illumination for the passengers to appreciate the scenery whizzing by. Lancelot saw large flocks of winged Demons, mainly Flomos, a kind of Demon known for their low intelligence and extreme ferocity, with large feathered wings and beast-like bodies, a cross between humanoid creatures and vultures; another frequently encountered Demon was the Kas, which looked like a nauseating mix of flies and humans¡ªthe overseer he had met when encountering Bruto was a Kas Demon. These Demons showed no interest in the speeding boat, and though twenty miles was not a small distance, in less than half an hour traveling at a speed close to freefall, the outline of Mogrondale City appeared beneath everyone. Chapter 188 Tears of Lazzaka From above, Mogrondale is a hollow city, at the center of which lies an unfathomably deep hole. The base of the Skeleton Tower, Kai-Oine, is anchored to the cliff edge of the great hole, and the city districts are constructed on the flat ground surrounding it. The city also extends vertically, with the higher buildings looking more refined, while the bottom is entirely in slum condition. Before everyone had the chance to take a closer look at the Abyssal City, the boat had smoothly landed on a lake in the southeastern part of the city, slowly steering towards an adjacent dock. "Welcome to Blood Gaze," the Ferryman Demon boatman spoke. "I hope you''ve enjoyed this journey." "Ah!" Little Isha sitting beside Lancelot suddenly let out a shriek, her eyes wide with fright. Everyone also saw what frightened the little Vampire: above their heads, countless heavy chains were strung with thousands of flayed bodies, some of which were still struggling in agony, clearly not quite dead from the skinning alone. "Those are the criminals who violated Mogrondale''s laws," Elothysia explained with a look of disgust, "The Lords of Withering believe these sights can bolster outsiders'' confidence in Mogrondale''s law and order." "Eh, I''m more concerned with how not to end up as one of those skinned folks," Bruto, who wasn''t too shocked, said. Having been through several adventures, he was somewhat numb to such scenes, "Where can one find a codex that stipulates what is allowed and what is not?" The Succubus Paladin looked at the Dwarf with an incredulous gaze, then chuckled and shook her head, uttering a simple five words: "Don''t cause any trouble." Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire Elothysia''s words plunged everyone into silence. In this somewhat oppressive atmosphere, they one by one disembarked and set foot on the long-renowned neutral city. "Last time I came here, I was in chains, shackled as a prisoner," Elothysia sighed, "I didn''t expect to return to this place so soon."@@@@ "What do you think, big brother?" the Dwarf nudged Lancelot with his elbow, "Why not consider becoming a Lord of Withering? I think you have what it takes." "And then rule over a bunch of citizens who are trying to murder you at every turn?" Lancelot shook his head in disdain. "With so many merchants coming and going here, there must be some decent restaurants, right?" the Halfling Koula looked expectantly at Elothysia, "I want to eat some real food... the kind that doesn''t require prayers." Alamir gave a hurt look but didn''t object, because he too was sick of living off the Divine Arts-created provisions. "I suggest going to an inn named Tears of Lazzaka," Elothysia proposed, "Its food and rooms may not be as good as others'', but it attracts foreign travelers with extra security measures. Its owner also has a very special identity that can save the guests a lot of trouble." "Is the owner named Lazzaka? What''s wrong with his tears?" little Isabella couldn''t help asking curiously, the Vampire girl having recovered from the earlier shock. "No, the owner of Tears of Lazzaka is ''The Immortal'' Pakos, who has twice claimed the title of Lord of Withering but soon gave it up because he found it boring," Isabella''s question made the Succubus Paladin''s expression a bit strange, "He has been killed several times in public, but he would always reappear the next day as if nothing had happened, except that his enemies would have mysteriously disappeared. Because he seemed to never be able to die, he was awarded the title ''The Immortal''." "Sounds like a very hospitable host," Lancelot nodded, "Where is this inn located?" "If I remember correctly, it''s two blocks in that direction." Shortly after, the group stood at the entrance of a three-story stone inn, the sign featuring a string of strange symbols, but Lancelot immediately understood they meant Tears of Lazzaka. At the end of the sign were some dazzlingly colored tubes, forming the image of a weeping angel hanging in the air. Chapter 189 Signature Wine Elothysia showed an obvious look of disgust at the sign, but she said nothing. Lancelot raised an eyebrow and pushed open the large door of the inn. "Welcome to Tears of Lazaka!" As soon as they entered, a pleasant voice rang out beside them. Lancelot turned his head and saw a halfling bartender behind the counter waving at them. However, Lancelot''s Spirit Perception warned him that this fellow who looked like one of Koula''s kin was definitely not a halfling, and his strength was undoubtedly strong.@@@@ There were also several Meizeros Demons in the bar, their eyes like ripe oranges without pupils, surveying the surroundings. Lancelot guessed that they were guards hired by the inn''s owner. There were some other things that caught his attention too. A few individuals sitting in the shadows had their gazes fixed on him for several seconds. Although the stares were incredibly covert, Lancelot''s sharp Spirit Perception still noticed them. As he turned his gaze towards them, those individuals immediately averted their looks, feigning nonchalance. Considering the reputation of the inn''s owner and the guards all around, Lancelot did not take any further action but quietly heightened his vigilance. "Wow! Hi there!" Koula was very pleased to see one of his kind, "I''m Koula, what''s your name? What are you doing here?" People call me ''The Immortal'' Pakos, I am the owner of this inn," the halfling bartender said with a smile, startling everyone, "Whatever you need, just let me know. Our services will surely satisfy you, and the prices are reasonable." "Uh, sorry, I didn''t know you were..." Koula''s smile awkwardly froze on his face as he involuntarily stepped back. "Ah, don''t be nervous. I turned into this so as not to scare the guests," Pakos spread his hands, "To be honest, my original appearance is really too disgusting." "Respected ''Immortal'' Mr. Pakos," Lancelot stepped forward, "please forgive my companion''s rudeness. We need to stay here for a few days. Do you have any rooms available?" "Tears of Lazaka? Isn''t that the name of your pub?" Bruto asked curiously, being a Dwarf, he was interested in any type of alcoholic drink. "Lazaka was a Celestial servant once captured by the Lords of Withering. The wine distilled from his tears could make even the strongest Tanari staggeringly drunk," the Halfling bartender remarked nostalgically, "Sadly, that Angel was later rescued by a group of daring Adventurers. Although he did shed plenty of tears before that, such exquisite wine is diminishing by the bit." Lancelot immediately understood the source of the Succubus Paladin''s aversion, as if he recalled correctly, Elothysia''s lover was also a Celestial servant, known to mortals as an Angel. "We will come down to dine later," Lancelot replied calmly, "Do you have any more ordinary beverages? We wouldn''t want to be hunted by some Celestial creature suddenly emerging because we drank that kind of wine." "Your friend with the bat wings would really like it," Pakos still unwilling to give up, said, "Don''t you want to please her?" "We won''t pay for that kind of thing," Lancelot firmly refused again, "See you later then, Mr. Pakos." Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire He turned away from the bar and led his group upstairs. "Thank you," he whispered to Elothysia as they passed by her. The Succubus said nothing, just silently followed him up the stairs. The group reached the large suite on the third floor, and while it was far from the lavish luxury the innkeeper had boasted, the essential facilities were indeed all present. It featured a vast living room, a master bedroom, two secondary bedrooms, and two bathrooms. Baths were the most missed luxury by the group who had spent three weeks in the wilderness, even Bruto was loudly proclaiming that he too needed to freshen up. The companions took turns cleaning themselves, with only Alamir and Little Isha taking a bit longer: for the former, bathing was part of his religious rituals, and for the latter, it involved using a bathtub ¡ª running water was like strong acid to Vampires, and after a few memorably careless mistakes, the Vampire girl had learned not to repeat that error. Chapter 190 Out of Stock The bathing water was somehow disconcerting, though. It was a pure black, sourced directly from a black pond in the Blood Abyss, but not at all filthy. It was the only water in the entire Mogrondale City that contained no toxins, diseases, or curses and could be directly consumed by mortals, and even Alamir''s Divine Arts found nothing amiss with it. However, out of caution, the group had a Priest conjure up a large barrel of real, clean water to rinse themselves with after their baths, which at least gave them some psychological comfort. Bruto was the last to enter the bathhouse, and after the Dwarf finished, the scene in the bathroom looked as though someone had tossed an alchemical bomb into a cesspit. Even Kalalin had to use a spell to clear the drains, which were completely clogged with the Dwarf''s shed hair. The cool bathwater not only washed away the dirt and grime from their bodies, but it also took away the weariness of the journey, reviving their spirits. An hour later, everyone was ready to head downstairs to indulge in a lavish meal as a reward for themselves. Of course, they still donned their full armor, weapons at their waist, and shields on their backs, looking as if they were prepared to dine and dash. But of course, they would never do such a thing, moral preferences aside, the skinless corpses hanging over Blood Lake quite effectively demonstrated the consequences of that action. And to be honest, in the Abyss, spending money is actually harder than earning it. Bruto had already tossed all the gemstones into Lancelot''s Dimensional Bag, simply because the Dwarf found them too heavy. After parting with a yellow jade worth five hundred Gold Coins, they enjoyed the most sumptuous meal they had since arriving in the Abyss. Although they still preferred Koula''s cooking, the Halfling would never find such rich ingredients in Twin Bridges Town.@@@@ In fact, Koula himself was the happiest eater of them all. This race of unfussy gourmets has never been picky about food¡ªthey express their appreciation for all food in the simplest of ways, by eating it. Due to Lancelot''s generous spending, Pakos was very enthusiastic, but Lancelot naturally did not let his guard down because of the host''s honest and lovable appearance, always maintaining a very respectful attitude. It wasn''t difficult to do so because his Spirit Perception constantly reminded him that Pakos felt more dangerous than the Red Dragon back in Twin Bridges Town that traded gemstones. "Because this place is merely a hub, my beautiful vampire miss, merchants who come here usually have destinations elsewhere." The halfling innkeeper spread his hands, "If those Lords of Withering don''t find a way to get back the Eye of Sarizdon quickly, this city will soon lose its reason for existence." "With your identity, you must have already received the latest intelligence," Kalalin looked at the adorable former Lord of Withering with hope, "those shape-shifters didn''t manage to take the artifact away, the Eye of Sarizdon is still in the Great Abyss." Your next read awaits at My Virtual Library Empire "I did hear about this news, but certainly not earlier than you," Pakos gave everyone a toothy smile with an obvious implication. "It was indeed us who defeated those shape-shifters; they weren''t particularly difficult to deal with," Lancelot admitted straightforwardly, "We need to get a map as soon as possible. Is there anything we can do?" "Oh, do you have any complaints about my rooms and food?" the halfling innkeeper exclaimed dramatically, but Lancelot could easily tell the other was just putting on airs. "They are fantastic, but they aren''t free," Lancelot shrugged, "We are a group of mercenaries; finding things is within our line of work." "The Great Abyss is nothing like the open fields of the Plains of the Abyss," Pakos chuckled, "Please trust the withered masters of Mogrondale City¡ªthey are certainly more anxious than you. I''m confident that artifact will soon return to its rightful room in Kai-Oine. Until then, why not stay here and trade your shiny gemstones for the top-notch services I offer?" Lancelot knew there wouldn''t be any more progress in the conversation, so he shifted the topic to some customs and cultures within Mogrondale City, then politely ended the conversation. Later that day, everyone gathered to discuss the next course of action, but unfortunately, they had too little information and ended up without a conclusion. Bruto did come up with an idea: to find out some information about the current Lords of Withering from the streets to see if it was possible for Lancelot to take one out directly. Doing so would definitely make participating in the search for the artifact''s whereabouts, or acquiring a map afterward, no trouble at all for a Lord of Withering. Chapter 191 Just Short of a Breath The plan sounded too crazy at first, and every Dwarf shook their heads when it was first proposed, but when everyone tried to point out the absurdity of it, they realized that the plan was highly feasible.@@@@ At least the first step of the plan, to investigate the current strength of the Lords of Withering, wasn''t particularly difficult. If the final conclusion was that Lancelot was indeed capable of defeating a Lord of Withering, then... Nobody indulged in that possibility because they knew too little at the moment, whether it was about the title of Lord of Withering or the city itself. But tomorrow''s course of action had been decided, which was to go out into the streets to gather all information related to the Lords of Withering. Despite it being a plan full of uncertainties, it was still better than being completely clueless, and it calmed everyone''s nerves, which had been somewhat anxious. Bruto, Kalalin, and Koula were soon overtaken by drowsiness¡ªeach had a bed to himself¡ªwhile the others rested in their own ways. Except for Elothysia and Little Isha, one didn''t need to sleep to regain her strength, and the other didn''t sleep at night. It was only natural for them to take up the night watch for everyone. The two beautiful women were now squeezed onto a sofa, planning to chat until dawn, just as they had during their previous nights camping in the wild. Over the past ten or so days of travel, their friendship had warmed up rapidly after a few such nights, and Elothysia found herself quite fond of this nai?ve and kind-hearted vampire girl, partly because she saw a reflection of herself in her. Lancelot, meanwhile, sat cross-legged in a quiet little room by himself, engaged in his daily meditation and Qi cultivation. Everyone had become accustomed to the Human Knight''s unique ''resting'' method, finding nothing odd about it anymore. In the three weeks they traveled from Twin Bridges Town to this place, they hadn''t encountered any battles of significant intensity, and Lancelot''s True Qi had fully recovered. He felt that he was just one breath away from reaching the Great Perfection of the Qi Cultivation Stage, which was the best state to be in to attempt the Foundation Establishment Stage¡ªhis True Qi would not increase by even the slightest bit further than that. But so far, every time he completed a Heavenly Cycle, his True Qi still increased by about one ten-thousandth, a very small ratio, but one that didn''t escape his keen Spirit Perception. Perhaps after the next Heavenly Cycle, he would find that the moment for Foundation Establishment had arrived, but until then, the Human Knight must steady his heart and repeat this process over and over. After completing eighty-one Heavenly Cycles, Lancelot stopped and entered a state of meditation. It wasn''t physical fatigue that burdened him, but the mental exhaustion from using his spiritual power. According to the bamboo slip, the body, Spiritual Power, and Divine Sense are the three primary qualities of a Spiritual Cultivator, but there was no Dharma Method for cultivating Divine Sense during the Qi Refinement Realm. "What''s going on? What''s going on?" Bruto was armed and ready in an instant, slipping into that Dwarf Heavy Armor as easily as a cat jumps into boots. The other who needed to don armor for battle was not so lucky. Alamir struggled to get into his intricate yet heavy Full Body Armor, with Lord of Withering, Cromwell, assisting him and holding the Elves'' gauntlets in his mouth. "We''ve got a lot of visitors, the kind that don''t plan to come through the door," Lancelot glanced at Bruto, "This living room is going to get very crowded soon, you go and stay with the Scholar, and make sure you protect him." The Dwarf nodded and turned to run back. Alamir finally got his armor on, which calmed the Priest down. He went over to the Halfling Koula, determined to protect his small companion in the upcoming battle. Elothysia and Little Isha also got ready back to back, with no one standing too far apart, maintaining a distance that allowed for mutual support. Apart from Lancelot, the Human Knight stood alone in the middle of the spacious living room. The group was experienced by now; when his Frostslash started to swing, it was best to stand more than fifteen feet away, or you would definitely be splattered with blood. "That wall is the bathroom," Kalalin tapped on Bruto''s shoulder, "Watch out for it later." Although the room''s preparations were noisy, not a sound leaked out thanks to the Soundproof Barrier, with the attackers patiently waiting for their accomplices to arrive one by one. They were in vain with their impatience, for that roof made of solid rock wasn''t something that could be destroyed with brute force. Chapter 192 Little Ishas First Blood Everyone followed Lancelot''s gaze, staring intently at the ceiling above. After a wait that felt long but was actually only a few minutes, the ceiling suddenly became transparent, and ripples like water began to emanate from it. A few seconds later, the once solid rock ceiling had completely turned into an illusion. Accompanied by a whistle, the attackers leaped in from the rooftop. Lancelot took a closer look and realized these creatures had hyena heads, humanoid bodies, and an appalling stench ¡ª they were a band of gnoll robbers. Whatever their reasons for launching the attack, it definitely did not include the possibility that their opponents would be fully armed. Lancelot''s longsword thrust out, and a gnoll hadn''t even touched the ground before it became a corpse, a huge bloody hole gaping in its chest. The others also had a bellyful of anger during those unbearable minutes of waiting. Bruto even threw his hammer the moment the first gnoll poked out its head, then, holding his shield, knocked another leaping gnoll to the ground. Without waiting for his hammer to return, he started pounding the enemy pinned beneath him with his fists. While he was passionately swinging his fists, Kalalin was dueling another gnoll with a cold iron spear. These humanoid beasts created by the Abyssal Lord Yenogu possessed agility and strength that Scholars couldn''t match. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn''t stand a chance against such ferocious enemies, but these were not normal circumstances. Before the battle began, the Scholar had ample time to prepare. Now, surrounding him were three illusions identical to himself; all, including his own body, appeared blurred, like a portrait smeared with water. The Scholar had cast Mirror Image and Blur on himself in advance, a golden combination of Second Circle spells for those spellcasters who liked melee combat. The former created three illusions with movements completely synced with his, the latter made the spellcaster and the illusions more elusive and harder to hit. Kalalin''s opponent was a brute waving a large cleaver. Though utterly baffled by the situation, it swung its weapon regardless.@@@@ It was a badly misplaced hit, missing not only Kalalin''s clothes but even his illusion, while the Scholar''s sharp cold iron spear poked a hole in its left arm. The only one not participating in the fight was a certain Vampire. This was her first real battle in the truest sense. Little Isha had slipped into the shadows before the start of the fight, excited for the upcoming battle. However, when limbs and blood actually began to fly, she tensed up as if Paralyzed, completely unable to move her body. The shock of real combat far exceeded her expectations. Exposed white bones, blood splattered everywhere, the death-rattle of Werewolves¡ªall of these made the court-raised girl dizzy and short of breath. A Werewolf was hit hard in the face by Cromwell, stumbled backwards towards her, then tripped over the body of a comrade and fell heavily in front of her. All she needed to do was to pull out the Short Sword from her waist to easily end the life of this enemy; Isha was well aware of this, but she simply couldn''t control her body. Luckily, the Werewolf was unable to notice the Vampire Wanderer behind it. From the perspective of stealth, Isha was flawless¡ªif a Vampire needed not breathe and added a Petrify-like stillness, she had already blended with the shadows perfectly, so much so that even her companions couldn''t find her. This meant that Cromwell was completely unaware that the young girl was there. The skull, like a flying bowling ball, careened between Werewolves'' Spears and Large Cleavers; after another vicious collision, yet another Werewolf flew towards where the Vampire girl was. Before Isha could react, the Werewolf had already crashed into her. The beast seemed to sense that it had encountered something soft and couldn''t help but turn its head to look. The girl''s beautiful and delicate face reflected in its murky eyes, and the Werewolf instinctively swiped its filthy claws at her. But that collision had finally given Isha back control over her body. Her hands instinctively drew the Short Sword from her waist, the right hand blocking the imminent blow, while the left hand swiftly stabbed under the enemy''s chin, then quickly retracted to protect her chest. The Werewolf retreated in panic, helplessly trying to cover the gushing wound on its throat, but quickly choked on the blood that flowed into its trachea. Its brown-gray skin swiftly turned purple due to lack of oxygen, its eyes bulging, and any violent motion only intensified its agony. Isha threw her Short Sword, accurately driving it into the beast''s heart, ending its struggle. Feeling someone''s gaze upon her, she looked up and caught Lancelot''s encouraging eyes, but he immediately averted his gaze and lunged at another adversary. "Maybe this isn''t as hard as it seems," the Vampire murmured to herself. She still disliked the feeling of killing and was certain she would never enjoy such acts, but she would no longer stand still like a statue while her companions were fighting. Chapter 193 No Superior or Inferior The most relaxed person in the whole arena was, of course, Lancelot. The Sword Shadows of the Human Knight were like dried leaves swept up by a strong wind; many werewolves had stopped breathing even before hitting the floor, not to mention striking him. However, these red-eyed werewolves, as if bewitched, kept swarming towards Lancelot. Perhaps the manipulator behind them wanted to wear out the Human Knight''s stamina with sheer numbers, but with Lancelot''s current strength, this intensity of battle could last an entire day without depleting his True Qi. Bodies quickly piled up around Lancelot, gradually forming a low wall built of flesh and blood. Suddenly, the Human Knight sharply looked up, his gaze piercing through the phantasmal ceiling to a new figure that had appeared beside the eaves. The werewolves'' attack on Lancelot ceased, driven by an unspoken command, they turned to assault the Human Knight''s comrades instead. Lancelot confronted the figure on the rooftop from a distance, his Spirit Perception told him that this new Black Armor Knight was the real threat tonight, even more intimidating than the Serpent Demon Sonam when calm. But having just massacred his enemies, the Human Knight was at the peak of his momentum; he lifted his sword towards the figure, issuing a precise invitation. The opponent did not ignore Lancelot''s gesture. He too pointed his Great Sword at Lancelot, but unlike the Human Knight, this was not merely a symbolic action. In that moment, Lancelot felt as if he were before a court, facing a group of judges and prosecutors made of pure evil, loudly proclaiming Lancelot''s guilt ¡ª the crime being the justice and goodness hidden within the Human Knight''s heart. The Ice Heart Technique''s mental method automatically engaged, and the illusion swiftly vanished from his sight, but Lancelot distinctly felt a mysterious connection being established between himself and the Black Armor Knight. In their ensuing battle, some pure evil would empower his opponent. Accompanied by a leaping motion, the Black Armor Knight initiated the battle with a fierce downward strike. Lancelot didn''t dodge or evade, but met the attack with his sword from above. With a clang, their weapons collided again, and this time the blades didn''t immediately separate but instead tangled tightly, testing the strength of each warrior''s owner. The adversary wore a black giant helmet with a narrow eye slit, through which Lancelot saw a pair of eyes glowing red. He himself wasn''t wearing a helmet because it would obstruct his vision, and for him at this moment, dodging was the most efficient form of defense. However, in a situation where neither side gave ground, trying to overpower the opponent, a helmet could also be used as a weapon. Lancelot and his opponent realized this at the same time. The Black Armor Knight''s head slightly reclined, and Lancelot knew that in the next second, the adversary''s helmet would smash into his nose. In response, he gathered a small portion of True Qi in the sole of his right foot and stomped down heavily as his opponent''s helmet harshly approached his face. With Lancelot as the center, the ground within ten feet around violently shook as if struck like a drumhead. He leaned back, dodging the headbutt that nearly hit his face, while the opponent staggered due to the sudden tremor, both retreating several steps and returning to a standoff. Lancelot was breathing heavily, the situation just then had been extremely perilous¡ªit definitely wouldn''t have worked to simply take the headbutt, but if he leaned back to dodge, it would surely loosen his grip on the sword. In a contest of power like this, the one who was overpowered would end up in an extremely disadvantageous position, and being forced to the ground could mean real danger. Fortunately, using the Earthquake Technique, he successfully resolved the crisis. Before leaving for Oasis Fort, he had mastered this Earth System divine skill but had never experimented with how to integrate it into his usual combat style; this impromptu application proved to be extraordinarily effective. The temporarily separated duo fixed their gaze on each other, but the imminent battle was interrupted. Suddenly, the room''s door was violently pushed open, and the innkeeper, who should have ensured the guests'' safety, appeared followed by a large number of Meizeros Demons, the ruthless enforcers of Abyssal City. Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire "Nobody move!" The Meizeros Demons shouted in the coarse language of the abyss, and Lancelot knew this battle had now ended. Chapter 194 Enriques Story The Black Armor Knight turned his head to look over, then swiftly returned his gaze. He nodded at Lancelot as if to say goodbye. A vertical silver thin line appeared behind him, and then the Black Armor Knight was suddenly pulled away as if the end of that silver line was a fishing rod in the hands of a giant. Lancelot couldn''t do anything to stop it. The remaining werewolves in the room stood frozen, as if they were just waking from a deep sleep, but the humanoid beetle demons didn''t care about that, swiftly subduing them all. Even Lancelot''s companions had to lay down their weapons and obediently stand aside. "We''ve heard that guests at the Tears of Lazaka need not worry about their safety," Lancelot said, watching Pakos approach him, "but our experience seems to suggest otherwise." "Really? I''ve never advertised that," the halfling replied, still dressed as an innkeeper and unarmed. "But we were indeed attacked in your room." "It''s my inn that was attacked," the halfling kicked a corpse lying on the floor to face upwards, then bent down to examine the creature''s decorations and tattoos, "Parasites from Beggar''s Abyss... Since you helped me repel the invaders, I won''t ask for compensation for the broken furniture." Lancelot shrugged his shoulders. What else could he expect from an inn located in the Abyss? By this time, the insect-like Mazeleth demons had finished their arrests and were beginning to withdraw from the room, the still-living dozens of werewolves tied up and hanging from the spikes on their carapaces. "Where are these werewolves going?" "To be tortured, beaten, interrogated, and not surprisingly, one or two will be skinned. After the guards have had their fun, they''ll be allowed to confess the reasons for the attack, the masterminds behind it, and then they''ll be sent to the slave pens, while I receive a negligible compensation," Pakos stood up from the ground, glanced at the dense circle of corpses by Lancelot''s side, and raised an eyebrow at him, "I might have to reconsider your proposal given how well you''ve fought." "Our proposal?" Lancelot asked, surprised. At that moment, some more people came in, Pakos''s guards, who efficiently moved the bodies on the floor as well as the damaged furniture. Find adventures on My Virtual Library Empire "His name is Enrique, if I remember correctly," Elothysia sighed. "His story is a complete tragedy. He used to be a Holy Warrior just like me, hailed as the greatest hero in his kingdom for repelling the invasions of neighboring countries time and again." "Isn''t that a good thing?" Bruto scratched his head, "How did he end up looking like a ghost now?" "Riding on the fame of Enrique, his king realized he could invade other countries at will, which shocked and tired Enrique. Unwilling to be exploited by his king in such a manner, he resigned from the military and retreated to the forest to live with his wife and children." The tone of the Succubus Paladin began to turn painful, "But one day upon returning from hunting, he found his beloved lying in a pool of blood, her heart pierced with a dagger bearing the royal insignia of the neighboring country." "And then?" Alamir asked curiously, "Was he blinded by revenge and took his anger out on innocent civilians of the neighboring country?" "Darker than that," the Succubus Paladin shook her head. "The king soon sent envoys, inviting him to lead the upcoming conquest against a neighboring territory, which raised his suspicions. After investigating, the truth quickly surfaced¡ªthe dagger that killed his wife and children indeed came from the neighbor''s royal family, but it had been gifted to his king as a peace offering, merely setting the stage for a play to draw him out of retirement." "Uh," Bruto glanced at Lancelot, "Brother, I''m not targeting you ha, but you humans really can do such things." Lancelot did not reply, his mind pondering a man with blond hair and a cape adorned with a gold griffon. "What happened next?" Koula asked eagerly, "Did he confront his king?" "He did, but he learned even more despairing news," Elothysia sighed again. "The assassination was approved by the city council, those very people he spent his life protecting were willing to sentence his wife and children to death for the profits of war. They even prepared several beautiful women in advance, believing if Enrique found out the true nature of the event, these women could quell his rage." "I guess those women were of no use," Kalalin remarked. "His faith as a Holy Warrior crumbled. He drew his longsword and killed every person he could find in the capital. When the people who had hidden under beds and in basements trembled as they returned to the blood-stained streets the next day, Enrique had vanished." The expression of the Succubus Paladin was filled with disgust, "Those women were actually several succubi, who took Enrique to Flameth Demon Yiltu, my former master. It was there he was transformed, turning into a Dark Guardian who fought only for slaughter and evil." Chapter 195 Pakoss Invitation "Transformation? Is that the reason for his power?" Lancelot was still brooding over his failure to defeat Enrique, and upon hearing this, he asked, "What exactly is a Dark Guardian?" "When a Holy Warrior completely abandons the sacred oaths once sworn, they can transform into a Dark Guardian through a series of evil rituals such as sacrificing innocent souls, swearing new oaths of darkness, and forging pacts with powerful Fiends," the Succubus Paladin glanced at Lancelot, "All the skills, Divine Arts, and Spiritual Light that were used to fight evil will transform into versions that sow destruction and evil. However, this doesn''t grant any additional strength, other than the freedom to act without moral constraints." "Well, it seems his strength was already that formidable," Lancelot shrugged. "He''s practically your opposite," Kalalin exclaimed to Elothysia, "You were a Succubus, he was a beloved Holy Warrior. You seek redemption for yourself, while he has walked the path of the Fallen. Sending him to hunt you must be particularly ironic for your former master."@@@@ "His power is indeed very strong; I certainly stand no chance against him alone," Elothysia looked apologetically at the group, "I''m really sorry for bringing such a dangerous enemy upon you all..." "Bah, he''s just a Fallen human. I dared to face a six-armed Serpent Demon to rescue you. Of course, she was gravely injured at the time..." Lancelot joked, then turned serious, "Don''t you get any weird ideas. We''re helping you because we respect your choices, your journey. In some ways, helping you is helping ourselves." "When I first set out on this path, I braced for all the difficulties, but I never anticipated receiving such an overwhelming amount of support," the Succubus Paladin''s face showed a complex expression, "Thank you, truly." "Don''t mention it," Lancelot waved a hand nonchalantly, "As for that Dark Guardian, he and I aren''t finished yet. I''m sure he won''t give up so easily. Next time we meet, I''ll have to settle the score and prove that I am the strongest Human Knight in the Abyss." "Gurgle gurgle." Bruto made protesting noises from his belly, interrupting Lancelot''s grand declarations. "We''ve been up since early morning getting a good workout, haven''t we?" The Dwarf looked around somewhat embarrassed, "The innkeeper mentioned breakfast, right?" "So how wealthy does the rumor claim I am that these creatures dared attack your inn?" Lancelot skillfully countered. "No amount of wealth could explain their stupidity," Pakos shrugged, "Those werewolves argue they were controlled by a guy in Black Armor. They wouldn''t have the guts to do such a thing without that excuse, clearly made up to avoid being sent to the slave pen. Who would believe them?" "That guy is indeed one of our enemies," Lancelot didn''t bother to hide this fact, as the one in front of him had already encountered the knight in Black Armor. "But I believe he won''t be bothering us again anytime soon." "Yet my reputation has been tangibly damaged," the Halfling proprietor jumped onto the table. "You must compensate me." "What reputation? That guests need not fear being attacked in their rooms?" Bruto interjected quizzically, but Lancelot knew the Dwarf was doing so deliberately. "Perhaps I didn''t make myself clear," Pakos leveled his gaze at Lancelot. "I invite you to act as my representatives in the search for the Eye of Sarizdon. Aren''t you eager to obtain the map and leave this city? If you successfully find the Divine Artifact, you''ll certainly be the first to get the map." "We have no objections," Lancelot nodded. "But what about you? What do you stand to gain?" "Do you plan to settle down in this city for the long term?" "No, we have no such plans." "Then it''s none of your business," Pakos settled back into his chair. "How about it? Any other questions?" "Many, like where do we start looking for the Eye of Sarizdon?" Chapter 196 Lord of Withering "Ha! If I knew that, would I need you?" Pakos took a small emblem out from the table and tossed it in front of Lancelot, "The only known piece of information right now is that the Divine Artifact definitely hasn''t fallen to somewhere deeper than this city, otherwise some of the old monsters in the tower would have sensed it." "What''s this for?" Lancelot picked up the emblem, discovering it was a pure gold ring with a dragon-wing symbol on it. "This is my emblem. In certain situations where you need to show it, it can prove that you are my agents." The Halfling leaned back into his chair in a comfortable position, "The guards of Kai-Oine are waiting for the person holding it to show up; I suggest you set off as soon as possible. Who knows, if you''re late, some other guy might find it, right?" Lancelot, with a hint of suspicion, stared at this individual who was far more dangerous than he appeared, but ultimately nodded and turned to walk towards the door. "Oh, and one more thing." Pakos''s voice rose from behind them, "If you''re lucky and do find that thing, don''t take it lightly. Some folks may not wish for the Divine Artifact to return to this city." Lancelot turned his head, looking once again at the deceptively adorable Halfling, then silently walked out. "What was that last remark about?" A few seconds later, Bruto couldn''t help but speak up first. "Think about it, without the assistance of a mole, how could a bunch of outsider shapeshifters steal a Divine Artifact that''s guarded so heavily just by having an Anti-Magic Stone?" Kalalin explained to the Dwarf, "It''s very likely that there''s a traitor among the high circles of this city; it could well be one of the Lords of Withering."@@@@ "So it means that if we do find the Artifact, a Lord of Withering might suddenly pop up, clamoring to kill us to silence us?" Bruto scratched his head, "So we still have to take one down, right?" And the Governor of Beggars'' Cliff was ''The Digger'' Vagramore, a Fireburn Demon. By finding a powerful Magic Wand in some ruins, he seized control of Beggars'' Cliff. After his successful ascension, Vagramore hardly ever left his lair in Beggars'' Cliff, leading many to speculate that the Magic Wand had lost its power¡ªyet they all expected someone else to go and confirm this firsthand. Among these four current Lords of Withering, was there really someone who had betrayed the city? Who was the most likely candidate? With such questions in mind, they arrived at Blood Abyss Outlook. The foundation of Skeleton Tower at Kai-Oine was here. Blood Abyss Outlook was Mogrondale''s ''wealthy district,'' unlike the city''s other broad districts, it expanded in a vertical direction. Along one entire cliff face, there were luxurious caves and majestic high towers. The caves mostly belonged to those cunning and wealthy Abyssal fox-head Demons, while the high towers were owned by winged Demon Races like the Kas Demons, bulky Demons, or Necaross Demons. Across the chasm of the Great Abyss, on the opposite side of the district was Sprayfield, offering a prime viewing angle. The Demons residing here could admire the majestic scenery of the Blood River waterfall from their homes while counting the wealth they had accumulated over countless centuries. Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire Naturally, this place was heavily guarded and strictly forbade entry to outsiders. But thanks to the pure gold Emblem given by ''The Immortal'' Pakos, they were still able to enter the district smoothly¡ªjust with a whole team of humanoid beetles eagerly trailing behind them, hoping for these Outsiders to make any untoward move. Lancelot did not indulge these sadists. He led the group straight through the only narrow path in Blood Abyss Outlook and came to the base of Skeleton Tower at Kai-Oine. When they had first come to the city, the giant waterwheel beneath the Blood River waterfall had already proven the engineering capabilities of the Demons, but it paled in comparison to the foundation of Kai-Oine. Countless Abyssal Metal cables and struts secured the gigantic spine to the cliffs of the Great Abyss, stretching for miles. But this was not enough to support the tower over twenty miles high. The true structural supports were the countless Bone Spurs that penetrated deeply into the cliff. Looking at the nauseatingly spine-like silhouette of the Skeleton Tower, Lancelot suddenly had an intuition that the tower was actually some kind of living thing, and the huge, tangled metal apparatus surrounding its base served only to anchor the structure securely within Mogrondale. Chapter 197 Hall of Contention However, they weren''t there to dig up any truths today¡ªthe more you know about such matters, the worse it is, no matter what plane of existence you are on. After showing the Golden Badge provided by Pakos again, the Maizeros Demon Guard at the pedestal base allowed everyone to pass and directed them to ascend the stairs to a place called the Hall of Contention. Each level of the Skeleton Tower may differ slightly in size but its structure is completely identical¡ªit''s roughly what a vertebrae bone would look like if hollowed out. For countless centuries, various Demons have occupied it, and each level has been decorated to its master''s liking, though interrogation rooms and cells are the most common. As the party ascended from one floor to the next, the stench of blood and flesh never dissipated from the air, and sharp yet brief screams emanated from behind some tightly shut doors on occasion. The one who reacted most violently to this was Elothysia. Although she had never set foot inside the Skeleton Tower, this place was still enough to trigger many of her memories. In those memories, she was not the victim but the tormentor, and it was this fact that made her feel even worse. Although not as proficient and efficient as the Demons, the Demons'' creativity in torture is unrivaled by any other race. When the Demon Lord captured a mortal hero, he would first use abilities to peer into the victim''s memories, then have his Succubi take on the appearance of the captive''s lover, tricking the hero into believing their beloved had been captured while trying to rescue them, followed by torturing the lover before their eyes. In some cases, the pain inflicted in such a manner even surpassed that of torturing the prisoner directly. Alternatively, they would use magic to create an Illusionary Realm where the prisoner believed their lover had successfully rescued them. After a confounded celebration, the Succubi would only need a few days to give birth to a multitude of children. When the cruel truth was revealed to the prisoner, the Demons would laugh wildly as they consumed the prisoner''s crying children one by one, a scene capable of shattering any creature''s soul. Each time she recalled these scenes, Elothysia would be engulfed in intense shame, remorse, and fury, gasping for breath as if drowning.@@@@ Lancelot noticed the Succubus Paladin''s distress and also faintly guessed the reasons behind it. So he quickened his pace, pulling along the Scholar, who would have gladly studied each piece of the floor had he the chance, to quickly reach the place the Guards had directed them to. This place called the Hall of Contention resembled a council hall, with a high platform on one side, and on the other three sides, there were stepped seats, which at this moment were filled with individuals looking much like those accompanying Lancelot. Some showed indifference to the arrivals of the Human Knight and his party, but some began whispering secretly among themselves. "Is it this fellow that looks like a tin can?" "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Satugura, welcome to the Hall of Contention," the blonde Elf began, his voice exceptionally authoritative, "You must have all heard about the theft of the Eye of Sarezdon. The significance of this item to our city is obvious, and I need to retrieve it." "You make it sound so easy, fox. What''s the reward?" "Yeah, yeah, we don''t work for free!" "Who doesn''t know that it''s a Divine Artifact? If the reward isn''t satisfying, even if I find it, I won''t give it to you! My treasury is still lacking a Divine Artifact level collectible..." "That item is useless to you. It provides no power and has no magic effects. None of you here, including the three of us, possess the Bloodline Power required to use it," said the Elf, his expression turning sour after being called a fox, but he controlled his anger, "Only some... special beings can use this item to draw maps that are critical to trade activities." "Maybe some Abyssal Lord is interested in that thing," someone shouted from the crowd, "Lord Wu''an is always generous to those who help him." "Right! Having real-time access to the location of these Portals, one could mobilize legions through the Great Abyss for surprise attacks..." "Mekanshut might soon have to move into the Silver Palace..." "SILENCE!!!!" A roar erupted, and the huge beetle on the platform spoke up, its voice as grating as fingernails scraping across metal. Everyone covered their ears in agony, and the demand of the Lord of Withering was thus met. Chapter 198 Bounty "I don''t care what use that black bead has, I only know that without it, there would be fewer merchants paying taxes, and I don''t like that situation," proclaimed the Lord of Hive Valley, ''Piercer'' Dugba, raising its blade-like forelimbs. "If any of you dares to hide that thing, I will personally twist his head off, suck his brains dry, eat the flesh off his face clean, and shove the remaining skull up his ass." The beetle demon seemed ready at any moment to prove its threats were real, and the mercenaries below wisely shut their mouths. But Lancelot had no doubt that many did not take the threat seriously at all. "Of course, there will also be rewards," the only female on the platform spoke up, her voice carrying an enticing magnetism. That was ''Shapeshifter'' Lady Akama, the ruler of the Great Abyss. "Anyone who brings back the Eye of Sarezdon will be granted the title ''Lord of Withering Honor'' and given the nobility status of Mogrondale." Whispering voices stirred again, quickly followed by an unhappy shout: "What good is this blasted title?" "This title is more precious than gold and gemstones. The city guards will not attack you, and are willing to serve you, provided the pay is reasonable," Akama''s face broke into a charming smile, "I believe many caravans will need your ''protection''. Or perhaps you''d prefer to venture further and breach into a certain Lord of Withering''s lair? Heheheh..." Thinking of this lady''s well-known vile hobby sent shivers down Lancelot''s spine. Although the female demon''s words were laden with innuendo, she clearly wasn''t referring to herself but to some unseen, ''allegedly'' weaker Fireburn Demon. The mercenaries were much happier with this response, many of them glancing around menacingly as if to scare off potential competitors with their gazes. "So how do we find it?" someone in the crowd asked aloud, unable to contain themselves, "Where exactly did the Divine Artifact fall?" "Alright, we have said all we needed to say," the fox-headed demon clapped his hands, gesturing for his colleagues in front of the portal to make way, "Come get a Magic Wand from me one by one¡ªif you could queue, that would be even better. There''s no need to waste your lives here as the area in need of searching is vast..." Expecting these increasingly impatient mercenaries to queue was naturally impossible. Many people rushed to the platform, grabbed a magic wand, and ran into the portal. Besides the desire for the bounty, the experience of staying with a large group of mercenaries was also terrible, akin to smoking in a goblin workshop¡ªit was better to leave early. With Lancelot from Twin Bridges Town controlling the crowd, the mercenaries were naturally calm and collected. They weren''t overly interested in the so-called bounty; they just wanted the Divine Artifact to quickly return to Mogrondale, so they could continue their journey to Androlina. But they didn''t wait until the very last either. Once most of the eager mercenaries had noisy left, order in the hall quickly resumed. Seeing that the area around the platform was no longer crowded, Lancelot stood and led everyone forward. "You must be Sir Lancelot?" As he approached the platform to collect the Detect Magic wand, the fox-headed demon lord took the initiative to greet him. "Yes, that''s me," Lancelot hesitated for a moment but nodded in acknowledgment. Hearing his response, the other two Lords of Withering also turned their heads to scrutinize him. The massive beetle demon looked provocatively at the Human Knight, the meaning in its gaze was clear, but Lancelot had no interest in responding to such a look; the seductive female demon initially eyed him with a teasing expression but, noticing Elothysia behind the Human Knight, her eyes turned to annoyance, as if her favorite food had been slobbered on by someone else. "I heard it was you who dealt with those thieves, and you encountered some unpleasantness in my district earlier today." The current Governor of the spraying region seemed to have a good impression of Lancelot; he glanced at the cloak on Lancelot''s body, "You are from Twin Bridges Town? I have traveled there with a caravan and have even interacted with Lady Tijana."@@@@ Chapter 199 Bird "May victory and glory be hers," Lancelot replied cautiously, before explaining, "We''re on a commission that requires us to go to various lower-level maps, and now it seems we have no choice but to find the Eye of Sarezdon." "Indeed, I''m glad we can share the same interests," Satugura said with an uncomfortable smile on his fox-like face, and he grabbed three magic wands from the table, "Here, take them. I believe in the abilities of the Twin Bridges Town mercenaries; you''ll certainly bring me a pleasant surprise."@@@@ There''s a saying in the bamboo slips about spiritual cultivation¡ªthe gratuitous offer of help is from none other than a plotter or a thief¡ªwhich couldn''t be more apt to describe how Lancelot felt right now. His spirit perception didn''t notice anything amiss for the moment, so he cautiously took the magic wand. However, he still kept an eye out and decided to let the Scholar study them later for any possible trickery. "Good luck to you." Lancelot nodded his head and then, with everyone joining hands, they all stepped into the portal together. This portal was clearly special; passing through it felt just like walking through an ordinary door, without the brief dizziness that usually accompanied teleportation. Lancelot looked around and found himself standing in a spacious hall, akin in structure to the Hall of Conflict they''d been in before; the portal they had come through was in the same location and was now gradually fading away behind them. The noise of their arrival had alerted the local guards, and two demons quickly flew over from a corner. Lancelot looked up to see muscular demons with humanoid forms, filthy and rotting wings sprouting from their backs, pallid skin like that of a corpse, arms ending in eagle-like claws, and a bald round head with not a single hair, but an extra red eye in the forehead. These were Strapping Demons, said to be directly born from the bloodline of a Demon Monarch through a bloody ritual. Compared to ordinary demons, they had a certain level of obedience and were favored by many Demon Lords. "I was just ambushed!" the Dwarf argued, his face red. "What''s wrong with that? We ambushed it too," said another burly demon, its claws rummaging through the prey''s belly, throwing dripping entrails into its mouth. "We can''t leave this tower, at least not from here. You brought a little fun to our boring time, so we bless you, wishing your death in the Great Abyss to be swift and painless." "Uh, should I say thank you?" Bruto was somewhat confused by these words that sounded like both a curse and a blessing. At that moment, Lancelot came over, patted the Dwarf on the shoulder, and said to the two burly demons indulging in their feast: "Thank you for your assistance. If we want to get back to Mogrondale, how do we open that Portal?" "We can help you open that Portal, and the price is 1000 Gold Coins, or any equivalent item," said one burly demon, wiping the blood from the corner of its mouth, showing Lancelot a nauseating smile. "But what use is money to us? If you can provide us with some entertainment, like luring a few Flomos or Kas demons here, opening that Portal for free would be fine." "I understand," Lancelot nodded and then led the group to get their equipment in order, passing through the exit of Kai-Oine and stepping into the unique blood-red mist of the Great Abyss. This time, without unexpected attackers, the party stood safely on a narrow mountain path, surrounded by an exceptionally perilous environment: on one side a nearly vertical cliff face, on the other an abyss whose bottom was out of sight. On the opposite side was another nearly vertical cliff, in places only tens of feet away from where the group stood and at others, thousands of feet wide. The cliffs were dotted with horizontal paths, and some ancient arch bridges connected the sides, but there were no natural pathways in the vertical direction. For travelers without the power of flight, changing elevation required finding an area less steep to climb while also being vigilant for attacks from the indigenous residents. The cliff was less than five feet away, and exploring this area, the greatest danger was the potential to slip and fall. With some luck, one might end up with a relatively nasty fall, but with bad luck, one might not even find the body. Of course, another concern was something falling from above, like another unfortunate soul who had slipped and plummeted. Chapter 200 Divination Lancelot felt the urge to put on the Transformation Ring again, to grow wings on his back... No, to make his body grow wings. However, after a brief contemplation, he restrained that impulse. With his adept manipulation of True Qi, he could perform glide-like maneuvers in the air, so falling wasn''t so dangerous to him; transforming into a Succubus would somewhat affect his combat ability, which was not a good choice in this strange and perilous environment. "Everyone, take one of these," Koula said as she opened her mouth, and everyone turned to her, noticing the Halfling pulling out several bottles of pale blue potion from her bag. "What is this?" Kalalin curiously took one, "Pale blue, is it related to the Transformation System?" "Exactly, it''s a potion imbued with the effects of the Feather Fall Spell, but don''t drink it now!" Koula stopped the Dwarf who immediately unscrewed the cap and was about to pour it down his throat, "Its effect lasts only one minute, so use it only when necessary, and keep it where you can reach it easily." "What''s the use of that?" Bruto complained, "I can''t predict if I will fall off a cliff within a minute."@@@@ "If the height of the fall is enough to be fatal, you completely have time to drink this potion before hitting the ground," the Halfling explained with a relaxed expression. "In an emergency, you could also just crush it and the part of your body that touches the potion will gain the Feather Fall Spell effect, and then hold onto your other parts of the body, you can still avoid injury from a fall...though it''s not a pleasant experience." "I''d still better be careful not to fall," the Dwarf shrugged and pocketed the potion. The others did the same, except for those with the ability to fly¡ªElothysia, Cromwell, and Little Esha, who was adjusting to the time change in Lancelot''s pocket. Vampires could die in many ways, but falling was definitely not one of them. With a simple action, a vampire could transform into a bat or even a mist. "What do we do next?" the Dwarf looked at the canyon shrouded in red mist, "They say the bead absorbs light from its surroundings, but this damn mist makes it impossible to see anything." Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire "I also know some divination techniques, let me try," Lancelot suddenly spoke up, recalling a very mysterious method of divination recorded on a small bamboo strip. "Let''s give it a try, since we don''t have any leads right now," Kalalin looked skeptically at him, "But can your strange Bloodline Power do this too?" "It has nothing to do with my Bloodline Power, it''s just a small trick I learned by chance," Lancelot also took out a coin from his pocket, "It is said this method can predict anything from the birth and destruction of the universe to the sex of a baby in a pregnant woman''s womb, though there''s no guarantee of accuracy." Naturally, the others had no objections, so Lancelot flicked the coin into the air, and after a few seconds, the coin landed on the ground, text side up. "The back side," Kalalin commented, "What does that mean?" "We''re not finished yet," Lancelot drew two short lines on the ground with the tip of his sword, then picked up the coin and tossed it again, drawing either a long line or two short lines based on the result, each time he repeated this process six times, a strange symbol consisting of several lines appeared on the ground. "I''ve never seen divination done this way," Cromwell looked curiously at the Human Knight frowning in thought, "So what''s the result?" "I don''t quite understand either, probably northward?" Lancelot was silent for a while, then finally said, "This is called hexagram, through six predictions, the result is called a hexagram. There are 64 possible combinations, each with a special meaning, but interpreting them is very difficult." "How did you know it''s northward?" Kalalin looked curiously at the symbol on the ground. As a Scholar of mystical knowledge, he was quite curious. "The three lines at the bottom make up the Inner trigram, and the three lines on top make up the Outer trigram. The Inner trigram represents the current state of the matter being divined, and the Outer trigram represents the way the matter will develop," Lancelot explained to the others, "Each hexagram can have many meanings, for example, the Inner trigram of this prediction represents the north direction, the earth, midnight, transformation, and women among other things." Chapter 201 Evilbane Slash "That doesn''t sound very reliable." Kalalin stroked his chin, "What does that symbol made up of three lines represent then?" "Northwest, mountain range, stillness, extinction, grave." Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, "I guess it should mean the mountain range here, right? The thing we''re looking for has obviously fallen into the valley." "The vaguer the meaning, the easier it is to find a corresponding interpretation afterwards." Alamir was not very convinced by this, "If it were about praying to the gods, one would either get no response at all or receive clear instructions. Lady Firehair would not provide an ambiguous answer." "Agreed. In theory, this method is of directly inquiring of heaven and earth, who knows how the world itself views the issue." Lancelot spread his hands, offering no rebuttal to the elf''s comment, "So shall we head towards the north to try our luck?"@@@@ "Why not? Your intuition is always accurate." The impatient Bruto was the first to step out, heading in the direction Lancelot had calculated. ---------------------------------------- The winding mountain path was narrow in some places and wide in others, but for the most part, only allowed two people to walk side by side. The dwarf with a shield went first, followed by the human knight and succubus paladin. The scholar and the cook walked alongside each other, the latter''s magic boots making her stride as effortlessly as if she were walking on flat ground. Bringing up the rear was Alamir, with a skeleton head beside him, and thanks to a mental connection with the human knight, Lancelot could be kept informed about the situation at the back of the group at all times. As they moved, everyone was alert to any abnormalities in the surrounding environment. Lancelot also tried to focus his attention, but the omnipresent red fog seemed to have a suppressive effect on spirit perception, making it completely impossible to sense anything beyond a hundred feet. But a hundred feet was not a short distance. Lancelot suddenly patted the dwarf on the shoulder and then raised a fist, signaling a warning to his companions. It was not the first time this had happened today, and the group immediately drew weapons and went on alert, scanning in every direction for signs of the enemy. "No!!!!" The intense light made the Kas Demon with its huge compound eyes dizzy, but what truly shocked it was how a Succubus could unleash such an attack. "Evilbane Slash!!!!!!" The Succubus Paladin let out a crisp and firm battle cry as her Longsword, gleaming with golden light, slashed through the Demon like a sickle through wheat, cutting the Kas Demon clean in half. The searing light on the blade instantly vaporized the Demon''s blood, leaving the corpse charred when it hit the ground, as if burned by fire. Experience new stories with My Virtual Library Empire All the Kas Demons were attracted by the attention. Either the destructive power contained in the Succubus''s sword or the fact that this Demon was actually a Holy Warrior placed a tremendous strain on their already limited wits, causing a brief vacancy in their minds. But for Lancelot, this brief moment was enough for him to accomplish a great deal. The sword in the Human Knight''s hand, Frostslash, emitted a green Sword Aura, as the four-foot Sword Blade suddenly grew more than double in length. He moved with a trail of afterimages, hopping vertically across the cliff face, the greenish sword light sweeping over the still-stunned enemies. When Lancelot landed again, the Kas Demons in the sky began to split open one after another, their broken bodies falling into the endless abyss below, eventually becoming food for some lucky Demon or hitting the head of some unlucky creature. "Couldn''t you have left me a couple?" Bruto complained. He had just finished dealing with his second opponent and was looking for another target when he found there were none left in the sky. Chapter 202 The Contradictory Succubus "Although Boss, your moves just now were indeed powerful, the Evilbane Slash still looks cooler," commented the skull from the side, its voice filled with a ghostly tone. "Besides, when cast by a Tanari, it even comes with a powerful deterrent effect." "So, that was the Evilbane Slash?" Lancelot asked curiously, looking at Elothysia. He had heard about the Holy Warriors'' incredible abilities before, and the golden sword aura of the Succubus just now was indeed very impressive, its power comparable to his own Qingyuan Sword Technique enhanced by Innate True Qi. "Yes, Kas was coming too fast just now, and I was worried that ordinary attacks wouldn''t stop it," Elothysia admitted, a bit embarrassed by the praise. "To be honest, I couldn''t believe it myself when I first mastered this skill, considering I still possess a demon''s body; it greatly encouraged me." "That''s amazing, only by being recognized by the essence of goodness can you wield that kind of power," Cromwell remarked thoughtfully. "But since you still have the body of a Fiend, the Evilbane Slash could probably still harm you..." Upon hearing these words, Elothysia''s expression instantly darkened. Realizing his blunder, the skull quickly tried to make amends: "Don''t get me wrong, ha, I''m not questioning your essence. The Fallen Paladin''s Evilbane Slash can affect you as well..."@@@@ Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire The poor Succubus was on the verge of tears as soon as these words were spoken. Lancelot cast a plaintive look at Cromwell and began to console Elothysia: "Don''t listen to the skull''s nonsense. Who would use the Evilbane Slash against you?" From there, things quickly move towards a tragic end. For those Succubi who habitually use lies to start and maintain a relationship, the final outcome is, in fact, predetermined. Therefore, Elothysia was lucky; she approached that Angel in her true form as a Succubus. She had been ready to be slain on the spot by the object of her affection. Luckily, the Goddess of Luck, Tamora, took a liking to her that day, and her confession was a great success. Her Angel lover was far more mature and wise than the average mortal and provided tremendous support as she struggled against her innate nature. After hearing Elothysia''s story, everyone reacted differently. Alamir was so moved he was all tears, insisting her story proved the great power of love and once again invited Elothysia to join Shuni''s church; the Scholar thought he had harvested valuable psychological material on Succubi, which is of utmost interest to all male Demon researchers. Meanwhile, Lancelot remained silent. His mind was flashing with various thoughts, and he almost lost his footing and fell off the cliff because he was lost in thoughts, having to invoke the Ice Heart Spell just to calm his mind. But some crazy ideas had taken root in his heart. Maybe he should do as Elothysia did and confess his feelings directly to Tijana? Should he make his thoughts clear to Tijana, instead of hiding behind the armor of politeness and duty, cautiously probing with the long spear of his affection? Lancelot shook his head, dispelling these nai?ve thoughts. He had made similar overtures when he had just become a Knight, but he was no longer that impulsive and reckless young man. How did that saying go? A confession is always the victory chant, not the clarion call to charge. So, he had to continue the tango with the Succubus Lord with patience. As the group continued to explore, they did come across some special locales. The first thing that caught everyone''s attention was some mysterious runes carved on the cliff face. These runes were very ancient, and their survival to this day was clearly due to the power of some magic. Kalalin recognized these runes as a very old form of Abyssal Text, which greatly piqued his interest. Chapter 203 Ancient Secrets Deciphering text wasn''t a difficult task; as a scholar researching the lower planes, Kalalin''s backpack always contained a very practical magic scroll¡ª"Comprehend Languages." This level 1 spell could last for an hour and allowed its recipient to understand any spoken language or any written text. However, it was only limited to the literal meaning, and the spell was incapable of decrypting secret codes or secret texts. Since it was merely a level 1 magic and possessed no ability to cause harm, many adventurers didn''t even know of its existence.@@@@ "What do these symbols mean?" Lancelot asked curiously, his Spiritual Sense hinting that there was something very dangerous behind this rock wall, but the sensing was not very clear through the thick soil. "It seems to say that this place is the final resting place of a powerful Demon Lord." Kalalin showed a puzzled expression, "This is... a graveyard? Aren''t demons immortal and undying? How could there be a graveyard?" "Not all demons are immortal and undying," the skull-shaped encyclopedia spoke up, "There''s one kind that isn''t." "Really?" Doubts came from the only demon in the team, "As far as I know, all demons are killed, there has never been a case of one dying from old age..." "You Tanari indeed do not," Cromwell bumped his smooth forehead against that string of Runes, "But the creators of these writings, the Obyrith, were different." "Obyrith? This is the tomb of an ancient Lord of Obyrith?" The scholar''s eyes were full of a thirst for knowledge, "Weren''t they defeated by the invading Aira Celestials armies and their former slaves, the Tanari demons, subsequently fading into obscurity?" "When they had just been driven out from the Plains of the Abyss, they didn''t feel that their race'' end was near. Many powerful Lords of Obyrith hid in deeper planes, waiting for the opportunity to strike back," Cromwell thoroughly enjoyed showing off his knowledge in front of everyone, "But later on, changes within the Bottomless Abyss itself directly led to the decline of the Obyrith demon race." "Changes within the Abyss itself?" Elothysia was also very curious about this, "I''ve never heard of such things before..." "After all, that is history from countless centuries ago; it''s normal for you not to know..." The skull chuckled, "By the way, how old are you?" "Be careful!" The entire earth seemed to rotate at once, the process came abruptly and ended just as swiftly. A few seconds later, the ground had stilled again. But now, the dirt path under their feet was tilted about twenty degrees towards the cliffside; those walking on it had to always pay attention, to avoid slipping and falling off. "I think you might have spoken too much truth." Kalalin complained to the skeletal head, still unsettled, "This is a warning from the will of the Abyss." "Nonsense, such phenomena are common in the Great Abyss..." The skeletal figure tried to argue back, but his tone was clearly weaker than before. "Hey! What''s that over there?" Koula suddenly spoke, pointing to a crack in the rock wall beside them, which was wide enough for a person. The cold wind blowing out from within indicated that there was a large space behind it. "Oh? This is most likely the entrance to the tomb, opened by the tumult just now, isn''t it?" The dwarf seemed very excited, "What do you say, Lancelot? Shall we go in and explore?" The Human Knight looked skeptically at the crack; its appearance might be a little too convenient, right? With this thought, he took out the magic wands given by the abyssal fox-headed demon and handed them to Kalalin, telling the Scholar: "Take a look at these wands, would you? If there''s nothing wrong with them, then let''s see if what we''re looking for is inside." "I also suspected that there was something wrong with the stuff that fox gave, let me have a look..." Kalalin pulled out a monocle and clipped it to his eye socket, scrutinizing the intricate engravings on the magic wand. Chapter 204 The Legendary Monster "The spells on the upper part of these magic wands seem to be some kind of item-location variant, and they already specify the target they are looking for, this part is about the description of that divine artifact..." Kalalin muttered to himself, "But what are these extra runes on the bottom for?" Gradually, the scholar''s expression turned solemn, while Lancelot had already suspected that something was amiss. Kalalin picked up several other wands to examine them and even cast a few spells on them, but apparently the results didn''t satisfy him. Finally, taking a deep breath, the scholar addressed everyone: "The upper half of each wand is the same, likely the magic they mentioned for detecting the Eye of Sarizdon. But there''s something else in the lower half, and its complexity far exceeds that of the upper half." Kalalin demonstrated the abnormalities of the three wands but aside from himself, no one could understand those patterns as intricate as fingerprints. "I knew those Lords of Withering weren''t up to any good," Lancelot frowned and said, "What kind of effects do they have?" "I''m sorry, I can''t tell, and the detection magic didn''t give me any answers," Kalalin shrugged, "I can barely recognize that it is from the Transformation System of spells, probably not something good." "Doesn''t that mean these sticks are all useless now?" Bruto lamented from the side, "Are these guys brain-dead? We''re just helping to find an object..." "Honestly, without these things, I would be even more uneasy," Kalalin smiled, "I can try to destroy the runes on the lower half while keeping the detection magic on the upper half active." "That''s possible?" Lancelot asked with some surprise, having already prepared himself to throw all three wands away. "Of course," the scholar chuckled, pulling out a finely crafted small knife from his backpack, "I am an expert in this field."@@@@ Bruto exclaimed in shock, mirroring Lancelot''s feelings at the moment. One side of the battle was familiar to him¡ªa large group of Flomos, of which they had already killed many ruthless and evil demons today¡ªbut the other was a creature he had never seen before. At first glance, it appeared to be a huge, floating ball of flesh, but upon closer inspection, one could recognize the evil and twisted nature of the creature: in the center of the spherical body was a gigantic eyeball, under which was a huge mouth lined with sharp teeth; thin tentacles grew from its body, each ending with a smaller eyeball. Lancelot had heard about such creatures from Kalalin; it was an Eye Demon, one of the strangest beings in the Multiverse and every adventurer''s nightmare. The eyeballs at the ends of the tentacles were not just for expanding its field of vision¡ªa blue ray shot from one eye, turning a Flomo that was circling its head into a stone statue that shattered as it hit the ground; another eyeball emitted a pink light, and the demon it shone upon immediately began attacking its own comrades, as if it had been charmed. Each small eyeball at the end of a tentacle could release different types of rays, and this peculiar creature fought by relying on these eye-generated beams, easily handling the numerous groups of winged demons. Bruto''s cry of surprise attracted its attention, and the Eye Demon''s body rotated slightly, its massive central eye looking their way. A deep humming sound filled everyone''s ears, and the hammer in Alamir''s hand, which glowed like a torch, extinguished in an instant, while the protective spells Kalalin had cast on himself beforehand also suddenly dissipated. They were naturally familiar with this phenomenon. In fact, it was the Eye Demon''s most debilitating skill for adventurers¡ªthe Anti-Magic Field. Through its fearsome central eye, the Eye Demon could create a conical field of great distance that completely cut off the magical energies permeating the Multiverse, including the rays emitted from its own auxiliary eyes. However, this didn''t mean that a skilled warrior like Lancelot would have any advantage. The Eye Demon could simply activate the Anti-Magic Field to instantly strip away any active protection and buff magic on an enemy, then close its main eye to use its auxiliary eyes¡ªwhich could paralyze, charm, petrify, instill fear, weaken, hypnotize, and even kill¡ªto go through the enemy one by one, always finding a ray to deal with those muscle-relying types. Luckily, this Eye Demon seemed uninterested in Lancelot and his newly arrived companions, or perhaps it didn''t even consider them worthy of its attention. It turned back and continued to focus on the Flomos circling around it like flies. Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire "That''s an Eye Demon, right?" Lancelot quietly asked Kalalin, "What''s it doing here?" Chapter 205 Memories Reappear "Pay attention to its back," Kalalin pointed out, Lancelot followed the suggestion and saw a peculiar Portal behind the Eye Demon. The portal was unordinary in that it was not arc-shaped like most, but rather circular; also, the surrounding rock walls were speckled with shining, gem-like spots. Yet a closer look revealed a chilling sight¡ªnot jewels, but numerous eyes glittering. "That must be the portal leading to the Abyss''s Sixth Layer, the Land of Multieyes, a realm belonging to the Eye Demons'' deity ''Great Matriarch''," Kalalin whispered, "That Eye Demon must be the portal''s guard. These creatures, like Demons, are from a law-abiding camp; it''s odd they don''t fight these Demons." "But this is basically a one-sided massacre," Bruto interrupted. The Dwarf''s remark was nearly on the mark. The floating orb carelessly swung its tentacles, a burst of multicolored rays swept across the sky, and the onslaught of Demons kept tumbling out of the air like a ginkgo tree losing its golden leaves in late autumn. "Are we just going to watch?" Bruto looked up at Lancelot. Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire "This guy is from a law-abiding camp, right?" Lancelot didn''t directly answer but first asked the Scholar, "If we don''t attack it, will it let us pass?" "It should... probably," Kalalin uncertainly said, "My expertise is in Abyss history and Demon sociology, this stuff isn''t in my field of study. Elothysia, have you ever dealt with these creatures?" "I''ve fought them but never interacted directly," the Succubus Paladin said, focusing on the battle scene, "Lancelot, Bruto, if a fight breaks out, make sure not to stray too far from me. My Guardian Halo can protect you from the rays emitted by those secondary eyes. Getting close to us should make defeating it not too difficult." "Guardian Halo? What''s that?" the Dwarf curiously asked the Paladin, "Just by standing beside you, those weird rays won''t affect me?" "Just like this." Elothysia nodded to him. At that moment, the aura of the Succubus changed¡ªalready incredibly beautiful, she now appeared in their eyes like a Victory Goddess, filling everyone with emotions like courage, determination, and confidence. The memory gradually faded, and Lancelot and Cromwell looked at each other, eye to eye, and finally, the Human Knight shrugged his shoulders, "That goddess... who is she?" "You saw his memory?" Kalalin asked curiously, "What goddess?" "A human goddess with golden hair, wielding a spear and a round shield, mostly involved with victory and war," Lancelot explained, "Have you heard of such a deity?" "A goddess of the war domain?" Kalalin frowned in thought for a moment, then shook her head confidently, "Not at all, at least there isn''t such a goddess in the main cultures of my world. Isn''t the skull''s brain filled with the most complete encyclopedia of this multiverse? Is there a section about deities in it?" Cromwell grimaced as he thought hard for a while but didn''t speak, apparently coming up empty. Just then, Lancelot''s expression suddenly changed, and he immediately pulled out the Giant Sword Glacier from his Dimensional Bag. Along with it came a little girl''s confused head, which Lancelot pressed back in without a word. All this was because his Spirit Perception suddenly detected a very powerful creature, a terror so immense it rivaled the pressure from a Demon Refinement in the Abyss. It was all because of the red mist lingering around, preventing him from noticing the adversary''s proximity until it was very close. "Damn it!" the usually graceful Lancelot cursed violently. The group got a scare from his battle-ready demeanor, but when they looked up, they saw the Eye Demon still happily playing its laser-mosquito game in the distance, and Bruto couldn''t help but ask, "What''s going on? Any problems?" "A powerful... a powerful creature is coming," Lancelot said nervously, his body starting to tremble slightly, "If a fight breaks out, I''ll try to hold it off while you all run!" Chapter 206 Local Bully As he uttered the last word, a huge black shadow had already appeared directly above the Eye Demon, diving swiftly toward the portal guardian. Lancelot gathered some True Qi to enhance his vision and carefully observed the formidable creature that was making him so nervous. It was as large as the Flame Demon and Demon Refinement, its body glossy black, topped with a beast-like head of porcupine-like black bristles, and behind it spread a pair of striking blood-red, back-to-front wings. But the most memorable part was its body: on either side of its humanoid torso grew four burly arms, each clutching a battle axe; and where its belly should have been, from the chest down to the groin, was a gaping maw, with a pair of demonic antlers stretching out from the waist, constituting an extremely bizarre demon figure. "That is... the Guardian of the Gate!" The Succubus behind let out a startled scream, obviously recognizing the creature that had suddenly appeared, but the memories from the Elf Priest in Lancelot''s mind were activated. In the ancient memories of the Elves, this four-armed demon commanded a staggering demon legion that flooded over the Elves'' defenses like a tide. The ancient Elves called it the Legion Demon, a general of demons far stronger and more commanding than the Six-Armed Serpent Demon. In their memories, these demons always had a large number of lesser demons following, yet for some unknown reason, the Legion Demon before them was alone. The Eye Demon only spotted the rapidly approaching threat a few seconds later than Lancelot and the others. At the sight of the adversary, its body, which had been slightly reddened with pleasure, instantly turned ashen, resembling a lump of overcooked rotten meat. All of its auxiliary eyes were shooting beams of eye rays at the Legion Demon, while its body began floating towards the portal. However, the demon in the dive suddenly started rotating its body rapidly, dodging most of the rays, and the few that did hit it had no effect, as if merely tickling, provoking a triumphant roar from the demon. The Eye Demon''s floating movement was far too slow, and when it was still thirty to forty feet from the portal, the Legion Demon had already pounced on it, resembling a large cat leaping at a ball of yarn. The demon''s body, impelled by tremendous momentum, pinned the Eye Demon to the ground, while its four arms chopped left and right, quickly severing all the latter''s tentacles. "No one! Is allowed! To guard! The portal!" Not towards Lancelot''s side. The Legion Demon let out an angry roar, picked up the battle axe that it had thrown on the ground, jumped into the void below, and flew away just like that. "Whew, that guy doesn''t seem to have an appetite for us," Bruto cautiously peeked his head over the cliff edge to look down, "Smart choice, our Dwarf flesh stinks and is tough, really nasty to eat." "Stones from a cesspit fit that description as well," Cromwell retorted sharply. "Elothysia, did you just call it the Guardian of the Portal?" Lancelot asked the Succubus Paladin. That terrifying presence had disappeared from his Spirit Perception; the gap between their strengths was too great for the other to bother ambushing them. "Yes, its renown is widespread throughout the Abyss," the Succubus nodded in confirmation, "It''s said that since ancient times, it''s been patrolling the Great Abyss incessantly, attacking anyone trying to guard the Portal." "So that''s the Guardian of the Portal?" Scholar seemed quite excited, "I''ve heard about it and always found it to be an intriguing entity, but most of what''s known about it is hearsay, seldom any firsthand accounts..." "I don''t like any creature with more than one mouth," said Koula with a pallid face, "Isn''t it said that any Lord Level demon cannot enter the Great Abyss? How can such a terrifying creature exist?" "One theory is that it grew to its current strength within the Great Abyss and has never left," Kalalin explained to everyone, "In ancient times, following the chaos, Obyrith tried to make all the Lords of Obyrith submit, and those who refused were cast into the Great Abyss. There were no restrictions in the Great Abyss back then; anyone could enter, and the Guardian of the Portal is believed to have been born within the Abyss during that time." "I can offer some additional information on this," Cromwell cleared his throat, "According to a Tanari historian, it once visited the Guardian of the Portal, and the Four-Armed Demon claimed it received an order to guard the Great Abyss from an Obyrith Lord named Asma. Asma has long since faded into the annals of history, but the Guardian of the Portal doesn''t think that has anything to do with continuing its mission." Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire Chapter 207 The Well of Darkness "This doesn''t seem like something Demons would do, does it?" Bruto expressed his growing interest, "Aren''t they inherently chaotic? How can they fulfill a duty for so long?" "They are direct creations of the Abyss," Kalalin shrugged, "I advise you not to ask too many questions, at least not here." The Dwarf wanted to say something more, but in the end, he held it back. If the ground beneath their feet were to slant any further, walking would indeed become impossible. The group quickly left the Portal of the Land of Thousand Eyes, uninterested in exploring the Eye Demons'' plane beyond the portal, and the bloodied flesh in front of the portal would soon attract other local residents. They traversed mountain paths, tunnels, and stone bridges, occasionally killing some oblivious Frols or Kas, extracting one or two low-value gemstones from the rock faces, but they gained no clues about the Eye of Sarezdon. The closest they came was when they found a cave blocked by numerous metal bars, continuously emitting a stream of pitch-black water. Lancelot indeed sensed something special, but Elothysia immediately dampened their enthusiasm. "That is a portal to the seventy-third layer of the Abyss, the Dark Well," the Succubus Paladin looked uneasily around, "We better leave this place quickly." "It does sound like a very reliable method," Lancelot remarked as he looked down the road ahead while listening to Kalalin''s explanation, "So what kind of beings are locked up in there?" "Some of the more well-known ones include Ma Yuan, the God Slayer who has killed over ten deities, existing solely to prevent the gods from becoming too arrogant and complacent; Abeloth, the World Devourer, a serpent said to spell the end of all things, whose followers recite a scripture daily to ensure the World Devourer cannot gather any strength to escape; and Eberron, ''Lord Wu''an''s'' most important ally and General before ruling over Azgralath, who after nearly a millennium of imprisonment, has likely turned his loyalty into rage towards Grazzt..." "And also Samael Amor, the former Queen of the Succubus," Elothysia added, "who was also a former lover of Dimogorgen. If one day you decide to confront the Demon Prince, it would be wise to seek her aid." "Let''s hope we never have to seek her help," Lancelot shook his head, yet he was also curious, "But if someone outside helps, is it possible for a prisoner to escape?" Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire "It''s very rare, but not unprecedented, which is why many scholars who study the history of the Abyss can recount every such instance from memory," Kalalin shrugged, "As Elothysia mentioned, these prisoners often possess their former foes'' or masters'' deadliest secrets. So, you can imagine how heavily guarded those cells are. Ordinary worshippers could never ''fish'' someone out from inside, unless it is a direct order from the Hall of Sorrow or some powerful divine force discreetly stirring things, which might enable a prisoner''s release." "The Hall of Sorrow?" Lancelot turned his head in surprise, "From what you''re saying, it seems to hold great power, even able to command an Abyssal Lord to release a prisoner?" "The Hall of Sorrow is the four hundredth layer of the Abyss," Kalalin hesitated for a moment and looked towards Elothysia, "Maybe you should explain this part?" "When I was... just a regular succubus, I visited that place several times," the Holy Warrior hesitated before speaking, "If we successfully captured a particularly evil soul, it could be handed over to the Soul Judge of the Hall of Sorrow, and the reward received was much better than what my former master provided. I''m sorry, I actually don''t know much about it, maybe you should continue." Chapter 208 Tools "You have already pointed out one of the reasons why the Hall of Sorrow holds a transcendent status." Kalalin smiled, "There, the soul judges known as the Lords of Sorrow transform souls into low-rank Prime Demons, Coward Devils, or Aberrant Demons¡ªdepending on whether the armies of the Abyss need food, slaves, or food for slaves. And those souls that are most greedy, most evil, and most ambitious have a chance to receive special attention and be directly endowed with a higher form." "Sounds like a huge military camp," the Dwarf said as he walked and kicked a stone by the roadside, "The Abyss is so vast, can''t demons spring up everywhere? How does it come to have such an exalted status?" "Capturing wild demons is a time-consuming and laborious task, while the Hall of Sorrow produces Tanari at a speed much faster than the Abyss itself, and it can systematically send them to the blood war legions that need them." The Scholar patiently explained, "Most of the Tanari Lords maintain a surface respect for the Hall of Sorrow because to tear their faces would mean becoming the target of all in the Abyss, and all its enemies would temporarily set aside their disputes and unite¡ªsomething that is almost impossible under normal circumstances. Therefore, even the Demon Prince Dimogorgen would not lightly choose to publicly confront the Hall of Sorrow." "How come the political struggles among demons are also so complicated." Bruto lamented, "Can''t they be like us Dwarves where the King, Generals, and ordinary soldiers and craftsmen all work hard at their respective duties, smithing normally and occasionally aiming at the skulls of Orcs and the knees of Giants? Such a life would be so much easier and more enjoyable." "It seems you don''t like staying by the forge all the time," Lancelot joked. "It''s normal for a young person to be a bit restless," Bruto''s defense was rendered unconvincing by the thick beard on his chin, "By the way, Lancelot, We''ve been walking all day, right? Your divination method doesn''t seem very reliable." "I... never said it was definitely going to work..." Lancelot estimated the time, "Shall we prepare to camp?" "Here?" Bruto looked doubtfully at their surroundings; they were flanked by narrow incline paths not five feet wide, with nearly vertical rock walls on the left and an open, bottomless void on the right. Lancelot smiled and drew out his Giant Sword Glacier. He had practiced the Qingyun Sword Art to the third stage, reaching the peak of the Qi Refinement Realm. As a Wood System cultivation technique, it might be relatively weaker against metal weapons and armor, but it was formidable against rock and earth... A dim green light emerged. Under Lancelot''s full force, the Sword Aura extended more than ten feet from the tip of his sword, resembling a giant long spear in a heavy infantry formation. "Could you all step back a bit?" Lancelot said to the people behind him, then he thrust the Great Sword into the rock wall as easily as a fork into cheese. "Look how focused he is, we better not disturb him, haha." The skull let out a dry laugh, "Maybe you could mention it to him later?" "Let''s not, he seems to be enjoying himself." Read latest chapters at My Virtual Library Empire In just a short while, Lancelot had carved out a platform over thirty feet wide on the near-vertical cliff face, spacious enough for everyone to comfortably start a fire and cook. "You''re lucky it didn''t collapse," Bruto said, circling around like a foreman, using his professional Dwarven judgment to confirm that the cave wouldn''t become his tomb in a few hours. The group already had extensive experience in outdoor camping. They expertly set up tents, started a campfire, Alamir conjured a large barrel of clean water using Divine Arts, Kalalin cast a warding spell from a scroll, and Bruto took out a small hammer, beginning maintenance on everyone''s weapons and gear, saying: "Finally, we can rest a bit. It might sound strange, but I feel much safer here than in the inn last night. Koula, what are we having tonight?" "I bought some Abyss chicken from the kitchen of Tears of Lazzaka. How about roast chicken for dinner tonight? You can compare it with what we had at the inn last night and see which is better." "Do we even need to ask?" Bruto jumped up, "It''s definitely from Tears of Lazzaka... No comparison to yours!" The Halfling chef''s response was to throw a chicken claw at him, which the Dwarf easily batted into the fire with his hammer, sending out a delicious aroma. "What should we do tomorrow? Continue forward or go back to check?" Kalalin asked Lancelot, who was helping Koula rotate the spit, from which the spice-covered Abyss chicken emitted an enticing aroma. Chapter 209 Unwanted Guest Arrives "Although these mountain paths are difficult to navigate, we must have walked close to thirty li by now," Lancelot frowned and pondered. "The place where we killed those shape-shifting monsters isn''t far from the Skeleton Tower. If the Divine Artifact was indeed discarded as they were climbing up, this should be the maximum range. Either we''re unlucky and the Eye of Sarezdon didn''t fall at this height, or we chose the wrong direction and should have explored in the other direction." Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire "Should we turn back first thing tomorrow, or should we continue exploring for half a day more?" Kalalin couldn''t think of a good idea either. "I think we should walk a bit further because those shape-shifting monsters would have tried to get as far away from the Skeleton Tower and its guard while fleeing..."@@@@ "Does roast chicken smell that good to you?" Lancelot suddenly interrupted the Scholar, his face filled with helplessness. "...What?" Kalalin was baffled by the Human Knight''s words, but then he suddenly heard a familiar jingling sound by his ear¡ª it was the signal that the alert spell had been triggered. Lancelot had already stood up, his eyes fixed intently on the Black-Armored Knight who was slowly advancing towards them. "Enrique, that''s your name, isn''t it?" Frostslash appeared silently in Lancelot''s hand, the killing air in the atmosphere suddenly becoming so thick that it was stifling. The Dark Guardian didn''t answer but merely raised his Longsword, issuing a clear and unmistakable challenge. "Sigh, it seems you''re not here to appreciate our Halfling companion''s cooking," Lancelot sighed. "Though our last bout didn''t conclude, I still wonder if we can avoid this conflict. Elothysia told us your story, and I think that..." He didn''t finish his sentence as Enrique already lunged at him, and Lancelot moved simultaneously. In this thirty-foot space, with cliffs on three sides and a bottomless abyss on the other, the most crucial thing once the fight started was to seize the central position. This was a response that broke the fundamental principles of Knight swordsmanship. Since slash-based attacks found it difficult to penetrate the defense of plate armor, a knight''s duel typically wouldn''t result in severe injury before one participant fell. Therefore, the most critical thing was to maintain one''s balance while attempting to knock down the opponent during armored combat. Jumping¡ªa movement likely to cause imbalance¡ªwas strictly forbidden in any school of swordsmanship. Lancelot was confident that his response would utterly surprise his adversary, and it seemed that the reality was indeed so. With the Dark Guardian''s weapon having missed its target, he left his midsection wide open, presenting the Knight in mid-air with an excellent opportunity. He was about to thrust his longsword when he suddenly realized that the opponent had swung the Horizontal Slash one-handedly, while the other arm was tightly pressed to the side, ready to spring forward like a crossbow tightly wound. Just as Lancelot was certain that his opponent would surely succeed with the Rotational Parry, Enrique was confident that his adversary would have a way to block his subsequent Horizontal Slash. Therefore, he did not place all his bets on that one strike but kept a fist in reserve as a contingency. Lancelot inwardly cursed his misfortune, hastily positioned his yet-to-be-thrust longsword before him, just in time to block the fiercely launched punch. The Dark Guardian''s fist was ablaze with black and red flames, which gave off an extremely impure sensation. A hot and evil energy traveled up the sword, and Lancelot''s True Qi within his body spontaneously reacted, striving to fend off the invasion of this corrupt force. Fortunately, the punch had not landed on his body, and that peculiar energy ultimately failed to penetrate his system. The Human Knight, hanging in mid-air with nowhere to leverage, was sent flying backwards from the impact. However, he had, after all, successfully blocked the enemy''s attack and was not greatly harmed, so he quickly adjusted his posture and landed steadily on the ground. "Tch," Lancelot grunted in dissatisfaction. Although the three moves seemed to have ended in a draw, the opponent now occupied the center of the arena, which actually put him at a disadvantage. Chapter 210 Deadlock The rest of them stood far off in a corner, not daring to step forward to help. The movements of the two were simply too fast; neither Bruto''s hammer nor Kalalin''s spells could ensure they wouldn''t accidentally harm their own comrades. Moreover, they had a strange feeling that Lancelot actually didn''t want them to intervene. This was an opponent his equal in strength, also a knight; Lancelot seemed to wish to win this battle using his own power. "Enough! Enrique! Stop!" Elothysia unexpectedly spoke up, "Have you forgotten the glory and trust you once held? You have indeed suffered unjust treatment, and justice never forbids revenge, but that is no excuse for the indiscriminate killing of innocents!" "Shut up, Tanari!" To everyone''s surprise, the typically silent and uncommunicative Dark Guardian suddenly spoke up with anger that was hard to suppress, "Don''t think you have any right to judge me! You too betrayed your own lord, your former way of life, how are you any different from me?" "What? Did a Succubus Paladin strike a nerve?" Elothysia seemed to be angered as well, showing her succubus talent for sharp wit, "Evil is our demonic nature, but I chose to fight against it; whereas you, when faced with the darkness within, chose to submit. Even if your eyes clouded by pride fail to see the difference, how do you explain your decline in your fall from grace?" "Shut up shut up shut up!!! You don''t understand anything!!!" The knight in black armor shouted hysterically, raising his sword and charging at the Succubus Paladin, and Lancelot naturally wouldn''t turn a blind eye to this. "Hey! Have you even lost the decency to treat a lady with respect?" Frostslash forcefully intercepted Enrique, "Don''t get it wrong; your enemy is right here!" The Sword Aura on the Dark Guardian''s blade surged dramatically, like his raging fury. The surrounding light seemed to be sucked into the pitch-black sword blade, as if even the air touching it was annihilated in an instant. Lancelot''s mind worked furiously, considering possible strategies. Their strengths were evenly matched, so should he just keep wearing down the opponent and wait for an opportunity? That was too unpredictable, and since the opponent harbored various peculiar abilities, who knew what kind of tricks he might pull next; what about making use of the surrounding environment? He still remembered the position of a few rocks in the soil layers of the walls and ceiling¡ªusing those hard surfaces, he could make some unexpected leaps... Or perhaps, the endless void just outside the camp? A plan quickly formed in his mind, but it wasn''t easy to get the opponent to follow his script. The first step of the plan was to make the opponent believe that Lancelot was on the verge of defeat, and for that, he had to tell a good story. In the eyes of the onlookers, Lancelot''s movements seemed to slow down gradually. His breathing became heavy, no longer able to suppress the opponent with speed, and his parrying didn''t seem as effortless anymore. Bruto was the first to notice the anomaly and couldn''t help but anxiously speak out: "Is Lancelot running out of stamina?" The Dwarf stared intently at the battle, his body involuntarily shifting left and right, "We should go help him!" Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire "Something''s not quite right," Alamir also felt uneasy, "We should get ready..." "Brother Lancelot will definitely not lose!" Little Isha stated with conviction, though her body was so tense it began to tremble slightly, and a faint red glow started to emerge in her eyes. Everyone began to take action. Glows of Divine Arts appeared on the Elves and Succubus as they enhanced their various abilities; Koula mixed several potions together, creating a solution with violently bubbling bubbles, but instead of covering it, she clenched it tightly in her hand; Kalalin was frantically rummaging through her backpack, drawing out various scrolls, preparing to cast strengthening spells on her companions. The only ones who didn''t move were the little Vampire and Clone Well; the former really had nothing she could do and thus gripped her Cold Iron Shortsword tightly, ready to join the battle at any moment. Chapter 211 Hanging Upside Down The skull-like Clone Well looked at his "master" with a skeptical face. He and Lancelot were linked telepathically and could somewhat sense each other''s emotions, yet from the Human Knight there came not a trace of fear or urgency. "I''m acting as him, play along." "Huh?" Lancelot''s voice suddenly rang in the skull''s mind, which startled him at first, but he quickly caught on. "How should I play along?" "Anything!" the Human Knight replied briefly and then fell silent. That was because Enrique had suddenly launched a series of rapid and dense thrusts, forcing him to focus completely on the defense, making the scene extremely perilous for a moment. "Boss! Boss, are you reaching your limit? Wuuwuuwuu, don''t die, boss!!" After a brief silence, the skull suddenly started howling, startling everyone else, "Boss, don''t push yourself! Let''s kill him together!" "You guys... are not... my match!" Lancelot rolled his eyes inwardly, but still went along with the skull''s spur-of-the-moment idea, "Run! I can still... hold on!!" "Boss! We... we will remember you!" The skull''s blunt response almost made Lancelot choke; was this acting too rough? The rest looked at the skull with odd expressions, bewildered by its abnormal behavior. However, it was the Dwarf who reacted first. In a way, he was the one who had been tormented by Lancelot the most in the team, so he understood best that the Human Knight always had endless tricks up his sleeve.@@@@ "Then we''re off!" Bruto shouted towards Lancelot, while turning his head to wink at his companions, "We''ll wait for you at Skeleton Tower... if you survive..." Everyone''s faces showed puzzlement, first the skull, and then Bruto; these two were acting so strangely. But the Dwarf''s expression gave them a hint, and they all began moving toward the door. Little Isha was very reluctant, but Kalalin whispered ''Enreyes'' in her ear, and the clever girl immediately understood. Enrique''s thoughts momentarily blanked due to Lancelot''s abnormal move, but in the next instant, a tremendous force also flung him into the air. Lancelot''s foot, shimmering with dazzling golden light, hooked under the Dark Guardian''s groin like a crowbar and exploded violently at the moment of the kick. This was him using the technique of Gathering Qi Slash, kicking in an upside-down swordfish pose, directly hitting the target, which wholly unexpected the attack from such an angle, completely unguarded. Compared to the Qingyuan Sword Technique, the power of Gathering Qi Slash was considerably less, and when released with ordinary True Qi, it was so volatile that it dispersed destructively, which is why Lancelot hadn''t used this technique since mastering the Qingyun Sword Art. Compared to Qingyuan Sword Technique, the Gathering Qi Slash couldn''t emit Sword Aura for a sustained effect, but its instant explosive effect was still impressive, and it could be executed from any part of his body, so as long as the timing was right, it could still play a decisive role. As Lancelot kicked, his hands were also busy. He formed a spell, and suddenly a large cluster of tendrils surged at the edge of the cliff, tightly wrapping around the human knight in mid-air, preventing him from plunging into the void below. Meanwhile, Enrique, who had been blasted into mid-air by that kick, was tumbling downward outside of Lancelot. Almost instinctively, the human knight stretched out his hand and grabbed one of the Dark Guardian''s arms, suspending him mid-air. "You''ve lost," Lancelot calmly said. "Throw down your weapon, and I can pull you up." In response, the Dark Guardian did not hesitate to swing his longsword. But before the enemy could raise his arm, Lancelot had already sensed danger and immediately detected Enrique''s intention to exert force. The Qingyuan Sword Technique subconsciously activated, and a translucent Sword Aura was emitted from the upside-down human knight''s palm, shredding the arm holding him and severing this Fallen Paladin''s hope for survival. "What''s the point," Lancelot''s gaze followed the figure of his powerful adversary rolling downwards, uttering a soft sigh. "Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!" Cheers came from nearby; they were his teammates celebrating his victory. A smile also appeared on Lancelot''s face, and just as he was about to control the tendrils to bring himself back to the ground, a glimpse in the corner of his eye caught a sight that made his expression freeze. Below, the Dark Guardian fell hundreds of feet before hitting a rockface. The expected scene of his body shattering didn''t occur; rather, the rockface disappeared like an illusion, revealing a pitch-black opening, and Enrique''s figure vanished into the opening. Chapter 212 If Not in the Abyss "Hey! Don''t just hang there trying to look cool, Lancelot!" Bruto''s voice came from above him, "Hurry back, the roast chicken is still on the fire!" "Do you need help?" Elothysia flew up to his side, followed by a fluttering little bat. She noticed Lancelot''s serious expression and quickly asked, "Is something wrong? Did you get hit by the Dark Guardian''s Fallen Touch? My Holy Healing can dispel those negative effects..." "I''m fine," Lancelot shook his head, gesturing with his fingers to have the vines lower him back to the ground. "What happened?" Kalalin asked concernedly, the Scholar keenly picking up on the Human Knight''s recent peculiar behavior. "I saw Enrique fall into a pitch-black cave, the entrance was an illusion in the rock wall," Lancelot explained to everyone, "Although it was just a brief glimpse, the mouth of the cave was so dark it seemed like it could suck in all the surrounding light, very much like how the Lord of Withering described the Eye of Sarezdon." "Really?" Bruto jumped up excitedly, "Then what are we waiting for? Let''s go down there right away!" "Hold on," Lancelot shook his head, "Kalalin, you have to come down with me to check it out, and bring that Magic Wand the fox gave us." "Alright," Kalalin nodded decisively. A moment later, Elothysia looked on, somewhat speechlessly, at the two Elves heading down, while the others behind her had no particular reaction, having become accustomed to such oddities. "Is it just me?" the Succubus Paladin asked the others, "Do they seem rather happy to put on the Transformation Rings?" "What''s so great about looking like that." Bruto took out his own ring, "Let me show you what I look like after transforming..." "What..." Elothysia hadn''t finished speaking when she suddenly saw another Elf with a big beard in front of her. The Succubus Paladin was stunned for a moment, then her facial expression changed drastically, and soon her hands flashed with a dark red light as she pointed at Bruto and shouted: "Dispel Magic!!!!!" "Fine, but it really is a hassle." Bruto threw the chicken bones into the fire, "Muscles are more reliable..." "Dwarf." The Elf shrugged helplessly on the side. Lancelot spent the whole night meditating, holding a middle-grade Tier Earth Crystal in his hands. The night passed without incident, and when the illuminating fungi within the Great Abyss brightened again, the True Qi inside him had completely recovered. He opened his eyes and turned to look at the Succubus Paladin who had been curiously watching him from the start. "You emitted a very peculiar aura while you were resting, quite like... like what you mortals refer to as a mother''s feeling, making one feel strangely warm and familiar." Realizing that he had noticed her peeping, Elothysia explained somewhat embarrassingly, "I know it''s odd for me to say this because my own mother never gave me that kind of feeling; she grew tired of me just a few days after giving birth." "I wasn''t resting, but cultivating. I can absorb the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth, and here in the Abyss, I naturally absorb the Abyss''s Spiritual Energy. Maybe it''s that aura that gave you a sense of familiarity because, strictly speaking, the Abyss is truly the mother that gave you life." Lancelot said with a smile, but then his expression became apologetic, "I''m sorry to hear about your experiences as a child. I was lucky to have an ordinary but happy childhood, which is a very precious memory for me." "After setting down in the Prime Material Plane, I''ve encountered many human children, and they''ve shown me what I missed out on." The Succubus Paladin also showed a shallow smile, "Sometimes I even wonder if I am overestimating my evil nature? If I had a pair of normal parents and grew up in an environment full of love and peace, would I still take deception, tormenting, and indulgence for granted?" "Have you come to a conclusion about that?" "No, but I believe the answer is no." The Succubus shook her neatly trimmed short hair from side to side, "The power of love is great. If it can change me, it can certainly change others too. Especially children, even if they do have an evil nature, I believe their upbringing plays a much bigger role." "I hope so." Lancelot nodded, ending the conversation. The rest gradually woke from their slumber, including a certain Vampire who was struggling with jet lag. The young girl was very interested in exploring the cave, and after Lancelot stressed the possible dangers, he did not insist further. After a simple breakfast, everyone got their equipment ready, making the final preparations before departure. Chapter 213 The Eerie Guard Alamir cast a spell to enhance everyone''s life force, which would last for eight hours, presumably enough to complete their adventure, but it could only affect three people at a time. Elothysia indicated that she could also cast this spell, but after discussion, they decided it was best for the priest to use it, saving the precious spell slots of the Succubus Paladin for unleashing Evilbane Slash. The group also drank the Antitoxin Potion and Courage Potion prepared by Koula. The former was already standard fare for expeditions, while the latter was for potential encounters with Obyrith Demons¡ªtheir forms were so twisted that any mortal who gazed directly at an Obyrith Demon had to endure a test of will, and failure could result in consequences ranging from temporary mental disarray to permanent madness.@@@@ Koula and Kalalin, who lacked Dark Vision, also drank Night Vision Potions, allowing them to see in the dark, though they couldn''t distinguish colors and could only perceive images in grayscale. Bruto drank one as well, and for a simple reason¡ªthe bubbly liquid tasted refreshingly minty, much like beer, which the Dwarf greatly enjoyed. Aside from the Succubus and the skeleton, the rest entered Lancelot''s Dimensional Bag, which made Little Esha somewhat embarrassed. In a way, this was akin to running into a young girl''s boudoir, where the battered little chest was her ''bridal bed.'' Of course, before entering, everyone handed over any containers with Dimensional Bag capabilities to Lancelot. One dimensional space couldn''t overlap with another, or it would tear a rift that could suck in nearby objects and throw everyone randomly into some corner of the Stellar Realm. Relying on the effect of his Transforming Ring, Lancelot once again arrived at the cave''s mouth with the phantasmal rock wall. He exchanged a glance with Elothysia, and both drew their weapons and slowly descended into the cave. It quickly grew darker around them, but the darkness inside wasn''t absolute. There were luminescent fungi on the rocky walls; however, the light they emitted seemed visually twisted, only shining towards the depths of the cave, making it pitch black from the outside. After descending about thirty feet, Lancelot stepped onto level ground. He removed his Transforming Ring and pulled his companions out of the Dimensional Bag one by one. "Ho, it''s quite spacious in here." Bruto was the first to emerge, surveying his surroundings to find himself in a large pit with a wide corridor ahead. "This definitely isn''t a mine shaft; no mine entrance is vertical..." "Invaders! There are invaders!" "Ahhh! Fresh flesh!" "Quick, grab them! Our master will be pleased!" Bruto didn''t hesitate to hurl his hammer, knocking the loudest one to the ground. "You guys could swagger about in the sky, but now it''s my turn to vent!" While the Dwarf was still shouting, Lancelot had already charged forward rapidly, the silver glint of his blade shining as he cleaved the approaching claws and the body behind them into pieces. He didn''t even use the Qingyuan Sword Technique, relying solely on his physical strength and Frostslash, which was forged from cold iron and had a restraining effect on demons, to make a mess of these Flomos. Elothysia was also ready for battle, but after observing for a moment, she determined Lancelot and the others did not need support. So she stayed vigilant in her original position, ensuring that the Spellcasters behind her were not subjected to any unexpected attacks. Scholars and Priests worked together to provide firepower support with Magic and Divine Arts for their companions engaged in close combat. Alamir used the Holy Fire Technique, which called forth intense heat and light that could easily inflict severe damage on any Fiend; Kalalin, on the other hand, held a Magic Wand topped with an ice crystal, a magical item he''d crafted himself, capable of shooting a blue-white ray at the target. Perhaps due to the demons'' resistance to cold, the ray''s damage was somewhat inferior to the Priest''s Divine Arts, but the enemies hit by him were noticeably slower, and their teammates could more easily deal with the slowed enemies. Chapter 214 Construction Site The best part was that they both used cantrips, which didn''t consume any spell slots. Paired with Lancelot and Bruto, two warriors, charging at the front, they could fully indulge in the joy of blasting their enemies away. Koula was explaining to little Elysha the roles and responsibilities of each teammate in battle, as well as what they should be doing as Wanderers at the moment. The two of them sneaked to the edge of the battlefield and finished off those enemies who had retreated there due to injuries¡ªmost of them had been thrown aside by Bruto''s hammer or dragged there by the wind of Lancelot''s sword. "Remember, when dealing with Demons, the heart is always the primary target," Koula pulled her dagger from the back of an enemy. This Flomo had been fully focused on Bruto and was completely unguarded against the sneak attack from behind. The Halfling''s Cold Iron Dagger, thrust from a lower angle, had bypassed its ribcage, pierced through the diaphragm, and plunged into its tumor-riddled heart. "What about the throat?" Elysha listened carefully while quietly raising her own question. "The throat is fine too, if there''s only one enemy," Koula led Elysha back into the shadows, "But for me, the throat is a bit too high. Plus, some especially tenacious fellows still have fight in them even with sliced necks. It might be for a short time, but our small stature can''t handle that." The sudden skirmish didn''t last long. A few minutes later, not a single mutated Flomo was left standing. "They''re even easier to handle than usual," Lancelot flicked the fresh blood off Frostslash, "But what''s with these strange limbs?" Kalalin stepped forward and began to closely examine the corpses on the ground. Those killed by Bruto were mostly unrecognizable, but those slain by Lancelot were relatively intact and just needed their body parts reassembled. "It''s not just the limbs. Some have mutations in their eyes and skin as well," after an inspection, the Scholar announced, "I guess there''s some kind of evil energy source inside. The Demons that fell here after defeat in battle must have grown these bizarre limbs under the influence of that energy." And the situation around the temple undoubtedly declared that the master of the crypt had awakened from his slumber. Blazing torches burned all around, illuminating several large construction sites. The busy creatures around were Kas demons, resembling worker bees, their slender claws replaced by muscled arms, and their transparent insect wings swapped for tentacles used as grabbing tools. Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire These mutated demons were carrying stones and dirt to and fro, piling them into various shapes. From the look of the site, a huge palace complex was about to be erected, making Lancelot curious about what kind of creature the "master" referred to by these mutated demons was. It couldn''t be that Dark Guardian, could it? Honestly, Lancelot felt a tinge of sympathy for Enrique. In fact, he never believed that loyalty had to be unconditional¡ªas a Senior Commander of the rebellion, Lancelot had no qualms about open rebellion as long as he was convinced it was justified and in the interests of the majority. Therefore, if the reasons for the Dark Guardian''s fall were indeed as Elothysia had described, Lancelot could fully understand his anger. But people often do things in the heat of emotion that they later deeply regret, and Enrique had committed the unforgivable act of mass slaughter after finding out he had been betrayed. Lancelot couldn''t help but wonder about the feelings of the enraged hero after he had calmed down. He must have realized he had made grave mistakes¡ªdid he regret his impulsive actions? Did he ever try to muster some courage for redemption? Perhaps he did struggle internally, but then the succubi appeared, leading the once glorious and great Holy Warrior back to the Abyssal Demon Realm, sending his soul irreversibly down a dark path. Using the shadows along the edge of the square, the group slipped into an inconspicuous pile of rubble to observe the situation before them. "Uncle Kalalin, are you alright?" asked little Issa in a concerned whisper. "Your body temperature seems to be rising very high..." Lancelot turned his head and saw the red glow in little Issa''s eyes. He knew it was the infrared vision ability possessed by vampires and other nocturnal creatures, allowing them to see in the dark by ''seeing'' the temperature on the surfaces of objects. And Kalalin, at that moment, was staring excitedly at the busy demons in the square, as if he were peering at the object of his secret affection. Chapter 215 Frequent Accidents "I''m fine, it''s just that this kind of scene is quite rare." Kalalin said rather sheepishly, pointing towards the bustling scene in the distance and quietly explaining to everyone:@@@@ "Under normal circumstances, demons loathe any sort of physical labor, yet in the Abyss, there are various magnificent engineering constructions that are too complex to be explained by magic. Therefore, scholars have always been very curious and proposed many hypotheses about the construction methods of these massive facilities. The scene before us at least proves one of them: through large-scale mental control, High Rank Demons can drive Low Rank Demons en masse, forcing them to fulfill their grand plans." "I must say, it''s quite ironic." Elothysia also frowned as she looked towards that direction, "My kin, with their immense strength, only seem to have a constructive role when under mental control." "They seem quite passionate about their work and certainly wouldn''t welcome us passing through." Bruto guessed, "So what do we do? Just storm through?" "I don''t like that idea," Koula quietly opposed, "We would be overwhelmed." "There are over a hundred mutated Kas demons there, and even if we really wiped them all out, we would most likely be exhausted." Lancelot Morassa stroked his chin, "And the cannon fodder''s master wouldn''t let us go back to eat well and rest before coming to find it." "What a hassle, can''t these ultimate demon lords just stay quietly in the deepest part of their lair and wait?" Bruto muttered, "So what do we do? Try to sneak in? I can''t move silently and unnoticed in heavy armor like you and the Elves can, like a cat." "That''s a simple and practical technique which I highly recommend you master as soon as possible." Alamir shrugged, "Lancelot, how about your Sensory Ability? Can it help us find a surreptitious route in?" The group crouched and moved quickly, the only significant noise being the scraping sounds of Bruto''s armor. Fortunately, the noise of material processing itself was loud enough that the work-engrossed Demons didn''t notice them. The floating skull also moved with the actions of the partners below, allowing Lancelot to see the conditions ahead clearly. The next area was a building still under construction with a very deep foundation, suggesting it would be a massive structure. Most of the demons were busy underground, with materials not yet used messily piled around the edges, providing good cover for the sneaking party. Once again, the group smoothly passed through this area. Between them and the ominous grand hall were numerous low, spherical buildings. These buildings, with their chitinous exterior walls resembling insect carapaces, gave off a rather repulsive feel. Lancelot''s Spirit Perception sensed a significant number of Demons ahead, likely resting inside. Demons themselves do not need sleep, but they can still feel fatigue. Even though the mentally controlled demons wouldn''t complain, it was necessary to let them rest occasionally to maintain work efficiency. Crossing this area could be tricky as Cromwell didn''t possess the ability to see through the roofs, making it impossible to see the situation underneath. These temporary, nest-like buildings surrounded the entire hall, and Lancelot couldn''t find any route to bypass them. Thus, he silently drew Frostslash, ready to ensure a quick and quiet death for the enemy in case they ran into one or two unexpectedly. Find adventures on My Virtual Library Empire A faint sound of swords being drawn was heard, and the others also took out their weapons. Except for Alamir, just holding his remarkable Hardhead Hammer caused it to glow like a torch, making it difficult to avoid attracting attention. After observing for a short while longer, Lancelot decisively moved forward, his attention focused on both the high-altitude view from the skull and his own Spirit Perception, trying to avoid rooms that might contain enemies. However, it was still unlikely they wouldn''t encounter any enemies. As they passed one of the small houses, they ran head-on into two mutated Kas Demons coming out from inside. Chapter 216 Classic Reproduction ``` Both parties were caught somewhat off guard by the encounter, but Lancelot''s Spirit Perception still allowed him to grasp a slight advantage. Frostslash struck like lightning, and Lancelot, aiming for a quick victory, directly channeled Innate True Qi through the Qingyuan Sword Technique. A semi-transparent Sword Aura instantly pierced the heart of one of the enemies. The attacks from the others concentrated on another enemy. The Dwarf threw his weapon immediately, and the Warhammer, spinning, struck the insect face of Kas Demon complete with a spiky beak, suppressing its warning shriek back into its stomach. Elothysia quickly followed up, a brief flash of golden light flaring as the Holy Warrior''s exaggeratedly powerful Evilbane Slash slashed through this demon, then its body fell to the ground, emitting two dull sounds. After dealing with the two enemies, everyone immediately ceased their actions, ears perked, listening carefully to the surroundings, fearing that other enemies might notice the anomaly here. From Cromwell''s high-altitude view, Lancelot confirmed that no nearby demons seemed inclined to approach. Just to be safe, he and his companions quickly dealt with the scene, tossing the two mangled bodies into an empty hut. The bodies would eventually be discovered, but this might buy them a little time. Quickly leaving the scene of the incident, the group moved forward again. Tiny beads of sweat began to form on Lancelot''s forehead. In his senses, the presence of demons around them was increasing, and there were squads patrolling the road. Under his guidance, the group moved quickly at times and paused momentarily at others, inching perilously through this nest-like structure.@@@@ But their luck finally ran out. While they were waiting for one patrol squad to pass by, another unexpectedly turned a corner and headed towards the alley where they were hiding. "Boss! Be careful!" A voice like a skull''s echoed in Lancelot''s mind, but he had already foreseen the approaching enemies through a shared vision. There were a total of six enemies, and this time, hiding was no longer possible. He internally sighed in regret, for they were less than a hundred feet away from the steps leading to that great hall, and yet their efforts were thwarted. The Human Knight drew his Hand Half Sword, Frostslash, from behind, ready to fight their way out. "Boss, I''ll draw these enemies away, and you all rush in during the confusion!" The voice of the skull echoed again, causing Lancelot to hesitate momentarily before quickly asking: Another round of violent explosions occurred, blasting many demons who had rushed over to check the situation into the sky. The shockwave accelerated the skull in mid-air uncontrollably, sending it crashing like a meteor onto the steps ahead of the group. "Aaaaahhhhh!!!" This was the scream Lancelot heard through the psychic link. After a loud bang, a large hole appeared on the steps in front of the group, fortunately surrounded by falling debris from various buildings, so the landing of the skull wasn''t particularly noticeable. "Hey, still alive?" Bruto ran up, casually dug the skull out from a pile of rubble, and violently shook it in his hand. "Alive, alive, I''ve got my helmet, don''t I?" The skull regained consciousness and quickly wriggled out of the dwarf''s hands. "How about that, boss? I did a great service, didn''t I?" "Well done," Lancelot said with a smile, "after all, it''s not every day someone dares to install Goblin products in their own head." "As long as it works, I''ll definitely have to thank Phil later." Behind the group, the series of explosions caused by the skull created massive chaos, and the rising smoke greatly reduced the visibility around, blocking the view of those who might look towards the great hall stairs. The group didn''t waste any more time and quickly rushed up the stairs. There were hundreds of steps to climb, and it was no easy task. Lancelot and Bruto, naturally fit, had no problems, and the petite Koula, thanks to her Boots of Escape, also walked quite briskly. Little Isha simply turned into a bat and flew up with the Succubus Paladin, alongside the skull floating in mid-air. But for the Priest and Scholar, the experience was not so pleasant. Kalalin was already not much for exercise, and Alamir was wearing heavy armor. To keep pace with everyone, the entire team inevitably slowed down. Another team of demons rushed out from the great hall, and Lancelot, upon closer inspection, realized they were a group of Margo demons. But these demons were different from the patrol they encountered on the Plains of the Abyss; their bodies also exhibited noticeable mutations: the wings on their backs had turned into arms ending in longsword-like claws; their previously smooth skin now bore crocodile-like scales, and their faces now sported four spider-like eyes. Chapter 217 Open the Door These demons appeared to be checking out the situation below, when they came face to face with the group. "What are you¡ª" the demon''s words were cut off by a flying hammer that smashed into its face. The dwarf had already been impatient with the slow pace of his companions'' advance, and seeing the enemy appear, he had no patience to wait for it to finish its nonsense. Both sides were very familiar with the process that followed. The mutated creatures immediately charged, using their height advantage to pounce fiercely towards the adventurers, who, in turn, drew their weapons, ready for battle. "Engage!" The human knight let out a loud shout, charging ahead to meet the enemy, but Kalalin''s magic was even faster. A large swath of black grease suddenly appeared on the steps in front of them, and the demons, caught mid-charge, slipped and fell, their fierce advance turning into a tumbling avalanche. When they finally managed to stabilize themselves and struggled to their feet, what met them was the long-awaited onslaught of warhammers and longswords. Lancelot''s Frostslash lit up with a cyan sword aura, slashing at an enemy in front of him. The mutated demon''s two extra arms on its back tried to block the attack, but their hard yet brittle bone claws were no match for the human knight''s weapon; with two sharp snaps, the claws broke, and the longsword landed between the demon''s head horns, splitting the mutated creature''s head open. Yet the demon exhibited the terrifying life force characteristic of abyssal creatures. Despite such a grave injury, it did not die, instead hammering its arms harshly against the human knight''s waist, trying to knock down this formidable foe. The demon''s fist, larger than a dwarf''s head, pounded on the armor with a tremendous impact sound, but Lancelot stood unflinched like a metallic golem. In retaliation, he lifted his knee viciously into his enemy''s chin. The demon''s skull was forced violently backwards by the terrible blow, and the purplish-brain tissue flew out from the top of its head, sticking to another demon. The demon in front of Lancelot twitched for a moment before finally falling. "I''m out of ideas." The dwarf, supporting his waist, retreated in defeat, "Anyone else can have a go, but if you ask me, this door can only be opened from the inside." The group, curious, gathered around to closely examine the door. After all the effort, having finally arrived here, could they really be thwarted by a door? "Stop looking, this is Abyssal Metal, heavy and unyielding, innately chaotic, difficult to work with, and only Demons can utilize this stuff." Bruto folded his arms across his chest, watching Kalalin curiously feeling around on the door. "Of course, you might find a way to open it, with all those fancy magics of yours." "I remember Tijana mentioning that High Rank Demons make amulets that store life essence, to avoid dying completely if slain in the Abyss. If I''m not mistaken, those amulets are made of this Abyssal Metal." As Kalalin spoke, his hand found a hidden movable part on the door. Curiously, he lifted the piece to reveal a handle-like ring. The Scholar gave it a gentle pull, and the door immediately creaked open, causing the dwarf''s expression to instantly freeze. "You were right," Kalalin shrugged, "it was indeed meant to be opened from the inside." Lancelot patted the dwarf''s shoulder sympathetically for all the energy he had wasted, then closed his eyes for a moment to sense his surroundings before warning everyone, "I can feel numerous strong enemies inside. Everyone, be prepared." At his words, the group sprang into action. Kalalin cast Mirror Image and Blur on himself to ensure he wouldn''t be instantly incapacitated by an enemy rushing at him; Elothysia''s longsword began to sparkle with bright golden light as she activated her once-a-day ability to channel divine power, turning her blade into a Holy Weapon; the Elf Priest granted blessings to the group and fortified herself with a Shield of Faith, a first-circle Divine Art that used the power of faith to enhance protection; Koula mixed up one of her Mutagen concoctions, ready if a situation arose that called for her, the smallest among them, to turn the tide. Chapter 218 Loss of Temperament The only one who had little to do was little Yisa, who could only straighten out her bangs and then tie her hair up again. Seeing her predicament, Lancelot walked over and whispered to her: "Keep yourself hidden later, but I have a job for you. Kalalin will definitely panic if anyone gets close to him, so you''ll need to protect him then." Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire "Yeah!" Little Yisa nodded firmly but happily, "Leave Uncle Kalalin to me to guard!" "What?" Scholar turned his head and asked, "Did I just hear my name?" "I was giving Little Yisa her instructions, stick close to Kalalin later. You''ve got to protect her well!" "No problem!" Scholar puffed out his chest proudly, "Leave it to me, rest assured!" Lancelot made a face at the little Vampire to tease him, making the latter snicker, but still conveyed a message through a mental link to Cromwell: "If the fight breaks out and I can''t cover everything, help me look out for her." "Got it, boss, I know you treasure this little sister, don''t worry." Seeing everyone prepared, Lancelot no longer hesitated and led everyone into the hall. "So who exactly is your current master?" Lancelot asked again, "And what is the deal with your arm? I am sorry the original was chopped off by me, but that was really your own doing." "Expect me to accept your pity? Dream on! No... I should thank you... If you hadn''t knocked me down, I would never have met my great master... Ah, still wrong! You wanted to save me, so I would never have had the chance to receive my master''s grace! The master is the most perfect form in the universe, once you see him... No, I cannot let you see the master, for I am the master''s most important minion!" The Dark Guardian rambled incoherently, contradicting his own words from a second ago. Lancelot helplessly shook his head and drew his frostslash. "I''ve had enough of your nonsense, draw your sword, let me help you free yourself from this madness." "Ah, battle, I hate battle. Why must people always force me into battle? If I were just a farmer who could only wield a pitchfork, would I have met with such misfortune?" The Fallen Paladin wailed while sitting on the ground, but immediately jumped up and roared, "The master has that treasure! You intend to harm the master! Protect the master, I must kill you!" Enrique drew the great sword in front of him with his right hand and began charging at Lancelot. But his mutated giant hand disrupted his balance, making him run clumsily, full of openings. Facing the ferocious strike of the Dark Guardian, Lancelot stood firm, not dodging nor evading. He steadied his body, held the sword with both hands, circulated his Innate True Qi, and launched the Qingyuan Sword Technique mercilessly. With a loud ''clang,'' the Dark Guardian''s great sword was knocked flying high into the air, while Lancelot''s Frostslash only slightly recoiled backward. The disadvantage was clear as the opponent wielded his sword with one hand. Lancelot was about to press his advantage, but a sudden sense of alarm arose in his heart, and he instinctively rolled to the side. Enrique''s mutated giant fist slammed down where Lancelot had just been standing, creating a web of cracks on the ground. The force of that strike was far greater than he had anticipated; had it hit, he would have likely suffered death or serious injury. "Ahh!!! Don''t dodge, let me crush you!!" The Dark Guardian let out a roar and stabbed his sword towards the Human Knight''s skull. Lancelot slight tilted his head and dodged, but the subsequent swing of the giant arm forced him to keep retreating, missing the chance to counterattack. Chapter 219 Ancient Evil Item The enemy''s unsettling state made Lancelot feel quite uncomfortable. Enrique''s sword-wielding right hand still maintained a high level of skill, but his left hand flailed like a drunken fist, yet with the strength of a giant. This bizarre combination made Lancelot feel like he was fighting two people at once. This was why he chose to evade rather than confront directly. When facing an unfamiliar opponent, Lancelot tended to adopt a defensive stance first, carefully observing the enemy''s movements to find possible openings. Being a master of swordsmanship, this process didn''t take long. When Enrique swung his sword again, Lancelot advanced instead of retreating. Frostslash deflected the opponent''s weapon and his feet moved in the opposite direction, bringing his body to the right side of his opponent. The Dark Guardian tried to strike with his mutated gigantic arm but had to turn his body almost completely around, and Lancelot exploited this momentary lapse.@@@@ The Human Knight took another step, circling around the opponent''s body counterclockwise, and his weapon swung low and at an angle, viciously striking the opponent''s right ankle. The range of Lancelot''s strike was not wide, but the power was formidable. The blade, glowing with a pale light, drove deeply into the opponent''s steel boots, nearly severing the Dark Guardian''s entire foot. Enrique cried out in pain and leapt backward, but as he landed, he hurt his injured foot again and painfully fell to his knees. Lancelot quickly followed up, about to strike with his sword, when his opponent suddenly looked up and said, "Quick, kill me!" Enrique''s sudden request caught Lancelot off guard. His voice no longer held the previous madness, and it differed from the impression he gave the previous day in the camp. But the next moment, the eyes behind the Dark Guardian''s massive helmet blazed red, and with a bizarre cry, he switched his great sword to his left hand and charged at him as if his injured ankle felt no pain at all, moving even faster than before. "What in the world is this?" Lancelot cursed aloud as he thrust his sword to meet his enemy. Enrique''s voice was sharp, pleading, but suddenly it seemed as if someone had savagely pulled on the other end of the chain, and the room was left with only the Dark Guardian''s screams echoing. This process was over in an instant, similar to what had happened during the Tears of Lazaka incident. Lancelot was completely unable to intervene; he could only watch helplessly as the Dark Guardian disappeared from his sight once again. "Why do I feel like this exit strategy seems familiar?" Bruto approached, "It''s just that he was much smoother last time; at least he wasn''t sideways and didn''t scream like a pig being slaughtered." "This guy has slipped through my fingers three times now," Lancelot shook the blood off his longsword, "Let''s go and see what this ''master'' of his looks like, and whether he can still save his precious life." The group nodded collectively and moved forward in battle formation once more. They crossed another lengthy corridor and entered an even darker hall. Lancelot''s Spirit Perception wildly signaled warnings, a tremendously powerful creature was ahead, but the darkness in the hall was too intense; even he couldn''t see clearly what it was. The light emanating from the weapons held by the Priest and Holy Warrior strangely stretched only in one direction like a shadow, unable to illuminate more than ten feet in the other three directions. Undoubtedly, this was the effect of the Divine Artifact, Eye of Sarezdon, and the holder was certainly the ''master'' referred to by the mutated demons and the Dark Guardian. Just then, a voice suddenly resonated in everyone''s hearts, an eerie voice speaking none of their familiar languages, yet everyone immediately understood its meaning: "Submit to me!!" It was an idea conveyed directly through mental telepathy, seemingly devoid of any Charm power. While Lancelot wondered how such a thing could possibly control a Fallen Paladin as powerful as Enrique, the surrounding darkness suddenly dissipated. Approximately fifty feet in front of them, an incredibly weird figure appeared. It was a head almost as large as Hagrid Manor, floating in mid-air, its facial features distorted like melting wax, two eyes under which there was no nose but a gaping mouth as big as a door, filled with teeth like thorns. Chapter 220 Madness Stance The latter half of the monster was even more twisted, its normal skull had disappeared, and the swollen, pale-purple brain tissue was directly exposed to the air, looking like an overinflated balloon, somewhat akin to the abdomen of a queen ant. Where its neck should have been was a large mass of intertwined intestines of varying thickness, and four taut metal chains extended from its chin and the roots of its ears, anchoring the beast to the ground like ship anchors. "What in the world is thi..." Alamir''s cry caught in his throat as a flood-like psychic assault overwhelmed his mind. The monster''s form was so twisted that merely seeing it imposed a tremendous strain on the sanity of any mortal. The hall already contained many blazing torches. The monster must have retracted its Eye of Sarezdon, which could absorb light, allowing its blasphemous shape to fully present itself before the unsuspecting crowd. Lancelot felt a strange and twisted thought emerge in his mind, as if a persuasive voice was whispering in his ear that this was the most perfect life form in the Multiverse, and serving such a creature was the ultimate honor, that it was his rightful master... This voice continuously echoed in his mind, almost suppressing Lancelot''s own thoughts, but there was something in his brain that did not belong to this Multiverse, a small bamboo strip left by Han Tian Zun. In his Sea of Consciousness, the bamboo strip seemed to detect these malevolent thoughts intruding, and defensively burst forth with dazzling blue light, enveloping Lancelot''s small Sea of Consciousness, driving away all external spiritual powers, and bringing his consciousness back to clarity instantly. But his teammates weren''t so lucky. Bruto stood agape, completely unaware that drool had reached his beard; Kalalin''s eyes were filled with madness, muttering indecipherable whispers; the Halfling, Elves, and young Vampire were walking forward unconsciously, as if to offer themselves as sacrifices to the twisted entity before them. But there were simply too many enemies. Lancelot had fought with all his might, yet the number of demons seemed endless. He couldn''t kill them as fast as they surged forward, and soon, they were surrounded. "For the glory of Shuni!" The Priest, who had been kneeling and praying silently, suddenly stood up. He raised his shield emblazoned with the emblem of the Lady of Flame, from which a brilliant golden light surged forth. The light rose into the air, forming a vague humanoid silhouette, but the longsword and shield in the silhouette''s hands, also marked with the emblem of Shuni, were distinctly visible as if they were tangible. The longsword in the hands of the silhouette emitted a scorching light, and demons close by immediately caught transparent flames and screamed as they were reduced to ashes. The pressure on the group decreased dramatically, allowing Kalalin to activate the Magic Scroll in his hand undisturbed. He summoned a vast quantity of thick white spiderwebs to restrict the enemies'' movement. "Well done!" Bruto shouted in approval, throwing his hammer once again. It struck the head of a trapped enemy squarely, smashing it into a pulp. The Dwarf loved the Scholar''s spiderweb technique; the trapped enemies were like motionless targets, while his hammer always returned to his hand. The others also vigorously attacked the restrained enemies with their long-range skills, with Cromwell leaving the most impressive mark. Since the enemies could not move due to being entangled in webs, the skull would fly up to their faces, open its mouth, and spit out a thick white Long Spear. This was none other than the tail of the Bone Demon they had encountered at Oasis Fort, which had been chopped off from the demon''s behind with the Great Sword Glacier across a giant rock by Lancelot. This Long Spear, made from the Demon''s body, seemed to carry a special power. The bodies of the demons were like paper in its presence, easily pierced through, creating transparent holes. The skull laughed heartily, though the laughter sounded quite unpleasant with its mouth stuffed. Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire Seeing that his companions had gained control of the situation, Lancelot turned his head to face the real culprit of all these troubles, the giant floating head not far away. Chapter 221 The Boneless Arm He shifted Frostslash to his left hand and pulled out the Giant Sword Glacier from the Dimensional Bag with his right. Facing such a colossal creature, it was time to unleash his most powerful firepower! As if sensing Lancelot''s threat, the monster suddenly yanked out a chain buried in the ground, at the end of which was attached a pitch-black humanoid figure¡ªLancelot took a closer look, and sure enough, it was his old acquaintance Enrique. But the Dark Guardian no longer looked much like a man. When they had last parted, Lancelot had slashed his left arm, but now his right arm had also mysteriously disappeared¡ªwhere an arm should have been, there now extended a thick, long tentacle covered in suckers, curling around his black great sword; his legs had been amputated at the hips, and in their place were six fuzzy, spider-like claws, madly scratching at the air. The Dark Guardian had once been a noble Paladin, but had fallen into darkness due to succumbing to his inner rage, ultimately degrading to his current wretched state. Whether he deserved it or not, Lancelot disliked seeing a once-noble knight being exploited by demons in such a manner. He couldn''t allow this to go on any longer, he had to kill Enrique once and for all to completely end the former Paladin''s torment. Enrique himself, however, was very pleased with his new body. As soon as he landed, he let out an excited shriek at Lancelot. His spider-like claws moved in a manner that made one''s skin crawl, quickly appearing in front of Lancelot and slashing at the Human Knight with his sword.@@@@ Lancelot raised his hefty Giant Sword Glacier with his right hand, deflecting the enemy''s strike to one side, and his left hand''s Frostslash seized the opportunity to thrust directly towards the opponent''s heart. It was a strike meant to be decisive, because without the enhancement of True Qi, it was nearly impossible for an ordinary human to possess his current strength and speed; there was no gap left between his block and counterattack. But his adversary was clearly no longer within the realm of ordinary humans. Since Enrique''s arms had transformed into boneless tentacles, the Dark Guardian''s great sword swung back from an angle impossible for any human to achieve and almost immediately launched a series of swift strikes as fast as lightning. Lancelot''s hands moved quickly, barely fending off his enemy''s frenzied assaults. Most of his knowledge about combat was based on the assumption that his opponent was human, in other words, that the sword-wielding limbs would only involve the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints. Bruto screamed in pain as the black liquid turned out to be some kind of digestive juice from the monster, possessing extreme corrosive properties. His armor sizzled, rapidly becoming pitted and uneven. The acid seeped through crevices in the armor, and some even splashed onto his face, causing the Dwarf to cry out vehemently. "Bruto! Get back!" Lancelot caught a glimpse of the Dwarf''s condition out of the corner of his eye, but with Enrique proving tough to handle, he could only shout anxiously. The Succubus Paladin was the first to rush over. She sheathed her longsword and raised her Shield in her left hand, her right hand glowing with golden light as she gently touched Bruto''s nape. A powerful influx of Positive Energy surged into the Dwarf''s body, immediately stabilizing his injuries. Then, grasping the collar of Bruto''s breastplate, she flapped her wings and dragged her wounded companion back into the ranks of their group. Another surge of life-filled light bathed Bruto, stemming from the Priest''s Healing Divine Art. The moment Bruto was struck, Alamir began to pray immediately; however, Divine Arts indeed took longer to cast, and had it not been for Elothysia''s immediate support, the Dwarf might not have lasted until the Priest completed his Divine Art. "Thank you... why!!!!" Bruto had just opened his mouth to express gratitude, but what came out was indeed his breakfast. No one knew what had been in that monster''s digestive tract, but the black bile that sprayed out was so acrid it could make any normal-tasting mortal vomit everything in their stomach. "That smell! It''s just... ugh!!!!" "A Dwarf already has a bad enough smell as it is." The Elf held his nose, summoning a large amount of clean water to pour over the Dwarf''s head, "but you now smell like a herring that''s been soaking in a latrine for two months." Chapter 222 Falling into a Deep Pit The young Dwarf lay on the ground, still retching uncontrollably, temporarily incapacitated, but at least not in mortal danger. Lancelot, seeing this, also let out a sigh of relief and focused on dealing with the troublesome enemy before him. He had gradually adapted to the opponent''s erratic attack pattern and had started to grasp some of its rules. Lancelot was sure that the enemy in front of him, despite possessing the body of a Dark Guardian, had little to do with Enrique anymore. Although the opponent had a flexible and strong tentacle arm, they always swung their Great Sword along the shortest path, with the greatest strength. If it were that skillful soul controlling the body, they would never make such brute-like attacks. Moreover, once the pattern of attack was understood by someone, it was not far from the end of their downfall. Lancelot''s defense became more and more relaxed, and the margin between each of his movements grew larger. Finally, he took a slight risk. His right hand''s Glacier met the opponent''s Great Sword, and instead of blocking, he chose to deflect. If Enrique had still retained his original standard, it would have been easy for the opponent to make Lancelot pay a heavy price for such a rash move. But Lancelot''s gamble paid off. The enemy''s forcefully cleaved weapon struck the slanted blade of his sword, then glided along the sword''s spine, eventually getting caught on the protective blade above the Glacier Sword Grid; meanwhile, Lancelot''s left hand, holding Frostslash, took the opportunity to swing towards the opponent''s side.@@@@ This strike, seemingly off target, actually aimed straight at the enemy''s underlying spider-like claws. The invisible Sword Aura easily cut through three slender claws, and Enrique''s body immediately lost its balance. Like a crab with half of its legs broken, it collapsed to the ground. The previously even match was broken, and it quickly transformed into a one-sided situation. Lancelot seized the short moment when the opponent lost balance, and Glacier, like thundering lightning, cleaved down, cutting off both Enrique''s left tentacle and the remaining claws in one stroke. A shrill scream came from within the Dark Guardian''s Helmet, a sound filled with pain that could scare the Soul out of any mortal''s body. But his body seemed not to feel the pain, as the right tentacle, coiling with the Great Sword, came chopping at Lancelot again. However, the inability to move greatly limited his threat range. The Human Knight simply dodged the enemy''s attack with a sidestep, and while the two tentacles tried to twist back like snakes to continue their assault, Lancelot''s Frostslash had already landed on the opponent''s shoulder. Two options lay before the Human Knight. He could swiftly pull out the Transforming Ring from his Dimensional Bag and slip it on, relying on the wings of the transformed Succubus to fly into the air, but that would inevitably leave his companions doomed. So without the slightest hesitation, Lancelot chose the other option. True Qi burst forth from the acupoints in his feet, exploding into a wave of mud, propelling him into a leap into the midst of his companions. He formed a spell with his hands, and countless vines drilled out from the ground, attempting to latch onto and pull up his sinking comrades. But such attempts were unsuccessful; the liquid area continued to expand, and the roots of those vines turned swamp-like, unable to bear any pulling force. The floor, originally made of solid rock, had turned almost as thin as ordinary water in just a few heartbeats. But worse was to come¡ªthe liquified rock, along with the people engulfed within, began to free fall. The chamber was hollow underneath! And this was the monster''s true means of self-preservation: a bottomless pit trap. By liquifying the entire floor slab, invaders would fall in without time to struggle. Then, by pouring in a large amount of rock and dirt, the victims would be buried alive. True Qi surged unrestrained from Lancelot''s Dantian, following a mysterious trajectory through his Meridians, then projected through the spells in his hands, summoning a great number of vines. But as the walls of the deep pit trap were also rapidly liquifying, dragging everyone down with them, those rootless vines were powerless against the waterfall-like force of descent. He truly regretted it now. In the past, he had preferred to cultivate the close-combat techniques in the bamboo scrolls and was not very interested in magic-like Immortal Laws and Taoist techniques. Now, facing these supernatural forces, he could only rely on his rudimentary Divine Skills. Everyone continued to plummet, finally dropping out of the liquification effect''s range, and the ''liquid'' that had swept them up was rapidly solidifying. Lancelot could only continue to drive the spell with all his might, constantly summoning a mass of vines, like trying to stop a trebuchet-thrown boulder with a spider''s web, seemingly completely futile. Chapter 223 The End of the Sinner But the monster''s cruelty and greed gave the Human Knight and his companions an opportunity¡ªthe trap was dug too deep, and the monster apparently hoped the victims'' fall would be as terrible as possible, which gave Lancelot enough space and time to continuously layer thin spider webs until they reached sufficient thickness. As Lancelot increasingly amplified the output of his True Qi, the vines he summoned became thicker, but the soil and rocks above their heads were simply too heavy, and the group continued to plummet downwards. "Ahhhh! We''re going to die!" Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire Suddenly, the Dwarf''s terrified shout rang in Lancelot''s ears, and he painfully twisted his neck to look, his pupils suddenly constricting.@@@@ After a prolonged fall, the bottom of the trap finally came into view, with less than a hundred feet remaining. Within five more breaths, they would make intimate contact with the ground formed by a pile of rocks at their current rate of descent, inevitably resulting in their bodies shattered and no chance of survival. At this critical moment, Lancelot held nothing back anymore. The Innate True Qi, reserved as a last resort in the deepest recesses of his Dantian Qi Sea, burst forth. His body emitted a dazzling green light, and the newly summoned vines were thicker than the Dwarf''s behind, densely packing the entire pit. Accompanied by the Dwarf''s increasingly sharp screams, the group''s descent towards the ground started to slow, and just beneath ten feet from the ground, the fall was finally halted. Everyone was suspended mid-air by several thick vines, the canopy above as dense as a thick forest. "Too... tight..." The Dwarf''s strained moan sounded, and Lancelot barely gathered the last shred of his True Qi to manipulate the vines and safely lower everyone to the ground. A series of violent coughs erupted one after another as the companions who had escaped death by a hair lay on the ground, gulping in deep breaths. The recent ordeal had been too harrowing, and many had surely been convinced their time had come. "Thank you, Lancelot, for saving our lives again," the Dwarf collapsed face-up on the ground, "How many times has it been now?" "Yes, if it weren''t for your miraculous abilities, I''d probably be waiting for the Goddess''s Divine Envoy to lead me by now." At that moment, the Succubus Paladin approached, her hands glowing with a golden light, placed on Enrique''s forehead. A strong healing energy surged into him, prompting the resigned Enrique to open his eyes once again. "Ah, it''s you," his eyes showed surprise, "Do you pity me? Don''t waste your strength, my death is inevitable. But beneath my breastplate, there is a crystal amulet that can absorb the essence of demons. Yiltu wants me to use it to capture you. Take it, it works for you and against Yiltu, you must completely destroy your former master, or you will forever live on the run." "I understand, but that''s not why I''m here," the Succubus Paladin shook her head, "Repent, Enrique, for everything you''ve done." For a moment, anger flashed through the eyes of the Dark Guardian, but it quickly dissipated, turning into something more complex. "I have always harbored intense hostility towards you, solely out of jealousy for the courage you possess," Enrique smiled, "You are a true Paladin, Succubus, even I, before my fall, was far inferior to you." "Repent." The Succubus did not show any pleasure from the former colleague''s praise, instead, she urged him solemnly, "My power won''t sustain you much longer." "Thank you." After a brief silence, Enrique finally spoke again, "I have made too many mistakes, and let myself live in lies, leaving countless sins in this world." "If you could, would you pay any price for redemption?" "I would." "Good." Elothysia''s golden palm began to dim due to lack of energy, "May the gods show their mercy." "Thank you." Enrique said it again, and those were his last words. His head and body turned into a pile of ashes and completely dissipated. Elothysia flipped through the armor left behind by Enrique and indeed found an amulet. At its core was a purple crystal cube, about an inch in size, with many metal wires engraved with mysterious Runes wrapped around it, resembling a cage trapping the crystal. Chapter 224 Trapped in a Deadly Situation "You''d better hold onto this." Elothysia tossed the amulet to Lancelot. "In your hands, it will be most effective." Lancelot reached out and caught it, considered for a moment, nodded, and put the amulet into his storage bag. "When I have the strength, I will definitely find a way to completely resolve this issue for you," Lancelot promised. "You don''t need to make any promises to me, it''s I who owe you more," Elothysia shook her head. "Moreover, don''t go after my former master casually. Although I once defeated it with my companions on the Prime Material Plane, a Barlow Flame Demon is nearly invincible in its own lair." "Of course, I won''t attempt recklessly," Lancelot smiled, but he resolved within his heart that given the chance, he must kill that detestable Flame Demon, not only for the Succubus Paladin but also for the former Holy Warrior who had just perished by his hand. "Enrique is finally dead," the skull nearby spoke up. "But if we don''t have any good ideas, it won''t be long before we meet the same fate." At these words, everyone''s face changed. Lancelot looked around and saw they were in a closed space, thirty feet square and about ten feet high, with no apparent exits. If they couldn''t find a way out soon, they would likely suffocate to death once the air ran out. Lancelot hurriedly took out the Twin Bridges Town emblem that Tijana had given him, but he immediately realized that the item was no longer usable. The magical power within the emblem had been heavily suppressed, and the emanations were in tumult. "We won''t be able to return to Twin Bridges Town with that item," Kalalin preempted Lancelot''s question. "In the Great Abyss, teleportation magic doesn''t work properly. Using it is like jumping into a meat grinder without knowing if it''s on. Unless we really have no other choice, I don''t suggest you gamble with your luck." "I''m sorry... It''s because of me that everyone ended up in this situation," the Succubus Paladin said with a dim expression. The human knight had already taken off all his armor and put on a lightweight robe; his face was very serious, as if he had just made some kind of significant decision. Discover hidden content at My Virtual Library Empire "I''m going to... make an attempt. If it succeeds, my strength will greatly increase, enough to take us back to the surface," he said, standing up and looking at everyone. "But I only have a thirty percent chance of success, so Bruto, your attempt to dig a tunnel is our other hope. But if we both fail, then we''ll have to go with Koula''s plan. Little Ysa, we''ll rely on you then." "Don''t worry!" The dwarf thumped his chest confidently but accidentally pulled down his beard. He instantly froze, his eyes widening as he touched his chin and mouth, and then all the hair on his face fell to the ground. "What... what''s going on?" the dwarf asked confusedly, looking at everyone. "Why... why did my beard fall out?" "I''m afraid it''s because of that black bile from earlier," Alamir said apologetically, even though elves never grew beards, he could sympathize with the dwarf''s pain. "I''m sorry, the healing spell can''t preserve your beard, but with that belt, you should be able to grow an even better one soon." "Ahhhh! That detestable monster! My beard that I had finally grown!" Bruto stamped his feet in anger, looking like he was about to explode with rage. "It''s not so bad," Koula chimed in to comfort him. "You look a lot younger now." "I look like a beardless gnome!" the dwarf said indignantly. "What in the world was that creature?" "That was a giant skull demon," Kalalin exhaled sadly, "I should have realized when I saw those strange limbs. They are a very ancient type of Obyrith demon, masters of flesh who can create organs and limbs through the chaotic energy of the Great Abyss. You all saw its twisted and insane form. If it weren''t for Elothysia today, our minds would have been shattered, turned into drooling idiots, seeing it as the most perfect life form in the universe, and feeling supreme pride in being able to serve such a perfect being." Chapter 225 Impacting Foundation Establishment "Proud my ass, next time I see it, I''m definitely smashing its damn head in!" Bruto cursed and walked over to a corner, casually picked a spot, and started swinging his Cross Pickaxe, channeling his rage into his work. Knowing the temper of Dwarves, no one doubted that he would keep up this momentum until he dug down to the feet of the Giant Skull Demon. Lancelot also moved to the opposite corner. He lifted his Giant Sword Glacier, and with the bit of True Qi he had just recovered, he chiseled out a small stone chamber in the rock wall. "I might need a bit more time," Lancelot said to everyone before entering, "If I haven''t come out after eight hours, don''t wait for me." After saying that, he walked into the stone chamber alone. Forming a spell with his hand, numerous vines burst from the surrounding soil, sealing the entrance of the stone chamber, and also blocking the eyes of those behind him, whether they were concerned or merely curious. Just now, he had experienced something extremely mystical and indescribable. Although by now the True Qi in his body was nearly completely depleted, Lancelot clearly knew that the time to attempt Foundation Establishment had arrived. Under normal circumstances, the Meridians in his body were like rivers flowing with surging True Qi. However, now that his True Qi was all depleted, these ''riverbeds'', usually hidden by True Qi, were fully exposed. He only needed to direct a faint trace of True Qi to travel through the Meridians to clearly sense where blockages existed, something he couldn''t achieve under ordinary conditions. Lancelot held a Middle Grade Spirit Stone in one hand, using it to clear minor obstacles in his Meridians. Soon, he would attempt Foundation Establishment with the Spiritual Energy provided by over a hundred Upper Grade Spirit Stones. In such a tremendous rush of energy, any slight congestion in his body could lead to a fatal burst. But exhausting his True Qi at the brink of death had created the conditions to remove these hidden dangers. After about two hours, Lancelot finally cleared every Meridian and every acupoint in his body. After performing a Heavenly Cycle of the Cauldron Immortal Technique, he felt an unprecedented clarity and relief. This level of pain had already transcended the limits of human endurance, but Lancelot was no ordinary man. During his years following the Knight King Albert, he had survived countless brutal battles, climbing out from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and had long cultivated an extremely tenacious will. He clenched his teeth and persisted, not slowing the pace of his cultivation, opening up each of his 108 major acupoints, each corresponding to an Upper Grade Spirit Stone. The spiritual energy contained therein surged into his body like a tidal bore. The 108 Spirit Stones floated in the air in a mysterious arrangement, not only corresponding to the acupoints on his body but seemingly also connected to some extremely distant entities, even beyond this multiverse. A very faint stellar force, undetectable even to divine powers, ignored all physical and metaphysical barriers, cast upon each floating Spirit Stone, gathered, focused, and finally entered Lancelot''s body via bridges made of spiritual energy. Continue your journey at My Virtual Library Empire Lancelot, engrossed in his cultivation, let out a muffled grunt. He felt each of his acupoints being stretched increasingly wider; if initially, it felt like needle pricks, now it had become akin to being pierced by a Long Spear. But that was not the most terrifying part. As spiritual power continuously poured in, every place in his body capable of storing spiritual energy was filled to the brim, yet the complex cultivation technique he was running was still relentlessly drawing in spiritual energy¡ªa necessary step for forcibly establishing a foundation with Spirit Stones. Finally, in a certain moment, his meridians burst, and the overwhelming, violent spiritual energy rushed towards his flesh, beginning to transform his body. A horrific tearing sensation arose; the spiritual energies rampaging within him seemed to have their own ideas on how to operate. What was worse, these energies were quite mixed in origin. Not to mention those from the Abyss, many were from higher realms¡ªthe homeland of the Angel lovers of Elothysia. Chapter 226 In addition, a ball of energy as fierce as a blazing fire also burst from a corner within his body, which was the "reward" from Kaldu, master of Baro. These different sources of Spiritual Energy turned his body into a battleground. First, two thick demon horns emerged from Lancelot''s forehead; then, a pair of pure white wings grew out of his back. His breath began to exude sparks with the scent of sulfur, yet sacred golden light shone from the depths of his eyes... But gradually, these anomalies disappeared one by one. No matter what attributes these Spiritual Energies inherently possessed, all of them started to purify the Human Knight''s body in a ''normal'' way under the guidance of the Cauldron Immortal Technique. Smelly, sticky tainted blood continuously oozed from Lancelot''s skin, but his tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed. As his body was being remodeled bit by bit, a comfortable warmth emerged from his Dantian, and Lancelot unknowingly entered a state like a soul traveling beyond the heavens. Another three hours passed, and he finally opened his eyes. Two dazzling lights shot from them, burning two holes in the stone wall nearby, persisting for nearly three breaths before gradually dissipating. Lancelot slowly stood up, his body''s surface covered with a layer of dark red scab, which fell off with his movement, revealing skin underneath as clear and lustrous as white jade. A smile slowly spread across Lancelot''s face, becoming brighter and brighter. He had finally succeeded in Foundation Establishment! Lancelot checked the condition of his body. Foundation Establishment, as the name suggests, solidifies the physical body, expelling all impurities from the mortal frame during the breakthrough process, completely transforming into a form suitable for Spiritual Cultivation. At this moment, he felt incredibly light and could sense the subtle nature''s Spiritual Energy around him with great clarity. His body after Foundation Establishment, like a sponge absorbing water, slowly drew in these energies, nearly matching the efficiency of his prior Qi Cultivation during Meditation. His Divine Sense also greatly strengthened, and according to the descriptions in the bamboo slips, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could now practice ''Inner Vision.'' With slight concentration, Lancelot easily ''saw'' the condition of various parts within his body. What was once gaseous True Qi had now all liquefied, with Meridians truly resembling rivers, containing energies several times stronger than before. As recorded in the bamboo slips, this liquid form of True Qi is known as True Yuan, one of the hallmarks of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. A majority of the energy from over a hundred Upper Grade Spirit Stones was consumed in refining his body and enhancing his aptitude. However, even the small portion he absorbed and refined during Foundation Establishment was enough to restore him to the peak condition permitted by his Realm. "You can tell?" Lancelot replied with some surprise in his mind. "That''s why I''m asking, ''cause I can''t tell anymore..." the skeleton hurriedly explained, "Before, I could kind of sense it..." Lancelot nodded, and at that moment, his other companions had also gathered around, inquiring about his condition. "Brother, did you succeed?" Little Yisa was the first who couldn''t contain herself and asked; the young girl was still struggling with the thought of possibly having to bite her companions. "Mhm, I succeeded," Lancelot said with a smile. "We can now avenge Bruto''s ''beard incident''. Hey, where''s the dwarf?" "He''s been digging his hole the whole time, it seems like he hasn''t rested at all." Kalalin pointed to a darkened tunnel entrance in the corner, "At first, you could still hear clinking and clanking, but it wasn''t long before it went completely silent." "He hasn''t gotten into trouble, has he?" Lancelot suddenly grew tense, as he couldn''t sense the dwarf within his range, "Let''s go have a look." The group entered the tunnel that Bruto had dug out, one by one. The tunnel was extremely narrow, barely allowing a person to squeeze through, and it was steep; climbing was a more accurate description of their current activity than walking. The further up Lancelot went, the more he admired the perseverance Bruto had shown. This small and sturdy race was as stubborn as rock; once they set their minds to something, nearly nothing could change their determination, and the spiraled tunnel before them was proof of that. Bruto had been tirelessly working for nearly eight hours, accompanied only by a small amount of food and water he carried and the ever-growing flames of revenge. After about fifteen minutes of tough climbing, the group finally heard the sounds of a shovel hitting the earth ahead and the accompanying falling pebbles, along with the dwarf''s constant grumbling curses. Chapter 5 - 5 - 1 Entering the Abyss Chapter 5 ¨C 1 Entering the Abyss Chapter 5: Chapter 1 Entering the Abyss Lancelot fell from a light door in mid-air. Remembering the High Priest¡¯s advice, he immediately scrambled to his feet and ran forward. A violent explosion erupted behind him, and the blast wave forcefully threw him to the ground. Fortunately, the blast did not bring with it rocks, metal, or other worse things. Lancelot slowly got up, confirming that, aside from being covered in dust and grime, his body hadn¡¯t lost or gained any parts. Only then did he begin to observe his surroundings. What first caught his attention was the dark red sun in the sky, weakly casting rays that held barely any warmth. The ground was as if covered with a thick layer of volcanic ash, desolate and barren all around. Strange bushes were scattered messily across the land, and the occasional tall trees appeared aggressive. To his left lay a vast plateau, the ground pockmarked with frightening depressions, and it seemed there was a river in the distance; to his right stood an immense mountain range, obstructing his view. The blessings of the Elves included much knowledge about this world, and Lancelot closed his eyes, sorting through the information that kept bubbling up from the depths of his heart. This place called the Abyss had a multi-layered spatial structure, with each layer being like a separate small world. The surface of each layer harbored portals leading to unknown layers, but digging downward from any point on any layer for a certain distance resulted in being forcefully teleported to a fixed next layer, a property that established the ordered hierarchy of layers. The vastness of the Abyssal Plane lay beyond the Elves¡¯ imagination; their furthest explorations had only reached the sixth layer, and the area they had charted was already larger than their own world. Each layer was slightly smaller than the one above, leading the Elves to speculate that the Abyssal world likely presented a cone-shaped spatial structure, and must have a bottom. According to a widely held belief among the creatures of the Abyss, there were at least 666 layers. According to them, it was a chaotic, barren, and cruel world, where the very land was saturated with evil energy, rendering any virtuous traits inappropriate and out of place here. Yet it was a rich world, teeming with precious mineral deposits, powerful magical items, wonderful natural creations, and Abyssal creatures of considerable research value. At least the ¡°Elves¡¯ Blessing¡± version imparted to Lancelot rated the creatures of the Abyss as ¡°of considerable research value.¡± Demons are the original inhabitants here; the difference in strength and intelligence between the various kinds is vast, but their common traits include being irritable, evil, shameless, and unpredictable in behavior. The Elves speculated that this is likely related to the long-term influence of the rampant evil energy in this place. To a certain extent, low-level Demons are like creatures driven mad by intolerable pain, but this view still needs sufficient evidence to support it. The Demons seem to have an allergy to any form of order, so much so that even a neatly arranged formation would cause intense discomfort to low-level Demons, but what they feared more was the authority of high-level Demons. Therefore, the Demons had practically no social organization structure, but the strongest among them could muster terrifying legions by virtue of their superior authority, and war with each other for any valuables or territory that might be worth seizing. However, Demons are not the only creatures here; from time to time, travelers from other worlds find themselves lost here. They either arrived by accident or deliberately came using Teleportation Magic. Through contact with these travelers, the Elves confirmed the existence of multiple upper worlds, and even in other worlds, there was the race of Elves, their language being variants of the Dragon tongue. Furthermore, according to the Elves¡¯ records, they had also come into contact with a creature that called itself a Demon. They were as powerful as the Demons but displayed a high level of intelligence and discipline. The Elves soon realized that the evil of the Demons was not inferior to that of the Demons, and since the Demons did not possess the uncontrollable madness of the Demons, they were much more dangerous. The Demons at that time seemed to be exploring the Abyss as well, and with the power and cunning they displayed, it is very likely that they have now gained a foothold in the Abyss.@@@@ The mountains within the Abyss were all sharply angular, as though ripped right out of the earth by a giant. He chose the most gradual ascent within his line of sight, intending to march to the mountaintop from there. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Riding horseback, Lancelot slowly advanced along the winding mountain path. The dark red sun climbed gradually higher, suggesting that day and night alternated here too, but the sun in the sky, still crimson like a setting sun, was stingy with its warmth to the land beneath. After turning at a mountain pass, Lancelot suddenly heard a cacophony of noises, as if many creatures had gathered together. He hurriedly dismounted and crouched low, making his way stealthily towards the source of the sounds. After skulking forward a bit further, Lancelot located the origin of the noises in a valley ahead of him. He carefully crawled to the edge of the cliff, poked his head out, and peered down. The scene below momentarily halted his heartbeat. The valley swarmed with an enormous number of demons, mostly humanoid ones. They had bloated bodies and filthy skin that obscured their original color, and their grotesque faces featured a wide mouth full of sharp teeth. At the ends of their thick forelimbs were paw-like hands. The knowledge passed down by the elves identified these lowliest demons as Coward Devils, known for their simultaneous cowardice, weakness, and cruelty, almost universally bullied and enslaved by all other Abyssal creatures. A large gathering of them indicated only one scenario: they were under the domination of a more powerful force. Lancelot noticed several demons wielding magic wands, wearing helmets with tall horns, who looked like magicians. Even farther off, there was an imposing figure, nearly three meters tall, resembling the mythic centaur with bull horns on its head and wings on its back, wielding a great axe, watching over the scene with a cool gaze, They were evidently performing a ritual. The Coward Devils were all on their knees (or perhaps lying prone? Lancelot couldn¡¯t tell), their heads pressed tightly against the ground. The demon magicians moved among them, chanting incantations, occasionally using their bone blades to slit the throats of unfortunate victims. Only then did Lancelot notice a strange magic formation drawn in blood on the ground directly below him. As victim after victim had their throats cut, the magic formation began to pulsate, signaling that something was about to emerge. Suddenly, all the demon magicians shouted in unison in the demonic tongue: ¡°Oh mighty being, hearken to our summoning!¡± Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but hold his breath, curious about what was to be summoned. A familiar flash of summoning magic light flickered, and Lancelot¡¯s pupils contracted, for the summoned was evidently of the Human Race. The person appeared to be in their early twenties, dressed in an ordinary white robe, and looked quite bewildered by the situation at hand. ¡°Not good, that¡¯s a civilian!¡± ¡°` Chapter 6 - 6 - 2: Lending a Helping Hand Chapter 6 ¨C 2: Lending a Helping Hand Chapter 6: Chapter 2: Lending a Helping Hand Lancelot¡¯s heart raced with urgency. As a knight, protecting the weak and helpless was his fundamental creed. The demons seemed unsatisfied with the outcome, the magicians confused and urgently communicating among themselves, and the suppression applied to the Coward Devil seemed to have loosened. Some Coward Devils quietly slipped away from the arena, while others set their sights on the recently arrived creature. This newcomer wore neither metal armor nor scales or sharp fangs, clearly an easy target to bully. The Coward Devils, like a pack of wild dogs baring their teeth, crowded around the man, who seemed to still be in a dream, staring blankly around, unresponsive to the looming threat. Several impatient Coward Devils even started running, hoping to be the first among their peers to taste this tender flesh. Lancelot clenched his teeth and drew his great sword, leaping out fiercely. The Coward Devil in the lead had already stretched out its claws, about to touch the man¡¯s body. At that moment, a dark shadow fell, and with the momentum of his descent, Lancelot¡¯s great sword cleaved the overly bold Coward Devil in two with a single strike. The feel was surprisingly good, like chopping into a fat, plump pig on a farm. Like startled sparrows, the Coward Devils scattered in all directions. They were accustomed to seeing their kind sliced in half, but it was the sudden appearance of this iron-clad figure that had truly taken them by surprise. Lancelot, his great sword in hand, stood protectively by the man¡¯s side and turned to say, ¡°Stay behind me, I¡¯ll protect you!¡± The young man in the white robe appeared utterly unfazed, the stark and brutal scene of dismemberment doing nothing to alter his expression, now looking at Lancelot with curiosity. Noticing Lancelot¡¯s gaze, he even smiled back in response. What kind of dark eyes were they! Just a simple exchange of looks, and Lancelot felt as if the other could see right through to the bottom of his heart. He wanted to continue interacting with the stranger, but the sound of approaching footsteps forced Lancelot to refocus his attention on the enemies at hand. His abrupt descent from the sky had been brief, the demon magicians by now had regrouped, casting spells once more to control the Coward Devils, sending them flood-like towards Lancelot. Lancelot swung his great sword, its gleam whirling over his head back and forth, whipping up waves of blood. From a distance, he resembled a high-speed juicer, pulverizing the approaching Coward Devils into shards. Lancelot was no stranger to being deep in enemy lines, his great sword in hand performing brilliantly against the Coward Devils¡¯ sharp teeth and claws effortlessly carving through creating a vast array of severed limbs and flesh. But there were simply too many enemies; he could only defend with all his might and not advance a step forward. As time ticked away and his stamina ebbed, his sword¡¯s arc inevitably slowed, and one or two claws found their way through his once impervious defense, leaving only a faint scratch on his armor before swiftly being severed from their bodies. Knights were formidable, half due to their long-term military training, the other half owing to their expensive armors. The morale of the Coward Devils finally shattered; fear utterly overwhelmed them, rendering the demon magicians¡¯ mind-control spells ineffective. Collapse came swiftly, the Coward Devils vanishing as though shadows under sunlight, gone without a trace. In the world of the Abyss, no one ever expected Coward Devils to win with sheer number. The mission the demon magicians entrusted to them was simple: deplete the target¡¯s stamina as much as possible. New novel chapters are published on Novgo.c¦Ò?. In this, the Coward Devils had excelled. As he stopped the frenzied dance of his great sword, fatigue surged over Lancelot. He now felt the soreness and swelling in his arms, a possible strain on his left shoulder; there was a cut on the back of his right thigh, burning painfully where his armor had not protected him. ¡°What chicken?¡± Upon hearing this, the young man in the white robe smiled again and explained: ¡°I was saying ¡®swift,¡¯ meaning quick and fierce, just a spur-of-the-moment exclamation as I was controlling the Green Bamboo Flying Sword to attack.¡± Lancelot¡¯s brain finally returned to normal operation, and he roughly figured out the situation¡ªthe demons¡¯ attempt to summon a powerful being hadn¡¯t failed, in fact, it was very successful. It¡¯s just that this powerful being happened to be a human. Suddenly, he felt unsure. Could humans really be this strong? Had they accidentally summoned a deity instead? And what did this peculiar address of ¡®fellow Taoist¡¯ mean? However, now was not the time to dwell on these questions; this powerful being had just asked him something, and he had not yet provided an answer. Lancelot quickly began to explain the situation of this place, revealing everything he¡¯d learned from the Elves about planes, the Abyss, and demons. ¡°It¡¯s unexpected that such a world exists, truly vast and wondrous indeed. But why are you here? Could it be that our Human Race also flourishes in this land?¡± When he heard the other person also referring to the Human Race, Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but marvel. How did he manage that? ¡°I do indeed come from another world. Due to certain reasons, a portal to the Abyss world was opened by a group of evil beings. To prevent demons from entering our world, I had to step in to destroy the passage, but the price is that I can never return.¡± Throughout the conversation, the young man in the white robe stared into his eyes, and Lancelot felt that the gaze could see right through him, as though all his secrets were laid bare. ¡°I see,¡± the young man in the white robe nodded. ¡°I can feel that this space is beginning to reject me, and I am afraid that I will have to return to my original world soon. It¡¯s a fate that we met here¡ª Is there anything I can help you with?¡± ¡°Can you take me with you when you leave this place?¡± Lancelot asked with full hope. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± the young man in the white robe shook his head. ¡°Your Spiritual Sense is too fragile to withstand the impact of crossing barriers, and even if I protected your body, it would be of no use.¡± Lancelot felt dejected, but then a flash of inspiration struck him, and he quickly asked: ¡°Then can you teach me how to become as strong as you?¡± At this, the young man in the white robe laughed: ¡°You want to pursue cultivation in this world? Interesting, very interesting! Hahaha...¡± As the laughter died down, the young man in the white robe spoke in earnest: ¡°If you wish to be like me, you¡¯ll have to endure loneliness, withstand solitude, remain unswervingly dedicated, and never forget your initial resolve¡ªcan you do this?¡± ¡°I can!¡± ¡°Cultivation is like rowing upstream, you cannot slack off at all. Each breakthrough in strength invites Heavenly Tribulation, and any lapse could lead to Five Thunderbolts Striking the Top, annihilating your soul. Are you willing?¡± ¡°I am willing!¡± ¡°It will be a lonely path. No one in this world can help you. I can only point you towards the Dao. You¡¯ll have to explore and attempt on your own. You are destined to face countless failures. Can you persist?¡± ¡°I can persist!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Good! Good! Good! If that¡¯s the case, why not pass on the Dao to you?¡± Lancelot knelt down, showing the most solemn obeisance he knew, as if he were in the presence of the Emperor. After the ceremony was complete and he looked up to rise, he saw the man place his hand on the top of his head, give him a smile that seemed like a sigh, somewhat like talking to himself: ¡°The Immortal touches my crown, my life is bound to long existence!¡± Chapter 7 - 7 - 3 Paladin Chapter 7 ¨C 3 Paladin Chapter 7: Chapter 3 Paladin A familiar sensation came once again. Within a single day, Lancelot¡¯s mind had been directly infused twice, and he had already experienced it before. The elves¡¯ blessing turned a vast amount of information into a part of his memory. Although direct, it made his recollections quite chaotic. This time, however, was different. Lancelot discovered that a bamboo slip had appeared in his spiritual world, which seemed to contain endless information, but it usually had no effect on his thinking. Only when he intended to open the bamboo slip could he access the knowledge within. The young man in white robes saw Lancelot regain consciousness so quickly and showed a slightly surprised expression. He smiled and spoke: ¡°We are Spiritual Cultivators, who borrow the power of nature and seek the truth of the ¡®Tao¡¯, aspiring to live as long as the heavens and Earth, to shine with the sun and the moon.¡± ¡°Today I impart to you the ¡®Tao¡¯, yet I cannot provide any further teaching in the future. It is difficult for us to claim a master-disciple relationship, so consider this a chance I¡¯m giving you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve left you with the introductory Cultivation Technique, but the power of nature in this world is different, and the advanced techniques may not be suitable. You¡¯ll need to explore slowly on your own. For this reason, I¡¯ve also left you the cultivation experiences of myself and many wise predecessors, which should serve your cultivation well.¡± ¡°You must know that in the path of Spiritual Cultivation, seeking the ¡®Tao¡¯ is fundamental, and techniques are merely minor details. I believe you can forge a distinguished and most fitting ¡®Tao¡¯ for yourself.¡± ¡°My name is Han Li, and I am the Heavenly Master founder of the Qingyuan Palace in the Spiritual Realm. If destiny allows, perhaps we will meet again.¡± The figure of the young man in white gradually became ethereal, and Lancelot respectfully bowed his head in a salute. ¡°Thank you, Master Han, for imparting the method, farewell, Master Han.¡± By the time he raised his head, the white figure had already disappeared, as if it had been a dream. But a faint laughter still echoed in the air, and the scattered corpses and sore arms around him reminded him that everything that had just happened was real. Lancelot closed his eyes and felt again the bamboo slip in his spiritual world. He was eager to thoroughly comprehend it, but clearly, this was not the right place. Vultures were already circling overhead. What beings would be attracted by the flesh scattered all over the ground, Lancelot did not want to know. If the great demon had carried any valuables, they were probably now sliced into countless pieces. Nonetheless, Lancelot successfully found a red gemstone in the pile labeled ¡°skulls.¡± It flickered with a beautiful glow, hard to miss. The gemstone still retained the demon¡¯s warmth, and Lancelot, holding it in his hand, felt the powerful force contained within. Better to study this thing later. It was time to leave. He put his fingers in his mouth and blew a loud whistle. The clattering of hooves quickly approached, and a black warhorse appeared at the entrance of the valley. The demon warhorse seemed to be startled by the gruesome scene in the valley; the look it gave Lancelot even carried a hint of fear. Lancelot smirked inwardly; this creature had completely lost its haughtiness, and he had indeed bluffed successfully. He re-slung his great sword on his back, leapt onto the horse, and disappeared into the mountain range. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Upon further reflection, he felt his body was like a net that, through the posture of organs aligned to the heavens, captured the spiritual energy of the heavens and the earth in every corner of his body. And to control the True Qi to circulate inside his body was to gather the diffuse spiritual energy across his body and eventually channel it back to the Dantian, where it was stored as a Qi Sea. After completing one Heavenly Cycle, he immediately began another with a strand of True Qi. According to the bamboo slips, when one first felt True Qi in the body, the body was still in a primordial state with a large amount of Innate True Qi remaining inside. After completing the first Heavenly Cycle, the vital points opened, and the body began to automatically absorb spiritual energy from nature, causing the Innate True Qi to flow away. Within less than a day, the Innate True Qi distributed throughout the body would dissipate entirely. Innate True Qi had a significant impact on combat strength in the early stages, though its influence gradually diminished in later stages, yet it still retained many marvelous uses. Therefore, upon first feeling the ¡°Qi¡± inside the body, one should perform as many Heavenly Cycles as possible to retain the Innate True Qi within the body¡¯s Qi Sea. The bamboo slips also warned that initially learning the Heavenly Cycle circulation was very taxing on one¡¯s physical strength. If one were to faint from exhaustion midway, it would result in a significant loss of True Qi, a counterproductive outcome. Therefore, one should act according to one¡¯s capacity and not be greedy. However, Lancelot felt no resistance during the Heavenly Cycle circulation, and his body, after enduring long-term knight training, was in excellent physical condition. Therefore, he repeatedly performed the Heavenly Cycle, circulating it precisely forty-nine times, the maximum emphasized in the bamboo slips, before stopping reluctantly. Lancelot slowly opened his eyes, and a sharp gleam shot from them, briefly illuminating the dim cave. The brilliance quickly retracted into his eyes, and Lancelot felt his spirit fuller than at any other time. He stood up and moved his long-seated body slightly. There was not a hint of numbness, and he felt even lighter than before. Just as he was about to test his body¡¯s capabilities, a foul, putrid smell invaded his nose, causing him to cough violently. Only then did he notice that his skin was covered with a sticky, dark red filth. This was impurity from the flesh and blood, clogging the vital points throughout his body and preventing the absorption of the power of the heavens and the earth. However, it had been pushed out from his body with the first circulation of the Heavenly Cycle. Luckily, there was a small hot spring in the cave. Lancelot ran over and jumped into the boiling pool, comfortably beginning to wash himself. The originally steaming water quickly turned a contaminated dark red, and even the strong sulfur smell of the hot spring couldn¡¯t mask the foul odor. ¡°Hahaha, starting today, I can also be considered a cultivator,¡± he thought. Soaking in the hot spring, Lancelot sincerely thanked Master Han Tian, who had generously taught him the way. He was only at the beginning now, but as his realm increased, his survival rate in the Abyss would greatly improve. Moreover, the strength of cultivators is contained inwardly and difficult to discern from outward appearance. In the Abyss, muscle size is a significant indicator of strength, so enemies would undoubtedly underestimate his abilities, which would be a great advantage. As long as he kept a low profile, it would be easy to create a favorable situation where enemies he couldn¡¯t handle would hardly provoke him, but those who did would severely underestimate his strength. It was perfect ¨C an unbeatable position indeed. But he furrowed his brows, worried about another matter. ¡°My fighting style is still that of a knight, so saying I¡¯m a cultivator doesn¡¯t quite fit, does it?¡± ¡°A warrior who fights with the power of faith is called a Holy Warrior; a swordsman who masters the power of magic is called a Demon Swordsman...¡± ¡°So, what should a knight who has learned the ways of spiritual cultivation be called?¡± Lancelot¡¯s eyes sparkled, and he leaped from the hot spring. ¡°Decided! From today onward, I am the world¡¯s first Paladin!¡± Chapter 8 - 8 - 4 Dwarf Chapter 8 ¨C 4 Dwarf Chapter 8: Chapter 4 Dwarf Standing by the hot spring, Lancelot twisted and turned to check himself. His body seemed younger, his skin finer and smoother, with all previous wrinkles vanished. Perhaps it was due to just having taken a hot bath, his skin was slightly red, more akin to the color of Abyss creatures. Dressed and armored, Lancelot performed several jumps and dodging maneuvers where he stood. True Qi naturally surged from his Dantian, spreading throughout his meridians, enhancing his strength, speed, and agility. After several movements, Lancelot felt quite relaxed, almost as if he wasn¡¯t wearing armor at all. He then picked up his weapon lying beside him and swung it through the air a few times. The previously somewhat heavy great sword now felt much lighter in his hands, making the whooshing sound it would only make when swung with full force. Lancelot was sure his strength had increased by at least thirty percent. ¡°I¡¯ll have to find a way to get another one later,¡± he muttered to himself. The demon who wielded two great axes had left a deep impression on him, and despite not wanting to admit it, the image of swinging two two-handed weapons was undeniably cool. He also tried the various wonderful uses of True Qi mentioned on the bamboo slips: concentrating True Qi in his eyes, his vision greatly improved, clearly seeing the leg hairs of an ant passing by the cave entrance; focusing True Qi on his fingertips, his fingers became incredibly sharp, easily poking a hole in a rock; gathering True Qi at his nostrils... He successfully blocked his sense of smell, and the unpleasant odors in the air miraculously disappeared. The world¡¯s first Paladin sat down once more, meticulously checking his body¡¯s condition. Small streams of True Qi flowed slowly through his meridians, while the Qi Sea inside him was half-full. A thought crossed Lancelot¡¯s mind; according to the records on the bamboo slip, he already had the characteristics of the Great Perfection at the initial stage of the Qi Refinement Realm. ¡°The bamboo slip says that reaching Great Perfection at the initial stage takes at least a month, so why has my progress been so rapid?¡± After some thought, Lancelot felt it was related to his own condition. First, he was already a high rank knight with a strong physical body, and long-term military training had resulted in substantial accumulation in his body; second, the Elves¡¯ blessing might have had some mysterious effect on his body, enhancing his affinity with the power of heaven and earth; and third, a common person would only perform four or five Heavenly Cycles per cultivation session, while he completed forty-nine Heavenly Cycles, the maximum, on his first sensation of Qi, absorbing a large amount of Innate Qi, naturally leading to extraordinary effects. Considering these three factors combined, he was able to make such rapid progress. However, the accumulation of physical strength and absorption of Innate Qi were one-time effects, and his future cultivation speed will likely not differ much from that of an average person. Let¡¯s talk about the future later. The night had passed, and the dying sun had reemerged on the horizon of the Abyssal world. Lancelot had packed his bags and, summoning his black warhorse, once again set off on his journey toward the mountaintop. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª From the foot of the mountain, the Shattered Mountain Range loomed incomparably high, but when you climbed to the summit, you would be amazed to find a vast expanse of flat land at the top, as if a deity had sheared off the peak. ¡°He¡¯s the best blacksmith in Rivet Fort! You imbeciles have him slaving away!¡± The Dwarf shouted angrily, only to be met with the lashing whip from the Berserk Demon¡¯s hand, falling like raindrops. ¡°Ah ah ah!¡± The Dwarf screamed, half from the pain wracking his body and half from the humiliation. But his hands remained firmly planted on the ground, never reaching up to protect his head, for he wanted to shield his father from the lashes with his own body. ¡°Go back, work.¡± The whipping finally ceased, and the Berserk Demon bared his wide mouth, spitting out two words. ¡°Go on, my boy.¡± The old Dwarf regained consciousness and spoke. ¡°Your dad here isn¡¯t dead yet.¡± The young Dwarf, holding back tears, stood up. He gave the ugly humanoid toad a glare filled with hatred from the corner of his eye and, with his head bowed, walked towards the Cross Pickaxe he had thrown to the ground. The sound of the whip crackled behind him again, and he instinctively crouched, hands covering his head, trying to fend off the terrible blows. But the sound of the whipping continued, and the anticipated pain did not come. He looked up in confusion, and the scene before him made his eyes instantly bloodshot. The Berserk Demon was still swinging his whip, lashing at the old Dwarf, incessantly repeating the words ¡°go back,¡± ¡°work,¡± while the old Dwarf, eyes tightly shut, had passed out from the beating. ¡°I¡¯ll fight you all!¡± Something long suppressed finally erupted. The young Dwarf let out a roar of rage, charging at the Berserk Demon with all his might, like a cannonball shot from its cannon. The ugly toad demon turned his sluggish head just in time to be met with a full embrace from the charging young Dwarf. He flew backwards as if hit by a great hammer, crashing heavily against the wall. The young Dwarf knelt on the ground, shaking the old, unconscious Dwarf desperately, crying out with a choking voice: ¡°Dad, wake up, please wake up!¡± ¡°Roar!¡± The flung toad demon staggered to his feet, letting out an angry roar. The Berserk Demon might have been a simpleton, but his physical prowess was not merely for show. It bared a terrifying grin. Guard duties were too boring; battle was more in line with its nature. The young Dwarf picked up the Cross Pickaxe from the ground and turned to face the Berserk Demon. His figure was unexpectedly tall, perhaps because he was standing straight; he seemed to tower above the other Dwarves. All the Berserk Demons around the mine looked on, but they had no intention of intervening. Instead, they prepared to watch this rare duel unfold, for this was the most favored form of entertainment in the Abyss. The show was about to begin. Chapter 9 - 9 - 5: Battle in the Mines Chapter 9 ¨C 5: Battle in the Mines Chapter 9: Chapter 5: Battle in the Mines The Berserk Demon discarded the whip in its hand. To them, whips were too soft, and their own claws were far more useful. The young Dwarf clutched his Cross Pickaxe tightly in both hands. He knew he might not see tomorrow¡¯s sun, but he would rather die than continue living such a humiliating life. The Demon and the Dwarf merely confronted each other briefly before the Demon impatiently launched its attack. Using its powerful legs, like a real toad, it leaped fiercely, slashing downward at its target with both claws. The Dwarf tried to defend himself, but the Cross Pickaxe was not a very good substitute for a shield. He barely managed to deflect the first strike, but he was powerless against the second one that immediately followed. He only had time to protect his vitals as he was struck squarely by the claw and sent flying. The watching Berserk Demons let out a cheer, and even the overseer forgot his duties, issuing a shrill shout of encouragement. The young Dwarf struggled to his feet, his arms and shoulders bearing horrific wounds, but only a little blood flowed out. Dwarves had rock-like bodies and were naturally resistant to bleeding. Although the young Dwarf looked quite disheveled, he had successfully avoided a fatal hit and had not lost his combat ability. Seeing him stand again, the toad Demon roared angrily. This time, it charged on all fours like a wild boar, opening its gaping maw to bite ferociously. The young Dwarf hugged his head and rolled on the ground, narrowly dodging the attack. The audience let out a huge boo, disliking this kind of evasive combat. As the dominant Duelist, the Berserk Demon, spurred on by the booing of its peers, became somewhat frantic. It turned around impatiently and lunged at its opponent, intending to use its previously successful double claw strike again. This time, the young Dwarf did not try to parry with the Cross Pickaxe; he continued to roll on the ground, keeping low and dodging the attack. But this time there was something different. The upper limbs of the Berserk Demon were extremely thick, and its head was directly atop its shoulders with almost no neck, which made it unable to see clearly the actions of the Dwarf beneath it while in midair. As he rolled underneath, the Dwarf maliciously extended the Cross Pickaxe. A relatively small body had many clever uses, such as quickly adjusting one¡¯s posture and exerting force for an attack while rolling and dodging. A sound of bones shattering was heard. The young Dwarf drove the sharp end of the Cross Pickaxe into the Berserk Demon¡¯s knee, shattering the bone inside. The Berserk Demon let out an earth-shattering scream. Its landing aggravated the knee injury, rendering it completely unable to stand, only able to prop itself up with its claws, sprawled on the ground. ¡°Haha, who said three-legged toads are hard to find? Here¡¯s one right here!¡± All of the Dwarves burst into mad laughter, and not even the fiercely falling whips could stop them. The pain completely enraged the Berserk Demon. Madness and the desire for slaughter completely took over its mind, and it wanted nothing more than to tear the detestable little Dwarf to pieces. It charged at the Dwarf again, using its one good leg and two arms, while the young Dwarf turned and ran, circling around the bottom of the mine. The three-legged toad Demon couldn¡¯t catch up with the nimble Dwarf, its dragging, injured leg and crawling with claws on the ground appearing quite comical, eliciting laughter from everyone, including the other Berserk Demons. Perhaps it was the laughter that irritated it, or perhaps the young Dwarf grew tired from running, but the gap between them gradually closed. Finally, the three-legged toad seized an opportunity, pushed off the ground with its single leg, and sprang forward ferociously, while the Dwarf ahead seemed to have carelessly run into a dead end, facing a rock wall with no space to dodge. A breaking point was finally reached: first, the lower jaw of the Berserk Demon tore completely off, and its lengthy tongue, no longer supported by the chin, dropped right out of its throat; next, the steel helmet-like skull was utterly flipped open, revealing an inside covered with numerous revolting tumors and a brain slightly bigger than an apple. Following a brief silence, the entire mining pit erupted. The dwarves cheered wildly, despite themselves, the Berserk Demons roared in anger, but the most piercing was the demon overseer¡¯s scream: ¡°Berserk Demons! Kill him for me! I want to skin him alive!¡± In reality, some Berserk Demons had already leaped down before the overseer¡¯s words even finished, and the young dwarf stood no chance. He could only rely on his small stature to dodge back and forth. However, overwhelmed and outnumbered, he was tripped and fell to the ground, struggling to get up, and the situation was extremely dire. The dwarf slaves sprang into action. They grabbed cross pickaxes and swung them wildly, delaying the steps of several Berserk Demons, but more leaped down from the spectator seats, ready to join the onslaught against that gladiator. A shadow moved faster than them; it was Lancelot, who had been watching from the sidelines for a while. The young dwarf¡¯s battle had made his blood boil, but he had restrained himself from taking action immediately, as interrupting an honorable duel was not the conduct of a knight. However, he had also taken the opportunity to clearly observe the enemy¡¯s situation. The Berserk Demons were strong and heavily relied on their sharp claws and fangs in combat, but they were irritable and foolish, with brute strength but no more skill in battle than wild beasts. The overseer didn¡¯t appear to be skilled in close combat, but its fly-like body and stiletto-like mouth suggested its combat style might favor stabbing, and its shrill voice indicated it could also have some kind of sonic attack. Energy surged from his Dantian, True Qi rushing through each meridian. This was Lancelot¡¯s first battle since becoming a Spiritual Cultivator, and he felt his great sword was so light, as if he had boundless vigor throughout his body. The moment he landed, he skewered an enemy to the ground. Twisting the hilt of his sword, a bloody hole appeared at the back of his foe¡¯s head. On human battlefields, wielding a two-handed great sword, he would be at the very front of the line, shattering the enemy¡¯s dense spear formations. In the Abyss, against enemies like the Berserk Demons, who stood a head taller than humans, the great sword was even more outstanding. The long sword blade ensured Lancelot could stay as far as possible from the dangerous claws of the Berserk Demons while the destructive power of the great sword allowed him to critically injure every enemy he struck. After chopping off several claws and cleaving several toad heads, the assault against him ceased. The Berserk Demons surrounded Lancelot but refrained from approaching out of fear. Only then did Lancelot reach out to pull up that brave young dwarf, laughing as he said, ¡°You fought very well, little brother.¡± ¡°Who you calling ¡®little¡¯? You¡¯re the one without even a beard,¡± replied the dwarf. The two of them burst into hearty laughter before Lancelot introduced himself: ¡°My name is Lancelot Durek, a knight who has fallen to this place, no, a Paladin. What¡¯s your name?¡± The young dwarf bowed: ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m Bruto Frostforge, a blacksmith. It seems you won¡¯t be needing that shield on your back for the time being, may I borrow it for a while?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t formally completed your apprenticeship!¡± It seemed that the elder dwarf wouldn¡¯t be dying anytime soon. ¡°That¡¯s because of these damned demons!¡± Bruto, realizing his father was awake, yelled back excitedly yet somewhat embarrassed. Lancelot unhesitatingly removed the shield. It was a cavalry shield, used to fend off enemy knights¡¯ long spear charges, very thick and durable but too heavy for dismounted use. However, it was quite suitable for Bruto¡ªdwarves, while only two-thirds the height of humans, weighed about the same, with very sturdy builds and strength surpassing that of humans; and the shield was large enough to protect their entire body. Lancelot nodded in satisfaction, seeing Bruto looking like a fully-equipped infantryman: ¡°Ready to handle the rest of these toads?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, pal. I¡¯m positively starving for action!¡±@@@@ Chapter 10 - 10 - 6 Barrend Chapter 10 ¨C 6 Barrend Chapter 10: Chapter 6 Barrend As the roar erupted, a tall and a short figure charged towards the Berserk Demons. Although it was their first time working together, they exhibited a good understanding ¡ª mainly Lancelot coordinating with Bruto. With a sturdy shield and powerful muscles, Bruto could directly block the Berserk Demons¡¯ bites and claws, smashing a few knees in his spare time, while Lancelot took care of protecting Bruto¡¯s flanks and rear, slashing off claws that Bruto didn¡¯t see, stabbing his sword into the mouths of giant toads, and stomping on the brains of the fallen Berserk Demons with his steel boots. They had knocked down several Berserk Demons almost instantly, and just as they were about to clinch an overwhelming victory, suddenly, a piercing howl sounded from above. This was an attack using sonic waves emitted by the wings of the Demon taskmaster, a sound so loud and sharp it was unbearable, forcing everyone to huddle and squat on the ground, trying to block out the maddening noise.@@@@ The Demons were much less affected, seizing the opportunity to break away from the fray. Demons have terrifying regeneration abilities; given a short period, severe injuries could become minor, but there weren¡¯t many giant toads left alive, and those remaining were almost crippled by Lancelot and the other Dwarves. The Demon taskmaster, like a spider, crawled down the nearly vertical pit wall and moved towards Lancelot and Bruto. As it drew nearer, the horrific sound waves it emitted became more intense, robbing people of the ability to resist and leaving them at its mercy. This ability was almost impossible to counter for the Mortal Races with hearing and required a higher level of strength to withstand. This is also why these humanoid fly-like Demons are often appointed as taskmasters; their terrible screeching could quickly quell any slave uprising. It moved step by step towards Lancelot, this unexpected human. If not for him, the bold Dwarf would have been torn to shreds, a scenario proven multiple times to be very effective in boosting the work efficiency of the slaves. As for the death of a Berserk Demon, it couldn¡¯t care less; after all, Berserk Demons were just cannon fodder. With a wave of their mighty hands and a bit of their seemingly inconsequential magic power, the Demon Lords could turn swathes of Coward Devils into Berserk Demons with screams of agony ¡ª they were then usually thrown into meat-grinder battles, resulting in Berserk Demons having the shortest average lifespan in the entire Demon Race, less than 24 hours. It walked up to Lancelot, satisfied to see the human clutching his ears in a death grip, oblivious to the approach. The humanoid fly Demon raised its head, its half-meter-long pointed beak gleaming with lethal cold light, ready to plunge into the throat of the man. It glanced at its prey out of the corner of its eye, sensing that something was off. Although the man was covering his ears, his expression was not one of agony; in fact, the corners of his mouth were curling into a faint smile. In that brief moment of its hesitation, an iron hand shot out like lightning, seizing it by the root of its beak. Lancelot had actually used True Qi to block his ears from the start, and while it couldn¡¯t completely shield out the terrifying buzzer, it was at least no longer unbearable. The Demon struggled violently in his grasp, but Lancelot¡¯s hand was like a clamp, holding it firmly in place. He pulled down on the beak with his left hand, forcing the Demon¡¯s head to droop, then drew his sword with his right hand and swooped down in one motion to decapitate the Demon from its body. The remaining few Berserk Demons, seeing this, let out a strange cry and fled clean away. The decapitated body continued to flutter its wings, emitting that terrible screech, forcing Lancelot to chop off the pair of translucent wings as well. The world finally fell silent. At this, Lancelot grew curious: ¡°Abyssal Ranger? What is that?¡± ¡°A good person wandering in the Abyss,¡± shrugged Bruto. ¡°Some are forced to flee here yet are fortunate enough not to lose their freedom, like you,¡± the old Dwarf said, sighing. ¡°The Abyss is a dangerous place, but it can also easily make one stronger. Those who gain power here yet refuse to fall are called Abyssal Rangers. But you must understand, such individuals are few and far between, and they mostly lead a life in hiding.¡± By then, the other surviving Dwarves had also gathered around, thanking Lancelot, with Barrend introducing them one by one: ¡°This is Adrick, this is his brother Adbeke, and these three are Delg, Dain, and Darak...¡± ¡°We wanted to forge a warhammer as a gift for the coronation of the new King. I organized this mining team to enter an ancient mine in hopes of finding the finest Mithril Ore.¡± ¡°We knew the dangers deep within the mine, but that was the only place where Mithril Ore could still be found.¡± ¡°Deep underground, we found what we were looking for. In fact, we discovered an entire vein of Mithril Ore, and everyone was so excited that they forgot the repeated admonitions of the Miners¡¯ Guild before we set out.¡± ¡°There wasn¡¯t much left to mine inside, and if a new vein was discovered, what we should have done was to leave quickly, not linger on.¡± ¡°Just as you humans cannot resist the temptation of gold, we Dwarves also cannot step away when we discover a precious ore vein. By the time we came to our senses, the mine behind us had disappeared.¡± ¡°The Demons that roam the underground quickly found us; they seem to frequently capture such unlucky fellows. They didn¡¯t tear us to pieces on the spot, but instead brought us to a steel fortress on the surface, where our slavery began.¡± ¡°There, we saw a large number of other slaves, most of them Dwarves but also humans, Elves, and even Orcs and Goblins. A Demon with huge wings was our master; it drove us to collect ores and forge equipment for it, until one day a more powerful Demon Lord came and hung its corpse on the city walls, and we had a new master.¡± ¡°Such events happened every few months. We¡¯ve been in this world for over a year, right up until we met you.¡± Lancelot nodded sympathetically, consoling: ¡°The days of hardship are finally over. We will surely find a way back to our original world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s almost impossible,¡± the old Dwarf¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°We once met an Elf who was a well-learned Scholar before he became a slave. He told us that the Abyssal Plane is beneath all the Main Planes, like a rubbish bin, the destination for all evil, fallen souls. Descending from the upper planes through portals is quite easy. Any careless Mage might accidentally open a portal to the Abyssal Plane, but ascending from a lower plane to an upper one is very difficult, requiring the strength of at least a Demigod to achieve.¡± Lancelot was also struck by this news, but he immediately thought that with his own practice of the Spiritual Cultivation Tao, there might be a glimmer of hope. ¡°That Elf may not be entirely correct; there might be other methods he doesn¡¯t know of,¡± Lancelot tried to sound more upbeat. ¡°What are your plans now?¡± A small debate quickly broke out among the Dwarves, but Barrend eventually persuaded everyone. ¡°We plan to head to Twin Bridges Town.¡± Chapter 11 - 11 - 7 Demons and Demon Chapter 11 ¨C 7 Demons and Demon Chapter 11: Chapter 7 Demons and Demon ¡°What kind of place is Twin Bridges Town? Is there anything special about it?¡± Barrend¡¯s eyes lit up with longing as he answered: ¡°Twin Bridges Town is one among the few neutral towns in the Abyss, and it¡¯s the closest to us. It lies just beyond the foothills on the other side of the Shattered Mountain Range. We should be able to see it once we get over this hill.¡± The word ¡®neutral¡¯ caught Lancelot¡¯s attention, and he asked with confusion: ¡°Neutral Town? Neutral between whom and whom?¡± ¡°Between Demons and Devils, of course. Didn¡¯t you know?¡± Bruto looked at Lancelot oddly, then remembered something and apologized with a smile, ¡°Sorry, I forgot you¡¯re new here. Old man, better you explain.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of Devils.¡± Lancelot answered, ¡°They don¡¯t get along with Demons?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than just not getting along. If one day all the Demons in the Abyss vanished completely, the first suspects would definitely not be the Holy Warriors from Mount Heaven.¡± Barrend stroked his gray white beard. ¡°Although both Devils and Demons are incarnations of ultimate evil in this universe, they severely clash over many doctrines.¡± ¡°How does one differentiate evil from evil?¡± Lancelot asked curiously. ¡°If there are distinctions within the good alignment, there are naturally also distinctions within the evil alignment.¡± ¡°Wait, could you first explain the distinctions within the good alignment?¡± ¡°Well, the simplest example: A just Judge and a robin-hood-like thief. They¡¯re both good people, with kind hearts, the latter mocks the former¡¯s prudishness and naivety while the former believes that regardless of whom the stolen items come from, or how they¡¯re handled, theft must be punished by the law.¡±@@@@ ¡°Correct, this is the topmost layer of the Abyssal Plane, named the Plains of the Abyss. The Plains of the Abyss is the largest layer in the Abyssal Plane and the battlefield of the eternal Blood War.¡± Lancelot pondered for a moment; a neutral town was immensely enticing to him. He could obtain information, supplies, and even refuge there. If he wanted to survive in the Abyss for a long time, a neutral town that welcomed him would be very helpful. ¡°A neutral town sounds perfect for me right now. Can I come with you?¡± ¡°Of course, no problem!¡± Bruto interjected happily. ¡°The Abyss is full of dangers. To have a powerful and noble knight like yourself accompany us would be our pleasure,¡± Bruto¡¯s father added more seriously. ¡°But we are not in a rush to leave; we might still stay here for a few days.¡± ¡°What? Why not leave immediately? Is there something else you haven¡¯t handled yet?¡± Lancelot asked, puzzled. ¡°Haha, look around you, there¡¯s a group of Dwarves and a mine here,¡± Bruto answered with a laugh. ¡°And to be honest, this is a really good mine. If the demons would treat us a bit better, there would be no need for whips. Just two days, no, three days, and we can arm everyone here.¡± Lancelot asked, genuinely surprised: ¡°Can you start work right here?¡± ¡°With a Cross Pickaxe and Blacksmith Hammer, we can start work anywhere. There are ore materials here, magma for heat, and a true master¡ªI¡¯m talking about my old man. Speak now if you have any requests; it will cost you later.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you speaking?¡± Bruto was again soundly punched by his delighted father. ¡°Don¡¯t mind this lad¡¯s nonsense, Sir Lancelot. If you have any needs, you can approach me anytime. Dwarves never forget those who lend a hand during tough times.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too kind. I really don¡¯t have anything to offer as payment right now,¡± Lancelot said, scratching his head awkwardly. ¡°I would like to turn this fellow¡¯s mouth into a short sword or a dagger. Also, this armor might need some maintenance. If you could make the moving parts quieter, that would be great¡ªcharging head-on in the Abyss might not be a good idea.¡± ¡°Making weapons from special materials is my forte. We¡¯ve also found some excellent copper ore and Dragon Scale Charcoal here. Just a small technique is needed to make your armor as smooth as if it were oiled,¡± the former best blacksmith of Rivet Fort proudly said. ¡°Just you wait and see.¡± Chapter 12 - 12 - 8: Methods of Cultivation in the Abyss Chapter 12 ¨C 8: Methods of Cultivation in the Abyss Chapter 12: Chapter 8: Methods of Cultivation in the Abyss Not far from the Dwarf mines, Lancelot was sitting cross-legged in a cave. He had been cultivating here for the past two days, striving to enhance his cultivation level. It wasn¡¯t that there was anything special about the cave, it was simply because the hammering of the Dwarves wasn¡¯t as piercing here. He found he no longer required sleep; after finishing his cultivation sessions, he could naturally enter into meditation. Resting for just an hour or two in a meditative state would leave him as refreshed as if he had slept through the night. His cultivation speed was now much slower than when he first experienced sensing Qi, but Lancelot was clear that this was the normal state of affairs. A rapid increase in strength out of nowhere was nothing but a castle in the air, and the journey of Spiritual Cultivation was really about building a tower of sand¡ªaccumulating slowly day by day until, eventually, countless streams return to the ocean, transcending the mundane and entering the realm of the holy. Of course, these eloquent words were not his own; they came from Han Tianzun who left the bamboo slips containing his cultivation insights. Every day, Lancelot would read the contents related to cultivation knowledge and experiences with a voracious thirst, in addition to his own practice. Han Tianzun came from a world where Spiritual Cultivation was mainstream, where there were various Magical Treasures and Elixirs that could aid in cultivation, some great sects even provided these for free to their outstanding members¡¯ progeny; there were abundant spiritual energy reserves in blessed lands and caves, typically occupied by various powerful forces, but where one could advance by leaps and bounds in cultivation; and there were also ancient caves and secret realms left by sages of old, where obtaining the lost Divine Skills and Magical Treasures could be exchanged for rich rewards from the great sects, or the bold among them might quietly keep the treasures for themselves, silently amassing a fortune. Such things obviously did not exist in the Abyssal Plane, but Han Tianzun had left behind methods of Alchemy and Artifact Refining, which Lancelot might try out if he got the chance. Another matter that he took great interest in was the mention by Han Tianzun one day regarding the ¡°anomalous¡± nature of the spiritual energy in this world. In the words of the old Dwarf Barrend, the Abyssal Plane was practically the Main Plane¡¯s trash bin, septic tank, the ultimate destination for all that was evil, filthy, and Fallen. Naturally, the spiritual energy one could absorb while cultivating in this world had its issues. The Qi Sea in his Dantian was currently dominated by his own Innate Power. Innate Power was like an unfathomably deep ocean, deep and serene when calm. The spiritual energy he absorbed through cultivation from the outside world was different, however; they were like raging magma and roaring waterfalls, powerful but difficult to control. Yesterday, Lancelot tried practicing a Qi Refinement Realm Combat Technique called Gathering Qi Slash. The essence of this technique was to channel True Qi along a special path through the Meridians before releasing it with a slashing motion. He used the stone platform on which he was seated as the object of his experiment. When he exercised his power using Innate True Qi, the stone platform was sliced into two pieces as easily as a hot knife through butter. But when he switched to the spiritual energy of the Abyssal Plane, his Great Sword glowed red as he began to channel Qi, and with one strike, the platform exploded into over a dozen pieces upon contact with the Sword Blade. That was why he was now sitting on the ground. Although visually the effect of a single explosive slash was very cool, the actual utilization of energy was quite low. In terms of power, it was clear that the version using Innate True Qi was much stronger. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m very satisfied,¡± Lancelot said as he put the short sword away. ¡°I also like the name Kiss of Deadly Poison; it suits it.¡± ¡°My dad¡¯s always had a knack for naming weapons,¡± Bruto beamed, continuing to pull more items out of his little cart. ¡°Here¡¯s your armor. We¡¯ve made some modifications at the joints as you asked, so you can try it on.¡± Lancelot took the armor, now disassembled into parts, and noticed the joints had turned the color of brass, dotted with coin-sized black spots. ¡°That¡¯s graphite. We extracted it from Dragon Scale charcoal. It will make the brass very slick. You¡¯ll know once you put it on.¡± Lancelot, filled with curiosity, put on the armor right there. ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d manage on your own,¡± Bruto exclaimed, impressed that Lancelot had swiftly donned the full set of armor without assistance. Lancelot was also startled for a moment. Full body armor was very heavy, and it was quite difficult to put on without an attendant¡¯s help, but now he had managed to do it by himself. It seemed that cultivation had indeed greatly improved his physical condition. ¡°I¡¯ve specifically trained for it,¡± boasted Lancelot modestly. He moved around and found that the clanging of metal no longer sounded; now it was more like the noise of sand rubbing against sand. Although it was far from silent, it was much quieter than before when it could be heard from thirty paces away. ¡°I really can¡¯t thank you enough,¡± Lancelot suddenly felt a bit ashamed. ¡°I don¡¯t have much to offer as a reward, but I will ensure your safety with all my might on our upcoming journey to Twin Bridges Town.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, but speaking of a reward...¡± Bruto suddenly seemed a little embarrassed. ¡°Well, about that shield of yours, I found it quite handy to use. Could I possibly...¡± ¡°Haha, not a problem. We worked really well together when you took the shield,¡± Lancelot pointed at the great sword leaning against the wall. ¡°I prefer using this now.¡± Bruto looked at the weapon, nearly two heads taller than him, with awe, ¡°That thing sure is imposing. It¡¯s very fitting in this world. Unfortunately, we Dwarves can¡¯t use it ¡ª its center of gravity is just too high, making it hard for us to maintain balance when swinging it.¡± Lancelot chuckled and patted his shoulder, ¡°Now whenever I see a Cross Pickaxe, I can almost feel an ache in my knees.¡± ¡°Haha, the Cross Pickaxe is certainly the greatest invention of this world after the forge,¡± Bruto said with a laughing smile. ¡°Alright then, the preparations are all done. It¡¯s time for us to set off.¡±@@@@ Chapter 13 - 13 - 9: The Way Down the Mountain Chapter 13 ¨C 9: The Way Down the Mountain Chapter 13: Chapter 9: The Way Down the Mountain Lancelot followed Bruto out of the cave where he¡¯d been practicing his cultivation and returned to the edge of the mine. In just three short days, the place had been transformed into a temporary Dwarven forge. Lancelot saw piles of coal, earthen forges, casting molds dug into the ground, and bellows fashioned from the wings of Demons. Although the facilities were very simplistic, they had successfully equipped all the Dwarves with Armor and Helmets, and each had a Hand Axe and Warhammer tucked at their sides, fully armed to the teeth. ¡°Only those who have lost their freedom know how sweet it tastes.¡± Bruto placed the Helmet he¡¯d been carrying on his back on his head. ¡°And those who try to enslave us will either get our corpses or nothing at all.¡± ¡°What is that on your Helmet?¡± Lancelot noticed a tall statue of a Berserk Demon that was quite lifelike on Bruto¡¯s Helmet. ¡°Ha, it¡¯s a memorial of the first enemy I killed,¡± Bruto answered proudly. ¡°Now everyone calls me Frog Slayer.¡± ¡°Was that your first battle?¡± Lancelot asked in surprise, Bruto¡¯s calmness and bravery had left a deep impression on him at the time. ¡°True as true can be, I¡¯m only 35 years old, and before that, I was an Apprentice in my dad¡¯s forge,¡± Bruto said, straightening his back. ¡°Maybe I have a knack for being an Adventurer.¡± Lancelot inwardly sighed at the thought of being only 35 years old. But for Dwarves, who lived past 300 years, one was considered young until the age of 50. He took another look at Bruto¡¯s Helmet and secretly suspected that the main purpose of the toad-like figure was to make the wearer appear a bit taller. ¡°Oh, Sir Lancelot, you¡¯re here. How¡¯s the Armor?¡± Bruto¡¯s father, a master-level Dwarven Artisan, walked over. ¡°The craftsmanship of the Dwarves truly lives up to its reputation. Thank you, Master Barrend, I am very satisfied.¡± ¡°Ha! These are all makeshift, put together in haste.¡± Barrend laughed. ¡°The conditions here are really poor. When I get the chance, I¡¯ll show you what true Dwarven craftsmanship is all about.¡±@@@@ Lancelot too smiled. In the company of these cheerful Dwarves, he¡¯d almost forgotten he was in such a terrifying plane. ¡°The way down looks treacherous, I¡¯m afraid it might take two days...¡± ¡°No need for two days, half a day at most,¡± Bruto approached, holding something. ¡°As long as you learn to use our dwarven mode of transportation.¡± Hearing this, Lancelot turned around and saw that the so-called mode of transportation was just a pair of slender metal boards, with one end curled upward and what looked like a place to put boots welded in the middle. ¡°Uh, what¡¯s this?¡± Lancelot asked, suddenly having a bad feeling. ¡°This is called a pair of skis,¡± Bruto said, his face filled with an excited frenzy. ¡°Skiing is one of the favorite sports among us mountain dwarves, and skis are simple to use, very easy to learn.¡± ¡°I know what skiing is,¡± Lancelot swallowed hard. ¡°But where is the snow here?¡± ¡°Look under our feet, big guy,¡± Bruto stomped on the ground, kicking up some dust. ¡°Every corner of the Plains of the Abyss is covered with a thick layer of ash that you can treat just like snow, its friction is even less than that of snow. See those smooth slopes? The ash layer there is at least three meters thick.¡± ¡°But this seems very dangerous,¡± Lancelot insisted. ¡°That¡¯s why we have a full set of protective gear. Well, they¡¯re also armor.¡± Bruto handed two ski poles to Lancelot and began helping him put on the skis. ¡°We¡¯ll just follow behind the others. The veterans will find a suitable path ahead.¡± Barrend had already set off with the other dwarves. It¡¯s worth noting that skiing is indeed a very simple sport for dwarves, who have a lower center of gravity. Besides, their bodies were like stone; if they were to crash into something, the one taking more damage might not be these dwarves. With Elves¡¯ blessings and the enhancement of Spiritual Cultivation, I should be able to survive the journey down the mountain, Lancelot consoled himself. ¡°By the way, your armor should be able to withstand an impact of over a ton, right?¡± Lancelot¡¯s face changed and he was just about to answer when Bruto pushed him out. ¡°Bruto!!!!!! Aaaaaah!!!!!!!¡± Bruto wore a mischievous grin, then adjusted his helmet and leaped out after him. Chapter 14 - 14 - 10 Alpine Slides Chapter 14 ¨C 10 Alpine Slides Chapter 14: Chapter 10 Alpine Slides After a brief moment of panic, Lancelot swiftly regained his balance thanks to his excellent physical conditioning. His memories of skiing were instinctively awakened, a skill he learned during a vacation with his brother when he was younger. After the initial steep descent, the slope became slightly more gentle. Lancelot worked hard to control his skis, making wide turns on the dusty slope to avoid picking up too much speed. Bruto, making smaller, quicker turns, caught up from behind and crossed paths with Lancelot while skiing. ¡°You¡¯re skiing pretty well!¡± ¡°What?¡± The wind blowing straight at him was too loud, and Lancelot couldn¡¯t hear clearly. ¡°I said you¡¯re doing pretty well!¡± Bruto roared, and Lancelot quickly nodded to show he had heard. ¡°I won¡¯t wait for you!¡± Bruto bent his body and, like a fish, shot forward instantly, leaving Lancelot in the dust at the back. Lancelot shook his head and continued at a comfortable pace, moving steadily forward. The wind from the Abyss carried the scent of sulfur as it brushed Lancelot¡¯s face. He skied down following the marks left by the Dwarfs, fully enjoying the thrill speed brought. His heart gradually became calm, quietly feeling the atmosphere of becoming one with nature. From his Dantian, a strand of True Qi naturally separated and began circulating through his Meridians in the Circulation of Qi. At this moment, he entered a mysterious state. According to the records on the bamboo slips, Spiritual Cultivators sometimes feel very attuned with nature and subconsciously enter a state of ¡°Enlightenment,¡± where their primary Cultivation Technique naturally operates, significantly increasing their cultivation level and providing an indescribable insight into the ¡°Tao.¡± Compared to normal Cultivation, the speed of absorbing nature¡¯s Spiritual Energy was much faster now. By the time Lancelot came out of this state, his body emitted a visible white vapor. He realized that he had unknowingly broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Cultivation, but he had no time to rejoice over this; he was merely annoyed that the mysterious state had ended so quickly. During that state, it seemed like he had comprehended many things, and questions about Cultivation that he had been pondering over for a long time seemed to have answers, but now, he could remember none of it, only a vague impression remained. ¡°Aaaaaah!!! Keep it away from me! Get this thing off me!!¡± Bruto glanced back and saw the mouth was almost upon his backside, scaring him out of his wits, flailing with all his might to slightly increase the distance from the sandworm again. Lancelot wanted to help, but he simply couldn¡¯t catch up, so all he could do was watch anxiously from behind. Suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashed in his mind, remembering the records about ¡°Flying Sword¡± on the bamboo slips. The day Han Celestial Sovereign controlled a small Flying Sword, he almost instantly chopped a demon wielding great axes into pieces¡ªthe image deeply embedded in his memory. So, when he learned from the bamboo slips that he would need the cultivation level of a Demigod in the Nascent Soul Stage to operate a ¡°Flying Sword¡±, his heart sank in disappointment. According to the explanation in the bamboo slips, the Flying Sword¡¯s ability to fly relies on the control of the Spiritual Cultivator¡¯s outwardly exerted Spiritual Power. Spiritual Power originates from the Transformation of True Qi after reaching the Golden Core Stage, and being able to manipulate it with ease requires reaching the Nascent Soul Stage. Although he only had True Qi and couldn¡¯t exert it outward, the principle of the Flying Sword could still be borrowed. True Qi surged from Lancelot¡¯s Dantian, he referenced the Gathering Qi Slash technique to accumulate the True Qi under the snowboard at his feet, and then released it explosively from the back of the board. A loud explosion came from the back of the snowboard, the strong thrust causing his body to lean back instantly, and Lancelot felt like an arrow shot from a bow. After breaking through to the Middle Rank of Qi Cultivation, the True Qi in his Dantian Qi Sea was nearly full, and he could feel a clearly stronger flow of True Qi during cultivation. This strength made Lancelot initially lose control due to excessive force but thankfully adjusted quickly. Bruto heard the sound of rushing wind from behind, thinking the sandworm was about to bite him, and too terrified to look back, he screamed out loud. Suddenly, he felt light, as Lancelot had caught up with him, grabbed Bruto with his left hand, and tucked him under his armpit. Lancelot continued to spur the snowboard under his feet, their speed skyrocketing, quickly leaving the terrifying sandworm far behind. ¡°Whew, whew, thank you so much, Lancelot. You really are, truly are, my lifesaver,¡± Bruto said, breathless. ¡°Haha, your screaming just now was truly magnificent. Could you give us another one?¡± Lancelot teased, seeing his face smeared with snot and tears. At these words, Bruto managed an embarrassed smile, but suddenly his face stiffened, turning into horror, and he shouted: ¡°The cliff ahead! The cliff!¡± Chapter 15 - 15 - 11: Lord of the Sandworms Chapter 15 ¨C 11: Lord of the Sandworms Chapter 15: Chapter 11: Lord of the Sandworms Lancelot fixed his gaze and discovered that there was a cliff ahead of them, their speed too fast to turn in time now. In their haste to escape, they had long since veered off the path. What lay below the cliff was now unseen; they could only take a gamble. ¡°Hold on to me!¡± He shouted loudly, then once again spurred the snowboard beneath his feet to increase his speed. There was likely nothing but unaccumulated dust and scattered rocks below the cliff, so he had to fly as far as possible to hopefully find a suitable area to land. ¡°No, no, no, no, no! Don¡¯t jump, don¡¯t jump! Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!¡± Amidst Bruto¡¯s screams of terror, two figures flew out from the cliff. Lancelot continued to stimulate the snowboard with True Qi. Although he couldn¡¯t manage it like flying a Flying Sword, he was still able to adjust the direction and speed of his glide through the air. Lancelot looked around for a suitable place to land but what he saw once again brought his heart to a stop. In front of them was a gigantic sand worm, at least ten feet in radius and nearly a thousand feet long, rearing up like a cobra with its gaping maw wide open, waiting for them.@@@@ In that disgusting giant mouth were rows upon rows of sharp teeth, and Lancelot had no doubt that anything caught between them would be reduced to a paste. ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck! Not like this! We¡¯re going to die!!!¡± Bruto had lost all coherence, the shock of the past five minutes had exceeded what a Dwarf could bear. ¡°Hold tight!¡± Lancelot too was scared by the massive mouth resembling a tunnel entrance, but he knew he still had a chance to fight. He drew his Greatsword from his back, silently estimating the distance as he poured all his might and Innate Power into the Gathering Qi Slash. A golden-red Sword Aura extended along the sword, making the Greatsword appear to have doubled in length. Just as he was about to fall into the maw of the Lord Level monster, Lancelot twisted his body into an inverted position and funneled all the remaining True Qi sourced from the nature¡¯s spiritual energy into the snowboard on his feet. An explosion sounded in the air as the snowboard beneath Lancelot¡¯s feet shattered, his body changing its original trajectory by utilising the explosive force, plummeting like a meteor. Before his words ended, a torrential blood rain hammered on their heads, the fresh blood spurting from the inside of the sandworm; and because Lancelot had fallen too swiftly, it reached the ground ahead of the blood. The small shield hardly covered their entire bodies, and the areas exposed were splotched with blood red, as if splashed with paint, in an instant. Bruto let out an odd cry, once again clinging tightly to Lancelot¡¯s thigh. Lancelot thought Bruto¡¯s voice had taken on a sharper tone, considering how often he had made such cries today. Following that was a large amount of sand, which was the food the sandworm consumed into its belly. A sandstorm descended upon the two of them, as Lancelot held the shield steadfastly; a clinking sound filled the air, obviously mixed with rocks and other hard substances within the sand. Bruto, still clutching Lancelot¡¯s thigh, twitched his ears, as if discerning something carefully; then he tilted his head up, staring dumbly at the shield raised above his head. Perhaps it was some faint, crisp collision sound that stirred him; Bruto suddenly released his grip on Lancelot and leaped outside. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lancelot cried out in surprise, perplexed by Bruto¡¯s strange behavior. ¡°I heard it! I heard lots! There are so many!¡± Bruto¡¯s voice was instantly drowned out by the sand; in fact, his entire body had been buried completely by the continuously falling sand. Fearing that Bruto would be suffocated, Lancelot quickly reached out and dragged him back. ¡°Have you gone mad? This is...¡± Lancelot¡¯s words were cut mid-sentence when he saw that Bruto was holding a fist-sized yellow crystal stone, grinning foolishly. ¡°Bruto, what is this?¡± ¡°Pure mountain crystal! Even bigger than the one on the Dwarf King¡¯s crown! And there are lots more inside! I definitely didn¡¯t hear wrong!¡± Lancelot paused for a moment, then suddenly realized. The sandworm had been burrowing through the ground, consuming sand and soil, surely swallowing many precious ores and gemstones over time. This huge sandworm overlord might be like an old clam, with its belly full of treasures. What caught his attention more was the feeling that this mountain crystal contained a large amount of spiritual energy, very much like the spirit stones described in the bamboo slips. Spirit stones are a very common resource in the world of spiritual cultivation, classified into lower, middle, upper, and even top grades based on the quality of spiritual energy they contain. They could be directly absorbed by cultivators to replenish energy during battle or cultivation, and were used in artifact refining, alchemy, to power formations, and many other aspects, acting like currency among the lower and middle rank spiritual cultivators. Lancelot¡¯s eyes suddenly gleamed with excitement, as the bamboo slips recorded several rare encounters, including killing fierce beasts and seizing the treasures they guarded, which appeared to apply just as well in the Abyssal Plane! We¡¯ve struck it rich! Chapter 16 - 16 - 12 Bruto’s Career Chapter 16 ¨C 12 Bruto¡¯s Career Chapter 16: Chapter 12 Bruto¡¯s Career As the sandstorm had just started to subside, Lancelot and Bruto plunged into the sea of sand. Strictly speaking, within a few days, these grains of sand would have become the excrement of sandworms, but who could ignore the treasures buried within? This wasn¡¯t the time to be squeamish. Describing their current state as wading through a ¡®sea of fecal maggots¡¯ was not an exaggeration. Lancelot, with his sensitivity to spiritual energy, could pinpoint and retrieve a crystal stone with each try. Bruto, on the other hand, leveraged a Dwarf¡¯s innate sensing (or perhaps obsession?) for gemstones, frantically digging in the sand, which allowed him to find quite a lot as well. Lancelot grasped a mountain crystal and with a thought, the spiritual energy within the crystal stone was absorbed into his body, quickly restoring much of the True Qi he had expended in the recent battle. Absorbing the spiritual energy from crystal stones could replenish his strength, but it couldn¡¯t exceed his original limits; to improve his level of cultivation, he still needed to practice assiduously. However, confirming that these mountain crystals could be used as spirit stones greatly exhilarated Lancelot. This made many actions that required spirit stones now feasible. Once they had thoroughly sifted through the sand dunes, the two huddled together, exhausted, counting their spoils of war. Lancelot had found a large number of what Bruto called mountain crystals¡ªcrystal stones emanating rich spiritual energy, which a sensitive Spiritual Cultivator would find hard to miss. Bruto, on the other hand, had collected various gemstones and pure ores. Sandworms were not picky eaters when it came to feeding; sometimes, they would even consume an entire vein of ore. Those raw ores would be refined in their stomachs, leaving behind just a small, undigested part of pure ore, which was an exceptionally precious forging material.@@@@ The young Dwarf looked at the vast treasure scattered on the ground with eager eyes, painfully yet firmly pushed them towards Lancelot, saying, ¡°These are your spoils of war, Lancelot. They do not belong to me. It was you who killed that monstrous worm and you also saved me. If it weren¡¯t for you, I might be with these gemstones right now¡ªinside the belly of a sandworm.¡± Lancelot chuckled, patted Bruto, ¡°Those mountain crystals are indeed useful to me, but if it weren¡¯t for you, I might have missed them. How about this, you pick three of your favorite gemstones from here as a reward for discovering the treasure.¡± ¡°I think one would suffice for the merit I contributed,¡± Bruto said seriously as he picked up the largest and most beautiful ruby. ¡°Are you sure? Don¡¯t you want to take more?¡± Lancelot asked politely. ¡°Lancelot! Are you a Demon? Resisting temptation is really difficult!¡± Bruto roared in anger. ¡°I am willing!¡± As these three words were spoken, the atmosphere suddenly turned very peculiar, and both fell silent. ¡°I mean, from now on, we are an adventuring team,¡± Lancelot was the first to speak, trying to break the awkward silence. ¡°Of course, of course, haha,¡± Bruto seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°Right, then let¡¯s pack up and head out. Your fathers must be getting anxious waiting.¡± Their skis had been destroyed in the fight, but they were not far from their target. Lancelot cast a spell to summon his warhorse, first helped Bruto mount it, then he too leapt onto the horse and they rode towards their originally intended destination of the crazy mountain descent. After riding for about half an hour, they met Barrend and the others, who were anxiously waiting in place. On the road, Lancelot had already agreed with Bruto not to disclose all their gains, for even if these Dwarves had no ill intentions, letting even a little information slip could attract more trouble than they could handle. The final explanation they gave was that they had been chased off course by a sandworm and their skis were broken, so they were delayed for such a long time. Barrend was still a bit skeptical; all of them had heard the earth-shattering scream which had come from the direction Bruto and Lancelot were coming. However, seeing his son unharmed, he lost the interest to probe further. After the group joined up, they continued on toward Twin Bridges Town, and finally, as the round, blood-red sun was about to completely disappear from the horizon, they reached one of the two arch bridges that spanned the Stygian River, the entrance to Twin Bridges Town. A humanoid figure with huge bat wings was giving instructions to a pair of Berserk Demons guarding the bridgehead. On hearing someone approaching, she turned around. Lancelot felt as if his heart had skipped a beat. This was a shockingly beautiful female Demon. She wore a leather outfit that barely covered anything, her proud figure seeming as if it would burst free from its confines. Two straight horns extended from amidst her black hair on top of her head, and behind her were a pair of large bat wings and a tail with an arrow-shaped tip. This was a Succubus, rumored to be born directly from mortals¡¯ fantasies and desires for beauty and sex. Countless facts proved they were the perfect embodiment of the word ¡®licentious.¡¯ The Succubus smiled at them enticingly and greeted: ¡°Good evening, gentlemen, my name is Tijana, welcome to my town. Are you here for business or pleasure?¡± Chapter 17 - 17 - 13 Tijana Chapter 17 ¨C 13 Tijana Chapter 17: Chapter 13 Tijana Facing the scantily clad Succubus with stunning looks, Lancelot couldn¡¯t help feeling parched and his heartbeat sped up. He struggled to move his gaze away from that beautiful face, but the body of the Succubus was even more blood-stirring. The verses of the Ice Heart Spell naturally came to his mind, and the True Qi inside his body circulated in tandem, completely calming him down. He refocused his attention on the Succubus¡¯s face, but his gaze had become pure. Tijana noticed his wandering gaze, which made her turn her head, just in time to meet Lancelot¡¯s eyes. She realized these pale blue eyes were looking at her without any impure thoughts, as if merely appreciating a beautiful piece of art. She had been very familiar with this kind of gaze, but it had been hundreds of years since someone had looked at her this way. She carefully sized up this tall, dark-haired human male with strong self-control, and involuntarily licked her lips. This action nearly made the Berserk Demons around them shoot fire from their eyes, but the Dwarves seemed indifferent to it. Barrend cleared his throat and said, ¡°Honored lady, we are a group of skilled craftsmen seeking shelter. Is there any use you have for us? But we must clarify in advance that no matter what your conditions are, we will not surrender our freedom.¡± ¡°Ah, shelter, Twin Bridges Town indeed provides such service, and I¡¯m not interested in your freedom.¡± Tijana moved her gaze away from Lancelot, which finally allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief; something in the Succubus¡¯s gaze earlier had made him want to turn and run. ¡°I only need you to hammer these metal ingots into the specified shapes. In fact, there are already quite a few Dwarves in the city, and they are free to leave whenever they wish.¡± ¡°What is the cost for them to become residents of Twin Bridges Town?¡± Barrend was still cautious. ¡°Talk to your kin first, they will probably use many pleasant words to describe me. When you¡¯ve decided you still want to stay, come find me.¡± Tijana¡¯s gaze returned to Lancelot. ¡°You haven¡¯t introduced yourself yet, is this how you show courtesy to a lady, Sir Knight?¡± ¡°My name is Lancelot, honored lady.¡± Lancelot gave a knightly bow. ¡°At your service.¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Bruto shook his head. ¡°Just imagine your perfect partner in your mind, then double her height and compress her width to a third.¡± ¡°Okay, they¡¯re definitely not your type,¡± Lancelot shrugged and began walking towards the bridge. ¡°But you have to admit she¡¯s pretty.¡± ¡°Indeed, very pretty, that¡¯s how they make their living,¡± Bruto said, stepping forward and gazing up with a look of disdain at the Berserk Demons serving as guards along the bridge. ¡°It¡¯s said that Demons originate from the souls of mortals who fell into the Abyss, so the Succubi have the same deadly allure to them, throwing themselves upon this to curry favor with the Demon Lords.¡± ¡°That requires some serious diplomatic skill, hard to imagine a Demon having the patience for that.¡± ¡°No, women are born with it and enjoy it, even among the crazy race of Demons,¡± Bruto said gravely. ¡°Never trust the words of a being without a handle; their sweet nothings are like beautiful bubbles that ultimately leave you with nothing.¡± ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve got plenty of stories,¡± Lancelot said, barely holding back a laugh. ¡°Yes, hopefully, we¡¯ll find a tavern here, or we definitely won¡¯t be settling in this place.¡± As they spoke, the group had already crossed halfway over the arch bridge, and Twin Bridges Town was now fully in their view. Despite being naturally protected by the Stygian River, Twin Bridges Town still boasted towering city walls, although they looked very decrepit and seemed to have been breached not long ago. At the end of the bridge was a massive gate; after passing through a narrow and dark passage, the group entered the interior of Twin Bridges Town. The first thing that caught their eye was a crowded and chaotic street made of broken paving stones, and the buildings on both sides fully reflected the chaotic nature of the demons, each constructed haphazardly, bizarre and ugly, each appearing as designs that survived numerous wild attempts, clearly lacking anything resembling a city planning bureau. Despite this, Lancelot noticed some less unconventional structures including taverns, shops, and brothels, obviously operated by non-Demonic races (or possibly less crazy among the Demons). At the end of the street was a small square with a rather exquisite statue in the center, depicting a Succubus leading an army like a commander, Lancelot recognized that Succubus as the likeness of Tijana. Just as he was about to examine the details of the statue, he suddenly felt his Spirit Perception triggered. His right hand shot backward, grabbing a claw that had reached into his pocket. The claw was attached to a small, grey-skinned Demon, gradually fading from invisibility, looking at the person who caught him with a face full of fear. ¡°Oh, great,¡± Bruto raised an eyebrow. ¡°A Quasimodo Demon thief.¡± Chapter 18 - 18 - 14 Dingke Chapter 18 ¨C 14 Dingke Chapter 18: Chapter 14 Dingke ¡°Dingke surrenders! Dingke has surrendered!¡± ¡°No one should expect the peacekeeping standards here,¡± Lancelot said to Bruto. ¡°However, I¡¯m quite curious as to what would happen if we handed him over to the guards.¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t! Dingke has treasure! For you! All for you! Don¡¯t hand Dingke over to the big toad, the big toad will tear Dingke to pieces, and you¡¯ll get nothing!¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s possible,¡± Bruto said, rubbing his hands together, ¡°For instance, we could witness a scene where a Quasimodo Demon is ripped in half, and maybe that Berserk Demon will even throw the corpse straight into its mouth. Such spectacles are not easily seen.¡± ¡°No! You can¡¯t do this!¡± the captured Quasimodo Demon screamed. Suddenly, Lancelot saw the image of the Quasimodo Demon before him contort in a terrifying manner; its eyes emitted a horrifying glow as it opened its mouth full of fine teeth, saying: ¡°Mortal, release me at once!¡± Its voice became eerie and hoarse, like an existence that absolutely must not be defied. However, Lancelot was not frightened at all, viewing the poor performance of this green demon with an amused spectator¡¯s attitude, but Bruto seemed to have been influenced slightly, retreating several steps with a look of terror. ¡°Hey!¡± shouted Lancelot at the Dwarf, his voice slightly laced with True Qi. Bruto immediately came to his senses, realizing he had been cowed by the little trick of the Quasimodo Demon, which made him fuming with anger. He rolled up his sleeves, preparing to hit the detestable creature. Lancelot found the behavior of the little demon quite amusing and decided to use its own methods against it. Nature¡¯s spiritual energy from the Abyssal Plane flowed from his Dantian, filling the meridians throughout his body and gathering in his eyes. He stared fixedly at the Quasimodo Demon and said in a voice that startled even himself: ¡°How dare you!¡± The intimidation had a very good effect, in fact, it might have been a bit too effective. The demon named Dingke¡¯s eyes bulged, and its body went limp, collapsing on the ground. Its gray-green skin oozed a dark brown, foul-smelling mucus, but thankfully, Lancelot had released his hold before it hit the ground.@@@@ ¡°Uh, what did you do to it?¡± Moreover, he was acutely aware that if he destroyed this small orb, the demon in front of him would immediately scream and dissolve into a pool of blood, completely vanishing from this world. It seems this Quasimodo Demon mistook him for some formidable being, and the way it thought of ¡®mother¡¯ was also intriguing, but that could be researched later. Pretending to be stern, Lancelot said to it: ¡°Stand up, Dingke, I accept your loyalty.¡± The Quasimodo Demon named Dingke immediately stood up, eagerly asking: ¡°Master, what do you need Dingke to do?¡± Bruto, who was standing nearby, watched all this with his eyes wide and mouth agape. He turned to Lancelot, confused: ¡°You¡¯ve just taken on a demon as a minion?¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders and said with a smile: ¡°It must have been subdued by the murderous aura on me. After all, we did kill quite a few Berserk Demons before, which it fears the most.¡± ¡°Makes sense, but I¡¯ve also killed plenty, why isn¡¯t it afraid of me?¡± ¡°Who made you freeze up because of it just now?¡± Lancelot rolled his eyes. Everything that had happened was actually over in an instant, and Barrend and the other Dwarves had also gathered around by now, all looking curiously at the small demon who was less than half their height, with sharp horns on its head. Some Dwarves complained indignantly: ¡°Quasimodo Demons, they¡¯ve often caused trouble when we were working, hiding the ore we painstakingly mined, just to see us whipped!¡± The demon being scrutinized covered its head and shouted in its defense: ¡°Dingke didn¡¯t! Dingke never did! It wasn¡¯t Dingke¡¯s doing!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, this Quasimodo Demon has already been subdued by me.¡± Lancelot took out the red orb. ¡°See, it willingly gave me its demon essence.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this thing, very few demons are willing to hand over their essence, they¡¯d rather howl and fight to the death, except for the Quasimodo Demons.¡± Barrend frowned as he looked at the item in Lancelot¡¯s hand, ¡°They¡¯re too weak, so they often serve more powerful beings in exchange for a chance to survive. How did you get it?¡± ¡°It stuck its claw into my pocket and I caught it on the spot, then I simply showed it a bit of my power, and so it was.¡± Lancelot sensed Dingke¡¯s intense distress due to the onlookers, so he turned and said to it: ¡°Aren¡¯t you familiar with this town? Introduce us to it, lead the way.¡± Chapter 19 - 19 - 15 Twin Bridges Town Chapter 19 ¨C 15 Twin Bridges Town Chapter 19: Chapter 15 Twin Bridges Town After wandering through the twisted and oppressive streets of Twin Bridges Town for two hours, Lancelot and Dingke found themselves back in front of Tijana¡¯s statue. The intelligence and language abilities of the Quasimodo Demon were not great, and it couldn¡¯t quite fulfill the role of a tour guide. Luckily, Lancelot was able to read its thoughts directly, eventually getting a rough understanding of the situation in Twin Bridges Town. This town, built on Riverheart Island, was not small, equivalent in size to a county seat in the human realm. According to their main functions, the entire town could roughly be divided into four areas: First was the blacksmith district, where a large number of craftsmen shielded by Tijana gathered, including dwarves, humans, goblins, and other odd races, tirelessly producing goods day and night for her weapons trade business. In that area, Barrend met several of his former ¡°prison mates,¡± who were now inquiring about the local working conditions, while Bruto stayed there with his old man. Then there was the trade zone, where most of the ¡°shop owners¡± were sales agents sent by the Demon Lord to deal with the spoils of war. There were also members of the mortal races from the higher planes. Lancelot regretfully learned that they all belonged to certain organizations, brought here in the form of a summon by his predecessor. They would automatically return to their original world when their time was up, receiving a substantial allowance for their externship in the dangerous zone. The merchandise here included treasures with potent curse effects, various toxic substances that even demons could not immunise against, and even jars of human-faced worms that wailed; basically, there was nothing he could use, except for one human shop whose employees dressed in red robes. The enchanted equipment and magic scrolls inside seemed quite practical. The street they had just passed was part of the mercenary quarters. This area was filled with plenty of taverns, inns, and residences of local inhabitants (some more accurately called dens), some of which were even available for rent. Types included single rooms above taverns, villas with gardens, dungeons, and interrogation rooms, tombs under mass graves, channels that lead directly to the Stygian River, and cesspits connected to all the public toilets¡ªessentially, most races could find a place that met their needs here. However, the most important building was a mercenary hall, akin to an arena, offering services to the foolhardy adventurers who dared enter the Abyss. They could accept various dangerous missions, with rewards so substantial that one would take any risk, though of course, no reward is worth anything if you¡¯re dead (though in some cases, taking the form of undead or spirits also works). This made Lancelot unable to resist the surge of another idea, and he signaled Dingke to come over. ¡°Master, what do you command?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve served well today, come with me.¡± Lancelot found a deserted street corner and ordered Dingke: ¡°Kneel down, I¡¯m going to bestow a reward upon you.¡± On hearing the word ¡°reward,¡± an overwhelming fear welled up in Dingke¡¯s heart, which Lancelot felt clearly. In the context of the Abyss, this was not a good word at all. Owing to the demons¡¯ cruel sense of humor, a ¡°reward¡± usually preceded phrases like ¡°eternal slumber¡± or ¡°endless agony.¡± The skin color of the Quasimodo Demon directly reflected its psychological changes; it turned ashen grey, like cinders. But still, it knelt down, unable to resist because of the red orb Lancelot held in his hand. ¡°No, Master! What did Dingke do wrong ... Dingke has treasures, more treasures to offer the master!¡± ¡°What nonsense are you thinking, kneel properly!¡± Lancelot placed his hand on Dingke¡¯s head. Chapter 20 - 20 - 16 Demons Promotion Chapter 20 ¨C 16 Demons Promotion Chapter 20: Chapter 16 Demons Promotion Lancelot had just placed his hand on Dingke¡¯s head with nothing happening initially, but as he began to mobilize the True Qi within his body, a list seemingly appeared before his eyes, detailing the energy needed for various demonic transformations. The sensation was quite vague, possibly due to his not very high realm. He cautiously injected about one-tenth of his True Qi. This amount was not enough for Dingke to transform into a higher-level demon, but it should enable a comprehensive enhancement of its current form. As the True Qi surged from his Dantian, the diminutive demon let out a muffled grunt, as if it had been struck on the head. Its body began to change dramatically. Muscles swelled fiercely, skin tore into pieces; its skeleton instantly grew larger, piercing through the skin, but was quickly covered by new flesh; the demon horns on its head gradually grew thicker and larger, forcing the skull to crack open, revealing the boiling brain inside. ¡°Aaaahhhhhhh!!!¡± As the body¡¯s transformation neared completion, only then did Dingke scream out, the entire process taking less than a minute. It lay on the ground, gasping heavily, then slowly stood up, incredulously sizing up its new body, a euphoric emotion permeating its heart, the color of its entire skin rapidly changing from newborn pink to lush green. With the completion of the advancement, through the mysterious bond between them, Lancelot felt that he too had received some form of enhancement, his resistance to magic seemed to have improved. ¡°Thank you, Dinke, my great master! Dingke will forever and ever serve you!¡± Lancelot took a step back, feeling his boots being nearly corroded by Dingke¡¯s kisses. It appeared his conjecture was correct. The True Qi formed from cultivation came directly from the Abyssal Plane¡¯s natural spiritual energy. Since high-level demons could consume magic power to advance low-level demons, his True Qi certainly should too, and the effect would only be better.@@@@ ¡°Go now, when I need you, you will hear my call.¡± ¡°As you command, my Lord!¡± The figure of the newly born demon gradually became transparent, eventually disappearing into the air, the sound of its hooves gradually fading away. ¡°That does sound incredibly harsh.¡± Lancelot sighed. ¡°But I guess your dad still plans to stay.¡± ¡°Uh, how did you know?¡± ¡°Because there aren¡¯t any better options.¡± ¡°Yeah, there are no better options.¡± Bruto found a rock and sat down. ¡°I talked to my dad about it.¡± ¡°What did you tell him? About your plan to change careers?¡± ¡°Yeah. He always wanted me to inherit his skills and reputation, so he was always extra strict with me. I prepared a whole lot of excuses, but he just stayed silent for a long while, then agreed.¡± Bruto hung his head, looking quite disheartened. ¡°Staying here means barely surviving with no hope. Being an adventurer is filled with dangers, and being one in this world is downright terrible, but at least there¡¯s hope to leave.¡± ¡°Come on, it¡¯s not that bad when you have me. We¡¯ll definitely make it back to where we came from.¡± Lancelot tried to lighten the mood, ¡°I¡¯m good buddies with the Emperor over there, I¡¯ll make you a Royal Blacksmith, and you¡¯ll absolutely bring honor to your ancestors, I guarantee your dad would be pleased.¡± ¡°Pfft, as if I cared.¡± Bruto laughed too. ¡°What about that little guy named Dingke?¡± ¡°I let him go. But if needed, I can call on him anytime.¡± Lancelot decided it was best not to reveal his unique abilities just yet. ¡°How about the thing you were helping me with?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already been processed.¡± Bruto handed Lancelot a small box. ¡°Had limited time, couldn¡¯t make anything too complex, but it¡¯s a classic design. Are you sure this thing works on demons too?¡± ¡°Not sure, but it¡¯s better to have it than not.¡± Lancelot opened the small box and took a quick peek. ¡°Though I don¡¯t know much about this, I can tell the craftsmanship is really exquisite, thanks a lot.¡± ¡°Mostly, it¡¯s because the stuff we got from that sandworm¡¯s stomach is all top grade. You should have seen those guys¡¯ reactions¡ªthey nearly wanted to go back to the Shattered Mountain Range right away and strip every sandworm there.¡± Bruto displayed a silly grin, making one doubt whether he had exaggerated his role in the battle with the sandworm. ¡°Are you sure you want to give it away as just a meeting gift? In our world, this thing could trade for a castle.¡± ¡°There¡¯s plenty of good stuff in the Abyss, and by the time we find a way back, you¡¯ll definitely struggle deciding which treasures to throw away.¡± Lancelot looked disdainful. ¡°No matter how precious, it¡¯s of no use to us now, and besides, they might not even fancy it.¡± Chapter 21 - 21 - 17 Gifts Chapter 21 ¨C 17 Gifts Chapter 21: Chapter 17 Gifts Lancelot was not entirely confident about this gift either. Earlier at the bridgehead, he had confirmed that the Succubus Lord was not wearing any jewelry. ¡°In the coming period, this will be our base of operations, and it¡¯s essential to be on good terms with the Lord, considering your old man is working for her, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°That¡¯s logical enough. But your actions still don¡¯t match my impression of humans.¡± Bruto stroked his chin, ¡°Are you sure you haven¡¯t been charmed or hit with some sort of suggestive technique? Do you need me to hit you with a shield? No offense, just to be safe.¡± ¡°No, thank you. A person under the influence of these spells could come up with so many reasons?¡± ¡°They can, but they can only convince themselves with strange logic, unlikely to articulate it completely to others as you do.¡± ¡°Well then, that settles it.¡± Lancelot put away the small box but suddenly became hesitant again. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind, hit me after all.¡± ¡°Kneel down.¡± ¡°...Alright.¡± Clang (a loud crash). ¡°Any new thoughts?¡± ¡°Yes, lots of regrets.¡± ¡°As expected, you were charmed.¡± ¡°No, I deeply regret cooperating with you.¡± ¡°Was my strike too light? Do you want another one?¡± ¡°Can you pull me out of this hole first?¡± ¡°Sorry about that. As you¡¯ve seen, this is Riverheart Island; the soil is quite loose.¡± ¡°That was quite a heavy hit just now, enough to break most controlling spells.¡± Lancelot climbed out of the hole, rubbing his head. ¡°Let¡¯s get going and see what tasks our hostess has in store for us.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Lancelot and Bruto waited for almost two hours before they were finally summoned by Tijana. It was a typical fortress-style castle, likely designed by human or Dwarf craftsmen, or possibly magically copied from a template in the Mortal Realm. After entering the main gate, the first area was a waiting zone for servants to dine and stand by, which also served as the first line of defense inside the castle during wartime, as the narrow passage could only accommodate two people side by side. Meanwhile, guards could be positioned along the second-floor corridor for ranged attacks, cross-firing at invading enemies from various angles. At the end of the waiting zone were two returning staircases, and after stepping onto the steps and passing through two reinforced doors, Lancelot and Bruto entered the main hall used for audiences with the Lord and hosting banquets. ¡°I will allow you to kiss my hand.¡± With her wings subtly folded behind, she bashfully extended a jade arm, as if inviting him, while the revealing leather she wore emanated a primal allure, making one want to pull her into an embrace without a second thought. Lancelot rolled his eyes inwardly; this woman¡¯s acting was a bit over the top. He removed his steel gauntlet from his right hand, tucking it under his arm, and then cautiously cradled the succubus¡¯s palm, pursing his lips to lightly brush the back of her hand. The fingers were rather firm, certainly capable of piercing his throat with not much difficulty. The palm, however, was incredibly soft. ¡°I¡¯m not one of those disgusting toads, and I don¡¯t have poison glands in my skin,¡± Tijana commented, apparently surprised by Lancelot¡¯s restraint. She was well aware of the actions males might take under her charm and had rich experience in dealing with them. She returned to her throne, resuming her lazy posture, and began: ¡°To become a resident of Twin Bridges Town, you must prove you can be of use to me. Dwarves make excellent craftsmen, so their value is beyond question. If you wish to stay as mercenaries, you must show you¡¯re at least capable of completing low-level tasks.¡± ¡°Please give your orders.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple, just accompany me for one night,¡± she stated. Lancelot began to cough dramatically, Bruto silently stepped back several paces during their exchange. Tijana had said ¡®you¡¯ not ¡®you all,¡¯ right? So this had nothing to do with him whatsoever. ¡°Cough, cough, I¡¯m sorry, what did you say?¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m just joking, seeing that look of panic on you,¡± Tijana played with her hair idly. ¡°That stench called ¡®kindness¡¯ emanates from you. I can smell it from this distance.¡± ¡°I apologize, please don¡¯t put me in a difficult position.¡± Upon hearing this, the Succubus Lord¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What do you mean? How is that putting you in a difficult position?¡± Oops. Sweat instantly broke out on Lancelot¡¯s forehead. He hesitated for a moment, then decided to speak candidly: ¡°I believe that in this dangerous world, any sexual conduct is extremely crazy and perilous, even if the proposition comes from someone as charming as...¡± ¡°A succubus,¡± Tijana interjected. ¡°Lady,¡± Lancelot corrected. ¡°That¡¯s quite right, your thinking is indeed very accurate,¡± Tijana suddenly flashed an ambiguous smile. ¡°Gentlemen, let¡¯s end this topic here.¡± ¡°I just so happen to have a little matter that needs handling, consider it a test for you. The task involves rescuing helpless maidens from the hands of demons, which should suit the tastes of you altruists just fine.¡± Chapter 22 - 22 - 18 Saving Succubus Grace Chapter 22 ¨C 18 Saving Succubus Grace Chapter 22: Chapter 18 Saving Succubus Grace ¡°` ¡°Twin Bridges Town has always been like a lighthouse on the bank of the Stygian River, attracting those runaway slaves, mortals who¡¯ve strayed here, and ambitious adventurers. It¡¯s one of the few places willing to shelter them, and the price is very reasonable.¡± ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve been receiving numerous complaints, near the Screaming Woods upstream, a Bagula named Kuka has been abducting passersby with reckless abandon.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t possibly take out every guy on the menu who belongs to the mortal races, but it keeps attacking travelers headed for Twin Bridges Town, and there¡¯s no doubt that this is an affront to me.¡± ¡°Just eight hours ago, I sent a maid to warn it, but she hasn¡¯t returned yet. Clearly, that buffoon has done something to her.¡± ¡°Your mission is to bring poor Grais back to me and give Kuka whatever punishment you can administer.¡± The Succubus Lord produced a scroll, and with a mysterious fluctuation, it seemed as if shadows were diving into it. ¡°This is the Mission Scroll, it has the target location and detailed information about Bagula Demons,¡± Tijana tossed the scroll to Lancelot, ¡°There¡¯s also Grais¡¯s portrait inside¡ªshe has quite the pretty curled horns, so don¡¯t you go doing anything weird with it.¡± Lancelot carefully opened the scroll and glanced over it, confirming there was nothing wrong with it. ¡°Are you really that curious,¡± Tijana mocked, ¡°Grais might be suffering unspeakable torment right now. If you want to see her, you better set off quickly.¡± ¡°I hope she¡¯s unharmed,¡± Lancelot said as he bowed with Bruto. ¡°We will take our leave now.¡± Tijana waved her hand, indicating they were free to go. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Just as Lancelot was about to step out of the hall, Tijana called out to her again. Lancelot turned around and caught the object that Tijana threw at him. He looked down to find he was holding an emblem engraved with the Twin Bridges Town emblem, emitting a strong evil aura as if it had just been blessed with magic. ¡°Bagula Demons.¡± Lancelot corrected. ¡°Ah, Abyssal language makes my head spin reading it; this script is mostly cursed anyway.¡± Bruto said helplessly. Having spent over a year here, he had learned to speak the language of the Abyss, but reading its script was still very difficult. The language of the Abyss, resembling hieroglyphics, is derived from the various insane natural phenomena of the Abyss and is mentally unbearable to read. ¡°You read it; I¡¯ll take a look at the picture. This gorilla-like demon is Kuka, right?¡± ¡°Correct. Kuka, an elite Bagula Demon, nearly 10 feet tall, estimated to weigh around 1000 pounds, wow!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a big one. Apart from that mouth full of fangs, it¡¯s basically an enlarged gorilla. What is this long passage on the side about?¡± ¡°Mostly about its behavioral patterns and combat style.¡± Lancelot had a photographic memory, another benefit of becoming a Spiritual Cultivator. He recited the content from the scroll, ¡°Bagula Demons, when in trees, possess incredible agility, skilled in climbing, jumping, and ambushing. They have natural invisibility and can also see through an enemy¡¯s invisibility spell.¡± ¡°Their main weapons are their incredibly powerful fists, and if the opportunity arises, they can also bite your head off from your neck with their mouth. They like to hide in the dark and launch ambushes, using their terrifying leaping ability to jump on your head before you can react and deliver a rapid succession of devastating blows.¡± ¡°They have a supernatural ability called ¡®kidnapping,¡¯ which can forcibly transport one large or two small creatures over a short distance, difficult for normal beings to resist. This ability allows them to remove an injured target from its teammates to be dealt with one-on-one. It will also use this ability to capture innocent travelers as snacks for its amusement.¡± ¡°Sounds like it would likely use that ability on me.¡± Bruto was somewhat anxious. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t, as long as you¡¯re fully defending, it won¡¯t be able to do much to you in the short term, and since the transportation distance isn¡¯t far, I can quickly come to support you. Bagula Demons aren¡¯t stupid; they can only use that ability once a day. If I preserve some strength from the start, it¡¯s very likely to assume that I am the easier target.¡± ¡°Good plan. Anything else?¡± ¡°It mentions it appeared in Screaming Woods about half a year ago, initially only attacking those who entered its territory, but later began leaving its region regularly to attack passing travelers.¡± Lancelot frowned as he remarked, ¡°I feel there¡¯s something off about this.¡± ¡°What part seems off? Based on the description, this Kuka sounds like a model demon of the Abyssal Plane.¡± ¡°The issue is the pattern. Within a hundred miles, you¡¯d only find a speck of order from Tijana, and I can¡¯t see any reason why a wild demon would behave in any orderly manner. Demons don¡¯t need to feed; abduction and torture are merely out of a cruel nature, they relish in the screams of living beings being torn apart and don¡¯t have a need to replenish their food stores regularly.¡± ¡°Who cares, we just have to find this Succubus Grais, and then use my new hammer to give a few knocks on that stupid gorilla¡¯s head, and the mission is done.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± Lancelot mused as he looked at the Twin Bridges Town emblem in his hand. A bat was following them from a distance, that was Dingke. Chapter 23 - 23 - 19 Ran Away by Itself Chapter 23 ¨C 19 Ran Away by Itself Chapter 23: Chapter 19 Ran Away by Itself Thanks to Tijana¡¯s adept diplomatic skills, there were no other significant powers near Twin Bridges Town. On the way to the Screaming Woods, they didn¡¯t encounter any obstacles, except for a group of entwined Coward Devils. These timid and foolish low-level demons feared any creature stronger than themselves and scattered at the first sound of Lancelot¡¯s horse hooves. But the journey was definitely far from pleasant. The sun overhead blazed like a furnace, scorching the earth, making the entire sky seem aflame, and the ground temperatures were unbearably hot. The occasional gusts of wind could bring a slight coolness, but they offered limited relief for Lancelot and Bruto, clad in full suits of armor. Fortunately, the Screaming Woods were not far off. After riding along the Stygian River for about an hour, they could see the distinctive, spear-like tree crowns of the Screaming Woods. Here grew the Abyss¡¯s unique fang-like fir trees. These trees could reach up to eighty feet tall but had neither branches nor leaves¡ªjust a bare, iron-hard trunk, shooting straight out from the ground like the quills on a porcupine, standing solitary in the desolate land. Lancelot suddenly pulled on the reins, and Bruto, due to the abrupt stop, bumped into his back. He twisted his head around in surprise and swept a gaze forward but didn¡¯t find anything unusual. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lancelot nodded towards the front, ¡°Look there.¡± There was a dark shadow in the sky, gradually growing larger. Bruto shaded his eyes with his hand and squinted in that direction. After a while, the outline of the shadow finally became clear, and Bruto could see what it was. ¡°Your eyesight is really good,¡± the Dwarf said enviously, then yelled at the top of his lungs, ¡°Hey! Over there, Succubus! Are you Grace?¡± The Succubus in the sky paused momentarily, then flew towards them. ¡°Who are you? Why are you here?¡± This Succubus kept her distance, remaining wary. Lancelot scrutinized her, confirming that she was indeed the rescue target described in the Mission Scroll. Though known for their boldly revealing attire, the Succubus before them was disheveled by any standard. Her exposed skin bore many bruises and purples, seemingly after enduring a terrible ordeal. Grace revealed a bitter smile: ¡°Yes. A succubus isn¡¯t harmed by such activities, except in pride.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve escaped its clutches. Please allow us to escort you back to Twin Bridges Town.¡± ¡°Oh, that would be wonderful!¡± Grace seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, ¡°Whenever I close my eyes, I see those people locked in cages. If I hadn¡¯t escaped, I might have lost my freedom forever like them, getting eaten at any time. That would be worse than death.¡± She turned to Lancelot with a sweet smile: ¡°You are a knight, right? I¡¯ve heard knights protect helpless ladies, and I¡¯ve always hoped a knight would protect me.¡± ¡°I am indeed a knight, and assisting the weak is my duty,¡± Lancelot turned to look at the Screaming Woods. ¡°But I am sorry, my lady, I¡¯m afraid I must retract my offer to escort you. There are others who need my help even more right now.¡± At those words, Grace¡¯s face showed surprise, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t quite understand...¡± ¡°You mentioned there are prisoners held captive in the lair of the Bagula Demon,¡± Lancelot pointed out, ¡°At least 9 hours ago, they were still alive.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve just been through that ordeal, and I¡¯m really scared. Please don¡¯t leave me alone,¡± Grace pleaded, her tear-stained beautiful face making it difficult to refuse. ¡°Once that gorilla realizes I¡¯ve escaped, he will surely take out his full rage on those prisoners. By now, most of them are probably eaten. Let¡¯s head back quickly, I... I really don¡¯t want to see that creature again.¡± ¡°It will pay for its actions,¡± Lancelot assured her. ¡°But we have just come from Twin Bridges Town, and the road is very safe. Human lives are at stake; we must check if the prisoners are still alive. Going there a second earlier could save an innocent life.¡± Grace opened her mouth as if unable to believe Lancelot¡¯s decision, but then she adopted a serious expression and earnestly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was being selfish, only thinking of myself. Let me go with you, I want to see that gorilla punished with my own eyes! I know the location of its lair and can guide you, but I¡¯m not good at fighting. Please make sure to protect me, I beg of you!¡± ¡°Rest assured, your safety is directly linked to the success of our mission. I won¡¯t let Kuka lay a finger on you,¡± Lancelot considered for a moment, then said, ¡°You will fly above us later, staying at a height it can¡¯t reach. You can observe from above and guide us. Leave the fighting to us.¡± ¡°Good, after such an intense exercise, it might be very weak now.¡± Grace showed a sly smile, then murmured in a low voice, ¡°If it were a mortal, it would be dried up by now. These low-level creatures are really annoying, not providing me with Essence, really...¡± Grace abruptly stopped talking, her face flushed with embarrassment, but she then sneakily glanced at Lancelot again. ¡°Please lead the way,¡± Lancelot said, pretending to have heard nothing, with an impassive expression. Chapter 24 - 24 - 20: Battle in the Woods Chapter 24 ¨C 20: Battle in the Woods Chapter 24: Chapter 20: Battle in the Woods In the Screaming Woods, Lancelot and Bruto had dismounted their steeds, gripping their weapons and shields tightly, cautiously guarding against a lethal ambush from the Bagula Demons. The Fang Tooth Trees had no branches or leaves; although tall above the ground, they were actually degenerate, relying on a vast underground root system to sustain their life. This allowed for a considerable distance between each Fang Tooth Tree, enough for a ten-foot-tall gorilla to move and strike freely. The wind slicing through the woods shattered into piercing howls as it clashed with the sharp trunks, as if the souls of the damned lingered there. Bruto, shield in hand, walked ahead of the two. The large trunks easily obscured visibility from the ground, and the massive apes could hide in the shadow of the treetops, ready to strike from above at any moment. The Dwarf had to frequently look up to check his surroundings, a situation he found quite uncomfortable. Although Grace was flying high above, the Bagula Demon¡¯s ability to become invisible made it difficult for her to issue timely warnings. Bruto suddenly stopped and pointed ahead, panic-stricken: ¡°By Muradin¡¯s beard! What in the world is that?¡± On an unusually thick trunk ahead of him hung a horrifying totem. It was likely made from a Coward Devil, its legs brutally broken at the knees, with the shinbones piercing through the eye sockets, pinning the corpse to the trunk. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine that the primary material was likely still alive at the start of its making. Flesh from the Abyss degraded rapidly; using a body that had already perished would hardly keep the entire skeleton intact on the trunk. With its legs cut in half, the skeleton resembled a gorilla. It was a typical Bagula totem, whose true significance was unknown to outsiders, but everyone knew what it represented: you had entered Bagula territory, and you should prepare to become such a totem. Bruto, hands on his hips, mustered the courage to stare directly at the terrifying totem. Once he saw it clearly, there was nothing to fear, the totem was merely a declaration of its creator¡¯s cruelty, a reminder Bruto knew all too well. Lancelot, on the other hand, had a thought. He noticed a blood-red little plant below the totem, emitting faint waves of Spiritual Energy. He knelt down, dug up the little plant along with the surrounding soil, then carefully brushed off the dirt clinging to its roots, and tucked it into a small bag filled with mountain crystals. Various knowledge about Spiritual Cultivation was recorded on the bamboo slips left in his mental world by Han Tiansun; Lancelot, regardless of his understanding, would read them in his mind when idle, and thus, he learned how to identify usable herbs. ¡ª Shadow Spirit Grass, commonly found beneath the suspended bodies of the tragically died, nourished by the deceased¡¯s resentment and fresh blood, with red leaves and black stems, extremely Yin in nature, often used to neutralize other overly Yang medicinal materials, the method to ascertain its medicinal properties is... This was the record regarding Shadow Spirit Grass on the bamboo slips, and the plant before him matched the description well. He didn¡¯t have a Jade Box to prevent the loss of Spiritual Energy, but the slips said surrounding it with Spirit Stones could work the same; so, he stored the plant with the mountain crystals, planning to study it further upon his return. ¡°You know how to identify herbs too?¡± Bruto asked, surprised. The blade deeply penetrated the raised behind of the ape demon, causing Kuka to scream in pain. It whirled around with a swinging punch, but hit nothing; Lancelot had immediately lept back after delivering the stab. The blade had gone nearly a foot deep, blood reddening the area around the wound, but any injury to the buttocks was hardly fatal, something Lancelot was well aware of. ¡°Ha ha, you stupid ape, why is your butt as red as a monkey¡¯s?¡± Bruto teased shamelessly. Seeing Lancelot¡¯s successful strike and Kuka turning its back again, he wanted to try out his new hammer too. ¡°Bruto, watch out!!¡± Lancelot urgently shouted, but it was too late. The ape demon spun around with alarming speed and threw a punch. Bruto couldn¡¯t dodge in time and could only barely lift his shield to block. ¡°BOOM!¡± A loud sound, the Bagula demon landed a direct hit on its target for the first time that day. Bruto flew backward like a ball kicked with great force, smashing hard against a tree and spitting out blood from his mouth. Seeing the attack effective, the ape demon immediately lunged at Bruto, its body beginning to emit magical fluctuations. Lancelot, sensing trouble, drew a dark green short sword from his waist. He had asked Barrend to make it from the beak of that demon overseer when they encountered the dwarves. The True Qi surged out of his Dantian, he executed the Gathering Qi Slash technique, fiercely hurling the short sword at Kuka. The Kiss of Deadly Poison shot out like a green bolt of lightning, easily entering the ape demon¡¯s back. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t hit the heart for a fatal blow, nor did it stop the Bagula demon¡¯s supernatural ability from taking effect. A flash of white light, and both Kuka and Bruto disappeared from the spot. Lancelot immediately concentrated his Spiritual Energy in his ears and soon heard the sound of two heavy objects landing not far away. ¡°I see them, they¡¯re over there!¡± Just then, Grace landed on the ground from the air, pointing in the direction of the sounds. Lancelot didn¡¯t look back as he dashed towards that direction, astonishingly fast, with the succubus straining to keep up. ¡°Hang in there, little dwarf!¡± Chapter 25 - 25 - 21: Sneak Attack Chapter 25 ¨C 21: Sneak Attack Chapter 25: Chapter 21: Sneak Attack As soon as the teleportation ended, Bruto saw a pot-lid-sized fist coming right at his face. ¡°Fuck! Why me!¡± He raised his shield as fast as he could and took another solid punch, but this time, the mountain crystal on the shield emitted a burst of light. The shield became incredibly heavy the instant it was struck, absorbing most of the impact force, allowing Bruto to only stagger back a few steps before tripping over a rock and falling to the ground. This was an occasional effect triggered when mountain crystal-embedded equipment was hit by a massive force, in the blink of an impact, converting its contained energy into extremely high mass. When embedded in a weapon, it would inflict tons of damage (literally) upon activation; when in a shield, it could render a potentially fatal blow harmless. Bruto had no time to feel relieved, as he quickly rolled to the side to avoid the imminent follow-up attack. However, the anticipated fist didn¡¯t materialize. As the dwarf got up with the help of his roll, there was no sign of the Bagula Demon in his line of sight. ¡°What, it ran away? Could it be that it sprained its hand with that last hit, haha!¡± Bruto mumbled to himself, holding up his shield and hammer, anxiously scanning his surroundings, fearing another ambush from the enemy. Only then did he notice a large pool of blood where Kuka had stood, and it seemed a weapon was discarded there. He cautiously approached and realized it was his father¡¯s creation, Lancelot¡¯s Kiss of Deadly Poison. This less than a foot long sword was now slanted in the soil, with all but the top two inches of the blade drenched in bright red blood. Clearly, the weapon had plunged deep into some part of Kuka¡¯s body, causing severe injury. After knocking Bruto away, the ape demon did not pursue but instead ran off. ¡°What kind of monstrous burst strength does Lancelot have.¡± Bruto murmured softly to himself. Lancelot really had quite a few secrets up his sleeve, Bruto still hadn¡¯t forgotten the lord of sandworms gutted and dismembered corpse from last time. It seems this guy¡¯s trump card is these sudden outbursts, catching the unprepared enemy completely off guard. Footsteps approached rapidly; his knight teammate and the succubus rushed over. ¡°I scared that guy off.¡± Bruto said with his hands on his hips. ¡°Since when is bragging one of your dwarves¡¯ traits?¡± Lancelot replied with a smile, stepping forward to pick up his shortsword. ¡°After it hit me, it ran off. I misspoke just now,¡± Bruto shrugged his shoulders, ¡°It¡¯s too agile, I couldn¡¯t hold it down.¡± Lancelot cast a skeptical glance at Bruto¡¯s clean new hammer and decided not to pursue the topic any further. ¡°Stupid gorilla, sorry about killing your big wife, why don¡¯t you spend more time pampering your little wife next, hahaha!¡± Lancelot did not join the fray but remained on full alert, watching his surroundings. The Entanglement Technique just now must have been cast by Kuka, who was certainly hiding somewhere, waiting to deal Lancelot a fatal blow. ¡°Ah!¡± Behind him, the Succubus screamed, but Lancelot did not turn his head and instead looked sharply upwards. The huge figure of Kuka was descending rapidly. The Ape Demon¡¯s fists were raised high, ready to smash the detested human below to a pulp. Had Lancelot been distracted by her cry just now, it would have been too late to dodge. Suddenly, a familiar voice rang in Lancelot¡¯s ear: ¡°Watch out behind you!¡± Behind him, Succubus Grais extended her claws that glinted with cold light, but her target was not Kuka, it was Lancelot! If Lancelot had jumped back as he had previously, he might have landed right into Grais¡¯s sneak attack, which could have left him seriously injured or even dead. But as if he had anticipated this, he had already crouched down before the voice even warned him, rolling forward. At the same time, the Emblem of Twin Bridges Town fell beside him, its surface splintering inch by inch, emitting a dazzling white light. Grais looked on in horror as a whip shadow flew out from the white light, binding her tightly in an instant. ¡°It¡¯s you! How is this possible!¡± The answer came in the form of a slap from the Lord of Twin Bridges Town, her sharp claws tearing Grais¡¯s delicate cheek to a bloody mess. ¡°How dare you betray me!¡± Anger was written all over Tijana¡¯s face, but then, a loud thud of a heavy object falling to the ground behind her made her expression change, and she quickly turned her head to look. Kuka¡¯s massive body lay in an odd position on the ground, limbs touching the floor, back arched as if sheltering something underneath. Tijana then noticed something new on its back. It was a section of a Sword Blade, protruding like a Bone Spur from the Bagula Demon¡¯s broad back, with fresh blood flowing down from the tip of the blade. Lancelot had seized the deadly flaw of his enemy. With a roll, his 7-foot Great Sword stood erect like a flagpole, and Kuka, falling fast and unable to dodge, was impaled. The Human Knight, as if having bathed in blood, crawled out from under Kuka, kicked over the massive corpse of the Ape Demon, and pulled out his Longsword. Turning to the familiar figure, he smiled and greeted Tijana: ¡°Good day, my lady. I¡¯m so pleased to see you again.¡± Chapter 26 - 26 - 22: The Truth Chapter 26 ¨C 22: The Truth Chapter 26: Chapter 22: The Truth ¡°Come back, you bastard! We haven¡¯t settled the winner yet!¡± Bruto¡¯s indignant roar came from the other end of the battlefield. The Bagula Demon that Bruto was dueling was becoming increasingly ethereal. Its face was also full of anger, its left arm grotesquely twisted outward, clearly Bruto¡¯s handiwork. The young Dwarf¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t good either. His face was battered and bruised, his armor smashed to pieces by the iron fists of the ape demon, and even the reinforced shield had a chunk missing, looking like a chipped plate. Bruto, still displeased, walked over to Lancelot, loudly complaining: ¡°What¡¯s this about now? How can it just run off in the middle of a fight?¡± ¡°That was Kuka¡¯s summoned assistant. Once a Summoner is killed, the entities they¡¯ve summoned immediately return to their original location,¡± Tijana explained, hands on hips, ¡°If you¡¯re unsatisfied, our Arena is always recruiting volunteers, and the rewards are very generous.¡± ¡°Uh, are you... Tijana?¡± Bruto only then noticed that the Succubus before him was no longer Grace. He quickly bowed his head in greeting, ¡°I mean, good day, madam. That¡¯s... Grace? What happened? Why is she tied up?¡± ¡°She tried to stab your companion in the back,¡± Tijana explained succinctly, then raised an eyebrow at Lancelot, ¡°It seems you were prepared for this and have been waiting for her to slip. Care to explain why?¡± ¡°There were too many suspicious things about her,¡± Lancelot said, bending down to pick up the fragment of the Twin Bridges Town Emblem, ¡°First off, does this emblem have any functions other than masking our presence?¡± Upon seeing the emblem, Grace cried out in horror, but Tijana promptly gagged her with her whip. ¡°This emblem allows me to hear and see the affairs around it, and it has a positioning function that lets me teleport to its location in the form of summoning.¡± ¡°So you witnessed the entire process,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°That makes it much easier to explain.¡± ¡°Is this... concern for our safety?¡± Bruto eagerly interjected. ¡°Hahahaha, you are really... adorable,¡± Tijana laughed delicately. ¡°No, I¡¯m worried that Grace is in a very weak state and you foolish males might get ideas.¡± Tijana looked surprised, ¡°An elite Quasimodo Demon, these little fellows can indeed be very useful if utilized properly. No wonder you seem to have eyes on the back of your head, it turns out you actually do have eyes watching your back.¡± ¡°You flatter me.¡± Lancelot humbly said, ¡°I am used to making thorough preparations beforehand.¡± ¡°Demons should be thankful that mortals have such a habit for being over-cautious,¡± Tijana maintained her superior level of sarcasm as she pointed to Kuka¡¯s lair, ¡°Now go in and bring out all the prisoners for me, I want to hear what this little wretch doesn¡¯t want me to know.¡± Lancelot and Bruto obediently crawled into Kuka¡¯s huge hut. Thanks to the former owner¡¯s size, the hut was very spacious, but the overpowering stench was almost suffocating. Inside, it was filled with various items: the wreckage of wagons, smashed boxes, barrel mounds (most of them empty), a few piles of Gold Coins, and a large hole dug in the ground. Bruto just glanced at it and then started retching violently on the side. The pit was filled with half-eaten limbs and mutilated bodies. Lancelot silently stared at the pit, reminding himself repeatedly of where he was. ¡°Stop looking, it¡¯s no good for you, no matter how much you look, you¡¯ll never get used to a scene like this.¡± A hoarse voice rang out behind him. Lancelot turned towards the sound and saw that there was a cage, like the ones used for transporting prisoners, and it held four or five humans, one of whom, a tall, thin man, was leaning on the bars waving at him. ¡°I heard some wonderful noises, has that Bagula Demon been killed?¡± ¡°I avenged those in the pit.¡± Lancelot turned back and patted the still retching dwarf, ¡°Bruto, we need your hammer.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lancelot pointed at the newly discovered prisoners. Bruto staggered up, walked unsteadily to the cage, and looked up at the approaching inmates, managing to spit out two words. ¡°Back off.¡± Chapter 27 - 27 - 23 Prisoner Chapter 27 ¨C 23 Prisoner Chapter 27: Chapter 23 Prisoner With a loud bang, the prisoners staggered out of the cage, supporting each other. ¡°Congratulations on leaving that tiny cell and coming to a slightly larger one,¡± Lancelot said with a bitter smile. ¡°Thank you, Sir,¡± the tall and thin man said gratefully, ¡°at least we don¡¯t have to worry about the fate of becoming food anymore.¡± ¡°Uh, actually, that risk hasn¡¯t decreased by much. How long have you been locked up here?¡± ¡°I just got here three days ago.¡± ¡°About two weeks, I guess.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember, at least a month I think.¡± ¡°I remember, I¡¯ve been counting the days; you¡¯ve been here for two months.¡± ¡°I know you have a lot of questions, but a lady is waiting for you, she has some questions that need answering. Please follow me.¡± Lancelot nodded, signaling everyone to follow him out. The prisoners walked out of Kuka¡¯s lair timidly, but the moment they saw Tijana, a look of fear appeared on everyone¡¯s face. ¡°A Succubus, it¡¯s a Succubus!¡± ¡°It¡¯s over, is this a trap? Are we going to be executed?¡± ¡°Wait a minute, this isn¡¯t the same one from before...¡± Tijana frowned at the noisy situation and let out a delicate scold: ¡°Silence!¡±@@@@ Everyone immediately fell silent, as if their throats had been suddenly squeezed shut. ¡°Good,¡± Tijana nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Who among you has been here the longest?¡± No one spoke, but involuntarily, everyone¡¯s gaze turned to one person. Seeing there was no way to hide, that person stepped forward and stammered: ¡°Succubus Lord, I¡¯ve been captured for half a year, the longest among those still alive.¡± ¡°Who are you? And who was that just now?¡± ¡°Where is this?¡± ¡°Are we free now? How do we get back?¡± Lancelot looked helplessly at the barrage of questions, raising his voice to interrupt, ¡°Hold on! One at a time!¡± The newly freed prisoners silenced at once. They looked at each other, and finally, the tall, thin man who had first greeted Lancelot spoke, ¡°Thank you again for rescuing us. We haven¡¯t had the chance to ask your name, Sir?¡± ¡°My name is Lancelot, and as you can see, I am a knight,¡± Lancelot decided to forgo promoting the title of Paladin. ¡°Thank you, Sir Lancelot. My name is Kalalin, and I am a scholar. I don¡¯t hold out much hope, but I have to ask if you have a way to get us back to the Main Plane?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to say that I, too, am searching for such a method,¡± Lancelot replied with a wry smile. ¡°As expected,¡± the man sighed, ¡°My second question, pardon my bluntness, but... are we your captives now?¡± ¡°Of course not, you are free to go wherever you want,¡± Lancelot hurried to clarify, ¡°But this is the Abyss, and you don¡¯t have many options.¡± ¡°Yes, ordinary people are like walking desserts on this plane, sigh,¡± Kalalin sighed heavily. ¡°I know that there are some neutral towns in the Abyss where mortals can survive as something other than slaves. Can you tell us about the place you¡¯re taking us to next?¡± ¡°Uh, actually, I¡¯ve just arrived here myself and am undergoing a mercenary qualification assessment,¡± Lancelot scratched his head, ¡°Ordinary people can find refuge there as hired labor, but as you might guess, these are very hard and poorly paid jobs.¡± ¡°Such work probably isn¡¯t suitable for me,¡± Kalalin said despondently, feeling very hopeless about his future. ¡°There¡¯s a market district in the town. Maybe you can find a shop there willing to hire you?¡± ¡°Sigh, I guess I can only hope... And what was with those two Succubi just now?¡± ¡°The one killed was named Grace. Her Lord thought she had been kidnapped by that gorilla; my mission was to rescue her, but it turned out the two were lovers, and they hoped no one would expose their secret.¡± ¡°What about the other Succubus? Was she the Lord¡¯s lieutenant?¡± ¡°Oh, no, that was the Lord herself, Tijana of Twin Bridges Town.¡± As Lancelot spoke, Kalalin looked as though he had been struck by lightning, his face etched with shock. ¡°You mean to say... that was... the Pearl of Stygian Riverbank, the legendary Tijana who rose to prominence three hundred years ago, the Lord of Twin Bridges Town?¡± ¡°Well, it should be her,¡± Lancelot said, a bit puzzled, ¡°Is she that famous?¡± ¡°To certain people, she¡¯s practically a superstar.¡± Kalalin bowed deeply, ¡°Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Kalalin, a Seeker of the Black Cult. Please ensure my safe arrival at Twin Bridges Town, I beg you!¡± Chapter 28 - 28 - 24 Black Cult Chapter 28 ¨C 24 Black Cult Chapter 28: Chapter 24 Black Cult ¡°The Black Cult? That doesn¡¯t sound like a respectable organization,¡± Bruto leaned in closer. ¡°You¡¯re not some kind of secret society that worships demons, are you?¡± ¡°Our primary research subject is indeed demons, but our purpose in understanding them is to combat them,¡± Kalalin said, pulling out a notebook from somewhere and jotting something down, ¡°We can discuss the specifics on our way to Twin Bridges Town, let¡¯s get moving.¡± ¡°Hold on a minute, we need to clean up the loot,¡± Lancelot efficiently took out several empty bags. In the end, they filled four full bags with at least a thousand Gold Coins. After Kuka¡¯s body dissolved, Lancelot found a pair of metal rings that, after being struck year after year by the ape demon, had become extremely hard; Bruto took them to use as bracers and they fit perfectly. Lancelot cast the spell to summon his warhorse again, this poor Abyssal creature being treated as a packhorse every time, Lancelot had never once ridden it into battle. Fortunately, it seemed to harbor no desire to complain and followed obediently behind Lancelot. The group proceeded downstream along the Stygian River. Compared to their journey coming here, the sky was no longer clear, and large patches of dark clouds made the temperature no longer so unbearable. Lancelot and Kalalin walked side by side, both full of curiosity about the other. ¡°Mr. Kalalin, could you tell us more about your Black Cult?¡± ¡°Just call me Kalalin,¡± Kalalin fanned himself with his notebook. ¡°Let me ask you a question first, where does your knowledge about the Abyss come from?¡± ¡°The Elves of my world. Thousands of years ago they explored the Abyss deeply, but after that, a great war broke out, and ever since they have lived in the shadow of a potential demon invasion. Before I entered the Abyssal Plane, they left me with a wealth of knowledge about the Abyss, but I¡¯ve found a lot of it seems outdated... Kalalin?¡± ¡°The general view is that the key lies in the theory he proposed about demons and the origins of the world. The Abyss cooperated with his research to a certain extent because it hoped he would spread this theory.¡± Lancelot¡¯s curiosity was piqued, and he asked several consecutive questions: ¡°Does the Abyss itself have a will? What kind of view could have such an effect? Is it dangerous to discuss the specifics of that theory?¡± ¡°Discussing these theories will neither attract demon attacks nor divine intervention, which in itself proves their credibility in a certain form,¡± Kalalin, talking about her field of expertise, became very talkative and looked excited. ¡°Am¡¯s theory contends that the Abyss is the source of everything, the universe was originally a complete chaos, and the first deities who emerged from it took the beautiful things out of chaos, creating mountains, earth, life, and civilization, forming the Prime Material Plane that belongs to mortals, along with the various purer upper planes, taking them over, dividing them, and calling them the domains of the deities.¡± ¡°Conversely, the Abyss became the abandoned dump, a breeding ground for demons. Am believed that the Abyss itself has will, an existence that even deities cannot comprehend, and demons are the crystallization of this will. Demons are the tools of the Abyss, their impulse to destroy everything is the mission given to them by the Abyss. The Abyss wishes to return everything back to the state of absolute, pure chaos of the origins; it sees that as the proper state of the universe.¡± ¡°This is the core theory of our research into demons, the Abyss, and the eternal battle between order and chaos. It effectively answers three key questions: what demons are, where their power comes from, and what their purpose is.¡± Kalalin spoke with fervent passion, and Lancelot listened, his heart surging with excitement. He inquisitively followed up: ¡°What happened to Am in the end?¡± ¡°As his research deepened, his powers grew stronger, but in the end, he could not escape the fate of destruction,¡± Kalalin said regretfully. ¡°His works contained too many accurate descriptions of demons and even Abyssal Lords. Just as deities hear the prayers of their followers, the entities described in his works established a mysterious connection with the works themselves.¡± ¡°From the day his famous Scroll of Darkness was completed, attempts to destroy it didn¡¯t cease. In the end, several Abyssal Lords who felt threatened took action. Am and his homeland were destroyed together, but most of the Scroll of Darkness survived. Many claim that Am enchanted these scrolls, giving them a sort of living quality. After that, many were fortunate enough to see fragments of the Scroll of Darkness. These scrolls had the ability to teleport on their own, actively avoiding demon searches, preventing them from falling into a fate of complete destruction.¡± Kalalin paused and gave a wry smile. ¡°But there¡¯s one problem when it detects danger and makes a run for it, it doesn¡¯t take its reader along.¡± Chapter 29 - 29 - 25 Kalalin Chapter 29 ¨C 25 Kalalin Chapter 29: Chapter 25 Kalalin Lancelot was surprised and asked curiously: ¡°You¡¯ve read the Scroll of Darkness before?¡± ¡°Yes, a foolish decision. As a Seeker, when one finds the Scroll of Darkness or any demon-related items, the correct move is to immediately bring them to the nearest Cult branch. But just like everyone in the Cult, I was filled with curiosity about demon knowledge,¡± Kalalin spread his hands, ¡°The attacking demon pulled an entire room into the Abyssal Plane, but at the last moment, the scroll teleported away from my arms.¡± ¡°Uh, how did you escape from that attacking demon?¡± ¡°The attacker was a Succubus. These demons are not as keen on slaughter as others, so it seemed to have little interest in me. Anyway, I survived that attack. With some understanding of the Abyss, I managed to survive the initial days, but eventually, a Bagula Demon named Kuka captured me.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°You mentioned you are an Explorer, what exactly does that entail?¡± ¡°The Black Cult¡¯s mission is to collect writings of Am scattered across the universe, and to continue exploring demon-related knowledge in his footsteps. The job of a Seeker is to search for items or information related to this for the Cult. This could be weapons and items used by demons or exact descriptions of encounters with them, even capturing a demon for research. The Cult calculates contributions based on the value of findings, provides rewards, and accordingly elevates a member¡¯s rank within the Cult.¡± ¡°I see, so the Black Cult must be a highly respected organization.¡± ¡°Uh, actually, that¡¯s not often the case. As you can imagine, the demons have a predictable attitude towards the Cult. Most of the time, a branch of the Cult, for safety reasons, must remain low-key and secretive. And because we¡¯re always engaged in demon-related activities, you can imagine how bad the Cult¡¯s image might look to the uninformed public,¡± Kalalin shrugged helplessly, ¡°Fortunately, the ruling class usually recognizes the role of the Black Cult, especially when a real demon invasion erupts in their territories.¡± ¡°This does sound incredibly useful, but I guess you don¡¯t actually like reaching the lairs of the subjects you study.¡± ¡°Indeed, those who study war don¡¯t enjoy being on the battlefield, and those who study demons certainly don¡¯t want to face them directly,¡± Kalalin sighed again. ¡°We are experts in theory more than practice, far less capable in combat than professional adventurers. Our greatest value is actually the knowledge in our heads, which can help adventurers correctly respond to various demons.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The group advanced along the Stygian River with Lancelot and Kalalin chatting as they walked. But after they rounded a small hill, they unexpectedly encountered a creature familiar to Lancelot. About ten Abyssal Hounds were drinking from the Stygian River. These demonized beasts seemed immune to the deadly toxins in the water, as well as other various negative effects. Among the pack was one with two heads, who immediately noticed Lancelot and his group. Unlike their last encounter with these creatures, Lancelot didn¡¯t have the advantage in numbers this time, so the pack of hounds showed no signs of backing down. They glanced over, their sharp teeth bared and saliva dripping continuously, clearly deeming the human party before them as a meal sent from heaven. Lancelot knew he couldn¡¯t hesitate at this moment; if the enemy surrounded them, it would be hard to protect everyone. He immediately drew his weapon and charged at the pack of hounds, shouting to Bruto: ¡°I¡¯ll handle these guys, you protect the others!¡± The Abyssal Hounds charged at him with no less ferocity, but Lancelot was no ordinary knight. True Qi naturally surged from his Dantian, his Great Sword swinging at an inconceivable speed, like a tornado rising out of nowhere. The charging enemies were like little fishing boats caught in a storm, instantly torn to shreds. The two-headed Abyssal Hound, seeing this, let out a whining sound, and a few hounds tried to bypass Lancelot to attack the people behind him. Lancelot thought this was bad, but as the enemies tried to flank him from both sides, despite his best efforts to block them, two Abyssal Hounds slipped past. ¡°Bruto! Stop them!¡± Chapter 30 - 30 - 26 New Member Chapter 30 ¨C 26 New Member Chapter 30: Chapter 26 New Member Bruto roared as he went up to meet the enemy, swinging his chipped shield fiercely, knocking one of the hounds to the ground, followed by his hammer coming down and smashing the enemy¡¯s dog head into a shattered apple. The other Abyss hound had no intention of helping its companion, it lunged towards the people at the back who were not wearing armor, its eyes red with hunger and madness. Lancelot had already drawn the Kiss of Deadly Poison, ready for another throwing attack. Just then, Kalalin suddenly raised his right hand, and a ring on his ring finger emitted a strong flash, the nearby beast let out a pained howl, covering its eyes as it fell to the ground. By this time, Bruto had already arrived, and with one hammer blow, he completely eliminated this potential threat. ¡°Kill the one with the most heads first!¡± Kalalin yelled at Lancelot. Lancelot didn¡¯t think twice, directly throwing the Kiss of Deadly Poison he was holding in his hand.@@@@ The dark green dagger accurately hit the heart of the two-headed Abyss hound, nailing its body firmly to the ground. The two-headed demon dog¡¯s limbs twitched violently in the air a couple of times, then it moved no more. All the Abyss hounds immediately stopped fighting, tucked their tails, and ran away completely. ¡°Not bad,¡± Lancelot swung the Great Sword, flicking the blood clean off it. ¡°You¡¯re much more useful than you claim to be.¡± ¡°The leaders generally have the most heads among these creatures. Once you deal with the leader, the rest will scatter. That¡¯s the power of knowledge.¡± Kalalin grinned, pointing to the bodies of the Abyss hounds on the ground, ¡°These creatures are beasts, not demons, hence their flesh remains after death instead of dissipating quickly like demons. Their hide is great material, whether for making boots, handbags, or belts, and it¡¯s a shame to waste it.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying, if you keep getting stronger, you could one day cast that ¡®Gate¡¯ spell, to get us out of this Abyss world?¡± Bruto quickly grasped the point, looking hopefully at Kalalin. ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s almost impossible for Scholars to master Ninth Circle Magic,¡± Kalalin shook his head. ¡°The strongest Scholar I know could barely cast an Eighth Circle Spell, and he had to spend a full month preparing for it in advance and then spent three days in bed due to the physical toll.¡± ¡°Ah, well,¡± Bruto¡¯s face showed disappointment. ¡°At least we know how to leave this damned world, find a high-level Spellcaster, right?¡± ¡°A high-level Spellcaster could indeed do that,¡± Kalalin nodded. ¡°But don¡¯t forget, high-level Spellcasters are incredibly powerful and convincing them to help isn¡¯t easy, especially not in the Abyss.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the highest Circle of Magic you can currently master?¡± Lancelot was more concerned about Kalalin¡¯s strength. ¡°My limit is two Second Circle spells and four First Circle spells. Cantrip Spells are not limited, but I still need to prepare scrolls in advance, and I must have a full rest before I can restore my magic power,¡± Kalalin confessed somewhat sheepishly. ¡°However, we have an advantage, most spells can be memorized in our minds, we don¡¯t need to carry a spellbook like Mages do, and due to a lot of practice and prior preparation, Spells cast through scrolls by Scholars are slightly more powerful and harder to resist.¡± ¡°How powerful are the Second Circle Spells?¡± Bruto asked curiously. ¡°Well, Acid Arrow is a typical Second Circle Spell, and with my capability, I can release three Acid Arrows at once, which... just about seriously wounds a Coward Devil,¡± Kalalin admitted somewhat sheepishly. ¡°I know, it¡¯s not even comparable to Sir Lancelot¡¯s recent display of combat ability, but my primary focus is on academics, not just enhancing fighting power.¡± ¡°If you sacrifice offensive capabilities, do you have any supportive or self-protective spells?¡± Lancelot¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°Among the Cantrip Spells I¡¯ve mastered, there¡¯s ¡®Mending¡¯ which can repair equipment; ¡®Detect Poison¡¯ to check if an object or area is poisonous; a First Circle spell similar to your horse summoning called ¡®Mount¡¯; ¡®Grease¡¯ which greatly increases your movement speed, ideal for escaping; ¡®Protection from Evil¡¯ which is effective against various evil beings; and even one that can double your height and strength, called ¡®Enlarge Person¡¯.¡± At this moment, Kalalin realized the implication in Lancelot¡¯s words and his expression turned solemn. He continued: ¡°I can only cast two Second Circle spells per day, so I must choose carefully. The Second Circle spells I¡¯ve mastered include the previously mentioned ¡®Acid Arrow,¡¯ ¡®Wind Creation Spell¡¯ that can summon a strong wind, ¡®Levitation Skill¡¯ to free a willing subject from gravity, ¡®Invisibility Spell¡¯ to make a person or item disappear along with its counter ¡®See Invisibility,¡¯ and several other spells that enhance teammates¡¯ strength, agility, and other attributes.¡± ¡°All very useful.¡± Lancelot smiled brightly, ¡°So, Mr. Kalalin, may I formally propose you join my adventure team? On one hand, you wouldn¡¯t have to worry about how to obtain residency in Twin Bridges Town anymore, and on the other, our adventures could fully satisfy your curiosity about demonology.¡± ¡°I was just wondering how to approach you about the same thing,¡± Kalalin smiled as well. ¡°It would be my pleasure, Sir Lancelot. I believe I can definitely be of help.¡± Chapter 31 - 31 - 27: Six-Armed Serpent Demon Chapter 31 ¨C 27: Six-Armed Serpent Demon Chapter 31: Chapter 27: Six-Armed Serpent Demon In the magnificent hall, Lancelot awkwardly adjusted his stance. On the way in just moments before, all the Succubi seemed to be looking at him with a strange gaze, which made him quite uncomfortable. ¡°Oh, your little band of adventurers has a new companion?¡± Tijana lounged regally in her throne. Although she was speaking to Lancelot, her half-closed eyes were not looking at him. The captives whom Lancelot had rescued earlier had been led away by a foreman, about to start their careers in the blacksmith area, while Kalalin did not follow them. At this moment, his gaze was intently fixed on his own toes, trembling slightly, whether from fear or excitement, it was hard to tell. ¡°Interesting, a member of the Black Cult actually ran away to the Abyss.¡± Tijana¡¯s smile was chillingly sinister. ¡°This group, keen on studying Demons, has hardly refrained from summoning them and then dissecting them alive.¡± ¡°But his knowledge is indeed useful,¡± Lancelot hurriedly defended Kalalin. ¡°With his help, I believe many missions will go much more smoothly.¡± ¡°Just as long as he doesn¡¯t set his sights on undermining Twin Bridges Town,¡± Tijana teased. ¡°These people are very focused on the situation in the Abyss, I believe he¡¯s well aware of the consequences of such actions.¡± ¡°I swear on my soul, I will absolutely not do anything that harms the interests of Twin Bridges Town or yours, my lady,¡± Kalalin spoke eagerly. ¡°My lady, if there is anything you need, my wisdom is at your service.¡± ¡°Rather use your wisdom against this knight¡¯s enemies,¡± Tijana said, shifting her attention away from him and back to Lancelot. ¡°You¡¯ve already completed your assessment task, recruit whom you like but you are responsible for their safety, including a head tax of 300 gold coins per person per month. No refunds in case of death, remember that.¡± ¡°Thank you, my lady,¡± Lancelot bowed. ¡°Take this, it¡¯s your proof as a mercenary.¡± Tijana tossed a Twin Bridges Town emblem to him. ¡°Use it to purchase a residence at the Mercenary Hall, accept missions, and pay the Head Tax.¡±@@@@ ¡°Understood, my lady.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s first sort out where we¡¯re going to stay, then take Kalalin around the city to familiarize him with the environment,¡± he said as he put away the emblem and glanced at the young Dwarf, ¡°and finally, visit your father regarding the Cold Iron matter. We still need to hear a professional¡¯s opinion.¡± Bruto completely ignored the criticism in Lancelot¡¯s words. He clasped his head with both hands and strode towards a building resembling an arena not far away. The Mercenary Hall was located on the east side of the castle, very close by. Further east lay a sprawling series of buildings, constructed year by year by mercenaries who came here. The road to the Mercenary Hall wasn¡¯t very crowded, but each individual looked fierce and malevolent, almost as demonic in temperament minus the antlers. When the three stepped into the Mercenary Hall, they were startled by the receptionist. This was a creature straight out of myth. ¡®She¡¯ stood over nine feet tall, the upper body resembling that of a humanoid female, even beautiful in face, but the tightly pursed lips displayed a very cold demeanor, and her eyes emitted a terrifying murderous aura that could stop one¡¯s breath. Her overly elongated torso was flanked by three pairs of arms, adorned with various types of jewelry, the clearly defined muscle lines signaling that this was a highly efficient killing machine. ¡®Her¡¯ lower body was an extremely thick serpentine tail, broader than Bruto¡¯s shoulders, covered with green scales that could invoke one¡¯s primordial fears, stretching about twenty feet from head to tail tip. Bruto turned to run but was grabbed by Lancelot. Kalalin, after the initial shock, seemed quite interested in observing her. ¡°This is a Merrylis, also known as a Six-Armed Serpent Demon,¡± his words squeezed out between clenched teeth in a very soft volume. ¡°Don¡¯t panic, you see, she isn¡¯t holding any weapons in her hands, which means chopping up visitors isn¡¯t her current duty.¡± Bruto recovered from his panic and then noticed that the Serpent Demon was holding various documents and seals, while weapons rested in twelve sheaths on her back. In Lancelot¡¯s mind, he recalled the Elves¡¯ information on such creatures. Six-Armed Serpent Demons were masters of close combat, each of her arms wielding a longsword during battle, unleashing a tempest of strikes against her enemy. If you were lucky enough to parry all six of her arms¡¯ attacks, her tail would be the last straw to crush you while you gasped for breath. More importantly, they were among the finest commanders in the Demon armies, one of the few who could rally other Demons during battle. Their strategic and tactical acumen was as outstanding as their combat skills, striking the battlefield at the most opportune moment, wreaking havoc on the most vulnerable part of the enemy lines. Without them, Demons¡¯ performance in the blood battles would likely be much worse, perhaps even risking the first layer of the Abyss becoming dominated by the Devils. ¡°If you don¡¯t have pressing matters, it¡¯s best you disappear from my sight immediately.¡± The ghostly voice that rose, reminiscent of a snake slithering over sand. Chapter 32 - 32 - 28 Goblin Phil Chapter 32 ¨C 28 Goblin Phil ¡°Um, hello, Miss Sonam, you¡¯re called Sonam, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lancelot glanced at the table in front of the six-armed serpent demon, which had a small rectangular sign on it with the name Sonam written on it. Lancelot guessed this was probably meant to be a nameplate. ¡°State your business,¡± the six-armed Serpent Demon Sonam said, looking impatiently at the human in front of her, one hand already on the hilt of her sword behind her. ¡°We are here to register as mercenaries,¡± Lancelot hurriedly took out the emblem and placed it on the table. ¡°Oh, newcomers, just passed the assessment, did you?¡± One of Sonam¡¯s hands pulled out a short wand from somewhere under the table and lightly tapped Lancelot¡¯s emblem with the crystal on top. The emblem emitted a faint glow and a line of text emerged on the surface: ¡°Number 9527, Tijana¡± ¡°It looks real, indeed,¡± the six-armed Serpent Demon said, her face showing a hint of regret. ¡°So, how many of you are there?¡± ¡°Three.¡± ¡°The head tax for the first month, 900 Gold Coins.¡± Lancelot exchanged a helpless look with Bruto and threw out a large bag. They had previously agreed that spoils from future adventures would be allocated as needed, while gold would be divided equally among the three. Lancelot and Bruto suggested that they pay Kalalin¡¯s head tax for the first month, but he insisted it was just an advance and would be offset by his future spoils. Sonam took the bag, weighed it in her hand, and tossed it behind her, where it landed in a large chest. ¡°Um, aren¡¯t you going to count it?¡± Bruto asked, curious. ¡°We might count it on a whim once in a while,¡± the six-armed Serpent Demon lifted an arm and pointed behind them, ¡°that¡¯s for the fools who dare to underpay even by a single coin.¡± The three of them turned around and saw a small hill made of skulls, with the ones at the top appearing relatively fresh, still with remnants of flesh and blood. ¡°Um, we¡¯ll make sure to throw in a few extra each time, just in case,¡± Bruto said, a bit uneasily. ¡°Greetings, I¡¯m Phil,¡± the Goblin said, taking off the ill-fitting hat to salute Lancelot, revealing his balding pate. ¡°For any services you need, you may come to me.¡± ¡°Uh, we would like some information about this place,¡± Lancelot said, noticing a sign hanging above Phil¡¯s head which read ¡¯Absolutely Fair Trading Company.¡¯ ¡°That means you¡¯re in need of consultation services,¡± the Goblin snapped his fingers and leaned back. ¡°Our company¡¯s charges are very fair¡ªone Gold Coin per question.¡± ¡°Do you charge even if you don¡¯t know the answer?¡± Bruto asked curiously. ¡°Oh no,¡± Kalalin let out a wail. ¡°Not knowing is also an answer,¡± Phil extended a palm. ¡°The first question, one Gold Coin.¡± Bruto, infuriated, rolled up his sleeves ready to throw a punch, but Lancelot stopped him just in time. He noticed a price list behind the Goblin with ¡¯Getting hit, five Gold Coins per punch¡¯ written in an inconspicuous spot. ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Lancelot said as he took out a Gold Coin and tossed it over. ¡°You must have made a good amount of money with this trick, huh?¡± ¡°Thank you for your patronage, but generally speaking, I earn more from taking a punch. However, let me remind you, only paid inquiries count as services provided; not paying is considered assaulting the staff, and the Guards would be very happy to have a reason to cut you into pieces,¡± the Goblin caught the Gold Coin, bit it with his teeth, and then began to cough violently. ¡°Ptui, ptui, ptui, why is there a stench of gorilla?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, you can give it back to me,¡± Lancelot extended his hand. ¡°I like it; I like any gold,¡± Phil slapped away Lancelot¡¯s hand and pressed the Gold Coin under his buttocks. ¡°Do you have any other questions?¡± Lancelot took out another five Gold Coins and dropped them down; the Goblin pounced on the table with a howl, scooping the Gold Coins into his bosom, bubbles of joy covering his face: ¡°Wow! Boss is awesome! Boss is generous! May the boss have good health, awooo! Five questions, right? Just ask away, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re satisfied!¡± ¡°Good, you¡¯ve already taken the money, so you should provide the service. Right?¡± ¡°Of course, of course,¡± Phil gathered the five Gold Coins in his hand, shaking them gently near his ear, delighting in the tinkling sounds they made. ¡°Oh, such a delightful sound! What would you like to know?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯ve misunderstood,¡± Lancelot pointed at the remote corner of the price list. ¡°I was talking about the service that costs five Gold Coins at one time.¡± Chapter 33 - 33 - 29 Service Area Chapter 33 ¨C 29 Service Area Phil¡¯s complexion changed, and then he put on an expression like a dead pig not fearing boiling water, ¡°No refunds once services are provided, come on! Just punch me!¡± ¡°Are you sure? Maybe I should demonstrate the power of my punch first.¡± Lancelot raised his fist, thought for a moment, and then summoned up thirty percent of his True Qi, slamming it viciously into the nearby stone wall. With an explosion-like bang, the wall was hit as if by a battering ram, creating a three-foot-wide depressed crater surrounded by a cobweb of cracks. ¡°Phil! Are you dead? If you¡¯re not, make a noise, or else I¡¯m heading to your cellar!¡± A shrill female voice came from not too far away. ¡°I¡¯m fine! And there¡¯s nothing in my cellar!¡± Phil quickly recovered from his daze and shouted back, then pushed the five Gold Coins back with a pained expression. ¡°Erm, actually, the service wasn¡¯t provided this time, so refunds are supported.¡± ¡°But I feel like my Dwarf companion was played for a fool and needs to vent.¡±@@@@ ¡°That¡¯s indeed a problem, and I did provide an answer to it,¡± the avaricious Goblin said, his face turning red with the effort of holding back tears. ¡°How about we treat that previous question as a free promotional gift, and you ask me a new one?¡± ¡°Hmm, sure. First question, what¡¯s the purpose of this area?¡± ¡°This is the service area for mercenaries,¡± Phil said, timidly extending his palm. ¡°Be more specific.¡± Lancelot took out a Gold Coin but didn¡¯t hurry to hand it over to the Goblin in front of him. ¡°Well, it caters to various needs of mercenaries, like renting a bed for the night, treating injuries and diseases, lifting curses, recharging magical equipment, and so on. You can also find information brokers and traders who buy war spoils. Of course, all these services come at a reasonable price.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Lancelot flicked the Gold Coin to Phil and continued, ¡°Second question, what¡¯s the approximate price of property suitable for the Mortal Races to live in?¡± After traversing a not-so-lengthy corridor, the three of them entered into a bustling hall. It resembled a small marketplace with dozens of stalls, and figures that looked like mercenaries weaved through, occasionally stopping to converse softly with a stall owner. Phil was right; that Red Dragon was indeed very conspicuous. It coiled at the entrance of a huge aperture on the wall, looking down at the crowd below with a contemptuous gaze. Lancelot came here naturally wanting to sell some gemstones that were of no use to him to first take care of his lodging situation. He also quickly spotted the Devilspawn named Catez, who was absent-mindedly scanning the crowd. Even though the Goblin had said that the Red Dragon¡¯s offer was highest, Lancelot had no intention of trading with someone he probably couldn¡¯t handle. ¡°Find a place with a better view and keep an eye on our surroundings,¡± he whispered to Bruto and Kalalin before walking up to Catez¡¯s small stall alone, silently sizing up the Devilspawn. Although uncommon, it was indeed possible for Fiends from the lower planes to reproduce with humanoids, and the most common of such couplings involved Succubi and Nightmares, who seduced mortals through lust. It was impossible for Fiends to conceive or cause conception by accident; they had various reasons for choosing to create offspring, love also being a possibility. But their progeny were destined to be taboo. If one parent was merely an ordinary mortal, the offspring would mostly still be a pure-blooded Fiend, but if the mortal¡¯s strength surpassed that of the Fiend, the child might end up being a hybrid with the physical features of both parents, along with Antlers, tails, and bat wings. This was how Devilspawn came to be. The first generation of Devilspawn could almost never escape the evil nature that came with their bloodline, regardless of their upbringing. However, after several generations, the Fiendish characteristics in the offspring started to diminish, the evil from their bloodline being restrained by reason and emotion, and they didn¡¯t necessarily take the path of evil, although the constant discrimination they faced often forced them to do so. This Devilspawn in front of him was undoubtedly a first-generation; he had deep red skin, an exceptionally handsome face, and a well-proportioned, slender figure. Short sharp horns adorned his forehead, and giant demonic wings splayed from his back, while a thick tail rhythmically thumped the ground. He raised his eyes that seemed forever ablaze with anger and spoke in a condescending tone, ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Chapter 34 - 34 - 30: The Price of a Soul Chapter 34 ¨C 30: The Price of a Soul Lancelot was not annoyed by the attitude of the Devilspawn; in fact, this was already considered relatively polite by Abyss standards. ¡°I heard there¡¯s a guy named Catez who can offer a good price for gemstones.¡± ¡°A fresh, unfamiliar face,¡± the Devilspawn looked at Lancelot with an amused gaze, ¡°Today, with that damn Red Dragon around, someone still comes to me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like dealing with someone who is much stronger than me,¡± Lancelot stated the reason he didn¡¯t go to see the Red Dragon Krivtar. ¡°That creature isn¡¯t even of age yet. Sooner or later, I will slaughter it and take all the treasures from its lair for myself,¡± Catez glared hatefully at the Red Dragon and then asked, ¡°How much do you think your goods are worth?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but they are all beautiful.¡± ¡°Is that so,¡± Catez sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re a fool who picked up a few pretty pebbles and is fantasizing about making a fortune. Show me what you have.¡± Lancelot reached into his pocket, thought for a moment, and drew out three gemstones, giving his wrist a gentle shake to let the gemstones roll slowly on the table. They were three blue gemstones, two of them were very clear, and one was so dark it almost appeared black. The experienced Bruto had already appraised these gemstones, the two lighter-colored ones were ordinary sapphires, each worth about a thousand Gold Coins; the darker one was a Black Sapphire, also known as ¡¯Black Pearl,¡¯ starting at five thousand Gold Coins, it was one of the most valuable gemstones. Bruto had already carried out a preliminary cutting of these gemstones. Although he claimed that his skills were not even one-tenth of his father¡¯s, Lancelot believed that to be modesty, for he couldn¡¯t discern any flaws with his naked eye. As the gemstones gently tumbled, their facets continuously flashed dazzling highlights, especially the dark gemstone. Greedy and excited eyes appeared in Catez as he reached out for the gemstones. ¡°Roar!!!!!¡± An urgent dragon¡¯s cry came, followed by the strong gust of wind from the flapping of massive wings. Catez¡¯s face changed, he turned and grabbed a Spear leaning nearby, pointing it at the incoming Red Dragon and roaring: ¡°Krivtar! It¡¯s not your turn to run wild in Twin Bridges Town!¡± ¡°Is the deal settled?¡± A beautiful figure descended gracefully from the air, interrupting the Devilspawn¡¯s self-praise. She was a Succubus; she glanced around the room and her eyes lit up when she saw Lancelot. ¡°Oh, if it isn¡¯t Sir Lancelot, good afternoon, Sir.¡± ¡°You know me?¡± Lancelot touched his nose. ¡°My sisters have all been hoping to receive such gifts one day,¡± the Succubus Letisha giggled, turning to Catez, ¡°Silver Spear Pretty Boy, what do you want with me?¡± ¡°Watch your language!¡± Catez shouted angrily, ¡°Pay Sir Lancelot eighty Soul Coins from my treasury.¡± ¡°Uh, what are Soul Coins?¡± Lancelot asked curiously. ¡°You¡¯re new here, it¡¯s normal not to know,¡± Letisha explained enthusiastically, ¡°Soul Coins are issued by the banks of the Nine Hells of Demons, one Soul Coin is worth a hundred Gold Coins, or ten Platinum Coins.¡± ¡°Currency issued by Demons?¡± Lancelot asked, shocked. ¡°Do Demons accept this...?¡± ¡°We prefer Soul Stones that directly store Souls, but those are of no use to humans like you, and you don¡¯t have the ability to assess the value of a Soul. However, the ruler of the Nine Hells, Asmodeus, has publicly promised that each Soul Coin can be redeemed for a Soul or a hundred Gold Coins,¡± the Succubus shrugged nonchalantly, her simple gesture oozing endless Charm, making those around her stare blankly, ¡°Thanks to the well-known preferences of Demons, they will never give you Souls. A Soul Coin is worth a hundred Gold Coins, which Demons believe is the minimum price to make a Soul fall.¡± ¡°This... What kind of fool would go to a bank in Hell to withdraw money?¡± Bruto was incredibly shocked. ¡°Devotees of Demons, merchants who travel between the lower planes, and even the Demons themselves,¡± Kalalin explained, showing his profound knowledge of the lower planes, ¡°It is said that for every Soul Coin issued, there¡¯s a corresponding soul wailing, hanging on the fireplace of the ruler of the Nine Hells.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not find myself one day in Barto Hell demanding Gold from Demons,¡± Bruto said, showing his disgust, ¡°Let¡¯s just stick with Gold Coins.¡± ¡°Gold Coins, gold bars, whatever form you want, you pick.¡± ¡°Do you have Platinum Bars?¡± Kalalin interjected, ¡°A Platinum Bar should weigh two pounds, worth the equivalent of a thousand Gold Coins.¡± ¡°Of course, we do,¡± Letisha winked at Lancelot, ¡°They¡¯re as hard as your body, Sir, if you know what I mean?¡± Chapter 35 - 35 - 31: The New Owner of Hagrid Manor Chapter 35 ¨C 31: The New Owner of Hagrid Manor A moment later, the trade among the three parties was completed, and Lancelot and Bruto had several dozen pounds of ¡°cargo¡± on them. Watching the two skillfully insert Metal Ingots into the gaps of the armor as if they were armor plates, Kalalin, who could only wear robes as a scholar, couldn¡¯t help but feel some helplessness. The Red Dragon Krivtar had already left, satisfied, while the Devilspawn Catez looked at them meaningfully and spoke: ¡°It¡¯s said that the Sandworm Lord of the Shattered Mountain Range was slaughtered, a huge gash left on its body. Everyone says it was probably done by a Barlow Flame Demon passing by.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Bruto raised his eyebrows, ¡°What does that have to do with us?¡± ¡°Someone heard some interesting rumors in the Blacksmith District, too exaggerated, must have been those Dwarves bragging after a few drinks,¡± Catez chuckled, ¡°There¡¯s also a rumor about a new Human Knight in town, incredibly generous, who sent our revered Lady Tijana a beautiful big Diamond, driving all the Succubus mad with envy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just the Dwarves¡¯ way of saying thank you,¡± Lancelot replied coolly, unflustered, ¡°The Demons in charge of the work wouldn¡¯t actually go into the mines themselves, watching over every stone the slaves dig up.¡± ¡°Of course, of course, no one takes such absurd rumors seriously.¡± The Devilspawn leaned back, his bat wings relaxing and stretching out. ¡°We had a very pleasant trade today, didn¡¯t we? If you have any good items to sell in the future, remember to look for your old friend Catez, Sir Lancelot.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Afterward, Kalalin ¡¯borrowed¡¯ some money from Lancelot and Bruto to buy some Parchment and writing materials for making scrolls. After leaving the service area, the three of them came again to the entrance where the Six-Armed Serpent Demon was. ¡°Speak.¡± Sonam clearly didn¡¯t like her current role. ¡°We need to buy, no, rent a property.¡± Now that he had money in his pocket, Bruto felt a bit more confident, although it might also be due to the several large chunks of Metal Ingots at his waist. The Six-Armed Serpent Demon looked skeptically at the group before him. Most mercenaries were miserly until they survived long enough to reach the Silver Level, and even if they had some money, they spent it on brothels and equipment. Where did these guys get the money to buy property? Lancelot took out a Platinum Bar and said: ¡°We just dealt with some spoils of war inside.¡± ¡°Lucky you,¡± Sonam turned around, and only then did Lancelot notice behind her many bronze tubes, open at the ends like trumpets, resembling the speaking tubes used for communication in castles.@@@@ The Six-Armed Serpent Demon knocked on one of the trumpets and spoke into it: ¡°Clues to some divine artifact, mysterious rumors, who knows,¡± Vidia shrugged, ¡°But you can rest easy, that Lich definitely won¡¯t come looking for trouble in Twin Rivers Town. Let¡¯s go in and have a look now.¡± Lancelot was actually very pleased and didn¡¯t have much in terms of interior de?cor requirements, but the furniture inside was somewhat beyond his expectations. Contrary to what he had anticipated, only the drawing-room and dining room felt somewhat luxurious, and the only presentable furniture was the kitchenware. The furnishings in the other rooms were very modest, reflecting the former owner¡¯s true financial situation, which wasn¡¯t great, but everything looked very tidy, as if someone cleaned it often. The first floor housed a dining room, drawing room, kitchen, and two bedrooms. Both the second and third floors had five rooms each, but they were all empty. The basement was even more extensive than the building above ground, and unsurprisingly, Lancelot found a storage, prison cells, a torture chamber, and a tomb. Considering the former owner¡¯s identity, the tomb probably served as the actual master bedroom, containing several stone coffins, most of which were empty. ¡°I am satisfied,¡± Lancelot finally decided, ¡°How much would it cost to rent this place for three years?¡± ¡°Just seven thousand gold coins, and you¡¯ll be the new master of Hagrid Manor.¡± ¡°Why so expensive?¡± Bruto frowned, ¡°Can¡¯t we get a discount?¡± ¡°What mercenary level are you now?¡± ¡°Uh, iron.¡± ¡°Sorry, no. Only Gold Rank Level mercenaries can enjoy a fifty percent discount.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pricey, Lancelot, shall we look somewhere else?¡± Lancelot shook his head; the place met his requirements in every aspect. As a Spiritual Cultivator, he shared the need for discretion with the vampires. ¡°As the leader, I¡¯ll cover the cost; this will be our base from now on. But Vidia, are you sure there¡¯s no one from the Barlow family who can inherit his estate? I don¡¯t want any disputes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, properties in Twin Rivers Town can only be inherited by residents registered in Twin Rivers Town. I¡¯m certain that the guy thrown into the Stygian River was the last of the Barlows. Besides, this place has already been reclaimed by Lady Tigana, and once you pay, it¡¯s yours.¡± A moment later, the succubus Vidia, carrying several pounds of metal ingots, flew away satisfied. ¡°Lancelot, can I have a room on the first floor?¡± Bruto asked happily as he sprawled onto the drawing room¡¯s sofa, exhaling at the end of a long day. ¡°Hold on,¡± Lancelot said, glancing at the setting sun and pulling a silver dining knife from a kitchen cabinet. ¡°We still have a little problem to take care of first.¡± Chapter 36 - 36 - 32 Pre-Battle Analysis Chapter 36 ¨C 32 Pre-Battle Analysis ¡°Uh, what do you mean by that?¡± Bruto was a bit puzzled, while Kalalin¡¯s expression changed.@@@@ ¡°Lancelot, what did you discover?¡± ¡°There is a coffin in the crypt that is covered, and I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a vampire lying inside, but it doesn¡¯t feel very strong. Kalalin, how much do you know about vampires? I¡¯ve only heard of such creatures in folklore.¡± ¡°Vampires are a relatively common type of Undead.¡± Kalalin¡¯s face became serious, ¡°In addition to the widely known weaknesses like stakes, running water, and sunlight, vampires also have these characteristics.¡± ¡°Firstly, vampires are actually a kind of Earthbound Spirit, bound by their own coffin or burial site, and must rest there during the day. High-level vampires can resist this nature to some extent, but during the day their strength is still greatly diminished.¡± ¡°Secondly, they carry the curse of the gods, and without the invitation of the owner, cannot enter any human dwelling.¡± ¡°Thirdly, apart from the well-known bat form, vampires can also turn into mist form. In this state, they can¡¯t attack or manipulate objects, but they can move and are immune to all damage except magic.¡± ¡°Fourthly, when they are killed outside their lair, they actually transform into mist form. They must return to their lair within two hours to recover from their injuries, otherwise, they will be utterly destroyed.¡± ¡°Fifth, not all creatures bitten by vampires become vampires. Only those killed by vampiric abilities and then buried will awake as a vampire the night of the burial, the most common being those blood-fed by vampires. Vampires transformed this way are under the absolute control of the vampire that created them, thus they are referred to as vampire derivatives, and only when the controlling vampire dies can they gain freedom and become a true vampire.¡± ¡°Lastly, the state of being a vampire is more like a curse, or a blessing, depending on your point of view, so it¡¯s a reversible condition. The Seventh Circle divine art of Resurrection used by priests is the most common method, which after resurrection, will revert the individual to their state before becoming a vampire, but since this spell doesn¡¯t work on naturally dead beings, it can¡¯t be used to transform those vampires who have lived for a very long time, having exceeded the limits of their lifespan; another method is the Ninth Circle magic Wish used by mages, which, as I¡¯ve explained before, has the power to alter reality and can directly remove the vampire state.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that since we are actually sitting right on top of the vampire¡¯s lair, the one in the crypt is easy to deal with?¡± ¡°Why not on me or yourself?¡± Bruto asked curiously, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be weaker?¡± ¡°The reason I¡¯m not giving it to myself is that I¡¯m the least threatening; charmed by me, you¡¯d pose no threat to each other,¡± Kalalin said nonchalantly, ¡°The reason I¡¯m not giving it to you is similar; even if you were charmed, Sir Lance would not have much trouble dealing with you. But if he were charmed, that chamber below ground might well become our resting place.¡± Bruto opened his mouth to say something in rebuttal but could only helplessly agree, ¡°You make a good point.¡± ¡°One of my second-level spells, ¡¯Stream of Water,¡¯ is also suitable; this spell creates a gentle stream of water, usually used for swimming, but since living water affects vampires like strong acid, this spell can cause them significant damage.¡± ¡°Lastly, in line with the principle of not wrongly accusing a good person, I have a very practical first-level spell, ¡¯Detect Alignment.¡¯ This spell can reveal whether the target¡¯s alignment is good or evil, but it requires the zero-level ¡¯Detect Magic¡¯ to first confirm whether the target is under the effects of magic or carries magical items.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all the spells I can think of,¡± Kalalin concluded. ¡°Magic is truly marvelous,¡± Lancelot exclaimed. He pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Prepare the zero-level spells ¡¯Light Spell¡¯ and ¡¯Detect Magic¡¯; they will indeed be useful. The first-level ¡¯Detect Alignment¡¯ should be enough; hold off on ¡¯Piercing Scream¡¯ for now, as its lair is right beneath us and it can¡¯t escape. As for the second-level ¡¯Owl¡¯s Wisdom¡¯... I think I can resist it, after all, I withstand the likes of Tijana... I should have resisted, right? And with the sun setting in a little more than an hour, is there enough time to prepare second-level spell scrolls?¡± ¡°Not enough time indeed,¡± Kalalin nodded reluctantly, ¡°My speed of making scrolls is already fast, but an hour is indeed only enough for me to prepare two zero-level spell scrolls and one first-level spell scroll.¡± ¡°We must resolve this threat tonight; let¡¯s get ready quickly,¡± Lancelot then checked the sun¡¯s approximate position again, ¡°We should have enough time. Bruto, can your hammer be used as a Blacksmith Hammer?¡± ¡°Sure, what for?¡± Lancelot pulled out a silver coin, ¡°I think I have a pretty good throwing arm, so help me sharpen the edges of these coins.¡± ¡°Throwing money at them, huh.¡± Bruto excitedly lifted his hammer, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, leave it to me.¡± Chapter 37 - 37 - 32 Isabella Chapter 37 ¨C 32 Isabella As the dull sun completely vanished below the horizon, Lancelot and his two companions were ready inside the tomb. The room neatly housed rows of coffins, but the most eye-catching were the three ornate stone coffins in the center. Carved from a single massive rock, they were adorned with intricate patterns and ancient characters that had long become indistinct from the ravages of time. Their actual target appeared to be nothing more than a box, carelessly tossed into an inconspicuous corner of the chamber. If not for Lancelot¡¯s extraordinary sensitivity of Spiritual Sense developed after becoming a Spiritual Cultivator, he certainly wouldn¡¯t have noticed this ¡¯bonus¡¯ that came with the tomb. Spiritual Sense is a very mysterious sense, somewhat like an enhanced sixth sense. It could help Lancelot detect precious materials dense in energy, as well as allow him to gauge the strength of his enemies. Creatures like Succubi and Berserk Demons felt relatively weak to him, the six-armed Serpent Demon Sonam was extremely dangerous, and the Succubus Lord Tijana was unfathomable. Lancelot was very certain that with his current strength, he had not even a tenth of a chance of victory. That¡¯s why he made sure to avoid making Tijana an enemy, besides which it made no sense for a visitor to fall out with their hostess. From the wooden box began to come creaking and squeaking noises, sending a surge of tension through the trio. Bruto and Lancelot stood at the front while Kalalin postioned himself at the rear, forming an inverted T formation behind the box. The lid was gently pushed open, and a female figure sat up. She stretched lazily, then just sat there staring blankly at the ceiling. After spacing out for a while, she let out a deep sigh and began to crawl out of the box. At that moment, Bruto subtly adjusted his stance, making a slight noise.@@@@ The sound caused the figure to stiffen with fear. She seemed terrified of something behind her, and yelled into the air: ¡°I¡¯m an Undead too, please no ghosts or zombies come looking for me...¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm,¡± Lancelot decided it was best to make his presence known. She turned around trembling, revealing a beautiful human face now dominated by an expression of fear. It was then that Lancelot took out a dining knife on which he had cast a Light Spell, illuminating his face from below like a torch. ¡°Ghost!!!!!!¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª In the drawing room, the three of them sat on the sofa, listening to Isabella recount her ordeal. As soon as Isabella mentioned she came from a kingdom called ¡¯Amberhill¡¯, Kalalin jumped up from the sofa, saying that he had heard of this nation. It was located at the other end of the continent in his origin world, renowned for exquisite art and fine wines. Isabella did not understand Kalalin¡¯s excitement until he explained that the world they came from, the world that Lancelot and Bruto came from, and the world they were now in were all different; only then did she show a shocked expression. She said she was a servant to a princess and was attacked in a royal garden about three months ago. The princess was killed on the spot, and none of her entourage escaped the calamity. But when she opened her eyes once more, all she saw was darkness, and a voice in her head that she couldn¡¯t resist commanded her to push the lid open and climb out. The one who killed her had become her master; she remained a maid, but now her range of activities was limited to a tiny tomb and this small building. While she was narrating her story, Lancelot carefully watched her expressions. Aside from lying about some trivial details, her account was mostly true. Lancelot did not expose her, as everyone has their secrets, and he was no exception. As long as the secret didn¡¯t harm anyone, it was okay. ¡°So you¡¯ve only been ¡¯transformed¡¯ recently. No wonder you don¡¯t look at all like a vampire; even your fangs haven¡¯t grown out yet,¡± Kalalin said with a sigh, ¡°The good news is, you¡¯re free now surrounded by friendly people, and that vampire who killed and enslaved you will never come back to trouble you again.¡± ¡°There¡¯s always bad news after good news.¡± Isabella curled up on the sofa, hugging her knees, ¡°Tell me, it can¡¯t get any worse.¡± ¡°The world we¡¯re in now is called the Abyss, and this is exactly where Demons hail from. Things worse than death are quite common here. Our long-term goal is to return to our original worlds, but for the near term, surviving is our main task.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, who exactly are you, and why are you here?¡± she asked. Lancelot had to spend some time again to give her an overview of Twin Bridges Town and their situation as a trio. ¡°No wonder I felt like I hit a wall just now. So there¡¯s a rule that vampires can¡¯t enter a residence without the owner¡¯s permission,¡± Isabella suddenly remembered something and blushingly said, ¡°Um, I must return to that box to rest during the day, may I continue to stay here? I can help you clean the rooms, do the housekeeping, and watch the house when you¡¯re not around...¡± Her voice grew softer as she spoke, seemingly less confident about the task of house watching. ¡°Of course, a knight would not abandon a damsel in distress,¡± Lancelot said with a smile, ¡°Welcome to join us, Isabella. That tomb will be your room from now on. But for now, let¡¯s leave this place and get to know the city where we¡¯ll be living next.¡± Chapter 38 - 38 - 33 Vampires’ Nature Chapter 38 ¨C 33 Vampires¡¯ Nature The night descended upon Twin Bridges Town, yet it remained as bustling as ever. The streets were crowded with laborers out to unwind after a day¡¯s work, mercenaries in search of amusement, and demons who seemingly had no concept of rest. Torches were lit along the streets, primarily for the sake of the pitiful mortals, as most demons possessed excellent dark vision. But this did not mean that the pedestrians could afford even the slightest drop in their vigilance. Quasimodo Demons weaved through the crowd, punishing those careless enough not to watch their wallets; the passersby would sometimes get into fights over mere shoves, with the guards enthusiastically joining the onlookers before dragging away the losing party; horrific screams would occasionally rise from dark alleys only to stop as abruptly as they started, but no one was interested in taking a closer look.@@@@ ¡°It¡¯s just like Twin Bridges Town to have such good public order,¡± Lancelot remarked as he walked down the most bustling Chaos Street in the mercenary quarter. His comment was not without reason. The standard of comparison matters. In a city of the Abyss, it was an achievement to keep the streets free of fresh corpses, and petty thievery and public brawls were completely normal here. Moreover, because of Dingke¡¯s influence, no Quasimodo Demon would trouble them. The enhanced Dingke was overwhelmingly powerful against ordinary Quasimodo Demons. According to it, it was now the boss of all Quasimodo Demons in the East City District, though this ¡°boss¡± title seemed to serve no actual purpose. Lancelot took Isabella shopping with the intention of helping these Quasimodo Demon thieves recognize who to avoid, though he wasn¡¯t very confident in their observational skills. Luckily, being a vampire, it wasn¡¯t that easy to be killed, and even if they were reduced to nothing but a cloud of mist, a night¡¯s rest in the tomb chamber back at Hagrid Manor would likely be enough for recovery. Little Isabella remained agape throughout the experience. The inhabitants of the lower planes were always whimsical in appearance, and the chaotic power of the Abyss twisted things to the utmost, while Twin Bridges Town, as a neutral city, included all kinds. Here one could see beautiful women who, if placed in the Mortal Realm, could cause a rift between father and son, as well as repulsive monsters that made one feel like bugs were crawling out of their pores. The more approachable Kalalin was bombarded with questions by the curious vampire, while Lancelot and Bruto eavesdropped nearby, taking the opportunity to familiarize themselves with a host of new species. Having passed through the mercenary quarter, they arrived at the market district. As a maid, Isabella would likely have to shop here in the future, so it was necessary to familiarize herself with the area beforehand. After several rounds through the market district, they found a few shops selling food for the Mortal Races. The prices were obviously exorbitant, with a piece of ham costing ten Gold Coins, which made Bruto curse the rip-off, but in the end, they still bought some bread and dry rations to have a supply of food. ¡°Turning wine into blood is the solution offered by magic. As a second-tier Transformation System spell, it can change a bottle of wine into the blood of an ordinary animal, enough to satisfy a vampire¡¯s craving for fresh blood. Of course, the higher the quality of the wine used as a material, the better the taste of the transformed blood,¡± Kalalin¡¯s face became serious again, ¡°Your craving for blood has been suppressed while you were controlled, but starting from the day the vampire who controlled you died, you can probably go about two weeks without thinking about blood. After that, you must feed on fresh blood, or you¡¯ll gradually experience withdrawal and slowly lose your sanity. Right now, I happen to be able to cast second-tier magic, and once I learn this spell, I¡¯ll be able to solve your ¡¯eating¡¯ problem.¡± ¡°Phew, that¡¯s such a relief,¡± Isabella sighed, then looked embarrassed, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Kalalin, I will be in your debt from now on.¡± ¡°Haha, no trouble at all, no trouble at all, we¡¯re fellow villagers after all, helping each other is only right,¡± Kalalin laughed happily, while Lancelot and Bruto moved slightly away from the two. After a short stay in the market district, the group headed to the blacksmith district. From a distance, they could feel the heat emanating from the blacksmith district, and after entering, it was like being in the desert at noon. Even at night, the blacksmith district showed no sign of rest, with every forge radiating intense heat and the sound of hammering metal ringing nonstop. It seemed to be a shift change, as Smithy Street was crowded with bare-chested workers. Dwarves were undoubtedly the main force, but there were also men and other races easily identified by their stature. They joked with each other, or cursed loudly about something. Though it seemed chaotic, the atmosphere was full of vitality. Bruto quickly led the group to the place where his father worked. New craftsmen would be assigned to respective positions, and Barrend had been appointed as the manager of a larger blacksmith shop. Tijana said that Barrend had proven his worth, which seemed no lie. ¡°Dad!¡± Bruto found his father, who was working hard at the forge, and ran over happily. The father and son embraced each other tightly, a scene that reminded Lancelot of two black bears wrestling. ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯ve come back safe and sound, and you¡¯ve made so many new friends,¡± Barrend¡¯s eyes were slightly moist as he looked at the three people behind Bruto. ¡°Give me five minutes to hand over my work, and then we¡¯ll go for a proper drink!¡± Chapter 39 - 39 - 34: Dwarf Gathering Chapter 39 ¨C 34: Dwarf Gathering The Blacksmith district was located to the west of Twin Bridges Town, and the dormitory area for the blacksmiths was in the farthest western corner. This cluster of buildings had the typical characteristics of a Dwarf architecture, with half of the houses on the surface and the other half underground, each bedroom connected by a common living room. Barrend and three other companions, who had initially ¡¯rebelled¡¯ together, shared a dormitory. The Dwarves did not find this arrangement to be objectionable; in fact, they were quite adapted to this collective style of living. At the moment, Lancelot and his companions were sitting on the sofas in a public lounge of the dormitory area, holding a mug of beer in their hands, watching a group of Dwarves gather around Bruto, listening to him recount the adventures they had just experienced. Lancelot had never been exposed to this type of drink before, with alcohol content not very high and giving off white bubbles, but he found that he preferred this lively atmosphere of drinking and chatting, compared to the polite ritual of sipping red wine from a glass at a dining table. ¡°... the gorilla¡¯s fist was as big as Aunt Berya¡¯s cooking pot. With a whoosh, it came smashing down from above, but it was too tall, and with a roll to the side, I easily dodged it...¡± Bruto, standing on a table, was telling his story with such animation that his saliva flew in all directions, captivating the audience around him, including Lancelot, who found him to be truly entertaining. Little Issa was also attracted by this story, her pale blue eyes wide open, as if she were watching Bruto¡¯s heroic battle with her own eyes. Lancelot clinked glasses with Kalalin and said with a smile, ¡°If only we poor souls cast down into the Abyss could have half his optimistic attitude.¡± ¡°Dwarves are just such a resilient and optimistic race.¡± Kalalin drained his glass in one gulp. ¡°I also want to thank you, Sir Lancelot, for if one can be assured of their personal safety, the Abyss is simply paradise for us scholars who study Demons.¡± Lancelot took the bottle and refilled his own and Kalalin¡¯s glasses, ¡°Regarding safety, it¡¯s best not to be too optimistic. The Abyss always has unexpected ways to take your life.¡± ¡°Indeed. The more you study the Abyss, the more you realize that chaos is its essence. Moreover, according to Am¡¯s theory, the gods have extracted most of the good from this chaos, so the chaos we see here is often filled with malice.¡±@@@@ At this point, Barrend left the crowd around his son and came over to Lancelot. He raised his glass formally and said, ¡°I¡¯d like to toast to you, Sir Lancelot, in gratitude for taking care of Bruto.¡± This little girl¡¯s sorrow was probably no less than theirs. As the singing faded, the dwarves one by one went to rest. With no outsiders present, Lancelot nudged Bruto¡ªit was time to talk business. ¡°Er, Dad, where do we find Cold Iron?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you always impatient with learning these sorts of things? Why the sudden question now?¡± Bruto could only cast a pleading look towards Kalalin, ¡°You explain.¡± ¡°Many know that Holy Weapons are the best choice against Fiends, but few realize that Cold Iron is also highly effective, and this type of weapon doesn¡¯t have user restrictions; even Fiends can use it,¡± Kalalin explained. ¡°Bruto mentioned that your Frostforge Clan are experts in processing Cold Iron. He believes this could make the Succubus Lord view you differently.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Barrend nodded and glanced sideways at Bruto, ¡°Let me guess, this impatient young man has already spoken to Lady Tijana, and because he couldn¡¯t produce any actual goods, he got a bloody nose?¡± ¡°Dad, you know me so well, heh heh.¡± ¡°What¡¯s more important is, we want to hear your thoughts on this matter,¡± Lancelot¡¯s expression became serious, ¡°Would it be a good idea to give this weapon to Tijana? What do those dwarves who have stayed here for a long time think about Tijana?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been carefully considering this as well,¡± Barrend said, frowning, ¡°The feelings of the dwarves here towards Tijana are quite complex. On one hand, they detest Tijana¡¯s endless orders and exploitation, and on the other hand, they are very aware of how precious the shelter she provides is.¡± ¡°Tijana is indeed an anomaly,¡± Kalalin agreed, ¡°Among all known towns in the Abyss, Twin Bridges Town is one of the few that has always maintained a stable relationship with its mortal residents.¡± ¡°And to some extent, she has also granted us a degree of autonomy. The affairs of the blacksmith district are mostly handled by the Craftsmen Committee, and the chairman is a dwarf over 200 years old. These early settlers of Twin Bridges Town seem to be loyal to Tijana, and a dwarf¡¯s trust is not easily won, let alone maintained for such a length of time.¡± ¡°So your opinion is?¡± ¡°The expertise in processing Cold Iron is not a closely guarded secret. Although Tijana is a demon, she is our protector now, and she has a good reputation in this aspect,¡± Barrend nodded, ¡°It is beneficial for us to provide her with something valuable.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, but where do we go to find Cold Iron Ore?¡± Chapter 40 - 40 - 35 Foundation Establishment 3 Methods Chapter 40 ¨C 35 Foundation Establishment 3 Methods ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Bruto, that foolish boy, just hasn¡¯t got the hang of it yet; it¡¯s difficult to explain the gist of it to you in a sentence or two,¡± Barrend¡¯s large hand landed heavily on Bruto¡¯s head, causing the latter to cover his head with a look of grievance. ¡°I¡¯m now a senior craftsman, and there¡¯s a rest day coming up in four days. I¡¯ll come with you then. However, I need to report this to the Craftsmen Committee first and apply to review their mining records to find the most likely spot.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled, we can use these next few days to rest and build up our strength,¡± Lancelot reached into his pocket, ¡°Ah right, there¡¯s one more favor I need to ask of you.¡± Confronted with the old Dwarf¡¯s puzzled gaze, he placed three clear blue gemstones into Barrend¡¯s hand. ¡°I need a single-hand longsword for fighting in relatively confined spaces; this is the upfront payment,¡± he explained. ¡°How can this be!¡± Barrend refused to accept, ¡°You are our savior; I must refuse the money.¡± ¡°I will be commissioning many more weapons and pieces of equipment from you in the future,¡± Lancelot patiently explained, ¡°If you refuse payment every time, it will only make me feel guilty and turn to other blacksmiths.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Barrend took another look at the beautiful gemstones and finally accepted them. ¡°You truly are an honorable human. So, do you have any special requirements for this sword?¡± ¡°Hmm... I hope it¡¯s a bit longer, so I can also wield it with both hands. It will be a frequently used weapon, so there¡¯s no need for fancy decorations. I don¡¯t require any enchantments either, as that¡¯s likely out of my budget and the production time might be too long. Therefore, as long as its performance is good enough, that¡¯s all I need.¡± ¡°Understood, four days¡¯ time is more than sufficient then.¡±@@@@ Lancelot nodded, bowed to Barrend, and then rose to leave with Kalalin and Isabella, while Bruto planned to stay here tonight to spend some quality time with his old man. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Three days later, just before dawn. Another method is used by the vast majority of cultivators who¡¯ve successfully established their foundations, relying on an Elixir known as the Foundation Establishment Pill. This broad bean-sized Elixir greatly enhances the activity of True Qi, allowing cultivators at Great Perfection of the High Rank Qi Cultivation Realm to attempt Foundation Establishment, significantly compressing the time needed for cultivation and creating possibilities for challenging higher Realms later. The only problem is that the various medicinal ingredients required for refining this Elixir do not exist in this world, at least not in the disgusting place called the Abyss. Han Tianzun, who granted him the legacy and claimed to be ¡°extreme in the Alchemy Dao,¡± passed down the complete set of Alchemy Dharma Methods and even included an analysis of various Elixir principles and how to create Pill Recipes with existing materials. But that could only be done after Foundation Establishment, when the Divine Sense can be projected outward to inspect items. Lastly, there¡¯s a theoretically viable method that no one has ever tried: using the Spiritual Power from Spirit Stones to forcibly break through to Foundation Establishment. Han Tianzun anticipated the problems Lancelot might encounter and specifically mentioned this method in the bamboo slips he left behind. According to Han Tianzun¡¯s estimates, this method would require consuming about one hundred Upper Grade Spirit Stones to establish a foundation. In the world of Spiritual Cultivation, this is an insane number. The price of one Foundation Establishment Pill is about twenty thousand Spirit Stones, which is also two Upper Grade Spirit Stones. Therefore, while this method is theoretically feasible, no one has ever tried it. However, this was the method that held the most hope for Lancelot. The Earth Crystals he obtained from killing the Sandworm Lord last time had seven or eight pieces that reached the level of Upper Grade Spirit Stones. Gathering one hundred of them would not be easy, but at least it was possible. If Spirit Stones were stripped of their monetary attribute, they were just items used for recovery in battle, as well as the energy source for mechanisms, Formations, and prohibitions. They didn¡¯t serve well as a means for Lancelot to store wealth. In fact, with the life extension blessings from the Elves, Lancelot could also succeed using the first method, but if possible, he still wanted to improve his strength as quickly as he could. After all, this was the Abyss, and if one day a wicked wind blew past and a seemingly innocuous Abyssal worm suddenly turned into a Barlow Flame Demon, he at least wanted the ability to escape. Speaking of escaping, it was necessary to mention some of the Cultivation Techniques that Han Tianzun had left him. Han Tianzun said that the world was different, and Lancelot would need to explore the later stages of cultivation on his own, but that was for the stages after the Body Integration Realm. He still left Cultivation Techniques for the early and middle stages for Lancelot. He would gain access to higher level techniques once he reached the appropriate Realm, but the techniques he could currently see fell far short of his expectations. Why were there so few attack-type techniques like ¡¯Gathering Qi Slash¡¯, and mostly various ¡¯survival-type¡¯ techniques for running away? Chapter 41 - 41 - 36 Cultivation Technique and Training Chapter 41 ¨C 36 Cultivation Technique and Training Lancelot had spent the last few nights meditating and cultivating, while during the day he practiced several cultivation techniques from a few bamboo slips. Although reluctant to admit, techniques like concealing one¡¯s breath and shifting position were indeed extremely useful in combat. He had realized that the forthright style of the knights was actually based on the premise of having strength and equipment no weaker than the opponent¡¯s. Against fiends and strange creatures whose muscles were much larger than his own, it was best not to be too attached to formality. He had already self-taught the various applications of Gathering Qi Slash without a mentor and had spent the last couple of days organizing them thoroughly. In particular, the throwing attack technique using the principle of Gathering Qi Slash had a really good effect. Throwing the silver coins that Bruto had sharpened for him previously was incredibly effective, striking with the force of thunder and the speed of lightning. When utilized with full force, the impact was enough to bury a coin a foot deep into rock, and ordinary armor couldn¡¯t begin to stop it. In addition to practicing these combat techniques, Lancelot also delved deeply into the various knowledge of spiritual cultivation, of which the ¡¯Five Elements¡¯ theory interested him most. The Multiverse perspective he was familiar with held that there were four basic elements¡ªQi, earth, water, and fire¡ªthat constituted matter, while the Spiritual Cultivation theory posited that all things possessed gold, wood, water, fire, and earth as Five Elements attributes. After a careful comparison, Lancelot found that although the concepts seemed conflicting, they didn¡¯t actually clash. One theory spoke of elements and the other of attributes. Another concept that greatly interested Lancelot was the idea of a ¡¯Spirit Root¡¯. Corresponding to the Five Elements theory, Spirit Roots were also divided into gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. The Spirit Root determined a person¡¯s ability to sense and absorb nature¡¯s spiritual energy and the effectiveness with which they practiced cultivation techniques. Those with good Spirit Roots could practice cultivation for one day and achieve what took others three, naturally progressing faster. Sir Han had already checked when he passed on the techniques; Lancelot had wood, fire, and earth Spirit Roots, not bad, but merely average. In the early stages of spiritual cultivation, fewer Spirit Roots were better as they made it easier to sense and absorb the spiritual energy of the corresponding attribute. Having many Spirit Roots could complicate discerning the spiritual energy, making cultivation extremely difficult. However, Sir Han had said that he started off with even poorer innate talent than Lancelot, possessing four Spirit Roots, yet his strength had become one of the top-most existences in the realm, illustrating that there are no absolutes in anything.@@@@ At the higher realms of spiritual cultivation, cultivators form a cycle of their own Inner World. At this stage, they would use various methods to complete their Spirit Roots to balance their Inner World. Some of the top Divine Skills and Immortal Laws also require a complete set of Spirit Roots; otherwise, they would be like castles in the air or mirrors and moon reflected in the water, impossible to perfect. When Sir Han bestowed the inheritance, he also taught Lancelot a special language filled with interesting four-character phrases like ¡¯mirrors and moon reflected in the water¡¯. The cultivation technique Lancelot was practicing now was called the Cauldron Immortal Technique. Sir Han claimed it was a peerless Divine Skill he created based on a treasure of heaven and earth, boasting unmatched abilities to connect with the universe. Practicing it was meant to be as pleasant as walking on a broad road, and it had many marvelous uses. Lancelot remained skeptical because Sir Han had said these were all his conjectures. He had already been at a very high realm when he created this technique; naturally, he couldn¡¯t start all over again. Though he made many improvements afterward, he indeed hadn¡¯t let others try it. ¡°Ah, finally woke up, huh? Carry on, but don¡¯t use all your strength every time. Always save a little for unforeseen circumstances,¡± Lancelot counselled. Without a word, Bruto charged again. This time, he didn¡¯t launch a desperate attack and Lancelot cooperated by feeding him moves, occasionally pointing out Bruto¡¯s vulnerabilities and reminding him to stay alert. After clashing back and forth for about twenty moves, Bruto began to grow impatient and once more exposed a weakness during an attack interval. The Human Knight deceived Bruto with a feint, opening his guard wide, and then the sword tip touched the dwarf¡¯s beard like a bolt of lightning. ¡°Much better than before,¡± Lancelot encouraged, ¡°but remember to stay cautious in a tight spot, especially against an opponent stronger than yourself.¡± ¡°Huff...¡± Bruto panted heavily, ¡°Again... let¡¯s go again!¡± ... An hour later. ¡°Boom!¡± The two weapons had clashed countless times that morning, but this time Bruto¡¯s grip faltered. His wooden hammer flew off at an angle, and the young dwarf ended up sitting on the ground with a thud. ¡°Ahh, I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t,¡± Bruto gasped, out of breath, ¡°I need a break.¡± ¡°Brilliant.¡± Clapping came from the sidelines, where Kalalin was sitting on a bench with a book whose origins were unknown. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come and try with me?¡± Bruto said, annoyed. ¡°I surrender,¡± Kalalin said with a smile, ¡°As everyone knows, we mundane spellcasters can¡¯t cast spells in heavy armor, not to mention close combat.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily always the case,¡± Lancelot said, picking up a wooden staff from a nearby rack, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that monks from the east can bare their chests and still send fiends running scared. Come on, I¡¯ll teach you some basic techniques.¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Kalalin approached with a gloomy face, ¡°Is that really necessary?¡± ¡°Very necessary,¡± Lancelot nodded, handing the wooden staff to Kalalin, ¡°If a Mage runs out of mana, should he just surrender without a fight?¡± ¡°Indeed, some Mages prefer to resolve fights using a magic wand,¡± Kalalin nodded in resignation, ¡°In this plane, it¡¯s always beneficial to know how to defend oneself. I just tend to bicker with this guy out of habit. Please go ahead, Sir Lancelot.¡± ¡°` Chapter 42 - 42 - 37 Frostslash Chapter 42 ¨C 37 Frostslash The next morning, Lancelot and his two companions arrived at the craftsmen¡¯s quarters located in the blacksmith district, where Barrend was already waiting for them. The old dwarf was also fully armed today; he wore a set of plank armor, donned a Dwarf Giant Helm with pointed horns, had a folding shovel and a Dwarf Cross Pickaxe at his waist, and carried a Heavy Steel Shield on his back. ¡°Hey, old man, your gear looks pretty impressive. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you dressed up like this,¡± Bruto said with a face full of excitement, like a child eager to go out and play with his father. ¡°Back in my youth, I also crushed a few Orc skulls!¡± Barrend said with a laugh, ¡°I might not be as agile as you young people anymore, but after all these years of blacksmithing, I still have some strength.¡±@@@@ ¡°Dad, I doubt your gear will see any action this time.¡± Bruto said arrogantly, ¡°Lancelot has been giving me special training these past few days. You just stay safely behind me!¡± ¡°You little rascal has grown up, eh? But don¡¯t be too confident; your old man still has a few tricks up his sleeve,¡± Barrend scolded with a smile. Then he turned to Lancelot, ¡°Sir, your weapon is ready, and I guarantee you¡¯ll be satisfied!¡± With that, he retrieved a long, narrow object wrapped in thick leather from the corner of the room and handed it to Lancelot. With the enthusiasm of a warrior for a new weapon, Lancelot eagerly unwrapped his new toy. What appeared before him was a beautiful longsword, slightly shorter than 4 feet. The blade was sheathed in a black leather scabbard, complete with a sword belt; the crossguard, slightly curving toward the tip like a pair of bull¡¯s horns, was thickened; and the hilt was tightly wrapped in circles with dark red leather, ending in a metal sphere that served as a counterweight. Lancelot gripped the hilt and drew the blade partway from the scabbard. ¡°Uh, could this be?¡± Kalalin expressed with a surprised look. The drawn portion of the blade was about four fingers wide and much lighter in color than typical metal weapons. As he drew the blade, it emitted a cold light, making it seem as though the temperature in the room had dropped. ¡°This is definitely my masterpiece. The handle is wrapped with fire serpent skin, providing a good grip; the end ball is removable, allowing you to easily replace it with any shape you desire or any magical item with special effects,¡± Barrend said proudly, lifting his chin, ¡°Go ahead and give it a try, Sir Lancelot.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that the mine shaft shows no signs of magma flow! That I can knock it out of you shows you don¡¯t remember well enough!¡± Barrend almost roared into Bruto¡¯s ear. Sparing Bruto, he turned to Lancelot and said: ¡°I¡¯ve found several suitable mines, the most appropriate is an ancient mine that existed before Twin Bridges Town was established, no one can say for sure how deep it is, but it¡¯s at least ten thousand feet deep. Records indicate that cold iron was found there before, and I suspect there might be a significant ore vein waiting for us to discover.¡± ¡°That sounds amazing.¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Where¡¯s this mine located?¡± ¡°Right at the foot of the Shattered Mountain Range to the south, about a two-hour journey from here, still within the dominion of Twin Bridges Town. The mining difficulty has been increasing over the years, and now very few mining teams go there; many sections of the mine have become lairs for subterranean creatures.¡± Barrend frowned, ¡°In fact, a twelve-man mining team, though composed of annoying gray dwarves, was supposed to have returned three days ago. Though we all serve the Succubus Lord of Twin Bridges Town, it would be best if we could locate them.¡± ¡°Gray dwarves? What are they?¡± ¡°A bunch of lunatics,¡± Bruto succinctly explained. ¡°They were once one of us, but have since fallen, and vehemently despise us who still adhere to the faith of Muradin,¡± Barrend sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Even in the demons¡¯ homeland, they fiercely resist working under the same roof as us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of their tragic experiences. Driven by a yearning for subterranean riches, they dug too deep and encountered an evil race capable of controlling the minds of creatures, which then enslaved them for several generations.¡± Kalalin explained. ¡°Ironically, they finally gained freedom with the help of the Evil God disguised as ¡¯Asmodeus,¡¯ the ruler of the Nine Hells. The suffering of enslavement and the pernicious guidance of the Evil God permanently changed the gray dwarves. From slaves, they turned into slave masters, just as wickedly as their former masters.¡± ¡°This is a perpetual disgrace for our dwarf race, reminding us not to let greed blind us,¡± Barrend lamented. ¡°But there are always foolhardy ones who can¡¯t remember, like this one in front of you.¡± ¡°At least we still have a chance to rectify this mistake:¡± Lancelot clapped his hands, ¡°Is everyone ready? Let¡¯s set out, then!¡± Chapter 43 - 43 - 38 Kalalin’s Preparation Chapter 43 ¨C 38 Kalalin¡¯s Preparation The dark red sun of the Plains of the Abyss hung slanted on the horizon, leaving one uncertain whether it was dawn or dusk. Across the barren and desolate land, a four-wheeled carriage was making its way to the south at a steady pace. To call it a carriage might not be entirely accurate, for the two creatures pulling it did not resemble normal horses. Their bodies were as black as solidified magma, with fierce flames blazing around their hooves, manes, and tails. These were Nightmares, evil creatures born from the transformation of noble Pegasus, providing services to such powerful beings as Liches, Death Knights, or Demon Lords. As part of a Craftsmen Committee-backed operation, Barrend had acquired a brass whistle engraved with mysterious Runes. Blowing the whistle required strong lung capacity, but once sounded, a carriage pulled by two Nightmares, roomy enough for eight, would appear to serve the summoner.@@@@ The carriage could exist for four hours or could be dismissed by sounding the whistle again, after which it could not be summoned again for another four hours at least. In theory, the summoned Nightmares were bound to obey the commands of the Summoner, but the old Dwarf who handed the whistle to Barrend advised that it was best to prepare some meat and tubers that Nightmares favored; otherwise, they might intentionally misinterpret your commands and make the passengers¡¯ travel as thrilling as possible. The party, having prepared dried meat and cassava in advance, did not suffer too much, aside from the usual sins of traveling in the Abyss, including but not limited to the rugged terrain (there were, of course, no roads here), eerie gales, rapidly rising temperatures, and the constant appearance of various small Demons and Abyssal beasts. ¡°The Abyss is indeed the home of Demons, but those more formidable ones generally belong to a legion and are unlikely to be seen in the wild. Amidst the wilds, between iron fortresses and war bastions, the survival game of Low Level Demons is constantly unfolding,¡± While playing the role of a tour guide, Kalalin practiced his slingshot. The wild creatures that tried to charge at the speeding carriage became Kalalin¡¯s targets. Of course, this often only served to enrage the enemies further, and it became Lancelot¡¯s job to help by chopping those that got too close into two. ¡°What¡¯s the point of all this?¡± Bruto asked with curiosity. ¡°The rules of the game in the Abyss force them to attack each other, and those who are stronger and more cunning often survive, absorbing the essence of the losers and repeating the process,¡± Kalalin sent a smooth stone flying, which narrowly missed a flesh ball with three mouths. ¡°Some lucky ones accumulate enough essence energy before being killed to advance to a more powerful Demon. The Transformation process is enormously painful, beyond any torment you can imagine, and Demon bodies ensure they do not lose consciousness during it; they must experience every detail of the process while fully awake, making them increasingly vicious.¡± ¡°Great, I almost forgot about that,¡± Barrend smacked his thigh, grabbed two vials, and put them in his pocket. ¡°Um, can someone explain why we need to bring these things?¡± Bruto was still reluctant to carry such dangerous items. ¡°I¡¯ve been down mines countless times and never needed this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you never worry about these things,¡± Barrend said irritably. ¡°Have you forgotten those annoying mud monsters underground? A strong alkali reacts violently with their acidic slime. When you¡¯re grabbed by a mud monster, you¡¯ll be glad to have a vial of this stuff.¡± ¡°Oh, I think the miner¡¯s school did mention something about this,¡± Bruto awkwardly took the two vials and stowed them away. Lancelot also reached out for the vials. He was certain he could break free from the mud monsters with his own strength, but carrying two vials would clearly be helpful to rescue friends in trouble. ¡°What other preparations have you made?¡± Lancelot asked, curious about all the odd equipment Kalalin had on. ¡°You¡¯ve already seen my Flash Ring, which works great against creatures accustomed to living in the dark. I¡¯ve also crafted a necklace that can Detect Magic, a staff that can cast the Light Spell, and various trinkets that can unleash cantrips,¡± Kalalin continued, opening the pouch slung across his body to show neatly arranged scrolls, ¡°Most of these are for detecting secret doors, Feather Fall Spells, and other supportive techniques. I don¡¯t know many 2nd-level spells, just the Enlarge Spell, See Invisibility, but the most important one is Magical Weapon. Enemies that require magicked weapons are tough to deal with; let¡¯s hope we don¡¯t have to use that spell this time.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± Lancelot wasn¡¯t sure. Not far away, a dark cave entrance appeared in their field of vision, growing steadily larger. They had arrived at their destination. Chapter 44 - 44 - 39: Mine Entrance Chapter 44 ¨C 39: Mine Entrance ¡°Gentlemen, welcome to the Demon¡¯s Gut Mine,¡± Barrend hopped off the carriage first, greeting everyone like a host. ¡°I think the name is terrible,¡± Kalalin followed suit, jumping down. ¡°Existing autopsy reports have proven that a demon¡¯s digestive tract ends at the stomach, they don¡¯t have intestines, let alone excretory organs.¡± Lancelot and Bruto were the last to disembark, as they unloaded a heavy backpack filled with various mining equipment and supplies from the carriage. Watching Barrend struggle with the backpack, bigger than a dwarf himself, Lancelot curiously asked: ¡°Isn¡¯t this thing too heavy? It would be hard to escape if we encounter danger down there.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a hidden miner¡¯s rest room not far from the mine entrance,¡± Barrend explained. ¡°We can rest there, store supplies and mining tools, and only carry the equipment needed for exploration.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Lancelot nodded in understanding, the situation sounding much better than he had anticipated. Lancelot¡¯s experience with underground combat was not lacking, although it involved dealing with bandits occupying caves rather than entering mines. The entrance to the mine in front of him was much larger than he imagined, big enough to admit five carriages, dark and gaping like the maw of a monster waiting for food to deliver itself. Additionally, there was a small trouble lurking at the entrance of the mine. His Spiritual Sense unequivocally told him that several entities were hiding in the shadows of the rocks and cliff walls, watching him expectantly. ¡°Get ready,¡± he said in an offhand manner to his companions, whispering, ¡°There¡¯s an ambush at the entrance.¡± ¡°What are the enemies?¡± Barrend, showing a bit of nervousness, managed to rein in his overly dramatic actions. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them, but they are humanoid, not demons. Should be five of them, as for their strength...¡± he carefully felt around, glancing at Bruto, ¡°they should be a bit weaker than this guy.¡± Bruto said nothing, but by looking at his trembling hands and tense body, Lancelot was sure he was very excited now. ¡°Barrend, you and Kalalin stay in the back and just focus on defense,¡± he instructed. The Scholar and craftsmen nodded, as Kalalin opened up his pouch containing scrolls, ready to draw them at any moment. The two goblin bears had not lost their minds completely, they carefully watched Lancelot while slowly sidestepping to occupy positions on his left and right, preparing to launch a pincer attack. Meanwhile, Bruto was already locked in combat with his opponent. The dwarf initially took a defensive stance, calmly sidestepping the ferocious charge of the goblin bear, dodging the first strike, then quickly raised his shield to block the subsequent attack. But he didn¡¯t give the enemy a chance for a third strike. The attack he had just blocked made him realize the enemy¡¯s strength was not greater than his. When the rebound of the blocked weapon gave him the opportunity, he swiftly fanned his shield outward with his left hand, throwing off the enemy¡¯s balance, followed by his right-hand wielding the hammer, accurately striking the goblin bear¡¯s closest knee. With a ¡¯crack,¡¯ the clear sound of breaking bones echoed in everyone¡¯s ears. The goblin bear instantly fell to its knees, soon followed by a sharp scream of agony. ¡°Ah, the knee, my favorite target.¡± Having landed his blow, Bruto immediately leapt back, dodging the enemy¡¯s aimless counterattack. Lancelot¡¯s attention was also drawn to Bruto¡¯s commotion, and he glanced back. Seeing him turn his head, the two goblin bears encircling him immediately launched their attacks from both sides simultaneously, but Lancelot, as if he had anticipated this, weirdly twisted his body backward, moving three steps back and causing the two attackers to crash into each other heavily without time to react. ¡°Don¡¯t rush, ladies.¡± He stepped forward, and a torrent of sword light immediately enveloped the two goblin bears. Lancelot did not even use True Qi, merely relying on his swordsmanship to suppress both enemies at once. He was not quick to deal the killing blow; each time his sword blade was about to slice through their bodies, he forcefully stopped, avoiding a fatal wound. He was rapidly getting used to the new weapon¡¯s length, weight, and balance. As his movements grew faster, the two goblin bears couldn¡¯t keep up at all, just wildly swinging their nail-headed hammers in vain attempts to inflict some damage on Lancelot. The knight finally felt the weapon had become a part of his body, his sword hand twisted, and almost simultaneously, the sword¡¯s blade struck both enemies¡¯ faces, sending them flying out. Another lurking goblin bear peeked out, trying to throw a javelin to cover his allies, but a stone hitting right on the nose knocked it to the ground. Kalalin flashed Lancelot a victorious sign. Lancelot shrugged, turned his head to look at the enemies struggling to get up, and yelled with True Qi surging: ¡°Scram!¡± Chapter 45 - 45 - 40 Miner’s Rest Room Chapter 45 ¨C 40 Miner¡¯s Rest Room ¡°Scram!¡± The volume of Lancelot¡¯s shout even startled himself, and the two bear goblins in front of him were shocked to the point of falling on their butts, eyes rolling back as they entered a dizzy state. The scene momentarily entered a rather eerie silence, and Lancelot had to use a normal volume to say, ¡°Hurry up and disappear from my sight!¡± The two bear goblins finally reacted, scarcely believing they could survive, and quickly scrambled up to flee the place. Two more bear goblins jumped out from behind a large rock, loudly calling out and hastily following their companions to escape. Lancelot turned back to find Bruto had already dealt with his enemy. The corpse on the ground had both its knees shattered, and a large dent in its head. The dwarf looked to be in not too bad a shape, his shield now sporting a few more white marks, and it seemed he had taken a hit from a nail-headed hammer, leaving his armor somewhat deformed. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Lancelot asked as he walked over, concern in his voice. ¡°Just a little bruising, I¡¯ll be fine after some rest,¡± Bruto said with a carefree smile. ¡°I took a hit, but in return, I landed a fatal blow. It was a good trade.¡± ¡°What did I tell you before?¡± Lancelot shook his head helplessly. ¡°Never mind, it seems anger really does give you strength.¡± ¡°The victory over the Berserk Demon might be attributed to anger and luck, but in this fight, you truly showed the talent of a warrior,¡± Barrend and Kalalin also approached, the elder dwarf looking at his son with emotion. ¡°I must admit, among dwarves your age, you¡¯re the strongest I¡¯ve seen.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that true for all the dwarves you¡¯ve seen?¡± Bruto said, unable to conceal his joy at his father¡¯s praise. ¡°No, your dad at his peak was still a bit stronger than you.¡± ¡°Dad, you must be bragging!¡± ¡°Hahahaha...¡± Kalalin¡¯s eyes shone with a bright magical light, and his vision suddenly gained a powerful penetrating ability, allowing him to see through rock and earth. After getting used to this peculiar vision, he quickly spotted an unusual patch of ground. ¡°There, there¡¯s a room underground.¡± Kalalin continued to examine the area and finally found further clues, ¡°Under that pile of ore, there¡¯s a handle, that must be the mechanism.¡± Bruto, too impatient to wait, rushed over and started shoveling away the loose ore, and indeed found a handle. He pulled the handle up and suddenly a low rumbling sound was heard, and the ground beside them slowly parted, revealing steps leading down to a small room. ¡°Ha, so it was underground.¡± Barrend scratched his head, ¡°I had been focusing on the surrounding walls just now, no wonder I couldn¡¯t find it.¡± ¡°Empiricism can be deadly.¡± Bruto teased as he entered the basement room with the others. The room had clearly been designed with only Dwarves or Gnomes in mind, the ceiling not exceeding seven feet. Lancelot had to lean slightly, or his great sword would get stuck. Inside the room, there were dozens of bedrolls, boxes and barrels for storing goods, as well as spare shovels and cross pickaxes. Barrend was not pleased with the condition of the tools, but it was well-known that years of enslavement had robbed the Gray Dwarves of any passion for their work. His gaze shifted from the shabby tools and he walked to the end of the room, where there was a small table. On the table hung a giant mining map with markings of new tunnels added by miners from different eras, or spots where collapses had occurred. Looking at the map, the group realized that the nickname ¡¯Demon¡¯s Intestines¡¯ was quite apt. The directions of the tunnels were so chaotic that if demons had intestines, they probably looked like this. Barrend, however, was engrossed in reading a journal. The journal was written in Dwarven, the lingua franca of the mining world. It recorded information about each team that went down into the mine, their purpose, and what they harvested. The most recent entry was from a week ago, written in simple terms: ¡°Twelve Gray Dwarf Miners, team leader Dunif. Plan to head to workings fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen.¡± The harvest column was left blank, it seems they had not made it back here. Chapter 46 - 46 - 41 Digging Worm Chapter 46 ¨C 41 Digging Worm After setting down the heavy equipment and supplies from their backpacks, Barrend and Lancelot¡¯s group set out once again, this time traveling light, each carrying supplies for two days. They unanimously agreed to first search for the whereabouts of their Gray Dwarf colleagues. This mission itself was considered a Black Iron Level task, and they had firsthand data on the resource distribution of the ancient mine. Searching for a mining team in this labyrinth-like mine was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, Barrend and Bruto had a set of skills for underground orientation. Dwarves had undergone special training that enabled them to sense the magnetic fields in the rocks. Walking at the front of the group was Lancelot. As the strongest Warrior in the team, he played the role of the vanguard, the first target of the enemy¡¯s attacks. Following in second was Barrend. The old Dwarf¡¯s prospecting experience was no less than his craftsmanship. As a top Blacksmith, he often had to search for the best raw materials himself. Now, following behind Lancelot, he was directing the vanguard. Behind them came Kalalin. As the most vulnerable member of the team, he was both nervous and excited. Researchers who studied the Abyss rarely entered it personally (more precisely, few could come back alive to tell of their experiences), and his curiosity for knowledge now suppressed his fear of death. Even at this moment, he was continuously scanning the surroundings with the night vision enabled by his potion, and taking notes in a small notebook. Assigned the task of rear guard was Bruto. The young Dwarf had officially become an Adventurer just over a week ago, but had already shown reliable strength. Bruto was also very familiar with burrowing about in the mines, as his dad had taken him underground before his beard had even started to grow. They walked through the winding tunnels, where Barrend only needed to glance at the entire structural map and he memorized it in his mind. Under his guidance, the team progressed swiftly. Suddenly, Lancelot raised a hand, signaling for everyone to stop. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Barrend asked, puzzled. ¡°I sense danger,¡± Lancelot said, frowning. His Spiritual Sense had just flashed a warning, and this mysterious sixth sense had become increasingly accurate since he became a Spiritual Cultivator, but the complex underground environment made it difficult for him to determine the exact location of the enemy, only that it was somewhere ahead.@@@@ ¡°But I don¡¯t see anything,¡± Barrend said softly, frowning. He wasn¡¯t questioning Lancelot; the Knight had already proven his keen Perception Ability back at the entrance of the mine. ¡°It feels like a big one,¡± Lancelot said, still not reassured about proceeding further. He sensed the threat¡¯s distance once more and sat down cross-legged. ¡°Give me a moment.¡± The other three looked on in surprise as Lancelot entered a state of meditation, leaving them no choice but to pick up their weapons and stand guard beside him. Lancelot quickly entered that state with the strange perspective, which according to the bamboo slip in his mind, was a Divine Skill of the High Rank in the Qi Cultivation Stage, called Divine Sense Projection, which for now he could only enter during Cultivation. Lancelot suddenly charged forward with large strides. The moment the sound of his footsteps rang out, he distinctly felt an excited tremor from the monster beneath the ground. True Qi was already surging through his meridians, and when he was ten feet away from the underground maw that resembled a pair of pincers, Lancelot suddenly leapt up, his body nearly skimming the top of the tunnel as he flew forward. However, the sound of footsteps did not cease, for Kalalin had also activated the ¡¯Lesser Illusion¡¯ magic from his scroll at the same time. This spell could create an image of an object or a sound the caster wanted, like the roar of a lion, human conversation, and of course, footsteps. It was merely a 0-level trick that could easily be seen through by any creature with a bit of intelligence. However, the burrowing worm was probably only a little smarter than a rock and relied solely on its feelers to sense vibrations on the ground. As the sound of footsteps passed over the burrowing worm¡¯s hiding spot, the ground suddenly burst open, a pair of three-foot-long fangs snapped shut like a pincer, an attack no flesh and blood could withstand. But what awaited it on the ground was not flesh and blood. Lancelot, who had jumped into the air, dangled his great sword below him, and the burrowing worm emerging from the ground bit down right on it. The chitinous jaw naturally couldn¡¯t contend with a weapon made of steel, and with a snap, a fist-sized gap appeared on the worm¡¯s pincers, while Lancelot¡¯s weapon remained unscathed. After landing, Lancelot immediately turned back and charged at the burrowing worm. He had to restrain the enemy to allow his companions to complete a pincer attack from behind. This burrowing worm was clearly influenced by the Abyss, its body covered with demonic-like spikes, and its two front limbs were like two longswords, characteristics not seen in a normal burrowing worm. His great sword executed a flurry of airtight thrusts, enveloping the burrowing worm¡¯s mouthparts and keeping it too busy to spray acid. Bruto finally reached the enemy¡¯s rear. He jumped high, letting out a roar as his warhammer smashed down fiercely on the bending part of the burrowing worm¡¯s hind leg. ¡°Knees! My favorite!¡± Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Bruto had some kind of special fetish for knees. The burrowing worm let out a pained and angry shriek from its mouth. It twisted its head sharply, planning to deal with the foe at its rear with a spurt of acid, while relying on the thick carapace on its back to fend off the sword blade in front. The Scholar, standing at the very back, was fully focused on watching the battle unfold, while Baron stood in front of him with a shield raised. In the instant it turned its head, Kalalin made his move as well. He raised his arm, and on the ring finger of his right hand, a spell was already poised to release. Chapter 47 - 47 - 42 Clues Chapter 47 ¨C 42 Clues Kalalin¡¯s right hand emitted a strong glow, the very Flash Ring he had used against the Abyssal Hounds before. He stood at the rear of the group, with all but Lancelot facing away from him, and with the giant body of the worm creature shielding Lancelot, the bright light didn¡¯t affect any of his teammates. Enjoy new chapters from empire The worm creature¡¯s four black eyes granted it excellent dark vision, but as a consequence, it was extremely sensitive to intense light. Instinctively, it turned its head away, spraying the acid that was in its mouth onto the walls. Immediately, a hissing sound came from the tunnel¡¯s rocky walls as the soil softened like heated chocolate, slowly flowing to the ground. Some residual acid still flew toward Kalalin¡¯s direction, but Baron, ever vigilant, blocked it all with his shield. Lancelot naturally wouldn¡¯t just stand by and watch. In the moment the enemy turned its head, he seized the opportunity at the vulnerable spot between the thick back armor and the jaw of the worm creature, stabbing the tip of his Great Sword in and effortlessly out the other side. ¡°Beautiful!¡± Bruto shouted loudly, commencing his attack on the second knee. Under the stimulus of pain, the worm creature flailed wildly at Lancelot with its forelimbs, which resembled two Longswords, while desperately twisting its body in an attempt to turn its head around and spew acid at the Human Knight. But Lancelot tightly gripped the sword¡¯s hilt, unmoving, and his 7-foot Great Sword kept the worm creature from reaching him no matter how it tried. However, such an injury was not enough to kill the worm creature immediately. For this type of creature, each nerve node in the limbs could function like a brain, and the one in its head was just a more versatile one. If destroyed, it could simply grow a new one. ¡°Bruto!¡± called Lancelot, now a bit embarrassed as the enemy wouldn¡¯t die anytime soon and he couldn¡¯t draw his weapon out, nor could he push it further in; he could only call for the Dwarf¡¯s help. ¡°I¡¯m a bit busy here!¡± Bruto¡¯s warhammer swung wildly, and soon enough, the worm creature¡¯s thickest middle leg also collapsed. ¡°Never mind those legs for now!¡± Lancelot shouted. ¡°Hammer my Sword Blade!¡± The Dwarf quickly grasped Lancelot¡¯s intent; he leaped up from where he was and, with all his might, smashed his Warhammer onto the exposed sword edge on his side. The Great Sword propelled forward with the impact, the Sword Blade slicing through all the flesh and Carapace blocking its path, leaving the body of the worm creature from a position roughly corresponding to its lower jaw.@@@@ A horrific wound appeared at its jaw, with copious amounts of Acid mixed with blood flowing out. The giant insect¡¯s body convulsed, and its two front limbs futilely attempted to cover the wound, but the outpouring Acid corroded them together. Barrend crouched down and examined the bodies of his kin carefully, his face looking very grim. ¡°Was it the burrower worms?¡± Lancelot noticed a huge hole in the ground nearby that looked quite similar to the state after a burrower worm emerged from underground. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it; burrower worms wouldn¡¯t leave a body behind,¡± Barrend shook his head, pointing to a basin-sized hole in the chest of one of the bodies. ¡°They couldn¡¯t make wounds of this severity.¡± ¡°The bodies also show no signs of acid corrosion,¡± Kalalin stared solemnly at the hole in the ground, ¡°and this hole is a bit too large for a burrower worm; it¡¯s big enough to fit three of them. The culprit must have a very thick waist.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also a pool of blood over here,¡± Lancelot found another clue, ¡°Someone was lying here, barely alive. How much blood do your people have to lose before dying?¡± ¡°They would have been dead long before bleeding this much out,¡± Bruto said with a frown, ¡°but where did the body go?¡± No one responded to him; everyone had the same explanation in mind. ¡°So here¡¯s the question,¡± Lancelot gestured towards the other two bodies, ¡°Why are these two corpses here? Judging from the monster¡¯s girth that Kalalin deduced, one Dwarf wouldn¡¯t be enough to fill its stomach.¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Bruto tried to explain, ¡°Maybe it ate the first one and realized it didn¡¯t quite suit its taste?¡± ¡°These creatures that tunnel through the ground aren¡¯t picky eaters,¡± Barrend said gloomily, recalling some not-so-pleasant memories from his long mining career. ¡°No, Bruto is right,¡± Kalalin suddenly spoke up, his voice trembling slightly. ¡°What did you think of?¡± Barrend looked at the Human with surprise, unable to believe that the robed figure could guess the true identity of the culprit before him. ¡°Huge size, terrifying puncture wounds, not fond of eating Dwarves,¡± Kalalin spoke softly, as if afraid of awakening some dreadful existence. ¡°In our world, there¡¯s also a kind of food these monsters do not like, Elves.¡± The look of fear on Barrend¡¯s face showed he had come to the answer. The old Dwarf¡¯s lips quivered softly as he uttered a name. ¡°Shark Lizard Beast.¡± Chapter 48 - 48 - 43 Mud Monster Chapter 48 ¨C 43 Mud Monster ¡°What are you talking about? What is a shark-crocodile beast?¡± Lancelot¡¯s ignorance only confirmed one thing again, his world must be tucked away in some extremely remote corner of the Multiverse. Although Barrend and Kalalin hailed from different worlds, they seemed to both be familiar with this terrifying monster. ¡°It is a calamitous creature, over 10 feet in length,¡± Barrend said, his face displaying fear. ¡°It is the absolute ruler wherever it roams, with all creatures above ground as its fodder.¡± ¡°That powerful, huh? What does it look like?¡± ¡°It resembles a reptilian, with a thick, shark-like carapace on its back. Its lower half is like that of a crocodile, with claws capable of cleaving a multitude. Its head is the most terrifying part, resembling an oversized snapping turtle¡¯s head, except the end is pointed like a spike, allowing it to break through the soil and burrow wherever it wishes,¡± Barrend said, his face turning pale. ¡°Luckily, it makes a lot of noise as it tunnels underground, and its high-and-mighty self won¡¯t ambush prey like a burrower. This at least allows us to know when it¡¯s coming.¡± ¡°People have always been unclear about the origins of the shark-crocodile beast. Some scholars think it might be the result of a mad spell, like the Demon Prince Dimogorgen creating the Chimera,¡± Kalalin added. ¡°No one has ever found where shark-crocodile beasts breed. Several times throughout history they have been thought extinct, only to reappear decades later. A reasonable guess is that their homeland is in some corner of the lower planes, and occasionally for unknown reasons they are sent to the Prime Material Plane to wreak havoc.¡± ¡°That sounds terrible,¡± Lancelot frowned. ¡°Kalalin, I remember you said you prepared a magic called ¡¯Enlarge Spell¡¯. Tell me more about the effects of this spell.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a second-level spell, it can double the recipient¡¯s height and increase their weight eightfold. Your strength will grow with the Enlarge Spell, but your agility will decrease due to the change in size. Your equipment will enlarge under the spell¡¯s influence, but will revert to its original size as soon as it leaves your grasp.¡± ¡°How long can this spell last?¡± Lancelot pursued the important details. ¡°With my current strength, around 8 minutes,¡± Kalalin hesitated. ¡°Are you sure you can deal with the shark-crocodile beast just with this?¡± ¡°At least it can buy some time for you all to escape,¡± Lancelot said seriously to everyone. ¡°From now on, keep the Enlarge Spell scroll where you can reach it at any moment. As soon as I hold it off, you need to quickly distance yourselves, and if you see something¡¯s wrong, run. Save as many as you can.¡± They quickly found themselves back in the main tunnel, where the footprints continued intermittently deeper inside. Barrend guessed that the group of Gray Dwarves had probably split into two teams, and the survivors they were tracking were likely trying to meet up with the other team. Just when the footprints were about to become indiscernible, they came across new leads. The first to notice the faint sound of a Cross Pickaxe striking rock were two Dwarves, and with their prompt, Lancelot also heard the sound. ¡°Could this be some kind of trap?¡± Lancelot asked cautiously. ¡°We can¡¯t rule that out. Many creatures have tricks for luring victims with sounds,¡± Kalalin chimed in, ¡°but those are usually enchanting songs or beguiling whispers, I¡¯ve never heard of one using the sound of a Cross Pickaxe to attract prey.¡± ¡°Better to be cautious, nonetheless.¡± No one objected to this, and they proceeded with caution, following the sound. Barrend noticed they were heading towards Worksite Sixteen. But as they neared Worksite Sixteen, the sound became muffled. Baffled by this, they decided to go there directly to uncover the mystery. Their question was quickly answered. The tunnel leading to Worksite Sixteen was blocked by some sort of nearly transparent gel-like substance. If it weren¡¯t for the skeleton of a decomposing Gray Dwarf floating in midair, they might have walked straight into it. Lancelot looked with astonishment at this strange occurrence, finding these bizarre beings even more incomprehensible than Demons. In front of this mass of gel-like substance, the sound of the Cross Pickaxe striking stone was incredibly muffled, but it was clear enough to understand that the sound was coming from behind it. ¡°Is this... a mud monster?¡± Though his martial techniques surpassed everyone present, his knowledge of various monsters was truly limited. ¡°This is one of the stronger kinds of mud monsters, a Gelatinous Cube,¡± Barrend said, frowning at the obstacle in their path. ¡°If those Gray Dwarves hadn¡¯t brought several large buckets of strong lye, this creature would be enough to block their escape route. I guess the ones inside are desperately trying to dig another way out, and even if we leave them alone, they¡¯re about to succeed.¡± Chapter 49 - 49 - 44 Stuffed into the Belly Chapter 49 ¨C 44 Stuffed into the Belly ¡°But they are thirsty and hungry; they might not be able to make it back to Twin Bridges Town.¡± Barrend had no good impressions of these Gray Dwarves, but Lancelot knew the old Dwarf would not really ignore his kin who still harbored hatred towards him. ¡°Besides alkali, is there any other method to deal with it?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t think of a way to deal with it; you¡¯ll only think of how to go around it,¡± Kalalin explained, ¡°The Mud Monster¡¯s bodily fluids are highly corrosive. The fluid that sprays out from a wound will harm the attacker, and the weapon used to attack will quickly corrode into a pile of scrap metal.¡± ¡°These creatures have almost no intelligence. Generally speaking, if left alone, they will move away after a while. I have never seen any Mud Monster so persistently block an entrance, and it seems this has been going on for several days.¡± ¡°Regardless, it is blocking our path,¡± Lancelot declared, ¡°Scholar, do we have enough alkali to deal with this creature?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Kalalin shook his head. ¡°The alkali will react with the strong acid in its bodily fluid, releasing a lot of heat, but on one hand, the concentration of acid on its surface is not high, and on the other hand, such surface damage is unlikely to be fatal.¡± ¡°What if we pour a bottle of alkali directly into its body?¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, looking at the corpse hanging in midair. Baldness was a prominent feature of the Gray Dwarves, and even though the flesh had been corroded away, the skull of the corpse still shone faintly in the weak light. ¡°Theoretically, this would cause it immense damage,¡± Kalalin looked at him strangely, ¡°but Mud Monsters do not have mouths, and you can¡¯t pour alkali into its stomach.¡±@@@@ Discover hidden stories at empire ¡°We could stuff it in,¡± Lancelot turned and looked at Barrend, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the skulls of Dwarves are very hard. Is that so?¡± ¡°Few Dwarves die in battle from their skulls being shattered,¡± Barrend replied, his tone laced with pride. ¡°Why ask this?¡± Bruto subconsciously covered his head while turning to check the position of his father. ¡°What are you thinking? I¡¯m not interested in your head,¡± Lancelot said, amused, looking at Bruto, ¡°but I do plan to smash a Dwarf¡¯s skull. Kalalin, do you still have ammunition for practicing your sling?¡± Kalalin took out a small pouch filled with stones the size of pigeon eggs. Lancelot grabbed one from inside, tossed it in his hand, and then hurled it with all his might at the Mud Monster. Lancelot coughed loudly to interrupt their debate over the source of his abilities, feeling somewhat guilty for having to hide his true situation, but he believed that now was definitely not the right time to reveal the secrets of Spiritual Cultivation. ¡°Stop arguing, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m human.¡± ¡°You will awaken more such powers from your bloodline in the future, don¡¯t worry,¡± Kalalin said with conviction, and Barrend and Bruto both nodded in agreement. Lancelot shook his head, deciding to let the topic drop for now. He threw another stone, this time aiming slightly lower, and the stone ultimately grazed past the skull of the Gray Dwarf corpse. The mud monster shook again violently, seemingly confused but still refusing to move. Lancelot didn¡¯t hesitate any longer and took out the alkali bottle he had gotten from Kalalin earlier. This time, he used the power of his Innate True Qi to throw the alkali bottle. Unlike the previous two times, this alkali bottle didn¡¯t show a splendid flame tail in the air and made hardly any noise during flight, but it was as fast as Lightning, speeding unslowed into the gelatinous body of the mud monster. The other three were wide-eyed; they could all see the power of the strike, but what was truly terrifying was that the attack appeared very ordinary on the surface, which could catch an opponent off guard in combat and result in them making a costly mistake. The alkali bottle struck the Gray Dwarf¡¯s head precisely, and the small bottle shattered on impact. The Dwarf¡¯s skull was indeed exceptionally hard, just as Barrend had claimed. The mud monster¡¯s body began to tremble as the alkali reacted violently with the acids in its body fluids, releasing a lot of heat. Its transparent gelatinous body started to become murky, and before it became completely opaque, Lancelot threw another alkali bottle. Just like adding fuel to the fire, the mud monster turned pitch-black, and its surface began to bubble incessantly like boiling water. This process lasted for about five minutes until the large mass of gelatinous substance finally softened down, much like a snowman under the blazing sun. As the mud monster died, many items fell to the ground. These were the remnants of its victims over the years. Aside from the most dreadful kind, most mud monsters only consume flesh and leave behind bones, Metal, and magically rich items inside their bodies. It was no doubt that the victims mostly devoured by the mud monsters were various miners, so there were several fine gemstones that fell onto the ground, which the sharp-eyed Bruto quickly picked up. Lancelot¡¯s Spiritual Sense alerted him to an inconspicuous small bag. He picked it up and immediately noticed something unusual about the bag. Although the Storage Bag appeared somewhat different from the description in the bamboo scrolls of cultivation anecdotes, Lancelot knew for certain that this was a Storage Bag. Chapter 50 - 50 - 45 Gray Dwarves Chapter 50 ¨C 45 Gray Dwarves ¡°Kalalin.¡± He raised his voice to catch the Scholar¡¯s attention, ¡°Come take a look at this!¡± ¡°Is this... a Dimensional Bag?¡± As a Scholar seasoned in a variety of rare artifacts, Kalalin quickly recognized the item in Lancelot¡¯s hand, ¡°Just a moment.¡± The Scholar took out a scroll and unfurled it. It was a scroll for a 1st-level Magic Identification Spell, allowing Spellcasters to learn various information about an item they touched. Lancelot glanced at the scroll¡¯s content. Despite not recognizing a single Arcane Symbol on it, he vaguely understood the magic power those symbols represented. The text soon vanished, and a complex surge of Magic Power flowed into Kalalin¡¯s brain. The Scholar¡¯s hand clutched the bag tightly, yet his eyes lost focus as if reading some text that didn¡¯t exist in the real world. About a minute later, he finally came out of the trance. It was a relatively simple spell, but even for a Scholar, casting it was no easy task. Noticing the three pairs of curious eyes fixed on him, Kalalin knew everyone was awaiting his verdict. ¡°This is indeed a Dimensional Bag, though its effect is weaker. It can store about 25 cubic feet, carrying no more than 150 pounds, which is roughly a third of a normal Dimensional Bag¡¯s capacity.¡± ¡°Not that impressive,¡± grumbled Bruto, arms crossed. ¡°The head prospecting leader of Rivet Fort has a bag that can hold two thousand pounds. Now, that¡¯s a real treasure.¡± ¡°This is more than enough for our use,¡± Lancelot was quite satisfied with the bag¡¯s performance, ¡°Just think about how much supplies we can carry in here, it¡¯ll save us a lot of effort.¡± ¡°By the way, whatever was originally in here has now been reduced to nothing but the Acid of mud creatures. I suggest you refrain from putting your hand or any items into it,¡± Kalalin added, ¡°Turning the bag inside out will not cause the contents to fall out, as the bag actually holds an independent, extradimensional space unaffected by the gravity of our world. There are two ways to retrieve items: one is to reach in, and the other is to turn the bag inside out, which will cause everything inside the bag to fall out at once.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t currently have anything to put in, and the Acid inside might prove unexpectedly useful,¡± Lancelot handed the bag to Bruto, ¡°Take care of it, Dwarf. Just don¡¯t mix it up with your gemstone bag.¡± ¡°Stone above, that will never happen,¡± Bruto muttered as he hung the bag at his waist, and Lancelot noticed that he tied the bag¡¯s opening tightly with a string. That way, even if he made a mistake, he wouldn¡¯t be able to put anything in it. ¡°Now let¡¯s go meet those unfortunate colleagues of ours,¡± Barrend gestured for the group to move forward, the sound of the Cross Pickaxe became clearer after the mud creatures were exterminated, ¡°I hope they¡¯ll show us at least a bit of gratitude.¡±@@@@ The structure of the sixteenth workface resembled a belt carelessly thrown on the ground. The party followed the sounds through the low corridors for about a quarter of an hour until they finally saw who they were looking for¡ªnine dispirited Gray Dwarf Miners with low morale. ¡°Alright, maybe it wasn¡¯t your doing this time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Bruto replied sarcastically. ¡°We¡¯ve left some supplies in the rest area; you can get some rest there before heading back to Twin Bridges Town,¡± Barrend offered in a gentle tone, fully aware of the deep hostility between the Gray Dwarves and their near-surface dwelling cousins. ¡°Damn it, what are you playing at now?¡± ¡°Just giving a little help to our kin in distress,¡± Barrend spread his hands. The Gray Dwarves fell silent, torn between their longstanding hostility and the Dwarves¡¯ innate sense of honor. Finally, a few nearly inaudible words of thanks were heard, though they were addressed to Lancelot. Perhaps for the Gray Dwarves, thanking a human was somewhat less difficult. ¡°No need to thank me,¡± Lancelot nodded. ¡°We haven¡¯t found what we¡¯re looking for. We¡¯ll part ways here.¡± ¡°May I have your name, sir Knight?¡± asked the Gray Dwarf who had stopped them earlier, seeming to be the least hostile toward his cousins and likely the leader of the group of miners, as Lancelot felt his strength was significantly above his companions. ¡°My name is Lancelot.¡± ¡°I am Dunif, captain of this mining team,¡± the Gray Dwarf introduced himself awkwardly. ¡°I think we owe you thanks. What are you looking for? Do you need any, well, help?¡± Lancelot stared at Dunif for a moment and finally said: ¡°No, thank you. I think we can manage on our own.¡± ¡°Are you sure? I know this mine very well,¡± the Gray Dwarf captain persisted. ¡°There are still many dangerous creatures deeper in, and we were recently attacked by a terrifying monster.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be fine, goodbye,¡± Lancelot declined again, then turned and left decisively. As he turned, he did not miss the flash of disappointment that crossed Dunif¡¯s gaze. Chapter 51 - 51 - 46 Aberrant Demon Chapter 51 ¨C 46 Aberrant Demon ¡°These clueless bastards!¡± Ten minutes had elapsed since the separation from the Gray Dwarves, and Bruto was still seething about the recent events. Lancelot carefully scouted ahead for danger. He felt slightly uneasy, always sensing that he might have overlooked some detail, and Dunif¡¯s parting glance must have held a particular reason. Under the subconscious operation of the Ice Heart Spell¡¯s mental method, he found himself calming down and began to meticulously recall the entire recent process. ¡°How many people did the Craftsmen Committee say were in that Gray Dwarf mining team?¡± he suddenly turned back and asked Barrend. ¡°Twelve, why?¡± ¡°The group of Gray Dwarves we just saw was nine, right?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± The old Dwarf nodded, ¡°There was a Gray Dwarf¡¯s corpse inside that mud creature, and the flesh hadn¡¯t even decomposed properly, clearly it had been devoured recently. Plus, the two bodies we found earlier at the fourteenth worksite, the numbers exactly match up.¡± Lancelot nodded; he figured out where the unease stemmed from. ¡°From now on, maintain the highest alert for any Gray Dwarves we encounter in our sight,¡± Lancelot declared. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Barrend looked at him confused, ¡°Didn¡¯t we just count? Three bodies, nine survivors, the numbers match up.¡± ¡°Especially those survivors,¡± Lancelot answered without turning back. Everyone shrugged their shoulders and discontinued the topic. They continued downwards for another half hour, stopping as they encountered waves of pitiful wailing. ¡°I might know what creature made that sound,¡± Kalalin whispered, ¡°Move lightly, let¡¯s get closer and see.¡± The group stealthily made their way forward and, around a corner, they saw five Demons emitting continuous wails. Lancelot took out a sharply-edged silver coin, specially modified by Bruto for him. He took a deep breath and aimed the coin at the farthest enemy, throwing it. A silver streak flashed across the sky, and the struck Aberrant Demon fell with a large chunk of its skull sheared off, but it seemed not yet dead, struggling to stand. The rest of the Aberrant Demons instinctively looked towards their attacked kin; just then, Lancelot and Bruto charged out. Lancelot employed a footwork technique he had learned from ancient bamboo slips. According to the revered Han Tianzun, it was a favorite move of his youth that had saved his name multiple times in critical moments, but Lancelot found it extremely useful for launching surprise attacks on enemies. The effect was striking. Although dwarves were naturally a bit slower than humans, when Lancelot reached the first enemy, Bruto had only covered half the distance. As he charged, Lancelot held his longsword aloft on his shoulder, grasping the handle with both hands. The Aberrant Demon finally noticed the incoming enemy, but as it turned its head, the great sword¡¯s blade filled its entire field of vision. ¡°Damn! Leave some for me!¡± Bruto witnessed Lancelot¡¯s astonishing over-the-shoulder charge and slash, and the unguarded enemy was cleaved in two by the strike. He couldn¡¯t help but shout anxiously. Lancelot had no time to chat; following the downward slash was a horizontal slash, parrying an incoming trident from another Aberrant Demon. Taking advantage of the enemy¡¯s exposed defense, he turned his sword back for a thrusting stab, ending the twisted demon¡¯s agony. This was his most commonly used attack combination, executed countless times on the battlefield, polished to perfection. But only when facing the enemy again did Lancelot truly appreciate how much spiritual cultivation had enhanced him. True Qi naturally circulated within him, making the longsword feel as light to wield as a broomstick. His speed had increased by at least a third, and his final thrust even left him with time to aim for the heart. Moreover, the cold iron construction of the weapon inflicted significant additional damage to the demons. Demons naturally possessed extremely tough bodies, their musculature acting like armor, but Frostslash could easily breach this defense, frosting the impacted area and suppressing the demons¡¯ powerful regenerative abilities. Two more Aberrant Demons came at him; Lancelot calmly parried all their attacks, never falling into disadvantage despite being outnumbered. Then Bruto joined the fray, slamming his shield hard into an Aberrant Demon that tried to join the assault on Lancelot and then habitually swinging his hammer at where the knee should be. He missed; there was nothing where the knee was supposed to be. Chapter 52 - 52 - 47: Battle in the Dark Chapter 52 ¨C 47: Battle in the Dark The Aberrant Demon¡¯s thigh slanted to the right, his shin to the left, with the knee just beside Bruto¡¯s left hand¡ªhis swing completely missed the target. Naturally, the enemy wouldn¡¯t let this opportunity slip by. With a swift hack of its long-handled pincers, Bruto could only barely deflect the attack with his shield, but it still left a huge gash on his thigh. ¡°Damn mongrel!¡± Blood filled the dwarf¡¯s eyes as Bruto let out a furious roar. He charged again, his leg wound unnoticeable thanks to a sudden surge of adrenaline. With a fierce lift of his shield-bearing left hand, the top edge of the shield met the enemy¡¯s chin with what could only be described as enthusiasm. This maneuver, purely instinctual for a dwarf, was so powerful that the Aberrant Demon¡¯s twisted fangs pierced through its own tongue, emerging from under the chin. The unnatural strike momentarily stunned the Aberrant Demon, but the demon¡¯s constitution allowed it to recover quickly. But the dwarf wasn¡¯t about to wait for that. Bruto¡¯s body rotated clockwise, unleashing the most fearsome and infamous combat technique of his stout race: the Low Slash. The Warhammer, inscribed with Mithril Runes, traced a circular path and struck the Aberrant Demon¡¯s twisted knee as desired, and Bruto finally heard the sound of the patella shattering that he had been waiting for. ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± The Dwarf roared and leaped onto the grounded Aberrant Demon. Elsewhere, Lancelot was dominating this two-against-one battle. His speed and strength completely overwhelmed the enemies, and after a series of Horizontal Slashes, he suddenly changed tack¡ªa heavy blow sent one enemy reeling backwards, and then his Longsword blocked the trident of the other enemy.@@@@ The enemy tried to withdraw his weapon to defend against his next attack, but Lancelot wouldn¡¯t miss this brief opportunity for a one-on-one. His weapon didn¡¯t rebound naturally from the collision but instead he gently guided it, while stepping forward in coordination with his Footwork Technique to quickly sidestep to his adversary¡¯s side, with the trident¡¯s point facing the opposite direction. The Sword Blade, like a supple snake, slid up the trident¡¯s shaft, severing the enemy¡¯s wrist just above the grip. The frenzied adversary opened his mouth to bite at the Human Knight, but Lancelot had already released one hand from his sword and used his steel-clad elbow to knock the enemy to the ground. As Bruto was smashing his hammer into his opponent¡¯s skull, he caught sight of Lancelot standing over an Aberrant Demon, decapitating his enemy with a swing of his sword. A strange wind blew past, and Lancelot suddenly felt utterly delighted, making him laugh lightly. He wasn¡¯t the only one laughing. A ridiculous, idiotic laughter emerged from the darkness, reminiscent of a group of drooling imbeciles trying to light ants with a magnifying glass. Another type of laughter was much more unpleasant, as if a prisoner tied to a chair was undergoing the torture of having their feet tickled with a feather, allowing one to clearly sense the pain involved. These were the laughters of the Coward Devil and Aberrant Demon, respectively; these sounds didn¡¯t cause any harm nor did they affect their actions, but they were enough for the dwarf in the darkness to pinpoint the enemies¡¯ locations. Bruto, fueled by rage from being blinded, finally found an outlet for his anger. He charged toward the nearest source of the silly laughter with his shield raised in front, ready to block any possible attacks. The demons¡¯ vision was unaffected. The Coward Devil instinctively tried to avoid the massive iron ball charging toward it, but the continuous stupid laughter gave away its position. Bruto¡¯s shield struck the side of the Coward Devil, making it lose its balance, but then the dwarf¡¯s hammer made balance irrelevant for it ever again. A lower body slash was just a standard horizontal slash, only that when performed by a dwarf, it was perfectly at the height of a typical humanoid creature¡¯s knees. The move was so simple that dwarves could execute it even with their eyes closed. The Coward Devil was flipped onto the ground, still laughing foolishly. So the furious dwarf smashed his shield onto that mouth, again and again. The steel shield was large enough to cover the entire head of the Coward Devil, and by the sixth hit, Bruto felt like he had smashed a watermelon. The dwarf finally snapped out of his frenzied state, realizing that his enemy was completely unable to fight back. Bruto scrambled up from the ground, raising his ears to search for the next target. But he had spent too much time on that Coward Devil, and there were no more targets left. With the death of the last Aberrant Demon, the effects of the Dark Arts also dissipated. Bruto looked around; the bodies of demons lay scattered everywhere. Most had been run through with a sword, and the human knight stood in a dashing pose, flicking the blood off his sword blade. ¡°I¡¯ve found that ears are better at finding demons¡¯ weaknesses than eyes,¡± Lancelot smiled as he noticed everyone looking at him. ¡°After all, their hearts keep thumping loudly.¡± Chapter 53 - 53 - 48 Original Magic Chapter 53 ¨C 48 Original Magic ¡°Lancelot, considering the sword my old man made for you, couldn¡¯t you have left me with more?¡± Bruto complained loudly, perhaps his desire for battle was unfulfilled, or maybe he was annoyed that his body got splattered with quite a bit of Coward Devil brain matter. ¡°You only asked to keep two of them,¡± Lancelot spread his hands and then turned to Kalalin, ¡°The effect of that magic just now was really good, how come you never mentioned it before?¡± ¡°Uh, this magic is called ¡¯Breeze of Smiles¡¯, it¡¯s something I created by combining Wind Creation Spell and Mad Laughter Spell,¡± Kalalin scratched his head, ¡°To ensure that the spell¡¯s Circle Rank does not exceed the second circle, which is my highest casting capability, the wind was weakened to a gentle breeze, and the mad laughter was turned into a smile. The purpose of creating this spell was very simple, merely to break the awkward silence that often occurs during scholars¡¯ gatherings. I made this scroll for practice, but because I felt it didn¡¯t quite fit the adventurous atmosphere, I did not bring it up.¡± ¡°Well, the situation just now proved that this magic is definitely more useful than you thought,¡± commented Lancelot. ¡°You say you can create new magic?¡± Baron Barrend asked with a face full of surprise. Dwarves have mixed feelings about magic, consisting of fear and distrust, even though they understand how to imbue equipment with magical power better than any other race. ¡°Well, not really,¡± Kalalin explained, ¡°Only those who can directly manipulate the Magic Net might be able to create a completely new spell. Scholars, in order to grasp the ability to cast, understand an existing spell very thoroughly, and on that basis, they can make certain modifications, such as increasing or decreasing its power, or combining several spells together. Such modifications usually lead to a disproportionate change in the difficulty of casting or the power of the spell, a widely circulated spell is generally the best version after repeated trials.¡± ¡°It seems like that¡¯s not absolute,¡± Lancelot said with a smile, ¡°Weakened spells may have entirely new uses, as we just witnessed.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, this is indeed a very useful idea,¡± Kalalin¡¯s eyes shone brightly. The recent experience had opened up a whole new door for him, and he was eager to experiment with various new ideas. ¡°The creator of a spell gets to name it, right?¡± Bruto said with a mischievous grin, ¡°That spell¡¯s full name should be ¡¯Kalalin¡¯s Breeze of Smiles¡¯.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled, hahaha....¡± However, as stone chips flew, a thin fog began to rise around them, causing unease. ¡°Err, Barrend, what¡¯s with this fog?¡± Kalalin walked over and tapped the Dwarf engrossed in his work, ¡°Is this specific to the coldness from the Cold Iron Ore?¡± Only then did Barrend notice the abnormal situation behind him. He shook his head and said, ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be, I¡¯ve never encountered something like this before.¡± Lancelot¡¯s spirit tensed up; his Spiritual Sense was already sending him a warning as if some threat had reached a level that could not be ignored. Suddenly, a terrifying monster appeared before his eyes. The creature, thirty feet tall, resembled a winged toad. Its entire chest, from under its chin down to its legs, was completely split open, lined with countless sharp, bone-like teeth, like a gaping maw ready to devour all in its path, and it lunged towards him with its teeth bared and claws outstretched. Lancelot¡¯s heart was struck by lightning, the horrific sight delivering a strong shock that inevitably threw him into a state of panic. He fell to the ground, his heart convulsively twitching uncontrollably as his body ached as if it had truly been attacked. True Qi swiftly surged from his Dantian, and the recitations of the Ice Heart Spell naturally resonated within him, allowing Lancelot to regain his composure. He quickly realized that the monster before him was nothing but an illusion; its appearance had too many inconsistencies, and other than its terrifying stance, it hadn¡¯t actually charged at him to cause any harm. While he was scrutinizing the details of the monster¡¯s form, a figure rapidly approached him. ¡°Sir Lancelot! What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± The newcomer was Dunif, the captain of the Gray Dwarf mining team. ¡°I was worried something might happen to you down here, so after I settled my team, I came looking for you...¡± He ran up to Lancelot and reached out to help the fallen Knight. Lancelot abruptly looked up, and Dunif internally cursed, knowing it was too late. What greeted him was a flash of a chilling blade. Chapter 54 - 54 - 49 Evil Spirit Demon Chapter 54 ¨C 49 Evil Spirit Demon Lancelot¡¯s sword was swift and fierce, and Dunif was cleaved into two before he could even react. The noise of his sudden fall had already caught everyone¡¯s attention, now they were all stunned by Lancelot¡¯s abrupt assault. But a more horrifying scene unfolded, the body of the Gray Dwarf bubbled as if boiling, emitting white smoke continuously, which gathered above into a vague, jellyfish-like form. The mist in the air had dissipated, replaced by a sickly sweet, rotten scent. Kalalin¡¯s pupils constricted violently, recognizing what it was. ¡°Evil spirit demon!¡± His quivering voice exposed his fear, sending a shiver through everyone¡¯s heart. But Lancelot didn¡¯t care about that; he fearlessly raised his weapon again and struck at the gaseous jellyfish form in the air. The chill-emitting Frostslash passed through the location of the evil spirit demon without any hindrance, failing to cause any damage.@@@@ ¡°Only magic can harm it!¡± Kalalin shouted while unrolling a scroll, ¡°Beware its touch!¡± The Scholar had already channeled magic power into the scroll, and the spell was about to be completed, but the evil spirit demon raised a gaseous tentacle and pointed it at him. Kalalin emitted a terrified scream and turned to run away from the evil spirit demon, dropping the scroll on the ground. The evil spirit demon, recognizing the robed figure as the only spellcaster among the group, used a Fear Spell to drive him away, leaving the three remaining people incapable of inflicting any harm upon it. The Human Knight named Lancelot continued vainly attacking the air with his sword, yet he was the target of the evil spirit demon this time. Evil spirit demons are a peculiar type of demon; they are not generated by mortal souls but can possess a corpse that is not severely damaged. Afterward, they will continue to play the role of the original owner of the body or adopt a new identity, blending into the social fabric of the deceased¡¯s community. ¡°That type of demon is a new species; their existence was first confirmed less than a thousand years ago,¡± Kalalin managed to catch his breath and began to share what he knew about the demon spirit. ¡°...In summary, this is a kind of demon that is not yet fully understood. It¡¯s known that they can occupy a corpse that has not been beheaded or severely damaged, and can repair all the damage the body had suffered the instant they possess it. Moreover, there¡¯s always been speculation within the Dark Cult that they possess a terrifying supernatural ability: they can kill a living being immediately with just a touch, though the specific conditions for this to take effect still require further investigation.¡± ¡°My initial attacks seemed ineffective against it,¡± Lancelot expressed his confusion. ¡°How is such a demon normally dealt with?¡± ¡°They are like spectral beings, immune to all non-magical damage. Clerics, Holy Warriors, and the like are specialists in dealing with them, or a proper Mage would do,¡± Kalalin said awkwardly scratching his head. ¡°My second circle ¡¯Magic Weapon¡¯ spell can grant your swords and hammers a magic attack effect, which under normal circumstances is the only effective method we have because even if I use all my spell slots to cast offensive magic, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to kill it. But it seems I was hit by its Fear Spell and was of no help. It looks like that plan won¡¯t work either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s terrifying,¡± Bruto said, glancing around fearfully, a bit concerned the incorporeal demon hadn¡¯t gone far. Dwarves abhor any foe that can¡¯t be killed with a hammer or axe. ¡°Such demons can indeed be devastating if lacking the means to counter them,¡± Kalalin said, as though recalling something, then turned to Lancelot. ¡°You used the same power you had against the mud creature before, didn¡¯t you? The effect seems quite good; otherwise, we would have been in real danger today.¡± Lancelot nodded. In a moment of desperation, he had used up nearly a third of his Innate True Qi, which pained him. Innate True Qi could not be replenished and could only be slowly recovered by one¡¯s own body. He reminded himself inwardly not to lose his cool again until life and death were truly at stake. ¡°It¡¯s good we have you,¡± Kalalin seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°A disembodied demon spirit is actually very fragile. It used a teleportation spell to escape just now and probably wouldn¡¯t dare to trouble us again.¡± As if in response to his words, the expressions of Barrend and Bruto suddenly changed, followed by Lancelot feeling a rumbling beneath his feet, as if some huge creature was rapidly approaching from underground. The pale faces of the dwarves signaled the identity of the incoming attacker. Lancelot shouted at Kalalin: ¡°Enlarge spell! Now!¡± Chapter 55 - 55 - 50: Shark Lizard Beast Chapter 55 ¨C 50: Shark Lizard Beast Kalalin relied entirely on her subconscious reaction to complete the casting of the Enlarge Spell. The power of magic surged into Lancelot¡¯s body, and he felt not that he was growing larger, but that the world around him was shrinking. However, to Bruto and the others, Lancelot did indeed grow larger. His figure soared upwards, but it stopped at around ten feet and did not reach twice his original height. ¡°Kalalin! What kind of Enlarge Spell is this? What happened to twice the height, eight times the weight?¡± Bruto, leaning against one of Lancelot¡¯s enlarged thighs, shouted anxiously. ¡°Impossible! I have not tampered with this spell at all! And even a true Mage couldn¡¯t have done it better than me!¡± Kalalin, unconvinced, retorted with her neck outstretched. ¡°It must be my problem,¡± Lancelot spoke, his voice like the muffled thunder of a summer day. He could feel the force surging into his body was extremely powerful, but the flesh and blood strengthened by nature¡¯s spiritual energy were not so easily duplicated. Everyone clung tightly to Lancelot, as scattering at this time would be akin to giving the enemy the opportunity to defeat them individually. With the large figure of Lancelot present, at least the shark-lizard beast would not be able to swallow them all in one bite. The vibrations from the ground grew stronger and stronger, making everyone¡¯s hearts rise to their throats. ¡°Lower your center of gravity, brace for impact!¡± Lancelot called out a reminder, and everyone did as told immediately. Then, Lancelot suddenly leaped into the air.@@@@ ¡°What the hell...¡± Bruto was baffled by his movement and blurted out without thinking. Of course, Lancelot had no time to respond. He jumped nearly ten feet high, and at the apex of his leap, he drew his enlarged Great Sword, pointing it downward, and let gravity pull him back to the ground. As though it were a pre-arranged signal, the moment the tip of the sword pierced the ground, the earth burst apart simultaneously. A terrifying figure sprang from below; it was going to send all creatures on the surface flying and swallow the one in the middle in a single gulp. That is, if there wasn¡¯t a sword blade lodged in its mouth. Lancelot¡¯s sword tip pierced through the lower jaw of the shark-lizard beast, his feet planted on either side of its gaping maw, like a spread pair of tongs, preventing the monster from closing its devastatingly large mouth. But one Dwarf thought differently. Bruto had already made his way to the rear of the shark-lizard beast, holding up his Shield to block the flying mud and stones, cautiously trying to approach the enemy¡¯s hind legs, all the while wary of the shark-lizard beast¡¯s tail, which was like an iron rod. Lancelot naturally didn¡¯t overlook the Dwarf¡¯s movements; he executed a set of flashy sword Techniques, firmly capturing the enemy¡¯s attention. Bruto finally reached the enemy¡¯s feet. The shark-lizard beast¡¯s hind legs were as thick as pillars, filled with explosive power, but the Dwarf still found his favorite target, the protrusion where the monster¡¯s thigh met its calf. Bruto threw away the Shield, grabbed the hammer with both hands, and swung it high over his head, striking down hard on that protrusion. The beast, engaged in combat with Lancelot, let out an earth-shattering cry of pain, its body losing balance and toppling to one side, nearly crushing the Dwarf who was trying to deliver another hammer blow. The shark-lizard beast turned its head around; it would rather use its already partially shattered Helmet to block another of Lancelot¡¯s strikes than to tear apart that detestable little Dwarf. It hated Dwarves; the taste of Dwarves was difficult to stomach, like chewing on stones. It also detested Elves, for their flesh was scant and had a wooden stench to it. But the Knight¡¯s sword did not chop down as it had anticipated. Lancelot suddenly changed his move, unleashing an Upper Slash he hadn¡¯t used before in the fight. It was his trump card, which had helped him defeat countless enemies. Aside from being well-practiced, there was nothing special about the move itself, but Lancelot would initiate with a series of downward and Horizontal Slashes to create a defensive pattern in the enemy¡¯s mind, then he would suddenly perform an Upper Slash, often achieving a decisive effect. This time was no exception; the sword struck fiercely against the shark-lizard beast¡¯s unguarded, scar-riddled jaw. The force of this sword was so tremendous that it sent the upper body of the shark-lizard beast soaring upwards. Lancelot¡¯s Longsword did not hesitate; he had already considered three follow-up moves before his strike. The Longsword turned and stabbed, its blade piercing through the shark-lizard beast¡¯s lower jaw, through its mouth, and lodged against the part of the skull likely near its nose. The Knight roared, his body¡¯s True Qi circulating at full strength, and his giant-like physique burst forth with terrifying power, impaling the shark-lizard beast off the ground. The shark-lizard beast¡¯s mouth was forcefully pried open, its limbs flailing wildly, like a hooked carp. Although Lancelot¡¯s sword had controlled it, it failed to strike its brain and was not lethal. Looking at the shark-lizard beast¡¯s gaping mouth, Lancelot had a flash of inspiration and shouted: ¡°Bruto! Climb onto my shoulders, quick!¡± Chapter 56 - 56 - 51: Pouring into the Belly Chapter 56 ¨C 51: Pouring into the Belly ¡°Bruto! Climb onto my shoulder!¡± The young Dwarf was seizing this rare opportunity, attacking the supports behind the Shark Lizard Beast¡¯s hind legs with ferocity when he heard the call. Startled, he hesitated for a moment, but his unquestioning trust in Lancelot kicked in immediately. He dashed over, dropped his hammer, and clambered onto Lancelot¡¯s ten-foot-tall frame using his hands and feet. Lancelot¡¯s body felt to him like freshly forged steel, hot and hard. It must be the effect of the Enlarge Spell, the Dwarf muttered to himself. As he climbed, Lancelot¡¯s arms continued to lift; his lips were tightly shut, and the muscles in his arms and shoulders bulged, indicating he was exerting all his strength. The Knight¡¯s current posture resembled that of a farmer wrestling a chayote, except his prey was twice his size. ¡°Dimensional Bag!¡± Lancelot managed to utter between grunts, ¡°Acid!¡± Bruto hesitated for a moment, then his face lit up with surprise. He absolutely loved Lancelot¡¯s idea. The Dwarf stepped onto the enlarged Frostslash and moved in front of the Shark Lizard Beast¡¯s gaping maw. He glanced down and nearly vomited. Starting from the throat, the beast¡¯s maw was filled with teeth¡ªits blood-red, razor-sharp teeth evoked images of the meat grinders Dwarves use to make sausages. Taking a deep breath, he took off the Dimensional Belt he had previously looted from the Mud Monster¡¯s body. With a flick of his wrist, he untied the rope around the bag¡¯s opening and upended it into the Shark Lizard Beast¡¯s mouth. A full 150 gallons of acid poured from the extradimensional space down the creature¡¯s gullet, which was thicker than Bruto¡¯s waist, straight into its belly. ¡°How¡¯s the taste?¡± A triumphant smile spread across the Dwarf¡¯s face as the hissing sound of strong acid corroding flesh rose, and a potent, pungent odor filled the air. The Shark Lizard Beast¡¯s limbs twitched at a frequency only a dying animal could achieve, its movements so violent that even Lancelot, exerting himself to the maximum, could not hold onto his sword tightly. Bruto began to sway, on the verge of falling off the Sword Blade. But before he dropped, he took out two small bottles from his pocket and threw them into the Shark Lizard Beast¡¯s mouth. ¡°Like that? Want me to season it more for you?¡± It had been used by the Malevolent Spirit Demon for hundreds of years, providing it with countless fresh corpses without raising any suspicion, after all, this was the Abyss¡ªwhere it would be strange if a mining pit never had any miner deaths. But the gift had another effect: once the recipient died, as long as the Malevolent Spirit Demon was on the same plane of existence, it could immediately occupy their corpse, regardless of the distance between them. ¡°You damned fiend, will this never end!¡± Bruto, who had just been sitting deflated on the ground like a punctured ball, suddenly sprang up, running towards his hammer and shield that he had tossed aside earlier. Lancelot didn¡¯t understand how the Malevolent Spirit Demon managed all this, but he was very clear about the situation at hand. He was not unprepared, either. During the battle with the shark lizard, he had never used his most powerful move¡ªInnate True Qi¡ªintending to save it for this threat that had previously slipped away from him. The original plan of the Malevolent Spirit Demon was to command the shark lizard to kill these people, but the Human Knight had proven to be exceptionally strong under the effect of the Enlarge Spell, further fueling its desire for that body. In the last view of the shark lizard, it saw the effects of the Enlarge Spell dissipate, deciding it was time to take matters into its own hands. In fact, Kalalin had already used up all of his second-ring Spell slots, the only thing he could do now was to make sure he didn¡¯t become a burden to Lancelot. However, the Malevolent Spirit Demon had no plans to let him go. The shark lizard glanced at Kalalin, and the poor Scholar once again fled uncontrollably. Lancelot charged forward proactively. Given the size difference, once the shark lizard started its charge, nothing could stop it aside from the solid rock walls here. The Malevolent Spirit Demon-controlled shark lizard looked disdainfully at the human. He had indeed demonstrated great courage and skill in the recent fight, but what could courage and skill amount to in the face of absolute power? The shark lizard opened its massive mouth, revealing a full set of neatly arranged sharp teeth. Just as it was about to bite down on the human, who clearly overestimated his abilities, the target vanished from its sight. Lancelot once more used the Footwork Technique he had learned from the bamboo slips. Seizing the moment the shark lizard¡¯s eyes narrowed as it opened its mouth, he leaped mightily into the air. In this jump, he applied the mental method of Gathering Qi Slash, concentrating True Qi into his feet. To the onlookers, Lancelot¡¯s leap was so swift that he looked just like a tree frog. Given its body structure, it was difficult for the shark lizard to raise its head and observe above itself, but its upper body was covered with a thick Carapace, typically disregarding any threats from above. The Demon occupying the shark lizard¡¯s body was well aware of this, though it had yet to realize the disappeared Human Knight had now positioned himself on its head. In mid-air, Lancelot tapped into the very essence of the power within his Dantian Qi Sea. Chapter 57 - 57 - 52: Decapitation Chapter 57 ¨C 52: Decapitation An invisible Sword Aura extended from the blade made of Cold Iron Ore, and if one observed closely enough, they could see a slight refraction of light in the air. To Bruto and Barrend, the sword Lancelot slashed in the air felt light and airy, as if a snowflake was gently falling from the sky and daintily landing on the shark lizard beast¡¯s smooth Back Armor. Then it continued forward without hindrance. The demonic spirit found itself suddenly unable to control the shark lizard beast¡¯s body, while the ground rapidly approached him. Lancelot was like an old farmer selling winter melons at the market, cleanly and neatly chopping off the shark lizard beast¡¯s turtle-like head in one stroke¡ªso smooth and complete that it was even pleasing to the eye. The monster had already died just moments before; it was the power of the Demons that sustained its life. Thus, from the wound, only a small amount of fresh blood surged out, with more of it being a kind of hazy smoke, quickly reforming into the shape of a jellyfish in the air. Lancelot knew that the enemy would immediately try to use the same portal Technique to escape, and he could no longer tolerate letting this Demon slip away from his grasp again. Many years of warrior training had equipped him with a skill akin to a Barbarians¡¯ rage, only it was more proactive and controllable, and now was the time to use it. His adrenaline surged wildly, and strength flowed out from within his body like the tide, making everything around him seem to slow down. Innate True Qi gathered again on his sword, and in the blink of an eye, Lancelot swung three consecutive times, slicing at the head of that jellyfish-shaped demonic spirit in the air. The Sword Blade, imbued with Innate Power, carved the body of the demonic spirit into several pieces. The Demon had not even had the time to scream telepathically with its Sensory Ability before being killed by Lancelot, dissipating into the air. As Lancelot killed the demonic spirit, he vaguely sensed a weak force, similar to nature¡¯s spiritual energy, being absorbed by him. He immediately thought of the cruel survival games between Demons but upon slight introspection, he found that apart from a strong scent of the Abyss, the force would soon be integrated by his Cauldron Immortal Technique and was nothing inappropriate. As the demonic spirit was slain by him, the surroundings became completely silent. From the moment the shark lizard beast was resurrected to Lancelot¡¯s amazing strike that decapitated it, to the three strikes that shredded the demonic spirit, the entire sequence took less than twenty seconds. After dealing with the shark lizard beast, Lancelot also picked up a Cross Pickaxe, ready to join the Dwarves in packing the rest of the Dimensional Bag to the brim with Cold Iron Ore. But as he was about to walk around the large pit created by the shark lizard beast, his Spiritual Sense alerted him to something important down below. ¡°Hey Barrend!¡± Lancelot called out loudly, ¡°Come take a look at this!¡± The old Dwarf put down his work and ran over. When he stood at the edge of the mine pit, Lancelot was sure his heart skipped a beat. Inside the tunnel bored by the shark lizard beast, the faint blue spots twinkled like the pre-dawn night sky, and the chilly air flowed out like the fresh breeze that greets you when you open your door after the first snowfall. This was a truly gigantic vein, bigger than any the old Dwarf had ever seen, and the Cold Iron Ore that sparkled with starlight was of a Top Grade seldom seen. Lancelot sensed around for any danger and, confirming there was none, was the first to jump down. There was something even more valuable inside calling to him. The shark lizard beast too seemed to fancy the coolness the Cold Iron Ore brought; perhaps the Cold Iron Vein was much larger than they had imagined¡ªthe entire tunnel was completely within the Cold Iron Vein. At a certain turn, Lancelot stopped and began swinging the Cross Pickaxe in a specific direction. Barrend and Bruto came to help him. The Dwarves also sensed something vaguely but they were not as certain as Lancelot. Finally, they uncovered a patch of blue crystals associated with the Cold Iron Ore. These crystals exposed to the air emitted a mist like cold smoke, and when Lancelot placed his hand on them, he unsurprisingly felt a significant amount of Spiritual Energy, like that of a mountain crystalizing. ¡°Coldwater Crystals, treasures comparable to mountain crystals,¡± Bruto glanced at Lancelot, ¡°Boss, your treasure-finding ability, how should I describe it?¡± ¡°Cut the chatter,¡± Lancelot scowled at him, ¡°This is all ours, get moving. Afterwards this place will be handed over to the mining team from Twin Bridges Town, you wouldn¡¯t want to let...¡± He didn¡¯t finish his sentence, because the two Dwarves had already speedily begun swinging their Cross Pickaxes, their eyes so fervent they seemed capable of melting the Coldwater Crystals. When it comes to a love for gemstones, perhaps only Dragons could be mentioned in the same breath as Dwarves. Chapter 58 - 58 - 53: Harvest Chapter 58 ¨C 53: Harvest After collecting these blue crystals, the Dwarves immediately began mining Cold Iron Ore. They worked with incredible efficiency, and due to their innate talent, their Cross Pickaxes always hit the weakest spots in the rock layers, never showing signs of fatigue, growing more spirited the harder they worked.@@@@ Kalalin cast a 0th-level Light Spell to brightly illuminate the surroundings, then studied the corpse of the shark-lizard beast until she could no longer stay awake and fell asleep in a corner, wrapped in her cloak, unaffected by the intermittent tapping of the Dwarves¡¯ mining. Lancelot, meanwhile, sat cross-legged, meditating, cultivating, and expanding his Divine Sense, to stay alert to any threats that might approach. He was pleasantly surprised to discover a noticeable increase in his True Qi, small though it was, it was much faster than his usual rate of progress. He conjectured that it was likely related to the fierce battle that day, similar to how intense physical exercise can enhance the body¡¯s strength. Bruto and Barrend attacked the ore vein with their Cross Pickaxes throughout the night. The high-quality Cold Iron Ore stimulated their enthusiasm for work like a stimulant, and in one night, they excavated nearly a ton of ore, filling up all the space in the Dimensional Bag, enough for Barrend to forge dozens of weapons of various styles. In addition, they found over thirty pieces of Cold Water Crystals of various sizes, six of which met the Upper Grade Spirit Stone standard. The larger Cold Water Crystals that contained more Spiritual Energy tended to be big and had various inclusions, not really meeting the criteria for ornamental gemstones. Since most of the battle was Lancelot¡¯s effort, after he expressed how these stones could help improve his strength, everyone agreed to let him pick the larger ones first. They set out early the next morning, taking nearly four hours to climb from seven thousand feet underground back to the surface. They retrieved their tools from the rest area (the supplies had been completely scavenged by the Gray Dwarves), then summoned the Nightmare Chariot and smoothly returned to Twin Bridges Town by midday. It must be said, without that Dimensional Bag, the journey would definitely not have been so easy. Upon entering the town, their first stop was to report the results of their exploration to the Craftsmen Committee. Five white-bearded elderly Dwarves were thrilled by the news of the discovery of the massive Cold Iron Vein, and the ton of high-grade ore in the Dimensional Bag made everything more attractive. They also expressed gratitude for Lancelot and his group¡¯s efforts to rescue the Gray Dwarf mining team¡ªhaving returned to Twin Bridges Town the day before. But upon hearing Lancelot¡¯s account of the shark-lizard beast and the Spirit Demons, the committee members all wore looks of relief. Clearly, the actual difficulty of a mission often did not match its appearance, but whether to accept it was up to the mercenaries themselves. Moreover, unless it was a designated mission item, all the spoils of war belonged to the mercenaries. This time, they had obtained a Dimensional Bag, cold crystals, the carapace and leather of the shark-lizard beast (as well as its backstrap meat, which Lancelot was very curious about), and enough ore to offset Barrend¡¯s work for a month. Apart from nearly losing their lives, the return could be said to be extremely generous, and no wonder so many desperadoes dared to venture into the Abyss to become mercenaries. ¡°Not bad, not bad, you¡¯ve already outlasted more than one-third of the mercenaries by returning alive,¡± Sonam hissed with a sinister laugh, her gaze falling on Lancelot¡¯s shoulder, ¡°It seems you¡¯ve exchanged for a rather fine weapon.¡± ¡°Ha! Remember what I told you last time? This is the craftsmanship of our Frostforge clan!¡± Seeing Sonam interested in his old man¡¯s work, Bruto couldn¡¯t suppress his excitement, ¡°Lancelot, take it down and let her have a good look! We just got our hands on some raw materials, are you interested in becoming our first client?¡± Sonam¡¯s human pupils slowly condensed into a vertical slit, giving Lancelot a tingling sensation on his scalp, as if being watched by a giant python. He helplessly drew out Frostslash and handed it over to the six-armed Serpent Demon. Sonam took the sword with her lowermost right hand and examined it closely. As a skilled swordsman herself, she could easily discern the weapon¡¯s fine quality, and its slightly longer size than a regular longsword suited her well. She flicked the sword blade lightly with her finger, then reached out to touch the blade to test its sharpness. ¡°This is a masterwork from my old man; he¡¯s the best blacksmith in Rivet Fort,¡± Bruto boasted, ¡°It¡¯s a weapon made from cold iron...¡± The six-armed Serpent Demon cut off one of her fingers. ¡°... very effective against Demons and Devils...¡± Bruto¡¯s voice gradually trailed off. Chapter 59 - 59 - 54: The First Order Chapter 59 ¨C 54: The First Order Sonam¡¯s expression was a bit awkward as she stared at her wound, which was covered with a thin layer of frost that inhibited the Demons¡¯ inherent self-healing ability. A gleam flashed in her eyes, and some kind of energy within her body focused on the wound. The flesh squirmed slowly and took about thirty seconds to finally restore her severed finger to its original state. ¡°A treasured sword like this only costs 3,000 Gold Coins,¡± Bruto regained his ability to speak. Sonam threw Frostslash back to Lancelot and turned to stare at the Dwarf. ¡°Uh, if you really want it...¡± Cold sweat streamed down the Dwarf¡¯s forehead, ¡°Order six at a time, and you can get one free with five purchased.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll take six of these,¡± the six-armed Serpent Demon suddenly laughed, showing off her sharp, venomous fangs, ¡°but I don¡¯t have any gold to pay you. How about we offset it with your monthly Head Tax?¡± ¡°Alright, consider it an installment plan,¡± Bruto said happily, ¡°before it is delivered to you, it will first be shown to Tijana as a sample, about a month from now.¡± ¡°Deal.¡±@@@@ Kalalin and Lancelot watched dumbfounded as Bruto completed the first order. It wasn¡¯t until they reached the service area that Lancelot patted the Dwarf on the shoulder and joked: ¡°You really have a knack for this, selling things to demons must be quite rare, right?¡± ¡°If you have something Demons are interested in, they usually just come to steal it directly, and casually kill you in the process,¡± Kalalin said with interest, ¡°Twin Bridges Town really is a magical place, all thanks to the great Lady Tijana.¡± ¡°What can I do, 3,000 is already the cost price,¡± Bruto was a bit gloomy, ¡°and she kept staring at me, I just couldn¡¯t help but give her a discount.¡± ¡°I felt like I was about to suffocate, and you, who were directly stared at, only gave an eighty percent discount, truly a typical Dwarf,¡± Kalalin joked too, ¡°but from Sonam¡¯s perspective, she made a big profit from this deal.¡± Lancelot was speechless at Bruto¡¯s casual act, noticing several pairs of eyes turned towards them as soon as Bruto took out the gemstone. His instincts told him that Bruto had already gotten into big trouble. Catez quickly recovered, his wings suddenly unfolded forward, blocking the view from all around. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Bruto quickly stuffed the gemstone back into his chest, ¡°I just asked you for an appraisal, don¡¯t overthink it.¡± ¡°You give it to me, I don¡¯t want it,¡± Catez replied with a cold laugh, sitting back down, ¡°My advice is, the next time the Red Dragon comes around, give this gemstone to it and accept the lizard¡¯s first offer. Before that, make sure nobody takes this gemstone from your corpse.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± Realizing his own reckless actions, Bruto glanced around and said loudly, ¡°My elder brother is Lord Tijana¡¯s paramour, I¡¯d like to see who dares...¡± With a loud bang, Lancelot punched the Dwarf on the forehead with True Qi. ¡°Ouch, that hurts...¡± Bruto, with a look of aggrievement on his face, was pulled away by Kalalin. ... The trio then passed through the door on the right-hand side of the Six-Armed Serpent Demon¡¯s front desk and entered the mission area to see what kinds of common Black Iron missions were available. Inside, there were four halls, each bearing emblems made of Black Iron, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. They took out their Black Iron rings proving their identities and were allowed into one of the halls. At the front of the hall was a large board covered in Bounty Orders, arranged according to reward. Most Black Iron level tasks offered rewards under 1,000 Gold Coins, some even offering magic items as payment. They briefly reviewed the tasks, most of which involved clearing monsters from a mine, escorting trade caravans to nearby Neutral Towns, or gathering somewhat rare magical materials. If one ignored the characteristic that the locations were in the Abyss, it wasn¡¯t much different from a typical Mercenary Guild. Lancelot pondered that those mine-clearing missions might be quite suitable for them as they already had experience delving deep into mines, and it would also be an opportunity to gather some mountain crystals or cold water crystals as substitutes for Upper Grade Spirit Stones to prepare for their Foundation Establishment. However, they didn¡¯t need to take on any mission for the moment as they weren¡¯t under any immediate pressure to pay the Head Tax (if they could produce six Longswords that satisfied Sonam within a month), but they did need to quickly convert their recent adventuring resources and experience into enhanced strength. Moreover, there was a piece of tender and juicy shark lizard loin in the Dimensional Bag, and it would spoil if not eaten soon. Chapter 60 - 60 - 55 Unexpected Visitor Chapter 60 ¨C 55 Unexpected Visitor After leaving the Mercenary Hall, the group first went to the market, where they purchased some ingredients and red wine, and they also picked up the ¡°Turn Wine into Blood¡± Spell Scroll that Kalalin had ordered previously for the little vampire maid. They returned to Hagrid Manor in the evening. Isabella was still asleep, but she had done her duty and tidied up the room very cleanly. As soon as Bruto entered, he threw himself onto the sofa in the living room and soon after, snores could be heard. Kalalin headed straight to his room to examine the newly acquired scroll. Based on his estimation, little Isabella would soon experience withdrawal symptoms if she continued without fresh blood. Lancelot took out a tenderloin of shark lizard meat from the Dimensional Bag. After an exciting and fruitful battle, it was time to reward the team members with a delicious meal. He was not skilled in cooking, but his years of field combat had provided him with a wealth of experience in handling various kinds of meat. The shark lizard tenderloin was quietly lying on top of the Cold Iron Ore. The feel of that part during the dissection had convinced Lancelot that it would definitely taste good. The tenderloin was firm and resilient, with a marbling of fat resembling snowflakes between the dense muscle fibers, emitting a faint scent of meat¡ªit would be surprising if it weren¡¯t tasty. Lancelot decided to go with pan-frying, as almost no kind of meat would turn out bad with that method. He took off his sword belt, shed his armor, and put on an apron that Isabella usually wore when working, which he took from the kitchen wall. He cut about five pounds from the meat, enough for eight ordinary humans to eat, but Barrend would be joining them soon, so Lancelot decided to make a rather aggressive estimate of the dwarf¡¯s appetite.@@@@ The remaining meat and the Cold Iron Ore were put away in a large cupboard in the kitchen. He also threw in a couple of frost crystals, which could turn water into ice in low temperatures. The cold would slow down the spoilage of food, a very practical knowledge that the Elves had taught the Rebel Army. He first washed off the ore dust on the meat with clean water, and then placed the meat on a chopping board lined with absorbent parchment. Before slicing the meat, he used the back of his knife to tenderize the muscle fibers, ensuring a tender texture once the steak was cooked. With a little use of True Qi, the originally stiff meat soon became as soft as a girl¡¯s waist. He then rubbed a layer of salt and black pepper onto the surface, along with some other spices highly recommended by Kalalin, and set the meat aside to marinate. This small amount of powder had cost him ten Gold Coins at the market district, which Lancelot found rather painful. Considering their situation where they could die at any moment, he thought it best not to regard money too heavily whenever there was a chance to enjoy oneself. After the preparations were done, Lancelot started to prepare the sauce to pour over the meat. He opened a bottle of red wine and took a small taste, very satisfied with the smooth palate of the wine that had cost them thirty Gold Coins. He then poured all the red wine into the pot and lit the stove, waiting patiently for the wine to boil. ¡°I¡¯ll bring my highest level of craftsmanship to it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very much looking forward to it.¡± With the oil now at the right temperature, Lancelot laid the steak in the pot, and with a sizzle, the aroma of meat immediately filled the whole room, causing Bruto on the couch to sit up with a start. ¡°Wow! What smells so good! Oh, old man, you¡¯re already here.¡± The young dwarf dashed over to Lancelot, eyes fixed on the steak in the pot. ¡°I didn¡¯t see it coming. When will you show Tijana how to do this?¡± No sooner had he spoken than he noticed Lancelot¡¯s expression suddenly stiffen. Then a familiar voice sounded from behind the dwarf. ¡°What is it you want to show me?¡± Lancelot had just sensed an anomaly in the space, and Tijana appeared in the living room. As the mistress of Twin Bridges Town, she could use portals to appear anywhere in town at will. Her wings were not visible behind her, probably under the effects of some kind of transformation magic. For now, she looked like an ordinary human female. No, she didn¡¯t look ordinary at all. Lancelot had to admit in his heart that mortals couldn¡¯t possess such lethal beauty, and he almost let a piece of steak burn. ¡°Good evening, my lady,¡± Lancelot said, spreading his hands, one with a kitchen knife and the other with a spatula, and nodded to Tijana. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Tigana asked, staring wide-eyed at Lancelot in his pink apron, blurting out before adding, ¡°I came looking for Barrend.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right behind you, I¡¯m making dinner for everyone,¡± Lancelot said, pointing at Barrend, then skewered a shark lizard steak as a gesture, ¡°Um, would you like to join us?¡± ¡°It smells delicious,¡± a gentle female voice piped up. The vampire maid crawled out of the basement. ¡°Ah! We have guests! I-I-I, I¡¯ll go make some tea!¡± ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± Tigana burst out, ¡°Where did you pick up another girl to bring home?¡± Chapter 61 - 61 - 56 Dinner Chapter 61 ¨C 56 Dinner ¡°It wasn¡¯t found; it came with the house,¡± Lancelot said, feeling a headache coming on, ¡°She was murdered by the previous owner of the manor and enslaved by her killer even after her death. We only discovered her after we moved in. Poor child, you should be able to view people¡¯s memories, right? See for yourself.¡± Tijana stared at little Esha, her eyes emitting a mysterious allure. Esha, not knowing what to do, stood there looking into Tijana¡¯s beautiful eyes, her focus gradually fading.@@@@ Many images quickly flashed through Tijana¡¯s eyes, and a look of disgust appeared on her face, but she soon regained her composure. ¡°I understand, but the Head Tax still needs to be paid, be diligent about it next month.¡± ¡°Uh, okay.¡± Lancelot checked the meat patties while introducing the somewhat puzzled Esha, ¡°This is Miss Tijana, Lord of Twin Bridges Town, and that Dwarf uncle is Barrend, Bruto¡¯s father.¡± ¡°Ah! My apologies, esteemed lady! Good evening!¡± Esha¡¯s right foot slid back to the left behind her left foot as she curtsied to Tijana. Being from a court lady¡¯s background, she naturally understood what the title of Lord of Twin Bridges Town meant. She did not neglect the Dwarf uncle and greeted him politely. Tijana simply nodded without speaking. She turned to Barrend, ¡°The Craftsmen Committee just reported to me the results of this expedition. You¡¯ve discovered a new major vein in that ancient mine? What¡¯s the situation like? Roughly how much are the reserves?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Facing his literal demon boss, Barrend was still a bit nervous. ¡°At a depth of about seven thousand feet underground, we were lucky to find this vein in a tunnel dug out by a shaleback beast. The exact reserves still need to be thoroughly surveyed, but I believe it will not be less than a hundred thousand tons.¡± ¡°Very good.¡± Hearing the numbers, Tijana showed satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯ve also heard that you¡¯ve made a Cold Iron Weapon, and the chief craftsman spoke very highly of it. Where is the sword?¡± ¡°It was made for Sir Lancelot, and it performed very well in this operation.¡± ¡°It¡¯s right there on the shelf to your right.¡± Lancelot volunteered, lifting his spatula and pointing to his weapon. Tijana took Frostslash out upon hearing this and examined it closely. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s extremely sharp, please be careful.¡± Bruto looked anxious as he watched the Succubus, ¡°In fact, just two hours ago, it cut off a finger from a six-armed Serpent Demon at the Mercenary Hall.¡± ¡°Sonam told me about it,¡± Tijana answered absently. She didn¡¯t need to harm herself to see the special nature of this weapon; this Metal indeed had a restraining effect on demons¡¯ innate Protection abilities. ¡°If you have enough materials, how many such weapons can you produce every week?¡± ¡°For weapons of this quality, I can make about three a week,¡± beads of sweat formed on the bottom of Barrend¡¯s forehead. ¡°If it¡¯s ordinary Cold Iron Weapons, my kin and I can produce fifty a week.¡± Tijana watched his actions with interest. ¡°Why do you do this? Can¡¯t they pour for themselves?¡± ¡°I poured for you, too.¡± ¡°You serve me because you want to win my favor,¡± Tijana sneered, ¡°But what about serving them?¡± Tijana¡¯s question forced Lancelot to think about the reasons behind his actions, which he hadn¡¯t consciously considered, and he concluded: ¡°Because they are my friends, and this is a way for us to convey our care for each other.¡± ¡°Meaningless behavior among altruists,¡± Tijana commented coldly. ¡°Perhaps it is indeed meaningless,¡± Lancelot evidently wasn¡¯t foolish enough to argue with the lord, ¡°but many mortals really do feel fulfilled by helping others.¡± By then, everyone had arrived, and Kalalin brought a bottle of a special ¡°wine¡± for little Isha, pouring her a glass of the bright red beverage. ¡°Everyone,¡± Lancelot stood up with his glass raised, ¡°A toast to our lord, the ruler of Twin Bridges Town, the beautiful and noble Lady Tijana. She may be a demon, but she has sheltered countless mortals who have strayed into this world and, more importantly, allowed them to live with dignity using their own skills. My lady, my highest respect.¡± Everyone raised their glasses to Tijana, including Barrend, who had just been thoroughly exploited by her. This took the succubus by surprise and caught her off guard. ¡°Please sit,¡± Tijana finally responded simply. ¡°How does it feel?¡± Lancelot winked at her. Tijana cut off a small piece of meat and put it in her mouth. With a light bite, rich, succulent juices and melting fat flowed out of the tender meat, mixed with a slightly charred flavor. ¡°It feels quite nice,¡± she said, raising her glass and taking a sip, then showing Lancelot a smile. Chapter 62 - 62 - 57: Their Own Intentions Chapter 62 ¨C 57: Their Own Intentions Tijana had quickly left, giving Lancelot a meaningful look before she departed, to which Lancelot responded with a serene smile. Everyone enjoyed the meal immensely, all agreeing it was the best dinner since they had arrived in the Abyss. Kalalin¡¯s magic wasn¡¯t perfect, as he hadn¡¯t managed to completely transform all the alcohol, resulting in young Esha, who had just gotten up, ending up drunk, much to the shame of the undead. Kalalin found the process of carrying Esha¡¯s breathless body to the tomb and then placing it into the wooden coffin eerily reminiscent of a certain Evil God¡¯s sacrificial ritual. Lancelot stood on the patio outside the dining room, glass of red wine in hand, looking over the brightly lit main area of Twin Bridges Town. The air contained a kind of invisible magic that suppressed the propagation of sound, making the surroundings quite silent, allowing him to clearly hear his own inner voice. What was Tijana doing at this moment? Would those words about friendship and respect linger in her heart? He had some guesses about Tijana, but was not yet certain. Was her attitude toward the vast mortal races of Twin Bridges Town purely driven by maximizing benefits, or was there another reason? Out of his sight, Tijana sat atop the spire of her massive castle. She had transformed back into her Succubus form, her large wings relaxed and spread behind her, bathing in the glow of the Abyss¡¯s red moon, creating a beautiful and harmonious scene. In the deepest dreams of some fortunate ones in the Multiverse, they could vaguely see this beautiful shadow, and then it was etched into their minds forever, leaving them in a daze for months to years. But if someone could get a little closer, they would notice the Succubus¡¯s eyes aimlessly staring into the void. ¡°Mother, I wish you were here...¡± Bruto walked up to Lancelot, looked up at him for a while, and seeing no response, he gently coughed. His cough caught Lancelot¡¯s attention, and then he spoke, ¡°I saw how she smiled at you tonight, I think you have a chance.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Lancelot laughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject, ¡°Did you need something from me?¡± ¡°Great, such effects are enough to compensate for other flaws.¡± Bruto finally revealed a relieved smile as he headed to his room, ¡°Get some rest everyone, we need to pour our strength into it tomorrow.¡± Lancelot and Kalalin exchanged smiles and returned to their own rooms. He took a deep breath and sat down cross-legged. The night was still young, and his cultivation had just begun. Little Isabella woke up in the late night, but she was noticeably better than before. Blood had temporarily appeased the curse she bore; she even had breakfast with everyone in the morning and then rested in the crypt. After breakfast, Lancelot and Bruto headed to the Craftsmen¡¯s District, while Kalalin stayed home studying Magic and scrolls. The Enchantment would have to wait until after the crafting was complete, so he had nothing to do for now. It was easy to find Barrend in the Craftsmen¡¯s District. The newly promoted master craftsman was assigning tasks to a bunch of Dwarfs, as Tijana¡¯s production quotas allowed no room for negotiation. Bruto took a moment to briefly explain their situation to Barrend. Taken aback, Barrend led them to a small workshop. ¡°This isn¡¯t suitable for mass production, but it¡¯s free right now.¡± The old Dwarf checked the forge and bellows to ensure everything was working, then helped light the fire. ¡°You should have enough materials, get anything else you need from Uncle Darak. Let me emphasize once again, temperature, temperature, temperature! Don¡¯t take your eyes off the furnace, focus!¡± ¡°Got it, old man.¡± Bruto answered, feeling a bit guilty and unable to look Barrend in the eyes. ¡°If you have any problems, don¡¯t hesitate to ask me!¡± Barrend advised again, then nodded to Lancelot and went back to his tasks. Time was becoming ever more precious for him; once large-scale production began, it might be a long while before Bruto could see his old man again. ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡± Bruto clapped his hands and pointed to the bellows near the forge, ¡°You sit there first...¡± Lancelot resignedly acknowledged one fact, he was indeed Bruto¡¯s human power source. He mechanically operated the bellows, moving his hands as fast as possible to make the flames in the furnace burn fiercer. He quietly channeled a thread of True Qi into it, satisfied as he felt the temperature inside the furnace rise even faster. ¡°The efficiency is just different with a big guy doing this.¡± Bruto, unsuspecting, excitedly watched the color of the flames, ¡°Put some muscle into it, we might even start working before everyone else, haha!¡± Chapter 63 - 63 - 58: Thousand Hammerings Chapter 63 ¨C 58: Thousand Hammerings Bruto¡¯s expectations were dashed; the temperature in the forge sky-rocketed, and not even the innate chill of the cold iron could suppress the heat. In the end, the molten iron poured into the mold had lost all the unique qualities of cold iron and was indistinguishable from ordinary iron.@@@@ Lancelot wondered if it was the True Qi he had secretly mixed in that had caused the anomaly, but even when he stoked the bellows in the normal way the next day, the result was the same. Then the third day, the fourth day... Luckily, their furnace was small, and these trials hardly wasted any materials; otherwise, Barrend might have been tempted to beat his son to death. The entire blacksmithing district resembled an ant nest doused with boiling water, with dwarves scurrying about and steam rising from every corner. The forging process of cold iron released a vast amount of chill, which only the Dwarves of the Frostforge Clan and the strongest blacksmiths could endure. Such Dwarven artisans were mostly highly skilled and incredibly proud, with bad tempers, and hardly any were willing to take orders from Barrend. The old Dwarf had no choice but to station the few members of the Frostforge Clan at the iron anvil, while he himself acted like a supervisor, directing the hands sent by the Craftsmen Committee in other tasks. Unsurprisingly, every time he strolled into Bruto and Lancelot¡¯s small workshop, he would point out at least three things Bruto was doing wrong before berating him severely. Perhaps Bruto was inherently allergic to smithing knowledge, because as time went on, Lancelot remembered the mistakes, but Bruto kept repeating them. By the tenth day, they finally succeeded. Seeing the iron flow into the mold a bright blue-white instead of the usual red hue of iron, Bruto excitedly embraced Lancelot, laughing loudly. It was finally time for Lancelot to truly shine. Bruto, with tongs in one hand holding the sword blank and a small hammer in the other, indicated where to strike for Lancelot; while Lancelot was responsible for swinging the great hammer, ensuring each blow landed exactly where Bruto required. Bruto tapped the middle of the sword blank lightly twice with the small hammer, signaling Lancelot to begin. Taking a deep breath, Lancelot estimated and exerted about fifty percent of his strength for the first blow. A ¡¯clang¡¯ echoed, and a burst of chill emerged from the hammered spot, slightly reducing the stifling heat in the workshop. But Bruto was not satisfied. He tapped the same spot twice more and bellowed, ¡°Human, what are you doing? Haven¡¯t you eaten?¡± Lancelot added another twenty percent to his strength and delivered another hammer blow, this time unleashing more chill, but still not satisfying Bruto. ¡°What are you two up to?¡± More dwarves gathered around, and some noticed the huge dent in the Sword Blank; they were all savvy folks, and a murmur rippled through the crowd. ¡°Uh, nothing, Lancelot just now¡ªI don¡¯t know what he was thinking¡ªput too much strength into it.¡± Bruto cast a guilty glance at Lancelot and again tapped the Sword Blank a couple of times with a smaller hammer, ¡°Let¡¯s just, uh, continue.¡± Lancelot, too, wasn¡¯t sure why he had gotten so carried away, but fortunately, the chilling air that hit him helped him regain his composure. He lifted the hammer once more, pushing most of the True Qi back into his Dantian, and then swung the hammer again. The head of the hammer viciously struck the Sword Blank, and a visible ring of cold air burst out from the Sword Blank, spreading all around. ¡°Oh!!¡± Amazement echoed around them. Lancelot and Bruto didn¡¯t stop; the large and small hammers fell like a waterwheel, one after another, relentlessly. ¡°My god, what kind of strength is this!¡± ¡°Such precise movement! Such perfect muscles! I could stand here all day just to watch him swing that hammer!¡± ¡°Incredible, how does this human have such fine craftsmanship?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about, he¡¯s just swinging a large hammer. The real determinant of the work¡¯s quality is that dwarf with the tongs!¡± ¡°That guy¡¯s beard is still red; I bet he¡¯s not even a hundred years old! I¡¯m really curious about what kind of work they¡¯ll produce!¡± The continuously spilling cold made people unconsciously draw closer together, while Lancelot¡¯s immense strength turned the cast blank into a long strip of flattened metal, completely unrecognizable as a Sword Blank. Bruto put it back into the furnace to reheat and directed Lancelot to work the bellows. Baron Barrend finally came to his senses and began loudly shooing people away: ¡°What¡¯s so interesting to look at here! It¡¯s nothing but my newly come-of-age son doing some Apprentice work! Get back to your own stations, don¡¯t you have your own jobs to do?¡± Chapter 64 - 64 - 59: Hundred Refinements Chapter 64 ¨C 59: Hundred Refinements Barrend himself didn¡¯t leave. He watched the roaring flames in the furnace and suddenly said, ¡°You lad, planning to use the method of thousand-layer forging?¡± Bruto revealed an ambitious smile. ¡°With Lance¡¯s strength here, it would be a waste not to!¡± Barrend gave his son a meaningful look and smiled. He patted Bruto¡¯s shoulder, turned around, and walked out, his words of caution floating back from his retreating figure: ¡°Remember to scrape it clean every time you fold it, I¡¯ll come over when it¡¯s time to quench.¡± Lancelot, curious, watched the conversation between the two Dwarves and asked, ¡°What is thousand-layer forging?¡± ¡°Thousand-layer forging is flattening the metal, then folding it, flattening it again, and continuously repeating the process.¡± Bruto controlled the heat to concentrate on a small segment in the middle of the sword blank, quickly heating that part to the required temperature. After clamping it out, he merely tapped it a few times with a small hammer and bent it over. He stuffed the folded sword blank back into the furnace and continued, ¡°One fold is two layers, two folds are four layers, three folds are eight layers. Once you fold it ten times, you¡¯ve created over a thousand layers, which is why this method is called thousand-layer forging. If you feel like it, you can keep folding indefinitely, but beyond a certain number of times, it¡¯s not very meaningful.¡±@@@@ ¡°What¡¯s the benefit of doing this?¡± Lancelot carefully pulled the bellows, trying not to let the furnace temperature rise too high like the last few times. ¡°It greatly improves the performance of the weapon and creates beautiful patterns,¡± shrugged Bruto. ¡°Some seasoned blacksmiths can even form specific Arcane Runes in the pattern, bestowing powerful magic power on the weapon, but of course, I¡¯m not at that level.¡± ¡°If this method is so good, why doesn¡¯t everyone use this technique?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s troublesome, and not everyone has the freakish strength you do,¡± Bruto shrugged. ¡°It would take at least a week for my old man to fold it ten times.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already been working for ten days,¡± Lancelot pointed out a harsh reality. ¡°That¡¯s because Cold Iron Ore is such a pain! A bit too hot, and it turns into ordinary iron!¡± Bruto replied irritably. ¡°If you don¡¯t chase after repeated usability, you can pour the molten iron into a mold, fold it once or twice and start sharpening. I guess that¡¯s what they do everywhere else. ¡°I¡¯m feeling very energetic right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, we¡¯re starting our second forging today, but first, we have to finish the last step of our first creation.¡± Bruto stretched and walked out, ¡°I¡¯m going to get my old man to come over.¡± Barrend quickly strode in, full of energy. The old dwarf had shifted his perspective on his task, treating it as a grand project with the aim of ensuring production while improving quality as much as possible, which invigorated him all over again. First, he checked the quenching trough next to the iron anvil¡ªthe bottom was filled with iron ore to keep it cool, and the keen-eyed Lancelot even spotted a few small pieces of cold crystals. Then he inspected the tempering furnace next to it, and he was satisfied with its condition too. After completing these checks, Barrend praised Bruto for his preparation, then picked up the tongs and extracted the glowing white-hot sword blank from the furnace. After overnight heating, the sword blank was incandescent, a wave of heat hitting Lancelot, making him wonder if another sword had been ruined by overtraining. However, Barrend seemed very pleased with the condition of the sword blank, and without any hesitation, he immediately plunged the searing sword blank into the water trough set aside for quenching. A puff of white smoke rose, but less than Lancelot had expected; it was then he realized that the liquid in the trough was not water, but oil. In less than 5 seconds, Barrend removed the sword blank and placed it directly into the tempering furnace. ¡°I have a feeling this will be a good sword,¡± the old dwarf patted Bruto¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The tempering temperature for cold iron weapons should be a bit lower than that for ordinary iron¡ªabout thirty percent hotter than boiling water. Just be careful.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dad.¡± Bruto rubbed his hands excitedly, ¡°Temper for an hour and a half, cool for half an hour, repeat three times, right? See, I¡¯ve got it all memorized.¡± Barrend looked at Bruto, fell silent for a moment, and suddenly pulled his son into an embrace. ¡°I think I¡¯ve been too harsh on you in the past.¡± He ruffled Bruto¡¯s disheveled hair. ¡°You¡¯re doing much better than many of your peers.¡± With that, he turned and walked out, leaving Bruto standing there, stunned. ¡°You alright?¡± Lancelot asked. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m fine.¡± Bruto turned around, and Lancelot noticed his eyes were red. He walked over to one side, shoveled up a batch of Cold Iron Ore, and added it to the furnace. ¡°Let¡¯s continue, we still have five more swords waiting for us to finish.¡± Chapter 65 - 65 - 60: The Son and His Father Chapter 65 ¨C 60: The Son and His Father Over the next five days, they completed the remaining swords. Lancelot¡¯s work was now done. Polishing, sharpening, and wrapping the hilt could be done by Bruto, and Lancelot wasn¡¯t able to assist with those tasks. However, new work quickly came knocking at their door. This time, Barrend had invited Lancelot to assist him, which left Lancelot puzzled. The old Dwarf soon answered his question. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll be satisfied with making these disposable pieces of junk,¡± Barrend openly expressed his disdain for the products made under his supervision. ¡°I want to create a genuine masterpiece to prove my skills!¡± ¡°But what can I possibly help with?¡± Lancelot asked, puzzled, ¡°Is it because of my strength?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Barrend nodded in confirmation. ¡°I plan to make a whip suitable for a Succubus. The braid will be made from the finest Cold Iron Filament. Producing metal filament is a very time-consuming and strenuous process, and braiding them is even more so, hence I need to draw on your strength.¡± Lancelot thought for a moment and agreed. He had originally planned to take advantage of the days Bruto was occupied to go find trouble with the sand worms in the Shattered Mountain Range, but his cultivation had seen impressive progress over these days, clearly relating to his True Qi being depleted from forging during the day. He was still a distance away from the later stage Great Perfection of the Qi Refinement Realm, so it was more important to focus on improving his cultivation level first, and there was no urgency to gather materials for Foundation Establishment. Moreover, since it was a gift for Tijana, he was naturally willing to be involved.@@@@ Lancelot once again swung his hammer, and as he repeatedly struck the Cold Iron raw material, impurities were continuously expelled. But Barrend was not so easily satisfied; he repeatedly carried out the process of heating, hammering, and folding until the third day when he finally allowed Lancelot to stop. The humans¡¯ next task was to push a stone mill-like disc, stretching the white-hot Cold Iron raw material into filaments as fine as hairs. Every time he pulled out a length of nine feet, the disc would automatically cut the thread, and Barrend would come over to collect the Cold Iron Filaments. The old Dwarf wore thick gloves, but his arm was still accidentally cut open by the filament. The skin of a Dwarf is as tough as callus, highlighting the sharpness of these metal strands. Each metal filament was specially heat-treated; after quenching, they were tempered at relatively high temperatures. This process made them less hard than swords, but significantly increased their flexibility, which is the characteristic needed for making a whip. After that, Barrend used a device similar to a loom to wrap seven Cold Iron Filaments into a single metal thread, then wrapped seven such threads into a slightly thicker metal rope. The power of Spiritual Cultivators, however, operated on an entirely different system. In the early stages, Spiritual Cultivators turned themselves into vessels, amassing the power of heaven and earth to enhance their strength; in the middle stage, they would expand their own universe, gaining power as this universe expanded. When a Spiritual Cultivator¡¯s universe reached a certain extent, they would be rejected by the universe they were in and undergo the so-called ¡¯Ascension¡¯ to leave this universe. Han Tianzun had only existed for a very short time before being rejected and leaving this universe, and having his legacy was an extreme stroke of luck. Over here, Barrend was ready to pray to the Dwarven God, Moradin. The ritual was very simple; he just had to place the offering on an iron anvil next to a lit forge. Kneeling on one knee, Barrend chanted: ¡°Great Father of Dwarves, protector of kindness and order, guardian of the hills and treasure hoards, patron of craftsmen, soul forger Moradin, your child, Barrend of the Frostforge Clan, son of ¡¯Dragon Slayer¡¯ Bruno, I present to you my work, a whip. It is composed of three hundred and forty-three strands of Cold Iron Filament, completed with the help of a human endowed with Divine Power. It will be given to Tijana, the lord of Twin Bridges Town, uh, a demon who has sheltered many dwarves, saving us from a fate of enslavement.¡± The old dwarf¡¯s voice grew quieter, clearly burdened by his own guilt. When he finished chanting and nothing happened, he sighed, unsure whether it was regret or relief he felt. ¡°Well, at least we are still alive and well,¡± Lancelot sighed in relief and helped Barrend to his feet. Just then, Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception alarmingly signaled an extremely powerful, utterly terrifying, and completely immeasurable force rushing towards him. In that instant, he understood this was what people meant by Divine Power. Barrend truly was the son of his father, a success in courting death. ¡°We¡¯re done for.¡± That was the only thought on his mind at the moment. Chapter 66 - 66 - 61: The Shrine Chapter 66 ¨C 61: The Shrine ¡°` Fortunately, that power had not come to destroy him. The range of the divine power burst was very small, confined to an area of less than nine feet centered on Barrend. Barrend¡¯s eyes bulged as he realized that the Father God had just responded to his prayers. The holy light was slowly infusing into the cold iron-made whip, and the iron anvil serving as the base was imbued with a very sacred aura, one that he was very familiar with¡ªit was the presence found only within Moradin¡¯s shrine. According to dwarven standards, with a burning furnace and an iron anvil, this place had become an unmistakable Dwarf Temple, blessed by Moradin himself. At that moment, a flash of white light passed, and the Lord of Twin Bridges Town appeared on the scene through teleportation. Tigana was in full battle gear, wearing a set of mithril full body armor that snugly fit her curvaceous figure; her right hand held a longsword, her left a light shield, and attached to her belt were a whip, throwing knives, handcuffs, and several vials of potions. She had obviously felt the surge of divine power within her domain and rushed over at the first instance, her eyes scanning for enemies, ready to confront whichever celestial being had dared to trespass. ¡°Ah...¡± Lancelot called out to her, ¡°Tijana, calm down for a second, I can explain...¡± ¡°How are you here?¡± ... A moment later. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me, you used cold iron to make a whip for me, and after it was completed, this old dwarven man thought the product was so exceptional that he prayed to the great divine power of order and goodness, the Soul Forger Moradin, hoping he would bless this gift intended for demons?¡± Lancelot felt Tijana¡¯s description was a bit too dramatic, but on second thought, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong with it. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying, human?¡± Tijana glared at Lancelot, ¡°Look around you, this is the Abyss, have you considered the consequences?¡± ¡°From my point of view, having one more temple like this won¡¯t make your enemies hate you more, since they already have ten thousand reasons to despise you,¡± Lancelot analyzed patiently, ¡°And about your allies, sorry, does Twin Bridges Town truly have any? My friend Kalalin has told me about this city¡¯s grand history. During the most dangerous times for Twin Bridges Town, it seems no power has ever reached out to help you except for the city¡¯s own citizens, those Dwarves who were the first to serve under you.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Tijana was still quite irritated, but seemed willing to let Lancelot continue. ¡°It means that from the outside, whether or not you destroy this Dwarven temple makes no difference to you,¡± Lancelot found his mind racing, ¡°And internally, the benefits of keeping this temple are obvious. The vast number of Dwarves in Twin Bridges Town would have a much more positive opinion of you. They would respect and even revere you, which would make them much less resistant when you make various demands.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need their reverence! What I want is their obedience and submission!¡± Tijana said impatiently, ¡°I can get all of that through fear alone!¡± ¡°What you want is not merely obedience and submission, you want their skills, their products, and even their military strength if necessary,¡± Lancelot was not daunted by Tijana¡¯s impatience, ¡°Respect and reverence can provide you with these too, and possibly even more. A craftsman who lives in fear will not put his whole heart into his work; he is just trying to save his own life.¡± ¡°But this is still too dangerous, it might even attract the attention of the Abyssal Lords, and you know nothing about their power. Here in the Abyss, even the incarnations of deities are mostly no match for the Abyssal Lords.¡± Though Tijana seemed somewhat swayed by his words, she was still not convinced. ¡°We could adopt a compromise,¡± Lancelot continued persuasively, ¡°Not far from here, the Shattered Mountain Range has countless caves suitable for hiding. You could have the Dwarves move this iron anvil there, and proclaim to be unaware of the matter, while Barrend will ensure that the Dwarves¡¯ gratitude towards you is not diminished.¡± ¡°All Dwarves would be grateful to you, I assure you,¡± Barrend quickly joined in, ¡°Perhaps except for those gray-skinned bald ones.¡± Tijana silently looked at them, saying nothing, and Barrend had no choice but to summon his resolve and throw out his last bargaining chip. ¡°With the rallying power of Father God¡¯s miracle, I¡¯m certain that the production of cold iron weapons can be increased to fifteen hundred... no, at least two thousand pieces a month!¡± Finally, a smile appeared on the Succubus¡¯s face. ¡°You have half a day to make this iron anvil disappear from Twin Bridges Town.¡± Chapter 67 - 67 - 62: The Inspiration of Miracles Chapter 67 ¨C 62: The Inspiration of Miracles The impact of this iron anvil on the dwarven community of Twin Bridges Town greatly exceeded the expectations of Lancelot and Tijana. After Barrend and the Craftsmen Committee made the announcement, the entire blacksmith district was in an uproar. The dwarves on duty did not leave their posts, for taking one¡¯s work seriously is one of Moradin¡¯s most important teachings. Though they had tears in their eyes as they swung their hammers. On this day, Moradin¡¯s name was praised countless times, and Tijana¡¯s name came closely second. Some fervent dwarves had already regarded Twin Bridges Town as a final opportunity bestowed by the deities, and the appearance of this anvil further convinced them that Tijana was the one chosen by Moradin to save them. Seven of the strongest dwarf warriors proudly stepped forward, taking on the responsibility of guarding this holy relic, just like the seven platinum guards of legend under Moradin¡¯s command. They would venture to the Shattered Mountain Range in search of a place neither too close nor too far to establish a temple for Moradin. Although dwarves can be stubborn, they are not inflexible. They fully understood and were grateful for the succubus lord¡¯s decision. If possible, they would express their respect to the Father of Dwarves with the most magnificent architecture, but they also knew it was essential to keep a low profile to avoid attracting unnecessary enemies to the temple and Twin Bridges Town. On the surface, the disruption this event caused quickly settled down. The demon residents and Blood War mercenaries of Twin Bridges Town merely heard that the god of the dwarves had performed a miracle in the Craftsmen¡¯s District, and they were indifferent. This is the Abyss¡ª even if the deity themselves descended in person, they would be overwhelmed by the countless demons. However, the Craftsmen¡¯s District was far from as calm as it appeared. The dwarves felt the gaze of the creator upon them once more, and now they worked with fervor, just as Moradin had taught them. Production in the Craftsmen¡¯s District had seen a significant increase in those days, with more and more blacksmiths joining the ranks to manufacture cold iron weapons. Lancelot and Barrend secretly breathed a sigh of relief, believing that these positive signs would please Tijana. Barrend quickly finished the gauntlet, which was made of mithril and very light, able to prevent damage to the bearer from the holy weapon. According to his observation when he delivered it, Tijana¡¯s mood seemed to be very good lately. Another item delivered along with it was a leather cover, which, when put on the Abyssal Lash, made the weapon look like an ordinary heavy whip. This meant that they could catch the enemy by surprise at a critical moment in battle. Needless to say, Tijana was very fond of this design. In the following days, Barrend completed the great sword that Lancelot had requested, with Lancelot himself also contributing. At Lancelot¡¯s direct request, the great sword was over seven feet long, with the grip itself exceeding two feet. The blade was single-edged on one side, with only the tip of the other side sharpened, making it more like a massive longsword. The final step of the ritual was to stick the weapons to be enchanted into the ground. Seven days later, the enchantment would be complete, and within a hundred miles radius from the insertion point as the center, the enchantment would take effect. In this area, the weapons would possess magical power, becoming sharper and more precise. Under the inspiration of Moradin¡¯s divine acts, the craftsmen under Barrend easily met the production targets set by Tijana. The old Dwarf naturally remembered the promise he had made to the Succubus Lord, so he did not relax at all and immediately began the next batch of production without stopping. As the day drew closer for the clients of Twin Bridges Town to arrive, the Low Rank Demons of the town grew restless. Lancelot learned from Dingke that whenever these representatives from different forces congregated, Twin Bridges Town would hold a grand gladiatorial event, featuring participants such as Prime Demons, Coward Devils, and Quasimodo Demons. The rules were simple. These Low Rank Demons would engage in a battle royale in the arena, with the last one standing being the sole victor. For the Demons gathered here to compete for the craftspeople¡¯s output for the next three months, this was an insanely entertaining event. They would capture a large number of Low Rank Demons on their way here and place heavy bets on their slaves. But not all participants were forced. There were always some mad souls who believed they could rise to great heights and shed their weak bodies in one fell swoop. This notion was not unfounded. Those souls who were most evil and cunning in life, upon arriving in the Abyss and becoming Low Rank Demons, still retained fragments of their mortal memories. After figuring out the game¡¯s rules in the Abyss, they would do whatever it took to ascend to higher-ranked Demons, usually by scheming and betraying, to slaughter their kind en masse. However, the ascension process for Demons was so excruciating that it could cause a soul to completely forget everything about itself, which was unacceptable for those Demons that still held on to memories of their former lives. This is why some Demons volunteered to participate in these grand battles¡ªit¡¯s a precious opportunity to bypass several ranks and directly promote to mid-level Demon status. Lancelot even specifically asked Dingke if he was interested in participating, but the Quasimodo Demon expressed great reluctance, stating that if the master insisted, it wasn¡¯t impossible, but he felt he could serve his master better as is. Thus, Lancelot did not persist. Finally, the day arrived for the clients of Twin Bridges Town to visit. Except for young Isabella who could only stay at home and sleep in annoyance, everyone else got up early to go out and join the spectacle. Chapter 68 - 68 - 63 Peripheral Powers Chapter 68 ¨C 63 Peripheral Powers ¡°` Under the effect of magic, the small square with the statue of Tijana expanded more than a hundred times in size, while the ground sank down step by step, forming an arena-like structure. Many demons had already arrived early, seizing the innermost and frontmost positions, ready to thoroughly enjoy the spectacle of slaughter. Lancelot and his companions had no intention to squeeze into such inner spots. They sat down on the edge of the depression, near a group of Dwarven Artisans, observing the audience that had already gathered. The most common sight was the Berserk Demon, a human-shaped toad known for its simple mind and rare loyalty to its superiors among demons. If the cannon fodder is not counted, they were the most common in the armies of the Demon Lords, Next were a type of lean demons with the heads of goats and the tails of long snakes protruding from their behinds. Lancelot often saw these demons, formally known as Brezu Demons, but Bruto preferred to call them Goat-Headed Demons. These demons, wielding huge tridents, were skilled martial artists. However, they were mostly solitary creatures unless they were on a mission. Then there were the muscular human-shaped demons with two pairs of arms¡ªknown to Lancelot as Arrow Demons, they made up the archers of the demon armies. This rare type of demon understood teamwork, making them incredibly dangerous on the battlefield of The Abyss. Besides those sitting in the stands, the high points of the venue were also filled with these demons. The above three types constituted the main forces of Tigana¡¯s army. To Lancelot¡¯s regret, there was no cavalry. This might be related to the traditional defensive stance of the Twin Bridges Town¡¯s army. The rest of the audience consisted of civilians from Twin Bridges Town, most numerous being the Devilspawn and their descendants. They worked in the town¡¯s shops, bars, and inns, striving to survive in this society that did not ostracize them. There was also a considerable number of Succubi mingling in the crowd, flirting with all sorts of strangely shaped creatures. Although they were the product of mortal desires, their definition of male charm did not adhere to mortal aesthetics. Additionally, there were many Blood War Mercenaries like Lancelot. This crazy group of adventurers feared neither heaven nor earth, and for wealth and treasure, they actively (mostly of their own accord) came to The Abyss, ready to face any challenge, for the right price. The rest of the demons were mostly unnameable by Lancelot due to their bizarre appearances. However, their appearances did show some humanoid traits. According to Kalalin, these were all members of the Tanali Demon Race, created from the souls of fallen mortals in The Abyss. In the wilderness, Lancelot had encountered some highly deformed native demons of The Abyss; some resembled giant mouths with seven or eight legs, others were fleshy orbs covered in mouths and eyes, and still others were immense heads floating just above the ground, a mere glance of which made Lancelot feel his sanity was being tainted. Fortunately, these demons didn¡¯t get along with the Tanali, leaving no trace of their kind in Twin Bridges Town. ¡°I see.¡± Lancelot felt his face grow warm, ¡°I am honored.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself,¡± Letisha said with a light laugh, covering her mouth, ¡°Lady Tijana always finds a male creature for this job, don¡¯t get the wrong idea.¡± ¡°Serving a lady is an important part of the knightly spirit,¡± Lancelot said earnestly, ¡°This... suitor, what¡¯s his deal?¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± Letisha looked at him in surprise, ¡°Are you familiar with the power dynamics around Twin Bridges Town?¡± ¡°I know a bit.¡± Kalalin raised his hand to answer, ¡°To the south is the Shattered Mountain Range, which currently has no dominant power; to the west, there is a region belonging to the Barlow Flame Demon, who claims to be the ¡¯Destruction Flame¡¯; to the east was ¡¯Punisher¡¯ Wisk, a lord of the Serpent Demon. To the north, there¡¯s another Neutral Town called ¡¯Oasis Fort,¡¯ with a leader known as ¡¯Seducer¡¯ Molo, a male succubus... wait, could it be this Molo?¡± ¡°Your information is out of date. Wisk was murdered by its pet and lover last month; its territory and forces have been split, and now there are two opposing forces to the east: ¡¯Destruction Horn¡¯ Goel, a Giant Bull Demon, and ¡¯Spider Lady¡¯ Ilmaris, an Arachne Elf,¡± Letisha glanced at Kalalin, ¡°But you guessed right, it is that self-important, annoying worm Molo. If it wasn¡¯t for the caravans that pass through that area to Twin Bridges Town, Oasis Fort would have no chance of thriving, and Molo would be nothing but a sad gigolo under Mekanshut.¡± ¡°The ¡¯Seducer¡¯ Molo is backed by the Queen of the Succubus?¡± Kalalin¡¯s face was filled with shock. ¡°Who is Mekanshut?¡± Lancelot asked with surprise. He was not familiar with the name, but the title of Queen of the Succubus was no trifling matter. ¡°She¡¯s one of the earliest born succubi. After defeating all the original succubi like her, she received the title of Queen of the Succubus and currently rules the 570th layer of The Abyss, Shendiravir,¡± Kalalin explained to Lancelot, ¡°She¡¯s also the current lover of the strongest devil, known as the ¡¯Demon Prince¡¯ Dimogorgen. And Dimogorgen¡¯s former lover, also one of the original succubi, Sami-Amor, fell out of favor due to Mekanshut¡¯s instigation.¡± ¡°For some reason, Lady Tijana doesn¡¯t get along with this self-proclaimed Queen of the Succubus, but I¡¯m not clear on the specifics either,¡± Letisha shrugged, suddenly pointing, ¡°Look over there, guests from Twin Bridges Town have arrived, I should get back. Goodbye, Sir.¡± The succubus flashed a charming smile, flapped her wings, and flew away. Chapter 69: 64 s of Demonic Figures Chapter 69: 64 Chapters of Demonic Figures Lancelot turned his head to look in the direction Letisha had pointed, his gaze not lingering on the succubus¡¯s retreating figure. The approaching line of demons gave him an unusual feeling, and Lancelot quickly realized the problem: the group was quite orderly, its members all silent and serious, reminding him of seasoned soldiers, amongst whom he once counted himself. The most eye-catching among the group were six demons enveloped in flames. Lancelot knew they were Fireburn Demons, creatures that had failed in their attempts to advance to the rank of Flame Demon. Their bodies were like emaciated humans, with ragged wings sprouting from their backs. Except for the parts near the spine, the wings were all bone. Without the power of magic, such wings would likely be incapable of flight. Following them were dozens of centaur-like demons, known as Iron Cavalry demons. These demons had a pair of huge, pointed horns on their heads and well-developed muscles. They wore a complex set of full-body heavy armor, covered with spikes suited for ramming, and they held aloft lances with flags bearing the emblem of a volcano. They were the cavalry troops among the demons, whose longbows and flails on their backs indicated they were versatile on the battlefield. However, Lancelot knew that their lances posed the greatest threat. The collective charge of such demons would be one of the most destructive forces in the Abyss. Next was a large group of Prime Demons and Coward Devils, led by ropes and iron chains. These pitiful creatures were undoubtedly the ¡¯gladiators¡¯ about to enter the arena. They had clearly suffered considerable torment and abuse on their journey, and Lancelot wondered if they could survive the first round of combat. But the leader at the forefront had an air that seemed out of place with the rest of the troop. He appeared to be a human with dark skin and handsome features, though the small horns on his head and the goat-like hooves betrayed his demonic nature. He was dressed in somewhat ostentatious formal attire, with a noble¡¯s rapier tied at his waist, and rode a majestic Nightmare steed with fiery hooves. However, his scanning eyes revealed his nervousness. Lancelot noticed that the hand he used to grasp the reins seemed to have six fingers. ¡°Is that guy with the six fingers a male succubus?¡± Lancelot asked Kalalin, his tone containing a relaxedness he didn¡¯t realize himself. ¡°A male succubus? Definitely not, it must be an emissary from ¡¯Destruction Flame¡¯ Visuvius, the Barlow Flame Demon particularly likes to send these failed Flame Demon wannabes,¡± Kalalin replied subconsciously, then his expression changed suddenly. ¡°What did you say, the guy walking up front has six fingers?¡± ¡°Yes, what¡¯s the issue?¡± Lancelot asked, puzzled. Considering the myriad appearances of demons, having an extra finger hardly counted as a noteworthy demonic trait. ¡°You really should brush up on your knowledge of the Abyssal Lords to avoid inviting trouble you shouldn¡¯t,¡± Kalalin said with an expression of resignation. ¡°The six fingers are a trait of ¡¯Lord Wu¡¯an¡¯ Grazzt, and many of his offspring inherit this feature. Lord Wu¡¯an is one of the three titanic demons, ruling over three contiguous planes of the Abyss.¡± Following it were a group of minotaurs over 7 feet tall, carrying simple flails, their hooves deep red as if they had just traversed a swamp filled with fresh blood; hence, they were called Bloodhoof Demons. The other group was made up of various types of spiders, these creatures over ten feet in length invoked a visceral disgust in everyone, and their leader was particularly memorable. Her lower half was that of a spider with a massive abdomen and eight sharp legs, while her upper body was that of a beautiful woman with dark skin and white hair. Lancelot knew this creature was the notorious Arachne Elf, a creation of the fallen Dark Elf deity ¡¯Spider Queen¡¯ Rose, who transformed those Dark Elves that angered her in this manner, to showcase her Divine Power and warn against defying her will. On this occasion, Tigana did not rise to greet them, instead, a six-armed Serpent Demon stepped forward and rebuked them: ¡°Strangers, state your names!¡± ¡°I am Kavalan, representing ¡¯Madam Web¡¯ Ilmaris, and I extend greetings to Madam Tigana of Twin Bridges Town,¡± the Arachne Elf spoke first, voice filled with grace and head bowed in a respectful gesture. ¡°Pami represents ¡¯Destruction Horn¡¯ Goel!¡± the bull Demon shouted roughly, ¡°Tigana! Don¡¯t listen to the Spider¡¯s lies! They¡¯re worth nothing!¡± ¡°You stupid bull, a fool whose head is full of rocks, what do you know of the value of gemstones!¡± ¡°Ah! You dare call me stupid! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Explore stories on empire The bull Demon Pami let out a roar of rage, charging headlong towards the Arachne Elf Kavalan with lowered head. The opponent was just as unrestrained, drawing her Longsword in readiness for battle, and their followers also drew weapons, ready to dive into the fray. ¡°Enough!¡± A furious shout came, and the six-armed Serpent Demon made her move. Three of her arms, each wielding a sword, pressed against the bull Demon¡¯s horns and forehead, while the other three swords barred the Arachne Elf¡¯s Longsword and throat. ¡°See that big pit over there? If you want to fight, we provide the venue,¡± she said.@@@@ Chapter 70 - 70 - 65: The Original Protocol Chapter 70 ¨C 65: The Original Protocol The Bull Demon and the Spider¡¯s team ultimately did not lay hands on each other. They led their captured Prime Demons and Coward Devils separately, occupying a corner of the high platform and glaring angrily at each other. Tigana did not stand up throughout, possibly due to her dissatisfaction with their impoliteness or her disdain for their masters. ¡°Letisha mentioned that the Demon Lord named Wisk was killed by his pet and lover?¡± Lancelot asked Kalalin, ¡°These two groups don¡¯t look like representatives of pets or lovers, do they?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to guess the tastes of the Demons with a mortal¡¯s thinking,¡± Kalalin rolled her eyes. ¡°The pet definitely refers to that Giant Bull Demon, also known as ¡¯Destruction Horns.¡¯ It¡¯s a creature which can grow over 50 feet tall and is quite popular among the Demon Lords, appearing in sieges as catapults and battering rams.¡± ¡°Then the lover must be the ¡¯Web Madam.¡¯¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°That at least makes more sense, at least their upper half is still humanoid.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still too narrow-minded,¡± Kalalin shook her head. ¡°Demons¡¯ practices in that regard far exceed your imagination; that unfortunate Wisk might have loved her spider-like lower half.¡± Lancelot and Bruto opened their mouths but eventually did not continue this distasteful topic. At that moment, a smug, nauseating voice was heard: ¡°Oh my, it seems I¡¯ve arrived late, can¡¯t help it, Twin Bridges Town is really hard to find.¡± Lancelot looked in the direction of the voice and saw a bunch of Berserk Demons walking over haphazardly. These ugly toads were each dressed in silver chainmail and wielding golden weapons, a strong nouveau riche aura hitting everyone face-on. These Berserk Demons were carrying a luxurious soft bed with a nearly naked male Succubus sitting on top, flanked by two Succubus Maids. The attire of this male Succubus Lord was very strange, with only a few metal sequined leather belts wrapped around his body and a collar around his neck reminiscent of one used for fierce dogs, from which long spikes protruded. Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but intently examine this individual who harbored inappropriate thoughts toward Tigana. As a male Succubus, his physique was impeccable, and his extremely handsome face bore a wicked charm, making him nearly irresistible to mortal women. Of course, for Lancelot and Bruto, this face involuntarily conjured fantasies of what that self-satisfied smile would look like after a punch. ¡°Lord of Oasis Fort, ¡¯Great¡¯ Molo has arrived!!¡± shouted a Berserk Demon, clad in a silk robe, who was walking at the front, and he was met with a huge round of booing. ¡°Isn¡¯t he the Seducer? How can he still change his nickname?¡± ¡°Hey Molo! When are you going to perform that forever memorable act of using your tail to pleasure yourself again?¡± ¡°Your minions¡¯ clothes are quite nice! Where should I cut to peel it completely off your corpse?¡± ¡°Molo, are you still offering a buy-one-get-one-free service? I still have your coupon here, your round buttocks are just irresistible, use it before it expires!¡± ...@@@@ ¡°What is the Deities¡¯ stance on this?¡± ¡°The Abyss is an existence higher than the Deities, and there is not much the Deities can do about it. However, they establish churches in the Mortal Realm, vigorously spread faith, encourage acts of goodness, and try their best to thwart the conspiracies of Demons and Devils. Sometimes, they even descend themselves to intervene,¡± Kalalin shrugged, ¡°But if mortals truly choose the path of corruption and don¡¯t repent and receive forgiveness from a deity before dying, then no one can save their soul. The Deities detest those mortals who embark on an evil path and are indifferent to the screams in Hell and the Abyss.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°knowing that such a terrible punishment awaits after death, why do some still willingly take the path of corruption?¡± ¡°The Deities are very curious about this too,¡± Kalalin said with a sinister smile, ¡°in fact, the Devils were originally Angels tasked with battling Demons. They became tainted from their constant battles with Demons, disliked by the Deities but still depended on to fight Demons. Thus, the Deities agreed to the proposal of Asmodeus, ruler of the Nine Hells, allowing them to punish the Fallen souls and derive power from it to maintain their own independent existence. This agreement is known as the Prime Covenant, which led those Angels who fought Demons to leave the realm of the Deities and eventually led to the creation of Barto Hell and the Devils.¡± ¡°My God,¡± Bruto groaned, ¡°what a terrible agreement.¡± ¡°The Deities underestimated Asmodeus¡¯s ambition, which led to the current situation.¡± ¡°I guess they also had no choice, since the soul possesses free will,¡± Lancelot spoke up, ¡°Under the premise of free will, one must rely on punishment and reward to establish order. Only under the premise of free will do nobility and virtue make sense.¡± Lancelot¡¯s words plunged Kalalin and Bruto into deep thought, and for a moment, there was silence among them. But on the high platform, the male Succubus, Molo, was delivering his lofty speech. ¡°Tijana, I really feel sorry for you! You have so many Dwarves, just put iron chains on them, and assign some Berserk Demons to whip them harshly when they slack off, and I guarantee your monthly output of that scrap metal will multiply! Come see my Oasis Fort to learn the proper way to treat these Dwarf slaves!¡± the tempter boasted, leaning back on his soft bed, tilting his head to receive some kind of bright red snack handed over by a Succubus Maid. ¡°This is my town, I govern it however I like,¡± Tijana said disdainfully, ¡°As for what you do in your slave pen, I couldn¡¯t care less, but since you think I only produce some scrap, you can leave right now. I believe Prince Kailon would be happy to take your share.¡± ¡°What Kailon? Why call him Prince?¡± Molo seemed puzzled. ¡°My father assigned me to command the Destruction Flame legion,¡± the young man with six fingers spoke blandly. ¡°What? You actually are... I mean, are you really a prince... from Lord Wu¡¯an?¡± Molo exclaimed, his expression suddenly darkened, and he fell silent. Tijana glanced at him, and seeing the annoying man finally shut up, she clapped her hands. ¡°Let¡¯s start the gladiatorial match, the audience is getting impatient.¡± Chapter 71 - 71 - 66 Chaos Chapter 71 ¨C 66 Chaos ¡°Wait, we haven¡¯t placed our bets yet,¡± the annoying voice of the male Succubus rang out again. ¡°I even collected a special soul in advance for this.¡± ¡°The winner has the right to bid first, just like before, right?¡± asked the Arachne Elf named Kavalan. ¡°How boring that would be.¡± Molo looked at the Arachne Elf askance. ¡°Why don¡¯t we make it interesting? The loser also gives up their corresponding share, how about that?¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a big gamble. I¡¯m afraid someone can¡¯t afford to play!¡± Kavalan implied, glancing at the Minotaur on the other side. ¡°Why is the spider looking at Pami? Does the spider think Pami can¡¯t afford to play?¡± the Minotaur bellowed. ¡°As long as you dare, Pami will keep you company to the end!¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± Molo turned to the dark-skinned offspring of Grazzt. ¡°Great Prince Kailon, won¡¯t you join us for some fun?¡± ¡°Firstly, I¡¯m just an unremarkable one among my father¡¯s many offspring, lucky enough to be remembered by him, and don¡¯t deserve to be called great,¡± Kailon glanced at the male Succubus, then turned his head towards the Lord of Twin Bridges Town. ¡°Lady Tigana, our past cooperation has been very smooth, and I come with the same sincerity this time. You must also be aware of what it would mean for your Twin Bridges Town if the Volcano Fortress were to fall.¡±@@@@ ¡°You will definitely be satisfied with today¡¯s harvest.¡± Tigana nodded, then raised her hands and clapped them together. This was a prearranged signal. The Dwarven Artisans by Lancelot¡¯s side began to pull out various weapons from their backpacks and threw them into the arena. A rain of metal gleaming with cold light descended, and the ground of the arena was instantly filled with a dense forest of weapons, as a chilling atmosphere immediately arose. The sharp-eyed Lancelot spotted the distinct cold reflection unique to Cold Iron Weapons. This was a tradition of the Twin Bridges Town gladiatorial tournament. The gladiators would use these weapons to kill each other, making the fighting more bloody and exciting, while it also served as a clever marketing ploy to help indecisive potential buyers make up their minds. Weapons were far more efficient at inflicting damage than fangs and claws, turning the battle into an even bloodier spectacle. Limbs and blood occasionally flew by, prompting screams from the audience. But Lancelot noticed that, seemingly subconsciously, not a single demon picked up a Cold Iron Weapon. The first Prime Demon to fight was now struggling with a hand axe, yet he displayed skilled combat tactics. As a Coward Devil armed with a longsword lunged at him, the Prime Demon awkwardly shifted his bulky body to dodge while slyly leaving a foot behind to trip the oncoming Coward Devil. He then pounced on the fallen foe, severing the Coward Devil¡¯s head with his axe. ¡°Good!!¡± On the high platform, the male Succubus Lord of Oasis Fort shouted his approval. The Prime Demon, emanating the Magic Aura of Oasis Fort, was one of Molo¡¯s sent-out fighters. ¡°This one, Litt, was a serial killer in his previous life. Look at his cunning tactics!¡± Molo announced proudly, like a rich second generation showing off a new toy. ¡°Such a cruel fellow he was. Never left a single survivor during his robberies, not even the mute babies. I didn¡¯t even have to guide him at all; I just lent him a bit of power!¡± Just then, the Prime Demon who had just performed the decapitation suddenly stood still as if paralyzed by something. Molo was initially taken aback, then his face lit up with joy, Discover exclusive tales on empire ¡°So soon?¡± Before their eyes, the Prime Demon¡¯s body seemed to boil over as energy burst from somewhere within, tearing through flesh. Pain flickered in its eyes, and the next second, even its eyeballs burst. A bewildered Prime Demon attempted to take advantage of the chaos, but as soon as it got too close, its flesh appeared to dematerialize and was sucked towards that writhing mass of flesh, merging into one with it. This spectacle caused the other demons to keep their distance from the strange clump. For demons, there is no such thing as dying from a surge of power. This indicated that the Prime Demon had accumulated enough energy but lacked the technique to suppress it, hence it evolved right there on the battlefield. Chapter 72 - 72 - 67: The Ripper Chapter 72 ¨C 67: The Ripper The promotion process was quick, lasting only about ten seconds before it ended. From that writhing mass of flesh, a Coward Devil was born, its eyes full of confusion, and the soul-twisting pain it had just endured caused it to forget some things. But its fighting instinct was still intact. Faced with an incoming longsword, the newborn Coward Devil instinctively ducked down, grabbed the axe on the ground, and delivered an Upper Slash, embedding the axe blade accurately into the throat of the attacker.@@@@ ¡°Hahaha! What a beautiful strike!¡± Molo laughed proudly. The Arachne Elf and Minotaur at his side, however, turned an ashen hue, as if they had already resigned themselves to the likelihood of losing the bet. It seemed that the male Succubus¡¯s move had truly taken them by surprise. Witnessing the smug look on the male Succubus high on the platform, Lancelot felt a surge of annoyance. Why would Tigana tolerate this annoying creature? Was there something in Twin Bridges Town that made her susceptible to others¡¯ control? Or was it that Tigana was trying to avoid conflict with the Queen of the Succubus? Meanwhile, the slaughter in the arena had reached a fever pitch. In this free-for-all of Low Rank Demons, participants were dying continuously. The losers burst into stinking gases or turned into acidic clouds, but these were immediately dispersed by magically generated gusts of wind, allowing the audience to enjoy every angle of the bloody spectacle without dead angles. There were over a hundred Low Rank Demons thrown into the arena, including Prime Demons and Coward Devils, as well as a few Quasimodo Demons. These cunning creatures didn¡¯t opt for a head-on clash but instead used their ability to turn invisible at the first opportunity, hiding away until the moment was right to leap out from invisibility and deliver a finishing blow to a gravely wounded enemy, reaping the benefits like a fisherman watching for his catch. Nevertheless, these crafty little demons were quickly eradicated. Quasimodo Demons had an extremely vulnerable constitution, and even the lowest level Prime Demons could easily tear these ashy-grey little creatures in half. Their patience wasn¡¯t as good as they thought. Amidst the chaos, an invisible figure quietly slipped into the arena, unnoticed by all. As time passed, most of the Prime Demons had died, and a few particularly ferocious ones had completed their promotion. These Coward Devils, evolved from Prime Demons, were more proficient with weapons, and their combat strength was clearly a whole order of magnitude higher than their brethren. More importantly, they possessed a higher evil talent. Not only did they exhibit various cunning moves in combat, but they also tacitly avoided each other, choosing instead to pick on weaker prey. The Ripper held the broken body aloft and let out a wild roar, venting the pain that had utterly twisted its mind due to the upgrade process and the pleasure of having its killing desire satisfied. The response was the crazed cheering of the Demons in the spectator stands. This was what they wanted to see, each Demon with blood-red eyes as if they were on the field themselves, joyfully chopping off heads and tearing bodies apart. Bruto turned his head away, unable to stomach the bloody spectacle below, even though they were all despicable demons. Kalalin, too, was pale, but he did not avert his eyes and was briskly recording something in his notebook. As a Scholar studying the Abyss, confronting these horrific scenes was his job. Lancelot watched the fighting Demons expressionlessly. The eviscerating scenes no longer aroused fear in him. Rebellion (or rather, insurrection) was never a dinner party, and the bloodiest sights in war were actually the battlefields right after the fight, which he had seen too many times. The remaining few Coward Devils temporarily stopped fighting and gathered at the other end of the Arena. They all had various degrees of injuries, but none of these survivors were simple foes; almost all had just advanced from Prime Demons. The few Coward Devils clumsily communicated with each other in the Deep Language, word by word, and barely reached an agreement to deal with this four-armed fellow first. The Abyss Ripper was unfazed; it picked up several weapons of varying sizes from the ground around it, instantly turning into a makeshift six-armed Serpent Demon, looking quite impressive. ¡°Hahaha! See? The outcome is already clear,¡± Molo lay back on his soft bed, pulling the two Succubus Maids into his arms. His hands began to roam like two snakes, while the two Succubi obediently snuggled up to him. Tijana glanced at Molo¡¯s disgraceful behavior with a slight squint of her eyes, then turned her attention back to the situation in the arena. The Coward Devils might have reached an agreement to fight together, but they kept retreating in the face of the Ripper¡¯s terrifying presence. Were it not for the Arena being tightly enclosed, they would have scattered and run away. Suddenly, one of the Coward Devils felt something underfoot, tripped, and fell to the ground. It quickly tried to get up, only to discover a large gash on its foot that was exceptionally painful. It looked closely at what tripped it and found it to be just an ordinary-looking shortsword, but it emitted a coldness that made it very uncomfortable. Its little brain suddenly became curious about what it would feel like to plunge this coldness into an enemy¡¯s body. Chapter 73 - 73 - 68 Demons’ Instinct Chapter 73 ¨C 68 Demons¡¯ Instinct But at this critical moment of life and death, this Coward Devil certainly wouldn¡¯t ignore the weapon it felt was dangerous anymore. Other Coward Devils, too, either due to stumbling or being hit by flying objects they didn¡¯t see coming, took notice of the previously ignored Cold Iron Weapons. To the Demons in the stands, these desperate fellows were just trying to grasp at straws. They were all too familiar with such reactions, but they knew them to be destined for futile struggles. Some Dwarven Artisans secretly clenched their fists. They didn¡¯t understand why the Gladiators on the field had initially avoided the cold iron crafts, nor why they suddenly came to their senses, but the enemies they faced were too strong. Whether the performance of the Cold Iron Weapons was enough to compensate for the gap in strength, these Dwarven Artisans also had no confidence. ¡°Ah, such a headache, what should I do with those junk items from Twin Bridges Town?¡± Molo¡¯s annoying voice rang out again, ¡°I¡¯m afraid they can only be thrown into the furnace as scrap metal, to be turned into materials for the slaves.¡± Tijana didn¡¯t have the time to pay attention to him. Due to past experiences, this clown¡¯s only understanding of social interaction was humiliation. When the time was right, she would make this fool pay for all the offenses. She just hoped that when that day came, Molo wouldn¡¯t have died for some other reason beforehand. The Succubus Lord narrowed her eyes to slits, not wanting anyone to notice the magic glow flickering in them. Under True Sight, she saw a familiar figure sneaking around the arena with an axe, quietly placing it at the feet of the last Coward Devil that hadn¡¯t gotten a Cold Iron Weapon yet. She turned to look at the stands, where a Human Knight had his eyes closed tightly, seemingly unable to bear to watch the bloody scene below. The Succubus Lord revealed a sliver of a smile, then quickly flattened the corners of her mouth and looked back to the field. There, the Coward Devils were finally cornered by the Fillet Demons, with no way out. A slightly taller Coward Devil let out a roar with all its might, leading a few other Coward Devils into the fray. The Coward Devil holding a Nail-headed Hammer swung with all its might at the head of a Fillet Demon, only to hear a ¡¯clang¡¯ of metal striking metal, followed by a sharp pain in its stomach. The Fillet Demon effortlessly caught the Nail-headed Hammer with its strong upper limb, while the two arms on its stomach swiftly plunged the Dagger into the Coward Devil¡¯s belly. The sharp blade sketched left and right, spattering blood and pus all over the ground. In its mind, if it could just injure the opponent¡¯s axe-wielding wrist, it would be a great success. But the outcome far exceeded its expectations. The icy Sword Blade, like a scythe through stalks of wheat, effortlessly chopped off the palm that held the battle axe at the wrist. A spurt of blood jetted from the bare end of the limb; it staggered back, staring incredulously at its own wound, emitting a pained and angry scream. The Coward Devil was also startled; it gazed dumbfounded at the weapon in its hand, as if trying hard to comprehend what had just happened. The surrounding audience also noticed something was amiss, people began whispering to each other, discussing the scene that had just unfolded. The most dramatic reaction came from a certain arrogant Succubus Lord named Molo, whose mouth hung wide open in surprise at seeing his highly-regarded Warrior easily grievously wounded. ¡°Tijana! What kind of trickery is this!¡± the Succubus Lord shouted angrily, ¡°That sword is definitely not normal! You¡¯ve mixed such a powerful weapon in, did you want to create this accident? This Coward Devil was arranged by you beforehand, wasn¡¯t it!¡± ¡°Calm down, Molo,¡± Tijana¡¯s voice was unfluctuating, but inside she couldn¡¯t help secretly praising, well done. ¡°It¡¯s merely our new product, and there is more than one such weapon below. Anyone could have picked it up.¡± Molo wanted to say more, but the gasps of surprise from the stands redirected his attention back to the arena. The remaining three Coward Devils started charging the Abyssal Creature from different directions. Its foot, injured by the previous blow, had never recovered enough to move freely and now, with one precious upper limb disabled, this beast, which had the upper hand just moments before, suddenly became dangerously vulnerable. Its one remaining fully intact upper arm wildly swung the battle axe, causing another Coward Devil to halt its attack out of fear. The Abyssal Creature seized the momentary fear of its enemy, turned sharply and cleaved another Coward Devil to pieces. It had no time to deal with yet another opponent, but its instincts told it that accepting the attack of one Coward Devil in exchange for reducing the enemy¡¯s number from three to two was the best decision under the circumstances. But it had forgotten something; its instincts had been wrong several times today. Chapter 74 - 74 - 69: The Final Winner Chapter 74 ¨C 69: The Final Winner The excruciating pain in his back told him just how costly the price really was. The third Coward Devil, wielding a spear also made of cold iron, pierced it through the Eviscerator Demon¡¯s back as easily as sticking it into a sack filled with grain, almost penetrating him completely. Blood continued to pour out of the gruesome wound, and the Eviscerator Demon was now gravely injured. But the demon¡¯s ferocity erupted within it, turning its eyes blood red, as pain was momentarily blocked out, and a violent desire took control of its body. Dragging its injured leg, it lunged fiercely at the Coward Devil with the spear. The Coward Devil almost closed his eyes as he thrust the spear in his hand, which the Eviscerator Demon easily dodged, then raised its battle axe, cleaving the Coward Devil in two with one strike. Once more, a sharp pain came from its back as a longsword enlarged the hole in its flesh. Enraged, it swung its axe, turning around but hitting nothing. The last enemy was that cunning devil that had sliced off its palm. This sly Coward Devil did not choose to engage in melee combat but instead picked up a weapon from the ground and threw it. Its self-perceived cunning had cost it the best chance for a turnaround.@@@@ ¡°Charge! Kill it!¡± Atop the high platform, Molo shouted excitedly. Even though there had been some unexpected turns, it seemed that his warrior was about to claim the final victory. At that moment, the others were behaving differently: Kailon was whispering with a Fireburn Demon advisor by his side, discussing something in hushed tones; Pami and Kavalan seemed to relax a bit but then tensed up again immediately. Tigana noted everyone¡¯s reactions. The Eviscerator Demon in the arena also knew that victory was within its grasp, but it had to deal with the last enemy before its wounds brought it down. The Eviscerator Demon let out a thunderous roar and charged forward as if it was unhurt. The Coward Devil¡¯s sword stabbed into the Eviscerator Demon¡¯s abdomen, creating another terrible wound, but it did not slow the Eviscerator Demon¡¯s momentum, not in the slightest. It watched helplessly as the Eviscerator Demon¡¯s axe grew closer, and then it was suddenly flying, below was a headless body with a gaping hole where the shoulder should be. Lancelot reopened his eyes. Listening to the cheers around him and looking at that imposing guy in the arena, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and shake his head. ¡°Is that... Dingke?¡± Bruto couldn¡¯t believe his eyes as he looked at the Quasimodo Demon in the arena; he had some recollection of this fellow and knew it was Lancelot¡¯s subordinate. This made the young Dwarf quite certain that there must be Lancelot¡¯s handiwork behind the shocking turnaround below, otherwise, he would be a gnome without a beard! He guessed it spot on. As soon as Lancelot realized something was wrong, he had ordered Dingke to infiltrate the arena invisibly. The Quasimodo Demon was reluctant, but firstly, its Demon Essence was in Lancelot¡¯s hands¡ªdefiance had no good outcome; and secondly, after receiving its master¡¯s ¡¯reward¡¯ last time, its strength was much greater than that of a common Quasimodo Demon, so fighting against a bunch of stupid Coward Devils might not necessarily mean a loss, and it obediently entered the arena. The attention of the audience was focused on the fight, and those with strong perception abilities didn¡¯t notice a little one sneaking into the arena. What was even more unexpected was that the master didn¡¯t urge it to fight at once but just let it remain invisible and move a few weapons, or throw something out with a harmless force. As long as it didn¡¯t launch an attack or use a spell, the Quasimodo Demon¡¯s invisibility wouldn¡¯t be dispelled, allowing it to remain undetected. An important reason it could execute Lancelot¡¯s orders well was that after being promoted to Elite Level, Dingke¡¯s confidence greatly increased along with its strength, completely shedding the usual panic-prone personality of ordinary Quasimodo Demons. The reason Lancelot sent Dingke into the arena was simple. Seeing the weapons the craftsmen threw into the arena, it wasn¡¯t hard for Lancelot to guess that Tijana wanted to showcase the power of the Cold Iron Weapons, but these foolish Low Rank Demons were instinctively avoiding the real protagonist of this gladiator fight, and he could not sit idly by, especially since Cold Iron Weapons were also something they had been pushing for. Another reason was, he found the male Succubus particularly annoying. Lancelot knew that with his current strength, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance in a head-on confrontation, so he couldn¡¯t pass up an opportunity to outsmart him. Dingke, from the nearest position, had watched the public debut of the Cold Iron Weapon and immediately realized the magic of this discomforting weapon. So when Lancelot finally issued the command to attack, the hand holding the sword had only a slight tremble from excitement, as he thrust it precisely and fiercely through the Fireburn Demon¡¯s heart. Tijana laughed lightly and flew up into the air, pressing down with both hands, and the scene immediately quieted down. ¡°Quasimodo Demon Dingke!¡± the Succubus Lord¡¯s clear and authoritative voice rang out, ¡°As the final victor, what reward do you desire?¡± ¡°I do not need the reward for advancement; the glory of victory belongs to you!¡± Dingke shouted the words it had thought through beforehand. It always remembered the aura Lancelot had shown when it was threatened at the beginning, and the energy when it was empowered later confirmed even more that Lancelot was some kind of formidable being. Therefore, it had long decided to cling tightly to the coattails of its master, Lancelot, as perhaps advancing to another form wouldn¡¯t be as useful to the master as a Quasimodo Demon. Chapter 75 - 75 - 70 Concealing Strength Chapter 75 ¨C 70 Concealing Strength ¡°This is indeed a rare sight,¡± Tigana cocked her head in the direction of Lancelot, who shrugged at her. ¡°In that case, I shall grant you some power.¡± A red glow gathered in Tigana¡¯s hands and then submerged into Dingke¡¯s body. The Quasimodo Demon collapsed to the ground with a scream of agony. Its muscles trembled violently as if they were cramping, but it did not experience the skin-tearing, bone-piercing pain it had when Lancelot had ¡¯bestowed¡¯ his ¡¯gift¡¯. Lancelot felt intense pain through the mental link, but it was within a tolerable range. After a few moments, Dingke stood up again. From a distance, it still looked like a Quasimodo Demon, but up close one could see it now stood over six feet tall, twice the height of a normal Quasimodo Demon. Its bulging muscles and the pair of majestic horns on its head set it apart as something extraordinary. It knelt respectfully before Tigana, demonstrating its subservience. ¡°I bestow upon you the title of ¡¯Warrior¡¯,¡± Tigana announced loudly, ¡°Every resident of this town must show you respect.¡± ¡°Dingke! Dingke! Dingke!¡± The crowd cheered loudly, applauding the daring, greedy, and cunning Quasimodo Demon; of course, those traits were considered commendable for Demons. Furthermore, the town¡¯s Demons held feelings for their Lord that extended beyond fear; they were quite pleased to see the male Succubus humiliated. ¡°Alright, lads, you¡¯ve had your fun, now scram,¡± Tigana waved her hand, signaling the end of the contest. At this point, Tigana gestured directly at Lancelot, beckoning him with a clear implication to come to her. Lancelot stood up reluctantly and, after giving a few instructions to Bruto and Kalalin, made his way alone towards the high platform. Juggling swords before a group of High Rank Demons? He did not like this idea one bit. But Tigana was right; sending Barrend or any other Dwarven Artisan would be even less appropriate. And with her there, he shouldn¡¯t encounter too much danger. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Atop the high platform. ¡°So what kind of weapon is that, exactly?¡± As soon as Tijana landed back on the ground, the impatient Arachne Elf Kavalan closed in to ask. ¡°It¡¯s Cold Iron, a type of metal particularly effective against Elven kind,¡± Kailon, who had been rather quiet before, answered for Tijana with great certainty. ¡°Even the treasury of my father has weapons made from this metal. ¡¯King of the Frost Giants,¡¯ Kostcheqi¡¯s famous warhammer, is also made of Cold Iron.¡± ¡°Hmph, even if that¡¯s true, they are surely rare and exorbitantly priced,¡± the Demonic male Molo said disdainfully. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about Wisk, how could he possibly die at the hands of that dumb ox and spider? The treasures from his vault must have gone into the pockets of those filthy assassins by now.¡± ¡°You?!¡± The spider shouted in anger, raising its sharp front claws threateningly, yet it dared not take any further action, while the Bull Demon Pami kept silent, pretending as if it didn¡¯t exist. Tijana didn¡¯t even glance at them. All Neutral Towns were hubs of information; if those two managed to remember the route this time, that was already an achievement. There would be plenty of opportunities for business in the future. ¡°What do you mean ¡¯you¡¯! Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t see that you intended to deliberately lose to me,¡± Molo sneered. ¡°But Tijana, since these guys are broke anyway, why not give them all to me? I do know some real big shots, you know.¡± ¡°Twin Bridges Town can manufacture 300 such weapons every month,¡± Tijana said nonchalantly, showing Molo a mocking smile. Having recognized the immense power of Cold Iron Weapons, Tijana naturally prioritized rearming her own forces first. Succubi aren¡¯t like Dragons; they don¡¯t enjoy sleeping on piles of gold. What they need is the power to achieve their goals, and wealth is just one of the means to garner that power. ¡°This... this is impossible!¡± Molo went pale at the number, then as if something occurred to him, he blurted out, ¡°I get it, they must all be shoddily made imitations, you can¡¯t fool me!¡± ¡°They might probably look a bit shabby compared to your group of Gold Toad Fighters,¡± Tijana scoffed. She saw that her Berserk Demons had gathered the weapons in the arena, piling them up together. With a wave of her hand, the large mass of metal was instantly teleported in front of everyone. ¡°If you¡¯re interested, have a look for yourself.¡± Chapter 76 - 76 - 71 The Unscrupulous Middleman Chapter 76 ¨C 71 The Unscrupulous Middleman Before Tijana could finish, Molo was the first to dart forward, with the others soon crowding around the pile of weapons that had just been used. Kailon accurately pulled a longsword made of cold iron from the heap of metal. He immediately noticed the poor craftsmanship of the sword, but that didn¡¯t stop the weapon in his hand from giving him a sense of danger. He carefully drew the sword blade across his own arm, easily leaving a trail of blood on his skin. On the other side, a male succubus was rummaging through the pile with an ashen face. He had to admit one fact, Twin Bridges Town could indeed mass-produce cold iron weapons, but he still stubbornly said, ¡°Hmph, just as I thought, a bunch of trash. You have the nerve to trade these disposable weapons?¡± ¡°As long as someone is willing to pay the right price,¡± Tijana said with a smile, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Prince Kailon?¡± ¡°As long as the price is right, Volcano Fortress will take as many of these weapons as there are,¡± Kailon nodded in agreement, ¡°But what I¡¯m curious about is, is this really the limit of that famous blacksmith district in Twin Bridges Town?¡± ¡°Oh no, of course not.¡± Tijana cocked her head to one side, ¡°Sonam, your order has arrived.¡± Lancelot came over carrying six swords. You know the saying, don¡¯t show off your wealth; he certainly didn¡¯t want to be pulling things out of his Dimensional Bag one by one in front of a group of high-ranking demons. Tijana took an extra look at Lancelot, surprised; she noticed right away that something was off about the Human Knight. The feeling he gave her now was different, he had become very inconspicuous, others would probably ignore him involuntarily. What an interesting fellow. Six-armed Serpent Demon Sonam excitedly approached Lancelot. This was the first time Lancelot had seen how a serpent demon moved, the image of that massive snake body undulating forward on the ground was enough to invoke humans¡¯ most primal fear. For a long time, the rules of the game here had been established around Twin Bridges Town: nearby forces must continuously pay up to buy weapons from Twin Bridges Town, otherwise, they will be swallowed up by other forces with better equipment. In the end, it created a strange situation: if Twin Bridges Town did not exist, it seemed like the distribution of nearby forces would not change at all, the only difference being that they would no longer have to pay a hefty ¡¯protection fee.¡¯ ¡°The dwarf blacksmiths of Twin Bridges Town truly live up to their reputation,¡± Kailon was the first to speak, ¡°What would be the price for purchasing a weapon of this quality?¡± ¡°Ten thousand gold coins without enchants, or equivalent goods,¡± Tijana shrugged, ¡°I have no plans for mass production of this weapon; each piece has to be custom-made. Special requests can also be made, but of course, the price is additional.¡± Lancelot heard the number Tijana quoted, he almost couldn¡¯t keep a straight face. So expensive, outrageously expensive! He suddenly felt that the fifteen thousand gold coins he had just earned were quite pointless, not even paid upfront but deducted in installments. No wonder numerous dwarfs grind their teeth whenever they mention her; he now also felt a slight shift in his image of Tijana. The Succubus Lord sneakily glanced at the Human Knight, but quickly averted her gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll place an order for ten right now, just like this one,¡± Kailon said as he handed over the longsword and a deep purple crystal to Lancelot, ¡°This is the soul of a Fallen noble, it should suffice to cover the payment. There¡¯s no need to be surprised by the evil power it contains; this fellow ate a boy¡¯s heart every week to maintain his vigor in bed.¡± Even without Kailon¡¯s description, Lancelot could feel the intense discomfort the soul crystal in his hand brought him. He handed the soul crystal to Tijana, who merely glanced at it before tossing it into a dimensional bag. ¡°You can come to collect the goods in three months, but the value of this soul crystal is more than a hundred thousand gold coins,¡± the Succubus Lord was not planning to take this advantage, ¡°For the excess, what would you like?¡± ¡°Just consider it a personal gift from me to show my good will,¡± Kailon shrugged nonchalantly, ¡°Now, let¡¯s discuss something truly meaningful.¡± He walked over to the pile of metal, accurately pulling out longswords, nail-headed hammers, flails, spears, and battle axes made of cold iron. ¡°Perhaps the Lord of Oasis Fort thinks these are all rubbish, but I¡¯m not that foolish,¡± he said with contempt as he glanced at the male succubus, ¡°Please feel free to name your price.¡± Chapter 77 - 77 - 72 Monkey See, Monkey Do Chapter 77 ¨C 72 Monkey See, Monkey Do ¡°Each for a thousand Gold Coins,¡± Tijana stated the price directly. ¡°So expensive!¡± Kailon had yet to speak when Molo couldn¡¯t help but exclaim from the side, ¡°Those ordinary weapons used to only cost three hundred!¡± ¡°You won¡¯t find cold iron products anywhere else.¡± Kalon clapped his hands decisively, ¡°How much stock do you have now? We¡¯ll take it all.¡± Standing to the side, Lancelot felt speechless inside. What is called a windfall, he truly experienced today. Those cold iron weapons of such quality could be produced two or three a day by that kid Bruto, and Tijana was asking for a thousand Gold Coins each, while the other party readily agreed. ¡°Not much, just about two hundred pieces left, you can take them all if you want, same price,¡± she responded. ¡°Tijana!¡± Molo¡¯s dissatisfied roar erupted, ¡°The rule is that all surrounding forces get a share, do you want to defy the treaty recognized by the Wind Demon King?¡±@@@@ ¡°That foolish ceasefire agreement does say that, but what¡¯s being divided is the output for the coming three months, these are merely some trial production samples.¡± Tijana leaned back comfortably in her throne, calmly watching the male Succubus, ¡°If you¡¯re willing to pay, naturally you¡¯ll have your share.¡± Lancelot keenly seized on the term ¡¯ceasefire agreement¡¯, it seemed that Twin Bridges Town was still under some constraints; of course, it could also be indirectly protected by that agreement. ¡°As for you two,¡± Tijana turned her head to look at the Giant Bull Demon and the Arachne Elf, ¡°Have you seen enough? If so, then give them back to dear Sonam. You have the right to divide the one-third production originally belonging to Wisk evenly. I¡¯ll give you three days to think it over. Come over with the money after three days, otherwise, your share for these three months will belong to Volcano Fortress.¡± Without a word, Pami and Kavalan handed the cold iron longsword they were holding to Lancelot, who then passed it to the increasingly anxious Sonam. ¡°Think it over,¡± Tijana said without another glance at the two who had been revealed as paupers, and with an impatient tone, she addressed Molo, ¡°So what¡¯s your decision? I assume you don¡¯t have financial problems. Leave three hundred thousand Gold Coins, or you won¡¯t get a share this time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush me, Tijana,¡± Molo¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°You don¡¯t think a few Coward Devils holding this thing and killing a Berserk Demon is enough, do you?¡± Here we go, Lancelot thought. ¡°I I I... I want one this big, make sure you look closely,¡± Lancelot stuttered all of a sudden, shaking the mountain crystal, ¡°A big gemstone for a big toad.¡± ¡°What are you up to?¡± Tijana¡¯s voice rang directly in her head, a telepathic ability many middle-rank and above Demons possessed. ¡°I¡¯m just asking, didn¡¯t think he¡¯d actually have one,¡± Lancelot didn¡¯t have the ability to telepath, but he did know a small Dharma Method from the Spiritual Cultivators that allowed him to send his words directly into the target¡¯s ears, unheard by others. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can still handle a Berserk Demon.¡± ¡°You, do you not have enough fun just remote controlling a Quasimodo Demon?¡± Tijana too was startled by his skill of speaking as if right next to her ear, but showed no sign of it, ¡°No matter what strength you¡¯re hiding, don¡¯t even think about making a move on Molo. He¡¯s not something you can handle, and I can¡¯t let him die here; this fool is more useful alive than dead.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Lancelot replied, succinct and to the point. Molo quickly assigned a strong Berserk Demon to come forward, but Lancelot still stood in place, not moving an inch. ¡°What are you waiting for?!¡± Molo bellowed in rage, ¡°Get up here and face your death!¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t paid yet,¡± Lancelot rolled his eyes. He suddenly began to understand what Tijana meant; if he were the Lord of Twin Bridges Town, he too would hope the leaders of the surrounding forces were such fools. The male Succubus furiously tossed a mountain crystal at him, which Lancelot caught and then exaggeratedly tumbled several times across the ground, as if the throw had been so powerful he couldn¡¯t catch it properly. ¡°Showy,¡± Tijana¡¯s voice echoed in his mind, ¡°Anyone smarter than a rock could tell you¡¯re playing him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just getting into character, heh heh,¡± Lancelot dusted off his clothes and got up, bowing his head to check the mountain crystal in his hand. The quality of an Upper Grade Spirit Stone, filled with abundant Spiritual Energy, merely holding it caused a resonance with the Spiritual Energy inside him, as though with just a thought, the Spiritual Energy within would surge into his body. Although such gems were rather rare, their sole purpose in this universe was to be crushed into powder during the forging of weapons to provide energy for enchanting Runes, so they were not expensive. However, with this one included, Lancelot only had seventeen gemstones that could be considered Upper Grade Spirit Stones, still far from the one hundred he needed for his Foundation Establishment. ¡°Strike now, tear him to pieces!¡± Molo¡¯s roar erupted. Along with his roar, the Berserk Demon clad in Golden Armor charged fiercely toward Lancelot. Chapter 78 - 78 - 787 Not Ready Yet Chapter 78 ¨C 787 Not Ready Yet All the toxic snakes on Medusa¡¯s scalp bit into that hand, injecting their venom into the tender flesh; yet, the pale hand remained unshaken, firmly covering the eyes of the snake-haired gorgon. Lancelot charged to Medusa¡¯s front within the span of two heartbeats. When he stopped, his sword tip had already pierced her chest, followed by a horizontal slash that completely severed the gorgon¡¯s spine. The snakes instantly lost their vitality, slipping off like dehydrated octopus tentacles and leaving several round bite marks on the arm belonging to the vampire. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Lancelot kicked the headless corpse aside and steadied the young girl by her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I really need to rest now,¡± little Isa weakly smiled at Lancelot, ¡°I thought I was immune to the toxins...¡± ¡°You did great just now,¡± Lancelot said as he removed a dimensional bag from his belt, ¡°Get a good sleep, and leave the rest to us.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± The vampire girl turned into a wisp of smoke and then drifted into the human knight¡¯s dimensional bag. This dimensional bag contained a small wooden box belonging to her. When she was killed by a vampire, her body was placed inside it, and it was in that wooden box she awakened as a vampire. Thus, the box was her coffin, and wherever it was, there was her grave.@@@@ All vampires were bound to their grave soil; they had to return to their coffins, crypts, or graveyards daily to rest, or else they would quickly weaken, much like sleep-deprived mortals. However, at the same time, they could also restore their life and strength by resting in their place of death. Isa, bitten by the toxic snakes in Medusa¡¯s hair, could not be effectively healed by the elf priest¡¯s divine arts, so she needed to heal her wounds this way. Unlike the damage caused by toxins, Medusa¡¯s petrifying gaze was a form of spell-like ability that did not directly harm the life of the target. Isa had stopped the petrification from taking effect the moment she transformed into her gaseous form. Once she reformed in the box, she immediately realized this and informed Lancelot through a mental link, asking to join the fight again. However, the human knight asked her to wait a bit longer, as he had a better idea. Lancelot immediately placed his hand on the hilt of his Longsword and intentionally made the sword blade rub against the floor¡ªa warning to the newcomers as well as a reminder to his mates. Hearing the sound, everyone quickly turned around, raised their weapons and Shields, and prepared for battle. Even Barrend picked up a broken golem¡¯s leg from the ground¡ªDwarfs had no taboo, and the knee end proved a suitable Hardhead Hammer. ¡°Did you kill the Madam?¡± The Elf peered at Lancelot, then at the headless female corpse on the ground, and her snake-haired, mop-like head lay dozens of feet away, ¡°Just you guys?¡± ¡°What, you wanted to capture one alive?¡± Bruto replied mockingly, ¡°You should know that¡¯s impossible, right?¡± ¡°No, just didn¡¯t expect the famous Madam could be defeated by you all,¡± the Elf shook his head solemnly, ¡°How did you do it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business,¡± Lancelot responded coldly, ¡°Now, we want to leave. Are you planning to stop us?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± The Elf stepped aside, pointing to Tiflin, ¡°You saved Tory¡¯s life and helped us take down the most dangerous enemy... Thank you very much.¡± ¡°She captured someone she shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Lancelot shrugged and walked towards the exit stairs, ¡°When we came knocking, she shouldn¡¯t have expected any less.¡± ¡°We all saw what happens as a result,¡± the Elf nodded, but as Lancelot passed by, he suddenly spoke up, ¡°Wait a minute.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I think this belongs to you.¡± The Elf picked up a longbow next to the female corpse and handed it to Lancelot, ¡°By the way, my name is Soveris Nightwind. It¡¯s clear you all are outsiders. I suggest you leave this city immediately. If you need help, you can find me most nights, except nights like tonight, at the Wolfhead Tavern in Raventown to the east,¡± he said. Chapter 79 - 79 - 73: Cold Iron Shows Its Power Chapter 79 ¨C 73: Cold Iron Shows Its Power Lancelot seemed to react only at the last moment, suddenly jumping to the side and crashing into the pile of weapons. Instantly, all sorts of weapons clanged and scattered across the ground. ¡°You-you-don¡¯t come any closer! Weren¡¯t you going to see the effect of the Cold Iron Weapon? I haven¡¯t even picked up a weapon yet!¡± Lancelot shouted in a panicked tone, swiftly climbing to his feet with a very ordinary Cold Iron Longsword now in his hand. The Berserk Demon, having lunged at empty air, slowly came to his senses. This creature, clad in Golden Chainmail and wielding a Golden Scepter, was as garish as a giant toad, almost as much as those bald Cultivators in their Monastery with their venerated icons.@@@@ This Molo seems to be really wealthy, I¡¯d better play out this act in full. Lancelot retreated step by step, seemingly terrified. The Berserk Demon, upon seeing this, revealed a sinister smile. All Demons were intimately familiar with fear, the very bridge that maintained the order of Demon society, something they endured every day and couldn¡¯t wait to inflict on others. When your enemies are afraid, fearful, and faltering, no matter their original strength, killing them becomes a simple task. ¡°If you want to make it more convincing, you should have a faster heartbeat, constricted pupils, and secrete an unpleasant sweat,¡± Tijana¡¯s teasing voice echoed in Lancelot¡¯s mind, ¡°This trick might fool only a stupid fellow like the Berserk Demon.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t got that ability,¡± Lancelot replied without a change in his voice, though the expression of fear on his face exaggerated a tad more. He continued to back away and then suddenly, as if tripped by the messy weapons on the ground, he appeared to fall backward. ¡°Die!!!¡± The Berserk Demon roared angrily and lunged at Lancelot with increased speed. Lancelot¡¯s rear end landed perfectly on the upturned butt of a spear, the point of which flicked upwards like a cobra, penetrating the wide-open mouth of the Berserk Demon and exiting through the back of its skull. It wasn¡¯t even a Cold Iron Long Spear, but it was enough to kill the Berserk Demon before it could comprehend what had happened. ¡°My God!¡± Only then did Lancelot move his firm rear end, stabbing the Longsword into the heart of the Berserk Demon. He pulled the sword out from the chest of the now lifeless toad-like creature, and with an utterly ecstatic expression, exclaimed, ¡°Hahaha! The Goddess of Luck, Tamara, must have smiled at me just now; my luck is just too good!¡± In this strike, he had not used any True Qi nor had he exerted much physical strength; it was solely the restraining effect of cold iron on demons. This way, he could avoid revealing his own strength while also demonstrating the effectiveness of cold iron, killing two birds with one stone. The Berserk Demon howled in pain, but such an injury was far from fatal. The pain stimulated its nerves, causing its eyes to slowly turn red as rationality was gradually overtaken by a berserk desire. It stamped its foot, shaking off the toes still attached to flesh and skin, then charged at Lancelot again. This time, Lancelot didn¡¯t dodge, swinging his longsword to meet the Berserk Demon¡¯s onslaught head-on. Although many believe that Berserk Demons are favored by High Rank Demons as a staple in the Demon Lords¡¯ armies due to their simplicity and manipulability, there are many types of demons with low intelligence. The combat prowess of Berserk Demons is certainly top-tier among Middle Rank Demons. Moreover, with their tremendous strength, it was challenging for Lancelot to contend with them while intentionally suppressing his own power. The longsword and scepter collided incessantly, with Lancelot¡¯s weapon always knocked away upon contact, seemingly completely overpowered. However, he skillfully avoided every attack and still found time to lightly slash the Berserk Demon¡¯s arms and thighs. Under normal circumstances, such minor attacks wouldn¡¯t harm the Berserk Demon at all, but the miraculous properties of the cold iron made the crudely made blade edge as sharp as the finest razor, causing horrific wounds with a mere graze and the cold aura contained within also prevented the wounds from healing. Before long, the Berserk Demon was drenched in blood, despite the fact that these were only superficial wounds. Aside from Molo, the other demon representatives and their attendants began whispering among themselves. Lancelot had achieved his goal; he made it all seem like the merit of the cold iron weapon. The earlier gladiatorial match wasn¡¯t clear enough, and the combatants were of too low a level. The battle at hand possessed better reference value because these relatively inferior cold iron weapons were designed for use against enemies at the Berserk Demon¡¯s level of strength. Though none of the wounds on its body were fatal, their inability to heal caused the accumulated pain to eventually reach a threshold. Suddenly, the Berserk Demon roared in rage, casting aside its scepter and attacking Lancelot with its claws. Chapter 80 - 80 - 74: Rolled Blade Chapter 80 ¨C 74: Rolled Blade The Berserk Demon that used its claws was much faster than when it wielded a weapon, and Lancelot was unable to dodge in time, only able to swing his sword toward the demon¡¯s claws. At the moment of collision, Lancelot¡¯s wrist twisted slightly, rotating the longsword in his hand half a turn, so that what met the toad-like claws was the sword blade instead of the back. There was a squelch as all four fingers of the Berserk Demon¡¯s right claw were severed. But Lancelot didn¡¯t pause, his longsword drawing a half-circle in the air, cleanly severing the wrist of the other claw that the demon swung at him. However, the Berserk Demon had already entered a Berserk State; its limbs didn¡¯t stop for a second despite the horrendous injury and struck Lancelot solidly, sending the Human Knight flying. Lancelot rolled to his feet from the ground. Although he looked quite disheveled, the claw-less Berserk Demon was clearly more wounded than he was. ¡°Tijana will need to expand her treasury,¡± Kailon whispered to a Fireburn Demon beside him, whose eyes were fixed on the weapon in Lancelot¡¯s hand and silently nodded in agreement. ¡°Quick! Kill him for me!¡± Molo shouted from the side. Hatred and humiliation had completely taken over his reason, and although Lancelot had demonstrated the effectiveness of the Cold Iron Weapon in a very persuasive way, the male Succubus now equated killing Lancelot with preserving his own dignity. Lancelot performed a flourish with his sword, regaining his stance. However, when the weapon cut through the air, the wind resistance made him sense something wrong. He looked down to see that his longsword had started to roll at the edge, which likely meant a reduced effectiveness. This quality is truly a shoddy product, Lancelot thought to himself. No wonder Barrend was so resistant to the idea of mass production. If he were in his place, he certainly wouldn¡¯t want anything to do with something that rolls its edge after two uses. The Berserk Demon¡¯s eyes, once golden, were now completely overtaken by blood red. In its Berserk State, all it wanted was to rip its enemy to shreds. Claws unusable? No problem, as long as it could grapple the guy, its mouth full of sharp teeth could bite off his head in one gulp! The giant toad leaped at Lancelot again, its clawless arms wide open, set on enclosing Lancelot in a tight embrace. Lancelot once again used a half-turn maneuver. However, without the threat of sharp claws, he started his move later and got even closer to his enemy.@@@@ ¡°Clap, clap, clap, clap.¡± Timely applause broke the silence in the air. The one clapping was Kailon, the six-fingered prince. Raised in the famous Silver Palace of Zerata, he had witnessed all manner of battles and slaughter, but the one he just saw could rank in the top ten for its splendidness. The skill displayed by this Human was unmatched in brilliance, lacking only in strength, but no matter, the Demons had ways to grant mortals power. However, he glanced at the beautiful figure on the throne, realizing the likelihood of taking this male under his wing was slim; after all, he didn¡¯t have a face that turned all heads, or 36F pectoral muscles, nor would he likely strut about in a thong daily. ¡°What a splendid battle. This Warrior, I wonder now...¡± Kailon still spoke up. Tijana had said this man was a mercenary, meaning that as long as the price was right, it wasn¡¯t impossible to employ him. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Lancelot suddenly let out a violent cough, quickly covering his mouth with his hand. Under the astonished gazes of others, he slowly removed his hand, and everyone could see a deep red in his palm, as if he had suffered a severe internal injury. ¡°Ahahaha!¡± Inappropriate laughter echoed; Lancelot turned his head in dissatisfaction to look at Tijana¡ªwhat are you doing, laughing at this juncture! Tijana returned his gaze expressionlessly; the laughter had arisen inside his own head. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Lancelot quickly wiped his hand on the front of his breastplate, leaving a conspicuous red stain. ¡°I can still fight! Lord Molo, do you have any more mountain crystals?¡± ¡°Yes! Loads of them!¡± Molo laughed angrily, tossing out three Upper Grade Spirit Stones worth of mountain crystals while bellowing arrogantly, ¡°How about bringing several at a time, would that work?¡± Chapter 81 - 81 - 75: Old Tricks Repeated Chapter 81 ¨C 75: Old Tricks Repeated ¡°Only one at a time!¡± Lancelot pulled another Cold Iron Longsword from the pile of weapons on the ground and conveniently picked up a Shield, ¡°Taking on two at once, the price doubles! You need to add another large gemstone!¡± ¡°Here you go!¡± Molo was already driven mad with rage, the Human Knight had just coughed up blood, and now with two attacking him together, they were determined to butcher this detestable fellow! ¡°Thanks!¡± Lancelot stuck the sword into the ground and reached out to catch the fourth mountain crystal thrown his way. Two Berserk Demons were already charging at him, Lancelot holding the Shield, unwaveringly met them head-on. The three bodies, sprinting at high speed, were about to collide, the two Berserk Demons¡¯ Scepters raised high above their heads, ready to smash down, but Lancelot suddenly came to a ghostly abrupt halt, catching the enemies off guard, their swings missing and striking the air. Everyone¡¯s jaws dropped, Lancelot¡¯s sudden halt was indeed impressive, but what was most crucial was the charge he had mounted was so overwhelmingly fierce, it deceived everyone. Lancelot still did not want to reveal his real strength, but since he had to fleece Molo, the fat sheep, today, he inevitably had to show some skills. He had set himself up to be a master swordsman with advanced techniques, fitting the profile of a self-important Blood War Mercenary who had come to the Abyss, while at the same time concealing the inconceivable power he possessed as a Spiritual Cultivator. A fac?ade embedded with truth, and behind that truth lay another truth, Lancelot himself did not know if he could deceive everyone, but so long as he did not resort to using techniques like the Gathering Qi Slash, no one else, including Tijana, could possibly guess his real situation. Besides, to deal with Berserk Demons, who possess sheer brute strength, relying on movement techniques and skills alone was enough. In the moment the Berserk Demons missed their strike, Lancelot, already tensed like a spring, charged out once again. The two Berserk Demons, who had no time to retract their weapons, were wide open, and the Human Knight thrust out a sword cleanly and accurately into the gap of the armor over the right opponent¡¯s chest, then with a twist of his wrist, he pulverized its heart. ¡°What are you waiting for! Charge now! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll send Dagarin next, and once we get back to Oasis Fort, I¡¯ll flay your hide and throw you into the snake pit to feed Bashila! You know it has a taste for skinless Berserk Demons!¡± The accumulation of pain from the wounds and the fear of Molo finally forced the Berserk Demon to take action. It knew it had no other choice and had to go all out. So, it let go of its mind, allowing the deep-seated, impatient desire to kill that was ingrained in its bones to take over control of its body. The Berserk Demon let out a thunderous roar as it swung its scepter at three times the speed from before, knocking away all incoming weapons. Then, with its powerful hind legs kicking off the ground, it charged at Lancelot like a cannonball. However, all the High Rank Demons present foresaw the outcome for this Berserk Demon, except for Molo, who was standing directly in front of Lancelot. The spectators clearly saw that while Lancelot had turned his back to gather the throwing weapons, he had casually hidden a long spear behind him. The butt of the long spear was firmly planted in the pile of weapons, with the cold iron spearhead almost touching the Human Knight¡¯s back. Lancelot¡¯s movement wasn¡¯t concealed; anyone standing slightly to his side would easily notice this simple trap, but the enemy in front of him was completely obscured by his figure. As expected, the bold and skilled Human Knight dodged to the side at the last moment with a ghostly movement technique, revealing the chilling gleam of the spearhead behind him. The charging Berserk Demon had no chance to react and ran straight into it. Under its own terrifying momentum, the gold armor provided almost no resistance to the spearhead. The long spear pierced straight through the body of the Berserk Demon, exiting its back, making it look like a frog skewered by a fishing harpoon. Its roar turned into a wail, but was quickly silenced. Lancelot, holding his nose, pulled out the longsword that was planted in the ground and stabbed it through the heart of the Berserk Demon from behind. He shook the sword to dismiss the heavy stench in the air and shrugged his shoulders to the surrounding spectators. ¡°The old tricks always work.¡± Chapter 82 - 82 - 76: Big Business Chapter 82 ¨C 76: Big Business ¡°Damn it!!!¡± Molo let out an angry roar, his figure flashed, and he rushed towards Lancelot like lightning. ¡°Enough!¡± Tijana intervened, her wings suddenly shooting up, her eyes emitting a strong magic light. She employed her ability to cast spells instantaneously, and a large, thick, and sticky white spider web appeared out of nowhere, into which the furiously charging male succubus slammed head-first, becoming entangled and unable to move. ¡°Tijana! Let me go!¡± Molo yelled from within the web, ¡°Are you planning to lay a hand on me?¡± ¡°Perhaps, but not now. You¡¯d better calm down and look at yourself,¡± Tijana answered in a threatening tone, ¡°Do I need to remind you whose territory this is? You are just a customer who wanted to see the performance of the weapons you intend to buy in actual combat, and I have obliged you. If you have any complaints, it¡¯s best not to vent your anger on my subordinates.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± The male succubus, reminded thus, realized his own impropriety. He looked around only to see the Minotaur, the Arachne Elf, and the six-fingered Prince all watching him with a particularly peculiar gaze. It was a gaze he was all too familiar with, one that contained mockery, contempt, and schadenfreude¡ªit was the same look he had faced almost incessantly when he was a low-rank lieutenant under the Queen of the Succubus, Mekanshut. When he could no longer endure and killed a Zoel Elf who enjoyed tormenting him and was also a plaything of the Queen of the Succubus, nobody looked at him with that gaze anymore. His act of murder was witnessed by the Queen of the Succubus herself; perhaps she construed it as a lover¡¯s quarrel between two male pets, which exceedingly excited her lascivious nature. As Molo plunged the dagger into the heart of that Zoel Elf, the Queen of the Succubus appeared beside him, between her legs as wet as a beer barrel stabbed with a blade. For the following three hours, he used all his craft, even burning away most of his Demon Essence, to successfully sate the Queen of the Succubus¡¯s insatiable desire, if only slightly. Although Mekanshut quickly lost interest in him, Molo had succeeded in earning the appreciation of the Queen of the Succubus. He gained a low-level noble title, was appointed as an Official on Special Assignment to the Plains of the Abyss, responsible for establishing an outpost, collecting gold, treasures, and any valuable information for the Queen of the Succubus. Due to its proximity to Twin Bridges Town, this small outpost quickly flourished into a very wealthy town, and his status rose with its fortunes. He had nearly forgotten his humble origins and sordid past until he saw that gaze again¡ªafter all, it seemed to penetrate through his pathetic adornments, reminding him of exactly what kind of creature he was. ¡°That¡¯s not a small amount either, and there are also ordinary iron weapons. What about their prices?¡± ¡°As before, Twin Bridges Town¡¯s production capacity is 3000 military melee weapons per month, uniformly priced at 300 Gold Coins each.¡± ¡°That means, I now owe you...¡± Kailon paused, wincing at the number he was about to reveal, ¡°1.5 million Gold Coins.¡± Tijana said nothing, just watching him with her bright, sparkling eyes. Lancelot silently cursed to himself on the side; it really was a huge business deal. ¡°Can I get a discount?¡± the Prince with six fingers could not control the twitching of his facial muscles. Tijana answered him with silence. Kailon helplessly exchanged glances with his Fireburn Demon attendants, who gave him a slight nod. ¡°So be it, then. As for the payment method...¡± ¡°Same as before, grain or minerals are fine, and the exchange rate hasn¡¯t changed; we¡¯ll trade money for goods on the spot,¡± Tijana sat up straight, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something useful. How¡¯s the front line looking?¡± ¡°I am not the one suited to answer this question.¡± Kailon turned his body to the side, pointing to a Fireburn Demon attendant, ¡°Surely, you are already quite familiar with Felbank, Supreme Commander Visuvius¡¯s chief of staff.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard much about you,¡± Tijana nodded her head, ¡°It¡¯s said that Destruction Flame trusts you greatly.¡± ¡°An honor to meet you, the Pearl of Twin Bridges Town,¡± the Fireburn Demon¡¯s flames seemed to burn even more vigorously in Tijana¡¯s presence, ¡°The situation is not optimistic. Ever since the Fallen Angel Zariel became the Demons¡¯ Supreme Commander again, their tactics have become increasingly aggressive...¡± Felbank then spent fifteen minutes briefly explaining the state of the battle. Lancelot, standing by, hardly understood anything and only vaguely grasped that the Demon army¡¯s offensive was extremely fierce and, despite the great sacrifice by the Demons, they were still being driven back. Chapter 83 - 83 - 77: The Frontline Situation Chapter 83 ¨C 77: The Frontline Situation ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the situation to have gotten this bad,¡± Tijana frowned after hearing the briefing from the Fireburn Demon¡¯s strategist. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you sought assistance from Zerata? Lord Wu¡¯an surely would not ignore the perilous situation at the front.¡± Seeing Tijana¡¯s expression, Lancelot felt an urge to rush out and annihilate the demon army just to smooth the furrowed brows above her lovely eyes. Truly befitting of a succubus¡ªthe mere furrowing of her brows was so tempting, Lancelot silently mused. Fortunately, these thoughts merely circulated in his mind without causing even a flutter in his heartbeat. ¡°Father certainly won¡¯t tolerate the fall of Volcano Fortress, at least not before the defense lines of other Abyssal Lords,¡± Kailon interjected. ¡°But Lord Visuvius is equally reluctant to be the first among peers to ask for help. Many are eyeing his position as Legion Commander, not to mention those coveting Azgralath...¡± ¡°Hmm-hmm,¡± Felbank cleared his throat, interrupting Kailon¡¯s speech. ¡°Apologies, we have reached the purpose of our visit and shouldn¡¯t waste your precious time with these tedious political topics,¡± Kailon bowed, only then noticing Lancelot, who had been standing silently to the side. ¡°Ah, I have yet to ask for the distinguished name of this courageous warrior¡ªyour performance in the recent battle was splendid.¡± Lancelot did not hurry to answer, instead glancing at Tijana, who gestured indifferently to him. ¡°My name is Lancelot, a knight.¡± ¡°Delighted to meet you, Sir Lancelot,¡± said Kailon graciously. ¡°Volcano Fortress has always had long-term mercenary contracts in Twin Bridges Town, and we are always generous to those who can offer help. The kind of gemstone you desire is also produced by the fortress, perhaps you should visit the Mercenary Hall when you have time.¡± ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll consider it if it is appropriate,¡± Lancelot answered calmly, though inwardly he had already completely rejected the offer. Rushing to the battlefield willingly? Do such people really exist? ¡°He is still at the Black Iron Level, not yet qualified to take on your Silver-Level contracts,¡± Tijana spoke up. ¡°And compared with the fatality rate, you dare claim your reward is generous?¡± ¡°Why are you telling me this? I have no use for that thing,¡± Tijana replied coldly, and Lancelot silently agreed in his heart. ¡°You misunderstand,¡± Kailon hurriedly explained, ¡°We have information suggesting that the Cross Pickaxe is likely a Divine Artifact that once belonged to Muradin, the Platinum Guard of the Dwarven God who went missing in the Abyss a thousand years ago. This object is of no use to us, but for you, who have a large number of Dwarven Artisans under your command, retrieving this Dwarven Holy Relic would surely benefit your rule substantially.¡± Tijana narrowed her eyes at him, not opening her mouth for a long time as Lancelot¡¯s Divine Sense flickered, sensing that Tijana might have harbored an intent to kill Kailon in an instant. ¡°Interesting,¡± the Succubus Lord finally spoke, ¡°Let me guess, the team you¡¯ve dispatched to attack the Succubus Palace, is it already en route, and you plan to shift the blame to Twin Bridges Town afterwards, suggesting that only I would have a motive to steal that broken hoe?¡± ¡°You really have a way with jokes, I assure you that informing you is entirely out of goodwill.¡± Kailon denied vehemently, ¡°In fact, given our relationship with the Queen of the Succubus, if you could set aflame to the scene after your success and make it look like the work of a Fireburn Demon, we would be more than happy to come forward and claim responsibility.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Tijana said, as if suddenly losing interest, and waved them off, ¡°The deal is done, you can leave.¡± ¡°As you wish, my lady,¡± Kailon said respectfully to Tijana, and also nodded to Lancelot, ¡°I look forward to seeing you at Volcano Fortress, Sir Lancelot.¡± As Kailon and his entourage receded into the distance, the imposing aura around Tijana gradually dissipated. ¡°You all go back first,¡± she instructed her Serpent Demon Guards and Succubus Maids, then beckoned to Lancelot, ¡°Join me for a walk, Sir Lancelot.¡± Upon hearing this, Lancelot¡¯s heart uncontrollably filled with joy, but he immediately realized that things were not that simple. So, he stepped forward, following the Succubus Lord who had already turned to walk out, and answered: ¡°At your command, my lady.¡±¡°` Chapter 84 - 84 - 78 Merit and Arrogance Chapter 84 ¨C 78 Merit and Arrogance A streak of magic flashed by, and Tijana¡¯s massive wings on her back disappeared, replaced by a beautiful deep black evening gown that tightly wrapped around her graceful figure. Walking along a scarcely populated path, the Queen of the Succubus moved forward, with Lancelot quietly following behind, enjoying the serenity of the atmosphere.@@@@ The silhouette ahead was like a rose with thorns, and now his distance from this rose was neither too far nor too close, perfect for fully appreciating Tijana¡¯s beauty. Lancelot suddenly realized that the reason this road was scarcely populated was that it led to the eastern district inhabited by Vampires. The vicinity of the Vampires¡¯ hive was always shrouded in fog and deathly still, causing both humans and Demons to stay away involuntarily. ¡°You¡¯re a very interesting fellow,¡± Tijana suddenly spoke up, just as the atmosphere of solitude was starting to become somewhat ambiguous. ¡°May I take that as a compliment?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± The light laughter of the Succubus floated from ahead, causing Lancelot¡¯s mind to sway uncontrollably. ¡°You did well today, but a bit too showy. In my plan, your mere presence was enough to make that guy doubt himself, and having Sonam find an excuse to chop up his retinue would have been enough to make him run away crying, but it seems you took care of it all by yourself.¡± ¡°It sounds like a perfect plan, much more prudent than my adventurous act.¡± ¡°Hahahahaha, I always thought you were a very serious guy, but I didn¡¯t expect you to pull off such a scheme.¡± ¡°You flatter me,¡± Lancelot said, somewhat embarrassed, ¡°serious people are not commonly found in the Abyss, right?¡± ¡°Hmm, but I do know one, the person I respect the most.¡± Lancelot was a bit surprised, half because Tijana actually knew such a person, and the other half because she could feel respect at all. ¡°What kind of person is that?¡± ¡°A very stubborn fellow,¡± Tijana¡¯s expression became somewhat melancholic, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about these old matters anymore. I think I must reward you, as Cold Iron Weapons have become an important bargaining chip for Twin Bridges Town, and you were the one who facilitated this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re giving me too much credit; it¡¯s mainly the work of the Frostforged clan.¡± Let her look, the Succubus Lord is so beautiful, such an overt opportunity to admire her is rare indeed. Of course, in order to avoid any strange reactions, Lancelot silently repeated the Ice Heart Spell to himself and endeavored to keep his eyes from wandering. Unexpectedly, the succubus was the first to back down from this ambiguous stare, shifting her gaze away. She turned and continued walking forward. ¡°You asked Molo for the mountain crystals, right? What do you need those for?¡± Lancelot hesitated for a moment and decided to wield the theory that Kalalin and his colleagues had concocted: ¡°I have awakened a special bloodline power that can absorb the energy contained in those gemstones, much like drinking a mana potion.¡± ¡°You are also a magician?¡± Tijana turned back in surprise to look at him, ¡°You seem to have never shown a magician¡¯s abilities before.¡± ¡°My situation is a bit special,¡± Lancelot scratched his head and pulled a silver coin from his pocket, ¡°Have I told you about the teleportation channel I passed through when I came to the Abyss?¡± ... ¡°You really are an interesting fellow,¡± Tijana remarked once more, then tossed a bag toward Lancelot. Lancelot caught it and found it contained ten Upper Grade Spirit Stone-level mountain crystals. ¡°I don¡¯t have any more to spare. These gemstones aren¡¯t particularly attractive, and merchants rarely use them to replace cumbersome gold coins. If it weren¡¯t for the blacksmiths needing them, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to offer even one.¡± ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Lancelot expressed his gratitude with a formal bow to Tigana. This was truly a great help; Tigana had given him these ten crystals at once, allowing his reserve of Upper Grade Spirit Stones to reach thirty-three, already one-third of the number required for Foundation Establishment. ¡°It¡¯s what you deserve,¡± Tijana smiled, ¡°If needed, I know where you can find more.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°The Succubus Palace in Oasis Fort.¡± Chapter 85 - 85 - 79: Platinum Guards Chapter 85 ¨C 79: Platinum Guards Lancelot halted abruptly upon hearing this. ¡°Scared?¡± Tijana raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Not really,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°I was just surprised. Are you doing this for that Dwarf¡¯s Divine Artifact?¡± ¡°I still remember our last conversation at the dining table,¡± Tigana continued walking forward, ¡°I¡¯ve been watching the recent changes in the Craftsmen¡¯s District. Do you think acquiring the Divine Artifact of the Dwarven race will make them more... efficient?¡± ¡°Humans have their limits,¡± Lancelot cautiously said, ¡°but I am quite sure more Dwarves will genuinely respect you.¡± ¡°It feels strange to hear the Dwarves sing my praises, but I quite like it.¡± Lancelot couldn¡¯t suppress the joy in his heart. As he understood, creatures of the evil alignment hardly ever derived any satisfaction from good deeds; it was a good sign that Tijana was showing such emotions. If he could steer Tijana away from the path of evil, some things wouldn¡¯t be so complicated for him. Moreover, considering the past of the Succubus Lord, it wasn¡¯t impossible. ¡°You seem very pleased,¡± Tijana, sensing Lancelot¡¯s mood, became curious. ¡°I am happy for the admiration you¡¯ve received,¡± Lancelot quickly composed himself, ¡°What exactly is this Succubus Palace?¡± ¡°As you¡¯ve heard, it is a brothel specifically for succubi, lavishly decorated, filled with vast treasures, and it also holds a large number of mortal men,¡± Tijana sneered, ¡°Molo uses this facility to curry favor with nobles and high officials in the Court of the Queen of the Succubus, ensuring his position remains unshaken.¡± ¡°It sounds like a place that should be leveled sooner rather than later,¡± Lancelot said, playing along, though he was still a bit curious. ¡°The entire Oasis Fort should be,¡± Tijana expressed her detestation for this ¡¯Neutral Town¡¯ that thrived by leeching off the trading routes, ¡°There are quite a few of my people in Oasis Fort, I have a plan...¡±@@@@ This means he hasn¡¯t fallen nor turned corrupt, most likely he is secretly imprisoned somewhere.¡± ¡°Ordinary Demon Lords probably can¡¯t deal with a powerful Platinum Guard,¡± Lancelot mused, ¡°Any suspects?¡± ¡°The most likely suspects are the Abyssal Triumvirate,¡± Bruto shrugged, ¡°But other Lords of the Abyss cannot be excluded. If this Cross Pickaxe really belongs to Dain, we might be able to find some useful clues from it. Damn it, I need to go to the Craftsmen¡¯s District right now, all the Dwarves will be armed!¡± ¡°And then launch a siege in the Abyss, letting countless Dwarves sacrifice their lives?¡± Lancelot pushed Bruto back down onto the couch, ¡°Tijana wouldn¡¯t tolerate her Dwarven Artisans heading to their deaths like that. All we need to do right now is retrieve that Cross Pickaxe, not to destroy Oasis Fort.¡± ¡°So what should we do?¡± Bruto¡¯s voice lowered in an angry growl, ¡°I won¡¯t just sit around doing nothing!¡± ¡°Tijana has a plan,¡± Lancelot revealed with a smile, ¡°But you might need to make some... sacrifices.¡± ¡°For the glory of the Dwarves, I am willing to do anything!¡± Bruto bellowed eagerly. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be too sure,¡± Lancelot pulled out a few strands of intertwined hair from his breast pocket, looking at Kalalin, ¡°Tijana said you should be able to make a Transmutation Spell ring?¡± ¡°This will take quite some time and materials, but it is indeed possible,¡± Kalalin eyed Lancelot¡¯s palm skeptically, ¡°This requires a small piece of body from the creature to be transformed into, could it be...¡± ¡°Aha,¡± Lancelot winked at him, interrupting Kalalin¡¯s query. ¡°What exactly is the plan?¡± Bruto asked eagerly. Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but smile. If anyone doubted the powerful Divine Power of Moradin, they just needed to look at the Dwarves. This hot-tempered race had an average lifespan of nearly four hundred years; what more convincing evidence could there be? ¡°That male Succubus¡¯ nominal allegiance is to the Queen of the Succubus, in his castle there¡¯s a Portal that leads directly to Shendiravir, the realm of the Queen of the Succubus,¡± Lancelot briefly explained, ¡°Once he leaves, that will be our chance. The specific action plan will be discussed later. Right now, the task is to prepare well, as that day won¡¯t keep us waiting too long.¡± Chapter 86 - 86 - 80: Rubbing Hands in Anticipation Chapter 86 ¨C 80: Rubbing Hands in Anticipation The waiting time was a bit longer than they had anticipated; a whole month passed, and the Succubus Lord had not sent any instructions to start the operation.@@@@ Lancelot used this time to meditate in tranquility, practicing Qi Cultivation and studying cultivation techniques. As Han Tianzun had predicted, the progress of Cauldron Immortal Technique was not fast, yet there were almost no obstacles encountered along the way. Normally, the transition from the early to mid stages of the High Rank in the Qi Cultivation Stage is a minor threshold. If one does not consume a Foundation Establishment Pill, it¡¯s normal for a typical Spiritual Cultivator to struggle for one or two years without a breakthrough. However, Lancelot¡¯s cultivation progressed as naturally as water flowing in a channel, and he easily entered the mid stage of the High Rank. If the True Qi in the meridians at the early stage of the High Rank was like several trickling streams, then at the mid stage, it was like a series of raging rivers. The growth in strength was very noticeable, which made him look forward to the power he might possess after successful Foundation Establishment. Moreover, since the Cauldron Immortal Technique was so exceptional, perhaps Foundation Establishment would not be as difficult as commonly described in the spiritual cultivation anecdotes. Lancelot also took this time to learn a few simple spells. He possessed Wood, Fire, and Earth Spirit Roots, but whether it was due to the Cauldron Immortal Technique or because he was blessed by the Elves, he found he grasped Wood System Spells the quickest. In terms of Fire System Spells, he was only able to cast a few small fireballs, far less powerful than the large fireballs demonstrated by Kalalin, and since almost all Demons were immune to fire damage, he doubted whether he would truly have an opportunity to use this type of spell. For the Earth System Spells, he could now cast Earthquake Technique, effective within about ten feet from himself as the center. If used at the right moment, it would prove very practical. His mastery of Wood System Spells, however, was much stronger. He could instantly summon a large mass of vines to tightly entangle his enemies, making it difficult for even himself to escape when using True Qi; he could turn ordinary leaves into blades sharp enough to slice through iron, or make common wooden sticks as hard as if forged from Mithril. But what satisfied him the most was a set of Swordsmanship called ¡¯Qingyun,¡¯ which Han Tianzun had modified from an ancient sword technique. The small bamboo scroll contained many techniques related to spiritual cultivation, martial techniques, insights, and even anecdotes, and Lancelot had found that anything created or recommended by Han Tianzun tended to be very useful. This Qingyun Sword Art was said to have corresponding levels from the Qi Refinement Stage all the way up to the spiritual transformation stage, and it was very powerful. It was said to aid breakthroughs during the Foundation Establishment Stage, with the only drawback being its difficulty. According to Bruto himself, he was not sure whether he liked his hammer or the glove more. Meanwhile, another companion, Kalalin, was also busy. During the month they spent hurrying to forge cold iron weapons at Lancelot¡¯s, he was either practicing spells or preparing scrolls needed for future adventures. This life resembled more that of a half-baked Mage Apprentice, rather than that of a Scholar focused on research. After receiving the ¡¯raw materials¡¯ from Lancelot, he immediately started making transforming rings. It took him just a week to complete three rings. The rings worked wonderfully, becoming effective as soon as they were worn, but after trying them out with Lancelot, they both agreed it was best to keep their effects a secret from Bruto until they were needed. In the following days, he continuously repeated the routine of copying scrolls, practicing spells, and undergoing ¡¯physical training¡¯ with Lancelot. For someone who had almost never trained before, his improvement was significant, now able to dodge arrows shot from thirty yards away while fully focused. Find your next read at empire Lancelot also taught him how to wield a spear. With a cold iron spearhead, he could now handle one or two Coward Devils on his own. If allowed to use magic, facing two more wouldn¡¯t be impossible. Another person who hadn¡¯t relaxed was young Isha. Every evening, she diligently cleaned the house, and afterward, she would go out for combat training with an ancient vampire introduced by Tijana. It was said that she was now an apprentice Wanderer, but Lancelot felt that as long as Isha could fend for herself within Twin Bridges Town, it was good enough; joining them in this operation was still too dangerous for her. In Twin Bridges Town, as a vampire, if Isha wasn¡¯t killed on the spot, she could turn into a waft of air and return to the crypts beneath Hagrid Manor to sleep a bit more and recover. Finally, after more than a month of waiting, Tijana sent a message. She summoned them to bring their equipment and gather at her castle immediately. Chapter 87 - 87 - 81 Setting Out on a Journey Chapter 87 ¨C 81 Setting Out on a Journey When Lancelot reached the throne hall in Tigana¡¯s Castle, the Succubus Lord had not appeared yet, but he was not the first one to arrive¡ªfour fully armed Dwarves were already there waiting. Lancelot recognized these Dwarves as vaguely familiar, then realized that he had indeed seen them before: when it was decided to establish a Temple of Moradin in the Shattered Mountain Range to house the Holy Iron Anvil, seven powerful Dwarf Warriors had stepped forward, taking on the duty of guarding the Temple.@@@@ The four in front of him were of those seven Dwarves; they were all veterans of many battles, skilled in martial arts, among whom the leader was also a Dwarf Priest of Moradin, possessing Divine Arts abilities to protect against toxins and heal life. Of course, before becoming a priest, he was also an experienced warrior. ¡°You must be Sir Lancelot.¡± The Temple Guards, all Dwarves, stood up and greeted Lancelot. ¡°Uncle Vito?¡± Bruto¡¯s voice rang out in surprise, ¡°How did you come here?¡± ¡°We were directly summoned by Tigana, she mentioned it¡¯s about the honor of the Dwarves.¡± The Dwarf Priest named Vito said with conviction, ¡°We have been informed of the situation. Retrieving the platinum relic is an indisputable duty for every Dwarf. We will fully support your actions, but what exactly is the plan?¡± Lancelot was about to speak, but suddenly closed his mouth, turning his gaze towards a step behind the throne. The figure of the Succubus Lord appeared there, followed by an uneasy Goblin and a Demon with a calm demeanor. Perhaps in an effort to reduce the unease of these devout Dwarves, Tigana currently adopted a human form, dressed in a well-tailored black long skirt, with her wings nowhere to be seen. Lancelot noticed she was wearing a beautiful diamond necklace around her neck, the very one he had gifted her before. ¡°Good morning, my lady.¡± Lancelot performed a knightly bow toward Tigana, ¡°You look especially beautiful today.¡± ¡°Good morning, knight.¡± Tigana returned the greeting with a smile and slightly lifted her chin. ¡°Meet the guide for the operation. This Goblin is Phil, whom I believe you might have seen in the mercenary area.¡± Bruto jumped up; how could he possibly forget this little swindler? ¡°How could this be? Has our plan been leaked?¡± ¡°The plan should not have been leaked; his arrangements seem to be geared towards a large-scale military attack. Furthermore, the focus of the guards inside the city is not the Succubus Palace but his own castle,¡± Tijana spoke with certainty, ¡°Perhaps he has guessed something or learned of some plans from other forces. He does not know that someone is targeting an ordinary item in the Succubus Palace, and that¡¯s our advantage.¡± ¡°If things go smoothly, we¡¯ll just need to silently take out one or two guards.¡± ¡°If things go smoothly,¡± Tijana agreed and then seemed to recall something amusing, flashing a sinister smile, ¡°Is that item ready?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ready,¡± Kalalin quickly replied. ¡°Let me see the effect,¡± Tijana¡¯s expression became even more bizarre, her voice filled with anticipation. Discover exclusive tales at empire ¡°Uh, better not,¡± Lancelot awkwardly declined the Succubus Lord¡¯s request, ¡°I¡¯ve already tested it, and the effect is better than anticipated; it will definitely help us blend in seamlessly.¡± ¡°Are you sure? I can make you more persuasive,¡± ¡°It¡¯s already very persuasive,¡± Lancelot declined again, his tone very firm. ¡°Well, perhaps next time we¡¯re alone, you¡¯ll have some new ideas.¡± Apart from Lancelot and Kalalin, the others listened to their conversation with confusion; even Bruto was baffled, but he didn¡¯t dwell on it¡ªafter all, who knew what Tijana and Lancelot might have discussed privately. It was perfectly normal for him not to understand. ¡°Let¡¯s set out, my warriors; three carriages are already waiting for their masters at the head of North Bridge,¡± Tijana waved her hand, ¡°I await your good news and truly believe you won¡¯t disappoint me.¡± Chapter 88 - 88 - 82 Oasis Fort Chapter 88 ¨C 82 Oasis Fort Oasis Fort was located north of Twin Bridges Town, about 500 li away. By the normal speed of a carriage, it would take approximately two days. The journey went smoothly for the most part because there were no unsolvable troubles, yet small-scale robberies were incessant. The Abyss was hardly a peaceful place, and the first layer, Plains of the Abyss, where they were, could be considered very livable compared to other layers, where almost all evil races could be found. The robbers they encountered included large goblins, hyena-men, orcs, ogres, and even a two-headed giant, but they were all easily dispatched by the Dwarf warriors. Lancelot didn¡¯t even need to lift a finger. Like all goblins, Phil did not like Dwarfs, and Dwarfs had the same sentiment towards goblins, so most of the time it was Lancelot and Kalalin who sat in Phil¡¯s first carriage, diligently playing the role of guards for the Goblin merchant. Phil¡¯s view of his fellow tribe members who blocked the road to rob was no different from others; he would first ¡¯politely¡¯ ask them to leave, and if they refused, he would draw his weapon to force compliance. The only difference was that his taunting in the Goblin language was always particularly limited, and his slingshot and dagger looked far more threatening than he did himself. The caravan also witnessed groups of Prime Demons and Coward Devils, these pitiful Low Rank Demons wandering aimlessly on the ground, loudly arguing with each other in their unclear language. Kalalin was very interested in this situation. According to him, normally, these wild Low Rank Tanari were always in a state of being chased, either by a conscription team or a food requisition team, depending on the situation of the war. Normally, a Serpent Demon would be responsible for the conscription work in a region, but perhaps because that guy named Wisk was killed, these newly born demons had not yet had the opportunity to experience the cruelty of ¡¯demon¡¯ life. Even though these Tanari demons had a brief respite, they still did not dare to attack the guarded caravan. These lowest-level demons were not mad enough, and their desire for blood and battle was not enough to overcome their fear of death. But the Abyss also gave birth to some native demons, and these mad creatures did not care as much. The demons born from mortal souls were called Tanari, and if you overcame your fear and observed their forms carefully, you would find that they still had some human-like features, such as having their heads on their necks, and having two legs below the waist. But the wool eventually comes off the sheep. Despite Molo¡¯s full-effort slander, the weapons, armor, and iron ingots produced by Twin Bridges Town were among the most popular goods in the Abyss. If they could be transported to demon legions in the north lacking ironware, the profits could be more than tenfold, sufficient to make many greedy merchants overcome any risk. Phil, who knew the ins and outs, led the caravan to a secluded inn. The owner, a taciturn Devilspawn, showed an unmistakable look of surprise upon seeing Phil, seemingly an old acquaintance of the goblin. He opened his mouth to say something, but Phil plugged it with a bag of gold. He shut up, handed Phil a brass key, and actually stepped right out the front door. ¡°Dealing with clever folks is easy. All right, this will be our temporary base for the coming week.¡± After settling the team down, Phil went out to sell the goods meant to distract others while Lancelot and Kalalin followed the goblin outside, playing the role of guards. The hot-tempered dwarves stayed in the inn to guard the goods. The marketplace in Oasis Fort was much more chaotic compared to Twin Bridges Town, with its nauseating stench and garbage everywhere making a poor first impression. Another characteristic was the large number of slaves, wearing chains and covered with scars from long-term abuse, which made Lancelot clench his fists tightly, but he was very clear about what he could and could not do. This cruel scene was not enough to make Lancelot lose his reason, but it did strengthen his resolve to defend Twin Bridges Town. Phil quickly struck several deals, arranged delivery times and locations with the other parties, then pretentiously left the filthy market satisfied, light-footedly signaling his desire to grab a drink. Lancelot was certain that no one was watching them, but he agreed with the goblin¡¯s caution. If anyone reported them to the guards for suspecting their actions as abnormal, it could bring unnecessary trouble. Naturally, grabbing a drink was a pretense; all those activities were to cover their real purpose: to connect with Tijana¡¯s informant in Oasis Fort. Before laying out detailed plans for their next steps, they needed to gather enough intelligence. Chapter 89 - 89 - 83 Lansna Chapter 89 ¨C 83 Lansna Oasis Fort didn¡¯t have as vast a mercenary community as Twin Bridges Town, so the standard of the bars inevitably suffered. Most were dirty and dilapidated, and their meeting place was no exception. Phil led them to a bar on the edge of the business district, snuggled next to the largest slave enclosure in Oasis Fort. The bar¡¯s entrance was adorned with a rusty sign that swayed gently in the occasional breeze, featuring a goblet with a rose. It was the afternoon, and the bar was devoid of customers, save for a burly barkeeper who leisurely cleaned glasses behind the bar. As Lancelot had just pushed open the bar¡¯s heavy doors, the barkeeper immediately lifted his head. He squinted his eyes at Lancelot like a threatened animal, with sharp, fang-like teeth protruding from his mouth, and his cup-holding hand silently morphed into deadly claws. ¡°Ease up, old Reap, he¡¯s one of ours,¡± said Phil, startled by the barkeeper¡¯s reaction, hurriedly interjecting. ¡°Phil? What are you doing here?¡± The barkeeper only then noticed the Goblin¡¯s presence, expressing surprise as his fangs and claws swiftly retracted. He leapt from behind the bar with agile movements, promptly shutting all the windows of the bar and hanging a ¡¯Closed for Business¡¯ sign on the door. ¡°Let me introduce...¡± The barkeeper gestured with his hand to cut off Phil and pulled open a hidden door behind the bar that led to the cellar. ¡°Come in, then we talk.¡± ¡°Old underground, huh.¡± Phil shrugged at Lancelot. The group followed old Reap into the cellar, which was a small basement of about two hundred square feet, brimming with wine barrels draped in cobwebs. Old Reap did not rush to converse with them. First, he lit all the torches on the wall and cautiously checked each corner to ensure nothing strange was eavesdropping. Having completed this, he turned to Phil with a disdainful look. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Obviously, our great Queen has commanded, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t want to come to this stinking place.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve barely managed to make this bar turn a small profit; please do me a favor and try not to blow it to the heavens, alright?¡± ¡°How long has this state of affairs been going on?¡± Phil quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Nearly three weeks,¡± Old Reap replied with a skewed smile, revealing his sharp molars. ¡°This is unusual, he might have received other intelligence, but it¡¯s been too long,¡± Phil shook his head. ¡°Our operation seems easier than expected.¡± Lancelot exhibited a peculiar expression; could it be that maintaining heightened defenses for too long had some drawbacks? ¡°Most demons are rather impatient creatures,¡± Phil explained, seeing Lancelot¡¯s confusion and speaking for humans. ¡°If no battle happens, they¡¯ll grow slack, lose focus, or even start fighting each other. A smart Demon Lord would try to prevent this at all costs, but a fool like Molo only knows to force them with violence.¡± ¡°Are you saying that demons become weaker in combat under these circumstances?¡± ¡°Not weaker, if a battle occurs, they¡¯re even more reckless and destructive than usual,¡± Phil answered. ¡°But our goal is to slip in quietly, right? What¡¯s better than a bunch of distracted guards?¡± ¡°The Succubus Palace has strict guards, sneaking in won¡¯t be so easy,¡± Old Reap shook his head. ¡°We need a thorough plan, understanding the guards¡¯ patterns, and a retreat strategy. Honestly, if I had been informed of the goal in advance, I could have prepared, but Molo could return at any moment, and we might not have the time now.¡± ¡°We are indeed pressed for time,¡± Lancelot nodded. ¡°But we don¡¯t actually need to sneak in.¡± A Werewolf and Goblin looked at him with puzzled expressions, and Lancelot scratched his head, exchanging a glance with Kalalin. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, Tijana gave us strands of her hair...¡± As he spoke, he and Kalalin each put on a delicate ring. A pale blue magic light flashed, and two stunningly beautiful and voluptuous succubi appeared in their place, leaving Phil and Old Reap stunned for a moment before they shot out blood from their nostrils and fell backward onto the ground. ¡°Uh, are you guys alright?¡± A seductive and enticing feminine voice rang out. ¡°Lansna, they didn¡¯t faint, did they?¡± Hearing the name Lansna, the Goblin Phil, who had just sat up, toppled over once again. Your journey continues at empire He felt he needed a moment to recover. Chapter 90 - 90 - 84: Bomb Man Phil Chapter 90 ¨C 84: Bomb Man Phil The two succubi who suddenly appeared were none other than Lancelot and Kalalin wearing Transformation Rings. There are many types of magic items, with a myriad of effects, but the most common are those that have a fixed spell. The production process is very similar to that of creating a Magic Scroll, except it is more like micro-sculpting rather than writing, so as long as it is within their capabilities, Scholars are better at creating magic items than Mages. Transmutation Spell is a Second Circle spell, and Kalalin had no problem handling it. The casting medium involves part of the body of the creature one intends to transform into, and they used hair provided by Tijana. Tijana was no ordinary Succubus. Even without considering her astonishing Charm, her combat prowess was exceptional. Although she couldn¡¯t compare with those Lords who reigned over entire layers of the Abyss, she was definitely on par with the average Demon Lord, which is incredible for a Succubus not known for their combat abilities. Correspondingly, her hair contained powerful energy, making the effect of the Transformation Ring exceptionally good; not only did the appearance after the transformation attract attention, but the aura was also indistinguishable from an ordinary Succubus. The Transmutation Spell also affected the user¡¯s clothing and armor. The Full Body Armor that Lancelot was wearing remained, albeit in a female style, but its design was assertively provocative, likely compromising its protective functions; Kalalin¡¯s robes had turned into a semi-transparent thin veil, definitely seductive to behold. ¡°It seems this spell works,¡± said Lancelot, feigning calm, as he reached to adjust the limited-coverage Breastplate he was wearing. This action caused Phil and old Reap, who had just caught their breath, to feel a surge of blood to the head, almost fainting once again. Lancelot (now should be called Lansna in the form of a Succubus), shrugged his shoulders and took off the ring, reverting back to his human form. Kalalin also removed his ring, cancelling the effect of the Transmutation Spell. ¡°This must be a devil¡¯s idea,¡± Phil finally regained his ability to speak, ¡°It¡¯s too cruel. I feel like I fell in love with a fake illusion, the feeling is too surreal.¡± ¡°I have to admit, you were absolutely beautiful after the transformation. For a moment, I even felt the beastly power inside me losing control,¡± the bartender spared no praise for Lansna, ¡°Those Succubi who occasionally come to the bar for fun are nothing but vulgar compared to you. I fear I can never forget the visage from just now.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Phil scratched his head, ¡°You guys probably won¡¯t engage in any fighting before getting the Cross Pickaxe, so the remaining question is how we¡¯re going to retreat.¡± ¡°This is where you excel,¡± Reap suddenly spoke up, ¡°But can I make a small request? When you plan the retreat route, could you possibly avoid my tavern as much as possible?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Lancelot was somewhat astonished, ¡°Are you worried that it might expose you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s got nothing to do with that,¡± Reap shook his head as if seeing through Lancelot¡¯s thoughts, ¡°His retreat plans always involve a lot of explosions, and you¡¯ll understand when it happens.¡± ¡°What do you know! Explosions are the greatest phenomenon in the universe! It¡¯s just that you fear this mighty force, which is why you¡¯re biased against explosions!¡± Phil protested vehemently, ¡°Is there anything better than an explosion? That¡¯s a pre-planned explosion! BOOM, and the enemies who were fiercely chasing you are suddenly blown sky-high. Could there be anything better than that?¡± ¡°Um...¡± Kalalin timidly interjected, ¡°What was the reason for ending your career as a secret agent, again?¡± ¡°Who said my career as a secret agent is over? Who said that?¡± Phil glared at Kalalin, ¡°I¡¯ve never left active duty! It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not needed for the usual minor tasks, Lady Tijana highly values me, didn¡¯t she send me out again?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! Just keep away from my tavern!¡± Reap shouted at the Goblin, ¡°What the hell did Molo, that ass-selling old thing, do to make Lady Tijana let you out!¡± ¡°Everyone, calm down!¡± Lancelot had cast a Soundproof Barrier spell as soon as the two started arguing and hurriedly interjected to stop the increasingly fierce dispute, ¡°If properly arranged, explosions can indeed be very effective. We¡¯ll plan the route in advance and make sure to avoid your tavern as much as we can.¡± ¡°Well said!¡± Phil looked gratefully at Lancelot, as if he had found a kindred spirit, ¡°Sir Lancelot, you¡¯re the one who truly understands!¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t get it,¡± Reap shook his head, ¡°Do you know Boulder Town? Blackflame Castle? Or High Tower City? Have you heard of any of them?¡± Chapter 91 - 91 - 85: Things Dwarfs Hate Chapter 91 ¨C 85: Things Dwarfs Hate ¡°No,¡± Lancelot shook his head, admitting he knew nothing about those names. ¡°Haha! That¡¯s because I¡¯ve flattened all those places!¡± Phil laughed heartily, clapping his hands with a face full of pride. Old Reap made a grand introducing gesture towards the goblin, giving Lancelot a ¡¯you get it now¡¯ look. ¡°Before the action starts, I certainly need to hide far away.¡± Old Reap sighed, ¡°Now, let me introduce the distribution of guards and the patrol plans inside the fort. I have a map here...¡± An hour later, the three of them came out of Old Reap¡¯s tavern, their minds crammed with information about Oasis Fort. The operation would begin the next night. Tonight, Lancelot would first familiarize the dwarfs with the environment, while Phil would deal with the goods they had brought and prepare some explosives. Although many demons possessed exceptional dark vision, escaping at night was still much easier than during the day, and there would be fewer mortals on the streets after dark. If it ultimately became necessary to use Phil¡¯s explosives, they could at least try to minimize casualties. Lancelot asked Phil how he was preparing explosives since he hadn¡¯t brought any dynamite. Phil rattled off more than a dozen names, all common household items. The goblin claimed that with the right techniques and purification, they could all be turned into ingredients for explosives. The plan was for Lancelot, Kalalin, and Bruto to enter the Succubus Palace to find the Cross Pickaxe, while Phil and four dwarfs disguised as guards would loiter nearby. Once the target was acquired, Lancelot would use a small device given by Phil to signal him, and the goblin would immediately detonate the pre-placed bomb, blowing a huge hole in the Succubus Palace. But this big hole wasn¡¯t for Lancelot to escape, it was to create an atmosphere of panic. Then, they just needed to follow the fleeing crowd, casually exiting the Succubus Palace. Of course, this was the best-case scenario. If a battle occurred, the four dwarf warriors would need to provide reinforcements. However, Lancelot indicated his confidence in fighting his way out; the dwarfs would just need to meet him at the entrance, and it was crucial not to expose themselves too early. If, after leaving the Succubus Palace, the Oasis Fort¡¯s patrol was already alarmed, then they would have to rely on Phil. The goblin would have preemptively filled a road with remote-controlled bombs, blowing up any enemies following them to the skies. Eventually, they would find a sewer at the end of the road to completely lose the guards. Accompanied by several dwarf warriors, Phil sold the iron ingots they had transported, then pretended to buy some mining supplies needed by Twin Bridges Town and swaggered back to their lodging yard. These goods were naturally the materials he used to make potent explosives. Upon returning to the yard, he instructed the dwarfs to move all the goods to his room, then he firmly closed the door and began his dangerous manufacturing work. ¡°Let¡¯s go, didn¡¯t we say we need to get familiar with the surroundings tonight?¡± Bruto walked towards the door enthusiastically, only to be pulled back by Kalalin. ¡°Uh, aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡± He pointed at Bruto¡¯s fingers. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruto looked at Kalalin, puzzled but then understood the Scholar¡¯s hint, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we all wear the rings when we go out? That way, no one will recognize us.¡± ¡°A Succubus ¨C such Demons are very noticeable on the streets,¡± Kalalin patiently explained, ¡°If you can¡¯t flirt very proficiently with those who approach you, you¡¯ll quickly be found out.¡± ¡°But Tijana wouldn¡¯t be like that.¡± Explore more stories with empire ¡°Tijana¡¯s identity is different, she is the Lord of Twin Bridges Town. Besides, she has killed quite a few careless folks before, do you want the Guards to think you are such a special Succubus too?¡± ¡°Alright, fine.¡± Bruto reluctantly removed the ring, and with a flash of magical light, he transformed back into the Dwarf. But his complexion suddenly changed, and he clutched his chest, stumbling backward several steps. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Lancelot rushed to support him, asking with concern. ¡°I... what was I thinking just now, how could I have such strange thoughts.¡± The Dwarf looked dazedly at the air, seemingly both confused and frightened by his recent transformation. ¡°You weren¡¯t charmed by yourself, were you?¡± Lancelot incredulously asked, blurting out. ¡°Exactly, exactly! It must be that!¡± Kalalin clapped his hands together, ¡°The power of Charm must come from Tijana¡¯s hair. Although the Dwarf had seen Succubi many times before, he never felt anything due to his beard. It¡¯s only now that he saw a Succubus fitting their aesthetic for the first time that he was charmed.¡± Lancelot shook his head, still remembering the stun he felt when he first put on the Transformation Ring and saw himself as a Succubus in the mirror. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ve already delayed too long.¡± Chapter 92 - 92 - 86: Entering the Palace Chapter 92 ¨C 86: Entering the Palace That night, Lancelot spent three hours touring Oasis Fort with Bruto and four Dwarf Sanctuary Guards. By the time the dwarves finally went to rest, everyone was clear on the details of the plan, and the map of the entire Oasis Fort was firmly imprinted in their minds. In the middle of the night, Lancelot accompanied Phil back to the streets, placing hundreds of large and small, ordinary-looking iron spheres along the predetermined retreat route. Fortunately, they had the Dimensional Bag, otherwise they would have had to run back and forth several times, which could have led to them being discovered by patrolling guards. During the entire day that followed, Lancelot stayed in his room practicing meditation and Qi Cultivation, getting himself into the best possible condition. The others rested as well, because the coming night was likely to be very long. As the powerless ruby sun hurriedly sank below the horizon, Lancelot and his party began their move. The guards at the entrance of the Succubus Palace were two strong and ugly two-headed giants. The stupidity of these creatures was directly proportional to the stench emanating from them, offering no resistance to the transformed Lancelot and his party, allowing them straight in. ¡°Welcome, welcome! Esteemed guests, please come in!¡±@@@@ Just as they entered the Succubus Palace, they were immediately greeted by an enthusiastically welcoming Succubus Maid dressed as a servant. Compared to an average succubus, the servant¡¯s outfit was quite conservative, but Lancelot and his three companions were also clad in thick cloaks, which not only hid their transformed bodies (and beards) but also concealed the fact that they were fully armed. Moreover, perhaps due to the powerful force contained in the hair provided by Tijana, their appearances post-transformation were stunning even by succubus standards. So, like Bruto, all three wore veils over their faces to avoid unnecessary trouble and prevent anyone from disregarding their succubus identity. ¡°My name is Daryl, may I ask how I should address our guests?¡± ¡°I am Lansna, this is Karalinda and Brutolia,¡± Lancelot, walking at the forefront, replied very naturally. Under the effect of the Ice Heart Technique, he managed to keep his face expressionless no matter what happened, making him the best choice for negotiations. ¡°Of course, we will make sure to satisfy you,¡± Daryl suddenly realized something and hesitantly asked, ¡°Do all three of you wish to be together?¡± ¡°We only need one, the best one,¡± Lancelot said as he pulled out a glittering ruby from his chest and briefly flaunted his spending power. Daryl reached out to grab the ruby, but Lancelot had already placed it back into his chest, giving her a reproachful look which forced the Succubus Maid to reluctantly withdraw her arm. ¡°It appears you have all heard of our famously renowned Priest,¡± she revealed a knowing smile to Lancelot, ¡°Normally, his rate is a thousand Gold Coins for three hours, but since there are three of you, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to charge triple the fee.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Lancelot nodded. ¡°Then please follow me,¡± she said. The Succubus Maid led them through a corridor outside the main hall, the opposite side of which featured tightly closed doors, between which were hung paintings depicting the Queen of the Succubus in fierce battle with various heroes, Demons, and monsters. The corridors were also carpeted with soft mats, and curtains hung from the ceiling not only obstructed the view but also effectively absorbed the sounds emanating from the rooms behind the doors. But Lancelot had far superior hearing than an ordinary person. Those subtle sounds reached his ears, as clear as if the entwined bodies were right before his eyes, forcing him to silently recite the Ice Heart Technique to suppress the fervor within him. From time to time, men would come towards them, stepping aside at the first sight of them to stand respectfully, yet they also stared at the three with a longing gaze, showcasing their muscles and subservience, hoping to be chosen for a shared pleasure. It was not chains that enslaved them, Lancelot sadly realized. These people were enslaved by their instincts, and Lancelot doubted any of them would want to leave even if they were given the choice of freedom. Their bodies might remain robust to please the Succubus, but their souls would be gradually drained. When keeping them alive was no longer of any value, the Demons had plenty of ways to continue exploiting their souls. Finally, they reached their destination and stopped in front of a grand door. Chapter 93 - 93 - 87: Alamir Chapter 93 ¨C 87: Alamir ¡°This is our best suite,¡± Daryl pushed open the door, leading the three into a bedroom filled with mirrors, ropes, and soft beds. Kalalin and Bruto walked in first, their faces flushed as they took in the various facilities in the room, wisely keeping silent without making any comments. Just as Lancelot was about to enter, Daryl quietly pulled him aside. ¡°It seems your two sisters are a bit restrained,¡± Daryl¡¯s words caused a flicker of murderous intent in Lancelot¡¯s heart, and he was about to invoke the Qingyun Sword Art to release his Sword Qi, but the Succubus Maid¡¯s next sentence dispelled his doubts. ¡°Is it their first time?¡± Daryl¡¯s face broke into a wicked smile, ¡°The first time is always special, especially with our star performer. He is a true priest of passion. There¡¯s no one more suitable than him.¡± ¡°That couldn¡¯t be better,¡± Lancelot said vaguely, ¡°Where is he?¡± No sooner had he spoken than the sound of chains rubbing against each other could be heard, and another succubus led in an elf dressed in a long robe. The elf looked very young, with the distinctively delicate features of the elves, pointy ears, pallid skin almost tilting towards blue, and light golden hair. Unlike the other tamed males, this elf had a mithril collar around his neck, which was attached to a thick chain. The other end of the chain was held in the hand of the succubus who had brought him, making him look more like a slave. His eyes were like two emeralds, filled with despair and helplessness, but upon seeing Lancelot, they flickered briefly then suddenly ignited with the light of hope. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, this is Alamir. He¡¯s yours now,¡± the succubus who brought him gave a slight flap of her wings and hooked the other end of the chain onto a hook in the ceiling of the room. The chain wasn¡¯t long; if the elf stood up straight, he could only move within a range of about four or five feet. ¡°Just in case, after all, he¡¯s a genuine priest,¡± Daryl grinned at Lancelot, ¡°And it¡¯s more exciting this way, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Very well, I think this should be sufficient,¡± Lancelot took out several gemstones, ¡°We hope to be undisturbed for the time being. We¡¯ll leave when we¡¯ve had enough fun; you can come clean up after three hours.¡± It was an outright massacre.¡± Explore more at empire With that, the Elf closed his eyes in sorrow, as if by doing so, he could erase that terrible scene from his mind. ¡°Such things would never happen among us Dwarves,¡± Bruto crossed his arms, ¡°We never leave our armor and weapon out of reach.¡± ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re a Dwarf.¡± Alamir Silverleaf nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering what would happen if you took off that beautiful ring on your hand.¡± The atmosphere became awkward again. At this moment, Lancelot stepped forward and put a hand on the Elf¡¯s shoulder. Seeing the approach of the Succubus, Alamir Silverleaf instinctively felt fear, but as he detected no hostility from Lancelot, he did not dodge and remained compliant. ¡°We must first confirm your identity, please relax.¡± Lancelot¡¯s Divine Sense passed through his palm into Alamir Silverleaf¡¯s body, to carefully investigate whether he was truly an Elf as he claimed and not a disguise created by magic like himself. Divine arts were indeed exclusive to priests, but from Tijana, he knew of a type of Demon that could also achieve this. This terrifying Demon, known as a Succubus, by deceiving a group of good-hearted mortals into conducting a blasphemous ritual, could open a Portal to the deepest furnaces of the Abyss. The Succubus would burn to ashes in the supernatural heat and then be reborn from those ashes as a Succubus. It goes without saying that the deceived mortals who conducted the ritual would become the targets of the Succubus¡¯s horrific suffering during its birth process. There is a belief that as Demons directly born from desire, Succubi do not experience the terrible suffering other Demons go through during evolution. This leads them to act (in most cases) loosely and casually, even engaging in romantic affairs with creatures of completely opposing alignments, such as lawful or good, making them one of the few kinds of Demons that prioritize pleasure over a desire for destruction. But a Succubus would not do so. Chapter 94 - 94 - 88: The Whereabouts of the Cross Pickaxe Chapter 94 ¨C 88: The Whereabouts of the Cross Pickaxe In fact, although Mekanshut held the title of Queen of the Succubus, the succubi were more like her subjects, or as the Queen herself would say, ¡°children.¡± The true enforcers of her brutal rule over Shendiravir were her band of professional, ruthless, and highly efficient enforcers, the succubi. The thirteen succubi at the top tier were known as the ¡°Glorious Sisters,¡± publicly acknowledged as the Queen¡¯s royal choir but in reality were the most cold-hearted special agents and assassins under her command. After all, many tasks were unsuitable for the ¡°playful¡± succubi, while the succubi required much more patience when orchestrating various cunning schemes. In their true form, the succubi no longer possessed the astonishing beauty typical of succubi. They still had bodies similar to human females and appeared reasonably attractive at first glance, but a closer look would reveal abnormalities. Their faces resembled those of streetwalkers who had been in the business for over fifty years. What was once graceful wings were now no more than charred remains, replaced by several thick, slippery, nauseating tentacles protruding from their backs, with scorpion-like stingers at the ends. Unlike most succubi, the succubi were very competent warriors, and if forced into close combat, their claws and spikes were as sharp as swords. But their greatest pleasure still came from using their Quasi-Divine Art abilities to disguise themselves as divine office members, infiltrate a true god¡¯s church, patiently accumulate reverence and power, and covertly convert real priests into devotees of some Demon Lord, a process that brought them immense fun. This disguise could deceive most detection and protective magics, but could not evade direct scrutiny by Divine Sense. As Lance swept his Divine Sense over the elf¡¯s body, Alamir¡¯s true condition clearly emerged in his mind, confirming that he indeed was an elf, with the only exception being an extraordinary talent in some aspect. Lancelot turned and nodded at Kalalin and Bruto, and the three of them simultaneously removed their Transforming Rings. ¡°Wow,¡± Alamir uttered, not particularly surprised. ¡°My name is Lancelot, and I¡¯m a knight. This is Scholar Kalalin and Dwarf Warrior Bruto, son of Barrend,¡± Lancelot introduced, ¡°We can help you get out, but you¡¯ll have to assist us in retrieving something we desire.¡± ¡°What are you looking for?¡± The elf priest looked at Lancelot with skepticism, his gaze shifting to Bruto, ¡°Let me guess, it wouldn¡¯t be that Dwarf Cross Pickaxe, would it?¡± ¡°We can signal Phil to act at that moment,¡± proposed Kalalin, ¡°That should briefly distract the guards.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll just stash the Cross Pickaxe in this Dimensional Bag,¡± Lancelot slapped the small pouch on his belt. ¡°Great,¡± Bruto clapped his hands, ¡°this plan sounds solid!¡± Lancelot nodded, pondering if there were any slips in the plan. The worst case would be that they had to fight their way out, but from the auras he had sensed along the way, if he really wanted to leave, he doubted anyone here could stop him. However, going out would surely mean facing swarms of guards, and if it did come to that, he could only hope Reap hadn¡¯t exaggerated about the destructive powers of the goblins. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for now,¡± said Lancelot, ¡°It might not be reasonable if the time is too short.¡± ¡°Indeed, you are my first guests today,¡± the Elf Priest said with a wry face, ¡°Normally, I wouldn¡¯t need the Cross Pickaxe¡¯s help until the third guest arrived. But today, there are three of you, so maybe waiting an hour will be sufficient.¡± Continue your adventure at empire ¡°Ha, Elves¡¯ stamina doesn¡¯t seem very good,¡± Bruto said with a mischievous grin, ¡°The third one already needs the help of a magical item?¡± ¡°The doctrine of the Goddess requires I perform an act of love every day, and try to awaken love in someone¡¯s heart with each new day. At least once a day, I must respond to love,¡± Alamir explained with some embarrassment, ¡°I always do my best to fulfill those succubi¡¯s desires. It¡¯s not easy, as it always takes a full three hours to barely satisfy a customer.¡± It was then that Bruto realized Alamir was catering to succubi. It was astonishing that he, with his mortal body, could satisfy a succubus and, after dealing with one, could continue to satisfy a second, fighting for six consecutive hours. ¡°Uh, sorry, I almost forgot where we are,¡± Bruto scratched his head, the Dwarves always quick to acknowledge their mistakes, ¡°So, do you have any tips? Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m just asking for a friend.¡± Chapter 95 - 95 - 89: Restoring Divine Arts Chapter 95 ¨C 89: Restoring Divine Arts Lancelot realized that he had his ears perked up, fully attentive to what the Elves were about to say. ¡°Uh, Shuni¡¯s church does indeed teach some... techniques.¡± Alamir¡¯s expression made it clear that he was not proud of this, ¡°After that, it¡¯s a lot of practice. Succubuses have very sensitive bodies, and it¡¯s not too difficult to figure out what they like, but obviously, you need good stamina.¡± The Human Knight silently cursed in his heart. He must bring this guy back, and when there¡¯s time, learn a thing or two from him¡ªthis was his current thought. Of course, Lancelot had fantasized about what would happen with Tijana once all those beautiful scenarios had been realized, but he actually wasn¡¯t very confident about it; after all, at their core, succubi were born from mankind¡¯s most primal, wildest desires, naturally possessing the highest standards in matters of men and women. He shook his head, casting aside those stray thoughts from his mind. He glanced again at the collar around the elf¡¯s neck, and suddenly felt that perhaps he could do something about it. ¡°Is it this collar that¡¯s preventing you from using your Divine Arts?¡± he asked, ¡°Maybe I can disable it.¡± Hope appeared on Alamir¡¯s face, and he nodded vigorously, indicating that it was indeed so. Lancelot walked over and placed his hand on the mithril collar. At the Qi Refinement Realm, he couldn¡¯t project his Divine Sense from afar and could only probe the condition of creatures and objects through direct contact. He discovered an intricate magic circuit within the collar, the details of which required advanced magical knowledge that the occasional tidbits picked up from Kalalin were not enough to comprehend. But he didn¡¯t need to understand the workings of this magical item; Lancelot just needed to destroy it. The Human Knight carefully began to circulate his qi, using only a tiny bit of his most purified Innate True Qi. The Innate True Qi, like a little brush, wiped the delicately structured interior of the mithril collar into a meaningless blank slate. Alamir immediately sensed an invisible restraint disappear, and with trembling hands, he cast a Holy Fire Technique again. The muscles on his neck instinctively tensed, fearing the usual burst of intense pain. The searing light descended like flames, but he stood there just fine, and nothing happened. ¡°You must be sent by the Goddess to save me; words can¡¯t express my gratitude, friend.¡± He bowed deeply to Lancelot, the last word spoken in the language of the Elves.@@@@ Tears flowed from Alamir¡¯s tightly closed eyes as he appeared very happy, yet he continued with the prayers from his mouth. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Bruto nudged Kalalin with his elbow and turned back to see the Scholar with his mouth wide open in astonishment. ¡°That is a sign of the Deities¡¯ favor to a believer,¡± Kalalin explained, ¡°Perhaps the Lady of the Flame is pleased with his constant faith.¡± The red light gradually faded, but the energy it contained slowly merged into the Elf¡¯s body. Lancelot felt that it wasn¡¯t just the Elf¡¯s body that had healed; his soul, which had been heavily strained, seemed to have been repaired as well. Finally, Alamir ended his prayer, stood up with his eyes open, giving off a refreshed aura. Seeing everyone looking curiously at him, the Elf gave a slight smile. He tore a small piece of white cloth from the robe placed beside him, bowed his head to softly utter a Spell, and then threw the white cloth in his hand outwards. The white cloth quickly turned into three larger illusions in mid-air, and immediately flew towards Lancelot and the others. Feeling the nature of the power contained in the magic, Lancelot didn¡¯t dodge, but instead stood curiously in place. The illusions took on the form of cloaks, gently wrapping around them before vanishing from sight. Lancelot felt his Life Force had become slightly more vigorous, and though the increase wasn¡¯t large, it was still a decent Blessing Divine Art. ¡°This is Aid! Have your Divine Arts been restored?¡± Kalalin asked excitedly, for his own physique was relatively weak, and the strengthening effect of the Divine Arts was much more apparent on him than on Lancelot and Bruto. ¡°Yes, I never imagined the Goddess would directly respond to my prayer and even bestow upon me many new Divine Arts, including even the Resurrection Art!¡± Alamir happily replied, then his face betrayed a slightly embarrassed expression, ¡°My domain of Divine Arts is life, so I am not skilled in attack, but I can use Divine Arts to quickly heal any injuries you incur. If a battle occurs later, could you try your best to protect me?¡± ¡°No problem, that¡¯s a very reasonable tactic,¡± Lancelot nodded and then stood up, ¡°It¡¯s about time, let¡¯s get moving.¡± Chapter 96 - 96 - 90: Infiltrating the Depths Chapter 96 ¨C 90: Infiltrating the Depths Continue reading at empire Upon hearing this, everyone promptly put their Transformation Rings back on, and Alamir looked at the transformed group with appreciative eyes, his face brimming with a sincere smile. Shuni taught her followers to appreciate all beautiful things and creatures, and the Succubus were among the most beautiful creatures in the Multiverse. That was until the Elves saw what Bruto looked like after his transformation. The sight of this bearded Succubus shocked the Elves so much that their face turned pale and they promptly sat down on the ground with a thump. Lancelot chuckled inwardly, noticing that Alamir was still in a state of shock, and he motioned for Bruto to quickly wrap his scarf around. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, you see, he¡¯s completely mesmerized by me.¡± Bruto reluctantly said, even throwing a flirtatious wink at the Elf on the ground. ¡°Just wrap it,¡± Lancelot couldn¡¯t stand the gesture and pressed the scarf onto Bruto¡¯s face himself, feeling that if he were any slower, the Priest on the ground might even begin to question their faith. As Bruto¡¯s red beard was covered by the scarf, Alamir finally came back to his senses. He breathed heavily, as if he had forgotten to breathe the whole time. ¡°From a Dwarf¡¯s perspective, we guys without beards are the real monsters,¡± Kalalin consoled, ¡°I believe the lady of fire can understand that Dwarves have their own standards of what is beautiful.¡± ¡°Thank you, I...I understand,¡± the Elf Priest staggered to his feet, his face still pale. Seeing that others were armed, he pulled a chair over and with a bit of force, broke off a chair leg. ¡°You¡¯re pretty strong, huh,¡± Brutolia commented. ¡°Not hard to guess why,¡± Alamir shrugged, stuffing the chair leg into his robe, ¡°I¡¯ll rely on this until I find a proper weapon, just in case.¡± ¡°Definitely better than nothing,¡± Lancelot shrugged and opened the door. Bruto, surprised at how easily the giants were persuaded, widened his eyes. He wanted to take off his mask and charm the giants too but was quickly stopped by Kalalin¡¯s swift intervention. With a gentle push, Lancelot nudged aside the massive club blocking their way and walked past. The burning gaze of the two-headed giants closely followed Lancelot, making him feel like a thorn in his side until he disappeared into another room together with the Elves, vanishing from the giants¡¯ view. ¡°Very effective,¡± Kalalin briefly remarked. Lancelot shrugged, hiding embarrassment that seemed to come from nowhere. They entered a hall resembling a dungeon. On either side were rooms sealed with iron doors, containing groups of slaves chained and shackled. Several foul-smelling Berserk Demons here acted as guards. The guards noticed the Elves and the Succubus behind them immediately, but they just glanced at Alanis and then looked away, indicating that the collars and shackles had served their purpose. Just then, the ground suddenly shook, and a loud noise came from above, causing the Berserk Demons to jump up and look at the ceiling uncertainly. Bruto and Kalalin immediately looked at Lancelot with questioning eyes, but he shook his head gently, indicating that the noise wasn¡¯t caused by Phil, at least not at his request. However, a sense of unease still emerged in his heart. There might have been an unexpected disturbance outside, and it was best to get out of there quickly. He quietly picked up his pace, urging the Elves to lead them into the next room. ¡°Alamir? What are you doing here?¡± a familiar voice called out. Lancelot looked up to see that the room was a kitchen, and speaking was Daryl, the Succubus Maid who had welcomed them earlier. She led several Goblin servers carrying trays and was about to exit through another door. ¡°I need to recover,¡± the Elf Priest said calmly, turning to signal the others following him including Lancelot, ¡°The three guests insisted on accompanying me.¡± ¡°He¡¯s indeed great, but he doesn¡¯t seem as miraculous as you described. He couldn¡¯t last even an hour,¡± Lancelot complained, displeased. ¡°Rest assured, guests. We have magical items that can quickly revitalize these men,¡± Daryl said, smiling apologetically at Lancelot, but then she turned and fiercely told the Elf Priest, ¡°Get going, and put on your best performance. If the guests are even slightly dissatisfied, I¡¯ll force-feed you with healing potion and flay you myself!¡± Chapter 97 - 97 - 91 Koula Chapter 97 ¨C 91 Koula Daryl had finished scolding and once more saluted Lancelot before leaving with the goblins who were carrying the plates. ¡°Maybe we shouldn¡¯t have rejected that succubus¡¯s offer so directly,¡± Bruto sniffed, ¡°The food on those plates really smelled good.¡± ¡°Alamir, are you alright?¡± A delicate voice sounded, and only then did everyone notice that there was still someone else in the room. At first glance, she could easily be mistaken for an underage human girl, but a closer look revealed that she was a halfling. She had pink skin and brown hair, along with a cute doll-like face. She wore a tall chef¡¯s hat, yet her true height was apparent, probably only three feet, less than half of Lancelot¡¯s. The room¡¯s air was filled with the scent of food: stewed meat, melons and fruits, cakes, and desserts. These conflicting odors mingled together but still smelled very good, stirring one¡¯s appetite irresistibly. It seemed she was the one who had made the tasty dishes that Daryl had strongly recommended, but Lancelot still noticed the shackles on the halfling¡¯s ankles, linked by a chain to an iron ball bigger than Bruto¡¯s head, suggesting that this little one had likely made numerous escape attempts. The chef looked fearfully at the three figures of Lancelot, seemingly very afraid of the succubus, but still mustered the courage to say to Alamir: Read exclusive adventures at empire ¡°I have some cheese tarts here that might make you feel a bit better...¡± ¡°Thank you, Koula, I¡¯m fine,¡± Alamir said with a smile to the halfling, but Lancelot, standing behind him, saw that the elf¡¯s back was soaked from the confrontation with Daryl. ¡°Cheese tarts sound amazing, get us one,¡± the gluttonous Bruto suddenly spoke up, sounding very enthusiastic. Lancelot¡¯s facial muscles twitched involuntarily. Bruto must be one of the few dwarves exceptionally interested in food, and here he was, blurted out his request so casually in this tense situation. ¡°She has a heart of gold, and although she has suffered various injustices, she still chooses to treat everyone kindly,¡± Alamir said, not averting his gaze from Lancelot. ¡°She is my only friend here, and I certainly trust her.¡± Lancelot nodded, and this gesture made the Elf show a genuine smile, convincing Lancelot that he had made the correct decision. ¡°Uh, what are you guys talking about?¡± the halfling chef asked, confused by their seemingly inexplicable conversation, and suddenly as if he understood something, ¡°Is someone going to redeem you, Alamir?¡± The word ¡¯redeem¡¯ almost caused the Elf Priest to bite her tongue, while Bruto let out a string of barbell-like laughter on the side. ¡°Koula, are you still planning to escape from this place?¡± Alamir looked at Koula. ¡°I¡¯m about to leave this damned place.¡± ¡°What are you rambling about?¡± The Elf¡¯s words made the halfling turn pale, her nervousness apparent as she glanced at the three succubi standing to the side. She quickly pulled an apple pie from underneath her and stuffed it into Alamir¡¯s mouth, trying to stop the Elf from saying more. ¡°No, you got it wrong, oh, my goodness, this apple pie is really delicious,¡± Alamir mumbled unclearly with food suddenly stuffed in her mouth, unwilling to spit out the delectable treat, she could only hurriedly swallow faster. ¡°Eat more slowly, don¡¯t choke,¡± Lancelot patted Alamir¡¯s back and then smiled at the halfling, ¡°Cover your mouth first, and make sure it¡¯s tight.¡± Koula did as told, and Lancelot closed his eyes, feeling the atmosphere around to ensure no one was approaching the room. He then took off his Transformation Ring. The halfling¡¯s scream from within her mouth stifled by her hand came out as a muffled groan. Lancelot smiled at her, then put the ring back on. ¡°A Transformation Ring? You relied on this to sneak inside?¡± Koula stared in amazement at Lancelot¡¯s finger, suddenly smiling as if she had figured everything out, ¡°I get it now, you¡¯re here to rescue Alamir!¡± ¡°We¡¯re here for the Cross Pickaxe in the rest room, it might be a holy relic of the Dwarf race,¡± Lancelot shook his head. ¡°Alamir will help us get that item, in exchange, we will take her out. Do you want to come along?¡± ¡°Thank you, Alamir, for still thinking of me when such a chance has appeared!¡± The halfling gratefully looked at the Elf, but she shook her head, lifting her leg, and jingling the shackles on her ankle, ¡°But I can¡¯t go with you, I would just be a burden to you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too quick to refuse, my diminutive friend, you don¡¯t take up much space,¡± the Elf Priest said with a smile. ¡°I have a good place for you to hide, but you might have to take a nap first.¡± Chapter 98 - 98 - 92: Faking Death to Escape Chapter 98 ¨C 92: Faking Death to Escape ¡°Um, where exactly is this place you¡¯re speaking of?¡± Koula looked at Alamir with a skeptical gaze. ¡°I may be a little short, but I definitely can¡¯t hide inside your robe.¡± ¡°No, no, no, not inside my robe.¡± Alamir laughed. ¡°When I was praying to the Goddess just now, she gifted me a new spell¡ªthe Feign Death Technique. With this magic, you¡¯ll be able to stay inside the Dimensional Bag. Sir Lancelot, your Dimensional Bag should be able to fit my petite friend here, right?¡±@@@@ ¡°No problem there,¡± Lancelot asked with curiosity, ¡°but are you sure this Feign Death Technique can keep her safely in the Dimensional Bag?¡± At the moment, his Dimensional Bag was mainly occupied by the Giant Sword Glacier and some gemstones, while his real wealth was actually inside his spiritual world. ¡°It should work.¡± Kalalin, who was well-informed, spoke up. ¡°I can cast that spell too. It makes the recipient¡¯s heartbeat and breathing stop, just like they are dead, lasting for one hour. During that time, her body will be indistinguishable from a corpse.¡± ¡°Sounds pretty interesting,¡± the Halfling said, eyes glinting with hope, but still a bit afraid. ¡°What happens if the spell fails? It won¡¯t just kill me, will it?¡± ¡°Could you have a little faith in me?¡± the Elf Priest responded with a cry-laugh. ¡°And I¡¯m also a Priest, you know. If it fails, I have the Resurrection Art to bring you back to life.¡± Stay updated through empire ¡°It must be within one minute of death,¡± Kalalin added. ¡°Better make a decision fast,¡± Lancelot prompted, ¡°We¡¯ve delayed for too long already.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, go ahead, Elf,¡± the Halfling closed her eyes. ¡°I knew my life of adventure wouldn¡¯t end as a cook. Considering all the cakes you¡¯ve eaten, don¡¯t screw this up.¡± Upon hearing this, the Elf Priest didn¡¯t delay any longer. He muttered a spell in a low voice, and soon a purple light gathered in his hands. Then, reaching out, he gently patted Koula on the shoulder. The Halfling¡¯s eyes rolled back, and she collapsed straight down. ¡°Uh, she looks completely dead,¡± Bruto said uncertainly, ¡°Should we consider this a success?¡± Lancelot stepped forward, took Koula¡¯s hand, and extended his Divine Sense to check the Halfling¡¯s body. He was worrying too much, though; the Qingyun Sword Art, personally improved by the great Han Tianzun, was a top-tier cultivation technique that was only slightly suppressed when dealing with Metal Attribute materials. It was infinitely stronger than the Gathering Qi Slash, a technique almost everyone in the realm of cultivation could perform. The current average power of the Art was purely because Lancelot had only cultivated it to the first level. Furthermore, the Qingyun Sword Art had many wonderful uses; it was merely that Lancelot¡¯s current level was too low to have mastered them yet. After cutting the shackles, Lancelot directly stuffed the ¡¯corpse¡¯ of the Halfling into his Dimensional Bag. He glanced at the severed shackles and the large iron ball and took these items with him as well. While the disappearance of the person might only confuse the Guards, if the cut instruments of punishment were left behind, even a fool like the two-headed Giant would realize there had been a prison break. ¡°All set,¡± Lancelot said as he patted his hands and stood up, once again taking hold of Alamir¡¯s chains. Just then, the ground shook even more violently than before, accompanied by muffled cries. Above them, they heard a series of hurried footsteps that changed everyone¡¯s expressions. ¡°Something must have gone wrong,¡± Lancelot said urgently in a low voice, ¡°we don¡¯t have time to delay.¡± ¡°Follow me, we¡¯re almost at the resting room,¡± Alamir pushed open another door, leading everyone quickly through it. Behind the door was a staircase descending deeper into the Succubus Palace¡¯s underground. After navigating the staircase, Lancelot and his group entered a small hall which seemed to be the resting room mentioned by the Elves. Long couches were placed around casually, food and drinks were on tables against the wall, and his Divine Sense alerted him to a special magic item placed on a pedestal in the center of the room¡ªit was the object of their quest. Lancelot quickly scanned the vicinity. In the hall, several male slaves wrapped in robes were looking up at the ceiling with uncertainty, seemingly frightened by the recent commotion. A few Berserk Demons, evidently the guards, were poised for battle. Upon hearing someone enter, they all turned their gaze, but when they recognized that it was Alamir, they looked away, joining the slaves in watching the dust fall from the ceiling above. Chapter 99 - 99 - 93 Accident Chapter 99 ¨C 93 Accident Several Succubus Maids were also in the corner, and they were equally unsettled by the recent commotion, currently huddled together and discussing something. One of the Succubi looked up and saw Alamir, her expression briefly stiffened before she sternly began, ¡°Alamir! Why have you returned? And you brought guests here?¡± Instantly, the group of Succubi turned their heads, they only glanced at Lancelot and the two wrapped in cloaks for a moment before their attention settled on the Elf. Explore stories at empire The looks in the eyes of the Succubi were very complex, with concern, disdain but mostly, there was an unabashed desire. ¡°I bet every Succubus here has slept with an Elf,¡± Bruto murmured to Kalalin, who nodded ever so slightly in agreement. ¡°I need to recover, and the three distinguished guests insisted...¡± The Elf had just begun speaking when she was abruptly cut off by a gesture from the Succubus. ¡°Alright, alright, do as you please. Do you know what happened above? What¡¯s with these strange vibrations?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Alamir shook her head, ¡°Everything was normal before we came down.¡± While the Succubus was talking with the Elf, Lancelot had already quietly made his way to the center of the room, near a countertop, feigning curiosity as he surveyed the resting area. Kalalin, who had been keeping an eye on Lancelot¡¯s movements, naturally understood the signal. Under the concealing folds of his large cloak, a palm-sized mini scroll quietly unfolded, already primed with the spell ¡°Minor Illusion.¡± On the countertop was a case made of crystal, inside which lay their target, a Cross Pickaxe, casually tossed with no particular care. Aside from the faint luminescent glow on its surface, the pickaxe didn¡¯t seem extraordinary at first glance. But Lancelot¡¯s Spiritual Sense told him that this item was far more special than it appeared. Lancelot was sure that something major must have happened at Oasis Fort. The plan was just to blast a hole through an unguarded segment of the outer wall of the Succubus Palace, at most collapsing an entire wall, certainly not including the boulder that almost claimed his life. ¡°We¡¯re under attack! Come out and fight!¡± While the people inside the room were still staring at each other, a hoarse and ferocious voice suddenly rose directly from the depths of their hearts. This was a High Rank Demon using its wide-range Sensory Ability to shout out to all the Demons nearby. Lancelot was startled, what exactly had happened? He touched another small sphere in his pocket, assuring himself his worries were unfounded. That sphere was from Phil, meant to warn him in case their team encountered trouble. The other Demons in the room jumped up, but their reactions varied. The Succubi seemed panicked, flitting about like headless flies, not knowing what to do. Fighting was generally not the Succubi¡¯s forte, they preferred to provoke jealousy-fueled conflicts among suitors. If fighting was inevitable, their tactic typically involved using their Charm ability to control someone, having this temporary ally take a hit for them so they could flap their bat-like wings and take off. But the Berserk Demon Guards let out excited roars, some even entering Berserk State, casually tearing a nearby human slave to shreds as if just to vent their destructive impulses. These giant toads leapt straight out of the large hole in the ceiling, howling as they charged outward, as though fearing the fight would end too quickly, and they¡¯d miss out. The remaining slaves were either foolishly standing still or smartly taking the chance to slip away. This chaos was a rare opportunity to escape; if not now, then when? Lancelot patted the confused Alamir to get his attention. ¡°It¡¯s time we left.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, of course!¡± The Elf quickly regained his composure, ¡°Follow me!¡± He ran to the side of the room, next to a gargoyle statue, and pulled the entire sculpture backward. A secret door on the wall immediately opened up, leading to a rather spacious spiral staircase winding upwards. ¡°This staircase leads directly to the stage of the great hall. Let¡¯s go this way!¡± Chapter 100 - 100 - 94: Breaking Walls to Enter the Warehouse Chapter 100 ¨C 94: Breaking Walls to Enter the Warehouse Lancelot pulled out his hand half sword Frostslash from under his cloak and took the lead, running forward. As he passed Alamir, he swung his longsword, startling the Elves. The plain sword blade struck the iron chain that was holding him, and to everyone¡¯s surprise, it cleanly cut through the chain as thick as a forearm, leaving only half a foot of chain still attached to the collar around the elf¡¯s neck. Alamir stared blankly at the smooth cut, until Bruto pushed him to snap out of it. Too much had happened today, and he found himself distracted several times. The Elves shook their heads, disdainfully threw the chain that symbolized their enslavement aside, and quickly followed the three Succubus who had already run into the passage, towards their freedom. The group quickly ran up the stairs, but halfway up, Lancelot and Bruto suddenly stopped, causing Kalalin, who was right behind them, to bump into them.@@@@ ¡°What are you doing? This body really is hard to balance...¡± the Scholar muttered in dissatisfaction, but then noticed the odd expressions on Lancelot and Bruto¡¯s faces, staring intently at a nondescript spot on the outer wall of the passage. Stay updated via empire ¡°What¡¯s wrong, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Alamir also came up to look, following their gaze, ¡°There¡¯s no secret door there, I¡¯m quite sure.¡± ¡°Do you feel it?¡± Lancelot ignored the confused pair and asked Bruto directly. ¡°Of course!¡± Bruto answered excitedly, ¡°It feels as clear as if there¡¯s an extra Goblin in my trousers!¡± ¡°What did you feel? What is behind this wall?¡± Kalalin was beginning to understand. ¡°Gemstone!¡± ¡°Gold!¡± Lancelot and Bruto answered in unison, exchanging glances and smiling knowingly. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± the Elves were getting anxious, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and escape from here.¡± ¡°Listen to me, Alamir,¡± Lancelot turned to look at the Elves, his face serious, ¡°You¡¯ve been enslaved for ten years, right? It¡¯s time you received the compensation you deserve.¡± Bruto, surprised, looked at his shield, shrugged his shoulders, and according to Lancelot¡¯s instructions, pressed the shield against the wall. The sharp fin, which belonged to the shark beast, sank into the stone wall¡¯s surface as easily as a bread knife into butter. Bruto moved the shield like a glass cutter, tracing a square shape on the wall. The Dwarf then pushed against the cut area, but the wall remained immovable. He shook his head in resignation and spoke: ¡°It won¡¯t budge, this wall is too thick.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here,¡± Lancelot stepped forward, starting with a Soundproof Barrier spell, then stood quietly in front of the square Bruto had cut, quietly beginning to gather his energy. The Transforming Ring only changed his physical appearance; his body¡¯s interior remained as that of a human. True Qi roared out of his Dantian, rushing through his Meridians like a flood, bringing infinite power to Lancelot¡¯s body. Succubus Lansna let out a delicate-sounding roar, her palms striking forward powerfully, hitting right inside the square Bruto had just traced. The wall emitted a sound like an explosion, and the impacted area sent out a visible airwave, forming a deep indentation but still stubbornly refusing to break open a passage to the treasury. Lancelot would not stop there, as his palms delivered one blow after another, like waves slamming against a rock, cracking sounds emerging continuously. Finally, after more than a dozen strikes from Lancelot, the wall groaned and collapsed with a crash, revealing a large hole before everyone. Alamir looked at Lancelot¡¯s superhuman strength with awe and was speechless. The wall had a thickness of more than three feet, and while the fin on Bruto¡¯s shield only made a cut less than six inches in depth, the rest of the wall had been forcefully shattered by Lancelot¡¯s tremendous strength. What further disconcerted him was that Lancelot was still in his Succubus form. Over the past decade, he fought up close with Succubi daily, so he had seen all sorts of states of these demons, but the sight of this Succubus in a horse stance, continuously slamming the wall, was particularly jarring. But now, no one cared whether Lancelot damaged the image of Succubi because everyone was blinded by the dazzling gold light. Behind the large hole was a room filled with treasures, with piles of gold coins nearly transforming it into a swimming pool of gold. Gemstones of every hue were scattered everywhere, and both luxurious and finely crafted artifacts were easily seen. Armors and treasured swords sparkled with a brilliance, as if shouting: ¡°Hey! Look here! I¡¯m a treasure! Quick, take me out of this forsaken place!¡± Chapter 101 - 101 - 95: Treasury Guard Chapter 101 ¨C 95: Treasury Guard Lancelot quickly took off the dimensional bag from his waist and tossed it on the ground, instructing crisply: ¡°No more than 5 minutes, grab the valuable ones first, no gold! Hurry up!¡± Everyone cheered and rushed in frantically. Lancelot, relying on his sensitivity to Spiritual Energy, immediately picked out the gemstones equivalent to Upper Grade Spirit Stones. Bruto¡¯s eyes turned red as he lunged at the most valuable jewels, while Alamir carefully placed the delicate artworks into his dimensional belt. Kalalin was the only one who didn¡¯t scurry around the piles of gold like a dung beetle on the scent. He pulled out the necklace from around his neck, murmured a spell softly and activated the Detect Magic spell embedded in the necklace. In his eyes, the world initially lost its color rapidly, then the items containing Magical Power lit up one by one, emitting their own Magic Aura. Under the effect of Detect Magic, the caster could determine the type of magic by the color of the Spiritual Light and the strength of the magic by the intensity of the light. Read exclusive adventures at empire Magic was roughly divided into eight Arcane schools: Energy Sculpting, Protection, Curse, Transformation, Illusion Technique, Charm Control, Necromancers, and Prophecy, with the corresponding Spiritual Lights being crimson, dark red, orange, light blue, deep green, deep blue, deep purple, and yellow-green respectively.@@@@ The intensity of the light ranged from dim to blindingly bright, and it was said that the light from a Divine Artifact could even rival the midday sun. Kalalin effortlessly identified several of the most powerful magical items, including a staff wrapped in dragon scales, a great sword that could sing, shoes that seemed alive, a helmet decorated with wings made of numerous small swords, a slippery snake-shaped belt which was nearly impossible to pick up, and various other peculiar outfits, all of which he stowed one by one into the dimensional bag. These treasures, earned with the lives and blood of slaves like Alamir, had lain quietly in the master¡¯s treasure room for many years. The four intruders took what they pleased and quickly filled the dimensional bag, even though they had only taken less than a tenth of the treasures in the room (of course, the most precious tenth). Lancelot didn¡¯t waste any words and charged directly at the Succubus for close combat. While the Succubus was exceptional in hand-to-hand combat, her incessant Quasi-Divine Arts were the real trouble. ¡°Cowardly scum!¡± Facing Lancelot¡¯s aggressive attacks, the Succubus secretly marveled inside. Every Succubus once desired power due to their detest of their intrinsic weakness as a Succubus and hence chose to transform; yet, here was this Succubus daring to engage her in melee combat! But with just a swipe of her claw colliding with Lancelot¡¯s incoming Great Sword, she knew her enemy was not a mere Succubus. The weight of the Great Sword exceeded her expectations, its power overwhelming for her to handle. What was more mysterious was the eerie blue glow on the blade, causing a small notch to appear on her claw, as tough as mithril, which frightened her from intercepting his attacks any further. ¡°I know who you are now!¡± The Succubus said as she skillfully dodged Lancelot¡¯s attacks using her agile movements, while her four lightning-fast tentacles continually slapped the sword, causing Lancelot¡¯s attacks to skew, ¡°Take off your mask, Tijana!¡± Lancelot maintained his rhythm of attacks and slightly shook his head, letting the face mask fall aside. It wouldn¡¯t be good to let Tijana take the blame if this enemy had some bizarre means of escaping, as it might lead the Queen of the Succubus¡¯s wrath to him instead. Compared to this, Lansna was indeed a more suitable scapegoat. ¡°Hmph, who is Tijana? Another Succubus?¡± Lancelot ostensibly asked while striking with his sword, ¡°And who are you then, wanting to snatch the treasure we discovered here?¡± ¡°I am Samantha, the Enforcer of the Fifth Execution Squad!¡± The Succubus screeched in rage, ¡°Cease immediately, this all belongs to the majestic Queen of the Succubus!¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s too bad.¡± Lancelot said impassively, as his swordplay suddenly changed. He had realized he could barely gain the upper hand in the fight against the Succubus, yet he couldn¡¯t breach her tentacle¡¯s defenses. He could unleash his full strength without reserve, but if he couldn¡¯t ensure a one-strike kill and the enemy had some tricks up her sleeve, his teammates might be in danger. At that, he shifted his focus toward those tentacles as his targets. He raised his hands and executed a downward chop, seemingly no different from his previous moves, but only his right hand grasped the sword handle, while his left hand swiftly grasped the hilt of Frostslash on his shoulder. Chapter 102 - 102 - 96: Fierce Battle on the Pile of Gold Coins (Part One) Chapter 102 ¨C 96: Fierce Battle on the Pile of Gold Coins (Part One) Another flash of sword light suddenly brightened, and the Succubus, unguarded against this sudden change, was a bit slow to retract a tentacle, which Lancelot directly slashed off at the sharp end, causing her to scream in pain and leap backward abruptly. The combat had been too fierce just now, with Lancelot¡¯s wide and sweeping sword moves covering all the space within seven feet of him, preventing Bruto from stepping forward to help. Kalalin and Alamir also found it difficult to lock onto the target with their spells due to Lancelot¡¯s close entanglement with the enemy, fearing they might accidentally hurt their teammates and thus hesitated to cast. Now, as the Succubus moved away in pain, the two immediately threw out the spells they had prepared for a long time. Although it was Kalalin¡¯s first encounter with a Succubus, he was familiar with such demons from legends (for well-known reasons, anything related to Succubi was a hot research topic among scholars). He knew well that Succubi possessed high spell resistance, and at his current level, the probability that his magic would be resisted was higher than two-thirds, so instead of casting offensive spells at the Succubus, he chose to cast enhancement spells on Lancelot. He unfurled a scroll and hurriedly recited a series of spells. Magic power was drawn by him through the Magic Net, flowing through the Arcane Runes on the scroll, which gently quivered as if ready to fly off the surface of the parchment at any moment. Kalalin pointed his finger at Lancelot and uttered the last word of the spell, and suddenly, a blue light appeared out of nowhere above Lancelot and then surged into his body. This was a Third Circle Haste Spell, significantly enhancing the recipient¡¯s attack and movement speed. Kalalin, seeing Lancelot¡¯s intent to engage the enemy, and aware of how dreadful the Succubus was, hesitated not a moment to use his once-daily capability of the Third Circle spell, casting the most suitable auxiliary spell for the situation. Alamir¡¯s approach was much more straightforward. As a Priest of the Domain of Life, he had little combat experience. Moreover, his repertoire of offensive Divine Arts was quite limited, except for a zero-circle Divine Art common to all priests of good alignment: the Holy Fire Technique. Although it¡¯s called the Holy Fire Technique, it causes Radiant Damage, and most Fiends from the lower planes are either completely immune to fire damage or highly resistant to it, but they cannot resist this type of damage. But her troubles were not over yet; a rapidly spinning hammer, carrying immense force, hurtled toward her. Barely turning her head in time, the hammer grazed past her face and struck a large pile of Gold Coins, creating a delightful clinking sound as the coins collided. Although she wasn¡¯t hit directly, the left side of the Succubus¡¯s face swelled as if she had been harshly slapped. Find adventures at empire What kind of damnable Succubus uses a bloody hammer as a weapon? In the blink of an eye, this thought flashed through her mind, and she instinctively looked in the direction from which the hammer had come. Bruto, who had just completed his throw, hadn¡¯t yet managed to retract his arm when the cloth mask slipped from his face. The red-bearded face of the Succubus was fully captured in her sight. In the heat of battle, her mind went through a brief, complete non-magical blank. Facing an opponent like Lancelot, even a momentary lapse could be fatal. The Human Knight, under the effect of a Haste Spell, instantly closed in on the Succubus. Glacier and Frostslash intersected, swinging horizontally and vertically at her. Thanks to the four tentacles growing from her back, the Succubus propelled herself backwards in a defiance of common sense at the last moment, avoiding being cleaved in two. She flew backwards again, a deep gash from her left shoulder to her thigh, as copious amounts of blood sprayed into the air. Lancelot hadn¡¯t expected the Succubus¡¯s agility to be of this caliber; his sure-kill strike failed to eliminate his opponent, slowing his pursuit momentarily. The Succubus was likewise a veteran in battle. The demon¡¯s constitution allowed her to ignore the excruciating pain of her grievous wounds, seizing this brief opportunity. Still airborne, she swiftly recited a spell and cast a life-saving healing spell on herself, then crashed into a small mountain of Gold Coins at the other end of the vault. Chapter 103 - 103 - 97: Fierce Battle on the Pile of Gold Coins (Part Two) Chapter 103 ¨C 97: Fierce Battle on the Pile of Gold Coins (Part Two) The Succubus¡¯s wounds on her skin rapidly writhed, nearly healing the bone-deep gashes in an instant. However, a bright flash of Holy Fire Technique immediately enveloped her, eliciting another infuriated, anguished scream. Desperate, she attempted to charge forward to take out the Priest first. A light clawing would render him incapable of casting Divine Arts ever again, or she could use her once-a-day ability to dominance over humanoids, making the priest truly believe she was his best friend. Yet that sword-wielding Succubus instantly closed in again, blocking all her escape routes. Damn it, how could a Succubus move so fast? And what¡¯s with that bizarre armor she¡¯s wearing? Lancelot was quite the sight at this moment. His robe had long been torn away, revealing the exquisite armor beneath, looking every bit the part of a knightly Succubus. In stark contrast with his slender frame was the weapon in Lancelot¡¯s hands. In his left hand was the four-foot Hand Half Sword Frostslash, while his right brandished the terrifying seven-foot Giant Sword Glacier. The two Two-Handed Weapons transformed into a metallic whirlwind, and its ferocious attacks left the Succubus gasping for air. The Succubus had a dozen powerful spells at her disposal¡ªany one of them could have turned the tide of the battle. But Lancelot didn¡¯t give her the chance. She had already realized just how formidable this Succubus was; a moment¡¯s distraction in battle would let that Great Sword deprive her of her combat abilities completely. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just the terrifying strength and swift attacks of the opponent that troubled her. The Succubus had detected something off with the weapons in Lancelot¡¯s hands. The swords contained a frosty element that discomforted her, as if it could extinguish the fire of life, greatly diminishing the effectiveness of her Healing Spells. Years of combat experience told her she couldn¡¯t keep fighting like this. Escape was her only option, or death would be her only conclusion today. A brief moment was all she needed to cast a high-level Teleportation Technique and make her escape. However, the situation made it clear she would have to pay a significant price before she could leave. With that in mind, the Succubus steeled herself, her claws, and tendrils erupting with ultimate speed, trying to seize a Split-second advantage. Lancelot knew his enemy was fighting desperately. He pushed the True Qi in his Dantian to its limit almost instantly. Coupled with Kalalin¡¯s Haste Spell effect, he surprisingly kept pace with the adversary¡¯s two claws and four tendrils. Continue your adventure with empire The cheerleaders next to them had been awestruck by Lancelot¡¯s still posture, and at this word, they unconsciously spoke out at the same time. The Succubus wanted to say something else, but after she finished speaking, her mouth didn¡¯t close; her right upper lip and left lower lip were stuck together, as if they couldn¡¯t separate. What¡¯s going on? This was the last thought in the Succubus¡¯s mind. Because of the movement while speaking, some kind of balance seemed to have been disrupted. The Succubus¡¯s head split open like a watermelon from the top, a large amount of blood mist erupted from the cracks, like a boiling kettle. The bisected vitreous body slipped from the eye sockets but was caught by the optic nerves, swaying in mid-air like wind chimes. The crack continued to extend downward, through her neck, chest cavity, heart, stomach, all the way to the base of her right thigh. The Teleportation Magic didn¡¯t trigger for some reason until now; a flash of yellow light passed by, and half of the Succubus¡¯s right side disappeared, leaving behind half of her brain, a major part of her body, and two relatively intact legs. The exposed cut surface spewed out a large amount of blood, and broken internal organs slipped from the abdomen. The surface rapidly grew a mass of tumors and ulcers, as if some supernatural force sustaining the demon¡¯s life was quickly dissipating. The unbalanced corpse fell on a pile of Gold Coins stained with blood; this Succubus died, dying on the treasure she was meant to protect. It¡¯s unknown if her brain, before splitting in half, could comprehend what the Succubus Knight¡¯s words ¡°You¡¯re already dead¡± meant. The reality was, the moment Lancelot had swung that Great Sword, she switched the True Qi that powered the Qingyun Sword Art with Innate True Qi. This not only extended the Great Sword¡¯s Sword Aura by three feet but also caused its color to become nearly transparent from a faint cyan glow. This was Lancelot¡¯s final killing move. The bulkiness of the Giant Sword Glacier was too obvious, so he powered a singular attack with the Qingyun Sword Art using Innate True Qi, and although the Sword Aura was nearly transparent, it would still cause a slight refraction of light. An opponent fully focused might still be able to dodge, but the Succubus¡¯s own tentacles blocked most of her view, coupled with the need to concentrate on casting spells, which allowed Lancelot to strike a killing blow on the enemy on the spot. Chapter 104 - 104 - 98 Succubus’ Dimensional Bag Chapter 104 ¨C 98 Succubus¡¯ Dimensional Bag Lancelot¡¯s heart was still beating frantically. In this battle, he truly pulled out all the stops, holding nothing back. He was fortunate to have detected the fluctuations of the Teleportation Magic in advance and launched a preemptive attack while the enemy was unprepared. He then made his initial advantage snowball, never giving the enemy a chance to turn the tables, and in the end, seized on the fatal error made by the opponent due to their intent to retreat. Find exclusive content at empire But in reality, Lancelot had expended a great deal. This was the first time he had gone all out since becoming a Spiritual Cultivator, and his control of power was far from perfect. If the fight had dragged on, he might have run out of True Qi and been unable to maintain his suppression over the enemy. Had the Succubus realized that these few Succubi were merely humans affected by Transfiguration, the situation would have been even more perilous. They possess a series of potent Enchantment Control System spells targeted at humans, and Lancelot did not want to test whether his mental techniques for controlling emotions could withstand the enchantment. He reached into his breastplate and extravagantly pulled out an Upper Grade Spirit Stone crystal to recover his True Qi quickly. Upper Grade Spirit Stones had a much swifter recovery rate than Middle Grade, and with such a big haul today, there was no need to be stingy now. While recovering his True Qi, he turned to say something only to realize that Bruto and the others were still in shock. There was no helping it; Lancelot¡¯s performance just now had been terrifying. Despite Kalalin¡¯s Haste Spell¡¯s influence, that overwhelming might had broken through the limits of mortals, making one wonder if this Succubus form of Lancelot had become something else. ¡°Alright, alright, it¡¯s all taken care of,¡± said Lancelot in a relaxed tone, bringing back a sense of familiarity for everyone. He picked up the Dimensional Bag from the ground, peeked inside through the opening, and was nearly blinded by the radiance of the treasures. ¡°We¡¯ve really hit the jackpot today, we should head out. If we don¡¯t leave now, I¡¯m afraid others will come,¡± he declared.@@@@ Only then did the group snap out of their trance, with Alamir giving Lancelot a thumbs-up and saying in admiration, Lancelot, Bruto, and Kalalin looked at the nearly naked corpse on the ground and simultaneously turned their questioning gazes towards the elf. ¡°Er, maybe I¡¯m just too familiar with these demons,¡± the elf said helplessly as he walked toward the mutilated body. ¡°Gentlemen, I suggest you avert your eyes...¡± ... A minute later, the completely stripped body of the Succubus was cast aside, and everyone looked awkwardly at a sticky bag in Alamir¡¯s hand¡ªan actual Dimensional Bag. ¡°I still haven¡¯t developed the habit of looting bodies right after killing enemies,¡± Lancelot lamented internally. Back in the military, one only needed to fight; nobody would carry treasures on them, and magical items were mere legends. Cleanup after a battle was someone else¡¯s job, and he had almost missed out on this valuable find. The Elf Priest¡¯s face stiffened as he cast a First Circle Divine Art, the Water Conjuring Spell, and a stream of water appeared out of thin air. Alamir used the water he had summoned to clean the surface of the bag, then opened it to peer inside, while the others watched his actions intently. ¡°Uh, there¡¯s nothing else here, just a set of cleric equipment.¡± He turned the Dimensional Bag inside out, a move that would spill all of its contents. Instantly, a cleric¡¯s robe, a set of chainmail, a uniquely designed Nail-headed Hammer, and a Shield fell to the ground. Seeing nothing unusual emerge, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Alamir, who had turned the Dimensional Bag right side out again, tossed it to Lancelot and asked, ¡°I can use these equipments, right?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Lancelot replied, accepting the Dimensional Bag. He probed it with his Divine Sense and, confirming it was empty¡ªbut with quite a bit more space than his current one¡ªstowed the Great Sword Glacier inside it and then tied the new bag around his waist. The one already filled with treasures was tucked into his chest. ¡°Look, this shield has the emblem of Tir.¡± Kalalin pointed at the pattern of a warhammer and scales painted on the shield. ¡°This is probably what the Succubus used to disguise itself as someone else.¡± A glow emanated from Alamir¡¯s hand as he gently touched the shield¡¯s face, transforming the pattern of the warhammer and scales into the portrait of a lady with fluffy hair. ¡°Now it bears the emblem of the Lady of Love, Shuni,¡± said the elf with a shrug, donning the rest of the equipment. Chapter 105 - 105 - 99: Aerial Reconnaissance Chapter 105 ¨C 99: Aerial Reconnaissance ¡°Ha! Another Dimensional Bag, let¡¯s pack some more!¡± Bruto said excitedly, rubbing his hands together enthusiastically. Lancelot was about to say something, but his expression suddenly changed. He pulled a small ball from his bosom; it had several cracks on its surface that were expanding rapidly. Within moments, it had completely turned into a pile of fragments. ¡°The Goblins are in trouble,¡± Lancelot said with a solemn face, and started running out, ¡°We¡¯ve already gathered enough, they need help now.¡± Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned, but they immediately followed him. Bruto had already grabbed a handful of gemstones and was stuffing them into his robe haphazardly. It was still too difficult for a Dwarf to discard these shiny stones.@@@@ The group ran up the stairs a bit further but found that there was no way to go. At that moment, Alamir pulled a lever on the wall, and the ceiling above creaked open. After they climbed out through the exit, they realized they were right in the center of the stage. Lancelot glanced around and immediately understood the severity of the situation. There were several large holes in the ceiling, with flashes of fire visible in the night sky; the floor too had many holes, apparently, the boulder that had crashed into the resting room came from here. The Succubus Palace had already partially collapsed, and there was no one around. From afar, the dense sound of weapon clashes and shouts indicated that a large-scale battle was underway. Lancelot spotted a huge hole in a wall not far from them, identified the direction, and confirmed that it was where Phil had placed explosives. He then led everyone towards that hole. Passing through that hole, they arrived at a main street in Oasis Fort. Looking around, battles were taking place everywhere, with various types of demons and humans fighting against magical creatures they had never seen before, plunging them immediately into the midst of battle. A volley of arrow-like objects flew towards them from above, and Lancelot, quick as a flash, swung his sword and deflected them all. He looked up and saw a group of creatures resembling small gargoyles with purple skin, holding long spears, and with a spiny tail hanging beneath them; a flick could shoot out a spine. Bruto let out a roar, quite coarse for a Succubus, and threw his hammer. The hammer, spinning rapidly, traced a wavelike path through the air. One of the creatures failed to dodge in time, was struck squarely, and screamed as it fell out of their sight. ¡°Ha! Bullseye!¡± Bruto proudly exclaimed, catching the hammer as it flew back to him. ¡°That¡¯s a Bazt Demon!¡± Kalalin said with a furrowed brow, ¡°How could they be here?¡± After grasping the general situation, Lancelot didn¡¯t look closely anymore, but quickly scanned the nearby areas where battles were occurring, hoping to spot Phil and the others. Catching on that concentrating True Qi in his eyes enhanced his abilities, he quickly spotted several Dwarves within less than a block¡¯s distance, surrounded and attacked by about seven or eight enemies with purple skin, wielding Large Cleavers. The Dwarves, back against a street corner, had formed a tight defensive formation, with the light of Healing Divine Arts occasionally flashing over them, which seemed to barely keep them supported, but Lancelot knew that once the Priest exhausted their Divine Arts, they would be in danger. He confirmed the route over, folded his wings, and plummeted downwards. Just before hitting the ground, he vigorously flapped his wings a few times which slightly slowed his descent, but he still crashed heavily onto the ground, creating a circle of web-like cracks centered around him. ¡°How is it? Did you find them?¡± Bruto burst out immediately after hearing the noise, anxiously asking. ¡°Follow me; they need support,¡± Lancelot said briefly, then turned and ran out along the route he had memorized. The rest quickly followed, as under their Succubus forms, their speed was not slow, and surprisingly, Alamir, clad in Chainmail, effortlessly kept up with them. ¡°Tough guy,¡± Bruto looked back and winked at the Elf. ¡°Regular training,¡± the Elf responded tersely. After about two minutes of running, they could already hear the battle cries of ¡°Moradin¡± up ahead. Bruto let out a roar, his eyes turning blood red, and his speed increased by a third, rushing past Lancelot to lead the charge. The moment he saw the enemy¡¯s back, the bearded Succubus fiercely threw his hammer, not slowing his steps, and crazily charged forward holding his Shield. Chapter 106 - 106 - 100 Beard Demon Chapter 106 ¨C 100 Beard Demon The hammer whistled through the air and slammed into the back of a purple Demon, sending the enemy flying with a deep dent formed in its back. The sudden attack from behind caught the enemy off guard, but these Demons exhibited a discipline that left a deep impression on Lancelot. Generally, such pincer movements would send most soldiers into a panic, but these Demons did not show the slightest disarray. The three that stood at the back quickly turned around, forming a defensive formation, ready to face this new foe. It was then that Lancelot got a clear view of these Demons. At first glance, these Demons looked like muscular humans, but their purple skin, thick tails behind them, long and sharp fingernails, and Elf-like pointed ears all indicated their extraordinary nature. But what was most impressive were their ¡¯beards.¡¯ The beards of these Demons were as thick as thumbs, nearly a foot long, and ended in thorn-like spikes. These vine-like whiskers grew from their chins to the roots of their ears. From the small booklets Kalalin had previously given him, which introduced common creatures from the lower planes, Lancelot had read about these types of Demons. In the infernal language, the name for this kind of Demon is Barbazu, but they are more widely known as Beard Demons, for obvious reasons. These Demons were the backbone of the Nine Hells Legion, unlike those barbarian-like Berserk Demons in the Demon army, the Barbazu were true professional soldiers. Although their individual strength was greatly inferior to the Berserk Demon, their iron discipline and tenacious combat spirit often allowed them to defeat enemies several times their own strength. This is the nature of Demons, their lawful disposition ensures they act in a completely different manner from Demons. The eternal Blood War between Demons and Demons started before mortals came into being, and will likely not end until mortals are completely extinct. Despite being outnumbered and not as powerful individually, Demons have mostly been on the winning side for the majority of the Blood War. While infighting and individualistic combat among Demons is certainly a reason, there is no denying that with iron discipline, superior command, and clever strategy, Demons perform much better on the battlefield than Demons. Lancelot had also read several reports of the Blood War, and amidst all the sensational, contradictory, and nonsensical text, he could still roughly piece together the process of battle. Aside from the scale and gore far exceeding ordinary mortal understanding, the process of the battle reads like a large mob of peasants with pitchforks attacking a well-armed, well-trained regular army¡ªthe outcome was hardly difficult to predict. By the time they snapped out of their momentary daze, Lancelot had already charged to Bruto¡¯s defense. Taking advantage of the momentum from his charge, Lancelot skillfully executed an over-the-shoulder slash and shouted at Bruto, ¡°Fall back!¡± Frostslash¡¯s blade shone with a cyan light, the signature color of the Cold Iron Weapon infused with the Qingyun Sword Art¡¯s Sword Aura. The Beard Demon that Lancelot attacked swung its cleaver in an attempt to deflect the Knight¡¯s assault¡ªwhat turned out to be perhaps the gravest, and definitely the last mistake of its demonic existence. The Beard Demon¡¯s Large Cleaver was like rotten wood, easily split by Lancelot¡¯s Longsword without any deflection of his blade. The Knight¡¯s Sword Glow continued forward, passing between the Demon¡¯s eyes, which bulged in shock¡ªfreezing its expression forever. Discover exclusive tales on empire With words and attack that seemed to carry a compelling force, Bruto found himself retreating rapidly to the rear as Lancelot had instructed, something a Dwarf in combat mode would definitely not normally do. But retreating was undoubtedly the wise choice. A Shield pressed against his back, and Alamir¡¯s voice echoed from behind, ¡°For great love!¡± It must be said that the battle cry of the fiery-haired lady¡¯s Priest was laden with incongruity. Fortunately, this did not affect the effectiveness of the Healing Spell. The emblem of Shuni on Alamir¡¯s Shield lit up, and a surge of Positive Energy in the form of a white radiance flowed into Bruto¡¯s body. This was the Priest¡¯s Circle 1 Divine Arts Healing Spell, but Bruto¡¯s wounds were far from light, and Alamir performed a Circle Upcasting, consuming a Circle 2 spell slot to make the Divine Arts more powerful. Chapter 107 - 107 - 101 Phil’s Explosion Chapter 107 ¨C 101 Phil¡¯s Explosion Shuni¡¯s Holy Emblem emitted a bright red light, filled with positive energy and symbolic of life force, which surged into Bruto¡¯s body. The wounds on his back and shoulders healed at a visible rate. Bruto blinked and realized that the pain had left his body; the formerly dire wounds had now become no more serious than scrapes from a fall. Thanks to Bruto¡¯s reckless move, the previously dire situation of several Temple Guards had greatly improved. Each of the Dwarf Warriors was injured, but none severely. Dwarves, too, possessed a fine warrior tradition, with military prowess no less inferior to that of the Demons. After Lancelot and Bruto each killed a Beard Demon, the number of Beard Demons decreased to six, turning the tide immediately. Now outnumbered, these Demons were caught between attacks from the front and the rear.@@@@ ¡°Good heavens, Lancelot, you arrived just in time,¡± came a voice from behind the Temple Guards. It was a Goblin, sounding lively and completely unharmed, ¡°What in the world is this bearded Succubus? Is it that fool Bruto?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the fool! Green-skinned Dwarf melon!¡± Bruto roared back in the roughest voice a Succubus could possibly have and charged forward again, swinging his hammer. Meanwhile, Lancelot was entangled in a fierce battle with the remaining two Beard Demons. While the Demons were assaulting the city, many more battles awaited him that night. To conserve his True Qi, he now relied solely on his physical strength to fight, still holding the upper hand despite facing two opponents. The Demons had seen Alamir heal Bruto and, after witnessing Lancelot¡¯s superb swordsmanship, they understood clearly they had no chance of winning. Suddenly, one of the Beard Demons shouted something in a very rough language, and the Demons sprang into action. A Beard Demon launched a fierce attack on Lancelot and the Temple Guards, while the remaining four without hesitation fled down a nearby small path. As a cleaver from a Beard Demon suddenly stabbed at him, Lancelot executed his signature sword move ¡ª a downward swing followed by a turn and Horizontal Slash, ending with a stabbing thrust. His first downward swing knocked the enemy¡¯s weapon into the ground, the following Horizontal Slash severed the unretreated arms of the Beard Demon at the elbows, and the final thrust pierced directly into the Beard Demon¡¯s face ¡ª he remembered Kalalin had said the weakness of Demons was the heart, and that of Demons was the brain. These swordsmanship skills he was already highly proficient in had been further enhanced by his physical augmentations as a Spiritual Cultivator, enabling him to execute the triple-move as fast as lightning, almost within the blink of an eye. However, the enemy¡¯s purpose was still achieved, as another Beard Demon, which had also been engaging Lancelot, had now escaped dozens of feet away. Read new chapters at empire Old Reap suddenly ran towards Lancelot¡¯s side, Lancelot noticed that the bartender was now in a half-Werewolf state. Apart from his nails that seemed excessively long, his body was still mostly human, but on his neck was a terrifying wolf¡¯s head, running while frequently turning to check the fuse¡¯s burn. Lancelot was startled by his actions, flapping his wings instinctively forward, causing his whole body to slide backward. When the bomb¡¯s fuse was finally about to burn out, old Reap had already run more than twenty feet away. He abruptly threw himself to the ground, firmly covering his head with both hands. This posture stunned everyone, but after a few seconds, nothing happened. The Beard Demons, trapped in the web, also stared tensely at the bomb, heaving a sigh of relief and opening their mouths as if to say something. Just then, the explosion occurred. First, there was a strong flash of light, followed by burst flames that engulfed all the Demons, and then a circle of visible shockwave followed. Lancelot sharply turned around, his wings tightly wrapped around his body, using his sword to brace against the ground, barely managing to stabilize himself. Bruto and Kalalin didn¡¯t react as quickly, their Succubus wings like sails absorbing too much wind, blasting them backward like sheets of paper fiercely blown away. ¡°Oh haha! What a beautiful explosion!¡± Phil¡¯s voice came up, filled with a sick frenzy. All of a sudden, Lancelot particularly understood old Reap¡¯s earlier reaction, noting that the Werewolf apparently wasn¡¯t a first-time victim of this goblin¡¯s explosive schemes. Chapter 108 - 108 - 102: The Secret of the Signature Dish Chapter 108 ¨C 102: The Secret of the Signature Dish ¡°Phil!!¡± A piercing howl of a wolf echoed as old Reap suddenly leaped from the ground and pounced toward the culprit responsible for the explosion. Lancelot looked towards where the Demon had been trapped. The cobwebs were evidently flammable; the blaze from the explosion first ignited them and then blew them apart. If Oasis Fort had been a town mainly built of wood, a terrible fire would have already begun. The three Demons at the center naturally couldn¡¯t have survived the blast. If they had spent the time they were staring dumbfounded at the bomb trying to get free of the web, they might have had a sliver of hope, but now their bodies had been blown into a hundred pieces, evenly scattered over a nine-foot radius, dead beyond any doubt. Faced with the ferociously approaching Werewolf bartender, Phil frantically began running circles around the Dwarf Guards, attempting to avoid capture by the angry victim. But his short Goblin legs were obviously no match for the half-Werewolf Reap, who caught him by the collar and lifted him high into the air. ¡°Easy, easy!¡± the Goblin cried out, ¡°Your claws are hurting me!¡± ¡°They! Were! Already! Tangled!¡± Reap¡¯s terrifying wolf face roared in Phil¡¯s face, showering him with saliva, ¡°All you needed was a longer stick to poke them to death!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with using a bomb? I clearly left you plenty of time to get away!¡± Phil argued anxiously, ¡°Oh look, there¡¯s a toe, here¡¯s a nose, and what¡¯s that lump of mush over there? The Demon¡¯s little ding-dong? Why are they all over the place? Because my bomb did the job quick and well!!¡± ¡°I swear, if it happens again, I¡¯ll twist off your head, have the chef from the Succubus Palace take care of it, and then eat it spoonful by spoonful!¡± The Werewolf raged with bloodshot eyes, and if his threatening words hadn¡¯t sounded so logical, Lancelot might have thought he would actually lose control and tear the Goblin to pieces the next moment. ¡°Uh, excuse me for a moment, we brought out that chef from the Succubus Palace,¡± Lancelot said, barely holding back his laughter, and pointed behind him, ¡°As well as the top male host. Gentlemen, please allow me to introduce, this is Alamir, a Priest of the God of Love.¡± ¡°Uh, please disregard the first part of the introduction about me,¡± the Elf Priest walked over somewhat embarrassed, ¡°As Sir Lancelot mentioned, I am a Priest of Shuni, and if you have any worries or questions about love, you can come to me.¡± ¡°No way, you¡¯re that Priest?!¡± Reap exclaimed, dropping Phil to the ground, the latter also looking surprised at Alamir. ¡°What a pity, I was hoping you could do something with this guy¡¯s brain,¡± the half-werewolf glared fiercely at the goblin, ¡°So he won¡¯t blow us all to smithereens one day with his bombs!¡± At this point, the four Dwarf Temple Guards also finished tending to their wounds and walked towards Lancelot¡¯s group. Bruto¡¯s eyes lit up, and he hurriedly went forward to greet them: ¡°Uncle Witt!¡± The bearded succubus called out to the Dwarf Priest, ¡°Are you guys alright?¡± ¡°By Moradin, Bruto? Is that you?¡± The Dwarves looked completely shocked by Bruto¡¯s present form. They were well aware of the details of the plan but had not actually seen the transformed appearances of Lancelot¡¯s group. ¡°It¡¯s me, haha!¡± Bruto took off his Transforming Ring and reverted back to his Dwarven appearance, rushing up to give old Dwarf Witt a big hug, ¡°We succeeded!¡± ¡°Why did you have to take off that ring before hugging me? I¡¯ve seen plenty of succubi in Twin Bridges Town, but no one could compare to you!¡± Priest Witt chuckled, ¡°Those demons¡¯ whiskers are poisonous, but we Dwarves are not afraid of such mild poison. However, their weapons did give us quite a bit of trouble, just a scratch would cause unstoppable bleeding, but luckily you all arrived. Did you get the Cross Pickaxe? Where is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s with me,¡± Lancelot said, taking the Cross Pickaxe out of the Dimensional Bag and handing it to Witt, ¡°Take a look, was this worth risking so much for?¡± Stay updated through empire Upon seeing the Cross Pickaxe, the Dwarf Priest¡¯s expression became very serious. He carefully took it, murmuring something in Dwarven under his breath, his hands gently brushing the surface of the Cross Pickaxe. A gold emblem appeared on the Cross Pickaxe, and Lancelot saw it was in the shape of a mountain with a gemstone within it, and next to it was a line of text written in Dwarven. ¡°That¡¯s the emblem of Dumasong, the keeper of secret treasures among the Dwarven gods,¡± Kalalin explained to Lancelot, ¡°With the power of this deity, any items related to the Dwarves can reveal much information to them.¡± Chapter 109 - 109 - 103: Evacuation Route Chapter 109 ¨C 103: Evacuation Route ¡°This is indeed Dain Frostbeard¡¯s Holy Relic,¡± Vito declared, his eyes filled with fervor. ¡°Give us more time, and perhaps we could uncover some clues that tell us the whereabouts of this Platinum Guard. The Father God would surely be pleased!¡± ¡°Sorry to interrupt,¡± Old Reap, the werewolf, spoke up impatiently. ¡°It¡¯s enough to confirm that the thing is alright. When you return to Twin Bridges Town, you¡¯ll have plenty of time to study it slowly, but right now, we have worse things to worry about.¡± ¡°When I flew up into the sky just now, I saw the demons fiercely attacking the city,¡± Lancelot said with a frown. ¡°You¡¯re the local leader here, have you heard anything?¡± ¡°No more than anyone else,¡± the werewolf shrugged. ¡°There was absolutely no warning. The Demon Legion just appeared like that, probably using some kind of concealment magic. Wait, no wonder some of the scouting teams went missing; they must have stumbled upon some traces and then got caught by the demons.¡± ¡°At least Molo has boosted the guard¡¯s strength, so this still doesn¡¯t count as a successful surprise attack,¡± Lancelot nodded. ¡°But why would the demons attack Oasis Fort? Just a month ago, I heard that Volcano Fortress was fiercely battling the Demon Legion. Could it be that Volcano Fortress has fallen?¡±@@@@ ¡°That¡¯s unlikely,¡± Old Reap shook his head. ¡°¡¯Destruction Flame¡¯ Visuvius might be a temperamental tyrant, but breaking through his defenses would require one of the Eight Demon Generals in person. However, it would not be difficult for a small troop to bypass the fortified zone of Volcano Fortress.¡± ¡°What¡¯s bad is, once Oasis Fort falls, Twin Bridges Town will not only have its supply routes cut off but will also have to face the edge of the Demon Legion directly,¡± Phil said, his face looking extremely grim as his deep green skin nearly turned black with worry. ¡°Anyway, we must let Lady Tijana know about this as soon as possible,¡± Old Reap shook his head. ¡°I definitely don¡¯t want to stay in a place that¡¯s about to be conquered by demons.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we try to help defend Oasis Fort?¡± Lancelot cautiously suggested. ¡°We¡¯re not short of hands, and these ordinary demon soldiers don¡¯t seem too hard to deal with.¡± ¡°Help Molo, that backstabbing scum, protect his house?¡± Old Reap looked at Lancelot incredulously, trying to make his words sound less harsh. ¡°If we succeed, that male Succubus won¡¯t be grateful in the slightest, highly likely he¡¯ll even round up all the impressive performers as spies and torture them for interrogation, I definitely don¡¯t want to attract any of his attention.¡± ¡°Well, I hadn¡¯t really thought that much about it.¡± Old Reap looked very sincere, ¡°That leaves only the third route. There¡¯s always been a legend in Oasis Fort about a secret passage under the slave pens that the slaves used to escape. The passage does exist, but the legend isn¡¯t entirely accurate, because it was actually dug by hyena-men studying Necromancy to steal bodies, and now it¡¯s filled with packs of undead creatures, and something even worse. Indeed, some slaves discovered this passage and thus disappeared from Oasis Fort, but the fate awaiting them was not escape but becoming part of those undead creatures.¡± ¡°Undead creatures? You mean like zombies and skeletons?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, ¡°Weapons still hurt them, right? I mean, considering they¡¯ve already died once...¡± ¡°Chopping off the head of an undead can surely quiet them, but you have to be careful, undead won¡¯t lose their combat ability just because their kidney is hit or an arm is chopped off,¡± Old Reap explained, ¡°But my main concern was thinking about our two priests; their Divine Arts are a bane to undead creatures.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Where¡¯s the entrance and exit of this secret passage?¡± ¡°The entrance is in the corpse pit at the bottom of the slave pens, not a very pleasant place. The exit leads to a hyena-man den underground in a small grove outside the city, from where we can find many exits, and of course, a bunch of hyena-men eagerly welcoming us at home, though they won¡¯t be tougher to handle than the Demon Legion.¡± While they were talking, fireballs streaked across the sky, and one fell on a street not far from them, smashing into the ground creating a large crater. The massive tremor caused everyone to stumble and fall to the ground. Continue reading at empire ¡°That grove is also precisely the rally point we arranged with Iados,¡± Phil said while dusting off his clothes, ¡°The Demon¡¯s assault seems to be getting stronger. Let¡¯s use the passage beneath the slave pens and leave now.¡± ¡°Is he here too?¡± The werewolf raised an eyebrow and looked up to determine the direction, ¡°Seems like the choice is quite clear now, follow me.¡± Chapter 110 - 110 - 104: Slave Enclosure Chapter 110 ¨C 104: Slave Enclosure ¡°So, can we take off the Transformation Rings now?¡± Bruto complained as he followed along. ¡°I guess those zombies and skeletons aren¡¯t exactly interested in beauty.¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s best to keep one. The identity of the Succubus might help us get into the slave enclosure.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep it,¡± Lancelot said confidently. ¡°The transformation doesn¡¯t greatly affect my combat abilities.¡± ¡°Whatever makes you happy.¡± Bruto shrugged, removed his Transformation Ring, and, with a flash of magic, he turned back into the young Dwarf. ¡°Ah, this feels much better.¡± The Werewolf Reap led the way at the front, with Bruto and the Succubus-figured Lancelot following close behind. Kalalin didn¡¯t revert from his Succubus form either; he, along with Alamir, Koula, Phil, and Dwarf Priest Witt, walked in the middle of the group. The remaining three Temple Guards of Moradin followed at the very end, these brave Dwarves responsible for covering the rear. Aside from the Halfling Koula, everyone in the group had impressive combat capabilities. Phil might be an unstable factor, since the Goblin¡¯s bombs posed a great threat to both enemies and allies alike. However, Koula seemed familiar with this type of adventurous activity. Nobody noticed when she ended up with a small knife in her hand, apparently the blade of the large cleaver that Lancelot had chopped off. Moreover, Lancelot noticed that her furry bare feet made no sound on the ground, just like a cat¡¯s. Lancelot reminded himself to ask this little one how she ended up in this dreadful plane. The group swiftly navigated through Oasis Fort, occasionally encountering small bands of Demons. These purple Bartez wisely chose not to trouble them¡ªpartly because the group looked genuinely formidable. The Berserk Devils whimpered and retreated, once again proving that fear was the most effective means of ruling over demons. ¡°It¡¯s ironic,¡± Kalalin laughed, shaking his head, ¡°that demons, creatures utterly dominated by violence and the desire to destroy, are most afraid of pain. A demon captured alive by Demons would spill all they knew within minutes, no need for high-level spellcasters¡¯ assistance.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid these big toads won¡¯t let us in,¡± lamented the Werewolf with a pained expression, ¡°Entry to the slave enclosure requires a slaver¡¯s certification, a token issued by Molo that allows slavers to rent a warehouse inside to store their ¡¯inventory.¡¯ I can¡¯t get such a thing now.¡± ¡°What do we do then?¡± Bruto asked anxiously, ¡°Do we just wait here for them to leave on their own?¡± ¡°Exactly. There is a real blood battle outside, and without high-level demons watching, want to bet how long these big toads can hold out?¡± Bruto closed his mouth and said no more, as everyone patiently hid in the shadows of the building across from the slave enclosure, pricking up their ears to the sounds around them. Lancelot, touching a mountain crystal equivalent to a Middle Grade Spirit Stone, restored his True Qi for the possible upcoming battle. His hearing was much more sensitive than the others, clear on any significant noise within a mile radius. The latest battle occurred less than six hundred feet from them, mostly between Beard Demons and mercenaries within Oasis Fort, as he heard the distinctive sound of the Beard Demons¡¯ Large Cleaver, the screech of colliding weapons, and the particular crunch when Plate Armor was breached. The victorious side marched off in uniform steps, and he knew without guessing who the winners were. Faint yet dense battle sounds drifted from farther away. The siege was still intensely underway, mixed with the rage-filled roars of demons in battle and their dying wails. By contrast, the Demons were much quieter, save for occasional loud, crude language that seemed like shouting orders. From the sounds, the attack seemed to be occurring from all directions. The demonic lines had not collapsed, but the falling boulders were gradually destroying key defensive structures. Chapter 111 - 111 - 105 Kalalin’s Plan Chapter 111 ¨C 105 Kalalin¡¯s Plan The siege engines launching these boulders seemed to have poor accuracy; many of the stones smashed into the city instead of hitting the walls. This didn¡¯t quite fit with the strict impression Demons usually made on people, and it was likely because these siege engines were hastily assembled. Then the question arose, where to find the materials to build these siege engines? ¡°Old Reap, aside from that forest to the south of the city, are there any other woods nearby?¡±@@@@ ¡°No, this plane has a severe allergy to most plants,¡± the Werewolf shrugged his shoulders, ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°I was wondering where these stone-launching devices were made.¡± Lancelot pointed upwards as a burning Fireball flew about fifty feet above their heads and smashed a stone tower nearby to rubble. A few Berserk Demons crawled out from the ruins, bellowing in anger. The few pieces of cloth they wore were on fire, but the Tanari possessed high flame resistance. Such flames couldn¡¯t cause much damage but were enough to ignite the Demons¡¯ anger. ¡°I see what you mean,¡± the Werewolf said dryly, ¡°There probably aren¡¯t many Demons left there now. What I mean is, the battle has already begun, right? And the wolf-men¡¯s tunnels usually have many exits, so slipping out unnoticed shouldn¡¯t be hard.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it when the time comes.¡± The Werewolf made some sense, so Lancelot didn¡¯t dwell on the topic any longer. As long as they weren¡¯t emerging right in the middle of the Demon camp, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem. He had just slaughtered a Succubus today and was brimming with confidence. On the other hand, those Berserk Demons who had climbed out from the ruins of the tower were mumbling to each other. Out of curiosity and boredom, Lancelot focused his hearing on those giant toads and overheard the following conversation: ¡°Those damn Bartez! I¡¯m going to break their bones and drink their brain juice!¡± ¡°Just stay put! Legion Commander Raziel ordered us to hold this tower! Do you want a taste of his fury?¡± ¡°Ah! To hell with it! Such bad luck! Why did it have to be me guarding this crappy tower?¡± ¡°Most of those Bartez are probably lining up, giving those guys on the walls the thrill of the kill, and we¡¯re stuck here guarding these damned stones!¡± Lancelot had a flash of inspiration and, using the technique of secret sound transmission, imitated the voices and tones of the Berserk Demons and whispered a sentence into the ear of the loudest complaining toad. ¡°Can your Illusion Magic mimic the effect of a Fireball falling from the sky?¡± ¡°Er, I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Kalalin shook his head, ¡°Minor Illusions can either create a static, small-scale illusion or produce some sound. To mimic the effect of a giant rock crashing down would require a Third Circle spell, Advanced Illusion, but I¡¯ve already used up my only Third Circle spell slot during the fight with the Succubus.¡± ¡°Do you have any plans?¡± Phil asked curiously, ¡°Can my bombs help in any way?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking, if we can destroy that gate, then the Demons won¡¯t have anything left to guard,¡± Lancelot explained, ¡°At the same time, if we can convince the big toads that the destruction was the work of the Devils¡¯ siege engines, maybe that would be enough to drive them off.¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s a good idea!¡± Phil rubbed his hands excitedly, ¡°I have several bombs that can utterly destroy that gate!¡± ¡°I originally planned to go up and talk to them myself while Kalalin created an illusion of a falling Fireball. While the Demons were distracted by the sky, you¡¯d throw your bombs and blow the area to smithereens, then persuade the Berserk Demons to seek revenge on the Devils,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Looks like that¡¯s not going to work now.¡± ¡°Oh, no!!!!!¡± Like a child learning there¡¯s no gift for Midwinter, Phil was anxious, pacing back and forth on the ground, ¡°I love that idea so much! Kalalin, can¡¯t you cast another Third Circle spell? Aren¡¯t there any Second Circle spells that might work? Those big toads are stupider than you think; even a fake illusion would fool them!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible,¡± Kalalin looked apologetically at everyone, ¡°Alamir, Uncle Vito, do any of your Divine Arts have something that can help?¡± The Elf Priest and his Dwarf companion exchanged a glance and helplessly shook their heads. The Goblin looked miserably wronged. He sulkily took a Dimensional Bag off his waist and pulled out a massive bomb, two heads taller than himself, and caressed the black shell as if it were a lover, muttering to himself: ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Casalilia, Daddy will find you a better home next time, I promise...¡± ¡°This guy¡¯s completely lost it,¡± Old Reap anxiously observed the giant bomb, ¡°I think we¡¯d better stand back. Anything this guy makes in my line of sight makes me uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Lancelot has provided a good line of thought,¡± Kalalin stroked his perfectly sculpted Succubus chin, ¡°How much does this thing weigh, approximately?¡± ¡°Two hundred forty-seven pounds, twelve and three-quarter ounces,¡± Phil reported the exact number immediately, the Goblin looked at the disguised Scholar with hope, ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°If a fake illusion won¡¯t do, why not just use the real thing?¡± For once, a mischievous smile appeared on Kalalin¡¯s face, ¡°First, let me confirm, this bomb won¡¯t explode from moving and shaking during transport, will it?¡± Chapter 112 - 112 - 106: Brotherhood in the Abyss Chapter 112 ¨C 106: Brotherhood in the Abyss ¡°She¡¯s called Casalilia!¡± the Goblin huffed, pulling out a small box from his pocket with a big red button on it, and a metal wire at the top, ¡°It¡¯s only when you press this button on the remote control that she¡¯ll explode! No matter if you throw her off a cliff or chuck her into a foundry, Casalilia, like a stubborn nun, will refuse to show you her true passion!¡± ¡°Impressive, but can you put that remote away first?¡± Kalalin asked nervously, eyeing the device in the Goblin¡¯s hand, ¡°Lancelot, are you able to carry this thing and fly?¡± ¡°Are you joking, of course not,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°But couldn¡¯t I just put it in the Dimensional Bag?¡± ¡°Uh, right, didn¡¯t think of that,¡± Kalalin said with an embarrassed smile, ¡°Last question, Phil, this... Casalilia, right? What¡¯s her... explosion radius approximately?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never tested it,¡± Phil shrugged, ¡°Listen, each bomb like Casalilia is a work of art, have you ever seen two paintings that are exactly the same?¡± ¡°What he wants to know is, how far away do we need to be standing to be safe when this bomb explodes?¡± the Werewolf interrupted the Goblin¡¯s endless self-promotion, clearly annoyed, ¡°You¡¯d better give us a conservative number, though I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be enjoying your fireworks from twice that distance.¡± ¡°A hundred feet will do,¡± the Goblin said, puffing out his chest and looking squarely at the Werewolf. ¡°Got it, three hundred feet then.¡± ¡°Come on!¡± Phil deflated, ¡°If you want to enjoy a sexy explosion, you need to be close enough!¡± ¡°Wow! Thank heavens, there are no holes to stick on the bomb, such a pity!¡± Old Reap rolled his eyes and spread his hands to everyone, making it clear that this Goblin was beyond help. ¡°So you want me to fly over those guys¡¯ heads and then drop this bomb, right?¡± Lancelot said with interest to the Scholar, ¡°But a flying Succubus is just too eye-catching, how are you planning to solve this problem?¡± At these words, Kalalin smiled and pulled out a scroll from underneath his robe, saying: Unexpectedly, the Halfling Koula raised her little arm. ¡°I... I¡¯m quite curious,¡± Koula said somewhat sheepishly, this being the first time she had spoken up in quite a while, ¡°I¡¯m an Alchemist too, although my specialty is primarily potions... but I¡¯m also interested in explosives, it¡¯s a great learning opportunity.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an Alchemist too?¡± Alamir looked very surprised, ¡°I... I always thought you were a professional chef.¡± ¡°All Halflings are professional chefs,¡± Koula shrugged, ¡°But to reach my level, you still need a little help from Alchemy...¡± ¡°Oh! My dear colleague!¡± the Goblin¡¯s face turned emerald green with excitement, ¡°You¡¯ve read Dr. Alfred¡¯s notes, haven¡¯t you? Casalilia is using the alchemical formula of that yellow explosive, it¡¯s safe, controllable, and powerful!¡± ¡°Wow! Really? I¡¯ve always wanted to try, but the ingredients for making that fire oil are too hard to find...¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s because you haven¡¯t encountered Coward Devils, a type of Low Rank Demon almost as when it comes to status, completely fatty, whose fat is the best ingredient for it...¡± ¡°The Halfling race is full of curiosity,¡± Kalalin explained to the somewhat stunned Lancelot, ¡°This often leads them into all sorts of trouble, like being trapped in a Demon brothel as a chef, but Halflings always believe they have the luck to get out of these predicaments.¡± ¡°I heard Halflings are the Goddess of Luck¡¯s favorites and they bring good fortune to their companions,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Judging by the current situation, her luck does seem pretty good.¡± ¡°Um...¡± the nearby Alamir swallowed hard, ¡°I can still cast a 3rd circle Divine Art, but Resurrection can¡¯t restore limbs that have been blown off, so if possible, try to keep your body intact...¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t die!¡± the Goblin had already taken out a small shovel and started digging a hole on the spot. ¡°If I do die, don¡¯t bother resurrecting me. I don¡¯t want to go through the pain of death only to come back and see your ugly mug again!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want that either,¡± the Werewolf shook his head, ¡°Let¡¯s walk a little farther and then use that Invisibility Technique scroll, we don¡¯t want those big toads to see the flash of magic.¡± Chapter 113 - 113 - 107: High Altitude Bombing Chapter 113 ¨C 107: High Altitude Bombing A moment later. Lancelot carefully flapped his wings and gradually rose in the air. Kalalin¡¯s Invisibility Spell had taken effect on him, but if one looked closely, one would still notice a significant refraction of light as it passed through his body, as if his body had become a transparent fish tank. However, if one didn¡¯t pay special attention, it was indeed difficult to notice the strange change in the light, and just as he had guessed, none of the Berserk Demons near the gate were paying attention to what was above their heads. He was very sure of this, since demons without necks, if attempting to tilt their heads back over 60 degrees, would present a comically out-of-character temperament for their species, which would be very conspicuous from his vantage point. Worried that moving too vigorously might disrupt the effect of the invisibility spell, Lancelot dared not fly too fast. However, the view from up high was very wide open, allowing him to see many things clearly. Oasis Fort now resembled a burning doughnut, with the entire ring of walls set ablaze. This was a common trick used by Demons in battle against Demons¡ªalthough the Tanari Demons had high resistance to flames, the Bartez Demons were completely immune to fire. The siege was fiercely intense, and by his reckoning, only an hour had passed since the Demons launched the first boulder. Lancelot had experienced sieges before; the shortest one lasted nearly half a year, and from the posture of the Demons, seemed they planned to end this battle before sunrise. Thanks to Molo¡¯s near-psychotic sixth sense, a tripled guard force kept the walls from falling at the first onslaught. Without the walls, the undisciplined Demons would have quickly fallen into a state of every demon for himself and then been systematically devoured by teams of Demon soldiers. It looked like the Demons could hold out for a while longer, unless the Demons had some tricks up their sleeves. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t expect the device to cause much harm; the bomb was like a tiny spark thrown into a haystack, meant to ignite the Berserk Demons¡¯ fury. With just a whisper of a secretive incantation, he hoped to incite them to recklessly seek out the demons for a fierce battle. Considering the wind¡¯s influence, Lancelot flew forward a few more feet. At that moment, a pattern of lights¡ªlong, short, and continuously repeating¡ªflickered from a corner on the ground below. It was Phil signaling to him that it was time to drop the bomb. Lancelot took a deep breath, reaching into the Dimensional Bag and felt for the smooth body of the bomb and the handle made for gripping. He then yanked the bomb out of the Dimensional Bag. Space and matter around the opening of the bag were strangely distorted, returning any object passing through to its normal size. The bomb, weighing over two hundred pounds, made him plummet downward, far exceeding what his succubus wings were capable of carrying. Lancelot quickly let go, allowing the bomb to fall freely downwards. Lancelot raised his hands, pleased to find himself still invisible. He flapped his wings to ascend, eager to witness the bomb¡¯s explosion. The goblins¡¯ over-the-top reactions piqued his curiosity. Seconds later, the surface of the bomb began to emit a blaze, powered by a dwarven incendiary. Aside from being slightly small and too vertically aligned, it looked strikingly similar to the fireballs launched by demons using siege weapons. Lancelot was satisfied with his accuracy; from his perspective, the bomb would land within twenty feet of the slave enclosure gate. This level of precision should suffice. As the bomb¡¯s descent sped up, it emitted a sharp whistling noise. The big toads looked around uneasily, but for these neckless demons, spotting a threat coming directly from above was too difficult. It was only when the bomb was less than fifty feet above their heads that some of the Berserk Demons noticed the incoming fireball. By then, its descent was too swift, and the toads on the ground had no time to dodge. The fiercely burning bomb trailed a long tail of flames, allowing Phil, who was observing from a short distance, to clearly see its position. He needed to detonate it just before it hit the ground. If not, the triggering mechanism might get damaged by the impact. However, he could not do it too early; otherwise, the bomb would explode mid-air, greatly reducing its destructive power. Chapter 114 - 114 - 108: Explosion Scene Chapter 114 ¨C 108: Explosion Scene The Goblin seized the perfect moment, pressing the red button on the remote control just as the bomb was less than ten feet from the ground. However, like most Goblin-made devices, something malfunctioned, and the bomb didn¡¯t detonate immediately. Instead, it smashed directly onto a Berserk Demon, grinding the nearly eight-foot-tall Demon into a disgusting mound of flesh. ¡°What¡¯s going on? This can¡¯t be!¡± Phil repeatedly pressed the red button and then knocked the controller against the ground, but nothing happened. Meanwhile, the group of Berserk Demons at the gate had excitedly gathered around to enjoy their comrade¡¯s creatively gruesome death. Just then, perhaps due to the impact of hitting the ground, the bomb inexplicably started working again. The Goblin pressed the red button on the remote once more, and a sudden flash restored the sparkle to his face. ¡°Get down!!¡± He threw himself to the ground and reached out to pull the Halfling down with him. Lancelot¡¯s vision was instantly filled with an intense white light. Fortunately, the True Qi he had focused in his eyes beforehand provided protection, or else he would have been blinded for a long time. Realizing something wasn¡¯t right, he activated his wings with True Qi and flapped them desperately, flying away as fast as he could. As the light began to fade, Lancelot saw a blazing fireball rising, with a column of smoke below it. Together they formed a jellyfish-like shape, slowly moving upward. Lancelot felt a wave of regret. It seemed that the Werewolves¡¯ accusations and precautions against the Goblins were justified, and he should have realized this after witnessing the bomb that had killed three Beard Demons. But regret was useless now. He flapped his wings viciously, increasing his speed, then folded them to minimize resistance. He also circulated the True Qi throughout his body to ensure its maximal strength. After all, having survived an explosion before, he knew exactly what was coming next. The shockwave caught up to him about fifteen seconds after the detonation, the violent air current making him feel like a football being fiercely kicked by a Giant. Thankfully, he was high in the sky, where there was nothing but air, which greatly weakened the shockwave¡¯s lethal force. Lancelot was pushed by the wind and tumbled through the air, but he managed to control his rolling body and realized he was nearly blown outside of Oasis Fort.@@@@ Now, with a few flaps of his wings, he could leave Oasis Fort and accomplish his goal of escape. But this would likely mean doom for the companions he left inside the fortress. From a purely selfish perspective, this was undoubtedly the best option, but Lancelot couldn¡¯t abandon his friends. He struggled to determine his bearings, attempting to locate the slave enclosures. It was not difficult. Meanwhile, Alamir had begun to chant the Resurrection Art spell, ready to pull his friend¡¯s soul back from the Netherworld. As everyone was halfway through digging, the debris suddenly began to churn on its own, and Goblin Phil burst out from underneath, followed by the not-quite-lucid Halfling Koula. ¡°Ahem, ahem, ahem... What¡¯s everyone busy with? Did you see that...¡± Old Reap delivered a kick, sending Phil straight back to the ground. ¡°Goddamn Goblin, your explosions never have a consistent yield! How come you didn¡¯t get blown to bits this time, you green-skinned monkey?¡± The Werewolf looked very agitated; the explosion, far exceeding expectations, had clearly triggered many unpleasant memories for him. ¡°Oh!!! Old Reap! I¡¯m so glad to see you too!!!¡± The Goblin¡¯s hearing seemed to be off, and he wasn¡¯t aware that he was kicked over, showing a sincere smile to the Werewolf, ¡°Did you see that beautiful mushroom cloud?? Wasn¡¯t it awesome!!¡± The Werewolf rolled his eyes and turned away from the explosion maniac. ¡°Hey!! Alamir!!!¡± Koula greeted the Elf with enthusiasm, his face full of excitement, like a child who had played to his heart¡¯s content outside. Seeing that Goblin Phil and Koula were alright, Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but sigh in relief. He turned his head toward the site of the explosion. The raging fire had gradually died down, and where the gate once stood, there was now a large hole with nothing within a three-foot radius around it. There were no remnants of Demons at the scene; the blast had scattered their remains far and wide, some still lodged in the crevices of the Dwarves¡¯ armor. Clearly, the next planned step¡ªto deceive the Guards into a final battle with the Demons¡ªwas no longer necessary, for there were no Guards left to deceive. ¡°So we can go in now, right?¡± He looked at the Werewolf, who was also assessing the damage caused by the explosion. ¡°Of course,¡± the Werewolf shrugged, ¡°there¡¯s no one to stop us now.¡± Chapter 115 - 115 - 109: Rapid Descent into the Deep Pit Chapter 115 ¨C 109: Rapid Descent into the Deep Pit A group of people circled around the pit on the ground that seemed not yet fully solidified and entered the interior of the slave enclosure. Along the walls of the pit, a descending passageway was built that spiraled around several times, appearing to reach all the way down to the bottom. An eerie layer of black mist hovered above the pile of skeletons at the bottom, obscuring the details of the pit¡¯s depths from their vantage point. For Lancelot, who knew all too well what lay beneath, the black veil offered little comfort. ¡°What¡¯s down there?¡± Bruto asked curiously, staring at the bottom of the pit, ¡°Seems like there¡¯s something dense and numerous?¡± ¡°There, lies the pit of corpses.¡± The werewolf Reap stroked his chin, ¡°Just to give you a heads-up, there are billions of skeletons down there, filling up the entire bottom of the pit. It¡¯s a scene of horror you blokes from the Prime Material Plane haven¡¯t even seen in your nightmares. If any of you are scared of seeing skulls or have claustrophobia, you¡¯d better find a blindfold now.¡± The group exchanged silent glances, and it was Bruto who eventually spoke: ¡°And what¡¯s with this layer of black mist?¡±@@@@ ¡°I don¡¯t know, the resentment of the unjustly dead? Souls that can¡¯t leave? With so many corpses piled up, isn¡¯t it normal to have some strange phenomena?¡± Reap shrugged, ¡°The sun in the Plains of the Abyss is weak. Even at noon, its light can¡¯t dispel that black mist.¡± ¡°Has this black mist always been so thick?¡± Kalalin asked, frowning as he looked towards the bottom of the pit, ¡°I mean, it¡¯s almost tangible.¡± ¡°Seems thicker than when I was here last time.¡± The werewolf scratched his head, ¡°To be honest, I haven¡¯t paid much attention to it. Whenever I sneak in here, there are troubles more worthy of my attention than this black mist.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the entrance to that secret passage?¡± The goblin Phil approached one side of the path, examining the interior of the slave enclosure, ¡°We¡¯re not going to have to go down to the very bottom, are we?¡± ¡°If the entrance were somewhere else, it¡¯d have been discovered long ago.¡± The werewolf replied and urged the group to move on, ¡°Let¡¯s get going. If we walk fast, it should take us about half an hour to get to the bottom.¡± ¡°Go down?!¡± Phil let out a cry of despair, and Koula, who was about the same height as him, also showed a fearful expression, ¡°Do we have to circle around and around? Isn¡¯t there any shortcut or something?¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Kalalin. I¡¯m sorry for the trouble. I¡¯m quite skilled at making potions myself, and I¡¯ll definitely return the favor someday.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Kalalin winked at her, ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be drinking plenty of your potions in the future.¡± The Antitoxin Potion was much more popular. Except for the Dwarf, nearly everyone drank a bottle, Lancelot included. The dark green, semi-transparent potion left a memorable impression with its taste¡ªlike a blend of bitter melon, lemon, and mint leaves. But once it was swallowed, it brought an incredibly strong sensation of coolness, as if even the air taken into the lungs was much fresher. One after another, the group jumped into the Dimensional Bag. Even Kalalin, who was still wearing the Transformation Ring and carried the form of a Succubus, went in¡ªthe Scholar had never practiced using the wings of a Succubus¡¯ body, so jumping down was about as effective as holding an umbrella. Lancelot picked up the Dimensional Bag, reaching one hand inside. Someone tapped on the back of his hand¡ªit was Kalalin¡¯s since it was a Succubus claw and matched his current state. He walked to the edge of the road and leaped down with a bound. In mid-air, the Succubus Knight dove down the curved edge of the large pit like a swallow. By slightly adjusting the angle of his wings, he could change the direction of flight, which was a technique he had just mastered. As he descended, he noticed Demon Guards patrolling the path that circled the pit walls. These Demons were checking each cell, and when they found one filled with Coward Devils or Prime Demons¡ªwho were cannon fodder for the battles¡ªthey were immediately released and driven to run upward. From time to time, some Demons would notice Lancelot flying past, but after a mere glance, they would look away. Succubi held a special status in Demon society¡ªwherever they wanted to go, they went, and no one interfered. Under normal circumstances, these Demons might have tried to show off their masculine charms to the Succubus, but at the moment, no one had time to pay attention to her. In less than a minute, Lancelot reached the bottom of the pit. From this distance, the bottom of the pit was like a desert made of bones. Lancelot spared a moment of sympathy for the mental state of everyone and proceeded to pull each of his companions out of the Dimensional Bag, one by one. Chapter 116 - 116 - 110 Eckmond Chapter 116 ¨C 110 Eckmond ¡°By Moradin¡¯s long beard! I effing hit a big hammer!¡± After coming out of the Dimensional Bag, Bruto was instantly shocked by the surrounding scene, repeatedly exclaiming in horror, ¡°What in the blazes is this damned place?¡± ¡°This is the corpse pit,¡± the Werewolf patted the young Dwarf¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I warned you, get used to it.¡± In fact, that Bruto could still swear was quite impressive. Aside from old Reap who had been here before, all the others fell into a state of severe shock, staring blankly around them, shocked into a loss of speech by this overwhelmingly impactful scene. The most strongly affected were Alamir and Vito. These two good-aligned priests were shaking violently, seemingly driven to the brink of madness by this mountain of evidence of sin. Lancelot silently exercised the Ice Heart Technique and gently coughed. The voice, carrying True Qi, was like the tolling of a bell in a desolate valley, awakening those in a state of shock. ¡°How on earth was this place formed?¡± Kalalin muttered, the trembling in his voice betraying the fear in his heart. ¡°To prevent slaves from escaping, slavers nailed the cages tight during transport, not opening them until they arrived at Oasis Fort. When they finally reached the fort, often times less than half of the slaves in the cages were still alive. And those who died along the way...¡± the Werewolf said grimly, stamping his foot, ¡°their bodies were thrown here.¡± ¡°May the souls of these sufferers find peace with their gods,¡± Alamir said with a face full of sorrow. He worshipped Shuni, the God of Love, who under the lady¡¯s blessing celebrated the beauty of love, and these victims naturally could no longer taste the flavor of love. ¡°Rest in the embrace of the Father God, my fellow brethren,¡± Vito crouched on the ground, sadly caressing a skull that clearly belonged to a Dwarf. Such thick-topped skulls were common; because of the Dwarves¡¯ exceptional skills in stonemasonry and forging, they were the slave race most favored by the Demon Lord. It is said that Tijana did not attempt to enslave Dwarves at the very start of Twin Bridges Town, perhaps only Succubi, a rare type of Demon not dominated by the desire for destruction, could understand that enslavement is the least efficient form of rule. ¡°Uh, I can¡¯t answer that question either,¡± the skull expressed helplessly. ¡°You don¡¯t know yourself?¡± Lancelot asked with curiosity. ¡°I¡¯ve lost most of my memories.¡± The skull made a helpless gesture, ¡°I know how to use language, and my mind is filled with knowledge about Mark City and other Outer Layer planes, but I don¡¯t know anything about my own past experiences. My memory starts at the bottom of a dark pile of bones, which took me who knows how long to crawl out of, and since then I¡¯ve been trapped in this desert made of bones.¡± ¡°Do you still remember your name? How long have you been here?¡± Lancelot continued to ask. The place was full of bones, the air too chaotic, so he hadn¡¯t sensed this creature¡¯s presence before. ¡°The only name I remember is Eckmond, so I guess that¡¯s my name. As for how long I¡¯ve been here...¡± The skull glanced with its mouth, ¡°Since the first time I saw the sky above, I¡¯ve witnessed the alternation of light and darkness ten thousand times. My only pastime has been to watch the fresh corpses thrown down from above. If I¡¯m lucky, I come across some that can still breathe and can chat with them for a while. Other than that, there¡¯s nothing else, this life is really driving me mad...¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you fly?¡± Lancelot asked, noting there were no supports under the skull, ¡°Why not just fly out of here?¡± ¡°I can only fly up to six feet off the ground, with this height, I can¡¯t possibly fly out. By the way, I suspect that was my height when I was alive. And with only a mouth, I can¡¯t climb rocks, don¡¯t ask me how I know,¡± the skull chattered rapidly, clearly excited to be able to talk to someone. ¡°According to my observations, the height of these bones rises about half a foot every hundred days, which means I have to wait another thirty-thousand-plus days to reach that circular platform. Then, I could follow the spiral upwards and escape from this maddening tedium, but now you¡¯ve come, which is truly a godsend...¡± ¡°Have you seen this guy before?¡± Lancelot, seeing that the skull was quite the chatterbox, quietly asked Reap while it babbled on. ¡°No, the entrance to the secret passage is there, and I¡¯ve always made a point of leaving this ghastly place as quickly as possible,¡± the Werewolf shook his head, pointing to a certain spot on a platform on the edge of the pit of bones, ¡°When I said at the bottom of the pit I meant the deepest part accessible by road, I¡¯ve never actually hopped onto this mountain of bones.¡± Chapter 117 - 117 - 111: Master-Servant Contract Chapter 117 ¨C 111: Master-Servant Contract ¡°How about it, take me with you?¡± Eckmond, the talking skeleton, scanned everyone with hopeful eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t consume your provisions, nor do I take up much space. If you need to fight, my forehead is much harder than it looks. And, although it¡¯s hard to believe, my bite is quite strong. Occasionally, some corpses here get up again, and these guys usually don¡¯t like me, but now they¡¯ve turned into shattered bones...¡± ¡°A strange talking skeleton.¡± Kalalin turned to Lancelot, ¡°But I¡¯ve heard that Mimir is indeed very useful to adventurers. Shall we take him, Lancelot?¡± Continue your saga on empire ¡°Why not?¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve heard talkative guys aren¡¯t usually that bad.¡± ¡°Yahoo!!! That¡¯s great!¡± the skeleton rejoiced, spinning in midair, ¡°You¡¯re called Lancelot, right? From now on, may I call you my boss?¡± ¡°Uh, sure.¡± ¡°Hey, wait, that¡¯s not right! How come there was no reaction?¡± Eckmond, confused, swayed in midair, looking as if an invisible hand were slapping his skeleton head, ¡°Could you please take off the Transformation Ring on your right finger, and let¡¯s do it again?¡± ¡°Do what again?¡± Lancelot cautiously asked, ¡°Why should I take off the Transformation Ring?¡± ¡°Let me call you boss again.¡± Eckmond seemed equally puzzled, ¡°I... I don¡¯t understand why, but I¡¯m quite sure it¡¯s important, and it¡¯s likely your Transformation Ring interfering.¡± Lancelot considered for a moment and took off the ring, but before doing so, he mobilized his True Qi to protect his entire body, enhanced his Spirit Perception to the maximum, and silently activated the Ice Heart Technique, which is particularly effective against psychic attacks, to guard against any unforeseen events. A flash of magical light passed, and Lancelot¡¯s form changed back to that of a human knight. ¡°Hello, handsome! Um... So, may I call you boss from now on?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± He had such requests too, Lancelot silently commented to himself, but he readily agreed. Lancelot put on the transformation ring again, and so his wings, claws, and... other parts that a succubus would have grew out again. Eckmond let out a whistle. ¡°Boss, I must say, you look absolutely stunning in your transformed state, if I didn¡¯t know you were actually a guy... no, why should I worry about these things...¡± Lancelot decided to ignore this chatty fellow for the moment. He placed the dimensional bag on the ground, allowing everyone to re-enter it, so he could take them all to the platform at the edge of the pit of bones, where the secret passage¡¯s entrance was actually located. ¡°Uh, boss, I also have a dimensional space inside me, so I can¡¯t go into that bag,¡± the skeletal head Eckmond circled above the dimensional bag, ¡°How about you carry me instead?¡± Lancelot realized this skeleton was not only talkative but also lecherous. He picked up the dimensional bag with one hand and the skeletal head with the other, and, flapping his wings, he flew upwards. Leaving that pile of bones eased a very oppressive feeling in his heart. Although he didn¡¯t show any abnormalities, he always felt there was something not quite right about the bones beneath his feet, yet he couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was abnormal since he hadn¡¯t stood on other piles of bones. Lancelot pulled his companions out of the dimensional bag one by one, and it seemed everyone felt much lighter. Bruto surveyed the surroundings and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the entrance to the secret passage?¡± ¡°Right behind you.¡± Old Reap lifted up a tarpaulin hanging on the rock wall, revealing a dark hole behind it. ¡°Uh, isn¡¯t this a bit too obvious?¡± The dwarf was a bit stunned, ¡°Aren¡¯t the entrances to secret passages supposed to be very hidden, appearing only when you recite a spell or move a mechanism or something?¡± ¡°Ah, those kinds of things used to exist, but everyone found it simpler to break the mechanism than to learn the language of the jackals,¡± the werewolf shrugged, ¡°And who would come here for no reason, right?¡±@@@@ Chapter 118 - 118 - 112 The Secret Passage of the Corpse Pit Chapter 118 ¨C 112 The Secret Passage of the Corpse Pit In the dimly lit passageway, three Dwarf Temple Guards marched in the front row, adept in combat within subterranean environments. Behind them, Priest Witt and four dwarves formed an arrowhead formation, well-prepared for any crisis. Kalalin, Koula, Phil, and Alamir walked in the middle of the group, well-protected by their teammates. Bruto and the werewolf Reap moved on the flanks, a position suitable for strikers to comfortably attack the enemy¡¯s side without the risk of being caught in a pincer. Lancelot lagged at the rear, certainly not out of fear, but rather because the bone pits gave him an uneasy feeling; he was somewhat concerned that something unpleasant might catch up and take a bite out of their rear. ¡°An underground passageway¡ªhow many great adventures have taken place in such settings!¡± A certain enthusiastic skeleton, having been confined for far too long, darted about, studying every stone in the passageway, ¡°This place is quite spacious. Who built it? Definitely not those Tanari; they wouldn¡¯t exert effort on anything that doesn¡¯t bleed...¡± ¡°For the Jackalwere Tribe that steals corpses,¡± old Reap interrupted Eckmond¡¯s rambling, ¡°We are descending now; the passage will go right through the bottom of the bone pit and then spiral upward, leading directly to the interior of the Jackalwere warrens outside Oasis Fort.¡±@@@@ ¡°Are there many Jackalweres at the exit?¡± Bruto tapped his shield with his hammer, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind slaughtering a few stinking dogs to blow off some steam.¡± ¡°The Jackalwere Tribe that originally dug this passage is long gone, probably done in by their own Necromancy. Now, there¡¯s only a small Jackalwere tribe that occupies but a tiny part of that vast network of tunnels.¡± Old Reap shrugged, ¡°Given the current situation, I don¡¯t recommend seeking out trouble with those creatures.¡± As they were talking, the group turned a corner and were suddenly faced with a massive cavern. The cavern was very spacious in area, but less than twelve feet high, which made the space feel oppressive. Several places in the ceiling had collapsed, letting a mass of bones spill through and accumulate into piles that reached up to the ceiling. Read latest stories on empire ¡°This is the doing of the Jackalweres, but at the bottom of the pit are only bones that have been dead for a long time; I guess the Jackalweres kept digging to that entrance we passed earlier to get to fresher corpses,¡± the werewolf explained like a tour guide, ¡°Let¡¯s stop here a moment.¡± ¡°Ha! Seems pretty simple!¡± Seeing the enemy apparently less challenging, Bruto cheered and rushed out swinging his hammer. Phil had already pulled out a few bombs, but the sight of the Dwarf already deep in the enemy ranks brought to mind the image of Lancelot punching a wall, so he begrudgingly put the explosives back. Skeletons were innately vulnerable to blunt trauma, and with Bruto¡¯s hammer endowed with Mithril and his body sheathed in armor suited for a head-on charge, the young Dwarf was like a bull in a china shop. The skeletons crumbled upon impact, leaving a trail of shattered bones in his wake. The Werewolf, too, surged forward with his dual swords, his bearings suggesting an experienced hand at dealing with skeletons. His blades would first block the clumsy attacks of the enemy, then he¡¯d launch a kick to shatter their bones¡ªalmost as effective as the hammer. For those skeletons attempting to piece themselves back together on the ground, he¡¯d kick their skulls far away to also prevent their revival. An unexpectedly potent fighter was Eckmond; his bald head worked like a cannonball flying through the air, smashing the skeletons to bits while the enemies struggled to land a hit on him. That guy had rushed out without even asking for Lance¡¯s opinion, clearly demonstrating the so-called master-servant contract meant little. Alamir had been ready to unleash a powerful Divine Art to disperse the skeletons, but seeing the warriors looking quite amused in battle, he ceased his movement and comfortably watched the spectacle. Kalalin didn¡¯t plan to waste his spells on these skeletons¡ªthere was no better opportunity to utilize a sling. He hardly needed to aim; simply throwing at the dense crowds of enemies was sufficient. Koula, meanwhile, stayed put. Halflings were always clear on what they needed to do, and Koula was no exception; she was certain her larger friends didn¡¯t need her help, so she just waited. Lancelot, too, remained out of the fight, not because he believed Bruto and the others didn¡¯t appear to need his help, but because, with his Spirit Perception fully engaged, he had sensed a cold, malevolent wave of magic. The Werewolf¡¯s words might have contained some bravado, but there was no lie about the ¡¯normal¡¯ circumstances here. These resurrected skeletons must have been awakened by magic, and the Spellcaster was likely nearby. Chapter 119 - 119 - 113 Steel Demon Chapter 119 ¨C 113 Steel Demon Gradually, the number of enemies began to decline. Although these skeletons looked quite frightening, they did not pose any real threat, except to consume the physical strength of the warriors. Enjoy new adventures from empire But Lancelot¡¯s heart rose to his throat because at that moment his Spirit Perception had clearly warned him that something extremely dangerous was approaching. He was certain the danger did not come from the skeletons around him, but the chaos was too great for him to pinpoint the source of the threat; he did not dare to sit down and enter a state of Spiritual Sight through meditation because the hair on his neck stood on end, feeling as though a dagger was already pressed against his throat. He still maintained a relaxed posture, appearing like a Succubus enjoying watching its servants fight, but beneath his wide robe, his right hand had already reached into the opening of his Dimensional Bag, gripping the hilt of the Giant Sword Glacier. As the last skeleton crumbled into a pile of bones under Bruto¡¯s hammer, the crowd erupted into cheers, and everyone relaxed. Bruto was about to boast to Lancelot about how many enemies he had taken down when he turned and found that Lancelot had not joined the fight and had remained motionless at the back of the group. Just then, a sudden change occurred. Each pile of bones started to churn, and ten times more skeletons than before appeared before them, stretching as far as the eye could see. It was as if they were once again in a pit of corpses, only this time those bones had all come to life, ready to engulf them. Everyone was shocked by this transformation. Bruto almost rolled and crawled back to the middle of the group, while Lancelot¡¯s mind stirred, as he felt the fluctuations of magic again, and the aura displayed by the enemies did not match their numbers. Suddenly, his Spirit Perception started screaming like an alarm clock, and Lancelot completely instinctively lunged forward, rolling away in a very awkward posture. He looked back and saw four javelins quivering slightly in the ground where he had just been standing. As his gaze moved upward, four steel figures appeared before his eyes. At first glance, the enemy looked like human knights, clad in impractically heavy armor, with great swords six feet long resting on their shoulders. They were almost as tall as Lancelot, and each step they took shook the ground, looking like a group of approaching bears. Lancelot¡¯s heaviest armor weighed a full 50 pounds, but it did nothing like this.@@@@ Lancelot didn¡¯t rush to attack but adopted a defensive stance. He always remembered the fluctuations of magic when summoning skeletons. These four Demons didn¡¯t look like spellcasters at all; there must be one more enemy hiding nearby, and he needed to conserve as much strength as possible to deal with this hidden foe. But the four Steel Demons had no intention of conserving their strength. The front two suddenly accelerated, launching a left and right overhead slash at him so fast that it caught him off guard, their previously cumbersome appearance now revealed as mere deception. Lancelot, highly alert, didn¡¯t relax his vigilance. He flickered strangely to the side with a marvelous footwork technique, sliding horizontally away, and avoided the range of the two great swords¡¯ attacks. Still, he swung the Glacier in his hand, intending to test his opponents¡¯ strength. The two great swords collided, emitting a deafening boom. He and the Steel Demon on his left each took a step back, but it was worth noting that Lancelot¡¯s meridians were filled with True Qi, and yet the opponent¡¯s strength was no less impressive. However, becoming a Spiritual Cultivator wasn¡¯t just about increased strength. The great sword in Lancelot¡¯s hand suddenly sped up, returning with a lightning-fast Upper Slash. The Steel Demon on the right extended his great sword to block the strike for his comrade, but his own weapon was knocked high into the air. This was all within Lancelot¡¯s calculations. He darted his right foot forward diagonally right in a lightning-like movement, then rotated his body counterclockwise, perfectly dodging the left Steel Demon¡¯s avoided Vertical Slash; simultaneously, he clasped the great sword with both hands, using the rotation¡¯s momentum to unleash a powerful Horizontal Slash from right to left. The Steel Demon on the right¡¯s great sword was still midair, unable to return to defense in time. Lancelot¡¯s great sword, glowing with a blue light, struck his waist resolutely. The enemy was flung away by the immense impact, knocking down his teammate to his left as well. Just as Lancelot was about to pursue, the two Steel Demons who had been standing in the back already made their move toward him, disrupting his intention to chase. From the feel of striking the enemy, his intention to bisect the Steel Demon at the waist had failed. It seemed like the Qingyun Sword Art, as a Wood System cultivation technique, was still somewhat lacking when facing these metal-clad foes. Chapter 120: 114 Guiding Divine Power Chapter 120: 114 Guiding Divine Power The two enemies who had fallen to the ground got up, one of them, a Steel Demon, severely injured by his strike, had a huge gash at the waist, from which a large amount of blood was flowing. He barely stood up with the support of another Steel Demon. This showed that the Qingyun Sword Art was not lacking in power. Heavy armor was almost impossible to be breached by slashing weapons, yet his strike had torn through the Steel Demon¡¯s armor, dealing a severe injury directly. To take down an enemy in full heavy armor on the battlefield, one either relied on the terrifying impact of a lance thrust to penetrate, or used a warhammer to literally shake the enemy to death. In knight duels, swords were more like tools for wrestling; you only had a chance to deal a fatal blow through the gaps in the armor after making the enemy fall. Of course, in most cases, knights who had fallen decisively surrendered. The knightly code required them to treat surrendering captives well; killing an enemy who had surrendered was considered a highly dishonorable act. Moreover, a living knight could be exchanged for a large sum of money, enough to buy at least two sets of armor. Read latest stories on empire ¡°Damn! Boss is awesome!¡± Eckmond exclaimed excitedly, cursing outright, ¡°That strike was really powerful!¡± The Steel Demons were surprised by Lancelot¡¯s formidable combat ability. In their view, these Blood War Mercenaries were merely guards for a Succubus, who had accidentally run into them while fleeing, and had come on a secret mission. They thought if they killed the Succubus, the morale of those mortals would quickly collapse. But clearly, that was not the case. After completing a formation rotation, Lancelot was once again facing two unharmed enemies. These demons no longer rushed forward but adopted a defensive posture, planning to hold him there. Lancelot had no time to waste with them. He needed to quickly take out these enemies to assist his companions surrounded by the Skeleton Sea. He charged once again, wielding his great sword, while Eckmond, even faster, shot forth like a cannonball, a floating skull agilely passing through the clumsy blades of the Steel Demons, making intimate contact with a Steel Demon¡¯s faceplate. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Lancelot asked as he examined the deep wound on the skeleton¡¯s head, noting that the skull was unusually thick. The wound was nearly an inch deep, yet it still showed the metallic gleam of its bone quality. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boss, I¡¯m not dead yet,¡± the skeleton swayed in the air, ¡°It will heal slowly. In a few days, my forehead will be as smooth and shiny as ever.¡± Lancelot turned his attention back to the enemy, feeling a bit anxious. He had to deal with the enemy quickly, or his companions might truly be in danger. He still didn¡¯t understand his new teammates well enough. In his world, priests were more like a part of the ruling class, providing spiritual guidance and comfort to people. Deep down, Lancelot always thought those priests were just tricksters exploiting faith for their own gain. But in this world, the gods intervened directly in worldly affairs, and their agents in the Mortal Realm were the priests. These priests underwent extensive combat training, convincing enemies and conveying truths more with a Nail-headed Hammer than with words, not to mention they were also endowed with powerful Holy Magic to execute the will of the gods on earth. Seizing a fleeting opportunity, Alamir raised his shield bearing the Holy Emblem of Shuni and exclaimed: ¡°Without the capacity to love and be loved, there is no meaning to existence, in the name of Lady Shuni, I command you, Undead, to back down!¡± This was one of the priests¡¯ most potent abilities, channeling Divine Power. It was as if a Portal had opened inside the Elves, and a vast surge of Holy Power poured out from his body into Shuni¡¯s Holy Emblem. The dazzling radiance burst from the Holy Emblem, sweeping around like a tsunami over the skeletons encircling them. The holy energy directly destroyed the Magic Power sustaining the skeletons¡¯ movement; the clatter of bones hitting the ground echoed all around. However, something strange occurred. The Holy Nova rolled over all the skeletons in the cave, but apart from those closest to them, those in the distance pushing and shoving in eagerness to join the assault were seemingly unaffected. Moreover, though there was clearly space before them, they continued to make pushing motions in mid-air. Alamir paused momentarily, but after a short observation, he understood the reason and shouted: ¡°Those are illusions!¡± Chapter 121 - 121 - 115 Bone Demon Chapter 121 ¨C 115 Bone Demon Seeing the powerful burst of Divine Power, even the normally taciturn Steel Demon was shocked, exclaiming: ¡°Priest!¡± Lancelot realized he somehow understood the demon¡¯s language, but he immediately knew he hadn¡¯t directly ¡°heard¡± it. Instead, through his connection with Eckmond, he grasped the meaning of the word the demon had uttered. The Steel Demons¡¯ surprise was understandable. If a priest was controlled by a succubus, they must already be on a path of corruption, and it would be impossible to receive any power from the divine. The present situation clearly defied logic, suggesting this team was not as the fiends had anticipated. The demons, who highly valued logic, planning, and strategy, were well aware of how severe the consequences could be if they misjudged their enemies¡¯ strength. Bruto and Kalalin rushed to support Lancelot¡¯s fight as soon as they could. Faced with the dense Skeleton Sea, Bruto hesitated slightly, but still gritted his teeth and charged through. The dwarf¡¯s form easily passed through the illusions of skeletons, encountering no resistance. He shouted joyfully as he hurled his warhammer at a Steel Demon in front of Lancelot; meanwhile, Kalalin pulled out a scroll, ready to cast a spell to strike at the demons. The rest were slightly slower, but they soon reacted and ran toward Lancelot¡¯s side. Bruto¡¯s warhammer hit a Steel Demon right in the chest, knocking him back, but a wounded companion behind him caught and steadied him. The hammer spun back to Bruto¡¯s hand, and a noticeable dent appeared in the chest of the Steel Demon¡ªclearly, Bruto¡¯s strike had caused some damage, certainly more effective than Eckmond¡¯s headbutt. Just as they were about to envelop the demons, an unexpected event occurred. The surrounding skeletons, previously illusionary, suddenly vanished, bringing smiles to everyone¡¯s faces. Yet, Kalalin, as if remembering something, suddenly turned pale and shouted: ¡°Be careful! High-level illusions require focused casting, there¡¯s...¡± Find your next adventure on empire Every vertebrae of its spine was equipped with huge bone spurs, protruding from the flesh, with the longest ones measuring about a foot. However, its sharp, spiked tail, which ended with a beak-like tip, was now lying at Lancelot¡¯s feet, resembling a giant snake with its head chopped off. ¡°A Succubus of the good alignment!!¡± This giant Demon let out an unbearable, bone-grating screech, which Eckmond translated in real time without delay. ¡°Boss, this is an Osai Demon, also called a Bone Demon, it seems they are middle-rank Demon Spellcasters, possessing the ability to instantly see through a creature¡¯s true nature,¡± the skeleton intensely stared at the Demon, ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but seeing it just irks me.¡± ¡°Hey! You, the skeleton frame over there!¡± Eckmond yelled carelessly at the Demon, ¡°What¡¯s that thing on your butt? Does it mean that you never wipe after you do your business, and it just clumps up like that!¡± The provoked Demon immediately raised its hand, and a green Acid Arrow flew toward Eckmond, who dodged it with a strange laugh. This movement acted like a signal, and both sides clashed again. Bruto and Lancelot charged from left and right, while Eckmond, using his nimble stature, bypassed the frontline Steel Demons and headed straight for the Bone Demon. But the fastest was Kalalin. He unfolded a scroll that had been prepared for some time, drew Magic Power from the Magic Net into the Arcane Symbols on the scroll, forming a purple ray that directly hit a Steel Demon. Lancelot immediately noticed the enemy¡¯s change; the Steel Demon that was struck by the ray seemed slightly weakened, causing his heart to leap with joy. Kalalin, however, slightly frowned. This was a first Circle Spell ¡¯Ray of Enfeeblement¡¯, and its effect seemed less than expected, but that was unavoidable; all Bartez Demons have a strong resistance against spells. He reached for another Ray of Enfeeblement scroll, ready to try again on another enemy, but suddenly, an unbearable metallic friction sound interrupted the Scholar¡¯s casting. The Steel Demons were collectively moving their bodies rhythmically, causing their armor to rub against each other, producing that horrendous noise. The sound was so irritating that Kalalin wished he could tear up the scroll he was holding and stuff it in his ears just to block out this terrible noise, utterly unable to focus enough to cast his spell. Chapter 122 - 122 - 116 Change Tactics Chapter 122 ¨C 116 Change Tactics Lancelot immediately formed a Soundproof Barrier spell, casting it over the Steel Demons. This minor Divine Skill of a Qi Refinement Realm Cultivator could only block the spread of sound, allowing Kalalin, who stood at a distance, to no longer be affected by the noise; however, the Steel Demons within the barrier were oblivious to the change. As such, Lancelot, who needed to fight at close quarters, naturally had to continue enduring the annoying noise. But he had nothing to complain about. Such noise might make it difficult for Spellcasters to concentrate and wield magic, but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop a warrior from wielding his weapon. If anything, it was inspiring greater destructive power within him, eager to smash the source of this irritating noise into smithereens. Bruto seemed to have entered into such a state. The earlier battle with skeletons was more like a game to him, but the antics of this group of Steel Demons truly enraged him. He and Lancelot charged at two Steel Demons, one on the left and the other on the right. Lancelot left the one with a dent on its breastplate to the Dwarf Warrior, focusing himself on the other opponent who was still in perfect condition. The frenzied Dwarf held up his shield and rushed at the Steel Demon with relentless force. But the Demon was far more composed than the Dwarf. The Steel Demon violently swung its Great Sword, delivering a mighty blow that struck Bruto¡¯s Shield, not only stopping the Dwarf¡¯s charge but also pushing him back several steps, taking him out of attack range once more. The Dwarf spat out a mouthful of blood-stained saliva at the Steel Demon (which was deftly avoided) and charged again, hammer in hand. On the other side, the Steel Demon facing Lancelot had clearly learned from its companion¡¯s mistake. Its Great Sword danced impenetrably, clashing with Lancelot in several bouts, leaving the Knight no chance to strike. But Lancelot knew he couldn¡¯t count on Eckmond to hold off the Bone Demon for long, and the sword moves in his hand suddenly changed. He raised his Longsword high, feigning another sequence of Heavy Slashes that had grievously wounded another Steel Demon earlier. The demons intended to swap positions again, allowing the one with a light injury on its waist from Lancelot¡¯s sword to take the front again, but Lancelot no longer had time to tangle with this group of wounded soldiers, for his peripheral vision had caught sight of a skull getting brutally beaten, looking as if it would fall apart at any moment. His hand pinched a spell, and the True Qi within his body surged in a specific pattern before being released. Suddenly, a mass of vines burst from the ground beneath the huddled Steel Demons¡¯ feet, entangling the demons tightly in place. ¡°Magician!!!!!¡± The demons finally collapsed. What exactly was this situation? A Succubus using a great sword instead of a whip, possessing the strength of a giant, and midway through a fight casting magic that could manipulate plants, a power normally wielded only by nature-loving Druids, was simply too much for the demons that detested any unpredictability... Lancelot silently expressed his sympathy for the enemy in his heart, but his hands did not stop moving. His True Qi instantly shifted to the technique of Gathering Qi Slash, his body spun around, and he hurled his great sword at the Bone Demon. The Bone Demon, which was distractedly observing the fight, panicked as its soul seemed to leap out of its body. It hurriedly tried to dodge but, without its tail, its sense of balance was severely damaged, and Lancelot¡¯s thrown great sword, as swift as a javelin, struck the base of the Bone Demon¡¯s wings on its back regardless of its evasive attempt. The Glacier, heavier than an average great sword and containing terrifying kinetic energy, lifted the large Bone Demon into the air and nailed it firmly to the wall. Meanwhile, Lancelot had already drawn Frostslash strapped to his back, dashing forward like lightning. As the Bone Demon regained its senses from the shock, it lifted its head only to see the silhouette of a Succubus raising a longsword, closing the distance at great speed. It stretched out its clawed hands, attempting to block the enemy¡¯s weapon, but the claws as hard as mithril were like decayed branches against the longsword in the hands of the Succubus, effortlessly cut through. The last image that etched into its mind was a sword blade glowing with a bluish light, filling its entire vision.@@@@ Chapter 123 - 123 - 117 What Demons Fear Chapter 123 ¨C 117 What Demons Fear Lancelot¡¯s sword fell, cleanly severing the ugly head of the Bone Demon from its neck. The energy that maintained the existence of the Bone Demon seemed to be extracted in an instant. Its shriveled flesh and exposed bones quickly lost color, then, like wood hollowed out from within, they couldn¡¯t sustain the body¡¯s strength and fell from the wall impaled by the Glacier, turning into a pile of bones that seemed weathered over many years. The Steel Demons, witnessing the death of their charge, let out cries of despair and venomous curses: ¡°No! You have no right to kill it!¡± ¡°Succubus! How dare you oppose Barto! Hell will take its revenge!¡± ¡°We were about to achieve eternal victory, you can¡¯t change anything!¡± Apart from Bruto¡¯s opponent, the remaining Steel Demons were tightly entangled by Lancelot¡¯s vines, unable to do anything. Normally, with their strength, it would not be difficult to break free from these vines, but these three Steel Demons had been somewhat injured. Kalalin also ensured each one was hit by a weakening ray, completely depriving them of their ability to resist. The Steel Demon fighting Bruto wasn¡¯t faring any better. After losing the support of its companions, its strength seemed significantly weakened. Its legs were visibly deformed, and it appeared completely unable to move, barely managing to stand. Clearly, Bruto had targeted its knees extensively. The Dwarf¡¯s condition seemed even more pitiful. Several noticeable gaps appeared on Bruto¡¯s shield, like a door chopped by an axe; his face was also covered with large patches of bruises, his left eye swollen nearly shut, and fresh blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. However, the Dwarf himself seemed utterly unaffected by any setback, his hammer still swung swiftly and powerfully, and he was loudly singing a dwarf battle song that to Lancelot sounded not much better than the Steel Demons scraping their armor. The death of the Bone Demon clearly shook the Steel Demon¡¯s will to fight; it seemed to foresee the inevitable outcome of today, and its attacks became frantic, driven only by duty to continue fighting. Bruto now seized the enemy¡¯s subtle wavering. With his battered shield, he blocked a downward chop from his opponent, and the hesitant strength allowed the Dwarf to swing his hammer full force at the Steel Demon¡¯s left knee. ¡°They are not truly dead,¡± Kalalin approached and explained, ¡°All lower-plane Fiends can only be truly killed in their native planes. Those killed in other planes are reborn in their native plane with all their memories intact. Although it seems their power is not diminished, scholars speculate there must be some cost to such rebirth.¡± ¡°The greatest cost is that they cannot re-enter the plane where they were killed for 99 years,¡± Eckmond floated over shakily, ¡°The process of rebirth is also extremely painful, similar to flaying and bone-crushing, though in reverse order. However, for Demons, that is not their greatest fear.¡± Enjoy new chapters from empire ¡°You seem quite knowledgeable about the conditions in Barto Hell,¡± Lancelot eyed him skeptically. ¡°Stop teasing and tell us the truth already,¡± Kalalin¡¯s face was full of curiosity. His expertise in Abyss and Demons left him with little knowledge about the Demons of Barto Hell. However, as a deadly adversary in the blood wars, any information about Demons could deepen his understanding of Tanari. ¡°What Demons fear most is always one thing: Degradation.¡± The floating skull was very pleased to show off its knowledge, ¡°Demon society has a strict hierarchy, and almost all demons exhaust their cunning to climb higher, to revel in the delightful privileges and the thrill of tormenting those beneath them. This makes them fear Degradation more than complete obliteration, which is often the punishment for failing important missions.¡± At that moment, a loud explosion erupted behind them. The three turned around to see a huge hole blasted through the solid ice wall; Phil was striding through the hole with others, looking proud. ¡°Achoo!¡± The Goblin sneezed loudly, ¡°Wow, this thing is really cold... Could you see anything from behind the ice wall, or is everything resolved?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t imagine the amazing battle you missed,¡± the floating skull boasted, ¡°How many get the chance to see a Succubus fight? The scene combined beauty, sexiness, gore, and violence¡ªmissing that is a lifetime¡¯s regret. Uh, boss, no offense, but right now, you¡¯re in the form of a Succubus.¡± ¡°Pfft, we¡¯ve seen that sort of thing many times already,¡± Phil dismissed Eckmond¡¯s bragging, ¡°And what¡¯s that? A few Steel Demons, a Bone Demon? Once, Lady Tijana fought a Barlow Flame Demon on the ramparts of Twin Bridges Town with a whip; now that was something worth dying with no regrets...¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to report this conversation exactly as it happened,¡± the Werewolf¡¯s words fell like a bucket of ice water over the Goblin, instantly rendering him mute. Chapter 124 - 124 - 118 Eckmond’s New Trick Chapter 124 ¨C 118 Eckmond¡¯s New Trick ¡°However, why did the demons appear here?¡± Lancelot frowned and asked, ¡°If they wanted to launch a surprise attack from here, they shouldn¡¯t have sent so few soldiers.¡± ¡°Furthermore, with terrains like the slave enclosures, it would have been easier for them to attack the walls directly.¡± Old Reap crouched on the ground, examining the skeleton left behind by the Bone Demon, ¡°Demons always engage in meticulous planning, these guys must have had some special purpose for coming to the bottom of this pit of corpses.¡± ¡°Think about that ice wall, and how easily they summoned the Skeleton Sea.¡± Kalalin seemed to have realized something, ¡°Lancelot, you might have unintentionally saved Oasis Fort, sparing it from a fate of being overrun by demons.¡± ¡°What did I do?¡± Lancelot scratched his head, ¡°Was this Bone Demon some big shot or something?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of figure it was, but it was definitely a very powerful spellcaster,¡± Kalalin confidently stated, ¡°Think about how many skeletons there are in the pit. I guess it was preparing a very powerful spell that would awaken all the skeletons in the pit.¡± ¡°Then an endless stream of skeletons would burst out of the slave enclosures, overwhelming every living being inside Oasis Fort,¡± Lancelot smacked his lips, ¡°In a way, this kind of death is quite fitting for Molo and his Oasis Fort.¡± ¡°Oh! Boss! What a deep irony this is!¡± Eckmond exclaimed excitedly: ¡°The bodies of the slaves rising up to completely destroy the city that enslaved and murdered them¡ªit¡¯s exactly the demons¡¯ style! The original plan must have been just like this!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too happy too soon,¡± the werewolf said gloomily, ¡°Demons are a bunch of creatures with a severe thirst for revenge, especially against those who hinder Barto Hell in any way. You better be careful the next time you use this succubus identity.¡± ¡°Thanks for the reminder,¡± Lancelot nodded, though he thought to himself that he better wear this disguise whenever he did something big in the future. Having already plundered the treasure vaults of the Succubus Palace, completely looted Molo¡¯s treasure vault, and killed a Succubus¡ªa demon with a special status in Shendiravir; now he had also foiled the demons¡¯ plan. The Bone Demon, once resurrected in Barto Hell, would surely exaggerate and report him, which now put him on the demons¡¯ radar. However, Fiends¡¯ ability to resurrect was really annoying, making it difficult to conceal his true strength. He would have to seriously research if there was a way to break this ability. ¡°Hey! Come and check this out!¡± Koula was looking at a large rock that Lancelot had sliced open with his sword, and found the tail of the Bone Demon on the ground. Upon hearing this, everyone walked over only to see that the tail had not decayed like the rest of the Bone Demon¡¯s body but was still very firm and strong. ¡°Noted.¡± Eckmond flew back to Lancelot¡¯s side. ¡°How about it, boss? Can I keep this thing then?¡± ¡°Until I find a better use for it, you can use it,¡± Lancelot nodded, then turned to look at Bruto, ¡°Are you alright? Alamir, can you heal him?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it, let¡¯s not waste precious Divine Arts.¡± Witt opened his backpack, pulling out bandages, potions, and other tools for treating wounds. Healing the sick and wounded is the responsibility of most priests, who usually receive good medical training, so they aren¡¯t caught off-guard once they¡¯ve used up their daily quota of Divine Arts. Apart from Bruto, the others had also sustained some minor injuries, only Phil and Koula, the two small ones, were unharmed. After a quick treatment, the group resumed their journey to escape from the Oasis Fort. Worried that other Demons might have entered the passage and could ambush them ahead (a common trick among Demons), the group proceeded with extra caution, but fortunately, they encountered no trouble along the way. After walking for about an hour, by the Dwarfs¡¯ instinct, they were already close to the surface. Lancelot could feel it as well, as the air in the cave was starting to freshen, though using ¡¯fresh¡¯ to describe the air in a world devoid of plants wasn¡¯t quite accurate, but that was the general idea. Suddenly, old Reap sniffed the air, frowning as he warned: ¡°There¡¯s a smell of blood ahead, be careful.¡± ¡°What a sensitive nose.¡± Phil commented casually. The atmosphere suddenly quietened down, everyone staring at the forthright Goblin, especially the Werewolf old Reap, who squinted his eyes, dangerous fangs poking out from the corners of his mouth. ¡°Uh, I mean, what a sensitive nose, bro! What a sensitive nose, bro!¡± Phil scrambled in his explanation, ¡°Please, stop looking at me like that. Everyone knows Goblin meat is sour and stinky, it could easily upset your stomach for a month and make you unable to eat anything!¡± ¡°Seems like you have quite a clear understanding of yourself,¡± old Reap withdrew his gaze, ¡°This blood smell seems like it¡¯s been on the ground for a while, let¡¯s go see what died up ahead.¡± Chapter 125 - 125 - 119: Return to the Surface Chapter 125 ¨C 119: Return to the Surface The group carefully continued forward, entering a cave with a fork in the road. On the ground lay the corpses of three Werewolf beings, the source of the bloody smell.@@@@ ¡°They¡¯ve been dead for at least an hour, must be the work of those Demons,¡± Old Reap crouched to inspect the bodies, announcing to everyone. For Lancelot, it was his first time seeing such creatures that were said to be like the plague. The Werewolves were very tall, capable of reaching over 7 feet if they stood straight, but they had severe hunchbacks, their spines bent at almost right angles. They had hooves like wild beasts, hands resembling those of humanoid creatures, and atop their necks were hyena-like heads, even in death their expressions remained vicious and malevolent. Their weapons and armor were clearly stolen from other beings, but evidently, this was not enough to stand against the Steel Demon¡¯s Cold Iron Greatsword. Judging from the nearly bisected corpses, these Werewolves never had a chance to fight back. ¡°The Demons clearly knew of this secret passage, handled these blokes blocking the way without breaking a sweat,¡± Phil commented, ¡°I thought this secret passage was really hidden.¡± ¡°There are still a few who know of this secret passage. If the Demons got to one of them, I believe they would sell out this secret without hesitation for any insignificant reward,¡± Old Reap sighed, ¡°And it might well be that the spy was sent by the Demons themselves, having already figured out everything about Oasis Fort.¡± ¡°What about Twin Bridges Town?¡± Bruto asked, ¡°Are there spy Demons there too?¡± ¡°Definitely, it¡¯s inevitable. Demons are masters of seducing others into their service. Not just Blood War Mercenaries, even Demons have been foolish enough to be tempted,¡± the Werewolf explained, ¡°But no matter how hard we try, there are always new fools ready to sell their souls to the Demons for a bit of gold. We can¡¯t even count the number of ¡¯rats¡¯ we catch each year.¡± ¡°And this guy has won the rat-catching contest many times. I¡¯ve always thought it had something to do with his... keen sense of smell,¡± Phil was about to say the word ¡°dog nose¡± again, but he stopped himself just in time. ¡°Twin Bridges Town has always been a key military supplier for Tanari and a major infiltration target for Demons. Speaking of which, there¡¯s a joke on that topic. Want to hear it?¡± ¡°Oh, let¡¯s not, that bit is too old,¡± Old Reap shook his head, ¡°And they¡¯ve definitely heard it already.¡± Several sections of the wall had been completely destroyed, but it seemed the Demons were still resisting. Lancelot also saw the Demons¡¯ siege engines, giant catapults placed between this small forest and Oasis Fort, but most had been burned down, with only a few still operational. It seemed the Bone Demon he had killed might indeed have been the Demons¡¯ backup plan. Without the support of the Skeleton Sea, the Demons would probably pay a much heavier price than originally planned. If the Demons managed to luckily hold Oasis Fort, then those treasures looted from the Succubus Palace could be considered Molo¡¯s compensation to him, Lancelot thought silently to himself. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d say this, but not having a few thousand tons of rocks above my head does make me feel a lot lighter,¡± Bruto stretched his body, ¡°So, where is that Brezu Demon named Iados? Goblin, do you know how to contact that guy?¡± Find more chapters on empire ¡°No need to go looking for him specifically,¡± Phil shook his head, ¡°We just need to make a round, and he¡¯ll come to find us. If he doesn¡¯t show up, then we¡¯ll just go straight to the backup rendezvous point.¡± So the group moved cautiously through the woods, but there was no sight of Iados. Lancelot extended his Spiritual Sense to its limit and likewise detected no sign of the Brezu Demon, so they had likely withdrawn to the backup rendezvous point upon discovering the Demon army two days earlier. Lancelot had actually expected this. It was no big deal for Iados¡¯s men to ambush a few guards at Oasis Fort, but it would be foolish to directly confront the Demon army. If that were the case, he would have to greatly downgrade his estimate of Iados. Just then, his Spiritual Sense was suddenly triggered, and he turned his head to look up at the sky above the Demon catapults¡¯ position. A humanoid creature with two gigantic wings was circling in the sky. The creature was so beautiful, just like the Angels of legend. But upon closer inspection, it was clear that this was not any holy creature from the Heavens. Her wings were a deep, near-black red, like those of a vulture, not the pure white of an Angel¡¯s. Although Lancelot knew little about Demons, he had heard of this creature¡¯s notoriety. It was an Enreyes, more commonly known as a Lust Demon, a Fallen Angel or their offspring. While their beauty was by no means inferior to that of the Succubi of Tanari, it was the desire for battle and slaughter that dominated them, making them the fiercest and most disciplined Warriors of Bartez. Chapter 126 - 126 - 120 Enreyes Chapter 126 ¨C 120 Enreyes Lancelot, making use of his extraordinary vision, was sizing up the Enyeries when the Fallen Angel suddenly turned her head, locking eyes directly with him. Lancelot¡¯s heart sank with a ¡¯thud¡¯, and the next moment he saw the succubus¡¯s lips appear to move. ¡°Spread out!¡± he cried loudly, while lightning-fast, drew Frostslash from behind his back. Bruto and Kalalin, who had long been in sync with him, almost instinctively retreated, while the others, startled, turned their heads towards Lancelot in confusion. They just glimpsed a beautiful woman with wings on her back, clad in ornate plate armor, suddenly appear and, wielding a gemstone-studded longsword, fiercely slash down at Lancelot. Lancelot barely blocked the succubus¡¯s attack, the tremendous force from the opponent¡¯s weapon making it difficult to parry, causing him to stagger back several steps. A storm of shock and fear surged in the depths of his heart. He had only glanced at her from such a distance, yet she had immediately sensed it, and in the next second, she had precisely teleported to his side, launching a lightning-fast sword strike that almost knocked him to the ground¡ªsuch was the strength of this Enreyes! ¡°Succubus!¡± As priests of the true deity, Alamir and Vito recognized this demonic being of legend first, their faces showing a look of horror. Despite their resemblance to celestial beings, the sinister color of their wings was the biggest distinguishing feature from angels, and those blood-red eyes, seemingly forever burning with rage, revealed the true identity of these creatures. Hearing this, the others quickly pulled out their weapons, readying themselves for battle. This Enreyes seemed surprised by everyone¡¯s reaction. Normally, mere mortals would be in awe of her beauty upon first sight, with the more fragile-minded perhaps even worshipping her, but these people, apart from the initial surprise, seemed completely immune to her charm. She glanced at the succubus knight in front of her and suddenly raised her eyebrows, scoffing: ¡°I was wondering where this reasonably strong succubus came from, thinking it was that one. Turns out it¡¯s just a human disguised by transfiguration.¡± He barely blocked the Succubus¡¯s slash, but being completely inexperienced with winged combat, he couldn¡¯t leverage on anything mid-air and was sent tumbling away like a baseball hit by a bat, crashing heavily into the trunk of a jagged fir and barely coming to a stop. He slowly slid down the tree trunk, a sweetness rising in his throat, and he violently spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood. ¡°Hehe, not bad,¡± the Succubus said, twirling her longsword fancily as she slowly walked toward him, ¡°Take off that foolish Transformation Ring. That body limits your performance. Let me see your true strength.¡± Lancelot quickly glanced at his companions; they had executed his plan well and were almost out of his line of sight. Considering the enemy¡¯s speed, he knew he had to hold out a little longer. He took off the Transformation Ring, deliberately slowing down his movements to buy his friends more time and also to adjust his disordered breathing. The Succubus was right, wearing the Transformation Ring he indeed couldn¡¯t utilize his full strength; the body couldn¡¯t achieve perfect coordination, and the wings on his back were somewhat of a hindrance. These subtle differences weren¡¯t obvious when facing enemies weaker than him, but against a powerful demon like Enreyes, any small error could lead to fatal consequences. The Succubus didn¡¯t rush to attack but waited patiently for him to revert to his original form. With a flash of magic light, Lancelot was once again the Human Knight, six and a half feet tall with slightly curly black hair and light blue eyes. ¡°Ha, you look much more pleasing to the eye now,¡± the Succubus said, nodding her head with satisfaction, ¡°Let¡¯s have a proper dance, Sir!¡± Before her words fell, she beat her wings and dove once more. But this time, Lancelot didn¡¯t stay in place; instead, he dashed forward like a specter, rolled over just before the Succubus landed, and got behind her. Enyeries¡¯s diving attack was like the first wave of a knight¡¯s charge on the battlefield, where the best outcome of a head-on clash was mutual destruction. In both of his short exchanges with the Succubus, he had been suppressed from the first move, continuously being placed on the back foot; he couldn¡¯t afford to keep doing that. Chapter 127 - 127 - 121 Struggling to Support Chapter 127 ¨C 121 Struggling to Support Lancelot took the initiative, turning to face the enemy and delivering an upper slash with his longsword¡ªa signature opening move of his Triple Strike. As if the succubus had eyes in the back of her head, her longsword swept low from behind to parry Lancelot¡¯s weapon and, with a half-turn, she was precisely positioned to catch Lancelot¡¯s following horizontal slash. The Human Knight¡¯s longsword retracted like lightning, thrusting out the final move of the Triple Strike straight at the enemy¡¯s face. A sneer appeared on the succubus¡¯s face as if she had anticipated the thrust. The moment Lancelot¡¯s hand began to lift, she started to duck, her longsword aiming for Lancelot¡¯s forward-stepping right foot. However, unexpectedly for the succubus, Lancelot¡¯s thrust was a feint. His figure suddenly flickered and he leaped into the air, spinning rapidly and unleashing a powerful sword strike at the succubus¡¯s nape! ¡°Well done!¡± The succubus let out a fierce shout as her wings flapped backward, making her fall forward as if pushed. Her right hand¡¯s longsword, swift as a serpent, recoiled to her back in a flash to block Lancelot¡¯s thunderous strike. With her left hand pressing against the ground, the succubus spun around like a top, swiftly realigning herself. Like a cobra coiled on the ground, she thrust upwards. Had Lancelot been reckless enough to pursue his attack, the sword would have pierced straight through the Human Knight.@@@@ But after his fastest and strongest strike failed to hit, Lancelot naturally didn¡¯t dare to pursue further. He used the recoil from the clashing swords to create distance, lightly touching the succubus¡¯s sword tip with his weapon as he landed solidly at a standoff distance where neither could continue their assault. ¡°Not bad,¡± the succubus teased with a fancy flourish of her longsword, licking her fingers with her tongue, ¡°That move just now was brilliant, I haven¡¯t had such a thrilling fight in a long while, and you¡¯re making me almost reluctant to kill you.¡± Lancelot focused on calming his irregular breathing, steadying the surging True Qi within him. Despite his readiness for difficulty, the succubus¡¯s strength still exceeded his expectations. In terms of reaction speed and agility, the previously defeated Spiritual Cultivator was superior, but the succubus¡¯s swordsmanship had reached a level of near-perfection, making her a far more lethal enemy than the Spiritual Cultivator. ¡°Hey, boss, you alright? Anything I can help with?¡± The voice of Eckmond suddenly rose from the depths of his heart. Lancelot then realized the fellow hadn¡¯t left; he¡¯d been lying on the ground all along, right by his feet, pretending to be an ordinary skull. ¡°How come you... just lie there, don¡¯t move,¡± Lancelot ordered via telepathy, while the succubus strolled over with an easy gait, speaking as she walked: ¡°My name is Valtira, a humble servant of Duchess Graecia. Remember my name, for when I kill you, your soul will go to a place awaiting the Divine Envoys. There, there are also envoys from Hell. Speak with them, then give them my name, and they will offer you a generous contract.¡± ¡°Thank you, my name is...¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important, once you¡¯re in Hell, you¡¯ll have a new name,¡± Lancelot was cut off mid-sentence by the other, ¡°Now, let¡¯s continue, this pleasing dance, how much longer can you keep up with me?¡± Valtira charged again, expecting Lancelot to evade with that strange movement technique once more, so she didn¡¯t charge too fiercely, ready to change direction at any moment. Lancelot¡¯s body leaned slightly to one side, a motion the succubus recognized as his prelude to dodging. She swung her weapon forward swiftly, her mind already plotting the follow-up attack. Unexpectedly, the human knight didn¡¯t dodge, but swung his longsword with all his might, catching the succubus¡¯s casual strike. The two longswords clashed tightly, and Lancelot, using the Entangling Sword technique and catching his opponent off guard, managed to block her charge and found themselves at a stalemate. The outwitted Valtira was infuriated, her hand forcefully adding pressure to her sword, but Lancelot suddenly let go with one hand that was gripping the sword while giving the other hand a light flick. Caught off-guard, the succubus¡¯s weapon was deftly directed toward the ground. Just then, a skull that had lain on the ground suddenly bounded up, pressing down hard on the succubus¡¯s sword, while Lancelot¡¯s now free left hand shot forward like lightning, already touching the chest of the succubus! Chapter 128 - 128 - 122: Fleeing in Panic Chapter 128 ¨C 122: Fleeing in Panic The scene seemed to momentarily pause, but in reality, Lancelot¡¯s movements never ceased. With a clench of his fingers, the Innate True Qi within his Dantian burst forth. An invisible Sword Aura emitted from his palm, which was pressed against Valtira¡¯s chest, piercing viciously into the Demon¡¯s body. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh!¡± The Demon screamed miserably, its wings flapping wildly as it rapidly retreated more than thirty feet. A hole, as thick as a small arm, appeared in her chest, and her exquisite armor was covered with web-like cracks. A massive amount of blood spilled between her and Lancelot, like a person cut in half had crawled over it. Lancelot was also startled by the horrific amount of bleeding from his opponent, but he had no time to examine her injuries closely. He grabbed a skull that had proved very useful off the ground, turned, and ran. His movements seemed slow, yet with each step, he covered dozens of feet, surprisingly three times faster than the Demon¡¯s pained retreat. From the feedback from his hand, he had used his trump card, the Innate True Qi, yet it still didn¡¯t penetrate the Demon¡¯s body, whose weakness wasn¡¯t the heart. Continuing to fight could hardly guarantee even a fifty-fifty chance of victory. Moreover, considering the Teleportation Magic the Demon used in her surprise attack, she was a strong Spellcaster. Who knew what other strange techniques she hadn¡¯t yet revealed?@@@@ He had no real reason to keep fighting. From the beginning, the goal had been to buy as much time as possible, then seize the chance to escape. Thanks to Eckmond¡¯s superb acting and a few of his own tricks, he had managed to injure his opponent. If not now, when? ¡°You scoundrel! Give me back my sword!¡± A furious roar came from behind, and Lancelot looked down to see Eckmond slowly ¡°swallowing¡± Valtira¡¯s sword into his own dimensional space, leaving only the hilt visible. Together with the sword marks on its skull, the look was indescribably bizarre. ¡°Why are you taking her sword?¡± Lancelot shouted through their mental link, ¡°We need to run for our lives!¡± The distance and speed gave Lancelot a chance to dodge; he slightly shifted twice, confident he could evade, but the arrow seemed to have eyes of its own, changing directions as he did. Before Lancelot could react again, the arrow had embedded itself in his back. The sturdy plate armor was ripped open by the triangular arrowhead before it pierced into Lancelot¡¯s flesh. His inner True Qi responded immediately, fighting hard against the foreign object, but still, the arrow penetrated nearly two inches deep, causing him to violently spit out a mouthful of fresh blood. Worse yet, he discovered that the arrow was poisoned, these fallen angels really went all out. Although he had previously taken Kalalin¡¯s Antitoxin Potion, its effect was limited against such a strong poison. Lancelot had to divert some of his True Qi to suppress the spread of the poison, which slowed him down a bit. Feeling that one Upper Grade Spirit Stone could no longer keep up with the consumption rate of his True Qi, he lifted Eckmond towards his waistband, and mentally commanded the skull: ¡°Bite!¡± ¡°Ah? Isn¡¯t it inappropriate now, boss?¡± ¡°Bite the waistband!¡± Lancelot was speechless about the skull¡¯s thought process. He didn¡¯t care if the guy understood or not, he relaxed his grip on the skull and reached for another Earth Crystal. Now holding an Earth Crystal in each hand, his True Qi was quickly drawn from the gemstones, and his speed dramatically increased once more. The skull, ever the mouthy one, was firmly biting his waistband, vigorously shaking up and down in the air due to the headwind. Seeing her attack connect and the enemy¡¯s speed momentarily slow down, Valtira hadn¡¯t even started celebrating when Lancelot¡¯s speed returned to normal, and it seemed even slightly faster than before, causing her to curse like a housewife who just discovered her husband¡¯s secret. Just then, a violent magical fluctuation arose from the direction of Oasis Fort, a blood-red column filled with a frenzied aura shot straight into the sky, turning her complexion deathly pale. ¡°Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!¡± she yelled furiously at Lancelot¡¯s retreating figure, ¡°Human, we are not done yet!!!¡± With a furious stomp, she turned towards Oasis Fort, activated the Teleportation Technique again, and vanished on the spot. Chapter 129 - 129 - 123 Eckmond’s Memories Chapter 129 ¨C 123 Eckmond¡¯s Memories ¡°Boss,¡± Eckmond¡¯s shaking voice arose in Lancelot¡¯s heart, ¡°the Succubus seems to have stopped chasing us, should we take a break?¡± He continued, ¡°I can¡¯t hold on much longer, and the ride is really bumpy.¡± Upon hearing this, Lancelot slowed down. It had been five minutes since he was shot, and with the power of two Upper Grade Spirit Stones, he had sprinted nearly three miles. Within the range of his Spirit Perception, he could no longer sense Enreyes. He naturally noticed the magical fluctuations from Oasis Fort; something must have happened there that reminded the Demon¡¯s high rank Commander of his duties. Lancelot hid in the shadow of a huge rock, his chest heaving violently as he spat out another mouthful of green, glowing, foul blood. The venomous arrow shot by the Succubus was still stuck in his back; he hadn¡¯t had the time to deal with it, making him move like a wind-up toy. ¡°Boss, let me help you pull the arrow out?¡± The skeleton¡¯s skull floated behind Lancelot, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of the poison on the arrows. That stuff doesn¡¯t work on the Undead.¡± Lancelot shook his head, and he channeled his True Qi, hardening the muscles around the wound like iron, slowly pushing the arrowhead out of his body. He then cautiously removed his blood-soaked back armor from the inside and extracted the arrow stuck in it. This arrow was exquisitely made; the shaft was crafted from a dense yet flexible wood, with very neat patterns; the fletching used fine, black feathers that appeared as if they grew directly from the shaft; the tip was a cone of precious Mithril, with fine notches for holding poison and vicious barbs, designed to inflict maximum pain on prey that wasn¡¯t immediately killed. Lancelot thought for a moment and then wrapped the arrow in the robe he wore when transformed into a Succubus, stowing it away in the Dimensional Bag. It wasn¡¯t in his nature to leave a debt unpaid; he resolved to return the favor to the Succubus named Valtira whenever the opportunity arose. If there was no chance, the arrow would also serve as a great storytelling prop¡ªa certain Vampire maid would certainly love it. The wound from the arrow still struggled to heal; although he could not yet clear the toxins, Lancelot fully suppressed their spread. Once he rendezvoused with his companions, he believed Alamir and Vito would have a way to completely resolve his poisoning. Priests with divine arts were specialists in countering these adverse effects. ¡°Not at all, it just made me more confused,¡± Eckmond said gloomily. ¡°All these meaningless fragments make me feel like I¡¯ve remembered something, but in reality, I haven¡¯t at all.¡± ¡°Tell me about it, what kind of images?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, ¡°Maybe I can notice some details you missed from a different perspective.¡± Continue reading at empire ¡°That makes sense.¡± Eckmond, excited, replied. Then a sequence of images was projected directly into the man¡¯s mind through the bond with Lancelot. Lancelot focused intently, realizing it was a first-person perspective, apparently on a battlefield in the midst of a blood war. Countless Coward Devils surged like a tide towards the Demon¡¯s lines by the riverside, and on the other end of the battlefield, the significantly fewer Beard Demons stood in neat rows, marching out of warships to form rock-solid squares, quietly waiting for the Demons to arrive. The owner of the perspective looked up, noticing that the battle in the air had already ignited. Several Enyeries continuously showered the Demon army with arrows from longbows and would occasionally swoop down with longswords, carving a bloody wave through the dense sea of Demons. This spectacular and glorious sight was deeply impressive and perhaps it was the scene of the Succubus diving at Lancelot today that had awakened this fragment of Eckmond¡¯s memory. The perspective shifted to the side, where a group of Blood War Mercenaries, obviously mortals, were making their final preparations for battle. At that moment, a voice from off screen was calling the name ¡¯Eckmond¡¯, its cold and bone-chilling tone echoing. The perspective turned to look behind themselves, only to see a skeleton in a robe staring in the direction of the perspective, after which the image faded to darkness, marking the end of the memory fragment. ¡°It looks like you were on the side of the Demons,¡± Lancelot commented. ¡°When you turned your head, I noticed that below the perspective was emptiness, clearly you were already a skull at that point.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Eckmond said, dispiritedly. ¡°That Lich called out my name; I guess that must have been my previous master, but I have no recollection of that person whatsoever.¡± ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Lancelot argued. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Liches generally have a vast wealth of knowledge, and I find it hard to believe that such a creature would need the services of a Mimir. Also, why are all these images in grey? Is that an issue with your memory?¡± Chapter 130 - 130 - 124: Convergence Chapter 130 ¨C 124: Convergence ¡°It must be related to the location where this memory occurred,¡± Eckmond shook his head, ¡°Between the Bottomless Abyss and Barto Hell lies a plane called Hades in the Grey Wastelands. Most of the time, that¡¯s the main battlefield for the blood wars. Any object entering this plane loses its color, turning into shades of black and white, which is why you saw the images like that.¡± ¡°But the Demons have already attacked the Abyss,¡± Lancelot said with a frown, ¡°This memory must be quite old.¡± ¡°It seems I¡¯ve really been dead for a long time,¡± Eckmond¡¯s mood visibly low, ¡°Besides making me irritated and confused, this memory doesn¡¯t provide any useful information.¡±@@@@ ¡°There¡¯s still plenty of content, just not enough to deduce your identity,¡± Lancelot consoled, ¡°This memory seems to have been awakened because of the image of Enreyes. Maybe, as our journey continues, more and more of your memories will be awakened. Once we have enough pieces, maybe you¡¯ll be able to piece together your past.¡± ¡°Heh, thanks boss, I think this approach sounds reliable.¡± Eckmond¡¯s fleshless skull revealed a frightening smile, and he seemed less downcast. As they conversed, the iconic cliffs of Crackskull Valley gradually came into Lancelot¡¯s view. After about half an hour, Lancelot finally arrived at the second rendezvous point that had been agreed upon. His Spirit Perception told him that Bruto and the others were just ahead; almost arriving simultaneously. Lancelot did not try to hide his presence, and soon Bruto spotted him, loudly greeting and pulling everyone out to meet. ¡°Ha! What did I tell you, Lancelot is definitely fine,¡± Bruto said cheerfully, ¡°What about Enreyes? Did you deal with her?¡± The one responsible for rendezvousing with them, Iados, was also startled and came over from the shadows. The Dwarf¡¯s words made him somewhat incredulous. As a Demon, he knew very well how formidable a creature like Enreyes was, an antithesis to Demons before and after their fall. If Lancelot could kill an Enreyes one-on-one, then he had to reassess the strength of Human Knights. ¡°I¡¯m no match for her,¡± Lancelot patted Eckmond¡¯s bald head, ¡°This guy was playing dead on the ground, but at a critical moment, he struck the opponent suddenly, creating a chance for me to break away from the battle. Plus, something unexpected seemed to have happened at Oasis Fort, which forced her to give up on chasing me, though she did shoot me with an arrow before leaving.¡± ¡°We might have discovered the Demon¡¯s army even before you did,¡± the Goat-headed Demon confirmed Lancelot¡¯s guess, ¡°when those infantry with bronze masks on their faces entered the forest, I almost thought it was some kind of foolish prank, another one of Molo¡¯s stupid schemes. But, the foul stench emitting from those creatures confirmed they were indeed a group of Bartez, not to mention their work method reminiscent of a swarm of bees.¡± ¡°What about your subordinates?¡± Kalalin suddenly interjected, then immediately felt it was abrupt and quickly explained, ¡°Lady Tijana mentioned that you would lead twenty Bruto warriors to meet us...¡± ¡°There is a whole army of Bartez attacking the city over there, and we are behind enemy lines,¡± Iados calmly looked at Kalalin, ¡°If it were two hundred years ago, I would have charged forward without hesitation, just like my subordinates, to relish in this feast of slaughter.¡± ¡°You seem...¡± the Scholar carefully chose his words, ¡°different from other Demons.¡± ¡°A former superior changed me,¡± the Goat-headed Demon¡¯s voice fluctuated slightly, ¡°He taught me the meaning of duty. My current duty is to bring you back, although I did not hold much hope for your escape earlier. If you had not made it out, then I would have had to ensure that Lady Tijana was the first to learn of these developments.¡± ¡°Hey, I was there too,¡± Old Reap spoke up at this point, ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you again, Iados.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know before that you were in there, Werewolf,¡± Iados and Old Reap seemed to know each other, as he nodded to the latter, ¡°As always, you manage to keep a good escape route.¡± ¡°Hey, this guy is as aloof as ever, acting as if showing any more emotion would ignite the arsenal inside him,¡± Phil shrugged his shoulders, ¡°Did you notice any other information? Lady Tijana would certainly want to understand where this Demon army came from.¡± The Goat-headed Demon was silent for a while, seemingly uncertain about what he was about to say, but still spoke: ¡°There was a guy, his body wrapped in iron chains, guarded by a group of Beard Demons, wielding an axe that seems to be ¡¯Punisher¡¯ Wisk¡¯s giant flying Beheading Axe.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Old Reap¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Wisk, the ¡¯Punisher¡¯ who was murdered by his own pet and lover a few months ago, his weapon appeared in the hands of Demons? What does that imply?¡± Chapter 131 - 131 - 125: The Way Home Chapter 131 ¨C 125: The Way Home ¡°This indicates the shadow of Bartez behind Wisk¡¯s death, but it still doesn¡¯t explain the origin of these demon armies,¡± Iados shook his head, ¡°Anyway, Lady Tijana must be informed of the situation here immediately.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time to delay, let¡¯s set off.¡± Phil took out three magic whistles, blew them in sequence, and a sound of horses neighing came from nowhere; soon, three carriages appeared in the distance and rapidly approached them. When the carriages first appeared, they were almost transparent, as if they were still in another world, but as they drew closer, their outlines gradually became clear, and when they stopped in front of everyone, they had completely solidified into their physical forms. Lancelot looked closely and realized that these were the very carriages they had ridden to Oasis Fort. Just a few hours ago, they had been parked in the courtyard they had left at Oasis Fort. It had never occurred to him that these carriages were magical items. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I¡¯d just abandon these assets, did you?¡± Phil, as if reading Lancelot¡¯s mind, said, ¡°That¡¯s not the style of us goblins.¡± ¡°Most goblins send their lives away for a bit of scrap metal.¡± The werewolf mercilessly struck Phil, ¡°But you are different, you¡¯re more likely to blow yourself up.¡± ¡°That would be my best fate,¡± the goblin replied nonchalantly, ¡°As for you, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll die at the hands of some succubus, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so keen on doing undercover work in various neutral towns¡ªit¡¯s dangerous, and where your so-called ¡¯intelligence funds¡¯ go!¡± ¡°No matter where, succubi are the best source of intelligence,¡± the werewolf retorted cheekily, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe how much some idiots will divulge just to prove they are someone of importance, all for a succubus¡¯s favor.¡± ¡°So your intelligence gathering is just sitting behind the bar pretending to be profound?¡± The goblin sneered, ¡°I¡¯ve noticed, as long as there¡¯s a succubus around, you¡¯ll reveal your wolf head, so you don¡¯t even need to speak yourself¡ªcurious succubi will come up asking this and that.¡± The goblin then started pinching his voice, imitating the succubi¡¯s voice in a high and shrill tone: ¡°Why do you have such a head? Can I touch your ears? Do you go crazy when you see round and smooth things?¡± Then, he switched to a pretend-deep hoarse voice, mimicking the werewolf¡¯s manner of speaking: Their discussion did not last long, and soon Alamir was lost in thought on his own. Lancelot didn¡¯t really need to rest, as a High Rank Qi Cultivation Stage Spiritual Cultivator, his energy was much more vigorous than before; he could maintain a vibrant state for several days continuously. However, since he had used a lot of energy today, even though he had replenished his True Qi several times with the essence of the earth and sky, meditating to cultivate Qi was obviously more sensible now that he had the chance. Today, he had used up three Upper Grade Spirit Stones and several Middle Grade Spirit Stones, which indeed made Lancelot feel a bit pained. Upper Grade Spirit Stones were what he had been painstakingly saving for his Foundation Establishment, and it was said that even Golden Core Stage Spiritual Cultivators could use them to recover True Qi. But then again, if today he had died at the hands of that succubus, keeping these spirit stones would have been meaningless. Lancelot found a relatively less bumpy corner inside the carriage, slowly calmed his mind, and entered into a state of cultivation. Compared to their outward journey, they no longer needed to disguise themselves as a merchant convoy and were without heavy cargo, so the speed of the caravan was very fast. By the evening of the second day, they had crossed the stone bridge over the Stygian River and entered the walls of Twin Bridges Town. The first thing upon returning was naturally to report their mission to the Succubus Lord. Tijana didn¡¯t make them wait long and almost immediately summoned them to the Throne Hall for an audience. ... ¡°This is Alamir, a priest from Shuni, and this is Koula, an alchemist and cook,¡± Lancelot introduced the elf and the halfling. ¡°During this mission, they provided me with great assistance. I hope to keep them in my mercenary group.¡± On the way here, Lancelot had already introduced to the two new companions various aspects of Twin Bridges Town, while Phil and old Reap added many details. The two now seemed quite constrained, partly because of the identity of the Succubus Lord and partly overwhelmed by Tijana¡¯s stunning beauty. ¡°Wow, last time a scholar from the Black Cult, this time a genuine cleric of a righteous god¡ªwill you bring a paladin to meet me next time?¡± Tijana said languidly from her high throne, ¡°As long as they agree to abide by the rules of Twin Bridges Town, I don¡¯t mind at all, of course, but don¡¯t forget the monthly head tax; go pay it in a bit.¡± ¡°There are only a few days left in this month,¡± Bruto muttered dissatisfiedly. Chapter 132 - 132 - 126 Unrequited Love Chapter 132 ¨C 126 Unrequited Love (Note: This chapter is titled ¡°Chapter 126: Report Back¡±) ¡°My ears are just fine, you dwarven brat,¡± Tijana glanced at Bruto, ¡°No need to hand it over, just have them set up a tent outside Twin Bridges Town. Where¡¯s the Cross Pickaxe?¡± Lancelot took out the Cross Pickaxe from the Dimensional Bag and handed it to a Succubus Maid standing by. Continue your saga on empire Tijana took the Cross Pickaxe from the maid and played with the ordinary-looking mining tool with a complex expression, while Lancelot took the opportunity to admire the beautiful profile of the Succubus Lord. So beautiful, the very purpose of a creature like a succubus is to make one lose self-control. The Dwarf Priest Witt was also staring at the Succubus Lord, but unlike Lancelot, his face was filled with tension, as if he feared she would accidentally smash the precious Holy Relic. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, old man,¡± Tijana shot a glance at Witt, ¡°This Cross Pickaxe can still smash these floors.¡± ¡°I have no such intention,¡± Witt quickly denied, ¡°As you see, besides its healing effects, this Holy Relic does not possess any particular power, but as a Relic of Dain Frostbeard, it holds an extremely special meaning for us dwarves.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Tijana¡¯s tone was surprisingly gentle. She touched the Cross Pickaxe one more time and finally tossed it back to the Dwarf Priest.@@@@ ¡°I permit you to keep this Holy Relic inside Twin Bridges Town, just put it in the great hall of the Craftsmen Committee,¡± Tijana turned her head to Lancelot, ¡°Well done, knight, those looks you stole just now are your reward. Besides this Cross Pickaxe, did you get those... stones you needed?¡± ¡°Thank you for the provided intelligence, the spoils from this trip have been quite substantial, but there is more urgent intelligence that you must know immediately,¡± Lancelot turned to the silently standing Brezu Demon, ¡°Iados, you tell her.¡± ¡°Heh, things are getting interesting now,¡± Tijana¡¯s fingertips sprouted sharp claws, gently tapping on the armrest of the throne, ¡°Why am I not surprised at all? Whether or not those cunning Bartez intentionally let you see this, the information is critical.¡± ¡°Additionally, during their escape from Oasis Fort, they killed an Aosai Demon and its four Steel Demon Guards within the underground passageway.¡± ¡°Those oversized skeletons? Aren¡¯t they Spellcasters? What are they doing underground instead of staying on the battlefield?¡± Tijana looked at Lancelot again, ¡°Even though you had a considerable number, defeating an Aosai Demon is no simple feat.¡± ¡°In fact, the Aosai Demon that Sir Lancelot killed might have been the most important move in reserve for the Demons,¡± old Reap spoke up, this time obediently taking on a human¡¯s head. ¡°Lady Tijana, do you remember the slave pens at Oasis Fort?¡± ¡°Of course, I remember; Molo proudly showed me the bottom of that shithole which made quite an impression on me.¡± Tijana¡¯s expression darkened, but suddenly as if she realized something, ¡°Are you suggesting that...¡± ¡°During the battle with that Bone Demon, its magic caused a mass of skeletons to rise again,¡± old Reap divulged the conclusion they had come to after repeatedly discussing it on their way back, ¡°This Bone Demon seemed to be quite proficient in Necromancy. We believe its purpose there was likely to initiate some sort of large-scale Ritual Spell to awaken all the skeletons in the pit.¡± ¡°I knew that shithole in Oasis Fort would blow up sooner or later; Molo, that fool, even considered it a symbol of power, utterly ignorant.¡± Tijana shook her head, ¡°I quite like the idea, though. You have to admire the Demons¡¯ creativity in schemes and plots. Well done, Knight; I suppose you took quite a reward from Molo, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°To cover our retreat, Lancelot even clashed with that bird creature,¡± Bruto couldn¡¯t help adding, ¡°The one you call the Enreyes.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± This time genuine surprise appeared on Tijana¡¯s face as she sized up Lancelot, ¡°You didn¡¯t manage to kill an Enreyes on your own, did you?¡± ¡°Of course not, I barely escaped from the Succubus¡¯s grasp with the help of my companions,¡± Lancelot, a bit overwhelmed by the Succubus Lord¡¯s gaze, quickly shook his head in denial, ¡°Let me introduce Eckmond, a Mimir. You can see, he has a natural advantage when playing the role of a skeleton.¡± ¡°Salutations to you, noble lady!¡± Eckmond rarefied his behavior to seriousness, ¡°I am currently following Sir Lancelot, but if you have any commands, I would be most delighted to serve you!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to count him as well, don¡¯t forget to go see Sonam for the taxes later,¡± Tijana merely glanced at Eckmond, then turned to Lancelot to inquire, ¡°An Enreyes is not an easy opponent to dismiss, how did you escape?¡± Chapter 133 - 133 - 127: Memory of Carp Cuisine Chapter 133 ¨C 127: Memory of Carp Cuisine (I apologize for updating the wrong content today; I¡¯ve added an extra chapter as compensation! The previous chapter should have been Chapter 126, and the content has been corrected, though the title can¡¯t be changed at the moment. If readers find the content doesn¡¯t connect, re-downloading it should resolve the issue.) ¡°I was merely holding on by a thread,¡± Lancelot revealed only part of the truth. ¡°At that time, we had just emerged from the secret passage when a Succubus spotted us from afar and instantly saw through my... disguise. While the Succubus was chasing after me, a strong magical fluctuation suddenly erupted from the direction of Oasis Fort, and a red light beam shot up into the sky, which immediately made the Succubus leave via a portal.¡± ¡°A red light beam, huh...¡± Tijana narrowed her eyes. ¡°Was that beam also filled with chaotic, destructive aura?¡± Continue reading at empire Lancelot nodded and asked, ¡°Do you know what that was?¡± ¡°It was just a portal on the ground, leading to a plane nearly inside a volcano,¡± Tijana waved her hand dismissively. ¡°It must have been Molo who came back just in time. It seems the Demons largely returned without success this time. That¡¯s quite a blow for those Bartez folks, hehehe...¡± Tijana stood up and waved to Lancelot. ¡°Next is the military meeting for Twin Bridges Town, you mercenaries can leave now.¡± The group bowed to Tijana and walked out. The group pondered this, especially a certain human knight. However, he quickly decided to put those thoughts aside for now and focus on shopping in the market. Koula was eager to show off her cooking skills to her new companions; the halfling¡¯s way of life was to ensure that everyone around her liked her, so she was very serious in choosing ingredients in the market area. Her time cooking in the Succubus Palace had taught her how to handle many ingredientes that were characteristic of the Abyss. She recognized many ingredients that Lancelot and his companions had never tried before, such as dried giant monster tentacles, flammable-looking chili peppers, tough skins suitable for making armor, and highly suspicious cheese with worms crawling on it¡ªall of which she insisted on buying. The only thing that slightly comforted Lancelot was that the owners of these goods seemed to really like halflings, appearing genuinely pleased as if they had found a customer who truly knew their goods. When Koula carefully bought a dried fish that smelled like a sour mop from a Tiflin, the expression on the Tiflin¡¯s face was as if he was parting with his own child. ¡°This is a Stygian River Memory Carp; it may look like it¡¯s been dead for hundreds of years, but once you soak it in tears, it¡¯ll start bouncing around again,¡± Koula said happily. ¡°You can imagine, catching a fish that lives in the Stygian River is nearly impossible, but occasionally a few jump ashore and are picked up by those who know their stuff.¡± ¡°But this fish grows in the Stygian River, is it really edible?¡± Bruto asked skeptically, looking at the fish which was almost taller than a halfling. ¡°Moreover, how many tears would it take to soak it entirely? We don¡¯t really have many sentimental folks here...¡± ¡°If it¡¯s prepared properly, its flesh is fragrant and tender, and it can even help spellcasters remember an extra magic spell the next day. It¡¯s said to feed on the memories in the waters of the Stygian River. As for the tears...¡± Koula walked over to an alchemy materials store, looked around, and quickly spotted a block that looked like black glass, ¡°this is it.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± Lancelot asked, handing over a thousand gold coins for a brick whose use he couldn¡¯t discern, already feeling a bit of financial pain. ¡°This is a brick, extracted from a place called the Fortress of Regret, made entirely of solidified tears. Just soak this brick in water and a whole bucket of water will turn into tears,¡± Koula shrugged. ¡°What did I tell you? If you want to be a top chef, you¡¯ve got to know a bit of alchemy.¡± ¡°Alright then,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°let¡¯s buy whatever other materials you need, consider it from our team funds. Let¡¯s not buy weapons and gear here; we¡¯ll ask Bruto¡¯s dad if he¡¯s free later.¡± Chapter 134 - 134 - 128: Going Home Chapter 134 ¨C 128: Going Home Clinging to their large and small packages, everyone finally returned to Hagrid Manor after dark had completely fallen. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire Having lived here for over a month, Lancelot, Bruto, and Kalalin had come to regard Hagrid Manor as their home. Seeing the silhouette of the three-story building once again, an involuntary sense of relaxation swept over them. It might have been an illusion, but after not seeing it for a few days, the surroundings of Hagrid Manor seemed a bit more ghastly. The small building was brightly lit at this moment, making the darkness not seem so utterly still, likely due to some maid who only worked at night. Alamir, highly sensitive to the presence of undead, had already furrowed his eyebrows, but after all, this was Abyss, and it was they, the breathers, who were the anomalies here. As they drew near, Lancelot established a clear mind link with Dingke. The elite Quasimodo Demon reported that everything was safe at home, and there had been no disturbances during their absence. This Quasimodo Demon had become the top force in Twin Bridges Town. Its strength had long surpassed that of its level, but it stubbornly refused to advance; it believed following Lancelot would bring greater benefits. Thus, it had always diligently served the human knight, guarding the house and acting as a bodyguard to a small vampire whenever they ventured out. Bruto, taking the lead, pushed open the grand doors of the building, shouting: ¡°Little Isabella? We¡¯re back!¡± ¡°I~am~up~stairs!¡± A voice came down from upstairs accompanied by the sound of a broom accidentally hitting the ground. The sounds of stomping resounded as the adorable maid in a maid¡¯s outfit appeared on the stairs, joyfully shouting: ¡°Welcome home! You¡¯ve finally...¡± While Lancelot was showing them the rooms, little Isabella had already boiled the hot water, allowing everyone who had been traveling for a whole day and night to wash away the dust from their journey. Lancelot himself took a comfortably hot bath. True Qi could naturally help him stay clean, but bathing served more to relax him. The scalding hot water flowing over his body took away the muscle soreness and smoothed his tense nerves, rejuvenating his spirits. Meanwhile, Koula had donned a chef¡¯s apron and was bustling in the kitchen. The enticing aroma filled every corner of the house, and Lancelot, smelling it after his bath, knew that bringing the Halfling back was an absolutely right decision. Lancelot went to the living room and saw little Isabella standing behind Koula like a well-behaved apprentice, while the others were on the couch, sharing stories of their adventure. ¡°By the way, Kalalin, there¡¯s something I want to ask you,¡± Lancelot sat down across from Kalalin, ¡°During the battle with Enreyes, she said some interesting things.¡± ¡°Oh? What did she say?¡± Kalalin straightened up, and the others were drawn in by Lancelot¡¯s words, gathering around. ¡°Her exact words were,¡± Lancelot recalled with a frown, ¡°¡¯When you are killed by me, your soul will go to a place waiting for a Divine Envoy to lead, where there is an envoy from Hell. Talk with that envoy, and they will offer me a satisfactory contract.¡¯¡± ¡°She told you that?¡± Kalalin was surprised, ¡°Maybe she really admires you, but remember, demons are all expert liars; always prepare for the worst when dealing with them.¡± ¡°But what does it mean?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, ¡°Do souls really go to such a place after death?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, at least that¡¯s what those awakened from eternal slumber by Divine Arts and magic have said,¡± Kalalin organized his thoughts, ¡°Every mortal¡¯s soul after death proceeds to the Domain of the Vague, the realm of the Lord of the Dead, to await the envoy of the god they believed in. The Divine Envoys judge these souls, deciding whether they reenter the cycle of rebirth or can go to the god¡¯s realm. The Devil¡¯s representatives reside there too, tempting every soul to sell themselves to the Nine Hells.¡± ¡°What kind of fool would sell their soul after they die?¡± Bruto asked in shock. Chapter 135 - 135 - 129: Demon Corps Chapter 135 ¨C 129: Demon Corps ¡°¡±¡± ¡°Such people are not uncommon...¡± Kalalin curled his lip, ¡°Imagine you¡¯re in the prime of your life, yet die on the battlefield for your Lord, leaving behind a helpless wife and daughter. As your soul worries about their miserable remaining lives, the Demon appears, offering to send a large sum of gold to your living relatives. If you still don¡¯t trust them, Demons have plenty of patience. They can even allow you to watch over your loved ones in the Netherworld, seeing them happily live out their lives, and all it costs is your soul. If it were you, would you be willing?¡± Bruto opened his mouth, wishing to say something, but ended up keeping silent.@@@@ Seeing that everyone had fallen into contemplation, Kalalin waited for a while before continuing: ¡°Those who choose to sell their souls after death typically have some compelling reasons. For a person important to them, for the answer to a problem, for an unachieved revenge, for a long-standing desire.¡± Kalalin¡¯s voice carried a weary undertone, ¡°Put yourself in their shoes and think about it. If you were faced with such a situation, could you truly refuse the Demons¡¯ offer?¡± ¡°How terrifying.¡± Bruto shuddered, ¡°Do those deities just stand by and watch their followers be tempted by Demons?¡± ¡°It is said that according to the contract signed between the Demons and the God of the Dead, Demons cannot deceive these newly deceased souls and must fulfill their promises to mortals,¡± Kalalin¡¯s expression was very serious, ¡°Unlike the contracts that tempt mortals to become Fallen, agreements signed in the Domain of the Vague must be executed with honesty and in full.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Are there issues with their agreements with mortals in general?¡± ¡°The issues are numerous. Demons are experts at playing with words,¡± Kalalin sat up straight, ¡°Take a few examples, such as promising to prevent your body from aging, by turning you into a stone statue; or promising to reveal an important secret, but whispering it in your ear while you¡¯re asleep; willing to offer you a large fortune, but killing you immediately after handing it over. When dealing with Demons, you¡¯d best have a team of lawyers examine every punctuation mark to ensure there are no loopholes for wordplay, or terms written with Invisibility Potion. Even then, don¡¯t expect to gain any advantage from a deal with a Demon; a fair exchange is the best outcome you can hope for.¡± ¡°I detest any text longer than three sentences, including what you¡¯ve just said,¡± Bruto sighed and slumped back into the couch, ¡°Priest, what¡¯s your take on this?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, I know very little about Barto Hell, it¡¯s Eckmond who has more extensive knowledge,¡± Kalalin said somewhat sheepishly, scratching his head, ¡°I should ask him for advice more often in the future.¡± Enjoy more content from empire ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not obliged to answer any of your questions, you know!¡± Eckmond grumbled dissatisfied, ¡°But it¡¯s a different story for the boss, ask me anything you want to know, don¡¯t be shy.¡± ¡°In that case, I have another question I want to ask you,¡± Lancelot said, causing the skull to pause in its expression, ¡°Today at Tijana¡¯s place, what did Iados talk about regarding the demons¡¯ Second Group Army? What does that mean?¡± ¡°Oh, that, I know about that,¡± Eckmond seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, ¡°Demons have three group armies, most of the soldiers in the First Group Army are high-rank Bartez, they are the elite forces of the Nine Hells. In war, they are the first to charge into the enemy¡¯s lines, carrying out those outright suicidal missions. Despite this, serving in the First Group Army is considered a very high honor for demons. Their commander is Arusur, a deep hell Demon Refiner.¡± ¡°Is this Arusur one of the eight archdemons?¡± Bruto asked curiously. Kalalin had mentioned this term in their chats earlier; they were said to be the eight noble demons responsible for all blood warfare affairs. ¡°No, these front-line commanders still have to follow the orders set out by the archdemons; the archdemons also have many responsibilities in intelligence, diplomacy, military supply, and more. Remember, fighting is just a small part of warfare.¡± Lancelot could relate to this, but he was more eager to know about the Second Group Army, especially since he had surely made certain enmity with them, particularly after that slap before parting. Kalalin had once mentioned that when you fight with a demon, you are only hostile to that individual demon; but when you attack a demon, you are practically challenging all demons collectively. While this statement could be intentionally spread by demons, as the person involved, he had to be cautious. ¡°The Second Group Army is the naval force of the demons. Almost all types of demons can be seen in this group army. They are not only responsible for transporting demonic legions through the Stygian River but are also excellent in both offensive and defensive strategies that rely on the Stygian River.¡± The skeleton continued to share its knowledge with everyone, ¡°Indeed, there are quite a few seducing demons serving as Senior Commanders in this group army, their wings giving them a distinct advantage in traversing the Stygian River.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Lancelot nodded. According to Iados¡¯s judgment, this army that attacked Oasis Fort was the naval marine corps of the demons. If they could move silently through the Stygian River, then it would explain how the demonic forces could suddenly appear outside of Oasis Fort.¡± Chapter 136: 130 Chapter 136: 130 ¡°As for the Third Army Corps, they are either Bruto¡¯s cannon fodder or his main force, depending on how you see it.¡± Seeing that Lancelot had no further questions, Eckmond continued, ¡°This army is composed of a large number of Low Rank Demons and is looked down upon in Demon society, but don¡¯t underestimate them. With iron discipline and excellent command, the Third Army Corps often achieves a terrifying casualty ratio in battle. It was precisely because of their distinguished military achievements that their former Commander, Bayer, was able to be promoted to the Lord of the first layer of the Nine Hells, Avernus, and become the Supreme Commander of the three Demon armies.¡± ¡°Your information seems a bit outdated.¡± Kalalin looked at Eckmond strangely, ¡°Even I, a Scholar holed up in the Prime Material Plane and studying the Abyss, know that Bayer has been deposed by Astimos, and the current Archduke of Avernus is Zariel again.¡± ¡°Uh...¡± An awkward look appeared in the skull¡¯s eye sockets as it hastened to defend its mistake, ¡°The knowledge in my head doesn¡¯t update automatically, is it so abnormal that some of it is outdated?¡± ¡°Who is this Zariel?¡± Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why say the Archduke of Avernus ¡¯again¡¯ is her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that she was once an Angel, at one point imprisoned by her subordinate Bayer, but about a hundred years ago, it seems like a series of major events occurred across the Lower Planes, and even time experienced rifts. When everything calmed down, people found that Zariel had reclaimed her position,¡± Kalalin looked to the floating skull, ¡°I believe Eckmond has more accurate information about her past.¡± ¡°What has happened can perhaps also be changed,¡± the skull sighed, ¡°Zariel was once an Angel in charge of overseeing the Blood War, since this great conflict involves the fate of the entire Multiverse. She repeatedly requested the gods to send troops, to take advantage of the Demons and Devils¡¯ fierce fighting, to wipe out these two evil forces in one fell swoop. After being repeatedly denied, she took matters into her own hands, deciding to do it herself, and the result was, naturally, drowning in the vast ocean of the Blood War.¡± Explore more at empire ¡°So how did she become a Great Demon Archduke?¡± Bruto asked curiously. ¡°Astimos witnessed the death of this battle-thirsty Angel and sent a special forces unit to find her remains of consciousness under a small hill made of the bodies of Tanari she had killed,¡± Eckmond said with authority, ¡°The ruler of the Nine Hells personally resurrected Zariel. ¡°Oh!!!!!¡± Bruto and Kalalin cheered simultaneously, even Alamir couldn¡¯t help but show a smile, Isha was full of expectation, only Koula was still unclear about the situation. ¡°What are you standing around for, come help me move these sofas,¡± Lancelot said cheerfully, and Kalalin and Alamir immediately rose to help. Bruto sneakily grabbed a piece of meat of unknown origin from the plate and stuffed it into his mouth before scampering over. The group cleared a large space. Lancelot stood in the center and carefully turned the Dimensional Bag, which collected the spoils, inside out. With a swoosh, everyone¡¯s eyes were briefly blinded by a sudden burst of light. When their vision returned, the previously empty floor was now covered with a dazzling array of treasures. A whole little mountain of gemstones that Lancelot and Bruto had collected, the magical equipment dotted around it was Kalalin¡¯s victory haul¡ªhe had no time to choose carefully, picking solely based on the strength of the Magic Aura, probably mixing up quite a few items with powerful curses. The beautiful and luxurious works of art were brought out by Alamir. His Goddess taught followers to acquire all kinds of beautiful things, wherever and whenever they discovered them. With a ¡¯clatter,¡¯ Koula¡¯s fork dropped to the floor, and Isha¡¯s condition was similar, both their faces full of shock. Just as Lancelot was somewhat proudly admiring everyone¡¯s expressions, his own face suddenly changed. A blue-white light flared up without warning next to the dining table, and a beautiful figure emerged from the Teleportation Magic, Tijana¡¯s voice filled the room: ¡°Lancelot, I came to remind you about that Enrei... What the hell is all this!!!¡± The Succubus Lord was dumbfounded as she stared at the heap of blinding treasures, equally overwhelmed. ¡°Good evening, Tijana,¡± Lancelot¡¯s tone sounded incredibly resigned, ¡°Have you eaten yet?¡± Chapter 137 - 137 - 131: The Enemy is Not Dead Chapter 137 ¨C 131: The Enemy is Not Dead ¡°No... not exactly, what are you doing? Where did you get all this stuff from?¡± Tijana, a Demon Lord who had seen her fair share of grand appearances, quickly composed herself after the initial shock. ¡°Where else, the treasure vault of the Succubus Palace,¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, ¡°We were just about to have a meal, planning to tell little Isa about this adventure while distributing these spoils of war.¡± ¡°Oh? Is that so...¡± Tijana circled the huge pile of treasure, her eyes spinning non-stop, ¡°That Goblin and Werewolf are my subordinates, right?¡± ¡°Indeed they are, they¡¯re very satisfied with the payment I gave them...¡± ¡°The information about the Succubus Palace was provided by me, correct?¡± ¡°Correct, but we found the vault ourselves, and that Succubus Guard inside was taken down by us as well...¡± ¡°Samantha was killed by you? Not bad, not bad... The one responsible for backing you up, Iados, he lost all his men and suddenly became a ¡¯lone commander¡¯. How pitiful.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem to be my fault, does it?¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t care!!¡± The Succubus Lord grabbed Lancelot by the collar forcefully and said righteously, looking up, ¡°I must have a share of these war spoils!¡± ¡°Alright, you do have your merits here.¡± Gazing at the face so close to his, Lancelot struggled to suppress the urge to kiss Tijana¡¯s red lips and reluctantly nodded. Tijana still clutched tightly onto Lancelot¡¯s collar as if she hadn¡¯t heard what he said until Bruto cleared his throat softly, and then she turned her head blankly toward the Dwarf. ¡°Shall we eat first?¡± Bruto looked innocently at the Succubus Lord, ¡°All these delicious dishes are going to get cold.¡± ¡°Koula is the chef of the Succubus Palace, very famous indeed.¡± Lancelot took a step back discreetly, ¡°Would we have the honor of dining with you this evening, my lady?¡± Only then did Tijana look towards the dining table, her eyes full of disdain as she flatly refused: ¡°A memorable experience, I hope the story will please you.¡± Lancelot lifted his glass and gently sipped the wine claimed to be from Shendiravir, beginning with their arrival at the Oasis Fort. When it came to sneaking into the Succubus Palace, under Tigana¡¯s strong insistence, he eventually put on the Transformation Ring in front of the Succubus Lord. ¡°Wow!!!!!¡± Little Issa looked away after a mere glance, her face flushed with embarrassment. Lancelot had just been wearing a casual shirt, and upon putting on the Transformation Ring, it turned into an extremely provocative sheer garment. Even Tigana had a weird expression on her face, her eyes fixed on Lancelot¡¯s enlarged part, her hand unconsciously reaching out as if to confirm its authenticity. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lancelot instantly took off the ring, watching the succubus warily. ¡°Tch, boring.¡± Tigana pouted, ¡°Continue.¡± Lancelot went on to describe how they discovered the treasury, and the astonishing vast treasure within. Undoubtedly, his words held conviction, as the best part of the story was right before their eyes. ¡°Just thinking about Molo¡¯s expression right now fills my heart with sweetness,¡± Tigana said with a sultry look at the Human Knight, ¡°but what¡¯s the deal with Samantha? Did you really kill her?¡± Lancelot described the succubus¡¯ final fate, but Tigana furrowed her brows. ¡°Something¡¯s not right, the Teleportation Magic shouldn¡¯t have been effective,¡± the Succubus Lord tapped her fingers lightly on the table, her sharp claws unconsciously extending from the tips, a habit she had when deep in thought, Lancelot had learned. Continue your journey with empire ¡°Are you saying she might not be dead?¡± Bruto asked in surprise, ¡°But her body was... like that.¡± ¡°A body is just a shell,¡± said Tigana with disdain, ¡°a powerful Tanari can split off a small portion of their life essence to create a container, so when we are killed within the Abyss, we can resurrect using this amulet. Considering Samantha¡¯s relationship with Molo, she would certainly have the resources to make such an amulet.¡± Lancelot let out a sigh within his heart; it seemed he had gained another enemy. He had actually suspected this, having absorbed some demon power from the evil spirit demon he had killed, though he didn¡¯t know why that happened. Yet, when he killed the more powerful succubus, that phenomenon didn¡¯t occur, which made him doubt whether that malicious woman with an octopus growing from her back was truly dead. Chapter 138 - 138 - 132: Keep a low profile Chapter 138 ¨C 132: Keep a low profile ¡°` ¡°But you don¡¯t need to worry about her seeking revenge.¡± Tijana looked as though she wasn¡¯t too concerned, ¡°She¡¯s very weak after being resurrected, and her position is a coveted one. Her first priority is to secure her own place, not to go after an unknown Succubus.¡± ¡°How does the bureaucracy in Shendiravir function?¡± Kalalin asked curiously, an opportunity to directly question a Succubus Lord was rare. ¡°I don¡¯t know, nor do I care.¡± With graceful poise, Tijana speared another tentacle-like piece of food, noticing Lancelot watching her. The Succubus Lord covered her mouth with her other hand, but left a gap just large enough for Lancelot to see through. She then stuck out her long, supple tongue and rolled the food from the fork into her mouth. This suggestive and extremely provocative gesture forced Lancelot to look away involuntarily. Tijana laughed out loud as if she had won a victory, leaving those around her who were unaware of what had transpired looking at one another in confusion. ¡°It¡¯s just a game for Mekanshut to pass the time,¡± the well-humored Succubus Lord added a few more details, ¡°The Succubus who sat on the Razor Throne with the help of baboons finds life dull without rivals. The courtly intrigue at the Heart of Tearing is a drama she willingly indulges in. As the lover of a Demon Prince, very few adversaries can truly threaten her, so she stirs up various plots in her own court for her amusement.¡± Tijana¡¯s expression showed utter disdain but if Mekanshut¡¯s rule is as she described, then her contempt was understandable, even by mortal standards. As a lord, Tijana was commendably capable, and that was saying something considering she was in the Abyss, where half of her subjects were ruthless Demons. ¡°Your relationship with this... Queen of the Succubus seems...¡± Bruto began, pausing as he remembered to mind his words, ¡°not very amicable?¡± ¡°Who says?¡± Tijana glanced at the young Dwarf, ¡°I love our Queen with all my heart, as you can tell from my cordial relationship with Molo. Continue with what you were saying, what was that about a Bone Demon?¡± Lancelot thus continued the narrative of their entrance into the slave pen. Tijana was impressed with the way they destroyed the gate, and little Isa trembled at the description Lancelot gave of the bottom of the mass grave but couldn¡¯t help wanting to hear more.@@@@ When it came to the fight in the secret passage of the mass grave, Tijana had a heap of questions: the style of the Steel Demon Armor and weapons, the sequence of spells cast by the Bone Demon, and the words spoken with emotion by the Demons. Throughout this process, Lancelot found that he could recall all the details clearly; he practically replayed the entire battle. She tapped the blade gently, and a bit of magic power flowed from her fingertips into the treasured sword, causing a line of burning text to appear on the blade. ¡°That¡¯s... Heavens language!¡± Kalalin exclaimed again in surprise, ¡°Does it mean... ¡¯Glory is my mission¡¯?¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Tijana nodded. ¡°This sword is very ancient, probably a witness to the initial fall of the Enreyes, and has developed a mind of its own to some extent, which is why it was affected by my charm.¡± ¡°This item must be quite valuable,¡± Lancelot said with a grim face. ¡°That succubus named Valtira is surely going to be after me relentlessly now.¡± ¡°From the moment you disrupted their plan to conquer Oasis Fort, those Bartez have been relentless. By the way, I saw the retreat of the Bartez forces in the divination crystal before coming here. The plan to strike at Oasis Fort is utterly ruined,¡± Tijana said playfully, looking at Lancelot. ¡°As a mercenary, getting involved in bloody battles is inevitable, but making dozens of High Rank Demons face degradation punishment right off the bat is showing off a bit too much.¡± Lancelot didn¡¯t say a word and simply stared at Tijana, who couldn¡¯t find the expression of fear on his face she was expecting, which felt somewhat disappointing to her. ¡°I¡¯m taking this sword,¡± Tijana said as she tucked the succubus¡¯s treasured sword into an elegant Dimensional Bag at her waist. ¡°I¡¯ll declare that I saved Oasis Fort, which should transfer the Bartez¡¯s attention onto me, and this sword will be the most convincing piece of evidence. The hostility of demons is too burdensome for mortals like you, but it makes no difference to me.¡± ¡°Thank you, my lady,¡± Lancelot said softly, his expression very sincere. Tijana seemed to want to say something sarcastic, but after seeing Lancelot¡¯s earnest face, she swallowed the words back down. She stood up and walked towards the heap of spoils of war, casually picking a few items that emitted an eerie glow and stowed them away. ¡°You won¡¯t need these anyway, so I¡¯ll take them. Keep a low profile for a while, and don¡¯t wander off,¡± the Succubus Lord waved her hand and cast the Teleportation Technique again. In the moment before her figure disappeared, Tijana¡¯s voice resounded directly in Lancelot¡¯s heart. ¡°Dinner was nice.¡± Chapter 139 - 139 - 133 Unrequited Love Chapter 139 ¨C 133 Unrequited Love ¡°Wow, that¡¯s Tijana,¡± said the Halfling who had been nervous all along, finally relaxing, ¡°Although she looks fierce, I¡¯m pretty sure she enjoyed the dinner.¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy to tell,¡± Bruto observed the piles of empty plates in front of him, ¡°She almost ate a third of it by herself. Isn¡¯t her stomach bursting?¡± ¡°Sister Tijana is actually not fierce at all,¡± Isabella whispered in defense of the Succubus Lord. ¡°Food disappears into a demon¡¯s stomach as if it goes directly to the core of the Abyss through a portal. Researchers have always suspected that there¡¯s a portal going straight to the core of the Abyss inside their stomachs,¡± Kalalin said with a smile, ¡°But this really was a fantastic dinner, Koula, thank you.¡± ¡°You must not have had enough,¡± the Halfling jumped up from his chair, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I still have dessert here. Who wants a couple of flowing heart tarts?¡± ¡°Me!¡± Everyone spoke up simultaneously, except for a certain distracted knight and his jawbone-leaking skeletal servant. ¡°I need to figure out a way to get a body soon,¡± Eckmond lamented, watching others, ¡°Eating seems like such a fun, meaningless activity.¡± ¡°These cookies are fantastic,¡± Bruto almost instantly ate his share, ¡°Lance, if you¡¯re not planning on eating yours, it¡¯s going to be mine, okay?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Alamir looked at Lancelot with some concern, ¡°Still worried about the revenge of the demon that Tijana mentioned?¡± ¡°He¡¯s probably thinking about Tijana herself,¡± Bruto crossed his arms and sighed, ¡°I just can¡¯t appreciate those types without beards.¡± ¡°Lancelot? Tijana?¡± The Elf looked quite shocked, then suddenly his expression turned a bit strange, ¡°Is that why the Succubus Lord suddenly visited? How far has their relationship progressed?¡± Listen to the true voice of your heart, be honest with yourself, and then you can be honest with her, which is essential for true love.¡± ¡°But what if demons are incapable of feeling love?¡± Lancelot¡¯s voice sounded somewhat desperate, ¡°Does that mean any effort is in vain?¡± ¡°The power of true love is beyond your imagination,¡± the Elf¡¯s expression was very calm, but these words were indeed at the core of Shuni Priest¡¯s beliefs, ¡°Such feelings can arise in the hearts of any intelligent race, a power capable of contending with any magic or Divine Power.¡± Your journey continues on empire ¡°I hope so,¡± Lancelot sighed, his expression appeared much more relaxed, ¡°but Kalalin is right, so far it has been unrequited love, and even if a demon¡¯s heart could be ignited by the flames of love, it would certainly require a tremendous amount of effort.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not as hard as you think,¡± Alamir raised an eyebrow, ¡°She¡¯s already come to your house and had dinner with you. And with Koula around, she¡¯s bound to come again.¡± ¡°Should I start planning the wedding menu right now?¡± Koula suddenly spoke up, making everyone laugh, and the previously somewhat oppressive atmosphere was swept away. ¡°All right, let¡¯s talk about distributing the loot,¡± Lancelot¡¯s expression became serious again, ¡°I believe that what will bind our team together in the future is not the spoils obtained in adventures, but I¡¯m also aware that unfair distribution can turn even the closest comrades against each other.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement, and so Lancelot continued. ¡°Here¡¯s my proposal for the distribution of the loot. All monetary gains are to be evenly distributed, and the acquired equipment will be distributed as needed, and if one day you no longer need it, the income from selling it will also be shared equally,¡± Lancelot looked at Elf Priest, ¡°Alamir, I know your fondness for these artworks, you can own them before we sell them, but once sold, the money obtained will also be evenly distributed among everyone.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± the Elf Priest nodded, ¡°I will use them to decorate this house, the beauty of art should be appreciated by everyone, I have no intention of monopolizing these exquisite creations.¡± Chapter 140 - 140 - 134: Treasure Appraisal Chapter 140 ¨C 134: Treasure Appraisal ¡°This sounds great, but we all know that it¡¯s not fair,¡± Kalalin stared at Lancelot, ¡°Although I hate to admit it, you are stronger than all of us, and if we are to judge by merit, at least half of the spoils should belong to you.¡± ¡°Ordinary treasure means little to me,¡± Lancelot walked over to the pile of loot, bent down, and picked up an Earth Crystal, ¡°What I need are gemstones like these, they are to me what potions are to others, consumables.¡± ¡°But they aren¡¯t all that valuable, although they are not common,¡± Bruto shrugged his shoulders, ¡°And basically, you¡¯re the one who found them among those more precious gemstones. Since you can use them, they might as well all be yours.¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, we would have died at the hands of that Succubus, not to mention escaping from the Demon,¡± Kalalin looked at Lancelot very seriously, ¡°Sometimes I wonder if you would have it easier without us.¡± ¡°To me, you are far more important than you imagine,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°A mortal can easily be assimilated by the chaos and evil essence of the Abyss, but with you, my dearest friends, we can fight together against these corrupting and fallen forces.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s really touching,¡± Bruto rushed over from his seat, ¡°Let¡¯s have a hug of friendship!¡± ¡°Uh, I think...¡± Before Lancelot could say anything, he was embraced by the sturdy Dwarf and found the hug unexpectedly pleasant. He patted Bruto on the back, smiling, ¡°Alright, alright, I can hardly breathe now. Remember what we said? We will definitely find a way back home.¡± Bruto hugged Lancelot tightly once more before finally letting go. The corners of his eyes seemed a bit moist, but Lancelot was sure he must have seen it wrong. ¡°Ahem,¡± the Human Knight cleared his throat, ¡°Kalalin, can you identify the properties or curses on these equipment?¡± ¡°No problem. The 1st circle Magic Identification Spell is made for this. This spell can clarify any magical effects and curses attached to an item,¡± Kalalin pulled out several scrolls from his pocket, ¡°I can cast this spell four times a day, it¡¯ll take several days to identify everything. Where do you want to start?¡± ¡°Does anyone have a preference?¡± After Tijana had taken some, there were still ten pieces of equipment left on the pile of gemstones, lying there quietly. ¡°That hammer,¡± Bruto pointed at a Hardhead Hammer, ¡°That glowing one there, I¡¯ve had my eye on it for a long time, let¡¯s see what effects it has?¡± Kalalin nodded, rolled out an Identification Spell scroll, activated the magic within, and then placed his hand gently on the hammer. ¡°It¡¯s not that your legs have grown, but your stride has increased,¡± Lancelot observed Koula¡¯s movements for a while before drawing a conclusion. ¡°Let¡¯s move on to the next item. How about this necklace?¡± ¡°This is an Amulet of Adaptation,¡± Kalalin concluded quickly, ¡°It allows the wearer to breathe normally in any environment and provides advantages against various magically created noxious gases.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°Does anyone else need it?¡± Both Bruto and Alamir shook their heads in turn, Koula seemed interested but felt she shouldn¡¯t take another item since she had already taken the boots. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it for myself; as a normal human, I don¡¯t have much resistance to toxins,¡± Kalalin said with a smile, taking the necklace, ¡°Besides, with it, I won¡¯t have to worry about gagging on foul odors when casting spells.¡± ¡°Where shall we use the last Identification Spell of the day?¡± Lancelot¡¯s gaze scanned the remaining items before he picked one out, ¡°Let¡¯s look at this belt.¡± ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Kalalin again cast the Identification Spell, placing his hand on the belt, but after a short while, he threw the belt to Bruto with a strange expression, ¡°Dwarf, this belt is yours.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Bruto caught the belt with a puzzled face, ¡°How can you be so sure I¡¯d like it? What does it do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a rare magical item named the Dwarf Belt, most likely crafted by a Dwarf,¡± Kalalin explained, ¡°It significantly strengthens your constitution, but not beyond that of a young dragon; it grants knowledge of the Dwarven language, darkvision, and resistance to poison like a Dwarf. Additionally, the wearer will appear especially charming in the eyes of Dwarves.¡± ¡°Well, the belt is quite stunning, but these effects are also great for you; why must it be mine?¡± ¡°Because it has one very special property.¡± The Scholar seemed to be holding back a laugh, ¡°Wearing it gives you a fifty percent chance each day to grow a Dwarven-style beard. If you already have a beard, it will make your beard noticeably longer and thicker.¡± ¡°By Moradin!!!¡± Bruto let out a delighted shriek, ¡°Are you sure this is only a rare item? This is a Divine Artifact!¡± Your next read awaits at Novgo Kalalin rolled his eyes; he knew this would be Bruto¡¯s reaction. Lancelot had long expressed no interest in growing a beard, and he didn¡¯t want one either, while none of the Elves sported facial hair. For Koula and little Isha, the two females, this was more like a terrifying curse. ¡°Thank you all, I¡¯ll happily take the belt,¡± Bruto beamed as he immediately put on the belt, then added a bit reluctantly, ¡°If anyone of you needs it, I¡¯m not opposed to lending it for a couple of days, huh.¡±@@@@ Chapter 141 - 141 - 135 Fragments of History Chapter 141 ¨C 135 Fragments of History After Kalalin used up his first-ring spells, he temporarily couldn¡¯t continue the equipment appraisal. However, even without a master of equipment appraisal, there was still a master of gemstone appraisal. Bruto, who had obtained the Dwarf Belt, was in a very good mood and energetically began appraising the gemstones for everyone. For a Dwarf, they could almost glance at a gemstone and roughly estimate its value, and this sort of activity, akin to counting money, obviously brought him great joy. Of course, Koula was also very enthusiastic about it. While Bruto sorted the gemstones into several small piles based on their value, he introduced the types of gemstones to everyone. The gemstones worth around 10 Gold Coins included blue crystals, malachite, turquoise, and others, which Bruto didn¡¯t even bother with due to their low value. Those worth 50 Gold Coins included various agates, moonstones, zircon, and gemstones worth 100 Gold Coins included amber, jadeite, and amethyst. Because of their moderate value, these gemstones were highly popular among merchants and were the most collected type during this trip. As for those valued at 500 Gold Coins, there were ice crystals, yellow jade, black pearls; these were quite rare. Up the scale were sapphires, emeralds, opals, each worth a whole 1000 Gold Coins; and those exceeding 5000 Gold Coins included diamonds, rubies, black sapphires, which were even more uncommon. This time they found only two rubies, and Bruto swore they were the only two in the entire treasure vault, which he had pocketed right away. So it seemed, although they had amassed a considerable quantity this time, most of them were merely ¡°trade¡± gemstones, valued at 50 or 100 Gold Coins. The gemstones they found after slaying the sandworm appeared to be of a higher value. In the end, they tallied up the gemstones they had harvested to be worth approximately 80,000 Gold Coins, a number so large that even the Elf Priest was breathing heavily. Eventually, Lancelot suggested they each take gemstones worth 10,000 Gold Coins, with the rest to be used as team funds for expenses such as rent, spellcasting materials, and food. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen so much money in my life,¡± Koula said, holding her share of the gemstones with a somewhat overwhelmed expression, ¡°but here, what can I even use this money for?¡± The Halfling¡¯s words made everyone feel a bit deflated. Wealth had very limited use in the Abyss. Lords needed money to buy equipment, pay troops, and recruit new soldiers, but ordinary people could buy very limited things with money. Twin Bridges Town was already one of the more active neutral towns for trade in the first layer of the Abyss, but even so, the price of food here was more than ten times that of the Prime Material Plane, and the choices were very limited. However, some specialties only available in the lower planes were quite affordable, like worms with human faces, deadly poisons that could even bring down demons, and various strongly addictive hallucinogens. But clearly, these items were of no use to them. ¡°But just looking at these gemstones makes me so happy,¡± said little Isha happily, holding a small bag of gemstones which were Lancelot¡¯s ¡°logistics funds¡± for her. ¡°This is what¡¯s so strange about you humans.¡± Bruto spread his hands out and slumped back into the sofa. ¡°Did you just mention that the Elf High Priest who blessed you had experienced a war thousands of years ago?¡± Alamir¡¯s point of interest was different from the others¡¯. ¡°Now that you mention it, I realize.¡± Kalalin murmured, ¡°How could that be possible?¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Lancelot asked in surprise. ¡°We Elves do live very long lives...¡± Alamir seemed to be pondering something, ¡°but under normal circumstances, the average lifespan of an Elf is only about 700 to 800 years, and few Elves live beyond a thousand years old.¡± ¡°How can that be? Aren¡¯t Elves immortal and ageless?¡± ¡°All mortals die, it¡¯s a natural law, unless...¡± ¡°Unless what?¡± ¡°Unless there is still a living Tree of Life in your world,¡± Alamir¡¯s gaze became somewhat distant, ¡°Legend has it that Elves originated from a homeworld called Faerlil, and Corellon Larethian, the chief deity of the Elves, created the first Elves from the tender branches of the Tree of Life. The Elves once established a very glorious Magic Empire, colonizing countless worlds from Faerlil and always bringing with them seeds of the Tree of Life because as long as the Tree of Life was present, Elves would not age.¡± ¡°What happened after that?¡± Bruto asked curiously, ¡°When did you tree-dwellers become mortal?¡± ¡°Due to some disaster long forgotten, the connection between other worlds and Faerlil was severed. I¡¯m not clear about other worlds, but in the one I came from, the Tree of Life was destroyed in a terrible magical accident thousands of years ago, blasting the entire continent into several pieces, thanks to those self-righteous highborn Elf Wizards!¡± Alamir shrugged helplessly, ¡°Since then, Elves were no longer immortal and undying. This is why I¡¯m so shocked; maybe the disaster of the demon invasion taught the Elves in your world a good lesson, making them retain a sense of reverence while exploring the unknown.¡± Chapter 142 - 142 - 136: Lessons from Experience Chapter 142 ¨C 136: Lessons from Experience Afterward they discussed some other matters, but as they were not particularly relevant to Lancelot, he did not listen closely. His thoughts remained fixed on his hometown. The words of Alamir gave him much to ponder but left him with even greater confusion. The world from which he hailed seemed truly unique, as there, death was final, and the living could never understand what lay beyond; Elves were like deities, capable of immortality, yet they had scarcely made themselves known in human history; deities had never directly revealed their existence to mortals, a mystery that was equally confounding. According to Kalalin and Alamir, the faith of mortals was one of the significant sources of divine power for the gods and even related to the very survival of a deity, which made it unthinkable for them to ignore a large group of unclaimed souls. The sole explanation was that his hometown might be located behind some sort of ¡¯barrier¡¯ or that it didn¡¯t even belong to the current Multiverse, which is why those beings of divine power couldn¡¯t interfere with his world. However, the Goddess of the Moon, Suren, worshiped by the Elves is a genuine, well-known deity, making the theory that his hometown is in another universe untenable. According to Kalalin, Suren was a Goddess born when the universe was created, one of the oldest beings among all deities, second only to the Creator God, Ao. Despite her ancient existence and significant origins, she is merely a deity of moderate divine power, who was once a subordinate to the Lady of Love, Shuni, for several centuries. All of these resulted from her ongoing struggle with her sister¡ªGoddess of the Night, Shael, who embodied the primordial darkness and chaos and whose temperament was the complete opposite of her inherently kind and peaceful sister. The sisters¡¯ conflict began at the dawn of creation and has continued to this day. As eons passed, Shael grew stronger and accumulated more divine offices, encompassing night, darkness, caverns, the Dungeon, oblivion, secrets, and many other potent portfolios, while Suren¡¯s offices dwindled to only include the moon, the stars, and a few insubstantial ones like navigation, wanderers, and non-evil lycanthropes. But these matters were too remote for him, perhaps one day when he can traverse the stars and planes on his own strength, he might uncover the special truth of his hometown world. After a while, fatigue set upon everyone, and they each retired to their rooms for rest. Little Isha, however, donned a modest set of leather armor and went off to train under her vampiric elder. According to her, the training was to take place in Tijana¡¯s castle, and with big sister Tijana around, there was absolutely no need to worry about her safety. Tijana publicly claimed that her timely support had bought time for Oasis Fort, and the longsword from Enreyes served as strong evidence. This significantly boosted her prestige among the Demons and also eased the long-standing hostility of Mekanshut toward her to a certain degree. However, the headache of a side effect was that Molo had a completely different understanding of the event. The male Succubus firmly believed it was solid proof that Tijana was in love with him, and his self-esteem, which had been shattered in Twin Bridges Town, was restored in a mysterious way. The trade routes passing through Oasis Fort remained open, and as for Molo¡¯s enthusiasm, Tijana in the walls of Twin Bridges Town was temporarily unaffected. At Volcano Fortress, the sudden introduction of Cold Iron Weapons brought abundant victories to the Demons¡¯ side. ¡¯Destruction Flame¡¯ Visuvius¡¯s army pushed the front line forward by a hundred miles, recapturing several outposts and reversing the previous trend where the front line was gradually being eaten away by the Demons. It was said that due to a series of recent defeats, even the Commander on the Demons¡¯ side had been replaced. The Duchess Zariel had bypassed the eight Demon Generals and directly intervened in the personnel arrangement. This act, against Bartez tradition, inevitably led to much speculation. After all, it was well known that the eight Demon Generals had always been supporters of the former Archduke Bayer, and even after Bayer was dismissed by the Lord of the Nine Hells, their loyalty to the new Archduke Avernus was only to the extent that duty required. Some of this news was heard by Bruto or Kalalin from taverns and markets, but some were told to Lancelot by Tijana herself. The Succubus Lord would occasionally bring little Isha back, and Lancelot could take the opportunity to chat with her for a bit. But later on, Tijana seemed to get busy, and it became difficult for Lancelot to hear the latest intelligence from the Succubus Lord. However, the external situation¡¯s changes weren¡¯t of much relevance to Lancelot; after spending over a month, he finally achieved a breakthrough to the late High Rank of Qi Refinement, officially launching an assault on Foundation Establishment. Enjoy new chapters from Novgo Just when he was starting to miss Tijana¡¯s beautiful figure, he suddenly received a message from a Succubus Maid: ¡°Gather your mercenaries and come meet me immediately; there¡¯s a very urgent mission, and you¡¯re the best choice for it.¡± Chapter 143 - 143 - 137 Summoned to Appear Chapter 143 ¨C 137 Summoned to Appear Upon receiving the summons from Tijana, Lancelot¡¯s heart muttered discontentedly. What kind of mission would require his presence? Could it be that the Succubus Lord had discovered the location of an Earth Crystal or a Cold Water Crystal or some other gemstone he needed and was preparing him for another looting spree?@@@@ Despite his doubts, Lancelot quickly gathered his companions. He left a note for little Esha, who was still sleeping in her coffin (weighted down with a small bag of gemstones), and then set off for the red castle at the center of Twin Bridges Town. The companions trailing behind him looked quite different from a month ago. Bruto wore his belt every day, and now his large beard made him appear to be three hundred years old, although it was still the fiery red color of a young Dwarf, knotted into three braids with a thick one in the middle and two thinner ones on the sides. Aside from that, he also donned a majestic red cloak. This cloak was more than just decorative; it was one of the spoils they conquered from the Succubus Palace, which gave the wearer an advantage in resisting spells¡ªa very satisfactory piece of equipment for a Dwarf who despised all magic. Kalalin, on the other hand, had replaced his scroll-case with a backpack worn over both shoulders. This, too, was a magical item, but it hadn¡¯t come from the Succubus Palace; rather, Kalalin bought it from the market for five thousand Gold Coins. Such a large sum of money indicated the backpack¡¯s extraordinariness. Named the Convenient Bag by Howard (meaning the inventor was called Howard), it had three Dimensional Pockets¡ªone large and two small¡ªallowing for storage of approximately twelve cubic feet or one hundred pounds of items. This backpack¡¯s storage capacity was only about one-fifth that of a Dimensional Bag, but it had a very special ability: when you wanted to take something out, the first item you touched would be the one you were seeking. This feature was extremely important for a Scholar like Kalalin, who relied on scrolls for casting spells. To be prepared for various situations, they had to carry many scrolls, and searching for the right one among a pile on the anxious battlefield was incredibly awkward. Enjoy more content from Novgo Koula also had the same type of backpack as Kalalin¡¯s, but hers was filled with all sorts of prepared potions, alchemical ingredients, as well as a complete set of cooking utensils, spices, and ingredients. She wore an exquisite suit of dark red leather armor, which she purchased from the market for three thousand Gold Coins. ¡°I actually don¡¯t care much about scars, but the teachings of the Goddess require believers to take care of their bodies,¡± Alamir¡¯s muffled voice emanated from behind the face mask. ¡°The design, pattern, and ornamentation of this armor were all my own making, which includes an ¡¯equilibrium¡¯ enchantment effect, allowing me to gain a reactive force to stay standing if I¡¯m about to fall, and the cold iron trait also keeps the wearer cool even under the scorching sun.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so good! Make me one too when you have the time...¡± Lancelot praised sincerely. The effects sounded amazing, and indeed, Alamir looked very handsome in it. ¡°No problem, I¡¯ve kept the design sketches, so you can take a look when you¡¯d like,¡± Alamir said cheerily. ¡°It¡¯s just a bit pricey, it cost me 7500 gold coins, and Mr. Barrend said that it was already at cost price.¡± ¡°That expensive!¡± Lancelot exclaimed instinctively. As a knight, he was extremely sensitive to the price of armor. Normally, a knight¡¯s full body armor set would cost around 1500 gold coins, and even that was often the most valuable possession in a small noble family in the countryside, typically passed from grandfather to father, and father to son. Lancelot, due to his background, actually had little concept of the prices of daily necessities such as bread, eggs, or soap, but this suit of full body armor finally provided him with a tangible sense of the prices in Twin Bridges Town. When Lancelot was young (or any boy who dreamed of becoming a knight), wealth was not measured in gold coins, but in full body armor. This manor is worth 5 sets of full body armor, that warhorse a half set, his father¡¯s annual income a third of a set, and so on. Fortunately, it was also easier to make money in the Abyss¡ªmore precisely, there were more opportunities. Besides, apart from spending on purchasing equipment, there really wasn¡¯t much else to use it for. During their conversation, the group had already arrived at the gates of Tigana¡¯s Castle. The Berserk Demon guards looked at this fully armed party of mortals with unfriendly eyes, but after the Succubus who led Lancelot over communicated with them briefly, the Berserk Demon guards shook their heads, gesturing for everyone to enter. Chapter 144 - 144 - 138: The Mysterious Client Chapter 144 ¨C 138: The Mysterious Client With the guidance of Tijana¡¯s Succubus Maid, the group didn¡¯t linger in the waiting room but went directly to the Throne Hall. At that moment, the Throne Hall had been transformed into a military command center. In the very center of the hall, a gigantic sand table was displayed with countless images of Demons and Demon armies, generated by magic, depicting the situation around Oasis Fort. Next to it was a Crystal Ball, through which a beam of light passed and projected the scenes inside onto a nearby screen, showcasing a battle between Demons and Devils. Tijana was discussing something with her two six-armed Serpent Demon generals, but when Lancelot and the others entered the Throne Hall, she immediately looked up and her gaze met Lancelot¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯ve arrived, good,¡± Tijana¡¯s voice echoed directly in Lancelot¡¯s mind, ¡°Arina will take you to the highest room in the North Tower, where the client is waiting. She insists on speaking with you first before deciding whether to entrust you with this mission.¡± ¡°Must I accept this mission?¡± ¡°You certainly have a choice,¡± Tijana had already withdrawn her gaze from Lancelot, ¡°but I believe you will indeed take it. Go and talk to the client, and it doesn¡¯t matter if you really don¡¯t want to do it, but do not disclose any information about the client.¡± Lancelot nodded, and Tijana didn¡¯t send any more mental messages. The Succubus Maid named Arina then turned her head to Lancelot and said: ¡°Lady Tijana has already instructed, please follow me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Seeing Lancelot looking like he was about to leave without speaking, Bruto felt a bit puzzled. ¡°Tijana just communicated with me via mind-link, saying that the client wants to meet us first,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Let¡¯s go see who this mysterious client is.¡± Exiting the large doors of the Throne Hall, the Succubus Maid led the group into an area they had never been to before. After passing through several corridors and corners, they arrived in front of a large door, flanked by two humanoid stone statues, each nearly twice as tall as Lancelot. As the Succubus Maid approached the door, the stone statues suddenly came to life. They stepped forward in unison, causing a dull sound on the floor. Judging from the sound, each statue likely weighed more than a ton. The Stone Gate¡¯s arm reached forward, palms facing the group, the message was clear: no further advancement was allowed. With a creaking sound, the heavy Stone Gate was pushed open. The expressions on everyone¡¯s faces were a mix of nervousness and curiosity, but the sight behind the door was somewhat disappointing. Behind the door was a round room, with various scrolls and books scattered all around, and some magical experimental apparatus on the tables. Equipment emanating a faint Spiritual Light was casually thrown around. Lancelot recognized a few items that were very familiar; they were indeed some of the trophies previously taken by Tijana from their collection at the Succubus Palace. ¡°Could this be Tijana¡¯s laboratory?¡± Kalalin remembered Arina¡¯s instructions and obediently stood in place, but his eyes curiously surveyed the surroundings. ¡°That¡¯s not our concern,¡± Lancelot said as he walked toward the staircase in the center of the room. ¡°Don¡¯t touch anything. The client awaits us in the room at the very top of these stairs.¡± Everyone nodded and followed him up the winding staircase. The staircase was very tall and initially quite broad, but it narrowed to allow just two people to pass side by side. Besides the doors, the walls were adorned with many paintings depicting battles between Demons and Angels. These paintings imparted an unsettling feeling, but Lancelot was not in the mood to study them closely. After climbing at least fifty feet, they finally reached the top of the staircase. Flickering candlelight came from behind a partially open door, clearly indicating that someone inside was awaiting visitors. Lancelot stood at the doorway and gently knocked on the door. ¡°Come in, the door isn¡¯t locked,¡± a gentle female voice came from inside the room. There was something enchantingly charming about the voice, making one eager to see the speaker. Lancelot pushed the door open and immediately saw who it was. The owner of the voice was a blonde beauty rising from a chair. A book lay open on the table before her, seemingly used to pass the time as she waited. Lancelot carefully surveyed the client. The woman was as beautiful as an Angel, her beauty no less impressive than Tijana¡¯s. She had a pair of sky-blue eyes, which matched the color of her knee-length dress. One might say she resembled an Angel, given her serene and lovely demeanor, but the elegant bat wings folded behind her clearly identified her as a Succubus. She gracefully bowed to the group, and her pleasing voice echoed again: ¡°Hello, I am ¡¯Out of Favor.¡¯ I suppose you are the mercenaries Tijana mentioned,¡± she said as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear due to the bow. ¡°May I ask if you are Captain Lancelot?¡± Chapter 145 - 145 - 139: The Fallen-Out-of-Favor Lady Chapter 145 ¨C 139: The Fallen-Out-of-Favor Lady ¡°I am.¡± Lancelot returned a Knight¡¯s salute, ¡°Good afternoon, Fallen Lady. Is there anything we can assist you with?¡± ¡°Indeed, I have a very urgent and dangerous task.¡± The Fallen Lady nodded her head, her gaze sweeping over the group that filed in with Lancelot, ¡°Are these your companions?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lancelot noticed her gaze lingering on Eckmond for a moment, ¡°This skeleton head is called Eckmond, and he is also our companion.¡± ¡°Hello there.¡± The skeleton head performed a bow that lacked a body, ¡°It seems that you recognize me? I am very sorry, I¡¯ve lost my memory, otherwise I would never forget a beauty like you.¡± ¡°No, but I had a friend who looked a lot like you.¡± The Fallen Lady smiled gently, ¡°I hope you find your memories soon. Long ago, I too embarked on a journey with someone very important to me, in search of his past.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re willing, we¡¯d be delighted to hear this story.¡± Facing the Succubus, Lancelot involuntarily adopted an extremely polite tone, ¡°You seem so different from all the Succubi we¡¯ve met before... Please forgive my curiosity, but would you be willing to explain the meaning of ¡¯Fallen¡¯? It sounds more like an adjective rather than a name.¡± ¡°I understand you have many questions about me; everyone does when they first see me.¡± The Succubus smiled again, ¡°I¡¯ve been to many places in the Multiverse and ultimately concluded that my kind leads a life that is a waste of time, meaningless. I fell from my race, and some say that was a sort of ascension, but I think ¡¯fallen¡¯ feels more accurate. That¡¯s the origin of the name, ¡¯Fallen¡¯.¡± The words spoken by the Succubus before him greatly shocked Lancelot, but he realized it was a very private topic, and to continue discussing it would be extremely impolite. Thus, he nodded and said: ¡°Thank you for your explanation, Lady. You mentioned you had a commission?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s precisely why I have come here.¡± The Fallen Lady nodded, ¡°But before that, I must ask a few questions to determine if you are worthy of my trust.¡± ¡°Understandable, you¡¯ve already generously answered my questions, so please ask away.¡± ¡°The first question has no fixed answer, but I would like to hear each of your thoughts. What can change a person¡¯s Essence?¡± ¡°Love,¡± Alamir said first, resolutely. ¡°You must keep the following information strictly confidential,¡± The Disfavored¡¯s expression grew very serious, ¡°Has anyone here heard of the name Elothysia?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard my old man mention it,¡± Bruto said, frowning, ¡°But I can¡¯t remember anything about that name at all. Maybe I should have paid more attention when he was teaching.¡± ¡°Most Tanari despise me for my ¡¯fall,¡¯ but their hatred towards Elothysia is tenfold what they feel for me,¡± The Disfavored Lady looked as if she was searching for the right words, ¡°She is more... extreme than me. After turning away from the path of evil, she chose to become a Holy Warrior.¡± ¡°How... how is that possible?¡± Kalalin looked utterly shocked, The Disfavored¡¯s words contradicting everything he knew about Demons. ¡°What made her turn away from the path of evil?¡± Lancelot was more concerned about this, ¡°What changed her Essence?¡± ¡°For Elothysia, it was the power of love,¡± said the Disfavored Lady with a smile to Shuni the Priest, ¡°While in the Prime Material Plane, she fell in love with a beautiful Angel. Even though her nature resisted this emotion for a long time, she ultimately revealed her true feelings to the Angel.¡± ¡°The Angel saw an opportunity, a chance to redeem a Demon. His benevolent nature made him happy to help others. Besides, who could say no to a beautiful and sincere Succubus?¡± The Disfavored Lady smiled again, as if implying something. ¡°What happened after that?¡± Koula asked eagerly, ¡°Did they live happily ever after?¡± ¡°Redemption can sometimes happen in an instant, but more often it is the result of many painful years of effort. As a Demon, she had to fight against her evil nature every moment of every day. Though the process was excruciating, she eventually learned to find satisfaction and joy in helping rather than harming others,¡± The Disfavored¡¯s expression turned sad, ¡°She also realized how many wrongs she had committed and tried to make amends as much as possible. With the help of her Angel lover, she completely expelled her former master, a Barlow Flame Demon, from the Prime Material Plane. It was then she earned the title of a Holy Warrior and achieved her precarious redemption.¡± ¡°However, in achieving redemption, she also gained an eternal enemy. Her former master couldn¡¯t re-enter the Prime Material Plane, but it had many evil minions at its disposal.¡± The Disfavored Lady¡¯s gaze darkened, ¡°Elothysia chose to stay in the Prime Material Plane to help combat evil, and though she survived numerous assassination attempts, the latest plot against her succeeded. The Succubus Paladin was killed, and her Angel lover was seriously injured.¡± Chapter 146 - 146 - 140 Elothysia Chapter 146 ¨C 140 Elothysia ¡°How could this happen...¡± Bruto clenched his fists tightly, ¡°Do you wish us to seek revenge for her, Madam? Tell us who her killer is, we must make those people pay!¡± ¡°I admire your sense of justice, but things are not as you think. Elothysia, after all, was a Tanari born in the Abyss, and when she was killed on the Prime Material Plane, her body was immediately reborn in the Abyss.¡± Disfavored shook her head gently at Bruto, ¡°When he realized what had happened, that Angel immediately came to Mark City to find me, hoping I could help rescue his beloved.¡± ¡°Why would that Angel come to you?¡± Lancelot asked puzzled, ¡°What will happen to this Succubus Paladin after she is reborn in the Abyss?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not surprising that the Angel would come to me. As one of the few Succubi who publicly renounced the ways of the Tanari, I have had the fortune to gain the respect of certain groups.¡± Disfavored¡¯s face was very calm, showing not a hint of conceit, ¡°As for Elothysia... according to my sources, she has been captured once again. Without intervention, her fate will be only one, to be sacrificed on the cursed stone altar in the Grove of the Twelve.¡± ¡°What is the Grove of the Twelve?¡± Lancelot was forced to ask again, ¡°Is that a place in the Abyss?¡± ¡°Correct, it is the name of the twelfth layer of the Abyss.¡± Kalalin answered his query, ¡°It is said to be a holy land for demons, named after the twelve towering great trees. Under the shade of these giant trees lies a large stone altar, where any evil spell cast upon it has its effect greatly amplified.¡± ¡°Your vast knowledge surprises me.¡± Disfavored flashed a smile at Kalalin, ¡°In ancient times, the Tanari invited twelve divine servants of benevolent deities to the Abyss under the guise of a peace meeting. Through a series of conspiracies and betrayals, the demons eventually bound these servants to the twelve trees and sacrificed them through an evil ritual, filling that plane with a perpetual energy of evil. Since then, this plane has become a holy land for the Tanari, and that altar is meant to commemorate this... ¡¯great¡¯ deed.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°What do you need us to do?¡±@@@@ ¡°My source confirms that she has not yet been taken to the Grove of the Twelve; her former master is there preparing a grand Sacrifice Ceremony. Lancelot examined the ornament closely, finding that the pendant bore the half-portrait of a succubus. This was a succubus with jet-black bobbed hair and a striking posture, her delicate face adorned with ruby-like eyes and a pair of slightly curved, half-foot-long horns protruding from her forehead. ¡°Is this a portrait of Elothysia?¡± ¡°Yes, but this pendant does more than just help you identify the one you¡¯re to rescue.¡± He smiled softly, ¡°This is a magical item crafted by an angel. It will slightly heat up when directed towards Elothysia, and it works within a range of 300 li. However, only those with good intentions can hold it; anyone aligned with evil will find this pendant as hot as flames themselves.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. With this pendant, we can prepare in advance!¡± Bruto said excitedly, rubbing his hands together, ¡°I wonder how strong the enemy is?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I do not know.¡± He looked genuinely apologetic, ¡°I suggest you make full use of this pendant to scout out your target first, then assess the enemy¡¯s strength and numbers before launching an attack.¡± Your next read awaits at Novgo ¡°We will proceed with caution.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°One last question, if we succeed, how do we return? Or where should we take Elothysia?¡± ¡°The summoning will end in seven days, at which point you will be instantly teleported back here. If any of you is holding onto her, she will also be brought back. Elothysia might reach the instant fortress within two or three days; after you successfully rescue her, you may need to find a way to endure the wait until the summoning ends.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Tijana¡¯s voice suddenly sounded, and everyone turned around to see the Succubus Lord already at the doorway. She walked in, her usual pride tucked away, and greeted him with a level of respect Lancelot had never heard before: ¡°Good afternoon, Madam.¡± She then turned to the human knight, tossing him an amulet bearing the emblem of Twin Bridges Town, ¡°No matter which corner of the Abyss you are in, chant my name three times facing this emblem, and you will be immediately teleported back to Twin Bridges Town. You can take up to eight people with you, if they are willing.¡± Chapter 147 - 147 - 141 Amulet Chapter 147 ¨C 141 Amulet ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Lancelot took the amulet, feeling the potent magic energy ready to burst forth, and carefully tucked it into his chest. ¡°Leave early and return soon,¡± Tijana dropped a line, nodded to the Fallen once more, and then turned and left through the door from which she had appeared. To Tijana¡¯s actions, the Fallen seemed somewhat surprised. She thought for a moment, took out a delicately crafted silk pouch, poured from it another amulet resembling a red jade, and handed it to Lancelot as well. This amulet still bore the warmth of the Fallen; when Lancelot held it in his hand, the red patterns inside seemed to flow as if they encased a flame. Lancelot cast an inquiring glance at the Fallen and spoke: Stay updated via ¡°What is this amulet for?¡± ¡°When you face an enemy you absolutely cannot defeat, you can use it to summon powerful aid,¡± the Fallen gazed at the amulet with a longing look, ¡°To activate it, hold it and whisper softly to it: ¡¯Time is not your enemy.¡¯ ¡°This amulet seems to hold a special meaning for you,¡± Lancelot hesitated, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should carry it with me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you must come back alive and return this amulet to me,¡± the Fallen¡¯s eyes showed that she was already lost in her memories, ¡°Many years ago, someone gave me this amulet, just in the same way Tijana just gave that amulet to you.¡± ¡°We will definitely bring back both this amulet and Elothysia,¡± Lancelot assured her, but he had already resolved in his heart that he would never use this amulet unless absolutely necessary. What kind of terrifying existence could sincerely belong to the succubus before him? Imagine summoning her beloved only to have the summoned ¡¯descend¡¯ and find that the summoner was a man, perhaps a hasty one who might cleave him in two at first sight, where would he go to argue his case? ¡°I trust you,¡± the Fallen regained her graceful demeanor. ¡°But it seems you have forgotten something.¡± Just as they stepped out of that entrance, the cave behind them thunderously collapsed, burying the secret of their arrival altogether. As for the man who had summoned them there, he surely had another secret passage in the dark corners of the cave through which he had quietly slipped away. Lancelot then surveyed their current surroundings. They were standing on a small hill, and the area around them was still the typical dry, cracked, dust-filled land of the Plains of the Abyss, with almost no clouds in the sky and the dark red sun a bit higher than it should have been. Not far away on the plains stood a huge and dilapidated stone fortress. Large sections of the outer walls had collapsed, likely unable to provide any defense, and a plethora of low and disordered buildings were scattered around; the fortress itself in the center seemed somewhat intact, but its gates were wide open, completely unguarded. Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception suddenly stirred, he turned his head to one side, and Frostslash was already in his hand. The others were accustomed to his exceptional Perception Ability, and although the Human Knight said nothing, they all drew their weapons, ready for the imminent appearance of their enemy. From behind the small hill, a squad of four Berserk Demons emerged. Upon seeing Lancelot and his group, the demons seemed startled, but showed no immediate intention to charge into battle; instead, they watched them warily and continued advancing toward the fortress. Since the demons didn¡¯t initiate trouble, the group wasn¡¯t interested in starting a fight out of nowhere. In fact, unlike the terrifying impression they left in the Prime Material Plane, demons in the Abyss didn¡¯t attack people indiscriminately like madmen (at least those as intelligent as mortals didn¡¯t). This was because for most demons, dying in the Abyss meant true death. Even though as demons they endured constant terrible pain from their bodies (especially the Low Rank Demons), most believed that being alive was better than being dead, hence demons in the Abyss tended to restrain themselves to avoid unnecessary conflicts, despite their chaotic and impulsive nature. Of course, if they were sure their target couldn¡¯t fight back, demons were still very happy to pop a few eyeballs or pull out a few intestines for fun. Lancelot took out the amulet with Elothysia¡¯s portrait, holding it in his palm to feel it. The amulet was ice cold and did not emit any supernatural heat. ¡°It seems our target is still quite far,¡± Lancelot explained to his companions, ¡°Let¡¯s check out that fortress first.¡± Chapter 148 - 148 - 142: The Structure of the Universe Chapter 148 ¨C 142: The Structure of the Universe On their way to the Instant Fortress, Eckmond had shared much knowledge about the owners of this fortress, the Doomguard. The Doomguard is one of the many factions in Mark City, and speaking of Mark City, one must explain the structure of the multiverse. To put it simply, there are three types of planes in the multiverse: the Inner Layer, the Prime Material Plane, and the Outer Layer. Their current location, the Bottomless Abyss, where Demons live in the Nine Hells, and the Barrens where Mark City is situated, all belong to the Outer Layer. As there is an Outer Layer, naturally, there is an Inner Layer. The Inner Layer consists of various elemental planes, including the Earth Elemental Plane, Fire Elemental Plane, the plane of Positive and Negative Energy, etc. The base materials of the world indeed originate from the Inner Layer, while the Ether Realm connects the Inner Layer with the Prime Material Plane. The Prime Material Plane, also known as the transitional plane, is the plane of mortals, and also the homeland plane of Lancelot, Bruto, and the others. Here, materials from the Inner Layer and wills from the Outer Layer collide and combine, forming a myriad of races and worlds. Although the Prime Material Plane appears to host countless worlds, it is generally believed that they are all situated within the same plane, merely separated by vast distances. Meanwhile, the Outer Layer is inhabited by gods and Fiends, along with worshippers, mortal residents, and various other creatures. Although it might be hard to comprehend, the thoughts, desires, and emotions in the minds of mortals from the Prime Material Plane directly shape the various Outer Layer planes, with some deities even born purely because believers wished for their existence. This is why many of the known areas of the Outer Layer are larger than all of the Prime Material Planes combined, after all, human imagination is limitless. All the significant Outer Layers have clear factional tendencies, such as Barto Hell being Lawfully Evil and the Wild Fields being Chaotically Good. Another argument is, because of these clear factional tendencies, these planes are considered ¡¯important¡¯. The environments and creatures of different planes vary greatly due to their factional differences. The faction known as the Doomguard believed that decay was the ultimate fate of the entire Multiverse, the ultimate release from toil and pain. The meaning of ¡°Guard¡± in their name was also very clear¡ªthey guarded the onset of this ultimate decay, preventing any fool from trying to delay or reverse the process. Of course, if they could help hasten this ultimate decay, it would be even better. Therefore, their cooperation with the Demons was very pleasant¡ªDoomguard made battleships, weapons, and armor for the Demons, asking in return only that the Demons use these items to cause as much destruction as possible. As long as there were profits to be made, the Demons were naturally happy to maintain this cooperative relationship. But do not think that the Doomguard was an inherently evil organization; they merely believed that ultimate decay equaled ultimate liberation, and they coincidentally shared this goal of world destruction with the Demons. So when a group of people passed through the broken city walls and entered the fortress interior, far from being attacked, a guard approached them, asking about their intentions for the visit and whether they needed any help, though his tone sounded utterly devoid of enthusiasm. Following Eckmond¡¯s suggestion, Lancelot claimed they were a group of mercenaries, wanting to procure some weapons and equipment. The guard directed them to the armory, informing them where to find a bar and the inn. Once the guard had left, the group naturally headed straight for the bar. Anywhere in the world, if you¡¯re confident in handling any unwelcome provocation, a bar is still the best place to learn about an unfamiliar location. Walking east along the broken city walls for a short distance, the group quickly arrived at a district filled with bars and shops. Patting the Storage Bag containing his Gold Coins, Lancelot led his companions to the largest, and seemingly least run-down bar. From the outside, the bar appeared to be four stories tall, each floor spanning more than 3000 square feet. According to the sign, the name of the bar was ¡¯The Desiccated Rose.¡¯ All the windows of the bar were tightly shut, with only a ¡¯Open for Business¡¯ sign on the door indicating that the bar was expecting guests. Chapter 149 - 149 - 143 Withered Rose Chapter 149 ¨C 143 Withered Rose Pushing open the solid and heavy door, made of some unknown wood, Lancelot was the first to stride in. The interior of the tavern was in better shape than its exterior appearance seemed to suggest. The spacious hall was divided into three smaller halls: one was a bar, one was a dining room, and another was the inn¡¯s front desk. Since all the windows were closed, although it was daytime, candles were lit everywhere in the tavern. However, the light from those candles was so faint that it barely illuminated a third of the space. At the entrance of the tavern stood two guards (perhaps ¡°bouncers¡± would be more appropriate), the one on the left with dark skin, solid muscles, a protruding chin, and sharp fangs stretching from the corners of his mouth was a half-orc; the other one with reddish-brown skin, a sloping forehead, and an enormous nose was a goblin, the disciplined and powerful cousin of Phil.@@@@ Aside from the orcs¡¯ inherent dislike for Elves and the goblins¡¯ for Dwarves, the two guards did not obstruct the fully armed Lancelot and his companions. Like most taverns, the guards were there to protect their employer¡¯s property and other employees. If a fight broke out in the tavern, they would only stand aside with their arms crossed, perhaps helping to protect the defenseless furniture, and after everything had ended, they would throw out the bodies of the losers. The group approached the bar, where a Tiflin, sporting a pair of backward-curving horns on his head, with purplish-red skin, and an aging appearance, was enthusiastically greeting them from behind the counter. ¡°Welcome to the Dry Rose, travelers. I am Agamemnon, the owner of this tavern,¡± he said with a very professional smile, ¡°What would you like to drink? Our selection of beverages is quite extensive, ranging from beers as light as water to strong spirits that could knock Bartez on his back. Or perhaps you are hungry? Our signature dish is the Fesburn Fireball Spicy Meat Sauce Sandwich, guaranteed authentic flavor. If you dislike spicy food, we have plenty more to choose from. Here¡¯s the menu, take your pick!¡± Rumors say that sacrificing her can grant immense power, power great enough to promote a Berserk Demon into a Barlow Flame Demon. You can imagine how many forces are eyeing her.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Lancelot feigned a bit of interest, ¡°But she seems of little use to us mortals, doesn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Oh, but of course, she is useful, great mercenary sir!¡± The tavern owner Tiflin had now completely assumed the role of a salesman. He pulled out a stack of parchments from under the table, ¡°Take a look at these bounties. Batazo, a retired Blood War General, promises two hundred thousand Gold Coins to anyone who brings him that Succubus; Odinash, the Lady of Change, has put up a bounty of one hundred thousand Gold Coins, along with the right to choose any item from her collection. The Lord of the Broken Realm, the Blood Red Shroud, is only willing to pay thirty thousand Gold Coins for her Succubus kin, but she promises to fulfill any fantasy one may have of her once, if money doesn¡¯t mean much to you, perhaps this might be the most attractive offer.¡± ¡°She¡¯s worth that much?!¡± Lancelot put on a show of being shocked, then mockingly regained his composure, ¡°But how much do you plan to sell this information for? And how can I be sure that your sources are reliable?¡± ¡°Your skepticism is understandable, but think about it. If I give true information, you either return satisfied or get killed on the spot. Only if I give you false information, causing you to waste your time, do you get the chance to come back and trouble me. And my business is right here, it won¡¯t grow legs and run away.¡± Agamemnon tried to make his words sound as persuasive as possible, but Lancelot stared straight into the tavern owner¡¯s eyes, unmoved. The latter suddenly felt that there seemed to be something else in the eyes of this Human Knight, a terribly horrific, ferocious entity that seemed to be watching him through those pale blue eyes, as if the next lie would invoke that terrible power to tear him to shreds. What Lancelot had employed was a small Divine Skill of Spiritual Cultivators, the Heart Capturing Technique, which could intimidate ordinary people with weak spiritual power with his gaze. But when coupled with the True Qi from the spiritual energy of the Abyss, the effects seemed unexpectedly potent. Chapter 150 - 150 - 144: Underground Sewerage Chapter 150 ¨C 144: Underground Sewerage ¡°I have no reason to lie to you,¡± Agamemnon couldn¡¯t help but reveal his true thoughts, ¡°You look well-equipped and experienced enough to help me with the trouble in the sewers. As long as you do me this favor, I will tell you everything I know... and you¡¯ll have the right to free drinks in my tavern forever. Anyway, you¡¯ll soon die at the hands of demons, or some other mercenaries.¡±@@@@ ¡°I appreciate your honesty,¡± Lancelot was about to say something profoundly insincere when Bruto excitedly jumped up and shouted: ¡°What? Free drinks?¡± Lancelot rolled his eyes and decided he needed to teach Bruto how to avoid spoiling the mood. He turned to the somewhat stunned tavern owner, and spoke in a nonchalant tone that contrasted sharply with the dwarf¡¯s excitement: ¡°Tell us about your trouble.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like this, the underground sewer of the fortress was built by the Kobolds, and they did an excellent job, making the sewers both efficient and spacious. This sewer system has been functioning well for many years without any issues... until recently,¡± Agamemnon sighed, ¡°Zombies keep crawling into the cellar entrance, messing up my stock, who knows what¡¯s worse could come out from there.¡± ¡°It seems you¡¯re not short of muscle willing to die for you,¡± Lancelot glanced at the two guards. ¡°Although Hank and Gru are both stupid and greedy, I¡¯ve got dirt on them, and finding two more guys like them around here isn¡¯t easy,¡± the Tiflin proprietor whispered, glancing furtively at the door, ¡°It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t hired some mercenaries or a few adventurers to take a look, but they either find nothing, or they never come back. Now I can only hire two mercenaries to guard the basement temporarily, and for that, I have to feed them well and pay them twenty Gold Coins a day.¡± ¡°What about the Doomguard? Aren¡¯t they supposed to deal with it?¡± Bruto asked incredulously, ¡°This is their turf after all.¡± ¡°Why would they care?¡± the tavern owner looked at Bruto with disbelief, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that it doesn¡¯t benefit them at all, I would have thought they were behind this.¡± ¡°What about your neighbors?¡± Koula asked curiously, ¡°If the zombies are coming from the sewers, then all the buildings on this street should have the same problem.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t tasted authentic honey mead in a long time,¡± Bruto observed his surroundings. ¡°Although coming to this foul-smelling place for it doesn¡¯t seem quite worth it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind that, Dwarf,¡± Alamir lifted his Hardhead Hammer, the magic weapon casting bright light around them. ¡°We¡¯re mainly here for his information, not the free drinks.¡± ¡°Yeah, information!¡± Bruto replied in a flustered tone, clearly having forgotten. ¡°Lancelot, how much farther? We haven¡¯t gotten lost, have we?¡± ¡°We are approaching the area where Agamemnon¡¯s men never returned,¡± Lancelot consulted a parchment in his hands, which was a map provided by the tavern owner. ¡°Everyone, stay alert.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a strong sense of evil ahead,¡± the Elf Priest stretched his neck. ¡°Let¡¯s purge their vile nest!¡± ¡°Seems like most of our adventures involve us crawling around underground,¡± Bruto, shielding himself with a shield, led the group. ¡°I bet this is the work of some Demon who must be really pissed at this mortal fortress and is determined to destroy it.¡± ¡°Unlikely,¡± Kalalin shook his head, his neckline with an adaptation necklace making him, besides Eckmond, the one who was breathing the most comfortably. ¡°This is clearly not the Demons¡¯ style¡ªthey wouldn¡¯t pass up the chance to vent their destructive urges to a few Zombies.¡± ¡°Then what could it be?¡± The Dwarf was getting bored and started kicking pebbles along the path. ¡°Could it be the legendary Lich?¡± ¡°Do you think a top-tier Spellcaster like a Lich would be so bored?¡± Eckmond bumped the Dwarf¡¯s helmet irritably. ¡°But it¡¯s definitely the work of someone who¡¯s mastered Necromancy. Though filthy, the ventilation here is good, unlike the pit at Oasis Fort, which can gather enough negative energy to make corpses rise again.¡± Just then, a pebble kicked by Bruto seemed to collide with some invisible barrier in mid-air and suddenly came to a halt. ¡°Hm?¡± The Dwarf was slightly startled when suddenly a cracking sound was heard from nowhere, and a rock larger than his head appeared, whistling towards the group from the front. ¡°Watch this!¡± Bruto instantly reacted, raising the hammer that was always in his hand. ¡°No!¡± Lancelot hurriedly spoke up to stop him, but the Dwarf¡¯s hammer had already left his hand, smashing the rock into pieces with a whoosh. Chapter 151 - 151 - 145 Trap Chapter 151 ¨C 145 Trap ¡°` ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruto asked doubtfully, ¡°Isn¡¯t this fine?¡± There was a ¡¯splash¡¯ sound, and his shiny hammer twirled into the yellow-green sewage. The sewage was much stickier than it seemed, and it took two or three seconds for the hammer to sink. ¡°Ah, no worries, no worries, my hammer will fly back to me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly the problem,¡± Eckmond reminded him with a somber tone. A low buzzing sound arose as Bruto¡¯s hammer broke through the water¡¯s surface, carrying spattering yellow-green liquid, and shot straight towards its owner. ¡°No!!!!!¡± the Dwarf let out a miserable shriek, ¡°Stop! You damn hammer! Don¡¯t come here!¡± The hammer naturally could not understand its master¡¯s call. The magic affixed upon it made it automatically return to the owner¡¯s hand after hitting the target, or falling to the ground, or at least fly back to the original position from where it had been thrown. Bruto watched in despair as the hammer drew closer. He raised his shield high, ready to catch the hammer with it instead of his hands. The others had already stayed far away, as no one wanted to get splashed with the fluid. Except for Lancelot. He gauged the distance, thrust his longsword out, and precisely tapped the head of the hammer while simultaneously, an air current burst forth around him, blowing back all the forward-spraying liquid. With a ¡¯clank,¡¯ the hammer fell to the ground, leaving a small pit. This powerful weapon still had disgusting slime on its surface, adorned with some suspiciously used cloth strips, which caused the Dwarf¡¯s features to twist in pain.@@@@ ¡°Uh... Alamir!¡± Bruto sought some help, ¡°Can¡¯t you conjure up clean water out of thin air? I need that now!¡± ¡°The Divine Arts bestowed upon me by the Goddess aren¡¯t to be used for such things!¡± the Elf Priest firmly refused. ¡°Look there!¡± Bruto pointed to the interior of this passage, his dwarven dark vision allowing him to clearly see what the Elf Priest¡¯s hammer did not illuminate. The passage was filled with activated traps, the walls and floor studded with crossbow arrows and daggers. However, lying deeper inside was a humanoid corpse. They ventured cautiously forward, and upon inspection found that the body was riddled with weapons and indented from stone impacts, clearly having endured several rounds of traps before falling. ¡°I fear these traps were not the cause of death,¡± Kalalin said as he held a bracelet covered with Arcane Runes. A ghostly silver hand appeared out of nowhere, turning over the face-down corpse, revealing a dagger embedded in the chest of the body. Koula¡¯s potion was still effective, but everyone still caught a whiff of a strong stench. The corpse was extremely swollen, having seemingly been soaked in water for a long time. Its entire front had been cleanly consumed by maggots, and the organs in its chest and abdomen were long gone, leaving only the dark, water-logged bones. Just as the Scholar had suggested, this body had died long before. Some force had made it rise again, and then it had blindly walked into these traps until severe damage prevented the evil power from maintaining its activity. ¡°I guess Agamemnon isn¡¯t the only one with zombie problems,¡± Bruto suddenly yelled into the depths of the cave, ¡°Goblins! I know you¡¯re listening, tell us what¡¯s going on with these zombies!¡± The sound echoed through the caves, seemingly travelling far, but met with no response. ¡°If you don¡¯t come out, I¡¯m going in!¡± Bruto continued to shout. Still nothing stirred, so the dwarf started heading inside recklessly. Lancelot watched his hasty actions with some helplessness, but did not stop him. He first stepped on a pressure trap, and a stone sphere as large as the dwarf¡¯s head fell from above, shattering against Bruto¡¯s helmet. The dwarf merely looked up in confusion, then continued walking forward. Next was a tripwire trap, with three crossbow arrows shooting suddenly towards the back of the dwarf¡¯s head, which Bruto blocked by turning around with his shield. ¡°Nice try,¡± the dwarf commented, ¡°Now are you willing to talk?¡± Again, there was no response. Bruto shrugged his shoulders and then did something that left everyone dumbfounded: he raised his shield and began to sprint forward as fast as he could. ¡°The Abyss has obviously affected his brain,¡± Lancelot shrugged helplessly, and quickly followed after him. Chapter 152 - 152 - 146: The Gnoll Chapter 152 ¨C 146: The Gnoll Arrows, throwing knives, and explosions were left in Bruto¡¯s wake; the traps seemed designed specifically for slow-moving targets like Zombies, yet the Dwarf charged through like a bull in a china shop, smashing everything to smithereens. ¡°Whahahahaha! This is too much fun!¡± Bruto laughed wildly as he sprinted forward, with the occasional trap that did hit him failing to penetrate the fatherly brand of Dwarf Heavy Armor produced by Master Barrend. That is until he stepped on what appeared to be an ordinary suspension bridge. The bridge was engineered to barely support the weight of one and a half Kobolds, roughly 60 pounds, while the armor on the Dwarf alone approached that weight. The seemingly sturdy bridge snapped violently the moment Bruto¡¯s right foot touched it, and the furiously charging Dwarf had no time to respond before plummeting downward. Lancelot¡¯s figure flashed, and he dashed from dozens of feet away to right behind Bruto, grabbing the Dwarf¡¯s left ankle in an instant. ¡°Ahhhhhh!!!!¡± Bruto let out a frightened scream, yet what really fell was only his toad-shaped Helmet. Lancelot, thinking the Dwarf might have encountered some problem, quickly peered down, only to find Bruto with his eyes tightly shut, unharmed. ¡°Stop yelling, I¡¯ve got you,¡± said Lancelot, annoyed. ¡°If you had established even a bit of a fearsome image in the hearts of those Kobolds just now, it¡¯s completely ruined,¡± Eckmond¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Ahh~~~~~~~~! Eh?¡± It was only then that Bruto realized he hadn¡¯t actually fallen down, ¡°Uh, how did I...¡± The Dwarf couldn¡¯t finish his sentence as he suddenly noticed that the winding tunnels below were filled with Kobolds, each clutching a Crossbow, taking aim at him. ¡°Damn it!¡± The sound of springs releasing filled the air, and a multitude of gleaming projectiles flew towards him, looking like a sky full of stars flipping upside down. Bruto¡¯s warrior instincts kicked in, and he instantly raised his Shield to tightly protect his head and upper body, but his exposed rear was not so lucky. Lancelot pulled hard, yanking the Dwarf back up. The first thing Bruto did was to yank all the arrow shafts out of his butt, but the Armor covering his hindquarters was riddled like a beehive, appearing as though it had been thrashed by an Ogre wielding a Wolf Fang Club. Fortunately for the Dwarf, he couldn¡¯t see the state of his own posterior; at least until the next time he sat down, he would remain blissfully unaware; otherwise, Bruto would undoubtedly charge out in a rage, aiming a kick at the rear of every last Kobold below. An extremely obese dog-headed creature was pushed forward, appearing highly reluctant but still began speaking with a sense of looming danger, ¡°Great Lord of Bones, why have you come to our filthy tunnels? We are a very poor tribe and cannot offer anything of value...¡± ¡°Your bits of broken copper and iron are meaningless to me.¡± Eckmond interrupted bluntly, ¡°I am here because the boundary between life and death has been broken here. Do you know who has awakened the dead, preventing them from finding the peace of death?¡± Upon hearing this question, the dog-headed ¡¯king¡¯ opened his mouth to speak, but his words were immediately drowned out by the shouting of other dog-headed creatures. ¡°The big Ogre! The big Ogre!¡± ¡°The blue-skinned monster! Ten feet tall!¡± ¡°He¡¯s taken over the corpse-dumping room! We can¡¯t touch the bodies anymore!¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Faced with the chaotic scene, Eckmond cast a pleading look at Lancelot, who, understanding the situation, once again shouted with a voice filled with True Qi, ¡°Silence!¡± The effect was immediate, as if the throats of all the dog-headed creatures were clutched, only Lancelot¡¯s voice echoing non-stop throughout the tunnel. ¡°King, you may speak now.¡± Eckmond said casually, completely unbothered by having Lancelot play the role of his underling. ¡°About three tendays ago, a blue-skinned Ogre came to these sewers we built and also took over the corpse-dumping room,¡± said the dog-headed creature king with trepidation, his eyes constantly stealing glances at Lancelot standing beside him. ¡°Corpse-dumping room? What is that?¡± ¡°No matter where a body is thrown into the sewer, it always gets caught there, and we can go rob those who can¡¯t fight back! So many, so much loot!¡± The obese dog-headed creature seemed very proud of this strategy, but then his expression suddenly darkened again, ¡°But after that Ogre came, not only does he forbid us to go near, but he also makes the dead stand up and wander the tunnels, it¡¯s really too terrifying!¡± Chapter 153 - 153 - 147 Zombies Chapter 153 ¨C 147 Zombies ¡°That indeed sounds like a very intelligent strategy, robbing bodies also requires quite a bit of bravery,¡± Eckmond praised, ¡°And what about those zombies?¡± ¡°That blue-skinned Ogre made the bodies stand up again,¡± the Kobold King shuddered, ¡°These bodies guard the sunk corpses¡¯ chamber, preventing us from entering! Some even run out from there, wandering in the tunnels, and they always pass by our doorstep, just as if they have come back to life! But they are still dead, we all know that!¡± ¡°We all know that!¡± All the Kobolds chimed in unison.@@@@ ¡°Sounds like the original zombies went out of control after exceeding some limit,¡± Kalalin murmured softly, ¡°But why did they all run to dig into that Tiflin¡¯s basement?¡± ¡°Who cares why, we¡¯ll just flatten that ringleader and that¡¯ll be that,¡± Bruto shrugged, ¡°That guy can¡¯t resurrect himself, can he?¡± ¡°Typical Dwarf thinking, but quite reasonable,¡± Eckmond commented. Then he turned to the fat Kobold, ¡°My followers and I will put an end to this... blue-skinned Ogre¡¯s evil, send us your smartest, most cunning, fearless Warrior to lead us to that sunk corpses¡¯ chamber, and he shall witness my power!¡± The Skeleton King said a lot with a godstick-like tone, but the group of Kobolds below looked at each other without moving, clearly, the standards Eckmond set were a bit too high. ¡°Just give me someone who knows the way,¡± Eckmond threatened the Kobold King, ¡°or else you can take us there yourself!¡± ¡°No!¡± the fat Kobold screamed in fear, grabbing a guard by his side, ¡°You, it¡¯ll be you!¡± Once a target was set, the Kobolds swiftly sprang into action. They almost seemed to take malicious pleasure in grabbing their poor kin and then, working together, they threw him over. The pitiful representative, who was screaming all the while, hardly touched the ground before he tried to run, but was quickly pinned down by the agile Dwarf who stepped on his tail. ¡°Very good, we will go and deal with the big guy in that sunk corpses¡¯ chamber, and then you can continue to ¡¯rob¡¯ the bodies there,¡± Eckmond maintained his inscrutable persona, slowly floating backwards, disappearing from the Kobolds¡¯ sight, then his demeanor suddenly changed, ¡°Excellent, now we have a guide.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that you seem to have quite a talent for playing the charlatan,¡± Lancelot remarked, then crouched in front of the trembling Kobold, and said softly: ¡°Look at me.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound too far.¡± Bruto shrugged his shoulders, ¡°Who knows what their candles are made of.¡± The group returned to the crossroads and continued down the path with the water channel. Along the way, there were quite a few traps, which they avoided any damage to with the reluctant local¡¯s guidance. After moving forward a bit more, the environment around them changed significantly. Moss on the walls began to die, a faint mist hung in the air, and even the water in the channel seemed to lose its color, turning into a morose gray (a far cry from its earlier vibrancy). The scene was all too familiar to the group since the surroundings of Hagrid Manor were in the same state. ¡°Wait.¡± Lancelot suddenly spoke up, halting the team¡¯s advance. He silently drew his longsword from behind him, and everyone understood what that meant, becoming alert and closely watching the corner not far ahead. The sound of a thud, a thud, gradually grew louder, and a figure dragging a wooden stick appeared at the corner. Alamir extended his glowing hammer in front of his shield, slightly adjusting the angle to illuminate the limping figure with the metal shield¡¯s reflective light. This was clearly a corpse, which seemed to have been soaking for a long time before standing up again. His face was twisted like melted wax, his belly swollen from prolonged soaking and burst, with numerous maggots feasting on his exposed innards, his long intestines dragging by his feet, but none of this caused any trouble for him, already dead. The sudden light seemed to aggravate it, or it might have been the scent of living flesh that made this undead creature become frantic, charging straight toward the group. Bruto intended to throw his hammer, but a sense of de?ja? vu made him stop, which relieved Lancelot, who was watching his actions closely¡ªthe Dwarf apparently still had a normal memory. Just as the zombie was about to enter the attack range of Lancelot and Bruto, something unexpected happened. It stepped on its own intestines, flailing around, and stumbled. The momentum of its charge made its body slide along the ground for a stretch, landing right at Bruto¡¯s feet. ¡°Is this the legendary epic fail?¡± The Dwarf asked his companions while turning around and smashed the zombie¡¯s head into a pulp with a hammer blow. Chapter 154 - 154 - 148: The Drowned Corpse Room Chapter 154 ¨C 148: The Drowned Corpse Room ¡°Is this zombie guarding this area?¡± Koula carefully circled around the nearly headless corpse on the ground, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that zombies can still follow simple instructions, it looks like a patrolling guard.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, zombies can only understand commands like stay here, move forward, attack a certain enemy, they can¡¯t comprehend whether their surroundings are dangerous or not, like if their target is on the other side of a cliff, so it¡¯s unlikely they could follow orders to patrol within such a complex tunnel system,¡± Kalalin shook his head, ¡°I guess this is another zombie that has broken free from the spellcaster¡¯s control, acting on some kind of instinct.¡± ¡°How far are we from that corpse sinking room?¡± Lancelot asked the gnoll guide behind him. ¡°Still about half a candle¡¯s time!¡± Read exclusive content at Novgo ¡°That means we¡¯ve already walked half the distance,¡± Bruto nodded, he scraped his hammer on the wall to try to clean off the flesh and blood sticking to it, and a whole piece of the wall crumbled away. ¡°Considering the extent of decay, the enemy¡¯s nest is not far,¡± Kalalin looked at the damage caused by Bruto, ¡°Our enemy is likely to have a large group of undead guards, during the battle make sure to protect Alamir, his Holy Fire Technique is the most effective way to ensure that fallen enemies don¡¯t rise again.¡± Everyone nodded in understanding and continued forward. The gnoll Taka had already positioned himself at the rear of the group, looking ready to flee at any moment, only speaking up to remind the others when they encountered a fork in the road. They encountered some more zombies, but against Lancelot¡¯s sharp longsword and Bruto¡¯s warhammer, these slow-moving and completely mindless enemies posed no threat at all. Occasionally, some enemies whose legs were broken by Bruto could still attack, but they all turned to ash under Alamir¡¯s scorching Holy Light. Kalalin¡¯s frown grew deeper. After the group had continuously taken down eight wandering zombies, he spoke again: ¡°Something¡¯s not right here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruto asked, puzzled, ¡°These guys are easy to handle.¡± After walking for a while, they encountered seven or eight zombies clustered together, causing only a little trouble. Finally, the group arrived at the entrance of the abyssal chamber of corpses as mentioned by the dog-headed creature. The channel carrying trash and wastewater was designed as a waterfall about twenty feet high. In the middle of the waterfall, there was a chute made of metal mesh. The water would flow through the gaps of the sliding chute, but any larger solids (like the floating corpses) would be caught by it and then pushed aside into a cave by the falling force and the water¡¯s thrust. It had to be said that this was a very ingenious engineering design. Any city in the Abyss could produce a large number of corpses every day, which should be an important source of materials for the underground kobold tribes, but these corpses were also excellent experimental materials for necromancers. Human wizards, who cared more for personal hygiene and quality of life, generally stayed in their Mage Towers, obtaining these experimental materials through hired help in exchange for money, whereas an ogre or some other creature would not mind the filthy environment of the sewers. ¡°That is the chamber of sunken corpses, Taka has brought you here as agreed!¡± the dog-headed creature pointed to the side path beside the channel and then looked at Lancelot with expectant eyes, but dared not to speak up to claim the promised reward. ¡°You did very well, and you were very brave.¡± Lancelot took out another turquoise gemstone and handed it to the dog-headed creature. The dog-headed creature silently took the gemstone and then turned and ran, quickly disappearing from their sight. ¡°What a coward.¡± Bruto scoffed. ¡°The instinct to seek profit and avoid harm is natural to all creatures.¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°And I feel there¡¯s indeed a big one ahead, let¡¯s go meet the true mastermind behind all this.¡± They all agreed and entered the pitch-black cave. After a steep but not too long passage, they found themselves in a spacious hall. Purple demon fire burned all around, illuminating the underground cavity brightly. In the center of the hall was a huge pile of corpses, above which was the end of the slide that caught the bodies, and a giant figure in a cloak was turning to look at the visitors. ¡°Ah, more fresh material. Are you adventurers sent by that Agamemnon? Welcome to my laboratory.¡± The blue-skinned creature, looking like a demonized ogre, gave them a grin. ¡°It¡¯s a pity you won¡¯t become a part of my great creation. I wonder which of you will have the honor of being its first victim?¡± Chapter 155 - 155 - 149: Evil Spirits Chapter 155 ¨C 149: Evil Spirits ¡°This is no ogre mage,¡± Kalalin pushed a few words through clenched teeth, ¡°this is an evil spirit.¡± Lancelot watched the ghastly figure with a green complexion and fearsome fangs, towering over ten feet tall. Greyish-white hair hung from beneath the shadow of the entity¡¯s hood, and from a pair of lantern-like eyes shone bright yellow light. It revealed a terrifying smile at him, displaying rows of sharp teeth. ¡°What¡¯s special about it?¡± Lancelot¡¯s lips barely moved, his voice resonating directly in Kalalin¡¯s ear. ¡°Don¡¯t let it cast any spells.¡± ¡°You must have many questions,¡± the ghost cackled sinisterly, ¡°feel free to ask. I don¡¯t mind enlightening you...¡± His words cut abruptly short because Lancelot had charged at him like a wraith, trailing dense afterimages. He swung Frostslash high above his head. Even Bruto and the others didn¡¯t react in time. Wasn¡¯t the norm to announce one¡¯s own name, clear up all questions, and then start the fight? Wasn¡¯t Lancelot supposed to be a knight, then why did he just rush in?@@@@ Indeed, honor held a very important place in the knight¡¯s creed; they sought to defeat opponents fairly, but the war taught Lancelot to apply this rule only to those who shared a sense of honor. Against an evil being that lurked in the city sewers, creating the undead to attack taverns and inns, slaying the foe was the greatest honor. As for the enemy¡¯s schemes? Who backs them? What is this so-called grand creation? Those were not his concern. Their goal was merely to obtain information about the Succubus Paladin, avoid getting entangled in other troubles as much as possible, not to ferret out every shadow behind evil deeds. Though it might seem disheartening, this was the Abyss, and they themselves needed to keep a low profile. Despite Lancelot¡¯s swiftness, there was still some distance between them, and the ghost managed to draw a large cleaver from beneath its expansive cloak in time to attempt to counter Lancelot¡¯s attack. That was a healing potion prepared by Koula in advance. As adventurers, how could they face off against villain bosses without the help of these items? Meanwhile, Lancelot, who had gotten up from the ground, circulated his energy slightly and expelled the chill from his body. He looked up at his enemy to see the wounds on the demon healing rapidly, and the enemy was muttering, seemingly preparing to cast another spell. However, three blue-white orbs flew from the distance and interrupted his casting. These were magical missiles released by Kalalin, a mere First Circle spell, hardly stronger than a blow from Bruto¡¯s hammer, but the spell¡¯s trait is that it never misses and causes force damage. This means that without prior protective magic, the spell would directly interrupt the target¡¯s casting, which was exactly Kalalin¡¯s intention. The demon, whose spellcasting was disrupted, let out a furious shriek, but he no longer had the luxury of thinking about how to retaliate against the hateful spellcaster, for Lancelot was already upon him. With no room to retreat, the demon steeled himself and swung his claw directly at Lancelot¡¯s sword blade. As long as his hardened claws could block the opponent¡¯s weapon for a moment, his other claw could tear the despicable human to shreds. Even if he lost an arm in the process, it didn¡¯t matter, he would soon regrow it, while his opponent certainly didn¡¯t possess such potent regenerative abilities. Lancelot easily saw through his opponent¡¯s intent. On the battlefield, desperate enemies often hope to trade their own death for a severe injury to him, but that scheme had worked only once, a long time ago. Since then, Lancelot never allowed the battle to develop as the opponent wished, and today was no different. Your next read is at Novgo His thunderous charge convinced the demon that a clash of absolute strength was imminent, but in the moment of crossing, Lancelot¡¯s figure twisted eerily. The blue-skinned, white-haired giant swung its claw, only to tear through an illusion leftover in his retina. In that instant, Lancelot seemed to vanish, but that was only because he was too fast, the bystanders couldn¡¯t keep up with his pace. When his comrades not far away realized the human knight had already repositioned to the enemy¡¯s side, Lancelot¡¯s longsword had already slashed at the demon¡¯s waist. His movement was so swift, yet time seemed to slow down in that moment. Everyone watched clearly as Lancelot¡¯s sword, glowing with a green light, slowly cut into the giant¡¯s abdomen, inch by inch, bisecting the terrible opponent at the waist. Chapter 156 - 156 - 150: Mountain of Corpses Chapter 156 ¨C 150: Mountain of Corpses The blue giant¡¯s body was severed in half, and it rolled forward under the force of inertia. But a shocking scene unfolded; despite appearing to be in great pain, the Demon that had been cut at the waist evidently had not died yet. Its upper body was struggling to crawl toward its legs as if trying to reattach them. Lancelot quickly followed up, his sword glittering as he sliced off the Demon¡¯s arms as well. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± The Demon let out another agonizing scream, now so high-pitched it resembled that of a woman. Yet it displayed a Troll-like vitality: flesh at the wounds wriggled rapidly, and countless buds of flesh began to cluster, forming new limbs; the limbs that had been severed from the body writhed on their own, desperately trying to rejoin the torso. A stream of fire landed on the struggling body of the Demon, igniting it instantly. This was a A-level Spell: fireball released by Kalalin. Demons had high resistance to fire damage, and he had never used this spell before. ¡°Fire can stop its regeneration!¡± the Scholar yelled to Lancelot, who immediately caught on, sweeping his Longsword to gather all the severed limbs into the flames. Then he pinched a spell Technique, and several dark red Fireballs flew into the fire, causing the flames to leap up more than ten feet high and silencing the Demon¡¯s screams abruptly. ¡°Huff huff, looks like it¡¯s been taken care of, huh?¡± It seemed as if a lot had happened, but in reality, only a few dozen seconds had passed. Delayed for a moment by the enemy¡¯s magic, Bruto had only just run up to Lancelot¡¯s side. Lancelot looked at the Demon¡¯s body gradually turning to ash within the flames, yet his expression grew even more tense. His Spirit Perception was sounding an alarm, signaling the presence of something incredibly dangerous nearby, but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint its source. Then, in his peripheral vision, he glimpsed something flash by, and, almost entirely on instinct, he grabbed Bruto and lunged to the side without thinking. With a tremendous boom, an ¡¯arm¡¯ made entirely of corpses smashed down where the two had just been standing.@@@@ Looking up along the arm, Lancelot saw the most terrifying creature he had ever witnessed in his life. ¡°...Don¡¯t worry, boss, I¡¯ve got this,¡± Mind communication was extremely efficient, and this exchange was completed almost instantaneously. Lancelot took out his seven-foot Giant Sword Glacier from the Dimensional Bag, took a deep breath, and then charged out like an arrow released from its bow. The monster seemed to react sluggishly, it¡¯s arm only slowly rising as Lancelot was already upon it. Leveraging the momentum of his charge, Lancelot¡¯s overhead slash was immensely powerful, the blue-glowing blade cutting into the creature¡¯s huge body like a knife through butter, leaving a terrible wound from which several severed bodies fell out, turning to ash upon hitting the ground like burnt wood. The myriad heads of the monster screamed in unison, almost drowning out the sound of rapidly approaching wind from behind. Almost. The Human Knight¡¯s figure flashed eerily once more, already rolling five steps away to avoid the monster¡¯s landslide-like fist. The Great Sword in his hand followed the motion of his rising, severing three of the creature¡¯s fingers. If one looked closely, they would see that these were actually three human legs, the thickest one¡ªthe middle finger¡ªclearly once belonged to some man, while the smallest one and the other finger were previously part of the same body. But he did not have time to observe these details any further, because the other arm of the monster swung over overwhelmingly, and Lancelot had to roll back twice in a row to narrowly escape the creature¡¯s attack range. Only once back in a safe area was the Human Knight free to survey the fruits of his efforts, yet all he saw caused his brow to furrow deeply. Read new chapters at Novgo The body of the monster writhed non-stop, the wound he had inflicted earlier was now indistinguishable, and from the creature¡¯s palm where the ¡¯fingers¡¯ had been severed, new toes slowly emerged, followed by ankles, knees, thighs... Lancelot sighed. The enemy¡¯s body was indeed as soft as cake, but he himself was like a cockroach holding a toothpick, trying to dismantle a creation beyond his comprehension. Chapter 157 - 157 - 151 United Efforts Chapter 157 ¨C 151 United Efforts Fortunately, Lancelot was still considered the most threatening target. He and his companions were precisely on either side of the monster, allowing him to face it directly, so his magic and Divine Arts-using companions only needed to face the monster¡¯s less intimidating ¡°back.¡± A holy radiance began to emanate from Alamir, prompting Lancelot to raise his Great Sword and charge again. He now needed to generate enough noise to attract the enemy¡¯s attention, buying time for his companions. The Priest was loudly praying to his deity, asking Lady of the Flame to grant him and his companions vitality and hope. As the Elves chanted, his body emitted a wave-like radiance, and a mystical connection was established. The prayer seemed somewhat lengthy, and Alamir was not fluent in reciting it because it was a third-tier Divine Art, Beacon of Hope, recently bestowed upon the Priest. When Alamir uttered the last word of his prayer, the Divine Art took shape. The Divine Art Energy surrounding him instantly poured into his body, his eyes lighting up like lighthouses in the night, casting light into his companions¡¯ hearts and dispelling the darkness and fear enveloping them. Bruto was the first to snap out of it, the Dwarf letting out a roar of anger and shame, charging towards the mountain of corpses that formed the monster. He relished the feeling of smashing knees, and this monster¡¯s underside was made up of hundreds of limbs¡ªplenty of targets for the Dwarf. Kalalin also regained his composure, not hurrying to cast a Magic, but swiftly assessing the situation. The Priest had already used up all his third-tier Magic slots, so it was crucial how the Scholar chose his own two third-tier Magics. The Scholar pulled out another scroll of Flame Arrows. It was just a zero-tier trick, but it would help him test the plan gradually taking shape in his mind. Koula was the last to recover from the panic, Halflings not being a race known for their bravery. She instinctively hid in the shadows, and after making sure no one was paying attention to her, she quickly pulled a heap of alchemical materials from her backpack and began mixing a complex potion on the spot. On the other side, Lancelot charged again at the feet of the enemy. The monster¡¯s arms, made up of corpses, kept swinging to squash him, but Lancelot used agile movements to dodge the devastating blows repeatedly, leaving one or two giant wounds on the monster¡¯s body or arms. The Halfling let out a stifled roar, charging forward like an unsheathed sword, her two cold iron daggers (now more like short swords) whirling above and below, quickly severing limbs everywhere. ¡°Hahaha! You still have this trick up your sleeve¡± Bruto laughed loudly, ¡°Let¡¯s see who¡¯s faster!¡± Meanwhile, Kalalin kept casting the same spell, the 1st level magic Grease Spell. This spell could summon a large patch of grease, making anyone who walked over it slip. However, Kalalin did not try to make the mound-like enemy fall over; instead, he spread the large blobs of grease over the enemy¡¯s body. The enemy disregarded the grease poured over it completely. The nearly mindless beast didn¡¯t even realize it was under a spell attack. After using up the 1st level spell slots, Kalalin started to cast the 2nd level magic Web, another control-type spell, but he merely covered the giant stack of corpses with webbing, blocking the gazes fixed on them without seeming to have much other effect. But Kalalin knew personally how flammable these webs were; the last time, Phil had thrown a bomb at the Beard Demons trapped by the webs and found out. At the same time, the three close-combat companions also achieved considerable results, severely damaging the monster¡¯s arms and legs that protruded like tentacles. It was nearly incapacitated from turning around, merely striking madly at the elusive Lancelot. The Human Knight caused the most considerable damage. Giant Sword Glacier in his hands was like a mobile meat grinder, and the entire front of the monster looked like a hillside just after a mudslide, covered with dire wounds far too fresh to heal. Only Eckmond remained stationary, understanding that his size wasn¡¯t suitable for attacking such an enemy. But what if he used an Enlarge Spell like the Halfling? The skull promptly stopped itself from continuing with such a risky idea. The task Lancelot had entrusted to him was clear: to protect the Scholar and the Priest, the two spellcasters, a directive he strongly agreed with. Staying in place was fine. Just look how focused Kalalin was; it wouldn¡¯t do to have his spells interrupted.@@@@ Chapter 158 - 158 - 152: The Answers to Most Questions in the Multiverse Chapter 158 ¨C 152: The Answers to Most Questions in the Multiverse Magic Power ceaselessly flowed through the Scholar¡¯s body as he cast one Second Circle Spell after another, all used to cast the Web Technique. Kalalin had never before used magic so intensively, which left him feeling overburdened, yet there was also a strange sense of pleasure. Once the last of his Second Circle spell slots had been expended, the Scholar knew the preparations were complete¡ªit was time to deal with the enemy. He pulled a noticeably thicker scroll from his Howard convenience bag, a spell he often used while he was still on the Prime Material Plane, a low-ranking member of the Black Cult¡ªPit-Creating Spell. This Second Circle Magic could create a pit about 1,000 square feet wide and 30 feet deep. And since he had gained the ability to cast Third Circle Spells, as part of his daily practice, he had tried to upgrade all of his Second Circle Spells into Circle Upcasted versions, with mixed results. The Pit-Creating Spell was one of the more successful attempts, resulting in the visibly sturdier scroll now in his hands. With an inexplicable excitement, Kalalin unfurled the scroll, his gaze sweeping over the dense Arcane Symbols, and his spirit began to draw Magic Power from the void. The Runes on the scroll lit up one after another, and powerful Arcane Energy started to converge in Kalalin¡¯s hands. The monster seemed to sense something and attempted to attack this troubling source, but Bruto and Koula¡¯s hard-fought distractions made turning around immensely difficult, while Lancelot also burst forth vigorously, his Great Sword dancing in a whirlwind, firmly entangling the enemy. After nearly a minute, Kalalin finally completed this immature spell. His eyes glowing with a blue radiance, he intently stared down the enemy and, with a wave of his hands, released the potent magic energy. The Scholar¡¯s strength suddenly depleted, and he almost collapsed, but Eckmond came over in time to hold him up. Kalalin didn¡¯t have the chance to express his gratitude as he shouted to his companions still engaged in the fierce battle: ¡°Back away!¡± There was no need for a specific reminder as everyone was keeping an eye on his actions. The three quickly retreated the moment the magic was released. This was the iconic technique of arcane casters, a spell that a magic apprentice must master before leaving the academy, the ultimate answer to most problems across the multiverse: the Fireball Technique! The scorching fireball exploded above the monster, the blast wave sweeping through every corner of the monster¡¯s body, instantly igniting the greasy cobwebs and corpses. The entire mound of corpses began to burn intensely, with the accelerants Kalalin had prepared beforehand performing to a thousand percent of their effectiveness. Countless heads of corpses screamed in unison, a sound so full of agony that it was unbearable. Even Lancelot covered his ears, and the others had long since run out of the cave. Apart from that harrowing scream, the odor in the air was enough to make them nauseated. Not because it smelled awful¡ªquite the opposite, in fact¡ªit smelled too good, which made them want to stay even less. It was a trial that human reason should not have to endure. Lancelot used his True Qi to block his ears and seal his nostrils. These things did not affect him much. The reason he stayed was simply to confirm that the enemy was truly dead. He enveloped himself with True Qi, which possessed a natural affinity for flame due to its origins in nature¡¯s spiritual energy from the Abyss, effortlessly absorbing the terrifying heat. Though the human knight appeared like a fire person, in truth, he was completely unharmed. As the mound of corpses burned down gradually, the flames did not diminish but grew higher. When Lancelot sensed that something was amiss, a terrifying presence suddenly enveloped the entire cave, the formidable pressure it exuded almost making him want to kneel. But he resisted the urge. A demon¡¯s face with two massive horns appeared in the flames, expressing extreme joy. A voice resonated directly in Lancelot¡¯s heart: ¡°Hahahaha! Who is making a sacrifice to Kaldu, lord of Baro?¡± The voice reminded Lancelot of the flame itself, merely hearing it seemed about to ignite his Sea of Consciousness. ¡°Oh! The screams of a thousand living beings being burned alive! Such a marvelous sound!¡± ¡°Oh! Look at this, so many corpses. Is this all your handiwork? Merely to please me?¡± The demon¡¯s voice sounded thrilled, ¡°Boy, you really should learn how to summon me. With such grand sacrifices, I am bound to come personally, hahahaha!¡± At this moment, Lancelot hardly dared to breathe too deeply. The presence was only a projection, yet the pressure it exuded far surpassed that which Tijana had given him. He could only desperately release his True Qi to wrap himself up tightly, hoping that the Abyssal Aura within it would help him bluff his way through. Chapter 159 - 159 - 153: The Demons’ Reward Chapter 159 ¨C 153: The Demons¡¯ Reward ¡°I am very satisfied, hahaha! I shall reward you!¡± Lancelot was startled, ready to refuse, when a fearsome energy had already surged into his body. ¡°This bit of Flame Essence should be enough for your advancement. Perhaps one day you too will become a Lord like Baro. When that day comes, come before my throne, kneel down, and swear your loyalty to me in the name of the Stygian River, wahahaha!¡± The flames spiked like an explosion to their maximum before suddenly extinguishing, along with the face of the Demon Lord that vanished into thin air. Lancelot dropped down on his backside and immediately entered a state of cultivation. The energy that had poured into him was like a red-hot iron ball, rampaging through his body. Had the demon stayed a few more seconds, Lancelot¡¯s physical body might have been completely destroyed by the energy. The True Qi that was extended outside was all retracted, wrapping the magma-like energy securely inside. He guided the energy, continuously conducting the Circulation Transfer, struggling to dissipate the ferocity and annihilation within it. As he continued his Qi Cultivation, a vast amount of energy seeped from the Meridians into all his muscles, then expelled through the acupoints around his body, making his armor crack and fall off like dried bark. Of course, the expelled energy was merely wasted, but letting it continue to wreak havoc inside was an even greater loss. Moreover, Lancelot himself didn¡¯t want this energy in the first place. At this time, his companions returned to the cave. Everyone had heard the sounds from inside the cave, but the terrible high temperature inside made it impossible for them to approach. They were all prepared to find only ashes of Lancelot, but upon seeing that the Human Knight was still alive, they all cheered loudly. ¡°Ha! You¡¯re unscathed; you must have the bloodline of a Red Dragon running through you!¡± Bruto excitedly ran towards Lancelot but halfway, his beard suddenly caught fire. The Dwarf retreated with loud cries, frantically patting his beard to extinguish the flames. Fortunately, the fire was quickly snuffed out, and his beard looked just as ugly as before. ¡°Err, that was close,¡± Bruto said cautiously, cradling his beard and checking over each whisker before looking at Lancelot in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s happened to him? Why is he sitting naked on the ground?¡±@@@@ ¡°Same here, that Mutagen puts a huge strain on the body.¡± Koula also pulled out an identical roll of bedding, which apparently came as a premium with the purchase of Howard¡¯s convenience bags, ¡°I want to sleep a bit too, just for a while...¡± ¡°Oh, you guys are so weak, you really need to train more.¡± Bruto proudly flexed his muscles, ¡°Rest easy, and let¡¯s hope Lancelot doesn¡¯t cool down too quickly.¡± Kalalin¡¯s snoring answered him; the Scholar had full trust in his companions, and he was indeed very tired, falling asleep almost instantly. ¡°You all go rest as well.¡± Bruto waved at the others, ¡°With me on watch, be at ease.¡± Meanwhile, Lancelot, who was in the midst of Qi Cultivation, was oblivious to the outside world, but he equally trusted his friends to protect his body. The ¡¯gift¡¯ given by the Demon seemed to have a mind of its own, constantly trying to change Lancelot¡¯s body. If it weren¡¯t for his ability to suppress it with his high-rank Qi Cultivation Stage strength, the Human Knight might very well have turned into something strange by now. After repeated Circulation Transfers and purging impurities, Lancelot finally transformed it into ordinary True Qi, thoroughly taming the wild energy. Although about seventy percent of the energy was expelled from his body during the process, he ultimately assimilated the unexpected ¡¯gift¡¯ safely. He carefully continued guiding the True Qi to circulate within his body, gradually absorbing the energy into his Dantian. After dozens of repetitions, all the True Qi in his body were re-harmonized into the Dantian, fully amalgamating as one. As someone in the latter stages of the high-rank Qi Refinement Realm, under normal circumstances, there should always be True Qi flowing through Lancelot¡¯s Meridians, like rivers in full flow. But at this moment, even his Dantian was half empty, with less than half of the depletion due to battle, the rest spent on absorbing the ¡¯gift¡¯. Once he confirmed that his body had returned to normal, Lancelot slowly opened his tightly closed eyes. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re awake?¡± Eckmond was the first to react, noticing that the mental connection with his master had been restored. ¡°Oh? All better now?¡± Bruto¡¯s voice came from behind Lancelot, ¡°Koula was saying you would shoot out scorching rays the moment you opened your eyes, burning a hole in me or something. Such nonsense, haha, I never believed it!¡± Chapter 160 - 160 - 154: The Weight of the Dwarf Chapter 160 ¨C 154: The Weight of the Dwarf ¡°That kind of situation is indeed possible,¡± Lancelot chuckled, turning his head to look at Bruto. He immediately noticed that Kalalin and Koula were sound asleep in their own blankets, while Alamir was immersed in meditation. ¡°How long have I been like this?¡± ¡°Not too bad, around three hours, I guess. Just enough time for me to sort them out again,¡± Bruto caressed the braids made out of his beard on his chest, ¡°I think I must thank you for my belt; it truly is a treasure...¡± By this time, the other companions had also roused from sleep or meditation. Alamir looked at Lancelot, his face breaking into a smile: ¡°You¡¯re awake? How do you feel? Do you still need my Healing Spell?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve still got several bottles of healing potions here!¡± Koula also raised several red bottles. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m fine now,¡± Lancelot jumped up from the ground, stretching his body. Although the True Qi in his Dantian was still pitifully scarce, his body had recovered to its optimal condition. ¡°Lancelot, what exactly happened here?¡± Kalalin asked curiously, ¡°We heard some unsettling whispers from outside...¡± ¡°That...¡± Lancelot scratched the back of his head, ¡°to be honest, I¡¯m quite puzzled myself. Have you ever heard the name Kaldu? The voice proclaimed itself as such...¡± ¡°Kaldu...¡± Kalalin furrowed her brow tightly, ¡°I must have heard that name somewhere, but I can¡¯t remember right now.¡± ¡°He claimed to be the Lord of Baro,¡± Lancelot hinted. ¡°The Lord of Baro? Kal?¡± The Scholar slapped his palm, ¡°I remember now! Kaldu! The Lord of the twenty-first layer of the Abyss!¡± ¡°His title of the Lord of Baro, does it refer to the Barlow Flame Demon?¡± Lancelot curiously asked, ¡°I remember you said that the Barlow Flame Demon is one of the strongest demon forms, each having the strength of a Lord Level. Could they also have a king like Mekanshut?¡± Although they lacked a guide on their return, it was no problem in the face of Lancelot¡¯s strong memory. In fact, he noticed several pairs of prying eyes in the shadows, those of the kobold scouts. These local residents silently helped them disarm traps along the way, so Lancelot was happy not to have to deal with them again. When the group crawled out of the basement of the Withered Rose, the two mercenaries hired by the tavern owner looked very upset, realizing that they would probably have to look for another job soon. It was nearing midnight, but the tavern was still exceptionally noisy. They walked straight to the bar and demanded their reward from Tiflin the innkeeper. ¡°Oh my god! You guys really smell...¡± Agamemnon looked somewhat surprised, but at the same time, he deftly took out a can of cheap perfume from under the table and sprayed it into the air, ¡°Special. Let me guess, you¡¯ve been gone so long, you must have solved my problem, right?¡± ¡°You promised us free drinks, now bring out the mead!¡± Bruto slammed his arm on the table, ¡°Right now!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve taken care of the guy who woke up the Zombies,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°But you better change your way of disposing of the bodies, otherwise, I can¡¯t guarantee that nothing like this will happen again.¡± ¡°Uh.¡± The innkeeper¡¯s face turned slightly red, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°We suspect that the Zombies were already dead in your tavern,¡± Kalalin explained. ¡°The one who woke these bodies was a ghoul, also called an Ogre-Mage. This guy has been conducting evil Necromancy experiments, and some Zombies got out of its control, driven by instinct to return to the last place they stayed in their lifetime.¡± Just then, a commotion of tables and chairs being knocked over erupted behind them, followed by a loud roar: ¡°You reeking vermin! How dare you threaten me! Die!¡± Lancelot looked back to see a brawl had broken out, and in the blink of an eye, several more corpses littered the ground. ¡°My floor just sprouts corpses on its own,¡± the tavern owner¡¯s gloomy voice rose again, ¡°Do you have any better suggestions on how to deal with them?¡± ¡°Do whatever you want, but you¡¯d better not just dump them directly into the sewer again. I suggest you burn them, but be sure not to accumulate too many at once to burn...¡± Lancelot¡¯s eyes emitted a daunting glow again, ¡°Alright, now let¡¯s talk about the other part of the reward you promised. Let¡¯s start with your source of information...¡±@@@@ Chapter 161 - 161 - 155 Dangerous Tavern Chapter 161 ¨C 155 Dangerous Tavern ¡°Taifu told me, he¡¯s one of my... my debtors,¡± Akmenon stuttered, the sharp gaze of the other person piercing his mind like a hole, uncontrollable truths spilling from his mouth, ¡°This establishment offers loan services, with interest merely doubling each month...¡± ¡°This Taifu, who is he?¡± Bruto slammed an empty glass onto the bar counter, ¡°And how can you be sure his information is accurate?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just Taifu, I was stuttering earlier.¡± The tavern owner corrected helplessly, ¡°He handles armament procurement for Yiltu, the former master of that Succubus Paladin. When my... collector brought him to me, he said the only valuable thing he had was this information.¡± ¡°Is that so...¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, ¡°So what exactly did he say?¡± ¡°Elothysia will arrive at this fortress in two days, escorted by Ashap, a Six-Armed Serpent Demon who has long played a game of cat and mouse with the Succubus Paladin in the Prime Material Plane. They will emerge from the Great Abyss in the south, traveling northward along a tributary of the Stygian River.¡± ¡°The Great Abyss?¡± Lancelot looked towards Kalalin. ¡°It¡¯s a place,¡± the Scholar explained softly, ¡°located on the first layer of the Abyss, appearing on the surface like a giant fissure, housing many portals leading to other planes, making it the densest area of portals in the entire Abyss.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°How many subordinates does this Ashap have?¡± ¡°Her retinue includes at least two Succubi, twelve Berserk Demons, and more cannon fodder.¡± The expression in the Tiflin owner¡¯s eyes mocks, ¡°Thank me, you simply couldn¡¯t handle this escort group, and any action towards that Succubus would only lead to your own destruction.¡± ¡°Perhaps we were indeed reckless.¡± Lancelot said nonchalantly, ¡°How many others have you told this information to?¡±@@@@ ¡°I think I¡¯ve probably saved the lives of four or five groups of Adventurers,¡± Akmenon shrugged, ¡°Just for five hundred Gold Coins, those fools could avoid a near-certain death, what a profitable deal, I¡¯m just too kind-hearted, where else could you find a tavern owner as benevolent as me...¡± ¡°What about those Adventurers you sent into the sewers?¡± Lancelot raised an eyebrow, ¡°And, during the battle with that Ogre Wizard, my armor was shattered. Had my skills not been sufficient, I doubt I¡¯d be having this pleasant conversation with you. How will you address the loss of my equipment?¡± ¡°Why must fools always release bolts of lightning in enclosed spaces? How much do these arrogant spellcasters fear their peers that they cannot even share such basic knowledge?¡± Tiflin, the owner, painfully covered his eyes, ¡°Two of the dead guys still owed money!¡± ¡°I will remember this incident,¡± Kalalin assured Lancelot, who was half shocked, half helpless as he watched the guards drag away the bodies on the ground, while the living had already sat down to continue their drinking and merrymaking, as if this was all too familiar. ¡°What a shitty world,¡± Lancelot muttered under his breath, reminding himself never to surrender to this world. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay a moment longer.¡± Koula jumped down from the chair. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and rest, shall we?¡± Everyone nodded in agreement, even Bruto, who was reluctant to part with the wine, stood up, as they were all somewhat uncomfortable with the atmosphere where people could die at any moment. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to check out the meal menu, it¡¯s on the stand to the left of the entrance!¡± Agamemnon called out from behind them. Lancelot entered the royal suite on the fourth floor a few minutes later than the others; he had raided the tavern owner¡¯s collection of ¡¯lost items¡¯ in the storage, thus he sported a new chainmail¡ªnaturally, one couldn¡¯t find plate armor there, nor did anything else fit him well. While chainmail was far inferior to plate armor in terms of protection, it was much lighter, allowing him to fully utilize his agility advantage. In fact, Lancelot rarely relied on the protective capabilities of the armor itself anymore; his movement technique was his greatest guarantee. The flesh, strengthened by True Qi, meant the weight of plate armor was no bother to him, but wearing plate armor in battle had become a habit, providing him with a psychological sense of security. Most importantly, human knights steadfastly believed that plate armor was the most handsome attire for a man, bar none. After everyone had freshened up and was ready to rest, Lancelot suddenly asked Eckmond to gather everyone. ¡°Can¡¯t we discuss this tomorrow? The succubus won¡¯t arrive for another two days...¡± Bruto yawned as he came in from the next room, but his expression changed when he saw the human knight. ¡°Lancelot, why are you still in your armor? Is the bathroom broken?¡± Chapter 162 - 162 - 156: Reconnaissance Chapter 162 ¨C 156: Reconnaissance ¡°I plan to go out on a reconnaissance mission tonight, to find out exactly how far away our target is and whether there are any other things in the wilderness,¡± Lancelot spoke with calm assurance. ¡°I can go alone. You all rest well, and I will be back before dawn.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too dangerous!¡± Kalalin was the first to voice his opposition. ¡°This is the Abyss, the home of Demons. Who knows what might be out there in the wilderness at night? If a battle breaks out, how will you manage alone?¡± ¡°So the plan is not to let a battle happen,¡± Lancelot shrugged. ¡°This is just a scouting mission, and I¡¯ll remain cautious. You¡¯ve all seen how fast I am; ordinary Demons won¡¯t be able to catch me.¡± Everyone looked around at each other, but nobody spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the plans for tonight,¡± Lancelot changed the subject. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by the comfortable surroundings; it¡¯s still dangerous here. We need someone to keep watch at night.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already had enough rest, so I¡¯ll take the first watch,¡± Alamir offered firmly. ¡°That bit of rest just now was enough for you?¡± Koula asked in surprise. ¡°We Elves rest through meditation, and it¡¯s twice as efficient as your way,¡± Alamir explained. ¡°Of course, it would be great if someone else could join me. Having two on watch is a bit safer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± Koula cheerfully volunteered. ¡°I had a decent snooze just now and still feel quite alert, and I need to prepare some potions for upcoming use anyway. We left in such a hurry this time.¡± ¡°When you¡¯re done, wake me up to take over. I need to make some scrolls,¡± Kalalin also spoke. ¡°Bruto hasn¡¯t rested yet, so you don¡¯t need to get up tonight.¡± ¡°I need to catch some sleep too,¡± Eckmond said with a yawning sigh. ¡°You can swap out for me on the last shift.¡± ¡°You need sleep as well?¡± Lancelot looked curiously at the skeleton head. ¡°Aren¡¯t you an Undead creature?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know why, but I just do,¡± Eckmond rolled his eyes. ¡°And just to correct you, I¡¯m a Mimir, should be considered a living construct, right? It¡¯s just that I stayed in that pit for too long, so I got a bit of a dead-man¡¯s stench. Don¡¯t believe me? Ask Alamir; he¡¯s very sensitive to the Undead.¡± Clearly, these were Lancelot¡¯s peers¡ªa band of desperados chasing bounties. It wasn¡¯t difficult to identify their leader: a bare-chested, incredibly muscular Barbarian lying on a chair in the middle of the camp, with a gigantic hammer as big as an iceberg behind him and two Succubi kneeling at his feet, while the others around him viewed the beastly man with envious yet fearful eyes. ¡°Boss, what do we do with that Holy Warrior bitch once we catch her?¡± The broken speech drifted in from the wind, still caught by Lancelot¡¯s keen hearing. An Orc was greedily watching the actions of the two Succubi, asking without thinking. ¡°First, I¡¯ll get to enjoy a few good days with her, and then we¡¯ll see who makes the best offer,¡± the Mercenary Leader responded with smug assurance as if the prize was already his. He turned to look at the one who had asked the question, then his face darkened abruptly, and he lunged forward. ¡°You traitor!¡± He grabbed the questioning Orc by the throat and hoisted him into the air with one hand, ¡°Your eyes have betrayed you, speak! Have you been scheming all along to replace me?¡± Lancelot noticed that the leader was two heads taller than himself, nearing almost 8 feet in height. The hoisted Orc dangled his legs feebly, only able to plead with his eyes for his defense. The commotion drew everyone¡¯s attention, but instead of intervening, the onlookers began to cheer loudly. As the clear ¡¯snap¡¯ sound echoed, the cheers reached their peak. While everyone¡¯s focus was on the brutal leader, Lancelot quietly approached the camp. He cast a spell, leaving his Divine Sense mark on several mercenaries, then retreated silently. If the convoy escorting Elothysia was as formidable as the Tiflin boss had said, then this group might still be of some use. But as he returned to the rocks, preparing to leave the evil mercenaries and continue on his journey, he suddenly felt a chilling sensation, as if a snake slithered up the back of his neck. The Concealment Art was almost instinctively activated, and Lancelot lay motionless in the shadows, now indistinguishable from the lifeless stones around him. At the entrance to the camp, the light of Teleportation Magic suddenly flared, and a figure that presented an extreme danger emerged from it. Chapter 163 - 163 - 157 Mysterious Visitor Chapter 163 ¨C 157 Mysterious Visitor The visitor was dressed as a merchant, adorned in a baggy robe with many pockets and glamorous accessories on his neck and wrists. His dark red skin, backward-curling horns on his head, goat-like hooves, and a long, thin tail revealed that he was a Tiflin, a mortal with Fiends as ancestors. But Lancelot knew the stranger was far from simple as he appeared; his Spirit Perception alerted him that this seemingly mere cunning merchant was extremely dangerous, just as terrifying as the entity they had attracted when they burned the animated corpses on a mountain. Luckily, this newcomer walked straight into the camp, oblivious to his presence. Lancelot mustered up some True Qi to his ears, daring to eavesdrop on the mysterious visitor¡¯s purpose for coming here. The camp¡¯s guards immediately spotted this uninvited guest, shouting loudly and feigning an attack, but the composure of the visitor, and some sort of unspoken Fear, kept these fearless mercenaries rooted in place, posturing with their weapons. Explore hidden tales at Novgo ¡°Easy there, mercenaries, I¡¯m not your enemy,¡± the Tiflin merchant spoke lazily, his voice carrying a peculiar Magic Power that made one listen involuntarily, ¡°Where¡¯s your leader? I have a deal to discuss with him.¡± The crowd parted way for him naturally, and in the center of the camp, the towering Barbarian Chieftain had already grabbed his giant hammer, looking menacing, while two Succubi hid behind him like startled rabbits. ¡°Goodness me, it seems I¡¯ve come at a rather inconvenient time, interrupting your fine pursuits,¡± the enigmatic visitor breezed into the center of the camp, glancing at the Orc corpse on the ground with a look of regret in his eyes, ¡°Allow me to introduce myself: I am Eckmond, and it¡¯s an honor to meet you, the real chieftain of the Winter Wolf Tribe, the invincible Guarado.¡± Upon hearing the name Eckmond, Lancelot felt a weird sensation in his heart. Perhaps it was just a common name, after all, not a rare one. ¡°Speak your purpose!¡± roared the mercenary leader named Guarado, his voice thunderous, ¡°Though the taste of Tiflin isn¡¯t particularly good, we can¡¯t be choosy in such a godforsaken place, hahaha...¡± ¡°What good would it do me to assassinate you?¡± the Tiflin merchant shrugged, ¡°As I said before, it¡¯s just a gift. When we meet next time, we can negotiate a serious deal.¡± ¡°So, what is it that you really want?¡± Guarado, convinced that the other party must want something from him, snorted through his nostrils at the Tiflin merchant before him, ¡°Slaves of a certain race? Or do you need us to attack one of your enemies?¡± ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s nothing so complicated. What I want is just a Holy Warrior,¡± the Tiflin merchant finally revealed his true intent, ¡°A Succubus Paladin with horns on her head, bat wings on her back, and a tail on her buttocks.¡± ¡°You¡¯re indeed here for that bitch,¡± the Mercenary Leader said with an understanding smile. ¡°She¡¯ll soon fall into my hands, there¡¯s no doubt about that. But if you want to exchange for her, these gifts alone won¡¯t suffice.¡± ¡°Of course, but do consider my offer when the time comes, based on the kindness of these gifts, alright?¡± the Tiflin merchant spread his hands enthusiastically, ¡°No matter what conditions the other guys have promised, I can offer you better, and pay on the spot, guaranteeing your satisfaction.¡± ¡°If you happen to be the highest bidder, then she¡¯s yours,¡± Guarado spread his legs, and two Succubi crawled over to him, ¡°I¡¯m about to... get busy. Do you have anything else?¡± ¡°Just one last thing. If your previous intelligence was that the target was heading north along the Stygian River, that information is outdated. The convoy escorting the Succubus Paladin has run into a bit of trouble; if you want to intercept them, it¡¯s best to head southwest.¡± ¡°How do you know this?¡± Guarado eyed the merchant suspiciously, ¡°Who exactly is the master behind you guys?¡± ¡°What use is it for you to know? We indeed desire that Holy Warrior very much and are willing to offer a generous reward to the person who brings her to us. Isn¡¯t that enough for you to know?¡± the Tiflin merchant bowed, ¡°Now, may I ask for your permission to leave safely on account of these gifts?¡± ¡°Get out,¡± the Mercenary Leader waved his hand, looking down without glancing at him anymore. ¡°Thank you very much,¡± the Tiflin merchant bowed again, bagging his belongings and started to retreat backward. Lancelot, who had been peeking from not too far, quickly lowered his head and constrained his breath, making himself blend in like a stone. Chapter 164 - 164 - 158: The Importance of Bathing Chapter 164 ¨C 158: The Importance of Bathing It was a full quarter of an hour later that Lancelot¡¯s body moved slightly. The mysterious Tiflin had left directly using teleportation magic, but the spirit perception of the human knight, akin to eyes that had stared directly into the harsh sun, did not return to normal until this moment. The revelry at the camp continued, with the mercenaries eagerly fiddling with their new equipment, boasting to one another about how many battles they would win and how many heads they would sever with such weapons. But Lancelot had long understood that nothing was free, and everything had its price, especially in the dreadful plane of the Abyss. These fellows were so content and justified in accepting these obviously ill-intentioned gifts, either out of extreme confidence or extreme stupidity, and Lancelot felt that the latter was more likely. He took out the amulet that could sense the target, which was still ice-cold. He had been out for two hours that night, covering nearly 150 miles. If he explored for another two hours, it was time for him to head back. Lancelot put the amulet around his neck, hesitated slightly, then decided to change direction and search towards the southwest as the mysterious individual had suggested. If he walked another 150 miles and there was still no response, either the target was still far from the fort, or he had completely mistaken the direction. After confirming that he had left far enough that no one in the camp could spot him, Lancelot sped up once again. The night in the Abyss was a bit quieter than the day, although nearly all demons possessed good vision in the dark, hunting at night was often more strenuous. Although demons didn¡¯t need sleep, they could still feel fatigue, and for those ever-fleeing Prime Demons and Coward Devils, the arrival of night meant these miserable creatures had survived another day. As Lancelot raced through the night in the Plains of the Abyss, his spirit perception occasionally spotted groups of low rank demons huddling together. For him, this was actually a sign of safety¡ªit meant that there were likely no powerful monsters around, nor were there any recruiting and foraging teams sent by the Demon Lord, otherwise these weaklings, hardly different from goblins, would have been wiped out long ago. After advancing another 100 miles, Lancelot finally felt the amulet on his chest react. He immediately found an empty space and stopped, holding the amulet in his hand. This magical item, adorned with a succubus portrait, radiated a heat slightly higher than body temperature, accurately indicating to Lancelot that Elothysia had entered his detection range. Sitting in the comfortable chair of the Royal Family suite, Bruto was eating a Petrified Lizard Grilled Sandwich with beer, and asked Eckmond. ¡°Not yet, but I¡¯m sure the boss isn¡¯t dead,¡± Eckmond replied. ¡°The grilled meat here is really good,¡± said the Halfling gourmet, his cheeks bulging. ¡°It¡¯s just a bit too salty. Next time I¡¯ll try to see if I can improve it. You occasionally see Petrified Lizards at the meat shop in Twin Bridges Town, and I heard they¡¯re quite manageable in front of experienced hunters.¡± ¡°Having something to eat is already good enough.¡± Kalalin had finished her breakfast and was standing by the window, watching the passersby below, many of whom were demons heading to the ¡¯pilgrimage¡¯ at the Twelve Trees, ¡°If not for being on a mission, I¡¯d really like to walk into the fortress¡¯s Portal and take a look at that layer in the Twelve Trees. It would be significant in understanding the culture of demons.¡± ¡°That is, assuming the demons don¡¯t find your presence offensive,¡± remarked Eckmond, ¡°Of course, as long as your power is sufficient, you might as well stroll through Shendiravir as if it¡¯s a brothel.¡± ¡°What are you chatting about? You seem happy.¡± Lancelot¡¯s voice came from outside the window, and as everyone turned their heads, they saw his silhouette flash by, now standing by the window. ¡°Boss! You¡¯re back!¡± Eckmond floated over, excited, ¡°Boss is awesome, strolling around the wilderness of the Abyss at night without any trouble!¡± ¡°Because the wilderness roams with only Low Level Demons, I hardly encountered any danger,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°This trip was very worthwhile though, I gathered quite a bit of intelligence... Wait, where¡¯s Alamir? ¡°He¡¯s soaking in the bathtub,¡± Bruto said with a scornful expression, ¡°These Elves really have too many issues.¡± ¡°He¡¯s conducting a ritual to pray to Lady Fire, which requires cleansing one¡¯s body, standing in water in a pond or bathtub, gazing at an illuminated mirror,¡± Kalalin reminded kindly, ¡°Don¡¯t forget where we crawled out from last night. It¡¯s normal for him to take a longer bath. Besides, without his Divine Arts, you would have become an ice sculpture by now.¡± ¡°His Divine Arts are indeed useful,¡± Bruto admitted reluctantly, ¡°but I will never worship a deity that requires its followers to bathe every day!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t bathe, love is less likely to favor you,¡± Alamir¡¯s cheerful voice rang as the neatly dressed Elf walked out of the bathroom, ¡°Ah! Lancelot, you¡¯re back already? Any good news?¡±@@@@ Chapter 165 - 165 - 159: How the Priest Became Stronger Chapter 165 ¨C 159: How the Priest Became Stronger ¡°You seem to be in good spirits,¡± Lancelot observed with amazement as he looked at the Elf, who was positively radiant and whose aura seemed to have grown stronger. ¡°What could be more affirming of love¡¯s greatness than the redemption granted by Elothysia? I prayed to the Goddess to grant me the strength to save this poor Succubus,¡± Alamir declared with a look of devoutness, ¡°and I have received the Goddess¡¯s blessing.¡± ¡°Just to wish you good luck?¡± Eckmond flew in a circle around the Elf, ¡°Even I can feel that you have changed quite noticeably.¡± ¡°The Goddess has also bestowed upon me new Divine Arts and power,¡± Alamir could not contain the smile on his face, ¡°Now I am capable of casting fourth-circle Divine Arts.¡± ¡°Damn!¡± Kalalin couldn¡¯t help but swear, ¡°Mages need to do a lot of research, experimentation, and practice to achieve a higher level of spellcasting, and us talentless hacks have to waste countless expensive scroll materials. But you, you Divine Art Casters, merely through ceremonies and prayers ...¡± ¡°And devotion,¡± Alamir said with a grin looking at Kalalin, ¡°What is most important is that you sincerely believe in the ideals your deity stands for and do your utmost to enact His will. The Lady of Flame is the Goddess of Love and Beauty, and her domain is life. Our actions of slaying that mountain of corpses monster and saving the Succubus Paladin are what pleased the Goddess, which is why She was so generous to me.¡± ¡°I see, I¡¯ll have to have a good talk with Uncle Vito, to see what specific demands the Father God has for us,¡± Bruto sighed, ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t include having to take a bath every day.¡±@@@@ Everyone laughed at the Dwarf¡¯s comment, and then Lancelot briefed the group on what he had discovered in his reconnaissance, especially about that mysterious Tiflin merchant. ¡°How irritating, using my name,¡± Eckmond muttered discontentedly, ¡°Judging by what he¡¯s done, he¡¯s definitely no good fellow.¡± ¡°We absolutely cannot let Elothysia fall into the hands of that Guarado,¡± stated Alamir with a tense expression, ¡°We should set out right away!¡± Arriving under a stretch of abandoned wall, Lancelot closed his eyes and sensed his surroundings, ensuring there was no one around. He then quickly formed several spell gestures and cast a Protective Barrier to isolate sound and block Divine Sense detection. ¡°Where did you learn these amazing spells?¡± Kalalin asked curiously as she watched Lancelot, ¡°I¡¯m quite certain they aren¡¯t cast through the Magic Net.¡± ¡°The power of these spells indeed comes from within me,¡± Lancelot nodded, offering no further explanation. The next spell he cast was much more familiar to Kalalin¡ªthe Mount Technique. From a Scholar¡¯s perspective, it appeared that Lancelot relied wholly on precise gestures and incantations to mimic the casting process of this magic, but the wondrous part was, the Magic Net actually recognized his method of casting. Though the Mount Technique was merely a 1st-level spell, Lancelot had managed to complete it despite having no understanding of its principles. It was like an illiterate person, who by using pictorial memory alone, managed to transcribe an article¡ªif his imitation was accurate enough, anyone who understood the script could comprehend what he wrote. Here, the so-called reader was the Magic Net, which was why Lancelot could cast spells. As the Human Knight completed his spell, the warhorse with a mane, tail, and hooves aflame with fire appeared once more. Everyone knew that this creature was a Nightmare, whose noble Pegasus ancestors had been transformed into their current form by a vile and cruel Fiendish ritual. Upon its arrival, the Nightmare, in habit, snapped at the one who summoned it, only to be met with a prepared punch from Lancelot and knocked down to the ground. The Demonic warhorse whimpered as it got up, head lowered subserviently, hooves nervously tapping the ground. Somehow, Lancelot could vaguely understand its intent¡ªessentially, it was submitting to him, suggesting that he hadn¡¯t been called upon in so long it failed to recognize him immediately. ¡°Haha, you rascal,¡± Lancelot chuckled as he rubbed its neck, ¡°I¡¯m going to... give you a bit of a power-up.¡± The Abyssal creature looked on, puzzled, but Lancelot simply placed his hand on its forehead and slowly began to channel his True Qi, apologetically whispering to the Nightmare, ¡°This might hurt a bit, bear with it.¡± Chapter 166 - 166 - 160 Lancelot’s Ability Chapter 166 ¨C 160 Lancelot¡¯s Ability The familiar feeling came again, various ways to modify this creature and the energy required appeared in his Divine Sense, much clearer than when he had promoted Dingke. Lancelot did not choose the method of transformation for advancement; instead, he strengthened the creature¡¯s existing form. True Qi from the Abyss¡¯s spiritual energy of nature slowly flowed into the Nightmare¡¯s body, then naturally into each of its meridians. The Abyssal Warhorse seemed to feel very comfortable, contently flicking its tail. ¡°Here it comes.¡± The amount of True Qi that Lancelot was channeling suddenly burst forth, and the Nightmare let out a piercing neigh as its body violently exploded into a mist of blood. True Qi, like a bursting dam, overflowed from its meridians and eagerly transformed the creature¡¯s flesh and blood. What followed was a scene both bloody and cruel, yet it was not Lancelot¡¯s first time witnessing such a sight. Muscles that suddenly grew large tore through the skin, only to be quickly pierced by thickening bones; its skull split open like an overripe watermelon, revealing the bubbling, boiling brain matter inside. The tumbling flesh incessantly healed newly-formed wounds, and the rising blood mist, ignited by the leaked energy, enveloped its entire body in flames. Gradually, the pain within the Nightmare¡¯s cries lessened, and in Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception, its energy began to climb rapidly. In the end, it raised its front hooves high and let out a resonant roar. Flames on either side of it morphed into a pair of enormous wings, and the Nightmare curiously flapped them, a sense of strange familiarity flooding its mind, as if it was always meant to have these wings. But as the strengthening process completed, the flames slowly retracted into its body, and the Nightmare calmed down. While it could not speak, the Abyssal Warhorse actually possessed the intelligence of a normal person. It understood what had happened to itself and was deeply impressed by the abilities of its ¡¯master¡¯¡ªthe creature had already accepted Lancelot as its master in its mind, but its instincts compelled it to resist a little. The proud beast raised its hoof toward Lancelot, only to find itself somehow already on the ground, with the master¡¯s knee pressing against its head. ¡°Any other issues?¡± Lancelot asked, knowing that the other could understand. The Nightmare blinked at Lancelot, the message could not be clearer. ¡°Must we do this every time?¡± Lancelot moved his knee away with a sense of resignation, while the Nightmare¡¯s expression seemed wronged, as if Lancelot had made an egregiously unfair request. ¡°No! Not at all! What are you thinking about!¡± Lancelot helplessly covered his face, ¡°I stay at home every night, how would I have any chance...¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true, she could come after we¡¯re all asleep, and since she can directly teleport to the living room, teleporting to your bedroom shouldn¡¯t be a problem either, right?¡± Bruto continued to search for evidence to support his point, ¡°And that soundproofing Spell of yours is quite useful...¡± ¡°There¡¯s really nothing.¡± Lancelot was completely defeated by Bruto¡¯s wild imagination, ¡°I¡¯m still human, if you don¡¯t believe it, ask Alamir.¡± ¡°How could I judge that? I¡¯m just a Priest, and I¡¯m only sensitive to Undead.¡± The Elf Priest said with a mischievous grin, ¡°As long as it¡¯s true love, the fiery lady Goddess will bless you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my own power.¡± Lancelot took out an Earth Crystal, ¡°You all know I can absorb the energy contained within these gemstones. I know you¡¯ve never heard of this, but it¡¯s actually nature¡¯s spiritual energy, a kind of... very special energy. Didn¡¯t Kalalin say before that high-level Demons can use Magic Power to promote Low Rank Demons? I tried it on Dingke, and the result is what you all see now.¡± ¡°Dingke?¡± Bruto blinked in confusion, ¡°What about him?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed it¡¯s more... robust than the typical Quasimodo Demon?¡± Lancelot glanced at the Dwarf helplessly, ¡°Do you believe me now? It has nothing to do with Tijana!¡± ¡°Alright...¡± Bruto nodded reluctantly, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t prove you and Tijana haven¡¯t...¡± ¡°Shut up, will you.¡± Lancelot hoisted the Dwarf up onto the horse and then swung himself up as well, ¡°And you, Alamir, if you say more weird things while we travel, be careful your crotch might catch fire.¡± ¡°Hehe, got it.¡± The Elf Priest grinned mischievously. He didn¡¯t wait for Lancelot to help, lightly leaping to sit on the horse¡¯s rump. Kalalin then cast the Spell to summon his own warhorse, a hot-tempered Nightmare appeared. It lifted its forehooves, aiming to kick at Kalalin, but upon seeing the bulk of Lancelot¡¯s steed, it paused, its hooves awkwardly hanging mid-air, and then slowly retracted them. ¡°See, it¡¯s smarter than you.¡± Lancelot patted the neck of his mount, which let out a dissatisfied snort, as if it disdained its fellow breed¡¯s submission without a fight, while Kalalin quickly climbed into the saddle, pulling Koula up too. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s set off.¡± The Human Knight looked toward the southwest, ¡°A helpless lady is waiting for us to rescue her.¡± Chapter 167 - 167 - 161 Camping Chapter 167 ¨C 161 Camping Five people plus a skull was a significant burden for creatures like Nightmares. After running continuously for eight hours and covering a distance of about 150 miles, these two pitiful creatures finally found relief and returned to their original dimension. ¡°Go back and eat something good. We¡¯ll continue tomorrow.¡± Lancelot instructed his mount, whose glance at Lancelot before leaving was filled with despair. By then, night had already fallen. The group found a cave occupied by a group of Coward Devils. After Lancelot performed his demonstration of smashing a boulder with his iron fist, those Low-Rank Demons immediately fled. Lancelot briefly sensed the surroundings to confirm that there were no powerful creatures nearby, but both Kalalin and Alamir had their own methods. The Elf Priest cast a Divine Art to detect good and evil, confirming there were no hidden Fiends or Undead nearby, nor was there any curse present. This first-circle Divine Art could also detect Angels or blessed land, but such things were unlikely to be encountered in the wilderness of the Abyss. Kalalin then cast a warning Spell. This simple first-circle Spell could last for eight hours. Any creature larger than a rat that approached their campsite in the cave would trigger a clear ringing of bells, even if the creature was invisible, making it a good support tool for Adventurers camping in the wilderness. After ensuring the cave¡¯s safety, Lancelot pulled the camping materials out of his Dimensional Bag. He now had two Dimensional Bags; the smaller one he used for his gear and personal belongings, while the larger one had become the team¡¯s storage, filled with rolled-up bedding, tents, fuel for the fire, and various tools. Together, the group lit a campfire, laid out their sleeping rolls, and comfortably settled down. Kalalin cast a first-circle Spell that was said to repel insects. Koula set up a small pot over the fire, beginning to prepare dinner for those who needed to eat. A pendant with Elothysia¡¯s portrait hung around Lancelot¡¯s neck. It had begun to heat up a few hours ago, signaling that they were getting closer to the Succubus Paladin. Lancelot had already informed everyone that the battle was likely to erupt tomorrow, so they needed to make thorough preparations tonight. Bruto took out a set of blacksmith tools and maintained the equipment for Lancelot and Alamir. Koula, while preparing dinner, was also concocting some unknown potions; there was no strict distinction between the two since Lancelot had seen the Halfling pour liquid from a potion bottle into the pot on more than one occasion. Meanwhile, Alamir took out a small mirror and prayed devoutly to his god. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± ¡°If the succubus uses that ability, it¡¯s best used on you,¡± Kalalin shrugged. ¡°If you are stunned and stand still, I believe Lancelot can pull you back in time. Besides, resistance to this spell depends on physique, and I think you have a great chance, and your cloak should also help a bit. Read latest stories on Even if you really get hit by it, the demons wouldn¡¯t be able to find your neck, and snapping your waist is almost impossible, as it is way too thick.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too dangerous,¡± Lancelot shook his head reluctantly. ¡°There must be another way.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a good plan,¡± Bruto shook his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s do that. You¡¯ve already saved me more than once, I trust you.¡± The dwarf¡¯s unreserved trust was very moving, but Lancelot had no intention of letting his companions take such risks. He shook his head again and spoke: ¡°There must be a more reliable method. How do they cast this spell? Do they need to chant a spell? Maybe I can interrupt it in time.¡± ¡°Very difficult,¡± Kalalin spread his hands. ¡°They just need to utter a powerful word to crush the target¡¯s will. Since the succubus often deals with mortals, there has been a lot of research on them, and most past records indicate that defeating this kind of demon usually relies on having superior numbers. There aren¡¯t many other ways.¡± ¡°Numerical advantage, huh...¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, about to say something, but his expression suddenly changed. He looked up toward the cave entrance. Frostslash had, unknowingly, appeared in his hand. Accompanied by a series of crisp bell sounds, a Tiflin with dark red skin and wearing a fancy robe entered their campsite in the cave, the same mysterious visitor who had appeared at that mercenary camp before. ¡°Who are you?¡± Lancelot asked first. Having sensed the approach of the other party in advance, he had already adjusted his expression to appear as though he had never seen the other before. Chapter 168 - 168 - 162: The Mysterious Person Returns Chapter 168 ¨C 162: The Mysterious Person Returns ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, everyone,¡± the Tiflin merchant said with an extremely insincere smile, ¡°My name is Eckmond, and I am here to talk business with you.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have anything you want, and I believe you don¡¯t have anything we want either,¡± Lancelot said cautiously, while others glanced indifferently at someone with the same name, only to find that the latter was lying motionless in the shadow of a corner just like an ordinary skull. ¡°That might not be the case,¡± the Tiflin said as he casually sat down in front of the campfire, ¡°Hmm! What is this, it smells really good!¡± ¡°Stygian River mixed fish soup, with my secret seasoning.¡± Koula ladled a small bowl and handed it carefully to the visitor, ¡°Would you like to try some?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± The mysterious merchant accepted the bowl eagerly, tilting his head back to gulp it down, and then gave Koula a thumbs-up in approval, ¡°The soup tastes even better than it smells. Now, since I have eaten your food and shared your campfire, according to the laws set by the gods, we cannot harm each other in this cave. So, can you put away your weapon now, Mr. Knight?¡± ¡°The gods have no interest in meddling with the affairs of this dump,¡± Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception was going off frantically, but at that moment he could only pretend to stay composed and say, ¡°I accept your good will, but we are under no obligation to promise you anything.¡± ¡°I was hoping for a warmer welcome,¡± the Tiflin shrugged indifferently, ¡°Since that¡¯s how it is, I¡¯ll get straight to the point. You are here for the Succubus Paladin, right? There¡¯s no need to deny it, there are more competitors within a hundred miles than you can count on both hands, but I am not one of them.¡± ¡°Then why are you looking for us?¡± Lancelot inquired, though he had a clear idea why. ¡°I told you, I am here to negotiate,¡± the deep-red-skinned uninvited guest said, the insincere smile returning to his face, ¡°Suppose, just suppose, if you are lucky enough to capture that Succubus Paladin, how do you plan to deal with her?¡± ¡°Naturally, we will hand her over to whoever offers us a reward that satisfies us the most,¡± Lancelot answered ambiguously. ¡°So what would satisfy you? Endless riches? Powerful weapons? Exquisite beauties?¡± The smile on the Tiflin¡¯s face grew even more resplendent, ¡°We can provide all of these, as long as you hand her over to me...¡± ¡°We don¡¯t even know who you are, why should we believe you have the ability to fulfill these promises?¡± Bruto interjected from the side, ¡°We were just discussing those tricks of seducing demons...¡± ¡°Oh! You say that, but we can sign a contract, with our souls as the guarantee for fulfilling the contract!¡± The Tiflin was almost too eager as he pulled out several Parchment scrolls from his pocket, ¡°You can read these terms carefully, just write down whatever reward you want, and sign your name in the corner!¡± ¡°That Tiflin has left, and it¡¯s the same one I saw yesterday.¡± ¡°Just who is this guy?¡± Bruto scratched his head, ¡°And his name... Hmm? Where¡¯s Eckmond?¡± ¡°Right here.¡± The skull¡¯s weak voice came from the corner, ¡°For some reason, I felt extremely scared of him, the kind of fear I couldn¡¯t control.¡± ¡°Did any memories awaken for you?¡± Kalalin asked with concern, aware of the skull¡¯s memory situation. ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s strange, not at all,¡± Eckmond¡¯s eyes showed a puzzled look, ¡°but I¡¯m sure I know him...¡± ¡°Maybe you do know him, just not in that form,¡± Lancelot conjectured, ¡°When he took out those parchments, I couldn¡¯t help but make some associations...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure; maybe that¡¯s what he wants people to think,¡± Kalalin shook his head, ¡°Everyone knows that Demons fulfill their contracts, and Devils sometimes pretend to be agents of Demons, those words hold no sway over them.¡± ¡°After we rescue Elothysia, we must leave immediately, without wasting a moment,¡± Lancelot said as he took out the amulet bearing the emblem of Twin Bridges Town, ensuring the magic item was functioning properly. ¡°Our answers just now were okay, right? We didn¡¯t inadvertently agree to any terms, did we?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have, right?¡± Scholar responded subconsciously before confirming with certainty after a moment, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Explore hidden tales at Novgo ¡°Boss, your answer was perfect,¡± Eckmond interjected, ¡°Saying to pay with what pleases you the most sounds very specific, but in fact, you didn¡¯t mention what would please you. He thinks you¡¯re after wealth or treasures, but you could just say that seeing the Succubus returned to her lover would be the most satisfying outcome.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I meant,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°But his last sentence might have been his real intent. He wanted to lead as many mercenaries as possible to attack the convoy escorting Elothysia, simply using these mercenaries as cannon fodder to exhaust the escort¡¯s strength and magic.¡± ¡°Then his wishful thinking is wrong,¡± Bruto raised his hammer and roared, ¡°We may not be the first to launch an attack, but we will definitely be the last!¡± Chapter 169: 163 Mantis Stalking Cicada Chapter 169: 163 Chapter Mantis Stalking Cicada The remaining part of the night passed peacefully. The next morning, fully rested, they set off again, still traveling on two demons steeds, carrying all five of them.@@@@ The team did not rush as they had the day before, but instead proceeded at a relatively stable pace. They wanted to remain as inconspicuous as possible to avoid encountering others who had designs on the Succubus Paladin prematurely. The low-level demons roaming around caused no hindrance; the very presence of the Nightmares was enough to make them keep their distance. In fact, these demon steeds were mounts for many High Rank Demons¡ªwhile a newly born Prime Demon might not understand what such a fiery-hoofed beast signified, a Coward Devil carried memories of being chased by such creatures in its mind. Find your next read on Lancelot handed the reins over to Bruto and closed his eyes, using Spirit Perception to sense the creatures nearby. The practice from their journey to Oasis Fort proved useful, allowing him to sense and avoid stronger life forms within a mile radius in advance. Guided by a Magic Pendant, they could maneuver extensively across the barren plains without worrying about losing their way. By the afternoon, the group had covered a distance of about a hundred miles; by then, the pendant had grown very hot against Lancelot¡¯s chest, feeling like a warm water bottle, signifying that their target was very close now. As they passed a low hill, Lancelot called a halt to the group. ¡°Let¡¯s rest here,¡± the Human Knight suggested as he rode to the top of the small hill and looked towards the south, ¡°It won¡¯t be long before the team escorting Elothysia passes by here; we can take the opportunity to observe the situation of our target.¡± Everyone quickly dismounted and set up a makeshift camp in the shadow of the hill. They did not light a fire, as that could draw unwanted attention; they simply rested on the spot to recover the energy expended from their travels. After waiting for about half an hour, Lancelot, who had been meditating, suddenly changed his expression and stood up. ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± Bruto, who was somewhat bored, was the first to notice Lancelot¡¯s change and immediately grabbed his hammer. ¡°The target is nearing,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go up and have a look, and be careful to stay hidden.¡± Everyone looked in the direction he was facing, but could see nothing, thus they looked at Lancelot with questioning eyes. ¡°Hold off for now,¡± the Human Knight¡¯s voice arose directly at everyone¡¯s ear. ¡°Someone is coming.¡± The dull sound of hooves gradually came from afar, causing the demons responsible for the transport to panic. However, following several fierce shouts from the leading Serpent Demon, the demons rearranged their formation, preparing for battle. The one coming fiercely from the north was none other than the mercenary group led by Guarado. This giant-like Barbarian was riding a huge Winter Wolf, strutting at the forefront of the troop. The mercenaries quickly intercepted in front of the demon¡¯s troop, and Guarado stepped forward and said loudly: ¡°Although it¡¯s hardly necessary, I still have to say, if you¡¯d willingly hand over that cage to us, I might just let you live,¡± the Barbarian chuckled at his own words, ¡°I mean, it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Foolish mortals,¡± the six-armed Serpent Demon¡¯s weapons scraped against each other as it responded coldly. ¡°With just you?¡± ¡°True, you have more arms than I do, but how many can you handle at once?¡± the Mercenary Leader said with a brutal smile. ¡°Listen up, brothers! A bounty of five thousand for slicing off an arm of this Serpent Demon, and thirty thousand for the one who beheads her! Charge!¡± ¡°Ullah!¡± ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill!¡± ¡°Charge!¡± ¡°Magrubiyeh! Witness my glory!¡± Chapter 170 - 170 - 164: Watching the Fire from Across the River Chapter 170 ¨C 164: Watching the Fire from Across the River Accompanied by the explosion of the Fireball thrown by the two-headed Ogre, the red-eyed mercenaries surged forward like a tide, attacking the Demons that were escorting the Succubus Paladin. For Lancelot and his companions, the scene evoked a distinct feeling, these mercenaries, for merely thirty thousand Gold Coins, dared to attack a six-armed Serpent Demon? Perhaps the numerical advantage gave them confidence; indeed, it seemed so. The Berserk Demon infantry were immediately embroiled in a bitter struggle, and two Succubi were surrounded. The weapons these mercenaries wielded were also peculiar; the ¡¯gift¡¯ from the Tiflin merchant appeared to specifically counteract the Demons¡¯ Innate Armor, creating deep, bleeding wounds with a mere scratch. But when a few mercenaries actually launched their attack on the seemingly injured Serpent Demon, the situation reversed in an instant. A few flashes of cold light, and in a blink, several dismembered bodies lay on the ground. Lancelot, hiding aside, was closely observing the enemy¡¯s movements. He noticed that when the Serpent Demon attacked, all its arms swung at once, and even though such attacks seemed bewildering, Lancelot saw that the strikes from the arms on the same side of its body all aimed at common points. To an experienced Swordsman, such sword moves were not unblockable. But among these mercenaries, there was no such Swordsman. The battle seemed to pause for a moment, everyone shocked by the carnage the Serpent Demon caused in an instant. A few mercenaries who had planned to join the siege abruptly halted, as if a bucket of cold water named death had been poured over their heads, startling them awake from their daydreams of how to spend their bounty in revelry. But the Serpent Demon Ashap would not stand still. She stretched her sword-holding arms, flinging the blood off her weapon, her massive tail slithering forward along the ground, a sight enough to awake the deepest fears in the hearts of mortals. Two humans watched the Serpent Demon approach, but their trembling legs were unable to move, as if bound hand and foot like living sacrifices, waiting in place for their imminent fate. Cold light flashed, and two more heaps of shattered bodies joined the others on the ground. The Demons¡¯ morale rose with the Serpent Demon¡¯s performance, while clear wavering appeared among the mercenaries. The less intelligent Ogres continued to fight fiercely, while the more ¡¯clever¡¯ humans and Zoel had already begun to attack with less conviction. ¡°A bunch of trash!¡± The moment he made contact with the ground, the Barbarian executed a skillful breakfall, rolling to dissipate most of the force, and then he stood up. Transformed, the Barbarian had become a Giant, standing more than twice the height of the Serpent Demon, looking like a deity. He took two steps forward in a sprint, then leaped fiercely, launching a sky-covering assault on the Serpent Demon. This exaggerate attack, of course, could not hit the nimble Serpent Demon. Despite being severely injured, she barely rolled to the side, avoiding the blow. ¡°You¡¯re quick on your feet, but how many times can you dodge?¡± The Mercenary Leader felt a great power coursing through his body, a feeling he relished immensely, and he couldn¡¯t wait to vent the destructive urge in his heart. A Berserk Demon focused on brawling with two Gray Dwarves became his victim. The Giant¡¯s hand scooped up the Berserk Demon, then, grabbing one of the frog¡¯s legs with one hand, he tore the unfortunate Demon in half. He himself hadn¡¯t noticed, but the Serpent Demon, with her True Sight eyes, saw that the wolf-head tattoo on his chest had transformed into a Demon¡¯s head. ¡°Fool, the stench of Barto on you makes me sick,¡± the six-armed Serpent Demon chuckled coldly, and then, in a flash, vanished from the spot. ¡°Hahaha! Coward! You actually ran away!¡± Guarado was stunned for a moment, then burst into triumphant laughter. He looked towards the prisoner cart, ready to claim his spoils of war, only to find the figure of the Serpent Demon appearing beside the camel-like beast pulling the cart. ¡°Think being big is impressive?¡± said the Serpent Demon with a sneer, casually unfastening the frame attached to the beast, ¡°How about something bigger to play with?¡± Lancelot immediately sensed a very familiar magical fluctuation emanating from the beast, the same kind felt when wearing the Transformation Ring. ¡°Roar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± A deafening roar erupted, and where the camel-like creature had lain, there was now a giant Demon over fifteen feet tall. This Demon had bull-like massive horns, a gorilla-like build, and thick red hair all over its body, blazing like flames. Lancelot recognized it as the Giant Bull Demon, a terrifying Demon that could be used as a siege weapon, with strength even greater than that of the six-armed Serpent Demon. These simple-minded Demons, misfits among the ruthlessly evil, often seemed somewhat straightforward, with many Abyssal Lords even keeping them as pets. Your journey continues on Chapter 171 - 171 - 165 The Price of Power Chapter 171 ¨C 165 The Price of Power The Giant Bull Demon, freed from its restraints, immediately knew who its enemy was¡ªthe giant nearly as tall as itself. With a roar of fury, the Demon charged on all fours, its antlers aimed at the Barbarian like an enraged bull. An enraged bull weighing over ten thousand pounds. Guarado cursed aloud, but the proud Barbarian refused to dodge, instead raising his heavy hammer high and smashing it down with precise timing. The heavy head of the hammer struck the Giant Bull Demon¡¯s spine, but the Demon¡¯s terrifying body withstood the attack and drove its spear-like horns into the Barbarian¡¯s ribs, lifting him off the ground. ¡°Eckmond,¡± Lancelot called softly to the skeletal head, ¡°do you think you can hold the Giant Bull Demon¡¯s attention?¡± ¡°Ah? Me?¡± Eckmond was surprised, but after thinking for a moment, he understood Lancelot¡¯s intention, ¡°Seems not impossible, as long as I can hold it off, right? I¡¯m so little, it won¡¯t be easy for that big guy to hit me.¡± ¡°Then, leave the mightiest enemy to you in a moment.¡± Lancelot continued to survey the remaining enemies. One Serpent Demon was already dead, another was heavily wounded, so he said to Alamir: ¡°Elf, that Serpent Demon with only half a claw left is yours, no problem, right?¡± ¡°Right,¡± the Elf Priest replied succinctly, eyes eagerly fixed on his target. ¡°Bruto, aren¡¯t you the toad slayer? Make sure no Berserk Demon distracts me when I fight that Serpent Demon.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just hold on for one minute, and I¡¯ll be able to help you!¡± ¡°Very good,¡± Lancelot finally turned to the Scholar and the Cook, ¡°Kalalin, just stay put later, at most use some Illusion Techniques to help Eckmond, and do not reveal your position at all. Koula, if anything happens, drink your Mutagen and run with Kalalin.¡± The two nodded understandingly; they had no objections to Lancelot¡¯s arrangements.@@@@ With the tactics in place, Lancelot looked back at the battlefield, waiting for the moment to strike. The sharp horn pierced the barbarian¡¯s body once more, then sent him flying. The mercenary leader staggered to his feet, only to feel the strength draining from his body again. ¡°No!¡± he cried in terror, calling out to the voice he had heard just moments ago, ¡°Strength! Give me more strength!¡± ¡°But I already gave you strength, and you agreed to any price.¡± The voice sounded quite pleased, ¡°The payment I want is simple, just your soul. It¡¯s time to repay your debt, so would you be so kind as to die quickly? I¡¯ve already prepared a very suitable collar for you, made out of Winter Wolf teeth. Just a little twist of the neck and it will poke multiple holes...¡± In Lancelot¡¯s severity, the massive bulk of the barbarian began to shrink visibly, until he was not even as tall as he was originally. The flames that had covered his entire body were completely extinguished, and the once vigorous mercenary leader had become a decrepit old man, his withered skin clinging to his gaunt skeleton, like a corpse dug out from a grave. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but the Giant Bull Demon was not interested in listening. The demon lifted its hoof and crushed the detestable enemy underfoot, then twisted on the spot to ensure it ground the foe into a bloody pulp. The mercenaries¡¯ morale collapsed, the demons quickly sniffed out the scent of fear, and death came swiftly upon the mercenaries. Only a troll or two, or rather parts of a troll, managed to escape, but for such creatures that could regenerate any part of their bodies, they had already dodged the fate of death. It was then that Lancelot turned back and gave everyone a signal for action. The Scholar quickly unrolled the Haste Spell scroll he had prepared for a long time. The moment the spell took effect, Lancelot charged out like an arrow released from a bow, closely followed by Bruto and Alamir, each racing towards their targets without a moment¡¯s hesitation. But it was Eckmond who first engaged the enemy, having pretended to be an ordinary skeleton head, rolled close to the Giant Bull Demon. Receiving the command sent by Lancelot through a mental connection, he immediately leaped from the ground and floated in front of the Giant Bull Demon, which was still joyfully twisting its hooves. ¡°Wow! What is this!¡± The skeleton head cried out in surprise, ¡°A big, dumb bull! And so hideously ugly! What happened to your face, did you accidentally kiss a wolf spider?¡± Visit f§Ôeeweb?ove?.c?m for the best novel reading experience. ¡°ROAR!!!!¡± The Giant Bull Demon was instantly enraged and responded to the derogatory remark about its appearance in a straightforward manner: it immediately charged its horns at the annoying skeleton head. Chapter 172 - 172 - 166: Waiting for an Opportunity Chapter 172 ¨C 166: Waiting for an Opportunity But Eckmond was so small that the skull easily dodged the Giant Bull Demon¡¯s charge. In fact, due to his floating nature, even if he had been hit, he would mostly be thrown far away, and wouldn¡¯t suffer much damage as long as he avoided the sharp tips of the antlers, which wasn¡¯t difficult for Eckmond. The situation with the Giant Bull Demon momentarily distracted the Six-Armed Serpent Demon, but in that brief instant, Lancelot had already sped forward with a trailing afterimage, ready to unleash a powerful overhead slash on her unguarded back in the next second. Unfortunately, for safety, their hiding spot behind the little mound was ultimately a bit too far from the battlefield. The Serpent Demon turned around just in time; her four arms crisscrossed, preparing to face this human knight daring to attack her directly. However, the tremendous force transmitted from the opponent¡¯s weapon caused her complexion to drastically change. The Serpent Demon¡¯s strength was not outstanding among demons, and this knight, who had suddenly appeared, was even stronger than her previous enemy. Unable to withstand it with her weapon, she could only twist sharply to the left again. The blade of Frostslash landed on the Serpent Demon¡¯s shoulder. The plate armor, already smashed by a hammer, did nothing to hinder the longsword as Lancelot easily cut off the Serpent Demon¡¯s upper right arm, blood spurting from the cut like a vigorously shaken champagne bottle just opened. Find exclusive stories on But such a loss was completely within Ashap¡¯s tolerance. That arm had already been disabled in a fight against barbarians, and it actually helped her get rid of an encumbrance. The loss of a limb wasn¡¯t a fatal injury for her, as the demon¡¯s physique could quickly heal the wound. Once the fight was over and she returned to her lair, she had ways to regenerate the lost limbs. Lancelot was also not satisfied with this result, but as an experienced warrior, he knew exactly what to do. As he had done thousands of times before, he took a step forward with his right foot and unleashed a swift horizontal slash with his longsword.@@@@ The flash of the sword sliced through the air, only stirring the residual afterimage left by the Serpent Demon. The Human Knight had already witnessed the Serpent Demon¡¯s teleportation ability. His spirit perception sensed the magical fluctuations behind him, and his body instinctively rolled forward while flipping the sword back, just evading two longswords swung by the Serpent Demon. ¡°Just a knight trying to save the damsel,¡± shrugged Lancelot, taking small steps towards the demon¡¯s weaker right side, ¡°You couldn¡¯t possibly rely solely on having more arms without ever practicing real swordsmanship, could you?¡± As he spoke, the human knight¡¯s foot stomped down heavily, and his body charged forward like a crossbow bolt. His longsword transformed into a whirlwind overhead, sweeping towards the Serpent Demon like a storm. The man and the demon clashed again, and blood occasionally burst forth, heavily splattering on the ground and emitting a sizzling corrosive noise. Not far from them, Alamir was also engaging with the seductive demon. Although the elf¡¯s foe had already exhausted all its magic and was critically injured, this was still a terrifying beast nearly ten feet tall and weighing close to 5,000 pounds. If not for the plate armor carefully crafted by Uncle Barrend, Alamir could not have withstood five strikes from this demon. But whenever the Priest seized an opening to hammer the demon¡¯s arm or claw, the beast would let out a ghastly scream. This was due to the Hammer of Dissolution in his hand, a magic weapon endowed with radiant damage¡ªdemons¡¯ bane. The flesh around the struck area would ¡¯flow¡¯ off the demon¡¯s body like melting wax. Knowing its end was near, the seductive demon furiously waved its half-broken pincers, while its opponent held up a shield emblazoned with Shuni¡¯s emblem, standing firm against the fierce attacks. On the other end of the battlefield, Bruto darted about like an eel among several Berserk Demons. His combat style seemed naturally able to counter these monsters whose height was twice his own. The Berserk Demons found it exceedingly difficult to hit this ball-like guy, and once he slipped beneath them, the next second was followed by the cringe-inducing sound of shattered joints. Bruto quickly took down one Berserk Demon but didn¡¯t rush to end its life; instead, he turned to deal with the next one. No demon was interested in helping its seriously injured kin, and the one with its knees and elbows shattered could do nothing but wail and cry in pain. There¡¯s a saying: you might get a wrong name but never a wrong nickname, Bruto Toadkiller Frostforge, the reliable Berserk Demon bane! As for the Giant Bull Demon, Eckmond had already pulled it out of sight, but the group could still hear Eckmond¡¯s voice coming from afar. The Mimir, with a brain filled with an encyclopedia of swear words didn¡¯t stop for a moment, provoking the Giant Bull Demon¡¯s anger in various creative ways. Chapter 173 - 173 - 167: The Invisible Blade Chapter 173 ¨C 167: The Invisible Blade Even demons seldom dared to insult the immense strength and simple-mindedness of a Giant Bull Demon. When they became enraged, even an Abyssal Lord found it difficult to calm such thick-skinned creatures, and most demons were an easy target for the Giant Bull Demon¡¯s aim. Fortunately for Eckmond, the largest part of him was his voice. Thus, although it seemed extremely perilous, the task of the skull-head was not particularly difficult. The only problem was that Eckmond¡¯s creativity was nearly exhausted; several adjectives had been repeated numerous times by the group. Nonetheless, the skull-head had successfully driven the powerful yet stupid demon into a complete frenzy, and no matter how desperately Ashap called to it with psychic signals, the Giant Bull Demon showed no response. Although her opponent had only a longsword, the myriad Sword Shadows overwhelmed her four arms. The Human Knight¡¯s attacks were relentless like waves, and any slight gap in the Serpent Demon¡¯s defense was met by lightning-fast strikes of his longsword, creating gruesome wounds on the Serpent Demon¡¯s body. Your next chapter is on Ashap finally realized something unusual about the weapon; the blade was excessively sharp, and it even seemed to contain some kind of chill that suppressed the healing of her wounds. The Human Knight in front of her was more troublesome than she had anticipated. Under normal conditions, when she was in good shape and all her limbs were intact, he might not have been a problem, but now she couldn¡¯t handle him on her own. The Serpent Demon began to defend with all her might while silently calling for help to arrive. Many demons of Tanari have the ability to summon their kind. When a call for help is sent out, some random demons in the Multiverse receive the summon and can directly perceive the situation of the caller, deciding whether to answer the call. Although this ability can summon powerful allies, most demons are reluctant to use it unless absolutely necessary because of the rules of the Bottomless Abyss, which mean that the caller owes a ¡¯favor¡¯ to the summoned demon¡ªa debt that must be sufficiently repaid, even if the other party is an enemy.@@@@ However, the more powerful the demon, the higher the probability that their call for help will be answered. The Serpent Demon, a rare leader among demons and a figure capable of rallying other demons, was not often refused the opportunity to owe a ¡¯favor¡¯. To her surprise, not a single demon responded to her summons¡ªnone at all. Some beings reached out with their spiritual power, but they seemed to see something terrifying and immediately fell silent. Agonizing pain shot through her, and inside, the Serpent Demon cursed Lancelot with the most venomous words, but her plan was still successful. Seizing the moment her wrists were severed, the Demon triggered Teleportation Technique again, leaving behind only two palms still clutching the sword, dropping toward the ground at the speed of freefall. But Lancelot was already very familiar with the fluctuations of Teleportation Magic, and before the severed palms of the Serpent Demon hit the ground, he had already rushed toward an unoccupied direction. In the next instant, the figure of the Serpent Demon appeared in front of him. This kind of demon needed only a simple movement to activate the Teleportation Technique, whose disadvantage was the limited teleportation distance, at most about a hundred feet. In most cases, the Serpent Demon would use this ability to suddenly appear behind her opponent, rarely relying on this short-distance teleportation to escape. But if she used this ability continuously, she could quickly leave the battlefield. The Six-Armed Serpent Demon swiftly looked back to find that although the Human Knight was charging furiously toward her, he was still about thirty feet away, definitely too late to prevent another teleportation. Lancelot suddenly thrust out his Longsword. The Serpent Demon thought the Human Knight intended to make a throwing attack, sneering coldly in her heart, her movements uninterrupted, ready to teleport again. But suddenly a stinging pain in her back stole all her strength. The Serpent Demon struggled to lower her head and saw a huge hole in her chest, as if pierced by a Ballista from the city walls. The spotty blood traces sketched out the shape of the Sword Blade, slowly fading away along with her Life Force. ¡°What is this... Technique?¡± The Six-Armed Serpent Demon no longer had the chance to understand the answer to that question, as Lancelot, utilizing his Innate True Qi, shattered her heart with his Sword Aura, the life source of the Demons and the greatest vulnerability of the Tanari clan. Chapter 174 - 174 - 168: Trap Chapter 174 ¨C 168: Trap ¡°` As the Serpent Demon breathed its last, Lancelot once again felt a strong surge of Spiritual Power being absorbed by him, just like when he had slain the Specter Demon before. Unlike the ¡¯reward¡¯ given by the Lord of Baro, this Spiritual Power was incredibly pure. The Cauldron Immortal Technique started automatically, quickly transforming the Spiritual Power into True Qi, replenishing his nearly empty Dantian Qi Sea. Lancelot was also surprised by this. He had thought that a High Rank Demon like the Six-Armed Serpent Demon would surely have preserved its essence to prevent accidental death in the Abyss, but now, it seemed that the phenomenon of absorbing Spiritual Power occurred, suggesting that not everyone knew the Dharma Method to conserve essence. ¡°Eckmond, you¡¯re still alive, right?¡± Lancelot called out through their mental link, ¡°We¡¯ve taken care of things here. How about you?¡± ¡°Uh, you¡¯re okay, boss?¡± Eckmond¡¯s voice sounded quite perplexed, ¡°Something strange just happened. That big dumb ox suddenly ignored me and ran off.¡± ¡°Ran off?¡± Lancelot grew tense upon hearing this, ¡°It didn¡¯t head our way, did it?¡± ¡°No, no, it went in a different direction,¡± Eckmond hurriedly explained, ¡°Most likely that Serpent Demon had used some sort of control spell on it. That dumb ox was probably playing dumb just now, acting along with me.¡± ¡°As long as it didn¡¯t come this way, never mind it then. Come back here first,¡± Lancelot said with a shrug and walked towards the prison cart holding the Succubus. Through the gaps in the cage, one could see the Succubus inside with eyes tightly closed, as if she had fainted, showing no reaction to Lancelot¡¯s approach. The Coward Devils that pulled the cart were all cowering to one side, their eyes filled with fear and despair. The crowd also gathered around, looking at the metal bars thicker than Bruto¡¯s arms and couldn¡¯t help but feel at a loss. Lancelot attempted to cut through with the Sword Aura emitted by his Innate True Qi, but the results were disappointing. The Sword Aura only left shallow marks on the metal¡¯s surface, and he feared that even if he used up all his Innate True Qi, he would at most be able to cut through half of it. He suddenly noticed Bruto looking at him with an odd gaze and couldn¡¯t help but turn his head and ask: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Brother, you really are a monster,¡± the Dwarf sighed, ¡°That¡¯s Mithril, the most expensive and hardest of all metals. And you were able to leave marks on a Mithril object with your bare hands. Honestly, I¡¯m impressed.¡± The collar around the Coward Devil¡¯s neck was not made of mithril. In just a moment, Lancelot had cut through the collar, and as he had expected, a magical light radiated from the demon¡¯s body, indicating the fluctuations of a Transfiguration. When the light dissipated, there stood a Succubus Paladin with black short hair and two horns on her forehead, the very target of their commissioned mission, Elothysia. Seeing the Succubus wrap her huge bat wings tightly around her body, Lancelot promptly pulled out a set of undergarments and armor from his Storage Bag. Then he turned his back politely and signaled to the other flabbergasted companions to do the same. The armor had been taken from the storeroom of the tavern keeper, considering that the Succubus¡¯s gear was most likely not with her, he had grabbed an extra set at that time. Stay connected with Novgo ¡°All done,¡± a weak voice, slightly hoarse, called out. Lancelot turned around and finally saw the complete figure of the renowned Succubus Paladin, Elothysia. Like most Succubi, Elothysia had a charming face and a perfect figure, but unlike the triviality usually associated with Succubi, she exuded a resolute, inviolable aura that made her all the more memorable. ¡°Thank you for rescuing me,¡± the Succubus bowed to the group. ¡°I am Elothysia, as you must already know. You have my husband¡¯s pendant¡ªmay I ask, is he... still alive?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it was your husband who commissioned us through the Fallen Lady to rescue you,¡± Lancelot reassured her, ¡°Let me introduce myself. My name is Lancelot, and these are my companions, and there¡¯s another on his way here...¡± The group introduced themselves to the Succubus, but Bruto could not help asking: ¡°Lancelot, how did you know that Coward Devil was Elothysia? And what about the one in the cage?¡± ¡°It was because of the pendant,¡± Lancelot shrugged. ¡°When I turned to look at you just now, the pendant suddenly got hotter, and when I didn¡¯t, it cooled down a bit. As for the one in the cage...¡± Lancelot drew his Longsword and jabbed it into the cage at the Succubus. The sword went right through the Succubus¡¯s form, and only then did everyone realize it was just an Illusion. ¡°Ashap was convinced no one could open the cage on the spot, so to kidnap me, one would have to take the entire cage away, and thus designed this trap,¡± Elothysia said with disgust as she glanced at the Serpent Demon corpse not far away. ¡°I apologize for my kind¡¯s sense of humor being so cruel.¡± ¡°You needn¡¯t apologize for that; they are not like you,¡± Lancelot shook his head. ¡°We need to leave quickly; this place is not...¡± His words abruptly stopped, and his face turned grim as he turned his head to the side. The sound of clapping came forth; a merchant-dressed Tiflin was applauding, his form gradually appearing from the void. ¡°Ah, that six-armed Serpent Demon was quite cunning, wasn¡¯t it? I didn¡¯t expect it to be you who would end up with the prize,¡± the Tiflin, also known as Eckmond, had a smile all over his face. ¡°And it¡¯s just perfect that you haven¡¯t signed any contracts with me. This is just great.¡± Chapter 175 - 175 - 169: True Face Chapter 175 ¨C 169: True Face ¡°` ¡°Who are you?¡± Elothysia looked at the Tiflin nervously, a longsword she had picked up from the ground now in her hand. ¡°You must have realized how foolish the inherent chaos of the Tanari nature is...and how the path of the Holy Warrior brings you nothing but pain. Not one of those so-called gods is willing to accept you,¡± the Tiflin said, his smile splitting so wide it nearly reached his ears, ¡°Come with me, and I will guide you on a different path, a path to power, prestige, and conquest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a Bartez!¡± The Succubus Paladin¡¯s tone turned icy cold, ¡°In the past I merely disliked you, but now I understand deeply how despicable your ways are. I once foolishly hoped that some divine power could change my nature outright, but now I realize that such a thought was wrong. Goodness must be my own choice, although the process is very painful, only then can true redemption be achieved.¡± ¡°Wonderful. Rational thought, the most powerful weapon in the Multiverse, it seems you have mastered it,¡± the Tiflin¡¯s grin became even more brilliant, ¡°When we have time, I¡¯d be delighted to explain why those hypocritical creeds are utterly meaningless.¡± Just then, the sound of a skull echoed from afar: ¡°Boss, I¡¯m here! How¡¯s it going, hurry and let me meet that charm... ¡± His words cut off the instant he saw the Tiflin, who had already turned his head to look at the skull. ¡°Cromwell?¡± The Tiflin showed a look of surprise, then his smile turned sinister, ¡°What are you doing here? My luck seems to be quite good... ¡± When the Tiflin said the name Cromwell, Lancelot felt an intense shock from the soul bond, followed by an uncontrollable surge of anger. ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless!¡± Lancelot shouted loudly, but the skull had already charged forward like a cannonball. Seemingly blinded by rage, he intended to ram straight into the fray. A nail-headed hammer that appeared out of nowhere sent him flying with a fierce swat, and Lancelot, with quick reflexes, reached out and caught the crack-riddled skull in his arms.@@@@ ¡°Run, boss... run fast... he¡¯s a... ¡± ¡°Truly demonic, to twist black into white. Your cunning words and logic seem sound, but they are merely excuses for your evil deeds,¡± the Human Knight interjected timely, turning towards the Succubus Paladin, ¡°This demon has set a trap with his words; if you listen to him, you¡¯ll be ensnared.¡± ¡°Human, don¡¯t think you¡¯re something special just because you killed a wounded Serpent Demon; I could crush you with a flick of my finger,¡± the Demon glared malevolently at Lancelot, ¡°My logic is flawless; she wishes to protect you out of kindness, but she can only do so by renouncing kindness, proving that benevolence is essentially self-contradictory and meaningless!¡± ¡°Who says that we must abandon goodness to protect us?¡± Lancelot retorted firmly, ¡°You posed the problem, and offer only two options, thus forcing her into this moral dilemma. But there are more choices, you¡¯ve just deliberately hidden them!¡± ¡°Hahahahaha! What choice do you have?¡± The Abyssal Lord of Demon Refinement concealed its insecurity behind loud laughter, as its massive tail thumped heavily against the ground, ¡°Before my absolute power, you have no choice at all!¡± ¡°So you admit it, there is no moral dilemma; your reliance is nothing more than your strength, which far surpasses ours,¡± Lancelot did not back down, ¡°Elothysia, do you understand? Your enemy is this demon, not kindness, not principles, and there¡¯s more...¡± In the hands of the Human Knight, an amulet shimmered like a piece of red jade. ¡°Time is not your enemy.¡± ¡°What is this nonsense?¡± The Demon was confused by the Human¡¯s seemingly gibberish words, but in the next instant, its face changed. Liquid-like flames poured from Lancelot¡¯s hand, rapidly forming a gigantic Teleportation Formation before him. A whip made of fierce flames emerged first, wrapping around the Abyssal Lord of Demon Refinement and yanking it fiercely. The muscles of the Demon bulged as it exerted all its strength to avoid being pulled directly into the Teleportation Formation. However, at the other end of the whip, a massive figure had already used the pulling force to leap from the formation. It stood nearly as tall as the Abyssal Lord of Demon Refinement, also sporting a pair of colossal wings. Explore hidden tales at Novgo Its scar-ridden skin glowed red-hot, and from its blazing eyes shot destructive beams of light. Lancelot gazed in shock at the figure, having speculated about what kind of ally the amulet given to him by the Disfavored Lady might summon, but never had he expected something like this. This was a Barlow Flame Demon, the mortal enemy of the Abyssal Lord of Demon Refinement, the second most powerful demon in the Tanari clan, just below the Abyssal Lord. Chapter 176 - 176 - 170 Flame Demon VS Demon Refinement Chapter 176 ¨C 170 Flame Demon VS Demon Refinement Enjoy exclusive adventures from Novgo Everyone was startled by the Flame Demon summoned by Lancelot, but the Flame Demon didn¡¯t pay them any mind. Clutching the Flame Whip, still bound to the Demon¡¯s body, in its left hand and a Great Sword that gleamed with electrical sparks in its right, it charged directly at the Demon Refinement. Its weapon slashed downward at the enemy¡¯s head. With a thunderous boom, the Flame Demon¡¯s Great Sword collided with the Demon Refinement¡¯s Hardhead Hammer. Flames and electrical arcs shot out in all directions, and the shockwave sent everyone flying backwards. But they all quickly scrambled to their feet; battles like this between top-tier Fiends were not something one saw every day. The Demons¡¯ most proficient ability, flame, was meaningless before the Barlow Demon since the latter was one of the few Demons completely immune to fire. The potent poison in the Demon Refinement¡¯s fangs was equally useless against Tanari. This meant that to defeat the Flame Demon, it had to rely solely on brute physical damage.@@@@ But this Flame Demon displayed astonishing combat skill. After delivering a strike with its sword, it immediately used a teleportation ability similar to the Serpent Demon¡¯s to appear behind its opponent and thrust its sword into the enemy¡¯s unguarded back. The Demon Refinement couldn¡¯t turn around in time and could only fling its tail to block the Flame Demon¡¯s attack, but the latter seemed to have predicted this move, its Great Sword swinging to sever half of the Demon¡¯s tail with ease. ¡°Ahh!!¡± The Demon Refinement cried out in agony, desperately flapping its wings to gain distance, but the Flame Demon¡¯s Whip, like a venomous snake, instantly wrapped around its ankle, yanking the Demon backward with force. The Demon Refinement, flying and unable to gain any leverage, was pulled backward through the air. It twisted its body and swung the Nail-headed Hammer violently, trying to surprise its opponent with a sudden assault. But the Flame Demon had already vanished from its original spot, with nothing behind the Demon. ¡°Uh-oh.¡± These were the Demon Refinement¡¯s last thoughts before death, as the Flame Demon¡¯s Great Sword then cleaved down upon its head. ¡°How is that possible?¡± exclaimed the Succubus nearby, ¡°Aren¡¯t you influenced by Tanari¡¯s evil nature, constantly feeling the urge to do evil?¡± ¡°You must be Elothysia, the Succubus Paladin, it was before her fall that she entrusted me to find out your whereabouts,¡± the man nodded to Elothysia, ¡°When you become powerful enough, you will understand that those urges are in fact the will of the Abyss. A demon¡¯s body is a mold shaped by the Abyss, to twist the soul that it pushes inside. But with a strong will and rational thinking, you can resist Its influence. I know it sounds difficult, but you seem to be managing quite well.¡± ¡°You refer to the Abyssal will as ¡¯It¡¯?¡± Kalalin grew excited, ¡°Does the Abyss really have a personified consciousness?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid only the old crone Cang Ye knows that, and it¡¯s likely not unrelated to her,¡± said the scarred man, shrugging and turning to Lancelot, ¡°What¡¯s this about a Bazu Demon? How did Demons get involved?¡± ¡°It had previously masqueraded as a Tiflin merchant, luring many mercenary groups here. Before we intervened, the escort seemed to have suffered several attacks already,¡± Lancelot looked towards the Succubus, ¡°Am I right?¡± ¡°They had planned to escort me north along the Stygian River, but halfway there, we ran into a Bartez naval force and the Serpent Demon with six arms had no choice but to take a detour,¡± Elothysia glanced nervously at the man with scars, ¡°Since then, mercenaries have been attacking non-stop, every few hours.¡± ¡°Mercenaries?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°It¡¯s said that sacrificing her can bring tremendous power, and many Demon Lords have offered large bounties for Elothysia.¡± ¡°A public bounty? That¡¯s impossible; which lesser Lord would dare to openly oppose Yiltu?¡± Nameless shook his head, ¡°Where did you hear this?¡± ¡°From the owner of a tavern in Instant Fortress...¡± Lancelot began, then paused, suddenly realizing that probably the tavern, too, was a part of the Demon¡¯s trickery, as many mercenary groups had been incited by it to attack the escort team transporting Elothysia. ¡°Hmph, another trick of Bazu Demon?¡± the man, originally a Flame Demon, shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that the Disfavored gave you that amulet, or else this group of schemers would have succeeded again. I can understand why she gave the amulet to you, but it should be returned to her as soon as possible. Take me to her, now.¡± Chapter 177 - 177 - 171 Brother Chapter 177 ¨C 171 Brother ¡°The disfavored lady is visiting a castle of the Demon Lord,¡± Lancelot said with some hesitation, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if a being as powerful as you would be welcome if you went directly there.¡± ¡°What is this Demon Lord¡¯s attitude toward the disfavored?¡± the man asked calmly, looking at the other. ¡°Very respectful.¡± ¡°Then I should have no problem.¡± ¡°I need your promise,¡± Lancelot struggled to overcome the fear in his heart and said firmly, ¡°Promise that you will not do anything harmful to that Demon Lord, or to that town.¡± Everyone was astonished by Lancelot¡¯s courage, but the nameless man merely narrowed his eyes, looking at the knight before him and his companions, and then a smile appeared on his face. ¡°I¡¯m someone who doesn¡¯t like trouble unless someone provokes me first,¡± he said with a look that was almost nostalgic as he looked at these comrades who had fought side by side, ¡°Shall we get going then?¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding,¡± Lancelot breathed a sigh of relief and took out the amulet bearing the emblem of Twin Bridges Town. But then he remembered something and said somewhat awkwardly to the man, ¡°Wait a moment, just give me a minute.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± the scarred man looked at him curiously, the Flame Demon showing far more patience than ordinary demons would. ¡°Collecting the war spoils,¡± Lancelot said with an awkward smile, pulling out the Great Sword Glacier, he swiftly pried the cage from the wagon, and using the dimensional scaling ability of the Dimensional Bag, he stowed the entire metal cage inside. ¡°These are all made of mithril,¡± the dwarf explained, ¡°Great crafting material. Do you need a new weapon or armor?¡± ¡°I once had a companion like that too,¡± the nameless man pointed to the skeleton skull that Bruto was holding in his arms, the latter being what Lancelot had just handed to him, still unconscious. ¡°They are much more tenacious than they appear, not so easy to die.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± Bruto sighed, ¡°This fellow just went crazy all of a sudden, charging at that Abyssal Demon Refiner as if it saw an old enemy.¡± By now, Lancelot had packed away the cage made of mithril. As for the weapons that the mercenaries had been carrying, they decayed rapidly with the death of the demon, no longer holding any value for collection. He didn¡¯t plan on searching through each corpse for their wallets either ¡ª who knows what other trouble might come if they stayed any longer. ¡°Everyone grab onto me,¡± he said, holding the amulet Tijana had given him, then everyone extended their hands to grab his arm or belt. Nameless offered no further explanation, and Tijana did not seem intent on questioning further. Instead, she turned to another unfamiliar face and asked: ¡°So you are the target of our rescue mission then?¡± Although Elothysia was a Holy Warrior, most of her life had been spent as a demon, so she did not show much hostility. Instead, she had been curiously observing Tijana. ¡°That would be me,¡± she nodded with neither humility nor arrogance. ¡°I have long heard of your fame, the Pearl of the Stygian Riverbank, the great Lady Tigana.¡± ¡°All parts of you appear intact, it seems my mercenaries have completed their commission well,¡± Tijana said to the Holy Warrior without particular warmth. ¡°Come with me, the disgraced one anxiously awaits you. Lancelot, you and the others head back first; I will come find you later.¡± ¡°As you command, my lady,¡± Lancelot bowed to Tijana, pretending not to see the joking faces his companions were making. The Succubus Lord gave him a deep look, the smile on her lips betraying her feelings upon seeing the Human Knight. After giving a few instructions to her generals, she led Nameless and Elothysia down a corridor behind the Throne Hall. Moments later, Lancelot and his party also returned to their home at Hagrid Manor. Surprisingly, although it was still early evening, little Isabella was already doing chores. ¡°Ah! Brother Lancelot, are you back?¡± The vampire looked very weak but sounded exceptionally happy. ¡°Hmm... huh? What did you just call me?¡± Isabella¡¯s face turned a deep shade of red as she stammered: ¡°Sorry, sorry, Sir, I mean, I...¡± ¡°That¡¯s just not fair,¡± Bruto grumbled. ¡°You used to call me uncle all the time...¡± ¡°Who told you to grow such a big beard,¡± said Lancelot with a chuckle. ¡°But the sun hasn¡¯t set yet; why have you come out now?¡± ¡°Sir Zalovitch said I must learn to adapt to sunlight,¡± Isabella¡¯s voice became even softer. ¡°If... if I want to go on adventures with Brother Lancelot.¡± Chapter 178 - 178 - 172 Forging Materials Chapter 178 ¨C 172 Forging Materials ¡°Hmm? You want to join us on an adventure?¡± Lancelot was taken aback upon hearing this. Although the little vampire had always been receiving combat training, he had only hoped that she would not be instantly killed within the vicinity of Twin Bridges Town and had never actually considered letting little Isha join them on an adventure. ¡°I have been training very hard,¡± the vampire girl said with a firm gaze toward Lancelot. ¡°I¡¯ve learned how to move silently, and how to climb nearly vertical walls. I¡¯ve also learned how to keep my hands steady, whether I¡¯m holding a weapon or disabling some mechanism. Moreover, Sir Zalovitch has taught me a lot about the traits and weaknesses of Abyss creatures and what to pay attention to when exploring various ruins...¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, but don¡¯t just listen to the stories we tell and think that adventure is fun. It¡¯s really dangerous out there.¡± Lancelot still shook his head. ¡°All of us see you as a dear sister and wouldn¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡± ¡°Brother Lancelot...¡± Isha bit her lip and lowered her head, ¡°I know what it¡¯s like out there, with terrifying beasts and cruel demons, but I don¡¯t want to be alone at home, waiting without knowing when or if you will return...¡± Lancelot fell silent, suddenly becoming aware of her pain. When everyone was out adventuring, they had the companionship of their friends, whereas Isha had nothing. Although she was a vampire, she was not even fifteen years old yet and should not have to endure such agony. ¡°But how can you go out with us?¡± Bruto scratched his head. ¡°I remember Kalalin saying that vampires need to rest in their coffins every once in a while.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Isha hurried to explain. ¡°Just have Sir Lancelot put my wooden box in his Dimensional Bag, and it will be fine. I don¡¯t need to breathe, so I can stay in the Dimensional Bag indefinitely.¡± ¡°Is that even possible?¡± The dwarf opened his mouth in surprise. ¡°Did that Sir Zalovitch tell you this?¡± ¡°It was... Mr. Kalalin who told me.¡± ¡°She asked me if it was possible for a vampire to become an adventurer.¡± Kalalin spread his hands. ¡°I merely discussed with her the potential problems she might face from an academic standpoint and what solutions there could be.¡± ¡°Please, Sir Lancelot.¡± Isha pleaded, her eyes welling up with tears, making it difficult for Lancelot to refuse such a look. ¡°As for Mithril, this extremely hard metal can enhance the quality of a weapon or armor. It¡¯s only slightly heavier than steel, but nearly twice as hard. Because of those characteristics, the price of Mithril is more than ten times that of ordinary steel products. Considering the environment we¡¯re in, Cold Iron is better for weapons, but Mithril is quite suitable for armor.¡± ¡°That expensive, huh,¡± Lancelot smacked his lips. That meant a set of full body armor made of Mithril would be worth at least fifteen thousand Gold Coins. What was that in terms of weight? Five thousand Gold Coins were roughly a hundred pounds, and fifteen thousand Gold Coins, if all melted down, would be enough to cast several sets of pure gold full body armor. But in the Abyss, gold was truly worthless. Lancelot suddenly realized that the gleaming Berserk Demon guards of Molo he had seen that day might actually be wearing pure gold armor. ¡°So our gains this time...¡± Lancelot took out the metal cage from the Dimensional Bag on the living room floor, the illusions inside long since vanished. Bruto walked over, grabbed the edges of the cage with both hands, and took a deep breath. One small corner of the cage lifted barely a centimeter off the ground. ¡°This is at least five hundred pounds,¡± Bruto released his hands, and the cage clanged loudly back down to the ground. ¡°Enough for each of us to forge a brand new set of armor.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start with one for Lancelot,¡± Alamir shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m very satisfied with the set I¡¯m wearing now.¡± ¡°I could make a new set to have as a spare,¡± Bruto said, folding his arms. ¡°When this one gets damaged, I can immediately switch out.¡± Lancelot knew the Dwarf wasn¡¯t joking. For humans, damage to armor often meant the death of the wearer, but Bruto¡¯s fighting style involved a lot of rolling and ramming, and damage to his armor was truly not an uncommon event. Luckily, the Dwarf himself was a decent Blacksmith, very skilled in maintaining and repairing equipment. ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready!¡± the voice of the Halfling came from the kitchen, making everyone jump to their feet and rush to the dining table. Except for Lancelot. He twisted his head with a strange look and stared in a direction where there was nothing at all. Chapter 179: 173ç«  Love’s Feeling Chapter 179: 173Õ Love¡¯s Feeling Tijana led two guests and pushed the door into the disfavored lady¡¯s room.@@@@ This elegant Succubus was reading by the window and looked up when she heard the door open, her eyes meeting those of the man approaching her. ¡°I¡¯ve brought this back to you,¡± the nameless man stood before the disfavored, placing the fiery red amulet around the golden-haired Succubus¡¯s neck, ¡°It should never have left you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite safe in Tijana¡¯s castle, and those whom I¡¯ve entrusted need your support more than I do,¡± the golden-haired Succubus said gently, gazing at the man while the other two Succubi in the room clearly understood the implication of her look. The man naturally bowed his head and kissed her red lips lightly, without any regard for others around. ¡°Hmm,¡± Tijana had to clear her throat to make her presence known. ¡°Ah, my apologies!¡± the disfavored slapped the nameless man on the chest, pushing him back, and he conveniently fell onto the bed nearby. ¡°I¡¯ve brought the person you asked for,¡± Tijana tried to pretend she hadn¡¯t seen anything, but her tone was quite cheerful, ¡°You should take her and leave soon. You know very well this is no place for a Paladin to linger.¡± ¡°Greetings, respected disfavored lady,¡± Elothysia bowed, ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about you, and never imagined we¡¯d meet under these circumstances. I am deeply grateful for your assistance; it is a huge favor.¡± ¡°We¡¯re all on similar paths; it¡¯s only right to help one another,¡± the disfavored said with a gentle smile, which soon turned serious, ¡°You are aware of your current situation, aren¡¯t you.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the expression of the Succubus Paladin immediately became somber, ¡°I... I don¡¯t know what to do next.¡± ¡°Over the past couple of days, Tijana and I have discussed your situation,¡± the disfavored glanced at the Succubus Lord beside her, ¡°She mentioned a place, Androlina; we both agree that it might be the most suitable place for you.¡± Upon hearing that name, a look of bewilderment crossed Elothysia¡¯s face, but a spark of hope soon gleamed in her eyes. ¡°Indeed.¡± Elothysia admitted, ¡°I had never paid attention to this side of the Abyss before.¡± Tijana didn¡¯t speak again, and the Succubus Paladin thus quietly stood aside, gazing down at the legendary town from up high. For a species like the Tanari, who possessed infinite lifespans, three hundred years was not a very long time, but it was within these three hundred years that Twin Bridges Town had risen into a force not to be overlooked on the Plains of the Abyss even she¡ªa succubus who spent most of her time on the Prime Material Plane¡ªhad heard about Twin Bridges Town¡¯s massive blacksmith area and thriving trade activities. And its lord, known simultaneously for prowess in battle and beauty. Succubi were not usually built for the battlefield; most often, they would rely on their beauty to solve problems, which was a rarer and more effective ability. What was more difficult to overcome was the psychological gap; when Elothysia decided not to rely on her charm abilities and began to accept the training of a holy warrior, she had never felt so weak. Thus, when she first heard about Tijana¡¯s exploits, she had thought it was just a well-disguised succubus after all. But when she actually met the Succubus Lord, she realized that all the rumors about Tijana had not been exaggerated in the slightest. ¡°What does it truly feel like to fall in love with someone?¡± The quiet master suddenly spoke softly, her gaze still resting on the sunset, as if merely talking to herself. ¡°It¡¯s pretty confusing at first.¡± Elothysia laughed, ¡°You find yourself constantly thinking about him, seizing any opportunity to meet him; and when you¡¯re together, just ordinary conversation can make you happy; you want to possess him, monopolize him, but you do not want to use your charm to twist his thoughts; you like his current appearance and personality, no longer wishing to see him corrupt or fall.¡± The Succubus Paladin watched the sunset sinking into the earth, her eyes sparkling with bright light. ¡°But what really alarms you is that you find yourself hoping that he is happy.¡± After saying these words, she turned her head to look at Tijana, only to find her still gazing confusedly into the void, apparently not listening to her at all. So, Elothysia fell silent again, feeling the hot breeze of the Plains of the Abyss caressing their huge wings and black hair until the distant red sun completely disappeared below the horizon. ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡± The voice of the Succubus Lord rose again, turning to walk back the way they had come. When Elothysia realized and quickly followed, all she saw was a calm and proud silhouette. Chapter 180 - 180 - 174 Wind Demon King Chapter 180 ¨C 174 Wind Demon King Tijana had sent the Succubus Paladin to a room arranged for her in advance, where a Dwarven artisan was already waiting to discuss with Elothysia her preferred armor style and weapon choices. Elothysia had accepted help from a Demon Lord with mixed feelings, although it was only a small effort for Tijana. The Queen of the Succubus then returned to her Throne Hall. Her Serpent Demon Generals had already left, and only a few deputies remained, monitoring the scenes in the Detection Crystal. She glanced at the sand table to confirm that there was nothing that needed her immediate attention. Almost subconsciously, Tijana cast Teleportation Magic. She regretted it the moment the spell was completed, but the magic had already taken effect, and the succubus¡¯s figure disappeared from the spot. ¡°Good evening, my lady.¡± She was standing again in the dining room of Hagrid Manor, in front of that Human Knight, wearing the familiar smile. Looking at that smiling face, Tijana felt an inexplicable surge of anger inside her. You find you¡¯re often thinking of him, wanting to meet him whenever there¡¯s a chance. The words of the Paladin rang in her mind once again, being the source of her current irritation. Lancelot was taken aback by the expression of the Succubus Lord, quickly hid his smile, half-opened his mouth and asked. ¡°Is something wrong? Is there anything I can do for you?¡± ¡°Ah! Sister Tijana!¡± The delighted voice of little Isha came from the kitchen, her hands carrying a plate of fragrant grilled fish. ¡°Are you here to join us for dinner? Please, take a seat!¡± ¡°Would we have that honor?¡± The deep and gentle voice of Lancelot, combined with the aroma of the food, made Tijana temporarily forget the reason for her anger. When she came to her senses again, she found herself already seated at the head of the dining table, in the chair specially reserved for her. Damn, it was the second time today that she had been lost in thought! What was happening to her... Continue reading at Lancelot suddenly found the food on the table less appetizing. The Lady in question was also a succubus, and what level was her unnamed might? At least it was of the Nascent Soul Stage... ¡°What a fascinating story.¡± Tijana picked up a napkin and wiped her mouth, suddenly realizing she might be showing too much interest. ¡°By the way, when you first arrived, you looked very serious. Is there something troubling you?¡± Seeing that Tijana seemed to be in a much better mood, Lancelot cautiously brought up the question. Upon hearing Lancelot¡¯s words, the Succubus Lord set down her cutlery and turned her head to stare directly at Lancelot. Her gaze was neither appreciative nor hostile, but decidedly strange, making the Human Knight feel uneasy. ¡°The matter with Elothysia isn¡¯t over yet.¡± Tijana finally shifted her gaze, picked up a cup of wine and took a sip, ¡°You need to send her to the 471st level of the Abyss, Androlina, quickly.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Lancelot looked puzzled, ¡°Isn¡¯t the Lady taking her with her?¡± ¡°She returned to the Abyss in the form of a rebirth.¡± Tijana glanced at the Human Knight, ¡°For the next 99 years, the Succubus Paladins will be trapped in this plane, unable to leave.¡± ¡°Then why not let her stay in Twin Bridges Town?¡± Alamir asked somewhat disappointingly, believing that, given enough time, he could make Elothysia a follower of the fiery lady. ¡°Because it¡¯s not safe for her here either.¡± Tijana glanced at Kalalin, ¡°You are a member of the Dark Cult, explain it to everyone.¡± ¡°The Plains of the Abyss have another name, called Pazunia.¡± The scholar had been in a strange silence since hearing the name Androlina, only coming out of his reverie when Tijana summoned him, ¡°Perhaps there is no supreme Lord on the ground of this layer, but its skies are ruled by the Wind Demon King, Pazuzu.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve heard this name mentioned by that demon before, and you¡¯ve also introduced me to this Abyssal Lord before,¡± Lancelot curiously looked at the scholar, ¡°But isn¡¯t he disinterested in the affairs of the ground, hence having no enemies among the Abyssal Lords?¡± ¡°Not entirely without, it¡¯s said that Lord Wu¡¯an and the Wind Demon King don¡¯t get along well.¡± Kalalin revealed a nerd-like smile, ¡°Mostly because of the Queen of the Succubus, Mekanshut. It¡¯s well known that Grazzt¡¯s pursuit of Mekanshut failed, and the romantic relationship between the Wind Demon King and the Queen of the Succubus is an open secret.¡± ¡°The entire Abyss is in the dark about that but that baboon.¡± Tijana added gloomily. Chapter 181 - 181 - 175 Important Person Chapter 181 ¨C 175 Important Person ¡°But his conflict with Grazzt was limited to verbal exchanges only,¡± Kalalin continued, ¡°The greatest reason the Abyssal Lords do not consider him a rival is because the Wind Demon King has not demonstrated any ambition to expand his territory. Engaging in conflict with him yields no tangible benefits, yet it would expose their backs to far more dangerous opponents.¡± ¡°How does this relate to Elothysia not being able to stay in Twin Bridges Town?¡± The dwarf crossed his arms with an air of unconcern, ¡°Since this Pazuzu fancies the sky, just let him stay up there.¡± ¡°Let me remind you first, do not casually utter that name; repeating it three times will allow the Wind Demon King to hear your call,¡± the Scholar said to the dwarf with a grave expression, ¡°This ancient Lord of Obyrith seeks something more... pure. He delights in corrupting innocence, purity, and righteousness into suffering, cruelty, and wickedness, and these virtues¡¯ representatives¡ªthe Holy Warriors¡ªare the Wind Demon King¡¯s favorite prey.¡± ¡°And I also dislike having a Holy Warrior loitering around my town, even if she is a Succubus,¡± added Tijana, casting a glance at Kalalin, ¡°What else do you know about Androlina?¡± ¡°The 471st layer of the Abyss, the domain of Cang Ye, the Mother of Demons,¡± answered Kalalin cautiously, ¡°It is said to be the only bastion of goodness and hope in the Abyss.¡± ¡°What?¡± This time it was Bruto who was thoroughly surprised, ¡°What do you mean? Is that Mother of Demons actually a good person?¡±@@@@ ¡°No, no, no, it¡¯s not like that at all...¡± Kalalin¡¯s head shook like a wind chime, ¡°Cang Ye is one of the most ancient Obyrith Demons, a senior even among the Obyrith. She also is the mother of several powerful Tanari Lords, including Lord Wu¡¯an ¡¯Grazzt,¡¯ ¡¯Baron Sloth¡¯ Lupercio, ¡¯Lord of Shackles¡¯ Ukariik, and so on¡ªall significant figures in the Abyss. Some even more audacious theories suggest that, to a certain extent, the entire race of Tanari might be her descendants.¡± ¡°Given that, why does her domain have a bastion of goodness and hope?¡± This time it was Alamir who spoke up curiously, clearly very interested in the matter. ¡°Do you remember the history of the Abyss I told you about?¡± Kalalin looked expectantly at everyone like a teacher presenting a question, ¡°About how the Tanari overthrew the dominion of the Obyrith demon race and became the mainstream among demons?¡± Tijana gestured with her knife and fork, and Magic Power flowed along her utensils, turning a corner of the tablecloth into a map. ¡°You will travel approximately eight hundred miles through wilderness, and if you¡¯re lucky enough to survive, you will encounter the Stygian River again. Only this time, the water of that section of the Stygian River is red, resembling fresh blood. Continue along this Blood River and you will find Skeleton Tower Kai-Oine, a giant tower that stretches from the depths of the Great Abyss all the way to the surface.¡± ¡°What does this Kai-Oine look like?¡± Lancelot asked seriously, ¡°And why do we need to go there?¡± ¡°As the name suggests, Kai-Oine looks like a huge spine. Trust me, you won¡¯t miss it,¡± replied Tijana with a malicious grin, ¡°At the base of the Skeleton Tower, twenty miles deep, is a neutral city called Mogrondale. The structure of the Great Abyss is always shifting, and only there can you get the latest map. Otherwise, you may never find the Portal to Androlina.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°And after we complete the mission, we return the same way?¡± ¡°Use the Amulet I gave you, its Magic Power can be restored every thirty days. But by then, you¡¯ll probably think it¡¯s much better there and won¡¯t want to come back,¡± Tijana said sarcastically, as if she was certain the Human Knight would never return. ¡°I will definitely come back,¡± Lancelot said, looking into the eyes of the Succubus Lord, earnestly, ¡°There are important people to me here.¡± ¡°Oh? Like who?¡± Tijana asked nonchalantly, yet her eyes were full of anticipation. ¡°Like Bruto¡¯s old man, Baron...¡± Lancelot didn¡¯t finish his sentence before Tijana knocked him to the ground with a headbutt. As if that wasn¡¯t enough to vent her frustration, the Succubus Lord stepped on him a few times. Chapter 182 - 182 - 176 Cromwell Chapter 182 ¨C 176 Cromwell ¡°Owww...¡± This, of course, wasn¡¯t any fatal attack, but Lancelot still very cooperatively let out a scream. After beating up the Human Knight, Tijana seemed to be in a much better mood. She pulled out a heavy bag and tossed it carelessly, pressing the struggling Lancelot, who was trying to get up, back down to the ground. ¡°This is your reward,¡± Tijana explained to the others, ¡°Rest well. In no more than five days, you¡¯ll need to depart again.¡± Having said that, she waved her hand, and the glow of Teleportation Magic lit up, causing the figure of the Succubus Lord to disappear from the dining room of Hagrid Manor. And from Lancelot¡¯s angle, he could just make out Tijana¡¯s upturned lips. ¡°Big brother, are you alright?¡± Bruto poked his head out, looking down at Lancelot, who lay on the ground with a silly grin on his face. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into him?¡± the Dwarf cast a plea for help to his friends, ¡°Did he damage his brain?¡± No one answered him; even little Isah looked at him with the expression one reserves for a fool. Lancelot himself rolled up from the ground in one swift motion, dumping the entire bag of gemstones on the table with a clatter and proudly proclaimed, ¡°Come on, bros, time to split the money!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The Dwarf¡¯s eyes shone brightly, ¡°Emeralds, opals, starlight rubies, all the good stuff!¡± Lancelot¡¯s attention, however, was first drawn to the mountain crystals mixed in among them, which were equivalent to Upper Grade Spirit Stones. There were easily fifty or sixty pieces, and although not highly valuable, they made up half the quantity, clearly a collection Tijana had specifically gathered for him. ¡°Not more, not less, exactly fifty thousand,¡± Bruto swiftly sorted and appraised the gemstones like a whirlwind, ¡°That¡¯s without counting those Earth Crystals.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡¯escape back¡¯?¡± Lancelot replied discontentedly, ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we have defeated that creature?¡± ¡°If there were eight of you there at that time, maybe it would¡¯ve been possible,¡± the skull, full of cracks, quipped, ¡°Let me guess, you used the Amulet given by the disfavored, right?¡± ¡°Did I have any other choice?¡± The Human Knight spread his hands and briefly recounted what had happened afterward. ¡°Ah, a duel between a Flame Demon and a Demon Refiner, how could I miss such a scene?¡± lamented the skull, ¡°The moment I saw that Demon Refiner, my mind exploded, and I had no other thought but to beat that creature up...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so impulsive next time,¡± Kalalin consoled, ¡°Otherwise, you could have seen your enemy getting cleaved in two.¡± Afterwards, they talked about other things. As night fell, Koula, Alamir, and the skull (everyone was still a bit unaccustomed to calling it Cromwell) all went to rest; little Ysa turned into a small bat and flew to Tijana¡¯s castle to continue her training; and Bruto headed off to the Blacksmith¡¯s district, where, with the story of this adventure, he was going to have more ale than he could drink tonight. Lancelot, however, was seated cross-legged on his bed, checking the condition of his body. Since he had not fully recovered, he was unsure whether he had reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement Realm. But this adventure first yielded the Essence of Flames, gifted by the ¡¯Lord of Baro¡¯, Kaldu, and then he absorbed the Spiritual Energy of a six-armed Serpent Demon. Added to the inadvertent improvement during the fierce battle, Lancelot had an intuition that the opportunity for Foundation Establishment might arrive soon. He had saved up one hundred Upper Grade Spirit Stones required for Foundation Establishment, about two-thirds of which were acquired with Tijana¡¯s help, a debt of gratitude that was significantly heavy. Lancelot silently vowed in his heart to repay the Succubus Lord¡¯s kindness a hundredfold in the future. But Foundation Establishment was not something to be rushed. The wisdom of Spiritual Cultivation left in the small bamboo slip by Han Tianzun made it clear that, cultivators before Foundation Establishment had insufficient clarity in their perception of heaven and earth and of themselves, making it difficult to judge the success rate of their breakthrough. Thus, it was crucial to prepare thoroughly, to attack this first major barrier in the path of Spiritual Cultivation in the best possible state. The Human Knight pushed aside these chaotic thoughts, calming his mind slowly, and began his daily routine of seated Meditation and Qi Cultivation. Chapter 183 - 183 - 177 Prophecy Magic Chapter 183 ¨C 177 Prophecy Magic Meanwhile, at the battlefield where Elothysia had been rescued today, a portal composed of flames appeared out of nowhere, and a grayish-blue Quasimodo Demon crawled out of it. The sight of bodies strewn all over the ground filled this small demon with fear. Many large ones had died, some of whom it recognized, and others it did not. But it had no choice but to carry out its master¡¯s order. Circling the site from a distance several times, the Quasimodo Demon¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up because it had found something sufficient to report back. It was a massive skeleton, with a thick, long tail for its lower body and a humanoid upper body with many arms, the corpse of the six-armed Serpent Demon, Ashap. The Quasimodo Demon grabbed the skull of the Serpent Demon and promptly scurried back through the portal, returning to a place filled with flames and smoke. ¡°You¡¯re back so soon? What did you find?¡± The inquirer was a Barlow Flame Demon, sitting on a throne formed from solidified magma, with a river of lava flowing from an active volcano behind it. ¡°They¡¯re all... all dead...¡± Fear suddenly surged in the heart of the Quasimodo Demon; its Flame Demon master probably would not like the news it brought back. ¡°What!!¡± The Flame Demon roared, jumping up from its throne, its hand wielding a Flame Whip, which it used to pull the Quasimodo Demon close and gripped it tightly.@@@@ ¡°I brought back General Ashap¡¯s skull!¡± the Quasimodo Demon cried out, its body exuding a foul-smelling fluid due to terror, ¡°You can use magic to find out who killed her!¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not bad,¡± the Flame Demon nodded, taking the skull of the Serpent Demon. The Quasimodo Demon¡¯s face showed a slightly relieved expression, but the Flame Demon suddenly flung it directly into the lava behind. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have dirtied my hand,¡± the Flame Demon let out a string of malicious laughter, dipping its hand into the lava as well. Then, using its sensory ability, it sent a summon to a much more important servant. ¡°So this is the Knight who killed Ashap? He doesn¡¯t look so impressive.¡± ¡°It seems the Serpent Demon is injured,¡± the Demon Lord hinted, doing well to mask his disdain. ¡°Is it?¡± the Flame Demon leaned in closer, ¡°What happened to her arm? And why is she fighting alone, where did that stupid ox run off to?¡± The Serpent Demon slightly turned its head just in time to see a spinning hammer knocking down an Enchantment Demon. ¡°Damn it! I will chop off this human¡¯s fingers one by one and use his own fingers to burst his eyeballs!¡± the Flame Demon cursed malevolently, all the while lashing the projected image on the rock wall with a Flame Whip, as if he could strike the Human Knight directly through it. The rocks, formed by cooled lava, couldn¡¯t withstand such abuse and soon crumbled, preventing the two demons present from noticing the details of the Serpent Demon¡¯s final moments¡ªonly seeing the Serpent demon being stabbed in the back, directly piercing its vulnerable heart. ¡°Hurry up and tell me where this human, who should be killed ten thousand times and revived by magic ten thousand and one times, is now?¡± Of course, there was no third person present to answer the Flame Demon¡¯s question. The pig-faced Demon immediately cast another Spell, and the light within the Serpent Demon¡¯s skull changed, but only projected a murky gray image that showed nothing. ¡°Stupid pig! Your trick has failed!¡± the enraged Flame Demon roared, and even the lava behind him seemed to sense his fury, bubbling up massively. ¡°No! My magic has not failed!¡± the Demon Lord shrieked, his voice like that of a fattened pig awaiting slaughter, ¡°This just means he is currently in an area undetectable by prophecy magic, but I have other ways to find him!¡± Your next chapter is on ¡°Then do it quickly!¡± the Flame Demon lashed out fiercely with his Flame Whip, striking the Demon Lord hard. Such an attack was far from enough to kill a High Rank Demon like the Demon Lord, and the flames did not deal much damage either, but the humiliation was not so easily ignored. The Flame Demon knew, Flame Demons do not care. Chapter 184 - 184 - 178 Assassin Chapter 184 ¨C 178 Assassin Carefully concealing his resentful gaze, the soul-judging demon cast another spell, and the glow within the serpent demon¡¯s skull began to change. A gigantic White Bone Tower appeared on the rock wall projection, its base nestled deep within a massive ravine on the ground. ¡°What does this mean?¡± the Flame Demon asked suspiciously, staring at the iconic structure. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Kai-Oine?¡± ¡°The spell reveals where the fellow who killed her intends to go next,¡± the soul-judging demon patiently explained. ¡°Kai-Oine is merely a landmark; their true destination is likely Mogrondale City, at the base of the Skeleton Tower. It¡¯s well known that the power of the Great Abyss prevents mighty demons like you from entering; I suppose that human has considered this and plans to hide there with Elothysia to evade your vengeance.¡± ¡°That wench is still in the Abyss?¡± The Flame Demon was confused. ¡°She didn¡¯t immediately flee?¡± ¡°She returned to this plane through resurrection,¡± the soul-judging demon thought it would never be surprised again by the Flame Demon¡¯s stupidity. ¡°Within 99 years, she¡¯ll be trapped in the Abyss and unable to leave. Perhaps you could send a minion, a capable assassin, to bring back the soul of that human and the essence of the succubus...¡± ¡°So that¡¯s possible.¡± The Flame Demon¡¯s face took on a thoughtful expression as he began to summon another name in his mind. Soon, with the sound of heavy footsteps, a human clad in black armor entered the Throne Hall located at the mouth of a volcano, where the Flame Demon resided. The enormous helmet completely covered his face, and the black iron armor enveloped every inch of his skin, leaving not even a sliver of a gap. Upon closer inspection, one would notice that all the movable parts meant for disassembly on the armor were welded shut. It was less about providing absolute protection and more like a cage for the wearer. The soul judging demon watched the newcomer uneasily, someone who made it uncomfortable. This was a Dark Guardian, or rather, a Fallen Paladin. If one were to count which mortal profession has killed the most demons, Holy Warriors would undoubtedly be at the top of the list. Inspired individuals abandoned secular identities and positions without a second thought, willingly standing at the forefront of the grand war between good and evil in the Multiverse, tirelessly seeking traces of evil to utterly eradicate and never retiring from this calling unless through grievous injury or death. ¡°I haven¡¯t given you permission to leave!¡± the Flame Demon shouted angrily, flicking his whip and pulling the human back. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Despite being bound by the whip, the Dark Guardian remained unflustered, merely asking in a calm voice. ¡°Take this.¡± The Flame Demon took out a deep purple amulet from a small pouch at his waist and threw it to the Dark Guardian. The moment he saw the amulet, the eyes of the judge of souls flickered subtly. It was an item crafted by the night witches of the Grey Wastelands, made of Soul Crystal and Abyssal Metal, known as the Soul Snatching Stone. Besides being able to capture the souls of mortals, the greatest function of this item was to absorb the essence of demons, turning the trapped demons into complete slaves of the holder. ¡°Bring that wretch Elothysia back to me with this,¡± the Flame Demon said with a vicious smile on his face, ¡°I want to forever relish in the pleasure of tormenting a Holy Warrior, so don¡¯t let her die by someone else¡¯s hands...¡± The Dark Guardian named Enrique stood still for a moment, and then pocketed the item before saying, ¡°May I leave now?¡± ¡°Go forth, my hero, hahahahaha...¡± The Flame Demon let out a grating laugh, winging back to his Lava Throne, beginning to fantasize about the numerous pleasures he could derive from having the essence of the Succubus in his grasp. The Dark Guardian left in silence, while the judging demon quietly flew out as well. No sooner had it left the sight of the Flame Demon than it changed direction, going after the human who had just departed. While it disliked Enrique, the Soul Snatching Stone was a critical element in the plan, so it had to have a talk with the Dark Guardian.@@@@ Chapter 185 - 185 - 179 Wanderer Chapter 185 ¨C 179 Wanderer The next evening, Twin Bridges Town. The blood-red sun of the Plains of the Abyss had just sunk below the horizon, but the arrival of night seemed to have no effect on the town. At least, it didn¡¯t affect the Southeast District where Hagrid Manor was located. Lancelot¡¯s neighbors were all reclusive members of the Blood Race. In most realms of mortals, this race was associated with words like evil, crime, fallen, and concealment, but not in Twin Bridges Town. They never hunted within the town, paid their taxes to Tijana on time, and were keen to invest in business activities, essentially model citizens in terms of law-abiding behavior. But that was just on the surface, because little Issa was one of the victims of the Blood Race. Fortunately, Earl Barlow of Hagrid Manor, the previous owner, had died; otherwise, this poor girl would have been enslaved forever by her killer as a vampire derivative. The young vampire was now hiding in a room on the third floor of Hagrid Manor, with two wooden short swords tucked into her waistband. Her eyes were intently fixed on Lancelot in the courtyard below, who was fiercely sparring with Bruto with a practice wooden Great Sword. Observing them were Kalalin, Alamir, Koula, Bruto¡¯s father Barrend, and even the Lord of Twin Bridges Town, Tijana himself. The Succubus Lord was not here to watch a Human Knight and a Dwarf train. The main event of the evening was to test Issa, to see if she was ready to become an Adventurer. For the first part of the test, she had to slip one of the short swords into the pocket of any one of the spectators. Otherwise, she would have to stay put in Twin Bridges Town and participate in Lancelot¡¯s adventures by listening to stories at the table. Although sitting at the dining table listening to the Human Knight tell tales of adventure was nice, it only made the girl yearn more to be part of those stories herself. However, she was also aware that Lancelot¡¯s suspicions of her were out of concern for her safety, and this concern was reasonable. Just a trip to the market district for bread was enough to reveal the horrors of this plane. Enjoy new chapters from Novgo Little Isha was trained by a true master. If not for the Succubus Lord personally asking for his help, the master would not have condescended to coach Isha, who was not even a hundred years old yet (in the master¡¯s exact words, ¡°not even a hundred years old, her human scent hasn¡¯t even dissipated¡±). But the satisfaction that came from guiding a young and studious fellow vampire was immense, especially when the girl demonstrated remarkable talent and also maintained her humility. With her seriousness and diligence far surpassing her peers, the vampire girl progressed quickly. Even if one ignored the various abilities her bloodline endowed her with, she was already qualified to be an adventurer. But this was the Abyss; merely being ¡¯qualified¡¯ was not enough. Now, the girl had to prove that she would at least not be a burden. She moved swiftly under the dim lighting, quickly hiding within the shadow of some withered bushes. Alamir had been trying to make the garden greener since his arrival, but so far, his efforts had been futile. The undead aura released by vampires caused plants to wither and twist, but she couldn¡¯t be blamed for this. It was the consequence of having a bunch of who-knows-how-old vampires as neighbors. The mushrooms growing on Isha¡¯s own coffin, however, were thriving well. Scanning the few spectators at the edge of the field once more, she carefully chose her next target. ¡°Observe,¡± the word the master repeated the most. As a wanderer, it was crucial to learn to choose the right target, using the right methods, at the right time, for the right purposes. Killing was merely one method, and it was a low-priority one at that; this was the major difference between wanderers and other professions. Koula was immediately ruled out. Due to his height disadvantage, halflings were a race naturally high in vigilance, and since Koula was also a qualified wanderer, Isha didn¡¯t believe she could sneak a wooden sword into the head chef¡¯s small pocket. Kalalin seemed like a good target. The scholar definitely wasn¡¯t as agile as her, and his robe had plenty of pockets suitable for tossing things into. Still, Isha ruled out this option. The reason was simple: Kalalin wasn¡¯t interested in the fighting occurring in the arena¡ªthe scholar couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it, so his attention wasn¡¯t focused there. Barrend seemed like a viable target, but the little vampire didn¡¯t really understand this old gentleman and found it difficult to predict his reactions, so in the end, she fixed her gaze on Alamir. Chapter 186 - 186 - 180 Instinct Chapter 186 ¨C 180 Instinct Elves are naturally endowed with keen senses and have excellent dark vision; under normal circumstances, this would not be an ideal choice. But at this moment, Alamir¡¯s attention was fully captured by the human and the dwarf. He watched their every move with concentration, imagining how he would respond if he were in their shoes. Unlike the solemnly dressed bishops young Isabella had known, who seemed amiable, this elf completely overturned her impression of the clergy, starting with that exquisite yet sturdy full body armor. Of course, one could not blame her, for a girl who has lived her life in the court had little chance to interact with adventurers, let alone become a priest who adventures. But in reality, Shuni¡¯s priest was still pretty good; if it were the church of Heim or Losanda, who see upholding justice and combating evil as their divine office, people would be unable to distinguish them from ordinary warriors until they performed divine arts. Having chosen her target, young Isabella started cautiously moving closer to the elf. The dim lighting around provided good cover, and with the skills she had learned, she masked her breath, movements, and noise, like just a shadow shifting with the clouds. When she was less than fifteen feet from Alamir, she stopped again, waiting for the right moment. Lancelot, who had already sensed her with Spirit Perception, could not help but silently praise her. Being able to stealth to this distance without alerting others was quite an achievement. The human knight decided to go easy on her. He quickened the movements in his hands, performing several flashy sword techniques, and little Isabella took advantage of the opportunity Lancelot had intentionally created for her. She swiftly and silently moved behind Alamir, her eyes darting around before inserting the wooden short sword into the elf¡¯s boot, then silently retreated back. Tijana, who had been watching the entire process, could not help but laugh out loud, attracting everyone¡¯s curious glances. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything funny about that,¡± Bruto protested discontentedly, ¡°This guy has been trained as a warrior since he was a child, and I spent most of my life by the forge.¡± ¡°You have the nerve to say such things?¡± Barrend scolded his son while casting an uneasy glance at the Succubus Lord, ¡°Most of the time, you were on the streets of Rivet Fort, running away from your mother¡¯s pursuit. You¡¯ve spent more time there than by the forge by far!¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business,¡± Tijana said with a wave of her hand, while pointing towards where the vampires stood, ¡°Little Isabella has arrived. She¡¯s the main character tonight, isn¡¯t she?¡± Little Isabella didn¡¯t attempt to block the attack at all. Instead, she stepped left, slightly crouched down, and easily dodged the sword. But Lancelot wasn¡¯t planning to let the little vampire off that easily. His wooden sword quickly followed with a horizontal slash aimed directly at her waist, three times faster than before. The girl chose to dodge again, deeply squatting almost to the ground, elegantly straddling with her right foot, and slipping past Lancelot¡¯s attack once more. ¡°Good!¡± Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but praise Little Isabella¡¯s evasive moves, but his hands didn¡¯t stop there. The wooden sword swiftly folded back and struck at twice the speed, targeting the little vampire¡¯s chest¡ªthis was Lancelot¡¯s signature triple combo¡¯s last strike. Experience more on Novgo ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Kalalin, who had been intently watching the duel, suddenly cried out anxiously. Though Lancelot didn¡¯t understand what Scholar meant, he immediately stopped his motion. At this moment, Little Isabella burst forth with astonishing speed. She crouched down again, her short sword parried Lancelot¡¯s thrust, while her left short sword stabbed upward, almost at the same time Lancelot stopped, reaching right under his arm. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Lancelot looked at the little girl with concern. She was in an odd state, gasping for breath, and the red glow in her eyes was gradually fading. ¡°I... I don¡¯t know.¡± Like someone awakened from a trance, Isabella quickly retracted. ¡°My mind was blank just now. I¡¯ve practiced that move, but I¡¯ve never done it so fast...¡± ¡°A wooden stake through the heart is a fatal attack for vampires, and you just happen to have a wooden sword in your hand.¡± Kalalin explained from the side, ¡°You scared her.¡± ¡°So that was actually an instinctive reaction when facing the threat of death,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve had that experience too, more than once saved by the body¡¯s instinctive response. Let¡¯s continue now, see if we can trigger that state again.¡± Little Isabella didn¡¯t quite grasp Lancelot¡¯s meaning but nodded anyway, once more assuming a fighting stance. Chapter 187 - 187 - 181 Test 3? Chapter 187 ¨C 181 Test 3? Lancelot raised the wooden longsword above his head and charged again at the young vampire. He was still significantly holding back his strength, but the speed of his weapon swings increased, quickly covering the vampire girl in a myriad of sword shadows. Yet, little Isha was still holding on with astonishing agility, trying to dodge with minimal movements and occasionally using her dagger to deflect Lancelot¡¯s attacks. Whenever it seemed she could barely keep up, Lancelort would thrust swiftly like lightning, aiming directly at her heart, prompting the girl to speed up even further. Soon, Lancelot noticed something different. Isha¡¯s movements in both her hands were incredibly coordinated, and regardless of the angle from which he attacked, she managed to respond adeptly. He intentionally altered his moves, swinging a diagonal slash from the left followed by an identical attack from the right, all the while maintaining a peculiar rhythm, making Isha¡¯s hands almost instinctively mimic the other¡¯s movements.@@@@ Before long, the audience also picked up on the vampire girl¡¯s remarkable ability, and Tijana flashed a proud smile. ¡°Ambidextrous,¡± Alamir explained to Kalalin, ¡°This kid has the makings of a warrior.¡± Gradually, Isha¡¯s stamina and speed truly reached their limits, and Lancelot gracefully ended the peculiar contest with a gentle retraction of his weapon. The girl was as soaked as if she had just been pulled from water, the red light in her eyes brightly piercing. Although the battle seemed over, she still maintained a defensive stance, ready to react to any attack from any angle. ¡°You performed beyond my expectations,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Well done, you passed.¡± The words of the Human Knight seemed to carry a certain magic power, the red light in Isha¡¯s eyes abruptly faded, and a smile appeared on her face. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly collapsed. A pair of slender arms steadily caught her, and Tijana, with a flap of her wings, gently carried the exhausted little vampire to one side. ¡°Uh, seems like I went a bit too far,¡± Lancelot scratched his head, ¡°Should I not have continuously stimulated her instincts?¡± ¡°No, you did nothing wrong. This kind of mortal threat truly brings out her potential; this one fight is worth half a year of training,¡± Tijana held Isha¡¯s hand, channeling a flow of negative energy that was harmful to mortals but healing for vampires into the girl¡¯s body, causing her to slowly open her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve been blessed by Lady Shuni,¡± the Priest declared to him. Lancelot shrugged his shoulders. The result of the recent duel made him realize the gap between him and the Succubus Lord, so he temporarily ignored the point the Elves had made. ¡°Brother Lancelot, I¡¯m ready to take the next test!¡± Little Esha¡¯s face still bore a strange flush, but her eyes shone with confidence. ¡°There was supposed to be a third test, but I think your performance has already qualified,¡± Lancelot said, smiling as he patted the little girl¡¯s head. ¡°From now on, we are adventure partners.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Little Esha hugged Lancelot¡¯s neck excitedly and gave him a big kiss. This surprising action startled everyone, including Little Esha herself. She immediately shrank back shyly, but still said very seriously: ¡°I will perform well! Captain!¡± ¡°Haha, I have confidence in you,¡± Lancelot said as he ruffled Little Esha¡¯s hair again. ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll handle the night watches, okay?¡± Find more to read on Novgo ¡°Mm-hmm!¡± The young Vampire girl nodded vigorously, then her face showed curiosity, ¡°So... what was the original third test?¡± ¡°Well...¡± Lancelot glanced at the Dwarf, who was struggling to climb out of a hole in the ground. ¡°Many fellows don¡¯t want their dens disturbed, so they set up various kinds of traps, and disarming these traps requires keen observation and nimble hands...¡± ¡°No problem there!¡± Little Esha patted her flat chest. ¡°I¡¯ve been specially trained in that area! I know how to disarm common tripwires, pressure plates, and even magic traps!¡± ¡°Right, so the third test was actually having Bruto put on a full set of armor, blindfolded, and then entering a room full of traps,¡± Lancelot explained, spreading his hands. ¡°Your job was to ensure he didn¡¯t trigger any traps. Of course, those would have been simulated traps, not really injuring the guy...¡± ¡°Ooh, that sounds like fun,¡± Bruto said, looking forward to Lancelot. ¡°Where is that room?¡± ¡°Kalalin successfully convinced me to abandon that idea,¡± Lancelot said, smiling at the Scholar. ¡°He said, don¡¯t you know our Dwarf friend here? Even the God of Thieves couldn¡¯t manage that feat.¡± Chapter 188 - 188 - 182 The Journey to Androlina Chapter 188 ¨C 182 The Journey to Androlina The companions returned to the house in Hagrid Manor amid joyful laughter, after which Lancelot handed over the mithral cage to Barrend. The old dwarf¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the ¡¯luxurious¡¯ cage, and when Lancelot told him he hoped to use the mithral to craft a set of full body armor for himself, the dwarf blacksmith¡¯s expression became as excited as if he had found a dragon¡¯s treasure. In addition, Lancelot also ordered a set of mithral chainmail and a pair of cold iron shortswords for Little Isha. He originally considered a mithral breastplate, which would offer the same level of protection but be one third lighter, but due to Isha¡¯s vampire constitution, any contact with silver would cause her a burning pain. Thus, he had to settle for the slightly less protective chainmail. Of course, it was Lancelot who was footing the bill for these items, and he didn¡¯t mind that at all. Beyond the feeling of satisfaction, ordinary money held little meaning for him, and now that he had amassed enough spirit stones, these could be considered a ¡¯graduation¡¯ gift from a brother to his sister. Speaking of spirit stones, Lancelot knew he had to mention his Foundation Establishment preparations. He was aware that such matters could not be hastened and was thankful for Tijana¡¯s assistance. Without her help, gathering such a large number of upper grade spirit stones would have been a tremendous endeavor. Thus, he had to be utterly confident before making an attempt to break through to the next realm, to ensure success on his first try. After achieving Foundation Establishment, his strength would undoubtedly greatly improve. Then he could seek Tijana out and spar with her... In the quiet of the night, harboring such thoughts, Lancelot started his daily meditation and qi cultivation exercises. The path of spiritual cultivation is like accumulating sand to form a tower, where perseverance pays off and not a single day should be taken lightly. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Seven days later. Tijana flew alone high above Twin Bridges Town, watching Lancelot wave at her incessantly from below until he finally disappeared under the distant horizon. ¡°I think so,¡± nodded the beautiful Holy Warrior. ¡°But I feel she has reservations, just like you do.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any reservations...¡± Lancelot tried to sound firm, but his tone betrayed his unease. ¡°How could you not? We are succubi, capable of arousing the most primal desires in mortals and experts at toying with emotions. To have no reservations at all would be foolish,¡± Elothysia shook her head, ¡°But what her true feelings towards you are, I believe you are well aware.¡± Lancelot did not reply, riding forward silently, but in his heart, he already knew the answer. Three days later, the group caught sight of the walls of Volcano Fortress. Built within the mountain, the fortress drew its energy from searing magma. Watchtowers and battlements protruded from the ridges, surveilling any potential invader. This was one of the front-line fortresses in the Blood War, commanded by Visuvius, the Flame Demon General, who was loyal to Lord Wu¡¯an, Grazzt. At the trade fair in Twin Bridges Town, Lancelot had met Prince Kailon who represented the Volcano Fortress, a demon with dark skin and six fingers. He¡¯d left a good impression on the human knight and even offered Lancelot an invitation for employment. The group was soon stopped by a demon patrol nearby. Since they were flying the flag of Oasis Fort, the demons didn¡¯t attack them outright. After examining a token given by Tijana (along with a Cold Iron Longsword as a ¡¯gift¡¯ for the patrol captain), the demons gestured them through. But they were not here to accept the employment invitation today. Instead, they turned southwest and entered the Desolate Wilderness. Unlike the region around Twin Bridges Town, the land here was deep red, as if it had been soaked in blood. Considering the endless battles between demons and devils throughout countless centuries, this description might well be the truth. Alamir¡¯s Divine Arts played a substantial role in their journey. Although their Dimensional Bags were loaded with supplies, the priest¡¯s Third Circle Divine Art ¡¯Create Food and Water¡¯ could produce enough sustenance to last them two days¡ªalthough the taste was not ideal, they had Koula with them. Lancelot was convinced that even a piece of bark would be exquisite under Koula¡¯s touch; the Halfling chef himself claimed that this was the power of alchemy. The most delighted about this adventure was a vampire dwelling in Lancelot¡¯s Dimensional Bag. She had now become able to tolerate the glow of the sunset. In the evenings, little Isa would eagerly crawl out of the pocket at Lancelot¡¯s waist, transform into a tiny bat, and hang on the pauldron of the human knight, gazing curiously at the desolate yet magnificent landscape of the Plains of the Abyss.@@@@ Chapter 189 - 189 - 183: Strange Patrol Team Chapter 189 ¨C 183: Strange Patrol Team Every night after setting up camp, Lancelot would spend an hour mentoring young Isa, hoping to quickly enhance her combat abilities. It had to be said that the vampire girl¡¯s talent was unbelievably exceptional; she grasped many concepts at once, and Lancelot rarely needed to instruct her, most of the time only needing to act as a powerful opponent. However, so far, Isa had not yet experienced real combat. With Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception scouting, their nightly camping locations were carefully chosen to be essentially safe from any danger. The few attacks they had encountered occurred during the day when the group, under the command of the Human Knight, avoided large troops of bloodthirsty armies, but occasionally they were ambushed by Low Level Demons with intelligence not much higher than wild beasts. In this wilderness far from Tanari¡¯s iron fortresses of the Lords, there still remained some Low Rank Obyrith Demons. Tanari Demons generally had humanoid forms, while Low Rank Obyrith Demons couldn¡¯t even be called creatures. Take, for example, the Abyss Fiends they had killed most on their journey¡ªa kind of demon that from a distance resembled a shrub, but up close was revealed to be a fleshy orb with a mouth that split its body in two, with eyes and claws randomly distributed across its other parts. Their appearance was the very embodiment of madness and chaos. Everyone who saw an Obyrith Demon for the first time felt a strong assault on their sanity. Fortunately, the team included Priests and Holy Warriors, whose abilities helped everyone resist such shocks and avoid falling into madness simply from the sight of an Obyrith.@@@@ Luckily, aside from their frightening appearances, these monsters were not very powerful. Whether it was Bruto¡¯s hammer or Alamir¡¯s Holy Fire Technique, they could easily dispose of the creatures, and both were especially eager to eradicate these nauseating monsters. Lancelot had to admit, when they turned into lumps of flesh or were burned to ashes, these Obyrith Demons were indeed a lot more pleasant to look at. Discover hidden tales at Novgo The frequent detours to avoid the armies of bloodthirsty warriors cost them quite some time. It was only after ten days into the wilderness that the group finally encountered a red tributary of the Stygian River. This was twice the time they had originally anticipated, but it was obviously worth it. ¡°This tributary of the Stygian River is known as the Blood River. It branches off to the north at a place called the Plaguehorn, while the main river continues westward towards another plane known as the Red Prison Castery; this tributary here flows south, eventually pouring into the Great Abyss,¡± Kalalin explained to the group. As a scholar of the Black Cult, his knowledge of the geography of the first layer of the Abyss was deeply ingrained, even though this was his first personal visit to these lands. ¡°We¡¯re going to Mogrondale City, that¡¯s how you say it, right?¡± Bruto answered nonchalantly, completely unaware of any anomaly. ¡°Ah! Mogrondale, it truly is a great place, with delicious food, soft cushions, and hospitable citizens.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, a really great place!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even feel like leaving once you¡¯re there!¡± These responses were not problematic in themselves, but it was strange to hear them coming from the mouths of these Demons. Everyone sensed something was off, as Mogrondale, though a neutral city, seemed to have guards that were overly enthusiastic. With a soft jingle, Frostslash appeared in Lancelot¡¯s hand. The Human Knight dismounted from his warhorse, positioning himself at the forefront of the team. ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer,¡± Lancelot commanded, his Longsword pointing towards the group of Demons. With his gesture, everyone else also became alert, drawing their weapons and preparing for battle. ¡°Oh dear, you really don¡¯t need to guard against us!¡± The rat-faced Demons revealed smiles that should not exist on their faces, ¡°Let us tell you where to find the best bars and restaurants in Mogrondale City!¡± ¡°Cut it out,¡± Lancelot swung his sword again, halting the Demons from coming closer, ¡°Who exactly are you guys?¡± A look of innocence and confusion appeared on the faces of the Demons¡ªemotions that should never manifest on such beings. ¡°Have we been exposed?¡± the leading Demon turned to its companions, and the rest of the Demons shrugged, a very clear sign. ¡°Then we¡¯ll just have to go straight to...¡± The Demon turned back, but its declaration of flipping the script was left unfinished. The Human Knight¡¯s Longsword pierced out like a lightning bolt, simultaneously silencing the rest of its sentence and its throat. Lancelot was not one of those old-fashioned knights¡ªif a battle was certain, he would not be the one standing still waiting for the opponent to make the first move. Chapter 190 - 190 - 184 Intelligence Chapter 190 ¨C 184 Intelligence The Margon demon clutched its neck, slumping to the ground. As its life force dissipated, its body gradually took the shape of a humanoid creature with grey-blue skin that was smooth and hairless, and with vaguely defined facial features, much like melting metal. ¡°It¡¯s a shape-shifter! A big shape-shifter!¡± Cries of alarm from the Scholar rang out behind, and the battle erupted in an instant. With a roar, Bruto hurled his hammer, flipping another demon to the ground. ¡°For Moradin¡¯s beard!¡± Not waiting for his weapon to return, the dwarf charged forward with his shield, toppling another demon. His hammer reappeared in his hand, and Bruto swung it furiously, hammering it like it was a mass of iron. With each of his strikes, the demon pinned beneath him gradually reverted back to the shape-shifter form, like a mound of clay. ¡°These guys are so ugly! Never mind the beards!¡± Bruto complained loudly, ¡°They don¡¯t even have a single hair on their bodies!¡± Another demon swiped him off a clansman¡¯s corpse with its claw, but the attack failed to breach the dwarf¡¯s armor, only serving to give his anger a new target. ¡°Die, you big morpher!¡± Fighting up close with the enemy along with them was Elothysia. The Succubus Paladin wore a form-fitting full body armor and wielded a treasured sword and shield made of cold iron, gifts from Tijana to her succubus kin. Her fighting style was the polar opposite of Bruto¡¯s. Lacking Tijana¡¯s superior physical capabilities, most succubi, Elothysia adopted a very conservative tactic: she held up her shield to bear the brunt of the attacks, then thrust her longsword at the moment her opponent¡¯s weapon was deflected, precise and orderly like a Knight¡¯s attendant.@@@@ The practicality of such a tactic was undeniable. Although she seemed to be on the defensive, with the enemy attacking far more often than she counterattacked, the foe in front of her soon fell, with seven or eight clear holes puncturing its body. In the rear, Alamir and Kalalin busied themselves casting various defensive magics and divine arts, ensuring their own safety as the team¡¯s spellcasters when the battle commenced. Skeletal heads remained by their side, assuming the role of protectors. Koula slipped into the shadows behind the larger figures, with a short bow in hand. As a halfling, she knew charging into the fray and facing ten at a time wasn¡¯t what she should be doing (unless absolutely necessary). She waited patiently for her chance, occasionally loosing arrows that caught the enemy off guard. Lancelot was undoubtedly the most efficient of them all. No demon, or rather shape-shifter, could last more than three moves before him. The dancing Frostslash was like a streak of light, bringing down one enemy after another, and before the group of shape-shifters realized just how formidable Lancelot was, their numerical advantage had vanished. ¡°We lost it.¡± ¡°Lost it?¡± The demon¡¯s face fell in disappointment, ¡°How did you lose it?¡± ¡°It got heavier and heavier, slipping out of the bag on its own.¡± ¡°Where did you lose it?¡± ¡°Near the Griffon Rift, close to where we were about to climb out of the ground.¡± ¡°Who instructed you to do all this?¡± The shape-shifter¡¯s face showed a look of confusion, and after a while, it said: ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± As soon as the last words left its mouth, the corpse collapsed once more, its flesh rapidly desiccating, looking as though it had been dead for a long time. ¡°Tch.¡± The demon captain disdainfully kicked the corpse aside. Then it looked up at Lancelot and asked: ¡°Are you mercenaries, planning to go to Mogrondale?¡± Lancelot nodded, it was the second time he had been asked that question today. ¡°Then take this.¡± The demon captain threw something to him. Lancelot caught it and found it to be a strange emblem, seemingly made out of a vertebra. ¡°This token of passage will save you a lot of trouble.¡± The demon spat vehemently, the corrosive saliva burning a small pit in the ground, ¡°You did me a favor, and now I owe you nothing.¡± With that, the demon captain turned around and left with its subordinates and the newly acquired information. ¡°They sure are a bunch of weird ones, huh?¡± Bruto remarked, then turned to look at Kalalin, ¡°Scholar, what¡¯s up with that stick that made the corpse speak?¡± Chapter 191 - 191 - 185 Anti-Magic Stone Chapter 191 ¨C 185 Anti-Magic Stone ¡°That was a type of Necromancy known as ¡¯Speak with the Dead,¡¯¡± Kalalin drew out his cold iron short spear and fiddled with the malformed corpse on the ground, ¡°The spell merely animates the residual memory within the body itself, and cannot actually summon the soul of the deceased back, so it can only answer simple, direct questions. Find your next read on Novgo After five questions have been asked, any remaining energy will be completely exhausted, leaving the corpse in this mummy-like state.¡± ¡°They seemed to have mentioned an artifact that was stolen, called the Eye of Sarezdon,¡± Alamir reminded, ¡°Do you know what that is?¡± ¡°I have not heard of that item, but I have heard the name Sarezdon,¡± Kalalin frowned, ¡°Sarezdon, the God of Shackles, an ancient god who vanished before mortals appeared in the Multiverse. Legend has it that Their disappearance has a direct connection to the birth of the Abyss, and to this day, they are still imprisoned in the deepest part of the Great Abyss. Aside from a powerful Celestial Servant, no one has seen Them since.¡± ¡°Let me guess,¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, ¡°That Celestial Servant wouldn¡¯t happen to be the current Lord of the Nine Hells, would it?¡±@@@@ ¡°Correct, but no prize,¡± Kalalin shrugged, ¡°It is said that in the bottom of the Great Abyss, alongside the God of Shackles, also lies the purest seed of evil in the universe. It was from that seed that Asmodeus obtained a power comparable to the Deities, as well as his corruption.¡± ¡°I knew nothing of these things,¡± Elothysia looked at the Scholar in surprise, ¡°Tijana says you¡¯re a member of the Black Cult? What exactly is this organization? In the Prime Material Plane, this cult has always been searching for me. I thought it was some kind of evil cult that worships Demons, so I¡¯ve been hiding from them.¡± ¡°The Black Cult has little to do with religion or faith. We are a group of Scholars who study the Abyss and Demons. Half of us hope to use this insight to combat the continuous invasions of Demons, and the other half are more interested in understanding the source of that immense power of the Demons, which is the Abyss itself,¡± Kalalin explained, ¡°However, your choice was not wrong. If it had been one of those fanatic researchers who found you, it probably would not have ended well. A living Demon is always excellent dissection material.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief,¡± Elothysia shrugged, ¡°Glad you¡¯re not one of those fanatics.¡± ¡°The followers of other deities didn¡¯t feel the same,¡± Kalalin said with a twist of his mouth. ¡°During that period, all priests lost their Divine Arts, and casting spells became a dangerous act without the management of the Goddess of Magic. By the time everything settled down, many gods had died completely, vanishing forever from the Multiverse.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a story,¡± Lancelot said, genuinely startled by the tale. ¡°The gods walked the earth in person?¡± ¡°Yes, and since their connection to the Divine Kingdoms was severed, the powers of these deities were greatly reduced. In those years, even mortals managed to achieve the feat of slaying a god, something unprecedented in the past.¡± Kalalin handed the small box to Lancelot. ¡°Stones like this are products of the Time of Troubles, said to be byproducts of divine beings falling into the Mortal Realm, quite rare.¡± ¡°I have heard of such things as well,¡± Elothysia added as she came closer. ¡°Many powerful Demon Lords are willing to pay a hefty price for them, especially when a daring spellcaster gets hold of a Demon Lord¡¯s true name, because these stones can free them from the binding of Summoning Formations.¡± ¡°Indeed, while this item is not as rare as a Divine Artifact, in the hands of the demon lords weighing thousands of pounds, its effects are almost equal to that of a Divine Artifact,¡± the Scholar said, frowning. ¡°The masters behind these shapeshifters have really gone all out. There must be scores of Defensive Formations around the Eye of Sarizdon, but this Anti-Magic Stone renders all the anti-theft measures useless.¡± Lancelot looked curiously at the stone in the box, touched it, and found it to be much colder than it looked, almost like a chunk of ice. He dropped one hand and silently activated the Qingyun Sword Art, generating a Sword Aura from his palm made of Innate True Qi, and quietly poked a hole in the ground. The efficacy of magic originated from the manipulation of the Magic Net, and the strength of Divine Arts came directly from the deities, fundamentally both being external forces. His own True Qi, as well as the physical strength that came from his Spiritual Cultivation, stemmed from himself and were not restricted by the Anti-Magic Stone. ¡°How large is the effective range of this stone?¡± he looked up and asked Kalalin. ¡°Why not try and find out,¡± the Scholar shrugged. ¡°Alamir, take your Hardhead Hammer and walk off into the distance.¡± Chapter 192 - 192 - 186: Great Abyss Chapter 192 ¨C 186: Great Abyss The Elf Priest immediately understood the Scholar¡¯s meaning. He drew his Hammer of Dissolution, a trophy acquired from the Succubus Palace at Oasis Fort. In the past, whenever he held this weapon, it would emit a bright and warm light, but now there was nothing, as if it were just an ordinary weapon. However, after he had walked about thirty yards, the hammer in his hand suddenly lit up again. The Elf took a few steps back, and the light on the Hardhead Hammer went out accordingly. ¡°That¡¯s about the right distance,¡± Alamir returned to the others, ¡°The range isn¡¯t that large, so if you plan to surprise the enemy with this, you¡¯d better charge into the crowd first.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Lancelot tucked the box into his chest, ¡°If used well, this thing really can turn the tide.¡± As he closed the box, the weapon in the Elf¡¯s hand lit up once more. The group then got their equipment together and began to advance towards the distant Skeleton Tower. On the way, they encountered several of the Demons¡¯ patrol teams, but when Lancelot showed them the spine emblem, the patrol teams waved them through, though their attitude was still very unpleasant. As the sun was about to sink into the horizon, they finally arrived in front of the giant Skeleton Tower. Feeling the movement in his Dimensional Bag, Lancelot let out a little Vampire that had just woken up. ¡°Good afternoon, everyone!¡± Little Isha¡¯s cheerful voice appeared before she did.@@@@ ¡°Turn around and look behind you,¡± Lancelot said with a smile, patting the Vampire girl¡¯s head, ¡°Such a view is not something you can see just anywhere.¡± Little Isha did as told, and she was immediately deeply shocked by the magnificent scene before her. The Plains of the Abyss before her had split open. The ground abruptly vanished ahead, replaced by a vast rift. One could not discern the boundaries of this rift with the naked eye, as it stretched from one end of the horizon to the other. The waters of the Blood River poured down from the cliff¡¯s edge, forming massive waterfalls and filling the rift with red mist, obscuring any view of its bottom. Lancelot shrugged. Naturally, he had no interest in challenging the so-called Lord of Kay-Oine; that fellow sounded more like a prisoner of the tower than its master. Lancelot certainly didn¡¯t plan to walk down those steps. Not to mention the life-threatening dangers (or boredom) along the way, they first and foremost didn¡¯t have the qualifications to enter Skeleton Tower. The emblem given by the captain of the Demon patrol wasn¡¯t enough; only the nobility of Mogrondale City had the privilege to freely enter and exit the tower. Experience tales with Novgo The other route to Mogrondale was even more despairing¡ªtwenty miles of vertical free climbing. It might not be too difficult for creatures with wings or those who could fly with the aid of magic, provided they could deal with the residents perched on the cliffs of the Great Abyss, mainly wild Kas Demons and Flomos. This wasn¡¯t an unimaginable route. In fact, within the twenty miles between Mogrondale and the surface, there were numerous Portals distributed, leading to the various levels of the Abyss. Although these portals weren¡¯t the sole entry points to their corresponding levels, they were mostly guarded tightly. The Demons serving as gatekeepers for the Abyssal Lords usually didn¡¯t welcome visitors. Unless given clear instructions, their everyday job was to attack any creature within their line of sight, although most were the unlucky ones who happened to fall in front of them. The Great Abyss had another feature; Demons at the Lord Level couldn¡¯t enter it, at least not in their normal state. Some scholars believed the reason was the red mist pervasive throughout the Great Abyss, after all, it was the vaporized water of the Stygian River, while others insisted it was due to some energy related to the core of Demons themselves. Furthermore, Teleportation Magic didn¡¯t work there, except for the naturally formed ones; the efficacy of Prophecy Magic was also severely suppressed within the Great Abyss, making it difficult to track any creature using it. With no Lord Level Demons, some of the stronger mortal Adventurers could be a bit more arrogant in the Great Abyss. But only a bit. Due to the absence of a powerful entity capable of suppressing all rebellion, the Demons¡¯ nature made it hard for them to control themselves and not attack others. The chaos within the Great Abyss far exceeded other levels, with battles occurring almost every moment. Even though the Demon armies were fighting off Devils invaders overhead, these chaotic and evil creatures still reveled in an endless cycle of fratricide within the Great Abyss. Of course, if the Demons could unite, the Multiverse would have been theirs long ago. Chapter 193 - 193 - 187 Mogrondale Chapter 193 ¨C 187 Mogrondale In such circumstances, Mogrondale was simply a beacon within the Great Abyss, being the only place that could offer security to Outsiders. In fact, despite the ubiquitous wars, the Great Abyss remained the transport hub of the entire Bottomless Abyss, and Mogrondale naturally became one of the busiest commercial cities in the Abyss. However, a city that required a twenty-mile climb to reach had no commercial value, no matter how alluring the clinking of Gold Coins in its Great Bazaar might be. It couldn¡¯t attract merchants, mercenaries, and thieves from the entire Multiverse to complete countless deals that could change the tide of the bloody conflict as it did now. In reality, the most convenient way to Mogrondale was by ¡¯boat,¡¯ and Lancelot and his group were now standing next to a dock on the shore of the Blood Lake, looking at several dilapidated small boats moored to the bank. ¡°Is this all there is?¡± Bruto lamented, ¡°They look like they should have sunk a long time ago...¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s the reaction every brat has the first time they see a Stygian River boat,¡± the skull-headed Cromwell scoffed. ¡°Take a look at who the boatmen are. As long as they are in control of the boats, they will always float on the water.¡± Upon hearing this, Lancelot concentrated and examined the figures standing at the stern of the boats, finding their bodies hidden under cloaks to be extremely withered, somewhere between skeletons and Zombies. The heads under their hoods were nearly identical to Cromwell¡¯s¡ªa skull. The only difference was that their eyes shone with a faint red glow, whereas Lancelot¡¯s skeletal companion¡¯s eye sockets contained eyes no different from those of a living person. ¡°Is that a Ferryman Demon?¡± Kalalin asked with curiosity, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of such creatures. Legend has it they possess supernatural abilities to control boats and are familiar with every inch of the Stygian River. As long as you pay enough for the fare, they can take you anywhere.¡± ¡°Not anywhere. They won¡¯t go to places that threaten their own safety,¡± the Succubus Paladin interjected. ¡°They are a part of the Yugoroth Demon Tribe and maintain absolute neutrality in the Blood War. Be it Tanari or Bartez, as long as you are willing to pay, their services are yours. These Ferryman Demons are employed by Mogrondale¡¯s administrator to shuttle any travelers needing to go to the city.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Bruto shrugged, ¡°Then let¡¯s hurry onto the boat. How long have we been out in the wild? I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but I hope to sleep in a bed tonight, under a solid ceiling, not a tent flapping noisily in the wind.¡± No one naturally opposed the idea, and they chose a boat that could just fit them. Lancelot stepped forward to negotiate with the Ferryman Demon at the stern. ¡°Destination?¡±@@@@ ¡°Use them to bind yourself to your seat,¡± the Ferryman Demon said, revealing a wicked smile, ¡°Tighten them well.¡± Your next read is at Novgo ¡°Think about those waterfalls,¡± Cromwell chimed in from the side, ¡°Ferryman Demons¡¯ boats won¡¯t sink, but they also won¡¯t fly.¡± Bruto¡¯s face fell instantly, and the Dwarf bound himself as quickly as possible, looking like a turtle that a vendor had taken to market. Everyone sprang into action, including Lancelot, who didn¡¯t show off but obediently used two straps to secure himself to the seat. After the Ferryman Demon patiently ensured that everyone had taken safety measures, he gently pushed off with his oar, and the small boat left the shore, heading toward a waterfall at the edge of the Great Abyss. ¡°Suddenly, I think rock climbing isn¡¯t so bad,¡± Bruto said with a pale face as he eyed the approaching cliff, ¡°At least¡ªWhoaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!¡± He couldn¡¯t finish his sentence before the Ferryman Demon mischievously pushed hard with his oar, causing the boat¡¯s speed to surge wildly as it shot out over the cliff like an arrow released from a bow. A second later, everyone found the boat was now completely vertical to the ground, sticking to the waterfall as it accelerated towards the Endless Abyss under the force of gravity. Koula and Isabella screamed, but Bruto¡¯s voice was the loudest. The Dwarf¡¯s screams even seemed to disperse the surrounding mist, clearly having accumulated too much energy from the days of ample food and steady journey. Soon, the terror in their screams disappeared, and everyone even began to enjoy this thrilling and exciting stretch of the journey. The boat landed in a large pit at the bottom of the waterfall, immediately leaping down another; sunlight naturally could not reach such depths, but glow-in-the-dark mushrooms dotted the cliffs and crags, providing illumination for the passengers to appreciate the scenery whizzing by. Lancelot saw large flocks of winged Demons, mainly Flomos, a kind of Demon known for their low intelligence and extreme ferocity, with large feathered wings and beast-like bodies, a cross between humanoid creatures and vultures; another frequently encountered Demon was the Kas, which looked like a nauseating mix of flies and humans¡ªthe overseer he had met when encountering Bruto was a Kas Demon. These Demons showed no interest in the speeding boat, and though twenty miles was not a small distance, in less than half an hour traveling at a speed close to freefall, the outline of Mogrondale City appeared beneath everyone. Chapter 194 - 194 - 188 Tears of Lazzaka Chapter 194 ¨C 188 Tears of Lazzaka From above, Mogrondale is a hollow city, at the center of which lies an unfathomably deep hole. The base of the Skeleton Tower, Kai-Oine, is anchored to the cliff edge of the great hole, and the city districts are constructed on the flat ground surrounding it. The city also extends vertically, with the higher buildings looking more refined, while the bottom is entirely in slum condition. Before everyone had the chance to take a closer look at the Abyssal City, the boat had smoothly landed on a lake in the southeastern part of the city, slowly steering towards an adjacent dock. ¡°Welcome to Blood Gaze,¡± the Ferryman Demon boatman spoke. ¡°I hope you¡¯ve enjoyed this journey.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Little Isha sitting beside Lancelot suddenly let out a shriek, her eyes wide with fright. Everyone also saw what frightened the little Vampire: above their heads, countless heavy chains were strung with thousands of flayed bodies, some of which were still struggling in agony, clearly not quite dead from the skinning alone. ¡°Those are the criminals who violated Mogrondale¡¯s laws,¡± Elothysia explained with a look of disgust, ¡°The Lords of Withering believe these sights can bolster outsiders¡¯ confidence in Mogrondale¡¯s law and order.¡± ¡°Eh, I¡¯m more concerned with how not to end up as one of those skinned folks,¡± Bruto, who wasn¡¯t too shocked, said. Having been through several adventures, he was somewhat numb to such scenes, ¡°Where can one find a codex that stipulates what is allowed and what is not?¡± The Succubus Paladin looked at the Dwarf with an incredulous gaze, then chuckled and shook her head, uttering a simple five words: ¡°Don¡¯t cause any trouble.¡± Continue your saga on Novgo Elothysia¡¯s words plunged everyone into silence. In this somewhat oppressive atmosphere, they one by one disembarked and set foot on the long-renowned neutral city. ¡°Last time I came here, I was in chains, shackled as a prisoner,¡± Elothysia sighed, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to return to this place so soon.¡± ¡°What do you think, big brother?¡± the Dwarf nudged Lancelot with his elbow, ¡°Why not consider becoming a Lord of Withering? I think you have what it takes.¡± ¡°And then rule over a bunch of citizens who are trying to murder you at every turn?¡± Lancelot shook his head in disdain. ¡°With so many merchants coming and going here, there must be some decent restaurants, right?¡± the Halfling Koula looked expectantly at Elothysia, ¡°I want to eat some real food... the kind that doesn¡¯t require prayers.¡± Alamir gave a hurt look but didn¡¯t object, because he too was sick of living off the Divine Arts-created provisions. ¡°I suggest going to an inn named Tears of Lazzaka,¡± Elothysia proposed, ¡°Its food and rooms may not be as good as others¡¯, but it attracts foreign travelers with extra security measures. Its owner also has a very special identity that can save the guests a lot of trouble.¡± ¡°Is the owner named Lazzaka? What¡¯s wrong with his tears?¡± little Isabella couldn¡¯t help asking curiously, the Vampire girl having recovered from the earlier shock. ¡°No, the owner of Tears of Lazzaka is ¡¯The Immortal¡¯ Pakos, who has twice claimed the title of Lord of Withering but soon gave it up because he found it boring,¡± Isabella¡¯s question made the Succubus Paladin¡¯s expression a bit strange, ¡°He has been killed several times in public, but he would always reappear the next day as if nothing had happened, except that his enemies would have mysteriously disappeared. Because he seemed to never be able to die, he was awarded the title ¡¯The Immortal¡¯.¡± ¡°Sounds like a very hospitable host,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Where is this inn located?¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, it¡¯s two blocks in that direction.¡± Shortly after, the group stood at the entrance of a three-story stone inn, the sign featuring a string of strange symbols, but Lancelot immediately understood they meant Tears of Lazzaka. At the end of the sign were some dazzlingly colored tubes, forming the image of a weeping angel hanging in the air. Chapter 195 - 195 - 189: Signature Wine Chapter 195 ¨C 189: Signature Wine Elothysia showed an obvious look of disgust at the sign, but she said nothing. Lancelot raised an eyebrow and pushed open the large door of the inn. ¡°Welcome to Tears of Lazaka!¡± As soon as they entered, a pleasant voice rang out beside them. Lancelot turned his head and saw a halfling bartender behind the counter waving at them. However, Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception warned him that this fellow who looked like one of Koula¡¯s kin was definitely not a halfling, and his strength was undoubtedly strong. There were also several Meizeros Demons in the bar, their eyes like ripe oranges without pupils, surveying the surroundings. Lancelot guessed that they were guards hired by the inn¡¯s owner.@@@@ There were some other things that caught his attention too. A few individuals sitting in the shadows had their gazes fixed on him for several seconds. Although the stares were incredibly covert, Lancelot¡¯s sharp Spirit Perception still noticed them. As he turned his gaze towards them, those individuals immediately averted their looks, feigning nonchalance. Considering the reputation of the inn¡¯s owner and the guards all around, Lancelot did not take any further action but quietly heightened his vigilance. ¡°Wow! Hi there!¡± Koula was very pleased to see one of his kind, ¡°I¡¯m Koula, what¡¯s your name? What are you doing here?¡± People call me ¡¯The Immortal¡¯ Pakos, I am the owner of this inn,¡± the halfling bartender said with a smile, startling everyone, ¡°Whatever you need, just let me know. Our services will surely satisfy you, and the prices are reasonable.¡± ¡°Uh, sorry, I didn¡¯t know you were...¡± Koula¡¯s smile awkwardly froze on his face as he involuntarily stepped back. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t be nervous. I turned into this so as not to scare the guests,¡± Pakos spread his hands, ¡°To be honest, my original appearance is really too disgusting.¡± ¡°Respected ¡¯Immortal¡¯ Mr. Pakos,¡± Lancelot stepped forward, ¡°please forgive my companion¡¯s rudeness. We need to stay here for a few days. Do you have any rooms available?¡± ¡°Tears of Lazaka? Isn¡¯t that the name of your pub?¡± Bruto asked curiously, being a Dwarf, he was interested in any type of alcoholic drink. ¡°Lazaka was a Celestial servant once captured by the Lords of Withering. The wine distilled from his tears could make even the strongest Tanari staggeringly drunk,¡± the Halfling bartender remarked nostalgically, ¡°Sadly, that Angel was later rescued by a group of daring Adventurers. Although he did shed plenty of tears before that, such exquisite wine is diminishing by the bit.¡± Lancelot immediately understood the source of the Succubus Paladin¡¯s aversion, as if he recalled correctly, Elothysia¡¯s lover was also a Celestial servant, known to mortals as an Angel. ¡°We will come down to dine later,¡± Lancelot replied calmly, ¡°Do you have any more ordinary beverages? We wouldn¡¯t want to be hunted by some Celestial creature suddenly emerging because we drank that kind of wine.¡± ¡°Your friend with the bat wings would really like it,¡± Pakos still unwilling to give up, said, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to please her?¡± ¡°We won¡¯t pay for that kind of thing,¡± Lancelot firmly refused again, ¡°See you later then, Mr. Pakos.¡± Read latest stories on Novgo He turned away from the bar and led his group upstairs. ¡°Thank you,¡± he whispered to Elothysia as they passed by her. The Succubus said nothing, just silently followed him up the stairs. The group reached the large suite on the third floor, and while it was far from the lavish luxury the innkeeper had boasted, the essential facilities were indeed all present. It featured a vast living room, a master bedroom, two secondary bedrooms, and two bathrooms. Baths were the most missed luxury by the group who had spent three weeks in the wilderness, even Bruto was loudly proclaiming that he too needed to freshen up. The companions took turns cleaning themselves, with only Alamir and Little Isha taking a bit longer: for the former, bathing was part of his religious rituals, and for the latter, it involved using a bathtub ¡ª running water was like strong acid to Vampires, and after a few memorably careless mistakes, the Vampire girl had learned not to repeat that error. Chapter 196 - 196 - 190 Out of Stock Chapter 196 ¨C 190 Out of Stock The bathing water was somehow disconcerting, though. It was a pure black, sourced directly from a black pond in the Blood Abyss, but not at all filthy. It was the only water in the entire Mogrondale City that contained no toxins, diseases, or curses and could be directly consumed by mortals, and even Alamir¡¯s Divine Arts found nothing amiss with it. However, out of caution, the group had a Priest conjure up a large barrel of real, clean water to rinse themselves with after their baths, which at least gave them some psychological comfort. Bruto was the last to enter the bathhouse, and after the Dwarf finished, the scene in the bathroom looked as though someone had tossed an alchemical bomb into a cesspit. Even Kalalin had to use a spell to clear the drains, which were completely clogged with the Dwarf¡¯s shed hair. The cool bathwater not only washed away the dirt and grime from their bodies, but it also took away the weariness of the journey, reviving their spirits. An hour later, everyone was ready to head downstairs to indulge in a lavish meal as a reward for themselves. Of course, they still donned their full armor, weapons at their waist, and shields on their backs, looking as if they were prepared to dine and dash. But of course, they would never do such a thing, moral preferences aside, the skinless corpses hanging over Blood Lake quite effectively demonstrated the consequences of that action. And to be honest, in the Abyss, spending money is actually harder than earning it. Bruto had already tossed all the gemstones into Lancelot¡¯s Dimensional Bag, simply because the Dwarf found them too heavy. After parting with a yellow jade worth five hundred Gold Coins, they enjoyed the most sumptuous meal they had since arriving in the Abyss. Although they still preferred Koula¡¯s cooking, the Halfling would never find such rich ingredients in Twin Bridges Town. In fact, Koula himself was the happiest eater of them all. This race of unfussy gourmets has never been picky about food¡ªthey express their appreciation for all food in the simplest of ways, by eating it. Due to Lancelot¡¯s generous spending, Pakos was very enthusiastic, but Lancelot naturally did not let his guard down because of the host¡¯s honest and lovable appearance, always maintaining a very respectful attitude. It wasn¡¯t difficult to do so because his Spirit Perception constantly reminded him that Pakos felt more dangerous than the Red Dragon back in Twin Bridges Town that traded gemstones. ¡°Because this place is merely a hub, my beautiful vampire miss, merchants who come here usually have destinations elsewhere.¡± The halfling innkeeper spread his hands, ¡°If those Lords of Withering don¡¯t find a way to get back the Eye of Sarizdon quickly, this city will soon lose its reason for existence.¡± ¡°With your identity, you must have already received the latest intelligence,¡± Kalalin looked at the adorable former Lord of Withering with hope, ¡°those shape-shifters didn¡¯t manage to take the artifact away, the Eye of Sarizdon is still in the Great Abyss.¡± Your next read awaits at Novgo ¡°I did hear about this news, but certainly not earlier than you,¡± Pakos gave everyone a toothy smile with an obvious implication. ¡°It was indeed us who defeated those shape-shifters; they weren¡¯t particularly difficult to deal with,¡± Lancelot admitted straightforwardly, ¡°We need to get a map as soon as possible. Is there anything we can do?¡± ¡°Oh, do you have any complaints about my rooms and food?¡± the halfling innkeeper exclaimed dramatically, but Lancelot could easily tell the other was just putting on airs. ¡°They are fantastic, but they aren¡¯t free,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°We are a group of mercenaries; finding things is within our line of work.¡± ¡°The Great Abyss is nothing like the open fields of the Plains of the Abyss,¡± Pakos chuckled, ¡°Please trust the withered masters of Mogrondale City¡ªthey are certainly more anxious than you. I¡¯m confident that artifact will soon return to its rightful room in Kai-Oine. Until then, why not stay here and trade your shiny gemstones for the top-notch services I offer?¡± Lancelot knew there wouldn¡¯t be any more progress in the conversation, so he shifted the topic to some customs and cultures within Mogrondale City, then politely ended the conversation. Later that day, everyone gathered to discuss the next course of action, but unfortunately, they had too little information and ended up without a conclusion. Bruto did come up with an idea: to find out some information about the current Lords of Withering from the streets to see if it was possible for Lancelot to take one out directly. Doing so would definitely make participating in the search for the artifact¡¯s whereabouts, or acquiring a map afterward, no trouble at all for a Lord of Withering. Chapter 197 - 197 - 191 Just Short of a Breath Chapter 197 ¨C 191 Just Short of a Breath The plan sounded too crazy at first, and every Dwarf shook their heads when it was first proposed, but when everyone tried to point out the absurdity of it, they realized that the plan was highly feasible. At least the first step of the plan, to investigate the current strength of the Lords of Withering, wasn¡¯t particularly difficult. If the final conclusion was that Lancelot was indeed capable of defeating a Lord of Withering, then... Nobody indulged in that possibility because they knew too little at the moment, whether it was about the title of Lord of Withering or the city itself. But tomorrow¡¯s course of action had been decided, which was to go out into the streets to gather all information related to the Lords of Withering. Despite it being a plan full of uncertainties, it was still better than being completely clueless, and it calmed everyone¡¯s nerves, which had been somewhat anxious. Bruto, Kalalin, and Koula were soon overtaken by drowsiness¡ªeach had a bed to himself¡ªwhile the others rested in their own ways. Except for Elothysia and Little Isha, one didn¡¯t need to sleep to regain her strength, and the other didn¡¯t sleep at night. It was only natural for them to take up the night watch for everyone. The two beautiful women were now squeezed onto a sofa, planning to chat until dawn, just as they had during their previous nights camping in the wild. Over the past ten or so days of travel, their friendship had warmed up rapidly after a few such nights, and Elothysia found herself quite fond of this nai?ve and kind-hearted vampire girl, partly because she saw a reflection of herself in her.@@@@ Lancelot, meanwhile, sat cross-legged in a quiet little room by himself, engaged in his daily meditation and Qi cultivation. Everyone had become accustomed to the Human Knight¡¯s unique ¡¯resting¡¯ method, finding nothing odd about it anymore. In the three weeks they traveled from Twin Bridges Town to this place, they hadn¡¯t encountered any battles of significant intensity, and Lancelot¡¯s True Qi had fully recovered. He felt that he was just one breath away from reaching the Great Perfection of the Qi Cultivation Stage, which was the best state to be in to attempt the Foundation Establishment Stage¡ªhis True Qi would not increase by even the slightest bit further than that. But so far, every time he completed a Heavenly Cycle, his True Qi still increased by about one ten-thousandth, a very small ratio, but one that didn¡¯t escape his keen Spirit Perception. Perhaps after the next Heavenly Cycle, he would find that the moment for Foundation Establishment had arrived, but until then, the Human Knight must steady his heart and repeat this process over and over. After completing eighty-one Heavenly Cycles, Lancelot stopped and entered a state of meditation. It wasn¡¯t physical fatigue that burdened him, but the mental exhaustion from using his spiritual power. According to the bamboo slip, the body, Spiritual Power, and Divine Sense are the three primary qualities of a Spiritual Cultivator, but there was no Dharma Method for cultivating Divine Sense during the Qi Refinement Realm. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s going on?¡± Bruto was armed and ready in an instant, slipping into that Dwarf Heavy Armor as easily as a cat jumps into boots. The other who needed to don armor for battle was not so lucky. Alamir struggled to get into his intricate yet heavy Full Body Armor, with Lord of Withering, Cromwell, assisting him and holding the Elves¡¯ gauntlets in his mouth. ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot of visitors, the kind that don¡¯t plan to come through the door,¡± Lancelot glanced at Bruto, ¡°This living room is going to get very crowded soon, you go and stay with the Scholar, and make sure you protect him.¡± The Dwarf nodded and turned to run back. Alamir finally got his armor on, which calmed the Priest down. He went over to the Halfling Koula, determined to protect his small companion in the upcoming battle. Elothysia and Little Isha also got ready back to back, with no one standing too far apart, maintaining a distance that allowed for mutual support. Apart from Lancelot, the Human Knight stood alone in the middle of the spacious living room. The group was experienced by now; when his Frostslash started to swing, it was best to stand more than fifteen feet away, or you would definitely be splattered with blood. ¡°That wall is the bathroom,¡± Kalalin tapped on Bruto¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Watch out for it later.¡± Although the room¡¯s preparations were noisy, not a sound leaked out thanks to the Soundproof Barrier, with the attackers patiently waiting for their accomplices to arrive one by one. They were in vain with their impatience, for that roof made of solid rock wasn¡¯t something that could be destroyed with brute force. Chapter 198 - 198 - 192: Little Isha’s First Blood Chapter 198 ¨C 192: Little Isha¡¯s First Blood Everyone followed Lancelot¡¯s gaze, staring intently at the ceiling above. After a wait that felt long but was actually only a few minutes, the ceiling suddenly became transparent, and ripples like water began to emanate from it. A few seconds later, the once solid rock ceiling had completely turned into an illusion. Accompanied by a whistle, the attackers leaped in from the rooftop. Lancelot took a closer look and realized these creatures had hyena heads, humanoid bodies, and an appalling stench ¡ª they were a band of gnoll robbers. Whatever their reasons for launching the attack, it definitely did not include the possibility that their opponents would be fully armed. Lancelot¡¯s longsword thrust out, and a gnoll hadn¡¯t even touched the ground before it became a corpse, a huge bloody hole gaping in its chest. The others also had a bellyful of anger during those unbearable minutes of waiting. Bruto even threw his hammer the moment the first gnoll poked out its head, then, holding his shield, knocked another leaping gnoll to the ground. Without waiting for his hammer to return, he started pounding the enemy pinned beneath him with his fists. While he was passionately swinging his fists, Kalalin was dueling another gnoll with a cold iron spear. These humanoid beasts created by the Abyssal Lord Yenogu possessed agility and strength that Scholars couldn¡¯t match. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against such ferocious enemies, but these were not normal circumstances. Before the battle began, the Scholar had ample time to prepare. Now, surrounding him were three illusions identical to himself; all, including his own body, appeared blurred, like a portrait smeared with water. The Scholar had cast Mirror Image and Blur on himself in advance, a golden combination of Second Circle spells for those spellcasters who liked melee combat. The former created three illusions with movements completely synced with his, the latter made the spellcaster and the illusions more elusive and harder to hit. Kalalin¡¯s opponent was a brute waving a large cleaver. Though utterly baffled by the situation, it swung its weapon regardless. It was a badly misplaced hit, missing not only Kalalin¡¯s clothes but even his illusion, while the Scholar¡¯s sharp cold iron spear poked a hole in its left arm. The only one not participating in the fight was a certain Vampire. This was her first real battle in the truest sense. Little Isha had slipped into the shadows before the start of the fight, excited for the upcoming battle. However, when limbs and blood actually began to fly, she tensed up as if Paralyzed, completely unable to move her body. The shock of real combat far exceeded her expectations. Exposed white bones, blood splattered everywhere, the death-rattle of Werewolves¡ªall of these made the court-raised girl dizzy and short of breath. A Werewolf was hit hard in the face by Cromwell, stumbled backwards towards her, then tripped over the body of a comrade and fell heavily in front of her. All she needed to do was to pull out the Short Sword from her waist to easily end the life of this enemy; Isha was well aware of this, but she simply couldn¡¯t control her body. Luckily, the Werewolf was unable to notice the Vampire Wanderer behind it. From the perspective of stealth, Isha was flawless¡ªif a Vampire needed not breathe and added a Petrify-like stillness, she had already blended with the shadows perfectly, so much so that even her companions couldn¡¯t find her. This meant that Cromwell was completely unaware that the young girl was there. The skull, like a flying bowling ball, careened between Werewolves¡¯ Spears and Large Cleavers; after another vicious collision, yet another Werewolf flew towards where the Vampire girl was. Before Isha could react, the Werewolf had already crashed into her. The beast seemed to sense that it had encountered something soft and couldn¡¯t help but turn its head to look. The girl¡¯s beautiful and delicate face reflected in its murky eyes, and the Werewolf instinctively swiped its filthy claws at her. But that collision had finally given Isha back control over her body. Her hands instinctively drew the Short Sword from her waist, the right hand blocking the imminent blow, while the left hand swiftly stabbed under the enemy¡¯s chin, then quickly retracted to protect her chest. The Werewolf retreated in panic, helplessly trying to cover the gushing wound on its throat, but quickly choked on the blood that flowed into its trachea. Its brown-gray skin swiftly turned purple due to lack of oxygen, its eyes bulging, and any violent motion only intensified its agony. Isha threw her Short Sword, accurately driving it into the beast¡¯s heart, ending its struggle. Feeling someone¡¯s gaze upon her, she looked up and caught Lancelot¡¯s encouraging eyes, but he immediately averted his gaze and lunged at another adversary. ¡°Maybe this isn¡¯t as hard as it seems,¡± the Vampire murmured to herself. She still disliked the feeling of killing and was certain she would never enjoy such acts, but she would no longer stand still like a statue while her companions were fighting. Chapter 199 - 199 - 193: No Superior or Inferior Chapter 199 ¨C 193: No Superior or Inferior The most relaxed person in the whole arena was, of course, Lancelot. The Sword Shadows of the Human Knight were like dried leaves swept up by a strong wind; many werewolves had stopped breathing even before hitting the floor, not to mention striking him. However, these red-eyed werewolves, as if bewitched, kept swarming towards Lancelot. Perhaps the manipulator behind them wanted to wear out the Human Knight¡¯s stamina with sheer numbers, but with Lancelot¡¯s current strength, this intensity of battle could last an entire day without depleting his True Qi. Bodies quickly piled up around Lancelot, gradually forming a low wall built of flesh and blood. Suddenly, the Human Knight sharply looked up, his gaze piercing through the phantasmal ceiling to a new figure that had appeared beside the eaves. The werewolves¡¯ attack on Lancelot ceased, driven by an unspoken command, they turned to assault the Human Knight¡¯s comrades instead. Lancelot confronted the figure on the rooftop from a distance, his Spirit Perception told him that this new Black Armor Knight was the real threat tonight, even more intimidating than the Serpent Demon Sonam when calm. But having just massacred his enemies, the Human Knight was at the peak of his momentum; he lifted his sword towards the figure, issuing a precise invitation. The opponent did not ignore Lancelot¡¯s gesture. He too pointed his Great Sword at Lancelot, but unlike the Human Knight, this was not merely a symbolic action. In that moment, Lancelot felt as if he were before a court, facing a group of judges and prosecutors made of pure evil, loudly proclaiming Lancelot¡¯s guilt ¡ª the crime being the justice and goodness hidden within the Human Knight¡¯s heart. The Ice Heart Technique¡¯s mental method automatically engaged, and the illusion swiftly vanished from his sight, but Lancelot distinctly felt a mysterious connection being established between himself and the Black Armor Knight. In their ensuing battle, some pure evil would empower his opponent. Accompanied by a leaping motion, the Black Armor Knight initiated the battle with a fierce downward strike. Lancelot didn¡¯t dodge or evade, but met the attack with his sword from above. With a clang, their weapons collided again, and this time the blades didn¡¯t immediately separate but instead tangled tightly, testing the strength of each warrior¡¯s owner. The adversary wore a black giant helmet with a narrow eye slit, through which Lancelot saw a pair of eyes glowing red. He himself wasn¡¯t wearing a helmet because it would obstruct his vision, and for him at this moment, dodging was the most efficient form of defense. However, in a situation where neither side gave ground, trying to overpower the opponent, a helmet could also be used as a weapon. Lancelot and his opponent realized this at the same time. The Black Armor Knight¡¯s head slightly reclined, and Lancelot knew that in the next second, the adversary¡¯s helmet would smash into his nose. In response, he gathered a small portion of True Qi in the sole of his right foot and stomped down heavily as his opponent¡¯s helmet harshly approached his face. With Lancelot as the center, the ground within ten feet around violently shook as if struck like a drumhead. He leaned back, dodging the headbutt that nearly hit his face, while the opponent staggered due to the sudden tremor, both retreating several steps and returning to a standoff. Lancelot was breathing heavily, the situation just then had been extremely perilous¡ªit definitely wouldn¡¯t have worked to simply take the headbutt, but if he leaned back to dodge, it would surely loosen his grip on the sword. In a contest of power like this, the one who was overpowered would end up in an extremely disadvantageous position, and being forced to the ground could mean real danger. Fortunately, using the Earthquake Technique, he successfully resolved the crisis. Before leaving for Oasis Fort, he had mastered this Earth System divine skill but had never experimented with how to integrate it into his usual combat style; this impromptu application proved to be extraordinarily effective. The temporarily separated duo fixed their gaze on each other, but the imminent battle was interrupted. Suddenly, the room¡¯s door was violently pushed open, and the innkeeper, who should have ensured the guests¡¯ safety, appeared followed by a large number of Meizeros Demons, the ruthless enforcers of Abyssal City. Explore new worlds at Novgo ¡°Nobody move!¡± The Meizeros Demons shouted in the coarse language of the abyss, and Lancelot knew this battle had now ended. Chapter 200 - 200 - 194 Enrique’s Story Chapter 200 ¨C 194 Enrique¡¯s Story The Black Armor Knight turned his head to look over, then swiftly returned his gaze. He nodded at Lancelot as if to say goodbye. A vertical silver thin line appeared behind him, and then the Black Armor Knight was suddenly pulled away as if the end of that silver line was a fishing rod in the hands of a giant. Lancelot couldn¡¯t do anything to stop it. The remaining werewolves in the room stood frozen, as if they were just waking from a deep sleep, but the humanoid beetle demons didn¡¯t care about that, swiftly subduing them all. Even Lancelot¡¯s companions had to lay down their weapons and obediently stand aside. ¡°We¡¯ve heard that guests at the Tears of Lazaka need not worry about their safety,¡± Lancelot said, watching Pakos approach him, ¡°but our experience seems to suggest otherwise.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ve never advertised that,¡± the halfling replied, still dressed as an innkeeper and unarmed. ¡°But we were indeed attacked in your room.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my inn that was attacked,¡± the halfling kicked a corpse lying on the floor to face upwards, then bent down to examine the creature¡¯s decorations and tattoos, ¡°Parasites from Beggar¡¯s Abyss... Since you helped me repel the invaders, I won¡¯t ask for compensation for the broken furniture.¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders. What else could he expect from an inn located in the Abyss? By this time, the insect-like Mazeleth demons had finished their arrests and were beginning to withdraw from the room, the still-living dozens of werewolves tied up and hanging from the spikes on their carapaces. ¡°Where are these werewolves going?¡± ¡°To be tortured, beaten, interrogated, and not surprisingly, one or two will be skinned. After the guards have had their fun, they¡¯ll be allowed to confess the reasons for the attack, the masterminds behind it, and then they¡¯ll be sent to the slave pens, while I receive a negligible compensation,¡± Pakos stood up from the ground, glanced at the dense circle of corpses by Lancelot¡¯s side, and raised an eyebrow at him, ¡°I might have to reconsider your proposal given how well you¡¯ve fought.¡± ¡°Our proposal?¡± Lancelot asked, surprised. At that moment, some more people came in, Pakos¡¯s guards, who efficiently moved the bodies on the floor as well as the damaged furniture. Find adventures on Novgo ¡°His name is Enrique, if I remember correctly,¡± Elothysia sighed. ¡°His story is a complete tragedy. He used to be a Holy Warrior just like me, hailed as the greatest hero in his kingdom for repelling the invasions of neighboring countries time and again.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± Bruto scratched his head, ¡°How did he end up looking like a ghost now?¡± ¡°Riding on the fame of Enrique, his king realized he could invade other countries at will, which shocked and tired Enrique. Unwilling to be exploited by his king in such a manner, he resigned from the military and retreated to the forest to live with his wife and children.¡± The tone of the Succubus Paladin began to turn painful, ¡°But one day upon returning from hunting, he found his beloved lying in a pool of blood, her heart pierced with a dagger bearing the royal insignia of the neighboring country.¡± ¡°And then?¡± Alamir asked curiously, ¡°Was he blinded by revenge and took his anger out on innocent civilians of the neighboring country?¡± ¡°Darker than that,¡± the Succubus Paladin shook her head. ¡°The king soon sent envoys, inviting him to lead the upcoming conquest against a neighboring territory, which raised his suspicions. After investigating, the truth quickly surfaced¡ªthe dagger that killed his wife and children indeed came from the neighbor¡¯s royal family, but it had been gifted to his king as a peace offering, merely setting the stage for a play to draw him out of retirement.¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Bruto glanced at Lancelot, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m not targeting you ha, but you humans really can do such things.¡± Lancelot did not reply, his mind pondering a man with blond hair and a cape adorned with a gold griffon. ¡°What happened next?¡± Koula asked eagerly, ¡°Did he confront his king?¡± ¡°He did, but he learned even more despairing news,¡± Elothysia sighed again. ¡°The assassination was approved by the city council, those very people he spent his life protecting were willing to sentence his wife and children to death for the profits of war. They even prepared several beautiful women in advance, believing if Enrique found out the true nature of the event, these women could quell his rage.¡± ¡°I guess those women were of no use,¡± Kalalin remarked. ¡°His faith as a Holy Warrior crumbled. He drew his longsword and killed every person he could find in the capital. When the people who had hidden under beds and in basements trembled as they returned to the blood-stained streets the next day, Enrique had vanished.¡± The expression of the Succubus Paladin was filled with disgust, ¡°Those women were actually several succubi, who took Enrique to Flameth Demon Yiltu, my former master. It was there he was transformed, turning into a Dark Guardian who fought only for slaughter and evil.¡± Chapter 201: 195 Pakoss Invitation Chapter 201: Chapter 195 Pakos¡¯s Invitation ¡°Transformation? Is that the reason for his power?¡± Lancelot was still brooding over his failure to defeat Enrique, and upon hearing this, he asked, ¡°What exactly is a Dark Guardian?¡± ¡°When a Holy Warrior completely abandons the sacred oaths once sworn, they can transform into a Dark Guardian through a series of evil rituals such as sacrificing innocent souls, swearing new oaths of darkness, and forging pacts with powerful Fiends,¡± the Succubus Paladin glanced at Lancelot, ¡°All the skills, Divine Arts, and Spiritual Light that were used to fight evil will transform into versions that sow destruction and evil. However, this doesn¡¯t grant any additional strength, other than the freedom to act without moral constraints.¡± ¡°Well, it seems his strength was already that formidable,¡± Lancelot shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s practically your opposite,¡± Kalalin exclaimed to Elothysia, ¡°You were a Succubus, he was a beloved Holy Warrior. You seek redemption for yourself, while he has walked the path of the Fallen. Sending him to hunt you must be particularly ironic for your former master.¡± ¡°His power is indeed very strong; I certainly stand no chance against him alone,¡± Elothysia looked apologetically at the group, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for bringing such a dangerous enemy upon you all...¡± ¡°Bah, he¡¯s just a Fallen human. I dared to face a six-armed Serpent Demon to rescue you. Of course, she was gravely injured at the time...¡± Lancelot joked, then turned serious, ¡°Don¡¯t you get any weird ideas. We¡¯re helping you because we respect your choices, your journey. In some ways, helping you is helping ourselves.¡± ¡°When I first set out on this path, I braced for all the difficulties, but I never anticipated receiving such an overwhelming amount of support,¡± the Succubus Paladin¡¯s face showed a complex expression, ¡°Thank you, truly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Lancelot waved a hand nonchalantly, ¡°As for that Dark Guardian, he and I aren¡¯t finished yet. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t give up so easily. Next time we meet, I¡¯ll have to settle the score and prove that I am the strongest Human Knight in the Abyss.¡± ¡°Gurgle gurgle.¡± Bruto made protesting noises from his belly, interrupting Lancelot¡¯s grand declarations. ¡°We¡¯ve been up since early morning getting a good workout, haven¡¯t we?¡± The Dwarf looked around somewhat embarrassed, ¡°The innkeeper mentioned breakfast, right?¡± ¡°That guy is indeed one of our enemies,¡± Lancelot didn¡¯t bother to hide this fact, as the one in front of him had already encountered the knight in Black Armor. ¡°But I believe he won¡¯t be bothering us again anytime soon.¡± ¡°Yet my reputation has been tangibly damaged,¡± the Halfling proprietor jumped onto the table. ¡°You must compensate me.¡± ¡°What reputation? That guests need not fear being attacked in their rooms?¡± Bruto interjected quizzically, but Lancelot knew the Dwarf was doing so deliberately. ¡°Perhaps I didn¡¯t make myself clear,¡± Pakos leveled his gaze at Lancelot. ¡°I invite you to act as my representatives in the search for the Eye of Sarizdon. Aren¡¯t you eager to obtain the map and leave this city? If you successfully find the Divine Artifact, you¡¯ll certainly be the first to get the map.¡± ¡°We have no objections,¡± Lancelot nodded. ¡°But what about you? What do you stand to gain?¡± ¡°Do you plan to settle down in this city for the long term?¡± ¡°No, we have no such plans.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s none of your business,¡± Pakos settled back into his chair. ¡°How about it? Any other questions?¡± ¡°Many, like where do we start looking for the Eye of Sarizdon?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 202: 196: Lord of Withering Chapter 202: Chapter 196: Lord of Withering ¡°Ha! If I knew that, would I need you?¡± Pakos took a small emblem out from the table and tossed it in front of Lancelot, ¡°The only known piece of information right now is that the Divine Artifact definitely hasn¡¯t fallen to somewhere deeper than this city, otherwise some of the old monsters in the tower would have sensed it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Lancelot picked up the emblem, discovering it was a pure gold ring with a dragon-wing symbol on it. ¡°This is my emblem. In certain situations where you need to show it, it can prove that you are my agents.¡± The Halfling leaned back into his chair in a comfortable position, ¡°The guards of Kai-Oine are waiting for the person holding it to show up; I suggest you set off as soon as possible. Who knows, if you¡¯re late, some other guy might find it, right?¡± Lancelot, with a hint of suspicion, stared at this individual who was far more dangerous than he appeared, but ultimately nodded and turned to walk towards the door. ¡°Oh, and one more thing.¡± Pakos¡¯s voice rose from behind them, ¡°If you¡¯re lucky and do find that thing, don¡¯t take it lightly. Some folks may not wish for the Divine Artifact to return to this city.¡± Lancelot turned his head, looking once again at the deceptively adorable Halfling, then silently walked out. ¡°What was that last remark about?¡± A few seconds later, Bruto couldn¡¯t help but speak up first. ¡°Think about it, without the assistance of a mole, how could a bunch of outsider shapeshifters steal a Divine Artifact that¡¯s guarded so heavily just by having an Anti-Magic Stone?¡± Kalalin explained to the Dwarf, ¡°It¡¯s very likely that there¡¯s a traitor among the high circles of this city; it could well be one of the Lords of Withering.¡± ¡°So it means that if we do find the Artifact, a Lord of Withering might suddenly pop up, clamoring to kill us to silence us?¡± Bruto scratched his head, ¡°So we still have to take one down, right?¡± Among these four current Lords of Withering, was there really someone who had betrayed the city? Who was the most likely candidate? With such questions in mind, they arrived at Blood Abyss Outlook. The foundation of Skeleton Tower at Kai-Oine was here. Blood Abyss Outlook was Mogrondale¡¯s ¡®wealthy district,¡¯ unlike the city¡¯s other broad districts, it expanded in a vertical direction. Along one entire cliff face, there were luxurious caves and majestic high towers. The caves mostly belonged to those cunning and wealthy Abyssal fox-head Demons, while the high towers were owned by winged Demon Races like the Kas Demons, bulky Demons, or Necaross Demons. Across the chasm of the Great Abyss, on the opposite side of the district was Sprayfield, offering a prime viewing angle. The Demons residing here could admire the majestic scenery of the Blood River waterfall from their homes while counting the wealth they had accumulated over countless centuries. Naturally, this place was heavily guarded and strictly forbade entry to outsiders. But thanks to the pure gold Emblem given by ¡®The Immortal¡¯ Pakos, they were still able to enter the district smoothly¡ªjust with a whole team of humanoid beetles eagerly trailing behind them, hoping for these Outsiders to make any untoward move. Lancelot did not indulge these sadists. He led the group straight through the only narrow path in Blood Abyss Outlook and came to the base of Skeleton Tower at Kai-Oine. When they had first come to the city, the giant waterwheel beneath the Blood River waterfall had already proven the engineering capabilities of the Demons, but it paled in comparison to the foundation of Kai-Oine. Countless Abyssal Metal cables and struts secured the gigantic spine to the cliffs of the Great Abyss, stretching for miles. But this was not enough to support the tower over twenty miles high. The true structural supports were the countless Bone Spurs that penetrated deeply into the cliff. Looking at the nauseatingly spine-like silhouette of the Skeleton Tower, Lancelot suddenly had an intuition that the tower was actually some kind of living thing, and the huge, tangled metal apparatus surrounding its base served only to anchor the structure securely within Mogrondale. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 203: 197: Hall of Contention Chapter 203: Chapter 197: Hall of Contention However, they weren¡¯t there to dig up any truths today¡ªthe more you know about such matters, the worse it is, no matter what plane of existence you are on. After showing the Golden Badge provided by Pakos again, the Maizeros Demon Guard at the pedestal base allowed everyone to pass and directed them to ascend the stairs to a place called the Hall of Contention. Each level of the Skeleton Tower may differ slightly in size but its structure is completely identical¡ªit¡¯s roughly what a vertebrae bone would look like if hollowed out. For countless centuries, various Demons have occupied it, and each level has been decorated to its master¡¯s liking, though interrogation rooms and cells are the most common. As the party ascended from one floor to the next, the stench of blood and flesh never dissipated from the air, and sharp yet brief screams emanated from behind some tightly shut doors on occasion.@@@@ The one who reacted most violently to this was Elothysia. Although she had never set foot inside the Skeleton Tower, this place was still enough to trigger many of her memories. In those memories, she was not the victim but the tormentor, and it was this fact that made her feel even worse. Although not as proficient and efficient as the Demons, the Demons¡¯ creativity in torture is unrivaled by any other race. When the Demon Lord captured a mortal hero, he would first use abilities to peer into the victim¡¯s memories, then have his Succubi take on the appearance of the captive¡¯s lover, tricking the hero into believing their beloved had been captured while trying to rescue them, followed by torturing the lover before their eyes. In some cases, the pain inflicted in such a manner even surpassed that of torturing the prisoner directly. Alternatively, they would use magic to create an Illusionary Realm where the prisoner believed their lover had successfully rescued them. After a confounded celebration, the Succubi would only need a few days to give birth to a multitude of children. When the cruel truth was revealed to the prisoner, the Demons would laugh wildly as they consumed the prisoner¡¯s crying children one by one, a scene capable of shattering any creature¡¯s soul. Each time she recalled these scenes, Elothysia would be engulfed in intense shame, remorse, and fury, gasping for breath as if drowning. Lancelot noticed the Succubus Paladin¡¯s distress and also faintly guessed the reasons behind it. So he quickened his pace, pulling along the Scholar, who would have gladly studied each piece of the floor had he the chance, to quickly reach the place the Guards had directed them to. This place called the Hall of Contention resembled a council hall, with a high platform on one side, and on the other three sides, there were stepped seats, which at this moment were filled with individuals looking much like those accompanying Lancelot. Some showed indifference to the arrivals of the Human Knight and his party, but some began whispering secretly among themselves. ¡°Is it this fellow that looks like a tin can?¡± ¡°You make it sound so easy, fox. What¡¯s the reward?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, we don¡¯t work for free!¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that it¡¯s a Divine Artifact? If the reward isn¡¯t satisfying, even if I find it, I won¡¯t give it to you! My treasury is still lacking a Divine Artifact level collectible...¡± ¡°That item is useless to you. It provides no power and has no magic effects. None of you here, including the three of us, possess the Bloodline Power required to use it,¡± said the Elf, his expression turning sour after being called a fox, but he controlled his anger, ¡°Only some... special beings can use this item to draw maps that are critical to trade activities.¡± ¡°Maybe some Abyssal Lord is interested in that thing,¡± someone shouted from the crowd, ¡°Lord Wu¡¯an is always generous to those who help him.¡± ¡°Right! Having real-time access to the location of these Portals, one could mobilize legions through the Great Abyss for surprise attacks...¡± ¡°Mekanshut might soon have to move into the Silver Palace...¡± ¡°SILENCE!!!!¡± A roar erupted, and the huge beetle on the platform spoke up, its voice as grating as fingernails scraping across metal. Everyone covered their ears in agony, and the demand of the Lord of Withering was thus met. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 204: 198: Bounty Chapter 204: Chapter 198: Bounty ¡°I don¡¯t care what use that black bead has, I only know that without it, there would be fewer merchants paying taxes, and I don¡¯t like that situation,¡± proclaimed the Lord of Hive Valley, ¡®Piercer¡¯ Dugba, raising its blade-like forelimbs. ¡°If any of you dares to hide that thing, I will personally twist his head off, suck his brains dry, eat the flesh off his face clean, and shove the remaining skull up his ass.¡± The beetle demon seemed ready at any moment to prove its threats were real, and the mercenaries below wisely shut their mouths. But Lancelot had no doubt that many did not take the threat seriously at all. ¡°Of course, there will also be rewards,¡± the only female on the platform spoke up, her voice carrying an enticing magnetism. That was ¡®Shapeshifter¡¯ Lady Akama, the ruler of the Great Abyss. ¡°Anyone who brings back the Eye of Sarezdon will be granted the title ¡®Lord of Withering Honor¡¯ and given the nobility status of Mogrondale.¡± Whispering voices stirred again, quickly followed by an unhappy shout: ¡°What good is this blasted title?¡± ¡°This title is more precious than gold and gemstones. The city guards will not attack you, and are willing to serve you, provided the pay is reasonable,¡± Akama¡¯s face broke into a charming smile, ¡°I believe many caravans will need your ¡®protection¡¯. Or perhaps you¡¯d prefer to venture further and breach into a certain Lord of Withering¡¯s lair? Heheheh...¡± Thinking of this lady¡¯s well-known vile hobby sent shivers down Lancelot¡¯s spine. Although the female demon¡¯s words were laden with innuendo, she clearly wasn¡¯t referring to herself but to some unseen, ¡®allegedly¡¯ weaker Fireburn Demon. The mercenaries were much happier with this response, many of them glancing around menacingly as if to scare off potential competitors with their gazes. ¡°So how do we find it?¡± someone in the crowd asked aloud, unable to contain themselves, ¡°Where exactly did the Divine Artifact fall?¡± With Lancelot from Twin Bridges Town controlling the crowd, the mercenaries were naturally calm and collected. They weren¡¯t overly interested in the so-called bounty; they just wanted the Divine Artifact to quickly return to Mogrondale, so they could continue their journey to Androlina. But they didn¡¯t wait until the very last either. Once most of the eager mercenaries had noisy left, order in the hall quickly resumed. Seeing that the area around the platform was no longer crowded, Lancelot stood and led everyone forward. ¡°You must be Sir Lancelot?¡± As he approached the platform to collect the Detect Magic wand, the fox-headed demon lord took the initiative to greet him. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me,¡± Lancelot hesitated for a moment but nodded in acknowledgment. Hearing his response, the other two Lords of Withering also turned their heads to scrutinize him. The massive beetle demon looked provocatively at the Human Knight, the meaning in its gaze was clear, but Lancelot had no interest in responding to such a look; the seductive female demon initially eyed him with a teasing expression but, noticing Elothysia behind the Human Knight, her eyes turned to annoyance, as if her favorite food had been slobbered on by someone else. ¡°I heard it was you who dealt with those thieves, and you encountered some unpleasantness in my district earlier today.¡± The current Governor of the spraying region seemed to have a good impression of Lancelot; he glanced at the cloak on Lancelot¡¯s body, ¡°You are from Twin Bridges Town? I have traveled there with a caravan and have even interacted with Lady Tijana.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 205: 199: Bird Chapter 205: Chapter 199: Bird ¡°May victory and glory be hers,¡± Lancelot replied cautiously, before explaining, ¡°We¡¯re on a commission that requires us to go to various lower-level maps, and now it seems we have no choice but to find the Eye of Sarezdon.¡± ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m glad we can share the same interests,¡± Satugura said with an uncomfortable smile on his fox-like face, and he grabbed three magic wands from the table, ¡°Here, take them. I believe in the abilities of the Twin Bridges Town mercenaries; you¡¯ll certainly bring me a pleasant surprise.¡± There¡¯s a saying in the bamboo slips about spiritual cultivation¡ªthe gratuitous offer of help is from none other than a plotter or a thief¡ªwhich couldn¡¯t be more apt to describe how Lancelot felt right now. His spirit perception didn¡¯t notice anything amiss for the moment, so he cautiously took the magic wand. However, he still kept an eye out and decided to let the Scholar study them later for any possible trickery. ¡°Good luck to you.¡± Lancelot nodded his head and then, with everyone joining hands, they all stepped into the portal together. This portal was clearly special; passing through it felt just like walking through an ordinary door, without the brief dizziness that usually accompanied teleportation. Lancelot looked around and found himself standing in a spacious hall, akin in structure to the Hall of Conflict they¡¯d been in before; the portal they had come through was in the same location and was now gradually fading away behind them. The noise of their arrival had alerted the local guards, and two demons quickly flew over from a corner. Lancelot looked up to see muscular demons with humanoid forms, filthy and rotting wings sprouting from their backs, pallid skin like that of a corpse, arms ending in eagle-like claws, and a bald round head with not a single hair, but an extra red eye in the forehead. These were Strapping Demons, said to be directly born from the bloodline of a Demon Monarch through a bloody ritual. Compared to ordinary demons, they had a certain level of obedience and were favored by many Demon Lords. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? We ambushed it too,¡± said another burly demon, its claws rummaging through the prey¡¯s belly, throwing dripping entrails into its mouth. ¡°We can¡¯t leave this tower, at least not from here. You brought a little fun to our boring time, so we bless you, wishing your death in the Great Abyss to be swift and painless.¡± ¡°Uh, should I say thank you?¡± Bruto was somewhat confused by these words that sounded like both a curse and a blessing. At that moment, Lancelot came over, patted the Dwarf on the shoulder, and said to the two burly demons indulging in their feast: ¡°Thank you for your assistance. If we want to get back to Mogrondale, how do we open that Portal?¡± ¡°We can help you open that Portal, and the price is 1000 Gold Coins, or any equivalent item,¡± said one burly demon, wiping the blood from the corner of its mouth, showing Lancelot a nauseating smile. ¡°But what use is money to us? If you can provide us with some entertainment, like luring a few Flomos or Kas demons here, opening that Portal for free would be fine.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Lancelot nodded and then led the group to get their equipment in order, passing through the exit of Kai-Oine and stepping into the unique blood-red mist of the Great Abyss. This time, without unexpected attackers, the party stood safely on a narrow mountain path, surrounded by an exceptionally perilous environment: on one side a nearly vertical cliff face, on the other an abyss whose bottom was out of sight. On the opposite side was another nearly vertical cliff, in places only tens of feet away from where the group stood and at others, thousands of feet wide. The cliffs were dotted with horizontal paths, and some ancient arch bridges connected the sides, but there were no natural pathways in the vertical direction. For travelers without the power of flight, changing elevation required finding an area less steep to climb while also being vigilant for attacks from the indigenous residents. The cliff was less than five feet away, and exploring this area, the greatest danger was the potential to slip and fall. With some luck, one might end up with a relatively nasty fall, but with bad luck, one might not even find the body. Of course, another concern was something falling from above, like another unfortunate soul who had slipped and plummeted. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 206: 200 Divination Chapter 206: Chapter 200 Divination Lancelot felt the urge to put on the Transformation Ring again, to grow wings on his back... No, to make his body grow wings. However, after a brief contemplation, he restrained that impulse. With his adept manipulation of True Qi, he could perform glide-like maneuvers in the air, so falling wasn¡¯t so dangerous to him; transforming into a Succubus would somewhat affect his combat ability, which was not a good choice in this strange and perilous environment.@@@@ ¡°Everyone, take one of these,¡± Koula said as she opened her mouth, and everyone turned to her, noticing the Halfling pulling out several bottles of pale blue potion from her bag. ¡°What is this?¡± Kalalin curiously took one, ¡°Pale blue, is it related to the Transformation System?¡± ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s a potion imbued with the effects of the Feather Fall Spell, but don¡¯t drink it now!¡± Koula stopped the Dwarf who immediately unscrewed the cap and was about to pour it down his throat, ¡°Its effect lasts only one minute, so use it only when necessary, and keep it where you can reach it easily.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of that?¡± Bruto complained, ¡°I can¡¯t predict if I will fall off a cliff within a minute.¡± ¡°If the height of the fall is enough to be fatal, you completely have time to drink this potion before hitting the ground,¡± the Halfling explained with a relaxed expression. ¡°In an emergency, you could also just crush it and the part of your body that touches the potion will gain the Feather Fall Spell effect, and then hold onto your other parts of the body, you can still avoid injury from a fall...though it¡¯s not a pleasant experience.¡± ¡°I¡¯d still better be careful not to fall,¡± the Dwarf shrugged and pocketed the potion. The others did the same, except for those with the ability to fly¡ªElothysia, Cromwell, and Little Esha, who was adjusting to the time change in Lancelot¡¯s pocket. Vampires could die in many ways, but falling was definitely not one of them. With a simple action, a vampire could transform into a bat or even a mist. ¡°What do we do next?¡± the Dwarf looked at the canyon shrouded in red mist, ¡°They say the bead absorbs light from its surroundings, but this damn mist makes it impossible to see anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid we have to search along the mountain path bit by bit,¡± Kalalin walked to the edge of the cliff, looked down and quickly recoiled, ¡°Now the question is, from which direction should we start? Pick a side and rely on luck?¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with my Bloodline Power, it¡¯s just a small trick I learned by chance,¡± Lancelot also took out a coin from his pocket, ¡°It is said this method can predict anything from the birth and destruction of the universe to the sex of a baby in a pregnant woman¡¯s womb, though there¡¯s no guarantee of accuracy.¡± Naturally, the others had no objections, so Lancelot flicked the coin into the air, and after a few seconds, the coin landed on the ground, text side up. ¡°The back side,¡± Kalalin commented, ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not finished yet,¡± Lancelot drew two short lines on the ground with the tip of his sword, then picked up the coin and tossed it again, drawing either a long line or two short lines based on the result, each time he repeated this process six times, a strange symbol consisting of several lines appeared on the ground. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen divination done this way,¡± Cromwell looked curiously at the Human Knight frowning in thought, ¡°So what¡¯s the result?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand either, probably northward?¡± Lancelot was silent for a while, then finally said, ¡°This is called hexagram, through six predictions, the result is called a hexagram. There are 64 possible combinations, each with a special meaning, but interpreting them is very difficult.¡± ¡°How did you know it¡¯s northward?¡± Kalalin looked curiously at the symbol on the ground. As a Scholar of mystical knowledge, he was quite curious. ¡°The three lines at the bottom make up the Inner trigram, and the three lines on top make up the Outer trigram. The Inner trigram represents the current state of the matter being divined, and the Outer trigram represents the way the matter will develop,¡± Lancelot explained to the others, ¡°Each hexagram can have many meanings, for example, the Inner trigram of this prediction represents the north direction, the earth, midnight, transformation, and women among other things.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 207: 201: Evilbane Slash Chapter 207: Chapter 201: Evilbane Slash@@@@ ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound very reliable.¡± Kalalin stroked his chin, ¡°What does that symbol made up of three lines represent then?¡± ¡°Northwest, mountain range, stillness, extinction, grave.¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, ¡°I guess it should mean the mountain range here, right? The thing we¡¯re looking for has obviously fallen into the valley.¡± ¡°The vaguer the meaning, the easier it is to find a corresponding interpretation afterwards.¡± Alamir was not very convinced by this, ¡°If it were about praying to the gods, one would either get no response at all or receive clear instructions. Lady Firehair would not provide an ambiguous answer.¡± ¡°Agreed. In theory, this method is of directly inquiring of heaven and earth, who knows how the world itself views the issue.¡± Lancelot spread his hands, offering no rebuttal to the elf¡¯s comment, ¡°So shall we head towards the north to try our luck?¡± ¡°Why not? Your intuition is always accurate.¡± The impatient Bruto was the first to step out, heading in the direction Lancelot had calculated. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- The winding mountain path was narrow in some places and wide in others, but for the most part, only allowed two people to walk side by side. The dwarf with a shield went first, followed by the human knight and succubus paladin. The scholar and the cook walked alongside each other, the latter¡¯s magic boots making her stride as effortlessly as if she were walking on flat ground. Bringing up the rear was Alamir, with a skeleton head beside him, and thanks to a mental connection with the human knight, Lancelot could be kept informed about the situation at the back of the group at all times. As they moved, everyone was alert to any abnormalities in the surrounding environment. Lancelot also tried to focus his attention, but the omnipresent red fog seemed to have a suppressive effect on spirit perception, making it completely impossible to sense anything beyond a hundred feet. But a hundred feet was not a short distance. Lancelot suddenly patted the dwarf on the shoulder and then raised a fist, signaling a warning to his companions. It was not the first time this had happened today, and the group immediately drew weapons and went on alert, scanning in every direction for signs of the enemy. The intense light made the Kas Demon with its huge compound eyes dizzy, but what truly shocked it was how a Succubus could unleash such an attack. ¡°Evilbane Slash!!!!!!¡± The Succubus Paladin let out a crisp and firm battle cry as her Longsword, gleaming with golden light, slashed through the Demon like a sickle through wheat, cutting the Kas Demon clean in half. The searing light on the blade instantly vaporized the Demon¡¯s blood, leaving the corpse charred when it hit the ground, as if burned by fire. All the Kas Demons were attracted by the attention. Either the destructive power contained in the Succubus¡¯s sword or the fact that this Demon was actually a Holy Warrior placed a tremendous strain on their already limited wits, causing a brief vacancy in their minds. But for Lancelot, this brief moment was enough for him to accomplish a great deal. The sword in the Human Knight¡¯s hand, Frostslash, emitted a green Sword Aura, as the four-foot Sword Blade suddenly grew more than double in length. He moved with a trail of afterimages, hopping vertically across the cliff face, the greenish sword light sweeping over the still-stunned enemies. When Lancelot landed again, the Kas Demons in the sky began to split open one after another, their broken bodies falling into the endless abyss below, eventually becoming food for some lucky Demon or hitting the head of some unlucky creature. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have left me a couple?¡± Bruto complained. He had just finished dealing with his second opponent and was looking for another target when he found there were none left in the sky. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 208: 202: The Contradictory Succubus Chapter 208: Chapter 202: The Contradictory Succubus ¡°Although Boss, your moves just now were indeed powerful, the Evilbane Slash still looks cooler,¡± commented the skull from the side, its voice filled with a ghostly tone. ¡°Besides, when cast by a Tanari, it even comes with a powerful deterrent effect.¡± ¡°So, that was the Evilbane Slash?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, looking at Elothysia. He had heard about the Holy Warriors¡¯ incredible abilities before, and the golden sword aura of the Succubus just now was indeed very impressive, its power comparable to his own Qingyuan Sword Technique enhanced by Innate True Qi. ¡°Yes, Kas was coming too fast just now, and I was worried that ordinary attacks wouldn¡¯t stop it,¡± Elothysia admitted, a bit embarrassed by the praise. ¡°To be honest, I couldn¡¯t believe it myself when I first mastered this skill, considering I still possess a demon¡¯s body; it greatly encouraged me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing, only by being recognized by the essence of goodness can you wield that kind of power,¡± Cromwell remarked thoughtfully. ¡°But since you still have the body of a Fiend, the Evilbane Slash could probably still harm you...¡± Upon hearing these words, Elothysia¡¯s expression instantly darkened. Realizing his blunder, the skull quickly tried to make amends: ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, ha, I¡¯m not questioning your essence. The Fallen Paladin¡¯s Evilbane Slash can affect you as well...¡± The poor Succubus was on the verge of tears as soon as these words were spoken. Lancelot cast a plaintive look at Cromwell and began to console Elothysia:@@@@ ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the skull¡¯s nonsense. Who would use the Evilbane Slash against you?¡± ¡°How could there not be?¡± sighed the Succubus Paladin. ¡°Not everyone is willing to listen to my story like you guys, especially other Holy Warriors. Who I am, what I¡¯ve done, what I do¡ªnone of that matters to them; they only see a demon, a particularly seductive Succubus who tempts others to fall.¡± After hearing Elothysia¡¯s story, everyone reacted differently. Alamir was so moved he was all tears, insisting her story proved the great power of love and once again invited Elothysia to join Shuni¡¯s church; the Scholar thought he had harvested valuable psychological material on Succubi, which is of utmost interest to all male Demon researchers. Meanwhile, Lancelot remained silent. His mind was flashing with various thoughts, and he almost lost his footing and fell off the cliff because he was lost in thoughts, having to invoke the Ice Heart Spell just to calm his mind. But some crazy ideas had taken root in his heart. Maybe he should do as Elothysia did and confess his feelings directly to Tijana? Should he make his thoughts clear to Tijana, instead of hiding behind the armor of politeness and duty, cautiously probing with the long spear of his affection? Lancelot shook his head, dispelling these nai?ve thoughts. He had made similar overtures when he had just become a Knight, but he was no longer that impulsive and reckless young man. How did that saying go? A confession is always the victory chant, not the clarion call to charge. So, he had to continue the tango with the Succubus Lord with patience. As the group continued to explore, they did come across some special locales. The first thing that caught everyone¡¯s attention was some mysterious runes carved on the cliff face. These runes were very ancient, and their survival to this day was clearly due to the power of some magic. Kalalin recognized these runes as a very old form of Abyssal Text, which greatly piqued his interest. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 209: 203: Ancient Secrets Chapter 209: Chapter 203: Ancient Secrets Deciphering text wasn¡¯t a difficult task; as a scholar researching the lower planes, Kalalin¡¯s backpack always contained a very practical magic scroll¡ª¡±Comprehend Languages.¡± This level 1 spell could last for an hour and allowed its recipient to understand any spoken language or any written text. However, it was only limited to the literal meaning, and the spell was incapable of decrypting secret codes or secret texts. Since it was merely a level 1 magic and possessed no ability to cause harm, many adventurers didn¡¯t even know of its existence. ¡°What do these symbols mean?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, his Spiritual Sense hinting that there was something very dangerous behind this rock wall, but the sensing was not very clear through the thick soil. ¡°It seems to say that this place is the final resting place of a powerful Demon Lord.¡± Kalalin showed a puzzled expression, ¡°This is... a graveyard? Aren¡¯t demons immortal and undying? How could there be a graveyard?¡± ¡°Not all demons are immortal and undying,¡± the skull-shaped encyclopedia spoke up, ¡°There¡¯s one kind that isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Doubts came from the only demon in the team, ¡°As far as I know, all demons are killed, there has never been a case of one dying from old age...¡± ¡°You Tanari indeed do not,¡± Cromwell bumped his smooth forehead against that string of Runes, ¡°But the creators of these writings, the Obyrith, were different.¡± ¡°Obyrith? This is the tomb of an ancient Lord of Obyrith?¡± The scholar¡¯s eyes were full of a thirst for knowledge, ¡°Weren¡¯t they defeated by the invading Aira Celestials armies and their former slaves, the Tanari demons, subsequently fading into obscurity?¡± ¡°When they had just been driven out from the Plains of the Abyss, they didn¡¯t feel that their race¡¯ end was near. Many powerful Lords of Obyrith hid in deeper planes, waiting for the opportunity to strike back,¡± Cromwell thoroughly enjoyed showing off his knowledge in front of everyone, ¡°But later on, changes within the Bottomless Abyss itself directly led to the decline of the Obyrith demon race.¡± ¡°Changes within the Abyss itself?¡± Elothysia was also very curious about this, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such things before...¡± ¡°After all, that is history from countless centuries ago; it¡¯s normal for you not to know...¡± The skull chuckled, ¡°By the way, how old are you?¡± ¡°I think you might have spoken too much truth.¡± Kalalin complained to the skeletal head, still unsettled, ¡°This is a warning from the will of the Abyss.¡± ¡°Nonsense, such phenomena are common in the Great Abyss...¡± The skeletal figure tried to argue back, but his tone was clearly weaker than before. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s that over there?¡± Koula suddenly spoke, pointing to a crack in the rock wall beside them, which was wide enough for a person. The cold wind blowing out from within indicated that there was a large space behind it. ¡°Oh? This is most likely the entrance to the tomb, opened by the tumult just now, isn¡¯t it?¡± The dwarf seemed very excited, ¡°What do you say, Lancelot? Shall we go in and explore?¡± The Human Knight looked skeptically at the crack; its appearance might be a little too convenient, right? With this thought, he took out the magic wands given by the abyssal fox-headed demon and handed them to Kalalin, telling the Scholar: ¡°Take a look at these wands, would you? If there¡¯s nothing wrong with them, then let¡¯s see if what we¡¯re looking for is inside.¡± ¡°I also suspected that there was something wrong with the stuff that fox gave, let me have a look...¡± Kalalin pulled out a monocle and clipped it to his eye socket, scrutinizing the intricate engravings on the magic wand. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 210: 204 The Legendary Monster Chapter 210: Chapter 204 The Legendary Monster ¡°The spells on the upper part of these magic wands seem to be some kind of item-location variant, and they already specify the target they are looking for, this part is about the description of that divine artifact...¡± Kalalin muttered to himself, ¡°But what are these extra runes on the bottom for?¡± Gradually, the scholar¡¯s expression turned solemn, while Lancelot had already suspected that something was amiss. Kalalin picked up several other wands to examine them and even cast a few spells on them, but apparently the results didn¡¯t satisfy him. Finally, taking a deep breath, the scholar addressed everyone: ¡°The upper half of each wand is the same, likely the magic they mentioned for detecting the Eye of Sarizdon. But there¡¯s something else in the lower half, and its complexity far exceeds that of the upper half.¡± Kalalin demonstrated the abnormalities of the three wands but aside from himself, no one could understand those patterns as intricate as fingerprints. ¡°I knew those Lords of Withering weren¡¯t up to any good,¡± Lancelot frowned and said, ¡°What kind of effects do they have?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t tell, and the detection magic didn¡¯t give me any answers,¡± Kalalin shrugged, ¡°I can barely recognize that it is from the Transformation System of spells, probably not something good.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean these sticks are all useless now?¡± Bruto lamented from the side, ¡°Are these guys brain-dead? We¡¯re just helping to find an object...¡± ¡°Honestly, without these things, I would be even more uneasy,¡± Kalalin smiled, ¡°I can try to destroy the runes on the lower half while keeping the detection magic on the upper half active.¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible?¡± Lancelot asked with some surprise, having already prepared himself to throw all three wands away. ¡°Of course,¡± the scholar chuckled, pulling out a finely crafted small knife from his backpack, ¡°I am an expert in this field.¡±@@@@ Moments later, Kalalin activated the ¡®modified¡¯ wand, confirming that there were no items resembling the Eye of Sarizdon nearby. Lancelot had heard about such creatures from Kalalin; it was an Eye Demon, one of the strangest beings in the Multiverse and every adventurer¡¯s nightmare. The eyeballs at the ends of the tentacles were not just for expanding its field of vision¡ªa blue ray shot from one eye, turning a Flomo that was circling its head into a stone statue that shattered as it hit the ground; another eyeball emitted a pink light, and the demon it shone upon immediately began attacking its own comrades, as if it had been charmed. Each small eyeball at the end of a tentacle could release different types of rays, and this peculiar creature fought by relying on these eye-generated beams, easily handling the numerous groups of winged demons. Bruto¡¯s cry of surprise attracted its attention, and the Eye Demon¡¯s body rotated slightly, its massive central eye looking their way. A deep humming sound filled everyone¡¯s ears, and the hammer in Alamir¡¯s hand, which glowed like a torch, extinguished in an instant, while the protective spells Kalalin had cast on himself beforehand also suddenly dissipated. They were naturally familiar with this phenomenon. In fact, it was the Eye Demon¡¯s most debilitating skill for adventurers¡ªthe Anti-Magic Field. Through its fearsome central eye, the Eye Demon could create a conical field of great distance that completely cut off the magical energies permeating the Multiverse, including the rays emitted from its own auxiliary eyes. However, this didn¡¯t mean that a skilled warrior like Lancelot would have any advantage. The Eye Demon could simply activate the Anti-Magic Field to instantly strip away any active protection and buff magic on an enemy, then close its main eye to use its auxiliary eyes¡ªwhich could paralyze, charm, petrify, instill fear, weaken, hypnotize, and even kill¡ªto go through the enemy one by one, always finding a ray to deal with those muscle-relying types. Luckily, this Eye Demon seemed uninterested in Lancelot and his newly arrived companions, or perhaps it didn¡¯t even consider them worthy of its attention. It turned back and continued to focus on the Flomos circling around it like flies. ¡°That¡¯s an Eye Demon, right?¡± Lancelot quietly asked Kalalin, ¡°What¡¯s it doing here?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 211: 205: Memories Reappear Chapter 211: Chapter 205: Memories Reappear ¡°Pay attention to its back,¡± Kalalin pointed out, Lancelot followed the suggestion and saw a peculiar Portal behind the Eye Demon. The portal was unordinary in that it was not arc-shaped like most, but rather circular; also, the surrounding rock walls were speckled with shining, gem-like spots. Yet a closer look revealed a chilling sight¡ªnot jewels, but numerous eyes glittering. ¡°That must be the portal leading to the Abyss¡¯s Sixth Layer, the Land of Multieyes, a realm belonging to the Eye Demons¡¯ deity ¡®Great Matriarch¡¯,¡± Kalalin whispered, ¡°That Eye Demon must be the portal¡¯s guard. These creatures, like Demons, are from a law-abiding camp; it¡¯s odd they don¡¯t fight these Demons.¡± ¡°But this is basically a one-sided massacre,¡± Bruto interrupted. The Dwarf¡¯s remark was nearly on the mark. The floating orb carelessly swung its tentacles, a burst of multicolored rays swept across the sky, and the onslaught of Demons kept tumbling out of the air like a ginkgo tree losing its golden leaves in late autumn. ¡°Are we just going to watch?¡± Bruto looked up at Lancelot. ¡°This guy is from a law-abiding camp, right?¡± Lancelot didn¡¯t directly answer but first asked the Scholar, ¡°If we don¡¯t attack it, will it let us pass?¡± ¡°It should... probably,¡± Kalalin uncertainly said, ¡°My expertise is in Abyss history and Demon sociology, this stuff isn¡¯t in my field of study. Elothysia, have you ever dealt with these creatures?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve fought them but never interacted directly,¡± the Succubus Paladin said, focusing on the battle scene, ¡°Lancelot, Bruto, if a fight breaks out, make sure not to stray too far from me. My Guardian Halo can protect you from the rays emitted by those secondary eyes. Getting close to us should make defeating it not too difficult.¡±@@@@ ¡°Guardian Halo? What¡¯s that?¡± the Dwarf curiously asked the Paladin, ¡°Just by standing beside you, those weird rays won¡¯t affect me?¡± ¡°Just like this.¡± Elothysia nodded to him. At that moment, the aura of the Succubus changed¡ªalready incredibly beautiful, she now appeared in their eyes like a Victory Goddess, filling everyone with emotions like courage, determination, and confidence. ¡°Wow!!¡± Bruto let out a roar and was about to rush forward with his hammer. Lancelot was also intensely stirred, desperate to unleash all his power and slice all the grotesque Eye Demons and brutal Flomos in front of him into pieces, but he still suppressed his impulse and even pulled the Dwarf back. ¡°A human goddess with golden hair, wielding a spear and a round shield, mostly involved with victory and war,¡± Lancelot explained, ¡°Have you heard of such a deity?¡± ¡°A goddess of the war domain?¡± Kalalin frowned in thought for a moment, then shook her head confidently, ¡°Not at all, at least there isn¡¯t such a goddess in the main cultures of my world. Isn¡¯t the skull¡¯s brain filled with the most complete encyclopedia of this multiverse? Is there a section about deities in it?¡± Cromwell grimaced as he thought hard for a while but didn¡¯t speak, apparently coming up empty. Just then, Lancelot¡¯s expression suddenly changed, and he immediately pulled out the Giant Sword Glacier from his Dimensional Bag. Along with it came a little girl¡¯s confused head, which Lancelot pressed back in without a word. All this was because his Spirit Perception suddenly detected a very powerful creature, a terror so immense it rivaled the pressure from a Demon Refinement in the Abyss. It was all because of the red mist lingering around, preventing him from noticing the adversary¡¯s proximity until it was very close. ¡°Damn it!¡± the usually graceful Lancelot cursed violently. The group got a scare from his battle-ready demeanor, but when they looked up, they saw the Eye Demon still happily playing its laser-mosquito game in the distance, and Bruto couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Any problems?¡± ¡°A powerful... a powerful creature is coming,¡± Lancelot said nervously, his body starting to tremble slightly, ¡°If a fight breaks out, I¡¯ll try to hold it off while you all run!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 212: 206 Local Bully Chapter 212: Chapter 206 Local Bully As he uttered the last word, a huge black shadow had already appeared directly above the Eye Demon, diving swiftly toward the portal guardian. Lancelot gathered some True Qi to enhance his vision and carefully observed the formidable creature that was making him so nervous. It was as large as the Flame Demon and Demon Refinement, its body glossy black, topped with a beast-like head of porcupine-like black bristles, and behind it spread a pair of striking blood-red, back-to-front wings. But the most memorable part was its body: on either side of its humanoid torso grew four burly arms, each clutching a battle axe; and where its belly should have been, from the chest down to the groin, was a gaping maw, with a pair of demonic antlers stretching out from the waist, constituting an extremely bizarre demon figure. ¡°That is... the Guardian of the Gate!¡± The Succubus behind let out a startled scream, obviously recognizing the creature that had suddenly appeared, but the memories from the Elf Priest in Lancelot¡¯s mind were activated. In the ancient memories of the Elves, this four-armed demon commanded a staggering demon legion that flooded over the Elves¡¯ defenses like a tide. The ancient Elves called it the Legion Demon, a general of demons far stronger and more commanding than the Six-Armed Serpent Demon. In their memories, these demons always had a large number of lesser demons following, yet for some unknown reason, the Legion Demon before them was alone. The Eye Demon only spotted the rapidly approaching threat a few seconds later than Lancelot and the others. At the sight of the adversary, its body, which had been slightly reddened with pleasure, instantly turned ashen, resembling a lump of overcooked rotten meat. All of its auxiliary eyes were shooting beams of eye rays at the Legion Demon, while its body began floating towards the portal. However, the demon in the dive suddenly started rotating its body rapidly, dodging most of the rays, and the few that did hit it had no effect, as if merely tickling, provoking a triumphant roar from the demon. The Eye Demon¡¯s floating movement was far too slow, and when it was still thirty to forty feet from the portal, the Legion Demon had already pounced on it, resembling a large cat leaping at a ball of yarn. The demon¡¯s body, impelled by tremendous momentum, pinned the Eye Demon to the ground, while its four arms chopped left and right, quickly severing all the latter¡¯s tentacles. ¡°No one! Is allowed! To guard! The portal!¡± ¡°Whew, that guy doesn¡¯t seem to have an appetite for us,¡± Bruto cautiously peeked his head over the cliff edge to look down, ¡°Smart choice, our Dwarf flesh stinks and is tough, really nasty to eat.¡± ¡°Stones from a cesspit fit that description as well,¡± Cromwell retorted sharply. ¡°Elothysia, did you just call it the Guardian of the Portal?¡± Lancelot asked the Succubus Paladin. That terrifying presence had disappeared from his Spirit Perception; the gap between their strengths was too great for the other to bother ambushing them. ¡°Yes, its renown is widespread throughout the Abyss,¡± the Succubus nodded in confirmation, ¡°It¡¯s said that since ancient times, it¡¯s been patrolling the Great Abyss incessantly, attacking anyone trying to guard the Portal.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s the Guardian of the Portal?¡± Scholar seemed quite excited, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it and always found it to be an intriguing entity, but most of what¡¯s known about it is hearsay, seldom any firsthand accounts...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like any creature with more than one mouth,¡± said Koula with a pallid face, ¡°Isn¡¯t it said that any Lord Level demon cannot enter the Great Abyss? How can such a terrifying creature exist?¡± ¡°One theory is that it grew to its current strength within the Great Abyss and has never left,¡± Kalalin explained to everyone, ¡°In ancient times, following the chaos, Obyrith tried to make all the Lords of Obyrith submit, and those who refused were cast into the Great Abyss. There were no restrictions in the Great Abyss back then; anyone could enter, and the Guardian of the Portal is believed to have been born within the Abyss during that time.¡± ¡°I can offer some additional information on this,¡± Cromwell cleared his throat, ¡°According to a Tanari historian, it once visited the Guardian of the Portal, and the Four-Armed Demon claimed it received an order to guard the Great Abyss from an Obyrith Lord named Asma. Asma has long since faded into the annals of history, but the Guardian of the Portal doesn¡¯t think that has anything to do with continuing its mission.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 213: 207: The Well of Darkness Chapter 213: Chapter 207: The Well of Darkness ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like something Demons would do, does it?¡± Bruto expressed his growing interest, ¡°Aren¡¯t they inherently chaotic? How can they fulfill a duty for so long?¡± ¡°They are direct creations of the Abyss,¡± Kalalin shrugged, ¡°I advise you not to ask too many questions, at least not here.¡± The Dwarf wanted to say something more, but in the end, he held it back. If the ground beneath their feet were to slant any further, walking would indeed become impossible. The group quickly left the Portal of the Land of Thousand Eyes, uninterested in exploring the Eye Demons¡¯ plane beyond the portal, and the bloodied flesh in front of the portal would soon attract other local residents. They traversed mountain paths, tunnels, and stone bridges, occasionally killing some oblivious Frols or Kas, extracting one or two low-value gemstones from the rock faces, but they gained no clues about the Eye of Sarezdon. The closest they came was when they found a cave blocked by numerous metal bars, continuously emitting a stream of pitch-black water. Lancelot indeed sensed something special, but Elothysia immediately dampened their enthusiasm. ¡°That is a portal to the seventy-third layer of the Abyss, the Dark Well,¡± the Succubus Paladin looked uneasily around, ¡°We better leave this place quickly.¡± ¡°Is this the entrance to the Dark Well?¡± Upon hearing this, Kalalin¡¯s reaction was similar to Elothysia¡¯s, barely glancing at the so-called portal. Instead, his gaze swept around as if worried about the sudden appearance of a powerful foe similar to a portal¡¯s guard, ¡°Lancelot, we better listen to her and leave here quickly.¡± ¡°And also Samael Amor, the former Queen of the Succubus,¡± Elothysia added, ¡°who was also a former lover of Dimogorgen. If one day you decide to confront the Demon Prince, it would be wise to seek her aid.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope we never have to seek her help,¡± Lancelot shook his head, yet he was also curious, ¡°But if someone outside helps, is it possible for a prisoner to escape?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very rare, but not unprecedented, which is why many scholars who study the history of the Abyss can recount every such instance from memory,¡± Kalalin shrugged, ¡°As Elothysia mentioned, these prisoners often possess their former foes¡¯ or masters¡¯ deadliest secrets. So, you can imagine how heavily guarded those cells are. Ordinary worshippers could never ¡®fish¡¯ someone out from inside, unless it is a direct order from the Hall of Sorrow or some powerful divine force discreetly stirring things, which might enable a prisoner¡¯s release.¡± ¡°The Hall of Sorrow?¡± Lancelot turned his head in surprise, ¡°From what you¡¯re saying, it seems to hold great power, even able to command an Abyssal Lord to release a prisoner?¡± ¡°The Hall of Sorrow is the four hundredth layer of the Abyss,¡± Kalalin hesitated for a moment and looked towards Elothysia, ¡°Maybe you should explain this part?¡± ¡°When I was... just a regular succubus, I visited that place several times,¡± the Holy Warrior hesitated before speaking, ¡°If we successfully captured a particularly evil soul, it could be handed over to the Soul Judge of the Hall of Sorrow, and the reward received was much better than what my former master provided. I¡¯m sorry, I actually don¡¯t know much about it, maybe you should continue.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT@@@@ Chapter 214: 208 Tools Chapter 214: Chapter 208 Tools ¡°You have already pointed out one of the reasons why the Hall of Sorrow holds a transcendent status.¡± Kalalin smiled, ¡°There, the soul judges known as the Lords of Sorrow transform souls into low-rank Prime Demons, Coward Devils, or Aberrant Demons¡ªdepending on whether the armies of the Abyss need food, slaves, or food for slaves. And those souls that are most greedy, most evil, and most ambitious have a chance to receive special attention and be directly endowed with a higher form.¡± ¡°Sounds like a huge military camp,¡± the Dwarf said as he walked and kicked a stone by the roadside, ¡°The Abyss is so vast, can¡¯t demons spring up everywhere? How does it come to have such an exalted status?¡±@@@@ ¡°Capturing wild demons is a time-consuming and laborious task, while the Hall of Sorrow produces Tanari at a speed much faster than the Abyss itself, and it can systematically send them to the blood war legions that need them.¡± The Scholar patiently explained, ¡°Most of the Tanari Lords maintain a surface respect for the Hall of Sorrow because to tear their faces would mean becoming the target of all in the Abyss, and all its enemies would temporarily set aside their disputes and unite¡ªsomething that is almost impossible under normal circumstances. Therefore, even the Demon Prince Dimogorgen would not lightly choose to publicly confront the Hall of Sorrow.¡± ¡°How come the political struggles among demons are also so complicated.¡± Bruto lamented, ¡°Can¡¯t they be like us Dwarves where the King, Generals, and ordinary soldiers and craftsmen all work hard at their respective duties, smithing normally and occasionally aiming at the skulls of Orcs and the knees of Giants? Such a life would be so much easier and more enjoyable.¡± ¡°It seems you don¡¯t like staying by the forge all the time,¡± Lancelot joked. ¡°It¡¯s normal for a young person to be a bit restless,¡± Bruto¡¯s defense was rendered unconvincing by the thick beard on his chin, ¡°By the way, Lancelot, We¡¯ve been walking all day, right? Your divination method doesn¡¯t seem very reliable.¡± ¡°I... never said it was definitely going to work...¡± Lancelot estimated the time, ¡°Shall we prepare to camp?¡± ¡°Here?¡± Bruto looked doubtfully at their surroundings; they were flanked by narrow incline paths not five feet wide, with nearly vertical rock walls on the left and an open, bottomless void on the right. Lancelot smiled and drew out his Giant Sword Glacier. He had practiced the Qingyun Sword Art to the third stage, reaching the peak of the Qi Refinement Realm. As a Wood System cultivation technique, it might be relatively weaker against metal weapons and armor, but it was formidable against rock and earth... A dim green light emerged. Under Lancelot¡¯s full force, the Sword Aura extended more than ten feet from the tip of his sword, resembling a giant long spear in a heavy infantry formation. ¡°Could you all step back a bit?¡± Lancelot said to the people behind him, then he thrust the Great Sword into the rock wall as easily as a fork into cheese. ¡°Let¡¯s not, he seems to be enjoying himself.¡± In just a short while, Lancelot had carved out a platform over thirty feet wide on the near-vertical cliff face, spacious enough for everyone to comfortably start a fire and cook. ¡°You¡¯re lucky it didn¡¯t collapse,¡± Bruto said, circling around like a foreman, using his professional Dwarven judgment to confirm that the cave wouldn¡¯t become his tomb in a few hours. The group already had extensive experience in outdoor camping. They expertly set up tents, started a campfire, Alamir conjured a large barrel of clean water using Divine Arts, Kalalin cast a warding spell from a scroll, and Bruto took out a small hammer, beginning maintenance on everyone¡¯s weapons and gear, saying: ¡°Finally, we can rest a bit. It might sound strange, but I feel much safer here than in the inn last night. Koula, what are we having tonight?¡± ¡°I bought some Abyss chicken from the kitchen of Tears of Lazzaka. How about roast chicken for dinner tonight? You can compare it with what we had at the inn last night and see which is better.¡± ¡°Do we even need to ask?¡± Bruto jumped up, ¡°It¡¯s definitely from Tears of Lazzaka... No comparison to yours!¡± The Halfling chef¡¯s response was to throw a chicken claw at him, which the Dwarf easily batted into the fire with his hammer, sending out a delicious aroma. ¡°What should we do tomorrow? Continue forward or go back to check?¡± Kalalin asked Lancelot, who was helping Koula rotate the spit, from which the spice-covered Abyss chicken emitted an enticing aroma. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 215: 209: Unwanted Guest Arrives Chapter 215: Chapter 209: Unwanted Guest Arrives ¡°Although these mountain paths are difficult to navigate, we must have walked close to thirty li by now,¡± Lancelot frowned and pondered. ¡°The place where we killed those shape-shifting monsters isn¡¯t far from the Skeleton Tower. If the Divine Artifact was indeed discarded as they were climbing up, this should be the maximum range. Either we¡¯re unlucky and the Eye of Sarezdon didn¡¯t fall at this height, or we chose the wrong direction and should have explored in the other direction.¡± ¡°Should we turn back first thing tomorrow, or should we continue exploring for half a day more?¡± Kalalin couldn¡¯t think of a good idea either. ¡°I think we should walk a bit further because those shape-shifting monsters would have tried to get as far away from the Skeleton Tower and its guard while fleeing...¡± ¡°Does roast chicken smell that good to you?¡± Lancelot suddenly interrupted the Scholar, his face filled with helplessness. ¡°...What?¡± Kalalin was baffled by the Human Knight¡¯s words, but then he suddenly heard a familiar jingling sound by his ear¡ª it was the signal that the alert spell had been triggered. Lancelot had already stood up, his eyes fixed intently on the Black-Armored Knight who was slowly advancing towards them. ¡°Enrique, that¡¯s your name, isn¡¯t it?¡± Frostslash appeared silently in Lancelot¡¯s hand, the killing air in the atmosphere suddenly becoming so thick that it was stifling. The Dark Guardian didn¡¯t answer but merely raised his Longsword, issuing a clear and unmistakable challenge. ¡°Sigh, it seems you¡¯re not here to appreciate our Halfling companion¡¯s cooking,¡± Lancelot sighed. ¡°Though our last bout didn¡¯t conclude, I still wonder if we can avoid this conflict. Elothysia told us your story, and I think that...¡±@@@@ He didn¡¯t finish his sentence as Enrique already lunged at him, and Lancelot moved simultaneously. In this thirty-foot space, with cliffs on three sides and a bottomless abyss on the other, the most crucial thing once the fight started was to seize the central position. He was about to thrust his longsword when he suddenly realized that the opponent had swung the Horizontal Slash one-handedly, while the other arm was tightly pressed to the side, ready to spring forward like a crossbow tightly wound. Just as Lancelot was certain that his opponent would surely succeed with the Rotational Parry, Enrique was confident that his adversary would have a way to block his subsequent Horizontal Slash. Therefore, he did not place all his bets on that one strike but kept a fist in reserve as a contingency. Lancelot inwardly cursed his misfortune, hastily positioned his yet-to-be-thrust longsword before him, just in time to block the fiercely launched punch. The Dark Guardian¡¯s fist was ablaze with black and red flames, which gave off an extremely impure sensation. A hot and evil energy traveled up the sword, and Lancelot¡¯s True Qi within his body spontaneously reacted, striving to fend off the invasion of this corrupt force. Fortunately, the punch had not landed on his body, and that peculiar energy ultimately failed to penetrate his system. The Human Knight, hanging in mid-air with nowhere to leverage, was sent flying backwards from the impact. However, he had, after all, successfully blocked the enemy¡¯s attack and was not greatly harmed, so he quickly adjusted his posture and landed steadily on the ground. ¡°Tch,¡± Lancelot grunted in dissatisfaction. Although the three moves seemed to have ended in a draw, the opponent now occupied the center of the arena, which actually put him at a disadvantage. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 216: 210 Deadlock Chapter 216: Chapter 210 Deadlock@@@@ The rest of them stood far off in a corner, not daring to step forward to help. The movements of the two were simply too fast; neither Bruto¡¯s hammer nor Kalalin¡¯s spells could ensure they wouldn¡¯t accidentally harm their own comrades. Moreover, they had a strange feeling that Lancelot actually didn¡¯t want them to intervene. This was an opponent his equal in strength, also a knight; Lancelot seemed to wish to win this battle using his own power. ¡°Enough! Enrique! Stop!¡± Elothysia unexpectedly spoke up, ¡°Have you forgotten the glory and trust you once held? You have indeed suffered unjust treatment, and justice never forbids revenge, but that is no excuse for the indiscriminate killing of innocents!¡± ¡°Shut up, Tanari!¡± To everyone¡¯s surprise, the typically silent and uncommunicative Dark Guardian suddenly spoke up with anger that was hard to suppress, ¡°Don¡¯t think you have any right to judge me! You too betrayed your own lord, your former way of life, how are you any different from me?¡± ¡°What? Did a Succubus Paladin strike a nerve?¡± Elothysia seemed to be angered as well, showing her succubus talent for sharp wit, ¡°Evil is our demonic nature, but I chose to fight against it; whereas you, when faced with the darkness within, chose to submit. Even if your eyes clouded by pride fail to see the difference, how do you explain your decline in your fall from grace?¡± ¡°Shut up shut up shut up!!! You don¡¯t understand anything!!!¡± The knight in black armor shouted hysterically, raising his sword and charging at the Succubus Paladin, and Lancelot naturally wouldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to this. ¡°Hey! Have you even lost the decency to treat a lady with respect?¡± Frostslash forcefully intercepted Enrique, ¡°Don¡¯t get it wrong; your enemy is right here!¡± The Sword Aura on the Dark Guardian¡¯s blade surged dramatically, like his raging fury. The surrounding light seemed to be sucked into the pitch-black sword blade, as if even the air touching it was annihilated in an instant. Or perhaps, the endless void just outside the camp? A plan quickly formed in his mind, but it wasn¡¯t easy to get the opponent to follow his script. The first step of the plan was to make the opponent believe that Lancelot was on the verge of defeat, and for that, he had to tell a good story. In the eyes of the onlookers, Lancelot¡¯s movements seemed to slow down gradually. His breathing became heavy, no longer able to suppress the opponent with speed, and his parrying didn¡¯t seem as effortless anymore. Bruto was the first to notice the anomaly and couldn¡¯t help but anxiously speak out: ¡°Is Lancelot running out of stamina?¡± The Dwarf stared intently at the battle, his body involuntarily shifting left and right, ¡°We should go help him!¡± ¡°Something¡¯s not quite right,¡± Alamir also felt uneasy, ¡°We should get ready...¡± ¡°Brother Lancelot will definitely not lose!¡± Little Isha stated with conviction, though her body was so tense it began to tremble slightly, and a faint red glow started to emerge in her eyes. Everyone began to take action. Glows of Divine Arts appeared on the Elves and Succubus as they enhanced their various abilities; Koula mixed several potions together, creating a solution with violently bubbling bubbles, but instead of covering it, she clenched it tightly in her hand; Kalalin was frantically rummaging through her backpack, drawing out various scrolls, preparing to cast strengthening spells on her companions. The only ones who didn¡¯t move were the little Vampire and Clone Well; the former really had nothing she could do and thus gripped her Cold Iron Shortsword tightly, ready to join the battle at any moment. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 217: 211: Hanging Upside Down Chapter 217: Chapter 211: Hanging Upside Down The skull-like Clone Well looked at his ¡°master¡± with a skeptical face. He and Lancelot were linked telepathically and could somewhat sense each other¡¯s emotions, yet from the Human Knight there came not a trace of fear or urgency. ¡°I¡¯m acting as him, play along.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lancelot¡¯s voice suddenly rang in the skull¡¯s mind, which startled him at first, but he quickly caught on. ¡°How should I play along?¡± ¡°Anything!¡± the Human Knight replied briefly and then fell silent. That was because Enrique had suddenly launched a series of rapid and dense thrusts, forcing him to focus completely on the defense, making the scene extremely perilous for a moment. ¡°Boss! Boss, are you reaching your limit? Wuuwuuwuu, don¡¯t die, boss!!¡± After a brief silence, the skull suddenly started howling, startling everyone else, ¡°Boss, don¡¯t push yourself! Let¡¯s kill him together!¡± ¡°You guys... are not... my match!¡± Lancelot rolled his eyes inwardly, but still went along with the skull¡¯s spur-of-the-moment idea, ¡°Run! I can still... hold on!!¡± ¡°Boss! We... we will remember you!¡± The skull¡¯s blunt response almost made Lancelot choke; was this acting too rough? The rest looked at the skull with odd expressions, bewildered by its abnormal behavior. However, it was the Dwarf who reacted first. In a way, he was the one who had been tormented by Lancelot the most in the team, so he understood best that the Human Knight always had endless tricks up his sleeve. ¡°Then we¡¯re off!¡± Bruto shouted towards Lancelot, while turning his head to wink at his companions, ¡°We¡¯ll wait for you at Skeleton Tower... if you survive...¡± Everyone¡¯s faces showed puzzlement, first the skull, and then Bruto; these two were acting so strangely. But the Dwarf¡¯s expression gave them a hint, and they all began moving toward the door. Little Isha was very reluctant, but Kalalin whispered ¡®Enreyes¡¯ in her ear, and the clever girl immediately understood. Compared to Qingyuan Sword Technique, the Gathering Qi Slash couldn¡¯t emit Sword Aura for a sustained effect, but its instant explosive effect was still impressive, and it could be executed from any part of his body, so as long as the timing was right, it could still play a decisive role. As Lancelot kicked, his hands were also busy. He formed a spell, and suddenly a large cluster of tendrils surged at the edge of the cliff, tightly wrapping around the human knight in mid-air, preventing him from plunging into the void below. Meanwhile, Enrique, who had been blasted into mid-air by that kick, was tumbling downward outside of Lancelot. Almost instinctively, the human knight stretched out his hand and grabbed one of the Dark Guardian¡¯s arms, suspending him mid-air. ¡°You¡¯ve lost,¡± Lancelot calmly said. ¡°Throw down your weapon, and I can pull you up.¡± In response, the Dark Guardian did not hesitate to swing his longsword. But before the enemy could raise his arm, Lancelot had already sensed danger and immediately detected Enrique¡¯s intention to exert force. The Qingyuan Sword Technique subconsciously activated, and a translucent Sword Aura was emitted from the upside-down human knight¡¯s palm, shredding the arm holding him and severing this Fallen Paladin¡¯s hope for survival. ¡°What¡¯s the point,¡± Lancelot¡¯s gaze followed the figure of his powerful adversary rolling downwards, uttering a soft sigh. ¡°Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± Cheers came from nearby; they were his teammates celebrating his victory. A smile also appeared on Lancelot¡¯s face, and just as he was about to control the tendrils to bring himself back to the ground, a glimpse in the corner of his eye caught a sight that made his expression freeze. Below, the Dark Guardian fell hundreds of feet before hitting a rockface. The expected scene of his body shattering didn¡¯t occur; rather, the rockface disappeared like an illusion, revealing a pitch-black opening, and Enrique¡¯s figure vanished into the opening. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 218: 212 If Not in the Abyss Chapter 218: Chapter 212 If Not in the Abyss ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t just hang there trying to look cool, Lancelot!¡± Bruto¡¯s voice came from above him, ¡°Hurry back, the roast chicken is still on the fire!¡± ¡°Do you need help?¡± Elothysia flew up to his side, followed by a fluttering little bat. She noticed Lancelot¡¯s serious expression and quickly asked, ¡°Is something wrong? Did you get hit by the Dark Guardian¡¯s Fallen Touch? My Holy Healing can dispel those negative effects...¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Lancelot shook his head, gesturing with his fingers to have the vines lower him back to the ground. ¡°What happened?¡± Kalalin asked concernedly, the Scholar keenly picking up on the Human Knight¡¯s recent peculiar behavior. ¡°I saw Enrique fall into a pitch-black cave, the entrance was an illusion in the rock wall,¡± Lancelot explained to everyone, ¡°Although it was just a brief glimpse, the mouth of the cave was so dark it seemed like it could suck in all the surrounding light, very much like how the Lord of Withering described the Eye of Sarezdon.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Bruto jumped up excitedly, ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go down there right away!¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°Kalalin, you have to come down with me to check it out, and bring that Magic Wand the fox gave us.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Kalalin nodded decisively. A moment later, Elothysia looked on, somewhat speechlessly, at the two Elves heading down, while the others behind her had no particular reaction, having become accustomed to such oddities. ¡°Is it just me?¡± the Succubus Paladin asked the others, ¡°Do they seem rather happy to put on the Transformation Rings?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so great about looking like that.¡± Bruto took out his own ring, ¡°Let me show you what I look like after transforming...¡± ¡°What...¡± Elothysia hadn¡¯t finished speaking when she suddenly saw another Elf with a big beard in front of her. The Succubus Paladin was stunned for a moment, then her facial expression changed drastically, and soon her hands flashed with a dark red light as she pointed at Bruto and shouted: ¡°Dispel Magic!!!!!¡± Lancelot spent the whole night meditating, holding a middle-grade Tier Earth Crystal in his hands. The night passed without incident, and when the illuminating fungi within the Great Abyss brightened again, the True Qi inside him had completely recovered. He opened his eyes and turned to look at the Succubus Paladin who had been curiously watching him from the start. ¡°You emitted a very peculiar aura while you were resting, quite like... like what you mortals refer to as a mother¡¯s feeling, making one feel strangely warm and familiar.¡± Realizing that he had noticed her peeping, Elothysia explained somewhat embarrassingly, ¡°I know it¡¯s odd for me to say this because my own mother never gave me that kind of feeling; she grew tired of me just a few days after giving birth.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t resting, but cultivating. I can absorb the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth, and here in the Abyss, I naturally absorb the Abyss¡¯s Spiritual Energy. Maybe it¡¯s that aura that gave you a sense of familiarity because, strictly speaking, the Abyss is truly the mother that gave you life.¡± Lancelot said with a smile, but then his expression became apologetic, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear about your experiences as a child. I was lucky to have an ordinary but happy childhood, which is a very precious memory for me.¡± ¡°After setting down in the Prime Material Plane, I¡¯ve encountered many human children, and they¡¯ve shown me what I missed out on.¡± The Succubus Paladin also showed a shallow smile, ¡°Sometimes I even wonder if I am overestimating my evil nature? If I had a pair of normal parents and grew up in an environment full of love and peace, would I still take deception, tormenting, and indulgence for granted?¡± ¡°Have you come to a conclusion about that?¡± ¡°No, but I believe the answer is no.¡± The Succubus shook her neatly trimmed short hair from side to side, ¡°The power of love is great. If it can change me, it can certainly change others too. Especially children, even if they do have an evil nature, I believe their upbringing plays a much bigger role.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± Lancelot nodded, ending the conversation. The rest gradually woke from their slumber, including a certain Vampire who was struggling with jet lag. The young girl was very interested in exploring the cave, and after Lancelot stressed the possible dangers, he did not insist further. After a simple breakfast, everyone got their equipment ready, making the final preparations before departure. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 219: 213: The Eerie Guard Chapter 219: Chapter 213: The Eerie Guard Alamir cast a spell to enhance everyone¡¯s life force, which would last for eight hours, presumably enough to complete their adventure, but it could only affect three people at a time. Elothysia indicated that she could also cast this spell, but after discussion, they decided it was best for the priest to use it, saving the precious spell slots of the Succubus Paladin for unleashing Evilbane Slash. The group also drank the Antitoxin Potion and Courage Potion prepared by Koula. The former was already standard fare for expeditions, while the latter was for potential encounters with Obyrith Demons¡ªtheir forms were so twisted that any mortal who gazed directly at an Obyrith Demon had to endure a test of will, and failure could result in consequences ranging from temporary mental disarray to permanent madness. Koula and Kalalin, who lacked Dark Vision, also drank Night Vision Potions, allowing them to see in the dark, though they couldn¡¯t distinguish colors and could only perceive images in grayscale. Bruto drank one as well, and for a simple reason¡ªthe bubbly liquid tasted refreshingly minty, much like beer, which the Dwarf greatly enjoyed. Aside from the Succubus and the skeleton, the rest entered Lancelot¡¯s Dimensional Bag, which made Little Esha somewhat embarrassed. In a way, this was akin to running into a young girl¡¯s boudoir, where the battered little chest was her ¡®bridal bed.¡¯ Of course, before entering, everyone handed over any containers with Dimensional Bag capabilities to Lancelot. One dimensional space couldn¡¯t overlap with another, or it would tear a rift that could suck in nearby objects and throw everyone randomly into some corner of the Stellar Realm. Relying on the effect of his Transforming Ring, Lancelot once again arrived at the cave¡¯s mouth with the phantasmal rock wall. He exchanged a glance with Elothysia, and both drew their weapons and slowly descended into the cave. It quickly grew darker around them, but the darkness inside wasn¡¯t absolute. There were luminescent fungi on the rocky walls; however, the light they emitted seemed visually twisted, only shining towards the depths of the cave, making it pitch black from the outside. After descending about thirty feet, Lancelot stepped onto level ground. He removed his Transforming Ring and pulled his companions out of the Dimensional Bag one by one. ¡°Ho, it¡¯s quite spacious in here.¡± Bruto was the first to emerge, surveying his surroundings to find himself in a large pit with a wide corridor ahead. ¡°This definitely isn¡¯t a mine shaft; no mine entrance is vertical...¡± ¡°Ahhh! Fresh flesh!¡± ¡°Quick, grab them! Our master will be pleased!¡± Bruto didn¡¯t hesitate to hurl his hammer, knocking the loudest one to the ground. ¡°You guys could swagger about in the sky, but now it¡¯s my turn to vent!¡± While the Dwarf was still shouting, Lancelot had already charged forward rapidly, the silver glint of his blade shining as he cleaved the approaching claws and the body behind them into pieces. He didn¡¯t even use the Qingyuan Sword Technique, relying solely on his physical strength and Frostslash, which was forged from cold iron and had a restraining effect on demons, to make a mess of these Flomos. Elothysia was also ready for battle, but after observing for a moment, she determined Lancelot and the others did not need support. So she stayed vigilant in her original position, ensuring that the Spellcasters behind her were not subjected to any unexpected attacks. Scholars and Priests worked together to provide firepower support with Magic and Divine Arts for their companions engaged in close combat. Alamir used the Holy Fire Technique, which called forth intense heat and light that could easily inflict severe damage on any Fiend; Kalalin, on the other hand, held a Magic Wand topped with an ice crystal, a magical item he¡¯d crafted himself, capable of shooting a blue-white ray at the target. Perhaps due to the demons¡¯ resistance to cold, the ray¡¯s damage was somewhat inferior to the Priest¡¯s Divine Arts, but the enemies hit by him were noticeably slower, and their teammates could more easily deal with the slowed enemies. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 220: 214 Construction Site Chapter 220: Chapter 214 Construction Site The best part was that they both used cantrips, which didn¡¯t consume any spell slots. Paired with Lancelot and Bruto, two warriors, charging at the front, they could fully indulge in the joy of blasting their enemies away. Koula was explaining to little Elysha the roles and responsibilities of each teammate in battle, as well as what they should be doing as Wanderers at the moment. The two of them sneaked to the edge of the battlefield and finished off those enemies who had retreated there due to injuries¡ªmost of them had been thrown aside by Bruto¡¯s hammer or dragged there by the wind of Lancelot¡¯s sword. ¡°Remember, when dealing with Demons, the heart is always the primary target,¡± Koula pulled her dagger from the back of an enemy. This Flomo had been fully focused on Bruto and was completely unguarded against the sneak attack from behind. The Halfling¡¯s Cold Iron Dagger, thrust from a lower angle, had bypassed its ribcage, pierced through the diaphragm, and plunged into its tumor-riddled heart. ¡°What about the throat?¡± Elysha listened carefully while quietly raising her own question. ¡°The throat is fine too, if there¡¯s only one enemy,¡± Koula led Elysha back into the shadows, ¡°But for me, the throat is a bit too high. Plus, some especially tenacious fellows still have fight in them even with sliced necks. It might be for a short time, but our small stature can¡¯t handle that.¡± The sudden skirmish didn¡¯t last long. A few minutes later, not a single mutated Flomo was left standing. ¡°They¡¯re even easier to handle than usual,¡± Lancelot flicked the fresh blood off Frostslash, ¡°But what¡¯s with these strange limbs?¡± Kalalin stepped forward and began to closely examine the corpses on the ground. Those killed by Bruto were mostly unrecognizable, but those slain by Lancelot were relatively intact and just needed their body parts reassembled. ¡°It¡¯s not just the limbs. Some have mutations in their eyes and skin as well,¡± after an inspection, the Scholar announced, ¡°I guess there¡¯s some kind of evil energy source inside. The Demons that fell here after defeat in battle must have grown these bizarre limbs under the influence of that energy.¡± It couldn¡¯t be that Dark Guardian, could it? Honestly, Lancelot felt a tinge of sympathy for Enrique. In fact, he never believed that loyalty had to be unconditional¡ªas a Senior Commander of the rebellion, Lancelot had no qualms about open rebellion as long as he was convinced it was justified and in the interests of the majority. Therefore, if the reasons for the Dark Guardian¡¯s fall were indeed as Elothysia had described, Lancelot could fully understand his anger. But people often do things in the heat of emotion that they later deeply regret, and Enrique had committed the unforgivable act of mass slaughter after finding out he had been betrayed. Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the feelings of the enraged hero after he had calmed down. He must have realized he had made grave mistakes¡ªdid he regret his impulsive actions? Did he ever try to muster some courage for redemption? Perhaps he did struggle internally, but then the succubi appeared, leading the once glorious and great Holy Warrior back to the Abyssal Demon Realm, sending his soul irreversibly down a dark path. Using the shadows along the edge of the square, the group slipped into an inconspicuous pile of rubble to observe the situation before them. ¡°Uncle Kalalin, are you alright?¡± asked little Issa in a concerned whisper. ¡°Your body temperature seems to be rising very high...¡± Lancelot turned his head and saw the red glow in little Issa¡¯s eyes. He knew it was the infrared vision ability possessed by vampires and other nocturnal creatures, allowing them to see in the dark by ¡®seeing¡¯ the temperature on the surfaces of objects. And Kalalin, at that moment, was staring excitedly at the busy demons in the square, as if he were peering at the object of his secret affection. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 221: 215 Frequent Accidents Chapter 221: Chapter 215 Frequent Accidents ¡°I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just that this kind of scene is quite rare.¡± Kalalin said rather sheepishly, pointing towards the bustling scene in the distance and quietly explaining to everyone: ¡°Under normal circumstances, demons loathe any sort of physical labor, yet in the Abyss, there are various magnificent engineering constructions that are too complex to be explained by magic. Therefore, scholars have always been very curious and proposed many hypotheses about the construction methods of these massive facilities. The scene before us at least proves one of them: through large-scale mental control, High Rank Demons can drive Low Rank Demons en masse, forcing them to fulfill their grand plans.¡± ¡°I must say, it¡¯s quite ironic.¡± Elothysia also frowned as she looked towards that direction, ¡°My kin, with their immense strength, only seem to have a constructive role when under mental control.¡± ¡°They seem quite passionate about their work and certainly wouldn¡¯t welcome us passing through.¡± Bruto guessed, ¡°So what do we do? Just storm through?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like that idea,¡± Koula quietly opposed, ¡°We would be overwhelmed.¡± ¡°There are over a hundred mutated Kas demons there, and even if we really wiped them all out, we would most likely be exhausted.¡± Lancelot Morassa stroked his chin, ¡°And the cannon fodder¡¯s master wouldn¡¯t let us go back to eat well and rest before coming to find it.¡±@@@@ ¡°What a hassle, can¡¯t these ultimate demon lords just stay quietly in the deepest part of their lair and wait?¡± Bruto muttered, ¡°So what do we do? Try to sneak in? I can¡¯t move silently and unnoticed in heavy armor like you and the Elves can, like a cat.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a simple and practical technique which I highly recommend you master as soon as possible.¡± Alamir shrugged, ¡°Lancelot, how about your Sensory Ability? Can it help us find a surreptitious route in?¡± The floating skull also moved with the actions of the partners below, allowing Lancelot to see the conditions ahead clearly. The next area was a building still under construction with a very deep foundation, suggesting it would be a massive structure. Most of the demons were busy underground, with materials not yet used messily piled around the edges, providing good cover for the sneaking party. Once again, the group smoothly passed through this area. Between them and the ominous grand hall were numerous low, spherical buildings. These buildings, with their chitinous exterior walls resembling insect carapaces, gave off a rather repulsive feel. Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception sensed a significant number of Demons ahead, likely resting inside. Demons themselves do not need sleep, but they can still feel fatigue. Even though the mentally controlled demons wouldn¡¯t complain, it was necessary to let them rest occasionally to maintain work efficiency. Crossing this area could be tricky as Cromwell didn¡¯t possess the ability to see through the roofs, making it impossible to see the situation underneath. These temporary, nest-like buildings surrounded the entire hall, and Lancelot couldn¡¯t find any route to bypass them. Thus, he silently drew Frostslash, ready to ensure a quick and quiet death for the enemy in case they ran into one or two unexpectedly. A faint sound of swords being drawn was heard, and the others also took out their weapons. Except for Alamir, just holding his remarkable Hardhead Hammer caused it to glow like a torch, making it difficult to avoid attracting attention. After observing for a short while longer, Lancelot decisively moved forward, his attention focused on both the high-altitude view from the skull and his own Spirit Perception, trying to avoid rooms that might contain enemies. However, it was still unlikely they wouldn¡¯t encounter any enemies. As they passed one of the small houses, they ran head-on into two mutated Kas Demons coming out from inside. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 222: 216: Classic Reproduction Chapter 222: Chapter 216: Classic Reproduction ¡°` Both parties were caught somewhat off guard by the encounter, but Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception still allowed him to grasp a slight advantage. Frostslash struck like lightning, and Lancelot, aiming for a quick victory, directly channeled Innate True Qi through the Qingyuan Sword Technique. A semi-transparent Sword Aura instantly pierced the heart of one of the enemies. The attacks from the others concentrated on another enemy. The Dwarf threw his weapon immediately, and the Warhammer, spinning, struck the insect face of Kas Demon complete with a spiky beak, suppressing its warning shriek back into its stomach. Elothysia quickly followed up, a brief flash of golden light flaring as the Holy Warrior¡¯s exaggeratedly powerful Evilbane Slash slashed through this demon, then its body fell to the ground, emitting two dull sounds. After dealing with the two enemies, everyone immediately ceased their actions, ears perked, listening carefully to the surroundings, fearing that other enemies might notice the anomaly here. From Cromwell¡¯s high-altitude view, Lancelot confirmed that no nearby demons seemed inclined to approach. Just to be safe, he and his companions quickly dealt with the scene, tossing the two mangled bodies into an empty hut. The bodies would eventually be discovered, but this might buy them a little time. Quickly leaving the scene of the incident, the group moved forward again. Tiny beads of sweat began to form on Lancelot¡¯s forehead. In his senses, the presence of demons around them was increasing, and there were squads patrolling the road. Under his guidance, the group moved quickly at times and paused momentarily at others, inching perilously through this nest-like structure. But their luck finally ran out. While they were waiting for one patrol squad to pass by, another unexpectedly turned a corner and headed towards the alley where they were hiding. ¡°Boss! Be careful!¡± A voice like a skull¡¯s echoed in Lancelot¡¯s mind, but he had already foreseen the approaching enemies through a shared vision. There were a total of six enemies, and this time, hiding was no longer possible. He internally sighed in regret, for they were less than a hundred feet away from the steps leading to that great hall, and yet their efforts were thwarted. The Human Knight drew his Hand Half Sword, Frostslash, from behind, ready to fight their way out. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll draw these enemies away, and you all rush in during the confusion!¡±@@@@ The voice of the skull echoed again, causing Lancelot to hesitate momentarily before quickly asking: ¡°Aaaaahhhhh!!!¡± This was the scream Lancelot heard through the psychic link. After a loud bang, a large hole appeared on the steps in front of the group, fortunately surrounded by falling debris from various buildings, so the landing of the skull wasn¡¯t particularly noticeable. ¡°Hey, still alive?¡± Bruto ran up, casually dug the skull out from a pile of rubble, and violently shook it in his hand. ¡°Alive, alive, I¡¯ve got my helmet, don¡¯t I?¡± The skull regained consciousness and quickly wriggled out of the dwarf¡¯s hands. ¡°How about that, boss? I did a great service, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Well done,¡± Lancelot said with a smile, ¡°after all, it¡¯s not every day someone dares to install Goblin products in their own head.¡± ¡°As long as it works, I¡¯ll definitely have to thank Phil later.¡± Behind the group, the series of explosions caused by the skull created massive chaos, and the rising smoke greatly reduced the visibility around, blocking the view of those who might look towards the great hall stairs. The group didn¡¯t waste any more time and quickly rushed up the stairs. There were hundreds of steps to climb, and it was no easy task. Lancelot and Bruto, naturally fit, had no problems, and the petite Koula, thanks to her Boots of Escape, also walked quite briskly. Little Isha simply turned into a bat and flew up with the Succubus Paladin, alongside the skull floating in mid-air. But for the Priest and Scholar, the experience was not so pleasant. Kalalin was already not much for exercise, and Alamir was wearing heavy armor. To keep pace with everyone, the entire team inevitably slowed down. Another team of demons rushed out from the great hall, and Lancelot, upon closer inspection, realized they were a group of Margo demons. But these demons were different from the patrol they encountered on the Plains of the Abyss; their bodies also exhibited noticeable mutations: the wings on their backs had turned into arms ending in longsword-like claws; their previously smooth skin now bore crocodile-like scales, and their faces now sported four spider-like eyes. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 223: 217: Open the Door Chapter 223: Chapter 217: Open the Door These demons appeared to be checking out the situation below, when they came face to face with the group.@@@@ ¡°What are you¡ª¡± the demon¡¯s words were cut off by a flying hammer that smashed into its face. The dwarf had already been impatient with the slow pace of his companions¡¯ advance, and seeing the enemy appear, he had no patience to wait for it to finish its nonsense. Both sides were very familiar with the process that followed. The mutated creatures immediately charged, using their height advantage to pounce fiercely towards the adventurers, who, in turn, drew their weapons, ready for battle. ¡°Engage!¡± The human knight let out a loud shout, charging ahead to meet the enemy, but Kalalin¡¯s magic was even faster. A large swath of black grease suddenly appeared on the steps in front of them, and the demons, caught mid-charge, slipped and fell, their fierce advance turning into a tumbling avalanche. When they finally managed to stabilize themselves and struggled to their feet, what met them was the long-awaited onslaught of warhammers and longswords. Lancelot¡¯s Frostslash lit up with a cyan sword aura, slashing at an enemy in front of him. The mutated demon¡¯s two extra arms on its back tried to block the attack, but their hard yet brittle bone claws were no match for the human knight¡¯s weapon; with two sharp snaps, the claws broke, and the longsword landed between the demon¡¯s head horns, splitting the mutated creature¡¯s head open. Yet the demon exhibited the terrifying life force characteristic of abyssal creatures. Despite such a grave injury, it did not die, instead hammering its arms harshly against the human knight¡¯s waist, trying to knock down this formidable foe. The demon¡¯s fist, larger than a dwarf¡¯s head, pounded on the armor with a tremendous impact sound, but Lancelot stood unflinched like a metallic golem. In retaliation, he lifted his knee viciously into his enemy¡¯s chin. The demon¡¯s skull was forced violently backwards by the terrible blow, and the purplish-brain tissue flew out from the top of its head, sticking to another demon. The demon in front of Lancelot twitched for a moment before finally falling. ¡°Stop looking, this is Abyssal Metal, heavy and unyielding, innately chaotic, difficult to work with, and only Demons can utilize this stuff.¡± Bruto folded his arms across his chest, watching Kalalin curiously feeling around on the door. ¡°Of course, you might find a way to open it, with all those fancy magics of yours.¡± ¡°I remember Tijana mentioning that High Rank Demons make amulets that store life essence, to avoid dying completely if slain in the Abyss. If I¡¯m not mistaken, those amulets are made of this Abyssal Metal.¡± As Kalalin spoke, his hand found a hidden movable part on the door. Curiously, he lifted the piece to reveal a handle-like ring. The Scholar gave it a gentle pull, and the door immediately creaked open, causing the dwarf¡¯s expression to instantly freeze. ¡°You were right,¡± Kalalin shrugged, ¡°it was indeed meant to be opened from the inside.¡± Lancelot patted the dwarf¡¯s shoulder sympathetically for all the energy he had wasted, then closed his eyes for a moment to sense his surroundings before warning everyone, ¡°I can feel numerous strong enemies inside. Everyone, be prepared.¡± At his words, the group sprang into action. Kalalin cast Mirror Image and Blur on himself to ensure he wouldn¡¯t be instantly incapacitated by an enemy rushing at him; Elothysia¡¯s longsword began to sparkle with bright golden light as she activated her once-a-day ability to channel divine power, turning her blade into a Holy Weapon; the Elf Priest granted blessings to the group and fortified herself with a Shield of Faith, a first-circle Divine Art that used the power of faith to enhance protection; Koula mixed up one of her Mutagen concoctions, ready if a situation arose that called for her, the smallest among them, to turn the tide. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 224: 218: Loss of Temperament Chapter 224: Chapter 218: Loss of Temperament The only one who had little to do was little Yisa, who could only straighten out her bangs and then tie her hair up again. Seeing her predicament, Lancelot walked over and whispered to her: ¡°Keep yourself hidden later, but I have a job for you. Kalalin will definitely panic if anyone gets close to him, so you¡¯ll need to protect him then.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Little Yisa nodded firmly but happily, ¡°Leave Uncle Kalalin to me to guard!¡± ¡°What?¡± Scholar turned his head and asked, ¡°Did I just hear my name?¡± ¡°I was giving Little Yisa her instructions, stick close to Kalalin later. You¡¯ve got to protect her well!¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Scholar puffed out his chest proudly, ¡°Leave it to me, rest assured!¡± Lancelot made a face at the little Vampire to tease him, making the latter snicker, but still conveyed a message through a mental link to Cromwell: ¡°If the fight breaks out and I can¡¯t cover everything, help me look out for her.¡± ¡°Got it, boss, I know you treasure this little sister, don¡¯t worry.¡± Seeing everyone prepared, Lancelot no longer hesitated and led everyone into the hall. After all had entered, the grand doors behind them closed automatically. Accompanied by a heavy thud, the surroundings became very quiet. The Dark Guardian rambled incoherently, contradicting his own words from a second ago. Lancelot helplessly shook his head and drew his frostslash. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of your nonsense, draw your sword, let me help you free yourself from this madness.¡± ¡°Ah, battle, I hate battle. Why must people always force me into battle? If I were just a farmer who could only wield a pitchfork, would I have met with such misfortune?¡± The Fallen Paladin wailed while sitting on the ground, but immediately jumped up and roared, ¡°The master has that treasure! You intend to harm the master! Protect the master, I must kill you!¡± Enrique drew the great sword in front of him with his right hand and began charging at Lancelot. But his mutated giant hand disrupted his balance, making him run clumsily, full of openings. Facing the ferocious strike of the Dark Guardian, Lancelot stood firm, not dodging nor evading. He steadied his body, held the sword with both hands, circulated his Innate True Qi, and launched the Qingyuan Sword Technique mercilessly. With a loud ¡®clang,¡¯ the Dark Guardian¡¯s great sword was knocked flying high into the air, while Lancelot¡¯s Frostslash only slightly recoiled backward. The disadvantage was clear as the opponent wielded his sword with one hand. Lancelot was about to press his advantage, but a sudden sense of alarm arose in his heart, and he instinctively rolled to the side. Enrique¡¯s mutated giant fist slammed down where Lancelot had just been standing, creating a web of cracks on the ground. The force of that strike was far greater than he had anticipated; had it hit, he would have likely suffered death or serious injury. ¡°Ahh!!! Don¡¯t dodge, let me crush you!!¡± The Dark Guardian let out a roar and stabbed his sword towards the Human Knight¡¯s skull. Lancelot slight tilted his head and dodged, but the subsequent swing of the giant arm forced him to keep retreating, missing the chance to counterattack. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 225: 219: Ancient Evil Item Chapter 225: Chapter 219: Ancient Evil Item The enemy¡¯s unsettling state made Lancelot feel quite uncomfortable. Enrique¡¯s sword-wielding right hand still maintained a high level of skill, but his left hand flailed like a drunken fist, yet with the strength of a giant. This bizarre combination made Lancelot feel like he was fighting two people at once. This was why he chose to evade rather than confront directly. When facing an unfamiliar opponent, Lancelot tended to adopt a defensive stance first, carefully observing the enemy¡¯s movements to find possible openings. Being a master of swordsmanship, this process didn¡¯t take long. When Enrique swung his sword again, Lancelot advanced instead of retreating. Frostslash deflected the opponent¡¯s weapon and his feet moved in the opposite direction, bringing his body to the right side of his opponent. The Dark Guardian tried to strike with his mutated gigantic arm but had to turn his body almost completely around, and Lancelot exploited this momentary lapse. The Human Knight took another step, circling around the opponent¡¯s body counterclockwise, and his weapon swung low and at an angle, viciously striking the opponent¡¯s right ankle. The range of Lancelot¡¯s strike was not wide, but the power was formidable. The blade, glowing with a pale light, drove deeply into the opponent¡¯s steel boots, nearly severing the Dark Guardian¡¯s entire foot. Enrique cried out in pain and leapt backward, but as he landed, he hurt his injured foot again and painfully fell to his knees. Lancelot quickly followed up, about to strike with his sword, when his opponent suddenly looked up and said, ¡°Quick, kill me!¡± Enrique¡¯s sudden request caught Lancelot off guard. His voice no longer held the previous madness, and it differed from the impression he gave the previous day in the camp. But the next moment, the eyes behind the Dark Guardian¡¯s massive helmet blazed red, and with a bizarre cry, he switched his great sword to his left hand and charged at him as if his injured ankle felt no pain at all, moving even faster than before.@@@@ ¡°What in the world is this?¡± Lancelot cursed aloud as he thrust his sword to meet his enemy. ¡°Why do I feel like this exit strategy seems familiar?¡± Bruto approached, ¡°It¡¯s just that he was much smoother last time; at least he wasn¡¯t sideways and didn¡¯t scream like a pig being slaughtered.¡± ¡°This guy has slipped through my fingers three times now,¡± Lancelot shook the blood off his longsword, ¡°Let¡¯s go and see what this ¡®master¡¯ of his looks like, and whether he can still save his precious life.¡± The group nodded collectively and moved forward in battle formation once more. They crossed another lengthy corridor and entered an even darker hall. Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception wildly signaled warnings, a tremendously powerful creature was ahead, but the darkness in the hall was too intense; even he couldn¡¯t see clearly what it was. The light emanating from the weapons held by the Priest and Holy Warrior strangely stretched only in one direction like a shadow, unable to illuminate more than ten feet in the other three directions. Undoubtedly, this was the effect of the Divine Artifact, Eye of Sarezdon, and the holder was certainly the ¡®master¡¯ referred to by the mutated demons and the Dark Guardian. Just then, a voice suddenly resonated in everyone¡¯s hearts, an eerie voice speaking none of their familiar languages, yet everyone immediately understood its meaning: ¡°Submit to me!!¡± It was an idea conveyed directly through mental telepathy, seemingly devoid of any Charm power. While Lancelot wondered how such a thing could possibly control a Fallen Paladin as powerful as Enrique, the surrounding darkness suddenly dissipated. Approximately fifty feet in front of them, an incredibly weird figure appeared. It was a head almost as large as Hagrid Manor, floating in mid-air, its facial features distorted like melting wax, two eyes under which there was no nose but a gaping mouth as big as a door, filled with teeth like thorns. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 226: 220 Madness Stance Chapter 226: Chapter 220 Madness Stance The latter half of the monster was even more twisted, its normal skull had disappeared, and the swollen, pale-purple brain tissue was directly exposed to the air, looking like an overinflated balloon, somewhat akin to the abdomen of a queen ant. Where its neck should have been was a large mass of intertwined intestines of varying thickness, and four taut metal chains extended from its chin and the roots of its ears, anchoring the beast to the ground like ship anchors. ¡°What in the world is thi...¡± Alamir¡¯s cry caught in his throat as a flood-like psychic assault overwhelmed his mind. The monster¡¯s form was so twisted that merely seeing it imposed a tremendous strain on the sanity of any mortal.@@@@ The hall already contained many blazing torches. The monster must have retracted its Eye of Sarezdon, which could absorb light, allowing its blasphemous shape to fully present itself before the unsuspecting crowd. Lancelot felt a strange and twisted thought emerge in his mind, as if a persuasive voice was whispering in his ear that this was the most perfect life form in the Multiverse, and serving such a creature was the ultimate honor, that it was his rightful master... This voice continuously echoed in his mind, almost suppressing Lancelot¡¯s own thoughts, but there was something in his brain that did not belong to this Multiverse, a small bamboo strip left by Han Tian Zun. In his Sea of Consciousness, the bamboo strip seemed to detect these malevolent thoughts intruding, and defensively burst forth with dazzling blue light, enveloping Lancelot¡¯s small Sea of Consciousness, driving away all external spiritual powers, and bringing his consciousness back to clarity instantly. But his teammates weren¡¯t so lucky. Bruto stood agape, completely unaware that drool had reached his beard; Kalalin¡¯s eyes were filled with madness, muttering indecipherable whispers; the Halfling, Elves, and young Vampire were walking forward unconsciously, as if to offer themselves as sacrifices to the twisted entity before them. The Priest, who had been kneeling and praying silently, suddenly stood up. He raised his shield emblazoned with the emblem of the Lady of Flame, from which a brilliant golden light surged forth. The light rose into the air, forming a vague humanoid silhouette, but the longsword and shield in the silhouette¡¯s hands, also marked with the emblem of Shuni, were distinctly visible as if they were tangible. The longsword in the hands of the silhouette emitted a scorching light, and demons close by immediately caught transparent flames and screamed as they were reduced to ashes. The pressure on the group decreased dramatically, allowing Kalalin to activate the Magic Scroll in his hand undisturbed. He summoned a vast quantity of thick white spiderwebs to restrict the enemies¡¯ movement. ¡°Well done!¡± Bruto shouted in approval, throwing his hammer once again. It struck the head of a trapped enemy squarely, smashing it into a pulp. The Dwarf loved the Scholar¡¯s spiderweb technique; the trapped enemies were like motionless targets, while his hammer always returned to his hand. The others also vigorously attacked the restrained enemies with their long-range skills, with Cromwell leaving the most impressive mark. Since the enemies could not move due to being entangled in webs, the skull would fly up to their faces, open its mouth, and spit out a thick white Long Spear. This was none other than the tail of the Bone Demon they had encountered at Oasis Fort, which had been chopped off from the demon¡¯s behind with the Great Sword Glacier across a giant rock by Lancelot. This Long Spear, made from the Demon¡¯s body, seemed to carry a special power. The bodies of the demons were like paper in its presence, easily pierced through, creating transparent holes. The skull laughed heartily, though the laughter sounded quite unpleasant with its mouth stuffed. Seeing that his companions had gained control of the situation, Lancelot turned his head to face the real culprit of all these troubles, the giant floating head not far away. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 227: 221: The Boneless Arm Chapter 227: Chapter 221: The Boneless Arm He shifted Frostslash to his left hand and pulled out the Giant Sword Glacier from the Dimensional Bag with his right. Facing such a colossal creature, it was time to unleash his most powerful firepower! As if sensing Lancelot¡¯s threat, the monster suddenly yanked out a chain buried in the ground, at the end of which was attached a pitch-black humanoid figure¡ªLancelot took a closer look, and sure enough, it was his old acquaintance Enrique. But the Dark Guardian no longer looked much like a man. When they had last parted, Lancelot had slashed his left arm, but now his right arm had also mysteriously disappeared¡ªwhere an arm should have been, there now extended a thick, long tentacle covered in suckers, curling around his black great sword; his legs had been amputated at the hips, and in their place were six fuzzy, spider-like claws, madly scratching at the air. The Dark Guardian had once been a noble Paladin, but had fallen into darkness due to succumbing to his inner rage, ultimately degrading to his current wretched state. Whether he deserved it or not, Lancelot disliked seeing a once-noble knight being exploited by demons in such a manner. He couldn¡¯t allow this to go on any longer, he had to kill Enrique once and for all to completely end the former Paladin¡¯s torment. Enrique himself, however, was very pleased with his new body. As soon as he landed, he let out an excited shriek at Lancelot. His spider-like claws moved in a manner that made one¡¯s skin crawl, quickly appearing in front of Lancelot and slashing at the Human Knight with his sword. Lancelot raised his hefty Giant Sword Glacier with his right hand, deflecting the enemy¡¯s strike to one side, and his left hand¡¯s Frostslash seized the opportunity to thrust directly towards the opponent¡¯s heart. It was a strike meant to be decisive, because without the enhancement of True Qi, it was nearly impossible for an ordinary human to possess his current strength and speed; there was no gap left between his block and counterattack. But his adversary was clearly no longer within the realm of ordinary humans. Since Enrique¡¯s arms had transformed into boneless tentacles, the Dark Guardian¡¯s great sword swung back from an angle impossible for any human to achieve and almost immediately launched a series of swift strikes as fast as lightning. Lancelot¡¯s hands moved quickly, barely fending off his enemy¡¯s frenzied assaults. Most of his knowledge about combat was based on the assumption that his opponent was human, in other words, that the sword-wielding limbs would only involve the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints. Lancelot caught a glimpse of the Dwarf¡¯s condition out of the corner of his eye, but with Enrique proving tough to handle, he could only shout anxiously. The Succubus Paladin was the first to rush over. She sheathed her longsword and raised her Shield in her left hand, her right hand glowing with golden light as she gently touched Bruto¡¯s nape. A powerful influx of Positive Energy surged into the Dwarf¡¯s body, immediately stabilizing his injuries. Then, grasping the collar of Bruto¡¯s breastplate, she flapped her wings and dragged her wounded companion back into the ranks of their group. Another surge of life-filled light bathed Bruto, stemming from the Priest¡¯s Healing Divine Art. The moment Bruto was struck, Alamir began to pray immediately; however, Divine Arts indeed took longer to cast, and had it not been for Elothysia¡¯s immediate support, the Dwarf might not have lasted until the Priest completed his Divine Art. ¡°Thank you... why!!!!¡± Bruto had just opened his mouth to express gratitude, but what came out was indeed his breakfast. No one knew what had been in that monster¡¯s digestive tract, but the black bile that sprayed out was so acrid it could make any normal-tasting mortal vomit everything in their stomach. ¡°That smell! It¡¯s just... ugh!!!!¡± ¡°A Dwarf already has a bad enough smell as it is.¡± The Elf held his nose, summoning a large amount of clean water to pour over the Dwarf¡¯s head, ¡°but you now smell like a herring that¡¯s been soaking in a latrine for two months.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 228: 222: Falling into a Deep Pit Chapter 228: Chapter 222: Falling into a Deep Pit The young Dwarf lay on the ground, still retching uncontrollably, temporarily incapacitated, but at least not in mortal danger. Lancelot, seeing this, also let out a sigh of relief and focused on dealing with the troublesome enemy before him. He had gradually adapted to the opponent¡¯s erratic attack pattern and had started to grasp some of its rules. Lancelot was sure that the enemy in front of him, despite possessing the body of a Dark Guardian, had little to do with Enrique anymore. Although the opponent had a flexible and strong tentacle arm, they always swung their Great Sword along the shortest path, with the greatest strength. If it were that skillful soul controlling the body, they would never make such brute-like attacks. Moreover, once the pattern of attack was understood by someone, it was not far from the end of their downfall. Lancelot¡¯s defense became more and more relaxed, and the margin between each of his movements grew larger. Finally, he took a slight risk. His right hand¡¯s Glacier met the opponent¡¯s Great Sword, and instead of blocking, he chose to deflect. If Enrique had still retained his original standard, it would have been easy for the opponent to make Lancelot pay a heavy price for such a rash move. But Lancelot¡¯s gamble paid off. The enemy¡¯s forcefully cleaved weapon struck the slanted blade of his sword, then glided along the sword¡¯s spine, eventually getting caught on the protective blade above the Glacier Sword Grid; meanwhile, Lancelot¡¯s left hand, holding Frostslash, took the opportunity to swing towards the opponent¡¯s side. This strike, seemingly off target, actually aimed straight at the enemy¡¯s underlying spider-like claws. The invisible Sword Aura easily cut through three slender claws, and Enrique¡¯s body immediately lost its balance. Like a crab with half of its legs broken, it collapsed to the ground. The previously even match was broken, and it quickly transformed into a one-sided situation. Lancelot seized the short moment when the opponent lost balance, and Glacier, like thundering lightning, cleaved down, cutting off both Enrique¡¯s left tentacle and the remaining claws in one stroke. A shrill scream came from within the Dark Guardian¡¯s Helmet, a sound filled with pain that could scare the Soul out of any mortal¡¯s body. But his body seemed not to feel the pain, as the right tentacle, coiling with the Great Sword, came chopping at Lancelot again. However, the inability to move greatly limited his threat range. The Human Knight simply dodged the enemy¡¯s attack with a sidestep, and while the two tentacles tried to twist back like snakes to continue their assault, Lancelot¡¯s Frostslash had already landed on the opponent¡¯s shoulder. But such attempts were unsuccessful; the liquid area continued to expand, and the roots of those vines turned swamp-like, unable to bear any pulling force. The floor, originally made of solid rock, had turned almost as thin as ordinary water in just a few heartbeats. But worse was to come¡ªthe liquified rock, along with the people engulfed within, began to free fall. The chamber was hollow underneath! And this was the monster¡¯s true means of self-preservation: a bottomless pit trap. By liquifying the entire floor slab, invaders would fall in without time to struggle. Then, by pouring in a large amount of rock and dirt, the victims would be buried alive. True Qi surged unrestrained from Lancelot¡¯s Dantian, following a mysterious trajectory through his Meridians, then projected through the spells in his hands, summoning a great number of vines. But as the walls of the deep pit trap were also rapidly liquifying, dragging everyone down with them, those rootless vines were powerless against the waterfall-like force of descent. He truly regretted it now. In the past, he had preferred to cultivate the close-combat techniques in the bamboo scrolls and was not very interested in magic-like Immortal Laws and Taoist techniques. Now, facing these supernatural forces, he could only rely on his rudimentary Divine Skills. Everyone continued to plummet, finally dropping out of the liquification effect¡¯s range, and the ¡®liquid¡¯ that had swept them up was rapidly solidifying. Lancelot could only continue to drive the spell with all his might, constantly summoning a mass of vines, like trying to stop a trebuchet-thrown boulder with a spider¡¯s web, seemingly completely futile. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 229: 223: The End of the Sinner Chapter 229: Chapter 223: The End of the Sinner But the monster¡¯s cruelty and greed gave the Human Knight and his companions an opportunity¡ªthe trap was dug too deep, and the monster apparently hoped the victims¡¯ fall would be as terrible as possible, which gave Lancelot enough space and time to continuously layer thin spider webs until they reached sufficient thickness. As Lancelot increasingly amplified the output of his True Qi, the vines he summoned became thicker, but the soil and rocks above their heads were simply too heavy, and the group continued to plummet downwards. ¡°Ahhhh! We¡¯re going to die!¡± Suddenly, the Dwarf¡¯s terrified shout rang in Lancelot¡¯s ears, and he painfully twisted his neck to look, his pupils suddenly constricting.@@@@ After a prolonged fall, the bottom of the trap finally came into view, with less than a hundred feet remaining. Within five more breaths, they would make intimate contact with the ground formed by a pile of rocks at their current rate of descent, inevitably resulting in their bodies shattered and no chance of survival. At this critical moment, Lancelot held nothing back anymore. The Innate True Qi, reserved as a last resort in the deepest recesses of his Dantian Qi Sea, burst forth. His body emitted a dazzling green light, and the newly summoned vines were thicker than the Dwarf¡¯s behind, densely packing the entire pit. Accompanied by the Dwarf¡¯s increasingly sharp screams, the group¡¯s descent towards the ground started to slow, and just beneath ten feet from the ground, the fall was finally halted. Everyone was suspended mid-air by several thick vines, the canopy above as dense as a thick forest. ¡°Too... tight...¡± The Dwarf¡¯s strained moan sounded, and Lancelot barely gathered the last shred of his True Qi to manipulate the vines and safely lower everyone to the ground. A series of violent coughs erupted one after another as the companions who had escaped death by a hair lay on the ground, gulping in deep breaths. The recent ordeal had been too harrowing, and many had surely been convinced their time had come. ¡°Thank you, Lancelot, for saving our lives again,¡± the Dwarf collapsed face-up on the ground, ¡°How many times has it been now?¡± ¡°Yes, if it weren¡¯t for your miraculous abilities, I¡¯d probably be waiting for the Goddess¡¯s Divine Envoy to lead me by now.¡± Everyone expressed their gratitude, while Lancelot simply smiled, indicating that it was merely what he should do. He looked around and was relieved to find all his companions present, including the Succubus Paladin and the Skeleton Clone Well who could have escaped but chose to rescue others, resulting in being dragged down together. ¡°I understand, but that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here,¡± the Succubus Paladin shook her head, ¡°Repent, Enrique, for everything you¡¯ve done.¡± For a moment, anger flashed through the eyes of the Dark Guardian, but it quickly dissipated, turning into something more complex. ¡°I have always harbored intense hostility towards you, solely out of jealousy for the courage you possess,¡± Enrique smiled, ¡°You are a true Paladin, Succubus, even I, before my fall, was far inferior to you.¡± ¡°Repent.¡± The Succubus did not show any pleasure from the former colleague¡¯s praise, instead, she urged him solemnly, ¡°My power won¡¯t sustain you much longer.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After a brief silence, Enrique finally spoke again, ¡°I have made too many mistakes, and let myself live in lies, leaving countless sins in this world.¡± ¡°If you could, would you pay any price for redemption?¡± ¡°I would.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Elothysia¡¯s golden palm began to dim due to lack of energy, ¡°May the gods show their mercy.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Enrique said it again, and those were his last words. His head and body turned into a pile of ashes and completely dissipated. Elothysia flipped through the armor left behind by Enrique and indeed found an amulet. At its core was a purple crystal cube, about an inch in size, with many metal wires engraved with mysterious Runes wrapped around it, resembling a cage trapping the crystal. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 230: 224: Trapped in a Deadly Situation Chapter 230: Chapter 224: Trapped in a Deadly Situation ¡°You¡¯d better hold onto this.¡± Elothysia tossed the amulet to Lancelot. ¡°In your hands, it will be most effective.¡± Lancelot reached out and caught it, considered for a moment, nodded, and put the amulet into his storage bag. ¡°When I have the strength, I will definitely find a way to completely resolve this issue for you,¡± Lancelot promised. ¡°You don¡¯t need to make any promises to me, it¡¯s I who owe you more,¡± Elothysia shook her head. ¡°Moreover, don¡¯t go after my former master casually. Although I once defeated it with my companions on the Prime Material Plane, a Barlow Flame Demon is nearly invincible in its own lair.¡± ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t attempt recklessly,¡± Lancelot smiled, but he resolved within his heart that given the chance, he must kill that detestable Flame Demon, not only for the Succubus Paladin but also for the former Holy Warrior who had just perished by his hand. ¡°Enrique is finally dead,¡± the skull nearby spoke up. ¡°But if we don¡¯t have any good ideas, it won¡¯t be long before we meet the same fate.¡± At these words, everyone¡¯s face changed. Lancelot looked around and saw they were in a closed space, thirty feet square and about ten feet high, with no apparent exits. If they couldn¡¯t find a way out soon, they would likely suffocate to death once the air ran out. Lancelot hurriedly took out the Twin Bridges Town emblem that Tijana had given him, but he immediately realized that the item was no longer usable. The magical power within the emblem had been heavily suppressed, and the emanations were in tumult.@@@@ ¡°We won¡¯t be able to return to Twin Bridges Town with that item,¡± Kalalin preempted Lancelot¡¯s question. ¡°In the Great Abyss, teleportation magic doesn¡¯t work properly. Using it is like jumping into a meat grinder without knowing if it¡¯s on. Unless we really have no other choice, I don¡¯t suggest you gamble with your luck.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry... It¡¯s because of me that everyone ended up in this situation,¡± the Succubus Paladin said with a dim expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± The dwarf thumped his chest confidently but accidentally pulled down his beard. He instantly froze, his eyes widening as he touched his chin and mouth, and then all the hair on his face fell to the ground. ¡°What... what¡¯s going on?¡± the dwarf asked confusedly, looking at everyone. ¡°Why... why did my beard fall out?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s because of that black bile from earlier,¡± Alamir said apologetically, even though elves never grew beards, he could sympathize with the dwarf¡¯s pain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the healing spell can¡¯t preserve your beard, but with that belt, you should be able to grow an even better one soon.¡± ¡°Ahhhh! That detestable monster! My beard that I had finally grown!¡± Bruto stamped his feet in anger, looking like he was about to explode with rage. ¡°It¡¯s not so bad,¡± Koula chimed in to comfort him. ¡°You look a lot younger now.¡± ¡°I look like a beardless gnome!¡± the dwarf said indignantly. ¡°What in the world was that creature?¡± ¡°That was a giant skull demon,¡± Kalalin exhaled sadly, ¡°I should have realized when I saw those strange limbs. They are a very ancient type of Obyrith demon, masters of flesh who can create organs and limbs through the chaotic energy of the Great Abyss. You all saw its twisted and insane form. If it weren¡¯t for Elothysia today, our minds would have been shattered, turned into drooling idiots, seeing it as the most perfect life form in the universe, and feeling supreme pride in being able to serve such a perfect being.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 231: 225: Impacting Foundation Establishment Chapter 231: Chapter 225: Impacting Foundation Establishment ¡°Proud my ass, next time I see it, I¡¯m definitely smashing its damn head in!¡± Bruto cursed and walked over to a corner, casually picked a spot, and started swinging his Cross Pickaxe, channeling his rage into his work. Knowing the temper of Dwarves, no one doubted that he would keep up this momentum until he dug down to the feet of the Giant Skull Demon. Lancelot also moved to the opposite corner. He lifted his Giant Sword Glacier, and with the bit of True Qi he had just recovered, he chiseled out a small stone chamber in the rock wall. ¡°I might need a bit more time,¡± Lancelot said to everyone before entering, ¡°If I haven¡¯t come out after eight hours, don¡¯t wait for me.¡±@@@@ After saying that, he walked into the stone chamber alone. Forming a spell with his hand, numerous vines burst from the surrounding soil, sealing the entrance of the stone chamber, and also blocking the eyes of those behind him, whether they were concerned or merely curious. Just now, he had experienced something extremely mystical and indescribable. Although by now the True Qi in his body was nearly completely depleted, Lancelot clearly knew that the time to attempt Foundation Establishment had arrived. Under normal circumstances, the Meridians in his body were like rivers flowing with surging True Qi. However, now that his True Qi was all depleted, these ¡®riverbeds¡¯, usually hidden by True Qi, were fully exposed. He only needed to direct a faint trace of True Qi to travel through the Meridians to clearly sense where blockages existed, something he couldn¡¯t achieve under ordinary conditions. Lancelot held a Middle Grade Spirit Stone in one hand, using it to clear minor obstacles in his Meridians. Soon, he would attempt Foundation Establishment with the Spiritual Energy provided by over a hundred Upper Grade Spirit Stones. In such a tremendous rush of energy, any slight congestion in his body could lead to a fatal burst. But exhausting his True Qi at the brink of death had created the conditions to remove these hidden dangers. After about two hours, Lancelot finally cleared every Meridian and every acupoint in his body. After performing a Heavenly Cycle of the Cauldron Immortal Technique, he felt an unprecedented clarity and relief. He clenched his teeth and persisted, not slowing the pace of his cultivation, opening up each of his 108 major acupoints, each corresponding to an Upper Grade Spirit Stone. The spiritual energy contained therein surged into his body like a tidal bore. The 108 Spirit Stones floated in the air in a mysterious arrangement, not only corresponding to the acupoints on his body but seemingly also connected to some extremely distant entities, even beyond this multiverse. A very faint stellar force, undetectable even to divine powers, ignored all physical and metaphysical barriers, cast upon each floating Spirit Stone, gathered, focused, and finally entered Lancelot¡¯s body via bridges made of spiritual energy. Lancelot, engrossed in his cultivation, let out a muffled grunt. He felt each of his acupoints being stretched increasingly wider; if initially, it felt like needle pricks, now it had become akin to being pierced by a Long Spear. But that was not the most terrifying part. As spiritual power continuously poured in, every place in his body capable of storing spiritual energy was filled to the brim, yet the complex cultivation technique he was running was still relentlessly drawing in spiritual energy¡ªa necessary step for forcibly establishing a foundation with Spirit Stones. Finally, in a certain moment, his meridians burst, and the overwhelming, violent spiritual energy rushed towards his flesh, beginning to transform his body. A horrific tearing sensation arose; the spiritual energies rampaging within him seemed to have their own ideas on how to operate. What was worse, these energies were quite mixed in origin. Not to mention those from the Abyss, many were from higher realms¡ªthe homeland of the Angel lovers of Elothysia. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 232: Breakthrough in 226 Chapter 232: Breakthrough in Chapter 226 In addition, a ball of energy as fierce as a blazing fire also burst from a corner within his body, which was the ¡°reward¡± from Kaldu, master of Baro. These different sources of Spiritual Energy turned his body into a battleground. First, two thick demon horns emerged from Lancelot¡¯s forehead; then, a pair of pure white wings grew out of his back. His breath began to exude sparks with the scent of sulfur, yet sacred golden light shone from the depths of his eyes... But gradually, these anomalies disappeared one by one. No matter what attributes these Spiritual Energies inherently possessed, all of them started to purify the Human Knight¡¯s body in a ¡®normal¡¯ way under the guidance of the Cauldron Immortal Technique. Smelly, sticky tainted blood continuously oozed from Lancelot¡¯s skin, but his tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed. As his body was being remodeled bit by bit, a comfortable warmth emerged from his Dantian, and Lancelot unknowingly entered a state like a soul traveling beyond the heavens. Another three hours passed, and he finally opened his eyes. Two dazzling lights shot from them, burning two holes in the stone wall nearby, persisting for nearly three breaths before gradually dissipating. Lancelot slowly stood up, his body¡¯s surface covered with a layer of dark red scab, which fell off with his movement, revealing skin underneath as clear and lustrous as white jade. A smile slowly spread across Lancelot¡¯s face, becoming brighter and brighter. He had finally succeeded in Foundation Establishment! Lancelot checked the condition of his body. Foundation Establishment, as the name suggests, solidifies the physical body, expelling all impurities from the mortal frame during the breakthrough process, completely transforming into a form suitable for Spiritual Cultivation. At this moment, he felt incredibly light and could sense the subtle nature¡¯s Spiritual Energy around him with great clarity. His body after Foundation Establishment, like a sponge absorbing water, slowly drew in these energies, nearly matching the efficiency of his prior Qi Cultivation during Meditation. His Divine Sense also greatly strengthened, and according to the descriptions in the bamboo slips, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could now practice ¡®Inner Vision.¡¯ With slight concentration, Lancelot easily ¡®saw¡¯ the condition of various parts within his body. What was once gaseous True Qi had now all liquefied, with Meridians truly resembling rivers, containing energies several times stronger than before. As recorded in the bamboo slips, this liquid form of True Qi is known as True Yuan, one of the hallmarks of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. A majority of the energy from over a hundred Upper Grade Spirit Stones was consumed in refining his body and enhancing his aptitude. However, even the small portion he absorbed and refined during Foundation Establishment was enough to restore him to the peak condition permitted by his Realm. Lancelot nodded, and at that moment, his other companions had also gathered around, inquiring about his condition. ¡°Brother, did you succeed?¡± Little Yisa was the first who couldn¡¯t contain herself and asked; the young girl was still struggling with the thought of possibly having to bite her companions. ¡°Mhm, I succeeded,¡± Lancelot said with a smile. ¡°We can now avenge Bruto¡¯s ¡®beard incident¡¯. Hey, where¡¯s the dwarf?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been digging his hole the whole time, it seems like he hasn¡¯t rested at all.¡± Kalalin pointed to a darkened tunnel entrance in the corner, ¡°At first, you could still hear clinking and clanking, but it wasn¡¯t long before it went completely silent.¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯t gotten into trouble, has he?¡± Lancelot suddenly grew tense, as he couldn¡¯t sense the dwarf within his range, ¡°Let¡¯s go have a look.¡± The group entered the tunnel that Bruto had dug out, one by one. The tunnel was extremely narrow, barely allowing a person to squeeze through, and it was steep; climbing was a more accurate description of their current activity than walking. The further up Lancelot went, the more he admired the perseverance Bruto had shown. This small and sturdy race was as stubborn as rock; once they set their minds to something, nearly nothing could change their determination, and the spiraled tunnel before them was proof of that. Bruto had been tirelessly working for nearly eight hours, accompanied only by a small amount of food and water he carried and the ever-growing flames of revenge. After about fifteen minutes of tough climbing, the group finally heard the sounds of a shovel hitting the earth ahead and the accompanying falling pebbles, along with the dwarf¡¯s constant grumbling curses. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 233: 227: Killed His Way Back Chapter 233: Chapter 227: Killed His Way Back ¡°Bruto, stop for a moment!¡± Lancelot roared forcefully, ¡°We¡¯re coming up.¡± ¡°Big brother? You made it out?¡± The Dwarf¡¯s hesitant voice came from above, and Lancelot quickened his steps, soon reaching Bruto¡¯s side. The Dwarf was covered in dust, looking curiously at Lancelot. Lancelot pinched a spell in his hand, and instantly, countless vines drilled out of the surrounding soil; then, with a change of hand gesture, the vines turned and tunneled backwards, and in a short while, the area had turned into a cave ten feet square, enough for all those following behind to enter. Although he hadn¡¯t had the chance to learn the various Divine Power Techniques that could only be practiced after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, Lancelot still managed to skillfully wield this vine-summoning Divine Skill thanks to the strong True Yuan and control abilities of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Despite possessing the Spirit Roots of fire, wood, and earth, he excelled in the wood system¡¯s techniques. It was unclear whether it was due to the blessing of the Elves or the influence of the Qingyuan Sword Technique, or perhaps related to the mysterious Cauldron Immortal Technique. ¡°Big brother, has your strength returned?¡± Bruto¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°You seem even stronger than before, did you grow more powerful?¡± ¡°I was lucky, my power has indeed improved a bit,¡± Lancelot said with a beaming smile, ¡°But if I hadn¡¯t been fortunate, this tunnel you dug would have been our only escape route.¡± ¡°Wow, how come you¡¯re like the Elves, getting stronger just by sitting on the ground? I¡¯ll definitely have to have a serious chat with Uncle Vito about this,¡± Bruto lamented, then his face showed a proud expression, ¡°I¡¯ve been paying close attention ¡ª this tunnel has already risen almost fifteen hundred feet. Even if you hadn¡¯t succeeded, give me another three hours and I could have dug us up to the surface!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve worked very hard,¡± Lancelot patted the Dwarf¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the rest of the distance. Do you want to take a break? I¡¯m planning to tunnel up right under that Giant Skull Demon¡¯s feet.¡±@@@@ ¡°A break?¡± The Dwarf, while donning his armor, glared at Lancelot, ¡°Today I absolutely must smash that creature¡¯s thick skull. Until then, I won¡¯t rest. Hurry and bring me before it, my Warhammer is already hungering for battle.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s the spirit I love!¡± Lancelot gave the Dwarf¡¯s shoulder a vigorous shake, ¡°Just take care of it yourself when the time comes, I promise I won¡¯t compete with you for the glory!¡± The rest also burst into laughter, if the Dwarf didn¡¯t need a rest, then they certainly didn¡¯t either ¡ª during the past seven hours, they had all been lying still, conserving as much of the precious air as possible. Lancelot focused slightly and pinched a spell again, summoning a large number of vines. After completing his Foundation Establishment, his sensitivity to Spiritual Energy had greatly increased; when using these Divine Skills, he was able to borrow a large amount of the earth¡¯s natural forces around him, not only greatly enhancing the power but also reducing the consumption of his own True Yuan. ¡°Hurry up.¡± The Dwarf urged impatiently, ¡°We agreed earlier, that big head is mine, no one else better snatch it from me!¡± Lancelot cracked a smile, said no more, closed his eyes to sense the situation above, and then suddenly increased the output of his True Yuan. The vines, under his urging, instantly became thicker and stiffer, boring through the thirty feet of rock in the blink of an eye like a shot of adrenaline. The Dwarf let out an excited roar and was the first to charge out of the hole. One by one, the rest of the group quickly tunneled out from underground. The hall they entered was brightly lit. The Giant Skull Demon was located dozens of feet away from them, its body adorned with several mutated Margo demons, using their strong arms to massage the skull demon¡¯s head. ¡°Monster! Your Dwarf grandpa is back!¡± Upon seeing the Giant Skull Demon, the Dwarf¡¯s eyes immediately turned red. The gentle breeze brushed against his shiny chin, making Bruto even more uncontrollably angry. The Giant Skull Demon was clearly startled by the sudden appearance of this group. It couldn¡¯t have imagined that someone could survive the trap created with that Divine Artifact, let alone come back so soon. Everyone was no longer disoriented by the bizarre form of the Giant Skull Demon like the first time they saw it. The Giant Skull Demon desperately used telepathy to command its servants around it to attack the intruders while its lower body¡¯s intestines writhed, trying to spray that nauseating black bile once again. With the experience from the last time, Lancelot naturally wouldn¡¯t miss these movements of the enemy. Although he had agreed not to fight Bruto for the kill, helping the Dwarf was still no problem. A large mass of vines suddenly burst from the ground beneath the Giant Skull Demon. Like a giant hand made of plants, it grabbed the beast¡¯s lower parts before its huge and clumsy body could react, stopping the disordered spray of bodily fluids right in its intestinally-folded belly. The Giant Skull Demon opened its mouth and let out a sharp and piercing shriek, sounding like a cat realizing it had been castrated by its owner. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 234: 228 The Angry Dwarf Chapter 234: Chapter 228 The Angry Dwarf And its demonic servants were naturally no match for Lancelot and the others. The Human Knight, wielding his treasured sword, Frostslash, with sword aura extending up to ten feet as it ebbed and flowed, needed only a simple swing to send a mass of severed limbs and fresh blood flying, leaving any demon within reach either dead or injured. Behind him, Kalalin and Alamir were bombarding the enemy with large-scale destruction magic and Divine Arts, the Succubus Paladin stood guard by their side, while Koula and little Isha roamed the outskirts of the battlefield, finishing off the severely wounded. Their ferocious battle had but one goal, to provide cover for the Dwarf. In the previous fight with the Giant Skull Demon, Bruto had sustained the most terrible loss¡ªall of his beard. This made him disregard all other foes and head straight for the Giant Skull Demon. The chaotic scene prevented the monster from noticing the fast-approaching Dwarf in time. By the time it realized the threat, Bruto had already closed in sufficiently. The Dwarf hurled the Magic Warhammer that his father had made for him. As the hammer flew through the air, it emitted a terrible screech, filled with the Dwarf¡¯s rage over his beard having been destroyed. However, an unexpected scene occurred: the hammer smashed directly into the Giant Skull Demon¡¯s exposed, swollen brain tissue on top of its head, but it failed to cause the anticipated damage. The impacted area indented deeply, then sprang back up, flinging Bruto¡¯s hammer aside. Although the monster¡¯s brain was unprotected by a skull, it was incredibly soft, with an outer layer that was surprisingly resilient, making it difficult for blunt force attacks to inflict effective damage. At the same time, the monster¡¯s counterattack came. An animated iron chain rose from the ground and lashed brutally against the stunned Dwarf, sending him flying through the air. ¡°Bruto!¡± Lancelot called out anxiously, ready to rush over to help. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± the Dwarf sprang up from the ground, ¡°Let me handle this!¡± Another metal chain whipped toward him, striking his Shield with great force and flinging it away. However, it was Bruto¡¯s intention to do so; after using his Shield to absorb most of the force from the whip-like strike, he lunged forward and tightly grasped the tentacle-like animated chain in his arms. ¡°Hey! Gotcha now!!¡± The Giant Skull Demon then tried to plead, promising to serve them wholeheartedly. With its power to sculpt flesh, it could grant them all unfathomably strong bodies, so formidable even the Barlow Flame Demon would kneel... It couldn¡¯t go on, partly because it was an exaggeration, and partly because Bruto had twisted it to its limit, causing the ancient Obyrith Demon to nearly lose consciousness from the pain. Bruto¡¯s face had turned beet red, his muscles bulging as if they were inflated, but even with all his strength, he could not turn it any further. ¡°Kalalin...¡± the Dwarf gasped with difficulty, ¡°help me!¡± The Scholar hesitated for a moment but quickly understood the Dwarf¡¯s intention. He pulled out a Magic Scroll, rapidly scanned the Arcane Runes, and activated the stored 2nd-level spell¡ªBull¡¯s Strength. A pale blue Magic Aura gathered in the Scholar¡¯s hands, and he gently patted the Dwarf¡¯s shoulder, infusing the effect of the Transformation System spell into him. Bruto powerfully exhaled two visible white columns of breath from his nostrils and roared out: ¡°Moo!!!¡± The crowd almost laughed their breath away, but the intensely focused Dwarf didn¡¯t notice his surroundings. His strength surged, and he advanced several steps, pulling on the chain before stopping once again. ¡°Still... not enough!¡± the Dwarf¡¯s eyes turned red as he called out without turning his head, ¡°Give me... the one... that makes me bigger!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 235: 229 Feeling Better Chapter 235: Chapter 229 Feeling Better@@@@ ¡°All right!¡± the Scholar immediately did as told, reaching into the Howard utility bag behind him. Without any searching, he pulled out the first scroll his hands touched, which was the Enlarge Spell for humans. This was also a 2nd-level spell, with Arcane Runes written in ink mixed with iron filings. The pale blue aura of the Transformation System¡¯s magic lit up again, instantly flowing into Bruto¡¯s body. In the blink of an eye, the Dwarf¡¯s body rapidly grew taller and larger until he was almost twice the height of Lancelot, with a width more than four times as great. ¡°How does that feel?¡± Kalalin asked, smiling at the Dwarf now in Giant form, ¡°Comfortable?¡± ¡°For... my... beard!!!!!!¡± The enormous Dwarf took steps forward again, but he stopped after less than ten feet. ¡°Moradin!!!!!!!¡± Bruto loudly called out to his creator, as if the call itself granted him strength. The Dwarf¡¯s waist suddenly bent forward. The chain was pulled two feet further, and the Giant Skull Demon let out a piercing scream, which then abruptly ceased. The limits of flesh were finally broken. There came a ¡®pop¡¯ sound, like a champagne cork being released, and the Demon¡¯s entire brainstem was pulled out from its massive skull, scattering on the ground like spilt milky oatmeal porridge, leaving white brain matter everywhere. A terrible blast of mental energy exploded, a phenomenon unique to the death of creatures with powerful psychic abilities. Any creature with a frail will within range would have turned into an idiot from this impact, but fortunately, the Succubus Paladin had activated her Guardian Halo ahead of time, filling everyone¡¯s minds with strong positive emotions, successfully withstanding the psychic storm. The Dwarf collapsed to the ground, exhausted, his body quickly returning to its original size. His outburst had used up all the magic¡¯s power, causing the spell that would have lasted a little while longer to expire prematurely, but Bruto¡¯s chin-shaven face still showed a relaxed smile. He answered Kalalin, ¡°Yeah, that feels better now.¡± ¡°Yikes! This thing is really cold!¡± Koula quickly withdrew his hand, but then reached out again, this time lingering longer. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to have anything special.¡± Seeing that there seemed to be no harm, everyone gave the divine artifact a feel, especially a scholar researching the Abyss, who touched the black sphere from top to bottom, making one wonder if he had a special fondness for spherical objects. Lancelot also reached out his hand, feeling an icy chill as if the artifact was entirely made of metal and had been left outside on a snowy day for a night. Just as the Lords of Withering had claimed, apart from absorbing the surrounding light, the divine artifact appeared to have no other effects. In their ears, there was no echo of the dark whispers or tempting calls that many legendary tales spoke of, as if it was really just a slightly odd bead. Subconsciously, Lancelot tried to put a bit of the Abyss¡¯s spiritual energy into the artifact in his hand, and to his surprise, the Eye of Sarizdon immediately responded. His vision blurred, and before him appeared a vast crevasse. His vision was now at a very mystical angle. He could see clearly not only the overall structure of the crevasse but also the details of any part of it. In fact, he immediately recognized Kai-Oine and Mogrondale City beneath the Skeleton Tower. Clearly, he had inadvertently triggered the artifact¡¯s effect, presenting before his eyes the entire structure of the Great Abyss. Lancelot¡¯s gaze swept down from above, and he saw hundreds of portals of various shapes, some surrounded by giant metal fortresses housing vast armies of demons, while others seemed long forgotten, with nothing around them. It was unfortunate that, apart from the two portals leading to the Realm of A Thousand Eyes and the Well of Darkness, he recognized none of the other portals. He could only quietly take note of their appearance and later find an opportunity to identify each one. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 236: 230: Divine Artifacts Special Ability Chapter 236: Chapter 230: Divine Artifact¡¯s Special Ability He also saw the Guard of the Portal, the Four-Armed Demon that had left a deep impression on him. It was outside an iron fortress, cursing viciously, for even with its own formidable strength, it dared not forcibly breach a heavily guarded fortress and could only vent its anger on the occasional unfortunate patrol team outside. Lancelot continued to look downward, below Mogrondale City, where the structure of the Great Abyss became even more rugged and fragmented. He saw even more mysterious Portals, most of which were unattended. Driven by pure curiosity, Lancelot cast his gaze into the deepest parts of the Great Abyss.@@@@ But the Great Abyss seemed almost infinitely deep below, as his vision continued to extend downward without ever seeing the true bottom. He realized this was pointless and decided to retract his gaze, planning to exit this strange state. But just then, Lancelot¡¯s expression suddenly changed, as the Eye of Sarizdon in his hand began to emit a powerful suction force, and his True Yuan was rapidly and uncontrollably flowing into the black Bead. At this rate of loss, his entire body¡¯s True Yuan would soon be drained, and who knew what would happen after that? Lancelot not only regretted his carelessness, but using an unknown magical item without identification was an extremely foolish act, a principle Kalalin had repeatedly emphasized to them. However, Lancelot, having just succeeded in his Foundation Establishment, had been a little too confident in his own strength. But now was not the time for regret. Lancelot quickly took out a gemstone of Upper Grade Spirit Stone Tier with his free hand and began to absorb the nature¡¯s spiritual energy contained within to replenish his own depleted True Yuan. This was a colorful unknown gemstone from Elothysia, the Angel lover¡¯s gift. Previously, during the Foundation Establishment, they had a few more Upper Grade Spirit Stones than needed, and he had kept this one for its strange colors, but now there was no time to be choosy. His unintended choice saved his life. Because of the hasty absorption, he couldn¡¯t completely transform the Spiritual Energy of the gemstone into his own True Yuan, and the Eye of Sarizdon seemed to really like the nature¡¯s spiritual energy from the higher planes and swiftly changed its target of suction. Lancelot felt as though he had become a conduit of energy, with the Spiritual Energy from the colorful gemstone flowing continuously through him into the Abyssal Artifact, while the flow of his own True Yuan gradually stopped. ¡°But this thing is actually of no use to us,¡± Kalalin was still somewhat nervous, ¡°We¡¯ve already found the Eye of Sarezdon, bringing it back to Mogrondale City and asking for a map shouldn¡¯t be an unreasonable request...¡± ¡°Oh? Have you already found the Eye of Sarezdon?¡± An unexpected voice suddenly sounded. Lancelot¡¯s pupils shrank abruptly, he pinched a spell with his hand, and the vines holding the black bead writhed, wrapping up the Divine Artifact, and light immediately returned to the group. At the entrance of the great hall, a blond male Elf in lavish clothing walked in, it was ¡®The Great Arbiter¡¯ Satugura, one of Mogrondale City¡¯s Lords of Withering, followed by a large number of Maizeros Demon Guards, and some spellcasters with smooth, oval-shaped heads wearing long robes. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, good evening,¡± Satugura greeted the group with a smile that bode no good, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to see you all safe and sound.¡± Upon recognizing the newcomer, Kalalin¡¯s complexion also changed drastically. He fumbled to take out the three Magic Wands used to search for the Eye of Sarezdon, and threw them aside forcefully. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Lancelot asked with a hostile tone, ¡°Did you do something to those wands?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say it was tampering, just a bit of misdirection, using a bunch of complex but meaningless Runes to hide one truly useful simple spell,¡± the blond Elf shrugged arrogantly, ¡°As soon as any of the wands detected the Eye of Sarezdon, I would immediately receive a message. Just a precaution, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s necessary?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 237: 231 Lies and Truth Chapter 237: Chapter 231 Lies and Truth ¡°What are you preventing?¡± Lancelot had already grasped the hilt of Frostslash, ¡°Preventing us from failing?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± the Elf sighed, ¡°Preventing you from succeeding. It would be problematic if the Eye of Sarizdon were to return safely to Mogrondale City after I went through so much trouble to take it away.¡±@@@@ Everyone was stunned by the implications of these words. The speaker was a Lord of Withering, and a Mogrondale City devoid of commercial value clearly did not align with his interests. Elothysia stared at the Elf, transformed by the powers of the Abyss, her expression shifting from suspicion to astonishment. A golden glow illuminated her sword blade as she pointed at her opponent and asked loudly, ¡°You! Why do you reek of Barto¡¯s otherworldly scent?¡± ¡°Oh, cool it, sweetheart,¡± the Elf chuckled mischievously, ¡°If you can become a Paladin, why can¡¯t I serve the Bartez? It seems neither of us is particularly loyal to our own race.¡± Lancelot¡¯s heart sank rapidly. Although he had reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, doubling his strength, he had used a lot of his True Yuan due to carelessly touching things earlier. The Yugros Demons in front of him were numerous, well-disciplined, and better trained, making them much tougher opponents than the mutated demons. ¡°But why?¡± The Succubus Paladin still seemed incredulous, ¡°You¡¯ve already achieved a high status, why do this?¡± ¡°What status? A Lord of Withering who can be eliminated at any time?¡± The Elf¡¯s face twisted into a disdainful smile, a wicked expression that was extremely jarring to those accustomed to Alamir, ¡°This system is obviously very foolish. The position I worked so hard for can be claimed by any subordinate who walks into my office, declares himself my successor, and then stabs me twice?¡± Lancelot¡¯s heart sank further. The number of enemies was more than five times their own. Even if his True Yuan had not been absorbed by the Eye of Sarezdon, it would be difficult to combat so many strong enemies, and given his current state, he might as well consider how to preserve the integrity of his partners¡¯ bodies as much as possible. ¡°So farewell, my friends.¡± The golden-haired elf raised his arm and waved it forward as if shooing a few flies, ordering his subordinates, ¡°Kill them all.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be in such a hurry.¡± Another voice emerged out of nowhere, carrying a strange tremor, reminiscent of some large beast. Lancelot¡¯s face changed once more, he pulled out a golden emblem from his chest, the magic fluctuations from it causing him to throw it without hesitation as though it were a bomb made by Phil. The emblem indeed exploded in mid-air, turning into a giant portal. A Red Dragon lazily came through the gate of light, appearing in the grand hall. Compared to the young dragon of its kind that would occasionally visit Twin Bridges Town to collect gemstones, this Red Dragon looked somewhat aged. With sharp insight, Lancelot noticed that the horns on its head were starting to curl, its scales looked disorderly and lacked luster, and there were even mutation-like black spots at the roots of its claws and wings. But it remained a strong, majestic, and beautiful creature, and for a dragon, age did not imply a decline in strength. The pressure this Giant Dragon put on Lancelot was not inferior to the unnamed person fighting in Flame Demon Form, and it was simply standing there, regarding the traitorous Lord of Withering with a cold gaze. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 238: 232: Unexpected Aid Chapter 238: Chapter 232: Unexpected Aid The Giant Dragon¡¯s oppressive might shrouded every creature in the hall; in the face of its terrifying presence, both Demons and mortals alike fell into a near-paralytic state of fear. Even if the Giant Dragon were to come and devour them, they would remain rooted to the spot, utterly incapable of mustering the courage to resist. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that you would be the mastermind behind this,¡± the Giant Dragon said in a mocking tone, ¡°For a moment, I thought it was Dugba, that fool. You truly disappoint me.¡± ¡°You... how do you know me? Why are you here?¡± Satugura stammered, ¡°I am under Archduke Bayer¡¯s...¡± ¡°Roar!!¡± The Red Dragon spewed out flames from its mouth, engulfing the treacherous Lord of Withering, then it twisted its neck, and the red blaze swept over the Yugros Demon mercenaries that were standing still. The Fiends, melted by the intense heat, let out a piercing scream before their death; the temperature in the great hall rose to an unbearable level. Everyone held their breath because merely inhaling this scorching air would cause one¡¯s lungs to burn in excruciating pain. When the Giant Dragon finally closed its mouth, the Abyssal fox-headed Demon once known as Satugura was gone, and in the place where he stood remained only a charred corpse, and the Steel Demon he had summoned disappeared with the death of the Summoner. As for the numerous Yugros Demon mercenaries, not one was left, completely burnt to ashes without a trace.@@@@ ¡°Ha, it seems you¡¯re not the real Bartez after all, otherwise, how could you not withstand even these little flames?¡± The Red Dragon belched, spitting out a few sparks from its mouth, then it turned its head to Lancelot and the others, ¡°You indeed found that Divine Artifact, well done.¡± ¡°Thank you for saving us, oh noble Giant Dragon,¡± considering they were still catching their breath, Lancelot¡¯s tense heart relaxed slightly, ¡°Are you sent by Mr. Pakos? That Emblem was his to give...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make that face, you¡¯re not on my menu today,¡± Pakos said with a chuckle as if he had read Kalalin¡¯s mind. ¡°But aren¡¯t you afraid... afraid we¡¯ll reveal your identity?¡± ¡°Ha! If you grab a random local in Mogrondale and ask around, a third of them will swear on their life that my true form is a cursed Baro, another third will gamble their lives on the claim that I am the Angel Lazaka in person, and the rest have all sorts of theories, some say I¡¯m a Lich who mastered Transfiguration, a General from Scorched Flame Hell, and the idea of me being a Red Dragon isn¡¯t particularly creative.¡± The transformed Giant Dragon, now a Halfling, seemed not at all upset by Kalalin¡¯s curiosity, ¡°Do you understand? Even if you went around the world proclaiming my true identity, you would only be seen as a fool.¡± ¡°Hiding the truth within myriad lies, even if some uncover the truth, it causes no change to the status quo; your wisdom is indeed admirable,¡± Kalalin offered a compliment quite naturally but then asked, ¡°Someone as noble, powerful, and incomparable as you must surely have some grand mission to stay in this place, is there anything we can assist you with?¡± ¡°A grand... mission? Ahahaha...¡± Pakos laughed, holding his belly, Lancelot inappropriately thought he looked rather cute, ¡°Do I look like a foolhardy Metal Dragon to you? My reason for being in the Great Abyss is simple, I¡¯ve found it easy and safe to make money here, and the intrigues among the Lords of Withering even provide me with plenty of entertainment. It¡¯s just that this time, those fools have taken things a bit too far.¡± As he spoke, Pakos reached Lancelot. The Halfling raised an arm and prodded Lancelot¡¯s chest armor with his fingertip, an act that should have seemed rather comical, but nobody felt like laughing. ¡°I knew you could bring me a surprise. To be honest, it¡¯s the first time my inn has seen so many bodies. Those old Undead hiding in Kai-Oine are just too wasteful, but to be fair, even they probably didn¡¯t expect the mastermind to be a Demon,¡± Pakos said. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 239: 233: Small Details Chapter 239: Chapter 233: Small Details ¡°Satugura did indeed mention Bayer, but wasn¡¯t that former Archduke already stripped of his command? Why would he be involved?¡± ¡°You ask me, but whom shall I ask? I too sensed the aura of the Demon through the emblem and turned my attention here¡ªjust in time to hear the self-disclosure of the mastermind behind the scenes. Only a fool would commit misdeeds and feel compelled to disclose everything as if they would suffocate otherwise.¡± Pakos paced toward the only remaining corpse on the ground, ¡°It seems that Bayer too is a fool¡ªhaving been stripped of his position and yet still so proactive. Is he really planning to become Zariel¡¯s dog? Maybe next time the Dragon Queen summons, I should ask her opinion...¡± The Halfling transformed from a Giant Dragon stretched his short legs and flipped the charred remains that had belonged to the ¡®Great Arbiter¡¯ Satugura. But his brow furrowed, and he stepped on what was barely recognizable as a head, crushing it entirely. A blood-red gemstone rolled out from the charred remains, and Pakos picked it up with his hand. ¡°It seems Bayer did indeed meddle with something. Otherwise, this fool would have been burned to nothing,¡± the Halfling appeared greatly interested in the sparkling gemstone, examining it back and forth in his hand, ¡°I guess the secret is mostly hidden in this stone¡ªit¡¯s what made Satugura believe he could truly become a Bartez, or at least convinced that fool to believe he could.¡± Although Lancelot¡¯s face showed no expression, his heart was stirring with turmoil¡ªthere was an identical gemstone quietly lying in the junk pile inside his Dimensional Bag. That was when he had first arrived at the Abyss, encountering Han Tianzun. At that time, Han Tianzun had slain a half-man, half-horse Demon using the Flying Sword Technique, and a similar gemstone was found within the skull of the corpse. But afterwards, he was immersed in the thrill of successful sensing, then he met Bruto, and soon acquired many more beautiful gemstones, so he almost completely forgot about that special red gemstone. But now, recalling it, the matter didn¡¯t seem ordinary. At that time, Lancelot had little concept of the classification of Demon levels, yet the strength of that half-man, half-horse Demon should have already reached the Lesser Lord level. In the chaotically distributed Plains of the Abyss, a Demon of the Lesser Lord level could not possibly be a simple character. If this type of red gemstone was indeed the unique method of the former Demon Archduke, Bayer, then the matter became quite interesting. But the information he held was still too little; once this mission was completed, he definitely needed to brief Tijana on this intelligence. Between the Demons and Demons, these two battling Fiend races, Lancelot had no preference. According to Kalalin¡¯s words, most forces in the Multiverse hoped the blood war would continue indefinitely. It was fortunate for everyone that the lower-denizens expended their energies annihilating each other; Lancelot quite agreed with this notion. Lancelot quickly reached out and took the red stone. The moment he touched it, he was sure it was the same thing as the other gemstone he had received earlier. ¡°Good,¡± Pakos watched Lancelot with satisfaction, ¡°Just one last thing now.¡± The implication in the other¡¯s words tightened Lancelot¡¯s heart; was the Giant Dragon still planning to kill to silence him? ¡°Ah, look at you all nervous, it¡¯s a good thing,¡± the Halfling¡¯s face broke into a broad smile, but Lancelot couldn¡¯t detect a hint of amusement in his eyes, ¡°I want you guys to stick to the original plan, bring that black bead wrapped in vines back to Mogrondale. You might be summoned by the elders of Skeleton Tower, they will ask you some questions, tell them everything you know, except you¡¯ll need to alter one detail slightly.¡± ¡°You want us to hide the part about you?¡± ¡°A red Giant Dragon suddenly appears, breathing destructive flames, and then all of you were saved? That story is too exaggerated, no one would believe it, right?¡± ¡°But how should Satugura be explained?¡± ¡°Before that fool died, didn¡¯t he confess everything? He betrayed Mogrondale under the temptation of Demons, convinced that he had become a Bartez, and you still hold the crucial evidence in your hand¡ªthe red gemstone. As for who exactly he died at the hands of...¡± the Halfling winked at Lancelot, ¡°who else could it be but you?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 240: 234: Taking the Blame Chapter 240: Chapter 234: Taking the Blame Lancelot gave the cunning old Red Dragon a deep look and sighed, ¡°All right, I understand.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so sad; this is a good thing,¡± said the Halfling with an even brighter smile upon seeing Lancelot nod in agreement. ¡°Originally, you would have only received the symbolic title of Lord of Withering. Now, you¡¯ll become a true Lord of Withering. Every resident of Mogrondale dreams of such fortune falling into their lap. What¡¯s there to be unhappy about?¡± ¡°I still want to pursue more adventures, and if possible, find a way back to my original world. I¡¯m really not interested in staying in Mogrondale City.¡± Lancelot spread his hands. ¡°Can this title of Lord of Withering be given away?¡± ¡°Of course, it can. I¡¯ve done it twice already. You just need to designate a successor that¡¯s all, of course, before some challenger manages to kill you. Given the bodies you¡¯ve made in my inn, only someone not too crazy in the head would trouble you, though unfortunately, there aren¡¯t many of those. Besides, the position of Governor of Spray Plain is a lucrative one. Since you¡¯re not planning to take his place, you surely won¡¯t mind if I take a tour of his house, right?¡± ¡°Not at all, not at all.¡± Lancelot shook his head quickly. ¡°We¡¯ll leave as soon as we get the map, we won¡¯t even glance at that guy¡¯s house.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± The Halfling nodded, walked to the side, and with a twist, the red Giant Dragon reappeared before them. The savage beast opened its mouth and uttered a series of syllables completely unpronounceable by humans, and instantly a golden-lit Portal formed in the air. ¡°Remember, you did this yourselves,¡± the Giant Dragon glanced back at them before entering the Portal, revealing sharp fangs in its half-open maw. ¡°I was never here, okay?¡± Upon hearing about gathering spoils, everyone dispersed with happy smiles and began searching in every corner of the great hall. They naturally did not care for the shabby weapons of the Demons, but nobody would object to taking their gold or gemstones. Lancelot¡¯s concerns were not unfounded, as Fireballs occasionally exploded and poisonous clouds floated up. Thankfully, nobody let their guard down. Koula and little Isha helped everyone detect most of the traps in advance. The few traps that weren¡¯t detected were naturally triggered by the reckless Dwarf, but fortunately, he was tough enough and his armor sturdy enough that these traps hardly caused him any fatal injuries. Moreover, with Koula¡¯s unlimited supply of healing potions, Bruto could disarm the traps in the Dwarf¡¯s carefree ¡®manner¡¯ without any worry. Indeed, they found plenty of gold and gemstones, but the biggest find still came from Kalalin. Although the Divination magic ¡®Detect Secret Door¡¯ didn¡¯t work normally, his understanding of Demons like Obyrith allowed him to accurately identify the most likely place for a hidden chamber¡ªa pile of melted bones, resembling a trash heap from a Giant Skull Demon¡¯s kitchen. Lancelot sensed for a moment and confirmed there was indeed a concealed space there. He summoned a large amount of vines once again, digging open the entire floor above that secret chamber. Everyone curiously gathered around, but when they saw what was inside, their faces all showed expressions of horror, and little Isha even let out a scream, covering her eyes tightly with her hands. Inside, there was a dense pile of skulls, big and small, of various shapes, clearly coming from many different races. ¡°So this is what the Giant Skull Demon treasured,¡± Kalalin turned away, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, maybe we should just bury it back, this thing is just too frightening...¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s not that there¡¯s nothing useful here,¡± Elothysia flew back from the pit, holding several treasures in her hand, but the pale faces of her companions made her expression turn somewhat unnatural. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 241: 235 Return the Same Way Chapter 241: Chapter 235 Return the Same Way As a succubus that was born in the Abyss and spent most of her life in this dreadful plane, such a scene was really just a minor occurrence for her. Although she bravely fought against her own evil nature and had achieved admirable success, it was these bloody and terrifying scenes that elicited her subconscious response, stating a merciless fact: she was a demon from a lower plane accustomed to torment, killing, and death. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s great to have someone with courage; take a look, what else is there?¡± Lancelot immediately responded with a chuckle. He noticed the abnormality of the Succubus Paladin and guessed her thoughts, so he deliberately said this to divert her attention. ¡°There isn¡¯t anything too special.¡± Upon hearing this, Elothysia placed all her loot on the ground. There was a scimitar that flickered with blue light, two magic wands with unknown effects, and some horrifying and twisted artifacts that, at a glance, one would be sure were tied to terrible curses, turning any place they were kept into a haunted house. Many peoples¡¯ impression of demons is that they are brutal and insane, but they also possess a sense of humor and appreciation for the arts, although different from that of mortals. These artworks, symbolizing destruction and distortion, are exactly the style demons admire. Some Abyssal Lords are even willing to pay a high price for them, of course, assuming direct looting comes at a higher cost. Lancelot didn¡¯t care about that much; he shoveled all the gold, equipment imbued with unknown magic, and the bizarre artifacts he couldn¡¯t appreciate himself into his Dimensional Bag. He planned to identify and appraise each item and divide the loot among his companions after the adventure was over. After making sure they hadn¡¯t missed any valuable spoils, the group left the hall where the Giant Skull Demon resided. They paused briefly in the corridor leading to the main gate, as the walls on either side were lined with a great deal of mysterious writing and exquisite reliefs. Kalalin hadn¡¯t lingered earlier, but this time, the Scholar wouldn¡¯t pass up these things. Fortunately, Kalalin didn¡¯t take too long, as he didn¡¯t intend to decipher the obscure Abyssal Text and Runes on the spot. The Scholar said that doing so would not only be extremely time-consuming but also present a great danger. He would only attempt to read them once he had made sufficient preparations and was in a fully secure environment. As a Scholar of the Dark Cult, every adventure he embarked on after coming to the Abyss was treated as a field study, so his Howard¡¯s Convenient Bag was always stocked with adequate research tools, such as a complete set of inks, beeswax, brushes, and parchment for taking rubbings¡ªit was unknown where he obtained these items. ¡°Seems like if you¡¯re strong enough, you can still push the door open,¡± the Elf winked at the Dwarf, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Bruto?¡± ¡°Shut up, you tree-dweller!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just living above your floor...¡± The Dwarf and Elf¡¯s bickering lightened the mood a little, but in sharp contrast to their noise, the great hall outside and the huge cave were very quiet. The mutated Demons that had been bustling in the square were now gone. The reason was simple: the moment the Giant Skull Demon died, they were freed from psychic control, and the first thing they did after regaining their senses was to attack their own kind. Unlike their arrival, the group walked openly among the half-built construction sites, with Demon corpses everywhere, most of them killed in mutual slaughter, some by the Yugros Demon Guards of the Betraying Lord of Withering. The exit route was extremely smooth; they didn¡¯t encounter a single enemy. Out of caution, the group returned to the campsite Lancelot had dug out earlier and then followed the original path back. They carefully passed the entrance to the Well of Darkness. A Fireburn Demon was attempting to enter that dimension, but the group didn¡¯t attract its attention. Then there was the Portal to the Realm of a Thousand Eyes. It was unusually quiet as well. The flesh and blood that had covered the ground had long since disappeared, and there were no new Guards stationed. At least none on the surface. Because as they passed by, Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception still felt as though he was being watched. Perhaps, in some hidden corner, dozens of little eyes were monitoring any passerby. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 242: 236: Corrupt Cultivator Chapter 242: Chapter 236: Corrupt Cultivator Kas Demons and Flomos still attacked occasionally, but for those who had seen their mutated versions, these normal demons looked quite pleasing to the eye, as at least their arms, claws, and eyes were where they should be. Aside from letting Bruto move his limbs and bones a bit by fighting one or two of them, Lancelot took care of the remaining enemies all by himself, his main goal being to quickly adapt to his body after Foundation Establishment.@@@@ After entering the Foundation Establishment Stage, his power had significantly increased. Although he still couldn¡¯t manage to fly by controlling Imperial Qi, he could now remain in the air for dozens of breaths after a single leap. In the narrow confines of the Great Abyss, the flying ability of the demons held no advantage. However, there was still a matter of regret: his Innate True Qi had been completely depleted when he fell into a trap earlier, and it could never be restored. Innate True Qi had always been Lancelot¡¯s most important secret weapon. Although the power of the Qingyun Sword Art, cast with True Yuan after Foundation Establishment, had greatly increased, previously he could release an almost transparent Sword Aura through Innate True Qi, which often brought greater advantages in battles by striking unexpectedly. Time passed quickly. They walked for most of the day, and before the luminescent fungi that lit the Great Abyss dimmed, the Skeleton Tower once again came into their line of sight. The guards at this level were still the two robust demons. These demon guards recognized them and obediently let them enter the Skeleton Tower, their attitudes seemingly much more respectful. Although demons inherently possess a chaotic nature, they know fear when facing something that could kill them. Such a team was a very conspicuous target in the wilderness of the Great Abyss; after having stayed for so long and returned intact, how could their fighting capacity be weak? But their greedy nature still surfaced. One of the robust demons showed a greedy smile and said, ¡°So, have you returned empty-handed? It¡¯s not easy to find the Eye of Sarezdon just like that. Planning to give up and go back? At least you¡¯re all still alive, that¡¯s pretty good already. I think I mentioned it before, the price to open the return portal is 1000 Gold Coins... per person.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t say it was 1000 Gold Coins per person back then!¡± Bruto protested loudly, ¡°And who says we failed? See that Vine Ball on Big Brother¡¯s waist? That¡¯s the Eye of Sarezdon, we found it!¡± ¡°Hahahaha! Has the Great Abyss made you lose your minds?¡± Both demons burst out into wild laughter, ¡°If there¡¯s a Divine Artifact inside that grass ball, then the wings behind me are the wings of an Angel!¡± Upon hearing this, Lancelot did not say much. He took off the Vine Ball at his waist, slightly infused a bit of True Yuan, and immediately the vines wrapping the Eye of Sarezdon moved, revealing a small gap. ¡°Uh, what did you just call me?¡± Lancelot was somewhat confused by the address. What was going on? Had the Red Dragon shifted the blame onto him? ¡°Pleased to meet you, Sir Lancelot from Twin Bridges Town. I am but a humble servant of the Cultivators of Corruption from Mogrondale City.¡± The robed figure¡¯s voice remained eerie, but his tone had warmed somewhat, ¡°I sensed that the Eye of Sarizdon has once again arrived in Kai-Oine. Please forgive my delay in coming to greet you.¡± Although the figure claimed to be a mere servant, Lancelot certainly did not underestimate him. Whether it was his own Spirit Perception, the instant summoning of bone spurs, or the demons¡¯ reaction upon seeing him, all indicated that the figure was someone of unusual status and great power. ¡°Hello.¡± Lancelot nodded cautiously in greeting. ¡°The Lords of Withering mentioned that only certain ancient demon venerables residing in the Skeleton Tower could use the Eye of Sarizdon, and I presume they were referring to you all?¡± ¡°Hehe, ¡®The Immortal¡¯ indeed referred to us, the members of the Cultivators of Corruption.¡± The robed figure bowed, making a inviting gesture, and Lancelot felt the figure¡¯s gaze momentarily sweep over the Vine Ball at his waist, ¡°Please follow me, so the Eye of Sarizdon can swiftly return to its rightful place, which will benefit us all.¡± ¡°And these two?¡± Bruto asked, pointing at the two robust demons. The demons continued to emit heart-wrenching cries, their robust life force preventing them from dying or losing consciousness, fully experiencing the terrible pain this punishment brought to every extent. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 243: 237: Synod Holy Land Chapter 243: Chapter 237: Synod Holy Land ¡°` ¡°Their punishment will continue for a hundred days and nights, I am sorry, but we have always been troubled by a shortage of guards, so we must keep them alive,¡± the corrupt cultivator under the cloak explained to the dwarf, ¡°But rest assured, I guarantee that this punishment is much more painful than it looks¡ªsoon enough some wild demons will find these two fools, they will constantly tear at their flesh, and the energy from Skeleton Tower will sustain these two prisoners¡¯ lives.¡± ¡°Uh, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any need to go to such extremes...¡± The scene described by the cloaked person turned the dwarf pale, ¡°I think these screams are just too piercing, let¡¯s hurry up and get them to stop...¡± ¡°Ah, I am so sorry, that was an oversight...¡± With a raise of the hand from the cloaked figure, suddenly several bone spurs extended, piercing through each cheek of the stout demon and into its mouth, effectively silencing the demon¡¯s screams. ¡°How about that?¡± Lancelot patted Bruto¡¯s shoulder, gently shaking his head, the dwarf opened his mouth, but in the end, said nothing. The group passed through the withered yellow portal, finding themselves in a spacious hall filled with sofas and long benches. Through the window behind them, they could see the magnificent Blood River waterfall, with Mogrondale City not far below them. ¡°Welcome back, this is the lounge for our visitors, and usually only the Lords of Withering come here,¡± said the cloaked figure who had led them, nodding to the group, ¡°Sir Lancelot, would you accompany me to the resting place of the Eye of Sarizdon?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to go to any trouble, I can give it to you right now.¡± Lancelot removed the vine ball hanging at his waist, and tossed it directly to the cloaked figure, ¡°We¡¯d like a map to the deeper planes of the Abyss, this small request should be fulfillable, right?¡± The cloaked figure caught the thrown Divine Artifact, his movements somewhat frantic, his hands even trembling slightly as he held the artifact. ¡°This is indeed a very reasonable request,¡± the cloaked person bowed again to Lancelot, ¡°but we are eager to know the answers to some questions. There are rumors about ¡®The Great Arbitrator¡¯ Satugura that are quite unsettling, and we would like to get some information from you directly. This should not take up too much of your time, and your companions can rest here for a while.¡± With the vision of a human knight, he could naturally see through the darkness. The hall was arranged like a Hall of the Gods, with benches meant for the prayers of the faithful filling the vicinity, and in the center of the hall was a high platform made of three large stones, with a spherical recess in the middle, which was now empty. The Great Grandmaster walking in front of him held the Eye of Sarezdon in his hand. Suddenly, a black flame rose, igniting the vines on the surface of the artifact in a peculiar way¡ªthey withered and decayed at a visibly rapid pace, turning into ash within a few breaths and scattering into the air. The Eye of Sarezdon emitted its unique black light, allowing Lancelot to see normally without the need for dark vision. ¡°Eh?¡± The Great Grandmaster in front made a strange light exclamation, the reason for which Lancelot actually knew well: If the intensity of the black light emitted by the artifact before was like a torch, it was now no more than a candle. But at that moment, he could only play dumb and asked: ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there a problem?¡± The robed figure did not answer him but instead hurried forward two steps, placed the artifact in the recess of the high platform in the center of the hall, and then recited an indistinct spell, as Lancelot sensed a strange magical fluctuation. With a deep humming sound, fine red lines appeared inside the black bead. The robed person also patted the giant stones that made up the platform and red beams shot out from the stones, scattered by the artifact itself, projecting various complex patterns onto the ceiling of the hall. Lancelot looked up and saw that it was the structural diagram of the Great Abyss, only the image concocted by these corrupt cultivators was flat, while he could now gain the same perspective he had when he first infused True Yuan into the Eye of Sarizdon by extending his Divine Sense into the black speck on his wrist. ¡°Why is it like this?¡± The robed cultivator frowned while looking at the patterns on the ceiling, clearly dissatisfied with the situation. He muttered to himself and then started reciting strange spells, releasing several spells in succession, which finally made the diagram on the ceiling a bit clearer. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 244: 238: Making up a Story Chapter 244: Chapter 238: Making up a Story Lancelot stood aside for a while and, seeing that the other party seemed to be immersed in research, completely ignoring him, he had to cough lightly a few times to signal his presence. ¡°Ah, sorry, Sir, for keeping you waiting,¡± the robed figure came back to his senses, realizing his own lapse, and explained briefly, ¡°The power of the Divine Artifact seems much weaker, but it can still barely perform its original functions...¡± ¡°Great Grandmaster, may I address you as such?¡± Lancelot spoke up, ¡°It seems you¡¯re somewhat dissatisfied with the condition of the Divine Artifact. Perhaps the circumstances under which we found it could shed some light on your doubts?¡± ¡°Ah, of course,¡± the robed figure led Lancelot to a bench nearby to sit down, ¡°The loss of the Divine Artifact dealt a severe blow to the entire order. Tell me how you came upon it.¡± ¡°Finding the Eye of Sarizdon was purely by chance. After coming out of the Skeleton Tower, we walked for an entire day, passing the entrances to the Kingdom of Thousand Eyes and the Well of Darkness, but to no avail. That night, we found a cave suitable for camping, but an assassin found us. After a fierce battle, I knocked him off the cliff...¡± Thanks to his experience in storytelling for little Isha, Lancelot made their adventure sound quite vivid, though he made some minor alterations to the events: for instance, the trap set by the Giant Skull Demon didn¡¯t include a burial alive feature¡ªtheir avoidance of a deathly fall was due to the Halfling¡¯s Potion; the tunnel they escaped through was solely dug by the enraged Dwarf after losing his beard¡ªtheir vine summoning ability was merely a thin Elf bloodline talent that only served to wrap up the Divine Artifact through the whole affair. ¡°A Giant Skull Demon? We are certain, there wasn¡¯t a Giant Skull Demon in the entire Great Abyss before; that Giant Skull Demon must have been revived by the power of the Divine Artifact, so the artifact also has the effect of reviving ancient Lords of Obyrith!¡± The Great Grandmaster looked very excited; he rubbed his hands together eagerly, ¡°No wonder the artifact¡¯s power seems to have been mostly consumed, we still know too little about it. But no matter, we will definitely find a way to restore it, and there are so many graves in the Great Abyss...¡± ¡°Is that so? When we fought that monster for the second time, its terrifying form could no longer affect us, and it hadn¡¯t anticipated our survival...¡± ¡°How could you be disinterested?¡± The hooded man¡¯s voice sounded extremely surprised, ¡°As the Governor of the spray origin, you would receive many privileges, including the freedom to...¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in those,¡± Lancelot cut him off, ¡°And I already serve a Lady, namely Tijana from Twin Bridges Town. You¡¯ve heard of her, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Heh-heh-heh, of course, who doesn¡¯t know the Succubus Lord, famed for her ferocious combat, whose realm and person remain unconquered...¡± For once, the hooded man chuckled, ¡°She is indeed a very charming lady, but you¡¯re just a human, your lifespan compared to hers is like a drop of water to the entire Stygian River. Have you ever considered that becoming the Lord of Withering might be more advantageous for obtaining what you desire...?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Lancelot raised an eyebrow, ¡°What specifically are you referring to?¡± ¡°I may not know Tijana, but I understand Succubi. They only yield to great power. Isn¡¯t the Queen of the Succubus, Mekanshut, the lover of the Demon Prince? However, without significant strength, you¡¯ll end up as nothing more than their plaything, to be discarded without hesitation after being drained dry, or even murdered, with your soul captured and sold to the night witches of the Grey Wastelands.¡± ¡°So, how does becoming the Lord of Withering help with that?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 245: 239: Surrounded by Onlookers Chapter 245: Chapter 239: Surrounded by Onlookers ¡°The greatest obstacle standing before you is that you are merely a mortal, and a Human at that, one of the races with the shortest lifespans,¡± the robed Cultivator leaned slightly forward, his tone laced with endless allure. ¡°When we corrupt Cultivators had just established ourselves within Kai-Oine, Mogrondale City hadn¡¯t even laid its first cobblestone.¡± ¡°Thousands of years have passed, and we have always been here, monitoring the state of the Abyss and rumors, amassing countless lost knowledge and magic. Wish for a longer life? We have plenty of ways for that. Transforming a Tanari into a Bartez is quite startling to hear about, but turning a mortal into a Tanari is not so difficult. You could even retain your own form, at most growing organs such as antlers, a tail, or wings that signify your new race, all transformations not repugnant to a Succubus...¡± ¡°And all I have to do to share these secrets is to become a Lord of Withering?¡± Lancelot¡¯s voice sounded genuinely interested, but not in the way the corrupt Cultivator had hoped for, ¡°The Lords of Withering rule over the lower Mogrondale, while you hold a small section of Skeleton Tower. Even if you possess the ability to use the Eye of Sarezdon, which is vital to maintaining the prosperity of Mogrondale, I find it hard to understand why the Lords of Withering have not brought you under their rule. After all, from what we can see, those so-called Governors wield greater power, so why do they tolerate your exalted status?¡± ¡°Is that question really so important?¡± The hooded figure seemed somewhat surprised by Lancelot¡¯s query, ¡°If you think the Cultivators are weak, then you are mistaken. At least within this tower, no Lord of Withering would dare to misbehave.¡± ¡°Your way of dealing with those two burly Demons was quite impressive,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°But that still doesn¡¯t explain why you offer such staunch support to the Lords of Withering.¡± ¡°If Mogrondale were an apartment building, and the passing merchants the tenants, then the Lords of Withering would be the apartment managers,¡± the Cultivator¡¯s leaning body slowly recoiled, ¡°This manager must be strong enough, terrifyingly so, to ensure that the tenants promptly pay up their rent.¡± ¡°If the Lord of Withering is merely a manager, then who is the real landlord? If all the rent is being collected by the manager, what does the landlord want in return?¡± The robed Cultivator fell into a brief silence before reluctantly and vaguely responding:@@@@ ¡°We need to find somewhere to rest, study the map, and prepare for our journey to Androlina,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°How about we stay at Tears of Lazaka for another night? At least we know the owner¡¯s ¡®true face¡¯.¡± Everyone laughed upon hearing this; they all had seen ¡®The Immortal¡¯ Pakos¡¯s real form: an impressive Giant Dragon. As strange as it might sound, there wasn¡¯t a safer place in all of Mogrondale City than Tears of Lazaka, even though they had been attacked there not long ago. The group set off down the narrow street of Blood Abyss, heading towards the Mist Plains where Tears of Lazaka was located. Unlike on their way in, the guards now displayed a complete change of attitude towards them; they all stopped and bowed to the Human Knight upon seeing Lancelot, addressing him respectfully as ¡®m¡¯lord¡¯. Upon reaching the Mist Plains, their ostensible shift in status became even more exaggerated. The District Guards, upon seeing their nominal superior, flocked to him, eagerly inquiring if the new Governor needed any services. Even though Lancelot made it clear he had no use for them at the moment, these Maizeros Demons still followed him closely, competing for a spot near Lancelot. On their way to Tears of Lazaka, they had to pass through the Grand Bazaar of the Mist Plains, and their group quickly attracted more guards and civilians. As the crowd became so thick they could hardly move, Lancelot knew he had to do something. He looked around quickly, leaped up, and landed on the pedestal of a statue depicting the valiant figure of a Barlow Flame Demon. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 246: 240: Challenge Chapter 246: Chapter 240: Challenge ¡°Residents of the Misty Plains!¡± Lancelot¡¯s voice, imbued with True Yuan, overshadowed all the clamor as he skillfully addressed the crowd in the language of the Abyss. ¡°I am Lancelot, a Human Knight. You may have heard some rumors that I killed ¡®The Great Arbiter¡¯ Satugura.¡± He paused briefly, ensuring even those standing far could clearly hear, ¡°Yes, it is all true, and by the tradition of Mogrondale, the Misty Plains are now mine!¡± After a moment of silence, a loud cheer erupted from the crowd. It wasn¡¯t that they had any complaint against the former Governor; they were purely celebrating the manner in which Lancelot had seized the position: through slaughter. This was Mogrondale¡¯s most orthodox method of transferring power, and the vast majority of the citizens dreamt of rising from obscurity overnight in such a way. The Human Knight before them had once again proven the viability of this dream. Just as the crowd was about to start chanting Lancelot¡¯s name, the Human Knight drowned out everyone with an even louder voice. ¡°However! I seek further adventures and have no intention of lingering in this city for long.¡± Lancelot summoned all the True Yuan within him, his voice reaching across the entire Misty Plains, ¡°Soon, the corrupt Cultivators within Skeleton Tower will appoint a new Lord of Withering. Save your cheers for that person!¡± Lancelot¡¯s speech stunned everyone; they had not expected another oddity to forgo the Governorship of the Misty Plains after a seemingly harmless Halfling had done so. What puzzled them even more was that unlike Pakos, who had called it quits after a while due to ¡®boredom,¡¯ this man outright refused the honor of becoming the Lord of Withering, something completely incomprehensible to them. Murmurs spread through the crowd as Lancelot had already leaped down from the statue¡¯s plinth, ready to leave. But at that moment, a loud shout rose from the spectators: ¡°Coward!¡± That shout was like a spark that instantly ignited the crowd. This Lancelot fellow must have struck it lucky, accidentally killing Satugura, but he was afraid to face any other challengers, so he relinquished the position of the Lord of Withering immediately¡ªit had to be so! ¡°Dumos, it¡¯s the Glutton Dumos!¡± ¡°Is he the one who¡¯s always boasting about challenging Vagramore, the Governor of Beggars¡¯ Cliff?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he, though? Maybe he thinks this human knight is an easier target?¡± ¡°He sure is lucky, how can Beggars¡¯ Cliff, that slum, compare with the Misty Plains?¡± Unlike his fist-loving brethren, this Meizeros Demon wore a not-too-shabby suit of chainmail and held a flail in his hand¡ªa weapon combining the Wolf Fang Club and chain hammer. At the spiky end, three two-foot-long iron chains each attached to a hammerhead the size of a skull, looking like saw wheels. In Lancelot¡¯s perception, the aura emanating from his opponent wasn¡¯t weak, but it was at best on par with his own before Foundation Establishment. Of course, Spirit Perception wasn¡¯t necessarily accurate. Lancelot himself had learned many techniques for Concealing Breath from ancient bamboo slips¡ªmaybe too many¡ªbut right then, this Meizeros Demon was in such a blood-boiling, agitated state that it hardly matched the calm necessary for restraining one¡¯s power. The huge demon pointed his weapon at Lancelot, bellowing arrogantly: ¡°Dumos! Challenge! You! Beg me! Death! Quick!¡± Lancelot was taken aback. He had encountered his fair share of demons, but this was the first time he had met one that shouted out words one by one like this. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 247: 241: Power Confrontation Chapter 247: Chapter 241: Power Confrontation ¡°The position of the Lord of Withering doesn¡¯t really matter to anyone,¡± the human knight shrugged, ¡°but since you can barely speak articulately, perhaps let¡¯s not bother.¡± ¡°Ah! Dom! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Despite its limited linguistic abilities, the huge Maizeros Demon could still detect the mockery in Lancelot¡¯s words. It let out a furious roar and charged at Lancelot, swinging its flail. The saw-like hammer head spun rapidly, tracing unpredictable, eerie arcs in the air. A dangerous cold light flickered on the hammer head, obviously extremely sharp; if it hit, even the sturdy plate armor would likely be breached. ¡°It is said that his flail is a replica of the weapon of the Werewolf Lord Yenogu. Who knows what power it might reach?¡± The murmuring from the crowd had colored Kalalin¡¯s expression slightly tense. As a scholar studying the Abyss, he was naturally aware of Yenogu and its infamous triple-headed flail. Legend had it that the flail was imbued with an evil magic unimaginable to mortals; if struck by all three heads simultaneously, even deities would turn into idiots, standing foolishly in place. Kalalin was equally confident in Lancelot¡¯s abilities, but unlike dwarves, he was very familiar with the power of magic. The weapon in the Maizeros Demon¡¯s hands indeed resembled the legendary weapon of the Werewolf Lord; if it even had a third of the power of the artifact it mimicked, it would be enough to cause major trouble for their mercenary group leader. However, Lancelot, unaware of these nuances, lacked neither experience in combating flails. Flails, just like meteor hammers and segmented whips, could bypass the weapons and shields used for defense, exceedingly effective against knights in full heavy armor moving sluggishly. Yet, this rule evidently didn¡¯t apply to Lancelot who also wore a suit of mithril-made, heavy full-body armor, but to him, post-Foundation Establishment, it felt almost like running naked. He leaped backward; although the movement looked minor, he sprung back seven or eight feet, completely dodging Dom¡¯s attack. The crowd let out a massive jeer; the current Governor, when faced with a challenger, had chosen to dodge and hadn¡¯t even drawn his weapon. This was not the show they wanted to see! The Human Knight still did not engage directly; his figure twisted strangely again, leaping to the side. But unlike before, this time he dragged the Great Sword behind him, and after moving a safe distance, he gently lifted the Great Sword to meet the flail coming down from above. The sawtooth-shaped hammer head was repelled the moment it touched the blade, but it quickly spun back, flying toward him again in an attempt to get around the blocking weapon, as if it had a mind of its own. If the defender were using an ordinary longsword, even if he had accurately knocked away three hammer heads, it would be difficult to deal with such uncanny transformations afterward. But Giant Sword Glacier was not just any longsword; it was a Great Sword more than seven feet long and over an inch at its thickest part, making it impossible for the flail to get around it and strike Lancelot¡¯s body. The hammer heads struck the sword blade several times in rapid succession, quickly exhausting all their kinetic energy, and Lancelot with a sudden twist of his wrist, the chainsaw wheel¡¯s connected chain wrapped around the sword blade. The Maizeros demon subconsciously tried to pull his weapon back, but Lancelot, firmly rooted like an iron tower, did not budge at all, causing Dom himself to falter and stumble. The crowd of observers erupted in amazement; if the Human Knight¡¯s first two dodges were somewhat opportunistic, this clash was a straight confrontation of strength, and from the looks of it, their new Governor had decidedly defeated an opponent several times his own weight, making the scene almost magical. Unable to pull his weapon free, Lancelot did not hold back as he suddenly pressed down with the Great Sword, then forcefully lifted it upward, immediately disarming the Maizeros demon. Lancelot twisted his wrist again, and the flail, previously tightly wound around Glacier, unfurled and flew into midair, hanging over a nearby statue of the Barlow Flame Demon. ¡°You¡¯ve already lost,¡± Lancelot shook his head at his opponent, ¡°Give up, at least you can climb up later and retrieve your weapon.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 248: 242: A City Not Worth Ruling Chapter 248: Chapter 242: A City Not Worth Ruling The crowd erupted into loud booing, as neither of the duelists had even a scratch on their bodies, which was far from what they wanted to see. Although the booing was directed at Lancelot, it affected his opponent even more. The face of the tall Yugros Demon turned crimson, but he quickly found an excuse for his failure: this Human Knight must have tricked him with some kind of magic, and if he could just get close to him, he could surely tear this detestable human to shreds! Like most Demons, this fellow was absolutely confident in his own judgment. Lancelot was astonished to find that his opponent suddenly charged at him with bare fists, as if their previous clash of strength had never happened. Lancelot couldn¡¯t figure out what trick the Yugros Demon was playing, but a warrior¡¯s instinct kicked in. He stomped his left foot heavily on the ground and swiftly spun to the right. Charging Dom only saw a blur, as the Human Knight seemed to disappear from his spot. From the audience¡¯s perspective, the Governor seemed to have performed a short-distance teleportation, instantly moving five feet to the right, followed by his Great Sword swinging in a half-circle and fiercely landing on the Yugros Demon¡¯s backside. Lancelot¡¯s series of movements were completed almost subconsciously, but at the last moment, he softened his heart. This guy hadn¡¯t really provoked him, and he was too foolish; knightly honor made it hard for him to strike down a fool. So, he again rotated the hilt, striking the enemy with the flat of the Sword Blade instead of the edge. But the power in his hands couldn¡¯t be retracted, and he hit the Yugros Demon¡¯s backside with nearly the limit of his own physical strength. In the hair-raising sound of a crack, the enemy¡¯s pelvis under the flesh turned instantly to dust, absorbing most of the energy, but the remaining force still hurled the Yugros Demon¡¯s entire body into the air, over the circle of Mazeleth Demons, and into the dense crowd. ¡°What did I tell you,¡± Lancelot leaned on his Great Sword standing upright, ¡°now you probably can¡¯t climb high anymore.¡± ¡°ROAR!!!!!!!¡± The surrounding Demons erupted in loud cheers, although they were still somewhat dissatisfied with the lack of blood, but the strength displayed by Lancelot was undeniably powerful. Lancelot was about to say something, but the scene before him made his expression change. The Yugros Demon he had just sent flying was gravely injured but not dead, and with the Demon¡¯s terrifying vitality, perhaps he could fully recover in a week or two. But since Lancelot hadn¡¯t killed him, the nearby Demons wouldn¡¯t be so kind¡ªthey swung their claws without hesitation as if it were a bounty thrown to them by Lancelot. The crowd parted like waves, and another tall demon stepped forward. Lancelot fixed his gaze, noting this was a humanoid demon two heads taller than himself, with deep green skin. His build was extremely robust, his upper body almost cylindrical, resembling the professional wrestlers among humans. He had a head like that of a large goblin, with antlers pointing skyward on the top of his head, devoid of hair. He had a pair of not-so-large bat wings behind him, but the muscles at the base of the wings were quite developed, which Lancelot believed indicated excellent short-range explosive flying power. His arms where thicker than Bruto¡¯s waist, lined with clearly defined muscles filled with explosive power. Steel spike-like bone spurs protruded from the skin on his shoulders and upper arms, making his already dangerous charge even more lethal. Unlike the previous Mazeleth Demon¡¯s reckless entrance, this new challenger gently parted the crowd in front of him with the battle axe in his hand, and stood before Lancelot in a comparatively calm demeanor. ¡°My name is Sagla, captain of a Yugros Demon mercenary squad.¡± He bowed slightly to Lancelot, ¡°Great current Lord of Withering, please accept my challenge.¡± The audience seemed unfamiliar with this demon as well, and a fervent discussion started in the crowd, inquiring about the origins of this green-skinned individual. ¡°This is a Necaross demon, the most... loyal type within the Yugros Demon Tribe. As long as enough gold is offered, they almost never betray their master...¡± ¡°Who is he? Has anyone seen him before?¡± ¡°I saw a few of these Necaross demons last month, they were disembarking the ferry in neat lines, then headed to the east...¡± ¡°East? Isn¡¯t Satugura¡¯s lair in that direction?¡± ¡°There were rumors before, saying that the Great Adjudicator planned to hire a batch of stronger guards to improve the ¡®law and order¡¯ in the Mistfield...¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Paragraph copied Chapter 249: 243 Ineffective Magic Ban Chapter 249: Chapter 243 Ineffective Magic Ban Lancelot¡¯s hearing clearly captured these dialogues, but the distinct aura of the creature, so different from that of an ordinary fiend, intrigued him even more. He nodded at the green demon named Sagla and opened his mouth to ask, ¡°Was your previous employer the former Lord of Withering, Satugura?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the tall demon admitted gruffly. ¡°I took his gold, a lot of it.¡± ¡°So are you seeking revenge on his behalf?¡± Lancelot grew even more curious. Although the nature of the Yugoroth Demon Tribe was not as chaotic as that of demons, they were still a type of fiends from the lower planes. While they had always been known to sell their loyalty for a high price, avenging a dead employer was still too bizarre for them. ¡°But he¡¯s already dead,¡± Lancelot pointed out the obvious fact. ¡°I believe your employment relationship with him has ended.¡± ¡°But I feel like it¡¯s my responsibility to do something for him,¡± the Necaross demon named Sagla shook his head. ¡°If you kill me, my essence will return to Scorched Flame Hell and be reborn there immediately. Although it would cost me some strength, at least I would have done what I could.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Lancelot nodded, his hands clenching Glacier as he slightly crouched down, readying himself for the battle. ¡°Then come, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°Hmm!¡± With a grunt, the massive fiend made its move. But unlike the previous challenger, it did not charge forward; instead, it took a powerful flap of its wings, retreating swiftly and creating distance from Lancelot. Meanwhile, it recited a mysterious spell and the light of magic brightened in its hands. Lancelot was about to take action, but he recognized the fluctuation of that magic and halted his motion, standing still to let the opponent complete the spell. In just a few breaths¡¯ time, a pillar of earthy yellow light shot out from its hands, striking Lancelot with the speed of lightning. The spell was none other than ¡®Dispel Magic,¡¯ the same one Elothysia had used against Bruto. Looking at its thickness and power, it was evidently much stronger. If Lancelot indeed had any magical enhancements, this spell was bound to strip them away completely. This was the very Mirror Image that Kalalin had once used, originally intended as an emergency measure for mages not skilled in close combat. However, when a demon with three hundred pounds of muscle used it, the effect was, naturally, extraordinarily effective. The moment the spell was successfully cast, Sagla felt a surge of relief. In his mind, when facing a non-spellcasting enemy, as long as he dispelled their magic first, then successfully cast Mirror Image, he was at an absolute advantage. The enemy would be defeated long before figuring out which one was the real body. Unless facing enemies like the Serpent Demon with more than four arms, he basically couldn¡¯t lose. These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. The flying Yugros Demon looked down just in time to see Lancelot crouching, preparing to leap towards him. ¡°What is he trying to do?¡± This was not only the question in Sagla¡¯s mind but also the doubt of all the spectators. They found out the answer in the next second. The Human Knight stomped down, and the ground sank like the surface of a giant drum before immediately springing back, propelling Lancelot like an angry frog to the same height as his opponent in an instant. This was an original Cultivation Technique based on the Earthquake Technique. Having battled flying demons in the Great Abyss, he needed to jump time and again, and naturally began to use his True Qi instead of relying solely on physical strength. He had tried many methods, and though none were ideal at first, after achieving Foundation Establishment, his sensitivity to nature¡¯s spiritual energy increased greatly. It didn¡¯t take long before he mastered the art of casting the Earthquake Technique in a clever way that used the force of the earth itself to ¡°launch¡± him into the air. Seeing the Human Knight suddenly right before him, Sagla¡¯s confidence vanished. Nonetheless, he was a battle-hardened veteran who had ¡°died¡± many times over. His Battle Axe moved first, cutting ahead, and instantly his true body plus the three illusions each brought down an axe on the rapidly approaching Human Knight. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 250: 244 Smash Chapter 250: Chapter 244 Smash Sagla¡¯s heart steadied, convinced that such an attack would certainly force the Human Knight to retreat. The opponent was merely a human with no wings on his back, so a miss would inevitably lead to a fall, and that was when he could seize the opportunity to strike while the Human Knight was unable to leverage on anything mid-air, definitely gaining the upper hand in the duel. Unfortunately, all these assumptions were based on the condition that Lancelot would retreat. The illusion created by the opponent using the Mirror Image Technique was indeed very realistic, indistinguishable to the naked eye. If he hadn¡¯t reached the Foundation Establishment phase, he might have had no choice but to retreat. But Lancelot wouldn¡¯t be fooled by such Illusion Techniques anymore. After Foundation Establishment, nature¡¯s spiritual energy felt like streams of water, and even without Meditation Qi Cultivation, it would gently be absorbed into his body through the apertures all over him. This enabled Spiritual Cultivators to directly sense the flow of nature¡¯s spiritual energy nearby. Although the sensing range was not too large, it was sufficient for close combat. Among the opponent¡¯s four figures, three had no impact on the flow of nature¡¯s spiritual energy, while the remaining one was like a large rock standing in a creek, with all the water flowing around him¡ªundoubtedly the enemy¡¯s real body. Lancelot swung his Great Sword, hitting precisely the only solid one among the four incoming Great Axes. His strike, packed with strong leaping force, left Necaross Demon in the air with no leverage, his weapon forcefully raised, and the other three axe illusions also seemed to be hit by an invisible Great Sword.@@@@ ¡°Damn, how did he do that? It must have been a fluke, right?¡± ¡°Luck is also a form of strength.¡± ¡°Lord Lancelot is truly strong. I have always been his unwavering supporter...¡± ¡°Yay!!! Brother is so awesome!¡± He did not hesitate, mobilized all the True Yuan in his body, grabbed Necaross¡¯s ankle, swung him over his head, and then smashed him back down to the ground. Sagla¡¯s Illusion Technique was still active, and since Lancelot held the real body, the other three illusions remained unharmed. This made the scene look even more exaggerated and comical, as if four Necarosses were being spun around simultaneously by him. One smash was not enough, Lancelot, with the vigor of when he was at Bruto¡¯s forge, treated the giant Necaross as a hammer for iron forging, repeatedly slamming him into the ground. The arena stirred up clouds of dust, prompting spectators to switch to infrared mode to continue enjoying the sight of the Human Knight, hurling his opponent, who was several times his size, in a display of brutal aesthetics beloved by demons. Initially, Necaross attempted to swing his battle axe at Lancelot, but his movements, caught in the repetitive piston-like motion, were completely deformed, missing anything but air. Gradually, his grip loosened, abandoning the weapon beside him, and his previously tense muscles used to withstand the impact, relaxed. At a terrifying frequency of once per breath, Lancelot continued for about twenty more times. His opponent initially felt like a hard, long loaf of bread in his hand, but now felt like a sack of limp flour. Knowing that even if he was not yet dead, he had totally lost the capability to resist, Lancelot then stopped his motions. Sagla lay on the ground for a full minute before his consciousness returned from some corner of the Stellar Realm. He blinked and saw the Human Knight standing right beside his head, looking down at him. Realizing his hands were empty, he hastily turned to look for his battle axe, but this motion nearly caused him to accidentally decapitate himself¡ªLancelot¡¯s Giant Sword Glacier was positioned next to his neck, the blade¡¯s edge less than the width of a pinky finger from his skin. ¡°You¡¯ve already lost,¡± Lancelot stated the obvious fact in a declarative tone, ¡°If you¡¯re not in a hurry to return to Scorched Flame Hell, you¡¯d best not make any rash moves like the last fool. Do you understand what I mean?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 251: 245: The 3rd Challenger Chapter 251: Chapter 245: The 3rd Challenger Necaross the demon lay on the ground, swallowing water with difficulty, nodding gingerly. ¡°Very good,¡± Lancelot retracted Glacier, but the sword wind still left streaks of blood on Sagla¡¯s neck. He stepped back two paces and watched the immense Necaross rise, shaking his still groggy head. ¡°Kill him! Kill him!¡± ¡°How do you feel?¡± Lancelot continued, ¡°Do you think you¡¯ve fulfilled your obligation to Satugura?¡± ¡°Well, I guess I don¡¯t owe him anything anymore.¡± Sagla finally shook off the dizziness completely, ¡°You really don¡¯t plan to kill me? If I had the chance just now, I certainly wouldn¡¯t have held back.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see the necessity,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°You can go.¡± ¡°Kill him! Kill him!¡± ¡°A loser¡¯s fate is only death!¡± ¡°Sir Lancelot! Let¡¯s see how many stomachs he has, hahaha...¡± The shouts that erupted from the crowd made Sagla¡¯s face grow uncomfortable, but Lancelot just shrugged his shoulders and kicked the battle axe back to the just-surrendered Necaross demon. ¡°I said, as long as you surrender willingly, I have no interest in killing you,¡± his voice was not loud, but it clearly reached every spectator¡¯s ears, ¡°After all, this isn¡¯t your native plane, what¡¯s the point in killing you?¡± ¡°Those of you who are contemplating, save your strength and lives for the next Lord of Withering!¡± Lancelot shouted once more, ¡°Alright, disperse, there are no more...¡± ¡°Hehehehe, no rush, Sir Lancelot of Twin Bridges Town...¡± A voice as grating as metal scraping against bone rang out, painfully sharp to nearly unbearable levels, causing many spectators to cover their ears first, rather than turn to see who had issued the challenge. Lancelot¡¯s heart sank; he recognized the voice and knew that this time, trouble was truly at hand. The audience that had formed a circle was rudely pushed aside as a troop of demons walked through. Leading them was a massive beetle-like demon, appearing as a cross between an ant and a rhinoceros beetle, with three pairs of sharp insect-like claws on either side of its body, and a pair of longsword-like claws protruding from its upright torso. Atop its helmet-like tough carapace was a horn, shaped like a warship¡¯s ram, skewering a broken body, triumphantly standing before Lancelot. The newcomer was none other than ¡®Piercer¡¯ Dugba, the current Governor of Hive Valley. Lancelot glanced at the corpse hanging from the giant horn on its forehead, which looked like a shriveled, charred human with a smooth scalp and long claws, along with a skeletal frame of wings on its back that barely had any flesh to catch the air. Lancelot had once seen a Fireburn Demon in an envoy group from the Volcano Fortress led by Prince Kailon¡ªa type of demon that burned eternally, said to be the form of those who failed in their attempts to ascend to becoming a Barlow Flame Demon. If their flames extinguished with death, then the corpse mounted on Dugba¡¯s horn was likely what a Fireburn Demon looked like post-mortem. Why would the Governor of Hive Valley be swaggering up with the corpse of a Fireburn Demon? Lancelot, recalling information about the Lords of Withering, suddenly narrowed his eyes. Mogrondale comprised five major regions, and aside from the Barracks Area, the other four were each governed by a Lord of Withering. Among the current Lords, there was one he had never met¡ª¡¯Digger¡¯ Vagramore, the Governor of Beggars¡¯ Cliff, rumored to be the weakest among them, having fortuitously acquired a powerful magic wand and lucked into his position as a Lord of Withering. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 252: 246: Tensions Running High Chapter 252: Chapter 246: Tensions Running High ¡°Lancelot, be careful! That must be the corpse of ¡®The Digger¡¯ Vagramore!¡± Kalalin reminded him loudly, although Lancelot had already guessed the answer. Previously at the Hall of Contention, three Lords of Withering appeared together to issue the mercenaries the task of finding the Eye of Sarezdon, and Vagramore didn¡¯t show up even on such an occasion, seemingly confirming the rumors about his weakness, convincing the brutal helminth that the powerful magic wand, as people suspected, had exhausted all its powers. And now that Dugba had already killed the first Lord of Withering, it wouldn¡¯t be unimaginable for him to kill the second one. Lancelot was secretly astounded; did this creature harbor grand ambitions to own all four major districts of Mogrondale, becoming its sole tyrant? The surrounding crowd gradually realized that this helminth had just killed another Lord of Withering, and the more astute ones even guessed its purpose for coming here. As a show of force, Dugba threw the corpse of the Fireburn Demon in front of Lancelot. ¡°Heh, it¡¯s really unexpected, that it was you who killed Satugura,¡± the helminth said to Lancelot, revealing a strange and terrifying smile, showing its mouth full of sharp teeth hidden behind three wedge-shaped mandibles, ¡°Quite a coincidence, isn¡¯t it? I also killed another Lord of Withering. Do you want to touch its still-warm corpse...?¡± ¡°So, what are you here to do?¡± Lancelot asked calmly, but one hand quietly began forming the spell, ¡°If you want the Governor¡¯s position of Spray Plains, I can let you have it. I¡¯m not interested in it.¡± ¡°Oh? Do you have any complaints about Spray Plains, or are these...¡± the helminth gestured extravagantly to the surrounding crowd, ¡°lovely citizens disappointing you?¡± The audience emitted an uncomfortable laughter. The residents of Spray Plains all wanted to be Dugba, but nobody liked him. The helminth seemed to misconstrue the role of a governor, whose routine involved walking the streets with a bunch of henchmen provoking others, resulting in at least one unfortunate demon citizen dying by his hand each day. Another familiar voice was heard from the sidelines. Everyone turned to see that it was ¡®The Immortal,¡¯ Pakos, the Halfling, seated atop an Ogre¡¯s head, forcefully making his way to the edge of the crowd. ¡°Ha, I wondered who it was, just a foolish Halfling.¡± Dugba spat a glob of corrosive saliva onto the ground, sizzling the earth, ¡°Did this Human Knight learn from you? Once I become the Governor of the Glacier, you¡¯ll be the first clown I deal with!¡± ¡°Ha! If you have the guts, just try it.¡± The Halfling sneered, narrowing his eyes and hiding the vertical pupils that were inadvertently exposed due to his excitement. ¡°But in Mogrondale, there has never been any precedent of a Lord of Withering ruling over two domains, you have already crossed the line.¡± ¡°There wasn¡¯t before, there will be now. Once I become the King of Mogrondale, my word will be...¡± ¡°Oh? The future King of Mogrondale, what role do I play in your kingdom then?¡± The audience parted once again as an unexpected voice arose, escorted by several robust demons, a petite humanoid female demon with dark red skin walked in, none other than the current Governor of the Blood Abyss, ¡®Shapeshifter¡¯ Madam Akama. ¡°Um... If you are willing to obediently follow, there might be a place for you by my side.¡± The light of lust gleamed in the beetle demon¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m talking about complete obedience, do you understand what I mean?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 253: 247: Gathering Qi Slash Chapter 253: Chapter 247: Gathering Qi Slash ¡°Do you want me to be your... Queen?¡± Akama¡¯s voice was as seductive as ever, and she twisted her revealingly dressed body. ¡°But this Sir Lancelot seems a bit difficult to deal with, my... King?¡± The onlooking crowd erupted, and the residents of Mogrondale booed loudly. Akama had been the longest-reigning Lord of Withering, dominating the richest region of Mogrondale, the Blood Abyss, for nearly a hundred years. Even she had submitted the decadent tyranny of Dugba. Would there really no one who could handle this worm demon? Some also deciphered the implicit prerequisite in the female demon¡¯s words. Her territory, her rights, even she herself could belong to Dugba, but if he failed to take down this human knight, then all of it would be for nothing. And there were some onlookers whose ambitions were not so great, therefore having lived long enough, snickering coldly at those who jeered. ¡®Shapeshifter¡¯ Lady Akama had reasons for maintaining her status for so long, but she was no succubus; carnal pleasure was a pastime, not a means of survival for her. ¡°Heh heh heh heh, maybe not a Queen, but at least one of the concubines in my harem,¡± Dugba let out a lecherous laugh. ¡°Of course, your status will be very honorable, but you¡¯ve got to be ready to meet my every demand at any time. After watching how I will slay this man wrapped in metal, you will feel honored to serve me.¡± ¡°Hehehehe, then I¡¯ll have to find a good spot to thoroughly enjoy His Majesty¡¯s performance,¡± Akama, along with her entourage, walked over to Pakos. ¡°The Immortal, your steed is really strong today, could I borrow it for a ride for a couple of days?¡± ¡°Haha, of course, that¡¯s no problem,¡± the halfling chuckled in response. ¡°This big fellow would like a master like you. It¡¯s been a while since you visited my little shop; do you want to come by for a visit?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not, I have no interest in stooping to visit your little rundown shop,¡± Akama said with a light laugh, covering her mouth, then turned her head to look at the arena. ¡°It seems this human knight was carrying your emblem earlier, do you plan to step in and help him?¡± But the Human Knight did not move. After the initial exchange, he had formed his own assessment of the strength disparity between them. Moreover, the Kabutomushi Demon¡¯s unique facial structure allowed it to keep its targets locked with its eyes while charging head-down. If he moved in any direction, he would end up exposing his back to the enemy, leaving him extremely vulnerable. If he couldn¡¯t avoid it, he decided not to dodge at all! Lancelot hefted the Glacier onto his shoulder as the liquid True Yuan within his Dantian surged out like an erupting volcano, circulating through a specific path in his Meridians like a swirling vortex. The True Yuan flowed in circles, speeding up with each pass, each circuit drawing forth even more True Yuan. Although he appeared motionless to the onlookers, a storm of terrifying power had gathered inside him. The first Cultivation Technique he grasped after sensing Qi was the Qi Gathering Slash. Compared to the Qingyun Sword Art he practiced later, the Qi Gathering Slash¡¯s drawback was its lack of sustainability and focused destructive power, but its burst strength was formidable and required no separate cultivation. After Foundation Establishment, this technique had a corresponding enhanced version: Gathering Qi Slash. This version was even more flawed compared to the Qi Refinement Realm version as it required standing still to gather energy, severely limiting its use in combat, but it could unleash a blow with a strength that surpassed the cultivator¡¯s physical limits. Confronted with Kabutomushi Demon¡¯s unavoidable and terrifying charge, Lancelot stood his ground without yielding, choosing to take the blow head-on! COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 254: 248 Chapter 254: 248 The crowd of spectators let out shouts of astonishment. Whether the Human Knight was driven by fear or some other reason, not even a Barlow Flame Demon could have just stood there and taken a hit from the charge of a Fiend¡¯s massive horn. They widened their eyes, preparing to enjoy the bloody scene of the Knight being skewered. Meanwhile, Lancelot¡¯s companions all showed expressions of terror. The size difference between the two combatants was simply too great, and by any common sense, Lancelot didn¡¯t stand even a one percent chance of facing it head-on. Little Isah was so frightened that she covered her face, not daring to look any longer; Elothysia, disregarding the risk of exposing her identity, attempted to open the ¡°channel¡± within herself that connected to the plane of Positive Energy; and Kalalin began to kneel down and pray, seeking from her deities the power to bring the newly dead back to life. The only exceptions were Cromwell and Bruto. The former, through their psychic link, felt the soaring battle spirit within Lancelot¡¯s heart, and the Dwarf believed that Lancelot must already have a plan in place, because in this plane of existence, no creature had taken more beatings from Lancelot than he had, so no one had more confidence in Lancelot¡¯s abilities than he did. Lancelot focused on the power gathering inside of him, growing stronger and almost bursting forth, as he stared intently at the rapidly approaching sharp horn of his opponent. His eyes grew brighter and brighter. Among the Knights, there circulated a variety of stories about battle, and the most bizarre of these went as follows: Two Knights with a personal vendetta came across each other on the battlefield. They raised their Long Spears and charged at one another. One of them hit the other¡¯s Shield, knocking the opponent off his horse. The Knight who remained mounted quickly pulled away, then turned around, ready to launch a second round of lance charges, just as taught in the knightly code. In most cases, once thrown from his horse, the opponent should have immediately knelt and surrendered, for a Knight who had lost his mount had no way to withstand the incoming Long Spear charge. But when he turned his horse around, he was astonished to find his opponent still standing, holding a Two-handed Sword in his hands. The mounted Knight immediately charged, glad that he didn¡¯t need to show any mercy to his opponent. Yet, the bizarre part of the story was that, in the end, it was the dismounted Knight who survived because he managed a feat that seemed impossible to accomplish, which was exactly what Lancelot was about to do.@@@@ Time seemed to slow in his perception, as he clearly saw the Giant Horn of the Fiend inching closer and closer to him. When the tip of the horn was less than five feet from his chest, Lancelot released the power that, within one more second, would have burst out of him and killed him. Pakos tossed Dugba¡¯s still-beating giant heart toward the spectating crowd, and the Demons, stimulated by the fresh blood, immediately tore it to pieces. The halfling shrugged, his right hand silently returning to its original form. ¡°Heh, it¡¯s been quite a while since I¡¯ve seen ¡®The Immortal¡¯ take action; your performance is really extraordinary,¡± said Ms. Shapeshifter Akama as she approached, gazing at Dugba¡¯s still-twitching corpse, her voice filled with flattery for the halfling in the form of a Giant Dragon. ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s not like that, madam. Your intervention is even rarer, isn¡¯t it? Some of the new citizens of Mogrondale probably don¡¯t even know about the glorious battle achievements of ¡®Shapeshifter¡¯ Akama from back in the day,¡± he replied. ¡°Ancient history, what¡¯s there to talk about?¡± the female Demon lazily stretched her alluring body, ¡°But to think that such a fool could become the Lord of Withering, has this city really fallen to such a degree? We can even discuss how to kill it in front of its face; how boring.¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s not as simple as you say,¡± Pakos turned his head to signal to the Human Knight standing not far away, ¡°it was all thanks to our powerful knight friend here, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, he really is a pleasant surprise.¡± The female Demon with dark red skin also turned her head, ¡°You¡¯re called Lancelot, right? I thought you were an interesting fellow the first time I saw you, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be this interesting¡ªinteresting enough to turn Satugura into your predecessor. I¡¯ve heard some unsettling rumors about his death; did he really... transform?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Paragraph copied Chapter 255: 249 Timely Enjoyment Chapter 255: Chapter 249 Timely Enjoyment ¡°Yes,¡± Lancelot nodded simply, ¡°I have described the specific situation to the corrupt cultivators in detail, you can learn from them.¡± ¡°Who wants to meet that bunch of old antiques who wrap themselves up tight?¡± Akama pulled the shoulder straps of her gown onto her arms, ¡°For instance, you, would you like to see me wear more, or less?¡± ¡°Your dress looks very fitting,¡± Lancelot answered noncommittally, ¡°Moreover, I am certain Mr. Pakos is equally well-informed about the death of Satugura.¡± ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s for sure, after all, the news that you killed that fox came out from the Tears of Azaka first.¡± The succubus glanced at the halfling smiling beside her, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go have a drink at his place tonight, maybe you can tell me the story of how you retrieved that Divine Artifact... just the two of us.¡± ¡°Not possible, I don¡¯t welcome you,¡± Pakos turned his face faster than flipping a book, ¡°You two find somewhere else for your date.¡±@@@@ ¡°Oh? Weren¡¯t you just inviting me to sit in your little shop?¡± Akama made a woeful expression, ¡°Do men change their hearts this quickly...¡± ¡°We both know very well that what I asked just now was whether you had any designs on my territory,¡± the false smile returned to the halfling innkeeper¡¯s face, while Lancelot¡¯s companions also came to his side. ¡°Lancelot, are you alright?¡± The one who spoke first was Elothysia, and although the succubus was talking to him, her eyes were fixed on the scantily clad female demon, whose expression suddenly darkened, and she coldly said: ¡°I know who you are, Succubus, and I also know he¡¯s not your man. For your own sake, I would advise you to leave as soon as possible, there are many in this city who are uncomfortable with your presence.¡± ¡°We will leave immediately after resting for a night,¡± Lancelot said, ¡°I think this short period of time should be acceptable, right?¡± ¡°Oh! Sounds fantastic! Let¡¯s go with that!¡± Bruto, hearing the last part, leapt up immediately. ¡°...For just five thousand Gold Coins.¡± ¡°Damn it!! That expensive!?¡± The dwarf immediately came to a halt, looking as though doused with a bucket of cold water, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just rob me, five thousand Gold Coins could buy your entire building.¡± ¡°You think I haven¡¯t robbed before? But long ago I discovered that was too inefficient, and it definitely isn¡¯t sustainable¡ªafter all, it¡¯s hard to rob the same victim twice. Besides, I assure you, in the Spray Plains, 5,000 Gold Coins won¡¯t even buy you a cellar,¡± Pakos showed Bruto his neat and tidy halfling teeth, ¡°By the way, you were saying that you¡¯re heading down to the depths of Mogrondale, looking for a certain lower-level Portal, right?¡± ¡°What if we are?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just perfect!¡± Pakos clapped his hands, ¡°Let me guess, you¡¯re aiming for the 600th layer of the Endless Labyrinth, seeking some powerful Divine Artifact lost there? Or are you eyeing the 422nd layer of Yenogu¡¯s Domain, perhaps eager for the wealth stolen from countless worlds by the Werewolf Lord? No matter your destination, spending all your money now would be the best decision. Because you¡¯ll either return alive, with your bags filled with more gold and treasures, or die there, leaving all your riches for the first person who stumbles upon your corpse...¡± ¡°You truly are an excellent salesman,¡± Lancelot sighed with resignation, ¡°Skip the feast, just a suite and an ordinary dinner will do, plus enough ale for this dwarf to take a bath in, alright?¡± ¡°No, no, come on, you¡¯ve just recovered a lost Divine Artifact, earned the title of Lord of Withering, and even eliminated an annoying colleague¡ªsuch a grand adventure surely deserves a celebration, doesn¡¯t it?¡± the halfling blinked up at Lancelot, ¡°So what if it¡¯s a bit pricey? Don¡¯t you consider the service I¡¯m offering? How about taking care of poor innkeeper¡¯s business for a change, after all I¡¯ve done for you?¡± ¡°Now the whole of Mogrondale knows it was I who took down Satugura,¡± Lancelot responded with implied meaning, but after seeing the expressions of his companions, he eventually nodded, ¡°But you do have a point, who knows what lies ahead for us?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 256: 250 Beggars Cliff Chapter 256: Chapter 250 Beggars¡¯ Cliff ¡°Belch! Ah, last night was truly a wild one,¡± Bruto rubbed his bleary eyes, strolling along the streets of Mogrondale City in the early morning, ¡°By Moradin, how much ale did I drink? How did my beard grow out so fast?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure the magic belt is what made you grow a big beard overnight, not the ale,¡± Kalalin replied. He walked along, taking a lively interest in the streets of this Abyss City, ¡°You drank a total of forty-two and a half beers last night, if you count the one you spilled on Miss Akama¡¯s chest.¡± ¡°Pakos sure is something, explicitly stating she wasn¡¯t welcome and then sneaking her in...¡± Koula grumbled on the side, ¡°That woman must have done it on purpose, asking Lancelot to take her back to the room to change clothes, she¡¯s way too sly!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t go, though,¡± Lancelot¡¯s muffled voice came, without turning his head back. He was leading the group through the labyrinthine streets of Mogrondale City at the forefront of the party. ¡°But you, Pakos, and she did end up in the same room for over half an hour later,¡± Elothysia, walking beside him, pointed out, ¡°Who knows what you three were up to...¡± ¡°First of all, the room we stayed in was Pakos¡¯s office, and mostly, it was those two discussing the future distribution of the city¡¯s interests,¡± Lancelot said with a face full of frustration, ¡°Secondly, can¡¯t you see what we did? Even if you can¡¯t, can¡¯t you see what we didn¡¯t do?¡± ¡°Hmm, watch out, or I might go tell Tijana on you!¡± Elothysia pretended to be angry but soon laughed, ¡°Did they keep persuading you to stay?¡± ¡°They indeed did, for a little while. They think I would be a good ally, but even if I don¡¯t stay, there could still be opportunities to cooperate in the future,¡± Lancelot turned a corner, entering a more rundown alley that descended downwards, ¡°After all, this place is the transportation hub of the Great Abyss; I might often come to this city in the future, so there¡¯s no need to get too stiff with the locals.¡± As they chatted, they moved forward. The buildings beside them became lower and more dilapidated, and the smell of the air worsened. Finally, they arrived at a huge iron gate, where several Mazeleth Demons stood guard, watching the approaching group with vigilance. ¡°Step back! This is no place for you!¡± one of the guards shouted loudly at them, raising the sharp trident in his hands threateningly.@@@@ Their mirth was in stark contrast to the bleak surroundings. As the slums of Mogrondale, Beggars¡¯ Cliff¡¯s conditions were hardly an improvement over the natural lairs of wild Demons. This district, situated below the other three, was comprised of innumerable tunnels and caverns carved into the rock face, as if the very foundations of Mogrondale City had been hollowed out. Most of the residents here were Maizeros Demons, a race of Demons over 8 feet tall with well-developed muscles and a pair of wings on their back for short glides. Unfortunately, muscle isn¡¯t a scarce commodity in the Abyss, and paired with their not-so-bright minds, it made for a terrible combination. Demons could be cunning, evil, greedy, or cruel, but never stupid, or they would inevitably become victims or slaves to other Demons. Any Maizeros Demon wandering outside might quickly be captured by the blood war conscription teams, so most of them lived in cities of the Abyss, trading their strength for the protection of High Rank Demons. Occasionally, some individuals were smart enough to gain their superior¡¯s favor and climb the ranks, taking on responsibilities like patrolling, such as the patrol team that had encountered the shape-shifter thief at Lake Meyne. Yet, the majority remained as impoverished city dwellers, leading miserable lives. Demons were immortal beings who didn¡¯t require food or water to sustain themselves, yet their nature drove them to perpetually seek sensory stimulation. The most direct was the pleasure derived from violence, and Maizeros Demons were no different. Even in a city within the Abyss, there were some limitations placed on acts of violence. Then there were the various strong alcohols and hallucinogens that affected even Demons, but those required money in exchange. Suitable employment for Maizeros Demons was limited, with most only hoping for temporary job opportunities, immediately spending their meager earnings on items that would allow them to momentarily forget their wretched reality. When they didn¡¯t have gold on them, they resorted to venting their anger about their miserable lives through fights with their own kind, or on any unfortunate souls who dared to wander into the slums. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 257: 251: The Hardest Part of a Dwarfs Body Chapter 257: Chapter 251: The Hardest Part of a Dwarf¡¯s Body Lancelot stared at the several demons blocking his path, momentarily at a loss for words. Just moments ago, Bruto had praised the usefulness of the title ¡®Lord of Withering¡¯, and now here they were, being robbed in the middle of Mogrondale City. ¡°Gold, gemstones, anything valuable out! Otherwise, we¡¯ll beat you up!¡± The leading brute threatened everyone. There were five demons in front of them, and from several other directions, two or three more demons were emerging from the shadows, subtly surrounding the group. ¡°Huh? Are you joking?¡± Bruto exclaimed in surprise and alarm, ¡°Do you know who this knight is? He is...¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter who it is!¡± the impatient demon interrupted the dwarf, ¡°You¡¯ve entered the territory of the Iron Fist Gang, and you¡¯ll have to pay a toll!¡± ¡°And if we don¡¯t pay?¡± the dwarf stood his ground and replied, ¡°Looking for a fight? I¡¯m not afraid of you!¡± ¡°Yahaha! The little dwarf won¡¯t give in!¡± the leading demon laughed loudly at Bruto, ¡°A small stature, but a big temper!¡±@@@@ ¡°You!¡± Bruto was angered by the repeated calls of ¡®little dwarf¡¯, jumping in irritation, ¡°I don¡¯t need my big brother to make a move; I can flatten you! Do you have the guts to fight me one-on-one?¡± ¡°One-on-one! One-on-one! One-on-one!¡± Now it was the other demons¡¯ turn to jeer. These demons seemed to think that a fight between two figures with such a height disparity would be highly entertaining, showing no interest in using their numerical advantage to gang up on them. ¡°Haha! One-on-one! Like I¡¯d be afraid of you?¡± the leading demon boldly stepped forward, but with a shifty glance, he added, ¡°No hammers for the dwarf, and I won¡¯t use claws either!¡± ¡°Hehe, your dwarf grandpa can flatten you with his bare fists!¡± Bruto sneered as he unhooked his hammer and casually stuck it into the mouth of a floating skull, ¡°Shall we start?¡± The sound of fists hitting flesh was nearly simultaneous: the Dwarf was knocked to one side, while Margo¡¯s head was thrown back sharply. But Bruto acted even before he regained his balance, once again spinning his body from left to right, delivering the same elbow strike aimed at the outer side of Margo¡¯s left knee. The clear sound of a knee shattering rang out, and from Margo¡¯s mouth came a pitiful cry akin to prey stepping into a bear trap. Bruto¡¯s iron elbow rendered the Demon¡¯s left leg utterly incapable of supporting any weight. As the Demon bent over to clutch his left leg, he was met with another potent right hook from the Dwarf, sending the over three hundred-pound Margo flying through the air. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Once again, the Dwarf spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, and reached up to adjust his crooked nose, snapping it back into place with a forceful twist. His opponent knelt on the ground, eyes burning with flames of rage and madness. All of a sudden, Margo leaped forward on one foot, flapping the slender bat wings on his back while in midair, claws fully extended, swooping down like an osprey towards the unarmed Bruto. Lancelot, whose attention had remained sharply focused, immediately sprang into action. His figure flickered eerily, instantly appearing in front of Bruto, with Frostslash emanating a blindingly bright cyan light in his hand, tracing an arc across the sky like a crescent moon. With the intent to intimidate, Lancelot unleashed the full power of the Qingyun Sword Art. Margo¡¯s body was split cleanly in two from head to groin, with both halves of the corpse falling to either side, and the spurting blood staining Lancelot¡¯s Mithril armor a deep red. He turned around, his cold gaze sweeping over the surrounding Demons. Most of them had charged halfway but stopped dead in their tracks under Lancelot¡¯s icy stare, awkwardly standing their ground. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 258: 252: Entering the Great Abyss Again Chapter 258: Chapter 252: Entering the Great Abyss Again@@@@ ¡°I said, don¡¯t bare your claws.¡± Lancelot shook the Frostslash in his hand, flicking the fresh blood off the sword blade until it was clean, then he slung it over his back again, as if he was not worried at all about anyone daring to attack him. This was not a blind confidence, although the Human Knight himself did not like it, killing was indeed a very effective language against Demons, any ¡®living¡¯ creature has a fear of death that stems from instinct, and Demons were no different. ¡°It¡¯s... It¡¯s the ¡®Horn Breaker¡¯! The Horn Breaker who killed Dom!¡± ¡°But doesn¡¯t the ¡®Horn Breaker¡¯ use a Great Sword?¡± ¡°Who said he only has one weapon? Does he need such a big thing to deal with us?¡± These physically strong but simple-minded Magos finally made the connection between this Human Knight and the rumors they had heard. Fear was the only expression on their faces at this moment, but restrained by Lancelot¡¯s reputation, they did not dare to turn tail and run. Faced with this situation, Lancelot shook his head with some helplessness and said: ¡°You can go now.¡± Within a few seconds, these Magos, who were just harboring ill intentions, ran off as if their behinds were on fire, leaving not a trace behind. The Elf Priest stepped forward and cast a simple Healing Spell on Bruto, making the bruise on his face quickly fade away. Kalalin also came over, holding a discarded piece of parchment, and asked Lancelot: ¡°Need a wipe?¡± Last night, Lancelot spent a long time studying the map provided by the corrupt Cultivators. Using the ¡®Essence¡¯ left on him by the Eye of Sarezdon, he plotted a route to the Androlina Portal. According to the little black dot on his wrist acting as a real-time map, the Androlina Portal was about ten miles deep beneath Mogrondale. Climbing such a long vertical distance was bound to be a dreadful experience, but luckily with the real-time map on his wrist, Lancelot managed to find a relatively easier path. The route was a bit roundabout since they had to avoid some dangerous areas. For instance, the portal to the 422nd level of Yenogu¡¯s Domain was surrounded by numerous Gnoll creatures, and a minor misstep could provoke an endless swarm of enemies. Although the team wasn¡¯t afraid of these savage beasts, there was no reason to intentionally seek out trouble with them. Another area to avoid was the portal to the 570th level, Shendilawei. On the surface, this realm of the Queen of the Succubus boasted beautiful natural scenery and abundant resources, even housing a large population of mortals and notorious ¡®special services,¡¯ drawing tourists from across the entire universe. Therefore, this portal within the Great Abyss was just one of many entrances to the Queen of the Succubus¡¯s realm and was seldom used. Still, the group needed to stay as far away as possible to avoid the seemingly nonchalant guards near the portal. Elothysia and the Queen of the Succubus had no direct conflict. In fact, most of the Succubi¡¯s actions were considered by Mekanshut as forgivable mischief. Her favorite pastime was secretly watching those who tried to overthrow her, sometimes even subtly fueling the attempts, like enjoying her children¡¯s cute but immature endeavours. However, for those who truly ¡®betrayed¡¯ the nature of Demons and ventured down the ¡®wrong¡¯ path, like the well-known disgraced ladies, Mekanshut had a genuine sense of sorrow and believed it was her duty to ¡®convert¡¯ them back to their original state. For this reason, Elothysia certainly did not wish to draw any attention from the Queen of the Succubus or her radiant nuns. Unlike their previous search for the Eye of Sarezdon, this time the group¡¯s journey involved more vertical climbing. Thanks to the route Lancelot had planned in advance, each descent they needed to make was between twenty to thirty feet, which even the physically weakest Scholar could barely manage, not to mention the help of the Succubus Paladin and the (pseudo) Succubus Knight constantly flying alongside. The quickest climber was Alamir, who, despite being clad in heavy armor, moved across the rock face as smoothly as a gecko, thanks to the agility of Elves. The youngest of the group, Isabella, took this climbing activity as a rare training opportunity, enduring the hardship without ever wishing to simply transform into a bat and fly down. Lancelot was naturally very proud of her for showing such a quality, even having the strange thought, ¡®Truly worthy of being my sister.¡¯ COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 259: 253 Cultivation in the Foundation Establishment Stage Chapter 259: Chapter 253 Cultivation in the Foundation Establishment Stage When everyone stopped to camp that night, they had traveled almost thirty miles, but had only descended about one mile vertically.@@@@ They found a naturally formed cave, lit a warm bonfire, and while chatting, enjoyed a delicious dinner made by Koula. Frankly, the presence of the Halfling significantly enhanced the comfort level of the adventure. According to the records in the small bamboo slip, even without being in seclusion, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could go for months without eating or drinking, but Lancelot had never had the chance to verify if that was true¡ªbecause the food Koula cooked was just too tempting. Tonight¡¯s dinner consisted of Abyss chicken egg and ham sandwiches, along with two strips of Blood Lake dried fish and some spiced fish soup. Although simple, it was very tasty and there was plenty to go around, for example, Bruto alone ate three and a half portions, the half being what little Esha couldn¡¯t finish and gave to him. The fatigue from climbing was the main challenge they faced on this route; the frequency of battles was notably less. They had encountered only two groups of Flomos the entire day, one of which merely circled from afar before leaving, seemingly judging the team with two Succubus members as a more challenging target than expected. The reason they could travel undisturbed was partly due to Lancelot¡¯s careful planning of the route, intentionally avoiding areas heavily frequented by Demons; the other reason was that in the depths of the Great Abyss, far from the ground, wild Demons were much less common¡ªsuch remote places were simply too dull even for Demons. Late into the quiet night, while most of the companions were asleep, the watch was kept by Lancelot, Alamir, and Elothysia. Being an Elf, Alamir needed only four hours of meditation to get enough rest, so he usually meditated first, then woke up in the latter half of the night to join the watch. For the Succubus Paladin, she did not need sleep, but she did require quiet rest to recover her spell-casting abilities. This rest period should not involve any intense activity (such as fighting), making it the perfect time to take on the night watch duty. However, previously she was accompanied by little Esha, but the Vampire girl¡¯s biological clock had already adjusted to match that of the others, and at this moment, she was sound asleep in her brother¡¯s pocket. In the path of spiritual cultivation, besides elevating one¡¯s cultivation through the core technique, the other two focal points are body refinement and divine sense. In the Qi Refinement Realm, these aspects hardly mattered, yet each subsequent realm focused differently. During the Foundation Establishment Stage, the strength of the body greatly influenced the success rate of core formation; and in the subsequent Golden Core Stage, the strength of divine sense directly determined whether one could break through to the legendary Nascent Soul Stage. For Lancelot, this was certainly good news, as body refinement relied less on heavenly and earthly treasures and instead required various harsh environments and opportunities to combat powerful enemies. It seemed there was no better place than the Abyss for body refinement¡ªit had lava-flowing volcanoes, harsh sweltering deserts, bone-chilling icy plains, and toxic swamps, all teeming with eager, powerful demons. While enhancing divine sense might not significantly aid in hitting the core formation stage for now, Lancelot, through his adventures, had come to appreciate its various benefits. Thus, he decided to increase the strength of his divine sense while also engaging in body refinement. Fortunately, the Qingyun Sword Art in his possession contained techniques to enhance divine sense. This highly practical sword technique could well be considered Lancelot¡¯s secondary core cultivation method. Countless enemies had died under its cyan sword aura. He had begun the fourth layer of the Qingyun Sword Art, which not only increased the power and length of the sword aura but also allowed him to summon a protective sword shield which would automatically defend him and attack his foes when he was under attack. But even more wondrously, starting from the fourth layer, he could cultivate a divine skill named ¡°Divide Light,¡± which allowed him to summon an identical sword shadow when attacking. Practicing the control of the sword shadow was precisely a way to train his divine sense and increase its strength. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 260: 254 The Hard Journey Chapter 260: Chapter 254 The Hard Journey Unlike the mirror image technique cast by Mages, the Sword Shadows created by the Qingyun Sword Art were capable of inflicting damage, although initially their power was only a tenth of the wielder¡¯s. However, as one¡¯s mastery of the Sword Art increased, the shadows would grow stronger, and he could summon more of them, overwhelming the enemy. Lancelot tried applying the key points from the cultivation technique, and to his surprise, managed to easily create a Sword Shadow. Ordinary Cultivators generally fight bare-handed, manipulating Magical Treasures, talismans, or spiritual beasts as needed, but since Lancelot didn¡¯t have the means to do so, he was accustomed to using his Qingyun Sword Aura in conjunction with a weapon. Therefore, the Sword Shadow he created resembled a hazy Longsword.@@@@ But creating a Sword Shadow was just the most basic step; he must control it with his Divine Sense to make it move as he wished. It could catch the enemy off guard and strike unexpectedly to really leverage the Sword Shadow¡¯s potential. This proved difficult, and Lancelot found it quite challenging to multitask. When he focused on controlling the Sword Shadow, he would neglect his own weapon and vice versa. It seemed mastering this Divine Skill would require much more effort from him. ... The next morning, the group set out on their journey once more. With the previous day¡¯s experience, they proceeded faster but soon encountered an unexpected foe¡ªseveral Earth Giants ambushed them. These humanoid creatures had yellow-brown Carapaces and mandibles like scythe blades, standing over eight feet tall. They usually hid underground or within rock walls, using their fine, stiff body hairs to sense vibrations around them. Upon detecting passersby, they would launch a sudden attack. Having overexerted himself the previous evening while practicing, Lancelot had drained a considerable amount of Divine Sense and didn¡¯t detect the ambushers until he was almost upon them. Although he managed to warn others in advance, they were already close enough for the Earth Giants to engage their spell-like abilities. This peculiar phenomenon was likely related to the situation within Androlina. Although nominally under the sway of the Mother of Demons, she only had control over roughly half the area, with the remaining part belonging to the entire generation of Aira Celestials who had been trapped there by her schemes, along with protectors from other planes who had come to guard these benevolent souls. For countless years, the two sides have been struggling for control of this layer. Because of the unity of the benevolent forces, the army of the Mother of Demons has been unable to regain control of the entire area, and the other Abyssal Lords have all chosen to watch from the sidelines¡ªthese were, after all, the Aira who had almost completely annihilated the Obyriths long ago, and unless the Aira completely ousted the Mother of Demons from their land and launched an attack on other Abyss Kingdoms, the Tanari Lords would not bother to stir up trouble for themselves. Such is the political ecology in the Abyss, with each Demon Lord scheming to take over each other¡¯s territories, yet the long years of warfare have led to a tangled web of grudges. Any Demon Lord looking to launch an attack on an enemy must first consider whether this would provide an opportunity for their other enemies to exploit. Given the nature of demons, they also find it hard to trust others, and the reliability of their alliances is akin to Mekanshut¡¯s underwear¡ªnonexistent in most cases. Therefore, although the Mother of Demons was fighting against the forces of good, not a single Abyssal Lord offered her support, at least not openly, including those rumored to be her offspring. This has caused the influence of this ancient Obyrith Demon Lord to wane steadily, losing her former sway and becoming invisible in the major events occurring in the Abyss in recent centuries. Lancelot remotely sensed the surroundings for a while, confirming there were no hidden enemies, and then led the group to the front of the portal. ¡°I¡¯ll go in first to check the situation and ensure it¡¯s safe before calling the rest of you in,¡± he instructed the others, then straightened his equipment and walked toward the portal. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 261: 255 Chapter 261: Chapter 255 (Swamp Forest) Stepping through the flickering dark green light of the portal, Lancelot felt a very slight dizziness before realising he was now in a gloomy, dense forest. Beneath his feet lay a rotting swamp, odorous vapours drifted in the air, and the portal through which he came was nestled inside the trunk of a long-dead tree, visible from the outside only at a particular angle through the emitted Magic Aura. Lancelot closed his eyes to sense his surroundings and detected some powerful presences in the distance, but within a hundred feet there were no threatening creatures, so he stepped back through the portal behind him and returned to his companions. ¡°How is it?¡± Sitting on a stone, Bruto immediately jumped up. The impatient Dwarf didn¡¯t like waiting, and the others also looked at Lancelot with expectant eyes. ¡°Over there...¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± the Dwarf interrupted him rudely, gripping his Warhammer tightly. ¡°How do I know you¡¯re still the same Lancelot? How can you prove you¡¯re still you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lancelot was somewhat puzzled by the interruption, but after a moment¡¯s thought, he nodded, ¡°Well, such caution is necessary... How about you ask a question that only the two of us know the answer to?¡± ¡°Heh, I am an experienced Adventurer, after all.¡± The Dwarf¡¯s face showed a mischievous grin, ¡°In your eyes, who is the most beautiful woman in the world?¡± ¡°...If my answer isn¡¯t Tijana, are you going to throw your hammer at me?¡± ¡°Haha, it seems you really are the man!¡± The Dwarf laughed heartily as he stepped forward. ¡°So, what is it like over there? Is it really like the legend says, with flowers blooming and green grass everywhere?¡± He ignored these irrelevant noises, focusing his attention on the direction from which the unconventional sounds had come. Lancelot heard faint crying, as if from a child even smaller than little Isha, accompanied by intermittent beating sounds. He also heard the crunching of footsteps on dry branches and the rustle of something heavy dragging on the ground and pushing through fallen leaves. ¡°The sounds are coming from that direction, about two hundred feet from us,¡± Lancelot pointed to a direction on the right, ¡°It seems like a child has been captured and is being dragged by several creatures.¡± ¡°A child?¡± Bruto raised an eyebrow, ¡°No matter what it is, we have to check it out.¡± ¡°Shall I go scout ahead?¡± Isha spoke up, then with a ¡®thump¡¯, she turned into a small bat and perched on Lancelot¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll take a while to get there, go ahead and scout the enemy¡¯s situation,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Stay concealed. Your mission is to bring back intelligence on the enemy, do not expose yourself.¡± ¡°Squeak squeak!¡± The little bat called out twice in response, then flapped her wings and flew away from Lancelot¡¯s shoulder. In her flying state, Isha moved much faster, and her unique ultrasonic sensory ability allowed her to easily navigate through the dense tree canopy. In less than two minutes, she located the target. Following the technique she learned from her teacher, she hung upside down from a branch, camouflaged in the shadows among the leaves, and looked down. She saw five green-skinned creatures, over nine feet tall, passing below. The creatures had a humanoid shape, with arms so long they surpassed their knees. They wore no clothing except for a loincloth, with ugly heads that had a large nose, protruding lips, and a pair of small, sharp ears, as well as dark green hair that made her think of a moldy mop. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 262: 256 Rescue Chapter 262: Chapter 256 Rescue One of the monsters was dragging a fairy-like beautiful creature by the hair, who was struggling intensely due to the pain. Meanwhile, another monster beside them would occasionally kick her and let out an unpleasant laugh in response to her crying and screaming. A surge of intense anger rose in the heart of the little bat, as if she saw her own reflection in that child and wished she could rush out and save her immediately. But she was no longer the naive girl she once was; the experiences of the past month had taught her to stay calm and understand her role as a member of the team. Little Issa recalled the knowledge she had learned about monsters, recognizing that the green-skinned giants were called Trolls. Apart from their characteristic foul stench, these monsters possessed a terrifying regenerative ability. Decapitation was not enough to kill them, but flame and acid were very effective¡ªone dose was sure to make these ugly creatures wail for their mothers! After flying around the Trolls at a distance, she confirmed that there were no other monsters lurking around and then turned her head to fly back to her companions. Lancelot and his party were moving as quickly as possible toward the area, but due to the terrain, they had only advanced a hundred feet. Fortunately, with the Human Knight¡¯s sharp hearing, they did not lose track of their target.@@@@ ¡°Trolls! There are five Trolls!¡± A little bat whirred in front of him and then ¡®poof¡¯ transformed back into a Wanderer girl with two Cold Iron Shortwords on her waist and wearing a Mithril Chain Mail. ¡°Ah, why does it have to be those stinky things,¡± Alamir¡¯s face showed disgust, ¡°Did they really capture a child?¡± ¡°Mhm!¡± Little Issa nodded vigorously. ¡°A beautiful little girl, let¡¯s go save her quickly!¡± ¡°Why would there be a little girl here?¡± Kalalin asked, puzzled, then his expression changed, ¡°It isn¡¯t a child of the Aira, is it? Did you notice if she had wings on her back?¡± ¡°Ah? I... I didn¡¯t notice...¡± Little Issa answered with shame, ¡°She was dragged by her hair face-up, I didn¡¯t see her back...¡± ¡°No matter what, let¡¯s save the child first,¡± Lancelot said as he picked up the struggling Dwarf, ¡°Bruto, you¡¯re too slow. How about I carry you for a while?¡± ¡°Hello there!! Delivery service has arrived!!¡± The Trolls instantly spotted the whooshing Dwarf, but his words caused a moment of confusion among the simple-minded creatures. The Dwarf flew straight toward the Troll dragging the captive and, in the moment of contact, swung his weapon fiercely. The well-crafted hammer struck precisely where he aimed, causing the unprotected head of his target to burst open like an overripe watermelon. ¡°Haha! Did you order the hammer delivery?¡± Bruto¡¯s body crashed heavily onto the beheaded Troll, flipping it over and securing a safe landing for himself. He quickly scrambled up from the ground, shaking his head to clear the dizziness from the impact, and was surprised to see that the headless Troll¡¯s body was still swinging its claws around wildly, reacting very differently from normal creatures who¡¯ve had their brains smashed. The other Trolls began to charge at him, but the Dwarf¡¯s companions had also arrived on the scene. Leading the charge was Lancelot, whose strange movement technique made him appear to almost float above the ground, whether it was over mud, pools of water, or fallen leaves, with a mere touch his whole body shot forward like an arrow released from a bow. But Kalalin¡¯s magic was faster than his speed. A magic dagger glowing green shot past Lancelot and struck true in the chest of the lead Troll, then burst into a green flare. The Troll let out a piercing scream, as if the dagger contained some kind of power that inflicted immense pain upon it. ¡°Ma Youfu¡¯s Acid Arrow,¡± Kalalin said with a proud grin, showing his teeth to his companions. This Second Circle spell, allegedly created by an Elf named Ma Youfu, could inflict continuous acid damage on the enemy and was one of the best offensive spells for spellcasters. Lancelot¡¯s speed further increased, and in the time of three breaths, he reached the Troll hit by the spell. His Frostslash traced two cyan arcs through the air, slicing the enemy into three parts. Without pausing, he charged directly into the midst of the enemy, instantly engaging two more Trolls. Another Troll ran towards the captive thrown on the ground, only to find a warrior-garbed Succubus standing in its way. Although it didn¡¯t understand why a Succubus would be present in such a place, anyone blocking its path was an enemy at the moment. Besides, the opponent was merely the ugliest of all Demons, the Succubus, and this handsome and gallant Troll was not afraid of her. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 263: 257: Dong Quans Misunderstanding Chapter 263: Chapter 257: Dong Quan¡¯s Misunderstanding Dong Quan was a child from Aira who lived in Androlina. If you considered his age, he would no longer be a child, but due to the accursed Mother of Demons, his body had been forever trapped at the age when he arrived in this plane, preventing his mind from maturing further. This didn¡¯t mean he was dumb, of course not; Dong Quan learned things very quickly! However, he just couldn¡¯t exhibit the mature and composed qualities that those adults who came to protect them could when facing problems. Dong Quan never thought there was anything wrong with this or rather, he enjoyed feeling like a child and was certain that only in this way could one discover all the joys of life. But he thought it would be a great idea to have a big adventure with his best friend Lilu! What¡¯s worse, they had specifically chosen to go from the rarely visited east side because how could it be an adventure if they went to a place they knew well? At first, they indeed had a lot of fun; they saw many landscapes they had never seen before, and the two children chased each other across the endless meadows, drifting along streams. They were having so much fun that they didn¡¯t even notice the stream had flowed into the Hoffenstan River. After the two Aira children rushed ashore, they were still unaware that they had entered enemy-controlled territory and continued to wander aimlessly. Suddenly, a bunch of ugly, stinking monsters appeared, and his best friend Lilu was captured right away! Although Dong Quan managed to escape in time, having never experienced such a thing, he was thrown into complete panic. He knew he had messed up badly. In the past, other children had also been captured by monsters and had never been seen again. Although the Protectors never said anything, the children could feel the sorrow in the hearts of those around them, and they knew that these missing friends had most likely been killed. Dong Quan wanted to kill himself out of remorse to atone for his mistake, yet he could never gather the courage. At other times, he wanted to go back and seek rescue from the Protectors, but he didn¡¯t dare face their disappointed and critical eyes. In just the blink of an eye, all the trolls had been dispatched. Lancelot cleaned the troll blood off his sword blade, then slung the weapon back onto his back. He then looked towards the child who had just been rescued and saw him staring, mouth agape, as if he had not yet grasped the turn of events. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Lancelot greeted him while waving his hand in front of the child¡¯s face. The child finally snapped back to reality. He tried to rise from the ground but immediately stopped, a pained expression crossing his face. ¡°Don¡¯t move, you¡¯re hurt.¡± A pleasant voice sounded from behind Dong Quan; it was the ¡®angel¡¯ who had just saved him! He felt a gentle hand gently touch his shoulder and suddenly, a surge of powerful life energy flowed into his body, healing him instantly. A look of surprise appeared on Lancelot¡¯s face. As his injuries healed, the unusual features on the child¡¯s body became more pronounced ¡ª most notably the two pairs of dragonfly-like transparent wings on his back and the elf-like slender, long ears. Undoubtedly, this child was indeed an Aira! After he was completely healed, Dong Quan scrambled up from the ground, turned around eagerly, and said to Elothysia, ¡°Thank you for saving my life, beautiful angel sister!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 264: 258 Another Child Chapter 264: Chapter 258 Another Child The expressions on everyone¡¯s faces suddenly turned awkward; the child had mistaken the Succubus Paladin for an angel¡ªwhich was quite a far stretch. ¡°Hehe, you¡¯ve got it wrong,¡± Elothysia said with a resigned smile, ¡°I am a succubus, a kind of demon from the Tanari.¡± ¡°Demon?¡± Dong Quan¡¯s mouth opened wide again as he finally noticed the ¡®angel sister¡¯s¡¯ bat wings, the tail behind her, and a pair of delicate antlers on her forehead, all of which unmistakably pointed to the fact that this ¡®angel sister¡¯ who had saved his life was indeed a demon. ¡°Aren¡¯t all demons evil?¡± ¡°Who said so? She¡¯s a good demon and a Succubus Paladin, ever seen one?¡± Bruto interjected, ¡°And she truly did save your life, didn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°My kin and I are a bit different.¡± Elothysia kneeled down so the child could look her in the eye, ¡°Little girl, what is your name? How did you end up here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not some little girl! I¡¯m a boy!¡± the beautiful-looking child named Aira retorted discontentedly, ¡°My name is Dong Quan, and I was out playing with Lilu...¡± At this point, his expression suddenly changed, and he called out anxiously: ¡°Lilu! Lilu! Please go and save Lilu! If it¡¯s any later, she¡¯ll be eaten!¡± ¡°There¡¯s another child captured?¡± Elothysia looked up at the Human Knight, ¡°Lancelot, we...¡± ¡°Save her.¡± Lancelot nodded decisively and then asked Dong Quan, ¡°Don¡¯t panic, explain the situation clearly. Your friend¡¯s name is Lilu, right? When was she captured? Who took her?¡± ¡°About two hours ago, she was captured by a group of Trolls, and I secretly followed them but got caught myself,¡± Dong Quan explained dejectedly, ¡°These trolls are likely underlings of a monster named Valasti, who is said to relish the flesh and blood of children and dwells deep in the Miasma Swamp.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother!¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you get lost?¡± Dong Quan curiously looked at the girl who wasn¡¯t much older than him, ¡°And the forest is so big, what if you can¡¯t find it...¡± ¡°I can always sense where my brother is,¡± Aira¡¯s face showed a weird expression, ¡°After all, my ¡®bed¡¯ is on him.¡± ¡°Uh, what do you mean?¡± Just then, with a ¡®pop¡¯, the little girl disappeared, and in her place was a small bat hovering in mid-air. The small bat squeaked twice at Lancelot, then flapped its wings and flew into the bushes. ¡°She¡¯s a little Vampire,¡± Bruto said with a chuckle, ¡°The so-called bed is her coffin.¡± ¡°But... aren¡¯t Vampires also bad?¡± Dong Quan was completely confused, ¡°But I think she¡¯s quite nice...¡± ¡°Even Demons can be good; why can¡¯t Vampires be good as well?¡± Brutob frowned and patted Aira¡¯s head, ¡°She was the first to find you earlier!¡± ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to mistrust her!¡± Dong Quan covered his head, feeling somewhat aggrieved, but his eyes skeptically scanned everyone, ¡°What about you guys? You¡¯re not some special race as well, are you?¡± ¡°Ha! I am nothing but a genuine Dwarf, and the one in the robe next to me is a Human, and that guy in the shiny armor is indeed an Elf,¡± Bruto laughed heartily, ¡°As for that Knight, well... he should still count as a person, I guess?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 265: 259: The Childs Trust Chapter 265: Chapter 259: The Child¡¯s Trust ¡°Why does it sound not like a compliment to me?¡± Lancelot said through gritted teeth, but then he laughed too, ¡°I¡¯m human too... just a more experienced one.¡± ¡°Did you come from another world?¡± Dong Quan curiously looked at these unfamiliar faces, ¡°Are you here to protect us kids who never grow up? Thank you so much, it¡¯s such a trouble to have you help us upon our first meeting...¡± ¡°Well, to be precise, she came to join the Protector team, and we are the mercenaries escorting her here,¡± Lancelot said, pointing at Elothysia, ¡°As you can imagine, most places in this plane are hostile towards a kind-hearted succubus like her.¡± ¡°Ah... Can¡¯t you all stay?¡± The young Aira showed a regretful expression, and even the wings on his back drooped down dejectedly. ¡°He has someone else he needs to protect,¡± Elothysia gave him a faint smile, ¡°But for now, we will protect you. I heard you live in a place called Melanthan; how far is it from here? How can we take you back?¡± ¡°Lilu and I live in Clone Well¡¯s Gift, on the eastern side of Melanthan. It takes me half a day to fly from here to Clone Well¡¯s Gift, and another half a day from there to Melanthan...¡± Dong Quan¡¯s voice got softer and softer as he spoke, eventually becoming as light as the chirping of insects, ¡°We actually ran so far away, we were really careless...¡± ¡°This distance is too great, we can¡¯t let him return alone, he might encounter other dangers on the way,¡± Kalalin shook his head and said to Lancelot, ¡°I¡¯m afraid we must take this child with us into battle.¡± ¡°It seems we have no choice,¡± Lancelot nodded in agreement, ¡°Elothysia, the child is in your care then, no problem, right?¡± But the succubus paladin did not immediately answer; instead, she looked straight into the eyes of the young Aira, her voice trembling slightly as she asked: ¡°Will you trust me?¡± ¡°Yes! Of course!¡± Dong Quan nodded without hesitation, ¡°Is there anything I need to do? I will cooperate well...¡± ¡°Thank you...¡± The child¡¯s trust seemed to move Elothysia deeply. She fumbled in a pouch at her waist for a while, finally pulling out a long rope, and said to Dong Quan, ¡°Why don¡¯t I carry you on my back?¡± ¡°If that child has truly been harmed, we¡¯ll make sure her killer pays the price,¡± Lancelot waved his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go, everyone stay alert and watch for my warning gestures.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement and then set off again in battle formation. Taking the lead was Lancelot, his Divine Sense fully extended, attentive to the breath of any enemy nearby; because they were protecting Dong Quan, the Succubus and Scholar walked side by side in the middle of the team, ready to provide support for their companions at any moment; securing the rear were Shuni, the Priest in Heavy Armor, and the floating skull. Bruto took position on the left flank. A charge from this side would avoid the enemy¡¯s shielded left hand, inflicting maximum damage; Koula stood on the right wing of the team, the petite Halfling would quickly sneak into the blind spots of the enemy¡¯s field of vision in the shadows either before or after the battle started, delivering a lethal blow to any unsuspecting enemy when necessary. The soft and wet terrain slowed down their pace. Lancelot, struck by inspiration, performed a spell, summoning thick vines to cover the difficult terrain, significantly increasing the team¡¯s speed. ¡°Wow!¡± Elothysia heard Dong Quan¡¯s surprised whisper at her side, ¡°Is that human a Child of Nature? He can actually control the power of plants!¡± ¡°Whether Lancelot is a Child of Nature, I¡¯m not sure, but he is indeed very powerful,¡± the Succubus Paladin turned her head and smiled at the Aira child. ¡°He has many more amazing abilities. You¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing...¡± Dong Quan exclaimed, then a mischievous smile appeared on her face, ¡°Then is he your boyfriend, big sister?¡± Lancelot, walking ahead, twitched his ears but said nothing. ¡°Haha, no, big sister already has a boyfriend, and he¡¯s a guy with wings,¡± Elothysia glanced at the Human Knight ahead. ¡°And he¡¯s a lot more handsome!¡± Lucky for Lancelot, who was at the very front of the group, otherwise everyone would have seen his eyes rolling up to the sky. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT@@@@ Chapter 266: 260: Battle Plan Chapter 266: Chapter 260: Battle Plan Lancelot held Frostslash in his right hand, resting the blade on his shoulder; with his left hand, he formed a spell at his chest and summoned dense vines on the ground ahead. He had become extremely proficient in this minor Wood System Divine Skill. The vines he summoned were of moderate hardness and good toughness. Whether it was Bruto¡¯s Dwarf heavy boots or Koula¡¯s leather boots, stepping on them was very comfortable, and it was like walking on a thick layer of grass, making no sound at all. Under Lancelot¡¯s lead, the group cautiously made their way deeper into the dense forest, continually taking a large, circuitous route. Everyone was already accustomed to this, knowing Lancelot¡¯s unique sensory ability could help the team avoid many unnecessary battles. The only one filled with puzzlement was Dong Quan, who felt very safe on the back of the Succubus Paladin, which sparked his suppressed curiosity. His big eyes swept over the members of this strange team, full of questions he wanted to ask. But he also knew that he must keep quiet at this time. If he accidentally alerted the enemy and delayed the rescue of Lilu, he would truly have to commit suicide to apologize. Lancelot indeed had avoided two small Troll tribes. Although they seemed quite relaxed just now, it was because the number of enemies was not large. He had just seen with his own eyes that when these monsters¡¯ arms were chopped off, the severed limbs would still crawl over to attack. Once the Trolls gained a numerical advantage, the situation would become troublesome. Suddenly, his expression shifted, and he raised his arm to signal his companions to stop. Following that, a small bat silently flew through the tree canopy and with a thud, transformed back into a young girl dressed in tight-fitting clothes. ¡°Your friend, does she have bright red hair?¡± Before anyone else could speak, Little Issa hurriedly asked Dong Quan. ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± the child on the back of the Succubus Paladin nodded excitedly. ¡°Did you see her? Is she still alive?¡± ¡°She¡¯s still alive, but things don¡¯t look so good, two Trolls are constantly hitting her,¡± Little Issa¡¯s face showed a sorry expression. ¡°I think she¡¯s not in mortal danger for the moment. That creature, Valasti, won¡¯t eat her.¡± ¡°The most important thing is to ensure the child¡¯s safety,¡± Lancelot said, stroking his chin. ¡°We need to rescue her first, and if we can avoid fighting that monster, all the better. But if it dares to chase after us, we won¡¯t be polite.¡± ¡°Trolls are afraid of fire, and the monster fears light, should we take the opportunity to set a fire?¡± Bruto suggested. ¡°This is a swamp, the humidity is too high, the only combustibles are the Trolls themselves,¡± Alamir shook his head. ¡°I say, we still need to rely on the bright light summoned by Divine Arts... ¡± ¡°Lancelot, can you make these vines dry out?¡± Koula suggested from the side. ¡°My fire glue can stick to the surface and burn... ¡± ¡°Eh? Let me try...¡± Lancelot thought for a while. Unlike during the Qi Cultivation Stage when he only knew the effects but not the causes, he had gained a more sensitive perception of Spiritual Energy¡¯s operation since entering the Foundation Establishment Stage. Before, he had made the vines thicker and harder by increasing the intensity of the Wood System¡¯s energy, but if he suppressed the Water System¡¯s energy to the lowest... With a thought, the vines around him quickly dried out and twisted, even making a creaking sound, looking as if they might ignite any moment. ¡°I swear...¡± Alamir couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°Lancelot, you too are blessed by the Elves, but setting the forest on fire is not okay... ¡± ¡°Look at the trees around us, they grow even more twisted than those near Hagrid Manor. Perhaps sprinkling some fresh blood on them would turn them into withered monsters,¡± the Dwarf immediately countered the Elf. ¡°Brother, I support you. That monster likes to hide in the shadows, right? Let¡¯s burn his entire nest down and see where he can hide then!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 267: 261 Creating Panic Chapter 267: Chapter 261 Creating Panic In the depths of the Miasma Swamp, a group of uninvited guests silently approached the outskirts of a Troll camp. The robes and armor of this group were smeared with the swamp¡¯s decayed, foul-smelling muck; they were indeed Lancelot¡¯s party. Perhaps not everyone was present, such as little Isa who wasn¡¯t there. Lancelot had sent her to transform into a bat and patrol the periphery, keeping an eye on the surroundings of the battlefield. Accompanying her was the skeletal Clone Well, who maintained real-time contact with Lancelot through a mental link. If the enemy had unexpected reinforcements, it would be up to these two to issue a timely warning. Another person was also not among the team, and that was the Elf Alamir. Shuni¡¯s priest simply could not accept deliberately soiling his own garments, even if their purpose was to mask their scent and avoid detection by the Trolls; it went completely against the teachings of the Goddess that required her followers to stay clean and tidy. As clergy of the Shuni Church, the Elf would not do it no matter what. Regarding this, Lancelot was not without understanding. It was not hard to notice Alamir¡¯s emphasis on personal hygiene in daily interactions¡ªhe would even place a cloth before sitting on a random rock outdoors, and the first thing after every battle was to clean the blood stains from his armor. Asking him to smear himself with filthy, stinking muck was indeed asking too much of him. Fortunately, there was a solution: keeping him inside someone else¡¯s Dimensional Bag was sufficient. Lancelot had two Dimensional Bags; the smaller one currently served as little Isa¡¯s ¡®boudoir¡¯, as well as to store valuables such as jewels, Spirit Stones, and Gold Coins, which he kept close inside the breastplate; the larger Dimensional Bag was hung within easy reach at his waist, used for storing larger equipment such as the Great Sword Glacier. The Elf was currently in Lancelot¡¯s larger Dimensional Bag, where the air allowed him to remain alone for over ten minutes, enough to last until the Trolls could detect the intruders without relying on their sense of smell. From within the shadows of a bush, Lancelot and his companions surveyed the camp they were about to attack. The Trolls were clearly not adept at building; the stone houses in the camp looked as though they had been stacked by a bunch of three-year-olds playing house, except these children could easily lift hundreds of pounds of giant rocks. There were no walls or fences around the camp, just three low stone houses surrounding a sinister totem pole. The pole was covered with dried blood, and at the top hung a dreadful totem made from the skull halves of a Demon and a wild boar. ¡°Can you recognize the totem that these Trolls worship?¡± Lancelot whispered to Kalalin, ¡°The Mother of Demons, Cang Ye?¡±@@@@ Seeing that everyone was ready, Lancelot spoke no more. In the dense swamp forest environment, his Wood System Cultivation Technique was easier to perform. With a slight concentration, he summoned a heap of thorn-like vines in the center of the troll camp. ¡°This isn¡¯t very ¡®Magic,''¡± Kalalin shook his head, sighing resignedly. Then he released the already swinging sling, and an unassuming little bottle whizzed out, shattering on the now-hardened dry vines. The liquid inside the bottle ignited violently upon contact with the air, and the flames spread quickly across the dry vines. The raging flames instantly engulfed the totem pillar in the center of the camp. The intense fire caused great panic among the trolls in the camp; they screamed and fled towards the camp¡¯s perimeter, with none of the trolls showing any intent to fight the fire. This scene reminded Lancelot of pouring boiling water into an ant hill when he was a child. Two trolls who were initially abusing the Aira child did not realize what was happening at first, but when the roaring flames lit up the stone hut and cast their own shadows on the wall in front of them, they finally realized something was wrong. They immediately dropped the captives they were holding and ran out in terror. However, a flying hammer hit one of the trolls right in the head, knocking it unconscious to the ground; meanwhile, a large number of vines suddenly sprouted under the feet of the other troll, binding it tightly. ¡°Why run? Are you only brave when facing a tied-up child?¡± Bruto reached the troll he had knocked over, ¡°Afraid of fire, huh? Let me warm you up properly!¡± The dwarf grabbed the fallen troll by one of its ankles, then spun around, flinging the foul-smelling creature straight into the central campfire. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 268: 262: Rescue the Hostages Chapter 268: Chapter 262: Rescue the Hostages The troll burst into flames upon contact, as if its body were made of some highly flammable material. Lancelot was not surprised by this; the troll¡¯s essence pulsated with Wood System Spirit Power, which was the source of its supernatural healing abilities. According to the philosophy of Spiritual Cultivation, wood begets fire, so it was logical that trolls were flammable. He swung Frostslash, decapitating the troll that he had ensnared with his vines, then flicked his sword blade, tossing the screaming head into the fire. The beheaded troll continued to struggle violently. Such a wound, which would be fatal for most creatures with only one head, seemed to only inconvenience the troll by depriving it of its senses. Lancelot swung his weapon again, chopping the troll¡¯s limbs off piece by piece and throwing them all into the fire. Even dismembered, the troll¡¯s arms, legs, and torso still struggled to roll out of the fire, as if each severed limb had its own consciousness; the scene was both horrifying and bizarre. But Lancelot pinched a formula, and several still-burning vines stretched out like tentacles, wrapping around the desperately rolling limbs and dragging them back into the flames. This might have seemed cruel, but had these beasts considered such an end when they were beating a bound little girl? The Succubus Paladin had already rushed to Lilu¡¯s side, checking on the condition of the small Aira girl. ¡°No! Lilu, she...¡± Dong Quan¡¯s choked voice arose behind her. The child before her was in a pitiful state, barely clinging to life. Her distinctively large Aira eyes were swollen to thin slits, surrounded by dark bruises; her slender arms were tied behind her in an unnatural angle, clearly broken; and her body was a patchwork of blue and purple bruises, with some areas alarmingly swollen and others unsettlingly indented. ¡°Please, please, stop hitting me... Dong... Dong Quan? Is that you?¡± the little girl¡¯s voice was almost a whisper. Her eyes could no longer open, and she could only rely on the voice to barely recognize it was her friend, ¡°Run... run away...¡± ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m sorry!¡± The little girl struggled to sit up to apologize, but she let out a pained cry when she exerted her arm and lay back down again. ¡°Don¡¯t rush, your bones might not have fully healed yet.¡± Elothysia bent down and carefully picked up the little girl, ¡°I¡¯ll protect you, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Tha... thank you ...¡± The red-haired Aira child¡¯s voice was still very weak, while Dong Quan, on the shoulder of the Succubus Paladin, continually made faces at her little friend, trying to cheer her up. Outside the stone house, a Troll finally realized that it wasn¡¯t their worshipped Evil God suddenly getting angry, but that someone had launched an attack on them. A few Trolls ran back and charged at the attackers. The scene that unfolded next utterly crushed their courage¡ªLancelot manipulated the burning vines to grab them, a terrifying sight for the Trolls who feared flames. All the Trolls fled in terror, not one remained. ¡°Haha, these cowards, they got off easy.¡± the Dwarf picked up his hammer and shield again, ¡°Lancelot, shall we also retreat quickly?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The Human Knight nodded, but at that moment, a sudden urgent call from Clone Well echoed in his mind: ¡°Be careful! Shadows are coming your way!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 269: 263 Mental Suggestion Chapter 269: Chapter 263 Mental Suggestion Lancelot still found it odd, his Spirit Perception hadn¡¯t detected the approach of a powerful enemy, but the next second an eerie spatial fluctuation suddenly appeared, and he realized that some indescribable, extremely sinister presence had arrived. The surrounding shadows seemed to become thicker, the burning vines not so far off weren¡¯t as bright, and a dark mist had spread at some point, plunging everything beyond twenty feet into complete darkness. Since this darkness was caused by the mist, even creatures with dark vision couldn¡¯t see clearly into the distance. Because they had previously fought the Giant Skull Demon wielding the Eye of Sarizdon in the Great Abyss, the group instantly noticed the change in light and darkness. They recalled what Dong Quan had said before¡ªValasti, the master of the Miasma Swamp, was said to have the ability to control shadows, and it must be it that had come. Lancelot instinctively stepped back, wanting to stand closer to his companions, but he met resistance from behind as if he were pushing against a wall, and to his surprise, he couldn¡¯t move an inch backward. The Human Knight turned his head in astonishment and saw that a web of shadows had enveloped them all. Lancelot tried moving his body and found it extremely difficult to move in any direction except for one. He immediately realized the reason for this: Valasti, the prime culprit behind this phenomenon, was in that particular direction. Clearly, the bizarre creature from the Shadow Realm didn¡¯t fear close combat; it must be very confident in its brawl abilities to use such a power that left its opponents with no choice but to charge at it. Fortunately, the shadow web wasn¡¯t entirely solid. With their extraordinary strength, Lancelot and Bruto successfully retreated to the doorstep of the stone hut where their companions were. ¡°You shall all, die...¡± A chilling whisper arose in everyone¡¯s minds, trying to inject the emotion of fear into their hearts. But the Holy Warrior in the team immediately activated her Guardian Halo, helping her companions resist the negative suggestion.@@@@ The charging Dwarf truly felt there was nothing to fear from the monster, believing himself to be an avatar of Moradin, with his Warhammer able to smash any enemy. This, however, was just the effect of the suggestion technique, a Second Circle spell of the Enchantment System, which only planted a tiny seed in the target¡¯s mind. With a little external stimulation, the victim could develop it into an unshakable belief. Within a few breaths, Bruto had charged up to the enemy and saw the true face of the Master of Miasma Swamp. Its entire body was enveloped in a thick, liquid-like darkness, with a huge form made up of two oval-shaped masses of flesh joined together, numerous thick, slimy tentacles extending from its sides, making it look like a nauseating combination of an octopus and a spider. The smaller mass of flesh must have been the monster¡¯s head, the upper part densely covered with black eyeballs, and the lower part a gaping mouth with two sharp fangs more than a foot long, dripping with pitch-black venom. The monster¡¯s terrifying figure, like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguished the fire in the Dwarf¡¯s heart. His emotions swiftly shifted from extreme confidence to extreme panic, and instinctively, he wanted to retreat. But the shadows behind him suddenly became solid-like, freezing him in place. The monster didn¡¯t miss the Dwarf¡¯s momentary panic caused by fear. Two tentacles shot out like venomous snakes, coiling around the Dwarf and sending him towards its mouth. Bruto could only let out a scream of terror, which was all the bound Dwarf could manage. The sharp venomous fangs easily pierced Bruto¡¯s shoulder armor. Just like the spiders of the Prime Material Plane, this creature first used its fangs to incapacitate its target, then injected digestive juice into the prey, turning its flesh and blood into a ¡®thick soup¡¯ to be consumed in a slurping feast. Bruto¡¯s originally piercing screams suddenly became weak as if all the strength had been drained from his body, while the monster opened its large mouth, extending a soft tongue towards the bloody hole punctured by its fangs. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 270: 264: Dark Weaver Chapter 270: Chapter 264: Dark Weaver A streak of blue-green Sword Aura came flying, slicing off half of the monster¡¯s tongue, which slapped onto Bruto¡¯s face with a slurping sound, the corrosive Digestive Juice scalding the Dwarf until he let out several weak groans of pain.@@@@ This was an attack that Lancelot launched from fifteen feet away. To achieve such length, he had to significantly sacrifice power, but it was more than enough to slice through a soft tongue. Moreover, if it wasn¡¯t for his strengthened physique after Foundation Establishment, Lancelot wouldn¡¯t have been confident in hitting that tongue from such a distance without accidentally stabbing the Dwarf in the neck. Pained, the monster released the tentacle that was coiling around Bruto. Lancelot didn¡¯t stop for a moment; he instantly dashed behind the Dwarf and grabbed the collar on the back of his neck, pulling him backwards. Four black tentacles whipped furiously toward Lancelot, filled with the monster¡¯s rage for its severed tongue. Lancelot was suddenly in grave danger. As he protected the Dwarf, he also had to deal with tentacles attacking from all four directions. Moreover, due to the effect of the Shadow Web, he couldn¡¯t retreat quickly to dodge this assault. Unless the Human Knight could grow another pair of arms, he was genuinely in trouble. Lancelot had prepared himself to take the attack with the Protective Sword Shield, but then support arrived from his companions. A bright light, as brilliant as the sun, exploded behind the Human Knight, dispersing all shadows while also eliminating the force that prevented distancing. The Human Knight felt the pressure on his back lessen and instantly, dragging the Dwarf, he retreated backward like lightning, narrowly avoiding the monster¡¯s swinging tentacles. This was Alamir¡¯s Third Circle Divine Art, Daylight, which could produce sunlight-like brightness within a spherical area with a sixty-foot radius and dispel all darkness created by magic of up to the third circle. When Lancelot¡¯s calls to the Dwarf were ineffective, the Elf Priest had begun to prepare this Divine Art; however, the miraculous situation that occurred during the casting of the Healing Spell didn¡¯t reappear until Lancelot reached the Dwarf, only then did he complete the preparation of the Divine Art. As everyone had guessed beforehand, the intense light severely agitated the creatures of the Shadow Realm. That strange spatial fluctuation appeared again, and Lancelot felt as if the creature had ¡®jumped¡¯; it disappeared from its spot in an instant. However, his Spirit Perception warned him that the monster hadn¡¯t moved far, just hiding in the shadows outside the effective range of the Daylight, patiently watching them. But for now, the condition of the Dwarf seemed more urgent, so Lancelot quickly retreated to where his companions were waiting. ¡°Ah, ah, it hurts ...¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard of this creature somewhere...¡± Kalalin agonized, pulling at his hair. ¡°Let me think...¡± ¡°Boss, how¡¯s it going over there?¡± Cromwell¡¯s cautious voice echoed in his mind. The skeleton head understood that Lancelot was not in combat at the moment and so dared to communicate telepathically, ¡°A certain little bat is nearly dying of anxiety...¡± ¡°Things are not too bad here; the Dwarf is injured and has temporarily lost his combat ability,¡± Lancelot described the monster¡¯s appearance and attack methods to Cromwell. ¡°Do you know what this monster is?¡± ¡°A spider-like body with octopus-like tentacles? Can it use shadows to restrict its enemies¡¯ movements?¡± The skull¡¯s voice fell silent for a moment before he confidently said, ¡°I know now¡ªit¡¯s a Dark Weaver! Definitely that thing!¡± ¡°Dark Weaver?¡± Lancelot repeated instinctively, and Kalalin slapped his thigh and said: ¡°Yes, the Dark Weaver! Hey, Lancelot, how did you know?¡± ¡°I described the monster¡¯s characteristics to the skull head, and he recognized it,¡± Lancelot explained while anxiously staring in the direction where Divine Sense detected the monster. ¡°What are the characteristics of this Dark Weaver? How do we deal with it?¡± ¡°Light, it¡¯s all about light,¡± Kalalin declared decisively. ¡°This type of monster is shrouded in a shadow-formed armor that can negate most damage, and it can also use Shadow Jump to teleport instantaneously. If we don¡¯t disperse the shadows around it, it¡¯s nearly impossible to kill it.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 271: 265 Change of Strategy Chapter 271: Chapter 265 Change of Strategy ¡°What do we do now?¡± Elothysia spoke up, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that the enemy still has reinforcements. The conversation Little Isabella overheard suggested that the voice resembling the Mother of Demons mentioned sending someone to take Lilu away...¡± ¡°The Mother of Demons? Coming to take me?¡± The red-haired little girl in her arms was startled, ¡°What does that super, super, super big baddie want to do with me?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it said that Valasti loves to eat us kids the most? If he can resist eating us, it must be for something very important,¡± Dong Quan explained to his little companion, ¡°But there¡¯s no need to worry now. Sister Elothysia will definitely protect us!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Lilu looked up at the sister holding her and nodded firmly, then her face suddenly turned red, as if she was thinking about something. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The Succubus Paladin asked puzzled, ¡°Do you feel unwell?¡± ¡°No...it¡¯s nothing...¡± The little girl lowered her eyelids, but she couldn¡¯t help stealing a glance at a certain seductive part of the Succubus¡¯s upper body, ¡°Sister, you have such a nice figure. I...I just can¡¯t seem to grow at all...¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Lilu?¡± Aira, the boy behind Elothysia, was completely baffled, ¡°Isn¡¯t your figure also quite good? I haven¡¯t noticed you getting any chubbier lately...¡± ¡°Dong Quan is such a big dummy!¡± The little girl¡¯s face turned as red as her hair, and she buried her head tightly into Elothysia¡¯s body, no longer paying attention to her little friend with a face full of question marks. ¡°We really can¡¯t delay for too long,¡± Koula said from the side, ¡°Lancelot, can we use the teleportation emblem that Tijana gave us now? If not, let¡¯s head back to Twin Bridges Town first. We¡¯re quite familiar with this route; taking it again we should be able to speed up a lot...¡± Upon hearing this, Lancelot pulled out an emblem from his chest, which emanated the familiar magic fluctuations, indicating it had returned to normal. Simply by activating the spell on it, he could immediately see the beautiful face of the Succubus Lord. This thought was very tempting, but Lancelot resolutely resisted the idea. ¡°No, we can¡¯t leave Little Isabella and Cromwell here,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°One is a vampire and the other is a talking skeleton; the good forces here are unlikely to show much friendliness towards them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my potion is purely herbal, other than the name and effect, it has nothing to do with Giants.¡± Koula reassured, ¡°That color is because I added a bit of malt beer, as you know, to enhance...¡± The moment the Dwarf heard ¡®malt beer,¡¯ he didn¡¯t say another word and immediately twisted off the cap, gulping down the potion. ¡°Ah~~! Not bad, not bad, but this is nothing like ordinary malt beer...¡± Bruto moved his body again, ¡°I feel a bit stronger, but it¡¯s still far from my original state... That¡¯s right!¡± He rummaged through a regular mining gear backpack he was carrying and took out a pair of metal bracers that looked somewhat familiar. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve seen them somewhere before...¡± ¡°Remember that big gorilla named Kuka? That was the first mission Tijana gave us, and we incidentally saved this guy.¡± Bruto nodded towards the Scholar, ¡°These bracers originally fit on that gorilla¡¯s fingers. I had Kalalin appraise them before, and he said they could increase the wearer¡¯s strength. But since my strength was already quite formidable, they were of no use to me then...¡± The Dwarf put on the bracers, picked up his shield and hammer, and performed a few attacking and defending movements. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s about right, barely enough for the strength I had when I first met you,¡± the Dwarf told Lancelot with a grin, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s have another three hundred rounds with that stupid spider! I¡¯m determined to knock out its fangs!¡± ¡°Your condition hasn¡¯t fully recovered, don¡¯t push yourself,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°Just stay and protect our fragile spellcasters. Elothysia needs to look after the two children, she can¡¯t manage it all on her own. And to deal with that creature, we need more speed and agility. Koula, I need your help.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 272: 266: Breakout Attempt Chapter 272: Chapter 266: Breakout Attempt ¡°Has it gotten this bad already?¡± Koula sighed with a worried frown, ¡°It must really be a critical moment if the Halfling needs to step in. Tell me, what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Remember the battle we fought in the sewers and against that pile of corpses? I was impressed by your speed and agility.¡± Lancelot gave her an encouraging smile, ¡°You mentioned before that you have a bomb that creates a bright light, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Koula nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve decided to call it... the Flash Bomb.¡± ¡°How exactly does this flash... bomb work? What¡¯s its power like?¡± Lancelot asked seriously, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take as long to prepare as the Priest¡¯s Divine Arts, right...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not very long.¡± Alamir complained slightly, ¡°Just enough to cover your retreat...¡± ¡°Of course not. You simply rotate the cap clockwise for half a turn, and three seconds later it will burst out a lightning-like bright light, so make sure to throw it where you want it to light up within those three seconds.¡± Koula took out a small ceramic bottle from her bag, raising it to show everyone, ¡°As for the power, I can assure you from personal experience that if it explodes within twenty feet in front of you, for the next ten seconds, the only color in your vision will be pure white.¡± ¡°Sounds like the nemesis of creatures from the Shadow Realm.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°I need you to throw them about 10 feet away from the monsters, can you do that?¡± ¡°After drinking the Mutation Potion, I can do that,¡± Koula replied, looking somewhat haunted at Lancelot, ¡°but that means you¡¯ll have to...¡± ¡°Get almost up to the monster¡¯s face,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Who asked it to have such a big face? We should leave immediately, before the Mother of Demons¡¯ reinforcements arrive.¡± Koula sighed, pulling several colorful potions from her bag and drinking them one after the other like beverages. With each emptied bottle, her aura surged, and when the last bubbling, translucent potion was down, she was only a head shorter than Lancelot, with an aura even stronger than Bruto¡¯s normal state. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not used to seeing you guys from this angle.¡± Koula had a confident smile on her face, her voice even hoarse, a far cry from the previous shrill and thin pitch, ¡°I can¡¯t maintain this state for long, let¡¯s hurry.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The monster initiated another Shadow Jump, vanishing from the spot in an instant. It seemed as though Lancelot had landed a hit on the Dark Weaver¡¯s body, but the sharp sword blade had only sliced through the residual phantom the enemy had left behind. He inwardly sighed in disappointment, but his Divine Sense revealed the monster¡¯s new position, causing his expression to drastically change. Perhaps thinking that his companions were not strong enough, the enemy didn¡¯t retreat but instead moved closer, teleporting right next to them and launching two tentacles as thick as water barrels at them! ¡°Be careful!¡± Lancelot called out loudly to his companions, simultaneously rushing back with all his might. However, even with his fast movement technique, he clearly wouldn¡¯t make it in time to rescue them. Bruto, who should have been protecting his teammates, was still in a state of blindness and dizziness, completely unaware of the incoming attack. In that critical moment, Koula stepped forward. Having drunk the mutation potion, she exhibited a courage seldom seen in halflings. She drew the two daggers at her waist and, like a barbarian, leapt fearlessly toward one of the tentacles. The thick, black tentacle smashed into the halfling¡¯s crossed weapons, sending the two daggers and their owner flying. Koula¡¯s body slammed against a tree trunk, and she spat out a mouthful of blood, obviously severely injured. But she successfully blocked one of the tentacles, protecting the more vulnerable spellcasters. However, the monster¡¯s true target was still Elothysia, who was with her two children. Although it didn¡¯t understand why the succubus was present, in its mind, succubi were not demons skilled in combat. It planned to snatch the foolish female demon along with the two children she held, then use Shadow Jump to quickly exit the battlefield. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 273: 267: The Instinct of Hunger and Thirst Chapter 273: Chapter 267: The Instinct of Hunger and Thirst The Dark Weaver was complacently proud of its nimble response. What use was a Human Knight, no matter how strong? As long as there were shadows, no creature from the material plane could catch up to it, and these foolish beings always came bearing numerous liabilities, all excellent targets for attack. Often, the most formidable foes seemed invincible, but by merely killing their companions, one could drive them to the brink of collapse. They became reckless, impulsive, and lacked patience, appearing as though they wanted to swiftly enact their vengeance, but in reality, they were merely chasing self-destruction to end it all quickly, and Valasti knew these tricks all too well. As a Dark Weaver, Valasti was always hungry. Shortly after arriving in this realm, a chance encounter allowed it to consume a child of Aira. My, what a delicacy this world held! These upper-plane beings carried a flavor known as kindness and purity, and feeling their flesh turning into pus and being sucked into its belly brought Valasti an incomparable pleasure. Just now, its Troll servants had caught another Aira child, but it could not eat it because the old woman on the other end of the Spirit Mirror said she would take the prisoner away, driving the Dark Weaver¡¯s hunger to almost maddening levels. But this was the woman¡¯s domain, and she possessed the power to kill it easily. So no matter how intense Valasti¡¯s hunger was, it could only, and indeed must, strive with all its might to suppress this instinct. Yet, in its moment of helplessness and despair, someone came to rescue the Aira child, which infuriated it immensely. But soon it spotted an incredible situation: these fools even brought along another delectable Aira! All the beautiful memories of the taste of this creature¡¯s flesh could no longer be suppressed, and today it had to experience the sensation of its venomous fangs sinking into an Aira child!@@@@ As for the old woman... the old woman had only mentioned taking away the one with red hair. If she knew there were two children, would she demand the other one as well? Valasti did not want to know the answer to this question, so it decided not to ask. The Dark Weaver was absolutely confident about its strike. The Succubus was carrying one Aira child on her back and holding another in her arms; she seemed completely unable to escape from the tentacles reaching for her. It seemed today it might enjoy an additional dessert. As mentioned earlier, Valasti was always very hungry, so of course, it had tasted many of this realm¡¯s most common creatures¡ªDemons. The taste of most Demons was repulsive to it, with the Succubus being the sole exception. But at that moment, another source of light appeared. From the time the Flash Bomb exploded, only a few breaths had passed; it certainly wasn¡¯t enough time for a Priest to cast another Daylight Technique, but it was enough for him to grab his Hardhead Hammer. This Hammer of Dissolution, from the treasury of ¡®Necrophile¡¯ Molo who once enslaved the Elves, could illuminate the surroundings within a twenty-foot radius when held. This level of illumination wasn¡¯t very bright, but it was enough to disperse the shadows covering the front of the Dark Weaver. ¡°Fireball Technique!¡± As the Elf lifted his hammer, the Scholar also activated a scroll he had prepared for a long time. Mages cast spells much faster than Priests, not to mention that the Scholar was casting through a scroll, and most of the preparatory work for the stored spells had already been completed. Scholars only needed to channel magic power into the scroll, then activate the spell, a process that could be practiced¡ªas long as you were willing to waste precious scroll-making materials. Coincidentally, after going on several adventures with Lancelot, Kalalin suddenly discovered he was financially free, at least in terms of materials for practice casting, he no longer had to consider the cost. The magically created Fireball, though as large as a barrel, flew as fast as a Crossbow Arrow. The Dark Weaver couldn¡¯t dodge in time and was solidly hit by this Third Circle spell. The explosion of the Fireball released a bright light at the moment of impact, creating a dark shadow behind it. The creature from the Shadow Realm launched another Shadow Jump to escape, leaving only the burnt smell of roasted spider lingering in the air. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 274: 268 Critical Situation Chapter 274: Chapter 268 Critical Situation All this ended in the blink of an eye, and Lancelot had just run back to his companions. Seeing the threat temporarily relieved, he hurriedly helped Koula back to her feet. Even though the mutagen greatly enhanced the Halfling¡¯s physical attributes, it primarily boosted her agility and speed, not her resistance to impact. In the critical moment just now, Koula had no choice but to take a heavy hit from the thick tentacle, which sent her flying and seemingly broke two of her ribs, resulting in quite a serious injury.@@@@ Bruto had also recovered from his daze by this time, and the first thing he saw was the Halfling¡¯s seriously wounded state. The Dwarf pulled his shoulders in, pressing his lips together tightly, not uttering a single word, but he was well aware that it was his own string of mistakes that led to his companions getting hurt. This filled the proud young Dwarf with both self-reproach and anger. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t put on that face, you make it seem like I¡¯m already dead,¡± the Halfling said with a smile to the Dwarf, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m an Alchemist, you know? I even use healing potions to wash my face. You know what that means, right?¡± After speaking, the Halfling reached for her backpack, but the movement caused pain in her injured area, involuntarily bringing out a pained expression. Bruto didn¡¯t say a word, but stepped forward to help her take off the backpack and supported her back. ¡°Look at this, a healing potion!¡± Koula took out a bottle filled with red liquid from the backpack and introduced it cheerily to everyone. She then twisted off the cap, tilted her head back, and gulped down all of the potion. The potion took effect very quickly, and the Halfling¡¯s injuries visibly improved to a minor state. She stood up again, patted the Dwarf¡¯s shoulder (now Bruto was half a head shorter than she was), and said in a joking tone: ¡°Taking hits head-on really isn¡¯t pleasant. Next time, you do it. I prefer dealing with unguarded enemies that can¡¯t fight back.¡± Bruto nodded imperceptibly and then turned around, picking up his shield to keep watch over the surrounding darkness. ¡°Dwarves really are like rocks,¡± Koula said, spreading her hands to another female member of the team, who shrugged her wings and gave back a comforting smile. ¡°Little Isha just spotted them, twelve demons with large pincers, probably Seducers, coming from the northwest. They¡¯ll be at your location in about ten minutes.¡± ¡°Understood, make your way to me as fast as you can.¡± Seducers, the main force among middle rank demons, served as squad leaders in the Blood Battle Legion. Though Lancelot¡¯s power had grown substantially after Foundation Establishment, taking on two or three might not be a problem, but facing twelve all at once, coupled with the Dark Weaver¡¯s ability to restrict their movement, they stood no chance. It seemed he would need to use that emblem. Regardless of his reluctance, and how he might appear in Tijana¡¯s eyes, he knew which was more important¡ªthe lives of his companions or his own ego. In such a simple question, he knew the answer. Yet, he still had ten minutes. Lancelot decided to try once more. The monster probably didn¡¯t know that reinforcements were close, still leisurely playing their game of advance and retreat. When the effect of the Shadow Web manifested again, Lancelot committed all his strength without reserve, charging forward with the mindset of a desperate gambit. This sudden burst of speed startled not only the enemy but also his own teammates. Koula fumbled and threw the first Flash Bomb, but whether due to a rushed mistake or the unfortunate lot of a defective device, the ceramic bottle bounced twice on the ground, and nothing happened. Unable to wait for the expected blast, Lancelot pressed on regardless. Utilizing the momentum from his charge, his Frostslash sword glowed brilliantly blue as he fiercely struck at the enemy. Unexpectedly, the Dark Weaver, which had always managed to escape in time, now stayed in place, its movements marked by apparent panic. Lancelot¡¯s longsword easily sliced through the Weaver¡¯s defensive tendrils and penetrated the shadow barrier protecting its body, finally landing a solid and deep cut on the creature, leaving behind a significant wound. A rush of confidence surged through Lancelot, and he didn¡¯t pause for a moment, his longsword swiftly following up with a Horizontal Slash. However, at that moment, Koula¡¯s second Flash Bomb exploded. Amid the intense white light, the creature initiated another Shadow Jump to flee, leaving behind only a trail of grey blood hanging in the air, which vaporized and disappeared with the sudden onslaught of brightness. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 275: 269: Key to Defeating the Enemy Chapter 275: Chapter 269: Key to Defeating the Enemy As soon as the enemy broke off, Lancelot immediately returned to the team, guarding against the possibility of the monsters launching a surprise attack on his companions. ¡°What happened?¡± Elothysia noticed something unusual about Lancelot¡¯s strike this time, ¡°You seem to be... a bit anxious too?¡± ¡°Just now, Skullhead told me through the mind connection that Little Isa discovered suspected enemy reinforcements, twelve Seductive Demons, arriving in ten minutes,¡± Lancelot¡¯s tone revealed his urgency, ¡°Now... there are probably only eight minutes left.¡± The dire news inadvertently led everyone to exchange worried glances, fully aware of what twelve Seductive Demons implied. They had encountered these Demons before, and last time, when intercepting Elothysia¡¯s prison carriage, an Elf Priest even fought and won against a Seductive Demon. But at that time, he faced an individual who was severely wounded and on the brink of death. These Demons, when in good health, stood twice as tall as Lancelot, weighed up to 2000 pounds, and possessed crab-like giant pincers capable of snapping in half any prey they caught, making them outright killing machines. Two Seductive Demons could easily defeat anyone in the team except Lancelot, and twelve coming at once? They would stand no chance whatsoever. ¡°You¡¯re thinking about getting rid of the Dark Weaver that¡¯s holding us back before the enemy¡¯s reinforcements arrive?¡± Bruto spoke up, ¡°I thought I heard some different sounds just now, did you hit it?¡± ¡°Yes, but it still got away,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°If we can¡¯t deal with that creature soon, we¡¯ll have to head back to Twin Bridges Town first.¡± ¡°This damn spider, just like those damn cockroaches!¡± the Dwarf cursed under his breath, ¡°Every time the light comes on, it scurries away without a trace! If I could catch...¡± The Dwarf suddenly stopped talking because he noticed a very strange expression on Lancelot¡¯s face, as if he had just seen a toilet made of gold. ¡°What¡¯s with you now?¡± Bruto asked cautiously, ¡°Is Skullhead talking to you?¡± But the essence left by the Eye of Sarizdon created a realm of absolute darkness. Unless one had True Sight from a 6th level Magic ¡®True Knowledge Spell¡¯ or a similar effect, no mortal race could see through this darkness directly. However, thanks to his perception of the flow of nature¡¯s spiritual energy, Lancelot could clearly ¡®see¡¯ everything around him. As he had predicted, the arrival of darkness did not make the monster thrive; on the contrary, it appeared extremely panicked. It didn¡¯t manage to use Shadow Jump to escape, and the Shadow Armor that had enveloped its body also vanished. Lancelot had been wondering why the monster was sometimes incredibly fast, managing to escape from beneath his sword time after time, while at other times it seemed slow, getting ¡®accidentally¡¯ hit by his teammates¡¯ attacks. This peculiar feeling peaked a moment ago. Although his speed increased by thirty percent when he struck with all his might, given the Dark Weaver¡¯s demonstrated abilities, Lancelot had not harbored much hope. Yet, it was during this attack that he first solidly slashed the monster¡¯s body. What had caused this change? Had the enemy grown tired before him? Bruto¡¯s inadvertent complaint finally led him to understand the key point¡ªit was the light! Kalalin had already made it very clear before. The Dark Weaver was a master of manipulating shadows; shadows were its armor, its weapon, and the source of its magic power. While Koula¡¯s flash bomb did create bright light, it also produced intense shadows, which was why the monster¡¯s power surged and it played them for fools time and again. Valasti swung its thick tentacles in panic, smashing toward the direction from which the Human Knight was charging. Lancelot¡¯s hands danced with Frostslash, weaving a flurry of impenetrable sword aura around him. The tentacles, like sausages fed into a meat grinder, were instantly sliced to pieces, failing to obstruct the high-speed charge of the Human Knight. Reaching the monster, Lancelot swung his longsword. With just the enhancement of his True Yuan to his physical strength, he easily created a wound over five feet long on the monster¡¯s body. Then he leaped up, thrusting dozens of times mid-air, bursting all the revolting eyeballs on the upper half of the monster¡¯s body and using the rebound to climb higher into the air. Next, he drew the Giant Sword Glacier from his Dimensional Bag at his waist. The monster¡¯s spider-like body consisted of two uneven spheres of flesh, and the width of the connection between these two spheres was no more than five feet. The cyan Sword Aura shone again as Lancelot¡¯s great sword fell with his body, striking precisely at the ¡®thinnest¡¯ part of the monster¡¯s form. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 276: 270: Divine Artifact Special Ability Chapter 276: Chapter 270: Divine Artifact Special Ability The sharp sword blade met almost no resistance, and without the protection of the shadow armor, the body of the Dark Weaver was as fragile as a sausage, cleaved in two at the waist by Lancelot. Following that, he swung the great sword again, carving a ten-foot-long gash across the monster¡¯s body, from which a mass of gray blood and oddly shaped viscera spilled out, blanketing the lightless darkness. The former master of Plague Swamp let out a piercing shriek, the tentacles at its side twitching wildly like worms on a hot pan, depleting the last bit of strength from its broken body. In Lancelot¡¯s spirit perception, he could clearly sense the monster¡¯s life force rapidly dissipating, along with something else that, while intangible, was closer to the monster¡¯s ¡°essence.¡± Soul. Just then, a strong suction force suddenly emanated from Lancelot¡¯s wrist, the Dark Weaver¡¯s previously unconscious soul emitted its final scream before destruction, then transformed into a special energy, completely absorbed by the essence of the Eye of Sarezdon. Lancelot probed with his divine sense into the small black spot, instantly understanding that the essence of the divine artifact had gained a few new abilities. The first was the especially troublesome Shadow Web from before. As long as there were shadows around, he could use this ability to force all creatures within sixty feet to move only towards his position, or they would encounter great resistance. Another ability was to use shadows for instantaneous teleportation; with just a thought, he could traverse to a shadow nearby that was connected to his own, an admittedly very useful skill in combat... and for escaping. There was also the ability to gather shadows directly around himsef to form a cloak-like armor. In terms of protective ability, this ¡°Shadow Cloak¡± was much inferior to the Protective Sword Shield of the Qingyuan Sword Technique, but it could greatly conceal his figure, very useful in situations requiring stealth. Another godly skill for escaping. Of course, activating these abilities used not his own True Yuan, but the shadow force stored in the divine artifact¡¯s essence. This power automatically replenished in darkness, allowing Lancelot to activate the Shadow Web for up to ten minutes a day, or accumulate up to three hundred feet of Shadow Jumps. As for the Shadow Cloak, it could be maintained indefinitely unless it suffered an attack or was exposed to direct strong light. ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about being eaten by that creature anymore,¡± Elothysia said as she ruffled the red-haired little girl¡¯s hair, ¡°but this side of the river is still under the control of the Mother of Demons, and soon other villains will occupy this Miasma Swamp. Make sure not to wander off again.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The children nodded emphatically, the day¡¯s events leaving a profound lesson in their minds. The Succubus Paladin smiled slightly, about to say more, but then noticed the Human Knight¡¯s expression suddenly changing. ¡°Everybody, we need to retreat fast!¡± Lancelot said emphatically, ¡°Those Seducer Demons are very close to us now!¡± ¡°Damn! I almost forgot about this!¡± Dwarf cried out in alarm and was the first to run out. ¡°Bruto! Come back!¡± Koula shouted anxiously, ¡°The south is this way!¡± Everyone quickly moved towards the area with sparser moss. They all knew too well what would happen if the twelve Seducer Demons caught up with them, even Shuni the Priest didn¡¯t care about her own cleanliness anymore, sprinting through the mud-filled and puddled ground, and quickly becoming as disheveled as everyone else. It wasn¡¯t long before skeletons and little bats also joined their group. Lilu was seeing this bat-turned-lady for the first time, her eyes filled with curiosity. But just like Dong Quan, she knew it wasn¡¯t the time, so she had to hold back a barrage of questions inside her. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 277: 271 Chapter 277: 271 Lancelot no longer had the time to create the kind of vines that paved the way, allowing everyone to walk ¡®more dignified¡¯ across the muddy swamp. In fact, he was exerting all his strength to stimulate the True Yuan within his body, summoning huge vine walls behind him, attempting to create some obstacles for the pursuing demons. In his Spirit Perception, the succubi were less than three hundred feet away from them. Had it not been for the dense forests blocking the demons¡¯ line of sight, they would have surely been discovered by now. Lancelot realized that he had made a mistake earlier. When he killed the Dark Weaver, he should have cast a Soundproof Barrier first. The spider-octopus¡¯s scream before its death was too loud and had definitely been heard by the succubi. On the other side of the dense forest, the situation was just as he had predicted. The demons did not like staying close to their peers of similar strength. They despised one another and were always ready to fight to prove who was the boss. The twelve succubi were full of complaints before coming, each as an arrogant and conceited squad leader within the Demon Legion, looking down on everything. In their view, Miasma Swamp was just a remote corner of the demon-controlled areas. To escort a prisoner back from there, a few toads would have been more than enough. A whole dozen succubi? That was certainly making a mountain out of a molehill.@@@@ But they dared not question the decision of the Mother of Demons. So despite being filled with provocation, insults, and malicious curses along the way, they still followed orders to Valasti¡¯s territory, ready to confront the disgusting big spider that always looked at them with strange eyes. However, since entering this swamp forest, the environment hinted at something eerie. For example, they had not encountered the long-awaited troll patrol. When venting their killing desire, other creatures were ¡®disposable,¡¯ dying completely after being torn apart. In the search for the next venting target, demons had to endure a long period of boredom, but a troll with its rapid regeneration ability... having its head chopped off and then growing it back... The demons absolutely adored this race. If it had been any other demon in pursuit, Lancelot¡¯s magic might well have worked. However, succubi happened to have two huge, sharp pincers¡ªpincers that could easily snip flesh, so handling plants was naturally not a problem. Some powerful (and also wickedly playful) wizards indeed summon these demons to tend their botanical gardens. According to these wizards, the succubi¡¯s work efficiency was quite high¡ªonly their brains were a bit slow, and they never learned to distinguish weeds from valuable plants. The demons were certainly not stupid; in fact, they were very clever and had learned the benefits of feigning foolishness early on. Thus, while some wizards might feel their succubi¡¯s horticultural work was poorly done, others who were careless and negligent ended up as fertilizer in the gardens. These succubi brandished their pincers, a slight swipe sufficient to sever a multitude of vines, easily destroying the obstacles Lancelot had heavily relied upon, merely causing a slight delay to the pursuit. The demons did not know the actual situation of the team that killed Valasti, but since the enemy was evidently fleeing, this provided the demons with sufficient confidence. According to demon logic, the enemy¡¯s strength must be inferior to theirs; otherwise, why would they run? Lancelot was well aware of all this, and what was worse, although everyone was speeding up as much as possible, the enemy was nearly a third faster. Although in another ten minutes maximum, they would leave this dense forest swamp, they would undoubtedly be caught before then. ¡°Lancelot, something¡¯s not right?¡± Kalalin had been watching Lancelot¡¯s expression closely. The Human Knight was undoubtedly the linchpin of the team, his myriad of miraculous abilities key to their repeated escapes from desperate situations. ¡°We have at most three minutes before the enemy catches up to us,¡± said Lancelot grimly. He glanced at the two children on the Succubus Paladin and, gritting his teeth, continued, ¡°This won¡¯t do. I¡¯ll stay behind to cover our retreat while you all escape.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 278: 272: Covering the Rear Chapter 278: Chapter 272: Covering the Rear ¡°How can this work?¡± ¡°You¡¯re definitely not a match for them. If we leave, we leave together!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a few Giant Claw Demons, let¡¯s fight them!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time to discuss this, this is the only way,¡± Lancelot insisted. ¡°I definitely can¡¯t handle that group of enemies, but they won¡¯t catch me easily either.¡± ¡°Brother, I¡¯m not going!¡± Unexpectedly, Little Elothysia suddenly spoke up, ¡°In an emergency, I can hide in the Dimensional Bag. Also, Kalalin, big brother, turn me into Lilu¡¯s form!¡±@@@@ As soon as Little Elothysia¡¯s words were out, everyone cast surprised glances at the young girl. They realized she had pointed out a key issue: the Demons were chasing Lilu, not Lancelot. Just by himself, a Human Knight could probably only hold off four or five Succubi at most, and once the enemies divided their forces, everyone would immediately find themselves in an awkward situation, fighting individually. But if Little Elothysia could transform into Lilu¡¯s form, then he would have the bait for fishing. Lancelot wouldn¡¯t even need to actively engage the Demons in battle. Just by holding Little Elothysia and showing her off under the enemy¡¯s nose, the opponents would definitely rush at him with all their might, and that would provide the perfect cover for the others to retreat. ¡°I haven¡¯t mastered the Transfiguration magic yet. It¡¯s a Fourth Circle spell, beyond my casting ability...¡± Kalalin said apologetically, deeply sorry for his inadequacy, ¡°But with a simple Illusion Technique, I can change your hair to the same color as Lilu¡¯s, which should also deceive those Succubi... Lancelot, what do you think?¡± ¡°Good,¡± Lancelot immediately nodded in agreement. Little Elothysia made a lot of sense, and there wasn¡¯t time to dawdle. ¡°Lilu, I need one of your hairs.¡± The Scholar spoke to the Succubus Paladin who was holding the young girl, who immediately pulled out one of her own hairs. Kalalin stopped walking, steadied himself, and unfolded a small scroll. The activated magic turned the strand of hair into a red halo. Then, Kalalin gently blew it onto Little Elothysia¡¯s hair, turning her light golden hair the exact same color as Lilu¡¯s. Although Little Elothysia was still significantly taller than the two children of Aira, her petite figure and fairy-like appearance strongly resembled Aira, making it hard to tell them apart at first glance. ¡°Very good.¡± Lancelot grabbed Little Elothysia into his arms, the girl¡¯s face looked flushed; it was hard to tell if it was because of the hair color, ¡°You all hurry and go. If we don¡¯t catch up, don¡¯t stop, send the two kids back first, we¡¯ll come find you.¡± ¡°You must come!¡± Dong Quan said with tearful eyes, ¡°Go west after crossing the river. We¡¯ll be waiting for you in Melanthan¡¯s Grand Garden!¡± After several practices and adjustments to the position of the Dimensional Bag, Lancelot and Emma could now get her into the bag within one second, filling the Human Knight with confidence for the upcoming actions. With the Demons yet to appear, Lancelot didn¡¯t stay put. He picked up Emma and turned back the way they had come. After running a distance, he suddenly stopped in front of a wall of vines he had summoned earlier. From behind the vine wall, two distant sharp horns suddenly protruded and quickly snapped together, forming a pair of tightly clamping pincers. Then another set of pincers stretched out from the gap, pulling both left and right, tearing a huge hole in the seemingly tough vine wall. Behind that hole, a giant demon head looked somewhat bewildered at the Human Knight in front of it, who looked equally startled, as if a tourist who had wandered into someone else¡¯s bathhouse by mistake and was praying for a miracle to vanish into thin air. And in his arms, he was tightly holding a little girl with red hair. A little girl with red hair? The Human Knight let out a strange cry, turned, and ran in the other direction, while the demon immediately shouted to its companions: ¡°Hurry over! The child is here, don¡¯t let them escape!¡± By virtue of his not-so-skillful acting, Lancelot¡¯s plan worked as anticipated. Sensing all of the enticing demons chasing after him, his comrades swiftly moved away in the opposite direction. Lancelot fully utilized the movement technique he had cultivated from the small bamboo slips, darting through the dense forest like a nimble reindeer, unfazed by the muddy ground. Strangely, however, the enemy¡¯s speed had significantly increased, rapidly closing in on Lancelot. The noise from behind startled him, and he turned his head to look back, nearly dropped his jaw in shock. Those enormous demons, over twelve feet tall and weighing around two thousand pounds, were actually flying! COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 279: 273: Fleeing in Embarrassment Chapter 279: Chapter 273: Fleeing in Embarrassment This might be the weirdest scene Lancelot had ever witnessed. The seducing demons had heads like leopards, a pair of huge arms resembling lobster claws, a pair of smaller arms like those of humanoid creatures, and backward-bending legs similar to a goat¡¯s¡ªthey just didn¡¯t have wing-like appendages. Yet, oddly enough, they were flying behind Lancelot at that moment, like a flock of water birds poised to hunt their prey. In fact, the innate spell-casting ability of the seducing demons allowed them to cast the Flight Spell once a day. Since the spell only lasted ten minutes, they would not easily use this spell before spotting their prey.@@@@ Although Lancelot, running on the ground, was extremely agile in his movement technique, the flying seducing demons took advantage of their weight to forcibly clear the dense branches in midair, allowing them to move in a straight line. As a result, the distance between them continued to shrink. Seeing this, Lancelot began to make sharp changes in direction incessantly, trying to shake off the enemies behind him. Although he was not familiar with this swamp, he could still roughly sense where the dangers lay and which paths led to a dead end. The more the seducing demons chased, the more amazed they felt. Could the one below really be a human knight in heavy armor? He was running too fast! Demons are not creatures of great patience. On any other occasion, they would have given up the chase long ago, but the red-haired girl in the human knight¡¯s arms was like a red cloth in a matador¡¯s hands, continuously taunting the nerves of these wild beasts. She was the captive ordered by the Mother of Demons to be brought back. If they returned empty-handed, it was certain that some heads of seducing demons would roll across the floor of the Bone Castle. Would the Mother of Demons kill them all to vent her anger? No, she would most likely pick one or two unluckies, but who could assure they wouldn¡¯t be the unlucky ones? Upon realizing that they wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up with this slippery ¡®rat¡¯ within the effective time of the Flight Spell, the seducing demons used their most powerful magical ability. As Lancelot was frantically running, he only heard a single word uttered from the mouth of the nearest demon, followed by a fearsome energy directly assaulting his Sea of Consciousness. This was the Eighth Circle spell, Commanding Word of Intimidation, which the seducing demons could use once a day. This powerful magic had no lengthy casting process, only requiring the utterance of one potent word to shock an opponent within the caster¡¯s view into a state of intimidation by overwhelming their will, making it very hard to resist. Nearly all middle rank demons would be affected by this spell, let alone ordinary human adventurers. The little girl, Isa, fared even worse. Commanding Shock was a magic that targeted through sight, and Lancelot¡¯s movement technique was too unpredictable, while the girl¡¯s bright red hair made her very conspicuous amidst high-speed movement, inadvertently drawing the attention of the demons. Vampires didn¡¯t have protective treasures like the small bamboo slip, and Isa was inevitably affected. Her gaze completely lost focus, her body stiffened as if in shock, but fortunately, it was a controlling Technique and didn¡¯t cause actual harm. Otherwise, the vampire might have been blasted into a mist by now. Another Commanding Shock came, and still, it couldn¡¯t break through the green light of the protective barrier produced by the small bamboo slip, but the shockwave was enough to make Lancelot taste blood in his throat, and he couldn¡¯t hold back a mouthful of blood, spraying it all over the girl¡¯s face in his arms. The scent of fresh blood triggered the vampire¡¯s instincts, and Isa, without thinking, extended her tongue to lick the blood near her mouth. So sweet was the taste, so rich the power it contained, that she snapped back to her senses instantly. She felt her face was wet and instinctively withdrew one hand that had been wrapping around Lancelot¡¯s neck, wiping her face with it. ¡°Ah!¡± The sight of her blood-covered hand startled the young girl into screaming. Her brother was bleeding? Could it be a severe injury? The blood smelled so good, and now that it was already out, it couldn¡¯t go to waste... Without thinking, Isa licked her fingers, the sweet taste blanking her mind momentarily, completely overtaken by a ravenous hunger. By the time she realized what she had done, her palms and cheeks were licked clean. The girl¡¯s face turned even redder than her hair in an instant. What was she doing? He hadn¡¯t noticed, had he? She really was a wicked, shameless woman¡ªwould he come to hate her for this... COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 280: 274: Mockery Chapter 280: Chapter 274: Mockery Lancelot certainly didn¡¯t care about that; his blood, rich in Spiritual Power, if spilled on the ground, might even sprout some heavenly treasures. It was a case of making the best of waste if his little Vampires could lick it clean. What did the bamboo slips about Spiritual Cultivation say again? ¡°Don¡¯t let the rich water flow into others¡¯ fields.¡± The good news was that this seemed to be the last command that shocked him, and Lancelot had finally freed himself from the groggy state. Moreover, he had dragged on the time long enough, one by one, the Demons¡¯ Flight Spells began to fail. The bad news was that while he ran around like a headless fly, the enemy had already completed their encirclement. Lancelot had just taken a few steps forward when he immediately retreated. In front of him, three Tempting Demons smirked as they walked out from behind the tree trunks, completely blocking his escape route. Lancelot found himself in the middle of a small clearing within the dense forest, surrounded on all sides by the massive figures of Demons. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you running, pest?¡± the largest of the Tempting Demons said with an evil grin, ¡°Why do you want to save this child? Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s a bit young for you? Or is it that you like this type, the pitiful and helpless look beneath you brings you endless pleasure? Or is it that your thing isn¡¯t much thicker than a twig, and only facing a child doesn¡¯t trigger your inferiority complex?¡± ¡°You¡¯re even more disgusting than I thought, Demon,¡± since the opponent was not in a hurry to do anything, Lancelot was naturally willing to drag out the time a bit longer. He glanced at the Demon¡¯s crotch where there was nothing at all. ¡°Could it be because you completely lack the equipment to do the job, so you end up being so twisted?¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry about it, when needed, I can conjure it at any time, and I assure you, it certainly can go in the bottom hole and come out the top hole, that¡¯s my signature move,¡± the Tempting Demon said nonchalantly, causing its companions to laugh out loud. ¡°Now, you have two options. The first is to keep resisting, but it will be meaningless. We will capture you, torment you, torture you, and finally eat you. Which do you prefer, steamed, fried, or raw? Based on my experience, frying is the most suitable cooking method for humans; your meat is just too stinky,¡± one of them taunted. Laughter erupted from the other Tempter demons; they always enjoyed seeing a comrade embarrassed and never hid this in front of an enemy. ¡°Roar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± The ridiculed Tempter demon let out a furious roar, ¡°Your time of death has come, human! I will pull out your tongue and strangle you to death with it!¡± ¡°Ha, we¡¯re not planning to experience that kind of pain,¡± Lancelot gently patted little Esha¡¯s back, then opened his palm, pinching a ceramic little bottle, ¡°See this? It¡¯s a powerful bomb that will blast us to bits, leaving nothing behind, and we won¡¯t feel any pain at all, no matter if it¡¯s you or the Mother of Demons, none of you can torment us!¡± ¡°Not good!¡± ¡°Quick, stop him!¡± ¡°Act now!¡± Cries of alarm rose one after another as demons rushed towards Lancelot, but he had already thrown the small pot at his feet, unintentionally drawing the attention of the demons, their gazes all focused on the ¡®bomb¡¯. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 281: 275 The scam Chapter 281: Chapter 275 The scam A fierce light burst from that small clay bottle, blinding all the enticing demons instantly with its brilliance. At the same time, a loud bang echoed in their ears. The demons, stricken with fear, threw themselves backward, dodging the violent explosion they imagined was coming. Mud splattered on them as the ground undulated like the surface of a lake swept by a fierce wind. It took quite some time before the enticing demons recovered their vision. They lifted their heads and discovered that where the human knight had stood, there was now a large pit, and the prisoner the Abyssal Lord had ordered them to bring back had vanished without a trace. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, you idiot! It¡¯s because of you that we couldn¡¯t bring back the child!¡± ¡°Exactly! It¡¯s your responsibility, and we will report today¡¯s situation ¡®verbatim¡¯...¡± ¡°Prepare for Lord Cang Ye¡¯s wrath!¡± ... The already fragile unity among the demons quickly crumbled. They started arguing over who should bear the responsibility for the failure, but unlike the trip there, there was no common goal to distract them now. Without a doubt, the quarrel would soon escalate into a brawl, and probably only half of the enticing demons would survive and make it back to Bone Castle, pinning the blame for the failure entirely on their dead companions. But none of these matters concerned the human knight who had made a miraculous escape anymore. Hundreds of feet away from the ¡®explosion¡¯ center, Lancelot was sprinting through the dense forest, his peculiar form gliding past like a wisp of blue smoke. ¡°Wow! Have we already escaped? That¡¯s so great!¡± Little Isa looked around and finally relaxed completely. Despite her great confidence in Lancelot, the young girl was genuinely scared that the next hand to reach in might not be Lancelot¡¯s. ¡°Hm, the plan was a success, and you cooperated very well,¡± Lancelot said, smiling as he pattered the little girl¡¯s head, ¡°I pulled you out just to reassure you. We¡¯re about to leave this dense forest, and it¡¯s daytime right now; you should go back into the bag and rest for now. You can come out again tonight.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna...¡± Little Isa pouted, ¡°I want to stay outside a little longer, let¡¯s go back when we reach the edge of the dense forest...¡± ¡°Uh... alright then,¡± Lancelot thought for a moment and felt it should be relatively safe, so he nodded. ¡°Bruto and the others should have gone quite far by now, but we should be safe after crossing the river, so there¡¯s no need to rush after them.¡± The two of them moved through the dense forest calmly but in entirely different states. Lancelot walked as if he were a noble lord strolling after dinner, leisurely striding across the muddy swamp as though he was in the garden of his own castle. Whereas little Isa was like a... puppy full of curiosity about the world, darting around Lancelot, exploring every corner that caught her attention. Gradually, the tree canopy above began to thin, and occasionally a slender ray of sunlight would make its way through the leaves¡¯ gaps. If an inattentive little vampire touched it, she would let out a cry of pain as if scalded by hot water. ¡°How can you be so careless?¡± Lancelot shook his head and draped a piece of Shadow Armor over little Isa. Although this thing also feared sunlight, it could at least block it a bit, preventing her from, without a care, turning herself into a pile of ashes, which would be too embarrassing for a vampire. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 282: 276 Land of Hope Chapter 282: Chapter 276 Land of Hope Happy times are always fleeting, and about half an hour later, the two arrived at the edge of the Miasma Swamp. There seemed to be an invisible boundary line on the ground, separating the dense forest and the grassland. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to go back,¡± Lancelot patted little Esha on the head. Although still in the shadows, the little girl¡¯s spirit was very low, as if the destructive power contained in the sunlight was going to make her collapse. ¡°I really miss the feeling of basking in the sun,¡± the girl said with a look of fear and nostalgia, then regretfully shook her head, and with a poof, she transformed into a small bat and slipped into the Human Knight¡¯s Dimensional Bag at his waist. ¡°I will find a way, don¡¯t worry.¡± Although the other party could no longer hear him, Lancelot still spoke the words, sounding more like a reminder to himself. Then he took a step forward, leaving the Miasma Swamp, which he had greatly disturbed, behind him. If judged by the standards of the Prime Material Plane, the ground beneath his feet was very desolate, but it was much better compared to the Plains of the Abyss or the Great Abyss. Sparse weeds dotted the ground, and the soil was not the kind of hard clods that had been baked and cracked by the sun, which made Lancelot even more curious about what a region belonging to the good side would look like. Continuing to walk less than a mile forward, the Human Knight came upon a wide river, the very Hoffenstan River that splits this plane in two. The water was a deep blue, as pure as that of the sea, and Lancelot sensed various weak animal presences in the river, likely ordinary fish and shrimp, a sharp contrast to the Stygian River, which was always filled with death and decay. According to the knowledge inherited from the High Priest of the Elves, Hofenstan in the ancient elven language means ¡®Land of Hope,¡¯ and from the Human Knight¡¯s current position, the river¡¯s opposite bank with its lush green grass and the scene brimming with vitality indeed gave a hopeful feeling.@@@@ Lancelot was not sure how his companions had crossed the river, but naturally, this was no problem for him. With a slight concentration of True Yuan in his feet, he simply walked forward. This difference was hard to put into words. To give an imperfect example, magic was like a childhood game: with a few matchsticks arranged into numbers and symbols, moving one or two matchsticks could completely change their meaning. On the other hand, the technique of a Spiritual Cultivator was more like... taking out a handful of ground wood chips, with the shape you wanted to arrange them into entirely up to you. Each method had its own advantages and disadvantages. The Arcane method of ¡®moving matchsticks¡¯ was more stable, but it required the Spellcaster to accurately remember the method of ¡®moving matchsticks¡¯; any small error could lead to serious casting accidents. Moreover, if one inherently lacked the ability to ¡®move matchsticks,¡¯ like Kalalin, they could only resort to tools such as scrolls and Magic Wands to cast spells. As for the way of the Spiritual Cultivators, it seemed to be a method closer to ¡®Tao¡¯? ¡®Tao¡¯ was also a concept mentioned in the little bamboo slips, and its specific meaning was difficult to describe in words. It could refer to ¡®the Essence of all things¡¯ as well as ¡®the rules of the universe.¡¯ Han Tianzun clearly stated in his treatise on Spiritual Cultivation that such a semi-understanding of ¡®Tao¡¯ was entirely normal, and in a sense, Spiritual Cultivation itself was an ongoing process of exploring the Essence of the ¡®Tao¡¯. These words, although not particularly helpful in Lancelot¡¯s understanding of ¡®Tao,¡¯ at least reassured him with the fact that even an individual as powerful as Han Tianzun had not fully grasped the meaning of ¡®Tao.¡¯ Therefore, as a small Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage, he needn¡¯t be troubled by his inability to comprehend what ¡®Tao¡¯ was. As a flash of white light passed, the awe-inspiring Demon warhorse appeared once again before Lancelot. It instinctively tried to bite the creature that dared to summon it, but a punch squarely to the face made the beast quickly realize the situation at hand. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 283: 277 Not Bad Chapter 283: Chapter 277 Not Bad ¡°Long time no see, you¡¯ve grown quite impressive,¡± Lancelot appraised the muscular Nightmare, noting several fresh scars. ¡°What happened to you? Got too big and decided to play king?¡± The Nightmare whimpered plaintively and drooped its eyelids as if to say ¡®they started it first.¡¯ Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but laugh heartily at the creature¡¯s expressive antics, gently stroking its forehead. This was a gesture designed to deepen the bond between a knight and his steed, and the Nightmare seemed to enjoy the attention. After a heartfelt exchange with his mount, Lancelot mounted up, but after just a few steps, he pulled on the reins again. The Nightmare looked back in confusion, and Lancelot gestured for it to look down at its hooves.@@@@ Flames blazed around the hooves of the demonic horse, charring the ground wherever it trod. The Nightmare turned its innocent gaze back to Lancelot, who smacked it with a slap. ¡°You need to be environmentally conscious, understand?¡± Lancelot glared at his steed, ¡°Put out the flames on your hooves, now.¡± The demonic horse let out an even more pitiful whine, as if Lancelot had made an unreasonable request. But his unwavering gaze intimidated the Nightmare, making it feel that if it didn¡¯t comply immediately, this human might just jump off and chop off all four of its hooves. Under Lancelot¡¯s watchful eye, the flames beneath the Nightmare¡¯s hooves extinguished. Its hooves remained hot, and the grass it had trodden on turned noticeably yellow and curled, but at least it wouldn¡¯t leave a trail of small flames across the ground. Such a sight was much too reminiscent of a villain¡¯s entrance, which, while earning it some respect in most layers of the Abyss, wouldn¡¯t fly south of the Hoffenstan River. Lancelot let his thoughts wander aimlessly as he reveled in the thrill of galloping on horseback. He hadn¡¯t relaxed like this in a long time, and the scenery here was truly fantastic. The demon steed beneath him seemed to share his mood at the moment, running wildly as if it were a passing Whirlwind. Perhaps Nightmare was running a bit too fast; before Lancelot had his fill of riding, his Spirit Perception sensed Bruto and the others¡¯ presence. He turned his horse around and rode towards his companions, soon spotting the others. ¡°Yo! Lancelot!¡± Bruto, sitting astride an Elves¡¯ chestnut steed, greeted him with a cheerful laugh, ¡°Not bad, eh? Arms and legs all intact¡ªI can rest easy now.¡± The rest pulled their reins and gathered around Lancelot. Kalalin was riding a Nightmare too, though compared to Lancelot¡¯s mount, it was practically a goat, with Cromwell and his skull attire following behind; the Succubus Paladin still rode her majestic Heavy Armor warhorse, with two excited Aira children in front and the Halfling chef behind. Their mounts were clearly well acquainted with Lancelot¡¯s Nightmare, greeting each other enthusiastically with the exchange of spit. ¡°Where¡¯s Little Eisha? She all right?¡± Elothysia, noticing one figure was missing, asked with concern. ¡°Of course she¡¯s fine. The sun is too strong right now, we¡¯ll let her out tonight,¡± Lancelot was equally pleased to see all of his companions unharmed, ¡°Dong Quan, where are we now, and how much farther to your home?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 284: 278: Red Flame Angel Chapter 284: Chapter 278: Red Flame Angel ¡°Hmm, just a bit further and we¡¯ll see the Bedivere-Gian Forest, and beyond it is Edoton¡¯s Blessing, home of Lilu and me.¡± Dong Quan said with a giggle, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to tell my friends all about this adventure!¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be a lesson?¡± Elothysia said with a slightly reproachful tone, ¡°If we hadn¡¯t come by, you two could have lost your lives, or even encountered something worse than death.¡± ¡°Something worse than death?¡± Lilu turned curiously, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Uh, just some really scary stuff!¡± the Succubus Paladin said with an awkward expression, apparently not wanting to appear too knowledgeable, ¡°Do you still remember how those stinky, dirty Trolls treated you? In any case, good kids shouldn¡¯t wander off, got it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± the two Aira children nodded vigorously, their faces showing a scared expression. Children are like that; they may not take in the reasoning, but a memorable beating can still make them remember some lessons. The group continued on, and it wasn¡¯t long before a lush oak forest appeared ahead. Lancelot looked up to see dappled shadows among which a gentle mist swirled, mysterious magical glimmers lit up deep in the woods intermittently, and faint music seemed to stealthily enter their ears, sounding both like someone plucking a harp and like the tinkling of a creek. ¡°Wow, this place looks nice,¡± Alamir said in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s exactly my ideal...¡± Before he could finish his sentence, a javelin suddenly whistled through the air towards them. Lancelot, quick as lightning, drew Frostslash and deflected the javelin aside. ¡°An enemy?!¡± Bruto tumbled off the horse, immediately shielding his body with his shield, swiftly putting on the helmet hanging behind his neck, and then cautiously peeking out from behind the shield to search for the enemy. The reactions of the others were similar; everyone quickly entered combat mode, everyone except Lancelot. ¡°Is this how you welcome guests?¡± he shouted towards the direction of the forest, easily discerning the attacker¡¯s identity from the emitted aura, but the Human Knight believed there must be some misunderstanding. ¡°Let those two children go!¡± ¡°Absolutely correct,¡± the Dwarf had already slung his shield and armor back on, and said with his arms crossed. ¡°And you killed Valasti, that demon lurking in the Miasma Swamp?¡± ¡°To be precise, it was a Dark Weaver, a creature from the shadowy plane that looks like a combination of a spider and an octopus,¡± Kalalin explained, ¡°The last time we saw it, it was chopped into two pieces, as dead as can be.¡± ¡°And then you escaped from a pursuit of twelve Seducers, personally sent by the Mother of Demons?¡± ¡°Indeed there were twelve Seducers, but the part about the Mother of Demons is just speculation,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°I successfully misled those creatures into believing their mission had failed.¡± ¡°And you, not only did you save Dong Quan¡¯s life, but also...¡± the Flame Angel looked at Elothysia, swallowing hard, ¡°in the Queen¡¯s name, you¡¯re not only a kind succubus but also a Paladin?¡± ¡°My name is Elothysia,¡± the succubus elegantly curtsied on horseback, ¡°at your service.¡± ¡°You sure ask a lot of questions,¡± Bruto remarked displeasedly, ¡°I¡¯m still waiting for your apology.¡± ¡°If things are as you say, then I do owe you an apology,¡± the Aira named Cumberland bowed deeply, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, but this... this is truly incredible, I initially thought...¡± ¡°That we kidnapped these two kids?¡± the Dwarf interjected rudely, ¡°Please, can¡¯t you at least tell their hands aren¡¯t tied? If it weren¡¯t for my brother¡¯s deft skills, someone really might have gotten hurt by your javelin, and then I¡¯d have to be pulling my hammer out of your face.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 285: 289 Misunderstanding Resolved Chapter 285: Chapter 289 Misunderstanding Resolved ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I indeed acted too hastily,¡± Cumberland didn¡¯t retort, but instead bowed deeply to the crowd again, ¡°I truly appreciate that you saved these two children. After they went missing, everyone was desperate, unable to find them anywhere. We feared the worst had happened, and Miss Elothysia... ¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, you are not the first one who attacked me on sight,¡± Elothysia said with a generous smile, ¡°We came from the Great Abyss... ¡± ¡°Ah!!!! Demons!!! Die!!!!¡± Accompanied by the sudden shout, dozens of warriors emerged from the depths of the woods. They all had flame-colored hair, gleaming eyes, and were tightly holding javelins, ready to throw them at Lancelot and his companions. ¡°Stop, stop, stop! Cease fire!¡± Cumberland hastily called out to stop them, but still, several javelins were thrown. Fortunately, the battle cries of the red-haired angels allowed everyone to be on guard and Lancelot easily deflected two, while another thudded into the Dwarf¡¯s shield. The newcomers, known as Airas, looked at Cumberland with confusion. They quickly noticed Lilu and Dong Quan standing right next to him, and puzzled expressions appeared on everyone¡¯s faces. ¡°Cumberland, what¡¯s all this about?¡± a tall, muscular, bare-chested, red-haired angel with short hair asked. Scars covered his skin, clearly reflecting a warrior weathered by countless battles. ¡°Captain Colin, you¡¯ve come as well?¡± Cumberland hurried forward, ¡°What I¡¯m about to say might seem unbelievable, in fact, I¡¯m still in shock... ¡± Lancelot and his companions stood quietly to the side, listening as Cumberland recounted what they had previously told him. Once he finished, all the Airas¡¯ faces showed disbelief, and the muscular, scarred man, Colin, spoke uncertainly to the crowd, ¡°Let me explain,¡± Lancelot spoke up, ¡°As you can see, she is a demon who has been redeemed. As for the specific process of her redemption, it would be better for her to explain that herself at the appropriate time. After becoming a Paladin, she has remained in the material plane, aiding good people in their fight against demonic invasions.¡± ¡°You can imagine how much the demons, especially her former masters, despise her. Despite avoiding numerous assassination attempts, the demons eventually triumphed. Tanari was able to resurrect in the Abyss after being killed on the material plane, and many who cared for her organized a rescue mission to save her from a fate of being offered as a sacrifice on a nefarious altar surrounded by the twelve trees.¡± ¡°Since Elothysia resurrected in the Abyss, she cannot leave this plane for ninety-nine years. Additionally, with her identity as a Paladin, there is almost no place for her to stand in the Abyss. After discussion, we concluded that the best place for her would be Androlina, where she can continue to fight for goodness and against evil¡ªand believe me, you will soon feel fortunate to have such an outstanding Paladin companion.¡± After Lancelot finished speaking, the scene turned exceptionally quiet, with only the occasional breeze reminding people that time was still passing. ¡°Any other questions?¡± the Human Knight asked again, his tone showing no sign of impatience. ¡°Your tale is indeed very inspiring, please allow me to apologize once again for our prior actions,¡± Colin said earnestly, bowing once more. Lancelot found he was beginning to like this robust, polite race that was quick to correct its mistakes. ¡°If you want to join the ranks of the Protectors, you have to go to Melanthan, where the assembly of Protectors takes place, and the Generals there will decide whether to accept you,¡± Colin said, his expression turning serious, ¡°But I have to warn you, not everyone will easily accept a Succubus as a member of the Protectors, some might even show severe hostility...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I am no stranger to such situations,¡± Elothysia smiled, ¡°At least our previous misunderstanding has been cleared up. Hopefully, the next time we meet, you will consider me a friend.¡± ¡°Hopefully,¡± Colin nodded, turning to his companions, ¡°Bridge, Robin, Green, Gilbert, and Cumberland, you few go with them to Melanthan, explain the situation to the Generals, and while you¡¯re at it, escort these two little troublemakers back to their home gifted by Aidoton.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 286: 290: Aidontons Gift Chapter 286: Chapter 290: Aidonton¡¯s Gift ¡°Alright,¡± Lancelot nodded in agreement. The other party claimed they were going to explain the situation to the generals, but more likely, they wanted to keep an eye on him and his companions. He could understand that; after all, Elothysia was a Succubus Paladin, and it was impossible to gain complete trust from a few words alone. If he were in their shoes, he wouldn¡¯t feel at ease allowing two children to follow a group of such strange outsiders either. ¡°Yay!¡± Dong Quan and Lilu let out a cheer, about to run into the depths of the forest, but then, suddenly remembering something, they looked at the captain of the red flame angels with eyes full of anticipation, as if waiting for some kind of permission. ¡°You know the rules,¡± Colin stated sternly, ¡°The Holy Forest does not allow outsiders to enter... especially you little devils!¡± ¡°Wuwuwu...¡± The two little ones pouted and, under the surprised gazes of the other Airas, fluttered their wings and flew back onto Elothysia¡¯s warhorse. Lancelot noticed that Dong Quan was sitting at the very front, followed by Lilu, with the Succubus Paladin behind. He quietly smirked; it seemed the rumors were true. The treaty that bound these Aira children to this plane made it so they could not grow up, with their minds also remaining eternally child-like. ¡°I am very sorry, but indeed, only members of the Protectors are allowed to enter the Holy Forest,¡± the short-haired red flame angel explained to Lancelot, ¡°You¡¯ll need to take a slight detour, but I guarantee it¡¯s less than a quarter of the distance longer. You all have mounts...¡± It was at this point that he noticed what Lancelot and Kalalin¡¯s ¡®horses¡¯ looked like. Though these horses bore similar flame-like ¡®hair¡¯ to his own, it clearly indicated one fact: They were Nightmares, creatures that typically served only the most powerful beings of evil, such as Demon Lords, Archduke Demons, Death Knights, or Undead Liches. ¡°Uh, we got them through the summoning mounts spell, mostly related to the plane we were on when casting the spell...¡± Lancelot explained somewhat awkwardly, ¡°These guys were indeed very aggressive at first, but after I gave them a good beating, they became much more docile...¡± Lancelot¡¯s voice trailed off unconsciously. From the other¡¯s gaze, although he had no such intention, the likelihood of becoming a Protector himself had now diminished to the point of being negligible. As a former leader of the Knight¡¯s order, Lancelot immediately noticed the condition of the Succubus¡¯s mount. Warhorses are creatures with a great tolerance for pain; if their masters require it, they can keep galloping until they completely burn out their lives, and those unfamiliar with horses might not even notice anything amiss. But this was not a time of urgency, and there was no real point in winning a speed contest against the Angels of red flame. Though the demon steed underneath him seemed a bit unconvinced, Lancelot still tightened the reins, slowing down to a more appropriate pace. Long journeys are often boring, especially in relatively safe environments where goblins or were-beasts won¡¯t suddenly jump out to entertain them along the roadside. But this time, it was slightly different¡ªtwo curious Aira children had a whole host of questions pent up, and Lancelot was a master storyteller. The mere tale of the rescue of the Gray Dwarves mine team had the children screaming with excitement, incessantly asking, ¡°And then what?¡± But to be honest, his favorite story was the one about Oasis Fort. However, since it contained some adult content, it was better left untold. After all, with several large flame pillars that looked like parents flying nearby, he didn¡¯t want to be seen as the villain corrupting the purity of the children. The sun of Androlina was vibrant and energetic, radiating bright and scorching rays throughout the afternoon. But as it neared the horizon, it resembled the perpetual red sun hanging over the Plains of the Abyss. In the afterglow of the sunset, a beautiful small town came into view, their destination for the day¡ªAddleton¡¯s Blessing. The town featured a variety of architectural styles: treehouses built on large trees, stonework and wooden plank houses, but most were simple huts made of sticks and thatch, clearly intended for inhabitants of about the same height as Dwarves. Wisps of smoke drifted from the chimneys of these houses, while some villagers were cooking something like vegetable soup in large pots right in front of their homes. It wasn¡¯t long before some people noticed Lancelot and his group, and a pair of Guards quickly approached them. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 287: 291 Language of the Heavens Chapter 287: Chapter 291 Language of the Heavens ¡°`@@@@ The soldiers approaching the people were about five feet tall, with silver-white hair, glowing eyes, scimitars at their waists, and longbows on their backs. In appearance, they resembled the Elves, but their figures were much more robust than those of fellows like Alamir. Despite this, their movements were still nimble and graceful, like agile cheetahs, especially after they clearly saw that there was a Succubus among the newcomers. The guards with silver hair parted like flowing water, tightly encircling the group. Lancelot noticed that the color of their pupils had changed, now red as if flames were burning within their eyes, obviously not very pleased to see a Succubus. ¡°Dong Quan, Lilu?¡± The leader of the guards opened his mouth in surprise, staring intently at Elothysia behind the two children, ¡°Demon! How dare you...¡± ¡°No, no, no, Akash, you¡¯re mistaken, she¡¯s not an enemy...¡± Several people who had reverted back to human form from being Red Flame Angels and had first encountered Lancelot and his company hastily interjected, ¡°Lilu, Dong Quan, come over here quickly...¡± Lancelot exchanged glances with his companions and resignedly waited in place. Cumberland was explaining the situation with Elothysia to the town guards, while Dong Quan and Lilu supplemented as witnesses. Initially, the Airas were conversing in the common tongue that Lancelot and his company could understand, but as the silver-haired guards asked more and more questions, the conversation shifted into another language. This language was light and elegant, melodious like singing, and was likely the language of the Heavens commonly used in higher planes. Unfortunately, Lancelot couldn¡¯t understand it at all, and the song-like intonations made it impossible for him to gauge the direction of the conversation from the tone. Just when he was starting to get bored, Clone Well suddenly activated a telepathic link, and Lancelot was instantly able to understand what the Airas were saying. ¡°You can understand the language of the Heavens too?¡± Lancelot asked the skull in surprise, ¡°Is this the effect of some kind of magic?¡± ¡°No, it must be a language I was once very proficient in,¡± Clone Well denied, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about my stuff later, boss. First, listen to their conversation.¡± ¡°You say that these mortals are a group of mercenaries?¡± The silver-haired Aira named Akash asked with an unfriendly tone, ¡°Those who sell their martial prowess for filthy gold?¡± Lancelot immediately felt somewhat embarrassed, but there was nothing he could do; what the other party said was indeed a fact, though he believed none of the commissions he had completed so far had breached his own inner moral standards. ¡°Maybe that old hag Cang Ye let them go on purpose for some bigger conspiracy. Regardless, the Mages will thoroughly examine their bodies and minds, reading their memories, and any discrepancies will immediately be noticed...¡± ¡°I have no objection to that, but until your suspicions are proven, Miss Elothysia and her mercenaries should be treated as guests...¡± ¡°She¡¯s a demon!¡± the silver-haired Akash¡¯s voice rose significantly, ¡°Do you think we should allow a succubus to freely walk the streets?¡± Hearing this, Lancelot¡¯s heart suddenly stirred. He turned his head to look at Elothysia, who wore an expressionless face, but his Spirit Perception revealed that the succubus¡¯s mood was actually very poor, and she was struggling to maintain a fac?ade of indifference. It suddenly occurred to him that the Succubus Paladin¡¯s lover was also an angel, and the two had lived together on the material plane for many years. Elothysia should be able to understand the language of the Heavens, right? In Lancelot¡¯s view, it was unfair enough that their group hadn¡¯t been treated like heroes, but to be so suspected because of their race and identity seemed even more unjust. The discussion between the two Airas with different hair colors finally neared its conclusion, and the ultimate decision was that the succubus and her mercenaries could rest in the town but would remain under strict surveillance. The next morning, the guards blessed by Edoton would send out a team to ¡®escort¡¯ the group to Melanthan, where the generals would personally determine the fate of the succubus. Cumberland then conveyed this decision to everyone, but his wording was very cautious, repeatedly emphasizing that it was because most of the town¡¯s residents had never seen a succubus before and could act irrationally. ¡°I understand,¡± Elothysia spoke up in the language of the Heavens. ¡°Thank you for the defense you made on my behalf just now. I¡¯m glad there are people who judge me by my deeds and not by my race.¡± Lancelot raised his eyebrows in surprise; he thought the succubus was going to hold back her anger. It seemed that even if one¡¯s moral alignment had changed, one¡¯s temper did not follow suit. The moment she spoke, the expressions on the two Airas were rather dramatic. Akash¡¯s face quickly turned as red as Cumberland¡¯s hair, the latter equally showing a full face of embarrassment. Their behavior just now was truly inappropriate, and compared with the Succubus Paladin¡¯s restraint, it seemed even more disrespectful. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 288: 292 The Legend of the Silver Skeleton Chapter 288: Chapter 292 The Legend of the Silver Skeleton ¡°I can fully understand your concerns. As a succubus who once served the Demon Lord and brought countless fallen souls back to the Abyss, your caution is very much justified.¡± Without paying attention to the reactions of the two Aira, Elothysia continued on her own, her tone already growing somewhat excited. ¡°I do not covet your trust, nor do I need your pity or protection. I came here because I once vowed to fight for the weak, for hope, and against evil. I also believe that in Androlina, the Abyssal Plane¡¯s force of goodness will ultimately be its strongest fortress, where a reformed demon can receive the fair treatment it rightfully deserves.¡± The succubus¡¯ speech was not loud, but her voice was like a hammer, striking at the hearts of all the onlookers. The scene fell silent for a moment, as everyone was trying hard to digest what they had just heard. ¡°Clap, clap, clap...¡± Lancelot began to applaud, and soon more clapping joined him, until nearly everyone was clapping their hands, expressing their approval of the succubus in this way. ¡°Uh, what¡¯s going on?¡± Bruto poked Lancelot in the side, ¡°How can Elothysia also speak that bird-like language?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the language of the Heavens. The two Aira thought the succubus surely couldn¡¯t understand, they spoke a bit too much during their discussion just now.¡± Lancelot, while clapping vigorously, whispered to the dwarf using a technique for covert communication, ¡°You remember what her lover¡¯s identity is, right? The celestial language is not a difficulty, the succubus knows it too and even responded directly to the queries, making her intentions crystal clear.¡± ¡°Not bad, well done!¡± The dwarf chuckled and also started to clap.@@@@ The incident began with Elothysia¡¯s intention to go on a pilgrimage to a holy site of the dwarves. It is well-known that giants are the natural enemies of dwarves, but there was once a stone giant who was converted by a priest of Moradin and thereafter guarded a dwarven temple. Eventually, he even received a call from Moradin and became one of the Soulbreaker stone giant paladins. However, the temple¡¯s treasury attracted the covetous eyes of a Blue Dragon, and the evil dragon boldly attacked the temple. To protect the temple, the stone giant chose to perish together with the Blue Dragon, and his remains turned into a Holy Relic infused with Holy Power. Elothysia wanted to go on a pilgrimage at that time; she wanted to see if there was some connection between her own transformation and that of the stone giant, but on her way to the pilgrimage, the Succubus Paladin was ambushed by the six-armed Serpent Demon Ashap. After the successful ambush, the Succubus was not killed. Using a spell given by the Barlow Flame Demon, the Serpent Demon turned her bones into silver, stuffed her into a gelatinous creature¡¯s body, and put a regeneration ring on her. This way, any flesh that healed would immediately be devoured by the gelatinous creature¡¯s Acid, but Elothysia¡¯s silver bones would not corrode. On her evil former master¡¯s instructions, the gelatinous creature with the Succubus inside was thrown into a sunless sewer. Since the Succubus Paladin so loved the Prime Material Plane, she might as well stay there. The gelatinous creature¡¯s body became her purgatorial prison, and from time to time, the six-armed Serpent Demon Ashap would return to ensure the Succubus was still suffering in this eternal torture. Ironically, because of her shining skeleton, legends of the Silver Skeleton began to circulate locally, and with the help of a curious group of Adventurers, Elothysia finally escaped from the nearly endless torment. Lancelot guessed that it was after this event that her angel lover made the Amulet that could sense Elothysia¡¯s location. He already knew what happened later; after repeated attempts, the Demons eventually succeeded. Elothysia was cleanly killed this time, resurrecting in the Abyss, only to be captured again. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Lancelot said, raising his cup to the Succubus, ¡°If I had known what that six-armed Serpent Demon did to you, I would have made her death even more painful.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 289: 293: Pastoral Scenery Chapter 289: Chapter 293: Pastoral Scenery ¡°No, just the death of Ashap is enough, now she can¡¯t hurt others anymore,¡± the Succubus Paladin said, flashing a sunny smile, ¡°You not only saved my life but also helped me take my revenge, which is a kindness I can never thank you enough for.¡± ¡°Wow! You¡¯ve taken down a six-armed Serpent Demon too?¡± Lance asked in amazement. A group of children, about a dozen of them, surrounded them, all friends of Dong Quan and Lilu, their faces filled with excitement and anticipation as they looked at these new travelers. These children were really pitiful. Although they would no longer age, they were permanently trapped in this dangerous and hostile domain, with very limited safe areas to roam, at most a riding distance of a day or two. Thus, they were always curious about travelers from outside and eager to hear more adventure stories. ¡°Haha, I was just lucky, the Serpent Demon was already seriously injured,¡± Lance said, slipping into a storytelling mode, ¡°Do you want to hear how we rescued Elothysia?¡± ¡°Yes!!!!!!¡± The children answered in unison, among them a little Vampire. ¡°Hehe, brother¡¯s stories are really interesting, I want to hear it again too,¡± faced with Lance¡¯s inquiring look, little Isabella playfully stuck out her tongue. ¡°Well, where should I start? We are a group of mercenaries from Twin Bridges Town, a neutral town located on the Plains of the Abyss...¡± The children loved listening to Lance¡¯s stories, but the townspeople were more interested in Elothysia. Even when not used for any evil purposes, her charm was irresistible¡ªafter all, who doesn¡¯t like beautiful things if they are mentally healthy? It was late into the night before the crowd gradually dispersed, and the innkeeper provided free rooms for everyone as a thank you for the business they brought. This female Aira, with light blue skin, claimed that the guests had drunk a whole month¡¯s stock in one night. Lance insisted on paying for the lodging, but was straightforwardly refused. Unlike other places in the Abyss, glittering gemstones couldn¡¯t change the minds of the local business people here, as if serving others brought them greater satisfaction. The next morning, the well-rested group set off on their journey once again, spiritedly. In addition to the five Red Flame Angels, twelve guards gifted by Edonton also joined their ranks. Dong Quan and Lilu followed as well, serving as important ¡®witnesses¡¯ to provide support for Elothysia. The region they had entered was already under the control of the forces of good, with surroundings so beautiful they seemed like something out of a painting. Above was a clear blue sky, in the distance were lush mountains and forests, and the roadsides were lined with golden fields; the crops were growing very well, but almost no farmers could be seen working the land, which Lancelot guessed was largely due to magic. The group¡¯s pace involuntarily slowed down, thoroughly enjoying the scenery. For Lancelot and his companions, this place was like heaven compared to other areas of the Abyss, providing both physical and mental relaxation, so much so that Lancelot felt the malice in his heart dissipating significantly. At that moment, if a stinking Berserk Demon had suddenly appeared before them, their first reaction would likely not be to draw their swords and chop it down, but rather to care about whether the creature had lost its way or needed help with something. While everyone was immersed in the beautiful surroundings, Lancelot suddenly felt a stir in his heart. He sensed a creature radiating strong Holy Energy approaching them, as if someone carrying an Iron Anvil blessed by Moradin was walking towards them. Elothysia and Alamir also turned their heads, looking toward a small hill nearby. Under the expectant gaze of the group, a creature entirely glowing with golden light appeared. Its form was like that of an elephant, with a dragon-like head sporting huge antlers like a stag, and a horse-like body covered in fine golden scales. Everyone clearly realized that the creature before them, burning bright like Holy Fire, was entirely an embodiment of kindness and justice, evoking in even Lancelot the strong emotion of wanting to worship this noble being. But it merely stood there silently, gazing intently at the Succubus with bright violet eyes, who looked back calmly. After several seconds of eye contact, the creature nodded slightly, then turned and disappeared from sight. And the eyes of the Succubus Paladin were already full of tears, as if she had just stared directly into the noonday sun. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 290: 294 Melanthan Chapter 290: Chapter 294 Melanthan ¡°Wow, Bruto,¡± Bruto was the first to break the silence, ¡°What was that just now? It felt like a melting mound of gold...¡± ¡°That was a Kirin, its name is ¡®Ying¡¯, one of the earliest Protectors,¡± Dong Quan said, gazing admiringly in the direction where the golden figure had disappeared. ¡°Ying and Uncle Eskodel used to be good friends. When there was no need for battle, they often came to play with us, but later, Uncle Eskodel sacrificed himself to protect us. Ying was very heartbroken and since then, we¡¯ve rarely seen it.¡± ¡°It is said that Ying built its nest on the steep peaks to the south where there are always terrifying winds blowing, and only the most powerful Aira can fly up there,¡± Lilu added from the side. ¡°But Ying has always silently protected us, appearing in the most critical battles to bring strength and hope to the Protectors.¡± ¡°Are you alright?¡± Koula asked worriedly, looking at the Succubus in front of him, who was lowering her head and wiping the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Elothysia replied, a choke in her voice, ¡°Just now, it seemed to see right through me, feeling the pain and confusion I¡¯ve been through...¡± ¡°I never thought I¡¯d have the chance to see a Kirin,¡± the Elf Priest said, his face full of devotion. ¡°Legend has it that this noble creature is a symbol of good fortune. Today, something good is bound to happen.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡± Lancelot nodded and led the group onward to the west. They unconsciously quickened their pace because after seeing such a noble and beautiful creature as the Kirin, the surrounding beautiful scenery seemed less attractive. The one on the far left was unquestionably an Elf. Despite having many similarities to the Airas, Lancelot could tell from the relatively slender figure, non-glowing pupils, and an indescribable ¡°aura¡± that he was from the same race as Alamir. This handsome male elf had golden hair, bronze skin, and black pupils, wearing a set of Scale Armor with a purple shield-shaped Emblem embroidered with a richly rooted oak tree on his chest. Next to the elf on the right stood a Giant over ten feet tall. He, too, had bronze skin, and his half-bare upper body showcased perfect muscles. Razor-sharp long ears emerged from beneath his black hair, and behind him spread a pair of huge wings. He was unquestionably an Aira, exuding a terrifying aura that made even Lancelot shudder. Beyond that was another elf-like, female humanoid. She also had long ears, a delicate face, and a slender figure, clad in Scale Armor heavily decorated with leaves. Her distinctive feature was that her entire body was the same color¡ªwhether hair, skin, eyes, or armor¡ªthey were all red, with only light and dark variations, making her resemble a blazing Flame. On the far right stood a Human Knight, dressed much like Lancelot. He too wore shimmering Metal Full Body Armor, standing there like an iron man. However, unlike Lancelot, his slick forehead lacked any hair, and the wrinkles on his face were far more numerous. The elf on the far left took a step forward and, in a resonant and steady voice, called out: ¡°Stop right there, Demons. Who are you, and why have you come here?¡± ¡°My name is Elothysia, a Succubus and also a Holy Warrior. I am here hoping to join the Protectors,¡± Elothysia pressed her right hand to her chest in a salute, ¡°May I ask how to address you?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 291: 295: Dispute Chapter 291: Chapter 295: Dispute ¡°My name is Acheron Mingyan, the Elf Prince of Seren,¡± the elf seemed quite surprised by Elothysia¡¯s actions and also returned the gesture, ¡°you just said you want to...¡± ¡°In the name of Heim, you still wish to listen to a Succubus¡¯s lies?¡± The bald human knight suddenly interrupted the elf¡¯s speech. He gestured towards the crowd and loudly commanded, ¡°Where are the warriors of the Iron Gauntlet Knights? Take this demon and lock her up!¡± Several soldiers clad in plank armor and wielding pikes immediately surged out from the crowd, and Lancelot swiftly drew the longsword strapped on his back, causing the others in the group to also take out their respective weapons and shields to protect Elothysia, turning the situation instantly chaotic. ¡°Dare to resist!¡± The human on the stage grew even more furious, ¡°Kill them all!¡± Lancelot¡¯s expression turned cold, about to make a threatening move, but Elothysia¡¯s hand pressed down on his arm. ¡°Put your weapon away.¡± Facing Lancelot¡¯s questioning look, she gently shook her head, ¡°No need to make things more complicated.¡± Lancelot hesitated for a moment, then decided to respect the Succubus Paladin¡¯s opinion. He sheathed his longsword, while the pike-wielding soldiers had already approached them. ¡°Wait a moment, Captain Poping Jay, I¡¯m curious, how did a Succubus manage to arrive here smoothly?¡± The tall, nearly naked Aira muscle man spoke, his voice booming like a striking grandfather clock, ¡°And what did she just say? Is she also a Paladin?¡± ¡°That bronze statue-like guy is actually alive?¡± Bruto muttered under his breath, ¡°Alamir, do you know what that is?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, that¡¯s a Radiant Cloud Angel, a knight of the Court of Stars,¡± the priest nearly squeezed the words through his teeth, as if afraid someone might hear him, ¡°he could crush you and me as easily as if we were two snails, so you¡¯d better show some respect.¡± The two children took turns detailing their ordeal from the capture to being rescued by ¡®Sister Elothysia,¡¯ without Iltash saying a word, simply watching the little ones intently. Only after Dong Quan and Lilu had finished did he finally speak: ¡°Other than Dong Quan at the beginning, they haven¡¯t lied at any other time,¡± the Radiant Cloud Angel announced to everyone, ¡°Moreover, there aren¡¯t any ongoing magical effects on the two children. I presume many of you, like me, cannot sense any evil intentions in Miss Elothysia either.¡± ¡°No! There are other doubts!¡± the bald Human Knight couldn¡¯t help shouting again, ¡°How could two little tykes run that far? It must be a plot of Cang Ye! Yes, that old witch used some evil witchcraft to lure them to the Miasma Swamp, just so this Succubus could rescue them and beguile our trust...¡± ¡°If that were true, the Mother of Demons surely would have chosen a better spy,¡± the Elf on the far left of the dais couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°Captain Jay, we all sympathize with your ordeal, but you shouldn¡¯t...¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with Vanessa...¡± the bald Knight protested weakly, his eyes shifting then fixing on Lancelot, ¡°And these mercenaries, claiming to have killed Valasti and escaped from the pursuit of twelve Seducers? Did you see his horse just now? That is a Nightmare! And that skull on his waist, how evil and twisted must one be to hang an enemy¡¯s skull as an ornament... ¡± ¡°You¡¯re the twisted one! Baldy! Bald dead man!¡± Clone Well couldn¡¯t help but speak up, hovering mid-air and shouting indignantly, ¡°I am a Mimir, you ignorant bumpkin!¡± A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd, evidently quite a few were aware of the famous talking skull of Mark City. Lancelot shrugged helplessly and spoke: ¡°We are just a group of mercenaries stuck in this awful plane, surviving thus far due to some bizarre experiences,¡± his gaze swept over the assembled crowd, ¡°but nothing has been more miraculous than what has happened these past days. A Succubus, on a journey with us, demonstrated her noble essence again and again, yet look at how she¡¯s being treated in Androlina, the only hope in the Abyss?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 292: 296 Judgment Chapter 292: Chapter 296 Judgment Lancelot¡¯s words plunged the surroundings into a brief silence. As expected, the bald Knight started shouting loudly again: ¡°Don¡¯t be deceived by this demon! Soldiers, hurry up and take her down, lock her up!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± Lilu and Dong Quan protested loudly, ¡°Sister Elothysia is a good person!¡± ¡°Besides, there is no prison here.¡± The tall Radiant Cloud Angel also spoke up. The guards holding pikes exchanged awkward glances with each other, deciding to temporarily not carry out their hotheaded superior¡¯s commands. ¡°But we do need you to step aside for a moment.¡± Iltash continued in his deep and resonant voice, like a standing bell, ¡°to allow us to discuss how to deal with you.¡± ¡°Am I under arrest?¡± the Succubus Paladin asked in return, her voice sounding quite calm but with a hint of a tremble hidden within.@@@@ ¡°No, you are our guest.¡± The muscular giant shook his head, ¡°When you arrived, you must have seen that great garden outside, would you like to take a tour there?¡± ¡°What am I waiting for? A trial?¡± ¡°Certainly not.¡± The Elf on the far left spoke up again, ¡°You are neither our captive nor have you done anything to harm us, what we are discussing is whether or not to accept you as one of the Protectors...¡± ¡°No way!¡± The bald-headed Knight vehemently opposed, ¡°That¡¯s absolutely impossible!¡± Lancelot noticed that the red-armored, red-skinned, red-haired woman, who resembled an elf, had been silent all along. She stood quietly next to the Radiant Cloud Angel, eyeing Elothysia with an interested look. ¡°I respect the decision of the host.¡± The Succubus Paladin no longer insisted, and turned to walk outside. Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, leading everyone out, leaving the quarrel among the Protectors behind them. ¡°Sister Elothysia! Brother Lancelot! Wait for us!¡± Dong Quan and Lilu¡¯s voices came from behind, the two little ones flapping their transparent wings, chasing out of the castle, ¡°We¡¯ll take you to tour The Grand Garden!¡± ¡°Miss Elothysia,¡± Aira, the redhead, was the first to bow to the succubus paladin, ¡°The Generals have finished their discussion. Please go to them.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the result?¡± Alamir asked eagerly. ¡°Have they agreed to accept Elothysia?¡± ¡°No, but they haven¡¯t refused either,¡± Cumberland said, shaking his head. ¡°Better to let the Generals tell you themselves.¡± The four exchanged glances, sensing that the situation might not be too bad. They didn¡¯t waste any more time and followed the redhead, Aira, in silence towards the castle. Upon entering the expansive hall once again, countless eyes instantly focused on the succubus paladin. Lancelot, Kalalin, and Alamir were prepared to follow her, but Cumberland held them back with a hand. Confronted with the Human Knight¡¯s questioning look, Cumberland didn¡¯t explain, but simply shook his head gently. Elothysia walked alone towards the high platform in the Audience Hall, her wings and the typical succubus flamboyance tucked tightly behind her. Yet, she also held her head high with no trace of fear, showing off her delicate chin and snow-white neck, as well as the pride and clear conscience of a holy warrior. ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Alamir said with a frown, whispering to Lancelot. ¡°They said they wouldn¡¯t judge the succubus, but look at this scene. Isn¡¯t this just a direct pronouncement?¡± ¡°If they are unwilling to accept Elothysia, that¡¯s their loss,¡± Lancelot retorted, pursing his lips. ¡°But if they want to do something even more outrageous...¡± ¡°Miss Elothysia, please allow me to express, on behalf of the Elves, our sincere gratitude,¡± General Iltash began, easing Lancelot¡¯s concerns, ¡°If not for you, Dong Quan and Lilu would probably have fallen prey to the Mother of Demons by now, and this hall would be shrouded in sorrow. Thank you; the Elves will forever owe you a debt.¡± ¡°I made a vow of dedication, and it¡¯s my undeniable duty to help those in distress. But Sir Lancelot over there deserves your gratitude far more than I do. He defeated Valasti and held off the pursuing enemies, allowing two innocent children to safely return to their homeland,¡± Elothysia modestly shook her head, then added with a touch of anticipation, ¡°But does your saying this mean that I am permitted to become a member of the Protectors?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 293: 297: Echoes of the Oath Chapter 293: Chapter 297: Echoes of the Oath ¡°Unfortunately, regarding this matter, we internally cannot reach an agreement,¡± Iltash glanced at the bald Poping Jay, who was clearly the one opposing Elothysia¡¯s inclusion as a Protector, ¡°but you can make any reasonable request.¡± ¡°My only wish is to fight for virtue,¡± Elothysia stated firmly. As soon as the Succubus Paladin spoke, the crowd stirred. At the far left of the high platform, an Elf shook his head, while on the far right, a bald human displayed an expression of disbelief. The bronze-skinned Aira Giant looked towards a female Elf to his left, who wore a smile that suggested ¡®as expected¡¯. ¡°Even if you might have to sacrifice your own life?¡± the towering Radiant Cloud Angel spoke again, his expression as solemn as a notary witnessing a will. ¡°Since the day I became a Holy Warrior, I was prepared to give my life for this cause.¡± No sooner had the words of the Succubus Paladin fallen than Lancelot suddenly felt a strange fluctuation in the surrounding space, and then saw a divine light appear out of nowhere in mid-air, enveloping Elothysia. In his spirit perception, the aura of the Succubus also transformed, her strength clearly having advanced considerably. Centered upon Elothysia, a wave of golden light suddenly burst forth, the divine energy sweeping over everyone present. Lancelot felt as if even the smallest fears in his heart were wiped away, as though nothing could cause him fear as long as this Holy Warrior was present. ¡°The Vow Echoes! It is the Vow Echoing!¡± ¡°By the gods, this demon has received the recognition of the source of virtue!¡± ¡°She really is a Holy Warrior!¡± The bald human Knight showed a look of hesitation, and just when Lancelot thought he was about to give up, the woman on the high platform, who was all in fiery red and had not spoken before, suddenly spoke: ¡°I think we should follow the outcome we discussed earlier.¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right!¡± buoyed by the support, the human Knight immediately appeared spirited again, ¡°To become a member of the Protectors, one must show actual action!¡± ¡°Well then, since two Protector Generals still hold this view...¡± the Radiant Cloud Angel showed a reluctant expression, not seeming to like what he had to say next, ¡°we have a mission. If you can complete it, then no one will ever doubt your worthiness again.¡± ¡°Tell me what I need to do,¡± the Succubus Paladin spoke without hesitation, ¡°I will do my utmost to complete it.¡± ¡°It has been a long time since the last great battle, and Androlina has been relatively peaceful these years, but in recent times, the Demon Legion of Cang Ye has displayed many troubling signs. According to the Scouts¡¯ reports, the fences which used to be empty are now filled with Prime Demons and Coward Devils, and the guard around Gaomendikolia¡¯s fortress has doubled, with lights burning all night long...¡± Iltash¡¯s deep voice echoed in the great hall, everyone¡¯s expression turning extremely serious. Lancelot guessed that many among the onlookers already knew this intelligence, but it was probably the first time the Generals were discussing it openly. ¡°...All signs suggest that the Mother of Demons may be planning a new attack, and time is already running short,¡± the Radiant Cloud Angel paused, his gaze sweeping over the hall, pleased to see that no one¡¯s face showed the slightest hint of fear. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 294: 298: Debate Chapter 294: Chapter 298: Debate ¡°Do you need me at the front line of battle?¡± Elothysia asked, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m hoping for...¡± ¡°No, there are still warriors who can¡¯t confidently turn their backs to you,¡± Iltash glanced at the bald Human Knight again, ¡°I have always believed that united Protectors can defeat any attack from the Mother of Demons, but I must admit that the enemy outnumbers us. The Demons could easily dispatch multiple feinting armies, while we can¡¯t afford the cost of dividing our forces.¡±@@@@ ¡°Then what do you need me to do?¡± Elothysia was somewhat confused, ¡°I can¡¯t conjure up an army out of thin air...¡± ¡°No, the task we¡¯re entrusting to you is even more difficult,¡± Aira the Giant pointed at the other three leaders, ¡°Prince Acheron believes you can be directly accepted, while General Poping Jay over there is utterly opposed. The one on my left, Tun Thorn, is a Fairy Warrior General. She has suggested a middle-ground solution, one that can verify your reliability and is of great help for the upcoming war.¡± So that¡¯s a Fairy. Lancelot examined the red woman closely and thought he saw an almost imperceptible smile on her lips, a bad premonition suddenly welling up in his heart. ¡°We need you to infiltrate the Demon Capital Gaomendikolia and acquire the enemy¡¯s combat plans from that military fortress,¡± despite some hesitation, Iltash continued, ¡°Right now, we can only evenly distribute our forces along the Hoffenstan River, but if you succeed, we could find out where the main attack is coming from, and make proper arrangements.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think we¡¯ll blindly trust the information you bring back,¡± the bald man on the high platform spoke sternly, ¡°Only if afterward it is proven that you truly didn¡¯t conceal anything will I agree to accept you as a Protector. But I believe that day will never come; I know you all too well...¡± ¡°I know this task is incredibly difficult; you¡¯re absolutely entitled to refuse,¡± Iltash¡¯s deep voice interrupted the bald Human Knight¡¯s incessant complaining, ¡°What I said before still stands; think it over before...¡± Think it over my ass, Lancelot silently cursed. In the current situation, the Succubus had no room to retreat. ¡°Even though Tijana only tasked us with delivering you to Androlina, we¡¯re not going to let you go on a suicide mission,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Otherwise, what would we tell Tijana after returning to Twin Bridges Town? The charming Succubus Paladin has safely arrived in Androlina, only to go steal intelligence in the Demon Capital alone, to win the trust of the Protectors. As for your success? Well, the last success story was over three hundred years ago...¡± ¡°Hahaha...¡± Elothysia was amused by Lancelot¡¯s words, but still shook her head, ¡°No, not this time. I¡¯ve already put you in danger countless times, I can¡¯t...¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Lancelot began to walk out, ¡°We¡¯ve traveled together for a while now, if I say we¡¯re friends, you wouldn¡¯t object, right?¡± ¡°All of you are important companions to me,¡± the Succubus Paladin answered sincerely, keeping pace with the Human Knight, ¡°But for that very reason, I don¡¯t want to involve you in this suicidal task.¡± ¡°You may not have noticed, but we¡¯ve all felt that you have a martyr complex,¡± Lancelot¡¯s face grew serious, ¡°I¡¯m not a philosopher, nor do I have a psychologist¡¯s license, so my guess may be far from your true thoughts¡ªplease don¡¯t take offense. Perhaps the pressures from your demonic identity and past experiences, or vows made previously are driving you to seek out greater dangers. But heed my advice: not all sacrifices are meaningful. Evil can¡¯t be defeated overnight; it¡¯s by living that you can keep fighting for the truths you believe in.¡± ¡°If you go on this mission alone, your chance of success is about as high as Bruto taking a bath right now,¡± the Elf added drily. ¡°This guy Lancelot always flaunts his knightly status; do you think he¡¯d let a lady face danger alone?¡± Kalalin also spoke up, ¡°And I¡¯m a Scholar from the Dark Cult; even if you hadn¡¯t received this mission, I¡¯d have Lancelot take me for a stroll in the Demon Capital. The Mother of Demons is one of the most mysterious Abyssal Lords, and few have visited her domain, let alone an experienced professional like me...¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s join the Dwarf who is thoroughly enjoying his drink,¡± Lancelot waved his hand, ¡°If you ask me, Bruto has the right attitude towards life: with just a bit of frothy beer, you¡¯ll never see his spirits down.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 295: 299: Warhammer Tavern Chapter 295: Chapter 299: Warhammer Tavern ¡°Welcome to the Warhammer Tavern!¡± No sooner had he pushed open the door to the tavern than the uniquely rough yet enthusiastic greeting of a Dwarf reached his ears. Lancelot looked over to see a Dwarf with a deep brown beard waving at them from behind the bar, while Bruto was seated at the bar, cradling a mug bigger than his helmet. ¡°Ha! Lancelot!¡± Bruto raised his mug to the Human Knight with joy, ¡°Real Dwarf honey mead, come and try it, nearly as good as the one from Twin Bridges Town!¡± ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re the big brother this guy mentioned?¡± The brown-bearded Dwarf behind the bar sized up Lancelot and then noticed Elothysia following him in, ¡°And you... you¡¯re the Succubus Paladin everyone¡¯s been talking about?¡± It wasn¡¯t just the Dwarf bartender, the other patrons of the tavern also turned their gazes on Elothysia. Those looks were filled with curiosity and admiration, but even more so with suspicion and distrust. Lancelot frowned and asked the bartender: ¡°You don¡¯t welcome my friend here?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m not used to seeing a Succubus in my tavern,¡± shrugged the Dwarf bartender, ¡°Sit down quickly, before any trouble arises, you¡¯re all my guests. How about a mead for each to start off?¡±@@@@ ¡°Sure,¡± Lancelot nodded, pulled out a chair, and sat down. The Elves and Scholar also found comfortable spots for themselves, and even the Succubus sat on a high stool at the bar, curious, watching the Dwarf bartender start bustling about, filling the huge mugs for the newcomers. ¡°Where did our Halfling chef and that skeleton head go?¡± asked Lancelot to Bruto, ¡°They came over with you, did you see them?¡± ¡°Koula went to check out the storeroom here, and Clone Well is accompanying her as her ingredient encyclopedia,¡± Bruto swallowed another big gulp of honey mead, his face slightly flushed, clearly in a state of slight intoxication, ¡°How are things on your end? Did that statue-like Giant decide to accept Elothysia?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit complicated,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°You¡¯d better not drink too much, otherwise you¡¯ll sleep through our discussion of the battle plans.¡± ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, but it¡¯s not always about fighting here, and I don¡¯t like the kind of fruit wine the fairies brew,¡± the tavern owner laughed heartily, ¡°Did you see those fields when you came in? The wheat here is really good. One day it just hit me, damn it, why don¡¯t I brew it myself?¡± ¡°I must say, that was the most correct decision ever.¡± Bruto happily raised his glass, ¡°To your health, my friend, may we both find our way home sooner rather than later!¡± Everyone raised their glasses and clinked them together, then poured the contents down their throats. Lancelot also took a big gulp and was pleased to find that the mead indeed tasted very good. Afterward, the dwarven bartender left to attend to other guests, while Kalalin relayed to Bruto what had happened in the castle before. Upon learning that Elothysia had gained power through a vow, Bruto once again opened his mouth in disbelief, unable to believe that such a thing had happened again right beside him. ¡°When I get back I really need to have a serious talk with Uncle Viren.¡± The young Dwarf shook his head, ¡°About the faith in Moradin, I must have missed something...¡± Later on, the Halfling and the skeleton joined them, and when it got dark outside, Lancelot, having obtained permission from the tavern owner, also let the little vampire out. Of course, Lancelot only agreed to order non-alcoholic drinks for the underage girl, thankfully, the fairies and Airas frequenting the tavern had the same needs. They sat there for a long time, enjoying a rich feast and chatting about the amusing incidents from past adventures. When the routine-oriented Halfling began to yawn, the person they were waiting for finally arrived. The Elf Prince with bronze skin and black pupils, Acheron Mingyan, walked into the Warhammer Inn, and after looking around, went straight to the Succubus Paladin. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 296: 300 The Map Chapter 296: Chapter 300 The Map ¡°Miss Elothysia, it is a pleasure to see you again,¡± the Elf Prince said bowing politely, ¡°I apologize for the wait. After you left, several debates arose. Given the war at hand, there is just too much to discuss.¡± ¡°Greetings, Prince Mingyan,¡± the Succubus stood up from her chair to return the greeting to the Elf, then she extended her hand to introduce her companions, ¡°This is Sir Lancelot, the actual leader of our team. This fellow here, one of your kin, is Alamir, and the Priest here is Shuni, while that Dwarf over there is named Bruto...¡± ¡°Greetings, ladies and gentlemen,¡± Acheron greeted everyone in turn, a puzzled expression on his face, ¡°I apologize, I was under the impression you were merely mercenaries hired to escort Miss Elothysia to this realm.¡± ¡°That is indeed the case,¡± Lancelot admitted with a nod, ¡°but through our travels together, we have seen the noble qualities she possesses. We will help her complete this mission and ensure that she is fully accepted here before leaving.¡± ¡°What? Do you understand the danger involved?¡± incredulity coated the Elf Prince¡¯s face, ¡°It requires traversing territories controlled by evil forces, going to a city teeming with Demons, and you are just mere mortals...¡± ¡°We are Blood War Mercenaries, not unfamiliar with brushing shoulders with Demons in the streets,¡± Lancelot said, pushing a full cup across the table and motioning to sit down, ¡°We hail from a Neutral Town on the Plains of the Abyss called Twin Bridges Town. Have you heard of it?¡± ¡°I have some recollection of that name,¡± the Elf Prince sat down amicably, ¡°It¡¯s known for producing fine weapons and armor, correct?¡± ¡°Indeed, and Mogrondale, I presume that is also not unfamiliar to you?¡± ¡°Of course, many Protectors journey through that city to come here,¡± Acheron brought the cup to his lips, ¡°If the Portal to the Great Abyss happens to be on the south side of the river, we also send caravans seeking trade and resupply. This honey wine is indeed one of the most sought-after goods...¡±@@@@ ¡°I acquired the title of the Lord of Withering just over ten days ago,¡± he said. ¡°After crossing the river, continue northwest. You may encounter an enemy scout team on your right from the ¡®Soul Wail¡¯ army, commanded by a Crafty Demon named Sniel,¡± Acheron¡¯s finger moved across the map, ¡°The distance won¡¯t be too long; after about fifty miles, you¡¯ll reach Lamborado Lake. Across the lake is Mother Mountain, the palace of the Mother of Demons, Cang Ye, is on the peak. It is said that within the palace lies a large portal that leads directly to her infamous Bone Castle in the six hundredth layer of the Great Abyss. If you follow the lakeshore for about another hundred miles, you will be able to see the sinister towers of Gaomendikolia on the horizon.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t this route be too dangerous?¡± Koula asked apprehensively, eyeing the skull symbolizing the Abyssal Lord on the map, ¡°It looks like we¡¯re almost slipping right under her nose...¡± ¡°Demons also subconsciously stay away from that place, which makes the narrow strip of land along the lake relatively safe. Moreover, the Mother of Demons only looks down from the mountain in times of war, and even then, only large troop movements would likely attract her attention,¡± Acheron said confidently, ¡°I¡¯m quite certain of this because I will be going with you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Elothysia showed a genuinely surprised expression upon hearing this, ¡°But isn¡¯t this mission about earning your trust?¡± ¡°Earning the trust of those who refuse to accept you,¡± the bronze-skinned Elf said with a smile, ¡°I know you encountered challenges on the way here. Our noble Guardian possesses the ability to discern good from evil, and since it did not attack you, it means it has recognized you, and I trust its judgment.¡± At this point, the Prince¡¯s expression turned stern and solemn, ¡°I, as well as Iltash, understand how unfair the treatment you¡¯ve faced has been. I assure you, Captain Poping Jay is not a bad person, but his personal grudge against another Succubus has blinded him, preventing him from seeing how meaningful it would be to help you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t blame him,¡± Elothysia replied immediately, ¡°Actually, I am glad he gave me the opportunity to earn trust.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that you know what the Succubus says is all true, yet you still agreed to the plan of her stealing the enemy¡¯s battle plans,¡± Lancelot sat up straight and spoke, his tone far from enthusiastic. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 297: 301 Demons Commander Chapter 297: Chapter 301 Demons Commander ¡°I guess the minions of the Mother of Demons have shown some special signs, signs that have deeply unsettled you, and despite your reluctance to admit it, the fear of the unknown has struck a blow to your confidence. Being already at a disadvantage in terms of power, any slight mishap could lead to catastrophic consequences, hence, even though you are aware of Elothysia¡¯s character, you still wish for her to undertake this perilous mission.¡± The Elf Prince gaped at the Human Knight, speechless for a long moment. ¡°Judging by your expression, I think I¡¯ve hit the mark,¡± Lancelot leaned back on the sofa, lifting his wine glass to his lips. ¡°You speak the truth, Sir,¡± the Elf¡¯s forehead broke out in fine sweat, the blue eyes staring at him through the glass exerted an inexplicable pressure, ¡°But Elothysia truly is the best choice, our last hope to discern the enemy¡¯s reality. We have already lost several excellent spies in a row, and if she, as a Tanari, cannot succeed, we will have no choice but go blindly into battle.¡± ¡°It¡¯s understandable that you would think that way,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°But you should have been more sincere throughout all this. I believe if you had simply asked, seeking help rather than forcing her to prove her innocence, Elothysia would have accepted your request just the same.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, we did err in this matter,¡± the Elf Prince conceded frankly, then turned to the Succubus Paladin, ¡°My deepest apologies, Miss Elothysia. I assure you that, once we successfully repel the enemy¡¯s attack, you will be treated just like any of the Protectors, as a hero.¡± ¡°Once you truly get to know me, you¡¯ll understand that what I care about is only the struggle against evil,¡± the Succubus Paladin replied with a sincere smile, ¡°Let¡¯s return to the details of the mission plan. Did you just say you¡¯re going with us?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± the Elf Prince nodded, ¡°I have spent decades wandering north of the Hoffenstan River, I am one of the Protectors who knows that area best. I wish to accompany you, partly to increase the likelihood of the mission¡¯s success¡ªwe do need to figure out what tricks the enemy is up to¡ªand partly to show you that on the path of pursuing virtue, you are not alone.¡± ¡°This Demon Capital is located at the foot of the Howling Mountains, without any walls. The town center has a square for conducting various evil rituals, from which dilapidated streets extend, making the city look like a shattered spider¡¯s web from above. Along the roads stand twisted towers built by chaotic magic, stuffed with evil creatures craving the favor of the Mother of Demons.¡± ¡°It sounds terrible, but I think we can handle it,¡± Lancelot shrugged. ¡°And where is the fortress with the battle plans?¡± ¡°The fortress is situated on a small hill on the northeast side of the town, overlooking Gaomendikolia¡¯s town square,¡± the Elf Prince¡¯s finger moved slightly on the map. ¡°That place is both the command center of the demon armies and their officer academy. According to the intelligence, the office we¡¯re infiltrating is on the third floor of the fortress, belonging to General Ulgog, the Succubus.¡± ¡°The commander of the demon army is just a Succubus?¡± Kalalin blinked in disbelief. ¡°I would at least expect a Serpent Demon with six arms or something...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate this Ulgog; it¡¯s said to be a war vet of the blood wars, having learned quite a few tricks from the demons,¡± the Elf Prince¡¯s face showed a wry smile. ¡°The Mother of Demons found this talent from who knows where. Since its appointment these past few years, we haven¡¯t gotten much of an advantage over it.¡± ¡°In other words, its brain is more dangerous than its pincers,¡± Lancelot nodded. ¡°So, this so-called battle plan is hidden in the office of this veteran of the blood wars?¡± ¡°In the desk drawer, or perhaps a inconspicuous secret compartment. The most probable form is a map marked with the directions of attack and troop deployment; the one I got my hands on before was just hanging there, large as life, on the wall.¡± The Elf Prince¡¯s hands made a gesture in the air with a smile. ¡°It would be best to create a magical duplicate, but taking the original isn¡¯t too much of a problem either. Even if the demons realize it¡¯s been stolen and make changes to their plans, we already know what cards they hold.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 298: 302 Armor Workshop Chapter 298: Chapter 302 Armor Workshop ¡°That problem can wait until later.¡± Lancelot spoke, ¡°When do we leave?¡± ¡°We set out tomorrow morning if everyone is ready,¡± the Elf Prince scanned the group, ¡°It will take us a full day to get to Pascaler, and we¡¯ll cross the Hoffenstan River under the cover of darkness. Then we¡¯ll rest in caves during the day and travel by night, aiming to reach Gaomendikolia within five days. There, I will contact local spies and decide then on a plan to infiltrate the fortress.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Everyone get a good night¡¯s rest, we¡¯re going back to sleeping on our bedrolls after this.¡± The response was a round of good-natured laughter. To Acheron¡¯s surprise, the group he was looking at, about to embark on a very dangerous mission, still maintained such an optimistic attitude. Clearly, these people were either fools, or they were true adventurers, and the latter seemed more likely now. ¡°Cough cough, there¡¯s one small issue,¡± the Elf Prince cleared his throat, drawing everyone¡¯s attention once more, ¡°I need to do some ... modifications to your armor.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Alamir clutched his chest, ¡°My armor is in very good condition ...¡± ¡°I have no doubt about that, but I want to make them more suited to the environment up north.¡± Acheron beckoned the Dwarf bartender, ¡°Dag, take these friends of ours down to visit your cellar, I need you to add a bit of ¡®decoration¡¯ to their armor.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s great!¡± The Dwarf bartender drew back a panel on the bar, ¡°Let them in. You don¡¯t mind tending the bar for me for a bit, do you, Prince?¡± ¡°These hands that have slain countless monsters should be able to hold a glass steady,¡± the Elf waved dismissively, ¡°Put their tab on me for tonight.¡± ¡°Oh wow!¡± Bruto, who had been sleepy-eyed a moment ago, suddenly widened his eyes, ¡°That¡¯s really generous! I think I¡¯m starting to like you, Elf!¡± ¡°Haha, I hope you¡¯ll like the things you¡¯re about to see even more.¡± A smile spread across Acheron¡¯s face. Lancelot raised an eyebrow, curious as he followed through the bar, leading everyone down an unusually wide staircase into the cellar of the Dwarf tavern. ¡°Occasionally I don¡¯t mind trying a different style,¡± Lancelot shrugged, starting to remove his shoulder armor, and Bruto and Alamir followed suit, ¡°It¡¯s all for the success of the mission, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It makes you look like one of those bandits who rub elbows with Ogres or Orcs,¡± Kalalin said gleefully from the sidelines, ¡°Known by intimidating names like ¡®Ripper¡¯ or something.¡± ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Dag looked seriously at Kalalin, ¡°You take it off too.¡± ¡°Me too?¡± Scholar jumped back, startled, clutching his chest, ¡°I can¡¯t cast spells with all that heavy stuff hanging on me...¡± ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t need that,¡± the Dwarf bartender dove under the workbench and pulled out another box, ¡°I¡¯m going to dress you like a Warlock, now look at what I¡¯ve got... which style do you prefer, Goblin or Orc?¡± ¡°Is there a difference?¡± ¡°Goblin style highlights include a shawl made of Goblin fingers, a cloak made from a whole Goblin hide, and a necklace of dried Goblin heads,¡± the bartender held up a necklace to show the Scholar, the small Goblin heads about the size of apples, ¡°While Orc style features a necklace of Wolf Fangs, lots of bird feather decorations, and a cloak with a bear head hood...¡± ¡°Give me the Orc one,¡± Kalalin said quickly, ¡°I happen to know a Goblin...¡± ¡°As you wish,¡± the Dwarf shrugged, ¡°Leave your armor here and go back up for a drink, and by tomorrow morning, they will all look brand new.¡± ¡°Disfigured might be a more fitting description,¡± Kalalin sighed, resignedly taking off his coat and then being the first to walk out towards the steps they had come in on. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 299: 303 Pascaler Chapter 299: Chapter 303 Pascaler Last night, everyone had gotten plenty of rest. The next morning, bathed in the bright sunshine, the group left the doors of Warhammer Tavern and began riding northeast. Of course, no one wore the armor that Dag had worked on the previous night, except maybe to risk injuring their mounts. Besides, wearing such armor on the entire southern bank of Hoffenstan River would have been too embarrassing. The prince of Seren, the Elf General of Androlina, Acheron Mingyan, joined them. Had it not been for his voice, the group would have hardly recognized him. His hair was now as white as snow, and his skin as black as charcoal, making him the spitting image of a Zoel Elf. ¡°Your costume looks quite convincing,¡± Bruto commented to Acheron, who was sitting backward on the rump of Lancelot¡¯s mighty Nightmare, ¡°You almost look identical to the Dark Elves from Twin Bridges Town.¡± ¡°Are Zoel common around there?¡± Alamir asked curiously. ¡°Some, but not many; most visit as mercenaries or in trade caravans,¡± Acheron shook his head, ¡°Thanks to their infamous Goddess, even the Demons have a certain respect for the Zoel. When there¡¯s a Zoel or two in a team, they subconsciously assume that the Zoel is the leader or the mastermind behind everything.¡± ¡°An accurate assessment,¡± the skull atop Lancelot¡¯s sword hilt spoke up dryly, ¡°Even if the Zoel is an imposter, it still applies.¡± The group was taken aback for a moment, then they all burst into laughter. The rest of the journey went very smoothly, despite having a Succubus and a Dark Elf in the team, the people they encountered on the road merely cast curious glances at them, clearly word of what had happened in the castle the day before had spread like a bird with wings. They traveled all day and finally reached Pascaler before sunset. It was a typical front-line fortress, with sturdy walls and tall watchtowers, deterring any force from crossing the Hoffenstan River less than a quarter of a mile away. Although the river was narrower here, making it an ideal crossing point for large forces, any Demon army that tried would be met with a fierce counterattack from the Fortress Garrison.@@@@ Even though they were using blunt swords, a straight thrust was still severe enough to cause significant injury. The momentarily distracted warrior knelt on the ground, clutching his wrist and howling in pain, his thumb hanging by only a thread of flesh and skin. ¡°Priest! Call the priest!¡± the one who had accidentally injured his comrade shouted in panic, dropping his weapon and running towards him, ¡°God, Bechsen, why didn¡¯t you dodge just now...¡± But a figure with bat-like wings was faster. Elothysia placed her hand on the injured soldier¡¯s shoulder, and a flash of golden light passed by as holy healing energy surged into his body. Flesh sizzled as it grew back, and the wound healed at a visible rate. In no time at all, the human soldier who had just been crying out in pain was as good as new. ¡°Uh, thank you, kind...¡± The companion of the injured soldier began to express his gratitude but then choked on his words. He had just realized that the one who had extended help was a Succubus, utilizing the signature skill of the Holy Warriors, the Holy Healing Technique. Elothysia merely smiled and then turned to rejoin her companions. ¡°What did I tell you?¡± Lancelot glanced at Acheron beside him, ¡°She¡¯s a true Paladin.¡± ¡°A Succubus in the Abyss, a place belonging to creatures of the Heavens, channeling holy energy to heal a human injured in a moment of distraction.¡± The Elf Prince with Zoel features shrugged, ¡°Now I¡¯ve seen everything.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard many rumors about you, both good and bad, most of them too strange to believe,¡± the martial monk leading the way said with interest as he looked at Elothysia, ¡°The saying goes, seeing is believing, and it seems that the strangest rumors happen to be true. I hope everything goes well for you, Succubus, and I look forward to fighting alongside you.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 300: 304: Lookout Tower Chapter 300: Chapter 304: Lookout Tower Everyone shared dinner with the guards inside the main building of the fortress. Although the meal was not lavish, the hosts¡¯ enthusiasm made up for the monotony of the food. Soldiers took turns greeting Elothysia, most conversations being the unremarkable ¡®nice to meet you, my name is so-and-so¡¯, but both the soldiers and the Succubus herself enjoyed these interactions. Many had heard numerous tales about Succubi, a kind of demon that initially appeared only in one¡¯s dreams, stirring primitive instincts before whispering desires of corruption. Only when the target was completely under their sway would the Succubus manifest physically in their life, urging the final step into corruption. Typically, once the target had fallen, the Succubus would quickly kill them to ensure that their soul would return with her to the Bottomless Abyss. If delayed too long, the victim might come to regret and seek help from the church of their deity. If they managed to atone before death¡ªsometimes merely a sincere confession was enough¡ªit could render the Succubus¡¯s efforts over months or even years worthless. Thus, unlike other demons who occasionally ran amok in the Prime Material Plane, Succubi almost never appeared before the general public. Along with a plethora of rosy legends, this added a layer of mysterious allure. And now, sitting under one roof having a meal with them, what could be more astonishing than dining with a Succubus? Of course, demons did not actually need to eat, though it did provide them pleasure. It was the energy of the Abyss itself that sustained a demon¡¯s life; the dining habits of the Succubus Paladin were more about politeness, a perspective held by many present and a common understanding of demons. However, having traveled with Elothysia for so long, everyone had learned more about demon physiology from her. Indeed, demons did not need food or sleep to sustain themselves, but they could still feel fatigued from continuous battle, and both eating and resting could help them quickly recover their combat strength. This was also why a demon army would carry a lot of Coward Devils¡ªthey were cannon fodder during the start of a battle, and provisions before it began. ¡°Thank you, it tasted very good.¡± As the plump Gnome cook from the kitchen came to inquire whether Miss Succubus was satisfied with tonight¡¯s fish fillet porridge, Elothysia responded thus. This Gnome was the last one to try striking up a conversation with her that evening. The soldiers had been sent back to their bunks or posts by their superior, and Lancelot and his group had each been assigned a room to rest in. Although they had traveled for eight hours, their plan was to cross the river and continue under the cover of night. It was going to be a long day, so they couldn¡¯t waste this brief opportunity to rest. The group followed, having to stand more spread out than usual to avoid accidental injuries. But soon, Lancelot realized something was amiss. ¡°Where are we going?¡± he asked curiously, ¡°It seems like we are heading to an upper part of the fortress.¡± ¡°That¡¯s indeed the case,¡± Acheron twisted his silvery-haired head around, ¡°Is anyone afraid of heights here?¡± ¡°No. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°If anyone is afraid of heights, they might need help crossing the river in a bit.¡± The elf¡¯s dark face showed a mischievous smile, ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± They didn¡¯t walk for too long. As a heavy iron door was pushed open, the group found themselves atop the highest watchtower of the fortress. Though it was nighttime, the dim starlight still revealed the swift-flowing Hoffenstan River before them, and above their heads, a huge brazier burned fiercely, casting a light visible from afar on such a clear night. Hobinson gripped a winch on the wall next to him and began to turn it, lowering a large copper hood with a notch over the brazier. The hood had a smooth interior, reflecting the light into a concentrated beam that shot out from the notch. The martial monk then started to turn another winch, causing the hood to rotate with his movements, sweeping the light beam across the dark face. Lancelot noticed he was turning the winch in a certain rhythm: a quick sweep, then slowly halved, raising and lowering the hood, then sweeping quickly from the other side. Without a doubt, it was some kind of signal, and there must be someone across the river who could understand it. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 301: 305 Bridge Chapter 301: Chapter 305 Bridge ¡°Wait a moment,¡± the Martial Monk said to everyone. Lancelot widened his eyes curiously, eager to see how the scout across the river would respond to them, especially at such a great distance. However, the Human Knight couldn¡¯t make out any signs, even with his vision enhanced by True Yuan; he detected nothing unusual. He looked at Hobinson, puzzled, only to find the other man lounging against a nearby stone wall. Lancelot was baffled; he was quite certain that the Martial Monk couldn¡¯t possibly possess better vision than his, nor did he feel any magical effects in play on the other man. Lancelot realized he might have completely misunderstood the situation, as the Martial Monk didn¡¯t seem to be focusing on anything outside at all. After waiting for about five minutes, Hobinson turned the winch again, allowing the beam of light to sweep slowly across the dark riverbank. This time, the Martial Monk was visibly more concentrated, carefully observing the places swept by the light. Following his gaze, Lancelot also surveyed the opposite bank. At last, he noticed that when the light swept past a certain patch of grass, there was a distinct reflection, as if someone had placed a mirror or something similar there. From the Martial Monk¡¯s expression, that was evidently the expected response. However, his hands didn¡¯t stop their motion; he controlled the light beam to complete its sweep across the entire riverside at the original pace. Afterwards, the Martial Monk repeated the process. This time, when the light beam swept over the spot that had flashed before, the reflection was gone. Clearly, whatever had caused the reflection had been removed. Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but inwardly admire the ingenious design. Although everyone could see the signals from the lighthouse, it would be difficult for enemies to understand the meaning of the beams¡ªwhether they moved fast or slow, high or low. The scouts only needed to place some mirrors in the spots where the light beam passed, according to a prearranged method, to send back sufficient intelligence without worrying about revealing their position. ¡°We are in luck tonight; there are no enemies within five miles.¡± The lean Martial Monk spoke before turning to walk in another direction, ¡°Follow me, I¡¯ll take you across the river.¡± ¡°Uh, the exit is this way,¡± Bruto reminded him; the Martial Monk was walking towards a gap in the watchtower, where there was a small platform extending outward, seemingly the remnant of a stone bridge that had collapsed at some point. ¡°But the way over the river is this way,¡± Hobinson said with a smile, then stepped out through the gap. To everyone¡¯s amazement, the Martial Monk stood steadily in midair, his feet planted as if on solid ground, though there appeared to be nothing there. ¡°It won¡¯t be if you walk in front,¡± Bruto said with a straight face. Lancelot shrugged his shoulders and stepped onto the transparent stone bridge. He intentionally walked very slowly, allowing his Dwarf companion, who was used to having his feet on solid ground, time to suppress the instinctive screams in his mind and slowly shift his center of gravity onto the foot that was stepping into the air. ¡°This is too hard...¡± complained the Dwarf from behind, ¡°Lancelot, you pull me instead...¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made it up here, won¡¯t you try a bit harder?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll definitely give it a try when we have the chance, but let¡¯s not waste time now.¡± Bruto surrendered to his fate, ¡°I¡¯ve closed my eyes already, walk faster.¡± Sometimes reality is so delicately ironic; people often walk faster with their eyes closed than with them open. This invisible pathway was even longer than they had imagined; after crossing the Hoffenstan River, they walked almost half a mile more before their feet once again touched solid ground. ¡°And so, farewell, my friends.¡± The Martial Monk bowed with his hands together in salute once more, ¡°I wish you all smooth sailing.¡± ¡°Thanks a lot, old pal.¡± Acheron gave the Martial Monk a warm embrace, ¡°I really wish you could come with us, just like old times...¡± ¡°Sometimes I really wonder how you got that General title.¡± The Martial Monk shook his head, looking at Lancelot and the others, ¡°I bet he told you all sorts of reasons for coming here, but believe me, they were all made up. He¡¯s just longing for adventure and doesn¡¯t want to miss any opportunities.¡± ¡°Have you been drinking tonight, spouting such nonsense?¡± the Elf said with a laugh, giving the Human Martial Monk a push and turning to address everyone, ¡°Let¡¯s not waste words with this guy, let¡¯s move out!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 302: 306: Child of the Night Chapter 302: Chapter 306: Child of the Night The party advanced through the darkness cautiously, doing their utmost to avoid making too much noise. Many among them had the innate ability of night vision typical of their races, and those who didn¡¯t could solve the problem by drinking a Night Vision Potion mixed by Koula.@@@@ Androlina was like a cage of a realm, surrounded by steep mountains, with open fields and gentle hills in the center. This meant that if they moved during the day, the Demon patrols could spot them from far away. Although Demons had night vision far superior to most mortal races, the night also restricted their field of vision, giving the party a chance to slip through the Demon Legion¡¯s controlled area. The darkness did not interfere with Lance¡¯s Spirit Perception, but he did not get the chance to use his ability because Acheron demonstrated the powerful skills of a Ranger. The Spirit Perception of a Spiritual Cultivator was real-time, and he could sense if there were any creatures with powerful auras nearby, but a Ranger could glean more information from tracks on the ground. A set of disordered footprints, a few broken twigs, and the Ranger could deduce the time, number, and species of the enemy¡¯s last pass. Combined with the intelligence previously obtained from Hobinson, he could even predict when the next patrol team would appear. Listening to Acheron¡¯s analysis, Lance couldn¡¯t help but feel secretly alarmed. He had always believed that the abilities of Spiritual Cultivators far exceeded those of various mortal professionals, but the Elven Ranger made him realize his folly. Destructive power did not equate to combat ability, something the Human Knight was very clear about, but the rapid increase in his strength over the last few months had subtly shifted his mentality. Among all the failings of mortals, pride ranked first for a reason. Lance felt both relief and apprehension. Fortunately, he had recognized this in time, before anything regrettable had happened. The group walked continuously for five hours in the night, covering roughly thirty miles. Despite dawn being a long way off and the group not nearly exhausted, they still stopped. After all, this was territory controlled by Demons, and they needed to find a place to hide before the sun rose again. Such places were not scarce; compared to the south, the ground here was dotted with many dark caves, some of which were very deep and suitable for evading patrols sent out by the Demon Legion. The only problem was that on the North Shore of the Hoffenstan River, almost all creatures were hiding from those patrols. Be it wild Demons, intelligent beasts, or deserters from the Demon Legion, they occupied these caves, turned them into their lairs, and were very unfriendly to any visitors. After Foundation Establishment, the physical body of a Spiritual Cultivator is no longer within the realm of mortals. He vaguely heard a very sharp sound and, focusing slightly more, the sound immediately became clear. Shortly afterward, everyone else also heard flapping wings, and dozens of bats flew in from different directions. They circled over the heads of the group but refused to land. ¡°I think we might need to step back a little,¡± the Elven Ranger suggested. The group spread out to a distance of about a dozen yards, and the bats indeed began to land one by one, perching on Little Issa¡¯s shoulders and arms. Then, the little Vampire communicated with the bats in sounds beyond the range of human hearing. After a moment, the bats flew off one by one, with Little Issa waving goodbye to them. ¡°So, what did you learn from these little guys?¡± Bruto asked eagerly, ¡°Any suitable recommendations?¡± ¡°The closest cave to us is inhabited by a group of Trolls, about twenty in number,¡± Little Issa began, ¡°The cave is deep enough, and the Trolls have driven away other creatures.¡± ¡°Trolls are no good,¡± Acheron shook his head, ¡°Fighting them would require fire, producing light that can be seen from afar, attracting unnecessary attention. And I would prefer not to rest in a place where Trolls have stayed; they are simply too smelly.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 303: 307 Chapter 303: 307 ¡°The second cave is a bit further away, and the bats living there said it¡¯s filled with undead,¡± offered Young Isha, providing another option, ¡°but they also warned to be careful of the grass on the ground. I¡¯m not sure what that means...¡±@@@@ ¡°If it¡¯s some kind of dangerous plant, I should be able to handle it,¡± nodded the Elven Ranger, ¡°Are there any other caves?¡± ¡°Further on, there¡¯s a larger one, housing two factions; the strongest being a Succubus with four Berserk Demons, and a large group of Coward Devil minions,¡± described Young Isha, gesticulating the large pincers of the Succubus, ¡°The other faction consists of a pack of Werewolves, though the bats couldn¡¯t specify how many there are. In any case, quite a lot.¡± ¡°Sounds like a big task,¡± Acheron looked around at the others, ¡°What are your thoughts?¡± ¡°We have a Priest and a Holy Warrior, so those undead might be easier to handle,¡± suggested Kalalin, ¡°Even though there seems to be some kind of dangerous plant, as long as we¡¯re careful, it shouldn¡¯t be a big problem.¡± ¡°That might not necessarily be the case; many plants can cause fatal injuries, especially in an environment like the Abyss,¡± warned the Elven Ranger, ¡°But I agree with you, the second cave indeed seems like a suitable target.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement, and so without further delay, led by Young Isha, they quickly arrived at the entrance to their target cave. The entrance to the cave was merely a crack in the ground, five feet wide and twenty feet long, hardly suggestive of the marvels inside. Those with the ability to fly went down first to scout, and after confirming the safety at the entrance, everyone else used ropes to descend one by one into the crack. Some bats hanging from the cave ceiling were disturbed by the arrival of the outsiders. They flapped their wings trying to flee, but Young Isha opened her mouth, and the bats calmed down and returned to the top of the cave. ¡°I think in terms of communicating with animals, you¡¯re more of a Ranger than I am, as few animals here care to interact with me,¡± Acheron smiled at the young girl, ¡°But I¡¯m still confident in scouting, just wait till I flush out the enemies!¡± Some luminescent fungi in the cave provided dim illumination, and all had dark vision, so they didn¡¯t light any torches nor did Alamir hold up his Hardhead Hammer, which could emit light. The cave wound downward in a spiral shape, occasionally branching off, but the Elven Ranger at the front left clear marks indicating which path to take. About ten minutes into their dark trek, around a corner, they found the Elven Ranger elegantly leaning against a stone, clearly waiting for them. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± the Dwarf squinted his eyes, ¡°You didn¡¯t lead us the wrong way, did you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m here to remind everyone about enemies ahead,¡± the Elven Scout grinned, showing his neat teeth, ¡°Your movements are too noisy; getting any closer would startle them.¡± ¡°What kind of enemies?¡± Lancelot went straight to the point. The Human Knight¡¯s Spirit Perception also sensed a threat ahead, but that didn¡¯t tell him specific details about the enemy. ¡°Eight Minotaur skeletons, six wandering aimlessly and two scattered on the ground, but I¡¯m certain they¡¯ll stand up if any living person approaches them. Watch out for their Great Axes, you wouldn¡¯t want those to touch you.¡± ¡°How do you know those two skeletons are playing dead?¡± Lancelot was curious; before coming to the Abyssal Plane, he had only fought creatures that could breathe. ¡°If you see a pile of bones in an area frequented by Undead and there¡¯s a weapon nearby, assume it can stand up again,¡± the Elven Ranger shrugged, ¡°Of course, if you don¡¯t want to stab every suspicious skeleton, you could also tell a loud joke, but that isn¡¯t always effective. It¡¯s not that Undead have no sense of humor, it¡¯s just that your jokes might not be very funny.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 304: 308: Minotaur Skeleton Chapter 304: Chapter 308: Minotaur Skeleton ¡°Just kidding,¡± the Elf Prince, Zoel said with a hearty laugh in the face of the Dwarf¡¯s skeptical gaze. He took off the longbow on his back and waved his hand at everyone, ¡°Are you all ready?¡± ¡°I still have a question,¡± Lancelot took out the Giant Sword Glacier from his Dimensional Bag, ¡°The Minotaur skeletons were originally those large Minotaurs, right? My understanding isn¡¯t wrong, is it?¡±@@@@ ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Acheron replied, looking at the great thing the Human Knight suddenly produced and swallowed hard, ¡°That one...¡± ¡°It¡¯s very big, so it will be very useful,¡± Lancelot assured him, and then he walked forward with steady steps, with Bruto excitedly carrying his warhammer behind him. ¡°Gah gah gah...¡± Just as the Ranger had warned, they had only walked a few steps forward when the unpleasant shouts of the skeletons came from the distance. The sound was like several dry and sharp bone fragments scraping against each other, expressing nothing but an irrational rage, devoid of any other meaning. The group instinctively quickened their pace, and soon a group of tall figures appeared before their eyes. These were skeletons like giants, standing over ten feet tall. Even Lancelot only came up to their chests, and each of their ribs was as thick as Bruto¡¯s arm. On their humanoid skeletal frames were skulls with characteristic bull horns, convincing people that these monsters originated from deceased Minotaurs. The monsters before them were also draped in rotting metal armor, which provided some additional protection for their air-permeable bodies. In addition to the huge long-handled Execution Axes in their hands, their weapons also included those robust bull horns on top of their heads. Even though they had been nonliving for who knows how many years, those sharp horns still looked exceptionally lethal, capable of poking a hole in any surface. His intended support was Elothysia. The Succubus initially faced some trouble, the monster¡¯s Great Axe slamming viciously onto her Shield, causing the slender Holy Warrior to wobble from side to side. The immense skeleton attempted to press its attack, but a flurry of arrows interrupted its motion. Piercing attacks were not very effective against bone skeletons; however, Acheron¡¯s armor-piercing arrowheads could deeply embed into their bones, and the force encapsulated within almost made the monster fall. Elothysia didn¡¯t waste the opportunity her companions created, with her Longsword glowing in a golden hue. A dazzling streak of light flashed, and the monster¡¯s right arm, grasping the Great Axe, was cleanly severed at the base, the bone at the cut melting like butter, dripping with white fluid. Evilbane Slash, a reward of pure goodness from the universe to Holy Warriors, was not only effective against Fiends but equally so against the Undead. Alamir, Koula, Little Yisha, and the floating skull took on the opponent Bruto had toppled. The gigantic skeleton, now missing a leg, was half-kneeling on the ground, its Long-handled Execution Axe sweeping across a vast area with each swing. Unexpectedly, Clone Well took up the task of drawing the enemy¡¯s attention. It emitted a series of unintelligible crunching noises, and the minotaur skeleton, driven by nearly instinct alone, seemed to understand them ¡ª and clearly, they were not pleasant words. The limping monster, enraged, pursued Clone Well, its heavy Great Axe hardly a match for the evasive floating skull; but the creature with a cow¡¯s head refused to switch its target, even as the others were dealing it severe damage. The two Wanderers, armed with Daggers and short swords, continuously launched attacks from the flanks, each strike chipping away a bone or two from the skeleton. Alamir, the one Bruto had called out, found no opening to join in, so he simply stood aside with his Shield at the ready, preparing to cast Divine Arts of healing at any moment ¡ª after all, the creature¡¯s axe was no joke, and one hit would grievously injure either of the ladies. As more and more bones were removed from the skeleton¡¯s body, a certain breaking point was reached. Suddenly, the monster just fell apart, the bones scattering like broken shards of a plate. The pieces tumbled, attempting to reassemble, but under the illumination of Holy Fire summoned by Alamir, they finally came to a rest. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 305: 309: The Origin of the Minotaur Chapter 305: Chapter 309: The Origin of the Minotaur As everyone fought valiantly, the enemy fell one after another. Lancelot knocked the last minotaur skeleton to the ground and raised his great sword to finish off his opponent when suddenly he heard Clone Well¡¯s voice: ¡°Boss! Leave me a whole body! Just chop off its head!¡± Curious about the words, Lancelot slightly adjusted his movements, and the great sword fell like a guillotine, separating the enemy¡¯s head from its skeleton beneath his feet. The beheaded monster¡¯s body convulsed, about to scatter into a pile of broken bones, when Clone Well suddenly flew over, landing on the skeleton¡¯s neck. Purple spiritual light flowed over the skeleton¡¯s entire body like ripples on water, and a few breaths later, the huge skull finally settled down. ¡°Hey! Boss! I think I succeeded!¡± The skull shouted excitedly as it lay face up on the ground, ¡°I can feel my body again, and this feeling is just great!¡± ¡°Then move a bit,¡± Bruto came over curiously and lightly kicked the skeleton¡¯s arm, ¡°Can you stand up?¡± ¡°Um... let me think, which one is the leg?¡± The skeleton began to bend its arms, ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem right, wait a moment...¡± The group stepped back a little and watched the skeleton on the ground flail its limbs wildly, like a turtle flipped over. After a moment, the huge skeleton frame finally staggered to its feet, with Clone Well¡¯s disproportionately small head on its neck. ¡°You really can control this body...¡± Bruto said in amazement on the side, ¡°We¡¯ve taken down quite a few skeletons before, why haven¡¯t I seen you do this before?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but seeing such a large frame earlier made me suddenly remember how to do this.¡± The skeleton tried to take a few steps forward but lost its balance and crashed to the ground with a thud. ¡°Where there¡¯s sin, there¡¯s corrupted soil,¡± Kalalin shrugged, ¡°Moradin, in creating Dwarves, also endowed you with an intrinsic inclination towards goodness. Our human creator, if they truly exist, gave us no such predisposition for good or evil. Compared to other righteous races, human morals are very complex and usually intertwined with societal structures...¡± ¡°Yeah yeah, I get that, but you still haven¡¯t explained why anyone would worship that Baphoment...¡± ¡°What about when a farmer, unable to pay his land rents, has his wife and daughters taken away by the Lord? Or when someone suffers the chopping off of limbs just because they paid a little less in taxes?¡± Scholar glanced at Lancelot intentionally or unintentionally, ¡°Kings and nobles are favorite subjects of corruption for the Devils, while Demons hear the cries of the miserably poor. Demons advocate slaughter and revenge, offering dark power to those in despair, and ensuring their targets don¡¯t stop after only getting revenge.¡± ¡°Why are you looking at me? My father was just a minor noble in the countryside and always treated the local people well...¡± Lancelot said, feeling a bit guilty; in truth, he had never cared about these matters as a child since food always appeared on the table on time. He quickly changed the subject, saying: ¡°Didn¡¯t you just mention that minotaurs were transformed from humans?¡± ¡°Exactly. Cultists of the Horned Demon Lord would wear masks symbolizing animals and step into a pre-arranged labyrinth. There, they would slaughter wild beasts, consume the flesh and blood of the animals raw, and unleash their most primal desires and impulses. Once they had completely discarded what one could call their humanity, typically involving killing and consuming another cultist, a minotaur would be born.¡± ¡°That sounds too evil.¡± The Dwarf shook his head and walked away, ¡°Foolish humans...¡± Lancelot and Kalalin didn¡¯t counter, they just glanced at each other, their faces revealing a helpless, bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± Acheron¡¯s easy voice arose from where he had just left, ¡°You won¡¯t believe what a sight it is up ahead!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 306: 310 Demon Palace Rose Chapter 306: Chapter 310 Demon Palace Rose ¡°Judging by your tone, it sounds like a fine thing,¡± Bruto said, becoming interested. ¡°Treasure?¡± ¡°Uh, not... not something that can be measured by gold,¡± the Elf Prince said, obviously deflated by the Dwarf¡¯s pragmatic attitude. He said in a reproachful tone, ¡°It¡¯s a rare beauty, scenery you absolutely can¡¯t see anywhere else.¡± ¡°Elves,¡± the Dwarf shook his head in disbelief and walked away. ¡°I believe it must be a very special landscape to excite you so,¡± Lancelot said to Acheron. ¡°Just wait a moment, we¡¯ll have collected all the loot very soon.¡± The group found some pockets on the skeletons, some relatively intact, filled with gold coins, others with nothing but a hole. The great axes, albeit in very poor condition, were quite good¡ªif given a grindstone, the Dwarves could restore their shine and then sell them for a good price in any Neutral Town in the Abyss.@@@@ Although they couldn¡¯t compare with the weapons produced in Twin Bridges Town, they were highly sought after in the Abyss. After all, demons hardly engage in production, and Demon Lords are always warring incessantly, making it hard to satisfy the demand for armaments by merely exploiting some human slaves. These bulky and damaged weapons were not the ideal loot, but since nearly everyone had a Dimensional Bag, why not? Of course, if they later found more valuable and smaller-sized loot, they would not hesitate to make room by discarding these old weapons. In truth, everyone was very curious about the spectacular scenery described by the Elven Ranger. They swiftly swept up the battlefield loot. In total, they found more than two hundred Gold Coins and seven Beheading Axes with tetanus properties. After packing the loot into Lancelot¡¯s Dimensional Bag, the group continued deeper into the cave under Acheron¡¯s guidance. They crossed the chamber where they had fought the minotaur skeletons and then passed through a long tunnel. After a turn, their view suddenly opened up, revealing a spacious cave ahead. ¡°This is... what miracle...¡± Alamir expressed his shock and amazement, shared by everyone else. Before their eyes was a vast sea of roses, with dark red petals illuminated by the glowing crystals on the cave ceiling, presenting a captivating beauty. ¡°You sound just like a Demon,¡± Alamir shook his head, ¡°Besides, this is deep underground, do you want to smoke us all to death...¡± ¡°As long as we don¡¯t get too close to those flowers, we are safe,¡± the Elven Ranger assured everyone, ¡°The heat from the campfire will also make the blood-sucking plants shy away, so camping at this distance shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°But, what happens when the flesh and blood of those skeletons get sucked dry?¡± Little Isha looked at the bright flowers with some trepidation, her expression slightly complex, ¡°Will they turn into new Minotaur skeletons and stand up?¡± It was then Lancelot realized that the young girl and these Demon Palace roses indeed had quite a bit in common, like how both were dangerously beautiful blood-sucking creatures. ¡°This... it¡¯s certainly possible, but the ones capable of standing up were already dealt with by us, so we shouldn¡¯t see any new ones in the short term,¡± the Elven Ranger scratched his head, ¡°Our luck shouldn¡¯t be that bad, we just need to arrange sentries during rest later...¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s camp here.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°There were some forks on the way here, should we clear those areas too?¡± ¡°No need, they¡¯re all dead ends, I¡¯ve already checked,¡± the Elf Prince shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s been a long day, everyone has worked hard.¡± Hearing this, everyone began to move, expertly lighting a campfire and pitching tents. The Elf Prince was pleasantly surprised to see the Halfling taking out what could be considered a luxurious set of cooking utensils from her backpack, placing them upon the fire, which soon released a delightful fragrance. ¡°Koula¡¯s Adventure Restaurant, now open for business, hahahaha...¡± The Halfling with the spoon curtsied comically to the Ranger, laughing herself silly first, ¡°I¡¯ve purchased quite a lot of ingredients back in Melanthan, anything you folks want to order?¡± ¡°Anything you¡¯re cooking in that pot right now.¡± The smile on the Elf¡¯s face was a pleased one, ¡°I know the rules, won¡¯t ask a single extra question.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 307: 311: Late Night Request for Help Chapter 307: Chapter 311: Late Night Request for Help After feasting on the delicacies prepared by Koula, everyone except Alamir and Little Isha, who were responsible for the first night watch, quickly drifted into slumber. Even the Succubus Paladin leaned against her shield and longsword, entering a state of dozing in front of the campfire. It was indeed an extraordinarily long day. The group had set out from Melanthan at dawn and rode continuously for eight hours, rushing to the frontline of the battle between good and evil. After a brief rest of two hours in Pascaler, they set off again, crossing the Hoffenstan River before trekking another thirty miles in the darkness of night, ending the day with a rather fierce battle. Fortunately, they had ample time to rest. There were still several hours before dawn, and they would not set off again until the next night fell. Lancelot sat cross-legged in a shadowy corner of the camp, breathing long and distant breaths, as if he was asleep. In reality, his Divine Sense was in a very mysterious state, in which he barely felt the passage of time, almost forgetting himself, immersed in the sheer pleasure of nature¡¯s spiritual energy continuously flowing into his body. Before reaching Foundation Establishment, Lancelot had never understood why the little bamboo scroll mentioned that cultivators often retreat for spiritual cultivation¡ªshortly for a few months, long for decades, and even some sitting for hundreds of years in ¡®deadly meditation¡¯, either breaking through bottlenecks and extending their Tao or turning into dry bones, rejoining the cycle of reincarnation. But after experiencing it firsthand, he understood that once in the state of cultivation, the length of time is meaningless. If he wished, he could meditate and refine Qi for a long time without eating or drinking.@@@@ However, Han Tianzun emphasized in his spiritual cultivation insights that unless necessary, such a turtle-like method of cultivation was not recommended. Essentially, spiritual cultivation is a form of struggle, a struggle against the heavens and the earth for life, and against all things for spiritual energy. While closed-door cultivation is safe, it is mentally falling behind, and the path of spiritual cultivation can at most reach the Golden Core Stage before it becomes extremely difficult to progress. Lancelot deeply agreed with this point. If not for the continuous adventures, he could not have amassed the Spirit Stones needed for Foundation Establishment so quickly, nor would he have had the excellent opportunity to make a breakthrough during his life-and-death struggle with the Giant Skull Demon, successfully passing the first threshold of the path of cultivation. Besides, who doesn¡¯t like adventures? There are always all kinds of people and events along the journey, not to mention the exciting Treasure and scenery. Lancelot even felt he liked the latter even more. Whether it was the magnificent sunset on the Plains of the Abyss, the majestic Skeleton Tower in Mogrondale City, or the beautiful pastoral scenery of Androlina, seeing these sights brought him great joy and made him eager to explore more of the unknown. Of course, this is provided that he wouldn¡¯t lose his life in the process. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you two? Is something amiss?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t see?¡± Alamir asked back, astonished, ¡°There was a woman in white over there, a ghost...¡± ¡°A-a-a ghost?! A woman ghost?!¡± Little Isha jumped in fright, looking as if her hair were about to stand on end, ¡°Don¡¯t scare me, I didn¡¯t see anything...¡± ¡°Miss... strictly speaking, you are kind of a female ghost yourself...¡± Alamir said with a bit of a wry smile as he looked at her, ¡°Then did you hear anything? Maybe a faint crying or something like that?¡± ¡°I-Is that so... But I didn¡¯t hear anything just now,¡± the Vampire girl¡¯s voice became even shriller and thinner with nervousness. She turned her head toward Elothysia, ¡°Elothysia, did you sense anything unusual just now?¡± ¡°No,¡± the Succubus Paladin shook her head in equal confusion. ¡°I heard it too,¡± Lancelot finally spoke up, and everyone suddenly became aware of his presence, as if the place where the Human Knight had been standing was no more than a rock, ¡°That spirit had the appearance of an Elf and spoke in the Elven language. Perhaps she only wanted, or was only able to make her own kind hear her.¡± ¡°And you, blessed by the Elves, could also hear her,¡± the Elf Priest nodded, then his face grew solemn, ¡°What are your thoughts on what she said? Could it be a trap?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 308: 312 Professional Chapter 308: Chapter 312 Professional@@@@ ¡°My intuition tells me that she is indeed a pitiable woman,¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, ¡°but your caution is also very right. Let¡¯s wait for everyone to wake up and discuss it together. If she¡¯s been trapped here for a long time, she wouldn¡¯t mind waiting a little longer, would she?¡± ¡°A wise decision, I agree,¡± Alamir yawned mightily, ¡°My mind can¡¯t think properly now. After I wake up, I¡¯ll definitely give it some good thought...¡± ¡°You¡¯ve really been through a lot, good Priest. Rest now,¡± the Elven Ranger said apologetically to Alamir. Shuni¡¯s Priest had insisted on taking the first watch, while Little Elizabeth had been resting in Lancelot¡¯s Dimensional Belt until they reached the town of Pascaler. ¡°Mm-hmm, I¡¯ll leave it to you, watch the direction of those flowers...¡± Alamir mumbled a few words unclearly, then spread a delicate blanket on the ground, knelt down, and quickly entered a state of meditation. ¡°So, now it¡¯s just the two of us,¡± the Elven Ranger flashed a smile at Elothysia, ¡°I suspect you have many intriguing stories, don¡¯t you, miss?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid most of them are not very interesting,¡± Elothysia returned a polite smile, ¡°The few that are somewhat thrilling all happened after meeting my Angel lover, which I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have a chance to tell everyone about later. For now, let¡¯s keep the noise down, for the sake of the others who are still resting.¡± ¡°Of course, of course,¡± the Elf Prince said somewhat awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the Demon Palace Roses over here...¡± Lancelot, who had already closed his eyes, chuckled to himself, then withdrew his focus and entered the state of Qi Cultivation once more. Around two in the afternoon, the last sleeping Dwarf, Bruto, finally woke up needing to urinate. Groggy, he aimed to relieve himself in the flowerbeds but was tackled by a horrified Kalalin. Bruto looked at the Scholar in confusion, disconcerted by his companion¡¯s sudden outburst of enthusiasm. They looked at one another in silence, nodding their heads. ¡°Most importantly, you aren¡¯t planning to just walk away; you want to deal with this ghost, right?¡± ¡°Indeed, we can¡¯t ignore a Soul in torment who might be innocent, even though it might actually be a trap,¡± Acheron nodded, ¡°And the location of this cave is perfect, a suitable place for our Scouts to hide.¡± ¡°We also can¡¯t just burn this whole damned field of Bloodsucking Flowers. But if I¡¯m not wrong, it¡¯s about two hundred feet from here to the other side of the flower field. Give me two hours, and I can dig a tunnel that goes underneath to the other side,¡± the Dwarf started sorting through his backpack, ¡°We¡¯ll crawl through the tunnel, find that ghost¡¯s body, and set it on fire. If anything dares to disturb us, we¡¯ll take it down too. Isn¡¯t that a clear and straightforward plan? Do you like it?¡± Once again, everyone exchanged glances, and just like last time in Mogrondale, Bruto was able to offer a simple and direct solution, with some steps only a Dwarf would think of, like taking down a Lord of Withering or digging a tunnel over two hundred feet long. ¡°Remember when we were trapped by the Giant Skull Demon? Leave the digging to me; save your strength for the battle,¡± Lancelot patted the Dwarf¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Assuming it really is a banshee, is there anything we should be wary of in the fight?¡± ¡°Banshees, like the Wraith Demon we faced before, are incorporeal beings, immune to all ordinary physical attacks, and also immune to common magical damages such as frost, flame, lightning, sonic waves, while effects like Charm, Fear, Petrify have no effect.¡± Kalalin listed the facts well-known to him, to the surprise of Acheron who wasn¡¯t familiar with him. His Elven compatriot just smiled and described Kalalin with a word: ¡°Professional.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 309: 313: The Destination of the Soul Chapter 309: Chapter 313: The Destination of the Soul ¡°The most dangerous aspect of a banshee is her wail, this terrifying attack can only be resisted through sheer resilience; those who can¡¯t withstand it will instantly find themselves on the brink of death,¡± Kalalin continued to expound. ¡°Lancelot and Bruto should not have much difficulty resisting this attack, but I fear others may not fare as well. As a spectral entity, a banshee can move through any tangible material, so we must be wary of her stealth attacks.¡± ¡°I will constantly sense nearby evil creatures, ensuring she won¡¯t find an opportunity to strike,¡± declared the Succubus Paladin with a solemn expression. ¡°Good,¡± Kalalin nodded, ¡°Apart from that deadly wail, a banshee¡¯s touch is also extremely dangerous and can directly drain the life energy from living beings. Eloyisa, Clone Well, one of you is undead, the other... not living, so you should be immune to such attacks.¡± ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re insulting me?¡± The skull glared at Kalalin, baring its teeth, ¡°She can¡¯t hit me, and I can¡¯t hit her, is that what you mean?¡± ¡°In a bit, Kalalin will cast a Levitation Spell on you, and you can be our eyes in the sky,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°We rushed out this time and weren¡¯t fully prepared. Later, we¡¯ll get some Holy Oil to anoint on your head...¡± ¡°Ha ha! Boss, that¡¯s a great idea!¡± Clone Well exclaimed joyfully. ¡°A headbutt with holy properties, simply the nemesis of the undead!¡± Lancelot paused, originally intending to say that Kalalin should also cast a Light Spell on him for an area attack. After a moment¡¯s thought, he decided to keep that latter half of his sentence to himself. ¡°And then there¡¯s the horrifying visage of the banshee, which might freeze some in sheer terror, leaving them at her mercy. But we¡¯re seasoned enough; a face that¡¯s a bit more terrifying shouldn¡¯t scare us off,¡± shrugged Kalalin. ¡°Overall, Alamir¡¯s Holy Fire Technique and Elothysia¡¯s Evilbane Slash should be the most effective in attacking her. Of course, there¡¯s also your ability, Lancelot, to make your Sword Blade glow. Since it worked against spectral demons before, it should be just as effective this time.¡± ¡°I have a question...¡± Eloyisa timidly raised her hand, ¡°If... I mean if... that shadow was cursed by evildoers to become like that, if we kill the banshee, won¡¯t her soul be utterly dispersed? How can we purify her then?¡±@@@@ ¡°In the Father God¡¯s creation, the Dwarf home, lies the richest veins in the universe, filled with countless rare metals and gemstones, and endless ale to drink!¡± Bruto exclaimed excitedly, ¡°Praise the great Father God!¡± ¡°...Some, not so much,¡± the Elf Priest shrugged helplessly, ¡°If you worship a deity of the war domain, then after death, endless battles await you, representing your god on the glorious battlefield, fighting, dying, and being reborn over and over again. But if you worship the Lady of Fire, you will go to a land with a pleasant climate and picturesque scenery, becoming the best version of yourself, surrounded by countless equally handsome, charming, beautiful, and enchanting petitioners, and you will be forever immersed in the wonderful taste of love...¡± ¡°Uh, I think I get your point, but what happens to those who die without any beliefs?¡± Lancelot asked the question he was most curious about. From the day he became a spiritual cultivator, he was destined not to worship any deities because spiritual cultivation itself is a path of defying the heavens and changing fate. For powerful beings, one can admire, resent, or be jealous, but must never worship, otherwise, one would have a flaw in their mental state and fail to achieve greatness. ¡°Legend has it that at the very depths of the Netherworld, at the end of the Stygian River, there is a ¡®Wall of the Faithless.''¡± The name made the Elf Priest shudder, ¡°The shells of the faithless souls are forever immersed in the Stygian River, with no divine envoy capable of ¡®fishing¡¯ them out. The faithless are eventually stopped by that wall, smeared on it like a clump of mud thrown against the wall, gradually covered by newcomers, becoming part of the wall, forever imprisoned there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily forever,¡± Kalalin added, ¡°It¡¯s said that the demons often sneak into the Netherworld, chipping away bricks and mortar from the wall before the Grim Reaper¡¯s servants can stop them. After all, the endless blood war is like a monster that devours everything, and the demons always need more fodder.¡± ¡°True story,¡± the Succubus Paladin assured everyone. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 310: 314: Receiving Flowers Chapter 310: Chapter 314: Receiving Flowers Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but be utterly shocked; the fate of the faithless was too grim. He should never die, at least not in this universe. ¡°If you haven¡¯t decided which goddess to believe in, there¡¯s no need to worry too much.¡± Seeing Lancelot¡¯s uneasy expression, Alamir spoke to comfort him, ¡°It¡¯s enough to have mentioned the name of a goddess at any time. Have you ever expressed gratitude to the Goddess of Luck, Tamora, during your lucky moments? Or, having spent time with the Dwarves, have you occasionally said things like ¡®By Moradin¡¯s beard¡¯? These acts won¡¯t get you into heaven, but they are enough to get a Divine Envoy to ¡®fish¡¯ you out of the Stygian River. You will be deemed a nominal believer and reincarnated, provided, of course, that you¡¯ve committed no sins that merit damnation in Barto Hell...¡± ¡°Well, I can still manage that,¡± Lancelot shrugged. ¡°Had no idea there were so many secrets about the soul...¡± ¡°The weakness of the soul lies in its susceptibility to temptation,¡± the Elf Priest said with a helpless shake of her head. ¡°The fiends of the lower realms have many ways to benefit from a fallen soul, and causing a soul to fall is so easy it¡¯s sometimes beyond even the demons¡¯ understanding.¡± Alamir¡¯s words left everyone in silence; Lancelot shook his head and began performing a spell, preparing to summon vines to dig a tunnel through the sea of flowers. ¡°Brother Lancelot, wait...¡± Little Isha suddenly tugged at his arm. ¡°Can I try something first?¡± ¡°What do you want to try?¡± Lancelot felt a bit puzzled. The situation didn¡¯t seem to call for vampire powers. ¡°I... I want to try to control those flowers,¡± the little girl¡¯s words caused everyone to be taken aback. She was a vampire, not a druid. How could she possibly control these plants? Unless...@@@@ Seeing this, Lancelot frowned. This outcome had exceeded his expectations, but it would be a pity to end here. He gently placed his hand on Isabelle¡¯s shoulder, carefully channeling a stream of True Yuan into her body. The red light in the vampire girl¡¯s hand immediately brightened, like throwing a bundle of dry leaves into a dying fire, even the range of the red light seemed to increase. Isabelle¡¯s complexion turned rosy. The warm current from her brother¡¯s hand on her shoulder felt like a hot water bottle in the cold winter, making her feel very comfortable. Her body, which had almost reached its limit, suddenly regained strength, allowing her to continue trying to control more Demon Palace roses. Lancelot was careful not to increase the speed of the True Yuan flowing into the young girl¡¯s body. Although her expression did not show any discomfort, Lancelot, while feeding the True Yuan, also sensed the state of the meridians inside Isabelle. As a mortal (compared to a Spiritual Cultivator), Isabelle¡¯s meridians were very delicate. If he increased the speed slightly, he might blow her up into pieces on the spot, and it was uncertain if she could survive in her vampire mist form. In this manner, the young vampire acted like a lantern and Lancelot like the oil tank behind it, and together they slowly swept through the entire sea of flowers, bringing all the Demon Palace roses under Isabelle¡¯s control. Thousands of bouquets floated above the young girl¡¯s head, like a cloud made of flowers or a dark red school of fish in the ocean, beautifully dreamlike. But those present held no illusions about the nature of these beautiful flowers, as the ground before them was covered with white bones and rotting flesh, reminiscent of the horrific mass grave they had seen at Oasis Fort. These bones were the very soil in which the Demon Palace roses grew. Isabelle was only able to control so many Demon Palace roses with Lancelot¡¯s support. The moment Lancelot stopped channeling True Yuan into her body, these bloodthirsty plants would immediately go out of control and attack everyone present. Fortunately, Lancelot had already thought of a way to deal with this. He removed a Dimensional Bag from his waist, which had already been emptied and its contents transferred to another Dimensional Bag. He then guided Isabelle to gather all the roses into the Dimensional Bag until it was completely full. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 311: 315: Preparing for Battle Chapter 311: Chapter 315: Preparing for Battle But there were still hundreds of bouquets floating in the air, and there was no space left in the Dimensional Bag. Lancelot looked at the roots of those flowers with sharp spikes, his gaze slightly chilly, as he gently drew out the Frostslash hidden behind him. ¡°Little Isha, release control of these flowers,¡± he said. ¡°But, but then they will definitely attack you immediately...¡±@@@@ ¡°Let them come,¡± Lancelot smiled, ¡°I can still handle this number.¡± Hearing this, Little Isha didn¡¯t say anything more. She gently closed her eyes, severing some sort of connection with these vampiric plants. Instantly, those originally gently floating bouquets all froze at once, then they began to rotate in unison, pointing their stems toward Lancelot below, forming a floral sphere with the Human Knight at its center. A cyan Sword Aura emerged on his Hand Half Sword. Lancelot thought for a moment, then released his left hand that was holding the end of the sword hilt, forming a strange hand gesture that looked as if he was holding another invisible Longsword, before abruptly pulling his arm outward. To his companions nearby, it appeared as if Lancelot had drawn a phantom Longsword out of thin air. This newly emerged sword looked very much like Frostslash, completely composed of Lancelot¡¯s signature cyan light. It flickered on and off in mid-air, seeming merely an illusion, yet the sharpness it radiated made it seem tangible, definitely not to be ignored. This illusion was nothing else but a Sword Shadow created by Lancelot using the Qingyun Sword Art. Although with his current cultivation power, the Sword Shadow¡¯s power could only reach one-tenth of the original¡¯s, it was completely sufficient for slashing some flowers and grass. Lancelot¡¯s left hand re-gripped Frostslash, the semi-transparent Sword Shadow quietly floating beside the Hand Half Sword, appearing merely as a reflection. The roses from the Demon Palace, as if intimidated by some murderous aura, slightly dispersed, but in the next second, they descended like countless arrows, blanketing the Human Knight. He did not want to lie, but he also did not want to reveal his real secret, so he could only answer that way. Fortunately, this would neither harm anyone nor pose a significant burden on his conscience. ¡°I see,¡± Acheron nodded. ¡°I guess you were a strong martial artist before you even entered that portal; otherwise, I¡¯d be facing a magician right now.¡± ¡°Big brother indeed has some magical abilities, which you¡¯ll see,¡± said Bruto, who had already donned his sharp armor. ¡°Can we go now? The sooner we deal with that weeping banshee, the sooner we can hit the road.¡± ¡°Patience, Bruto,¡± Kalalin began pulling scrolls from his backpack. ¡°When we encounter that banshee later, you¡¯ll be glad we took the time to prepare.¡± The Scholar cast Owlsight on Koula and Bruto. This 2nd level spell enhances the recipient¡¯s Perception Ability, helping them better resist the effects of fear. Additionally, the Halfling¡¯s Courage Potion would also be helpful. Meanwhile, the Priest cast the Blessing Art, a Divine Art that enhanced everyone¡¯s life force and could last up to eight hours, a must-have before starting the day of adventure. Furthermore, Alamir prepared a cup of Holy Water, an ingredient for casting Blessings, to enhance everyone¡¯s resistance to any magical effects. He planned to use it immediately upon encountering the banshee since, as an ethereal being, magic was undoubtedly her main mode of attack. Of course, Little Isa could not enjoy the benefits of this Divine Art, as for an undead, Holy Water was akin to strong acid. However, the little vampire was also immune to most of the banshee¡¯s attacks, so she was not at a significant disadvantage. This group of cautious adventurers made all the preparations they could until they were certain nothing more could be done. Once everything was ready, they reformed their battle formation and followed Lancelot into what had just been a blooming field of flowers, now a vast expanse of bones. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 312: 316 The Prison Gate Chapter 312: Chapter 316 The Prison Gate As they passed through the area where the roses of the Demon Palace once thrived, everyone noticed more details. The skeletons were riddled with dense holes, looking like worm-eaten wood, which made everyone¡¯s skin crawl. The group advanced almost without looking sideways, disturbed and distracted by the horrifying and nauseating sights around them. Even Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but heave a sigh of relief after finally leaving the sea of skeletons behind. They entered another long corridor, with the remains of human-sized creatures beginning to appear on both sides. These bones clearly belonged to humans or Elves, and some were of even more delicate build. The clothes on their bodies had been eroded away by the passage of time, leaving only the fragments of Armor that suggested they had been warriors. The skeletons still clutched weapons in their hands, but the iron, too, was no match for the ravages of time. Wooden handles and leather straps had long since turned to dust, and once-sharp blades and spear tips had become rusted rods. ¡°These bodies have been lying here for thousands of years, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have weathered so severely,¡± Kalalin declared, ¡°Could they have been Protectors?¡± ¡°I guess they got separated from their allies in a battle and hid here to avoid the enemy,¡± Bruto speculated, ¡°When they tried to retreat, they found a large group of minotaurs outside! Then they got trapped and died here. It¡¯s a shame there wasn¡¯t a Dwarf in their team; they would have dug a tunnel and escaped long ago.¡± ¡°I quite like your all-purpose digging theory, but that¡¯s not the truth,¡± the Elven Ranger said, shaking his head and silver hair, ¡°The skeleton remains of those minotaur creatures are much fresher than these, and they show no signs of battle wounds. Death seems to have come upon them suddenly.¡± ¡°What kind of attack could have caused so many to die unprepared?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, ¡°Is it related to that Succubus?¡±@@@@ ¡°The Succubus might just be a by-product of that attack,¡± Kalalin said with a grim expression, ¡°Be cautious. The stronger the curse, the more powerful the spawned Fiends.¡± At her words, everyone nodded and gripped their weapons tighter. ¡°I can¡¯t either.¡± The Succubus shook her wings, an action akin to a wingless creature shrugging, ¡°Detection abilities can¡¯t penetrate three feet of dirt, one foot of stone, one inch of Metal, or a thin sheet of lead. Unfortunately, the properties of Abyssal Metal are similar to lead, so even if it were Dimogorgen himself behind that door, I wouldn¡¯t be able to detect him.¡± ¡°But I have a hunch that the female ghost is behind the door.¡± Lancelot drew his Hand Half Sword from over his shoulder, a faint blue glow lit up along the Sword Blade, bringing some light to the otherwise pitch-black hall. With everyone possessing natural or potion-induced Dark Vision, the dimly lit environment was as bright as day to them. Already in tacit agreement, everyone understood what Lancelot drawing his sword meant, including the Elf Prince, who hadn¡¯t been traveling with them for long and could easily grasp the significance of the action. The Priest had already begun a low murmur of prayer, the Scholar had taken several scrolls from his backpack, and the others were all gripping their weapons and Shields, ready for battle. ¡°Be careful, I¡¯m going to open the door!¡± Lancelot rested his Hand Half Sword on his shoulder, freeing his left hand to start making Seal Gestures. To the Elven Ranger¡¯s amazement, countless slender but tenacious vines burrowed out from the walls around the iron gate, acting like levers pushing against the heavy metal door. ¡°I¡¯ve told you, my big brother has spellcasting abilities.¡± The Dwarf said coolly to Acheron, as though he disdained the other¡¯s surprise. ¡°Impressive,¡± the Elf Prince exclaimed sincerely, ¡°You seldom see someone in armor manipulate plants with such skill. As you know, those Druids loathe any kind of Metal items.¡± No, actually, I didn¡¯t know that. Lancelot thought to himself wryly. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 313: 317: Banshees Wail Chapter 313: Chapter 317: Banshee¡¯s Wail The metal door was extremely sturdy, and time had apparently done nothing to damage it. Lancelot kept increasing the strength of the True Yuan flowing into his handprint, and the summoned vines became harder and thicker as a result. But it wasn¡¯t until he had almost exerted ninety percent of his cultivation power that the iron door began to show signs of loosening. Accompanied by a huge roaring sound, the iron door was finally ¡®pulled¡¯ down from the wall by him, raising a great deal of dust and smoke. At the same time, a clear cry reached Lancelot¡¯s ears. From the reactions of others, it was clear that it wasn¡¯t just him and the two Elves who had heard it this time. Everyone stood tense on the spot, their gazes sweeping back and forth between the lingering dust and the surrounding walls, guarding against a banshee that could appear from any direction. After waiting a while longer, aside from the continuous crying, nothing else appeared. But with their vision obstructed, the baneful sobbing full of resentment exerted great spiritual pressure on them all. ¡°Kalalin, use the Wind Creation Spell,¡± Lancelot ordered. The dusty environment was too chaotic and was even affecting his sense of the flow of nature¡¯s spiritual energy, and they needed to clear it quickly. Upon hearing his words, the Scholar immediately reached into his backpack and pulled out a scroll the size of his index finger. A normal 2nd-level spell scroll would not be so small, and only a profession like a Scholar, who repeatedly copied magic scrolls, had the ability to write arcane runes smaller than a fingernail while still maintaining precise strokes. The Scholar gently but firmly unfurled the exquisitely small scroll. Because it was his own creation, he could skip reading it and directly activate the stored spell. As the red light representing the manipulation of energy magic lit up, the sound of wind whistling past their ears rose, and soon all the dust floating in the air was blown away. They focused their gaze on the wall, and where the iron door had once been, a passageway now lay open. Lancelot sensed Bruto¡¯s breathing become noticeably more rapid. Behind that iron door was a stone chamber, and embedded in the wall at the bottom of the chamber was a large metal mirror. A faint shadow was facing away from them toward the mirror, and the crying was coming from her mouth. Through the mirror¡¯s reflection, they saw the phantom¡¯s face. Unlike what Lancelot had seen before, the skin on that face was now peeling like dry bark, the flesh around one eye socket and half the mouth was completely gone, exposing the chilling white bone below.@@@@ That wave contained such powerful energy that it knocked everyone to the ground. Lancelot could hardly hold onto his weapon, and the others fared even worse. Alamir dropped his bottle of Holy Water due to the fall, and scrolls spilled across the floor from Kalalin¡¯s pockets. But worse than the force of the energy was the spiritual assault it contained. Lancelot sensed Kalalin¡¯s and Koula¡¯s energy signatures flicker weakly like dying embers in an instant, while the rest also suffered a profound drop, clearly experiencing severe injuries. Lancelot rolled backward, quickly regaining his stance, while Bruto, with his height advantage, was even quicker on his feet. The Dwarf entered a state of rage, swinging his Warhammer, mixed with Mithril, directly at the shadow. Although it was a physical attack, the Mithril lacing the hammer could still harm spectral enemies. The premise was that it could hit its target. Adventuring in the Great Abyss, Bruto was no stranger to hitting flying targets with his Flying Hammer, with notably good accuracy. But the female demon wasn¡¯t like any enemy he had encountered before. As the hammer came flying towards her, the ghost simply shifted sideways, her figure merging into the adjacent stone wall, causing the Dwarf¡¯s furious blow to miss completely. Bruto was about to curse the enemy for not standing still to receive his blow, when the female demon¡¯s horrifying figure emerged directly from the ground in front of him. Facing that ghastly ghostly face, Bruto instinctively protected himself with his shield, not considering that if she could drill right up from the ground, how could she possibly be stopped by a mere shield? The female demon¡¯s form passed directly through the Dwarf¡¯s body, draining a substantial amount of his life force. Bruto felt his muscles turn as soft as the fluffy cakes Koula made, and his armor felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. The Dwarf slowly fell backward as the female demon turned around, preparing to deal the finishing blow to him. At that moment, support from Lancelot arrived. Frostslash¡¯s Sword Aura surged to over ten feet long, looking like an azure Long Spear. The Sword Aura plunged like lightning into the gap between the female demon and the Dwarf, followed by a vicious sweep at the enemy. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 314: 318 Inertia Thinking Chapter 314: Chapter 318 Inertia Thinking Despite the demoness¡¯s attempt to evade at the fastest speed, the blue sword aura still swept across her waist, completely severing her lower half. The demoness let out a high-pitched scream that, though merely a pain-induced whimper from being attacked, was so shrill it was unbearable, forcing Lancelot to unconsciously block his ears with True Yuan. The others fared even worse. Those who had managed to stand up were once again knocked to the ground by the terrifying sonic wave, tightly covering their ears with both hands, missing the opportunity the Human Knight had created for a pincer attack. The demoness¡¯s lower half was a flowing skirt that appeared to have no legs at all, and after separating from her upper body, it quickly turned into a puff of blue smoke and dissipated. Such an injury would undoubtedly be fatal for a creature with a physical body, but it wasn¡¯t the same for a spectral entity like the demoness, composed of energy. Her upper body swiftly rose, burrowing into the ceiling, and disappeared once again from Lancelot¡¯s vision; soon his Spirit Perception could no longer sense the specter. But he remained highly vigilant, ready to detect the demoness the moment she emerged from anywhere. Lancelot¡¯s attention briefly shifted to check on his companions, and to his surprise, even the skeletal Clone Well was affected by the demoness¡¯s screech, collapsing on the ground with rolled-back eyes. Lancelot knew the guy enjoyed playing dead, but this time he wasn¡¯t acting. Without a proper body to cover his ears, Clone Well had no choice but to endure the maddening shriek of the demoness. Little Isha wasn¡¯t affected at all. Being an Undead herself, she was immune to the negative energy attack in the demoness¡¯s wail, and as a vampire, her hearing range was akin to that of a bat¡¯s. The high-frequency shriek of the demoness was just somewhat loud to her, far from unbearable. She didn¡¯t attempt to assist Lancelot either, knowing her Cold Iron Dagger would not inflict any harm on the demoness. But that was fine; her vampire teacher had repeatedly emphasized that a Wanderer¡¯s greatest contribution to the team wasn¡¯t combat, and little Isha had taken this to heart. Thanks to her diligent training and swift reflexes, the girl quickly rushed to the dying Priest¡¯s side, propping up his head with one hand while retrieving a healing potion previously obtained from Koula with the other. The Wanderer¡¯s fingers were very nimble, she opened the potion bottle¡¯s cap without needing another hand¡¯s assistance, then lifted the visor of the Priest¡¯s helmet and poured the pale red liquid into Alamir¡¯s mouth. The Elf¡¯s originally pale face immediately turned rosy, and he slowly opened his eyes, only to see the little vampire hastening towards Kalalin. Alamir was certainly not afraid of death. What he feared was the inability to continue fulfilling his duty, to let more lives understand the greatness of love. From the Succubus Paladin, he had witnessed the true power of love, giving him some ideas. The humiliating times he had endured in the Succubus Palace might not have been meaningless after all. After coming back from the instant fortress, Alamir found his mission in the Abyss: to replicate the miracle of Elothysia, whether by himself or by his companions, it didn¡¯t matter. While these thoughts raced through the elf¡¯s mind, less than a second had passed. The succubus, missing her target, emitted an angry shriek, and the terrifying sound waves attacked once more. But this time, the succubus¡¯s shriek was immediately interrupted. Acheron had been preparing a ranger¡¯s ritual magic since earlier. The moment the enemy appeared, he completed the final gesture required for casting. Lancelot, who was rapidly closing in on the succubus, suddenly noticed that all sounds around him had vanished. The succubus¡¯s dreadful scream turned into a silent, comical gaping. Based on the magical knowledge introduced to him by Kalalin, he knew this was the effect of a Silence Spell. Unlike his Soundproof Barrier that only blocked the transmission of sound, within the range of the Silence Spell no sound could be produced at all, so there was no chance of being ¡®burst¡¯ by powerful sound energy. Within the Silence Spell¡¯s range, any spell that required incantations or prayers could not be cast, meaning Kalalin and Alamir were affected as well. But amidst the succubus¡¯s piercing screams, nobody could maintain the concentration needed for casting spells, so it didn¡¯t make much of a difference. This had no effect whatsoever on Lancelot. His speed instantly increased by a third, leaving afterimages behind him. Frostslash, emanating a cyan Sword Aura, thundered towards the enemy, stabbing straight into the succubus¡¯s chest! But the empty sensation in his hands made his face change color; Lancelot realized that, like Bruto and due to instinctual thinking, he had made a terrible mistake. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 315: 319: Evil Spirit Eruption Chapter 315: Chapter 319: Evil Spirit Eruption The heart is a weakness for many creatures, especially for demons, known for their tenacious life force. Having spent such a long time in the Abyss, Lancelot had developed an almost muscle-memory-like instinct to strike at the heart. In most cases, this subconscious reaction allowed his attacks to be faster and more precise, executing miraculous dodges.@@@@ However, when facing spectral enemies like a succubus, striking the heart was no different from hitting any other part. It would still deal damage, but not a fatal blow. The succubus¡¯s face revealed a ferocious expression mixed with pain and rage as she fiercely pounced towards the Human Knight. Lancelot thought to himself, ¡®this is bad,¡¯ but he had rushed in too eagerly to save someone and it was too late to avoid the attack now. The succubus crashed right into him and then passed completely through his body, a sensation that felt like suddenly plunging into icy cold water, seemingly draining even the strength to breathe. The cold feeling disappeared as the succubus left his body, taking some of his life force with her, leaving him feeling as if he was on the verge of collapse, despite his Foundation Establishment Stage physique. But Lancelot was no ordinary man. True Yuan burst forth from his Dantian, filling every inch of his meridians. By instantly using up thirty percent of his True Yuan, he brought his body back to optimal condition. Sensing the position of his enemy behind him, Sword Aura flared up on Frostslash like a dazzling flame, Lancelot turned around and swung his sword, a crescent of blue light sweeping across the succubus¡¯s abdomen. He was not the only one who attacked. Elothysia¡¯s speed might not match Lancelot¡¯s, but she had already caught up behind him. Her longsword, adorned with angelic wings, emitted a brilliant golden light. Evilbane Slash fell like the midday sun, intersecting with Lancelot¡¯s Horizontal Slash in a perfect cross. The succubus¡¯s spectral figure was directly split into four, Lancelot felt a slight relief in his heart, thinking, ¡®Such an attack must surely be lethal to even the strongest demon, right?¡¯ But, Lancelot sadly realized that before he could deal with the Succubus, the enemy would take the lives of all his companions. The thought filled him with fear. If there was anything scarier than being trapped in the Abyss filled with Demons, it was losing the companions within the Abyss. Although their strength seemed not as great as his own, the deeper Lancelot understood the Abyss, the more he became aware of how crucial his friends were. They were the beacons that kept his sanity intact, the compass that guided his moral bearings. Without the companionship of his friends, Lancelot could hardly imagine what kind of beast he would become to survive in the Abyss. Discarding these distracting thoughts from his mind, Lancelot gathered all his rage, inching towards the screaming Succubus, with only one thought in his mind: to chop this monster that would kill all his partners into pieces. Many warriors let anger completely dominate them in battle, falling into a total Berserk State. In such a state, they could unleash the physical limits of strength and speed, and wouldn¡¯t stop for any injury unless completely knocked down. Such warriors were common among the nomadic tribes far from the civilized world, but Lancelot rarely let anger dominate him in battle. It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t understand the power of anger. As a knight, the battles he faced were often protracted for weeks or even months between two armies, where any fighting style that wasted physical strength was extremely unwise. But in this moment, faced with the desperate situation of his comrades losing their lives, Lancelot completely unleashed his mental shackles, allowing himself to burst forth with his ultimate combat power. In such a state, he certainly didn¡¯t notice that his originally blue Sword Aura had turned into flame-like red light, and the True Yuan circulating through his Meridians burned hot as if ignited. A certain special power had been activated by the stimulation of his angry emotions. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 316: 320: A Different World Chapter 316: Chapter 320: A Different World That was the Essence of Flame gifted to him by Baro¡¯s master, Kaldu; most of it had been refined on the spot, leaving only a small part of the essence within the essence untouched. This essence had emerged during his Foundation Establishment, attempting to transform Lancelot¡¯s body, but many of the Spirit Stones he used for his Foundation Establishment were provided by the Succubus¡¯s Angel lover, which contained the Spiritual Energy of the Heavens that neutralized the influence of the Demons¡¯ gift. At the time, Lancelot thought the hidden dangers of the Demons¡¯ gift had been resolved. It seemed that was not the case. More shadows rushed towards him, and the anger in Lancelot¡¯s heart grew even more intense. Since this was his own rage and not the effect of an external magic, the defense prohibitions in the bamboo slip were not activated. More of the Essence of Flame was drawn from his body, their energy nearly depleted, but meeting with Lancelot¡¯s Wood Attribute True Yuan was like adding fuel to fire. With Lancelot¡¯s emotions running high, he naturally failed to notice anything amiss. Additionally, this was his first time as a Spiritual Cultivator to let rage completely dominate him. Even though Lancelot was still coherent, he was likely marveling at the wonders of the Tao of Cultivation, that even his rage was more formidable than that of others. In order to break through the hindrance of the shadows, Lancelot further stimulated the operation of his Cultivation Technique, demanding more strength from his body. Meanwhile, the Essence of Flame under such stimulation began to remodel his flesh, to better wield their power. If this state continued, it was feared that the body of the Human Knight would undergo some permanent changes. But suddenly, the wail of the Succubus changed; although still piercing, this time it was a genuine scream. Nearly transparent flames rose from within her, and the surrounding shadows crazily rushed back towards her. Lancelot felt the pressure on him lighten, but in his Berserk State, he hardly thought much about it. He charged forward with a fierce lunge, his longsword flickering with dazzling red Sword Aura whirling out continuously, slicing the Succubus¡¯s hazy phantom into hundreds of fragments, completely dissipating into the thin air. Having lost his target, Lancelot stopped, turning around with a violent motion, his eyes blazing with a white-hot glow as if searching for the next target. But things were a little different in this world. The Succubus Paladin ran to Alamir¡¯s side, knelt on the ground, and straightened the body of the Priest. She herself was gravely injured, but seemed to pay no mind, focusing solely on her actions. ¡°There¡¯s still time, quickly bring the others here! I need Diamonds to cast spells, the bigger, the better!¡± After confirming that the Elf had no fatal wounds, Elothysia looked up and shouted to the others. Her voice was hoarse and urgent, yet filled with hope. ¡°Diamonds?¡± Lancelot paused, then seeming to recall something, his face lit up with joy. He reached into his Dimensional Bag, pulled out a Gem Bag, and with a flick of his hand, the bag landed firmly next to the Succubus. Elothysia casually opened the bag and discovered it was filled with sparkling, glistening diamonds that glowed like a bag of stars in the dark room. The movements of the Succubus paused briefly; after all, diamonds are difficult for any intelligent female creature to resist. But she quickly resumed her actions, reaching in to take out a medium-sized diamond and placing it between the closed eyes of the Elf. Then, with her hands crossed, she began to pray in the language of the Heavens. Without Clone Well¡¯s help, Lancelot could not understand the melodious language that was like sung verse, but he could feel the devotion in the words. As she prayed, the diamond gleamed more intensely, and Lancelot felt something familiar re-emerging within the gemstone. At a certain moment, there was a ¡®crack,¡¯ and the diamond shattered into countless tiny particles of light, forming a vague human silhouette in the air, before the Elf¡¯s body below seemed to emit a suction, ¡®pulling¡¯ the phantom in. Alamir¡¯s eyes opened suddenly, and then he began to cough violently as if he had just been resuscitated from drowning. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 317: 321 The Role of the Wanderer Chapter 317: Chapter 321 The Role of the Wanderer ¡°` Although Lancelot had known before arriving at the Abyss that magic truly existed and had witnessed various enigmatic Divine Skills of Spiritual Cultivation Technique, the resurrection miracle unfolding before his eyes still deeply shocked him. This was completely different from conjuring some flames or sounds out of thin air; the notion that death was irreversible was so firmly entrenched in his mind that he could not fully comprehend what he was seeing. Alamir clearly was also experiencing this for the first time, despite theoretically being more capable of performing such miracles. The elf¡¯s expression was one of utter confusion, as if he had yet to understand why he had come back to life. But the Succubus did not intend to give this newly awakened Priest any time to adjust. Healing energy flowed from her hands, barely pulling the elf back from the brink of death. She pulled the Priest up from the ground while shaking his body rather roughly to focus his attention on her. ¡°Resurrection Art!¡± the Succubus shouted at him, ¡°Did you prepare this spell?¡± Alamir nodded subconsciously, but this action caused Elothysia to show a look of immense relief. The Succubus took out a Diamond from a nearby Gem Bag and stuffed it into the elf¡¯s hand, saying urgently: ¡°I can only cast another Third Circle spell once more, the other one is up to you! Be quick, we¡¯re running out of time!¡± The Elf Priest¡¯s gaze was still somewhat vacant, but then he saw Kalalin and Koula being moved over by Lancelot using vines. Alamir had a sudden spark of awareness, as if he¡¯d fully awakened, and finally grasped the situation at hand.@@@@ Without any unnecessary movements, the Priest immediately began praying next to Kalalin, while Elothysia repeated the same ritual over Koula. Moments later, both opened their eyes, and Lancelot¡¯s heart lifted with joy, knowing his companions had returned. ¡°You will get your eternal rest, but not today.¡± The Elf Priest reached out to pull the Scholar up from the ground, ¡°Don¡¯t thank me, thank Elothysia. If it weren¡¯t for her, I¡¯d be enjoying the quiet alongside you.¡± ¡°Resurrection Art must be cast within one minute of death, luckily we were just in time. There is nothing to thank me for, this is what I should do...¡± the Succubus explained to Lancelot, then helped the Halfling to his feet, ¡°Koula, do you still have your healing potion?¡± ¡°I picked up the bottle you dropped and poured it where it needed to be poured,¡± Isya said calmly, her tone surprisingly similar to Lancelot¡¯s. But then she couldn¡¯t maintain her cool demeanor any longer and, laughing, she explained: ¡°Maybe because I¡¯m a vampire, I noticed there was a skeleton behind that iron door the moment it was opened.¡± She stepped slightly to the side, pointing towards the interior of the stone chamber. The once dull skeleton now appeared crystal clear, as though it had been freshly purified. ¡°When the fight broke out, I couldn¡¯t be of much help, but the wails of the succubus didn¡¯t seem to affect me,¡± Isya said, spreading her hands and shrugging, imitating Bruto¡¯s habitual gesture. ¡°I kept an eye on your vial of Holy Water, reminding myself not to get splashed, so I saw exactly where the bottle rolled away.¡± ¡°Then you snuck in there and poured Holy Water on the skeleton?¡± Alamir clapped his hands together. ¡°Normally, a succubus would fiercely guard her own remains, and pouring Holy Water is usually the final step in purifying a Resentful Spirit...¡± ¡°Brother Lancelot, how did I do?¡± Isya turned to look at Lancelot, her face full of expectation. ¡°You were the greatest hero of this battle,¡± Lancelot recounted more details, his voice full of emotion as he reached out to ruffle Isya¡¯s hair. ¡°I was wondering why the resistance of those shadows suddenly collapsed, it turns out it was because of you. Unknowingly, you have become so reliable...¡± ¡°I thought so too! Ehehehe...¡± The young girl grabbed Lancelot¡¯s hand, happily rubbing against it like a contented little cat. Sir Zalovich had told her more than once that there were many ways a Wanderer could help the team, and that combat was pretty far down on that list. Today, she had a true understanding of the essence of his words. More importantly, the young girl had found her place in the team, knowing that she could be a great help to her companions without worrying about being a burden to anyone. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 318: 322: Superdegree Chapter 318: Chapter 322: Superdegree After so many twists and turns, they had finally taken the succubus down. Although they were fortunate enough not to lose any members, the cost they paid was still very heavy. The succubus¡¯s attack left no visible wounds, but her touch directly corroded everyone¡¯s life energy. Immediate repair of this kind of damage required the Fifth Circle of the Divine Arts¡¯ high-tier Restoration Art, a tier of spell that surpassed Alamir¡¯s casting abilities. Fortunately, by resting, this type of damage would gradually recover over time, and the priest and paladins had almost exhausted their spell quotas for the day, so it was clearly time to move forward. Fortunately, they had thoroughly cleared the cave and could rest there with peace of mind. The petite vampire could even release those Demon Palace roses again¡ªafter all, those bloodthirsty plants would not attack her, as long as she had Lancelot¡¯s help when retrieving them. But before that, they still had to complete the last step of the ritual for delivering the succubus. The priest¡¯s bag still contained several bottles of holy water, a liquid filled with holy energy. Its creation process wasn¡¯t complex but depended on the deities the priest or paladins worshipped, usually involving a prayer ritual, consuming some silver powder, and a Circle One technique. But Shuni¡¯s priests had a unique production method. Many knew that the Lady of Fire¡¯s priests would take baths in the morning and place a mirror in front of the bathtub and light incense, praying to their goddess in the bathtub, asking Shuni to grant them the power to bring love and beauty to more hearts.@@@@ Most people did not care what happened to the water in the bathtub after the prayers ended. Incidentally, the dwarves¡¯ holy water was also very special. All excellent Dwarf Priests were the best brewers in their tribes, and there was a very pragmatic reason behind this. The group entered the stone chamber that had once been firmly sealed by a thick iron door, watching as the priest used complex hand techniques to carefully sprinkle a large amount of holy water on the skeleton and the surrounding ground while softly chanting complex prayers. As he moved, the skeleton gradually became transparent and finally turned into a pile of tiny light dust, slowly floating into the air and gradually disappearing. As the ceremony progressed, a holy and solemn atmosphere descended, rendering the stone chamber a remarkably ¡®clean¡¯ feel, an effect of the residual Divine Arts. Lancelot¡¯s spirit perception twitched slightly, and he turned his head, slightly gathering some True Yuan in his eyes, then saw a blurred shadow in the corner of the wall. ¡°Look what I¡¯ve found,¡± Koula called for her companions¡¯ attention, ¡°Maybe you can find some clues among these items?¡± At her words, everyone turned their heads, only to see that on a small stone table, Koula had gathered items glowing with magic. Unlike ordinary items, any equipment imbued with magic possesses the ability to self-repair, thus not succumbing to decay over time as ordinary objects would. On the table was an exquisite hand crossbow, with fine, delicate patterns indicative of Elven craftsmanship. Koula demonstrated to the group that by performing the loading action, a crossbow arrow would appear magically in front of the bowstring; next to the hand crossbow was a hairband with an ice-blue gemstone that emitted a cold light. Kalalin briefly inspected it and declared it had resistance to fire damage, making it a very practical item for adventures in lower planes; in addition, there were bracelets, necklaces, and several rings, all of which provided protection against certain types of damage. ¡°All of these are protective gear; the succubus must have been an important figure in life,¡± Alamir speculated, then turned to his kin, ¡°I know she must have been locked up here a long time ago, but have you heard any rumors about a missing Elven dignitary?¡± The Ranger, disguised as a Zoel Elf, furrowed his brows in thought for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°In the history of Androlina, many great Protectors have perished. Indeed, many have gone missing in battle, I can¡¯t be sure of her identity... Lancelot, what are you doing? What is that?¡± The Human Knight released the spell he had been clutching, as a vine sprouted from where he last saw the succubus underground, its end curling around an almost transparent short sword that, when slightly rotated, reflected a glint like starlight. ¡°How did you find...wait, I think I¡¯ve heard of this weapon...¡± the Elven Ranger stared intently at the dagger, his lips quivering slightly, ¡°This, this seems to be Eskodel¡¯s personal sword, Starlight Strike...Why is it here...¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 319: 323 Reflection Chapter 319: Chapter 323 Reflection ¡°Eskodel?¡± Lancelot was surprised, ¡°Isn¡¯t that...¡± ¡°Yes, he was Queen Movir¡¯s former spouse of the Aira Celestials and was indeed tricked by the Mother of Demons Cang Ye, which led to an entire generation of Aira children being trapped in this plane,¡± Acheron furrowed his brow, ¡°It is said that he frequently came to Androlina, protecting those children who were trapped here because of him, and it wasn¡¯t long before he sacrificed himself...¡± ¡°Maybe that succubus used to be one of his lieutenants or someone close to him,¡± Lancelot took the sword suffused with starlight from the vines, feeling as smooth as jade when he held it, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Aira Celestials have a very open attitude towards romantic relationships...¡± ¡°The Aira are impulsive and passionate; they believe that love must be sincere,¡± the Elven Ranger glanced at their Priest companion, ¡°but they don¡¯t require exclusivity. Eskodel was just one of the many spouses of the Star Queen, and her current spouses are Finier and Gwenhwyfar. The former continues the mission of his predecessor, dedicated to protecting the children trapped in Androlina, and the latter... is the Star Queen¡¯s own daughter. I know this sounds a bit strange...¡± ¡°Lady Firehair opposes any moral shackles imposed upon love,¡± Alamir shrugged, ¡°More love is always better, as long as it does not cause harm.¡± Lancelot was hearing this theory for the first time, but noticing the Holy Warrior beside him frown disapprovingly, he handed the weapon over while changing the topic. ¡°This dagger must be quite famous if you recognized it immediately.¡± ¡°Legend has it that this treasured sword is made with the unrestrained starlight of the wilderness, and any lower plane demon struck by this weapon will be immediately transported to the prison at the Court of Stars,¡± the Elven Ranger accepted the dagger from Lancelot, examined it for a while, then handed it to others, looking at Lancelot with a complex expression, seemingly hesitant to speak.@@@@ ¡°Do you want me to return this weapon to the Aira of Androlina?¡± Lancelot saw what he was getting at and asked directly. ¡°You¡¯re the one who found this sword, and you solved the problem of the succubus guarding it; you have every right to possess it. But it holds special meaning for the Aira,¡± the Ranger said with less conviction, ¡°If it could be returned to the Aira, I believe they would be very happy. Of course, if you refuse, I can completely understand, given that this is a Divine Artifact Level weapon...¡± ¡°Does anyone of you want to use it?¡± Lancelot looked to his companions to seek their opinions. Bruto might only be a tad over 5 feet tall, but he wasn¡¯t a bit lighter than Lancelot. Of course, that was in comparison to his weight before Foundation Establishment. If Lancelot were to step on a scale now, the result would probably make him question his life. It seemed like a long walk on the way there, but the return trip felt like it was over in a moment. Lancelot didn¡¯t intentionally control his pace, but Bruto, perched on his shoulder, remained unconscious, showing that he was indeed quite seriously injured. To be honest, Lancelot was somewhat surprised he had managed to stay alive; it seems the rumor that Dwarves have some natural resistance to magic is not unfounded. When they returned to the camp, they relit the campfire. Priests and Holy Warriors used up the rest of their spell slots to cast healing Divine Arts on everyone, then they joined the exhausted group to rest, leaving Lancelot and Isa in charge of the ¡®night watch.¡¯ Less than an hour had passed since they last woke up, and it was only three in the afternoon. A sufficient rest would take eight hours, and by then it would be midnight, later than the group¡¯s original departure time, but still enough time for them to cover several more miles in darkness. Isa took a bag filled with Demon Palace roses and ran off to practice manipulating these bloodthirsty plants. Meanwhile, Lancelot sat by the campfire, meditating for Qi Cultivation while reviewing his performance in the battle that had almost ended in tragedy. He had forgotten to cast Qingyun Sword and Shield on himself during the fight. This kind of Shield with a counter-effect should have been effective against the succubus¡¯s Touch of Corruption, and the ability Shadow Web that he had acquired from the Shadow Weaver might also restrain the erratic movement of incorporeal beings. There were several other Cultivation Techniques that Lancelot had mastered that might have been helpful in fighting the succubus, allowing him to attack more effectively or provide some Protection to his companions, but in the heat of battle, he managed to use only his Sword Aura and movement technique with ease. It seems I¡¯m fated to be a warrior, Lancelot thought to himself with a sense of helpless self-mockery. There was no doubt that his strength had significantly increased lately, but he had yet to learn how to wield that power, a situation that must be changed quickly. This time they were lucky, the young Vampire¡¯s actions allowed them to end the battle quickly. If the Priest and Holy Warriors had exhausted their spellcasting ability in a drawn-out fight, the consequences would have been unimaginable. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 320: 234 Setting Off Again Chapter 320: Chapter 234 Setting Off Again (Damn, I got the title wrong again, it should have been Chapter Three Hundred and Thirty-Four.) Alamir rose again after resting for four hours. As an elf, he could achieve full rest more quickly through meditation. But today¡¯s situation was different, his companions were still injured, so as soon as he awoke, he used all his newly restored spellcasting abilities to cast Healing Divine Arts and then returned to the state of meditation. A priest¡¯s available Healing Divine Arts include the 1st circle Healing Spell, the 2nd circle Healing Prayer, and the 3rd circle Mass Healing Word. There are no healing spells in the 4th circle of Divine Arts, but he could use a 4th circle spell slot to Circle Upcast for better effects. Among the above Divine Arts, the Healing Spell is effective for a single person, while Healing Prayer and Mass Healing Word can affect six creatures at the same time. However, the Healing Prayer provides the best recovery effect since it is a Ritual Spell that requires a lengthy ten-minute prayer, whereas the other two Divine Arts need only a single word spoken with absolute determination by the priest¡ªbrief to the point of needing only one gesture, making them more suitable for use in combat. Moreover, his ability to channel Divine Power could also heal severe injuries, but wielding Divine Power puts a great strain on the body, and it is also an ability best suited for quick deployment in battle. Since it was not a time for combat, the priest naturally used his precious spellcasting ability on the more effective Ritual Spells. As a Priest of the Domain of Life, his Healing Divine Arts were already extremely effective, and each time he cast spells on others, Alamir too would receive healing. The glow filled with life energy lit up again and again in the dark cave, and most of his companions were not awakened by the warm and comfortable light, but rather slept even more soundly. Except for a certain dwarf. Bruto grunted and groaned as he woke from his slumber, looking as if a good dream had been interrupted. Dwarves truly are like stone, both in their temperament and physical characteristics. They could resist magic with negative effects and were also not fond of Divine Arts that brought healing, though this did not mean that Healing Divine Arts were ineffective on them, just slightly less so. In fact, even a Succubus could accept Healing Divine Arts quite well, the only one allergic to these Healing Divine Arts was little Koula.@@@@ Lancelot had previously heard Kalalin explain the concept of positive and negative energy: all living beings possess life energy, which is positive energy, and this naturally includes demons and devils native to the lower planes. The negative energy is what awakens the Undead from their eternal slumber and allows them to walk the earth once more. Hence, the same Divine Arts that heal others were as dangerous to her as sunlight. ¡°Keep it down,¡± Lancelot told the dwarf who suddenly ran off, ¡°The others are still resting!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± The dwarf called back without turning, filled with enthusiasm. Lancelot shook his head helplessly and cast a soundproof barrier and threw it over. This small divine skill from the Qi Refinement Realm performed poorly against the shrieking of the succubus. However, it proved quite effective in blocking the heavy breathing noises from the dwarf¡¯s physical exertion. As midnight approached, everyone gradually woke up. Time was tight, so Koula heated up some toast on the fading campfire and distributed it among everyone, with sweet bread accompanied by the jam Melanthan had bought, turning a simple dinner into something quite enjoyable. Halfway through the meal, the elven ranger also returned from outside and joined them. Acheron also only needed four hours of rest and had gone out for a stroll beforehand. ¡°How¡¯s it looking out there?¡± Lancelot greeted while passing a slice of toast smothered with raspberry jam to the elven ranger. ¡°A patrol passed by half an hour ago, heading in the same direction as us,¡± Acheron said quickly, swallowing the toast, ¡°From the tracks they left, it should be two berserk demons with dozens of minions. What do you think, shall we catch up to them and take them out?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 321: 335 Chapter 321: 335 ¡°Let them go first,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°unless they block our way.¡±@@@@ The group quickly finished their brief dinner and after cleaning up any traces of their encampment, they left the cave and once again set foot on the surface of Androlina. Although everyone had not fully recovered from the negative effects of the battle with the succubus, they were feeling much better after a long rest, and at least their spirits were high. The only one who was still unconscious was Clone Well, and the priest did not dare to cast Healing Divine Art on this creature of unknown nature, instead letting it recover on its own. Luckily, thanks to the master-servant pact with the skeleton head, Lancelot could ensure it was not in danger. Since Clone Well carried an interdimensional storage space within, Lancelot could not just put it into a storage bag like little Lisha, and so he hung it on his sword belt behind his back. Luckily, considering the group¡¯s current appearance, a skeleton head accessory was quite fitting with their style. It was now midnight, and the stars in the sky were very dim, almost indistinguishable from the darkness they had just left in the cave. Even those with night vision struggled to see what they were stepping on. In other places, this might not be much of an issue, but on the Demons-controlled North Shore, the situation was different. Chaos attracts Demons, and the presence of Demons breeds chaos; in areas dominated by Demons, everything undergoes mutation. Weeds grew razor-sharp leaves, tree trunks sprouted mouths full of sharp teeth, and hanging vines acted like poisonous snakes, attempting to attack any living creature that came close. Luckily, the team had a Ranger familiar with the terrain, so they did not have to worry about the troubles of the mutated vegetation. Alamir, disguised as Zoel, led the group, his flowing white hair even visible in the darkness, allowing his companions to easily follow. They moved north through the night, aiming to reach the shores of Lamborado Lake before dawn and find a suitable campsite. With a Ranger in their midst, they needn¡¯t worry about losing their way in the dark, so it wasn¡¯t a very difficult goal to achieve. Unless something stood in their way. Alamir had mentioned a small Demons patrol ahead, and Lancelot had hoped to avoid it, but after two more hours of travel, they still encountered the patrol. Lancelot gave a warning ahead of time, alerting Alamir there were enemies ahead, which surprised the Elven Ranger proud of his scouting and tracking abilities. ¡°Alright,¡± Lancelot waved his hand gently, ¡°Move out!¡± The enemies were less than two hundred feet ahead of the group, but the Demons were moving hastily, as reported by the Ranger. The Coward Devils were constantly letting out indistinct complaints, responded to by the piercing urgings and curses of the leading Kas Demon, while the two Berserk Demons acting as bodyguards took any opportunity to beat up any Coward Devil that lagged behind. Thanks to this noise, Lancelot and Bruto were able to get close enough without being noticed; otherwise, the whooshing of their armor would have given them away much sooner. But eventually, a Coward Devil heard something, its bat-like ears twitching on its swine face as it turned its head to look back. What met it head on was a streak of cyan light from a sword, cleaving the unlucky Coward Devil in two. At the same moment, two silvery streaks of light flew over Lancelot¡¯s head. They were arrows shot by the Ranger, heading straight for the Kas Demon at the center of the enemy group. Joining them was a hammer thrown by Bruto. Upon seeing the Kas Demon, the Dwarf recalled how much he despised that type of Demon. Before meeting Lancelot, he and his people had spent over a year in miserable bondage, with overseers that were Kas Demons. The Ranger¡¯s arrows pierced through the giant fly¡¯s wide abdomen, nailing it firmly to the ground, while Bruto¡¯s Flying Hammer turned the Kas Demon¡¯s head into a blob of mush. Before the hammer could fly back, the Dwarf let out a battle cry and charged bare-handed at the Demon horde. Though he was unarmed, his armor was studded with blades and spikes, which proved useless against skeletons and banshees but were now finally about to get a test against these flesh-and-blood enemies who were not that powerful¡ªit was time to try out this new ¡°toy.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 322: 336: The Dwarfs Delight Chapter 322: Chapter 336: The Dwarf¡¯s Delight Lancelot kicked open the Coward Devil corpse he had cleaved in two, the splashing blood spraying both him and his enemies. The Coward Devils responded differently¡ªsome attempted to pounce on him, while others instinctively tried to flee. He was about to extend his Sword Aura and use a wide sweep to quickly dispose of these low-level minions, but a figure who suddenly rushed into the enemy group forced him to stop his action. ¡°Ha ha ha ha! For the glory of Moradin!¡±@@@@ The Dwarf bellowed a frenzied roar and knocked a Coward Devil to the ground before grappling with it and rolling around. The long spikes and blades on Bruto¡¯s armor shredded the unfortunate Coward Devil, but the real lethal blow came from the Dwarf¡¯s initial charge¡ªhis helmet featured a toad figurine, modified by members of the Frontline Warrior¡¯s Guild, its tongue transformed into a sharp Trident Spike that punctured the Coward Devil¡¯s heart instantly. Several claws reached for the Dwarf who hadn¡¯t managed to rise, these low-rank Demons acted like hunting dogs led by hunters, attacking the enemy purely on instinct. But Bruto¡¯s armor was covered in malicious spikes, and the demons found their claws impaled almost immediately. They tried to pull back, but the cunningly placed barbs on the spikes ensured the Coward Devils¡¯ claws were firmly nailed to the Dwarf¡¯s armor. Bruto let out a roar and leaped up from the ground. He embraced another Coward Devil, beginning to frantically rub against it. The sharp protrusions on his armor instantly flayed the enemy, and the Dwarf firmly pressed his helmet against the Coward Devil¡¯s fang-filled mouth, completely ignoring the other three Coward Devils hanging onto his back. Lancelot decided not to steal the Dwarf¡¯s thunder; wielding Frostslash, he followed behind Bruto, giving each of the surviving Coward Devils from the Dwarf¡¯s side a sword, ensuring no one escaped. It must be said, the actions of Lancelot and Bruto were incredibly fast; the number of Coward Devils had already halved before the two Spellcasters¡¯ belated spells arrived. Kalalin unleashed Acid Sphere, a strong acid ball the size of an apple flew from his palm, striking a Coward Devil and causing half of the demon¡¯s body to melt like wax, making it cry out in pain. During his charge, the knight heavily stomped on the ground. The ground made a muffled sound. Some special energy made the ground sink like a rubber ball and then immediately bounced back, sending Lancelot high into the air. The body structure of the Berserk Demon made it difficult to look up, but it still saw the Human Knight¡¯s jumping action. Concerned about a fatal strike from above, the Berserk Demon, using the momentum of a missed weapon swing, performed a forward roll, a move quite agile for its species. Unfortunately, Lancelot¡¯s target had not been it from the start. The Human Knight, in mid-air, executed a forward somersault, easily passing over the nearly 8 feet tall Berserk Demon. The Frostslash, glowing with cyan light, fell like a waterfall from the sky, bifurcating the other Demon, who was relying on its digestive system to destroy the documents. This was the second time in this battle that Lancelot finished an enemy in an extremely shocking manner. Even for a tough species like the Berserk Demons, such thorough physical damage meant immediate death. Blood splashed wildly in all directions, like waves crashing against rocks, mixed with the bulging, pus-filled internal organs of the Berserk Demon. Lancelot turned his head, looking at the demon he had just leaped over. The large toad had just turned around, about to launch a downward strike at Lancelot, but the horrific death of its companion caused a brief pause in its movement. The toad¡¯s body suddenly stiffened as a silver arrowhead pierced through from under its chin. The demon dropped its weapon, its claws fumbling around an area it couldn¡¯t see, trying to pull out the thing that made it difficult to breathe. But by then, Bruto had already reached behind it, and a heavy iron hammer crashed onto the demon¡¯s knees, accompanied by a distinct sound of bones shattering. The tall Berserk Demon tumbled to the ground. Lancelot knew Bruto no longer needed anyone else¡¯s help. He turned back, facing the demon corpse he had sliced in two, hesitated slightly, then resignedly shrugged his shoulders and reached his hand into the sticky flesh of the corpse. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 323: 337 The Bizarre Demons Chapter 323: Chapter 337 The Bizarre Demons Lancelot ignored the dull thud of a bludgeon against flesh and the scraping of claws on armor behind him. He wrapped his palm with True Yuan and focused on searching the bloody, mangled corpse of the Demon. Soon, he found what he was looking for. From the Demon¡¯s digestive tract, filled with corrosive mucus, Lancelot extracted several fragments of parchment, their contents barely legible. With a rhythmic clanging, reminiscent of forging iron, accompanied by the Dwarf¡¯s exertion grunts: clang, clang, clang, splash. Then the noise stopped. Lancelot turned to see another Berserk Demon lying quietly on the ground, its head shattered like a watermelon dropped from a height, while Bruto contentedly put away his hammer. The two exchanged glances and then burst into hysterical laughter, for their appearances were simply too comical. Whether Dwarf or Human Knight, their extravagant armors were soaked through with Demon blood. Bruto¡¯s armor was additionally adorned with some skin and flesh, making him look more Demon than the actual Demons. Had a Holy Warrior passed by, he likely would have attacked Bruto without hesitation. ¡°Oh, my God,¡± Bruto shrugged, ¡°what in the Abyss has happened to us...¡± ¡°You two, stand together, don¡¯t move.¡± Alamir looked at them resignedly. It was well-known that Shuni¡¯s Priest had very little tolerance for filth. He poured a small drop of Holy Water onto his palm from the Holy Water Bottle he carried, and then, while making mysterious gestures, began to chant a prayer. Soon, it was as if an invisible bucket had opened above the heads of Lancelot and Bruto, and a large amount of water materialized out of thin air, washing over their bodies. This water seemed to contain special components that dissolved bloodstains, even cleaning out the crevices in their armor. Before long, the two were sparkling clean, as if someone had scrubbed them down with a brush. ¡°How many times is this now? I¡¯ve used up all my First Circle Spell slots just for this,¡± complained the Elf, arms crossed. ¡°You¡¯re both seasoned Adventurers; can¡¯t you be more careful in battle?¡± Incidentally, although silver coins were in circulation in the lower realms, their material caused Fiends pain, so offering silver coins to one of them, for any reason, was considered a grave insult. Most Demons would let the person who gave them the coins know this immediately, and a Demon might temporarily tolerate it due to the strength disparity, but the ensuing retribution would be no less than that meted out to their worst enemy. Considering this was a team with a special mission, and the fact that the master of this team would most likely send someone to investigate their fate, it was necessary to destroy all traces of their corpses. This might have been difficult in other wilderness areas, but the way the toad had destroyed the evidence gave Lancelot an idea. The Human Knight summoned many vines, which swiftly gathered up the myriad corpses on the ground and carried them to a snake tree grove nearby. The carnivorous plants initially hesitated over this ¡®feeding,¡¯ but the lure of the flesh was too strong. They quickly swarmed and devoured the dozen or so Demon bodies, leaving not even a fragment of bone behind. After their meal, the snake trees turned and hissed at Lancelot, though whether they were expressing gratitude or contemplating whether to eat the Human Knight next remained unclear. Lancelot had no interest in understanding what these malevolent trees wanted to convey. He might be skilled at summoning and controlling vines, but he was no Druid, nor did he understand the language of snakes. About ten minutes had passed since the battle began, but none wanted to delay even a moment longer. After clearing the site, they set off at once. They continued to advance at a cautious pace, diligently searching for any clues that might reveal the presence of the enemy. Fortunately, they did not encounter another unnecessary battle and, after two more hours of travel, the horizon ahead began to brighten, as if the pitch-black night sky was being wrapped in a layer of fluorescent-light-diffusing gauze. Lancelot knew that it was the reflection from Lamborado Lake, signaling the end of their night¡¯s journey. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 324: 338 Demon Capital Chapter 324: Chapter 338 Demon Capital On this windless night, Lamborado Lake shimmered like a black pearl, elegantly set in the vast plains of Androlina. Near the shore, glowing seaweed outlined the lake¡¯s edge, also enticing curious creatures to draw closer. With Lancelot¡¯s understanding of the Abyss, if they got too close, it certainly wouldn¡¯t end well. Tentacles suddenly shooting out of the water? A giant maw akin to that of a shark? Anything was possible, and he was not particularly interested in finding out the truth. Arriving at Lamborado Lake meant that the group had covered one-third of their journey. They would now follow the lakeshore for fifty li, then head west for another fifty li to reach the Demon Capital, Gaomendikolia. There was about two hours left until dawn, and they needed to find a cave to hide in quickly. This would usually be the most dangerous part of the journey, as the pressure of time might force them to blindly enter the nearest cave and pray that its inhabitants were not too difficult to deal with. But with little Isha¡¯s help, things became much easier. Bats, rats, and wolves ¨C creatures that seemed to survive in even the harshest environments, including places like the Abyss. The little vampire had once again activated her ¡°Child of the Night¡± abilities, summoning a large swarm of bats which soon informed them of a nearby hidden, unoccupied cave. Under her guidance, the group arrived at a rocky pit not far from the lakeshore. The ground had several narrow cracks, only wide enough for bats to enter, making it hard to believe that there was a cave suitable for hiding underneath. But after the Dwarf moved several large rocks, a deep entrance appeared before them. Due to their smooth progress, they had covered the distance planned for an entire night in just four hours. The glowing shoreline of Lamborado Lake began turning toward the northeast, while the group started heading west, embarking on the final leg of their journey toward Gaomendikolia. If they continued at their current pace, they might see the towers of the Demon Capital by dawn. However, on the advice of the Elven Ranger, they found a cave and began to rest. Gaomendikolia was an open town, but not a neutral one. The difference lay in that no administrators or institutions would provide security for visitors. The attire designed by the Dwarf bartender Dag made them look tough, but appearances alone couldn¡¯t deter the greedy local thugs. Upon entering the town, they would undoubtedly receive a ¡°warm¡± welcome from the locals, so they had to be in their best fighting condition at all times. The irregular sleep schedule and the intense long-distance travel over the past few days had greatly fatigued everyone; they slept for a full ten hours in the cave, not waking up until around two in the afternoon. The group didn¡¯t wait for nightfall to set out again, instead walking boldly on the road unafraid of being noticed, for this was no longer a ¡°military zone.¡± Many teams dressed similarly to them were on the road, though mostly moving in the opposite direction. In the Abyss, it was rumored that ¡°Mother of Demons,¡± Cang Ye was the progenitor of the entire Tanari demon race. Thus, the mountain north of Lamborado Lake, home to Cang Ye¡¯s palace, was known as Mother Mountain and considered sacred by many lower and middle rank demons and cultists who worshipped the Mother of Demons. Gaomendikolia, filled with portals, served as a point of arrival for pilgrims from other planes and realms. In its beginning, this Abyssal City was not the headquarters for Cang Ye¡¯s armies; demon generals initially established it merely as a recruitment point to replenish troops lost in the prolonged war with the Aira. However, as increasingly more of those deemed Cang Ye¡¯s offspring became Abyssal Lords¡ªespecially after ¡°Lord Wu¡¯an¡± Grazzt became one of the Abyss¡¯s three giants alongside ¡°Demon Prince¡± Dimogorgen and ¡°The Undying Overlord¡± Okus¡ªthe number of pilgrims surged, rapidly expanding the town into the city it was today. In the lingering light of sunset, Lancelot and his party reached the journey¡¯s end: the Demon Capital Gaomendikolia, composed of numerous twisted spires. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 325: 339 Gaomendikolia Chapter 325: Chapter 339 Gaomendikolia This city contrasted sharply with Melanthan in many ways. The city of the Aira was like a giant garden, except for the castle built by the Protectors to convene meetings and hold ceremonies, there were hardly any tall structures, and they were all constructed to harmonize with the surrounding environment as much as possible. However, in Gaomendikolia, everything was of a different state. The architecture here was dominated by towering towers that were built twisted and askew, as if their owners had changed their minds halfway through construction, thinking it was more important to block out the adjacent buildings than their own. The result was buildings entwined like vines, which made anyone who saw or lived within them feel extremely awkward. Of course, the most significant difference lay in the inhabitants of the two cities. Melanthan was filled with Aira children and Protectors who had volunteered to come here. They came not for any benefits, knowing well they would face the most terrifying enemies of the Multiverse, yet still resolved to protect those pure and innocent children. The Demon city ahead, on the other hand, was full of self-important adventurers, and day-dreamers aspiring to ascend the ranks in a single bound. They firmly believed that Cang Ye was definitely their never-before-seen mother, or grandmother, or maybe the grandmother¡¯s grandmother; in any case, one of their charming male ancestors must have once been favored by the Mother of Demons. And once they managed to catch the attention of Cang Ye, she would surely recognize their blood relationship immediately. As for evidence? Wasn¡¯t their own handsome and striking appearance the best proof?@@@@ What followed was mostly good fortune, such as being granted power, magic power body infusion, and the like. As for how it might unfold, well, perhaps their appearance could remind the Mother of Demons of that handsome ancestor? With their intelligence, and the power bestowed by the Mother of Demons, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible to become the next Grazzt or to recreate the deeds of the Wolf Spider Miska and the Consort of Chaos, unify the Abyss, and conquer all worlds. As the silhouette of Gaomendikolia gradually became clear within their sight, Lancelot and his companions couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of tension. They each took out the mercenary emblems from Twin Bridges Town and donned them in some concealed spot. These emblems played a very important role, in that they rendered ineffective the intrinsic detection of good abilities possessed by many Fiends. This detection ability was somewhat akin to the sensation living beings have of ghosts, where even if invisible to the eye, the presence of ghosts nearby still made people extremely uncomfortable. For Demons, who were both hot-headed and exceedingly cunning, this sensation put them on alert, paying attention to any unfamiliar faces nearby, ready to launch an attack at any moment. Yet these emblems could render such innate passive detection abilities ineffective, but if a Spellcaster were to use an active detection spell on them, it would still yield true information. However, this level was already sufficient; the ability to actively detect good was only deployable by High Rank Demons and Middle Rank Demon Spellcasters, and in most cases, they had specific targets, eliminating the need to use this ability spontaneously. ¡°We are General Ulgog¡¯s conscription team, and you have been conscripted!¡± a tiny voice called from below. The group looked down and saw a diminutive Quasimodo Demon, ¡°Come with us, now, immediately! Unless you hand over half of your possessions as compensation...¡± The Quasimodo Demon was even shorter than the Halfling Koula, which took those familiar with Dingke a bit by surprise, but in fact, this was the normal size for such a cunning little demon. ¡°Step aside,¡± Lancelot said coldly, ¡°you¡¯ve got the wrong person.¡± ¡°Huh? You dare speak to Captain Flog like that?¡± The Quasimodo Demon clearly hadn¡¯t expected such a reaction from the Human Knight in front of it, and flustered, it slapped the shining plate armor on the back of the Berserk Demon, ¡°Do you know how many people Captain Flog has killed on the battlefield? It could rip you apart as easily as crushing a few cockroaches...¡± ¡°In that armor?¡± Lancelot interrupted bluntly, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, step aside, and go perform your clumsy scam on someone else.¡± His forceful attitude left not only the demons in front of him somewhat nonplussed but even his companions quite surprised. Bruto poked Lancelot¡¯s arm and asked loudly: ¡°Big Brother, how do you know they¡¯re bluffing?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 326: 340 Tough Stubbornness Chapter 326: Chapter 340 Tough Stubbornness ¡°Look at the armor on its body, not even a scratch, and even for a Berserk Demon, it¡¯s too heavy,¡± Lancelot raised his hand to point at the iron behemoth opposite them, ¡°Such armor is more suited for a ceremonial procession or extorting money from ordinary people afraid of being dragged into a war on the streets.¡± As soon as Lancelot finished, everyone realized the situation, and the faces of the Berserk Demon¡¯s underlings turned quite amusing. It was not the embarrassment of their own lies being exposed, rather the awkwardness of being caught in deception in front of a crowd. ¡°You... what did you say?¡± the Quasimodo Demon bellowed furiously, ¡°Flog, kill them, and the rest of you, join in!¡± ¡°Guah!¡± The Berserk Demon covered in metal, given the clear instruction, removed the Giant Shield and Spiked Hammer from its back and roared as it charged towards the crowd. Its minions also drew their weapons, but their hearts clearly weren¡¯t in it. After a half-hearted run of a few steps, they stopped, apparently intending to watch and wait. Lancelot and his companions were already well-prepared for battle. Though they had dealt with many Berserk Demons, an individual outfitted with such fine equipment presented a bit of a challenge. The iron-clad toad charging at them was like the head of a battering ram, and its destructive power was undeniable. Bruto was the first to take action, hurling his hammer. The Dwarf¡¯s Flying Hammer, like a bolt of lightning, spun toward the approaching toad. However, the enemy immediately raised its Giant Shield, and the hammer struck with a loud clang before bouncing away while the Berserk Demon merely staggered slightly, hardly slowing its charge. Lancelot sighed inwardly. The situation felt strangely familiar; wasn¡¯t this just like being on the receiving end of a Knight¡¯s charge? Of course, most of the time, he was the one initiating the charge, but that wasn¡¯t without being charged at himself. Normally, resisting such a charge would require a sturdy Long Spear, steady hands, and an absolutely strong will¡ªnot everyone can calmly stand their ground with a weapon when a nearly one-ton metal behemoth is charging at them. At that moment, Lancelot had no Long Spear. He had always thought that it was a weapon needed for mass army combat, not small-scale adventuring activities, but the journey to Androlina had changed his mind. Whether facing the Giant Skull Demon or dealing with the beetle-like Lord of Withering, having a Long Spear would have been much more convenient. The Sword Aura created by the Qingyun Sword Art was indeed very sharp, but it was somewhat ineffective against Metal Armor. However, if combined with a Long Spear, the effect should be quite good. And with a Dimensional Bag, carrying it would not be an issue.@@@@ But when they actually faced someone as tough as Lancelot, they could only scatter in disarray. The henchmen could be spared, but the ringleader must be held accountable. Besides, Acheron had mentioned wanting to show a bit more evil, right? So, Lancelot decided to play the part to the hilt. The Quasimodo Demon, in its mad flight, found itself lifted from the ground, entangled tightly in place by several thick vines that had appeared out of nowhere. The lesser demon looked up to see the terrifying Human Knight advancing towards it step by step. Wait a second, was that guy... really a human? All over Lancelot¡¯s body was shrouded in pitch-black shadows, emitting an Abyssal Aura that made all demons tremble with fear. He then placed his hand on the head of the Quasimodo Demon, which looked like a lamb waiting for slaughter, and the latter frantically shouted: ¡°Wait! I¡¯ll give you all my treasures and the secrets I know, the secrets that can gain you the favor of the Mother of Demons...¡± Lancelot said nothing. He removed his hand, stepped back twice, and then waved his hand to dismiss the vines grasping the Quasimodo Demon. The lesser demon stood there dazed, as if it had forgotten the concept of escape. In the next second, its body began to undergo a horrifying transformation, muscles swelling violently, bones growing rapidly, and bubbles forming on the skin like boiling water. The Quasimodo Demon opened its mouth to scream, but before any sound could be formed in its throat, its body burst like an overinflated balloon, exploding into countless pieces. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 327: 341: Flaws Chapter 327: Chapter 341: Flaws Despite having stepped back two paces, Lancelot¡¯s boots were still splattered with blood and flesh from the little demon¡¯s explosive demise. He sighed helplessly and curled his lip, tapping the tip of his boot lightly against the ground, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding demons who were watching. His look was neither cold nor filled with killing intent, yet the demons that met his eyes all felt a chill run through their hearts, involuntarily averting their gazes. Although that Flog was known throughout the city as a swindler, its combat ability was not weak. Coupled with armor obtained from who knows where, it had become somewhat of a local tyrant in these few streets. It and that sly Quasimodo Demon tended to target newcomers, so nobody had bothered to deal with them. That was until they encountered this odd team made up of a Succubus, humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Halflings. It was then that they hit a snag. The Human Knight didn¡¯t even give his opponent a chance to beg for mercy, swiftly executing them with thunderous methods, showcasing such veteran tactics that the onlooking demons even wanted to burst into cheers. In the Abyss, everything was based on strength, and the Human Knight had shown a prowess that allowed him to look down on Middle Rank Demons. His actions were decisive and ruthless. To irk him any further offered no benefits and might result in becoming an outlet for his frustrations. While Quasimodo Demons were among the weakest of the demonkind, they were demons nonetheless, and no one wanted to experience the bizarre ability that caused them to explode upon death. Of course, the residents of Gaomendikolia couldn¡¯t help wondering when such a formidable person had arrived in Androlina or what the deal was with that Succubus wrapped up so tightly. Naturally, demons were curious; they wanted to understand the secret behind the Human Knight¡¯s strength and see if they could possess that power for themselves, while Lancelot¡¯s ruthlessness ensured they wouldn¡¯t dare act rashly. Having dispersed the onlookers with his gaze, Lancelot returned to his companions with an inscrutable expression. Most of them looked at him with admiration, only Bruto snorted and reminded him, ¡°Let¡¯s get a room at the inn on the central square first,¡± Acheron said with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t expect too much from their food; we¡¯re better off taking care of that ourselves. Don¡¯t worry, the buildings here are hard to ignite. The owner won¡¯t mind you making a fire in your room to cook.¡± Under the lead of the Elven Ranger, they set off towards the depths of the city. The buildings around them were twisted enough to put anyone in a foul mood¡ªtowers not only took on bizarre shapes but were also draped with obstacles such as thorns, sharp blades, and spikes. It was unclear whether the owners of these buildings wanted to deter thieves or had plans to turn into giants one day and use their towers as weapons. In some ways, these structures also reflected the mental state of the inhabitants. Those who resided here long-term either had incredibly strong wills or were madmen; often the distinction between the two was not very clear. Compared to this, Twin Bridges Town seemed so normal it hardly felt like a city in the Abyss; Lancelot wondered if the town was actually designed by Dwarf engineers. As they ventured deeper, the buildings became denser, and sometimes the streets were so narrow that only one person could pass through. Beforehand, they had to carefully check their surroundings to make sure there were no traps or anything that looked like it might fall. For some reason, there were no entrances in any of the buildings within fifteen feet of the ground, and Lancelot guessed this was probably related to the large number of Quasimodo Demons in the city. These little demons were thieves and burglars, as well as ubiquitous spies and infiltrators, but they had yet to cause any trouble for them. Obviously, this had something to do with Lancelot publicly ¡®blasting¡¯ a Quasimodo Demon into the air like a balloon. Abyssal language is a language filled with crude throat sounds, but violence is a more effective way of communication among demons. As long as your fists are bigger, sometimes demons can be quite communicative. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 328: 342: The Square Chapter 328: Chapter 342: The Square As the group passed through a gorge-like path, the city suddenly cleared before them. The twisted, bizarre towers were blocked behind by some invisible boundary, revealing a vast square reminiscent of the Twin Bridges Town arena. But the square was not empty. In front of them lay countless shacks, tents, and dugouts. The surfaces of these temporary structures were covered with filthy grease, and the ground flowed with pus that was a mix of yellow and green. The air smelled like a hundred goblins who fed only on rats were farting at the same time, brutally punishing those foolish enough to take a deep breath. In the center of these low buildings stood a huge statue depicting a female figure wrapped in a shroud-like plain cloth, her body alluring and her arms slightly spread. The fluttering edges of the cloth, the subtly visible body, and the well-defined curves were so realistic. The only part not depicted was the head of the statue, which was covered by layers of cloth, making it impossible to glimpse her true face. Lancelot knew without guessing that this statue was whoever ¡ª Androlina¡¯s supposed owner, one of the most ancient Demons of the Bottomless Abyss, ¡°Mother of Demons¡± Cang Ye. As he was examining the statue, a small bamboo slip in his mind suddenly emitted a ¡®ding¡¯ sound, bringing Lancelot back to his senses. He then realized that his condition had seemed rather strange. He turned his head to his companions and found everyone in a dazed state, as if the statue possessed some magic power that irresistibly drew their attention. He cleared his throat, his voice containing a hint of True Yuan. This method caused a slight sting to listeners, which according to Bruto, felt like having a leg hair plucked. Of course, it did no real harm, but it was enough to jolt those who heard it from their daze. The group, their senses restored, noticeably changed in expression and hurriedly averted their eyes, daring not to look again. Acheron tilted his head and mumbled curiously, ¡°That statue has stood here for I don¡¯t know how many centuries, but it never had such sinister traits before...¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of that.¡±@@@@ Lancelot pointed to the base of the statue, where there lay an altarpiece surrounded by burning candles and freshly slaughtered offerings. It wasn¡¯t strange for Gaomendikolia, the center of worship for Cang Ye, to have such an installation, but there was a giant sign next to it written in Abyssal language with three big characters: Recruitment Office; and the stone table below was crowded with various Demons, their fanatic demeanor hard to say unrelated to the statue. ¡°Uh, sorry.¡± Lancelot hurriedly climbed off him, the movement causing the elf to scream in pain again. The others gathered around quickly, with Koula pouring a potion into his mouth, while Alamir under the cover of his companions, released a divine art of healing, managing to stabilize the poor Elven Ranger after a while. ¡°Thanks for saving my life.¡± Acheron, with the help of others, got back on his feet, ¡°It was my fault, if I had been smashed into a pancake, even Resurrection Art couldn¡¯t bring me back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Lancelot shook his head, then turned to look at the cage, ¡°What exactly is this thing for?¡± ¡°This is an elevator, used to lift people up.¡± The Elven Ranger walked into the cage and, seeing that no one followed him, he turned and asked with some confusion, ¡°What are you waiting for? Come on up.¡± ¡°Uh...¡± The Dwarf looked at him hesitantly, ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t forget any other steps?¡± ¡°Although I¡¯m very unaccustomed to the various facilities in the city, I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t forget anything this time.¡± Acheron fumbled on the edge of the cage, ¡°Ah, found it! Here is the pull ring, just pull it and we will...¡± The cage rapidly ascended with the elf inside, leaving the astonished others behind. ¡°He¡¯s an Elven General, right?¡± Bruto slanted a glance at another elf in the team, ¡°Or some prince of Seren?¡± ¡°Um... In the Elven clan, a General is just an honorary title, mostly associated with his princely status. Every Elven warrior is very clear about what they should do on the battlefield and doesn¡¯t really need a General to command... at least in my world.¡± Alamir explained awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m sure he has a way to correct this little accident, so we¡¯d better stand further back, that cage might drop down again anytime, don¡¯t you think...¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 329: 343 Fame Outside Chapter 329: Chapter 343 Fame Outside As if to comply with his words, the cage did indeed crash down again, its position just a little off from before. Everyone looked up and discovered that Acheron was looking at them all with an embarrassed face, but fortunately, not a single part was missing from his body, which made everyone breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯m so glad to see you all so soon,¡± the Elf Prince said somewhat sheepishly, ¡°Come on up, everyone. I promise there won¡¯t be any problems this time...¡± Lancelot examined the cage carefully with his Divine Sense and, after confirming there was nothing amiss, cautiously stepped into the cage. Seeing him go up, the others followed and kept their distance from the handle. ¡°The lift is about to start, please stand firm and hold on!¡± Acheron said cheerfully as he pulled down the handrail. The cage trembled slightly before the ground swiftly receded from them. Even though Lancelot had experienced the sensation of flight using the Transformation Ring, this situation still felt very novel to him. From above, the shanties around the square looked like festering wounds on the ground, the twisted towers in the distance resembled a forest of dead pines, and the Cang Ye colossus at the center appeared even more eerie and unsettling. Lancelot found himself reminiscing about the experience of bombing Oasis Fort and wishing Phil would come up with something more powerful. It was unclear whether this sentiment was driven by a disdain for evil or an influence from the Abyss. With a clang and a shake, the iron cage reached the top of the structure. Lancelot¡¯s gaze shifted from the scenery and turning around, he noticed a ten-foot-square balcony behind him with a door leading inside the building. A Flomos, mouth preoccupied with a bone and looking well fed, was coming out. The winged demon shook its wings, ready to fly away from the balcony, but upon glancing at the people inside the cage, its expression changed suddenly, appearing startled. It actually tumbled off the edge of the balcony and only just remembered its wings before hitting the ground, flapping away.@@@@ On the balcony, a Goblin with wrinkled grey-green skin was looking at them unfriendly, holding a control stick in hand. ¡°We all here this time?¡± the Goblin asked Acheron in a raspy voice. ¡°You stupid Elf?¡± Lancelot squinted his eyes, taking in the furnishings of the hall. His gaze unintentionally swept across the closest table to him, where several large toads were dining. These creatures resembled Berserk Demons, but their skin was as red as blood, and they were much thinner and lacked the well-defined muscles of the Berserk Demons. Lancelot then caught sight of the food on their table, which made the stomach of the Human Knight churn: large rats, not completely dead, lay on their backs in the dishes, showing their gory innards from split-open bellies; creatures that looked like cockroaches, as big as apples, arranged in a circle around some kind of white dipping sauce; in addition, there were unrecognizable bird¡¯s claws, brains coated with purple mucus, green translucent puddings stuffed with eyeballs... Spiritual Cultivators really have it good, not needing to eat. The demons that were eating noticed Lancelot¡¯s gaze and the displeasure on his face. They seemed ready to loudly mock these newcomers, but just then, a figure rushed over from behind the counter, frantically running to block in front of Lancelot and his group. ¡°Ah, my lord, your esteemed presence truly graces our establishment, I apologize for not greeting you from afar, please do not take offense...¡± It was then Lancelot saw the figure was a dog-headed innkeeper dressed in a luxurious robe, with a candle perched on its head, bowing repeatedly to Lancelot. While the dog-headed man was busy trying to catch his attention, several gargoyle-like demon guards hurried over. They roughly chased away the group of toads that were about to clash with Lancelot and covered the disturbing meals with a dirty tablecloth so filthy that its original color was unrecognizable. ¡°Do you recognize me?¡± Lancelot truly did not expect to be treated this way and couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously. ¡°We are a chain business, our headquarters are in Mogrondale; you¡¯ve met our warm and hospitable Halfling boss.¡± The dog-headed innkeeper winked at Lancelot, ¡°Please follow me, you will definitely prefer the environment upstairs.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 330: 344 Intelligence Work Chapter 330: Chapter 344 Intelligence Work@@@@ Lancelot exchanged glances with his companions; this was not quite what they had anticipated. They had come here for a covert mission, and being recognized was not going to be a good thing. ¡°No need. I wouldn¡¯t want anyone else to know my whereabouts.¡± Lancelot¡¯s voice, speaking in a special way that blended True Yuan into it, filled his calm tone with suggestive meaning, ¡°Could you do me this favor?¡± ¡°Of course, of course, a guest¡¯s privacy is always of the utmost importance.¡± The goblin nodded repeatedly, hearing in Lancelot¡¯s voice both a friendliness, as if the most trustworthy friend in the world spoke to him, and an undeniable threat, implying that a terrible punishment would follow any breach of confidence. ¡°We need to book a suite,¡± Acheron chimed in promptly, ¡°one that takes up an entire floor.¡± ¡°No problem, please come this way.¡± The goblin bowed excessively to the group. ¡°If you¡¯d please move this way, esteemed guests...¡± Moments later, Lancelot received a metal card the size of a palm, marked with the enchanted number 17, corresponding to their reserved floor. The magic on the card would expire after five days, for which they had paid with a Blue Tip Crystal worth five hundred Gold Coins. Naturally, the expense had been covered by Acheron as part of the operation¡¯s budget. At the other end of the hall was a narrow room, one wall of which featured three huge fireplace-like recesses. Guided by Acheron¡¯s signals, Lancelot placed the newly acquired card on a stone pedestal in the center of the room. The moment the card touched the pedestal, it flashed brightly. Then, the sound of rusted gears grinding filled their ears. Suddenly, the noise cleared, and a massive iron cage descended from the chimney above the leftmost ¡®fireplace¡¯, stopping in front of them. ¡°Oh no, not this again,¡± the Dwarf grumbled dissatisfiedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with these guys, what¡¯s wrong with stairs...¡± ¡°It¡¯s a very cunning design, don¡¯t you think?¡± said the Elven Ranger with a chuckle, ¡°If you were running a shop here, you¡¯d also want to minimize encounters between guests. After all, handling corpses can be quite troublesome...¡± ¡°What the... What are we waiting for here?¡± Bruto¡¯s tone was unusually calm for a Dwarf, perhaps he had spent all his energy ranting about the sofa, ¡°Isn¡¯t our goal to infiltrate the fortress outside the city? I saw it while we were in the birdcage, on the mountain to the east...¡± ¡°We¡¯re groping in the dark right now. If we just go like this, the mission is likely to turn from infiltration into a full-blown assault. After all, it is a fortress, and I forgot to pack a trebuchet in my bag before we left,¡± Acheron shrugged, ¡°We need to make contact with a Spy lurking here to get a clear picture of the situation...¡± ¡°You have a trebuchet that fits in a bag?¡± Bruto¡¯s face lit up with excitement, ¡°Do you use magic to shrink it, and then enlarge it when needed?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t have one, so I didn¡¯t bring it.¡± The Elf Prince rolled his eyes, ¡°That was just a joke...¡± ¡°How are we going to contact these Spies?¡± Lancelot tried to steer the conversation back on track, ¡°Where do we find them?¡± ¡°You¡¯re overestimating our intelligence network¡ªwe don¡¯t have them, there¡¯s only him,¡± Acheron said with a wry smile, ¡°And it¡¯s not us who¡¯ll find him, but he who will come to us. We¡¯ll go to the city soon to look for his Emblem, leave a sign next to it using the agreed-upon codewords, then come back and wait for him to approach us.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Lancelot nodded, then asked with a touch of curiosity, ¡°What kind of person is this Spy? Can he be trusted?¡± ¡°I trust him as much as you all trust Miss Elothysia,¡± the Elf replied, addressing only the second question, ¡°It would be too conspicuous for all of us to move together. How about just the two of us go?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 331: 345 Incomplete Transformation Chapter 331: Chapter 345 Incomplete Transformation ¡°I¡¯ll go too,¡± suggested the Succubus Paladin standing by. ¡°I won¡¯t walk with you, but I¡¯ll follow nearby, ready to assist immediately should any trouble arise.¡± ¡°Is that necessary?¡± Lancelot asked, puzzled, ¡°You know my abilities; regular demons can¡¯t trouble me, and if there are stronger enemies, I can avoid them in advance...¡± ¡°I certainly know your abilities, but in the Abyss, great power shines like gleaming gold, attracting unwanted attention,¡± Elothysia reminded him. ¡°With me present, some conflicts might be resolved more discreetly. Trust me, being a succubus has its advantages in Tanari society.¡± Lancelot immediately understood what Elothysia was implying¡ªhe had perhaps been too ostentatious in establishing his authority publicly before. Without reminders, one could easily commit serious taboos. Let alone a Demon Lord, even two or three six-armed Serpent Demons seeking trouble would be enough to cause him great distress. ¡°Let¡¯s do as you say,¡± Lancelot nodded in agreement. ¡°The rest of you rest here; we¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Can I come with you and Sister Elothysia?¡± asked little Isa, raising her arm, ¡°I can pretend to be a maid...¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit dangerous?¡± Lancelot hesitated, looking at the little girl. ¡°In the eyes of the demons, you¡¯re just a normal human girl...¡± ¡°Brother, are you worried about that...¡± Isa said with a mischievous grin on her face. She bowed her head to gather herself and, when she looked up again, her eyes had transformed into bright red, cat-like vertical pupils, and sharp fangs poked out of the corners of her mouth, lending her child-like face an eerie, wild charm. ¡°Hm? Since when can you do this?¡± Lancelot asked, taken aback. ¡°Though from a distance, I can¡¯t really tell the difference...¡± ¡°How about now?¡± Isa turned around, took off her robe, and revealed the Mithril Chain Mail worn underneath. It was then that Lancelot noticed that the back of the armor he had given her had two thin slits, seemingly meant for... As he had expected, a pair of wings sprouted from the flesh of Isa¡¯s back, passing through those slits on her Chain Mail. Although they were bat wings, just like Elothysia¡¯s, Isa¡¯s were much smaller. Fully extended, they didn¡¯t even span the length of her body, whereas a succubus¡¯s wings could reach twice their body length. ¡°Kind of...¡± The Elf prince, disguised as Zoel, sighed again, ¡°the base of the Cang Ye statue. To get close, we must pass through that area... chaotic... filthy... stinky... slum.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a Ranger? I thought Rangers had a strong tolerance for harsh environments.¡± ¡°Only naturally occurring ones, the blessings of thunder, rain, and dew from heaven,¡± replied Acheron, his black face full of misery. ¡°This man-made mess doesn¡¯t count.¡± ¡°Well, I really feel for you,¡± said Lancelot, forming a small spell with his fingers and slapping him on the back, ¡°How do you feel now?¡± ¡°What... How has the stench faded?¡± ¡°Look at your feet.¡± ¡°Beneath my feet, it seems the same... Wait, these filths can¡¯t dirty my boots anymore? What did you do to me?¡± ¡°Just an idea I had. Using spiritual energy, which you can understand as a special kind of magic energy, I placed a protective barrier around you,¡± explained Lancelot with a shrug, stepping forward to continue walking. ¡°This barrier is too weak to block a sharp dagger or a flying fireball, but it can isolate some external substances.¡± ¡°This is too useful, my sibling who worships the lady of fire is definitely going to love this spell,¡± Acheron said, catching up with a sprightly step. ¡°Are you going to cast this spell on the two ladies behind us too? Taking gentlewomen to such a place is really inappropriate...¡± ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Lancelot gave the Elf a look. ¡°One of them is a demon, the other a vampire; neither of them needs to breathe.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT@@@@ Chapter 332: 346 Found Chapter 332: Chapter 346 Found@@@@ Getting across that plaza proved far more difficult for Lancelot than he had expected, not because of a hostile environment or anyone obstructing his way, but rather the scene before him. As a war veteran, Lancelot had seen the most horrific aspects of conflict¡ªnot the battles where blood and limbs flew amid clashing armies, nor the battlefields littered with corpses once the fighting had ceased. What terrified him most were the infirmaries for the wounded; the survivors were the unfortunate ones. They had lost limbs, their bodies torn open and festering with pus, and their eyes filled with despair at the life that lay ahead. The situation in the plaza was even worse. Kalalin had once explained to him that a demon¡¯s body was a torture device in itself, filled with unbearable pain, which is why the Fiends behaved so violently and irascibly. Lancelot hadn¡¯t fully grasped this before, as the demons he had encountered, even the weakest Coward Devils, had well-developed muscles, sharp claws, and vigorous life force. But here, he saw another side to these lower plane creatures. Massive tumors, mutated bones, rotting flesh¡ªtheir bodies¡¯ diseases were so severe that any other species would have died long ago. The anguished wails echoed through the ruined buildings, and with their supernatural vitality and innate fear of death, the demons could never find release, only suffering an endless torment. Even though Lancelot had spent nearly half his life in the military, such scenes still struck him deeply, and he had to rely on the constant practice of the Ice Heart Technique to maintain emotional stability. Acheron simply closed his eyes, relying on the Ranger¡¯s sensory ability to navigate the environment, and followed closely behind Lancelot. Fortunately, the journey was not long. In a moment, the two arrived at the base of the Cang Ye statue. After what they had just witnessed, Lancelot understood why the demons around the recruitment area seemed so fanatical¡ªfrom this angle, the statue of Cang Ye even took on the halo of a Savior, and joining her legion seemed like the only salvation for these lower-tier Fiends. But the Demon Legion¡¯s recruitment center didn¡¯t just accept anyone. In theory, High Rank Demons only needed to expend a bit of magic power to elevate a Low Rank Demon to a new form. Having absorbed the Abyss¡¯s spiritual energy of nature, Lancelot had this ability too. By his estimates, with just one-tenth of his True Yuan, he could elevate a Coward Devil into a Berserk Demon. ¡°Is this Elystra the daughter of Rose?¡± Lancelot asked with interest, ¡°And also a benevolent deity? Who is her father then?¡± ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s Rose¡¯s husband, well, ex-husband, an Elven god-king,¡± the Elven Ranger finished the message, patted his hands, and stood up from the ground, ¡°Thousands of centuries ago, for some unknown reasons, the ancient Elves left their homeland plane, migrated to various corners of the Multiverse, and established their own Divine Systems. I¡¯m not very familiar with the Elven Divine System to which Rose belongs, but it¡¯s said that she attempted to usurp the god-king¡¯s position, even colluded with Evil Gods to assassinate her own husband, and after the conspiracy was exposed, she was turned into a terrible spider Demon and driven into the Abyss.¡± ¡°But it seems Rose is doing quite well, controlling an entire layer and becoming an Abyssal Lord,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that Elven god-king to even let Rose live?¡± ¡°More than just sparing her life, he also drove the Zoel Elves underground, simply because those dark-skinned Elves were followers of Rose. What fault do those Zoel have? They worshiped Rose because she was his wife. Isn¡¯t that pushing innocent children into the fire pit?¡± Acheron, still in Dark Elf form, complained, ¡°Now you see why my kin worship a human Goddess, the Elven gods can be so... emotional at times.¡± Lancelot opened his mouth to say something but was suddenly interrupted by an angry female voice from behind. He turned around and discovered a group of Dark Elves standing not far behind him. The one who spoke was a lavishly dressed Zoel Elf woman, sitting on a floating Magic Carpet, surrounded by several other Zoel females, with dozens of soldiers, almost all males, following them. These female Zoel were decorated with spider patterns on their garments, apparently all faithful followers of Rose. They looked rather unhappy ¨C could it be that they had overheard the conversation? COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 333: 347 The Role of the Succubus Chapter 333: Chapter 347 The Role of the Succubus Seeing the two men looking toward her, the female Zoel sitting on the magic carpet spoke at length again. This time in a commanding tone, yet unfortunately, Lancelot couldn¡¯t understand a single word. The language had clear Elvish characteristics, but it was definitely not standard Elvish. His portable translator, although attached to his waist, was still out of commission. ¡°What did she say?¡± Lancelot asked Acheron in a low voice, his body tensing, ready for battle at any moment. ¡°How should I know?¡± the Elven Ranger squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth, barely moving his lips, ¡°I¡¯m just disguised as a Zoel, not a real Dark Elf!¡± ¡°Great,¡± Lancelot reached for his sword hilt, ¡°why don¡¯t you moan twice, pretend your tongue has been cut off?¡± ¡°See those women with spider patterns on their clothes? They¡¯re all Rose¡¯s priests, masters of the evil Divine Arts, and also weapon experts.¡± Acheron also tensed up but didn¡¯t try to reach for his weapon, ¡°I know you¡¯re formidable, but there are too many enemies. You can¡¯t fight so many spellcasters head-on.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Ready to make a run for it?¡± ¡°Uh, could you not agree so quickly...¡± Acheron¡¯s eyes began to roll, searching for a possible escape route. Seeing the two men ignore her, the female Zoel on the Floating Magic Carpet became angry again. She issued some instructions to the people around her, and immediately one of the Zoel women standing by her side walked toward them, drawing her weapon¡ªa strange whip¡ªas she approached. Lancelot took a quick look and noticed that the whip had five heads, each a snake¡¯s head, hissing in the direction they stood as if eager to taste the flesh and blood of their enemies. ¡°Or maybe we could take one out before we leave?¡± Lancelot squinted his eyes, watching the female Zoel Elf approaching him. Indeed, her step was stable and confident, the aura she emitted was no mediocrity, but Lancelot was certain she couldn¡¯t withstand his thunderous strike. ¡°What are you doing to my servants?¡± ¡°You might indeed find it useful someday,¡± Elothysia revealed an understanding smile, ¡°Regarding Succubi, you really do have a lot to learn...¡± ¡°Ahem... Our mission is accomplished, we can go back now...¡± Lancelot awkwardly changed the subject, ¡°I think Koula has already prepared dinner, I wonder what it will be today?¡± ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Among the four present, only Acheron looked utterly confused, gazing curiously at Lancelot, ¡°Could it be that you...¡± ¡°Yes, I have a Transformation Ring that can turn me into a Succubus,¡± Lancelot preempted as he headed outside, ¡°By the way, what¡¯s with that group of Zoel? They seemed to disdain men quite a bit...¡± ¡°Is it really just as simple as having a Transformation Ring?¡± Acheron raised his eyebrows, stepping forward to catch up with his companion, ¡°In Zoel society, males are considered the lesser gender. The number of females in a family is seen as a symbol of strength because Rose¡¯s priests must be female. All noble families are ruled by women, with the leader being referred to as the Matriarch, while males are thought to only serve as soldiers, attendants; a few exceptionally talented individuals are sent for magical training, but are still undervalued.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t males have an advantage in strength?¡± Lancelot was quite surprised by this. As a Knight, he had been taught since childhood to respect women and protect children and women¡ªethical demands that were inherently based on the relatively vulnerable position of females. The social structure of Dark Elves contradicted his ingrained perceptions. ¡°We Elves are not like humans; the differences in weight between males and females are not that significant,¡± Acheron shook his characteristic white hair of a Zoel Elf, ¡°And besides, haven¡¯t you forgotten the power of the Divine Arts? With the aid of the Deities, male Zoel Elves can never defeat female priests; all they can do is escape from such a society.¡± ¡°Alright, I come from a world where there¡¯s hardly any magic, so I guess that¡¯s where my conventional thinking comes from,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°But what are these Zoel doing in the Abyss? From their looks, they seem to be here on an organized mission...¡± ¡°I happen to know about that,¡± Elothysia spoke up, ¡°Those Zoel Elves are here to ¡®seek progeny¡¯.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 334: 348 Chapter 334: 348 ¡°Seeking a child?¡± Lancelot¡¯s face was full of surprise, ¡°You mean...¡± ¡°Exactly. Among the common Tanari, only Succubi can bear offspring, but nearly all Demons possess the ability to impregnate females,¡± Elothysia said in a very calm tone, ¡°Many females from the material planes come to the Abyss to copulate with powerful Fiends, to give birth to half-blood offspring, bringing power and prestige to their families. Notably, the most famous is the child of Grazzt and the Witch Queen Iguervor who reached the Demi-Divine Realm, although it seems like Lord Wu¡¯an was summoned and imprisoned in the material plane by the Witch Queen...¡± The Human Knight opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing. The world he came from seemed somewhat different¡ªwere interspecies relations...all permissible? The group had forgotten that there was a minor girl among them. Little Isha blushed and unconsciously used her stealth skills, following silently behind everyone like a quiet kitten. They quickly returned to the ¡®Goblin in the Plane¡¯ inn located at the edge of the square and took two cage lifts back to their rented room. Koula was preparing dinner for everyone. The Halfling was very pleased to have found the kitchen, although she didn¡¯t plan on using any of the inn¡¯s cooking utensils; Alamir was taking a bath, having created a localized rain in the bathroom using Divine Arts; the Dwarf had found a less peculiar rocking chair and seemed to have already enjoyed a meal. Kalalin was the only one unaware of their return. The Scholar was absentmindedly staring out the window, clutching a piece of parchment in his hand. Lancelot walked over and patted his shoulder, bringing him back to reality. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°Nothing much, just the city itself.¡± Kalalin showed Lancelot the parchment in his hand, which had a simple sketch on it, outlining the tower-filled streets of Gaomendikolia and a square with a statue of Cang Ye. ¡°We need to keep this window open,¡± Acheron walked over, ¡°I¡¯ve left a message for that spy in code, telling him that we are waiting here for him. I believe he will see my message soon, and maybe we will have a visitor come through this window tonight.¡± According to the records in the bamboo slip, Low-Rank Cultivators heavily relied on weapons called ¡®Magical Treasures¡¯ during combat. Unlike swords, Magical Treasures required the use of Spiritual Power to operate, and their effects varied wildly¡ª from direct attacks, stealthy poisoning, seizing one¡¯s mind, to dissolving an enemy¡¯s flesh¡ªeach with limitless power. Magical Treasures are usually crafted by higher-ranking Cultivators and are much more powerful than spells cast by Low-Rank Cultivators using their own Cultivation Power. In a world where Cultivation predominates, many Magical Treasures end up in the hands of Low-Rank Cultivators through awards, auctions, or being lost¡ªsomething Lancelot could only envy. Furthermore, crafting Magical Treasures also required Alchemical Fire, something only Golden Core Stage Cultivators possessed, another thing he couldn¡¯t obtain for the time being. But Lancelot didn¡¯t feel disappointed; Magical Treasures were also a kind of weapon, and what mattered in combat was strategy. After going through the slip, the most crucial aspect of battles among Cultivators was ¡®surprise¡¯, and as the only Cultivator in this world, he already had this unique advantage. Despite this universe being filled with all kinds of magical magic, since Cultivators belonged to a completely different system of powers, Lancelot was fully capable of bringing various surprises to his enemies. Unbeknownst to him, the sky gradually brightened outside, little Isha quietly burrowed into the Dimensional Bag at Lancelot¡¯s waist, while the scent of heated bread wafted from the kitchen, and the sound of water issued once again from Priest Shuni¡¯s bath. A new day in Androlina had arrived, but the spy they were waiting for did not show up. ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯t get a chance to check the Emblem, or something must have held him up,¡± Acheron walked to the window, looking outside uneasily, ¡°As a Zoel Elf, he wouldn¡¯t be active during the day; we might have to wait another day.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT@@@@ Chapter 335: 349 Utilizing Value Chapter 335: Chapter 349 Utilizing Value ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s all right?¡± Lancelot asked, somewhat worried, ¡°This city is too dangerous for a lone spy...¡± ¡°The emblem we saw yesterday was still very new, indicating that at least a few days ago, he was fine.¡± Acheron pressed his body against the wall by the window, as though he feared they were being watched, ¡°Let¡¯s just wait patiently a little longer...¡± After breakfast, Lancelot and Kalalin still decided to go out. As a scholar who studied the Abyss, Kalalin found it hard to resist the temptation to go out and ¡®inspect.¡¯ Therefore, he shamelessly asked Lancelot to take him out for an ¡®inspection.¡¯ After careful consideration, Lancelot agreed to the proposal. However, he made Kalalin leave his Howard Convenience Bag in the room, so that in case of an emergency, he could stuff the scholar into the Dimensional Bag and make a swift escape. As for fighting, he might encounter some tricky characters here and would have to be distracted by protecting his spellcaster companion; but as for running, whether it was the movement technique learned from the bamboo slips or the Shadow Jump ability pilfered from the Weavers of Darkness, most of the demons in this city couldn¡¯t lay a hand on him. After all, as a Spiritual Cultivator, survivability is most crucial. Lancelot had rushed through the streets and alleys of Gaomendikolia on his first two visits with a mission in mind, but this was the first time he was walking through this city of demons with a tourist¡¯s spirit. Subconsciously, he compared this place with Twin Bridges Town, Oasis Fort, and Mogrondale, where he had stayed before. Aside from the stark differences in architectural styles, another significant difference was the absence of any guards or soldiers on the streets. As mentioned before, Gaomendikolia was not a Neutral Town; no power tried to maintain order here or provide any security for citizens and visitors. Therefore, most of the pedestrians appeared in groups, warily watching every person approaching them. And naturally, Lancelot and Kalalin attracted many ill-intentioned gazes, mostly from foreign visitors like those Dark Elves they encountered yesterday, who looked to be his peers¡ªmercenaries. Their presence here was undoubtedly due to the only war of importance in the entire Multiverse: the Blood War. ¡°The Blood War is not just a conflict between two evil races; its core contradiction concerns whether order or chaos should dominate the cosmological rules,¡± Kalalin explained as he observed the bustling street, ¡°Right now, Tanari and Bartez are the main forces in the conflict, but quite a few neutral races with no inclination towards good or evil have begun to pick sides.¡± ¡°And the other possibility?¡± ¡°To her, we¡¯re just a bunch of fools too insignificant to bother squeezing any advantage from,¡± Kalalin sighed, ¡°But it¡¯s hard to say how things might change in the future. Lancelot, I¡¯ve come to a sober understanding of your strength during this journey. Let alone ten of me, even a hundred of me...¡± ¡°A hundred of you casting spells at me at the same time would definitely be too much.¡± The Human Knight interrupted Kalalin¡¯s hyperbolic comparison, ¡°But I get what you mean. You¡¯re saying that as we demonstrate increasing capabilities, Tigana¡¯s attitude toward us might... change?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Scholar nodded, ¡°I think she will treat you better and better, maybe even offer you some... very nice incentives. But you¡¯d do well to keep a clear head, understand what she wants from you in exchange, and carefully consider whether it¡¯s worth it.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lancelot promised softly, ¡°If I take on any mission that worries you, tell me anytime. Don¡¯t bear any burden about it; I will never force you to join me on a perilous journey.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Kalalin replied simply. After a while, he added, ¡°This time doesn¡¯t count. I genuinely want to help the Succubus Paladin.¡± ¡°We all do.¡± Lancelot nodded, and the topic ended there. That day, they roamed through the streets and lanes of Gaomendikolia, except for the areas guarded and inaccessible. The Scholar didn¡¯t complain; he just wanted to get a general understanding of the city¡¯s layout rather than to probe its secrets. When night fell, the two returned to join their companions, waiting expectantly behind that window. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT@@@@ Chapter 336: 350: Cant Wait Any Longer Chapter 336: Chapter 350: Can¡¯t Wait Any Longer A night had passed, and Lancelot and his companions were once again disappointed. Numerous uninvited guests had entered over the past eight hours, but not the Dark Elf they were waiting for. When sunlight also burst through the window, everyone knew they had waited in vain through the night. ¡°Something isn¡¯t right,¡± Acheron paced back and forth anxiously in the room, ¡°This has never happened before...¡± ¡°What¡¯s the normal procedure?¡± the Elf Priest beside him attempted to soothe his anxious compatriot. ¡°He usually responds the same night, or at the latest, the following night.¡±@@@@ ¡°Aside from you, how many others know of his existence?¡± Lancelot asked in a grave tone. ¡°Many are aware of his existence, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Acheron asked in return, puzzled, ¡°Are you suggesting...¡± ¡°Is there a possibility that there¡¯s a traitor in the Melanton family who has betrayed this spy¡¯s situation?¡± Lancelot¡¯s words were like a heavy bomb, leaving Acheron in shock, unable to utter a word for a long while. After some time, the Elf Prince finally murmured: ¡°No... that¡¯s impossible... if that were the case...¡± ¡°The secret code you use to communicate with him, does anyone else know it?¡± Alamir pressed his Elf compatriot urgently, ¡°If he has been captured, our location here may already be compromised.¡± ¡°No, only the two of us are privy to that code,¡± Acheron replied swiftly, ¡°While many know that we have an excellent spy in Gaomendikolia, probably only four or five people grasp the way to contact him, and each person has a unique code to prevent leaks or the code being deciphered.¡± ¡°Maybe the worst hasn¡¯t happened yet,¡± Kalalin breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°But what about the mission? We¡¯re practically blind, knowing nothing and with no idea where to start...¡± ¡°Almost forgot this,¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, sat down on a nearby chair, took out a whetstone, a cloth, and a bottle of oil, and began to maintain his Hand Half Sword Frostslash. With the stone grinding against the blade, a crisp buzzing sound arose, not a bit harsh on the ears but instead bringing an inexplicable calm to those who heard it. His companions began to move, starting the tasks Lancelot had set. With specific work and a goal in mind, any unease in their hearts disappeared. This is precisely the role of a leader: to devise a plan, assign tasks, and lead everyone into action to solve the problem. A moment later, a handsome Devilspawn emerged from the room Zoel had just entered. He struck a dashing pose and greeted everyone in a familiar, yet deep voice: ¡°Yo!¡± ¡°Not bad at all,¡± Bruto sized up the fellow with deep red skin, a tail at his back, and antlers the thickness of thumbs on his head, ¡°How did you do it? Magic?¡± ¡°Not entirely.¡± Acheron fumbled to grab his own antlers, lifted them up, and took them off to show everyone they were actually a headband, ¡°Some demons possess the True Sight ability, which sees through magical disguises, but it¡¯s very difficult to notice if it¡¯s just changing the color of skin and pupils.¡± ¡°Professional,¡± Bruto rarely acknowledged the Elf with approval. The Dwarf also changed his appearance: by altering the braiding of his beard, he appeared to be a completely different Dwarf, a truly magical effect. ¡°Lancelot, are you ready?¡± Bruto jumped up from his chair, turned his head to look at the Human Knight, but found the latter absent-mindedly staring at the sky outside the window. The clouds of this realm might be the most special in the whole Multiverse due to some unknown principle; the conflict between good and evil on the ground affected the sky, causing the clouds to take on very specific shapes. For instance, at this moment, clouds shaped like a Meteor Hammer, a Wolf Fang Club, and a Coward Devil¡¯s head were leisurely drifting in the same direction. Lancelot slowly closed his eyes. At first, it seemed like nothing happened, but soon everyone noticed that the cloud shaped like a Meteor Hammer subtly altered its path, conveniently blocking the sun and casting a shadow. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 337: 351: Demon Fortress Chapter 337: Chapter 351: Demon Fortress When the shadow engulfed the tower containing everyone, Lancelot suddenly stood up, grasped both Bruto and Acheron by the arms, and said in a deep voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Everyone felt the shadows around them darken even more, and before anyone could react, Lancelot and his companions had vanished from their spot. Kalalin, stunned, quickly ran to the window just in time to see the trio walking out of the shadows on the street below. The pedestrians on the road were completely unaware of anything unusual, Lancelot looked up, nodded at Kalalin by the window, and, still pulling on the somewhat dazed Bruto and Acheron, walked away toward the outskirts of the city. Kalalin shook his head and muttered under his breath, ¡°Unbelievable.¡± Lancelot had activated the Shadow Jump ability he had seized from the Weaver of Darkness. This skill had many limitations, such as the need for continuous shadow, a daily limit on the distance of jumps, and it was far less versatile than the teleportation abilities used freely by the Prime Fiends. However, this ability lacked the bright Spiritual Light and the obvious spatial fluctuations of regular teleportation techniques, giving it significant tactical value in stealth and infiltration. Lancelot, while walking, extended his Spirit Perception to its maximum to avoid any prying eyes. Soon, the trio had left the dense forest of twisted towers in Gaomendikolia and the fortress they intended to scout was less than a mile away, looming like a monstrous dragon on a small hill to the northeast. A winding mountain path led to the fortress, but unlike the city, the route was patrolled by demons, with squads transporting new recruits and supplies coming and going. Obviously, using that road to scout the fortress was not a good idea. ¡°Let¡¯s go around from that side.¡± Bruto surveyed the terrain and pointed to a taller and steeper peak nearby, ¡°From up there, we should have a good view of the fortress layout.¡±@@@@ ¡°Do you guys think Elothysia can use her advantages of being a Succubus to easily infiltrate this fortress and steal the combat plan of the cunning Ulgog?¡± ¡°That was indeed our thought,¡± the Elf Prince replied even more nervously, ¡°Only she has such abilities and advantages, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct, but there are some things about Elothysia that you don¡¯t know,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°She once used her beauty and charm to make many mortals fall, bringing their souls to her former master, the Barlow Flame Demon. Since her shift to the righteous side, she has realized the harm she caused and has done many things to make amends. Furthermore, she has also resolved never to use her Charm ability again, relying only on her training as a Paladin to solve problems.¡± ¡°What?¡± Acheron¡¯s face showed an embarrassed expression, ¡°We... I never knew this...¡± ¡°I also find her decision a bit extreme, but I can understand her thoughts and am willing to help her maintain it,¡± Lancelot said sternly, ¡°So no matter what the original plan you had in mind was, I will not let the Succubus Paladin do something against her own will.¡± ¡°I understand...¡± the Elf Prince replied dejectedly, ¡°I didn¡¯t know before, and I wouldn¡¯t have known. But with this, the difficulty of infiltrating has increased greatly, those guards...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t say the method was bad, just that we can¡¯t let Elothysia do it.¡± Bruto, who had been silently observing the fortress below, suddenly turned around, his eyes wide with excitement. ¡°If Elothysia can¡¯t do it, I can,¡± Lancelot said with a mischievous smile, ¡°You too, right, Bruto?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 338: 352: Found the Right Place Chapter 338: Chapter 352: Found the Right Place ¡°Oh, you wanted to see Brutolia again, didn¡¯t you?¡± the Dwarf chuckled, ¡°I knew it would end up like this...¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Acheron was somewhat confused by their conversation, ¡°And who is Brutolia?¡± Lancelot and Bruto exchanged glances, then nodded at each other, each pulling out a uniquely designed ring. As the light from the Transformation Magic flickered, Acheron¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground. Where Lancelot had been standing, there now appeared a stunningly beautiful Succubus with enticing curves. Her large, watery eyes could make a Demon cease its slaughter, while the rest could tempt an Angel to lose control. Acheron felt his blood rush to both of his heads as he awkwardly turned away, only to come face to face with another ¡®Succubus.¡¯ Those perfect curves, seductive waistline... impressive... uh? What¡¯s that? Chest hair? As his gaze moved upward, he finally saw the full picture of the other Succubus¡ªan even more exaggerated figure, but the lower half of the face was fully covered with a thick beard that hung down nearly to the navel. Struck by the shocking scene before him and overwhelmed by his excited state, Acheron couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted.@@@@ ... ¡°He fainted after turning around, which proves that the one with the beard is indeed more handsome!¡± ¡°Impossible, Elves don¡¯t grow beards, how could they like a bearded Succubus?¡± ¡°Huh? Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know¡ªhumans can¡¯t grow cat ears either, right?¡± ¡°Where are we headed now?¡± Bruto asked as he walked, kicking a stone he had dislodged all the way from the mountain, ¡°Is there a place like the Mercenary Hall in Twin Bridges Town here?¡± ¡°There should be,¡± Lancelot looked around and walked in a certain direction, ¡°Didn¡¯t I wander around the city with the Scholar yesterday? I passed a place like that...¡± After a lot of meandering led by Lancelot, the three of them arrived in front of a peculiar building. If the typical towers of the city were sickly and twisted trees, then the building in front of them was a stump. A narrow corridor protruded from the ¡®belly¡¯ of the building, extending to the ground, making it look like an upside-down teapot. At the end of the corridor was a relatively open space, where people dressed as mercenaries were continuously entering and exiting. Ignoring the subtly hostile glances from their companions, Lancelot and the others went along with the crowd. Two Berserk Demons stood as guards at the entrance of the corridor, their triangle eyes fiercely scanning everyone who wanted to enter. Lancelot noticed that these two guards occasionally singled out visitors who appeared less ¡®ferocious¡¯, pulling them aside without a word, and those picked did not dare resist but scurried away, while others burst into mocking laughter. When Lancelot walked past, the two Berserk Demons instinctively averted their gaze. The Human Knight didn¡¯t show any signs of anomaly, but the demons inexplicably felt a chilling sensation as if a Serpent Demon, fond of frogs for dessert, was silently gliding by, preventing them from making any move. Stepping inside the corridor, everyone immediately felt a peculiar sensation. The inner walls of the corridor were red with disgustingly wrinkled segments; the floor was covered with hard paving stones, yet stepping on them revealed a soft material underneath. In short, it was like walking inside a dried-out intestine. Fortunately, the path was not long. They started to hear the noise of people talking and laughing, the clinking of forks and knives, and screams filled with joy or pain. They quickened their pace and soon left the corridor, entering a dimly-lit hall. The place resembled a banquet hall, surrounded by tables large and small, either laden with food and drinks or spread with gambling tools and chips, crowded with mercenaries either drunk or about to become so. Small goblins scurried around carrying trays, scantily clad Succubi scouted for tonight¡¯s lovers, and in the corner, piles of Gold Coins lay like small hills, with several Demon officers seductively calling out to every mercenary that approached. The three immediately knew they had found the right place. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 339: 353 Demon Recruitment Point Chapter 339: Chapter 353 Demon Recruitment Point ¡°Welcome to ¡®The Stench Sack¡¯, the best tavern, casino, and gold burning den in all of Gaomendikolia. Here, any desire you may have can be fulfilled, as long as you can afford the price.¡± A seductive yet slightly bizarre voice rose beside them. Lancelot turned his head and saw a bewitching female speaking. She had small, backward-curving horns, a beautiful face, and a lively tail¡ªall characteristic features of a succubus. However, she lacked wings behind her shoulders and was more muscular than a typical succubus. These traits implied that she was actually a devilspawn. But Lancelot was still puzzled because it was said that female offspring resulting from a succubus mating with a mortal were always succubi, while only male offspring would exhibit traits from both parents... ¡°Good afternoon,¡± Lancelot calmly replied, his gaze briefly lingering on her prominent throat, ¡°how should I address you?¡± ¡°I am Miss Alisa.¡± The ¡®female¡¯ devilspawn emphasized the last two words, ¡°This establishment belongs to my mother. I haven¡¯t seen you before, so if you have any questions, just ask me directly.¡± ¡°What exactly is this place?¡± Bruto, ever impatient, blurted out his question, ¡°And why is it called The Stench Sack? The smell doesn¡¯t seem... too bad right now.¡± ¡°We clean up the bodies on the floor once a day, and it¡¯s just been done today, so the smell will grow much stronger by midnight. At that time, the chaos here will be even more delightful.¡± Alisa¡¯s face sported an evil smile, ¡°As to what this place is for... well, that¡¯s hard to say. Why don¡¯t you tell me what you¡¯re looking for?¡± ¡°We are a group of mercenaries, currently looking for suitable employment,¡± Lancelot said impassively, ¡°And we decided to check out this unique stratum of society.¡± ¡°Excellent choice.¡± The devilspawn led the three to an empty table and sat them down, meanwhile making a hand signal to the bar not far off, ¡°Compared to other strata, the jobs here are less direct combat and not as dangerous; the girls may not be Cendrilla Verdo, but they¡¯re not lacking in their array of skills, and they won¡¯t just focus on draining you. If you have any special requests, feel free to speak up...¡± ¡°We¡¯d prefer to earn money before spending it,¡± the human knight replied unmoved, ¡°Are there any suitable job opportunities available?¡± Acheron and Bruto instinctively wanted to stay away from it, but Lancelot naturally walked towards one of them. ¡°Good afternoon, Human.¡± Beside the pile of Gold Coins stood a humanoid Demon, with a face of a man in his prime, but hair as withered as dry weeds. Its skin was the gray-white color of a corpse, and the nails on each finger were a foot long, like the knitting needles an old woman would use to weave a scarf. Lancelot had once heard from Kalalin about a type of Demon that liked to eat corpses, changing its face to that of the devoured corpse every time it swallowed a new one. ¡°Are you seeking a new contract?¡± the Demon inserted its long nails into the pile of gold coins beside it, grabbed a handful of coins, and let them fall through its fingers, producing a jingling sound, ¡°¡®Mother¡¯s Whip¡¯ Legion is your best choice. We are a proud direct unit under General Ulgog, offering very generous terms, definitely a choice worthy of your lifelong service...¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯re not implying it¡¯s a very short life,¡± Bruto couldn¡¯t help but make a sharp comment. ¡°How could that be?¡± the Demon¡¯s face revealed a particularly sly smile, one Lancelot had seen on many swindlers in the Abyss, ¡°As a contracted soldier of the ¡®Mother¡¯s Whip¡¯ Legion, your salary for the first week is a hundred Gold Coins. Don¡¯t think it¡¯s too little, for every head you claim on the battlefield, your weekly salary will increase by fifty Gold Coins, even if it¡¯s just an ordinary farmer, that¡¯s easy, right?¡± ¡°I prefer chopping up creatures that can fight back,¡± Lancelot said without a change in tone. ¡°Aside from gold, what else can I get?¡± ¡°Of course, my friend! There is no better time than now...¡± the Demon lowered its voice and even looked around, as if worried someone was eavesdropping, but Lancelot knew it was merely ridiculous posturing, ¡°Seeing your attire, you must have been a noble, so you surely received formal military education, haven¡¯t you? Have you ever thought of having hundreds of Demons at your command, taking the wealth and glory that rightfully belongs to you?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 340: 354: The Mercenarys Salary Chapter 340: Chapter 354: The Mercenary¡¯s Salary The demon¡¯s words were like a heavy bomb, leaving Bruto and Acheron behind him utterly dumbfounded, but Lancelot¡¯s face remained as tranquil as a well without ripples, and he calmly replied: ¡°I do indeed have some experience, which is why I am quite aware of what a terrible disaster it can be to command a group of unfamiliar soldiers. Especially when those soldiers belong to the most unmanageable and undisciplined races in the entire Multiverse.¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about that, you¡¯ll find that commanding a Tanari army is actually quite simple, as long as you grasp the tricks,¡± the demonic conscription officer said with a cruel smile on his face, ¡°Of course, before that, you have to prove your ability. War is about to start, and if this chance is missed, the next might not come for hundreds of years...¡± ¡°War?¡± Lancelot raised an eyebrow, ¡°Aren¡¯t you always at war with those song-loving beings from the Heavens to the south? Are you going to war with another Abyssal Lord? That doesn¡¯t sound too good, I need to know who the potential enemies are...¡± ¡°Another Abyssal Lord?¡± The demon with dead skin was taken aback, hurriedly denying, ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not it, we¡¯re going after those weak and foolish chaps to the south. Listen, General Ulgog has been preparing for this for a long time, your time in the army will definitely not be boring, the chance to make a fortune is waiting!¡± ¡°That sounds good,¡± Lancelot felt he should show a bit of interest, otherwise it would be too fake, ¡°You mentioned earlier that proving one¡¯s capability could lead to promotion as a commander?¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Just achieve twenty military accomplishments, any will do, and you will be sent to the fortress outside the city for training at our military academy,¡± the demon¡¯s voice lowered again, ¡°Listen, I believe you¡¯ll make a great commander, and if you¡¯re willing, I can reduce that number to ten, which would make things much easier, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It does sound good, but twenty accomplishments aren¡¯t too difficult a target for me and my brothers,¡± Lancelot shrugged indifferently and decided to cut the conversation short, ¡°You¡¯ve said a lot, but demons are not known for their good reputation, I prefer tangible gold. How do you pay the first term of salary, can it be advanced?¡± ¡°No, no!¡± The demonic conscription officer¡¯s complexion changed upon hearing this, shaking his head like a fan, ¡°Where¡¯s the reason in paying first without work being done?¡± ¡°Sounds tempting, but how often will there be battles?¡± Lancelot interrupted the demon¡¯s rambling. ¡°Oh, so many that you¡¯ll hardly have time to rest,¡± the Crafty Demon seemed to think he had a shot, his tone becoming excited, ¡°A great battle is about to begin. Bring your sword and join us. Every time you swing it, you¡¯ll hear the sound of Gold Coins clashing, just like this!¡± The demon tossed a handful of coins into the air, letting them collide with clinking sounds. This trick had just been used by another Conscription Officer, they seemed to think that mortals from the Prime Material Plane found this sound very tempting. Unfortunately for them, this had no effect on Lancelot; after all, he was the man who had entered the treasury of the Succubus Palace with a Dimensional Bag. What was the requirement back then? Don¡¯t take the gold. ¡°A great battle? That sounds a bit too dangerous. I prefer my life over gold,¡± Lancelot shook his head and walked away without hesitation, leaving the still-raised arm of the Crafty Demon hanging in the air. The interactions with the two demon recruitment officers were quite enlightening, and both demons had mentioned an imminent great war, sparking an inexplicable sense of urgency in him. ¡°Hey, stop wandering around!¡± All of a sudden, a voice rang out near Lancelot¡¯s ear. The voice wasn¡¯t loud, but it reached his ears distinctly amidst the noisy surroundings. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 341: 355 Rumors in the City of Demons Chapter 341: Chapter 355 Rumors in the City of Demons Lancelot turned his head and noticed that the one speaking to him was a large goblin, dressed as a warrior, leaning against a corner of the wall. After ensuring he had caught Lancelot¡¯s attention, he simply nodded before shifting his gaze elsewhere. The three exchanged glances, curiosity evident in their eyes, and approached the large goblin. Seeing them come over, the goblin did not speak, but started walking to one side. This was not the pace of someone fleeing; it was clear he expected the trio to follow. Only a few dozen feet away, the group arrived at a semi-enclosed corner of the hall. Two walls, like membranes of semi-transparent matter, shielded them from the prying eyes of others in the hall and subdued the clamor from outside considerably. The large goblin spread his hands to show he was unarmed, but Lancelot, with his experience, could tell that if necessary, the goblin could quickly draw the twin scimitars hanging at his waist. ¡°I sell information, perhaps you want to know what I have,¡± the large goblin warrior said succinctly. Bruto looked at the large goblin with its flat nose, red skin, and strong muscles with an unfriendly gaze. Dwarves have always had ill relations with goblins and orcs; to the Dwarf Kingdom and its castles, normal goblin tribes pose a threat similar to a few mice in a storeroom, while armies of large goblins are as threatening as their kin, the Gray Dwarves. Unlike the foolish and weak goblins, large goblins are not at a disadvantage in size and strength compared to an average human, but what truly makes them dangerous is their strict discipline and their unparalleled thirst for battle. A large goblin tribe is essentially a legion, with each individual possessing a military rank that determines their status within the tribe. In large goblin culture, those of lower rank must unconditionally obey those of higher rank to achieve glorious victory through battle and conquest. Just like Demons, such strict military discipline makes them very dangerous, even if they are far outnumbered by ordinary goblins and not as strong as the burly bear goblins. Occasionally, one or two large goblins escape this harsh hierarchical system to become wandering individuals, relying on their skill in combat and clear minds to make a living. ¡°I guess you¡¯re looking for a well-paying job but don¡¯t want to be cannon fodder for the Demons¡¯ legions,¡± the large goblin said to Lancelot in a low voice. ¡°You three are new faces here but haven¡¯t shown a hint of unease¡ªyou must be experienced Adventurers, am I right?¡± ¡°So what can you offer?¡± asked Lancelot, shrugging without denying the other¡¯s assumption. ¡°Interesting,¡± Lancelot nodded but wasn¡¯t surprised. In terms of overall strength, demons were like natural disasters, and no force in the Multiverse could rival them. What stopped them from conquering everything was their own chaotic nature¡ªthey would betray their peers over trivial benefits and were quite vindictive, keeping the Bottomless Abyss in a state of perpetual civil war. It had to be said, this was the fortune of other races in the entire Multiverse. ¡°Anything else?¡± Lancelot brought out another gold coin, tossing it to the great goblin. ¡°The big spider in Miasma Swamp has been killed, which makes Sniel, who had always had territorial disputes with it, very happy. He is the Commander of the ¡®Soul Wail¡¯ legion. What makes him happier is that the one who did the deed blew themselves up while being pursued, meaning he gets to save a hefty bounty.¡± ¡°How much was the bounty?¡± Bruto couldn¡¯t help but ask. The dwarf had been severely bitten by that dark weaver, and if it weren¡¯t for Lancelot¡¯s timely intervention, he might have ended up dead right there. Although they were pressed for time, with the seductress demon squad sent by the Mother of Demons already closing in, they didn¡¯t have the chance to properly scavenge the monster¡¯s body, but this didn¡¯t stop the dwarf from being curious about the missed wealth. ¡°A hundred Soul Coins, which is ten thousand gold coins,¡± the great goblin shrugged. Lancelot suddenly felt a twinge of irritation, even though he had just told himself that gold and silver were of no use to him, it didn¡¯t seem to be entirely true now. It mainly depended on the amount. ¡°That¡¯s all for now,¡± Lancelot decided not to ask anymore, ¡°Thank you for the information.¡± ¡°Welcome to come again,¡± the great goblin nodded and strode out. Watching his retreating figure, Lancelot felt a sense of familiarity but couldn¡¯t remember where that feeling came from. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 342: 356 Tricked Chapter 342: Chapter 356 Tricked The three returned to the bustling hall, where, after shelling out ninety Gold Coins, they finally tasted the fine wine from Shendiravir¡ªa premium product. Thirty Gold Coins a glass would be an inconceivable price in the Prime Material Plane, but it wasn¡¯t much in the Abyss. It was the labor-intensive products that were exceptionally precious here. They sat there for quite a while, hearing many interesting rumors. For instance, the mercenaries seemed to think that the Demons had a better chance of winning in the upcoming war, but they were not excited about it. It wasn¡¯t that these ruffians had any sympathy for the forces of good (they did not); rather, they were worried that once the Demons scored a decisive victory, there would be no use for them as mercenaries anymore. Under Acheron¡¯s guidance, Lancelot also paid close attention to the news about the rogue Zoel Elf being hunted by his kin. His name was Kamoen, and he used to be a regular here, completing quite a few challenging assignments; he was a top-notch assassin. However, he never worked with others, always preferring solitude, so now nobody knew where he had hidden. The mercenaries had already placed bets on whether this lone wolf of an assassin could survive against his kin, who were familiar with him. According to the betting lines, less than ten percent believed in the Zoel Elf¡ªthe danger of an assassin comes from their unpredictability. You don¡¯t know who will come for you, when they¡¯ll strike, or how they will attack, allowing an assassin to always find an opportunity. But the hunting party of Zoel Elves hailed from Kamoen¡¯s own family; they were well aware of the assassin¡¯s past and had made thorough preparations. The hunted assassin was also prey, unlikely to stir up much trouble against the encirclement of the hunters, especially as it was rumored that the hunting party included high-rank priests of Rose, and even those who detested Dark Elves couldn¡¯t deny the power of the Spider Queen (or Demon Queen). Although he didn¡¯t ask outright, Acheron¡¯s look silently confirmed to Lancelot that this Kamoen was indeed the spy they had failed to meet. But Lancelot had to accept the fact that he was unlikely to obtain any useful information here since everyone was searching for this Dark Elf.@@@@ As time went on, the club¡¯s atmosphere started to worsen. Many of the mercenaries were severe paranoiacs who refused to take off their armor, thus having no truck with the likes of bathing. But alcohol induced sweating, emitting a pungent stench, and it also made the mercenaries¡¯ nerves edgy and impulsive. A few jealous mercenaries began hurling insults at each other over a scantily-clad Succubus, while others seemed to be anticipating a brawl like a festive event. The three of them did not wish to be entangled in another bar fight, and since staying any longer seemed futile, they decided to leave via the corridor they had entered from. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Back on the open streets, Bruto couldn¡¯t wait to ask, ¡°Do we head back first, or do we go straight for that Kamoen?¡± ¡°Acheron, what do you think?¡± Lancelot asked the opinion of another member of their party, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s likely that he¡¯s been exposed?¡± ¡°Looks like it¡¯s none of our business,¡± Bruto whispered in the lowest volume his Dwarf throat would allow, ¡°We go our way, let them go theirs?¡± But Lancelot¡¯s brows furrowed, the sight of these Dark Elves reigniting a sense of familiarity within him¡ªwas it because of Acheron? No, not him¡ªit was someone else...who could it be? Suddenly, a flash of spiritual light crossed Lancelot¡¯s mind¡ªit was the Goblin informant! He had felt a strange familiarity with the Goblin¡¯s figure at that time, which actually stemmed from Acheron¡¯s clumsy imitation of Zoel gait. However, because the latter¡¯s imitation was so fallible, it wasn¡¯t until he saw the real Zoel Elves that Lancelot connected the dots. ¡°Acheron, does that Kamoen know your disguise skills?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± The Elven Ranger was taken aback, ¡°Those skills were taught to me by him...¡± ¡°Damn!¡± Lancelot rarely cursed, ¡°That Goblin informant was Kamoen in disguise, we¡¯ve been fooled!¡± ¡°What?¡± Acheron exclaimed in shock, ¡°But why would he... deceive us?¡± ¡°Go ask him yourself,¡± Lancelot abruptly quickened his pace, with the faint sound of clashing weapons beginning to drift on the wind, ¡°Let¡¯s hope he¡¯s alive to answer your questions.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 343: 357 Inappropriate Timing Chapter 343: Chapter 357 Inappropriate Timing The battle broke out in an alley not far ahead, and it took the trio less than a minute to arrive at the scene. A male Zoel wielding dual blades was facing an attack from two of his kind, his body enshrouded in purple flames, but a closer look revealed that the fire caused him no harm; it simply made him stand out in the darkness. Aside from those he was fighting, there were seven or eight enemies on the eaves on both sides of the street, including a woman, who was watching the fight from above. Three Dark Elf corpses lay on the ground, covered in long, thin wounds, a testament to the besieged Zoel¡¯s considerable strength. Yet, from the way he was struggling, it seemed he wouldn¡¯t last much longer. ¡°Kamoen!¡± Acheron shouted immediately upon seeing the Dark Elf, ¡°We¡¯re here to help you!¡± Without a word, Lancelot and Bruto charged in, weapons in hand. The Human Knight was the fastest; when he reached the back of one of the Zoel Elves, the enemy didn¡¯t even have time to turn around. A lightning-quick strike from behind accurately hit the Zoel¡¯s nape, severing his spine and killing him instantly before the mithril chainmail could catch the sword blade. The other Zoel warrior, witnessing the death of his companion, still instinctively thrust out the short sword in his left hand, trying to seize the opportunity presented by Lancelot¡¯s weapon getting stuck in his companion¡¯s body. However, he had forgotten the other threat nearby. Kamoen, who had just held his own against two, naturally wouldn¡¯t miss the chance to exploit his opponent¡¯s distraction. His dual blades, like two striking cobras, lashed out swiftly, and three metallic clangs almost merged into one as the enemy¡¯s short sword guarding in front was parried away. As the Zoel warrior turned his head, he saw a white light stabbing into his chest, slipping through the gap in his armor, then quickly withdrawing. He felt no pain, just a cold void where the blade had passed, and his life rapidly draining from that hole. The Zoel warrior fell powerlessly, lying in a pool of his own blood. ¡°Not bad with your hands there,¡± Lancelot greeted Kamoen, whose purple flames were slowly dying out. A severe look flashed across Lancelot¡¯s eyes; making the same mistake once was enough, especially since there was still a chance to rectify it. ¡°The rest are up to you!¡± Lancelot shouted to his companions, ¡°I¡¯ll handle the spellcaster!¡± ¡°Right!¡± Bruto responded loudly, his opponent was dodging the Dwarf¡¯s attacks with fancy footwork, but unexpectedly, Bruto hurled his hammer, smashing the Dark Elf¡¯s leg into an odd angle. The Dwarf let out a cheer, pouncing like a hungry tiger, scraping his enemy, already crippled, with his armor covered in blades and spikes. Acheron and Kamoen stood together, the former firing deadly arrows with his longbow while the latter used dual blades to ensure that no enemy could get close to his Ranger companion. Their coordination was skilled, suggesting this was not the first time they had fought together. Knowing his companions could take care of themselves, Lancelot took big strides, charging toward the tower where the Priestess was stationed. Just before running into a wall, the Human Knight leapt forcefully, pouncing on the robed enemy below like a cat stalking a butterfly. The target of his assault didn¡¯t panic at the sudden threat. With a wave of her left hand, several Zoel men guarding her leaped like marionettes, putting their weapons, or their own bodies, in the path of the charging Human Knight. Meanwhile, the Priestess herself touched an emblem on her chest with a spider pattern, activating the Levitation Spell on it, and began to rise slowly into the air while starting to chant a complex spell, her hands drawing arcane gestures in the void. Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception suddenly went off like an alarm, and he realized that the Priestess was preparing a powerful magic¡ª he had to stop her quickly! COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 344: 358: The Goddesss Chosen Chapter 344: Chapter 358: The Goddess¡¯s Chosen Facing the enemies blocking his path, Lancelot¡¯s body began to spin. A dazzling blue light emanated from Frostslash, and a slightly dimmer Sword Aura also appeared on the other side of his body. The Zoel warriors did not recoil, confident in the capabilities of the weapons they wielded. The Dark Elves had mastered exquisite metallurgical skills, crafting every warrior¡¯s weapon from Mithril, achieving perfect hardness and balance. Moreover, these weapons, wielded by the Matriarch¡¯s guards, were imbued with various powerful spells, capable of dealing severe damage to enemies clad in Heavy Armor. However, just as they were about to close in on the Human Knight, the blue light surrounding Lancelot suddenly surged, and his spinning speed also sharply increased, creating a tornado that swept up all the Zoel Elf warriors into the air. The spin consumed the kinetic energy of Lancelot¡¯s leap, and under the pull of gravity, his body began to descend, landing on the slanted eave of a tower. Along with him came a rain of severed limbs and splattered blood, pouring down on the Elves and Dwarves locked in fierce battle below. All the Elves present looked up in horror at the Human Knight, who had once again leaped up, like a Grim Reaper dancing in the air. Only Bruto was familiar with this scene. He swung his Shield, embedding the sharp bottom of the shield into the thigh of a Zoel who still stood there dumbfounded. Then, his Warhammer crashed heavily on the other side of the shield, completely severing the enemy¡¯s thigh. ¡°Send my regards to your evil Goddess,¡± Bruto said to the still screaming Zoel, then smashed his hammer into his face, quickly ending the enemy¡¯s pain. Lancelot¡¯s mood was far from as carefree as his movements appeared. Although the enemies swarming him had not caused any harm, they had indeed served to obstruct him. After landing, he immediately leaped again, but the Zoel female seemed about to complete her spell. Ross¡¯s Priest witnessed the death of her subordinates but maintained her steady chanting and movements without a hint of disturbance or delay. To her, those males were merely expendable, their deaths justified if it meant protecting herself, a person of dignified status. The Human Knight who had suddenly appeared indeed possessed an alarming strength, but she believed that no one could withstand the power of the Goddess. No! She tried to shout, I am the chosen of the Goddess, destined to be the most powerful Matriarch of Keth-Nazar, I cannot fail! However, she was unable to make a sound, and opening her mouth caused her tongue to slip out from her throat. That soft, pink tongue, which had uttered threats, curses, and lies, followed her body to the ground, landing with a splat on the blood-stained cobblestone, bouncing a couple of times. The Priestess¡¯s soul felt a pulling force as the bodies of her subordinates and the twisted tower quickly receded from her view; she finally realized she was dead. Death had come swiftly, with hardly any pain felt, but the place she was about to go was not going to be like that. She felt a gaze upon her, the same kind she used to look at Zoel men with. She found her soul already wrapped in thick cobwebs, and several thick strands were pulling her toward a realm filled with webs. Several giant spiders with many pairs of eyes waited for her on those webs, their mouths like leaky barrels, dribbling hungry saliva from their dark sharp teeth. In the world of souls, distance is only a concept, and the Priestess suddenly found herself right below the sharp teeth of the spiders. ¡°No! I am a priestess of Rose, a faithful devotee of the Goddess!¡± the excruciating pain of her soul being torn apart caused her to scream agonizingly, but she found herself able to speak again, ¡°You cannot devour me!¡± ¡°Oh, but Rose has never mentioned you to us,¡± a spider demon explained to its food, before biting off the head of her soul¡¯s shell, ¡°In fact, She has never mentioned anyone to us.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 345: 359: Lingering Evil Spirit Chapter 345: Chapter 359: Lingering Evil Spirit Seeing the Zoel Priest fallen in battle, the Dark Elf warriors below, who were still fighting, suddenly became utterly disordered. They almost started running away at the same time, as if afraid their comrades would leave them behind. However, there was an exceedingly skilled Ranger present with Acheron¡¯s longbow likely imbued with some kind of magic. During the ten days everyone had spent together, they had never seen the Elven Ranger miss his target. Those fleeing Zoel Elves, having exposed their backs to such an unfailing archer, naturally met a grim fate, while Bruto also lent his ¡°Dwarven Bow¡± to help, quickly laying all the enemies low. ¡°Really glad to see you again, Baldy,¡± Aksien greeted Kamoen warmly, trying to give him a hug, ¡°We left a secret message by your mark but never saw you return. We thought something had happened to you...¡± ¡°I saw it,¡± Kamoen responded awkwardly to his Elf kin¡¯s embrace, ¡°Actually, I was nearby when you left those marks.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you come find us sooner?¡± Acheron asked, puzzled, ¡°Is it because of those chasing you...¡± ¡°I did indeed grow up in this tribe,¡± Kamoen glanced at the bodies on the ground, a shadow passing over his eyes, ¡°But there was another reason I didn¡¯t come for you. What¡¯s the deal with that Succubus? I saw you walking with her, and she even claimed you were her servants, so I didn¡¯t dare to approach you...¡± ¡°Just because of that?¡± Acheron looked astonished while the Dwarf simply shrugged in resignation. ¡°I¡¯ve been here long enough to know the stupid things these supernaturally alluring demons can make people do,¡± Baldy Kamoen spread his hands, ¡°But I guess there¡¯s more to the story?¡± ¡°Her situation is similar to yours,¡± Lancelot also jumped down from the eaves at this point, ¡°We¡¯ll explain in detail later, we need to leave now, as many enemies are quickly approaching.¡± ¡°Similar to me?¡± Kamoen paused, but immediately started running to keep up with the others, ¡°What do you mean, is she also in disguise? But that unique aura of the Succubi...¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s a genuine Succubus,¡± Acheron replied with a happy smile, ¡°and also a Holy Warrior.¡±@@@@ Zoel was somewhat unfamiliar with human rituals, but the meaning of this gesture was not hard to guess. He grabbed Lancelot¡¯s hand, letting the other man firmly shake his palm, while the Dwarf on the side waved his fist at him by way of a greeting. ¡°... We are planning to sneak into the fortress outside the city to steal the demons¡¯ battle plans,¡± Lancelot said, releasing his hand, ¡°Acheron mentioned a Spy who has been lurking here indefinitely, and could definitely provide useful information for our operation, so we...¡± Lancelot suddenly stopped speaking and turned his head in a particular direction. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Bruto felt a sinking premonition, ¡°I don¡¯t want to run again...¡± ¡°Here they come again, let¡¯s go!¡± Lancelot grabbed the Dwarf off the ground and started running in the opposite direction. ¡°Ah...¡± the Dwarf sighed heavily, waited a few seconds, and then began to slap Lancelot¡¯s arm, ¡°Put me down, I can run by myself...¡± About ten minutes later, Lancelot signaled everyone to stop. Using his Spirit Perception¡¯s sensory ability, he cleverly looped around, leading their pursuers to run ahead of them. ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t do this anymore...¡± the Dwarf collapsed on the ground, ¡°At last, we¡¯ve shaken them off, these guys really are persistent...¡± ¡°I fear not,¡± the Dark Elf suddenly drew his twin blades, bowed solemnly to everyone and said, ¡°Lancelot, Bruto, it was a pleasure to meet you, and old buddy Acheron, it¡¯s really good to see your face again. I¡¯m afraid I can no longer proceed with you, otherwise my kin will forever be right behind us.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 346: 360: Unfulfilled Revenge Chapter 346: Chapter 360: Unfulfilled Revenge ¡°You mean, those pursuers have some kind of magical item that can pinpoint your location?¡± Lancelot¡¯s face fell, recalling the pendant they had used during the rescue of Elothysia. ¡°I¡¯m afraid so... Some things can¡¯t be changed after birth, like the family you¡¯re born into. By using Blood Magic, they can detect my approximate location. The closer they are, the more accurate it gets,¡± Kamoen said with a resigned smile. ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t go to the surface world but ran to the Abyssal Demon Realm instead. Unfortunately, my blood relatives still refuse to let me go.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t use this magic in the beginning, did they?¡± Acheron asked skeptically. ¡°These people... It seems they were the team of Zoel Elves we met when we found the marks you left. You said you were nearby at the time, but weren¡¯t discovered.¡± ¡°Because at that time, they weren¡¯t sure I was in the city, but the reputation of the Bald Lone Wolf was too prominent,¡± the Zoel Elf said helplessly, spreading his hands. ¡°I know, as a spy, it was stupid of me to draw so much attention. I should have switched to the identity of Goblin Berg earlier, but now it¡¯s too late. You better go. The followers of Rose might kill my body, but my soul will only travel to the Goddess¡¯s realm.¡± ¡°Stop talking like that, I don¡¯t have the habit of abandoning allies,¡± Lancelot glared at him. ¡°They should take a while to realize we are lost again. Let¡¯s hurry and think of a solution.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we have Kalalin set traps in the room before we left today? Why not just lure the enemy there?¡± Bruto suggested hopefully. The Dwarf really didn¡¯t want to run anymore; he just wanted to stand his ground and use his energy to wield his hammer against the enemy. ¡°I¡¯ve been considering that too,¡± Lancelot nodded, then asked Kamoen, ¡°How many of these persistent relatives who followed you to the abyss are there? Did we meet all of them under the Cang Ye statue?¡± ¡°Not all, but all the important figures were there,¡± Kamoen¡¯s gaze involuntarily drifted to Frostslash on Lancelot¡¯s back, the green-glowing sword of the Human Knight had made a deep impression on him. ¡°There are no wizards in the family; all the men are warriors. The senior warrior had already died by my blade. He was never as good as my father, and now he wanted to prove himself by defeating me.¡± ¡°What about the women?¡± Lancelot asked sternly. From the recent battle, it was clear that the priests of the spider Demon Queen were the real threats, and he didn¡¯t want to face another dire situation like the one they encountered battling the female demons. ¡°Profound,¡± the Dwarf clapped his hands, ¡°I think you¡¯ve realized it.¡± Lancelot shook his head, this story was worse than he had expected. This evil was entirely different from that of demons¡ªdemons always sought destruction and killing, deriving pleasure from others¡¯ pain and torment, while hating all rules and order. But the Zoel Elves¡¯ evil deeds seemed to be driven by the pursuit of benefits and power, while Rose cunningly established a causal relationship between pleasing herself and these two. ¡°So there are a total of three Zoel Priestesses, right?¡± the Human Knight gathered his scattered thoughts back together, ¡°Any other particularly tricky fellows?¡± ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any more.¡± Kamoen shook his head, ¡°Dark Elves occasionally make temporary alliances with some powerful demons at Rose¡¯s instigation, but I doubt they could find suitable candidates in Cang Ye¡¯s domain.¡± ¡°Assuming they can find one.¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, ¡°What level of demon are we talking about?¡± ¡°A Seducer Demon,¡± Kamoen said confidently, ¡°These greedy yet cunning demons are the favorite partners of the Zoel Matriarchs, they are powerful and not too mad. As long as there is mutual benefit, cooperation is always very smooth.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Lancelot nodded, paused for a moment in reflection, and finally made up his mind, ¡°We have a fight ahead!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 347: 361 Enemy Intelligence Chapter 347: Chapter 361 Enemy Intelligence@@@@ ¡°Great!¡± Bruto slapped his thigh upon hearing this, ¡°We should have done this earlier!¡± ¡°You sure about this?¡± Kamoen hesitated as he looked at Lancelot, ¡°The enemies are three High Rank Priestesses...¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we just lose one?¡± Lancelot smiled, ¡°We still have four experienced companions in the inn, and I had them set up traps in the room this morning because I was worried something might happen to you. If your kinsmen really dare to follow us here, they will certainly run into trouble.¡± Hearing this, Kamoen stopped worrying, nodded, and his eyes once again ignited with fighting spirit. Lancelot led the others quickly towards ¡®The Goblet Goblin¡¯ inn, meanwhile he contacted his comrades using the small device Kalalin had given him. He briefly explained the imminent battle, asked everyone to be prepared, and also momentarily disabled the traps near the windows to allow entry. A moment later, the group arrived at the inn¡¯s ground floor. It was already late into the night by then, with only a few dim lights illuminating the vast darkness, Lancelot easily activated Shadow Jump and directly re-entered the room through a window. ¡°Brother! You¡¯re back!¡± Little Isha was the first to run over, clutching her bedroom, ¡°Uncle Kalalin said you encountered a battle, are you okay?¡± ¡°Nothing serious.¡± Lancelot patted the little vampire¡¯s head and took the Dimensional Bag tied around his waist, ¡°But there¡¯s another battle coming soon. Hmm, I¡¯ll have a task for you in a bit...¡± ¡°Come on, whether there¡¯s trouble or not, let¡¯s have a bottle first.¡± Koula approached as well, carrying a bag filled with healing potions, ¡°Take a couple more bottles and put them on your belt, it¡¯ll be handy later...¡± ¡°Bruto, you seem to be poisoned?¡± Elothysia exclaimed in surprise as she stared at the dwarf, her hands emitting a golden light gently pressing on his shoulder, ¡°I know you dwarves have a natural resistance to toxins... Feeling any better?¡± ¡°Effective time, eight hours; I hope the enemies don¡¯t delay too long,¡± Kalalin clapped his hands and then cast alert spells in each room. Once the fighting begins, it was bound to be crowded here, making it difficult for him to cast his spells, so better use them all now. ¡°How will the enemies get in?¡± Bruto asked, ¡°Break in through the window like us? Or through that service lift over there?¡± ¡°Unlikely; people are sitting ducks while ascending in that,¡± Alamir shook his head, ¡°Their side has three priests; I guess they¡¯ll most likely use Earth Walking or phase transition to come straight through the walls.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll point out the locations of the traps for you,¡± Koula hurriedly said. ¡°Don¡¯t step on them yourselves... By the way, are you hungry? Should we eat something first?¡± ¡°We Dark Elves usually coat our weapons with poison, a potent sleeping poison extracted from spider venom,¡± Kamoen offered more enemy details as possible, ¡°We better prepare in advance...¡± ¡°Thanks for the heads-up; everyone should carry a bottle of this on their belts too,¡± the Halfling alchemist pulled out another pile of dark green potions, ¡°You can smell this now; it should slow the effectiveness of the poison, giving you enough time to drink it...¡± The potion¡¯s smell was like having ice cubes stuffed up one¡¯s nose, leaving a profound impression. Everyone was tensely making final preparations. Spellcasters were casting various strengthening Divine Arts on their companions; warriors checked their weapons and armor. Lancelot was sitting in the middle of the living room, facing the only open window, with Frostslash laid flat on his laps, his breathing gradually becoming calm and lengthy. He entered the state of Spiritual Sight, keeping an eye on everything around. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 348: 362: Three Light Rings Chapter 348: Chapter 362: Three Light Rings After entering the Foundation Establishment Stage, the effect of his Spiritual Sight greatly enhanced, transforming the surrounding environment into silver lines in his Divine Sense. Although his main purpose was to watch if the enemy had arrived, he incidentally noticed the situation on the other floors of the inn as well. The guests below them turned out to be a group of werewolves, which surprised Lancelot somewhat ¨C half because this notoriously fierce race would actually pay to stay in an inn, and the other half because the innkeeper was willing to accept these customers, who were barely better than wild beasts. As for what they were doing in the room, it was extremely unpleasant: These dog-like creatures were conducting a live sacrifice of a Devilspawn captive, the victim firmly tied to the bed, dozens of green-eyed werewolves surrounding him, patiently waiting for a leader dressed as a Shaman to complete the ritual. The drooling from their mouths had already soaked the entire bed. The room above them was empty, the floor marked with a Magic Formation seemingly used for summoning. Just as Lancelot was about to shift his focus, a disheveled Succubus appeared from that formation. From her violent gesticulations and rapid lip movement, it was evident that the Succubus was loudly cursing the Summoner who had called her forth. In the other rooms of the inn, one scene after another of evil or fallen acts unfolded. In his state of Spiritual Sight, only silver outlines were visible, which lessened the visual impact, but even so, Lancelot had to continuously operate the Ice Heart Technique to keep his mind stable. He slowly shifted his attention to the streets surrounding the tower, watching for signs of enemies among the passersby. He didn¡¯t wait long ¨C soon, two Zoel Elves peeked out from the shadows of a corner, sizing up the room Lancelot and his companions were in from below. One of them noticed the open window and used Levitation Skill to rise into the air, trying to peer into the room. Lancelot had not yet spoken to have Acheron take action when a string of chained Fireballs flew out from another tower. The floating Zoel was instantly flustered, barely evading the first Fireball, but the subsequent attacks all hit, dragging a long tail of flames as he plummeted to the ground. Another invader hooked onto a tripwire, triggering a series of crossbow arrows. This Zoel Elf dodged all the incoming arrows with astonishing agility but ended up crashing into a wall covered with spikes. Heaven and earth be my witness, that malicious wall was an original part of the room¡¯s decor, Koula had absolutely nothing to do with it. How could a Halfling anticipate that a nimble foe would dodge in that direction? The only invader who dodged all traps rushed out of that room, only to be met with the hammer thrown by Bruto, and the Dwarf himself following behind the hammer, rolling forward like a spiked metal ball. More noises came from other rooms, sounds of mechanisms being triggered, the sizzling of acid corroding metal, the whoosh of sharp weapons cutting through the air, mixing with the screams and curses uttered in Zoel language by the victims. The first wave of enemies hadn¡¯t even engaged with the defenders yet and had already suffered heavy losses. Still, four Dark Elf warriors charged out. Avoiding all traps amidst such chaos itself proved their strength and ruthless efficiency¡ªsome traps simply could not be dodged without using a companion¡¯s body as a shield. Bruto, Kamoen, Acheron, and Koula either roared or remained silent as they each engaged an enemy. The one who roared was naturally Bruto, the Dwarf like an enraged wild boar, charged fiercely at his opponent; while the silent one referred to Kamoen, his scimitar cutting through the air so quietly that not a whiff of air was stirred, instantly pressuring his own kin into retreating continuously. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 349: 363: The Confrontation between Divine Office Holders Chapter 349: Chapter 363: The Confrontation between Divine Office Holders Meanwhile, Lancelot was still sitting cross-legged at his original spot, head bowed, eyes tightly shut. His right hand gripped the handle of Frostslash while his left pressed on the scabbard. True Yuan from within his body flowed continually into the blade of Frostslash, following a special Cultivation Technique. This was a move he had created by making slight improvements on the basis of Gathering Qi Slash: when Gathering Qi Slash was charging, a certain amount of energy would leak from the blade, but by using a scabbard filled with True Yuan to ¡°catch¡± this overflowing energy, the speed and power of the sword strike could be greatly enhanced the moment the sword was drawn. Of course, the enhancement was limited to the first strike after drawing the sword, but that was all Lancelot needed. Facing a High Rank Spellcaster, once the opponent began to cast, the consequences could be unpredictable; he would either choose not to make a move, or if he did, he had to ensure it was a lethal one. This was also a Dharma Method of overcoming the strong with the weak as repeatedly emphasized in the small bamboo slip by Han Tianzun¡ªno matter how many Divine Skills you know or how powerful the spells you can cast, once you¡¯re dead, there¡¯s no chance to use them. In fact, Han Tianzun himself had done many similar things in his youth, by which he had harvested a considerable number of precious treasures and Cultivation resources. New enemies emerged from the room again, two Zoel female Priests. The traps set up before had been disarmed by the bodies of the first wave of male Zoel who came in; perhaps that was one of their tasks too, so these two female Priests could pass through those slaughterhouse-like rooms unharmed. Unlike most races, Zoel females were not much different from the males in stature and physique, perhaps due to the different diet and training they received during puberty, making these women, who held the highest social status, seem even stronger. Both of the high-ranking Rose Priests were dressed in exquisite Scale Armor, draped in robes adorned with spider patterns, their eyes emitted a red glow in the dim light, and their necks, chests, and fingers were adorned with lavish gemstone jewelry¡ªnot your average ornaments. Kalalin once enlightened Lancelot that all gemstones could serve as energy sources for magical items; amulets made with gemstones did not need to be actively used and could trigger automatically under certain conditions to protect the wearer from specific types of damage. On Elothysia¡¯s front, the situation was completely one-sided. The Succubus Paladin held nothing back, having activated her daily ability to channel Holy Power before the battle began, turning her Broad Sword into a Holy Weapon; and with the first strike of the battle, she employed her highest level of spellcasting ability, the Third Circle, to cast Evilbane Slash. But her strike was not aimed at the priestess herself; it targeted the weapon used by the priestess. The Serpent Head Whip was a product of chaotic and evil Abyssal magic, exceptionally vulnerable to sacred attacks, and the Succubus¡¯s opponent had never expected her adversary to be a Holy Warrior (which actually couldn¡¯t be blamed on her). The priestess swung her weapon with full confidence, only to be shocked nearly to the point of her eyeballs falling out the next moment¡ªsnake heads second only to mithril in hardness were cleanly severed like a clump of mushrooms, and the wicked weapon she regarded as a lover (sometimes it indeed played that role) became a laughably short stick, hardly more powerful than a dagger. And naturally, Elothysia seized the opportunity to follow up on her victory, her sword blade gleaming with golden light having already breached the embarrassingly ineffective defense of the whip handle multiple times, striking the priestess¡¯s body. A gray-white, rock-like glow flared on the latter¡¯s body, the effect of an amulet that turned the wearer¡¯s body as hard as stone when receiving close-quarter attacks. The Succubus Paladin was not discouraged by this situation. An enemy with spellcasting abilities from the upper echelons of their society obviously wouldn¡¯t be killed so easily, but any protective magic item had its limits in how much damage it could handle, and continuing the fight in this way, the opponent¡¯s downfall was just a matter of time. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 350: 364: Matriarch Appears Chapter 350: Chapter 364: Matriarch Appears Among those who fought with the four male Zoel warriors, there were already winners and losers. Unlike other duels that began with mutual probing, the battle between Kamoen and his kin started with a barrage of killing moves ¡ª simultaneous stabs, leaping upper slashes, double-stage downward stabs. These were moves that Dark Elves had practiced over and over in martial techniques schools, refined through the experience accumulated over several eras for the best countermeasures. Every Zoel Elf knew how to counter these moves and what variations could follow, but this also meant that the duel became a competition of basic skills, where any movement less than precise or reaction less than swift would be quickly exploited by the opponent. After a few exchanges, the disparity in strength was clear, with Kamoen outclassing his opponent in every aspect. The pursued Zoel Elf once again used a double-stage downward stab, forcing his opponent to defend with crossed swords pushing downward. This was the textbook response, which, although it left the defender unable to launch any effective counterattack, would prevent the attacker from continuing their assault. But Kamoen¡¯s opponent no longer wished to follow the textbook methods ¡ª Kamoen¡¯s basic skills were much more solid, and continuing this by-the-book approach would leave him without a chance of victory. This Dark Elf feigned a motion of pushing down with both swords, but one hand was a feint. As the weapons collided, he quickly retracted that hand, instead delivering a horizontal slash in hope that this unexpected counter would turn the tide of the unfavorable situation. He immediately paid the price for his rash action. Kamoen keenly captured the enemy¡¯s destabilized defense; he also changed his response, not retracting his weapon as usual but stabbing out again with the same posture. In swordsmanship training, there¡¯s a basic common sense: once a technique is executed to a certain degree, it cannot be altered. At this moment, both their attacks were in motion, and neither could return their sword to defend. But Kamoen¡¯s weapon was closer to the enemy¡¯s body, easily breaking through the weak defense and opening a deep gash on the inside of the opponent¡¯s thigh, unprotected by armor, all the while lowering his body to avoid the enemy¡¯s severely misshapen horizontal slash due to the intense pain. Matriarch Belmanis had already completed a spell, and just as she showed her face outside the window, she swung her free hand. A powerful burst of negative energy erupted from her as the epicenter, spreading outward. Those engaged in battle felt as if invisible Great Swords and Battle Axes had struck them, leaving them all in a gravely injured state in an instant. Lancelot hadn¡¯t been unable to take action earlier, but the enemy floating outside the window was a bit too far, and he wasn¡¯t confident in delivering a killing strike, so he told himself he had to endure a while longer. The Human Knight and his companions, like the rest, were sent flying backward as though they too were hit by the surge of negative energy; however, the Zoel assailants flashed a gray light on their bodies, merely shaking slightly, clearly having prepared some sort of magic item in advance to defend against the Matriarch¡¯s area attack. Belmanis jumped into the room from the Magic Carpet, her hand already preparing another spell. The Matriarch was filled with fury; Kamoen was the greatest disgrace to her family, and after finally locating him, he had even managed to kill her own daughter, dealing another heavy blow to the family. Now, she must kill Kamoen herself, the apostate who converted to worship Elystra; only then could she please the Spider Queen and prevent other families from daring to attack them, risking the wrath of the Goddess... In her view, this assault had been successful and executed perfectly. The male warriors who died? They were merely expendable, just as an Archer might regret using too many arrows after victory. But there was one variable she hadn¡¯t accounted for, one particularly special being among Kamoen¡¯s ¡®helpers¡¯. An Undead. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 351: 365: Zoels Weakness Chapter 351: Chapter 365: Zoel¡¯s Weakness Although vampires resembled ordinary living beings, many non-paranoid individuals in the Blood Race would hide their identities and live across various strata of mortal society. Unlike the Undead, they needed food and sleep, but their essence was still that of the Undead. This meant that the negative energy attacks that would damage ordinary creatures actually had a healing effect on the vampires. Although little Isha wasn¡¯t exactly comforted by this powerful healing energy, seeing Lancelot, whom she considered her greatest support, blasted away, the young girl was momentarily stunned. But just then, her brother¡¯s voice suddenly rang clear in her ear: ¡°Now, quick!¡± The young girl immediately snapped to her senses, her hand reaching to her belt, and the item Lancelot had specifically instructed her about before the battle appeared in her hand. A flash bomb. ... The training of a Wanderer enabled her hands to be steady, skillful, and swift. Little Isha completed the preparation to activate the alchemical item as fast as possible, then hurled it toward the ceiling while shouting: ¡°Flash!¡± Having previously battled with the Dark Weavers, where Koula had often used flash bombs, everyone had instinctively learned to turn away at the sound of the word ¡°flash,¡± even though they were all severely wounded by the Matriarch¡¯s spells, they still retained enough strength to turn their heads. But the Zoels had no knowledge of this. They looked involuntarily towards little Isha, not understanding why this seemingly naive young girl was unharmed, and their gaze followed her action to the small clay pot thrown up. The clay pot shattered against the ceiling, exploding in a burst of light tens of times brighter than the sun. Even though the intense light lasted less than one-hundredth of a second, it was not something ordinary humans could endure, let alone the Dark Elves, who had grown accustomed to dim environments after years of living underground. Perhaps this dignified Zoel noble had not understood what happened until her death. Lancelot was not yet satisfied. He drew a long arc with his longsword, striking the headless body once again. With no amulets or magical protection, the Matriarch¡¯s luxurious robes provided no defense, and Lancelot¡¯s burst of speed was so rapid that he delivered nearly a hundred sword strikes within three seconds, completely chopping the enemy¡¯s body into a pile of minced meat, to an extent that even the Matriarch herself couldn¡¯t resurrect from. Of course, Lancelot deliberately avoided the waist and hip area where several bulging pouches hung; he wouldn¡¯t want to cut those off along with it. While he launched the attack, others were not idle either. Negative energy did harm their lives but did not directly inflict physical damage, which meant everyone still retained their full combat capabilities. And what could be easier to handle than an enemy blinded under such circumstances? Unexpectedly, some Zoels seemed to have the ability to fight while blind. Like the Levitation Skill, each Zoel noble could rely on their family crest to cast Dark Arts, therefore many had been trained to fight by relying on their hearing with their eyes covered. However, Dark Arts affected both sides equally, which was not the case now. People hardly struggled to eliminate their respective foes, and with Kamoen¡¯s recent example, everyone¡¯s actions were very resolute, leaving no chance for any enemies to surrender. According to their moral standards, if an opponent indicated surrender, they were obligated to accept. But given their environment and the missions they carried, realistically handling these prisoners was impossible, so denying enemies the chance to speak might be seen as a form of evasion. Everyone is changed by the Abyss to some extent, and if even angels are not immune, these mortals certainly are not different. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 352: 366: Professional Chapter 352: Chapter 366: Professional The battle seemed to be only halfway through, but after the little Vampire threw that game-changing Flash Bomb, everything ended as swiftly as Belmanis¡¯s blown-apart head. Lancelot moved too fast for anyone to clearly see his actions. Everyone just felt that after the flash, the Zoels, who were still stubbornly resisting, suddenly lost most of their combat strength, and that imposing, aloof Matriarch had been chopped into a lump of flesh. However, they were no longer surprised by Lancelot¡¯s terrifying combat prowess. What was a Human Knight usually like? When traveling in the Great Abyss, if ten Flomos attacked, at least five would end up dead under his sword. This time, though, he had been holding back since the start of the fight, leading everyone to guess he was saving up for a big move. Of course, Lancelot did indeed take down the most threatening enemy by the end, but the real game-changer was little Isha, who was immune to negative energy attacks and countered the Zoel Matriarch¡¯s area attacks in time. Lancelot flicked the fresh blood off his Sword Blade, turning his head to meet the girl¡¯s expectant eyes. ¡°Well done,¡± Lancelot winked at her and gave her a thumbs up, ¡°Crucial!¡± ¡°Hey! Didn¡¯t see that coming, did ya? You guys had this planned out all along!¡± Bruto also came over to the girl¡¯s side, slapping the Vampire¡¯s back with the Dwarf¡¯s characteristic enthusiasm, ¡°Beautifully done!¡± ... Isha¡¯s vision became hazy from the slapping, and the others gathered around too, expressing their gratitude and congratulations to the typically unobtrusive team member, making the girl¡¯s face turn bright red. Yet she still tried to maintain her manners and modesty, attributing the credit to Lancelot¡¯s guidance, Koula¡¯s skills, and the opportunity created by everyone¡¯s hard fight. The expression of fatigue quickly spread across the girl¡¯s face. After expressing her gratitude, she ¡®poofed¡¯ into a small bat and dove into Lancelot¡¯s Dimensional Bag to rest. Frankly speaking, it wasn¡¯t easy for the Vampire to have persevered until now. She spent the entire day helping set up traps. Although direct sunlight didn¡¯t penetrate the room, it still weakened the girl considerably. Yet, she insisted on working, resting for only two hours in the broken crate around noon. Now that the battle had ended, the exhaustion from the whole day overwhelmed her, and the girl couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. It was only then that everyone had time to take out their healing potions and drink up. Alamir began chanting the Healing Divine Art that required a long preparation time, while the Succubus Paladin used her Holy Healing abilities to dispel the poison effects from her comrades. Kamoen stood with a complex expression, his gaze lingering on the bodies of his kin. Most importantly, they hadn¡¯t looted the spoils of war yet; how could they just let them be taken away? Without explicit instructions from him, everyone began to act, piling together Mithril scimitars and longswords, Mithril helmets and armor, potions and amulets with unclear effects, useful or not. Bruto was naturally concerned about the enemy¡¯s purses filled with gold coins and gemstones. Zoel were one of the wealthiest races in the entire material plane, occupying vast resource-rich underground worlds, and yearning equally for wealth and power, they were among the few races to use slaves for trade good production, with some skillful Gray Dwarves and Gnomes even receiving decent treatment (relative to other slaves). But these Dark Elves had protected their purses well, even in death. The Dwarf tried to pull a small pouch from his fallen opponent¡¯s body, but several sharp blades suddenly shot out from the corpse¡¯s belt, and if the Dwarf¡¯s reaction hadn¡¯t been fast enough, he would likely have lost several fingers. ¡°Damn it!¡± Bruto shouted angrily, his hands were fine, but a small chunk of his beard had been shaved off, ¡°These damned Elves!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t force it, watch me,¡± Koula said with a smile as she ran over. She carefully inspected the area and with a light slash on a specific part of the belt with her dagger, a barrage of blades, crossbow bolts, and saws scattered onto the ground, with dark green liquid on them, most likely poison. ¡°By Moradin...¡± The Dwarf swallowed hard, ¡°Still gotta leave it to the professionals.¡± Lancelot was clutching a pouch he had taken from the only intact portion of the Matriarch¡¯s body. To his surprise, he found it was a Dimensional Bag, and gently probed inside with his Divine Sense to check its contents. ¡°Crap!¡± Without little Esha around, Lancelot cursed without regard for his image, ¡°How can they be so poor!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 353: 367: Soul Prism Chapter 353: Chapter 367: Soul Prism ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What¡¯s the matter?¡± the idle Dwarf ran over again, ¡°Is there nothing of value in there?¡± ¡°No, there are still some, and quite a few at that,¡± Lancelot replied with a grimace, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later... Kamoen, these bodies were once your kin. How do you wish to dispose of them?¡± ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t mind handing them over to the cook downstairs. Opportunities for our race to contribute to others are rare,¡± the Dark Elf said sarcastically, ¡°You can dispose of them however you like, but if you allow me, I¡¯ll dig a big hole in the wilderness and throw them all in to burn.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lancelot nodded, then pinched a spell, and in Kamoen¡¯s shocked gaze, thick vines emerged from the bodies. These vines seemed to absorb nutrients from the blood and flesh on the ground and quickly grew thicker and more obstructive, wrapping each body tightly like mummified vines. ¡°Later, we¡¯ll transport these bodies in this Dimensional Bag,¡± Lancelot said, waving a bag he had taken from Matriarch at Kamoen, ¡°but first, we need to empty out its contents...¡± ... The others had already gathered valuable items together, and the Human Knight walked to the pile of spoils in the center of the room, flipped the captured Dimensional Bag inside out, and all the items inside spilled out in a rush. Everyone looked closely and found that most of them were prism-shaped crystals, flashing with an unsettling purple light. ¡°This is...¡± even the usually composed Elothysia couldn¡¯t help but change color, ¡°Soul Prisms? Why are there so many?¡± ¡°What?¡± Bruto asked in confusion, ¡°These things really make one uncomfortable... Are they worth anything?¡± ¡°Just hold one in your hand to see,¡± Kalalin suggested, ¡°I recommend choosing a lighter colored one...¡± Bruto picked up a crystal about the size of a beer mug with some skepticism. As soon as he touched it, he immediately felt a chilling sensation¡ªas if he were being watched. Inside the crystal seemed to be a faint mist. The Dwarf brought it close to his face, and he saw the drifting mist quickly condense into a face that silently screamed at him. Everyone seemed to hear faint shrieks, but upon concentrating, they heard nothing. ¡°There¡¯s a ghost!¡± Bruto exclaimed loudly and hastily threw the crystal to the ground, where it made a small pit but showed no signs of cracking, obviously more durable than it appeared. Bruto instinctively pulled out his Warhammer and swung it down, but he stopped midway through and turned to ask Scholar, ¡°What exactly is inside this thing?¡± ¡°This type of crystal is a prison for Souls, containing souls captured for various reasons,¡± Kalalin revealed the answer Lancelot had expected, ¡°It is one of the common currencies in the Abyss. Unlike the Soul Coins issued by Demons, the value of Soul Prisms isn¡¯t fixed; it can range from a few Gold Coins to thousands, depending on the strength of the soul inside. It is said that the darker the color, the higher the value. Appraising Soul Prisms is an art that takes a lot of effort for mortals to master, although Fiends seem to be able to accurately judge their value at a glance.¡± ¡°These are worth about three hundred thousand Gold Coins,¡± as if to prove the Scholar¡¯s words, Elothysia announced a number that startled everyone, ¡°Enough to hire a Yugros Demon Legion to serve you for a month.¡± The eyes of everyone present couldn¡¯t help but glaze over. Previously, their richest haul was raiding the treasury of Succubus Palace at Oasis Fort, picking only the highest unit value gemstones, but even then, the total value was only about eighty thousand Gold Coins. ¡°This is probably all the wealth of the Wuerduo Clan,¡± Kamoen shrugged, ¡°It seems Belmanis Matriarch must have suffered a major setback, feeling compelled to eliminate me to turn the situation around, thus she made such a desperate move to come to the Abyss. But that doesn¡¯t matter now, her ambitions, hatred, and sins have all died with her. Thank you, Lancelot, not only did you save me, but you also ended a family that had committed countless crimes, making this world a slightly better place.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 354: 368: The Power to Shape Planes Chapter 354: Chapter 368: The Power to Shape Planes ¡°We simply aided a friend worthy of respect,¡± Lancelot shook his head, gazing at the purple crystals, a struggle evident on his face. ¡°Elothysia, how are souls imprisoned within these crystals?¡± ¡°Usually, when a creature dies, its soul immediately separates from the flesh and travels to the Domain of the Vague in the Stellar Realm, which mortals refer to as the Netherworld, unless Fiends have tampered with the soul beforehand,¡± the Succubus Paladin shrugged her shoulders with a look of distaste. ¡°However, if killed within a certain Magic Formation, the soul cannot leave and is instead captured by a soul container set up within the Array. Some weapons and magic items can also achieve the same effect, and transferring souls between two containers is much simpler.¡± ¡°What about this one?¡± Lancelot, reminded of something, pulled out an amulet from his Dimensional Bag. It was an item given to him by Fallen Paladin Enrique just before his death, it too bore a crystal, but this crystal was almost entirely black, only refracting a hint of purple when light struck it. ¡°This is used to capture the essence of Fiends,¡± the Succubus Paladin recognized the item as well. ¡°It¡¯s best not to use this on ordinary people; too weak a soul will be outright crushed by it. Only souls strong enough can withstand the pressure inside it.¡±@@@@ ¡°Our Cult has always been intrigued by the connection between Fiends¡¯ essence and souls,¡± Kalalin spoke with interest. ¡°In many ways, they are very similar, except the soul of a mortal first travels to the Domain of the Vague after death, whereas the essence of Fiends returns to the plane of their birth¡ªBottomless Abyss, Nine Hells, or Scorched Flame Hell. Considering that almost all Fiends can be transformed from the souls of mortals, there¡¯s a view that essence is essentially the soul, just infused with some... other elements.¡± ¡°I see, perhaps this amulet will be of great use at some time in the future,¡± Lancelot pocketed the amulet, his gaze returning to the soul prisms. ¡°What would happen if I smashed these crystals?¡± ... ¡°The souls inside would be immediately released, heading to the Domain of the Vague, waiting for the Divine Envoy¡¯s guidance or the King of the Dead¡¯s judgment,¡± Kalalin shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Then, what is the value of these soul prisms to the Fiends?¡± Without immediately answering the Scholar¡¯s question, Lancelot turned to Elothysia. ¡°Are they just used to cultivate new Fiends?¡± Lancelot spoke again, but his words sent a chill through everyone¡¯s hearts. ¡°That¡¯s correct, although they are mainly used as currency circulation, the end is inevitably so,¡± Kalalin said hesitantly, ¡°unless... someone releases them...¡± ¡°And that is exactly what I want to do,¡± Lancelot nodded solemnly and spoke the words worth three hundred thousand Gold Coins, ¡°I believe trading these Soul Prisms is unethical. It¡¯s like slave trading; even if we are not responsible for the ultimate torment, the suffering of the victims is our responsibility as well.¡± Everyone looked at each other, and no one spoke up to object. They all knew Lancelot was right, but it was indeed a huge amount of money, and no one had the courage to just say no. ¡°Damn it, you all know he¡¯s right!¡± Bruto was the first to break the silence. The Dwarf¡¯s obsession with wealth was no less than any other race, but their sense of right and wrong was equally unambiguous. He raised his hammer and shouted: ¡°My old man always used to say that one day I¡¯d screw up something very valuable. It¡¯s time to prove him right!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 355: 369: Kamoens Crystal Chapter 355: Chapter 369: Kamoen¡¯s Crystal One after another, everyone nodded in agreement. They knew Lancelot was right; whatever they traded these precious crystals for, it essentially meant trading an imprisoned soul. This soul could be utterly evil or completely innocent, but that judgment should be left to the divine powers, and the most appropriate choice for them was to present these souls before the divine powers. After receiving an affirmative answer from everyone, Lancelot nodded at Bruto, and the Dwarf lifted his hammer and smashed it down hard on a Soul Crystal. The crystal, although very hard, stood no chance against the metal hammerhead. A crisp shattering sound ensued, and a helmet-sized Soul Prism instantly turned into dust and debris, a faint smoke drifting out of the crystal, as if to coalesce into a figure, but it quickly dissipated. Everyone heard a faint murmur in their ears, as if it came from a room next door insulated with thick blankets¡ªtoo indistinct to recognize. Everyone felt a complex surge in their hearts, tinged with joy, yet also with a sense of melancholy loss. ¡°That¡¯s it, right?¡± Only after the feeling had subsided did the Dwarf raise his arm again and asked hesitantly, ¡°That one just now... how much was it worth?¡± ¡°Two thousand three hundred Gold Coins.¡± Elothysia named a figure again, to help everyone better understand the value of Bruto¡¯s hammer blow. ... ¡°And this one?¡± Bruto then picked up another prism, slightly smaller but with a deeper color. ¡°Tell you after you smash it.¡± The Dwarf immediately swung his hammer, and the crystal shattered instantly upon impact with the metal hammerhead. ¡°Three thousand six.¡± ¡°Ah, you really should tell me afterward.¡± Bruto stared at the scattered fragments with a pained expression, ¡°How exactly is their value determined?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Kalalin tell you?¡± The Succubus Paladin shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s based on the strength of the imprisoned soul. The one you just smashed contained either an Ascetic Monk or a serial killer¡ªanyway, it was pretty strong. If it¡¯s the latter, perhaps we might encounter them again sometime, turned into a Demon or Demons, after enduring torture and punishment enough to erase all memories of their former life.¡± Seeing him regain his calm, Acheron began his soft prayers and quickly completed a simple Divine Art. His palm emitted a comfortable white light, which he placed on Kamoen¡¯s head. Everyone¡¯s expression became a bit strange, as the Dark Elf¡¯s shiny bald head reflected very well, lighting up the room like an extra torch when the Priest¡¯s glowing hand touched it. Thankfully, Kamoen didn¡¯t notice, as he was following the Priest¡¯s instructions, closing his eyes, gathering his thoughts, and sinking his consciousness into the small crystal in his hand. The Zoel Elf stood there for a long time, and although everyone was very curious, they all knew this was a very private matter and of great importance to Kamoen, so they all waited patiently. After a while, Kamoen finally opened his eyes. He bowed deeply to everyone and said very humbly, ¡°Thank you all once again; words cannot express my gratitude.¡± ¡°No need, no need, glad to be of help.¡± Lancelot quickly waved his hand and after thinking for a moment, still could not help but ask, ¡°How is your mother... doing now?¡± ¡°She has suffered a lot, and her soul is so weak it can hardly take shape, but she recognized me immediately.¡± Kamoen¡¯s dark face grew even more somber, ¡°But I swear I¡¯ll find a way to resurrect her. I¡¯ve already introduced her to the Dark Maiden; the spider Demon Queen won¡¯t get her soul!¡± ¡°The technique for communicating with a soul inside a vessel is not difficult; with a little practice, you¡¯ll be able to master it quickly,¡± Acheron said as he extinguished the light on his hand and removed it from Kamoen¡¯s head. ¡°Soul has a strong self-healing ability. Talk to your mother when you have time; I believe she will get better soon.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Kamoen nodded, carefully stowed the crystal close to him, and then took a moment to wipe his face with his hand and smiled apologetically at everyone, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make a spectacle of myself... Bruto, please continue!¡± ¡°Right you are!¡± The Dwarf happily picked up his hammer again but immediately set it down, ¡°Do you want to check again to see if there are any other relatives?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 356: 370 Scimitar Chapter 356: Chapter 370 Scimitar Eventually, all the remaining Soul Prisms were smashed to bits, as everyone took a swing. After all, these were items worth three hundred thousand Gold Coins, the accumulated wealth of a Zoel noble family over many generations. In the Mortal Realm, a small kingdom in a remote location might only collect that much in taxes over half a year. At first, they even had the Succubus Paladin report how many Gold Coins each destroyed Soul Prism was worth, but soon everyone became numb to it and stopped doing so. After all, it was just a number; its magnitude had no meaning. Instead, the sensation of the crystals shattering felt quite satisfying. ¡°Whew, it feels great,¡± Bruto moved his arm, which was a bit sore from repeatedly swinging, and exclaimed, ¡°Thrilling...¡± ¡°Tonight¡¯s events are enough for you to boast in the bars for decades to come,¡± Koula, holding a broom she¡¯d found somewhere, ran over and began cleaning up the debris.@@@@ ¡°Hey, you just reminded me!¡± Bruto picked up a pile of debris from the ground, ¡°I need to keep some physical evidence that I did this...¡± Lancelot shrugged helplessly. Destroying these Soul Prisms had been his idea, yet in the end, Bruto was the most enthusiastic smasher. His gaze swept over the other spoils of war and, after a moment of thought, he addressed the still somewhat dazed Zoel Elf: ... ¡°Kamoen, our rule is to divide the spoils equally, everyone who participated gets a share. Since we wouldn¡¯t have gotten these without you, you should pick first.¡± ¡°How could I possibly?¡± the Zoel Elf repeatedly shook his head, ¡°Your help in dispatching my pursuers is a great kindness in itself. Moreover, finding my mother¡¯s soul accidentally is an absolutely priceless treasure. I shouldn¡¯t take any rewards at all.¡± In the end, Koula got a pair of new daggers, Kalalin also tucked a set of Mithril chainmail under his robe (this metal is very light, and does not affect Scholar¡¯s spellcasting), and others¡¯ belts or boots were added with several Mithril daggers. Even if the enchantments on these Zoel weapons were to fail in sunlight, their craftsmanship was still very superior. ¡°You¡¯ll have to take care of your clansmen¡¯s bodies later; now that we finally have a moment, let¡¯s talk about serious matters...¡± Lancelot handed the Dimensional Bag, which he had confiscated from the Matriarch, to Kamoen. This was also a very precious item, and it was already stuffed full of vine mummies at the moment. ¡°You guys chat, I¡¯m going to take a bath.¡± Alamir, knowing he was temporarily not needed, dropped the remark and eagerly ran off towards the bathroom. Koula went to prepare dinner for everyone, Clone Well took Kalalin aside into a nearby small room¡ª the skeleton needed to understand what had happened during his unconscious period. The rest brought stools and chairs, formed a circle in the living room, and discussed their next move. ¡°I didn¡¯t get a chance to explain in detail earlier, but we came here planning to infiltrate the fortress outside the city and seize the Demon Legion¡¯s latest battle plans,¡± Acheron said, while removing his Devilspawn disguise, ¡°Scouts report that Abbarhas¡¯s camp is expanding daily, and Sniel¡¯s fence is almost overfilled with Coward Devils. You also sent back news of massive recruitment of mercenaries here... Melanthan has been very unsettled by this, as you know, we¡¯ve always been plagued by a shortage of manpower. If Cang Ye¡¯s minions launch an attack now, we¡¯ll likely have to give up those indefensible plains to the southwest...¡± ¡°So you¡¯re hoping to steal the latest battle plans from Ulgog¡¯s office to gain an advantage in the upcoming war?¡± Kamoen asked, frowning. He listened to the Elf General explaining the latest situation while munching on a mushroom that resembled a long loaf of bread. This was a delicacy from his homeland found on one of his kin, reputed to taste a lot like cucumbers marinated in cheese. ¡°After the failures before, I thought everyone had given up on that idea...¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 357: 371 Keth-Nazar Chapter 357: Chapter 371 Keth-Nazar ¡°But this time we have Elothysia...¡± Acheron remembered his earlier conversation with Lancelot and his face grew embarrassed as he quickly added, ¡°and Sir Lancelot and his reliable companions.¡± ¡°His strength is indeed very impressive,¡± Kamoen nodded at the Human Knight, ¡°but storming that fortress is still unrealistic...¡± ¡°We¡¯re not planning on forcing our way in,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°do you know the specific details of why the previous operations failed?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t had direct contact with the previous groups, but I¡¯ve been secretly assisting them by providing intelligence, supplies, and observing the results of their actions.¡± The bald Dark Elf sat up straight, ¡°In the hundred years since I arrived here, there have been two such attempts. The first one was over seventy years ago when four people dressed as cart slaves, and I saw them successfully infiltrate the second layer area from the mountain opposite. However, about an hour later, there were screams of killing from the fortress, and only the two half-elves who came out were severely injured; they passed out before I could reach them. I carried them out of the valley, handed them over to the waiting scout, but didn¡¯t get a chance to talk to them. Perhaps Acheron knows more details?¡± ¡°Amin and Locke always wanted to thank you in person, but their two good friends weren¡¯t so fortunate,¡± the Elf General¡¯s expression grew somber, ¡°According to their report, they successfully avoided the guards¡¯ sight and sneaked into the inner layer of the fortress¡¯s academy. But there, they encountered a formless demon, like shadows themselves. These demons could emerge directly from the walls, and the Dwarf Warrior Marbess was the first to rush up, but the enemy¡¯s claws completely disregarded his well-crafted armor. The Human Holy Warrior Klay lit his longsword with Holy Flame, and his attack was effective, but the number of enemies was just too many...¡± Acheron¡¯s voice gradually faded, and without his saying it, everyone could guess the outcome. The room fell silent for a while, and finally, it was Kamoen who spoke, ¡°Perhaps this time it really could be different. We just eliminated an entire elite unit of the Zoel Family, and I still find it somewhat surreal. But then again, I don¡¯t understand why the dignified Matriarch and her daughter would leave the comforts of Keth-Nazar to come to the Bottomless Abyss to hunt me, a traitor...¡± ... ¡°Keth-Nazar?¡± Alamir¡¯s voice sounded surprised. Priest Shuni¡¯s baths before bedtime were usually quick, and he only multitasked during his morning baths, ¡°You said they¡¯re from Keth-Nazar?¡± If hundreds of years later he succeeded in finding a way back to his homeland, but by then all familiar relatives and friends had long passed away, Albert¡¯s descendants might either have become the new Emperor or split into several kingdoms, and even the castle he lived in during his childhood could be occupied by bandits or brigands. Would he truly feel like he was returning home? ¡°Dinner is served!¡± The sweet aroma and Koula¡¯s cheerful voice floated in, breaking the somewhat oppressive silence in the living room. The Halfling brought all sorts of foods to the table, warmly calling everyone over: ¡°Roasted Abyss chicken pie and mixed fruit pies, all prepared earlier today, come and try!¡± ¡°Koula, I love you!¡± Bruto declared his passionate confession to his beardless companion, swiftly scurrying onto his chair, which left a blushing Koula frozen in place. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s just dizzy from the smell of the food,¡± the Priest of the God of Love assured the Halfling, then sat down at the table, ¡°What could be better than discussing plans for an adventure while enjoying delicious food? If only we had a bard here to recount our heroic deeds, that would be even better...¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 358: 372: The Experience of Failure Chapter 358: Chapter 372: The Experience of Failure Everyone sat around the dining table, savoring the Halfling chef¡¯s perfectly baked delicacies. Even little Isa was nibbling on a slice of apple pie. Lancelot was sure she had just been asleep, but the little girl had an unparalleled passion for desserts, almost as if she had sleepwalked out of the Dimensional Bag. ¡°Based on your description, I think the creatures those people encountered sound very much like Wraith Demons.¡± Kalalin said to Kamoen, munching on his meal, ¡°Some also refer to them as Shadow Fiends.¡± ¡°What are those?¡± Bruto asked eagerly, ¡°Can my hammer cause them harm?¡± ¡°Shadow Fiends, like the specters and banshees we encountered before, are incorporeal beings. These Demons are immune to attacks from normal weapons, but your hammer is imbued with powerful Magic, so it can deal normal damage to them, although it might feel a bit strange,¡± the Scholar patiently explained to the Dwarf, ¡°Their claws don¡¯t physically harm, but directly tear at the victim¡¯s soul, which is why Armor couldn¡¯t protect that brave Dwarf Warrior.¡± Next to Kamoen, his mouth fell agape in surprise, shocked by the Scholar¡¯s casual demeanor. Zoel belonged to a race that regularly dealt with the lower planes and considered itself very knowledgeable about Demons, but the Scholar was like a Bottomless Abyss encyclopedia, immediately deducing the type of Demon based on features, and he was clear on their attacking characteristics and weaknesses as well. ¡°Most of the Cult¡¯s Scholars believe that Wraith Demons, unlike other Demons, did not evolve from a lower form,¡± Kalalin continued, oblivious to the bald Zoel¡¯s astonished expression, ¡°There¡¯s plenty of evidence to suggest that these Demons are a kind of ¡®accident¡¯: when a Demon is killed by certain specific Magic in other planes, its Essence returns to the Bottomless Abyss and fails to resurrect properly, transforming into this incorporeal state instead.¡± ... At this point, he involuntarily glanced at Elothysia, who shrugged helplessly (including her wings), ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I don¡¯t know much about these things either...¡± ¡°But their weakness is clear: light ¡ª in this respect, they are akin to the Dark Elves. Wraith Demons become as blind as humans in darkness when exposed to bright light, revealing a vague humanoid outline with wings on their upper body,¡± continued Kalalin, ¡°Due to their incorporeal nature, Wraith Demons can pass through any solid object, but they cannot remain inside it and do not have the ability to see through it. If we encounter these Demons, we must take them down immediately, or else the entire fort will soon know of our presence.¡± ¡°So, the first attempt at infiltration was thwarted by an unforeseen enemy,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Do these Demons have the ability to see through invisibility or disguises?¡± ¡°Perhaps they ran into some strong Magic Trap that caused them to lose their fighting capacity immediately,¡± Kalalin speculated, ¡°If it was just the two of them, it¡¯s very possible that neither had time to rescue the other, or even that both fell into a trap together.¡± ¡°When I entered back then, it was almost as if it was undefended,¡± Acheron scratched his head, ¡°Damn, do those Demons actually remember where their traps are...¡± ¡°Demons are crazy, but they¡¯re not stupid,¡± Kalalin shook his head, ¡°The fortress definitely has unguarded passages and secret chambers, but we must never underestimate the enthusiasm with which demons arm their lair. If we¡¯re careful, searching as we proceed, we should be able to detect those traps in advance, but it will be very time-consuming,¡± ¡°So what¡¯s our plan?¡± Bruto, after contentedly swallowing the last of his pie and burping, asked, ¡°Disguising as slaves sounds good; should we give that a try?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that will work... Did you notice the checkpoint at the Outer Layer entrance when we were on the mountain today? The Guards¡¯ inspection seemed very thorough, and it would be difficult for us to hide our equipment,¡± Acheron shook his head, ¡°Besides, your phys...ique really doesn¡¯t resemble that of a slave. Occasionally there are Dwarfs who successfully make it to the south side of the Hoffenstan River, and they are all skin and bones; if not for their beards, you¡¯d surely mistake them for Gnomes.¡± ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m too strong?¡± Bruto flexed his arm happily, ¡°Look at these developed muscles! Hmm... do you think that always swinging the hammer with my right hand might lead to my right arm being thicker than the left?¡± ¡°I believe your left arm is also well exercised,¡± Kalalin rolled his eyes, ¡°What I mean is, your Shield looks heavy too...¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 359: 373 Lancelots Plan Chapter 359: Chapter 373 Lancelot¡¯s Plan ¡°Should we consider infiltrating the fortress as an officer?¡± Acheron proposed another scenario, ¡°Didn¡¯t that Conscription Officer take a particular interest in you today? If you could first blend in to scout the situation, we might be able to strike inside and out, and it could be easy to take over.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea,¡± Kamoen immediately objected, ¡°The Demons have plenty of ways to make sure you¡¯re truly evil. You definitely won¡¯t pass.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true,¡± Bruto retorted discontentedly, ¡°My brother has many skills, and there¡¯s a lot you haven¡¯t seen...¡±@@@@ ¡°It¡¯s not about whether you have high or low strength, it¡¯s about your true moral alignment,¡± the Zoel Elf shook his bald head, ¡°For example, if the Demons place a Goblin or Gnoll baby in front of you and hand you a Dagger, ordering you to skin the baby, can you do it?¡± ¡°Why... why would anyone do that? Is it just to prove that you really are a villain?¡± the Dwarf stuttered, ¡°Simply to prove that you are indeed a rogue?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, my people are indeed capable of such a thing,¡± the Succubus Paladin¡¯s voice rose helplessly, ¡°But often it¡¯s not for any complex purpose, but rather for the pleasure of seeing humans show disgust and reaction.¡± ... ¡°Moreover, this plan would take a long time to execute, and that would increase the risks in various ways,¡± Lancelot rejected the Elven Ranger¡¯s proposal, ¡°Guys, I¡¯ve got an idea, remember our Transforming Ring?¡± ¡°What are you planning to do?¡± Elothysia asked curiously, ¡°Just turning into a Succubus won¡¯t fool them for long. Even if the guards initially don¡¯t dare to stop you, they will definitely keep a close watch on you. Once they realize you weren¡¯t ¡®summoned¡¯ by some big shot, you¡¯ll be in trouble.¡± ¡°So we shouldn¡¯t take too long,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Bruto, you said you remembered the layout of the fortress, right? Draw the schematic for everyone.¡± ¡°Draw? My hands haven¡¯t held anything more delicate than a hammer handle...¡± the Dwarf responded as if he¡¯d heard an outrageous request, his eyes rolled, then spotted the pile of crystal shards on the ground, ¡°How about I make you a sand table instead?¡± Moments later, a crystal-like model of the fortress was complete. It had to be admitted that Bruto had some craftsman¡¯s skills; the miniature fortress closely resembled the structure engraved in Lancelot¡¯s memory, and this visualization made things much clearer. ¡°You guys who don¡¯t appreciate a good beard...¡± Dwarf deflated immediately. ¡°Hold on, what are you talking about?¡± Kamoen couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You guys... can transform into succubi?¡± ¡°Not all of us, just Lancelot, Kalalin, and Bruto are up to it,¡± Alamir explained with a smile, ¡°Back when I was locked up in a... succubus prison, they rescued me using this trick.¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible?¡± Kamoen looked at his bald head in disbelief, ¡°Then suppose you find Ulgog¡¯s office, what then?¡± ¡°If the Demon General is not in there, great, we find the battle plan and beat it. If Ulgog happens to be in his office...¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°then everyone comes out of the Dimensional Bag, and we take him down together.¡± ¡°Oh, I like where this is going!¡± Bruto rubbed his hands eagerly, ¡°As long as the seduction doesn¡¯t reach the level of a Barlow Flame Demon, even if it¡¯s accompanied by one or two bodyguards, with so many of us, we will surely take it down!¡± ¡°It must have stored a small part of its essence beforehand, we can¡¯t really kill it completely,¡± Kalalin shook his head, ¡°Of course, it will take some time to resurrect, but definitely long enough for us to escape.¡± ¡°Is it really going to be that simple?¡± Acheron¡¯s voice still sounded somewhat incredulous, ¡°How do we withdraw after we succeed?¡± ¡°If we haven¡¯t been exposed the entire time, we might even walk out the main gate,¡± Lancelot said confidently, ¡°If a fight breaks out when we get the battle plan, it might get a bit messy... but relying on my Perception Ability and Shadow Jump, we should have no problem slipping away right under the enemy¡¯s noses.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a good plan, at least it saves us the trouble of sneaking into the inner layer of the fortress,¡± Kamoen hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Can I join you? My twin daggers should be of some help...¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 360: 374: Coming Out of the Mountains Again Chapter 360: Chapter 374: Coming Out of the Mountains Again The next day, once it was light out, everyone left the city of Gaomendikolia and headed into the rugged mountains to the north, quickly disappearing from the vision of the Demon citizens. A new figure wrapped in a thick blanket, not an inch of skin exposed, had joined their party¡ªit was the Zoel Elf, Kamoen. Although Acheron did not wish for him to join this extremely dangerous mission, Kamoen persuaded the Elven Ranger with just one sentence. ¡°I have very few friends left; either let me help you complete this mission, or let¡¯s die in there together.¡± In the end, Lancelot nodded in agreement to let Kamoen join. His plan was essentially to run straight into the middle of the encirclement; should a battle break out, they must ensure the swift elimination of the enemy and not let a single one escape. Under such circumstances, the more strength they had, the more hope they had for success, and Kamoen had already proven himself to be an excellent warrior in the previous night¡¯s battle. They found a secluded wasteland in the mountains where everyone joined in digging a large pit for Kamoen to cremate the bodies of his kin. Out of respect, when the fire was kindled in the pit, everyone stood back, leaving the Dark Elf alone by the edge. Lancelot was curious about what Kamoen was feeling at that moment¡ªthe burning corpses belonged to his nominal kin who had once killed his mother; he had left his clan over a hundred years ago, almost the lifespan of a human, yet his pursuers had still found him; and just as these pursuers were about to succeed, Lancelot and his party happened upon them, culminating in Kamoen aiding in the disposition of the bodies. ... No matter the outcome, when it was time to set out again, the Dark Elf¡¯s steps seemed much lighter. They stumbled upon an abandoned mine, where several Abyssal Gluttons and Abyssal Brutes were lurking near the entrance. Both of these demons were very primitive members of the Obyrith Demon Race, known for their ferocity, posing great danger to inexperienced Adventurers, but they were no match for Lancelot and his companions. Unlike the Tanari Demons, the intelligence of the low-rank Obyrith Demons was even lower than that of beasts; they would blindly attack any enemy in a frenzy, completely disregarding the difference in strength between the parties. If a group of Coward Devils had seen Lancelot fully clad in Armor, they would have fled long ago. Lancelot did not use the True Yuan within his body while fighting; one reason was to conserve strength, and the other was to give Kamoen and the team a chance to further familiarize themselves with each other¡¯s fighting styles, to better coordinate in the upcoming mission. Then, with a tap of his left index finger on his right wrist, a thick shadow enveloped the two Succubi like armor, making their figures even harder to discern against the dark night sky. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Lancelot said softly, then took a leap, jumping from the edge of the cliff. Instead of spreading his wings right away, he used gravity to accelerate his descent, the cold air slamming against the face of the Human Knight. The experience was very unfamiliar but made him feel incredibly free, as if he could turn into a gentle breeze and dissipate between heaven and earth... But now was not the time to savor that sensation. Lancelot regained his focus and spread his wings with force. His figure traced a large arc in the air, shifting from a vertical drop to gliding forward. Behind him, Elothysia flew with much more grace. The genuine Succubus made the turn with a very slight curve, easily following just to the side and behind Lancelot. ¡°For a beginner, your flying skill is quite impressive. Has anyone taught you?¡± Elothysia¡¯s voice sounded directly in Lancelot¡¯s mind. All Succubi have the ability for mind communication, which allows them to interact directly with any creature within a 60-foot radius, even bypassing language barriers. Creatures without this ability can respond to such communication but cannot refuse or sever the connection. ¡°Sometimes Tigana wanted to show me some special vistas.¡± Lancelot replied briefly, his eyes sweeping back and forth across the fortress below to ensure that no one had noticed the two shadows streaking across the sky. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT@@@@ Chapter 361: 375: Infiltrating the Building Chapter 361: Chapter 375: Infiltrating the Building Lancelot was lucky, or perhaps the Shadow Armor really did provide excellent camouflage, as the two of them flew over the fortress without drawing anyone¡¯s attention. The Demon Fortress did not become quiet with the arrival of night; various noisy sounds mingled together, drifting into the ears of the infiltrators. The outermost square was still bustling with many people sparring¡ªLancelot saw human, Devilspawn, Gray Dwarves, and Goblin mercenaries among the Mortal Races, as well as elite Demons like Berserk Demons and Brezu Demons, and even a few ugly Giants. The wall that separated the middle layer from the outer layer was very solid, with stone walls ten feet thick, though the exterior was quite rough. It was unclear whether this was the masterpiece of slave labor or the result of High Rank magic. Nevertheless, the defensive function of this wall was beyond doubt. However, according to Acheron¡¯s words, the coalition of the forces of good had never attacked this fortress. The furthest they had advanced was a hundred miles away from Gaomendikolia, where they had to withdraw due to heavy casualties. In the fortress¡¯s middle layer were barracks, beast stables, Blacksmith shops, academies, and other functional buildings. These buildings also had thick walls that could be used as loopholes for shooting, quite like fortresses unto themselves. At the moment, most of the windows emitted firelight, and the endless clang of metal forging continued, with thick smoke smelling of sulfur constantly billowing out, signaling that the war machine below was working at full capacity. The inner layer of the fortress was a lonely three-story building. Of course, ¡®small¡¯ was relative¡ªthis building was about sixty feet wide and a hundred feet long, with each floor housing about a dozen rooms. As the terrain was elevated, the ground of the inner layer was much higher than the walls of the middle layer, allowing those inside to overlook the entire fortress, also keeping this area away from the hustle and bustle below. At the moment, only one or two windows in the small building were lit. A patrol team composed of seven or eight Berserk Demons circled the building. These Berserk Demons wore metal Armor and carried heavy Battle Axes or large hammers on their backs, which reminded Lancelot of the Berserk Demon con artist he had encountered when he first arrived at the Demon Capital. ... However, the Armor of these Berserk Demons was very practical. With a lot of hollow designs to reduce weight while ensuring the protection of vital areas. Only warriors who had truly been through many battles (and survived) would dare to do so, all in the pursuit of greater speed and destructive power. There were quite a few wandering demons inside the building as well, mostly on the first and second floors. The third floor, to which they were heading, had very few, and Lancelot did not detect the presence of overly powerful beings like the six-armed Serpent Demon or Barlow Flame Demon. As time ticked by, Elothysia could already hear the heavy footsteps and the sound of armor rubbing. But Lancelot still hadn¡¯t emerged from that state. Around the corner not far ahead, the hoof of a Berserk Demon had already protruded out, and in the next second, they would come face-to-face. The Succubus Paladin¡¯s eyes revealed a resolute expression, and her right hand reached for the sword hilt at her waist, preparing for battle. But just then, Lancelot placed his hand on her leg, and the world before the Succubus flattened out, turning into a two-dimensional plane with complex patterns, which swept past quickly. In the next moment, the world returned to normal, but Elothysia found herself at the end of a corridor. Only she and Lancelot were in the hallway, with painting after painting hanging on both walls, depicting scenes of slaughter, torture, and piles of skulls, causing discomfort. Behind them was a small window with a diameter of less than a foot, and the transformed Succubus Lancelot was peeping down from the wall by the window. The Berserk Demon patrol passed by without any disturbance, completely unaware of the intruders¡¯ presence. Lancelot turned to Elothysia and gestured that everything was normal, then opened the Dimensional Bag at his waist and pulled out Bruto, Kalalin, and little Isha. The two men had already put on their Transformation Rings. Under the effect of magic, Kalalin¡¯s robe turned into a translucent, seductive gauze, and even with a face cover, Bruto¡¯s figure was provocative. In contrast, Isha and Elothysia, looking much more ¡°proper,¡± were embarrassed by the revealing outfits of the three. Acheron, Alamir, Koula, and Kamoen were still inside the Dimensional Bag. Lancelot widened the opening to let air into the bag for those inside. Even with three less people, the air stored in the bag was only enough to last everyone for three minutes, so they had to act fast. Chapter 362: 376 Protective Sword Shield Chapter 362: Chapter 376 Protective Sword Shield Just at that moment, heavy footsteps echoed from the other end of the corridor, instantly tensing up everyone. Lancelot waved his hand, signaling everyone to relax and took the lead towards the direction of the footsteps, not trying to hide his presence at all. The footsteps from not far away paused, clearly having heard the commotion from this side. The group followed Lancelot around the corner and came face to face with two fully-armed Berserk Demons walking toward them. Suddenly, five Succubi with bat-like wings appeared before their eyes. The expressions of the two Berserk Demons clearly faltered, while Lancelot greeted them openly: ¡°Good evening, can you tell me where Ulgog¡¯s office is?¡± Without adopting any seductive poses or gestures, his overwhelming charm still made the demons lower their heads involuntarily. Five voluptuous succubi (actually four) suddenly appearing was enough to make any male creature struggle to remain composed. ¡°It¡¯s... over there, the first room to the right at the end of the corridor,¡± one of the Berserk Demons stammered, his eyes darting over them, ¡°But... General Ulgog... he already left for the front lines this afternoon...¡± ... ¡°Oh? But he just sent a Messenger asking us to wait in his office...¡± Lancelot¡¯s eyes whirled, ¡°Could it be... there¡¯s someone else in his office?¡± ¡°Commander¡¯s deputy Zonesk and Draxin are still inside.¡± The two Berserk Demons were practically drooling, ¡°They¡¯re having a... very intense discussion, maybe they don¡¯t want to be disturbed right now? But my dear, I haven¡¯t touched a woman in so long, I promise I will be very quick...¡± ¡°Hey! It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard someone promote themselves like this,¡± Lancelot couldn¡¯t help revealing a mocking smile, but on that beautiful face, it looked especially enticing. She moved closer to the Berserk Demon and whispered, ¡°Let me tell you a secret...¡± The hapless toad chuckled and leaned in closer, but all he saw was Lancelot¡¯s lips moving, not hearing a sound. But in the ears of the others came the clear words of the Human Knight: The battle started abruptly and ended just as quickly. Little Isha didn¡¯t even have time to make a move. They had not caused much commotion, and the green-glowing Soundproof Barrier ensured that no noise leaked out. ¡°What about the corpses?¡± Bruto pointed to the two Demon corpses on the ground and asked Lancelot. ¡°Brother, use the Demon Palace Roses!¡± Little Isha suddenly spoke up, her eyes fixed on the increasingly abundant blood on the ground. Lancelot hesitated for a moment, then took an infrequently used Dimensional Bag from his waist and tossed it to Little Isha. The Vampire¡¯s eyes emitted a bewitching red glow, and with a swipe of her palm over the bag¡¯s mouth, dark red roses flew out of the Dimensional Bag. Under her guidance, they headed towards the corpses and the blood on the ground. These blood-thirsty plants had hollow stems and dagger-like roots. They plunged deep into the corpses and earth, greedily sucking up the Demon¡¯s remaining blood and flesh. Little Isha¡¯s red glow in her eyes suddenly brightened, and the roses¡¯ absorption rate also dramatically increased. In just a few breaths, the two corpses on the ground were reduced to a pile of bones, and the Demon Palace Roses had notably grown taller, their once dark red petals now vibrantly enticing, clearly sated. ¡°This is really nice,¡± Bruto muttered, ¡°but what about these bones?¡± ¡°Simple.¡± Elothysia spread her bat wings, fanning a breeze that turned the bones to dust in an instant, scattering them without a trace. With no more than some inconspicuous sword marks, the scene bore no sign of the recent battle. The two Berserk Demon guards had vanished into thin air, just like their dispersed bone dust. As for the armor and weapons they had stripped off voluntarily, they naturally ended up in Lancelot¡¯s Dimensional Bag. ¡°Not bad at all,¡± Lancelot said, accepting the Dimensional Bag from Little Isha and rubbing the little girl¡¯s head, ¡°I was worried about how to clean up those bloodstains...¡± ¡°Hehe, I am a very excellent maid, you know!¡± Little Isha said with a happy smile, her face flushed. It was unclear if it was because she felt a bit embarrassed being praised or if it was because the blood-absorbing plants she controlled had just had a feast. ¡°Let¡¯s continue,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°The performance just now was great. Let¡¯s do it again in Ulgog¡¯s office!¡± Chapter 363: 377: Forcibly Catching the Adulterer Chapter 363: Chapter 377: Forcibly Catching the Adulterer The group quickly arrived at the end of the corridor, and even without the introduction from those two lust-blinded Berserk Demons earlier, they had no trouble identifying which door belonged to the ¡°Supreme Commander¡¯s¡± office. The door marked ¡°Supreme Commander.¡± The door was firmly closed at this moment, but there seemed to be movement inside. Lancelot was about to push the door open when his expression suddenly froze; he turned his head and handed over the Dimensional Bag, which contained Alamir and the others, to little Isha, instructing her: ¡°You go in last. Hide behind the others at first, and the moment the fight starts, get everyone out.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Isha nodded her head heavily, clutching the Dimensional Bag tightly in her hand. ¡°Remember, the last one in, stay in the back.¡± Lancelot reminded her once again. Then he pulled out the Giant Sword Glacier directly from the weapon bag and said to the others, ¡°Everyone, get your weapons ready. Act on cue.¡± ... Everyone did as instructed. Lancelot stepped back twice, first formed a wide-range Soundproof Barrier Spell, then took a deep breath, and smashed his foot hard on the door made of Abyssal Metal. He even applied the technique of Gathering Qi Slash in his kick; the heavy metal door instantly turned into a pile of debris. Lancelot led the group through the gaping entrance, pointing forward with his sword, and shouted loudly: ¡°What are you doing here?¡± His words somewhat bewildered the group, but as soon as they saw the scene inside the office, they understood immediately. Two Seduction Demons lay on the ground, each with a Succubus ¡®riding¡¯ atop the large four-armed demons, the scene both erotic and bizarre. The Demon flung the still warm body of the Succubus at Lancelot, forcing the Human Knight to dodge to the side, but it was this brief moment that allowed two other Succubus to use their once-a-day ability to summon their kin. The blue and white light of teleportation shone, and four Berserk Demons appeared out of thin air, croaking as they charged at the group. But this ambush team was not without reinforcements, as Shuni, who had been hiding behind Kalalin, threw open her Dimensional Bag, and out tumbled three fully-armed Elves. The last to emerge was Koula, who was still squeezing through the bag opening, all the while chugging a bubbling Mutagen. ¡°Invaders!¡± the Demons shouted, and the battle erupted in an instant. Lancelot, still maintaining his Succubus form, wielded the Great Sword that was extremely disproportionate to his stature, and clashed with the Succubus that had just used another Succubus as a shield. Another Succubus was intercepted by Elothysia, while Shuni, the Priest donned in Heavy Armor, holding a Shield and Hardhead Hammer, quickly closed the distance to provide support for the brave Succubus Paladin. Upon seeing the Berserk Demons, Bruto instantly removed his Transformation Ring and charged at them with a roar. The Dwarf¡¯s experience of enslavement had imbued him with an intense hatred for such Demons, and given the chance, the Berserk Demons were always his first target. Kamoen, Acheron, and Koula, who had drunk the Mutagen, each confronted a Berserk Demon, while little Shuni slipped into the shadows, searching for the right opportunity to strike. The scene was chaotic yet without a sound could escape the room because of the Soundproof Barrier Spell that Lancelot had released earlier. Lancelot was having the easiest time fighting. His opponent, terrified, discovered that this Succubus, who was a head shorter and possibly weighed less than a fifth of his own size, was overpowering him in strength. The Great Sword, emitting a strange green glow, was so sharp that after only two or three clashes, cracks had appeared on his supposedly invincible pincers, threatening to break at any moment. Not far away, the Succubus Paladin and the Elf Priest struggled to match another Succubus. Their combined power still fell short compared to the Succubus, and if struck solidly, the Demon might suffer serious injuries, but they likely would have been killed. The Succubus tried to withstand a strike from Elothysia, with the intent of snapping the delicate Elf Priest with its giant pincer. But the Sword Blade of the Paladin blazed with a golden Flame, cutting a huge gash in the Demon¡¯s pincer, making it instantly regret its choice. The Succubus attempted to clamp down on the Paladin, while the Priest took the opportunity to prove her Hardhead Hammer was not to be ignored. Both sides exchanged blows, barely maintaining a balance of power. Over with Bruto, the fighting was mixed. The Dwarf took several hits from the giant toad, but he had successfully shattered the enemy¡¯s left knee, ensuring victory was just a matter of time; Acheron held his own with a Longsword, and it seemed difficult to discern a winner in the short term; Kamoen¡¯s twin blades danced like snakes, and although they hadn¡¯t yet struck the Berserk Demon¡¯s body, they had already sliced off several claws; and Koula, with her enhanced response from the Mutagen, was rolling around on the ground, not yet hit but also struggling to make an effective counterattack. But they had one Spellcaster companion free from disturbance. Kalalin had also undone his Transformation. He unfurled a scroll, ready to provide magical support for his comrades. Chapter 364: 378: Succubus in Battle Chapter 364: Chapter 378: Succubus in Battle As a scholar studying the Abyss and Demons, Kalalin would not recklessly cast Fireballs or Lightning¡ªsuch attacks were ineffective against Tanari, producing poor results. Moreover, in such chaotic environments, there was always the risk of accidentally harming his own people, which was not the result a scholar desired. Kalalin conjured a translucent fist, glowing faintly blue, that resembled a 0-level Mage Hand, but such simple magic posed no threat to Demons. The color of the fist quickly darkened, and its texture solidified, eventually turning into a rock-like gray-white. Following the scholar¡¯s gesture, the fist flew above the Berserk Demon that was chasing Koula. Then, as Kalalin swung his arm downward, the fist plummeted in sync, striking the unguarded demon to the ground and creating a visible dent on its head resembling a large toad¡¯s. ¡°Haha! Fantastic!¡± Kalalin let out a hearty laugh. This was his original spell, merging the 0-level Mage Hand with the 1-level Stone Fist Technique. The effect of the Stone Fist Technique was to turn the caster¡¯s fist into hard rock, which wasn¡¯t practical for most spellcasters¡ªaside from bald monks, who would choose to fight with their fists? In addition, the Stone Fist Technique had a fatal flaw: if the opponent was also a spellcaster, a simple spell like ¡°Turn Stone to Mud¡± could cause dire harm. Kalalin¡¯s original spell avoided this flaw and proved quite effective in actual combat, prompting him to decide to name it ¡°Kalalin¡¯s Flying Fist Technique.¡± The scholar continued waving his arms, sending the flying fists plummeting down, pinning the Berserk Demon to the ground. Koula, naturally, wouldn¡¯t miss such an opportunity, the Halfling swiftly maneuvered behind the enemy, her cold iron shortsword flashing as it left deep wounds on the Berserk Demon. ... The opponent, obviously, wouldn¡¯t just succumb; the Berserk Demon kicked wildly with its sharp-clawed hooves, but as it couldn¡¯t see behind itself, these heavy blows lacked accuracy, and the Halfling dodged them one by one. Suddenly, the fist pounding the Berserk Demon hesitated mid-air, then whirled and flew towards Koula. The Halfling instinctively ducked, and the fist nearly grazed her scalp, crashing heavily onto the ground. ¡°Hey!¡± Koula cried out angrily, quickly rolling backwards to create distance, then finally had a chance to look towards Kalalin, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Cover me for a moment!¡± the holy warrior said urgently to Alamir, then she spun around, positioning herself behind the priest. Alamir, without any hesitation, stood in front of the demon, his shield fiercely colliding with the swinging pincers. He had just completed a simple divine art, summoning with the power of faith three pale blue shield phantasms that circled around him, making the demon¡¯s attacks less unbearable. Unlike other spellcasting professions, the holy warrior¡¯s spells usually required only brief gestures and movements, Alamir¡¯s brief defence had already created enough time for Elothysia. She lifted her arm, pointing at Kalalin, and softly spoke, ¡°Release!¡± Holy golden light emerged out of nowhere next to Kalalin, then immediately surged into the scholar¡¯s body. His mind felt a burning pain like fire, which didn¡¯t cause any harm but instantly brought him to his senses. In his eyes, the pink aura around the succubus disappeared, replaced by a strong revulsion due to the manipulation of his own thoughts. This was one of the side effects of charm magic: once the charm ended, the charmed person would clearly realize they had been deceived, and would be completely immune to the same succubus¡¯s charm for a short period. The succubus, half angry and half astonished, looked at her kin who had spoiled her scheme. Even a fool could tell it was holy power. Succubus and holy power, could there be a more bizarre combination? But this succubus didn¡¯t have the time to ponder the reasons behind it, she needed to find a temporary ally quickly, and that Dark Elf looked perfect¡ªlethal yet graceful. In another situation, she would have liked to discuss body control techniques with such a fellow. She raised her arms, activating her charm ability, trying to attract the attention of her target. However, as she lifted her arms, a cold dagger suddenly appeared from the darkness, like a long-plotted viper, viciously stabbing into the alluring armpit of the succubus. Chapter 365: 379: The Weakness is the Heart Chapter 365: Chapter 379: The Weakness is the Heart The Demons¡¯ innate armor was useless against weapons forged from cold iron¡ªthe sharp blade easily sliced through the Succubus¡¯s delicate flesh, plunged into her heart, then drew a horizontal line along the gap between two ribs, finally coming to rest against her spine. Half of the Succubus¡¯s chest cavity was completely open, and fresh blood spilled from the beautiful demon¡¯s chest like boiling water overflowing its vessel. She instinctively tried to press down on the gushing wound, but that was a futile attempt. Who had launched the surprise attack? How had they gotten behind her? When had she missed such a lethal threat? The dying Succubus tried to turn her head to see who had killed her. However, a slender hand pressed continuously on her shoulder, not strong, but more than a heart-pierced demon could resist. Who... is... it... The Succubus felt her thoughts slowing down, and death¡ªlike a thick, cold tentacle¡ªwrapped tightly around her. The Succubus collapsed in silence, revealing the figure of a red-eyed girl behind her. Little Isabella quietly stepped back, blending once again into the shadows. ... Lancelot might have hesitated to attack a female demon due to the knightly spirit deep within his heart, but Isabella had no such qualms. From Mogrondale to Miasma Swamp, then to Gaomendikolia, the vampire wanderer became increasingly familiar with combat, and Kamoen¡¯s performance the night before inspired her greatly, encouraging her to try riskier but more rewarding moves in battle. As the Succubus fell, another sound of a cracked chitinous shell echoed from another corner of the arena. Under Lancelot¡¯s overpowering strength, which was quite disproportionate to his build, the Berserk Demon¡¯s hard pincers finally shattered, revealing the mangled flesh within. The succubus let out a piercing scream. The Elf Priest¡¯s strike clearly caused it immense pain. The demon tried to rotate its pincers to drive away the enemies around it, but Lancelot¡¯s recent overhead slash was not that simple¡ªhe had used the Entangling Sword technique from swordsmanship. The Great Sword had collided with the claw and not shattered apart but stuck tightly to it, leaving the demon unable to retract its pincers. In the intense battle, those few seconds of vulnerability were enough to decide the outcome. The Succubus Paladin, ablaze with golden flames, plunged into the succubus¡¯s back, then rapidly pulled out before thrusting in and out again and again... The succubus¡¯s two smaller fists frantically pummeled the paladin in front of it, but a layer of blue light shield blocked all the attacks while automatically counterattacking with Sword Qi, leaving the demon¡¯s pair of smaller arms bloody and mutilated, and Lancelot¡¯s Great Sword still tightly entangled with the demon¡¯s pincers, leaving it defenseless to the attacks from behind. Meanwhile, the skull that was originally hanging on the succubus¡¯s waist suddenly flew out, biting onto the succubus¡¯s dog-like face, almost tearing it off. When the demon¡¯s claws finally separated from the sword blade, Elothysia had already stabbed seven or eight holes into its back, with at least two traversing the heart at different angles. It turned its head, trying to see what was happening behind it, but Cromwell, still stuck to its face, blocked its line of sight. This huge beast fell to the ground with a thud, dead. With the death of the two succubi, the summoning of the Berserk Demon was immediately terminated. Clearly, this was actually a salvation for them, regardless of the fact that two toads had been taken down already, their bodies weren¡¯t going to leave together. Bruto¡¯s opponent, after having one leg broken, could still fight on thanks to the demon¡¯s tolerance for pain, but the immobilized toad no longer posed any threat to the Dwarf. Bruto could have easily stood back and used his Magic Flying Hammer to smash the enemy to death, but the Dwarf clearly preferred the feeling of demons turning into mush under his hands. Kamoen fought with more finesse. Once all the enemy¡¯s limbs were severed, the Berserk Demon could only use its foul-smelling mouth to lunge at the Dark Elf, who then took the chance for a sliding tackle. The Scimitar slid from the toad¡¯s chin down to the groin, and when the Berserk Demon tried to get up again, it left all its entrails behind on the ground. Chapter 366: 380: Mirror Chapter 366: Chapter 380: Mirror The fierce battle was suddenly brought to a halt, and everyone was gasping for breath. People looked at each other, relieved to find that everyone was still alive. The only one with serious injuries was Bruto, the Dwarf, whose recent combat style had increasingly resembled that of Barbarians, focusing on inflicting maximum damage and not minding taking a few hits from the enemy. ¡°Koula, I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Kalalin sincerely apologized to the Halfling, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have...¡± ¡°Hmph! After all the delicious food I gave you!¡± Koula pretended to be angry, but soon burst into laughter, ¡°It seems that the power of good food is not as compelling as that of beauty, feeling like I¡¯ve lost...¡± On the other side of the room, Lancelot was looking at Little Isha with some relief. Anticipation was written all over her face. ¡°That was a nice hit, very impressive.¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± The little girl beamed with a radiant smile upon receiving the praise she had hoped for, completely lacking the dignity of an Undead, ¡°Have I grown up!¡± ... ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Lancelot shook his head, then revealed a sincere smile, ¡°I think you¡¯ve always been that awesome, you just hadn¡¯t learned how to use your own strength before.¡± ¡°Ah! Brother, you¡¯re teasing me!¡± The little girl pounced into Lancelot¡¯s arms in frustration. They froze for a second, then quickly separated. Little Isha¡¯s face turned red, and in a voice barely louder than a mosquito¡¯s, she explained, ¡°It¡¯s... it¡¯s all because of the way you look... got used to hugging Sister Tigana...¡± ¡°Do you often hug Tigana like this?¡± Lancelot asked reflexively, then awkwardly took off his Transformation Ring, reverting back to his form as a Human Knight, ¡°Ahem, I mean... let¡¯s not waste any time, everyone. Hurry up and search for where that battle plan is?¡± Hearing this, everyone sprang into action, searching through the rather imposing office. Inside the cabinets were various potions of unknown use, and wisely, due to Koula¡¯s repeated emphasis, everyone refrained from checking them, not even touching the bottles; the office desk drawers contained many scrolls without any magic aura, and upon opening them, they were found to be maps of various kinds, most depicting detailed areas of Androlina, but to their disappointment, there was nothing related to military deployments on them. Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception suddenly started frantically warning him, but he had no idea where the danger was coming from, so he could only shout: ¡°Stop!!¡± But it was still too late. The metal door wasn¡¯t locked at all; the Dwarf simply pulled it open. Inside, there were indeed a dozen thick parchments, and numerous treasures emitting a Magic Aura, but nobody¡¯s gaze was directed towards them. The back of the metal door the Dwarf had opened was a mirror emitting a bluish light, yet the scene reflected in the mirror was not that of the room. The background in the mirror¡¯s image was a monument constructed of bones and Metal, and due to the lack of reference, it was impossible to tell its actual size. Floating in front of the monument was the Illusion-like figure of a woman. She was draped in plain, light gauzy fabric, billowing in the unknown breeze, perpetually obscuring the details of the figure. The moment they saw the figure, a certain extraordinary power rooted everyone to the spot. Their hearts were submerged in boundless Fear, for they all knew clearly who that fluttering figure truly was. Cang Ye, Mother of Demons, the true master of Androlina. There was one person who could still move, Lancelot. The small bamboo slip helped him withstand the psychological impact of seeing this ancient Obyrith Lord, preventing him from losing control over his body. The Human Knight charged forth, attempting to close the round metal door again. It seemed as if a breeze blew through the mirror, and the veil hiding the Mother of Demon¡¯s face gently lifted... Lancelot¡¯s vision went black, and he lost consciousness completely. ¡°` Chapter 367: 381: The Last Report Chapter 367: Chapter 381: The Last Report ¡°Lady Tijana, what¡¯s troubling you?¡± Letisha cautiously spoke up. Before her, the Succubus Lord had been staring at a piece of parchment for a good ten minutes. The parchment was covered in Dwarven script that looked as though it had been carved out with a chisel, a production statistics report submitted by the Craftsmen Committee from the past week. Given the sizeable Dwarf population in Twin Bridges Town and their importance to this neutral city, many of the Succubus Maids who served Tijana had mastered this language. Before handing it over to the mistress of Twin Bridges Town, Letisha had already read the report, which she thought contained nothing out of the ordinary¡ªat least, that¡¯s what she believed. ¡°Oh,¡± Tijana let out a sound clearly emerging from a trance, ¡°Hmm...tell those bearded old men that their output needs to be increased by at least half next week.¡± ¡°That¡¯s way too much!¡± Letisha exclaimed, already imagining the chief craftsman, a grumpy, golden-bearded old Dwarf, spitting at her feet in response. ¡°Tell them that the extra will be stored in their own armory, and I am footing the bill. The Dwarves will, of course, complain loudly, as they always do, but they will get the job done in the end.¡± Tijana said while writing the command on the parchment, ¡°We also need to find more ores, post bounties, and have mercenaries clear those tunnels. I want at least ten silver-ranked mercenary teams to be on their way by tomorrow morning ...¡± ... Letisha quickly bowed her head to note down Tijana¡¯s orders, fearing she would miss even half a word, somewhat regretting awakening her temperamental Succubus Lord from her reverie. But Tijana fell silent again. When Letisha looked up, she saw the lord of Twin Bridges Town staring at the corner of the desk where a beautiful diamond necklace lay. ¡°Thinking about him again?¡± the Succubus Maid chimed in again, her voice carrying a hint of amusement, clearly not the tone of a subordinate making a report to a superior, ¡°How long has he been gone?¡± ¡°Forty-two days,¡± Tijana answered subconsciously, her face revealing an uncertainty she would never show in front of others, ¡°Should I not have sent them to Androlina? Could he use the portal there to leave and never come back?¡± ¡°You might be feeling good, but I¡¯m exhausted...¡± Letisha lazily turned over and found a more comfortable position in the pile of velvet, ¡°Seriously, my Lady Tijana, you should find a man soon. Besides their soft tongues, they have better things. Once you truly experience the pleasure of being a Succubus, you won¡¯t torment us poor maids anymore...¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Tijana threw a piece of velvet at the bold maid¡¯s head, who just made a muffled grunt in response, apparently having fallen asleep. Tijana didn¡¯t blame her maid, as a Succubus, she was not easily satisfied, and Letisha at least worked very hard. The Succubus Lord left the warm bedroom. There was still some time before dawn, and the air in the castle corridor was cold; Tijana felt a chill. Her expression gradually turned serious, and the sense of unease didn¡¯t fade with physical fulfillment; it grew stronger instead. The Succubus Lord was certain the problem wasn¡¯t with her, but she still wanted to find an answer. She walked through the corridor, descended the spiral staircase, and came to another room. Two huge stone golems recognized their master and rolled aside with a thundering noise. Tijana passed through them and felt relieved to have these two absolutely loyal guardians at the door. This room had been specially arranged. In the air, flashes of magic aura appeared out of nowhere, then vanished quickly. Here, the Magic Net overlapped with the objective world in a tighter fashion, greatly enhancing the effectiveness of Prophecy, Transformation, and Cursed System Spells, while also decreasing the difficulty of casting. On a shelf in the corner of the room were all kinds of spellcasting materials: ground gemstone powders, various dried limbs and feathers from animals, different types of metal foils, etc., enough to make the most powerful Mages of the material plane smile. The Succubus Lord took down a pure silver mirror from the shelf with her bare hands, not feeling any pain from touching the silver as ordinary Demons would. She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then casually waved her hand. Instantly a block of stone in the corner began to melt and wriggle, eventually transforming into a shape resembling a bathtub. Tijana placed the mirror at the bottom of the newly formed ¡®bathtub¡¯, then waved her hand again, creating a stream of water in the air that quickly filled the bathtub. These were simple tricks, just a preparation for the spell she was about to release. The Succubus started to chant a complex spell, her hands continuously tracing mysterious gestures in the air. It took a full ten minutes before the spell was finally complete. ¡°So what exactly has caused such a delay?¡± Tijana muttered to herself as the water in the bathtub turned into a thick mist. She took a deep breath and buried her beautiful head into it. Chapter 368: 382: Reflections Chapter 368: Chapter 382: Reflections Lancelot ¡°awoke.¡± To be precise, only his consciousness awoke. Lancelot found himself currently nothing more than a glowing shadow with a vague outline, situated on a barren island. In the center of the island floated an object he was very familiar with¡ªa gigantic azure bamboo scroll, which was the treasure left to him by Han Tiansun. So it was not difficult to guess where this place was: deep within his own Sea of Consciousness. In the past, when he occasionally ¡°descended¡± here unintentionally during cultivation, he struggled to stay for long. According to the bamboo scroll¡¯s records, one must reach the Core Formation Stage to freely enter their own Sea of Consciousness space, and Divine Sense is precisely the focus of cultivation at that stage. Lancelot tried to recall what had just happened but found his memory cut off at the moment the light veil over Cang Ye¡¯s face was about to be lifted. He could not recall at all what the true face of the Mother of Demons looked like, but judging by his current situation, he had definitely seen it. Kalalin had said before that Cang Ye¡¯s true face was so horrifying that even her true body was unwilling to accept it. Those who had seen her true face had all died, and some of them, resurrected by powerful Divine Arts later, still could not remember the sight they had seen. Clearly, Lancelot was not dead yet, and he didn¡¯t know whether it was because there was a layer of mirror in between, or because the bamboo scroll in the Sea of Consciousness was protecting his primordial spirit. But he was obviously not in a normal state since he couldn¡¯t allow his consciousness to ¡°float up¡± and regain control of his body like normal. ... After several futile attempts, Lancelot knew that his physical body must be in trouble at this moment, likely in some state akin to petrification or being sealed, most likely due to the Curse Power contained in the true face of the Mother of Demons. He returned to the side of the bamboo scroll and tried a little, discovering that he could still read the contents of the bamboo scroll normally, which provided some comfort in his predicament. Most critically, the purpose of the trap seemed more geared towards capturing, rather than killing, the intruders. Lancelot felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on his head. Capturing? Who among their party was worth capturing? Not himself, not the Scholar from the Dark Cult, nor the son of some master-level Dwarven Artisan. There was only one who might be worth the Mother of Demons stirring up such trouble¡ª Elothysia, the Succubus who had renounced the path of evil, a noble Succubus Paladin. Having been in this world for a while now, Lancelot, thanks to his learned friends, had roughly grasped the two core sources of power in the Multiverse: Magic and the Soul. Unlike his own world, here, magic wasn¡¯t shrouded in as much mystery; it could be known, studied, and mastered. Even a person lacking talent (such as Kalalin) could gain the ability to use magic with sufficient effort. As for the myriad of demons and monsters inhabiting the Outer Layer, they focused more on exploiting souls. Demons were permitted to torture the souls of sinners, gaining energy to sustain Barto Hell; Demons were keen on corrupting the souls of the good, claiming them as their own; and even those with Divine Power tried hard to spread their faith, so that their most devout followers, upon death, would be reborn in their Divine Kingdom, eventually merging with the divinity itself. According to the information they gathered moments before the rescue at the instant fortress, the soul of the Succubus Paladin held great power, so much so that many factions offered a handsome reward for her, with even Demons dispatching a deep-hell Demon Refinement General, an entity only second to the Archduke among the Nine Hells. They were almost certain to succeed, had it not been for Lancelot... The summoning of Nameless foiled all of Bartez¡¯s plans. At this thought, Lancelot realized another oddity about Ulgog¡¯s office¡ªit was too orderly. Acheron had once offhandedly complained that the Demon General might have an obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Elothysia agreed that the room was too tidy by Tanari standards, but Lancelot had not paid it much attention at the time. Considering further their encounters in the Great Abyss, like that conversion of Lord of Withering Satugura into a Bartez, Lancelot found himself consistently entangled in the Nine Hells¡¯ conspiracies against the Abyss. The previous times might have been a case of accidentally messing up the Devils¡¯ plans, but this time he wasn¡¯t so lucky. Just then, a violent shaking came from above the isolated island, prompting Lancelot to look up. He saw the fog that enveloped the surroundings rapidly dissipating, a sensation akin to ¡®buoyancy¡¯ emerged, propelling his spirit body swiftly upward. Chapter 369: 383: Suddenly Chapter 369: Chapter 383: Suddenly At the next instant, Lancelot found himself regaining control of his body and then became intimately acquainted with the cold ground. He shook his head and got up from the ground, only to discover a familiar figure standing before him. ¡°Tijana? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I want to ask you. Look around, how did you get here?¡± At her words, Lancelot turned his head to survey the surrounding environment. He found himself in a long corridor, with walls lined with various portraits... Wait, those weren¡¯t paintings. Right behind him on the wall, Bruto, Kalalin, Acheron... the ethereal silhouettes of his companions were all there, looking like corpses submerged at the bottom of water, still in the poses they had when they encountered the Abyssal Lord. And right behind him was an obvious blank space, evidently the spot he had just occupied. ¡°The task I gave you was to escort Elothysia to Androlina, so how did you end up in Cang Ye¡¯s Bone Castle?¡± Tijana¡¯s face was full of annoyance, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for that emblem you carried, allowing me to use high-level divination to find out your situation, you would be prepared to stay in the Mother of Demons¡¯ living portrait gallery until the moment the Multiverse is destroyed...¡± ... ¡°It¡¯s a bit complicated.¡± Lancelot scratched his head, ¡°We found those Airas, but their Protectors were not willing to accept a Succubus...¡± ¡°A bunch of idiots!¡± Tijana muttered angrily, ¡°So how were you caught and brought here?¡± ¡°The Protectors proposed a mission, Elothysia had to infiltrate the demon¡¯s legion fortress and steal the battle plans from inside, to prove her reliability.¡± Lancelot sighed, ¡°We made our way all the way to the Supreme Commander¡¯s office and found the hidden safe...¡± ¡°Let me guess, it was a trap?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°The back of the safe¡¯s door was a magic mirror, and the Mother of Demons was watching us from the other side.¡± Tijana¡¯s mouth dropped open in surprise, but she quickly closed it, her eyes gradually sharpening as she said in a deep tone: Kalalin had once said that a Succubus¡¯s kiss is an empty echo, narrating the Fiends¡¯ desire for Fallen Souls. Mortals cannot gain any satisfaction from it; the only feeling is the pain bestowed by the Fiends, usually brief like the strike of a weapon, a farewell from the beautiful Fallen Ones as everything draws to an end. But that kiss just now... aside from being wonderfully pleasant, had nothing unusual about it. The Succubus¡¯s lips were very soft and had a pleasing fragrance. Upon reflection, it seemed Tijana was also quite nervous, merely pressing hard against him, having forgotten the aspect of opening her mouth. Of course, Lancelot had not thought of it either. As for why this kiss was so different from the legends, there could only be two reasons: firstly, Lancelot had not Fallen under Tijana¡¯s seduction, so launching an attack at this point was pointless; As for the second reason... ¡°Ahem!¡± The sudden sound startled Lancelot; it was the skull hanging on his waist that spoke. ¡°Boss, how much longer do you plan to stand here?¡± the skull floated up by itself, ¡°I¡¯ve been playing dead the whole time, not uttering a word, but she¡¯s been gone for quite a while now, shouldn¡¯t we be moving on?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just be quiet for a little longer...¡± Lancelot sighed helplessly and walked over to his companions¡¯ ¡®portraits,¡¯ ¡°How can we get these things off the wall...¡± Then he discovered that the portraits were moving. Lancelot turned his head to see the skull biting the corner of a ¡®portrait¡¯; only then did he notice that these life-sized portraits actually had frames, which had become noticeable due to Cromwell¡¯s prying. He felt around and found the bottom edge of the portrait, lifting it gently to remove the entire large painting. ¡°Where are we heading to now?¡± the skull watched as Lancelot placed the other portraits into his Dimensional Bag, quietly relieved that nothing untoward had happened, ¡°Are we going to rescue Elothysia?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°But first, we need to figure out where we are...¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Tijana just say earlier, the Mother of Demons¡¯ Living Portrait Gallery?¡± Cromwell flew a circle around him, ¡°Look around, these are all prisoners captured personally by the Mother of Demons, some may have been in this state for centuries...¡± Chapter 370: 384: Gallery of Living Creatures Chapter 370: Chapter 384: Gallery of Living Creatures Lancelot took a few steps forward and examined another ¡®portrait¡¯ on the wall. It depicted several red-flamed Airas running away towards the distance, their heads inexplicably turned to look back, and then they were eternally frozen in that moment. Next to this painting, there was another group of Elf Archers, standing or crouching, with their longbows drawn, some aiming, ready to release a lethal arrow at the viewer outside the frame the next second. On another adjacent painting, there were many warriors of different races, all of them facing the viewer outside the painting with expressions of extreme shock on their faces. It was a very unsettling experience to be stared at by so many frightened faces, but perhaps the Mother of Demons herself enjoyed admiring her masterpieces, which was why she had specially gathered them together. ¡°Blimey, these folks aren¡¯t to be trifled with,¡± Cromwell commented as he examined the paintings with Lancelot, the skeleton head noticing more details, ¡°Like these Elves, see the special pattern on their breastplate? That¡¯s Mithril, just like Bruto¡¯s hammer; such armor doesn¡¯t come cheap... And those Dwarves over there, notice the gemstones on their helmets and weapons...¡± ¡°These must be some of the most powerful heroes among the Guardians over the centuries,¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, looking at another wall painting of a group of fully armed Knights. Mounted on warhorses draped in heavy barding, holding massive lances under their arms, they were charging towards someone outside the frame, and even though they were now but a two-dimensional image, one could still feel the killing aura emanating from them. ¡°So we should...¡± The skeleton head didn¡¯t finish speaking, as it was interrupted by the raising of Lancelot¡¯s arm. The gesture was very clear, and everyone had developed a subconscious reaction to it; seeing it meant immediately stopping whatever they were doing, including talking. ... ¡°Enemies?¡± Cromwell switched to a mind-link with Lancelot and lowered himself rapidly, ready to pretend to be just another skull dropped on the ground. This restraint was harder than it sounded, but with the help of Ulgog, the Mother of Demons had indeed managed it. Now, her legions were larger than at any previous time, and all demons believed that the day they could kill to their heart¡¯s content was soon to arrive. And this Succubus Paladin captive was like a fuse, prompting all of the plans to suddenly spring into action. But for some reason they didn¡¯t understand, the Supreme Commander of the Demon Legion, Ulgog, remained in the dungeon of Bone Castle, while Cang Ye herself took over the command of the ¡°Mother¡¯s Whip¡± legion and went to the front lines in person. This unusual signal seemed to prove that the Mother of Demons was certain that the battle would completely end those Aira refugees and Androlina would soon return to the control of this ancient Abyssal Lord. For the demons forced to stay behind in Bone Castle, it was not good news¡ªno demon wanted to miss this festivity. In fact, many low-rank guards had already deserted, but these two Succubi didn¡¯t dare to join them. The wails of the Aberrant Demons in the dungeon were really quite delightful to hear. The two Succubi complained to each other about their unlucky fate while patrolling the route they were assigned. Ahead was the Mother of Demons¡¯ gallery of living exhibits. If anyone had any doubts about the power of this Abyssal Lord, who seemed uninterested in power struggles, a stroll here would dispel such foolish thoughts. But the place was not without its invaders, as the heroes trapped in the gallery were very attractive to everyone. Warriors from the Heavens attempted to rescue legendary figures from lore, while some daring demons coveted those pure and powerful souls. At that moment, the two Succubi simultaneously heard a faint, unusual noise that sounded like metal scraping against stone. The two massive demons instantly became alert; with the Mother of Demons away from her castle, it was a perfect time for thieves to strike. They exchanged glances and moved towards the source of the noise, prepared to cast spells¡ªa Dispel Magic and a Command Shatter spell were at the ready. Turning a corner, the demons found a longsword planted on the floor of the corridor, its hilt adorned with a skull that made it look like a gravestone from some desolate rural cemetery. Chapter 371: 385 Chapter 371: 385 The faces of the two demons both showed expressions of doubt. There had absolutely not been a sword here before. And what was with the skull? Could it be some kind of vicious trap that would trigger a powerful curse upon touch? Whatever the possibility, one fact was undeniable¡ªthe intruders had already broken into this place, and were most likely nearby. The two Enchantress Demons stepped forward cautiously while thoroughly searching every possible corner where someone might be lurking. However, even as they approached the sword stuck in the ground, they still hadn¡¯t discovered anything abnormal, at least not within their excellent visual range. ¡°This sword seems a bit odd.¡± The two demons cautiously kept their distance, assessing the weapon that had appeared out of nowhere from a few feet away. ¡°It emits a kind of chill that makes me very uncomfortable... Wait, could this be a Cold Iron Weapon?¡± The Enchantress Demons were no ordinary demons. They were among the strongest of the Middle Rank Demons, their strength comparable to some High Rank Demons, and their intelligence on par with the Soul Judging Demons, known strategists among demons. In fact, the Enchantress Demons had always believed they deserved a higher position in demon society and seized every opportunity to prove this point. Therefore, it was not surprising they could recognize Cold Iron. Despite having strong muscles, indestructible claws, and scales as hard as metal armor, these demons were very concerned about what could harm them, and Cold Iron ranked high on their threat list. However, at the same time, a weapon forged from this material could be vastly effective in their hands because the residents of the Abyss were mostly busy killing each other, and any demon would be happy to possess a Cold Iron Weapon. ... But now, there was a problem¡ªthere were two demons... The leading Enchantress Demon made a move to pull the Longsword from the ground. Cromwell, pretending to be just an ordinary skull, was ready to carry out Lancelot¡¯s plan. But suddenly, the Enchantress Demon whirled around, its huge pincers smashing down on its unsuspecting companion, knocking it to the ground. ¡°Are you fucking insane?!¡± The downtrodden Enchantress Demon let out a painful roar, its neck pinned by its companion¡¯s claws, struggling with all its might to prevent the claws from closing, ¡°Why would you attack me?¡± That clay pot was none other than Koula¡¯s Flash Bomb. From his fight with the Shadow Weavers, Lancelot had learned that this tool paired with Shadow Jump was a perfect combination. After all, as he was not a creature of the Shadow Realm, the bright light did not put him at a disadvantage in attack or defense. The best part was that almost everyone instinctively stared at it, maximizing its effect. As expected, a brilliant light burst forth the moment the clay pot hit the ground, casting a long shadow behind the Misleading Demon¡¯s enormous body. Lancelot immediately deployed his Shadow Jump ability, appearing behind the demon before the bright light faded, and swung down his Giant Sword Glacier. Unexpectedly, the demon sensed the movement behind it and turned around in an extreme limit, catching Lancelot¡¯s intended surprise attack with its huge pincer claws. There was a very brief pause when disengaging from Shadow Jump, which was almost negligible when fleeing, but still left the enemy a slight chance to react when launching a sudden attack. The Misleading Demon was evidently very vigilant, and even in a state of blindness, it still relied on its excellent instincts to sense the direction of the threat and make the only correct response. But with Lancelot¡¯s strength, a correct response alone was not enough. A cracking sound traveled up the demon¡¯s bones to its ears, and it horrifyingly realized that its indestructible claws had been split. How could a mortal possess such strength? Who was this assailant launching the sneak attack? Then, a terrible pain erupted from behind the demon, as if a long spear had been thrust into its back. Another one? Where did they come from? The Misleading Demon no longer had the chance to understand the truth of the situation, as the attack from behind caused it to weaken its grip. At the same time, Lancelot mobilized the True Yuan within his Dantian, unleashing extreme strength. The Great Sword, pressed against the two giant claws, landed on the Misleading Demon¡¯s shoulder and, after less than a second of resistance, the blade entered the demon¡¯s body and cleaved it completely in two. Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 372: 386: The Most Precious Treasure Chapter 372: Chapter 386: The Most Precious Treasure The corpses of the demons fell to the left and the right, revealing a skeleton head behind them slowly retracting a bone spear it had ¡°swallowed.¡± It was the one who had launched the surprise attack from behind the enemy. Lancelot had encountered a demon squad in the subway of Oasis Fort, and that very bone spear was the tail he had chopped off from the rear of a Bone Demon. ¡°The way you¡¯ve got a cylinder stuck in your mouth is kind of disgusting,¡± Lancelot said to Cromwell with a sense of helplessness. ¡°I really should find you a mirror to see if you can retract it any faster...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s pretty cool?¡± came Cromwell¡¯s proud voice through their mental link. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for my sudden strike from the back, it could have struggled for quite a while.¡± ¡°Not bad, not bad, you take the lead credit, but there¡¯s no reward,¡± Lancelot said, ignoring the skeleton head that was posing and instead began searching the enemie¡¯s corpses for spoils of war. As with most humanoid monsters, both of the allure demons had several small bags hanging from their waists, and within them, Lancelot found several dozen gold coins, along with a few red and amber gemstones. Lancelot was no gemstone appraisal expert, but he did have plenty of gemstones worth over a thousand gold coins each in his pocket. However, these few clearly weren¡¯t as pretty as those more expensive ones, and their combined value was probably only a few hundred gold coins at most. The spoils were less than he had hoped for, but this was the den of the Mother of Demons. It made no sense for two patrols to carry their entire fortunes on them, and he wasn¡¯t keen on wasting time searching for an ownerless treasure somewhere. ... There was a noble lady waiting for him to rescue, wasn¡¯t that what knights were supposed to do? Of course, reality was always more complicated, such as this noble lady already having an owner, and the fact that he had just recently been rescued by another noble lady, who took a kiss as her reward... ¡°And those who see such an image fall into mental collapse, right?¡± Lancelot summoned more vines and started disassembling the remaining portraits along the corridor, ¡°But how did we end up in this... flat state?¡± ¡°It is said that the flowing robe worn by Cang Ye can stretch at will, wrapping around immobilized enemies. When the Mother of Demons retrieves her robe, those inside have become paper-thin, a part of the ancient Abyssal Lord¡¯s myriad collection.¡± Clone Well floated above the stacked portraits, watching as the vines continuously delivered the Mother of Demons¡¯ collection, ¡°That¡¯s called the Embrace of Cang Ye, similar in effect to an 8th circle Transformation System spell named Eternal Stasis. For those affected, time seems to stop; they no longer age, all their physiological states are frozen, and they are immune to all forms of damage. My guess is that the mirror that wreaked havoc on us not only transmits images but can also allow some inanimate objects to pass through, like some beauty¡¯s burial shroud.¡± ¡°You sure know a lot,¡± Lancelot glanced at the skull, ¡°You say that those under the spell are immune to all harm? So if I draped these portraits over myself, wouldn¡¯t I be invincible?¡± The floating skull clearly stumbled for a moment, as if puzzled why no one had thought of this idea before. But eventually, it found an answer to the question: ¡°Because attacks would pass directly through these images...¡± ¡°Alright, a reasonable explanation.¡± Lancelot closed his eyes to sense a moment, then said to the skull, ¡°Move aside a little, we don¡¯t have much time left.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in your way, am I?¡± The skull argued while obediently drifting to the side, ¡°But you¡¯re right, there are too many portraits here. It would take at least a whole day to move them all...¡± The skull couldn¡¯t finish its sentence, as it suddenly sensed an extremely powerful force emanating from Lancelot. Then, countless large vines burst out from the floor around them, writhing as they pulled all the portraits off the walls. With a rumbling noise that didn¡¯t stop, these green plants, incongruous with the Abyss environment, tore through walls and holes, delivering the sealed figures of unknown heroes to the Human Knight. Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 373: 387 Escape Chapter 373: Chapter 387 Escape Such commotion was bound to attract the attention of other guards in the castle, and soon enough, the roaring of demons could be heard in the distance, and it sounded like there were quite a few of them. As for the noise made by the enemy, Lancelot seemed indifferent, still manipulating the vines to stack up portraits in front of him relentlessly. The skeletal head was somewhat anxious, but it was well aware of its master¡¯s miraculous abilities; the human knight must have detected the demons¡¯ presence long before the skeletal head could hear any of their noises. Indeed, that was the case. Lancelot summoned several huge vines to block several entrances that were closer to the enemies. If the demons wanted to get in, they either had to take a big detour or claw through the vines¡ªwhich wasn¡¯t very difficult but still a waste of time. A few demons tried casting Spells on the vines blocking the entrance, but the results disappointed them. Disenchantment spells were ineffective against the plants, and while offensive spells could cause some damage, more vines would quickly grow and clog the gaps again. Lancelot wasn¡¯t as at ease as he seemed, however; summoning so many vines at once was also quite draining. In just over a dozen breaths, ten percent of his True Yuan had been depleted, but compared to what he had gained, such expenditure was obviously worthwhile. As the last portrait was stacked up in front of him, Lancelot put the Dimensional Bag on the ground and stuffed all of the Mother of Demons¡¯s collection into it. One bag was filled, then another, and finally, with the storage space that came with Cromwell himself, they managed to pack away all the portraits. ... While opening the Dimensional Bag, Lancelot also stopped controlling the vines. The angry roars of the demons could soon be heard nearby, clearly indicating an entrance had been breached. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Lancelot let out a low growl, grabbed the skeletal head, hung it on his belt, and quickly ran in a direction free of enemies. There were many stone walls in the surroundings, but they had been wrecked beyond recognition by the vines summoned during the audacious theft, revealing the original structure of the hall. Unlike the plants summoned with magic, the vines did not disappear after Lancelot withdrew his mana but remained as roadblocks, hindering the pursuing enemies. The narrow space prevented the demons from flying, and Lancelot¡¯s figure, swift as a fish in water, soon vanished behind a door under the furious gaze of the pursuers. ¡°I thought so too, but we better make sure, right?¡± Lancelot leapt up, then spread his wings and flew straight up to a three-story platform, leaving the enemies at the stairwell behind, ¡°Plus, I don¡¯t want a bunch of demons trailing behind me when I rescue Elothysia... they would be quite the nuisance...¡± ¡°Then why are you parading around so conspicuously?¡± the skull head was utterly baffled, ¡°You are clearly deliberately drawing their attention...¡± ¡°How else am I to lure these guys away?¡± Lancelot chuckled, ¡°There might be some in this castle I can¡¯t beat, but equally few can keep me. Remember how we escaped from one of Enruiyesi¡¯s subordinates at Oasis Fort? I assure you, I¡¯m more than a little bit faster now than I was then...¡± ¡°Sigh, boss, do you remember you¡¯re a knight?¡± The skull sighed as it followed Lancelot through a giant spiral staircase, ¡°Being good at running away doesn¡¯t seem like something to brag about...¡± ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± Lancelot thought about it carefully, it seemed to be true, but he was still a Spiritual Cultivator, wasn¡¯t he? Han Tianzun was so powerful, yet he took great pride in his sophisticated escape techniques written between the lines of Spiritual Cultivation manuals. ¡°There is no honor in fighting these demons, bringing back the Succubus Paladin and those heroes is the truly great endeavour.¡± Lancelot quickly found a splendid excuse for himself; he realized he had reached the top of the castle¡¯s main keep, without sensing the Succubus Paladin along the way, and in front of him was a bridge leading to an observation tower, guarded by two Brezu Swordsmen eagerly awaiting his rapid approach. ¡°These two won¡¯t need your help,¡± Lancelot said, drawing Frostslash from behind him and charged at the enemy on the right. Like humans, most demons are right-handed, so when facing two opponents at once, tackling the one on the right first gives you a slight advantage, as it places you on the other¡¯s left side. Twin Bridges Town also had plenty of these ram-headed demons; Lancelot had even briefly traveled with one of them, so he knew the Brezu Demons were very skilled Two-handed Swordsmen, their emaciated-looking bodies were just a deception for their enemies. Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 374: 388: Front Somersault Chapter 374: Chapter 388: Front Somersault The demons were taken aback by the force of the succubus¡¯s charge. How could such a creature, seemingly only keen on playing pranks and seducing mortals into decadence, be so fierce? And why was its weapon a longsword rather than a whip? Despite their astonishment, the Brezu demons didn¡¯t feel fear in their hearts. However, they still adopted a more cautious strategy: they leaped backward, dragging their weapons in front of them, ready to counterattack the moment their enemy¡¯s strike missed. Lancelot inwardly commended his opponent¡¯s response. Most creatures in the Abyss had muscles developed to a grotesque degree but rarely possessed the skill to wield those muscles effectively. The ram-headed Brezu demons were an exception. If it had been the old him, he would have adopted the standard swordsmanship response: a low sweep to ward off the opponent¡¯s lower strike followed by an upward jab and then a returning Horizontal Slash. If the enemy dared to press the attack recklessly, this move could make them pay dearly; and if the enemy gave up on counterattacking, both parties would return to an even stance. The only problem was, by doing so he would have lost the advantage of his charge and being one against two, reaching a stalemate with one enemy was meaningless. The greatest enhancement from Foundation Establishment was in the strengthening of the body, allowing him to turn techniques that once existed only in his imagination into reality. After his strike missed, Lancelot didn¡¯t slow down at all. The tip of his sword supported him against the ground as he flipped forward, completely avoiding the enemy¡¯s jab and the other demon¡¯s Horizontal Slash. ... He spun nearly half a circle in the air, then viciously kicked out, hitting the ram-headed demon square in the face. Although his war boots had been transformed into sandals by the effect of the Transforming Ring, their mithril composition hadn¡¯t changed. Combined with the momentum of the charge and Lancelot¡¯s own strength, the Brezu demon¡¯s head exploded like a flowerpot hit by a slingstone, and the dark purple brains, like clods of dirt from the pot, maintained their rough shape as they spun away. Lancelot¡¯s other foot kicked the demon¡¯s chest, sending the headless corpse flying far away. He then rolled on the ground, dodging another slash from behind. Yes, despite the Mother of Demons¡¯ castle being here, the ruler of this level was not Cang Ye. The Mother of Demons hardly ever left her Bone Castle, and Baphoment did not interfere with matters within Cang Ye¡¯s territory. The two Abyssal Lords had never officially established an alliance, but if either was attacked within the endless labyrinth, the other would lend a hand. Tijana had already told Lancelot that the Mother of Demons was not in the castle, and he had also overheard the conversation between the two patrolling tempter demons. From the information at hand, it was apparent that the demonic side was very well-prepared this time, and while the Protectors were on alert, they were still thinking along the same lines¡ªtrying to obtain the demons¡¯ battle plans, distinguishing which force was the main thrust and which was a feint, then making targeted deployments and concentrating their superior forces... But there were no feints; every route was a main assault. The forces of good in Androlina were bound to suffer greatly this time, and there was even the risk of annihilation. Would Lancelot sacrifice his life to protect those innocent Aira children? Elothysia might, but he would not, at least not when there was no hope of victory. However, in ensuring the safety of himself and his companions, he was very willing to exert his utmost effort to seize every possibility of turning the tide. Through his Spirit Perception, he sensed a large number of demons surging up the spiral staircase he had just passed, now less than two hundred feet away from him. The goat-headed demon opposite him continued to curse incessantly, at one moment demanding his surrender, and at another describing the various tortures the captured succubus would suffer, but his feet were constantly moving toward Lancelot¡¯s left, trying to occupy a better angle. Lancelot¡¯s body suddenly sank into a low crouch, readying for attack, and his opponent immediately froze, watching his every move intently. This was a very standard swordsman duel, something Lancelot was all too familiar with. Generally, rookies would blindly rush to attack, while experienced warriors would prefer to defend first, waiting for their opponent to expose a weakness then strike to kill, which is why battlefields often saw two ¡°tin cans¡± staring each other down for a long time, neither wanting to make the first move. But for a veteran like Lancelot, there were plenty of ways to make the defender commit a mistake, like a feint that demanded a response. Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 375: 389: Leaping Forward Chapter 375: Chapter 389: Leaping Forward Lancelot rested the Frostslash on his shoulder, a classic move with the two-handed sword that enabled a swift strike, leaving almost no time for the enemy to react, though the attack¡¯s range would be slightly shorter than usual. His opponent, clearly aware of this, immediately began to retreat to maintain a safe distance. Under the influence of the Succubus, the human knight¡¯s body suddenly flickered, and thinking he was about to attack, the goat-headed Demon decisively jumped back, playing right into Lancelot¡¯s hands. The enemy¡¯s evasive action gave him ample time to switch tactics; rather than chopping downward, he raised his weapon and swept it across in a horizontal arc. The opponent¡¯s hasty jump back was insufficient to escape the range of the Hand Half Sword. Caught mid-dodge, the Demon was visibly horrified. It hadn¡¯t stabilized yet, unable to continue dodging, while the blue-glowing sword blade was swiftly approaching its waist. This Brezu Demon could only desperately swing its two-handed sword, hoping its weapon would make contact with Lancelot¡¯s blade before its own body did. But this was just another feint by Lancelot. After tricking the opponent into moving its weapon to the left side, he himself began to rotate counterclockwise. The Frostslash made a large loop before slicing towards the Demon¡¯s waist from another direction. ¡°No!!!¡± With a cry of despair, the Demon realized it was too late. Frostslash sliced through the Demon¡¯s slender waist without meeting much resistance, then finally clashed with the opponent¡¯s misdirected two-handed sword. The Demon¡¯s upper body was carried away, spinning off the edge of the bridge. ... ¡°Ah!!!......¡± The Demon¡¯s Life Force was indeed very resilient, managing such a loud scream even after being bisected. Its voice dragged longer as it fell, ending with a dull thud. As for the lower half that remained in place, it continued to retreat as if an invisible half of its body were still attached to the smooth cross section. Finally, the goat legs reached the edge of the steps and stumbled backwards, hitting a Berserk Demon that had just popped its head up right in the face. Lancelot flashed a mocking smile at the huge toad, provoking an angry roar from it and causing more monsters to appear behind it, finally catching up with Lancelot¡¯s deliberate delay. Of course, if someone checked the bodies on the ground, they would easily realize the Succubus wasn¡¯t there, but which Demon would bother doing that? Having disengaged from Shadow Jump, Lancelot quickly rolled on the spot to dodge any potential attacks. Once he stood up, he realized there were no guards around ¡ª perhaps there had been, but his recent commotion had drawn most of the Demons upward, leaving the post unattended. The chaotic nature of Demons determined they were not a particularly responsible race, and in the absence of their commanding Lord, the defenses had become even more lax. Lancelot found himself in a small guardroom, and according to his Spirit Perception, there were no enemies nearby. ¡°Brilliant.¡± Seeing that he had temporarily escaped danger, the voice of the skull echoed again in Lancelot¡¯s heart, ¡°Boss, how did you know there¡¯d be a window here?¡± ¡°I guessed,¡± Lancelot shrugged, then took off the ring from his finger, returning to his disguise as a Human Knight, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice we passed quite a few of these windows while we were running upstairs?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t exactly paying attention to that...¡± Clone Well flew down from Lancelot¡¯s belt, ¡°What do we do next?¡± ¡°Find Elothysia, then figure out a way to leave,¡± Lancelot said cautiously as he stepped out of the room, carefully noting the sounds around him, ¡°Next, it¡¯s real stealth time. We need to avoid detection but if we¡¯re unlucky and get spotted, we must eliminate the enemy immediately to prevent it from alerting other Demons. If a fight breaks out later, act accordingly, understood?¡± ¡°Got it, don¡¯t worry!¡± The skull lowered its flying height and followed Lancelot to the corridor outside the room, ¡°Whoa, what¡¯s that?¡± Below the corridor was a large hall, and right in the center of it stood a giant Portal, large enough for a Giant Bull Demon to pass through. The frame of the Portal was made of some huge creature¡¯s leg bones, and through the Portal, one could faintly see a cliff and the vast lake beyond it. Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 376: 309: Searching for the Dungeon Chapter 376: Chapter 309: Searching for the Dungeon Although he had only seen it on the map, the shape of that lake was very similar to Lamborado Lake, so the other side of the portal must be located at the palace of Cang Ye on Mother Mountain. That meant, as long as he crossed through this massive portal, Lancelot could return to Androlina. But now was clearly not the time to leave; there was still a companion whose whereabouts were unknown. He carefully observed the hall below, where six Succubi stood guard in different directions around the conspicuous portal, with other demons patrolling outside the hall. Obviously, the discipline of these enemies below was not too shabby; they hadn¡¯t been lured away by the chaos above and were still steadfast at their posts. Despite his confidence in his own strength, Lancelot was not so arrogant as to think he could handle six Succubi. He might be able to take out one with a surprise attack and then strain every nerve to kill another, but unless he could grow two more pairs of arms like a Serpent Demon, there was no way he could simultaneously deal with the remaining four enemies. After all, the Succubi were over ten feet tall humanoid beasts, weighing up to five thousand pounds, not to mention a pair of pincers capable of snapping trees. Even though he was a Cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage, he had to be extremely cautious when facing such demons, aiming to take them down in one blow rather than two, essentially not giving the enemy a chance to counterattack. He had been subjected to the Succubus¡¯ command shock before; though he hadn¡¯t suffered any real harm thanks to the protection of the small bamboo slip, he had no desire to experience that feeling of someone banging drums and gongs in his ear again. ... Moreover, from this experience, the bamboo slip¡¯s protection of the mind was not infallible. In the end, it was just an item for recording and passing on cultivation techniques, not some sort of defensive magical treasure. If he grew dependent on it, he would undoubtedly suffer a severe setback in the future. He couldn¡¯t always expect Tijana to swoop in and save the hero, could he? If that were the case, Lancelot might as well not bother trying to get by in the Abyss¡ªhe should just find a block of cheese to bump into and kill himself. ¡°Let me try to blend in first,¡± Lancelot soothed, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything unless I make a move first.¡± ¡°Okay, but how do you plan to do that?¡± Cromwell was somewhat puzzled, ¡°Become a succubus? I¡¯m worried that might actually cause the Coward Devils to attack you immediately...¡± ¡°Come over here,¡± Lancelot patted his own shoulder, ¡°pretend to be another head of mine.¡± ¡°You want to pretend to be another creature?¡± the skull settled beside the neck of the human knight as instructed, ¡°The Coward Devils may be dumb, but they can still tell apart the scent of ogres from humans.¡± ¡°How about this then?¡± With a light chuckle from Lancelot, the next instant, the skull felt as though it was standing on the shoulders of a Barlow Flame Demon, that distinct aura was too memorable. ¡°Oops, didn¡¯t control it well, used a bit too much force,¡± Lancelot shrugged, he immediately retracted the abyssal aura he had emitted, but the Coward Devils below still let out strangled screams and scattered in all directions. The noise in the surrounding caves vanished in an instant; all the demons looked around with confusion on their faces, wondering if the fleeting presence of a Demon King had been just their imagination. Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 377: 391 The Demons Kitchen Chapter 377: Chapter 391 The Demons¡¯ Kitchen Lancelot paid no attention to the troubles he had created for the Demons and ran straight down the stairs that had just been blocked, coming to a lower layer of the castle. The stairs ended here, and Lancelot had no choice but to enter this area to look for a way to continue downward. The scene around him made him wonder if he had already arrived at a dungeon¡ªcountless flayed corpses were hung from the low ceiling, and the wet, slippery ground was covered with thick, coagulated blood. The sight was so bloody that the mere smell in the air could drive an ordinary person to mental collapse. ¡°Bottomless Abyss, oh!¡± The skull couldn¡¯t help but speak up directly, ¡°This place is too disgusting...¡± Even for a veteran like Lancelot, it took a good while to calm his mind. Suppressing the discomfort, he carefully observed the corpses and soon discovered anomalies¡ª there were not many mortals among them; most were Prime Demons and Coward Devils, common fodder for the Demon Legion. Their bodies, suspended in mid-air, had been skinned, their limbs chopped off, and their bellies sliced open, with all internal organs scraped clean. It seemed that such treatment could prevent the Demon corpses from decaying rapidly. This was probably not a dungeon but a storage room for a kitchen. What exactly were those group of Coward Devils blocking the entrance looking forward to? It¡¯s possible that he had actually saved them... ... He and the skull carefully made their way through the room filled with hanging corpses and entered an even worse place¡ªthose corpses lacked internal organs, right? All of them were piled up here: livers swollen with tumors, lung lobes riddled with cysts, and unusually large digestive organs. These disgusting organs were piled up into small hills, emitting a smell a hundred times worse than the previous room. Cromwell even shed tears from the stench since the only place on his body with flesh was his eye sockets. But what truly made one¡¯s spine tingle weren¡¯t these dead things, but what was perched atop them: a line of obese, pale-yellow worms. These worms were over five feet long, with segmented bodies thicker than Lancelot¡¯s waist, and the most disgusting part was their heads¡ªalthough severely deformed, they still bore distinguishable features of mortals, giving these repulsive creatures a bizarre appearance. The monster was dragging a cart with seven or eight ¡®processed¡¯ bodies, seemingly preparing to hang them in the room they had just left. Lancelot seized the moment, moving silently in the opposite direction, slipping out through the entrance the creature had come from. He realized he was at the end of a corridor, with many half-open rooms along the way. His ¡°Spirit Perception¡± indicated no living creatures nearby, so he boldly started running, quickly distancing himself from that hellish place he had just left. The rooms on both sides seemed to be storerooms, filled with things that were not on Lancelot¡¯s menu. He guessed he was in the kitchen area of the Demon Castle, and perhaps down one more floor would be the dungeon area. The corridor forked at the end, leading in three different directions. One of them carried the uninviting scent of food being heated, most likely the location of the kitchen. The destinations of the other two were harder to determine, and Lancelot might just have to try his luck. ¡°How about this path on the right?¡± Cromwell suggested, ¡°When you¡¯re navigating a maze, if you keep to the right, you won¡¯t get lost...¡± ¡°Good idea,¡± Lancelot nodded. ¡°But why don¡¯t we just ask someone for directions?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Cromwell was once again confused by his master¡¯s strange statement, ¡°How do we ask?¡± ¡°Come on up,¡± Lancelot patted his own shoulder, ¡°I promise to control my strength better this time, so I won¡¯t scare anyone away again.¡± Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 378: 392: The Demons Chef Chapter 378: Chapter 392: The Demons¡¯ Chef With the creaking sound of the bone door being pushed open, Lancelot walked into the kitchen of the Demon Castle. Unexpectedly, it was not Tanari who were busy here, but a large group of goblins. These green-skinned creatures had clear division of labor: some were chopping meat, others were making fires, and still others stirred in pots with large spoons, occasionally scooping up a spoonful to taste, and then grabbing some unidentified seasoning from a nearby bag to throw in. ¡°Gormack! If you haven¡¯t chopped up that damn meat in one minute, I¡¯ll personally chop off your fingers and throw them into the pot! Bug! You stupid stinking bug, if I see you adding snake tree bark to the soup again, I¡¯ll cook you in it to neutralize the stench! And Guluga! Given that you are my aunt, stop sleeping, or I¡¯ll be forced to come over and kick your butt!¡± A goblin wearing a tall chef¡¯s hat was standing on several stacked crates, issuing orders to the other goblins in the room. From the aroma in the air, these goblins weren¡¯t doing too badly, Lancelot thought the scene before him was actually quite amusing, but the ¡®Head Chef¡¯ clearly didn¡¯t think so. Because of where the goblin chef stood, it easily noticed the ¡®two-headed¡¯ human knight who had just entered. The goblin¡¯s face changed, and it yelled at the others, ¡°Continue your work, I¡¯m going to take a break now. If I come back and find anyone slacking off, they¡¯ll be tomorrow¡¯s breakfast appetizer. Did everyone get that?¡± The rest of the goblins responded vaguely to the Head Chef¡¯s threat, seemingly not taking his words seriously. The goblin sighed, took off his hat, put it down on the spot, then tumbled off the crates and walked towards Lancelot. ¡°Please follow me, sir,¡± the goblin said directly as he passed the iron-skinned, two-headed person and headed towards an empty room, while speaking, ¡°I will cooperate fully, there¡¯s no need for any violence.¡± ... ¡°Do you know what I want?¡± Lancelot found it very interesting, but cautiously stood at the door, not following into the room. ¡°I guess you are not here for doughnuts, right?¡± the goblin sighed, ¡°Listen, I¡¯m just a complete fool for signing a contract with Tanari¡ªI actually thought it was Bartez who use that stuff... Anyway, aside from cooking this disgusting food, I have no responsibilities in this castle, so as long as you promise not to kill me, I can tell you anything I know, though I don¡¯t really know much useful stuff.¡± ¡°Are you trying to find out how many demons are stationed in the castle? I¡¯m sorry, although these guys can go without eating and drinking, no matter how much you make, they can devour it all until something else catches their attention.¡± The Goblin shrugged, ¡°To me, eating is just an amusement for demons. We can send up five hundred pounds of food at a time, and if not replenished promptly, it would be gone in about an hour. However, the rate of food consumption today has indeed been slower than usual, if that information is useful to you.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± Lancelot nodded, finally asking the question he wanted, ¡°What about the Dungeon? Are there prisoners inside that you need to feed?¡± ¡°The prison guards often come over to order for the prisoners, but they always only ask for vegetable soup, either to purposely torment the prisoners or because the prisoners dislike the meat I cook.¡± The Head Chef sighed again, ¡°But I don¡¯t blame them, to be honest, I don¡¯t eat it myself. Ever since what happened with Gro, I get nauseated just looking at meat.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, ¡°How should I get to the Dungeon?¡± ¡°Turn left after you go out, go straight at the first crossroad, then turn right, you will see Mard and Rek guarding the door, two very friendly giant toads, I believe they would be happy to see you.¡± The Goblin exaggeratedly winked at Lancelot, ¡°But if you... prefer not to meet them, I know another way...¡± Lancelot was familiar with that kind of smile. He considered for a moment, reached into his pocket, and asked the Goblin: ¡°How much salary do those demons pay you every week?¡± Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 379: 393: Dungeon Zone Chapter 379: Chapter 393: Dungeon Zone Following the Goblin Head Chef¡¯s instructions, Lancelot arrived at the entrance to a filthy alleyway. At the end of the passage was a deep hole from which came occasional howls filled with pain and resentment. These peculiar sounds, Lancelot remembered, could only be made by Aberrant Demons with distorted vocal cords and lungs; he had heard them before while searching for a missing Gray Dwarf mining team. Of course, Lancelot didn¡¯t kill the Goblin Head Chef to keep the mission secret, but he also didn¡¯t dare to rely on the so-called water from the Stygian River provided by the goblin himself. With a simple Divine Skill (a forceful slap with the heel of his palm to the back of the neck), he ensured that Chef Rotfoot would enjoy at least two hours of deep, undisturbable sleep. The Goblin Head Chef told Lancelot that the hole led directly to the Dungeon area. Sometimes, to save trouble, the goblins would throw some kitchen waste into it, thinking it was a good deed to provide extra meals for the Demons trapped inside. ¡°Jumping again?¡± The skeleton flew a circle around the large hole on the ground, ¡°Do you need me to go down first and check?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Lancelot shook his head. With vision enhanced by Foundation Establishment, he could see through the darkness of the hole. The ground below was not far, about twenty feet, but it was a distance that Demons without the ability to fly could not reach. Although the Goblin Head Chef claimed they often dumped trash in there, and the remnants around the edge of the hole confirmed it, there was nothing down there at the moment, likely eaten by the banished creatures inside. ... Unlike the dungeons of castles among mortals, with just a few cells, the Dungeon in the Demon Castle was much larger and resembled a maze, serving not only as a prison but also as a place of banishment. The Demon Lord would throw his underlings who offended him but whose crimes were not worthy of death inside, usually imposing some ultimate curse on them, such as ¡®Promotion¡¯ to an Aberrant Demon. Lancelot formed a simple Dharma Decree to summon a weak Fireball and threw it into the hole. Four Aberrant Demons were attracted by the light of the fireball, but when they found nothing else, they seemed to feel deceived and roared angrily upwards. ¡°I¡¯m left with just a skull, so I¡¯m not too picky anymore,¡± the skull replied, its floating form unsteadily moving beside him. It glanced at the chopped-up remains of the demon¡¯s corpse, ¡°But didn¡¯t you just attack an enemy who had thrown away their weapon and was fleeing? Isn¡¯t that against the chivalry of a knight?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think killing it was the merciful thing to do?¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Besides, demons don¡¯t count as people.¡± ¡°Fair point,¡± Cromwell acceded, then looked around, suddenly uncertain. They were in a small hall with many outlets, and the circular walls had six exits; Cromwell¡¯s ¡®stick-to-the-right labyrinth navigation method¡¯ might not be very effective here. ¡°Do you feel it?¡± Lancelot¡¯s voice arose directly in the skull¡¯s mind. It turned its head and saw its master staring intently at one of the exits, Frostslash clenched tightly in his hand, ¡°Feel what?¡± The skull was startled by his tense demeanor, ¡°Elothysia¡¯s presence?¡± ¡°Yeah, and quite a few other things,¡± Lancelot¡¯s expression was very serious, ¡°Listen, we need to practice some teamwork...¡± Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 380: 394: Found It Chapter 380: Chapter 394: Found It After the initial battle, Lancelot had maintained a stealthy state, bypassing the Aberrant Demons wandering in the dungeon maze. Defeating these pitiful demons was not a difficult task, but it was a waste of time, and he did not want to startle the snake by hitting the grass. Aside from the wandering Aberrant Demons, some more powerful beings were imprisoned in the cells. Some were demons, while others were outright monsters. Lancelot saw a large demon with an all-black body and forward-bent spikes on its head like a scorpion¡¯s tail, as well as a humanoid monster with four arms and a purple-red body. They were locked in cages made of Abyssal Metal, bound with countless chains engraved with Magic Runes, making even moving a finger difficult. Although Lancelot had hidden his figure as much as possible while passing by them, one of the prisoners still noticed his presence. ¡°Release me, human,¡± a voice sounded directly at the bottom of Lancelot¡¯s heart, ¡°I will give you everything you desire!¡± The voice was still using the common language of humans. Lancelot turned his head and saw the source of the telepathy¡ªa giant demon with dark red skin. Its antlers were very distinctive, stretching outward horizontally on both sides as if wearing an extravagantly styled hat. Its upper body resembled that of a muscular giant, while its lower half consisted of thick bull hooves, currently bound by a spiked iron chain like a beast awaiting slaughter. The demon¡¯s eyes, which seemed to be burning, were staring directly at Lancelot¡¯s location, completely ignoring the Human Knight¡¯s attempts to conceal himself. Intuition told him that this demon likely possessed the ability of True Sight, a power typical of High Rank Fiends, which was why it could easily detect his presence. ... Lancelot also noticed that the demon had six fingers on each hand, but they were all nailed to a splint with metal spikes, a device used by the captors to strip the prisoner of their abilities. Besides, both entrances were sealed by heavy metal dungeon gates, and Lancelot did not see any mechanism that looked like it could open the doors. Suppressing his slightly anxious mood, the Human Knight hid himself in an inconspicuous corner and focused his True Yuan in his ears, trying to pick up some useful information from the guards¡¯ casual conversation. ¡°Have you heard? There¡¯s supposed to be a Succubus Paladin inside now, I don¡¯t know where Ulgog got such a top-grade creature,¡± one Succubus said to her companion. ¡°I¡¯ve ridden a thousand succubi, but never a paladin.¡± ¡°I have,¡± another Succubus replied with a wicked smile. ¡°Thirty years ago, a foolish wizard apprentice stole his master¡¯s notes, firmly believing that a spell recorded there would make him the greatest wizard. That fool was immediately killed by me, and I had a great time in the Prime Material Plane afterward. The best part was successfully capturing an elf who had just become a paladin a few days earlier.¡± ¡°Wow, you must have had a lot of fun with that, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah, although I later realized he was actually a male elf, but what does it matter? All elves are beautiful.¡± The first Succubus laughed, ¡°A paladin¡¯s faith is very strong, so it¡¯s especially wonderful to destroy it. Although his righteous companions eventually took back their bodies, his soul had changed forever. Maybe in a few decades, he will summon me himself, hahahaha...¡± ¡°Sigh, I don¡¯t know what Ulgog did to gain so much trust from the Mother of Demons,¡± the third Succubus spoke up, her tone clearly disgruntled. ¡°Has this damned door ever opened even once? He built such a large interrogation room, enjoys all the pleasures inside alone, and orders us to guard outside. Don¡¯t even think about getting a chance to touch that Succubus Paladin, I bet she either becomes Ulgog¡¯s forbidden fruit, looking down on us whenever she sees us; or she ends up like the other captives, cut into hundreds of pieces, flushed out through that filthy sewer...¡± Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 381: 395 Strange Demons Chapter 381: Chapter 395 Strange Demons Hearing this, Lancelot¡¯s heart stirred. As long as there was a passageway leading to the inside of the building, getting in wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Although he couldn¡¯t transform into a mist like little Yisa, as long as the inside of the building wasn¡¯t completely dark, he could use Shadow Jump to teleport directly inside. After listening for a while longer, the conversation between the Succubi had turned into mutual boasting about their delightful killing experiences and mocking a few Berserk Demon underlings. Lancelot silently backed away and began searching nearby for the sewer the Demons had mentioned earlier. It took a bit of time to search for anomalies on the ground, but Lancelot eventually made a discovery. In a corner far from both entrances, there was an inconspicuous bulge. If he hadn¡¯t known in advance about the existence of this sewer, he probably would have had a hard time noticing this anomaly. Now that he had confirmed the sewer¡¯s approximate location, the next step was to find where its exit lay. Lancelot found a secluded corner, sent a skeleton head to keep watch in the front, and then sat down cross-legged on the spot, regulating his breath and synchronizing with the surrounding nature¡¯s spiritual energy, quickly entering a state of Spiritual Sight. He easily found the hidden passageway underground. The passageway was about a foot wide and less than three inches high, extending over a hundred feet, with its exit in a secret underground chamber. The only problem was that there was a three-headed Abyss Hound in that underground chamber, roughly the size of a lion. Lancelot wasn¡¯t afraid of fighting such a beast, but the issue was dogs were known to have a keen sense of smell, so he might be discovered before even getting close. If this three-headed hound gave a loud warning and barked so that the entire Dungeon knew of an intruder, then he really would have wasted all his efforts. ... In Lancelot¡¯s vision, the large dog made of silver lines was lying in front of the sewer exit gnawing on something. With a closer look, he recognized outlines of fingers, feet, ears, and other body parts, causing the Human Knight a wave of nausea. Following the passageway with his gaze, Lancelot shifted his vision to the circular building, the interrogation room the Succubi had mentioned. The first thing he noticed was that the walls of this interrogation room were three feet thick, almost as solid as those of a small fortress, which was completely indiscernible from the outside; there were numerous Metal cages against the walls, and he saw children resembling Lilu and Dong Quan, as well as Elves, humans, and other humanoid creatures. But he did not see his Succubus comrades, nor did he see the rumored Succubus General Ulgog. ¡°Boss, how is it?¡± Clone Well¡¯s voice echoed in his mind, ¡°Did you find a way in?¡± ¡°Found one, there¡¯s an Abyss Hound with the length of three heads at the entrance, might take some effort to deal with it,¡± Lancelot replied silently through mental communication, ¡°I have a more important question for you. Do you know of any demon that¡¯s about the size of a tempter demon, with bat wings on its back, a tail, and horns curving out to the sides on its head?¡± ¡°Sounds a bit like a Barlow Flame Demon, could also maybe be a Legion Demon... Wait, with a tail? You sure you saw it right?¡± ¡°No mistake,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°a thin and long tail, similar to that of a Succubus.¡± ¡°Hmm... interesting.¡± The skull¡¯s eyes were fixed on an empty direction, obviously in deep thought. After a good while, it finally sent a telepathic message to Lancelot again, ¡°I might need some time to check the knowledge in my brain. Can you give me a moment?¡± ¡°As quick as you can,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Let¡¯s deal with that dog first, climb onto my waist.¡± Hearing this, Clone Well obediently flew to Lancelot¡¯s waistband, having become quite accustomed to posing as an ornament. Lancelot¡¯s palm brushed over himself, and a faint greenish protective barrier enshrouded him. This shield was not any profound cultivation technique but merely a barrier to block external air. Low-rank cultivators relied on this small trick to enter regions filled with miasma or poisonous smoke to gather rare and precious materials, while Lancelot was using it to prevent the gatekeeping demon hound from detecting his scent. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 382: 396 Three Heads Chapter 382: Chapter 396 Three Heads Following the path he had discerned through Spiritual Sight earlier, Lancelot took a wide detour to avoid three aimlessly wandering Aberrant Demons and arrived at a staircase spiraling downward. He already knew that beneath the staircase was a narrow chamber, and the sewer outlet that connected to the interior of the interrogation room was inside. Of course, there was also an Abyssal Hound he must deal with, a trouble neither too big nor too small. But now that he had come so close, and the demonic hound was still utterly unaware, this trouble was already more than halfway resolved. ¡°Are you afraid of dogs?¡± Lancelot asked the skull atop his waist through their mind connection. ¡°...For reasons I don¡¯t even know myself, yes,¡± the skull¡¯s voice came after a delay, ¡°I guess I had some unpleasant experiences with these creatures in the past, but I can¡¯t remember them now.¡± ¡°But the emotion of fear remained, didn¡¯t it?¡± Lancelot gently stroked the forehead of the skull at his waist, ¡°In a moment, I¡¯ll subdue that demon hound and you will finish it off, confronting your fear head-on. How does that sound?¡± ¡°It sounds terrible, but if it¡¯s necessary, I¡¯ll do it,¡± Clone Well replied sulkily, ¡°Why do I feel like you are very practiced at this gesture? No wonder my forehead is getting so polished...¡± ... ¡°Well, because when you¡¯re positioned on the belt, it¡¯s where the hand naturally falls, and it indeed feels nice to the touch,¡± Lancelot said somewhat sheepishly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your whole body is so hard, what can it do to you? It¡¯s said that the best way to overcome fear is to face it. Maybe a little stimulation, and you might even remember something.¡± ¡°We need to talk about my memory, after everything is over...¡± the skull¡¯s voice sounded hesitant, ¡°But let¡¯s first deal with the problem at hand. Are you sure you can fully control that dog? Remember, it has three heads...¡± ¡°How will we know if we don¡¯t try?¡± The skull leisurely flew in front of the middle head and repeated the same action. Although the massive beast kept struggling even after each of its heads boasted a fist-sized hole, the vastness of its Life Force was evident, yet as blood continually flowed from the three holes onto the ground, its struggles grew weaker, and death inexorably occupied the sinner of a creature¡¯s body. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be too scared,¡± Lancelot said, moving his hands that had been holding the Dharma Seal, addressing the skull. Once the beast died, he had withdrawn the glowing Soundproof Barrier to avoid being discovered by Demons who might pass by by chance, ¡°Remember anything?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m not scared. With those vines of yours, a three-year-old could finish it off,¡± the skull replied while flying closer to inspect the terrible beast. One of the heads suddenly twitched, startling it severely and causing it to jerk backward, only to realize it was just the unconscious twitching of a corpse. It continued somewhat embarrassedly, ¡°No new memories have surfaced. I guess dogs that I had unpleasant experiences with before didn¡¯t have so many heads...¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ll try with other breeds when we have the chance,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Did you find an answer to my earlier question? About a type of demon with a long tail and massive bat wings?¡± ¡°Among the High Rank Demons, only the Soul Judgment Demon, Wolf Serpent Demon, and Six-Armed Serpent Demon have tails, but the tail of the Soul Judgment Demon is a cow¡¯s tail, not long, and the Wolf Serpent Demon has a furry wolf tail behind its ass. As for the tail of the Serpent Demon, well, I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t confuse extra arms for wings,¡± the skull explained. ¡°Only High Rank Demons?¡± Lancelot picked up on the specific range in Clone Well¡¯s speech, ¡°What about Middle Rank demons then?¡± ¡°Everyone knows that the Abyss is full of all kinds of monsters, and more stable forms are just more common. It¡¯s not unusual to have some mutated organs,¡± the skull gave Lancelot a roll of the eyes, ¡°Aside from the tail, the one that best fits your description is the Tyrant Demon, I guess that¡¯s it.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 383: 397: Entering the Room by Shadow Stepping Chapter 383: Chapter 397: Entering the Room by Shadow Stepping ¡°The Tyrant Demon?¡± Lancelot furrowed his brow, ¡°Kalalin never mentioned this kind of demon to me...¡± ¡°Demons often have different names in various worlds of the Prime Material Plane, especially in worlds where magic arts are underdeveloped and contact with the outer layers is limited,¡± the skull remarked with a look that seemed to view Lancelot as a country bumpkin, ¡°Another widely known name for the Tyrant Demon is ¡®Soul Hunter,¡¯ a name derived from its practice of soul hunting on the Prime Material Plane during its youth.¡± ¡°Hunting?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, ¡°I know that Succubi seduce people with primitive nets, Quasimodo Demons lead their masters toward corruption in the shadows, and Illusion Demons offer false power and glory; but how do these demons operate?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what makes the Soul Hunters terrifying: their method of harvesting souls is simple and crude¡ªthey directly devour the victims¡¯ physical bodies,¡± the skull sighed, ¡°It is said that a Soul Hunter is immediately transported to the Prime Material Plane upon birth, becomes an adult after devouring dozens of mortals, and then returns to the Bottomless Abyss. This means any Soul Hunter you encounter in the Abyss is already an adult.¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve heard the term ¡®adult¡¯ used to describe fiends,¡± Lancelot looked at the skull somewhat surprisingly, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a young demon before...¡± ¡°Then you should ask Kalalin about that; I¡¯m just reciting what¡¯s in my head like an encyclopedia,¡± Cromwell rolled his eyes at Lancelot, ¡°Adult Soul Hunters rarely engage in the conflicts of the Abyss, much like hermits among demons, but don¡¯t underestimate them. Although there is almost no record of an adult Soul Hunter¡¯s combat abilities, they are the only Middle Rank Demons that can refuse a summons from a High Rank Demon, which clearly shows their extraordinary strength.¡± ... ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s the time they spent on the Prime Material Plane that makes them different,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Before we go in, tell me about any special abilities these demons have and what to watch out for when dealing with them.¡± ¡°Young Soul Hunters are known for their soul-stealing gaze; they can weaken or even directly kill a target with their gaze. The abilities of adult Soul Hunters are unrecorded, but I guess they are stronger. If it looks like it wants to glare at you, just dodge; any inanimate object can block that gaze. Their dark skin blends perfectly into the shadows, and they prefer to fight in the style of Wanderers, launching deadly ambushes from the darkness with their claws,¡± the skull rambled on, ¡°It¡¯s said they also have another ability that can forcibly link their life with any living creature in their line of sight ¡ª any attack launched at them will inflict identical damage on the linked creature.¡± ¡°That troublesome?¡± The magic interference in the center of the room was still present, and Lancelot couldn¡¯t see inside, nor were there any connecting shadows in that area. But the demon¡¯s action of changing torture tools at least indicated that the person inside was still alive. Lancelot tried not to think about what the Succubus Paladin might have endured in this short time, instead focusing his attention on finding an appropriate point of entry. He could choose to jump directly behind that demon and attempt a surprise attack, or he could first appear in a hidden corner to get a clear view of the interior before taking action. Considering the recent failed attempt, Lancelot dismissed the option of using Shadow Jump for a stealth attack. Moreover, the unknown nature of the enemy continuously unnerved him. As the demon turned and walked towards the center of the room, Lancelot also activated Shadow Jump. His target was an area shielded by columns and bookshelves; if cautious enough, he was very likely not to be immediately discovered. Entering and exiting the shadow form was achieved almost instantaneously, with Lancelot activating all the Cultivation Techniques for Concealing Breath that he knew, and upon exiting, he remained completely still, making no sound whatsoever. He found himself facing a curved stone wall, underfoot a floor cast in metal. Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t moved so much as a toe because moving on such a floor would have made it impossible for his Steel Boots to remain silent. Next to him, the columns and furniture provided cover, blocking the red light shooting from the center of the room like flames. Along with it came the familiar and pained moans of Elothysia, as if someone was tearing strips of flesh from her body. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 384: 398 The Punished Succubus Chapter 384: Chapter 398 The Punished Succubus Lancelot mobilized some True Yuan to wrap around his boots, ensuring they would make no sound upon contact with the ground, then cautiously poked his head out and looked towards the center of the interrogation room. ¡°Uh, bad news,¡± the skull¡¯s voice echoed in Lancelot¡¯s mind, ¡°That¡¯s not a soul-stealer fiend...¡± Without Cromwell saying it, Lancelot realized that their earlier guess was completely wrong. The creature in the center of the room indeed had gigantic bat wings, but its skin was brownish-yellow, not the black that a soul-stealer fiend would possess; it had five fingers on its palms, which looked almost human despite the longer nails, but they definitely couldn¡¯t be called claws. Most importantly, the aura it emitted didn¡¯t belong to Tanari, nor any Abyssal creature. Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception told him, without a doubt, it was a Demon, a denizen of the Barto Hell, mortal enemy of the Demons. Of course, he also saw the companion he had been searching for. The Succubus Paladin was hung by her hands, bound behind her, from hooks that descended from the ceiling and pierced her wings, suspending her in midair with only her tiptoes barely touching the ground. Beneath her feet was an eerie Magic Formation on the ground, with a hexagram in the center surrounded by a circle of Magic Runes that Lancelot didn¡¯t recognize. The Succubus¡¯s body was covered with horrific wounds, varying in shape, evidently the Demon had already tried many kinds of torture instruments on her. Elothysia was clad only in her own blood, which made the beautiful Succubus appear extremely pitiful, while also filled with a Tao-like sense of ritual. ... ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Lancelot urgently communicated his thoughts to Cromwell while rapidly surveying the surrounding terrain. Undoubtedly, the most eye-catching feature in the room was the Magic Formation on the ground. The blood of the tortured would be swiftly absorbed by the lines and runes of the formation, emitting an eerie red glow. Around the formation, a circle of instruments of torture was arrayed to ensure the victim could experience every conceivable pain, while around the perimeter stood six sturdy columns corresponding to the six points of the hexagram in the Magic Formation. More cabinets surrounded the columns, topped with scrolls, potions, magic materials, and various other items. The six columns might also be part of the Magic Formation, but their direct purpose was to support more weight from the ceiling. Slim and elongated iron cages were hung from hooks that dangled from the ceiling, some containing prisoners still alive, others only dry skeletons. ¡°As you command! My master!¡± Ulgog bowed his head low, ¡°Everything will be as you wish, my master.¡± When it raised its head again, the screen had disappeared, leaving the so-called Demon General deep in thought in place. Lancelot was secretly shocked; Cang Ye clearly knew Ulgog¡¯s true identity, yet the Mother of Demons still chose to cooperate with it. It was all too illogical; weren¡¯t demons and devils mortal enemies? Cang Ye, as one of the oldest Abyssal Lords, why would she accept the service of a Bartez? Seizing the moment the devil was momentarily distracted, Lancelot sent a telepathic message to Elothysia: ¡°I am here.¡± The naked succubus slightly lifted her head; Lancelot stealthily gestured to her, revealing his position. Ulgog seemed to misinterpret the succubus¡¯s action, it took off the ring from its hand, reverting to its original form, and said with a mocking expression to the succubus: ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious how a Bartez noble from Barto Hell ended up in the Abyss and even became a general of demons?¡± the devil said with a sneer, ¡°Fate really is unpredictable, Holy Warrior.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 385: 399 Sudden Promotion Chapter 385: Chapter 399 Sudden Promotion ¡°What are you... planning... exactly...¡± Elothysia¡¯s voice was weak as she spoke, her voice so hoarse that Lancelot found it unfamiliar. But at the same time, she sent a telepathic message to Lancelot: ¡°Intelligence...¡± ¡°Planning what? Of course, it¡¯s to have the Mother of Demons reclaim her rightful position,¡± the Demon chuckled, ¡°We haven¡¯t kept any secret agendas for ourselves.¡± ¡°And... what benefit is it... to you...¡± Elothysia seemed to regain a bit of strength, ¡°What promises did Cang Ye make to you...?¡± ¡°Nothing much, just to send the right troops at the right time to attack the right targets,¡± Ulgog¡¯s face showed an even more obvious smugness, ¡°After all, she is a Demon Lord. It¡¯s pretty normal for her to launch an attack on anyone, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°And why are you... here...¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because those Tanari generals are too incompetent, only knowing how to fight internally, betray each other, and hold back one another. Despite having superior numbers, they still couldn¡¯t deal with a lone army of Celestials in their own lair!¡± The yellow-skinned Demon showed a look of contempt, ¡°You are a Paladin, so you can tell that this is the chaotic nature of Demons at play. If it wasn¡¯t for the Archduke...¡± ... The Demon stopped mid-sentence because the gemstone used to communicate with the Mother of Demons suddenly blinked twice in succession. ¡°So soon?¡± Ulgog muttered to himself in surprise, then shrugged his shoulders and said to Elothysia, ¡°You¡¯re in luck, you won¡¯t be suffering any longer for now. I need to sacrifice the others first... You can enjoy watching the method of your demise in a little while.¡± ¡°Am I not... enough...¡± ¡°You are the main course of this banquet. How could we serve you first?¡± Ulgog picked up a long fork that rested against a rack, using the gap between the two prongs to press against the Succubus¡¯s neck, lifting her like picking up clothes and shifting her onto an empty hook beside him. Then, he forked out a screaming and thrashing Aira child from another cage, hanging the child above the Magic Formation in the center of the room. ¡°This Array is the essence of Hell Magic research from Barto Hell. It can transform the pain, despair, sorrow, and all sorts of negative emotions of the sacrifices into power, making our noble Mother of Demons incredibly powerful in battle.¡± Therefore, what it needed to do now was to prevent the succubus¡¯s promotion at all costs. Under normal circumstances, the process of a demon¡¯s promotion was impossible to interrupt, because a demon in the midst of promotion was nothing more than a continuously mutating lump of flesh. Inflicting ordinary damage to it was meaningless unless one could annihilate the mutating demon with a destructive force. Fortunately, there was such a destructive force here¡ªthe magic formation at the center of the room. Ulgog didn¡¯t hesitate and kicked the little Aira child out of the way, then turned around to jab the rotting mass that was originally the Succubus Paladin with the double-pronged fork. At that moment, Lancelot made his move. The human knight burst out from his hiding place behind cover, moving as fast as a whirlwind. In just two steps, he reached the back of the demon, and his Great Sword Glacier came crashing down towards Ulgog¡¯s head. ¡°Who¡¯s there!¡± The sudden turn of events didn¡¯t panic the high-rank demon Domineering Demon. Despite being flustered, it managed to catch the overhead slash just in time, and, surprisingly, it didn¡¯t fall short in strength. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Ulgog recognized Lancelot, ¡°How come you are here?¡± The demon forcefully pushed back the human knight¡¯s weapon with both hands, then swiftly spun around, its tail whipping like a swift scimitar straight for the attacker¡¯s waist. Before taking action, Lancelot had thoroughly prepared himself mentally for the enemy¡¯s strength, but the swiftness of the demon¡¯s counter still exceeded his expectations. His mithril armor was very sturdy, and he also had a shield of swords for protection, but his instincts told him it was best not to take the demon¡¯s attack head-on. And after becoming a spiritual cultivator, his instincts were always accurate. He immediately abandoned the planned horizontal slash, turned the sword upright, and plunged it into the ground. Using the momentum, he leaped upward, and his body sprung up like a frog, evading the Domineering Demon¡¯s fierce tail strike. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 386: 400 Slightly Inferior Chapter 386: Chapter 400 Slightly Inferior Sure enough, the Demon¡¯s tail whipped around the Great Sword like a lash. Had it not been for the enhanced physical strength from Foundation Establishment, Lancelot, fully clad in plate armor, would¡¯ve been plucked out of the ground like a turnip, and that strike would have definitely hit him squarely. But Ulgog had no intention of letting him off so easily. The Demon¡¯s tail coiled around the blade of Glacier and with a fierce pull backward, aimed to disarm the Human Knight in the process. Generally, such massive weapons were not sharp-edged, and even if they were edged, they would not be exceptionally sharp. This allowed knights with metal gauntlets to grip the blade directly, using the Great Sword more as a tool to leverage against their enemies. The Domineering Demon was very confident in the strength of its tail, hence its direct attempt to disarm its opponent. Lancelot didn¡¯t expect his first strike to hit the enemy¡¯s body, and the Qingyuan Sword Technique was known to be less effective against metal objects. So, from the start, he didn¡¯t activate the Sword Aura and instead used his True Yuan to enhance his own strength. But now that the Demon dared to entangle its tail with the blade of Glacier, he wouldn¡¯t miss such an opportunity. The Great Sword suddenly emitted a dazzling blue light, the manifestation of the Sword Aura from the Qingyuan Sword Technique. The sidelong Demon realized something was amiss, but before it could withdraw the pulling force, its tail had already been severed into several sections, like a beard sliced through by a razor. ¡°Auuuugh!!!¡± The Demon let out a resounding roar, filled more with rage than pain, ¡°I will...¡± ... Lancelot didn¡¯t let his foe finish its threatening speech. He stomped in the air as if stepping on solid ground, and the Great Sword came crashing down on the Domineering Demon once again, forcing it to focus on defense. The shrill clanging of metal on metal rang out intensely. After initial probing, Lancelot knew he was still slightly outmatched, so he unleashed his full power without reservation. Although he wasn¡¯t a Barbarian, the training he received also included methods to stimulate the body¡¯s potential¡ªa technique named ¡®Tidal Movement.¡¯ However, his opponent suddenly changed tactics. Lancelot maximized his movement technique to its utmost, his body light as a feather, dodging in the midst of the Demon¡¯s already unsophisticated attacks, making it seem as if the enemy were a cat chasing its shadow. In the midst of this, the skull ornament hung on Lancelot¡¯s waist was thrown to the ground, but the Demon didn¡¯t care about that. Its eyes were only fixed on the Human Knight who had wounded it¡ªas a High-Rank Demon, being injured by a mere mortal was an unthinkable disgrace that it couldn¡¯t accept. Lancelot was not merely dodging; he was also paying attention to the fixed patterns in his enemy¡¯s attacks. Like most Fiends, this Demon, with advantages in size and strength, was not skilled in Martial Techniques. It favored following a leftward double-handed sweep with a single-handed forward chop: such linkage was fast and wide-ranging but relatively weak, and it lacked subsequent variations. If the initial sweep missed, it really shouldn¡¯t follow up with such a move. Once again, the Demon executed its leftward sweep, which Lancelot easily dodged. It habitually followed with a single-handed forward chop, but this time the Human Knight¡¯s response was different. Instead of continuing to dodge, Lancelot suddenly advanced, his Great Sword delivering a fierce upward thrust, colliding violently with the long handle of the Demon¡¯s double spikes. Caught off guard, Ulgog couldn¡¯t react adequately. Stumbling backward, he took half a step back, precisely over the fallen skull. ¡°The opportunity has come,¡± Lancelot communicated telepathically to Cromwell, ¡°Get ready to make your move!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 387: 401: Rest Mark Chapter 387: Chapter 401: Rest Mark The Human Knight, seizing the advantage, didn¡¯t relent, following up with a Heavy Slash, and he even summoned a second Sword Shadow, launching both at the Demon. Ulgog, now aware of the potency of the Sword Shadows, had no choice but to raise his weapons high with both hands in an attempt to block the two incoming blades, one illusionary and one real. Lancelot had put all his might into this strike, knowing that his opponent possessed greater strength. Although he had gained an advantage due to the Demon¡¯s unpreparedness, it was still not enough to break through the Demon¡¯s defense. However, to catch his attack, the Domineering Demon had to stand firmly in place, just as a previously prone skull on the ground suddenly flipped over, ending up face-up. Directly beneath the most tender part of every male-like creature. As the Great Sword heavily collided with the long-handled fork in the next instant, Ulgog suddenly felt a heart-wrenching, tearing pain erupt from below his waist. His hands nearly dropped his weapon on the spot. He let out a harrowing scream while looking down, only to see a skull where there hadn¡¯t been one before beneath him. Right now, that skull was spitting out a Bone Demon¡¯s tail spike, boring a bloody hole between his legs. The excruciating pain made Ulgog wonder if it had reached his lungs. The Demons¡¯ vulnerability was their heads, but being pierced through from the groin was equally lethal; how could Lancelot, positioned right in front of it, miss such an opportunity? Glacier sliced down once more from above, forcing the Domineering Demon to bear the intense pain and block. For the first time, it realized that it was on the verge of complete defeat. This was the Abyss; death would merely send it back to the Barto Plane, but the torment of punishment for failure was what truly scared it. ... Ulgog was still confident that he held the upper hand, the enemy had merely used trickery to gain a slight advantage. There was still a chance, as long as he could find a way to counter it... This is how Demons were, entirely different from the reckless and reckless Demons who hardly ever considered the cost of failure. Whereas the Demons always overthought things and hesitated before acting, often missing the right moment. This time was no exception: Ulgog¡¯s hesitation cost him the last opportunity to escape through self-destruction. The instant the Demon¡¯s soul was entirely extracted, its body left behind went through bizarre transformations: the originally brownish-yellow skin began to turn blue, as if affected by some potent ice magic, then quickly turned into an ice sculpture, lost balance, and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. Throughout the entire event, the Guards outside, who were Demons themselves, did not react at all. Thick stone walls and metal doors could indeed insulate some noise, but Ulgog likely had other measures in place so that those outside were completely oblivious. After all, its true form was a Demon, and aside from Cang Ye, Ulgog certainly wouldn¡¯t want any other Demons to discover this secret. ¡°I really thought this time I was finished,¡± Elothysia turned the Frostslash around in her hand, holding the sword with both hands, and kneeled on one knee before Lancelot, saying with a blazing gaze, ¡°You¡¯ve saved me once again and bestowed upon me... new power. Thank you, I have no way to repay this debt but with my loyalty.¡± ¡°It is my utmost honor, my lady,¡± Lancelot responded with a formal Knight¡¯s bow and took the Longsword, swiftly helping the Succubus Paladin to her feet, ¡°But there¡¯s no need for thanks, this is what I ought to do. And in the end, it was thanks to your sword strike that we were able to deal with that... Demon.¡± ¡°Wow! I am so moved!¡± chimed in the skull from the side, most inappropriately, ¡°My thrust was critical too! You did not see, but when it glanced downward at me, its entire yellow face was glowing green!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 388: 402: Dissolving Liquid Chapter 388: Chapter 402: Dissolving Liquid ¡°Haha, that thrust of yours looked so painful even from the sidelines,¡± Lancelot laughed at Clone Well before turning to the Succubus Paladin, ¡°How are you feeling now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never felt better,¡± the Succubus examined her own palms and then fluttered her wings behind her, ¡°But truthfully, all the torture I suffered before doesn¡¯t compare to those few seconds you gave me. It¡¯s my first time undergoing such an experience, and I definitely don¡¯t want a second round...¡± The skeleton head looked at the Succubus, opened its mouth to say something, but ultimately decided its own life was more important and swallowed the words back down. ¡°Who... are you people?¡± A weak voice came through; everyone turned their heads and saw that it was the Aira girl who had been kicked away by Ulgog, now looking at them with a mix of fear and curiosity. ¡°My name is Lancelot, a mercenary, here to rescue my noble companion, the Succubus Paladin,¡± Lancelot walked over and helped the scrawny Aira child to her feet, ¡°And to save anyone else captured by the Mother of Demons. What¡¯s your name? Do you know Dong Quan and Lilu?¡± ¡°Of course, I know them! Every Aira child in Androlina knows each other!¡± the child tried to smooth out her crumpled wings, ¡°My name is Migu! Thank you for saving me... If only you could have come earlier, then Ji Hua wouldn¡¯t have... wuwuwu... ¡± ... ¡°Dong Quan and Lilu are okay, right?¡± Another voice spoke up; Lancelot turned to see it was an elderly male Elf speaking. Elves only show signs of aging when nearing the end of their life, so this one must be very old indeed. He had originally been locked in an iron cage suspended in mid-air, along with two other Elves and a Red Flame Aira, but while Lancelot and the Aira child were talking, Elothysia had already freed them from their cages. The newly liberated prisoners seemed somewhat unable to believe their new status of freedom and unsure of how to react to the strange Succubus before them. ¡°Those two little rascals went on a big adventure, ended up in Miasma Swamp, and got caught by Valasti,¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Thirty years,¡± Lancelot said with a sigh, ¡°This truly is an unexpected pleasure. If Acheron knew you were still alive, he would be very happy indeed.¡± ¡°The Prince of Blazing Flame?¡± the female elf reacted intensely to the name, ¡°How is he?¡± ¡°He was willing to trust Elothysia, so he chose to go with us to Gaomendikolia and is now temporarily in this state...¡± Lancelot reached into the Dimensional Bag at his waist, rummaging around and pulling out a portrait featuring Acheron, Bruto, Kalalin, and others, ¡°It¡¯s said that lifting this condition requires a Ninth Circle Technique, are you familiar with it? Could you possibly know a simpler method?¡± ¡°Oh, Blazing Flame, I never thought I¡¯d see you again...¡± the female elf leaned over the portrait, and her companion did not stop her but instead cast an apologetic glance at Lancelot and said, ¡°We must have been like that too, but when I regained consciousness, I was already inside that cage.¡± ¡°I know how to lift it.¡± The elderly elf suddenly spoke up, ¡°In order to conveniently use this Magic Formation to torment prisoners, Mother of Demons left Ulgog with a special liquid, right there in that large barrel. By Corellon, it¡¯s a good thing you didn¡¯t knock it over just now...¡± Lancelot, following the old elf¡¯s indication, found a large metal barrel at the other end of the room. He lifted the lid to find it filled with a milky white liquid and a long-handled brush nearby. ¡°What is this stuff?¡± Lancelot asked the old elf with some hesitation, ¡°How do you use it?¡± ¡°Just apply that liquid to the portrait,¡± the old elf shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s how Ulgog got the two of them to recover.¡± ¡°Ah! I know this stuff!¡± the skeleton head who had been silent burst out, ¡°This is the rumored milk of the Mother of Demons...¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 389: 403 Reunion Chapter 389: Chapter 403 Reunion Lancelot¡¯s hand, holding the brush and stirring, suddenly froze, and it wasn¡¯t just him, everyone¡¯s expression dropped to the floor. Impossible to ignore, those liquids were emitting a peculiar, fishy smell, and when the skull mentioned it, the scent seemed even more pronounced. Although Cang Ye¡¯s title was Mother of Demons, and she indeed had a feminine form, the thought of breast milk was simply... hard to accept. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, friends, it¡¯s just a rumor,¡± Cromwell said, revealing an exaggerated smile, ¡°Being turned into this state is by the embrace of the Mother of Demons, and naturally, the next step after being embraced by the mother is to drink... right? It makes sense, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Shut up, you¡¯re making it even more disgusting,¡± Lancelot continued with his task at hand, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to drink this stuff, just spreading it on their bodies.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s even worse.¡± The skull flew to the edge of the large vat, ¡°But Kalalin and the rest probably wouldn¡¯t mind. Hurry up and start, I¡¯m already missing Bruto¡¯s crude jokes...¡± ¡°I always thought you two were in competition in that regard,¡± Lancelot glanced at the skull as he lifted the brush from the vat. The milky white liquid was quite viscous, stretching out into long, thin strands, and he patiently waited a bit longer, making sure not to waste any of this precious substance on the ground. Then he took out another scroll from the Dimensional Bag, on it were a group of Elves in excellent equipment, ready to shoot arrows out of the picture. ... ¡°Take a look, does anyone recognize the people here?¡± ¡°There are others?¡± Talasher Morning Star, the relatively young male Elf, looked over in surprise, ¡°I don¡¯t recognize anyone; they are probably not the Elves of Seren.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them either,¡± Dalarna Morning Star also spoke up, ¡°But looking at their gear, it seems like they might be warriors from the Monsoon Brotherhood...¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s them!¡± The elder Elf looked excitedly at the newly produced scroll, ¡°They were among the first Protectors to come to Androlina, you... where did you get this from?¡± ¡°That... seems to be Uncle Kaladray!¡± The honey fruit also leaned in, looking like a child but she was a true Immortal, any former Protector of Androlina was usually known to these Aira kids. ¡°Of course, I took it from Cang Ye¡¯s gallery, hung right next to my companion¡¯s portrait,¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, ¡°Before smearing my friends with this milk... this unidentified liquid, I have to make sure it¡¯s safe to do so, and I hope you can understand.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The elder Elf nodded, ¡°Please proceed.¡± ¡°Lower your weapons, Kaladray, this Succubus is not an enemy.¡± ¡°Airamis? Elder Quirion?¡± The towering Elf hesitated, then slowly lowered his fully drawn longbow, and the other five Elves who had ¡®resurrected¡¯ alongside him did the same. Kaladray then noticed the abnormality of the surrounding environment, asking with a puzzled face, ¡°How did you get here? We were just... Oh no! It¡¯s the Mother of Demons!¡± ¡°Explain the current situation to them.¡± Lancelot nodded at the several prisoners who had been released earlier, then picked up the brush again and dipped it into a large bucket filled with the milky liquid, stirring it. Regardless of whether the liquid truly came from the body of the Mother of Demons, it had proven effective and could now be used on his own comrades. Ignoring the gasps from the Elves, Lancelot carefully swept the brush over his companions¡¯ portraits. The same phenomenon repeated itself; the flat figures rapidly swelled up and regained physical form before falling to the ground one after the other. ¡°Incredible,¡± Cromwell flew back in, ¡°If this stuff could be used directly on painted people, it¡¯d sell for a fortune...¡± ¡°Eh? What¡¯s happened to me?¡± The Dwarf, thanks to his height advantage, was the first to stand up. He looked around in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Weren¡¯t we just in Ulgog¡¯s office?¡± ¡°The Mother of Demons! It¡¯s the Mother of Demons!¡± Kalalin¡¯s voice rose in panic, then stopped abruptly. Scholar looked at Lancelot, then at everyone¡¯s condition, his face taking on a thoughtful expression. ¡°By the gods above, Dalarna! Is that you?¡± Acheron looked unbelievingly at the female Elf, ¡°Have I arrived in heaven?¡± ¡°Sister Elothysia? Why have you changed?¡± This was little Isha, who immediately noticed the transformation of the Succubus Paladin, her face filled with surprise. ¡°My friends, it¡¯s so good to see you all again,¡± Lancelot said to everyone with a big smile, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous about those ghastly instruments; we are safe now...¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 390: 404 Gratitude and Respect Chapter 390: Chapter 404 Gratitude and Respect ¡°In my memory, we were about to see the Mother of Demons lift her veil one second, and the next second it was as if we woke up from a nightmare and found ourselves in a completely different place,¡± the Scholar looked pensive as he spoke to Lancelot, ¡°So we actually did see the true terror of Cang Ye, only to lose that memory because it was too horrifying, before finding ourselves in a state of Eternal Stasis, is that right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°All of us turned into flat silhouettes and were hung in the Mother of Demons¡¯ gallery of living things.¡± ¡°What happened after that?¡± Alamir asked curiously, ¡°Who saved us?¡± ¡°Tijana found me using this,¡± Lancelot showed them the emblem of Twin Bridges Town as he spoke to the group, ¡°She used an Unbinding Spell on me, which allowed me to regain my freedom a few hours before the rest of you, but I realized that there was one person missing from the painting...¡± ¡°Ulgog brought me directly here and subjected me to all sorts of torture for a full twelve hours,¡± Elothysia glared at the hilt of Frostslash with anger, ¡°Luckily, Lancelot and Clone Well eventually came, and together we dealt with that devil...¡± ¡°Wait a minute, devil?¡± Kalalin immediately noticed something odd in the Succubus¡¯s words, ¡°Who are you talking about? Ulgog?¡± ... ¡°Exactly,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°If you think about it, there were quite a few clues hinting at its identity, like the well-organized office, the unusually high discipline of the Demon Legion, but we overlooked them all.¡± ¡°Why does big sis look... even better than before?¡± Little Isa asked Elothysia quietly, her eyes filled with curiosity, ¡°How did you do it? I really want to...¡± ¡°Lancelot has a special power that can enhance Abyssal creatures, which you should have seen, right?¡± the Succubus Paladin explained, ¡°But using this ability takes a great toll on him, and it¡¯s not something that should be used on you.¡± ¡°I see...¡± the little vampire sighed discontentedly, ¡°They say once you become an Undead, your body stops developing... I¡¯m so envious of your and Tijana¡¯s figure...¡± ¡°Thank you, Lancelot,¡± came Acheron¡¯s voice from one side, and the group turned to see the Elf Prince bowing with his former subordinates to the Human Knight, ¡°Not only did you save me, but you also brought me back together with two precious friends. Words cannot express my gratitude...¡± ¡°The credit isn¡¯t all mine,¡± Lancelot gestured with his mouth towards Elothysia standing nearby. ¡°That was the most splendid Evilbane Slash I have ever seen,¡± Talasher Morningstar bowed deeply to the Succubus Paladin, ¡°The prince has told us more about your deeds, and even compared with the greatest heroes of legend, you stand undiminished. My utmost respect, milady.¡± ¡°You flatter me,¡± Elothysia returned the gesture a bit embarrassedly, ¡°Without my companions¡¯ help, I fear I would have died many times over.¡± ¡°And our gratitude as well.¡± Another group of Elves approached, the warriors known as the Monsoon Brotherhood. Contrary to Lancelot¡¯s expectations, these supposed ancient Protectors were all following an elderly looking Elf leader. ¡°Sir Lancelot, Miss Elothysia, and all you noble warriors,¡± the old Elf spoke with frail but graceful composure, ¡°I haven¡¯t had the chance to introduce myself. I am Quirion Landale...¡± ¡°Landale the Great Elder?¡± Acheron¡¯s surprised voice interrupted, ¡°One of the earlier leaders of the Protectors, the first Speaker of the Council of Five? The Aira of Androlina have been extolling your name all this time; we thought you perished in that battle at Eskodel along with him...¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 391: 405: Identification Chapter 391: Chapter 405: Identification ¡°` ¡°I never truly died, but it¡¯s worse than death,¡± the old Elf said with a bitter smile as he shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ve been imprisoned for centuries upon centuries. During that time, I was forced to witness other captured Warriors endure horrendous torture. Cang Ye seemed to think it was splendid entertainment, and I¡¯m not even sure how much sanity is left in my mind.¡± ¡°Uncle Quirion, everyone has missed you so much!¡± At the moment, Honey Fruit clung to the old Elf¡¯s leg like a monkey, ¡°And your signature flower cakes, no one else¡¯s have even been half as delicious since! You... haven¡¯t forgotten how to make them, have you?¡± ¡°I suppose not, hehe.¡± The Elven Elder gently patted Aira¡¯s shoulder, signaling her to get down, then introduced the Elven Captain beside him to Lancelot, ¡°This is Kaladrey Yuyong, one of the finest Warriors in the Seasonal Brotherhood. He and his companions will be at your command, until we return to Melanthan, toasting in The Grand Garden.¡± ¡°For the sake of those pure children.¡± The well-equipped Elven warriors all bowed uniformly to Lancelot. ¡°It¡¯s my honor.¡± Lancelot returned the gesture with a knightly salute, ¡°Time is actually of the essence, and I need your help right now.¡± ... ¡°No problem, you can absolutely trust the weapons in our hands,¡± the Elves¡¯ Captain, Kaladrey, immediately responded, glancing at the metal doors on both sides of the interrogation room, ¡°Where do we start, Sir?¡± ¡°Actually, you won¡¯t need to use your weapon skills for the time being,¡± Lancelot beckoned to the skeleton, ¡°Bring out our ¡®spoils¡¯, and let them help pick.¡± ¡°Everything?¡± ¡°Everything.¡± Everyone listened in confusion to the strange conversation between Lancelot and the skeleton head, but Kalalin seemed to have thought of something, speaking in shock: ¡°Wait, did you guys manage to take these from Cang Ye¡¯s Gallery of Living Creatures...¡± ¡°Great Elder Quirion? Why are you here as well... Is that child Honeyfruit? Good heavens, have I arrived in heaven? But... what is that? A Succubus?¡± Not bad, he didn¡¯t start fighting right away. Lancelot, who had been eavesdropping with his ears perked up, muttered to himself. Elgan was speaking in a very ancient language of the Elves, but Lancelot understood it perfectly. ¡°That Succubus is not an enemy,¡± Kaladrey hurried to reassure, ¡°This isn¡¯t heaven either. Sir, what was happening in your memory just before this?¡± ¡°Are you really Kaladrey?¡± The short-haired Elf looked skeptically at his companion but still answered the question, ¡°I was just fighting with... Wait! It was the Mother of Demons! She was about to...¡± ¡°Lift her veil.¡± Another Elf who had just been restored interrupted, ¡°And the next second, we were here.¡± ¡°Actually, not the next second; centuries have passed since you saw Cang Ye¡¯s true face,¡± Kaladrey¡¯s voice carried a unique sorrow, ¡°We are in the Mother of Demons¡¯ Bone Castle. That Human Knight over there, his name is Lancelot, he just woke us up from the Eternal Stasis we were under because of Cang Ye¡¯s embrace. The Succubus is Elothysia; she is Lancelot¡¯s companion, a redeemed Succubus Paladin.¡± ¡°... Say that again, I¡¯m a bit lost.¡± ¡°Take a look behind you, Sir.¡± The short-haired Elf turned around to find the floor covered with paintings, some of which were rapidly expanding, their figures returning to their original forms. ¡°What is... going on?¡± ¡°They are all Protectors of Androlina, transformed into that state by Cang Ye, just like you and me,¡± Kaladrey said excitedly, ¡°Sir Lancelot and his companions have stolen the Mother of Demons¡¯ treasures, but we are still within Cang Ye¡¯s Bone Castle. There are Demons guarding beyond this room, so we need to awaken the mightiest warriors first. Only then will we have a chance to return to Androlina.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 392: 406: The Returning Heroes Chapter 392: Chapter 406: The Returning Heroes Despite having many questions, Elgan still immediately joined the action, helping the group to identify those powerful heroes from the scroll. The process wasn¡¯t difficult. Those whom the Mother of Demons would bother to deal with were no ordinary characters; more often than not, it was simply a matter of pointing out those he recognized. Those newly awakened were initially confused but soon joined the ¡®find people¡¯ action, while Lancelot became the character who simply stood in place, waving the brush. In order to save as much of the Mother of Demons¡¯ milk as possible, he even used his True Yuan to control the amount smeared on each person as precisely as he could, but the big barrel was quickly emptied. The last to be resurrected were three mighty Radiant Cloud Angels (Melanthan, the leader of the Aira Celestials, also a Radiant Cloud Angel). These three Aira knights, towering over ten feet tall with bronze skin and sinewy muscles, were Eskodel¡¯s guards, previously thought to have fallen along with the consort of the Star Queen, but their situation was clearly like Quirion¡¯s, simply sealed by the Mother of Demons. As Lancelot had anticipated, these newly resurrected heroes were all greatly puzzled by their surroundings and showed clear hostility towards the Succubus Paladin. However, familiar faces reassured them that the situation was under control, so they did not immediately launch attacks, allowing others to explain the situation of Elothysia. Thanks to the demon Ulgog¡¯s building of this interrogation room exceedingly large, it still didn¡¯t seem crowded even with over two hundred people packed inside. These naturally optimistic warriors, after their initial confusion, quickly became immersed in the joy of reuniting with old friends. Many saw friends they had thought dead for many years, each one overwhelmed with emotion; joy, excitement, and happiness¡ªthe positive feelings dispelled the originally grim atmosphere of the room. ... Seeing that no more milk was available, Lancelot nodded at Quirion, who then climbed atop a cabinet filled with various torture devices. ¡°Ahem! Ahem... ahem ahem!...¡± The old elf tried to capture everyone¡¯s attention, but his throat-clearing evolved into an almost uncontrollable fit of violent coughing. However, when he finally calmed down, everyone focused their gaze on him. ¡°You should all recognize me, and you should have a rough understanding of your situation, ahem, ahem...¡± ¡°Great Elder, are you alright?¡± ¡°Speak slowly, there¡¯s no rush, we¡¯re all listening...¡± After another bout of severe coughing, the succubus quickly stepped forward, placing her hand lightly on the back of Quirion. Holy power surged from her hands, and the old elf immediately stopped coughing. A wave of exclamations erupted from the crowd. ¡°Holy Healing! That¡¯s the Holy Healing Technique!¡± ¡°My goodness, she truly is a Holy Warrior!¡± Perhaps because of his volume, the room finally became a bit quieter. ¡°Listen, you all come from different backgrounds, from different eras, but you have one common identity, protectors of Androlina, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°The cute smiles of the Aira sisters, I will be the one to protect them!¡± ¡°Shut up, you pervert!¡± Seeing the situation on the verge of spiraling out of control again, Lancelot had no choice but to bellow: ¡°Melandthan is about to be overrun!¡± The room fell into an extreme silence for a moment, but the next second it became even noisier than before, tenfold. Some people were waving their arms dramatically, seeking to find out what exactly had happened; some drew their weapons, clamoring for a decisive battle with the demons; others pulled out their Crystal Balls from their pockets, hoping to clarify the situation in Androlina through prophecy-related spells. Lancelot had never considered himself to be part of the order alignment; after all, he had been a member of the Rebel Army, risking his life to try to overthrow the tyrant¡¯s rule. But now, he truly understood why it¡¯s said that forces of chaotic alignment always struggle to exert their real strength... Because they were simply too chaotic. Fortunately, over the past period of time, Lancelot had learned to deal with the folks of the chaotic alignment: if he was facing a group of demons, he had to display his power by punching a hole in the metal floor with his fist, for example; but now he only needed to raise his voice a bit more¡ªloud enough to overshadow everyone else¡¯s¡ªand that would suffice. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 393: 407 Too Loud Chapter 393: Chapter 407 Too Loud Lancelot began to silently gather his energy, channeling the True Yuan to his lungs. The Lion¡¯s Roar Skill that he had used during the fight with Zoel, the Matriarch, seemed appropriate for this occasion as well, as long as he didn¡¯t roar at people directly. ¡°Cang Ye has already teamed up with demons from Barto Hell!¡± The sound like thunder exploded in the room, leaving everyone momentarily deprived of their ability to speak. True Yuan is converted from nature¡¯s spiritual energy, and although Lancelot¡¯s Dantian was mostly depleted, he still used a considerable amount of True Yuan for that shout, which added a hint of power to rival the heavens and earth to his voice. ¡°The current General of the Demon Legion, Ulgog, is actually a noble of Bartez!¡± Taking advantage of the fact that the audience had recovered from the shock but had not yet had the chance to speak again, Lancelot hurriedly continued, ¡°With the help of Ulgog, the Mother of Demons has organized an army larger than any before!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This is impossible!¡± ... ¡°Ulgog is a Bartez?! (Abyssal language)¡± The sudden coarse guttural voice startled everyone, and Lancelot turned to see that the metal doors on either side of the room had been opened at some point. A few Succubuses and Berserk Demons stood at the door, staring blankly at the crowded group of people in the room. Lancelot then realized that his shout might have been a bit too loud. ¡°Human, are these demons good people too?¡± A tall Radiant Cloud Angel spoke up, and everyone turned to the Human Knight at once. ¡°No,¡± Lancelot shook his head and in a flash, drew his Frostslash, ¡°They are the minions of the Mother of Demons.¡± The crowd below erupted into an uproar; although the Human Knight himself did not understand what three fully-manned Demon Legions entailed, the audience¡¯s reaction clearly indicated that the situation was anything but optimistic. ¡°But why didn¡¯t Ulgog go with them? Why did he stay here?¡± another Radiant Cloud Angel asked. ¡°Pay attention to the Magic Formation beneath your feet. That¡¯s the most important task Cang Ye has assigned to the Demon.¡± Lancelot pointed to the center of the room, whereupon those standing there dispersed with a whoosh, revealing complex lines and Runes etched into the floor. ¡°That¡¯s an evil spell from the Nine Hells, capable of extracting energy from the pain of virtuous souls,¡± the old Elf explained immediately. ¡°And a Succubus Paladin is an extremely rare sacrifice that contains tremendous energy. Cang Ye just instructed Ulgog to sacrifice the Succubus during her battle with His Highness, the King Consort, to gain additional strength.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ve already disrupted that plan, a very good development,¡± another Radiant Cloud Angel nodded. ¡°With His Highness, the King Consort present, they can¡¯t expect an easy victory. But the demons still have an overwhelming advantage in numbers. We must return at once. The Protectors of Androlina need support.¡± ¡°Is there anyone among you who can perform that powerful Teleportation Magic to send us all back at once?¡± Bruto, who had not spoken until now, suddenly interjected, and that was also the question Lancelot wanted to ask. All eyes suddenly turned to the old Elf, the Great Elder known as Quirion Landale. ¡°To send so many of us back together, we would need to use the Ninth Circle¡¯s magic ¡®Portal to Another World¡¯. But that requires a perfect Diamond worth 5000 gold as a casting material...¡± Lancelot immediately pulled out a pigeon egg-sized sparkling Diamond from his pocket. ¡°...And the spell must be memorized in advance,¡± the old Elf said, looking at the gemstone in Lancelot¡¯s hand, swallowing hard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t even have my Spellbook right now, let alone the ability to cast such magic.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 394: 408: Terrifying Prospects Chapter 394: Chapter 408: Terrifying Prospects ¡°I have a way!¡± Another voice rang out from the crowd. Lancelot turned his head and saw a female elf in a long robe, holding a heavy book with a bark cover, who appeared to be a spellcaster. ¡°Honorable Great Elder, it is indeed a great honor to meet you. I am Leah Gemflower, an apprentice of your colleague, Elder Diboaoni. I was still an apprentice when you...sacrificed yourself.¡± The elf mage, clearly excited, bowed deeply to the old elf. When she straightened up, she realized that everyone¡¯s eyes were on her and she became somewhat stuttered, ¡°I...I have...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, child,¡± the old elf Quirion spoke with a calm voice. ¡°Do you have a way to help us?¡± ¡°Teleportation Array.¡± The female elf swallowed, unfolding her spellbook. ¡°I have prepared a Fifth Circle spell¡ªTeleportation Array. It was originally planned for a retreat with my companions after completing the mission. But I do not know how long I have been asleep, nor whether the combination of runes in Pascaler has changed...¡± ¡°What¡¯s this spell?¡± Lancelot whispered to Kalalin, who although only had the Third Circle of spell-casting ability, was actually very knowledgeable about magic. ... ¡°This spell is similar to a portal to another world¡ªit establishes a teleportation array that connects two places. Any creature entering the teleportation array during the active period of the spell will be teleported,¡± Kalalin quickly explained. ¡°Compared to the Ninth Circle¡¯s portal to another world, this spell has many limitations: first, the target destination must already possess an existing teleportation array, and the spellcaster must know the rune combination of the destination¡¯s array, otherwise the teleportation will not work...¡± ¡°I know the latest rune sequence for Pascaler,¡± said Acheron, who stood nearby. ¡°Friends, I am the current General of the Elf Guard and am familiar with all the major teleportation rune combinations in Androlina. Pascaler¡¯s is...¡± ¡°Another limitation is that the spell¡¯s effective time is extremely short, only about 6 seconds. However, if preparations are made in advance, it might just suffice for the two hundred of us...¡± the Scholar continued to explain to Lancelot as the Elf Prince spoke. ¡°But the most critical difference is that this spell cannot teleport across planes. Moreover, since the Abyssal Lords normally impose ceremonial defensive magic on their controlled planes, inter-planar teleportation within the Abyss must reach the strength of crossing planes, otherwise the risk of failure is very high.¡± ¡°So, a fully staffed demon legion would number over two thousand,¡± Lancelot¡¯s expression darkened. With his military knowledge, it wasn¡¯t hard for him to realize that the defenders of Pascaler wouldn¡¯t exceed five hundred, not even one-tenth of the enemy forces. ¡°General Mingyan, how large is Androlina¡¯s army now?¡± someone in the crowd asked Acheron, their eyes filled with hope. ¡°Pascaler¡¯s defenders consist of fifty Human Knights, three hundred Long Spear soldiers, and a hundred Elf Archers. Half a day¡¯s journey away in the Gift of Edington, there are three hundred reserves from Aira and Fairies, and Melanthan also adds up to five hundred,¡± ¡°What about the guardians of the Bedivere-Gian Forest?¡± asked a Radiant Cloud Angel, ¡°Is it still being guarded as a Holy Land?¡± ¡°Less than a hundred Radiant Aira,¡± answered Acheron with a very grave expression, ¡°What¡¯s worse, we didn¡¯t know until recently that the enemy was going to attack so soon, nor from which direction. Even if the defenders of Pascaler call for reinforcements now, they¡¯ll hardly hold until help arrives. But even if every Protector of Androlina were to assemble, I¡¯m afraid...¡± The room fell into an oppressive silence, the grim outlook leaving everyone breathless. ¡°I have a question,¡± Lancelot spoke up amidst the silence, ¡°About the King Consort Finier mentioned earlier, how did he come to Androlina? How did you all arrive initially? The Bedivere-Gian Forest, forbidden to outsiders... what exactly is inside it?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 395: 409: Possible Reinforcements Chapter 395: Chapter 409: Possible Reinforcements Unexpectedly, all eyes suddenly focused on the only Aira child present. ¡°Hmm? Why are you looking at me?¡± Mitra, who was lying on the head of a Radiant Cloud Angel, looked confused, ¡°Did you find something delicious?¡± ¡°Mitra, how long have you been locked up here? You must have never been outside, right?¡± Another Radiant Cloud Angel spoke to her in a tone that was clearly meant to coax a child. At the same time, they were secretly signaling to their companions, ¡°Would you like Ocryn to show you what it¡¯s like outside this building?¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Mitra immediately perked up, ¡°I¡¯ve been cooped up here for so long, I¡¯m about to go crazy...¡± ¡°Alright, go on, but just a circle outside this room, you can¡¯t go far!¡± Almost everyone was in on it, and in a swoosh, they pushed Mitra and the Radiant Cloud Angel beneath her out of the room. ¡°What are you all doing...¡± Lancelot was truly confused, ¡°Could it be that the secret of the Bedivere-Gian Forest can be revealed to me, but not to those Aira children?¡± ... ¡°You hit the nail on the head,¡± the old Elf Quirion sighed, ¡°This is the Abyss, where can you find a Holy Land? The forest holds nothing but a portal that leads straight to the Wilderness of Abandonment, the homeland of the Airas. Most Protectors came here through that portal, and if any Protector feels weary or wishes to start anew, they can also return to the higher planes through it.¡± ¡°But those trapped Aira children can¡¯t go through that portal, can they?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Quirion nodded, ¡°You must have noticed the fertile fields and pleasant climate south of the Hoffenstan River. That is actually the influence of the children¡¯s joy and hope on reality. And once they learn of a portal to their homeland that they cannot use, sorrow will spread among them like a plague and tragically tip the scales of war.¡± ¡°Starlight Strike!¡± Both Radiant Cloud Angels¡¯ eyes went wide, almost shouting the name of the weapon in unison. ¡°How could Eskodel¡¯s sword be in your possession?¡± ¡°Where did you find it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already promised to return it to the Aira of Androlina; if you don¡¯t believe me, ask Acheron,¡± Lancelot hurriedly calmed the two Aira Giants before him. Although they harbored no ill intentions, the aura they released when anxious still pressured him greatly, ¡°On the way to Gaomendikolia, we rested in a hidden cave. Just before dawn, a ghost came asking us to relieve her from an endless curse...¡± ¡°We passed through a sea of Demon Palace roses and found a sealed prison cell. After opening it, we discovered the ghost who had sought our help, but by then she had become a deranged banshee and immediately launched an attack on us. The battle was hard-fought¡ªyou¡¯ve all heard of the terror of a banshee¡¯s wail, haven¡¯t you? But my clever little sister here...¡± Lancelot pulled the small Isara to the front, ¡°just happens to be a Vampire, completely immune to the onslaught of negative energy. She slipped into the prison cell and poured a bottle of Shuni, the Priest¡¯s bathwater¡ªyes, that guy over there¡ªonto the banshee¡¯s skeleton...¡± ¡°A brilliant fight,¡± commented the other, more patient Radiant Cloud Angel, ¡°And it was in that prison cell that you found this short sword?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°I heard that any demon struck by this sword will immediately be teleported to the prisons of the Court of Stars, is that true?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 396: 410: Sending the Messenger Chapter 396: Chapter 410: Sending the Messenger ¡°Of course it¡¯s true,¡± said the third Radiant Cloud Angel, who entered the room from the other end with honeydew in hand, ¡°All three of us have followed Lord Eskodel and witnessed the power of this Divine Artifact many times.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that if we just capture a Demon, and then stab it with this sword, that demon will immediately appear in the prison within the Court of Stars, right?¡± Lancelot clapped his hands, ¡°If we place a request for help in the possession of this demon, and then tie the demon up elaborately and add some exaggerated decorations, it¡¯s bound to draw the attention of the prison guards...¡± ¡°That won¡¯t work,¡± said the impatient Radiant Cloud Angel, shaking his head vigorously, ¡°Those Barani guards will absolutely not open the prison doors unless it¡¯s a special circumstance, and although the Queen does inspect the prison regularly, no one knows when she will do it next.¡± The crowd fell into a brief silence, then Koula, who was standing in the corner of the room, suddenly spoke: ¡°Why don¡¯t we just send Elothysia directly?¡± ¡°She was killed in another dimension, so she can¡¯t leave it for ninety-nine years,¡± Alamir shook his head, ¡°Everyone knows that¡¯s the rule of the Abyss...¡± ... ¡°Wait, this might actually work!¡± Great Elder Quirion¡¯s face lit up with excitement, ¡°This artifact was crafted by Queen Movir with a piece of the Stellar Realm, right? The effect of transporting the target to the Court of Stars might also stem from the power of this piece of the Stellar Realm. Maybe it really can break the bounds of dimensional forces...¡± ¡°What exactly is the Stellar Realm?¡± Lancelot asked Cromwell through a mental link, keeping his facial expression unchanged so bystanders could not tell that he had not understood at all. ¡°An accurate definition would take about ten minutes to explain, including a dozen terms you¡¯ve never heard of,¡± the voice of the skull replied helplessly in his mind, ¡°I have a relatively straightforward booklet here that explains the definition of the Stellar Realm in three sentences. Want the shortened version?¡± ¡°Cut the crap and just tell me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the space between all matter; it¡¯s the path to all places; when you¡¯re nowhere, you¡¯re in the Stellar Realm,¡± the skull said mystically, ¡°That¡¯s what the book says. If the various Outer Layers are ships floating on the sea, then the Stellar Realm is the sea itself.¡± ¡°Pretty easy to grasp,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°By the way, what¡¯s this booklet called? I might need to read it thoroughly when I have the time...¡± ¡°Dimensional Manual,¡± the skull explained in a tone that suggested it was introducing some boring literature, ¡°The subtitle is... ¡®Mimir¡¯s User Guide, designed for beginners to the dimensions, reading this book will greatly reduce your chances of dying within an hour.¡± But she herself didn¡¯t notice the others¡¯ reactions. Following Lancelot¡¯s suggestion, the Succubus carefully drew Starlight Strike across the back of her hand. The sharp sword blade immediately cut through her skin, leaving behind a slender line of blood. ¡°Hmm, it doesn¡¯t seem to have any effect...¡± Elothysia said, puzzled, looking at the Great Elder who had said it would be fine, ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything unusual...¡± ¡°Dear, look at the top of your head.¡± Upon hearing this, Elothysia looked up and saw a blue-white halo appearing above her head at some point. ¡°Okay then, so...¡± Before she could finish speaking, a sudden suction force pulled her fiercely into the halo, and then the light circle quickly closed. There was a faint fragrance in the air, like that of a pine forest after rain. ¡°Ah, the scent of home.¡± Three Radiant Cloud Angels exclaimed in unison. ¡°Let¡¯s set off as well.¡± Acheron clapped his hands, ¡°Pascaler is being surrounded by ten times their number of enemies. If we can¡¯t get there quickly, I¡¯m afraid the defenders won¡¯t last until the Royal Court reinforcements arrive. Lancelot, you said you know a secret passage...¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite secret, but no matter how subtle, having over two hundred people move through will still make some noise,¡± Lancelot¡¯s gaze swept over the excited or anxious expressions on everyone¡¯s faces in the room, ¡°That path goes through the castle¡¯s army barracks, and there¡¯s at least half a Demon Legion inside. I need everyone to follow commands, keep quiet, and suppress the impulse to tear this damned castle apart. Don¡¯t forget there¡¯s another castle waiting for us to rescue. Can you all manage that?¡± ¡°Yes!!!!!!¡± ¡°Nodding is fine, stay quiet.¡± The Human Knight tilted his head toward one of the exits, ¡°This way.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 397: 411 Besieging the City Chapter 397: Chapter 411 Besieging the City Androlina, south bank of the Hoffenstan River, atop the lookout tower of Pascaler Fortress. Narciso squinted his eyes, sizing up the demon army that was crossing the river ahead, his fingers unconsciously brushing over his own quiver. This was his habit when encountering an enemy¡ªif the foes outnumbered his arrows, it was best not to act rashly. But today, this habit might not apply, since the enemy far outnumbered the ammunition in his quiver, and Narciso and his companions had no room left to retreat. Looking out into the distance, the demon army resembled a festering wound upon the land¡ªmerely seeing them filled him with extreme revulsion. Yet the enemy was still beyond his shooting range, and Narciso was already standing at the farthest spot from where arrows could be shot across the fortress. Around him were a group of elven archers, but none of their longbows matched the size of his. There were other traits that set Narciso apart as well, like his somewhat pointed yet not excessively long ears, his more robust physique, and the stubble on his chin. Yes, he was a half-elf, with a human father and an elven mother. In many worlds, half-elves could not fully integrate into human society and also found it difficult to adapt to life among the elf race, but not so in Androlina. Narciso¡¯s father was a great holy warrior, and his mother an elven ranger who had followed the Prince of Blazing Flame to this realm. They met in battle and what followed was a somewhat cliche? love story, culminating in Narciso¡¯s birth. ... Many elves, fully aware of the short lifespan of humans, were nonetheless irresistibly drawn to the passion and fervor of this race. Narciso¡¯s father would turn eighty in two years and, although he was still very healthy, both Narciso and his mother knew his life was nearing its end. If all went as usual, he would pass away in a warm bed, with his still young wife and son by his side. But you never know which will come first, an accident or tomorrow¡ªespecially in the Abyss, a plane that mortals spoke of with fear and dread. Narciso couldn¡¯t help but lower his gaze, looking down at the soldiers clustered on the city walls below. He immediately spotted his father, who was leading a large group of knights in prayer before the battle, asking for the blessing of his god¡ªHajonnis¡ªfor victory in the imminent fight. Donning that suit of armor, his father seemed to revert to his younger self. It wasn¡¯t the first time Narciso was watching his father from this spot, nor the first time he worried it might be the last. But deep down, Narciso knew that this time, it truly might be the last. ¡°That first time I saw him, it was under circumstances just like today¡¯s.¡± A light, feminine voice suddenly emerged next to his ear. Narciso quickly turned his head and found his mother standing behind him, tenderly looking at his father¡¯s back. ¡°...Has the Messenger for help been sent out?¡± ¡°Of course. But I doubt it will be of any use, even if they hurry here at their fastest, the Demons will have already blockaded the area by then...¡± A creaking sound of mechanical operation arose, and the four trebuchets mounted on the fortress¡¯s main keep fired. The ignited boulders emitted a piercing screech as they traced a fiery arc across the morning sky, then crashed heavily into the dense Demon throng, creating a violent explosion. Cheers came from all directions of the city wall, but the Martial Monk simply shook his head in silence. ¡°Hey! That was beautiful!¡± his Knight companion, who was just restless a moment ago, was now enthusiastically waving his arms, ¡°Do it again! Hm? Why that expression, are you unhappy with something?¡± ¡°Look at what¡¯s died, Coward Devils, Prime Demons, perhaps even some Aberrant Demons,¡± Hobinson said with a somber expression, ¡°Those things should have been saved to deal with the enemy¡¯s siege engines, instead they were revealed prematurely for some cannon fodder Demons.¡± As he spoke, the trebuchets launched a second volley of projectiles, which raised large red waves in the filthy Demon sea. One shot, in particular, flew especially far, landing in the middle of a bone bridge and smashing it to pieces on the spot, quickly washing away large numbers of Demons with the rolling river water. ¡°Oooooh!!¡± Another wave of cheers came from the crowd, but their voices soon quieted down, as the Demon Legion showed almost no signs of slowing down and were still rapidly approaching. The defenders of Pascaler were mostly humans, among them many experienced veterans, but most had only fought small bands of Demons and hadn¡¯t faced a Demon Legion of this scale head-on before. But the Elves knew, this battle would prove much tougher than their human comrades had thought, and it was too wasteful to spend their energy on cheering right at the start of it. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 398: 412: Cannon Fodder Siege Chapter 398: Chapter 412: Cannon Fodder Siege Just as the Elves had feared, the Demon Legion advanced like pervasive sewage, never halting in its steps. Direct threats were not only from the stones that fell from the sky but also from the large toads behind them, enforcing discipline with their sinister smiles as they tore the lagging Low Rank Demons into pieces, compelling these cannon fodder to relentlessly push forward. Perhaps it was the sheer number of their comrades that instilled unprecedented confidence, or perhaps it was the subtle influence of some Demon Spellcasters, but the Prime Demons and Coward Devils quickly found their hearts filled with desires of slaughter and destruction. The exquisite stone fortress before them was an eyesore, and the humans and Elves atop it were utterly revolting. These demons could hardly wait to charge forward, intending to kill, dismantle, and burn everything in sight until only ruins were left to satisfy them. They had long forgotten just how fragile they were. The watchtower started raining down dense volleys of arrows. The Archers hardly needed to aim, merely repeating the action of drawing and releasing as swiftly as possible. Metal-tipped arrows, aided by gravity, inflicted great damage, easily pinning several Low Rank Demons in place. Even if they did not kill their targets outright, these expendables were soon turned into mush under the trample of their comrades. A great number of demons fell under the arrow storm, but even more trampled over the bodies of their fellows and continued advancing towards the city walls. The Demon General did not equip these cannon fodder with either helmets or shields, allowing projectile weapons to easily cause heavy casualties. Yet in reality, each demon served as a shield for another, using their bodies to push the line right up to the base of the walls. ... The first claw reached Pascaler¡¯s wall, followed by more and more demons gathering at the fortress¡¯s base. The walls stood over fifteen feet high, naturally impossible for the demons to leap onto directly, but their sharp claws could dig into the crevices between the stones, allowing them to climb the near vertical barriers. Even though they were completely defenseless during this climb. Protectors on the wall initially threw down stones, and for those who climbed too close, they jabbed with Long Spears, their efficiency matching that of Archers shooting from high positions. It was a slaughter, as the defenseless Low Rank Demons were processed like livestock thrown into a meat grinder, quickly reduced to mince. ¡°Coward Devils are truly wonderful.¡± At the rear of the demon army, a Demon Commander couldn¡¯t help but remark. Such low-rank demons, being both foolish and cowardly, high-rank demons could merely wave an arm to command them to do anything; and yet they possessed quite the sturdy build, enabling them to serve various roles in the Demon Legion, from military provisions to cannon fodder, and from the current situation, even as building materials. This Demon Commander raised his massive pincers, commanding those who were truly elite to start crossing the river. Leading the way was a squad composed of Aberrant Demons, criminals among demons who could barely be considered more than cannon fodder, but after the real cannon fodder was depleted, it would be their turn to enter the fray. Following them was the main force of the Demon Legion, assault teams composed of Berserk Demons and Brezu Demons. These Middle Rank Demon soldiers emitted an entirely different air of danger; they were all clad in armor, albeit ill-fitting ones clearly stripped from the corpses of other races, but it still provided more comprehensive protection for the naturally robust bodies of demons; their weapons were not natural fangs and claws, but longswords, battle axes, and large hammers, which might give nimble Elves an advantage in small-scale fights, but in crowded battlefields, these large and heavy weapons were especially useful. But the time for these elites to take the field hadn¡¯t come yet; the demons were indeed fickle and unpredictable, but they were not foolish, at least those who had risen beyond cannon fodder were not. They preferred the thrill of slaughter, not the risk of a fair fight that could cost their own lives. Before these legionnaires carried out their decisive charge, it was best to let the cannon fodder wear down the defenders¡¯ strength as much as possible. The scene remained a one-sided massacre, with Protectors clad in finely crafted metal armor, wielding sharp treasured swords and long spears¡ªmany of which were enchanted with magic, while the low-rank beasts had nothing but their claws and not particularly hard scales, almost turning into corpses the moment they faced the city¡¯s warriors. But gradually, capitalizing on their sheer numerical advantage, these low-rank beasts managed to secure some footholds on the city walls. How does that saying go? Even a hundred chickens, if all slain, could exhaust the Butcher, let alone tough-skinned, biting Coward Devils. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 399: 413 Air Strike Chapter 399: Chapter 413 Air Strike Just as the battle on the city walls fell into a stalemate, a piercing screech suddenly filled the sky, forcing the archers in the watchtower to cover their ears. ¡°Flomos!¡± As the screeching ended, the soldiers heard the herald¡¯s roar, ¡°Watch your heads! Archers! Intercept them!¡± A flock of what seemed like crows approached from the sky, growing rapidly larger as they neared. These flying demons had gigantic black wings, humanoid body structures, and vulture-like talons, coupled with an unbearable loud squawking. The archers in the watchtower immediately shifted their aim, as these airborne demons posed a greater threat. Bereft of the supportive fire from above, the warriors grappling in close combat on the walls suddenly felt the pressure mount, as the enemy ascended the ramparts at a much faster speed, but the defenders found it difficult to increase their rate of killing. ¡°Damn it, where are our mages?¡± Tannis slipped back into complaint mode, wildly swinging his weapon, his swordsmanship severely deformed due to the drop in stamina. ¡°They¡¯ve been at work all along; it¡¯s just that you¡¯ve enclosed yourself in a metal can, so you don¡¯t feel it,¡± said another human warrior with subtle elven features, holding a peculiar crescent-shaped longsword that could easily gut an enemy with a light swing. ... ¡°What?¡± roared the knight, thrusting his sword blade into the chest of a Coward Devil, then smashing another Prime Demon¡¯s face with the hilt to create a large hole, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any lightning or fireballs...¡± ¡°He¡¯s talking about wind, my friend,¡± said the battling martial monk Hobinson, no longer as graceful as before, but still calm and composed, ¡°If not for magic, we¡¯d have been knocked out by the stench by now.¡± The martial monk spoke no exaggeration. Most demons carried severe odors, and although those who struggled for survival in the Abyss were mostly accustomed to it, the Coward Devil¡ªa foolish and weak demon¡ªhad elevated body odor to a weapon. They could emit yellow-green gas from every pore, smelling like...a mix of different mortal races¡¯ excrements heated in a large pot. The surrounding Elves cheered, but Narciso paid no attention to the final outcome of that demon. His eyes had already settled on the next target. The half-elf fired another arrow, and again it hit its mark, but this time it didn¡¯t deliver a fatal blow. The demon¡¯s figure wavered in the air but maintained its flying stance. Flomos, after all, were robust Middle Rank Demons with very tenacious life forces. Unless their hearts were pierced, these flying units of the demon armies could withstand dozens of longbow attacks, and coupled with their maneuverability at high flight speeds, the probability of casualty during a swarm assault under ideal conditions was not high. But they were demons, and once they entered the fray, there was no expecting them to act according to the original plan. This Flomo, clearly enraged by Narciso¡¯s attack, let out a shrill roar, turned its body, and lunged towards the watchtower, attempting to tear the half-elf to pieces with its sharp foreclaws. What met it was a dense wall of arrows. The archers, who had held back their frustration due to the enemy¡¯s altitude and distance, would not miss this chance to target one that had come into range. The rapidly approaching Flomo was immediately filled with arrows and hit the wall of the watchtower hard before tumbling down, toppling a few unfortunate Coward Devils. Narciso¡¯s human side made him want to peek out and spit at the corpse of the Flomo he had just killed, but his elfin side found that very inelegant. He swiftly locked onto the next target and once again pulled his longbow taut, but in his heart, a sense of powerlessness surfaced¡ªthe enemies were too numerous, and even if all the defenders had a magic longbow like his, it would be impossible to stop the demons from achieving their goal. The black wings of the Flomos instantly covered the few trebuchets, like vultures descending upon carcasses. The demons used hands and teeth alike, biting and clutching, and when they took flight again, only a pile of debris remained; the mighty siege machines were no more. In the distance, the low and terrifying sound of horns sounded once more, and the tide of demons made up of the Demon Legion began another surge. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 400: 414: Encountering the Butcher Again Chapter 400: Chapter 414: Encountering the Butcher Again ¡°The big guy ahead doesn¡¯t look easy to deal with,¡± Acheron said, withdrawing his head from around the corner, ¡°Is there another way?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°but this is the way I just came from.¡± ¡°It was just you alone, slipping by that creature naturally wasn¡¯t difficult,¡± the Elf Prince shook his head, ¡°but this time it¡¯s different, we have so many people behind us, either we find another way around, or we have to kill that monster.¡± ¡°And me,¡± the voice of Clone Well came from Lancelot¡¯s waist, ¡°Lancelot wasn¡¯t alone at the time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so small, you don¡¯t count as a person,¡± Acheron glared at the skull in annoyance, ¡°The corridors here are really too narrow, accommodating at most three people side by side. Fighting in such an environment, who knows how much it will cost to take down that monster? Besides, we¡¯re pressed for time...¡± The enemy they were discussing was naturally the ¡®Butcher¡¯ mentioned by the goblin chef. After coming out of the interrogation room, Lancelot led more than two hundred people back the way he had come, without encountering any major trouble along the way. ... Roaming Aberrant Demons were not considered major trouble, but the High Rank demons caged up took great interest in this group of people. These creatures, who had previously postured as important beings in front of Lancelot, offering power and wealth, were now as meek as kittens, fearing being singled out and released for slaughter. They could see clearly that the Human Knight who had slipped in there earlier had only a strange skull with him, acting all sneaky as if afraid of being discovered. How did he manage to lead out such a large army in the blink of an eye? Yes, an army. Groups of four or five are called adventure teams, more than a dozen can be called a mercenary band, but how many people were following behind this Human Knight? An immense crowd, almost endless in sight, and each one seemed well-equipped, with a resolute gaze, and an air of not being easily messed with. Although they were captives captured by the Mother of Demons in their time, the Mother of Demons couldn¡¯t possibly deal with so many at once. This troop of two hundred could be thrown onto the battlefield of blood and might not stand out, but against a single Barlow Flame Demon or an Abyssal Demon Refinement, under the siege of these two hundred, it would be akin to delivering one¡¯s own head. In fact, quite a few had suggested taking this opportunity to just level the stronghold of Cang Ye¡ªthis had been a collective wish of the Protectors of Androlina through the ages, but Acheron successfully convinced everyone to prioritize rescuing Androlina. These noble warriors, who came to the Abyss to protect Aira, naturally understood what was more important: their kin¡¯s lives or the Abyssal Lord¡¯s home. ¡°No,¡± Kalalin shook her head decisively, ¡°There is indeed a spell that turns stone to mud, but it¡¯s beyond my casting abilities. Besides, as far as I know, that spell only works on naturally formed rocks. It wouldn¡¯t affect stones that have been cut like these.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Lancelot scratched his head, feeling conflicted. He had ways to kill that monster, but it would certainly require a lot of effort. At the moment, Lancelot had less than twenty percent of his True Yuan left, and there was still a great battle awaiting him. He needed to save as much of his precious True Yuan as possible. ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s time to resort to that method,¡± Lancelot sighed, ¡°Bruto, you and I will put on the Transformation Rings and lure it away...¡± ¡°Why me?¡± the Dwarf asked curiously, ¡°And why not bring Kalalin along?¡± ¡°Kalalin¡¯s style after transformation is similar to mine. But you...,¡± Lancelot chose his words carefully, ¡°are different. Maybe the monster will prefer your style after you¡¯ve transformed?¡± ¡°Good taste,¡± the Dwarf seemed quite pleased, impatiently pulling out the ring, ¡°Let¡¯s get started...¡± ¡°Wait... Alright then,¡± Lancelot swiftly averted his gaze from the bearded Succubus¡¯s face, ¡°Acheron, you take the others and continue down this corridor. Make a left at the second intersection, then go straight until you reach a three-way junction. Turn right there, and at the end, you¡¯ll find stairs going up. Wait for me there.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± the Elf General nodded, ¡°The two of you be careful.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us,¡± Lancelot smiled, ¡°You might encounter some Low Rank Demons there. They¡¯re meant to be fodder, so just take them out. You may also run into Goblins, those foolish creatures are here because they were tricked. If they¡¯re not a threat, you can spare them.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 401: 415 Classic Tactics Chapter 401: Chapter 415 Classic Tactics ¡°Big brother, are you sure this method works?¡± Bruto, transformed into a Succubus, and Lancelot walked side by side out of the corner, approaching the huge figure sitting on the ground with its back to them. ¡°Of course I¡¯m not sure,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Our goal is to lead it away. If the process is about being chased rather than hunted, the experience should be much more pleasant.¡± They did not deliberately hide the sound of their footsteps, and the monster in front seemed to have heard the movement behind it but didn¡¯t pay any attention, instead focusing intently on what it was doing. Lancelot and Bruto circled to the front of the monster from left and right and saw a scene that made their stomachs churn: the creature was gnawing on a humanoid being that had been skinned. Yes, the monster that the Goblin Head Chef called Paji had taken off its headgear and was eagerly feasting. The goblin had described its face as an Ogre¡¯s head soaked in cow urine for three days, and Lancelot thought the description was quite vivid. ... As for what it was eating... since half of it had already been gnawed away, it was difficult to determine whether the blurred mass of flesh once belonged to a goblin or a gnoll, but watching it shove limbs that were still dripping with blood and recognizable as hands and shins into its mouth, even Lancelot couldn¡¯t help feeling a shiver crawl up his scalp. However, he still noticed some details: the creature¡¯s teeth were not sharp, they were more adapted to chewing than tearing, making it seem more human than beast; its massively gaping mouth at the bottom was so large it could fit a Halfling, allowing food to slide directly into its throat without the need for swallowing. ¡°Hey, big guy!¡± Bruto, seemingly unaffected by the scene in front of him, greeted with a light tone, ¡°What are you eating that smells so good?¡± The Butcher turned its attention away from its food and looked toward the source of the voice. Its swollen face featured two round eyeballs hanging without eyelids, resembling eggs pressed into a snowman for eyes. It didn¡¯t seem much interested in Lancelot after his Transformation, making the Human Knight feel a strange sense of loss. However, upon seeing Bruto¡¯s bearded Succubus face after his Transformation, the monster¡¯s eyes bulged out like those of a goldfish, as if it had seen something incredible. ¡°Whoa! Pervert!!¡± Bruto¡¯s voice even took on a whining tone, the usually fearless Dwarf experiencing a threat he had never felt before: someone was coveting his body. This was, to the Dwarf, quite terrifying. Lancelot too was startled by the monster¡¯s abrupt attack. Although he managed to dodge the hook, he could tell from the passing rush of air that the force was substantial. Not to mention Bruto¡ªeven he would have been pulled right up to the monster if hit, and what might happen next, Lancelot did not want to find out. Their pace of escape suddenly increased, all the while having to dodge iron hooks hurled at them from behind. In no time, Lancelot led Bruto to the outskirts of the kitchen where the Goblins worked, taking much less time than planned. Their task was to draw the monster away to create an opportunity for the others to slip by¡ªreturning too soon might end up causing the chasing monster to collide with their companions. Lancelot knew that he and Bruto must engage with the creature for a few more minutes, but the heavy iron hook was no joke; every second spent near this beast increased the likelihood of serious injury. After turning another corner, they had reached the outside of the kitchen. Instinctively, Lancelot pulled Bruto into a half-open door, just in time to see the Goblin Head Chef Rotfoot stumbling to his feet from the ground. ¡°Who goes there... oh¡ªHey~! Hi~ two beauti¡ªAHHH!! Monster!!!!¡± In less than a heartbeat, a mix of confusion, surprise, and flattering expressions crossed the Head Chef¡¯s face, ultimately freezing in terror. Even a Goblin couldn¡¯t deal with the concept of a bearded Succubus. It wasn¡¯t Lancelot¡¯s intention to pick this specific room, but an idea flashed in his mind as he looked towards a wooden barrel open in the corner. The Goblin had claimed it contained water from the Stygian River, and being a resident of Twin Bridges Town, Lancelot could tell it was the real deal. Rather than risk being hooked by the creature, perhaps they could use this most mysterious liquid from the Multiverse to keep the monster at bay for a while. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 402: 416: The Waters of the Stygian River Chapter 402: Chapter 416: The Waters of the Stygian River With a loud splash, the Goblin Head Chef passed out on the ground once more, clearly frightened by the big-bearded Succubus, while the Butcher¡¯s heavy footsteps were quickly approaching, ready to burst in at any moment. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Bruto had already taken out his hammer, ¡°Shall we fight it?¡± ¡°Stay back and help me draw its attention!¡± Lancelot ran to the barrel, slapped the side with his hand, and the liquid inside gathered into a water orb, floating in mid-air under the control of his True Yuan. The Stygian River flows through all the lower planes, and its tributaries are widespread across many layers of the planes. The water varies in color depending on the location, but the most common is a black, wine-like color, also with an oily slickness. This liquid is also one of the most potent poisons in the Multiverse, with just a touch producing effects similar to the Foolish Art Technique, and drinking it can result in the loss of the last eight hours of memory at the least, or at worst, cause someone to permanently forget their identity. There was a similar example right beside them, Clone Well, whose skull-like state seemed as if he had been soaking in the Styx for days. Although that Butcher already appeared foolish enough, if it could be made to forget who it was and what it should do for a while, then Lancelot¡¯s mission would be considered complete. ... After controlling the water orb, Lancelot flapped his wings and flew to the ceiling, just as the monster¡¯s gigantic figure appeared outside the door, its gaze fixed on the frantic Dwarf. ¡°Hey, big guy!¡± Lancelot immediately called out, ¡°Look here!¡± The monster instinctively looked up and even slightly opened its mouth. Lancelot swiftly swung his hand, hurling the floating black water orb toward the monster¡¯s head, hitting it squarely. The water orb burst on the creature¡¯s face, drenching its entire body instantly. Some liquid must have slipped through its slightly open mouth, causing it to cough violently, while Lancelot quickly flew a bit further away, also summoning a Protective Sword Shield around him to avoid being splattered by the monster¡¯s saliva. Gradually, the monster¡¯s coughing ceased. It stood there, looking dazed with a vacant expression, trying to step forward but immediately tripping over its other foot and falling to the ground. Like an overturned turtle, it flailed its limbs clumsily and could not even manage to roll over, eventually letting out a loud, baby-like, helpless cry. ¡°Is it... over like that?¡± Bruto, still shaken, walked over, ¡°Was the water you poured on him... Styx water?¡± ¡°Enough, even the Demons wouldn¡¯t believe that,¡± Lancelot waved his hand, interrupting him, ¡°You don¡¯t have to come with us if you don¡¯t want to, but this castle will likely become very chaotic soon. If you want a chance to slip away, it¡¯d be best not to miss this opportunity.¡± The Goblin didn¡¯t speak, just looked at them with a distrustful gaze. After all, he was a Goblin, and in his dictionary, the concept of helping others simply did not exist, so he was questioning the real intentions of this human before him. ¡°Suit yourself, consider it extra compensation for the information you provided before,¡± Lancelot clapped his hands, rising from his crouched position, ¡°By the way, your friend Paji, the Butcher, is in there. I just poured a bucket of Styx Water all over him and now he seems to have forgotten how to even stand. Didn¡¯t he kill one of your kin? If you want vengeance, now might be a good opportunity.¡± Having said that, Lancelot no longer looked at him, pulling Bruto toward the corridor where they had agreed to meet up with the others. Minutes later, the two men rejoined the main group. Lancelot was relieved to see the crowd maintaining quiet, even their conversations were whispers; however, everyone¡¯s faces looked unnatural, the reason for which he could guess. ¡°Did you take a look inside?¡± Lancelot greeted Acheron, who was waiting at the back of the troop. ¡°Kaladray is leading a few warriors in there taking care of those giant worms before they turn into something worse,¡± the Elf Prince, who had been looking anxious, visibly relaxed upon seeing the two, ¡°Although everyone has extensive combat experience, not many have had the chance to venture into other places. Some find it hard to adapt to the shock of that scene...¡± ¡°That¡¯s normal, I got quite a shock myself the first time I came here,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving, the staircase to the Throne Hall is at the very back, but first, we need to get through a huge cave used as a barracks. Kalalin, you will definitely find that place interesting...¡± He suddenly stopped speaking and looked up toward the end of the corridor. Several Elf warriors came running out in a panic, clutching their weapons tightly; Kaladray, who was the last one out, appeared relatively calm but had a very serious expression. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 403: 417 Commanders Demeanor Chapter 403: Chapter 417 Commander¡¯s Demeanor ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± the old Elf, Quirion, approached and asked. All the resurrected heroes recognized him, or at least had heard of his great fame, so naturally, he took on the role of leader. ¡°There are enemies.¡± Kaladray said succinctly as he looked toward the approaching Lancelot, ¡°Is there another passage?¡± ¡°I only know of this one.¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°How many enemies are there?¡± ¡°A dozen Berserk Demons, clamoring for meat.¡± Another Elf next to Kaladray immediately responded, ¡°They are coming down from the top of the stairs, we have at most one minute...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s deal with them in the room ahead, it¡¯s too narrow here.¡± the Elf commander intervened, ¡°There are plenty of places suitable for hiding inside, we could ambush...¡± ¡°Right.¡± Lancelot knew it wasn¡¯t the time for hesitation and decided promptly, ¡°I¡¯ll try to scare them off first, you hide with the men on the side, and if a fight breaks out, block the retreat immediately ¡ª we cannot let any demon escape!¡± ... ¡°Understood.¡± The Elf commander was also not the type to dawdle. He selected several warriors and immediately entered the room. However, many others still stayed outside; anxious voices arose from all around, and even though the enemy had not yet appeared, everyone drew their weapons. Glancing around, Lancelot felt a familiar sense of de?ja? vu, as if he were back in Albert¡¯s army, facing a group of soldiers waiting for the battle to begin. ¡°Everyone, keep calm and listen to me,¡± Lancelot¡¯s voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of all present, ¡°We are the most elite heroes of Androlina over centuries, no matter how many enemies there are, they cannot possibly be a match for us. Our concern should be that the battle drags on too long and delays our aid for Pascaler.¡± The Scholar gently pulled, loosening the knot binding the scroll. A green gleam flashed in his eyes, and the next second, orange-red flames illuminated Lancelot, like lighting a torch in the dim room, drawing the attention of any creature entering towards him. Watching the dancing flames, Lancelot took a deep breath and then closed his eyes. His Divine Sense traveled within his body, searching for a special, dormant power of flame. A gift from Kaldu, the Lord of the Flame Demons. This process was like searching for a particular candle among the grand candle holders at an altar, only that the candle holder was Lancelot¡¯s own body, so he found what he wanted almost immediately. Then, he carefully guided the nearly depleted True Yuan from his Dantian and used this special candle to ignite the True Yuan. Those still outside the door felt a terrifyingly powerful presence, as if a Demon Lord had suddenly appeared inside the room. Had it not been for Lancelot¡¯s recent claim about his special abilities to frighten off demons, many would likely have charged in to fight desperately by now. Standing at the forefront, Kalalin saw clearly; the Human Knight¡¯s appearance hadn¡¯t changed, but the aura he emitted was nearly identical to the mysterious entity summoned during the rescue of Elothysia. An easily seen-through flame illusion? One must actually look to determine that, and with the aura Lancelot was now emitting, who would dare look him directly in the eye? The situation went even smoother than Lancelot had anticipated. Sensing that frightening presence, the Berserk Demons approaching this way didn¡¯t dare enter the room and turned back to flee. ¡°Everyone, maintain your formation and follow me!¡± Lancelot shouted to those behind him while continuing to burn his True Yuan and relentlessly releasing the mighty demon aura. ¡°Move quickly, I can¡¯t hold on much longer!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 404: 418: Arriving at the Throne Hall Chapter 404: Chapter 418: Arriving at the Throne Hall The crowd hesitated before entering, and although Kalalin had already dispelled the extravagant Flame Illusion, Lancelot¡¯s heart-thumping aura hadn¡¯t faded one bit. Even knowing that he was not a Demon, it was still hard for the people to spot any flaws in his ¡®disguise¡¯. Those who felt it most were naturally Kaladray and the others who had been lurking in the room in advance. When the Human Knight began to emit the aura of Demons, these brave warriors were almost ready to leap out and fight, but in the end, they were still stopped by Kaladray. What the Scholar was pondering was, ¡°Was it really necessary to pair it with those Flame Illusions? A Third Circle Spell slot, just wasted like that...¡± ¡°How did you... how did you do this?¡± The Great Elder Quirion asked hesitantly, a hint of caution in his eyes. Having been fully conscious throughout the battle with the Demons, the old Elf had seen the ¡®Mutation¡¯ process of the Succubus, and with the current aura of the Human Knight, it was indeed normal to be skeptical. ¡°It¡¯s somewhat related to the Cultivation Technique I practice, but it¡¯s a bit complicated to explain right now,¡± Lancelot waved his hand, ¡°If you still want to return, then you¡¯d better keep up.¡± Without offering further explanations, he turned and headed for the corridor at the end of the room. After exchanging glances, the people eventually followed. Whether the intentions of this strange Human Knight were good or bad, the fact that the Demonic army was already at the gates of Pascaler was certain, and without him, these people could not have been freed from the eternal stasis. ... The spiraling stairs upward were narrow, at some points allowing only two people to walk side by side, but the well-organized line made the journey smooth. The group quickly passed along the corridor from the edge of the vast cave-like barracks; originally, several exits were guarded, which would have easily revealed this large-scale party, but the pressure emitted by Lancelot kept those low and mid-rank Demons from daring to approach, allowing everyone to pass through without incident. But it was no longer possible further up, where the Throne Hall and the portal were located, and the Succubus Guards inside would not be so easily frightened away. Just as they were nearing the exit, the High Rank Demon aura on Lancelot began to fade, causing the Succubus Guards to shift from fear to suspicion. He would have liked to keep up the facade, but at the moment, the True Yuan within his Dantian was almost completely depleted, and he simply couldn¡¯t maintain it any longer. ¡°Hey! That was my prey!¡± came a dissatisfied shout from a Dwarf¡¯s head, and Bruto looked up to see an Elf giving him an irritated look. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s not the time to be so petty!¡± Although he spoke thus, the mischievous grin on Bruto¡¯s face betrayed his true thoughts. While not particularly keen on killing, taking down an enemy surely felt good, Elves and Dwarfs alike. Accompanying Bruto was another Elf Warrior, who adopted the same strategy as Kaladray: quickly gaining higher ground nearby and then shooting arrows at distant enemies. He too successfully hit his target, but couldn¡¯t immobilize the Demon like his Captain did. More warriors poured out of the portal, all of them immediately noticing the vast Portal in the hall, but these well-trained fighters didn¡¯t stand idly¡ª they systematically occupied various high points, unleashing a rain of arrows from their Longswords at the enemy, while some followed Lancelot¡¯s lead, charging at the enemy with Longswords in hand. Lancelot had already cleaved the fallen foe in half with his Giant Sword Glacier, and a great deal of blood gushed from the Demon¡¯s abdomen, instantly staining the ground red. Yet the Demon wasn¡¯t dead; it propped itself up with its smaller arms, swinging its massive pincers, trying to grab the Human Knight before it. But its companions failed to display such bravery. The Demons unexpectedly found themselves outnumbered in their own lair, and the gap quickly widened to several tens times their number. The two furthest Succubi were still shouting loudly, but their legs were moving in the opposite direction of their enemy. They quickly reached the doors of the Throne Hall, and then ran away without looking back. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 405: 419 Portal Chapter 405: Chapter 419 Portal In people¡¯s general impression, Demons are either corrupters lurking in the dark, spreading decay and chaos everywhere, or they are mad and frenzied destroyers, bringing slaughter and destruction wherever they go. For the latter, these supernatural beasts never flee from battle but fight to death until the last moment, spitting at their opponents even when their limbs are severed and their teeth plucked out. But that is not the true nature of demons. Scholars had long understood that Fiends, when killed outside their native plane, do not truly die; instead, they are reborn in the plane where they were born. This includes both the Tanari Demons of the Bottomless Abyss and the Yugros Demons of Scorched Flame Hell, as well as the Bartez Demons of Nine Hells. This means that these members of the Demon Race do not have any concerns when fighting outside their native planes. Most areas of the Bottomless Abyss are not suitable for living, even for Demons. Most Demons are permanently imprisoned in this plane, suffering from the harsh conditions of the Abyss and often enslaved and tortured by more powerful demons, constantly at risk of being sent on dangerous missions or becoming the vent for their ¡°master¡¯s¡± capricious moods. The only consolation for these Demons is the torment of other ¡°people¡± ¡ª whether weaker inferior Demons or those ¡°Adventurers¡± who intrude into the Abyss. The premise above holds unless they find a way to leave the Abyss. For those lowly, miserable Demons, traveling to other planes is like going to a carnival, and mortals¡¯ impressions of Demons are based on those who run wild on the Prime Material Plane. Not all demons possess the ability to leave the Abyssal Plane. This requires profound magic knowledge and great power, or a cultist calling their names on the material plane; ordinary Demons clearly cannot possess either. ... Ironically, Demons who want to leave cannot escape, while those who can rarely have the motivation to do so ¡ª these powerful demons are among the ruling classes of the Abyss and usually focus their energies on maintaining and enhancing their power to compete with rivals, rather than causing trouble on the Prime Material Plane. Therefore, seeing that the number of enemies, whose origins were unknown, was increasing, and their combat power clearly surpassed their own, the two most distant Seducer Demons did not hesitate to flee. The remaining four Seducer Demons were quickly killed under the siege of the crowd. Lancelot did not try to pursue the fleeing Demons; given his current condition, even if he caught up to them, a quick kill would be difficult, and with the portal framed with skeletal remains just in sight, returning to Androlina was the top priority. ¡°Is that Lamborado Lake?¡± The Great Elder Quirion stepped beside Lancelot and pointed at the blurry scene in the center of the portal, ¡°Which means, the other end of the portal is on Mother Mountain...¡± ¡°Endless,¡± Lancelot grimly answered. ¡°Get your men ready.¡± ¡°Prepare for battle!¡± Kaladray shouted immediately, ¡°Defensive formation!¡± A murmur stirred among the crowd, but they quickly sprung into action. The Guardians¡¯ defensive formation was uncomplicated: warriors armed for melee formed a dense line at the front, while archers took to various elevated positions behind them. Lancelot and his companions easily found their places within the formation. Before everyone had fully formed up, a swarm of Coward Devils burst in through the great doors of the Throne Hall. Archers immediately shot arrows, and these lesser demons couldn¡¯t advance more than a couple of steps before collapsing to the ground, their bodies resembling dead hedgehogs bristling with arrows. But this was no good sign, as the lack of coordinated command became apparent when a large group of Berserk Demons charged in behind the Coward Devils. The incoming fire was noticeably scantier, and these Berserk Demons were not ordinary foes; clad in various armors and wielding heavy shields, their sheer weight could scatter the Guardians¡¯ line if they smashed through. Lancelot no longer had True Yuan to summon vines; he gripped his Great Sword tightly. Others might not withstand the heavy demons¡¯ charge, but he was determined not to let the enemy breakthrough his defense from the front! But he almost forgot, there were still spellcasters on his side. Kalalin quickly unfurled a scroll and activated the spell inscribed within in an instant. He loudly called out the trigger words, which were also the spell¡¯s name: ¡°Web!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 406: 420 Elves Front Chapter 406: Chapter 420 Elves Front The brown-yellow radiance of the Curse Magic System¡¯s spells flashed by, and a vast amount of milky white spider webs were magically conjured out of thin air, hanging on the floor, pillars, and ceiling, forming barrier after barrier. These spider webs were extremely sticky, only agile movement techniques could dodge them, but those Berserk Demons in heavy armor, charging with shields, had a hard time reacting in time and slammed into the webs head-on. These spider webs secured precious time, allowing the defenders to fully deploy their formation, with every archer finding a good vantage point, while the trapped demons became live targets. Still, some Berserk Demons struggled free of the webs through brute force, but they had lost their momentum, and the waiting elves warriors were ready for them. As Middle Rank Demons, the most remarkable attribute of the Berserk Demons was actually their constitution. Those barely making it to the front lines were already pierced by seven or eight arrows and simultaneously attacked by at least three weapons from both sides, but one should never underestimate the combat power a seemingly almost-dead demon could unleash. Continually, warriors were severely wounded by the dying strikes; claw hits or bites from the Berserk Demons, but fortunately, no one had died yet. Whenever someone got injured, another warrior would immediately swap out the wounded comrade, and little Isabella would rush over to take care of the injured, bandaging their wounds. Perhaps due to the talents of the Blood Race, wounds tended by her would always stop bleeding quickly, and Koula would then pour a potion of her own making into the mouths of the injured. The cooperation of the two had an immediate effect, and Alamir who was ready to cast the Healing Divine Art found himself with no need to assist and simply found a high spot, turning into a Holy Fire Technique artillery. Lancelot and Bruto, not familiar with the elves¡¯ battle formation, their body sizes would disrupt the tidy defensive line. They and some other non-Elf Race warriors gathered on the flanks of the line, protecting their comrades¡¯ sides. ... Demons have always despised orderly formations, but they also knew such formations were not easy to provoke, so many that broke through the spider webs attempted to trouble the sides. Lancelot had especially bad luck, being tall among humans and emanating a subtle aura that made ¡®Fiends¡¯ apprehensive, causing them to subconsciously avoid him, leaving him to stand idly by. However, Lancelot didn¡¯t break ranks to attack alone and remained shoulder to shoulder with the others. Apart from being a knight, he was an experienced commander and knew very well the importance of tight infantry formations. Bruto was much happier, as several Berserk Demons charged towards him, but demons often focused on taller enemies¡ªsuch minions that regularly fought elves instinctively judged threats based on size, and the Dwarf, resembling a barrel, was fatally overlooked. A lifetime of working beside forges gave Bruto a special technique: he could make a massive noise on the metal surface with his hammer. One could only see him slamming his hammer onto the knee of a Berserk Demon in armor, followed by a deafening sound to everyone¡¯s ears, then watching that Berserk Demon wailing and clutching its knee, losing balance and falling to the ground. ¡°Twenty from each side, withdraw formation!¡± The Elf Captain immediately shouted, ¡°Some Archers go too, we can still hold on here!¡± At his words, the elves quickly sprang into action, the warriors on both sides of the frontline orderly retreated from the ranks, and some archers who were further from the Portal jumped down from their positions, gathering around the Elven female Mage. ¡°You guys go straight on through,¡± the Radiant Cloud Angel waved to the group, ¡°I¡¯ll stay here to help out.¡± ¡°Lancelot, you go too!¡± Kaladray shouted to the Human Knight, ¡°Leave the rearguard to us!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Lancelot shook his head. Behind him, Kalalin was still maintaining the Spider Web Technique, keeping a state of focused spell-casting. As the leader of this small mercenary group, he wouldn¡¯t leave any comrade behind. Hearing this, Kaladray did not insist further and turned back to continue commanding the battle. With nearly a third of their forces now gone, the pressure of the defense naturally increased significantly, and as more Demons breached in, the Spider Web was nearing its breaking point. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t need to hold out for too long. Barely two minutes later, someone again came through the Portal, shouting to everyone: ¡°The Teleportation Array is ready!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 407: 421: Breaking Through the Encirclement Chapter 407: Chapter 421: Breaking Through the Encirclement The warriors, still fighting fiercely, felt a surge of spirit as the Elven captain immediately commanded, ¡°Archers, retreat! Everyone else, do not panic, tighten the formation!¡± If it had been the Demons¡¯ army, they would certainly have fled in an every-man-for-himself scramble, fearing to become the stepping stone for another, but the Elves were different. They moved backwards in orderly steps while still fighting, the warriors on the flanks moving back faster, turning the initially straight line into an arc, to avoid putting too much pressure on the center of the line. The line stopped again less than ten feet from the Portal, and everyone unleashed their utmost fighting power to swiftly eliminate the enemies before them, gaining a brief respite before the next wave of Demons charged at them. ¡°Everyone through the Portal! Quick, quick, quick!¡± There was no struggle for position nor undue politeness, those closer went first, and those farther back covered their retreating comrades. The Portal was very spacious, clearly designed for the larger Demons, thus allowing several warriors to pass through simultaneously. However, as the number of defenders rapidly decreased, the fight became much more perilous. ... As the others retreated towards the Portal, a few of the strongest warriors gathered around Kalalin. The Scholar was still struggling to maintain the Web Technique, and everyone was acutely aware that once the Spell was lifted, the Demons trapped in the web would instantly overwhelm them, hence, nothing could be allowed to happen to him until the very last moment. Lancelot, of course, remained there too, and compared to the lack of attention he¡¯d gotten before, he now became the target of the Demons¡¯ assaults, handling several enemies by himself. A Battle Axe swung down towards his head, which Lancelot dodged by stepping aside; immediately following, a Spiked Hammer came slanting towards him, which the Human Knight again narrowly avoided by rolling over. As he twisted his body, the hidden Glacier suddenly made an Upper Slash, like a thug¡¯s dagger thrust from behind his cloak, striking a Berserk Demon in the unprotected armpit, severing the arm that held the Spiked Hammer at the shoulder. The agonized Demon, ignoring his injury, opened his mouth to bite the Human Knight, but before its teeth could make contact, the pommel of Glacier harshly smashed atop its head. The hard pommel, like a hammer, directly crushed the Berserk Demon¡¯s skull in. Though the head was not a Demon¡¯s weak point, it still controlled their bodily muscles. The limbs of the Berserk Demon instantly stiffened, and it fell straight to the ground, its orange eyes losing focus in its dilated pupils. Even if not dead, it wouldn¡¯t be rising any time soon. ¡°Is there anyone still behind?¡± Kaladray¡¯s voice reached his ears, ¡°Did everyone make it out?¡± ¡°That¡¯s everyone.¡± Lancelot immediately replied, ¡°I was the last one.¡± ¡°Activate the teleportation formation!¡± Kaladray shouted toward the back, ¡°Ignore what¡¯s behind, just charge to the teleportation formation! Pascaler is waiting for us!¡± As his words ended, another blue-white portal lit up behind their group. Everyone burst out at their fastest speed and rushed through it, completely ignoring another portal behind them that was spewing out a large number of demons. The teleportation array would only stay activated for 6 seconds before it closed immediately. If any demons foolishly followed them, they would surely be out of luck. Lancelot was the last one to run in, just in time to kick a following Berserk Demon back through the portal. Compared to the previous portal he had crossed, this teleportation felt a lot more uncomfortable. He felt the world spinning around him, up and down, tumbling, as if he had jumped into the eye of a storm. The next moment, he found himself lying on a warm... no, a pile of warm bodies. Beneath him, more than two hundred people were piled up like small mountains, and he was at the peak of one of these mounds. ¡°Ah... so heavy...¡± Beneath him, Elf Mage Leah¡¯s moaning startled him into shivering, and he quickly rolled to one side. His ears picked up more sounds, and Lancelot turned his head to see they were in a deserted hall. Through the windows on the wall, he could see the fierce battle outside. The armies of demons had reached the city walls, engaging in brutal melee combat with the defenders. Several sections of the wall seemed to be completely overrun, with numerous demons jumping into the city amid a chorus of battle cries. A smile appeared on Lancelot¡¯s face. Good, there was still time! COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 408: 422: Reunion Chapter 408: Chapter 422: Reunion After him, more people regained consciousness from dizziness. Thankfully, most of the Elves are lightweight; otherwise, those at the bottom might have really been in trouble. All immediately took notice of the intense battle unfolding around them. Many instantly grabbed their weapons and ran outside, looking quite familiar with the place, as after all, they were all members of the Protectors, and many ¡°from previous lives¡± might have been stationed at this fortress. ¡°Are you the reinforcements here to help? That¡¯s great!¡± an excited voice came from outside, and a little Aira child ran in, but his face soon showed a perplexed expression, ¡°You... you are...¡± ¡°Wow! Lemon! It¡¯s so great to see you again!¡± Migu, who had been lying on the head of the Radiant Cloud Angel, suddenly flew out and tackled his friend to the ground, ¡°I thought I would never see you guys again...¡± ¡°Migu?¡± the tackled Aira child said, surprised, but immediately recognizing the other, his face lit up with a big smile, ¡°What are you doing here? Everyone said you were captured by the Demons... Lemon knows! You were actually playing hide and seek, right? Wow, Migu, you¡¯re so clever, you tricked everyone...¡± ¡°No, I really was captured by the Demons before,¡± Migu pulled Lemon up from the ground, turned around, and pointed at Lancelot, ¡°This uncle saved me!¡± ... All eyes immediately focused on Lancelot, making him uncomfortably stroke his chin. Hmm, out here in the wind and rain, he hadn¡¯t even managed to shave his beard... No! These little rascals, their ages must be several hundred times his! Why does it feel like he was taken advantage of? ¡°Not only me, this uncle saved a lot of people!¡± Migu said excitedly, tugging at his friend¡¯s arm, ¡°These are all the people he brought back! Look, who is that?¡± ¡°That... could it be...¡± Aira child¡¯s eyes looked as if a sun had risen, grinning at the approaching Quirion waving, ¡°It¡¯s Lemon, remember me? I¡¯m...¡± ¡°Flower Cake Grandpa!¡± ¡°Hahaha!!!!!¡± Apart from his companions, more than twenty warriors of various races had also joined him, all heading towards a fiercely contested section of the wall. After running through several stairways and corridors, Acheron stopped in a place that seemed to lead nowhere, turned a lamp on the wall clockwise half a rotation, and the stone wall in front of them thunderously split apart. The previously distant sounds of battle instantly became clear, and they discovered the wall they were aiming for had been reached. In front of them, the fight for control over the wall seemed to have ended, with the Demons controlling most of the area, and only a few well-equipped Knights were still holding out desperately. Without a word, Lancelot leaped through an opening on the wall. There was still a distance of more than ten feet to the ground, but such a height was nearly negligible for him. He landed with a Drop Slash, splitting an Aberrant Demon cleanly in half, then swung his Great Sword like a windmill, scattering the nearby Demons¡ªsome were blown away, while the unlucky ones were shredded to pieces. In just a few breaths, Lancelot had cleared a large space around him. The others followed suit and jumped down, immediately joining the fight: some cleared other Demons on the wall, others dealt with those trying to jump over from the outside. Having helped his companions handle their ¡®landing¡¯, Lancelot brandishing Glacier, advanced towards the few Knights still fighting. The arrival of reinforcements greatly lifted their spirits, making their movements much more brisk. The Demons found themselves caught in a pincer attack, and in just a short time, both groups successfully united. ¡°Sir Lancelot! It¡¯s a pleasure to see you!¡± A Knight who had held out until now greeted him. Lancelot recognized him as Emanu, an elderly man close to eighty, whom he had previously met at a dinner party in Pascaler. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to see you again, Sir Emanu, you look much more imposing in armor,¡± Lancelot nodded to him. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that we couldn¡¯t obtain the Demons¡¯ battle plans, but I¡¯ve brought reinforcements...¡± Lancelot stopped speaking, for he noticed that the old man was staring behind him with a very strange look. Turning around, Lancelot saw that the old Knight¡¯s gaze was fixed on Talasher Morningstar, an old subordinate of Acheron, who had been captured thirty years ago while trying to infiltrate Gaomendikolia. ¡°Long time no see, old Emanu,¡± Talasher smiled and nodded at the old knight. ¡°It¡¯s great to see you still alive and kicking. We can catch up later, right now, we need to drive these demon brats back!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 409: 423: Fortress Assault and Defense Chapter 409: Chapter 423: Fortress Assault and Defense The old knight wanted to say more, but the Elven Ranger had already turned around to face the two Berserk Demons rushing toward him. His dual blades struck continuously against the enemy¡¯s Battle Axe and Longsword, forcing the heavy weapons off course and revealing a small gap. The Elf flashed through, slipping into the gap, and his Scimitar chopped and slashed at the Demons, each strike landing in the gaps of their armor. The Demons tossed aside their heavy weapons, trying to grab the slender Elf with their claws. Talasher leaped violently up and out of the ¡¯embrace¡¯ of the two large toads. Now unscathed, while his enemies not only had several deep, bone-showing, blood-gushing wounds but were also empty-handed. Lancelot did not need to continue watching to know that in another two rounds, the Demons would die from excessive bleeding, and the Elf would not be missing a single piece. Not far away, Bruto had just overturned another Berserk Demon, followed by the Dwarves¡¯ favorite part; and Alamir was crying out as he smashed an Aberrant Demon into a pulp¡ªsimply because it was too ugly, something Shuni¡¯s Priest couldn¡¯t stand at all. He shrugged his shoulders, swung his Great Sword fiercely, and chopping it down on a claw that had just climbed up the fortress wall. The claw¡¯s owner howled as it fell, while the Human Knight was already lunging at another target. The frost-emitting Great Sword was raised high, stirring up waves of pus and severed limbs, leaving only the shattered figures of Demons and the incredulous eyes of the surviving defenders in its wake. Similar scenes unfolded in many places, the prowess displayed by the sudden reinforcements was astounding: each of them was no less capable than the strongest warriors among the defenders, some even seemed like heroes from legendary tales had come back to life. The lost walls were gradually recaptured, the Demons that had slipped into the fortress were swiftly cleaned out, and the defenses that had almost collapsed became stable once more. When Kaladrey performed a signature slash, someone finally couldn¡¯t help but cry out that name: ... ¡°Sunset Slash, that¡¯s Sunset Slash! The signature move of Monsoon Warrior Kaladrey Yuyong!¡± ¡°How... how is that possible? Wasn¡¯t that move lost?¡± ¡°Wait, look at the emblem on his cape... and that Longsword in his hand, that¡¯s Kaladrey!¡± ¡°Haha, looks like quite a few people still remember me,¡± Kaladrey was suddenly in a very good mood, ¡°Friends, Cang Ye and her minions won¡¯t be getting anything today!¡± ¡°Look over there! That¡¯s...¡± ¡°You said you would deliver Pascaler to me, but the fortress gates remain tightly shut to me,¡± Cang Ye interrupted mercilessly, ¡°¡®Bonebreaker¡¯ Abbarhas, you have already failed. Sniel¡¯s people will be behind you, not in front. You are the cannon fodder of the Soul Wailing Legion; that is your only purpose now. Do as I say, now, or would you prefer to join your predecessors in the dungeon?¡± ¡°Certainly not! I mean, as you command...¡± The Temptation Demon opened its eyes, and its lieutenants, aware that their commander had just been conversing with the Mother of Demons, looked at it with questioning gazes. ¡°Lord Abbarhas, what did the Mother of Demons say?¡± One of the lieutenants asked, a fellow Temptation Demon, though smaller in size. Abbarhas angrily wanted to tear the lieutenant before him to shreds, but his face exhibited a confident expression as he answered: ¡°The Mother of Demons says her prior arrangements are about to succeed! An explosion will occur inside the fortress at any moment¡ªflames and magma will kill all the defenders!¡± The voice of the Temptation Demon commander was filled with instigation, ¡°The Mother of Demons orders our entire army to charge, not giving the defenders any chance to discover her preparations! The Mother of Demons also said, whoever¡¯s squad is on the walls, she will personally promote them! Get moving now, don¡¯t leave any glory for Sniel and those idiots under him!¡± ¡°Oh, oh, oh!¡± His lieutenants let out an excited howl, scrambling to rush to their troops, driving the elite of their legion into battle and leaving their commander behind. ¡°A bunch of idiots.¡± The expression on the Temptation Demon¡¯s face changed from fervor to a cold sneer. On the surface, his lieutenants maintained their respect for him, but the moment they heard about a chance for promotion, each was more eager than the last. The sound of the charge being initiated came from afar, and as Abbarhas turned his head, he saw it was from Sniel¡¯s ¡®Soul Wailing¡¯ Legion; their cannon fodder followed behind their main force, all rushing towards the fortress together. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 410: 424 King Consort Chapter 410: Chapter 424 King Consort As the overwhelming tide of demons surged, the Succubus Paladin gnashed its talons in hatred. Its legion had almost seized victory just moments ago¡ªbut whether the defenders had prepared reserves in advance or had suddenly received reinforcements, their faltering defenses had unexpectedly held. As a high-ranking officer, Abbarhas possessed all the traits a demon should: it was innately deceitful and exceptionally skilled at intimidation; it could flatter anyone of value shamelessly and would betray them mercilessly once there was no reason to continue; to survive, it would do anything, including saying ¡°please¡± and ¡°thank you.¡± Most importantly, Abbarhas firmly believed in its heart that it was the Abyss¡¯s most perfect creation, and that one day, the entire universe would inevitably bow at its feet. For this, it had developed its unique worldview where, as a chosen being, anything it did was justified. Today¡¯s events had initially gone as the Succubus Paladin Commander had anticipated¡ªits soldiers would capture the fortress, and it would receive the Mother of Demons¡¯ accolades, gaining power, status, and influence, bringing it one step closer to dominating the Multiverse. Of course, that was a long-term goal; its short-term goal was to replace Ulgog. That so-called former Blood War General was a stumbling block on Abbarhas¡¯s path to promotion and always a source of immense irritation. But its ambition and delusions crumbled like sea foam hitting the rocky fortress ahead. The orders of the Mother of Demons were impossible to disobey. Sacrificing its minions to die? No problem, as long as it could save its own life, why not? ... ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Lancelot¡¯s Great Sword struck a Berserk Demon¡¯s left shoulder, its blade embedding deeply into the demon¡¯s body. With an incredulous look, the demon gazed at the man before it; it opened its mouth as if to say something, but with a fierce step forward, Lancelot pressed down with his Great Sword, splitting the Berserk Demon into two unequal halves. This was the last enemy nearby. Lancelot wanted to catch his breath, yet the increasing clamor attracted his attention. Beyond the city walls, a fresh wave of demonic assault was rapidly approaching. Lancelot noticed that this wave contained almost no fodder such as Prime Demons, Coward Devils, or Aberrant Demons; instead, it was composed of Berserk Demons and Brezu Demons, all Middle Rank Demons. ¡°But it will still take time for them to get here.¡± The third Radiant Cloud Angel sighed, ¡°The Mother of Demons herself has come this time; I worry the guards won¡¯t last until they arrive...¡± ¡°I swear to carry on Eskodel¡¯s legacy.¡± The handsome King Consort¡¯s expression became serious, and his usual nonchalance disappeared, ¡°This fortress will hold until the reinforcements arrive. If necessary, I will make the same choices Eskodel did; that¡¯s why I am here.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not at that point yet, Your Highness Consort.¡± An aged voice joined the conversation. The Elves turned their heads and saw it was Quirion, the former Chief Mage of the Protectors. He seemed in better spirits than before, likely due to the thick Spellbook he was holding in his hands. Mages, after mastering complex spells, often cannot remember them all, at least not the mortal Spellcasters. Hence, mages require Spellbooks to record their acquired knowledge, and they memorize the necessary spells beforehand each day. This means mages do not necessarily need their own Spellbooks; others¡¯ would suffice, as long as they contain the needed spells. ¡°Great Elder, how many centuries has it been since our last meeting?¡± The previously solemn King Consort now wore a smile of encountering an old friend, ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable, that Human Knight who brought you back was quite miraculous...¡± ¡°I myself am still getting used to the taste of freedom.¡± Quirion bowed politely, ¡°Before you take action, let us Spellcasters teach the Mother of Demons a lesson.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 411: 425 Desperate Struggle Chapter 411: Chapter 425 Desperate Struggle ¡°Have you prepared some powerful spell?¡± Finier¡¯s handsome face showed a hint of curiosity, ¡°Meteor Burst? Group monster Paralyze? Wait... you¡¯re not thinking of using that stream to unleash a Tsunami Technique, are you?¡± Upon hearing this, the old elf squeezed out a bitter smile, ¡°His Highness the King Consort is joking. The only Ninth Circle spell I have mastered is the Gate to Another World, and I¡¯ve even lost my spellbook; I don¡¯t have a single high-level spell in my head. But my true expertise has never been in casting spells; it¡¯s in presiding over joint-casting rituals, and now is the time to put that skill to good use.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Finier nodded, ¡°While you preside over the group casting, I will also be ready to join the battle.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Lancelot, Bruto, Alamir, and Cromwell stood together; they had already cleared the demons from this stretch of the wall and were silently waiting for the next wave of enemies. ¡°Today we¡¯ve really had our fill of slaying demons,¡± in the midst of a heavy silence, Bruto suddenly spoke up, ¡°I heard Uncle Vito say that in the Father God¡¯s realm, there is a warm hall where the fallen dwarf heroes feast all day long, with mead in their cups that never runs dry...¡± ... ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s particularly ominous to talk about this all of a sudden?¡± Shuni the priest glanced at the dwarf, ¡°Every god offers similar promises, but didn¡¯t I remember that for dwarves it was supposed to be endless mines, filled with the rarest metals and gemstones?¡± ¡°Well, maybe my memory got mixed up,¡± Bruto moved his right arm again, trying to alleviate the soreness in his muscles, ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I¡¯ve been feeling increasingly... pure? Fervent? As if the significance of life is to battle these Fiends, and slaying each demon brings me joy.¡± ¡°A normal phenomenon,¡± Cromwell also spoke up; at that moment his skull head was covered in blood, making him look especially ferocious, ¡°All Outer Layer planes have some influence on the beings within them, your inclination towards violence is likely...¡± The idle chat among comrades was interrupted by the high-pitched whistling of arrows slicing through the air. The Demon Legion charged into the archers¡¯ firing range, but the effectiveness of the assault was much weaker than before¡ªthis batch of demons was better equipped and more well-trained. As they charged, they didn¡¯t carry weapons but rather heavy two-handed greatshields; upon seeing arrows descend, they would lift the giant shields above their heads, forming a tight formation shoulder to shoulder, together withstanding the barrage of arrows from above. Despite their ¡°turtle shell¡± formation being far from flawless, with gaps everywhere, the improvement in their defense was tangible. If the trebuchets on the keep were still operational, this would have been an excellent opportunity to strike, but now it seemed that the garrison atop the wall would have to resolve this through melee combat. The demons soon reached the base of the wall, with the archers only reducing their numbers by less than one-tenth. They discarded their two-handed greatshields and drew the weapons strapped to their backs or belts, stepping on the piled bodies of their kin to leap onto the walls. And then they collided with the sword blades and lance tips of the defenders. Lancelot swung his Great Sword in a full circle, delivering a heavy blow to the head of a Berserk Demon attempting to leap up. This grotesque creature wore a comically flat helmet, yet surprisingly tough; Lancelot hadn¡¯t used his True Yuan for the strike, but still put in seventy percent of his strength. Although the Demon was knocked off the rampart, judging from its loud howl, it would take another sword strike to completely silence it. Bruto curled up, hiding himself in the shadows beneath the battlements, so the Demons wouldn¡¯t notice him¡ªuntil he took a hammer to the knee. The overturned Demon was dealt with by other warriors, while the Dwarf took delight in sneaking attacks on the enemies¡¯ underbelly. Alamir fought in coordination with Cromwell. As a Priest of the Domain of Life, his heavy armor and Hammer of Dissolution gave him the ability to confront the Demons head-on, while the seemingly inconspicuous skull would pick the right moment to launch sneaky attacks. Its bites and headbutts weren¡¯t as powerful as the Priest¡¯s Hardhead Hammer, but they always came at a critical moment, flipping the balance of victory just as it seemed to stall. But the numbers of Demons were still too great, and they were much more resilient than the cannon fodder before them. Even with many powerful heroes joining the defenders, it was hard to eliminate all the Demons that made it up the walls immediately, and as they were preoccupied with present foes, more Demons would seize the opportunity to attack the rampart. With the physical strength of the Foundation Establishment Stage and a cold iron Great Sword, Lancelot¡¯s killing efficiency was extremely high. He even found moments between battles to observe the movements of the Demon Legion. Yet this provided little hope¡ªa new wave of the enemy¡¯s charge was imminent, inexplicably dominated by Low Rank Demons such as Prime Demons, Coward Devils, and Aberrant Demons this time. Based on the current situation, these Low Rank Demons, both in fighting power and life force, were very weak, serving only as cannon fodder to exhaust the defenders. But for some reason, it was the elite Berserk Demons that had attacked first. This was certainly not good news for the defenders. They were now entangled and had no opportunity to rely on their fortifications to quickly slaughter the enemy¡¯s fodder. If these Low Rank Demons managed to surge up the walls unharmed, their sheer numbers could overwhelm the defenders. A Longsword came chopping towards his back, interrupting the Human Knight¡¯s train of thought. Lancelot twisted his body, completely dodging the strike, while Glacier smoothly sliced into the calf of the sneaking Brezu Demon. The heavy Great Sword easily cleaved through the unprotected leg; the goat-headed Demon instantly lost its balance. Lancelot freed one hand and pushed forcefully against the creature¡¯s back, causing the one-legged Demon to tumble off the edge of the rampart. He still didn¡¯t use his True Yuan, even though his Dantian was no longer empty¡ªbarely half full, that small amount of True Yuan could make him kill a few enemies faster, but he saved it for a Shadow Jump instead. Having done so much, if he still couldn¡¯t save this fortress and its garrison in the end, the least he¡¯d do was bring his companions back alive. Lancelot began to sweep his gaze across the fortress, searching for places suitable for street fighting¡ªan ideal spot would be a narrow corner, allowing only three to four people to fight at once. There they could hold out against the enemy for a long while, preferably with an entrance to a sewer at the dead end, allowing for a rapid escape through Shadow Jump. As a Knight, after his strength had greatly increased, he hardly had the chance to charge into battle riding that majestic Demon warhorse; instead, he¡¯d done more than his share of sneaking through ditches and tunnels¡ªtruly a lamentable turn of events! COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 412: 426: Wall of Thorns Chapter 412: Chapter 426: Wall of Thorns But the others on the city wall had no time to worry about enemies that would arrive later, for they were already occupied with the Demons at hand. Above them, not far from the gap they had just leaped from, cold arrows whizzed out intermittently, felling the unsuspecting Demons one by one. Those were attacks from Acheron, who had not jumped down with the rest but had stayed behind to use his longbow to provide support for his comrades. As one of the commanders of the Protector¡¯s military force, Pascaler¡¯s defensive troops were not under Acheron¡¯s command, so the Elven General did not interfere with the fortress¡¯s command and fought the Demons like an ordinary warrior¡ªalso the activity the Elf Prince loved the most. He fought cleverly, ducking back into the shadows immediately after releasing each arrow, while the Demons embroiled in the melee below never noticed his sneaky attacks. This strategy achieved excellent results, and Acheron¡¯s kill count was quickly catching up to Lancelot¡¯s, while the Demons, even if they noticed the occasional flash of an arrow, assumed they were stray shots from the towers above. Lancelot swung his sword yet again, knocking the battle axe from a Berserk Demon¡¯s hands to the ground, closely followed by the Human Knight delivering a kick, his sturdy steel boots heavily striking the enemy¡¯s belly. The toad-shaped Demon staggered backward, then stiffened and slowly collapsed to the ground, a feathered arrow quivering in its back. This Berserk Demon, finished off by Acheron, had a Brezu Demon behind it, involved in fierce combat with Talasher. It wielded a pike that moved unpredictably like the flicking tongue of a viper. ... As the Elf and his Brezu Demon adversary were facing off, the old Knight Emanu watched his back. As a Holy Warrior devoted to the god of knights, Hajonnis, Emanu was foremost a warrior of exquisite skill, using combat techniques like pushing, tripping, and disarming with divine finesse, allowing Talasher to always focus on the enemy before him. From their reaction upon meeting earlier, Lancelot sensed that Emanu felt some guilt towards the Elves, and now it was even more evident¡ªthe Human Holy Warrior in his late seventies was shielding the Elf recklessly, casting various support spells on him whenever possible, which made Lancelot wonder if the two had some kind of ¡®special¡¯ relationship in the past. Due to exhaustion, the Elven Ranger was struggling to maintain the elegance he had at the start, and while his several attempts to attack did not bear fruit, he also did not let his opponent gain any advantage. Lancelot appeared to take down a Brezu Demon with just a couple of moves, but that was because his skill, strength, and reaction speed were all markedly superior to the opponent. In reality, Brezu Demons were among the few in the Demon ranks who possessed exquisite martial prowess, coupled with the strength and constitution of their Middle Rank Fiend status, only the most experienced veterans among humans could contend with them. It is said that the first Brezu Demon in the Abyss was created by the hands of Baphoment, the Beast Roar Lord who wanted to establish a military force capable of opposing the god of gnolls, Yenogu. His attempt seemed successful at first, as this new breed of Demon displayed promising strength, but Baphoment soon realized their nature was too savage and combative, lacking the ¡®obedience¡¯ (or, to put it another way, the gullibility) of the Berserk Demons. Quelling their rebellion consumed more of his power and energy than dealing with Yenogu, making it somewhat counterproductive. In the end, the Beast Roar Lord disbanded the entire organized army of Brezu Demons under his command, retaining only a small elite force, while the majority of Brezu Demons were banished to other planes. With their superior combat skills, these goat-headed, humanoid Demons quickly prospered in the Abyss and could be found in the ranks of any belligerent Demon Lord¡¯s army. Seeing that the duel between the Elves and the Demons was still some time away from a decisive outcome, Lancelot issued a command to Clone Well through their mind connection. The latter immediately landed on the ground without a sound, rolling toward the direction of the goat-headed Demon like an ordinary skull. In the midst of the intense battle, the Demons were focused on their opponents before them and naturally failed to notice an extra, ill-intentioned skull behind them. After another clash between its pike and the dual swords of the Elf, the goat-headed Demon attempted to adjust its footing and accidentally stepped on a spherical object that wasn¡¯t there before. The Demon stumbled, revealing a significant opening in its defense, and its opponent was not going to miss such an opportunity. The Elven Ranger stepped forward swiftly, thrusting both longswords simultaneously and plunging them into the emaciated chest of the Brezu Demon. The Demon shook its head in disbelief, seemingly unable to comprehend why death had come so abruptly. It bowed its head, wanting to see what it had stepped on, but saw nothing. Talasher nodded to Lancelot and turned to face another enemy. As a knight, Lancelot was not supposed to interfere in a one-on-one duel, but perhaps it was the influence of the Abyss or the experiences of the elders in his Spiritual Cultivation, he no longer held much zeal for such ¡®honor¡¯. At least when his enemy was Demons, the so-called knightly spirit was utterly meaningless. It was then that he sensed a very strong magical disturbance with his Spirit Perception. Lancelot turned his head toward the outside of the city, seeing the ground piled with Demon corpses suddenly light up with a vast expanse of green glow. From within the soil emerged countless thick vines. Unlike the vines he could create with True Yuan, these vines, born of magic, were covered with lance-like thorns, and the span was extensive, encircling the entire fortress and forming a horrifying Wall of Thorns. The Spellcaster who summoned these thorns had timed it perfectly, appearing just in front of the charging Demon fodder. The Coward Devils, heads down and sprinting wildly, could hardly react; those who wished to stop were pushed by their comrades behind them to continue forward, resulting in large groups of Demons slamming directly into the spiky plant barrier. The high-pitched screams that arose in unison caused both sides of the battle to pause as everyone turned to look outside the city. They saw that the Wall of Thorns was now adorned with Low Rank Demons, most of whom were not yet dead. They cried out loudly while struggling violently, but this only worsened their injuries. In the rear of the fodder army, the Demon taskmasters were unaware of what exactly had happened up front, still driving the Low Rank Demons to continue their charge. These pitiful cannon fodders shoved each other, one after another, impaling themselves on that Wall of Death. ¡°By Moradin¡¯s beard,¡± Bruto¡¯s voice of astonishment reached Lancelot¡¯s ears, ¡°Big brother, did you create this as well?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 413: 427: Combined Casting Chapter 413: Chapter 427: Combined Casting ¡°I¡¯m not that capable yet,¡± Lancelot rolled his eyes, ¡°It¡¯s mostly the work of old elves...¡± He could indeed create such long, spiky vines, but only to a maximum extent of about a hundred feet, which was nothing compared to this miles-long wall of thorns that encircled the entire fortress. For most of his life, magic had been a thing of fairy tales and folk stories, until the elves appeared before the Rebel Army and he learned that such supernatural power truly existed. Nevertheless, magic maintained a low-profile mystique, seldom used carelessly. But after arriving in the Abyss, he found that magic was incredibly common, known to all intelligent species, and knowledge about spells was widely disseminated. More importantly, the difficulty of casting spells seemed much lower, which he had experienced firsthand¡ªthe elves had once taught him a spell to summon a warhorse, which would have a success rate of only once in five attempts in his home world, with half the outcomes being a donkey or a camel. Yet, in the Abyss, it seemed he had never failed. Since encountering magic was exceedingly common in his adventures, Lancelot had once sought extensive knowledge about magic from Kalalin. Although Kalalin could only cast Third Circle spells, barely qualifying as a skilled apprentice, his understanding of magic far exceeded his spellcasting prowess. According to Kalalin, although the effects of spells could vary greatly, one could roughly determine the level of a spell¡¯s circle based on power, range, casting time, and duration. ... The lowest were the tricks that could be performed at will, such as the Arcane order¡¯s Flame Arrow, much like an arrow shot by a longbowman in terms of power and capable of igniting the ground, while a Third Circle Fireball Technique produced an explosion comparable to a catapult¡¯s launched stone. Moving up to the Sixth Circle, the Chain Lightning was nearly equivalent to a natural thunderstorm, and then the Ninth Circle... Meteor Burst, with a casting range of a mile, calling down several meteors from the sky to the ground, leaving not a blade of grass alive within a hundred feet radius, killing any Middle Rank Demons or below, and if cast towards a medium-sized fortress like Pascaler, probably half of its walls would be destroyed. This spell was still considered one of the weakest Ninth Circle spells, which included spells like Complete Transfiguration¡ªtransforming objects into living beings (a lifelong pursuit for some mages with peculiar tastes); an Interdimensional Gate that could transport or summon creatures like Archdukes of Demons and Abyssal Lords (although, once summoned, they would not obey any orders from the summoner unless they pleased). Of course, the most miraculous was the Wish spell, which could even reverse time, making things that had happened as if they had never occurred (such as a lethal blow or a rejected proposal to a lady), retrieve a long-lost artifact, resurrect a hero who had died years ago, or immediately kill a hated enemy. However, this spell was not so reliable. To retrieve a long-lost artifact might result in being teleported directly to the current owner; if the subject of resurrection did not wish to be disturbed from their eternal sleep, the spellcaster would only receive a soulless living corpse; and if the desired death was for a too powerful being, this spell could instead transport you to a moment in the multiverse on the brink of destruction, where that opponent had long been dead¡ªso you see, wish fulfilled. They say that a mage adept at using the Wish spell wouldn¡¯t get a raw deal when signing contracts with demons, but this also subtly illustrates just how great the limitations of this spell are. It was apparent that even high-level spells had various limitations: the most powerful spells typically only affected a single target, whereas those that could affect multiple targets tended to have less killing power. Judging by the power of the Thorn Wall, Lancelot guessed that a Fifth or Sixth Circle spell could achieve a similar effect. However, the extent to which it encircled the entire fortress was ridiculously large, and not even a Ninth Circle spell would have such a vast range. Regardless of the rank of the spell, its effect was indeed tangible. So many Low Rank Demons had collided with it that they actually started rolling the Thorn Wall¡ªrevealing its underside that was not yet fully covered with corpses, its spikes still sharp, and then even more demons crashed into it. In the main tower of the fortress, a large hall filled with mirrors, most of the spellcasters among the guards had gathered. They formed two concentric circles around the Great Elder Quirion; three powerful Elven Sages in the inner circle, and twelve weaker apprentices and assistants in the outer circle, were at that moment casting the same spell in unison, with precise chants and gestures. At the center, the elderly elf held a slender magic wand, directing the arcane energy from the different spellcasters like a choir conductor, enabling their energies to resonate and amplify each other. The resultant effect far exceeded what each could achieve individually through spellcasting. This was a unique collaborative spell-casting ritual of the Elves. After a severe spellcasting accident over eighteen hundred years ago, the Goddess of Magic prohibited mortal spellcasters from using spells above the Ninth Circle. This created considerable difficulties for the Elves, who had highly developed magical arts, and as a result, they developed this ritual of multiple spellcasters casting together. It was said that sacrificing a spellcaster capable of using Ninth Circle spells during the ritual could even break the limits of the Magic Net, allowing the casting of Tenth or even Eleventh Circle magic. However, today¡¯s ritual was merely meant to enhance the effective range of the thorn summoning spell, so there was no need for the newly liberated Great Elder to sacrifice himself. The spontaneously formed Wall of Thorns acted like a sea wall, stopping the tidal wave of demon forces. The defenders on the wall were greatly encouraged. This wave of attack had indeed caused them a lot of trouble, but if the demonic reinforcements could not keep up, and the defenders cleaned up those who had already reached the walls, the demons¡¯ advantage gained at great cost would be completely lost. The mirrors arranged around the room displayed the scene outside the fortress, clearly showing the results of their collective spellcasting. But they merely glanced at the scene in the mirrors before immediately proceeding with the plans to prepare the next magic, according to the pre-arranged strategy. The demon¡¯s reaction was slightly sluggish, but they still responded in time. Several huge fireballs were cast towards the spike-covered plants, apparently intent on burning them to ashes. Unlike the devils, demons were not completely immune to the damage of flames. Those demons hanging on the thorns, still screaming, would probably be burnt to a crisp along with them, but would the commanders of the legion worry about injuring some Low Rank cannon fodder? Of course not, cannon fodder was, after all, meant to be sacrificed. As long as the objective was achieved, did it matter whose hands they died by? COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 414: 428: Anticipate the Enemys Moves First Chapter 414: Chapter 428: Anticipate the Enemy¡¯s Moves First The searing Fireball struck the dense wall of Thorns, immediately exploding into numerous leaping snakes of fire, which ignited all flammable material nearby¡ªthis included the thorny plants and the struggling cannon fodder on them, not yet fully dead. The burning Thorn Wall turned into a gruesome barbecue rack for the Demons, and a nauseating burnt scent drifted into the defenders¡¯ nostrils with the wind. Without any surprises, the ignited vines would burn out within a minute, but Lancelot guessed that the Spellcasters who had created these vines must have had a countermeasure in place. Sure enough, he immediately sensed a massive fluctuation of magic. What lit up this time was a pale blue Magic Aura, corresponding to the Transformation System of magic. The originally vibrant green vines rapidly turned gray, and their weight seemed to have changed, no longer tumbling under the impact of the Demon fodder. In just a few moments, the vines seemed to have turned into stone. Their surface was still burning, but what actually burned were the Low Rank Demons hanging on them (and continuously colliding with them). The pitiful screams of this cannon fodder almost drove one insane¡ªthe powerful life force of the Fiends and their resistance to fire now served as a curse, making their deaths agonizing and prolonged. This magic was the response of the elder Elven Sage, Quirion. He had anticipated the Demons would use fire, so as soon as he summoned the Thorn Wall, he immediately began preparing the Petrify spell to turn wood to stone. Petrification could not be completed instantly, but since the process worked from the outside inward, as soon as the surface of the plants turned to stone, the burning stopped. Moreover, since he only needed to turn the ignited section of the vines to stone, the preparation time for the spell was much shorter. He could have summoned a stone wall from the start, but that would not have served to delay the enemy. ... All these arrangements were made after he arrived, and the spells were prepared on the spot. The time it took to memorize a spell depended on its complexity; generally speaking, each Circle Rank required at least 1 minute of preparation time. The earlier Thorn Wall was a 6th Circle spell, and the subsequent wood-to-stone was a 5th Circle spell. Preparing these spells took some time, but luckily it was just enough. But this was their limit. The ritual of joint casting required each Spellcaster to prepare the same spell, and Pascaler¡¯s defenders had not made preparations for joint casting beforehand, so they had to memorize spells on the fly. As it turned out, memorizing two middle-rank spells was already the limit of what time allowed. Had it been delayed any longer, the walls might have fallen. Once turned to stone, the thorns on the vines remained sharp but no longer had the resilience they did as plants. The Demons soon realized that these stone spikes could be easily broken off, which they then used to pull themselves up. The petrified thorn wall was a column with a radius of about five feet. Though not very tall, the surface was rugged, so climbing over was not so easy. Moreover, in this process, they still had to be wary of the Archers in the high towers, their constantly shoving comrades behind, and the burning corpses. As if to add to their troubles, the yellow light of curse magic lit up again, and huge amounts of grease fell from the sky, splattering on the thorns; shortly after, the remaining sparks ignited it. Unlike the water-rich vines, the grease was much more flammable. Wherever it splashed, towering flames enveloped the area, and the Low Rank Demons trying to climb over the petrified thorn wall cried out in chaos. While the Demons indeed were resistant to fire, most could not completely avoid such damage like true Devils, nor could they ignore the pain the burns caused. Unlike being nailed to spikes and unable to break free, these burned Low Rank Demons had long forgotten the terror of their overseers. They frantically jumped back from the wall of burning Thorns, creating even more chaos within the already crowded mass of Low Rank Demons. Demons are not an empathetic race, not only did they not help extinguish the flames on their peers, but they used their claws to shoo away those aflame beings that neared them. In such a dense gathering, this inevitably led to injuring others, which in turn sparked even more fights. The chaos quickly spread among the crowded fodder of Demons. Lancelot was experiencing this kind of Demon-involved, war-level battle for the first time. In his incredulous eyes, the massive army of Demons just collapsed, although moments before it seemed like they were about to seal the fortress¡¯s fate. Instead, they now frenziedly slaughtered each other in place. Having spent so much time in the Abyss, he wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with the nature of the Fiends¡ªvolatile, cruel, murderous, and exceedingly cunning (perhaps Succubi being the only exception). Yet, seeing an entire army of Demons disintegrate on the battlefield due to infighting still greatly broadened his horizons. The Grease Spell was only a Circle Rank Technique, but due to its practicality, almost all Mages prepared this Magic. Using the Grease Spell was entirely an impulsive idea from the old Elf, unlike the formulaic Dwarves, the Elves were always very creative in battle. However, after using the Spell, Quirion had no other moves left. He gestured, and the Elven Sages that had been surrounding him quickly led their Apprentices away, moving closer to the walls to provide direct support for the troops in the battle. Meanwhile, the battle on the walls continued, and the two hundred men Lancelot brought played a decisive role. They bravely rushed to the most critical areas, stopping the fiercest enemies. Every hero recognized in the story greatly boosted the morale of the defending soldiers. Unlike those especially showy, high-profile ¡®returning heroes,¡¯ Lancelot fought very subtly. His Great Sword didn¡¯t glow, and he didn¡¯t shout the names of his moves when cutting down foes. Yet, unnoticed, a large space cleared around him. The reason was simple¡ªthe Human Knight¡¯s efficiency in killing was too high, staying near him meant having little ¡®participation¡¯ in the fight. But what the attacking Demons saw was a stretch of the wall seemingly undefended except for one blood-soaked Knight still stubbornly holding out. Only when they leaped onto the ramparts and saw the ground littered with mangled bodies of their kin did they realize something was amiss. Meanwhile, at a distance, the atmosphere among the main ranks of the Demon army gradually grew eerie. Cang Ye still floated silently in the midst of the Demons, its plain curtain hiding its face and emotions, but an invisible pressure made it almost impossible for the surrounding attendants to breathe. The one who looked the most uneasy was a shriveled, dark-skinned Demon who looked like a charred Gnome. It wore a suit of ornate armor embedded with gemstones, and its palm had three scythe-like red fingers, as if they had been soaked in fresh blood for a long time. This was Sniel, the commander of the Soul Wail Legion, the nominal leader of the Low Rank Demons who were now slaughtering each other on the battlefield. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 415: 429 Total Attack Chapter 415: Chapter 429 Total Attack Abbarhas was in a good mood at the moment, objectively speaking, his legion had performed very well. The fodder troops had fulfilled their responsibility of ¡®forming human ladders¡¯, and the main forces were fighting fiercely, still battling stubbornly on the city walls. As for that bunch of idiots on the battlefield who were currently killing each other... ¡°Sniel! What the hell are your men doing!?¡± Abbarhas roared angrily at his gaunt colleague, ¡°Did you personally train those cockroach-eaters? Why are they just as idiotic as you? My men are fighting a bloody battle, and what is your cannon fodder doing? If they had even a tiny bit more brains than a rock, we would have already taken that fortress for our great Mother!¡± The face of the Crafty Demon Sniel turned even darker, and he glanced at the hopping Abbarhas before replying coldly: ¡°It was you who boasted that you¡¯d be the first to climb the walls and offer Pascaler to the Mother of Demons. Not only did you fail to take down the walls in time, but you also gave their Spellcasters time to come up with that Thorn Barrier. My cannon fodder is merely cleaning up after you.¡± After finishing, he ignored the furious Succubus and bowed to the translucent figure floating in the air, ¡°Great Mother, I hope you can grant me a little more patience. The main force of the Soul Wailers has yet to join the battle. I will immediately order them to attack. When the time is right, just wait for the perfect moment to let the Glorious Legion of the Mother¡¯s Whip deliver the decisive blow...¡± ¡°Ha! You still want the Mother¡¯s Whip to help out?¡± Abbarhas menacingly raised his large pincers, ¡°The fortress is about to be taken down by my men. You just need to come a little closer, and a breath from you would topple it...¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so capable, why don¡¯t you go and blow it down yourself?¡± Sniel sneered at the threat from the Succubus, ¡°Are you just trying to find excuses for your own failure? Do you think the great Mother of Demons can be fooled so easily by you? It was you who made the boast, not me. No matter what state my legion is in, it won¡¯t change the fact of your failure... Great Mother, please don¡¯t pay attention to this failure¡¯s noise. Just be patient, and the fortress will fall today. Then we can freely slaughter those disgusting Aira...¡± ... ¡°If they can create that wall of Thorns, why don¡¯t they use spells with greater lethality?¡± Surprisingly, Cang Ye spoke up, and all the Demons present immediately fell silent. No one dared to answer the question posed by the Abyssal Lord, and the Mother of Demons continued on her own terms: ¡°They must be trying to buy time, waiting for reinforcements to arrive.¡± Cang Ye turned her head to look at Sniel, ¡°We can¡¯t wait any longer. The Legion of the Mother¡¯s Whip will attack with your main forces. Have your men ready.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The uppercut from Martial Monk Hobinson landed on the chin of a Berserk Demon with such force that it sent the eight hundred pound behemoth off its feet into the air. But the Monk¡¯s attack was as swift as the wind and didn¡¯t stop there; he threw another punch, sending the Demon even higher before spinning his body rapidly, concluding the combo with a fierce roundhouse kick. The Berserk Demon was kicked more than ten feet away, and although it managed to get up, looking like it still had fight left in it, there was a special power within the Martial Monk¡¯s barehanded strikes. The giant toad felt a sudden intense pain inside its body, followed by a wave of dizziness that forced it to kneel to the ground. Something strange was stirring in its throat, the Demon opened its mouth and spat out its own still-beating heart. ¡°You still keep this peculiar habit, I see,¡± a cheerful voice sounded from behind the Martial Monk, ¡°Sometimes, I even wonder if it¡¯s Ilmat or Loviatar that you truly worship.¡± Upon hearing that voice, Hobinson immediately turned around. Standing before him was a vibrant young man with dazzling blonde hair, dressed in plank armor draped with a white robe, his right hand gripping a golden heavy nail-headed hammer, and in his left, holding a kite-shaped shield painted with a sunrise and a road, the Holy Emblem of Lord of the Dawn, Losanda. ¡°Cooper? Is it really you?¡± The martial monk¡¯s face was half joy, half disbelief, ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see you again...¡± ¡°It¡¯s just not fair, you haven¡¯t aged a bit!¡± came the voice of Knight Tannis from the other side, his full body armor drenched in the blood of demons, ¡°Now I¡¯m no longer the handsomest man in Pascaler!¡± ¡°That title never had anything to do with you,¡± Cooper laughed heartily, ¡°I just came to say hello, you clearly don¡¯t need my help here. Let¡¯s catch up after the fight is over!¡± Having said that, the young priest turned stylishly and ran off in the direction of another tense battle. ¡°Incredible, isn¡¯t it?¡± the blood-soaked knight moved next to his martial monk friend, ¡°I had a brief chat with him just now, and it¡¯s truly unbelievable...¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard,¡± Hobinson turned his head toward the direction where Lancelot was, ¡°We owe these mercenaries a huge debt of gratitude...¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t insist on challenging him back then.¡± Tannis also looked in the same direction, just in time to see Lancelot stepping on the back of a berserk demon, pressing the tip of his sword into the enemy¡¯s body, ¡°They say that the succubus lady even went to the Court of Stars for reinforcements. Who knows how long it will take them to arrive... Damn it, didn¡¯t we send a messenger to Melanthan as well? Why hasn¡¯t there been any response?¡± ¡°The general¡¯s meeting a few days ago predicted the demons were about to attack, so they dispatched all the troops. Aside from a few guards, there are no more troops to send from Melanthan and the Gift of Eidoton.¡± Hobinson shrugged, ¡°Who would have thought, the Mother of Demons could gather such a massive army and launch a joint attack on the same place...¡± Three berserk demons howled as they leaped onto the ramparts, interrupting the two men¡¯s conversation. The knight and martial monk exchanged a glance, then raised their weapons¡ªa longsword and fists¡ªand charged at the enemies. In less than a minute, the two had dealt with the newcomers. The martial monk, flexing his fingers, continued the conversation: ¡°The closest to us should be the fairy legion led by General Ilmat, right in the Bedivere-Gian Forest. If Melanthan had notified them immediately, they should be almost here by now. But no matter where the reinforcements come from, if they don¡¯t show up...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it,¡± Tannis suddenly spoke up, interrupting the monk, but at that moment, the dense army of demons in the distance suddenly all moved at once. Despite their being infantry, the sight felt like a giant black mountain bearing down on the fortress, a terrifying momentum that almost stopped one¡¯s breath. ¡°My dear old friend, your jinxing tongue must be blessed by the gods,¡± the knight pulled out a small flask from his belt, bit off the cap, and downed the liquid inside, ¡°I¡¯ll go call that lad Cooper back. This time, the three of us can finally hit the road together...¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 416: 430: The Defenders Awakening Chapter 416: Chapter 430: The Defender¡¯s Awakening It wasn¡¯t just Hobinson and Tannis who had this realization; when they witnessed the terrifying Demon Legion pour forth en masse, everyone on the city walls understood they were about to face the last battle of their lives. Although the Protectors had come to Androlina for very noble reasons, the knowledge that death was waiting just ahead elicited different reactions from everyone. Fear is the most normal emotion, like a dagger pressed against one¡¯s throat, rendering one too frightened to move; and then there¡¯s regret, for both the unfulfilled dreams and the inconsequential little things of ordinary life¡ªsuch as strolls under the stars, hearty drinking with friends in a tavern, or kissing one¡¯s children and lover. But it was to protect these beautiful things that the Protectors fought, and by deciding to come to Androlina, they knew they would die in just this way, which ironically gave them strength, allowed them to calmly accept the imminent fact of their death, and prepared them to meet their final battle. Lancelot had just killed the last enemy in his field of vision and, leaning on his Great Sword, silently watched the Demon army charge toward the fortress. He had already sent Skull to find Kalalin and Koula, and although he still had faith in Elothysia, his years of military life had taught Lancelot never to pin his hopes on reinforcements. If the awaited reinforcements did not arrive in time, he still had the responsibility to bring his companions back. ... As Lancelot was pondering his next course of action, an interesting conversation happened to drift to his ears. ¡°...Talasher, there are things I must confess to you.¡± Lancelot turned his head and saw it was Sir Emanu speaking to an Elf. Despite being more than thirty feet away, with his vision he could clearly see the struggle on the old Knight¡¯s face. ¡°What is it?¡± the Elven Ranger asked, confusion on his face, ¡°What troubles you, my friend?¡± ¡°Thirty years ago, you left for Gaomendikolia and never returned,¡± the old Knight¡¯s expression grew even more embarrassed, ¡°You can imagine, Tila... Tirrasjo, she was very, very heartbroken.¡± ¡°Oh... my poor Tila,¡± regret showed on the face of the Elven Ranger, ¡°Is she alright? I wonder if I will ever have the chance to see her again...¡± ¡°She is fine,¡± Emanu removed his helmet to reveal a head full of white hair, ¡°Actually, she is now... my wife.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°We also have a child named Narciso.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°At this moment, they are both in this fortress. Narciso is a splendid Archer, and Tila has become Pascaler¡¯s Great Sage.¡± ¡°Enough!¡± the Elven Ranger grabbed the old Knight by the collar, ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Look at me! Talasher, what do you see?¡± ¡°A man I thought was a friend, who stole my lover while I was gone!¡± ¡°No, look more closely,¡± the old Knight pointed to his head, ¡°This is an old man on the verge of death, soon to reach the end of his life. Even without these damn Demons, I wouldn¡¯t have long to live.¡± A stark reality, like a heavy punch, hit the Elf in the face. Talasher immediately released his grip, his expression rapidly changing, finally settling on guilt. He stepped back twice, as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he had just done. ¡°I think I owe you an apology,¡± the Elf said with difficulty, ¡°Maybe I did leave for too long...¡± ¡°For you Elves, it¡¯s probably not that bad,¡± the old Knight said generously with a smile, then added, ¡°If, I mean if, after this battle you and Tila manage to survive, please take good care of her for me...¡± Lancelot shook his head, no longer paying attention to the conversation over there. Behind him, his companions had already regrouped and were waiting for him to speak. ¡°Clone Well, when the fight starts, make sure to protect Kalalin and Koula.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boss!¡± ¡°Alamir, don¡¯t use Healing Divine Art on me, save your strength for the other comrades who need it.¡± ¡°Bruto, during the battle, pay attention to the positions of others, and stay with your allies. There will be a lot of enemies, enough for you to kill, prioritize using your Shield to cover others.¡± ¡°Understood, I can tell what¡¯s more important,¡± Bruto responded. ¡°Good. See that alley over there? If I say retreat, everyone runs there immediately, I¡¯ll stay behind to cover our escape. Once inside, Bruto and Alamir secure the entrance first. We should be able to hold out for a while there, waiting for the reinforcements Elothysia brings.¡± ¡°Can we still use that Emblem that Tijana gave us?¡± asked Kalalin, who looked like he had an octopus clutching his stomach, ¡°I mean, if we¡¯re faced with the worst-case scenario, maybe we can teleport straight back to Twin Bridges Town...¡± ¡°No,¡± Lancelot pulled out the Emblem, the magic on it clearly had not recovered, ¡°Tijana used up the power of this Emblem to save me before; it won¡¯t be ready for use again until at least a week later. But don¡¯t worry, there is a sewer in the depths of the alley, I will use Shadow Jump to take you out.¡± Hearing this, everyone¡¯s faces finally looked a little better. Just then, a burst of dense booming sounds suddenly came from outside the city. Everyone hurriedly looked out, only to see the low-rank Demons that had been jumbled together being pushed aside, and a large group of Berserk Demons holding Shields crazily charging at the wall of Thorns. The petrified Thorns were not a single piece of stone, but countless intertwining petrified vines, and the heavy charge of the armored Berserk Demons was as powerful as a battering ram. In just a few breaths¡¯ time, the wall of Thorns collapsed completely. The Demons let out a thunderous roar, pouring out from the breached gap like a flood bursting its banks. ¡°Release arrows! Quick, release arrows!¡± ¡°Hold your ground!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic! Steady! Steady!¡± The voices of the Defensive Army Commanders on the city walls rose and fell one after another. The wounded who had been injured earlier in the battle returned to the wall so long as they weren¡¯t missing limbs. Despite being prepared to die, everyone¡¯s face turned pale, and their bodies couldn¡¯t help trembling. Suddenly, a brilliant rainbow light shot out from the main tower of the castle, heavily striking the densest part of the Demon group. The rainbow light formed into a sphere about four feet in radius, emitting countless dazzling rays in all directions. Most Demons that were swept by these rays fell to the ground in slumber, and fewer than one-tenth of them could still stand. The sphere underwent another Transformation, condensing into the figure of a handsome Elf. Dressed in a robe as dark as the night sky, he wielded a Longsword entirely made of light, with eyes shining a dazzling golden light. All Demons within a hundred feet who were still standing, if looked upon by his focused gaze, would explode into countless light particles with a bang, vanishing without a trace. Sir Finier, the Chief Knight of the Court of Stars, enters the battlefield! COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 417: 431: Lord Versus Lord Chapter 417: Chapter 431: Lord Versus Lord King Consort Finier was a Tulani Angel, the forest lord who swore loyalty directly to the Queen, already the most powerful entity within the Aira Celestials, with strength enough to rival that of an Abyssal Lord. The timing of his entrance was special too, just as the Petrified Thorns wall was breached, and the Demons were all squeezing toward the gap, their dense formation allowed him to inflict the maximum damage. Like all Airas, that colorful sphere of light was his second form, in which he could emit a golden beam known as the Dream Ray. Any creature touched by this ray would fall into slumber, and if Fiends were the ones affected, these creatures, who never dream, would also be plunged into terrifying Nightmares. Though this technique couldn¡¯t directly kill the enemy, unlike other magic-induced sleep, this slumber wouldn¡¯t end upon sustaining injury. Although many spells could dispel this kind of sleep, this was, after all, a battlefield, and the Fiends¡¯ Spellcasters always favored Sculpting Energy Spells with massive destructive power, and they would never prepare Protection System spells that could dispel magic effects in advance. That is to say, although those sleeping Demons hadn¡¯t died, they had thoroughly lost their combat effectiveness and could no longer participate in the battle to come. And for those unfortunate enough to resist the Dream Ray, they would next have to face King Consort¡¯s gaze. As a direct incarnation of the forces of good in the Multiverse, a Tulani Angel¡¯s gaze contained terrifying Holy Power. So strong was that power, the majority of Demons would be directly destroyed by it, only true High Rank Demons having the capacity to resist such force. Finier had predicted that Cang Ye would intervene as soon as he joined the fight, his actual window to attack the ordinary Demon soldiers would be extremely short, so he carefully chose the timing that would cause the most damage. ... However, contrary to his expectations, the Mother of Demons didn¡¯t appear immediately. Although he was puzzled by this, his actions didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment. Having expended the Dream Ray and his gaze, Finier charged into the crowd of demons, wielding his Photon Longsword like a leaping bolt of lightning. None of the Demons could withstand a direct hit from the King Consort, and following close behind him were three Radiant Cloud Angels, using their massive spiked chains to clear the fish that had slipped through King Consort¡¯s net. The charge of merely four High Rank Airas dealt a devastating blow to the Demon Legion. In less than a minute, at least one-fifth of the legion¡¯s soldiers had completely lost their fighting capabilities, and what confused many was that Cang Ye, the lead general for the Demons with the home-field advantage, had yet to make a move. Lancelot, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t surprised¡ªthe Ruby he carried was frantically flashing, someone was urgently trying to contact the gemstone¡¯s former owner. The Human Knight naturally wouldn¡¯t respond to the call of the Mother of Demons. In fact, before leaving the interrogation room, they had completely destroyed that evil Magic Formation. Since the Demons operated covertly, the guards within the Bone Castle hadn¡¯t realized what had happened, so no one was (nor dared to) inform the great Mother of Demons that her little scheme had been spoiled, and now she could only rely on her own strength to fight against the consort of the Queen of Stars. The Fortress Garrison erupted in a tremendous cheer for Finier. They watched with great pleasure as the unstoppable Aira Lord sent the Demon army fleeing in disarray. Finally, with a piercing shriek, Cang Ye made her move. The translucent figure of the Mother of Demons appeared directly amidst the battle group of four Aira Celestials, her gown unfolding like a lotus and spinning around, sweeping in all directions. Those gowns seemed to have no substance, passing right through the bodies of the three Radiant Cloud Angels. At first, nothing seemed to happen, but in Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception, their auras showed a clear decline, as if their strength had been drawn away. Only Finier was able to withstand the Abyssal Lord¡¯s ethereal attack. The moment the floating drapes touched him, the elegant robe on the King Consort burst into dazzling starlight and coalesced into a silver light shield before him. Although neither of the items had substance, they let out a loud roar upon collision, and the somewhat caught off-guard King Consort was sent flying backward, stopping mid-air. ¡°You all go back and help on the city wall!¡± Finier shouted to the three wounded Radiant Cloud Angels, ¡°I¡¯ll deal with her!¡± The Radiant Cloud Angels didn¡¯t show off their bravery; they believed that the King Consort¡¯s strength was enough to contend with the Mother of Demons, especially knowing that the strengthening magic formation she had been preparing in secret had been destroyed. They quickly moved away from the Mother of Demons in different directions, and during this process, Cang Ye didn¡¯t make a move to stop them, because even if these three Radiant Cloud Angels returned, Cang Ye¡¯s legion still had an overwhelming numerical advantage, enough to destroy Pascaler Fortress. ¡°Mother of Demons!¡± the King Consort bellowed as he charged, ¡°Today, I will make you pay for all your crimes!¡± Before he could finish his words, he was already close to his opponent. His light sword slashed fiercely, but Cang Ye¡¯s figure had already vanished from the spot. Finier felt a slight sinking in his heart, subconsciously turning to block, and just managed to parry the drapes that were attacking his back, sending him flying backward again. The Aira Lord quickly steadied himself in the air, but the Mother of Demons¡¯ pursuit had also arrived. The apparition disappeared from where it was and reappeared directly behind Finier, the shroud that tightly enveloped its figure spreading like bat wings, ready to embrace Finier. A gasp arose from the crowd, but at the critical moment, the Aira Lord transformed again into a huge ball of rainbow light, a blinding flash barely freeing him from the Mother of Demons¡¯ embrace, and he reformed into his human shape dozens of feet away. Lancelot, watching the battle from the city wall, noticed that Cang Ye seemed to be changing positions through teleportation, dodging and attacking in one smooth action, making it extremely difficult to attack or defend against her. So far, all of Finier¡¯s attacks had missed, while Cang Ye¡¯s three attempts seemed only a hair¡¯s breath away from success. Judging by the condition of the three Radiant Cloud Angels after they were hit, the Mother of Demons¡¯ contact attack carried some kind of powerful weakening effect. Although Finier seemed to be barely coping for now, a single hit could potentially cause a catastrophic tilt in the balance of strength. ¡°If the fight were elsewhere, the Aira King Consort might be able to hold his own against the Mother of Demons, but the Abyss environment suppresses his strength too much.¡± Kalalin¡¯s low voice rose from behind, and Lancelot turned to find him staring intently at the Mother of Demons, his face full of excitement. Although he was a scholar of the Dark Cult, the chance to watch an Abyssal Lord battle up close was extremely rare, not to mention being able to live and record such an experience afterward. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 418: 432 Critical Situation Chapter 418: Chapter 432 Critical Situation ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, ¡°Does the Abyss suppress the power of Aira¡¯s King Consort?¡± ¡°Oh my, boss, you don¡¯t even know this?¡± Clone Well, who was nearby, exclaimed in surprise, while Lancelot, very casually, spread his hands and said to the skull: ¡°No one ever taught me, how would I know...¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal for you not to know,¡± Kalalin shook his head, ¡°but for residents of the outer planes, being away from their native plane always feels like a rejection, as noticeable as a different smell in the air. So for them, this is indeed common knowledge.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Bruto also asked curiously, ¡°How come I feel nothing...¡± ... ¡°Because you and I are both born on the Prime Material Plane, belonging to mortal races without inherent alignment attributes,¡± Kalalin went into full Scholar mode, completely ignoring the Demons outside the walls that had regrouped and were approaching again. ¡°All native inhabitants of other realms inherently possess some alignment tendencies. For example, the Aira Celestials are inherently chaotic good, while the Bartez Devils are lawful evil according to the planes that spawned their races. Even if they later adopt different moral views and ways of acting, like our familiar Elothysia or a fallen Angel, their inherent alignments remain unchanged.¡± ¡°Similarly, each extraplanar realm also has its own alignment tendencies, such as the Bottomless Abyss, which is chaotic evil, and the Seven Heavens, which is lawful good. When a creature with inherent alignment attributes enters a plane that conflicts with its alignment, its strength, reactions, spiritual power, and other attributes are all suppressed.¡± ¡°For the Airas, the evil tendency of the Abyssal Plane conflicts with their own good nature. However, if they were in Barto Hell, the Airas would find the experience even worse, to the extent where even taking a deep breath could suffocate them. This is because the Nine Hells not only have an evil alignment but also a lawful one, which completely conflicts with the Airas¡¯ innate chaotic good nature.¡± ¡°The only exception is the Prime Material Plane, the place where you, I, Bruto, and Alamir, and other mortal races were born and live. Creatures of any alignment don¡¯t feel rejected because the Prime Material Plane itself has no alignment tendencies.¡± ¡°For the same reasons, we mortals born on the Prime Material Plane don¡¯t have inherent alignment attributes, so wherever we travel to, we don¡¯t feel the plane¡¯s inherent rejection.¡± As Lancelot listened with interest, he thought about his own cultivation. Spiritual cultivators absorb nature¡¯s spiritual energy. When he cultivated in the Abyss, the True Yuan he formed was quite ¡®violent¡¯, and even after being refined by the miraculous Cauldron Immortal Technique, it still felt like Phil¡¯s Goblin explosives when used. Besides regular Qi cultivation, much of the True Yuan in his body also originated from foundation establishment, absorbing spiritual energy from Spirit Stones, a significant portion of which came from the Seven Heavens, the home plane of his Succubus Paladin lover¡¯s Angelic partner. Those energies indeed gave him a sensation completely opposite to the Abyssal Spiritual Qi. The True Yuan, once refined, became more stable and serene. However, after being processed by the Cauldron Immortal Technique, it all mixed together, causing no discomfort in battle. In contrast, it only needed to be specially separated when he intended to use Abyssal Aura to intimidate a ¡®Demon¡¯ or utilize a Demon¡¯s advancement abilities. At that thought, Lancelot suddenly became curious. What would happen if the spiritual energy from Mount Heaven was used to advance Demons? Would the Succubi no longer crave human flesh? Would the Berserk Demons grow swan-like wings? The Demons leaping onto the city walls interrupted his musings. At this moment, Finliel and Cang Ye were entangled in fierce combat high in the sky, unable to restrain the large army of Demons. Although King Consort¡¯s recent surprise attack had killed a substantial number of enemies, the number of Demons remaining still outnumbered the defenders by more than five times. They were now charging at the base of the wall, stepping on the slightly softened corpses of their kind to jump upwards. Lancelot swung his Great Sword, cleaving a Coward Devil¡¯s body in two mid-air; Bruto¡¯s Warhammer whooshed past him, toppling a Berserk Demon about to launch itself; Alamir raised a Shield bearing the Emblem of Shuni, summoning divine flames; Koula hurled bottle after bottle filled with a deep green liquid, which was a strong acid that Demons held no resistance against. The only one who seemed to be slacking was Kalalin. The Scholar held a sling, launching stones with less-than-stellar accuracy. However, given the dense crowd of enemies below, precision was not needed, and the stone projectiles he used were not ordinary stones but Metal Spheres forged from cold iron. Any Demon struck was torn apart, their power close to matching the arrows fired by Archers above. Of course, there was also Clone Well, the skeleton, who completely blended himself into the landscape as if he was part of it, stirring up troubles here and there. Surprisingly, the effect was unexpectedly good. Everyone was fighting fiercely, but the number of enemies was simply too great, and the defenders couldn¡¯t stop the Demons from storming the walls. Luckily, the space atop the wall was limited, and at this point, the Demons mingled their low-rank cannon fodder with middle-rank elite infantry, which managed to somewhat balance out the combat strength locally, preventing an immediate collapse of the defenses. But high-rank Demons were inherently tougher than their lower-ranked counterparts, especially since they shamelessly used their weaker kin as shields against attacks. As time passed, the proportion of elite infantry among the Demons on the wall grew higher and higher, and the defenders¡¯ disadvantage became increasingly clear. Lancelot and his four companions formed a triangular formation, with the Human Knight wielding the Great Sword at the forefront, like the prow of a ship splitting waves, smashing the charging Demons to smithereens; Bruto and Alamir on either side, although both were outstanding warriors, couldn¡¯t directly face the tidal wave of Demons and could only stand on the less pressured flanks to protect Kalalin and Koula in the middle. There actually was another skeleton at the very back of the formation, but because it was so small in size, the group¡¯s formation appeared less diamond-shaped. ¡°Boss! Master! I can¡¯t hold on much longer!¡± Lancelot heard the skeleton¡¯s wail in his mind, as it was using its polished and sturdy forehead to block the encroaching Demons¡¯ attack. ¡°Should we retreat?¡± Hearing this, Lancelot looked around and saw that the nearby defenders had clustered into small tight formations, resembling isolated islands wavering in a storm, bound to be submerged, just a matter of time. He was about to issue the retreat order, but then he felt a peculiar fluctuation. In the next second, the world changed. The surroundings suddenly darkened, the sky turned deep blue, and unprecedented silver specks appeared. It was like the night sky of another world had descended upon this place. A surge of joy filled Lancelot¡¯s heart. At last,{¡°} it had arrived! COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 419: 433: Reinforcements Have Arrived Chapter 419: Chapter 433: Reinforcements Have Arrived The silver specks in the sky rapidly grew brighter, becoming so dazzling within moments that they were impossible to look at directly. Then, where each speck had been, there appeared a muscular man with bronze skin and bare upper body, wings sprouting from his back¡ªthese were the Radiant Cloud Angels from Aira, numbering in the hundreds. ¡°Reinforcements! The reinforcements are here!¡± ¡°God, those are the Royal Guards! They¡¯ve actually come!¡± ¡°Praise Queen Movir!¡± ¡°I knew that Succubus Paladin was reliable!¡± Cheers erupted from the crowd, and the reinforcements from the Court of Stars immediately joined the battle. They dove into the densest clusters of Demons like shooting stars burning with Golden Flames, wielding their iconic giant spiked flails, scattering the hordes in all directions. ... Apart from the Radiant Cloud Angels, another distinctive type of female Aira flew through the sky. They resembled beautiful and elegant Elven nobility, but a closer look revealed milky white light emanating from their eyes and a rainbow halo surrounding them. They wielded greatswords that seemed too large for their frames, circling above the Demon army like mythical Valkyries, beheading a Demon with each dive. Lancelot could be considered an experienced Commander by now, but he had never encountered airborne soldiers in his previous battles. This three-dimensional, in-depth assault opened his eyes completely, overturning all the traditional battle strategies he had in mind. Under the simultaneous surprise attacks from the Royal Guards from every direction, the vast Demon Legion was immediately thrown into chaos. Some Demons roared, wanting to continue the fight, while others tried to flee. Those attempting to escape didn¡¯t hesitate to attack their comrades blocking their path, and those wanting to fight tried to coerce their kin into staying, causing even more disarray and effectively crippling what was left of their fighting force. The Demons were not without junior officers, indeed, thanks to the training from their former Commander Ulgog, a Demon, they had developed a fairly structured command system. However, they were Demons, after all, managing well enough when things went smoothly, but under their current dire circumstances, these low-level officers could not reestablish order. The cohesion of Demon armies had always relied on the promises of violence and the threats of death, meaning a supremely powerful entity was necessary at the top of the power pyramid to maintain order. For Androlina¡¯s Demons, this summit was occupied by the Mother of Demons, Cang Ye. If she could make an appearance now, perhaps her army might have a chance to reorganize. But that was impossible, as the Mother of Demons was also busy at the moment. High in the sky, a somewhat hoarse female voice echoed across the area: ¡°Hahaha! Finier, it looks like you could use some help!¡± Lancelot looked up, seeing a streak of golden light swiftly approaching the two figures locked in fierce battle. With his excellent vision, Lancelot saw that the light harbored a short but muscular Aira woman with brownish skin and exceptionally developed muscles. Her silver hair was tied neatly into a ponytail behind her head, and she held a translucent Scimitar in each hand, flickering with multicolored light. ¡°Gwenhwyfar! It¡¯s the Fury of the Whirlwind, Gwenhwyfar!¡± ¡°Both of the Queen¡¯s consorts have arrived! We are certain to win!¡± ¡°Kill the Mother of Demons! Don¡¯t let her escape!¡± Cheers erupted from the crowd. Lancelot realized that the short Aira woman was none other than Gwenhwyfar, another consort of the Queen of Stars, and rumors even suggested that she was the Queen¡¯s biological daughter¡ªa comment on which Lancelot held no opinion. Contrary to her small stature, Gwenhwyfar¡¯s fighting style was wildly ferocious. She abruptly plunged into the ongoing battle between the two and effortlessly took control from Finier, her dual swords slashing at the insubstantial figure of the Mother of Demons like a torrential downpour. Cang Ye repeated her vanishing act, but Gwenhwyfar instantly switched her slashing direction towards an apparently empty space and, as her blades fell, Cang Ye¡¯s elusive figure materialized exactly there. The floating draperies on the Mother of Demons suddenly rose up autonomously, like venomous snakes being stepped on, and managed to block the Aira berserker¡¯s dual swords in the nick of time. After blocking the swords, the draperies became even more ethereal as if completely depleted of strength and seemingly unable to function again anytime soon. Cang Ye still wouldn¡¯t give up; her figure immediately vanished again, reappearing at an extremely tricky angle right under the feet of the Aira female berserker. But Gwenhwyfar, as if endowed with the power of prophecy, again swung her swords ahead of time, this strike landing directly on Cang Ye¡¯s shoulders. The Mother of Demons let out a painful scream, almost soul-rending in its intensity. Even from such a distance, it caused agonizing pain to the soldiers on the city walls, with some immediately collapsing unconscious. The small bamboo slip in Lancelot¡¯s divine sense burst forth with a bluish light, blocking all negative energies contained in the sonic waves outside of his Sea of Consciousness, allowing him to see more details of the Mother of Demons getting struck. Large amounts of foul black mist sprayed from the wounds on Cang Ye¡¯s shoulders, pushing her rapidly away from the fierce Aira berserker like a deflating balloon, and her previously elusive figure became much more ¡®real.¡¯ The shroud tightly enfolding the body of the Abyssal Lord developed two tiny gaps, and the first thing Cang Ye did after stabilizing herself was to cover these gaps once again. But in that brief moment, Lancelot glimpsed the true state of the soft, seemingly alluring female body concealed beneath the draperies of the Mother of Demons. Words could hardly describe the body of the Mother of Demons; Kalalin might choose flouncy words to describe it as a body condensed from pure evil and chaos, but to Lancelot, it seemed more like a fly-infested outhouse in the height of summer or a long-ill patient¡¯s festering, maggot-filled wound. Just a glance made him feel as if his sanity was leaking out like water from a punctured bag, and had the Mother of Demons not covered herself, he might have actually gone mad. However, Gwenhwyfar wasn¡¯t the only one clashing with the Mother of Demons in midair. Finier, unlike his... competitor? Colleague? Lancelot wasn¡¯t sure what to call their relationship... though he lacked the supernatural reflexes of the female berserker, his speed was no slower. After the Mother of Demons lingered slightly longer in one spot, he was already there swinging his Photon Longsword, thrusting it towards the chest of the Abyssal Lord. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 420: 434: The Arbitrary Succubus Chapter 420: Chapter 434: The Arbitrary Succubus Lancelot could see clearly that the strike had also hit Cang Ye, except that within the shadow-like figure of the Mother of Demons appeared to be an extremely hard core that caused Aira¡¯s King Consort¡¯s longsword to deviate. But the sword still left a huge wound. Filthy gas spewed out from the wound once again, and the King Consort himself seemed very fearful of the black gas and chose to dodge immediately, giving the Mother of Demons a chance to increase the distance between them again. Perhaps it was because he had already seen it once before, that the impact of seeing Cang Ye¡¯s true form on Lancelot was not as great as it had been at first. If he saw it a few more times, he might even be able to look straight at the Mother of Demons¡¯ true face¡ªwho knows? But Lancelot was truly uninterested. Finally, Cang Ye realized that her defeat was inevitable. The power she had been anticipating had not appeared, and if she did not leave now, she feared that she might lose her life here today¡ªdon¡¯t get it wrong, as an Abyssal Lord, of course, she had means to revive herself, but it would come at a great cost. The figure of the Mother of Demons disappeared once more, but when she reappeared, she was not near any Queen¡¯s consort; instead, she had mingled with the Demon Legion. Don¡¯t expect to see the ferocity in an Abyssal Lord that common demons would exhibit when fighting to the death¡ªthat kind of creature would never live long enough to become an Abyssal Lord. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can run!¡± ... Gwenhwyfar and Finier called out in unison, brandishing their weapons as they quickly gave chase. Cang Ye was attempting to cast a long-distance teleportation spell, but faced with two attackers, she was forced to stop her casting and use Instantaneous Teleportation over a short distance again, hoping to gain time to cast her spells by using the interference from other demons. This spell was obviously a disaster for the demons on the ground. The two mighty Aira naturally didn¡¯t show any mercy toward these evil creatures, rampaging through them like bulls in a china shop, turning any demon that stood in their way¡ªor simply appeared obtrusive¡ªinto shreds. Cang Ye didn¡¯t dare head towards areas where other Aira were¡ªRadiant Cloud Angel¡¯s power was certainly negligible to an Abyssal Lord, but their chains imbued with virtues could interrupt her casting, and the Mother of Demons definitely did not want to be cleaved or stabbed again. Just then, Lancelot spotted a familiar figure in the chaotic battle outside the city¡ªElothysia! The Succubus had not revealed her Paladin abilities, so the demons did not pay much attention to her. And since the Aira evidently recognized this heavily armoured Succubus, they did not attack her either, which allowed Elothysia to weave through the battlefield with ease. Lancelot noticed that the Succubus Paladin appeared to be trying to get close to the Mother of Demons. At first glance, it seemed she was holding nothing in her hand, but occasionally, a flash of light like twinkling stars would disappear just as quickly, clearly indicating she was holding the Treasured Sword known as Starlight Strike, which had once belonged to a former Aira, capable of transporting her enemies to the Stellar Realm¡¯s prison. The Human Knight¡¯s mouth involuntarily fell open. Elothysia was looking to cause a sensation! Meanwhile, Cang Ye¡¯s actions were an unmistakable signal that the Demon Legion had completely collapsed. Although they still vastly outnumbered the others in quantity, most of the demons were fleeing. Seeing this, Lancelot bit his lip and said to his companions behind him, ¡°Elothysia is up to something reckless. I¡¯ll go help her out, you guys stay here, do not chase beyond the city walls!¡± With that, he leapt outward, landing on a small mountain of demon corpses, then activating the movement technique he had learned from the bamboo slips since childhood, he ran rapidly towards the Succubus Paladin. He sped past countless broken bodies and the low growls of dying demons, still filled with malevolence. It must be said that he had never even seen such supernatural scenes in his dreams before, and now he was moving through them, with the goal of saving a Succubus Paladin who completely disregarded her own life. Perhaps it was this very courage to disregard life and death that made her a Holy Warrior. When Lancelot was still dozens of steps away from Elothysia, Cang Ye once again vanished from her spot with Instantaneous Transmission, and Lancelot immediately sensed a strong surge of magic near the Succubus. ¡°Behind you!¡± His shout almost coincided with the appearance of the Mother of Demons. It was unclear whether the Succubus Paladin heard Lancelot¡¯s warning or sensed it herself, but Elothysia immediately turned around and swung her longsword, which shimmered with starlight. Cang Ye¡¯s attention was entirely on the two Airas not far away, completely unaware of the presence of the little Succubus next to her. Instead, the floating drapery around her stirred again, attempting to intercept the Holy Warrior¡¯s slashing sword blade. However, the divine artifact forged from fragments of the Stellar Realm was one of the sharpest objects in the vast universe, and the drapery around Cang Ye, powerful as it was in its protective qualities, had already depleted much of its power under the attacks of the King Consort and Queen. The almost invisible blade easily cut through the drapery, then solidly struck the Mother of Demons in the back. Cang Ye hadn¡¯t realized someone was attacking her until the blade touched her. There was no helping it, the aura of the Succubus Paladin was simply too insignificant for her, and for some reason unknown to Lancelot, the Starlight Strike gave off no terrifying presence as a divine artifact should, leaving the Mother of Demons completely unprepared for the sneak attack. Lancelot used all his True Yuan, and his speed instantly increased tenfold, rushing past the Succubus with almost the speed of instantaneous movement; at the same time, a turbid aura burst from the spot where Cang Ye was hit, spraying directly towards the still sword-wielding Succubus. Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception had been sounding alarms since a moment ago, but the instant the turbid aura appeared, he felt as if he were pressing his ear to an inkstone while Bruto, his father, was working on it. It was clear that something even the King Consort feared was undoubtedly extremely dangerous, and there was no way Elothysia¡¯s slender frame could withstand it. When Lancelot was still ten feet away from the Succubus, he made a sudden forward leap, not towards Elothysia¡¯s body¡ªhe wasn¡¯t yet resolved to sacrifice himself in place of the Succubus¡ªinstead, aiming for her delicately crafted, wrist-thin ankle. The moment he grabbed Elothysia¡¯s steel-booted foot, Lancelot immediately initiated Shadow Jump. He didn¡¯t care about the destination, as long as it was far away from the Mother of Demons. In the next instant, he and the Succubus appeared behind the back of a Berserk Demon. Lancelot was still in the same state of movement from the jump, and with the Succubus in tow, they both fell to the ground. Somehow, they ended up in an embrace and rolled quite a distance on the ground together. The confused Berserk Demon turned to see what was happening behind it and was then cleaved in two by a Great Sword descending from the heavens. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 421 345: Survival by Cutting off the Tail "Are you two alright?" A pleasant female voice came from behind. Lancelot knew it was the Valkyrie-like Aira speaking, but he couldn''t afford the courtesy of looking back as he hurriedly bent down to check on Elothysia. The situation of the Succubus was clearly not good. Her chest armor and clothing had been completely corroded, and her bare skin was violently bubbling, with numerous thumb-sized blisters indicating that the flesh beneath was boiling. It seemed that despite Lancelot''s burst of maximum speed just now, he was still a tad too late. The foul air that had burst forth from Cang Ye had sprayed onto the Succubus. Given what had previously been glimpsed of the Mother of Demons'' true form, there might not be anything more filthy than that foul air in the entire Multiverse. Even a Succubus Paladin, fundamentally still a Demon, could not withstand the gases leaked after Cang Ye was punctured. "Elothysia! Wake up!" Lancelot tried to shake the Succubus. "Can you hear me speaking?" "What happened to her?" The beautiful Aira squatted down as well. "Is there anything I can do to help?" "The gas from the Mother of Demons'' wound got on her." Lancelot placed his hand on the Succubus'' forehead, feeling as though he was touching a red-hot branding iron. "I''ll try to save her, or at least prevent her from becoming something worse. Please, help protect us, I beg you!" "Understood!" Aira nodded vigorously, standing to the side with her Great Sword ready. "Leave it to me!" Lancelot thanked her and immediately began to assess Elothysia''s condition. He had already noticed that the state of the Succubus resembled the anomalies that occur during a Promotion, and he had to try to suppress that power¡ªor else Elothysia might transform into some kind of monster, losing all sense of reason and even her memories during the painful process. If that were to happen, even if she did not die, the Succubus Paladin that everyone cherished would never return. Lancelot gritted his teeth and pulled out a mountain crystal of Upper Grade Spirit Stone tier from his chest, biting into it. This method allowed for the fastest absorption of the spiritual energy contained within the stone, but nearly nine-tenths of the energy would be wasted. No Cultivator at the Golden Core stage would do this unless absolutely necessary. Spiritual energy burst forth from the mountain crystal, filling Lancelot''s parched Meridians. Most of it dissipated from the acupoints around his body, with only a random few strands following the path of his Spiritual Cultivation and ultimately entering his Dantian. But at the moment, Lancelot naturally couldn''t concern himself with the waste of spiritual energy. He gathered the sparse True Yuan he had and focused it in his hands, then closed his eyes and concentrated, examining Elothysia''s condition. He immediately felt a power representing pure chaos raging within the Succubus, a force with no plan except to turn the body into a mass of flesh covered in teeth and eyes. Elothysia was struggling with all her might against the transformation of her body, but it appeared she was on the brink of succumbing. Without a moment''s hesitation, Lancelot reached out his hand to help. With direct contact, his Divine Sense traveled through his palm, clearly seeing the physical condition of the Succubus. To his relief, she had Meridians and acupoints similar to those of humans. Though there were differences, the structures were fundamentally the same, easing Lancelot''s task considerably. Having induced demons to Promote several times, Lancelot was no stranger to this process. With his current abilities and condition, it was naturally impossible to forcefully oppose that power. But as a well-known saying in the art of Spiritual Cultivation goes¡ªif the hard approach doesn''t work, try the soft one. Rather than suppressing the chaotic power, Lancelot carefully used True Yuan to guide it through Elothysia''s body, ultimately converging it in her arrow-shaped tail. As the filthy, evil, and chaotic power continued to pour in, the Succubus'' tail began to deform and swell rapidly. It grew a carapace similar to that of a crab, then cracked open with countless small fissures from which many slender tentacles emerged, each ending in a mouthful of sharp teeth eagerly tearing at the surrounding air. Lancelot didn''t hesitate, his right hand emitting a cyan sword aura as he swung his blade, chopping off the end of the Succubus''s tail. Elothysia let out a cry of pain, instinctively holding onto the Human Knight beside her. Lancelot didn''t have time to comfort the injured Succubus; with a flick of his finger, two orange fireballs launched from his fingertips, igniting the small section of tail that had been chopped off. The tail, still violently transforming even after being severed, inflated like a balloon to the size of a helmet and rolled back and forth on the ground, sprouting new limbs in an attempt to extinguish the flames. But the fire Lancelot had thrown was no ordinary flame; it was ''True Fire'' ignited by the True Yuan of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Not only was it powerful, but under his control, it moved back and forth, stubbornly burning the weird flesh of the tail. That lump of strange flesh seemed to have gained consciousness in such a short time, forming into the shape of an infant with three mouths sprouting on its body, beginning to babble at Lancelot. "Destruction, submission, cease, die!" "Torture! Pain! Desire!" "Wealth, satisfaction, kill, kill, kill!" Maybe it wanted to beg for mercy, maybe it intended to utter threats, maybe it wanted to curse the human in front of it, but all it could manage were intense, meaningless words in the Abyss language. With a thought from Lancelot, the fire on the flesh''s surface shot up more than three feet high, burrowing into the constantly opening and closing mouths. Accompanied by a disturbingly shrill scream that grated on the nerves, that lump of flesh burned into a pile of ash, disappearing without a trace as it was blown away by the fierce winds on the battlefield. Only then did Lancelot have a moment to look down, seeing the Succubus lying pitifully in his arms, her eyes filled with tears. "It hurts!" Elothysia pounded heavily on Lancelot''s chest, "My tail!" Lancelot was momentarily dazed by the Succubus''s expression but quickly regained his composure. He smiled awkwardly, helping her up as he said, "Your tail was indeed beautiful, but it would have been terrible if it had grown on a body with seven mouths, eight arms, and nine pairs of eyes." "I know, thank you, but I really loved my tail; it was so smooth..." The Succubus Paladin suddenly realized her state of undress, a blue light flashed, and she was suddenly wearing a large robe. Then, as if remembering something, her complexion changed, and she hurriedly looked around. "Where is the Mother of Demons?" Elothysia asked with a pale face, "Did I succeed?" Chapter 422 346: After the Victory "In the name of the Queen, you are absolutely the boldest, craziest Paladin I have ever seen." The voice of Finier arose behind her; Elothysia turned around and saw the King Consort coming towards them with a grave expression, followed by two beautiful Aira warriors. The graceful Aira Lord halted in front of the Succubus Paladin, giving her several complex, scrutinizing looks before taking a deep breath and bowing deeply to Elothysia. "Not only did you bring reinforcements in time and save the garrison of Pascaler, but you also personally judged the Mother of Demons to the Court of Stars'' prison," said Finier, his tone filled with six parts admiration, three parts awe, and one part disbelief. "I truly am very, very grateful for everything you have done. I never thought I would say this to a Tanari, but from now on, all Aira owe you a debt." "You are too kind." The Succubus Paladin quickly returned the gesture, then quickly pulled the Human Knight in front of her, "It was mainly the merit of Sir Lancelot, he brought back the heroes captured by the Mother of Demons, thought of the idea to send me to the Court of Stars, and then he saved me once more... though it cost me a small section of my tail..." "The credit belongs to every warrior who fought valiantly today; I merely did my tiny part." Lancelot appeared much more natural, being a knight well-known for his military achievements and familiar with such situations. He looked around curiously and asked, "Where is Lady Gwenhwyfar? Why don''t I see her?" "Her Highness Furious Whirlwind has followed Cang Ye through that portal. She will ensure that the Mother of Demons will not cause any trouble in the Court of Stars prison. Our beloved Queen has quite a score to settle with the Mother of Demons," the King Consort said with an elegant smile. "Sir Lancelot, your humility impresses me, but everyone is clear about your contribution to this victory." As they conversed, the Royal Court''s airborne guards were fervently pursuing the scattered fleeing demons. This was destined to be a one-sided massacre, as the forces under Cang Ye had crossed the river to attack today, and the rushing Hofenstan River now served as a moat in the demons'' path of escape, with the benevolent Aira showing no mercy to those demons. "It appears my task is finally accomplished." Lancelot patted the dust off his body and nodded to the Aira King Consort, "My comrades are still waiting for me on the city walls." "I look forward to meeting you again at our celebration banquet tonight." Finier bowed to Lancelot, "Please allow me to excuse myself first, as I still have thousands of demons to cleanse." Having said that, Finier and his attendants transformed into colorful orbs of light and flew towards the nearest group of fleeing demons. "Let''s head back," Lancelot turned to the Succubus Paladin, who was dazedly holding the shortened section of her tail, "Are you alright?" At Lancelot''s words, Elothysia suddenly snapped back to reality. The familiar glow of Transformation Magic lit up, and her tail appeared whole again, but Lancelot knew it was just a magical disguise. "Perhaps Alamir can help you with that?" "Restoring a severed limb requires extremely powerful Divine Arts," the Succubus said with a pained expression, releasing her tail but carefully keeping it curled upward to avoid the wound touching the ground. "Elves can only perform up to the Fourth Circle of Divine Arts now, I''m afraid he might not be able to do it..." "The Protectors of Androlina will definitely have a way," Lancelot shrugged. "After all, you''ve done so much for them, healing a small tail shouldn''t be a big deal, right?" "Stop flattering me," the brave Paladin blushed. "Both of us know who the real hero who saved Pascaler is..." "I might have indeed brought some reinforcements to Pascaler''s defenders, but I certainly don''t have the courage to charge at the Mother of Demons," Lancelot smiled. "Your bravery deserves all the praises. Come on, let''s hurry, or Bruto is going to jump off the city wall." In the following hour, the weary defenders on the walls of Pascaler watched as the royal guards of the Court of Stars completely destroyed the Demon Legion. Due to their numerical disadvantage, about thirty percent of the enemies managed to flee, but they obviously posed no threat anymore. Most of the defenders had exhausted their strength in the previous battle and could only cheer on their allies with shouts of encouragement, but a cavalry squad of several dozen riders still joined the pursuit of the Demons, led by the friend of Martial Monk Hobinson, Pascaler''s cavalry commander, Tannis. The companions surrounded the Succubus, curiously asking about her trip to the Court of Stars, while Lancelot watched the cavalry charging across the battlefield, imagining himself riding an Abyssal Warhorse alongside them. But he was no longer the knight who must fight upon encountering enemies and always charge first. Since arriving in the Abyss, he often reminisced about his past experiences and pondered why Albert had made that silent decision; the stories in the Spiritual Cultivation insights had given him much to reflect upon. The so-called insights included not only the key points of Cultivation and experiences in breaking through bottlenecks but also many aspects of the life of Cultivators, such as how to interact with fellow disciples and senior masters. It was these articles that made Lancelot realize that in the current certain victory and having already distinguished himself, it was best not to join the fight anymore, and instead, leave the opportunities for others. He shifted his gaze from outside the city wall back to the fortress where the surviving defenders were. The recent battle had been extremely fierce, and the situation had reached the brink of collapse at one point. Many had given their lives, and many more were severely injured. The passion of battle had sustained them until now, but with the enemies now fleeing, those badly wounded were nearing their end. "Wait and talk later, those injured need our help," Lancelot interrupted the conversation in a low voice. "This might be more difficult than you all think..." He certainly wasn''t trying to scare his companions; in actual fact, the joy of victory in everyone''s hearts was completely overshadowed by the sights they saw next. The demons mostly used heavy weapons like great axes and warhammers, and occasionally their fanged mouths. Under such attacks, almost no corpses were intact, and every survivor was gravely injured, approaching their death. "Priest, can you do something?" Bruto attempted to piece together the body of one of his kind, but couldn''t find the left half of the deceased''s head. "Let this young man stand again, just like you once did for us." Chapter 423 347: About Resurrection "I''m sorry, I can''t do that," the Elf Priest patted the dejected Dwarf, "Resurrecting a body with a fatal wound requires Resurrection, a Seventh Circle Divine Art, only truly High Rank Priests can master it, and it also requires extremely expensive casting materials." "What about the Aira? Can they do something?" the Dwarf, still hopeful, said, "Isn''t it said that Angels can resurrect the dead? Just like in the stories, they are creatures of the Heavens..." "Perhaps, but there are also many restrictions." Alamir shook his head, "Resurrection is a very painful process, and for the Caster, the Resurrection also imposes a huge burden on their spirit and physical stamina. A High Rank Divine Art Caster can only cast Resurrection a limited number of times each day, and in a war, even disregarding the cost of casting materials, it''s impossible to resurrect all the casualties because there simply aren''t enough High Rank Priests..." "If not in one day, then in two days, if not in two days then in three days..." Bruto stubbornly argued, "With patience, isn''t it possible to resurrect everyone eventually?" "That is theoretically possible, but there''s a precondition: the deceased themselves must be willing to be resurrected," the Priest explained patiently, "Look at this Dwarf Warrior in front of you, he died gloriously in battle against Demons for a noble belief; where do you think his Soul would go?" "Certainly to Moradin''s hall, Father God would definitely be proud of him..." "Indeed, but before that, a deceased''s Soul first travels to the Domain of the Vague, waiting for a Divine Envoy to guide them, or for judgment by the King of the Dead," Alamir turned and explained to others whose attention had been drawn, "The waiting period usually spans one to ten days, during which the success rate of resurrection is still quite high, but after that it gets difficult." "What do you mean?" Lancelot''s curiosity was piqued, "After being taken away by a Divine Envoy, can the Soul not be resurrected?" "It can, but ''persuading'' them to return would be very difficult." Alamir shrugged, "For example, this Dwarf Warrior, his Soul would become a petitioner, joining the ranks of great heroes in the history of his race in Moradin''s Divine Kingdom, enjoying a happy and fulfilling afterlife, which includes the richest veins in the Multiverse, forges where creativity can flourish, and ever-flowing mugs of mead..." "It seems only the last one really appeals to me," Bruto commented. "Although this doesn''t quite fit my expectation of heaven, that''s exactly what most Dwarves desire," the voice of the Priest carried a hint of a smile, "All the worries, pain, anxiety, and sorrow of mortal life would leave you, replaced by eternal contentment and peace... If it were you, would you be willing to answer the call to return to a mortal body in the world?" "I..." the Dwarf wanted to argue, but ultimately just nodded, "I understand what you mean. But just so you know, if one day I too pass away, you better try to bring me back. Maybe I''m not ready to enjoy retirement just yet." "You have my word." Lancelot replied with a smile, "If you''re not willing to come back, I''ll go to Mount Heaven myself to find you..." ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª As night fell, the surviving guards in the fortress lit a huge bonfire in the square. They emptied all the food from the cellars and brought out vintage wines that had been stored for years. Everyone gathered around the bonfire, singing and dancing, drinking merrily, and celebrating this hard-won great victory to their heart''s content. The banquet was attended not only by Pascaler''s garrison but also by reinforcements from other regions. They had thought they would see the ruins of Pascaler and were prepared for a fierce battle with the rampaging demon army, so when they heard the news that the enemy had been defeated and the demon leader captured, their cheers almost brought the fortress down. What was even more incredible was that these arriving reinforcements encountered many legendary figures and they would also hear a most bizarre story involving a Succubus Paladin, her Human Knight mercenary, the empty gallery of Cang Ye, and the Demon General in the dungeon of the Abyssal Lord''s castle. Lancelot and his party were naturally the most important guests at this banquet, especially when he took out the remaining portraits, which brought the celebration to a new climax. People, with respect and excitement, identified the characters from the legendary tales, while the heroes from the same era as those in the paintings added various details to their stories. The Protector Spellcasters would one by one "awaken" these portraits, which of course took a lot of time, but that was no longer Lancelot''s concern. Almost everyone came over to express their gratitude to him, usually in the form of a toast, and it was even better if they had the chance to exchange a word or two with the beautiful Succubus Paladin. If it had been before, Lancelot would have surely been knocked out by now, but now he just needed to slightly channel his energy, and he could turn the wine he drank into vapor, which he expelled through the pores all over his body, leaving those trying to intoxicate him drunk on the ground instead. Bruto was astonished seeing the Human Knight accept drinks from all comers and never fall down. However, according to Lancelot''s thinking, this victory celebration was obviously held at an inappropriate time. It was the time to press the attack and expand their control, but Androlina''s highest leader didn''t think so. "For us in Aira, war is always the last option," King Consort Finier explained elegantly in response to Lancelot''s question, "Now that the Mother of Demons has been imprisoned, we prefer to slowly expand the influence of the good side. If we can drive the demons out of this plane without triggering a large-scale battle, that would be the most ideal situation." "But aren''t you worried that other Abyssal Lords will send armies to fill the void left by the departure of the Mother of Demons?" Lancelot still found it hard to understand, "Why not seize this opportunity to solve the problem once and for all?" "It is precisely because we want to solve this problem once and for all that we try to avoid large-scale battles," the King Consort said with a relieved smile. "You don''t need to worry about the other Abyssal Lords; they are not like Cang Ye. They lack the various advantages brought by the status of a Lord of Androlina. And once we turn this plane into a world as beautiful as the south bank of the Hoffenstan River, do you know what will happen?" "I don''t know." Lancelot cooperated by shaking his head, but the skull floating beside him began to shout excitedly. "Goodness, so that''s your plan!" Clone Well''s voice trembled with excitement, "You want to extract Androlina from the Abyssal Plane!" Chapter 424 348 Stay Here "Your Mimir... is quite something!" Finier looked at the skull in surprise and then nodded in confirmation. "After all, completely annihilating the Demons as a species is unrealistic¡ªwe''ve already tried. The children trapped in this plane are our true concern. Since they cannot leave this plane due to the curse, our solution is to make the plane leave the Abyss, and that is the only way to end their eternal imprisonment." "But... how are you going to separate the entire Androlina from the Abyss?" Lancelot asked, both astonished and extremely curious, "You mentioned earlier that you want to make the whole plane like the regions controlled by benevolent forces?" "That''s right, boss!" Before Finier could respond, the skull eagerly interjected, "Boss, let me ask you, what''s most important in the Outer Layer?" "Uh, I think I''ve heard this question before..." Lancelot furrowed his brows and thought for a moment, "Is it people''s beliefs?" "You got it! But there''s no prize, haha!" The skull chuckled as it circled around him, "Heh, just joking... Yes, the most important thing in the Outer Layer is human beliefs. Don''t be fooled by the unreal beauty of the south bank of the Hoffenstan River nowadays; it must have been a realm of Nightmares, filled with ghosts. It was the purity and goodness of the local residents that transformed this environment. Once the whole plane becomes like the south bank, Androlina will be ''spat out'' by the Abyss and become an independent plane within the Stellar Realm, though it''ll likely be quickly ''captured'' by the Wild Frontier with similar alignment." "And when that moment comes, the eternal imprisonment of the children will be truly ended," Finier said with a light chuckle. "Without Cang Ye''s presence, we can gradually shrink the Demons'' territory and thus achieve the goal of transforming the entire plane. As for the Tanari residents, they wouldn''t dare to attack on their own, and with Androlina''s transformation, they will eventually leave due to being unable to endure the surrounding environment. Of course, they can also choose to stay; perhaps we''ll see more Demons like Miss Elothysia who are willing to abandon the path of evil, which we naturally welcome very much." "This is truly a... crazy plan," Lancelot was rendered speechless for a while by his astonishment, "But can this really work? I mean, extracting an entire plane from the Abyssal Plane sounds too exaggerated..." "It will indeed be very difficult, especially since Androlina is such a deep layer; its connection to the plane itself is very strong," Finier admitted with a nod. "But we have enough patience. After all, to protect these children, we''ve been fighting for countless centuries. That''s also what I wanted to talk to you about next, Sir Lancelot. Would you and your companions be willing to stay in Androlina and join the ranks of the Protectors?" At this question, Elothysia''s eyes suddenly lit up at the side. "I really love this place, the weather here, the meadows, and the people," Lancelot said sincerely, "But... I''m sorry, I have other commitments, and there are people waiting for me to return." He did not miss the disappointment in the eyes of the Succubus Paladin. During this long journey, he had not been oblivious to her feelings, but in Lancelot''s heart, he still held the Knight''s conviction; he would never do anything that would dishonor a lady. "Are you sure?" Aira, the King Consort''s eyebrows rose surprisingly, "Staying in the Abyss is not exactly conducive to one''s health and well-being. If you don''t want to stay in Androlina, you can leave through the portal in the Bedivere-Gian Forest..." "Maybe one day I will regret my decision," Lancelot smiled, "If any of my companions want to use that portal to leave, would you allow them to pass?" "Of course, all of you will always be friends of the Aira clan," Finier lifted the goblet in front of himself, "Thank you for everything you have done." ----------------------------------- The banquet lasted all night, but Lancelot excused himself shortly after the moon rose as it was time for his cultivation, and the empty feeling in his Dantian was not pleasant. He left the noise of the fortress behind and headed towards a quiet little hill to the south, a perfect place for solitude. If nothing unexpected happened, he would meditate and practice Qi Cultivation all through the night until the first light of dawn touched his shoulders. "This is a truly beautiful place," Lancelot sat down on a gentle slope of delicate grass, seemingly speaking to himself. "Are you not going to stay?" The voice of the Succubus Paladin sounded behind him. A flash of bright blue light passed, and the figure of Elothysia appeared on the spot. "Yes," Lancelot nodded, his face showing no surprise, "Bruto''s old man is still at Twin Bridges Town, and I owe Tijana a life. She rescued me from the Eternal Stasis of the Mother of Demons, indirectly saving all of us. I''ve never liked owing anything to anyone, and besides, Bruto''s old man is still in Twin Bridges Town..." "I also don''t like owing people, but how many lives do I owe you now?" Elothysia raised her arm, found a strap on her back, and with a gentle pull, the two pieces of her breastplate fell to the soft grass, "Back in that interrogation room, I swore to repay your kindness with my loyalty, but now you refuse to stay, how else should I repay you?" "You don''t have to do this," Lancelot turned his head away awkwardly, "We are friends, it''s natural to help each other..." "Even among friends, it should not be that only one side gives and the other constantly takes," Elothysia said unhurriedly as she removed the remaining plate armor, revealing the soft curves behind the hard metal, and then sat down next to the Human Knight, "Let me teach you how to make a Succubus happy, I think you might need this knowledge." "This isn''t right," Lancelot turned, looking directly at Elothysia''s beautiful face in the moonlight, "You still have..." "Oh, that?" The Succubus Paladin hooked up a corner of her mouth gracefully, "Let me tell you a little secret, there never was such a thing as an Angel..." "What?" Lancelot was genuinely shocked, "But... why would you make up the existence of a lover?" "Because it''s hard for people to believe that a Tanari could break away from evil by their own volition, and I don''t like to repeat my life story over and over," the Succubus said with a light laugh as she unbuckled Lancelot''s armor straps, "Any other questions? If not, then let''s begin the lesson..." Chapter 425 350: Each Their Own Tao ``` "Good morning, Sir Lancelot." Alamir was spreading jam on his breakfast, looking at the Human Knight who walked into the fortress hall, with one eyebrow raised in interest, "It seems Lady Fire has smiled upon you." "Mm, good morning." Lancelot sat down beside him, grabbing a cup of warm milk in front of him to block the inquisitive gaze of Priest Shuni. "Big brother Lancelot, where did you go?" Little Isa asked drearily, hood covering her head. As a nocturnal creature, the little girl had a grand time playing last night, only to find Lancelot gone when the sun was about to rise. "I thought it was a bit noisy, so I went to the little hill in the south to cultivate. You know, I need to..." Lancelot took a big gulp of milk, "Wow, this tastes really good..." "Big brother, did you see Elothysia?" Bruto spoke up from the other end of the long table, his Dwarf voice as hoarse as if he''d just competed in a Giant Dragon''s singing competition, his face muscles still slack with post-drunkenness. "She went to Melanthan, said she was taking a training course prepared for the new Protectors." Lancelot still felt a tingling sensation in his muscles at the mention of the course, "Speaking of which, does anyone want to stay in Androlina or use the Portal in Bedivere-Gian Forest to go to the Wild Expanse? This is a good opportunity to leave the Abyss; the future Protectors will actively seal the portals between Androlina and other layers of the Abyss, making it harder to come back." Lancelot''s question made everyone exchange looks, but it was Isa who responded without hesitation: "Wherever big brother goes, I''ll go! Because big brother is my home~" "Haha, don''t worry, I''ll always take you with me." Lancelot fondly ruffled the little Vampire''s head, assuring her. "Lancelot, what are your thoughts?" Alamir asked seriously, "Have you decided to stay?" "No, I''m going back to Twin Bridges Town." Lancelot shook his head, without further explaining why he chose to do so. "But we''ve already obtained a considerable amount of wealth from our few adventures, and have brushed with death several times as well, so if anyone wishes to leave, I completely understand." "If you''re not leaving, neither will I." Surprisingly, Kalalin was the first to declare her stance. "The Abyss and Demons are my lifetime''s research subjects. The progress I made in the past few months surpasses that of my previous decade combined, but there''s still so much knowledge I want to explore..." "Be careful, Human," Alamir shook his head, "when you gaze into the Abyss..." "The Abyss also gazes into me," Scholar nodded in agreement, "I''m aware of the risks, don''t worry." "As long as you''re aware. As for me, I''ll continue to adventure with you in the Abyss." The Elf Priest turned to look at Lancelot, "As Priest of Shuni, I have found my mission in the Abyss. Should I die here, the Goddess will open her arms to welcome me." "I...I think I must discuss this with my father first," Bruto''s expression was very conflicted, "If it were up to me, of course I''d want to continue this life. The Abyss is so vast, and there are still many places I haven''t seen! But my father...you know, he''s a skilled craftsman, not an Adventurer. The Abyss is no place for him to live for long." "Um... Sir Lancelot... I...I want to leave..." At these words, everyone abruptly turned their heads to look at the Halfling who had just revealed her true wish. Koula was biting her lower lip, her little face wrinkled like a withered apple. ``` "No problem," Lancelot immediately replied, "but could you tell us why you want to do this?" "Roaming the wilderness on adventures just doesn''t suit me," Koula sighed deeply, "Compared to that, I prefer life in the city. Even though the streets aren''t always safe, I''m familiar with the rules there, and a good chef can always afford a comfortable room. These few adventures have indeed paid off handsomely; I can open my own restaurant now..." "I understand," Lancelot nodded, "Do you have plans for where to open your restaurant? We''ll definitely come to support it if we have the chance." "Well, I plan to go to Mark City and try to prove myself," Koula''s enthusiasm returned, "I heard that one could meet all races of the Multiverse there, and it has the most comprehensive ingredients in the Multiverse, so a true chef should seek out that challenge!" "I wish you all the best," Lancelot raised his milk cup to Koula, "I''ll really miss your delicious food." "About that..." Koula dug out a stack of thick scrolls from her magic backpack, "These are my cooking secrets, with twenty recipes I''ve created since arriving in the Abyss, all made with common ingredients from this plane, perhaps you''ll find them useful..." "Thank you..." Lancelot reached out to take the scrolls, suddenly realizing that without Koula, the Succubus Lord might have one less reason to seek him out, "I''ll study them carefully and try to master them as soon as possible." "Practice is key, as long as you keep at it, your skills will always improve," the halfling said with a relaxed expression, as if a great weight had finally been lifted from his heart. "That thing is, boss, I think I might have to leave too." Another person Lancelot hadn''t expected spoke up. The skull slowly floated up from the table, its voice lacking the hesitance that Koula had just shown. "Is it because of your memories?" Lancelot asked curiously. "Yes, I''m certain I once lived in the Wild Expanse, especially after meeting the Galer Angels¡ªthose who look like elven nobility, wielding Great Swords, Aira female warriors," Cromwell spoke with a tone of regret, "I thought you would choose to leave too, but no matter. The Wild Expanse isn''t a dangerous plane, and I should be fine on my own." "I understand, memories are the most important thing, they directly define who we are," Lancelot nodded, "If you need any help, feel free to come to me. I''ve promised you that one day we''ll go to the Nine Hells of Barto and make that Demonic Refinement pay for tormenting you." "Thanks, boss, but there''s no rush," the skull settled back down on the table, "I reckon it won''t take me long to return. To be honest, I quite like this adventurous lifestyle." "What about Sister Elothysia?" little Isabelle looked sad, "Will she stay here from now on?" "Yes, she''ll become a member of the Protectors, continuing the fight against evil," Lancelot nodded, "Just as planned." "I haven''t had the chance to say goodbye to Sister Aira..." the little vampire''s voice was full of loss. "Haha, of course, we''ll have the chance to say goodbye to her properly," Lancelot''s tone brightened involuntarily, "as well as Dong Quan, Mielu, Acheron... The Portal Emblem that takes us back to Twin Bridges Town still has twenty-nine days to recharge. Until then, let''s all enjoy this vacation." Chapter 426 351 Another Trial A month later. Lancelot and his companions stood in the Throne Hall of Melanthan Castle, surrounded by friends they had made since arriving in this realm. These people were indeed there to see him off, but at the moment, everyone''s attention was elsewhere because a trial was taking place in the castle, very much like the situation when the Succubus Paladin first arrived in Melanthan, except that now the accused was someone else. At the far end of the hall, on a raised platform, King Consort Finier sat on the throne that had previously stood empty. As the companion of the Star Queen Movir, he represented the will of the Queen herself and was the undisputed highest arbiter of Androlina. Standing on the steps before him were the old Elf Quirion, the Radiant Cloud Angel Iltash, the bald human Commander Poping Jay, and Lancelot''s old acquaintance Acheron, who also was Prince Thelion, the general of the Androlina Elf warriors, in name. The cause of the matter was simple: many of the rescued prisoners claimed that the Demon prison guards had boasted to them during their torture that someone from the Protectors had leaked their operation plans to Cang Ye, leading to their capture. Out of trust for their comrades, almost no one took this seriously, thinking it was just a trick played by the Demons to break their spirit. However, among the prisoners Lancelot rescued was one special being¡ªGreat Elder Quirion. Because of some warped hobby, Cang Ye would occasionally ''thaw'' him, allowing this ancient Protector leader to watch the torment of his successors. As time passed, the old Elf realized that the Demons'' interrogations might not be lies. The captured warriors had proven repeatedly that those words were ineffective against them. Yet the torturers kept repeating the same story to new prisoners, which seemed unnecessary. Moreover, the Mother of Demons clearly had no intention of releasing any prisoner, unlike the spread of rumors to sow dissent among the Protectors. After eliminating all impossible options, Quirion had to admit that there could indeed be a traitor within Melanthan. There were many suspects, such as the Zoel Elf Kamoen, who infiltrated the Demon Capital alone, but plenty of evidence proved his innocence, like Talasher and Dalarna. Their experience was very similar to Lancelot''s group; they successfully infiltrated the Demon Commander''s office, only to be faced with the Spirit Mirror behind a cupboard and the Mother of Demons on the other side of the mirror. The difference was, due to the Elves'' inherent distrust of their dark-skinned kin, they had not let Kamoen be privy to the plan of their operation, so someone else must have leaked their movements. Under normal circumstances, identifying the betrayer would be difficult, but Lancelot brought back so many witnesses that by comparing those informed of each respective action, Quirion had little difficulty in locking onto a target. "We have heard the accusations made against you by Great Elder Quirion Landale and the reasons why he has made these accusations," said Finier, his tone lacking much authority, but the atmosphere in the hall was as heavy as if at a funeral, "Thorn Swallow, do you plead guilty?" As the King Consort''s question was posed, all eyes turned to the beautiful figure standing below. The one on trial was the Fairy of Summer, Thorn Swallow, one of the four Generals of the Protectors. "................" After a prolonged silence, the great Fairy did not speak, and murmurs started to rise louder and louder among the crowd. As the leader of the Fairy Warriors, Thorn Swallow had already proven herself in countless epic battles and won everyone''s heartfelt support. It was for this reason that her betrayal was so hard to accept. Lancelot felt indifferent to this; he had only seen the Fairy twice before and had no relationship with her whatsoever. His only impression was that this female, who looked much like an Elf, was entirely clad in red, like a leaping Flame. The one who had been insisting on locking up the Succubus Paladin was the bald human General Poping Jay. This man was brave enough to admit his mistakes. Just a few days ago, he had made a special trip to apologize to Elothysia, who naturally forgave him with great magnanimity. Looking back, it was this Fairy General who had proposed the so-called ''trial'', suggesting Elothysia steal the Demon''s battle plans. But now, it seemed that this had been a trap all along, designed to deliver the Succubus Paladin into Cang Ye''s hands. If it weren''t for Lancelot, an unexpected factor, Ulgog would have offered the Succubus as a sacrifice during Cang Ye''s battle with Finier, thus giving the Mother of Demons additional power to defeat and perhaps even slay the King Consort. Then, the situation in Androlina would likely have been beyond salvage. "Wait a minute!" As the onlookers'' murmurs grew louder and the silence from the accused persisted, a Fairy clothed in fiery red burst forth from the crowd. She was so anxious that she didn''t bother with formalities and blurted: "Your Highness, the King Consort, we have fought side by side for so long, I know Thun Thorn the best! She couldn''t possibly be a betrayer! Other than what the Demon said during the execution, is there any other evidence?" "My shock is no less than yours, Miss Guoshi." Quirion Landale spoke up, his voice laden with weariness, "But we do have a witness..." "Who? Who can testify that Thun Thorn has indeed betrayed us?" The old Elf turned around and nodded at Lancelot who stood below the dais. "The witness isn''t me, it''s an enemy I''ve captured." Lancelot stepped up to the platform, bowed to the King Consort on the throne, and then presented a deep purple crystal Amulet, "Ulgog, if that is indeed its name." Finier nodded and took the Amulet, flicking the crystal lightly, and the image of the Domineering Demon with massive bat wings materialized in the hall. Immediately, the crowd erupted into commotion; some drew their weapons on the spot, but everyone quickly realized that something was off: the Demon seemed completely unaware of its surroundings, still sitting there dejectedly. On closer observation, the onlookers realized that it was merely a projection and not the true form of the Demon. "It remains imprisoned within the crystal, unaware of the outside world." Finier explained to the audience, then King Consort Aira began to cast another Spell. This one took much longer, and the incantations and gestures appeared very complex. When he finally finished, the entire hall was filled with a milky Spiritual Light. "Thun Thorn, I hope the accusations against you are not true." King Consort Aira said softly, and due to some mysterious effect, Lancelot immediately knew that Finier was not lying¡ªclearly, this was the result of the Spell just cast. Chapter 427 352 Dealing with the Demon Then, Finier closed his eyes and, holding the crystal in his hand, a colorful orb of light appeared in the room. The Demon reacted immediately, leaping up from its spot and assuming a defensive posture, shouting: "Who?!" "An Aira, that should be quite obvious to you." Finier''s voice sounded, and Lancelot simultaneously received a mysterious hint: This was the truth. "So who exactly are you?" Ulgog circled around the orb of light as if evaluating from where to launch an attack, "How did you come by this? That human knight? Or that succubus bitch?" "It seems you have lots of questions." The orb of light belonging to the King Consort of Aira began to spin as well, "How about this, you ask me one question, and I''ll ask you one in return. How does that sound?" "Fine, we Demons never lie..." A low chuckle spread through the crowd, as everyone clearly knew that was a false statement. "Oh, I am aware, your reputation in that regard has always been stellar." Impressive. Lancelot mused to himself. It seemed Airas too were capable of lying. "So who are you, really?" pressed the Demon impatiently, "What has become of Androlina now?" "I am Iltash, your old adversary." Finier spoke with an unhurried tone, "As for Androlina, the legions of the Mother of Demons are currently assaulting Pascaler, but she won''t get her way so easily... Alright, now you owe me two questions. Who sent you to help an Abyssal Lord? And do you know of any weaknesses Cang Ye might have?" "Hahahahaha, without me, that waste Cang Ye definitely couldn''t accomplish anything. As for your questions... Of course, it was the Great Marshal Zariel who sent me. Her will is irresistible and is certain to conquer the entire Bottomless Abyss!" The Domineering Demon suddenly unfurled his wings, as if trying to add gravitas to his claim, but everyone knew clearly that this was a lie, "As for Cang Ye''s weakness... yes, I am aware of it. There, I''ve answered your two questions." "But you haven''t told me what Cang Ye''s weakness is." "Because you only asked if I knew, not what it is," the Demon laughed slyly, "My turn again... Let''s get to the point. What would it take for you to release me?" "Oh, so impatient? That''s not like a Bartez at all..." Finier''s voice grew stern, "If the information you provide helps us defeat the Mother of Demons, we will release you." "Is that true?" "It is. Now you owe me two questions again..." "I must have your guarantee." The Demon rubbed his hands together excitedly, "Assure me that once I give you the information you want, you will release me!" "It must be after we have defeated the Mother of Demons using your information that I will release you. If you provide us with useless information, then wait here for the day the Multiverse perishes." The voice of the King Consort remained steady, but Lancelot found this Aira Lord exceedingly cunning, for the condition he presented was practically impossible. The Mother of Demons had been imprisoned in the Court of Stars, and among all in the upper planes, it was Movir, the Queen of the Aira Celestials, who bore the deepest grudge against Cang Ye, having captured her. Without several centuries, the Abyssal Lords had no hope of escape. The forces of the Heavens typically ignored Demons, letting them slaughter each other in the Abyss. Airas generally held the same attitude, but the Mother of Demons was an exception. It was said that initially, there were thousands of Aira children trapped in Androlina, but now only about a hundred souls remained, all thanks to the Mother of Demons and her minions. "Alright, then swear to me, in the name of Asmodeus!" "Are you insane? I would not swear by the name of a Great Demon." The orb backed away slightly, as if shocked by the other''s impudent demand, "By the name of the Queen of the Stars, Movir, I promise you that if in the future we defeat the Mother of Demons with the information you provide, then I, or whoever controls this crystal, will be obligated to release you immediately. Are you satisfied now?" "Hmph... It seems I have no other choice. Listen well, first of all, you''ve captured me, which means you''re already halfway there. If you want to utterly defeat Cang Ye, you''ll have to find a way to go to Bone Castle once more..." Ulgog then rambled on and on for over ten minutes. His words were a mix of truth and lies. Lancelot, comparing it to his own experiences, could easily discern that key information had been intentionally omitted. If they were to do as he suggested, it might indeed cause significant trouble for Cang Ye, but it would come at a great cost. And then, Finier would still be bound by his promise to release the Demon. Afterward, the King Consort pretended to be very interested and asked many questions, before finally asking offhandedly: "Are there traitors among the Protectors'' Generals?" The spectators, who had relaxed a bit, suddenly tensed up again. The hall became extremely quiet, and the Demon carried on with his boastful tone, "Of course, there are..." This statement was true, and a stir of shock ran through the crowd immediately. "For example, who? Sir Poping Jay?" "Ah, yes! Him! My Succubi only need to snap their fingers to glean a wealth of intelligence from him, even the color of Finier''s underwear..." The crowd instantly knew the Demon was lying, and the King Consort himself said with a chuckle: "Ah, indeed, I''ve always disliked that baldy." Laughter rose from the crowd as the bald Human Knight awkwardly touched his own forehead, not taking offense, for everyone knew the King Consort''s words weren''t sincere. "What about Acheron, Thelion, the Prince of Bright Flames?" "Yes, he also betrayed the Protector." Ulgog answered immediately, and the audience knew straight away that he was lying again, "Every Aira child we''ve captured over these decades owes their capture to his contributions..." Acheron, fuming, was about to rush at the shadow but was stopped by Dalarna Morningstar, who held him back. "We all know that''s not true," soothed the Elfin woman. "Let the King Consort continue his work." "You never can tell what lies behind a smiling face. I''ll have him locked up in a moment," Finier declared falsely, "And what about Tunthorn? Is she clean?" "Tunthorn? You have a General by that name? I''ve never heard of it." A lie. "Yes, the General of the Fairy Warriors. Although she has rarely participated in frontline battles in these past centuries." "Oh, I see... I''ve never had any contact with her; she shouldn''t be a traitor." Everyone''s expression changed instantly. Under the effect of the magic, they all knew clearly that the Demon had lied just now. Finier couldn''t be bothered to pretend any longer and withdrew his consciousness from the crystal, opening his eyes that had been closed in confinement, wordlessly looking at the still-standing Fairy. Varying voices erupted from the crowd, some angry accusations, but many more were sorrow-filled questions. All the voices coalesced into one question: "Tunthorn, why?" Chapter 428 353: The Reason of the Traitor "Because I am tired," the Fairy General on trial finally spoke up. "Is that reason enough?" "No! Tunji! That''s not true!" exclaimed the very fairy who had just been defending her, horrified. "Guoshi, you''ve experienced too little," the Fairy gently pushed her companion away, staring directly at Finier seated on the throne. "In the last Pascaler defensive battle, I lost my good friend Shamei, and before that were Yingyou, Huayee, and Qiling, and even prior were Jie Xiang and Xuancao... There are so many names I can''t even count them all. What were their sacrifices for, exactly?" "Of course to protect the innocent, pure children from harm," Acheron countered, "That is the reason all of us came to Androlina!" "So exactly how much cost must be paid for this?" the Fairy General did not back down. "Those children are still fewer than a hundred, how many Protectors have been sacrificed for them? Surely more than a hundred times that number? How long must these needless sacrifices continue?" "So you chose betrayal?" bald human General Poping Jay spoke up too, his voice unable to conceal his rage, "Sending more Protectors to their deaths?" "My target is only those so-called ''children.'' Once these perpetual kids are gone, the Protector army will have no reason to stay in this realm. Then, everyone can go home," Tunji''s voice had a chilling indifference, "As for those who obstruct that day''s arrival, they naturally have to be dealt with." The crowd exploded, some loudly contesting the Fairy''s view, others cursing Tunji''s cruelty, and some even attempted to rush forward and beat her, fortunately, others held them back. Lancelot''s view was quite simple. The children were definitely innocent, and for the Aira Celestials to come to protect them was undoubtedly right. As for other races'' Protectors, as long as they volunteered, they surely were aware of the sacrifices involved. Moreover, in the Bedivere-Gian Forest, the Portal was just to keep those children who couldn''t use it secret; any Protector could use the Portal to leave at any time¡ªno one was forced to stay. "Tunji, I am really disappointed because I''ve always considered you a good friend," the King Consort''s voice sounded very sad. "You think the price paid to protect those children is too great, so they should all be killed? Clearly, the cruel Demons are the aggressors, yet you think to end the atrocities by eliminating the victims?" "Don''t you understand? From the day that blasphemous covenant was signed in ancient times, these children trapped in the Abyss have been bait, attracting benevolent souls from across the Multiverse, causing countless Protectors to perish here!" the Fairy General held firm to her view. "With so many sacrifices, is it worth it?" "If we relent, it amounts to admitting that killing innocent children is an acceptable action. How great a price do you think needs to be paid for us to accept such a theory?" Finier fiercely retorted. "I can tell you the answer right now, no matter how many sacrifices are needed, no matter the cost, I, our Aira race, and all those who believe in benevolence, will never yield on this issue!" "However, the philosophical dispute is unrelated to the punishment you must face. Regardless of the motive, the undeniable fact is that many Protector Warriors and innocent children died by your hand, and for this, you must pay the price." "In the Queen''s name, I hereby make the following judgment: You are immediately dismissed from all your duties in the Protector army and the Court of Stars, stripped of all titles and honors you possess, and permanently imprisoned within the dungeons of the Court of Stars. You shall not receive any pardon for a thousand years, even if the pardon comes from the Queen, the Queen''s proxy, or the Queen''s heir. The Queen is aware of this judgment and has authorized me to carry it out." Having said that, Finier rose from the throne and walked straight up to the former Fairy General, looking her in the eyes and asked: "Do you accept?" "Can I refuse?" "Obviously not," replied the Aira King Consort with a shrug before he drew the nearly transparent Starlight Strike from his side, "Anything else you want to say to your old friends?" Swallowthorn surveyed the crowd around her, a trace of sadness visible in her eyes. "I don''t think I did anything wrong; I just wanted to end it all," said the fairy haughtily, lifting her chin, "Get on with it." Hearing this, the Aira King Consort said no more. The Starlight Strike gently brushed across the fairy''s shoulder, creating a fine line of blood. Soon, a blue and white ring of light appeared above Swallowthorn''s head, emitting a very strong suction force. However, the fairy general seemed able to resist this force, perhaps because she was almost uninjured. "Enter, Swallowthorn," said Finier calmly, "Since you had the courage to plot against your former comrades, you should not fear the punishment that awaits." "...Hmph." With a snort, the fairy ceased her resistance and her figure was abruptly pulled into the ring of light, which quickly disappeared. Sir Lancelot breathed a silent sigh; he had experienced similar situations before. After defeating what seemed to be an undefeatable opposing force, one would often discover that one or two closely bonded comrades had actually betrayed them secretly. Of course, in human societies, the handling of such matters was not absolute, and sometimes it could even be treated as if it never happened. However, if it were up to him, the fairy would have been executed by now. He could understand Swallowthorn''s anguish, but the crime of betraying a comrade was inexcusable for any reason. "Sir Lancelot," Finier turned to him after the fairy was sent away with a nod of greeting, "I''m truly sorry for disrupting the farewell party we were holding for you. Even though we spoke that night, I need to express once again that everyone here owes you and your companions a great debt of gratitude. You will always be friends of the Aira." "Thank you for your kind words, Your Royal Highness," Sir Lancelot bowed politely, "We are glad to have been able to contribute, however modestly." "Too much modesty is pride, my friend," the King Consort laughed, and then pulled out two beautiful medals from his inner pocket, "I have discussed this with the Queen, and Her Majesty agrees to confer upon you and Miss Elothysia the title of Knight of Stars. This is merely an honorary title, with no duties or obligations. Surely, you would accept this?" "Of course, it is my honor," Sir Lancelot accepted the medals respectfully, struggling to keep his amused grin at bay. Inside, he was delighted; Knight of Stars sounded splendid indeed. This was the second title he had earned since arriving in the Abyss, the previous one being Lord of Withering... Hmm, those two titles together seemed a bit off, but that didn''t matter. "Titles are merely honorary, but these medals are somewhat useful. Once a day, you can use them to cast the Resurrection of the Dead, and as long as you remain in the Bedivere-Gian Forest plane, you can also use these medals to detect the location of the entrance to the Court of Stars," Finier told Sir Lancelot and the approaching Succubus Paladin, then he turned the invisible longsword in his hand and handed the hilt to Sir Lancelot, "And the Starlight Strike, this treasured sword is also a token of gratitude from our Aira Clan." Chapter 429 354 Precious Gift "How can this be?!" Lancelot was genuinely shocked. Starlight Strike was a genuine Divine Artifact, not only incredibly sharp, but its special effects were also extremely powerful. The Succubus Paladin had only recently used it to defeat the Mother of Demons, and although, strictly speaking, it could only be counted as the finishing blow¡ªAbyssal Lord Cang Ye had already been gravely injured in the assault by Queen Aira''s two consorts¡ªit was indisputable that a weapon capable of threatening an Abyssal Lord had immense intrinsic value. More importantly, this sword had a very special significance for Aira''s race¡ªit was formed from the condensation of starlight from the wild fields of Aira''s home, personally forged by the Queen, and was also the sidearm of the former King Consort, Eskodel. And it was Eskodel who had died defending the children trapped in Androlina, ultimately ending Cang Ye''s rule over Androlina with this sword. If it were humans or dwarves, this artifact would certainly have been treated as a Holy Relic, deserving of a grand cathedral for worship, with it being paraded through the streets on every major festival. "No, no, I can''t accept it," Lancelot waved his hands repeatedly, "This sword carries too much significance, I''m not worthy to possess it..." "Haha, we think it''s quite fitting for you to carry it," said Finier as he directly placed the hilt into Lancelot''s hand, "This sword was created for the purpose of fighting Demons. Given the current situation in Androlina, letting you take it would best fulfill its mission." "But we''re venturing into the Abyss, and our lives are at constant risk. Although I''m not afraid, what if something unfortunate happens? Won''t the sword be lost again?" "Of course, we don''t hope for that to happen, but when Miss Elothysia previously went to the Court of Stars, the Queen had already cast a special Spell on this sword. If any evil being takes possession of it, the Queen will immediately know its location, as well as the situation within a mile radius." "Alright then," Lancelot stopped declining and bowed deeply to the King Consort with the artifact in hand, "Thank you for your trust, I will treat this precious gift with care." "You don''t need to cherish it too much," the elegant Aira Lord winked at Lancelot, "After all, a sword is meant for cutting people." "An enemy that requires me to use this Divine Artifact must be no simple foe..." Lancelot carefully stowed the one-handed sword in his Dimensional Bag, "This won''t cause any trouble for you, will it?" "Don''t worry about that. If we can imprison the Mother of Demons, what''s there to fear from ordinary Demons?" Finier''s face revealed a confident smile, "The Court of Stars has a strong inclination towards good, and any evil creature''s power would be severely weakened there, not to mention our Queen presiding over it. Just make sure you don''t bring more than two Abyssal Lords at once..." "I''ll try my best to avoid such a situation," Lancelot laughed, but he had already decided that he wouldn''t use the artifact unless absolutely necessary. Attracting unwanted attention was one thing, but since the weapon could teleport enemies away, that meant he couldn''t loot the corpses for spoils of war, and just the thought made him wince. "Ah, there''s also this," the King Consort handed over the crystal imprisoning Ulgog, "Almost forgot to return it to you." "You don''t need it anymore?" Lancelot asked curiously, looking at the crystal, "He was the former Commander of the Demon Legion, he must still have more useful information to offer." "Indeed he does, but we do not wish to cooperate with or exchange anything with Bartez anymore," Finier shook his head, "Moreover, a high-rank Demon becoming the lieutenant of an Abyssal Lord, especially when the armies of the Nine Hells had already invaded the Abyss, is too abnormal. There must be someone in those Neutral Towns willing to pay a satisfactory price for him." "I understand." Lancelot secured the crystal and then turned, waving to those around him, "Well then, friends, goodbye! I look forward to our future reunion!" "Goodbye! Thank you for everything!" "Feel free to come back and relax!" "Last time I couldn''t drink you under the table, next time we must determine a winner!" "Goodbye Uncle Lancelot! When we grow up, we''ll come find you for an adventure!" The waves of farewell blessings rose and fell, and Lancelot responded with smiles and waves. His gaze finally rested on the Succubus Paladin beside him, whose radiant face bore a tranquil smile, a meaning behind it that only Lancelot understood. "Goodbye, Sir Lancelot," Lady Elothysia bowed to him slightly, "I wish you all the best in the future." "Yes, you too," Lancelot returned a formal Knight''s salute and turned to look at Finier, "I entrust Elothysia to you." "Nobody will think of laying a hand on her," the King Consort promised him, "She''s one of us now." "Thank you." Lancelot nodded his head and then took out the Emblem that could take him back to Twin Bridges Town from his chest. As soon as the Emblem was in his hand, he suddenly felt a wave of unease; this feeling was peculiar, as if the Succubus Lord to whom the Emblem was connected was in some kind of danger. At that moment, a strong hand gripped his arm¡ªit was Bruto''s hand, while the Elf Priest held onto the Dwarf, with the Human Scholar behind them. Lancelot hesitated no further, took a deep breath, and began to quietly repeat the name of the Lord of Twin Bridges Town. "Tigana, Tigana, Tigana..." The familiar sensation of vertigo came, gravity seemed to lose its grip on him, and his body felt as though it suddenly sprang off the ground. The surrounding scenery blurred into countless points of light and then began to reassemble into a new scene. Lancelot had used this Emblem to teleport before and, if everything was normal, he would quickly feel his own weight again. But this time was different. Right at the last moment of the teleportation concluding, Lancelot felt as though he had slammed into an ice-cold wall, and then he crashed to the ground. "Ouch! That hurts!" Bruto''s loud complaint rang out beside him, "What''s going on, why is it so cold?" Before the Dwarf could finish speaking, Lancelot instantly stood back up. He didn''t see the familiar Succubus Lord in front of him, but instead, a huge ice wall with a white humanoid indentation on it¡ªwhich was obviously left by his recent collision. "Did the teleportation fail?" the Elf Priest was the second to stagger to his feet, then he took in the situation around him and sharply inhaled, "What''s going on here..." By the looks of their surroundings, they were inside Tigana''s Castle''s Throne Hall; however, the state of the hall was as if the God of Winter had already arrived: ice sculptures in human shapes were around, with Succubus Maids frozen stiff inside; the walls and floor were covered with a thick layer of frost, and huge icicles hung from the ceiling like in a cave sealed in ice for ages. Chapter 430 355 Assassination Scene The most eye-catching feature was the ice house that had appeared out of thin air in the center of the hall. The ice house looked like an overturned dome hat, with a radius of at least thirty feet, and its walls were made of ice blocks that were at least a foot thick, making it impossible to see inside. Lancelot''s keen hearing picked up some subtle sounds. His expression changed, and without minding the coldness of the ice wall, he pressed his ear against it. He immediately heard the familiar panting of the Succubus, as well as the sounds of claws swiping through the air and spear tips poking hard surfaces. "Tijana is inside!" he announced to his companions, "She''s under attack!" "Have we stumbled into an assassination scene?" Bruto immediately drew out his hammer and smashed it hard against the ice wall. After their journey to Androlina, the Dwarf''s strength had grown considerably. A full-powered blow from his hammer would have been too much even for Lancelot''s mithril armor, but after a loud bang, only a dent the size of a shoe print appeared on the blue ice wall. The ice blocks made by magic clearly had extraordinary strength. "Leave this to me. You all go find help!" Lancelot stopped the Dwarf from further attempts and pulled out a semi-transparent one-handed sword from his pocket. Starlight Strike probably couldn''t make lifeless objects disappear, but after all, this was a divine artifact. With its toughness and sharpness, it should be more than sufficient to carve a hole in the ice wall. The others wasted no words and ran straight for the exit of the Throne Hall. But soon, a heavy impact sound rang out, followed by the Dwarf''s angry roar: "No good, it''s sealed shut, we can''t get out!" "Then get armored up fast!" Lancelot immediately shouted back, "Prepare for battle!" Having said that, he no longer paid attention to the people behind him and focused on the task at hand. The nearly transparent blade of the one-handed sword shimmered with bright sword aura, and he used it as a chisel, inching his way into the ice wall. With the aid of the Qingyun Sword Art, the resistance felt almost like that of an ordinary person stabbing a dagger into a tree trunk, and it shouldn''t take long for Lancelot to puncture through the ice. The Human Knight now was not in the same state as during the battle of Pascaler. After a month of recuperation, not only had he returned to his peak condition, but his cultivation had even greatly increased, faintly touching on the verge of a breakthrough to the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage. Under normal circumstances for Spiritual Cultivators, it would be impossible to achieve this progress without three to four years of dedicated training. But Lancelot''s case was a bit special. First of all, battles on the verge of death had greatly promoted his cultivation; secondly, his core cultivation technique, the Cauldron Immortal Technique created by Han Tiansun, was certainly not low-tier. Although it seemed to lack powerful offensive divine skills, the speed of cultivation power increase was truly fast. ``` In addition, the Qingyun Sword Art that he cultivated had a very peculiar property: starting from the fourth tier, he had to disperse his previous cultivation power with a special technique called the Three Revolutions Heavy Yuan Technique before he could break through to the next tier. He would have to start cultivating from the third tier again. This Three Revolutions Heavy Yuan Technique could not only be used to disperse the cultivation power of the Qingyun Sword Art, but it could also increase the speed of recultivation after dispersing the power. After the battle of Pascaler, Lancelot was nearly drained of all his energy. He started practicing the Three Revolutions Heavy Yuan Technique with a try-and-see attitude. To his surprise, after dispersing less than ten percent of his True Yuan, his body began absorbing the surrounding Spiritual Energy like a vortex, even causing a phenomenon between heaven and earth, forcing him to hide in the mountains for several days to avoid the curious gazes of the kind residents. As he re-cultivated the Qingyun Sword Art back to the peak of the fourth tier, his realm reached the minor accomplishment stage of Foundation Establishment. Lancelot had a premonition that once he broke through to the fifth tier of the Qingyun Sword Art, he would naturally progress to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. By then, when he met Tijana, he would be able to stand a bit straighter. The pressure from the blade in his hand suddenly eased, and Lancelot knew he had pierced through the ice wall. He quickly withdrew Starlight Strike, revealing a small gap three fingers wide on the icy surface, and the previously faint voices became clear. Lancelot''s Spirit Perception immediately sensed the situation inside. Beyond the Succubus Lord, there were four other enemies inside, all undoubtedly Demons, and each stronger than Ulgog. Lancelot suddenly felt a twinge of guilt; it was possible that these Demons had come because of the incident at Oasis Fort. At that time, the Succubus Lord had taken away the sword of the Enreyes and inadvertently carried away the blame as well. He turned his head to see Bruto had already suited up in his Armor, pulling on a Helmet engraved with a Berserk Demon, while Alamir had raised a Shield emblazoned with the Holy Emblem of the Fire Lady. Kalalin... Kalalin had taken a position behind the two, a spot that made casting spells less likely to be interrupted. Lancelot extended one arm behind him, and knocked on the Armor at his waist with a clenched fist, a gesture that meant ''be on guard, battle could start at any moment''. Then, he placed his other hand over the small hole he had just chiseled, creating a tiny shadow connected to himself. The next instant, Lancelot activated Shadow Jump and entered the interior of the ice wall. The world lost its color in his eyes for a moment, and after moving a very short distance, it quickly returned to normal. The ice wall that was originally in front of him had now moved behind him, and ahead, the Succubus Lord was being assaulted by four massive creatures. The creatures were over ten feet tall with blue Carapaces, resembling upright walking mantises. Their insect-like heads had eyes like those of a fly, and mandibles like pincers protruded from the circular mouths below. They had upper limbs similar to human arms, hands with four fingers holding a Spear emitting cold air, while their lower limbs were locust-like insectoid legs and a thick tail that merged with their stomachs. Lancelot knew little about Demons and had no idea what these giant insects were, but he could understand the situation of the battle. Tijana, besieged, was at a complete disadvantage. The Succubus Lord lacked her beautiful Mithril Full Body Armor, wearing only a dress that appeared to offer no Protection; she was also unarmed, relying solely on her agile movements to dodge the enemy''s attacks. However, the ice walls around her limited her range of motion, and she had already sustained several injuries. What was worse, the attacks from the demons seemed to contain a special kind of coldness that noticeably slowed down Tijana''s speed. Additionally, Lancelot''s Spirit Perception detected something very special but somewhat familiar: an Anti-Magic Zone. Among those Demons, there must have been someone carrying something like an Anti-Magic Stone, preventing Tijana from using her magical abilities and resulting in such a disadvantaged situation. ``` Chapter 431 356: Take One Away The existence of the Anti-Magic Zone disrupted Lancelot''s original plan. He had intended to take Tijana out first, but now just a few steps forward would take them into the area where magic was ineffective, and there, Shadow Jump would be impossible to execute¡ªa fact he had already tested with his own Anti-Magic Stone. Of course, he could choose to immediately activate Shadow Jump again, escape through the tunnel behind him, and then find a way to open the sealed door. This reaction would be the most logical approach for a Spiritual Cultivator, but leaving a lady in danger without trying to save her was something he could not do. Since arriving in the Abyss, Lancelot had made many ''revisions'' to his Knight''s creed, but there were some principles he still retained. Since he didn''t plan to leave, he couldn''t just blindly rush in with passion alone. Lancelot quickly glanced at the battle ahead; the Succubus Lord seemed to be in peril, and hadn''t even noticed the Human Knight''s arrival, but Lancelot estimated that Tijana could still hold on for a little while longer. Thus, he pulled out the Great Sword from his Dimensional Bag and launched a frenzied attack¡ª His target was the ice wall behind him. The blade of the Great Sword emitted a searing red light as it collided with the ice wall, triggering a violent explosion. Lancelot didn''t use the Qingyun Sword Art, but the most basic Gathering Qi Slash. The Sword Aura of the Qingyuan Sword Technique was sharp indeed, but his goal now was to demolish the wall, and the Gathering Qi Slash with its inherent explosive effect was obviously more suitable. As the mist from the explosion dissipated, Lancelot fixed his gaze and couldn''t help feeling a bit disappointed. A long depression had been created in the ice wall, but it was less than an inch deep; to make a hole big enough for someone to pass through, he''d need to strike it dozens more times at the very least. But that was still better than no progress at all. Lancelot shrugged and swung his sword again. The commotion he made was so great that both the Demons and Succubus engaged in the fierce battle were startled. Seizing the opportunity when the Demons turned their heads to look, Tijana barely broke out of the encirclement and landed on the other side of the ice house. "How did you get in... watch out!" A warning from the Succubus Lord rang out in Lancelot''s mind because one of the four Demons that were besieging her had left its companions and was charging toward the Human Knight alone. The Demons weren''t foolish; if they allowed the Human Knight to create an opening in the ice wall, enabling the Succubus Lord to escape, their assassination attempt would likely fail. Even though he was still facing the ice wall, relying on his Spirit Perception as a Spiritual Cultivator, Lancelot was keenly aware of the rapidly approaching threat from behind. The Demon''s charge was incredibly fast, its sharp spear tip aimed straight at his back, the looming pressure felt as if a fully armored Knight was hurtling towards him with a Long Spear, and in the next second, that unstoppable force would pierce through him, turning his body into a flag hoisted on the victor''s spear. But that was just a fantasy in his mind, not what was actually happening. Lancelot was not lacking in experience dealing with such situations; he knew the trick was to wait until the very last moment, when the charger had no time to change direction, to dodge. Of course, by that time, most people would have forgotten to move due to fear, but he did not fall into that ''most people'' category. It wasn''t until the spear tip was less than a foot from his back that Lancelot moved. His body shifted three feet to the side in an eerie manner, a movement the charging Demon couldn''t keep up with, and it crashed hard against the ice wall. The impact of the giant beetle, weighing over five hundred pounds, caused the ice wall to shudder, but to Lancelot''s disappointment, it seemed like the wall didn''t show any signs of collapsing, even though the Demon had slowed down at the last moment. However, he hadn''t expected the enemy to help him with the demolition work in the first place. Instead, he took advantage of the Demon''s momentary dizziness from the impact, suppressed the discomfort in his heart, and grasped the end of the Demon''s carapaced tail. The tail of the Demon was also covered in hard carapace, making Lancelot feel as though he had grabbed not a tail but a cold Sword Blade. "I''ll take this one first!" Through the newly established mental connection, Lancelot sent his thoughts to Tijana. Then, he activated Shadow Jump, pulling the giant beetle demon with him as they disappeared from the spot. One of the demons besieging the Succubus Lord possibly carried an Anti-Magic Stone, but Lancelot was betting it wasn''t on the one coming after him. The situation was as he had guessed, and Shadow Jump worked successfully. In the next instant, he appeared on the other side of the ice wall. Lancelot knew that if he charged in to help directly, there wasn''t much he could do. If the four powerful demons temporarily ignored Tijana and focused on him, he probably couldn''t last even ten seconds. But by taking away one enemy, not only would the pressure on the Succubus Lord be significantly reduced, but he would also face a more manageable one-on-many situation, giving him some chance of winning. "Ice Demon?!" Kalalin''s voice rang out in surprise, as the Scholar clearly recognized the creature. At the same time, the demon broke free from Lancelot''s grasp the first chance it got, turning around to deliver a powerful tail whip. Lancelot positioned his greatsword in front of him, barely blocking the strike, but it felt as though he had been hit by a speeding carriage, as he was swept backwards in flight. "What is this thing?" Lancelot recovered his stance the moment he landed, just in time to face his companions, "How do we deal with this guy?" "I''ve studied the Abyss, not the Nine Hells..." Kalalin nervously shifted his backpack to the front, "Cut off its head?" "I know that much!" Lancelot rolled his eyes, "Bruto, with me!" Before Lancelot had finished speaking, he had already charged out again. From the brief encounters with the enemy so far, Lancelot knew he mustn''t allow the opponent to start a charge; he had to keep it pinned down. Seeing the human knight rushing toward it, the Ice Demon did not dodge or evade. It held its long spear at the ready, poised like an experienced veteran soldier. Seeing the enemy''s stance, Lancelot''s heart sank, recognizing that his opponent was different from the brute force demons. But that was no matter, he wasn''t an ordinary human himself. When he was still ten feet away from the enemy, Lancelot swung his greatsword from his shoulder, a move that caught his opponent off-guard because it seemed as if he was striking at air five feet away from the creature. Lancelot was aiming for that element of surprise. A dazzling sword aura suddenly shone from the blade, extending seven feet from the tip, while another sword shadow appeared beside it, both heading straight for the opponent''s head. The Ice Demon reacted at the last second, leaning its body to the left just enough. Two greenish sword auras slashed its shoulder, resounding with a heavy impact. After the sword strike, Lancelot didn''t pursue immediately, but jumped backwards to a distance that was good for attack and defense. He decided to wait and see the effects of his attack before determining his next move. Chapter 432 357: Fierce Battle with the Ice Demon The result was a bit better than he had expected. There was a clear dent in the hard carapace resembling that of an ice demon, and blue-green blood slowly seeped from the wound, indicating that it was indeed injured. However, its arm still seemed to be functioning normally; Lancelot had just jumped away when the tip of the spear stabbed into the ground where he had been standing, showing no loss of combat ability from the previous attack. Out of the corner of his eye, Lancelot saw the Dwarf flanking from the side¡ªan already highly proficient coordination between the two. At the same time, he felt a familiar surge of magical power entering his body, courtesy of Kalalin''s Haste Spell enabling him to move and attack at a higher speed. The giant insect demon''s evil compound eyes fixedly stared at Lancelot, its pincer-like fangs constantly opening and closing, producing an irritating clashing noise. The demon was also assessing the strength of its opponent; the strange Sword Aura had caused more surprises than harm, forcing it to devise a suitable response strategy. While the demon was still thinking, Lancelot had already made his decision. He rested the Great Sword on his shoulder, approaching the large beetle with steady steps. Confident from the success of his previous attack and assured that he could cause injury, Lancelot was unafraid to engage the enemy in close combat. Faced with the approaching Human Knight, the demon let out a terrifying snarl. As soon as Lancelot entered its striking range, it thrust its long spear fiercely towards the Human Knight''s throat. The enemy''s stabbing attack was as swift as lightning, but it was completely within Lancelot''s expectations. It was as if springs were installed on his shoulders; the Great Sword rose like a viper and struck earlier than it was released, striking the ice demon''s spear handle and deflecting the direction of the attack. The Human Knight didn''t retreat this time but aggressively moved forward, slipping through the gap in his opponent''s posture. He didn''t have time to turn the blade around, so he simply smashed the demon''s insect face with the hilt of his sword. The ice demon tried to dodge, but the wound on its shoulder and the sudden burst of speed from Lancelot delayed its reaction. Glacier was a seven-foot-long Great Sword, weighing an impressive fifty pounds. For balance, a nail-headed hammer-shaped counterweight was attached at the end of the hilt, which itself could be used to strike opponents. Under Lancelot''s full-powered swing, the sword hilt directly pierced the demon''s bulging compound eye, spewing out a large amount of orange-yellow viscous liquid. Immediately after landing the hit, Lancelot swiftly retreated backwards, just in time to dodge the enemy''s claws flailing wildly in pain. All that remained of the ice demon''s disgusting insect face was a single eye; the right half of its face was left with just an empty bloody hole. Lancelot pulled down along the hilt with his left hand, and the ice demon''s other eyeball fell to the ground, where his steel boots crushed it into pieces. The demon let out a scream filled with pain and rage, raising its ice spear to throw at Lancelot, but a grating sound of breaking suddenly erupted, causing its huge body to topple to the side. The thrown weapon lost its accuracy, stabbing into the floor not far from behind Lancelot. "Oh, this feels absolutely fantastic!" The Dwarf''s cheerful voice came from behind the demon. While Lancelot was entangled with the enemy, Bruto had already made his way to the enemy''s rear. The ice demon''s lower limbs had two knees, the second joint higher and bent backward protruding outward¡ªthe very shape the Dwarf loved the most, which he smashed solidly with his hammer. Bruto held his hammer aloft with a self-satisfied air, but the next second, he was sent flying like a kicked ball¡ªhe had been struck by the Demon''s tail. The power of this sweeping blow was immense, and Lancelot even worried that the Dwarf might have been knocked unconscious, but Bruto almost immediately sprang back to his feet and charged at the Demon once again. Seeing the Dwarf unharmed, Lancelot''s heart was set at ease. Now that the enemy was weaponless, what better time to strike? A dazzling light radiated from the blade of the Great Sword as Lancelot also activated the Sword Shadow Split Technique of the Qingyun Sword Art, summoning another Sword Shadow to continuously slash at the Glacier Demon. The Demon raised its arms, attempting to block with a pair of golden bracers on its wrists. To Lancelot''s surprise, after several rounds of slashing, the bracers were still intact, although the Demon''s arms appeared to be fractured, struggling to withstand any more attacks. Meanwhile, Bruto was exchanging blows with the lower half of the enemy. The carapace-covered tail was dented all over, but Bruto''s desire to strike another knee was temporarily unfulfilled. Truth be told, the tail, thicker than a Dwarf''s waist, twitched involuntarily from pain, but Bruto was determined to best it. Lancelot felt it was almost time, and he suddenly changed the move in his hand. The summoned Sword Shadow continued to cleave downward, while the actual Great Sword traced a contrary arc, delivering a sinister Upper Slash through a gap in the opponent''s defense. The tip of the sword struck the Glacier Demon''s chest, unable to damage the hard carapace, but slid up, all the way to the Demon''s protruding head. The Glacier Demon''s lower jaw lacked carapace protection; the Sword Blade cut into its pincer-like fangs, then cleaved upwards, cleanly splitting the insect-like head in two. Without time to confirm his victory, Lancelot repositioned his sword for a Horizontal Slash, completely sending the now rigid body of the Glacier Demon flying into an ice wall behind it with a heavy crash. Blue liquid flowed from the Demon''s bisected head, splattering onto the ice wall. This liquid emitted a peculiar magical energy, causing the impacted ice to melt swiftly, forming a large hole in moments. In the next instant, Tijana''s figure burst through the gap in the ice wall. The Succubus Lord looked incredibly wretched, her originally smooth black hair clumped together with congealed blood, her wide bat wings riddled with holes, and her body bore several severe through-and-through wounds, looking no better than Elothysia under torture. The difference, however, lay in the fact that though equally disheveled, Tijana''s face bore a victorious smile. Her eyes sparkled with golden light, and a surge of life energy materialized out of nowhere, healing her wounds; then, with a simple gesture, a full suit of armor appeared on the Succubus Lord. "You all did very well!" Tijana reached into her Dimensional Bag and pulled out a Whip radiating a strong holy aura, "Leave the rest to me!" Lancelot stepped back, yielding the stage to the furious Succubus. He recognized that Whip¡ªit was the ''Abyss Whiplasher'' he and Bruto''s father had crafted, and now Tijana was holding this weapon blessed by Moradin, seemingly unharmed! Chapter 433 358 Tijanas Strength Three huge Ice Demons followed closely from the breach in the ice wall, unwilling to give up the prey they almost captured, only to find that their companion who emerged before them had been slain. The Succubus Lord was now fully armed and looking down on them with murderous intent, as if the roles of hunter and hunted had reversed. If they were facing a High Rank Spellcaster and could not resolve the battle instantly, once the target regained its ability to cast spells, the assassins'' doomsday would come. These Demons evidently realized this as well. One of the Ice Demons closed a tome emitting a strong wicked aura, and Lancelot''s Spirit Perception immediately sensed the disappearance of the Anti-Magic Field, while another Ice Demon quickly threw a handful of black powder on the ground, which instantly created a Portal rimmed with flames, seemingly preparing to flee. "Thinking of leaving now? Too late!!" Tijana''s angry voice came from above, "Paralyze!" Lancelot didn''t see Tijana make any spellcasting motions, but several dark yellow Magic Auras spontaneously appeared, instantly enveloping the enemy''s bodies. The Ice Demons'' carapaces emitted an icy blue glow as if to resist the Succubus'' magic, but Lancelot''s Spirit Perception suddenly felt a tidal surge of Magic Power around them, and the dark yellow light flared up, paralyzing all three Ice Demons in place. Like a swooping eagle, Tijana then viciously lashed out with her Whip, which was so imbued with Holy Power that it was like a red-hot Branding Iron, shattering the Ice Demon''s Carapace as if it was made of nothing more robust than pottery. Lancelot couldn''t help but swallow his saliva, having just experienced firsthand the hardness of the Ice Demons'' carapaces. While his Great Sword was made of cold iron and didn''t have the advantage it had against ordinary Fiends during the attack, the power of the Qingyun Sword Beam was without any discount, and his strength after Foundation Establishment was on par with a Middle Rank Demon. However, he still struggled against the carapace of the Ice Demons and ended up relying on the Dwarf''s assistance, striking directly at the unprotected head of the enemy to kill it. Under the lashes of the Succubus Lord, the carapaces cracked as if they were merely made of paper. How much of this was due to Tijana''s own strength and how much due to the Holy Power attached to the whip itself? After almost killing one Ice Demon, the Succubus Lord freed one hand and reached out into the air towards the Demon, pulling a vague shadow from the Ice Demon''s body and directly condensed it into a purple crystal, the Soul Prism that Lancelot had seen with Matriarch Zoel, now clenched in the hands of the Succubus Lord. "Now you are mine!" Tijana said through gritted teeth to the crystal, "We will have a lot of fun times, I assure you!" The remaining two Demons watched despairingly as all this unfolded, but in their paralyzed state, they couldn''t do anything. The Succubus Lord once again raised her Whip, viciously striking another Ice Demon, until, when she stopped, the Demon looked like a beetle that had been trampled by a Giant. Tijana cast another spell, extracting the Essence of the Demon and condensing it into another purple crystalline prism. When Tijana was about to make her move on the last Ice Demon, the great door was suddenly smashed open. The six-armed Serpent Demon Sonam led a dozen Demon Guards, shouting and clamoring to capture the assassins. "The party''s over," said Tijana displeasedly as she looked at her subordinates, while surreptitiously stowing away her Whip, "You are too late." "I apologize, my Mistress!" The Serpent Demon''s voice was shrill with Fear, like a mouse whose tail had been pinched. She turned and sliced a Berserk Demon following her into half with her sword, "It''s this idiot''s fault! It was standing right at the entrance of the hall but knew nothing of what was happening inside..." "Enough, Sonam. My maids will be very busy taking care of the aftermath, don''t give them extra work," the Succubus Lord pressed her hands on the last Ice Demon''s head, a purple glow shining from her hands, "If even the Berserk Demon standing at the door could notice something was amiss, then these assassins are truly incompetent." "Are you injured?" Seeing that Tijana bore no grudge, the voice of the Serpent Demon finally lost its tension. She looked at Tijana greedily as the latter extracted the essence from the Demon, her tongue-like sliver of a tongue involuntarily licking her lips, "Give it to me, I guarantee I''ll show these disgusting pests what real pain is!" "Hurt me? They''re not capable of that." Tijana spoke without a change of expression or a skipped heartbeat, but Lancelot felt that the Succubus Lord very subtly shot him a glare, "I will personally interrogate these ones, and once I get the information I want, if they haven''t completely dissipated by then, perhaps I can let you have your fun..." "Thank you, my master!" Sonam bowed respectfully, "I''ll go notify... wait, who''s that over there?" The Serpent Demon turned her head toward where Lancelot and his companions stood quietly next to a Succubus Maid who was slowly melting away. "Pleased to see you again, Miss Sonam." Lancelot waved at the Serpent Demon, "We''ve just completed a lengthy mission and happened upon this assassination upon teleporting back..." "They lent a small hand just now." The Succubus Lord said nonchalantly, pointing at the corpse of the Ice Demon still hanging on the ice wall, "That one was killed by these people, it got off too easy..." "Ah, it''s you all." The Serpent Demon looked at the Human Knights as if deep in thought, "What a coincidence, isn''t it?" "We''re very lucky, this Ice Demon had used up all of its spell abilities." Lancelot bowed humbly to the Serpent Demon, "Actually, this should also be considered one of Lady Tijana''s victories." "Hmph, even so, killing an Ice Demon is no simple feat." Sonam''s eyes narrowed slightly, filled with a threatening intent, "Perhaps I underestimated you before..." "Well, Miss... Lady Sonam, the bill for those six longswords hasn''t been settled yet." Suddenly, Bruto spoke up, drawing everyone''s gaze to him, but the Dwarf seemed completely oblivious to their stares, "The total is 15,000 Gold Coins, of which 3,900 Gold Coins have already been deducted..." "..." After a brief silence, the Serpent Demon finally spoke, "It doesn''t matter, you won''t live to see the day the bill is paid in full..." "You might be underestimating Sir Lancelot there." Tijana''s face broke into a playful smile, "Keep the accounts straight, Sonam. Given the kind-hearted knight''s penchant for saving people, it likely won''t be long before your debt is paid off. Just don''t forget to keep taxing him afterward..." "Actually, we''re only five now." Lancelot spread his hands, "Clone Well and Koula have left." "Oh? They died?" Tijana looked at Lancelot with some surprise, "From what I''ve heard, it seemed like you completed the mission quite well..." "They just ''left''." Lancelot shook his head, "They went through a Portal to the Wild Expanse." "Oh? Is that so..." Tijana nodded, her voice becoming inexplicably cheerful, "It seems a lot has happened on your journey. Go back first, I still have some... aftermath to deal with here. I''ll come find you later." Chapter 434 359: Housework "Wow, what''s going on here, could we have taken a wrong turn?" Standing at the entrance of Hagrid Manor, the Dwarf expressed such doubts. Lancelot felt the same because they had only been away for a little over two months, yet the manor before them already looked completely abandoned. The yard was overrun with wildly growing thorns, and the walls of the building were covered with dark vines. On the third floor, an unshut window swung back and forth in the eerie wind, creaking eerily, making the entire manor resemble the haunted old house from a horror story. "Living next to a bunch of Vampires, this is what happens," Kalalin shrugged his shoulders. "Should have considered the location when buying the house." "Okay, but how do you explain that?" Bruto pointed to a corner of the yard, where two skeletons lay. "Just some kitchen scraps casually thrown away by our lovely neighbors?" "Probably not," Lancelot frowned, pulling out a small red ball. "But it looks like our gardener hasn''t tended to this place for a while..." A moment later, a tall, blue figure appeared before them. This was Dingke, the largest Quasimodo Demon in Twin Bridges Town. Standing six feet tall, it appeared even taller than the Dwarf, its naked body covered in developed muscles, and its palm''s five fingers like five sharp Daggers filled with coagulated, dark red dirty blood, hinting at its colorful life in Twin Bridges Town. "Master, did you summon Dingke?" Dingke slowly made a bow towards Lancelot, seemingly reluctant. Lancelot couldn''t help frowning. Although a demon''s loyalty was as fleeting as its fickle nature, it had only been two months and this Quasimodo Demon seemed to have already grown accustomed to its status among the lesser demons, finding this ''master'' bothersome. Regarding this wrong mindset of his subordinate, Lancelot naturally had to correct it decisively, as after all, he would occasionally go on adventures and needed someone to watch over the house. Moreover, after his trip to Bone Castle, he had gained a lot of experience on how to impersonate a Lord of the Abyss. "Your attitude seems to have a problem," Lancelot easily pinpointed the Flame Demon Essence within himself. "What, don''t you want to serve me anymore?" As he spoke, his eyes burned with fierce flames, his voice carried a strange echo, and the aura he emitted made it seem like he was talking to his own dinner. The previously insolent Quasimodo Demon was so frightened that it sat down hard on the ground, shaking like it had been struck by lightning, and a foul liquid seeped from its lower body, emitting a strong stench. "No, no, no, master!" The minor demon shrieked, "Dingke never meant that!" "If you think so, just say a word to me," Lancelot casually tossed the small red ball in his hand. "But if you dare betray me..." "Dare not! Absolutely dare not!" Dingke knelt on the ground, repeatedly kowtowing to Lancelot. "Everything Dingke has comes from the master, Dingke will never betray the master!" "There''s no need to be so certain, when the opportunity is right, perhaps you can give it a try," Lancelot replied with a smirk, which only made the Quasimodo Demon tremble even more. He felt the time was right, so he withdrew his aura and casually asked, "What''s the deal with those two skeletons?" "Those are Tracy and Murray, two foolish thieves who lurked in the mercenary area. They didn''t even touch the doorknob before Dingke caught them off guard!" The Quasimodo Demon seemed to want to laugh but thought better of it, settling on an ugly expression, "Dingke left their bodies there as a warning! It worked very well!" "Okay," Lancelot shrugged, "Besides that, has anyone else broken in?" "No, absolutely not!" Dingke shook his head repeatedly, "The bell Kalalin gave me has never rung!" The bell the Quasimodo Demon mentioned was a little gadget made by a scholar. It would emit a clear sound whenever someone entered a three-story building, and it would keep working as long as they were within the bounds of Twin Bridges Town. "Good," Lancelot nodded, "You may go." After letting the Quasimodo Demon leave, everyone entered the manor, walking along a path not yet overtaken by thorns to the front door. Kalalin used a spell to remove the arcane lock on the door, another of their security measures. This was just a small level-two spell, not difficult to break, but nearly impossible to do so without leaving traces. The spellcasters relied on this technique to ensure their lair wasn''t penetrated and ambushed when they were most unguarded. Compared to the desolate atmosphere outside, everything inside the building was normal; however, dust always seemed to appear out of nowhere in the Abyss''s air, which was why young Isabella always seemed have endless chores. Due to a long period of neglect, the dust on the dining table was an inch thick. However, it was still daylight, and it didn''t seem right to leave such a colossal task to a minor, so these eternal friends of the Aira Celestials, the heroes who saved Pascaler, and former Governors of Mogrondale rolled up their sleeves and started doing household chores themselves. About an hour later, everyone was comfortably lounging on sofas and chairs, and the surroundings at least looked a lot tidier. Of course, some difficult-to-reach corners were likely untouched by these men (Alamir might be an exception); in the end, it would still depend on Isabella to clean up slowly. "Ah, if only Koula were here," Bruto clutched his beer mug, filled with mead¡ªa drink the Dwarf almost left in Androlina, "Some grilled Abyss chicken would be perfect right about now..." "There''s no Abyss chicken, but there''s some corn and mushrooms in the bag if you want to roast them yourself," Lancelot stretched lazily, standing up from the chair and starting to put on the armor he had taken off while working. "What''s up?" the Dwarf asked curiously, watching Lancelot''s actions, "Enemies?" "I''m going to do some gardening," Lancelot waved him off, "Just relax, it''s just a protective measure." "Alright," hearing it was more work, the Dwarf promptly laid back down, "Because of the fight in Pascaler, I get a psychological shadow every time I see thorns now... that sight, hung with Demon corpses, is truly memorable..." Lancelot chuckled and shook his head, leaving the cozy room to enter the courtyard outside the small building. The so-called courtyard was actually just a vacant lot, which had always been used as a training ground by everyone, but now Lancelot had other plans for this patch of land. Chapter 435 435: 360 After stepping into the Foundation Establishment Stage, the Cauldron Immortal Technique revealed even more marvelous aspects, one of which was the condensation of a mysterious green liquid during cultivation. This liquid appeared utterly devoid of any fluctuations in Spiritual Power, and his Spirit Perception could not detect anything special about it either. The brief bamboo scroll from Han Tianzun did not provide a clear explanation about this liquid, only suggesting that it might have extraordinary effects when used on plants. Nevertheless, Lancelot''s intuition still told him that this substance was nothing ordinary; thus, he always carefully collected these liquids, even though a whole night of cultivation yielded only a drop, and by now, he had accumulated nearly half a bottle. He had always wanted to test out the true purpose of these green liquids, so during his time in Androlina, he collected a massive number of plant seeds, some of which were rare varieties Finier had helped him obtain from the Wild Expanse. Before that, however, he needed to clear the ''weeds'' in the yard. This task was far more difficult than it sounded, as Twin Bridges Town after all was a town located in the Abyss, and the plants here¡ªespecially those that grew from the ground on their own¡ªnaturally differed in appearance from those on the Prime Material Plane. The difference was aggressively apparent. The thorns Lancelot was familiar with were a common type of small shrub found in the wild, usually not growing taller than two feet, featuring some annoying little spikes that prevented small animals from nibbling on them, at most only capable of scratching exposed skin. But the ones growing in his estate''s courtyard were definitely something else: these oversized bushes stood over four feet tall, their vine-like stems, thick as arms, tangled together, topped with lush black leaves. The leaves were both sleek and hard, their edges shimmering with a chilling light, likely sharp enough to cut through even poor-quality leather, requiring one to wear full plate armor to pass through unscathed. This plant had an unsettling name: Razor Vine, one of the most common plants¡ªand a common anti-theft measure¡ªof the lower planes. For the average person, clearing these tough plants without injury was impossible, but for Lancelot, this wasn''t much of an issue¡ªhis Qingyun Sword Art was a Wood Attribute cultivation technique, which always performed well against plants and stones. The only consideration was which tool to use. The Giant Sword Glacier was obviously too cumbersome and much of its blade was unsharpened; the Hand Half Sword Frostslash was a bit better, but using it for horticultural tasks still felt somewhat excessive. After some thought, Lancelot finally drew out the One-Handed Sword Starlight Strike¡ªwith its sharpness, he could complete the task without even needing to employ the Qingyuan Sword Technique. Speaking of which, this Divine Artifact had really seen poor treatment; since Lancelot acquired it, both times it saw use were as a tool rather than a weapon. If the Treasured Sword had sentience, it probably would have cursed Lancelot for not appreciating it, for not letting it drink the blood of Fiends, and for the indignities heaped upon it by a Human Knight. Fortunately, the sword couldn''t speak, so Lancelot completed the task very efficiently. The cut Razor Vines quickly became dry and hard, as if they had lost all their moisture in an instant. Lancelot casually flicked out two small Fireballs, cleanly burning them away. Lancelot then summoned a large number of vines, thoroughly turning over the soil in the yard to ensure no roots of the Razor Vine remained, before finally scattering the seeds. For experimental purposes, he planted flower seeds obtained from the Grand Garden of Melanthan Manor, one of his favorite places to visit in Androlina. After planting the seeds, Lancelot ran to his room, ignoring the Elves'' protests, and fetched a large bucket of water from the bathroom. After some thought, he took out the small vial containing the mysterious green liquid and poured three drops into the bucket. Then he placed his hands on the edges of the wooden bucket, and under the control of True Yuan, the water inside began to rotate on its own, allowing the mysterious liquid to be fully diluted. All preparations were complete, Lancelot took a deep breath as the True Yuan he released into his hands shifted dramatically, sending streams of water flying uniformly from the barrel, sprinkling them across the small courtyard. It must be admitted that the Human Knight had absolutely no experience in planting. If the diluted mysterious green liquid didn''t have some special effect, those seeds would most likely be wasted, and he was already prepared for that outcome mentally. After pouring out an entire barrel of water, it seemed as if nothing had happened. Lancelot couldn''t help but wonder if the green liquid had lost its effectiveness after being diluted. Just as he doubted that the experiment had failed, the ground suddenly began to churn as if countless moles were nesting underground. A few moments later, a multitude of green sprouts shot up like swords piercing through the soil, growing and maturing at a pace visible to the naked eye, bursting into blooms of angry flowers. Under the influence of the diluted mysterious green liquid, these flowers thrived exceptionally well. In an instant, the yard transformed into a riot of colors, brimming with purples and reds, making Lancelot feel as though he had returned to Androlina, immersed in the deepest part of the mesmerizing Grand Garden at Melanthan Manor. Just as Lancelot was about to rejoice at the scene before him, an unexpected transformation occurred. The flowers did not remain in their blooming state but continued to develop: vibrant petals fell one by one, and the bulbs at the base of the stamens swelled rapidly, forming heavy fruits that fell to the ground. Soon, some of the plants withered completely, as if they had experienced a year''s time in less than a minute, leaving behind colorful fruits on the ground. The remaining plants quickly bloomed and bore fruit again, but after repeating the process several times, they too reached the limits of their lifespan. Only a few plants never withered; they kept growing and repeating the blooming process again and again, until after the tenth bloom, this accelerated growth finally began to slow down, eventually stabilizing in a blooming state. Suppressing his excitement, Lancelot formed a Dharma Decree, and instantly, countless thin vines emerged from the ground, acting like tentacles, gathering the fruits fallen on the ground before him. Ever since he discovered that the technique used to manipulate Sword Shadows could be applied to controlling vines, and that it also helped to enhance his Divine Sense, he had practiced this skill frequently. With the strength of his Divine Sense improving, Lancelot was now capable of controlling ten vines at once, each as agile as his own fingers. Undoubtedly, this was an extremely practical skill, crucial in determining the outcome in certain special situations. The fruits appeared completely normal; Lancelot casually picked one up and threw it into his mouth, finding it pleasantly sweet and delicious. He then moved towards the plants that were still blooming, confirming there were no anomalies, and they looked identical to those in Melanthan Manor that had grown for ten years. Chapter 436 361: Magical Fertilizer It seemed that Magic Scholar''s claim about the remarkable effects on plants was true, referring to this ripening effect akin to accelerated time. In a moment, he intended to experiment with altering the dilution ratio to control the duration of ripening. However, Lancelot was somewhat puzzled. The mysterious green liquid, condensed from the profound Cauldron Immortal Technique, surely couldn''t be this simple, could it? But the next second, his expression changed because he thought of one of the main ways Spiritual Cultivators improved their cultivation levels: Elixirs. Without going too far, what he read most recently in the small bamboo slips was about a type of elixir called Gathering Spirit Pill. Consuming one pill was equivalent to years of arduous cultivation, and almost every insight about the Foundation Establishment Stage recommended that cultivators consume it as soon as possible. Beyond that, there were more elixirs with magical effects: some prevented aging and maintained one''s youthful appearance; some were fed to magical beasts to enhance their innate potential; some increased one''s sensitivity to nature''s spiritual energy, making cultivation twice as effective; and there were even some that could supplement a person''s Spirit Root potential, allowing even ordinary humans to cultivate. The ingredients for crafting these elixirs were various rare treasures of heaven and earth. As a master of the Alchemy Dao, Magic Scholar had left numerous pill recipes in the bamboo slips, often listing ingredients like a sixty-year-old certain herb, a three-hundred-year-old certain flower. The more powerful the elixir, the older the required Spirit Herbs and Spirit Flowers needed to be. Whenever millennia-old medicinal materials appeared, they usually caused a storm of blood and violence. But with this mysterious green liquid, the situation was very different. A hundred-year-old herb hard to find? What about one or two years, or even one or two months? With the ripening effects of this liquid, he could mass-produce the ingredients needed for alchemy, consuming various cultivation-enhancing Spiritual Medicines like snacks. Just fantasizing about that scenario made Lancelot feel a surge of excitement. Yet this meant nothing to him, for a simple reason: the various ingredients listed in those recipes simply did not exist in this universe. Even if there were substitutes, identifying and adjusting (or even creating) the recipes for them would be an enormous task, certainly not something a minor cultivator at the Foundation Establishment level could handle. That meant, for now, this mysterious green liquid could only serve as a particularly magical fertilizer, used to create some greenery in the Abyss. Come to think of it, that wasn''t bad at all. Lancelot ran back again, seizing the Elf Priest''s second bucket of bath water as well. This time he added just under half a drop of the green liquid, and the ripening duration was about half a year. Then, he scattered more flower seeds and watered the garden with the prepared ''potion,'' enabling the seeds to quickly take root and sprout. Things turned out just as he had expected. The flowers were perfectly in bloom, the scene bursting with colors and vibrant life, in stark contrast to the desolate ruin they had encountered upon their return. The only problem was, Lancelot hadn''t planned while sowing the seeds. Now, flowers of all colors were mixed together, making it look quite messy. "Alamir!" Lancelot called back towards the house, "Are you done with your bath? If so, come out for a moment!" "I haven''t even started." The Elf''s voice came from the doorway, "What do you want me to do... Wow, what is this?" Lancelot turned around to see Alamir''s jaw nearly dropping to the ground in surprise. "What''s going on? What''s going on?" Bruto, who also loved a commotion, followed suit and ran out, "Elf, why are you yelling? By Moradin''s beard, how did the garden turn out like this? What happened to those highly practical thorns?" "I cleared them all out." Lancelot glanced at the Dwarf, "You wouldn''t prefer those Razor Vines, would you?" "At least they were great for burglar-proofing." Bruto defended, "And now, what can all these fancy things do?" "They are there to be seen, of course." Lancelot spread his hands, "If we really need to guard against thieves, having me here is enough. Those Razor Vines wouldn''t be much help..." "Lancelot, how did you do it?" Alamir finally regained his ability to speak, though excitement was still unmistakable in his voice, "This is simply... a miracle!" "Uh, well..." Lancelot touched his nose, "It''s my newly awakened ability that allows plants to grow rapidly. But I think it''s a bit too chaotic, and it needs some rearranging. Could you help me with it?" "You''ve found the right person!" Alamir laughed heartily, rolling up his sleeves immediately, "In this regard, who is more professional than a Shuni priest? Let''s start by moving these brightly colored flowers further away, and take care not to break their roots while transplanting..." As the elf explained, he worked, and Lancelot assisted. The Dwarf stood watching for a while, eventually deciding not to join in the task. "I prefer work that involves swinging a hammer." This was his excuse for opting out. The two were busy from noon until evening, during which Lancelot mixed up another barrel of ''Ripening Liquid,'' planting a batch of new plants as the elf requested (his praise for this ability was almost sycophantic). Alamir fully expressed his artistic talents and the final outcome was a garden so beautiful it seemed to transcend reality, looking from the outside like the dwelling of a fairy of flowers. "Oh, my goodness." Looking at the garden in front of him, the elf''s eyes welled up with tears of excitement, "Thank you, Lancelot, this is really wonderful... I want to pray to the Goddess, to set up a mirror by the window so She can see this beautiful garden. She will definitely be proud... Alright, I suppose you won''t be stealing my bathwater anymore, will you?" "Not anymore, not anymore." Lancelot shook his head, smiling, "You''ve worked hard, go on then." After the elf had left, Lancelot stayed in the yard a bit longer, admiring the fruits of his afternoon labor, feeling pleased and peaceful. It was strange, when had he started to like nature so much? Was it because of his main cultivation technique, Qingyuan Sword Technique, or the influence of the elf''s blessing? When he returned to the house, the Dwarf was about to leave. "I''m off to see my old dad, won''t be back tonight," Bruto waved to Lancelot, "Goodbye, have a pleasant night." "Oh... you too," Lancelot nodded, waving back at the Dwarf. Although Twin Bridges Town had many demons, it was still safe for a warrior like Bruto; of course, thefts were always hard to avoid, but the Dwarf could take care of himself. "I won''t be back tonight either," Alamir''s voice floated down from the staircase leading to the second floor, "I have a feeling that there''s a soul still wandering in the darkness in the tavern, waiting for my salvation..." "And me," Scholar followed behind the elf, "I''ve received a message. An envoy from the Cult has traveled to Twin Bridges Town. I need to deliver my paper to him, then do some academic exchanges..." "Uh, okay, be safe..." Lancelot watched as his friends left one by one, scratching his head slightly. What was going on, why had they all left? No, there was still little Isha, the vampire girl was still sleeping in his Dimensional Bag at this moment. Just then, his Spirit Perception suddenly sensed the familiar fluctuations of Spatial Magic, and a graceful figure gradually became clear in the room. Little Isha, you might as well sleep a little longer... Chapter 437 362 Ambiguous Probe "Good evening, my lady," Lancelot presented the succubus with his meticulously practiced smile, "It''s been a while." "Psh, what a lousy opening line, we just met a few hours ago," Tijana rolled her eyes at the human knight and settled into her chair, "What, without the halfing chef, you can''t even come up with anything to offer me?" "How could that be..." Lancelot''s mind raced as he thought of the by-products from his first experiment, quickly retrieving the fruits, "I have some delicious berries here, give them a try, I planted them myself." "You planted these?" Tijana looked at him skeptically, picked up a deep red berry, smelled it, and then tossed it, stem and all, into her mouth, "Hmm, not bad... What, took a trip to Androlina and learned some druid tricks from Aira?" "Druid? It shouldn''t have anything to do with that..." Lancelot brought two glass cups from behind the bar already filled with a beautiful golden liquid, "But the honey mead there was indeed fantastic. As soon as I tasted this stuff, I knew I had to bring it back to let you have a taste..." "Oh? So you''re telling me you''ve been thinking of me all this time?" Tijana picked up her glass, took a delicate sip, then leaned back in the chair, her massive bat wings stretched out relaxed behind her, "Nice try... I thought maybe you decided to stay in Androlina and not come back." "Androlina is a beautiful place, but there are many reasons I wouldn''t want to stay there forever..." "Really?" The Succubus Lord leaned forward, her gaze bold upon the human knight, "Am I one of your reasons?" "Of course," Lancelot struggled to resist the urge to let his gaze drift downwards, but the succubus in front of him was just too big... no, too beautiful. He forced himself to change the subject, "So... what was the deal with those demons today? How did they end up in your castle?" "They brought with them a rare item that could nullify magic nearby, and perhaps I relied too much on my spell-casting abilities," Tijana dropped her flippant demeanor, her voice becoming soft, "I think I must thank you, the situation was indeed dire..." "No, I''m the one who should be thanking you," Lancelot shook his head seriously, "If it weren''t for you, I''d probably still be hung up in the Cang Ye gallery now." "So we''re even then?" the succubus leaned back in her chair, "From now on, we owe each other nothing?" "Or, to put it another way, we''ve both helped each other out in times of danger," Lancelot raised his glass to Tijana, "Don''t you think that sounds better?" "Indeed it does," the succubus responded to the human knight''s gesture and, after clinking glasses, downed the drink in one gulp, "But really, you seem much stronger than when we first met. How did you get into the ice prison? And how did you bring out that ice demon?" "That would be a very long story," Lancelot took Tijana''s empty cup, went over to the bar, "Another drink?" "Of course," the Succubus Lord stretched languidly, "When stories are paired together, they are bound to taste very good." "After we left Twin Bridges Town, it took us three days to enter the range of the Volcano Fortress, and then we turned southwest..." Lancelot began recounting their past two-month adventure journey. He mentioned the shape-shifter patrol disguised as odd creatures, the battle between Mogrondale and Enrique, and the city''s peculiar power structure; the quest for the Eye of Sarezdon thereafter, the Succubus Paladin''s dazzling Evilbane Slash, the mind-losing ancient Evil Relic, and the process where everyone met danger but escaped from peril; the Lord of Withering who cooperated with demons, the Giant Dragon disguised as a halfling, and the troubles he encountered after renouncing the Governor title. Of course, what was difficult to explain was how he got out of the Giant Skull Demon''s trap by breaking through Foundation Establishment. Lancelot once again disguised it with ''the awakening of Bloodline Power,'' thankfully, Tijana was more interested in Satugura being the mastermind behind the scenes, and the involvement of the Nine Hells'' forces. "Are you saying that the so-called theft of the Divine Artifact was actually orchestrated by the former Archduke Aphnas, Bayer?" "At least that''s what the Abyss fox-faced demon said," Lancelot nodded, "Under the circumstances at the time, I don''t think he had any reason to lie." "But that doesn''t make sense," Tijana frowned, "The Abyssal Lords prefer to transport their troops directly through portals to the Plains of the Abyss; the Great Abyss is more often used as a pathway for the Abyssal Lords to attack each other... And I can''t believe it would truly serve Zariel¡ªafter all, it''s his replacement. As the former Archduke Aphnas, Bayer is surely plotting every day on how to retake his title." "There''s something I forgot to mention just now¡ªwe found this on that shape-shifter patrol: an Anti-Magic Stone. It felt very much like those tools carried by the ice demons." Lancelot took out an exquisite little box from the Dimensional Bag, "Want to take a look?" "If I couldn''t be sure that you don''t want to kill me, my claws would have already slit your throat by now," the Succubus leaned forward again, looking at the Human Knight with a menacing gaze, "You''re not planning to use this thing to suppress the nearby Magic Net and then take advantage of your strong body to force me to do something weird, are you?" "I have absolutely no such intention," Lancelot replied subconsciously, secretly grateful for his powerful physical control after Foundation Establishment, because if it weren''t for that, the blood rushing to his face would definitely have betrayed his real thoughts. Lancelot was not oblivious to Tijana''s insinuation, but he had learned a very important piece of knowledge from another Succubus: if you can''t overpower a Succubus, during the act of love, she has countless opportunities to drain your strength or to force you to submit to her will. Yes, he had a good impression of Tijana, always feeling a primal impulse from this stunning creature, but he couldn''t put his full trust in the Succubus Lord, even though they had actually saved each other''s lives. "Oh? Really?" Tijana seemed a bit disappointed, but her expression quickly returned to seriousness. She took the box Lancelot handed her, glanced inside, then quickly shut it and tossed it back, "Yes, the same thing. So those ice demons who came to kill me were most likely sent by Bayer as well¡ªthis is valuable information, it might help me pry open the mouths of those three vermin faster..." "When I left, the Volcano Fortress was under fierce attack by a demon army, what''s the situation now?" Lancelot placed the small box back into the Dimensional Bag, "Who is the Commander on the demon''s side? Could it be this former Archduke Bayer?" Chapter 438 363: The Reason to Return "Bayer? No, it couldn''t possibly be him," Tijana shook her head, "Ever since Zariel became the new Archduke Aphnas, even though the Lord of Nine Hells requested she keep her predecessor as a senior advisor, Zariel merely tasked Bayer with supervising mundane weapon manufacturing duties, completely excluding him from the command system." "As for the situation at the front... thanks to our production of cold iron weapons, the Volcano Fortress not only stemmed the previous tide of defeat but even recaptured many fortresses we''d previously lost. Kailon sent several envoys to ask me to increase supply, but I have yet to agree to his requests." Tijana waved her hand casually, creating an illusionary map on the table before them that displayed the area around Twin Bridges Town. The map showed red and purple forces ¡ª Lancelot could easily recognize the semblance of Twin Bridges Town, Oasis Fort, and Volcano Fortress under red control, so purple naturally represented the domain controlled by the demons. "What does the neutrality of Twin Bridges Town mean to the demons?" Lancelot pondered as he looked at the map, "It seems that once the Volcano Fortress falls, we''ll be directly facing the full brunt of Barto''s forces from Nine Hells..." "If the demon''s commander were still Bayer, perhaps he would be willing to acknowledge our neutral stance as long as the artisans of Twin Bridges Town tirelessly produce weapons for the demon army, and I satisfy his every personal demand," Tijana scoffed and shook her head, tossing another purple berry into her mouth, "But now that the commander is Zariel, things are actually a lot simpler. This fallen Celestial''s vessel harbors only an insatiable hunger for war, and to her, we are no different from any other demonic force ¡ª merely objects to be crushed." "So, the safety of Twin Bridges Town hinges on the person defending Volcano Fortress, the ''Destruction Flame''?" Lancelot tapped the map lightly, "You mentioned earlier that you have not agreed to their requests to increase arms supply, why is that?" "Aren''t you of noble birth? You should be very familiar with these age-old political maneuvers," Tijana looked at the Human Knight, her smile tinged with sarcasm, "I''d rather they remain evenly matched with the demons, depleting each other''s strength. What good is a powerful neighbor? After the demons are driven off, Visuvius will be the next to deal with us if his strength permits." "So that''s why the demons overall seem weaker, yet are able to counterattack as far as the Bottomless Abyss?" Lancelot frowned, "Because demons internally are always suspicious of each other, unable to unite?" "The suspicions among the Tanari are not paranoid delusions but are based on very real considerations," Tijana''s smile grew even more ironic, though Lancelot realized it was not directed at him, "Any demon simply needs to ask themselves one question, what would they do if their roles were reversed? If the answer is immediate betrayal, then they will naturally assume their opponent would make the same decision." "Which means that demons only unite when apart from destruction, cooperation is the only option," Lancelot replied thoughtfully. "And such alliances are extremely fragile, unable to endure any improvement in the situation," Tijana shrugged, draining her cup of mead once more, "Stealing Sareth''s Shield Eye, sending four ice demons to assassinate me, what exactly is Bayer plotting..." "Are you sure all these minor actions are Bayer''s doing?" Lancelot refilled Tijana''s cup as the Succubus Lord appeared very relaxed, which pleased him. "My instincts tell me, yes," Tijana nodded, "Zariel wouldn''t just send four ice demons, she would send an entire legion, and wouldn''t stop until Twin Bridges Town is flattened." "Is that so?" Lancelot rested his chin on his fist, unobtrusively admiring the stunning beauty of the succubus before him, "In Androlina, there''s also been evidence of demon activities..." "Oh?" Tijana immediately became intrigued, "What exactly did you guys do there? I''ve heard some unbelievable rumors..." "You can''t imagine the efforts we had to make to get the Protectors to accept a Succubus Paladin," Lancelot drank down a large gulp of mead to soothe his throat, "The realm was split by a river called Hofenstan, with the forces of good controlling the south, while the portal we entered from the Great Abyss was on the north side, in a place called the Miasma Swamp..." He described to the Succubus Lord the process of rescuing two Aira children, the fight with the Dark Weaver, acquiring the ability of Shadow Jump, how he escaped from a dozen enticing demons; the pleasant night spent with Eidolon''s Gift, the astonishing Grand Garden at Melanthan, and the injustice Elothysia suffered. "Those so-called Protectors really don''t know what''s good for them!" Tijana said indignantly, "Isn''t the rescue of two children proof enough of the Succubus Paladin''s goodwill?" "If someone deliberately misleads us in the middle, anything we do is useless." Lancelot continued recounting his and his companions'' journey to the Demon Capital. He mentioned Pascaler''s enthusiastic guards, the magical invisible bridge, the sea of roses in the cave within the Demon Palace, the tough battle with the succubus, and the unexpected discovery of the Divine Artifact, Starlight Strike. "Please tell me you didn''t really give that thing back to Aira?" the succubus asked curiously, her beautiful face full of wonder, "That''s a Divine Artifact, after all!" "I did give it back to Aira, but in the end, they gave the treasured sword back to me," Lancelot said as he pulled out the nearly transparent one-handed sword from his Dimensional Bag, "This is it..." "Wow, it''s really as beautiful as you said," Tijana reached out to touch the sword but retracted her hand halfway, "This object contains a powerful force of goodness, I better just look at it... Why would the Airas give this to you? Isn''t this sword extraordinarily significant to them?" "Because I helped them solve a problem that had troubled them for centuries..." Lancelot continued his story, which took place in a town filled with twisted spires: the male Zoel Elf being hunted by the Matriarch, the nearly successful infiltration into the Demon Fortress, the mirror behind the safe door... "I guess there must have been a traitor in Melanthan, which is why you were caught red-handed by the Mother of Demons," Tijana said confidently, "How long had it been when I freed you from that state after you were captured?" "You''re absolutely right. It wasn''t even half a day later when Cang Ye''s legions had already set off, heading straight for Pascaler..." Lancelot continued with his story of how he swept through Cang Ye''s treasured living gallery and how he found his way to the dungeon area; he focused particularly on the scenes in the interrogation room¡ªthe tortured succubus barely recognizable as human, Ulgog''s true demon form, and that mysterious array that could extract power from pure souls. The Succubus Lord was completely captivated by Lancelot''s bizarre stories, even refraining from interrupting when hearing the explosive news that an Abyssal Lord had collaborated with a demon, eager for what was to come. Lancelot described the resurrection-like scene of heroes from ancient times, how they defended the walls of Pascaler against the tidal wave of demons, and how the reinforcements from the Court of Stars finally arrived, tipping the balance of the battle instantly. When he finally told how the two queen consorts together severely wounded the Mother of Demons, and how Elothysia finished her off with a sword, sending her to the prison of the Court of Stars, Tijana''s face was utterly blank, as if her mind had lost the ability to think. "After everything settled down, Koula decided to leave this dangerous plane and start her own restaurant in Mark City; the skull-headed Cromwell left too, saying he could find his past in the Wild Fields," Lancelot drained the last bit of golden liquid from his cup, "After that, we spent a somewhat peaceful period in Androlina, but as soon as the emblem you gave me regained its power, we activated the Teleportation Magic on it." "And then just happened to run into the scene of my assassination by the ice demon," Tijana also downed the last of her mead, "So why did you all come back? Androlina sounds like a good place..." "Everyone has their reasons," Lancelot scratched his head, "Bruto because his dad is here, Kalalin wants to further study the Abyss, and Alamir... I guess he''s looking for his own Elothysia..." "And you?" the succubus, seemingly a bit drunk, gazed intently at Lancelot with a faint blush on her cheeks, "What''s your reason for coming back?" "Isn''t it obvious..." Lancelot sighed, "I''m talking to my reason right now." Chapter 439 364: Lords Troubles Upon hearing Lancelot''s words, Tijana was briefly stunned, a flicker of joy passing through her eyes, but she didn''t let the Human Knight see it¡ªhe had already walked away with their empty cups. "So... the rumors are true then, the Mother of Demons really has been imprisoned, and Androlina has completely fallen under the control of Aira," Tijana casually changed the topic when Lancelot returned. "Although Cang Ye seldom partakes in the Lords'' struggles for power, she is after all an Abyssal Lord. It''s incredible that she was captured in her own domain..." "Kalalin once mentioned a theory to me," Lancelot smoothly continued, "It seems that Cang Ye''s failure resulted from a series of accidents, but there''s an easily overlooked factor: the attitude of the Abyssal Will. Kalalin believes that Cang Ye''s collaboration with Bartez was intolerable to the Abyssal Will, and even though there seems to be no sign of the Abyssal Will''s involvement, the absence of signs is itself a sign, reflecting its stance on the matter." "That''s possible, but please relay my advice to him: he should cease his studies on the Abyssal Will for his own good," Tijana sipped from her refilled cup. "What interests me more is what game the Demons are playing... You said you caught that Domineering Demon named Ulgog? Where is it?" "Right here." Lancelot reached into his Dimensional Bag at his waist and withdrew a deep purple crystal amulet, which he handed to Tijana. The Succubus Lord''s expression turned solemn. She didn''t reach out to take the amulet directly but used Magic Power to suspend it in midair before leaning in to closely inspect the rune patterns on the crystal''s surface. "Compared to the Demon imprisoned within, this amulet is far more valuable," Tijana declared. "The Runes on it are flawless; the prisoner inside has no chance of escape. I would guess this is the handiwork of a crone, those ugly old witches are well-known for their greed. The original owner of this amulet likely paid a hefty price for it, maybe an arm or an eyeball... Would you hand it over to me?" "What?" Lancelot was surprised, "This amulet?" "Of course not, you''ve seen today that I can capture the souls of my enemies without such objects," Tijana shook her head. "I''m talking about the Demon locked inside. I could likely extract some interesting information from him... Don''t worry; I won''t just take it from you for nothing." "Oh, that, you can have it," Lancelot shrugged, "It''s useless to me. There have been many times when I felt it tempting me to converse with it, offering me power, wealth, authority..." "And you were actually able to resist such temptations?" Tijana looked at him somewhat incredulously. "Of course." Lancelot shrugged again, "Compared to other temptations I''ve resisted, this one''s nothing at all." "...Hehehe~" Tijana produced a fan in her hand and covered her face, leaving only her crescent-moon-like, amused eyes visible as she watched the Human Knight. "I was just joking. I''m particularly bad at resisting temptations," Lancelot said earnestly, "I fear if I keep it with me too long, one day I won''t be able to control myself. If it''s of use to you, you should take it." "Then I''ll gladly accept it," Tijana replied, storing the crystal amulet away. "It requires a lot of preparation to transfer the prisoners inside. I''ll give it back to you once I''m done." "Okay," Lancelot nodded. "If you find out that Bayer is behind all this again, what will you do?" "Whether it''s Bayer or not doesn''t really matter. Twin Bridges Town must enhance its strength quickly," Tijana explained, staring into her wine glass. "But that''s not an easy task..." "Why?" Lancelot asked curiously. "For a Demon Lord like you, can''t you just use some magic power to promote a large number of Prime Demons and Coward Devils? You shouldn''t be short of troops." "It''s not that simple," Tijana replied with a wry smile at her drinking companion. "I''ve heard that when you Human Kingdoms wage war, the nobles summon their peasants, distribute shortswords and spears to them. Do you think soldiers like that are really effective?" "Better than none," Lancelot said as he picked up a berry, carefully peeled it, and then placed it into his now empty wine glass. "And don''t underestimate the spear. If the peasants receive some training for even just two or three weeks, they could become somewhat combat-effective..." "But once their numbers exceed a certain amount, the demons start killing each other. A sufficient number of High Rank Demons is necessary to suppress their self-destructive urges," Tijana leaned back in her chair, looking up at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling of the living room. "I didn''t think I''d discuss this with you tonight, but getting your perspective might not be so bad. I currently have three Serpent Demon Generals under my command. Besides Sonam, who has lost interest in command, the other two generals each lead a legion, but that''s already a bit much. I can''t add any more generals..." "Worried they might rebel?" Lancelot asked with a hint of bitterness in his voice, realizing that Albert had probably considered the same issue. "Those generals have been following you for a long time, haven''t they...?" "Yes, and that''s why I don''t want them to have any chance of misjudging the situation," Tijana glanced at the Human Knight. "It''s in a demon''s nature to only remain loyal when the chance of successful betrayal is close to zero. You mortals might not act on a possible betrayal due to morals, oaths, or laws, but fundamentally, there isn''t much difference. Don''t forget, nearly all Tanari were transformed from the souls of mortals; we are simply your worst version." "In my opinion, you''re far better than many human lords," Lancelot said as he pushed his wine glass towards Tijana, filled with the peeled berries. "At least those Dwarven Artisans aren''t slaves, though it seems like they have quite a workload..." "I haven''t whipped any Dwarf to work. I pay them gold, lots of gold, and they''ve never complained about that," Tijana''s fingers extended into long, sharp claws, picking up a berry from Lancelot''s glass, she brought it close to her face to examine it curiously. "Aren''t these berries meant to be eaten? Why do you torment your food? I always thought that ''good people'' like you hate using torture..." Chapter 440 365: Common Army for Mortals "No, these berries are already dead, they don''t feel pain, so it doesn''t count as torture," Lancelot said, holding his forehead with one hand. "They taste better this way, try them and you''ll know..." "Hmm, indeed, things always taste better without the skin. By the way, these berries aren''t dead, they contain a very rich life energy..." Tijana looked at the horrified expression on Lancelot''s face, her face showing the triumph of a successful prank, "but it''s true that they don''t feel pain, so you''re not wrong." "I''m glad you like them," Lancelot sighed with relief. "Back to our earlier discussion, have you considered relying on mortals to enhance the strength of Twin Bridges Town? It''s unlikely that we''d destructively turn on each other out of idleness, and with the wealth you''ve accumulated from arms trading, you should be able to sustain a large army''s expenses..." "Are you talking about hiring mercenaries? My treasury is indeed quite full, but do you know how expensive an army capable of resisting the Demon Legion would be? They would suck all your gold away like a Dimensional Hole, and the demons would probably wait until the day after you go bankrupt to attack..." Tijana stuck her sharp claw into the cup, threading several berries with ease, "Which wouldn''t be much harder than me skewering these fruits." "I''m not talking about mercenaries, but establishing a standing militia for Twin Bridges Town, just like your Demon Legion," Lancelot shook his head. "Before I go further, let me ask you a question. As the Lord of Twin Bridges Town, why are you willing to welcome those escaped slaves, mortals trapped in the Abyssal Plane, and demon residents uninterested in bloody battles? Why not pursue more territory, power, or chances to spread destruction and chaos like a typical Demon Lord?" "Why should I tell you that? And what answer are you hoping to hear?" Tijana''s tone rose gradually. "Do you think I''m someone like Elothysia, taking in those wretches out of kindness? Sorry to shatter your beautiful fantasy, but such people could never establish their own power in the Abyss. The reason I do it is simple: even after deducting their salaries, free people produce more than slaves!" "So, you''re not interested in torturing your mortal residents for fun, right?" "Why would I do that?" the Succubus looked excited, "There''s no benefit at all!" "And that''s the answer I wanted." Lancelot suddenly laughed, a genuine smile, which made Tijana pause. "I don''t know if you realize it, but you seem to have no interest in deriving pleasure from others'' pain, which means you''re not quite as evil," Lancelot continued peeling the berries. "At least not as evil... Anyway, that''s what Elothysia told me." "So what?" Tijana narrowed her eyes, "What are you trying to say?" "Relax, try this, it''s fruit borne after roses wilt, it will make you prettier than any flower," Lancelot offered another berry, "I must admit, I''m quite curious about you, but I believe when the time is right, you''ll tell me your reasons yourself. What I want to say now is that you should trust the mortal residents of Twin Bridges Town, let them take up weapons and armor, tell them about the threats this town faces, and make them responsible for defending their way of life in the upcoming battle." "What nonsense are you talking?" Tijana''s eyebrows arched high, "Why would they risk being killed to fight with demons? Even if Twin Bridges Town is captured, they won''t be killed, those Dwarfs are valuable strategic resources..." "But they will be enslaved and lose their freedom again," Lancelot reminded her. "As far as I know, most of the town''s mortal residents have been enslaved before. To them, freedom is the most precious gift you could offer, and they would rather die than wear the shackles again." Lancelot''s words plunged Tijana into silence. The Succubus Lord was clearly pondering; the Human Knight had indeed provided a completely new perspective, and if the thousands of Dwarf residents of Twin Bridges Town could truly be utilized by her, that would indeed be a force to be reckoned with. The problem was how to make those stubborn and proud Dwarves truly follow her, instead of just seeing her as a greedy and stingy employer? "I will consider what you have said," Tijana stood up. "It''s getting late, and I have other matters to attend to..." "Are you leaving?" Lancelot also stood up. "May I take a little more of your time?" "Oh?" The Succubus Lord turned sharply. "Just a little while longer?" "If you wish, you could stay a bit longer," Lancelot rose and walked to the door. "Please, follow me." "Outside?" Tijana''s voice carried a hint of reluctance. "Are you sure?" "Ahem... I think you might have misunderstood," Lancelot opened the door. "I just wanted to show you this..." Countless colors flooded into the room as the dreamlike garden suddenly appeared before them. The expression on the Succubus Lord''s face instantly became exceptionally vivid, comparable to the astonishment of ordinary people seeing Bruto wear the Transformation Ring for the first time. Lancelot politely made a gesture of invitation, and Tijana involuntarily walked forward, naturally linking her arm with that of the Human Knight. "Remember what I told you earlier, about The Grand Garden at Melanthan?" Lancelot, with the standard courtesy of a knight, gently led her through the blooming flowers. "At that moment, I was thinking how wasteful it would be to enjoy such a beautiful scene all by myself." "I have never seen such a sight..." the beautiful Succubus murmured in awe. "How did you do this?" "A lot of flower seeds, the ability to make plants grow quickly, plus a Priest named Shuni," Lancelot''s voice had a slight tremble. "I hope you like it..." "Of course, I love it." "Then, you can come more often to see it." The Succubus suddenly stopped. Lancelot turned his head and saw Tijana looking at him, her eyes seemingly sparkling with a thousand Starlight Strikes. Meanwhile, behind a half-opened window on the third floor, in a mirror standing there, a very beautiful red-haired woman appeared. She smiled as she looked at the scene in the garden, her face breaking into a grin, her finger pointing gently downwards, and then she quickly disappeared. Chapter 441 456: Invitation The romantic atmosphere gradually enveloped them both, and Lancelot opened his mouth to say something more, but the Succubus''s lips pressing against his silenced all his words. Unlike the brief kiss in the Cang Ye Bone Fortress, this time the Succubus didn''t disappear, allowing him to fully experience the softness of her touch. Tijana was so passionate that their teeth clashed together with force. Lancelot felt a ridiculous sentiment arise within him because he actually thought that Tijana was quite inexperienced with kissing. He raised his arms, gently wrapping them around her, and with his tongue, tenderly yet firmly, he pried open the Succubus''s mouth, sending her a sweet invitation, just as he had invited her to tour his garden moments before. It took a while before Tijana seemed to suddenly come to her senses and pushed Lancelot away. "This kiss doesn''t count for anything!" the Succubus Lord declared, with eyes glaring and puffing up in anger, "I could have sucked out your soul just now and made you my slave forever..." "I''m glad that didn''t happen," Lancelot said, catching Tijana''s hand, "And you don''t need to do that, do you?" "I''m a demon!" Tijana angrily shook her hand free, but found it more difficult than she expected to break away from the Human Knight''s warm palm, "Do you really know what you''re doing?" "To tell the truth, no," Lancelot affirmed as he looked steadfastly at Tijana, "To me, you are first Tijana, and then a Succubus, but whether you''re a demon or a Demon, an elf or a human, a goblin or an orc..." "You''re the goblin and orc!" "Okay, what I mean is, race or such things don''t matter," Lancelot shrugged, "All that matters is you, understand? Your appearance alone is enough to drive any male creature wild, and I''m certainly not an exception. But what really attracts me is the independent, brave, strong, and kind soul that lies beneath your perfect exterior." "Kind?" Tijana''s face showed a bitter smile, "Are you sure?" "You hide it well, but I can still feel it," Lancelot said with a reassuring smile, "Although I am curious as to what kind of experiences have given you these qualities?" "Say what you will, I''m not going to admit to having such weaknesses," Tijana made a face that was very unbecoming of her Lord status. Then she gently patted Lancelot''s hand, and this time he immediately let go. "I''m very pleased to hear your feelings because I like you too, for reasons I still don''t quite understand myself," Tijana said earnestly, looking straight at Lancelot, "If you just want a moment of pleasure, I can give you that at any time, but we can''t be together. You have no idea what kind of mission and hatred I carry, nor the enemies I will face. I expect nothing but destruction at the end of my fate, and if you get too close to me, the same fate will await you." "What I want is not a moment of pleasure, but a lifelong companionship," Lancelot''s face showed no sign of fear, "Can you tell me what the mission and hatred you bear actually are?" "I''m not joking with you!" Tijana seemed a bit angry, "Just knowing my secrets is enough to shatter you to pieces!" "My bones are probably much harder than you think," Lancelot smiled faintly, "Like you, I have many secrets. When the time is right, we can exchange our secrets with each other, how about that?" "The right moment?" Tijana looked at the Human Knight quizzically. "What kind of moment would be appropriate?" "When I''m stronger than you," Lancelot answered matter-of-factly. "That''s reasonable, isn''t it?" Tijana''s beautiful eyes slowly widened, and the hesitation and struggle on her face gradually vanished, replaced by an excited, eager smile. "Is this a challenge?" She waved her hand behind her, and a bright blue Portal appeared out of nowhere. "Care to dance? I promise not to use my Spell abilities, just to let you see how big the gap really is." "How could I refuse such an invitation?" Lancelot replied with a Knight''s bow. "It would be my honor." "Go put on your armor, Human, you''re going to need it," Tijana said with a light laugh, turning and stepping through the Portal. "I''ll be waiting on the other side for you." Lancelot watched as the Succubus''s figure completely vanished behind the Portal, then turned and walked back inside. He was well aware that Tijana''s strength far exceeded his own, but he believed that if she refrained from using her Spell abilities, he still had a fighting chance. What''s more, as the Lord of Twin Bridges Town and with the largest arsenal at his disposal, Tijana was actually very wealthy. Coupled with her so-called mission and hatred, if he did not demonstrate some real strength, he could make no progress in their relationship whatsoever. And as a Cultivator blessed with the Elves'' favor, Lancelot''s lifespan had already far surpassed the limits of ordinary people. Moreover, if reading insights on Immortal Cultivation had any effect on him, it was to make him truly understand greed. Greed was not something shameful; it was the instinct of all Cultivators, driving those who were once mere mortals on the path toward transcendence. Greed also required immense patience, waiting for just the right moment to reap the richest of rewards possible. Despite the grand principles Lancelot had just espoused, deep down he wanted it all, whether it was a moment''s pleasure or lifelong companionship. Lancelot carefully donned his armor, starting with the close-fitting leather shirt and cap adorned with many straps, then the Steel Boots and knee guards, followed by the Chainmail Skirt protecting essential areas... At that moment, he felt a peculiar throbbing from his Dimensional Bag at his waist. He untied the rope sealing the bag and placed it on the ground, and in the next second, the adorable little Vampire girl crawled out from inside. "Brother Lancelot, good evening!" Little Isa greeted him with full energy but then immediately showed a surprised expression. "Yikes, Brother, why are you wearing armor? Let me help you... Didn''t we get home already? Where did everyone else go?" "Bruto went to find his dad, Alamir''s at the tavern, and Kalalin said he had to meet someone from the Cult," Lancelot turned, allowing little Isa to help tighten the straps between the Back Armor and Breastplate. "As for me... I''m going to have a match with Tijana. Don''t worry; it''s just a normal fight, to see who''s stronger." "Ah! Brother, what foolishness is this!" Little Isa''s face was filled with disbelief. "Although Brother Lancelot is very strong, going against Sister Tijana, you''re definitely going to lose!" Chapter 442 457: Wearing Armor Upon hearing this, Lancelot''s face fell. "So you don''t have confidence in me?" "I train every night in the castle, and sometimes Sister Tijana comes to guide me too," Little Issa said earnestly. "I''ve seen both of you fight, so I can tell who''s stronger." "Is that so..." Lancelot scratched his head. "Then tell me, what are Tijana''s strengths? She said she won''t use magic against me." "Oh, brother, you''re really dense. Is it that she won''t use magic at all, or just not against you?" Little Issa tilted her head. "There''s a big difference between the two. I hope it''s the former; otherwise, you''ll definitely lose miserably." "It should be that she''s not using it at all," Lancelot said uncertainly. "If it''s just about martial skills, do you still think I can''t win?" "I''ve never seen Sister Tijana fight without using magic." The little Vampire stood on her tiptoes and patted his shoulder, motioning Lancelot to sit down, "But she''s very, very agile. Not the kind of speed that blurs your vision, but like water¡ªquick and nimble. You''ll find her sword coming from impossible angles and dodging in ways you can''t believe, as if she doesn''t have any bones at all." "Thanks for the tip; that''s very useful information indeed." Lancelot cooperated while the vampire maid fastened the strap hidden under his shoulder armor. "What about her fighting style?" "It''s completely different from your heavy slashing," the little girl made a face while fitting the Human Knight with arm guards. "Sister Tijana usually uses a one-handed sword or a longsword with a small round shield. You''ll find it very difficult to breach her defense, and she patiently waits for your weaknesses to show before striking, and each strike is precise like a snake, aiming directly at your vital areas." "I''ll be wary of her counterattacks, understood." Lancelot put on his steel gauntlets, stood up, and twisted his body. "The portal is in the garden outside; do you want to come watch?" "I don''t want to be the odd one out! Plus, there are still so many rooms to clean..." The little girl''s face broke into a mischievous smile, yet she suddenly caught a strange word from Lancelot''s earlier words, "Wait, garden? What garden?" "It''s something Alamir and I accomplished in an afternoon." Lancelot got up and tucked his helmet under his armpit. "Come see for yourself." Curious, Little Issa followed Lancelot outside, and when the miraculous garden came into view, her face lit up with excitement and shock¡ªno less than Tijana''s. "This is... how... Brother, when did you move a corner of the Melanthan garden here?" "I don''t have a Dimensional Bag that big; this is all my own planting. Of course, I only did the planting¡ªthe design was by the Elf Priest," Lancelot said with a smile as he tousled the little girl''s hair. "How is it, do you like it? Feel uncomfortable?" "I love it!" The little vampire beamed. "Finier, the King Consort, told me that until I exceed the original lifespan limit of my age, I won''t feel discomfort towards natural life like the Undead do." "That''s good," Lancelot nodded, "Thank you, little Isha." "Oh, no need to thank me, I just don''t want my brother to lose too miserably..." The little girl covered her mouth and giggled, "Otherwise, brother would not be able to look up in front of Sister Tijana." "I wasn''t talking about that," Lancelot shook his head, "When you were in Androlina, the Great Elder Quirion could have lifted your vampire curse, but you refused, saying being a vampire would better help everyone in adventures..." "Oh, haven''t we talked about this many times? Besides, being a vampire isn''t so bad, except it''s a bit inconvenient when bathing." As she spoke, a very faint blush appeared on the pale face of the little girl due to embarrassment, "Alright, brother, go ahead, keeping a lady waiting is not gentlemanly." Lancelot smiled, turned, and walked through the garden''s shimmering portal. The process of transportation was completely seamless, as natural as passing through an ordinary door, indicating that the magic portal did not lead to a remote location. The sound of weapons clashing immediately filled Lancelot''s ears, and he looked around to find himself inside a circular stone hall. The radius of the hall was at least thirty feet, completely free of columns, and even the lowest part of the arched ceiling was twenty feet high, reminiscent of a grand temple. The floor was made of solidified volcanic rock, covered with tiny holes, its hardness such that a fall could cause severe injury; and hanging from the center of the ceiling was a magical light orb, bright enough to clearly illuminate the room without being dazzling. The hall was far from empty. To his left, not far away, two nearly naked succubus were ferociously brawling, each holding a pair of blunt swords, neither seeming to stop until one of them completely passed out, while a third succubus rested nearby. Lancelot recognized her as Letisha, one of Tijana''s most trusted maids, and from her condition, it seemed she had just engaged in a similar battle. At the other end of the room, two Brezu demons were swinging huge long spears, attacking a six-armed Serpent Demon. This was none other than Miss Sonam, the front desk receptionist of the Mercenary Hall. She handled her six arms with stunning elegance, easily deflecting the attacks of the two demon mercenaries and seizing every opportunity to humiliatingly slap their faces with the flat of her blade. "You''ve finally arrived." Tijana''s voice came from behind him. Lancelot turned and found the Succubus Lord fully armed. She wore a suit of full body armor made from mithril, a rare and expensive material that ensured hardness while weighing only half as much as regular steel, well-suited for one as agile as her. In her right hand, she held an unsharpened longsword, and in her left, a metal light shield so polished it was like a mirror; Lancelot could even see his distorted reflection in it. "I''m sorry to have kept you waiting," said the Human Knight, gracefully bowing, "I must say, you look even more charming in this than in an evening gown." "I agree," Tijana said with a look that could only be described as famished excitement, hurriedly pointing towards a rack in the corner, "Go pick a weapon that suits you from there, I can hardly wait." Chapter 443 458: An Unusual Duel Lancelot chose a four-foot hand half sword as his weapon, a training sword made of a hard, dark wood that reminded him of the wooden boats beneath the feet of the Ferryman Demons on the Stygian River. Although it was only a wooden sword, it was slightly heavier than Frostslash, and it had a metal hilt, which was crucial in defending against the attacks of agile opponents. "All set?" Tijana had already made her way to the center of the arena, "If you''re ready, then come on over." Lancelot took a deep breath and walked steadily towards Tijana, stopping ten feet away from her. He bowed in a knight''s salute, then spread his feet left and right, stepping forward with his right foot and rotating his left foot outward by forty-five degrees. This was the most basic stance in swordsmanship, allowing him to move swiftly in any direction. His upper body leaned slightly forward as his arms extended diagonally downward, the tip of the sword pointing to the ground ahead. It was a rather cunning stance, with an apparently wide open guard that could easily lead an opponent to believe that an attack would land effortlessly, but in reality, it allowed him to respond quickly to an enemy''s attack. As he assumed his stance, all other duels in the area stopped. The demons retreated to the edge of the arena, watching Lancelot with curious, mocking, or envious gazes, waiting for their lord to make a move. "Ready?" Tijana asked with interest, "If so, here I come!" "Please enlighten me." Upon hearing this, Tijana wasted no more words and swiftly approached Lancelot. Her sword-wielding right hand was raised high, its tip slanted downward, threatening the Human Knight''s head, which was far from his own hand half sword, while her left hand with the shield was held in front of her belly, ready to fend off any lower attacks from her opponent. In response to Tijana''s stance, Lancelot''s left hand subtly moved up, cupping the pommel weight at the end of his hilt. As the succubus just entered the threat range, his left hand pressed down on the hilt, and the longsword, pivoting on his right hand near the hilt, flipped up abruptly, blocking the path of the succubus''s attack. "Oh, your weapon seems quite excited!" Tijana let out a playful laugh. Before Lancelot could press her weapon to the side, she quickly flipped her wrist, shifting her sword blade to the inside. Her actions were so swift that, although Lancelot realized the succubus''s intent, he was too late to adjust his blade to counter. At the same time, Tijana''s left hand with the shield came to rest on the wrist of her sword hand, then forcefully pressed down. Perhaps the Succubus Lord was slightly inferior in physical strength, but at that moment Tijana was pressing on her opponent''s sword tip near the hilt; with the leverage, she easily deflected the Human Knight''s weapon to the outside. Then she slid up the flat of the blade, aiming directly for her opponent''s sword-holding hand. Although Lancelot could not keep up with Tijana''s initial response, as an experienced warrior he anticipated her subsequent attack. His sword hand moved forward instead of back, pushing hard while spinning the blade, using the suddenly vertical sword guard to catch the succubus''s chop. Tijana tried to change her tactic again, but Lancelot''s determined move gave her no chance to respond. He thrust his sword upward with both hands, but instead of following through with a thrust to the succubus''s face (his sword blade was still on the outside), he let go with his right hand at the highest point, lunging with his left hand toward the empty space behind him, as if ready to strike downward with his sword. At the same time, Lancelot''s previously trailing left foot shot forward, instantly bringing their bodies close together, with both their weapons positioned behind him. The only difference was that his right hand was now free, and his body perfectly positioned on the left side of the succubus. The Human Knight hugged Tijana around the waist, using his thigh behind the opponent''s buttocks as a pivot point, and threw the Succubus''s body to the side. If he had been facing someone else, this move would have toppled the opponent to the ground, and what would follow was the execution move for the fallen foe. But this time, Lancelot tightly clamped his right hand around the Succubus, causing her to fall into his arms, like an elegant dance move. Their eyes met, and Tijana''s were full of embarassment and annoyance. With a fierce jerk of her head, her antlers slammed hard against the faceplate of Lancelot''s helmet. At the same time, her body, helped by her wings, spun like a snake and wriggled free from Lancelot''s grapple. Though the blow didn''t cause him substantial harm, the impact on his head momentarily took over his instincts. Lancelot leapt back a full five feet with the speed of lightning, which kept him safe from a possible counterattack but also made him miss the ideal chance to pursue. "Ah, who taught you to headbutt?" Lancelot shrugged helplessly, "That''s not a move a lady should use!" "A Dwarf, who else?" Tijana flashed a toothy smile, "The music hasn''t stopped; let''s continue!" Lancelot gave a slight smile. This time, he rested his weapon on his shoulder and advanced towards Tijana with an oppressive step. As he was about to enter striking range, he suddenly took a large step forward and brought his longsword down hard, with a speed that gave almost no time for the enemy to react. But the Succubus was even faster than Lancelot anticipated. She stepped back right as the blade of the Human Knight left his shoulder, distancing herself while swinging out her shield in her left hand, striking hard against Lancelot''s sword and diverting his attack. At the same time, her one-handed sword in her right hand lashed upwards, aiming with a sinister angle straight for his groin. Although Lancelot wore a full suit of armor and the Succubus''s weapon was not sharp, if the strike connected, it was likely the Human Knight would lose his combat capability for the next few days. Normally, such a strike would have been impossible to dodge, but Lancelot was no ordinary man. He made a movement that went against the basic principles of swordsmanship without hesitation: lifting his left foot off the ground, his body rotated counterclockwise on his right foot, allowing the Succubus''s upper slash to cut only the air on the outside of his thigh. At the same time, he swung his left arm to increase the speed of the rotation, finishing with a vicious elbow strike. At that moment, Tijana''s shield was still on the outer side of her body, and her empty-handed strike couldn''t be retracted in time. Lancelot''s metal-bound elbow was about to collide with the Succubus''s delicate nose, but Tijana once again displayed an unbelievable body movement technique. In the nick of time, she leaned her upper body back like bowing, a move no creature with a spine could make, completely evading Lancelot''s elbow strike. However, the show wasn''t over. Her body continued to bend, even passing under her own crotch and flipping over, to face Lancelot from below. Her right hand, holding the sword, also thrust out from under her crotch, the point of the sword stopping at Lancelot''s throat, while he was still waiting for her to recover her upper body to an upright position in the normal manner. "You''re dead," Tijana said with a grin, flipping backwards to stand up straight again, "But you''re much stronger than I expected. Not bad." Chapter 444 459: Princess Carry "There should be a law against that move you just pulled," Lancelot sighed helplessly, "I couldn''t have predicted you would attack from that angle." "The Serpent Demon has six arms, why don''t you ask it to fight with only two in battle?" Tijana gave Lancelot a teasing smile, "Ready to continue?" "Of course." Lancelot readied himself again, this time sidestepping to the right, with his longsword resting on his left arm, the tip pointing towards the direction of the threat. "Nice stance," Tigana circled Lancelot with the characteristic swaying walk of a Succubus, "My turn to attack, then? Try this!" The two once again clashed, becoming a blur as weapons, shields, and armor collided in a prolonged melody of combat. Despite Lancelot''s speed being no lesser than that of the Succubus Lord, Tigana always managed to gain the upper hand in the confrontation with astonishing agility and unpredictable moves. Although Lancelot could also react in ways that transcended human limits, next to the graceful figure of the Succubus, his movements appeared much more cumbersome. The piercing sound of metal armor scraping against the stone floor echoed in the area, indicating that if this were a real fight, he might have been slain by Tigana countless times before defeating her. But gradually, Lance also began to master the knack of countering the Succubus Lord, with the tide of victory and defeat stabilizing at around one to three, which could be considered a fair exchange of blows. The more he fought, the more Lancelot realized Tigana''s strength; after all, the Succubus Lord was attacked by four High Rank Demons, unarmed, unarmored, and incapable of using any magic, yet wasn''t killed instantly¡ªall due to her impeccable evasive abilities. Tigana, too, grew more joyous as they sparred. Even though Lancelot was still somewhat below her level, it had been a long time since she''d encountered a sparring partner of such skill. Her exuberant shouts of excitement resonated in the stone hall, stirring a wave of agitation within Lancelot. Fortunately, the Ice Heart Technique ran automatically, allowing him to focus entirely on the fight. Both combatants were so engrossed that they lost themselves in the battle, while the observing Demons were left wide-eyed in amazement. Needless to say, the Succubus Maids weren''t surprised, as they were accustomed to Tigana''s training; besting her even marginally in practice was nearly impossible. Yet, there were instances where Lancelot managed to corner the Succubus Lord into conceding with her sword, and while Tigana didn''t use any magic abilities, this still rendered them speechless. As the personal maids to the Succubus Lord, they were well aware that Tigana held an ''interest'' in this Human Knight that she had never shown in anyone else. Most assumed it was simply because Lancelot happened to be Tigana''s type¡ªnever anticipating that the human could possess such formidable strength. Truth be told, most Succubi found knights enormously attractive; these noble-born warriors concealed their robust and succulent flesh beneath cold metal armor, akin to crabs in the late autumn. The stoic and stringent codes of knighthood also imbued them with a scent of abstinence, a combination that proved irresistibly tempting to the beautiful, alluring Fallen Ones, who were willing to pay great patience and price just to savor the sight of a knight trembling and losing control beneath them. Sonam, the six-armed Serpent Demon, wore a complex expression, gradually realizing that this Human Knight might indeed live to see the day he paid off his debt. Standing next to the Serpent Demon, a few Brezu Demons looked far less friendly. As wielders of gigantic weapons themselves, these goat-headed Demons felt a real threat, interpreting the situation as a blatant humiliation by demon logic. As time passed, the Demons that gathered to watch grew restless and left, yet the two in the center continued their tireless battle without any sign of stopping. It was a helpful practice bout for both, as they each were fully absorbed in the combat, completely oblivious to the passage of time. After four hours, Tigana was shocked to discover that she had exhausted her strength, while the Human Knight before her still looked full of vitality. This was because Lancelot''s Dantian was nearly full of True Yuan, and he had not executed any Cultivation Techniques requiring the use of True Yuan during the battle. Coupled with his Foundation Establishment Stage physical condition, he felt only slightly fatigued. Seeing Tigana stop, Lancelot thought the Succubus was about to pull some new trick, as he had suffered plenty from such things tonight, but when he saw Tigana putting away her weapons and shield, he realized the sparring had come to an end. "No more fighting?" Lancelot took off his helmet and shook out his hair, soaked with sweat, "My gosh, I can hardly believe it, all the failures in my life combined wouldn''t amount to as many as tonight..." "And I actually used all my energy fencing with you." Tigana lifted her hand, and a grand high-backed chair appeared out of thin air behind her, into which she threw herself, "And you look like you could keep on fighting until sunrise. Be honest, did you take some kind of potion before coming..." "Of course not, my lady," Lancelot walked to the edge of the area, placing his badly nicked sword back on the rack, "I truly, truly, truly enjoyed our time just now." "So did I," the Succubus slumped into the chair she summoned with magic, truly looking exhausted, "We should definitely spend more nights together like this one, completely spent." "I''d be delighted." Lancelot walked back to Tigana, the Succubus Lord in front of him who seemed utterly unconcerned about her appearance, yet any pose she struck held boundless charm. Lancelot realized that he might have a particular thing for ladies in armor, as the Succubus Lord before him had a distinctly captivating allure. Taking a deep breath, Lancelot made sure his voice would sound very steady before he spoke, "One day, I will surpass you, my lady." Upon hearing this, Tigana turned her head, staring fixedly at the Human Knight. The weariness in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by an expression mixed with pride, happiness, and a hint of shyness. "I look forward to that day arriving sooner," she said in a barely audible voice, then lifted her palm to Lancelot, "Help me up." Lancelot reached out his hand as instructed, but in the next moment, Tigana jumped straight into his arms, and naturally, the Human Knight extended his other arm to support her knees, holding her securely in his embrace. "Ah, so this is what a princess carry feels like," Tigana let out a contented sigh, "I''ve wanted to try this for a while, but it''s not quite fitting for a Lord, so I never found the opportunity." "Where would you like to go?" Lancelot''s expression was a bit awkward, "I''m not saying you''re heavy, I could stand like this, holding you for three days and three nights with no problem..." "If you think I''m heavy, it must be the armor!" Tigana''s cheeks genuinely flushed this time, and with a snap of her fingers, a portal appeared before Lancelot, showing the view of Hagrid Manor under the night sky, "Don''t get me wrong, I''m just out of strength, and it just occurred to me that your garden could use some extra security measures..." Chapter 445 460: The Path to Becoming Stronger The remainder of the evening passed without incident¡ªLancelot, of course, would not take advantage of the situation, especially with little Isha at home. The protection mentioned by Tijana referred to a large Illusion Technique. If someone stood outside the courtyard or flew overhead, they would see the yard overgrown with dense Razor Vine, leading any creature with pain receptors to subconsciously stay away. Naturally, if one was inside the courtyard, everything would appear completely normal. In a town like Twin Bridges Town located in the Abyss, having a courtyard full of life was not a good thing. It could draw unwanted attention and bring about unexpected troubles. Even though she knew that Lancelot was capable enough to handle it, it was always better to confuse any passersby, whether they were intentional or not, with an illusion. According to Tijana, unless one was a creature with True Sight, it was impossible for anyone to detect any flaws in her spell (unless someone stood there focusing intently for an hour). However, she needed to come over every day for the next seven days to cast the same spell, after which the illusion would take permanent effect. Naturally, Lancelot was secretly delighted by this, as the Succubus Lord was essentially creating reasons for them to meet. After completing the spell, Tijana left because she indeed needed to rest. Although demons themselves do not require sleep, they can still use it as a method to rapidly restore their energy. Being a lord, she had a room in her own castle, heavily guarded by countless spells, traps, and magical items, allowing her a temporary loss of consciousness. Over that night, their relationship seemed to have taken a significant step forward, yet it felt like nothing substantial had changed. However, Lancelot was already satisfied with the situation¡ªthey both knew each other''s feelings and confirmed that the feelings were mutual. Wasn''t this moment what made love so beautiful? Regarding the hatred and mission mentioned by Tijana, Lancelot knew she was not deceiving him. Having been in the Abyss for so long and having seen dozens of Succubi¡ªalthough all were charming in their own ways¡ªeven without any bias, Tijana was the one whose beauty was the most captivating. Despite their fickle nature, nearly all Succubi are hedonists, always finding a way to live comfortably. A succubus of Tijana''s allure was unlikely to exert so much effort to build and manage a power without some special reasons. This was not merely Lancelot''s own insight but also came from another succubus who invariably clashed with his nature. Solving this was relatively simple, merely a matter of strength. Lancelot believed he would not remain in the Foundation Establishment Stage for too long. Once he became a Golden Core Cultivator, perhaps he could persuade Tijana to reveal her secrets. However, increasing strength was not something to rush. It was a process of accumulating small amounts to build something larger. Thus, after seeing off Tijana and settling Isha back into her "coffin" in the underground tomb, Lancelot returned to his room to continue his daily cultivation, until the sunlight climbed up to his bedroom window. Carefully storing away the drop of mysterious green liquid that hovered before him, Lancelot rose from the meditating bed, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. He opened his room door and found little Isha lethargically sprawled over the table, with a thick, heavy book in front of her. Hearing the sound of Lancelot''s footsteps, Isha immediately lifted her head, revealing a smile as brilliant as the sunlight outside. "Good morning, brother!" "You''ve been busy all night, thank you for your hard work," Lancelot, while cultivating, could still sense his surroundings and knew that the little girl had been cleaning the corners they had missed during the day all night long, "You should rest now." "No need, I''m not sleepy yet," little Issa stubbornly shook her head, "I need to adapt to the daylight environment as soon as possible. I can''t always come out only at night." "Is that so..." Lancelot stroked his chin, "I was just about to buy some things, do you want to come out with me for a stroll?" "Yes, yes!" The little girl jumped up with a clap and hurried towards the basement, "I''ll go grab my cloak for going out!" At the same time Issa left, Lancelot also prepared his gear. Although Twin Bridges Town was relatively safe compared to other parts of the Abyss, necessary precautions were still needed. However, he did not put on his full suit of plate armor, instead opting for a lightweight chain mail and a robe on top, concealing any anomalies from the outside. A moment later, the little girl, wrapped snugly, appeared in front of him. As long as she was not directly exposed to sunlight, the little vampire could move around during the day with difficulty, but if a fight occurred, don''t expect her to be of any help. In fact, if she could dive into the dimensional bag at Lancelot''s waist at the first sign of trouble, it would be a much bigger help in battle, and the two had already practiced that movement very proficiently. Pushing open the door of the small building, the sunlight that broke into the room made Issa cringe involuntarily, but she was immediately captivated by the view before her: flowers in the garden were blooming under the sun, with the breeze gently passing through, swaying the blossoms like floating colors. It had been a long time since she had seen such a magnificent scene. "It''s so beautiful..." Issa softly said, "It''s like home." "I will definitely get you back to your homeland," Lancelot''s keen hearing didn''t miss the murmur of the little girl, "It won''t be too long, I promise." "We''ll see, my family probably thinks I''m already dead, and they might not want to see me as I am now," Issa revealed a bitter smile, "Sorry to make you worry, brother, where are we going now?" Lancelot did not pursue the topic further but simply patted the little girl''s head gently, "Let''s head to the marketplace first and see if we can find what I need, and you can look around for anything you might want as well." Lancelot wasn''t suddenly whimsical about shopping; he genuinely needed to find some special materials that could be used to set up formations. Unlike alchemy, formation doesn''t require specific materials to be performed; what''s important is the technique of setting them up. The materials need only meet certain criteria, such as containing the pure Power of the Five Elements, or possessing an extremely Yin and cold nature. Master Han had also left detailed knowledge of formation techniques in the small bamboo slips. Previously, Lancelot had always found them too ''magical'' to learn, but after last night''s events, he wouldn''t pass up any opportunity to strengthen himself. Chapter 446 461: Market District The market area wasn''t far from Hagrid Manor, but the two first had to cross a gloomy path. On both sides of the path were manors similar to Hagrid Manor, the stone walls covered with withered vines, and in the corners, rats with glowing red eyes scurried past. Even though it was daytime, the thick fog in the air almost completely blocked out the sunlight. Little Isha didn''t seem uncomfortable at all with this atmosphere, the reason being simple: all of this was the nesting effect created by their vampire neighbors, and being a vampire herself, she naturally found nothing amiss. In fact, the girl occasionally greeted the black cats or bats that passed by, asking them to convey her regards to their masters. Upon leaving that alley, their first stop was the mercenary area. Naturally, the centerpiece of this region was the grand Mercenary Hall, surrounded by pubs, inns, gambling dens, and other places serving the mercenaries. There was a smaller market inside the Mercenary Hall itself, selling mainly consumables for adventuring. Lancelot, however, was looking for materials to create Arrays and needed to go to a more inclusive market area. But as they passed a pub named ''Deadly Lover'', Lancelot halted for he sensed a familiar presence. "What''s wrong, brother?" Little Isha curiously looked at the tightly shut doors of the pub, "It seems like this shop isn''t open yet." Before Little Isha could finish speaking, the door was abruptly pushed open. The Elf Priest Alamir came out, mumbling complaints under his breath. "Good morning, Alamir." Lancelot waved at him, "Ran into some trouble?" "Lancelot? Little Isha?" The elf looked surprised, "What brings you here?" "Just passing by. I''m planning to head to the market area to pick up some items, and probably make a trip to the Blacksmith area to place some custom orders with Barrend." "I need to return to the manor to complete my daily prayers to the Goddess." Alamir glanced sadly at the pub behind him as he walked down the steps, "Ah, I thought I had found love, but it turned out she was only after my wallet..." "You''ve been here all night?" Lancelot raised an eyebrow, "You know, worse things could have happened, but having only your wallet taken means she might still care about you a bit." "You make sense, I really shouldn''t complain. But, achieving my wish seems to require a bit more effort," Alamir shrugged helplessly, "By the way, does Tijana like the garden we made?" "She loves it, and so does Little Isha. However, you might notice some changes in the garden soon..." Lancelot switched to a whispering technique to speak to the elf, "Tijana has cast an Illusion disguise, don''t worry, everything will return to normal once you enter the garden." "Understood," the elf nodded. "Then goodbye, I''ll be waiting for you at home." After bidding farewell to the elf, the two continued towards the market district. As time passed, hungover mercenaries trickled out from the roadside taverns, gradually reviving the somewhat deserted street. However, once they entered the market area, the atmosphere contrastively rivaled that of the just-awoken mercenaries zone: the ambiance here was fervent, filled with merchants, nobles, adventurers, and their bodyguards from various planes of the multiverse, all haggling over prized specialties from other worlds, with the clinking of coins, jewels, and gold resounding continuously. Lancelot, holding little Esha''s hand, discreetly navigated through various shops and stalls, occasionally pulling out a bag of gold coins or dropping a few gemstones in exchange for peculiar trinkets like coal that bursts into intense flames with just a few sparks, rocks claimed to be from the earthly elemental plane, or a vial of icy blue liquid that constantly emitted cold air. These materials were not cheap; they were typically purchased by arcanists as research and spell-casting materials. However, to Lancelot''s spirit perception, they also contained rich Power of the Five Elements, suitable for use as props in setting up formations. A magic formation is essentially still magic, constructed from arcane symbols, conductive lines, spell catalysts, and other elements to resonate with the Magic Net, relying on the power of the Magic Net to take effect. The formation system under the Spiritual Cultivation System, however, follows a different path. The energy source is usually the natural power contained in spirit stones, or it may involve setting up a Spirit Gathering Array that automatically draws spiritual energy from the environment to drive the operation of the formation. Various formation effects such as trapping enemies, alerting, sacrificial refining, and concealment rely upon the Power of the Five Elements contained in the materials used for the formation. Thus, a stone, a pool of water, or a piece of forest can all be used as materials for constructing a formation. A true formation master can even set up formations so stealthily, like an antelope''s horns, without trace, making them indecipherable to others. However, that realm was still far off for Lancelot; he could only start learning from the very basics of formation techniques. But he did have a bit of an advantage: one can practice this path of formation after successfully sensing the energy, and he had already reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, which allowed a more precise sensitivity to the Power of the Five Elements, making his learning likely a bit easier. While choosing materials for formations, the two also saw some impressive magical equipment. Although very pricey, for adventurers, the value of these items that could increase their chances of survival was hard to quantify in money. However, Lancelot and Esha didn''t spend anything; they had a simple reason¡ªwithout Kalalin, they dared not casually purchase these magically effective items, as a bad curse attached to them would invite trouble, and these items often couldn''t be easily removed once equipped. Lancelot''s spirit perception was quite sensitive to direct threats, like poison-laden wine or hidden enemies, but less so to effects like incessant hiccupping, uncontrollable singing during battle, or becoming exceptionally attractive to flies; these had to be verified through an Identification Spell to ensure no unexpected magical effects. Just as he wished Kalalin were here, the scholar''s figure appeared in Lancelot''s sight. This knowledgeable companion was sitting at a tea shop on a street corner, sharing a table with two individuals dressed in black robes and hoods, as though eager to show their affiliation with an organization named ''black.'' The scholar looked quite relaxed, indicating he was not being held captive. Lancelot took Esha''s hand and walked towards the table where Kalalin was seated. Chapter 447 462 Scroll of Darkness "Good morning, Kalalin," Lancelot greeted the Scholar. "Are these two your colleagues? I remember you mentioning only one would be coming." "Eh, Lancelot? How did you get here?" Kalalin rose from his seat, somewhat surprised, before introducing everyone. "This is Sir Lancelot that I''ve mentioned to you, and his companion, Miss Isabella. Lancelot, this gentleman is Dr. Hazel Mordanie, an envoy of the Cult. He is in charge of a secret division of the Cult in the Abyss, I regret that I cannot reveal the location of that division to you; the individual beside him is Dr. Jester Fransten, who, after learning about my achievements, has come here temporarily through Ritual Spells. He will take my manuscript directly back to the Cult headquarters." "You are Sir Lancelot?" the two members of the Black Cult hastily rose to their feet and gave a respectful greeting, "Please, take a seat. Brother Kalalin has shared many stories about your deeds, leaving a very profound impression..." "It''s a pleasure to meet you both," Lancelot replied, returning the gesture before taking a seat, and discreetly observed the two men before him. The one named Hazel appeared to be a man still in his prime, but crow''s feet and a gray beard suggested that age was gradually catching up to him, while Jester was a serious-faced Half-elf, who upon closer inspection, gave off a peculiar sense of detachment, akin to a drop of oil in water. "Sir Lancelot, perhaps you would like a cup of tea?" Hazel gestured to the Tiflin bartender behind the counter. "Meanwhile, we could discuss a potential collaboration..." "A collaboration?" Lancelot looked somewhat surprised as he glanced at Kalalin. "What exactly are you referring to?" "First of all, from the information at our disposal, sir, you are a very powerful Adventurer, leading an efficient and strong team. Based on the documents submitted by Brother Kalalin, you have ventured into at least three different Abyssal planes, engaging in numerous battles with Demons..." "Rest assured, Brother Kalalin did not divulge any specific contents of the adventures, only made note of observations during the journey and the ecology of Demons," Jester quickly spoke when he noticed Lancelot''s expression turning a bit sour. "What we mean to convey is that most Adventurers die on their first journey to the Abyss, and very few who survive wish to return a second time. You and your team would be excellent partners for collaboration. When pursuing knowledge related to the Abyss, the Cult is quite generous toward anyone who can offer assistance..." "I think you might be mistaken; although we are mercenaries, we don''t just undertake dangerous missions for the sake of money," Lancelot replied coolly, shaking his head. "I''m afraid..." "That''s not what we meant." The Half-elf gave his companion a look, and the latter quickly pulled out a bundle of thick scrolls from his bag and handed them to Lancelot, "There are many forms knowledge can take: it could be the antlers or claws of a defeated Demon, the weapons or armor used by Demons, or even a passage that precisely describes an experience traveling through a plane of the Abyss. This is a list of what the Cult is willing to pay for. You will understand that this kind of commission is not well-suited for direct posting in the Mercenary Hall." Lancelot opened the scroll and found a long list, with items that were rather vague like ''Prime Demon bodily residues, one Gold Coin per pound'' and ''live Coward Devil, five Gold Coins each'', as well as more specific offerings such as ''the dagger used to kill a sacrificial victim in a successful Demon summoning ritual'', ''a Perception Stone that recorded the act of lovemaking with a Succubus, priced per second''. He unfurled the scroll curiously, checking the items with the highest bids. ''Weapons of good or lawful (non-evil) nature, 10,000 Gold Coins, negotiable.'' ''Captured Barlow Flame Demon, 100,000 Gold Coins, negotiable.'' ''Any form of written texts such as manuscripts, notes, copies, scrolls, and the like by the Cult founder Turcot Noel Ahum and his disciples, the Cult is willing to exchange these items at any reasonable price. Please note that there is a high probability these items will attract the attention of Abyssal Demons, so always remain vigilant when carrying them.'' "This refers to the Scroll of Darkness, right?" Lancelot pointed to the last entry, "You actually let something like this circulate outside?" "The Cult would like to collect all of the Dark Scrolls, but their very nature makes that impossible," the Half-elf Jester said with a bitter smile. "The Dark Scrolls are actually a collection of volumes. At the time of creation, they were given to different people for various purposes, each with the power to combat Demons. It''s said that Ahum placed a spell on his manuscripts, commanding them to wander the universe to avoid being collected and destroyed by Demons." "Power?" Lancelot raised an eyebrow curiously, a cup of tea bubbling with purple foam appeared in front of him, though the Human Knight seemed to have no interest in tasting it, "What power? Aren''t those scrolls meant to record knowledge related to Demons?" "Each scroll is a magical artifact. Initially, they simply allowed the holder to more easily detect hidden traps or see invisible Demons. But over time, the power contained within the scrolls has grown increasingly strong, some even reaching the level of Divine Artifacts, allowing holders to grow a Demon''s carapace to fend off attacks, gain temporary supernatural Life Force, or summon a higher Demon to serve them," the Half-elf explained without a hint of pride, "This makes the scrolls very attractive to non-Demon researchers, significantly increasing the difficulty for the Cult to collect and transcribe them." "They sound very appealing to me as well," Lancelot nodded, "Let me guess, you already have information on the whereabouts of a volume?" "Just very vague intelligence, which we usually wouldn''t disclose to outsiders, but Kalalin has proven that you, Sir, are trustworthy," Hazel, standing beside the Half-elf, spoke up first. "There have always been rumors that among the collection of Kostcheqi, the Lord of the Iron Ice Plains on the twenty-third layer of the Abyss, there was a complete Dark Scroll. Now Kostcheqi has been captured by Archduke Zariel Aphnas, and his treasury was raided while its master was detained, many witnesses claimed that the Dark Scroll has fallen into the hands of a lesser Frost Giant Lord. Those giants are not Demons; therefore, they can normally use the power of this Divine Artifact." "I understand," Lancelot nodded, "but I don''t have any plans to go to that plane any time soon. In fact, I don''t think a volume of the Dark Scrolls is worth taking my companions to a foreign and dangerous plane, and even if I did get hold of that item, I''d be more inclined to keep it for my own use." Chapter 448 463: Ones Own Achievement "I understand your thoughts, and we completely understand," Half-elf Jester immediately responded. Though he looked younger than his human colleagues, he spoke with more sophistication. "In fact, what we value is the knowledge recorded in the Scroll of Darkness, not the scroll itself. If you truly find a Scroll of Darkness, please allow the Kalalin brothers to transcribe its contents. We would pay them for the transcript just the same." Upon hearing this, Lancelot turned to look at Kalalin, whose expression was quite tense at the moment. Facing Lancelot''s gaze, he simply nodded briefly. "I understand," Lancelot said as he pulled out a Gold Coin and placed it on the table, then stood up, "I''ll pay for this tea myself. It has been a pleasure speaking with you, but I have more important matters to attend to, please excuse me." "I will go with you," Kalalin also stood up, "Goodbye, colleagues. I look forward to our next meeting." "Once the Cult completes the assessment of your work results, we will immediately let you know," said Jester and Hazel, also standing. The half-elf picked up the bounty list left on the table and handed it to the Human Knight, "Sir, please take this with you. At least when your backpacks are nearly full, you can use this to evaluate which spoils are worth keeping." Lancelot thought it over and did not reject the suggestion, reaching out and taking the scroll. "Thank you, Sir, and I wish you all the best," the half-elf politely bowed to Lancelot. "As for me, I plan to spend the remaining hours to properly explore the long-famed Twin Bridges Town. I hope to have the chance to meet that legendary Succubus Lord. Hehe, what do you think, is there a chance she might fancy me?" "Good luck to you," Lancelot smiled warmly and left the tea shop, with Kalalin closely following behind him. After walking some distance, Kalalin, looking rather nervous, spoke: "Lancelot, I too only recently heard about the Scroll of Darkness, but are you really not considering it? That is a Divine Artifact after all..." "Kalalin, I understand that thing is nearly a Holy Relic to your Cult, but aside from its symbolic importance, you must consider the risks involved," Lancelot shook his head and continued walking along the shadowed side of the street. "That half-elf said that compared to the Scroll of Darkness itself, what you value more is the knowledge inside, correct?" "Yes, of course." "What exactly is the knowledge inside?" "Mostly it''s about Amun and his disciples'' explorations and observations in the Abyss, including the names of the realms they visited, maps, important locations, as well as records of common demon fighting techniques, ecology, society, and even some detailed intelligence about various Abyssal Lords, their servants, and enemies..." Kalalin, while talking, suddenly paused as he understood what Lancelot meant. Being a disciple of Amun himself, wasn''t he now creating his own Scroll of Darkness? "It seems you''ve understood," Lancelot smiled, "So, do you still think it''s worth risking your life just to pursue someone else''s research?" "Thanks for reminding me," Kalalin gratefully looked at Lancelot. "I had never thought before that I could also achieve something as great..." "Glad you''ve realized that," Lancelot winked at the scholar, "Just now, I passed by a shop selling blank spellbooks, where some thick volumes were beautifully bound, featuring hard covers made from dragon scales, adorned with small gemstones and demon antlers. Each page inside was of the highest quality parchment. Of course, such a book is somewhat costly, but it is worthy of the knowledge you will record in it, isn''t it?" "You''re absolutely right," the scholar expressed with a longing look on his face, "Where is that shop?" "Follow me," Lancelot replied with a slight smile, "and help me appraise some other items while we''re at it..." In the end, the scholar purchased his large books and scrolls, and little Esha obtained a Ring of Shadows. This ring, worth three thousand Gold Coins, was a rare magical item with the ability to deflect light, allowing its wearer to blend better into darkness. Its primary purpose, however, was to slightly reduce the discomfort vampires experience during the day and to a certain extent, prevent accidental burns from sunlight. After completing their purchases, Kalalin headed back to Hagrid Manor first, while Lancelot continued towards the Blacksmith district. He wasn''t really going to meet with Bruto; the dwarf wouldn''t have any trouble among his kin other than a hangover. Instead, Lancelot intended to order a tool for forging magic artifacts. Although in theory, a high-temperature resistant iron pot could serve his purpose, Lancelot decided to craft a vessel named ''ding'', as described in the small bamboo scroll¡ªa pot with three legs and two handles. Upon entering the Blacksmith district, Lancelot immediately noticed many dwarfs gathered around a huge announcement board in a small square, engaged in a heated discussion. Lancelot concentrated on the announcement board and saw a large notice made of several patches of leather sewed together, the corners fixed by finger-shaped bone pegs, written in the Dwarvish language¡ªa language Lancelot could understand but not read. From the conversations among the surrounding dwarfs, it wasn''t hard to guess what was written on the notice. "Forming a Dwarf legion, what does that mean? Are all dwarfs to be members?" "Are we being conscripted? What about our orders?" "Toiling for demons is bad enough, I don''t want to serve those Tanari!" "The notice doesn''t specify how to go about it, who are we supposed to fight? And who will be the Commander?" Lancelot stood there listening for a while, quietly noting the dwarfs'' grievances and questions. It seemed the Succubus Lord had only vaguely announced the decision to form a standing army, and many details had yet to be settled. He could discuss this thoroughly with Tijana when she visited that evening. A moment later, several foremen from the Craftsmen Committee dispersed the gathered dwarfs, ordering them to return to their respective workstations. Lancelot decided to first locate Bruto to ask who he should approach to commission a ''ding'', and what materials were needed. As he had expected, Bruto was fast asleep in a dormitory common room (which also served as a tavern for the craftsmen) and smelled awful, like a rat drowned in ale. "Good morning, Miss Gondar," Lancelot greeted the barmaid behind the counter, a robust female dwarf, "How long has that guy been sleeping here?" "Long enough," the female dwarf looked at Lancelot with an amused gaze, "He sure told a bunch of wild stories last night." "My lady, I assure you, most were not true," Lancelot shrugged, "Could I have a glass of water, please? With ice." Chapter 449 464 Casting the Cauldron "Of course." Seconds later, the barmaid pushed a heavy iron cup towards Lancelot. The cup was filled with clear drinking water, topped with ice cubes the size of fingernails. Lancelot lifted the cup and took a small sip, the cool sensation making the Human Knight feel very comfortable. "Thank you." Lancelot nodded his thanks, then walked over to Bruto, holding the cup. He first tried to wake the Dwarf, then pushed him, but Bruto remained sound asleep. "You''ll back me up on this, won''t you? I''ve already tried the normal ways." Lancelot greeted Little Isa with a nod, who merely covered her mouth to stifle a giggle, signaling him to hurry up and get on with it. With the little girl''s approval, Lancelot reached out with the cup and poured the cool water down the nape of Bruto''s neck. At first, the Dwarf showed no reaction, but when an ice cube from the cup slid onto his neck, Bruto finally woke up with a start. "Waaaah!" The Dwarf jumped up from the sofa, "Petrify Lizard! There''s a Petrified Lizard licking me!" Soon, the Dwarf stopped his clamoring, realizing his life wasn''t in danger. He found his shirt sopping wet, while Lancelot and Little Isa stood before him with a very suspicious cup. "If you hadn''t woken up after all the water ran out, I would have had to use the cup itself," Lancelot said to Bruto, showing him the heavy iron cup, "When we''re out adventuring in the wilds, it''s not nearly this hard to get you up." "Just a moment, nature''s call." The Dwarf scurried to the restroom, where loud and angry splashing sounds could be heard. The duration of the noise was astonishing, and just as Lancelot was about to lose his patience, the Dwarf staggered out and threw himself back on the sofa. "By Moradin''s beard, how much did I drink last night..." Bruto pressed his right hand to his face, his thumb and index finger vigorously rubbing his temples to dispel the headache from the hangover, "Couldn''t you have used a gentler way to wake me?" "Little Isa can testify, I tried all the conventional methods just now," Lancelot said, placing a hand on Bruto''s shoulder and channelling a stream of True Yuan into the Dwarf, "How''s that, feeling any better?" "What?" The Dwarf blinked in confusion, then suddenly sat bolt upright, "Whoa! Brother, you''re amazing! But why are you guys here? Is there a new adventure? I''ll go get my gear ready..." "Are you that eager to go out again?" Lancelot looked at the Dwarf in surprise, "I thought you''d want to stay in Twin Bridges Town for a few more days." "I''ve already visited my old man and bragged about my adventures to my kin. A month of doing nothing in Androlina almost rusted my hammer," Bruto shrugged, "But I guess you''re not in a hurry to leave, right? How was your date with Tijana last night?" "It was intense; it nearly exhausted her." Seeing Bruto''s eyes widen with excitement, Lancelot added with a laugh: "We had a good fight at the training grounds, and the results were...inspiring. Anyway, that''s not why I''m here. I came to ask you to make something..." Lancelot took a piece of parchment out of his bag, on which was a sketch he had drawn based on the description from the small bamboo slip. Although Bruto was just a half-baked blacksmith apprentice, he still had no problem understanding Lancelot''s needs. "So, what you''re saying is that this weird thing called a ''ding'' is actually just an alchemical crucible, right?" Bruto stroked his beard, "Such a thing needs to withstand high temperatures, be able to heat evenly, plus not release any strange elemental powers... Do you have any other special requirements?" "No, that''s it," Lancelot shook his head, "but it absolutely must withstand extremely high temperatures..." "Then I''ll make it perfect for you in one go, cast in mithril, how about that?" the dwarf rubbed his hands together excitedly, "I know you can afford it, boss..." "Mithril?" Lancelot became involuntarily cautious, "How much would that cost?" "Hmm... about twenty thousand Gold Coins," Bruto shrugged, "Delg specializes in making these ''tools'', and I guarantee he''ll do it fast and well. You remember him, right? The one who dyed his beard red... you were with us when we were rescued from those demon foremen." "Twenty thousand Gold Coins is a bit... expensive," Lancelot scratched his head, "Thinking about it, maybe there''s no need to go for something that good from the start. Are there other options?" "The cheapest is iron, and I can make it for you, just fifty Gold Coins," Bruto glanced at him sideways, "How about it?" "...Don''t joke." "I''m serious, although my dad thinks I''m good for nothing, making a pot shouldn''t be a big problem," the dwarf shrugged his shoulders, "If you find a proper coppersmith, it''ll probably cost about five hundred Gold Coins. You can also make one entirely of steel, which won''t be much more expensive than copper, but it will take a little longer. If you want something more extravagant, for just two thousand Gold Coins I can make you one of pure gold, but that thing can''t withstand high temperatures. Although I like the idea, I wouldn''t recommend you do that." "Just make it out of steel," Lancelot said with a grimace, "make it sturdy, the kind that can be used as a weapon if necessary..." "You can count on that, every piece of dwarven craftsmanship has that functionality," Bruto rolled up the parchment Lancelot had spread on the table, "Come with me, Uncle Delg will be very happy to repay your lifesaving favor, I believe he''ll at least give you a 5% discount..." By noon, Lancelot had received his ''ding''. This three-legged steel artifact stood a foot high on the ground, with a central spherical container that could hold about a gallon and a half of liquid, two sturdy handles made this forty-pound metal piece a potentially lethal weapon when necessary. For practicality, Lancelot did not request any polishing, engraving, or other processing on the surface, but simply smoothed out any sharp edges that could cut fingers. After returning to Hagrid Manor, Lancelot immediately wanted to try out his new toy. He converted an underground interrogation room into his artifact refining chamber, this stone chamber allowed him to refine with little chance of accidental disturbance, and it also greatly reduced the risk of fire. As an introduction to formations, the first thing he had to master was the refining of ''array flags''. an array flag itself was just a palm-sized leather banner, he needed to refine the collected materials into a special ''ink'', and then use this ink infused with the Power of the Five Elements to write down the talisman on the flag surface. If all went well, an array flag that could be used to set up an Array would be considered complete. Chapter 450 465 Engraving the Array Creating array flags was originally a task for Qi Refinement Realm Cultivators, but Lancelot had neither a master to guide him in person nor the luxury of a great sect''s Pill Furnace and Earth Fire to use, so everything had to be done by himself, leading to inevitable moments of fluster. Moreover, since his True Yuan was cultivated in the Abyss, its nature was quite violent, and just controlling it to a certain temperature after ignition proved to be a significant struggle. But after all, he had already reached Foundation Establishment, and after several attempts, he quickly mastered the trick. Once the temperature issue was resolved, the next step was to start the actual crafting. Lancelot pulled a fruit from the Dimensional Bag and threw it into the cauldron. These were the fruits borne by the flowers that had ripened with the green liquid yesterday, containing a rich concentration of Wood Attribute energy. Then, he began to operate a special Cultivation Technique, carefully prompting his True Yuan to ''refine'' the materials in the cauldron, but due to his unfamiliarity with this new technique, the seeds instantly turned somewhat charred. Anxiety surged in Lancelot''s heart; a slight fluctuation in the True Yuan output from his Dantian caused the seeds in the cauldron to instantly turn into a cloud of ashes that sullied his face. With a helpless twist of his mouth, he stopped the output of True Yuan, cleaned out the dregs in the cauldron, adjusted his mentality, and reignited it. The second attempt was a bit better than the first; the seeds used for the crafting began to melt normally, and his mood remained steady. However, he encountered a snag at a point where he needed to lower the output of True Yuan. The cultivation insight vaguely described it as ''lower by three points,'' leading to another failure. Despite some disappointment, Lancelot''s mood did not fluctuate too much because he had fully anticipated this situation. The articles in the cultivation insights were as concise as possible, to which he had grown accustomed. This was also why he chose to refine the Wood Attribute array flags first ¡ª the raw materials were his own plants, and the ample supply allowed him to repeatedly experiment until he found the correct method. After roughly an hour and countless failures, Lancelot finally refined the berries into a dark green liquid. He cautiously dipped his finger into the green liquid, then clumsily wrote a special symbol on the leather small flag. The symbol, with leftward slants and rightward hooks, complex in its intersection of horizontal and vertical strokes, belonged to the unique script of the bamboo slips. This was his first time using such script in reality. What he wrote was somewhat ugly, but it did not affect the flag''s efficacy. After finishing, the small flag gave him the feeling of a thriving shrub, exuding dense and refined Wood Attribute power. This was another difference between Spiritual Cultivation arrays and Arcane magic. Kalalin once explained to them that when crafting scrolls or arrays, each arcane symbol must be drawn with extreme precision; imprecision in any line''s angle or length could at best result in spells failing to activate. Worse, unintended magical effects might occur, such as violent explosions, deadly gasses, sudden vacuums, or the uninvited arrival of creatures from other worlds. In fact, many famous Mages in history have perished in severe spellcasting accidents. The successful crafting of the Wood Phase array flag greatly encouraged Lancelot, and he immediately began crafting array flags of the next element. Having gained experience, and due to the nature of his own Spirit Root, the Fire and Earth Phase array flags were quickly successful as well. The materials for Metal and Water Phase presented some difficulties, but his Foundation Establishment Cultivator Realm compensated for the deficiencies of the Spirit Root. After using up three times the crafting materials, all five elemental array flags were completely crafted. With the array flags ready, the next step was to create the Array Plate. The Array Plate is the core of the array, determining the array''s effect, manifested as dots and lines engraved on the surface of an object. Small Array Plates can be carved on stone or iron plates for easy carrying, and in emergencies, temporary engravings can be done on wood or even dirt. Permanent, large-scale arrays can use some exaggerated materials, like a Heavy Cauldron cast from extraterrestrial Metal or gigantic, invaluable jade stones. It is said that one sect carved their Mountain Protection Array directly onto a Great Sword, which became the treasure of the sect. Within the range of the sect''s gate, its power was comparable to a Mysterious Heavenly Spiritual Treasure, becoming the sect''s greatest reliance. Of course, Lancelot didn''t know what a Mysterious Heavenly Spiritual Treasure was, at least not in the unlocked spiritual cultivation insights, but the name alone sounded mighty. The formation Lancelot was preparing to create was the most basic one: a Qi Hiding Formation. As the name implied, the function of this formation was to conceal one''s breath. Cultivators usually didn''t like others discovering their lairs (the term used in the cultivation insights was ''cave dwellings''), especially when there were many treasures inside, thus the necessity for such a formation. The blueprint of the formation was detailed on the small bamboo slips left by Han Tianzun. Lancelot could simply duplicate it. He used a square iron plate, one foot in size, as the base for the array plate. He first used a piece of chalk, which he obtained from a Dwarf blacksmith, to sketch the outline of the formation on the iron plate. After repeatedly comparing it with the image in his divine sense and confirming there were no errors, he then carefully carved out the formation outlined on the iron plate with the Sword Aura from the Qingyuan Sword Technique. The formation wasn''t complicated. Although the Sword Aura of the Qingyuan Sword Technique was not very effective against metal, it only took Lancelot a few minutes to complete the engraving. Before activating the array plate, he first returned to the surface with five small flags of different colors. "You''re out? What were you busy with down there?" In the living room, Alamir greeted Lancelot first thing. He stood on Bruto''s back in a rather elegant pose, while the latter was doing push-ups on the floor. The Dwarf''s gaze indicated he was aware of Lancelot''s arrival, but his flushed red cheeks said he was not in a position to talk at the moment. "I was... researching magic," Lancelot scratched his head. "What are you guys doing?" "Bruto is exercising, and I am acting as his weight," the Elf said, bobbing up and down with the movements of the Dwarf while maintaining his balance. Lancelot could tell he was also engaging in some kind of training. "Researching magic? Is it that strange power of yours?" "Something like that, I don''t know how to explain it, but every now and then I come up with new ideas in my head," Lancelot shrugged. "Remember my ability to summon vines? It came to me in the same way." "Well, I have heard that Magicians are like that. Some people are brutes, but suddenly in the middle of a fight, they''ll throw out a magical Fireball. These things just happen and there''s no explaining them," Alamir shrugged while shifting his weight back and forth between his legs. "Or maybe next time you could pray with me to Shuni? Perhaps the Goddess could reveal the source of your power, like if one of your ancestors had a romantic affair with a Dragon. Lady Huofa could surely give you an accurate answer." Chapter 451 466: Effective Results "Let''s just drop it, as long as it works," Lancelot said with a dismissive wave of his hand, pretending he didn''t care, but he was actually afraid that divine power might reveal something. "Bruto, how many have you made now?" "Eighty-eight! ... Eighty-nine!" The dwarf answered himself, his voice sounding close to its limit. "Bruto, if you can still manage to make more than twenty at a time and still have energy, that means the load isn''t heavy enough," Lancelot said to the dwarf, then shook his head at Alamir, "You''re too light for him." "Are you coming too?" The elf focused on the dwarf''s buttocks, "If you hold me, I can stand on one foot." "Let''s not," Lancelot laughed heartily, stepping towards the door. "I have magic experiments to do." "Is there a risk of explosion?" The elf asked seriously, "Should we prepare to leave early?" "Not for now," Lancelot''s expression fell, "Come on, have a little faith in me, will you?" After saying that, he hurried out the door, leaving the dwarf''s panting and the elf''s laughter behind. It was evening by then, and the setting sun of the Plains of the Abyss had dyed the entire sky blood red. Perhaps due to the effect of the mysterious green fluid, the flowers in his garden showed no signs of wilting, presenting a somewhat eerie beauty under the twilight. Lancelot walked around the manor and buried array flags in five inconspicuous corners. Afterwards, he returned to his underground artifact refining chamber and embedded a low-grade frost crystal into a special slot on the array plate. He then lightly tapped it with his finger, activating the spiritual energy contained within with a faint trace of true yuan. Pale blue dots of light shot out from the frost crystal, following the lines etched on the iron plate, and connecting with the previously laid array flags. Watching the faintly glowing lines on the array plate, Lancelot felt a stir in his heart. If the frost crystal providing the spiritual energy was considered the Dantian, then those lines would be the meridians; the whole structure looked remarkably similar to the ''Concealment Art'' cultivation technique. Could it be that formations were actually a form of cultivation techniques? Lancelot decided he would pay more attention to this question in his future studies of formations, but for now, what interested him most was confirming whether the ''Qi Hiding Formation'' he had set up was truly effective. He excitedly ran out from the basement, all the way to the outside of the manor, then carefully sensed the aura inside the manor. The results were clear; at this distance, his spirit perception should have been able to clearly sense the number, location, and distance of living beings inside the house. However, at that moment, his spirit perception felt as though there was nothing but empty space in front of him. Lancelot couldn''t help feeling a burst of exhilaration. After an afternoon of tinkering and many failures, he had finally succeeded in setting up the formation. According to the small bamboo slip, he had now entered the path of formation techniques, and it seemed his natural talent for spiritual cultivation wasn''t too shabby at all. Just as he was reveling in his success, a blue and white light suddenly flared beside him, and within a few breaths, Tijana''s figure appeared beside him. The Succubus Lord''s expression looked quite anxious, and at that moment, she was fully armored with a whip given by Barrend in one hand, and a lantern emitting a silver light in the other. "What''s happened?" Lancelot immediately tensed up, Frostslash was instantly drawn from his Dimensional Bag, "Is there an enemy?" Tijana did not answer right away. Her eyes glowed with a purple light as she suspiciously scanned Lancelot, as if trying to confirm he hadn''t transformed into something else. Then, frowning, she surveyed Hagrid Manor in front of them, seeming puzzled by something. After confirming that everything looked normal, she finally asked Lancelot with suspicion in her voice: "Are you alright?" "I''m fine," Lancelot pretended to be innocent, but wondered if the Formation he had just activated had alerted the Succubus Lord, "What brought you here all of a sudden?" "In my perception, Hagrid Manor had suddenly disappeared," Tijana turned her head back towards the interior of the manor. From where they stood, the manor looked decayed, dilapidated, and overgrown with thorns, but that was the result of an illusion cast by the Succubus Lord. "I thought you did something foolish, overlaying two dimensional spaces and then getting tossed into some corner of the Stellar Realm." "Then what''s this lantern for?" "Navigation," Tijana explained briefly, "to find you and bring you back from the Stellar Realm." "Hehe, thanks for the concern," Lancelot couldn''t help but smile, making a move to hug the Succubus Lord, "Sorry to make you worry..." "We are outside!" Tijana allowed Lancelot a very brief embrace then pushed him away, annoyed and whispering, "If people knew about our relationship, my enemies would see you as a point of vulnerability. This is not good for you! Don''t do this again!" "Cough, understood," Lancelot made a gesture of invitation, "Shall we go ''inside'' then? Perhaps I can explain the strange phenomenon..." Tijana glared at him then hurriedly walked in, followed by Lancelot down to his secret chamber. Of course, not just her¡ªBruto, Alamir, and Kalalin were also curious and followed, reasoning that since the Formation would frequently be utilized later, it was simpler to explain it to everyone at once rather than go through it separately later on. Explaining the function of a Formation was not difficult in a world filled with magic. Many methods could achieve similar effects. However, Tijana was very curious about the principles behind how the Formation worked. Although she herself was a Magician, it was difficult for her to understand the power principles inside another Magician¡ªit was a difference from Mages. Mages gained their ability to cast spells through learning, research, and training, while Magicians'' casting abilities came directly from powers contained within their bloodline, like Alamir''s Dragon ancestor, the accidental consumption of a magic spring, or even a dark blessing from an Abyssal Lord or a Demon Archduke (which Tijana could rule out)¡ªany of these could ignite a creature''s innate talent for Spellcraft. "I''ve never seen this form of magic power before, and I''m sure this isn''t the power of Shael''s Shadow Demon Web," the Succubus Lord repeatedly studied the iron Array Plate, "How do you come to possess such peculiar knowledge?" "Err, did I ever tell you how I arrived in the Abyss?" Lancelot felt guilty for misleading Tijana, "I passed through a very special Portal, Kalalin said that it definitely wasn''t the normal state of transportation..." "It sounds like you were exposed to Primordial Magic Power while traversing planes," after listening to Lancelot''s story, the Succubus Lord shrugged, "which means this actually comes from a distant land''s spell power, how interesting..." Chapter 452 467: The Growth of Everyone "A distant country?" Lancelot heard the term for the first time, "What is that?" "An existence beyond the known universe." Tijana waved her hands around the Array Plate, trying to disrupt the invisible connection between the Array Flag and the Array Plate, "It might be an undiscovered plane or even another Multiverse, with its own set of magic rules, and its Magic Power occasionally leaks into our Multiverse. In fact, many magicians derive their powers from this, and it seems you are a living example. My advice is, be careful when using that kind of power, especially when you''re not clear about the price you''ll have to pay." "Understood." Lancelot nodded, "But this Formation actually creates a blank area in your perception, which seems to go against its purpose of Concealing Breath..." "No, because I am the Lord of Twin Bridges Town, I was able to notice the anomaly." The Succubus gave up after finding her attempt to interfere was ineffective, retracted her arms, and turned to Lancelot, "Your Array is really quite remarkable... interested in making a bigger one?" "Uh, I''m afraid I''m not capable of that yet." Lancelot scratched his head, "When it comes to Formations, I still have a lot to learn..." "Whenever you are able, come find me, and don''t worry about materials; you can use whatever Twin Bridges Town has to offer." The Succubus Lord waved her hand magnanimously, "Alright, let''s leave this basement, I will go and strengthen the illusion around the manor once more..." "I''m going to prepare dinner." Lancelot enthusiastically called out, "I bought some really nice ingredients at the market today; care to try my grilling skills again?" "Not today." Tijana cast an apologetic glance at Lancelot, "Your strange conditions here disrupted my work, and I have many things waiting for me to handle when I get back." "Understood." Lancelot nodded again, "But I still want to talk to you about the Dwarf legion. I heard quite a few discussions in the Craftsmen''s District today..." "... Okay." Tijana hesitated for a moment but still nodded, "Two hours from now, then. Come directly to the barracks to find me." After the discussion, Lancelot and Tijana returned to the garden, where the Succubus took a minute to strengthen the Illusion Technique she had cast earlier, prolonging its duration by a week. She would have to repeat the same action five more times to make the Illusion concealing Hagrid Manor permanent. After bidding Tijana farewell, Lancelot stood somewhat forlornly for a while before turning and heading back toward the small building. When he pushed open the door, he found Bruto, Kalalin, and Alamir sitting upright in the living room in a court-like manner, waiting for him. "What''s up?" Lancelot couldn''t help but feel puzzled, "Why are you looking at me with those expressions?" "It might just be my imagination, but it seems your relationship with Tijana has... changed," said Bruto while twitching his eyebrows desperately, "Did I misunderstand something?" "I don''t think so. Although the Succubus is not my field of expertise, I''m quite certain Tijana''s attitude toward you is highly unusual," Kalalin said, propping his chin with his hand and relaxing comfortably in his chair, "as if you''re someone... very important to her." "Stop guessing, you two definitely have ''defined'' the relationship already." Alamir appeared confident, as if he held all the cards, "And I have irrefutable evidence." "What?" Exclaimed the three in the room in unison, Bruto then teased the Elf with a mocking tone, "So you''re a voyeur, huh... What did you see? Come on, tell me the details! How long did our big brother hold out? In the end, who ''won''?" "What are you thinking in that head of yours? I neither saw nor heard any of the things they did together last night," Alamir looked at the Dwarf with disdain through his nostrils, "But this morning, during my regular prayers, I directly heard the Goddess''s voice!" "Your Goddess?" Kalalin sounded very surprised, "The Divine Powers seldom pay attention to matters in the Abyss... What did she say?" "She said she is very pleased with the garden I arranged, that its beauty has allowed a couple to accept each other." The Elf Priest said with devotion, then sternly addressed the Dwarf, "By the way, you''re speaking with someone who can use Fifth Circle Divine Arts now, try showing a little respect." "Oh my, not this again!" The Dwarf reclined abruptly, collapsing into the sofa, "So tell me, what can your Fifth Circle Divine Arts do?" "The most important, of course, is resurrecting the dead. As long as the body is intact and the person has not been dead for more than ten days, I can make the deceased stand up again," the Elf shrugged, "Of course, that''s assuming the Soul is willing to return and isn''t bound by something else, otherwise what stands up would be a living corpse. I can now use a Fifth Circle Art once a day, and a Fourth Circle Art three times, all of which will provide great help in combat." "Cough, friends, I also have good news to announce," Kalalin intervened, "Earlier today, right inside this building, I successfully cast my first Fourth Circle spell. Of course, it was with a scroll, but this means I''m finally qualified to call myself a Wizard." "What spell did you cast?" Lancelot asked curiously. "Arcane Eye, an invisible magic eye that flies through the air and allows me to see whatever the eye can see. A very practical detection Skill, especially when exploring dangerous areas," Kalalin said with a coy smile tinged with pride, "Although it''s just the simplest of the Fourth Circle Spells, its complexity is not comparable to those of the Third Circle. I will begin studying other Fourth Circle Spells as soon as possible, which shouldn''t take too long. But with my current spiritual power, I can only endure the strain of using a Fourth Circle Spell once a day, and I will train to increase that number as quickly as possible." "Fantastic, another person getting stronger," sighed Bruto, rolling his eyes in the sofa, sounding a bit downcast, "We all adventure together, and I''ve killed no fewer Demons than you have, so why don''t I feel any change?" "Maybe it''s because you improve a little bit every day, so you don''t notice, but the accumulation is quite considerable," Lancelot comforted him with a smile, "Not to mention, your strength is definitely much greater now than when we first met. Don''t believe me? Try helping your dad with the forge tomorrow, and you''ll know." "That makes sense; I''ll give it a try tomorrow!" The Dwarf perked up again, "You originally planned to grill meat for your sweetheart, didn''t I hear that right?" Chapter 453 468: Proposal After enjoying a satisfying meal of Abyss chicken barbecue with his companions, Lancelot proceeded alone to the military camp area. It was already nightfall, but the fire basins scattered across the streets provided ample illumination, and the cluster of ever-burning forges in the blacksmith district dyed the sky a fiery red. In some ways, Twin Bridges Town was even busier and more chaotic at night than during the day. Drunkards fought each other over silly reasons, vendors who peddled either others'' flesh or their own shouted loudly at the side of the streets, and theft and extortion occurred every second. Even Lancelot had to be cautious and keep a low profile while navigating such streets. Fortunately, his plate armor and the longsword on his back were deterrent enough, and some of the lowest class of demon citizens in the town had recognized Lancelot, knowing that this unimpressive human knight was actually the master of Dingke, and that the mutated Quasimodo Demon had become a newly rising gang leader in the streets. After passing through the noisy mercenary area, he arrived in front of Tijana''s magnificent castle. The stone of the castle was a dark red color, resembling blood that had dried after a killing, standing silently in the center of the town located amidst the Stygian River, like a war machine that had claimed countless lives. The military camp was beside the castle. Most of the camp buildings were circular, constructed from heavy stone blocks. Having spent so much time in Twin Bridges Town, he could tell that these squat barracks were the handiwork of dwarven artisans. At the entrance, Lancelot was stopped by two Brezu Demons, but after explaining his purpose, the guards allowed him to pass, informing him that the Lord was near the Lava Lake. Lancelot gave each of the two guards a gold coin as thanks and then entered the military camp area. Like most demon lords, Tijana''s warriors were primarily Berserk Demons, these frog-shaped middle rank demons were stubborn and ferocious, with a gullible brain that would work for a lord in exchange for minimal favors and non-mistreatment. Aside from the Berserk Demons, there was also a substantial number of Brezus serving under the Succubus Lord. These slender demons with ram heads were masters of weaponry, possessing a frenzied capability in combat, forming the cutting edge of the Demon Legion responsible for tearing through enemy lines. The only issue was, even for demons, they were too belligerent to maintain in large numbers. After passing through a large swath of noisy barracks, Lancelot reached a Lava Lake. Tijana was overseeing a group of dwarven artisans digging a large pit in the ground, resembling a corral for holding livestock. A six-armed Serpent Demon general and two Succubus Maids accompanied her. When Lancelot was still some distance away, Tijana noticed the arrival of the human knight. She instructed the Serpent Demon about something, then left her companions and walked towards Lancelot. "Good evening, my lady," Lancelot performed a standard knight''s salute to Tijana. "You look absolutely beautiful tonight." "I know," Tijana gave Lancelot a smug smile and then walked toward a more secluded direction. "Sorry, today has just been so busy. In addition to this breeding pool, I need to oversee the reinforcement of the walls later... Let''s talk while we walk; what have you heard about the dwarven legion? Do they despise this plan?" "Most are just complaining that the announcement didn''t reveal more information." Lancelot followed the Succubus Lord quietly, like a knight protecting a princess on a trip, "Dwarves don''t like this uncertainty. You should disclose more details about forming this legion sooner." "I just took your advice," Tijana shrugged. "Now tell me, what details should I reveal to them?" "The most important issue is, who will command this legion?" Lancelot said seriously. "Who is going to be organizing and training them, and issuing commands during battles? I suppose you wouldn''t want to do this yourself; thus, you need someone capable and trustworthy. He must be passionately dedicated to the job to create a powerful army for you." "Why don''t you do it?" Tijana stopped and looked earnestly at the human knight. "I know you have a wealth of experience and are more than capable of commanding respect, and I can trust you completely." "It would be an honor, but I am not the right person for the job," Lancelot decisively shook his head. "Other than the Frostforged clan, only a few dwarves know me, and they are unlikely to trust a commander who is not from their own kind. Besides, personally, I prefer the life of an adventurer, and I do not wish to return to military life for the time being." "I guessed you would say that," Tijana shrugged again and continued to walk forward. "So, what do you suggest?" "Before I continue, I want to understand something else," Lancelot followed the Succubus Lord, walking around the almost completed pit. "If the target volunteers, do you have a way to ensure a dwarf''s complete loyalty?" "I can ask them to swear an oath in the name of Moradin, that they must remain utterly loyal to me until their souls move on to the dwarven homeland, or else their souls after death will belong to me and suffer eternal torment," Tijana said coldly. "Although the god of the dwarves would not be pleased, an oath sworn in his name will be honored, of which the dwarves themselves are quite aware. Compared to other lords, this is already very generous, and I believe most dwarves would accept these terms." "You could offer a bit more, such as limiting their duties solely to defending Twin Bridges Town," Lancelot suggested. "They could refuse orders to slaughter civilians, torture prisoners, or desecrate the faith of Moradin, which would make them more willing to agree." "The Craftsmen Committee?" Tijana looked at him, surprised. "Those might be experts in smelting and building, but they know nothing about military..." "But the dwarves acknowledge the authority of these committee members," Lancelot explained patiently. "You could ask the committee to organize all the dwarves and select five suitable commanders, then you could choose one from these five to be the chief commander. Recruiting soldiers, organizing training, and arranging logistics could be handled by this chief commander and his lieutenants, and by controlling these five people, you control the entire army." "If the dwarves become dissatisfied with harsh training or devastating losses, I can simply appoint a new commander to quell their anger," Tijana said, impressed. "I didn''t realize you had a bit of cunning in you too." Chapter 454 469 Conflict In the following days, Tijana remained extremely busy. She would come to Hagrid Manor in the evening to reinforce the illusion that enshrouded the estate, but she could only stay with Lancelot for a little while. Both of them enjoyed this brief time together during the day, and even after the reinforcement of the illusion was complete, she would still come to see Lancelot at this time every day, chatting and taking a walk together in the beautiful garden. Most of the time, it was the Succubus Lord who spoke, and the Human Knight who listened, mainly discussing the troublesome matters she encountered while fulfilling her duties as a lord. Lancelot would then cautiously offer his advice; whether Tijana agreed or not, at least it could provide some perspective. The much-anticipated Dwarven Legion, amid chaos and controversy, was finally established. The one chosen as Commander was a Gray Dwarf named Todak Stoneshield. Generally, these bald, sullen, and pale-skinned underground Dwarves did not get along well with their cousins, but this former Gray Dwarf general was an exception, for he had converted to Moradin, and that was the reason he was exiled to the Abyss. Since arriving in Twin Bridges Town as a fugitive slave, Todak had been living there for seventy years. He had participated in the town''s defense battles several times before, and his command skills were already recognized by other Dwarves. Moreover, as a Gray Dwarf, he was more pragmatic politically and was not so resistant to serving the Demon Lord directly, making him the best choice considering all the factors. Among his four lieutenants was also a very special choice: Vito, a Priest of Moradin. Tijana was originally very opposed to this selection, but Lancelot reminded her not to forget the original purpose of establishing this legion: not to conquer more territories, nor to suppress potential Dwarf rebellions, but to provide a defensive force when Twin Bridges Town was attacked. Accepting a Priest of Moradin as a lieutenant of the legion would not change the purpose of the army or affect its command structure; its sole purpose was to reduce the Dwarves'' resistance. The Succubus Lord was very reluctantly persuaded, but she demanded that the Dwarves keep it a secret, and she would not publicly acknowledge the Priest''s status as a Commander in any way. Furthermore, if the news leaked out, she would not hesitate to claim ignorance and expel any Dwarf who held a position within the Moradin Church. Reluctantly, the Succubus Lord had to consider the political impacts of this matter as she did not want to give surrounding forces a reason to band together and trouble her, and she also had to consider the feelings of the Demon residents of Twin Bridges Town. Lancelot played the role of a negotiator during the whole negotiation process: on one hand, he had to convince Tijana to accept the Dwarves'' nominee, and on the other hand, he had to persuade the Dwarves to agree to the conditions Tijana offered. He had never done anything like this before, but fortunately, the Dwarves were straightforward by nature, so there was no need for him to possess any highly sophisticated diplomatic skills; a clear statement of the situation was persuasive enough. There was no choice but to accept. After all, this was Tijana''s territory; living under someone''s roof, they had to bow their heads. To be fair, the conditions offered by the Succubus Lord were already good enough. It was not just allowing them to shelter from the rain under the eaves but also agreeing to let them into the house. After the Commander was selected, the Legion''s training quickly got underway. Tijana very assertively deprived the Dwarves of most of their rest time, demanding that every Dwarf go to the barracks for at least three hours of training after finishing a day''s work¡ªtraining until their last bit of energy was drained before they were allowed to rest. Naturally, there were many complaints from the Dwarves, but that was something Lancelot couldn''t resolve by reasoning. News from the front lines at the Volcano Fortress forced Tijana to make such a harsh decision. After the attack was stalled, the Demon side gathered more forces and regained the upper hand in battle, with the Flame Demon General''s controlled area shrinking day by day. And the ''Lord Wu''an,'' Grazzt, had yet to send reinforcements for his General. It was said that a war between him and ''Queen of the Succubus,'' Mekanshut could break out at any moment. Under such circumstances, it was already good not to recall the forces from the Volcano Fortress, and neither of the two Abyssal Lords was likely to weaken the defense of their own territories. Every time Tijana visited Hagrid Manor, Lancelot could feel the anxiety in the Succubus Lord''s heart growing heavier. As for this, he too was powerless, only able to provide comfort for Tijana as much as possible, letting her find a moment''s peace in that beautiful garden. Of course, he did not neglect his own cultivation,, but the growth in the strength of spiritual cultivators is measured in years, unless there''s another battle like the one against the Giant Skull Demon or Pascaler, teetering on the brink of death, otherwise, it was highly unlikely that he would break through to the next realm anytime soon. That afternoon, Lancelot was in the underground training room, controlling two sword shadows to fight each other when he suddenly heard Bruto calling his name anxiously from outside the door. Lancelot had previously instructed that he should not be disturbed while cultivating in the secret chamber, and although the young dwarf was somewhat headstrong, he usually heeded Lancelot''s words; it seemed that something urgent must have happened. Lancelot dissipated the sword shadows, feeling a slight stinging pain in his forehead; controlling two sword shadows at the same time was still somewhat burdensome on his divine sense, but that was the purpose of the training. He opened the stone door of the secret chamber and found the dwarf leaning on his knees, panting in front of him. "What''s the matter?" Lancelot took Bruto''s hand, infusing a thread of True Yuan into the dwarf''s body to help him quickly stabilize his breathing. "Ti... Tijana and the people from the Craftsmen Committee are having a conflict!" The dwarf pulled Lancelot and started to run out, "Big brother, you have to go and persuade her!" "What?" Lancelot frowned, reached out, and picked up Bruto, "Where?" "Put me down, I can..." The dwarf started to protest but got startled by the burst of speed Lancelot unleashed, instinctively holding onto Lancelot''s waist like a scared tree squirrel, "The... The largest building in the blacksmith area!" Lancelot''s feet flew apace, streaking through the streets of Twin Bridges Town like a rainbow, fortunate that it was daytime and the streets were not crowded, allowing him to sprint at full speed. In less than two minutes, he had covered nearly a mile, arriving in front of the assembly hall of the Craftsmen Committee. It was a circular stronghold with a large hall inside that could accommodate all the dwarves of Twin Bridges Town, surrounded by some smaller rooms, used as storage, offices, or for other purposes. Following Bruto''s directions, Lancelot arrived at a room on the left side of the hall, a small exhibition hall used to display the artisans'' most outstanding work. When they were still thirty feet away from the room, they heard Tijana''s roar filled with anger: "Every item in this room belongs to me! Who gave you the right to take that thing away? This is an unforgivable crime, someone is going to be flayed!" Chapter 455 470 Pacification Lancelot and Bruto quickly pushed the door and walked in, to a spacious and luxurious stone hall with a thick red fur carpet on the floor and glowing magic crystals hanging from the ceiling to provide illumination. On both sides of the walls were many display cases, filled with exquisitely crafted weapons, armor, and artifacts, and the enraged Succubus Lord was standing before an empty pedestal. Her face was contorted like an angry lioness''s, her normally smooth hair looking as if it had been struck by lightning, standing on end, while her eyes, blazing red, were like rubies under the spotlight. Lancelot had never seen Tijana so furious before. Three members of the Craftsmen Committee were being pressed to the ground by an invisible force, and more Dwarves were shivering in a corner. Despite the absence of any attendants by the Succubus Lord''s side, her presence still dominated everyone. "What on earth have you done? Where is the object that used to be on this pedestal?" Lancelot strode forward, first berating the Dwarves lying on the ground, and then attempting to pacify the Succubus Lord, "Calm down, my lady, skinning anyone won''t solve the problem, and no matter what has been lost, I guarantee I can find it for you." "They took away the Cross Pickaxe!" Tijana said with venom, "I agreed to have it displayed here, not to be handled by them!" "The Cross Pickaxe?" Lancelot looked surprised, "The one we got back from Oasis Fort?" "Dain Frostbeard''s Cross Pickaxe!" Bruto spoke up in urgency, "That''s a Relic of our Frostforge Clan''s ancestors! Where did you take it?" One of the members of the Craftsmen Committee tried to speak, but his face turned red as if an invisible arm was choking him. Lancelot mustered courage, stepped forward, and patted the Succubus Lord''s back, trying to calm her down a bit. His rather ordinary pat did have some effect, as Tijana violently swung her arm, sending the three Dwarves who had been lying down tumbling into the air, and then crashing back onto the ground with force. Such an impact wasn''t much for a Dwarf, and now they could breathe normally. "Terribly sorry, Lady Tijana, we thought..." "Get to the point," Lancelot interrupted the Dwarf''s excuses promptly, "Where is that Cross Pickaxe now?" "Temple of Moradin," the commissioner replied at once, "It''s being safely kept there; I saw it myself a few days ago." "And where is this temple?" Hearing this, a look of struggle appeared on the faces of the three Dwarves, seemingly reluctant to disclose the location of the temple. Seeing this, Lancelot quickly said: "My lady, you just want to retrieve that Cross Pickaxe, not dismantle Moradin''s Temple, right?" "Of course," Tijana realized that she might have caused a misunderstanding among the Dwarves, "I have no interest in your blasted temple!" "Chief Commissioner Adrick Braunanwell, let me remind you that the Cross Pickaxe was commissioned to be retrieved by Lady Tijana, which my partners and I risked our lives to take back," Lancelot patiently explained, "I remember the situation very well; Tijana said she allowed the Holy Relic to be kept within Twin Bridges Town, right here in the hall of the Craftsmen Committee, you indeed have no right to take it away." "But, but that''s a Platinum Guard''s Relic, and the Father God''s Temple is obviously a more suitable place for it..." "However, the Cross Pickaxe isn''t yours, taking it out of the city without permission is the same as theft," Lancelot said, mixing a bit of True Yuan into his voice to make it more persuasive, "Which means that the Cross Pickaxe is now stolen goods, and is it honor or desecration to place stolen goods in the Father God''s Temple?" The three Dwarf commissioners of the Craftsmen Committee looked at each other with a strong sense that something was off, but they couldn''t find a reason to refute Lancelot. Eventually, the commissioner who led the group could only nod helplessly and said: "The Temple is in the Shattered Mountain Range''s Ironspike Peak..." As soon as he finished speaking, Tijana waved her hand to conjure a Portal, and on the other side was the red Ironspike Peak. "The Cross Pickaxe had better still be in that temple, or else your head will replace it on this rack!" Tijana threatened fiercely, "Lead the way, I want to take it back now!" "Hurry up and grab your weapons, if we are attacked, it''s your responsibility to protect the Lord''s safety," Lancelot quickly added. Though it sounded like a domineering command, it was actually a further step to ease the relationship between both parties. Indeed, as he had expected, Tijana didn''t voice any objection, and the Dwarves ran off as if a burden had been lifted from their shoulders. "I don''t need their protection at all," Tijana''s complaint echoed in Lancelot''s heart, still sounding quite angry, "These Dwarves are too much!" "Of course, I know, but pushing them further doesn''t do us any favors," Lancelot responded through their telepathic link, "By the way, what do you need the Cross Pickaxe for?" "You''ll find out in a bit." At that moment, the three armed Dwarves returned. The Succubus Lord didn''t say another word and walked straight into the Portal, with Lancelot hurrying to follow. On the other side of the Portal was the top of Ironspike Peak, an unremarkable peak within the Shattered Mountain Range, and it was hard to imagine that it concealed Moradin''s Temple. To the north and dozens of miles away was the blurry outline of Twin Bridges Town, which from this distance looked like a battleship on the Stygian River. Behind them, Bruto and the three Dwarf commissioners had also stepped through, their attention immediately captured by the sight of Twin Bridges Town, causing them to involuntarily stop and gaze. A sharp bird cry rang out, breaking the temporary silence among them. Lancelot was all too familiar with that sound, he looked up to see about a dozen Flomos diving down from the sky, seeming to consider the group that had suddenly appeared as their prey. "Be on guard, directly above!" Lancelot shouted, Frostslash appearing instantly in his hand, "Bruto, remember how to deal with these guys?" "Of course!" The young Dwarf had started twirling his hammer in his hand, ready to throw it, "The first one''s mine, don''t fight me for it!" The three commissioners each raised their Shields, forming a defensive formation to encircle Tijana. Although not professional warriors, every Dwarf possessed decent military training and willingly executed Lancelot''s order to protect the Succubus Lord whose strength was far above their own. "Fools," Tijana said impatiently, looking at the flying Demons quickly approaching, "wasting my time." Chapter 456 480: Blockade "Moradin!" Accompanied by a roar, Bruto hurled his hammer like a storm straight at the Flomos charging at the forefront. The demon immediately tried to dodge by changing its trajectory, but the swiftly spinning warhammer traced a beautiful arc, hitting the vulture-like demon squarely. Accompanied by the sound of breaking bones, the demon''s heart was crushed into a mass of flesh within its ribcage, and the magic warhammer flew back to the dwarf. The remaining demons became even more enraged. They swarmed up, hoping to take advantage of the momentary absence of weapons in the dwarf''s hands to launch a pincer attack, but then Lancelot made his move. He stomped heavily on the ground, and like a drum surface, the ground vibrated, instantly catapulting the unarmored human knight dozens of feet into the air. The sudden approach of the human knight caught the Flomos off guard, but Lancelot had already locked onto his target. A crescent arc of silver light appeared in mid-air, and immediately one of the Flomos was cleaved in half, its lifeless body plummeting toward the ground. After the sudden upper slash, Lancelot still had strength to spare. He slightly rotated his body and delivered a slash toward another Flomos at his side. The enemy tried to block the attack with its claws, but Frostslash, forged from cold iron and inherently repelling demons'' innate armor, coupled with Lancelot''s use of the Qingyun Sword Art, allowed the sharp sword blade to easily sever the Flomos'' bird-like talons, as if a sickle cutting through wheat. Just as the weapon was about to make contact with the enemy''s body, Lancelot slightly twisted the sword blade, using the flat of the sword to harshly smash the demon''s face. The force of this blow was so strong that the Flomos'' head burst open like a shattered watermelon, while Lancelot, using the lift from the impact, performed a forward roll in the air and landed hard on the exploded corpse, using it to leap even higher. Frostslash once again traced a cold, menacing arc, cutting a third Flomos cleanly in two. In just a few breaths'' time, he had killed so many enemies, and the horrifying efficiency of his slaughter had completely terrified and broken the spirit of his foes. The few remaining Flomos let out fearful cries and turned to try to fly away, but that''s when gravity caught up with the human knight, yanking him toward the ground. Since the demons were fleeing, Lancelot had no intention of pursuing further, but Tijana seemed to have other ideas. The Succubus Lord had been preparing a powerful spell ever since the beginning, and as Lancelot began to fall, the spell was completed. In pursuit of power and range, she did not use her spell instant casting ability but instead focused her super-magic skills on spell amplification. The human knight sensed an appalling force converging on Tijana through his spirit perception. Then the Succubus Lord threw a piece of iron emitting a chill, which was instantly disintegrated under the magic''s effect. Meanwhile, huge shackles of shadow appeared on the bodies of the fleeing Flomos in mid-air, then violently snapped shut around them. The vulture-shaped demons stiffened up, their wings, which had been flapping rapidly, suddenly seeming frozen, and their powerless bodies traced arcs as they, following their original flight paths, crashed toward the ground. "Finish them off," Tijana''s indifferent voice sounded in everyone''s ears. "You wouldn''t want these demons to take a particular interest in this mountain, would you?" Lancelot understood this reasoning without Tijana''s explanation, but the three dwarves, who had spent years at the forge, were not so easily convinced. No matter, while they were still hesitating in place, Lancelot and Bruto had already taken care of all the helpless demons. "Impressive," Tijana said with some surprise, giving Lancelot a look. "It seems you were holding back during training." "So were you," the human knight chuckled, pulling out a soft cloth to wipe the blood off his longsword, although his clothes were not so easily cleansed. "Stand still." The Succubus Lord extended a finger and lightly touched Lancelot. Immediately, all the bloodstains on his clothes disappeared. "Perfect." "Thank you, my lady," Lancelot replied with a knight''s salute, which, lacking armor, appeared quite graceful instead of the usual stiffness, and Tijana, who had just sported a frosty expression, now smiled as radiantly as a blooming flower, her gaze as tender as if it were dripping with water. "Ahem!" Bruto made a noise, disrupting the two who seemed to be in their world, "Shouldn''t we be retrieving a Cross Pickaxe?" "Of course, of course," Tijana snapped back to her senses immediately, reverting to the formidable Succubus Lord in an instant, yet a hint of bashful blush lingered on her face, "Lead the way, Councilor Adrick, let''s see what you''ve dug up in this mountain." "Allow me to warn you in advance, the guards of the temple might not be pleased with your arrival," the elderly dwarf showed a conflicted expression again, "They are quite... zealous in their faith towards the Father God. Please, do forgive any rudeness on their part." "We shall see," Tijana replied noncommittally, "How much longer must I stand here?" "This way!" The dwarven artisan hastened forward, "We will have to descend to midway up the mountain first..." The temple entrance was ingeniously concealed behind a series of gigantic stones, and if not for guidance, Lancelot would certainly have failed to locate it. After passing through a dark corridor, the passage suddenly opened up, and they were faced with a massive rock, carved into the shape of an Iron Anvil, and twenty feet in length and breadth, with a square hole in the middle leading into the interior of the temple. At that moment, the temple doors were securely blocked by two smaller square rocks, while on the steps ahead stood seven fully armed dwarf warriors, who, nervous but resolute, blocked the way forward. The captain of the guards spoke with a voice that quivered slightly: "Halt! Lady Tijana... Why have you come here?" "I have come to take back what is mine," Tijana said, arms crossed over her chest, "Are you going to stop me?" "What?" The dwarf guards looked at each other in confusion, "There''s nothing here..." "Dain Frostbeard''s Cross Pickaxe," Councilor Adrick said weakly, "Lady Tijana wishes that the holy relic remain in the Craftsman Hall..." "I have never agreed to give that item to you," the Succubus Lord strode forward once more, "Now, I want to retrieve what belongs to me." "Wait!" The dwarf guards instinctively backed away but remained determined to block her path, "You can''t enter this sacred hall!" "Oh, really?" Tijana raised an eyebrow, suddenly raising her voice, and called out loudly: "Forge Master Moradin! I am Tijana, the Demon Lord of Twin Bridges Town, the Avenger born in Shackles, the protector of the dwarf clan in the Abyss! Now I wish to take back something that is mine¡ªare you going to turn me away from your temple?" Chapter 457 457 481 Temple ?Chapter 457: Chapter 481: Temple Chapter 457: Chapter 481: Temple As Tijana¡¯s voice faded away, a loud boom emanated from within the temple, sounding as if a Dwarf blacksmith were striking an anvil with all his might. Along with that thunderous noise, the stone that had been blocking the entrance now bore the symbols of a hammer and an anvil. Then, they slowly began to move aside, revealing the entrance to the temple. ¡°The Father God has manifested, the Father God has manifested!¡± Every Dwarf present was utterly astonished, half because Moradin had actually heeded Tijana¡¯s call, and the other half because the Father God had seemingly agreed to let a Demon Lord enter His holy place. Lancelot looked at Tijana with some surprise, suspecting that this might be the work of the Succubus Lord behind the scenes. ¡°Of course it wasn¡¯t me.¡± Her voice immediately echoed in his mind, clearly reading the meaning behind his gaze, ¡°And what¡¯s there to be surprised about? Haven¡¯t I been telling you the same all along?¡± ¡°I suddenly feel that Moradin seems to have a particular fondness for you,¡± Lancelot responded telepathically. ¡°When you were working on that whip, His miracles descended just like that too.¡± ¡°It seems that the Soul Forger is indeed a stern but just deity,¡± Tijana shrugged and stepped toward the interior of the temple. The guards hesitated for a moment, but still blocked her way. ¡°What now?¡± Tijana said impatiently, ¡°Are you going to stop me again?¡± ... ¡°Dare not, My Lord, we are already aware of the Father God¡¯s will,¡± the head of the Dwarf guards was much more respectful than before, but still firmly stood his ground, ¡°But it is a rule that, during peacetime, any visitors to the temple must surrender all their weapons.¡± Tijana glared threateningly at the Dwarf before her. Unafraid, the latter met her gaze squarely, despite the gap in strength between them being greater than that between a lion and a lamb. In the end, it was Lancelot who stepped in to mediate. ¡°This is a weapon forged for me by Barrend Frostforge. Though it has not been with me long, it has become an irreplaceable companion,¡± Lancelot handed over Frostslash. ¡°Even this brief separation torments me so intensely that the pain is almost unbearable...¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Bruto slapped him heavily on the back, handing over his own hammer, ¡°This too was crafted by my old man, and it¡¯s really handy!¡± ¡°A master¡¯s piece,¡± the head of the Dwarf guards accepted the weapons from both of them, passing them to his companions. The three Craftsmen Committee commissioners who had arrived together also surrendered their hand axes and warhammers. Only Tijana still remained motionless; the gaze of the Dwarf guard on her was almost pleading by then. ¡°How about you show some respect for Dwarf tradition?¡± Lancelot urged softly, ¡°It¡¯s mutual respect, you respect them, and they¡¯ll respect you.¡± Tijana gave Lancelot a deep look, reluctance written all over her face, as she reluctantly pulled out a Mithril one-handed sword from her Dimensional Bag and handed it over. The Dwarf guard gratefully received it with both hands. Even though he knew that wasn¡¯t Tijana¡¯s only weapon, at least she had formally respected the Dwarf tradition. ¡°Please enter,¡± the guards finally stepped aside, and the Succubus Lord said no more, striding into the Dwarf Temple hidden within the mountain peak. The others followed suit. Lancelot was visiting such a place for the first time, and everything around him piqued his curiosity. After crossing the entrance, which was carved from a massive rock, he found himself in a spacious corridor, flanked by twelve robust stone pillars, with a gigantic stone hall embedded in the mountain at the end. The hall resembled the head of a warhammer, so by that logic, the hallway they were in would be the handle, and the massive rock they had just passed through would be the counterweight at the end of the handle. Lancelot knew that Moradin¡¯s holy emblem featured a hammer, but he hadn¡¯t expected the dwarves to be so fond of such items, which could serve as both tools and weapons, that they even designed the temple of their creator god in the shape of a hammer. Each column was adorned with a blazing torch, casting a brilliant light all around, yet the air wasn¡¯t stuffy at all. The dwarves who constructed this place had clearly dug ventilation shafts. The columns were etched with exquisite reliefs, depicting a tall Dwarf battling giants, orcs, and goblins¡ªundoubtedly, these were the great deeds of Moradin, father of the Dwarves. Passing through the corridor held aloft by the stone pillars, the group entered the stone hall at the end. In the center of this hall stood an anvil emanating a holy aura. This was none other than the shrine that Lancelot and Barrend had unintentionally created while forging the whip for Tijana. Even in retrospect, the old dwarf¡¯s actions were still... wholly inexplicable. Next to the anvil burned a forge, its red glow illuminating the entire interior of the temple. Around it were display shelves adorned with exquisite dwarven crafts, and the Cross Pickaxe they sought was placed in the most prominent position. In addition to that, there were leather racks, workbenches, grinding wheels, and a full set of blacksmithing tools. Apart from a set of stone tables and chairs that appeared meant for meetings, the place resembled more a blacksmith¡¯s shop than a temple. On either side of the main hall were smaller rooms¡ªsome served as quarters for the guards, some as storerooms and exhibition spaces, and at the entrance of other rooms were different styles of holy emblems, seemingly dedicated to other dwarven deities. Lancelot recognized one emblem consisting of two crossed battle axes¡ªhe knew it to be the symbol of the god of war within the dwarven pantheon. However, as for the other emblems representing different deities, he was clueless. He saw a pair of silver rings, a bronze mask, a burning long pin, and gemstones embedded within the stone¡ªit was difficult to discern their corresponding divine offices from their appearances. ¡°Honorable Lady Tijana, here is... your Cross Pickaxe,¡± a Dwarf Temple Guard said, reluctantly presenting the artifact with both hands to the Succubus Lord. Tijana took a deep breath and took the Cross Pickaxe, and only then did her tense face finally relax. Lancelot felt a peculiar sensation, as if this dwarven holy relic held a special significance for her. ¡°Respected Lady Tijana, now that you have reclaimed this Cross Pickaxe, may I ask you a question...¡± Adrick, who had been silent since entering the temple, spoke up, ¡°Why did you suddenly decide to retrieve this Cross Pickaxe? Does it serve a special purpose for you?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Tijana glanced disdainfully at the Chief Commissioner, pulling a thick leather scroll from her Dimensional Bag, ¡°I need it to find more relics of Dain Frostbeard.¡± Chapter 458 458 482 Scroll ?Chapter 458: Chapter 482: Scroll Chapter 458: Chapter 482: Scroll The scroll in the hands of the Succubus Lord exuded an uneasy feeling, perhaps it was the dark green material that brought to mind a certain detestable intelligent creature, or perhaps the magic it contained involved some dark rituals during its creation. ¡°What is this scroll?¡± Lancelot voiced everyone¡¯s thoughts, ¡°Where did you get it from?¡± ¡°This is an item location scroll, which I exchanged at great cost from a witch,¡± Tijana unfolded the scroll, revealing densely packed Arcane Runes inside, each looking like solidified blood, ¡°It can locate the position of items related to the Cross Pickaxe, even if they are hidden under magical concealment.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The dwarves let out voices of surprise, Bruto in particular appeared extremely excited. For this long-lived and vengeful race, ancestral relics always held special significance, not to mention the relic of a paladin lost in the Abyss. ¡°Lady Tijana, that is, if a new Holy Relic is found...¡± The Chief Commissioner had an awkward smile on his face, ¡°You will still let us exhibit it in the Craftsman Hall, right?¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Tijana crossed her arms, ¡°Do you think this will motivate the dwarves to actively participate in the legion¡¯s training?¡± ¡°Yes, certainly!¡± Adrick assured repeatedly, ¡°Every Dwarf will understand that Twin Bridges Town is our home, and it is every Dwarf¡¯s duty to defend our homeland!¡± ... ¡°Good,¡± the Succubus Lord nodded, pleased, and with a concealed action, she winked at Lancelot, ¡°So, let¡¯s see what other good things the missing paladin might have left in the Abyss...¡± The scroll was very long, spanning over seven feet in width when fully unfolded. Tijana laid the scroll out on the Temple floor, then placed the Cross Pickaxe, with its healing ability, onto an empty circle within the scroll. After gesturing for others to stand back at least ten feet away, the Succubus raised her right palm, claws that glinted with a cold light extended from the tips of her fingers. ¡°Do not panic.¡± Tijana turned to Lancelot and said. He was slightly taken aback and was about to ask a question when the Succubus fiercely plunged her sharp claw into the palm of her own left hand. It was a vicious jab by Tijana, her claw easily piercing through the back of her own hand and then withdrawing. She let out a sharp cry of pain, suddenly kneeling to the ground; Lancelot all but teleported to Tijana¡¯s side, extending his hand to support the self-harming Succubus, ready to channel True Yuan to heal her, but Tijana detected his intention and broke free from Lancelot¡¯s embrace. ¡°Do not,¡± Tijana said to him in a hoarse voice, ¡°I am fine, stand back, your mind is not yet resilient enough to withstand the shock of this spell!¡± Lancelot looked deeply at Tijana, his eyes full of questions, but he didn¡¯t say anything, steadying Tijana back to her feet before silently stepping back. The Succubus Lord gave him a somewhat apologetic smile, then dripped her own blood onto the scroll. As soon as the blood touched the leather scroll, the runes on it lit up as if ignited, and the blood of the Succubus Lord acted like fuel dripping into flame, each drop making the runes burn even brighter. When the seventh drop of blood fell onto the scroll, the spell it harbored finally activated. Tijana let out another painful scream, and an invisible psychic shockwave spread out from her, instantly linking everyone present to the Succubus Lord¡¯s mind and allowing them to ¡°see¡± the images in her mental world at that moment. Lancelot first felt a strong sense of dizziness, then found a vision of a distant land appearing in his sight. It was a harsh world, where mountains and plains were all covered in white snow, and terrible blizzards raged everywhere, occasionally slicing the ground open with bottomless fissures. As the viewpoint continued to speed forward, a gigantic fortress appeared before him. The fortress was ¡°clamped¡± between two majestic mountains, and its very body was an entire glacier, a supernatural sight explainable only by magic. On the broad platform outside the fortress entrance, a huge White Dragon lay like a watchdog. The dragon seemed to have sensed something, raising its neck and its eyes flashing with a wary and malicious glow as it looked around, but it completely failed to detect Tijana¡¯s prying. Lancelot felt something deep within the fortress drawing ¡°himself¡± in, and his viewpoint flew towards the fortress gates as a result. The first floor of the fortress was filled with wandering Giants, these towering humanoid creatures had ice-blue skin and snow-white beards, wearing patchwork Armor and carrying exaggeratedly large weapons. Advancing further, the icy corridors revealed a type of beast that resembled giant wild dogs with disconcerting humanoid heads. They seemed to be starving, all skin and bones, occasionally attacking each other, with the victor quickly devouring the body of its kind before others could compete for it. Tijana¡¯s will guided the spell to keep probing deeper into the fortress. They passed through a cavernous Throne Hall, which was empty, with neither King nor subject; then they saw bedrooms made of ice and altars cast from frozen blood, also deserted, and just gazing at these scenes made Lancelot feel bone-chilling cold. Immediately after, they discovered a hidden staircase leading to higher levels of the fortress. The feeling of attraction coming through the psychic link grew stronger, and Tijana was almost impatient to rush her viewpoint up the stairs. ¡°Wow!!!!!¡± The exclamations of the Dwarves echoed in Lancelot¡¯s ears, and he himself wanted to utter the same. He found himself at the entrance to a treasure trove ¡ª a massive pile of giant gemstones, weapons and Armor radiating bright magical auras, various exquisite artifacts; even the treasury they had seen in the Succubus Palace paled in comparison to this one. But Tijana¡¯s attention did not linger on these dazzling treasures; everyone¡¯s vision focused on an inconspicuous corner of the treasure room, where a large amount of equipment was piled haphazardly. The magical aura on them was not strong, seemingly being spoils of war that the owner of the treasury did not favor much. Every person sharing this vision through the psychic connection promptly realized that a piece of Dwarf Armor neglected in this pile of ¡®junk¡¯ was the target of the spell ¡ª it was the equipment once used by Dain Frostbeard, just like the Cross Pickaxe placed on the scroll. Chapter 459 459 483 Request ?Chapter 459: Chapter 483: Request Chapter 459: Chapter 483: Request A strong sense of powerlessness transmitted through the heart-link connection, Lancelot¡¯s vision blackened as he realized their connection with Tijana had been severed. The powerful scroll had burned away, and the Succubus Lord lay powerless and collapsed aside. Lancelot stepped forward to help her up, and this time, Tijana did not refuse the aid of the Human Knight. ¡°I need... to rest...¡± the Succubus murmured softly in his ear, ¡°just for a moment...¡± She could not finish her words before she completely passed out, and it was clear that it was not merely a few drops of blood that had been lost from her body. ¡°I need a room,¡± Lancelot said, lifting Tijana and turning to the Temple Guards, ¡°and, can I have Frostslash back? There is a patient here who needs protection.¡± ¡°She can rest in the Lady of Mercy¡¯s room,¡± the leader of the Temple Guards immediately responded, ¡°Follow me.¡± Lancelot arrived in a room adorned with the emblem of a burning long needle, its decor warm and inviting with soft cushions, relaxing incense, and a comfortable, large bed that made one wonder if they had been transported to some luxurious inn. ... ¡°Thank you, this looks really nice,¡± Lancelot gently placed Tijana on the bed and turned to thank the Guard leader, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I haven¡¯t asked for your name yet?¡± ¡°Gadein Ironfist, pleased to meet you, Sir,¡± the Dwarf bowed, handing back the hand half sword that a companion had brought to the Human Knight, ¡°I know what you have done for the dwarves of Twin Bridges Town. You are a trusted friend indeed, Sir.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor,¡± Lancelot nodded, securing Frostslash on his back ready for quick draw, ¡°This room seems quite special...is that the Lady of Mercy¡¯s emblem at the door? A burning long needle?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s Sherindo¡¯s Holy Emblem, our Dwarf Goddess of healing and mercy, as well as the Goddess of love and fertility,¡± Gadein said with a strange smile, ¡°The door to this room can be locked from the inside, should you require it, Sir.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Lancelot reflexively touched his nose, ¡°Are you... really Temple Guards?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just letting you know all the options,¡± the Dwarf Warrior shrugged, ¡°Do you need the entire Temple closed off, Sir?¡± ¡°That would be best,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Tijana will be very vulnerable until she recovers, and we must keep this strictly confidential, not allowing any enemies from Twin Bridges Town a chance to take advantage.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Gadein nodded and ran off. Lancelot thought for a moment, but decided not to close the door. He stepped outside the room, cautiously stood guard there, just like a knight guarding a princess. ¡°Lancelot, I want to talk to you,¡± Bruto¡¯s voice sounded in his ear, and Lancelot turned to find the young Dwarf standing in front of him, looking troubled. ¡°Are you here to persuade me to take action as well?¡± Lancelot covered his face with a hand, ¡°Listen, Bruto, I¡¯m not the kind of guy to take advantage of someone in their time of vulnerability...¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± the Dwarf looked at him confusedly. ¡°I wanted to discuss the scenes we just witnessed...¡± ¡°Oh, oh,¡± Lancelot¡¯s aged face turned red with embarrassment. ¡°Please, continue...¡± ¡°I must retrieve the relic of Dain Frostbeard,¡± Bruto said seriously to Lancelot, ¡°I won¡¯t hypocritically say that this is my own matter, it¡¯s too dangerous so you better not come and other such nonsense... There¡¯s a dragon there! And countless giants and those half-human, half-dog beasts. You must come with me! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯m definitely doomed!¡± The young Dwarf spoke passionately, and it seemed he would next moment cling to the Human Knight¡¯s legs and start crying. Lancelot sighed helplessly and patted the Dwarf on the shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, of course, I won¡¯t just stand by idly, after all, that treasure vault looks truly tempting.¡± ¡°Right?!!¡± Bruto slapped his thigh and stood up straight, ¡°Did you see those gemstones? By my very very professional estimation, the treasures in there are worth at least five hundred, no, at least ten million Gold Coins! Plus those invaluable magical items, if we pull this off, it¡¯ll indeed be a feat without precedent or parallel!¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much.¡± Lancelot gave the giddy Dwarf a look, ¡°It¡¯s impossible for us to empty that treasure vault, first of all, we don¡¯t have such a large Dimensional Bag...¡± ¡°Just like what we did last time at Oasis Fort, take as much as we can, starting with the most valuable items,¡± Bruto eagerly suggested. ¡°How much does a Dimensional Bag cost? Eight thousand Gold Coins? I say it¡¯s definitely a worthwhile investment, each of us should carry one...¡± ¡°And what about the dragon guarding the vault, the giants, and the beasts? Did you forget about them?¡± Lancelot shook his head helplessly, ¡°Regarding that vault, where is it? Who owns it? What other forces might be eyeing this vault? We have far too little intelligence. Only after obtaining detailed information can we possibly get that armor... and maybe grab something else while we¡¯re at it.¡± ¡°Alright... but we¡¯ll definitely find a way, right?¡± Bruto pounded one hand with his fist, as if to embolden himself, ¡°Just like the previous times, you discuss a plan with the Scholar and the Priest, and I¡¯ll do my best to take down as many enemies as possible in battle...¡± Lancelot was about to correct the Dwarf¡¯s description of ¡®adventure¡¯, but suddenly, his Spirit Perception detected a powerful energy behind him. He turned around and saw the burning needle Emblem on the door emitting a warm glow, with a tranquil life force energy miraculously emerging from the Holy Emblem, endlessly flowing into the body of the sleeping Succubus Lord. ¡°Perhaps I faced too many shocks today, so much that I¡¯m not even surprised at this moment,¡± Bruto sighed. ¡°Since the Father God is willing to open the doors of His Temple for Tijana, it isn¡¯t strange that the Lady of Mercy would show Her compassion.¡± The healing continued for almost a minute, and when the light faded, the Succubus uttered a soft grunt, opening her eyes that had been tightly shut. ¡°Do you feel better?¡± Lancelot stepped forward and took Tijana¡¯s hand, ¡°Is there anything else that feels uncomfortable?¡± ¡°I feel... better than I ever have!¡± Tijana grasped Lancelot¡¯s hand and suddenly stood up from the bed, ¡°What happened? How long was I unconscious?¡± ¡°About ten minutes or so,¡± Lancelot shrugged. ¡°This is Sherindo¡¯s room, the Dwarf¡¯s healing Goddess; She is the one who healed you.¡± ¡°Sherindo? Thanks to that kind lady...¡± Tijana suddenly took both of Lancelot¡¯s hands and placed them gently on her chest, rocking them softly, and through a mental connection, she spoke to him: ¡°I must get that armor, and you are the best person for this task. I¡¯ll cover any expenses needed for the adventure, as long as you help me with this. Please, Lancelot, it¡¯s very important to me.¡± Chapter 460 460 484 Return ?Chapter 460: Chapter 484: Return Chapter 460: Chapter 484: Return Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat surprised, not because Tijana had taken the initiative to speak to him, but because of what the Succubus Lord had blurted out in her moment of urgency¡ª¡±This is really important to me.¡± Considering the peculiar social structure of Twin Bridges Town and many details that were abnormal, he had long suspected that the Dwarven deities and the Succubus Lord shared some special relationship, and Tijana¡¯s obsession with the missing relic of a Platinum Guard probably wasn¡¯t just about using the holy relic to motivate the dwarven residents beneath her. The mind of the Human Knight raced like lightning, thousands of thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, but he showed nothing, simply nodding his head. Tijana seemed to regret her slip of the tongue a bit as well, but seeing that Lancelot had no reaction, she also let it go. The others in the temple had gathered around due to the commotion, and the Succubus Lord, with a calm face but a chilly tone, said: ¡°What happened in the temple today, you shall not speak a word of it outside, understood?¡± ¡°Rest assured, Lady Tijana,¡± the Chief Commissioner immediately replied, ¡°We understand the importance of this matter without needing your emphasis!¡± ¡°Swear by the name of Moradin!¡± Tijana pressed unyieldingly, ¡°If anyone leaks this information, their soul shall endure eternal torment in the flames of Hell!¡± ¡°Is that really necessary...¡± the Temple Guards complained unhappily, but under the stern gaze of the Succubus Lord, they still took the oath one by one. ... ¡°Good, remember the words you just said. It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t remember, as all your Father Gods certainly have.¡± Tijana waved her hand, then cast a spell again, summoning a bright blue Portal, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Stepping through that Portal, Lancelot, Bruto, and three dwarven commissioners returned to the blacksmith area of Twin Bridges Town. The exit of the Portal was in a modest little room in the Craftsman Hall, and aside from a few panicked rats scurrying away, no one saw their arrival. They re-entered the exhibition hall where the Cross Pickaxe had originally been displayed; several dwarves were repairing the facilities Tijana had damaged in her rage. Startled by the arrival of the Succubus Lord, these dwarves immediately hid to the side, stammering that the work they were doing had absolutely no ill intentions. Tijana paid no attention to those dwarves. She walked up to the empty pedestal and put the Cross Pickaxe back in its place. ¡°Praise your generosity! Great Lady Tijana!¡± the three commissioners praised in unison immediately. They clearly breathed a sigh of relief, seemingly having not harbored much hope that Tijana would continue to display this dwarven relic. The Succubus Lord glanced at them, then raised her hand to release a complex spell. A crystalline, transparent bone claw, much like clear crystal, emerged from the base, firmly grasping the Cross Pickaxe. Without trying, Lancelot could guess that the grip of the bone claw was incredibly secure; without Tijana¡¯s consent, the dwarves couldn¡¯t dream of taking it again. ¡°Any objections to these arrangements?¡± the Succubus Lord turned and said to the watching dwarves, her words naturally followed by a breeze stirred by many fuzzy heads nodding at the same time. ¡°Very good.¡± Tijana nodded, then turned to the three commissioners who had returned with her, ¡°I¡¯m assigning you a task to investigate if there are any enchantments that could add flame damage to weapons. Don¡¯t worry about the cost, report back immediately to me in the castle once you have something.¡± ¡°Flame damage?¡± The expression of the Chief Commissioner shifted quickly from confusion to delight, ¡°Understood, I will get on it immediately...¡± ¡°You know what you can say and what you can¡¯t?¡± Tijana narrowed her eyes threateningly, and the latter nodded repeatedly, not waiting for permission before darting off. ¡°Such an innocent fellow,¡± the Succubus Lord shook her head, not minding the other¡¯s rudeness. She turned to Lancelot, her expression much softer, and spoke directly to the Human Knight using telepathy: ¡°I still need to gather some more information, and I will come to find you later. You can tell your companions about today, and have them prepare.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Tijana nodded slightly, then suddenly spread her wings and flew off into the sky. ¡°What did she say to you?¡± Bruto dared to speak only now. ¡°I know you were just communicating through telepathy; I¡¯ve seen it too many times...¡± ¡°It¡¯s roughly the same as what I told you earlier,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Let¡¯s head back.¡± An hour later. All members of Lancelot¡¯s small adventure team gathered in his underground cultivation room, even the normally resting Isa was called up. Besides the Qi Hiding Formation that enveloped the entire building, Lancelot had also set up a Soundproof Formation to prevent the leakage of sound and a Thoughtless Formation to stop divine sense investigations (according to Kalalin¡¯s tests, this formation could interfere with Divination techniques), eliminating all possibilities of being eavesdropped on. Once everyone was present, Lancelot detailed their encounter today, and with a memory enhanced by his divine sense, he accurately recounted every detail he saw in Tijana¡¯s illusion¡ªincluding the number of folds on the White Dragon¡¯s neck. ¡°Lands covered in snow and ice, fortresses built within glaciers, an aging White Dragon, wandering Frost Giants... you must have seen a scene from the Iron Ice Plains of the Abyss 23rd level,¡± Kalalin was the first to speak after Lancelot finished. ¡°How coincidental...¡± ¡°Iron Ice Plains?¡± Lancelot realized he had heard this name just recently. ¡°The other day your companions mentioned news of an Abyssal Scroll, is it located on these Iron Ice Plains?¡± ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s why I said it was coincidental,¡± Kalalin shrugged, ¡°But since our talk, I¡¯m not so enthusiastic about retrieving that Cult Holy Relic anymore... Though, of course, it would still be good to take it back on the way.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t see any particular giants in the illusion...¡± Lancelot recollected the scenes he witnessed in the illusion. ¡°I remember your cult¡¯s companions mentioning that Kostcheqi¡ªthe Abyssal Lord of that realm¡ªhad been captured by Zariel?¡± ¡°Yes, the Prince of Wrath was defeated in his last attack on the Nine Hells. Many planar travelers report that Kostcheqi is being held at the bottom of a filthy tar pit, securely bound in place by numerous strong iron chains that can block the Magic Net. Zariel took his hammer, and his swearing can be heard miles away. If you get closer, he will communicate with you via telepathy, first in the Giant¡¯s Tongue, then switching to the Abyssal Tongue, ordering you to bring his hammer, release him immediately, and asking for nothing in return.¡± Chapter 461 461 485 Kostcheqi ?Chapter 461: Chapter 485 Kostcheqi Chapter 461: Chapter 485 Kostcheqi ¡°That sounds like a very reasonable request,¡± Bruto said as he picked his nose. ¡°Most Frost Giants are conceited, mischievous fools. This Kostcheqi calls himself the Frost Giant King, huh? I¡¯d say he¡¯s more like the King of Idiots!¡± ¡°Kostcheqi is indeed a demon, but he wasn¡¯t a giant when he was a mortal,¡± Kalalin shook his head. ¡°He was just an ordinary human.¡± ¡°A human?¡± Lancelot raised an eyebrow, ¡°How did he become a... demon giant then?¡± ¡°Kostcheqi is one of the few Abyssal Lords with a clear origin. Before he became what he is now, he was born into a common tribe of Barbarians. Aside from his severely deformed appearance, there was nothing special about him. However, due to his ugliness, women despised him, his family abandoned him, and his tribe ostracized him. The only thing that kept him alive in the wilderness was the anger that grew within him,¡± Kalalin said. After taking a sip from his homemade cup, which was actually a magical artifact that kept the liquid inside at a comfortable drinking temperature, the Scholar continued to narrate the origin of the Abyssal Lord: ¡°The dangers of the wilderness didn¡¯t kill him but made this Barbarian even stronger. When he decided to return to his former tribe, no one could stop him from doing what he wanted. He brutally murdered the woman who had spurned him and seized the chieftain¡¯s position in a way too bloody even for a Barbarian tribe¡ª by using his twisted arms to literally crush the former chieftain¡¯s head. All who tried to resist him discovered in horror that there seemed to be no limit to the damage Kostcheqi¡¯s terrifying body could sustain, and he would always respond to his attackers with manifold rage.¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Little Isha immediately raised a question. ¡°Are you saying... he became a vampire like me?¡± ¡°Not at all, but your guess isn¡¯t off the mark,¡± Kalalin gave the young girl an encouraging smile. ¡°In fact, during those years in the wilderness, he was taken in by a special being¡ªBaba Yaga, yes, the renowned Mother of Witches.¡± ... The audience gasped in unison, except for Lancelot, who wore a puzzled expression. He scratched his head and asked: ¡°This Baba Yaga... is she famous?¡± ¡°You mean to say your world hasn¡¯t been plagued by Baba Yaga?¡± Kalalin looked at Lancelot with surprise. ¡°Perhaps she doesn¡¯t use that name there... Have you ever heard of a witch who is ugly, has a foul temper, yet possesses godlike omniscience? Legend has it she likes to ride in a giant cauldron instead of on a broom and lives in a hut that stands on chicken legs?¡± ¡°That would be too memorable. If I¡¯d heard such a tale, I¡¯m sure I would remember it,¡± Lancelot shook his head. ¡°Maybe the world I come from is a bit special. For a long time, I thought Elves existed only in fairy tales...¡± ¡°Well, most agree that Baba Yaga is the strongest among the female spellcasters. She has close ties to all sorts of hags, some of whom even worship her. Besides Kostcheqi, she has another famous foster daughter, Tasha...¡± ¡°I have no impression of this name either,¡± Lancelot found himself scratching his head again, ¡°Has she also become an Abyssal Lord?¡± ¡°No, but she did succeed in kidnapping an Abyssal Lord and had a Demigod son with him,¡± Kalalin shrugged, ¡°Now her name is Iguervor, and people call her ¡®Witch Queen.¡¯ The ¡®Lord Wu¡¯an¡¯ Grazzt holds a complicated love-hate relationship with her. By the way, she wrote a voluminous book called ¡®Compendium of Demons,¡¯ filled with information and... gossip about the Abyssal Lords, many of which have been proven true.¡± ¡°Wow... she¡¯s pretty formidable,¡± Bruto turned his head to Lancelot, ¡°Big brother, you need to step up...¡± Keep your speech in line!¡± The Human Knight, engrossed in listening, suddenly frowned, ¡°This is getting off track, this Baba Yaga...¡± ¡°Baba Yaga.¡± ¡°Sorry, Yaga Yaga... how did she make Kostcheqi so powerful?¡± ¡°She gave Kostcheqi a special necklace: the outermost part was a Frost Giant¡¯s skull, inside was an Ogre¡¯s skull, further inside were a human¡¯s, a Halfling¡¯s... Hidden in the innermost part was a Quasimodo Demon¡¯s skeleton, and within that skeleton was a black Diamond, a Magic Container capable of storing mortal Souls. Kostcheqi kept his own soul in that gemstone, making him immune to any harm that might claim his life.¡± ¡°This sounds similar to the technique Liches use for Immortality,¡± Alamir interrupted, ¡°Truly befitting the legend of the greatest Witch, Baba Yaga¡¯s method seems far cleverer than those Arcanists who turned themselves into skeletons.¡± ¡°But the price is that the subject gradually transforms into a Demon, is it really worth it?¡± Kalalin shook his head slightly, ¡°As a side effect of becoming Undead, Kostcheqi¡¯s body grew larger and larger, eventually turning into the form we see today. With his terrifying power and Undead body, Kostcheqi¡¯s tribe eventually became a Kingdom, and the fury and hatred within him did not diminish as his power grew, ultimately making him one of the most tyrannical kings in the Multiverse.¡± ¡°Let me guess, this Tyrant was finally defeated, yet his body was reborn in the Abyss,¡± Lancelot¡¯s fingers gently tapped the table, ¡°The one who accomplished this must be no nameless entity.¡± ¡°As a matter of fact, we just met the hero who accomplished this feat not long ago,¡± the Scholar laughed, ¡°It was ¡®Fury of the Whirlwind¡¯ Gwenhwyfar, one of Queen Aira¡¯s consorts, who ended Kostcheqi¡¯s mortal life. She discovered Kostcheqi¡¯s secret and destroyed the gemstone, allowing the Tyrant¡¯s soul to return to his body so that she could utterly kill him. Reborn in the Abyss, Kostcheqi¡¯s soul filled with hatred and rage immediately granted him Lord Level power, allowing him to conquer the twenty-third layer of the Abyss and turn that realm into the state you¡¯ve seen before.¡± ¡°But it is a Demon now, and I remember the Giants have their own Deities,¡± Bruto tried to recall the history he learned from the Priest when he was a child, ¡°How did he manage to usurp the faith of those Frost Giants?¡± ¡°By offering Immortality as a reward,¡± Kalalin said softly, ¡°On the Iron Ice Plains, creatures do not age or die naturally. Frost Giants who pledged loyalty to the Prince of Wrath are allowed to live in that realm, and in fact, some cunning mortals also secretly take advantage of this trait, as long as they are not discovered, otherwise they will realize what a foolish mistake they¡¯ve made for the sake of Immortality.¡± Chapter 462 462 486 Iron Ice Plains ?Chapter 462: 486 Iron Ice Plains Chapter 462: 486 Iron Ice Plains ¡°Immortality can be a blessing or a curse, depending on whether you can control your own destiny,¡± Alamir commented in that unique tone of the divine office, ¡°Misplaced faith can lead to very serious consequences...¡± ¡°Tell us more about that realm,¡± Lancelot Morassa rubbed his somewhat stubbly chin, ¡°I guess although one does not age or die of natural causes, a wound through the heart is still fatal?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± the Scholar nodded, ¡°For us mortals, the severe cold of the Iron Ice Plains is deadly enough. In fact, the environment of that realm is too harsh and inhospitable for Demons as well, Kostcheqi was actually declaring sovereignty over a piece of ruins that no one wanted to rule. If we are to stay in that realm, it¡¯s best to prepare magical items that can fend off the cold beforehand, otherwise a bunch of big fur balls struggling through the blizzard could easily end up as dinner for Frost Giants.¡± ¡°Understood. Tijana said she would pay for any equipment we need for our adventure, so the cold shouldn¡¯t be hard to handle,¡± Lancelot said seriously, ¡°Initially, the perspective of the illusion was flying high in the sky, making it hard to see what was below. What is the surface of that realm like? Are there any towns or roads?¡± ¡°There are many wide roads on the Iron Ice Plains, allowing the armies loyal to Kostcheqi to move quickly, but anyone other than Frost Giants walking on them will attract patrols¡¯ attacks. As for towns... no, there are no places for travelers to visit, only countless Frost Giant tribes roaming the plains, waiting for the Prince of Wrath to issue the call for plunder from the Glacial Fortress.¡± ¡°Setting out to plunder? That sounds exactly like something Giants would do,¡± Bruto seemed to want to spit in disdain but swallowed it back under Lancelot¡¯s stern look. ¡°You seem to have a big issue with Giants,¡± Lancelot glanced at Bruto, ¡°Forgive my ignorance, do Dwarves and Giants have some historical grudge?¡± ... ¡°Do Giants need a reason to be hated? They do not engage in production themselves, they just like to rob others of their hard work, and they are arrogant to boot, considering all creatures shorter than them either slaves or food,¡± Bruto pounded his thigh fiercely, ¡°Now they¡¯ve even hidden the relics of our Frost Forged ancestors!¡± ¡°The hatred between Dwarves and Giants has a long history, initially because Giants once enslaved Dwarves,¡± the Elf Priest across spoke up, ¡°The Giants had built a vast empire at a time when the Elves had yet to arrive in this world, and humans hadn¡¯t even entered the stage of history¡ªall races on the land were trampled under the feet of Giants, including Dwarves of course. You know, for this stubborn race, hatred is as indelible as words carved in stone. But our views on Giants are the same¡ªwe Elves think that if all the Giants were killed, some innocents would suffer, but if you killed one in every two, some would surely escape.¡± ¡°So every Frost Giant we see on the Iron Ice Plains is an enemy, got it,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Aside from Frost Giants, are there other residents in that realm? What kind of Demons might we encounter?¡± ¡°We might also encounter some scattered Ogre and Troll tribes, Orcs are possible too, but it¡¯s less likely to encounter Demons,¡± Kalalin pondered, ¡°Kostcheqi seems to have wholly assumed the identity of a Frost Giant, although he is actually a Tanari demon transformed from a mortal. There have been several reports of Kostcheqi leading large numbers of blood mire beasts¡ªthe humanoid dogs that you saw in the illusion¡ªhunting Demons that ventured into the Iron Ice Plains. Many Scholars studying the Abyss believe that Kostcheqi¡¯s hatred for the Tanari rivals that of any other race, which also leaves him nearly without any allies in the Abyss...¡± ¡°Nearly?¡± Lancelot¡¯s eyebrow raised in doubt, ¡°Is there really someone mad enough to think they have common ground with Kostcheqi?¡± ¡°Indeed, there was,¡± Kalalin nodded heavily, ¡°Though it seems hard to believe... it¡¯s widely rumored that Queen Mekanshut frequently went to the Iron Ice Plains to meet with the Prince of Wrath secretly...¡± ¡°What?¡± Everyone present cried out in unison, ¡°But... isn¡¯t it said that Kostcheqi is incredibly ugly?¡± ¡°However, compared to Dimogorgen with his two baboon heads, Kostcheqi is definitely a great improvement. And unleashing anger isn¡¯t limited to mere slaughter; Mekanshut is also well-known for her voracious desires,¡± Kalalin said with a knowing smile, ¡°Although the Queen of the Succubus herself vehemently denied these accusations, perhaps their relationship didn¡¯t end on a particularly harmonious note.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because someone wanted to frame Mekanshut.¡± A familiar voice sounded from outside the door, and Lancelot had already stood up, heading toward the entrance. ¡°Good evening, my lady,¡± Lancelot bowed respectfully, but as he raised his head, a fragrant breeze met him, and Tijana¡¯s blazing red lips pressed directly onto his. ¡°Oh oh oh! Hehehe! There are minors here!¡± Bruto, excitedly slamming the table, caused everyone else to wear strange expressions due to their stifled laughter. The only truly embarrassed one was little Esha, who covered her eyes with her hands, while her ears outside blushed like ripe tomatoes. ¡°Ah, sorry about that, didn¡¯t notice you all,¡± Tijana bit his lip slightly with force before willingly letting him go, just before Lancelot could muster the will to resist. The Succubus Lord waved her hand, and her personal chair, originally in the living room, appeared beside the table, ¡°You don¡¯t mind if I sit here, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already sat down,¡± Lancelot shrugged helplessly, ¡°We were discussing the situation at the Iron Ice Plains... you mentioned that someone wanted to frame Mekanshut? Was it deliberately spread rumors?¡± ¡°This matter is no secret among the lords anymore, it was actually ¡®Lord Wu¡¯an¡¯ Grazzt who pretended to meet with Kostcheqi as Mekanshut, all to tarnish that bitch¡¯s reputation,¡± Tijana said with a wry smile, ¡°Although Mekanshut ultimately thwarted this conspiracy, various rumors had already spread all over the Abyss.¡± ¡°Another consequence of this incident is that Kostcheqi, furious about being made a fool, believes he is just a clown to be mocked by other Abyssal Lords, and Lord Wu¡¯an effortlessly defeated the Frost Giants¡¯ army that went for vengeance, which was a great humiliation for him.¡± Chapter 463 463 487 The Kingdom of the Prince of ?Chapter 463: Chapter 487: The Kingdom of the Prince of Wrath Chapter 463: Chapter 487: The Kingdom of the Prince of Wrath ¡°Wow,¡± Bruto murmured softly, ¡°I think some of us might get along with Lord Wu¡¯an...¡± ¡°That means our trick of transforming into Succubi won¡¯t work there,¡± Lancelot shrugged. ¡°We need to think of another way to sneak in... What¡¯s with the White Dragon guarding the Glacial Fortress like a watchdog? Doesn¡¯t it have its own lair?¡± ¡°That is Svafnir, an ancient White Dragon, who escaped to the Iron Ice Plains from the Gate of Stroddet centuries ago. This proud and vicious beast considers Kostcheqi the only remarkable entity in that realm and thus voluntarily became the mount of the Prince of Wrath,¡± Tijana explained as she took a scroll bundle from her Dimensional Bag and spread it open on the table. ¡°Here is the Glacial Fortress we saw in the illusion, and the White Dragon¡¯s lair is actually hidden in the mountains five hundred miles south of the fortress.¡± The Succubus¡¯s finger lightly tapped the spot she had just mentioned on the map, and everyone bowed their heads to study the gray-blue leather scroll. The scroll¡¯s material was extremely tough, and its finely wrinkled and porous surface invoked some very uncomfortable associations. ¡°May I ask,¡± Bruto started hesitantly, ¡°what kind of skin is this map made of?¡± ¡°Frost Giants, of course. What else?¡± Tijana looked oddly at the Dwarf. ¡°Otherwise, why would anyone believe it¡¯s genuine?¡± ¡°Does that matter?¡± The Dwarf found the Succubus¡¯s response somewhat unsettling. ¡°Does this count as evidence that the cartographer has been to the Iron Ice Plains?¡± ... ¡°You answered your own question perfectly,¡± Tijana shrugged. ¡°Here in the Abyss, skin flayed from a Frost Giant is certainly compelling evidence.¡± ¡°This is the Gate of Stroddet you just mentioned, right?¡± Lancelot pointed to a circular symbol on the map, labeled in Abyssal language. ¡°Where does it lead?¡± ¡°To the ¡®Land of Warriors,¡¯ the Garden of Yser. It¡¯s nearly as mad as the Bottomless Abyss, but due to a slight benevolent inclination, it belongs to the upper planes,¡± Tijana¡¯s tone grew colder. ¡°Kostcheqi once fathered a deformed daughter with a Valkyrie from the Garden of Yser. The daughter, born of parents from both the Bottomless Abyss and the Garden of Yser, was mercilessly sacrificed by the Prince of Wrath, thus establishing a permanent Portal that connected the two planes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just... sickening,¡± Alamir said with a face full of disgust. ¡°Even animals don¡¯t consume their offspring; no matter how evil they are, they ought to protect their children...¡± ¡°When you have immortality, you might view descendants differently, especially here in the Abyss. Want to know how many Succubi sell their daughters into slavery? Even if the buyer is a Bartez, as long as the price is right, they won¡¯t hesitate in the slightest,¡± Tijana stared pointedly at Alamir. ¡°I know what you¡¯ve been finding each night in those taverns. Be careful, Elf, if a Succubus has your child without your knowledge, their fate is destined to be tragic.¡± ¡°Shuni bestowed some special powers upon Her priests, and the seeds I sow will absolutely not sprout unless it¡¯s intended... cough, cough...¡± Alamir cleared his throat awkwardly, ¡°Let¡¯s continue our earlier discussion, a permanent portal to the higher planes, still controlled by an Abyssal Lord, that doesn¡¯t sound too good.¡± ¡°Indeed. Through this portal, Kostcheqi can directly attack the realm of Solheim, the god of the Frost Giants, plunder His people and force those Frost Giants to change their faith. Needless to say, many Demons also wish to use this portal to go the higher planes for a killing spree, but Kostcheqi¡¯s approach of annihilating any Demons that enter the Iron Ice Plains actually protects the entire Multiverse.¡± ¡°But now Kostcheqi is gone...¡± Lancelot showed a questioning look. ¡°Only temporarily. Those Frost Giants loyal to it still faithfully carry out the hunting orders,¡± Tijana shook her head, ¡°Given the current situation of the blood battles, other Abyssal Lords are unlikely to send troops to attack the Iron Ice Plains at this time, as it would consume a lot of their strength, giving their enemies a chance.¡± ¡°Clearly, the Abyssal Lord is our biggest threat to achieving our goals; its absence makes everything possible,¡± Lancelot realized he had been staring at Tijana¡¯s face too long and forced himself to look down and study the map, ¡°How long can Zariel hold Kostcheqi? Once released, could it immediately return to its fortress?¡± ¡°While preferring melee weapons, the Abyss has bestowed Kostcheqi with the power to cast spells. If released, it could immediately use extra-dimensional teleportation to return to its fortress in the Iron Ice Plains,¡± Tijana said earnestly, ¡°Zariel knows that killing an Abyssal Lord outside the Abyss is meaningless, but the Archduke of Demons cannot imprison the Prince of Wrath forever. She is currently leading an army outside of Aphnas, which increases the likelihood of Kostcheqi¡¯s escape. If during your mission you spot any signs of its return, immediately use Teleportation Magic to leave, any hesitation could trap you there forever.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Lancelot nodded, then curiously asked, ¡°What kind of place is the Garden of Yser? Can we possibly get support from there?¡± ¡°The supplicants in the Garden of Yser were mostly the bravest soldiers in life, always eager for battle. Unlike other planes, supplicants killed in the Garden of Yser do not perish but resurrect at dawn the next day to continue their endless competition. The only issue is, they often forget that outsiders from other planes might not appreciate this type of death duel,¡± Tijana leaned back in her chair and lazily stretched in such a graceful fashion that it caused everyone present, except Lancelot, who kept glaring unabashedly at the Succubus Lord, to avert their gaze subconsciously, including a female Undead. ¡°As for that portal in the Iron Ice Plains, I¡¯d advise you to stay well clear,¡± Tijana stuck her tongue out at Lancelot, enjoying the Human Knight¡¯s fervent gaze from earlier, ¡°Frost Giants loyal to Solheim surge like a tide from the portal, clashing violently with those loyal to the Abyssal Lord. Incidentally, Solheim is a wicked and cruel deity; do not expect any kindness from His followers.¡± ¡°Even if we can¡¯t cooperate, maybe we can find a way to use them,¡± Lancelot said earnestly, pretending his earlier gaze had been entirely appropriate. He pointed to another spot marked on the map, ¡°What is this Gorgiad Fortress? A rallying point for Kostcheqi¡¯s armies?¡± Chapter 464 464 488 The Frost Giants Game ?Chapter 464: Chapter 488: The Frost Giants¡¯ Game Chapter 464: Chapter 488: The Frost Giants¡¯ Game ¡°No, that fortress is actually a prison that holds Gorgiad, a Titan, one of the ten brothers of Solheim, the god of the Frost Giants.¡± Tijana shook her head, ¡°The Prince of Wrath must have wanted to use it as a bargaining chip, but what it has gotten is just a continuous stream of Frost Giant Warriors who come for glory and faith, willing to sacrifice their lives. Defending that place has actually cost Kostcheqi dearly, but as long as the gates of the fortress remain in his hands, Kostcheqi will not admit defeat.¡± ¡°Sounds like a decent entry point.¡± Lancelot Morassa stroked his chin, ¡°Maybe we can do something to use it to draw away some guards from the Glacial Fortress... Here, what is this Volsdtad?¡± ¡°That is a bloody town where the Frost Giants loyal to Kostcheqi gather. The chieftains quarrel with each other over who can serve Kostcheqi best¡ªthe great giver of endless glory and eternal life. These quarrels usually conclude in duels, sometimes physical fights and sometimes in the most traditional way of the giants: a stone-throwing contest.¡± ¡°Those towering fools do quite enjoy chucking stones.¡± Bruto agreed, ¡°But I quite like their way of resolving disputes, whoever can throw the stone farther wins, how simple!¡± ¡°More or less, but according to the reports I¡¯ve got, the details of such contests might differ a bit from what you think.¡± Tijana looked at the Dwarf with interest, ¡°The challenged throws a stone first and then stands still, afterward, the challenger walks to where the stone landed and throws it back. If the stone hits the challenged, then he loses. It¡¯s said to be a principal way the army under Kostcheqi reduces their numbers, but since the contest is very ¡®giant¡¯, the Prince of Wrath has no inclination to prohibit the activity.¡± ¡°Interesting, interesting.¡± Lancelot¡¯s fingers tapped rapidly on his chin, ¡°Can I understand it this way¡ªthat for giants, this kind of stone-throwing contest is sacred, and no matter whether the challenged is dead or injured, nobody else can take revenge, right?¡± ¡°Theoretically, that¡¯s correct.¡± Tijana nodded, ¡°But that only applies to giants. If you challenge a Frost Giant on the Iron Ice Plains, it would only laugh crazily trying to flatten you into a pancake.¡± ... ¡°But what if I could turn into a Frost Giant?¡± Lancelot lifted a corner of the map on the table, ¡°Kalalin once made a Succubus Transformation Ring with just a few strands of your hair, and we happen to have ready materials here.¡± ¡°I can indeed make a Transformation Ring, but that won¡¯t give you the strength of a Frost Giant.¡± The Scholar shook his head, ¡°Besides, a Transmutation Spell¡¯s effect can¡¯t change your size.¡± ¡°What if we add Enlarge Spell to that?¡± Bruto looked at Kalalin with eyes filled with exuberance, ¡°That stone-throwing contest does sound really fun.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s still not possible.¡± Kalalin replied helplessly, ¡°Enlarge Spell can only double your height, but Frost Giants are over twenty feet tall; magic can¡¯t make you look like a real Frost Giant.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a shame. Seems we can¡¯t count on that method to wipe out all the Frost Giants on the Iron Ice Plains,¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, his finger continued to move on the map, stopping at a long and thick black line on the edge of the map, ¡°What is this place marked as the Black Mist Rift?¡± ¡°Many who are interested in Kostcheqi have asked the same question. The Prince of Wrath usually ends his patrols in his own realm at that spot, but to date, no one who has tried to investigate has come back alive to tell us what¡¯s actually inside,¡± Tijana said with a serious expression, ¡°One speculation that might be closest to the truth is that there¡¯s a long-dead Lord of Obyrith inside the Black Mist Rift, and the environment of the Iron Ice Plains has preserved its corpse until today. When these ancient demons die, their spirit and memory don¡¯t just dissipate; they¡¯re like a book left open on the ground for anyone to peruse, and their madness-inducing characteristics are also preserved. You¡¯ve dealt with a Giant Skull Demon before, so you should know what I mean by characteristics.¡± ¡°These once-rulers of the Abyss are indeed memorable,¡± Lancelot shrugged again, ¡°We have resisted the influence of that Madness Stance before, maybe that gives us some advantage?¡± ¡°My advice is, it¡¯s best to stay far away from that place,¡± Tijana crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, ¡°Your goal is to help me retrieve that Armor, not to kill Kostcheqi. We don¡¯t need to clear up all its little secrets.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true. Perhaps the secrets hidden in that rift could help us enter the Glacial Fortress, and not just as corpses or prisoners,¡± Lancelot slapped the table and sat up straight, ¡°Another very important question... How strong are the Frost Giants?¡± ¡°All Giants can launch boulders like an Archer fires arrows, which makes them very dangerous at long range. The giant weapons they wield also have devastating power, but with the agility you displayed when we practiced, those Giants will unlikely hit you,¡± Tijana gave Lancelot a toothy smile, ¡°But you must be cautious of the spellcasters among the Frost Giants, as they command magical power to manipulate ice and snow and have the ability to summon beasts living on the plains. Remember, it¡¯s hard to tell them apart from ordinary Frost Giants by appearance, so don¡¯t be too surprised if Ice Armor suddenly appears on one just as your weapon is about to strike.¡± ¡°Speaking of weapons, let¡¯s talk about equipment,¡± Lancelot said with a somewhat shy smile, ¡°You mentioned you¡¯d foot the bill for this adventure, correct?¡± ¡°Only reasonable expenses,¡± Tijana eyed Lancelot warily, ¡°Any equipment you purchase must be returned to me at the end.¡± ¡°Fair enough, after the mission is complete, we¡¯ll certainly have no need to go sightseeing in that plane again,¡± Lancelot spread his hands indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s address the first problem: how to keep warm. Any suggestions?¡± ¡°Most equipment found in the Abyss is geared towards resisting flame damage; your options are limited,¡± Tijana glanced at Kalalin, ¡°A spellcaster could cast the Endure Elements spell on each person every day, but that would consume all of his First Circle spell slots, which might not be very cost-effective. I do know of another method, though. It won¡¯t just prevent you from being frostbitten but will also give you resistance to magically inflicted cold damage. It¡¯s just not very comfortable... Interested in finding out more?¡± Chapter 465 465 489 Solving the Problem ?Chapter 465: Chapter 489: Solving the Problem Chapter 465: Chapter 489: Solving the Problem ¡°It sounds too good, so I guess the discomfort isn¡¯t as simple as all that,¡± Lancelot sneered, ¡°What exactly is it?¡± ¡°Twin Bridges Town is a place of free faith, as long as secrecy is maintained, I won¡¯t order my subordinates to actively hunt down the followers of any deity. Therefore, there are always some priests mad enough, for various reasons, to come to this town,¡± Tijana glared at Alamir with a specific look, ¡°On a street near the riverbank in the market area, there is a cold drink shop called ¡®Exquisite Frostbite.¡¯ The owner is a tiefling with purple skin and half of his antlers broken. His name was Modai, or Mohoi... it doesn¡¯t matter. The important thing is his true identity is a priest of ¡®Goddess of the Cold Winter,¡¯ Olul, a deity with hardly any presence.¡± ¡°Olul¡¯s priest? In the Plains of the Abyss?¡± Alamir exclaimed, ¡°What does he want here?¡± ¡°According to the spy¡¯s report, he seems eager to create a blizzard in the Abyss to glorify his goddess,¡± the Succubus Lord shrugged, ¡°But the air here seems too dry, and so far, all of Modai¡¯s attempts have failed.¡± ¡°He really did come to the wrong place...¡± ¡°Yes, priests always come to this plane, trying to prove something about their gods being greater,¡± Tijana said mockingly, looking at the elf, then turned to Lancelot, ¡°Go talk to him, I¡¯m sure he can make your time on the Iron Ice Plains a bit more comfortable. If the priest asks for any payment, leave the negotiation to me; I¡¯ll make him an offer he can¡¯t refuse.¡± ¡°Does that include threats to life and eternal torment after death?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll start with a fair price,¡± Tijana shrugged, ¡°If he refuses, then I¡¯ll inform him of the alternatives. If there¡¯s any sanity left in his head, he won¡¯t question whether a Demon Lord will follow through on her threats.¡± ... ¡°Alright,¡± Lancelot pinched his temple. He knew that Tijana was not inherently evil, but on this level, good deeds are not tolerated by the mundane; the Succubus Lord must conform her image among the other Demon Lords sufficiently. He placed the sword, Frostslash, on the table beside him, then raised another issue: ¡°Next is about the weapons. Our weapons are all made of cold iron, as you know, which is effective against Fiends, but I¡¯m worried they might not perform the same against Frost Giants...¡± ¡°Your swords and hammers indeed will not slice as smoothly as they do through Tanari and Bartez, but they can still inflict normal damage. In fact, Kostcheqi¡¯s own hammer, Matarotok, is made of cold iron,¡± Tijana propped her chin with one hand, admiring Lancelot¡¯s serious expression, ¡°However, those polar creatures are indeed vulnerable to Flame, and I¡¯ve already have the Craftsmen Committee investigating suitable enchantments. But as you know, residents of the lower planes are either immune to Fire or highly resistant, so be a little patient. I believe that once you have talked to that priest of Olul, the Dwarven Artisans will have an answer for you.¡± ¡°Um, may I ask...¡± Bruto suddenly raised his hand to speak, ¡°Can you talk more about Kostcheqi¡¯s hammer? What is it made of? Does it have any special powers? Who possesses it currently?¡± ¡°The hammer excites you, doesn¡¯t it, Dwarf?¡± Tijana displayed an alluring smile, her beautiful eyes curling into crescents, ¡°Kostcheqi¡¯s hammer is very famous; every time it strikes, it creates a small ice explosion. The Prince of Wrath wielded it in battles against Demons, Devils, and those Frost Giants who refused to submit to him. Ironically, this hammer was actually forged by the god of the Frost Giants themselves, and after it was stolen by Kostcheqi, it now resides within the hands of Zariel, becoming the most commonly used weapon of Archduke Aphnas.¡± ¡°Wow...¡± Bruto appeared full of yearning, ¡°That sounds way cooler than ¡®Daddy¡¯s Hammer¡¯.¡± ¡°At least yours can fly back to you,¡± Lancelot consoled, ¡°One last question, how are we to travel on that plane? If the main roads are impassable, we¡¯ll have to traverse through the snow-covered ice plains, and the thick snow and slick ice are bound to severely slow our travel...¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already considered that issue,¡± Tijana suddenly sat up straight, ¡°Do you still remember Reap? That furry guy who can transform...¡± ¡°Of course, we cooperated well at Oasis Fort. What, you want him to join this mission?¡± Lancelot asked, puzzled, ¡°I don¡¯t mind an extra companion, but does he help solve the problem you mentioned?¡± ¡°He once was one of the best spies of Twin Bridges Town; maybe I paid him too well because he retired early,¡± Tijana shrugged nonchalantly, ¡°He has been to the Iron Ice Plains before and is familiar with the routes between the major locations. With him, your journey will be a lot easier.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Bruto¡¯s expression was clearly skeptical, ¡°And how is it easy, can he actually carry me on his back?¡± ¡°To be precise, it¡¯s pulling, have you heard of sleighs?¡± Tijana¡¯s expression suddenly turned somewhat eerie, ¡°That guy, when fully transformed, is really huge.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with anything... Wow.¡± The Dwarf abruptly cut off his own question. Not just him, everyone gasped in surprise, and it was a while before Lancelot finally spoke, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit disrespectful to old Reap...?¡± ¡°Not at all, in fact, he is thrilled at the thought of sprinting across the Iron Ice Plains. Plus, how much did you guys give him the last time you came back from Oasis Fort? The moment I mentioned your name, he sprang to his feet.¡± Tijana¡¯s face blossomed into a beautiful smile again, Lancelot was sure she smiled more with him than at any other time. The Succubus Lord said in a seductive voice, ¡°So, what do you say, want him on the team? Of course, you¡¯ll have to share your loot with him too.¡± ¡°If old Reap is as good as you say, he definitely deserves his share.¡± ¡°Good... speaking of loot, I¡¯m providing comprehensive support for your adventure this time¡ªequipment, logistical support, and intelligence¡ªso I¡¯ll take half of any loot you acquire during this mission...¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much!¡± Lancelot immediately objected, ¡°We are risking our lives out here, at most twenty percent...¡± ¡°Life is the cheapest commodity in the Abyss! Plus, without my equipment, you¡¯d have trouble even breathing in that realm, forty percent!¡± ¡°I think using a First Circle Spell daily just to tolerate the atmosphere doesn¡¯t sound too bad...¡± ¡°And don¡¯t forget old Reap! Without him, you¡¯d hardly be able to move an inch there!¡± ¡°I can perform a technique called ¡®Walking on Water,¡¯ and if worse comes to worst, just store everyone else in the Dimensional Bag and release them for battle.¡± Lancelot spread his hands, ¡°Thirty percent, plus permanent property rights to Hagrid Manor.¡± ¡°Every brick in Twin Bridges Town is mine!¡± Tijana slammed the table in anger, ¡°At the most, I¡¯ll grant you permanent exemption from rent...¡± ¡°What about the head tax?¡± ¡°Forget it!¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Lancelot also slammed his hand down on the table, creating a sound so loud that Tijana was taken aback. ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± The Human Knight revealed a big smile, ¡°From now on I¡¯m a permanent resident of Twin Bridges Town. Please take good care of me.¡± Chapter 466 466 490 Styx Oath ?Chapter 466: Chapter 490 Styx Oath Chapter 466: Chapter 490 Styx Oath Tijana stared intently at Lancelot, then suddenly flashed him a bright smile, and spoke: ¡°Then, let¡¯s agree on that.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°We...¡± ¡°Wait a moment...¡± Unexpectedly, Kalalin suddenly interrupted their conversation. The Scholar looked at the Succubus Lord with a serious expression and said earnestly, ¡°My apologies for the intrusion, Lady Tijana, but this operation involves significant concerns, I believe we need to sign a formal contract to govern the behavior of both parties.¡± ¡°A contract?¡± Tijana seemed quite surprised, ¡°What do I need that for, I¡¯m not a Bartez, contracts have no binding power over me.¡± ¡°Ordinary contracts certainly wouldn¡¯t suffice.¡± Kalalin nodded, ¡°But you are a Demon Lord, and I think you already have the qualifications to use the Styx Oath.¡± Tijana¡¯s eyes slightly widened, and in the next moment, the aura around her changed. The authority of a Lord returned to her, as if she were a Queen discussing state affairs with her ministers, about to make a significant decision. ¡°What kind of terms do you want?¡± the voice of the Succubus carried not a trace of emotion, stern as that of a Judge making an inquiry. ¡°Could one of you enlighten my ignorance and explain what a Styx Oath is?¡± Lancelot deliberately used a casual tone to break the abruptly tense atmosphere in the room, ¡°And what are the consequences of breaking it?¡± ... ¡°A Hell Contract relies on the power of the Lord of the Nine Hells, Asmodeus, to ensure its efficacy, while a Styx Oath draws on the power of the Stygian River. It can bind beings of a certain level of power, including Deities,¡± Kalalin immediately explained to him, ¡°If one breaks the Styx Oath, the person who made the vow would instantly lose all their powers and revert to their most mundane form. Were it a Deity, it means being stripped of Divinity, and becoming the race with the most numerous followers of said deity. If a Demon Archduke breaks the oath, it¡¯s likely they would turn into a lesser demon. Subsequently, the oath breaker would vanish from the Multiverse, and no means would suffice to trace their whereabouts.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not quite vanishing,¡± Tijana shrugged, her voice no longer as harsh as before, ¡°That fool would be thrown into a great furnace on the fourth level of the Nine Hells, imprisoned for five thousand years. It is said that the flames there ensure the prisoner absolutely won¡¯t die, yet will suffer extreme agony, both physically and mentally. After five thousand years, if the prisoner isn¡¯t dead, they¡¯re mostly likely mad. Of course, it¡¯s also possible to regain one¡¯s sanity, since no sane individual would dare break an oath sworn in the name of the Styx.¡± ¡°Is that so? We Humans are still too young...¡± Kalalin murmured absentmindedly, ¡°The Styx Oath is a tradition that existed before the birth of all mundane things; no one knows who first proposed such an oath, nor how the Styx enforces it. However, this type of contract actually benefits Fiends greatly when they truly need others to believe they will uphold their promises...¡± ¡°I have always had a good record when it comes to keeping promises,¡± Tijana said, glaring at the Scholar before turning to Lancelot, ¡°But I will not ask for your unconditional trust, as that holds no benefit for you.¡± ¡°But the consequences of breaking an oath are quite severe...¡± Lancelot hesitated slightly, ¡°Are you really willing to swear a Styx Oath for me?¡± ¡°As long as I have no intention of breaking my oath, the consequences don¡¯t matter,¡± Tijana stretched her massive bat wings, ¡°Tell me, Scholar of the Black Cult, what promises do you want me to make with a Styx Oath?¡± ¡°Please forgive my impudence...¡± Kalalin glanced at Lancelot, who nodded at him, and the Scholar continued, ¡°Firstly, you must guarantee that in sending us to carry out this commission, it is not for any ill purpose; neither you nor your subordinates will attempt in any way to harm our lives or seek our Souls, nor will you assist others in doing so.¡± ¡°Quite reasonable,¡± Tijana nodded, ¡°I accept.¡± ¡°Secondly, you will honor our arrangement to take only your rightful share of the spoils, which is three layers¡¯ worth after deducting all necessary expenses, and not seize any part of the remainder in any form.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. But is that what you¡¯re fixated on?¡± the Succubus Lord nodded indifferently once more, ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°Thank you. Lastly, you must promise not to use this Dwarven Holy Relic for any evil purposes, nor desecrate it in any way.¡± ¡°And in due course, to relinquish it to the rightful heir,¡± Bruto added, ¡°What I mean is, you can keep them for as long as you want, but when you no longer need them, you should hand them over, for instance, to the Frostforged Dwarves...¡± ¡°I find your courage most admirable,¡± Tijana said solemnly, looking at Bruto, but she nodded, ¡°Fine, I agree to this term as well. Anything else?¡± ¡°That would be all,¡± Kalalin seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, ¡°Then, please make your vow...¡± ¡°Honestly, if I were a Demon, I could find a dozen loopholes in these loose terms, along with hundreds of ways to exploit them,¡± the Succubus Lord rolled her eyes, ¡°But for Lancelot¡¯s sake, I will add one more clause: not to interpret the content of the vow in any misleading way. Very well, I, Tijana, Lord of Twin Bridges Town in the Plains of the Abyss, swear in the name of the Styx...¡± Tijana repeated the words of her promises, and as she finished, everyone felt something profound within their hearts, a sensation akin to when the Spell to detect lies was in effect in Androlina, letting them know assuredly that the Styx Oath was now binding. ¡°Well, the vow is made, the information conveyed, now you had best get moving,¡± Tijana made a gesture, her figure beginning to fade into transparency, ¡°I believe the Werewolf has been waiting outside the manor for quite some time...¡± ¡°Farewell, my Lady,¡± Lancelot stood, giving Tijana a standard Knight¡¯s salute. ¡°Good luck to you, my Knight,¡± the Succubus Lord smiled and nodded, completely vanishing from sight. ¡°Whoa,¡± Alamir then spoke again, ¡°You guys are really brave; I wouldn¡¯t dare to speak to a Demon Lord like that...¡± ¡°Sister Tijana¡¯s presence was so powerful just now...¡± Little Isa spoke with a hint of admiration, ¡°I hope I can be like that one day...¡± ¡°All right, let¡¯s not keep the guest waiting too long, Hagrid Manor doesn¡¯t really offer much to look at from the outside,¡± Lancelot opened the cellar door, ¡°By the way, is that guy really a Werewolf?¡± Chapter 467 467 491 The Boss ?Chapter 467: Chapter 491: The Boss Chapter 467: Chapter 491: The Boss ¡°Good evening, Sir Lancelot,¡± Old Reap greeted him nervously outside Hagrid Manor, ¡°Your neighbors may not be too fond of me...¡± ¡°Please come in, I haven¡¯t kept you waiting too long, have I?¡± Lancelot opened the manor¡¯s grand gate and welcomed the werewolf inside, ¡°I¡¯m delighted to have the opportunity to work with you again...¡± ¡°I just got here¡ªwow! What¡¯s with this place... how...¡± As he crossed an invisible line, the true image of Hagrid Manor was revealed, ¡°Is that an Illusion Technique? Why do you keep it hidden?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to disrupt the uniform lawn style of the community,¡± Lancelot shrugged as the two walked down the stone path surrounded by flowers and entered the small building, ¡°Did Tijana tell you about our mission this time?¡± ¡°My lady only mentioned that you had a commission concerning the Iron Ice Plains...¡± Old Reap greeted everyone in the living room, ¡°Long time no see... hmm, where¡¯s that noisy skeleton head? And Koula, the star chef of the Succubus Palace, where did they go?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve left this plane,¡± Lancelot briefly explained, ¡°I suppose you haven¡¯t met Miss Elizabeth?¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re Miss Elizabeth, delighted to finally meet you in person,¡± Old Reap gave a rather exaggerated bow to little Elizabeth, ¡°It¡¯s an honor to get to know you.¡± ... ¡°Ah, you¡¯re too kind!¡± Little Elizabeth was flustered and quickly set down her duster to return a courtly gesture, ¡°I, I¡¯m also very pleased to meet you, Mr. Reap...¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on...¡± Lancelot scratched his head in confusion, ¡°Had you heard of little Elizabeth before?¡± ¡°Of course, the mysterious vampire who suddenly appeared, possessing a beauty comparable to that of Lady Tijana, the two of you are always seen together, it¡¯s hard not to notice,¡± the werewolf chuckled, ¡°If Miss Elizabeth didn¡¯t lack antlers and wings, people would be convinced she¡¯s Lady Tijana¡¯s daughter...¡± ¡°Little Elizabeth was captured to the Abyss by the previous owner of this manor,¡± Lancelot shook his head helplessly, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about our mission this time, it¡¯s probably a bit different from what you expect...¡± They spent about an hour discussing, with Lancelot introducing the objectives of the commission and the known intelligence, while Old Reap described his own experiences on the Iron Ice Plains from several years ago. According to him, the environmental conditions of that plane were truly atrocious, he had to rely on the fur from his full Transformation to combat the omnipresent biting cold. ¡°I hope that Priest from Olul really has some good solutions,¡± Lancelot shook his head helplessly, ¡°Otherwise, this adventure can¡¯t even begin.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we go visit Mohoi now?¡± Old Reap suggested, ¡°We¡¯d better make the most of our time, who knows when the Prince of Wrath will succeed in his escape...¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Just you and me will go first and see what this Mohoi has to say, the others should stay at home and get ready.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The market at night was busier than during the day, with visitors from different corners of the Multiverse shoving each other on the stone pavements of Twin Bridges Town, and vendors on both sides of the streets loudly peddling their wares. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that most of the crowd here had antlers on their heads and tails dragging behind them, it would be hard to distinguish this place from a bustling trade center on the Prime Material Plane. A Berserk Demon guard patrol passed by the two struggling figures, clad in full armor, with weapons grasped firmly in their hands, ready to leap into battle or provide support to their comrades at a moment¡¯s notice. The leader, who seemed to recognize old Reap, nodded briefly at the werewolf and moved on without a word. ¡°That¡¯s Todd, a veteran who survived the bloodbaths of the battlefield. We fought side by side on a special mission once. You should have seen him devour a little demon alive,¡± old Reap explained to Lancelot, ¡°Since the last incident with the demonic assassin, the city¡¯s defenses have visibly tightened. I heard you had a hand in thwarting the assassination?¡± ¡°I had just returned from my last job,¡± Lancelot nodded in acknowledgment, ¡°But Tijana took care of most of the enemies herself.¡± ¡°My instincts tell me you played a pivotal role in that affair,¡± old Reap led Lancelot through an alleyway, the number of pedestrians around them suddenly halved, ¡°I don¡¯t doubt Lady Tijana¡¯s capabilities, but she was the target of the assassination. The assassin must have prepared some special means to restrict her powers... How did you go from returning from a mission to appearing directly at the scene of the assassination?¡± ¡°Tijana gave me an amulet that could teleport me directly to her side when activated,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s going to be our last resort for escape if we run into any insurmountable trouble on this adventure.¡± ¡°Wait, teleport directly to Lady Tijana¡¯s side?¡± old Reap suddenly stopped, ¡°Not to Miss Sonam¡¯s desk in front of the Mercenary Hall?¡± ¡°Why would I want to see that six-armed Serpent Demon?¡± Lancelot asked back, puzzled. ¡°Who else are you going to get your pay from after completing a commission...¡± The werewolf stared at Lancelot, his expression growing more sinister, ¡°Sigh, seems like I¡¯ll have to start calling you boss from now on.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If Lady Tijana is the boss¡¯s lady, doesn¡¯t that make you the boss?¡± old Reap sighed, ¡°What on earth did our Lord see in you...?¡± ¡°Look at me.¡± Lancelot pointed to his face, ¡°Do you really not understand why?¡± ¡°...Boss, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± Lancelot looked up, realizing he stood in a rather secluded street; the sound of the Stygian River¡¯s rushing waters reached their ears clearly, and not far away loomed the thirty-foot high obsidian city walls of Twin Bridges Town. Beneath the wall, a row of cluttered houses used the wall itself to save on building materials, which, in Lancelot¡¯s view, was a glaring weakness in the city¡¯s defense¡ªshould this area be attacked, it would be difficult for the guards to provide swift support. ¡°This way.¡± Old Reap patted his shoulder, indicating that their destination was on the other side of the street. Lancelot turned his head to find a building of bizarre architecture¡ªa hemisphere made of ice-blue colored bricks with an entrance shaped like a doorway on the side facing the street, flanked by decorations resembling snowflakes. ¡°This building mimics the shape of an ice house. In the true lands of ice and snow, those bricks are replaced with eternally unfreezing blocks of ice,¡± the werewolf said casually as he walked towards the strange building, ¡°This place has been here since I was a wee pup. They serve a signature ice slush that¡¯s really quite good¡ªmade with Stygian River carp blood, Abyss chicken egg whites, and a small slice of precious lemon. You must try it.¡± Chapter 468 468 492 Cold Drink Shop ?Chapter 468: Chapter 492: Cold Drink Shop Chapter 468: Chapter 492: Cold Drink Shop The tavern, simulating the interior of ice and abyss, was indistinguishable from any other tavern in the Abyss, except that the temperature was noticeably colder than outside. Six columns supported the hemispherical roof, above which magic candles burned on candlesticks, casting a blue glow devoid of warmth. In the center of the room was a hexagonal counter, surrounded by hexagonal tables that imitated the structure of snowflakes. At this moment, it should have been the busiest time for a tavern, but the business here wasn¡¯t doing too well. A Brezu Demon was playing some sort of dice game with four Tiflins, three pairs of Devilspawn and Succubus couples were dating in the corners, and a large Goblin sat silently, seeming to be waiting for someone. As someone came in, these customers immediately looked up warily, but quickly averted their gazes. Using his sharp Spiritual Sense, Lancelot noticed that most of them were actually paying attention to old Reap; they clearly recognized or at least knew of the Werewolf¡¯s identity. The only ones who took a few more glances at him were the Succubi, probably because of his almost public, ambiguous relationship with the Succubus Lord. ¡°Welcome to the Wonderful Frozen Death...¡± a listless voice came from behind the bar in the center of the room, ¡°What would you like to order?¡± Lancelot looked in the direction of the voice and saw a purple-skinned male Tiflin with a broken right antler, presumably the Priest Mohoi Olul. He seemed very despondent, like a living dead who had lost hope in life. Although this plane was indeed very despairing, the state of the Tiflin was visibly not normal. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think it, but this is actually a cold drink shop.¡± The Werewolf surreptitiously responded to the coquettish glances of several Succubi as he walked toward the central bar, then said to Lancelot, ¡°Shall we have a drink first before we talk business with the owner?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good with that.¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°You seem pretty familiar with this place?¡± ... ¡°One signature ice drink, non-alcoholic.¡± Old Reap leaned on the bar, took out two Gold Coins from his bosom and placed them on the counter, then turned his head to Lancelot and said, ¡°Take a look at what you want, this round is on me.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Lancelot nodded and studied a block of ice embedded in the bar, with the menu carved in Abyssal Text¡ªa spell prevented the ice from melting. For Lancelot, there were very few options, as most of the items on the menu contained ingredients he found hard to stomach. Razor Vine matcha, Coward Devil eyeballs, humanoid thumb fragments, Werewolf pine nut kernels, fermented Bartez corpse fluid, cilantro juice... ¡°What¡¯s this ¡®Embrace of Frost¡¯?¡± Lancelot pointed to the topmost option on the menu, ¡°And this ¡®Escape from the Abyss¡¯?¡± ¡°Embrace of Frost is a slushie made of pure water with a bit of blue thorn juice added. The taste is a bit sour, and it¡¯s definitely worth a try,¡± The Werewolf introduced enthusiastically, ¡°As for ¡®Escape from the Abyss¡¯... well, that stuff is made for the native creatures of the lower planes, it¡¯s mixed with water from the Stygian River, which can give these beings, who are immune to normal alcohol, a taste of a true hangover, along with a brief respite from their miserable fates. But for us mortals, it¡¯s better to skip it.¡± ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll have the Embrace of Frost.¡± Lancelot nodded to the antler-broken Tiflin behind the bar, who silently swept away the two coins on the counter and turned to prepare the drink. A moment later, the bartender slapped two large beer mugs in front of them, filled with the prepared slushie. Lancelot¡¯s was a beautiful light blue, and everything seemed normal, except for the one unsettling detail¡ªthe spoon for eating the slushie was a tiny white bone claw, looking a bit like a baby¡¯s palm. ¡°Good heavens, Mohoi, my friend here is not the kind of creature you think he is.¡± Old Reap slapped his hands on his face, ¡°Can you give him a more normal spoon, please?¡± The Tiflin bartender roughly snatched the spoon from Lancelot¡¯s cup, then with the same lack of patience, thrust a black iron spoon into it. ¡°Much appreciated,¡± Lancelot shrugged, scooping up a spoonful of the icy slush into his mouth. Surprisingly, it tasted quite good¡ª the cold sensation with a hint of sourness was invigorating. ¡°Listen, Mohoi... We¡¯re here to see you... It¡¯s official business,¡± the werewolf scooped up a big spoonful of his orange-red slush, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t mind if we move somewhere more private to talk, would you?¡± The Tiflin glared at the werewolf in front of him, who was focused intently on his food without any intention of providing further explanation. Helplessly, he shook his head and tapped twice on a copper bell behind him, producing a low humming sound. Soon, a particularly skinny Quasimodo Demon crawled out of the cupboard. ¡°It¡¯s not time yet!¡± The Quasimodo Demon yelled at the ice drink shop owner with a shrill voice, ¡°You already underpay me, and now you want me to work overtime!?¡± ¡°Just for a little while,¡± Tiflin¡¯s voice finally showed some emotional fluctuation, and Lancelot could tell he was suppressing his anger, ¡°You can have this gentleman¡¯s ¡®Embrace of Frost¡¯, as he clearly has had his fill.¡± Lancelot shrugged and pushed the cup in front of him forward. The Quasimodo Demon still wanted to complain, but after seeing Lancelot¡¯s face clearly, suddenly swallowed back everything he was about to say. ¡°Oh, you recognize me?¡± Lancelot asked, somewhat surprised. ¡°You... you are... Dingke¡¯s... master?¡± the Quasimodo Demon answered with a trembling voice, ¡°I...I didn¡¯t know...¡± ¡°Keep it down.¡± Lancelot smiled at the little demon, ¡°Your boss¡¯s slush tastes really good, I just had enough is all.¡± He was telling the truth. After reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, Lancelot had essentially reached the point of subsisting on wind and dew, no longer needing mortal sustenance. The bartender beside him opened a horizontal plank on the bar, revealing a spiral staircase leading downward behind him. Lancelot and Old Reap followed the Tiflin with broken antlers down the steps, entering a modest living room. ¡°So, what brings you to me?¡± Mohoi sat down on a furry sofa, made of what seemed like bear fur, which also looked like it could double as a bed, ¡°Did Tijana send you to kick me out of Twin Bridges Town?¡± ¡°Dear Mohoi, how could that be?¡± Old Reap sat down carelessly on a stool in front of Tiflin, appearing rather like a Warden interrogating a prisoner, ¡°We¡¯re here to ask for your Goddess¡¯s help. No need to pretend, you don¡¯t believe we don¡¯t know that you¡¯re a Priest of Olul, do you?¡± ¡°Whatever you want, I can¡¯t help you,¡± Tiflin said with a hoarse voice, ¡°The Goddess has long since stopped responding to my prayers.¡± Chapter 469 469 493 Its Settled ?Chapter 469: Chapter 493: It¡¯s Settled Chapter 469: Chapter 493: It¡¯s Settled Lancelot and old Reap were both stunned upon hearing these words, and they exchanged helpless glances, as the situation was truly unexpected. ¡°The Goddess no longer responds to your prayers?¡± Lancelot asked, scratching his head in confusion as a nonbeliever, he really didn¡¯t understand what it was like to communicate with the Divine Power, ¡°Did you do something that goes against the teachings of the Goddess of Ice?¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Tiflin became immediately agitated, but then quickly slumped back into despondence, ¡°I have disappointed the Goddess, She has lost patience with me...¡± ¡°How did you manage to create that shaved ice then?¡± old Reap asked curiously, ¡°That should still be a power bestowed by Olul, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a simple trick, I can only manage that much now,¡± Mohoi sighed, ¡°Listen, I know that behind you is surely the will of Lady Tijana, but without the Goddess¡¯s Divine Arts, I am nothing more than an ordinary citizen with some small tricks...¡± ¡°There¡¯s a task that requires us to go to a very, very cold place, stay for several days, or even weeks, and there will likely be battles,¡± Lancelot said carefully choosing his words, ¡°If you regained your ability to use Divine Arts, could you help us adapt to such a cold environment?¡± ¡°¡®If¡¯ the Goddess is willing to bestow her Divine Arts upon me again, then I do have a way,¡± Tiflin shrugged, ¡°but that is impossible, the air in this plane is just too dry...¡± ... ¡°I heard you¡¯ve always wanted to create a blizzard, right?¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, ¡°If we help you achieve that, do you think Olul might give you another chance?¡± ¡°You would help me?¡± Mohoi looked doubtfully at Lancelot, then at old Reap, ¡°How so?¡± ¡°You said earlier that the air in the Abyss is too dry, which is why you can¡¯t produce snow, right...¡± Lancelot clapped his hands together, ¡°What if I generated a large area of fog, would that help you?¡± ¡°A bit of magic-generated fog won¡¯t be much use,¡± Tiflin seemed uninterested in the Human Knight¡¯s suggestion, ¡°Have you ever seen a real blizzard? The momentum that sweeps across mountains and rivers, the pure white that covers everything?¡± ¡°Yes, I have seen it, and the way I make fog is different from usual magic, it can cover an area with a radius of ten miles,¡± Lancelot interrupted Tiflin¡¯s praise of the blizzard, ¡°Is that large enough for you?¡± ¡°You can do that?¡± Mohoi¡¯s voice was full of skepticism, ¡°Sorry, but I won¡¯t just believe someone who suddenly shows up...¡± ¡°This is Sir Lancelot.¡± The Werewolf suddenly spoke, ¡°You¡¯ve heard the name, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± Tiflin looked clearly taken aback, ¡°You are Lancelot?¡± ¡°Am I that famous?¡± Lancelot touched his nose, ¡°Strange, I¡¯ve always kept a low profile...¡± ¡°Those Dwarves really can talk when they¡¯re drunk.¡± Mohoi sat up straight from where he was leaning on the couch, ¡°You really cut off the tail of a Bone Demon through a giant boulder with a single sword strike?¡± ¡°I can testify to that,¡± old Reap interjected, ¡°I was there and saw it clearly.¡± ¡°Really? I remember there being a thick ice wall between us at the time,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Maybe I should talk to Bruto about not boasting any more...¡± ¡°If you really are the Human Knight who has performed numerous miracles, maybe we can really give it a try,¡± Tiflin¡¯s confidence seemed greatly restored by the name of Lancelot, ¡°What do you plan to do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about how I¡¯ll do it,¡± Lancelot waved his hand, ¡°I just want to know, when can you try to create a blizzard?¡± ¡°I need to prepare the ritual materials, magic artifacts, and confess to the Goddess...¡± Mohoi suddenly stood up from the couch, pacing around the room uneasily, murmuring indistinctly, then he clenched his teeth and said to the Human Knight, ¡°Three days, I need three days.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°but we need to agree on this beforehand, if I successfully create a blizzard for you, will you provide us with a way to withstand the cold?¡± ¡°Of course. I will use the power granted by the Goddess to create an amulet. Through a simple ceremony, you can give up to eight people the ability to resist the severe cold for an entire day,¡± she assured. ¡°Do we need to pay anything extra for this?¡± he asked. ¡°To make the amulet, I need a sapphire and a small amount of platinum.¡± The purple-skinned Tiflin spread his hands. ¡°I can¡¯t afford such things.¡± ¡°Leave that to me,¡± said Lancelot, nodding. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled, I will come to you in three days, and we will hold the ceremony in the Shattered Mountain Range.¡± After reaching an agreement, Lancelot and old Reap left the ice house and returned to the busier streets of the market area. ¡°Lady Tijana will pay for those materials,¡± the Werewolf assured him. ¡°But can you really conjure a thick fog?¡± ¡°A mountain man has his ways.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°It means I have a plan,¡± Lancelot explained, spreading his hands, ¡°but honestly, I¡¯m not sure if it will really work.¡± ¡°Ah? You¡¯re not confident?¡± The Werewolf¡¯s expression fell. ¡°What if it fails?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say it would definitely succeed,¡± Lancelot looked at him oddly, ¡°If it fails, I¡¯ll sincerely apologize to the shop owner and then think of another way.¡± ¡°Okay...¡± Old Reap scratched his head, then suggested, ¡°Shall we take a stroll through this market first? See if there are any backup options. The boss has already given the word¡ªwhatever catches your eye, just take it, and she will pay for everything. We don¡¯t get such opportunities often...¡± ¡°Since I¡¯m the boss, isn¡¯t hers essentially mine?¡± ¡°Uh... you have a point there, I guess...¡± ¡°Just kidding, don¡¯t take it seriously,¡± Lancelot laughed, ¡°Let¡¯s do it tomorrow. I¡¯ll call the others, and we come together, since you¡¯re part of this too.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Reap shrugged, ¡°See you, then. I¡¯m off to ¡®The Pillar of Fire¡¯ for a drink...¡± ¡°Sounds like a nice place,¡± Lancelot nodded to him, ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°How many secrets does this guy hold?¡± Watching the Human Knight¡¯s departing figure, the Werewolf clenched his teeth in frustration, but he sighed deeply, recalling the scene he had witnessed when escaping from Oasis Fort, where Lancelot had stayed behind alone to face a terrifying Angel of Death¡ªand then returned alive. ¡°Is it only the strong who deserve love?¡± The Werewolf shook his head, turning to walk in another direction. ¡°While I can only exchange money for fleeting pleasures...¡± Despite having walked a considerable distance, Lancelot¡¯s keen hearing still caught the Werewolf¡¯s muttered words. He chuckled lightly, shaking his head as he gradually vanished into the night. The time for cultivation had arrived... Chapter 470 470 494 Prepare in Advance ?Chapter 470: Chapter 494: Prepare in Advance Chapter 470: Chapter 494: Prepare in Advance Three days later, in the early morning, Lancelot called on Bruto and, together with the elderly werewolf Reap, arrived in front of the secluded cold drink shop. Though the dwarf was quite interested in the taste of smoothies, the tightly closed door indicated that the owner was temporarily not interested in running his business. Lancelot¡¯s spirit perception clearly told him that the priest Olul was inside. He stepped forward and knocked on the door, upon which a sound of items being knocked over immediately ensued inside, followed by a small window opening in the black wooden door. A pitch-black, insect-like eye of a Quasimodo Demon appeared behind the small window, quickly shut after seeing who the visitors were. The three waited patiently where they were, and finally, the large door of the cold drink shop opened. Standing in front of the crowd was a Tiflin Barbarian, his purple skin stretched over well-developed muscles, his nearly naked body clad only in a beast hide apron, and his head boasted a broken horn that added an element of wild attractiveness. Lancelot felt that Mohoi¡¯s demeanor was completely different. Gone was the depressed, decadent shopkeeper of before, replaced by a Tiflin Barbarian who had reignited hope for the future. ¡°You¡¯re looking quite spirited today,¡± Lancelot greeted with a smile, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve reestablished contact with my goddess,¡± Mohoi smiled back at him, ¡°Shall we set off?¡± ¡°If you are ready,¡± Lancelot tilted his head toward the direction of the city gate, ¡°We have a long road ahead.¡± ... ¡°What are we waiting for then?¡± the Tiflin took out a massive backpack from behind the door, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t disappoint me...¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t taking me with you?!¡± a shrill protest came from behind him, from a particularly skinny Quasimodo Demon, ¡°I¡¯m going to tear this lousy shop apart!¡± ¡°Dear, I believe you wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± the Tiflin turned around, speaking calmly, ¡°If you truly can¡¯t resist your urge to destroy, you¡¯d better start praying now that we don¡¯t succeed, otherwise I¡¯ll freeze you into a piece of unmelting ice and place you right at the entrance for everyone to see, and tell each interested customer how you ended up there...¡± The door was slammed shut, marking the Quasimodo Demon¡¯s kind of protest against its master. Lancelot and Bruto exchanged glances, shrugged simultaneously, and turned towards the south gate. The four crossed one of the iconic stone bridges of Twin Bridges Town and entered the wilderness of the Plains of the Abyss, heading towards the mountains to the south. Lancelot summoned his majestic Nightmare warhorse, which seemed quite happy to be summoned by Lancelot again after many months, even kneeling on the ground to make it easier for the Human Knight to mount, which made Lancelot, who was originally prepared to scold it, feel somewhat let down. Bruto naturally still ¡®rode¡¯ Lancelot¡¯s ¡®horse¡¯. The Dwarf, familiar with the process, clambered onto the back of the Nightmare, sitting back-to-back with Lancelot. This also reflected just how strong their Nightmare was¡ªthe Dwarf was shorter than humans, but their girth was nearly twice that of humans, making their weight no less than, if not exceeding, that of humans. Moreover, both were clad in heavy armor, fully armed, their total weight nearly reaching eight hundred pounds, yet the steps of the Nightmare remained very light, showing no signs of strain whatsoever. Old Reap then blew a magic whistle, summoning a brown dwarf horse that looked emaciated. The horse had a large head, broad forehead, thick waist, and short legs, and although it appeared malnourished, Lancelot, with his professional eye as a knight, could tell it definitely possessed good stamina, suitable for long-duration runs. However, the most surprising was the priest of the Goddess of Ice. Tiflin Mohoi blew an unusually large, curved horn, and the next moment, a mammoth appeared before everyone! ¡°They are the pets of the Goddess, summoned by us humble servants to provide services,¡± Mohoi patted the long-horned, hairy behemoth, which with a gentle sweep of its trunk, lifted the Tiflin priest onto its back. ¡°This mount of yours... really is something,¡± Bruto stared straight at the massive mammoth, not hiding his envy, ¡°There seems to be a lot of space on top there, you wouldn¡¯t mind if I squeezed in, would you?¡± Before the Dwarf could finish, the Nightmares beneath them suddenly raised their front hooves high, and while heavily stomping down, briskly shook their hindquarters, throwing the unsuspecting dwarf off, who clanged onto the ground. ¡°I used to think there was nothing odd about you,¡± Lancelot helplessly looked at the dwarf struggling to get up from the ground, ¡°I no longer think that.¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry, big black horse, this is a misunderstanding!¡± Bruto, without bothering to dust off the dirt on his body, hurriedly came over to make amends with the Nightmare, ¡°I was just looking for something novel, surely you¡¯re the impressive one!¡± In the end, the Dwarf still ended up sitting behind Lancelot¡ªthe mammoth was too tall for him to climb onto. The four travelers, mounted on three creatures, headed toward the Shattered Mountain Range on the southern horizon. This route was not strange to the Human Knight; he had been there countless times with Bruto, mostly to hunt sandworms, creatures that burrowed through the mountains and fed on dirt, often found to have gemstones in their stomachs. Of course, sometimes there were also some very bad things, reminding them that this place was part of the Abyss. Despite looking quite formidable, there were still some Flomos unable to resist the temptation of flesh. It couldn¡¯t be helped, the mammoth just looked too enticing. However, these daring, humanoid vultures quickly learned how fierce their opponents were¡ªthat realization being the last thing they learned in their demonic lives. But this time the battle was slightly different from the past: Lancelot clearly held back his strength, he didn¡¯t unleash his sharp Qingyuan Sword Aura but fought with each dive-bombing demon one sword strike at a time. With each final strike on an enemy, he would let his weapon linger in the demon¡¯s body just a little longer, and if someone observed very attentively, they would notice a faint red mist emerging from the demons at the moment of their death, quickly absorbing into the blade of Frostslash. This was a Cultivation Technique Lancelot recently discovered from a small bamboo slip. In the world of spiritual cultivators, some beasts might accidentally step onto the path of cultivation by ingesting Spirit Grass or residing in areas rich in Spiritual Energy. These beasts, known as demons, would condense something called a Demon Core inside their body¡ªa precious material extremely useful in Alchemy and Artifact Refining. Many Loose Cultivators with little backing accumulated wealth by hunting these demonic beasts to trade for various cultivation necessities. Of course, the monsters in this world didn¡¯t have any Demon Cores (at least as far as Lancelot was aware), and the technique he was using was called the ¡®Slaughter Technique,¡¯ essentially a method of Artifact Refining. Operating this technique while slaying demonic beasts allowed his weapon to accumulate a power known as ¡®Killing Intent,¡¯ which, over time, granted additional power when attacking similar creatures. It was said that a Hundred Slashes was a minor achievement, a Thousand Kills a medium achievement, and Ten Thousand Slashes a major achievement. Although their next target was the Giant¡¯s Kingdom, the most common enemies in this realm remained the demons, and Lancelot was preparing in advance. Chapter 471 471 495 Arriving at the Mountain Pass ?Chapter 471: Chapter 495: Arriving at the Mountain Pass Chapter 471: Chapter 495: Arriving at the Mountain Pass Although Demons are not beasts, the ¡°Slaughter Decree¡± is actually effective against any living creature. Some powers consider this cultivation technique a forbidden technique because some evil cultivators slaughter ordinary mortals in villages and towns to practice it, truly a path of demonic corruption. However, Han Tianzun¡¯s view in the small bamboo slip suggests that the technique itself does not change the cultivator¡¯s nature, therefore it cannot be considered a demonic technique. How it is used ultimately depends on the cultivator themselves; he believes Lancelot can use it on the right enemies. Priests of the Goddess of Ice can protect themselves quite well. As his appearance suggests, Mohoi is a true barbarian at heart, he can summon ice javelins out of thin air, then he would loudly call out Olul¡¯s name and hurl the javelins with twelvefold rage towards his enemies. Despite not having the best aim, the power is still quite formidable, and once the target is down, his mammoth mount would charge: first using those lance-like tusks to ram the opponent, then crushing the downed enemies into mush with its hooves¡ªa task not so difficult for a beast weighing over 20,000 pounds. Old Reap lazily remained on his brown little horse, watching the rest cut the enemies to pieces without joining the fight. Oddly enough, the demons seemed to ignore this obvious target as well, as if he didn¡¯t exist at all. But to be fair, the werewolf was prepared for battle, with two green-glowing short swords unsheathed, ready to provide support for the others at any moment, but Lancelot and Bruto didn¡¯t give him a reason to do so. The foursome left a long trail of bodies behind them, hard to miss in the open wilderness. This would certainly attract some low-level demons and also serve as a warning to those creatures capable of flight. Of course, not every wild demon is brainless enough to attack on sight (though most are), and some of those that took the time to observe their prey soon recognized Lancelot. It wasn¡¯t just his armor, his sword, his fighting style, even his mount had identifying features¡ªwith a loud Dwarf trinket hanging off the back, hurling his powerful warhammer at any target that came too close. ... There isn¡¯t a clear boundary between plains and mountain ranges, the ground beneath them began to undulate, and gradually became steeper, as the aging sun climbed to its highest point in the sky, starting to show a bit of its dignity as the source of light, the four had climbed a fair distance and decided to stop and rest for a while. They did not start a campfire but simply found a relatively hidden spot to sit down, relax their slightly weary bodies from battle, wipe the blood from their equipment, and then swallow some food that was still quite tasty¡ªthis was just a short trip, there was no need to bring those long-lasting but bad-tasting rations. ¡°Where¡¯s our destination?¡± Bruto asked, holding a huge lunchbox containing an entire roasted Abyssal Chicken. ¡°Just curious, if you can¡¯t say, then never mind.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing that can¡¯t be said, we¡¯re not going to ¡®that¡¯ place,¡± shrugged Lancelot. He was referring to the Dwarf Temple. ¡°Our target is Fourth Peak, it should be about three more hours¡¯ walk from here.¡± ¡°Fourth Peak?¡± Old Reap joined in upon hearing their conversation. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a volcano crater?¡± ¡°You seem pretty familiar with the Shattered Mountain Range,¡± Lancelot nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s our destination.¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t you supposed to create a heavy fog for me?¡± the Priest of the Goddess of Ice couldn¡¯t help but speak up, ¡°There¡¯s not a drop of moisture in the air in such a place...¡± ¡°How does fog come about? Water plus fire, that¡¯s what generates fog. To create a fog thick enough to transform into a blizzard, a substantial heat source is needed. The Lava Lake in Fourth Peak suits my needs perfectly.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the water?¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated to explain,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± Seeing that he had no intention of continuing, Bruto and Old Reap didn¡¯t press further. The Tiflin Priest seemed still skeptical, but seeing that the others were deferring to Lancelot, he had no choice but to give up, frustrated. The group rested on the spot for about an hour, then continued on their journey. Despite the Shattered Mountain Range becoming steeper, under Lancelot¡¯s guidance, they always found a relatively smooth path to keep moving forward. As they drew closer to the Fourth Peak, the temperature around them grew hotter, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of sulfur. The Tiflin Priest¡¯s mammoth was the first to succumb; it began to sweat profusely, its fur as wet as if it had been fished out of the water, forcing Mohoi to dismiss the summons and proceed on foot. Not long after, Old Reap¡¯s horse was also struggling, not because of the temperature, but because the surrounding air made it difficult to breathe. As soon as he noticed his mount exhibiting discomfort, the Werewolf unhesitatingly dismissed the summons, sending the brown pony back to its original plane. The only one still at ease was Lancelot¡¯s mount, the Nightmare¡ªactually, it seemed to be in high spirits, as if it was back at home. The closer they got to the volcano¡¯s crater, the more small groups of demons they encountered, but thanks to Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception, he successfully avoided most of the enemies. Fortunately, there were no High Rank Demons nearby¡ªafter all, this was still Twin Bridges Town¡¯s territory and anyone who wished to claim the mountain as their own had to first consult the opinion of the Succubus Lord. Finally, as the sun was about to dip below the horizon, the four of them arrived at the top of the mountain. As an active volcano, its summit was a circular funnel, thousands of feet wide, and the lake completely made of lava was hundreds of feet deep inside; the hot air flowed upward from the crater, making it hard to approach. But there was one exception among them, and that was Lancelot¡¯s... mount. After the four found a place shielded by giant obsidian boulders where the temperature was relatively bearable and stopped there, Lancelot didn¡¯t bother to dismiss the summoning, and the Abyssal Warhorse continued towards the crater on its own. By the time Lancelot noticed it, the Nightmare had already begun swimming in the Lava Lake. Clearly, as a being born from the Flame, the Nightmare was immune to the damage caused by high temperatures¡ªat least the heat that could turn stone into liquid couldn¡¯t harm it. ¡°Look how comfortable it looks,¡± the Dwarf exclaimed with his mouth wide open, resignedly lamenting, ¡°Why do I feel like it¡¯s showing off?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just seeming like it; it is,¡± Lancelot merely glanced at the leaping black figure, shrugged indifferently, ¡°Just ignore it. We¡¯ve got serious business to attend to.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s the volcano you wanted.¡± The Tiflin, purple-skinned and gasping for breath, tried to sit down but immediately jumped up again, scorched, ¡°Damn it... where¡¯s the water that creates the fog?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that it?¡± Lancelot pointed behind him, at the same time unhooking the Dimensional Bag from his waist and pulling out a huge metal disc, ¡°It¡¯s been right there.¡± Chapter 472 472 496 Human-Powered Energy ?Chapter 472: Chapter 496: Human-Powered Energy Chapter 472: Chapter 496: Human-Powered Energy The other three turned their heads, but behind them was a steep cliff, and further below was the Plains of the Abyss; they could even barely make out the shadow of Twin Bridges Town in the distance. ¡°Big brother, what are you talking about?¡± Bruto scratched his head in confusion, ¡°Where is there any water?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be joking...¡± the werewolf sharply inhaled, ¡°He¡¯s talking about the Stygian River!¡± ¡°What?¡± Mohoi was shocked upon hearing this, ¡°You want to use the water from the Stygian River to create mist? But... isn¡¯t that too far from here?¡± ¡°It is a bit far, but it should still be within the effective range of the formation,¡± Lancelot said as he undid his dimensional bag and took out an enormous iron disc with a radius of over five feet, ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon enough if it can work.¡± ¡°What exactly is this thing?¡± Bruto looked at Lancelot adjusting the angle of the disk, puzzled, ¡°And why are there so many lines and paths on the surface? It was smooth like the forehead of a Gray Dwarf when I gave it to you...¡± ¡°Just think of those as arcane runes,¡± Lancelot finally stopped fiddling, ¡°Hold on a moment. There is still a final touch that needs to be done here at the site...¡± ... About a quarter of the iron disc was left blank for runes that connect with the power of water. Having determined the correct orientation through spiritual sight, Lancelot then lay on the ground, releasing faintly green sword aura from his hands, slowly inscribing onto the disc. Priest Tiflin was startled by Lancelot¡¯s strange ability. Within his scope of knowledge, he had never heard of such a capability. As for old Reap, he was less surprised since he had previous experience breaking through Oasis Fort with this human knight, who was known for his peculiarities. ¡°Alright,¡± Lancelot got up from the ground, flippantly waved his right hand, and a strong gust of wind that appeared out of nowhere blew all the metal shavings off the disk, ¡°I¡¯m going to start now. The process of creating fog might take some time, so just be a little patient...¡± ¡°I got it! Isn¡¯t this just a larger version of that array plate you have at home?¡± Bruto finally caught on, but he still pointed somewhat puzzledly at the huge depression in the middle of the disk, ¡°This should be where the gemstone goes, right? But this is way too big, almost as big as my rear. Where did you get such a large gemstone...¡± ¡°You¡¯re not misunderstanding, but the situation this time is a bit special,¡± Lancelot walked to the center of the array plate and sat down cross-legged, ¡°This pit is prepared for me.¡± Generally speaking, after an array is set up, during its effective period, either spirit stones are used for energy supply, or a specialized structure absorbs the forces of nature from the surroundings¡ª the former can be activated by placing the spirit stones when needed and replaced periodically to maintain effectiveness; the latter has the advantage of not needing attention after the array is set up, but it requires high proficiency in formation and usually has less power. Lancelot¡¯s method was to use himself as a human spirit stone, personally supplying energy to the formation. This approach had many drawbacks, but the most crucial was that it completely contradicted the purpose of setting up arrays¡ªarrays were meant to allow cultivators to focus their energies elsewhere. If one had to personally maintain the operation of the array, then there was no point in painstakingly setting it up in the first place. Direct application of cultivation techniques would yield better effects. However, for the relatively low-ranked Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the situation was not absolute. The power of Divine Sense of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was limited, making it difficult for them to deploy divine skills over a large area with their own strength. Furthermore, since their cultivation period was relatively short, they were mostly proficient in combat-related spells and unlikely to delve into these ¡°clever tricks and gadgets.¡± By using the cultivator themselves as the energy source for the array, not only could they better control the operation of the array, but they also saved the time needed to master an unpopular cultivation technique that might not be widely used in the future¡ªhe simply ¡°copied¡± the operational routes of the techniques onto the array plate. To execute it themselves would take months of study. The final effect was likely to be considerably inferior without the massive support of the array plate. Alone with his foundation establishment strength, he simply couldn¡¯t tap into the invisible forces contained by the Stygian River and the volcano. Lancelot closed his physical eyes and skillfully entered the state of Spiritual Sight. He carefully channeled the True Yuan within his body, slowly infusing it into the metal disc beneath him, allowing the refined energy to follow the pre-engraved routes. Everything went very smoothly, and the array plate was successfully activated; it seemed his ¡°copying¡± had no mistakes. Because the Stygian River at the base of the mountain was farther away, he initially tried to connect with the Power of Water required for the operation of the array. The Stygian River was very mysterious by itself, stretching across the entire lower plane, and its waters also contained the power to erase memories, while also serving as a destination for the souls of the deceased. In Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception, the Stygian River also contained the strongest Power of Water he had ever encountered. Thus, even though it was a great distance away, after several patient attempts, he successfully established a connection with that tremendous force. Next, Lancelot attempted to draw out the Power of Fire from the nearby Lava Lake. He succeeded on the first try; the proximity was certainly a crucial factor, and his Fire Spiritual Root was another decisive element, helping him quickly ¡°capture¡± the invisible pulsation of fire. Once the connection between Water and Fire was established, the array immediately began to function. The iron disc beneath Lancelot emitted a low hum, and the Power of the Five Elements from the Stygian River and the volcano were drawn out and met mid-mountain. To the eyes of the others, a large amount of white smoke suddenly began to rise at that spot, quickly forming a thick fog and spreading in all directions. At a place beyond their sight, a large section of the water level of the Stygian River slightly receded and the flow suddenly quickened; however, in this plane, almost no one noticed such details, so the abnormalities in the Stygian River went unnoticed. But the situation was quite different for the lake of molten lava at the crater of the volcano. Lancelot¡¯s Nightmare mount was still joyfully swimming in it, yet the surrounding temperature suddenly began to fall, and the magma turned thick as marsh, startling the Abyssal Warhorse, which hastily struggled and ¡°clawed¡± its way back to the shore. A mysterious connection between the summoned beast and its summoner let it understand that the culprit behind all this was its owner, who was currently sitting on that strange iron plate¡ªthe ¡°human¡±. Although very upset, the Nightmare didn¡¯t dare vent its anger on Lancelot. But just then, Lancelot suddenly opened his eyes; his Spirit Perception sensed some peculiar creatures. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Although usually slow on the uptake regarding other matters, Bruto was always quick to notice Lancelot¡¯s unusual actions, ¡°Is it an enemy?¡± ¡°Yes, there are four enemies, emerging from that Lava Lake, likely some kind of elemental creatures.¡± Lancelot still sat in his place, ¡°I need to maintain the operation of the array, so those enemies are up to you!¡± Chapter 473 473 497 Elemental Creatures ?Chapter 473: Chapter 497 Elemental Creatures Chapter 473: Chapter 497 Elemental Creatures ¡°Elemental creatures?¡± Bruto¡¯s expression changed, ¡°What are you talking about...¡± The Dwarf immediately realized the answer to his own question. Four red figures emerged from behind the obsidian that blocked the heat of the volcano. They looked like blurs of flames with vague human shapes, spreading towards the four of them like a wildfire. ¡°They¡¯re Fire Elementals!¡± Olul¡¯s Priest was the first to shout out the name of the enemy. As a Priest of the Frost Goddess, he naturally had no fondness for these creatures, and the impulsive Bruto was the first to launch an attack. The Dwarf immediately threw his Magic Warhammer, targeting the foremost Elemental. However, the hammer passed straight through the fire creature and heavily struck a boulder. The Fire Elemental was not affected in the slightest; a huge hole appeared where the hammer hit, but after staggering for a moment, the leaping flames promptly filled the gap in its body. ¡°What the hell?¡± Bruto was momentarily stunned, ¡°How am I supposed to fight this?¡± ¡°Ordinary physical attacks are quite ineffective against elemental creatures,¡± Old Reap explained by his side. He had already transformed into a half-werewolf state, his neck adorned with a fierce black and white wolf¡¯s head, ¡°You have to do it like this...¡± ... The Werewolf smeared a bottle of purple ointment on his short sword, making the blade emit a bright purple light. He then charged at the enemy, neatly dodging an oncoming fist with a roll, and with both short swords he swept upward, severing an arm from the side of one of the Fire Elementals. This blow evidently inflicted effective damage; the attacked Fire Elemental let out a loud roar of rage, swiftly spinning to attack Old Reap with its other arm, which Reap again deftly avoided. But the Werewolf was still somewhat affected as his clothes began to burn from being too close to the living flames, and even the fur on his face gave off a charred smell. He awkwardly rolled several times on the ground, finally extinguishing the flames on his body and also retreating to a safe distance. ¡°Seems pretty effective,¡± The Werewolf squatted on the ground, squinting his eyes to assess the impact of his attack. The Fire Elemental he had attacked grew back its arm, which was no surprise to him; however, it was markedly smaller than before¡ªan encouraging sign. Old Reap adjusted his breath, once again flourishing his sword and approached his opponent. An unexpected member also joined the battle¡ªLancelot¡¯s summoned Nightmares. The Abyssal Warhorse was naturally immune to flame damage, which rendered the Elemental creatures¡¯ most significant weapon powerless. The great black horse, like a Knight without a rider, unflinchingly rammed into the enemy, then fiercely trampled the humanoid flames lying on the ground with its hooves. Its hoof strikes, just like Bruto¡¯s warhammer, were not very effective, but the advantage was that its opponents couldn¡¯t counter-attack at all. As it wildly stomped, the flames on the trampled Fire Elemental gradually dimmed. Unfortunately, Bruto couldn¡¯t vent his anger as freely as the horse could. Although he was also very agile, there was still a gap between his movement technique and that of the Werewolf, who could ¡®dance¡¯ in the flames. Thus, the Dwarf could only throw his hammer then promptly run, waiting for the hammer to fly back before launching another attack. But the Fire Elementals were much faster than him, continuously closing the distance, and it seemed the Dwarf was about to be caught up to. ¡°Feel the power of the frost!¡± roared Tiflin¡¯s Priest from the other side of the battlefield. With a point of his fingers toward the Dwarf, a pale blue circle of stance appeared around Bruto. The circle exuded a cold air, making the flames of the Fire Elementals seem less intense. ¡°Thanks!¡± Bruto, seeing that the stance seemed to partially resist the damage of the flames, immediately stopped and turned around, roaring furiously, ¡°You even set my beard on fire, prepare to die!¡± After reaching out to help the Dwarf, Tiflin¡¯s Priest bowed his head in prayer once again. A snowflake-shaped scar on his lower back began to glow brighter, and Lancelot, who had been closely observing the battle, felt a familiar wave of magic, just like when Alamir channeled Divine Power. ¡°Olul!!!¡± As Mohoi shouted the name of his deity, the snowflake emblem emitted a blinding light, and a massive Ice Battle Axe appeared in his hand. The Priest of Olul raised the battle axe above his head and charged with an almost insane momentum. The Fire Elemental targeted by him released two fiery punches, but Mohoi, the Tiflin Barbarian, showed no intention to dodge. The Ice Battle Axe and the fiery fists hit their targets almost simultaneously, Mohoi was knocked back flying, while the Ice Battle Axe ¡®stuck¡¯ into the body of that humanoid flame. The Elemental creature let out a piercing scream, its glow intensified in an instant, but the Ice Battle Axe was clearly not an ordinary creation, melting only at a very slow pace under the lick of the flametongue. Meanwhile, a thin layer of frost appeared on Mohoi¡¯s body, minimizing the damage from the fire fists, and judging by the Priest¡¯s frenzied look, any sensation of pain was likely ignored. He summoned many floating ice javelins around him again, firing them consecutively like a heavy crossbow defending a castle, completely extinguishing the struggling humanoid flame on the spot. After killing his enemy, Mohoi¡¯s rage seemed to have not subsided. He let out an almost insane roar and pounced on the Fire Elemental that was entangled with Bruto. Ice quickly condensed on his fists... A moment later, the three men and horse had worked together to dispose of the Fire Elementals that had suddenly emerged. Unfortunately, these pure Elemental creatures left them with some wounds but no spoils of war, yet their goal was still achieved¡ªLancelot wasn¡¯t disturbed, and the Formation that created fog was operating at full capacity. When they regrouped around Lancelot, they were astonished to discover that they could no longer see the ground at the foot of the mountain. Thick fog completely enveloped the Shattered Mountain Range, making them feel as if they were in a sea of clouds, with the edge of the fog still spreading outward. ¡°I should be able to expand this fog a couple of miles further, then the speed at which it dissipates will catch up to the speed at which it¡¯s growing,¡± said the Human Knight as he closed his eyes again, yet he still knew the location of Tiflin¡¯s Priest clearly, ¡°How long will it take for you to prepare your spell?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡± exclaimed Tiflin¡¯s Priest, leaping up and rushing to his backpack, ¡°Just a moment!¡± They then found out what was in his heavy backpack¡ªa special kind of water. Mohoi first dug a small pit in the ground, then poured all the water he had carried up the mountain into it, creating a small pond. Next, he knelt down in front of the pond and began to pray devoutly. ¡°Great Frost Goddess Olul, your faithful follower begs for your response, let the people of this world fear your power...¡± Chapter 474 474 498 Blizzard ?Chapter 474: Chapter 498 Blizzard Chapter 474: Chapter 498 Blizzard As Mohoi continuously called out Olul¡¯s name, the pond in front of him gradually began to freeze until it finally turned into a block of ice emitting a supernatural chill. The priest stood up, his face filled with fervor. ¡°Are you starting now?¡± Bruto asked curiously, looking at the purple-skinned Tiflin. ¡°First, I must demonstrate my resolve to the Goddess...¡± Mohoi turned around, facing the mirror-like ice block, then untied the beast-skin apron around his waist, revealing his bare buttocks. ¡°What are you doing?¡± the Dwarf exclaimed, almost dropping his jaw, ¡°Wait, wait, don¡¯t turn around!¡± ¡°A true believer feels the power of the Goddess with joy, not pain, but pleasure,¡± Mohoi turned his head toward the Dwarf and grinned, then spread his arms wide and fell forward, landing like a ¡®T¡¯ on the ice. (Note 1) ¡°Uh...ah...¡± the Dwarf involuntarily turned his head away, ¡°Just looking hurts...¡± ¡°Olul is no kind deity. She loves to spread pain, torment, and despair to instill fear, just like the winter cold,¡± the old Reap crouched on the ground, watching with interest as the Tiflin lay on the ice, while explaining to the Dwarf, ¡°It is said that this Goddess resides in a palace resembling an upside-down iceberg with a honeycomb-like room where each cell has a mirror of ice, through which Olul can see any place with frozen water in the Multiverse...¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying... the Goddess Mohoi worships can see his...¡± Bruto swallowed, ¡°front?¡± ... ¡°That¡¯s the idea.¡± ¡°Then... shouldn¡¯t we... stand a bit farther away?¡± the Dwarf slowly backed away, ¡°You know, when gods get angry, it¡¯s terrifying...¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Reap jumped up decisively and ran backward, ¡°I think behind Lancelot is a good spot...¡± After a while, the expected explosion of divine power didn¡¯t occur. Mohoi stood up again, his eyes tightly closed, his body enveloped in ice, as if wearing a suit of armor made of ice blocks. Thankfully, it also covered some critical parts that others preferred not to see. ¡°I must say, your way of praying is rather unique...¡± Bruto came out from behind Lancelot as everything seemed normal, and greeted him in a relaxed tone, ¡°So, are you ready to unleash a blizzard?¡± ¡°Something seems off,¡± the Dwarf suddenly heard Lancelot¡¯s voice, as if whispering in his ear, ¡°Step back, keep quiet...¡± Lancelot¡¯s warning made Bruto also notice the anomaly. The surroundings became very cold¡ªafter all, this was the mouth of a volcano. Even though Lancelot¡¯s peculiar array had drawn away much of the heat, it had only become slightly more bearable before, but now his breath started to show as white mist; moreover, Mohoi wasn¡¯t exactly ¡®standing¡¯ on the ground, but about half a foot above the ground, practically floating in the air. The purple-skinned Tiflin suddenly opened his eyes, and everyone was immediately struck by the intense iciness in his gaze, hardly noticing how Mohoi¡¯s body transformed from that of an almost naked purple Tiflin into a beautiful humanoid female form, completely composed of blue ice. ¡°O... Olul...¡± The Werewolf shivered as he uttered the name of the deity who had suddenly descended upon the place. The intense pressure almost forced him and Bruto to the ground, but they still propped themselves up on their elbows, refusing to show complete submission to the Goddess of Ice, and the big black horse, which had been summoned earlier, had unsummoned itself and returned to its original plane. The only one who seemed unaffected was Lancelot, who was still sitting cross-legged in the same spot, maintaining the operation of the Array beneath him, but his eyes were fixed on the ground in front of him, appearing reluctant to confront. The woman formed from ice floated in front of him like a ghost and said in an icy, piercing voice: ¡°Did you help this fool?¡± ¡°Yes, he wanted to create a blizzard as a demonstration of your power,¡± Lancelot replied, keeping his head down, ¡°but he has never succeeded, and I needed something from him... from your power, so I decided to help him fulfill his wish.¡± The Goddess of Ice nodded, turning away from the Human Knight. She walked to the edge of the cliff, facing the endless thick fog below, and raised her hands. A strange sound emitted from her, sounding both like the harsh cold winds of a winter night and like a million mouths praying aloud simultaneously. A powerful force gathered in the goddess¡¯s hands, which then transformed into two bright blue Magic Spheres, plunging into the roiling sea of fog. The fog ¡®froze¡¯ at a visible speed, then a frenzied strong wind lifted it high into the air, turning it into large swaths of snowflakes, falling like raindrops, turning everything on the ground pure white. Although it was night, the abnormal weather phenomenon could be seen from a great distance. In Twin Bridges Town, most residents possessed excellent night vision, and they watched the southern Shattered Mountain Range with an almost stupefied expression, shocked and puzzled that a well-known active volcano there could be covered with snow. The lord of this town experienced something entirely different. Tijana¡¯s figure appeared at the highest tower of the castle, her eyebrows tightly knit as she stared at the summit of Fourth Peak. ¡°Lady Tijana, what is the matter?¡± the voice of the Succubus Maid Letisha resonated behind her, ¡°This aura... could it be that a True God has descended?¡± ¡°Of course not, a True God wouldn¡¯t dare to come to the Abyss; it must just be an avatar,¡± Tijana shook her beautiful head, ¡°Strange, why would a god be interested in such a forsaken place, and create such a blizzard...¡± Suddenly, Tijana¡¯s expression changed; she realized that she might have introduced Olul¡¯s priest to a particularly troublesome man. She pulled out a diamond necklace, the very gift Lancelot had given her when they first met, which she had turned into a special magical item. As long as Lancelot carried the Twin Bridges Town Emblem she had given him, either of them could establish a mental connection with a simple gesture. ¡®Lancelot, where are you?¡¯ ¡®Shattered Mountain Range, Fourth Peak, you needn¡¯t come over...¡¯ Before he could finish speaking, Tijana had already cast Teleportation Magic, appearing directly in front of Lancelot. ¡®Thank you.¡¯ Without turning back, Tijana knew, when facing a ruthless goddess, it was best not to show any fondness for anything, as it would only ignite the other¡¯s desire to destroy. ¡°Great frost maiden ¡®Olul,¡¯ welcome to the Abyss.¡± Although Tijana¡¯s hands were empty, her eyes sparkled with the red glow representing the flow of Magic Power, ¡°I am Tigana, the lord of the town below. May I ask what brings you here?¡± Chapter 475 475 499 Making a Move ?Chapter 475: Chapter 499: Making a Move? Chapter 475: Chapter 499: Making a Move? ¡®Shall we take action, then?¡¯ Tijana¡¯s mind link conveyed Lancelot¡¯s daring inquiry. The Succubus Lord wasn¡¯t surprised, as she was pondering the same question. The being that had descended into the Abyss was surely not the true form of the Goddess of Ice, but merely an avatar. The strength of an avatar lay in its connection with the true form, able to directly access the greatest number of spells that its mortal frame could bear. After the latest cataclysm in the Multiverse, it had become difficult for True Gods to leave their Divine Kingdoms. To intervene in the Mortal Realm, they had to rely on proxies or send avatars. Clearly, an avatar was not immortal, nor did it possess the reality-altering defensive capabilities of the true form, making it not invincible (Annotation 1). In Lancelot¡¯s current Spirit Perception, the Ice ¡®Goddess¡¯ before him seemed no stronger than Tijana. If it truly came to a fight, the odds of him and the Succubus Lord triumphing together were not small. ¡®Even though I know you always manage to surprise, I still underestimated your ability to escalate things,¡¯ Tijana responded through the mind link without showing any change in expression, ¡®I¡¯ll try to persuade her to cooperate first....¡¯ ¡°A Demon Lord dares to question me?¡± The eyes of the Goddess of Ice narrowed dangerously, ¡°and a succubus at that?¡± ¡°The body you¡¯re currently occupying belongs to one of my subjects, and they...¡± Tijana pointed behind her, only to awkwardly realize there was only Lancelot standing there, ¡°he is one of my followers. I sent him to negotiate with Mohoi for a way to withstand the severe cold. In return, a blizzard was exchanged. It seems he has received the blizzard, and the citizens of Twin Bridges Town are now looking at this suddenly snow-capped mountain with awe. But I wonder if that Tiflin can fulfill the rest of the agreement?¡± ¡°Oh? You Tanari have learned to keep promises now, have you?¡± Ignoring Tijana¡¯s threat, Olul¡¯s avatar floated over to Lancelot, peering down at the man who still sat cross-legged on the ground, ¡°Why do you need a way to counter the severe cold? Who are you planning to confront?¡± ¡°We plan to take a stroll through Kostcheqi¡¯s territory,¡± Tijana decided to tolerate the arrogance of the True God¡¯s avatar for the time being, ¡°as far as I¡¯m aware, you don¡¯t have a good relationship with that self-proclaimed king of the Frost Giants, the Abyssal Lord.¡± ... ¡°Wasn¡¯t that ugly fool captured by Zariel?¡± The icy-blue woman turned her head and stared at the Succubus Lord with cold eyes devoid of warmth. ¡°You intend to take over that plane?¡± ¡°Not at all, I just fancy the treasury left unattended by its master.¡± ¡°Thief,¡± Olul¡¯s avatar summarized bluntly. She pointed at Lancelot, who still sat quietly, ¡°This man... is he the one to carry out your mission?¡± Meanwhile, the voice of Olul reached Lancelot¡¯s mind through the mind link: ¡®You¡¯ve aided my priest, which is good. Now, would you like to become a follower and receive my blessing?¡¯ ¡®Yes, he is one of my finest warriors,¡¯ Tijana¡¯s voice also echoed in Lancelot¡¯s mind, but it was clearly not addressed to him. ¡°I do not worship any deities, madam,¡± Lancelot spoke openly, ¡°Besides, I know too little about you, which makes it difficult to form any faith.¡± ¡°Fear forms the basis of faith for my followers, foolish mortal. I will help you establish that.¡± The icy-blue woman whirled around, instantly creating a distance of over thirty feet. She waved her hand nonchalantly and a dense power of ice and snow coalesced in her palm into a snowflake-shaped amulet. ¡°This is what you want, it will grant you the power to resist the extreme cold, but why should I give it to you?¡± Olul¡¯s priest showed the amulet to the two before opening his mouth and swallowing it in one gulp, ¡°Now, feel my power! Either submit, endure, or you could try to...¡± Countless conical ice blocks extended from her ice-blue skin, like sharp blades glistening with a cold light. Raising her hand, Olul¡¯s avatar pointed in the direction of Lancelot and Tijana, coldly declaring, ¡°Defeat me!¡± As her voice fell, a terrifying blast of ice erupted centered around the two of them. Snowflakes splattered in all directions like waves crashing against rocks, accompanied by the Goddess of Ice¡¯s frenzied, high-pitched laughter that sounded like the sharp scraping of metal across ice. Lancelot, noticing the energy converging in an instant, leaped backward, like a tree frog sensing danger. But the range of the ice blast was too large, and even though he had moved with a speed far beyond that of a normal person, the shockwave of icy energy still caught up to him. A wave of green light emanated from the Human Knight, the Protective Sword Shield of the Qingyun Sword Art activating automatically, negating most of the damage, but still, a small amount of energy managed to penetrate his body. Lancelot felt a sweetness in his throat, and a mouthful of hot blood spurted out, instantly vaporizing the thick snow on the ground. ¡°Lancelot!¡± Tijana¡¯s cry of alarm sounded from behind, as the figure of the Succubus Lord appeared from the void, seemingly unharmed. Her hand on Lancelot¡¯s back, a surge of vibrant life force instantly flowed into the Human Knight¡¯s body. This sensation was not unfamiliar to him, and the already minor injury quickly healed. ¡°I¡¯m okay now, thank you,¡± Lancelot said as he looked at Tijana with a special gaze, ¡°is it time to take action now?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made a colossal mistake!¡± The Succubus Lord didn¡¯t answer him directly, instead roaring furiously towards Olul¡¯s avatar in the distance. She disappeared from her spot, not fleeing but using high-speed movement to avoid being pinpointed, thus preparing her powerful Spell. And naturally, Lancelot wasn¡¯t going to sit idly by. He drew out Frostslash, which had been strapped to his back, and charged towards the human-like female figure made of ice. Olul¡¯s avatar¡¯s attention was immediately drawn to this rapidly approaching threat. She reached out and broke off the ice spikes that had grown from her own body, hurling them like darts at the Human Knight. However, the figure of the Human Knight sprinting forward suddenly twisted eerily, completely evading the sharp ice chunks, then dodged a second one. By the time the divine avatar thought to throw a third dart, she found that her opponent was already too close. Frostslash¡¯s blade glimmered with bright Sword Aura as it slashed down towards the head of the ice girl. The Frost Goddess looked indifferently at the Human Knight as if she disdained the power of such a mere mortal. ¡°Boom!!!!¡± The moment the blade struck the head of the icy female figure, a deafening explosion sounded. Lancelot felt as if he had struck iron felt with his sword; the shock nearly forced him to lose his grip on the weapon, followed by a powerful blast wave that flung him backward. Although Lancelot was clad in armor at the moment, his Foundation Establishment Stage strength allowed him to maintain complete control over his body. He executed an elegant spin mid-air, landing steadily on the ground. Looking up, he saw a deep crack on the ice figure¡¯s forehead; the fissure ran from the top of the skull down to the brow, parting the entire forehead in two. Regrettably, from the look of the gash, the interior of the Goddess of Ice¡¯s avatar was also entirely made of ice, no skull or brain or anything of the sort. Meaning, although the split-open appearance looked incredibly intimidating, it was only an ordinary wound, far from fatal. Chapter 476 476 500 The Arrogant Goddess ?Chapter 476: Chapter 500: The Arrogant Goddess Chapter 476: Chapter 500: The Arrogant Goddess The female figure made of ice glared fixedly at Lancelot, her eyes burning with a pale blue flame of ice, her expression angry and twisted. Coupled with the terrifying crack on her forehead, she looked both eerie and fearsome. Though only an avatar had descended here, the avatar shared the same knowledge, memories, and personality as the original¡ªit was essentially indistinguishable from the original, except in strength, though the avatar itself was unaware of this difference. She had expected that her opponent would kneel before her majesty, begging for mercy, and even if resistance occurred, it should have been easily overcome, followed by an exceptionally cruel torment, ultimately leading to submission to her will. As an exceedingly proud goddess, Olul found it hard to accept that she had been injured by a mere mortal. She completely ignored the fact that she was just an avatar, or rather, a saint, and still presumptuously believed herself to be invincible, at least against mortals. Just as she was preparing to unleash her fury on Lancelot, the figure of the Succubus Lord appeared at the other end of the battlefield. Judging by the glowing Magic Aura around her, she had prepared a powerful spell. ¡°Take this, bitch!¡± Tijana screamed without any grace, ¡°Disintegrate!¡± A thin beam of green light shot out from her fingertips, hitting Olul¡¯s avatar on the back instantly. As the green light appeared, Lancelot felt a terrifying presence that made his hair stand on end, knowing that if he were hit by that green light, he might be reduced to ash on the spot. As a high-rank Magician, Tijana could choose different overmagic abilities to enhance her magic while casting spells. Usually, she used Spell Instant Casting the most, which allowed her to complete a complex spell in a very short time, but this time was different. Facing an avatar of a True God, she needed to ensure the spell would hit the target first and foremost. ... To achieve that, the Succubus Lord used another type of overmagic ability: Circle Upcasting. Unlike Circle Upcasting, which enhances the power of a spell, Circle Upcasting reduces a target¡¯s resistance to spells. Just as Tijana planned, the spell successfully hit its target, and the icy, humanoid female¡¯s body instantly showed hundreds of cracks, as if it was about to shatter into pieces the next second. Just when Lancelot thought the woman he adored had just obliterated an avatar of a True God with a single move, a strong golden light burst forth from within the ice sculpture. In his Spirit Perception, it seemed as though reality had been altered. After the golden light, everything reverted to normal; the Goddess of Ice¡¯s avatar still looked as if her body were wrecked, but all the cracks vanished as if the destructive green light had never happened. ¡®What is going on?¡¯ Lancelot stayed on guard at his position while communicating telepathically with Tijana, ¡®What was that golden light about?¡¯ ¡°Legendary resistance! This guy used legendary resistance to evade my spell!¡± Tijana still screamed at an unnecessarily high volume, ¡°Don¡¯t ask why I¡¯m talking like this! I¡¯ll explain later! Keep fighting!¡± Lancelot looked incredulously at Tijana as she shouted as loudly as she could, while flapping her wings in the air, darting around dodging ice cone darts thrown by the Goddess of Ice. With the agility of a Succubus Lord, she naturally wouldn¡¯t be hit by darts from such a distance. Tijana dodged all the attacks, then turned again to face the Goddess of Ice, ready to cast another powerful spell. ¡®Watch your back!¡¯ Lancelot was already charging forward with his hand half sword raised, but he still kept an eye on the situation at the other end of the battlefield. Those ice cones that Tijana had dodged didn¡¯t fall to the ground but transformed into some sort of creature about three feet tall in a flash of blue and white light, resembling a goblin with wings and a skin-and-bones appearance. As soon as these strange creatures appeared, they immediately opened their mouths and sprayed a burst of intense cold air at Tijana¡¯s back. With Lancelot¡¯s warning, the Succubus Lord dodged the sneak attack from behind just in time, but the monsters immediately flapped their wings and rushed towards her, forcing her to deal with the enemy in front of her first. ¡°Damn Ice Demon Bats!¡± Tijana screamed again, raising her hand to shoot out a series of dense fireballs, trying to prevent the creatures from getting closer. Evidently, the Succubus Lord was caught in some strange negative effect, and Lancelot wasn¡¯t sure if it was caused by her own doing or some magic secretly imposed by a True God. Regardless of the situation, Lancelot couldn¡¯t allow the Goddess of Ice to take this opportunity to attack Tijana. He abruptly accelerated his speed, rushing instantly to the avatar of the Goddess of Ice, and Frostslash swung down again with astonishing force. The Saint had no choice but to shift her focus back to the Human Knight. She turned around, and a morning star made of ice (note: a weapon similar to a nail-headed hammer, named for its starburst-like head when viewed from above) magically appeared in her hand, clashing with the weapon swung by the Human Knight. Due to its excellent ability to break through armor, the morning star was one of the best choices for dealing with ¡°tin cans,¡± usually paired with a shield. After parrying the opponent¡¯s heavy weapon, it utilized the advantage of its short handle to swiftly knock the knight senseless. Lancelot had faced adversaries armed with such a weapon countless times, so his body had long since learned how to respond. Distance, the trick was to grasp the distance. This was a phrase his swordsmanship instructor had emphasized repeatedly when he was still an attendant. Lancelot didn¡¯t take the final step of the charge; instead, his body came to a stop earlier, and his longsword¡¯s action shifted from a slash to a thrust, aimed directly at his opponent¡¯s throat. The corporeal avatar of the deity responded much slower than Lancelot had anticipated, and Frostslash easily penetrated her defenses, the tip embedding deeply into the neck of the ice statue, meeting significant resistance two inches in and being quickly withdrawn by him with a defensive step back in a horizontal slash, once again widening the distance. To be fair, as a deity of the natural order, Olul was better at casting spells, and close combat was indeed not his strong suit, but that was relative to other deities. His skill with the morning star was equal to any veteran warrior, the problem was that Lancelot¡¯s martial prowess was already close to the limits of a mortal. Moreover, seeing a weapon that was a renowned killer of those in heavy armor, it was impossible to claim that he had no psychological shadow at all. Fear could either paralyze a person or stimulate extraordinary strength, and in that moment, Lancelot¡¯s speed broke through his physical limits once again, and as a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage, his physical limits were not comparable to those of an ordinary mortal. If there had been a spectator nearby at that time, they would have thought that the Human Knight had simultaneously executed both a slash and a thrust, because Lancelot¡¯s speed was simply too fast, leading the brain to involuntarily imagine the latter half of the interrupted motion. Olul¡¯s avatar was practically driven mad. A terrifying large hole appeared on her neck, and her head seemed to be split open, making her look more like an Undead creature without any pain sensation, far from any semblance of divine majesty. ¡°Moradin!!!!!!¡± As if things weren¡¯t bad enough, the roar of a dwarf and a rapidly flying heavy hammer could be heard in the distance. Chapter 477 477 501 Ice Magic Sphere ?Chapter 477: Chapter 501 Ice Magic Sphere Chapter 477: Chapter 501 Ice Magic Sphere ¡°Boom!¡± The sound of metal crashing against solid ice rang out, yet the Dwarf¡¯s hammer did not strike the Incarnation of God but was blocked by an ice wall that had appeared out of nowhere. Lancelot had seen such spells several times before, but none could compare to the works of the Goddess of Ice. What materialized in front of him was practically a fortress made of ice, impregnable by his sword and the Dwarf¡¯s hammer. However, Kalalin once mentioned a simple principle, ¡°Magic must be defeated by magic.¡± To deal with this ice wall, surely the spells of the Succubus Lord would be more effective. As Lancelot retreated, he turned his head to check on Tijana. He witnessed the fate of the three Ice Demon Bats: self-destruction. These frail magical creatures, of course, could not withstand the powerful Tijana, but suicide explosions were one of their intended purposes. Accompanied by a dazzling white light, the bats exploded simultaneously, sending out numerous sharp ice blades that covered a ten-foot radius around the center of the explosion. Faced with this attack, even with Tijana¡¯s agile movement technique, she couldn¡¯t avoid it completely. She could only wrap her large wings tightly around her body as those razor-sharp ice shards flew across her beautiful bat wings. ¡°Tijana!¡± Lancelot yelled anxiously, his figure darted over like an arrow released from its bow, and he caught her in his arms before she hit the ground. ¡°I actually could have stood on my own!¡± Tijana opened her eyes in Lancelot¡¯s arms and screamed at him from close range with the loudest volume she could muster, ¡°But I didn¡¯t move on purpose! To make you run over and hold me!¡± ... ¡°Yah-hah!¡± Bruto protested loudly not far away, ¡°There are other people here!¡± ¡°Uh...¡± Lancelot¡¯s face fell, ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that, but it would have been better if only I had heard it.¡± ¡°Sorry! I forgot that right now I can only yell when I speak!¡± Tijana, blushing profusely, pushed Lancelot away and yelled at Bruto, ¡°Forget it! You didn¡¯t hear anything just now!¡± ¡°Whoa! What happened? Why am I here?¡± the Dwarf Warrior shouted back in an extremely exaggerated tone, ¡°What¡¯s that? An ice fortress! How beautiful! Surely there isn¡¯t an incarnation of a deity inside wanting to kill us, right?¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± Tijana¡¯s voice suddenly returned to normal, ¡°Thank God, the Wave Surge has finally ended... You all stand back!¡± The Human Knight and Dwarf Warrior immediately stepped back, watching as the Succubus Lord began to cast a complex spell. With her gestures and incantations, a powerful energy converged in her hands, a Magic Aura appeared out of nowhere around Tijana, growing increasingly bright. When the brightness reached a certain limit, Lancelot knew the spell had been completed. ¡°If I start showing any other abnormalities in a bit, don¡¯t be surprised,¡± Tijana suddenly turned to Lancelot and said, ¡°This is the price of wild magic.¡± Before Lancelot could reply, Tijana released the spell she held in her hands. Lancelot felt a wave of heat rush toward him, as if he were standing in front of a fiercely burning forge. A storm filled with searing smog was conjured by her, covering at least a fifty-foot radius and completely enveloping the fortress made of ice. Even though the fortress¡¯s ice was constructed by the Goddess of Ice¡¯s Saint, it couldn¡¯t withstand the terrible high temperature. Although the thick smog blocked everyone¡¯s view, it was still evident that the fortress was rapidly shrinking, clearly melting away. ¡°Won¡¯t this burn Mohoi to death as well?¡± Bruto asked worriedly as he watched the dense smoke, ¡°What a pity, I haven¡¯t yet tried the ice slush he made...¡± ¡°That Tiflin Priest? He probably died the moment Olul descended,¡± Tijana shrugged her shoulders, and seeing Lancelot¡¯s questioning gaze, she continued to explain, ¡°In the face of a True God¡¯s will, mortal souls are like ants, weak and insignificant. When a True God descends through the body of a believer, the soul originally in that body is instantly crushed, unless the True God intentionally protects it. But given the Goddess of Ice¡¯s cold and cruel nature, I don¡¯t think She would bother to do that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too harsh...¡± Bruto stuck out his tongue from his thick beard, ¡°What was Mohoi¡¯s original goal? To create a blizzard to prove his goddess¡¯s greatness? And yet he ended up like this...¡± ¡°You think he¡¯s pitiful?¡± the Succubus Lord glanced at the dwarf, ¡°For most priests, merging with their revered deity is their ultimate pursuit, even if they know the outcome, Mohoi would likely do it again.¡± ¡°But is it worth it?¡± Lancelot gazed at the continuously rolling smoke, ¡°To become part of something greater, yet give up one¡¯s own existence?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s not worth it, but that¡¯s just my answer. As foolish as it sounds, since mortals possess free will, it¡¯s not surprising that they make such choices,¡± Tijana said, her interest clear as she looked at Lancelot, ¡°If there¡¯s an appropriate opportunity, I would very much like to discuss this topic with you in depth, but we still have a problem to solve¡ªOlul isn¡¯t so easily dealt with...¡± Before Tijana could finish her words, a chilling strong wind suddenly burst from the center of the searing smog, dispersing the smoke in all directions. Everyone had to shield their eyes with their arms at that moment, and when the smoke had completely cleared, they saw the Goddess of Ice, standing unscathed, all her frightening wounds fully healed. ¡°What?¡± Despair shone in Bruto¡¯s eyes, ¡°Was all that effort in vain?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lose heart, dwarf, She can¡¯t possibly use that level of power indefinitely,¡± Tijana said sharply as she flapped her wings and flew into the air, her hands lighting up again with magical glow, ¡°Let us try again...¡± She couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. Around Olul¡¯s incarnation, three Ice Magic Spheres, the size of fists and floating in mid-air, had appeared. The spheres emitted a bright white light, and Lancelot immediately felt a dreadful suction force. This force was special, resembling a vortex of nature¡¯s spiritual energy. Despite exerting all his strength, he was still unable to resist it. The next second, he found himself ¡®imprisoned¡¯ inside one of the Ice Magic Spheres, feeling as if an entire glacier was pressing down on him, rendering him completely immobile, while the cold incessantly invaded his body. Yet Lancelot could still see the surroundings through the ice, such as Bruto who was trapped in another Ice Magic Sphere. He then realized he was falling rapidly, hitting the ground heavily, which was very muddy from the melting snow. It seemed that after pulling him inside, the Ice Magic Sphere had lost its ability to float. Chapter 478 478 502 In Whose Name ?Chapter 478: Chapter 502: In Whose Name Chapter 478: Chapter 502: In Whose Name Olul¡¯s incarnation extended her hands toward the Magic Sphere entrapping Lancelot, a blue magic aura shimmering in her palm, but someone was faster than her actions. A terrifying tremor suddenly erupted from underground; the earth rolled like a sea whipped by ferocious winds, tipping Olul¡¯s incarnation onto the ground and causing the two Magic Spheres containing Lancelot and Bruto to roll away from their creator. This was Tijana¡¯s technique, and it was clear that such Ice Magic Spheres could not trap the powerful Succubus Lord. Moreover, as the target of this earthquake spell was the ground, Tijana could choose the ability of Spell Instant Casting without worrying about the strong spell resistance of a True God¡¯s incarnation. Although he could not hear the outside sounds, Lancelot could see the Succubus Lord hovering in the air, occasionally stopping to hurl colorful spells, then swiftly flying away. Olul retaliated with Ice Cone Darts, each transforming into a shrieking, self-destructing Ice Demon Bat, crazily charging at Tijana like moths to a flame. The two seemed evenly matched and, for the moment, paid no attention to the prisoners trapped in the Ice Magic Spheres. However, Lancelot was not about to sit idly by. Although his body was immobilized, as long as his consciousness was not comatose, his Spiritual Cultivation still afforded him the capability to resist. Lancelot concentrated hard, carefully sensing the magical power that trapped him. In a profoundly mysterious manner, he perceived the essence of his prison and realized that with unwavering willpower, he could break free from the magical bonds. He visualized his Divine Sense coalescing into a Great Sword, striking fiercely at the chains wrapped around him. The Magic Sphere that trapped Lancelot vibrated intensely, almost bouncing off the swamp-like ground, yet it did not shatter. Though it was a failed attempt, it greatly bolstered the Human Knight¡¯s confidence; he knew he was close, and with a few more attempts, he was certain to succeed. Just then, a furry hand suddenly grabbed the Magic Sphere he was in and quickly moved in a direction away from the intense battle between the two women, while the oblivious Goddess of Ice, facing away, either did not notice or could not afford to care. ... It was Reap who had been lurking all along. As an experienced Wanderer, the Werewolf knew how to handle combat well. Against relatively weaker foes, he would face them head-on with his twin swords, easily resolving the fight with his enhanced strength and agility in his beast form; but facing formidable adversaries such as High Rank Demons or a True God¡¯s incarnation, he would resolutely hide, patiently waiting for the optimal moment to act. The Werewolf grabbed an Ice Magic Sphere with one hand and sprinted across the seismic ravaged battlefield, hiding behind a massive black rock. Once he confirmed his temporary safety, he quickly set the Magic Sphere on the ground, his hands already purple from the sphere¡¯s chill. Reap tried to communicate with the prisoner inside, but unfortunately, Lancelot could only see his lips moving up and down, unable to hear any sounds. However, the Werewolf seemed unfazed; he set the Magic Sphere down on the ground and made a fist gesture, then rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a tightly wrapped flat bottle containing a thick, orange-red liquid. The bottle contained Fire Gel, an alchemical substance that would ignite instantly upon contact with air, one of the most common items for adventurers. The Werewolf unsealed the bottle and poured its contents over the two Ice Magic Spheres, which immediately caught fire. The seemingly indestructible Magic Spheres trembled violently in the flames; Lancelot then launched another willpower assault, shattering the Magic Sphere that trapped him. Freed from the magic¡¯s bonds, his body quickly returned to its original size, falling to the nearby ground. He skillfully rolled to extinguish the flames sticking to him and then swiftly stood up. ¡°Thanks,¡± he nodded at the Werewolf, ¡°I owe you one.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it; you did more for us back at Oasis Fort,¡± the Werewolf grinned, showing his teeth, then glanced at the other Ice Magic Sphere, ¡°What¡¯s with this guy, why hasn¡¯t he come out yet?¡± Lancelot knew that his ability to quickly escape was because he had discovered the trick, whereas the Dwarf might have to wait for the Magic Sphere to completely melt. Noticing that the Ice Magic Sphere was not melting quickly under the effect of the Fire Gel, he decided to slightly intensify the flame¡¯s strength. Lancelot took a deep breath, then puffed out a breath full of Abyssal Aura toward the burning Magic Sphere. Despite being extra careful, Lancelot still had not controlled his strength well. The ice sphere exploded almost immediately, and the burning dwarf instantly returned to his normal size, being blasted dozens of feet into the air amidst agonizing screams before crashing down into the nearby snow. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him, did I?¡± Lancelot scratched his head, ¡°What are the requirements for a priest¡¯s Resurrection of the Dead? Intact corpse, death not exceeding seven days?¡± ¡°I think you still don¡¯t understand dwarves well enough,¡± Old Reap said, leaning relaxed against the boulder behind him. ¡°Wahaha! I finally got out!¡± Before the werewolf could finish speaking, Bruto burst out of the snow, ¡°Thanks, big brother! I feel a lot warmer now!¡± ¡°See?¡± Old Reap shrugged at Lancelot, then patted the boulder behind him, ¡°I suggest we wait here for a while. That avatar of Olul is definitely no match for Tijana...¡± ¡°Waaaaah! For the glory of Moradin!!!¡± He couldn¡¯t finish his sentence because the dwarf, already brandishing his hammer and shield like a bull with a lit tail, charged out. Lancelot gave him a chuckle and pulled the Giant Sword Glacier from the Dimensional Bag at his waist. ¡°It seems you don¡¯t know the dwarves that well either.¡± The last word escaped him, and the Human Knight also charged out. Although a few seconds behind the dwarf, he almost instantly caught up with him and overtook Bruto. ¡°Aaaaahhhhhhh!!!!¡± Inspired by the dwarf, Lancelot also let out a loud battle cry, but he wasn¡¯t quite sure what to shout. He had no deities to believe in, lost his lord to swear fealty to, and shouting ¡®For Tijana!¡¯ would be too embarrassing, especially since the Succubus Lord herself probably wouldn¡¯t appreciate it¡ªLancelot really had a knack for provoking enemies far stronger than himself. The biggest difference between the Multiverse and the world Lancelot was familiar with was that creatures powerful enough rarely died for good. There were too many ways to avoid accidental death and even Resurrection of the Dead was not a surprise. Thus, in most cases, letting those who suffered heavily know Lancelot¡¯s true identity was not a good idea. After much thought, the Human Knight decided to follow the method recommended by Lord Han in the little bamboo scroll. He took another deep breath and shouted out as loud and joyously as he could: ¡°In the name of Moro, the ¡®necrophiliac¡¯ of Oasis Fort, die!!!!¡± Chapter 479 479 503 Wild Magic ?Chapter 479: Chapter 503: Wild Magic Chapter 479: Chapter 503: Wild Magic ¡°` The frost-formed, humanoid female was drawn by their battle cries, and with some surprise, she turned her head just in time to see Lancelot leap high into the air, his Great Sword swinging down towards her head. Lancelot¡¯s movement technique was so swift it was almost inconceivable; the Incarnation of God had no time to dodge at that moment. Instantly, she formed an Ice Shield in her hand, attempting to block the Human Knight¡¯s overhead cleave with the Great Sword. Though he still had room for adjustments, Lancelot chose to complete his attack. The heavy Cold Iron Greatsword, like a catapult¡¯s launched projectile, slammed onto the Ice Shield, creating a teeth-gritting, high-pitched sonic boom. Knowing that his strike wouldn¡¯t penetrate her defense, Lancelot had readied his next move: using the rebound force, he shot upwards, executed a circus-like forward roll in mid-air, and once again swung his Great Sword towards the top of his opponent¡¯s head. His consecutive attacks were incredibly fast, and Olul¡¯s Incarnation was still trembling from the initial overhead strike, utterly unable to dodge in time. She could only force herself to lift the shield above her head to block this attack, but this left her lower body completely unprotected, fully exposed to another creature that favored attacking the lower body. Though not as fast as Lancelot, Bruto arrived just in time. The Dwarf suddenly lunged forward, using the shield as a skateboard beneath him, skimming close to the ground towards his opponent. Upon reaching right beneath the frost-formed figure¡¯s feet, he suddenly stood up, simultaneously delivering a long-prepared hammer strike. This Dwarf Combat Technique functioned somewhat like a Human¡¯s leaping cleave, only the direction was from the bottom up, and the target of the attack was Bruto¡¯s favorite¡ªknees. ... Nearly every Dwarf possesses a special racial talent for intuitively finding critical stress points within a structure. This ability allows them to construct mines, tunnels, and even fortresses and cities in the deep underground, as well as identify the best striking positions to disrupt an enemy¡¯s balance during lightning-fast combat. Though he never realized it, Bruto also had this talent. Very naturally, the Warhammer adjusted its path in mid-swing, hitting the Incarnation of the Goddess¡¯s knee at a special angle. Accompanied by a crisp sound like a Blacksmith Hammer striking an Iron Anvil, the right leg of the Incarnation of the Winter Goddess twisted into a bizarre angle. Her body began uncontrollably tilting to one side, but at that very moment, the attack from above arrived. Lancelot seized this fleeting flaw, the Great Sword¡¯s tip stabbing down into the enemy¡¯s left shoulder, then transitioning into a slicing motion, letting the Sword Blade saw through the incision made by the tip. Lancelot and a piece of her frost-formed arm hit the ground together, while at the same time, a green beam also hit the back of the Incarnation of God. It was another Disintegration Spell from Tijana. Ever since the battle started, the Succubus Lord had been firing on all cylinders, like a well-maintained, amply-supplied siege crossbow, continually releasing one potent spell after another. Thanks to the brief respite won by the Dwarf and the Human Knight, Tijana was able to use her super magical abilities again. In the prior clashes, Olul¡¯s Incarnation had already exhausted her Legendary Immunity, unable to stop this fatal spell from taking effect. There were no dazzling flashes or violent explosions, the frost-formed humanoid female silently disintegrated into dust-like fine ice particles, which were completely dispersed by the still-raging Blizzard. Where the Saint once stood, Mohoi¡¯s body appeared, seemingly unscathed on the outside, but Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception clearly told him, that what lay there was nothing more than a corpse. ¡°` ¡°He froze to death,¡± Reap, who had been staying at the back, finally came forward and turned Tiflin¡¯s body over. ¡°Only those who die from severe cold show such a smile.¡± Lancelot and Bruto looked on silently, seeing Mohoi¡¯s face bearing a mysterious expression, half-smiling, as if, in the moment of death, he was unsure whether he felt pain or pleasure. Besides, his bare skin was marked with numerous bright red patterns typical of frostbite. ¡°This body seems quite intact; can we resurrect him?¡± Bruto looked up at Lancelot and said, ¡°I mean, we weren¡¯t actually fighting him just now, were we?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use, his soul is already with Olul. If you cast Resurrection on him, you¡¯ll get nothing but a walking corpse,¡± Tijana also descended and, with purple Spiritual Light emanating from her hands, the corpse sat up under the spell, then after a bout of dry heaving, spat out a snowflake-shaped amulet. ¡°Olul took his soul, and this thing killed his body,¡± Tijana¡¯s fingertips extended into long claws, picking up the amulet from the ground. She slightly closed her eyes to feel it, then casually tossed the amulet to Lancelot, ¡°Really stingy, it¡¯s not even legendary...¡± ¡°What is this?¡± Lancelot pinched a Dharma Decree, cleaning off the sticky filth on the surface of the amulet, ¡°It can resist damage from the cold? But then how did Mohoi die?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Protector of the Ice Maiden, allowing up to eight creatures to gain resistance to cold, but it requires a special ceremony to activate,¡± Tijana shrugged. ¡°You must hold this amulet in one hand and a block of ice larger than your palm in the other, melting the ice completely with your body heat... The ceremony must be completed in a snowy environment, better at night. Take it back for the Scholar to examine; his Identification Spell will provide more detailed information.¡± ¡°That sounds really troublesome,¡± Bruto, leaning on his hammer, stretched lazily, ¡°But that was truly an epic battle just now, did you see that hammer of mine? It was a game-changing blow, I¡¯ll relish it for years to come...¡± ¡°You¡¯ll forget it by next month, I guarantee,¡± Lancelot laughed, shaking his head, ¡°And besides, it was actually Tijana¡¯s magic that decided the victory... uh, what¡¯s going on with you?¡± Spectral petals and butterflies continuously floated out of the body of the Succubus Lord, paired with her beautiful face and a chest that heaved slightly due to panting, almost rendering Lancelot speechless. ¡°Wow, big sis, what¡¯s going on with you?¡± Bruto scratched his head curiously, ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re...¡± Lancelot moved almost instantly to cover the Dwarf¡¯s mouth, stopping him from saying what he was about to say. Watching Tijana¡¯s puzzled face due to his sudden intense movement, Lancelot knew he had once again saved the Dwarf¡¯s life. ¡°My body harbors wild magic power, each time I cast a spell, it could provoke a surge of magic power,¡± the Succubus Lord seemed to misunderstand, casually waving her hand, releasing more petal illusions, ¡°Most times, it¡¯s harmless consequences like these illusions now, or screaming as soon as I speak. But sometimes the consequences are severe, such as being turned into a flower pot or a Quasimodo Demon, being temporarily exiled to the Stellar Realm, or even instant death.¡± Chapter 480 480 504 Tijanas Dissatisfaction ?Chapter 480: Chapter 504: Tijana¡¯s Dissatisfaction Chapter 480: Chapter 504: Tijana¡¯s Dissatisfaction ¡°The uncertainty is just too great...¡± Lancelot said, a bit dazed. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I now have some control over Wave Surge, allowing me to foresee several possible outcomes and make one reality, helping me avoid the worst scenarios,¡± Tijana explained to the Human Knight, swaying her body to release more illusions of petals and butterflies, ¡°What do you think? Looks beautiful, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Breathtakingly beautiful.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Tijana smiled at him, then waved her hand to summon a portal. ¡°Alright, that settles it. I¡¯ll send you all back... except for you, Lancelot. We need to talk.¡± The four stepped through the portal and appeared in Tijana¡¯s castle. The Werewolf left quickly with the young Dwarf, leaving the Human Knight somewhat nervously standing still. ¡°Tijana, are you upset with me because of the slogan I shouted during the fight?¡± Lancelot started cautiously, ¡°I just wanted to confuse the enemy, after all, it was just an incarnation and wouldn¡¯t actually die...¡± ¡°I am a bit upset, but not about that.¡± Tijana turned around, frowning at him, ¡°What had I told you? If that Priest wanted any compensation, to leave the negotiation to me. Look what you ended up creating? A Saint! Luckily, it¡¯s one of the weaker ones, and I discovered the issue in time...¡± ... ¡°Hey, calm down, stay cool,¡± Lancelot confidently approached and held the angry Succubus in his arms, ¡°I am really sorry, and I¡¯m glad you were here to help today...¡± ¡°No, this isn¡¯t the first time. Last time it was the Mother of Demons, this time the Goddess of Winter, what will be next? I can¡¯t keep showing up every time you find yourself in a dire situation!¡± Tijana pounded her fist heavily against his plate armor, creating a very loud impact, ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you that you can communicate with me anytime using that emblem? Create a blizzard... If you¡¯re unsure of the consequences, it¡¯s best to consult a professional!¡± ¡°I know I was wrong,¡± Lancelot held the beauty in his arms even tighter, ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to bother you...¡± ¡°I am being very serious with you,¡± Tijana glared fiercely at him, ¡°No matter how busy, I always have time for a chat with you. Promise me, from now on, if you¡¯re undertaking any action that might be dangerous, at least notify me, okay?¡± ¡°I promise you,¡± Lancelot nodded solemnly, emphasizing, ¡°My beloved.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your beloved!¡± Tijana pouted, ¡°Alright, let me go now...¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let go,¡± Lancelot refused decisively, ¡°Opportunities like this are rare.¡± ¡°My maid, Cynthia, is coming with two Dwarfs, and they¡¯re less than fifteen feet behind you around the corner.¡± ¡°What a wonderful day, the weather outside is really nice, my lady,¡± Lancelot almost instantly released the Succubus Lord and stepped back to a suitable distance, ¡°You must have something very important to discuss... oh, hi! Miss Cynthia, delighted to see you!¡± ¡°Good evening, Sir Lancelot.¡± The figure who came from around the corner was a succubus with pale blue long hair and sheep-like, curved horns, her pale red eyes twinkling with curiosity, ¡°How do you know my name? We haven¡¯t met before, have we?¡± ¡°Lady Tijana just told me,¡± Lancelot said, awkwardly touching his nose, ¡°I assume you are here to see her, right?¡± ¡°Not I, but the two gentlemen behind me.¡± The Succubus Maid turned to reveal the two reserved bearded dwarves following her, ¡°This is Gadein Stonewoven and Shano Stonewoven. The Chief Commissioner of Braunville mentioned that they are here for the assignment you had previously given.¡± ¡°Well done, you may leave now,¡± Tijana had regained her commanding tone, ¡°You two, come with me; we¡¯ll talk elsewhere. And you, Sir, you come too.¡± Lancelot touched his nose, obediently following Tijana with the two purple-bearded dwarves into an inconspicuous small room. In the center of the room, there was an oval long table with a very comfortable chair at the head, duly occupied by the Succubus Lord. ¡°So you two are the finest weapon enchanters from Twin Bridges Town. Tell me, what viable plans do you have?¡± Tijana snapped her fingers, and purple flames lit up on the wall sconces. Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception immediately alerted him that some kind of force field had isolated the entire room. ¡°Honorable Lady Tijana, following your command, we collected all the enchantments that might be useful against creatures of the cold type,¡± one of the dwarves with a wine-red nose promptly responded, ¡°There are several viable plans, including enchantments, inlays, and completely new forges...¡± ¡°Start with enchantments,¡± Tijana glanced at Lancelot, ¡°Let¡¯s hear which might suit you.¡± ¡°Alright, enchantments are my specialty,¡± another dwarf began, and although it was expected, her feminine voice still surprised Lancelot, ¡°First is the simple but useful Blaze Enchantment. It allows the weapon to emit flames that do not harm the bearer, inflicting extra burn damage on the enemy during an attack. It can be activated by a simple command word when needed, and can be turned off after the fight, without usage limitations. However, its power is not much stronger than a regular torch, and many times, that¡¯s precisely its function...¡± ¡°I can perform such simple enchantments as well,¡± Tijana waved her hand dismissively, ¡°Move on to something more powerful. Cost isn¡¯t a concern, you know that, right?¡± ¡°Yes, the Chief Commissioner of Braunville emphasized that,¡± the female dwarf rubbed her hands excitedly, ¡°Let me say once more, the Blaze really is the most cost-effective choice, but disregarding cost, I also have Flame Burst and Ignite as enchantments. The former is a comprehensive enhancement of the Blaze Enchantment, which bursts into a ball of flame that doesn¡¯t harm the user when the attack accumulates enough power; the latter can ignite the target immediately upon a hit. This might be meaningless for most Fiends, but it works very well against Frost Giants, as they won¡¯t focus on anything else before putting out the flames on their body.¡± ¡°That sounds really good,¡± Lancelot said with interest, ¡°Are there any special requirements for the weapon?¡± ¡°Only one enchantment can be on each weapon; if there is already another enchantment, the original must first be removed,¡± the female dwarf offered Lancelot a warm smile, ¡°You have two weapons, right? Both crafted by Master Barrend Frostforge, a 4-foot hand half sword ¡®Frostslash,¡¯ and a 7-foot great sword ¡®Glacier.¡¯ May I see them?¡± Chapter 481 481 505 Weapon Enchantment ?Chapter 481: Chapter 505: Weapon Enchantment Chapter 481: Chapter 505: Weapon Enchantment Lancelot nodded upon hearing the words, removed the Frostslash that was on his back, and took out the Giant Sword Glacier from his Dimensional Bag, placing the two weapons side by side on the table. ¡°By Moradin above, this really is huge...¡± The two Dwarves exclaimed in unison at the astonishing size of the Glacier, giving Lancelot a sense of inexplicable satisfaction. ¡°You know they¡¯re talking about your sword, right?¡± Tijana said, her face bearing a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile, as she looked at Lancelot askance. ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Lancelot nodded somewhat awkwardly, ¡°These weapons are forged from cold iron, they are quite effective against Fiends, but wouldn¡¯t this material conflict with Fire System enchantments?¡± ¡°Indeed it does have an effect. When the power of the Enchantment is activated, it will suppress the properties of cold iron, no longer negating the innate armor of the Fiends. However, when you¡¯re truly battling with Fiends, you wouldn¡¯t need the power of flame...¡± The male Dwarf kept his head down as he spoke, intently inspecting Lancelot¡¯s weapons so much that he didn¡¯t notice a small portion of his beard being sliced off by the sharp sword blade. Seeing his increasingly furrowed brow, Lancelot became somewhat curious and asked, ¡°The condition of these two swords should be quite good, right? I¡¯ve always made sure to maintain them well...¡± ... ¡°Well... I¡¯m afraid... actually... it¡¯s not that good.¡± The male Dwarf raised his head with a complicated expression, pointing to several inconspicuous striations on the spine of the sword, ¡°See these ¡®scars¡¯, they only appear when a sword is on the verge of breaking. I¡¯m certainly not questioning Master Barrend¡¯s craftsmanship, but he might not understand your way of fighting...¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lancelot was even more puzzled, ¡°My fighting style isn¡¯t... particularly unusual, right?¡± Lancelot suddenly realized that with his strength after Foundation Establishment... there might indeed be a problem. ¡°A skilled blacksmith can understand what a weapon is saying.¡± The male Dwarf¡¯s fingers glided over the spine of Frostslash, his eyes misty as he said, ¡°This sword says it is very happy to be wielded by you. When it was first forged, it never imagined that so many enemies would die beneath its kiss. But your strength is too great, it¡¯s overburdened, merely relying on...¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± The female Dwarf elbowed her companion in the side, ¡°Sir, let me translate for you. This sword was designed with a balance of hardness and toughness in mind, but from the marks on the blade, it seems more like it has been wielded by a steel golem. The internal stress has accumulated to a certain level, and it¡¯s very close to the critical point.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Lancelot roughly understood the other¡¯s meaning, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you discovered this in time, the consequences could have been unimaginable if it had broken during combat. What about the Glacier? Although I don¡¯t use it often, I delivered my heaviest attacks with it.¡± ¡°The condition of this greatsword is much better, as it was indeed designed for full-force cleaving.¡± The female Dwarf shrugged her shoulders, ¡°For the best enchantment effect, we need to reforge them in their forging furnaces, which would be a good opportunity for Master Barrend to repair and... modify them. As for the choice of enchantments, my recommendation is to enchant the hand half sword with Ignite, and the two-handed great sword with Flame Burst, this combination would achieve the best effect.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°And my companions, their weapons need enchantments as well...¡± ¡°We have already investigated that,¡± the male Dwarf took over, ¡°The son of Master Barrend uses a Dwarven Flying Hammer, which already possesses powerful magic. My suggestion is not to replace the enchantment, but simply to replace the Earth Crystal embedded in it with a gemstone imbued with the power of the Fire Element. The Nail-headed Hammer of the Elf Priest Alamir is also a magic weapon, its disintegration effect is already sufficient, and since melee is not his primary combat method, it need not be altered. As for Miss Elizabeth, she has more options, but I would not recommend a Fire System enchantment...¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Lancelot raised his eyebrows curiously, ¡°I thought lighting it up would be quite suitable for her.¡± ¡°Such enchantments emit a glaring flame upon activation, and as far as I know, Miss Elizabeth is a Wanderer. Holding two glowing weapons is not a good idea; it would make it hard for her to disengage from combat or to avoid attracting unnecessary attention,¡± explained the male Dwarf patiently, ¡°Shanno and I had a little debate about this, but neither of us could persuade the other...¡± ¡°I think the enchantment should be sharp, making the wound bleed severely,¡± interjected the female Dwarf, ¡°Miss Elizabeth is a Vampire... from the Blood Race, right? She should have the ability to draw power from blood, and this enchantment would pair well with her racial talent...¡± ¡°I told her, not all from the Blood Race relish that ability; some even view it as a curse... at least that¡¯s how a few of my colleagues who were attacked by Vampires feel,¡± the male Dwarf shook his head dramatically, ¡°I suggest the Paralyze enchantment, which can reduce the pain of the wound. Many excellent Dwarven physicians apply this enchantment to their scalpels, and it works wonderfully.¡± ¡°But what good does that do?¡± the Succubus Lord suddenly spoke up, ¡°If the enemy doesn¡¯t feel pain, wouldn¡¯t that make them tougher to handle?¡± ¡°Lord Tijana, you are indeed correct, but if Miss Elizabeth isn¡¯t responsible for the front line combat, then this enchantment is more beneficial than detrimental,¡± Gadein, the male Dwarf, replied with utmost respect, facing the Succubus Lord¡¯s doubt, ¡°In the heat of battle, the enemy might because of lack of pain perceive her as a less significant threat, thereby focusing their attention on others who appear more dangerous...¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s the one!¡± Lancelot and Tijana exclaimed in unison, which caused a peculiar expression on the Dwarves¡¯ faces as they had also heard rumors about the mysterious and beautiful Vampire girl¡¯s background. ¡°Cough cough, Elizabeth is like a sister to both me and Lord Tijana,¡± Lancelot coughed twice, quickly changing the subject, ¡°Plus there¡¯s old Reap, that Werewolf also uses a pair of short swords...¡± ¡°There¡¯s no budget for him,¡± the Succubus Lord immediately interrupted, ¡°And that guy likes to coat his weapons with ointments to deal with different enemies, you don¡¯t need to worry about him.¡± ¡°This...¡± Lancelot scratched his head, ¡°Is that really okay?¡± ¡°His main job is to pull your carriage,¡± Tijana shrugged, ¡°According to past reports, former agent Reap will definitely not waste any effort on anything beyond the objective of the mission. Okay, masters, take these two swords and get to work now, I will send someone with the others¡¯ weapons later.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Lancelot stood up, watching as the two Dwarven Artisans left, ¡°Once the weapons are ready, we can depart.¡± ¡°Yeah... off again...¡± Tijana responded absently, her fingers mindlessly tracing circles on the armrest of her chair. Then, as if making up her mind, she took out a small handkerchief from her bosom, ¡°I have something else for you, it¡¯s not completely finished yet, but it should be enough for now...¡± Chapter 482 482 506 Tijanas World ?Chapter 482: Chapter 506 Tijana¡¯s World Chapter 482: Chapter 506 Tijana¡¯s World ¡°Fantastic,¡± Lancelot said, despite Spirit Perception clearly telling him that the handkerchief was out of the ordinary. ¡°When I¡¯m travelling through the steel-bitten frost of the Iron Ice Plains, where the chill cuts to the bone, I¡¯ll be glad of the handkerchief you gave me, drawing warmth from its lingering heat...¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Tijana¡¯s beautiful face showed a distinct daze. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Nothing, I¡¯ve just been reading some nonsense lately. Go on...¡± ¡°If you have that kind of need, perhaps I could offer you something more practical,¡± the Succubus Lord said, giving him a look filled with sympathy and understanding as she unfolded the silk handkerchief layer by layer. ¡°But indeed, this will provide some warmth for you, allowing you to temporarily escape that dreadful dimension...¡± As the Succubus Lord performed her action, Lancelot¡¯s mouth opened wider and wider in surprise. The handkerchief seemed to have no thickness, and after being unfolded seven consecutive times, it turned from a small piece into a five-foot square blanket, with a portal to another dimension in the middle. The scene inside showed another stone room that bore a style much like a Dwarven bunk in the Craftsmen¡¯s District. ¡°Is this a... permanent portal?¡± Lancelot asked hesitantly. ¡°Where does it lead to?¡± ¡°To my world, but it¡¯s still under construction,¡± Tijana shrugged, standing up and walking to the edge of the portal, extending her hand toward Lancelot. ¡°Want to come in and have a look?¡± ¡°Delighted.¡± Lancelot took the Succubus Lord¡¯s extended hand and together they stepped onto the handkerchief spread out on the table. Passing through the portal was a peculiar experience; on this side was a hole in the ground, while on the other side, the entrance was revealed as a door in a wall. The world seemed to rotate ninety degrees in an instant, but beyond a brief visual disorientation, there was no discomfort. They emerged in a room that could only be described as spartan, with walls and ceiling of plain stone bricks. Apart from a shining crystal the size of a helmet in a corner, there was no furniture or decoration whatsoever. ... ¡°Just like I said, it¡¯s still under construction here.¡± Tijana¡¯s face reddened slightly as if she were making an excuse. ¡°Let¡¯s go outside, the scenery there is a bit more interesting.¡± Only then did Lancelot notice an inconspicuous door on the opposite wall, as if it hadn¡¯t been there a second ago. He followed the Succubus through that door into what could only be described as a bleak expanse. Above him was a gray, sunless sky, and beneath his feet dry, lifeless earth without a hint of green. A few fortresses bearing the distinctive Dwarf style were scattered about, just like the building he had just left, and there was no indication that anyone had ever lived there. Lancelot¡¯s gaze drifted to the distance. Less than half a mile away, thick mist encircled the area like an unbroken wall, marking what seemed like the edge of the world. A stream with its source hidden within the mist flowed calmly by, its end also concealed in the fog. The water was exceptionally clear, seemingly drinkable, but it, too, showed no signs of life. ¡°Where exactly is this?¡± Lancelot asked again, curious, ¡°Are those fortresses built by the Dwarven artisans from Twin Bridges Town?¡± ¡°No, I built them myself. You are the first living creature to come here besides me,¡± Tijana said with pride on her face, ¡°This is a demi-plane created by me and for my use only.¡± ¡°Wow, that must be a truly remarkable achievement,¡± Lancelot promptly caught the hint of expectation hidden beneath the pride, ¡°However... please forgive my ignorance, I only recently learned about the concept of planes, but what is a demi-plane exactly?¡± ¡°Sigh, you don¡¯t know? Then you truly haven¡¯t experienced my greatness...¡± Although she said this, Tijana¡¯s face still showed a smug expression, ¡°How do I explain this to someone like you who knows nothing of the arcane? Simply put, demi-planes and planes are essentially the same, space formed in various ways, each with its own independent magic and material rules. The only difference is that demi-planes are not infinite in space, just as you see.¡± ¡°So, is that thick fog the border of this plane?¡± Lancelot pointed towards the distance with his hand, ¡°What happens if I walk into that fog?¡± ¡°The surroundings would become completely the same as you go deeper, but if you can keep moving in one direction, you will soon come out on the other side of the demi-plane,¡± the Succubus shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve tried it myself. Nevertheless, the space of a demi-plane can be expanded, although the cost is astronomically high. Just this space you see before you cost over ten million Gold Coins in precious materials, not to mention the considerable amount of energy I put into it...¡± ¡°That much!¡± Lancelot¡¯s mind automatically converted the number into five thousand sets of brand new Full Body Armor, ¡°Did you put all the profits from the arms trade into this?¡± ¡°How could that be possible? There are so many more things that money needs to be spent on to maintain the operation of a Neutral Town,¡± Tijana¡¯s face suddenly turned rather bitter, ¡°Those were all my hard-earned savings...¡± ¡°I can understand,¡± Lancelot nodded, old memories about banquet bills, servant wages, and the Emperor¡¯s tax collectors surfaced in his mind, ¡°So is every demi-plane created by Spellcasters? I heard that many realms where Divine Power exists are demi-planes, like the Court of Stars where Queen Aira resides...¡± ¡°Yes, most demi-planes are created with magic, but some also naturally exist as folds within the Multiverse. Creating a demi-plane is not difficult; the hard part is how to maintain its existence permanently, rather than disperse a few hours or days after the spell is cast,¡± Tijana led Lancelot through this small world, ¡°Divine Power can rely on the Power of Faith to sustain and alter a demi-plane, while mortal Spellcasters just have to spend money.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°You mentioned that construction is still underway here?¡± ¡°Of course, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s still very barren?¡± the Succubus Lord waved her hand toward the desolate world, ¡°I want to make it much larger, at least as big as Twin Bridges Town, so that the land here can be cultivated for crops, embed minerals and gemstones in the mountains, and have Lava Lakes for bathing...¡± Lancelot quietly listened to Tijana outline her aspirations for her own world, a smile slowly spreading across his lips. ¡°So what are you planning to do with this demi-plane?¡± After finishing her description of a forge heated by a volcano, Lancelot asked, ¡°Who do you intend to have living here?¡± Chapter 483 483 507 Shelter ?Chapter 483: Chapter 507: Shelter Chapter 483: Chapter 507: Shelter ¡°Why ask this?¡± Tijana seemed visibly taken aback as if Lancelot had posed a question she had never considered. ¡°Although this place is still quite rudimentary, I can tell you have many ideas,¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders and raised his hand towards those rough dwarven bunkers, ¡°If you just planned to use this as your own secret garden, obviously there would be no need for those buildings, yet you built them here while this world was still in its formative stage.¡± ¡°Well, you really got me there,¡± the Succubus Lord turned her gaze to the primitive surroundings and pondered for a moment before saying uncertainly, ¡°Perhaps what I wanted to establish was an ideal Twin Bridges Town, with no encircling Demon Lords or Demon Legions ready to siege at any moment...¡± ¡°But there are still dwarven artisans tirelessly bustling by the forge day and night?¡± Lancelot asked with a smile, ¡°Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t think of burying minerals underground...¡± ¡°Firstly, it¡¯s not really burying, but opening a channel to the elemental plane of earth, allowing the energy of the inner layer to seep through and form natural minerals.¡± Tijana spread her hands, ¡°Secondly, a group of diligently working dwarves, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a beautiful sight?¡± ¡°You will pay them fairly, right?¡± ¡°I knew you would ask that,¡± the Succubus Lord curled her lip, ¡°That¡¯s still too far away. When I first created this half-plane, I simply wanted to use it as a sanctuary. Twin Bridges Town cannot stand forever; over the past few centuries, it has come close to destruction several times, and now that the legions from the Nine Hells have already breached the Abyss, despite not wanting to admit it, it seems no one can stop the demon army led by the former Celestial servant. I must prepare for the worst.¡± ... ¡°The worst-case scenario being...¡± ¡°When the fall of the walls becomes inevitable, and continuing to resist is pointless, I will allow the invaders to take my territory, but my people will hide in this half-plane. Those artisans are the most valuable assets of Twin Bridges Town; you don¡¯t think I¡¯m unable to understand that, do you?¡± Tijana shrugged her shoulders, ¡°Of course, that¡¯s only in case of absolute necessity, I would much rather see our enemies shattered against the walls of Twin Bridges Town, their bodies carried off to the far reaches of the Multiverse by the Stygian River like trash.¡± ¡°That is indeed an inspiring sight,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°What you said you were going to give me, it must be just the handkerchief that serves as the entrance, right?¡± ¡°...Of course, I created this plane, and even if I truly gave it to you, you wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything with it,¡± the Succubus Lord looked at him somewhat speechlessly, ¡°According to those stories you told me, finding a campsite is one of the most dangerous parts of an adventure. With this, things will be much simpler; after all, hiding one person is much easier than hiding five.¡± Lancelot knew that Tijana was right. Typically, after a whole day of travel and battle, warriors were already extremely weary, and spellcasters had used up their magic and divine arts, which could make finding a suitable campsite and then encountering enemies extremely bad. ¡°Of course, while others are inside by the bonfire roasting meat, you still have to stay outside and keep watch,¡± the Succubus Lord suddenly flashed a mischievous smile, ¡°I guess that shouldn¡¯t be too hard for you, right?¡± ¡°Indeed, there¡¯s nothing that troubles me,¡± Lancelot spread his hands, ¡°except for the bearable cold and the loneliness of having no one to accompany me.¡± ¡°You could always talk to me using that emblem,¡± Tijana winked at Lancelot, ¡°though I can¡¯t guarantee I¡¯ll always be available.¡± ¡°But what if we fail in our quest?¡± Lancelot¡¯s expression remained very serious. ¡°This half-plane is too important; I cannot accept risking its loss just to make the journey a bit easier...¡± ¡°So, please be careful, and don¡¯t die on the adventure, okay?¡± Tijana took out a dimensional bag from her waist and fished out a strangely shaped metal fork, ¡°As for your concern, as the creator of this half-plane, I obviously have other ways to enter. This tuning fork is like a key; it records the frequency of this half-plane¡¯s position in the multiverse, and I can use it to teleport here anytime with magic. However, creating a permanent portal is indeed very expensive, not to mention setting the other end on a foldable handkerchief.¡± ¡°Another important reason is that through this half-plane, I can conveniently provide you with supplies. Scrolls, potions, special magic tools, anything you need to get that armor, just let me know what you need, and I¡¯ll figure out a way to bring it to you, and deliver it to the room where we first entered,¡± the Succubus Lord paused, speaking to him with a serious expression that Lancelot had seen only a few times, ¡°I once told you in Moradin¡¯s Temple, and I need to tell you again, I must get that armor¡ªit¡¯s very important to me.¡± ¡°And my answer is the same as when you first requested it, no problem, I definitely won¡¯t fail the mission you¡¯ve entrusted to me,¡± Lancelot also stopped, and gave a standard knight¡¯s bow, ¡°But could you tell me why a relic of a Dwarven Divine Servant is so important to you? Besides inspiring the artisans of Twin Bridges Town, there must be other reasons, right?¡± Tijana¡¯s face showed a struggle, but she eventually shook her head, ¡°No, I can¡¯t tell you. It involves ancient grudges and secrets of some major figures of the Abyss; knowing them would do you no good. I can only assure you, just as I promised through the Styx Oath, that the Dwarven holy relic won¡¯t be desecrated or used for any evil purpose.¡± ¡°Knowing this is enough for me, but I still hope that one day you can tell me the real truth...¡± Lancelot smiled and winked at Tijana, ¡°when I¡¯m stronger than you.¡± ¡°Hehe, that day is probably still far off,¡± the Succubus chuckled and turned around, her steps sashaying toward the exit, ¡°But from what someone said, does it mean that as long as your strength can¡¯t suppress me, you won¡¯t dare do anything naughty to me?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Lancelot feigned a sigh, ¡°about Succubi, I¡¯ve heard quite a few terrifying rumors indeed...¡± ¡°So now that I¡¯m stronger than you, aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll just take action?¡± ¡°Afraid, terribly afraid,¡± Lancelot pursed his lips, ¡°I would definitely resist fiercely, although it probably wouldn¡¯t be of much use.¡± ¡°Hmph hmph hmph... wishful thinking...¡± Chapter 484 484 508 Return to the Great Abyss ?Chapter 484: Chapter 508: Return to the Great Abyss Chapter 484: Chapter 508: Return to the Great Abyss Three days later. Lancelot and his companions arrived at the docks of Twin Bridges Town, ready to embark on their journey. As planned, they would first take a ship to Lake Meyne and then pass through the Skeleton Tower of Kai-Oine to enter the Great Abyss, in search of the portal to the Iron Ice Plains. It was evident that the docks of Twin Bridges Town had once been a bustling place, with stone work areas piled with many large loading and unloading machines. The thick dust covering their surfaces indicated that they hadn¡¯t been used for a long time. The blood war was naturally the culprit for all this. After invading the Abyssal Plane, Archduke Zariel of Aphnas promptly ordered the blockade of the Stygian River. Since then, merchant caravans arriving by water had all but vanished. This was certainly a huge blow to Twin Bridges Town, but thankfully, the demand for weapons and armor had surged as the war approached, offsetting the loss of income due to the reduction in trade activities. The only vessels able to break through the demons¡¯ blockade were the small boats controlled by Ferryman Demons, but these lesser Yugros demons did not carry goods, only people. The last time they went to the Great Abyss, they had Elothysia in their group, and it wasn¡¯t a good idea to cross Bartez¡¯s blockade area in a boat with a Holy Warrior. However, this time they didn¡¯t have such concerns. Another common mode of travel was through teleportation magic, but using this method to reach the Great Abyss wasn¡¯t very wise. Due to the peculiar characteristics of that specific plane, the destination of teleportation would be distorted, sending travelers to random locations on random levels of the Abyss, such as tens of thousands of feet underground, the center of an active volcano, or the dinner table of the current level¡¯s Abyssal Lord... Aside from a handful of zealous fanatics in the Cult of Perception, no one wanted to experience such travel. Moreover, Tijana was unable to open a portal that could transport everyone to ¡®nearby¡¯ the Great Abyss. Despite her great magical power, the Succubus Lord was only a Magician, not a Mage. Within her own dominion, this distinction wasn¡¯t significant, but remote teleportation without a clear destination was beyond her capabilities. ... Lancelot walked to the edge of the dock¡¯s dike and carefully took out a brass bell from his chest, immersing it in the water of Styx and gently shaking it. The others stayed under an abandoned tent, avoiding the sun that wasn¡¯t intensely scorching overhead. The bell was another small tool provided by Tijana. Its use was just as Lancelot had demonstrated: the nearby Ferryman Demon could hear the summoning of the bell¡¯s ring and would come to provide service. Not wishing to attract unnecessary attention, the Succubus Lord did not come to the docks to see them off, but she had just left Hagrid Manor half an hour earlier and wished everyone safe travels. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the boat arrived yet?¡± Bruto looked around impatiently, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re doing it right? What if there aren¡¯t any Ferryman Demons nearby?¡± As displayed, Bruto was the most enthusiastic about this adventure. An evil Giant Kingdom, ancient relics of ancestors, coupled with a White Dragon, fulfilled all the fantasies of a Dwarf about an adventure. And by the standards of his race, Bruto was still very young and had not lost his longing for distant lands due to homesickness. ¡°Be patient, Dwarf,¡± Alamir lazily leaned against a pillar, holding a cup of pale green drink with ice cubes, ¡°Ferryman Demons¡¯ boats don¡¯t move by teleportation, they need time to get here.¡± In contrast to Bruto, Alamir was not particularly excited about the impending journey. As Shuni¡¯s Priest, he did not expect any romantic encounters in that plane. Apart from wanting to help his friends, the main driving force for his continued advancement was the battle with the Giants. Though his hatred wasn¡¯t as intense as that of the Dwarves, the Elf also agreed with the Dwarf¡¯s point of view: the only good Giant was a dead Giant. Another spellcaster in the team, Kalalin, was much more enthusiastic than Mage. As long as the risk was within a certain limit, Kalalin was very willing to venture into any layer of the Abyss, and the Iron Ice Plains were indeed among the most worthy Abyssal Planes to delve into for research. On one hand, it was because its Lord, Kostcheqi, was one of the few Abyssal Lords who frequently launched attacks on the Prime Material Plane. On the other hand, it was due to the condition of that layer¡ªthe Iron Ice Plains were one of the few planes in the Abyss completely controlled by non-demon entities, with far too many things worth observing and recording. Of course, there was another factor that couldn¡¯t be ignored¡ªthe rumors about the whereabouts of the Dark Scrolls. Originally persuaded by Lancelot, Kalalin had given up on the idea of retrieving the Cult¡¯s Holy Relic, but with the mission from the Succubus Lord also requiring a journey to the Iron Ice Plains, the scholar couldn¡¯t help but be tempted once more. The night before setting out, Kalalin sought out Lancelot for another talk, and this time the human knight didn¡¯t refuse him but agreed to pay extra attention to any clues regarding that Divine Artifact. Even though Lancelot didn¡¯t actually promise anything, such a response was enough to satisfy Kalalin, because he knew it wasn¡¯t just lip service; Lancelot had always been a man of his word. The only one who seemed to have little interest in adventure was old Reap. In the battle against the incarnation of Olul, the werewolf had shown enough experience to indicate a rather impressive past. Nowadays, old Reap seemed to prefer whiling away his time in taverns, like an old dagger casually tossed in a pile of junk, its blade¡¯s cold light only noticeable from a particular angle. Another significant member of the adventure party was little Isha. Just as before, the small vampire had placed her ¡®coffin¡¯ inside Lancelot¡¯s dimensional bag, and she was sound asleep at the moment, waiting for the sun to set before she became active again. While everyone was waiting somewhat bored, a low hum sounded from the bell in Lancelot¡¯s hand. The group looked at him inquisitively, only to find that a small greyish-white boat had appeared at the bank, seemingly out of nowhere. At the bow stood a skeleton wrapped in what looked like a cloak, watching them with its dark red eyes. ¡°Who called for the ferry?¡± The Ferryman Demon, noticing the bell in Lancelot¡¯s hand, addressed him in a voice that resembled the dull sawing of ice, ¡°Where do you wish to go?¡± ¡°There are five of us in total, and we want to go to Lake Meyne, next to Kai-Oine,¡± Lancelot indicated the group members who had come closer behind him, ¡°How much do I owe you for the fare?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not close at all. Even at my speed, it¡¯ll take a full day to arrive,¡± the ferryman¡¯s eyes seemed to brighten with excitement, ¡°Each passenger must pay five hundred gold coins before boarding, the price is non-negotiable.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Lancelot agreed decisively, handing over three rubies worth a thousand gold coins each, marked with white star-shaped patterns, ¡°The extra is an offering to Charon, in gratitude for the services provided by its servant.¡± Tijana and Kalalin had both advised him not to try bargaining with the Ferryman Demon and it was best to pay a little extra tip¡ªunless he wanted it to arrange an unexpected battle. ¡°The Lord of the Styx has received your tribute. Please, board the boat, hehehehe...¡± The Ferryman Demon let out a jeering cackle, accepting the fare paid by Lancelot, ¡°By the way, we never take part in the passengers¡¯ fights, you know that, right?¡± Chapter 485 485 509 Journey to the Stygian River ?Chapter 485: Chapter 509: Journey to the Stygian River Chapter 485: Chapter 509: Journey to the Stygian River After everyone was seated on the boat, the Ferryman Demon boatman gently pushed the bony oar, and the small boat quickly moved away from the shore. A comfortable breeze met them head-on, and Twin Bridges Town rapidly receded behind them; although the sensation of speed wasn¡¯t obvious sitting in the boat, by Lancelot¡¯s estimation, they were traveling several times faster than he could have galloped at full speed on Nightmares. ¡°Wow, we¡¯re actually moving upstream!¡± Bruto suddenly exclaimed, turning his head to look at the Ferryman Demon who was propelling the boat, ¡°Your boat might look a bit shabby, but it sure is magical.¡± ¡°Of course, no one knows the Stygian River better than we do, nor is anyone more skilled at steering a boat.¡± This Ferryman Demon seemed to be more interactive than the one they had hired last time and didn¡¯t ignore the Dwarf¡¯s question, ¡°Take a closer look. Are we really moving against the flow of the river?¡± Provoked by his remark, everyone then noticed the unusual current. Before colliding with the bow, the waters of the Stygian River parted to the left and right, swirled around the small boat, and formed two small vortices at its rear, rapidly propelling the boat forward. ¡°This truly is a rare sight,¡± Alamir commented with interest, ¡°But why does your boat have a certain... uncomfortable smell? What kind of wood is it made of?¡± ¡°What kind of wood, do you think, can be used to make a vessel that sails upon the Stygian River? Hehehehe...¡± The Ferryman Demon let out another unpleasant laugh, ¡°Coffins, of course, foolish Elf...¡± ¡°I should have guessed it,¡± Alamir sighed, turning his gaze to the scenery rushing past on both sides, ¡°Could you tell us about your deity? The Lord of the Styx?¡± ¡°The great Charon is no laughable deity. He is a Ferryman Demon, just like all the other Ferryman Demons,¡± the boatman said with a tone of disdain, ¡°A long time ago, the Danden Demon Race surrounded our stronghold in Castery. It was Charon who stepped forward to repel the Danden Demons¡¯ attack, and that¡¯s how we acknowledged him as the leader of all Ferryman Demons.¡± ... ¡°The Danden Demons?¡± Kalalin was quite interested in this term, ¡°I¡¯ve only read about it in some obscure documents. Are they also native to the Castery plane?¡± ¡°They are monsters born from the corpses of Yugros Demons. Do you think that qualifies as native?¡± the boatman obviously didn¡¯t have a good impression of those Fiends, ¡°Those fat, ugly, foul-smelling fools thought of themselves as the jailors of the Red Prison (Note: another name for the Castery Plane) but they can¡¯t manage the boats passing through the Stygian River to and from Castery anymore since we defeated them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite sure this story is missing at least a hundred details,¡± Bruto whispered to Lancelot, ¡°If Charon is that powerful, why was he surrounded in the first place?¡± ¡°...Now, every stretch of the Stygian River is Charon¡¯s territory. Anyone who uses the river should pay, anyone!¡± Ignoring the Dwarf¡¯s quiet speculation, the Ferryman Demon boatman declared loudly. ¡°But what about the Demons?¡± Lancelot couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the second corps of the Nine Hells¡¯s navy is a fleet, and it seems they have their own warships...¡± ¡°Pah! Those shameless thieves!¡± The Ferryman Demon boatman spat a wad of green saliva into the river, ¡°They certainly will...¡± He abruptly stopped speaking as a peculiar tower appeared on the riverbank. The double-story stone building looked very solid, serving as both an observation tower for the Stygian River and a small defensive fortification. Even without seeing the two purplish-skinned Thorn Demons perched on top, Lancelot could tell from the building¡¯s perfect hexadecagonal structure that it was undoubtedly a construction of the Demons. Without saying a word, the Ferryman Demon boatman maneuvered the boat away from the shore with the tower. His caution was immediately justified as a barrage of arrows shot out of the slim windows but all plunged into the river surface dozens of feet away from the group. ¡°Damn Demons!¡± Bruto angrily stared at the tower, ¡°I bet there are no more than a dozen enemies inside. If we weren¡¯t in a hurry, we could have wiped out the Demons inside completely!¡± ¡°How far have we gotten from Twin Bridges Town?¡± Although she knew they couldn¡¯t be hit from this distance, Kalalin still crouched low in the boat, only sticking half her head out to observe the building, ¡°Has the Demon¡¯s army already advanced to here?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve passed more than a hundred and twenty miles.¡± Lancelot immediately reported the figure, ¡°This boat is much faster than what you perceive.¡± ¡°That must be a reconnaissance outpost.¡± Old Reap, who had been quiet, spoke up, ¡°This is the borderland between Twin Bridges Town and Volcano Fortress, the defense is relatively weak. However, until Volcano Fortress falls, it¡¯s unlikely that the main force of the Demons would bypass it to attack Twin Bridges Town.¡± Just then, Lancelot¡¯s ears twitched, and he turned to look back. He heard a very deep horn sound, and the source was that tower. ¡°Did you hear it too?¡± Alamir immediately noticed Lancelot¡¯s reaction. As an Elf, his long ears also allowed him to catch certain sounds that most people would miss. ¡°This is not a good sign.¡± Lancelot answered with a grim expression, turning his head to search the river ahead. His concern was not unfounded, within minutes, a brig with twin masts appeared in the distance. The length of the ship exceeded a hundred feet, with some kind of massive beast¡¯s bones serving as its keel, the deck seemed to be pressed together from countless corpses, while the prow featured a statue of a Lust Demon brandishing a Longsword, poised to strike. ¡°Is that a Demon Warship?¡± Bruto squinted, trying hard to make out the details of the approaching ship, ¡°Boatman, what do you plan to do?¡± The Ferryman Demon answered the Dwarf¡¯s question with action. He pushed off hard with the boat pole, causing the small boat to turn sharply to one side, flipping the unsteady Dwarf onto the floor. Some kind of magical current propelled their small boat swiftly sideways, but the opposing Demon Warship also demonstrated remarkable agility, nimbly maneuvering to intercept their path. ¡°I will circle around, those Bartez won¡¯t stop me!¡± The Ferryman Demon said angrily, ¡°On the Stygian River, we are the best boatmen!¡± Lancelot didn¡¯t bother to argue, instead, he reached into his Dimensional Bag at his waist. After rummaging around, Frostslash appeared in his hand. Seeing his action, everyone tacitly drew their own weapons, ready for battle. ¡°Bruto, when we start fighting, don¡¯t just throw your hammer around willy-nilly,¡± as the two ships drew closer, Lancelot suddenly spoke to the Dwarf, ¡°If it falls into the Stygian River, it might not fly back to you.¡± ¡°Mhm, I know,¡± the Dwarf¡¯s face was slightly pale, ¡°I¡¯ll try to remember that.¡± Lancelot glanced back at him, raised his hand, and formed a Dharma Decree. At once, a wooden spike on the deck began to grow, turning into a vine that wrapped tightly around the Dwarf¡¯s forearm and his hammer. ¡°The hammer¡¯s pretty expensive.¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, ¡°This should be more reliable than your memory.¡± Chapter 486 486 510 Boarding Battle ?Chapter 486: Chapter 510: Boarding Battle Chapter 486: Chapter 510: Boarding Battle ¡°Stop the ship immediately and accept the conscription of the 92nd Legion!¡± As the two ships gradually approached, both sides could clearly see each other¡¯s crew. On the skeleton warship, a Beard Demon arrogantly shouted, seemingly convinced that they would willingly surrender. However, even if the passengers were willing to cooperate, the Ferryman Demon couldn¡¯t swallow the indignity of being intercepted on the Stygian River. Just before the two boats were about to collide, the Ferryman Demon once again pushed the pole, making a sharp turn with the small boat they were on and avoiding the misfortune of being directly rammed by the Demon Warship. ¡°Shameless robbers! Shitty bastards!¡± As the two ships nearly brushed past each other, the Ferryman Demon cursed loudly at the other side, ¡°We are the true masters of the Stygian River!¡± ¡°I like that word,¡± Bruto whispered to Lancelot. The ferryman¡¯s pride lasted no more than two seconds before a row of dark windows opened on the hull of the Demon Warship, behind each of which was a loaded ballista. Before the ferryman could react, those ballistas fired in unison, launching grappling hooks attached to iron chains. The small boat the group was on was instantly caught by several hooks, making escape impossible. ... ¡°Welcome to the 92nd Legion, scum!¡± The rail of the Demon Warship was crowded with seven or eight Beard Demons, who rudely jeered at the small boat below. However, they immediately stifled their laughter, as a Human Knight wielding a longsword had already leaped up and, upon landing, instantly knocked down one of their companions. The first to come aboard was naturally Lancelot. Since combat was inevitable, why not strike first? He kicked the Beard Demon he had just knocked down over the rail and swiftly spun his body, warding off three long spears thrust at him. This kind of head-on charge was something Lancelot was exceptionally skilled at. After blocking the enemy¡¯s first wave of attacks, he immediately launched a fierce counterattack. His longsword swung widely over his head, and with a few clangs, the long spears in the hands of the nearby Beard Demons turned into mere sticks, significantly reducing their threat. ¡°For the ¡®necrophiliac¡¯ Molo of Oasis Fort!¡± Lancelot let out an earth-shaking roar, once again pinning all the blame on a certain despised male Succubus. After his shout, he lunged forward with all his might; with the hardness of his Mithril plate armor, coupled with the monstrous strength gained from his Foundation Establishment, Lancelot was like a siege hammer, plowing a large clearing on the deck amongst the demons. ¡°Conscription my ass! You Bastez with shitty asses, this ship has been commandeered by your Dwarf grandpa!¡± With another battle cry, Bruto also jumped up from the small boat below. The Dwarf wasted no time amidst the chaos created by the Human Knight. As he charged, he lifted his shield over his head, blocking several blind stabs, and then successfully closed in on a Beard Demon, fiercely swinging his hammer. The gratifying sound of bones cracking filled the air as yet another victim of a sweeping blow fell like a felled tree. Behind the Dwarf, the remaining few comrades one by one jumped onto the Demon Warship. Alamir, holding a Shield with Shuni¡¯s Emblem, positioned himself on the other side behind Lancelot. Two Beard Demons seemed to think that Elves were easier to handle and planned to attack from both sides simultaneously, but they immediately realized how grossly mistaken they were. The Elf¡¯s Hardhead Hammer, which was already glowing, now outshone the feeble sun in the sky. He blocked a stabbing attack from the left with his shield and boldly took a chopping blow from the right on his Plate Armor. Seizing the moment his opponent staggered back from the rebound, he fiercely swung his hammer. Contrary to most people¡¯s expectations, a Hardhead Hammer usually weighs just over a pound and is quite agile when swung. Alamir¡¯s strike was as swift as a Succubus¡¯s whip, landing fiercely on the opponent¡¯s face. Normally, this blow would undoubtedly be effective but not fatal. However, the Hammer of Dissolution was exceptionally damaging to Fiends, and with the Elf Priest infusing Holy Power into the weapon, the hammer seemed like a red-hot Branding Iron. With one strike, the Beard Demon¡¯s entire face began to melt, and its snake-like beard whiskers dropped to the ground with a patter. The Demon let out a piercing scream of agony as it clutched its melting face, staggering backward. Just as it was about to fall into the Stygian River, it stopped in time, fixing the Elf Priest with a vicious glare. The intense pain and overwhelming hatred made it difficult for the Demon to focus, causing it to ignore the strange sensation at its feet. However, Alamir, standing opposite, saw clearly that a thick rope had looped around the Demon¡¯s ankle. Suddenly tightening, the unsuspecting Beard Demon vanished over the side of the ship. A terrifying wolf¡¯s head emerged from beneath the gunwale, winked at the Elf, and then withdrew. The last to climb onto the deck was naturally Kalalin. To be precise, the Scholar climbed up, although the other three had already cleared a large space, allowing him to climb uninterrupted. Once stable, Kalalin first reached into his magic backpack, but upon observing the situation, he silently withdrew his hand. His comrades had already completely controlled the situation, with Lancelot standing out the most. The Human Knight, continuously chanting the names of Oasis Fort and Molo, was like a bull charging into a china shop. The Beard Demon sailors stood no chance against him. Within three moves, they were either slashed to pieces or kicked into the Stygian River, with the latter fate being even worse. The Beard Demon Captain, still stationed at the bow, looked incredulously at the chaotic scene below, realizing the grave mistake he had made. Before Lancelot could notice him, the Beard Demon opened a trapdoor beneath his feet and disappeared into the bowels of the ship. ¡°Ha!¡± Accompanied by a loud roar, Bruto wrapped his arms around the waist of the last Beard Demon on deck and violently shoved his opponent overboard. The Demon, now weaponless, had no advantage in this contest of strength, and could only aim its signature beard spikes at the Dwarf¡¯s back, but neither the spikes nor the poison they carried could stop the Dwarf. The Demon¡¯s lower back hit the railing, flipping him overboard, while the Dwarf, advantaged by his shorter stature, was stopped by the railing. At the last moment, the Beard Demon grabbed onto a protrusion on the hull, briefly avoiding the dire fate of plummeting into the Stygian River. However, a bone Long Spear suddenly struck the Demon¡¯s claws, eliciting a desperate scream, and then it quickly succumbed to the black waters of the River. ¡°Generally speaking, we never join passengers¡¯ battles,¡± the Ferryman Demon said, with a ghastly grin appearing on his corpse-like face as he faced the Dwarf¡¯s curious gaze, ¡°except the sure-win ones.¡± Chapter 487 487 511 Bursting into the Cabin ?Chapter 487: Chapter 511: Bursting into the Cabin Chapter 487: Chapter 511: Bursting into the Cabin ¡°It seems traveling by water isn¡¯t exactly safe either.¡± Bruto¡¯s face bore a satisfied smile, ¡°That was the fourth enemy I¡¯ve taken down...¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered to count.¡± Lancelot shrugged, turning his head towards the door leading inside the ship, ¡°The battle isn¡¯t over yet. There are still some troublesome fellows inside, and they¡¯re waiting for us.¡± ¡°Perfect timing then.¡± Bruto twisted his neck and swaggered towards the door, ¡°I haven¡¯t had enough yet. Let¡¯s clear them out and then the ship will be ours.¡± With a forceful kick, he slammed into the door, but the door panel didn¡¯t budge as if filled with lead, instead he ended up sitting on the floor with a thud. Bruto jumped up with a violent motion, his eyes beginning to fill with dangerous bloodshot, ready to ram with the hardest part of his body, his forehead, once more. ¡°Come back, you fool.¡± The Elf Priest grabbed the reckless Dwarf, ¡°Are you really planning to just walk into a room taken by the enemy with no preparation at all?¡± The Dwarf looked down in confusion at the armor on his body and felt his Helmet, confirming there were no holes or cracks. ¡°Isn¡¯t this fine?¡± Bruto, hands on hips, glared dissatisfied at the Elf, ¡°My equipment is all in order. Are you making fun of me?¡± ... As usual, Alamir helplessly cast a pleading look towards the others, but everyone was accustomed to this by now. ¡°Let me handle this.¡± Kalalin pulled out a scroll, ¡°I¡¯ll use the Arcane Eye to check out the situation inside first.¡± With a special gesture and a strange syllable, Kalalin activated the magic on the scroll, summoning a pale blue eyeball floating in the air. The eyeball, as big as a fist, looked just like the Scholar¡¯s own from the front, while the back had a ghostly neural strand pointing back towards its summoner like a tadpole¡¯s tail. The magical eyeball quickly faded, becoming completely transparent. Kalalin¡¯s body swayed as if losing balance, and was steadied by the Werewolf next to him. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m still not used to it.¡± Kalalin steadied himself, then closed his eyes, focusing on controlling the magical eyeball. Lancelot gathered a bit of Spiritual Energy in his eyes and once more ¡®saw¡¯ the transparent sphere floating in the air. The eyeball flew outside the ship¡¯s hull, then entered through the hole where a Hook had been fired. ¡°Come aboard, Ferryman,¡± Lancelot called to the Ferryman Demon who was still on the small boat, struggling to pry the Hooks out, ¡°We need your help.¡± ¡°What is needed?¡± The Ferryman Demon lightly leaped onto the Demon Warship, landing with a clatter reminiscent of a chain of bone chimes. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t catch your name yet?¡± ¡°Vexus.¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Vexus,¡± Lancelot politely nodded, pointing at the ship¡¯s helm, ¡°You said earlier, no one makes a better Ferryman than you. Can you handle this warship?¡± ¡°You¡¯re handing this ship to me?¡± The eyes of the Ferryman Demon excitedly lit up again. ¡°At least until we reach our intended destination, yes,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°If you can¡¯t control the big ship to keep moving, at least keep it stable so we can clear out the remaining demons in the cabin.¡± ¡°Watch this, it will be just like being on solid ground!¡± the Ferryman Demon immediately turned and walked towards the stern, ¡°Throw all those Bartez scum into the Stygian River, their bodies are offerings to Charon, while their souls turn dim-witted, reborn in the Nine Hells still fools!¡± ¡°Leave it to us!¡± Lancelot loudly agreed, while secretly pondering in his mind. Was the effect of the Stygian River¡¯s waters really that strong? Even the Fiends¡¯ regenerative abilities couldn¡¯t completely cleanse it? Meanwhile, Kalalin also opened his eyes. At first, he seemed not to have returned to reality, but after Lancelot took his hand, the Scholar quickly regained his composure. ¡°That hatch has been completely sealed off,¡± Kalalin immediately informed everyone upon waking, ¡°Besides the Beard Demon that slipped in earlier, there are four Thorn Demons inside, plus one that looks like the captain, a Chain Demon. There¡¯s a vent under that pile of ropes, we can jump in there and launch a surprise attack.¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± Bruto was the first to act, running to clear the pile of ropes, while Lancelot asked seriously, ¡°Can you tell me about the characteristics of Thorn Demons and Chain Demons?¡± ¡°I only have some rough information on the residents of the Nine Hells,¡± Kalalin spoke hurriedly, ¡°Thorn Demons are a type of Fiend covered with sharp spikes, about the size of a regular human, usually serving as bodyguards for higher-ranking demons. In addition to their deadly grapple, they also throw fireballs at their enemies. Since demons are immune to flames, I suspect they¡¯ll turn the area into a blazing inferno immediately, but I can handle that problem.¡± ¡°As for Chain Demons, they are ruthless torturers and executioners, covered in chains with blades and hooks, swinging them to attack their enemies in battle. It¡¯s said they can plunge their enemies into the deepest fear, mostly through some kind of mental illusion technique. We need to move quickly, as they seem to be conducting some kind of summoning ritual. Judging by the complexity of the array, I hope to never know what it might actually summon.¡± ¡°Done!¡± Bruto¡¯s shout came from not far away, and Lancelot nodded, addressing the others: ¡°We¡¯ve cooperated many times before, so no need for redundant words. I¡¯ll go in first, the rest of you time your entry into the battlefield. Old Reap, you stay in the shadows to help protect the two spellcasters, any problems with that?¡± ¡°Of course not, delighted to.¡± ¡°Very good.¡± The Human Knight took a deep breath, then heavily stomped the deck below, propelling himself dozens of feet into the air, and like a plummeting boulder, he crashed into the area Bruto had just cleared. The grate-like vent couldn¡¯t withstand such an impact and, accompanied by a crisp clatter, Lancelot smashed directly into the cabin interior. Upon landing, he rolled in the direction his Spirit Perception guided him to as a safety measure, avoiding potential attacks and allowing his eyes to adapt to the suddenly darkened environment. The cabin was very low, with the Human Knight¡¯s head less than half a foot from the ceiling. In front just under twenty feet away, a demon with red skin and a head wrapped in several iron chains was kneeling on the ground, using a bloodied hook to etch an array on the floor, the paint on the hook sourced from a Beard Demon lying beside him, already disemboweled and still twitching. Chapter 488 488 512 Fierce Battle in the Cabin ?Chapter 488: Chapter 512: Fierce Battle in the Cabin Chapter 488: Chapter 512: Fierce Battle in the Cabin Further away were four demons with blue-grey skin, their bodies covered in spikes. They were nervously guarding a stairway filled with barrels and crates, and only turned around in a panic upon hearing the commotion behind them, clearly having misjudged the direction from which the enemy would come. The situation was exactly as Kalalin had described, so Lancelot didn¡¯t hesitate for a second. Dragging Frostslash, he charged at the chain demon. The demon reacted quickly, rolling backward to create distance, but Lancelot was so fast that he reached his opponent before it could stand up and delivered a fierce upper slash. Frostslash successfully struck the demon¡¯s thigh, and though the chains wrapped around it served as armor, the sword blade still found a gap to cut into. Just as Lancelot thought he would sever his opponent¡¯s leg, a huge pulling force suddenly came from behind, yanking him back and slamming him hard against the grey-white bone wall of the ship¡¯s cabin. In the moment he was pulled up, Lancelot saw what had ambushed him: the hook, which had been used for drawing arrays. The hook was connected to a chain, and the other end of the chain was in the demon¡¯s hand. The chain had been left in place during the backward roll, leading to the sneak attack. Excellent physical fitness allowed Lancelot to adjust his posture in mid-air, so the impact caused virtually no harm. Lancelot reached out and felt the spot on his back where the iron hook had hit, only to discover a cross-shaped tear in his mithril armor, looking as if it had been struck by an armor-piercing spike. Fortunately, the armor itself had absorbed most of the kinetic energy, and the auto-activated Protective Sword Shield blocked the remaining force. The ambush failed to achieve full success, and Lancelot didn¡¯t rush to charge again. His main objective was still achieved; the demon¡¯s plan to summon powerful reinforcements had been thwarted, and although the sword strike had been slight, the chain demon¡¯s right leg seemed completely useless now, only allowing it to limp pathetically on the ground. ... At that moment, two chains that had hung on the wall suddenly began to twist, these ordinary chains meant for securing cargo ¡®grew¡¯ sharp blades and barbs under the influence of Hell Magic, attacking him from both sides like venomous snakes. However, Lancelot maintained high alertness, and Frostslash struck like lightning, accurately hitting the snake-head-like hooks at the ends of the chains, sending them flying far away. These chains, like real snakes, writhed on the ground attempting to rise again, but being made of mere iron, Lancelot in his urgency delivered another powerful blow, which had already damaged the magic on them. The chains twitched a few times and then lay completely still. Meanwhile, Bruto and Alamir also leaped down from the hole in the ceiling. The tall and short pair each held a shield in their left hand and a hammer in their right, moving swiftly to position themselves to his left and right. ¡°You still have some conscience left, leaving quite a bit for us,¡± Bruto whispered to him, ¡°What¡¯s with that hole in your back? Did that guy who looks like a masochist do it?¡± ¡°I was careless and didn¡¯t dodge,¡± Lancelot said, pursing his lips, ¡°Watch out for those chains on the floor...¡± ¡°Hold on, we can talk about this!¡± the Chain Demon on the other side suddenly spoke out, using the pure human language, ¡°I propose a huge treasure in exchange for your sparing my life, and I swear by the name of the Lord of Darkness, Asmodeus, that I will never harm a hair on your heads!¡± ¡°Really? How much treasure are we talking about? Does your promise of not harming us include instructing others to take action?¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Perhaps we should find a lawyer and discuss the details thoroughly...¡± Seeing a chance to talk, the Demon slightly relaxed its expression, but Lancelot immediately charged out like a tightly wound spring, his longsword aimed directly at the enemy¡¯s forehead. ¡°I knew he was going to do that,¡± Bruto and Alamir exchanged glances and spoke in unison, followed by a hint of a smile on their faces. For some strange reason, this created an awkward feeling between them, so they immediately charged forward, one after the other, targeting the hedgehog Demons at the back of the cabin covered in spikes. Lancelot¡¯s opponent obviously hadn¡¯t let down his guard, but the Human Knight was so fast that the creature simply didn¡¯t have time to swing its dangerous iron chains and could only activate its last, most powerful survival ability. As all schools of swordsmanship demand, Lancelot focused intently on his target¡ªthe opponent¡¯s face¡ªwhile attacking. Suddenly, the Demon¡¯s face, mostly wrapped in iron chains and showing only a pair of malicious eyes, turned into something else... Albert¡¯s face. If anyone could be considered Lancelot¡¯s Heart Demon, it would undoubtedly be the leader of the Rebel Army, the Knight King to whom he had once sworn fealty. He was the embodiment of Lancelot¡¯s seemingly successful yet ultimately failed former life, that face would occasionally appear in his mind, mocking the Human Knight¡¯s naivety and lack of worldliness. Despite a moment of confusion, Lancelot immediately understood it was just an Illusion Technique, a psychic attack the Demon used to exploit the victim¡¯s own psyche. However, his thrust was somewhat affected; the chain Demon managed to turn its head at the last moment, avoiding the potentially fatal strike. As a master of swordsmanship, Lancelot handled the miss with ease. His longsword transitioned from a thrust to a slash, landing on the exposed shoulder of the Demon, followed by a fierce pull backward while a dazzling blue light flashed along the blade. The chain Demon let out a piercing scream, for the damage inflicted by Lancelot¡¯s sword withdrawal was so brutal that it created an alarming wound half a foot deep on its shoulder, nearly splitting half its body open. In ordinary perception, swords were mainly used for slashing and stabbing, but those who had been to battle knew just how terrifying the cutting power of a sword could be. On the other end of the cabin, the Dwarf and the Elf engaged with the hedgehog Demons. As Kalalin had anticipated, during their charge, the hedgehog Demons threw Fireballs at them wildly. The accuracy of the Fireballs was poor and even when they did hit, the damage wasn¡¯t significant, but everything flammable nearby began to burn. ¡°Kalalin! Get to work!¡± While the Dwarf shouted loudly, continuing his charge with his shield, the Scholar above the cabin responded immediately. Accompanied by intense magical fluctuations, a gust of wind carrying a cold drizzle poured in through the cracked ceiling, extinguishing all the flames inside the cabin instantly. ¡°Praise Magic!¡± Bruto cheered loudly and accelerated abruptly, reaching an opponent and knocking over the hedgehog Demon to the ground with a powerful bash of his Shield. The Elf following behind the Dwarf quickly caught up, blocking the other Demons who were trying to help, allowing his companion behind him to deal with the fallen enemy undisturbed. Chapter 489 489 513 Goods ?Chapter 489: Chapter 513: Goods Chapter 489: Chapter 513: Goods Thanks to their short stature, Dwarves excelled in delivering relentless strikes to fallen enemies. Bruto¡¯s iron hammer rained down like droplets, each blow accompanied by a blood-curdling thud as it struck flesh, mimicking a blacksmith absorbed in his work. The spine devil struggled to rise, hoping its spines might offer some slight resistance to the Dwarf¡¯s hammer blows, but Bruto, in his berserk state, paid no heed to his blood-soaked right hand, hammering away tirelessly. While he fought with exhilarating gusto, Alamir, who was covering him, faced mounting peril. Demons encircled him from three sides, and with only a shield, the Elf Priest found it quite challenging to defend. Fortunately, he wore full plate armor, the kind with the most outstanding defense among all types, and was surrounded by a semi-transparent magic shield, forged from the power of faith. Thus, although he could not strike back effectively, the demons¡¯ attempts to kill him progressed slowly. After enduring dozens of claw attacks, Bruto finally shattered the spine of the spine devil he had knocked down. The Dwarf firmly planted his foot on the incapacitated demon, and his warhammer described a half-circle before crashing down on the grotesque, spiky head. Red blood and white brain matter oozed from the cracked skull, resembling a squashed rambutan. ¡°Oh no...¡± ¡°Is it over?¡± called out Alamir without turning, upon hearing the satisfied sigh behind him, ¡°If it¡¯s over, come help me quickly!¡± ¡°For Moradin!¡± ... In answer came another roar from the Dwarf. Bruto¡¯s figure streaked past the Elf like a speeding chariot, instantly toppling another spine devil to the ground and engaging it in a melee. Elsewhere, the battle between the Human Knight and the chain devil was reaching its peak intensity. Chains with iron hooks and blades whirled in the devil¡¯s hands like spears, making Lancelot feel as though he was facing a phalanx of spearfighters. In the past, besides throwing things picked up from the ground, he had no better strategies, but the Lancelot of today was no longer his former self. Frostslash danced around him, almost forming a shining metal sphere with its icy glow. Lancelot advanced with steady steps towards the chain devil. Sparks and shrill metal clangs briefly appeared, signifying yet another chain had been cut into scrap. When he reached the red-skinned demon, it had already lost all its chains and had no weapons left to oppose the Human Knight. Desperation close at hand, the chain devil still hurled a powerful punch with its intact right arm towards Lancelot. To be fair, a chain devil¡¯s physique and strength were comparable to the mightiest of human warriors, but to its disbelief, the Human Knight unexpectedly released his left hand from the sword¡¯s hilt and caught the heavy punch. ¡°Got any more tricks?¡± Lancelot calmly met the devil¡¯s gaze and asked. The yellow eyes of the chain devil shone bizarrely, attempting to invoke fear in the Human Knight¡¯s heart, but it shattered hopelessly against his iron will, failing without question. ¡°Then let¡¯s end this.¡± Lancelot shook his head slightly, and with a fierce twist of his left hand, the towering chain devil instantly adopted a bowing posture. Lancelot raised Frostslash, and with a flash of cold light, the chain devil¡¯s head thudded to the ground, leaving a long trail of blood. ¡°You do realize this won¡¯t truly kill me, right?¡± Even facing imminent death, the chain devil still tried to threaten its slayer, ¡°Demons will never forgive those who oppose them. Human Knight from Oasis Fort, I will remember you! One day, the town you protect will be reduced to ruins by the armies of the Nine Hells, and your very soul will hang on the racks of Hell!!!¡± ¡°Give it a rest.¡± Lancelot picked up the head, raising it to face him, ¡°You¡¯ll never have the chance to breach Lord Molo¡¯s Oasis Fort...¡± He waved his hand gently and tossed the demon¡¯s head out of the porthole. ¡°Because I might as well tear that place down,¡± Lancelot thought silently to himself. He turned his head and saw the priest and the dwarf teaming up against the last enemy. Knowing they didn¡¯t need his help, he sheathed his longsword and began cleaning up the demon bodies on the floor. ¡°Hey! Are you done yet?¡± Reap poked his head through the hole in the ceiling, ¡°We¡¯re getting bored up here...¡± ¡°Come down and lend a hand,¡± Lancelot said to the werewolf, even though the fight between the dwarf and the elves continued, ¡°See if there¡¯s anything valuable on these demon bodies.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good at that.¡± Reap jumped down into the cabin with a sleek move, turned his head to survey the surroundings, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s in those wooden boxes? Have you checked them?¡± ¡°No,¡± Lancelot shook his head nonchalantly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look?¡± ¡°Why do I have a bad feeling about this?¡± The werewolf pulled out his dagger and inserted it into the crack of the wooden box, then pried it open with a forceful twist. ¡°Ah, damn it...¡± The cargo in the box obviously disgusted Reap, who immediately pressed the lid back down, while Lancelot let out a quiet sigh of relief. With his Spirit Perception, he had already known what was inside those boxes, but he wanted to take the opportunity to observe the werewolf¡¯s subconscious reaction. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with this?¡± The dwarf, finally finishing off the last enemy, came wobbling over and leaned on the box, ¡°You missed quite the party, let me see what scared you like this... Whoa! Gag, gag, gag, gag...¡± Bruto¡¯s reaction was more intense than the werewolf¡¯s; the boxes were filled with dried-up, salt-coated humanoid limbs, creating a viscerally shocking sight of palms, knees, and eyeballs. The normally fearless dwarf couldn¡¯t control his strong gag reflex. ¡°The so-called conscription, the final outcome must be in these boxes,¡± Lancelot shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s throw all this into the Stygian River, it¡¯s the last little thing we can do for the victims.¡± Moments later, everyone climbed onto the deck. Alamir began reciting the long Healing Prayer, while Reap quietly explained the situation below to Kalalin. Lancelot went to the stern to negotiate with the Ferryman Demon. ¡°A thrilling battle, Sir,¡± the Ferryman Demon seemed much more respectful, ¡°I particularly liked the part where you beheaded that demon.¡± ¡°How would you know what¡¯s happening inside the cabin?¡± Lancelot asked, somewhat surprised. ¡°Anything that happens on a ship under our control is directly known to us,¡± the Ferryman Demon patted the helm in his hand, ¡°You handed this ship over to me, remember?¡± Chapter 490 490 514 Contract ?Chapter 490: Chapter 514: Contract Chapter 490: Chapter 514: Contract ¡°The condition is that you take us to Lake Meyne,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Can you do it?¡± ¡°Since I have accepted your boat fare, it is my duty to deliver you to your destination. Traveling on this great ship surely would be more comfortable and faster, but I cannot operate it alone. Shall we go back to the smaller boat? Under my control, even the most dilapidated boat won¡¯t sink, and you can absolutely trust me...¡± the Ferryman Demon¡¯s eyes flashed with sly red light, ¡°Or, I can summon some helpers...¡± ¡°But that would require additional payment for those helpers,¡± Lancelot immediately saw through the other¡¯s intention, ¡°That¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hehehe, it won¡¯t be very expensive,¡± the Ferryman Demon boatman let out an unpleasant laugh, ¡°I would need about five of my kin to help me steer the ship, and you would only need to pay an additional... ten thousand Gold Coins. Moreover, we can summon the Stygian River mist, so even if we encounter the Demon¡¯s navy again, they won¡¯t be able to detect this ship...¡± ¡°Mr. Vexus, let me make this clear,¡± Lancelot¡¯s gaze was firm as he looked at the other, ¡°Tell me, how much is the ship itself worth?¡± ¡°Around five thousand Gold Coins...¡± ¡°Lies.¡± ... ¡°But in the lower planes, everything is a bit more expensive, I am willing to say ten thousand Gold Coins...¡± ¡°Another lie.¡± ¡°Considering it¡¯s built with Nine Hells craftsmanship, perhaps twenty thousand Gold Coins could also find a buyer...¡± ¡°Still a lie. Mr. Vexus, cut the rest of the nonsense,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°Both you and I are very clear that a warship itself is always more valuable than its crew. I truly am a generous employer, but that¡¯s not a reason for you to take advantage of me.¡± The Human Knight turned his back and looked down at the bone warship below with an indifferent tone, continuing: ¡°This ship is of no value to me; destroying it is no big deal, especially under the current circumstances where this water route is impassable and we need to switch to land. Yes, I wouldn¡¯t mind paying more for your sailing skills and knowledge of the Stygian River, but don¡¯t take me for a fool. If you want this ship, then you better give a reasonable price.¡± The Ferryman Demon fell into silence, and Lancelot did not rush to speak either. In such moments, it¡¯s a matter of who can keep their cool longer. After waiting a while longer and seeing that the other party still made no move, Lancelot decided to scare him one last time. ¡°Bruto!¡± he called out to the Dwarf below who was wrapping a bandage around himself, ¡°How much mining explosive did you bring?¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± the Ferryman Demon finally gave in, ¡°Alright, you win. Give me the ship, and I¡¯ll take you to Lake Meyne for no extra fee...¡± ¡°Because we¡¯ve already paid for that,¡± Lancelot said, unmoved, but his heart was jubilant. ¡°I would never pay for a ship...¡± the Ferryman Demon¡¯s eyes flickered with an eerie red glow, ¡°How about this? Whenever you have a need for a ship, I must provide the service for free until you die. How¡¯s that?¡± ¡°That does sound almost too good to be true,¡± Lancelot said with interest, looking at the other, ¡°Do you think that I won¡¯t last long in this plane?¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of the reason, but I¡¯ve also seen how you fight, Sir,¡± the Ferryman Demon was quite candid, ¡°I think, in the future, you will either be killed in a confrontation with a powerful being and my debt will vanish, or you¡¯ll become a new power, and my relationship with you is likely to benefit me greatly. So, either way, it¡¯s a win-win situation for me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re smarter than you look,¡± Lancelot raised an eyebrow, ¡°How can I ensure you¡¯ll adhere to this agreement?¡± ¡°By signing a contract, in the name of Lord of the Styx, Charon,¡± the skull beneath the cloak revealed a twisted smile, ¡°Essentially, all Ferryman Demons are agents of Charon, and as long as it acknowledges the agreement, its validity is equal to a Styx Oath. Should we break the contract, the Lord of the Styx himself will bear the consequences, ensuring that the agreement is fulfilled without reservation.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound too bad,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Give me a moment to think it over.¡± The Ferryman Demon remained silent, closing its mouth, while Lancelot stepped aside, reaching into the Dimensional Bag and grasping the Emblem of Twin Bridges Town. ¡®Tijana, Tijana! Can you hear me?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m here. What happened?¡¯ ¡®Well, we¡¯ve just captured a Demon¡¯s warship...¡¯ ¡®...What?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll tell you the details later. Right now, I¡¯m negotiating the terms of selling the warship with the Ferryman Demon and I need your help...¡¯ ¡®While Yugros Demons are known to honor contracts, they¡¯re much more arbitrary in interpreting the terms than Bartez, so we have to be extremely careful... This is professional service, you know, not free.¡¯ ¡®But we are on a mission for you,¡¯ Lancelot said, speechless, ¡®How much?¡¯ ¡®Did you just roll your eyes at me?!¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t.¡¯ ¡®You did, you rolled them on the inside, I felt it! Is asking for a kiss as payment too much to ask?¡¯ ¡®If you had said so earlier... One kiss? I¡¯ll give you ten!¡¯ ¡®Dream on,¡¯ a light laughter came through the mental link, ¡®Alright, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. When signing a contract with Fiends, the core idea really boils down to three rules: First, don¡¯t let the other party exploit loopholes to establish the contract; second, don¡¯t let them exploit loopholes to render the contract void; and third, don¡¯t let them break the contract without consequences. With regards to your current situation, the agreement for selling the ship in exchange for services should be written like this...¡¯ A moment later, Lancelot called all his companions to discuss the final text of the contract, which was then transcribed by the Scholar onto a blank scroll. When he finally presented the scroll, written in Abyssal language, containing a multitude of complex clauses and exceptions, and exceeding nine feet in length, to the Ferryman Demon, the latter¡¯s expression was as stagnant as that of an actual skeleton. ¡°Hey!¡± Bruto waved his hand in front of the boatman¡¯s face, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± ¡°Stop it,¡± the Fiend spoke in a tone devoid of any breath, ¡°Lord Charon is currently examining the text of the contract through my eyes.¡± ¡°The contract itself isn¡¯t complicated,¡± Lancelot said with a smile, tapping a few places at the beginning of the scroll, ¡°It¡¯s basically the terms you agreed to earlier, and the rest are just unimportant, preventive, technical minutiae¡ªmerely to ensure that neither of us would break this mutually beneficial contract over trivial gains...¡± The Ferryman Demon silently scrutinized every clause on the scroll, and after a while, it looked up at Lancelot with resignation and said: ¡°Sir, have you killed so many Demons that you¡¯re contaminated with too much of their foul blood? We may be accustomed to taking a slight advantage in contracts, but this is a bit too much...¡± Chapter 491 491 515 Warp Transition ?Chapter 491: Chapter 515 Warp Transition Chapter 491: Chapter 515 Warp Transition Ultimately, the Ferryman Demon still agreed to the contract. Both parties signed their names on it, and Charon¡¯s name also automatically appeared on the scroll. The Ferryman Demon walked to the side of the boat and gently tossed the signed scroll outward. ¡°What is this for?¡± The Dwarf let out a puzzled exclamation, but the next second he knew the answer. A humanoid creature, naked and bound by iron chains at its hands and feet, leaped out of the Stygian River, caught the scroll still in mid-air with its mouth, and then fell back into the black waters of the river. At the same time, Lancelot received a supernatural revelation, understanding that the contract just signed had taken effect. ¡°Seeing this for the first time, Dwarf?¡± the Ferryman Demon said to Bruto in a mocking tone, ¡°Those Bartez have even more tricks up their sleeves; you¡¯ll know when you sign a contract selling your own soul to them.¡± ¡°I will never sign such a contract!¡± the Dwarf huffed, turning his head away, ¡°Never!¡± ¡°Why such a big reaction? It¡¯s not that bad. Souls that sign contracts usually skip the lesser demons stage and become a Thorn Demon or Beard Demon. If your soul is strong enough, or if you are favored by some powerful figure, it¡¯s not impossible to become a High Rank Demon directly,¡± the Ferryman Demon shrugged indifferently, ¡°As for the torture and torment one must undergo to transform into a Bartez... life is all about suffering, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°When I die, my soul will go to the Father God¡¯s hall...¡± ... ¡°Pfft, foolish worshipper,¡± the Ferryman Demon spat contemptuously, ¡°If you like losing yourself, becoming part of that so-called ¡®great existence,¡¯ then be my guest. But not everyone has such ridiculous desires. Many are willing to do anything to keep their ¡®self,¡¯ becoming a Fiend isn¡¯t a big deal at all. Young man, you¡¯re too nai?ve. When your soul drifts upon the Stygian River, it¡¯ll be too late to ponder these issues.¡± Having said this, the Ferryman Demon paid no further heed to the Dwarf, and produced a small bone horn from within its robes, then gently blew into it. The sound waves, undetectable to mortal ears, silently dispersed, and Lancelot immediately felt the space around him fluctuate. Twelve sandy-colored Portals appeared out of nowhere, and from each portal, a Ferryman Demon emerged. They kept silent, apparently communicating through telepathy; moments later, they quietly dispersed to their tasks¡ªsome to manage the sails, others to clear corpses, some climbed the masts, while others stood at the stern like statues, gazing back at the river. The bone warship began to sail, manipulated by these Ferryman Demons, and picked up speed swiftly. ¡°With their help, this ship can move a bit faster,¡± Vexus said, gripping the steering wheel and giving everyone a he-he sort of smile, ¡°We¡¯re about to make the leap, so I suggest you all grab something, anything...¡± Upon hearing this, everyone hastily grabbed onto nearby ropes or masts, while all the Ferryman Demons suddenly began to chant in unison in a language that Lancelot had heard but could not understand¡ªInfernal. They recited some lengthy Spell, and as the chanting progressed, the skeleton ship they stood upon began to shake violently and, at the peak of the chant, surged upward into the sky. The surrounding environment rapidly lost color, and the world turned into a surreal ocean comprised of silver points and lines. His companions became semi-transparent shadows, like disembodied souls, and from between their shoulder blades a silver line about a foot long extended, resembling kites flying through the air. ¡°Welcome to the Stellar Realm, a convenient but not so safe way to travel,¡± Vexus, now also a shadow, communicated telepathically, ¡°However, we¡¯re just making a short trip within the plane, so it shouldn¡¯t be too problematic. It¡¯ll only take a few seconds to arrive at our destination. Yes, you¡¯re all in a state of astral projection now. All of our bodies, as well as that bony warship, are still back where we were, but the moment we return to the Abyssal Plane, all the excess will teleport over with us... Wait a second, Sir, what¡¯s going on with you?¡± Lancelot had the same question. He was examining his own hands¡ªthey were still of flesh and blood. Yes, he had felt a particular pulling force, but after his Foundation Establishment, his soul¡¯s state had changed somewhat. To describe it in an inaccurate way, it had ¡®grown¡¯ together with his body. That pulling force had not only drawn his soul into the Stellar Realm but had also pulled along his physical body. Before he had a chance to reply, everyone suddenly plunged ¡®downwards¡¯, and upon leaping over an invisible boundary, instantly regained their physical forms. The battleship smacked heavily onto the surface of the water, lifting huge waves¡ªblood-red waves, and the iconic Skeleton Tower on the horizon signified a simple fact: they had arrived at their destination, Lake Meyne at the edge of the Great Abyss. ¡°I¡¯m a little bit special,¡± Lancelot spread his hands, ¡°and I myself am not sure why.¡± Vexus did not press any further because it was well aware that such a question would never receive an honest answer. It focused on steering the helm, directing the massive warship towards a dock on the edge of Blood Lake. Lancelot recognized that dock; they had previously embarked from there on a ferry to Mogrondale, and at this moment, the Ferryman Demons who were waiting for business on the dock were stunned by the sudden appearance of this colossal entity. The helming Vexus straightened its formerly hunched back, and Lancelot could easily sense a feeling of pride emanating from it. The Bone Warship unceremoniously entered the not-so-spacious berth, squeezing several small boats of the Ferryman Demons aside. One by one, his companions walked down from the deck onto land, while Vexus went to the side of the ship to say their farewells. ¡°It was a pleasure to have shared this wonderful journey with you,¡± the Ferryman Demon called out from a conspicuous position, ensuring everyone on the dock could see him, ¡°Despite some complications, overall, it was quite enjoyable, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah, I sure had a lot of fun,¡± the Dwarf had already put the unpleasantness behind him, ¡°If every boat trip let me get some exercise, it would be fantastic.¡± ¡°I prefer a journey without too many surprises,¡± the Elf habitually disagreed with the Dwarf¡¯s view, ¡°Even if fighting is required, it¡¯s best done with ample preparation.¡± ¡°At least it was much faster than we anticipated,¡± Lancelot nodded to Vexus, ¡°Thank you for your service.¡± ¡°My pleasure, Sir,¡± the Ferryman Demon¡¯s face twisted into a hideous smile, ¡°Then, this is where we part ways. I wish you all a smooth journey ahead...¡± ¡°Thank you. But aren¡¯t you forgetting something you owe me?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°A way to summon you when we need a boat in the future,¡± Lancelot folded his arms, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t mentioned it, were you planning to pretend this never happened?¡± ¡°Ah ha! How could that be? I was just about to give it to you...¡± Vexus pulled out the bony horn it had used earlier to summon its companions, ¡°No matter what waters you¡¯re in, just blow this horn, and the ¡®White Bone Duke¡¯ will come at your call. The ship is mine now, so I have the right to name it... Sounds good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Chapter 492 492 516 Entering the Tower ?Chapter 492: Chapter 516: Entering the Tower Chapter 492: Chapter 516: Entering the Tower After bidding farewell to the Ferryman Demon and its new battleship, Lancelot led everyone towards Kai-Oine. Despite having seen it before, standing on the edge of that colossal fissure and looking down, everyone was still deeply shocked by the supernatural and malicious sight before them. The tower, shaped like a vertebral column, rose from the seemingly bottomless fissure on the ground, as if the earth was giving the sky an obscene gesture. With the black spot left on his wrist by the Eye of Sarizdon, Lancelot could check the distribution of portals in the Great Abyss at any time, and since the Iron Ice Plains were relatively shallow layers, he decided not to go to Mogrondale but to take the route through Skeleton Tower into the Great Abyss and then directly to the portal leading to the Iron Ice Plains. But at the entrance to Kai-Oine, they were stopped. ¡°Turn back immediately,¡± the guard at the entrance, two bulky Demon Gods with unfriendly eyes, said to the group of adventurers, ¡°or don¡¯t¡ªwith you looking quite delicious, hehehehe.¡± ¡°I am Lancelot, former Governor of Mistfield,¡±, Lancelot stared fearlessly at the demon two heads taller than him, ¡°Can¡¯t even a former Lord of Withering enter Kai-Oine?¡± ¡°You are that Human Knight?¡± the bulky demon looked skeptical, ¡°Do you have any proof?¡± ¡°Of course I do...¡± ... Lancelot reached behind his back, the bulky demon curiously brought its bald head closer, but what met it was a punch so powerful it could split gold and crack stones. The bulky demon didn¡¯t even see Lancelot¡¯s punching movement, and its huge body was blown away, legs and arms twitching strangely as it stretched out, knocked unconscious by the punch. ¡°There¡¯s my proof,¡± Lancelot turned to look at the other bulky demon, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s sufficient?¡± Not far from them, a large number of Marg demons heard the commotion and ran out from the barracks. Their eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty light, eager to join in what seemed like a lopsided slaughter. However, the scene before them made them hesitate to attack immediately, because the bulky demon facing off with the Human Knight hadn¡¯t made a move yet. ¡°A very convincing proof.¡± The other bulky demon looked at its unconscious companion with a schadenfreude gaze and respectfully stepped aside, ¡°You may of course enter the tower, great Lord of Withering. Do you want me to tell those idiots behind me, or do you want some fun?¡± ¡°Thanks, but there¡¯s no need, my time is precious.¡± Lancelot nodded and strode towards the interior of the tower, with his companions following behind, leaving all those dumbfounded Marg demons behind them. ¡°Hey, big guy, that punch was truly satisfying.¡± Bruto was the first to speak up, ¡°I thought you were going to bribe that guard...¡± ¡°Bribery is also a viable option, after all, we are not short of money,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°but seeing that tower put me in a bad mood... punching that guy felt much better afterward.¡± ¡°I used to just go by ship the few times I came here, this is my first time entering Skeleton Tower,¡± Old Reap was quite interested in the scene that had just unfolded, ¡°Looks like the rumors about you in Mogrondale aren¡¯t all boastful after all.¡± ¡°Rumors and reality are always far apart,¡± Lancelot shrugged and walked down the stairs towards the center of the hall, ¡°but here in the Abyss, maybe reality is the even crazier version.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± the Werewolf nodded, following everyone down to another grand hall, ¡°Is every floor of the tower like this? How far do we have to go?¡± ¡°The structures are quite similar, but their uses are vastly different. There are cells, torture chambers, meditation rooms, and magic laboratories. We need to go down about three hundred floors, and you¡¯ll see,¡± Lancelot continued to descend the stairs and answered, ¡°But don¡¯t let your curiosity lead you away from the stairway. Those blades that suddenly shoot out from the floor gaps are quite tricky to dodge.¡± ¡°Three hundred floors!¡± the Dwarf let out a wail, ¡°Kalalin, have pity on my short little legs. Isn¡¯t there some magic that can make this easier for me?¡± ¡°Actually, there is. I can cast a Jump Spell on you,¡± the Scholar said with a sinister grin, ¡°It¡¯s just a 1st-tier minor spell that can triple your jumping ability for an hour.¡± ¡°That sounds great,¡± the Dwarf showed keen interest, ¡°Are there any... side effects?¡± ¡°None, besides looking a bit silly when you jump,¡± Kalalin shrugged, ¡°So, want to give it a try?¡± ¡°Hurry up!¡± At this, the Scholar chuckled, took out a dried grasshopper leg from his pouch at his waist, chanted a spell quietly, and the grasshopper leg transformed into a ball of light in his hand before merging into the Dwarf¡¯s body. ¡°Done,¡± the Scholar clapped his hands, ¡°Give it a try now.¡± Hearing this, the Dwarf tried a tentative jump, and sprang out like a coil, flying far away, and with another jump, he directly hopped onto the platform of the next floor. ¡°Haha! This is too much fun!¡± Bruto¡¯s face, full with beard, was crammed with smiles, ¡°I¡¯ll go down a hundred floors first and wait for you guys there!¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly as I thought; with the enhanced jumping power, the Dwarf looks like a minimized Berserk Demon,¡± Kalalin spread his hands towards the others, ¡°And with that helmet of his, he looks just the same.¡± ¡°Did you just cast that directly?¡± Lancelot noticed another detail, ¡°Usually, you need a scroll, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I just discovered a few days ago that I can now perform tricks and cast 1st-tier spells like a Mage,¡± the Scholar said with a shy yet proud smile, ¡°The Abyss is indeed a very dangerous place, but it¡¯s also a place where one can quickly grow stronger...¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Lancelot strongly agreed, ¡°provided that one can survive.¡± After roughly half an hour of continuous traversal of the stairwell, before everyone¡¯s knees started protesting, they finally reached their destination. The exit would lead them to a path flanked by cliffs and precipices, involving half a day¡¯s walk and likely several fights with wild Demons. Since everyone was already tired, they decided to rest for the night before heading out. They found an empty large hall, and Lancelot took out a special handkerchief, spread it on the floor. Everyone entered Tijana¡¯s created demi-plane through the Portal on the handkerchief, including a certain young girl who had slept through the day. They had prepared comfortable bedding, ample food supplies, and a fully-equipped bathroom in advance inside, where everyone could get ample rest and relaxation, everyone except Lancelot himself. For the Human Knight, the demi-plane was nice, but it hardly contained any nature¡¯s spiritual energy, which was unacceptable for him as resting was equivalent to cultivation. Moreover, Tijana had repeatedly emphasized how expensive creating such an ¡®entrance¡¯ was and how severe the consequences would be if it were lost. Therefore, someone had to stay outside to guard it, a responsibility that naturally fell to Lancelot himself. Chapter 493 493 517 The Changing Dwarf ?Chapter 493: Chapter 517: The Changing Dwarf Chapter 493: Chapter 517: The Changing Dwarf After a night of rest, everyone was reinvigorated. Having enjoyed a hearty breakfast, the group left Skeleton Tower and entered the interior of the Great Abyss. Except for old Reap, the others had only come to this place a few months ago and were not unfamiliar with how to travel in such steep environments, while the Werewolf also seemed to adapt very well. Their location was not too deep, though the Plains of the Abyss¡¯s sky could not be seen, the surrounding environment was not dim. The air was filled with a red mist, the result of the Blood River waterfalls continuously striking the rocks. If this were the Prime Material Plane, any rock in the path of the waterfall would have been eroded away over countless centuries, but in the Great Abyss, the terrain is constantly changing. Actually, the only relatively stable area in this plane is the region around the spine-like Skeleton Tower, which is one of the reasons Mogrondale City exists. Lancelot used to be curious about what kind of creature that spine had belonged to, but lately, he had gradually come to realize another possibility: that spine might very well be the backbone of the Great Abyss itself, providing some stability to this chaotic and ever-changing plane. Thanks to Sareth¡¯s Shield Eye¡¯s ¡®map¡¯ feature, Lancelot planned a route that avoided other Portals. As gateways to other layers of the Abyss, many Portals were heavily guarded by the masters of their respective planes, some even had fortresses and bastions built as permanent fortifications. Of course, the natural Portals entering certain layers weren¡¯t only found in the Great Abyss, on the Plains of the Abyss, any crack in the ground could lead to another plane, but usually, only the most desperate individuals¡ªunlucky souls who¡¯ve wandered into the Abyss or Low Rank Demons chased by conscription squads¡ªwould choose to jump in, for one never knows what lies on the other side of the door. Though they circumvented those fortresses with heavy guards, the group still occasionally encountered attacks from beast Demons. The most common were the Flomos, demons with vulture wings that could release clouds of deadly poison. They were very troublesome for most Adventurers, but Lancelot and his companions had gained ample experience in dealing with them. The attacking Flomos, aside from bringing some joy to the combative Bruto, caused no substantial harm. ... The Dwarf¡¯s fighting style had also undergone a noticeable transformation recently. When he first began adventuring with Lancelot, though always passionate, Bruto was more like a warrior¡ªmeaning he always maintained control of his stance, carefully selected his targets, and was ever mindful of the surrounding situation and the condition of his teammates, and this was the concept Lancelot had long tried to instill in him through training. However, more and more signs suggested that Bruto was taking the road of the Barbarians, surrendering to that uncontrollable, unceasing, and thoughtless rage in combat. Although Lancelot did not approve of this fighting style, he had to admit it was Bruto¡¯s nature; the Dwarf, when in a Berserk State, was stronger, faster, and his body seemed to harden like rock, greatly reducing the damage that weapons could inflict. In Lancelot¡¯s view, it all started with that Dwarf bartender named Dag they met at Melanthan. As a former member of the ¡®Guts and Glory¡¯ legion, he had added some sharp accessories to their armor, but Bruto was the only one who truly used those ¡®decorations¡¯ in battle and enjoyed it too. During the month they stayed in Androlina, Bruto would run to the Warhammer Tavern every day, pestering Dag to teach him more about the ¡®Guts and Glory¡¯ legion¡¯s combat tricks. According to what Bruto later boasted to the group, Dag taught him a fighting style known as ¡®Berserker,¡¯ unique to the Dwarf race. But according to Alamir, in Faeru?n, which was the world Dag and his people came from, ¡®Berserkers¡¯ were indeed famous, but not in an endearing way. No one denied their usefulness in battle, but their stupidity and stubbornness were indistinguishable from rocks¡ªlikely because their daily training included repeatedly headbutting stones. Furthermore, what made the berserkers unbearable to most was the fact that these fellows actually took pride in not bathing! Combined with their heavy daily training, one could only imagine how foul the berserkers must have smelled, even to the point where other dwarves couldn¡¯t stand these stinky guys. Thankfully, Dag must have gotten over this nasty habit through his interactions with the Airas of Androlina, otherwise, without needing Alamir to speak up, Lancelot would have been the first to dunk Bruto¡¯s head into the Stygian River, until he completely forgot anything related to being a berserker. After trekking for the better part of the day, the group finally reached the portal to the Iron Ice Plains. There had once been a fortress guarding the entrance to the portal, but it now looked abandoned. Through the collapsed, unattended walls, the icy blue portal hovered in mid-air, with the cold wind and snowflakes continuously fluttering out from within, covering a small area around it with a layer of pristine snow. ¡°Wait here for me a while, and put on some cold-weather clothes,¡± Lancelot told the others. ¡°I¡¯ll go check out the situation over there. If there¡¯s nothing unusual, I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement, no one bothered to ask whether Lancelot was going to change his clothes¡ªthe human knight was already considered extraordinary in their eyes. Lancelot took a deep breath, hoisted the Giant Sword Glacier in his hand, and stepped into the portal. After a very slight sensation of vertigo, he found himself standing atop a mountain peak. The strong wind, carrying a flurry of snowflakes, struck his face like a beast roaring at him. Wherever he looked, there were mountains, and at the base of these mountains was a massive crevasse stretching for miles, out of which black fog continually spewed. With his knowledge of this plane, Lancelot could not determine his location, but the crevasse might provide some clues. He found a rock that offered a bit of shelter from the wind and snow, sat cross-legged on the spot, and entered a state of meditation. After carefully scanning the surrounding area with Spiritual Sight, Lancelot confirmed there were no lurking creatures nearby, so he got up again, passed through the icy blue portal, and called the rest of his companions through. ¡°Achoo!¡± As soon as they passed through the portal, the dwarf let out a big sneeze. At this moment, he was wrapped in a thick layer of bear skin over his armor, but it was still hard to withstand the strong winds on the mountain top. ¡°It¡¯s colder here than I thought,¡± said the dwarf, tightening his leather coat and brushing the snowflakes off his collar. ¡°Can we hurry down the mountain? This place is just not fit for people...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush,¡± Lancelot pointed to the rock where he had been sitting. ¡°Let¡¯s find some shelter there. We need to complete the ritual for Olul first.¡± Chapter 494 494 518 Complete Transformation ?Chapter 494: Chapter 518 Complete Transformation Chapter 494: Chapter 518 Complete Transformation Lancelot described the ritual as involving an amulet brought from the body of Olul¡ª the Guardian of the Frost Maiden. He placed the amulet, made of ice in the shape of a snowflake, around his neck and broke off a chunk of ice the size of a helmet, holding it in his hand. Lancelot then had his companions sit around him, waiting for him to melt the ice with his body temperature to complete the ritual. According to the information Kalalin obtained through the Identification Spell, no magic could be used during the ritual, and the person conducting it¡ªusually a priest of Olul¡ªhad to rely solely on their own body heat to melt the ice. For a god known for sadism, even blessings for his followers had to be gained through suffering. Although Lancelot was not a follower of the Goddess of Ice, he disdained cheating in such a ritual. Naturally formed ice could never lower the body temperature of a cultivator who had undergone Foundation Establishment, and even normal body heat was enough to melt the ice quickly. A few moments later, the ice in Lancelot¡¯s hand had completely turned to water. Accompanied by a soft humming, a pale blue halo emanated from the amulet on his chest, infusing a special power into everyone present. ¡°Hey! This thing is pretty strong!¡± Bruto immediately started taking off his bearskin coat, ¡°I even feel kind of warm...¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that people feel this way right before they freeze to death.¡± Alamir, rubbing his smooth elven chin, remarked, ¡°But it seems like there¡¯s really no problem, at least for now. I¡¯ll keep an eye on everyone¡¯s condition just in case the Frost Maiden decides to play a cruel joke on us.¡± ¡°If we keep moving, we definitely won¡¯t freeze!¡± The dwarf, demonstrating his muscles to everyone in the storm as if it was something to boast about, called out, ¡°Lancelot, hurry and find me some giants to kill. I can¡¯t wait any longer!¡± ¡°The Abyss seems to have had some effect on you, Bruto.¡± Lancelot observed the dwarf, gently shaking his head, ¡°Unfortunately, your wish cannot be fulfilled for now. Our primary goal is to understand the situation on this plane and to determine our next steps. We must remain hidden and avoid combat with enemies unless absolutely necessary.¡± ... ¡°Ah, of course. Planning is very important. I was just joking.¡± After Lancelot¡¯s reminder, the dwarf quickly came back to his senses and quietly covered the exposed parts of his body, ¡°So what do we do next?¡± ¡°First, we need to figure out where we are.¡± Lancelot started walking towards the other side of the peak, ¡°Follow me, the view is clearer from there.¡± Just a few steps later, the magnificent mountains of the Iron Ice Plains unfolded completely before everyone¡¯s eyes. ¡°The view is really beautiful...¡± Little Isha murmured, ¡°And the sun feels completely comfortable on my skin...¡± One had to admit, if one ignored the raging snowstorms, the evil residents of the Frost Giants, and the fatally low temperatures for mortals, this dominion of ice and snow indeed possessed breathtaking scenery. Everything between the sky and the earth was covered in ice and snow, initially appearing as pure icy blue. As for the sun, it was merely a bright point the size of a chickpea, perpetually hanging on the horizon, the light it emitted unable to bring the slightest warmth to this world, no wonder Isha, being a vampire, felt no discomfort. ¡°I don¡¯t see any familiar landmarks.¡± Lancelot brought everyone back from their scenic reverie with his voice. He pointed towards the fissure at the base of the mountain, continuously emitting black mist, ¡°The only distinctive place is that spot. Old Reap, can you recognize where this is?¡± ¡°It looks a lot like the rumored Black Mist Rift,¡± the werewolf said, crouching and squinting as he examined the fissure at the base of the mountain. ¡°I need to get closer to confirm...¡± ¡°The previous intelligence didn¡¯t mention this name,¡± Lancelot said, genuinely curious. ¡°What¡¯s there?¡± ¡°It is said to hide an enemy that even Kostcheqi finds troublesome,¡± replied Kalalin, not the werewolf. ¡°Due to the lack of first-hand reports, the Cult does not yet know what it is, but anything that makes the Prince of Wrath step back even in his own domain must not be a simple character.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look,¡± Lancelot clapped his hands. ¡°We might find some useful information.¡± ¡°Ah, has that moment finally arrived...¡± Old Reap sighed and pulled a small sled model from his pocket, placing it on the ground. As soon as it touched the snow, the tiny model began to grow, eventually turning into a large sled with three rows of seats, each row able to seat two people side by side. Before anyone could comment, the werewolf began his transformation¡ªnot just sprouting a wolf¡¯s head, but a full transformation. His body quickly swelled, his skin sprouting black and white fur, and his hands and feet turned into the hooves of a canine. Once the transformation ceased, a giant wolf over ten feet long appeared before everyone, black with a white belly, sporting three flame-shaped white patches over its ice-blue wolf eyes, looking majestic and fiercely intimidating. ¡°Awoooo~~~~~!!!¡± The transformed werewolf let out a high-pitched howl that echoed repeatedly through the valley. Its might stunned everyone, leaving them all standing there motionless until the giant wolf picked up the sled¡¯s harness. Then, they snapped out of it and hurriedly climbed onto the sled. With another howl, the giant wolf began to sprint down the mountain, pulling the sled. Tijana was right; with Old Reap, traveling in knee-deep snow was indeed much easier. The werewolf¡¯s speed picked up, and the fierce wind mixed with snow felt like harsh slaps on everyone¡¯s faces. Everyone buried their heads and clutched tightly to the sled¡¯s handrails, fearing they might be thrown off. However, the magical sled was far more stable than they had feared. With the werewolf¡¯s full sprint, they quickly reached the base of the mountain, the whole trip taking less than half an hour. At Lancelot¡¯s request, made through a whisper spell (the wind was too loud for normal speech), the werewolf slowed down, and the sled and wolf glided silently through the snow like ghosts, finally stopping behind a large rock. The group knew they were close to their target, so they quietly got off the carriage and immediately found cover to conceal themselves. Once everyone was off, the sled gradually shrank, and the giant wolf began to transform back into human form. ¡°I haven¡¯t had such a liberating run in a long time; it feels great,¡± the werewolf said, surprisingly in a very good mood, the gloominess previously shrouding him swept away. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, everyone? Are there enemies?¡± ¡°Yes, about two hundred feet ahead there¡¯s a camp, likely containing no more than ten Frost Giants,¡± Lancelot gestured to the werewolf with his crossed hands. ¡°When I make this gesture, it means there are enemies ahead, take cover. They¡¯re all very familiar with this. Later, I¡¯ll go over the full set of signals with you.¡± Chapter 495 495 519 Camp Reconnaissance ?Chapter 495: Chapter 519: Camp Reconnaissance Chapter 495: Chapter 519: Camp Reconnaissance ¡°Encampment?¡± Alamir asked curiously, ¡°Wasn¡¯t there supposed to be an entity here that even Kostcheqi finds troublesome? How can there be a Frost Giants¡¯ encampment?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we need to figure out next.¡± Lancelot slightly leaned out from behind the boulder, but he could only see the tops of a few tents from this angle, ¡°We are a bit too far away; we need to get closer...¡± ¡°That might not be such a good idea,¡± old Reap suppressed his voice, speaking softly in opposition, ¡°In fact, we are already within the throwing range of the Frost Giants. Unless we are sure we want to attack that camp, we shouldn¡¯t get any closer.¡± ¡°Is that so...¡± Lancelot scratched his head, the ceaseless wind and snow here strongly disturbed nature¡¯s spiritual energy, and his Spiritual Sight was not very useful at this distance. ¡°Well... I can transform into a bat and fly over there...¡± Little Isha timidly spoke up, ¡°The Frost Giants probably won¡¯t notice me, and even if they did, it would be hard for them to hit such a tiny bat with a thrown rock.¡± ¡°My Arcane Eye could also be useful.¡± Kalalin suggested another option, ¡°Although I can only use a Fourth Circle Spell once a day, the only Fourth Circle spell I know is this one. The advantage is that it isn¡¯t limited by distance, and I can relay the situation to you in real time during the observation, making sure we don¡¯t miss any details.¡± ¡°Hmm, yours might be more convenient,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°But while we focus on that encampment, we must also be cautious of our surroundings. Little Isha, could you fly up high and watch if any enemies are approaching us? Won¡¯t it be too cold up there?¡± ... ¡°No problem! After all, I am an Undead, so this level of cold is nothing to me, not to mention I am blessed by the Goddess of Ice.¡± Little Isha gave Lancelot a happy smile, her body subtly swayed, and in a flash of fleeting light, she transformed into a tiny bat and landed on the Human Knight¡¯s shoulder. ¡°If you find anything unusual, come down immediately and tell us.¡± Lancelot turned his head, instructing the little bat on his shoulder, who, although unable to respond, nodded vigorously twice to show her understanding. Then, she flapped her wings and flew up into the sky, quickly turning into a tiny black dot. At the same time, Kalalin activated the spell scroll storing the Arcane Eye, summoning a magical eyeball. The Scholar waited a moment until the eyeball became completely transparent, then began controlling it to fly toward the nearby Giant encampment. ¡°I¡¯m approaching the encampment now, wow, it¡¯s really huge!¡± Kalalin¡¯s eyes were tightly closed as he described the scene to everyone, ¡°Around the perimeter of the encampment, there¡¯s a ring made of thick logs forming a wall, and inside, smaller fences divide the area into three sections. One of these is an animal pen, housing three very large Winter Wolves... Of course, they aren¡¯t as large as Reap in his transformed state, nor as good-looking in terms of fur, and they seem much fiercer than Reap...¡± ¡°Cough cough!¡± The Werewolf coughed awkwardly twice, ¡°I mean... thanks, but can you focus on other areas of the encampment?¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry, your transformed appearance just left a deep impression on me... Another section isn¡¯t very large either; it has five sheds containing...¡± The Scholar paused for a moment, ¡°a large number of bodies. There are those of wild beasts and... sentient beings as well. I didn¡¯t see any bloodstains on the ground, which suggests this spot is merely a storage site, and these bodies were killed elsewhere.¡± ¡°How many bodies are there?¡± ¡°Enough to fill the entire first floor of Kai-Oine¡¯s hall.¡± Kalalin looked as though a Dog-headed Plumber was working inside his stomach, ¡°Either we have underestimated the number of Frost Giants in the camp, or these bodies are used for some other purpose. Two of the sheds are empty, and I also saw some carts, perhaps the Frost Giants in the camp drag the bodies to some other place?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll figure that out,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°What about the last area? Do the Frost Giants live there?¡± ¡°Yes, the last area is the largest and situated the highest, bordered by a cliff. I saw four tents, each housing a Frost Giant... wait, there are also two smaller tents hidden in the corner, with... Ogres lying inside?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not surprising,¡± Alamir commented from the side. ¡°Giants indeed allow large-sized species like Ogres and Trolls to live with them, though these beings hold a very low status in Giant society, slightly better than slaves...¡± ¡°What about us?¡± Bruto interrupted, ¡°What do Elves, Humans, and Dwarves mean to the Giants?¡± ¡°Food, thieves, despicable beings who rely on plots and schemes to steal territories from the ancient Giant Empire.¡± Alamir shrugged. ¡°Giants have a unique set of moral values. In their language, there are two key words, ¡®Mog¡¯ and ¡®Mote,¡¯ used to describe whether something aligns with the Giants¡¯ ¡®virtues.¡¯ The taller and stronger a being is, the more ¡®Mote¡¯ they are. To them, all of us under ten feet tall are utterly ¡®Mog.¡¯ ¡°Pah, those Giants have no shame!¡± Bruto was quite indignant. ¡°When they come down from the mountains to raid towns and farms, how comes they don¡¯t feel ¡®Mog¡¯ then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because Giants have unique moral values,¡± Alamir shrugged. ¡°Raiding is seen as very ¡®Giant-like,¡¯ so it¡¯s considered a ¡®Mote¡¯ action.¡± ¡°What are those Giants up to?¡± Lancelot brought the conversation back on track, ¡°What about their weapons and armor?¡± ¡°Three Frost Giants are sleeping, wearing armor patched together with metal plates and wild beast pelts, and their weapons are huge wooden clubs, bone Warhammers. Another is in his tent, sharpening his axe, and his equipment looks noticeably better; that Battle Axe is as big as a cartwheel...¡± ¡°Any that look like Spellcasters?¡± ¡°No,¡± Kalalin immediately replied, ¡°I¡¯m certain of it.¡± ¡°Feels like we¡¯re in for a fight,¡± Bruto grew restless upon hearing this, ¡°Lancelot, should we raid this camp? I promise to leave you one alive...¡± Just then, a loud, malicious roar filled everyone¡¯s ears, as if several evil mouths were roaring in unison. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Bruto was the first to grab his hammer, and the others reacted similarly. Lancelot¡¯s brows furrowed deeply; the moment the roar sounded, his Spirit Perception detected a terrifying presence, its strength much like that of a nameless one under Barlow Flame Demon state, completely surpassing his sensory limit. If someone claimed at that moment that it was Prince Kostcheqi of Wrath himself, Lancelot might have believed it. Chapter 496 496 520 The Monster Beneath the Crack ?Chapter 496: Chapter 520: The Monster Beneath the Crack Chapter 496: Chapter 520: The Monster Beneath the Crack ¡°` ¡°The Frost Giants in the camp are on the move!¡± Scholar¡¯s cry of alarm pulled Lancelot¡¯s attention back, ¡°They¡¯re loading corpses onto carriages, and they seem to be in quite a hurry...¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t those corpses their own food?¡± Lancelot looked up to make sure the bat that little Esha had become was still patrolling the sky. ¡°Kalalin, keep an eye on those Frost Giants and see what they¡¯re up to.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve loaded the bodies onto the carriages, and both shacks have been cleared out.¡± Kalalin¡¯s face turned even more unpleasant, clearly the sight through the magical eye was not a pleasant one, ¡°Except for the one who was sharpening his axe, the other three Frost Giants each pulled a carriage, and two Ogres together dragged the last one, all heading towards the direction of the crevice.¡± ¡°Aooooo!!!!!!¡± Another roar, filled with malice, echoed, startling everyone. Kalalin nearly fell, but was quickly steadied by the fast-acting Lancelot, otherwise, his spellcasting would surely have been interrupted. ¡°What the hell is that thing howling?¡± Bruto scanned the surroundings with a wary eye, as if expecting enemies to suddenly burst from beneath the snow, ¡°I have a very bad feeling...¡± ¡°I guess the being that even Kostcheqi finds troublesome has awakened,¡± Lancelot said, helping Kalalin to sit down slowly. ¡°Let¡¯s first listen to what he saw. I¡¯m growing more curious about what the purpose of that camp might be.¡± ... ¡°The Giants have reached the edge of the crevice, and have started to throw the corpses into it...¡± ¡°Can you control the eye to go down and take a look?¡± Lancelot asked in a deep voice, ¡°Is there any risk of being traced back?¡± ¡°No problem, at most it will be discovered and dispersed. I¡¯ve already entered the crevice, descending. The fog inside here has gotten much thicker; wait, there seems to be something big moving down there...¡± Kalalin suddenly took a deep breath, ¡°My god, what is that monster?!¡± ¡°What did you see?¡± Bruto asked eagerly, ¡°A mutated White Dragon?¡± ¡°Seems like a... crab?¡± ¡°Pfft... what¡¯s so scary about a crab...¡± ¡°But it¡¯s huge! Ever seen a spider crab? Imagine one over two hundred feet tall, with three massive pincers, four thick tentacles, and a carapace covered in eyes...¡± Kalalin described incoherently what he was seeing, ¡°It¡¯s eating the corpses that were thrown down, eating very quickly, and it turns out those tentacles have mouths at the ends...¡± ¡°Aooooo!!!¡± Another roaring sound came through, and suddenly everyone felt the ground shake beneath their feet. This time, Scholar seemed prepared, having lowered his center of gravity in advance, standing firmer than the others. ¡°` ¡°That monster is shaking the cliff with its pincers; all the bodies it threw down are already eaten, and it still doesn¡¯t seem satisfied... Something else has been thrown down, huh, isn¡¯t that one of the two ogres? To think it didn¡¯t die from such a high fall, the life force of ogres is truly tenacious... Uh, it¡¯s dead now. Definitely dead. Wait, why do I feel like those eyes are watching me...¡± Lancelot¡¯s heart jumped upon hearing this, and without a second word, he raised his hand and delivered a slap swift as lightning across Kalalin¡¯s face, interrupting the Scholar¡¯s focused state of invoking the Arcane Eye with a ¡®smack¡¯. Kalalin sat down on the ground, his hands clutching at his chest, gasping for air, looking utterly terrified. ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Lancelot, placing his hand on the Scholar¡¯s back and quietly channeling the Ice Heart Technique, sending a stream of weak but pure True Yuan into the body of the Scholar, who visibly calmed down at a rate visible to the naked eye. ¡°Thank you,¡± Kalalin said gratefully, glancing at Lancelot, ¡°There was a sort of absolutely mad will in those eyeballs; I was already under its control just now, completely unable to break free. If you hadn¡¯t interrupted my spellcasting focus in time, I fear my sanity would have been completely destroyed, turning me into a drooling idiot.¡± ¡°What exactly was that?¡± Alamir asked with a serious expression, ¡°An ancient Obyrith Demon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably not,¡± the Scholar shook his head, his face still displaying the aftereffects of fright, ¡°If it were an Obyrith Demon, I would have gone insane at the moment I saw it, but the psychic attack occurred only after it looked at me.¡± ¡°Can you share the image of that monster with me?¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, ¡°I can get in touch with Tijana; maybe she can identify that creature.¡± ¡°No problem, sharing memories is a simple Divination spell of the second tier, allowing one to show a memory of up to one minute to someone else. Though seldom used, I knew it would come in handy after I mastered the Arcane Eye...¡± Kalalin reached into his backpack and immediately pulled out a scroll, ¡°I absolutely love this backpack; it¡¯s definitely the best thing I¡¯ve ever bought... Are you ready?¡± Lancelot nodded lightly, and the Scholar unfurled the scroll, uttering a simple trigger word that activated the spell stored within. Complex Arcane Runes emitted a faint green Magic Aura, first enveloping Kalalin¡¯s head, then flying towards Lancelot. As the green light drifted toward Lancelot¡¯s head, he suddenly remembered some customs from the world of spiritual cultivation recorded in small bamboo slips, and subconsciously raised his arm, shielding himself from the green light and then probing into the green luminescence with his Divine Sense. Immediately, a terrifying scene unfolded before his eyes, exactly as the Scholar described ¨C this bizarre ¡®crab¡¯ was surprisingly large, with eight pincers each over two hundred feet long attached to a disc-shaped body with a radius of over thirty feet, covered in unnervingly spore-like eyeballs; each pair of pincers had a tentacle resembling a sandworm, with tooth-filled gaping mouths at the ends, similar to the sandworms; a spiral shaped mouthpart was topped with a gigantic pincer akin to a siege hammer on the front, while there were an additional two smaller pincers on the belly. The scene continued with bodies falling from above, the monstrous crab chopping the bodies into smaller chunks with its pincers and then drawing the pieces into its belly with the tentacles. If it were not for the various horrifying scenes they had already encountered after arriving in the Abyss, this spectacle of ¡®feeding¡¯ could have very well caused any of their companions to faint on the spot. ¡°Tijana...¡± Lancelot began calling the culprit responsible for his presence in this place, ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± ¡°...You don¡¯t contact me for such a long time, and then you show me this?¡± the dissatisfied voice of the Succubus Lord sounded in his mind, ¡°This is an Ice Grinder Crab Spider, a creature comparable to an Ancient Dragon. Where did you find it? Stay away from that thing; it might crush you without even being aware of your existence...¡± Chapter 497 497 521 Ambush ?Chapter 497: Chapter 521 Ambush Chapter 497: Chapter 521 Ambush ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at the Iron Ice Plains. This monster is settled inside a huge rift on the ground; it is unlikely to come out and trouble us for now.¡± ¡°What? Didn¡¯t Kostcheqi care before?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve observed the Frost Giants¡¯ feeding activities. This giant crab seems content with the corpses thrown to it, and an ogre that¡¯s still alive.¡± Lancelot asked with curiosity, ¡°Besides its name, do you know any other information? Perhaps we could find a way to exploit it...¡± ¡°Good, it sounds like you might have a decent plan, but the Ice-Crushing Crab Spider is extremely mysterious, and I don¡¯t know much about it either. No one knows where they come from or what they truly want. Despite looking very ¡®Abyssal,¡¯ the Ice-Crushing Crab Spider is not a demon. Hold on a moment, let me find some information about this creature...¡± Tijana fell into a brief silence, ¡°Ah, here it is. Ask away, what exactly do you want to know?¡± ¡°Hmm... first of all, is this creature intelligent?¡± ¡°On the surface, the Ice-Crushing Crab Spider seems only concerned with obtaining food and protecting its lair, like an ordinary beast. But there was a Tanari Scholar who tried to communicate with them and discovered these creatures possess extremely high intelligence. No matter what language you use, they can master it instantly, without any accent issues. However, besides demanding intelligent beings as food, discussing any other topic with the Ice-Crushing Crab Spider is futile, as their thoughts are too chaotic to make effective communication possible. I wouldn¡¯t recommend you do that.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Lancelot nodded silently, ¡°It¡¯s said that even Kostcheqi finds this Ice-Crushing Crab Spider troublesome¡ªhow strong are they, exactly?¡± ... ¡°In the current Iron Ice Plains, probabily only Kostcheqi¡¯s mount, the ancient White Dragon Svafnir, can contend with it.¡± Tijana sounded obviously interested, ¡°Why, are you thinking of using it to attack the Glacial Fortress?¡± ¡°At least to cause some trouble for those Frost Giants. Does this creature have any notable characteristics? Goals it pursues? Or things it dislikes?¡± ¡°As I just mentioned, although they hold great power, the Ice-Crushing Crab Spiders aren¡¯t much interested in anything beyond obtaining food. Their hard carapace can withstand most weapon attacks and they also possess a high magic resistance, yet they have one fatal weakness: a vulnerability to flame.¡± Tijana¡¯s tone became serious, ¡°Listen, I know your sword can burst into flames, but promise me, don¡¯t even think about fighting it, alright? It would tear you to pieces long before you could kill it, and there are no indications that the Ice-Crushing Crab Spider hoards treasures...¡± ¡°Have a little faith in me, I certainly won¡¯t do something that foolish.¡± Lancelot assured Tijana, then continued to inquire, ¡°What would happen if the Frost Giants stopped feeding the giant crab?¡± ¡°I guess it would go and find food itself.¡± Tijana paused for a moment, and Lancelot felt like he saw the Succubus Lord shrug at him, ¡°But I have no idea how it would go about doing that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to figure it out.¡± ¡°Good. My generals are waiting for me; take care of yourself and contact me if you need anything.¡± Tijana cleanly severed the mind link. It was the afternoon, one of the busiest times of the day for the Succubus Lord, and it was not easy for her to find this much time to talk with him. ¡°Alright, guys,¡± Lancelot clapped his hands, attracting his companions¡¯ attention, ¡°listen up, I have a plan...¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Late that night. Lancelot and Bruto lay in ambush by the road that led out from the Frost Giants¡¯ camp, while Alamir, Kalalin, and old Reap hid in a slightly higher spot at the rear. Above their heads, a bat continued to circle in the air, but even with perfect dark vision, it was difficult to notice the tiny shadow. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s so cold...¡± Even with the amulet of the Goddess of Ice still in effect, lying in the snow was still hard for the dwarf to bear, ¡°Big brother, will that ogre really slip out? Why don¡¯t we just attack the camp directly? I¡¯ve got it all planned out, we start by setting a fire on the perimeter, and when those Frost Giants panic because of the flames, we launch our attack...¡± ¡°It¡¯s not time to destroy that camp yet,¡± Lancelot soothed, ¡°Wait another hour, if it still hasn¡¯t come out, we¡¯ll go into the camp and take hostages...¡± Just then, they suddenly heard a faint bat cry in their ears, the signal they had agreed upon with little Isha beforehand. Lancelot immediately stretched out his arm and waved gently in the air. Despite the pitch darkness, vampires with infrared vision could clearly see the heat emanating from the palm of the human knight, knowing that their companions had received the signal. As Lancelot waved his hand, the dwarf also found a rope in the snow and gently tugged it a few times. Someone at the other end of the rope tugged back several times, indicating that Kalalin and the others were also ready. ¡°It¡¯s coming.¡± Lancelot whispered a warning, and the dwarf quickly grabbed handfuls of snow to bury himself, then ceased all movement. A gigantic figure soon appeared at the end of the road, a ten-foot-tall ogre, the sole survivor from the Frost Giants¡¯ camp. It was haphazardly wrapped in a bear skin cloak, the overly large size hinting that the cloak was likely stolen. So far, the ogre¡¯s escape had been highly successful¡ªit had run a great distance and the camp was still silent. Even if the giants noticed the anomaly now, their boulder attacks would be no threat in the dark, unable to clearly see their target. Ogres typically harbored an almost instinctual reverence for giants and would subconsciously obey any command from them¡ªthis ogre was no exception. But having witnessed the fate of its kin that day, even the ogre, with a brain dumber than a hyena, knew that if it didn¡¯t flee, the same would happen to it. As it left, it took the two-bear-headed cloak as compensation for its service to the Frost Giants¡ªit had meant to ask the cloak¡¯s previous owner for permission, but it forgot. As to exactly where it would flee, the ogre hadn¡¯t decided yet, but it was already fantasizing about raiding with another Giant Tribe. All the troublesome enemies would be eliminated by the giants while it simply followed behind... At that moment, a green dome of light suddenly lit up, enveloping the ogre. It stood there, puzzled; the dome didn¡¯t harm it, and it seemed as if all the sounds of the surrounding environment had vanished. Gradually, the ogre¡¯s face showed an expression of ecstasy. In its understanding, all magical items exuded spiritual light, the stronger the item, the more intense the light. Judging by the size of the dome, it feared it was standing right on top of a Divine Artifact. Chapter 498 498 522 Capturing Prisoners ?Chapter 498: Chapter 522 Capturing Prisoners Chapter 498: Chapter 522 Capturing Prisoners Lancelot and Bruto¡¯s original plan had been to immediately capture the ogre alive as soon as the Soundproof Barrier covered the enemy, but the sinister smile that suddenly appeared on the ogre¡¯s face caused a shock to both of them, and the actions they were about to initiate also came to a halt. Could it be that their actions were entirely within the enemy¡¯s expectations, and that they were actually the ones caught in a trap? Neither of them dared to act rashly for a moment, but the ogre began to dig the ground, muttering words like ¡®Divine Artifact¡¯ and ¡®Treasure¡¯ to itself. Lancelot closed his eyes and focused intently, confirming there were indeed no other creatures nearby; upon opening his eyes, he met Bruto¡¯s seeking gaze and nodded slightly. The Dwarf made a subtle motion, tugging softly at the rope in hand, and the locations of the other companions immediately lit up with a Magic Aura. Under normal circumstances, spellcasting in the dark would be very conspicuous, but the Soundproof Barrier created by Lancelot disrupted the ogre¡¯s line of sight, and moreover, the ogre¡¯s attention was wholly fixed on the ground, utterly unaware of the impending danger. A generous amount of milky-white spider webs conjured by Scholar¡¯s magic fell from the sky like a basin of footbath water, pouring over the ogre¡¯s head. The ten-foot tall, six-hundred-pound monster was still puzzled by the sudden appearance of the sticky substance, but Lancelot and Bruto had already leaped out of the snow, charging toward the ensnared ogre. The Dwarf¡¯s duty was to ensure the enemy was thoroughly incapacitated¡ªa spider web technique could only restrain the opponent temporarily, and such a mighty creature would not find it difficult to break free. Taking advantage of the momentum of his charge, Bruto threw his hammer with all his might, naturally aiming for the enemy¡¯s knees. Lancelot, on the other hand, was responsible for knocking out their captive, which was in fact more difficult than killing them outright; he had even refrained from wielding a weapon, fearing an accidental deadly strike. Just as he was about to rush into the range of the spider web technique, Lancelot stamped the ground hard and leapt into the air, pouncing towards his opponent like a hunting cheetah. ... The clumsy ogre couldn¡¯t break free from the sticky spider webs right away, but it faced no obstacle in swinging its giant club at the incoming Human Knight. Unfortunately, such a response had been anticipated by Lancelot, who twisted bizarrely in mid-air just as the club was about to strike, causing the ogre¡¯s weapon to pass through his afterimage without hitting anything. Meanwhile, the intense pain that suddenly shot through its lower body nearly knocked the ogre out¡ªthe Dwarf¡¯s thrown hammer had hit its mark. Although the blow did not shatter the ogre¡¯s knees, it was enough to destabilize the creature, causing it to lean to one side, right where the Human Knight was landing. Lancelot took a deep breath and aimed a heavy uppercut at the ogre¡¯s jaw. The punch was so powerful that, if it weren¡¯t for the spider webs holding it, the six-hundred-pound mass might have flown right out of the Soundproof Barrier. Like all humanoid creatures, the ogre was immediately knocked out from the hefty blow to the chin, collapsing to the ground with a thud. On receiving a signal from Bruto, Kalalin stopped focusing on the spellcasting and the spider webs on the ground disappeared, while Alamir, pulling on the rope that had sent the signal earlier, came running over and expertly tied up the enormous ogre. Lancelot looked up at the sky where the little bat continued to circle clockwise at high altitude, signifying no irregularities at the Frost Giants¡¯ camp. Lancelot and Bruto each took hold of one end and quickly carried their captive towards a cave they had prepared in advance, not bothering to erase the traces of battle¡ªthe steadily falling snowflakes would soon cover all evidence of what had transpired on the ground. Halfway there, the strong ogre came to and began to struggle violently, despite its limbs being bound and a rag stuffed in its mouth. But this problem was not hard to solve; after Bruto delivered another punch to its jaw, the ogre quieted down once more. Upon reaching the cave, everyone took out additional lengths of rope and firmly tied the captive to a naturally formed stone pillar. Alamir then cast a Healing Spell on the ogre so that the unfortunate recipient of two heavy punches to the chin could speak normally again. As a golden glow submerged into its body, the Ogre¡¯s swollen jaw visibly returned to normal at a speed discernible to the naked eye, and its eyes also opened. After perceiving its current situation, it attempted to struggle; realizing it was futile, it again emitted ¡®woo woo¡¯ sounds from its mouth. Lancelot stepped forward, pulling the rag out of the Ogre¡¯s mouth. This beast opened its mouth to unleash a stream of broken teeth like darts at the Human Knight before it. Sadly, most of its aim was terrible, and Lancelot simply tilted his head slightly to dodge even the few that were ¡®luckily¡¯ on target. The shattered teeth were easy to avoid, but not the words that came out. The Ogre¡¯s mouth, like a bellows at a forge, huffed out obscenities and profanities in such variety that it overturned everyone¡¯s impressions of this creature¡¯s intelligence. However, it revolved around a few key themes¡ªdespicable, shameless ambusher, only capable of defeating the overwhelmingly strong through Magic, and the mighty Kostcheqi would appear at any moment to grind them all into mincemeat. Lancelot himself did not take pleasure in torturing captives; in his view, making a powerless captive submit through torture was neither ethical nor tasteful. But as he watched that gaping maw open and close, he gradually lost his patience. As the Ogre emitted a blusterous sound related to reproduction, Lancelot made his move. His hand shot like lightning into the gaping mouth of the Ogre, clamped down on the slimy, hefty tongue like the pincers of a crab, and pulled his hand back before the creature had a chance to close its mouth, tongue in tow. ¡°I f**k aow eee eee eee eee eee eee...¡± The previously arrogant Ogre immediately went limp, not daring to move at all for fear that the Human Knight before it would tear off its tongue. ¡°By Moradin¡¯s beard!¡± The Dwarf clapped excitedly, ¡°Big brother, are you performing magic? How did you do that?¡± ¡°Quick reflexes,¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders and gently patted the Ogre¡¯s face, ¡°still want to curse?¡± The Ogre hastily shook its head, but the action tugged at its tongue, causing it to flinch in pain and tears to stream down from its squinting eyes. ¡°Very good.¡± Lancelot nodded his head, released his grip, and the Ogre¡¯s tongue snapped back onto its face before clumsily retreating back into its mouth. After a bout of retching, the giant creature finally quieted down, looking at the Human Knight in front of it with eyes as if beholding a monster. ¡°Now from the start, I ask and you answer. No concealment whatsoever, and I promise you a chance at life, understood?¡± Chapter 499 499 523 Interrogation ?Chapter 499: Chapter 523 Interrogation Chapter 499: Chapter 523 Interrogation Despite being extremely reluctant, the ogre couldn¡¯t help but nod his head. As is the nature of an evil creature, it subconsciously began to prepare a lie, but then the delectable-looking elf suddenly cast a spell, summoning a golden ring of light that enveloped the entire cave. ¡°Domain of Truth, a Second Circle non-proprietary Divine Art, within its effective range no creature can intentionally tell lies, duration ten minutes,¡± Alamir explained to everyone, ¡°I can certainly tell if someone is resisting the spell, and this ugly ogre obviously lacks the capability to do so.¡± ¡°Damn elves!¡± the ogre cursed again, ¡°Your guts are filled with maggots, and your bones are all rotten! ¡°If I didn¡¯t ask you to speak, keep your mouth shut,¡± Lancelot glared fiercely at the ogre, deliberately channeling some aura of the Abyss that frightened the foolish giant captive almost to the point of biting off his own tongue. ¡°Whoops, I heard some very serious allegations here,¡± Bruto said with a mischievous grin, looking at Alamir, ¡°I¡¯d be delighted to hear your explanation, elf. It seems either your magic has failed, or he¡¯s actually telling the truth.¡± ¡°As long as the subject believes it to be true, he can speak normally, but the truth is not the same as the fact; this is something you should be able to understand, right?¡± Alamir shrugged indifferently, ¡°The spell has other flaws too: the subject can be evasive, trivialize the important, or remain silent when answering questions. Therefore, one must carefully organize the wording of the inquiry while watching for any signs of deceit.¡± ¡°This can already save us a lot of trouble,¡± Lancelot nodded, looking at the bound ogre, ¡°Let¡¯s get started then. First question: what¡¯s your name?¡± ... ¡°I am Baru! The clever Baru! The all-powerful Baru! The Baru that will never die in battle!¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re called Baru,¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, ¡°How long have you been in that camp?¡± The ogre opened its mouth, but other than uttering ¡°ah ah ah,¡± no words came out. ¡°My time is precious,¡± Lancelot threatened coldly, ¡°Maybe just killing you and then interrogating your soul via Speak with Dead would be simpler?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± the ogre couldn¡¯t contain its fear of the human knight in front of it, ¡°Baru... Baru has been here for six ten-days...¡± ¡°What do you usually do in the camp?¡± ¡°Baru helps move the offerings... offerings to Gogbarahum... fresh, delicious offerings...¡± ¡°Gogbarahum? Is that the monster beneath the crevasse?¡± ¡°Yes... Gogbarahum is the Glacier God, even the great bestower of immortality offers sacrifices to show respect,¡± said the ogre. ¡°Beings dwelling near the nests of ice-maw crab spiders might worship it as a god, but it¡¯s definitely not a deity,¡± remarked the elf priest who served in a divine office, ¡°However, to the eyes of this ogre, an ice-maw crab spider is indeed a godlike entity.¡± ¡°How often do you need to... offer sacrifices to Gogbarahum?¡± Lancelot continued with his questioning, ¡°And what happens if the offerings aren¡¯t presented on time?¡± ¡°Sacrifices must be made to Gogbarahum every ten days; once the offerings were late, the Glacier God became very angry. It shook the earth violently¡ªI heard that even the noble frost giants couldn¡¯t remain standing,¡± Baru, the ogre, shrank his neck slightly in fear, ¡°It¡¯s said if the sacrifices are missed, the Glacier God will crawl out of that fissure and completely destroy this beautiful paradise!¡± ¡°Do you think this place is heaven?¡± Kalalin asked curiously, ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Living here, you won¡¯t grow old or fall sick, and you can follow the noble Frost Giants through the Portal, killing anyone alive and seizing whatever you fancy! If this isn¡¯t heaven, then where is? Baru has really been living joyfully!¡± ¡°Beast.¡± Bruto commented darkly. ¡°It seems you truly had a wonderful time.¡± Lancelot said with a sardonic smile, ¡°Are there any taboos in offering sacrifices to Gogbarahum? Anything that might anger it?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it, except that each time there must be a living sacrifice...¡± the Ogre muttered, ¡°Ah, right, and absolutely no chili peppers!¡± ¡°Chili peppers?¡± Lancelot was genuinely surprised by this answer, ¡°The ones used for cooking?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, absolutely no chili peppers!¡± the bound captive nodded vigorously, ¡°Baru heard it from the Frost Giants, once the living sacrifice was an Orc chef, and the Glacier God burst out from the fissure right after eating it, and the great giver of Immortality spent three days and nights chasing it back in! All because that Orc had a pack of chili peppers in his pocket!¡± ¡°If we also worship the Glacier God, we would certainly remember this,¡± Lancelot exchanged glances with his companions, knowing they all had similar thoughts. He turned back to inquire about another name that had just come up, ¡°The great giver of Immortality you mentioned, is it Kostcheqi?¡± ¡°Yes, but you will never receive the favor of the Prince of Wrath.¡± The Ogre wore a proud expression, ¡°The great giver of Immortality only cherishes Giants!¡± ¡°But you aren¡¯t a Giant.¡± Bruto couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°You¡¯re an Ogre.¡± ¡°Ogres are Giants too! Ogres are Giants!! Ogres are Giants!!!!!!¡± Baru¡¯s face turned crimson, and he let out a thunderous roar, his body writhing violently as though electrocuted. Clearly, this was a very sensitive topic, and had Lancelot not set up a Soundproof Barrier in advance, his furious bellowing might have been heard for miles around. But those within the Soundproof Barrier were forced to endure the unbearable noise. With a flick of his finger, Lancelot cracked the frozen earth beneath the Ogre¡¯s feet. A black and thick vine shot up from the ground, wrapping around the Ogre¡¯s large body, climbing upwards, and eventually thrusting into its mouth. The tip swelled rapidly, stuffing the Ogre¡¯s mouth shut. Meanwhile, the golden ring of light on the ground slowly faded away¡ªthe duration of the Domain of Truth had ended. ¡°How shall we deal with this fellow?¡± Alamir asked with a somber expression, ¡°If we truly release him, he will surely report our whereabouts to the first Frost Giant he encounters...¡± ¡°Damn it, we can¡¯t kill a captive, and besides, Big Brother just made a promise!¡± Bruto displayed the characteristic Dwarf stubbornness. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just leave it here? Creatures of this plane don¡¯t die naturally,¡± suggested little Isha, who had been mostly listening, ¡°By the time it escapes, we¡¯ll surely have left this plane.¡± ¡°What you¡¯re saying makes sense, but there¡¯s another solution,¡± Lancelot opened the Dimensional Bag and drew out a shortsword sparkling with starlight, ¡°Let¡¯s give the Airas a chance to somewhat repay the favor they owe us.¡± Chapter 500 500 524 Appearing Out of Thin Air ?Chapter 500: Chapter 524: Appearing Out of Thin Air Chapter 500: Chapter 524: Appearing Out of Thin Air After making a small cut on the ogre¡¯s arm with ¡°Starlight Strike,¡± Lancelot waved his hand and untied all the ropes binding the captive. The ogre, now free but unclear about the situation, didn¡¯t dare make another move and immediately ran toward the cave entrance, wanting to get as far away as possible from the formidable human knight. Just as it was about to dash out of the cave, a dimensional rift leading to an upper plane opened. Despite weighing over five hundred pounds, poor Baru was unable to resist the powerful pull from the rift and was sucked in instantly, with the rift closing immediately after. The air still carried a bit of the ogre¡¯s foul smell, which smelled like fish that had been rotting for many days, and that was the only evidence that the ogre had been there. ¡°That was quick,¡± Bruto said as he dug around in his ear. ¡°I quite liked its cloak with the two bear heads.¡± ¡°What do we do next?¡± Kalalin looked towards the thoughtful Lancelot. ¡°It¡¯s confirmed that the inventory of corpses at our camp is almost depleted, and we¡¯ll surely receive new bodies within ten days. Shall we ambush the transport team?¡± ¡°I like this plan!¡± the dwarf immediately agreed. ¡°With Kostcheqi not around, that giant crab escaping will surely go unchecked. Let¡¯s take advantage of the chaos among the frost giants and sneak into the Glacial Fortress to steal Dain Frostbeard¡¯s armor!¡± ¡°That¡¯s too rash,¡± Alamir shook his head. ¡°Exactly how far are we from the Prince of Wrath¡¯s den? What kind of obstacles might we encounter on the way? And how are we going to deal with that ancient white dragon?¡± ... ¡°As for the issue of distance, I can answer that.¡± Old Reap pulled out a dirty map from his chest and spread it on the ground. ¡°If this is indeed the Black Mist Rift, then we are in this area at the top right corner of the map. If we head about three hundred miles towards the bottom left, we¡¯ll leave these mountains and enter the Frost Giant Plains...¡± Everyone gathered around, studying the map sewn together from the skins of three or four unknown creatures. The Succubus Lord had a map of this plane as well when she first came to find them, which was of a much better quality than the werewolf¡¯s, but the werewolf¡¯s map was more detailed, marking many hidden paths in addition to the obvious mains roads. After entering the Frost Giant Plains, if the group continued southwest, they would encounter Gorgiad Fortress, where one of the ten brothers of Solheim, the god of frost giants, was held; and if they turned to the northwest, they would reach Gate of Stroddet in the Iron Ice Plains, a permanent portal connecting to the dimension of giants in Warrior Village. ¡°When I first came here years ago, the entire plain was a battlefield. Frost giants loyal to Solheim continuously poured out of the portal, engaging in endless battle with the frost giants loyal to the Prince of Wrath,¡± Old Reap pointed out on the map. ¡°Dead bodies of both sides were everywhere on the plains, with the natives generally having the upper hand. But now that Kostcheqi has been imprisoned by Zariel, the situation might have changed...¡± Lancelot¡¯s gaze continued along the map from Gate of Stroddet towards the west, and they would re-enter the mountains. If the scale of the map was correct, after traveling deep into the mountains for five hundred miles, they would finally reach Glacial Fortress, the lair of the Abyssal Lord Kostcheqi, which was the ultimate goal of their journey. But that was not all there was to this plane. About three hundred miles south of Glacial Fortress lay the lair of White Dragon Svafnir. Based on the scenes previously seen in Tijana¡¯s spells, Svafnir was currently guarding Glacial Fortress. Known for hoarding treasures like diamonds and platinum, perhaps something could be done in its lair to force it to leave Glacial Fortress. At the foot of the White Dragon¡¯s Lair lay the Bloody Town, Volsdtad, where the chieftains of the Frost Giant Tribe, loyal to Kostcheqi, gathered in perpetual dispute over who was more worthy to serve the Abyssal Lord. Yet, Lancelot had not considered what could potentially be done there unless he could devise a way to eliminate all those Frost Giant chieftains at once. ¡°Bruto¡¯s envisioned scenario is indeed excellent, we just need to wait for the right moment to act,¡± Lancelot finally broke the prolonged silence after scanning the map again. ¡°I agree with Alamir¡¯s view. After we reconnoiter the other key locations in this dimension, we will make a comprehensive plan and decide what kind of spiked ¡®offering¡¯ to feed that giant crab.¡± The others nodded slightly while listening to him. From every aspect, the Human Knight¡¯s plan was the best choice under the current circumstances. ¡°This cave is quite secluded. Shall we set up a Teleportation Rune here?¡± Scholar pulled out several bundles of scrolls from his backpack, markedly different in style from his previous works. These scrolls, provided by Tijana, each corresponded to a unique Teleportation Rune. If the runes were preset, they could activate a temporary portal connecting to the location of the rune through the scrolls, as long as it didn¡¯t cross dimensions. ¡°We can,¡± Lancelot nodded in agreement, also taking out a metal ring and several small flags from the Dimensional Bag. ¡°I will also set up some formations to ensure this cave remains hard to discover. The rest of you can go back to the half-plane to rest. We leave first thing tomorrow.¡± The next morning, the group once again boarded the sled pulled by the giant werewolf Reap had transformed into, heading southwest. Concerned about encountering patrols, they did not travel directly on the roads built by the Frost Giants but ran several hundred feet away from the road. Thanks to the low temperatures and ceaseless snowstorms of this dimension, the thick layer of snow smoothed out the rugged terrain, allowing the sled unrestricted passage everywhere. Lancelot continuously used his Spirit Perception to carefully sense what was ahead, so he could avoid any sudden encounters with enemies. They were not afraid of fighting the Frost Giants, and although they had not yet truly engaged such giant creatures taller than twenty feet, Lancelot still preferred to fight them in his own chosen location and manner, if possible. However, things do not always develop as hoped, especially in the Abyss, a dimension where ¡®anything is possible¡¯. Just as their sled was racing forward, a violent spatial fluctuation occurred directly in front of them, and a blue-white colored portal suddenly appeared. It was too late to dodge. ¡°Prepare for battle!¡± Lancelot shouted loudly, and simultaneously leapt into the air from the slowing sled. His True Yuan rapidly circulating within, he expelled it from the end of Frostslash, propelling him toward the forming portal. Despite this being an ambush, if they could launch a surprise attack before the enemy realized the danger, they could inflict maximal damage and buy time for their companions to don their helmets, draw their weapons, and find cover. Chapter 501 501 525 Surprise Attack ?Chapter 501: Chapter 525: Surprise Attack Chapter 501: Chapter 525: Surprise Attack Meanwhile, the figure of the first Frost Giant also emerged from the Portal. Lancelot had never observed such an enormous being from such close quarters before. The creature had deep blue skin, stood roughly three times Lancelot¡¯s height, and sported dirty grey hair and a beard. This Frost Giant wore an iron helmet on its head, with huge mammoth tusks extending from both sides, resembling a demon¡¯s wicked grin. The giant¡¯s upper body was almost bare, while its lower half was protected by leg armor pieced together from various metal fragments¡ªareas that were most vulnerable during combat with the shorter races. In its right hand, the giant held a bone Battle Axe, while its left hand pulled a cart with cages crammed with human, gnome, and dwarf prisoners, who looked like a group of farmers. Although most were still alive, some appeared to be unconscious or already dead. Lancelot¡¯s position was directly above the giant¡¯s head, which allowed the Frost Giant, sensing something amiss, to fail to detect the threat immediately. Lancelot¡¯s body stalled in the air as if he had hit an invisible wall, then he spun downward like a thrown axe, aiming for the giant¡¯s exposed shoulder. The Sword Blade of his Hand Half Sword blazed with green flames. Before the enemy could respond, Lancelot delivered a heavy blow to the Frost Giant¡¯s shoulder. He held nothing back in this strike. The Wood Attribute of the Sword Aura and the Fire Attribute of the Ignition Enchantment created a curious reaction, resulting in a peculiar green flame of unimaginable heat. His sword cut through like it was slicing through soft snow, practically feeling no resistance. But the blade had indeed struck the enemy. A ghastly gash appeared where the Frost Giant¡¯s neck met its shoulder, looking as though it had been cleaved by a Beheading Axe. Though it was a colossus over twenty feet tall, the sword had severed its carotid artery, windpipe, and chest cavity¡ªno creature that relied on respiration and blood circulation could survive such damage. Instead of blood, a red steam spurted from the wound so hot that it instantly vaporized the blood. The dying giant couldn¡¯t even see its assailant but instinctively reached for Lancelot with its uninjured arm, only to have him leap into the air and dodged with an acrobatic maneuver. As he landed, his hands caught onto the mammoth tusks of the Frost Giant¡¯s helmet. Using his own weight, Lancelot pulled down on the tusks, causing the wound on the shoulder to gape open further. ... More blood sprayed from the wound as the giant collapsed helplessly to its knees, barely holding itself up with its hands. It wanted to continue the fight, but power had already left its muscles; it couldn¡¯t even shake off the enemy who had once again leaped onto its back. Lancelot delivered a kick that sent the giant¡¯s helmet flying from its head, then, grasping Frostslash with both hands, drove the Sword Blade into the back of the giant¡¯s head. Though this execution move was symbolically profound, Lancelot had no leisure to revel in the victory. After the kill, he didn¡¯t pause for a moment; he immediately withdrew his sword and jumped off the corpse of the giant, turning to face the direction of the Portal just in time to catch sight of a massive stone flying rapidly towards him. Behind the cart filled with captives, two more Frost Giants had passed through the Portal, and a third was on its way out. The quickest to react among them hurled a stone, which was already in its hand, at Lancelot¡ªbut it was still not enough to save its comrade¡¯s life. Lancelot rolled lightly on the snow, easily dodging the incoming boulder, and as his companions joined the battle with the loud invocation of Moradin¡¯s name, just as Lancelot had expected, Bruto was the first to join the fray. While charging, the Dwarf hurled his Magic Warhammer¡ªthis time not at the Giant¡¯s knees but at its head. Worried about his son¡¯s forgetful nature, Bruto¡¯s father had enchanted the Warhammer with the unique Dwarf Flying Hammer Enchantment when forging it, ensuring that the hammer would always return to Bruto¡¯s hand. However, this Enchantment also had another title¡ªGiant Slayer, capable of dealing extra damage to Giants. In the Ancient Era, when many mortal races were enslaved by Giants, it was with this Enchantment, and under the guidance of Moradin, that the Dwarves bravely rebelled and made significant contributions to the destruction of the Giant Empire. The moment the Warhammer struck the Giant¡¯s head, a thunderous explosion sounded, as if what hit the Giant was not a hammer but a bolt of lightning. The struck Frost Giant let out a piercing howl, clutching its head as it toppled to the side like an ancient tree felled. ¡°Like my hammer? Hahahaha!¡± Bruto let out a long laugh, not waiting for the hammer to fly back, he rushed at the downed Giant. Considering the original colossal height difference between them, such a ¡®fair¡¯ contest was rare, and the Dwarf certainly wouldn¡¯t pass up the opportunity. Behind him, the Elf Priest followed closely with graceful steps. Although as a Priest of the Domain of Life, Alamir had undergone comprehensive combat training, familiar with Heavy Armor, Shield, and Nail-headed Hammer techniques, facing a Frost Giant alone was still too difficult for him. But, by working together with the Dwarf, he could well protect his partner¡¯s rear and flanks and provide timely Healing Divine Art, allowing Bruto in his Berserk State to vent his destructive desires to the fullest¡ªachieving a synergy where one plus one was greater than two. Another eager to enter the fray was old Reap. The Werewolf in his dire wolf form had a completely different fighting style from his human form, circling another Frost Giant incessantly. The moment the Giant¡¯s turning speed couldn¡¯t keep up, he would pounce and furiously bite, ripping large chunks of flesh from the Giant¡¯s calf or lower back. Frost Giants were indeed possessors of immense strength, but they lacked agility, and their movements were as slow as a windmill in a light breeze¡ªa terrible combination¡ªthat left them almost powerless when faced with swift and seasoned Adventurers. This was precisely why Kalalin kept hiding behind the sled, not taking any action¡ªbecause Spellcasters, with their equally poor agility, were actually not at a great advantage against Giants. These hardy life forms were difficult to kill with one or two spells, but if struck by a Giant-thrown boulder, a Scholar might be instantly obliterated. In fact, no Spellcaster would challenge a Giant without a dozen protective spells, save for those with an exceptionally strong physique. There have been such examples, for instance, another Giant who mastered Arcane techniques. The last Frost Giant also stepped through the Portal, its right hand holding a Magic Wand made from a whale bone, and its left clutching a large book with a purple cover. Faced with the situation, it immediately began chanting some strange Spell, while the large book in its left hand opened of its own accord, radiating an eerie red glow. Chapter 502 502 526 No Quarter Given ?Chapter 502: Chapter 526 No Quarter Given Chapter 502: Chapter 526 No Quarter Given The Frost Giant Spellcaster successfully activated the power of the tome, and with a crackling sound similar to that of snapping branches, a strange portal opened. Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception frantically warned him, as a female figure emerged from the portal, but she was clearly not a woman. As she lifted her head, a massive serpent¡¯s tail and six arms extending from the sides of her body unfurled along with it. ¡°Who has summoned me?¡± the six-armed Serpent Demon¡¯s voice was both hoarse and evil, laced with haughty arrogance as though looking down from above. ¡°I am your master, obey my commands!¡± The Frost Giant Spellcaster, holding the tome with a purple cover, bellowed rudely at the Serpent Demon, ¡°Kill them for me!¡± The Serpent Demon cast a venomous glance at the Frost Giant, clearly preferring to chop up the creature who dared to order her around into pieces, yet the magic that brought her here forced her into submission. Like most Demons, the Serpent Demon greatly detested this situation and would surely vent all her pent-up fury on the one who summoned her the moment the enforcing magic¡¯s power waned. On the other side, Lancelot¡¯s heart sank sharply. A High Rank Demon such as a six-armed Serpent Demon was not something an ordinary Spellcaster could summon; it required a powerful Magic Weapon as compensation and the promise of commanding a vile army. It was evident that it wasn¡¯t the Frost Giant Mage¡¯s own power that had brought the Serpent Demon here, but rather the bizarre tome in its hands. What kind of a tome possessed such power? ... The answer wasn¡¯t hard to guess, but it didn¡¯t offer much help with the current predicament. Among his companions, Bruto and Alamir were jointly confronting a fallen Frost Giant, while old Reap, transformed into a huge wolf, was dealing with another. The only one left to assist him against the Serpent Demon was Kalalin. The Scholar hadn¡¯t yet revealed himself and was placed in a dilemma by the presence of the last Frost Giant Spellcaster. His first spell had to massively weaken the enemy¡¯s ability to retaliate, but faced with a ¡®Spellcaster¡¯ who weighed over two thousand pounds, the Scholar wasn¡¯t sure how to proceed. A Frost Giant Spellcaster was firstly a Frost Giant, and even with its magical abilities restrained, it could easily pick up any object at hand and throw it at the Scholar with likely the same effectiveness as casting a spell. But Lancelot could no longer afford to help Kalalin ponder over this issue as he had already charged toward the Serpent Demon. His mind swiftly navigated through all known information about Serpent Demons, and he decisively triggered a special mechanism on his armor, instantly creating a Dead Magic Zone extending about thirty feet in radius with him at the center. Many people¡¯s most vivid impression of a Serpent Demon was her six arms, almost no one able to withstand the barrage-like onslaught, but to Lancelot, the true threat of such High Rank Demons lay in their capability of Instantaneous Teleportation. If he couldn¡¯t restrict this ability right away, the six-armed Serpent Demon could use instant teleportation and her exceptional burst strength to defeat each of his companions one by one, then turn to face him last. Back when he was on the edge of the Great Abyss, he had encountered a group of shapeshifters attempting to steal Sareth¡¯s Shield Eye. From their corpses, he found a precious Anti-Magic Stone and had been carrying it with him ever since, until today when it finally came into use. Although he wasn¡¯t a match for the Serpent Demon in terms of absolute strength, if he could hold her off long enough, there might still be a chance for a turnaround. ¡°Oh? You dare to challenge me?¡± Facing the Human Knight charging towards her, the Serpent Demon lazily stretched her arms, casually flaunting her terrifying form, but it was nothing more than a ruse to mislead her enemy. The next second, the Serpent Demon suddenly twisted her body, sweeping her thick tail towards Lancelot at a tricky angle. Had it been anyone else, they might have fallen for the Serpent Demon¡¯s trick, but Lancelot was no stranger to such sly tactics. As soon as the Serpent Demon began to turn, he stamped heavily on the ground, leaping up like an antelope, his body almost parallel to the ground, and lunged forward with unstoppable momentum towards the enemy. When the Serpent Demon spun her body back to face him, Lancelot¡¯s longsword was already nearly at her face. In that moment of life and death, the opponent exhibited the flexibility of a serpent, her upper body bending backward bonelessly, while all six arms swung their weapons; some trying to deflect the Human Knight¡¯s attack, others hacking towards his body. Lancelot had struck with full force, leaving no room for a change in plan, whereas the Serpent Demon¡¯s response was a beat too slow. She used four of her six arms to deflect Lancelot¡¯s thrust, while the other two arms slashed their swords towards the Human Knight¡¯s body. However, the Human Knight¡¯s strength was far beyond her expectations, and by the time she realized it wasn¡¯t enough, it was already too late. The Serpent Demon¡¯s four weapons failed to alter the course of Frostslash; the longsword, ablaze with azure-green flames, sliced across her chest, now bent nearly horizontally, leaving a half-foot-long, three-finger-wide gash. The surrounding flesh melted away like wax, as if the blade were not made of steel but a red-hot branding iron. But Lancelot¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t much better; his legs were soaked red with blood. In the rush of the moment, the Serpent Demon had still found the gap between his skirt armor and leg armor, embedding two sharp scimitars into it. Even though he was protected by a Protective Sword Shield and his flesh was as tough as sandalwood after Foundation Establishment, the wounds on his legs were still an inch deep¡ªordinary men would have likely lost the use of their lower bodies. ¡°Your sword blade is quite hot,¡± the Serpent Demon said, straightening up, the wound on her chest making her look all the more dreadful. ¡°When I chop off all your limbs, I hope the gush of blood will warm me up...¡± Lancelot didn¡¯t respond, but silently circulated his True Yuan, striving to heal the wounds on his thigh. Just then, the Serpent Demon suddenly felt a special kind of binding disappear. She turned her head in surprise, only to see the Frost Giant Spellcaster clutching his left hand in agony, a small dagger embedded in the palm, while the large tome that had been in his hands was gone, stolen away. At the same time, the Dwarf and the giant wolf had dealt with their respective enemies and pounced towards the last Frost Giant together. The Giant Spellcaster, enduring the pain, pulled out the dagger from his hand and began chanting a complex spell, seemingly preparing to cast a powerful magic. ¡°Counter spell!¡± Kalalin, who had been holding back, seized this opportunity; his excitement evident as he blurted out the name of the spell while casting. A black ring of light appeared around the Frost Giant Spellcaster, causing all the gathered magic power to dissipate, while the Dwarf and the giant wolf were already upon him. ¡°You¡¯re no longer under the control of the spell that summoned you here, are you?¡± Lancelot stood with the support of his sword, staring directly at the six-armed Serpent Demon, ¡°This is still the Abyss, are you sure you want to keep fighting us?¡± Chapter 503 503 527 ?Chapter 503: 527 Chapter 503: 527 ¡°Protect me, you filthy Serpent Demon bitch!¡± the overturned Frost Giant yelled in the language of the Abyss, ¡°That is my command!¡± A mocking smile played on the Serpent Demon¡¯s face as she watched her Summoner being torn to shreds by the Dwarf¡¯s heavy hammer and the fangs of a massive wolf, indifferent to the scene. Although Frost Giants possess immense strength, once felled, they were as vulnerable as fish out of water, helpless to defend themselves. After the last enemy was dealt with, Bruto, Alamir, and the old Reap, now a giant wolf, all circled the Serpent Demon. They cautiously stood fifteen feet away, no closer, but their threatening intent was unmistakable. The Serpent Demon tilted her head, scanning over the Elf Priest with holy flames licking his weapon, the Dwarf Warrior splattered with giant¡¯s blood, and a black-backed wolf larger than a saber-toothed tiger, before finally resting her gaze on Lancelot. ¡°You are a truly interesting man,¡± the Serpent Demon said at an unhurried pace as she ¡®slithered¡¯ towards him and stopped in front of Lancelot, ¡°Although this is our first meeting in this cold Hell, you still made me feel feverish...¡± She sheathed her weapon, then began to remove the armor from her torso and waist, exposing her bare body to the Human Knight. Her female body, possessing three pairs of arms, exuded an eerie sex appeal and allure. Still, the shocking wound between her towering peaks reminded them that their relationship had just been a matter of life and death. The Serpent Demon¡¯s six hands caressed her chest tenderly, soft as fox tails. But in the next instant, those hands plunged into the wound on her chest and tore it ferociously apart to either side. A vast spray of blood burst forth, and almost as if she was performing a shedding right in front of Lancelot¡¯s face, she started with tearing open her chest, followed by stripping the skin off her face completely. When she twisted her lower body in a manner that could invoke a visceral reaction, and fully shed the giant snake tail¡¯s skin, she appeared as delicate as a newborn baby, her body covered in an amniotic-like viscous fluid. ... ¡°We will meet again, Knight,¡± the Serpent Demon bent down and whispered in Lancelot¡¯s ear, her now smooth chest facing his face, ¡°My name is Korata Sikjagata Scarlett, and you will remember it, won¡¯t you?¡± Lancelot said nothing throughout, but his body was tense, like a fully drawn longbow, ready to unleash an array of slashes and cuts at any moment. ¡°Dangerous man, hehehehe...¡± The Serpent Demon moved past Lancelot, headed for the distance. As soon as she left the range of the Anti-Magic Field, her body lit up with the blue light of teleportation and gradually faded away, but her bone-chilling laughter still echoed in everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°Wow!!¡± Accompanied by a painful moan, the Dwarf began to vomit profusely, while Kalalin collapsed onto the snowy ground with a thud, and even the old Reap, in his massive wolf form, began to shiver violently, as if trying to shake off the goosebumps. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Other than Lancelot, the only one who seemed unaffected was Alamir, Shuni¡¯s Priest, who crossed her arms and appeared completely untouched by the events. ¡°Uh, uh, don¡¯t you and Lancelot feel nauseated...¡± the Dwarf gasped as he stood up, grabbing a handful of snow and furiously rubbing it over his mouth and beard, ¡°That was the most disgusting scene I¡¯ve seen since coming to the Abyss, bar none...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, shedding is a very natural phenomenon, it¡¯s just that the Serpent Demon made it a bit dramatic. Did you notice? After the shedding, her face became a bit smaller and actually quite pretty. You know, my standards for what¡¯s considered ¡®pretty¡¯ are not low...¡± ¡°Moradin above, your mind has been corrupted by the Abyss!¡± Bruto looked at Alamir with a disgusted expression. ¡°If your Goddess heard these words, she would probably strip you of all your power right away...¡± ¡°That just shows you know nothing of Lady Flame¡¯s ideals, but that¡¯s understandable. Not everyone has the eye to see beauty, especially in what¡¯s considered taboo.¡± Alamir shrugged exaggeratedly and turned to look at Lancelot, who had not moved at all, ¡°Personally, I think Lancelot has great self-control. I saw it clearly, his skirt armor didn¡¯t budge a bit just now. But I can understand, if I could see Tijana¡¯s face every day, I¡¯d probably lose interest in that Serpent Demon too... Uh, Lancelot? Are you alright?¡± The Elf Priest felt something was off and took a couple of steps forward to check on the condition of the leader of the adventure team, but stopped approaching, guided by a strange sixth sense. ¡°Sigh...¡± Lancelot let out a long exhale, so prolonged that it lasted for about twenty heartbeats. His state had not been good just now; the actions of the Serpent Demon had awakened a primal desire within him¡ªnot just sexual, but rather a nearly insane longing for violence, slaughter, and destruction. Lancelot had not been indifferent to the Serpent Demon; he had been using all his will to fight that impulse. Although he didn¡¯t understand what had happened to him, Lancelot felt an intuition that if he had shown even a slight weakness in his will just now and had let that impulse take over control of his body, he absolutely would have torn the six-armed Serpent Demon into pieces and probably swallowed every piece of its flesh. But he would not have stopped there; he mostly likely would have gone completely mad and killed all his treasured companions, turning into a true Demon. Everything has its price. The spiritual energy of the Abyssal Plane is not easy to endure. ¡°I¡¯m alright now.¡± The Human Knight took off his helmet, letting his companions see his face, ¡°Everyone fought very well just now...¡± ¡°No, no, it was you, brother, who handled the toughest enemy...¡± Bruto stared blankly at the helmet Lancelot was holding, which was continuously emitting white mist, as though it was filled with boiling soup, ¡°Hey, speaking of which, where¡¯s little Isa? She was just behind me...¡± ¡°Haha, you still remember her? The poor girl really suffered because of you all.¡± Lancelot chuckled and walked to the body of the Frost Giant Spellcaster that Bruto and old Reap had taken down together, bent down, and rolled the enormous body aside, then began to dig through the snow. ¡°Did you see that?¡± Bruto turned his head to look at Alamir, who had just been arguing, ¡°He just pushed aside a body weighing over two thousand pounds?¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d gotten used to it already.¡± The Elf Priest shrugged, stepped forward to help Lancelot dig, and soon the others joined in. After digging a hole about five feet deep, they finally found a little Vampire with her eyes shut tightly and her face pale green. She lay on her back in the snow, holding a purple leather-bound book wider than herself, appearing as if she were asleep. Chapter 504 504 528 Abyssal Scroll ?Chapter 504: Chapter 528: Abyssal Scroll Chapter 504: Chapter 528: Abyssal Scroll Lancelot bent down to help the vampire girl to her feet. The young girl opened her eyes, revealed a weak smile, and then fell asleep again in his embrace. ¡°You did well, everything is alright now,¡± Lancelot whispered in her ear. He took out the vampire¡¯s small wooden box from his Dimensional Bag and carefully placed her inside, ¡°Rest well.¡± ¡°How did she... end up down here?¡± Bruto scratched his head, puzzled by the situation, ¡°And what is this book that¡¯s as big as a tower shield all about?¡± ¡°Little Isha just snatched this book from the Frost Giants and then used her vapor form ability to escape. This ability puts a tremendous strain on the body and is usually only used in near-death situations. Furthermore, it would typically lead her to flee to her resting coffin to recover slowly, but I had activated the Anti-Magic Stone earlier, so she couldn¡¯t approach me in that state. That¡¯s why she had to hide beneath the snow,¡± Lancelot explained as he tucked the wooden box with the vampire back into his Dimensional Bag, then turned to look at Kalalin, ¡°As for this book...¡± The Scholar had already jumped into the pit, engrossed in examining the cover of the large tome. His whole body was trembling with excitement, looking as if he might faint at any moment. His expression was that of a sailor who had been adrift at sea for two years and had just set eyes on a courtesan in the tavern for the first time ashore. ¡°There¡¯s no doubt, this is indeed one of Ahham¡¯s Abyssal Scrolls!¡± Kalalin tried to lift the large book from the bottom of the pit, but he lacked the strength to do so, ¡°Fellows, come and give me a hand, this is a Divine Artifact!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a spellbook of the Frost Giants?¡± The Dwarf looked at the Human Knight, who had already extended a helping hand to the Scholar. So the Dwarf shrugged and slid underneath the lifting book, pushing hard upward with his head. ... Once the large tome with a purple cover was finally brought to the surface, everyone realized how staggeringly large it truly was. It measured six feet long, four feet wide, and was as thick as a person¡¯s knee. The cover and back had numerous buckles, twisted rings, and straps to ensure that the book wouldn¡¯t accidentally open. ¡°Is this a work left by the founder of your Cult?¡± Alamir asked Kalalin with curiosity, ¡°What is recorded inside it?¡± ¡°Ahham left behind several works. This largest and most precious type is called the Abyssal Scroll, which mainly contains maps of parts of the Abyss, as well as records and research notes of Ahham¡¯s travels on those planes,¡± the Scholar fondly stroked the purple cover of the Abyssal Scroll, ¡°Besides the Abyssal Scroll, there are Dark Notes that record the true names and secrets of certain Abyssal Lords, and the Crimson Catalogue which contains information on the habits and ecology of certain Abyssal creatures...¡± ¡°Kalalin, a book is not a woman, no matter how much you stroke it, it won¡¯t open by itself,¡± Bruto joked crudely at the Scholar, ¡°Let us see what¡¯s inside.¡± ¡°I want to do that more than any of you, but it¡¯s not possible. Not now, not here, and I... I can¡¯t either.¡± The Scholar reluctantly shifted his gaze from the book, ¡°Forbidden knowledge inherently has power. Interpreting the Abyssal Scroll requires the reader to be thoroughly prepared both mentally and physically. The Cult¡¯s library archives have rich records of the consequences of reckless attempts, including but not limited to becoming paranoid, severe delusions, and sinking into terror whenever any book approaches. In short, unless you are in a madhouse with a complete staff and facilities, it is best not to open the cover of the Abyssal Scroll. Put it in the Dimensional Bag, Lancelot, and I will come to you when I am ready.¡± ¡°Besides those damned maps, doesn¡¯t this thing have any other use?¡± Bruto still wasn¡¯t giving up, ¡°That Serpent Demon earlier, it was summoned by this object, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a high-level power of the Abyssal Scroll, capable of summoning a High Rank Demon that must obey the holder, but every time this power is used, it attracts more demons attempting to steal the artifact and throw it into the Well of Darkness on the 73rd layer of the Abyss for complete destruction. Moreover, should it sense the threat of demons nearby, the book will cast the Teleportation Technique to escape on its own. However, in the Iron Ice Plains, Kostcheqi actively hunts down any Tanari bold enough to intrude, which is why his Frost Giant Mages dare to use that power without restraint.¡± ¡°So, this thing is of no use to us,¡± the Dwarf finally lost interest, ¡°Let¡¯s move on, go see if we can find some spoils of war on those Frost Giants¡¯ bodies...¡± ¡°Then... that... could you... help us...¡± A feeble plea suddenly drifted into everyone¡¯s ears, all were taken aback, only then remembering something they seemed to have forgotten¡ªthe prisoners locked in cages! ¡°My apologies, the battle was so intense that we nearly forgot about you,¡± Lancelot hurried over and tore down the door of the iron cage with his hand, ¡°Quickly, before the portal closes, rush back to your original world.¡± The prisoners, like sheep released from a pen, filed out one by one, most of them running wildly towards the portal without looking back, while a few, despite the cold, stood in place and bowed in gratitude to Lancelot. ¡°The highest gratitude, honorable Knight!¡± said an elderly man, who was decently dressed, leading a few people in a deep bow to Lancelot, ¡°You must be sent by Tom to rescue us!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with Tom, and if you stayed any longer, you might have indeed gone to meet Him,¡± Lancelot humorously responded, ¡°By the way, I¡¯m called Lancelot, and when you have time, you might mention to your god that there¡¯s no need for thanks on my behalf.¡± ¡°Are you really not an envoy of the gods of courage and sacrifice?¡± the elder still seemed somewhat incredulous, but as the portal began to flicker, he was forced to run towards it, ¡°Thank you, Sir Lancelot! We will certainly mention you in our prayers!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too cold here, staying any longer is not good for their health,¡± Lancelot shrugged to his companions, ¡°Besides, when doing good deeds, one should leave a name. That¡¯s what I learned from an ancient book.¡± ¡°Bad deeds too, right? But without leaving your own,¡± Alamir responded with a laugh, ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Lancelot nodded, watching Bruto come over, dragging a huge bag, ¡°Find any good stuff?¡± ¡°Mostly just some average-quality iron ingots, which I¡¯ve discarded, but some of the gemstones are not bad,¡± Bruto cheerfully replied, but his expression suddenly changed, ¡°Wait, these aren¡¯t the possessions the Frost Giants seized from those prisoners just now, are they? Should we return them... ah, big brother, you¡¯re too cunning! Is this the real reason you urged them to hurry back?¡± Chapter 505 505 529 ?Chapter 505: 529 Chapter 505: 529 ¡°...I¡¯m mainly concerned about their lives.¡± Lancelot touched his nose awkwardly, ¡°So, the stuff in the bag is what¡¯s worth taking as booty?¡± ¡°Yeah, it seems the Frost Giants plunderers aren¡¯t interested in gold; I didn¡¯t find any Gold Coins, but I did come across quite a few Spinels and tourmalines, worth about two thousand Gold Coins.¡± Bruto opened the large sack behind him, revealing some dark red and deep purple irregular gemstones, ¡°Don¡¯t be disappointed, these are still raw stones. After a jeweler¡¯s crafting, they will be very beautiful.¡± ¡°I trust your judgment.¡± Lancelot nodded, and with a curious tone, he asked, ¡°Can you work on them?¡± ¡°By human standards, I should qualify as a competent jeweler...¡± Bruto scratched his reddish-brown curly hair and sighed helplessly, ¡°but to my old man, my skill is no different from that of a kobold plumber.¡± ¡°Then these raw stones are yours to work with.¡± Lancelot clapped the Dwarf on the shoulder, ¡°Processed ones definitely sell for more than raw stones, and only practice can improve skill, right? Just imagine, one day in the future, you walk up to Uncle Barrend and hand him a perfectly cut diamond, telling him it¡¯s your work...¡± ¡°Knowing the old man, he¡¯d probably grunt reluctantly to show approval, ha!¡± Bruto¡¯s face lit up with a smile, ¡°But I like this idea, thanks for the encouragement. I¡¯ll try some handicraft during breaks.¡± ¡°No pressure, if it gets spoilt, count it on all of us...¡± Lancel sat, patting Bruto¡¯s shoulder again, ¡°Looking forward to your work.¡± ... ¡°Lancelot, should we also take this?¡± On the other side, Kalalin came over holding a huge semi-translucent snake molt, which looked like it was wrapped in a curtain, ¡°Except for the wound in the middle of the chest, the rest is very intact. It¡¯s a rare item, I think it¡¯s worth collecting. Turning it into the Cult could also fetch a good amount of money...¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The Human Knight nodded, pointing at the armor that the Serpent Demons had just taken off on the ground, ¡°Pack those up as well.¡± ¡°I checked them already, they¡¯re just common Abyssal Metal.¡± Kalalin asked puzzledly, ¡°This material is hard to work with and might be used in some evil rituals, but it seems of little value to us.¡± ¡°There are still plenty of treasuries waiting for us to visit in the Abyss.¡± Lancelot smacked his lips, ¡°We need to leave a clue about our identity for the owners of the treasuries, or for the thieves who come in after us, don¡¯t you think?¡± Kalalin stood stunned for a moment, didn¡¯t say a word, and decisively turned back to pick up the discarded equipment of the Serpent Demons. ¡°Guys, let me treat your wounds first.¡± Alamir came over with ointment and bandages, ¡°Bruto, starting with you. Your wound on the right elbow is almost scabbed, and frankly, I¡¯m not used to your uneven eyes...¡± ¡°If it¡¯s already scabbing, that means the wound is almost healed. And if I just widen my left eye, both eyes will look the same size...¡± Although Bruto said this, he obediently let the Elf manipulate his body, ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, don¡¯t you have Healing Divine Art? Why use such ¡®traditional¡¯ methods?¡± ¡°As a Priest of the Domain of Life, don¡¯t doubt my Healing Divine Art, and I¡¯m equally proficient with bandages and ointments. Close your eyes.¡± Alamir tapped Bruto¡¯s forehead, who obediently closed his eyelids, letting the Priest gently rub around his eye sockets with a hand dipped in ointment, ¡°Divine Arts, once used up, cannot be recovered without adequate rest, which directly concerns the life and death of buddies, so as long as the situation allows, we try not to rely on supernatural powers to treat injuries, saving the precious casting opportunities for truly urgent situations. All right, you can open your eyes now. How does it feel?¡± ¡°Not too good.¡± Bruto made a face, ¡°The first thing I see when I open my eyes is you, the beardless fellow. Do you need to borrow my precious belt for a night? Just one night, and you¡¯ll have a nice goatee...¡± ¡°You know, I¡¯m the only one in this team who can use the Resurrection Technique...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so serious, man. I was just joking.¡± Bruto shrank his neck a bit, feeling wronged, ¡°If I died, you¡¯d bring me back, right?¡± ¡°Of course, my dear Dwarf friend, you misunderstood me.¡± Alamir shook his head, ¡°What I mean is, have you ever thought about this situation: after a fierce battle, several comrades have fallen, and the only one who can bring them back is also among the dead...¡± ¡°I will make sure that never happens...¡± ¡°No no no, let¡¯s suppose it has already happened, don¡¯t worry, you just mentioned a solution!¡± ¡°What?¡± The Dwarf scratched his head, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I mean, even if I¡¯ve already breathed my last, and no warmth of life can be felt in my cold corpse, even if no one would cast Resurrection on the dead, there would still be a way to bring me back to life¡ªjust put your belt on me.¡± Alamir patted the Dwarf¡¯s belly, ¡°Even if my soul were in Shuni¡¯s palace, discussing my adventures in the Abyss with seventy-two virgins, it would surely return to my body immediately to rip off that damned belt!!!¡± ¡°Hahahaha...¡± The companions burst into laughter, even Bruto couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Amidst the cheerful laughter, the group cleaned up the battlefield and then resumed their journey on the sledge pulled by the giant wolf Reap, following the road out of the mountains. By the way, the Abyssal Scroll was stowed away in the Dimensional Bag by Lancelot first. He didn¡¯t dare risk putting this artifact of the Dark Cult into a demi-plane, as there¡¯s a certain likelihood of summoning Demons, and a surprise attack during rest is minor in comparison to exposing the spatial coordinates of the demi-plane. Although the Succubus Lord surely has other means to keep unwelcome visitors out, the best strategy is still keeping that demi-plane a secret. If no one knows a house exists, naturally, there¡¯s no need to worry about thieves. In the following journey, the group encountered several more battles similar to that one, with portals suddenly appearing out of nowhere and Frost Giants¡¯ raiding parties emerging from them. However, they didn¡¯t encounter any troublesome enemies like the six-armed Serpent Demons anymore, instead gaining substantial experience fighting against Giants. Three days later, the steep mountains finally began to flatten, and everyone in the group knew that they were about to enter the Frost Giants¡¯ Plains, one of the most barbaric and bloody giant battlegrounds in the Multiverse. Chapter 506 506 530 ?Chapter 506: 530 Chapter 506: 530 Lancelot, sitting on the sled, suddenly looked animated, his mouth moved slightly, not making any sound, but the giant wolves pulling the sled immediately began to slow down. ¡°Enemies?¡± Bruto was no longer surprised by such occurrences and immediately drew out his hammer. ¡°Ahead, there are two groups of Frost Giants battling,¡± Lancelot nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s have a look.¡± A short while later, everyone heard the sounds of battle drifting from the blizzard. It included the familiar roars of Frost Giants during combat, the whooshing noise of boulders flying through the air, the muffled clangs of blunt weapons against armor, as well as some strange noises they had never heard before. The sled stopped before a small hill. Cautiously, everyone climbed to the snow-covered summit and peered down below. They saw about twenty Frost Giants fiercely fighting in a valley three hundred feet away. It was easy to distinguish the two sides. One group wore patchwork armor and wielded weapons made of bone or stone, similar to the Frost Giant raiding party they had encountered a few days ago; the other group was much better equipped, wearing chainmails sized for a giant¡¯s stature, wielding metal-forged battle axes or great swords, and most of them bore blue and white double-edged axe emblems on their gear. In the fray were a few particularly special figures. Their bare bodies were covered with ice-blue rune tattoos. They rhythmically tapped small drums attached to their waists or struck shields with the weapons in their hands, all the while loudly reciting some sort of rhythmic long poem in Giant¡¯s Tongue. ... Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception detected clear magic fluctuations; the Frost Giants were obviously influenced by the recitation. They appeared faster, stronger, and more resilient than normal, and their tolerance to pain was also heightened, which made the battle overall more bloody and brutal. ¡°The better-equipped ones must be loyal to the god of the Frost Giants,¡± Reap, who had returned to human form, quietly informed everyone. ¡°See that double-edged axe emblem? That¡¯s the emblem of Solheim.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s with those guys reciting poetry on the battlefield?¡± Bruto pointed out. ¡°Does it help them survive longer?¡± ¡°Those are Sikoude, the bardic poets of the Frost Giants. As representatives of deities and the Abyssal Lord, they play the roles of priests and bishops in Frost Giant society,¡± Alamir, the Elf who also had extensive knowledge about giants, explained. ¡°They can use magic power for speeches and singing, which can inspire allies, weaken enemies, or even manipulate minds. As you see, under their influence, the other Frost Giants fight like they are possessed, with no fear of death.¡± ¡°Sounds can be used to cast spells?¡± Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but ask, genuinely surprised. ¡°Of course, bardic poets release supernatural forces by controlling melody and rhythm, similar to how magicians perform Incantation. But this technique is impossible for those without the gift,¡± Alamir answered with a smile, glancing meaningfully at the Dwarf. ¡°You must have heard various myths of creation, right? Most of them share a similar notion: the world initially was pure chaos, the deities used words to create fundamental concepts like above and below, light and dark, shaping the Multiverse itself. The bards believe that the ¡®Words of Creation¡¯ still echo throughout the void and their art is a manipulation of these echoes to weave corresponding spells and power.¡± ¡°This... sounds quite incredible.¡± Lancelot was about to instinctively object but then considered the bamboo slips left by Han Tianzun, which also described the characteristics of high-level Spiritual Cultivators resonating with the Tao and their ability to cast spells with their words, right? ¡°The theory certainly doesn¡¯t equate to truth, but the fact that the voices of wandering poets possess magic power is true,¡± Alamir shrugged his shoulders. ¡°If there is a wandering poet among the enemies, you must find a way to take him out first, even if there are Mages or Magicians as well. Because as opponents, their voices can sometimes be really, really annoying.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Lancelot nodded his head, and so did little Isha lying behind him. Talking about frontal combat; she could probably only beat Kalalin, but the young Wanderer had already reversed the situation more than once in battles, making her as important to the team as any other member. ¡°What on earth are they saying?¡± Bruto squinted his eyes, observing the battle below. ¡°Damn it, I even took a course in Giant¡¯s Tongue, and I gave it all back to the teacher...¡± ¡°Just now, they were singing praises of the heroic deeds of Solheim and Kostcheqi,¡± Alamir shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Now one side is boasting about the Prince of Wrath stealing the warhammer from Solheim¡¯s hands, while the other is insulting them by calling them the Mog from Mog, lower than the stinking Trolls.¡± ¡°You can see both sides are pretty angry¡ªlook at that one, his brain¡¯s spilling out yet he doesn¡¯t stop...¡± Bruto shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Which side do you think will win?¡± ¡°Certainly the side loyal to Solheim,¡± Lancelot answered decisively. ¡°Why?¡± the Dwarf surprisedly turned slightly. ¡°The subordinates of the Prince of Wrath have a numerical advantage...¡± ¡°But their opponents have an excellent commander.¡± Lancelot pointed towards a special figure in the midst of the melee. ¡°That female Frost Giant¡ªher right flank is holding off more enemies by defending with full force, while her left flank is using the advantage of similar numbers and superior equipment to quickly kill the opposite side. Kostcheqi¡¯s minions are falling faster, and once the numbers on both sides level out, the battle will end in a one-sided manner, probably in just a few more minutes...¡± ¡°A female Frost Giant?¡± Everyone was only interested in Lancelot¡¯s first sentence. Following the direction of Lancelot¡¯s pointing, they saw a Frost Giant warrior woman who was slightly shorter (but still about 19 feet tall). She had bright golden hair and deep blue eyes. She wore a necklace that seemed to be made of wolf fangs around her neck, and even by human standards, her face was beautiful. She wore a very comfortable-looking wolf pelt cape on her shoulders and a leather long skirt suitable for movement. Proudly exposed at her waist were well-defined abs, and a pair of light blue, spiritually glowing boots made her steps extremely light. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, the female Frost Giant let out a roar, fiercely swinging her double-edged axe towards the enemies in front of her. The Battle Axe emitted a loud thunderous sound as it collided with the opponent¡¯s weapon, and a dazzling electrical arc burst from the blade, striking the Frost Giant who was taller than her and sending him flying backwards. ¡°My God, a Thunderous Strike from the Storm Domain!¡± Alamir whispered in awe, ¡°She¡¯s a Priest!¡± Chapter 507 507 531 Looking Back ?Chapter 507: Chapter 531: Looking Back Chapter 507: Chapter 531: Looking Back ¡°Priest? A priest of Solheim?¡± Old Reap¡¯s voice sounded quite surprised, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a priest serving the god of the Frost Giants, how could...¡± No one could answer his question, and at the same time, the situation below had changed. On the side closer to the group, some better-equipped Frost Giants had slain five enemies at the cost of two companions. Though still outnumbered, they had managed to encircle their opponents. The minions of Kostcheqi were crowded together in a tight space, frequently injuring their comrades with their weapons due to the cramped conditions, not to mention they were at a clear disadvantage in terms of equipment. Accompanied by the priest Sikoude¡¯s suddenly urgent tone, both sides fought more fiercely, with Giants continually falling and the abundant blood even melting the snow on the ground. Only after the full-scale melee began did the female Frost Giant priest reveal her true strength. Despite wearing no armor, no enemy could strike her, and her lightning-releasing battle axe always managed to send her opponents flying out, creating even more chaos. When Sikoude, who was loyal to the Abyssal Lord, was felled by a giant rock, the battle ended with avalanche-like speed. Some Frost Giants attempted to surrender to their heretical kin, but what met them were fatal heavy blows. Once the dust had settled, seven Frost Giants still stood tall on the blood-red snowfield. They surrounded the blonde female Giant, pointing their weapons to the sky and uttering thunderous roars to celebrate the victory. ¡°What a splendid fight,¡± Bruto seemed a bit overwhelmed by the roar, ¡°Big brother, do you want to go up and meet them? These Giants are almost drained, launching a surprise attack now might have...¡± ¡°There are seven Giants down there, if I get slightly held up for a moment, some of you are surely going to suffer!¡± Lancelot glared at the Dwarf, ¡°Besides, what good would killing them do? There¡¯s completely no need to engage in battle.¡± ... ¡°A dead Giant is a good Giant, it¡¯s always been that way,¡± Bruto shrugged, ¡°But I was just saying. I¡¯ll listen to you, of course.¡± ¡°Then stay quiet and wait until they¡¯ve moved away before we leave,¡± Lancelot slightly raised his voice, making sure everyone could hear him, ¡°We¡¯re likely to encounter more fights like this, but our principle is to focus on our own tasks first and avoid getting caught up in the Frost Giants¡¯ battles.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Everyone nodded in agreement, including the young Dwarf who always craved battle. Meanwhile, the surviving Frost Giants below had finished cleaning up the battlefield. They took weapons and armors from their fallen comrades¡¯ bodies and started moving in a direction away from the group. But just then, the female Frost Giant at the front of the group suddenly turned her head, looking in Lancelot¡¯s direction. The other Giants also looked back in confusion but seemed to detect nothing and turned again toward the female, asking her something, to which she just shook her head and motioned for the group to continue moving forward. As she walked, she looked back once more. Despite the great distance, Lancelot was sure, those deep blue eyes of hers were looking straight at him. ¡°Did that female Frost Giant spot us?¡± murmured Alamir, who also had exceptional vision, ¡°Her gaze just now was so peculiar, full of hostility, yet it seemed like she had something to negotiate with us...¡± ¡°Did you see that wrong?¡± the Dwarf habitually questioned the Elves, ¡°The snowflakes on your head are half an inch thick. From such a distance, that Giant couldn¡¯t have seen anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that was not an illusion.¡± Lancelot gently shook his head, ¡°I have a premonition that we will see her again in the future.¡± ¡°Well, if you say so, it¡¯s probably true.¡± The Dwarf shrugged indifferently, ¡°Her tricks may work well against other Frost Giants, but I¡¯m not afraid of her. If she dares to come looking for trouble, I¡¯d be more than happy to teach her a lesson.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see when the time comes.¡± Lancelot said noncommittally, turning to old Reap, ¡°How much further to the homeland of the Frost Giants?¡± ¡°At most another half hour, and we will have completely left the hills and entered the plains,¡± old Reap replied with certainty while taking out a map and spreading it on the ground, ¡°Which way should we go next? Continue moving forward until we reach Gjollgard Fortress, or turn right to the Gate of Stroddet?¡± ¡°My idea is to head to the Gate of Stroddet first and assess the situation at the Portal entrance to gauge the state of the Frost Giant guards on this plane,¡± Lancelot¡¯s finger tapped on the whirlpool-shaped symbol on the map representing the Portal, then moved downward, ¡°Then we will head south to Gjollgard Fortress to see what the situation is like at the fortress that holds the Solheim brothers, and whether we have a chance to tamper with it and release the prisoners inside.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t count on him being grateful to us,¡± Bruto frowned, ¡°Giants are both selfish and arrogant. Even if you helped him regain his freedom, he¡¯d probably think that was something you were supposed to do anyway and won¡¯t remember your kindness.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need a Frost Giant¡¯s gratitude,¡± Lancelot shrugged indifferently, ¡°but I guess he¡¯ll take the opportunity while Kostcheqi is not home to vent his long-imprisoned rage on those Frost Giants loyal to Kostcheqi, which will be helpful for us to complete our mission.¡± ¡°Sounds like a good plan, but the Frost Giants who came from the higher plane never took over this place. Do we really stand a chance?¡± ¡°Androlina¡¯s Aira have been fighting the Mother of Demons for so many years and haven¡¯t even touched the door of Bone Castle. Won¡¯t we accomplish a great feat the moment we take action?¡± Lancelot said with a confident smile on his face, ¡°There must be a way to breach that fortress, it¡¯s just a matter of whether we can find it. But even if we do find a way, there¡¯s no need to rush into action; let¡¯s get a clear picture of the rest of the locations first.¡± ¡°Where do we go after that?¡± Kalalin asked curiously, ¡°Do we turn northwest and keep going until we reach Kostcheqi¡¯s Glacial Fortress?¡± ¡°No, we will go west from Gjollgard Fortress to Volsdtad, the meeting place of the Frost Giant chiefs, and then enter the mountains to scout the den of the White Dragon Svafnir, to see what kind of guard it has left for its lair,¡± Lancelot¡¯s finger traced a crescent arc on the map, ¡°Afterwards, we¡¯ll turn northeast to the final destination of our journey¡ªGlacial Fortress. What we¡¯re looking for is inside, amidst the treasure plundered by the Prince of Wrath over countless centuries.¡± The Frost Giants had already walked far away, Lancelot slapped the snowflakes off himself, stood up, and with a contemplative look from the others, he said aloud: ¡°We have already seen that White Dragon that¡¯s like a watchdog in the Temple of Moradin. There are countless Guards inside the fortress, and sneaking in will indeed be no easy task, but I believe in the capabilities of everyone here. As long as we¡¯re united, we¡¯ll definitely find a way to break through that damned fortress and retrieve Bruto¡¯s great-great-great-grandfather¡¯s armor!¡± Chapter 508 508 532 Gate of Stroddet ?Chapter 508: Chapter 532: Gate of Stroddet Chapter 508: Chapter 532: Gate of Stroddet Two days later. Lancelot and his companions carefully hid atop a small mountain, overlooking the fierce battlefield below. The Gate of Stroddet was about two miles away from the mountain peak they were on. Although it was evening, the wind and snow had nearly ceased, allowing everyone to clearly see the situation on the plains. The portal that connected to the Land of Warriors was different from any they had seen before. It wasn¡¯t a traditional ¡®door¡¯ but rather seemed like an area where two planes overlapped in some way. Within a radius of about a thousand feet, figures of Frost Giants would appear and disappear erratically, the unstable magic effect flinging them from one plane to another. But make no mistake, those Frost Giants certainly didn¡¯t come here by accident. They appeared in groups of three to five with defensive formations, carrying large shields to fend off stone projectile attacks, and immediately rushed out of the portal area. The Frost Giants loyal to Kostcheqi obeyed the Prince of Wrath¡¯s orders, actively hunting down enemies emerging from the portal. In theory, being on the defensive side and knowing the exact area where enemies would appear should have given them an absolute advantage. However, the low level of their organization made Lancelot shake his head in dismay, as they turned what should have been a defensive battle into a chaotic skirmish. The Frost Giants who worshipped demons seemed to operate in units based on clans, forming teams as few as several or at most dozens of members, each fighting independently. Even if a team was idle and another team was battling right beside them, they would not lend a hand. At first, Lancelot thought this was due to some kind of Frost Giant code of honor. However, they would join the fight immediately after their compatriots were wiped out, as if those who had just died were not comrades but competitors for glory. In contrast, the Frost Giants who worshipped Solheim were very resolute. They came here with a mindset to glorify their deity, fully prepared for sacrifice. About half of them fought to the death, while the other half escaped into the vast snowy wilderness with the cover of their companions. ... The casualty ratio between the two sides reached a staggering one to five. In Lancelot¡¯s view, with nearly half of the attackers breaking through, it was a complete failure for the defenders. But the minions of the Abyssal Lord only cared about how many enemies they killed. As for those who escaped... what escaped? Don¡¯t you see the mountain of bodies before me? ¡°These giants¡¯ tactical accomplishments are just too poor...¡± Even Bruto couldn¡¯t help complaining, ¡°Surely even a gnoll commanding would not have made things worse, right?¡± ¡°Funny you say that, the gnolls think so too,¡± Alamir shrugged his shoulders, ¡°The individual strength of giants has fostered their arrogant nature to the extent that, after the fall of the Giant Empire, their civilization regressed nearly to primitive levels, never again to rebuild its former glory. In a way, this is also a stroke of luck for us smaller races.¡± ¡°Lancelot, what are you thinking about?¡± Kalalin, noticing the focused Human Knight, curiously asked, ¡°If it were you commanding, how would you arrange the defensive line?¡± ¡°Do I look like a gnoll general to you?¡± Lancelot replied with a wounded gaze at the Scholar, ¡°I¡¯m pondering the plight of those loyal to Solheim. Although they have higher tactical acumen, it seems they likewise lack a unified commanding leader. Otherwise, they could avoid nearly half of these casualties. As it stands, this hardly looks like an organized invasion.¡± ¡°What the hell is that Frost Giant god Solheim doing?¡± Bruto said somewhat indignantly, ¡°Doesn¡¯t he care about the lives and deaths of his followers at all?¡± ¡°The gods worshiped by a race often share a high degree of similarity with the traits of the race itself. Although I know nothing about the Frost Giants¡¯ god beyond His name, I¡¯m certain that He must be an extremely selfish, cold-hearted deity,¡± as a member of the divine office, Alamir spoke with authority on such topics, ¡°To Him, the death of a few believers probably doesn¡¯t matter. He might even secretly encourage such fanatical ¡®Tao¡¯ behaviors.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t care, so I have to...¡± Lancelot Morassa stroked his chin, pondering various possible countermeasures. Only the area around the Gate of Stroddet where they were currently located had some undulating hills; in all other directions lay open snowfields, with virtually no terrain to take advantage of, and the defenders had not built any permanent fortifications. If a large-scale battle ensued, it would be a classic field encounter. However, with a serious disadvantage in numbers, for the attackers to opt for a full frontal assault would be suicidal. Even if Lancelot took command of the Frost Giants, at best, he would use more precise orders to reduce the casualties while covering the retreat of his allies. ¡°If those Frost Giants that broke out could rally and launch a pincer attack with the later arrivals, there might just be a glimmer of hope for victory,¡± Lancelot finally concluded, ¡°And once we control the Portal, the Frost Giants from the upper planes could march directly to the Glacial Fortress...¡± ¡°But who could command those escaped Frost Giants?¡± Alamir shook his head, ¡°Aside from Solheim himself, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone who can do so. Although those Frost Giants came here to glorify their god, most of them only take orders from the leaders of their own clans.¡± ¡°What about the one they¡¯ve got locked up?¡± Bruto suggested, ¡°What¡¯s his name again, Gorgiad, right? As Solheim¡¯s brother, does he have that kind of clout?¡± ¡°He does, but if we can¡¯t control the Gate of Stroddet, where would we get the forces to assault the fortress that¡¯s holding the demi-god?¡± Alamir shook his head helplessly, ¡°And to control the Portal, we need Gorgiad back in power... Doesn¡¯t that become a chicken-and-egg problem?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not rush to piece together a conclusion before we¡¯ve gathered every piece of the puzzle,¡± Lancelot said gently shaking his head, ¡°We¡¯ve seen enough here, and it¡¯s about to be totally dark. Let¡¯s go back to the cave we found earlier to rest. Tonight, I¡¯ll set up concealment spells and Portals Runes with Kalalin. Tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll set out to check the situation at the Gorgiad Fortress.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- In the dead of night, Lancelot sat cross-legged in the dark cave, focused on circulating the Cauldron Immortal Technique and absorbing the Spiritual Energy that meandered between heaven and earth. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open as he sensed the presence of a powerful creature entering his range of Spirit Perception. The sensation was even familiar... Was it someone passing by unintentionally? A few moments later, Lancelot¡¯s expression turned grave. Although alone, the individual was definitely and unmistakably approaching his cave. After a brief reflection, he folded up the entrance to the demi-plane, stowed it away, took out his weapon, and stood up to walk towards the cave entrance. Chapter 509 509 533 Gertie ?Chapter 509: Chapter 533 Gertie Chapter 509: Chapter 533 Gertie After leaving the cave, the approaching figure was still several hundred feet away, yet the rhythmic booming sound was clearly audible in the quiet night. Lancelot thought for a moment, turned around, and leapt onto a huge rock tens of feet high, watching as the person neared. As he had expected, it was indeed the frost giantess priestess with the golden hair. Lancelot¡¯s heart slowly sank. How had she found this place? Had she been quietly tracking him? Or was it some kind of spell that could locate him? He could run away immediately, but if he didn¡¯t find out the answers to these questions, she would still find him again. As she drew closer, Lancelot saw more details of the giantess. She had an impressively sharp gaze, fingers long and elegant as they grasped the handle of her axe, and her long, golden hair nearly taller than Lancelot himself. She wore a purple-brown tight leather outfit that made her already ample chest look incredibly impactful, while at the abdomen it was cut away partially to showcase defined muscles. Her skirt had a high slit up to the thigh root, allowing those long legs to move unimpeded, and her magical leather boots left the snow merely inching above her ankles as though she weighed but a tenth of her actual weight. ¡°Good evening, Madam.¡± Lancelot watched the seemingly flawless giantess, carefully spoke, ¡°How should I address you?¡± ¡°Hmph, foolish little man, think standing higher gives you equal status?¡± The giantess stopped in front of him, speaking in a superior tone, ¡°Be grateful, I am Gertie Oriel Sdottir, Lord of the Flashing Hall, leader of all Frost Giants in the World¡¯s Spine!¡± ¡°Pleased to meet you, Madam Oriel Sdottir, I am...¡± ¡°Save it, I don¡¯t care about that.¡± Gertie rudely interrupted Lancelot¡¯s words, ¡°You have something of mine. Give it back, and perhaps I will spare your life.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I owe you anything.¡± Lancelot shook his head firmly, but he already had an answer in his heart regarding why she had been able to track him, ¡°There might be some misunderstanding here. Can you tell me what it is?¡± ... ¡°You refuse to hand it over?¡± The giantess threateningly hoisted her double-edged battle axe onto her shoulder, ¡°Perhaps it would be quicker to search your corpse.¡± ¡°How can I hand it over if you don¡¯t tell me what it actually is?¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°Besides, you shouldn¡¯t threaten me, Madam.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t a threat, just a possible description of the future.¡± Gertie narrowed her eyes dangerously, ¡°I¡¯m referring to a holy relic of my Goddess Olul, and you are clearly not her follower. Hand it over; this is your final warning.¡± ¡°So, you are talking about the Guardian of the Frost Maiden.¡± Lancelot took out the snowflake-shaped amulet, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can ascertain this object doesn¡¯t belong to you, and it still has use for us, so I cannot give it to you...¡± Lancelot¡¯s words were cut short as he suddenly leapt to the side, dodging the giantess¡¯s brusquely swung battle axe. When he rose to his feet again, Frostslash had appeared in his hand, while the enemy¡¯s great axe swept towards him like a malady clinging to bone. He was forced to roll on the ground again, and with the longsword in his hand, he flicked upward, accurately hitting the handle of the double-edged axe. Gertie¡¯s battle axe was knocked off course by his sword, and Lancelot seized the opportunity to test his opponent¡¯s strength¡ªheavy, but not overwhelmingly superior to his own. Taking advantage of the short moment when his opponent lost control of her weapon, the Human Knight fiercely jumped down from the rock on which he was standing. His height was less than half that of his opponent, but his agile movement technique and the destructive power far exceeding his peers gave him a significant advantage. The moment he landed, he again dodged another axe strike with a deceptive feint and quickly circled around his opponent in a counterclockwise direction. Even though the giantess adjusted her stance with speed far exceeding the average of her race, Lancelot¡¯s speed had already surpassed the limits of a mortal. Within a few breaths, he had completely positioned himself behind his opponent, his longsword viciously thrusting toward the giantess¡¯ right leg that was supporting her body, with blue-green flames simultaneously lighting up on the sword blade. ¡°Aaaaahhhhh!!!!¡± Gertie let out a piercing scream as Frostslash pierced a terrible hole in the hollow of her knee, the intense pain making it difficult for her right leg to bear her body¡¯s weight, forcing her to kneel on the ground. The giantess braced one hand on the ground, and with the other, she lifted her battle axe, swinging it towards the human knight in front of her as if to split him in two with that blow. Confronted with the enemy¡¯s one-handed attack, Lancelot didn¡¯t dodge again. He gripped his sword with both hands and took a fierce step forward. Before his opponent¡¯s axe arm could land, he thrust the tip of his sword into the giantess¡¯ throat, which had been lowered by her kneeling. ¡°I told you, you shouldn¡¯t have threatened me, because after coming to the Abyss, I quickly realized that my principle of not killing women was not fitting here.¡± Gazing into the blue eyes that were bigger than his own fist, Lancelot gently shook his head, ¡°By the way, when you see Olul, you can ask Him yourself how exactly I got that amulet.¡± ¡°We will, cough cough... meet again...¡± Despite the blade stuck in her throat, the giantess forcefully spoke, her originally beautiful face now severely contorted with pain, ¡°It won¡¯t be long...soon...¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not,¡± Lancelot shook his head and violently withdrew his longsword, followed by a swift Horizontal Slash that cleanly decapitated Gertie Oriel Sdottir¡¯s head. If left alone, the opponent would gradually suffocate as blood flowed into her lungs, which would be one of the most painful ways to die. To swiftly end his opponent¡¯s life, to avoid unnecessary torture, this served as a consolation to himself after he had to abandon his principle of not killing women. The headless body of the giantess crashed onto the snowy ground with a thud, blood spurted from the smooth cut as if from a champagne bottle that had been uncorked. She may have had many techniques and spells unused, but Lancelot¡¯s lightning-fast slaying rendered all the preparation of his opponent futile. Looking at the cooling corpse, Lancelot gave a helpless sigh. Although his retaliation had been completely justified, his mood was inevitably downcast. A unique swelling sensation came from the handkerchief in his arms, and Lancelot walked to an open space nearby, laying the half-realm entrance flat on the ground. Bruto¡¯s head then poked out from it. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, can¡¯t sleep?¡± Lancelot extended his hand to pull the dwarf out of the portal. ¡°No, I slept very well, but it¡¯s my turn to keep watch, and then I noticed the portal was suddenly closed, so I thought I¡¯d come out to look...¡± Only then did the dwarf notice the enormous body in the snow. His eyes bulged, ¡°Moradin¡¯s whiskers! Isn¡¯t that the female Frost Giant we met before? How is she here? Who killed her?¡± ¡°Me, in less than a minute,¡± Lancelot shrugged helplessly, ¡°but she struck first.¡± ¡°Well, she shouldn¡¯t have done that,¡± the dwarf shook his head, ¡°she really shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Chapter 510 510 534 The Female Giants Corpse ?Chapter 510: Chapter 534: The Female Giant¡¯s Corpse Chapter 510: Chapter 534: The Female Giant¡¯s Corpse ¡°Since we¡¯re out here, let¡¯s take care of the body together,¡± Lancelot said as he took two shovels out of the Dimensional Bag and tossed one to Bruto. ¡°Let¡¯s dig a hole in the snow close by to push the giant¡¯s corpse into...¡± ¡°Then bury her?¡± ¡°Burn her,¡± Lancelot said as he took the first scoop of snow. ¡°Right next to us is the cave where we set up the Teleportation Formation, leaving the body unattended might attract some unnecessary trouble.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± Bruto nodded and also started shoveling. ¡°She must have been quite a beauty among the giants, with the low temperatures of this realm preserving her body for a long time...¡± ¡°What are you thinking about? I¡¯m worried she might turn into an Undead!¡± ¡°I... I was thinking... the corpse would attract those who feast on dead bodies, and this is a big piece of good meat,¡± Bruto scratched his head with some embarrassment. ¡°By the way, who was this giantess? How did she find us?¡± ¡°She said her name was Gertie Oriel Sdottir, leader of a Frost Giant Tribe from a world in the Prime Material Plane,¡± Lancelot¡¯s True Yuan flowed within him, and with one shovel he could turn up a pile of snow nearly as big as a dwarf. ¡°But she didn¡¯t serve Solheim, it was Olul.¡± ... ¡°You mean the Goddess of Ice we killed at the mountaintop?¡± ¡°That was just an incarnation, not even one-tenth of the main body¡¯s strength,¡± Lancelot reminded the dwarf not to get too carried away. ¡°She demanded the amulet from me, and as soon as I said we still needed it, she attacked.¡± ¡°I guess you moved to her back with the fastest speed and stabbed her in the back of the knee, and the rest was easy,¡± Bruto pointed to the bloodied hole on the corpse¡¯s right leg. ¡°That¡¯s my signature tactic, you actually learned from me!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it before, but now I find your strategy quite useful against tall enemies,¡± Lancelot went on to shovel again, only to find he had hit the hard, frozen ground. ¡°Leave the ground to me; you just shovel the snow.¡± Although Bruto had no supernatural powers, his natural talent derived from his bloodline made him incredibly fast at any excavating-related task. In just a moment, the two had dug a hole over six feet deep together. They pushed the giantess¡¯s body down into the pit, and Lancelot even placed the severed head back in its original position. ¡°Your original worry was right,¡± Lancelot admitted to the dwarf as he looked over the body that seemed as if it were merely asleep. ¡°She is indeed beautiful, and with the wicked nature of the Frost Giants, they would not let this body go to waste.¡± ¡°Are you still feeling guilty about having had to kill her?¡± Bruto gave a hearty pat on his companion¡¯s back. ¡°This is the Abyss, once a fight starts, there¡¯s no room for turning back. If it were you about to be defeated, do you think she would have hesitated?¡± ¡°No,¡± Lancelot pursed his lips. ¡°Thanks, I never expected you to be the comforting type with words.¡± ¡°Heh heh, what, you want me to give you a hug too?¡± Bruto laughed and pointed down at the body. ¡°Those boots must be magical items, right? Don¡¯t want them? And that wolf skin cloak looks quite nice as well.¡± ¡°Forget it; the scene of stripping clothes off a female corpse is too nefarious for me. I just can¡¯t bring myself to do it,¡± Lancelot said, shaking his head helplessly and kicking a huge double-bladed battle axe over eight feet long at his foot. ¡°I¡¯ll just keep this as a memento.¡± He spread his hands, and a lotus made of azure-green flames appeared in his palm, startling the Dwarf beside him. A mere five feet from Lancelot, the wave of heat that hit was so intense it was like standing in front of a furnace, his own beard and eyebrows actually began to curl at a visible rate. ¡°Wow, what¡¯s this new trick?¡± ¡°Hmm... I haven¡¯t thought of a name yet...¡± With a gentle wave of his hand, Lancelot caused the Fire Lotus to float down onto the Giant¡¯s corpse like falling snowflakes. The azure-green flames instantly filled the freshly dug pit, and although the firelight was not dazzling, it burned extremely fast. In just a moment, there was nothing left in the pit, not even ash remained. ¡°Fire Lotus of Karma, how does that sound?¡± This was a new Divine Skill he had created, inspired by the azure fire that appeared when Frostslash activated the Qingyuan Sword Technique. It was the result of combining the Fire Attribute Enchantment. Drawing inspiration from it, he formed the Sword Qi from the Qingyuan Sword Technique into the shape of a lotus infused with the abundant fire elemental power from the Spiritual Energy of Abyss, resulting in this astonishingly powerful Fire Lotus. As for the temperature of the Fire Lotus, like most Cultivation Techniques, those transformed from one¡¯s own True Yuan would not harm him, so Lancelot could not determine its actual temperature. However, from the limited trials, it was certainly no less potent than Kalalin¡¯s Fireball Technique, which meant that it might be tough against creatures like Bartez that were immune to fire damage, but more than sufficient against enemies like Trolls that feared flames. ¡°You can call it whatever you like, but please remember to remind me to stay away from that thing.¡± After dealing with the remains, the human and Dwarf refilled the excavated soil. Then Bruto returned to the half-plane to continue resting, while Lancelot stood outside the cave watching as the snow once again covered all traces of the previous night¡¯s events. When day broke, he briefly explained the happenings of the previous night to everyone. Apart from surprise, the others were mostly grateful that he had single-handedly dealt with the enemies that had attacked during the night watch. During a journey of adventure, it was inevitable to encounter attacks while camping, which was why it was necessary to keep a night watch. However, the primary duty of the watchman should be to awaken the others timely, something Lancelot had clearly not done well enough. After everything was packed up, the group once again boarded the snow sled pulled by the huge wolves, speeding towards the south. Their destination was Gjollgard Fortress, located three hundred miles from here. Even though traveling by snow sled was the fastest means of transport on this plane, the anticipated arrival time was still four days away. Unfortunately, that fortress was also where most Frost Giants from Warrior Village were headed, and those loyal to Kostcheqi formed hunting squads, patrolling back and forth between two strategic locations. Whether it was the Frost Giants from either side, the group did not want to risk being exposed and fighting them, so detouring consumed even more time. By the time they finally arrived at Gorgiad Fortress, it was seven days later. ¡°Ah, how are we going to handle this...¡± Standing on a small hill, Bruto let out a helpless sigh. ¡°It is a bit troublesome,¡± agreed Alamir standing beside him, something rare for him to do, ¡°Looking from here, that fortress isn¡¯t even as big as my fingernail, but there¡¯s no cover ahead, we can¡¯t get any closer.¡± ¡°I think we could just head to the next location, there¡¯s nothing we can do here.¡± The Dwarf shook his head and sighed, ¡°How could that fortress be taken down? It¡¯s just a death trap laid by Kostcheqi.¡± Chapter 511 511 535 Reappearing Again ?Chapter 511: Chapter 535: Reappearing Again Chapter 511: Chapter 535: Reappearing Again The Dwarf¡¯s exclamation was not without reason. A giant rift divided the broad snow plain before them into two, with the fortress of the Frost Giant gods¡¯ brothers towering on a cliff that jutted out at the edge of the rift. From a distance, the cliff seemed like a dagger thrust into the ground, and the fortress was the gemstone at the end of the dagger¡¯s hilt. Attackers would have to start from the ¡®dagger¡¯s¡¯ tip and make their way upwards, traversing a steep slope over a mile long to reach the fortress gates, all the while being vulnerable to long-range fire from the defenders. By now, the bottom of the cliff had already gathered over a hundred Frost Giants, their cloaks and armors all marked with the blue-and-white double-edged axe emblem, which was the symbol of the Frost Giant god, Solheim. Kostcheqi¡¯s minions, however, had completely abandoned the surrounding area, opting to hole up in the sturdy fortress, waiting at ease for the battle. Considering this was their home ground, it was a loss in terms of momentum, yet tactically, it was still a reasonable choice. The Frost Giants amassed at the foot of the cliff seemed to be waiting for something but looked ready to launch an assault at any moment. This force, composed entirely of giants, was extremely awe-inspiring; it seemed like a scene straight out of a mythological story. Lancelot¡¯s near seven-foot stature usually allowed him to stand out in most crowds, but even the shortest Frost Giant was as tall as three Human Knights. If their target was a fortress on an open plain, just their proficiency in hurling stones would be enough to reduce any defensive fortification to rubble. Just then, on the northwest horizon, a squad of dozens appeared, all Frost Giants riding on massive mammoths, rapidly approaching the assembly on the plain. Watching that squad, Lancelot¡¯s eyebrows knitted together¡ªbecause he clearly saw that riding at the front of the group was a Frost Giant with dazzling golden hair. ¡°Is that... the Frost Giant priestess we encountered before?¡± Alamir cast a puzzled look at Lancelot, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that on the night we camped at the gates of Gorgiad, this female giant sought us out and was killed by you?¡± ¡°Absolutely, I even helped dig the pit and watched her body burn to clean ash,¡± Bruto immediately chimed in, ¡°With such a distance, could you have confused her with another Frost Giant with yellow hair?¡± ... ¡°Um, I¡¯m not sure, but she really does look alike,¡± Alamir shrugged, ¡°Maybe they are related, like sisters or something?¡± A spark of inspiration hit Lancelot¡¯s mind, and he pulled out the eight-foot-long Great Axe from his Dimensional Bag, comparing it with the weapon of the newly appeared female Frost Giant. ¡°Look, your axe blade is crescent-shaped, hers is like a curved moon, completely different,¡± Bruto promptly pointed out the difference, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s been turned to ashes. Even if Gertie is a very powerful priestess, she can¡¯t just resurrect herself, can she?¡± ¡°But I feel it¡¯s the same person.¡± Lancelot looked again for a while still feeling uncertain, even suspecting if what Alamir said was true¡ªdid that Gertie, the Frost Giant, have a twin sister? Regardless of what the truth was, he had already taken some precautionary measures¡ªthe Guardian of the Frost Maiden was now stored in his Dimensional Bag, only taken out when needing to activate frost resistance. According to Tijana, this would significantly increase the difficulty of tracking it, and it was unlikely that believers could find their way to them just by sensing the Holy Relic. The arrival of the female Frost Giant was met with enthusiastic cheers, and she began to deliver a speech to the gathered Frost Giants from atop a mammoth; even Lancelot, from this distance, couldn¡¯t make out what she was saying¡ªand even if he had heard her, he wouldn¡¯t have understood. However, judging by the roars carried by the wind, it must have been some sort of rousing speech. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re about to start fighting,¡± Bruto nudged Lancelot¡¯s elbow, ¡°Big bro, hurry up and open the door to the demi-plane.¡± ¡°What for, you want to hide in there?¡± Lancelot turned to the Dwarf in surprise, ¡°We¡¯re perfectly safe at this distance...¡± ¡°You think I¡¯d miss that?¡± Bruto glared at him irritably, ¡°I¡¯m going to fetch a barrel of mead! Hurry up, the good show is about to begin!¡± Later, as each companion held a cup brimming with beer, the Frost Giants on the snowfield also began their charge toward the fortress atop the cliff. They formed squadrons of four, each Giant holding a Two-Handed Greatshield, advancing rapidly upward in a relatively loose formation. Clearly, Lancelot and his companions were not the only ones keeping an eye on the situation; the Frost Giant guards loyal to the Abyssal Lord within the fortress sprang into action immediately. At least thirty Frost Giants began to hurl enormous rocks downward, each as large as a round table. Even a glancing blow could severely injure a Human Knight clad in Plate Armor, not to mention a direct hit might result in instant death, with no chance to pass their armor on to their offspring. Normally, Frost Giants use stones less than a foot in diameter as throwing weapons, as using overly heavy stones significantly reduces their range and frequency of attack. But at this moment, the defenders had a massive terrain advantage: they only needed to throw the stones a short distance, and gravity and slope would do the rest of the work for them. In fact, the path leading to the fortress was deliberately shaped convex at the sides and concave in the middle to keep the rolling boulders as much as possible on the attackers¡¯ path. The stones gathered speed on the way down, occasionally popping up due to their irregular shapes, then crashing down heavily again. By the time those stones reached the charging Frost Giants, their kinetic energy had built up to a terrifying extent. The Frost Giants at the forefront were not foolish enough to stand still and wait. They carefully watched for the boulders rolling from above and adjusted their positions in time to dodge. In reality, the leading Frost Giants were almost entirely unscathed by the first wave of rolling boulders, but those in the middle and back of the line were not so lucky. Their vision was blocked, and by the time they realized the boulders were close, it was too late. Moreover, the relatively dense formation restricted their movement, and they had no choice but to raise their Shields, attempting to face the rolling boulders head-on. The result was, of course, disastrous. The boulders easily shattered those Shields, with the crisp sound of breaking audible from afar, and the Frost Giants behind the Shields were reduced to an indistinct mass of flesh on the ground, akin to candles that had been rolled over by a red-hot iron ball. Sometimes, it took the sacrifice of three Frost Giants for the fourth one to barely stop a boulder, pushing it off the sides of the cliff. ¡°Just by the spectacle before us, this adventure was worth it,¡± Bruto took a big gulp of the golden honey mead, casually wiping his beard that got wet by accident, ¡°Lancelot, shall we make a bet on how many Frost Giants will make it to the fortress gates? I swear on my beard, no more than ten!¡± Chapter 512 512 536 The Road to Death ?Chapter 512: Chapter 536: The Road to Death Chapter 512: Chapter 536: The Road to Death ¡°Here¡¯s a piece of advice for you, never bet anything you¡¯re not willing to lose, even if you think you have great odds,¡± Lancelot glanced at Bruto and turned his head to speak to Kalalin, ¡°The battle over there will take a while, I need you to cast Arcane Eye to scout what¡¯s beneath the fissure at the base of the fortress.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Kalalin immediately reached for his backpack, ¡°What should I look out for?¡± ¡°Hmm... First, see if there are any suitable caves on the cliffs of the fissure; you know, the kind of cave entrances that are hidden and are suitable for setting up Teleportation Runes, not too far from that fortress, and preferably not occupied by other creatures,¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, realizing it was time to shave again, ¡°Then try to delve deeper into the fissure to see what¡¯s really down there.¡± ¡°Could it be another ice-crushing spider crab?¡± Alamir interjected, ¡°Given what¡¯s happening over there, I bet a good number of fresh Giant corpses fall down every week...¡± ¡°If there really were ice-crushing spider crabs, there would have been signs over the years, and Kostcheqi wouldn¡¯t have chosen to build a fortress here to detain his most important prisoners,¡± Old Reap expressed his disagreement, ¡°But your concerns are valid. Frost Giants are not Demons, their flesh doesn¡¯t rot quickly after death. So many corpses falling down will definitely attract creatures that feed on the dead, and even if there isn¡¯t an Abyss, one could form from that. ¡°I¡¯ll know the truth in a moment,¡± Kalalin opened the scroll of the Arcane Eye, activating the spell stored within, ¡°But have a little patience, this magic eyeball doesn¡¯t fly very fast, it will take a while to get there...¡± ¡°No rush, I can watch these Giant marbles roll for as long as it takes,¡± Bruto shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ll call you when it gets to the exciting part.¡± ... As they spoke, the second wave of the boulder offensive hit the heads of the Frost Giants scaling the slope. They had lost nearly a quarter of their forces in the first round of attack, but it seemed their morale was still high, with no reduction in their pace. Facing another round of assault, the Giants fared much better due to some experience; the space freed by their fallen comrades also helped. Nonetheless, some were still unlucky, dying unpredictably due to the bouncing boulders ¨C they were either crushed into giant human-skin rugs spread on the ground or knocked off the cliffs, plunging into the bottomless fissure. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that most of the dead seem to be the ones at the back,¡± Bruto finally identified a pattern, ¡°Is it because those at the front have a better view?¡± ¡°Yes. This might seem counterintuitive, but in my experience, in siege warfare, those at the forefront often have the highest survival rate,¡± Lancelot mused, shaking his head, ¡°On one hand, those who dare charge ahead tend to have courage and martial skills above average, and on the other hand, it¡¯s a matter of better visibility, allowing them to make the best responses. Additionally, the defenders tend to focus their projectile firepower on the middle of the assaulting group to maximize casualties. Of course, all of this only applies up until reaching the walls, after that, it¡¯s another story.¡± ¡°Judging by your tone, you must have done your fair share of leading sieges in the past, huh?¡± ¡°Of course, I was the first to climb the walls in siege battles twice, one of my greatest feats during my military career,¡± Lancelot¡¯s face showed a proud expression, but it quickly turned into a wry smile, ¡°Looking back, I really liked to show off in those days, I was too young...¡± ¡°Tsk, you talk like an old man, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re just bragging...¡± Bruto¡¯s face was filled with disbelief, but the third round of falling rock attacks diverted his attention. Fewer Frost Giants died in this round, with casualties in the single digits, and the subsequent fourth volley didn¡¯t even bring down a single Frost Giant¡ªthe attackers had already covered half the distance of the slope, and the rocks thrown down didn¡¯t have enough space to accelerate, allowing even the not-so-agile Frost Giants to dodge with ease. ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t have bet my beard,¡± Bruto admitted to everyone, ¡°it looks like there will definitely be more than ten Frost Giants reaching the base of the fortress...¡± ¡°See, the defenders must have other tricks up their sleeve.¡± Lancelot turned his head towards the scholar with eyes closed, ¡°Kalalin, where have you gotten to?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already below the fortress, about two hundred feet from the ground,¡± the scholar spoke with a somewhat drifting voice, ¡°searching for cracks in the rock face to see if there might be larger spaces behind them... So far, there¡¯s no sign of any creature activity in this area, but deeper in, there¡¯s an extremely thick fog that prevents me from seeing clearly what¡¯s at the bottom of the cracks.¡± ¡°Alright, find a suitable cave first, then explore what lies beneath the fog,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°keep me updated on any progress.¡± Meanwhile, the defenders inside the fortress unleashed a new weapon: towering javelins longer than fifteen feet. Compared to rolling stones, these javelins had terrifying piercing power, and when over thirty Frost Giants simultaneously hurled their javelins, creatures near the impact zone had no room to dodge, only able to raise their shields in despair. But it changed nothing. The javelins raining down from the sky effortlessly penetrated the victims¡¯ giant shields, nailing each Giant firmly to the spot. Even Lancelot, witnessing this spectacle, felt his palms sweat; as a powerful Knight, he feared nothing on the battlefield, but he would steer clear in two situations: one was a dense formation of a Long Spear Formation, the other was a volley from these heavy javelins. Even now, if he encountered this situation and fought in the style of a Knight without utilizing Spiritual Cultivation Technique, he¡¯d likely face his end then and there. The Frost Giants were already massive creatures, and after climbing most of the slope, they were so exhausted they were huffing and puffing, suffering tremendous losses under the defenders¡¯ javelin barrage, their numbers rapidly diminishing before the naked eye. As more of the attackers perished, their formation became sparser, which ironically reduced the killing efficiency of the javelin barrage. In the end, fifteen Frost Giants reached the gates of the fortress; each one of them was bloodied and utterly exhausted, but they had completed the hellish road of death. Waiting for them at the endpoint were enemies ten times their number, fully armed and ready. But the attackers didn¡¯t despair; instead, they let out victorious cheers and charged fearlessly at the enemy, as if they had been favored by Solheim, heading not towards death, but towards Elysium after death. ¡°Even though I hate all Giants, they are true warriors,¡± the Dwarf who was engrossed just a moment ago now turned his head away, as if he couldn¡¯t bear to see the Frost Giants¡¯ ultimate fate, ¡°I hope Solheim will cherish these brave souls.¡± Alamir glanced at the Dwarf, opened his mouth to say something, but after a moment¡¯s thought, he swallowed his words back down. But it was not difficult for Lancelot to guess what the Elves wanted to say¡ªas a cold, brutal deity, Solheim didn¡¯t care for His people; He only cared for Himself, and the souls of the Frost Giants after death were merely nourishment for His increase in strength. Chapter 513 513 537 Theological Discussion ?Chapter 513: Chapter 537 Theological Discussion Chapter 513: Chapter 537 Theological Discussion The battle at the fortress gate went as expected¡ªthere weren¡¯t many attackers to begin with, and they were quickly surrounded and annihilated in a pincer movement. What¡¯s noteworthy, however, is that knowing they would die, they bravely fought on and nearly every one of them managed to take down an enemy with them. But compared to the total casualties, this outcome was too costly. ¡°The final casualty ratio was about ten to one,¡± Lancelot said, shaking his head, ¡°Apart from believing that dying this way would ascend them to heaven, I can¡¯t think of any other reason that would justify such a meaningless act.¡± ¡°However, in the Outer Layer, life is a cheap commodity; how one dies determines the value of a soul,¡± Alamir explained softly, ¡°Whether it¡¯s mortals, spirits, or Fiends, there comes a point in their lives when they realize just how terrible this Multiverse is. They yearn to change everything, to make the universe more in line with their desires, and the existence of Divine Power is the ultimate manifestation of these desires. I know you haven¡¯t found your Faith yet, so you might not fully understand this fanaticism, but never underestimate the power of Faith.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°But this brings me to another question, how exactly do beings of Divine Power come into existence? Is it the mortals¡¯ Faith that creates Deities, or do Deities create the mortals¡¯ Faith?¡± ¡°Ha ha, you have touched on one of the most contentious issues in theology. Personally, I believe it¡¯s both,¡± the Priest chuckled, ¡°I am an Elf, Bruto is a Dwarf, and our races both have clear creators. To some extent, our races are tools for creators to alter the Multiverse at their will, and our societal moral standards are also set by these creators. Those who violate these standards are mercilessly cast aside, like the Zoel Elves and the Gray Dwarves. This forces them to turn to other deities.¡± ¡°And you, Kalalin, and Isabella are humans without creators, but your wills have in turn created deities, like the Goddess I worship, Lady Shuni of fire, born from humans¡¯ longing for love and beauty, which is also my lifelong pursuit,¡± the Elf Priest proudly displayed the emblem on his shield, a portrait of a woman with thick curly hair, ¡°Similarly, there are the God of War, God of Wealth, God of Knowledge¡ªall born from human desires, and their powers are no weaker than those of native deities in the Multiverse.¡± ¡°What about the Frost Giant God, Solheim?¡± Bruto asked curiously, ¡°Is He a ¡®creator god¡¯ for the Frost Giants?¡± ... ¡°No, the Giants¡¯ creator god is Annand, and Solheim is just one of Annand¡¯s many children,¡± Alamir scratched his head, ¡°According to legend, after the Giant Empire in the material plane was destroyed, Annand was completely disillusioned with the material plane¡¯s giants and stopped answering their prayers. There¡¯s also a saying that Annand¡¯s refusal to answer the giants¡¯ prayers came first. Regardless of the truth, the giants who lost Annand then turned to worship his children, which led to the second generation of giant gods.¡± ¡°So why do the Frost Giants worship Solheim and not the other children?¡± Bruto further inquired, ¡°The Gorgiad detained in that fortress is Solheim¡¯s brother, isn¡¯t he? Is he as powerful as the Frost Giant God?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Alamir shook his head, ¡°Annand¡¯s children were originally demigods, but the giants¡¯ Power of Faith gave them a chance to become True Gods. These children competed with each other in various ways to attract different giants to worship them, yet, in the end, very few emerged victorious. And that¡¯s also why Kostcheqi managed to steal followers from under Solheim¡ªoffering the Frost Giants an enticing deal, including direct action against enemy tribes, Immortality on the Iron Ice Plains, and opportunities to plunder countless worlds...¡± ¡°That sounds like a trade,¡± Bruto frowned in disgust, ¡°Whoever offers the better price gets the Faith?¡± ¡°To you and me, this certainly doesn¡¯t seem right, but many deities have such transactional relationships with their followers,¡± said the Elf Priest, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°For many Frost Giants, Kostcheqi offers exactly what they desire, so they did not hesitate to abandon Solheim and kneel before the Abyssal Lord. In the eyes of the Frost Giants, once Annand departed, their faith was merely a means to trade for benefits...¡± ¡°Sorry to interrupt your theological discussion, but I¡¯ve found an ideal spot,¡± Kalalin¡¯s voice suddenly rang out. He opened his eyes, though his gaze focused on nothing in particular, ¡°This cavern is about a hundred feet from the surface, with an entrance that opens downward, so it¡¯s completely invisible from above. Inside, there¡¯s a dry space ten feet square, perfect for setting up the teleportation runes...¡± ¡°That sounds good, let¡¯s go with that. Everyone can move directly into the demiplane shortly, I¡¯ll fly to that cavern in my Succubus form,¡± Lancelot nodded. ¡°How much longer can your spell last? Enough to check out what¡¯s beneath that thick fog?¡± ¡°I should still have about ten minutes left. If there¡¯s anything noteworthy, I can cast the spell again tomorrow...¡± The Scholar closed his eyes again. ¡°I¡¯ve entered the fog; there are no points of reference in my sight...¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to get lost in that fog, are you?¡± the Dwarf joked beside him. ¡°If everything looks the same from every direction, how could you be sure you¡¯re not just walking in circles?¡± ¡°In the world of magic, that¡¯s not uncommon. The trick is not to stop and look around, but to keep moving in the direction you started in...¡± The Scholar¡¯s face suddenly showed a look of extreme shock. ¡°Friends, I think I know where those fallen Frost Giant corpses have gone...¡± ¡°Let me guess, inside the stomach of a giant carrion worm, bigger than a dragon?¡± Bruto offered his guess. ¡°This carrion worm has reached a legendary size due to its excellent diet...¡± ¡°What? No, I mean, they¡¯re all here!¡± The color gradually drained from Kalalin¡¯s face. ¡°My god, how many are there? Thousands, tens of thousands? I can¡¯t count them all...¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Bruto was completely baffled. ¡°The Frost Giants¡¯ corpses?¡± Kalalin¡¯s body suddenly convulsed, then he opened his eyes. He looked very weak but had completely recovered. ¡°The spell¡¯s duration is up,¡± he explained to his companions around him. ¡°All those giant corpses have turned into undead creatures, too numerous to count. It felt like invading an anthill, except each ant is the size of a giant zombie. I¡¯m just glad I saw this scene through magic. If even a hint of living breath had appeared near there, I would have been torn to shreds instantly...¡± Chapter 514 514 538 A Hypothesis ?Chapter 514: Chapter 538: A Hypothesis Chapter 514: Chapter 538: A Hypothesis ¡°You mean to say, all the Frost Giant warriors who sacrificed themselves in the rescue have turned into Undead Zombies, endlessly wandering at the bottom of that rift?¡± Bruto looked like a child scared by a ghost story, ¡°Who knows how long that fortress has been built? Decades? Centuries?¡± ¡°There have been documents mentioning this fortress two hundred years ago, so it certainly dates back even further,¡± Kalalin shrugged, ¡°Only those bodies that are relatively intact can turn into zombies; those crushed to the bone definitely cannot.¡± ¡°As time accumulates, there must be quite a few,¡± Lancelot turned his head toward the distant horizon, where a new team of three Frost Giants appeared, ¡°Alamir, the fog mentioned by Kalalin, do you know what it is?¡± ¡°When a large number of Undead gather in a certain area, Nether Fog appears, separating the world of the living from the dead,¡± the Elf Priest held his chest with one hand and supported his chin with his thumb, ¡°Most of the world is dominated by Positive Energy, but beneath that fog lies a region filled with Negative Energy. All of us would feel extremely uncomfortable entering that area, perhaps except for little Isha.¡± ¡°Could those giant zombies be someone¡¯s special arrangement?¡± Bruto asked curiously, ¡°Some extremely powerful Lich or Necromancer, discovering a stable supply of fresh corpses here, could be attempting to build an army to conquer the Multiverse...¡± ¡°Conquer the Multiverse? Dream on,¡± Alamir rolled his eyes, ¡°but we certainly cannot rule out human intervention. Remember the mass grave we saw at Oasis Fort? Undead could either form naturally or be the result of Spellcasters¡¯ deliberate arrangements. If it¡¯s the latter, there should be an evident Magic Formation or an altar used for some evil ceremony. With Kalalin¡¯s Arcane Eye, it shouldn¡¯t be hard to detect related traces.¡± ¡°You once mentioned that a single Spellcaster has a limit to the Undead they can control; based on the scale described by Kalalin, those giant zombies couldn¡¯t possibly be under control, right?¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, which had become a habitual gesture when he was thinking, ¡°Assuming there is indeed a Spellcaster, what could be his purpose in creating so many giant zombies?¡± ... ¡°Bruto¡¯s explanation just now was actually quite close to the truth¡ªestablish an Undead army, and whenever needed, simply open a Portal to the bottom of that rift, and there would be an army ready to be commanded,¡± the Elf Priest shrugged, ¡°Necromancers can control large-scale Undead by issuing simple commands like follow, attack, wait.¡± ¡°How is that different from what you mentioned about control?¡± Lancelot pressed, ¡°Is it just the difference in whether they can execute complex commands?¡± ¡°The control I¡¯m talking about is like controlling their bodies as if they were our own. I have a friend who loves music and is also... a fan of Necromancy; he once made me appreciate a performance with one skeleton drumming, two skeletons playing the piano, and himself as the lead singer. It was undoubtedly one of the weirdest experiences I¡¯ve had, but the music itself was impeccable,¡± Alamir said with a nostalgic smile, ¡°But if it¡¯s just about issuing commands, those Undead would act based on the instincts remaining in their bodies, like a giant zombie might pick up and throw stones when attacking but is unlikely to bite like a beast. Clearly, this makes them far less threatening than when they were alive, but Necromancers believe that quantity can make up for the drop in quality.¡± ¡°Lancelot is probably up to no good again,¡± Bruto announced with certainty, ¡°I¡¯ve noticed a pattern; as soon as he starts asking about the details, he likely already has a plan...¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a thought,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Imagine if we were to build a tunnel from the valley bottom of that rift all the way into the fortress on the cliff, what would happen then?¡± ¡°But that¡¯s impossible,¡± Kalalin immediately shook his head, ¡°That fortress must have strong antimagic measures to stop any attempts at assault via Portals. If you use Magic to dig a tunnel, it will fail automatically as you approach the fortress, and Spellcasters inside will detect your attempt and easily destroy the section already dug.¡± ¡°What if I dig it myself?¡± Bruto crossed his arms, ¡°As long as it¡¯s earth and rock, we Dwarves have ways to dig a tunnel through it.¡± ¡°A tunnel that allows Dwarf passage, maybe humans and elves if they duck their heads, but certainly not Giants, let alone Zombie Giants who don¡¯t even know how to bend,¡± Kalalin shook his head in denial, then suddenly realized something, ¡°Wait... I remember! During our fight with the Giant Skull Demon, Lancelot summoned that kind of giant vine!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a thought,¡± Lancelot chuckled, ¡°Imagine if suddenly a huge hole appeared in the fortress floor, and Zombie Giants started pouring out endlessly...¡± ¡°And they would not stop until every living thing inside the fortress was killed,¡± Alamir pursed his lips, ¡°Doesn¡¯t this sound like something a villain would do...¡± ¡°Fight fire with fire, don¡¯t you understand?¡± the Dwarf looked at the Elf discontentedly, but then asked curiously, ¡°Since they act according to instinct, would they still try to rescue Solheim¡¯s brother? Or would they kill him too?¡± ¡°The former is more likely, but I don¡¯t think a bunch of zombies can do much to a Demi-god,¡± Alamir shrugged, ¡°More likely, the zombies¡¯ indiscriminate attacks would destroy the magical device imprisoning Geogad, allowing him to regain his freedom. What happens after that is hard to say, but we¡¯re unlikely to receive a thank-you card...¡± ¡°Before we find a reason to let him out, Solheim¡¯s brother will continue to stay in the fortress named after him,¡± Lancelot stated, ¡°Finish the drinks in your cups, then let¡¯s head to the semi-plane. Kalalin, about that cave you found, I need a more detailed description...¡± A moment later, only Lancelot remained on the small hill where they had been standing. He took a deep breath, pulled a ring from his Dimensional Bag, and felt a special sensation stirring within him. Once he had mastered the technique of Imperial Qi flying, he wouldn¡¯t need this to solve problems anymore. Lancelot reassured himself, then gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, slipping the Transformation Ring onto his ring finger. Chapter 515 515 539 Inside the Mountain ?Chapter 515: Chapter 539: Inside the Mountain Chapter 515: Chapter 539: Inside the Mountain Lancelot, transformed into a Succubus, crouched low and carefully moved to the edge of the massive crevasse, peering downwards. As Kalalin had described, dense fog filled the depths of the crevasse, obscuring the view of the bottom; the uneven rock walls on either side emitted piercing shrieks when gusts swept through, reminiscent of the cries of those who had met misfortune. After ensuring he hadn¡¯t attracted the attention of any presence, Lancelot leaped into the crevasse. He descended to about a hundred feet above the ground and then carefully flew toward the direction of the cliff where the fortress was located. Kalalin had surveyed this place through a magical eye before, which lacked any sense besides sight, hence he couldn¡¯t warn Lancelot about the intense cold he was now experiencing. It was a bone-chilling cold, a breath entirely opposite to life, and Olul¡¯s amulet could only ward off ordinary cold but was powerless against the deadly ice cold. His Spirit Perception, however, didn¡¯t sense any imminent threats, but he constantly felt a heavy oppression, as if a sharp sword was hanging overhead, ready to fall at any moment. For Lancelot, this level of negative energy was still far from harmful. What concerned him more at the moment was his exposure, so he flew as close as possible to one side of the cliff, keeping his leathery wings hidden in the shadows of the rocks. After flying steadily and quietly for twenty minutes, he located the cave mouth mentioned by Kalalin, and with a gentle flicker, slipped into this hidden cavern. Just as Scholar had described, the interior of the cavern had enough space for six companions to sit in a circle, measuring ten feet on each side. However, Lancelot didn¡¯t rush to open the entrance to the half-plane but instead sat down cross-legged on the spot, using his Spiritual Sight to carefully check for any hidden dangers nearby. As expected, he indeed found something unusual. Shortly after his Divine Sense probed into the rock wall, he encountered many irregular circular tunnels, and the seemingly solid walls were actually riddled with holes, reminiscent of cheese fermented with live maggots. Fortunately, these tunnels were deeper inside the mountain and not connected to the cave he was in. Following these channels, it didn¡¯t take much effort for him to find the culprit behind this terrain: a giant worm with a white exterior. The worm¡¯s body resembled that of a snake, covered in fine scales, but its head was equipped with fangs like tusks and several bulbous tumors. Lancelot saw no organs resembling eyes; perhaps it lacked vision entirely, reliant like other subterranean creatures on sound and vibrations to perceive its surroundings. ... His Divine Sense passed through these giant worms and delved deeper, leading Lancelot to a large cave at the end of the tunnel, spacious as a castle hall. The cave was filled with objects that at first glance appeared like snowballs; however, under his Spiritual Sight, he could easily discern that these ¡®snowballs¡¯ were actually the eggs of the giant worms, and the cave was essentially their nursery. Afterward, Lancelot retreated from the nursery of the giant worms, beginning to search along another end of the tunnel. Some paths ascended directly to the surface, where several worms lay quietly as if waiting for prey to pass by. Other paths descended further but were blocked just as they were about to leave the mountain. He could guess the reason for this¡ªafter all, these creatures were still living beings, and at the valley floor inhabited by Undead giants, where Zombies swarmed like sharks, the mere presence of living beings, like drops of blood in water, could invite frenzied attacks. After exiting his state of Spiritual Sight, Lancelot opened his Dimensional Bag, took out an Array Plate and several Array Flags, and started fiddling with them. Moments later, a circle of dim green light covered the cave, activated in the form of an Array to produce a Soundproof Barrier. In the dark underground world, where sound could spread far like a flame in darkness, attracting unwelcome attention, a simple Soundproof Barrier could save them a lot of trouble. Having completed all of this, Lancelot finally laid down the entrance to the half-plane and summoned his companions out from inside. ¡°Why does it look so green in here, any poisonous gas?¡± Bruto sniffed deeply several times, ¡°But I don¡¯t smell anything strange...¡± ¡°If it really were poisonous, you¡¯d have inhaled it all by now,¡± Lancelot helplessly pointed at the Array Plate placed in the center of the cave, ¡°I just used Spiritual Sight and found many giant white worms in the mountain, resembling sand worms, most likely also relying on sound to sense their surroundings. So, I set up a soundproofing Array first before I called you out here.¡± ¡°A white giant worm? Looks like a sand worm?¡± Bruto was instantly intrigued, ¡°If we cut open their bellies, could we find gemstones like with sand worms?¡± ¡°I¡¯d advise against that.¡± Old Reap spoke up from the side, ¡°Lancelot, did the worms you saw have hexagonal patterns on them, with a pair of pincer-like teeth protruding from their mouths?¡± ¡°Exactly, just like that.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Do you know what they are?¡± ¡°Those are Frost Worms, a creature commonly found in extremely cold regions. Unlike sand worms that feed on soil, these giant worms are predators, hunting by sensing the vibrations of their prey passing by. It¡¯s said that even mammoths are on their menu.¡± Old Reap unconsciously lowered his voice as if afraid of being overheard. ¡°Moreover, when these creatures are killed, their bodies instantly turn into ice and explode violently, leaving nothing behind.¡± ¡°Ah, such monsters really have no reason to exist.¡± Bruto immediately lost interest, ¡°And they would interfere with our tunnel digging plans, wouldn¡¯t they? Because any little noise, and these big worms would come burrowing...¡± ¡°On the contrary, I¡¯ve been worried that the giant zombies wouldn¡¯t want to come into the tunnels after we¡¯ve dug them.¡± Lancelot laughed and shook his head, ¡°These big worms would be the perfect bait.¡± ¡°Oh, oh, oh, I like this idea!¡± Bruto clapped his hands together, ¡°But... how do you plan to dig that tunnel? Surely we can¡¯t start digging now, can we?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Lancelot pinched a Dharma Decree, summoning a vine as thick as an arm from the ground, which he then guided to burrow into the rock wall. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too thin?¡± Bruto looked at his action oddly, ¡°I mean, the vines you conjured when we were trapped by the Giant Skull Demon¡¯s trap were much thicker than this...¡± ¡°That would consume a lot of mana, and it would be too noisy, this way is much better, just let it grow on its own. It¡¯s a plant; the frost worms aren¡¯t interested in it and once grown, it will first block the tunnel, then I can make it disappear when needed.¡± ¡°Just let it grow on its own? How long is that going to take...¡± ¡°Alamir, get me some water.¡± Lancelot chuckled, taking a small jade bottle from his bosom, ¡°Since I can grow flowers in a garden surrounded by vampires, I can certainly make this vine grow both thick and long, especially since I am, after all, a... Grand Druid.¡± Chapter 516 516 540 Ripening Green Liquid ?Chapter 516: Chapter 540: Ripening Green Liquid Chapter 516: Chapter 540: Ripening Green Liquid ¡°There are still quite a few supplies left in the half-plane. Before I rest, I will use all the remaining Divine Arts to perform the Water Conjuring Spell, just in case,¡± Alamir said with a slightly shy smile, ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± The Elf Priest flashed and disappeared into the entrance of the half-plane, while Lancelot suddenly felt someone gently pulling at his wings. He turned his head and saw that it was young Isha trying to get his attention, looking at him timidly. ¡°Brother Lancelot, um, Sister Tijana asked me to remind you...¡± the little Vampire said in a voice barely louder than a mosquito¡¯s, ¡°if you¡¯re done using it, remember to take off the Transformation Ring.¡± ¡°Ah yes, of course!¡± Lancelot inexplicably felt a pang of guilt and hurriedly took off the ring, reverting back to his Human Knight form, ¡°I was completely unaware that I was still in my transformed state. If you hadn¡¯t reminded me, I would have completely forgotten...¡± ¡°Be careful,¡± Kalalin said with a meaningful look, ¡°A famous Arcanist once turned himself into a squirrel, and his Apprentice had to spend three years casting Dispel Magic on every squirrel in the forest to find his teacher so he could sign off on his thesis...¡± ¡°Why a squirrel?¡± Bruto scratched his head, ¡°Is there something special about them?¡± ¡°Because squirrels are always so cheerful,¡± the Scholar shrugged his shoulders, ¡°The point is, if you spend too much time in another form, you might run into serious identity recognition issues.¡± ... ¡°Don¡¯t worry, guys, I¡¯m really fine... Ah, Alamir is back! I was just waiting for him...¡± Lancelot said weakly, just as the Elf Priest returned from the half-plane carrying a large bucket of water, allowing him to pivot the conversation. ¡°Oh, you remembered to take off the ring?¡± Alamir said as he set the bucket down in front of him, ¡°Is this enough?¡± ¡°It¡¯s plenty.¡± Lancelot carefully tilted the Jade Bottle over the bucket, ¡°It¡¯s mainly to dilute the concentration of this stuff, otherwise it¡¯s hard to control the amount... This should do it.¡± Three drops of green liquid fell from the bottle into the bucket, turning all the water in it green instantaneously. Unlike the green that evokes thoughts of poison or plague, it was a refreshing, invigorating green, like the first sprout of spring or the dense grass of summer, filled with an indescribable Spiritual Energy. ¡°Wow, is this the secret to your rapid plant growth?¡± Bruto curiously leaned in, ¡°It looks quite drinkable...¡± ¡°Definitely not,¡± Lancelot glared sternly at the Dwarf, ¡°Normally it wouldn¡¯t have any effect if drunk, but if there are any undigested plant seeds in your stomach, it would be disastrous. Just a small spoonful can make a plant grow as much as it would in a year. Just think about the consequences if you drank it.¡± ¡°Well, I always knew watermelon was a dangerous fruit, but what if I rub this liquid on my chin...¡± Ignoring the Dwarf who had completely lost track of the conversation, Lancelot gently tapped the edge of the barrel, and a stream of green water enveloped by his True Yuan flew towards the vine on the ground, seeping into the soil near its roots. The vine immediately began to wriggle like the tentacle of some aquatic animal, and Lancelot grabbed the vine, allowing it to elongate and burrow deep inside the mountain, then split into two branches, thickening and hardening at the forked parts as it slowly drilled through the hard mountain. ¡°I recall being very careful with the dosage of this liquid when setting up Hagrid Manor, otherwise the plant could easily die from exceeding its natural lifespan.¡± Alamir watched Lancelot¡¯s actions curiously, ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about that issue with this vine?¡± ¡°Hmm, this vine is transformed from my own mana, as long as I keep supplying energy, it can continue to grow, but if I supply energy by myself, digging a tunnel to that fortress would completely drain me.¡± Lancelot patted the edge of the barrel again with his other hand, stirring another stream of blue-green water, ¡°Fortunately, this vine itself is a plant, capable of using this green liquid to mature.¡± ¡°And every night during meditation, you automatically condense a drop of this liquid?¡± The Elf shook his head in disbelief, ¡°Honestly, if I didn¡¯t know you well, I¡¯d suspect you were some incarnation of a nature deity...¡± ¡°I can assure you, I have no relation with any deity, maybe except for Shuni, after all, their priests have helped me a lot.¡± Lancelot gave the Elf a big smile, ¡°Alright, why don¡¯t you all go back to the demiplane and rest? I¡¯ll watch over this vine tonight to ensure it grows the way I want.¡± That night, every time Lancelot completed a Heavenly Cycle, he would pour a stream of green liquid on the vine¡¯s roots, until a whole barrel was used up. Based on previous experiments, a drop of green liquid could add about a hundred years of growth, so with three drops in the barrel, the vine had aged three hundred years by the time the liquid was spent. Under his deliberate control, the vine remained only as thick as an arm in the cave, but inside the mountain, it had turned into a terrifyingly large root with a radius exceeding ten feet, and its hardness was comparable to metal and stone. Some disturbed frost bugs, curious, had come to inspect it, but after chipping a few teeth, quickly lost interest and left. ¡°Morning, Lancelot, did you sit up all night again?¡± As usual, Bruto was the first to crawl out from the demiplane, ¡°How¡¯s the vine, has it grown well?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s now like a gigantic spring buried inside the mountain, one end twenty feet from the fortress above, and the other end twenty feet from the rock wall at the valley¡¯s bottom, just needing a bit more energy to punch through the last layer of mountain.¡± Lancelot nodded, while the rest of the companions also emerged from the demiplane, ¡°Good morning everyone, how was last night¡¯s rest?¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t be better, I must admit that the Succubus Lord¡¯s demiplane really has improved our travel quality,¡± Alamir said with a smile, but then sighed, ¡°Ah, if only Koula were here, she would have loved this...¡± ¡°When we have time later, let¡¯s go to Mark City and find her. And that skull too, wonder how it¡¯s doing.¡± Lancelot sighed reflectively, ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the task at hand for now... Kalalin, are you ready to cast Arcane Eye again to find the source of those Giant Zombies?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The Scholar took out two scrolls from his backpack, ¡°I also worked on something new last night, a brand-new spell based on the Second Circle shared memory technique, allowing you all to see what I see in real-time, so everyone can participate...¡± Chapter 517 517 541 Exploring the Secrets of the ?Chapter 517: Chapter 541: Exploring the Secrets of the Valley Chapter 517: Chapter 541: Exploring the Secrets of the Valley ¡°Another original spell?¡± Alamir¡¯s face was full of surprise, ¡°This is no small achievement...¡± ¡°After copying a thousand spell scrolls, one develops a bit of their own understanding of magic,¡± the Scholar said with a shy smile and then began to rub his eyes, ¡°To share a vision, you need a special casting material... Aha! This is it¡ªa caster¡¯s own eyelash!¡± ¡°Good thing it¡¯s not an eyeball,¡± Bruto muttered to Lancelot, ¡°otherwise that¡¯d be really horrifying.¡± ¡°The higher the cost, the stronger the effect of the magic, but this spell doesn¡¯t need such an exaggerated catalyst...¡± Kalalin pulled out a noticeably thicker scroll, pressed a small eyelash from his thumb onto the red circle in the center of the scroll, then uttered a strange syllable. This caused the scroll¡¯s mysterious arcane runes to all light up and form a dark green halo in the air, linking everyone¡¯s heads together. Lancelot immediately experienced something amazing. It was as if an extra window had appeared in his mind, showing the view from Kalalin¡¯s eyes. This didn¡¯t get mixed up with his own vision because he had to concentrate to see clearly through the ¡°window,¡± and if his attention drifted even slightly, the image would blur, like a fleeting thought that passes through the mind when daydreaming. ¡°I suggest everyone sit down first. Experiencing the Arcane Eye for the first time can be dizzying...¡± Kalalin cast another spell, summoning a floating transparent eyeball in mid-air. After making sure everyone was seated firmly on the ground, he was the last to sit down and then closed his own eyes. The scene in everyone¡¯s minds immediately changed, switching to the perspective of the magic eyeball. The eyeball gently floated in the air, moving the view constantly, and as Kalalin had warned, this was indeed a bit uncomfortable for their bodies firmly seated on the ground. To help them adjust, the Scholar maneuvered the eyeball to slowly fly around the cave twice, so his companions could get used to the new vantage point. ¡°Is everyone alright?¡± Kalalin¡¯s somewhat detached voice echoed in everyone¡¯s ears, ¡°If you really feel uncomfortable, don¡¯t force it, just shift your attention away... The spell has a limited duration, so let¡¯s get going.¡± ... The scene in everyone¡¯s minds started flying out of the cave, entering the crevice¡¯s interior. Something suddenly swept past in front of them, and the view moved downwards, revealing that it was a Frost Giant corpse falling from the sky, plunging into the dense fog at the bottom of the valley and tearing a small hole in it. The fog closed up almost instantly again, but in that brief moment, everyone saw the valley floor teeming with undead giants. Facing the body hurtling down from above, they all stood motionless, and two unlucky ones were silently knocked to the ground. ¡°Seems like the battle has started up there again,¡± Kalalin¡¯s voice rose once more, ¡°With a fresh corpse, we can observe how it gets transformed...¡± The perspective kept descending, sinking into that thick fog. Just like what Bruto had joked about before, everything looked the same up, down, left, and right in the fog, and through the Arcane Eye, there were no references like gravity or sound. As observers, they couldn¡¯t even be sure if they were still moving, and all they could do was wait patiently for Kalalin to fly out of the fog zone. After about half a minute, the fog in front of them suddenly dispersed, and the scene at the bottom of the valley became clearly visible to everyone. Looking around, there were standing Frost Giant corpses everywhere, and the low temperatures had spared their flesh from rotting. However, severe dehydration had made these dead giants look especially gaunt, their skin cracked like tree bark, exposing the dried muscle tissue beneath. ¡°By Moradin¡¯s beard, that¡¯s the ugliest giant I¡¯ve ever seen, even uglier than those degenerate giants living underground!¡± Bruto¡¯s voice rang out in surprise, ¡°How many zombie giants are there exactly? Did they all die attacking Gjollgard Fortress?¡± ¡°There are more than three thousand within our line of sight. Who knows how many more are out there.¡± As a General who had led troops before, Lancelot was very sensitive to numbers, ¡°They just fell in this meaningless escalation tactic... Hmm? What are those zombies doing?¡± Just then, the recently fallen body beside them, two of the giant zombies¡¯ eyes suddenly lit up with a faint blue glow. They seemed to have received some command, one lifted the new corpse under the armpit, while the other grabbed the corpse¡¯s feet, and they wobbled off toward the distance. ¡°Is this... someone controlling those two zombies?¡± The Dwarf was somewhat puzzled by the sight, ¡°Where are they taking the body?¡± ¡°It might not be someone controlling them, it could also be instructions set in advance by the Summoner.¡± The Elf Priest calmly responded, ¡°I guess they are taking the body to a place where it can be turned into undead. Let¡¯s follow; it saves us the effort of searching.¡± Everyone agreed with the suggestion, so Kalalin maneuvered the arcane eye to float behind them at a moderate distance. The rest of the giant zombies still stood there dumbfounded, not resisting even when knocked over by the two glowing-eyed corpse carriers, just awkwardly standing up again, a scene so eerie it made one¡¯s scalp tingle. ¡°Even if there is a passage leading to that fortress, would these zombies really attack?¡± Reap, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, ¡°Such a massive undead legion couldn¡¯t have been newly formed, but there¡¯s been no whisper of their existence for such a long time, could it be they were given instructions to stay put and wait when they were reawakened by their creator?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a possibility, if we find...¡± The Elf Priest hadn¡¯t finished his thought when another Frost Giant fell into the chasm above. Its body, banging against the mountain walls on the way down, still wasn¡¯t dead upon landing and struggled to stand up. The surrounding giant zombies suddenly fell silent in an eerie stillness. Although they had also just been standing there, they would occasionally shift their weight or scratch their bodies unconsciously, but now they suddenly all froze as though they had turned into ice sculptures. ¡°Ah, this is bad,¡± Alamir gasped, ¡°the scene that follows might be a bit bloody...¡± As he spoke, all the undead giants suddenly sprang into action again, like nighttime insects drawn to light or sharks smelling blood, they furiously pounced on the still-breathing Frost Giant, quickly drowning it, even forming a small mound of corpses. In less than the time of ten heartbeats, the mound ceased moving, the zombies slowly dispersed, and all that remained on the ground was a dark red pool of blood that had already coalesced. ¡°Alright, I have no more questions,¡± the Werewolf¡¯s tone still a bit shaken, ¡°Wait, what about those two that were carrying the body?¡± ¡°Kalalin, turn the perspective to the right.¡± Lancelot¡¯s steady voice rang out, ¡°I think we¡¯ve found the source of the transformation...¡± Chapter 518 518 542 Obelisk ?Chapter 518: Chapter 542: Obelisk Chapter 518: Chapter 542: Obelisk Kalalin immediately directed the Arcane Eye to the right upon hearing this, and in everyone¡¯s field of view, there appeared an obelisk flickering with a faint purple Spiritual Light. A huge stone platform was before the obelisk, and two ¡®corpse bearers¡¯ were placing the fresh corpses of Frost Giants upon it. As the viewpoint gradually zoomed in, the purple light on the obelisk grew stronger, enveloping the bodies. An indescribable energy flowed into the corpse, and within a few breaths, the deceased Frost Giant slowly sat up from the stone platform and, in a sleepwalking state, joined the ranks of the other giant Zombies, standing motionless. ¡°So this is the device that transforms corpses into Undead creatures,¡± Kalalin murmured, moving the Arcane Eye closer to the obelisk, ¡°Let me see how it does all this...¡± The obelisk was covered with numerous obscure Arcane Symbols, but the Scholar seemed to be enjoying the view and had even taken out a pen and paper, beginning to copy the patterns on the obelisk while muttering words like ¡®Energy Storage¡¯, ¡®Transformation¡¯, ¡®Command Marks¡¯, completely immersed in his own world. ¡°Ugh, so these giant Zombies weren¡¯t naturally formed, right?¡± Bruto couldn¡¯t help but speak up, ¡°So who set up this device? Could it be that they¡¯re already dead, and that¡¯s why they haven¡¯t ¡®retracted¡¯ this Undead army?¡± ¡°Dead? In a sense, but technically still alive...¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± The dwarf was thoroughly confused, ¡°How can someone be dead and alive at the same time?¡± ... ¡°Creatures with an Undead body yet possess a will of their own are in such a state, like little Isha the Vampire...¡± Kalalin moved the view upward, focusing on a distinctive Emblem in the center of the obelisk, ¡°and the owner of this Emblem.¡± Upon close inspection, everyone saw the black Emblem that looked both like a Hardhead Hammer and a Scepter, with a humanoid skull at the top. ¡°Is this...¡± Lancelot rapidly recalled the knowledge the Scholar had once shared with him, ¡°¡®The Undying Overlord¡¯ Okus¡¯s Evil Emblem?¡± ¡°Exactly, I should¡¯ve realized earlier,¡± the Scholar replied with certainty, ¡°Besides the Undying Overlord, who else would target the corpses of these giants?¡± ¡°I see,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°But this obelisk couldn¡¯t have been erected by him personally, could it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s unlikely. Abyssal Lords can sense powerful beings entering their realms, and the Prince of Wrath is famously hostile to all Tanari. It would be strange if they didn¡¯t fight upon meeting. However, the Undying Overlord has a vast Cult under his command, and this obelisk was probably set up by one of his proxies...¡± ¡°Hold on, what are you talking about?¡± The dwarf finally couldn¡¯t restrain himself, ¡°Are you talking about that Okus, one of the three great powers of the Abyss?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one. If you¡¯ve forgotten, I can reintroduce you to this legendary Lord of the Abyss,¡± the Scholar had finished copying the Runes on the front and moved the view to the side of the obelisk. ¡°When Okus was just a mortal, he was a powerful and evil Spellcaster, and after death, like many vile souls, became the lowest of worms, crawling up from the Stygian River to the shores of the Plains of the Abyss. Over the next few thousand years, he continuously ascended the Abyssal ladder, from a worm to a Prime Demon, then to a Coward Devil, followed by an Aberrant Demon, Flomos, Kasim Demon, Seducer Demon, Soul Judge Demon, and finally became a Barlow Flame Demon.¡± ¡°Wow, that sounds a lot like Bayer on the Demon side, who also rose up from the lowest Fiends,¡± Bruto shook his head, exiting the shared vision, ¡°But that seems irrelevant to Undead creatures. So why is his title the Undying Overlord?¡± ¡°It¡¯s due to his resurrection from death,¡± the old Werewolf Reap picked up, ¡°Okus was originally one of the three great powers of the Abyss, endlessly clashing with Dimogorgen and Grazzt. However, about a hundred years ago, he was slain by the Zoel Elf Goddess of Vengeance, Zia Vin Sari, his realm was seized, and his name was nearly erased from the Multiverse. Luckily, a devoted Priest resurrected him and recovered his Kingdom in the 113th layer of the Abyss, Sanatos. The current Okus is a unique Undead Demon, possessing formidable powers over the control of Undead, hence earning the title of the Undying Overlord.¡± ¡°Many are fooled by Okus¡¯s physical form and ferocious combat style and overlook the fact that he is a top-tier Spellcaster,¡± Kalalin had finished using three large parchment scrolls and temporarily exited the state of the Arcane Eye, ¡°Look at the Magic Runes on this obelisk, so refined, so concise...¡± ¡°Looks more complex than my beard,¡± the dwarf eyed the incomprehensible lines and patterns, ¡°Can you understand what these are for?¡± ¡°As long as the magic is ¡®written¡¯ down, I can understand the general structure,¡± the Scholar said with a proud smile, ¡°The Runes on the face of the obelisk are the control center, which immediately activates the Array on the right side that transforms the dead spirits once it detects fresh corpses on the platform in front, while embedding a series of commands inscribed on the left side of the obelisk into the transformation subject. And the Runes on the back side supply power to all the activities, which seem to resonate with the negative energy plane...¡± ¡°Wow, you can decipher all of that from those jumbled lines?¡± the dwarf¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment, ¡°If you learn them, could you cast the same Spell?¡± ¡°I can only understand it, but the difficulty of replicating it is much greater, and besides, I haven¡¯t really studied Necromancy,¡± the Scholar shook his head, ¡°But the most important thing is to learn from the thought process of the Undying Overlord. I¡¯ve seen Runes for transforming the dead or communicating with the negative energy plane before, but none are as concise as those on this obelisk. Understanding some of these simplification methods could greatly enhance my Spellcasting abilities.¡± ¡°Since transformation is through the obelisk, these giant Zombies don¡¯t have a direct creator, right?¡± Lancelot suddenly spoke up, ¡°You mentioned embedding a series of commands into the newly transformed subjects, can you tell what these commands are? Is there anything like a command to confirm the identity of the master?¡± ¡°Of course, that Emblem of Okus serves this purpose. Looking at the Rune circuitry, the last step in the entire transformation ritual is to activate that Emblem, stamping the ¡®master¡¯s¡¯ mark in the consciousness of the newly created giant Zombie,¡± the Scholar¡¯s face showed a hint of vigilance, ¡°You ask this... are you planning to do something?¡± Chapter 519 519 543 Lancelots Conception ?Chapter 519: Chapter 543 Lancelot¡¯s Conception Chapter 519: Chapter 543 Lancelot¡¯s Conception ¡°It¡¯s just a hypothesis, you know,¡± Mage Lancelot stroked his chin thoughtfully, ¡°if at some point in the future, we need these long-dead Frost Giants to continue the mission they did not complete in life, but then some guy, coming out of nowhere, suddenly shouts ¡®Stop,¡¯ and those Giant Zombies really obediently freeze in place, causing all our original plans to go up in smoke... Don¡¯t you think we must eliminate this potential threat?¡± ¡°There is indeed such a risk,¡± Alamir agreed, ¡°but there¡¯s nothing we can do about it, after all, these Zombies weren¡¯t created by us...¡± ¡°I could try to meddle with it...¡± The Scholar peered thoughtfully at the parchment covered in writing, ¡°We could start by short-circuiting the rune circuits on the left and right, rendering them inert, then erase Okus¡¯ Emblem on the front, and afterwards use a gemstone to activate the Magic Formation on the back that resonates with the negative energy plane, creating a powerful negative energy pulse...¡± ¡°What would that achieve?¡± Lancelot asked in a grave voice, ¡°Turn those Giant Zombies into masterless Undead?¡± ¡°Yes, just like those naturally formed Undead,¡± Kalalin nodded, ¡°Since most of these corpses have been dead for a long time and the Souls have already moved on to other planes, it¡¯s unlikely that they would possess self-awareness, they are merely driven by the instincts of the Undead. But this also means that if a Necromancer were to appear again, they could easily seize control of them...¡± ¡°However, according to our previous assumption, if a tunnel to the fortress above was opened, these Undead Giants would still launch attacks due to their hatred for the living,¡± Alamir reassured, ¡°As long as our intentions don¡¯t leak, it¡¯s unlikely that we would be so unlucky as to have a Spellcaster come along and cause trouble.¡± ¡°We should not pin our hopes and failures on luck,¡± Lancelot shook his head slightly, ¡°Although we haven¡¯t witnessed the Glacial Fortress with our own eyes, based on what we¡¯ve seen over the past week, everyone must understand how dire the situation is. The Prince of Wrath himself might be trapped in Barto Hell, but the army he left behind is still very powerful. If by chance we find a way to sneak into the Glacial Fortress, we can¡¯t afford any mistakes during the operation...¡± ... Kalalin and Alamir exchanged a glance, seeing the unease in each other¡¯s eyes. In the end, it was the Elf Priest who cautiously asked, ¡°So what is it that you want?¡± ¡°Replace that Okus Emblem with mine,¡± Lancelot said gravely, ¡°Signature, fingerprints, blood, use whatever method you like to ensure that no other Spellcasters can take control of those Zombies. If one day the Demon¡¯s army reaches the walls of Twin Bridges Town, these Undead Giants might serve as a surprise force.¡± Everyone fell into silence, but after the initial shock, they all turned their gazes to the Scholar; after all, he was the only one capable of bringing Lancelot¡¯s mad vision to life. ¡°It¡¯s not difficult to achieve that; first pour Holy Water on the Evil Emblem of the Abyssal Lord, then scrape off the Emblem, and finally, etch your name by hand where the Emblem was,¡± the Scholar pondered for a while, speaking cautiously, ¡°But I really don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea, Lancelot. Don¡¯t you want to consult... that person?¡± At this, Lancelot was taken aback, ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Tijana,¡± Kalalin shrugged, ¡°She¡¯s a Succubus Lord, far more formidable than Olul¡¯s avatar. If there is something we don¡¯t know, some hidden danger or a hitch, it would be a huge mess. Although I have great respect for the power and skill of a Succubus Lord, even she can¡¯t clean up this mess for us...¡± ¡°Alright, you don¡¯t need to say anymore, I¡¯ll contact her right now...¡± Lancelot gave a wry smile, covering his face and silently activating a special link in his heart, softly calling out the name of the Succubus Lord. ¡°Yo, you¡¯ve remembered to consult me?¡± Tijana quickly responded to his call, but there seemed to be some dissatisfaction in her voice, ¡°I thought you might have died at the hands of those ugly Frost Giants...¡± ¡°I apologize, my lady, it¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t want to bother you with trifling matters,¡± Lancelot immediately replied, ¡°But speaking of Frost Giants, just a few days ago I encountered something quite strange. I was camping near the Gate of Stroddet when, in the middle of the night, a beautiful female Frost Giant actually came alone and found our well-hidden camping cave...¡± ¡°What?¡± Tijana¡¯s voice was noticeably filled with a sharp increase in anger, ¡°What did you do afterwards?¡± ¡°I killed her, and then I burned her body to ashes,¡± Lancelot said with a distinct hint of amusement in his voice, ¡°She said she was a priest of Olul and demanded that I hand over the guardian of the frost maiden. I disagreed, and she immediately attacked.¡± ¡°Tch!¡± The Succubus Lord made a sound of disdain but seemed to let out a sigh of relief, ¡°A priest of Olul? If she attacked first, then she got what she deserved... You didn¡¯t contact me just to tell me this, did you?¡± ¡°Of course not. In fact, we have already arrived beneath Gjollgard Fortress...¡± Lancelot then spent a few minutes roughly describing the discovery at the bottom of the valley and that insane ¡®hypothesis.¡¯ When he finished, the Succubus Lord fell into a long silence, not making a sound for a long time. ¡°What do you think?¡± The quiet from Tijana made Lancelot uneasy, ¡°Is there anything wrong with this plan?¡± ¡°Ah... I still underestimated you.¡± A heavy sigh came through the mental connection from Tijana, ¡°This is truly one of the craziest plans I¡¯ve heard, but it¡¯s very much in your style...¡± ¡°Uh, not too shabby, I guess,¡± Lancelot subconsciously touched his nose, ¡°So you think it¡¯s feasible?¡± ¡°A little bit, but not much. If it had been a month ago, I would have definitely opposed you doing this...¡± Tijana¡¯s voice carried a hint of regret, ¡°But you were right about one thing, the possibility of the Hell Legions appearing under Twin Bridges Town is becoming greater and greater, and I indeed need any support. Thank you for considering me, go and seize control of those zombie giants, consider this one a debt I owe you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, my lady, I¡¯m glad to be of help, I will just...¡± ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Tijana called out to Lancelot who was about to sever the mental connection, ¡°You¡¯re not planning to do it the way Kalalin told you, are you?¡± ¡°Err, is there an issue?¡± ¡°Do you really think an Abyssal Lord will be a vegetarian, and not investigate who had the audacity to scheme against him?¡± Even though Suo Ran was only connected by a mental link, Lancelot could still feel Tijana¡¯s head-in-hands gesture, ¡°Never mind, explaining to you would be pointless. Kalalin is there beside you right? Call him over, I¡¯ll relay what I have to say through you...¡± Chapter 520 520 544 Accidental Injury ?Chapter 520: Chapter 544: Accidental Injury Chapter 520: Chapter 544: Accidental Injury In the rift, Lancelot clung to the cliff, carefully climbing downward while little Tijana lay on his back, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck. Lancelot was neither a Demon Lord nor a deity, so he had no emblem to symbolize his status; to command those giant zombies, he had to personally sign at the obelisk. However, as a living being, walking into a group of undead giants was nothing short of suicidal, and his techniques for Concealing Breath might not work¡ªthose were meant to deal with cultivators of the same realm, and it was unknown how mindless zombies detected living beings. Fortunately, among his companions was a very special existence, that was little Tijana. Vampires were high-ranking undead beings, their mere presence was enough to deter most undead creatures. Although Tijana¡¯s absolute strength might not compare to any of the giant zombies below, her vampire aura was undiminished. With her on his back, Lancelot was like cloaked in an invisible mantle against the undead, allowing the zombies to ignore his presence. They were about to enter that dense layer of fog below. Lancelot took a deep breath and, just to be safe, activated all his techniques for Concealing Breath. His figure then disappeared into the mist. Visibility inside the fog was extremely low, but this time Lancelot was physically present; gravity served as the best guide, and his Spirit Perception still allowed him to sense the terrain within a small radius. A few minutes later, he had successfully crossed that expanse of fog, and his vision cleared, but below, hundreds of giant zombies seemed to hear something and simultaneously turned to look at him. This was Lancelot¡¯s first experience of being stared at by a large group of corpses, chilling him to the point he felt his hair might fall out. If it weren¡¯t for the constantly active techniques, perhaps his heartbeat alone could shake the little vampire off his back. He was ready at any moment¡ªif those zombies made any move to bend over and pick up stones, he would climb up as quickly as a startled spider. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, brother, it¡¯s okay,¡± Tijana¡¯s soft voice arose by his ear. ¡°With me here, those dumb zombies won¡¯t attack you...¡± ... Lancelot dared not even breathe out loud; he just silently nodded, and indeed, as Tijana had said, the zombies did nothing and just blankly stood there, saluting them with their gaze. So they continued descending and soon stepped onto the cold stones at the bottom of the valley. This place seemed to have once been a wide, dark riverbed, but the endless summers and never-ending winters had completely changed its condition, and the giant zombies seemed to have lost interest in them and returned to their dazed standing. Out of caution, Lancelot still walked along the edge of the valley floor, not directly entering among those standing corpses. The giant zombies were like tall trees, collectively forming a surreal forest of death. Although he had completely held his breath, the distinct smell of death and decay still crept relentlessly into Lancelot¡¯s nose, reminding him that he was in an alien world. Walking tentatively for about half a mile, the two finally reached the obelisk. Another corpse had just been revived; its head hung upside down at its chest, connected to the body only by a strip of flesh about three fingers wide at the neck, one eyeball rolling back and forth in the socket while the other stared blankly at the approaching duo. The newly resurrected zombie giant walked straight past them without any action. Lancelot let out a sigh of relief and stepped up to the obelisk, pulling a piece of parchment from his chest. The parchment was inscribed with complex magic runes, somewhat similar to those on the obelisk but slightly different in detail. This parchment was hand-drawn by Kalalin under Tijana¡¯s guidance, and Lancelot¡¯s task was to mimic it, converting the runes on the stele into the style depicted on the parchment. Compared to the initial conception by the scholar, Tijana made many detailed refinements and added two crucial changes: first, they would not completely erase Okus¡¯s Evil Emblem, but rather employ a special transposition rune that caused the undead affected to view anything related to The Undying Overlord as mortal enemies. If a priest of Okus or a creature carrying items related to Okus approached, these giant zombies would attack indiscriminately, even if torn to pieces. Each severed limb would continue the assault until the energy sustaining them was entirely depleted, leaving no useful information to be gleaned from the remaining body fragments. The other modification involved using an obscure title to reference Lancelot¡¯s identity when establishing possession, ensuring that even if The Undying Overlord (or any other curious entities) managed to understand what had happened to these zombies, they could not determine Lancelot¡¯s identity from the bizarre titles. ¡°The Savior of Oasis Fort, Mogrondale, and Pascaler, the sworn protector of demons, the Paladin of the Abyss...¡± Lancelot¡¯s hands emitted a cyan sword aura as he etched his spontaneously thought-up title onto the stele. Once that was done, following the pattern on the parchment, he carved a complex design around Okus¡¯s Evil Emblem and made other necessary modifications. He took out a beautiful black onyx and embedded it into a newly chiseled hole on the back of the obelisk, then gently patted young Isha¡¯s head behind him, indicating that the task was almost finished. Lancelot stood upright and waved his arms in a specific manner while chanting a spell in a very ancient tone and rhythm. He had practiced these movements repeatedly before descending until even Kalalin considered them impeccable. As the last syllable was uttered, the black onyx suddenly lit up, followed by rhythmic flashes of harsh purple light from the entire obelisk. Lancelot immediately distanced himself as a negative energy pulse was about to burst in a few seconds, which was harmful to his health as a living being. In just a few moments, he had rushed over a hundred feet away with little Isha on his back, while the first giant zombie he passed had not even completed its turn. Each blink of the obelisk grew brighter until it reached a limit, at which point a purple ring of light violently expanded in all directions. This pulse of negative energy harmlessly swept over all the undead present, but it struck Lancelot like a heavy hammer even though he was protected by the Qingyuan Sword and Shield, knocking him to the ground, with the little girl behind him flung away. ¡°Little Isha!¡± Lancelot was back on his feet in an instant with a graceful roll and immediately ran to his companion¡¯s side to help her up, asking with concern, ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The little vampire looked back at Lancelot with a special gaze, ¡°Any instructions, my master?¡± Chapter 521 521 545 No Evidence Left ?Chapter 521: Chapter 545 No Evidence Left Chapter 521: Chapter 545 No Evidence Left ¡°That¡¯s good to hear... Wait, what did you call me?¡± Lancelot¡¯s eyes widened with surprise. ¡°What¡¯s going on, did that negative energy pulse affect you too?¡± ¡°Haha, big brother must have forgotten that vampires are undead creatures too, because I¡¯m so cute,¡± Isa teased with a playful squeeze of her eyes. ¡°As an undead creature without a master, of course, that pulse would affect me too.¡± ¡°Alright, my bad for not thinking it through.¡± Lancelot scratched his head. ¡°How do we lift this effect, then? Command you not to see me as your master?¡± ¡°No need for that, it¡¯s quite nice this way,¡± the girl waved her hand dismissively. ¡°We should be able to establish a mind link easily now, just like Eckmond and Dingke before. Try it, big brother!¡± ¡°Oh? It has that effect too?¡± Lancelot was taken aback, then fixed his gaze on the girl in front of him, his consciousness immediately catching a special connection. Following that link, he called out softly in his mind, ¡°Isa? Can you hear me talk?¡± ¡°I can!¡± The girl in front of him kept her lips tightly shut, but her cheerful voice echoed directly in his mind. ¡°Now during reconnaissance, I can report directly to you, and we can coordinate with each other during battle through telepathy, this is so useful! I¡¯ve wanted it for so long...¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Lancelot¡¯s face showed a troubled expression. ¡°That means I can issue orders to you at any time, forcing you to do something against your will...¡± ... ¡°Big brother can ask me to do anything, no need to force me,¡± the girl¡¯s eyes flickered as she turned her head to the side. ¡°Besides... what bad intentions could you possibly have?¡± Lancelot looked deeply at her, in the end saying nothing, but reached out and tousled her neatly combed hair on her head into a messy tangle, and the girl, far from getting angry, rubbed her head against his hand. He shook his head slightly, then leaped onto a huge stone, and called out loudly to the giant zombies below who were paying tribute to it: ¡°In the name of the Savior of pure souls of Oasis Fort, Mogrondale, and Androlina, Master of the Quasimodo Demon King, Paladin of the Abyss... I command you...¡± Lancelot¡¯s confident voice paused briefly, ¡°spin in place!¡± As soon as his words dropped, all the giant zombies began spinning around, some left to right, others right to left, creating a scene that was simultaneously comical, chaotic, and filled with an unsettling eeriness. ¡°It¡¯s really embarrassing to shout out this title... Hey, why are you spinning too?¡± Lancelot looked helplessly at the girl in front of him, who had even assumed a dance position¡ªwith one arm straight up above her head and the other placed in front of her chest, but his command hadn¡¯t included any of these instructions. ¡°What did you feel when I issued the command?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain. It¡¯s a bit like the feeling when I haven¡¯t had fresh blood for a long time, and Uncle Kalalin... Big brother Kalalin turns a bottle of red wine into blood and places it in front of me,¡± Isa stopped spinning, her expression like that of a child who wasn¡¯t ready for bed yet being ordered by parents to sleep. ¡°It seems I can still refuse to follow your command, but doing so gives me a tremendous... sense of loss? If those nearly mindless giant zombies felt the same way, then they absolutely couldn¡¯t resist this almost instinctual urge.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Lancelot nodded, then once again spoke loudly with his voice filled with True Yuan, ¡°That¡¯s enough, stop spinning!¡± Unexpectedly, his command did not take effect this time; the giant zombies were still going around in circles, some even losing their balance, tumbling on the ground without any sign of stopping. ¡°Eh, what¡¯s going on...¡± Lancelot looked puzzled at little Isa, ¡°Why didn¡¯t my command work?¡± ¡°Seems like it didn¡¯t work...¡± Little Isa thought about it while doing a quick twirl on the spot, the blissful expression on her face just like a child who had sneakily stolen a piece of meat from the plate before dinner, ¡°Maybe, brother, you should add that long list of titles again?¡± ¡°Is that so...¡± Lancelot scratched his head and, with a thick face, recited the long list of titles first, before finally saying, ¡°I command you to stop and stand by on the spot!¡± Just as little Isa had said, the giant zombies immediately ceased their movements, standing there like a bunch of foolish soldiers, dumbly waiting for the next command from their commander. ¡°This... Do I have to recite this long list of titles every time?¡± Lancelot said with a wry smile, ¡°This is just too... embarrassing.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Little Isa nodded emphatically, ¡°After all, that¡¯s a contract carved into stone.¡± ¡°I was wrong, I should have known not to make it so long.¡± Lancelot covered his face and walked toward the obelisk, ¡°It seems I¡¯ve successfully become the new master of these undead creatures, so next are the steps that your sister Tijana specifically instructed...¡± At this moment, little Isa was just following behind him, but the giant zombies did not make any moves to hinder them, suggesting they still recognized their own master. Standing in front of the obelisk, Lancelot glanced at the dark gem on the back and regretted that the initially clear and bright gemstone had become gray and murky, like a piece of burnt coal. Despite expecting this, he still felt a pang, but the thought of exchanging a gem worth a thousand Gold Coins for the control of an undead army brought much consolation. He pulled out a small jug from the Dimensional Bag and poured all of its contents over the obelisk. The seemingly ordinary water sizzled upon contacting the Okus emblem as if it were strong acid, swiftly corroding the skull-marked emblem away, and with it, the rich evil aura also dissipated. The jug contained nothing other than the Holy Water provided by Alamir. Although people often mistook it as Priest Shuni¡¯s bathwater, the two were indeed different¡ªand what exactly the differences were, Lancelot had no interest in finding out. As long as it served the purpose of Holy Water, that was good enough. He then drew his sword Frostslash and, with the power of the Qingyuan Sword Technique, cut the obelisk into hundreds of pieces like slicing through tofu, collecting each fragment into the Dimensional Bag. This was the special step instructed by Tijana: after the deed was done, it was essential to destroy all evidence thoroughly, leaving not even the remnants of evidence behind, preventing any potential investigator from getting started. Although keeping the obelisk might create more zombie servants for him as fresh bodies continued to fall from above, the risks involved were far more significant than the potential benefits. Knowing how to restrain one¡¯s greed to maximize profit is the maxim from the centuries of experience of the Succubus Lord ruling Twin Bridges Town. Chapter 522 522 546 ?Chapter 522: 546 Chapter 522: 546 Although Lancelot had become the new master of this Undead army, he had no immediate plans for them. The companions set out once more, leaving the Giant Zombies behind and continued heading toward the direction of Volstade Town in the west. In the first few days after leaving Gorgiad Fortress, the journey went exceptionally smoothly. Apart from the occasional encounter with wandering polar beasts, the party didn¡¯t run into any trouble. Clearly, the fortress was the destination for the Frost Giants coming from the Garden of Yser, and the massive rift was just as difficult for the flightless Frost Giants to cross, forcing Kostcheqi¡¯s minions to choose alternative routes to provide reinforcements to the fortress. However, as they drew nearer to Volstade, the plains once again became crowded. A large number of Frost Giant Tribes had settled around the small town, waiting for random Portals that provided raiding opportunities. These Portals mostly led to some equally frigid and snowy location in the Material Plane, offering these Frost Giants a good ¡°landing¡± stage for their raiding activities. When traveling through the sparsely populated wilderness, Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception could help the team avoid enemies well, but it was not very effective in this denser population of creatures. After several dangerously close encounters with Frost Giant Tribes, Lancelot realized that heading to Volstade was impossible unless he was prepared to challenge all the gathered Frost Giant Tribes on his own, which was clearly unrealistic. After all, they were here to find clues that could assist with their mission, not to sightsee the Iron Ice Plains. Since the Giant town was difficult to approach, they decided to bypass it. Volstade could be bypassed, but the next destination was a place they must visit¡ªthe White Dragon Svafnir¡¯s Lair. According to what they had seen earlier in Moradin¡¯s Temple, the colossal lizard was guarding the entrance to the Glacial Fortress. If possible, Lancelot still hoped to find some way to avoid a direct confrontation with the White Dragon, and that way was likely to be found in its lair. According to old Reap¡¯s map, Svafnir¡¯s lair was located about two hundred miles northwest of Volstade in the mountains, and to avoid Volstade, the group could only head southwest first. After covering a considerable distance, they would turn west. It took them about two weeks, making an extra round of nearly seven hundred miles in the mountains. They fought with various exotic polar magical beasts along the way and finally neared the peak where the lair was situated. ... From a distance, their destination stood towering above the surrounding mountains, a conspicuous cleft on the snow-covered summit where the White Dragon entered and exited its lair. Fortunately, they did not have to face fierce blizzards or climb thousands of feet on the cold, slippery slopes to reach the White Dragon¡¯s nest¡ªold Reap reported that at the mountain¡¯s base lived a tribe of Fencer Trolls that worshiped the White Dragon as a guardian deity. They had carved complex tunnels in the mountain, leading directly into the White Dragon¡¯s Lair, to offer tribute and food. Due to the harsh climate of the Iron Ice Plains, the numbers of Fencer Trolls had dwindled over the years, and most areas of the tunnels lacked guards, so the party might find a shortcut to the White Dragon¡¯s Lair. On the eve of reaching the peak, the company found a spacious cave for camping. Conditions were good, and with no threatening creatures nearby, the companions didn¡¯t spend the night in the demi-plane as usual; instead, they lit a bonfire. They roasted a ferocious rhinoceros they had caught earlier and listened to the Elves tell stories about Dragons. ¡°For most Adventurers, battling with Dragons is the highlight of their career, and often their last. Some of them succeed in slaying a dragon, obtaining enough treasure to retire on the spot. Still, many more realize they¡¯re just offering themselves up as dinner the moment a dragon appears.¡± The Elf gently turned the skewers on the grill, making sure the fat and lean meat were adequately heated, ¡°Frankly, if it weren¡¯t for Lancelot, our team¡¯s chances of becoming dinner would be a lot higher, even if the opponent is just a White Dragon...¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Bruto asked, holding a cup filled with honey mead in one hand and three skewers in the other, his voice muffled. ¡°Is the White Dragon weaker than the other Dragons?¡± ¡°Of course, as everyone knows, the White Dragon is the weakest among the colored dragons,¡± said Alamir as he took another skewer of meat from Lancelot and neatly stacked them on the grill, ¡°What, don¡¯t your Dwarves teach about dragons?¡± ¡°They do, but I basically didn¡¯t listen,¡± Bruto answered proudly, ¡°You can give me a makeup lesson.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also interested in knowing,¡± Lancelot chimed in from the side, ¡°In the world I come from, dragons only exist in fairytales.¡± ¡°Well then, where should I start? First off, there¡¯s no question that Dragons are among the most powerful species in the Multiverse, these winged reptiles are renowned far and wide for their image as greedy and cunning predators...¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty much what I¡¯ve heard in stories,¡± Lancelot said as he sat on the other side of the campfire, shooting inches of green-blue Sword Aura from his fingers, perfectly slicing off chunks of meat with an ideal fat-to-lean ratio from the rhinoceros¡¯s carcass, ¡°And they also like to transform into ordinary intelligent beings, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re referring to that innkeeper in Mogrondale, right? It should be an exception, because most colored dragons disdain the idea of taking the form of other races. Rather, it¡¯s the Metal dragons, interested in fine food and art, that enjoy blending into mortal societies. But since they mostly don¡¯t show their true selves, the image of Dragons in everyone¡¯s minds is all spoiled by those colored dragons.¡± ¡°Is it possible that the Red Dragon we saw was also disguised?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, ¡°Its real form is actually another kind of Metal dragon?¡± ¡°Based on what I know about dragons, that¡¯s absolutely impossible,¡± the Elf shook his head decisively, ¡°A dragon might disguise itself as another creature, but never as a dragon of another kind. Pride would never allow them to do such a thing.¡± ¡°Okay then,¡± Lancelot nodded, somewhat disappointed, ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the original topic, why is the White Dragon considered the weakest among the colored dragons?¡± ¡°First, the intelligence of White Dragons is significantly lower than that of other True Dragons; even an adult White Dragon¡¯s intelligence won¡¯t be more than...¡± the Elf glanced at Bruto next to him, ¡°Our Dwarf friend here is smarter.¡± ¡°Haha, very funny,¡± Bruto replied expressionlessly, ¡°Go on, their weakness must be more than just being slow-witted, right? Because you¡¯ve had your pathetic ass saved by slow-witted me more than a few times...¡± Chapter 523 523 547 The First Half of a Dragons Life ?Chapter 523: Chapter 547 The First Half of a Dragon¡¯s Life Chapter 523: Chapter 547 The First Half of a Dragon¡¯s Life ¡°And for that, I am endlessly grateful,¡± the Elf chuckled, ¡°White Dragons are like wild beasts in battle, rarely using magic, and in terms of strength, constitution, sensory attributes, they¡¯re significantly weaker than other colored Dragons. But don¡¯t let that deceive you into underestimating them; the so-called weakness is relative to other True Dragons. Even a juvenile White Dragon can cause us tremendous trouble.¡± ¡°I heard you mention before that Svafnir is an ancient White Dragon, right?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, ¡°How are Dragon ages classified? Does this affect their combat ability?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve asked the right person. Elves are one of the few species in the Multiverse who have done detailed research on Dragons, and I¡¯ve always been fascinated by these beautiful and powerful creatures. My understanding of them is no lesser than Kalalin¡¯s knowledge of Demons,¡± Alamir said with a smile, handing a skewer of roasted meat to Lancelot, ¡°Dragons are oviparous, there¡¯s no doubt about that. A Dragon that¡¯s just hatched from the egg is a wet little beast, but about an hour later, it¡¯s ready to fly, breathe, hunt, and think.¡± ¡°Are you saying Dragons can think immediately after birth?¡± Lancelot was quite surprised, ¡°Don¡¯t they need educators?¡± ¡°Dragons are naturally magical creatures with a wealth of innate knowledge in their minds, but if there is an adult educator, they can learn to use their powers better,¡± the Elf said with a beaming smile, passing another skewer of meat to the drooling Reap, ¡°Merely with their Breath, a newborn hatchling can become the top predator in the forest. However, hatchlings severely lack combat experience, particularly against intelligent beings. A seasoned group of Hunters could defeat or even capture a hatchling without suffering any casualties, but the wrath of the hatchling¡¯s guardian that follows is another matter altogether.¡± ¡°So Dragons can be captured alive!¡± the Dwarf listened with his tongue wagging, ¡°And... can Dragons be tamed? I mean, that White Dragon treats Kostcheqi as its master, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°To some extent, yes, but don¡¯t forget that Dragons are extremely proud creatures. They only regard an exceptionally distinguished mortal as their master on rare occasions. More often than not, they prefer to be viewed as partners, and Svafnir likely sees Kostcheqi the same way.¡± ... ¡°Alright,¡± the Dwarf scratched his head, ¡°What¡¯s the next stage for a hatchling then? Juvenile?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Dragons have a big appetite and grow very fast. By the time they¡¯re 5 years old, even the smallest White Dragons can be over nine feet long. Compared to the hatchling stage, juvenile Dragons are stronger and more energetic, becoming experienced hunters, even though their heads and feet are still disproportionately large compared to their bodies.¡± Alamir, having finished his skewer, drew a Dragon¡¯s outline on the ground and continued to introduce with an enthusiastic tone: ¡°If we¡¯re speaking generally, a Dragon is considered a juvenile from ages 6 to 100, but this stage is actually the most tumultuous in a Dragon¡¯s life, and elven Scholars have further divided this period into four stages: juvenile, adolescent, teenager, and young adult.¡± ¡°From 6 to 15 years old is the juvenile stage for Dragons; during this period, they¡¯re still learning to hunt, but their rapidly increasing appetite has forced them to look for new hunting grounds. This marks the first major change in their ¡®Dragon life.¡¯ Normally, at least one adult Dragon closely guards them during this stage and passes on various experiences about being a ¡®Dragon.''¡± ¡°Dragons from 16 to 25 years old are called adolescent Dragons. During this period, Dragons develop quickly, growing rapidly to a size nearly resembling that of an adult. At the same time, they feel the urge to hoard treasures and establish their territory for the first time, though their bodies are not yet ready for truly independent life.¡± ¡°The next stage is the teenage phase, where they frequently leave their parents¡¯ den, learning to enjoy privacy; most Dragons awaken their innate spellcasting abilities during this stage. Teenage Dragons are already capable of living independently, and though there is still much room for their strength to grow, they are somewhat impatient to prove themselves.¡± ¡°From 51 to 100 years old is the youth period for dragons. After half a century of growth, their scales have become a formidable armor, capable of resisting attacks from most conventional weapons. They will completely leave the nest of their parents or mentors to establish their own territory, consider the role they need to play in this world, and actively seek a mate.¡± ¡°So, a dragon is considered an adult only after it has lived a century in this world?¡± Lancelot said, somewhat astonished, ¡°That even exceeds the lifespan of most humans...¡± ¡°Yes, by the way, we Elves are also declared adults at a hundred years old,¡± Alamir chuckled, ¡°Right, Bruto, you Dwarves are declared adults at forty, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, why do you ask?¡± ¡°How old are you now?¡± ¡°Thirty-five...¡± ¡°No wonder, now a lot of things make sense...¡± ¡°Speak properly!¡± Bruto glared at the other, discontentedly, ¡°So what if I¡¯m a bit young? Lancelot is even younger than me, and yet he¡¯s the most powerful one among us, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°What I mean is, in most people¡¯s minds, Dwarves have an image of being stern, old-fashioned, and lacking a sense of humor, but you¡¯re clearly not like that,¡± the Elf said with a laugh, passing a large handful of roasted meat to Bruto, ¡°Although we have our significant differences in many issues, I¡¯m still glad to have a companion like you on this adventure.¡± ¡°Ah, you Elves just speak pretty words,¡± Bruto rudely grabbed all the skewers of meat in one go; it was one of the ways he expressed closeness, ¡°Let¡¯s continue talking about those damn dragons. A dragon lives for a century and finally reaches adulthood, so what?¡± ¡°Firstly, as their bodies fully develop, dragons become stronger than ever, and they are well aware of it. Adult dragons have established their own territories and lairs, and what comes next is accumulating wealth and seeking a long-term mate. Occasionally, rumors spread about a dragon attacking towns and looting kingdoms, and these are typical behaviors of adult dragons. But most importantly, turning adult means that a dragon officially becomes a legendary creature...¡± ¡°Legendary creature?¡± Lancelot was interested in the term, ¡°What does that have to do with legendary resistance?¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking of the battle with Olul¡¯s transformation, aren¡¯t you? Legendary resistance is indeed one of the hallmarks of legendary creatures,¡± Alamir nodded, ¡°The scales and muscles of dragons make them extremely strong already, and combined with legendary resistance that can reverse the outcome of Spells, they become even harder to kill. Fortunately, that kind of dragon ability doesn¡¯t have much of an impact on us, because with the casting abilities of Kalalin and myself, the dragons don¡¯t need to resort to legendary resistance to counter our Magic...¡± Chapter 524 524 548 Dragons Latter Years ?Chapter 524: Chapter 548 Dragons¡¯ Latter Years Chapter 524: Chapter 548 Dragons¡¯ Latter Years ¡°Uh, is that so?¡± Lancelot¡¯s face showed a troubled expression, ¡°In past battles, your magic has always played a key role...¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t be so downhearted, our magic is unlikely to have any effect on an adult dragon, but we can still use it on ourselves.¡± The Elf Priest chuckled and waved his hand, ¡°My Blessing Divine Art can make you hit more accurately and dodge quicker, while the Healing Divine Art will ensure that your bodies are always in the best condition. Kalalin has a whole array of Enhancement Spells, including Jump Spell, Enlarge Spell, Haste Spell, Striding, and Greater Illusion. I¡¯m sure he will choose the most suitable spell according to the situation.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Lancelot nodded and passed over another skewer of meat, ¡°As long as the spell¡¯s target isn¡¯t the dragon itself, it should still work normally, right?¡± ¡°Absolutely correct,¡± Alamir positioned the new skewers on the grill, ¡°Continuing our discussion. Dragons, after reaching four hundred years of age, complete their physical growth and start showing signs of aging, such as cracks in their scales, lusterless eyes, and old wounds that heal slowly. However, the wisdom, experience, and patience that grow with their lifespan make them far more dangerous. Dragons of this stage are much more cunning, hardly taking any hasty actions, and they also possess stronger magical power...¡± ¡°Is it the same for White Dragons?¡± Bruto was more concerned about the enemy they might have to face, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that White Dragons are... not very clever?¡± ¡°White Dragons indeed lack the tactical thinking and magical power of other dragon types, but this also makes them focus on survival and slaying enemies, making them the best hunters among dragons,¡± Alamir gave Bruto a serious look, ¡°Dragons that are in their seventh to eighth century of life are known as Ancient Dragons. This stage is the last opportunity for them to mate and have offspring, and at this stage, even a White Dragon will have intelligence comparable to an ordinary human.¡± ¡°A dragon is considered Ancient at seven hundred years old?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, ¡°Then what exactly does ¡®Ancient Dragon¡¯ mean?¡± ... ¡°When an Old Dragon has lived past its eight-hundredth birthday, it becomes an Ancient Dragon. This is the last stage in a dragon¡¯s life cycle. Although the Dragon Race themselves further divide this stage into categories like Old Dragon, Primal Dragon, and Primeval Dragon, the distinction does not mean much to us outsiders. An Ancient Dragon reaches the pinnacle of physical and magical power, their intelligence rivals that of any mortal sage, and their transcendent memory makes them as knowledgeable as a library. It is no exaggeration to say that an Ancient Dragon is a top-tier being in any corner of the Multiverse...And Svafnir is an Ancient White Dragon,¡± ¡°So you mean there¡¯s definitely no way we can take it down, is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± Bruto suddenly found his skewer less appetizing, ¡°Then why are we headed to its lair? To deliver room service?¡± ¡°Our goal is to enter Glacial Fortress and retrieve the relics of the Platinum Guards; the Ancient White Dragon happens to be in our way, but killing it isn¡¯t the only way to solve the problem,¡± Lancelot shrugged at the Dwarf, ¡°Don¡¯t dragons like to hoard treasures in their lairs? If it were you, would you continue to be a watchdog for the Prince of Wrath once your home is under attack?¡± ¡°Dragon¡¯s Treasure?¡± Bruto¡¯s interest was piqued again, ¡°Ahaha, I should¡¯ve known, that¡¯s your real purpose, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It might not be exactly as you¡¯re thinking, but I haven¡¯t actually planned for that,¡± Lancelot admitted frankly, ¡°Once we¡¯ve attracted Svafnir¡¯s attention, we must immediately use Teleportation Magic to leave. After all, it¡¯s an Ancient White Dragon; if we¡¯re even a little bit slow, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to get away at all.¡± ¡°So, if... if I¡¯m quick enough, I should still be able to grab a bit from the mountainous hoard in the dragon¡¯s lair, right?¡± Bruto asked, still not quite ready to give up, ¡°After all, since we¡¯ve come all this way, we ought to take some souvenirs...¡± ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s impossible, too. The white dragon always freezes its treasure beneath thick layers of ice. You simply can¡¯t grab a handful and run.¡± The elf mercilessly shattered the dwarf¡¯s illusion once again, ¡°Unless we completely kill the nest¡¯s master, we won¡¯t be able to take even a copper coin...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget Kostcheqi¡¯s treasury, that¡¯s the most important target. How could the mount¡¯s collection be better than its master¡¯s?¡± Lancelot reminded, ¡°Actually, I even worry that Svafnir¡¯s lair is just a place for sleeping. Otherwise, why would it camp out in front of Kostcheqi¡¯s fortress...¡± ¡°I know, but... slaying dragons is just too enticing.¡± Bruto lifted his cup and downed the golden liquor in one gulp, ¡°Ah... burp! Since you know so much about the... physiology of dragons, do you have any research on how to kill one?¡± ¡°Somewhat.¡± Alamir used a term he had picked up from Lancelot, who then smiled knowingly, ¡°Want to hear it?¡± ¡°Damn it, just spit it out!¡± Bruto demanded, plunking himself down in front of the elf with a barrel of ale, ¡°If you miss a word, I¡¯ll spit in your bathwater!¡± ¡°Please assure me you would never do that, or our friendship would truly come to an end,¡± Alamir warned seriously, then turned to the others, ¡°Does everyone else want to hear, too?¡± ¡°Of course, we¡¯re heading to a dragon¡¯s lair after all.¡± Lancelot passed over the last skewer of meat, ¡°Just tell us everything you know.¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s not really a secret to most surface elves. Frankly speaking, elves are probably the ones who have killed the most dragons, though the giants might disagree. But there¡¯s likely no one here to speak for those creatures, right?¡± Alamir said with a proud smile, ¡°Before we discuss how to defeat a dragon, we first need to understand how dragons fight. Regardless of gender, age, and variety, all dragons share some common traits: first, they can fly, moving twice as fast as walking; they are all very good at hiding and seeing through stealth, maintaining constant vigilance in battle; they all have dark vision to adapt to cave and underground environments, and some even have blindsight; finally, all dragons have the ability to breathe their elemental breath, which is one of the hallmarks of the dragon race.¡± ¡°I still remember Pakos breathing fire, reducing Satugura and a dozen Yugloth mercenary demons to ashes,¡± Lancelot shivered involuntarily, ¡°That was the giant dragon¡¯s breath, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Absolutely right, and it was the breath of an ancient red dragon, at that. Not many people who have witnessed such a scene are still alive; we can say we are incredibly, incredibly lucky...¡± The elf shook his head, still horrified, ¡°A dragon¡¯s breath can cover up to a ninety-foot conical area in front of it. The type of the breath depends on the dragon¡¯s color. Red dragons breathe fire, black dragons breathe corrosive acid, blue dragons breathe lightning, green dragons breathe deadly poison, and white dragons breathe ice storms. For any team wanting to challenge a dragon, the breath with its high damage and wide range is always the greatest threat. Fortunately, such a powerful ability is not without limits...¡± Chapter 525 525 549 The Dragons Tactics ?Chapter 525: Chapter 549: The Dragon¡¯s Tactics Chapter 525: Chapter 549: The Dragon¡¯s Tactics ¡°Ha! I know!¡± the Dwarf eagerly interjected, ¡°Is it because before breathing out, Dragons must inhale, right?¡± ¡°Completely... wrong,¡± the Elf Priest smiled and shook a finger at the Dwarf, ¡°but you can¡¯t be blamed for that, because that¡¯s one of the most widely held misconceptions about Dragons, and the True Dragons are quite happy that mortals think so. In fact, through the dissection of Dragon Corpses, Elven Scholars have long discovered that a Dragon¡¯s stomach is divided into upper and lower parts. The lower tail is where food goes, while the upper stomach stores the Elemental Energy used for digestion. During combat, that Elemental Energy from the upper stomach floods into the lower one and is then emitted in the form of a Breath Attack. At the same time, the tension and pain of battle prompt the upper stomach to rapidly condense new Elemental Energy, and when the lower stomach is filled again, the Dragon is ready to unleash another Breath.¡± ¡°You mean to say... that powerful Breath of a Dragon is actually its vomit?¡± Bruto looked disgusted, ¡°Like a Dwarf who has had one too many?¡± ¡°Pretty much. Your vomit can be quite forceful too, can¡¯t it?¡± Alamir said with a chuckle, ¡°In combat, it¡¯s very hard to tell by appearance alone whether a Dragon has finished charging its Breath. Some Dragons extinguish their flame after the first Breath, left to fight with fangs and claws like beasts, while others can spit their full force every six seconds, as if they had abstained for decades...¡± ¡°Cough cough!¡± Lancelot cleared his throat, reminding Shuni¡¯s Priest that there were underage girls present. ¡°Alpaca. You¡¯re familiar with the creature, right? They really like to spit saliva...¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t there some limit to this?¡± Bruto glared at the Elf discontentedly, ¡°Do we have to wait until battle starts to find out whether a Dragon is in shape today?¡± ... ¡°Thinking of it that way isn¡¯t entirely wrong, but there¡¯s something I haven¡¯t mentioned yet: when a Dragon spews, its abdomen, neck, and head must be in a perfectly straight line. In battle, a Dragon¡¯s head may twist and turn, but they can only spit straight ahead. ¡± Alamir turned to Kalalin, who was listening intently, ¡°Generally, a Dragon can launch a Breath Attack about three times a minute. Before launching, there will be telltale signs such as a pause in movement, uncontrollable slight twitching, and the rolling of the throat. Pay attention to their body movements and orientation, and adjust your position in time, then it¡¯s unlikely you¡¯ll be harmed by a Dragon¡¯s Breath.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Scholar knew this was directed at him, ¡°This is truly life-saving knowledge.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Having discussed the Breath, let¡¯s talk about another special ability of adult Dragons and above: the Lair Effect. Although Dragons can be encountered in the wild, their exceptional physical qualities and flying capabilities mean that almost nobody can prevent a Dragon from retreating in a skirmish. Therefore, the final battle with a Dragon always occurs in their lair... Bruto, would you help me out?¡± Alamir passed his cup to Bruto, who instantly filled it with mead. Dwarves, though fond of fine alcohol, are never stingy about sharing. To this small yet sturdy race, true joy comes from drinking heartily with friends. ¡°Thank you, my good Dwarf!¡± the Elf took the beer mug, sipped a little to moisten the throat, ¡°Different colored Dragons have different nest effects; let¡¯s focus our energy on the White Dragons. First is the environmental influence, within a six to ten-mile radius centered on their lair, the ground will rise with bone-chilling cold, and it¡¯s always under an unceasing frozen rain. If the White Dragon is resting in its lair, the frozen rain will turn into a Blizzard...¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t sound very smart,¡± Lancelot Morassa stroked his chin and remarked, ¡°If I were a Dragon Hunter, couldn¡¯t I use this feature to determine if the Dragon is at home?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why White Dragons are the least intelligent and most beast-like among True Dragons,¡± Alamir shrugged, ¡°White Dragons prefer to build their nests in ice caves or deep underground chambers, ideally only accessible by flight, and they can detect intruders by changes in the pitch of the wind at the cave entrance.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go in through an opening where the wind is strong, got it.¡± Bruto finished another whole mug of beer, stood up, and tilted the barrel to let the liquid flow out from the top opening, ¡°So, what does the inside of their stronghold look like? Like a luxurious ice rink?¡± ¡°The White Dragon¡¯s Lair is filled with slick icy slopes and concealed pits, making it very difficult to walk, and the White Dragon itself will rest high up or even hang upside down from the ceiling like a bat. When an intruder breaks in, it will launch its Breath from above as the enemy struggles to approach, completely destroying them before they have a chance to cause any damage.¡± ¡°I can first put you all in a Dimensional Bag, then let you out when we reach the White Dragon,¡± Lancelot suggested, ¡°I am quite confident in my movement technique, and those difficult terrains won¡¯t stop me.¡± ¡°A viable option,¡± Alamir nodded, ¡°In addition, Dragons can manipulate the Magic Power accumulated in their nest, known as nest actions. Known White Dragon¡¯s nest actions include creating a dense frost fog, serrated ice falling from the ceiling, and ice walls rising from the ground.¡± ¡°The frost fog can cause some damage, but its more important function is to obstruct vision. This limits the effectiveness of Spellcasters and makes it hard for ranged attackers to find their targets, while an adult White Dragon has approximately sixty feet of Blindsight vision, allowing it to hunt in pitch-black fog or use a Breath to slaughter all the enemies who instinctively gather together.¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much to discuss about falling ice shards; their power increases with the distance they fall, but it also gives targets more time to react. White Dragons often pretend not to notice a target to Paralyze their foes and then kill them with an ice stalagmite that descends from above, so you must keep moving and always be aware of the surroundings. This may not sound too difficult, but in battle, it¡¯s easy to focus all your attention on the White Dragon and overlook the potential dangers of the environment.¡± ¡°And summoning ice walls is used to restrict the intruders¡¯ movement; the walls are always straight, and their length and height can reach up to thirty feet. The White Dragon will choose to use them to prevent enemies from getting close or escaping based on the situation. The good news is, the ice walls are vulnerable to Flame, a single Fireball Technique can blow a big hole in the wall; the bad news is the White Dragon itself can easily smash these ice walls, leaving a mess of shattered ice in place and ultimately making the combat environment treacherously difficult to navigate.¡± ¡°Lastly, let¡¯s talk about the White Dragon¡¯s own battle moves. Disregarding the nest effects and the Dragon Breath, the White Dragon itself is not much different from a large lizard; they will swing their left and right front claws at the target, along with a bite attack, and if someone happens to be behind them, they might add a tail swipe. But the power of these moves is actually not too bad, the damage is like that of a Mandrill¡¯s pincer grasp; the real threat comes from the Dragon¡¯s wings, which are even more tactically significant than their Breath...¡± Chapter 526 526 550 Tactics for Slaying Dragons ?Chapter 526: Chapter 550: Tactics for Slaying Dragons Chapter 526: Chapter 550: Tactics for Slaying Dragons ¡°Dragon wings?¡± Bruto said excitedly and curiously under the influence of alcohol, ¡°Other than flying, dragons can use them to slap people?¡± ¡°Think about it¡ªif those wings can lift their heavy bodies into the air, how strong must they be?¡± The Elf Priest pointed at the dragon body structure diagram he just drew on the ground with the half-eaten kebab skewer in his hand, ¡°When faced with a group of three or more enemies, an adult dragon will not hesitate to swing its wings broadly, knocking all nearby enemies to the ground, and use this movement to fly into the air. Afterwards, it will choose a more advantageous position to land, either next to a Spellcaster lacking self-defense or some hard-to-reach spot, to use Dragon Breath from a high position to destroy its enemies.¡± ¡°Hmm, I suddenly think fighting a dragon is a terrible idea.¡± Bruto stared at the lifelike dragon drawing on the ground and swallowed hard, ¡°Do White Dragons like eating Dwarves?¡± ¡°White Dragons like all meat that¡¯s frozen,¡± the Elf Priest spread his hands, ¡°But what if I told you that our team actually has a good chance of taking down an adult White Dragon? Would you still think it is a bad idea?¡± ¡°Really?¡± The Dwarf looked at the Elf skeptically, ¡°After hearing everything you just said, I almost think dragons are invincible. They have long-range and powerful Breath, excel in close combat while not fearing being surrounded, and also have legendary resistances to resist magic...¡± ¡°Because dragons are indeed very strong. I have to lay out their strengths first, don¡¯t I?¡± The Elf Priest rolled his eyes, ¡°Now let¡¯s talk about weaknesses. First of all, each color of dragon has its preferred element, which means there must also be an element they detest, and White Dragons detest flames. Most of your weapons already carry Fire Enchantments, which is a good start.¡± ¡°Secondly, thanks to the vain and arrogant Goddess, I can think of nothing better suited to facing a White Dragon than the Guardian of the Frost Maiden. Its effect is not only to help us adapt to this icy and snowy environment, but more importantly, it greatly increases our resistance to cold damage. I can say with certainty that, thanks to that Amulet, an adult White Dragon¡¯s Breath won¡¯t be able to kill any of us instantly, and as long as we are not dead, I can make you lively again.¡± ... ¡°Third, dragons are not really exceptional in every attribute; their agility is quite poor. Once you get the chance to reach them with your weapons, don¡¯t be in a rush to use the most damaging move. Instead, first use techniques that restrict movement. It¡¯s easier than you might think. Once a dragon loses its mobility, its combat power slashes in half.¡± ¡°The last tip is a unique tactic for dealing with White Dragons: Due to their low intelligence, White Dragons aren¡¯t very good at seeing through Illusions. Did I mention they have Blindsight? However, they lack true vision. Even though their legendary resistance can work against Illusion Techniques, White Dragons often don¡¯t realize they are witnessing an illusion. A trick that never fails against White Dragons is this: Create an illusion of a Red Dragon, making it spew flames onto the frozen pile of treasure. The White Dragon almost always falls for it, hastily using up all its precious Breath and nest actions on the Red Dragon illusion, and when it finds the Breath ineffective, it will even rush to grapple with the illusion.¡± ¡°Is that so!¡± Kalalin clapped his hands excitedly, ¡°Higher Illusions are just Third Circle spells, and I have quite a stock of those Spell Scrolls! Plus, I remember what Pakos looked like in his Ancient Red Dragon form. I¡¯ve seen that young Red Dragon in the Twin Bridges Town Mercenary Hall that buys gemstones many times. I guarantee the Red Dragon illusion I conjure will be convincing enough!¡± ¡°Such shameless tactics...¡± Bruto shook his head at Alamir, ¡°Despicable Elf! Can you be any more despicable?¡± ¡°Of course, there is.¡± The Elf Priest grinned, ¡°Aren¡¯t you Dwarves known for your sturdy physiques? I¡¯ve heard that the Dwarf tribes from the north pretend to be frozen by the Dragon¡¯s Breath, and when the White Dragon is about to swallow them, they suddenly strike back and smash all of the dragon¡¯s pointed teeth with one hammer blow. Of course, this tactic involves actually taking a hit from White Dragon¡¯s Breath head-on, which can be said to be a very Dwarf-like thing to do...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about doing that!¡± Lancelot immediately warned Bruto, ¡°Let the White Dragon waste its breath on Kalalin¡¯s illusion, if you get into trouble, the rest of the battle will be problematic!¡± ¡°I certainly won¡¯t.¡± Bruto looked at Alamir skeptically, ¡°Elf, are you specifically telling me this to trick me into doing it?¡± ¡°Such words wound me, my friend.¡± The Elf laughed heartily as he drained his cup, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Kalalin doesn¡¯t have the ability to cast Fifth Circle spells, otherwise the fight with the dragon would be much easier...¡± ¡°Which spells are you referring to?¡± The Scholar asked curiously, ¡°Although I can only cast Fourth Circle spells, there¡¯s still a good chance of success using a Fifth Circle Spell Scroll. I know it doesn¡¯t sound very reliable, but in past experiences, often I have nothing to do during battles...¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth a try.¡± Lancelot chimed in, ¡°And didn¡¯t Tijana say she would bear the entire cost of this adventure? She should be able to transport the items to the demiplane, and then you can retrieve them.¡± ¡°A Fifth Circle spell scroll costs two thousand Gold Coins, if the Succubus Lord has no objections, then neither do I.¡± The Elf Priest shrugged and said to the Scholar, ¡°Have you ever heard of Bigby?¡± ¡°Bigby? Do you mean Bigby¡¯s Hand as the Fifth Circle spell?¡± Kalalin frowned, ¡°That spell is like a significantly upgraded version of Mage Hand, able to summon a gigantic magical hand to punch enemies or prevent others from approaching the spellcaster... but that kind of damage isn¡¯t much for a dragon, is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking in the wrong direction.¡± Alamir shook his head, ¡°Many mages don¡¯t realize that this spell can grapple an adult dragon, and even if the target uses legendary resistance to break free from the grapple, the giant hand doesn¡¯t disappear and can grasp again. Only Ancient Dragons are too large to be dealt with in this manner, but with any other dragon, it¡¯s a sure catch...¡± ¡°There¡¯s also another Fifth Circle magic: Summon Elementals. The best for dealing with dragons are Air Elementals, not for their combat abilities, but because of their flight speed faster than dragons, allowing them to rush into the Giant Dragon¡¯s lair before battle starts, triggering all the traps the dragon has set. Doesn¡¯t that sound fantastic?¡± ¡°Apart from that, there are other tricks to deal with dragons, such as using a poisoned sheep as bait so that the dragon is severely weakened before entering the battle, but...¡± Alamir looked somewhat sheepishly at the Human Knight while saying this, ¡°None of you are opposed to poisoning, right? In some... uh, cultures, poisoning the enemy is an unacceptable act, yet crushing their skulls with a hammer is fine...¡± Chapter 527 527 551 Arrival at the Foot of the ?Chapter 527: Chapter 551: Arrival at the Foot of the Mountain Chapter 527: Chapter 551: Arrival at the Foot of the Mountain ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± Lancelot sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve already fallen so low that I¡¯ve killed women; you don¡¯t think I should also fight dragons in a fair duel, do you?¡± ¡°If you ask me, your principle was flawed in the first place, as if women are naturally weaker than men.¡± Bruto glanced at Lancelot with a sideways look, ¡°Those Zoel Elf males would be very happy to discuss this topic with you thoroughly.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, the Fencer Trolls we might encounter up ahead are a race where the females are stronger than the males.¡± The old Reap, who had been squatting to the side silently eating meat, suddenly spoke up, ¡°Their females are larger and stronger, the heads of the family, while the males have to work hard to prove their value to avoid being expelled by the females.¡± ¡°Do Fencer Trolls fear fire like regular trolls do?¡± Lancelot curiously asked, ¡°Our weapons are all enchanted with flame-related enchantments...¡± ¡°No, Fencer Trolls aren¡¯t afraid of fire; they are closer to giants in their bloodline, not regular trolls. They fear sunlight; under direct sunlight, they turn to stone, so you would only encounter these creatures at night or in caves.¡± The werewolf shrugged, speaking indistinctly with his mouth full of meat, ¡°They¡¯re certainly not as difficult to deal with as a Giant Dragon, but they always appear in numbers and are very adept at using spells. Plus, as close relatives of giants, their strength should not be underestimated¡ªthey¡¯re also pretty accurate with throwing stones...¡± ¡°I seem to have heard of these creatures...¡± Kalalin furrowed his brow, ¡°Supposedly they¡¯re native to the plane of Garden of Yser, not inherently evil beings, so how did they end up in the Abyss?¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that this tribe committed some sort of sacrilege and fled here with Svafnir,¡± the werewolf shrugged, ¡°They are actually minions of that ancient White Dragon now, hunting food and pillaging treasure for it. If we want to approach Svafnir¡¯s lair, we are bound to run into these fellows.¡± ¡°But we must go there,¡± Lancelot said with a stern face, ¡°If those Fencer Trolls think of us as targets for robbery, they will be the unlucky ones.¡± ¡°Ha! Of course, and don¡¯t even ask if my hammer agrees!¡± Bruto patted his weapon, ¡°That... Elf, tell us more about dragons...¡± ¡°No problem, the night is still young!¡± Alamir once again passed his empty cup over, ¡°Let¡¯s start with the Black Dragon among the chromatic dragons...¡± They talked late into the night, so they didn¡¯t set off until close to noon the next day. The mountain where the White Dragon¡¯s Lair was located was already in sight, but after a full day of racing on the sled, it seemed only slightly closer. The situation the next day was much the same, but at dusk, for the first time, the group saw a flying dragon. ... They had just found a cave to camp in and had just lit a campfire, when suddenly a loud, wild roar came from the sky. The sound instinctively made everyone draw their weapons and then they ran to the edge of the cave entrance to look outside. In the high skies, a White Dragon was gliding past, its claws grasping a large wild beast. Although from the group¡¯s vantage point, the dragon¡¯s silhouette was only about the size of a fist, the immense leathery wings, the sunlight reflecting off its scales, and the fierce head still exuded an oppressive aura; one glance and no one would doubt their status as supreme rulers of the land. ¡°That is not the dragon we saw in the Temple of Moradin.¡± Lancelot squinted his eyes, scrutinizing the details of the giant beast¡¯s body, ¡°It looks... younger; could it be Svafnir¡¯s offspring?¡± ¡°A mature male White Dragon, approximately four hundred years old,¡± Alamir declared to the group, ¡°a beast in its prime... It¡¯s most likely an offspring of that ancient White Dragon, otherwise, an adult dragon is unlikely to be active in the territory of another, older dragon of its kind.¡± ¡°So Svafnir just sent a son to look after his old den?¡± Bruto asked curiously, ¡°Isn¡¯t it afraid of... guardians turning into thieves?¡± ¡°Maybe it has some other anti-theft measures for its treasure,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°We¡¯ll find the answer.¡± The White Dragon grew smaller and smaller as it flew away, eventually becoming the size of a grain of rice before disappearing into a cave at the peak of that mountain. ¡°We are now very close to the White Dragon¡¯s lair,¡± Old Reap, who had been silently calculating the distance, spoke, ¡°By noon tomorrow at the latest, we should arrive at the base of that mountain.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s rest well tonight,¡± Lancelot waved his hand, ¡°Those Fencer Trolls are unlikely to be very hospitable, and it may be a bit difficult to persuade them to let us pass...¡± ¡°Remember to use the hammer,¡± the Dwarf suggested, ¡°Very persuasive.¡± As soon as it was light the next day, everyone set off early. The mode of travel remained sleds pulled by wolves, and as they neared the mountain, the weather notably worsened¡ªthe howling wind, blizzard, hail, and freezing rain all perfectly matched the scenario described by the Elf Priest. The harsh conditions also jumbled the nature¡¯s spiritual energy around them, severely impairing Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception Sensory Ability. Everyone maintained a high level of vigilance, always ready for battle, but the polar beasts that previously liked to attack travelers had all disappeared, which Alamir believed to be another phenomenon near a dragon¡¯s nest. When they reached the foot of the mountain, the blizzard was so intense that it was almost impossible to move. Climbing to the dragon¡¯s nest at the mountain¡¯s peak in such conditions would certainly have been a suicide mission, but fortunately, they quickly found an entrance to a cave, and Bruto, just by standing inside and sniffing, confirmed it connected to an extensive tunnel network. Everyone geared up and headed into the depths of the cave in battle formation. The passages here were quite spacious, mostly because the Fencer Trolls that had excavated them were of larger size. There were the occasional luminous fungi in the tunnels, but they did not provide sufficient lighting, which was not really an issue since Kalalin was the only one in the group who couldn¡¯t see in the dark (Lancelot had stopped pretending to be a normal human), and a Second Circle Night Vision Spell easily solved this problem. Lancelot and Bruto walked side by side at the front of the group, with Little Isha following closely behind, responsible for spotting any potential traps and mechanisms. In the middle of the group were the spellcaster duo, Kalalin and Alamir, while Werewolf Old Reap took up the rear. Lancelot¡¯s task for him was to stealthily protect the two spellcasters from the shadows as soon as a fight broke out, revealing himself only if absolutely necessary. The group followed the winding tunnel for several hundred feet without encountering any branches, but after a nearly vertical turn, they unexpectedly came face-to-face with the masters of this place. Chapter 528 528 552 Negotiations Fail ?Chapter 528: Chapter 552: Negotiations Fail Chapter 528: Chapter 552: Negotiations Fail About forty feet from the group, three humanoid creatures stood guard in front of a stone gate. Their appearance was extremely ugly, their large and pointed noses nearly covered their entire faces, resembling huge rat heads; their lean bodies were wrapped in fur garments, with javelins on their backs and heavy weapons like double-edged axes and meteor hammers in their hands. These were the Fencer Trolls that Old Reap had mentioned. They had been in the midst of a heated argument when they heard the group approaching. They all turned their heads towards them and shouted a strange word: ¡°kjott!¡± ¡°Hmm? This word sounds a bit familiar...¡± Bruto squinted his eyes doubtfully, ¡°Isn¡¯t it the Giant¡¯s Tongue for ¡®meat¡¯?¡± The actions of the Fencer Trolls confirmed the Dwarf¡¯s guess. Two of them quickly took javelins from their backs and threw them at the group, while another pushed open the stone gate and ran inside. ¡°Negotiations failed.¡± Lancelot swiftly swung Frostslash, deflecting one of the javelins, ¡°Let¡¯s fight...¡± ¡°We had a plan to negotiate?¡± Bruto raised his shield to block another javelin, ¡°Can I throw my hammer now?¡± Lancelot ignored the Dwarf¡¯s comment and had already charged forward with his hand half sword. However, halfway there, he suddenly felt the ground beneath his feet soften, nearly causing him to fall. The ground, which had been paved with rocks, had become as loose as thin porridge, and the Human Knight was sinking fast. For a knight in heavy armor, sinking into a swamp was a terrifying scenario, but Lancelot did not panic, for he was no longer just a knight wielding a great sword, and he had many trustworthy companions behind him. ... As he had anticipated, the Dwarf threw his warhammer immediately, providing him cover. Faced with the fearsome flying hammer, the two Fencer Trolls dodged to the side, and did not throw their javelins again, buying Alamir time to cast his spell. The Elf Priest took a cork from a pouch on his belt, and after a few intricate gestures and a somewhat lengthy prayer, several pale blue lights flew from the priest¡¯s hands into each of his companions. Lancelot immediately felt a strong buoyancy pushing him upward until he was completely out of the mud. ¡°Water walking,¡± Alamir explained to his friends. ¡°This spell works on any liquid surface and lasts for an hour. Now, go finish the enemies!¡± Lancelot tentatively stomped his foot, finding the mud as hard as rock under the magic¡¯s influence. He boldly charged at the enemies again, even faster than before. The two Fencer Trolls looked very confused but still quickly dropped their javelins and drew their weapons to meet him. Due to his opponents¡¯ height, Lancelot couldn¡¯t directly attack their trunks. His hand half sword, glowing with a blue light, clashed heavily with the blade of a double-edged axe and quickly separated again. Compared to the other Frost Giant inhabitants of this level, the equipment of the two Fencer Trolls was significantly better. However, after clashing, the battle axe¡¯s blade, forged from refined iron, developed a thumb-sized notch, and metal fragments burst out, embedding themselves in the arm of the other Fencer Troll, eliciting a loud cry of pain. The creature that had just clashed with Lancelot fared no better; suddenly, flames sprouted from its body, igniting its leather clothes, which caused it considerable panic. Yet, its body did not burn like an ordinary troll would. This outcome somewhat disappointed Lancelot¡ªit seemed Reap was right, these beings were not much related to ordinary trolls. Seizing a small opening from his opponent, the Human Knight¡¯s footsteps shifted eerily, instantly closing the gap within five feet of them. His longsword first flicked upwards, slicing open the skin near the opponent¡¯s knee, which also disrupted their balance, causing them to topple to one side. The sword blade, glowing faintly blue, hesitated briefly in mid-air. Once the opponent¡¯s body tilted at an adequate angle, it chopped downward like a guillotine, decapitating the Fencer Troll¡¯s head cleanly. Lancelot¡¯s series of movements were incredibly fast, so much so that only after the opponent¡¯s head thumped to the ground did another Fencer Troll swing its nail-headed hammer at him. Lancelot dodged with a simple turn and immediately kicked out, hitting the hand gripping the nail-headed hammer accurately before the enemy could retract their weapon. A crisp bone-snapping sound ensued, and the troll screamed, releasing its right hand. However, its left hand lightning-fast drew a dagger from its boot and stabbed at Lancelot. But by then, the Dwarf had already reached behind it, Bruto forcefully swinging the edge of his shield at the enemy¡¯s knee pit while the Warhammer smashed down onto the opponent¡¯s protruding rear. Facing this deceitful dagger assault, Lancelot¡¯s longsword seemed too slow to parry but showed no sign of panic. The dagger¡¯s blade slid off the Mithril armor, attempting to slide into a crevice, but the armor¡¯s surface suddenly glowed blue. Several sword auras thick as fingers and half a foot long exploded like water splashed, instantly punching seven or eight transparent holes in the Fencer Troll¡¯s hand that held the weapon. While Lancelot¡¯s protective sword shield counterattacked automatically, the Dwarf¡¯s strike also hit the enemy¡¯s body. A gut-wrenchingly dull thud declared the Fencer Troll¡¯s pelvis shattered, while Lancelot¡¯s longsword, still glowing, had already struck from the front. The blade cut from the opponent¡¯s left shoulder downwards, severing ribs, lung lobes, heart, spleen, and intestines in its path, finally exiting between the legs of the Fencer Troll¡¯s body. ¡°Dun... kjott... val Rakka!¡± The dying enemy rasped, then the corpse fell to either side. Blood and innards sprayed like from a shattered kettle, but Lancelot, foreseeing this, stepped back, avoiding it all. ¡°Hey, big brother, is it really necessary to be this brutal?¡± the Dwarf, fully splattered, lamented from behind the Fencer Troll, ¡°When you hit the heart, it was already dead.¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll be more careful next time!¡± Lancelot apologized, looking at the ray-red Dwarf in front of him, resembling a boiled lobster, ¡°What was it saying just before it died?¡± ¡°Dun means ¡®you¡¯ in Giant¡¯s Tongue, kjott means ¡®flesh,¡¯ val is a preposition, and Rakka must be a name, Rakka?¡± Bruto shrugged, ¡°If I am not mistaken, that phrase means: ¡®You all are Rakka¡¯s food.¡¯ As for who Rakka is, I have no idea, but it sounds far from Svafnir.¡± ¡°Well, wanting to kill me I understand, but wanting to eat me is going too far.¡± Lancelot curled his lip, laying a hand on the stone gate, ¡°Are you ready to continue? We let one flee earlier, but it probably didn¡¯t expect the fight to end this quickly. Let¡¯s hurry and catch up, catching them completely off guard.¡± Chapter 529 529 553 ?Chapter 529: 553 Chapter 529: 553 ¡°What are we waiting for then!¡± Bruto kicked straight into the air, swinging the stone door that Lancelot was holding open and barked, ¡°Hurry up!¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have stolen his opponent just now,¡± Lancelot said helplessly, shrugging at his companions behind him and turning to follow the Dwarf forward. As soon as they stepped through the stone door, everyone¡¯s nostrils were immediately assaulted by the stench of rotting flesh. Behind the door was a spacious cavern, with corpses impaled by spears standing in a corner, and next to them was a broad stone table hosting the torso of a dissected human male, his legs and arms chopped into sections and tossed into a cart beside it. There were four Fencer Trolls in the room, three dressed as warriors, and the fourth with a blood-stained apron around his waist, looking like a warrior moonlighting as a butcher. All four enemies were startled by the sudden appearance of the group, but they were holding their weapons, clearly forewarned of the intruders. ¡°Damn Cannibal Tribe, stinking to death!¡± Bruto roared angrily and instantly threw his Warhammer, then raised his Shield and charged at the nearest enemy. Lancelot was slightly slower, running while conjuring thick vines with one hand to seal off the two distant exits to prevent any escapes. As the two charged forward, the enemies quickly reacted. The butcher-dressed Fencer Troll began to cast, turning the ground into mud, while the other three prepared to hurl their weapons at those who had stumbled into the muck. ... However, the Fencer Trolls¡¯ plan completely backfired. Under Alamir¡¯s Divine Arts, the boots of the Human Knight and the Dwarf hadn¡¯t sunk half an inch into the muddy ground, and when they reached their enemies, they were utterly unprepared for battle. Lancelot¡¯s first sword strike flung his opponent¡¯s weapon away, and the second opened a wide and long gash on the thigh. Meanwhile, Bruto¡¯s Warhammer had left his target nearly unconscious, and the following Shield bash completely knocked the enemy to the ground, by which time the Warhammer had reappeared in his hand. Their companions who entered a step later didn¡¯t stand by idly. Kalalin summoned a number of pale blue Arcane Missiles from a scroll, blasting them at the third Fencer Troll, while Little Isha silently appeared behind it, coolly aiming her Cold Iron Shortswords at the seams of the leather Armor and stabbing down. But the most astonishing effect was by Alamir. Typically, the Elf Priest would cast the Holy Fire Technique from a safe distance when there was no need for close combat or no one in need of Healing Divine Art¡ªthe Technique¡¯s name may suggest fire, but it actually invokes searing light to inflict Radiant Damage. Under the effect of the Holy Fire Technique, the aproned Fencer Troll didn¡¯t even have time to let out a scream before its body began to rapidly Petrify from the top of its head. In just a few seconds, it had become a grey-white statue. On the other side, Lancelot had thrust his Longsword into his opponent¡¯s chest, while Bruto was mounted atop the Fencer Troll he¡¯d knocked down, repeatedly striking his opponent¡¯s head with his Warhammer. The only one having trouble was Little Isha. Her surprise attack wasn¡¯t enough to kill the enemy instantly, and the violent struggle prevented her from withdrawing her weapons. Now the Fencer Troll had two shortsword hilts sticking out of its lower back and was roaring wildly, swinging its massive Battle Axe, trying to strike the unarmed Wanderer. Fortunately, her fundamentals were solid. After a series of feints, changes in direction, and rolls, the Battle Axe didn¡¯t even graze the edge of her clothing. While given more time, Little Isha would surely have watched the Fencer Troll bleed to death from the Paralyze-enchanted wounds (the Troll was unaware of this), the group was short on time, so Lancelot decided to give the young lady a bit of help. It really was just a slight move, because little Isabella was not evading recklessly. By following a deliberately planned route, she exposed the enemy¡¯s back to her companion. With a simple thrust of his longsword, Lancelot impaled the Fencer Troll. ¡°Rakka... slag... dun dod...¡± ¡°What did it say?¡± Lancelot turned to ask the Dwarf, ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard other giants shout those last few words before.¡± ¡°Slag dun dod is a common giant phrase, meaning ¡®kill them all,''¡± Bruto shrugged, ¡°You¡¯ll often hear them mindlessly repeat it, slag dun dod, slag dun dod.¡± ¡°Thank you, brother.¡± Isabella ran over somewhat embarrassed to retrieve her weapons, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to have such tenacious life force...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Lancelot replied, patting the little girl¡¯s head gently, ¡°You handled what came afterward very well.¡± ¡°Planning how to withdraw your dagger before you stab is a very useful life lesson. You¡¯ll gain more insight into this as you grow,¡± the old Reap added as he came closer. At the other end of the cave, Alamir was already checking the bodies. He removed the corpses impaled on spears one by one, then examined their eyeballs and the wounds on their bodies. ¡°Four humans, two men and two women, no signs of weapon training, all civilians. They were alive when skewered on the spears, and there are multiple newer piercing wounds on their bodies. It seems the Fencer Trolls had fun stabbing them with sharp instruments after impaling them,¡± the Elf Priest declared the cause of their deaths in a somber tone, ¡°Lancelot, please help burn their bodies...¡± Lancelot nodded silently, and with a light wave of his hand, several small blue-green Fire Lotuses landed on the bodies and instantly ignited into a blazing fire. The charred smell of burning flesh rose, replacing the previous stench of decay, but it felt even worse. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving.¡± Lancelot formed a spell with his hands and dispersed the vines blocking the two exits. Following Bruto¡¯s advice, they chose the right passage, as the Dwarf was certain it would lead to higher regions inside the mountain, and the tunnel did ascend in a winding path as he had predicted. The next cavern they arrived at was quite spacious, with spring water flowing out from within the mountain, pooling into a pond over fifteen feet in diameter, its surface littered with various debris and pieces of corpses. Obviously, such water was not fit for normal consumption, but from the surrounding traces, it seemed the residing Fencer Trolls might not care about this. There were no enemies in the cave, but Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception inexplicably felt a surge of unease. However, before he could voice his concern, Isabella called out to stop everyone in their tracks. Chapter 530 530 554 Traps and Roadblocks ?Chapter 530: Chapter 554 Traps and Roadblocks Chapter 530: Chapter 554 Traps and Roadblocks ¡°Wait a second, there are so many traps ahead.¡± Little Isha held onto the waist belts of Lancelot and Bruto with each hand, ¡°There¡¯s a pitfall there, and there will be falling rocks... Please wait for me for a moment, it¡¯s going to take some time to dismantle all these traps...¡± ¡°I can help!¡± The scholar, who was standing behind the little girl, suddenly spoke up, already holding out a scroll, ¡°With this, we can quickly and broadly remove multiple traps...¡± ¡°What is this?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, ¡°Some advanced spell that automatically dismantles traps?¡± ¡°To some extent... yes,¡± Kalalin replied, wearing a strange expression on his face, ¡°I should have mentioned to you that in the Multiverse, the ultimate answer to most problems...¡± ¡°Most problems...¡± Lancelot began to say, but stopped midway, ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t mean...¡± Kalalin had already activated the scroll, his face showing a rarely-seen fanaticism, as if he had been longing for a room full of traps for a very long time. Red magic aura, from the energy-shaping school, gathered in his palm, and with an acrid sulfur smell, an orange-yellow fireball the size of a washbasin flew over their heads, hitting the center of the cavern and causing a violent explosion. The intense flash forced everyone to look away, while the heatwave and shockwave conveyed the explosion¡¯s power. Kalalin¡¯s theory wasn¡¯t without merit; the blast triggered several traps and set off a chain reaction, and when all the dust settled, the cavern was in complete disarray, with upturned grounds, sprung animal traps, spike-filled pits, and all manner of projectile devices hanging from the ceiling. ... ¡°Uh...¡± Little Isha looked over the ruins ahead with a sick expression, pointing somewhat disheartened at where a pond used to be, ¡°I didn¡¯t notice those explosive barrels hidden underwater just now...¡± ¡°Ahahaha, the Fireball Technique is just amazing!¡± Kalalin¡¯s face beamed with pleasure, ¡°In the past, my enemies were either the Tanari with high resistance to flames or the completely flame-immune Bartez, never giving one the satisfaction of a good burn...¡± ¡°It seems the Fireball Technique has some special significance to you... Next time we have a suitable opportunity, I¡¯ll make sure to let you launch your fireball before I charge out.¡± Lancelot promised the scholar, before stepping into the still-smoldering wreckage, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I doubt our enemies would expect anyone to actually make it through this cavern...¡± Everyone closely followed one another, passing through the thoroughly destroyed trap room and entering the passage at the other end of the cavern. As they delved deeper, dense fungi began to appear on both sides of the tunnel, eventually enveloping it entirely. As they neared, they heard a faint hissing in their ears, as if many invisible creatures were speaking in some undecipherable language. ¡°Do you hear that?¡± Alamir looked at the mushroom forest ahead with a wary gaze, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to force our way through these huge mushrooms... Bruto, are you sure there¡¯s space behind this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just the sound of air vibrating over the mushroom caps.¡± The dwarf assured the elf, ¡°It¡¯s a common occurrence underground, nothing to get startled about. In fact, I¡¯ve already recognized several edible fungi, fancy some roasted mushrooms for dinner?¡± Bruto spoke as he made his way into the fungus forest, but as he approached, a mushroom towering over six feet tall with a pattern of yellow and green colors suddenly launched an attack at him. Its umbrella-like cap split open to reveal a gaping maw lined with three rows of sharp teeth, at the center of which was a tongue resembling a pistil, covered with barbs. The massive mouth bit down towards the dwarf¡¯s head, but Bruto¡¯s sixth sense for danger saved him. In the last second, he raised his round shield to block the mushroom¡¯s huge bite, and the next second, Lancelot¡¯s support arrived. A greenish sword aura shot out from the Human Knight¡¯s palm, instantly slicing the giant fungus into countless fragments, while the huge mouth that had loomed over the dwarf¡¯s head fell to the ground, motionless as if dead. ¡°We¡¯re not supposed to eat this; it¡¯s clearly meant to eat us,¡± Alamir said, patting the somewhat disheveled Bruto on the back. ¡°This is the Abyss, are you sure these fungi are completely identical to the species you¡¯re familiar with?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a... slight difference, at least they¡¯re way too big,¡± the Dwarf admitted, swallowing saliva with some difficulty. ¡°This is a dead end; we¡¯d better return to the fork in the road. There must be another tunnel that leads to the Dragon¡¯s Lair.¡± ¡°No need, if this path is so difficult to traverse, then the enemy won¡¯t expect us to come from this way,¡± Lancelot shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ve been delayed a bit too long, and by now the enemy is likely waiting for us on another path. Continuing along this route might actually surprise them.¡± ¡°But how are we going to get through this fungus forest?¡± old Reap asked curiously. ¡°If we have to chop our way through, it will definitely take even longer...¡± ¡°Let me try first,¡± Lancelot said and sat down cross-legged on the spot. ¡°Protect me... I mean, ensure my safety.¡± His companions backed away with skepticism, although they had already witnessed the Human Knight¡¯s various magical displays, none seemed capable of solving the present dilemma. And Lancelot planned to use a brand new Cultivation Technique, which naturally he couldn¡¯t explain to his companions; even if he did, they likely wouldn¡¯t understand. At first, nothing unusual happened, but with Lancelot¡¯s steady and prolonged breathing, a suffocating pressure began to rise in everyone¡¯s hearts, as if what sat there was not a man, but a live storm. Then, Lancelot¡¯s hands began to make Seal Gestures rapidly, and as he moved, a vine phantom appeared, wrapping around his body. The phantom looked as though it could dissipate at any moment, but with a push from Lancelot¡¯s hands, two bright green beams shot out from his palms, shining upon the fungi. The fungi touched by the green light melted like metal, quickly softening, shrinking, and ultimately turning into countless tiny specks of light that flowed into the vine phantom around Lancelot. In no time at all, the fungus forest that had clogged the tunnel completely turned into light particles, and the vine phantom around Lancelot seemed to solidify somewhat. He cast a few more Dharma Decrees to gradually dissipate the vine phantom, then stood up from the ground. ¡°Ah, I still got some dust on me, the Cultivation Technique is still too weak,¡± Lancelot said, dusting off his behind and shaking his head with a sigh. He then turned to look at his companions and noticed their faces were all blank with astonishment. ¡°Uh, what¡¯s with those expressions? The effect was pretty good, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Chapter 531 531 555 Mother Fencer Pig ?Chapter 531: Chapter 555: Mother Fencer Pig Chapter 531: Chapter 555: Mother Fencer Pig ¡°What was that just now?¡± Alamir was the first to speak, ¡°The shape of that apparition... does it have anything to do with the Vine Summoning Spell you usually cast?¡± ¡°Consider it... the essence of the summoned vines,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s also the first time I¡¯ve manifested it, intending to use its property of refining plants to clear these fungi, and it looks like the result is pretty good.¡± ¡°So... will there be any changes to the vines you summon in the future?¡± Bruto asked curiously, ¡°After you killed that giant spider, you suddenly learned its Shadow Jump.¡± ¡°Good question, I don¡¯t know either.¡± As Lancelot spoke, he began forming hand seals, and a vine as thick as an arm immediately burrowed out of the ground at his feet. Bruto, curious, leaned in for a close look, but found it seemed exactly the same as before. ¡°I can¡¯t see any changes,¡± the Dwarf wasn¡¯t convinced and pinched a handful, ¡°Hmm, both the elasticity and toughness are very good, it could be used directly as a cable.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty, just wait...¡± ... Lancelot closed his eyes, as if searching for something in his mind, and after a few moments, several spore-like blisters popped out on the vine, gradually growing into small mushrooms. Just as everyone expected, the mushrooms quickly split open, turning into mouths full of tiny, sharp teeth, frantically tearing at the air around them. ¡°This is the most sinister plant I have ever seen, just looking at it makes me feel like I¡¯m losing my sanity,¡± Kalalin stroked his chin and commented gloomily, ¡°It has a touch of Obyrith¡¯s style.¡± ¡°This just provides an optional... organ for my Vine Summoning Spell,¡± Lancelot¡¯s tone was not very confident; after another glance at the monstrosity he had created, he finally admitted, ¡°Alright, they do look a bit bad, but I haven¡¯t undergone any training in creation, have I...¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty good,¡± Little Isha firmly expressed her support for Lancelot, ¡°Brother, can you control these mushrooms?¡± Upon hearing this, Lancelot made no physical action, merely willed it, and those little mouths that had just been tearing at the air stopped in unison. The one closest to Lancelot suddenly opened wide and began to sing in a strange accent: ¡°Once there was a ship that put to sea, and her name was Teapot Spout, she sailed into the ocean wide, bringing back rum and pickled pig¡¯s trotters...¡± (Note 1) ¡°Ah, stop, I shouldn¡¯t have taken you to the Dwarf tavern, I¡¯m almost getting calluses on my ears from that song,¡± Bruto rolled his eyes, ¡°Alright, now that we¡¯ve dealt with these fungal forests, let¡¯s move on.¡± ¡°I was curious about trying to complete the chorus part,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Let¡¯s go, and see what¡¯s waiting for us at the end of the tunnel...¡± The group continued on in battle formation, the tunnel gradually narrowed yet remained wide enough for three people to walk abreast. They could distinctly feel an upward slope under their feet, meaning they were steadily approaching the Dragon¡¯s Nest at the top of the mountain. The tunnel was not a straight line, and after some turns, dense fungi recaptured the tunnel, forcing Lancelot to summon vine shadows multiple times to clear the obstacles. They also encountered some passages that had converged from lower areas, which appeared to be abandoned due to the dangerous fungi infestation. Eventually, light indicating the end of the tunnel came into view, accompanied by the noisy chatter of Fencer Trolls. Everyone cautiously approached the exit and peered out, discovering a cavern as vast as a castle¡¯s great hall, with themselves perched within a crack about ten feet above the ground in the wall. In the center of the cavern sat a chair as large as a bed, upon which sat a female Fencer Troll as tall as a Frost Giant and exceedingly corpulent. Because of the excessive fat accumulated under her skin, her mouth had turned into a funnel-like depression, and her bloated belly protruded further out than her knees. This mound of flesh had fingers swollen like gourds, and she was incessantly grabbing food from a small cart beside her. They had seen similar carts before, and the so-called food was merely chopped up human limbs, which she eagerly tossed into the hole on her face that constantly opened and closed like a meat grinder. In front of her, a normal-sized female Fencer Troll was loudly issuing orders to the others. Although Lancelot couldn¡¯t understand a word she was saying, there was no mistaking the air of a commander about her. Under the direction of this female Fencer Troll, squads of warriors were departing from the tunnel entrance at the front of the cave, and Lancelot guessed they were going to reinforce defenses throughout the tunnels. ¡°What the hell is that disgusting pile of flesh?¡± Bruto couldn¡¯t help but curse softly, ¡°Is this what a Fencer Troll Matriarch looks like, just sitting there all day long, waiting for others to feed her?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate her, I feel a very strong surge of Magic Power, as if she¡¯s continuously casting spells,¡± Lancelot said in a low voice, frowning, ¡°Perhaps eating is her way of suppressing the violent Magic Power within her, and the obesity is just a side effect of doing so?¡± ¡°A reasonable deduction, and that makes fighting her exceedingly dangerous,¡± Kalalin said with a grim expression, ¡°Once she stops eating, the power within her must find an outlet.¡± ¡°My hammer hitting that lump of fat will probably not have much effect,¡± Bruto said, sounding somewhat disheartened, ¡°Lancelot, it¡¯s up to you to deal with that one...¡± ¡°But you can draw her attention,¡± Lancelot Morassa stroked his chin, ¡°Don¡¯t rush, let¡¯s wait a bit longer, for every soldier they dispatch, it¡¯s one less enemy we have to face.¡± No one objected, and they patiently maintained their silence while carefully observing the area where the battle would soon take place. The ¡®bed-chair¡¯ was about sixty feet away from their hiding spot, and in addition to the female Fencer Troll, there were three guards dressed similarly, wielding Speares and Giant Shields, standing by, looking equally difficult to handle. Around the cavern were many Fencer Troll warriors, but with the commands of the commander, eventually, only about twelve remained in place. It was then that a clear dragon roar emanated from a hole behind the bed-chair, causing the Fencer Matriarch, who had been focused on feeding, to change color suddenly. She sat up sharply from the bed-chair, listening intently to the dragon roar as if trying hard to discern something. Seeing her sit up, all the Fencer Trolls respectfully bowed their heads, and after the dragon roar ended, the Fencer Matriarch began to wave her arms dramatically, issuing orders in a shrill voice that contrasted with her size, the flesh all over her body rippling like water waves. After she finished speaking, another four Fencer Trolls hurriedly left, disappearing into the hole from which the dragon roar had come. The corpulent female Fencer Troll sat down contentedly, reaching for the cart filled with fragmented corpses once again, but her expression suddenly froze, and she turned her head to look at the side incredulously. The small cart, which had been piled with food just moments ago, was now completely empty! Chapter 532 532 556 Strike Hard ?Chapter 532: Chapter 556: Strike Hard Chapter 532: Chapter 556: Strike Hard Behind this, naturally, Lancelot was playing tricks. Seizing the moment when the Fencer Matriarch was giving orders, he summoned several tendrils filled with mushrooms mouths, similar to octopus tentacles, which silently devoured the corpse pieces and then stealthily burrowed back into the ground. The fat Fencer Matriarch let out an angry scream, grabbed a small cart, and threw it at the guard beside her, shattering it into countless pieces, followed by a series of sharp and rapid curses. The Fencer Troll who was hit felt both wronged and scared, dared not retaliate, and everyone else around was confused; there had still been a lot of meat just a moment ago, how could it have been eaten so quickly? Due to the interruption of the food supply, the Fencer Matriarch became increasingly irritable, but what happened next exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations. She suddenly raised her hand and pointed at a Fencer Troll cowering in a corner, some invisible force lifting its body into the air and pulling it continuously towards her throne. When the victim floated in front of her, the expression of the Fencer Matriarch was almost mad, bursting into a scream that could rival the wail of a banshee. The controlled Fencer Troll exploded in an instant under that scream, scattering limbs and severed arms everywhere. The remaining Fencer Trolls in the hall simultaneously let out screams of fear, desperately rushing towards the exit, frantically shouting something. Although only Bruto could barely understand that language, there was one word that everyone was exceedingly familiar with¡ªRakka. ¡°It seems this is the ¡®Rakka¡¯ that the Fencer Trolls have been mentioning,¡± Alamir said with a ghostly tone, ¡°If we die here, we¡¯re likely to end up as food for that sow.¡± In the wide cave outside, the corpulent Fencer Matriarch lay on the ground, stuffing the broken bodies into her mouth while the guards who had been by her side had already fled. Seeing the timing was right, Lancelot turned back to his companions and whispered: ¡°Everyone, get ready to fight. Kalalin, you have another chance to cast your Fireball Technique now...¡±... ¡°Now?¡± The Scholar asked, excitement showing on his face, ¡°At that Fencer Matriarch?¡± ¡°Yes, when you throw the fireball, I¡¯ll summon vines to block both entrances, and everyone else quickly form up for battle to assail that deformed monster,¡± Lancelot gestured the battle arrangements with his hands, ¡°The vines won¡¯t hold the enemies off for long, so we must make it fast. Are we all ready?¡± The companions replied to Lancelot with firm looks, their long-standing implicit understanding making verbal communication unnecessary. Lancelot nodded at Kalalin, who immediately stretched out a somewhat crumpled piece of parchment in his hands, creating a basin-sized fireball that roared towards the rotund figure in the center of the cave. The fireball traveled extremely fast and in the blink of an eye slammed into the Fencer Matriarch¡¯s rolly back, followed by a fierce explosion. Meanwhile, Lancelot summoned hundreds of thick, sturdy vines, blocking all potential enemy entrances. Kalalin¡¯s magic did not just cause an explosion, it also ignited all nearby flammable objects, and a Fencer Matriarch whose fat made up more than 80% of her body was the best kind of fuel. Simultaneously, everyone leaped out from hiding spots, wielding their various weapons and charging towards the violently burning mound of flesh. However, a biting cold suddenly appeared out of nowhere, extinguishing the flames on the Fencer Matriarch¡¯s body and around her. Next came a scream like that of livestock about to be slaughtered, and with a speed that did not match her huge body, she charged towards the group. Before anyone could react, she landed a sonic-boom¨Claden heavy punch on the Dwarf who was in front. Bruto only felt a rapidly enlarging black shadow in front of him, and the next second he found himself trapped in the wall at the edge of the cave, his whole body aching as if it had been trampled by a giant dragon¡ªespecially his left arm. He had instinctively tried to raise his shield to block, and now the joint between his arm and shoulder was twisted at a strange angle, either dislocated or broken. Lancelot was also startled by his opponent¡¯s sudden burst of power, as he had expected the Fencer Matriarch to fight like a spellcaster, not a wild buffalo with its rear on fire. After the dwarf was smashed away, the next target was himself, with the meaty fist of the enemy even trailing a blur, forcing him to immediately react. Normally, dodging would be the best option, but stepping aside would endanger the teammates behind him, since they were not as tough as himself and Bruto, so Lancelot had no choice but to stay put and take on the opponent head-on. Frostslash¡¯s sword blade instantly lit up with a dazzling and scorching green light, and Lancelot, instead of retreating, stepped forward and delivered a full-power Heavy Slash. He wanted to see whether it was the fist of the Fencer sow or his own hand half sword, forged from cold iron and enhanced with the Qingyuan Sword Technique, that was harder! The longsword and the fist collided heavily, the sharp sword blade easily cutting through flesh, but the opponent¡¯s finger bones were even harder than mithril, blocking Lancelot¡¯s Heavy Slash, and both forces were deadlocked. The human knight¡¯s face couldn¡¯t help but change. He was wielding the sword with both hands, while the opponent had used only a fist and seemed to even be overpowering him. What kind of monstrous strength was this? However, he had no time to think further, as the Fencer Matriarch¡¯s other fist came smashing towards him without any finesse. Engaged in a power struggle with his opponent, Lancelot could no longer dodge and could only slightly turn his body, bracing his upper arm to block the incoming hook punch. Lancelot felt as if a siege weapon had hit his side, his body uncontrollably rolling and flying away. The power of the Fencer Matriarch was outrageously exaggerated, making him even doubt if a giant dragon would match it. Fortunately, his body, strengthened after Foundation Establishment, far exceeded that of an ordinary human, and he regained control while still in midair. He quickly adjusted his posture in the air, and then plunged his weapon into the ground with force. The longsword carved a trench over three feet long in the ground, with which Lancelot managed to stop his momentum. Once he stabilized, he hurriedly looked towards the battlefield, only to see that Isa and Old Reap had already flanked the enemy on both sides, Alamir was almost reaching the grievously injured dwarf, and Kalalin... Kalalin remained in the crevice where they had been hiding, now ready to cast another spell. ¡°Not the Fireball Technique, not the Fireball Technique...¡± As Lancelot charged towards the enemy again, he silently prayed in his heart. However, the long-standing tacit understanding in battle did not work this time, as an orange-yellow fireball exploded on the back of the Fencer Matriarch once again, the fine fire serpents instantly engulfing both her and the human knight. Chapter 533 533 557 Fat Reduction ?Chapter 533: Chapter 557: Fat Reduction Chapter 533: Chapter 557: Fat Reduction The impact wave generated by the Fireball Technique doesn¡¯t distinguish between friend and foe, and Lancelot¡¯s Wood Attribute Qingyuan Sword and Shield were not very effective against flames. This forced him to use a large amount of his True Yuan to resist the impact of the explosion. Fortunately, the massive body of the Fencer Matriarch absorbed most of the power of the explosion, causing Lancelot to only be pushed back several steps by the shockwave, and the ice that immediately appeared extinguished all the surrounding flames. The corpulent female Fencer Troll roared and turned towards the source of the fireball. Her back, which had been bulging like a tortoise shell, now had a deep dent blasted into it, revealing her spine, ribs, and internal organs. Clearly, as Kalalin¡¯s favorite, the Fireball Technique¡¯s power was indeed extraordinary; even the Matriarch¡¯s abnormally robust physique had suffered serious damage under the successive strikes of the fireball. But Lancelot still noticed something unusual. Despite the ghastly state of the enemy, a crucial element was missing from the aftermath of her injury¡ªblood. Although the Matriarch¡¯s back was torn open, there was not a hint of red, only white fat. A closer inspection revealed a semi-transparent magic shield under the exposed skeleton, protecting the vital organs beneath from harm. Lancelot realized that the opponent had previously caught his sword blade with her fist, yet acted as if she felt no pain. This might relate to her very unhealthy eating habits, but it also meant he needed to come up with some new moves. He took a deep breath and once again rushed towards the Fencer Matriarch using a strange footwork technique. The enemy was thrusting her palm forcefully toward the ground. The moment her corpulent fingers touched it, the originally hard ground turned into soft mud, which the Matriarch easily scooped up in large clumps. Once off the ground, the mound of dirt rapidly solidified into rocks, just about to be hurled like a cannonball at the Scholar who was drawing scrolls. Luckily, Lancelot arrived just in time. His figure flickered indecisively like a shadow under candlelight. His speed didn¡¯t seem very fast, but he instantly charged in front of the Matriarch and struck her wrist with his sword, causing the rock to drop to the ground. ... This was a footwork technique and Shadow Jump combination he had created based on the bamboo slips he learned from, called the Smoke Shadow Dance Steps. Compared to Master Han¡¯s original version, Lancelot¡¯s adaptation greatly enhanced evasion capabilities at the cost of ultimate speed. The original footwork technique was unbeatable in launching assaults¡ªor escaping¡ªbut Lancelot¡¯s Smoke Shadow Dance Steps suited close combat better and was more to his taste. The Fencer Matriarch was completely taken aback that someone could still fight after taking a punch from her. She turned around and began flailing wildly with her fists in surprise. But though her punches were heavy and fast, they were completely erratic, unable to keep up with Lancelot¡¯s rapidly changing movements, comically like trying to hit a shadow with a torch. As he dodged, Lancelot kept swinging his longsword, not to defend against the punches but to whisk away as much of the enemy¡¯s armor-like fat as possible. In just a few moments, he had completely stripped away all the fat from her arms, and the youngsters Isa and Reap also jumped in to help. With Lancelot attracting attention at the front, they could easily attack from the flank, slicing off chunks of fat the size of bread loaves from her waist and thighs. With their combined efforts, in less than a minute, the originally corpulent Fencer Matriarch was nearly reduced to a skeleton, with only the area from her chest to her abdomen remaining intact. However, her movements seemed unaffected and even more ferocious than before, forcing the two Wanderers to withdraw from the melee, leaving Lancelot alone to contend with the enemy. As his opponent grew increasingly impatient, Lancelot finally seized the opportunity to flash to his opponent¡¯s side and stabbed the tip of Frostslash viciously into the enemy¡¯s right ribcage. Even with the enhancement of the Qingyuan Sword Technique, the enemy¡¯s magic shield still posed significant resistance. The deeper Lancelot thrust, the greater the resistance he encountered, thick like magma about to solidify. Seeing his opponent¡¯s fist about to smash into him again, he was forced to withdraw his longsword and quickly leaped backward a short distance to assess the damage inflicted by his strike. The good news was, his sword had indeed been effective. For the first time, a pained expression appeared on the Fencer Matriarch¡¯s face, her left hand tightly covering the fresh wound while crimson blood oozed slowly from between her fingers. The bad news was, though he had plunged over two feet of the sword blade into his opponent¡¯s body, she seemed only slightly injured, as the wound quickly healed, and she lunged at him with another punch. However, Lancelot was not fighting alone. The moment they disengaged, Kalalin and Alamir immediately launched their own attack spells. The Scholar conjured a magic dart made of concentrated acid, while the Elf Priest threw a ball filled with holy energy. Both spells hit the Fencer Matriarch almost simultaneously, causing her to stagger, but as the light cleared, they were disappointed to find that the enemy¡¯s magic shield had absorbed most of the damage, leaving the Fencer Matriarch still full of vigor. Lancelot¡¯s heart sank. Since arriving in the Abyss, this was the first time he had encountered such a difficult to kill creature. Had he not inflicted some damage just now, he would have doubted whether his opponent was invincible. Fortunately, the vines blocking the entrance had not been attacked yet, giving him more time to duel with his enemy. Lancelot grimly determined that if it came down to it, he would invest extra effort into embedding a trace of Qingyuan Sword Qi into his every strike, thoroughly obliterating her internal organs, and see if she could still bounce back then. Just as he was about to do so, a special fluctuation transmitted through his divine sense, and Lancelot, with a look of surprise, turned his head to glance at little Isha, connecting through their special psychic bond. ¡°Brother, throw me the Dimensional Bag!¡± little Isha cried out urgently, ¡°The one with my bed in it!¡± She was referring to the Dimensional Bag that Lancelot had first acquired when rescuing the Gray Dwarf mining team. Perhaps because it had been left inside a mud creature¡¯s body for too long, this Dimensional Bag¡¯s capacity was only a third of a normal one. Since acquiring another regular-sized Dimensional Bag hidden in a private place in the Magical Storage, Lancelot had rarely used this smaller one; it had become little Isha¡¯s bedroom during travels, filled with her personal belongings. Without overthinking, Lancelot removed the bag and tossed it towards the little girl, then swiftly moved away from his original position, dodging the furious strike from the Fencer Matriarch. He was about to swing Frostslash for a counterattack, but the Fencer Matriarch suddenly plunged forward violently, as if a giant hand had pressed her into the ground. Chapter 534 534 558 Death Curse ?Chapter 534: Chapter 558 Death Curse Chapter 534: Chapter 558 Death Curse ¡°Her back was covered with densely packed red roses, adorned with golden and black spots on their petals, and the sharp thorns along their stems pointed downwards¡ªthese were the blood-sucking plants known as Demon Palace Roses that everyone had seen in Androlina. The roses were gently swaying as if caressed by a light breeze, which looked quite charming. However, there was no airflow within the cave; that trembling was nothing more than the quivering produced by the rapid bloodsucking. Matriarch Fencer tried to turn over, but her plump belly made her resemble a roly-poly toy, always rolling back to a prone position regardless of her struggles; she attempted to reach back and pluck the roses, but her long-term poor diet had completely deformed her arms, barely allowing her to touch the top of her head or her waist. The one controlling these Demon Palace Roses was none other than the little vampire, Isabella. Since taming these bloodsucking plants with Lancelot¡¯s help, she often practiced controlling them during her ¡®rest¡¯, and this time they finally proved useful. As the petals of the Demon Palace Roses became increasingly vivid, life visibly drained from Matriarch Fencer¡¯s body at an alarming rate. After surpassing a certain threshold, the flesh previously cut off and discarded by everyone suddenly began to wriggle, turning into bloated white maggots that rushed towards Matriarch Fencer like ants discovering honey, effortlessly passing through the magical protective barrier and voraciously tearing into her succulent innards. In her final moments, Matriarch Fencer¡¯s scream was so filled with intense pain that Lancelot had to summon a Soundproof Barrier to block the unbearable wailing. In a mere few breaths, the maggots devoured all her flesh, ending her insatiable appetite once and for all, leaving behind only a massive skeleton. The maggots then began to self-ignite, their plump bodies melting like wax in the flames, and eventually, apart from some charred spots and an indescribable stench, no evidence of their existence remained. ... Lancelot shook his head, about to say something, when suddenly Isabella let out a piercing scream. Through their mental connection, he felt the girl¡¯s thoughts become extremely chaotic, as if she instantly descended into madness. It wasn¡¯t just her mind that was out of control. The young vampire swiftly drew the two short swords at her waist and turned to stab them towards old Reap who was nearby. Fortunately, he was already on alert to her erratic behavior and responded immediately. Twirling his cloak, he blocked the incoming attack and retreated ten feet away. ¡®Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you!¡¯ the werewolf shouted, ¡®I am not your enemy!¡¯ But Isabella paid him no attention and immediately chased after old Reap again, clearly having succumbed to madness. The werewolf was not foolish either; without hesitation, he turned tail and ran, unwilling to engage with the young girl. Their weapons were both short swords, extremely dangerous for close combat as it was nearly impossible to pull punches. As a temporary member, old Reap naturally paid close attention to the team¡¯s dynamics, and he was well aware of the relationship between the young girl and Lancelot. Staying in place to fight, whether he won or lost, would do him no good, so turning to run was indeed the best choice. ¡®Isabella, stop!¡¯ Lancelot called out.¡± Lancelot called out urgently, and at the same time, he issued commands through the mental link as the master, but as expected, they were completely ignored. Through the mind connection, he could clearly feel that some much stronger magical power had taken over the little girl¡¯s will, and his own commands were like stones thrown into the sea, stirring not even a ripple. ¡°The death curse, it¡¯s the Matriarch Fencer¡¯s death curse!¡± Alamir, who was supporting the Dwarf at the other end of the cave, yelled, ¡°First, we need to get her under control!¡± As soon as Lancelot heard this, he understood. He stabbed Frostslash into the ground and quickly formed Dharma Seals with both hands. Immediately, dozens of vines as thick as arms burrowed out from beneath little Isabella¡¯s feet. Some bound her hands and feet, others coiled around her body, tightly wrapping around every muscle, and one even thrust into the little girl¡¯s mouth, in case she tried to harm herself by biting her tongue. Of course, these vines neither had hard thorns nor biting mushrooms on them, and their surfaces were soft and smooth, ensuring they did not cause any harm while restricting her movements. The bound Isabella continued to struggle fiercely, and Lancelot had to instruct the vines to tighten even more until she could no longer move at all. All of her companions gathered around, looking worriedly at the tightly bound little vampire. ¡°Under normal circumstances, she could break free by turning into a bat or a mouse, but it seems she can¡¯t even think to do that right now,¡± Bruto said, covering his shoulder, somewhat worried, ¡°Elf, what did you say caused this? The death curse?¡± ¡°Yes, through a special means, a Spellcaster can place a spell on themselves or someone else, and this spell is only activated upon the death of the one it¡¯s placed upon, with the spell-bearer being the killer of that individual. Mages prefer magic protections that enable them to live longer, and this technique is more commonly employed by those Priests that worship the Evil God,¡± Alamir explained as he walked up to the immobile Isabella and carefully pried her eyelids open. ¡°Take a close look at her pupils. Do you see a V-shaped symbol inside? That¡¯s a sign of being influenced by an incantation, indicating that she must execute a predefined command. I guess it¡¯s either to avenge the dead or to kill everyone present.¡± ¡°Is there a way to remove it?¡± Lancelot asked bluntly, ¡°She must be suffering right now...¡± ¡°Having a brother as gentle as you, it actually isn¡¯t too bad,¡± the Elf Priest teased with a smile, poking the elastic vine, ¡°A simple exorcism spell will do, just give me a moment, and it¡¯ll be all set.¡± Alamir knelt down on the spot, his hands supporting a Shield bearing the Holy Emblem of Shuni, and he began to recite complex prayers. The Emblem on the Shield grew brighter with his voice, and in front of it, a light sphere formed, flickering on and off. The Elf Priest stood up with the Shield, and the light sphere moved along with it. ¡°Everyone, look, this is the power of the Lady of Love!¡± Alamir announced proudly to everyone, then carefully pushed the sphere of light into Isabella¡¯s body. Lancelot almost immediately felt the little girl stop struggling, and a stream of black mist also emerged from her body at the same time. But for some reason, a smaller sphere of light emerged with the mist, disappearing into the Elf Priest¡¯s Shield. Isabella slowly opened her eyes, and behind the pale blue pupils was the soul everyone recognized. She tried to speak whimperingly but found her mouth stuffed with a thick and robust vine. Chapter 535 535 559 Spoils of War ?Chapter 535: Chapter 559: Spoils of War Chapter 535: Chapter 559: Spoils of War ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lancelot asked cautiously as he waved his hand to retract the vine, ¡°Do you still feel like attacking us?¡± ¡°Um, Brother Lancelot...¡± Isabella¡¯s voice was filled with confusion and shyness, ¡°Could you put me down first? I think I should have recovered...¡± Once freed from the vine¡¯s entanglement, Isabella first moved her body in place to make sure everything was normal before showing a relieved expression, then she solemnly apologized to everyone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m fully aware of what just happened, but I just... couldn¡¯t control my body at all...¡± The vampire¡¯s pale face managed to muster a few hints of color, ¡°I¡¯ve caused everyone trouble...¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± Lancelot waved his hand, ¡°It was the death curse from that monster that caused this, it would have been the same for anyone.¡± ¡°How many times has it been now, you delivering the final blow to the enemy?¡± Bruto said with some envy, ¡°I was simply punched away earlier, felt quite left out.¡± ¡°I saw Brother Lancelot stab and draw blood, and when the enemy exposed its back to me, a thought sparked and I thought of using those flowers.¡± Isabella stuck out her tongue, then noticed those Demon Palace roses still stuck in the huge skeleton, and hurried over there, ¡°I¡¯ll go retrieve them; they can still be used next time...¡± ¡°Your arm is already healed?¡± Lancelot turned his head, sizing up the Dwarf. From the opponent¡¯s aura, Bruto appeared no different than before the fight started. ¡°You also took a punch; you know how ridiculous that guy¡¯s strength is.¡± Bruto lifted his Shield, which now had two fine cracks and was obviously no longer usable, ¡°But the Elf really has some skill, kneeling there, kissing up to his god, then touched my body, guess what? All healed!¡± ¡°After how many times I¡¯ve saved you, can¡¯t you say something nice?¡± Alamir said with a face of helplessness, ¡°Only by truly believing in the strength of the god in your heart, can you harness the power He bestows...¡± ¡°Today we really owe you a lot,¡± Lancelot sincerely told the Elf, ¡°you truly are a valuable member of our team.¡± ... ¡°Thank you for acknowledging that, Sir Lancelot,¡± Alamir replied with Elf-like elegance, bowing to him, ¡°It¡¯s all part of my duty. By the way, you just witnessed the miracles of healing Bruto and Miss Isabella, I¡¯d like to take a bit more time to discuss my Goddess and Savior, the Lady of Flame, Shuni...¡± ¡°Uh, maybe next time...¡± Lancelot¡¯s face darkened, ¡°We need to make a quick retreat, I feel that someone is already attacking the vines blocking the entrance.¡± ¡°Hold on, hold on! Let¡¯s look for some spoils of war first!¡± Bruto panicked at the thought, ¡°This is a Fencer Troll chieftain¡¯s... um... boudoir! There¡¯s bound to be good stuff, I can feel it!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Lancelot trusted the Dwarf¡¯s intuition, hands swiftly conjuring a spell, instantly summoning a mass of vines that completely sealed the front entrance of the cave, ¡°Quickly look then, where exactly?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Bruto furrowed his brow, took two steps forward and then three steps back, at one moment lying down, and the next jumping around on the spot. Finally, he locked his gaze on the lounge chair where the Fencer Matriarch had just been sitting, and a look of ecstasy suddenly appeared on his face as he rushed over, calling out simultaneously: ¡°Come give me a hand!¡± Lancelot immediately followed, joined by the gleam-eyed old Reap. Together, the three of them flipped over the gigantic lounge chair that was over fifteen feet long, revealing the treasures the Fencer Matriarch had hidden right under her own seat. ¡°Wow!!!¡± Bruto looked as though he was about to faint from happiness, ¡°So many!¡± The expressions of the others might not have been as exaggerated as the Dwarf¡¯s, but each of them wore a grin from ear to ear. Beneath that enormous chair, there was a small pit filled with beautiful rubies, the reflecting surface nearly blinding everyone. ¡°There are quite a few of good quality!¡± the Dwarf rubbed his hands excitedly, ¡°This Fencer Troll tribe regards the White Dragon upstairs as their guardian deity, right? It seems their leader had privately hoarded quite a bounty!¡± ¡°Not necessarily, the Red Dragon in the military area likes rubies, right? Maybe the White Dragon just isn¡¯t interested in rubies...¡± Lancelot pulled out a dimensional bag used for storing spoils of war. He stamped his right foot heavily on the ground, and the gemstones in the pit were jolted into the air; then, with his hands swiftly tracing circles, a current of invisible air wrapped around the gemstones and flew them into the open mouth of the bag. ¡°I must say, that move was truly cool,¡± Alamir nodded lightly while applauding, ¡°How much could that be worth...¡± ¡°No less than fifty thousand Gold Coins.¡± Bruto held up two fingers and poked them in the air towards his own eyes, ¡°I saw it clear as day, not a single one missed.¡± Upon hearing this number, Lancelot, who initially felt quite excited, suddenly found it all somewhat tasteless. At the end of the day, they were just exchanging material goods; all these were external possessions. To him as a Spiritual Cultivator, the most important things were Spirit Stones, Magical Treasures, and Elixirs to enhance his own strength and realm, something Gold Coins and gemstones could not buy. With this thought, he couldn¡¯t help but turn his head to look at the skeleton beside him. During the battle earlier, the Fencer Matriarch had withstood his Frostslash empowered by the Qingyuan Sword Technique, resembling the Body Refiners mentioned in the heart of Spiritual Cultivation. Furthermore, since Fencer Trolls were not Fiends, their bones didn¡¯t possess the characteristic rapid decay after death; weren¡¯t these bones excellent materials for equipment? Seeing his gaze, the others immediately understood his intention. Everyone gathered around the deceased Fencer Matriarch¡¯s skeleton, some touching the remains to feel their hardness, while others used magic to identify its properties. ¡°The hardness is definitely beyond Mithril, but probably more brittle, and it¡¯s also lighter,¡± Bruto was the first to express his opinion, ¡°If you ask me, it¡¯s ideal for crafting throwing weapons. How does a bone javelin sound?¡± ¡°These bones naturally possess a Magic Breaker attribute, which will be very effective against Protection spells, and they also have the trait of suppressing Undead creatures; maybe it¡¯s because the Fencer Matriarch ate too many fresh corpses?¡± Kalalin also revealed the conclusions of the Identification Spell, ¡°Give me some scrap material, I will further explore the potential changes when using them as casting materials.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the aura these bones emit,¡± the Elf Priest, standing a bit away, suddenly spoke up, ¡°Perhaps you aren¡¯t very sensitive to it, but these bones emit a strong Evil Attribute, and weapons made from them would surely possess that attribute, causing additional harm to benevolent creatures. Are you sure you want such weapons to be made?¡± Chapter 536 536 560 Approaching Dragons Nest ?Chapter 536: Chapter 560 Approaching Dragon¡¯s Nest Chapter 536: Chapter 560 Approaching Dragon¡¯s Nest ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve always had a question, you¡¯ve told Kalalin quite a few stories about legendary weapons, some of which were forged initially to honor a benevolent god, but when they fell into the hands of evildoers, these weapons seemed to fall along with them, becoming infamous instruments of murder.¡± Lancelot picked up a shinbone over four feet long from the ground and, with a bit of concentration, conjured a dull grey ¡®stick¡¯ glow on it. He effortlessly twirled out a sword flower, ¡°We¡¯re adventuring in the Abyss, and most of the weapons we find here are naturally evil weapons. Is there a way to purify these evil weapons, or ¡®fall¡¯ them into benevolent ones?¡± Alamir opened his mouth wide; he was truly startled by Lancelot¡¯s astonishing idea and couldn¡¯t find the words to speak for a moment. ¡°I guess you probably don¡¯t know, from what I¡¯ve learned from Elothysia, the gods lack interest in redemption, completely devoid of the fervor the Demon Lord and Demon Archdukes have for the fallen.¡± Lancelot placed the shinbone into his Dimensional Bag and bent over to pick up other bones suitable for weapon crafting as well, ¡°But I believe your Shuni, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, would not be as arrogant as the other True Gods. Ask Her when you get a chance, is there a way to purify a weapon with an evil attribute, or a fallen soul?¡± ¡°I will ask Her, and I believe the Goddess must have an answer, but this is definitely not as easy as you imagine,¡± Alamir said with a deep gaze at Lancelot, ¡°As easy as it is to fall, so difficult is it to redeem.¡± ¡°So there¡¯s no need to force it, just stick to the baseline of your own heart,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything of value left here; let¡¯s move on. I feel like we must be very close to the Dragon¡¯s Nest by now.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement, and Lancelot waved away the vines blocking the exit, leading his companions into the tunnel from whence the dragon¡¯s roar had come. Of course, before leaving, he set a large amount of vines with biting mushrooms behind them, which should hold off the leaderless pursuers for quite some time. ... The tunnel leading to the Dragon¡¯s Lair was extremely spacious, probably to facilitate the Fencer Trolls transporting tributes to the White Dragon or for bribes. As they moved on, the temperature also dropped increasingly, and sooner than known, the walls and ceiling of the tunnel were completely covered with thick ice, as if walking inside an iceberg. Apart from the rapidly changing environment, the ongoing dragon roars also hinted they were getting closer and closer to their journey¡¯s end. The dragon¡¯s roar is a very unique sound, full of wildness, power, arrogance, promising a death as smooth as warm milk. Despite the distance still to cover, those dragon roars made everybody feel as if something special was seeping into their blood, causing them to feel dizzy and sweaty-palmed, as if they were back on the walls of Pascaler, facing a sea of Demons as far as the eye could see. But Lancelot¡¯s brow furrowed tightly, for amongst those roars, he heard something different. That sound was even sharper, more magnetic, and he seemed to feel anger, humiliation, hatred, and other negative emotions. It sounded like... The cries of another dragon. ¡°Did you guys hear that?¡± he suddenly stopped, ¡°It seems like there¡¯s more than one dragon roaring ahead.¡± Everyone showed a surprised expression; they had been trying hard to suppress the urge to turn and run. With Lancelot¡¯s comment, they began to listen closely to the roars. ¡°It seems a bit off,¡± Alamir was the first to react. The Elf Priest, possessing senses only second to Lancelot¡¯s keenness, said, ¡°The other sound sounds like... a female dragon?¡± ¡°You can even distinguish gender by sound?¡± Bruto said in annoyance, curling his lips, ¡°It seems those long ears of elves are somewhat useful after all...¡± ¡°I can¡¯t make out anything either,¡± Kalalin removed his hands from his ears, shrugging in disappointment. ¡°There indeed are two dragons calling,¡± Shuni said with a certain tone, ¡°The Dragon¡¯s Nest has a very wide space, with many huge pits on the ground. The dragon with the rougher voice is at a higher place in the Dragon¡¯s Nest, while the one with the finer voice is in a large pit on the ground.¡± ¡°You¡¯re even more outrageous than the elves,¡± the Dwarf¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Have you been to other Dragon¡¯s Nests before?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget I¡¯m a vampire!¡± Shuni grinned, revealing two sharp, long canines at the corner of her mouth, ¡°I can not only hear a lot of sounds that I couldn¡¯t hear before, but I can also obtain other information from them. Just by the sound of our voices speaking now, I can tell how wide this tunnel is and how far ahead there will be a turn, just like there is an image in my mind.¡± ¡°Alright then,¡± Bruto rolled his eyes, ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯m the only normal person in this team.¡± ¡°We need to prepare first,¡± Lancelot turned and sized up the walls on both sides of the tunnel, ¡°Wait a moment...¡± He did not take much effort to find a suitable spot. A greenish Fire Lotus appeared in his hand, effortlessly melting half a foot of the ice layer, revealing a crack in the wall just big enough for one person to enter. There wasn¡¯t much space within the fissure, but Lancelot summoned a large amount of vines and quickly dug out a nine-foot square cave within the depths of the crack, which was to be their hideout. ¡°Go in. The entrance is a bit narrow, but there should be enough space inside. If not, I¡¯ll dig some more,¡± Lancelot gestured to his companions, who were watching him work, ¡°Kalalin, as usual, set up the Teleportation Runes first.¡± ¡°I say, isn¡¯t this entrance a bit too obvious?¡± Old Reap, while squeezing into the crack sideways, asked doubtfully, ¡°What I mean is, this is the route that the Fencer Trolls take to the Dragon¡¯s Nest. Any passerby might get curious and peek inside, won¡¯t that blow our cover?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve thought of that already. I will re-freeze the entrance before we leave, making it unnoticeable from the outside,¡± Lancelot said with a smile, ¡°Besides, if I remember correctly, even the smallest Fencer Troll is bigger than us. I picked this fissure specifically¡ªthey can¡¯t fit through.¡± ¡°Is today¡¯s adventure ending here?¡± While drawing Arcane Symbols on the ground, Kalalin looked up at Lancelot and asked, ¡°We prepare for the dragon fight at night, have a good sleep, and then go and take down that adult White Dragon tomorrow?¡± ¡°Our purpose for coming here was reconnaissance, not dragon slaying. That¡¯s not part of the plan and the risk is too high, it¡¯s not worth it,¡± Lancelot said, shaking his head gently, ¡°After setting up this base, we¡¯ll set off right away. There are two dragons quarreling inside now¡ªit¡¯s a good opportunity for us to sneak a peek.¡± Chapter 537 537 561 Terrifying Majesty ?Chapter 537: Chapter 561 Terrifying Majesty Chapter 537: Chapter 561 Terrifying Majesty Moments later, Kalalin had drawn the necessary Arcane Symbols for Teleportation Magic on the ground, and Lancelot also planted his five-colored flags around the cave, setting up a simple Concealment Formation. This kind of Formation in the world of Spiritual Cultivation served to block Divine Sense probing, preventing cultivators below the Golden Core Realm from passively sensing anything unusual within the Formation. Moreover, after Lancelot¡¯s tests, this Formation could cause ordinary people to subconsciously overlook its presence. Even the most perceptive Elf Priest had to be prompted before they could detect any anomalies. After establishing their hiding spot, everyone left the newly dug cave. Before leaving, Alamir cast a Water Conjuring Spell, causing a localized rainfall on the crack in the wall. Due to the low temperature, the water created by the Divine Art turned to ice instantly, resealing the entrance of the cave. ¡°What did I say? You can¡¯t tell at all,¡± Lancelot nodded in satisfaction. Then another loud dragon¡¯s roar drew everyone¡¯s attention. He frowned towards the direction of the sound and lightly clapped his hands, ¡°Let¡¯s move on. The Dragon¡¯s Lair is just ahead. Everyone, be careful and try not to make too much noise.¡± They didn¡¯t need him to expressly warn them, as anyone approaching a lair from which fierce beastly roars emanated would be extremely cautious. As the roaring became clearer, the light at the end of the tunnel also came into view. The group moved forward in almost step-and-stop fashion, stealthily peering out from the shadows near the exit. The exit led to a terrace protruding midway in the air, at the far end of which stood an enormous stone table with remains of some bodies; these were likely the sacrificial victims offered by the Fencer Trolls to the White Dragon. Next to the terrace was a spiral staircase descending into the bottom of the Dragon¡¯s Nest, but the companions were unable to see the situation below for the moment. ... The space inside the Dragon¡¯s Nest was even larger than they had imagined, almost large enough to cram an entire castle. But for the group, this was not good news, as the owner of the nest would have ample space to fly about during battle. If they could not find a way to restrict the Dragon¡¯s flight, the outcome of the fight would hold no suspense. Within the range of their sight, the structure of the Dragon¡¯s Nest resembled an inverted funnel. Towards the top, it gradually narrowed until coming to a small opening solely for the nest owner¡¯s entry and exit. The roaring they had been hearing came from a massive White Dragon hanging upside-down from the ceiling, growling furiously at the bottom like an enraged hound. Looking at the enraged beast, nearly everyone felt a venom called Fear injected into their hearts. They had to exert all their strength to suppress the urge to turn and flee, yet their feet were like lead, unable to advance the slightest bit further. Of course, as the strongest in the team, Lancelot did not submit to the terrifying majesty of the Giant Dragon. More importantly, he did not rely on the protective functions of the bamboo slip for Divine Sense, overcoming the fear with his own will. But to be frank, anyone who had experienced warfare, without a mind more solid than armor, would have suffered a mental breakdown long ago. Besides Lancelot, another unaffected was Alamir. As a Priest, faith made the Elves fearless, and the ugliness of the world only stirred their compassion and anger. Meanwhile, Bruto beside him resisted the dragon¡¯s oppressive presence in another way: he forced himself back to a particular scene in his memory. Back then, he was a slave holding his unconscious father in his arms, feeling the Demon overseer¡¯s whip falling like raindrops on his back. He forced himself to be consumed by those deeply humiliating emotions to awaken another kind of power within him. Accompanied by a low growl, the Dwarf forcibly entered a berserk state, where fear was instantly replaced by rage, allowing him to wrest back control of his body. His next action was to swing up his arm, trying to throw his hammer at the giant winged lizard hanging overhead, but Lancelot, with his quick reflexes, grabbed and held him down. ¡°Stop,¡± Lancelot said in a special tone close to the Dwarf¡¯s ear, ¡°It¡¯s too far, you won¡¯t hit it.¡± To Bruto, the voice sounded like a cold winter wind that traveled through his ear canal and straight into his brain, allowing him to instantly regain his composure. Out of Dwarf pride, he nodded very reluctantly and crouched down again. The other three companions, however, could not free themselves from this state on their own, and Alamir, worried about drawing the attention of the White Dragon, was unable to help his companions with Divine Arts (although he actually had the ability to do so). Lancelot thought for a moment, then gathered a special kind of True Yuan in his hand and gently patted the companions still controlled by fear. Those who were touched by him felt a strange sensation, as if their hearts were instantly frozen, with all emotions stripped from their thoughts. This state lasted for a very short time, but when their hearts felt warmth again, the fear of the Giant Dragon had vanished without a trace. ¡°Is that the White Dragon we saw earlier?¡± Bruto asked in a low voice, ¡°Take a good look, it¡¯s really ugly, just like a crocodile with bat wings, except it¡¯s all white, as if it has albinism.¡± ¡°An accurate description,¡± Alamir agreed, ¡°I think it¡¯s the adult White Dragon we saw before, Lancelot, what do you say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely the same dragon,¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, ¡°but there was no dark spot on its tail before, looking as if it¡¯s been scorched...¡± Before he could finish, another dragon roar came from the bottom of the cave, causing everyone to almost instinctively drop to the ground. They exchanged glances with each other and then cautiously crawled out of the tunnel opening, peering down from the edge of the terrace. The sight that met their eyes nearly froze them all in place, even Lancelot felt as though his heart had stopped beating. At the bottom of the Dragon¡¯s Lair there were several pit-like cells, each containing a Giant Dragon. Some Dragons seemed to have died, completely enveloped in thick layers of ice, like exquisitely terrifying sculptures of ice; others were bound with stout iron chains and massive instruments of torture, looking like captives of the lair¡¯s master. ¡°Red, white, green, blue, black, one Giant Dragon of each color, what is Svafnir trying to do?¡± Alamir¡¯s incredulous voice rose among them, ¡°Wait, by Shuni above, are those all... female Dragons?¡± ¡°Is that even a question?¡± Bruto turned his head and winked at Lancelot, ¡°The scales behind their butts are almost polished away...¡± Chapter 538 538 562 Inside the Dragons Nest ?Chapter 538: Chapter 562: Inside the Dragon¡¯s Nest Chapter 538: Chapter 562: Inside the Dragon¡¯s Nest Lancelot made the slightest movement to retrieve a fist-sized, spherical stone from his Dimensional Bag. The stone¡¯s surface bore mysterious yet uncomplicated golden patterns, which began to faintly glow as he concentrated slightly. He immediately hid it beneath his chest to cover the flashes of light. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± The motion of the Human Knight piqued Bruto¡¯s curiosity, ¡°What new trick have you got there?¡± ¡°Perception Stone,¡± Lancelot answered in an extremely soft voice, ¡°Tijana got it for me from the Lady in Disfavor. It can record everything I see and hear for a short time.¡± Bruto nodded and did not press further, turning his attention back to the situation at the bottom of the Dragon¡¯s Nest. Among those imprisoned female Giant Dragons, there was an exceedingly special one: a Red Dragon that was still rebelling continuously, trying to break free from the chains. Even by Lancelot¡¯s human aesthetic standards, this Red Dragon was remarkably beautiful. She had backward-sweeping wavelike horns atop her head (as opposed to Tijana¡¯s upright horns), and her large amber eyes were reminiscent of adorable kittens; while the prominent, layered spiny crown on the latter half of her head emphasized her noble status. Her figure was extremely slender, though she appeared somewhat skinny and bony, and her scales were fine and tight, with a gradient of colors: starting from the bright yellow of flames on her underside, darkening towards the blood-like red on her back, extending all the way to the tail adorned with orderly Thorns. Yet this beautiful, noble Red Dragon, the strongest amongst colored Dragons, was now sullied with iron chains, her graceful wings pierced by several giant Iron Hooks, and several Fencer Trolls were pulling with all their strength on the metal chains connected to the Iron Hooks, using pulleys at the edge of the pit to force her to spread her wings to an extremely distorted angle¡ªa mere look from afar was enough to make one¡¯s shoulder blades painfully twinge. Despite such a state, the Red Dragon kept on roaring and spewing flames, charring the ground before her into pure black. Lancelot then raised his head to take another look at the White Dragon above, guessing how the black spots on its tail came to be. ... But the other prisoners within the Dragon¡¯s Nest did not possess the Red Dragon¡¯s fierce fighting spirit. In three nearby pits, a Green Dragon, a Blue Dragon, and a Black Dragon lay respectively; their bodies similarly bound with thorn-like iron chains, their wings also pierced by Iron Hooks linked with chains. At this moment, they all obediently lay on the ground, looking as though they had given up all resistance and did not wish to attract the prison guards¡¯ attention in any way. Nevertheless, any individual who observed these female Dragons closely for more than ten seconds could not fail to see the undissimulated spite and hatred hiding beneath occasionally fluttering eyelids. Yet even more eye-catching was the enormous mound of Treasure at the center of the cave. Beneath a transparent layer of ice, countless coins, gemstones, and ornately decorated chests formed a small hill, shimmering with a star-like radiance under the light. The sight was so alluring that even Lancelot, who had just convinced himself that money meant nothing to him, could hardly pull his gaze away from the pile of treasures. ¡°Huff, huff, by Moradin above, did you all see that?¡± Bruto whispered breathlessly, his gaze almost capable of melting the ice layer atop the treasures, ¡°There must be at least a million Gold Coins there...¡± ¡°Svafnir had fled from Warrior Village to this plane back in the day, but surely didn¡¯t bring its own treasury along,¡± Kalalin interjected with an equally fervent voice, ¡°Which means every single Gold Coin there is the spoils of its raids following Kostcheqi, direct evidence of the Abyssal Lord¡¯s accumulated bloody debts...¡± ¡°It¡¯s despicable, these blood-stained treasures must be confiscated, handed over to heroes who fight for love and justice like us.¡± Bruto said with conviction, then turned to ask Alamir beside him, ¡°Elf, can you tell how old that Red Dragon is? If she wasn¡¯t bound, could she beat the White Dragon above us?¡± ¡°She¡¯s surely of age, but not more than two hundred years old¡ªa very young lady indeed,¡± Alamir replied softly. ¡°But this is the lair of the White Dragon, and she is gravely wounded. If they were to fight, the Red Dragon would certainly be no match.¡± ¡°But what if we helped her?¡± Bruto¡¯s voice sounded impatient. ¡°Look closely, the key to her bindings is those two chains on her neck. We could launch a long-range attack from here, just need those Fencer Trolls holding the chains to slip up a bit, then the Red Dragon could turn her head and burn the pulley system on both sides. When that happens, we go up and help, quickly undoing all the chains that bind her...¡± ¡°No,¡± Lancelot said, cutting him off decisively. ¡°We don¡¯t know if the Red Dragon will cooperate. Perhaps the first thing she¡¯ll do upon gaining freedom is to let loose a Dragon Breath on us. And after dealing with that White Dragon, would the Red Dragon agree to share the spoils with us? What if the real master, Svafnir, returns?¡± ¡°But...¡± the Dwarf tried to argue, but Lancelot suddenly placed his hand over his mouth, silencing him effectively. ¡°Calm down, this isn¡¯t the place to argue.¡± Lancelot stared severely at Bruto, and only after ensuring he calmed down did he gently remove his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve memorized the layout of the nest using the Perception Stone, now everyone retreat back into the tunnel. Move as stealthily as possible, don¡¯t alert the beast above that a few little bugs have crept in.¡± Everyone followed Lancelot¡¯s orders well, and when they finally escaped the White Dragon¡¯s line of sight, each one couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of relief. ¡°This is such a good opportunity,¡± Bruto couldn¡¯t hold back, feeling a temporary safety, he began to pitch his idea to Lancelot again. ¡°The Red Dragon surely hates her captor more and has no reason to attack us. Besides, don¡¯t Dragons look down on all other creatures aside from themselves? Even if Svafnir comes back, he would definitely target the Red Dragon first...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget what our real purpose is for coming to the Iron Ice Plains. Dain Frostbeard, does that name remind you of anything?¡± Lancelot spread his hands in resignation. ¡°Even if everything goes well and we manage to thaw some treasure and stuff them into the Dimensional Bag before the ancient White Dragon finishes, what then? It wouldn¡¯t help us entering the Glacial Fortress at all.¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re saying makes sense, but I just can¡¯t stand it,¡± Bruto grumbled as he sat down on the ground, wistfully looking toward the tunnel exit. ¡°We¡¯re missing out on the chance to become Dragon Slayers...¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have our chance, I promise you,¡± Lancelot said consolingly, patting the Dwarf¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Once we¡¯ve also set up a Teleportation Formation near the Glacial Fortress and need to lure Svafnir away, we¡¯ll come back to kill that rapist¡¯s son.¡± Chapter 539 539 563 Seeing Gertie Again ?Chapter 539: Chapter 563: Seeing Gertie Again Chapter 539: Chapter 563: Seeing Gertie Again Under the command of Lancelot, Kalalin used the teleportation scroll for the first time, bringing everyone back to the cave near the Gate of Stroddet. They were pleased to discover that the warning arrangements they had left behind when they departed were still intact, and there were no signs that the cave had been visited, indicating that Lancelot¡¯s concealment formation had indeed been effective. Although dusk was approaching, the group still left the cave to check the situation near the portal. They returned to the little hill where they had previously lurked and peered from a distance through the snow and fog at the ¡®zone¡¯ beneath the mountain foot. Frost Giants loyal to Solheim and Kostcheqi were still hunting each other across the snowy plains, the scene unchanged from their last visit, as if a classic drama were being replayed again and again. ¡°You guys think Solheim must know that Kostcheqi has been captured in the Nine Hells, right?¡± Bruto watched the battle below with muted interest, from this distance the towering Frost Giants were no different from ants, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t he take this chance to come down to this plane and just wipe out Kostcheqi¡¯s lair completely?¡± ¡°True Gods seldom leave their own Divine Kingdom, let alone travel from the plane where their Divine Kingdom is located,¡± the Elf Priest shook his head, ¡°The Divine Kingdom is like a lighthouse on the shore, guiding the mortals in the mortal world. If you take out the brazier inside, can you imagine how much trouble that would cause?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Bruto answered bluntly, ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°Merely allowing the faithful to get lost in the Netherworld is bad enough, but more importantly, they wouldn¡¯t be able to respond to the prayers of their faithful or grant their priests Divine Arts. In this universe full of dangers, that¡¯s not a good thing,¡± Alamir explained patiently to the Dwarf, ¡°You should know that the Deities are also engaged in endless struggles, and the deities with similar divine offices would not miss such a chance. They will make their braziers burn brightly and take the opportunity to attract more bewildered souls.¡± ¡°So, Olul¡¯s incarnation was like a torch taken from the brazier?¡± Bruto asked curiously, ¡°That really doesn¡¯t sound too good, I mean, Lancelot, old Reap, Tijana, and I teamed up and directly knocked it down...¡± ... ¡°Uncle Bruto is bragging!¡± Young Isha, who rarely interjected, suddenly spoke up, ¡°It was mostly thanks to Sister Tijana, right?¡± ¡°Who says?¡± the Dwarf glared at the young Vampire displeasedly, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, go ask Tijana. If it weren¡¯t for the three of us hacking around that chunk of ice, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to bomb it so comfortably from the sky with spells...¡± ¡°We mortals are still fine, all non-chaotic evil True Gods are severely weakened in strength in the Abyss,¡± Kalalin added from the side, ¡°Although there is no evidence to show a direct cause and effect between killing gods and becoming gods, there¡¯s still much that can be exploited. About a hundred years ago, Lord Wu¡¯an captured the Goddess of Wealth Woken, and planned to have his daughter take her place. If it wasn¡¯t for a team of adventurers that rescued Her in time, Grazzt¡¯s plot could very well have succeeded. With a daughter who controlled the divine office of wealth at his side, it¡¯s likely that the title of Prince of the Abyss would have changed hands...¡± ¡°There¡¯s such a thing?¡± Lancelot perked up upon hearing this, ¡°But didn¡¯t you just say that true deities seldom venture into the Abyss at great risk?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not clear about the ins and outs of how Woken was captured. It is said that both sides reached some sort of cooperation, but Azgralath¡¯s master chose to betray at the last moment,¡± Kalalin shrugged his shoulders, ¡°That was a turbulent year, the deities were driven out of their divine kingdoms and walked the earth in the form of saints. At that time, they lost most of their power, even several powerful mortals could combine forces to defeat a true deity. You know, it¡¯s hard to keep rational when in mortal danger, it seems the divine are no different.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also heard about this, it¡¯s said that Woken wanted to sneak back to her own Divine Kingdom through the Abyss. During the turbulent years, all priests had lost contact with their deities, and if she could be the first to return to normal, she would definitely attract a lot of believers,¡± Alamir sighed and shook his head, ¡°How to put it, as the Goddess of Commerce, greed is a part of Her character, which is why She fell for the deception.¡± ¡°That¡¯s also a good lesson, for demons, when betrayal could lead to greater benefit, you don¡¯t need to guess how they will choose,¡± Kalalin said, looking at Lancelot with a meaningful glance, ¡°When dealing with them, never forget this point.¡± ¡°I know what you want to say,¡± Lancelot nodded gently, ¡°In fact, I think this principle applies when dealing with anyone.¡± Kalalin wanted to say more, but the expression on Lancelot¡¯s face suddenly changed, and he made a special hand signal. Seeing that gesture, everyone else was taken aback, but they immediately drew their weapons and quickly formed a battle formation, scanning every corner around them with vigilant eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the enemy?¡± Bruto trembled slightly with excitement, ¡°Ice worms? Frost Giants? Or a passing White Dragon?¡± ¡°Frost Giants, six of them,¡± Lancelot said gravely, ¡°They have discovered us, but something is off...¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Bruto turned his head in puzzlement and glanced at him, ¡°Are they trying to surround us?¡± ¡°No, I sense a familiar presence,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°Let¡¯s not be hasty in taking action...¡± As he spoke, rhythmic vibrations began emanating from the ground, and massive figures gradually emerged from the snowstorm nearby. The giants approached with a pace that was neither hurried nor slow, displaying a caution never before seen in their previous encounters with them. However, as their figures became clearly visible, Alamir was the first to open his mouth in surprise and exclaimed, ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that...¡± ¡°Madam Gertie Oriel Sdottir,¡± Lancelot announced in a loud voice the name of the leading Frost Giant, ¡°Is it really you?¡± ¡°Sir Lancelot.¡± The golden-haired female Frost Giant stopped about twenty feet from them, looking down from above, ¡°Our last meeting was not very pleasant, was it?¡± ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect to see you again, Madam,¡± Lancelot took off his longsword from his shoulder and thrust it heavily into the snow in front of him, ¡°After all, I burned your corpse to ashes with my own hands last time. No offense intended, I was just worried that other Frost Giants might commit a sacrilegious act.¡± ¡°Hmph, did you think you really won?¡± Gertie opened her arms, showing off her muscular body, ¡°The Goddess of Ice blesses me, foolish mortal. Last time was just a minor test of your strength, you can¡¯t actually kill me.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it is,¡± Lancelot smiled and glanced at the followers behind the female Frost Giant, ¡°So have I passed the test then, Madam?¡± Chapter 540 540 564 ?Chapter 540: 564 Chapter 540: 564 (Collaboration Invitation) Despite Gertie¡¯s confident appearance, as a Giant, her face, much larger than that of an ordinary person, made it difficult for her to hide the nuances in her expressions. Coupled with her suddenly raised pitch and exaggerated body language, Lancelot could easily tell that the female Frost Giant was merely bluffing, and the deception was not only aimed at himself but also at her followers behind her. Nevertheless, Lancelot had a rough idea why the other party was able to resurrect from the dead¡ªthe Goddess of Ice, Olul. For a being of Divine Power, resurrecting their deceased followers surely wasn¡¯t a difficult task. ¡°At least the Goddess has recognized you,¡± Gertie said while sizing up Lancelot¡¯s companions. ¡°It seems you¡¯re not alone...¡± ¡°We are a fantastic team,¡± Lancelot looked back at his fully armed companions, ¡°very skilled at fighting Demons, and since arriving at this level, we¡¯ve also taken down quite a few Frost Giants. Of course, those were the ones loyal to the Abyssal Lord...¡± Upon hearing the name Kostcheqi, several Frost Giants behind Gertie immediately began to shout ¡®Mog, Mog¡¯ loudly, their faces as fierce as if the Abyssal Lord were their father¡¯s murderers. ¡°You little dwarfs might have some advantages,¡± Gertie said reluctantly. ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s why the great Olul has sent me to you again...¡± ¡°Sent you to me again?¡± Lancelot caught the detail in her words. ¡°So, our last meeting was also arranged by the Goddess of Ice?¡± ¡°...The Goddess controls everything,¡± Gertie¡¯s face flashed with annoyance. ¡°I¡¯ll just say it straight, you are a group of mercenaries, hired to find something on this level, and that something should be inside Kostcheqi¡¯s lair, right?¡± ¡°People are always looking for something, just as you were when you came to me last time, and you asked me for a certain item,¡± Lancelot answered ambiguously. ¡°How do you know what we¡¯re looking for is in the Glacial Fortress?¡± ¡°Come on, human, you think I don¡¯t know? You¡¯ve been to all the important places on this level except the Glacial Fortress,¡± the female Frost Giant said with a smug smile. ¡°Let me say it again, the Goddess controls everything, you can¡¯t resist her power any more than you can resist winter itself.¡± ... At this, everyone was shocked; their actions had always been secret, how could this female Frost Giant have known? Lancelot himself was also rapidly turning thoughts in his mind, but he controlled his expression well, not showing the slightest oddity. He turned to look at the others, his gaze seemingly infused with a sort of Magic Power that calmed his companions down. Finally, Lancelot exchanged a look with the Elf Priest, who tightly pursed her lips and shook her head slightly at him. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I wonder what we might do for the Goddess of Ice?¡± Lancelot straightened up and asked in a steady tone. ¡°For some reasons beyond my understanding, the Goddess believes you have the ability to bring out Geogad,¡± Gertie said with great reluctance. ¡°I really can¡¯t understand, just with you lot, a bunch of second-rate mercenaries?¡± ¡°If you truly understood our past accomplishments, you might have a completely different opinion,¡± Lancelot shrugged indifferently. ¡°That said, if Geogad were to be freed, what¡¯s in it for us? Such a commission is extremely dangerous, and mercenaries always charge based on the risks involved.¡± ¡°Geogad will lead those Warriors from Jotunheim! To thoroughly conquer this level!¡± a Frost Giant behind Gertie shouted eagerly, ¡°He will achieve supreme victory and glory!¡± ¡°Hoo-ya!¡± ¡°Heh-ah!!¡± Several other Frost Giants followed with loud cheers. Lancelot noticed an impatient expression on Gertie¡¯s face, but she hid her emotions and continued after the howling stopped: ¡°With Gorgiad attracting most of the attention, you might be able to slip into the Glacial Fortress. Do you know of the ancient White Dragon Svafnir? Gorgiad happens to have a score to settle with it.¡± Gertie shifted slightly, waving her hand to signal her followers behind her, ¡°Moreover, you will earn the respect of the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, they at least won¡¯t launch an attack on you. This is a supreme honor, no human has ever received such treatment, don¡¯t be ungrateful.¡± ¡°Perhaps I am not worthy of everyone¡¯s respect, and I don¡¯t expect everyone to like me.¡± Lancelot shrugged indifferently, ¡°Actually, we already have a great plan to achieve our goal, and this plan does not include a part for Gorgiad.¡± ¡°How dare you refuse me!!!¡± the female Frost Giant growled low, ¡°I will crush you...¡± ¡°Speaking of which, the gift you gave me last time was great, just a bit unwieldy, a little too long.¡± Lancelot ignored the female Frost Giant¡¯s threat, pulling out an eight-foot-long double-bladed Great Axe from his Dimensional Bag and casually tossed it towards her, ¡°Perhaps you should take it back.¡± His action seemed nonchalant, yet the noise of the Battle Axe hitting the ground was frightening, like a Frost Giant being knocked down. It was both a kind gesture and a warning, reminding the female Frost Giant not to forget the truth of that night. ¡°Hmm... indeed... it is a bit large for you...¡± the female Frost Giant picked up the Battle Axe reluctantly, her normally blue and white face turning almost black with the effort. Suddenly she wished she hadn¡¯t brought any followers, ¡°Perhaps... perhaps after this is all over, you can keep the Goddess¡¯s ¡®gift¡¯...¡± ¡°That thing?¡± Lancelot rolled his eyes, ¡°This I can promise you, I will definitely return the ¡®gift¡¯ to you before we leave this plane.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Gertie¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°Such a precious divine... Magic item, you don¡¯t want it for yourself?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not followers of Olul, we don¡¯t need His constant ¡®benevolence.''¡± Lancelot gave the Frost Giant Priest a meaningful look, ¡°But I am curious, isn¡¯t Gorgiad the brother of the Frost Giant god? Why would the God of Winter want to get involved in this matter?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± The Frost Giant Priest frowned, ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡± ¡°I disagree.¡± Lancelot crossed his arms, ¡°If Olul has some special ¡®arrangement¡¯ for Gorgiad, do you think Solheim will settle the score with your Goddess first or vent their anger on us who are directly involved in action?¡± ¡°The Goddess has no reason to do that, She has an unbreakable alliance with Solheim.¡± Gertie wore a disdainful smile, ¡°Is that what you¡¯re worried about, human?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want to be cannon fodder in a fight between gods.¡± Lancelot shrugged, with a firm attitude, ¡°Plus, I don¡¯t see any common interest or ideology between the God of Winter and the Frost Giants that could make for an unbreakable alliance.¡± ¡°Do not presume to fathom the thoughts of gods, human.¡± The Frost Giant Priest sneered, ¡°They have a daughter, is that reason enough?¡± Chapter 541 541 565 Negotiations ?Chapter 541: Chapter 565: Negotiations Chapter 541: Chapter 565: Negotiations ¡°What?¡± Alamir exclaimed from the side, ¡°Olul and Solheim had a child?¡± ¡°What, do you have a problem?¡± Gertie glared at him through her nostrils, ¡°Only the son of the Father God, Solheim, is worthy of the Goddess of Ice...¡± ¡°Speaking of which, what¡¯s the name of the daughter of these two deities?¡± Lancelot suddenly seemed to think of something, staring intently at the Frost Giant Priestess. ¡°...Nakala.¡± Gertie involuntarily shifted her gaze away, uncomfortable under the other¡¯s penetrating gaze that seemed to see through everything. However, pride forced her to twist her head back, ¡°Why ask this?¡± ¡°This Miss Nakala, does she have any...?¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, ¡°A special relationship with Geogad?¡± ¡°...¡± The Frost Giant Priestess decided to look at something else instead, her mutter vague and unclear, ¡°Lady Nakala... she would be very pleased to meet Geogad again.¡± ¡°Then this Geogad must be Solheim¡¯s younger brother, right?¡± ... ¡°Yes, the youngest brother.¡± Gertie completely refused to make any more eye contact with Lancelot, ¡°You should know, demi-gods are immortal, age doesn¡¯t mean much to them...¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Lancelot smiled lightly, ¡°One last question, rescuing Geogad... is this really Olul¡¯s will?¡± Upon hearing this question, the face of the Frost Giant Priestess changed drastically, she forcefully grabbed the battle axe in front of her, almost instinctively ready to attack. Yet, upon catching the suddenly stern look in Lancelot¡¯s eyes, she had to awkwardly alter the swing of her axe and carry it on her back. ¡°Hmph, saying so much useless stuff, you just can¡¯t do it, can you?¡± Gertie stepped back and turned to leave, ¡°I knew it, coming to you was a waste of time... ¡± ¡°Your big reaction just makes it seem more suspicious...¡± Lancelot¡¯s lazy voice came from behind, stopping the Frost Giant woman abruptly in her tracks, ¡°Did I say I wouldn¡¯t take this commission?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time to waste words with you anymore!¡± Gertie¡¯s voice contained almost uncontrollable anger, ¡°Will you do it or not, I need a clear answer!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do it.¡± Lancelot lazily replied, ¡°But there are a few conditions.¡± ¡°Speak!¡± the Frost Giant woman nearly roared. ¡°First, from now on, those Frost Giants from Warrior Village can¡¯t be hostile towards us anymore.¡± Lancelot tilted his head in thought, ¡°Actually, you can disregard that condition...¡± ¡°I will let everyone know not to attack a party comprised of humans, dwarves, and elves.¡± Gertie signalled to an attendant behind her, who removed a small shield from his waist and threw it to Lancelot. ¡°If those still loyal to Solheim attack, just show them this shield, and they will stop.¡± Lancelot picked up the shield, which might be just a small one for the Giant, but in Lancelot¡¯s hands it could almost serve as a tower shield. The shield was made of some kind of bright white metal, with a blue and white double-edged axe emblem sparkling with Magic Aura on the front, the divine emblem of the God Solheim. ¡°Quite a nice shield. But in battle, I might not have time to get it out, so it¡¯s best if those who attack me aren¡¯t the ones you¡¯re particularly fond of.¡± Lancelot opened the Dimensional Bag and directly stored the shield inside, ¡°The second condition, we decide when to act, and we won¡¯t notify you in advance.¡± ¡°How could that be?¡± Gertie immediately expressed her opposition, ¡°We will prepare a large army in advance, to receive the esteemed command of Lord Geogad!¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be too late to gather the army after he comes out,¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, ¡°but if you act in advance and make the guards in the fortress vigilant, ultimately leading to the failure of the operation, whose responsibility will that be?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± The female Frost Giant grumbled reluctantly; she found that the conversation was always dominated by the Human Knight in front of her, which she was not accustomed to. ¡°Then, after the deed is done, how shall we contact you?¡± Lancelot asked with a smile, knowing he had gained another point. ¡°Use the... emblem that the Goddess gave you.¡± Gertie made no attempt to hide the impatience on her face, the only way she could express her dissatisfaction now, ¡°Hold it in your hand, request the help of the Goddess¡¯s envoy, and I can immediately establish a mental connection with you... unless there¡¯s another Priest serving the Goddess of Ice on this plane.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Lancelot nodded and pulled out a stone from a small portable bag around his waist, ¡°One last condition: I want this kind of stone.¡± Gertie¡¯s palm, three times the size of Lancelot¡¯s, slapped the air fiercely, catching the object the Human Knight had thrown. ¡°Is this... an Earth Crystal?¡± She examined the gemstone in her hand skeptically, ¡°This isn¡¯t an expensive gemstone, right? You just want this?¡± ¡°Exactly, I want a hundred of them, and they have to be from the upper plane. They can¡¯t be smaller than the one I gave you, and their color can¡¯t be paler,¡± Lancelot stamped his foot, ¡°Meet here in a week to give them to me as a deposit for the operation, and perform the operation within a month of receiving the payment.¡± ¡°Dream on!¡± Gertie roared, ¡°You have to get the person out first, otherwise, you won¡¯t get a single one!¡± ¡°Ha ha, sorry, but the rule in our mercenary business is to get paid first, then do the job!¡± Bruto finally found a moment to interject, ¡°Isn¡¯t your Goddess supposed to come looking for us if we take the money and don¡¯t do the job? That¡¯d be your Goddess¡¯s arrangement too!¡± ¡°Watch your tongue, Dwarf,¡± the female Frost Giant Priest stared at Bruto menacingly, ¡°In my room, I have a cabinet specifically for displaying the heads of Dwarves who died by my hand. Do you want to be placed on that shelf too?¡± ¡°Feel free to try,¡± Bruto slung his Warhammer over his shoulder, his posture rigid, ¡°If I could bury you once, I can bury you again!¡± ¡°You!!!¡± Gertie could no longer bear it, and suddenly drew the Great Axe from behind her back, while the other Frost Giants also drew their weapons, ready to charge at the group. Seeing this, Lancelot lifted the Frostslash in front of him, and a piercing green flame instantly ignited on the Sword Blade. He swung his sword, and a green light curtain suddenly appeared in front of the Frost Giants, containing such primal and wild killing intent that their bodies were paralyzed on the spot before they even realized it. ¡°This Dwarf¡¯s mouth is a bit loose, don¡¯t be angry,¡± Lancelot extinguished the Sword Aura from Frostslash, ¡°If there¡¯s no other issue, let¡¯s withdraw for now. We¡¯ll meet here in a week.¡± Only after Lancelot¡¯s figure had completely disappeared in the snowstorm did the group of Frost Giants recover their ability to move as if the paralysis magic had been lifted. A follower hesitantly stepped forward behind Gertie, took off a Javelin more than ten feet long from her back, and suspended it over a newly appeared crack in the ground. He loosened his grip, and the Javelin slipped into the crack with a puff, disappearing completely. ¡°Dir krigga van?¡± He turned his head, his face incredulous. ¡°Who knows, it seems to be a human at least.¡± Gertie Oriel Sdottir sighed, ¡°The miss must have her reasons for looking for this guy...¡± Chapter 542 542 575 Under Surveillance ?Chapter 542: Chapter 575: Under Surveillance Chapter 542: Chapter 575: Under Surveillance (I made a mistake with the chapter number; it should be 566.) ¡°I bet that one swing of yours must have scared the hell out of them.¡± The Dwarf took off his toad-like helmet and plopped down on a round stone with a slight depression in the middle, ¡°One week later, you better pay up!¡± At this moment, everyone had already returned to the cave where they were hiding, but they didn¡¯t rush to rest in the demiplane. Too much had happened today; there were too many questions that needed discussing. ¡°Alamir, that Frost Giant priestess must have been resurrected by Olul, right?¡± Lancelot leaned against the wall near the cave entrance, thoughtfully asking the Elf Priest. ¡°That should be the case. In theory, a True God is omnipotent within their own Divine Kingdom, and reshaping the flesh for a deceased follower is naturally not a difficult feat,¡± Alamir said, taking out a set of cleaning tools and starting to maintain his armor, ¡°but in most cases, True Gods prefer to assimilate worshippers with themselves, and only in extremely rare instances do some exceptionally notable followers become the chosen of the god, returning to the mortal world with a special mission.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty much what I guessed.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Next question, how did She learn of our whereabouts? Through the protection of the Frost Maiden?¡± ¡°Quite possibly.¡± The Elf Priest nodded, ¡°After all, that is an object created directly by a True God. In the worst case, Olul could monitor our every move through it, but considering you mostly kept it in your Dimensional Bag, I think there¡¯s another explanation.¡± ¡°By the way, what exactly is the principle behind a Dimensional Bag?¡± Lancelot curiously looked at the two pouches hanging at his waist, ¡°If I put that amulet into the Dimensional Bag, its creator wouldn¡¯t be able to sense it anymore?¡± ... ¡°In principle, a Dimensional Bag and the entrance to Tijana¡¯s demiplane are similar, both serving as portals to some corner of the Stellar Realm.¡± Kalalin, who was sitting nearby, spoke up, ¡°Even a Divine Power presence couldn¡¯t sense what¡¯s on the other side of a portal.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Lancelot seemed to realize something, his expression suddenly changing, ¡°I remember you once said that there are creatures living in the Stellar Realm? Is it possible for things inside a Dimensional Bag to be stolen?¡± ¡°The Stellar Realm... is different from a typical plane. In the Stellar Realm, movement relies on your thoughts, not your body,¡± Kalalin scratched his head, pondering how to explain such an abstract concept to his companions, ¡°If you want to go somewhere in the Stellar Realm, you first have to ¡®know¡¯ that place, and then move there with your intention. Items in a Dimensional Bag are indeed stored at some point in the Stellar Realm, but the chances of them being stolen from the Stellar Realm are extremely low, almost impossible.¡± ¡°Almost?¡± Lancelot frowned, ¡°That¡¯s not a very reassuring description...¡± ¡°In the Multiverse, nothing is absolute.¡± Kalalin shrugged, ¡°A Dimensional Bag is quite reliable for temporarily storing materials or spoils of war, but it¡¯s better to carry particularly valuable items with you.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Lancelot sighed with a hint of resignation, it seemed that Storage Bags were indeed not entirely reliable. Fortunately, after reaching the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, he would have the Dharma Method of carrying items with him, which could solve this problem to some extent. He turned to Alamir and continued asking, ¡°Since Olul couldn¡¯t sense our whereabouts through the amulet in the Dimensional Bag, how were our movements leaked?¡± ¡°Most likely it was the ritual to activate the power of the amulet.¡± Alamir answered with a fairly certain tone, ¡°From the point of view of theology, the ritual of melting ice with body heat is essentially a form of worship of the Goddess of Winter, and the True Gods can immediately know all ongoing worship directed at Them through Divine Power, as well as everything around the location of the worship.¡± ¡°You mean to say that every time I sing praises to the greatness of Moradin, the Father God can hear it?¡± Bruto¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Then aren¡¯t we... always disturbing Him?¡± ¡°Er... actually... that is indeed the case.¡± Alamir scratched his head, ¡°So in most cases, the True Gods don¡¯t pay any attention to the common prayers, only those large-scale ceremonies can draw Their attention.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± The dwarf looked at the elf sideways, ¡°As a priest of Shuni, does your Goddess whisper in your mind from time to time?¡± ¡°We indeed have more opportunities to communicate directly with the divine than ordinary people, but it¡¯s still a very rare occurrence, and usually, it¡¯s extremely brief,¡± Alamir shrugged his shoulders, ¡°However, it¡¯s said that once you become the chosen, you can communicate with the god at any time. If that Gertie is really Olul¡¯s chosen, then everything makes sense.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really troublesome, every so often we have to rely on the protection of the frost maiden to gain resistance to the cold.¡± Lancelot shook his head in displeasure, ¡°Fortunately, I had already planned to release Geogad, and now I can also take the chance to get some reward; it¡¯s a bit of compensation, I guess.¡± ¡°Then why are we waiting seven days?¡± Bruto looked at him, somewhat puzzled, ¡°We could have just agreed to that female Frost Giant right then and there...¡± ¡°Because we indeed have one more place to go,¡± Lancelot scratched his head, ¡°Glacial Fortress, we must see the situation there with our own eyes, find a suitable portal point, and ultimately finalize the plan of action.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C The next morning, everyone once again boarded the werewolf-pulled sleds, heading toward the direction of the Abyssal Lord¡¯s lair. They first went north, then turned west, entering the continuous mountain ranges. The group still followed the roads built by the Abyssal Lord for patrolling his domain, but had to frequently change direction to avoid the regularly appearing Frost Giant patrols. Although the thick snow made the ground level, the steep slopes still posed a serious obstacle. Fortunately, Kalalin had a very practical magic: Levitation Skill, a Second Circle spell that could make objects weighing up to five hundred pounds levitate for ten minutes. While the group and sled altogether weighed more than five hundred pounds, it was enough to get them through some of the most difficult areas. In the mountains far from the roads, the group had some other encounters. They met Frost Giants from Warrior Village more than once; these lone warriors had been defeated in battle with the local defense forces and had retreated to the mountains to recover their strength. The immortality effect of this plane worked for all beings, even the enemies of the Abyssal Lord. It wasn¡¯t clear by what means Gertie had done it, but the Frost Giants loyal to Solheim indeed did not launch any attacks, and of course, they didn¡¯t show any enthusiasm either. Mostly, they just stood on mountain crests hundreds of feet away, watching the group¡¯s movements with an indifferent and vigilant gaze until they vanished from sight. Apart from Frost Giants, another frequent encounter was various polar beasts. Due to the peculiarities of this plane, the group encountered white bears weighing over a thousand pounds, stags with antlers longer than ten feet, and giant wolves as big as old Reap. On Alamir¡¯s insistence, the group would let the elf try to tame these aggressive beasts before taking any action¡ªmost of the time, the elf was successful, especially after offering some food. As for the unsuccessful attempts, that naturally meant extra rations at night. Despite all these activities causing certain delays to their pace, thanks to the good resting conditions at night, the companions were always able to set out again the next day full of energy. By midday on the fifth day, Glacial Fortress¡ªa gigantic structure built between two mountain peaks¡ªhad come into their field of vision. Chapter 543 543 567 The Last Stop ?Chapter 543: Chapter 567: The Last Stop Chapter 543: Chapter 567: The Last Stop After another half day¡¯s journey, the group had arrived within less than two miles of the Glacial Fortress. Considering the risk of being exposed by getting any closer, Lancelot decided to halt their advance and led his companions to climb a nearby hill. In the Temple of Moradin, he and Bruto had already seen this fortress, but the vision in the illusion approached from the sky, which was entirely different from the scene they were witnessing on the ground. As a symbol of dominion over this plane, the Abyssal Lord¡¯s lair was located at the peak of the highest mountain. A terrifying force had cleaved the mountain in two, and the Glacial Fortress was ¡®wedged¡¯ between the split peaks. The main body of the fortress was a gigantic ice block with a radius of over two hundred feet, its base more than five hundred feet above the ground, looking from afar like a tooth clamped between two fingers. From Lancelot¡¯s professional perspective, if that fortress were built on the ground, it would definitely be the easiest fortress to breach he¡¯d ever seen. Its entrance was too wide, allowing attackers to spread out their formation effectively, and inside there were no multi-layered defensive works or towers for archers to shoot arrows from, not to mention the lack of guards. But because of its suspended structure, if attackers didn¡¯t have the ability to fly, they could only climb the steep mountains on either side. Even now at dusk, both peaks were still sparkling, indicating that their surfaces were mostly smooth ice, making reaching the fortress via this route akin to a suicidal act. And if attackers had the ability to fly (or could deploy soldiers by air), don¡¯t forget that all giants are skilled at throwing stones. The boulders they hurled not only had tremendous power but also astonishing accuracy, not to mention that in the fortress¡¯s defense there was an absolute ruler of the skies: Svafnir, an ancient White Dragon with a body length of over a hundred feet. It might be the only companion Kostcheqi truly trusted, guarding this treasure-filled fortress while the Abyssal Lord was trapped in the Nine Hells. ¡°That guy is just too big...¡± Bruto let out a dispirited sigh, ¡°Even if it lay still and let me hit it, I¡¯d probably die of exhaustion before killing it...¡± ... ¡°If you¡¯re still holding on to dreams of dragon-slaying, you¡¯d better find another target,¡± Alamir squinted his eyes, scrutinizing the giant beast, ¡°Ancient White Dragons are not something we can handle. Lancelot is right; we must find a way to lure it away and slip in before it returns, find the breastplate that Tijana wants, and then rush out and use Teleportation Magic to leave as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°Why do we have to rush out again?¡± Bruto asked, puzzled, ¡°Why not just leave directly after grabbing the stuff?¡± ¡°Any stronghold of a decent size has an anti-Teleportation Array. Without the ¡®key¡¯ given by the person who set up the array, Teleportation Magic can¡¯t get in or out,¡± Alamir glanced at Lancelot, ¡°Twin Bridges Town also has this setup, but do you remember how we always go back? Take out that emblem, say Tijana¡¯s name three times... because of that, I knew you two definitely had a thing.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Lancelot scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, ¡°Maybe the gift I gave her when we first met was exactly to her liking...¡± ¡°That¡¯s partly the reason, since nearly all female creatures like Diamonds, with hardly an exception,¡± Alamir shrugged, ¡°But it¡¯s mostly because of the charm you exude I guess, based on my... experience, no Succubus can resist that kind of allure.¡± ¡°Charm?¡± Lancelot was a bit confused by the Elf¡¯s words, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s that knightly quality,¡± Alamir shrugged his shoulders, ¡°A strong body hidden beneath armor, every action bound by various oaths. Although not as rigid as a Holy Warrior, they will never yield on their principles... The more you are like this, the more they look forward to you breaking free from the shackles you¡¯ve placed on yourself, and unleashing all your energy upon them...¡± ¡°Uh...¡± Lancelot awkwardly turned his head, ¡°I¡¯ve never... How do you know so much?¡± ¡°I am Shuni¡¯s Priest, after all. In the entire Multiverse, you couldn¡¯t find a better psychologist of love than us,¡± the Elf Priest smirked, ¡°Not to mention I¡¯ve had that tragic experience... To survive in such an environment, you have to stay sharp, clearly knowing everyone¡¯s thoughts around you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all in the past, my friend,¡± Lancelot patted the elf¡¯s shoulder, his gaze just then catching sight of something else, ¡°What¡¯s that under the fortress? A fallen tower?¡± ¡°Is there a tower there?¡± Kalalin, who had been busy taking notes, suddenly looked up, ¡°Damn it, I can¡¯t see clearly... Can you describe what the tower looks like?¡± ¡°Uh... It¡¯s a gray tower, which should have been carved from a single massive stone, but now it¡¯s broken into several pieces, half buried in the thick snow,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°It looks no different from any watchtower you¡¯d find in a town... Anything else you want to know?¡± ¡°Can you see the top of the tower?¡± Kalalin asked, biting the end of the feather pen in his hand, ¡°Does it resemble three spheres joined together?¡± ¡°Only half a sphere remains, but its original shape was probably just as you described,¡± Lancelot looked at Kalalin in surprise, ¡°How do you know about the tower?¡± ¡°I should know,¡± the Scholar nodded, ¡°Though it appears poorly guarded, historically, Kostcheqi¡¯s Treasure has only been stolen once.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Bruto¡¯s interest was also piqued, ¡°What did the thief take?¡± ¡°A crown studded with gemstones,¡± the Scholar gently shook his head, ¡°Three days later, Kostcheqi led an army down upon the thief¡¯s city of escape. It killed half the city¡¯s inhabitants, retrieved the stolen crown, and took the city¡¯s tallest tower as a keepsake of conquest. If your description is correct, that tower is the same one the Prince of Wrath took as his spoils. It is indeed a wondrous feeling, as if the histories recorded in ancient books suddenly became reality...¡± ¡°Do you know what my first thought was after hearing this story?¡± The Dwarf folded his arms across his chest, shaking his head, ¡°It only killed half of the city¡¯s inhabitants? Why? Did it have a change of heart?¡± ¡°Of course not. An army led by a Celestial servant arrived just in time and drove the Prince of Wrath back to the Abyss. However, the city was destroyed, and most of the dead could not be brought back to life,¡± Kalalin shrugged his shoulders, ¡°Now we must do the same, and Tijana is surely aware of the potential consequences... It seems that the armor really is of extraordinary significance to her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a relic of the Platinum Guards!¡± Bruto exclaimed with a particular fervor in his voice, ¡°You¡¯re not a Dwarf; you simply can¡¯t understand the tremendous importance it holds...¡± Chapter 544 544 568 Reaction Test ?Chapter 544: Chapter 568: Reaction Test Chapter 544: Chapter 568: Reaction Test ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dwarf, we are getting closer and closer to that relic.¡± Alamir said with a reassuring smile, but the relaxed expression didn¡¯t stay on his face for long, ¡°Those densely packed tents around the fortress must be the Frost Giants¡¯ barracks, right? If we want to get close to the fortress, we¡¯ll need to figure out a way to get through that area...¡± ¡°Right now, this situation is indeed a bit tricky.¡± Lancelot Morassa stroked his chin, ¡°Kalalin, if you cast an Invisibility Spell on me and then I go into the subdimensional space, will the spell still work?¡± ¡°Unfortunately not.¡± The Scholar spread his hands, ¡°In order for the Invisibility Spell to remain effective, I must maintain a state of casting concentration...¡± ¡°Seems like we have no choice but to save Gorgiad after all.¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°If Solheim¡¯s brother, after regaining his freedom, really leads the Frost Giants from Warrior Village to march on Glacial Fortress, that should create enough chaos for us to take advantage of.¡± ¡°Frost Giants against Frost Giants, a Demi-god Titan against an ancient White Dragon?¡± Old Reap was very interested in this idea, ¡°That would indeed be a great spectacle to witness...¡± ¡°That¡¯s assuming Gertie, if that¡¯s really her name, isn¡¯t lying.¡± Bruto replied sourly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to trust someone who we killed, burned to ash, and then somehow came back to life.¡± ¡°It¡¯s certain that she¡¯s concealing something, no doubt about that.¡± Lancelot interjected, ¡°But I don¡¯t expect anything else, if we can just draw away most of the Guard and get a chance to pass through the camp... Afterward, I¡¯ll figure out a way to find a hiding place between those two mountains, where Kalalin can set up the Teleportation Runes and we¡¯ll act when the time is ripe.¡± ... ¡°But what about the White Dragon?¡± Bruto pointed out the obvious obstacle, ¡°We can¡¯t possibly bypass it...¡± ¡°If Gorgiad can¡¯t beat the White Dragon, or doesn¡¯t make it to Glacial Fortress at all, I have two other plans.¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Remember that Ice Masher Spider? If we kill the one responsible for feeding it and toss it some ¡®spiced¡¯ food, the creature is bound to get angry and come out wreaking havoc. If it¡¯s as strong as the Ogre captive said, then on this plane, only Svafnir would be able to handle it...¡± ¡°So while the White Dragon is busy dealing with the giant crab, we take the chance to slip into the fortress, eliminate any guards in our way, locate the Platinum armor passed through, and then quickly get out?¡± Alamir asked with interest, ¡°That sounds like a simple and direct plan, but it hinges on the assumption that Svafnir will not ignore the rampaging Ice Masher Spider, but would the White Dragon actually care?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Lancelot spread his hands, admitting bluntly, ¡°That¡¯s why I have another plan: pretend to attack the ancient White Dragon¡¯s Nest. Once we confirm it has left Glacial Fortress, we¡¯ll immediately use Teleportation Magic to return here, utilizing the time difference of its journey to infiltrate and achieve our objective.¡± ¡°But how do we know when it will return and how long it would take on the road?¡± Old Reap couldn¡¯t help but speak up, ¡°If it can use some kind of magic to teleport directly back, then we¡¯re really in for trouble...¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we must test in advance how it might react.¡± Lancelot withdrew his gaze from the distant fortress, ¡°Guys, I have an immature idea...¡± The next day at noon, Kalalin once again activated the Teleportation Scroll given by Tijana, bringing everyone back to their hideout they had set up beneath Svafnir¡¯s Lair. Even though sunlight couldn¡¯t penetrate the thick soil, the gloomy tunnels were still deserted, as the biological clocks of the Fencer Trolls decided that they would all be resting at that time. Still, Lancelot used Spiritual Sight to repeatedly ensure absolute safety before conjuring a blue Fire Lotus to melt the ice block plugging the entrance. ¡°Little Ysa, can you hear me?¡± ¡°No problem, loud and clear! Brother, have you arrived yet?¡± ¡°Good, I¡¯ll keep the telepathic link open, tell me immediately if you notice anything unusual.¡± Lancelot, while leading the others towards the direction of the dragon¡¯s nest, communicated with Little Ysa in his mind. The Vampires did not move with the group; at this moment, she concealed herself in the shadows of the cave, watching the distant Glacial Fortress and using her connection with Lancelot as master and servant to report on the situation of the ancient White Dragon in real-time. The hiding spot they had left behind was not far from the dragon¡¯s nest, and after a short while, they arrived in front of the terrace with the stone table, where an adult White Dragon was circling at the bottom of a large pit in the nest. It occasionally roared at a captive female dragon inside, but none of the other dragons took any interest. Lancelot turned his head and nodded at Kalalin, who took a deep breath and pulled out an exceptionally thick scroll from his chest. ¡°Sorry about this, if it hadn¡¯t taken so much time to make this scroll, we could have set off earlier,¡± Kalalin¡¯s cheeks flushed with excitement, ¡°I guarantee you¡¯ve never seen an ¡®illusion¡¯ more ¡®real¡¯ than this...¡± The fully unrolled scroll was so long that Scholar had no choice but to spread it out on the floor. It was covered with densely packed Arcane Runes of various sizes, just glancing at it could cause a strong sense of dizziness, at least for Dwarves. Kalalin began to chant spells in a very low voice, his hands waving and jabbing back and forth through the air. To outsiders, the movements of Scholar might seem comical, but Lancelot¡¯s acute Spirit Perception could sense something different; as if the original calm sea of Magic Power had begun to ripple and was becoming more intense. Suddenly, a loud roar came from the opening at the top of the dragon¡¯s nest. The sound felt strangely familiar to everyone, and the sight that followed explained the source of that familiarity¡ªa giant, terrifying Red Dragon, very similar to a certain one running an inn in Mogrondale, appeared at the entrance of the nest, letting out deafening roars at a group of color dragons below that were scared stiff. ¡°Little Ysa, Little Ysa,¡± Lancelot silently called out in his conscience, ¡°Is there any movement from Svafnir?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± came the immediate response through the telepathic connection, ¡°Have you started taking action, brother?¡± ¡°Yes, keep an eye on every move it makes.¡± Lancelot turned his head and made a gesture to Kalalin, whose spellcasting movements suddenly changed, and the Red Dragon¡¯s mouth began to glow with a blinding red light. Accompanied by Kalalin¡¯s sudden downward sweep of his arm, a fiery inferno erupted from the dragon¡¯s mouth, hitting the tallest pile of treasure in the center of the nest and causing a violent explosion, scattering gold coins, treasure chests, and items shining with Magic Aura everywhere. ¡°By the beard of Moradin, this is too real!¡± Bruto¡¯s eyes bulged, ¡°That¡¯s really an illusion?¡± Chapter 545 545 569 The Giant Dragon Returns to Its ?Chapter 545: Chapter 569: The Giant Dragon Returns to Its Nest Chapter 545: Chapter 569: The Giant Dragon Returns to Its Nest ¡°To make an Illusion Technique look convincing enough, you must mix in a bit of reality,¡± Alamir said with a smile, explaining to Bruto, ¡°Kalalin is absolutely a genius, he combined high-level illusion with the Fireball Technique to create this incredibly effective Red Dragon Illusion Technique. Not to mention an average-intelligence White Dragon, had I not known in advance, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell it was fake immediately.¡± Just as the Elf Priest had said, most creatures in the Dragon¡¯s Nest believed it to be real, at least the White Dragon was convinced it had really been attacked. Caught off guard at first, it immediately summoned a massive chill to extinguish the flames created by the Red Dragon¡¯s ¡®Breath¡¯, then flapped its wings and took to the sky, unleashing a cold Dragon Breath at the illusion of the Red Dragon. The Red Dragon was nothing but an illusion created by Kalalin and naturally couldn¡¯t be hurt by the White Dragon¡¯s Breath, but it reacted as though it really was hit, its body quickly shrinking back as if it greatly feared the White Dragon¡¯s Breath. ¡°Was this also part of his plan?¡± Bruto asked, looking at Kalalin with disbelief, ¡°How did he think of that!¡± ¡®Brother, Svafnir is on the move!¡¯ At the same time, a tense voice echoed in Lancelot¡¯s mind, ¡®It¡¯s flying south in a great hurry, probably heading your way!¡¯ ¡®Alright, I got it.¡¯ Lancelot replied calmly, and then relayed the message to his companions. ¡°Either an attack on the Treasure triggered some sort of warning mechanism, or the ancient White Dragon maintains a certain connection with its offspring,¡± the Elf guessed with a frown, ¡°Now it just remains to see how long it will take for Svafnir to get here...¡± As the Elf spoke, a powerful psychic shockwave suddenly erupted from within the Dragon¡¯s Nest, sweeping over like a tsunami. A thunderous roar, like that of a Dragon, resounded in everyone¡¯s minds, and although none of them knew the Draconic language, they all understood the meaning of the roar immediately: ¡°Come save me!! I¡¯m here!!!¡± ... Under the sudden onslaught of the psychic shockwave, Kalalin was naturally unable to maintain the Illusion Technique, but it seemed that the White Dragon, too, was affected by the shock and failed to notice the illusion of the Red Dragon above trembling and dissipating into the air. The White Dragon was distracted, but the source of the psychic shock saw everything clearly. The imprisoned Red Dragon at the bottom of the Dragon¡¯s Nest stared blankly at the ceiling, its eyes round and filled with disbelief. ¡°Kalalin, are you alright?¡± the Dwarf¡¯s voice suddenly rang out, ¡°You¡¯re growing feathers on your face...¡± ¡°What?¡± The Scholar hurriedly felt his face, finding it covered with fine down, ¡°This is... the consequence of a Spell backlash; it will naturally dissipate in a bit. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not turning into some kind of furry-faced monster...¡± ¡°I think you look quite good like this.¡± Bruto commented, pulling out a beard comb from his belt pouch, ¡°Here, use this, no need to thank me.¡± ¡°Why would you keep something like that within easy reach during battle?¡± Alamir asked in despair, ¡°To throw it like a dart?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Bruto retorted with an eye roll, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t a young Dwarf care about his image, wanting to restore his beard to its smooth state immediately after a fight?¡± ¡°Let me help you with that,¡± Lancelot said, triggering a special mechanism on his breastplate and then quickly resetting it. Although it only lasted a very brief moment, the abnormal condition on Kalalin¡¯s face stopped immediately, and the feathers that had grown began to fall off rapidly. ¡°So the Anti-Magic Stone can be used like this,¡± Kalalin said, rubbing his face with his hand. ¡°Thanks, I still prefer my original look. But you need to be careful in battle, don¡¯t use it unless you¡¯re sure that none of your companions near you have any Buff Magic on them. I¡¯m talking about Tijana, you know that, right?¡± ¡°Of course, this move was taught to me by her, but you¡¯ve reminded me¡ªit¡¯s a good excuse, to say we need to practice how to coordinate...¡± Lancelot stroked his chin thoughtfully, then suddenly his face changed, ¡°Quick, get the teleportation spell ready, Svafnir is coming!¡± ¡°Already?¡± Kalalin was also surprised upon hearing this, but he had long been holding another scroll in his hand, ¡°Shall we leave now?¡± ¡°Wait a bit longer.¡± Lancelot looked somewhat tense but still took a few steps toward the tunnel exit. ¡°I want to see Svafnir¡¯s reaction, Kalalin, please make sure the spell is ready to be cast at any time!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The Scholar answered crisply, then unfurled the scroll he had in hand, and the Arcane Runes began to glow faintly in the reflection of his pupils. A few breaths later, the sound of dragon wings beating the air, along with an angry Dragon¡¯s roar, began to fill everyone¡¯s ears. Despite seeing nothing, the roar alone doubled everyone¡¯s heartbeat, and their legs started to tremble uncontrollably. ¡°Turn around, don¡¯t let the image of the Ancient White Dragon affect you.¡± Lancelot¡¯s calm voice resonated in everyone¡¯s ears, and curiously, upon hearing his voice, everyone immediately calmed down, and the silhouette of the Ancient White Dragon appeared in the entrance above the Dragon¡¯s Nest, along with another wave of loud Dragon roars. This time, the Dragon¡¯s roar seemed to be more than pure bellowing; it contained complex syllable changes. While the people couldn¡¯t understand this Dragon language, the emotions within weren¡¯t hard to perceive¡ªSvafnir seemed to be questioning what had happened, where the enemy was, and its son was clumsily trying to explain the situation. ¡°Hahaha, Svafnir, you and your son really are complete fools!¡± Suddenly, everyone heard the voice of the female Red Dragon prisoner in their minds again, for some reason, she was still using wide-range Spirit Perception to speak, ¡°If that was truly my father, your son would have already turned into a roasted lizard by now.¡± In response to her was another bout of frantic, commanding roaring, and the voice of the Red Dragon resonated within the minds of the people again. ¡°How should I know who that is? Maybe just some youngster passing by, otherwise, how could he be scared away by your useless son? Just look around you, the Breath of a mature Red Dragon should not be this limited in destructive power... But don¡¯t be too pleased with yourself just yet, my father has been in the Abyss for a long time already, sooner or later, he will find this place, and then it will be your and your son¡¯s death anniversary!¡± ¡°Roar!!!!!!¡± Lancelot¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted; the Ancient White Dragon clearly was infuriated by the Red Dragon. It raised its neck, and Lancelot felt the energy within the White Dragon rapidly gathering, exceeding the limits of Spirit Perception in an instant, looking like it was about to spew out a cold Dragon Breath to vent its rage. The problem was, as the Ancient White Dragon raised its head, it also slightly adjusted its stance, now facing directly the tunnel where the people were hiding. Perhaps it had discovered the people hiding nearby, perhaps it was used to spewing Dragon Breath on the Fencer Troll¡¯s tribute altar, or maybe it had just randomly selected this side of the cave... Regardless of the reason, there were less than three seconds left before the people would turn into ice sculptures under the icy Breath of the Ancient White Dragon. ¡°Go, go, go, go, go!¡± Chapter 546 546 570 No Longer Works ?Chapter 546: Chapter 570: No Longer Works Chapter 546: Chapter 570: No Longer Works The White Dragon¡¯s breath, filled with icy elements, surged into the tunnel. Lancelot stepped forward in front of Kalalin, his body igniting with cyan flames, attempting to buy time for his companions to complete their spell. The sweeping flow of energy hit the Human Knight head-on, parting around him like a waterfall around a rock, and in the critical moment, Kalalin did not falter; within five heartbeats, he had activated the spell stored in the scroll. Accompanied by a fleeting bright blue Magic Aura, the ¡®rock¡¯ that had been blocking the waterfall vanished from the tunnel. The disturbance here was so brief and trivial that the ancient White Dragon did not notice what had transpired within. Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in a cave, accompanied by the sound of heavy objects falling, the figures of the group appeared haphazardly around the Teleportation Array. ¡°You¡¯re back? So soon?¡± The cheerful voice of young Isa came from outside the cave, but upon seeing the group, her expression turned to one of horror, ¡°Brother Lancelot... what¡¯s happened to him...¡± ¡°What?¡± The group turned in confusion, only to find that among them was a huge block of ice, and Lancelot was frozen solid in the middle of it. ¡°Damn it, what¡¯s going on here?¡± Bruto leapt to his feet, ¡°Didn¡¯t the Teleportation Magic activate on time? We¡¯re all fine, so why has he turned out like this?¡± ... ¡°Because he used his body to shield us from the Dragon Breath, we were able to return unscathed,¡± Alamir patted the Dwarf¡¯s shoulder, ¡°What a great sacrifice...¡± ¡°Sacrifice my foot, my brother isn¡¯t that easy to kill!¡± Bruto, fuming, picked up his hammer and walked towards the ice block encasing Lancelot, ¡°Just you watch, once I smash the ice, he¡¯ll be fine!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Alamir grabbed the impulsive Dwarf, ¡°Even if he¡¯s really dead, if his body is intact, my Divine Arts can bring him back, but if you damage his body, that would be beyond my abilities!¡± ¡°Then... what should we do? Thaw the ice block slowly?¡± Bruto turned to dash out again, ¡°I¡¯ll go find some kindling to start a fire!¡± ¡°Where will you find combustibles in this icy landscape?¡± The Elf caught up to the Dwarf, pressing firmly on his shoulder, ¡°We have us Spellcasters here, you just sit tight...¡± ¡°Brother?!¡± Suddenly, young Isa cried out in alarm; she had been leaning close to the human-shaped ice block since earlier, and now her face was filled with joy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The whole group turned their heads only to see that Lancelot within the ice block had not changed at all, then they all turned their inquisitive gazes back to Isa. ¡°Um, brother has woken up; he just established a mental connection with me...¡± Isa said shyly under everyone¡¯s gaze, ¡°He told me to move him to a more open space, and then to stand back, as he can free himself...¡± ¡°A more open space? You mean outside?¡± The Dwarf jumped up once more, ¡°Everyone come and give me a hand!¡± The team worked together to carry the massive ice block, resembling a coffin, outside the cave onto an open space, and then retreated a full thirty feet away as instructed by little Isha. The surface of the ice block first displayed a web of cracks before exploding with a loud bang. Huge chunks of ice spun at a high speed towards all directions, their sharp edges turning them into throwing axes forcefully hurled out. If anyone had really been standing nearby, they might have had their heads sheared off. ¡°Cough cough... cough cough cough...¡± Lancelot knelt on the ground, coughing violently. It wasn¡¯t because he had been suffocating inside the ice block, but rather because his body still contained some remnants of the White Dragon¡¯s Breath¡¯s cold elements, which were quickly expelled before his companions ran over to his side. ¡°Ha! I knew you¡¯d be fine!¡± Bruto excitedly extended his fist toward Lancelot, ¡°Looks like the Ancient White Dragon¡¯s Breath isn¡¯t much after all!¡± ¡°How could that be, if not for Kalalin activating the Teleportation Magic in time, we would all be Svafnir¡¯s captives by now.¡± Lancelot said, smiling as he bumped fists with the Dwarf, ¡°Come to think of it, this is my second time being frozen in a block of ice, but it still feels worse than the Ice Magic Sphere Olul cast last time...¡± ¡°I still have some blaze gel on me.¡± The old Reap patted the small pouch on his waist, ¡°But last time you and Bruto were only the size of fists...¡± ¡°Really appreciate it,¡± Kalalin also came over, his face filled with gratitude, ¡°You¡¯ve saved us once again...¡± ¡°No, this time I was a bit overconfident, all the blame is on me.¡± Lancelot firmly shook his head, ¡°The moment we were sure that Svafnir was returning, we should have left immediately...¡± He was only halfway through his sentence when his expression suddenly froze. Turning around, he saw the silhouette of the Ancient White Dragon appearing on the horizon and flying back to the Glacial Fortress at incredible speed, landing on the wide balcony outside the entrance. ¡°Damn it, how could it have returned so quickly... ¡± Lancelot¡¯s face turned a bit ugly, ¡°How long have we been back?¡± ¡°Less than fifteen minutes.¡± Alamir immediately replied, ¡°And from when you said Svafnir left until it reached its lair, it was less than ten minutes.¡± ¡°Those two places are hundreds of miles apart; even if the dragon flies fast, it can¡¯t possibly cross such a vast distance instantaneously.¡± Kalalin tugged at his thinning hair, ¡°I bet it must be using some kind of magic to travel so swiftly between its lair and the Glacial Fortress...¡± ¡°What kind of magic could that be?¡± Lancelot asked, ¡°Do we have any way to interfere with it?¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know.¡± Kalalin spread his hands in resignation, ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s an invisible spatial rift high in the sky, or maybe this White Dragon is clever enough to use Teleportation Magic... Unless we conduct another test, and have a creature whose flying speed is not inferior to it follow stealthily. But even then, I doubt if there¡¯s truly a way to stop it...¡± ¡°But if it can return that quickly, our original plan won¡¯t work.¡± Bruto said somewhat disheartenedly, ¡°I remember the scene I saw in the illusion last time; inside the Glacial Fortress, there were many Frost Giant guards, as well as those large dogs with human faces. Although I¡¯m not scared to fight them, we can¡¯t possibly get out of the fortress before the dragon comes back...¡± ¡°Which means we can only cooperate with Gertie to release the Giant Demi-god.¡± Alamir shrugged helplessly, ¡°I hope he will indeed lead the Frost Giants from Warrior Village to march on the Glacial Fortress.¡± ¡°Right, let¡¯s proceed with this plan for now,¡± Lancelot nodded his head, his face deep in thought, ¡°But if the situation changes, there might be another possibility...¡± Chapter 547 547 571 The Handsome Title ?Chapter 547: Chapter 571: The Handsome Title Chapter 547: Chapter 571: The Handsome Title The next day, everyone returned to the Gate of Stroddet to prepare for their meeting with the Frost Giantess Priestess Gertie. It must be said that the Teleportation Formation they had set up was incredibly useful. Aside from the cost of one thousand Gold Coins per scroll, it was almost the perfect way to travel. As a man... with a sense of responsibility, Lancelot had specifically brought up this issue during last night¡¯s mental communication. After all, they had used four Teleportation Scrolls in just a few days, and that was no small sum. But Tijana assured him there was no need to worry. Kostcheqi was known for being extremely xenophobic, and a teleportation system covering the main locations within the Iron Ice Plains was certainly in demand, starting at one hundred thousand. ¡°I can assure you with my hand on my heart that it won¡¯t be less than that number,¡± Tijana had said to Lancelot at the time, along with two soft thuds, ¡°If there¡¯s even one less, I¡¯ll pay you out of my own pocket!¡± Apart from the topic of expenses, Lancelot also updated Tijana with the latest developments, the next plan, and the supplies that might be needed. During this process, the Succubus Lord was like a true monarch, displaying a highly professional attitude. After understanding all the intelligence, she told Lancelot to go ahead with his plans, and that she would take care of any equipment, props, or Spell Scrolls that were needed. The agreed meeting place was not far from where the group was hiding, but to their surprise, the other party had already arrived. Several Frost Giants sat in a circle on the snowy ground, and from the snow piled on their shoulders, it seemed they had been sitting there for quite some time. The female Frost Giant today was clearly dressed with care, wearing a pure white wolf fur cloak over her shoulders, adorned with a neat necklace of wolf fangs around her neck, making her beautiful face appear even more noble. ¡°Good day, Madam Orioel Stardot,¡± greeted Lancelot proactively, ¡°I hope I haven¡¯t kept you waiting too long...¡± ... ¡°By the standards of giants, not too long,¡± Gertie and the other Frost Giants rose together which was quite imposing, ¡°Ready to exchange life for money, mercenary?¡± ¡°Indeed, it is life in exchange for money, Gjollgard¡¯s life,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Where¡¯s the thing I want?¡± Gertie stared at Lancelot with a severe look, but the latter appeared completely unbothered, as if waiting for the other party to exchange lunch with him. After a brief silence, the female Frost Giant decided to end the pointless standoff. She signaled to one of her followers, and a large animal skin bag was hurled towards Lancelot with a force between ¡®I want to give this to you¡¯ and ¡®I want to smash you with it.¡¯ This show of force seemed somewhat childish to Lancelot. He casually caught the incoming bag and directly stashed it into his Dimensional Bag at his waist. Sensing the Spiritual Energy, he didn¡¯t need to look to know that Gertie hadn¡¯t played any tricks with the payment. It seemed that the trick he had shown last time they parted had a good effect. ¡°Received,¡± the Human Knight nodded gravely, ¡°As long as Gjollgard is not dead, I will bring him back to you.¡± ¡°Lord Gjollgard is a Demi-god, foolish human,¡± the Frost Giantess Priestess rolled her eyes, ¡°Death will only set him free.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± shrugged Lancelot, ¡°As long as you know what I mean.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Because he didn¡¯t want to expose the existence of the Teleportation Formation, Lancelot wasn¡¯t in a hurry to take action. He let his companions rest well in the demi-plane, while he himself hid in the ice cavern beneath the White Dragon¡¯s Lair, devoted to cultivation. After the recent battles, he felt a trend of imminent breakthrough in his realm, which indeed needed to be properly ¡°consolidated.¡± Furthermore, Lancelot held a bit of a lucky mentality, according to the beliefs of this world, since the White Dragon was one of the True Dragons, cultivating near its lair might bring some benefits, right? Regrettably, he didn¡¯t sense any Dragon¡¯s Qi at all, though he did absorb a lot of cold air. However, it wasn¡¯t entirely without benefits, after more than ten days of dedicated cultivation, the power within his body became more ¡°stable.¡± Due to the nature of the Abyss¡ªor the Plains of the Abyss¡ªthe Spiritual Energy that Lancelot had always absorbed was extremely ¡°volatile,¡± which was why he seldom exerted his full strength in battle. He was afraid that if the power in his body went out of control, he might suffer some permanent transformations¡ªto have antlers, bat wings, or tails was one thing, but he feared growing a couple more mouths or seven or eight eyes or something of that sort. That would truly be unacceptable to him. The days spent in seclusion for cultivation were actually not dull at all, in fact, in the ¡°selfless¡± state during cultivation, Lancelot hardly felt the passage of time. But when he realized that a breakthrough was not forthcoming in the short term, he decisively ended his seclusion to seek challenges in the real world. On a dark night, Lancelot gathered all his companions, and they quietly reached the teleportation point beneath Gjollgard Fortress, officially commencing the long-planned operation. Under everyone¡¯s watchful gaze, the Human Knight reached out and grasped the strange vine in the center of the cave. As True Yuan was gradually infused into it, the entire mountain started to tremble slightly. The tremor lasted for less than a minute before stopping, and the vine in Lancelot¡¯s hand began to shrink continuously, eventually turning into a thumb-thick, fifteen-foot long, dark green rope. But the moment the ¡°condensed¡± vine hit the ground, the whole mountain shook, and everyone¡¯s face changed. The Dwarf immediately ran to the side of the vine and, using both hands and putting in all his strength, he barely managed to lift a small segment. ¡°Is this denser than Mithril?¡± Bruto said with disbelief written all over his face, ¡°How can it be so heavy?!¡± ¡°It has tunneled through this mountain, what did you expect?¡± Lancelot walked forward and single-handedly picked up a section of the vine, looking equally strained, ¡°I can¡¯t use this thing right now either. Better pack it away for now; it might come in handy later.¡± ¡°So is it finished?¡± Bruto asked curiously, ¡°Is the tunnel through?¡± ¡°The bottom of the rift is through. The top is less than three feet from the fortress, and those zombie giants will break through as soon as they hit it,¡± Lancelot dusted off his hands, ¡°Let¡¯s stick to the original plan and have the Undead go up first, we¡¯ll mix in and follow.¡± ¡°Ah, I hope the guards in that fortress aren¡¯t too weak, I don¡¯t want them all dead before I get there,¡± Bruto patted the hammer on his waist, ¡°Eh, why haven¡¯t I heard any noise? When are those giant corpses going to start moving?¡± ¡°They won¡¯t move until I give the order,¡± Lancelot shrugged, then suddenly his face fell, ¡°Speaking of which, what¡¯s my title again?¡± ¡°The Savior of Oasis Fort, Mogrondale, and Pascaler, sworn protector against Demons, Paladin of the Abyss,¡± Little Issa immediately recited, ¡°It¡¯s really cool, brother, go and shout it out to those zombies!¡± Chapter 548 548 572 The Language Barrier ?Chapter 548: Chapter 572 The Language Barrier Chapter 548: Chapter 572 The Language Barrier In the end, it was his companions who stayed in the concealed cave, while Lancelot alone went to complete the command ritual filled with a sense of shame. The only consolation was that the audience had long been dead and would not make any comments on his speech. Under his command, three hundred undead giants staggered into the large hole in the rock wall, continually advancing deep into the tunnel. This was less than a tenth of the total undead army, but it was enough to fill the fortress above. With the absence of the protection of the walls and the darkness serving as a cover for the surprise attack, the outcome of the fight should be quite predictable. ¡°Hey, beauty, the rumbling sound we¡¯re hearing now must be the footsteps of the army setting out, right?¡± Upon returning to the cave, Bruto greeted him with a mischievous smile, while the others turned their heads away in embarrassment; after all, Lancelot, with the transformation ring on, was just too...dazzling. ¡°If I could fly, I wouldn¡¯t have to rely on this to cross difficult terrain...¡± Lancelot explained with some embarrassment and tried to change the subject, ¡°Do you want to change our location to watch this spectacle? The guards in the fortress probably won¡¯t have the leisure to care about what¡¯s happening outside the walls anymore.¡± No one objected to the suggestion, and one by one, the companions crawled into the dimensional bag. Lancelot, in his succubus form, fluttered his wings gently and flew silently toward the fortress located on top of the cliff. In the quiet night, the sounds of shouting, weapon clashes, and bodies falling were especially clear, suggesting that the battle was intense. Lancelot carefully drifted up a watchtower connected to the city wall, where two Frost Giant guards, with their backs to him, were hurling huge javelins at the undead pouring out from the fortress like cockroaches, shouting something in panic. ... Lancelot naturally wouldn¡¯t pass up this excellent opportunity for a stealth attack. He quietly drew Frostslash, then gently placed the dimensional bag on the ground, reached in to make a specific hand signal, and with a fierce flap of his wings, charged at the nearest Frost Giant. In his succubus form, his armor had changed into a ¡®spectacle¡¯ shape while charging, making no abrasive metal rubbing sound that would be heard under normal circumstances. Combined with the already noisy environment, it wasn¡¯t until Lancelot¡¯s longsword pierced the enemy¡¯s neck from behind that the Frost Giant guard realized someone had launched a sneak attack on him. Truth be told, the equipment of the fortress garrison was much better than those wandering tribal warriors in the wastelands. They were clad in barely fitting chainmail, helmets made of mammoth skulls, and were fully outfitted with greaves, gloves, and boots. This allowed them an advantage when fighting an enemy of similar size, but for Lancelot, who was two sizes smaller, the gaps in the armor were still too large. Lancelot did not exert his full strength with this strike because he didn¡¯t want other guards still resisting to notice him; he didn¡¯t activate the igniting enchantment on his weapon or produce the overly dazzling Sword Aura, but the blow still brought the enemy to his knees with a thunderous scream, just like the other Frost Giants dying around him. Despite falling to his knees, the enemy was still nearly twice Lancelot¡¯s height. The grievously wounded Frost Giant displayed incredible life force and, spurred by the acute pain, viciously swung his body around, delivering a fierce elbow strike behind him. However, for Lancelot, such a counterattack was still too slow and clumsy. He crouched lower, and with a deft swing of Frostslash, the sharp blade carved a long, deep gash under the Frost Giant¡¯s arm, near the heart. A large quantity of blood gushed onto the ground, like from a breached wine barrel. The other Frost Giant didn¡¯t respond immediately, Lancelot¡¯s succubus appearance causing a moment¡¯s hesitation. It had encountered this kind of sexy demon before and had spent a very pleasant time with one, but that succubus had held a whip instead of a longsword, and it didn¡¯t demand life, at least not so directly. When it realized how dangerous this strange succubus was, it was already too late. Its companion¡¯s neck had been nearly pierced through and had lost too much blood; now, it was left alone to face the enemy. The frost giant raised its arm, holding a javelin it had originally planned to throw downward, but sticking this succubus seemed like a good idea too. However, a hammer that suddenly flew in once again thwarted its plan. Bruto¡¯s thrown warhammer, like a powerful left hook, struck the frost giant¡¯s head directly. Despite the protection of the helmet, the blunt impact still caused its head to swim, and it twirled as it fell back onto the ground, causing the accumulated snow on the floor to rise over half a foot high. By the time the frost giant had somewhat regained consciousness, a longsword was already pressed against its throat. ¡°Surrender,¡± Lancelot said in Deep Speech, ¡°I can spare your life as long as you tell me where Gorgiad is being held.¡± Regrettably, the opponent didn¡¯t care for Lancelot¡¯s proposal at all. The frost giant thrust out with the javelin while its body quickly fell backward, trying to dodge the potential follow-up attack from the succubus. Had it been anyone else, they probably would have fallen for the frost giant¡¯s trick, but Lancelot had been paying close attention to the enemy¡¯s body language. The moment the muscles in the opponent¡¯s shoulder began to contract, he knew the frost giant¡¯s intention. With a simple sidestep and a sweep of his sword, he made the opponent¡¯s attack stab nothing but air. To be fair, the frost giants were just too big. After fighting a few bouts with them (and surviving), one could easily learn to predict their movements in close combat. Lancelot could have pierced the giant¡¯s throat straight away, but someone else was more eager to dispose of this enemy. The violent backward motion made the frost giant¡¯s back hit the floor right beside the dwarf. ¡®Daddy¡¯s hammer¡¯ was already back in Bruto¡¯s hands. He grabbed the hammer with both hands, pouring all his strength into it to swing it into a half circle, and then he slammed it hard onto the enemy¡¯s head¡ªwhich was as large as a bedside table. The scene was incredibly messy, much like a bull collapsing onto a fruit stand selling watermelons, tomatoes, and dragon fruits. ¡°I think it might not understand Deep Speech,¡± Bruto said, looking at the succubus¡¯s disgusted face, ¡°or maybe your guttural sounds were too light.¡± ¡°Do you always have to make such a mess, splattering everything everywhere?¡± Lancelot helplessly lowered his head to indicate his duel elongated legs, now covered with the red and white gelatinous substance. With a burst of short magical flashes and smoke appearing out of nowhere, Lancelot transformed back into a human knight, and the filth on his armor fell to the ground under the effect of the transmutation spell. ¡°Friends, the fortress courtyard has been cleaned up,¡± Alamir¡¯s voice came from the edge of the watchtower, ¡°but those zombie giants encountered some trouble when attacking the main building, perhaps we should go help them...¡± Chapter 549 549 573 Steps ?Chapter 549: Chapter 573: Steps Chapter 549: Chapter 573: Steps The structure of Gorgiad Fortress was not complex; on one side, near the cliff, stood the main tower, approximately eighty feet tall, which, along with walls on three other sides, enclosed a large square. At two corners of the walls stood tall towers, and the group was currently in one of them. Several giants, now zombies with javelins stuck in their bodies, were staggering out from another tower, seeming to indicate the guards inside had been dealt with. In the center of the fortress square was a large hole with a radius of ten feet, surrounded by piles of broken bodies¡ªsome fresh and some long deceased. Another area filled with numerous corpses was on the east side of the square, which should have been a teleportation portal, but it had been destroyed. Dangerous magical energy still lingered around the collapsed pillars, with harmless flashes of lightning and sparks occasionally bursting into the air. At this moment, apart from their own group, there was not a living thing on the square. Lancelot silently took a count in his heart and realized that at least two hundred giant zombies had been utterly destroyed, yet the number of enemies they had killed was less than half that. The surviving guards had retreated into the fortress¡¯s main tower, sealing the doors tightly. The giant zombies were slamming against the main tower¡¯s gates and walls using every part of their bodies, but it seemed very ineffective, unlikely to make any progress, at least not anytime soon. ¡°That tower doesn¡¯t even have a single window; it¡¯s clearly a prison. Solheim¡¯s little brother is definitely locked up in there,¡± Bruto turned his head to Kalalin, ¡°Scholar, can your magic handle that gate?¡± ¡°No,¡± the Human Spellcaster spread his hands decisively, ¡°this fortress itself was built with supernatural powers and has effects that resist transformation system magic. It can only be forcibly broken by some incredibly powerful spells, but all I have are Fourth Circle spell-casting abilities, and I only know one ¡®Arcane Eye¡¯ for scouting, so...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I can¡¯t either,¡± Alamir raised both hands, ¡°I¡¯m a Priest of the Domain of Life. I might be able to do something about those undead giants, but destroying a stone gate really is beyond my expertise...¡± ¡°Looks like it¡¯s down to Lancelot, after all,¡± Bruto looked at the Human Knight, ¡°What do you say, big brother, can you handle it?¡± ... ¡°Maybe, but attacking the main tower through the gate will come at a very high cost. The guards inside can attack from every angle, and these giant zombies aren¡¯t enough to fill it up,¡± Lancelot shook his head, pointing to a staircase at the junction of the fortress wall and the main tower, ¡°We can climb up there onto the roof and see if there¡¯s any entrance that leads inside the main tower.¡± The companions immediately sprang into action, descending the tower stairs to the walls and quickly making their way to the staircase. From a distance, it looked ordinary, but upon approaching, they realized these steps were not designed for those of their stature; each step exceeded six feet, slightly taller than the figurine of a toad atop Bruto¡¯s head. ¡°I hate giants,¡± Bruto grumbled, ¡°and now I hate them even more.¡± ¡°Need a hand?¡± Lancelot lightly leaped onto the step and turned, extending his arm to the Dwarf, ¡°Grab my hand and I¡¯ll pull you up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it...¡± Bruto did not accept Lancelot¡¯s offer but chose to face the challenge head-on. He backed up two steps, then with the momentum of a running start, made a powerful jump and grabbed the edge of the step; pushing with force, he stood atop the first step. ¡°There are six more steps,¡± Lancelot reminded him, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need my help?¡± ¡°Dwarves never shy away from a stone¡¯s challenge,¡± Bruto once again refused Lancelot¡¯s offer, ¡°I will complete this on my own!¡± ¡°Then you go ahead,¡± Lancelot said helplessly with a shrug, ¡°but if you fall down, I¡¯ll just throw you back up there....¡± As he spoke, the Dwarf had already successfully climbed to the second step. Lancelot shrugged again and turned to check on the others. The most at ease was naturally little Issa, who could turn into a bat and fly up there. She was now sitting on the edge of the highest step, giggling at her companions below. Alamir and old Reap also encountered little difficulty; the former¡¯s agile skills allowed him to easily climb the steps in heavy armor, while the latter turned his palms into sharp claws that could gouge a hole in the stone steps with a swing. The only one having some trouble was Kalalin. Though his adventurous life had made him much stronger over time, for a Scholar, slipping and falling (and not being caught by Lancelot) could have dire consequences. A broken neck or a head injury would not be a pleasant experience. But a simple First Circle Spell could solve his current predicament. Thanks to his magic backpack, Kalalin always carried all the scrolls he might need, naturally including the Jump Spell he needed now. After casting the spell on himself, he lightly leaped onto the first step, then the second, the third, and soon joined the ranks of his other companions. ¡°Come on, Bruto!¡± the Scholar shouted with some pride at the Dwarf, ¡°You¡¯re the only one left!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a head taller than me, and you still needed a spell to get up there, what¡¯s there to be proud of?¡± the Dwarf, having just climbed onto the fifth step, seemed out of breath, ¡°And besides, Lancelot hasn¡¯t gone up yet either....¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll fall and bring down the whole wall,¡± Lancelot spoke gloomily, ¡°Come to think of it, that might also be a way into the main building....¡± ¡°Ah!!!!¡± Accompanied by a loud roar, the Dwarf finally threw himself onto the rooftop, ¡°Damn Giants, your stairs cannot defeat me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the stairs didn¡¯t have that intention,¡± Lancelot said helplessly, then turned to survey the surrounding environment, ¡°Sigh, I don¡¯t seem to see anything that looks like an entrance....¡± The roof of the main building was pitted with holes, and stones were scattered everywhere, as if boulders often fell here. No doubt the fortress¡¯s defenders must have stood here and thrown stones at attackers¡ªevery giant was a humanoid trebuchet. ¡°Here! There¡¯s a crack here!¡± Suddenly, old Reap¡¯s suppressed voice called from not far, ¡°I can see inside!¡± Hearing this, everyone gathered around to see a large indent next to the Werewolf, with a crack at the bottom a foot long and about three fingers wide at its broadest point. ¡°Not even half my foot can fit into this place,¡± the Dwarf said as he pulled out his hammer, ¡°but no worries, just give me a moment, and I¡¯ll make it big enough....¡± Chapter 550 550 574 Infiltration Ambush ?Chapter 550: Chapter 574: Infiltration Ambush Chapter 550: Chapter 574: Infiltration Ambush ¡°No, that would make too much noise,¡± Lancelot quickly stopped the action-ready Dwarf, ¡°I have a better idea.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re right above those Frost Giants¡¯ heads,¡± Bruto replied with bewilderment, ¡°no matter how you plan to enlarge this entrance, some stones are bound to fall down...¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, this crack is big enough to fit a Dimensional Bag,¡± Lancelot said as he lay on the ground, peering into the main building¡¯s interior, ¡°It¡¯s pretty dark down there, I can sense a few Frost Giants nearby, but their attention shouldn¡¯t be on this side...¡± ¡°Wait a second, are you saying we all squeeze into the Dimensional Bag?¡± Bruto looked at Lancelot strangely, ¡°Then who¡¯s going to throw the bag in?¡± ¡°Me!¡± exclaimed Little Isha with some pride, ¡°After I throw it, I can transform into a bat and fly in!¡± ¡°Hmm, after confirming it¡¯s safe around us, then we can be released,¡± Lancelot nodded, taking off the two Dimensional Bags from his waist and also handing the ¡®handkerchief¡¯ that led to a demiplane to Little Isha, ¡°Dimensional spaces can¡¯t overlap, but luckily when Little Isha transforms, her equipment will shrink with her. Kalalin, and your backpack...¡± The group once again crawled into the Dimensional Bag, this time Lancelot joined as well. Although he had often stowed his companions into the Dimensional Bag before, this was his first time stepping in himself. ... The inside of the Dimensional Bag resembled a warehouse, with some sort of white fog that glowed faintly to form the floor and walls, while the various spoils from their adventures (gems, Gold Coins, Giant Sword Glacier, the skeleton of the Matriarch of Fencer) were haphazardly piled in a corner. After fitting five people, there wasn¡¯t much space left, and once the opening above was sealed, the passage to the outside world was completely cut off. ¡°If we don¡¯t get any fresh air, the oxygen in here will probably last us for about two minutes,¡± Bruto looked at Lancelot seriously, ¡°So please do not fart, thank you for your cooperation.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t eaten anything this past week,¡± Lancelot replied helplessly covering his face, ¡°Why are you telling me this...¡± ¡°Because he always does it himself and has been scolded by us many times,¡± Alamir chuckled on the side, ¡°Today he finally caught the chance to talk about someone else.¡± ¡°Shut up, damn Elf,¡± Bruto glared at Alamir irritably, ¡°At least I try to control the volume...¡± While everyone was joking with each other, a crack opened overhead, and a pale arm reached through, groping towards them. Naturally, the arm belonged to Little Isha, and as Lancelot grabbed it, the next second he was back on the Iron Ice Plains, just inside the fortress¡¯s main building. Torches fixed to the walls of the room flickered, and the air was filled with a foul stench. The source of the smell came from the southwest corner, where there was a large pile of humanoid bones still clinging to scraps of flesh, looking like leftovers after a meal. Despite the poor hygiene conditions, the room still had four large stone beds covered with pelts for bedding, the smell reminiscent of a group of Dwarves who had been in the mines for two weeks. Clearly, this was a Frost Giant¡¯s barracks, which was temporarily empty. Behind Lancelot, his companions were one by one crawling out of the Dimensional Bag, each of them maintaining as much silence as possible and immediately checking their surroundings. On the north wall of the room was an exit without a door, through which chaotic shouts of Frost Giants could be heard, alongside the sound of furniture being smashed to the ground, and a series of footsteps that were rapidly approaching. Lancelot quickly made a series of special hand signals: a fist raised over the shoulder followed by three raised fingers, then a downward-pressed palm, and finally, his thumb pointed toward himself. The message was very simple: get ready for battle, three enemies, ambush, I¡¯ll go first. After making these gestures, he focused his attention on a black dot on his right hand and activated the power of Sareth¡¯s Shield Eye. Darkness filled the room silently, with the torchlight barely illuminating five feet of the floor. Years of tacit understanding meant that the group needed no communication. They took advantage of the tall stone beds to conceal themselves in the darkness, quietly awaiting the signal to start the battle. The first Frost Giant rushed in, appearing somewhat puzzled by the unusual darkness in the room but still made straight for a stone bed, relying on memory. Two more Frost Giants appeared behind him, one of whom muttered something, seemingly complaining about the darkness. Suddenly, a faint green light shield appeared, engulfing the entire room. The three Frost Giants were startled, and although the shield caused no harm, it instilled a strong sense of unease in them¡ªthe simple reason being that the noisy sounds from outside had suddenly ceased, the silence around them was absolute, all they could hear were their own heavy breaths and... a faint metal scraping noise? Just then, the darkness that had filled the room dispersed, and the blinding light caused the Frost Giants to squint instinctively. Lancelot, who had orchestrated it all, decisively launched his attack. Using the ability of Shadow Jump, Lancelot instantly appeared behind the shadow of the outermost Frost Giant. Frostslash¡¯s sword blade shone with a dazzling green light, piercing the giant¡¯s kneecap like lightning, followed by a horizontal cut that severed half of the giant¡¯s leg. At the same time, his companions also initiated their own surprise attacks. The quickest to act was actually Alamir; the Elf Priest shot four glaring Magic Spheres at one of the enemies, causing the Frost Giant to stagger. Besides inflicting damage, the brilliant spheres also made the target¡¯s body shimmer with secret magic light, allowing anyone who attacked it to better aim for the vitals, and that was precisely what Bruto intended to do. ¡°Thor! Al! Din!!!¡± Accompanied by a thunderous roar, the Dwarf threw his Magic Warhammer with all his might. The rapidly spinning hammer traced a beautiful arc in the air and struck the Frost Giant ¡®marked¡¯ by the Priest right in the face. A click was heard, and without even a cry of pain, the giant fell to the floor, dark red blood oozing and spreading beneath it. The last enemy was subdued by the Scholar, who summoned a large slick of grease on the floor. The towering Frost Giant did not notice the slippery ground beneath its feet and fell hard to the ground as it lifted its foot, attempting to move; its second attempt to stand failed just as miserably. As it tried for the third time, an inconspicuous fire arrow hit the Frost Giant¡¯s oil-soaked body, and fierce flames swiftly engulfed it, accompanied by a wisps of green sword light. Chapter 551 551 575 Breaching the Fortress ?Chapter 551: Chapter 575: Breaching the Fortress Chapter 551: Chapter 575: Breaching the Fortress The ambush was very successful, from Lancelot¡¯s surprise attack to the end of the battle, the total time used was less than a minute. After the soundproof barrier was removed, the noisy sounds from outside the door came back in again, clearly the remaining guards inside the fortress had not realized the battle here and were still desperately preparing for their last stand. After gathering their equipment, the group left three corpses behind and carefully walked out of the barracks. Outside the room was a circular corridor, with an open courtyard in the middle. Looking down from the edge of the corridor, they could see they were on the third level of the fortress, and each level of the corridor was lined with dozens of Frost Giants holding javelins and throwing axes. These guards were tensely watching the first floor¡¯s hall, their attention all focused on a large pile of debris stacked against the wall on the east side of the hall, unaware of the stealthy group. With each dull thump that came from outside, the pile of debris also trembled, presumably, behind it was the main entrance to the main building. ¡°Damn, look at what that is...¡± Bruto whispered, pointing to three cages within the pile of debris, ¡°Snacks for the fortress guards?¡± Lancelot had seen those cages earlier, each one as large as a carriage, stuffed with members of the mortal races like humans, dwarves, and halflings, looking like they had just been pushed out from the kitchen to be used as heavyweights to barricade the door. ¡°If the zombies burst through the main door, they will definitely tear apart the creatures in the cages immediately,¡± the Elf Priest said with concern, turning to the Human Knight, ¡°Can you order those undead giants not to attack the creatures in the cages?¡± ¡°That kind of command is too complex for both the zombies and me,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°But as long as I stand nearby, they won¡¯t initiate an attack. Luckily, the fortress guards probably haven¡¯t realized that these living people can be used as hostages, so we might still be able to do something...¡± ... ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡± the Dwarf asked quietly, ¡°Jump into the middle of that pile of debris?¡± ¡°Basically, yes,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°But we need to distract those guards¡¯ attention first...¡± The group retreated back to the room they were in before, and using the Qingyuan Sword Technique, Lancelot poked many small holes in the ceiling which eventually formed a circle with a radius of five feet. ¡°As long as more than two giant zombies stand on it, this part of the ceiling will collapse, those remaining guards would never expect the fortress to be breached from the top,¡± Lancelot confidently told his companions, ¡°While they are resisting an unending stream of zombies from the third floor, we¡¯ll take the opportunity to go down to the hall and protect those people locked in the cages.¡± ¡°Sounds like a great plan,¡± Bruto nodded, ¡°But how are you going to get those giant zombies up on the roof?¡± ¡°I...¡± Lancelot suddenly faltered, ¡°Oh, right, the outside giant zombies are mindless undead creatures, without the kind of psychic connection I have with little Isha, it seems there¡¯s only one way to issue orders to them...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s switch to another room to hide first,¡± Lancelot suggested helplessly, shaking his head, ¡°I¡¯ll figure out a way later...¡± The group quickly slipped into another empty room diagonally across from them. It was also a bedroom with four stone beds but located far from the stairs leading up from the second floor, making it unlikely to be affected when the fight broke out. A single rope was all they needed to descend into the hall on the first floor, making it a perfect hiding spot. Lancelot asked his companions to wait in the room for a while, then he walked out alone. Suddenly, darkness fell over the three-story Stone Fortress, as the light emitted by the torches was blocked by some invisible force. From a distance, it appeared like ghostly flames flickering in a cemetery, barely illuminating the area within less than a foot. ¡°In the name of the Savior of Oasis Fort, Mogrondale, and Pascaler, protector sworn by the demons, Paladin of the Abyss...¡± A resonant voice suddenly erupted, causing the entire building to tremble slightly. ¡°I hereby order, all to climb atop this building and retaliate against any hostile actions!¡± The moment the voice disappeared, the light also returned. The remaining Frost Giants looked around frantically, but the voice seemed to have come from every corner of the building at once, making it impossible to pinpoint its source. Meanwhile, Lancelot quietly returned to the room where his companions were hiding, a bit hesitant to meet their gazes. ¡°Big brother, don¡¯t be like that, I think it was pretty good,¡± Bruto consoled, ¡°As long as you¡¯re not embarrassed, it¡¯s the others who should feel awkward.¡± Lancelot rolled his eyes, deciding to ignore the Dwarf. Above their heads, the ceiling began to resound with heavy footsteps. The Zombie Giants, which lacked self-awareness and any sense of pain, followed Lancelot¡¯s orders with zealotry. They did not hesitate to thrust their finger bones and arms into the stone walls to climb upward, completely disregarding the damage it did to themselves. By the time the Frost Giant Guards realized what was happening and started rushing towards the third floor, it was already too late. Accompanied by a thunderous sound of falling rocks, the trap Lancelot had set was triggered; aside from the first few Giants who fell nearly broken to pieces, more undead giants attracted by the scent of the living soon leaped down, colliding precisely with the few guards who ran the fastest. A bloody battle erupted immediately. The living Frost Giants were stronger and better equipped, and their devotion to the Prince of Wrath made them fearless, but the undead Frost Giants, more numerous and devoid of the concept of death, were formidable on their own. Additionally, perhaps it was Lancelot¡¯s imagination, but these zombies seemed to become even more frenzied during the fight. Could it be that they had sensed Geogad¡¯s presence and awakened certain memories ingrained in their bones? Whatever they had sensed, Lancelot himself noticed nothing special. He and his companions had already tied ropes around the heavy stone tables. Taking advantage of the fierce battle, they grabbed the ropes and dashed out of the room, leaping out of the corridor. The Stone Fortress had only three stories for the Giants, but for races of normal stature, it was equivalent to a ten-story tower. Such a leap required great courage for most people, yet even Kalalin, the least athletically inclined, jumped without hesitation and without any protective spells. Of course, as he jumped, he subconsciously moved closer to Lancelot, as if the Human Knight were the source of his courage. Some of the Frost Giants noticed the people repeatedly kicking against the wall and, while loudly shouting to alert their companions, prepared to throw their javelins. ¡°Damn it!¡± Lancelot cursed inwardly while quickly activating the Protective Sword Shield. Instantly, a light green barrier appeared around him, highly visible as it swayed in mid-air, making him a perfect target. Chapter 552 552 576 A Bit Painful ?Chapter 552: Chapter 576: A Bit Painful Chapter 552: Chapter 576: A Bit Painful In the next moment, the Frost Giants¡¯ javelins were thrown, and they invariably targeted the human knight as their only target. Lancelot, unable to leverage himself in mid-air, simply let go of the rope and assumed a cross-legged sitting posture in mid-air, fully driving the Qingyuan Sword and Shield, ready to staunchly face the barrage of javelins from the Frost Giants. This state of the Qingyuan Sword and Shield was entirely different from its normally passive activation; faint turtle shell-like patterns appeared on the surface of the light shield, and shadows of spirit snakes encircled it. If there had been another cultivator present, they would have certainly dropped their jaw in astonishment, as the image of the turtle and snake is one of the symbols of the four cardinal spirits, and for a cultivation technique of the Foundation Establishment Stage to manifest in such a way was simply unheard of. Of course, there was no other spiritual cultivator in this multiverse, so Lancelot merely knew the cultivation technique passed down to him by Han Tianzun was very powerful; as for how powerful, he actually had no idea. The javelin attack of the Frost Giants was also extraordinary. In terms of power, it was comparable to the lance charge of a heavy armored knight in full sprint, and even adult dragons had to avoid the full volley of javelins from multiple Frost Giants. The more foolish types (such as the White Dragon) often lost their lives to such attacks. The javelins tore through the air with sharp whistling sounds and fiercely slammed into the ¡®turtle shell¡¯ surrounding Lancelot. The Protective Sword Shield immediately emitted intense flickering. Some of the javelins, after penetrating a few inches into the shield, were rebounded by a burst of sudden sword qi and violently struck the Frost Giants that had thrown them; others barely broke through the shield¡¯s protection but were blocked by Lancelot¡¯s mithril armor and weakly deflected aside. However, the throwing attack of the giants was one of the most powerful long-range attacks in this universe, and his defenses were still breached. While still mid-air, Lancelot let out a deep grunt of pain; his right thigh was pierced by a javelin as thick as a fist. Had he not grabbed onto a nearby rope in the nick of time, he might have fallen to the ground. Upon landing, he put all his weight on his left foot, but his right leg still faltered with pain the moment it touched the ground. Kalalin and the elder Reap were the first to support him by his side and quickly ran toward the shadows on the side of the corridor while Bruto and Alamir, bearing shields, tightly protected them, blocking any potential pursuit. ... But the most intense reaction came from little Esha; she had just turned into a bat and flown down with her companions. The moment Lancelot was injured, the little vampire immediately locked onto the culprit who had hurt her brother and landed directly on the nose of that Frost Giant. ¡°Little Esha, come back!¡± Lancelot urgently shouted at her, ¡°I¡¯m okay!¡± However, the enraged vampire didn¡¯t hear the human knight¡¯s words. Little Esha instantly reverted to her human form, her twin daggers flashing out of their sheaths and plunging fiercely into the eyes of the Frost Giant. Accompanied by a ghastly scream, the Frost Giant¡¯s palms violently smacked his own face, but the little girl had already forcefully kicked his face, jumping back outside the corridor. The two daggers, each hanging with the size of a pomelo eyeball, looked like a pair of hammers. The girl still wanted to continue her attack, but a commanding order, impossible to disobey, suddenly transmitted through their mental link to her brain, forcing her to turn back into a bat, just narrowly avoiding a few javelins that would have hit her. The bat emitted two angry shrieks, flapped its wings, and flew to the side of the continuously summoning human knight, and with a bang, she turned back into a wanderer girl wearing chain mail. ¡°Thank you for avenging me, but you shouldn¡¯t risk your life,¡± Lancelot said sternly. ¡°A good wanderer always keeps their cool in battle, that¡¯s what you told me.¡± ¡°But, brother...¡± Little Esha looked at the javelin in Lancelot¡¯s thigh, thicker than her arm, and her eyes instantly reddened. ¡°I¡¯m pretty tough, brother. An attack like this is nothing,¡± Lancelot resolutely answered, ¡°It¡¯s just a minor wound.¡± As he spoke, he held the javelin with his right hand and radiated a foot-long green Sword Aura from his left palm. With a light flick, he snapped the javelin near the wound. ¡°Alamir, help me out here,¡± Lancelot called the outside Elf Priest, pointing to the half javelin piercing his thigh, ¡°You know what to do.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± the Elf Priest nodded, circled to his back, and grabbed the remaining half of the javelin, ¡°Bear with me, this might hurt a bit.¡± Lancelot let out a subdued groan of pain, followed by heavy breathing. The immense strength of his body after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage was unquestionably revealed at this moment. As True Yuan circulated within his body, the flesh around the wound rapidly writhed, and in just a few moments, the fresh penetrating wound looked like an old injury. ¡°Uh, your troll-like healing abilities...¡± Seeing Lancelot¡¯s condition, Alamir stopped his initial casting motion and instead took out a healing potion from his bag, ¡°Here, this is some of Koula¡¯s leftover stock, it should be enough for you now.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Lancelot did not refuse the Priest¡¯s kindness and drank the red liquid from the bottle in one gulp, ¡°Toffee-flavored, my luck isn¡¯t bad.¡± Their former Alchemist partner¡¯s other identity was as a chef, so Koula would always try to ¡®improve¡¯ the taste of the potions during their crafting. Most attempts were successful, though there were also some odd combinations, like an Antitoxin Potion with a bitter melon and pineapple flavor. As Lancelot treated his wound, the Frost Giant Guard who had thrown the javelin at him earlier was no longer able to pursue him. Caught off guard by the enemy¡¯s assault from the rooftops, the guards couldn¡¯t prevent their fallen kin from rushing in, and with the disadvantage in numbers and terrain, the fight quickly devolved into a bloody massacre. After confirming he was no longer in serious danger, Lancelot stood guard next to a pile of clutter with his swords ready. He swept his gaze across the battlefield overhead, occasionally swinging his swords to deflect one or two incoming javelins to prevent some of the desperate Frost Giants from attempting to take captives to the grave with them in their dying moments. Initially, the prisoners caged behind him dared not speak to him, but each time he deflected a javelin, suppressed cheers erupted. Finally, an old Dwarf, his beard already grizzled and looking as if he was buried up to his eyebrows in dirt, rasped: ¡°Kind-hearted Knight, you should leave! There are too many zombies; you can¡¯t defeat them all!¡± Just then, a Giant zombie fell from the second-floor corridor, crashing heavily to the ground. It almost instantly jumped up, staggered toward Lancelot with what was loosely a bow, then roared and rushed towards the Frost Giants near the stairs. ¡°You¡¯ve already been saved, old man,¡± Bruto¡¯s relaxed voice rose among the prisoners¡¯ ears, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? My big brother, he¡¯s...¡± Chapter 553 553 577 Good Knight ?Chapter 553: Chapter 577: Good Knight Chapter 553: Chapter 577: Good Knight ¡°` In the terrified gazes of the prisoners, the zombies butchered the living Frost Giant guards one by one, severed limbs flying everywhere like shattered pottery. The warm blood that spattered on the cold ground quickly congealed into dark red ice. In less than ten minutes, the last Frost Giant had been killed, and only about a dozen of the Giant zombies still stood. They formed a circle around Lancelot like soldiers guarding a king, as if waiting for new orders. Lancelot stood in silence for a while. Although these Frost Giants were loyal to the Abyssal Lord and undeniably villains, he had to admit they had fought bravely. As a warrior himself, Lancelot was willing to offer a moment of mourning for the Frost Giants who died under his command. But upon deeper consideration, knowing that the souls of these chaotic and evil Giants would likely return to the Abyss to be reborn as Demons, and that he might have to kill them again, Lancelot lost the urge to pay any further respects. Ignoring the zombies standing around him, Lancelot beckoned his companions to come help open the cages and set all the prisoners free. However, their reaction was unexpectedly peculiar; they huddled in their cages, staring at Lancelot with fearful eyes as if he were a man-eating beast. Lancelot felt a wave of bewilderment. Gratitude, weeping, even kissing his boots he could understand, but fear? His Spirit Perception told him these people were not under any magical influence, aside from the fear so thick he could almost smell it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you all?¡± Lancelot asked proactively. ¡°Come on out, the folks who considered you dinner have all been dealt with.¡± ... ¡°Lancelot, have you considered your current appearance?¡± Alamir reluctantly pointed out from the side. ¡°Take a look at those zombies around us. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that your eyes aren¡¯t shooting fire, you¡¯d resemble a Death Knight commanding an army of the Undead.¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s what it is...¡± Lancelot said as he removed his helmet and flashed a toothy smile at the shivering prisoners, ¡°I¡¯m just a passing Human Knight, no need to be afraid, you¡¯re free now.¡± Perhaps Lancelot¡¯s face was far too different from that of a grand villain because the prisoners eventually, trembling, walked out of the cages. They stood up straight and stretched their limbs, looking around somewhat lost as if they still couldn¡¯t quite accept the fact that they were free. The old Dwarf who had earlier urged Lancelot to leave came forward and gave a deep bow, speaking with some reservation: ¡°Honored Sir, thank you for saving our lives,¡± the old Dwarf tried to remain calm but couldn¡¯t help glancing at the Giant zombies nearby, ¡°I don¡¯t know how we could ever repay you. The Frost Giants took everything from us, but if there¡¯s any way we can be of service...¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, old man, my name is Lancelot. I only helped you out along the way, there¡¯s no need for any repayment,¡± Lancelot replied courteously, bowing in return. ¡°As for the zombies... there¡¯s no need to fear, they won¡¯t attack as long as I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Then how are we supposed to leave this place?¡± a man dressed in tattered clothes inquired. ¡°Kind sir, can you tell us where we are? How far is it to Halio Gabarus City in Damara?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that name before,¡± Lancelot shrugged. ¡°This is the Abyss, my friend.¡± ¡°How can this be...¡± ¡°We¡¯re truly in the Abyss...¡± ¡°It¡¯s over, we can¡¯t go back now...¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this supposed to be Jotunheim? Why haven¡¯t I seen a single Demon?¡± ¡°` Lancelot¡¯s words caused a stir; he scratched his head and cleared his throat, then spoke up to interrupt the discussion of the people who had just regained their freedom. ¡°Listen, this is the twenty-third level of the Abyss, the Iron Ice Plains¡ªterritory of the Prince of Wrath, Kostcheqi. Some of you may have heard that it was recently captured, but the Frost Giants still loyal to the Abyssal Lord roam this plane... um, Kalalin, could you please give us an overview of this layer?¡± While Kalalin was speaking, Lancelot began calling out the name of the Succubus Lord in his mind. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Tijana¡¯s response came immediately, ¡°You should be attacking Gorgiad Fortress now... Did you find that demi-god?¡± ¡°Not yet, but the fortress has already been taken. I¡¯ve rescued about thirty mortals here; they were supposed to be used as rations for the fortress garrison...¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice.¡± Tijana¡¯s voice sounded disinterested, ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Um... I was wondering if we could send these people to Twin Bridges Town?¡± ¡°I knew it...¡± Tijana said with a touch of resignation, ¡°How do they look, capable of working?¡± ¡°They should be fine after getting some proper rest,¡± Lancelot requested earnestly, ¡°Please, Tijana, if we leave them be, most of them won¡¯t survive three days.¡± ¡°First ask them what they wish to do; don¡¯t make choices for them. If anyone is willing, let them enter the demi-plane, and I¡¯ll open a portal to Twin Bridges Town. The supplies you asked for last time are all ready.¡± ¡°So soon?¡± Lancelot asked with some surprise, ¡°Some items are not easy to find...¡± ¡°Am I being underestimated now?¡± A crisp laughter echoed in his heart, ¡°I have plenty of surprises on me waiting for you to discover, my good knight...¡± The telepathic link was then cut by Tijana, leaving Lancelot alone to ponder if there was any special meaning behind the Succubus Lord¡¯s last sentence. Feeling someone¡¯s gaze on him, Lancelot looked up to find Kalalin had finished describing the Iron Ice Plains and was looking at him inquiringly. ¡°If you wish to stay or seek your own way out, you should be able to find some useful equipment in this building, help yourselves,¡± Lancelot said amiably to the crowd, ¡°But I have another proposition. I just spoke with my... employer, and she is willing to take you in to settle in her territory. Yes, she is a demon, ruling over a Neutral Town in the Plains of the Abyss. You won¡¯t be enslaved, and if you work hard or have a particular skill, you may find the income quite good. It¡¯s just that everything there is relatively expensive...¡± Unsurprisingly, all the captives chose to go to Twin Bridges Town¡ªmerely because the Plains of the Abyss was a hot place. After sending off the ragged, emaciated captives, the comrades moved to the back of the hall, in front of a staircase leading down to a cellar. Several Frost Giant zombies were trembling and kneeling towards that entrance; as mindless undead, it was some kind of residual instinct within their bodies that compelled them to make such an act. The reason was obvious; Gjollgard, one of the brothers of Solheim, the god of the Frost Giants, must be imprisoned down there. Chapter 554 554 578 Knights Creed ?Chapter 554: Chapter 578 Knight¡¯s Creed Chapter 554: Chapter 578 Knight¡¯s Creed Deeply inhaling, Lancelot led the way down the steps to the underground chamber. His Spirit Perception did not alert him to any danger below, but he still felt an indescribable pressure, similar to the engulfing sensation he felt when staring long into the mists at the bottom of the Great Abyss. As a fortress designed for Giants, the staircase leading to the underground chamber was extremely spacious, and the distance was much longer than that of an average stairway. After hopping and skipping downward for a minute, the group finally left the continuously spiraling stairwell, only to be immediately stunned by the scene before them. In front of them stood a colossal machine, from which hung an exceptionally large Giant, his body dripping with fresh blood. The Giant was unconscious, with his face, neck, chest, waist, thighs, and ankles all tightly clamped by huge Abyssal Metal hoops. Each hoop connected to chains, gears, and various other complex mechanical devices that twisted his body to the extreme, like a tightly wrung towel. Below the Giant was a sloped trough where the blood dripping from his tormented body would automatically flow into a large tub at the end. The tub was big enough for a person to bathe in and was currently half-full. The blood within was as red as blooming roses, showing none of the blackening that human blood exhibits upon contact with air. ¡°Damn it, is this Gorgiad?¡± The Dwarf couldn¡¯t help but turn away his eyes, ¡°This is too twisted... How is he still not dead?¡± ¡°Gorgiad and Solheim are both the offspring of Titan-father Annand, naturally immortal demigods; of course, they don¡¯t die that easily,¡± Kalalin seemed more interested in the torture machine, ¡°Is this contraption designed by Kostcheqi himself? It looks quite... exquisite.¡± ¡°Could it be like the Magic Formation that tormented Elothysia, drawing power from the victim¡¯s pain?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, ¡°As a Demi-god, his emotions must be much stronger than that of an ordinary person...¡± ... ¡°I guess not. The sole purpose of this torture device seems to be this.¡± Alamir had already circled around the Giant, slapping the tub filled with fresh blood, ¡°Titan¡¯s Blood, I guess Kostcheqi is using this to become more and more like a Giant.¡± Lancelot turned his head to look at the tub, his face gradually becoming excited. Perhaps due to his close proximity to a Demi-god, his Spirit Perception had not noticed anything unusual about the blood at first, but upon closer inspection, it was different. In Spiritual Cultivation, there is a Dharma Method known as Body Refining, which involves soaking the body in a liquid containing powerful energy to strengthen the flesh. This liquid can be Innate Spiritual Fluid naturally formed in blessed lands, or a Body Tempering Elixir concocted using precious materials. Another method is using the blood of powerful Spiritual Beasts, and the half-tub of blood in front of them was a perfect match. Among the three methods of Body Refining, the best naturally involved using those innate spiritual fluids; not only was the Body Refining effect the best, but there was also a chance to comprehend a trace of the Tao, which was quite beneficial for future Cultivation. Although the effect of elixirs refined from precious herbs was somewhat inferior, they had the advantage of being specially formulated for the Body Tempering Practitioner, used to compensate for inherent flaws or to construct extraordinary Acquired Physiques. The lowest method was to use the blood of Spiritual Beasts for Body Refining. This approach had a major flaw ¡ª one must first kill a beast with at least the strength of a Golden Core Stage Cultivator, and the effectiveness of the Body Refining had no guarantee. The same blood often had completely different effects on two different Cultivators, depending on how well the practitioner¡¯s body resonated with the beast blood. For Lancelot, in the Abyss, he never expected to find Innate Spiritual Fluid from a land blessed with heaven¡¯s favor. Even if such a thing really existed, it would probably be some kind of murky, stinky, dark green liquid. Soaking in it would likely turn him into a pile of white bones or cause boils and pustules to sprout all over his body, instantly transforming him into a Berserk Demon. He was interested in neither outcome. As for concocting Body Tempering Elixir, he knew it was impossible just thinking about it. The Multiverse simply lacked the various medicinal herbs recorded in the bamboo slips. Even trying to mimic the process wasn¡¯t an option, and with his current level of Cultivation, he was far from being able to discern the properties of herbs and create his own Pill Recipe, so that path was also impassable. The method of slaying fierce beasts to obtain their blood was also something he found implausible. The Demons were indeed very powerful, but their blood itself carried a highly corruptive force, and it was also inexplicably linked with the will of the Abyss. Lancelot dared not use it rashly. But the basin of Titan¡¯s Blood before him didn¡¯t have any of these problems. Yes, it was tainted with a fair amount of Abyssal Aura, but Lancelot himself meditated daily, absorbing the Spiritual Energy of nature from within the Abyss. A degree of Abyssal Aura like this was completely within his ability to refine. Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but reach out his hand, wanting to claim the large tub for himself, but he stopped halfway. The original owner of the blood was right there beside him and wasn¡¯t his enemy. Moreover, he had accepted a reward to come and rescue him. If he took this precious blood, how would his actions differ from those of a thief? If Lancelot were a pure Spiritual Cultivator, he should have taken the blood without hesitation. Whether Geogad was released or neglected was not a valid excuse to stop him. But he was also a Knight,¡ªat least for most of his life thus far, he had lived as one. The Knight¡¯s code prevented him from stealing property, no matter how valuable; that would be a dishonorable deed. (Ironically, it was fine if it belonged to an enemy, especially after you just killed them.) ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alamir beside him asked curiously, ¡°Is this blood useful to you as well?¡± ¡°Uh... wouldn¡¯t that be inappropriate?¡± Bruto looked somewhat awkwardly at the twisted body of the Giant above, then back at the trough of blood below, ¡°This is Geogad¡¯s blood. We shouldn¡¯t take it...¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, we shouldn¡¯t,¡± decided the Knight within Lancelot, ¡°Bruto, go see how to unfasten these... shackles. I don¡¯t want to accidentally kill him, although technically that would still count as completing the mission.¡± ¡°My suggestion is to just break those iron chains, let¡¯s lower it to the ground first, then we can pry off the rings one by one,¡± shrugged the Dwarf, ¡°I¡¯m sure this height wouldn¡¯t kill the Giant...¡± ¡°Those chains look too thick, how are you going to break them?¡± Old Reap asked curiously, ¡°Are we relying on Lancelot again?¡± ¡°Big brother is very powerful, but using that green light to cut metal is just too wasteful,¡± the Dwarf turned to Alamir, ¡°Listen, bathing-loving Elf, I need you to go take another bath right now...¡± Chapter 555 555 579 The Arrogant Prisoner ?Chapter 555: Chapter 579: The Arrogant Prisoner Chapter 555: Chapter 579: The Arrogant Prisoner ¡°What?¡± The elf was baffled by the dwarf¡¯s question, but he suddenly realized, ¡°Are you looking for some Holy Water? We still have some in stock...¡± ¡°Yes, but I thought you¡¯d prefer the bathing option,¡± Bruto shrugged. ¡°Remember the metal we encountered in the Great Abyss? After returning from Androlina, I had my father specifically inquire about it, using Holy Water can effectively neutralize this metal. Just a sprinkle, and its properties will degrade significantly, barely stronger than wood.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s get to work right away.¡± Lancelot clapped his hands, indicating his approval of Bruto¡¯s plan. Together, they first moved the blood trough from beneath the Titan Giant, then fetched some blankets from other rooms of the fortress to pad the ground, and finally, Alamir, carrying a small bucket, poured his sacred bathwater over each iron ring. Originally, after the Holy Water was poured, someone had to saw through the softened Abyssal Metal, but the Titan Giant¡¯s own weight completed this task. As Alamir reached halfway, the iron rings began to crack, eventually making a series of sounds like snapping bamboo sticks, and the heavy Titan crashed to the ground. Even free from the confines of the torture device, the prisoner¡¯s body still exhibited a disgusting deformity. Seeing that the other party did not regain consciousness, Alamir released a simple Healing Divine Art, then opened a bottle of healing potion and poured it into the slightly agape mouth of the Titan Giant. ¡°This one¡¯s chickpea-flavor,¡± explained the Elf Priest to his companions. ¡°It¡¯s a shame to throw it away, and conscious people can¡¯t stand its taste, now¡¯s the perfect time to use it.¡± ... Under the effects of the Divine Art and potion, Gorgiad finally slowly opened his eyes, while in Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception, a living storm gathered before him at a visibly rapid pace. ¡°Who... is there...¡± the Titan Giant spoke, his voice loud by human standards but still showing his weakness, ¡°what do you... want to do...¡± ¡°We are a group of mercenaries, tasked to rescue Gorgiad, the brother of Solheim, the God of Frost Giants.¡± Lancelot began but then realized he was not speaking the same language as the other. However, there seemed to be no barrier in understanding each other, ¡°You are Gorgiad, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes... I am...¡± the Titan Giant tried to turn his head towards Lancelot, but this simple motion filled his face with agony, ¡°Who sent... you? Where am I?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still in the fortress specifically built to imprison you in Kostcheqi. Don¡¯t worry, we succeeded, all the guards have been taken down, you are now free. As for who sent us... the God of Winter, Olul, you¡¯re not unfamiliar with that lady, right?¡± Lancelot looked sympathetically at the other¡¯s body, ¡°It looks like the Prince of Wrath took out his anger on you... How are you feeling now?¡± ¡°In pain...¡± Gorgiad murmured, ¡°but it¡¯s... subsiding...¡± ¡°Good, my Elf Priest friend just released a Healing Divine Art on you along with a healing potion,¡± Lancelot explained. ¡°But your body is too large, he can¡¯t repair it to that extent.¡± ¡°No need...¡± The Titan, with difficulty, moved its twisted, deformed arms, taking some time to relearn how to control its fingers. Then, the tips of its fingers lit up with a golden glow, and it wrote a few special symbols on the stone floor. Lancelot recognized that the symbols were somewhat similar to the Dwarf language, but he could barely understand it and did not recognize a single word. Without the lengthy prayers during Alamir¡¯s spellcasting, nor the gestures made by Kalalin during his, it was merely through a few letters written on the stone that the Demi-god summoned the power of magic. The moment he finished writing, the letters began to brighten sharply, emitting a golden light that enveloped the entire body of the Titan and forced everyone to look away. When the light dissipated, a completely normal Titan stood before the group. It had short brown hair, starkly defined facial features as if carved with a knife and chisel, and a rigid look; its muscles were flawlessly defined, with some parts exaggeratedly huge, so much so that even the strongest Barlow Flame Demon would drool with envy. Lancelot noted that Gorgiad¡¯s hair color was different from that of the Frost Giants, and he did not have an inch of beard on his chin. Furthermore, his skin color was silvery-white, whereas most Frost Giants ranged from gray-white to ice-blue, affirming the claim that Giants and their worshipped deities were not of the same kind. The Demi-god sat up, shook his head, and looked at his rescuers. His expression shifted between surprise, disgust, and puzzlement, before he finally spoke in a voice as loud as thunder, ¡°Dwarves, Elves, humans... What is happening? Why are you here?¡± ¡°How did you forget so quickly?¡± Bruto asked, puzzled, ¡°We just told you, we¡¯re here to rescue you.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± The Demi-god¡¯s response was intense, ¡°How could you lower races possibly breach the fortress guarded by Giants?¡± ¡°Hey! Who are you calling a lower race!¡± The Dwarf¡¯s temper flared immediately, and he hoisted his hammer onto his shoulder, looking up at the Titan, ¡°Maybe we shouldn¡¯t have come at all, just left you in that damned juicer!¡± ¡°For centuries, thousands of Frost Giants have died attempting to save you, but before we took action, their sacrifices made no progress.¡± Lancelot¡¯s voice also grew colder, ¡°It was Olul who sent us on this rescue mission, and the Frost Giants from Jotunheim are waiting for your leadership to attack Kostcheqi¡¯s stronghold.¡± ¡°Of course, that is my born right and duty, but Olul sending you to rescue me? Impossible, absolutely impossible!¡± The Titan shook its head, which was as big as a wooden crate, ¡°She¡¯s more likely to have sent you to kill me! Where¡¯s Kostcheqi then? Why didn¡¯t he come to stop you?¡± ¡°He has been captured by Zariel, reportedly imprisoned in a deep pit by Aphnas,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°It really was a priest of Olul who sent us, a female Frost Giant priest named Gertie Oriel Sdottir. She should be around this fortress somewhere right now, if you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask her yourself later.¡± ¡°A female Frost Giant priest?¡± Gorgiad furrowed his brow as if suddenly remembering something, then abruptly stood up, banging his head heavily against the basement ceiling, but seemingly unbothered by it, ¡°Where is she? I command you, take me to her immediately!¡± ¡°Believe us now that we are the ones who rescued you?¡± Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes, ¡°You have no right to command me, but I will take you. It¡¯s the last part of the deal. By the way, is that bucket of fresh blood still of any use to you? The Prince of Wrath must have twisted you into a human towel just for all that precious blood...¡± Chapter 556 556 580 Take It If You Want ?Chapter 556: Chapter 580: Take It If You Want Chapter 556: Chapter 580: Take It If You Want ¡°What?¡± The Titan giant followed Lancelot¡¯s pointing finger, looked toward the corner, and his expression twisted instantly. ¡°Damn you, Kostcheqi! I¡¯ll repay all that you¡¯ve done to me a hundredfold!¡± Gorgiad loudly cursed, lifting his leg to kick the large barrel, but Lancelot swiftly moved to block in front of it. With a thunderous boom, the Demi-god¡¯s leg, thick as an age-old tree, collided with the Human Knight¡¯s body. The latter swayed on the spot but ultimately saved the precious container of blood. Alarm shot through Lancelot¡¯s heart, certain that the other¡¯s strength had perhaps returned to scarcely a tenth¡ªit was just an angry kick, intended for the Abyssal Lord, yet it made him feel as if all his organs were about to be crushed. ¡°What do you mean by this?¡± The Titan slowly withdrew his foot, eyes narrowing dangerously, ¡°Are you declaring yourself my enemy, human?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not my intention,¡± Lancelot explained calmly, ¡°This blood contains powerful energies that are very useful to me...¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you take it while I was unconscious?¡± Gorgiad looked at the Human Knight curiously, ¡°Or was there something preventing you from doing that?¡± ¡°I thought you might need this blood when you recovered to restore your strength,¡± Lancelot explained, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to steal from you.¡± ... ¡°You didn¡¯t want to steal... so you meant to rob, is that right?¡± Gorgiad¡¯s face suddenly revealed a somewhat gratified smile, ¡°Hmm... I didn¡¯t see that coming, you¡¯ve got guts, and I¡¯m even starting to like you a bit, human.¡± ¡°Err... no,¡± Lancelot glanced helplessly at his companions, ¡°Anyway, since you don¡¯t plan on using this blood, how about giving it to me?¡± ¡°That contaminated blood carries the stench of Demons, I wouldn¡¯t let such a thing back into my body. Take it if you want, consider it your reward,¡± Gorgiad had already lost interest, turning his head in search for an exit, ¡°You¡¯ve wasted too much of my time, mortal, lead me to the Priestess of Olul quickly!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll use that exit to return to the surface,¡± Lancelot pointed to the steps they had come down from and formed several Dharma Decrees to create a layer of cyan light that sealed the barrel. He then stored it in his Dimensional Bag, ¡°It might be a bit narrow for you...¡± ¡°Hmmph.¡± Gorgiad made a disdainful snort but still bent down and squeezed through the spiraling steps. The others exchanged glances and followed suit. Clutching the snowflake-shaped amulet in his hand, which felt like holding a metal piece chiseled from ice, Lancelot began to softly call out Olul¡¯s name, asking her to send her Envoy to aid him, as the Frost Giant Priestess had instructed. ¡°Human Knight?¡± Gertie¡¯s voice emerged in his consciousness, ¡°I saw the flames rising from the fortress. Did you succeed?¡± ¡°Yes, we rescued a brawny champion with brown hair and silvery skin, three heads taller than you,¡± Lancelot, the last to emerge on the surface, found Gorgiad staring blankly at the corpses littering the fortress floor, ¡°Where are you now? He wishes to meet you as soon as possible.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in the valley to the north,¡± the Frost Giant Priestess responded right away. She added, ¡°Let me offer you advice: be patient, Lord Gorgiad does not have the best temper.¡± ¡°You should have told me earlier,¡± Lancelot sighed, eyeing his arm guard that had deformed from the kick, ¡°I¡¯ve already experienced his royal demeanor.¡± ¡°Hehehe... Good luck...¡± The Frost Giant Priestess left him with a trail of cold laughter, severing the mind connection of her own will. Lancelot felt someone¡¯s gaze on him and looked up to meet Gorgiad¡¯s eyes head-on. ¡°You¡¯re holding a Divine Artifact in your hand, human,¡± the Titan Giant said confidently. ¡°Is it Olul¡¯s?¡± ¡°Yes, I use it to contact that priestess,¡± Lancelot opened his hand to show the snowflake-shaped amulet. ¡°She said she¡¯s in the valley to the north.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Gorgiad nodded his head, slightly hesitated, then gestured towards the surrounding bodies. ¡°Were all these... your doing?¡± ¡°Sort of,¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders and silently wondered why the zombies that had been surrounding them were now nowhere to be seen. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Gertie Oriel Sdottir, that¡¯s the name of the priestess, is waiting for you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need, I can go by myself.¡± The Demi-god walked to the wall and began drawing those special symbols on the stone surface. ¡°The valley to the north, you said...¡± After the fourth rune was completed, the entire wall rippled like water, and a Portal to a distant place appeared out of thin air. A cold wind blew from the Portal, causing a sudden drop in temperature within the decrepit fortress. The Demi-god strode towards the Portal, but in the moment before leaving, he looked back at Lancelot. ¡°What is your name, Human Knight?¡± ¡°Lancelot, at your service.¡± ¡°Hmph, Lancelot, I will remember that,¡± the Titan Giant nodded. ¡°You are not too bad, just barely worthy of the honor of having rescued me.¡± ¡°The honor is mine,¡± Lancelot struggled to restrain the urge to roll his eyes. ¡°I wish you all the best.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± With a contemptuous snort, the towering Titan Giant walked through the stone wall without looking back, and the Portal disappeared quickly after he entered. ¡°That guy sure is arrogant,¡± Bruto spit heavily onto the ground. ¡°If he wasn¡¯t so tall, I¡¯d really like to kick his smug face.¡± ¡°If your father was a being of immense Divine Power, you¡¯d also have a natural sense of superiority over mortals,¡± Alamir said, patting Bruto¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I even cast a Healing Spell on him, have you heard him say ¡®thank you¡¯ to any one of us?¡± ¡°To beings like the Frost Giants, who live by plundering, gratitude is seen as a sign of weakness that makes them very uncomfortable,¡± old Reap commented with crossed arms. ¡°And I guess it¡¯s hard for him to accept the fact that he was saved by a bunch of ¡®lesser races¡¯. Perhaps offering that bucket of blood made him feel a bit better.¡± ¡°Big brother, what do you want with that bucket of blood?¡± Bruto curiously looked at Lancelot. ¡°Are you going to cook with it?¡± ¡°An interesting suggestion. But no, that¡¯s not my intention,¡± Lancelot said with a smile, shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough, it might benefit everyone, but we need to clean up the battlefield first...¡± ¡°You mean clearing up these Giants¡¯ bodies?¡± The Dwarf had a peculiar smile on his face. ¡°We can¡¯t move bodies this heavy.¡± ¡°Ah, not this again...¡± Lancelot covered his face in frustration. ¡°Wait for me a moment, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Chapter 557 557 581 Leave it to You ?Chapter 557: Chapter 581: Leave it to You Chapter 557: Chapter 581: Leave it to You Reporting his long title for the third time within the day, Lancelot had become much more natural in his demeanor. He summoned a team of Zombies to collect the corpses, threw all the bodies off the cliff, and collapsed the tunnel that led to the bottom of the chasm. Not only that, he also tossed some vine seeds soaked in diluted green liquid into the tunnel. These seeds would soon germinate into long and thick vines, which would attract Frost worms dwelling deep in the mountains to come and gnaw on these plants full of life energy, while also burrowing through the nearby mountains like cheese riddled with holes. Lancelot believed that sooner or later, someone would come to investigate and try to figure out how the fortress had fallen. His arrangements might not completely prevent investigators from uncovering the truth, but they would certainly make their investigation much more difficult. After clearing the battlefield, everyone reactivated their Teleportation Scroll and returned to their hideout near the Gate of Stroddet. Although Solheim¡¯s brother had successfully escaped from prison, he would still need some time to recover his strength, and the first thing he would do after recovery was undoubtedly come to seize control of the Gate of Stroddet to gain continuous reinforcements from the Warrior Village. As long as he and his companions stayed nearby, they could grasp the movements of the Demi-god Giant the moment Gorgiad assembled forces and began marching towards the Glacial Fortress, they would also act immediately, seeking an opportunity to sneak into the lair of the Abyssal Lord. More importantly, after obtaining the Titan¡¯s Blood, Lancelot also needed some time to undergo Body Refining to enhance his strength as quickly as possible. In a cold and spacious cave, Lancelot pulled out his tripod¡ªa more accurate term would be a cauldron. He cast a series of Dharma Decrees, and the cauldron grew larger and larger until it was the size of a bathtub. ... Under the puzzled eyes of his companions, Lancelot took out the large barrel he had brought back from the Geogad Fortress, poured all the blood into it, and immediately a strong scent of blood filled the entire cave. Then he summoned a blue Fire Lotus and placed it at the bottom of the cauldron as a heat source. ¡°Big brother, what are you doing?¡± Bruto asked puzzled, ¡°Are you going to boil it and drink it?¡± ¡°Um... pretty much,¡± Lancelot replied, holding the transparent dagger given to him by King Consort Aira, tracing mysterious lines on the ground, ¡°I need to purify the demonic aura inside it, so it can also be used for you all...¡± And Lancelot was not bluffing. The so-called demonic aura was actually Abyssal Spiritual Qi, which he absorbed daily during his Meditation sessions. It had to be said, the Cauldron Immortal Technique passed down from Han Tianzun was indeed quite spectacular, all the violent, murderous, and lascivious side effects contained in the Abyssal Spiritual Qi were thoroughly refined, leaving only the purest essence for his use. Well, perhaps not completely. Just like a kettle used to boil water inevitably accumulates some scale, his body still had accumulated some impurities, but the amount had not yet reached the level that required cleaning, and occasionally it could still be used to intimidate others. He could jump into the big barrel right now, using the contaminated Titan¡¯s Blood for Body Refining. But if he did so, the blood would only be useful for him alone, which would be somewhat wasteful. As the most primitive symbols of life and strength, blood is one of the objects most researched by Spiritual Cultivators. In the world from which Han Tianzun came, numerous Divine Skills and Immortal Laws about blood are circulated, and as a master of the Alchemy Dao, Han Tianzun had his own unique secrets on how to process blood. Lancelot believed that by refining the Titan¡¯s Blood using special techniques, even ordinary people like Bruto and Alamir could benefit greatly from it. As the True Yuan transformed into a blue Fire Lotus continued to heat the cauldron, a dark red mist began to gather, swirl, and intensify above the cauldron, as if some creature was being gestated inside it. ¡°Prepare for battle.¡± Just as everyone was in some doubt, Lancelot¡¯s voice suddenly rang out. His companions were slightly taken aback, but quickly responded. Within a few breaths, each had their respective weapons ready, and their spirits were on high alert. ¡°What¡¯s the enemy?¡± Bruto asked with a tense yet excited tone, ¡°Let me guess, a hunting party of Frost Giants that just lost a battle and is frantically fleeing?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s the negative energy in this blood; something is coming out.¡± Lancelot stared intently at the cauldron before him, ¡°I need to concentrate on tending the fire and cannot act unless absolutely necessary. Can you handle these enemies?¡± ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have it any other way!¡± the Dwarf tightly fastened his toad-like helmet on his head, ¡°Bring them on!¡± A gleam burst from Lancelot¡¯s eyes as he heavily slapped the cauldron with his left hand; the blood inside violently spewed out a large amount of black gas, hitting the dark-red mist above. Before the shadow of the monster appeared, the first thing that reached everyone¡¯s ears was a series of insane murmurs, followed by a vast amount of rapidly condensing gelatinous substance, which finally burst forth from the red mist like a squeezed pimple, heavily crashing to the ground. Upon closer inspection, there appeared before them a creature with a distinct Obyrith style¡ªa medium-sized, blood-red monster similar to a slime, marked by numerous mouths of varying sizes all over its body, resembling the spots on a cow, interspersed with yellow eyes filled with madness and malice. Each mouth constantly opened and closed; some emitted ecstatic screams, while others let out painful moans; some incessantly complained, others spoke fervently. Unfortunately (or fortunately), no one could understand what they were saying as those mouths had no tongues, consisting merely of two layers of sharp teeth and a hollow bloody cavity. Once it had formed, the monster immediately moved towards the nearest living person, Reap, by biting into the soil with the mouths below it and rolling its bulky, irregular body forward, seemingly inviting the Werewolf to join ¡®them.¡¯ Reap naturally was not about to stand still and let this happen, but he also had no intention of facing this creature alone. He was just about to leap back when he suddenly slipped, almost falling to the ground. The ground had, at some unknown point, turned into a slick, grotesquely wrinkled surface reminiscent of the inside of a digestive organ. However, as an experienced Wanderer, the Werewolf instantly regained control of his body, turning the slip into a roll, swiftly distancing himself from the creature. While rolling, he drew two daggers from his boots and threw them at the biggest mouth on the creature¡¯s body. The sharp blades deeply embedded into the flesh inside the mouth, but this strike stirred the hornet¡¯s nest, causing each of the monster¡¯s mouths to start screaming shrilly. The screaming was not inferior to that of a banshee, like a direct blow to the psyche, driving out every thought from everyone¡¯s mind, leaving nothing but emptiness. Chapter 558 558 582 Diarrhea ?Chapter 558: Chapter 582: Diarrhea Chapter 558: Chapter 582: Diarrhea For this kind of mental attack, Scholars and Priests had much higher resistance. They regained their consciousness in an instant and immediately responded. Kalalin chanted a short spell hastily and thrust his palm forward, creating a glowing ghostly hand between the monster and the Werewolf. This was a simple level 0 trick, and he no longer needed a scroll to cast such basic magic. The magical hand shoved the dazed Werewolf hard, pushing it dozens of feet away from the gaping maw that was ready to tear it to pieces. On the other side, Alamir had completed a straightforward Divine Art. He poured a whole bottle of Holy Water (perhaps more than necessary) over the immobilized Dwarf¡¯s head while holding a Shield marked with Shuni¡¯s emblem, the long-haired lady on it shining with brilliant golden light. ¡°In the name of the Goddess of Love and Beauty, I grant you the power to resist bizarre creatures!¡± the Elf Priest shouted as he splashed the Holy Water, ¡°Charge, son of Barrend Frostforge, Bruto!¡± ¡°Elf, what are you doing?¡± the Dwarf¡¯s puzzled voice rang out, ¡°Why are you pouring water over my head?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just cooperate and rush to hammer that beast?¡± Alamir said with a look of helplessness, ¡°I¡¯ve already blessed you with Divine Arts...¡± ¡°Sheesh, that¡¯s because you¡¯re making such a fuss with your words.¡± ... The Dwarf was just habitually bickering with the Elf, but after recovering, his main focus was still observing the enemy. To charge at an unknown opponent might show courage but wasn¡¯t very smart, while those who stayed put weren¡¯t necessarily cowards, and could be like Bruto, figuring out the most effective way to strike the opponent. The creature they were facing looked quite odd. Bruto couldn¡¯t find any particularly obvious weakness, but that meant he could strike anywhere on its body. Realizing this, the Dwarf let out a loud battle cry and charged at the monster, wielding his hammer. The monster¡¯s body was covered with mouths and eyes, part of it wanted to confront the charging Dwarf, and another part wanted to chase after the Werewolf a few steps away, splitting its body like the two humps of a camel. Facing countless gaping mouths biting towards him, Bruto shielded himself with his Shield, crashing into it with all his might. Although Dwarfs weren¡¯t tall, their weight was certainly no less than humans¡¯, and the momentum from the charge lifted the monster¡¯s half-body off the ground, while the Warhammer followed closely, striking right in the middle of a half-open mouth. Despite its frightening appearance, the mouth with two layers of sharp teeth had no advantage against the metal hammerhead. Moreover, the Elf Priest¡¯s blessing indeed took effect. As he swung his weapon, Bruto could clearly feel an extra surge of strength enter his arms, making his hammer strikes more precise and powerful. Accompanied by a teeth-grating crunch, the lower jaw of the creature was smashed to pulp; when Bruto pulled back his hammer, some debris even stuck to its head. All the mouths on the monster screamed in unison, but they could no longer stun the Dwarf. He raised his shield, blocking several biting mouths, and his Warhammer deceitfully swept out from below the shield. Yet another ceaselessly chattering mouth was silenced forever. Meanwhile, the others were also gradually recovering from their incapacitated state. Little Isha and the Werewolf began hurling flying knives hidden on their persons at the monster, with the Werewolf¡¯s throws being noticeably more accurate, each one plunging into a yellow eyeball. However, Little Isha¡¯s knives created huge gashes on the monster¡¯s body that were disproportionate to the size of the weapons, with copious amounts of blood gushing out. ¡°Ow! That¡¯s not fair!¡± Old Reap complained loudly, ¡°You¡¯re cheating by using Vampire abilities!¡± ¡°Are we in a competition?¡± Little Isha replied with a giggle, ¡°Where can I check the rules?¡± In battle, the only rule is to kill the opponent as quickly as possible since the enemy harbors the same intention. When Alamir and Kalalin also started bombarding the creature with magic, the outcome was no surprise. After a sharp and brief scream, the monster was utterly slain. Its body, as if suddenly drained of strength, collapsed on the ground like a melting snowman. The force that had held it together seemed to vanish, and its body turned into a spread of filth that extended outward, while the ground, suddenly sponge-like, quickly absorbed the blood, leaving only an unsettling dark red patch and a few broken teeth as evidence of the monster¡¯s existence. ¡°Was that thing an Obyrith?¡± Bruto found a rock to sit on, supporting himself with his warhammer. He felt somewhat weak, a normal after-effect of his rage ending. A good meal and some sleep would return him to normal. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Kalalin spread his hands, ¡°If you asked a less conscientious Demon Scholar, perhaps he might tell you it was an Obyrith, but I think that would be an insult to real Obyriths. Indeed, their appearances may not meet our aesthetic standards, but remember the Giant Skull Demon we encountered earlier? True members of the Obyrith Demon Race are malevolent, cunning, and full of conspiracies, not some brainless fool like this one.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Bruto shrugged, then instinctively sniffed, ¡°Hey, what smells so good?¡± He turned his head and saw that the source of the aroma was the cauldron Lancelot was tending. The originally murky blood inside it had been cooked to a clear and sparkling state, appearing from a distance like a pot of continuously tumbling rubies, reflecting a captivating beautiful shimmer. Lancelot, standing by the cauldron, noticed Little Isha, who was obviously drooling by now, staring intently at the cauldron. Her normally concealed fangs were completely exposed, and saliva dripping from her mouth had even dampened her shirt chest. ¡°Hmm... it should be about ready.¡± Lancelot extracted a small vial, waved his hand lightly in the air, and a thin stream of liquid flew out from the cauldron, filling the vial to the brim. He handed it to Little Isha beside him, advising, ¡°Drink slowly, be careful not to scald yourself...¡± ¡°Um... thanks, brother...¡± Though Little Vampire was extremely thirsty, she did not forget to express her gratitude to Lancelot. Taking the vial, she gently blew on the mouth of the bottle and took a careful sip. Her cheeks turned visibly red at a visible rate, hastily handed the bottle back to Lancelot, and then dashed into her Dimensional Bag that contained her bedroom, without saying a word. ¡°Did you not clean it properly?¡± Bruto chuckled, ¡°Look what you did to the poor girl, gave her a stomach ache, right?¡± ¡°Laugh all you want, you¡¯re next!¡± Lancelot retorted, ¡°What are you waiting for, get undressed!¡± Chapter 559 559 583 Scalding ?Chapter 559: Chapter 583: Scalding Chapter 559: Chapter 583: Scalding ¡°What are you doing?¡± Bruto instinctively covered his chest, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to drink that stuff...¡± ¡°Wishful thinking, you don¡¯t have the ability of little Isha, if you actually drink it, be prepared to spend the night on the toilet.¡± Lancelot curled his lips, ¡°This blood has already been refined by me, and applying it on your body can greatly enhance physical strength, but the pain might be unbearable for most people, so you, with the best constitution, will try it first. Then I can determine the right amount for everyone else.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Bruto was somewhat tempted by what Lancelot said, ¡°To what extent will it strengthen? Can it make my strength as great as a Frost Giant¡¯s?¡± ¡°Definitely has benefits, but it¡¯s hard to say to what extent.¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, ¡°That¡¯s why we need someone to do a trial.¡± ¡°Then... why don¡¯t you use it yourself, big brother?¡± Bruto looked at the Human Knight somewhat suspiciously, ¡°You are the most powerful among us...¡± ¡°Who said I¡¯m not using it?¡± Lancelot grinned, ¡°After you all have used it, the rest is mine...¡± ¡°Ah, how embarrassing, if we use too much, you¡¯ll have none left...¡± On hearing this, Bruto hesitated no longer and swiftly stripped naked, ¡°Come on, I¡¯m ready!¡± ... ¡°You don¡¯t need to take off your underwear.¡± Lancelot turned his face away helplessly, ¡°Damn it, do you Dwarves never trim any hair on your body?!¡± ¡°Oh, alright.¡± Bruto shrugged his shoulders and pulled up his pants, ¡°What do we do next?¡± ¡°You have seen how I sit when I rest, just like that...¡± Lancelot sat down cross-legged on the spot, ¡°You should sit in the same position, others will do the same later, palms up on your knees, thumb and middle finger joined together, and also point the soles of your feet toward your nostrils at the same time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a risky pose, I can¡¯t do it.¡± Bruto declared immediately after the first attempt, ¡°Damn it, Lancelot, isn¡¯t there another way?¡± ¡°Well, if you really can¡¯t do it, just have the soles of both feet face each other. Keep your back straight, let the spine be like a spear!¡± Lancelot took out a small bottle of blood from the cauldron and stood behind Bruto, ¡°Listen, I am going to smear this blood on your body soon. It will penetrate your skin and strengthen your muscles, bones, and internal organs. The process might be unpleasant, but you must stay conscious because once you fall unconscious, the enhancement will end. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Just start it, mom.¡± Bruto looked at the Human Knight discontentedly, ¡°Or do you want to admire my muscular Dwarf body a bit more?¡± ¡°Glad to see your spirited attitude.¡± Lancelot¡¯s fingers gently swayed at the bottle¡¯s opening, several crystal clear streams of red liquid flew from the bottle with his movement, falling on Bruto¡¯s shoulders, back, chest, arms, thighs, and ankles, then slowly spread like smoke over his body. ¡°Hey, where does it hurt? It actually feels quite comfortable!¡± Bruto was initially a bit nervous, but the warm blood enveloping his body felt like soaking in a hot bath, ¡°Big brother, did you make a mistake?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rush, it hasn¡¯t even begun yet!¡± Lancelot scolded softly, ¡°Focus!¡± Only one-third of the blood in the bottle was used, but Lancelot decided to start with just that much. He moved behind the Dwarf, placing his palms on the Dwarf¡¯s shoulders, closed his eyes to feel for a while, then stretched his fingers out and tapped several times on Bruto¡¯s broad back, before pressing a palm on Bruto¡¯s back heart. The Dwarf was about to ask a question, but sudden intense pain made him shut his mouth. He felt as though countless tiny needles were pricking his blood-covered skin, each burning as hot as a red-hot branding iron. Although Bruto had appeared fearless, that did not mean he truly disregarded what Lancelot had said. The Dwarf¡¯s characteristic stubbornness prevented him from succumbing to the pain. He did not let out even a slight moan, combating the intense pain he felt throughout his body with a will as solid as rock. Strangely enough, after resisting the initial assault, the same level of pain seemed less unbearable. In just a few moments, Bruto¡¯s previously chaotic breath had calmed, and he had evidently adapted to this level of suffering. Seeing this, Lancelot nodded slightly, his finger flicked gently, and the remaining liquid in the bottle flew out, pouring over the Dwarf¡¯s body. Bruto¡¯s face changed dramatically, he felt as if countless small knives were scraping his bones, his muscles felt like ore thrown into a furnace, and he couldn¡¯t help but let out a painful roar. ¡°The worst pain is right now, hang in there!¡± Lancelot¡¯s voice rang in his ear, sounding like the peal of a bell coming through the fog, reaching deep into the Dwarf¡¯s soul. Simultaneously, a refreshing energy like mint flowed from the palm pressed against his back, bringing Bruto¡¯s somewhat scattered consciousness back to clarity. Shortly after, Lancelot withdrew his hand from the Dwarf¡¯s back, whose body was flushed, but it was not due to residual blood, but rather the tumultuous surge of his own blood energy. However, Bruto, who had been crying out in pain just before, now seemed as if he were asleep, even snoring lightly. ¡°All done, he¡¯ll be fine once he wakes up.¡± Lancelot clapped his hands, stood up from the ground, and turned to the others, ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± ¡°My strength comes from my faith in the Goddess.¡± Alamir was the first to refuse, ¡°I¡¯d rather not augment my physical body like this.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m good as I am.¡± Reap crossed his arms over his chest, ¡°Beast Transformation is enough for me.¡± ¡°I am a Scholar, not a Warrior.¡± Kalalin looked conflicted for a moment but ultimately decided, ¡°Knowledge and Magic are my weapons.¡± ¡°Well, you all do have a point.¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, took out a few small bottles, filled them, and threw them into the Dimensional Bag. Then he began to take off his armor and equipment, quickly stripping down to just a pair of shorts. Before stepping into the Cauldron, his Spirit Perception reminded him there was one more thing he hadn¡¯t done. ¡°I might react a bit unusually in a moment, but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be all right.¡± He explained briefly to his curiously looking companions, and then, conjuring a small Soundproof Barrier around the Cauldron, he completed these preparations. After taking a deep breath, Lancelot jumped into the bubbling cauldron of blood. ¡°Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± Lancelot couldn¡¯t hold out for even a second longer, immediately letting out a loud scream¡ªpartially because refining his body with Titan¡¯s Blood was a bit more painful than he had expected, and partly because he was sure his companions couldn¡¯t hear his cries. Of course, the most important reason was¡ªhe had made his bath water too hot. Chapter 560 560 584 Body Refining ?Chapter 560: Chapter 584 Body Refining Chapter 560: Chapter 584 Body Refining It¡¯s not that Lancelot couldn¡¯t withstand the high temperature¡ªwith his current cultivation and physical strength, even if he accidentally fell into the lava, as long as he climbed out quickly, he would most likely be unscathed. The problem was that his goal was Body Refining, so he had withdrawn all the protective True Yuan, using only the tender body reformed after Foundation Establishment to endure the boiling blood broth. Fortunately, the high heat was merely uncomfortable and did not cause real damage; in fact, it even enhanced the effects of Body Refining. Having confirmed that he wouldn¡¯t be cooked, Lancelot suppressed the urge to keep screaming, sat down cross-legged in the Cauldron, and began to circulate a special Body Refining Technique. As True Yuan flowed through his meridians, opening up the acupoints along its path like voracious whirlpools, it absorbed the surrounding energy. What followed was a pain a hundred times more intense than before. Lancelot felt as though he was back in the dungeons of Gorgiad Fortress, except this time it was he who hung from the Prince of Wrath¡¯s torture devices. Each of his muscles, every bone seemed to be ground into the smallest particles, wave after wave of pain assaulted him like a tsunami, seeking to completely drown his consciousness. As a Foundation Establisher, Lancelot inherently possessed an immense ability to endure pain, but what truly allowed him to withstand such sensory onslaught was his Divine Sense, which far surpassed that of ordinary people. If Bruto¡¯s Divine Sense was like a cup and spellcasters like Kalalin and Alamir had one the size of a bucket, then Lancelot¡¯s was like a large bathtub¡ªa tub that this level of pain was still far from filling. Therefore, Lancelot opened up more acupoints, allowing the power of Titan¡¯s Blood to flow into his body even faster. Suddenly, a multitude of images appeared in his Divine Sense, like leaves blown past by the wind. Most were scenes of Giants fighting, with opponents ranging from Dragons in the sky and behemoths in the sea, to various Fiends and Demons from the lower planes. Beyond combat scenes, there were fragments of everyday life. He felt as though he had become a Giant, strolling down the glorious streets of Voningheim, the long-forgotten capital of the Giant Empire, Ostoria; worshipping devoutly in the magnificent palace before the great figure seated on the throne, the August Father of the Giants; and carving strange runes on stones, using poetry to record the once-glorious history of the Giant race... These fragments, akin to memories, were too numerous and flashed by too quickly for Lancelot to follow any single one. He decided not to pay attention to these bizarre images and instead focused on circulating the Body Refining Technique. The Body Refining Technique that Lancelot was practicing was known as the King of Brightness Technique. According to the records on the bamboo slip, it was a Cultivation Technique from Buddhism¡ªa very special sect within the realm of Spiritual Cultivation¡ªcharacterized by targeting the unclean energy of the Fiends. It refined that energy for one¡¯s own use, strengthening the body. Even Han Tianzun had practiced this technique in his youth and had given it high praise in his cultivation insights. ... With the continuous circulation of the Technique, the Body Refining progressed much faster than Lancelot had anticipated. In a short while, the originally crystal-clear Titan¡¯s Blood in the Cauldron turned as murky as muddy water, and he suddenly let out a long howl, leaped out of the Cauldron without a word, and headed straight for the entrance of the cave. The reason was nothing else but that every inch of Lancelot¡¯s muscles and bones had swollen to the point of bursting, urgently needing to be released. Unexpectedly, outside the cave stood another figure, just as naked, who was swinging his fists, striking at the snowflakes in the chilly wind. It was Bruto, who now stood close to ten feet tall, his bronze skin covering exaggerated muscles, making him look almost like a Dwarf deity. ¡°Haha! Big brother, you¡¯ve come at just the right time!¡± Upon seeing Lancelot, Bruto immediately let out a hearty laugh, ¡°Come on and take my punch!¡± Lancelot, without any hesitation, met him head-on. But as he approached the Dwarf, his body began to grow rapidly, eventually becoming as large as a Frost Giant over twenty feet tall, and thundered a punch at Bruto. ¡°No!! Big brother, I was wrong!!!!¡± Bruto clasped his arms in front of his face at the first opportunity, but Lancelot¡¯s punch still struck with terrifying momentum. The Dwarf was knocked back like a ball, tumbling rapidly backward and creating a long trench in the thick snow, sliding for nearly a hundred feet before coming to a stop. After the punch, Lancelot collapsed to the ground, ceaselessly pounding the earth. The first several punches seemed to shake the accumulated snow into the air like dust from a carpet, but soon the force of the punches began to weaken, and his size gradually returned to normal, transforming back to his human appearance. Lancelot shook his head and stood up from the ground. He still felt his blood and qi extremely full, but the unbearable sense of swelling had finally disappeared. On the other side, Bruto staggered back, looking to have returned to normal, except that the outsides of both arms showed clear contusions, fitting together to perfectly form the imprint of a fist. ¡°You really went too hard with that punch just now,¡± the Dwarf waved his arm in complaint to Lancelot, ¡°If it had been a regular Berserk Demon, it probably would have been blasted to bits by your punch.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re still fine, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lancelot smiled and shrugged, turning to head back to the cave they¡¯d left earlier, ¡°Let¡¯s head back quickly, it¡¯s really cold here!¡± Bruto rolled his eyes, not believing Lancelot¡¯s latter words at all, because he could clearly see that the snowflakes drifting from the sky would vaporize immediately upon landing on Lancelot¡¯s back, and the same phenomenon was occurring on his own body as well. ¡°Speaking of which, the blood soup you made is really something,¡± Bruto quickly caught up with the Human Knight, ¡°I feel like my strength has increased by at least thirty percent, and I can even enter that state again... I just need a good meal and then another sleep.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°but I still don¡¯t feel quite comfortable after getting larger, it feels clumsier. We should have a few days of downtime; how about I join you for some serious training?¡± ¡°Are we really just going to train?¡± Bruto subconsciously rubbed his arms, ¡°Alright, if you really think it¡¯s necessary.¡± ¡°Of course, strength coupled with clumsiness is a bad combination, and haven¡¯t we taken down many such enemies? Like the Frost Giants of this realm...¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± the Dwarf answered instinctively, but then suddenly stopped in his tracks, ¡°Wait a minute, the word you just said, it means Frost Giant, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I intended to say Frost Giant, but that word just popped out on its own, and you understood it right away...¡± Lancelot also stopped, frowning slightly, ¡°Did you just now... see any strange visions?¡± Chapter 561 561 585 Sitting on the Mountain ?Chapter 561: Chapter 585 Sitting on the Mountain Chapter 561: Chapter 585 Sitting on the Mountain After a series of tests, Lancelot and Bruto finally confirmed an interesting fact: both of them had mastered the Giant¡¯s Tongue, which was most likely a gift that came with the Body Refining using Titan¡¯s Blood. This language was not very useful for Lancelot¡ªgiants willing to communicate with him could speak the common tongue, and giants who could not simply saw him as food. But Bruto¡¯s reaction was much more enthusiastic. The Giant¡¯s Tongue was one of the most ancient languages in the Multiverse, each of its letters was a Magic Rune with a special connection to the essence of the universe. Without the need for obscure Spell incantations or expensive casting materials, inscribing these Runes in a specific combination could activate various magical effects, as Gorgiad had just demonstrated not long ago. Without a doubt, Rune magic was extremely suitable for enchanting weapons and armor. In fact, several of the most powerful Enchantment formulas circulated among Dwarven Artisans originated from these Giant Runes, and Bruto was already a decent Blacksmith (by human standards). Combined with the new knowledge in his head, he was fully capable of creating some simple and practical magical equipment. Perhaps one day, the young Dwarf could forge works that would impress his father, which was his greatest wish hidden deep in his heart. The rest of their companions were not too interested in physical enhancement, but upon learning about the advantage of mastering the Giant¡¯s Tongue, even Kalalin, who had been most resistant, bit the bullet and accepted it. According to him, learning a new language was already a painful and lengthy process; it was better to endure short-term pain than long-term, and most importantly, it could save precious time. In addition, the Giant¡¯s Tongue was a nearly lost language, not so much because the number of its users was dwindling, but because the civilization of the giants was in an inevitable decline. Therefore, although the giants were not Kalalin¡¯s field of research, the relics they left behind were everywhere in the world. As a Scholar, physical pain could not deter him from his thirst for knowledge. Lancelot had prepared enough stocks before his Body Refining, so everyone had the chance to back out. The best performer among them was old Reap, who endured as much Titan¡¯s Blood as the Dwarf did; afterwards, the transformed werewolf was almost as big as an adult White Dragon and had to run wildly around the nearby valleys for a quarter of an hour to return to normal. ... Alamir and Kalalin, by comparison, were far less successful. The Elf Priest¡¯s dosage was about half of the Dwarf¡¯s, while the Scholar¡¯s was a third less. Whether it was due to physical inadequacy or too little absorbed Titan¡¯s Blood, even though both saw a clear enhancement in their physical fitness, they did not gain the ability to grow in size. However, both had achieved their main goal¡ªthey soon began communicating using the Giant¡¯s Tongue, which was, admittedly, a rather novel experience. In the following days, while keeping an eye on the movements near the Gate of Stroddet, everyone busied themselves with the final preparations for the operation. To be specific, little Esha had fallen asleep after drinking a sip of Titan¡¯s Blood and had not yet woken up, while the werewolf was running rampant all over the mountains, sometimes returning covered in wounds. The Elf Priest spent most of his time each day in prayer to his Goddess; to others, this seemed completely one-sided, but Alamir himself clearly enjoyed it. As for Bruto, he kept repeating the cycle of sleeping, eating, and fighting Lancelot (or being beaten up, depending on one¡¯s perspective)¡ªfor a warrior, this was the best way to improve strength outside of life-and-death battles. And Lancelot too could use this as an opportunity to adapt to his new body and his new Realm. Yes, Body Refining with Titan¡¯s Blood was the final step he needed, and he finally broke through to the Middle Rank of Foundation Establishment. Comparing himself to a month ago, the capacity of True Yuan within Lancelot¡¯s Dantian had nearly doubled, and his physical strength and agility had also increased by at least thirty percent, reaching the level comparable to any Middle Rank Demon. More importantly, his sensitivity to nature¡¯s spiritual energy had improved, as had his Divine Sense, which showed signs of further growth. Foundation Establishment at the initial rank was about the refinement of the skin, at the Middle Rank the bones, and at the High Rank the spirit. Once the flesh, bones, and spiritual power were all fully trained, cultivators could then attempt to form a Golden Core and break through to the next Realm. Another who had a significant breakthrough in strength was Kalalin. Even though he was quite resistant at first, the benefits brought by Titan¡¯s Blood far exceeded his expectations, and now he could cast two 4th-ring spells each day. Since he hadn¡¯t prepared in advance, he could still only cast Arcane Eye, but that didn¡¯t hinder him from improving on the spells he had mastered and creating new tricks that required a 4th-ring spell slot. The wait was longer than they had anticipated, and if Tijana hadn¡¯t reassured him with Divination that there were indeed a massive number of Frost Giants secretly gathering in the Iron Ice Plains, Lancelot would have suspected that Gorgiad had sneakily slipped back to his old home in the upper plane. Two weeks later on an early morning, having received intelligence in advance, everyone set out early and gathered on a mountain peak with an excellent view. Directly below them was the Gate of Stroddet, yet the never-ending battles had surprisingly ceased, seeming as if no Frost Giants from the upper plane had appeared in the teleportation area for a while. This abnormal phenomenon made the Abyssal Lord¡¯s subordinates extremely nervous. They were convinced that the enemy was about to launch a large-scale assault and had gathered a significant force in readiness. When the group arrived at the observing mountain, the number of Frost Giants on the plain below had already exceeded five hundred, and new squads were continuously joining their ranks from the road to the west. Lancelot noticed that the Frost Giants were spread out quite loosely, and he saw at least twenty different banners, suggesting they were not unified under a single commander who could give orders to the entire army. Among the Frost Giants loyal to the Prince of Wrath, there were no lack of spellcasters. These Frost Mages had created numerous defensive structures made of ice, allowing other Frost Giants to hide behind cover and throw rocks and javelins. If things developed as they anticipated, this would indeed be a satisfactory defensive setup, capable of causing significant casualties to any army coming out of the Gate of Stroddet. ¡°This is truly exciting,¡± Alamir exclaimed sincerely, looking at the giant army on the plain that resembled a forest, ¡°since the fall of the Ostoria Empire, it¡¯s been a long time since such a large-scale battle of giants has taken place on the material plane.¡± ¡°This feeling is quite marvelous, like those mythological stories I heard as a child are about to unfold before my eyes,¡± Kalalin said, equally excited, ¡°It¡¯s a pity the Prince of Wrath himself isn¡¯t here, or it would have been even more splendid.¡± ¡°If Kostcheqi were here, we¡¯d be running for the hills by now,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m more curious about how large a force Solheim¡¯s brother has amassed and how much of a role he can play in the battle himself.¡± Chapter 562 562 586 ?Chapter 562: 586 Chapter 562: 586 While everyone was expressing their opinions on the battle situation, a loud roaring sound suddenly came from afar. A huge column-shaped object whistled through the air and ultimately impaled itself heavily in the center of the teleportation area. The thunderous noise of its impact reached their ears only moments later. Lancelot took a closer look and found that it was an exaggeratedly large spine bone, and at its top, an Emblem in the shape of a Double-Edged Axe was flickering with an ice-blue light, the emblem of the Frost Giant god Solheim. The already restless defending army was instantly thrown into disarray, turning their heads in confusion towards the direction from which the bone had come. Those on the mountain peak had a better view; they could already see a troop rapidly approaching on the horizon, with the tall figure at the forefront being none other than Gorgiad. Compared to more than ten days ago, this Titan Giant looked positively radiant. He wore a massive horned helmet atop his head, a cape made of mammoth skin draped over his shoulders, wore no clothing on his upper body to fully display his muscular physique, and in his hand was a nearly fifteen-foot Metal Warhammer, his appearance that of a walking war machine. And as Gorgiad¡¯s troop drew closer, the war cries that they all chorused drifted over as well. ¡°Huh! Huh! Huh!¡± ¡°Am du Anfel!¡± ... ¡°Huh! Huh! Huh!¡± ¡°Am du Slag!¡± ¡°Dod du Maug!¡± ¡°Prakt am Maat!¡± (Meaning: Huh huh huh, we attack you! Huh huh huh, we slay you! You die in disgrace, our bravery wins glory!) ¡°You know, despite its simplicity, this war cry is quite imposing,¡± Kalalin said, shaking his head, ¡°but it seems to me their numbers are a bit meager, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°There are less than one hundred and fifty Frost Giants, not even a third of their opponents,¡± Alamir shrugged his shoulders, ¡°Either the Demi-god is extremely powerful, or he¡¯s too conceited.¡± ¡°This is a field encounter with a huge disparity in numbers... even if that Gorgiad is formidable, can he really take on a hundred Frost Giants alone?¡± Bruto shook his head doubtfully, ¡°Big brother, what do you think?¡± ¡°Even without considering the Demi-god¡¯s own strength, the number disparity is not yet to the point where they can¡¯t fight,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°They have the upper hand in terms of momentum, and the defenders don¡¯t even have a Commander. Hopefully, the will to fight of the Frost Giants isn¡¯t too weak; otherwise, the level of excitement in this battle might disappoint you...¡± Just then, Gorgiad raised his hammer high, signaling the start of the battle. Invigorated by his lead, the Frost Giants behind him began to charge forward, throwing their Javelins and rocks while taking advantage of the momentum of their charge. The sky looked as though a black cloud had risen, and as it descended, it turned into a rain of blood. A large number of Frost Giants in the defenders¡¯ positions fell like timbered trees. Because the attackers leveraged the momentum of their charge when throwing, their power and range had increased significantly, and at this moment, the defenders were still hesitating about whether to abandon their current fortifications. Under the first wave of long-range strikes, they suffered tremendous casualties. Due to a lack of unified command, some troops among the defenders left their positions to counter-charge, while others stayed put and attempted to maneuver behind the ice wall that the Spellcasters had put so much effort into creating. Unlike the chaotic defenders, the attackers were like a Long Spear, fiercely piercing into the loose formation of the enemy, and the spearhead leading the charge was the Demi-god himself. Crude weapons couldn¡¯t cause him any harm; only those magical equipment radiating Spiritual Light warranted Gorgiad¡¯s evasion. And every time his Warhammer swung, it would crush an enemy to dust, as easily as smashing a clay pot. Contrary to Lancelot¡¯s expectations, faced with Gorgiad¡¯s (literally) celestial performance, the Frost Giants loyal to the Abyssal Lord showed no signs of shrinking back. Instead, they surged forward more frenziedly, like a pack of hyenas targeting a lion. Gorgiad too did not retreat a step; on the contrary, he charged into denser clusters of enemies. When there wasn¡¯t a single ally within sixty feet, the Demi-god leaped high into the air, and on landing, he slammed his Warhammer into the ground with all his might. This strike clearly contained immense Magical Power, causing the ground to undulate like waves, flipping all nearby enemies off their feet. Lancelot noticed a common vulnerability between Giants and Knights¡ªthat once on the ground, it was extremely difficult for them to get up again, and this was the best opportunity to finish them off. After the shockwave passed, the warriors following Gorgiad immediately charged forward, swiftly finishing off their fallen kin. With this single blow, the Demi-god had killed nearly twenty Frost Giants, but compared to the total number of defenders, it was far from enough. More enemies quickly filled the gap on the battlefield, and the once seemingly unstoppable assault turned into a bloody battle of attrition. On the mountaintop, Lancelot watched with a sinking heart. In his experience, if this were a battle amongst humans, with Gorgiad¡¯s terrifying display, the defenders¡¯ morale would have largely collapsed, with soldiers positioned towards the rear even starting to flee. But observing the Giants¡¯ frenzied momentum, the battle was far from ending as swiftly as he had imagined. Given the current situation, even though Gorgiad¡¯s inspiration pushed his followers to fight to their limits, the sheer number of enemies was overwhelming. To continue fighting like this, the tide of battle would develop in an extremely unfavorable direction for them. ¡°Damn, something seems off here.¡± Bruto, as if sensing Lancelot¡¯s thoughts, spoke up, ¡°Big brother, should we go down and lend a hand? We¡¯re still counting on him to deal with that big, winged lizard. If he dies here, all our previous plans will go to waste. I can fight for ten minutes in my transformed state, and you and old Reap can last even longer...¡± ¡°Wait, that¡¯s a terrible idea!¡± Hearing the Dwarf¡¯s suggestion, the color drained from the Werewolf¡¯s face, ¡°It¡¯s a Giants¡¯ battlefield down there! Lancelot, you don¡¯t really think we can make a difference, do you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous, I won¡¯t let you two risk it,¡± Lancelot said, pulling out the Giant Sword Glacier from his Dimensional Bag, ¡°But Bruto is right, if it continues like this, Gorgiad might really lose. Then all our plans will have been for naught.¡± ¡°Are you insane?¡± Old Reap¡¯s face showed disbelief, ¡°This is no different from suicide. Even the fiercest Tanari wouldn¡¯t enter such a battlefield...¡± ¡°I¡¯m different. To me, going into battle is as familiar as going home,¡± Lancelot said with a smile, pulling out the handkerchief that led to the demi-plane, ¡°Come on, take cover inside for a bit. It¡¯ll all be over in an hour at most.¡± Upon hearing this, his companions fell silent, exchanging complex glances, until Kalalin stepped forward and declared with firm resolve: ¡°No, Lancelot, we¡¯re not going in.¡± Chapter 563 563 Applicable in the same way as 587 ?Chapter 563: Applicable in the same way as Chapter 587 Chapter 563: Applicable in the same way as Chapter 587 ¡°There are five hundred Frost Giants fighting ahead, even a demi-god himself would be in great trouble, and you want to rush in alone?¡± Facing Lancelot¡¯s questioning gaze, Kalalin asked in a stern tone, ¡°Or do you think we are actually a burden, better off without us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± Lancelot couldn¡¯t help getting a bit angry, ¡°You all are my precious companions, which is why I want you to stay in a safe place!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get agitated, my friend,¡± the Elf Priest spoke up, his tone much softer, ¡°Let me ask you, if we go with you, can we play a positive role?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Lancelot immediately controlled his emotions and patiently explained, ¡°Kalalin¡¯s magic is always very useful, Bruto can also alleviate a lot of pressure for me, and your Healing Divine Art would make us last longer. Old Reap, I know you can handle various emergencies in battle, and little Isha, this child always brings us surprises; I hope she wakes up from her deep sleep soon...¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to hear you make such an objective assessment of us,¡± Alamir revealed a gentle smile, ¡°So, why refuse our help when facing danger?¡± ¡°You might die,¡± Lancelot said softly, ¡°I don¡¯t...¡± ¡°If we were afraid of dying, we wouldn¡¯t have become adventurers,¡± Alamir shook his head and said, ¡°Do you remember what you told Elothysia? The same applies to you now. We came to this plane to retrieve that lost Dwarf Relic; it was our own choice, no one forced us to do it.¡± ... ¡°Besides, death is not something to fear. The Goddess would embrace me with open arms, Moradin would nod in approval at Bruto, and Ogma or another God of Knowledge would excitedly invite Kalalin to continue her research in their Divine Kingdom. Even if I fell in battle, resurrection isn¡¯t a rare Technique in the Outer Layer. With the wealth we¡¯ve amassed so far, we can fully afford such expensive services. What you should worry about is whether we would want to return to our mortal shells after experiencing the ultimate satisfaction. I can assure you now that at least the next time you try, I will definitely come back, even if I was sitting in the Goddess¡¯s fountain garden surrounded by a dozen stunning beauties.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Lancelot took a deep breath and bowed solemnly to his companions, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I need to apologize to you all...¡± ¡°No need, no need, we all understand that you mean well,¡± Kalalin waved his hands dismissively, ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the original topic, do you have a specific plan?¡± ¡°The guards on our side are relatively fewer, so let¡¯s start there,¡± Lancelot raised his hand pointing toward the battlefield below, ¡°After we join, we might form a local numerical advantage, and if things go well, we should be able to quickly resolve that flank of the enemy. Then I¡¯ll try to see if I can persuade some Frost Giants to move with us and launch a pincer attack from the east side of the guards¡¯ position. But all these are just auxiliary actions; whether we can achieve victory still depends on Gorgiad and his followers¡¯ performance.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get going,¡± Bruto rubbed his hands together excitedly, ¡°Old Reap, hurry and bring out your magic sled; the battle is calling us!¡± ¡°I must have been crazy to think about adventuring with you,¡± Old Reap sighed, took out a mini sled model from his pocket, and placed it on the ground; the moment it touched the snow, it began to grow in size. Simultaneously, the Werewolf started transforming, and within a few moments, a huge black and white Wolf appeared and spoke to the group: ¡°Awooo~~~~!¡± Everyone nodded, pretending to understand, and deftly climbed onto the sled, fastening themselves with belts. After receiving the signal that everything was ready from Lancelot, the giant wolf shot out like an arrow from its bow. Perhaps due to the downhill slope, or perhaps because of the Titan¡¯s Blood enhancing the werewolf¡¯s physique, the sled soon reached an exaggerated speed. The scenery on both sides flashed by rapidly, and the snowflakes that hit the helmet made a loud clattering noise. Covering the linear distance from the mountain peak to the battlefield, about two miles, took them less than three minutes at Old Reap¡¯s frantic pace, and soon they arrived at the edge of the battlefield. ¡°I¡¯ll go first, keep your distance from the enemies,¡± Lancelot transmitted to his comrades using a secret message, then he specifically instructed Bruto separately, ¡°Remember, we¡¯ll fight on the periphery, don¡¯t charge too deep!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, bro, I¡¯m not stupid,¡± Bruto patted heavily on Lancelot¡¯s back, ¡°Leave the back to me!¡± Hearing this, Lancelot no longer wasted words, undid the belt that held him, and leaped from the sled at the right moment. Simultaneously, Lancelot silently operated the King of Brightness Technique at full force, and True Yuan surged from his Dantian, making his figure grow larger and larger in the air until, skin color aside, he looked exactly like a Frost Giant. Since this transformation ability wasn¡¯t a result of magic, his equipment couldn¡¯t grow with him, for that he only wore some stretchable undershirts, which naturally slid to his waist after transforming, covering the essential areas. But Lancelot wasn¡¯t without protection; he wielded a small shield in his left hand, the same shield given by the Frost Giant Priestess, Gertie, as a token; and in his right hand, he held the Giant Sword Glacier, which, although originally seven feet long, appeared more like a disproportionately large short sword when compared to his arm. The noisy clamor of the battlefield meant that the minions of the Abyssal Lord had no notice of Lancelot¡¯s group approaching, until a Giant Sword descended from the sky and split a Frost Giant¡¯s skull into two halves. The fragments of the skull, splattered with blood and brain matter, flew everywhere, drawing the attention of the battling giants to the arrival of new adversaries. In their view, this team appeared quite strange, comprising a giant, a dwarf, elves, humans, and a large dog following behind. Just then, Lancelot raised his shield to block a club swinging toward him, shimmering with a blue light on the double-edged axe emblem, immediately clarifying his identity as either friend or foe to those engaged in combat. Followers of Geogad gave out a loud cheer towards him, while minions of the Abyssal Lord yelled at him angrily. Lancelot had no interest in responding; after a successful strike, he immediately retreated, avoiding being surrounded by enemies. After retreating about sixty feet, Lancelot stopped, rhythmically striking the shield with his sword, the taunting intent was clear. In response, three Frost Giants broke away from their formation and chased after Lancelot. ¡°Only three came; I feel somewhat underestimated,¡± Bruto walked over, standing just above Lancelot¡¯s knee, ¡°How about you toss one to me?¡± After he said this, he instinctively looked up at his tall ally, but this time the dwarf blushed and quickly averted his gaze, cursing under his breath: ¡°Damn it, Lancelot, aren¡¯t you gonna freeze down there?¡± Chapter 564 564 588 One After Another ?Chapter 564: Chapter 588 One After Another Chapter 564: Chapter 588 One After Another ¡°Ugh, wasn¡¯t paying attention,¡± Lancelot muttered as he stealthily pinched an Arcane Rune with his shield-bearing left hand, and suddenly, his loincloth sprouted a pair of vine underpants, ¡°No peeping... Now we¡¯re even.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve noticed you¡¯re quite the grudge holder,¡± Bruto snorted, as three Frost Giants began charging toward them. The Dwarf nudged Lancelot¡¯s calf with his behind, ¡°I just had a brilliant idea, can you throw me over there? Aim for the one on the right...¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Lancelot stepped back, ¡°Squat down, curl up... Yeah, like that, get tense!¡± With a hefty lift of his foot, Giant Lancelot kicked Bruto¡¯s butt hard. ¡°Aghhhhh!!!¡± Thinking Lancelot would not resort to such brutality, the Dwarf flew like a cannonball and smashed heavily into a Frost Giant¡¯s face. To prevent harm to Bruto, Lancelot had held back as much as possible on the kick, but the Giant¡¯s face was naturally more fragile than the armored Dwarf, staggering and sitting down on the ground from the impact. Bruto was also smacked hard, but Lancelot knew the Dwarf would come to his senses quicker, so he ignored him and charged at the other two enemies with his shield raised. The middle Frost Giant, holding a Great Axe, was very close to its fallen ally but showed no intention of lending a hand. Instead, it raised the Great Axe above its head, ready to cleave the half-naked Giant in two. ... But Lancelot¡¯s build led the Frost Giant to misjudge; it thought Lancelot¡¯s speed was no different from that of an ordinary Giant. That was a fatal mistake. As Lancelot was about to enter the Giant¡¯s attack range, his speed suddenly burst forth, closing the distance until he was nearly face to face with the enemy, while thrusting his round shield upward. Shocked, the Frost Giant instinctively jerked its head back. However, Lancelot¡¯s move wasn¡¯t aimed at its face. The edge of the shield wedged precisely between the Giant¡¯s weapon-wielding palm and the haft, preventing any possibility of lowering its arm. Lancelot¡¯s path to the Giant¡¯s unprotected chest was wide open. Lancelot¡¯s right hand thrust out violently, and Glacier easily slid into the Frost Giant¡¯s left chest, the tip of his weapon emerging from the Giant¡¯s back. Lancelot stepped back half a step, kicking the powerless body of his foe to the ground. Dark red blood spread under the dying Frost Giant. Its eyes gradually lost their luster, still glaring at the strange Giant that killed it, but the murderer had already turned away, looking elsewhere. As expected, Bruto recovered more quickly, smashing his opponent¡¯s knee with his Warhammer right away. Now the Frost Giant could only lie prone on the ground, balancing with one hand and swatting at Bruto with the other. The Dwarf agilely rolled around on the ground, looking perilous, but Lancelot knew it was only a matter of time before Bruto would handle the enemy. Accompanied by a massive boom, his attention was drawn to the last Frost Giant. Because he was wary of being flanked, Lancelot had been keeping an eye on the final enemy, who had inexplicably fallen once before and failed to get up this time. Lancelot was well-acquainted with the spell that caused the enemy¡¯s woeful state¡ªthe Grease Spell, a simple level 1 Magic, but always so effective against creatures with poor agility. It was then that an orange-red Fireball flew in, exploding on the Frost Giant and igniting the grease smeared on its body. ¡°Fireball Technique! Oh yeah!!!¡± Lancelot didn¡¯t need to look back to know who that cheer came from. The targeted Frost Giant let out a loud wail, rolling back and forth on the ground, trying to snuff out the flames on its body, but this only further ignited the surrounding ground, which was soaked with grease. This made it even more panicked, completely unaware that simply rolling five feet to the side would take it out of the fire¡¯s reach. Clutching Glacier like a dagger, Lancelot pounced on the fallen Frost Giant. He first slammed his shield against the opponent¡¯s head, then repeatedly stabbed the opponent¡¯s body with his Great Sword. Neither the fierce flames nor the opponent¡¯s death throes could hinder him in the slightest. The blood spurting from the wounds eventually extinguished the flames, splashing all over Lancelot and turning him crimson. He turned his head, just in time to see Bruto getting hit by a giant palm, while the Dwarf¡¯s Warhammer smashed into the opponent¡¯s forehead. Propelled like a bouncing ball, the Dwarf was knocked away, but his hammer had shattered the giant¡¯s skull. After tumbling dozens of times on the ground, Bruto staggered to his feet, while his enemy would never move again. Meanwhile, a hand shimmering with golden light was placed on his battered body ¡ª Alamir had arrived just in time, delivering a potent Healing Spell with Circle Upcasting. ¡°Thanks, Elf,¡± the Dwarf turned his head, flashing a blood-streaked smile, ¡°I like your touch...¡± ¡°That sounds really perverted...¡± Alamir punched Bruto¡¯s back hard, ¡°Focus, we have even more enemies now!¡± Compared to Bruto, who had taken quite some time to kill one enemy, Lancelot was much more efficient and conspicuous. In response, five Frost Giants broke away from the defenders¡¯ formation, howling as they rushed towards him. Lancelot didn¡¯t rush towards the enemies, instead, he stayed put to observe his opponents. The two axe-wielding Frost Giants in front were the most aggressive, the two behind them had originally planned to throw their Javelins first, but had followed the charge when they saw their companions start. The last one, after running a short distance, slyly changed direction, aiming to flee the battle. ¡°Don¡¯t rush, Lancelot!¡± Old Reap¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind, ¡°Let Kalalin complete his magic!¡± The Scholar was holding an unfurled scroll in both hands; its Arcane Runes were shimmering with intense Spiritual Light. At the end of the scroll, there was a drop that looked like solidified syrup, which was now trembling violently under the infusion of Magic Power. With the Scholar¡¯s sudden extension of his arm, Lancelot felt a very strange magic effect explode among the enemies. Aside from the one that had bolted early, the remaining four Frost Giants¡¯ movements visibly slowed down, as if their bodies had suddenly been submerged in water. ¡°Now¡¯s the time!¡± Kalalin finally had a chance to speak up, ¡°They¡¯ve been hit with my Slow Spell!¡± Without needing any extra hints, Lancelot charged like a cheetah. To a master like him, even a slight difference in speed could bring a significant advantage, and right now, these enemies appeared as if frozen in his eyes. In almost the blink of an eye, he flitted past three enemies, finally appearing behind the last Frost Giant, unleashing a fierce Horizontal Slash. The Scholar¡¯s magic didn¡¯t wear off immediately, four giant heads slowly ascended into the air while their bodies still charged forward. About three heartbeats later, they suddenly regained normal speed, and the headless corpses thudded to the ground. A vast amount of blood, like wine spilling from an overturned bottle, flowed from the ghastly hollows of their necks, spilling everywhere. Chapter 565 565 589 ?Chapter 565: 589 Chapter 565: 589 Lancelot¡¯s attack was so swift that almost none of the Frost Giants engaged in the fierce battle caught his movements, except for his companions. However, the sight of four figures collapsing simultaneously was too conspicuous to go unnoticed. Those Frost Giants loyal to Solheim were the first to realize the anomaly. Despite being unclear how this small statured Titan had managed it, they let out a loud cheer and enthusiastically warned their opponents that the Grim Reaper was upon them. The defenders were truly plunged into panic, realizing that this new threat was far more dangerous than they had initially thought, and their numerical advantage in that area had vanished. Kostcheqi¡¯s subordinates knew the situation was dire, and Lancelot saw it all clearly. He let out a victorious shout and charged toward the enemy formation with an unstoppable momentum, followed closely by Bruto, who was giving his all to keep pace. The Demi-god followers engaged in frontal combat immediately stepped up their offensive, forcing the enemy to be unable to afford the distraction, and as an experienced warrior, Lancelot knew very well the best strategy in this situation. He swept past the defense line like a whirlwind. His primary targets were the Spellcasters, while regular warriors would receive just a stab before he moved on. Most of the time, it wouldn¡¯t kill the enemies immediately, but the Frost Giants from the higher plane would finish the job. Bruto, following in his wake, had also caught on by now. Using Lancelot¡¯s tall figure as cover, the Dwarf targeted the Frost Giants¡¯ knees and ankles; with each swing of his hammer, an enemy certainly fell to the ground with a howl, an effect equal to that of Lancelot¡¯s strikes. Once the balance of power was disrupted, the tide of battle changed at an incredibly rapid pace. After Lancelot broke through the interception of two Guards and plunged his Great Sword into the mouth of a Sikoude¡ªa Frost Giant war chanter¡ªthe defending wing finally collapsed completely. Following the lead of the first Frost Giant who threw down his weapons to flee, the remaining twenty-plus Frost Giants completely abandoned the fight and scrambled to escape westward, while the attacking warriors instinctively started to pursue. ¡°Maintain formation, forget those who run, go back and support Geogad!¡± Lancelot shouted in the Giant¡¯s Tongue. ¡°I need a few men to come with me to the eastern flank!¡± ... On the battlefield, a powerful Warrior possesses an invisible authority. Although no one knew who Lancelot was, the Frost Giants instinctively obeyed his command. About thirty Frost Giants turned around to assist their comrades who were struggling at the front, while seven adventurous Frost Giants ran towards Lancelot, planning to follow him for a flank attack. Lancelot slowed down slightly to allow the others to keep up with him, and took the opportunity to get a clear view of the latest situation in battle. Before their intervention, the attacker¡¯s formation was like it was pinched by the claws of a crab. What Lancelot had just dealt with was the smaller pincer, while Geogad was desperately holding against the larger one. Harnessing the power of his formidable Staggering Strikes, the Demi-god kept flipping his surrounding enemies to the ground, also constantly inspiring his followers, which was key to maintaining the attackers¡¯ line. But they were still at a significant numerical disadvantage. A bit farther from Geogad, his followers were being killed off at an alarming rate. Fortunately, after the collapse of the enemy to the south, the attackers received a slight reinforcement, but the overall situation remained grim, merely delaying the inevitable defeat by a small margin. Lancelot calmly restrained his desire to join the battle, leading his team in a wide arc around from behind the attackers until they reached the rear side of the enemy formation, where he then took the lead in charging. Bruto followed closely behind, running while removing his armor (which was then collected by Kalalin trailing behind), activating the Transformation effect of the Titan¡¯s Blood, and turned into a bronze Dwarf the size of an Ogre, howling as he joined the charge. A charge from the rear can always create an immediate impact, even on foot. As a former Knight Commander, Lancelot was naturally adept at selecting the target for his charge, aiming for the area under the greatest pressure within the enemy lines. As he ran forward, he positioned the Glacier in front of his body and braced the Shield against the Sword Blade on his side, making him appear like a charging rhinoceros. After closing in to within thirty feet of the enemy, he accelerated once more, outpacing all his companions and thrust into the midst of the enemy like the battering ram of a siege engine, instantly throwing the defenders¡¯ formation into total disarray. The Dwarf charging with him held a Giant Battle Axe picked up from who knows where, spinning like a top with blades attached among the Giants, wounding or killing anyone he brushed against. Bruto, even after his Transformation, was only half the size of the Frost Giants, but that was exactly the height difference he was accustomed to, executing the signature low sweeps of a Dwarf with such skill that it resembled a lumberjack felling one Giant after another as they lost their lower legs. The other Frost Giants following Lancelot¡¯s charge also achieved impressive feats. The characteristics of the Giants were fully displayed at this moment: they were truly cumbersome, but the damage they inflicted with their full might was equally devastating. More than one Frost Giant accomplished what even Lancelot found hard to achieve¡ªsplitting a traitorous kinsman in two with their Great Axe, the thrill of such slaughter exhilarated them, driving them to attack the next enemy with even wilder ferocity. Lancelot¡¯s charge was like a foot on the scales of victory, flipping the weights on the other side into the air. However, his action had actually only altered less than one-tenth of the entire battlefront, and to change the outcome of the entire battle, he would have to make several more similar charges, and quickly. So, he broke away from the fight once more, calling out loudly for others to follow him. Frost Giants that had come with him previously, save for one who had fallen in battle, immediately gathered before him, along with over a dozen extra Frost Giants who answered his summons, longing for Lancelot to lead them to ¡®glory¡¯. The Human Knight wasted no time with words. He led this group in a wide half circle and charged another stretch of the defensive line from directly behind. The same scenario played out again, but this time on a larger scale and with better results. His two rounds of charges together eliminated nearly fifty Frost Giants, greatly boosting the morale of the attackers and once again delaying the moment of defeat. Just as he was about to organize troops for a third rear assault, his Spirit Perception suddenly detected a surge of intense magic power. Numerous Frost Giant figures appeared in the teleportation area, led by a female Frost Giant with thick, curly blue hair and pale skin, who appeared strikingly beautiful. She was dressed in a black gown with a neckline that plunged to her navel, holding a Giant Shield painted with the emblem of a Double-Edged Axe, and around her neck hung a gemstone necklace with snowflake-shaped pendants. ¡°Warriors!¡± her voice reminded Lancelot of the biting north wind, ¡°Kill all these worshippers of Demons!¡± Chapter 566 566 590 The Sandwich ?Chapter 566: Chapter 590 The Sandwich Chapter 566: Chapter 590 The Sandwich Lancelot turned his head and discovered that the spinal bone, thrown into the center of the Portal area before the battle began, had disappeared. He then realized that the object wasn¡¯t some challenge issued before the Giants¡¯ combat, but a distress message sent back to Jotunheim. Now, reinforcements from the higher planes had arrived. Lancelot glanced over and confirmed there were roughly a hundred Frost Giants within the Portal area. Even though the attackers were still slightly outnumbered, he knew the battle was no longer in doubt, for the reinforcements had appeared directly behind the defensive formation. With one charge, they could completely crush the enemy. But for Lancelot, there was a small problem¡ªthat he and his companions were positioned right between the newly arrived reinforcements and their enemies. Even with his current size, this was an extremely dangerous situation, not to mention for those companions who were less than a third his height. ¡°Bruto! Stop!¡± Lancelot bellowed, then turned his head and shouted to his companions behind him, ¡°Old Reap, quickly take those two and get out of here! Those Giants are charging!¡± The trio looked back in confusion, their faces going pale when they realized what was about to happen. Old Reap howled, transformed into a massive Werewolf, grabbed Scholar and Elves in his mouth, and then bolted southward at breakneck speed. Once he was sure they could escape in time, Lancelot turned back to check on Bruto¡¯s situation. Sadly, the Dwarf had completely gone berserk and hadn¡¯t heard Lancelot¡¯s recent shout at all. He was swinging his axe like a mad lumberjack, seemingly enjoying it immensely. Lancelot turned again, realizing that in no more than five heartbeats, the ground he stood on would be trampled into mush by a host of Frost Giants. Then they would crash into the defensive line like boulders tumbling down a mountain, smashing anything caught in the middle to bits. ... The Human Knight began to sprint with all his might towards the Dwarf still engrossed in battle, his hands quickly forming Dharma Decrees. Bruto performed a swift half-turn, using the strength of his thighs and waist to swing his axe blade at a Frost Giant¡¯s knee. The severely nicked Battle Axe didn¡¯t fully sever the knee, but it was enough to make the struck Frost Giant lose balance. Bruto moved his feet quickly, readying for another blow to the fallen enemy¡¯s head, but suddenly found he couldn¡¯t lift his arms. It wasn¡¯t just his arms; his entire body was tightly entwined by vines that had suddenly burst through the snow. The Dwarf, unable to launch his attack, finally snapped out of his berserk state. He turned his head with some confusion, just in time to see Lancelot, who had already run up to him, as well as the incoming wave of Frost Giants behind him. ¡°What are you doing, big brother?¡± the Dwarf yelled, perplexed, ¡°And what¡¯s with those Frost Giants?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Lancelot ordered while sprinting towards him, ¡°Unless you want to bite off your own tongue!¡± There was an unquestionable force in Lancelot¡¯s words, and Bruto instinctually obeyed. With fear in his eyes, Lancelot slowed slightly in the last stretch to adjust his footing before kicking viciously at the Vine Ball entrapping the Dwarf. ¡°Ahh~~~~~!¡± With Bruto¡¯s elongated, increasingly distant scream, Lancelot knew the last of his companions had been removed from mortal peril, and now only he was left. He instantly canceled the Titan Transformation state, pressed on an inconspicuous black spot on his right wrist, and then activated an ability he acquired from a certain spider-like creature. Moving effortlessly into the shadows, Lancelot passed beneath the tangle of Frost Giants¡¯ feet, reemerging on the other side of the battle line. None of the Giants noticed him. Lancelot looked up just in time to see the giant Vine Ball crash onto the distant snowfield. ¡°I hope that guy isn¡¯t too badly hurt...¡± Lancelot shrugged and ran toward the direction where Bruto had fallen. He had reverted to his human form, barefoot, and his running figure seemed incredibly light, not even leaving footprints in the snow behind him. Soon, he arrived at the edge of the Vine Ball. Bruto had also returned to his normal size and was sprawled on the ground nearby, seemingly without any obvious external injuries, but he had fallen into unconsciousness. From the nearby traces, it was apparent that the Vine Ball had rolled a considerable distance upon landing, and being trapped inside must not have been very comfortable. There came a steady sound of hoofbeats from behind. Lancelot turned his head and saw Old Reap, transformed into a massive werewolf, running towards him. The werewolf skidded to a stop in front of him, nodded at Lancelot, then ¡®spat¡¯ out the Scholar and the Priest onto the ground before reverting to his ordinary werewolf form. ¡°Sorry, the situation was really urgent back there, I truly didn¡¯t have time to wait for you to climb on my back,¡± Old Reap said with a smile, looking at the two who were swaying as they got up from the ground, ¡°That journey was probably not as comfortable as riding on a sled, but it must have been thrilling, heh heh heh heh...¡± ¡°Indeed, but I can tell you were very careful, and being carried in the mouth of a giant wolf is certainly a unique experi...¡± Kalalin¡¯s words were cut off as a deluge of water from above drenched him. ¡°Except for the excessive saliva, which always had me worrying that you might swallow us the next second,¡± Alamir said, controlling the flow of water created with Divine Arts to wash off the sticky liquid from himself and Kalalin, ¡°but I know you had no such intentions, right? Thanks a lot, if it weren¡¯t for you, Kalalin and I would have certainly been doomed.¡± ¡°No problem, I managed to run out just in time thanks to Lancelot¡¯s warning.¡± The werewolf shrugged and nudged the Dwarf on the ground with the tip of his foot, ¡°This guy... he¡¯s not dead, is he? With his body so intact, even if he were, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to revive him...¡± ¡°He¡¯s just passed out.¡± After inspecting further, Alamir crouched down and made the above judgment. He placed the shield with Shuni¡¯s emblem on the Dwarf¡¯s chest, quietly recited a short prayer praising the God of Love, and then activated his once-daily Divine office ability to channel Divine Power. The shield acted like a Portal suddenly opened, a vast amount of life energy surged into the Dwarf¡¯s body in an instant. Bruto¡¯s eyes snapped open, and he began to cough violently, as Alamir gently helped him up. ¡°Thank you, Elves, that was really comfortable... Achoo! Ugh, it¡¯s so cold, could someone give me a cloak...¡± ¡°First, put this on,¡± Kalalin said as he pulled out a thick cloak from his backpack, ¡°Your armor and hammer are with me as well. Do you want them now?¡± ¡°Haha, thanks! Of course, I want them now!¡± Bruto staggered to his feet, ¡°That fight was quite a rush, let¡¯s hurry back! Victory is within our grasp!¡± Chapter 567 567 591 What is the Reason for This ?Chapter 567: Chapter 591: What is the Reason for This? Chapter 567: Chapter 591: What is the Reason for This? ¡°Haven¡¯t had enough yet?¡± Lancelot gave the Dwarf a sidelong glance, ¡°Don¡¯t forget this battle doesn¡¯t really concern us much, and you¡¯ve already had your main course. The rest is just dessert, if we don¡¯t leave now are you planning to foot the bill?¡± ¡°Ah, alright then.¡± Bruto reluctantly glanced back at the battlefield not far away, ¡°But that fight was really exhilarating. I thought you were bluffing when you said you were a Commander...¡± ¡°Damn it, I¡¯m a Knight.¡± Lancelot rolled his eyes, ¡°You should be more worried about what other tricks I haven¡¯t told you about...¡± Returning the same way would be a long uphill journey, so everyone used a Teleportation Scroll to return to their hiding spot, and then made their way back to the mountaintop they had used earlier to observe the battle. Although they had been gone for less than half an hour, just as Lancelot had predicted, the outcome of the battle was no surprise. The army loyal to the Abyssal Lord had been utterly defeated, and the soldiers were fleeing helter-skelter, abandoning their helmets and armor. In the center of the battlefield, Geogad was surrounded by a large group of followers, receiving their cheers and reverent worship, with the beautiful and sexy blue-haired Giantess clinging tightly to him. Lancelot frowned subconsciously at this; in his view, this was the moment when the victor of a battle reaped the most loot. The Commander should have been directing the soldiers to chase down the fleeing enemy, not celebrating the victory. ¡°This Geogad, is he getting a bit carried away?¡± Kalalin also spoke up from beside him, ¡°I¡¯m not very familiar with Giant culture, but is that really the way to treat a Commander or a hero?¡± Upon the Scholar¡¯s comment, Lancelot also realized what had felt off¡ªthose Frost Giants were too fanatical. Indeed, just like Solheim, Geogad was a son of Annand (or Anan, Giant¡¯s Tongue doesn¡¯t translate precisely into human language), but it was Solheim who had received the Divine office among the Frost Giants. For Geogad to accept the worship of the other Frost Giants so matter-of-factly seemed somewhat jarring to Lancelot, who came from a noble background. ... ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics of the situation between those two brothers, but this doesn¡¯t seem quite right,¡± Alamir, who was a Priest and had natural authority on such matters, spoke up, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because he¡¯s been locked up for too long, and his mind isn¡¯t so clear. And we are in the Abyss, even if Solheim disagrees, there¡¯s not much he can do...¡± For the rest of the day, the Frost Giants from the upper planes celebrated their victory wildly. Their grating yet loud songs were crystal clear even on the mountaintop. Geogad¡¯s subordinates included Ice Mages, who conjured up a podium over thirty feet high for the Demi-god to give a speech. Thanks to the Giant¡¯s booming voice and his senses enhanced by True Yuan, Lancelot managed to catch the gist of the speech. The main point was that the Demi-god intended to restore the Frost Giants¡¯ glory, wipe out the Mog (a Giant¡¯s Tongue word for shameless, blasphemous, Fallen Ones) that worshipped the Demons, and turn this layer of the Abyss into his, Geogad¡¯s Kingdom. However, after the stirring speech, the Demi-god did not immediately set off. Instead, he ordered the army to set up camp near the Portal. Troops of Frost Giants went back and forth through the Portal to Jotunheim, bringing back even more Frost Giants each time. It seemed Geogad intended to secure this Portal first, and then, after gathering a large enough army from the upper planes, march on the Glacial Fortress. When night fell, the snowy plains were lit up with stars of campfires. The aroma of roasted meat mingling with the crude songs of the Giants floated on the wind over a great distance while the group returned to their cave to rest, needing to fill their stomachs and tend to their gear. ¡°Do you think,¡± Bruto said, hammering away at Lancelot¡¯s great sword with a small hammer, ¡°that a brave dwarf like me will be in those giants¡¯ songs of valor? I took down at least ten enemies, did you see that?¡± ¡°I saw everything clearly,¡± Lancelot replied with a smile, ¡°but don¡¯t expect those giants to include us in their tales. I listened to them for a bit just now, and seventy percent of the content is about how unstoppable Gorgiad is, with the remaining space half-boasting about how easily the Mog followers of Kostcheqi were defeated, and the other half describing the beautiful Nakala appearing like the Goddess of Victory, bringing victory and a kiss to Gorgiad. There¡¯s more about the latter.¡± ¡°Tch, if it weren¡¯t for us stepping in just in time, Gorgiad might not have died, but at best only half of his men would be left now,¡± Bruto grumbled, wrinkling his nose, ¡°Sure enough, one has to tell one¡¯s own stories. When we get back to Twin Bridges Town, I¡¯ll have Vilmor Stone Drum write a song for me too. You¡¯ve met that singer, right? The one who likes to braid his beard into little braids. Just one cup of mead and he¡¯ll write a song! I¡¯ve even brought a battle axe as evidence... Big brother, make sure you don¡¯t wash the blood off it!¡± ¡°The Nakala you just mentioned, she¡¯s the blue-haired female frost giant who brought the reinforcements, right?¡± Kalalin asked thoughtfully, gazing at Lancelot, with a half-finished scroll laid out before him, ¡°The one Gertie mentioned before, the daughter born to Solheim and Olul?¡± ¡°That would be her.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°You may not have noticed, but she wears a snowflake-shaped amulet around her neck, just like...¡± ¡°Just like the one you got from my mother?¡± A magnetic and slightly husky female voice rose from outside the cave, causing Lancelot¡¯s pupils to shrink sharply as he stood up and turned around, his sword Frostslash appearing in his hand. There was a flash of blue light distinctive of transformation magic outside the cave, and then two ¡®shrunken¡¯ female frost giants walked in. Leading them was the very Nakala they had been discussing, and behind her was a well-known figure to everyone ¨C Gertie Oriel Sdottir, the frost giant priestess of the God of Winter, Olul. ¡°No need to be tense, I¡¯m not here to cause you trouble,¡± the demi-goddess smiled at the group, her smile brightening and warming the entire cave, ¡°Although the poets will not sing of your deeds, I don¡¯t rely on them to understand what truly happened in battle. The outcome is clear, you not only rescued Qiao from his long imprisonment but also prevented him from suffering a major defeat in his first public appearance after his return.¡± ¡°Your Highness Nakala, we are greatly honored by your presence,¡± Lancelot said politely, giving a knight¡¯s bow, ¡°and it was your decisive role in the victory. We just bought a little time at most. Please forgive my boldness, but I am curious, what brings Your Highness to visit us, a group of insignificant mercenaries?¡± ¡®Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡¯ Tijana¡¯s voice echoed in Lancelot¡¯s mind, ¡®She definitely wants to sleep with you...¡¯ Chapter 568 568 592 Blessings ?Chapter 568: Chapter 592: Blessings Chapter 568: Chapter 592: Blessings ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible,¡± Lancelot silently rebutted in his heart, ¡°She fled the moment she saw me, that certainly didn¡¯t leave a good impression on her.¡± Tijana was not on her own initiative, sensing the terrifying presence of the demi-goddess; Lancelot immediately called the Succubus Lord for help. In Gjollgard Fortress, the released aura of the Frost Giant god¡¯s brother was not much stronger than a charming demon¡¯s, but the presence of this demi-goddess before him had exceeded his sensory limit. Only a few big shots like Tijana, Cang Ye, and the anonymous figure in the Flame Demon state have given him this sense before. Uncertain of the newcomer¡¯s intentions, Lancelot decisively called for external assistance; Tijana had already locked on his position and could teleport over immediately if anything went awry. However, Nakala didn¡¯t seem to be looking for trouble, which slightly eased Lancelot¡¯s mind. ¡°The reason for my visit... Mainly, I was curious to see who exactly it was that saved Qiao,¡± Nakala smiled faintly once again, ¡°To be honest, when the Prophecy Spell pointed to a human, I thought my spell had failed...¡± ¡°She just wants to sleep with you, that slutty whore,¡± Tijana¡¯s voice, gritting teeth, rang out once more in Lancelot¡¯s heart, ¡°Just watch, in a bit she¡¯ll ask you what reward you want, say that you can ask for anything, and then provocatively squeeze her own breasts. I guarantee they¡¯re no different from stone, maybe even harder... Stop staring now!¡± ¡°Nothing¡¯s going to happen between her and I,¡± Lancelot soothed the irritable Succubus through their psychic connection while addressing the demi-goddess before him, ¡°As you can see, there¡¯s nothing special about me, I¡¯m just an ordinary knight...¡± ¡°An ordinary knight wouldn¡¯t just take one of my mother¡¯s Holy Relics and run off to the Iron Ice Plains,¡± Nakala waved her hand, conjuring a chair made of ice from thin air and sat down as if she owned the place, ¡°Let me be direct, the way you acquired that necklace... It might not have been proper. I suggest you return it to me, holding onto that necklace will do you no good.¡± ... ¡°That¡¯s really a misunderstanding,¡± Lancelot spread his hands, ¡°I was merely seeking ways to combat the severe cold from a priest of the frost maidens, named Mohoi, may his soul rest in your mother¡¯s Divine Kingdom... To put it simply, he claimed he had lost the Goddess¡¯s trust and wouldn¡¯t be able to help me unless I stirred up a blizzard in the Plains of the Abyss to please your mother.¡± ¡°Let me guess, you succeeded?¡± ¡°It took quite a bit of effort, but yes,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡± The first layer of the Abyss now has an extra snow mountain, and all witnesses believe it was Olul displaying His might...¡± ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ll send a couple dozen Fireburn Demons up later to melt that stupid snow,¡± Tijana said grumpily in Lancelot¡¯s heart. ¡°But for some reason, your mother made Her presence known through Mohoi¡¯s body, and then... a fight broke out. I hope you can understand, we really don¡¯t have much experience communicating with the divine,¡± Lancelot spread his hands again, ¡°But as I said, all we wanted was to seek help, not to be frozen into ice blocks by the Iron Ice Plain¡¯s cold winds.¡± ¡°I can solve that problem for you right now,¡± the blue-haired demi-goddess drew a glowing snowflake emblem in the air with her hand, then pushed it toward everyone while speaking with a smile, ¡°Even though my mother is the God of Winter, I can borrow a bit of her power...¡± A mysterious magical effect enveloped the companions; they initially felt extremely cold, as if standing naked in the snow, followed by a burst of heat, much like jumping into a bubbling hot spring. In an indescribable experience, everyone knew they had gained permanent resistance to the cold, and low temperatures would no longer make them fall ill. But Lancelot did not accept this offering, largely because he did not need it. As a Cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage, his physical body could fully withstand the severe cold that ordinary people could not bear; moreover, he did not understand how Divine Power operated¡ªwhether it was Titan¡¯s Blood, Abyssal Spiritual Qi, or even gifts from the King of Flame Demons, all were essentially energy that could be refined and absorbed by Cultivation Techniques, but Divine Power was not the same at all. Until he could confirm whether it would negatively affect his cultivation, Lancelot dared not casually accept this completely unknown force. ¡°Alright, can you return the necklace to me now?¡± Nazaka extended her hand towards Lancelot, ¡°You have already received my blessing, so you won¡¯t need to perform that ceremony every week anymore. Melting ice with hands? What on earth was my mother thinking...¡± Lancelot did not immediately respond but turned to look back at his companions. Knowing what he wanted to ask, they all silently nodded, and so Lancelot reached into his Dimensional Bag and took out the snowflake-shaped pendant. ¡®Wait, are you really going to give this to her?¡¯ Tijana¡¯s dissatisfied voice rang out in the depths of Lancelot¡¯s mind, ¡®That¡¯s a genuine Divine Artifact!¡¯ ¡®A promissory note that keeps me in debt to Olul without even stating the interest rate,¡¯ Lancelot replied with a resolute tone, ¡®If it hadn¡¯t been necessary to combat the cold before, I would have thrown it away a long time ago.¡¯ ¡®As you wish,¡¯ Tijana¡¯s voice still sounded quite displeased. ¡®Are you jealous?¡¯ Lancelot, while handing the Divine Artifact over to the blue-haired woman in front of him, tried his best not to laugh out loud in their mental link, ¡®This has a completely different meaning than the necklace I gave you.¡¯ ¡®It better be,¡¯ Tijana said through gritted teeth, ¡®Hmph!¡¯ ¡°A wise choice.¡± Nakala smiled as she took the necklace and immediately handed it over to Gertie behind her, who looked surprised and immediately put it on her neck, and Nakala, too, wore a similar necklace, appearing to be a matched set. This sight nearly confirmed the suspicion that had always lingered in Lancelot¡¯s mind¡ªthat the rescue of Gorgiad had been Nakala¡¯s idea from the beginning, and it was she who had used her own necklace to sense Lancelot¡¯s location; the real Goddess of Winter might have been completely unaware of her daughter¡¯s actions. ¡°I¡¯m glad our meeting has produced some results.¡± The Demi-goddess gave Lancelot a somewhat suggestive smile, ¡°There¡¯s one more thing, Qiao will soon march on the Glacial Fortress, and both you and I are aware that the demon posing as a Giant is now imprisoned in the Nine Hells, an easy victory awaits Qiao ahead...¡± ¡°Lord Gorgiad¡¯s strength and courage are beyond doubt,¡± Lancelot said, arms crossed and body slightly leaning back, ¡°But the victory may not be as easy as you think, you must have heard the name Svafnir before.¡± ¡°Svafnir won¡¯t be a match for Qiao,¡± Nakala said as if stating a simple fact, ¡°The problem is that while Qiao is in the air fighting the ancient White Dragon, someone needs to command his troops on the ground...¡± Chapter 569 569 593 Refusal ?Chapter 569: Chapter 593 Refusal Chapter 569: Chapter 593 Refusal Nakala¡¯s words truly shocked everyone present. Was she inviting Lancelot, a human, to become the Commander of the Giants¡¯ army in the upper planes? ¡°Surprised?¡± The blue-haired Demi-goddess revealed a smile that suggested she had everything under control, ¡°I can see what you have been through, mortal. Your past is an epic written in steel, blood, and flame, and on the snowy plains outside the Gate of Stroddet, you have proven that you can also handle the combat among Giants. Of course, not many will be willing to accept your command at first, but I believe you have the capability to gradually gain the trust of more Giants.¡± ¡°Your proposal truly honors me,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°but I regret that I must decline.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡®What?¡¯ The voices of the Demi-goddess and the Succubus Lord resounded unexpectedly both in Lancelot¡¯s ears and in his heart at the same time, each containing different emotions. Nakala¡¯s face showed displeasure for the first time, and the temperature in the cave seemed to drop dozens of degrees instantly, while Gertie standing behind her spoke outright in anger: ¡°You dare to refuse Princess Nakala¡¯s request, human? Mind your status!¡± ¡®A wise choice.¡¯ Tijana sounded much happier than before, ¡®I knew you wouldn¡¯t be tempted by such trash...¡¯ ¡®Have some confidence in yourself.¡¯ Lancelot replied somewhat speechlessly, ¡®My lady, you are much stronger than she is.¡¯ ¡°Can you tell me why?¡± Nakala¡¯s voice was icy as she began, ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask what benefits there would be.¡± ¡°My identity is one of the reasons,¡± Lancelot shrugged indifferently, ¡°I am just a human, not a Giant.¡± ... ¡°Don¡¯t you possess the ability to transform?¡± Nakala frowned as she asked, ¡°The power obtained from Qiao¡¯s blood, am I not right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but it can¡¯t last for long, and it would not work if I had to march with the Giants,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°To bring out a hundred percent combat effectiveness of an army, a Commander must have unquestionable authority, which is something I could never attain in Lord Geogad¡¯s army.¡± ¡°Qiao will convince them,¡± the blue-haired Demi-goddess insisted, ¡°As long as you perform well, you can definitely...¡± ¡°Your Highness, you are truly benevolent, and I am profoundly honored by that, but you are of half-blood from the Goddess of Winter, not purely Giant,¡± Lancelot firmly shook his head again, ¡°I am not ignorant of Giant culture; I know that the great Father of Giants created a hierarchical system called the Ordning, to let each Giant tribe understand who is closer to His knees. The Ordning ranks, from highest to lowest, go as follows: Storm Giants, Cloud Giants, Fire Giants, Frost Giants, Stone Giants, Hill Giants, and at the bottom are distant relatives and collateral branches, such as Two-Headed Giants, Cyclopes, Ogres, and the cursed deform Giants, and so on. But what about humans, Dwarfs, Elves? We are not even part of this system, our status even lower than those who worship the Abyssal Lord. This hierarchy is strict; even a chieftain of the Stone Giants could not compare to the most ordinary Frost Giant; at the same time, it is deeply ingrained in all Giant hearts, no matter how outstanding my performance may be, it would be impossible to win the trust of those Frost Giants.¡± ¡°You think you understand Giants better than I do?¡± Nakala¡¯s face lost all traces of a smile, ¡°After all that talk, these are just excuses for your refusal. How foolish, you have no idea what kind of glory you have just missed!¡± ¡°Everyone regrets a certain decision they made at some time, wondering if the outcome would be different if everything could be done over,¡± Lancelot shrugged nonchalantly, ¡°but at this moment, I still adhere to my original viewpoint; your proposal is a tremendous honor, but it is indeed not suitable for me.¡± ¡°Suit yourself, human,¡± Nazaka turned stiffly, and the cave became even colder, frost forming on the ground even beside the campfire, ¡°I know you¡¯re looking for something, and in light of what you¡¯ve done before, here¡¯s a piece of advice: once Qiao conquers Kostcheqi¡¯s lair, all the treasure inside will belong to him. If you dare to touch a single coin, don¡¯t blame Qiao for turning on you!¡± ¡°I sincerely wish him the greatest glory,¡± Lancelot bowed to the demi-goddess¡¯s retreating back, ¡°one that matches your own glory.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Leaving behind a disdainful snort, Nazaka left the cave where everyone was hiding, followed by Gertie who shot a fierce glance before walking out as well. Lancelot¡¯s spirit perception this time sensed the fluctuations of spatial magic, and soon after, the presence of the two visitors disappeared completely, evidently having teleported away. ¡®Looks like you¡¯re safe for now.¡¯ Tijana¡¯s pleased voice rang in Lancelot¡¯s consciousness, ¡®I still have so much to do...¡¯ ¡®What kind of succubus are you?¡¯ Lancelot complained through the mental connection, ¡®Shouldn¡¯t you spend more time with the target of your charm?¡¯ ¡®Sorry, but I am still the lord of Twin Bridges Town, with tens of thousands to tend to in their daily needs,¡¯ Tijana¡¯s voice grew serious, ¡®The demons have rallied another legion to strengthen the assault on Volcano Fortress, I can even smell Bartez¡¯s stench from my balcony. The entire output of the Craftsmen¡¯s District is now being sent to the fortress, I¡¯ve even agreed to their demands for not paying in advance!¡¯ ¡®Ah, that¡¯s the Tijana I like, you have a different charm when you¡¯re working hard,¡¯ Lancelot said beaming, ¡®Anything else troubling you, my lady?¡¯ ¡®Yes, my lover seems to prefer spending his energy sparring with me in the training field rather than more interesting activities.¡¯ Tijana¡¯s voice suddenly became full of seduction again, ¡®Haven¡¯t changed your mind? Your persistence is making me doubt my own charm.¡¯ ¡®Because I prefer the top,¡¯ Lancelot answered earnestly, ¡®Is that so hard to understand?¡¯ ¡®...We need to have a proper talk about this issue face to face when you come back,¡¯ Tijana fell silent for a while before changing the subject, ¡®The dwarves are now only getting four hours of sleep a day, you really should hear what they call me behind my back... hurry up and bring back Dain Frostbeard¡¯s armor, that thing should greatly boost their morale.¡¯ ¡®Alright,¡¯ Lancelot promised, ¡®If everything goes well, we¡¯ll soon have a chance to infiltrate Glacial Fortress.¡¯ ¡®After you get it, come straight back, and don¡¯t take any detours like last time to Androlina.¡¯ ¡®Of course, I have no interest in stone.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not ok even if it¡¯s not like stone!¡¯ ¡®As you command, my lady,¡¯ Lancelot suppressed a laugh, ¡®I promise not to confirm whether or not that¡¯s true.¡¯ Chapter 570 570 594 Looking Down from a High Place ?Chapter 570: Chapter 594: Looking Down from a High Place Chapter 570: Chapter 594: Looking Down from a High Place ¡°Alright, friends, let¡¯s set off as well,¡± Lancelot turned to his companions and said, ¡°The location of this cave is fully exposed now. We need to find a new hiding spot.¡± ¡°Finished chatting with Tijana?¡± Bruto asked with a mischievous grin, ¡°You turned down that blue-haired beauty¡¯s proposal, didn¡¯t that make her happy?¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Lancelot glanced awkwardly at the others, ¡°Was I really that obvious...¡± ¡°Anyone who saw the silly smile on your face just now could guess what was going on,¡± Alamir spread his hands, ¡°And from my professional perspective, I¡¯d say you two probably discussed some... rather stimulating topics.¡± ¡°Shut up, Shuni¡¯s priest,¡± Lancelot covered his face, ¡°Remember I once saved you.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Five days later, Geogad¡¯s army had grown to over two thousand. Although Frost Giants were still emerging from the portal, Lancelot predicted that the Demi-god would soon set out. The reason was simple, if there were no external enemies to distract them, his army would likely self-destruct due to infighting soon. In some ways, Frost Giants and Demons are very similar; they are all arrogant, disdainful of rules and orders. However, in Demon society, High Rank Demons exert crushing dominance over Low Rank Demons, which creates a kind of twisted order. But the difference in strength among the Frost Giants wasn¡¯t so great. With such a large group of Frost Giants gathered, all vying for dominance over each other, the level of chaos was imaginable. ... During these five days, they had witnessed at least three large-scale brawls involving more than half of the Frost Giants. The causes were often as foolish as boasting about past battles or wrestling and stone-throwing contests. As the Commander of the whole army, Geogad initially admired his followers¡¯ belligerence and would even cheer loudly for the fighting sides, but after a massive brawl that left over thirty Frost Giants dead, the Demi-god could no longer laugh. On the morning of the seventh day, the great army of Giants finally set off magnificently. They marched westward, their target being the Glacier Fortress, the lair of the Abyssal Lord. Lancelot and his group also moved out, but instead of using Teleportation Magic to go directly to the destination and wait, they chose to travel parallel to the Demi-god¡¯s army to keep up with the latest situation. The difference was, Geogad led his army along the flat valleys, whereas Lancelot and his group were traveling over steep ridges. Fortunately, the Frost Giants didn¡¯t move too quickly, and with the supernatural abilities and tools that Lancelot and his companions possessed, this journey wasn¡¯t too tough. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°These guys¡¯ equipment isn¡¯t bad,¡± Bruto huffed into his palm, then rapidly rubbed his hands together to create warmth, ¡°It¡¯s completely different from Kostcheqi¡¯s minions.¡± The group was currently standing atop a mountain peak, looking down on the marching army below. From above, Gorgiad¡¯s army looked like a forest with legs, except each tree was adorned with armor and weapons, a dangerous and bizarre sight. ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯re facing different enemies,¡± explained Old Reap, who had transformed back into human form. Lancelot had ordered a brief rest at this spot with an excellent view, ¡°Us shorter races always try to bring Giants down first, then go for their vulnerable heads and necks, so Giants have learned to focus their protection on their lower body, like wearing thick boots, shin guards, and belts of fur or metal to protect their bellies. The Frost Giants of this plane are always waiting for an opportunity to raid the material plane, so they all dress this way, while the Frost Giants from the higher planes clearly came prepared. They knew exactly whom they were going to face when they stepped through the Gate of Stroddet.¡± ¡°I have to say, these big guys look terrifying when they¡¯re fully armed,¡± Bruto turned his head to look at Lancelot, ¡°How many Frost Giants were there at the Glacial Fortress the last time we went?¡± ¡°No more than five hundred,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°But I guess that number was just a small part of Kostcheqi¡¯s minions.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Kalalin joined in. As a Scholar who studied the Abyss, he spoke authoritatively about the internal situation of the Iron Ice Plains, ¡°Kostcheqi always recruits followers by tribe, and those tribes wander the corners of the Iron Ice Plains, waiting for random Portals to appear to raid other worlds. Furthermore, Kostcheqi¡¯s irascible nature is also why there were so few there. Even the most loyal followers could be obliterated when it flies into a rage, and that¡¯s how it got the title Prince of Wrath.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯ve always been curious about how Kostcheqi persuaded the Frost Giants to abandon Solheim and swear loyalty to itself?¡± asked Lancelot curiously, ¡°Surely it wasn¡¯t by sending a few Sikoude bards to brag about its deeds among the Giant tribes...¡± ¡°It¡¯s a true Demon, after all, much more brutal in its approach,¡± the Scholar said with a chuckle, shaking his head, ¡°According to various reports, the Prince of Wrath¡¯s typical process for recruiting a tribe goes like this: It appears as an ordinary Giant, then challenges and kills the tribal chieftain. For Frost Giants, strength is paramount. By securing the leadership in this way, Kostcheqi leads the tribe into war against its enemies to see if they ¡®deserve¡¯ to serve him. If the results are satisfying, the Prince of Wrath will open a gate to the Abyss and grant the victors the glory of serving him forever on the Iron Ice Plains.¡± ¡°So that tribe just... gave up their faith in Solheim?¡± Lancelot asked, somewhat surprised, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit... arbitrary?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s... you see, first and foremost, Frost Giants definitely aren¡¯t the smartest of their kind, and they worship power above all else. Compared to the high and mighty Solheim, a being like Kostcheqi who descends among them and resolves their grudges has much more appeal. Even without all that, Immortality itself is a great temptation, enough to make these naturally malevolent creatures abandon their original faith.¡± ¡°So it is. Sounds somewhat similar to the reason Gray Dwarves fell,¡± Bruto mused, nodding thoughtfully, ¡°In the battle of the Gate of Stroddet, Gorgiad let too many enemies escape. By now, probably all the inhabitants of the plane know he¡¯s out and about to attack Kostcheqi¡¯s lair. I wonder if those Frost Giants who swore loyalty to the Abyssal Lord will actually honor their vows and defend the Glacial Fortress?¡± ¡°As for that, I already have the answer,¡± Lancelot pointed towards the valley ahead, ¡°I asked everyone to rest here for a reason. Look at those ice blocks sticking out of the snowfield, don¡¯t they seem out of place, and a bit excessive...¡± Chapter 571 571 595 The Strengthening Demi-god ?Chapter 571: Chapter 595: The Strengthening Demi-god Chapter 571: Chapter 595: The Strengthening Demi-god Once Lancelot finished speaking, those chunks of ice shattered one by one, revealing hundreds of Frost Giants, three or four hundred in number. These Frost Giants were clearly not coming from the Gate of Stroddet to the Iron Ice Plains; most had already been waiting here for quite some time. They let out roars filled with hatred and hurled boulders and javelins down the slope. The army at the bottom of the valley was instantly thrown into disarray. Despite the clearer view of the ambushers¡¯ true numbers from high above, the side caught in the surprise attack had no time to make such an assessment. The only silver lining was¡ªperhaps to embolden themselves¡ªthe ambushers made a lot of noise before launching their assault, granting Gorgiad¡¯s troops a slight chance to react by lifting their hide-covered shields over their heads just in time. However, the ambushers had a tremendous geographical advantage, their position being over two hundred feet above the valley floor vertically, and anything they threw was bound to be massively destructive under the force of gravity. The barrage akin to hailstones soon fell upon the heads of the army in the valley, immediately inflicting numerous casualties. Even the strongest giants couldn¡¯t resist being knocked down by the falling rocks, and the javelins that followed dealt the death blows. Due to the terrain, the ambushed side found it difficult to combat effectively. Even if they could throw javelins and throwing axes up the slope, their power was greatly diminished, causing no substantial damage. But this was the moment for magic to play its role. Among Gorgiad¡¯s followers were numerous spellcasters. These Frost Mages created long walls of ice, forming a trench-like temporary barrier on one side of the troop formation. The Frost Giants rushed to take cover under the ramparts, but this was certainly not a long-term solution¡ªthe magical creations would be damaged under powerful blows, and although the Frost Mages were continuously repairing and creating more walls, their magical prowess was limited and couldn¡¯t keep up indefinitely. The only one capable of counterattacking was the demi-god Gorgiad. The disheveled state of his followers infuriated him, and the rage helped activate the power within his blood. A dazzling lightning appeared in the hands of the demi-god and rapidly coalesced into the shape of a javelin, which he furiously hurled at the enemies on the slope. ... The Lightning Spear almost instantly flew over the heads of the ambushers, creating a thunderous noise upon impact and triggering a severe explosion at the moment of landing. The risen flurry of snowflakes was swiftly scattered by the wind in the valley. Upon closer inspection, a massive crater with a radius of ten feet appeared, the nearby ambushers were reduced to barely recognizable charred figures, and at the center of the explosion, the unlucky target was obliterated without leaving a trace. The demi-god didn¡¯t stop to admire his handiwork. Fury turned him into a ballista at full speed, hurling lightning javelins one after another at the slope, creating a storm-like thunder, almost single-handedly quelling the ambushers¡¯ offensive. It must be said, Gorgiad¡¯s performance was as if a celestial descended, it greatly shocked and rallied the followers who had just been pinned down. They emerged from behind the ice walls, shouting Gorgiad¡¯s name and charging up the slope against a much reduced enemy attack. In Lancelot¡¯s astonished gaze, the ambush battle concluded much more quickly than he had anticipated. Gorgiad didn¡¯t start celebrating prematurely this time. He fought until the last ambusher was killed, then threw more than a dozen Lightning Javelins at the spot where the corpses vanished, as if venting his rage, before he could barely calm the fury inside him. Eventually, the demi-god lost about a hundred followers, while the ambushers¡¯ casualties were three times that number. Undoubtedly, if not for Gorgiad¡¯s game-changing performance, the outcome of the battle would have been entirely different. ¡°How come I feel like that guy seems to have gotten stronger?¡± Bruto stroked his beard, a rare gesture indicating he was deep in thought, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that trick of shooting lightning from his hands before...¡± ¡°That is certainly not a common strength.¡± Alamir spoke up, ¡°Perhaps I am mistaken, but that lightning seemed truly like Divine Power, how strange...¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he a Demi-god?¡± Lancelot asked with some curiosity, ¡°It should be quite normal for him to use Divine Power, shouldn¡¯t it...¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± The Elf Priest shook his head repeatedly, ¡°The offspring of gods are only Demigods, although they possess divinity, which means immortal bodies and great strength, they do not have Divine Power, nor can they bestow Spells on others.¡± ¡°Could it be the power lent to him by Solheim? Just like you can use the Divine Arts granted by Shuni?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it. You see, every time before I cast Divine Arts, I have to display the Holy Emblem, recite prayers, but when Geogad threw that Lightning Javelin just now, it was like... like you releasing that green sword light, do you understand what I mean?¡± The Elf Priest shook his head again, ¡°To wield Divine Power, he must elevate his Divinity, ascend to a True God, and that requires a sufficient number of mortal worshipers...¡± As he spoke, Alamir suddenly stopped, his expression becoming extremely vivid, because he realized that he might have just spoken the actual truth. ¡°I felt earlier that those Frost Giants¡¯ attitude towards Geogad was a bit... fanatic.¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, ¡°And Geogad¡¯s ability to use Divine Power is the result of such worship?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the most likely explanation.¡± Alamir scratched his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly how many mortal worshipers are needed to obtain Divinity, but it seems that the current number is already enough for him... for Him to undergo these changes.¡± ¡°Solheim probably won¡¯t like these changes, though.¡± Lancelot frowned, ¡°After all, Solheim is the only god of the Frost Giants. If Geogad eventually defeats Kostcheqi, wouldn¡¯t He become another who siphons the Power of Faith from the Frost Giants... just like Kostcheqi?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Alamir spread his hands, ¡°Some powerful gods are willing to delegate a portion of their Divine Office to their subordinates, maybe Solheim would also agree to form such a relationship with Geogad? After all, the Iron Ice Plains are quite suitable for the Frost Giants to inhabit, and being a True God He probably can¡¯t afford to frequently visit the Abyss to defend this realm...¡± Alamir¡¯s voice gradually faded, because he himself understood that this explanation didn¡¯t hold up. If he were Solheim, he would definitely want the Frost Giants of the Iron Ice Plains to worship him, too. Faced with the choice of tolerating another Frost Giant object of worship and giving up a territory in the Abyss, he would certainly choose the latter without hesitation, rather than creating a competitor for himself. ¡°This makes things interesting.¡± Lancelot shook his head slightly, ¡°Let¡¯s just hope that at least until Kostcheqi breaks free, Solheim won¡¯t realize the threat his brother poses...¡± Chapter 572 572 596 The Footsteps of War ?Chapter 572: Chapter 596 The Footsteps of War Chapter 572: Chapter 596 The Footsteps of War In the following days, two more ambush battles occurred, and the outcomes were much the same. With no one able to contend with Gorgiad, the minions of the Abyssal Lords were simply marching to their deaths, and the victories they achieved were far less than the price paid. As a former Commander, Lancelot had also been constantly contemplating in these days what he would do if he were in this situation. The ambush battles were not faulty in themselves, but the positions could perhaps be arranged more sparsely to reduce the lethality of the demi-god¡¯s Lightning Javelins; there could also be secondary and tertiary positions set up in higher places to form a layered web of firepower... But let¡¯s not talk about the extreme determination needed by an army to execute such tactics. Even under the most ideal circumstances, the casualty rate could barely reach one to one. And there was still no solution for the problem named Gorgiad, unless one was willing to use the lives of common soldiers to fill the gap. Clearly, in this Multiverse where supernatural forces and divine beings exist, the wars that the Human Knight was so familiar with seemed to have taken on a new face, fortunately, the core remained the same¡ªthe struggle for interests. Looking at it this way, war was still war; only the form had changed, in reality, nothing had changed. After three ineffective ambushes, Kostcheqi¡¯s minions no longer organized new blocking battles, but they continued to send out small scouting parties to harass. Judging from these clearly organized actions, Lancelot deduced that the forces loyal to the Prince of Wrath had not yet collapsed, and they were likely planning to make a final stand at the Glacial Fortress where the ancient White Dragon Svafnir resided, perhaps believing itself capable of contending with Gorgiad. The scouts did not only come from the Glacial Fortress; as Gorgiad¡¯s army drew closer to their destination, many external forces also turned their attention to this plane. Thanks to his keen Spirit Perception, Lancelot had more than once detected roaming bands of werewolves, Arachne Elves flitting through the shadows, and even spotted one or two Skeleton Knights clad in full Plate Armor, radiating a dense aura of death from afar. Clearly, the lords of other levels of the Abyss were all monitoring the potential power shift on this plane. As is well known, due to the permanent Portals to the upper planes, the Iron Ice Plains had long been coveted by many forces of the Abyss, and Kostcheqi¡¯s hostile attitude toward the other Demons was somewhat protective in a way. ... Due to the intricate power struggles within the Abyssal Plane itself, Kostcheqi¡¯s stance had been tacitly accepted by all parties in the past, with no one taking the initiative to provoke the Prince of Wrath for fear of being attacked by enemies at a moment of weakness. If Gorgiad were to take control of the Iron Ice Plains, in the short term it might be just as before, actively preventing any forces from gaining a foothold in this level, but if given enough time... Those capable of becoming Abyssal Lords were no fools; they were already observing Gorgiad, a potential Abyssal Lord, gauging his personal preferences, methods of operation, and demands for interests, assessing whether the demi-god was a tool worth exploiting or a threat that must be eliminated at the bud stage. However, for Lancelot, these ¡®Observers¡¯ acted very discreetly, so there were no conflicts with the others. Besides, there were other Observers from different planes¡ªelegant figures with holy glows and wings on their backs occasionally flew through the skies. These were Angels, born from the essence of benevolent gods from the Stellar Realm, tasked to observe this war that potentially threatened the safety of the upper planes. The audience was plentiful, but the protagonist of this great show was indifferent to all of it. Every day, Gorgiad would order the army to advance approximately fifty miles, which would take the giants around eight hours to cover (including lunch), after which he would order the camp to be set up. After setting up camp, the demi-god often delivered speeches filled with promises of victory and glory, and then, in full view of everyone, performed giant ¡®traditional¡¯ events such as stone throwing and wrestling, reinforcing the worshipful feelings of his followers towards him. Even though it had already surpassed the upper limit of Spirit Perception, Lancelot could still tell that the Demi-god was continuously growing stronger. The rocks He threw were going farther and were getting heavier, and when wrestling with other Frost Giants, He could even lift his opponent into the air with a single hand. There was no doubt that more and more Power of Faith was gathering within Him, and Alamir even asserted that Gorgiad was only one step away from becoming a fully-fledged deity. He needed to complete some legendary feat to spread his fame throughout the entire Multiverse. Clearly, breaching the Glacial Fortress and capturing control of a layer of the Abyss would fully meet such criteria. Lancelot and his companions had previously traveled for five days from the Gate of Stroddet to the Glacial Fortress in sleds pulled by werewolves, yet Gorgiad¡¯s giants, though they marched on flat roads, took three times as long to arrive, and the lords of this place had been waiting for a long time. Before the Ice Palace, which was built between two peaks, the Frost Giants who had sworn fealty to the Prince of Wrath had already gathered from every corner of this layer, with an unending array of tents that couldn¡¯t be seen all the way to the edge, their numbers at least double those of Gorgiad¡¯s followers. However, everyone was clear in their minds that the key to victory was still the confrontation between the Titan giants and the ancient White Dragon. Under the massive disadvantage in terms of military power, Gorgiad¡¯s only chance of victory was to defeat Svafnir without paying a hefty price; otherwise, even as a Demi-god, He would be overwhelmed by the unending hordes of enemies. Of course, if Gorgiad chose to flee, it was still not a problem with His strength, and even if He fell in battle, there was still a chance for Him to be resurrected by His brother. However, this would essentially spell the end of His personal ambitions, and such a defeat would be a massive blow to His reputation, likely eliminating any future opportunities for ascension to godhood. But Lancelot had a nagging feeling that this might be precisely the outcome that the God of the Frost Giants hoped to see. In talks with his companions and the Succubus Lord, they all seemed to agree with this point of view. Tijana even hinted to him that other forces within the Abyss had no special preference for either side of the conflict¡ªsome even wished for Gorgiad to achieve ultimate victory (it¡¯s true, Kostcheqi was extremely, extremely, extremely unpopular)¡ªbut it had to come at a steep price, thus providing them with a bargaining chip with the new Abyssal Lord. Gorgiad¡¯s army arrived in the afternoon, setting up camp five miles from the Glacial Fortress, which was less than an hour¡¯s walk for the giants. Despite the close proximity, neither side engaged in any probing attacks, instead focusing on preparing for the battle ahead. Everyone knew that the final clash would begin after the sun rose the next day, and for Lancelot and his companions, that was also their moment to act. They had done so much, from scouting to rescuing, even directly charging into the battlefield amongst giants, all to create an opportunity to infiltrate the Glacial Fortress. It was just that the scale of their operation seemed a bit too large. Chapter 573 573 597 Awakening ?Chapter 573: Chapter 597: Awakening Chapter 573: Chapter 597: Awakening The night was far from peaceful; both sides dispatched several scouting teams to gather intelligence and hunt each other in the darkness. Lancelot ignored all of this because he knew it was just an appetizer before the main course, so he had his companions retire early to a demiplane for rest, and he himself entered into a calm state of Qi Cultivation, just like countless nights before. When the ice-blue sun reluctantly trailed up the distant peaks, Lancelot felt a slight vibration from the ground. Frost Giants¡ªjust like all giants¡ªwere both massive and heavy. Even on clear days, the step of a distant giant could be mistaken by farmers for thunder, and when two thousand such beings, towering over twenty feet tall and weighing nearly a ton, began their march, their presence could be felt within a ten-mile radius. The Human Knight stood up and pulled out a small Jade Token from his chest, which he gently pressed to his forehead, then tossed it onto an open handkerchief in front of him. The Jade Token passed through the dimensional entrance on the handkerchief and entered a stone room; then, as if sprouting wings, flew toward the room¡¯s far end, into a world that was not barren but rather dull. The Jade Token immediately found its target, flying toward a dying campfire not far away. There were four bedrolls beside the fire, two of which were empty¡ªAlamir was bathing in a nearby stream, while old Reap was brushing his teeth further upstream. Of course, Reap didn¡¯t spit the mouthwash back into the stream; even a Werewolf understood not to anger the team¡¯s Priest. The Jade Token flew next to the fire and halted, hovering more than four feet above the ground, and Lancelot¡¯s voice followed. ¡°Rise and shine, companions, Gorgiad¡¯s army has already started moving, we¡¯ll depart in ten minutes,¡± After a few more seconds, the same voice sounded again, clearly it wasn¡¯t a method of real-time communication. The Dwarf, woken by the noise, groggily crawled out of his sleeping bag, grabbed the Jade Token out of the air, and Lancelot¡¯s voice stopped immediately. ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll be there soon...¡± ... Bruto muttered to the Jade Token before tossing it back into the air, watching the little trinket Lancelot called a ¡®Sound Transmission Talisman¡¯ fly back on its own. Next to him, Scholar was yawning and sitting up from his roll, while Bruto himself crashed back into his bedding with a thud. ¡°Looks like you could use a wake-up call,¡± Alamir approached Bruto while wiping himself with a blanket. He stopped next to the Dwarf, playfully shook his wet hair, sending a few cold droplets precisely onto the Dwarf¡¯s neck, causing him to jump out of his bedding as if electrocuted. ¡°Damn Elves!¡± Bruto yelled after Alamir, who was already running away, ¡°I swear, if you use that stupid wake-up trick one more time, I¡¯m going to...¡± ¡°You heard what Lancelot just said!¡± Alamir shouted back from afar, ¡°We¡¯re departing in ten minutes! Don¡¯t be slow, or we won¡¯t wait for you!¡± ¡°Damn Elves!¡± Bruto cursed again, while struggling to put on his boots. When his companions emerged punctually from the demiplane, Lancelot was somewhat surprised. Although he had said ten minutes, based on previous experience, he was prepared not to see anyone before twenty minutes had passed. ¡°Right on time today,¡± Lancelot smiled at Bruto, ¡°Are you all excited for the upcoming battle?¡± ¡°Ah... haha... of course...¡± Bruto glared fiercely at the Elf, who tilted his head slightly with an expression that said ¡®no need to thank me¡¯. ¡°Hmm? Little Issa? You¡¯re finally awake,¡± Kalalin noticed a figure by Lancelot¡¯s side that had been missing for quite some time. ¡°I thought you might have been under some sort of magical curse...¡± ¡°Hello, Uncle Kalalin,¡± Little Issa smiled shyly. ¡°Did I really sleep for over ten days? Brother Lancelot told me that, but it felt like just a regular nap to me, and I even had some interesting dreams...¡± ¡°It¡¯s the effect of Titan¡¯s Blood,¡± Bruto stated with certainty. ¡°Did you gain any new abilities? Like making your body grow bigger, for instance?¡± ¡°Grow bigger?¡± Little Issa subconsciously covered her chest. ¡°I haven¡¯t... What do you mean?¡± ¡°Lancelot, Bruto, and old Reap can now temporarily transform into giants, but your way of utilizing Titan¡¯s Blood must be different from ours,¡± Lancelot shook his head. ¡°Never mind that, how do you feel now? Are you uncomfortable in any way?¡± ¡°I feel... really good, better than I¡¯ve ever felt before,¡± Little Issa raised her hands subconsciously, her eyes gradually showing a look of disbelief, ¡°Wait... this is... Look at me!¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve just noticed, huh?¡± Lancelot chuckled. ¡°I saw it the moment I laid eyes on you; you look much healthier than before.¡± Everyone looked over curiously, only to see that the little vampire¡¯s skin was no longer the lifeless gray-white. Under the snow-white skin, which was soft like mutton fat, there was a rosy glow, and her hair had become thick and smooth, making her resemble the daughter of a noble family. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Even the slow-witted Bruto noticed the girl¡¯s change. ¡°Just a few sips of Titan¡¯s Blood, and it cured your vampire curse?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m still a vampire... maybe?¡± Little Issa extended her index finger to flip her upper lip, showing her pointed and long fangs to everyone, ¡°Is this the effect of Titan¡¯s Blood...¡± ¡°And you only had a tiny sip; I¡¯ve still got a whole bottle for you here,¡± Lancelot said with a smile. ¡°Any other changes? Did your strength increase a bit? What about your reaction speed?¡± Hearing this, Little Issa drew the two short swords at her waist, tossing them in her hands faster and faster until they formed a cold band of light. ¡°This feeling is just marvelous!¡± The girl¡¯s smile gradually spread across her face, and with a final toss of the short swords into the air, they landed perfectly back in their sheaths. ¡°Ha! I finally did it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s awesome,¡± Lancelot applauded. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get going. There¡¯s a big battle about to happen outside.¡± ¡°A big battle?¡± Little Issa¡¯s curiosity piqued as she turned her head. ¡°Is Geogad coming to attack the Gate of Stroddet?¡± ¡°No, that was days ago; we are now on the edge of the Prince of Wrath¡¯s lair. Come on, it will take us a while to get there on the way, and you will learn what has happened during the days of your slumber...¡± Chapter 574 574 598 Pre-War Speech ?Chapter 574: Chapter 598: Pre-War Speech Chapter 574: Chapter 598: Pre-War Speech The group concealed themselves in a cave located in the mountains north of Glacial Fortress, and as they crossed the ridge, they could see Gorgiad¡¯s army advancing continuously along the main road in the distance. The giants strode forward, belting out loud war songs that occasionally caused snow on the surrounding mountaintops to slide down. Meanwhile, the giants loyal to Kostcheqi were arrayed with strict discipline below Glacial Fortress, awaiting the invaders. They outnumbered their enemies two to one, but were completely overwhelmed in terms of momentum; each one stood in silence at their post, only the ancient White Dragon above their heads continued to emit roars full of rage. The great battle was about to ignite on the east side of Glacial Fortress, and all eyes were focused in that direction, so no one noticed a small team quietly emerging from the northwest mountains, moving unhindered through the now empty giant camp, all the way to the foot of the mountain where Glacial Fortress stood. ¡°So far, everything has gone according to plan.¡± Lancelot led the team and hid behind a giant rock, turning his head to speak to his companions. From this angle, no one could see them, except for Svafnir above their heads; fortunately, the White Dragon¡¯s eyes were not on its chin, so it was completely unaware of the few ¡°ants¡± below, and just kept roaring toward the approaching army. ¡°Speaking of which, we¡¯ve seen the Giant Dragon again, but the fear that once rose from the depths of our hearts isn¡¯t there anymore.¡± Bruto quietly said to the others, eyeing the neck of the White Dragon stretching from the edge of the platform, ¡°Is it because of the effects of Titan¡¯s Blood, or have we just seen these big lizards too many times?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably a bit of both, it might also be because we¡¯re not standing close enough.¡± Alamir shrugged, ¡°Lancelot, do we start our move as soon as Svafnir leaves, or wait for it to engage with the demi-god before we strike?¡± ... ¡°Let¡¯s wait for them to start fighting; I can fly up quickly after I transform,¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, ¡°Just a bit more patience, we¡¯ve got front-row seats here...¡± Gorgiad halted his vast army a thousand feet from the enemy and moved to the very front of the ranks himself. His followers fell silent because the demi-god was about to deliver his pre-battle speech. ¡°My warriors!¡± the voice of the demi-god boomed like thunder on a summer night, ¡°Tell me, has any other giant spat at your feet because those of your own kind before us no longer worship the Father God, but instead grovel to demons?¡± ¡°Do you know that because of these despicable demon worshippers, Solheim was once forced to stand outside the Father God¡¯s Crystal Palace, enduring the sneers and mockery of the titanic gods, including Diankast, that deceptive fraud who only became divine through cunning tricks and deceit?¡± Upon hearing that name, Lancelot¡¯s consciousness was flooded with knowledge that wasn¡¯t his own. The great Father of the Giants, An, originally did not want a daughter, always using Magic to change the sex of his children to ensure he had sons. However, one of his consorts, an ordinary Giantess, hid her pregnancy and secretly gave birth to a daughter named Xiat. She handed Xiat over to the Faelbergs¡ªdistant relatives of the giants, standing about eight to ten feet tall, resembling a hybrid of giants, humans, and Elves¡ªfor upbringing in the forest. Xiat later became a powerful, confident, and exceptionally skilled huntress who had killed countless fearsome beasts, including a hydra with fifteen heads, a primal Green Dragon that ruled the ancient jungles, and even a Terrasque behemoth. Upon learning of her true heritage at her mother¡¯s deathbed, Xiat arrived before An with the heads of the prey she had killed, and the infamously stubborn Father of the Giants uncommonly admitted his mistake. He accepted Xiat as his offspring, elevating her to be the first Goddess among the giants, bestowed with the Divine office of nature, hunting, family, and children. He ceased using Magic to alter the gender of his progeny thereafter. Diankast was born after this incident. Unlike her elder sister, Diankast was a mischievous, naughty girl, full of pranks and her most famous feat involved disguising herself as a Briarwood fishfolk and stealing a string of Magic necklaces from the palace of the Briarwood, where the fishfolk worshiped the Mother of the Sea. When An decided to leave the material plane, Diankast appeared before the Father of the Gods and requested a Divine position like her sister¡¯s. An gave her a challenge to prove herself¡ªcircumnavigate the world in one hour, knowing full well she lacked the strength and means to do so. True to her usual style, Diankast dashed to the library of the storm giant god Svyemauz and tore out (much to Svyemauz¡¯s chagrin) a page showing a map of the entire world, then drew a circle on it. In the Giant¡¯s Tongue, ¡®to circle around¡¯ and ¡®to draw a circle¡¯ are the same word. Diankast cleverly exploited this loophole in her father¡¯s words. Presenting the circled map amidst Svyemauz¡¯s complaints, the Father of the Gods burst out laughing and, as promised, elevated Diankast. Needless to say, among the Frost Giants, who revered strength and combat prowess, Diankast¡¯s cunning was seen as dishonorable, and when this memory surfaced in Lancelot¡¯s mind, it came with a clear sense of rage. But as a Human Knight, not a Frost Giant, he found it amusing and easily dispelled the alien emotions. However, the Frost Giants listening to Geogad¡¯s speech did not think so¡ªthey let out loud roars, some even screaming, to express their anger and impatience. ¡°You are fortunate, for those not here at this moment will never again have the chance to gain the glory of killing a traitor, for today, right here, we will exterminate all those who worship the Demons! I want no prisoners, no surrenders, rip open their stomachs, smash their bones, and tear out their pus-filled, tumorous hearts for the giants gods to see, for the Father of the Gods to see, that we are His finest children!¡± Gorgiad concluded his speech with a suddenly thrown Lightning Javelin. The javelin traced a deadly arc, landing in the crowd before the Glacial Fortress, the explosion instantly vaporizing four or five Frost Giants. This strike also served as the signal for battle to begin, and the eagerly awaiting multitudes of giants surged towards each other like a tidal wave, splashing up a blood-red spray. While his companions watched the fierce battle between the giants, Lancelot focused his attention on the ancient White Dragon, Svafnir. Svafnir did not enter the fray immediately but roared like a Military Governor at the less resolute tribes below, even spewing Dragon Breath to urge them into battle. It was apparent that he intended to wear down his opponents with a numerical advantage, but Gorgiad was determined not to let him have his way. The Demi-god released a hearty laugh, leapt high into the air, rising thousands of feet, then dove towards the densest cluster of enemies as if he were a meteor fallen from the heavens. Chapter 575 575 599 Action ?Chapter 575: Chapter 599 Action Chapter 575: Chapter 599 Action ¡°By Moradin¡¯s beard above...¡± As the Dwarf exclaimed in astonishment, the figure of the Demi-god also crashed to the ground. Lancelot still remembered when he threw Casalilia¡¯s super bomb made by the Goblin Phil. That time, the explosive device weighing over two hundred pounds tore every living thing within a fifty-foot radius to shreds, and Gorgiad¡¯s impact upon landing now was hardly any less devastating. As the Demi-god hit the ground, he struck the floor with his Warhammer, causing golden lightning arcs to burst forth from the hammer¡¯s head, spreading around like the shockwave of an explosion. All the enemies around him were turned to charred waste (except for that unfortunate one who was initially smashed into a pulp by a hammer blow), and even those farther away were paralyzed by the blast. With that one strike, the Demi-god instantly killed five Frost Giants and incapacitated another fifty enemies. On the fierce battlefield, incapacitation equated to death, a simple cause and effect. Gorgiad was clearly very satisfied with his achievements, accompanied by a hearty laugh, he leaped into the sky like a bird once more and plunged toward another dense area within the enemy formation. ¡°Is this the strength of a True God?¡± muttered Kalalin, ¡°It¡¯s like he¡¯s toying with them...¡± The Demi-god dove into the enemy ranks once again, triggering another explosion of electric arcs. In terms of numbers, the Frost Giants who were loyal to the Abyssal Lord had a decent advantage, but unfortunately, war is never a simple game of numbers, and even Kalalin, who knew nothing of combat, could see that if Gorgiad continued with a few more jumps like that, the minions of the Abyssal Lord would completely collapse. A deafening dragon roar that was beyond the description of human monosyllabic language came from above everyone¡¯s heads, Svafnir could no longer restrain himself. The White Dragon leaped down from the balcony of the suspended fortress, its massive figure quickly swept across the battlefield¡¯s sky, and unleashed a conical breath of white frost towards the enemies below. ... As an Ancient White Dragon, and also a mount (and pet) of an Abyssal Lord, Svafnir¡¯s strength was not to be underestimated. Serving Kostcheqi, its Breath had evolved from the typical freezing energy of a normal White Dragon to a kind of evil and more direct frost of death. And the Frost Giants, who were almost immune to freezing damage, instantly turned into corpses under the breath of the Ancient White Dragon, with the fire of life within them completely extinguished, without even a chance to let out a moan. Svafnir looked at its handiwork with satisfaction, habitually planning to fly upwards, waiting for its stomach to become full again. However, a figure suddenly soared from the ground, rapidly approaching the White Dragon¡ªit was the Demi-god Gorgiad. The previous two ground strikes could be explained by leaps, but at this moment, he was flying¡ªwith neither wings nor other limbs, but by magical levitation or divine power influence. Even though it was evident that his flying skills were not on par with the White Dragon, they were sufficient to neutralize the latter¡¯s mobility advantage. ¡°Finally, you take to the air, you winged maggot!¡± Gorgiad chased after the White Dragon, beginning to condense a golden Javelin in his hand, ¡°Try this on for size!¡± Although the Demi-god seemed to have the upper hand over the White Dragon, the latter had abundant combat experience and excellent instincts. The moment Gorgiad threw his Javelin, Svafnir avoided the Lightning Javelin with a sharp turn and swung its body, harshly lashing its tail, covered with hard scales like a crocodile, at the Demi-god. Geogad had absolutely not expected this attack, and his whole body was whipped through the air, tumbling seven or eight times before stabilizing his form, a huge gash appearing from his back down to his waist. The Ancient White Dragon, like all predators, gave his opponent no chance to catch a breath, pouncing on the Demi-god like a flying shark. ¡°Action!¡± Lancelot fiercely threw the Dimensional Bag onto the ground, while simultaneously pulling a Transformation Ring from his bosom and slipping it onto his index finger. As a creature that would make any adult human (regardless of gender) blush appeared in his place, his companions had already all dived into the Dimensional Bag. He grabbed the bag in his hand, then flapped his wings, flying towards the entrance of the Glacial Fortress above, carefully hiding his silhouette in the shadows of the peaks. Thousands of feet away in the sky, the Titan Giant and the Ancient White Dragon were locked in a tangled battle, a scene that once again reminded Lancelot of memories that were not his own. Millennia ago, Giants and Dragons had erupted into the Millennial War, as the progeny recounted, with Giants and Dragons battling in every corner of the sky, the land, the sea. Scenes of Titans fighting Ancient Dragons were truly commonplace. In the last moment, Geogad swung his hammer, knocking away the Dragon Claw that was about to touch his own body, and at the same time, he and the White Dragon widened the distance between them. He too was reminded of many memories battling Dragons; his hand produced a Lightning Long Spear once more, thrusting it viciously toward the back of Svafnir. This time He did not miss, but His luck was not great, as it happened to hit several of the hardest scales on the dragon¡¯s back and failed to breach the White Dragon¡¯s defense. Svafnir let out a pained cry, once again flinging its tail in a violent motion, but this time the prepared Geogad dodged it in advance. The battle between the Demi-god and the Giant Dragon would take a good while longer to determine a victor, while the transformed Succubus Lancelot had already reached the entrance to the Glacial Fortress. The terrace a hundred feet square beneath his feet was the very spot where the Ancient White Dragon had been lounging lately, and directly ahead was Kostcheqi¡¯s lair¡ªa fortress entirely made of ice blocks. Lancelot wasn¡¯t standing before the lair of an Abyssal Lord for the first time, but compared to the Mother of Demons¡¯ Bone Castle, the Prince of Wrath¡¯s Glacial Fortress was much shabbier: in many senses, it was just a giant block of ice hollowed out inside. Even from this close distance, one could see many cracks on the surface, leading one to wonder whether the den¡¯s owner had a habit of smashing furniture when irritated. However, with the master out and the gatekeeper wolf lured away, Lancelot removed his Transformation Ring and rushed toward the entrance of the fortress. But he had only covered half the distance across the platform when he was forced to stop in his tracks, for a troop of Guards was emerging from the fortress, meeting Lancelot face to face. Among those coming out were three peculiarly-shaped Frost Giants, their bright blue beards and hair carefully fashioned into long whips, their tips tied with the bones of humans, or other humanoid creatures. Their eyes featured deep purple scleras and pupils that were much smaller than the norm, shining white. These Frost Giants were clad in breastplates of metal, but didn¡¯t hold any weapons in their hands, instead, each led a creature the size of a ferocious tiger. These beasts had hyena-like bodies, deer-like hooves, and disturbingly human-esque heads that were deeply unsettling. Their mouths were filled with at least thrice the number of teeth found in a normal person, and they emitted a stench that could be detected from dozens of feet away¡ªa smell that reminded Lancelot of corpses soaked in blood and feces for a week in the height of summer. Even with his post-Foundation Establishment constitution, he nearly vomited from the foul odor. Chapter 576 576 600 Only 2 Items ?Chapter 576: Chapter 600: Only 2 Items Chapter 576: Chapter 600: Only 2 Items These new guards immediately spotted the Human Knight, but before they could react, Lancelot had already thrown the Dimensional Bag onto the ground, and his companions quickly emerged from the opening, each one fully armed. ¡°A fight¡¯s broken out? Sooner than I expected,¡± Bruto skillfully picked up the Dimensional Bag from the ground and reattached it to Lancelot¡¯s waist. The latter was holding his longswords with both hands, intently focusing on the opponents not far away, ¡°I guess there¡¯s no need to ask whether you¡¯d let us pass, right?¡± The enemy answered Lancelot¡¯s question with action: the Frost Giants released the chains in their hands, setting loose those similarly terrifying war dogs in both appearance and scent. ¡°Damn it, what kind of monsters are these?!¡± The usually elegant Elf Priest even blurted out a curse, ¡°This is just too disgusting!¡± ¡°Blood-gorged beasts,¡± Kalalin explained gloomily, already reaching into the backpack behind him, ¡°Yenogu¡¯s creations, seems like Kostcheqi also has a fondness for these cruel creatures...¡± As soon as the war dogs were freed from their restraints, they immediately rushed toward the group. Lancelot shook three fingers behind him and then dashed out even faster. ¡°Tactic three... what was that again?¡± Bruto stood his ground with his shield, ¡°I only remember that tactic one means we can rush out...¡± ... ¡°He¡¯s going after the enemy¡¯s spellcasters, and we protect ours,¡± Alamir also raised his shield, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Dwarf, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to turn those creatures to ashes with Holy Fire, one by one.¡± ¡°But there are three dogs, what about the third one? Let old Reap deal with it?¡± ¡°How could you ask such a question?¡± The Elf gave the Dwarf a sidelong glance, ¡°There¡¯re only two.¡± These blood-gorged beasts had just left their masters by a few steps when the Human Knight had already charged in front of them. Speed is usually an important reference in combat power, but these cruel, bloodthirsty beasts had no slightest fear. They had encountered many of these metal-clothed humans before and didn¡¯t find them hard to deal with at all, because they were still breathing comfortably while those metal-clothed humans had long turned into their excrement. The beasts pounced toward Lancelot from three different angles: the two on the sides aimed for his sword-wielding wrists, while the one in the middle went for his groin. The monster-like humanoid heads had large mouths only demons would possess, and their sharp teeth coupled with powerful masticatory muscles could effortlessly tear metal armor. And they were well aware that joints were often protected by leather, mail, or just ordinary cotton, making them as easy to penetrate as ordinary flesh. However, they severely underestimated their opponent this time¡ªa fatal mistake. The Human Knight did not slow down, he accelerated once more as he was about to make contact, and delivered a swift and effortless diagonal slash¡ªa more powerful over-the-shoulder slash was also an option, but that would have caused him to stop due to his shifted center of gravity, and Lancelot had no intention of standing still to tangle with these foul-smelling beasts. The blood minotaur facing him had just leaped into the air and was completely unable to react when the green-glowing sword blade effortlessly split its ferocious-looking head in two, along with a third of its body behind the neck. Lancelot followed the sword, and Frostslash swung back along the same trajectory, completely bisecting the monster¡¯s corpse into asymmetrical halves, then he swept straight through the middle, the sword tip aiming straight at the three Frost Giants ahead. The other two blood minotaurs only caught the afterimage of the Human Knight, then collided with each other, biting each other viciously out of reflex. By the time they realized they had bitten the wrong target and turned their heads to chase after the human, a large cluster of magically created spider webs had stuck them tightly together. ¡°What did I tell you? Only two.¡± Alamir flashed a smile at Bruto and raised a hand towards the beasts ensnared by Kalalin¡¯s web spell, uttering a strange syllable at the same time. A sudden burst of blinding light enveloped one of the blood minotaurs, the strong light like molten metal, causing the filthy creature to emit a heart-wrenching scream, while Bruto quickly threw his warhammer at the other beast. The Dwarf was not in the mood for banter with the Elf, at least not until all enemies had fallen. Behind that tangled web, Lancelot had charged up to the three Frost Giants. These well-equipped enemies (compared to other Frost Giants) were concentrating on casting spells, Lancelot noticed their eyes were closed while casting, which according to Kalalin meant they were performing some sort of self-enhancing technique. The three Frost Giants must have had great confidence in the blood minotaurs to dare close their eyes during battle¡ªa chance Lancelot certainly would not miss. He leaped up to a height that allowed him to look straight into a Frost Giant¡¯s eyes, and with the momentum of the charge, he transformed into a lance, thrusting at the throat of the middle Frost Giant. The aura of impending death made the Frost Giant open his eyes just before the end, but it was already too late. Frostslash gouged a gaping hole in his neck, severing the windpipe, arteries, and spine, and the will of the giant could no longer control his powerful body. The nearly beheaded giant collapsed to his knees, and the Human Knight who had killed him also landed on the ground. Lancelot swiftly turned, ready to attack the next enemy, but an Ice Battle Axe sweeping towards his neck forced him to roll to the side immediately. The attacks did not cease; three consecutive slashes followed, and Lancelot managed to dodge them all by sheer combat instinct, not stopping until he was at a safe distance. He looked up to see the other two Frost Giants standing before him, each holding an Ice Battle Axe that was clearly magically crafted. Their eyes were a crazed red from excessive congestion, and their muscles bulged in a sickening manner, reminding Lancelot of the skinned corpses commonly found in Mogrondale. The three axe strikes that had nearly hit him showed that their magic had compensated for their biggest weakness¡ªspeed. If he continued to treat his opponents as the usual slow, cumbersome giants, he would definitely suffer a serious disadvantage. ¡®Fortunately, I am not a brainless beast,¡¯ thought Lancelot, glancing at the bisected corpse nearby. He crouched slightly, shifting his weight to his left foot, and rested the longsword on his shoulder, ¡®When was the last time I danced? At Tijana¡¯s castle? No, it was with that Serpent Demon. Revolting, that my dance partners this time would be two Frost Giants...¡¯ Chapter 577 577 601 Spring ?Chapter 577: Chapter 601 Spring Chapter 577: Chapter 601 Spring Two frost giants exchanged a glance¡ªone remained in place while the other slowly moved toward Lancelot¡¯s left side. It seemed they possessed not only a speed that other frost giants lacked but also a rarer intelligence. Lancelot did not move, merely staring intently at his enemy directly in front. He resembled a king cobra locked onto its prey, ready to strike at any moment. This dismissive attitude had a profound effect of insult, and that was precisely what the human knight wanted. The giant who had moved to his side let out a furious roar and swung its ice battle axe fiercely at him. The frost giant¡¯s speed, enhanced by magic, was indeed very fast. Lancelot couldn¡¯t completely move out of the path of the descending axe blade, nor did he intend to. No matter¡ªit was a normal state during a dance, and compared to a succubus lord with a whip, this partner was really nothing. Though Lancelot was tall among humans, he was like a gnome to a frost giant, only reaching up to the giant¡¯s thigh. The giant had to bend down and let the weapon travel a long distance in the air to hit him. In other words, this meant that the enemy¡¯s weapon could no longer alter its direction by the time it got close to Lancelot¡¯s body. And this was why he disliked heavy weapons like axes and hammers. These unbalanced weapons, though powerful, were nowhere near as flexible as swords and difficult to maneuver delicately. Lancelot lowered his center of gravity further while he raised both hands gripping the sword hilt, pressing the blade tightly against his back as if he were about to draw the longsword from over his shoulder. The axe blade struck his weapon at a very small angle and then slid down along the sword spine. Although this posture helped divert most of the force, Lancelot¡¯s body still sank downward. But this was within his expectations. ... Lancelot forcefully pushed down on the sword hilt, tipping the longsword using his shoulder armor as a pivot. This moved the axe blade away from his body but also increased the pressure on his shoulder. He continued to exert greater force, his eyes still fixed on the enemy in front, who had also raised his battle axe but was a beat slower. It seemed the human knight would be too late to draw his longsword to parry the attack from the other enemy. However, Lancelot had essentially turned himself into a slingshot, with the longsword as the rubber band around the ammunition, and the frost giant¡¯s axe was the force pulling the spring. When the axe blade finally left the tip of the sword, all the accumulated force of the slingshot was completely released. The longsword traced a stunningly beautiful arc at a frightening speed, instantly striking the axe handle of the giant in front of Lancelot¡ªhe had been watching him all along. The blade slid down the handle, a scene that had just occurred, only this time the endpoint of the slide was not the sword tip but the fingers of the giant holding the axe. Axes and hammers lacked handguards, another reason Lancelot disliked them. The sharp sword blade easily severed the giant¡¯s fingers along with half of the palm behind them. Lancelot stepped forward in a fluid motion, his longsword turning a half-circle in the air, then making a slashing motion diagonally upward in a horizontal direction. Between the giant¡¯s metal breastplate and belt, there was a gap about an inch wide¡ªthat might not mean much to the giant, but to Lancelot, it was wide enough to ride a horse through. The azure belly was sliced open, revealing thick fat, hard muscles, and a blurry, fleshy arm¡ªthis was the breakfast the Frost Giant had not yet fully digested. Lancelot did not stay in place waiting to be splattered with tainted blood. Instead, he raised his longsword above his head, turned his body sideways in two continuous spins, and released the accumulated kinetic energy with a diagonal slash. The Frost Giant on his left watched helplessly as his companion had a hand chopped off, belly sliced open, and then half of his calf severed, all this happening just as he was retracting his axe. He let out a furious roar, about to fiercely strike at the back of the Human Knight, but his arm had just lifted when his body froze in place, as two sword blade tips suddenly appeared out of his mouth. A beautiful figure with bat wings was lying on the Frost Giant¡¯s back, the handles of two short swords the only parts still visible outside the back of the enemy¡¯s head. After striking, she quickly retrieved her weapons, flapped her wings, and landed beside Lancelot. The unexpected female assassin was none other than little Isza, who had not appeared with her companions earlier. On the journey to Androlina, she and Lancelot had practiced this skill of quickly entering and exiting the Dimensional Bag. It proved extremely effective in battle. ¡°Your timing was impeccable.¡± Lancelot turned to look at little Isza, his face suddenly registering surprise, ¡°Hey, you are...?¡± No wonder he looked that way, because at this moment, little Isza looked significantly ¡®different¡¯ from usual. It wasn¡¯t because of the wings on her back¡ªLancelot had seen this form before¡ªbut because the young girl had grown half a head taller, her once somewhat frail body now shapely, filled with the beauty and strength of a cheetah, resembling an adult version of little Isza, and might even be mistaken for a Succubus if it weren¡¯t for the lack of antlers and a tail. ¡°How did I...¡± Realizing she was looking at Lancelot from an unfamiliar angle, the young girl hurriedly looked down at her body, delighted to discover some of the changes she had long anticipated, ¡°Could this be... the effect of Titan¡¯s Blood? Wait, wait, don¡¯t shrink back!!¡± In her plaintive cry, little Isza reverted to her original form, clearly unable to maintain this state for long. Lancelot sighed slightly in regret, but his attention was quickly drawn to something else. From the entrance of the fortress ahead, six more Frost Giants emerged, the first four wielding bone shields and Ice Battle Axes, and the last two empty-handed but appearing ready to conjure ice spears to throw at their enemies any moment. Lancelot glanced back and saw that his companions had already dealt with those two Blood Maimed Beasts and were quickly approaching him, while the enemy had also formed up in front of them, waiting. ¡°Once you finish that bottle of Titan¡¯s Blood, you¡¯ll be able to hold on a bit longer.¡± Lancelot took a step forward, positioning himself in front of little Isza who turned into a bat in the blink of an eye and burrowed into the Human Knight¡¯s hair, ¡°By the way, you looked really beautiful just now.¡± He felt a furry little head rub against his neck, clearly pleased with his last remark. Lancelot gently patted his own neck and raised a finger to his companions. Upon hearing the unmistakable cheer of the Dwarf, he tensed all his muscles and suddenly charged at the closest enemy. It seemed that the Demi-god and the White Dragon had already determined the winner as he glanced back; there wasn¡¯t much time left for their actions. Chapter 578 578 602 ?Chapter 578: 602 Chapter 578: 602 Upon the ice plains below the fortress, under the watchful eyes of observers from various powers of the Multiverse, the demi-god was pummeling the ancient white dragon with his clearly superior strength. Their battle had moved from the skies to the ground. The lightning long spear that Geogad conjured with a flick of his hand punctured countless bloody holes in Svafnir¡¯s body, yet it seemed as if he had an endless supply of life force. Neither the dragon¡¯s claws nor its bites or that deathly, frosty breath seemed to do enough damage to the demi-god. Finally, Svafnir realized a fact that filled it with fear: if the fight continued, it would certainly die before its opponent. If it had been a younger or adult white dragon, it probably would have stubbornly refused to admit defeat, fighting until death arrived. But under the effect of immortality on the Iron Ice Plains, it had lived too long and clearly understood the following fact: If a dragon takes too many wounds, it will die. Moreover, Svafnir also knew what awaited it after death, something it had known for a long time, which is why it had fled through the Gate of Stroddet from Warrior Village to the Bottomless Abyss¡ªit absolutely could not let death catch up. In this realm, the white dragon met Kostcheqi, and the Prince of Wrath¡¯s power, temperament, and authority all greatly appealed to it. Svafnir, the dragon, was convinced that the Lord of the Iron Ice Plains was the only figure in the entire Abyss, even in the entire Multiverse, who was worthy of its allegiance. Kostcheqi, a demon who firmly believed he was a Frost Giant, naturally found the ancient white dragon¡¯s voluntary submission extremely gratifying, an honor even Solheim had not achieved. In contrast, this led to a very rare situation: the ancient white dragon was the only subordinate that did not pledge loyalty to the Abyssal Lord with an oath, and both Kostcheqi and Svafnir himself saw no need for such things. In the countless centuries that followed, there was no evidence or sign that their thoughts were incorrect. Even now, with Kostcheqi captured in the Nine Hells, Svafnir still remained loyal, convinced that the Prince of Wrath would eventually return to the Iron Ice Plains. After all, he was an Abyssal Lord, and it was almost impossible to kill an Abyssal Lord. They always found a way to resurrect¡ªthe Abyss itself would bring them back to life. But Svafnir himself could not, and more importantly, it could not let death seize it. Yes, the dragon was already injured: its wings had been punctured with several holes, its right eye was almost impossible to open due to an elbow strike, and its left forepaw had been completely maimed after clashing with the demi-god¡¯s Warhammer several times. However, it still had the ability to flee. If it flew away without a second glance back, completely ignoring the battle behind it, Geogad who relied on Magic to fly, would not be able to catch up with it. Of course, the consequences of such an action were clear. The Frost Giants bound by the oath would still guard their master¡¯s lair¡ªeven if Kostcheqi himself was not there¡ªand continue the desperate fight. However, having lost their top combatant, what awaited them was certain defeat and the subsequent slaughter. ... But what did that have to do with Svafnir? Once it had made up its mind, the white dragon was a resolute executor. It performed its signature wingbeat attack with pride: a ferocious twist of its body, suddenly extending its wings like an umbrella mid-turn to knock down¡ªor repel¡ªnearby foes while simultaneously using the motion to take to the skies. After completing the entire sequence, Svafnir resolutely and without hesitation, flew southward. Geogad initially thought that the white dragon would turn and dive after gaining a certain height, so he stayed put and focused, ready to counter. When he realized what Svafnir¡¯s real intention was, the demi-god burst into ecstatic laughter, for he knew victory was waiting just ahead, and his competitor had already dropped out of the race. ¡°My warriors! Svafnir, that cowardly worm, has run away!¡± Geogad¡¯s thunderous voice echoed in every corner of the battlefield, ¡°Look up quickly, an ancient white dragon is fleeing with its tail tucked! This is not something you see every day!¡± The Demi-god¡¯s followers¡¯ morale reached its zenith, although they were still outnumbered, each of them fervent as if they couldn¡¯t wait to die in this battle. And with no one left to restrain Geogad¡¯s unrestrained power, nearly all Observers concluded that the battle would end within an hour, the Prince of Wrath was doomed to lose his dominion over this realm. Just then, a sudden change occurred. The ground began with a slight tremor, before anyone could react, the vibration escalated into a severe shaking, knocking down every combatant on the battlefield. The center of the battleground started to rise rapidly, as if a deity taller than the mountains themselves was pushing upwards with a stick. When the peak was nearly level with the Glacial Fortress, the newfound mountain exploded. Accompanied by the scent of sulfur, black smoke billowed out, and orange-red magma erupted from the mouth of the volcano, like the bloody, boiling milk of the earth mother. This ¡®milk¡¯ splattered all around, and the nearby Frost Giants couldn¡¯t dodge in time; they were engulfed by the thick drops of magma, like insects encased in amber. Clearly, this sudden volcano and its ejecta were anything but normal, and the scene that followed was stomach-churning. The blistering magma instantly melted the gray-blue skin of the Frost Giants, then the flesh beneath turned into a gelatinous substance like jellied meat, sliding off the bones bit by bit. Next came the organs, which grew enormous tumors that rapidly expanded, compressing the softened bones into a shape that made one¡¯s scalp tingle. Finally, the flesh that had dripped onto the ground began to wriggle like maggots, crawling upon the unrecognizable skeleton. The magma started to cool and harden, only to be violently blown apart by the newly born Demons inside, like a baby dragon angrily smashing its own eggshell. ¡°My god, this is... the power of the Abyss itself!¡± ¡°Impossible! The Abyss never directly intervenes...¡± ¡°Mother! Is this Your will?¡± Observers around the battlefield let out a wave of exclamations as the same transformation played out on countless Frost Giants. The transformed figures retained a vague shadow of the Giants, only a third shorter in height, their waist size tripled, and with Antlers on their heads, they looked more like Demonized Ogres... or perhaps Giants transformed into Bruto? Needless to say, the transformation brought immense agony to these unfortunate souls, an agony that had utterly twisted their spirits but still needed an outlet. And for Demons, there is always just one way to vent¡ª Violence. Chapter 579 579 603 Massacre ?Chapter 579: Chapter 603: Massacre Chapter 579: Chapter 603: Massacre These newly transformed demons let out the mad howls typical of psychiatric patients, lunging at any living being nearby that had not undergone the same fate, regardless of whether they were loyal to the Abyssal Lord or the Giant Demi-god. Although they only had mutated bone claws as weapons, they moved as quickly as snowballs rolling down a mountain, and the ordinary Frost Giants had no chance to fight back. However, after the initial chaos, these demonic giants displayed a clear tendency: in intervening in the fight between two Frost Giants, they would hesitatelessly attack the one who had spent less time in the Abyss first. As time passed, this tendency became more and more obvious, eventually reaching the point where even if there were no other enemies around, they would not attack those Frost Giants loyal to Kostcheqi. Gorgiad continued to fight with all his might, while loudly ordering his followers to gather around him. These newly emerged demons still weren¡¯t a match for the Demi-god, but he could no longer fight as easily as a farmer harvesting crops. Worse yet, as followers continued to die, Gorgiad¡¯s strength began to wane¡ª the intervals between his summoning of those powerful Lightning Javelins became longer, and the range of his Earthshaking Strikes that could knock down enemies grew smaller. Yet, even so, no demonic giant could harm him, and it was very difficult for any to even come within five feet of him. Until he was suddenly ¡°abandoned.¡± Without being attacked, Gorgiad suddenly let out a scream, a large amount of golden light escaping from his body like steam, quickly vanishing from sight. Even Lancelot, who was fighting at the entrance of the Glacial Fortress, thousands of feet away, could feel the rapid decline in the Demi-god¡¯s aura. Previously, Gorgiad had felt in his Spirit Perception like the noon sun, but he now resembled a far-off torch flickering in the darkness, easily overlooked if not deliberately focused on at that distance. ¡°No! What is happening?¡± the Demi-god cried out in despair, ¡°My brothers! Do not take away my power! We have not yet lost!¡± ... No one could answer his question, as a throng of mutated demons completely overwhelmed the Demi-god¡¯s figure. The scream did not last long, and when the pile of demonic giants dispersed, only a filthy stain of blood was left where he had stood. Lancelot swung his longsword, severing the neck of a fallen Frost Giant like sawing a log. Twenty feet away, a Frost Giant, set aflame by his enchanted weapon, frantically rolled around before accidentally falling off the edge of the platform. There were over twenty bodies lying around Lancelot, and the one that had just fallen was the last enemy. Now no enemies stood in his path, but Lancelot did not continue forward. His companions gathered around him, each gasping for air, but none sustained severe injuries, and their combat abilities were unaffected. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lancelot?¡± Bruto asked curiously, ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice what happened?¡± Alamir by his side shook his head, pointing at the scene behind them for the Dwarf, ¡°Gorgiad has lost, if we go in now, we definitely won¡¯t make it out in time!¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t Gorgiad just... Damn it, what¡¯s with that volcano? By Moradin¡¯s beard! And where did those jug-like demons come from?¡± ¡°Incredible, truly incredible, what did I see? The Abyssal Will actually interfered in this fight? This is a major discovery, a huge discovery! Direct evidence, it¡¯s unprecedented!!¡± ¡°Stop dancing around, Scholar, you¡¯ll have damn time to study what that damn volcano means! But right now, time is precious, let¡¯s hurry up and go find the armor that Dain Frostbeard wore, along with the Treasure stored with it! What are you looking at me like that for, Werewolf? Haven¡¯t I described to you the mountains of gold piled up inside? I¡¯ve seen them with my own eyes!¡± ¡°Calm down, Bruto,¡± Alamir said, his hands on the agitated Dwarf¡¯s shoulders, ¡°do not disturb Lancelot.¡± As the Elf had pointed out, the Human Knight had already sat down amidst a pile of bodies, his eyes tightly closed. He hadn¡¯t entered the state of Spiritual Sight; the thick ice and chaotic magic energy wouldn¡¯t allow it. However, his enhanced Spirit Perception after advancing to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment enabled him to sense roughly how many enemies were still inside the fortress. Ten... thirty... fifty... one hundred... two hundred... too many. The roar of a Giant Dragon reached their ears, and everyone turned their heads to see the figure of an ancient White Dragon appear again on the distant horizon. Clearly, Svafnir had sensed the change on the battlefield and was rapidly flying towards them. ¡°Kalalin, activate the Teleportation Scroll and take us back to the nearest hideout,¡± Lancelot said as he opened his eyes, making a decisive decision, ¡°Don¡¯t talk yet, Bruto, there are still many enemies inside the fortress, and we don¡¯t have enough time, not today.¡± ¡°But we¡¯ve already come this far...¡± the Dwarf clenched his teeth, ¡°We haven¡¯t even used our Transformation ability with Titan¡¯s Blood, the enemies inside can¡¯t stop us!¡± ¡°Indeed they can¡¯t stop us, but the problem is we don¡¯t have enough time,¡± Lancelot lifted his head, watching Kalalin conjure a shimmering Portal in mid-air, ¡°Let¡¯s go, the mission is not yet a failure, I assure you.¡± Bruto fell silent, yet still unwilling to move his feet. Finally, like dragging a stone, Lancelot pulled the Dwarf through the Portal. After returning to the hidden cave, the group immediately headed to a nearby secluded observation point with a clear view, to glimpse the latest scene of the battle. It was a complete massacre. The followers of the Demi-god had fallen into a desperate situation, their brief numerical advantage long gone, and the fall of Geogad had taken away any hope of victory. Escaping was impossible, as the mutated Demonic Giants were faster, and the Frost Giants from the upper planes knew they were undoubtedly doomed, only hoping their bravery in their final moments would make Solheim willing to accept their souls. And their enemies were indifferent to this, after enduring unimaginable torture, those Demonic Giants only wanted to feel the pleasure of tearing flesh from their fingertips, relishing the pain-filled cries and screams. The others glanced at the scene a few times before turning their eyes away, but Kalalin and Lancelot continued to stare at the feast of slaughter. Of course, neither enjoyed the sight, but as a Scholar, Kalalin¡¯s duty required him to record as much detailed information as possible about this new type of demon ¨C its characteristics, origins, combat styles, and potential weaknesses ¨C to help the races of the material plane resist possible invasions. While Lancelot assessed the strength of these demons and communicated with the employer who had commissioned this mission through a mind link. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, my lady, I have bad news...¡¯ ¡®If I can still hear your voice, it can¡¯t be too bad. Tell me, what happened?¡¯ Chapter 580 580 604 The New Plan ?Chapter 580: Chapter 604: The New Plan Chapter 580: Chapter 604: The New Plan Nighttime, in the hiding spot near the Glacial Fortress. Comrades sat around the campfire, listening to the flames crackle as they consumed the hard, dry firewood. That sound easily reminded one of the battle that had occurred during the day when the bones of Frost Giants were broken by their mutated kin, producing a similar noise. Other sounds carried from afar, such as the agonized screams of prisoners undergoing brutal torture. Some Frost Giants, wavering in the face of death, attempted to flee amid their allies¡¯ struggle, but soon they discovered that death was not the most terrible thing. It was well-known that Demons delighted in killing¡ªgiven the chance to snap necks, rip out hearts, and tear out bowels without their victims fighting back, they always acted without hesitation. So why bother capturing prisoners? Because once all enemies were dead, the joy ended, whereas torturing prisoners provided a more enduring entertainment. Everyone finally understood the true purpose of the Blood-Mire beasts¡ªthose large dogs with human heads. They were remarkably skillful in making the consumption of a prisoner as bloody and prolonged as possible, ensuring that the victim remained conscious until the very last moment. What was more important, they memorized the moans and screams of their ¡®food¡¯ and imitated these sounds after the deed was done. Obviously, both the mutated Giant Demons and those loyal to the Prince of Wrath enjoyed such noises. However, to those huddled in the cave, these sounds were anything but pleasant. Bruto let out a heavy sigh, briefly dispersing the silence that filled the air. He rose from his stone ¡®sofa¡¯ and ladled a bowl of soup from the pot beside the fire. The soup, made from salt fish, onions, and some vegetables, was simple yet tasted undeniably good; however, it did little to lift Bruto¡¯s foul mood, especially when his spoon scooped up a fish head bone completely devoid of meat. ... ¡°Damn it!¡± The Dwarf cursed involuntarily, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me with those eyeless sockets, you cursed salt fish!¡± ¡°Cool it, Bruto,¡± Lancelot¡¯s voice suddenly broke in, ¡°It was my decision to retreat; don¡¯t take it out on the soup.¡± ¡°What do I have to be angry about... have you and Tijana finished talking?¡± Bruto turned at the sound, but his face still carried an expression of discontent, ¡°So all that preparation we did before was for nothing. Now that damned White Dragon is back, blocking the entrance to that cursed fortress like some watchdog, right, and there are even more of those damn hounds inside, the White Dragon being the damned head hound! And to top it off, the damn guards around it haven¡¯t just not decreased in number, they¡¯ve gotten even stronger!¡± ¡°Our previous plan was solid; no one could have predicted that turn of events,¡± Lancelot said calmly, ¡°Tijana agrees with Kalalin¡¯s viewpoint; it must have been the intervention of Divine Power that triggered such an extreme reaction from the Abyss itself... ¡± ¡°Fantastic! I knew it!¡± Kalalin clapped her hands in excitement, ¡°What a great discovery!¡± ¡°Did our employer and landlord say anything else?¡± Bruto asked as he took a big gulp of his soup, ¡°If she wants us to go back, I¡¯m not having it! Absolutely not! No way!¡± ¡°She did suggest that, out of goodwill, but I¡¯ve already refused it,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Yes, our chance to ascend to godhood for Geogad is shattered, since he was publicly defeated and his followers slaughtered to the last, but Dain Frostbeard¡¯s armor wasn¡¯t destroyed, and all of us are sitting here in good health, so I see no reason for us to declare the mission a failure.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Bruto slapped his hand in agreement, but his face fell again, ¡°But that ancient White Dragon, and those mutated Demons...¡± ¡°The ancient White Dragon is indeed a problem we had hoped Gorgiad would help us solve, but that option is no longer viable.¡± Lancelot Morassa stroked his chin, ¡°We need to think of an alternative...¡± ¡°How about that giant crab under the Black Mist Rift?¡± Bruto scratched his head, a sure sign he was trying to think, ¡°What¡¯s its name again? Gogbarahum? Have Tijana get you some of the spiciest peppers from the Multiverse, and we can spice up its food, make it go fight the White Dragon!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like this idea one bit.¡± Old Reap interjected from the side, ¡°That creature¡¯s way of thinking is different from ours, who knows how it will act, it might not even go after Svafnir...¡± ¡°At least it provides a line of thought,¡± said Lancelot with a smile and a shake of his head. ¡°How does that saying go again? As long as you haven¡¯t given up, there is always a solution. Let¡¯s all rack our brains and see what we can come up with.¡± ¡°Do you already have an idea of your own?¡± Bruto looked at Lancelot suspiciously, ¡°From what I know of you, big brother... definitely!¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re calling me big brother?¡± Lancelot winked at him, ¡°I do have a new plan, but it¡¯s still in its infancy, missing several pieces to complete the puzzle, so I need your ideas...¡± ¡°Really?¡± Alamir spoke up with curiosity, ¡°We¡¯re primarily faced with three difficulties: one, the Demons Giants that lurk around the fortress, two, the Ancient White Dragon blocking the entrance, and three, the guards inside the fortress, and any unknown anti-theft measures... Which of these can your ¡®infant¡¯ plan solve?¡± ¡°The last one,¡± Lancelot touched his nose, ¡°and perhaps the first one as well.¡± ¡°You have a way to deal with those Mutated Giants?¡± Bruto asked in surprise, ¡°We¡¯ve all seen their numbers are still increasing, just throw a Frost Giant into the magma and a new one comes out soon after... what the heck is going on with that volcano? No wait, the Mother of Demons has already been sent to prison by us, so this must be the will of the Abyss...¡± ¡°Stop there,¡± Kalalin said sternly, cutting off the Dwarf, ¡°The problem we¡¯re discussing has nothing to do with... with that will!¡± ¡°Fine, we won¡¯t talk about it, not even mention the name, right?¡± Bruto spat fiercely onto the ground, ¡°But the volcano is already there, showing no sign of disappearing, even Kostcheqi would have to consider moving because the heat of the volcano is about to melt his lair!¡± ¡°Speaking of this...¡± Lancelot began in a drawn-out tone, ¡°Bruto, do you remember the structure of the mountain peak where the Glacial Fortress is located?¡± ¡°Of course I do, I¡¯m a Dwarf after all.¡± Bruto looked at Lancelot oddly, ¡°Why are you asking?¡± ¡°Do you remember the Blizzard I conjured in the Shattered Mountain Range?¡± Lancelot watched the campfire in the middle of the group, ¡°I¡¯m thinking, if the Glacial Fortress suddenly melts, everything inside would surely rush out like a mudslide to a certain place...¡± Chapter 581 581 605 See You Again ?Chapter 581: Chapter 605: See You Again Chapter 581: Chapter 605: See You Again Mogrondale. The Halfling bartender widened his eyes in surprise as he watched the group file in through the door. These people appeared to be trying to keep as low a profile as possible, all wearing monk-like hoods and cloaks, but he immediately recognized the lead Human Knight whose last visit had left a deep impression, a rare feat indeed. The first floor of the Tears of Lazzaka was a dining room and bar, renowned as a well-regarded inn in the city, now at its busiest time of the day. The first thing Lancelot noticed were the tall, gaunt guards with tawny skin, eying him menacingly, their hands resting on the hilt of their beautiful silver swords. Lancelot knew they were of the Gith, a race that harbored a deep-seated enmity toward soul-sucking creatures and had an ancient (though not always strictly observed) pact with the Red Dragons. During his last visit, the guards of the inn were Mazeleth Demons; he had to admit, compared to the neutrally aligned Fiends that looked like humanoid insects, the Gith were much more pleasing to the eye. The dining tables were filled with eating guests, mostly travelers from other planes or dimensions¡ªmerchants, envoys, wizards, adventurers¡ªall clad in garments of silk, leather, or metal, exuding a variety of strange scents (some of which did not quite harmonize with the atmosphere of the restaurant). These people were also looking at his group, albeit not so overtly. ¡°What a rare visitor, Sir Lancelot,¡± the Halfling greeted the Human Knight who approached the bar with a toothy smile, ¡°what, have you come to claim your dominion? Unfortunately, the current Governor of the Spray Plains is...¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯ve come for, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be wearing this.¡± Lancelot tugged at the hood over his head, ¡°Dear Mr. Pakos, I¡¯m pleased to see your establishment thriving, but I have a bigger business to discuss with you...¡± ¡°Am I hearing it right? A business proposition, from you?¡± Pakos raised his eyebrows dramatically, but his eyes were completely devoid of mirth, ¡°Can you start by telling what it¡¯s about?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve just come back from the Iron Ice Plains.¡± Lancelot opened his mouth, but aside from the Halfling in front of him, no one else could hear his voice, ¡°Have you heard about the incident that happened there recently?¡± ... ¡°Ah...hah!¡± Pakos pressed a special bell under the bar, and another red-haired, visibly sullen Halfling immediately emerged from a small door behind him, ¡°Dear Redralgon, I need to talk upstairs with these gentlemen. Can you manage the bar for a bit? It¡¯s an easy job, just collect the coins thrown by the customers, and don¡¯t keep making that gloomy face, you are talking to people, not food, remember that!¡± ¡°That Redralgon...¡± As Lancelot followed the Halfling upstairs, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is he the same as you...?¡± ¡°In my view, he¡¯s just a fool who has recently pecked his way out of his own shell.¡± Pakos stood in front of his office door, reciting a spell in a bizarre language, then poked the door a few times. The door creaked open under his actions, ¡°Great, I haven¡¯t messed it up this time...¡± ¡°Otherwise, what would happen?¡± Bruto couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Some kind of bad thing, I guess?¡± ¡°Nothing much, just some harmless anti-theft measures that help me recall the correct way to open the door,¡± the Halfling happily walked toward the huge desk in the center of the room. ¡°Please come in, my friends, and bring the doors along.¡± As he closed the door, Lancelot noticed that there were no flammable materials in the corridor, and the stone ceiling still bore the black marks of high heat scorching. ¡°I must admit, I never anticipated that we would converse here again,¡± Pakos climbed into the comfortable high-backed chair. ¡°The last time we parted, you were headed to Androlina, right? The stories that came from that plane afterward nearly made my jaw drop. Warriors dead for countless centuries, a Succubus Martial Artist defying her nature, and the Mother of Demons colluding with Bartez... I am very curious about the role you played in those events...¡± ¡°We just...¡± ¡°No, no need to explain to me; here in Mogrondale, whatever happens in the Abyss, the news is sure to reach us¡ªthe battles between the armies of the Demon Prince and Lord Wu¡¯an, who fathered the Queen of the Succubus¡¯ child last month, or a new Abyssal Lord being born on some plane, and so on. But trying to understand every incident would be torturing myself, so most of the time, I ignore them or just laugh them off,¡± the Halfling said as he opened a cupboard under the desk, took out an assortment of bottles and jars, and began to skillfully mix drinks (Lancelot hadn¡¯t received such treatment on his last visit). He quickly prepared six drinks and flashed a grin at everyone: ¡°Try this, it¡¯s a new formula I recently developed. The base liquor is a top-notch brandy from Shendiravir. Those Succubus are indeed very professional when it comes to carnal delights. However, the one with a lighter color is non-alcoholic, Miss Elizabeth, as a young lady not of age yet, this one is for you,¡± the Halfling pushed the drinks towards everyone and reclined back in his chair, ¡°By the way, where has that talkative skeleton gone? And my fellow gourmet connoisseur? If you tell me they perished on an adventure, I would be devastated.¡± ¡°They are fine, just left this plane,¡± Lancelot gently shook his head. ¡°Going back to our original topic, considering your identity, the name Svafnir must not be unfamiliar to you?¡± ¡°I knew you were going to bring up that disgrace,¡± Pakos shrugged and rolled his eyes, ¡°Although everyone knows that the intelligence of a White Dragon is hardly different from that of a beast, just the thought of such an idiot, who grovels under the demons, being of the same species as me, makes me want to rip off my own ears. I¡¯m also aware of the great battle that took place in front of the Glacial Fortress a week ago. It¡¯s really a pity that guy showed none of the White Dragon¡¯s spirit to fight to the death while he was fleeing.¡± ¡°Since you already know who Svafnir is, there¡¯s no need for further introduction,¡± Lancelot tapped the rim of his glass, producing a clear ding. ¡°Our purpose in seeking you is straightforward, specifically, we hope that you would help eliminate that... disgrace of the Dragon Race.¡± Chapter 582 582 606 Finish Drinking the Wine ?Chapter 582: Chapter 606: Finish Drinking the Wine Chapter 582: Chapter 606: Finish Drinking the Wine ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha! You want me, what? To kill another ancient white dragon?¡± the Halfling burst into an uncontrollable laughter, ¡°That¡¯s truly the best joke I¡¯ve heard today... Wait, what is that expression? Are you serious?¡± ¡°I hope I¡¯m not saying anything taboo, but I do believe Svafnir is no match for you,¡± Lancelot nodded gravely, ¡°Moreover, it¡¯s been wounded in a battle with a Titan, and shouldn¡¯t have fully recovered so quickly.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still an ancient dragon, with magic and power beyond your wildest imagination, and the Iron Ice Plains is its home turf.¡± Pakos¡¯s face darkened, ¡°That place is barren, cold, and downright unpleasant. If that¡¯s why you¡¯re here to see me, then this conversation is over. Why do you think I hole up in Mogrondale? It¡¯s safe, too strong demons can¡¯t come in, and making money is easy here. Listen, little fellows, I have a good impression of you, including that werewolf in the corner who has been trembling since we started, but that goodwill is worth about a cocktail, and not a drop more.¡± ¡°I completely understand, I wouldn¡¯t accept such a request either...¡± Lancelot reached into his bosom and pulled out a stone with golden patterns on its surface, ¡°But perhaps you¡¯d be interested in taking a look inside Svafnir¡¯s lair?¡± ¡°You actually got into its lair?¡± Pakos naturally recognized that it was a Perception Stone and seemed a bit interested, ¡°Let me appraise the quality of that fool¡¯s treasure vault...¡± Lancelot silently handed over the stone, then leaned back in his chair, carefully watching the other¡¯s expression. He had watched that memory segment many times before, and as the Halfling activated the stone, Lancelot saw the same scene in his mind. At first, the images of the treasures beneath the ice thrilled the Halfling, but when the perspective shifted to the bottom of the dragon¡¯s lair and the captured female dragon appeared on the screen, the relaxed look on Pakos¡¯s face vanished instantly. A fleeting murderous aura even made the hairs on Lancelot¡¯s neck stand up, but he held back the urge to leap from his chair, continuing to sit still and expressionless. ... The footage within the Perception Stone lasted less than a minute, and when the Halfling opened his eyes again, Lancelot noticed his pupils had turned to vertical slits. ¡°How long ago was this?¡± Pakos asked Lancelot grimly, unable to hide his emotions any longer, ¡°Please tell the truth, I would appreciate it.¡± ¡°Not too long ago, three weeks.¡± ¡°Who is that white dragon?¡± ¡°Svafnir¡¯s son. The ancient white dragon himself is guarding the Prince of Wrath¡¯s fortress, but this is indeed his lair...¡± ¡°I can tell, an adult white dragon couldn¡¯t have amassed that much treasure. How did you get in? White Dragons usually build their nests on top of snow mountains or glaciers, places not easily accessible to creatures without wings.¡± ¡°There are many tunnels within the mountain. The white dragon tolerated a group of Fencer Trolls who worshipped it as a god. We set up a hidden Teleportation Formation within the tunnels. It allows us to teleport into that realm at any time, less than a mile from the dragon¡¯s nest.¡± ¡°You really plotted this burglary to the last detail...¡± the Halfling grabbed a bottle in front of him and took a big gulp. It was filled with ingredients from the cocktail he had just made, ¡°Svafnir... what¡¯s his situation now?¡± ¡°Just as I said, he¡¯s stationed in front of the Prince of Wrath¡¯s old lair. The battle with the Titan pierced a few holes in his wings, and his left foreclaw seems unusable too, but we¡¯re not sure about his current state of recovery. You might have more experience in this area.¡± Lancelot also picked up the glass in front of him and sipped gently, ¡°Additionally, we did a simple test. If the lair is attacked, he can return within ten minutes. We don¡¯t know how he does it, there might be some kind of spatial fold in the high sky, but he can appear that quickly.¡± ¡°Where did you appear from? The hole at the top?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Honorable Mr. Pakos, may I take it that you are now seriously considering our proposal?¡± The Halfling didn¡¯t respond immediately but looked at Lancelot with a peculiar gaze. That gaze was both like a judge scrutinizing a criminal and a gourmet evaluating dinner, capable of awakening the innate fear etched in human bones. Sweat instantly streamed down Lancelot¡¯s forehead; the individual sitting before him was no longer a cunning Halfling innkeeper but a savage beast from ancient times, pondering the tastiest way to cook him. However, Lancelot withstood that pressure, relying solely on sheer willpower. He wasn¡¯t just a Spiritual Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage, but also a veteran who survived the war. Even if Pakos could easily kill Lancelot physically, he wouldn¡¯t surrender to mere mental pressure. ¡°Those treasures frozen beneath the layer of ice...¡± Pakos said slowly, his tone entirely different from before, ¡°are quite alluring.¡± ¡°Of course, the legends say Svafnir followed Kostcheqi to plunder countless worlds, and the Prince of Wrath cherishes the act of slaughter more than the wealth obtained through it.¡± Lancelot nodded slightly, ¡°But for you, it¡¯s probably not the treasures that are most attractive...¡± ¡°Nor is it for you. You just want the White Dragon dead because he stands in your way, right?¡± the Halfling shrugged indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about how the spoils shall be divided... I can help you kill the Ancient White Dragon, but everything in his lair, every coin, every gemstone, every magical item, all must go to me. Don¡¯t give me any nonsense; this is a very fair remuneration, because once that mongrel is dead, whatever you¡¯re planning will surely be pinned on me. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to, and I don¡¯t care, but from the rumors about Androlina, this blame isn¡¯t something just anyone can bear.¡± ¡°Just like our last partnership,¡± Lancelot said with an ironic smile on his face, ¡°I¡¯d wager that all of Mogrondale is now buzzing that the Human Knight who killed Satugura has returned!¡± ¡°So, you agree?¡± ¡°What choice do I have? If you wish, you could kill us all at any moment.¡± ¡°Theoretically, indeed, but I rather like you, at least for now,¡± the Halfling revealed a strange smile more suited to a reptile, ¡°Moreover, you¡¯ll have to deal with Svafnir¡¯s son yourselves, and I will quietly hide at the side. That way, when the Ancient White Dragon returns to his nest, I can give him an enormous surprise, like a birthday party the guest of honor knows nothing about...¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Is there anything else you require, Mr. Pakos?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s all. When can you set out?¡± ¡°Anytime.¡± ¡°Perfect, then hurry up and finish your drink in that cup.¡± Chapter 583 583 607 Ringtone ?Chapter 583: Chapter 607: Ringtone Chapter 583: Chapter 607: Ringtone Twin Bridges Town. The abrupt ring of the bell suddenly echoed. The dwarves at work were initially stunned, then they sprung into action as if their backsides were on fire. They threw aside their tools, grabbed armor and weapons placed nearby, and swarmed to the nearest assembly point. ¡°Damn it!¡± For Craftsman Master Barrend, that bell was equally effective. The old dwarf was in the middle of processing a batch of ore, and leaving now would waste all his prior work; however, defying that bell would have even more dreadful consequences. Thus, he could only spit vehemently and kick the air intake of the furnace, before grabbing his gear and running out with the others. Unlike the Demon Race of Tanari, the majority of dwarves, whether they were mountain dwarves, hill dwarves, or gray dwarves, held discipline in high regard, which made them naturally excellent soldiers (the only exception was the mentally unstable Delo dwarves, but they were not numerous in Twin Bridges Town, with most stationed in the mines). In less than five minutes, over a thousand on-duty dwarves, along with a handful of workers from other races, had already assembled and were lined up in the central square of the Craftsmen¡¯s District. Barrend and several dozens of his kin from the Frostforge Clan stood shoulder to shoulder. In front of them, a dwarf captain was frantically running back and forth, shouting orders. The old dwarf, detecting the near-neurotic tension, surmised this was no drill. Therefore, he struggled to steady his trembling hands, helping each other with his comrades to suit up in armor properly. A month earlier, the Succubus Lord had suddenly ordered the formation of a dwarf legion, with the Craftsmen Committee in charge of the specifics. Since then, the dwarfs were forced to leave their forges and tunnels every three days to pick up wooden warhammers, blunt swords, and axes in the military camp for a half-day¡¯s so-called military training¡ªwhich merely involved randomly grouped dwarves bashing each other until a victor emerged, at which point they would swap out and continue. ... Needless to say, this left the already rest-deprived craftsmen exceedingly disgruntled. They cursed the Craftsmen Committee, the demon officers, and even the Succubus Lord in coarse and malevolent language, but each time they obediently headed to the training ground. Though no one wanted to admit it, these military drills did provide them with a sense of security and a measure of self-esteem¡ªtwo very rare feelings in the Abyssal Plane. Three minutes later, this group of craftsmen had transformed into a troop armed to the teeth and very well-equipped, since they were blacksmiths themselves and all their equipment materials were paid for by Tijana¡ªexcluding, of course, decorative jewels. As per the predetermined plan, they ascended the section of the wall where the Craftsmen¡¯s District was located, stuffing all the gaps in the wall until none were left. The dwarves quickly discovered the reason behind the ringing of the assembly bell: a vast cloud of dust appeared on the western horizon, and those with good eyesight could already discern the creatures within it. Demons, a horde of demons, with Coward Devils making up the majority as cannon fodder, but there were also Middle Rank Demons like Berserk Demons and Brezu Demons, even a few much larger shapes flickering in and out of sight. Barrend thought morbidly that had this scene occurred on the Prime Material Plane, the ruler of this city might have already fainted from shock. That scenario was naturally not applicable here, as the lord of Twin Bridges Town was a battle-hardened, resolute Tanari Demon, and they themselves, a militia now familiar with demons, no longer needed to change trousers at the sight of each demon. However, Barrend was still perplexed. According to what he knew, there were no threatening Demon Lords nearby, and the recent talk in the taverns all focused on the possibility of the Demon Legion¡¯s imminent assault. What was with this tide-like surge of demons? Many dwarves around him shared the same question, while some who had dwelled long enough in the Abyss quickly realized the issue: even for demons, there was no need to start sprinting when they were still several miles away from the walls... unless they were actually running for their lives. Tijana had also arrived at the city walls. Two days ago, she had received intelligence that Archduke Aphnas and Zariel had recently assembled two more Demon Legions to intensify the onslaught on Volcano Fortress. Before obtaining the latest frontline war reports, the scene unfolding before her made her wonder if the ¡°Destruction Flame¡± Visuvius¡¯s legion had already been captured by the Goddess of Doom. ¡°I need to figure out what exactly happened at Volcano Fortress,¡± the Succubus Lord said as she turned to the two Serpent Demon Generals following her, ¡°Bring me back some prisoners... not Berserk Demons, they can¡¯t even count to six!¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Lancelot and Pakos had very effective communication. In less than fifteen minutes, the ancient Red Dragon disguised as a Halfling agreed to lend a hand. Officially, the treasure within Svafnir¡¯s Lair was the condition, but everyone knew what had genuinely prompted the noble Red Dragon to leave this safe corner. The female Red Dragon that was imprisoned. During their second visit to the White Dragon¡¯s Lair, Kalalin used a spell to create an illusion of a Red Dragon, meant to intimidate Svafnir¡¯s son and to test how long it would take for the Prince of Wrath¡¯s mount to return from Glacial Fortress. The Scholar had cast the Illusion Technique based on the only ancient Red Dragon he had seen up close, and when Svafnir appeared in a flurry, he was mercilessly mocked by the Red Dragon prisoner. ¡®That¡¯s not my father; otherwise, your son would have been roasted already!¡¯ ¡®He has been in the Abyss for a long time and will find this place sooner or later. Then, it will be your son¡¯s and your turn to die!¡¯ Clearly, the Red Dragon prisoner had instantly recognized the illusion and knew that the spellcaster who created the illusion was nearby, that¡¯s why she chose to taunt the panic-stricken ancient White Dragon using a wide range of telepathy. Lancelot immediately guessed that there might be some connection between the prisoner and the illusion¡¯s original, Pakos, but at that time, he opted to release Gorgiad to deal with the ancient White Dragon, as there were also Frost Giants nearby to contend with. Now that Gorgiad had been torn to shreds at Glacial Fortress, it was time to activate the backup plan. Once they had reached an agreement, Pakos could hardly hide his impatience. After briefly informing Redralgon¡ªthe Halfling temporarily taking his place¡ªof his plans during his absence, Pakos urged Lancelot and his party to set off immediately. They used the Skeleton Tower¡¯s Portal, a privilege Pakos enjoyed in Mogrondale. That very night, the group arrived at the Iron Ice Plains and camped in a spacious cave, which was not particularly hidden (since there was no need). Unlike humans, Dragons (especially White Dragons) preferred to hunt at night and rest during the day. Thus, nighttime was not a good time to ¡®visit¡¯ them, and everyone needed a proper rest to be in optimal condition. Chapter 584 584 608 Missing ?Chapter 584: Chapter 608: Missing Chapter 584: Chapter 608: Missing Before leaving the Iron Ice Plains and meeting with Pakos, the party had made a series of preparations, including scouting the terrain around Glacial Fortress, establishing teleportation points, a new gigantic Array Plate, specially commissioned Teleportation Array scrolls, a pure and healthy sheep, and a bottle of poison said to be particularly effective against Dragons¡ªthough somewhat cliche?, the group still planned to try it. Pakos was naturally dissatisfied, viewing it as an insult to the Dragon Race. However, when the Dwarf questioned whether he was more concerned that the White Dragon would indeed be fooled by such a simple trick, the Halfling decided to steer the conversation toward why the White Dragon should not be counted among the True Dragons. ¡°Let¡¯s put it this way, you humans never consider yourselves the same species as monkeys, right?¡± the Halfling said in a condescending tone, ¡°The difference is that monkeys are stupider, almost have no intelligence, and don¡¯t have the complex social structures that you humans do. White Dragons are the same to us; they¡¯re indistinguishable from beasts, dumb enough hardly to speak. How could we classify such creatures along with us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that Tiamat has five heads,¡± Bruto said dryly, ¡°One of them is white.¡± ¡°That just proves that White Dragons also worship the Dragon Queen, and does not mean they are of the same species as other colored Dragons!¡± Pakos retorted viciously, ¡°Unless you think Dwarves and Gnomes are the same race!¡± ¡°Fine, have it your way,¡± the Dwarf shrugged, ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s not a single White Dragon here to defend itself.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, I have a somewhat inappropriate question...¡± Kalalin said, holding a soup bowl and speaking hesitantly, ¡°The White Dragon, I mean Svafnir¡¯s son, he hasn¡¯t really bothered us, has he? As a Scholar studying the Abyss, I¡¯ve never heard of him venturing to the Prime Material Plane to commit evils. Isn¡¯t it a bit wrong to just kill him like this?¡± ... ¡°Damn it, how could I forget to cast an alignment detection on you!¡± the Halfling sneered, ¡°You¡¯re not one of those who emphasize morality and the presumption of innocence... good people, are you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being good people?¡± Bruto scratched his head, ¡°Although I too desire a title of Dragon Slayer, what Kalalin says doesn¡¯t seem wrong. If a Succubus can become a Holy Warrior, maybe not all White Dragons are... bad dragons?¡± ¡°What a pity,¡± Pakos gazed menacingly at Bruto, ¡°Ladies won¡¯t spread their legs for a title like Slayer of Dwarves...¡± ¡°I¡¯ve considered that issue already,¡± Lancelot said resolutely, ¡°He is a rapist, and as a Knight, anyone who tries to go against a woman¡¯s wishes...¡± The Human Knight¡¯s words were cut off because the Pakos in front of him suddenly ¡®changed,¡¯ his neck no longer having the innocuous, likable Halfling head but instead a draconic head covered in scales and spines with a mouth big enough to swallow a man whole. Due to the size difference, it looked rather terrifying and yet somewhat adorable. ¡°If we didn¡¯t also need to deal with Svafnir...¡± the mouth of the Red Dragon opened and closed, letting small leaps of flame escape from between his teeth, ¡°I would very much enjoy spending a few years slowly torturing him.¡± ¡°We will kill that White Dragon,¡± Lancelot lowered his gaze, ¡°I promise.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Pakos nodded, ¡°The night is still young. Tell me about the recent war in this plane. Considering your glorious role in Androlina, don¡¯t tell me it had nothing to do with you.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Twin Bridges Town. After nightfall, the tavern was always bustling, even in the Abyssal Plane, especially right after some major event had happened. At such times, the tavern would be extremely noisy and crowded, but the brawls that were frequently staged on other days were much fewer because nobody wanted to miss out on the latest rumors and news; no one would drink to the point of oozing alcohol through their skin. Barrend Frostforge was sitting in such a tavern, brooding over his beer mug. Only a sip of beer had been drunk from the glass, and it seemed the old dwarf had no interest in lifting his mug again for the time being. Realizing that Twin Bridges Town was not so safe, he was missing his son and worried he might never see him again. Beside him were Delg Frostforge, a long-time collaborator and expert in ore smelting, and Takolin Stoneplate, a Gray Dwarf who was a master in weapon edging. Unlike Barrend¡¯s silence, these two dwarves were engaged in a heated discussion, naturally about the events that had occurred earlier that day. Although they had no reliable sources of information, this did not stop the dwarves from expressing their opinions. ¡°... we all saw it on the city wall today, the fact is as clear as if it were engraved in stone.¡± After gulping down a big mouthful of beer, Delg slammed his mug on the table as if to lend authority to his statement, ¡°Coward Devils are like rats that only scurry out in a group when the house is on fire, and Volcano Fortress is the house for today¡¯s group of Coward Devils. The demons might be holding a parade there right now!¡± ¡°Pah! ¡®Destruction Flame¡¯s army might well have suffered a defeat, but the Volcano Fortress wouldn¡¯t fall just like that.¡± Takolin caressed his smooth, bald head, a characteristic of the Gray Dwarves, ¡°I¡¯ve been to the Volcano Fortress, that place is like a rock wearing a helmet, and it is a piece of processed Obsidian that can resist magic effects; we just sent a batch of weapons there last week, Bartez couldn¡¯t possibly have taken that place so quickly!¡± ¡°But those Coward Devils...¡± ¡°Oh! Throw away that theory about Coward Devils!¡± the Gray Dwarf farted loudly, which in (some) dwarf culture is a form of punctuation, ¡°Creating Coward Devils for the Demon Lord is no more troublesome than us making arrows, a bunch of fleeing cannon fodder proves nothing!¡± ¡°New intelligence!¡± a shrill voice came from the entrance of the tavern, turning heads, revealing a smug-looking Quasimodo Demon, ¡°Give me a glass of the best Snake Tree Wine, and I¡¯ll tell you the details!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get nothing more than a glass of Razor Vine Beer!¡± a dark-skinned orc mercenary shouted at the little demon, ¡°Spill it quick, or would you rather taste my fist?¡± Like most low-rank demons, the Quasimodo Demon backed down under the threat of violence, possibly also because it saw another competitor emerging from a tavern across the street. It hopped onto the bar, snatched the glass brought by the Tiflin bartender, took a big gulp, and began, ¡°This is all from our gang leader, who crouched outside the interrogation rooms in the barracks area all day; initially, it just wanted to listen to the captives¡¯ screams...¡± the Quasimodo Demon grabbed the attention of the entire bar with an authoritative tone, ¡°The shameless Bartez played a trick; they dispatched four legions, but only flew the banners of two! ¡®Destruction Flame¡¯ Visuvius stupidly chose to strike first, and when it realized something was wrong, the battle was already beyond salvageable!¡± ¡°That¡¯s just stupid.¡± Delg whispered, ¡°Can¡¯t they count?¡± ¡°You expect too much from the Tanari.¡± Takolin scoffed, ¡°Maybe the scout assigned to count didn¡¯t even get the flags right and told Visuvius that only one legion was coming.¡± ¡°Was Destruction Flame himself killed?¡± A Brezu Demon shouted at the Quasimodo Demon, ¡°Answer me quick, or I¡¯ll skin you!¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± the little demon belched sourly, ¡°but several prisoners witnessed the Flame Demon General being attacked by four Abyss-bred Demon Refinement together; what do you think his chances are?¡± Chapter 585 585 609 Story and Reality ?Chapter 585: Chapter 609: Story and Reality Chapter 585: Chapter 609: Story and Reality ¡°If I ever decide to build a nest, I definitely won¡¯t allow anyone to dig tunnels underneath it.¡± ¡ªPakos, the ancient Red Dragon, said this before his famous battle with Svafnir. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The group patiently waited until noon the next day to begin their operation, as this was the time of day when Fencer Trolls were least active, allowing them to avoid unnecessary disruptions during the battle. After exiting the cave where the Teleportation Array was set up, Lancelot still had Alamir use Divine Arts to create fresh water and refreeze the entrance, even though, if all went well, they would no longer need this teleportation point. ¡°What do you mean ¡®if¡¯? Don¡¯t you have one now?¡± Bruto curiously asked after hearing Pakos¡¯s comment. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that earning money in Mogrondale is both fast and easy? So, where did all the money go?¡± ¡°Of course, I invested it, you idiot. Money doesn¡¯t grow on its own,¡± the Halfling said in a contemptuous tone to the Dwarf. ¡°One-fifth of Mogrondale¡¯s shops pay me rent, and half of the enterprises give me regular dividends. Robbing kingdoms and kidnapping princesses is too cliche?, and full of annoying surprises.¡± ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve still done that sort of thing, though?¡± Lancelot also showed interest. ¡°What sort of surprises? Knights wanting to come and rescue the princess?¡± ¡°Things that are likely to happen aren¡¯t surprises, and you silly knights are quite adorable, not annoying at all,¡± the Halfling chuckled. ¡°I once kidnapped a princess and demanded one-fifth of the kingdom¡¯s treasury as a ransom from her crown-wearing dad¡ªdon¡¯t give me that look. I am a dragon, after all, and was quite young back then. What else would I have done?¡± ... ¡°I hope the princess didn¡¯t suffer any misfortune afterward.¡± ¡°Of course not, I wanted money, not humans who barely have any meat on them, which makes my teeth hurt,¡± Pakos shrugged his shoulders. ¡°At the time, it seemed like an easy business to get done, especially since the princess was good-looking and of childbearing age. One-fifth of the treasury was a very generous price.¡± ¡°Your understanding of business seems a bit off,¡± Lancelot rolled his eyes. ¡°So, what exactly went wrong? A group of Holy Warriors who would never compromise with evil?¡± ¡°No, the problem was with the king and the queen. As you know, kings often change their queens, but the children from previous queens don¡¯t lose their right to the throne. The princess I captured was the child of a previous queen,¡± Pakos said with an ironic smile on his face. ¡°The current queen had been married for five years and had only given birth to daughters, so you see my point?¡± ¡°You captured the heir to the throne?¡± Isa also spoke up. ¡°And the queen was unwilling to pay the ransom?¡± ¡°Firstly, that princess had an older brother, and he was the primary heir to the throne. But the current queen... had a lot of influence. She managed to convince everyone from nobles to commoners that it was that prince¡¯s absolute duty to rescue his sister. She then secretly sent a messenger to me, promising that if I killed both siblings, she would give me half of the treasury.¡± ¡°Did you agree?¡± ¡°No, things got even more complicated. When the king of a neighboring country heard about it, he also sent a messenger, promising me an even larger ransom if I killed the brother but handed over the sister to him. Ha! Are you still listening?¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated, way too complicated,¡± the Dwarf shook his head, ¡°Human inheritance law isn¡¯t much of an issue, but they just reproduce too much, turning everything into a complete mess... So, what was your choice in the end?¡± ¡°I chose the princess. I just said she wasn¡¯t bad-looking and was at the right age for childbearing, right? Don¡¯t get me wrong, I didn¡¯t force her. I even treated this member of the royal family quite well. After hearing the proposals from those ¡®relatives¡¯ and ¡®suitors,¡¯ she made me an offer I couldn¡¯t refuse... I was young back then too.¡± ¡°Hold on, what about that princess¡¯s brother?¡± ¡°He died. People thought I ripped up the ticket, and her brother committed suicide soon after out of grief¡ªhe shot himself in the back with a crossbow over ten times, don¡¯t ask me how he did it. After I heard that news, the princess¡ªwho had already borne me a bunch of lovely Half-Dragon People¡ªasked me to help her seize the throne, and I did, but I didn¡¯t stay long after that. You know, things get boring after a while, and she did have tendencies to be a control freak.¡± ¡°I have to admit, this story isn¡¯t quite what I expected,¡± Lancelot scratched his head, ¡°but the ending isn¡¯t too bad.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t quite what I expected either, but since then, I¡¯ve become interested in politics. I must admit, my first wife taught me quite a lot,¡± Pakos suddenly stopped walking, ¡°The dragons in the lair are sleeping, I can feel it, but going any further might wake them up. If it wakes up and can¡¯t find the source of its unrest, it will become very alert. Let that fat sheep go, let it draw all the attention, and we¡¯ll follow quietly behind...¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± Lancelot nodded toward Bruto, who was leading a blindfolded sheep. The Dwarf pulled out a small bottle, looking unsure, and asked: ¡°Where should I apply this poison?¡± ¡°Anywhere is fine, since the White Dragon will freeze it into a block of ice before eating it anyway. It won¡¯t taste anything.¡± The Dwarf then poured the bottle¡¯s pale green liquid over the sheep¡¯s back and slapped it on the rump. The sheep bleated in fright and immediately trotted off toward the end of the tunnel. ¡°Now, get ready for battle,¡± Pakos quickly shifted his gaze away from the sheep, ¡°Remember, I absolutely won¡¯t make a move until Svafnir appears; otherwise, the coward might just turn around and flee midway, and I don¡¯t want that to happen. Was I clear enough?¡± Everyone nodded and followed quietly behind the sheep, soon reaching the tunnel¡¯s exit. The blindfolded sheep lost its footing and slid off the edge of the tunnel¡¯s end terrace, easily waking the White Dragon hanging at the top of the nest. Just as Pakos had said, the dragon almost instinctively breathed out a gust of Dragon Breath, freezing the sheep in place, then stretched its wings and flew down, swallowing the sheep. ¡°What did I tell you, White Dragons are really dumb,¡± Pakos rolled his eyes, ¡°Lancelot, when it¡¯s time to act, be mindful not to harm the innocents... you know what I mean?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Lancelot took out the Great Sword Glacier from his Dimensional Bag, positioning himself on the edge of the terrace, ¡°I¡¯ll try to keep a distance from those captives.¡± ¡°Good,¡± the Halfling nodded, his figure gradually becoming transparent, ¡°Good luck to you all.¡± Chapter 586 586 610 Begin ?Chapter 586: Chapter 610: Begin Chapter 586: Chapter 610: Begin Lancelot took a deep breath and nodded at his companions. Kalalin and Alamir immediately began casting spells. Naturally, the target of the spells wasn¡¯t the White Dragon below, as the legendary creature¡¯s immunity made it almost impossible to surprise with magic. However, magic was not useless in a battle with such creatures¡ªif it couldn¡¯t be used against the enemy, it could still be used to aid one¡¯s allies. Kalalin cast a ¡®Haste Spell¡¯ on Lancelot, a Third Circle spell that was once one of the team¡¯s trump cards. It allowed the recipient to move faster, attack more frequently, and become nimbler. Although the spell¡¯s enhancement wasn¡¯t as significant for Lancelot as it had been in his battle with the shark-lizard beast, it remained one of the best choices among the Buff Spells. However, like all spells, a very powerful effect meant there were drawbacks in other areas. Firstly, the Haste Spell required focus during casting. Therefore, Kalalin could not be attacked nor cast another focus-required spell while the spell was active. Moreover, whether the spellcaster¡¯s focus was disrupted or the spell reached its maximum duration (one minute), the recipient would experience extreme fatigue and fall into a state of temporary incapacity. If the enemy hadn¡¯t been dealt with by then, he would obviously face great danger. Alamir bestowed upon Lancelot a Fourth Circle Divine Arts spell, ¡°Freedom of Movement,¡± which allowed the recipient to move freely on any terrain and rendered ineffective any magic effects causing paralysis, binding, or slowing. It also provided quick escape from non-magical restraints, such as pre-set traps or grappling by enemies. For Lancelot and Bruto, being able to fight in the White Dragon¡¯s Lair¡ªwhich was covered with slippery ice¡ªmade this spell indispensable. The noise from casting the spells instantly alerted the adult White Dragon below. It abruptly raised its head, looking towards the balcony in midair where the group was located, just in time to see a figure leaping down. It was none other than Lancelot, who had prepared himself and jumped from the balcony¡ªfifty feet above the ground (a height he dared to jump), holding the Great Sword Glacier aloft, ready to deliver a power-doubled jumping cleave to the White Dragon. Although the White Dragon was not very intelligent, it possessed perfect beastly instincts during combat, knowing not to take the heavy blow falling from above. It leapt backward like a cat, moving so gracefully it was almost unbelievable, easily dodging the fierce slash from its opponent. Lancelot crashed heavily in front of the White Dragon. The terrifying force instantly shattered the ice layer, startling the White Dragon into a brief daze. But it soon regained its senses as the attacker¡¯s figure emerged from the rising ice mist and rushed toward it, the hilt of the glowing green Great Sword giving off an intense sense of danger. ... Yet the White Dragon¡¯s anger was ignited¡ªhere was a Human Knight daring to challenge it! It lunged forward furiously, swinging its sharp and sturdy front claws at its opponent. The White Dragon¡¯s claws, similar to a bird¡¯s, had thick knuckles ending in curved, sharp nails that could easily bypass the Knight¡¯s Great Sword intended for blocking. It almost felt the sensation of its claws piercing through the gaps in the knight¡¯s armor and into his flesh. No sooner had the White Dragon raised its claw than Lancelot understood his opponent¡¯s intention. With his body enhanced by Foundation Establishment, his reaction and speed far exceeded that of ordinary humans, not to mention the effects of the Haste Spell and Freedom of Movement¡ªhow could he let his enemy succeed? At the moment the claw was swung, his body spun quickly to the side, dodging the White Dragon¡¯s strike, while delivering a powerful horizontal slash. The Great Sword clashed mightily with the Dragon Claw, emitting a harsh buzzing noise. The White Dragon¡¯s claws were as hard as mithril; Lancelot¡¯s side-swing sword did not get the better of it, merely managing to deflect the claw. All Lancelot could do was mentally sigh in regret as he didn¡¯t pause, quickly running forward around the dragon¡¯s body. His speed was so fast that the massive body of the White Dragon struggled to keep up, and in an instant, he had reached its side and delivered another slash toward its half-folded wing. Upon seeing the Human Knight¡¯s attack, the White Dragon twisted its body while violently lifting its wings, making it seem like the tip of the Great Sword would only slice through the air. But at that moment, the blue light on the Sword Blade suddenly surged, and another Great Sword formed entirely of blue light appeared beside it, solidly striking the humerus of the dragon¡¯s wing. The White Dragon let out a miserable scream; that area was unprotected by Dragon Scales, and a large amount of blood sprayed out from the ¡°armpit¡± of the wing, spattering onto the icy surface at the bottom of the nest. Lancelot was about to observe the fruits of his attack when suddenly a dark shadow struck. In a moment of urgency, he only had time to guard his front with the Great Sword, and the next second he was hammered back, rolling and flying backwards. Not until his back heavily hit an ice wall did Lancelot see clearly what had hit him¡ªthe crocodile-like tail of the White Dragon. Logically, he had seen Svafnir use this move on Gorgiad, but although he had seen it, only upon facing it did he realize how swift the Giant Dragon¡¯s tail strike was. His attention had only slightly wavered, and he immediately took a solid hit. However, he was certain that none of his bones were broken and there were no open wounds on his body, while the White Dragon¡¯s half wing was already dyed red with blood, hanging unnaturally at its side. The exchange had clearly been in his favor Yet, at this moment, the White Dragon was facing him directly, its dragon head raised high towards the sky, looking as though it was about to let out a roar. Lancelot suddenly jumped up and ran to the side as fast as he could. He might have missed the tail strike of the White Dragon, but he would not mistake the meaning of that head-raised posture¡ªit was the precursor to a Dragon Breath attack! The White Dragon¡¯s bent neck suddenly straightened, and a bright blue energy stream burst from its gaping mouth like a Warhammer hitting the spot where Lancelot had just been. However, this Breath, which could have lasted over three seconds, rapidly weakened as if the White Dragon¡¯s ¡®fuel¡¯ was running low. Seeing this, Lancelot felt a surge of joy¡ªTijana¡¯s poison was still effective! The White Dragon was also stunned by its own weakened state, but the Human Knight, with that supernatural speed, had already charged to its side again. The pain from its left wing made the White Dragon choose the most intense counterattack¡ªit directly used a wing flap attack, its body violently spinning to force the Human Knight back while taking the opportunity to fly into the air. ¡°Haha! I¡¯ve been waiting a long time for this!¡± Just as the Human Knight had appeared, another figure jumped down from the terrace above, only this one was as big as an Ogre, clutching a terrifyingly large Warhammer, and he fiercely smashed it towards the dragon¡¯s head! Chapter 587 587 611 Hunter and the Beast ?Chapter 587: Chapter 611 Hunter and the Beast Chapter 587: Chapter 611 Hunter and the Beast The figure that descended from the sky was naturally Bruto. According to the plan formulated before the battle, Lancelot would go all-out during the first wave of the assault, with the amplification of Buff Spells making it highly likely to force the White Dragon to take off to gain distance. It was at this moment that Bruto would launch the second wave of attack, with the imperative of knocking the White Dragon down from the sky. As Lancelot had just commenced the action, Kalalin and Alamir didn¡¯t stop either. Instead, they turned to cast Buff Magic on the Dwarf. The Elf Priest cast ¡®Freedom of Movement¡¯ again, a Divine Art that didn¡¯t require casting focus, allowing Alamir to bestow this Divine Art on multiple people; the only limit was his casting capability. Kalalin, on the other hand, gave the Dwarf an ¡®Enhanced Stride,¡¯ a First Circle Spell that increases the recipient¡¯s movement speed by almost half. Whilst inferior to the effect of the Haste Spell, it lasted for a full hour without any negative effects. Additionally, Bruto activated the ability he obtained from the Titan¡¯s Blood, transforming into a ten-foot-tall, muscular Giant Dwarf. Along with his transformation, his hammer also changed; it was Bruto¡¯s first Rune Magic that he mastered. Through eight letters of the Giant¡¯s Tongue carved on the hammer¡¯s handle, his beloved Warhammer now changed size along with his figure. The White Dragon¡¯s attention was entirely on the ground; it realized that its wing attack had missed everything and was fully anticipating an opportunistic attack by the Human Knight. By the time it noticed the Dwarf attacking from above, it was already too late. The gigantic Warhammer slammed solidly onto the sleek crown of the White Dragon, producing a thunderous collision akin to smithing metal. The concussed White Dragon stiffened all over and plummeted downwards without even a scream, as if it had hit an invisible ceiling. However, just like Dwarves, Dragons also possessed exceptionally sturdy skulls. Even though the Dwarf¡¯s hammer blow was with full force, it only caused a brief moment of dizziness for the White Dragon, falling short of a fatal injury. Nevertheless, Kalalin had been waiting for an opportunity since the beginning¡ªa chance when the White Dragon would momentarily lose consciousness. The moment Bruto¡¯s hammer hit the dragon¡¯s head, the Scholar saw the White Dragon¡¯s eyes lose focus, and he immediately activated the scroll he held. Magic Power coalesced into a dart of spiritual power and gently pricked the Giant Dragon. The unconscious Giant Dragon did not resist, nor did it trigger its Legendary Immunity Ability. The Scholar¡¯s Spell succeeded effortlessly. What Kalalin released was a simple Second Circle Enchantment System magic ¡®Suggestion.¡¯ If it successfully breached the target¡¯s mental defenses, this spell could implant a thought into the recipient¡¯s consciousness. The nature of the suggestion was not limited¡ªit could be as benign as visiting a specific restaurant for lunch or trusting a certain person, but not harmful thoughts like stabbing oneself or jumping off a tall building. ... The thought Kalalin shoved into the White Dragon¡¯s mind was straightforward: My wings have sustained severe damage, and I can no longer fly. Before hitting the ground, the White Dragon regained consciousness, but Kalalin¡¯s magic had taken effect, and the dragon was none the wiser. The Giant Dragon barely adjusted its body mid-fall, landing on its four claws¡ªit subconsciously ruled out the option of spreading its wings. The Dwarf hit the ground a moment slower than the White Dragon but landed right on the dragon¡¯s back, causing it to stagger. Bruto, who had shed his armor to activate his transformation, was almost naked and was immediately cut by the sharp edges of the Dragon Scales, bleeding profusely. The impact of the fall also dazed him momentarily, preventing him from seeing the dragon¡¯s jaws snapping quickly towards him. But that was no issue, as someone was there to cover for him. Lancelot moved as swiftly as a streak of light grazing the ground. His Great Sword, dazzling with blinding green light, chopped at the White Dragon¡¯s face like a hefty slap, knocking the dragon¡¯s head away from its intended target. The Human Knight didn¡¯t stop there; at that moment, he brought out his hidden reserves of Cultivation Power, a flow of movements, superior Combat Technique, Qingyuan Sword Technique, Shadow Dance Steps¡ªevery move he could use was unleashed. The entire person became a storm of metal, ferociously scraping against the White Dragon¡¯s body, armored with hard scales. The scales of the White Dragon were indeed very hard, with the hardest being comparable to armor forged from mithril, but under Lancelot¡¯s frenzied assault, there was always the chance of a lucky strike. As the White Dragon let out a tail strike with reckless abandon, forcing the Human Knight to jump away to evade, its body had already acquired several horrific wounds, and the spurting Dragon Blood painted the ground a vivid red. Lancelot was about to charge forward once more, but a sudden onset of dizziness made his legs weaken, and he stood frozen in place. He cursed inwardly, aware that this was the consequence of his Haste Spell wearing off, and if the White Dragon attacked him now, he would likely take a solid hit. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ Lancelot reassured himself internally, while directing all his energy to activate the Protective Sword Shield Cultivation Technique, ¡®You can¡¯t bite me to death, stupid lizard!¡¯ However, the White Dragon¡¯s perception of the Human Knight had undergone a subtle transformation. Having been struck by its own full-force tail swipe without any apparent effect on the knight, the White Dragon had not felt the sensation of its skin being sliced by a sharp blade for a long time. Thus, after repelling the Human Knight, its instinctual reaction was not to pursue immediately but to summon a giant ice wall, separating itself from the Human Knight. The ice wall stood thirty feet tall, extending directly from the edges of its lair on both sides, trapping the bothersome Human Knight inside like a cell. Just as the White Dragon breathed a sigh of relief, a Warhammer suddenly flew at its face, like a heavy left hook, staggering it. The Giant Dragon let out an angry roar and was about to pounce on the Dwarf who still held the throwing pose, but a sudden force from behind turned its pounce into a comical on-the-spot jump. The White Dragon twisted its head around in shock, only to find a giant wolf, almost half its size, biting its tail relentlessly, causing pain that made the White Dragon want to roar and scream at the same time. At that moment, the White Dragon didn¡¯t even notice a figure with bat wings on its back jumping around on its spine, slicing open the delicate wing membranes with a Dagger imbued with a Paralyzing effect. Suddenly, a Fireball the size of a face shot out from the terrace; it was the Scholar casting his favorite spell. However, the target of the Fireball was not the besieged White Dragon but the ice wall that had trapped the Human Knight. The Fireball slammed into the ice wall with an explosion, blasting a huge hole through which the now-recovered Human Knight immediately charged out, his sword tip aimed straight at the White Dragon¡¯s head. When a White Dragon cannot fly or use its Dragon Breath, it¡¯s just an ordinary beast. Perhaps more ferocious, stronger, and deadly than any other beast, but it remains a beast. Caught in the Hunter¡¯s encirclement, the beast will struggle, scratch, bellow, and lunge, but the outcome is unavoidable. The Hunters covered for each other, inflicting more and more wounds on the beast. Though no wound was fatal on its own, as more and more Dragon Blood spilled onto the ground, death finally grasped it. With a peculiar whimper, the White Dragon fell to the ground with a thud, watching as the Great Sword, emitting a green glow, plunged into its chest. Chapter 588 588 612 Cultivators True Heart and ?Chapter 588: Chapter 612 Cultivator¡¯s True Heart and Knight¡¯s Spirit Chapter 588: Chapter 612 Cultivator¡¯s True Heart and Knight¡¯s Spirit Lancelot felt the continuously changing pressure from the hilt, the result of the sword blade piercing through different tissues within the giant dragon¡¯s body, finally embedding itself into a firm, rhythmically constricting organ. The white dragon¡¯s limbs began to spasm violently and uncontrollably, but the human knight ignored the dragon claws swinging about before his eyes, gripping tightly onto the hilt, then with a forceful thrust, he twisted the hilt ninety degrees. The white dragon¡¯s body stiffened suddenly, and then it was all over. The dragon soul had departed, leaving behind nothing but the corpse of a beast. At that moment, the Cauldron Immortal Technique within Lancelot¡¯s body started to operate on its own, as if triggered by something. All thirty-six of his major acupoints opened up, frantically absorbing the energy emanating from the corpse of the legendary creature before him. However, bystanders couldn¡¯t see any anomaly, only suddenly experiencing a bout of difficulty breathing. The strange occurrence came abruptly and dissipated just as quickly; in just a few breaths, the dragon corpse¡¯s power was entirely absorbed. However, to Lancelot, this power still merely resided in the corners of his flesh, and fully refining and absorbing it would probably take some time. ¡°Look at this mess you¡¯ve made, truly a disaster,¡± No sooner had the white dragon fallen than a hoarse, icy voice, reminiscent of a reptilian creature, suddenly rang out from behind everyone. Lancelot turned around and saw the silhouette of a strange female humanoid creature. At first glance, one might easily mistake her for a succubus¡ªantlers on her head, bat wings and a tail at her back, and adorned in a tight-fitting red leather suit that showcased her curvaceous and powerful figure. But upon closer inspection, one would realize that the so-called leather suit was actually scales covering the skin¡¯s surface, and the tail behind her was much thicker than the whip-like tail of a succubus. More importantly, beneath the pair of backward-swept antlers on her head, there lay a cold, indifferent dragon face, one that belonged to a scaled reptilian creature. ... ¡°Are you the red dragon that was imprisoned before?¡± Lancelot recognized the voice, ¡°How did you get out by yourself?¡± ¡°Of course, one of your ¡®companions¡¯ let me out,¡± The female half-dragon smiled slyly at him. Even with Lancelot¡¯s composure, that smile jolted him enough to draw Glacier out, only to be splashed with dragon blood gushing from the wound, leaving him in a bedraggled state. ¡°Hehe, just like I said, you¡¯ve made quite a mess,¡± the female half-dragon walked over to him, kicking the white dragon¡¯s dead head with her foot, ¡°But I enjoyed that scene very, very much, such a pity I couldn¡¯t watch it for a bit longer...¡± ¡°We¡¯re also new to this, not much experience,¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, about to say something else when he suddenly looked upwards. Through his Spirit Perception, he sensed a terrifying presence rapidly approaching their location¡ªthe true master of the nest was finally returning! ¡°Run!¡± Lancelot shouted to his companions, ¡°To Kalalin¡¯s place!¡± Although the others didn¡¯t have the keen perception of the human Knight, everyone was very clear about what Lancelot was referring to and immediately ran towards the steps leading back to the terrace they came from. Bruto, still blessed with spells that allowed free movement and long strides, was able to run easily on the smooth glacier steps in his giant wolf state, and as for little Isha, there was even less to worry about¡ªshe was a Vampire with wings on her back. ¡°Don¡¯t leave us!¡± A sudden chorus of different voices echoed in everyone¡¯s minds, ¡°Don¡¯t throw us down!¡± Lancelot turned his head and saw that the voices came from the other female Dragons trapped in the several large pits. Besides a White Dragon that had been frozen into an ice sculpture, there was one Blue Dragon, one Green Dragon, and one Black Dragon, each struggling violently within the confines of their chains and torture devices. ¡°Don¡¯t care about their life or death,¡± said the freed Red Dragon person coldly to those who had stopped. ¡°Svafnir will be here any moment, and this place will soon become a hell of frost and flames. Better run for your lives now.¡± A very brief struggle arose in Lancelot¡¯s heart. The fate of those female Dragons truly had nothing to do with him, and they were all colored Dragons with an innate tendency towards evil; as a Spiritual Cultivator, the bamboo slips he studied even emphasized repeatedly that Cultivators must have a heart as hard as steel, unbound by the moral codes and virtues of mundane society, holding onto only their true selves. In other words, saving those female Dragons not only lacked any real benefit but also posed a risk to his own survival. According to the standards of Spiritual Cultivators, he should¡¯ve turned around and left without hesitation, yet Lancelot couldn¡¯t bring himself to do that. He had been brought up with Knightly education from a young age, which taught him to treat the weak kindly, to not fear authority, and to fight for the protection of the defenseless, extending a hand to ladies in distress. Strictly speaking, female Dragons did not seem to fit the definition of ¡®lady,¡¯ but after coming to the Abyss, many definitions had acquired new meanings, and the knightly spirit that once served as a moral compass often appeared outdated, obsolete, and out of touch. Yet deep in his heart, Lancelot still adhered to the core of the knightly spirit: regardless of the environment he was in, no matter the difficulties encountered, he should uphold his sense of justice and not betray his conscience. If it was said that Spiritual Cultivators should not be bound by worldly morals and only need to hold onto their true selves, then let the knightly spirit be his true self! ¡°You go on ahead!¡± Lancelot suddenly turned and ran toward the nearest large pit. ¡°Wait for me in the passageway!¡± His companions were stunned; the human Knight¡¯s retreating figure seemed to possess a mysterious power that ignited a flame named ¡®hero¡¯ deep within their hearts. However, this flame was immediately extinguished by the sudden threat that appeared. At the top of the Dragon¡¯s Nest, a figure twice the size of the adult White Dragon they had just seen appeared. Svafnir, the mount of the Prince of Wrath, had finally returned to its lair, though it took longer than last time. It immediately saw the corpse of its son at the bottom of the nest and let out a roar as piercing as a bell. Everyone could clearly feel the rage contained in that roar, like the Grim Reaper screaming at you. Fear easily submerged everyone¡¯s thoughts, driving them desperately to run up the steps, trying to get as far away from the enraged ancient White Dragon as possible. But Lancelot resisted the terrifying majesty of the ancient White Dragon; his pace not only didn¡¯t slow but also burst forth with astonishing speed. He instantly reached the edge of the large pit holding a Blue Dragon, his Great Sword glowing with a dazzling green light, and he struck with all his might at the chains that bound the Blue Dragon. ¡°Damn thief!¡± Svafnir¡¯s mental assault swept through every corner of the Dragon¡¯s Lair like a tempest, ¡°Die!¡± Chapter 589 589 613 Carry Away ?Chapter 589: Chapter 613: Carry Away Chapter 589: Chapter 613: Carry Away The chains that bound the giant dragon were cast from ordinary metal, and with one stroke of his sword, Lancelot cleaved a substantial notch in them. Immediately after, he struck the same spot three more times, quickly severing the chain completely. The blue dragon, a female, shook off the chains from her body with just a few flicks after Lancelot had broken them and stood up again. However, two more massive chains were still restraining her, one binding her neck, the other wrapped around her tail. As Lancelot raised his sword to cut the chain around her neck, the blue dragon made a complicated hand gesture and uttered a strange syllable. After a familiar shimmer of Transformation Magic, a female half-dragon clothed in blue ¡°leather¡± appeared before him, and the chains that were previously wrapped around the blue dragon¡¯s body clanged to the ground. Compared to the half-dragon form of the Red Dragon, the most notable feature of the person before him was a single horn extending forward from her forehead, easily reminiscent of another creature associated with purity. Her scales shone a beautiful sky blue, glistening in the reflection of the frosty light, and her figure was as compact and robust as that of the half-dragon Red Dragon. ¡°Thank you, human,¡± the female Blue Dragon bowed politely to him, her voice sounding pleasantly clear and melodious, wholly different in style from the Red Dragon, ¡°May I have the honor of knowing the name of my savior?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, quickly! We can talk about names later!¡± Lancelot had no intention of exchanging pleasantries, and instead turned and ran towards the next pit. Above his head, Svafnir was raising its neck grandly, and Lancelot could feel a terrifying energy accumulating inside the ancient White Dragon. With his physical condition at present, he might survive being hit by that dragon breath, but as for his companions, they could probably only hope their bodies would remain intact enough to make resurrection not too difficult. Just as Svafnir was about to unleash its rage, a sudden red giant claw fiercely struck its face, pressing the ancient White Dragon¡¯s head against the wall. ... ¡°Well, well, well, where did this plump, fat little maggot spring from?¡± Pakos, having revealed his Red Dragon true form, watched the White Dragon beneath his claw with icy scrutiny, ¡°Oh my, isn¡¯t this Svafnir, the one who couldn¡¯t make it in Warrior Village and had to scoot to the Abyss to be a mount for Demons? How curious. Having come to the Abyss, why haven¡¯t you ever invited me over, huh? Could it be that there¡¯s something in your doghouse you don¡¯t want me to know about?¡± With a violent twist, Svafnir managed to free itself from Pakos¡¯s grip, at the cost of deep gashes across its face. The two ancient Giant Dragons immediately grappled with each other, clawing, biting, lashing with tails, and spewing frigid and searing dragon breaths. Despite Svafnir¡¯s already daunting size, the true form of Pakos in combat seemed even larger, clearly dominating in every aspect. The entire Dragon¡¯s Lair began to shake violently, steam and frost from the clashing dragon breaths filled the surroundings, and large amounts of irregular ice shards continually fell from above, each piece landing with enough force to penetrate armor. In such adverse conditions, any rational person would have fled immediately, but Lancelot refused to leave. He rushed to the edge of the second pit, which held a captive female Green Dragon. Ignoring the whistling shards of ice falling beside him, Lancelot swung his Great Sword with all his might, completely entrusting his safety to his Spirit Perception, only dodging at the last moment before being struck by the falling ice. Just like the Blue Dragon before, after he broke the first chain, the Green Dragon, who had regained its ability to cast spells, used magic to free itself from its bindings. Another female Half-Dragon appeared before Lancelot¡¯s eyes. Compared to the two he had encountered before, this one had an impressively slender neck and a pair of antlers that extended from between her brows and curved around the sides of her head like the elongated ears of Elves. Her scales were a deep shade of green, and her figure was even more slender and tall. But what set her apart were her emerald-like eyes, glittering with a meticulous, cunning, and scheming light. When she looked at Lancelot, it was as if she was assessing the worth of the Human Knight before her. However, Lancelot had no intention of standing still and chatting with the lady. Since she had undoubtedly escaped her predicament, he immediately turned and dashed towards the last pit that contained a living dragon. The green Half-Dragon watched the knight¡¯s retreating figure with curious eyes, as if lost in a brief reverie, until a shard of ice that grazed her nose jolted her from her thoughts. The female Green Dragon chuckled softly, shook her head, and ran in the opposite direction. The last prisoner locked in the pit was a female Black Dragon, smaller than the other dragons, her body battered and bloodied by the falling ice, her eyes filled with despair. But as she saw Lancelot running towards her, she began to struggle fiercely, as if signaling to her rescuer that she had not given up. This female Black Dragon¡¯s magical abilities were clearly not as strong as her kin. Only after Lancelot shattered the iron chains wrapped around her neck and body did she barely manage to complete her Transformation Magic, turning into a black female Half-Dragon. She collapsed to the ground immediately afterward. Lancelot stowed his Great Sword in his Dimensional Bag, approached, and turned the Half-Dragon over to find that she had fallen unconscious. The Half-Dragon form of the female Black Dragon was also distinctive. A pair of white, forward-curving horns extended from the temples on either side of her face and aggressive bone spurs surrounded her cheeks. Her scaly skin was glossy black, and she wasn¡¯t much taller than the little Vampire, Isa. Lancelot also noticed, as any adult human male would at first glance, that certain parts of her body were much stronger than the small Vampire¡¯s, though among all the Half-Dragon People, the Red Dragon¡¯s were the strongest. However, without any emotional connotation, none could compare to Tijana; although this comparison wasn¡¯t fair since Succubi often have the ability to adjust their figures at will. Another roar came from above, and Lancelot looked up to see Svafnir being struck squarely by a (literal) Dragon Tail Whip from Pakos, spinning towards the cavern wall like a giant windmill. With a thunderous crash, he hit the wall hard, causing the entire cavern to shake violently. More stalactites were dislodged from the ceiling, accelerating under gravity. Lancelot gently shook the Half-Dragon¡¯s body, but it did not rouse her. Seeing the stalactites nearing the ground, he gritted his teeth, bent down to scoop the Black Dragon woman into his arms, and dashed towards the entrance from which he¡¯d come. As he ran, only one thought occupied his mind: ¡®Damn it, why is she so heavy? Am I carrying the leg of a female Frost Giant?¡¯ Chapter 590 590 614 The Gap in Combat Power ?Chapter 590: Chapter 614 The Gap in Combat Power Chapter 590: Chapter 614 The Gap in Combat Power Even after transforming into a petite humanoid female, the weight of this female black dragon still exceeded five hundred pounds. If Lancelot were still in the same condition as before he came to the Abyss, he probably couldn¡¯t have walked ten feet. Fortunately, he couldn¡¯t be considered human anymore, either. His strength might not compare with that of an adult giant dragon, but it had already approached that of a giant. He switched the half-dragon woman to his back, and with the aid of the Elf Priest¡¯s Divine Arts, he managed to jog up the smooth, icy staircase, rushing into the tunnel entrance they came from, where the rest of his companions were already waiting. The three half-dragon women who had transformed from female dragons were also there, looking at Lancelot, who had carried the black dragon back, with complicated gazes. In the eyes of the colorful dragons, such behavior from a human knight was both foolish and laughable. Not only had he not asked what kind of reward there would be for this act in advance, but he also lacked the capacity to ensure that the rescued party would pay a reward afterward. It was something only a super fool would do. However, they couldn¡¯t deny that had it not been for the human knight¡¯s ¡°foolish¡± act, their bodies might now be riddled with ice spikes that fell from the top of the nest. Of course, during the long years of imprisonment, the White Dragon had hurt them with things much worse than ice spikes, but those had not been lethal. After rushing into the tunnel entrance, Lancelot felt the half-dragon on his back move slightly. His expression relaxed, about to set her down, when suddenly a sharp pain shot through his neck. The Protective Sword Shield automatically activated, and the half-dragon woman on his back was immediately thrown off. Lancelot spun around swiftly, with Frostslash somehow already in his hand, the tip of the sword pointing directly at the half-dragon¡¯s throat. His left hand, not holding the sword, gently brushed over his neck, feeling a row of clear bite marks, with faint traces of blood on his fingers. His companions also sprang into action at the same time. Bruto and Alamir stood by his side, shields in hand, Kalalin had a scroll in hand ready to launch, and the suddenly appearing Isabella stood behind the dragonkin, her dagger pressed against the back of the other party¡¯s head. ¡°Is this how you treat your lifesaver?¡± ... Lancelot watched the other party coldly. The black dragon¡¯s face, covered in scales, showed no emotion, but she slowly opened her hands in a gesture of compliance, her eyes showing a plea for mercy. ¡°I think this might be a misunderstanding,¡± spoke the blue half-dragon with a pleasant voice. ¡°Vinelika always bites any creature that comes near her; just now, she must have just regained consciousness and was not aware of the current situation.¡± ¡°Is she aware now?¡± Lancelot glared at the black dragon before him, ¡°Still planning to bite me?¡± The black dragon subconsciously nodded, then upon clearly hearing his second question, hurriedly shook her head from side to side, her urgent expression laid bare for all to see. ¡°A wise choice. I didn¡¯t go through all that trouble of rescuing you just to kill you myself,¡± Lancelot lowered the sword tip, ¡°So goodbye, ladies. Have a pleasant day. Kalalin, get us out of here.¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯re just leaving like this?¡± The half-dragon transformed from a Red Dragon spoke up, surprised, ¡°Svafnir is surely no match for my father; they will quickly determine the victor...¡± ¡°So Pakos really is your father, huh?¡± Lancelot raised an eyebrow, ¡°I believe he will surely win as well, and he won¡¯t need our help. You should ask him yourself if there¡¯s anything you want to know. Perhaps, we¡¯ll meet again in the future.¡± Behind him, Scholar had already summoned a bright blue Portal, and without hesitation, everyone filed through it. Lancelot, bringing up the rear, gave a bow to the four half-dragon women before leaping through. The Portal disappeared after he went through. ¡°What a strange fellow,¡± murmured the red female half-dragon, casually slapping her tail, ¡°Perhaps just a mercenary hired by my father with his money...¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Once again, the old Dwarf Barrend stood fully armed on top of the city wall. However, unlike yesterday¡¯s false alarm, today it seemed like the real deal. Since last night, various rumors had scampered through the city like mice, from confessions of captives in the barracks to reports brought back by mercenaries from outside, and even wizards claimed they had gleaned the truth from crystal balls and copper mirrors. Unfortunately, these messages were inconsistent; some said Volcano Fortress was all well with nothing amiss, some claimed ¡®Destruction Flame¡¯ Visuvius had fallen in battle, and others even declared that the Demons had taken complete control over the Plains of the Abyss, poised to attack the realms of various Abyssal Lords. The old Dwarf couldn¡¯t tell the true from the false, but since yesterday¡¯s emergency muster, the hundreds of forges in the Craftsmen¡¯s District, which seemed like they would never extinguish, had not been lit again, and the Committee had issued orders to check readiness and prepare for battle at any moment. Moved by some strange intuition, the old Dwarf decided to have breakfast an hour earlier than usual, and it turned out to be a wise decision. The Succubus Lord did not assign the Dwarf legions too daunting a task ¨C their job was still to guard the stretch of wall where the Craftsmen¡¯s District was located, some distance from the stone bridge crossing the Stygian River, bearing relatively less pressure in a siege battle. Chief Commissioner Adrick of the Craftsmen Committee, who also acted as the nominal Supreme Commander of the Dwarf legion, split everyone into two groups for shifts changing every two hours; and now, it was Barrend¡¯s third time ascending the wall. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), before he was due to be rotated out again, enemy figures appeared on the distant horizon. Compared to the always chaotic Demons, the Demon legions presented a kind of disciplined formation that was (to the Dwarves) pleasantly viewable. The Beard Demons, with purple skin and long-handled cleavers, marched in neat rows, resembling a giant centipede, while the larger, High-Rank Demons strutted proudly beside these Low-Level soldiers; overhead, Thorn Demons covered in spikes circled above them, visibly following some aerial formation. However, the most attention-grabbing was the Commander being escorting within the Demon Legion ¨C a Deep Infernal wielding a purple-red skin, entirely clad in black Armor. The sight of that figure alone sparked an uncontrollable Fear in the old Dwarf¡¯s heart, making him want to scream and run away, and the only thing that stopped him was not wanting to lose face in front of his companions. Clearly, the other Dwarves around him were also enduring through clenched teeth for the same reason. As the enemy drew ever closer, Barrend felt increasingly heavy-hearted. Thanks to the Demon¡¯s orderly formation, he could accurately estimate their numbers ¨C over three thousand, a terrifying figure. For the craftsmen, the military strength of Twin Bridges Town was no secret; two Serpent Demon Generals led two separate Demon Legions, with a total force barely over four thousand. But according to the widely accepted view in the Lower Planes, it would take a Tanari force with five times the numbers to barely match Bartez, indicating a vast gap in combat strength. Chapter 591 591 615 Insult ?Chapter 591: Chapter 615: Insult Chapter 591: Chapter 615: Insult Barrend was calculating the disparity in military strength between the two sides when he subconsciously ignored the legion he belonged to. Numbering close to two thousand, although there were also craftsmen of other races, ninety percent of the legion members were Dwarves. These long-term laborers who swung Blacksmith Hammers and Cross Pickaxes possessed extremely developed muscles, and their combat power, even though not on par with professional Adventurers, was more than sufficient to deal with inferior demons such as Coward Devils. Apart from the Dwarf legion, Twin Bridges Town also had a Guard force of about three hundred people. Although they usually did not stand out, their strength was not to be underestimated. About half of the Guards were Berserk Demons, Brezu Demons, and mercenaries who had signed service contracts with the Succubus Lord. The other half consisted of Arrow Demons, humanoid demons resembling humans without any fat and having four arms. They were excellent ranged attackers, holding strategic high points and watchtowers within the city. Furthermore, Twin Bridges Town had about two hundred mercenaries with ¡°resident rights¡± on standby at all times. These dangerous individuals who earned their livelihood by force in the Abyss, as a condition for the shelter provided by Twin Bridges Town, were obliged to assist when the town came under attack. In addition to these mercenaries obligated to fight, the town also had a large number of caravan guards, shop bodyguards, gang members, and even ordinary demonic residents available for hire; however, for some reason, Tijana did not issue a conscription order. Perhaps the Succubus Lord was confident in the existing forces, or perhaps she did not want to appear too desperate. ¡°Declare your name, approaching army!¡± As the Demon army advanced to within two thousand feet of the Stygian Riverbank, Tijana¡¯s voice, amplified by magic, reverberated through the sky. ¡°Halt your advance immediately, or it will be considered an act of hostility, and we will take necessary defensive measures!¡± ¡°This is the 66th Field Brigade of the First Group Army of Barto Hell. I am Commander Viscount Baboli.¡± The Demon Refinement signaled, and the Demon army halted its advance, but he himself continued walking forward. ¡°Who is speaking to me? Where is Tijana?¡± ¡°The one speaking to you is the Lord of Twin Bridges Town,¡± Tijana immediately responded. ¡°Do not come any closer, Bartez. Take that disgusting army of yours and vanish from my sight immediately!¡± ... ¡°Oh, that truly saddens me. I was looking forward to seeing the pearl of the Stygian Riverbank known in legends.¡± The Demon General continued advancing nonchalantly, while the army he had left behind started to deploy and assemble large siege engines quickly with the help of magic. ¡°Give up resistance, Succubus. Open your city gates just as you would open your legs for me.¡± ¡°Hehehe, if Asmodis himself were here, I might allow him to lick my feet,¡± Tijana retorted with a cold laugh. ¡°As for you? You are so ugly that I can¡¯t find the words to describe it¡ª you¡¯re less pleasant to look at than a maggot that just crawled out of the Stygian River.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make you change your mind, you bitch. You¡¯ll be cuffed in a special frame and taken back to Hell, and I will be richer than any king in the Mortal Realm because any lowly Bartez can have you for just a Gold Coin,¡± the Demon Refinement said with a cruel smile. ¡°But first, I¡¯ll start with your own territory. Listen well, you mercenaries hiding behind the walls! Once I capture this town, each of you can have your way with the lofty Succubus Lord for just one copper coin¡ªa true love discount exclusive to you!¡± The words of the Demon General were like sparks into a barrel of gunpowder, instantly igniting the fury of the defending forces. Needless to say, the demons under Tijana¡¯s command were angered; some, overcome with emotion, even wanted to jump off the city walls but were held back by other demons around them. The Dwarves, too, were uncontrollably furious. Although they often spoke ill of Tijana, they had long accepted the Succubus Lord as their king and protector. When the Demon Refinement insulted Tijana that way, their anger flared up like ignited oil. ¡°Demon, I swear I will make your life a living hell,¡± Tijana¡¯s voice rose again, imbued with such intense killing intent that it felt like a handful of crushed ice was stuffed down one¡¯s throat, calming even the most agitated of demons, ¡°Prepare for battle, my warriors, let us dye the Stygian River red with Bartez¡¯s blood!¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Just stepping out of the portal, Lancelot felt an inexplicable irritation, as if a nameless fire was burning inside him, giving him the urge to smash something to vent his anger. As a Foundation Establishment Cultivator with far superior divine sense than ordinary mortals, he immediately identified the source of this abnormality¡ªTijana. Clearly, the Succubus Lord was encountering something extremely infuriating, so much so that, even without their mental connection being activated, Lancelot could still feel her rage. Emotional fluctuations could be suppressed easily, but the sense of unease was not so easily dispelled. After successfully persuading Pakos to act yesterday, Lancelot had tried to contact Tijana, but some kind of energy storm had disrupted their mental connection, making his calls to the Succubus Lord disappear into the wind like a piece of paper, instantly vanishing without a trace. Lancelot tried again, but still received no response. This further heightened his unease. Fortunately, it was only one more step to achieving his goal for this journey, and he would soon be able to return to Twin Bridges Town. Then, he would find out what difficulties Tijana had encountered and provide assistance to the Succubus Lord. But for now, he needed to stay focused and ensure the task at hand was completed smoothly. Silently running the Ice Heart Technique, Lancelot cleared all distractions from his mind and regained his composure. Stepping out from the hiding spot equipped with the teleportation array, his companions were already waiting outside. They were currently in an extremely steep valley, surrounded by nothing but barren rock and snow. However, this place was not chosen at random; both Bruto¡¯s surveying and Lancelot¡¯s divination had confirmed this was the location they needed for their new plan. ¡°Are you ready? It will all be up to you in a moment,¡± Lancelot said to Kalalin, passing over the handkerchief leading to the demi-plane, as the Scholar held a remarkably large scroll, gesturing towards the neighboring valley. ¡°The magic in this scroll is too incredible, a portal that only allows metals, jewels, and magical items to pass, and it even reduces the casting difficulty to the Fourth Circle? It¡¯s truly a genius design. The witches are indeed masters of magic, I can learn so much from this...¡± Kalalin looked particularly excited, then became somewhat hesitant, ¡°But to make it truly effective, you must... I¡¯m not doubting your ability, but can that really be done?¡± Chapter 592 592 616 Dont Want to Lose ?Chapter 592: Chapter 616: Don¡¯t Want to Lose Chapter 592: Chapter 616: Don¡¯t Want to Lose It wasn¡¯t just Kalalin, the others also cast questioning glances at Lancelot. When he had previously announced his plan to his companions, everyone was frightened by his wild conception, and even though Lancelot had proven his abilities, they still couldn¡¯t believe that the scenario he painted could actually come true. ¡°Let¡¯s just give it a try, and if it doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll fight our way in, grabbing as much as we can,¡± Lancelot said with a shrug and a smile, ¡°See you later, friends, and be careful not to get swept away.¡± He took out the Transformation Ring and put it on, using the Succubus form¡¯s wings to fly upward. Above everyone¡¯s heads, through the misty white fog, the massive outline of the Glacial Fortress alternately appeared and disappeared. With a continuous supply of True Yuan from within his body, Lancelot¡¯s flying speed was as fast as a swift, and a few minutes later, he arrived below the Glacial Fortress. The platform that had once been occupied by an ancient White Dragon was the only entrance to the entire fortress and the same place he and his companions had been blocked before, but Lancelot was now flying along the back of the Glacial Fortress. From this angle, the Prince of Wrath¡¯s lair was just a massive chunk of ice wedged between the peaks, with no entrances, and thus no one noticed his approach. Lancelot quickly reached the top of the Glacial Fortress, with a panoramic view of the surroundings. At this position, he couldn¡¯t see the terrace at the entrance of the fortress, but he knew that there were many Frost Giant Mages constantly working there, using magic to ¡®fortify¡¯ the icy structure under their feet. This might sound ironic, but changing the environment is something only the Lords of the Realm could do, and now that Kostcheqi was gone, its lair was slowly melting. And what caused all this was the volcano that had recently appeared ahead. Speaking of which, if not for the sudden appearance of this volcano, Kostcheqi might have already lost its title as Abyssal Lord. Although Kalalin claimed it was a direct manifestation of the Abyss¡¯s will, scholars also admit there¡¯s another possibility: the emergence of the volcano was entirely accidental, a very reasonable accident. ... Convinced he was a Frost Giant, the Prince of Wrath imposed his will onto this realm, turning it into a polar environment suitable for Frost Giants to live in. Given that most realms in the Abyss are extremely hot, dry, and nearly burning, the original environment of the Iron Ice Plains was likely the same. However, Kostcheqi¡¯s prolonged absence had caused the suppression of the environment to weaken, and the Giant Demi-god¡¯s assault on the Glacial Fortress¡ªa symbol of the Abyssal Lord¡¯s rule in this realm¡ªlikely exacerbated the situation, leading to the volcano¡¯s sudden eruption. What the truth of the matter was, perhaps no one would ever know, but the volcano continued to spew black smoke, with hot magma inside lighting up the crater red. Mutated Demonic Giants still roamed around the volcano, and not far away, there were many Frost Giant camps, coveting the energy leaking from the volcano, energy that could make them even more powerful. And Lancelot was eyeing the same thing. The Succubus Knight released a cyan sword aura from his hand, carving out a flat space on top of the glacier, then he took a giant Array Plate out of the Dimensional Bag and laid it flat on the ground. The Array Plate was nearly nine feet in radius, twice as big as the one he had used to create the blizzard, engraved with mysterious runes and many bowl-sized recesses. After taking off the Transformation Ring, Lancelot walked to the central recess of the Array Plate and sat down, except this time he would play a different role than being the energy source for the array as he did last time. Opening the Dimensional Bag again, Lancelot took out a huge beast skin bag, his face involuntarily showing a pained expression. The bag contained the reward he had earned for rescuing Geogad¡ªthe entirety of one hundred Upper Grade Spirit Stones. To execute his crazy plan, he would have to use two-thirds of them all at once. To ensure the success, Lancelot really bled a fortune. He gently patted his pocket, and sixty-four radiant gemstones flew out from within, filling every slot on the Array Plate from inside to out. As the last Spirit Stone fell into place, the entire Array Plate hummed and began to float, revolving on its own under the pull of nature¡¯s Spiritual Energy. Lancelot took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and sensed the aura emanating from the volcano. He carefully adjusted the orientation of the Array Plate beneath him. Then, he began to operate a special Cultivation Technique, slowly dissipating his Cultivation. Although this wouldn¡¯t cause his Realm to fall, his strength would be substantially affected. As the True Yuan gradually left his body from every acupoint, his aura began a continuous decline from the Middle Rank minor accomplishment stage of Foundation Establishment, quickly descending to the Initial Rank major accomplishment stage, and still it continued to weaken. Naturally, Lancelot wasn¡¯t suffering from cultivation deviation; rather, it was a deliberate act on his part. The Cultivation Technique he was using was called Three Revolutions Heavy Yuan Technique, a method specifically meant to assist the Qingyuan Sword Technique and the Cauldron Immortal Technique. Its main function was to disperse Cultivation. However, the re-cultivated True Yuan after such dispersal would be much purer, and its power significantly enhanced, similar to the difference between Innate True Qi and ordinary True Qi during the Qi Refinement Realm. More importantly, the True Yuan re-solidified through this technique would gradually become more viscous, and after three rounds of dispersion and recultivation, the True Yuan would become close to a solid state. Core Formation involved compressing True Yuan into a Golden Core, and by cultivating the Three Revolutions Heavy Yuan Technique, one could greatly increase the success rate of forming a Golden Core by circumventing the bottlenecks associated with breaking through Realms. For Lancelot, who was extremely lacking in Spiritual Cultivation resources, cultivating the Three Revolutions Heavy Yuan Technique wasn¡¯t a matter of choice but a question of when. A decrease in strength after dispersal was inevitable, and he couldn¡¯t, like the Venerable Han, rely on the mysterious green liquid¡¯s special effects to hasten the maturity of Spiritual Medicines, allowing for the mass production of Elixirs for swift Cultivation recovery. Another viable method was to retreat like a regular Cultivator to a hidden corner and quietly cultivate for a hundred or so years before reemerging. But by doing so, everything he was familiar with would be completely altered. As the things he cared about slowly perished through repeated seclusions, his heart would harden until he became a nearly emotionless monster, concerned only with his own Cultivation. He had heard from Kalalin that some Archmages, in pursuit of the mysteries and power of Magic, would transform themselves into immortal Undead Liches, eventually gaining strength near that of Deities but permanently losing the various traits of being ¡®human,¡¯ turning into twisted, heartless Undead creatures. If he relied on seclusion to increase his Cultivation, he might end up in a similar state, which was something he did not desire. Lancelot did not want to lose the ability to love and be loved. He did not want to lose his knightly spirit. Chapter 593 593 617 Birth of the Flame Demon ?Chapter 593: Chapter 617 Birth of the Flame Demon Chapter 593: Chapter 617 Birth of the Flame Demon As True Yuan continuously poured out of his body, a whirlwind of Spiritual Energy appeared around Lancelot, while the Array beneath him transformed the whirlwind into a storm. A terrifying suction force extended outward from him as the center, pulled by the Array Plate, and went straight for the volcano in front of Glacial Fortress. The originally clear sky suddenly resounded with a thunderous boom as a red tornado rose from the volcanic crater. The tornado climbed higher and higher while simultaneously leaning over, eventually forming an arc high in the sky, pouring into the top of Glacial Fortress. Lancelot¡¯s idea was simple, from the moment the volcano had appeared, he sensed that it contained an extremely thick concentration of nature¡¯s spiritual energy. If he were to forcibly use that energy for Body Infusion, his cultivation might breakthrough to the high rank of Foundation Establishment directly. If he dispersed his power and then immediately used the Volcanic Aura for Body Infusion, he could rapidly recover his cultivation, and there was even hope to maintain it at the middle rank of Foundation Establishment. Thus, he devised a bolder plan¡ªusing the Array¡¯s assistance to ¡®extract¡¯ the Spiritual Energy from within the volcano and carry out the dispersion of power and Body Infusion directly on top of Glacial Fortress. He had done something similar on Shattered Mountain Range before, except that time he was merely extracting some moist air, but this time he was drawing a tremendous amount of Spiritual Energy, which required the consumption of sixty-four Upper Grade Spirit Stones. To speak truthfully, the Spiritual Energy contained in those sixty-four Upper Grade Spirit Stones was not a small amount either, but there are quite a few restrictions in extracting Spiritual Energy from spirit stones. If one wants to do it quickly, it will result in significant wastage, and if one wants to not waste, the process must be done slowly. The most suitable uses for spirit stones are still forming Arrays, refining Elixirs, and powering Magical Treasures, and Lancelot had previously used spirit stones for an emergency recuperation of True Qi and True Yuan after a great battle, which was actually quite a wasteful practice. To the Frost Giants and Demons surrounding Glacial Fortress, that bizarre Flame Tornado seemed to connect the Glacial Fortress with the volcano, and then a surging demonic qi emanated from the top of the fortress. It seemed as if a new Abyssal Lord was about to be born there. Most of the Demons fled in terror, while others trembled and knelt, submitting to the strong; the Frost Giants still loyal to Kostcheqi were somewhat confused: Was this some kind of mischief by their own lord, or had another contender for power arrived? Lancelot had paid such a great price to forcibly move the location of the Body Infusion to the top of Glacial Fortress, not because he wanted to cause a big sensation¡ªhe was dispersing his power, after all, and hiding wasn¡¯t even an option, let alone being high-profile. He did this for a simple reason: Spiritual Energy Body Infusion is also a very wasteful behavior, akin to placing a small bucket under a waterfall. The bucket would be filled almost immediately, swelling slightly in the process, and the excess Spiritual Energy would naturally ¡®overflow¡¯ into the surrounding world. But in fact, that was his main objective. ... The nature¡¯s spiritual energy drawn from the volcano was already incredibly hot, and he intended to use the ¡®wasted¡¯ Volcanic Aura during Body Infusion to melt the Glacial Fortress beneath his feet! The Flame Tornado became thicker and thicker, and viewed from a distance, it seemed as if another volcano had been upturned upon the palace of the Prince of Wrath, while the ice-built fortress, like a gemstone, refracted blinding red light all around, like a sunset in the evening. The icy structure began to melt almost immediately, and the runoff water flowed down the edges of the fortress, eventually pooling into a rapidly growing waterfall at the base. Hordes of Frost Giants and blood-mired beasts frantically fled the fortress¡¯s exits, as if something extremely dangerous was pursuing them. The reason soon became clear; under that searing red light, their flesh began to bubble and writhe as if boiling, swelling violently with huge pustules, which then burst, sprouting a myriad of bizarre appendages¡ªtentacles on their heads, eyes covering their arms, a second large mouth on their abdomen... As long as the creatures remained enveloped in the red light, the Mutation would not stop, and it would accelerate progressively. Only a few lucky ones managed to escape in time, but many more were tripped by their newly sprouted limbs, tumbling to the ground and becoming a rolling mass of flesh. As the instigator of it all, Lancelot himself was also in immense pain. The spiritual energy drawn from the volcano had to first be ¡°infused¡± into his body, then ¡°siphoned¡± off to the Glacial Fortress below the Array Plate. Even with the Cauldron Immortal Technique refining the energy that infused his body, the chaotic power contained within the Abyssal Spiritual Qi was still craving to change his physique. His skin felt as though it was being tugged by ten thousand fish hooks, while his body was pierced by a thousand freshly drawn swords from the forge, their surfaces still incandescent; the rampant spiritual energy charged through his meridians like a herd of wild bulls with their tails on fire. The accumulated agony converged like a tsunami, assaulting Lancelot¡¯s Divine Sense, seeking to drag him into the dark, chaotic, illogical depths of the sea. In this test of will, no cultivation technique offered any help, Lancelot was relying solely on his own thoughts to resist, and what supported him to persevere was a piece of advice left by Han Tiansheng in the small bamboo slip: In any contest of wills, as long as the cultivator himself does not give up, the Divine Sense will never collapse. Gradually, the pain radiating from the body began to lessen, or perhaps Lancelot had become numb to it; he could even afford to divert his attention to monitor the operation of the cultivation technique. He did not intend to check, but on doing so, he discovered that the chaotic energy within his body had accumulated to a very dangerous level. If he did not guide it properly, he feared he would indeed become some kind of monster. As if sensing his thoughts, a force that Lancelot had been suppressing within his body surged out, offering him a way to ¡°sculpt¡± the chaotic energy. Lancelot immediately realized that this was the best solution to the crisis before him, and as his thoughts shifted, his body began to transform accordingly. His stature started to swell continuously, his skin turning red, the muscles all over his body inflating like balloons to an astonishing degree; two large bloody holes appeared on his back, from which a pair of massive bat wings stretched out, fully extending in mid-air. At the same time, his temples began to bulge outwards, sprouting a pair of thick, sharp, forward-curved antlers. Finally, Lancelot opened his mouth and let out a roar filled with primordial wildness. Countless flames burst forth from his mouth, converging into a whip made entirely of flame, which he naturally grasped in his hand. Everyone in the Abyss knew what that was, and the creatures lucky enough not to be touched by the red light, which were at a safe distance, trembled and knelt down, showing respect and submission to the king among demons. Before the eyes of all, a Barlow Flame Demon was born. Beneath it, the symbol of Kostcheqi¡¯s dominion over this realm, the Glacial Fortress, was thoroughly melted. The water from the melting pooled together, forming a torrential flood that swept away Kostcheqi¡¯s plundered treasures from countless centuries, racing towards the depths of the valley below. The route was exactly as previously surveyed by Liner and the others. Chapter 594 594 618 Hard to Maintain ?Chapter 594: Chapter 618 Hard to Maintain Chapter 594: Chapter 618 Hard to Maintain ¡°Hey! Guys, look, big brother seems to really have done it!¡± The commotion Lancelot caused was simply too great, and without the need for the Dwarf¡¯s excited clamor, everyone had already noticed the situation above. The sky seemed to suddenly have a new sun, and under its illumination, the Glacial Fortress rapidly melted away. When the first trickle of water flowed down the mountain valley, Kalalin, as if struck by lightning, jumped up and furiously tossed the handkerchief the Human Knight had given him onto the ground. ¡°Help me unfold it!¡± the Scholar yelled to his companions, ¡°Hurry, we¡¯re running out of time!¡± Upon hearing this, his companions immediately pounced forward, each grabbing a corner of the handkerchief, revealing the Dimensional Hole leading to the demi-plane in the middle, while Kalalin ¡®covered¡¯ the Dimensional Hole with the scroll he had been studying all this time, and then immediately began casting the spell. His gaze swiftly swept over the Arcane Runes on the scroll, activating them in the correct order, feeling the invisible Magic Net around him being ¡®woven¡¯ into a special shape, just one piece short of completion... The Scholar looked up towards the side valley, where the upstream flow was steadily increasing, with objects being swept along in the current beginning to appear. He knew the time was ripe, and decisively recited the final Spell on the scroll, summoning a massive Portal. The torrential flood rushed through the Portal without any apparent effect, but Kalalin, maintaining his focused casting, could clearly feel that many things were transported by his spell into Tijana¡¯s demi-plane. After all, this was a spell that only affected metals, gemstones, and magical items. High in the sky, Lancelot¡¯s discharging and Body Infusion had also reached their final stages. After transforming into a Barlow Flame Demon, that scorching Volcanic Aura could no longer cause him any pain; instead, it felt as soothing as warm bathwater. However, his heart was overwhelmed by an indescribable sensation of pain, rage, fear, urging him to cry, scream, destroy, and massacre, as if only by bringing the same pain to others could he free himself from this unspeakable torment. ... Luckily, Lancelot wasn¡¯t really a Demon, or rather, not just a Demon. The mental method of the Ice Heart Technique operated on its own, suppressing and cutting off all delusional thoughts, allowing him to focus his attention on running the Cauldron Immortal Technique and the Three Revolutions Heavy Yuan Technique, continuously absorbing, refining, compressing the Spiritual Energy drawn from the volcano and ultimately transforming it into his own cultivation. The whole process did not last very long, lasting about a quarter of an hour, after which the Spiritual Energy of the volcano had been drained, and the Glacial Fortress below had long disappeared. Lancelot flapped his wings, slightly rising a few feet, feeling so natural thanks to the experience gained from transforming into a Succubus, he mastered the flight techniques in the Flame Demon Form without any need for adaptation. But then his face suddenly changed, and he immediately landed back on the Array Plate, spewing out a large burst of Flame, completely concealing his figure. The reason was simple, without the supply of Spiritual Energy from the volcano, maintaining the Flame Demon Form was quickly depleting his own True Yuan. Just for the few moments he hovered in the air, his True Yuan was reduced by twenty percent, scaring Lancelot into quickly reverting to his original form. He then swiftly stowed the Array Plate into his Dimensional Bag and, under the cover of light and shadow, rapidly plummeted toward the ground. To the distant onlookers, when the firelight dissipated, the figure of the newly risen Barlow Flame Demon vanished along with it. No one noticed that, in the shadows of the valley below, a Succubus was skimming low and fast, flying along the flood formed by the melting of the Glacial Fortress. A moment later, Lancelot, back in his Human Knight form, had already joined his companions, and on everyone¡¯s faces was a near-foolish grin. Seeing everyone¡¯s expressions, Lancelot knew that his plan had worked. He looked around and suddenly realized a particular figure was missing. ¡°Where¡¯s Bruto?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, ¡°Where did that lad run off to?¡± ¡°He¡¯s inside,¡± Alamir pointed to the handkerchief on the ground, ¡°he said he needed to check if Dain Frostbeard¡¯s armor was caught up in it.¡± ¡°Oh, to check...¡± Lancelot scratched his head, ¡°but can one of you hurry him along? We need to leave as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go!¡± Old Reap stood up with a smile, ¡°I love dealing with money...¡± ¡°Count it slowly when we get back, tell Bruto to come out quickly once he finds that armor,¡± Lancelot cast his gaze towards the nearby valley, where the once turbulent stream had now completely disappeared, ¡°We need to set off right away.¡± ¡°Lancelot, why the rush?¡± Alamir asked curiously as he watched the werewolf¡¯s figure also disappear into the Dimensional Hole, ¡°This plane should no longer pose any major threats, right?¡± ¡°After all, we are... of course, we need to leave the scene quickly,¡± Lancelot said, scratching his head awkwardly before his expression turned serious, ¡°There¡¯s another reason. Since yesterday, I haven¡¯t been able to establish a mental connection with Tijana.¡± ¡°Yes, losing contact with a loved one can indeed be very distressing,¡± the elf showed a look of understanding, ¡°but it¡¯s precisely the pain of separation that makes reunion so sweet...¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about,¡± Lancelot glared at Priest Shuni with irritation, ¡°when we set off, we encountered the Demon¡¯s navy on the Stygian River, and a few days ago when I contacted Tijana, she mentioned that the situation at the front was somewhat ominous, with all the production capacity of the blacksmith area being used to produce weapons for the Volcano Fortress...¡± ¡°Are you worried that the flames of war might have already reached Twin Bridges Town?¡± Kalalin¡¯s face changed upon hearing this, ¡°If the Demons¡¯ legions are nearing Twin Bridges Town, then it would explain the disruption in mental connection... But how could such a thing happen? Unless the Volcano Fortress has fallen, the Demons couldn¡¯t possibly attack Twin Bridges Town. They would expose their rear to Visuvius¡¯s legions...¡± ¡°Yes, unless the Volcano Fortress has fallen,¡± Lancelot rubbed his temples, ¡°I have some bad premonitions.¡± As he spoke, the figure of the werewolf emerged from the Dimensional Hole on the ground, but he said nothing, just stared at the Human Knight with a strange expression and shook his head slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lancelot touched his nose subconsciously, ¡°Where¡¯s Bruto?¡± ¡°I always thought that no one was worthy of our Succubus Lord, that such a person couldn¡¯t possibly exist...¡± Old Reap sighed heavily, ¡°Now I know I was wrong.¡± Chapter 595 595 619 Farewell Gift ?Chapter 595: Chapter 619: Farewell Gift Chapter 595: Chapter 619: Farewell Gift As soon as the Werewolf¡¯s words had fallen, the Dwarf also emerged from the Dimensional Hole. Bruto¡¯s expression was incredibly excited, his hands cradling an ancient-looking piece of Armor crafted from platinum materials; Lancelot immediately recognized it as the Armor they had seen in the Illusions. ¡°By Moradin above, this Relic has finally returned to the hands of the descendants of the Frostforge Clan!¡± Bruto announced, his voice choking up with emotion, ¡°Thank you, thank you, everyone! Thank you, each one of you! Especially big brother, I really, woooo...¡± The Dwarf embraced Lancelot in a bear hug, disregarding his image and cried out loudly. Lancelot, somewhat helpless, smiled at his companions and gently patted Bruto on the back, whispering words of comfort, which gradually calmed the latter down. ¡°Hehe, sorry to have made a spectacle,¡± Bruto said, a bit embarrassed as he rubbed his eyes, ¡°You probably can¡¯t understand the significance to us Dwarves of recovering an ancestral Relic...¡± ¡°To make you rock-like fellows shed tears, it must be truly significant,¡± Alamir said with a teasing smile, ¡°If we find a few more Dwarf Relics, maybe you¡¯ll start writing poetry...¡± ¡°We certainly have feelings, we just don¡¯t like to express them as much as you Elves do!¡± Bruto retorted loudly, but then his thoughts shifted to something else, and he turned to Lancelot with a mischievous smile on his face, ¡°Big brother, we really did... hit the jackpot this time.¡± ¡°How much exactly?¡± Lancelot was a bit unnerved by the Dwarf¡¯s look, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, one third is Tijana¡¯s, and the rest we split...¡± ... ¡°I don¡¯t know, I can¡¯t count it all,¡± Bruto said, spreading his hands, ¡°Even if we only take one third, we could retire immediately once we get back. As a Dwarf, I never thought I¡¯d say this, but I¡¯m really scared of how much is there. You¡¯ll understand what I mean when you see it for yourself.¡± ¡°But our purpose for adventuring wasn¡¯t for wealth...¡± Lancelot didn¡¯t finish his sentence. To the others, the Human Knight¡¯s figure suddenly blurred, and in the next moment, the handkerchief that had been lying on the ground appeared in his hands. At the same time, everyone heard the sonic boom characteristic of dragon wings flapping, and five figures¡ªone large and four small¡ªappeared in the distant sky. After circling for a while, they quickly flew toward Lancelot¡¯s location. ¡°Uh, are they...¡± Bruto swallowed hard, ¡°Big brother, should we... skedaddle?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rush? With such a massive Glacial Fortress disappearing, they won¡¯t make a move until they figure out how we managed it,¡± Lancelot said, though he still held the Emblem that could take him back to Twin Bridges Town tightly in his hand, ¡°And Svafnir¡¯s savings should surely satisfy that Red Dragon, right?¡± Half a minute later, five Giant Dragons landed one after another beside them. A flash of Transformation Magic¡¯s light twinkled, and the Halfling Pakos reappeared before them, along with four other female Half-Dragon People. ¡°Oh my, Sir Lancelot, you aren¡¯t already eager to leave, are you?¡± Pakos said with what appeared to be a sincere smile, ¡°Our cooperation this time has been really enjoyable. Oh oh oh, what is that? Armor forged from platinum? It does look very pretty...¡± ¡°This is a relic of Dain Frostbeard, a Platinum Guard of Moradin who went missing in the Abyss years ago,¡± Lancelot said cautiously, nodding politely to the Halfling. ¡°If you find any more relics related to him, please be sure to contact us. You must know the extraordinary significance such items hold for Dwarves, and I assure you, I can offer you a price you won¡¯t be able to refuse.¡± ¡°I hope the ¡®unrefusable¡¯ you¡¯re speaking of means the amount of gold and gemstones, not...¡± Pakos waved his hand upward, ¡°It¡¯s said that the Prince of Wrath erupts over trifling matters, so how would he react to such a serious issue? He wouldn¡¯t just die from anger... Poor fellow, all this over a Dwarf relic...¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s keep it a secret from him forever,¡± Lancelot replied with a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes, ¡°It¡¯s better for both of us, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the capabilities of the Abyssal Lord; they¡¯ll unearth the truth sooner or later, but the process might be a long one. With any luck, you¡¯ll have died by then, with your souls resting comfortably in a realm of Divine Power, waiting for the doomsday to come,¡± Pakos shrugged, ¡°But... if you ever need a place to lay low, you¡¯re welcome to have a drink or two at the Tears of Lazzaka.¡± Lancelot paused, then broke into a sincere smile and nodded faintly, saying: ¡°Alright, thank you very much.¡± ¡°Why that look? I didn¡¯t say it was on the house.¡± The Halfling grimaced disgustingly and pulled a pouch from his waist, tossing it to Lancelot, ¡°Here, take it. That¡¯s your share of the spoils, along with a little gift from me.¡± ¡°Our spoils?¡± Lancelot was surprised as he caught the pouch, ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do this; we agreed that everything in Svafnir¡¯s Lair was yours...¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t include itself.¡± Taken aback, Lancelot¡¯s Divine Sense reached into the bag, and his expression immediately changed. The Dimensional Bag itself was extraordinary, its space more than ten times larger than the one he had retrieved from the Succubus¡¯s corpse. Inside were not one but two White Dragon corpses, large and small. It wasn¡¯t ordinary loot. Even though Pakos was reluctant to admit it, White Dragons were a type of True Dragon, with their entire bodies made of precious materials¡ªDragon Scales for Armor, sinews for bowstrings, bones and claws for weapon crafting, and even the mere heads were treasures worth a fortune as decorative pieces. ¡°Is this... for me?¡± Lancelot asked hesitantly, looking at the Halfling. ¡°After all, they are... Yours...¡± ¡°Yes, but it would be too awkward for me to sell them myself, so I¡¯m giving them to you,¡± the Halfling frowned, expressing his disgust, ¡°Although you have also obtained what you wanted, I still need to express my gratitude. After all, without you, who knows how much more Bixiniya would have suffered... I presume you¡¯ve already met, right?¡± ¡°This is indeed a very valuable gift,¡± Lancelot nodded and then bowed politely to the Half-Dragon People behind the Halfling, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Bixiniya, and the other ladies as well, things were too rushed before...¡± ¡°No worries, Sir Lancelot, we have time now, don¡¯t we?¡± The Half-Dragon named Bixiniya flashed a somewhat intimidating smile and gestured towards the other female Half-Dragons, ¡°They¡¯ve decided to go with you, so allow me to introduce them...¡± Chapter 596 596 620 Introduction ?Chapter 596: Chapter 620 Introduction Chapter 596: Chapter 620 Introduction ¡°What?¡± A cry of surprise rang out, but it did not come from Lancelot; rather, it was the Elf Priest Alamir, ¡°Are you all going to... come with us?¡± ¡°¡®The Immortal¡¯ Pakos said you were a group of mercenaries, based in a neutral town on the first level of the Abyss,¡± the unicorne Blue Dragon Half-Dragon person said with a slight smile, quite unlike the Red Dragon, her smile seemed very elegant, ¡°Is that so, Mr. Elf?¡± ¡°Absolutely correct, beautiful lady.¡± Alamir performed an exaggerated bow, ¡°My name is Alamir, might I be fortunate enough to know your lovely name?¡± ¡°This guy, does he have some special fascination with dragons or something?¡± Bruto gently nudged Kalalin beside him, ¡°When he was doing that lengthy discourse on dragon physiology for us earlier, he really went on and on...¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re suspecting,¡± Kalalin nodded subtly, ¡°and I agree with your point.¡± ¡°Let me do the introductions,¡± the daughter of the Halfling took over the conversation, ¡°This Blue Dragon¡¯s name is Tajianna, don¡¯t be fooled by her politeness and demeanor, as they are merely tools to maintain her sense of superiority. You could try insulting her and questioning her abilities, I assure you her hysterical reaction will definitely leave a deep impression on you...¡± ¡°Good day, Mr. Alamir,¡± the Blue Dragon completely ignored the comments about herself, ¡°Pleased to meet you.¡± ¡°Oh ho ho, true to the nature of a Blue Dragon, always maintaining that aloof image...¡± Bixiniya wore a wicked smile on her face, then pointed to another Half-Dragon person, ¡°And this one here is the Green Dragon, Iserli, a deceitful, manipulative witch by nature. Had you come any later, she would have sure conned those Fencer Trolls into releasing her...¡± ... ¡°Thanks for the compliment.¡± The Green Dragon Half-Dragon person spoke icily, ¡°The little princess has a dad now; how divine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just introducing Sir Lancelot here, he seems like a good man, it wouldn¡¯t do for him to be deceived by you all.¡± It appeared that all dragons had a strong immunity to sarcasm, as Bixiniya pointed to the furthest standing Black Dragon Half-Dragon person, ¡°Vinelika, who was just a small, dim little thing when she was captured. Of course, by our standard, she is still just a juvenile. She¡¯s the most abused among us, leading to her temperament being... well, perhaps it¡¯s just typical Black Dragon behavior, I suppose you¡¯ve experienced it firsthand...¡± ¡°Ladies, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you all, and please allow me to introduce my companions...¡± Lancelot politely bowed and introduced his companions to the female dragons. After exchanging some superficial pleasantries, the Human Knight¡¯s expression became serious and he began, ¡°Miss Tajianna, I¡¯d like to know...¡± ¡°Just call me Taji, Sir,¡± ¡°As you wish, lady, but why would you want to come with us?¡± Lancelot asked seriously, ¡°Pardon my frankness, but it seems hardly a favorable choice. Perhaps you are not aware yet, but Bartez has already penetrated the Abyss, and the fires of the blood war are raging on the Plains of the Abyss...¡± ¡°Because we also need job opportunities that could earn us money, and the freedom to choose our tasks offered by a mercenary job suits us well,¡± the Blue Dragon replied in an elegant tone, ¡°We had originally hoped to go to Mogrondale, but Lord Pakos doesn¡¯t seem to welcome us...¡± ¡°That¡¯s my territory, one dragon is already enough,¡± the Halfling shrugged nonchalantly, ¡°Of course, my own daughter doesn¡¯t count, but once the opportunity arises, Bixiniya will also have to leave.¡± ¡°... As for the blood war, that¡¯s even less of a problem. Where there¡¯s war, combat power can fetch a good price. In fact, I¡¯ve had such experience before, and did quite well at it. Both Bartez and Tanari were very willing to pay a high price for my services, until...¡± Taji paused, while Bruto bluntly took over: ¡°Until you got caught by Svafnir?¡± ¡°The process is more complicated than that, but the outcome is indeed as you say,¡± the Blue Dragon lifted her chin, ¡°so what¡¯s your opinion, Sir Lancelot? Are you willing to take us to what-you-call Twin Bridges Town?¡± ¡°Taking you there is no problem, but whether I¡¯m willing to accept you depends on our Succubus Lord,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°but I must make it clear beforehand, Tijana, the Lord of Twin Bridges Town, and I have a... special relationship. I will not hide your true identities from her, nor will I permit you to harm any innocent people in that city.¡± ¡°The Succubus Lord?¡± ¡°Innocent people?¡± The Green Dragon and the Blue Dragon spoke simultaneously, the information from the human knight evidently surprising them. ¡°Yes,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°the pearl of the Stygian Riverbank, the renowned Succubus Lord Tijana, you might have heard of her?¡± ¡°I seem to recall something...¡± Iserli appeared to remember something, ¡°The Twin Bridges Town you mentioned, isn¡¯t it famous for exporting weapons? With a huge blacksmith district, and haven¡¯t they sheltered many runaway dwarf slaves?¡± ¡°Anyone who sets foot inside the walls of Twin Bridges Town is no longer a slave,¡± Lancelot gave a warning glance to the Green Half-Dragon People, then his gaze met that of the remaining two Half-Dragon People, ¡°Have I made myself clear enough?¡± ¡°Very clear,¡± Taji nodded elegantly, ¡°Perhaps there will be a chance for us to fight side by side in the future, Sir.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m afraid such an opportunity might arise very soon,¡± Lancelot raised an eyebrow, ¡°What kind of price would it take to hire you to fight against a Demon¡¯s army?¡± ¡°What a wonderful start,¡± the Blue Dragon revealed an elegant smile again, ¡°For your sake, Sir, our price for joining one battle is... ten thousand Gold Coins per person.¡± ¡°A very generous price,¡± the Halfling added from the side, ¡°for youngsters of their age.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take five thousand,¡± the petite Black Dragon, Vinelika, suddenly spoke up, her eyes fixed on the human knight, ¡°but it must be pure Gold Coins, the ones that weigh fifty to a pound, and payment upfront.¡± ¡°Vinelika!¡± the Blue Dragon¡¯s displeased voice rose, ¡°Don¡¯t bring down our price!¡± ¡°I just bit him, it¡¯s compensation for him,¡± the Black Dragon retorted stubbornly, but added, ¡°Only this time!¡± ¡°Getting bitten didn¡¯t lose me a piece of flesh, and to save five thousand Gold Coins, it¡¯s quite a bargain,¡± Lancelot grinned, nodding and displaying the Emblem of Twin Bridges Town, ¡°If there are no other questions, let¡¯s depart now. Goodbye, Mr. Pakos, and have a wonderful day.¡± ¡°Good luck to you too, Sir Lancelot,¡± the Halfling sighed softly, ¡°You need it more than I do.¡± Chapter 597 597 621 Scene of the Bloody Battle ?Chapter 597: Chapter 621: Scene of the Bloody Battle Chapter 597: Chapter 621: Scene of the Bloody Battle It turned out that the emblem Tijana had given could teleport up to eight people at a time, and now, with five companions plus three dragons, there were exactly eight. Under Lancelot¡¯s guidance, they stood shoulder to shoulder, and he softly called Tijana¡¯s name to activate the spell stored within the emblem. The companions were already very familiar with this type of teleportation, and everything happened just like the previous times: the sudden sensation of weightlessness, the surrounding scenery bursting like bubbles, the dizziness caused by the lack of points of reference... and the collision before reaching the destination. Only this time, instead of hitting a hard wall of ice, it felt like jumping into water from a great height. Gravity reappeared, changing direction several times in an instant, making the experience quite uncomfortable. When everything settled down, Lancelot found that instead of appearing inside Tijana¡¯s castle, they were on a small hillock outside Twin Bridges Town. The teleportation had clearly gone awry again, and there was no need for anyone to ask why¡ªthe answer was as obvious as the beard on a Dwarf¡¯s face. In front of them, a siege was unfolding. Anyone¡¯s first impression of a blood battle would be the same: fire, the unending blaze enveloping every corner of the battlefield. As Kalalin once described, although Demons were highly resistant to flames, Demons could be immune to the injuries caused by high temperatures¡ªthey walked through the flames unaffected, while Demons had to grimace and dodge. Despite the Stygian River being very wide, the sandbanks where Twin Bridges Town was located occupied most of the riverbed, with edges no more than three hundred feet from the riverbank. Now, the river¡¯s surface was covered with floating bridges made of bones. Countless Beard Demons wielding long-handled cleavers, shouldering giant ladders, marched in neat rows across the floating bridges, launching an assault on the town walls of Twin Bridges Town. Waiting on the walls was a dense defending force, consisting not of expendable units like Prime Demons or Coward Devils, but elite ones like Berserk Demons and Brezu Demons. Their individual strength overwhelmingly crushed that of common foot soldiers like Beard Demons, yet through clever coordination the Demons exhibited tremendous combat effectiveness. Despite the severe disadvantage, they fought the defenders to a standstill. ... Several new towers, not present in everyone¡¯s memory, had also appeared in the town, from which a dense rain of arrows showered down, pouring death upon the attackers¡¯ heads. Along with the arrow volleys, a large number of Coward Devils, these low-strength expendable Demons, were being thrown down as projectiles, creating brief chaos within the neat rows of the Demons. The fight was also taking place in the skies, where dozens of large Horned Demons circled, waiting to drop fire upon the defenders¡¯ heads; the Demons¡¯ side sent numerous Flomos to stop them, only to be firmly tied down by more numerous Thorn Demons. Behind the Demons¡¯ lines, several massive war machines roared as they launched huge fireballs, which traced slow arcs across the sky with long tails of flame. Upon landing, these fireballs caused tremendous destruction, with no more than two needed to destroy a tower or collapse a section of the wall. Thanks to his keen vision, Lancelot immediately noticed the section of the wall defended by the Dwarves, and to his surprise, the Dwarves were fighting exceptionally well. They quickly destroyed the Demons¡¯ ladders and grappling hooks, greeted the Beard Demons who climbed onto the ramparts with shields, Warhammers, Throwing Axes, and dense formations, ensuring the enemies gained no foothold; and in the rear, a large number of reserves were ready to extinguish any flames caused by the Demons or replace comrades who could no longer fight due to their injuries. Unlike Demons, most Dwarves did not crave battle. They were natural producers who preferred professions like miners, Blacksmiths, and craftsmen, but Moradin had breathed courage into their souls along with the ores, jewels, and flames when he created their race. All Dwarves felt a strong sense of belonging to their homes and community. When comrades fell injured beside them, or Fireballs from the sky destroyed the buildings in the Craftsmen¡¯s District, their valor and rage were fully ignited, unleashing a staggering combat power from the whole group. However, the most striking scene was Tijana fighting atop the city gates. The Succubus Lord wore a full suit of Mithril Plate Armor and brandished a silver Long Whip, which Lancelot was pleased to see; it was the Whip he had helped forge, though this time Tijana had donned a special glove. Seven maids, clad in Red Dragon Scale Armor and armed with Longswords and Shields, fought alongside the Succubus Lord. The maids were all familiar faces to Lancelot, with a few having even sparred with him on the training ground. At that time, their strength was inferior to Lancelot¡¯s, but now they exhibited the ability to single-handedly fight a Horned Demon and gain the upper hand, something Lancelot himself wouldn¡¯t have excelled in. The only reasonable explanation was, naturally, Tijana. As a Magician, she could greatly enhance the maids¡¯ combat capabilities with her supernatural abilities. Moreover, the maids cooperated as seamlessly as fingers on a palm, likely aided by some magic that linked their consciousnesses together. Tijana¡¯s opponent was a massive Demon Refinement, twice the height of the Succubus Lord, clad in a set of black Heavy Armor that seemed to deflect magic, and swinging a gigantic Nail-headed Hammer with one hand. Its other hand was empty, ready to cast spells anytime, or deliver an unexpected claw strike. The Demon Refinement might have thought that its armor could easily suppress Tijana, a high-ranking Spellcaster, but Tijana gave General Bartez a good lesson with her formidable close combat skills. She faced the strongest high-ranking Demon without fear, and her Cold Iron Whip struck the Demon Refinement off balance every time, while its counterattacks were either blocked by sudden magical Shields or diverted by a strange force, never hitting the seemingly light and nimble Succubus Lord. But Lancelot knew very well, Tijana¡¯s durability could rival that of a mature Red Dragon; any frail appearance was purely deceptive. In frequent ¡®sparring¡¯ with Tijana, he once suspected that the Succubus Lord¡¯s main profession was some kind of melee class and that she had ¡®awakened¡¯ her Spellcasting abilities later, just like he had. If the Demon General thought that a solid hit could end the battle, the reality would greatly disappoint it. Moreover, as one of the wealthiest Demon Lords on the Plains of the Abyss, Tijana was not stingy like her peers and never skimped on equipment. There wasn¡¯t a single piece of ordinary quality on her; even the worst gear was above rare grade. In fact, the Demon Refinement was fighting against millennia of accumulated profits from Twin Bridges Town, a disparity so vast it was unimaginable to the Demon¡ªit earned an annual salary and bribes totaling about three hundred thousand Gold Coins as Legion Commander, not even a fraction of Twin Bridges Town¡¯s revenue. Chapter 598 598 622 On-site Commissioning ?Chapter 598: Chapter 622: On-site Commissioning Chapter 598: Chapter 622: On-site Commissioning ¡°Big Brother, what shall we do?¡± Bruto asked anxiously, ¡°My father is most likely fighting up there!¡± Lancelot could very well understand how Bruto felt, but he did not immediately respond and instead furrowed his brow, observing the battlefield before him. Having been in the Abyss for so long, he had learned to first assess the strength comparison between the top-tier forces before judging the direction of the battle. Specifically for the current situation, he had a fair amount of confidence in Tijana¡¯s strength, certain that the Succubus Lord would at least not be defeated. Since it was difficult for the top forces to determine a victor in the short term, the outcome of the battle would depend on the clashes between the common soldiers. He did not fully understand the situation in the sky, but it seemed to be in a deadlock overall, while two-thirds of the Demon army was still on the other side of the riverbank. They formed orderly lines, stepping onto the pontoon bridge in discipline and emotionlessly flinging themselves into the battlefield ahead, which resembled a meat grinder. Honestly, that sight made Lancelot feel very uneasy. If the opposing force were a regular human army, they might have collapsed from the sheer intimidation before the fight even began. However, atop the city walls of Twin Bridges Town were Demons, incarnations of madness, evil, violence, and brutality from the Multiverse. Facing the attack of the Demons, they fought fiercely, with both sides engaged in a bloodied mutual consumption. Lancelot soon concluded that, despite massive casualties to come, the defenders were more likely to come out on top in the end¡ªprovided that the morale of the Demons and Dwarves did not collapse before victory arrived, though he wasn¡¯t too sure about this. Apart from the battle between the Succubus Lord and the Demon Refinement General, there was another significant uncertainty on the battlefield¡ªthe several gigantic war machines located behind the Demon lines. Even though they fired very slowly and were not very accurate, their destructive power was frightening. If one were to land on the crowded city walls filled with defenders, it could cause massive casualties and destroy the walls below. Just a few more precise hits, and the scales of victory might be tipped. ¡°Ladies Tajianna, Iserli, and Miss Vinelika,¡± Lancelot turned and spoke to the three Half-Dragon People in the group, ¡°As I feared, your first job opportunity has arrived.¡± ... ¡°Is that Succubus Tijana?¡± Blue Dragon pointed towards the battlements, ¡°We need to draw our pay in advance, but she seems a bit busy right now...¡± ¡°I can pay half upfront,¡± Lancelot immediately answered, ¡°I give you my word of honor that I will pay the remaining amount as soon as the battle is over.¡± ¡°In the Abyss, honor cannot be used as guarantee for anything, and the woman you love, along with her territory, is under attack,¡± Blue Dragon Tajianna reminded him, her tone light, ¡°We¡¯re being nice not hiking up the price on the spot, and you¡¯re not willing to pay the full amount?¡± Lancelot reached into his Dimensional Bag at his waist. After rummaging for a while, he produced a handful of beautiful gemstones¡ªfive round opals, each worth a thousand Gold Coins; five square-cut emeralds, also valued at a thousand Gold Coins each; plus one Black Sapphire that sparkled brightly and alone was worth five thousand Gold Coins. The eyes of the three Half-Dragon People changed on the spot, nearly immediately reaching out their claws towards him, but Lancelot withdrew his hand even quicker. Dragons liked all types of gemstones, but they had a strong preference for those that resembled their own skin color. The glittering stones selectively chosen by the Human Knight were more persuasive than his words. ¡°But Sir Lancelot has proven his nobility, has he not?¡± Blue Dragon retracted her hand somewhat embarrassedly, ¡°You have more of such gemstones to pay the balance?¡± ¡°I might not, but Tijana, she definitely has,¡± Lancelot assured the Half-Dragon People, and once again opened his palm, saying with a tempting tone, ¡°If you agree, you can take these rewards now.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Green Dragon Iserli reached out and grabbed the five emeralds, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact you saved me once, I would just rob you outright.¡± ¡°I accept as well,¡± the Blue Dragon reached out and grabbed the Black Sapphire, its gaze seemingly riveted to the gemstone. ¡°These stones... they¡¯re beautiful,¡± Vinelika was the last one to reach out, taking the black opal stones in hand, ¡°but how much gold are they worth?¡± ¡°What you¡¯re holding are black opals, each valued at around a thousand Gold Coins,¡± Lancelot patiently explained, ¡°If you prefer gold, you can exchange them with merchants at any time, and there are many such merchants in Twin Bridges Town.¡± ¡°I trust you,¡± the Black Dragon nodded, looked at the gemstone in hand again, and with a struggling face, returned the two smallest ones to Lancelot¡¯s hand, ¡°I... I only want half of the payment in advance.¡± ¡°Keep them all,¡± Lancelot, with a bittersweet smile, stuffed the two gemstones back into the Black Dragon¡¯s embrace, and turned to Tajianna and Iserli at his side, ¡°Take good care of this kid later, don¡¯t let her get caught in the horde of Demons.¡± ¡°Do you really need to remind us?¡± the Green Dragon glared at him with annoyance, ¡°Alright, what do you need us to do? Spit fire at those Beard Demons crossing the Stygian River, or go after those Horned Demons flying in the sky?¡± ¡°Neither, I only need you to destroy those war machines, that¡¯s the highest priority,¡± Lancelot raised his hand, pointing toward the rear of the Demon positions, ¡°Accomplish this, and I will pay the remaining commission, but if you continue attacking the Demon army afterward, I think Tijana would be happy to provide an extra reward.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± The Half-Dragon People looked at each other, and light from Transformation Magic shone forth, and the next second, three Giant Dragons appeared on the spot. They nodded to Lancelot, flapped their wings, lifting their more than sixty feet long massive forms into the sky, while emitting loud and domineering dragon roars, announcing their arrival to the entire battlefield. The appearance of the Giant Dragons was a surprise to everyone, and that there were three of them at once was even more so. Both sides of the battle lifted their heads to watch as the Dragon¡¯s huge, graceful, and yet destructive figures passed through the sky, causing a brief halt in the fighting. ¡°Stop gawking,¡± Lancelot called his comrades¡¯ attention back, ¡°We still have work to do.¡± ¡°Good! I¡¯ve been itching to start!¡± Bruto raised his hand to remove his armor, ¡°Just like what we did at the Gate of Stroddet?¡± ¡°Calm down, last time it was the Frost Giants in full-on battle, that¡¯s why our surprise attack worked. If you just rush in now, you won¡¯t last half a minute,¡± Lancelot shook his head and pulled out a bone horn from the Dimensional Bag, ¡°Our target is to destroy the floating bridges... Everyone remembers how to fight on the decks, right?¡± Chapter 599 599 623 Contractual Obligations ?Chapter 599: Chapter 623 Contractual Obligations Chapter 599: Chapter 623 Contractual Obligations Lancelot brought the horn to his lips and blew gently, producing no discernible sound, yet the vibration in his hands assured him that the magical item had activated. Seconds later, a dirt-yellow portal lit up on the surface of the nearby Stygian River, and a double-masted schooner, with a figurehead brandishing a sword as if craving for demons, emerged from it, swiftly approaching the bank where everyone was stationed. ¡°The Bone Duke sends his regards, Sir,¡± a Ferryman Demon on the ship¡¯s side hailed the group, and Lancelot recognized him as Vexus, who had signed the contract with him, ¡°As agreed in the contract, we¡¯ve come when summoned. What¡¯s that ahead? A siege battle in progress? I see why you need a ship now, come aboard quickly, and then tell me where you want to go...¡± ¡°Indeed, we need a ship, but not for travel,¡± Lancelot led his companions onto the skeletal warship, approximately a hundred feet long and fifteen feet wide. He pointed in the direction of Twin Bridges Town and told the Ferryman Demon, ¡°Please head that way.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s a battlefield,¡± the corpse-like face of Vexus showed a look of surprise, ¡°What are you going to do there?¡± ¡°Destroy those pontoons,¡± Lancelot replied succinctly, ¡°with this warship.¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± the Ferryman Demon exclaimed immediately, ¡°The ship will be smashed to pieces!¡± ¡°I will take care of splitting those pontoons; you just need to keep the ship moving forward.¡± ... ¡°No!¡± the Ferryman Demon almost screamed, ¡°We never hire ourselves out to fight!¡± ¡°Under the terms of our contract, you are to provide your services for free when I¡¯m in need. Since there¡¯s no payment involved, it can¡¯t be considered a hiring. Moreover, while the contract stipulates that you can refuse to join battles, you cannot refuse to steer the ship to a location I demand, as long as that place is accessible by navigation, and I also know its exact location,¡± Lancelot glared at the Ferryman Demon with a resolute look, ¡°Right now, I don¡¯t need you to join the battle, just to drive the ship in that direction... Or would you rather face the consequences of breaking the contract?¡± The expression on Vexus¡¯s silent face was close to fury, yet it showed that the Human Knight had indeed found his weak spot. However, as a former commander, Lancelot understood the importance of carrot and stick. Seeing that the threat had taken effect, he immediately added: ¡°I know what you care about most, the ship beneath our feet, am I right? But don¡¯t forget how it came to be, we managed to bring you the first one, we can bring you a second. Also, if I remember correctly, Lord of the Styx, Charon, once set rules that anyone using the Stygian River must pay a price, Tijana makes an offering to Charon every month. But look at those pontoons, what have the demons paid for them? Have they shown any respect to the Lord of the Styx?¡± The Ferryman Demon¡¯s eye sockets suddenly blazed with fire, and it turned swiftly, striding towards the ship¡¯s helm, muttering coldly: ¡°Of course, I will honor the contract, but if the ship falls apart, you¡¯re on your own, as I have no obligation to rescue anyone in the water... especially not in the Stygian River.¡± ¡°Listen up, guys,¡± as the vessel began to move, Lancelot hurried to instruct his companions, ¡°I¡¯ll be at the bow responsible for destroying those pontoons. If demons jump aboard, you¡¯ll have to handle them on your own. Kalalin, Alamir, how many spells do you have left?¡± ¡°I hardly used any,¡± the Elf Priest answered with a relaxed expression. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about healing, just be careful not to fall overboard.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve used up most of my spell slots in the fight with the White Dragon,¡± Kalalin looked much more anxious, ¡°Now I only have enough mana to cast three First Circle magics and two Second Circle magics...¡± ¡°No problem, later everyone just protect Kalalin well, and you, act on the situation. Have you been practicing with the slings? But first, you need to get us a Twin Bridges Town flag...¡± The Scholar paused, then immediately understood Lancelot¡¯s intention. He pulled a small piece of wool from his belt pouch, made a special hand gesture towards the sky, and instantly, an illusionary flag with the Emblem of Twin Bridges Town, five feet on each side, appeared on the mainmast. ¡°Well done,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Everyone, get ready, let¡¯s go and end this battle!¡± ¡°Yes!!!¡± The combatants on both sides naturally wouldn¡¯t fail to notice the skeletal warship that had appeared out of thin air, but the common Demon soldiers thought it was a fallback plan by their officers, and since the warship was still a distance away, it had not yet entered Twin Bridges Town¡¯s defensive range. More attention was still occupied by the Three-Headed Dragon, the flying units engaged in battle were temporarily unable to spare any forces, and they were also confused about the intentions of these large lizards. The leading Blue Dragon, Tajiana, didn¡¯t leave them guessing for long. She deliberately flew past a Fireball launched by a piece of war machinery, pretending to be enraged by the grazing projectile, and led the Green and Black Dragons in a sudden dive. When she was less than a hundred feet from the ground, she extended her neck and spewed out a thick bolt of Lightning Breath, striking the war machinery below like a thunderbolt. Blue Dragons have the longest Dragon Breath range among the colored Dragons, and Green Dragons have an even broader conical Dragon Breath. Awkwardly, the Green Dragon¡¯s Breath was poison damage, and both the war machinery and the Demons themselves were immune to poison damage. But as the smartest among the colored Dragons, when Breath attacks were ineffective, the Green Dragon could still use magic to solve the problem. Iserli spouted a string of strange syllables, a spell chanted in Dragon language, and two light green beams shot out from her eyes onto a piece of war machinery just about to fire. Accompanied by a dazzling flash, the war machinery turned into a pile of ash on the spot, with the same effect as the Disintegration Spell that Tijana cast with her super-magic ability. Flying in the rear was Vinelika. Black Dragons can breathe out strong acid, a type of damage very effective against both Fiends and mechanical creatures. However, as a young dragon, Vinelika¡¯s Breath had only a thirty-foot range and relatively less power, but together with her sharp teeth and claws, it was enough to destroy a piece of war machinery. The Demon Legion didn¡¯t have many siege weapons to begin with, and nearly half were destroyed in the Dragons¡¯ first round of attack. Under the leadership of Tajiana, the three Dragons did not linger in battle and immediately flew high into the distance as if to disengage from combat, but in reality, they were waiting for their Breath to recharge before launching another attack. The sudden aggression of the Dragons shocked everyone; no one could ignore such a level of power. For the Demons, it was a pleasant surprise, but for the Fiends, it was sheer horror. Even the common Beard Demon soldiers could see that the tide of battle was quickly turning against them, but without new orders, they could only continue to follow their previous commands, waiting for their turn to set foot on the pontoon bridges to arrive. Chapter 600 600 624 Flying Knife over Water ?Chapter 600: Chapter 624: Flying Knife over Water Chapter 600: Chapter 624: Flying Knife over Water When the three giant dragons dived towards the rear of the Demon¡¯s position, the warship Lancelot and his comrades were on also accelerated continuously. With the Ferryman Demon steering, it took only a few breaths for the ship to reach a speed comparable to that of a galloping horse at full sprint, slicing through the water like a dagger, charging full speed towards the battlefield. No one could ignore the huge warship anymore, even the Demons stopped like jammed machinery. They watched in horror as the warship, clearly built in Barto Hell, showed no signs of slowing down, bearing down on the pontoon bridge. The figurehead that should have been a Succubus was replaced with something strange... It seemed to be a green-glowing human Knight entwined with several vines? It was none other than Lancelot who had summoned the vines to tie himself up. He hung beneath the protruding bow, his toes less than a foot from the water¡¯s surface, and he voluntarily activated the Protective Sword Shield of the Qingyuan Sword Technique to shield himself from the Stygian River¡¯s poisonous waters. As the warship sped toward them, the Beard Demons on the pontoon were thrown into disarray. They shoved each other, desperately trying to escape the area where the collision was about to happen, allowing Lancelot to complete his task undisturbed. The Great Sword in his hand lit up with a dazzling blue glow, and the Sword Aura extending from the tip cut through the water like a knife through pudding. The moment before the collision, Lancelot swung upwards fiercely, slashing at the pontoon bridge in front of him with all his might. As he had anticipated, the bridge made of corpses, under the Wood Attribute Qingyuan Sword Technique, was as weak as paper mache and he effortlessly cut right through it as the warship brutally smashed into the bisected bridge, flipping all the Demonic infantry who had no time to leave into the turbulent Stygian River. With that one strike, they had killed at least twenty Beard Demons, but Lancelot had no time to celebrate his victory¡ªbecause of his outstanding performance, the ship didn¡¯t slow down at all, and the next pontoon filled his entire field of vision. ... The Demons and Dwarves on the city walls watched the scene in amazement: a Demon Warship flying the flag of Twin Bridges Town and speeding towards them, with a green-glowing human Knight tied to the bow, his glowing Great Sword swinging up and down like scissors, severing the pontoon bridges used by the Demons to transport troops one after another. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, the warship had crossed half the battlefield and was about to crash into the stone bridge of Twin Bridges Town. Lancelot had already prepared to destroy public property; he pushed the Qingyuan Sword Technique to the limit, ready to launch an attack on the stone bridge. At the same time, he muttered to himself, hoping that his relationship with the Succubus Lord would spare him from having to pay for the damages later. At that moment, the Ferryman Demon suddenly slapped his hand heavily on the ship¡¯s helm, and the entire warship and its crew instantly vanished. In Lancelot¡¯s eyes, the world around him became a semi-transparent phantom, with the previously murky sky now filled with bright stars. In the next instant, he found himself back in the real world, with the stone bridge now far behind him. A pontoon teeming with Beard Demons was swiftly approaching, and Lancelot, almost instinctively, swung his sword¡ªthe sheer destructive force of the blow brought a momentary silence to the entire battlefield. After all, that swing was meant to sever the stone bridge. The cyan Sword Qi surged out, reminiscent of a new moon skimming across the river¡¯s surface, continuously severing three pontoons within a sixty-foot range before gradually dissipating. What followed was even more terrifying: a Beard Demon directly in the path of the Sword Qi was split in half, its body falling to each side of the severed bridge and then getting flipped into the river by the onrushing skeleton warship. Since the stone bridge blocked the view, the other half of the battlefield was still crowded with Beard Demons crossing the river, allowing the skeleton warship¡¯s charge to achieve greater results. However, a few quick-witted creatures clung to the swiftly passing hull, only to be met by the Elves and Dwarves who were ready and waiting. Bruto had really struggled not to throw his Warhammer at the enemies on the river surface. Now he had found an outlet for his pent-up frustration. Crying out the name of the Father God of Dwarves, he entered a frenzied state, charging with reckless abandon towards a Beard Demon climbing over the gunwale. The warhammer, a blend of mithril and cold iron, met no resistance, smashing squarely onto the chin of the Beard Demon with whiskers thick and long as venomous snakes. The dwarf¡¯s strike was so powerful that it instantly sent the enemy¡¯s head flying off its neck and into the river tens of feet away, with a piercing whine. However, Bruto had charged so intensely that he encountered almost no reactionary force in his hands, causing him to immediately lose his balance. Coupled with a sudden jolt from the warship, due to colliding with the pontoon bridge, the dwarf let out a cry of alarm as he tumbled over the ship¡¯s rail. In the critical moment, the only team member with the ability to fly, little Isha, took action. She rushed to where the dwarf had just been in almost an instant. Without hesitation, she leaped outward as huge bat wings burst forth from her shoulder blades, and her figure vanished below the ship¡¯s rail. ¡°Bruto!!¡± Only then did the others react, but before they could rush to the ship¡¯s rail, the vampire reappeared, flapping her wings vigorously with the startled and helpless dwarf in her arms. ¡°So heavy... ugh!!!¡± Little Isha let out a delicate roar before she desperately lunged forward, hurling herself and the dwarf back onto the deck. ¡°Phew, that was really close...¡± Bruto struggled to rise from the ground, ¡°Thank you, Isha. I¡¯m ashamed to say, I never thought I¡¯d have my life saved by you.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it either,¡± the young girl made a face. ¡°Please, let¡¯s not have a next time!¡± As they spoke, several Beard Demon figures appeared again by the ship¡¯s rail. The vigilant dwarf let out a battle cry and was about to charge as before, but suddenly remembering something, he forcefully halted his steps, flashing an awkward smile at his comrades before changing to briskly trotting forward. ¡°Significant improvement,¡± Alamir commented, ¡°Surprisingly smart for a dwarf.¡± Within less than three minutes, the fully speeding warship had blown through the entire battlefield, destroying all the temporary pontoon bridges built by the demon army. The few Beard Demons who managed to board the ship were also disposed of with the united effort of the teammates. Meanwhile, in the distant sky, three Giant Dragons made another dive, destroying the remaining siege engines of the attackers under the bombardment of dragon breath and magic. This time, the dragons were not left unscathed. The Beard Demons retaliated with sharp javelins, and while most were repelled by their tough scales, a few found gaps between them. However, having completed the task given by Lancelot in advance, they could calmly wait at a distance far from the battlefield until everything ended, then seek the remaining reward from the Human Knight. Witnessing all this, the fortress¡¯s defenders burst into cheers that could reach the heavens, while the demon soldiers who had crossed the pontoon bridge were ensnared in utter desperation. Behind them, there was neither a way back nor reinforcements, and in front of them lay the blood-splattered city walls and broken bodies of their kin, with a lethal rain of arrows continuously falling from above. Their only hope was to continue fighting bravely before death in order to avoid the punishment of degradation by the Military Judge upon resurrection in the Nine Hells. But, what a joke, how could such an erroneous act of leniency ever occur in Barto Hell? Chapter 601 601 625 ?Chapter 601: 625 Chapter 601: 625 Under the intervention of the skeletal warship and the three giant dragons, the tide of the battle changed with extreme rapidity. Within just a few minutes, the scales of victory had completely tipped toward the defenders. The Demon army¡¯s Supreme Commander was fully entangled by Tigana and didn¡¯t manage to react appropriately. By the time the Demon Refinement realized something was wrong, all was already lost. Of course, if it could defeat the Succubus Lord before him, there might still be a chance to turn the tables, but after fighting for so long without killing his opponent, and now with two six-armed Serpent Demons having ¡®swum¡¯ down from the city wall, vaguely forming an encirclement, he would have to leave now or risk being sent straight back to Barto Hell along with his dead subordinates. Unlike the demons, devils are rarely governed by anger and impulsivity during combat; they approach battles with a calm demeanor, assessing gains and losses, thereby choosing the most advantageous course of action for themselves, and when retreating is the most sensible option, they would not hesitate, no matter how humiliating it felt. The new order was issued through telepathic communication, and those Beard Demons who had crossed the river but had not yet scaled the city wall turned around and surged toward the only remaining bridge on the river surface. The Demon Refinement on the bridge, who was engaged in combat with Tigana, began fighting while retreating. The Succubus Maids behind her were suddenly caught in an encirclement, making their situation extremely dangerous. The intent of the Demon General was very clear: to pursue me meant sacrificing several of your maids, and to save them meant letting me escape freely. In reality, the Demon army had already begun forming ranks at the other end of the stone bridge, preparing to block any demons attempting pursuit and, if Tigana crossed the bridge in pursuit of Refinement, it would present a perfect opportunity to encircle and eliminate the Succubus Lord. Had it been any ordinary, lower-ranking demon lord, he or she would never tolerate letting an opponent escape, and wouldn¡¯t consider the lives of subordinates, especially since the Demon Refinement had publicly humiliated him. However, Twin Bridges Town was a special town, with a special society and special residents, all because it had a special Lord. Once it was confirmed that Refinement was indeed trying to escape, Tigana turned around without hesitation and reached out to her seven maids. With her strength, facing low-rank devil infantry was complete domination. With her Cold Iron Whip imbued with Holy Power, every swing she made felled a swath of Beard Demons like weeds slashed by a scythe. ... Her decision completely crushed the hopes of the devils to escape to heavens. Refinement General, seeing his plot completely exposed on the other side of the river, could only posturize and shout loudly: ¡°Tigana! You coward! Why don¡¯t you dare pursue me, are you afraid to fight me? Come on, let¡¯s have a good matchup again. I hear you¡¯ve never truly experienced a man¡¯s charm, I guarantee I can make you unable to even lift your feet...¡± Facing the Demon Refinement¡¯s crude and offensive language, the Succubus Lord wasn¡¯t even interested in turning her head to look back. She focused on slaughtering those devils trapped at the bridgehead, only changing the special way she swung her whip, and suddenly the heads of the Beard Demons flew over the Stygian River like missiles from a catapult, crashing on top of the crowded and orderly ranks of devils. Two six-armed Serpent Demons each leading a team of Berserk Demons joined this massacre. Caught in a pincer attack, nearly a hundred Beard Demons melted away like snow under harsh sunlight. The devils on the opposite shore of the Stygian River watched as their counterparts who hadn¡¯t made it across continued to die, and each head that fell beside them was like a resounding slap, making the general¡¯s shouts even more ludicrously funny. When only a handful of Beard Demons were left alive, Tijana stopped her assault and turned to look at the enemy across the river. ¡°Baboli, you truly are a clown. Not only did you flee from me, a Succubus, but you also shamelessly abandoned your own subordinates to face death alone,¡± Tijana¡¯s voice, infused with a special magic power, easily drowned out the rushing river and was clearly audible to everyone on the battlefield. ¡°What¡¯s even more foolish is that your remaining subordinates were forced to watch their kin get slaughtered while you did nothing but shout abuses from across the Stygian River. What were you thinking? Did you think that would salvage some of your dignity? Now everyone has witnessed your incapacity, and I am quite looking forward to hearing about your misfortunes back in Barto Hell, hehehe...¡± Tijana¡¯s mockery was so piercing that the Demon Refinement General, his face ashen, failed to realize that her waving arm was casting a spell. By the time Tijana recited the spell words, the spell had already fully formed. A fountain of strong acid erupted in the center of the dense demon formation, and the acid sprayed violently in all directions. Creatures nearby were almost instantly corroded into heaps of bones, while those farther away suffered even worse, as the acid would continuously dissolve their flesh, forcing these unfortunate souls to endure more agony before their eventual death. ¡°Retreat! Full retreat!¡± The Demon Refinement from the deep hell could no longer maintain his pretentious demeanor and, hoarse, issued a new command to his army. Despite having suffered severe injuries, the demons¡ªthose who hadn¡¯t been splashed with acid¡ªat least displayed great discipline, splitting into three smaller clusters and taking turns to cover the rear, ready to face any potential pursuing demons. Indeed, several demons wanted to pursue, but the only passable stone bridge was occupied by their Lord, who seemed to have no intention of stepping aside. As long as she did not move, no demon residents of Twin Bridges Town dared to pass by Tijana. They instead used loud boos to bid farewell to their racial enemies and curse them to soon turn into a pile of pus in Barto Hell. Just then, that magical skeleton warship slowly sailed back from downstream. The cursing quickly turned into cheering, and when Bruto was the first one who couldn¡¯t wait to jump off the deck, the cheering from a certain part of the wall became exceptionally enthusiastic. Lancelot looked up and his gaze met Tijana¡¯s. The latter tilted her chin up at him, but Lancelot noticed the subtle smile at the corner of her mouth. The Human Knight knew the Succubus Lord was expecting him to step forward and kiss her finger, and he was very willing to do so when suddenly, the rhythmic sound of wings beating the air broke loose, and the cheers from the audience on the wall reached a frenzied pitch. He turned around and saw three Giant Dragons land behind him, the magic light glowing as the figures of three female Half-Dragon People appeared in their place. They were as before, their proud curved bodies covered only by tight, scale-like garments, and around their necks, a terrifying dragon... wait, why did they all transform into beautiful humanoid female faces?! ¡®Lancelot!!!!!!¡¯ The scream of the Succubus Lord pierced through their mental connection directly into his conscience, sounding like a glass being smashed against a rock. Chapter 602 602 626 Are You Serious ?Chapter 602: Chapter 626: Are You Serious? Chapter 602: Chapter 626: Are You Serious? Oh Han Celestial, the small bamboo strip you left me holds no experience to handle this kind of situation! To onlookers, everything seemed normal: the Human Knight and his companions stepped forward to bow, introduced the Three-Headed Dragon to the Succubus Lord, and accepted the crowd¡¯s cheers welcoming the heroes¡ªbut only those involved knew how many words they had exchanged through their mental link. Lancelot explained the whole story, but Tijana¡¯s gaze remained very displeased, and Lancelot felt both innocent and helpless. What happened next was completely beyond his expectations. The Succubus Lord extended her arm, letting everyone kiss her fingers¡ªa simple ritual to show respect, loyalty, acceptance, and protection. But when it was Lancelot¡¯s turn, Tijana abruptly pulled him up and then fiercely pressed her red lips to his, as if to show defiance to someone. Naturally, Lancelot responded and embraced the Succubus Lord, who first glared at him fiercely, then finally opened her doors to him. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ve cleared this hurdle!¡± Tijana¡¯s voice rang in his consciousness, ¡°I still have many questions to ask you!¡± ¡°At your service, my lady. How about tonight? I have some... fresh meat.¡± ¡°...Hmph!¡± ... The cheers from the onlookers reached a peak, mixed with plenty of loud whistles and boos, even cries of heart-wrenching sobs. Under the stare of nearly ten thousand eyes, Tijana pushed him away in less than ten seconds, setting the record for their shortest encounter, and Lancelot noticed that the face of the Succubus Lord was as red as a freshly erupted volcano¡ªnot just in color but in temperature as well. Tijana turned around, her metal whip cutting through the air with a thunderous sonic boom. Her aura instantly changed, and everyone immediately shut their mouths and pricked up their ears to hear what the Succubus Lord would say next. ¡°Bessiah, have your people stay on the walls on guard, let Viska¡¯s troops go back to recuperate. Solheim, tally the losses and deploy scouts to monitor the Demon¡¯s movements. Braunville, organize the craftsmen to repair the damaged buildings in the city, and get back to work quickly...¡± Tijana rapidly issued a series of clear and precise commands before finally adding, ¡°From now on, I¡¯m paying for all the drinks in the city for three days. Alright, now everyone get back to work!¡± Lancelot knew he had been mistaken; now was the true peak of the cheers¡ªpartly because there was a loud source of noise right beside him. Tijana then approached three Half-Dragon People, inviting them to her castle and taking little Isha with her. Meanwhile, Lancelot was left hanging as if the kiss had never happened. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve run into a bit of trouble,¡± Alamir¡¯s voice arose beside Lancelot, making him shift his gaze from the back of the Succubus Lord, ¡°Need some professional advice?¡± ¡°You could tell?¡± Lancelot looked at the Elf with a pained expression, ¡°Was it that obvious...¡± ¡°I am Shuni¡¯s Priest, after all, and the intensity of the mind link you two just shared was so high, it hurt my eardrums,¡± Alamir shrugged, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s head back to Hagrid Manor first; you can¡¯t imagine how much I miss the bathtub at home.¡± ¡°I¡¯m off to see my old man first!¡± Bruto threw the words at his companions and disappeared in a flash. Naturally, everyone completely understood; if it were them, they would certainly rush to check on their loved ones after a great battle. ¡°Sir Lancelot, thank you for your care all this time.¡± After the Dwarf left, Reap also spoke up, ¡°I also have some personal matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now.¡± ¡°No problem, come to Hagrid Manor for dinner tonight, and we can divide the spoils by the way.¡± ¡°Definitely.¡± The Werewolf grinned, nodded to everyone, and turned to leave. Only Lancelot, Kalalin, and Alamir remained in the squad. They crossed the stone bridge and once again walked on the familiar streets of Twin Bridges Town. Unlike the obscurity of the past, now every pedestrian on the street could immediately recognize Lancelot. Most of the mortal races would greet him respectfully, while the Demon residents cast mixed looks of fear, admiration, and challenge at him. It was not until they left the bustling main road and turned onto the quiet path leading to Hagrid Manor that they found some peace. ¡°Lancelot, Tijana is probably still mad at you, but there¡¯s no need to panic...¡± Seeing that there were few people around, Alamir finally spoke, ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing after all, it just requires a bit of handling.¡± ¡°I actually haven¡¯t figured out what she¡¯s mad about yet,¡± Lancelot said with a helpless twist of his mouth, ¡°I¡¯ve already explained the situation very clearly...¡± ¡°Shuni above, you really are thick-headed,¡± the Elf Priest shook his head helplessly, ¡°Do you need a hint? It¡¯s about the Three-Headed Dragon...¡± ¡°That I obviously know,¡± Lancelot glared at him irritably, ¡°but I brought them back solely because of my concern for the battle. You all saw the actual results; they were very effective, if not for their destruction...¡± ¡°Lancelot, Tijana doesn¡¯t care about that,¡± Kalalin couldn¡¯t help but speak up, ¡°She is definitely upset because of the way you saved those three dragons.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t that what I am supposed to do?¡± Lancelot frowned and replied, ¡°The spirit of a Knight demands that I...¡± ¡°Offer a helping hand to those in danger, right?¡± the Elf Priest interjected, ¡°But you need to think from her perspective: you are her lover, risking your life to save other women, no matter how legitimate the reasons are, she¡¯s not going to look favorably upon it. Don¡¯t cite your moral duties or the knightly codes, love doesn¡¯t heed your grand reasons. To her, all your risky acts can simply be categorized into two types: risks taken for a woman, and others. For Tijana, others don¡¯t matter, but if it¡¯s for a woman, that woman must be her. Do you understand what I mean?¡± ¡°No woman is acceptable?¡± ¡°Only those possibly posing a threat to her in a sexual context count as ¡®women.¡¯ Similarly, when I use the term ¡®men,¡¯ I am only referring to those who might replace you... any male creature. Going back to our original topic, the reason she¡¯s mad at you ultimately is that she feels her position in your heart is threatened.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s because I saved those female dragons...¡± Lancelot covered his face, ¡°but I¡¯ve already done it, and if a similar situation arises in the future, I would mostly still step forward...¡± ¡°You really are...¡± the Elf Priest rolled his eyes and pushed open the gates to Hagrid Manor, ¡°What I said before, the reason is she feels her position is threatened, it¡¯s about her feelings, not what you actually did. If she were certain that her place in your heart is always number one, you could go save thirty genuine princesses, not just three female dragons, and she wouldn¡¯t bat an eyelid...¡± ¡°I¡¯m suddenly questioning...¡± Lancelot looked at the Elf Priest with a strange gaze, ¡°the lady of fire you worship... is she really a proper deity?¡± Chapter 603 603 627 Brotherhood ?Chapter 603: Chapter 627: Brotherhood Chapter 603: Chapter 627: Brotherhood ¡°I assure you, Shuni¡¯s church promotes and extols beautiful, sincere love,¡± the Elf Priest said. ¡°You know, there are always such cases in the world: two people genuinely in love get separated due to misunderstandings, impulsiveness, immaturity, lack of experience, and various other regrettable but entirely avoidable reasons, and they never end up together in the end. Our study of the psychology of lovers is aimed at preventing such situations, because only true love can make Lady Fire more powerful.¡± ¡°This kind of study sounds like it could easily veer into dangerous territory,¡± Kalalin remarked. ¡°My defense is that only by understanding the characteristics and methods of evil can you recognize it in time and avoid harm,¡± the Elf Priest responded. ¡°Kalalin, I think you might understand my point.¡± ¡°If we had only just met, I would say: The Dark Cult studies the Abyss and Demons for some noble purpose, so that the Kings and Lords of mortals would not be helpless in the face of chaos and evil invasions. However, that¡¯s not the case.¡± The Scholar shrugged, ¡°The core idea of the Cult is that knowledge is neither good nor evil, but it provides us with the power of choice. The study of the Abyss might make us controlled by madness, devoured by evil, and seen as enemies by both Demons and Holy Warriors, but in the fight against ignorance and fear, we will never submit.¡± The flowers in the courtyard were still blooming brilliantly, which was certainly due to the effect of Lancelot¡¯s mysterious green liquid, but it was also evident that someone took care of them regularly. After Kalalin finished speaking, no one immediately responded; the three of them just stood silently, as if they were simply admiring the beautiful blossoms. ¡°Alamir, I think you should just say your view, no need to seek Kalalin¡¯s support,¡± said the Scholar. ¡°Um... Okay,¡± the Elf Priest said somewhat awkwardly, scratching his head. ¡°What I want to say is that love also holds tremendous power. It can make a person blind, fanatic, and even recklessly brave. Unlike tangible weapons or detectable Magic, hardly anyone can resist the power of love, and this is precisely what we Priests of Shuni are working to improve.¡± ... ¡°Speaking of using love...¡± Lancelot hesitated, ¡°Are you referring to Demons like Succubi?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been curious when you would ask me about that,¡± the Elf Priest said with a smile, walking over and sitting down by an exquisite stone platform in the yard, ¡°You might be surprised by the answer, but according to our practical work experience, it¡¯s most often ordinary mortals who commit these sins. Conversely, it¡¯s those Fiends who appear on the list of victims.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lancelot looked shocked. ¡°How can that be?¡± ¡°As I¡¯ve always said, love is one of the most powerful forces in the Multiverse,¡± Alamir shrugged, ¡°Whether it¡¯s mortals, Fiends, Fairies, or beings from the Heavens, all are equally vulnerable in the face of such a majestic force. Even those Undead who are thought to be emotionless are seen to fall at the slightest touch of true love.¡± ¡°Incredible,¡± Lancelot pinched a Dharma Decree in his hand, and the plants around them began to move toward them, leaving fresh fruit on the stone platform. ¡°Are you really not just trying to comfort me?¡± ¡°I can offer a different perspective,¡± Kalalin said, grabbing a yellow berry and skillfully beginning to peel it, ¡°Many people know that Succubi and Lust Demons represent Demons and Devils enticing people to fall on the Prime Material Plane, leading countless souls towards the Bottomless Abyss and Barto Hell, but how exactly do they do it?¡± ¡°With their enchanting faces and supernatural charm,¡± Alamir picked up another berry from the table, ¡°Straightforward and brutal, very effective.¡± ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s just as you said, but the reality is much more complicated.¡± Kalalin popped the peeled fruit into his mouth, a blissful expression crossing his face. ¡°Mmm, Lancelot, these you¡¯ve made are simply divine... Continuing our earlier topic, anyone with even a slight understanding of the Blood War¡¯s scale would realize that Fiends wouldn¡¯t likely take a one-on-one approach to lure people into corruption; it¡¯s not only inefficient but also too prone to exposing their identity.¡± ¡°So what would they do?¡± Lancelot asked curiously. ¡°I remember you once said that if someone¡¯s will is twisted by magic such as Charm, their sins would not lead their souls to the lower planes after death?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct, which is why these seductive Fiends adopt a more covert yet more efficient method.¡± Kalalin picked up another berry. ¡°Take Succubi, whom I am more familiar with, for instance. First, they choose a suitable target for their scheme, typically avoiding settlements with powerful wizards or large temples. Then, they appear as a figure of immense charm, yet elusive to conquest, leaving everyone who sees them unable to forget. At first, the Succubus doesn¡¯t take any overtly scandalous actions, simply subtly influencing the inward ideology of people, noticeably easing the strictures around sexual desire. In some overly strict societies, this change might not be a bad thing, but as long as she stays within the settlement, the alterations grow gradually more perilous.¡± ¡°The Succubus observes the conflicts among her suitors, rewarding those competitors who resort to any means, thus encouraging and guiding all manner of decadent behaviors. Gradually, the whole settlement begins to deviate from its original social morals, with people becoming increasingly uninhibited in pursuit of romance, and the pursued coming to believe that excessive behavior is a sign of ¡®love¡¯, while the Succubus continues to fan the flames from the sidelines. In the end, the traditional moral framework is completely discarded, and people have no qualms about satisfying their desires, even if it means harming others. By this stage, reversing the community¡¯s fall into degeneracy is exceedingly difficult; unless there is direct intervention by Divine Power, there is little that can prevent these unfortunate souls from being sent to the Bottomless Abyss after death, becoming cannon fodder in the Blood War.¡± ¡°But these behaviors are all part of the Succubus¡¯s job, their professional skill.¡± The Elf Priest interjected. ¡°However, if they accidentally get themselves caught up in the process, now that would be interesting... Remember Elothysia? That¡¯s a prime example.¡± Lancelot glanced at Alamir somewhat guiltily and quickly swallowed a berry, skin and all. ¡°And Tijana is also an exceptional case. From the beginning, she made her appearance as a Lord, relying on force, stratagems, and wealth to build Twin Bridges Town from a small trading post into one of the main munitions manufacturing bases on the Plains of the Abyss.¡± Kalalin continued with enthusiasm, ¡°The rise of Twin Bridges Town is nothing short of legendary, but the entire process never involved the Succubus¡¯s core job¡ªinducing mortals to fall into depravity through desire. And you, as far as I know, are the only lover she has publically taken record of...¡± ¡°And the reason turned out to be because she felt threatened by competitors, from three female Giant Dragons,¡± Alamir said with a grin he couldn¡¯t suppress. ¡°Lancelot, you don¡¯t even look all that handsome, and while you can fight, you¡¯re not quite unbeatable, so how did someone like you catch her eye...¡± ¡°Personal charm, no other explanation,¡± Lancelot said with a smile, shaking his head as he stood up from the stone bench. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back. Oh, Alamir, aren¡¯t you quite knowledgeable about dragons? Do you know which part of their body is the softest?¡± ¡°What are you planning?¡± The Elf¡¯s face showed suspicion. ¡°Grilling tonight, have to prepare some ingredients.¡± Lancelot pulled out the Dimensional Bag given to him by the Halfling Pakos. ¡°The corpses of the ancient White Dragon and its son are right in here, still fresh.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a hefty task.¡± Alamir also stood up. ¡°Dragon hide is very tough; it will be tricky to handle...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we have this.¡± A short sword sparkling with starlight appeared in the Human Knight¡¯s hand. ¡°Finally going to put it to good use.¡± Chapter 604 604 628 The Way to Apologize ?Chapter 604: Chapter 628: The Way to Apologize Chapter 604: Chapter 628: The Way to Apologize When night fell and the Succubus Lord arrived at Hagrid Manor with a little vampire through the portal, the scene before them nearly made their jaws drop. In the garden, a large area had been cleared where the body of an adult White Dragon was skewered on a giant rack, alongside a roaring bonfire. The dragon¡¯s skin had been peeled from its neck to the base of its tail, and its innards had been removed; there was only a faint smell of blood in the air, clearly it had been cleaned by magic. The dinner table that was normally inside the room had also been moved out, and right at the head was the Succubus Lord¡¯s favorite high-back chair. Thanks to the permanent illusion Tigana had cast on Hagrid Manor, the neighbors and passersby couldn¡¯t see anything inside the courtyard. Lancelot had already changed into a home shirt, holding a translucent shortsword, meticulously slicing clean chunks of meat from the dragon¡¯s corpse. Old Reap and Bruto, standing beside him, each held a dagger, chopping the meat Lancelot carved into thumb-sized pieces, while Kalalin and Alamir were responsible for skewering these pieces onto long sticks. Upon seeing Tigana, Lancelot twirled his shortsword into an extravagant flower, linking the gesture with a bow as a combined salute and greeting. ¡°Good evening, my lady, you look absolutely stunning,¡± he said. The Succubus Lord was dressed in a luxurious black backless evening gown, her silk long gloves extending above her elbows. Around her neck hung the diamond necklace Lancelot had given her the first time they met, and her long black hair was styled into an elegant updo. She had hidden her bat wings and tail through the use of transformation magic, retaining only the antlers on her head. Regardless of the angle, Tigana¡¯s appearance was flawless, and Lancelot found it almost impossible to take his eyes off her. The only issue was that her attire was completely unsuitable for a barbecue, but the Succubus Lord didn¡¯t seem to mind. ... ¡°Really?¡± Tigana seemed tempted to smile at Lancelot but instead managed to maintain her dignified expression, ¡°What¡¯s with the White Dragon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Svafnir¡¯s son, and also our main dish for tonight,¡± Lancelot raised an eyebrow, ¡°It¡¯s good you didn¡¯t bring the Three-Headed Dragon, otherwise they¡¯d surely suspect my reason for bringing them to Twin Bridges Town.¡± ¡°So, what is your motive?¡± Tigana walked over to her chair and sat down, her beautiful eyes staring intently at Lancelot as if trying to extract the truth from the depths of the Human Knight¡¯s heart. ¡°First of all, it¡¯s certainly not to fatten them up and eat them,¡± Lancelot said with a smile as he walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat in front of the Succubus Lord, taking her hand in his, ¡°You mentioned before about the critical wartime efforts at Volcano Fortress. Yesterday I intended to tell you we had finally persuaded Pakos, and were about to commence the final step of our plan, but every attempt to establish a mental link kept failing...¡± ¡°It¡¯s those demons,¡± Tigana uttered angrily, ¡°Demons are very keen on snitching on their own kind to their superiors, so even the lowest ranked Beard Demons communicate telepathically, bunching together like a massive Bartez creates an enormous disruption, turning the surrounding Magic Net into a total mess.¡± ¡°Ah, Kalalin said the same thing, suspecting that a Demon Legion might be near Twin Bridges Town, which made me really worry about your safety. I thought the combat power of the Three-Headed Dragons would be of great help to you, so I brought them back together. How do you think they performed in the battle today?¡± ¡°Hmm, considering they don¡¯t charge a high price, they were barely worth it,¡± Tigana suddenly sighed, her eyes softening, ¡°Um... I think... I should apologize for how I treated you today.¡± ¡°Uh...¡± Lancelot appeared somewhat disconcerted, ¡°My lady, there¡¯s no need...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what came over me, the sight of those three female dragons bowing with you was just infuriating, so I ended up... behaving that way.¡± Recalling her bold actions in front of her subjects during the day, the Succubus Lord¡¯s cheeks slightly reddened, and she dared not meet Lancelot¡¯s eyes anymore, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, suddenly bringing back three female dragons, all tamed like they were by you. No one could stand that kind of provocation!¡± ¡°How unjust this is...¡± Lancelot pinched the Succubus¡¯s palm he was holding, ¡°They were only nice because they witnessed your solo battle against the Demon Refinement, afraid they wouldn¡¯t get their final payment. You should have seen how they talked prices with me...¡± Lancelot couldn¡¯t continue because Tijana¡¯s red lips suddenly pressed against his. The Succubus unusually took the initiative to extend her tongue, as if she wanted him to feel her apology. ¡°Aaaaah...¡± Bruto, who feared nothing, let out a yell, ¡°You two made me cut my finger! For little Isha¡¯s sake, please take this inside the house...¡± ¡°Woo-hoo!¡± The little girl being used as an excuse clapped her hands enthusiastically, with an excited expression on her face, ¡°So romantic, so romantic!¡± The couple caught up in their passionate kiss involuntarily parted, and the Succubus Lord¡¯s face turned bright red with embarrassment, while the Human Knight looked as if he had just fought with a giant. Tigana shifted her gaze again, speaking softly in a tone Lancelot had never heard before: ¡°Let¡¯s just let today¡¯s matters go, shall we...¡± ¡°There was never a start, how could there be an end?¡± Lancelot chuckled as he stood up from the chair, ¡°So much happened today, but the most important thing I¡¯ve yet to tell you...¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Tigana wore a puzzled expression, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Our reason for going to the Iron Ice Plains,¡± Lancelot answered with a wry smile, ¡°How could you forget that?¡± ¡°Ah, damn!¡± Tigana covered her face, ¡°Sorry, first it was the Demon Legion, then the Three-Headed Dragon, and then you got tied to a ship passing in front of me... There was a ton to handle this afternoon, and all I could think about was whether you were angry with me... oh, oh, Bottomless Abyss, you really did it...¡± In Lancelot¡¯s hands was the platinum, ancient-designed Dwarf Breastplate, which he handed over to the Succubus Lord in front of him. Tigana¡¯s reaction was much more intense than he had anticipated, as she began to tremble violently while taking the armor, and even started to sob. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lancelot was alarmed and hurried to take the breastplate back, but found it firmly grasped by Tigana. What happened next surprised him even more, as large tears began to well up in the eyes of the Succubus, the teardrops falling onto the breastplate with a pattering sound. Perhaps it was Lancelot¡¯s illusion, but the Magic Aura emitted from the breastplate seemed to grow slightly brighter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have some special memories associated with this breastplate.¡± Tigana let go of the armor, wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes and giving Lancelot an apologetic smile, ¡°Tomorrow morning, take this breastplate to the Craftsman Hall. I will hold a ceremony to let all the Dwarves know of the Relic¡¯s return...¡± ¡°You¡¯ll keep it there permanently, won¡¯t you?¡± Bruto couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°You did promise us...¡± ¡°Of course, but it is still my property.¡± Tigana shrugged at the Dwarves, ¡°Now, tell me about what you went through later... starting with this White Dragon.¡± Chapter 605 605 629 Golden Mountain ?Chapter 605: Chapter 629 Golden Mountain Chapter 605: Chapter 629 Golden Mountain ¡°What did you do to Kostcheqi¡¯s Glacial Fortress?¡± Lancelot was an excellent storyteller, and Tijana was fascinated by the battle in the White Dragon¡¯s Lair. She was also amazed by the story of the ancient Red Dragon and its daughter, but when Lancelot described how they finally got Dain Frostbeard¡¯s armor, the face of the Succubus Lord finally changed color. ¡°I melted it. It was a fortress made of ice with a volcano nearby, the choice was quite obvious.¡± ¡°You... damn it, that was the palace of an Abyssal Lord!¡± Tijana covered her face with her hands, ¡°Was it the same Formation you used when you created that blizzard?¡± ¡°The principle was the same, but it cost a lot more. Most of the reward from the rescue mission for Gorgiad was spent on that,¡± Lancelot shrugged and picked up another skewer of roast dragon meat from the table, ¡°You should¡¯ve guessed it anyway, given that I asked you to special order that particular Teleportation Scroll.¡± ¡°I thought you were only planning to melt a layer of the floor!¡± Tijana spread her hands in an accusatory manner, ¡°So does that mean, everything in the Prince of Wrath¡¯s den...¡± ¡°Not everything.¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°Many of them remained in the ¡®Riverbed.¡¯ When I flew down there, the whole valley along the way was shimmering with gold...¡± ... ¡°So how much exactly?¡± The voice of the Succubus Lord involuntarily lowered, ¡°Did you count it all?¡± ¡°Why not see for yourself?¡± Lancelot pulled a handkerchief from his chest that served as the entrance to the half-plane, ¡°I haven¡¯t even been in there myself yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely an unforgettable experience.¡± Bruto held three skewers in one hand and devoured the meat in one bite, ¡°The kind that could make you lose the drive for adventure for good.¡± Lancelot spread the handkerchief on the ground, revealing the flickering Dimensional Door on it, and gestured for Tijana to step through. ¡°Why do I have a bad feeling about this...¡± The Succubus Lord shrugged and stepped into the entrance of her own half-plane. Lancelot opened his arms to his companions to convey that Tijana¡¯s worries were unnecessary, but it seemed like they misunderstood his gesture ¨C some squinted their eyes, some secretly gave him a thumbs up, and little Isabella even waved her fist at Lancelot as if to cheer him on. ¡°When you two are done, come back out,¡± Bruto glared at the Human Knight, ¡°Don¡¯t ruin everyone¡¯s appetite...¡± Lancelot rolled his eyes, choosing not to respond to his companions¡¯ teasing, and followed by jumping into the Dimensional Hole on the handkerchief. The Stone Chamber at the entrance was just as before, with the door across the room wide open and the figure of the Succubus Lord standing outside. Lancelot was actually quite curious about how much the spoils of war amounted to and quickly walked forward. There was no sun in this half-plane, and the sky shrouded in mist emanated a soft white light to illuminate the land below. However, at this moment the entire half-plane was enveloped in a blinding golden light, emanating from the mountain of Gold in front of them. Lancelot now understood what Bruto meant when he said ¡®uncountable¡¯ earlier. Before them lay a treasure mountain, primarily composed of Gold Coins, at least thirty feet high, and interspersed with glittering jewels, exquisite artifacts, and magic equipment glowing with Spiritual Light. Compared to the treasure hoard of the Succubus Palace he once looted, the wealth before his eyes was easily a hundred times more ¨C no wonder Bruto and old Reap exclaimed in such a way after seeing it. ¡°You really haven¡¯t come in here before?¡± Tijana¡¯s voice sounded beside him, curiosity more present in her tone than excitement, ¡°This should be more gold than you¡¯ve ever seen combined, but you don¡¯t seem that thrilled.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary Knight, to me, money loses its meaning after a certain amount,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°What about you? Doesn¡¯t the Prince of Wrath¡¯s savings impress you?¡± ¡°First of all, you are not just any knight...¡± Tijana looked at Lancelot with a special gleam in her eyes, ¡°You are my only knight, and that alone is extraordinary enough.¡± ¡°I¡¯m at your service.¡± He executed a knightly bow with great decorum, ¡°My lady.¡± ¡°I really enjoy hearing you call me that.¡± Tijana laughed and turned around, walking towards the enormous mountain of gold, ¡°Secondly, I haven¡¯t forgotten our original agreement. These spoils of war are indeed astonishing, but only a third belongs to me. Of course, most Demon Lords would probably swoon with delight, but me...¡± The Succubus Lord placed her hands on her hips, proudly lifting her head and puffing out her chest to Lancelot. ¡°I am quite wealthy, you know!¡± ... ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you!¡± ¡°Sorry, what were you just... saying?¡± ¡°Heh-heh~ I said, I¡¯m quite wealthy. Although the catch this time isn¡¯t small, it is less than one-tenth of my fortune.¡± ¡°This is an Abyssal Lord¡¯s savings we¡¯re talking about.¡± Lancelot looked at Tijana with some surprise, ¡°Less than one-tenth?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that? Pillaging and plundering don¡¯t really make that much money, and that guy didn¡¯t know the value of things.¡± Tijana bent down, picked up a gold coin, and weighed it in her hand, ¡°You¡¯ve been to the Iron Ice Plains too, what kind of output does that snowy dimension have? Nothing, despite the fact that it contains the words ¡®iron¡¯ and ¡®steel¡¯ in its name. Now take a look at how the wealthy Abyssal Lords do it¡ªLord Wu¡¯an¡¯s realm is one of the trade centers in the Multiverse, the hallucinogens that Madam Fungus deals in are more popular than souls in Barto Hell. As for Mekanshut, may she turn into a maggot soon, she¡¯s made countless gold from the wine produced in Shendiravir. It¡¯s said that even the inhabitants of Mount Heaven can¡¯t stop praising it if the labels are peeled off. Besides, that shameless old madam is the biggest human trafficker in the Multiverse, her merchandise being countless newborn succubi... and their children.¡± ¡°I noticed that you seem to really dislike the Queen of the Succubus.¡± Lancelot observed Tijana thoughtfully, ¡°Could you tell me why?¡± ¡°No. Not now. It wouldn¡¯t be good for you.¡± ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve heard something similar before.¡± ¡°You have a good memory... I have some, old grievances with her, but she herself is unaware of this, only thinking of me as a rebellious ¡®child¡¯ that won¡¯t be disciplined. But let her continue to think that until I have the power to take her down.¡± ¡°Wait, ¡®child¡¯?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, she claims that all succubi are her children. Ridiculous, right? Her title is Queen of the Succubus, not Mother of Succubi! I assure you, I don¡¯t share the slightest copper coin¡¯s worth of her filthy bloodline, just remember that she is my enemy.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Lancelot nodded, not pressing further, but it was Tijana who initiated conversation: ¡°Hm? No more questions?¡± A sly smile appeared on the face of the Succubus Lord, ¡°Like... asking about my grudge with Mekanshut, whether it has to do with some old lover?¡± Chapter 606 606 630 Put on the Table ?Chapter 606: Chapter 630: Put on the Table Chapter 606: Chapter 630: Put on the Table ¡°I imagine you wouldn¡¯t want to answer this question,¡± Lancelot replied expressionlessly, ¡°so I¡¯d rather not ask.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t like that way of thinking at all,¡± Tijana¡¯s beautiful eyebrows furrowed tightly, ¡°As a succubus, I am quite aware of the image you mortals have of me. Out of respect, I won¡¯t use magic to probe your thoughts, so let¡¯s establish this rule: if you have any questions for me, please ask me directly; don¡¯t keep your questions to yourself or seek answers from someone like Kalalin, that so-called demon scholar.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Even if it¡¯s a question you¡¯re unwilling to answer?¡± ¡°Not being able to tell you is also a response, and it lets me know what you¡¯re worried about, seeking other ways to alleviate your doubts,¡± Tijana said with a very serious look, ¡°Those things are like the seeds of Razor Vine; once they spread, it¡¯s difficult to eradicate them. So let¡¯s bring any questions into the open to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings. It¡¯s to both our advantages, don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°Very well. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and ask, must I take the initiative to bare my soul to you?¡± ¡°Well then, my lady...¡± Lancelot took a deep breath, ¡°Is the enmity between you and the Queen of the Succubus, because of an old lover?¡± ... ¡°I swear by the Stygian River, everything I am about to say is the truth,¡± Tijana¡¯s expression remained serious, ¡°No. But it does concern someone very important to me, for whom I must seek vengeance.¡± ¡°So... apart from me, do you have other men in your life now?¡± ¡°No,¡± Tijana offered him an encouraging smile, ¡°I¡¯m not surprised you¡¯re asking this, and I¡¯m glad to have the chance to tell you myself... Is there anything else?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough for me,¡± Lancelot bowed deeply to Tijana, ¡°My apologies, my lady.¡± ¡°Your honesty will never offend me...¡± the succubus let herself fall into Lancelot¡¯s arms, whispering softly in his ear, ¡°Please remember that, my knight.¡± Lancelot extended his arms, embracing his beloved. They were immersed in the soft touch of each other for a good while before parting, both wearing calm and satisfied smiles. ¡°We should do this more often... especially when you¡¯re not wearing armor,¡± Tijana remained in Lancelot¡¯s embrace, pulling a face not in keeping with the demeanor of a Demon Lord, ¡°Don¡¯t get too pleased yet; I have some questions for you too, very difficult ones, but not now.¡± ¡°When will that be?¡± ¡°When you feel you can... be on top,¡± Tijana chuckled, freeing herself from his arms, her coquettish demeanor causing the Human Knight to involuntarily start practicing the Ice Heart Technique. The Succubus Lord turned to look at the mountain of gold in front of her, and heaved a deep sigh, ¡°Ah... Kostcheqi¡¯s Treasure, it certainly is a pleasure to behold, but a real hassle to deal with.¡± ¡°I was worried about that too.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°But I guess you¡¯ll have a way to manage it, right?¡± ¡°Of course, but let¡¯s go outside first; after all, they all have a share of these spoils.¡± Moments later, the figure of the Human Knight and the Succubus Lord reappeared in Hagrid Manor. Everyone was sipping red wine¡ªor at least what appeared to be red wine¡ªexcept for the Dwarf, who clung to his golden ale, gobbling up skewers of roasted White Dragon meat. ¡°Ah, damn it, how could you be so quick!¡± Upon seeing them emerge, Bruto immediately let out a loud lament, while old Reap just cracked a smile, sweeping two coins from the table into his pocket. ¡°So... how does it feel?¡± the Dwarf asked, wiping the froth of ale from his beard, ¡°Was it super shocking?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°but Tijana has something to say about how to deal with it...¡± ¡°First, for the good of everyone, I would like to ask a few questions...¡± the Succubus Lord¡¯s gaze swept over everyone present, ¡°and I need absolutely honest answers.¡± Her fingers swirled through the air swiftly, followed by a short incantation. A golden halo spread outwards from Tijana¡¯s body, covering a fifteen-foot radius. Lancelot was familiar with this Spell; he had seen it at an interrogation presided over by a Radiant Cloud Angel. The effect was to prevent anyone within the spell¡¯s range from deliberately telling lies. Of course, he could try to resist the spell, but the caster would know immediately about such an attempt, and right now, he had no reason to do so. ¡°Domain of Truth?¡± Alamir¡¯s face showed a ghost-like expression, ¡°How do you know this one?¡± ¡°I understand more than you think, surprising, isn¡¯t it?¡± the Succubus Lord glanced at the Elf Priest, ¡°Tell me, have you ever under any circumstance revealed information about Kostcheqi¡¯s treasure to anyone not present right now? Don¡¯t shake or nod your head, speak.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°No.¡± ... All the companions voiced their confirmation, and Tijana nodded in satisfaction, waving her hand to dissipate the Domain of Truth. ¡°Good, I don¡¯t need to say it for you to guess that leaking such information is of no benefit to anyone.¡± Tijana nodded, making eye contact with each person, ¡°My next spell will prevent all of us, myself included, from being able to talk about the location of Kostcheqi¡¯s treasure to anyone who does not already know, and even among us, we¡¯ll have to refer to it as ¡®that time¡¯s spoils¡¯ to prevent eavesdropping.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not fond of being subjected to such magic,¡± the Dwarf complained, ¡°but ¡®that time¡¯s spoils¡¯ are indeed too numerous, and it¡¯s wise to be... wait, has the spell taken effect already?¡± ¡°Of course, if I let you prepare in advance, the spell wouldn¡¯t work properly,¡± the Succubus Magician said with a smug smile, ¡°Silent casting, a very useful super magical ability. If you¡¯re smart, you¡¯d best learn not to be too presumptuous in my presence.¡± ¡°Uh, my apologies, my lady,¡± Bruto immediately adopted a stiff, upright posture, ¡°Please make sure not to subtly make my beard disappear.¡± ¡°I promise you, if one day something happens to your bunch of red curls, it will have nothing to do with me.¡± Tijana took her seat next to her own chair, reaching over to grab a skewer of roasted dragon meat from a plate that Alamir had just brought over, ¡°Safety measures are now in place, so we can talk about how to turn ¡®that time¡¯s spoils¡¯ into wealth that you can actually use. The biggest issue is of course the revenge of the original owner; no one knows when it will regain its freedom. It could be ten thousand years later, or it might be hurrying back to its lair right now. Can you imagine its reaction when it finds its home gone? Anyway, I¡¯m rather looking forward to it... All in all, if the Abyss has taught me anything, it¡¯s always to plan for the worst-case scenario.¡± Chapter 607 607 631 Spoils of War Disposal ?Chapter 607: Chapter 631 Spoils of War Disposal Chapter 607: Chapter 631 Spoils of War Disposal ¡°How can Kostcheqi find a way to locate us?¡± Lancelot approached the bonfire and helped skewer more dragon meat onto the grill, ¡°Something like the spell we used to find that armor?¡± ¡°That would be the simplest method, but as long as ¡®that battle loot¡¯ stays in my half-plane, the Prince of Wrath can¡¯t use magic to pinpoint its location,¡± Tijana picked up the cup before her and took a small sip of the red liquid inside, ¡°But once they leave my half-plane, it becomes much harder to say. You wouldn¡¯t want to face an Abyssal Lord dropping in from the sky all of a sudden, especially one known for having a bad temper, would you?¡± ¡°Can we just sell them off so we don¡¯t have to worry about an angry former owner coming after us?¡± Bruto suggested, ¡°That way we wouldn¡¯t have to worry about it...¡± ¡°Sell merchandise that could lead to the customer¡¯s death? Personally, I¡¯m not fond of the idea, and maybe you Dwarves have a different take on this?¡± The Succubus Lord looked at Bruto sarcastically, ¡°Besides, while Kostcheqi would most likely just kill the holder, who can guarantee he won¡¯t find out where those things came from by some means? Just for the record, I can¡¯t beat him...¡± ¡°But sister, don¡¯t you have a lot of subordinates?¡± Little Isha couldn¡¯t help but ask from the side, ¡°Even if Kostcheqi is formidable, surely he can¡¯t defeat an entire army by himself?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about whether we can win or not, battles between Lords aren¡¯t like that, my girl,¡± Tijana gently shook her head, ¡°Tanari will only follow the strong. If you can¡¯t defeat your enemy yourself, don¡¯t expect your subordinates to lay down their lives for you. Loyalty may exist, but don¡¯t count on it. In the end, it¡¯s all about relying on yourself, especially for women like you and me.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Little Isha nodded respectfully, her complexion seeming to pale a little. ... ¡°What about Dain Frostbeard¡¯s armor?¡± Lancelot immediately thought of another problem, ¡°Since it¡¯s going to be displayed in the Dwarves¡¯ Craftsman Hall, the news will sooner or later spread to other parts of the Abyss...¡± ¡°The good news is, although the armor is of great significance to the Dwarf race, it is not in itself a particularly powerful magical item, at least Kostcheqi would never imagine it was what led to the downfall of his stronghold,¡± Tijana shrugged at Lancelot, ¡°To tell the truth, I still find it hard to believe you managed to pull off such an outrageous feat... But it won¡¯t be long before the entire Abyss hears about the melting of the Glacial Fortress, naturally, many will ask where the treasure inside went.¡± ¡°And if only Twin Bridges Town comes up with a relic...¡± Lancelot frowned as he spoke, ¡°Then we don¡¯t need to wait for Kostcheqi to escape, treasure hunters would constantly come knocking on our door...¡± ¡°Smart, which is why what I¡¯m about to say involves how to deal with those magical pieces of equipment.¡± The Succubus Lord raised her arm, took a silver hairpin from her coiled hair, and her unbound black hair cascaded down like a waterfall. She relaxedly tossed her hair back and languidly leaned into the chair back, as though it were her throne. ¡°I¡¯m going to throw them away.¡± ¡°What?¡± The Dwarf exclaimed as he jumped up, ¡°What did you just say? I disagree!¡± ¡°Bruto!¡± Lancelot hissed lowly, ¡°Sit down!¡± There was a special kind of magic in his voice, and the Dwarf felt as if a large bell had rung by his ear, instantly returning him to his senses. ¡°Please forgive me, my Lord,¡± Bruto immediately sat back down, ¡°I was just... just...¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If I received a Gold Coin each time a Dwarf offended me, I would definitely be much richer than I am now.¡± Tijana gave a sidelong glance at the nearby Human Knight, clearly interested in the power in his voice a moment ago, ¡°What about you? Do you also oppose my decision?¡± ¡°I can probably guess the reason for doing so,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°but the question is how much to throw and how to do it?¡± ¡°I will open a special Portal, one end of which will be completely random and constantly changing, although it is very likely still within the Abyssal Plane. The only restriction is that there are no living creatures within thirty feet.¡± The Succubus Lord frowned, tapping her fingers lightly on the wine glass, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this shortly. As for how much to throw... We¡¯ll keep the best of course, and toss out half of the rest. That should be enough to muddy the waters sufficiently. Additionally, none of you can play hero in front of Twin Bridges Town¡¯s Dwarves anymore. I will claim that Dain Frostbeard¡¯s armor appeared out of thin air in Twin Bridges Town, and then spread some rumors that it¡¯s a miracle from Moradin or something.¡± As the Succubus Lord finished speaking, everyone looked disappointed, of course except for a certain Human Knight. The most distressed seemed to be Bruto, who picked up his wine glass and took a big swallow to calm his emotions, then asked with difficulty: ¡°What about the ones we keep... What do we do with them?¡± ¡°Nothing at all.¡± The Succubus Lord snapped her fingers, and the liquid flew out of the wine bottle beside her, refilling the glass in her hand, ¡°As long as Kostcheqi is alive, they will remain in my demiplane. Additionally, I will create a special room to block any detection or summoning magics. To be clear beforehand, without my permission, no one can enter that room, in case any of you cannot resist the temptation, or gets possessed in secret.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Lancelot spoke up immediately. As the leader of the team and also the key person in seizing these spoils of war, his early endorsement made it difficult for his companions to say anything else. ¡°Good,¡± Tijana nodded, ¡°As for the rest, it¡¯s a bit simpler. To prevent hidden markings, all Gold Coins will be recast into bars, and the gemstones will be ground into powder to be sold as spellcasting materials. I¡¯ll arrange all this. But to avoid attracting unnecessary attention, I can¡¯t handle it too quickly, a maximum of one hundred thousand Gold Coins per month. Any problems?¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze turned towards Lancelot, as some questions had to be asked, but only he could do the asking. ¡°Actually, there is a small issue, no offense, but... ¡± Lancelot began evenly, ¡°...how do we trust that you won¡¯t take more than your share?¡± ¡°That question, well... I understand,¡± Tijana said, not looking at Lancelot but sweeping her gaze over the others, ¡°but haven¡¯t you forgotten? I have made the Styx Oath to take only my allotted thirty percent and not plot for any of the rest in any way. Focus and feel it for yourselves, you¡¯ll realize the oath is still in effect, and as long as the spoils of war aren¡¯t fully distributed, it will remain so.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s proceed in that manner.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hurry, I have one more thing,¡± Tijana set down her wine glass and turned to look at Kalalin, ¡°I want to take away a particular piece of the spoils of war.¡± ¡°My Lord, what you desire is... ¡± A sense of foreboding suddenly surged in the Scholar¡¯s heart. ¡°That Dark Scroll,¡± the Succubus Lord shrugged, ¡°It is useful to me.¡± Chapter 608 608 632 Loyal Reader of the Scroll of ?Chapter 608: Chapter 632: Loyal Reader of the Scroll of Darkness Chapter 608: Chapter 632: Loyal Reader of the Scroll of Darkness Two hours later. The bustling White Dragon Barbecue had come to an end, and the leftover dragon meat was magically frozen and stored in the Dimensional Bag. Then, in front of an audience, Tijana opened a randomly selected Portal and threw in a large number of magical equipment sparkling with Spiritual Light. Although there would be no creatures near the exit of the Portal, it was hard not to notice an item shining brightly in the dark. The nights in the Abyssal Plane were never peaceful, and these discarded treasures would undoubtedly create more bloodshed and turmoil. However, for the residents living in Hagrid Manor, they could finally go to bed. The day that had just ended was not only incredibly long, but it also marked the conclusion of a great, exciting, arduous, and rewarding adventure. Everyone had left, and in the semi-plane, only the lovers who did not require sleep remained. ¡°My lady, could you tell me, what use is the Scroll of Darkness to you?¡± Lancelot stood next to Tijana, who was staring at Dain Frostbeard¡¯s armor, ¡°I thought initially you wanted to destroy it, as seems to be the duty of all Tanari Lords; but then you allowed Kalalin to copy its contents in the castle whenever...¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good arrangement? The Cult values the knowledge left by Am, but reading it directly is full of dangers. At best, it leads to mental disturbances; at worst, it summons other demons. If they¡¯re in my castle, there¡¯s no need to worry about these things.¡± Tijana shook her head, shifting her gaze away from the platinum Breastplate, ¡°Guess, other than members of the Dark Cult, who else would be a loyal reader of Turgeit No Am? Let me give you a hint, this legendary adventurer travelled almost all known planes of the Abyss, even including some that most demons struggle to step foot in, and he detailed the geographical features, main residents, power distribution, and important locations of these planes...¡± ¡°You mean the demons themselves also read the Scroll of Darkness?¡± Lancelot¡¯s expression became very animated, ¡°But why is there always a rumor, saying that demons always try to retrieve and destroy the Scroll of Darkness?¡± ... ¡°Many Lord Level demons understand the value of the Scroll of Darkness, but as for why there are always demons trying to destroy these scrolls...¡± Tijana shrugged, ¡°If a book recorded where valuable mines are in your territory, where hidden Portals are, where there are disgruntled rebels, wouldn¡¯t you want to prevent such a book from circulating outside?¡± ¡°I get it,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°But in that case, you probably just need the information recorded in the Scroll of Darkness? Why keep its original form?¡± ¡°The Scroll of Darkness is considered a high-rank Divine Artifact, do you know what kind of power it holds?¡± ¡°The last holder of this Scroll of Darkness was a Frost Giant who, during our fight, summoned a six-armed Serpent Demon and compelled the Serpent Demon to obey his will,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Summoning and controlling a High-rank Tanari, that¡¯s a power only Lords possess, right?¡± ¡°Ah, that, well, it¡¯s quite nice for the average person, but the truly valuable power is another,¡± Tijana laughed lightly, shaking her head, ¡°Once a day, the holder can specify any plane in the Abyss, after which the holder can teleport up to eight creatures to that plane and have them automatically return after a predetermined duration. Do you understand the value of this power?¡± ¡°Not particularly,¡± Lancelot admitted frankly, ¡°First, through the Great Abyss and Mogrondale, isn¡¯t it possible to go directly to any specific plane? Secondly, as a powerful caster like you, teleporting directly to a plane shouldn¡¯t be difficult, right? Like the last time I was trapped in a painting by the Mother of Demons, you directly teleported to my side...¡± ¡°It¡¯s different, I located your position by using that emblem. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for me to teleport inside Bone Castle.¡± Tijana clung to Lancelot¡¯s arm as the two strolled slowly along the stream in the half-plane, ¡°You probably don¡¯t understand the mechanism of Teleportation Magic very well, do you?¡± ¡°Indeed, my lady, I¡¯ve spent most of my life wielding a longsword.¡± ¡°Then let me explain the basic rules of Teleportation Magic to you: the more the caster knows about the destination, the more precise the teleportation will be. The most accurate is short-distance teleportation within the field of vision, followed by teleportation using precise, unique Magic Runes for positioning¡ªboth types are exact teleportations without error. All other teleportations are imprecise. If the caster has been to the destination consciously, the error might only be several tens of feet; if they have only read a detailed and accurate description of the destination, the error could be as much as a mile, but usually, it¡¯s not dangerous. Beyond that, it¡¯s like throwing dice. For instance, I¡¯ve never been to Dimogorgen¡¯s territory, the Saltwater Marshes, and only know it is a realm filled with saltwater and rocks, then my teleportation might land me anywhere on that layer¡ªthousands of feet underwater or in the air, or even right in front of the Demon Prince himself. Needless to say, such teleportation is no different from suicide, of course, unless your power is so great that even Dimogorgen can only loudly complain, then it¡¯s still feasible.¡± ¡°So, because Am is familiar with the Abyss, does using the Scroll of Darkness for teleportation equate to the caster personally reaching the destination?¡± ¡°Not that precise, but pretty close.¡± Tijana nodded, ¡°And traveling through the Great Abyss isn¡¯t as easy as you might think. Androlina and the Iron Ice Plains are rare exceptions, the former being a contested territory, the latter unguarded due to Kostcheqi being captured. In fact, many Abyssal Lords tightly guard the entrances to the Great Abyss, and even those layers that allow entry are subject to strict checks and extortion from the guards. But with the teleportation ability of the Scroll of Darkness, no one would know you were there, now you understand its value, right?¡± ¡°In the hands of a Neutral Town Lord like yourself, it would indeed be very useful.¡± Lancelot turned his head, looking into Tijana¡¯s eyes, ¡°But my intuition tells me that you actually want to use the power of the Scroll of Darkness to reach a layer that isn¡¯t easily accessible, right?¡± Tijana glared back at Lancelot, her expression almost rigid, like a child whose lie had been discovered by their parents. ¡°Damn, you really are more sensitive than you appear.¡± She finally smiled ruefully and looked away, ¡°Yes, your intuition is very accurate.¡± ¡°Does it have to do with the intricate revenge you¡¯ve been planning?¡± ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t ask any more, I can¡¯t give you more answers now.¡± Tijana pushed aside slightly, ¡°It¡¯s very late, I need to go back to rest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really a pleasure to be with you.¡± Lancelot solemnly gave a knight¡¯s bow, ¡°I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow, my lady.¡± ¡°Tomorrow... I do indeed need your company, my knight.¡± The Succubus Lord winked at him, ¡°Come find me in the castle in the morning, and remember to wear your full suit of armor, and it¡¯s better if you polish it too.¡± Chapter 609 609 633 Secret Chamber ?Chapter 609: Chapter 633: Secret Chamber Chapter 609: Chapter 633: Secret Chamber The next morning, Lancelot¡¯s companions helped him tend to his armor: first, Kalalin used Mending to restore the cracks and holes back to their original state, and then Bruto polished the armor¡¯s surface with sandpaper until it shined like a mirror. Following that was Alamir, who applied a special wax to the armor, enhancing its quality and texture, and incidentally demonstrating why his own Cold Iron Full Body Armor always looked so refined. When Lancelot stood before everyone fully dressed, even Alamir couldn¡¯t help but nod in admiration continuously, while little Isa excitedly applauded. ¡°Big brother looks so cool!¡± Isa¡¯s eyes almost sparkled with stars, ¡°It would be even better if he had a cape, along with a crest... eh, brother, what¡¯s your crest?¡± ¡°Red and white stripes.¡± Lancelot replied instinctively, suddenly feeling a sense of de?ja? vu as if it were something from a past life. After briefly zoning out, he shook his head with a wry smile, ¡°Let¡¯s forget about it, the Plains of the Abyss are so hot, wearing a cape would look silly.¡± ¡°Definitely not!¡± Isa asserted confidently, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see sister Tijana wearing a red and white striped cape. When the time comes, I¡¯ll carry a basket and sprinkle petals over your heads, hehehe~¡± ¡°Hey, you underage girl, all you think about all day is this stuff.¡± Bruto crossed his arms, ¡°And why should there be flowers at a wedding? And scattered everywhere? That¡¯s just not serious enough!¡± ¡°I think Lancelot should change into a Twin Bridges Town cape,¡± said Kalalin seriously, ¡°unless he can become an Abyssal Lord...¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop discussing the cape,¡± Lancelot called Tijana through a psychic link, and a Portal spontaneously opened in the garden outside the window, ¡°Bruto, let me remind you once again to keep the materials a secret when giving them to your dad, understand? Even if Uncle Barrend swears not to tell anyone, it won¡¯t work, because he¡¯ll be unable to resist making others do the same, and soon every Dwarf in Twin Bridges Town will know...¡± ... ¡°Got it, got it,¡± Bruto made a face, ¡°But my old man isn¡¯t dumb, it won¡¯t take him a few days before he suspects that I have a complete ancient White Dragon corpse...¡± ¡°Let your dad guess, but you can¡¯t reveal a word, you can hint that if you did speak, it would be dangerous to your life. That way, he won¡¯t go around inquiring,¡± Lancelot responded. ¡°I got it,¡± Bruto waved his hand dismissively, ¡°Go on, don¡¯t keep your beloved waiting, that venerable Succubus Lord will get angry and make my beard disappear!¡± ¡°She never said that; you were drunk at the time,¡± Lancelot shook his head and walked towards the Portal, ¡°But it¡¯s okay to think that way if it makes you more careful...¡± ¡°I¡¯m always improving!¡± Bruto shouted out the window, but with Lancelot already gone through the Portal, he sought affirmation from his comrades, ¡°I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± Kalalin nodded, ¡°You did a great job controlling yourself yesterday, you didn¡¯t toss your hammer into the Stygian River.¡± ¡°But you almost threw yourself in,¡± Alamir added darkly, ¡°All thanks to a certain underage girl...¡± ¡°Oh, shut up, damn Elves.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The other side of the portal was located in a stone chamber, which from the pattern of bricks on the wall, seemed to still be within the Succubus Lord¡¯s castle. An oval table stood in the center of the room, with Tijana seated at the head, while the Human Knight who had come through the portal stood behind her. When Tijana heard the crackling sound of someone leaving the portal, she turned her head to look. Seeing the Human Knight in full regalia, a brief flicker of joy passed through the Succubus Lord¡¯s eyes, but she quickly composed herself, nodded at him, and said, ¡°Good morning, Sir Lancelot. Today, you¡¯ll play the role of my honor guard. Don¡¯t worry, there won¡¯t be any fighting involved; you just need to stand behind me looking imposing. But for now, find a place to sit and rest, our guests haven¡¯t arrived yet.¡± Lancelot nodded and sat down on a chair against the wall to the right of the Succubus Lord. The chamber wasn¡¯t just home to him and Tijana; wrapped around the long table were three six-armed Serpent Demons, commanders of the military forces of Twin Bridges Town. Although Lancelot had seen them before, he only recognized Solheim, who often manned the front desk at the entrance to the Mercenary Hall, and he was now sporting a rather frightening smile at him. On the opposite side of the oval table sat two Dwarves who appeared to be very uncomfortable. They were the Chief Commissioner Braunville of the Craftsmen Committee and his assistant. The Chief Commissioner, whose hair was starting to grey, was almost completely burying his face in an open parchment spread before him; his assistant, however, had no such cover and could only study the lines of his palm intently. The source of the Dwarves¡¯ unease wasn¡¯t the Serpent Demons across from them, but the two Succubus Maids beside them. Dressed in tight black leather, they flanked the flustered Dwarves, whispering teasing words into their ears with seductive voices, twisting their supple bodies like snakes. ¡°Yatala, Shaqi, that¡¯s enough,¡± Tijana said with displeasure. ¡°Before our business is concluded, these two Dwarves aren¡¯t going to pay you any attention; don¡¯t embarrass me in front of Sir Lancelot.¡± The two Succubus Maids giggled and released the blushing Dwarves, retreating to a corner of the room to whisper to each other. If he had wanted, Lancelot could have easily heard their conversation, but he wasn¡¯t interested, and also the two unfamiliar Serpent Demons were watching him with a particularly peculiar gaze. Anyone would find it difficult to remain calm under the malevolent, triangular snake eyes of a six-armed Serpent Demon. Despite their extra limbs, the upper halves of these Demons were extremely beautiful, but the physiological reaction they elicited was completely different from that of a Succubus¡ªit made one¡¯s testicles want to retreat into their stomach. But fear comes from the unknown, and Lancelot had not only truly fought Serpent Demons before but had even killed one, even though the Serpent Demon at that time was gravely injured. Though his current strength was likely insufficient to take on a healthy Serpent Demon, he was completely able to face their gaze calmly, showing no sign of fear that the Demons could detect. ¡°Nice look in your eyes there,¡± one of the Serpent Demons suddenly spoke up, with a languid voice that reminded one of a rattlesnake slowly crossing hot sands, ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe that someone with eyes like those would do something as crazy as tying himself to the prow of a ship and ramming it into a pontoon bridge...¡± ¡°Heh, as if a thousand-year-old virgin would fall for an average man,¡± another Serpent Demon chimed in, her voice surprisingly normal, like that of a pampered Countess, ¡°Tell me, human... where do you come from? What¡¯s your rank? Have you ever been married? Do you have any children?¡± Chapter 610: 634 Viska and Bessiah ¡°Madam Viska, I am right here,¡± Tijana covered her face with both hands, ¡°And do you really have to call me that nickname in front of my lover?¡± ¡°Oh~~~~ my~ lover.¡± The Serpent Demon, with a perfect high-society woman¡¯s voice, mimicked even the snobbish demeanor perfectly, ¡°Did I hear you wrong? You were referring to my Dwarf, right?¡± ¡°Sir Lancelot is my lover,¡± Tijana firmly replied, ¡°And he has proven himself, in front of everyone. ¡®The man who will still rush towards you when you¡¯re in danger.¡¯ That¡¯s what you told me yourself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apply my experiences to yourself. I am a Serpent Demon, a walking nightmare, while you are a Succubus who merely needs to tug at her collar to have brainless fools rushing into fire and brimstone for you.¡± The six-armed Serpent Demon named Viska unabashedly spoke to her own Lord, then turned to look at Lancelot, ¡°As for you, human, you don¡¯t look like a fool, but I will still keep an eye on you.¡± ¡®She means no harm.¡¯ Tijana¡¯s voice echoed directly in Lancelot¡¯s consciousness, ¡®For my sake, do not escalate a conflict with her.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Madam Viska,¡± Lancelot respectfully nodded to the two Serpent Demons, ¡°And you, madam, may I know how to address you?¡± ¡°She is ¡®The Serpent of the Scorched Sands,¡¯ Bessiah, Commander of the First Legion,¡± Tijana introduced, ¡°Madam Viska and Bessiah helped me establish Twin Bridges Town, and Solheim joined us shortly after that. They are both battle-hardened Blood War Generals.¡± ¡°Sonam mentioned that you were a Commander too?¡± Bessiah¡¯s voice was still lazy and dangerously disarming, ¡°How many battles have you fought? Any noteworthy achievements?¡± ¡°Compared to you, my experiences are hardly worth mentioning,¡± Lancelot earnestly replied. ¡°Oh, modesty, a sophisticated disguise,¡± Madam Viska seemed to completely misinterpret Lancelot¡¯s meaning, ¡°Experience doesn¡¯t necessarily equate to capability. Even though you humans only live for a few decades, you always manage to stir up earth-shattering events. Ironically, it¡¯s still said that we Tanari are the most impatient species in the Multiverse.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a Scholar named Kalalin in their mercenary group. He is a member of the Dark Cult,¡± Sonam interjected, ¡°I¡¯m sure he would be delighted to hear your grievances.¡± ¡°Dark Cult? I¡¯m just bored, not interested in dealing with those annoying folks,¡± Madam Viska placed her six arms on the table, ¡°But you, Sir, you snatched away the fun I had been waiting for so eagerly. Yesterday I could have killed another hundred Bartez, but you and those Dragons you brought ended everything prematurely. Speaking of dragons, Tijana, was it really a good idea to allow those little damsels to nest in the south? Aren¡¯t you worried that might scare off the passing caravans?¡± ¡°This is the Abyss,¡± the Succubus Lord shrugged, ¡°If a caravan can¡¯t handle a few young dragons in the wild, they wouldn¡¯t be capable of reaching the gates of Twin Bridges Town.¡± ¡°Good point, but if this situation continues, soon no caravan will come to Twin Bridges Town,¡± Madam Viska leaned forward, her tone full of urgency, ¡°Tijana, we must take action and not let Volcano Fortress fall into the hands of Demons.¡± ¡°I can see the problem just as clearly as you, Madam,¡± the Succubus Lord calmly replied, ¡°But I won¡¯t agree to your proposal to lead the troops into battle.¡± ¡°My warriors are absolutely elite! If you had read the post-war reports...¡± ¡°Of course I read them, a very impressive casualty ratio that clearly shows how outstanding your work is, but what do you want next? To prove your strength by defeating Bartez with the same number of troops in the field?¡± Tijana asked resolutely, ¡°Even if you did manage that, wouldn¡¯t the entire power of the Abyss then turn their attention to Twin Bridges Town, which is exactly what we are trying to avoid?¡± ¡°You know I want that to happen even less than you do,¡± the Serpent Demon sat back down, ¡°but we cannot have Demons as neighbors, the Volcano Fortress must...¡± ¡°Be under Tanari¡¯s control,¡± Solheim interjected, ¡°I think you misunderstand Tijana¡¯s intention. Think about it, if our strength appears weaker, will the surrounding powers still confront the Demons wholeheartedly? No, they would start considering the benefits of betraying us, and most likely, one or two fools will perceive it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.¡± ¡°And if Twin Bridges Town¡¯s defenses are as solid as a rock, that could dispel some people¡¯s unrealistic notions,¡± Tijana added, ¡°Dear Madam Viska, you know I have always held the greatest respect for you, but think about why you came to Twin Bridges Town in the first place? Or are you saying you¡¯ve had enough rest and are ready to re-engage in the blood battle?¡± ¡°This time it¡¯s different, the Demons are already at our doorstep! If we refuse to send even a single soldier, how can we expect other forces to deploy their armies?¡± Viska refused to accept the Succubus Lord¡¯s explanation, ¡°At this point, if we Tanari continue to fight amongst ourselves, we will never drive Bartez out of the Abyss!¡± ¡°If we Tanari could unite, then it wouldn¡¯t just be Bartez fighting in the Abyss,¡± the Serpent of the Sands commented sarcastically, ¡°As for how to force others to join the fight, of course, we¡¯ll rely on our race¡¯s fine traditions: intimidation, threats, enticement, deception, and perhaps a little violence, and Tijana is more skilled in these methods than either of us. Have you been out of combat for so long that you actually want to persuade these scoundrels by setting an example?¡± Just when the generals of the Serpent Demon were heatedly arguing almost to the point of quarreling, a Succubus Maid walked in from outside the secret chamber. Seeing the situation in the room, she displayed a helpless expression, but fortunately, Tijana noticed her in time, tapped on the table, and silenced everyone. ¡°What is it, Mira, have the representatives arrived yet?¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord,¡± the Succubus Maid nodded at Tijana, her gaze curiously lingering on Lancelot for a moment, ¡°May I inform them to enter now?¡± ¡°Yes, go ahead, we¡¯ll be there shortly,¡± Tijana turned her head, ¡°Solheim, you and I will go up in a bit, let Bessiah and Madam Viska stay here, and the Braunville commissioner, give the blueprint to your assistant for study, join us too, it¡¯s just a simple task, you just need to sit there. As for you, my Knight...¡± The Succubus Lord looked at Lancelot, a hint of amusement in her eyes. ¡°Remember the previous arms fair? The situation later will be similar, only this time the discussion will be about who pays for the campaign to retake the Volcano Fortress. You will serve as my honor guard, staying close by my side. Yesterday¡¯s battles must have been disseminated by now, and those power representatives will most likely pay extra attention to you, do not respond to their probes or provocations, with me here, they won¡¯t dare do much.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°May I pretend to be controlled by your Charm Spell?¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Bessiah grinned widely, revealing a terrifying smile that split to his ears, ¡°My opinion of you just went up a notch, Sir Lancelot.¡± Chapter 611: 635 Envoy Enters the Scene Lancelot followed Tijana out of the secret chamber, walking side by side with the six-armed Serpent Demon, while two nervous Dwarves trailed behind them. The Succubus Maid Mira led the way in front, while the rest stayed back in that chamber. The group passed through a long hallway with no other rooms, then climbed a set of stairs. After several turns, Lancelot realized they were heading back above the chamber they had just left. Pushing open a thick metal double door, the group entered a spacious hall. Lancelot recognized it as a smaller hall above the Throne Hall, accessible by spiral staircases on either side; however, one wouldn¡¯t have guessed that a secret chamber was hidden beneath the floor without prior knowledge. In the center of the hall stood a huge stone round table, with several smaller metal doors lining the walls, each flanked by two Chainmail-clad Berserk Demon Guards. Evidently, they had been quite lax before the appearance of the Succubus Lord, but upon seeing Tijana, they snapped to attention like startled soldiers, then clumsily saluted her, causing a clash of metal friction sounds. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, soldiers,¡± Tijana waved her hand and walked toward a special chair beside the round table, ¡°once the envoys enter, you all stand guard outside.¡± The Succubus Lord sat down at her chair, taking a deep, subtle breath. Lancelot noticed that there were seven chairs in total around the circumference, seemingly oversized for a person of normal stature. However, a satin with the Twin Bridges Town emblem hung on Tijana¡¯s chair, and her effortlessly unfolded bat wings prevented her from looking out of place. Presence is part of power, a concept not foreign to Human Knights. Shortly after, Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception sensed an extremely powerful aura approaching the room. He turned and looked toward one of the large doors on the left. As he watched, the door was forcefully pushed open, nearly hitting the Berserk Demons on either side. The Chainmail-clad Demon Guards, enraged, spun around, their hands already on the handles of their axes. However, upon seeing who was entering, they showed expressions of extreme fear, their bodies completely freezing in place. Lancelot lowered his chin, allowing his eyes to hide behind the shadow of his Helmet, discreetly observing the newcomers. Two tall figures emerged from behind the door, both Demons he had never seen before. The one in front was extremely corpulent, at least twice the height of Lancelot, with a Demonized pig face on his neck and blood-red eyes twinkling with cunning. He was draped in a silk robe that exposed half of his body, the color reminiscent of bandages that were blood-stained and then washed clean. The loose garment did little to hide the long, black mane covering the Demon¡¯s body, behind which sprouted a pair of conspicuously small, disproportionately black wings. If Demons had a creator, then He surely drew inspiration from enormous apes and wild boars when creating this one, combining the two creatures in a crude manner, and then fitting it with a pair of crow¡¯s wings on the back. Following the massive Demon was another, over ten feet tall with dark red skin and a humanoid form. Unlike his companion, this Demon was lean yet clearly muscular, with a Battle Axe full of mysterious Runes on his back, radiating explosive power that anyone could perceive. The most remarkable part was its head: a colossal grey wolf¡¯s head, packed with densely packed fangs, constantly dripping saliva. Yet from the nape of its neck extended a thick, five-foot long serpent, the snake¡¯s head hovering beside the wolf¡¯s shoulder, hissing continuously. Thanks to the knowledge introduced by Kalalin, Lancelot recognized them as the Judge Demon and the Wolf-Serpent Demon. The former, a ¡®Judge¡¯ among the Tanari Demons, possessed the ability to directly transform a human face worm into a Prime Demon, Coward Devil, or Aberrant Demon; while the latter was one of the most mysterious types among the Tanari Demons, serving as the Executioner and Herald of the Abyssal Lord, capable of ¡®degrading¡¯ any creature, including Demons, into a Prime Demon. It was said that even the Barlow Flame Demon shied away from conflicts with them, indicating their status within the demon society. ¡°Great Lord of Sorrow Hediimer, welcome to my castle,¡± Tijana nodded to the Judge Demon walking in front, but did not rise, ¡°And this is ...¡± ¡°Behind me is Marshal Kanggrifen,¡± the Judge Demon sat down in the chair to the left of Tijana, speaking in a greasy voice that made Lancelot feel extremely disgusted, ¡°The Marshal directly obeys the Lord, and even I cannot command him, hehe ...¡± ¡°I do not hold a Marshal¡¯s title, nor will I interfere in your negotiation,¡± the Wolf-Serpent Demon stood behind the Judge Demon, the wolf head among its two heads speaking, ¡°My duty is clear, whatever the agreement you ultimately reach, I will ensure its complete and unmitigated enforcement.¡± Although the Wolf-Serpent Demon appeared merely as an attendant to the Hediimer Judge Demon, Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception clearly and unmistakably reminded him who the real boss was¡ªthe aura of the Judge Demon was slightly weaker than that of the Serpent Demon Solheim, and the presence of the Wolf-Serpent Demon felt akin to Pakos in his original form. In his memory, only after the Transformation into a Barlow Flame Demon did a man appear stronger. The Human Knight suddenly realized, he had many similarities with that tattoo-covered man, such as both being initially human, able to transform into Flame Demons (although his stamina was not quite up to mark now), and both possessing uniquely charming Succubus lovers. ¡°Then welcome to you too, Lord Griffin, I believe I will not inconvenience your duties in any way,¡± Tijana said, showing not the slightest bit of fear, ¡°Speaking of which, I once had a neighbor of your kind, the ¡®Punisher¡¯ Wisk, have you heard of him?¡± ¡°I know Wisk, and I¡¯ve heard the rumor of how he died, but I am not here to investigate that matter,¡± said the Wolf head, glancing meaningfully at the Serpent head on his shoulder, ¡°Ensuring the execution of the rescue plan for Volcano Fortress is my foremost duty, and as for the rest ... we¡¯ll talk about it later.¡± ¡°As it should be,¡± Tijana shrugged, ¡°My subordinates once reported seeing someone in the Demon¡¯s army wielding Wisk¡¯s Axe. That clueless fool was harshly reprimanded by me. Everyone knows you would never part with your weapons, he must have been mistaken, haha.¡± ¡°Yes, he must have been mistaken.¡± The Wolf-Serpent Demon nodded imperceptibly, but Lancelot still sharply noticed the unsettled look in its eyes. Just then, another door was gently pushed open¡ªfar more softly than the last. Lancelot looked up, his pupils dilating suddenly, for he saw a very familiar figure. A figure he had once killed. Chapter 612: 636: Chief Ambassador The newly emerged figure was breathtakingly beautiful, and to the inexperienced mortals, it was easy to mistake her for a Succubus. However, the remnants of burnt bat wings on her back, cloven hooves for feet, and four thick, slimy tentacles with hooked spines protruding from her waist and armpits revealed her true identity¡ªa Succubus, born from the ashes of a dead Succubus. At that moment, the Succubus who entered the hall was the one Lancelot and his companions had previously encountered in the treasury of the Succubus Palace. Back then, relying on his sharp Spirit Perception, he had ambushed her the moment she stepped out of the portal, gaining the upper hand in the battle and seizing the moment she tried to flee to slay her on the spot with his Innate True Qi. Although it was only a brief encounter, Lancelot could not fail to recognize the enemy¡¯s face, not to mention that the Dimensional Bag he most frequently used was obtained from the very Succubus before him¡ªthe scene where the Elf Priest, like a midwife, pulled the spoils from the body of the Succubus, still ranks as one of the worst memories of his adventuring career. Aside from a momentary change in his gaze, Lancelot displayed no other signs of recognition, and the Succubus, as if completely unacquainted with him, stepped forward with two topless male Succubi to greet Tijana, speaking respectfully, ¡°Greetings, esteemed Pearl of the Stygian River. I am Samantha, the plenipotentiary representative of Oasis Fort.¡± ¡°Please, take a seat,¡± Tijana nodded briefly, her gaze sweeping over the two attendants behind the speaker, her eyebrows slightly raised, ¡°Interesting, besides a certain pervert, has Oasis Fort acquired other male Succubi now?¡± ¡°Since the last attack by the Demons, Her Majesty the Queen thought that Lord Molo could use some... assistance,¡± the Succubus nodded, ¡°Oasis Fort has undergone many changes since then, and you are welcome to visit any time...¡± Lancelot was less than ten feet away from the Succubus, but after a covert glance at him, she lost interest, showing no sign of recognition. Confused by this, Lancelot reflected for a moment and understood the reason for this situation. The Transformation Ring. He was wearing the Transformation Ring when he battled with this Succubus and, unlike him, the Demons lacked the ability to sense opponents¡¯ presences with Spirit Perception, naturally failing to recognize that her foe was standing right in front of her. Two doors were pushed open simultaneously, and this time, two familiar figures entered: one was a twenty-feet-tall Minotaur, Pammi, the envoy of ¡®Destroyer Horns¡¯ Goel, followed by four Bloodhoof Demons; the other was Kavalan, her lower half that of a gigantic spider, and her upper half the black-skinned, white-haired female Elf representing ¡®Lady of the Web,¡¯ Erylmra, and compared to the imposing Minotaur delegation, she was accompanied by just another Arachne Elf. It was said that Goel and Erylmra were respectively the pet and lover of the ¡®Punisher¡¯ Wisk. After the sudden death of the Lord of the Wolf Serpent Demon, they divided the forces left by Wisk. The two envoys had previously visited Twin Bridges Town at that trade meeting, but at that time, they could not compete with the financially powerful Volcano Fortress. Although their locations were further east than Twin Bridges Town, if the Volcano Fortress was to fall completely, they would face the threat of the Demon¡¯s army at their doorstep, thus they were also summoned to attend today¡¯s meeting. The Minotaur and the Arachne Demon each stepped forward to greet Tijana and then sat opposite each other at the round table. Lancelot noticed that there was still one chair left empty directly opposite Tijana, and all the attendees patiently maintained their silence, obviously waiting for another envoy whose presence was crucially important. However, Lancelot had already guessed who would come¡ªit was Prince Kailon, one of the progeny of Lord Wu¡¯an, ¡°Grazzt.¡± Yet, to Lancelot¡¯s surprise, the figure pushing open the final door was not a familiar one. The one who appeared behind the door looked almost human, the only giveaway of his Fiend origin being the pair of tiny horns, as thick as thumbs, atop his head. The figure was clad in a plain black robe, his skin as pale as that of a corpse dead from excessive blood loss. If the paleness of his skin was not unsettling enough, the clear slime continuously seeping from his skin caused an extreme degree of discomfort to any mortal who saw it. Strangely, this slime would rapidly vaporize upon hitting the ground, as if it had never existed. ¡®That is Veyne, Grazzt¡¯s Chief Diplomat.¡¯ Tijana¡¯s voice resounded directly in Lancelot¡¯s mind, speaking rapidly, ¡®Be careful, he can read others¡¯ thoughts as easily as reading an open book. Stay alert, and if you feel like you are being watched, just think about what you want to do to me.¡¯ While communicating with Lancelot through a mental connection, the Succubus Lord herself rose from her chair. She approached the Chief Diplomat of the Abyssal Lord, speaking with a tone that was respectful yet filled with surprise: ¡°Lord Veyne, what brings you here?¡± ¡°Prince Kailon is trapped in the Volcano Fortress, and our lord takes it very seriously, so I had to come personally,¡± the pale-skinned demon replied with a very insincere smile, bowing to Tijana at an angle almost imperceptible to the naked eye, ¡°Please take a seat, Pearl of the Stygian Riverbank, and may all other lords be seated as well so that we may begin promptly.¡± Lancelot pretended to focus solely on Tijana but was surreptitiously using his peripheral vision to observe the reactions of others. The Bull Demon and the Arachne Elf nearly jumped from their seats, looking at Veyne with faces full of fear, as if regretting their decision to attend the meeting today; the Soul Judge also stood up, looking quite relaxed but sat back down without waiting for the other to suggest doing so, while the Wolf Serpent Demon behind him did not move at all, as if completely unaware of the new person in the room. The only one who not only did not stand but also glared at the Chief Ambassador was the representative from Oasis Fort, Succubus Samantha. Lancelot recalled what Kalalin had mentioned before, that due to a failed courtship, Lord Wu¡¯an and the Queen of the Succubus were openly hostile to each other, and despite Veyne¡¯s superior status, the Succubus would not show any respect in such a public setting. Who knew what precautions the Queen would take if the news reached the ears of Mekanshut regarding a potential traitor? Veyne showed no displeasure at this, and once the Succubus Lord had returned to her seat, he also took his. The Soul Judge next to Tijana cleared his throat, drawing everyone¡¯s attention before speaking in a greasy voice: ¡°These are trying times, lords. If it were not for the utmost importance of the Volcano Fortress, the Hall of Sorrow would never call such a meeting...¡± ¡°What¡¯s the big deal, can¡¯t Grazzt¡¯s stronghold be lost?¡± Succubus Samantha sarcastically retorted from Tijana¡¯s other side, ¡°Besides, with Lord Wu¡¯an¡¯s immense power, he can surely handle those presumptuous Bartez on his own. Why would the Hall of Sorrow need to bother asking for our help?¡± Chapter 613: 637: Obey, or Destroy ¡°First, let me make it clear, my lord does not intend to beg anyone. An army surpassing thirty thousand, composed of nine legions, has already assembled outside the Silver Palace. Leading them will be General Taran of the ¡®Hammer of Burning,¡¯ General Babos the ¡®Bartez Butcher,¡¯ and General Tu¡¯a of the ¡®Pale Blazing Flames.¡¯ If your heads have not been buried in the ground for the past thousand years, you should have heard of these three Flame Demon Generals,¡± said the Chief Ambassador in a leisurely tone, ¡°Today¡¯s discussion is about giving you representatives a chance to come up with a plan my lord can accept, to convince him there is no need to simply erase your forces from the map.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite polite, aren¡¯t you, Lord Veyne,¡± Samantha¡¯s voice oozed sarcasm. ¡°But as I see it, there seems to be no choice at all. Submit, or be destroyed¡ªis that it?¡± ¡°You could say that.¡± The humanoid demon whose skin kept secreting slime shrugged his shoulders, ¡°And I would actually prefer if you chose the latter, as it would be much simpler and we wouldn¡¯t have to constantly guard against possible betrayal.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± From somewhere, the Minotaur found the courage to slam his hand heavily on the stone table in front of him, ¡°Veyne, do not push us too far! Our lord is not a vegetarian, if you wish to fight, then come on! I guarantee you¡¯ll be bashing your heads in at the Broken Horn Hall!¡± ¡°Chief Envoy, your words are truly disappointing. Are the fates of Twin Bridges Town also limited to these two choices?¡± Tijana asked with a feigned smile, ¡°And here I thought our long-standing cooperation deserved some goodwill. Please don¡¯t tell me that was just my wishful thinking.¡± ¡°Respected Pearl of the Stygian River, you have already proven that Twin Bridges Town is a reliable partner, but the situation is different now.¡± Veyne¡¯s face was expressionless, ¡°This is war, after all. In the end, you either join the victors, or you and the losers are crushed into fragments. There are no other possibilities.¡± ¡°Really? We have a splendid moat, and shortly I¡¯ll give you a tour. Of course, even if I fill the city walls behind it with armies, just like what happened yesterday, it surely wouldn¡¯t stop the siege of nine legions, but at what cost?¡± ... Lancelot maintained his silence, pretending to be just a decorative suit of armor, yet he was carefully observing the expressions on everyone¡¯s faces. The easiest to read was the Minotaur Pami. After its impassioned speech, it realized the enormity of its mistake. Judging by its current expression, the moment Veyne shows even a slight willingness to compromise, this foolish beast would agree without hesitation. Across from it, the spider woman Kavalan was keeping her cool. Lancelot could not ascertain any information from her face, but her restless spider legs betrayed her extreme anxiety. The Succubus Samantha initially seemed very angry, but as the argument intensified, a flash of satisfaction crossed her face, and it seemed that stirring up the meeting was her true intent all along. And the soul-judging demon, with its pig-face, was doing the same as Lancelot. Hediimer squinted its small eyes, scanning each person seated at the table. Unlike Lancelot, it made no effort to conceal its actions. Seeing that the meeting could end at any moment without any result, it raised its furry arm and gently tapped on the table. The force was slight, yet it made everyone subconsciously shut their mouths. ¡°Come now, lords, although we all possess eternal lives, it¡¯s truly shameful to waste it on meaningless quarrels.¡± The soul-judging demon continued to tap out a rhythmic thump-thump on the table. Lancelot noticed that this demon¡¯s hands, although with longer nails, were not much different from a human¡¯s. However, such hands on a clearly bestial body made it all the more unsettling. ¡°I feel the need to clarify something, it was not Lord Wu¡¯an who sought us out; we took the initiative to contact Lord Wu¡¯an, which is why this meeting is taking place. The situation in the blood war has reached a very dangerous stage, our Tanari clan is on the brink of life and death, and we can no longer afford to fight independently as before.¡± As the soul-judging demon tapped, illusive images began to appear on the surface of the stone round table. Lancelot looked up and saw what appeared to be a map of the Plains of the Abyss, similar to one Kalalin had once shown him: a serpentine river flowed from the upper half of the map, splitting off to the right in the middle, one branch continued west, the other turned south, and eventually fell into a massive rift that occupied a quarter of the map¡¯s center. The rest of the map showed a desert on the left, a huge mountain range on the right, a land of lava in the lower right corner, and broken lands with many floating islands south of the great rift. Lancelot knew that rift was the entrance to the Great Abyss in the Plains of the Abyss, with Twin Bridges Town located in the upper right corner of the map. Naturally, the map was not a full view of the Plains of the Abyss, but Scholar had told him that all significant locations in the first layer of the Abyss were near the Stygian River and the entrance to the Great Abyss, with the further areas being barren, even demons were loath to stay there. Perhaps he was too obvious in his observation of the map, for Lancelot suddenly felt a pair of ghastly white eyes fixed on him. Shortly after, he felt someone trying to pry into his spiritual world, akin to sensing someone standing outside your bedroom window at night while the wind attempts to lift the curtain. Lancelot¡¯s thoughts whirred and within only a breath¡¯s span, he had set a stage in his Divine Sense, then he voluntarily pulled the curtain back in that corner. Of course, he was very careful, as though the curtain was indeed stirred by the wind. Whoever was standing outside the window would see an extremely surreal scene: a human knight, leading countless demons, crushing a large army of purple-skinned demons to dust. Wherever he went, cheers calling out his name would erupt, while countless naked Succubi knelt at his feet, longing for him to grant them a sprinkle of his Essence. However, these trivial and vulgar things meant nothing to him. There was only one person he wanted, in that red castle, on a large bed draped with red curtains, the Pearl of the Stygian Riverbank waited for him. His slaughters, his conquests, his feats, all were for that moment to arrive when he would press down upon her with his... Chapter 614: 638: The Fate of the Race ¡°Her majesty understands that most of you only care about the surroundings of your own territories and neither can nor do understand the full scope of affairs across the entire realm. You might have heard that the Prince of Wrath was captured in Aphnas, the lord of the hyena-people was defeated by Zaris, and then the news of various Abyssal Lords¡¯ failures followed. Their armies were first driven out of Scorched Flame Hell, then suffered a significant defeat in the Grey Ruins, and finally, even Castery fell. But what does that have to do with you? Those are merely the games of the greats, vying for power. What you should consider is how to survive in an environment surrounded by formidable enemies, conquer your opponents, and expand your influence,¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t that the very way we Demons survive?¡± the transfigured Elf finally spoke, his voice cold yet slightly trembling, ¡°The weak are killed off in the competition, serving as stepping stones for others to advance. The strongest, most cunning, evil, and shameless individuals become Abyssal Lords, ruling over entire realms. If they make stupid mistakes leading to their failures, then they only have themselves to blame and deserve to be replaced by others!¡± ¡°Upon receiving the message from the Hall of Sorrow, I imagined many reasons why this meeting could have been called, none of which aligns with our current situation,¡± Tijana¡¯s tone sounded more moderate, ¡°Sir, are you giving us a moral lecture?¡± ¡°That is certainly not her majesty¡¯s intention. In fact, it¡¯s precisely this brutal competitive mechanism that¡¯s viewed by other races as exceedingly harsh but has allowed us Tanari to become the most powerful race in the Multiverse,¡± the soul-judging demon shuddered its disproportionate crow wings, its fingers tracing eastwards over the upper half of the map, ¡°However, as her majesty mentioned at the beginning, times are challenging indeed, lords...¡± As the soul-judging demon moved, purple blocks started to spread from the left to the right on the upper part of the map. Lancelot could easily guess that this represented the current extent of the Demons¡¯ power. As the demon marked on the map, he spoke in a rather heartbroken tone: ¡°In less than a year, the Demons have taken control of the entire Foul Sand Desert, then they began advancing to the Land of Sin¡ªOs-Magros Great Temple, Tower of Pain, Ugroget Fortress, Lair of Ednachet; these significant strongholds fell one after the other. And just as General Visuvius of the ¡®Destruction Flame¡¯ walked into an enemy trap in the plains, Plague Town was being besieged by a large demon army. The latest news is that the devilspawn lord has decided to surrender, and we have no information on the ultimate fate of the northern Broken Realm...¡± As the soul-judging demon¡¯s finger finally stopped over the area marked as Volcano Fortress, the purple area ceased spreading. If the situation was truly as the map depicted, about one-third of the Plains of the Abyss had already fallen into Bartez¡¯s hands, and once Volcano Fortress also falls, the remaining areas would only be minor strongholds like Twin Bridges Town, which could hardly hold off the Demon assault. ¡°You can see that if Volcano Fortress falls, then the entire north of the Great Abyss will be completely penetrated by Bartez¡¯s army. The powers you represent will then have only one fate¡ªthat of destruction. Do any of you have any queries?¡± Everyone stared at the map on the stone table, no one speaking, while Lancelot took the opportunity to assess the situation near Twin Bridges Town. Volcano Fortress was approximately three hundred leagues west of Twin Bridges Town; three purple rectangles representing the Demon Legion surrounded the fortress¡ªtwo to the west and one to the east with another directly between Volcano Fortress and Twin Bridges Town, likely the army that attacked Twin Bridges Town yesterday. From the mouths of others, Lancelot had learned it was the 66th Field Brigade of the First Demon Group, commanded by Baboli. He also knew what the Abyssal Refinement had said before the war began, but Tijana had not mentioned a word of it to him, so Lancelot didn¡¯t let the Succubus Lord know of his anger. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, let us temporarily set aside our own fates and observe the entire war situation from a higher perspective,¡± seeing that no one spoke, the soul judge demon continued, ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to remind you explicitly, but I¡¯m sure none of you doubt Bartez¡¯s determination to completely exterminate our race. Our... intelligence sources show that Zariel is confident that the battle in the Land of Sin will end soon and has already begun to execute a plan to advance south from the Foul Sand Desert. There are no defensible positions in the Open Plains, the master of Lavasta has already fled, and the Crawling City is nothing more than a dung pit surrounded by fences. Once the Open Plains fall, the only places left in the Plains of the Abyss will be Lord Pazuzu¡¯s hanging kingdom and the molten iron lake to the southwest of the Shattered Mountain Range.¡± ¡°But the Wind Demon King has limited capabilities on the ground, and the molten iron lake is essentially a prison. The Demons only need to send a small contingent to guard the Tooth of Faul, and no army will think of getting out of the molten iron lake,¡± Grazzt¡¯s Chief Diplomat spoke up, his voice carrying a strange zeal, ¡°The situation is clear; the fate of Volcano Fortress is the fate of Tanari, the fate of the Bottomless Abyss! And my master has been chosen by destiny to save us from this disaster, the entire race¡¯s hope rests solely on him!¡± ¡°I feel Lord Veyne is exaggerating, but the Volcano Fortress is indeed of great importance,¡± the soul judge demon took over the conversation, his calm tone contrasting starkly with the dripping, gooey demon, ¡°If we cannot prevail at Volcano Fortress, soon the entire Plains of the Abyss will become Bartez¡¯s territory. If the Abyss is a pocket, then the Plains of the Abyss are the opening of that pocket, and when that day truly comes, the extinction of the entire Tanari race will no longer be something unimaginable.¡± ¡°Let it be destroyed, what does it matter?¡± the Succubus spoke up again, still in a dismissive tone, ¡°Lord Mekanshut will surely...¡± ¡°I am certain the Queen of the Succubus will find the right partner to spread her legs for, no one is better at it than she is, but before that...¡± Grazzt¡¯s Chief Diplomat stretched out his hand to the map marking Oasis Fort and then gave it several forceful twists. When he withdrew his arm, only a mass of distorted light and shadow remained, its threat implicit. ¡°Watch your words, Succubus, I¡¯ve had enough of your disrespect. Let me give you another hint, your mistress¡¯s lover, that baboon with two heads, doesn¡¯t want to see all the limelight taken by my lord, so it has personally led an army to the Open Plains, preparing to ambush the Demon¡¯s forces moving southward. Do you understand what this means? Your biggest backer would love to see my lord waste time on you, even if it¡¯s just for two hours. You can tell this information to Mekanshut right now, let her verify it with that baboon, and then think carefully about how you want to talk to me. Hurry up; we can wait for you,¡± he finished. The Succubus¡¯s face rapidly turned pale; she got up silently and hurriedly disappeared through the door she had entered. ¡°All right, Prince Hediimer and Lord Veyne, you have sufficiently explained the importance of Volcano Fortress, in fact, perhaps too sufficiently, I was almost overwhelmed by your grandiloquent descriptions,¡± Tijana said lazily, ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the main topic. To assist in this ¡®crucial¡¯ battle, what exactly do you need us to do?¡± Chapter 615: 639 Precious Leisure Time (Post now, edit later) ¡°First, we need to establish a large-scale permanent portal. I suppose Twin Bridges Town should have the necessary materials, right?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Tijana shrugged, ¡°But I don¡¯t like having a permanent portal near my domain, not to mention that the nation connected to this portal belongs to the most cunning creatures in the Abyss.¡± ¡°Thank you for your compliment, esteemed Pearl of the Stygian River. However, I believe your worries are completely unnecessary.¡± Veyne leaned forward, elbows resting on the table, ¡°No one in the entire Abyss is more adept at managing Dwarfs than you. If Twin Bridges Town hadn¡¯t been producing fine weapons nonstop, Volcano Fortress would have fallen to the Demons long ago. As long as you agree to keep selling weapons to us, my Lord is willing to guarantee Twin Bridges Town¡¯s independence.¡± ¡°Hmph... let me guess, all the output has to be supplied to you, right?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem with that? Over the past few months, Volcano Fortress has been your only customer...¡± ¡°That¡¯s because there was a crisis in Volcano Fortress, so you offered the highest price. Besides, I¡¯m not ignorant of the importance of Volcano Fortress, which is why I was willing to overlook... the needs of the other few present.¡± Tijana glanced at the silent Minotaur and Arachne Elf, ¡°Lord Veyne, if you bring out these child¡¯s tricks again, it will be an insult to me.¡± ¡°I mean no offense.¡± Grazzt¡¯s diplomat shrugged, ¡°Then what would you propose, Lady Tijana?¡± ¡°I can allow the construction of the portal, and I can provide both the materials and the cost. You can choose the location yourselves, as long as it¡¯s outside the walls of Twin Bridges Town.¡± Tijana¡¯s eyes fixed on the ceiling, ¡°But it will only last for half a day, and after that, the portal will be permanently closed. That should be enough time for your entire army to pass through.¡± ¡°But what about when the battle is over, how will the army return?¡± Veyne spread his hands, ¡°Can¡¯t you wait a few more days until the Flame Demon Generals return to Azgralath before you dismantle the portal?¡± ¡°Will they really return though?¡± Tijana replied with a sneer, ¡°Grazzt wants to prove that he¡¯s worthy of the title of Demon Prince. Do you think a Volcano Fortress will satisfy him? And besides, nine fully staffed legions, three Flame Demon Generals... Hmph, as long as they are here, which of these smaller forces dares to say no to the great Lord Wu¡¯an?¡± ¡°My Lord has never mentioned such plans to me...¡± ¡°I believe you. If you needed Lord Wu¡¯an to tell you something like that explicitly, you wouldn¡¯t be his Chief Diplomat.¡± The Succubus Lord leaned back in her chair, and Lancelot felt her intentionally rubbing his elbow with her wings, ¡°If you must build a portal, then build it inside Volcano Fortress. You can build as many as you like. I won¡¯t object in the slightest. I can even supply the materials... at cost price for you.¡± ¡°I think I need to punish my incompetent subordinates.¡± The Demon whose skin kept secreting slime grimaced with a bitter smile, shaking his head, ¡°They should have warned me in advance what a tough opponent I would face.¡± ¡°I am not your opponent.¡± Tijana glanced at the Soul Judge Demon sitting beside her, ¡°As long as Lord Veyne does not treat us as opponents.¡± ¡°Well said.¡± The pig-faced Demon¡¯s eyes narrowed into a smile, clapping his hands together, ¡°Veyne, you don¡¯t think Lady Tijana¡¯s title is just describing her beauty, do you? Of course, her beauty is irresistible, but that has never been her weapon. A smart person like you should know to appreciate an even more precious quality in her.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± the Chief Diplomat sighed, ¡°then let us discuss something else. After all, this is not a war among lesser lords. The Demon¡¯s great army is a serious threat to every one of us here and, as it should be, everyone ought to contribute to facing it...¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª When night fell. Lancelot stood on a bench in the Hagrid Manor courtyard, which had returned to its lush, verdant state. Some flowers seemed to be blooming even more vigorously than before. The daytime meeting had ended before noon, and the envoys left hastily through magic. Tijana also got busy fulfilling her duties as a lord after expressing her apologies to him. With the spare time Lancelot now found, he relished in the rare half-day of leisure. He did not go to the training grounds to limber up or to the taverns near the Mercenary Hall to pass the time, but rather he settled down and devotedly tended to the garden, which had just hosted a barbecue party the night before. In the process of trying to create a realm of his own through plants, rocks, mystic green liquids, and the Cauldron Immortal Technique, he did not notice time slipping away. When he came to his senses, an obscure moon was already hanging in the night sky. Lancelot felt that he had just entered a rather profound state and seemed to have some great revelation, a pity that now he could not remember anything. However, he was well aware that enlightenment was a matter of natural progression, and there was no need to force anything; the right moment would come when it was due. After admiring the fruits of his half-day¡¯s labor once more, Lancelot nodded in satisfaction and turned towards the manor¡¯s main door. As he stepped up to the porch, a look of surprise appeared on his face, and he suddenly quickened his pace, flinging the door open. In the living room, Tijana and little Isha were sitting on the sofa, happily chatting about something. The coffee table in front of them displayed two steaming cups of black tea, half a cake eaten away, and some other exquisite small pastries, all of which were little tricks Vampires had learned from Koula. Seeing Lancelot enter, Tijana looked up with a smile and said: ¡°Oh, finally coming out of your own world?¡± ¡°I am truly sorry, my lady,¡± Lancelot bowed, feeling his face heat up slightly, ¡°I... was too absorbed, and I didn¡¯t notice your arrival...¡± ¡°No matter, I quite enjoy watching you so focused,¡± Tijana smiled and pointed with her foot to the spot opposite her, ¡°Please sit down. Have you ever tasted Isha¡¯s craft? It¡¯s absolutely fantastic, as if she put a spell on it...¡± ¡°Brother Lancelot, I will get you a cup,¡± Isha said shyly as she stood up and ran toward the kitchen. ¡°Thank you,¡± Lancelot nodded to her, then looked apologetically at Tijana, ¡°I apologize to you once again, my lady. How long have you been here?¡± ¡°Not too long, but long enough to allow me to relax my tense nerves,¡± the Succubus Lord shrugged, ¡°The Portal is already under construction on the west bank of the river, and notices for recruiting Blood War Mercenaries have spread throughout the entire Multiverse by magic. With Oasis Fort sharing the expenses, we are offering higher rates than ever before, and I expect we will soon recruit enough numbers. Goel¡¯s two legions will arrive tomorrow, and Ilymaris¡¯s a bit later, let¡¯s hope they don¡¯t start fighting...¡± ¡°It sounds like you might be very busy soon...¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why moments of leisure like this are so precious.¡± Tijana glanced at Lancelot, ¡°By the way, that Titan¡¯s Blood you brought me... perhaps we might also...¡± Chapter 616: 640: Physical Examination Chapter 616: Chapter 640: Physical Examination Stay calm, stay calm... Lancelot reminded himself repeatedly in his mind, but the scene before him was somewhat beyond his limits¡ªThe Succubus Lord was sitting cross-legged on the stone platform in the underground chamber of Hagrid Manor, her back to him. The silk lingerie adorning her shapely body was even less than the amount of fabric in a single one of his sleeves, barely covering a few key areas. Coupled with the boiling Titan¡¯s Blood in the cauldron in the corner, it made his throat dry and tongue parched. How had things developed to this point? The answer was a series of bold jokes, half-serious tests, and intentional or unintentional provocations. Lancelot even wondered if sweets had an alcohol-like effect on Tijana, otherwise many things were truly inexplicable. Officially, the Succubus Lord had him perform a mysterious ritual dubbed ¡®Body Refining¡¯ for her, and at this moment, her faintly trembling body awaited her lover¡¯s touch. Succubi were born from humanity¡¯s most primitive desires, their bodies the ultimate fantasy of beauty for mortals, and as their power grew, so did their allure. Tijana was not like the average succubus, with their capricious, libertine lifestyles. She preferred to wear armor and wield weapons to fight her enemies head-on, which meant her body featured well-defined muscle contours not found on a typical succubus, which for a human knight was simply an irresistible temptation. Tijana had once again tied up her long black hair to allow Lancelot to ¡®operate¡¯ on her exposed back. The single knot of her lingerie straps on her smooth neck, and her strong, capable shoulders gave her an air of extraordinary valor. Where humans¡¯ shoulder blades would be, a pair of elegant black wings sprouted, leading to a deep and inviting groove down her back. This groove trailed down, passing her dramatically tapered, taut waistline before finally converging on the succubus¡¯s plump, peach-like buttocks. The entire silhouette was breathtakingly beautiful¡ªif it weren¡¯t for the full-force circulation of the Ice Heart Technique, Lancelot would have transformed by now. Yet he managed to control himself, dipping his hands into the bubbling cauldron before, upon withdrawal, his arms were covered in globules of glistening blood plasma. ¡°Be careful, it might hurt quite a bit in a moment...¡± ¡°Just get started,¡± Tijana said without turning her head, her voice carrying an almost imperceptible tremble, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate my tolerance for pain.¡± Lancelot took another deep breath, then placed his palms on Tijana¡¯s back. Both their breaths became heavy, as if on the verge of losing control, but they demonstrated extraordinary self-restraint, not letting the situation spiral into a wholly different direction. Since he was to refine Tijana¡¯s body, Lancelot naturally had to first understand the condition of her body. Any living creature of flesh and blood would surely have meridians, even demons. Differences in structural anatomy were not a problem, because the shape did not affect how the cultivation technique operated. Just as cats and fish were completely different creatures yet both possessed organs such as the heart, liver, spleen, gallbladder, and kidneys. Once he figured out how life force and energy flowed within the body, transforming the cultivation technique to fit another species¡¯ form wasn¡¯t difficult, although the results might be discounted. Since Tijana was now completely ¡®unprotected¡¯ against him, Lancelot¡¯s divine sense easily ¡®entered¡¯ the Succubus Lord¡¯s body, with her internal condition clearly presented in his mind. Succubi were said to be the creatures most resembling humans on the outside, and it was the same on the inside. Except for a much stronger heart, Tijana¡¯s chest cavity appeared largely similar to that of humans. However, below the liver and stomach, things were completely different. Unlike humans, a succubus¡¯s stomach appeared remarkably large but was not connected to anything at its base; like other demons, their digestive system ended there. The abdominal cavity lacked intestines and instead contained a complex reproductive system, with the two openings in the lower part converging after a distance, ensuring that the succubus could collect the essence from a male creature, no matter the mode of lovemaking. Under the direct probe of Divine Sense, Lancelot could confirm that the body before him had not undergone any magical transformation. However, he suddenly had a very absurd thought ¡ª could it be that his lover, who had lived for at least a thousand years, had truly never been with any man? Lancelot didn¡¯t originally care about this; he himself was no longer a youth, having spent ten years in military service, where he made quite a few foolish mistakes with women and also had some memories worth cherishing. Even though Madam Viska, the Serpent Demon, had hinted at it before, he had taken it merely as a joke. However, the current condition of Tijana¡¯s body proved that there was no issue with that nickname, and in Lancelot¡¯s eyes, things suddenly became completely different. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Tijana¡¯s voice broke the silence in the room, and the shyness in it could hardly be hidden, ¡°It seems... you have lingered there for a long time...¡± ¡°Hmm... This area is called the Dantian, a very important location where the body¡¯s power is stored,¡± Lancelot explained somewhat guiltily, ¡°I will inject a strand of energy into you, pay attention to how it circulates in your body...¡± The technique Lancelot was teaching was certainly not the Cauldron Immortal Technique ¡ª without Grandmaster Han¡¯s personal approval, Divine Skills must absolutely not be imparted to others. Moreover, as a Spiritual Cultivator, one must remain true to one¡¯s conscience, so he would never do anything to betray his mentor. However, the little bamboo slip did record many widely known Cultivation Techniques for his reference, and Grandmaster Han had explicitly said that it was okay to establish a school with these techniques, and from the tone of it, there seemed to be encouragement. He simplified one of the most common Body Cultivation Methods and demonstrated it to the Succubus Lord, figuring it would suffice for an immediate need. Refining the body would certainly be more effective than not guiding at all; it would also help preemptively clear the Meridians, lowering the intensity of the pain that would come later. After three Heavenly Cycles, Lancelot felt the time was ripe and began to move his palms, evenly spreading the refined, crystal-clear blood plasma on the Succubus¡¯s body. With his movements, the Succubus Lord¡¯s breathing grew heavier again, and when Lancelot¡¯s fingers grazed some sensitive spots, she emitted a soft moan. ¡°Mmm... Hah... Ah...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make strange noises!¡± Lancelot said helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re preventing me from concentrating.¡± ¡°Um... but your hands... feel nice,¡± Tijana¡¯s voice at that moment was as tempting as her gasps, ¡°You mentioned... pain, where is it?¡± Chapter 617: 641: Throwing the Bomb Chapter 617: Chapter 641: Throwing the Bomb Lancelot did not answer immediately but instead reached out to grasp the other party¡¯s chin and shifted the Succubus¡¯s head back into place. ¡°Hey!¡± Tijana¡¯s voice arose in discontent, ¡°You should watch your attitude towards a Lord!¡± ¡°Of course, my lady, but you would do well to keep your mouth shut, lest you bite your tongue... That¡¯s it. Now, focus your mind...¡± With one hand on the back of the Succubus Lord¡¯s heart, Lancelot formed a special Dharma Decree with the other. Suddenly, strands of Spiritual Energy that hovered over various points on the Succubus¡¯s body swiftly moved, like numerous golden needles, plunging into the muscles below, and the power contained within the Titan¡¯s Blood also began to animate, surging through the entrances made by the Spiritual Energy and violently rushing into the body of the Succubus Lord. The majority of Fiends possess an endurance for pain far beyond the comprehension of mortals, for the simple reason that the agony they suffer during their advancements is so intense that regular wounds seem insignificant in comparison. However, this rule does not apply to two types of Fiends: Succubi and Lust Demons. Every new Succubus or Lust Demon is born from their mothers, and low-rank Fiends cannot become either of these two forms through advancement (although they can continue to climb to higher forms). When humans first appeared in the Multiverse, other Demons originated from the combination of evil Souls and the Abyss¡¯s chaotic essence, but Succubi emerged due to the reaction of human primal desires with the Essence of the Abyss; Lust Demons were the Angel Warriors who fought under Asmodeus and became scorned by their former comrades for being tainted with too much demon filth. After the establishment of Barto Hell, they naturally became the first residents of the Nine Hells. Tijana screamed shrilly without regard for her image, and if not for the soundproof barrier arranged in this basement, the residents of Twin Bridges Town would likely have been scared into a panic by this noise. There wasn¡¯t an ounce of seduction in this scream; the pain was so fierce that it compared to the wails of a banshee, and Lancelot was even momentarily shocked into unconsciousness. The bamboo slip was also activated by this, casting beams of blue light which stabilized his tumultuous Sea of Consciousness, allowing him to regain consciousness swiftly. ¡°Hold on!¡± Lancelot exclaimed, his voice cutting through the screams in the air directly to Tijana¡¯s ears, and once again he probed his spiritual power into her body, beginning to guide the rampant energy throughout the Succubus Lord¡¯s Meridians. After several Heavenly Cycles, Tijana¡¯s voice gradually ceased, and Lancelot could feel that she was still enduring tremendous pain, but no longer needed to vent it by screaming. Considering Tijana¡¯s strength, the standards Lancelot set for her Body Refining were much higher than those for Bruto and Old Reap, so it took much longer. Keeping one hand on Tijana¡¯s back, he continuously formed Dharma Decrees with the other, drawing more of the Titan¡¯s Blood from a nearby vessel and pouring it over the body of the Succubus Lord. If someone were to enter this basement at this moment, they would be convinced they had intruded upon some nefarious ritual scene¡ªthe air was hot and damp, a mist of blood hung in the air, a nearly naked seductive Demon lay before them, and a man was continuously dousing the Demon with fresh blood... A full hour later, the Body Refining process for the Succubus Lord was finally complete. Her skin had turned an enthralling shade of pink, with faint vapors rising from the surface; her muscles were bulging, reminding Lancelot of the Wolf Serpent Demon he had seen earlier. Of course, the most significant change was her demeanor. For some unknown reason, Tijana felt too much like Geogad to him, also possessing that air of confidence, arrogance, and superiority inherent in a Demi-god¡ªthis was especially the case when the Succubus Lord suddenly turned around, grabbed his collar, and dragged him through a Portal that had appeared out of nowhere. Lancelot felt as though he had been violently thrown out; he adjusted his position midair and landed firmly on the ground. He realized he was now inside Tijana¡¯s demiplane, the colossal mountain of gold not far away, while a Succubus Giant over twenty feet tall, completely nude, was bellowing loudly at him. ¡°Come! You fool, strike me!¡± ¡°As you wish, my lady.¡± Lancelot took a deep breath, activating the Titan Power within his body. His figure instantly tripled in size, standing a head taller than the Succubus Giant before him. But before his Transformation was complete, Tijana, unable to wait any longer, charged at him with a whip-like leg kick aimed straight for his chin. ¡°Too slow!¡± Lancelot let out a shout as he crouched sharply, dodging her attack and lunging forward to grapple the waist of the Succubus Lord. Tijana¡¯s strength had greatly increased after her Transformation, but her speed had decreased considerably. Although she was still fast, Lancelot was more accustomed to his large transformed body. The turns of fortune made her lose the crucial factor that had allowed her to crush Lancelot in their previous encounters. At the moment, both were almost naked, their wet and tender bodies pressed together, the intoxicating touch almost overwhelming ¡ª but as a knight, how could Lancelot be distracted by such things? One of his arms passed between the legs of the Succubus, while the other wrapped around her still slender waist. Accompanied by a roar, he forcefully lifted Tijana off the ground. The Succubus flapped her wings fiercely, hoping to break free from the grapple, but Lancelot immediately started to spin her body like a windmill, disrupting her attempts to escape. Eventually, he lifted the Succubus high, placing her thighs on his shoulders, with his hands firmly gripping her abdomen. Then he sat down sharply while pressing his arms forward, smashing Tijana¡¯s back hard against the ground. With a booming crash, Tijana let out a loud cry of agony, her body bending like a bow and rolling away in pain. However, Lancelot was well aware that such an attack wasn¡¯t enough to completely defeat the Succubus Lord, so without pausing to catch his breath, he immediately pounced toward the rolling figure, attempting to use a Lock Technique to deprive her of any chance to resist. But when he tried to grab Tijana¡¯s ankle, his fingers passed right through it ¡ª it was an Illusion! Realizing the danger, Lancelot quickly tried to turn around, but a slender yet strong arm was already choking his neck, while another arm pressed down on the back of his head. ¡°Who¡¯s the slow one now?¡± Tijana blew teasingly into Lancelot¡¯s ear, her entire body pressing against his back, her legs entwined around the Human Knight¡¯s body, then twisting backwards, forcing him to sit down on the ground. Lancelot knew he had no chance and could only helplessly pat her arm to signal his surrender. ¡°You were cheating just now!¡± Lancelot complained with dissatisfaction after being released by Tijana, ¡°We agreed not to use magic, remember?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t say this time, and besides, that throw of yours was quite solid...¡± the Succubus shot him a glare, ¡°Are you done catching your breath? If so, get up and let¡¯s continue!¡± Chapter 618: 642: Request and Reason Chapter 618: Chapter 642: Request and Reason Half an hour later. The sparring had ended, and both Lancelot and Tijana had returned to their normal sizes, sitting shoulder to shoulder, resting and drenched in sweat from exhaustion. Initially, Lancelot had been able to maintain the advantage, but once the Succubus Lord had gotten used to her new size, he couldn¡¯t gain the upper hand any longer. ¡°Phew... that was exhilarating,¡± Tijana turned over and, rolling into Lancelot¡¯s embrace, said, ¡°We should spend more time doing this, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Of course, my lady,¡± Lancelot said with a smile as he touched the Succubus¡¯s pointed horn, ¡°How does it feel? I mean, this ability to transform into a giant...¡± ¡°Hmm... it¡¯s far more powerful than the Enlarge Spell, lasts longer, and doesn¡¯t require spell concentration...¡± Tijana furrowed her brows in thought, ¡°The drawbacks are also clear, such as the equipment not growing with you, which needs to be compensated with special enchantments; it severely reduces speed, as you have already experienced... In terms of the transformation ability alone, it¡¯s not bad and can be very useful in specific scenarios, but the biggest benefit is actually the enhancement to one¡¯s physique. At my current level, it¡¯s becoming difficult to grow stronger unless I seize control of a certain domain and gain more Abyssal Power...¡± Aware that she had gone off-topic, Tijana laughed awkwardly and then pouted at Lancelot, who obligingly leaned down to place a gentle kiss on the soft lips of the Succubus. Both paused for a moment, only now becoming aware of each other¡¯s state¡ªthe bulging muscles, alluring curves, skin covered with beads of sweat; everything was intensely stimulating the rapid secretion of hormones inside their bodies. As if struck by lightning, Tijana leaped up from his embrace, and with a flash of blue Magic Aura, she was already clad in a ¡®standard¡¯ Succubus leather outfit. However, Lancelot had to admit that even though the leather outfit concealed much of her skin, it did nothing to diminish her allure, in fact, making her seem even more tempting than before. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of work waiting for me tomorrow,¡± Tijana avoided Lancelot¡¯s gaze, ¡°and I¡¯m already very tired now, needing rest...¡± ¡°Of course, my lady,¡± Lancelot nodded, standing up, ¡°May I take up a little more of your time? There¡¯s something I would like to discuss with you...¡± ¡°Hmm... of course,¡± the Succubus Lord regained her composure, her cheeks still flushing slightly,¡±What is it?¡± ¡°This might sound somewhat difficult to understand... but I want to join the mercenary army heading to Volcano Fortress.¡± ¡°What?¡± Tijana¡¯s reaction was unexpectedly intense, as if Lancelot had just confessed he was a Celestial servant, ¡°You surely aren¡¯t in it for the money¡ªlook at that mountain of gold behind us; you¡¯re not one of those battle-crazed fanatics, either, since you never boast about how many enemies you¡¯ve defeated... So why join that army? Could it be...¡± Tijana¡¯s face showed a mix of fear, guilt, and regret, as she began hesitantly, ¡°Could it be because... I¡¯ve been too rough? Have you been silently enduring it all along but never dared to speak up to me? I promise from now on...¡± ¡°My lady! Where has your mind wandered off to?¡± Lancelot somewhat helplessly cut off the other, ¡°I thoroughly enjoy all the time I spend with you, and there is no need for me to lie about it. If possible, I would be more than happy to stay with you in the training grounds all day, which would undoubtedly be of great benefit to both of us...¡± ¡°Then why must you leave me?¡± Tijana was completely unaware that her eyes had become pitifully pleading, highly unbecoming of her status as the Succubus Lord, ¡°Especially since we were apart for so long, and you¡¯ve only just returned to my side?¡± ¡°My lady, the last time I returned, you were being besieged by several Bone Demons, and this time is even more exaggerated, as an entire Legion of Demons is assaulting your city walls. If this trend continues, the next time I come back from an adventure, perhaps I could not only see the Lord of Twin Bridges Town but also the Archduke of Aphnas,¡± Lancelot said half-jokingly, ¡°A knight should take the initiative to strike out for the protection of his lady, instead of hiding within her territory, waiting for others to drive off the enemy.¡± ¡°But with your strength alone, you can¡¯t change anything!¡± ¡°I know,¡± Lancelot nodded in acceptance, ¡°Even though my power has surpassed that of the vast majority of mortals, it still pales in comparison to yours.¡± ¡°I am not doubting your capabilities,¡± Tijana, realizing the inappropriateness of her earlier words, hurriedly explained, ¡°Even if I were to join the battle myself, I wouldn¡¯t be able to contribute much more than you. This is, after all, the Blood War, the largest and longest-lasting war in the Multiverse. It¡¯s a monster that devours everything, and no matter how many lives both sides pour into it, there seems to be no end in sight. Most people would rather stay as far away from it as possible, so who would want to approach it like you do?¡± ¡°Because I want to protect you and the town you rule,¡± Lancelot replied with a sincere and stern expression, ¡°As far as I know, cities can¡¯t just drift away down the river.¡± ¡°Nice thought, something I¡¯ll consider,¡± the Succubus Lord glared at him annoyed, ¡°Decisions of the great ones, the command of Generals, and logistical support determine the course of a war, individual bravery can only play a very small part... You were once a Commander yourself, surely you understand what I mean?¡± ¡°Of course, my lady, but that¡¯s exactly why I want to head to Volcano Fortress,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°As you said, I was once a Commander, and forgive my conceit, but I certainly qualify as being quite excellent. However, recent experiences have made me realize that much of my knowledge has become outdated, and I must quickly reacquaint myself with war, this ¡®old friend,¡¯ because if it ever comes to visit Twin Bridges Town again, I fear I won¡¯t have the same good fortune as yesterday.¡± ¡°...I understand,¡± Tijana nodded with difficulty, her expression still very reluctant, ¡°I will make arrangements. You won¡¯t be bound by a contract, and should the situation turn dire, no one will be able to stop you from withdrawing from battle...¡± ¡°Thank you, my lady.¡± ¡°No, this is something I must do...¡± the Succubus Lord paused, ¡°And there¡¯s something else, something I feel I must clarify with you...¡± ¡°I¡¯m all ears, my lady.¡± ¡°If you wish to invite me onto your little boat...¡± Tijana¡¯s cheeks flushed rapidly red, but she forced herself to continue looking into Lancelot¡¯s eyes, ¡°there¡¯s no need to wait until after conquering the whole world.¡± Chapter 619: 643: Do You Want to Go? Chapter 619: Chapter 643: Do You Want to Go? ¡°That was the process we discussed last night, and she agreed in the end,¡± Lancelot set down his glass of fresh juice and said to his companions at the dining table, ¡°This isn¡¯t just an adventure. There are many things completely beyond our control, so if anyone doesn¡¯t want to go, I completely understand. After all, we¡¯re going to war, and the risks far outweigh the rewards. If I didn¡¯t have personal needs, I¡¯d stay far away from this mess.¡± ¡°Count me in,¡± Bruto put down his glass too¡ªwhich, like all dwarves from Twin Bridges Town, was filled with ale for breakfast. ¡°Don¡¯t agree so quickly,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°You just got back, wouldn¡¯t you spend more time with your old man?¡± ¡°I spent all day yesterday helping out in the infirmary,¡± Bruto shrugged, ¡°Need me to describe it for you?¡± ¡°How are things?¡± Lancelot¡¯s face turned grim, ¡°Uncle Barrend wasn¡¯t harmed, was he?¡± ¡°Dad got lucky, took a hit to the head, but his sturdy helmet protected him. He¡¯s also got a few scrapes elsewhere, nothing serious,¡± Bruto speared some jam with his knife and smeared it on his toast, ¡°There are quite a few seriously injured, many are disabled, but Tijana said she¡¯d arrange for the spellcasters to heal them soon. The dead aren¡¯t many, just over twenty, all from a cannonball that struck directly on the city wall. Those can¡¯t be brought back.¡± ¡°How could that happen?¡± Lancelot asked, puzzled, ¡°Alamir, can you help?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t,¡± the Elf Priest shrugged, ¡°Resurrection magic varies greatly, the most basic is the Third Circle¡¯s ¡®Resurrection Art,¡¯ requiring that the death occurred within the last minute, meaning the soul has not yet left the body or is still nearby; also, any lost body parts cannot be regenerated, so if the head was severed, the divine art would be of no use.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°In that battle with the succubus, you used it to bring everyone back, right?¡± ¡°Yes. But now I¡¯ve mastered a more powerful version, the Seventh Circle¡¯s ¡®Resurrection of the Dead.¡¯ Compared to the Resurrection Art, it works on creatures dead no longer than ten days, even if the deceased¡¯s soul has already departed the original plane, waiting in the Domain of the Vague for judgment. However, it still cannot regenerate lost body parts; if vital organs are missing from the corpse, the divine art will automatically fail.¡± ¡°But soldiers killed in war rarely have intact corpses,¡± Lancelot looked at Alamir, ¡°and divine arts that can restore limbs must be incredibly difficult...¡± ¡°Indeed, the Seventh Circle¡¯s ¡®Resurrection Technique,¡¯ effective for creatures dead no longer than one hundred years. It can heal fatal wounds and regenerate missing limbs and organs. But this spell is extremely costly, based on how many ¡®parts¡¯ the body is missing, needing at least one diamond worth a thousand gold coins. Additionally, clerics capable of casting Seventh Circle divine arts are exceedingly rare, as deities grant such powers only to priests they highly trust, making it almost impossible to purchase such services...¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Lancelot nodded, looking apologetically at Bruto, ¡°I¡¯m partly to blame for this, as it was on my advice that Tijana decided to form the dwarven legion...¡± ¡°The dwarves thank you more than you could know! Why would you think otherwise?¡± Bruto shook his head vigorously, ¡°Many craftsmen have been in Twin Bridges Town for over a decade now; this is their home, and the significance of that legion is beyond your imagination. Everyone is holding a grudge now, desperate for another battle with the demons, but the Succubus Lord forbade them from joining that army heading to the Volcano Fortress...¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t agree either,¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, ¡°at least in the Abyss, craftsmen are far more valuable than warriors.¡± ¡°Exactly, everyone understands that, so it¡¯s not like they can¡¯t see Tijana¡¯s decision,¡± Bruto tilted his head back and downed a big gulp of ale, then firmly slapped his cup on the table, ¡°but I¡¯m no craftsman, and those restrictions don¡¯t apply to me. If there¡¯s anything that could keep danger further from my old man, then I must take part. I was already planning to join that mercenary legion, and now that you¡¯re going too, big brother, things just got a lot simpler.¡± ¡°You, always getting yourself covered in wounds, need immediate healing, so count me in as well,¡± Alamir said casually, ¡°Lancelot, you wouldn¡¯t object, right?¡± ¡°Of course not, I¡¯d feel much more at ease with you there,¡± Lancelot nodded gravely, then turned to the conflicted Scholar, ¡°Kalalin, what do you think?¡± ¡°I... perhaps shouldn¡¯t go,¡± Kalalin pursed his lips, his gaze quickly scanning his companions¡¯ faces, ¡°I must admit, I don¡¯t have the confidence to protect myself in battle, nor can I expect you to keep an eye on me all the time, which would only make me a burden. Besides, I want to transcribe and study the contents of the Scroll of Darkness as soon as possible, something I¡¯m obligated to do as a member of the Dark Cult...¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Lancelot responded softly, ¡°This time we¡¯re engaged in a large-scale military operation, magic can¡¯t do much...¡± ¡°Brother, I want to go!¡± a girl dressed as a maid, standing next to the dining table with a plate in her hand, suddenly spoke up, ¡°I¡¯m a Wanderer, I can definitely be of great use!¡± ¡°Unfortunately, you can¡¯t,¡± Lancelot, with a stern face, shook his head decisively, ¡°This is something Tijana specifically requested, and I agree with her view.¡± ¡°Why not!¡± the little vampire pouted, looking displeased, ¡°I¡¯m not useless at all... not to mention, last time Uncle Bruto nearly fell into the Stygian River, wasn¡¯t it me who pulled him back?¡± ¡°I certainly don¡¯t doubt your capabilities, but this time you really aren¡¯t suited for it,¡± Lancelot reached out, patting the girl¡¯s puffed-up head, ¡°The sunlight on the Plains of the Abyss is too intense, and the weather is very unstable; it could be a sandstorm one second and clear skies the next... Tijana said she has invited a powerful ancient vampire to come to Twin Bridges Town to train you specifically...¡± ¡°Not training again...¡± The expression on little Isha¡¯s face froze like an ice cube, pitifully looking at Lancelot, ¡°Brother, just take me with you... I won¡¯t do a thing, just stay in your Dimensional Bag, okay? I¡¯ll be well-behaved and only come out when you allow me to...¡± Chapter 620: 644: Devilspawn and Tiflin Chapter 620: Chapter 644: Devilspawn and Tiflin ¡°Your sister Tijana is only looking out for you,¡± Lancelot said as he pinched the little girl¡¯s face. ¡°And what¡¯s so fun about fighting? It¡¯s just two groups of people killing each other. Compared to adventuring, it¡¯s nothing. This ancient vampire can reportedly move freely even under the blazing sun, completely unaffected. You should quickly learn how they do it, then you won¡¯t miss any important battles in the future.¡± ¡°Whooo...¡± ¡°Hmm, very obedient! Any other questions?¡± ¡°I have one,¡± Bruto raised his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t have any experience joining the military, so don¡¯t mind me... Under whose command will we fight? What¡¯s the plan, and how long will it likely last? How are logistics and supplies arranged? What should we bring?¡± ¡°All I know is that the commander of this mercenary corps is Solheim, you remember her, right?¡± ¡°Of course, she was my first customer and paid very ¡®promptly¡¯.¡± ¡°Tijana told me to report directly to her after we¡¯ve eaten. As for the other questions, I¡¯m not sure either, but the army will probably take another two or three days to assemble completely, which should be enough time for us to prepare,¡± Lancelot said as he picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth. ¡°By the way, put on your armor and bring all your equipment before heading out. A makeshift army gathered for the sake of money...¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Bruto nodded. ¡°I will hang up all the spikes.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- An hour later. Lancelot and two companions stood in front of the Mercenary Hall, too stunned by the scene in front of them to speak. The building, originally arena-shaped, had completely transformed, with three additional floors appearing seemingly out of nowhere on the open arch ceiling, rising over fifty feet high. It no longer looked like a place that provided intermediary services for mercenaries, filled with bargaining and shouting, but rather like a barracks where every crack in the brick oozed a deadly seriousness. ¡°Hmm, feels a bit familiar,¡± Lancelot said, turning his head slightly towards his companions. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like how this place looks now at all,¡± Bruto shrank his neck, ¡°and I¡¯m sure it doesn¡¯t like me either.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, Dwarf,¡± Lancelot stepped towards the main entrance. ¡°As long as you have the right mindset, there¡¯s nothing to fear here.¡± ¡°What does the right mindset mean?¡± ¡°If a brick bothers you...¡± Lancelot raised his hand and patted a passing stone column, ¡°just break it with a hammer.¡± Although most mercenaries should not have woken up from last night¡¯s hangover yet, the number of people entering and leaving the building was already quite high. Lancelot had stayed in Twin Bridges Town long enough to tell from the expressions on people¡¯s faces whether they were newcomers. Among them, the most common were various Devilspawn¡ªthe offspring of Fiends and mortals. It is well known that Succubi and lust demons, both Demons and Fiends respectively, are capable of pregnancy, but any Fiend powerful enough to perform Transfiguration could impregnate a mortal woman with their child. Don¡¯t take this as the beginning of some romantic story; the truth is much crueler, as childbirth itself is a highly risky affair, not to mention giving birth to a creature naturally equipped with wings, antlers, and a tail. In those most terrifying stories, there are even records of fetuses clawing their way out of their mother¡¯s abdomen and being born directly, and such children invariably became major villains causing havoc, eventually defeated by heroes filled with a sense of justice, thus perfectly ending the story. However, Lancelot could easily point out the irrationality of these stories¡ªany villain with demonic lineage who ultimately followed an evil path seemed to fit this template, as if all bad guys came into this world inherently evil. However, having been in the Abyss for so long, especially in a town where a Lord was a Succubus, he had learned quite a bit about the offspring of Fiends. First, if a Succubus gives birth to a girl, she will still be a Succubus (though she will inherit some traits from her father, such as eye color); if a boy is born, he will be a Devilspawn, or in the terminology of the lower planes, a Cambion. Moreover, all children born from Fiends and mortal women, whether male or female, will also be Devilspawn. Despite closely resembling their demonic kin, Devilspawn are still mortals, meaning they age, die, and their souls go to the Domain of the Vague for judgment. If they have done nothing wrong, they might be accepted by a Divine Power and enjoy eternal peace, but such cases are very rare; most Devilspawn spend their lives striving to become true Fiends, ensuring even in death they achieve their desires. Being mortals, they can still reproduce normally if they can find a suitable partner¡ªhowever, this is not easy and often involves lies, coercion, betrayal, and death. When someone¡¯s demonic ancestry is diluted to a certain extent, they are considered a Tiflin. As for how diluted it has to be, of course, there are no standards, but generally speaking, it¡¯s usually beyond five generations. A Tiflin and a normal person no longer have much difference in physical fitness, except for the oddly shaped antlers on their heads, unusually sharp canine teeth, and tails dragging behind them. Tiflins hardly have their communities, often existing on the fringes of human societies on a small scale. It¡¯s not hard to imagine how much trouble their peculiarities could bring them, though it¡¯s not always violent. Children raised in such harsh environments naturally find it difficult to become honest businessmen or loving philanthropists; most Tiflins end up as swindlers, thieves, or even killers. This is not to absolve them¡ªvillains are villains and deserve punishment¡ªbut is becoming a villain really their own fault? These were the questions running through Lancelot¡¯s mind as he walked into the Mercenary Hall, as at least half of these new faces were Tiflins. Just a casual glance was enough to confirm they were no good folk, but normal people don¡¯t become Blood War Mercenaries, let alone serve the side of the Fiends. The two sides of the Blood War are always recruiting more mercenaries, but if given a choice, working for Demons is often the ¡®safer¡¯ option, as Demons obey contracts, and as long as you truly don¡¯t die on the battlefield, you usually get paid. The only problem is, there¡¯s always this fine print in the contracts provided by Demons¡ªonce you accept the advance payment, the hired must provide the service stipulated in the contract, and the contract does not cease with the hiree¡¯s death. This means that when you die, you still owe a debt to the Demon, and the dead have nothing to offer in repayment... except for one thing: Your own soul. Chapter 621: 645: The Mercenarys Work Chapter 621: Chapter 645: The Mercenary¡¯s Work For those who have lingered long enough in the Outer Layer, selling their soul to a demon is a cliche? and terrible scam. Some fools might think being reborn as a Bartez after death doesn¡¯t seem too bad, at least you would have eternal life, plus a predictable promotion mechanism, a sound payment system, and even paid leave benefits... But who said you could directly become a demon? The souls that travel to Hell are first treated as ¡®fuel¡¯, subjected to unimaginable torture and torment, their energy extracted to maintain the operation of the Nine Hells, until not a trace of humanity remains in the empty shell of the soul. This process could be brief or it might last for years, and if you have a feud with a high-ranking demon, you might even be perpetually forgotten on the grill, until the end of time. Regardless of the scenario, when a soul leaves the torture devices, its memories, emotions, and knowledge from its time as a mortal have all dissipated, leaving nothing but worthless dregs. Only then are they thrown into the Blood Pool or worm pits, reincarnated as the lowest of the Bartez: Lesser Demons, pitiful creatures that resemble blobs of molten flesh with only a vague human shape. Of course, in some rare instances, demons also add specific clauses in the contract, agreeing to shorten or even skip the torment, transforming you directly into a particular form of demon¡ªmeaning your memories and personality are relatively well-preserved, which is highly appealing to certain scoundrels. But the cost of such a contract is so high it¡¯s beyond the imagination of common folk, often requiring you to play a key role in some profoundly evil act. Basically, only big shots who already possess some status (like Kings, Prime Ministers, Stewards, Generals) have the opportunity to commit such a crime, so ordinary mercenaries shouldn¡¯t even dream of such luck. For this reason, many are very reluctant to serve the demons, and to secure a relatively safe job, one must study the intricate terms of the contract to ensure there¡¯s no wordplay that could doom them forever. This task cannot be outsourced, it must be done personally¡ªno friendship is sturdy enough to withstand such a test. In comparison, serving under a Demon Lord is much simpler. Most of the time, you don¡¯t even need to write your name, just mark an ¡®X¡¯ will suffice, and the loss is manageable¡ªdeath is just death, with no eternal torment or torture waiting for you. If you haven¡¯t committed any serious sins and don¡¯t strongly identify with any gods, you will likely be judged by the King of the Dead to be subject to reincarnation, which to many mortals struggling in the Outer Layer seems almost appealing. Of course, the contracts of demons are non-binding, equivalent to scrap paper, and the verbal promises of demons are as different from farts as they are more stink. The risk involved in dealing with the chaotic camp is this high, but correspondingly, due to their terrible reputation, demons have to offer ridiculously high prices to attract some sufficiently insane speculators. But with high risk comes high reward; for the experienced veterans, they can indeed find opportunities worth the risk among the countless jobs offered by different Demon Lords. Of course, don¡¯t expect demons to honestly post a job description; their compulsion to lie is such that you can often discern the truth by interpreting their words in reverse. In this respect, demons can be quite adorable. Take for example, you might read a flyer in a tavern in Mark City that reads: A very easy job! The powerful Lord Urbas of Tanari needs to hire four experienced guards to watch over an ordinary mine within his own territory, driving away the nearby wild low-level monsters. A weekly salary of fifty Gold Coins, interested applicants please go to the Lazybones Street in the lower district... The correct interpretation would be: A terrible job! A weak Tanari Lord, whose true name is definitely not Urbas, needs to hire four or more unlucky fools to guard a mine that probably doesn¡¯t belong to him. There are many potential enemies, but wild low-level monsters are definitely the least of your concerns. There is no pay, as the original text didn¡¯t specify how the compensation will be settled, and the method of signing up might be the only true piece of information, as that part was added by the mercenaries¡¯ brokers themselves. Therefore, when an exceptionally candid call for an emergency recruitment made its way to Mark City, it naturally attracted the eyes of all mercenaries. The recruitment order went as follows: Urgent recruitment of Blood War Mercenaries to combat the regular forces of Bartez on the Plains of the Abyss. Applicants must bring their own weapons and armor and fight under the command of the Six-Arm Serpent Demon General. The weekly salary for all qualified applicants is three hundred Gold Coins, paid upfront, with the remainder of the information classified as military secret. Interested parties, please proceed to the Armory, explain your purpose to the guard of the Doomsday Guard Brigade, and undertake a basic combat test. Those who pass will be immediately sent to the Bottomless Abyss. ¡ª¡ªThe pearl of the Stygian Riverbank, Lord of Twin Bridges Town, Tijana. Any mercenary who¡¯s lived long enough will sooner or later meet peers who have been to Twin Bridges Town, and with every mercenary who returns alive with a swollen purse, the credibility of Twin Bridges Town increases by a notch. A weekly salary of two hundred Gold Coins is not common; in fact, it is twice the normal rate, and that¡¯s before mentioning the upfront payment. Not to forget, the recruitment order was issued in the name of Tijana, Lord of Twin Bridges Town, a name that carries special weight in the hearts of some. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C The entrance to the Mercenary Hall had not changed, except that it was not the intimidating Six-Arm Serpent Demon sitting behind the counter, but Vidia, one of Tijana¡¯s seven maids and an acquaintance of Lancelot. ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve arrived,¡± the Succubus greeted the Human Knight with a sweet smile. ¡°How may I assist you?¡± ¡°We are here to report to Lady Solheim. Where is she?¡± ¡°Fourth floor, the innermost room,¡± Vidia pointed to a spiral staircase on people¡¯s right-hand side. ¡°She¡¯s interviewing the new mercenaries, but you can go straight up. Lady Tijana has already ordered your matter.¡± ¡°Thank you, Vidia,¡± Lancelot said, bowing politely. ¡°I wish you a pleasant day.¡± The group then turned and headed upstairs, quickly realizing what those newly added structures in the building were for ¡ª temporary barracks. At this moment, these were filled with sturdy triple-tier bunk beds, easily identified as Dwarven craftsmanship. Most of these beds were currently empty, but Lancelot was certain that when night fell, the smell in here would turn quite foul. When they reached the fourth floor, they found the hall to be rather spacious. In a corner were placed practice weapons and Protective Gear, which seemed to be there for the mercenaries to blow off steam. In the center of the hall, a large crowd was gathered around two people standing opposite each other, staring fiercely and with blades already drawn. A duel seemed imminent, and it was bound to end with the death of one party. Chapter 622: 646: Being Kind to Others Chapter 622: Chapter 646: Being Kind to Others The confronting parties were a male Half-Orc and a female Tiflin. The Half-Orc had a sloped forehead, a protruding chin, and sharp canine teeth protruding from his lips. He was almost as tall as Lancelot, and his muscular body was clad in iron ring chainmail, his hand constantly spinning a double-bladed long-handled battle axe that gleamed coldly. The female Tiflin stood about six feet tall, with a slender body covered in dark red skin. She had a pair of antelope-like horns protruding from her head and black eyeballs with white pupils that gave an unsettling appearance. She was wrapped in light leather that Lancelot was sure offered no protection, but it did reduce noise during vigorous movement and prevented unnecessary scrapes. Her weapons were a pair of wave-shaped shortswords; their destructive power might not match her opponent¡¯s axe, but if they hit the right spot, they were still deadly. Seeing that a bloody encounter was about to unfold, Lancelot rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, but sensing a rapidly approaching presence, he knew there was no need for him to intervene. The Half-Orc let out a wild roar and charged at his opponent like a massive boulder rolling down a hillside. However, his opponent disappeared suddenly, and in her place were four sharp longswords that firmly locked the battle axe which was raised above the head and had not yet swung down. Two more swords were placed at the Half-Orc¡¯s neck, preventing him from moving any further. The one who made the move was Solheim, who Lancelot was looking for, and the other party in the duel, the female Tiflin with dark red skin, was now tightly wrapped by a thick serpent tail, seemingly squeezed to the point of expelling the air from her lungs. ¡°Step back, Orc,¡± the six-armed Serpent Demon said coldly, ¡°unless you want to invite me for another breakfast.¡± The Half-Orc retreated shakily, and the Tiflin was thrown to the ground beside him. All the onlookers scattered with a whoosh, as the frightening image of the Serpent Demon evoked the deepest fear in people¡¯s hearts. ¡°Rule number one, mercenaries hired by Twin Bridges Town are forbidden to attack each other,¡± Solheim¡¯s gaze swept over the crowd. ¡°If you really can¡¯t restrain yourselves, at least don¡¯t do so in public. I don¡¯t like repeating myself, so there will be no warning next time. Everyone, remember that!!!¡± ¡°Yes, Madam!¡± ¡°As you wish, Madam!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Scattered responses followed, and Solheim then spotted Lancelot standing behind the crowd. She tilted her head at the Human Knight and swam back to another room on the other side of the hall. The three companions exchanged glances and walked towards the room where the Serpent Demon had disappeared. Lancelot chose not to pass directly through the crowd but walked discreetly along the edge of the hall. Occasionally, some troublemakers deliberately stood in his way, but Lancelot didn¡¯t bother with them, shrugging his shoulders and walking around. Had it been the old him, he would never have overlooked such provocative behavior, but after so long in Spiritual Cultivation, Lancelot had grown not only in strength but also in temperament. Plus, knowing what he had done, he didn¡¯t need to assert his presence through others¡¯ fear, so he believed it was better to avoid making a fuss. But among a group of mercenaries, there is always a desire to establish a pecking order, and Lancelot¡¯s avoidance made him a target for some. A Human warrior, a head shorter than him but nearly twice as wide, blocked his path, followed by a Goblin Bear in chainmail armor and a Tiflin Samurai with purple skin. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, kinsman?¡± The blocking Human warrior once again stood in Lancelot¡¯s detouring path, his face wearing a malevolent and insincere smile, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to find one of our kind in a place like this, aren¡¯t you going to buy me a drink?¡± The man stood with arms crossed, his palms far from the hilt of his weapon, looking convinced that after the Serpent Demon¡¯s recent warning, the target he had chosen for establishing his authority wouldn¡¯t dare draw a sword against him. Lancelot let out a sigh, turned his head to look around, and found that many people had already turned their gaze in their direction. ¡°Move aside, sir, you¡¯re blocking my way.¡± There was neither fear nor tension in Lancelot¡¯s voice, as if he was merely refusing an overly enthusiastic peddler. ¡°How am I blocking your way? I see you and I are both human, just trying to greet you.¡± The warrior with a sly smile raised his voice, ¡°Or are you saying you¡¯ve heard of ¡®Stonebreaker¡¯ Wesley and want to give me all of your first week¡¯s pay to secure my protection? Hahahaha...¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I haven¡¯t signed a contract yet, so I haven¡¯t received a single coin.¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, his voice still calm, ¡°Do you understand what I mean?¡± ¡°What?¡± The ruffian named Wesley feigned surprise and exclaimed, ¡°So you¡¯re saying... you¡¯re not a hired mercenary yet? That means I can attack you right now without worrying about any consequences?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°The reverse is also true.¡± The man finally realized what the calm demeanor of the person in front of him meant, and his face instantly changed colors, subconsciously reaching for the handle of the knife at his waist. But Lancelot¡¯s right hand had already moved like lightning, clamping onto the man¡¯s neck before he could react. ¡°Ahh, too slow,¡± Lancelot shook his head. ¡°Heh...heheh...¡± The human warrior, known as Stonebreaker, emitted a hoarse whimper. He still managed to draw his knife and swing it at Lancelot, but the iron grip on his neck made it hard for him to control his muscles. The haphazard strike hit the Human Knight¡¯s armor, creating nothing but an annoying noise without causing any damage. Wesley¡¯s lackeys, who were behind him, only reacted at this moment, about to step forward to help, but the next scene made them completely lose the courage to interfere¡ªLancelot exerted strength with one hand, lifting his opponent off the ground. The latter completely dropped his weapon, grabbing Lancelot¡¯s wrist with both hands, desperately trying to pry open a space for breathing. A gasp rose from the crowd of onlookers; considering the man¡¯s size, plus his armor, he must weigh close to three hundred pounds. And this Human Knight could actually lift him with one hand; how terrifyingly strong must he be? ¡°What now!¡± The angry voice of the Serpent Demon echoed from the other end of the hall, ¡°Damn it, Sir Lancelot, come here, stop fooling around!¡± Upon hearing this, Lancelot very cooperatively set the man in his hands down gently, even patted the man¡¯s back as he bent over coughing in a friendly manner, and said with a still calm voice: ¡°Welcome to Twin Bridges Town, a useful piece of advice¡ªmind being friendly to people, it tends to keep you out of trouble.¡± Chapter 623: 647: Group Interview Hall Chapter 623: Chapter 647: Group Interview Hall ¡°Good morning, Lady Solheim.¡± Lancelot greeted her as he approached the Serpent Demon, ¡°We¡¯ve come to report to you.¡± ¡°Only three of you? Where is the scholar from the Dark Cult?¡± ¡°Blood battles are not suitable for everyone...¡± ¡°Blood battles are not suitable for anyone, but few can say no to it. Come with me, let me introduce you to your future colleagues...¡± The three followed the Serpent Demon into a room at the end of the hall. To call it a room might not be quite right, as it was almost as big as Hagrid Manor. Tables and chairs filled the room, and a giant Magic Formation was painted on the floor in the center. Even with Lancelot¡¯s limited knowledge from observation, he could tell it was a Teleportation Array used for positioning. The room was already filled with a variety of creatures, including humanoid toad-like Berserk Demons, Brezu Demons with blood-thirsty sheep heads, Arrow Demons with four arms on their shoulders, Devilspawn and Tiflins in shiny armor, and even several Succubi mingled among them, all fans of ¡°Tijana¡± judging by the chainmail and swords at their waists. Furthermore, Lancelot also noticed a type of demon he had never seen before, similar in height to him but black and thin like a charred corpse. The most memorable feature was a single antler that extended from the back of the head and curved forward like a scorpion¡¯s tail, combined with a skull-like face and a pair of eyes that glimmered red, making it look especially terrifying. Lancelot knew these were Babu Demons. In most Demon Lords¡¯ armies, they were responsible for recruiting wandering Middle Rank Demons to join their masters¡¯ forces; during battle, they drove the Low Rank Prime Demons and Coward Devils toward the enemy like a shepherd. In an army made up of human mercenaries, it was easy to guess what role they would play. About a hundred demon-dominant creatures were in the room, and despite the decent ventilation, the air was still suffocatingly foul. However, all three were accustomed to the stench that demons emit when not in attack mode, having spent enough time in the Abyss. Honestly speaking, thanks to a significant Succubi population, the demonic residents of Twin Bridges Town were anomalies within their species, even able to embrace the ¡®profane¡¯ act of bathing. ¡°Attention, you scoundrels!¡± The Serpent Demon clapped her six arms together, garnering everyone¡¯s attention, ¡°Meet the new member, Sir Lancelot. You all saw him yesterday, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hello everyone.¡± Lancelot removed his helmet, ¡°My name is Lancelot. I am pleased to work with you all. The ones behind me are Bruto and Alamir, both reliable partners in battle.¡± The crowd fell briefly silent, then erupted into fervent discussion, clearly surprised by his appearance. ¡°What? Is this our Prince then?¡± ¡°Hey! He¡¯s really a human, so that means ... in a few decades I might have a chance...¡± ¡°How did he end up here? Could it be that Lady Tijana has come to her senses?¡± ¡°Lady Solheim, Lady Solheim! What¡¯s this guy doing here? Do we need to quietly ¡®take care¡¯ of him?¡± ¡°Shut up, all of you imbeciles!¡± the six-armed Serpent Demon shouted impatiently, ¡°Anyone who doesn¡¯t shut up will have their throat slit by my sword blade!¡± The noise from the crowd began to die down, but it was not to Solheim¡¯s satisfaction. Within Lancelot¡¯s suddenly constricted pupils, the figure of the Serpent Demon vanished from sight, only to reappear behind a Devilspawn who was still shouting. As the cold metal pressed against the skin of his throat and the sharp sword blade drew a thin line of blood on his neck, the Devilspawn with deep blue skin immediately remembered how to stay quiet. The surrounding crowd quieted down as well, and Solheim nodded in approval, threw the Devilspawn back into the crowd, and used a short-range teleportation magic to reappear next to Lancelot. ¡°Lesson one, when giving orders, always attach a clear, substantial threat and it is best to act immediately,¡± the Serpent Demon said softly to the Human Knight, then raised his voice, ¡°Sir Lancelot was once a commander in the human army, but he still has much to learn about blood battles. He will serve as a captain, but will take orders directly from me. For those of you scheming... I suggest you recall what he did yesterday, tying himself to the prow of the Styx Battleship and crashing into the bridge crowded with Bartez. Before you take any action, ask yourself if you are mad enough to do the same, or don¡¯t blame me if you get beat up!¡± ¡°Oh...¡± ¡°Got it...¡± ¡°We will serve you well, Prince!¡± ¡°Prince, if you ever need diapers, remember to come to me anytime!¡± The response from the crowd was sparse, and it was clear that most officers were not warm towards Lancelot, for reasons that were self-explanatory, and Lancelot himself did not mind. Solheim shrugged his shoulders and pointed to an empty table nearby, saying to the Human Knight: ¡°Go sit there, we need to continue with the ritual.¡± ¡°Ritual?¡± Lancelot asked somewhat confusedly, ¡°Do I need to do anything?¡± ¡°Ah, I forgot to tell you. See that Magic Formation? Mercenaries will be summoned through it to this plane and automatically return after a month. If you see anyone you like coming out of it, you can recruit them into your team...¡± the Serpent Demon rummaged through the Dimensional Bag at his waist, and then tossed a chain of emblem-like keys to Lancelot, ¡°The biggest one is yours, give the rest to the squad members, and have them drop a drop of blood on them.¡± ¡°What is this for?¡± Lancelot examined the chain of metal tags in his hand, ¡°I only feel a very faint ripple of magic power...¡± ¡°You can sense it directly? Not bad... This is for recording martial achievements. Every time the holder kills an enemy, its magic power will increase slightly, and after the battle, this will be used to claim extra bounty, the specifics are there.¡± The six-armed Serpent Demon pointed at a blackboard hung on the wall, ¡°Also, holders from the same group can vaguely sense the locations of others within about fifty feet, which is very useful on a chaotic battlefield...¡± ¡°Really?¡± Lancelot showed a surprised expression for the first time today, ¡°This is... powerful, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Oh? It seems you do have some experience leading troops.¡± Solheim smiled appreciatively, ¡°This is a powerful secret of the Twin Bridges Town army. Using it well will greatly enhance the combat effectiveness of your squad. Now, please move your noble behind to that spot over there, as many places in the Multiverse are lining up because of you.¡± Chapter 624: 648: Selecting Candidates Chapter 624: Chapter 648: Selecting Candidates Three people walked over to the empty long table, nodded in greeting to the unsmiling Arrow Demon sitting nearby, and then took their seats. Solheim pulled out a Magic Staff with a Ruby embedded at the top, then widened his massive maw and engulfed the entire head of the staff in his mouth. The sight was truly horrifying, not just for the Dwarf and the Elves, but Lancelot was also startled. Although the Serpent Demon had a head resembling that of a humanoid female, it became something entirely different when it opened its mouth¡ªit¡¯s not every day you see someone whose mouth can stretch wider than their head, swallowing an object thicker than their own neck. The Six-Armed Serpent Demon quickly retrieved the Magic Staff, with the Ruby on its head now shining very brightly, like a magical torch that had been lit. She then tapped the Magic Staff on the Magic Formation in the center of the room, causing the lines on the ground to light up instantly, emitting a deep red glow like blood. ¡°This looks pretty evil,¡± Bruto muttered under his breath, ¡°not to mention being ogled by a bunch of Demons afterward, most people couldn¡¯t stand such a scene.¡± ¡°Of course, those who dare to earn money in this plane aren¡¯t ordinary people,¡± Alamir retorted, ¡°Besides, they should have expected what was coming, shouldn¡¯t they?¡± As a blue-white light flashed, everyone¡¯s gaze turned to the Magic Formation at the center of the room. Dozens of figures appeared, men and women, most of them Devilspawn with antlers and tails, and among them was an Ogre standing close to nine feet tall. Each one was in full battle gear, including the Ogre. These beings are legendary for their stupidity, but seeing its properly donned and neat appearance, its intelligence was likely much higher than its kin, as getting dressed and staying tidy is no easy feat. ¡°Hey! That big guy looks like a tough one, I want him!¡± ¡°Back off, I saw him first. He¡¯s mine!¡± ¡°I¡¯m always at the front, following me he can be of the most use!¡± Clearly, the Ogre was to the Dark Officials¡¯ taste, as the atmosphere turned very lively in a flash. However, the experience wasn¡¯t so great for the mercenaries who had just arrived; they were suddenly in one of the most terrifying planes of the Multiverse, surrounded by hundreds of Demons, all of them shouting at them in some strange, coarse language. Just when the fervor in the room was about to blow the roof off, a sharp, ear-piercing, intolerable sound of metal scraping abruptly filled the air. The cold Killing Intent it carried made one¡¯s hair stand on end, and some Demons were even frightened off their seats, yet no one went to mock their loss of composure. ¡°Keep quiet, you swineherds; I haven¡¯t killed anyone today, and I¡¯d rather not have an excuse to start,¡± Solheim, stretching out her six arms, each clutching a Longsword, was the one who had created that dreadful noise. ¡°Good, now keep your mouths shut tight. I am the only one who gets to talk now. I¡¯ll let you know when you need to speak.¡± Everyone stiffly nodded their heads, no one wanting to challenge the Commander¡¯s authority. Only then did the new mercenaries notice the Six-Armed Serpent Demon behind them. The terrifying sight of Solheim, along with the relentless emanation of cold Killing Intent, nearly made them lose their footing, as their violently shaking weapons clanged against each other¡¯s Metal Armor, producing a continuous series of crisp jingles. ¡°Relax, mercenaries, there are no enemies in this room,¡± Solheim communicated through a range mind telepathy, allowing anyone to instantly understand her without worrying about the language barrier, ¡°Give me a response, nod if you understand, so I know I¡¯m not talking to a bunch of idiots.¡± The mercenaries glanced at one another and hesitantly moved their chins, but no one sheathed their weapons. Thankfully, Solheim didn¡¯t care about that. ¡°Good, now please walk to your right and wait in that corner, the next batch of mercenaries will be coming in.¡± Under the deathly threat of the Six-Armed Serpent Demon, the teleportation proceeded with great efficiency. About a quarter of an hour later, the corner designated for the mercenaries to wait in was nearly packed with about a hundred people, and it looked like there was no room for more. Seeing this, Solheim put down her Ruby Magic Wand and once again spoke to everyone through mind telepathy: ¡°You will be assigned to a commander, and you will follow his orders during the march and battle. The commander has the authority to issue three commands, namely ¡®Charge,¡¯ ¡®Follow me,¡¯ and ¡®Hold this position.¡¯ Anyone who disobeys will be executed immediately.¡± Solheim then picked up a metal badge and waved it in front of the mercenaries, ¡°Soon, your commander will give you one of these badges. Activate it by dripping a drop of your blood on it. It will indicate your identity, serve as your record of military achievements, and act as your pass. I don¡¯t have time to answer your questions. Take it and go get your first week¡¯s pay on the first floor, where someone will answer your queries. Now, come up in order, starting with you, that green-skinned orc, come to the center!¡± ¡°Me! Tanto!¡± the orc displayed his well-developed muscles and the Great Axe on his back to the audience, ¡°Tanto only fights with the strong!¡± ¡°Good, tough guy, let¡¯s hope you don¡¯t wet your pants in the heat of battle,¡± Solheim said with a wicked smirk, ¡°Alright, swineherds, you can speak now. Who wants him?¡± Four or five demons immediately stood up, indicating their interest to the Six-Armed Serpent Demon. Solheim casually assigned one of the Berserk Demons, who proudly made a crude gesture to his comrades, then tossed a metal badge to the orc. ¡°Good, now exit through that door, get your pay and take a walk around this town. I suggest you spend all the money you just got on equipment that will help you survive and return here before dark to report. Next!¡± The second one to come up was a Minotaur with a giant club, followed by a Tiflin Wanderer dressed as a thief, a bear goblin warrior in Chainmail, another Tiflin Wanderer, a bald human Shield Bearer, and a Devilspawn Gunner in Plank Armor... It was not hard to see that most of the demon commanders preferred warriors with big muscles and a fierce appearance, and the rare Spellcasters were also highly sought after. The least popular were the Wanderers, as almost no one wanted these lackeys with a lacking ability to fight head-on, though their numbers were few. Soon, the first pair of ¡®bundle-sold¡¯ mercenaries appeared. When it was the turn of a Tiflin female in a long robe, she pulled a slender Tiflin boy onto the stage with her, they seemed to be siblings. ¡°I am a Blood Sorcerer, capable of using Third Circle Magic,¡± the female Tiflin announced loudly in fluent Abyssal, ¡°I must stay with my brother. Whoever wants me will have to take the two of us together!¡± Chapter 625: 649: Team Members Chapter 625: Chapter 649: Team Members The Fiends eyed the two with suspicion, and none of them showed any intention of standing up. The actual casting ability of a Third Circle magician was nothing remarkable; several who could cast Fourth Circle magic had already appeared. Adding in an individual who clearly fell below the average was like dragging an oil bottle along, making the pair seem like an unprofitable deal. ¡°I¡¯ll take them,¡± said Lancelot, who had been silent until now, as he suddenly stood up. ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem, will it, Lady Solheim?¡± His action sparked a buzz of whispers, but Bruto and Alamir were not surprised. Both knew very well what kind of character Lancelot was, he was strange if he picked the strong ones. In the end, he was sure to gather those whose strength was feeble, who were in a pitiful state, and who looked unlikely to survive. ¡®Of course not, Sir.¡¯ The six-armed Serpent Demon glanced at the Human Knight, ¡®I doubt there¡¯s anyone more suitable than you. Next!¡¯ Lancelot left his seat, took two of the metal emblems from the chain, and handed them to the Tiflin siblings, who looked on guard. ¡°Human?¡± The female magician, sporting pale red skin, took the metal piece and cautiously asked in Common Tongue, ¡°What¡¯s your name? How did you become a captain?¡± ¡°My name is Lancelot, I¡¯m a resident of this town,¡± Lancelot replied with a shrug. ¡°And you?¡± ¡°I am... Musk; he¡¯s Glory,¡± the sister glared covertly at her brother. ¡°We come from...¡± ¡°Since I didn¡¯t ask, there¡¯s no need to rush into making up lies,¡± Lancelot interrupted her. ¡°I still need to recruit eight more members. You two can wander around the town for a while. Stay out of trouble, we¡¯ll talk later.¡± ¡°...Alright.¡± After a brief silence, Musk finally spoke, ¡°Thank you, Sir Lancelot.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± The Human Knight nodded, then sat back down, while the Tiflin siblings turned and walked out with the other mercenaries. ¡°Did you notice that boy?¡± Alamir next to him began, ¡°Though his body shook incessantly from fear, his gaze was always firm.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Lancelot smiled, ¡°He seems like good material for an Attendant, don¡¯t you think?¡± Soon, Solheim reactivated the Array, and batches of mercenaries arrived from various parts of the Multiverse, displayed for the surrounding Demons to pick, much like auctioned goods. The only difference was that there was no bidding involved. The six-armed Serpent Demon directly assigned the mercenaries to their new masters, and certainly, the decisions were not influenced by the volume of the captains¡¯ shouts. Lancelot¡¯s squad steadily grew: first were three miners dressed as desperate Dwarves who, upon seeing Bruto, excitedly burst into tears on the spot. Bruto left the scene early, taking his three compatriots to tour this unique town; next was a man wearing Plate Armor, a Human with grizzled hair, emitting the unique aura of a Holy Warrior, his expression akin to a sheriff off duty walking into a tavern full of pirates, for some inscrutable reason. No demon wanted such a fellow to join their team: to them, a Holy Warrior was nothing short of a madman. Even though that person seemed to have forsaken his vows, it only made him all the more dangerous. Common demons delighted in killing, destruction, and watching others¡¯ pain; but causing a pure Holy Warrior to fall? That was a game for Lord Level bigwigs. When Lancelot agreed to take in this Holy Warrior named Ivendell, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The Holy Warrior himself was surprised to find a human captain willing to take him in, but he didn¡¯t ask any questions. He took the emblem and left straight away. The arrivals continued with a female shape-shifting demon, about the same age as little Isa and apparently a monkey in her original form. From the terrified look on her face, she might have been tricked into coming here; two Dwarf brothers with their beards dyed ink-green, Valen Belen and Rein Belen. Even though the brothers flexed their strong arms and showcased their large hand crossbows, the demons couldn¡¯t overcome their prejudice against short stature. Lancelot reserved the last spot for a female half-elf with white hair and red eyes, Tanya Irilina. She was a little over five feet tall, wearing a pitted half-suit of plate armor, with a dagger at her waist and a light crossbow on her back. Aside from her delicate features and pointed ears, she didn¡¯t possess an ounce of the typical elf demeanor. The mercenary teleports continued until dusk, declaring an end. By Lancelot¡¯s estimate, the final number exceeded two thousand. Thirteen were grouped together under the command of a captain from Twin Bridges Town, and for every thirteen captains, one was designated as a standard-bearer by Solheim, taking orders directly from him. In battle, the standard-bearer would carry Twin Bridges Town¡¯s flag on their back, responsible for guiding the other squads to launch their attacks. In addition, four squads would serve as Solheim¡¯s personal guard, entering the battlefield alongside the Serpent Demon General¡ªthe squad led by Lancelot was one of them. Incidentally, the captains of the other three squads were Succubi. Lancelot could have tried to blend in a bit more, but unfortunately, his skin wasn¡¯t thick enough. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Hmm, this restaurant is really quite nice.¡± Musk, a Tiflin Magician, took a sip of the red wine that accompanied the meal and smiled at Lancelot, ¡°But, even though you¡¯re human, why did all the demons in that room today call you ¡®Prince¡¯?¡± At this question, everyone at the long table turned to look at him, clearly curious about the answer. Lancelot and his team were dining at a restaurant called ¡®Bone Crunching Marrow Sucking,¡¯ which mainly catered to merchants, and everyone was quite pleased with the food. Of course, Lancelot had paid a substantial bill, but the well-off Human Knight wasn¡¯t bothered by this. ¡°Well...¡± Lancelot glanced at Tijana, who was sitting at the other end of the long table, and she was giving him a wicked smile. Of course, the Succubus Lord wasn¡¯t appearing in her original form; she had transformed into an enchanting and mysterious black-haired human woman, attending the banquet as the humans¡¯ knightly sponsor. ¡°Well... let¡¯s save that for last. First, answer some of my questions,¡± Lancelot shook his head with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the people present, ¡°Who are you? Where do you come from? Why did you take the contract? What are you good at in battle? Do you have any requirements for your comrades?¡± ¡°Those are good questions, but since you brought them up, you should set an example for us,¡± the white-haired, red-eyed half-elf Tanya challenged him with a provocative look, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to be last in everything, would you?¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Lancelot shrugged with a smile, put down his knife and fork, and began to speak, ¡°My name is Lancelot, born into a small rural noble family. In my homeland, everyone believed that Fiends and Angels were just creatures of myth, and magic was just a trick that only children would believe in...¡± Chapter 626: 650: The Dwarfs Request Chapter 626: Chapter 650: The Dwarf¡¯s Request ¡°...And that was my story before I came to the Abyss,¡± Lancelot picked up his cup and took a gentle sip, ¡°Later, I met Bruto, Alamir, and a few other companions. We formed a mercenary group and completed several adventures, and Twin Bridges Town has always been our haven for rest. Now, this town is facing the threat of a demon army, and I am willing to fight to defend it. I am very confident in my swordsmanship, so you can rest assured that I will be the first to charge into battle. As your captain, I have only one request: absolute loyalty to your companions. I don¡¯t expect you to die for someone you¡¯ve just met, but please fight for them, and if anyone betrays a comrade for any reason, I will personally avenge the deceased. This is my promise as a knight. Does anyone have an objection?¡± ¡°Not at all~¡± ¡°A fair request.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a given?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Good, since no one is opposed, I take it as agreed,¡± Lancelot nodded and turned to Bruto next to him, ¡°Let¡¯s go in order, Bruto, you¡¯re next.¡± ¡°Hmm, my story is not as grand as yours,¡± Bruto gulped down a large swig of barley beer, washing down the food in his mouth, ¡°As the son of a grandmaster, most of my life was spent beside the forge. What¡¯s worse is that my strict old man had some unrealistic expectations for me. A helmet? The curvature is wrong! A hand axe? The balance is off! A breastplate? Who¡¯s that for, a halfling? In short, I never became a blacksmith that satisfied my old man, but I did end up developing a good physique...¡± ¡°Haha, sounds a lot like our own childhoods,¡± the oldest of the dwarf miners spoke, ¡°But my brother, how did you end up in the Abyss?¡± ¡°An ancient mine, a rare vein of ore, a group of dwarves blinded by greed,¡± Bruto shrugged his shoulders, ¡°We accidentally crossed through a portal to the Abyss, and by the time we realized something was wrong, the portal had disappeared. It wasn¡¯t long before we were captured and then enslaved, mining ores and smelting metals for various Demon Lords. It was no life for anyone, and just when I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, preferring death at the hands of the demons over continuing that life...¡± ¡°Sir Lancelot appeared?¡± the gnome brothers with green beards asked in unison. ¡°Exactly, I remember that scene like it was yesterday. I was already in a desperate situation, with only a cross pickaxe in my hand, when Lancelot appeared out of nowhere, his great sword spinning like a fast-turning waterwheel, slicing up the Berserk Demons that surrounded us into pieces... This cup is to you, my brother! From then on, I decided to bid farewell to my apprenticeship and become an adventurer. My reason for joining this war... many of my kin have settled in Twin Bridges Town as craftsmen, and I will fight to keep them safe from danger. I have a fantastic hammer, forged by my dad, that flies back to me automatically after throwing; plus, since my right hand is often free, I¡¯m also quite skilled with a shield. In battle, I like to charge into the fray alongside Lancelot, but if necessary, I can also stay back to protect our spellcaster companions. I don¡¯t have any special requests for you guys, or maybe I just don¡¯t know them yet, but if something bothers me, I¡¯ll definitely speak up.¡± ¡°To you, my good brother,¡± Lancelot raised his cup towards Bruto and drained the liquid inside, ¡°Next?¡± ¡°Let me explain the situation for the three of us,¡± the previously speaking Dwarf Miner spoke up again, ¡°I am Rurik StoneShield, and these are Flint Ruge and Trawok Thoron beside me. Say hello to everyone, boys!¡± ¡°Greetings!¡± The second Dwarf stood up and gave a bow to the crowd. He had the rare bright yellow hair and a flushed pale skin unique among dwarves, ¡°I am Flint Ruge.¡± ¡°And I am Trawok Thoron,¡± the third Dwarf also stood, his beard the same fiery red as Bruto¡¯s, a color characteristic of young dwarves, except he had meticulously braided his beard into several thin plaits that reminded one of thick noodles glued around the mouth. ¡°The three of us come from a remote dwarven village, and we¡¯ve been playing together since we were kids. Like most dwarven children, we started training as blacksmiths, stonemasons, and miners at a young age. Although those days were monotonous, we always found ways to have fun together. Our carefree days came to an end with an attack by Dark Elves. The village was burned, our clan was killed, and the three of us children became commodities of slave traders, taken to their underground city, where we spent twenty years in chains. Then one day, suddenly, the family enslaving us was attacked by several other families within the city, and all the nobles were killed, with the spoils split among the victors, needless to say, we slaves were part of the spoils.¡± ¡°I must say, seeing the heads of our former masters impaled on a row of long spears did allow me to vent quite a bit,¡± said Flint with the golden hair. ¡°They got what they deserved, but that cannot make up for the harm we suffered,¡± Rurik shook his head. ¡°The new Zoel Family no longer needed more miners, but they didn¡¯t want other competing families to grow stronger, so they sold us to a Gis slave trader. That man took us to Mark City, and then resold us to a fire giant blacksmith.¡± ¡°Let me guess, you escaped from that fire giant,¡± Lancelot said with a smile. ¡°Perhaps just before you came to Twin Bridges Town?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got it, Sir,¡± Rurik, with his dark brown beard, nodded. ¡°Although that fire giant was as brutal as the Dark Elves, he was far laxer at preventing slave escapes. We¡¯ve ended up on the Order Brotherhood¡¯s list though, and once back in Mark City, we¡¯ll be immediately arrested by the administrators unless we can come up with five hundred Gold Coins to pay for our freedom.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Lancelot nodded. ¡°Do you have any combat experience?¡± ¡°Very little,¡± Rurik spread his hands helplessly. ¡°We have never had the chance to receive formal training...¡± ¡°But long-term hard work has made us very strong,¡± the young Trawok burst in impatiently. ¡°I can easily lift a four hundred-pound load, and Rurik and Flint are even stronger.¡± ¡°Impressive,¡± Lancelot raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s already more outstanding than many human soldiers.¡± ¡°And you must be very proficient with the Cross Pickaxe, knowing how to maximize its destructive power,¡± Bruto said encouragingly. ¡°Of course,¡± Rurik smiled at his fellow kinsman. ¡°I think we can also make good use of Shields.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t spent your first week¡¯s wages yet, have you?¡± Lancelot stroked his chin. ¡°I suggest you buy a set of Chainmail and a Heavy Shield, two hundred Gold Coins should cover those, and if there¡¯s any money left, perhaps another battle pickaxe...¡± ¡°No need to buy your own,¡± Tijana, who had taken on the form of a human woman, said casually. ¡°Twin Bridges Town provides free Cold Iron Weapons to mercenaries who enlist.¡± ¡°That is indeed good news,¡± Lancelot smiled at Tijana. ¡°One last question, do you have any requests for your fellow companions?¡± The three Dwarves exchanged glances, and eventually, it was the elder Rurik StoneShield who spoke. ¡°We¡¯ve had enough of life without freedom, and we don¡¯t want to live like that for another day. We will fight to the death, but if by misfortune we are captured, please find a way to kill us. That¡¯s our request, thank you.¡± ¡°...A very special request, but I understand,¡± Lancelot nodded after a brief silence, then turned to the two Gnomes beside the Dwarves. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn, the Belen brothers, would you introduce yourselves to everyone?¡± Chapter 627: 651 Belen Brothers Chapter 627: Chapter 651 Belen Brothers ¡°Hey, it¡¯s finally our turn!¡± The two Dwarves cheered simultaneously as if they had been eager for this moment. ¡°After you, please!¡± ¡°No, after you!¡± ¡°No, you go ahead!¡± ¡°No need, no need...¡± ¡°Ah!!! Stop!!!¡± Bruto abruptly slammed the table, ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore...¡± ¡°Which one of you two is the elder brother?¡± Lancelot asked with a tearful smile, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the elder brother go first?¡± ¡°Me!¡± the Dwarf closer to Lancelot replied happily, ¡°My name is Valen Belen...¡± ¡°My name is Rein Belen!¡± ¡°And we are... the Belen brothers!¡± As soon as they finished speaking, two metal spheres the size of eggs rose from behind them, creating the illusion of fireworks in the air, complete with explosions, cheers, and the upbeat sound of trumpets, like a festival celebration. ¡°Wow!¡± the Dwarf¡¯s eyes nearly popped out, ¡°What is that? How did you do that?¡± ¡°Heh heh, just a little trick combining mechanics and Illusion Technique, nothing special.¡± From the expression on Valen Belen¡¯s face as he spoke, he was actually quite proud of it, ¡°We come from a Gnome kingdom called Jirago, which has clean and tidy streets, the best universities and libraries on the continent, and where everyone seems happy. But that¡¯s just how it looks to outsiders; the reality is that there¡¯s a secret agency called ¡®The Agency of Truth¡¯ that monitors everyone¡¯s every move, and when they find someone not playing by the rules, they act without hesitation, with poison, magic, or blades to eliminate the threat, and the dead never see the agent that killed them.¡± ¡°That sounds truly awful.¡± Alamir, sitting across the table, frowned in disgust, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to live in such a society...¡± ¡°Outsiders find it hard to understand this system set up to prevent crime, but if you play by the rules, it¡¯s actually not that bad, at least for most people. In fact, about a third of the Gnomes in Jirago are agents of ¡®The Agency of Truth,¡¯ although most just monitor those around them and report any deviations.¡± ¡°I guess you guys did something unacceptable.¡± Lancelot looked thoughtfully at the Dwarf brothers, ¡°But not to the point where you needed to be assassinated?¡± ¡°We just made some comments about the refugee policy, and life suddenly became full of inconveniences,¡± Valen shrugged, ¡°The packages delivered to our door were always tampered with, our monthly research allowance had a bunch of unheard-of deductions. Everyone started avoiding us like we had leprosy, and distant relatives we hadn¡¯t heard from in ages suddenly started sending letters, asking about our well-being... Who would¡¯ve thought, likening the council to a bunch of pigs grateful to the farmer would lead to such severe consequences?¡± ¡°One day, my brother and I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. We packed up, paid some money, went through four or five Portals, and then... bang! Our homeland was a whole other world!¡± ¡°However, we soon realized that in most places in this Multiverse, people had strong... prejudices against Dwarves,¡± Valen¡¯s beard trembled with indignation, ¡°They never take us seriously! As if a person¡¯s value depended only on their height and weight, ironically, it¡¯s the Giants who are a declining race... Anyway, our current life goal is to prove that Dwarves are not weaker than any other race, and can achieve many great things too...¡± ¡°So you decided to take part in the Blood War?¡± Lancelot looked at his two small companions in surprise, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit... extreme?¡± ¡°Actually, we have a long list, most of which is checked off, including but not limited to: placing in the top three in the unrestricted wrestling competition in Mark City, defeating an adult Giant Dragon, robbing the Bartez bank in Rib City... There aren¡¯t many items left unchecked, and participating in the Blood War is just one of the... less dangerous ones.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one of the less dangerous ones?¡± Bruto raised an eyebrow in surprise, ¡°Can you tell me what other... grand plans you have?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see...¡± Rein Belen, the younger brother, opened his backpack with glee and took out a long parchment, ¡°Stealing an egg from Dragon Queen Tiamat¡¯s nest... Foiling a Demons¡¯ invasion on the Prime Material Plane... Finding any ¡®Book of Keeping¡¯ that records the true name of a Yugros Demon... Having a... tryst with Queen of the Succubus Mekanshut...¡± ¡°Cough cough!! What?¡± Tijana, who had transformed into a human woman, choked, ¡°The last one, are you serious?¡± ¡°When we first made the list, it was just a kind of prank.¡± Valen shrugged, ¡°But as other whimsical ideas were accomplished one by one, that didn¡¯t seem so preposterous anymore. I mean, we¡¯ve seen images of Dimogorgen, and if you¡¯re only comparing appearances, we do have some advantages...¡± ¡°You two really are well suited to serve on behalf of Tanari...¡± Tijana covered her face with her hands, so others couldn¡¯t see her rolling her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not questioning your abilities, but the achievements you¡¯ve already made sound quite astounding.¡± Lancelot said with a smile, ¡°Could you tell me about your combat skills?¡± ¡°Of course! Watch closely!¡± Valen clearly got excited; he leapt onto the table, unbuttoned several buttons near the collar of his shirt, revealing his small but well-defined upper body. He wore a special metal necklace around his neck, with links thick as a thumb and a metal pendant the size of a fist at the end, which housed a bright blue gemstone. Its wearer gently pressed it. The gemstone suddenly emitted a dazzling white light, and some internal mechanism began spinning at high speed. A sharp and piercing metal scraping noise followed, and the necklace seemed to come alive, breaking down into countless tiny metal pieces which swiftly covered Valen¡¯s skin like flowing water. In the blink of an eye, the green-bearded dwarf transformed into a little person made entirely of metal. He sprang from the table, and when he landed, it sounded like an ogre had toppled to the ground. ¡°Let me show you my prowess!¡± Valen¡¯s voice rang out again, though it sounded oddly metallic as if his throat had also turned to metal, ¡°Ha! A window on the ceiling, that¡¯s genius. Watch closely!¡± The metal dwarf raised his arms, and thick arcs of electricity, like javelins, flew from his palms with a frequency matching that of an experienced short bowman; Lancelot knew for sure that these were real attacks, no illusions. Then, the metal little man grabbed his brother, tossed him into the air, caught him, then threw him up again as easily as if he were tossing a pillow. ¡°Hahaha! Valen, stop!¡± Rein called out to his brother gleefully whilst being repeatedly thrown, ¡°Everyone¡¯s seen it now!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± With a final toss of his companion, the metal dwarf rolled twice on the ground, spun around in place three times, and then spread his arms¡ªjust in time to catch the falling Rein. Seeing this, everyone applauded, including the always grim-faced human Holy Warrior. Valen put down his chuckling companion and without any visible mechanism, the metal pieces flowed like water off his body, quickly reverting him back to the green-bearded dwarf. ¡°Let me reintroduce myself; I am Valen Belen, a gearsmith who specializes in armor, nicknamed ¡®Metal Box¡¯!¡± ¡°And I am Rein Belen, a gearsmith who specializes in magic cannons, nicknamed ¡®Lightning Storm¡¯!¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s the mountains...¡± ¡°Or the desert...¡± ¡°The gale...¡± ¡°Or the downpour...¡± ¡°The searing fires of Barto Hell...¡± ¡°The tempests of the noisy empty tunnels...¡± ¡°Nothing can stop...¡± ¡°The greatest adventurers in dwarven history~¡± ¡°The Belen Brothers!!! (x2)¡± (Fireworks effects, cheering, explosions, and the sound of trumpets) ...... ¡°Look at that momentum!¡± Bruto quietly kicked Lancelot under the table, ¡°We should put on something similar!¡± Chapter 628: 652: The Ability of the Mechanic Chapter 628: Chapter 652: The Ability of the Mechanic ¡°Cough cough, that was quite an impressive and spirited self-introduction,¡± Lancelot said with barely contained mirth. ¡°Please take your seat again, the restaurant owner has been eyeing you nervously since just now... Very good, but could you explain to us what an Inventor is? I have never heard of it before...¡± ¡°That¡¯s not surprising, as Inventors seem to be popular only in our world called Aberon. It¡¯s rare to encounter colleagues from other worlds,¡± Valen explained. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to describe the Inventor profession in just a sentence or two. In our view, magic is a complex system waiting to be decoded and manipulated. With the right tools, devices, and processes, we can utilize magic in a predictable and measurable way to alter ordinary items in daily life, greatly facilitating our lives... or ending others¡¯.¡± ¡°To put it simply, we are inventors who have mastered magical power... Burp,¡± Rein, the younger brother, chimed in. ¡°Like Mages, Inventors also have different specializations. My brother specializes in armored mastery; his powered armor is like his second skin. The armor¡¯s capabilities can be adjusted as needed, able to handle close combat enemies as well as project destructive energy to great distances.¡± ¡°And Rein is a Magic Cannoneer. Compared to me, he is an expert in wreaking havoc on the battlefield,¡± Valen said with a proud gaze at his brother. ¡°He can create a magic turret during combat, which can either be a small, self-propelled cannon with mechanical legs or a miniature hand-held cannon. There are three types of turrets: a Flame-thrower, which emits a conical burst of flame about fifteen feet in front; a Force Crossbow Turret with a range of a hundred and twenty feet that not only does damage but also pushes the target back on impact; a Defender that continuously supplies life energy to nearby allies, acting as a medical node during battle, which is very useful for army combat. Additionally, his crossbow is also enchanted with an auto-reloading feature and its attacks are augmented with devastating magical power...¡± ¡°That sounds amazing,¡± Tijana interjected with interest. ¡°But there¡¯s a problem. Your opponent, Bartez, is immune to flame damage, so it seems that the flame turret won¡¯t be of much use...¡± ¡°That certainly wouldn¡¯t be an issue, beautiful lady,¡± Rein said with a goofy smile to Tijana. ¡°With a few small adjustments, I can change its attack properties... Acid? Cold? Or lightning? What do you think is more suitable?¡± ¡°Acid would be fine, but I¡¯d suggest lightning,¡± Tijana shrugged. ¡°On the battlefield, combatants are always entangled, and Tanari have resistance to lightning damage, Bartez does not.¡± ¡°Ah! What a sagacious suggestion!¡± Rein immediately took out a notebook and began writing something eagerly. ¡°Thank you very much, I¡¯ve made a note of it.¡± ¡°So, there¡¯s just one last question,¡± Lancelot sobered up. ¡°Do you have any requirements for your companions?¡± Upon hearing this, the gnome brothers exchanged looks, then nodded to each other simultaneously. ¡°It¡¯s not so much a demand as it is a request,¡± Vallen extended his hand, capturing the metal sphere that was floating beside him, ¡°Remember what I said earlier about proving that gnomes are no less than any other race? This sphere is our evidence. It is an animated Perception Stone that will always follow us, recording the sounds and images of our battles. If neither of us survives the Blood War, please take it to the headquarters of the Perception Society in Mark City...¡± ¡°Of course, if we die a pathetic death, crushed by the Demon army like bugs on the roadside, then never mind,¡± Rein, who was standing beside him, curled his lip, ¡°Better to completely destroy it to maintain our glorious image... The library of the Perception Society already contains quite a few records of our past adventures, those are enough.¡± ¡°Damn it, why do all your requests have to do with death!¡± Bruto glared, discontented, ¡°That¡¯s really bad luck! I¡¯m telling you, with my big brother here, it¡¯s not so easy to want to die!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not superstitious in that respect. Expecting the worst is the way to get the best result,¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders and looked at the half-elf maiden sitting across from the gnome, ¡°Miss, please introduce yourself to us.¡± ¡°Uh... hello everyone, my name is Tanya Irilina. As you can see, I¡¯m a half-elf,¡± the white-haired maiden set down her cup, which she did for the first time since the dinner began, ¡°But I know nothing about my parents. Aunt Anna said I was left at her doorstep on a night without a moon, along with a small bag of Gold Coins and a note with my name on it. My childhood was no different from that of human kids, but my later experiences were somewhat similar to yours, Lancelot¡ªunusual climate, poor harvests, people in famine... After I led the villagers in opening the Lord¡¯s stuffed granaries, things quickly got out of hand. The upheaval swept across the country, and the brave peasant army fought their way into the capital from the south, with the corpses of bloated nobles hanging along the way. Unlike your tale, the moment I chopped off the King¡¯s head, a portal to Barto Hell appeared from his body. I rushed in without hesitation, destroyed the Magic Formation that created the portal, but was then unable to return... Fortunately, I found another portal in that Demon stronghold, which led directly to the famous Cage City...¡± ¡°Tell us about your mentor,¡± Tijana grabbed a piece of fruit from the table, claws suddenly extending from her fingertips, and began peeling it with a calm expression, ¡°You¡¯re a Sorcerer, aren¡¯t I right?¡± ¡°... Your perception is very sharp, lady,¡± the half-elf with the white hair changed her expression slightly, ¡°Since the time I can remember, there¡¯s been a mysterious woman¡¯s voice in my head, teaching me all sorts of knowledge, how to read people, how to navigate, how to use magic. She never made any contract with me, or perhaps the contract was already established long before I was born. In any case, I can harness the power from the Fallen Shadow Netherworld, and with it, summon a special Contract Weapon...¡± Tanya raised her arm, making a strange gesture, and in the next moment, a shadowy flame burst forth from her hand, quickly solidified into a seven-foot Pike. The half-elf spun the Pike effortlessly above everyone¡¯s heads, producing a whistling sound, then with a fierce grip, it stopped in mid-air, emanating a power that made hearts palpitate. Lancelot felt a black spot on his wrist move, as if excited by the presence of its kin. ¡°As you can see, I am a Cursed Swordmaster,¡± Tanya banged the Pike on the ground beside her, oddly making no sound, and the Pike disappeared into thin air, ¡°I can cast some spells to enhance myself, but my main approach to defeat enemies is through close combat. My only request for my companions... is not to ask about my mentor, unless I bring it up myself. That¡¯s not unreasonable, is it?¡± Chapter 629: 653: Holy Warrior and the Shape-Shifting Demon (Monkey) Chapter 629: Chapter 653: Holy Warrior and the Shape-Shifting Demon (Monkey) ¡°As long as your mentor will not impede our actions, your privacy will be respected,¡± Lancelot nodded and looked towards the next squad member, ¡°your turn, Ivendell... Sir?¡± ¡°Yes, I am indeed of noble birth, just like you.¡± The usually somber Holy Warrior slowly spoke, his voice reluctant, ¡°About my past... may I not speak of it?¡± ¡°Everyone has a past they wish not to recall, and perhaps with more trust between us, you will change your current mindset.¡± Lancelot shrugged indifferently, ¡°But there are some questions I still hope you can clarify for everyone. Are you... still a Holy Warrior?¡± ¡°I do not know.¡± Ivendell¡¯s aged, wrinkled face revealed a bitter smile, ¡°Is one still a Holy Warrior when he can no longer uphold his oath?¡± ¡°What was your oath?¡± Tijana suddenly asked, her voice carrying a particular interest. ¡°The Oath of the Crown.¡± Ivendell looked at the mysterious lady with black hair with some surprise, ¡°You seem to know much about Holy Warriors, Madam.¡± ¡°Is that so strange? I also know a Holy Warrior.¡± Tijana leaned back, gently closing her eyes, ¡°The Oath of the Crown, by which one must offer unconditional loyalty to the state and the sovereign... There is no worse oath than this, for although you gain strength from your sworn actions, the one you swear to protect is merely a ruler among mortals.¡± ¡°Even gods may fall, let alone mere mortals,¡± Alamir, at Lancelot¡¯s side, joined in, ¡°So that is your plight, a Fallen sovereign, making you unable to convince yourself to continue fulfilling your oath?¡± ¡°I really do not wish to talk about this anymore,¡± the old Holy Warrior hung his head, hiding his face in the shadows, ¡°The training I received allows me to take the forefront on the battlefield, and that is where I wish to be. I can still channel Divine Power, force enemies around me to battle, or supply healing energy to nearby severely injured comrades. I have only one reason for joining this blood battle, and that is my hatred for Demons, even if it means I have to fight alongside them. I have no demands of you, just do not hinder me from killing more Demons.¡± ¡°But what if I ask everyone to retreat under certain circumstances?¡± Lancelot narrowed his eyes, ¡°Would you defy the Commander¡¯s orders?¡± ¡°...I am not an unreasonable man, and I understand the importance of obeying orders on the battlefield,¡± Ivendell raised his head, looking directly into Lancelot¡¯s eyes, ¡°You need not worry about me in this regard, Sir.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± Lancelot nodded noncommittally, then turned his gaze to the next companion. She was a girl with golden short hair, wearing an exotic-looking light blouse that appeared comfortable and elegant. A pair of beast ears emerged from her fluffy hair, hinting at her extraordinary racial lineage, with another clue being the furry tail trailing behind her, curling around an iron-tipped staff about five feet in length. ¡°Eh? Is it my turn?¡± The girl finally reacted, having been focused on stuffing various fruits into her mouth since the start of the feast, ¡°Um, hi everyone, my name is Jing! I¡¯m a monkey!¡± ¡°You mean, you were a monkey, right?¡± Alamir said with a smile from the side, ¡°When did you transform into your current appearance?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long story.¡± The girl made a silly face that indeed resembled a mischievous monkey, ¡°At first, I was just like any ordinary monkey, frolicking in the mountains and forests, drinking the sweet spring water when thirsty, and eating peaches from trees when hungry. I even taught myself how to pile up the peaches and let them gradually turn into delicious wine... But gradually, I began to realize that I was different from the other monkeys. I was smarter than they were, capable of expressing complex concepts in language, stronger as well, but what really set me apart was that I could transform into the appearance of those hairless monkeys that occasionally came to the mountains, which the other monkeys couldn¡¯t do.¡± ¡°So you were able to shape-shift.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Perhaps it has something to do with the fruit wine you brewed...¡± ¡°Ha! It must be so!¡± Bruto said, slapping his hand with glee, ¡°Wine is the water of life; every Dwarf knows that! It¡¯s our core doctrine!¡± ¡°What happened afterward?¡± Alamir asked curiously, ¡°Did you leave the mountains?¡± ¡°Well, I must say, your cities are much more interesting! I even met a mentor who taught me knowledge and skills for battling, and how to survive in the society of those hairless monkeys¡ªcalled Dragonkin by my hometown folks¡ªbut eventually, my mentor died in a duel, and I was left wandering alone on that continent called Kara-Tur...¡± ¡°Kara-Tur! I¡¯ve heard of that place.¡± The Elf Priest¡¯s voice carried a particular joy, ¡°It looks like you come from the world of Toril as well, we¡¯re kind of fellow countrymen then.¡± ¡°Toril?¡± The demon monkey girl named Jing looked confused, ¡°I have never heard of that name, I only know about Kara-Tur...¡± ¡°Well, the world of Toril is really vast, roughly divided into three regions: Faeru?n, Kara-Tur, and Zakhara. For those of us living in Faeru?n, your homeland is as remote as another world, with gods worshipped here unknown there, and Gnomes and Orcs that are commonplace here are unheard of there. That¡¯s why I said we can only be considered half-fellows. But how did you end up arriving in the Outlands? And why did you join the Blood War?¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m still a bit confused about the situation...¡± The demon monkey girl chuckled awkwardly, ¡°A few days ago, I was chasing a fugitive hiding in some ancient ruins, he created a Portal to escape, and I followed him right through, then I found myself in a bizarre circular city. When I recovered from the shock, both the fugitive and the Portal had vanished. Now I¡¯ve figured out that to go back, I need a key to open the Portal, and the keys are not cheap to buy. It was around this time that I saw the posting, saying that a place called Twin Bridges Town was recruiting, where I could earn two hundred Gold Coins a week, so I decided to try my luck at the Armory...¡± ¡°They actually agreed to let you in?¡± Tijana asked in surprise, ¡°Don¡¯t they screen the applicants?¡± ¡°The Guards did indeed refuse me at first, saying I was too small, which made me so mad that I beat them up on the spot... I hate it when people say I¡¯m small! It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t grow taller, okay?!¡± The demon monkey girl¡¯s iron-tipped staff, coiled by her tail, swung dangerously, lending quite a bit of credibility to her statement, ¡°As for some kind of screening... It doesn¡¯t seem like there was any, really. It was just lining up, taking turns standing on a Magic Formation, and then I was transported here...¡± Chapter 630: 654 Peach Stick Spell Chapter 630: Chapter 654 Peach Stick Spell ¡°So, do you know what this job is all about?¡± Lancelot looked incredulously at the little monkey, ¡°About the eternal war between Demons and Devils?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just fighting, right? Both sides in the war are bad guys, and the ones hiring us are the ones losing, right?¡± Jing, the transformed monkey, made a funny face, ¡°Since both sides are bad guys, it¡¯s better to keep the war evenly matched. We¡¯re here to maintain the harmony of the Multiverse! And make a bit of money on the side...¡± ¡°You do have a point there...¡± Lancelot looked at Tijana with a somewhat exasperated smile, the expression on her face almost vacant, ¡°Tell us about your favorite fighting style. Is that stick your weapon?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! My speed is very fast, I can rush to the enemy¡¯s side in an instant, knock them over with my stick, and then run away before the others react!¡± The girl gesticulated rapidly in the air with her fists, looking quite professional, ¡°Additionally, my master taught me how to use a special kind of energy within my body, making my unarmed attacks both fast and powerful, easily knocking enemies down, or catching Flying Arrows, or jumping down from high places without getting hurt...¡± ¡°Ah, so your master is a Martial Monk, huh? I¡¯ve heard that profession is indeed very popular in Kara-Tur,¡± Alamir shrugged his shoulders, turning his head towards Lancelot, ¡°Remember Hobinson we met in Pascaler? The guy with the red silk thread wrapped around his hands, he was also a Martial Monk.¡± ¡°Yes, I remember him,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°His fists in battle were hard like a pair of Iron Hammers, truly unforgettable.¡± ¡°Haha, have you guys met other people like me? Then does this guy also...¡± The monkey girl lifted her tail high, clasped her hands in front of her chest, and simultaneously uttered a strange syllable. The iron-tipped stick wrapped by her tail suddenly glowed red, many illusions of peach blossoms appearing on its surface, looking quite beautiful. ¡°Could this be... the Peach Stick Spell?¡± Alamir looked surprised at the iron-tipped stick flickering with a red ghostly light, ¡°Are you also a Druid?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it a Martial Monk just a moment ago, how did it turn into a Druid now?¡± The monkey girl grinned as she embraced her weapon, tapping her finger in the middle of the stick, ¡°Do Druids also do this?¡± As she tapped, a branch emerged from the stick handle, hanging with a dozen ripe peaches. The monkey girl plucked the peaches and placed them on the table, looking proud as she said to everyone: ¡°Come and try the peaches I transformed, if they¡¯re not delicious, you can do as you please with me!¡± ¡°Even though you produced peaches, I can still tell this is the Druid¡¯s Berry Spell,¡± Alamir laughed as he picked up a peach, examining it closely in his hand, ¡°When you said you transformed from a monkey to a human, I should have guessed you might be a little Druid.¡± ¡°Hey, this tastes really good!¡± Bruto had already started devouring it heartily, ¡°Haha, finally something different to taste, I¡¯ve grown weary of the bread Alamir makes with his Magic Bread Technique...¡± ¡°You always eat the most every time.¡± The Elf Priest looked at the Dwarf with annoyance, ¡°And after eating, you still complain that it¡¯s not enough!¡± ¡°So, do you have any special requests for the colleagues here?¡± Lancelot continued asking the monkey girl. ¡°I don¡¯t have much to ask for... Oh right, don¡¯t you dare call me small!¡± Jing crossed her arms and leaned back, ¡°I¡¯m an old monkey who has lived many years, anyone who questions my ability will regret it!¡± ¡°I assure you, I won¡¯t,¡± Lancelot laughed, shaking his head as he looked toward the last pair who hadn¡¯t introduced themselves yet, ¡°Miss Musk, Mr. Glory, you¡¯re the only ones left.¡± ¡°I am a Blood Sorcerer, capable of drawing power from blood. This means that in addition to the abilities of a regular Magician, I can also strengthen my companions, making them seem divinely inspired at crucial moments, or gaining the upper hand in battle,¡± the female Tiflin Magician stood up and said to everyone, her gaze nervously darting toward the human woman at the end of the long table, ¡°As for my brother Glory, he...¡± ¡°Wait, let¡¯s talk about you first,¡± Tijana interrupted softly, ¡°What are your super magic abilities?¡± ¡°Spell Instant Casting and Spell Duplication,¡± Musk struggled to swallow. ¡°How many Magic Techniques have you mastered?¡± ¡°Seven.¡± ¡°What are they all?¡± ¡°The novice techniques are Divine Guidance and Frost Ray; First Circle has Shield Technique and Acid Trauma, Second Circle only has Mysterious Steps, Third Circle¡¯s are Blood Frenzy and Fireball Technique...¡± ¡°That¡¯s terrible, Fireball Technique is completely useless, Frost Ray won¡¯t work properly against Bartez. Acid Trauma is not bad, but it can only be triggered when you get hit, almost useless in an army,¡± Tijana pondered, glancing at the Tiflin youth beside her, ¡°The only notable one is Blood Frenzy, it enhances the combat abilities of its recipient, and the more damage the recipient sustains after the spell takes effect, the better the enhancement. You and your brother seem to have always been each other¡¯s only companions, and you possess such a technique... If I am not wrong, your brother must be a Blood Slave, is that so?¡± ¡°What?¡± the Tiflin youth immediately exclaimed, ¡°How did you know...¡± ¡°Little Glory! Be quiet!¡± His sister quickly interrupted, but it was too late. The Magician¡¯s face changed, and finally, with a trembling voice, she said to Tijana, ¡°You are very right... my lady.¡± ¡®What is a Blood Slave?¡¯ Lancelot asked Tijana through a mental connection, ¡®Is there anything I need to be concerned about?¡¯ ¡®Blood Slaves aren¡¯t much of an issue by themselves; they¡¯re sort of a type of warrior, whose special ability is to heal themselves by absorbing the life force of their enemies,¡¯ Tijana responded through the mental connection, ¡®But every Blood Slave has a master, who persistently pursues their escaped slaves; that is the real problem...¡¯ ¡°For the good of everyone, I must ask you a question,¡± Tijana said to the Tiflin siblings while communicating with Lancelot through telepathy, her voice filled with undeniable authority, ¡°What sort of enemy might we encounter if you travel with us? Don¡¯t try to deceive me, you should be well aware of the consequences.¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t send us away, we won¡¯t bring danger to others, it¡¯s just that little Glory sometimes acts a bit strangely...¡± the female Tiflin Magician¡¯s face went very pale, stammering fearfully, ¡°His...master doesn¡¯t even have a physical form, only a spirit wandering in a distant realm of madness. It won¡¯t pursue my brother in a direct form but will whisper softly in his ear, trying to destroy his sanity...¡± Chapter 631: 655 Its Her Chapter 631: Chapter 655 It¡¯s Her ¡°Some mad whispers?¡± Lancelot raised one eyebrow, ¡°Any other effects?¡± ¡°In battle, Small Grid becomes... very bloodthirsty.¡± The Tiflin female magician looked worriedly at the boy beside her, who was biting his lip tightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Bruto widened his eyes, glancing around at the others, ¡°I also go wild during a fight, only thinking about smashing my enemies into a pulp.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the barbarian¡¯s kind of wildness.¡± Musk shook his head, the curved horns protruding from his forehead making the gesture look particularly intense, ¡°Small Grid he...¡± ¡°Sister, let me speak for myself.¡± Glori suddenly spoke up, with a stubborn quality of youth in his voice, ¡°During a battle, I feel an intense hunger, an uncontrollable desire to wound my enemies and let my weapon taste the flavor of fresh blood. But that hunger isn¡¯t my own emotion, it¡¯s... it¡¯s...¡± ¡°Your master¡¯s.¡± Tijana finished the boy¡¯s sentence. She turned her head and looked silently at Lancelot, her voice resonating directly in the human knight¡¯s consciousness, ¡®What they say should be true.¡¯ ¡®Can I take them with me?¡¯ ¡®Decide for yourself. These two Tiflins have no more trouble on them than the others, but that¡¯s not your problem.¡¯ ¡°So, why do you want to participate in the bloody battle?¡± Lancelot asked in a calm tone, ¡°Or is that also a requirement of your master?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that...¡± The Tiflin boy named Glori shook his head firmly, ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to fight that hunger, to even utilize the power it brings, but this can only be attempted in battle...¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Lancelot nodded lightly, ¡°As long as you can meet my requirements and remain absolutely loyal to every member of the team, I can accept you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The Tiflin female magician stood up excitedly, bowing with her brother in gratitude, ¡°Thank you so much, Sir, and... Madam...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me.¡± Tijana swirled her wine glass, ¡°He made the decision himself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think agreeing to let others participate in a bloody battle is something to be thanked for.¡± Lancelot offered a wry smile, ¡°Any special requirements for your companions to come?¡± ¡°None.¡± The sister among the two answered immediately, but her brother seemed to hesitate, wanting to say more. ¡°Glori, it looks like you have something to say.¡± Lancelot encouraged the Tiflin boy with a supportive gaze, ¡°Is there something that makes you uncomfortable?¡± ¡°If possible...¡± Glori looked up at his sister, who shrugged helplessly at him, ¡°I hope everyone can abstain from eating bloody foods.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t promise you that, logistics aren¡¯t something I can control...¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, ¡°If there¡¯s no choice, we¡¯ll try to avoid eating it in front of you, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The Tiflin boy nodded vigorously, ¡°Thank you, Sir!¡± ¡°It seems I¡¯ve heard quite a few interesting stories tonight,¡± said the dark-haired woman who was Tijana in disguise, as she stood up. ¡°My fellows, I wish you luck. Lancelot, I have much to attend to and must take my leave.¡± ¡°Thank you once again for gracing us with your presence, my lady.¡± Lancelot rose to his feet and gave her a very formal Knight¡¯s bow, while Tijana simply nodded faintly, stepped back, and vanished into a Portal that had appeared out of nowhere. ¡°So, Lancelot... Sir,¡± began the white-haired Half-elf, deliberately drawing out the word ¡®Sir,¡¯ ¡°could you now explain to us ignorant yet curious commoners what¡¯s the deal with your ¡®Prince¡¯ title?¡± ¡°Why are you still hung up on that...¡± Lancelot rolled his eyes and sat back down, ¡°It¡¯s just a nickname, not a real title.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve heard that the ruler of Twin Bridges Town is a famous Succubus Lord,¡± said the Half-elf, with a playful glint in his red eyes. ¡°Does your nickname of ¡®Prince¡¯ have something to do with this mysterious Succubus Lord?¡± ¡°It does,¡± Lancelot admitted frankly. ¡°The lady who just left is the Succubus Lord you mentioned, as well as your employer for this mission, the ruler of Twin Bridges Town, Tijana.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°No way!!¡± ¡°You must be joking... right?¡± ¡°...¡± The reactions around the table varied. Bruto and Alamir watched with the amused expressions of onlookers, Dwarf Miners and Gnome mechanical geniuses wore faces of astonishment. The Half-elf¡¯s malicious grin froze on his face, while the shape-shifting girl and the Tiflin boy looked utterly confused. The only ones who seemed unsurprised were Ivendell and Musk. The former, being a Holy Warrior, with his Sensory Ability towards Fiends, had probably realized the true identity of the mysterious lady early on, which explained why he had been scowling since the banquet began; the latter likely realized the woman was a peer of far greater strength than herself after being questioned. ¡°But that won¡¯t change our status in the army, or the privilege of having our armor kept clean,¡± shrugged Lancelot, beginning to cut the steak that a servant had just brought with smooth movements, as if slicing through butter, ¡°On the contrary, we will join General Sonam¡¯s personal guard and enter the battlefield with her. Be mentally prepared, for she will definitely choose the place where the enemy¡¯s resistance is the fiercest to launch an assault...¡± ¡°Hang on, who¡¯s this Sonam you¡¯re talking about?¡± Rurik, the younger of the Gnome brothers, asked in confusion, ¡°Isn¡¯t your lady... supposed to be Tijana?¡± ¡°Sonam is the six-armed Serpent Demon who presided over today¡¯s ceremony, I¡¯m sure you all have a vivid memory of her,¡± Lancelot replied with a shrug, ¡°The army departs early the day after tomorrow, so tomorrow is the last day for us to have any free time. Bruto, later you take Rurik and the others to the Blacksmith area to get the equipment, do you remember what it is?¡± ¡°A set of Chainmail and a Heavy Shield, right?¡± Bruto answered without looking up as he was fully engaged in his battle with his food, ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll ensure we get the best quality products at the most favorable prices!¡± ¡°Great, anyone else in need can join them, those Dwarf blacksmiths are truly skilled craftsmen. Meet me in the fourth floor of Mercenary Hall tomorrow morning; they have Protective Gear for training, and I need to test your strength,¡± Lancelot raised his glass, filled with fine wine from Shendiravir, to everyone, ¡°Friends, war awaits us not far ahead, I can even smell its putrid breath, but for now, let¡¯s enjoy the fine wine and sumptuous feast before us. May we return victorious, and feast again as we do tonight.¡± Chapter 632: 656: A Woman Who Knows How to Live Life Chapter 632: Chapter 656: A Woman Who Knows How to Live Life Lancelot had practiced Qi cultivation all night in the secret room of Hagrid Manor, just as he had on countless other nights. The path of Spiritual Cultivation seemed endless, but how far one could go depended entirely on whether the cultivator could persevere. Lancelot understood this principle and actually practiced it, just as Han Tiansheng emphasized repeatedly in his experiences of Spiritual Cultivation¡ª¡±unity of knowledge and action.¡± When the red sun of the Plains of the Abyss rose above the horizon at dusk, Lancelot too opened his tightly shut eyes. In front of him, a drop of sparkling green liquid was slowly falling due to the dissipation of the spiritual energy vortex, which he caught with a jade bottle. The Human Knight stood up and felt his spirit was particularly replenished, although the True Yuan within his body had not completely returned to normal. Speaking of which, just three days ago, he had performed the risky action of ¡°Body Infusion immediately after scattering power.¡± Although it preserved his mid-Foundation Establishment realm, his body felt like a volcano that had just erupted, and needed more time to slowly recuperate. After eating the breakfast carefully prepared by little Isha, everyone left the house together. Lancelot, Bruto, and Alamir naturally headed to the Mercenary Hall for training, while the Scholar and the little Vampire went to Tijana¡¯s castle¡ªthe former had begun the work of transcribing the Scroll of Darkness, while the latter went to receive special training from a Vampire senior to adapt to moving around normally during the daytime as soon as possible. Hagrid Manor was not far from the Mercenary Hall. After walking through a few secluded lanes, the surroundings quickly became bustling, and the towering outline of the Mercenary Hall also appeared in their sight. The flow of people entering and exiting the building was noticeably greater than yesterday, mostly new mercenaries, ready to spend all of their first week¡¯s salary before heading to the battlefield. It was only then that Lancelot realized Tijana¡¯s ¡°clever¡± strategy¡ªthe Succubus Lord not only generously prepaid the first week¡¯s salary but also very thoughtfully provided a day of free time, ensuring the mercenaries had the time and would certainly spend the newly received gold. Due to the war, the number of caravans coming and going to Twin Bridges Town had significantly decreased, and signs of economic shrinkage were evident in the town. Now, with more than two thousand mercenaries receiving a salary summing up to nearly five hundred thousand Gold Coins all at once¡ªand since money was useless to the dead¡ªthey would naturally want to spend it quickly. Tijana had used the same money to hire the mercenary army and also stimulated the local economy, effectively splitting one gold piece to serve two purposes, making Lancelot silently admire her. She really knew how to manage life! The exterior of the Mercenary Hall resembled an Arena, and the newly added floors did not have divided functional areas like the first floor, hence the space looked extremely vast. The trio headed to the fourth floor again, which had been simply divided into dozens of small training fields approximately thirty feet squared, separated by racks hanging with Protective Gear and Blunt Swords. When they arrived, many were already training there, mostly with the same purpose as Lancelot, seeing their team leaders test the strength of their subordinates. Of course, some might just purely want to fight, as hitting sandbags that couldn¡¯t fight back was boring. Close to the entrance where they came up, a Berserk Demon was fighting against three Tiflin warriors wielding Shield Axes. As elite infantry in the Demon Legion, Berserk Demons had extremely strong physiques, and the unsharpened training weapons further amplified their physical advantage. A few punches knocked down the attackers surrounding it, and afterward, it loudly mocked those sandbags as only fit to wear out the enemy¡¯s strength. Other members of Lancelot¡¯s team had already arrived; they waited by a corner against the wall, eagerly watching the battle inside, occasionally discussing quietly among themselves. In Lancelot¡¯s view, this was a very positive phenomenon; he had actually been concerned that smaller cliques might form within this temporarily assembled team. However, it seemed the previous night¡¯s feast had worked as hoped, and although it might not immediately make everyone become close, it had at least successfully familiarized them with each other. ¡°Good morning, Lancelot, Bruto, and Alamir,¡± Jing, the transformed monkey demon, was the first to notice their arrival and cheerfully greeted, ¡°You finally made it! This place looks fun! Can we go play too?¡± ¡°In a moment, you won¡¯t find it so fun,¡± Lancelot replied as he nodded to the rest of the group that gathered around. ¡°Has everyone had breakfast yet?¡± ¡°I had my peaches!¡± the young monkey demon proudly reported to him. ¡°The breakfast here was just a stick, which was terrifying!¡± ¡°That was bread...¡± Flint Ruge, the dwarf with bright yellow hair, looked at her somewhat helplessly, ¡°and it¡¯s quite authentically dwarven-style too...¡± ¡°Now I finally understand why someone doesn¡¯t like my bread,¡± Alamir glanced at Bruto and shook his head resignedly. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± Lancelot looked around and led everyone to an unoccupied training field. He was already wearing full body armor, and would put on a helmet later, so he needed no additional protective gear, just like Alamir and Ivendell. The others wore complete sets of protective gear, over which they had layered a layer of cotton armor, which would ordinarily make them sweat profusely. However, some magical breeze in the hall gently blew, keeping the temperature perfect for intensive activity. Lancelot drew a one-handed sword, about three feet long from the rack, swung it in the air, and then rotated his wrist, drawing a beautiful sword flower. It was obvious that the creator of this sword wasn¡¯t very conscientious, not to mention sharpening, even the tempering was done haphazardly, with the surface blotched in blue and red. Despite this, the sword still had excellent balance and felt quite comfortable in the hand, although not sufficient for the battlefield, it was more than suitable for training. ¡°So, who wants to go first?¡± Lancelot looked at his squad members, ¡°While my goal is to understand everyone¡¯s strengths, you are also welcome to try and defeat me...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go!¡± the monkey demon, whose personality and name totally mismatched, jumped out first, not waiting for Lancelot¡¯s nod before running into the center of the arena, ¡°Um, I still use my own staff, is that okay?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Lancelot said as he rested the longsword on his shoulder and stepped up to face Jing, ¡°Use any trick you have, let me see the prowess of a martial monk!¡± Upon hearing this, the monkey demon wasted no words. She clapped her hands, and the iron-studded staff wrapped by her tail emitted a red glow. In the blink of an eye, she was charging at Lancelot using all fours, her speed so fast it was like she was flying just above the ground. In an instant, she was upon Lancelot, the staff now in her hands, sweeping fiercely at the human knight¡¯s legs and creating a trail of red light. Chapter 633: 657: Breaking the Move Chapter 633: Chapter 657: Breaking the Move Given Lancelot¡¯s enhanced physical condition after his Foundation Establishment, he could have easily jumped to dodge the attack, but he decided to respond as an ordinary knight would¡ªquickly lowering the tip of his sword to form a triangle with the blade, the ground, and his lower leg, blocking the trajectory of his opponent¡¯s strike. The iron-headed stick came sweeping in swiftly, striking heavily against his sword, then deflected harmlessly upward. Normally, all Lancelot had to do was follow through with an Upper Slash, and he would land a solid hit on the enemy. However, compared to ordinary humans, demon monkeys have a particular advantage¡ªtheir flexible tails, which act like an extra arm. The demon monkey had let go of her weapon beforehand, using her tail to wrap around the bouncing stick. She didn¡¯t step back but instead stepped forward again, her body stretching like a released spring, seizing the opportunity to throw a fierce uppercut. Even more deviously, her other hand stealthily reached for Lancelot¡¯s groin; because her fist and body obscured her movement, the Human Knight couldn¡¯t possibly see it coming. This caused the onlookers¡¯ faces to change instantly. ¡°Using the old monkey steals the peach!¡± Bruto exclaimed through clenched teeth, ¡°That¡¯s so despicable, so shameless!¡± It was clear that the little monkey was determined to land this lethal move, but all her attacks missed¡ªLancelot evaded his opponent with a simple half-turn, while delivering a lightning-fast elbow strike. His elbow, sheathed in a Metal Armguard, struck the demon monkey accurately in the back of the head, causing her to lose balance and fall to the ground. Jing rubbed her head, staggering as she got up. It was evident that Lancelot had actually held back his strength; an elbow strike was one of the most powerful moves a humanoid could perform with bare hands. Even if it had been Kalalin instead, the strike could have seriously injured the demon monkey without any exaggeration. The onlookers gasped in unison; Lancelot¡¯s actions of blocking, dodging, and counterattacking were not complex. Anyone could perform them separately, but when he linked them together, it was as smooth and pleasing as moving clouds and flowing water. Regardless of their own strength, the spectators could sense the Human Knight¡¯s high level of skill from these concise moves. ¡°I lost...¡± The demon monkey¡¯s face flushed red as she spoke with shame, ¡°This is the first time anyone has dodged my special move... Have you encountered a similar technique before?¡± ¡°Just lucky,¡± Lancelot said with a smile, ¡°There was a bit too much time between your two attacks; if you had aimed straight for my abdomen, the effect would have been better. Additionally, the Beard Demon¡¯s chin has venomous whiskers like a serpent¡¯s, so besides weapons, avoid letting any part of your body get close to them.¡± ¡°Phew... Thanks for the lesson.¡± The young demon monkey put her hands together in a sign of respect and gave Lancelot a solemn bow, her expression quite serious. Unfortunately, the tail that was still coiled around the iron-headed stick ruined the solemnity of the moment. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Lancelot nodded and looked towards the others waiting on the side, ¡°Next, who¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Me.¡± An aged voice rang out as Ivendell stepped into the ring, his eyes burning with eager fighting spirit. He held a Longsword and a Shield in each hand, and it was apparent that the Shield once bore some sort of Emblem, though it had been deliberately erased by its bearer. He gave Lancelot a Knight¡¯s salute, then assumed his stance with a steady voice: ¡°Please instruct me, Sir Lancelot!¡± Lancelot did not speak but instead seriously returned the salute, also taking up a stance ready to fight. Seeing this, the Holy Warrior wasted no words and approached steadily. When he was about seven feet away, he switched to cautious, broken steps, starting to circle clockwise around him. For this dance of knights, Lancelot was naturally a master as well, but he didn¡¯t plan to waste time on it, so he just stood still, not moving along with his opponent. This represented his absolute confidence in his own strength, not minding giving his opponent the advantage in the angle of attack, and to some extent, it was even a kind of insult to his opponent. The old Holy Warrior didn¡¯t stand on ceremony, and after moving to a position to the front-left of Lancelot, his feet suddenly lunged forward, raising his shield in front of him and stabbing his longsword along the edge of the shield toward his opponent. ¡°Well done!¡± Lancelot let out a light shout and chose not to block this thrust but instead moved abruptly to the right, evading the line of his opponent¡¯s weapon attack. At the moment, his opponent had the shield, and Lancelot¡¯s weapon was not at an advantage in length, so no matter what method he chose to respond, Ivendell would be able to deflect it with his shield. Therefore, Lancelot had to find a way to neutralize this equipment disadvantage. The opponent¡¯s response didn¡¯t surprise the Holy Warrior; he even felt somewhat proud because a subsequent shield bash would have knocked Lancelot off balance, giving him the chance to thrust the sword tip into the gap between his helm and breastplate. Years of training had ingrained muscle memory in the old Holy Warrior, who instinctively retracted his sword while swinging his shield forward to the left. However, at that moment, an astonishing force suddenly came from the shield, pushing him into a stagger, followed by the sensation of his supporting foot being lightly tripped, toppling him to the ground. In the eyes of the onlookers, Lancelot had merely stepped to the side and then immediately charged into his opponent¡¯s shield with such speed that it even produced an afterimage. Despite the stunning appearance, Lancelot had not used any True Yuan, relying purely on his formidable physique and precise timing, with one dodge and one charge, he had decided the outcome of the battle. Although Ivendell couldn¡¯t see clearly how his opponent had done it, his rich experience quickly led him to understand what had just happened. He grabbed Lancelot¡¯s offered hand, allowing the latter to pull him up, the look in his eyes turning from eagerness to fight to immense admiration. ¡°I served as a court swordsmanship instructor for over twenty years,¡± the old Holy Warrior shook his head in disbelief. ¡°I knew that technique as well as my own palm lines, yet I never thought it could be countered in such a way. Truly an eye-opener, Lancelot, you are indeed the strongest knight I have ever seen.¡± ¡°It was just luck, and besides, you didn¡¯t use any Holy Warrior powers either; otherwise, the outcome could have been different,¡± Lancelot humbly shook his head, ¡°Improvement comes from sparring with someone of similar strength. Shall we go again?¡± ¡°Let this old man rest for a bit,¡± Ivendell shook his head, his face showing a smile that was seven parts self-mocking and three parts melancholy, ¡°The others also need your guidance.¡± ¡°You flatter me,¡± Lancelot said, somewhat embarrassed, as he touched his nose. ¡°Excessive modesty is just pride.¡± The old Holy Warrior put away his smile and solemnly reminded him, then saluted Lancelot with a knight¡¯s courtesy again and turned to walk towards the edge of the arena. Lancelot returned the salute with equal seriousness, with not the slightest hint of negligence. When he stood tall again, he immediately felt several burning gazes and looked around to see his companions all eager to try. ¡°What, can¡¯t wait?¡± Lancelot laughed and walked over to the weapon rack to switch to a staff, ¡°The Demon Legion¡¯s infantry are Beard Demons, they use large cleavers, I¡¯ll use this to simulate that, and teach you some techniques to deal with them...¡± Chapter 634: 658 Formation Chapter 634: Chapter 658 Formation For the entire next day, Lancelot and his companions had immersed themselves in the training ground, collectively studying how to combat Beard Demons, the main infantry of the Demon Legion. He intentionally had his companions take turns in the fray to avoid excessive exhaustion, as the real battle was imminent and they needed to ensure they were in optimal physical condition. In every sense, this was a typical last-minute sharpening of their skills, but thanks to his superior swordsmanship and vast experience, the improvement among the others was still quite evident. The three Dwarf Miners benefited the most. In terms of physical fitness, they were second to none, yet somewhat lacking in combat experience. Lancelot focused on teaching them defensive techniques, how to cover each other with shields, how to deflect enemy attacks with their weapons, and how to launch effective counterattacks after defending. Later, Bruto joined in, and the four Dwarves formed a battle formation with Bruto as the fulcrum in a left-one-right-two arrangement. The effect was unexpectedly good. Even when Lancelot, Ivendell, and Alamir teamed up, they couldn¡¯t break through their shield wall, naturally, without using their respective supernatural abilities. Lancelot was already very satisfied with this. In battles on the scale of armies, defensive capabilities were far more important than offensive ones. As long as you could hold out long enough, the enemy would fall before you¡ªthis theory might sound illogical, but it was true. Another person Lancelot was pleased with was Glory. Even without the augmentation of Blood Thirst, the Tiflin youth performed commendably in training. His fundamentals were surprisingly sound, and he had none of the bad habits often found in self-taught swordsmen, seeming to have received formal training from a young age. Considering his race, this was quite unusual, but Lancelot curbed his curiosity. The Half-elf Cursed Swordmaster, Tanya, was also formidable. Her pike made of shadows and her ability to curse enemies with shadow power gave her great potential on the offensive. Her weakness was her wholly inadequate defensive skills, necessitating the cover of her teammates. The two Gnome Magic Engineers didn¡¯t get a chance to spar with Lancelot. The elder brother, specializing in powered armor, had demonstrated his capabilities the previous evening, and the Human Knight saw no need for further trials, while the younger brother, Rein, briefly showcased his automatic enchantment-loading heavy crossbow¡ªable to shoot an arrow every two breaths, each one piercing through a helmet-modified target. On the battlefield, if allowed to fire uninterrupted, except when confronted with True Yuan, Lancelot¡¯s efficacy might not match that of this Gnome. In the end, they confirmed their battle formation; Lancelot would stand alone at the very front, with Bruto and the other three Dwarfs maintaining a distance of about ten feet behind him. On the left flank were the Armorer, Walien, and Cursed Swordmaster Tanya, while the right flank consisted of the old Holy Warrior, Ivendell, and the Tiflin warrior, Glory. The eight of them would position themselves in an arc, protecting the rear Gnome Magic Cannoneer, Rein, the Elf Priest, Alamir, and the Tiflin sorceress, Musk. Lancelot didn¡¯t attempt to assign a fixed position to Jing, knowing the monkey demon wouldn¡¯t stay put. Fortunately, she did possess speed and agility second only to Lancelot in the team, capable of moving freely on the battlefield, so he simply let her play the role of the free agent. Clearly, there was an unreasonable aspect to the formation: Lancelot¡¯s position. He alone bore more than eighty percent of the team¡¯s pressure, the others merely needing to deal with the enemies he let slip through. Ivendell immediately opposed the plan¡ª as a Holy Warrior, he found it hard to accept letting someone else take such a huge risk for him, but Lancelot insisted that it was just a rough placement and he could fall back to his companions¡¯ side if overwhelmed. This barely persuaded the old Holy Warrior. Tijana was equally busy that day. ¡®Destructor Horn¡¯ Goel, leading the Demon Legion, had arrived yesterday, and his adversary, ¡®Web Mistress¡¯ Ilmaris, also arrived today with her Demon Spider army outside Twin Bridges Town. The Succubus Lord had to spend a lot of time ensuring the two groups didn¡¯t start fighting prematurely. Fortunately, the ¡®Army Supervisor¡¯ of the joint operation, the wolf-serpent demon, Kanggrifen, also appeared, easing Tijana¡¯s workload considerably. However, despite being almost literally run off her feet, Tijana managed to arrive at Hagrid Manor before midnight to meet with her lover who was soon heading to the battlefield. After delivering a heartfelt, lingering kiss, she placed a special item into Lancelot¡¯s hands. ¡°What is this?¡± Lancelot, looking at the object in his hands that resembled a bracelet, asked with some confusion. It was made of some mysterious metal, seemingly intermixed with a lot of gemstone fragments, and looked exceptionally beautiful in the flickering lamplight. ¡°A special beacon that also functions as a communication device, corresponding to the ear stud I¡¯m wearing.¡± Tijana lifted her hair to show off the ornament hanging from her earlobe, which had a ruby at its end. But Lancelot¡¯s attention was entirely on the Succubus Lord¡¯s beautiful neck and he didn¡¯t even try to conceal it. ¡°Lancelot!¡± ¡°Sorry... so white, ah no, so pretty.¡± Lancelot grinned, ¡°With this, can we establish a mental connection just like before at any time, despite the Demon Legion¡¯s interference?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, no, but you can try rotating the bracelet in your hand.¡± Curious, Lancelot did as he was told and saw that as he moved, the ruby on Tijana¡¯s ear followed suit, rotating with him. To make sure it wasn¡¯t a fluke, he changed direction, and the ruby rotated in the opposite direction accordingly. ¡°Truly magical.¡± Lancelot exclaimed in admiration, ¡°How far is the effective range of this thing?¡± ¡°No matter which corner of the Multiverse you¡¯re in, as long as you¡¯re not in a Dead Magic Zone, my ear stud will sync perfectly with your rotations,¡± Tijana said with a proud smile, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate this effect...¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°As long as we agree on a set of signaling codes in advance, we can share information in real-time, bypassing enemy magic defenses. This effect is too powerful.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but we¡¯ll talk about signaling codes later. Try doing this first: rotate the bracelet three times, reverse the direction for two rotations, and then do another one and a half rotations.¡± ¡°What happens after that?¡± ¡°Right now? Nothing, except letting me know you sent this particular code.¡± Lancelot shrugged and followed Tijana¡¯s instructions. He noticed a slight change: Tijana¡¯s ear stud, along with the bracelet in his hand, both began to blink at a relatively slow pace. ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Lancelot brought the bracelet up to his eyes to examine it, ¡°The blinking frequency seems to be getting faster.¡± Chapter 635: 659: As You Wish Chapter 635: Chapter 659: As You Wish ¡°Indeed, it will get even faster, reaching a constant state after five minutes. However, this is just an effect for indicating time; the real power still requires my activation.¡± Tijana gently tapped on her earring, and the flickering stopped, ¡°Listen carefully. Once a week, it can act as a beacon, allowing me to teleport all creatures within thirty feet around me to its location. If we squeeze a bit, it could hold about fifty creatures of the Berserk Demon¡¯s size.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just too... outrageous.¡± Lancelot was astounded, ¡°Allowing a small troop to appear at any location on the battlefield? How can we even fight a battle like this? All my knowledge about troop deployment will have to be discarded...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know the cost of making them; it¡¯s almost enough for me to hire another mercenary legion,¡± Tijana shook her head, ¡°But you¡¯re right, just the right timing, a small team could change the outcome of a battle, and that¡¯s precisely the task I am entrusting to you.¡± ¡°This is indeed a heavy responsibility...¡± Lancelot lifted his head, gazing into the eyes of the Succubus Lord, ¡°Why entrust me with this, and not General Sonam?¡± ¡°Sonam is a six-armed Serpent Demon; she¡¯s always the focus on the battlefield, definitely marked by the enemy. If even she could move to the weak points in the enemy¡¯s formation, there would be no need for me to make a move,¡± Tijana shrugged, ¡°But you are different; as long as you don¡¯t act too conspicuously, you¡¯re just an ordinary human mercenary in the Devils¡¯ eyes. Although you say you are unfamiliar with the lower plane wars, from what I¡¯ve heard about the battle at the Gate of Stroddet, I know you have an absolute control over opportunities. Just be careful, the teleportation is one-way, use that emblem to come back if things go south, and don¡¯t drag me into a desperate situation.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Lancelot touched his nose, ¡°Unless there¡¯s an excellent opportunity, I definitely won¡¯t use it.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s no opportunity, create one. I know you have the ability,¡± Tijana glanced at him, then turned and walked to a window overlooking the castle, staring at the hazy red moon in the night sky, ¡°The loss and gains of Volcano Fortress are far more crucial than I¡¯ve shown. With just the power of Twin Bridges Town, it¡¯s impossible to confront the Great Demon Legion. Moreover, there¡¯s unsettling news that Mekanshut has already had secret dealings with a Demon Archduke...¡± ¡°What?¡± Lancelot widened his eyes, ¡°Are you implying that the Queen of the Succubus might betray us for the Devil¡¯s faction?¡± ¡°Why not? Succubi are also demons; any behavior is possible. The suspense is whether the Lord of the Nine Hells would accept that capricious b*tch... I can¡¯t confirm whether this is just a rumor spread deliberately by the Devils or if it¡¯s true, but in the Abyss, if something bad can happen, it¡¯s best to assume it will, and I must prepare for the worst,¡± Tijana explained. ¡°I understand,¡± Lancelot nodded gently, ¡°I will not let you down, my lady.¡± ¡°I have no doubt about that,¡± Tijana turned back, her gaze intense as she looked at him, ¡°From the moment you set out, I will be relentless in vigilance, unyielding in armor, waiting for your call to battle, or the news of victory.¡± Lancelot¡¯s expression turned solemn, he performed a knightly salute, and said gravely: ¡°Everything will be as you wish, my lady.¡± Tijana took a deep breath and suddenly fell silent. Lancelot, a bit puzzled, raised his head and saw the Succubus Lord biting her lip, gazing at him with a strange expression. ¡°What is it, my lady?¡± ¡°You are going to war entirely for my sake, aren¡¯t you?¡± Tijana¡¯s eyes revealed a struggling emotion, ¡°I still have some time... Is there anything you wish... to do with me?¡± ¡°Of course, there is.¡± Lancelot stepped forward, pulling the soft body of the Succubus Lord into his embrace, ¡°Join me in the garden for a while, tonight the red moon is truly beautiful...¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The next morning, the mercenary legion, under the leadership of Sonam, departed from Twin Bridges Town, to meet the real main force of this military operation, coming from the Nine Demon Legions dispatched by ¡®Lord Wu¡¯an¡¯ Grazzt, along with four other demon legions sent by surrounding forces. Although they were the smallest in number, the mercenary legion was the most imposing among the five legions present, and it wasn¡¯t a case of blind arrogance. Among the standard demon legions, the majority of the infantry were Coward Devils, demons with low intelligence and cruel disposition, whose combat effectiveness was barely stronger than tavern thugs. An experienced adventurer could easily handle three on his own, let alone mercenaries bold enough to earn their coin in the bloodied battles. Moreover, although they displayed none of even the most basic military discipline, they were still somewhat organized, whereas the other demon legions were utterly chaotic: Coward Devils bustled about like headless flies, high and mid-rank demons either ignored this or casually grabbed a nearby unfortunate, tearing them apart or stabbing them repeatedly with their claws to vent their boredom and anger. This was Lancelot¡¯s first time observing a demon legion up close when not in battle, and it must be said, anyone with a bit of common sense could see how poorly such an army would perform in combat. Conversely, Bartez was known for his iron-clad military discipline, a cooperation tight as gears, and morale far superior to that of demons, it¡¯s hardly surprising that his army could achieve victory against Tanari¡¯s forces with fewer numbers. In addition, Lancelot noticed some other interesting phenomena. ¡®The Horn of Destruction¡¯, Goel, was a Giant Bull Demon, and the forms of the demons under his command had clearly changed¡ªCoward Devils had grown antlers on their heads, their hind hooves had turned into bovine-like hooves, and the previously gorilla-like Bagula Demons looked completely like demonized bulls. Similarly, in the army of ¡®The Spider Madam¡¯, Ilymaris, a similar phenomenon was observed: Aberrant Demons had several spider-leg-like appendages protruding from their backs, and the lower body of Berserk Demons, which still had toad¡¯s heads, had completely turned into spiders, looking like octopuses walking on the ground. It is said that Lord Level demons can directly promote lower rank demons to fill their ranks, and clearly, in this process, they inadvertently incorporate their own preferences. This is why Kalalin says that the forms of demons are nearly endless, trying to name each one is pointless, and scholars can only roughly classify them into a few general types. In such an occasion, as the host, Tijana naturally would not be absent. The Succubus Lord, dressed in full armor, stood on the battlements of Twin Bridges Town, and her legions had all ascended onto the city walls, as if preparing for another siege battle. In front of her, a massive portal was about to be completed, all under the strict supervision of those two soul judgers and Serpent Demons from the Hall of Sorrow. Chapter 636: 660: Unrequited Love Chapter 636: Chapter 660: Unrequited Love As the final stele engraved with magic patterns was installed, the Succubus Lord flapped her demon wings and descended into the center of the Megalithic Formation. A Soul Judge with a pig face flapped its disproportionally small crow wings, delivering a white bone wand into Tijana¡¯s hands. Lancelot gazed intently and noticed that the wand¡¯s end was a hand bone with six fingers. Even hundreds of feet away, he could feel the evil aura it emitted. At the same time, he felt someone next to him struggling to suppress their anger. The old Holy Warrior Ivendell¡¯s expression had turned nearly ferocious, as if he wanted to draw his longsword and kill every creature around him. Lancelot looked at this new companion he had known for less than two days with some concern, fearing that the Holy Warrior might act on the thoughts in his mind. Fortunately, the scenario he feared did not occur. After watching for a while, Ivendell forcibly moved his gaze away and started to study the outline of Shattered Mountain Range. ¡°I¡¯ve fought with a Dark Guardian before,¡± Lancelot began, ¡°Under what circumstances would a Holy Warrior turn into that?¡± ¡°By breaking his sacred oath and opening his arms to embrace evil,¡± Ivendell¡¯s face showed a slight change, ¡°Did that happen after you came to the Abyss?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°At that time, I was carrying out a commission to escort another Holy Warrior who was trapped in the Abyss and couldn¡¯t leave, while that Dark Guardian had been ordered by his demon master to hunt down the person I was protecting.¡± ¡°What happened next?¡± ¡°I¡¯m standing right in front of you, isn¡¯t the answer obvious?¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Interested in hearing his story?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°His name was Enrique, once the greatest hero of a Kingdom, leading his troops to defeat the invasions of neighboring countries time after time. When he realized the King was using his fame for their own invasions, Enrique chose to retire, living secluded in the forest with his wife and daughter.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°The King repeatedly asked him to come out of retirement, but he was firmly declined. The King gave up, no longer bothering him, at least that¡¯s what Enrique thought. Until one day, he came home to find his wife and children lying in a pool of blood, hearts pierced by daggers from the neighboring Royal Family. Are you still listening?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can you guess what happened next?¡± ¡°Other than those daggers, the neighboring Royal Family had nothing to do with the murder.¡± ¡°Was I too obvious?¡± he murmured. ¡°You¡¯re right, it was indeed a clumsy trick. But the puppet master wasn¡¯t the King alone¡ªthe entire Town Council had agreed to the murder. Upon learning the truth, Enrique collapsed. He drew his longsword and demanded blood vengeance from the whole city. This was the moment of Enrique¡¯s fall, a cliche?d tale of betrayal, murder, and revenge.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make such a stern face. Think about the questions I¡¯m going to ask you next... Did Enrique suffer injustice? Since the murder was sanctioned by the King and the Council, is it really different from executing a criminal under the law? In such a case, is he entitled to seek justice for himself? If the answer is yes, then is there a limit, beyond which lies unforgivable sin? And most importantly, who sets those limits? The Gods? Or the Holy Warrior himself?¡± The old Holy Warrior remained silent, but his eyes turned sharp as a dagger thrust from behind a cloak in a dark alleyway. ¡°I hope these questions will enlighten you in your predicament but best not act rashly until then.¡± Lancelot turned his head, ¡°Ah, look, our guest of honor is about to arrive.¡± Under the gaze of five legions (not counting the defenders on the walls of Twin Bridges Town), and more than twenty thousand eyes, a massive vortex of magic power appeared within the Megalithic Formation. In the strong wind mixed with the strange and sinister calls, like the screams of those being tortured and the fervent prayers of cultists, the Succubus Lord had returned above the ramparts of Twin Bridges Town, while her bone magic wand remained in place, its skeletal hand at the tip constantly shooting dazzling lightning bolts around. In Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception, the energy contained within the vortex grew stronger, influenced by the Stele etched with mysterious patterns, tearing at the surrounding space in a peculiar way. Not just him, almost everyone felt an inexplicable pressure, causing the crowd to step back. When the pressure peaked, some invisible barrier shattered. A massive portal with irregular edges appeared out of nowhere. Through the crack in space, Lancelot saw a world with a blue and white sun, and a colossal palace made up of many ivory towers. In front of the palace, on a vast square, stood a demon army as far as the eye could see, along with three towering and formidable Flame Demon Generals. However, everyone¡¯s attention was captured by the figure in the front, seemingly average in stature, with dark skin. Atop his head were several pairs of delicate demon horns, shaped like a crown, and his half-naked body displayed elegant muscular contours, exuding a unique dark charm. In many ways, he did indeed look much like a human, but the beast-like lower limbs and hands with six fingers betrayed his true identity¡ª¡¯Lord Wu¡¯an¡¯ Grazzt, ruler of the 45th, 46th, and 47th layers of the Abyssal Plane, one of the most formidable challengers for the exalted title ¡®Demon Prince¡¯ among demons. Lord Wu¡¯an slowly raised the flame-shaped great sword in his hand, pointing towards the space rift before him, and behind him, the previously calm demon horde began to churn like a sea buffeted by a storm. Soon, the first demon crossed through the portal, stepping onto the dry, dusty ground of the Plains of the Abyss. It was a Barlow Flame Demon clad in black plank armor, nearly twice the height of Lancelot, possessing the Flame Demon¡¯s typical deep red skin. Notably, its bat-like wings were torn, the membranes corroded by some strong acid, clearly beyond the supernatural healing abilities of a demon. As if to answer the unspoken questions, the Barlow Flame Demon flapped its wings and surged into the sky, the injured appendages seemingly not affecting its flight capabilities. Behind it, countless Coward Devils burst through the portal like floodwaters breaching a dam, interspersed with larger demon figures. The Flame Demon circled in the air and then surprisingly flew towards Lancelot¡¯s position. Lancelot¡¯s heart jolted. What was this about? Had his name reached the ears of such a high-tier big shot? Or had the other party discovered his ability to transform into a Flame Demon? What to do, he was so nervous; should he transform right away to stabilize the situation? As it turned out, Lancelot was being completely self-conscious. A six-armed Serpent Demon stepped forward to greet the black-armored Flame Demon General, bending in a respectful bow and speaking reverently, ¡°My respects to you, Lord Babos. To think we would fight under your command again.¡± Chapter 637: 661: The First Army Chapter 637: Chapter 661: The First Army ¡°What a pleasant surprise,¡± the Flame Demon rumbled, his voice like the muffled thunder of a summer day. ¡°What did I say to you before? No one can escape the blood war; someday it will find you. When that day indeed arrives, will your sword blade still be sharp?¡± ¡°Of course, Lord Babos,¡± Sonam raised her head, gazing at the towering Barlow Flame Demon, ¡°In fact, they are sharper than ever before.¡± ¡°We will soon find out if that is true,¡± the Flame Demon Babos raised his head, his burning eyes sweeping over the crowd behind the Serpent Demon. ¡°Hmm... Is this your troop? A bunch of mortal mercenaries?¡± ¡°They are all skilled hands.¡± ¡°It seems so...¡± the Flame Demon nodded, ¡°Taran and Tu¡¯a will arrive soon, and the army will depart immediately. I¡¯ll give you a free favor¡ªlet your men take the lead. No need to thank me.¡± ¡°......As you command, my lord.¡± Despite appearing somewhat hesitant, Sonam expressed compliance. She turned around, issuing the departure orders to the flag bearers who were commanding the various captains. The orders quickly spread throughout the army, and Lancelot, along with the others, stepped forward towards the west. As he walked, he looked towards the city wall, and the Succubus Lord, as if sensing Lancelot¡¯s gaze, turned her head to look at him. ¡®Goodbye, my lady.¡¯ At this distance, the telepathic connection still functioned perfectly. ¡®I¡¯ll bring victory back to you.¡¯ ¡®Victory alone is not enough.¡¯ Tijana commanded, ¡®You need to come back to me too.¡¯ Lancelot smiled, waving vigorously at his lover before turning and walking away without a backward glance. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Accompanied by the captains¡¯ loud curses and threats, Lancelot¡¯s legion became the first in the Demon alliance to march towards Volcano Fortress. More ironically, some of the mercenaries even cheered loudly, as if this were an honor worth celebrating. ¡°What are those people howling about?¡± Bruto asked Lancelot, puzzled, ¡°Although I¡¯m not afraid to be the first to rush at the enemy, isn¡¯t this treating us as cannon fodder?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten? Besides the weekly pay, for every demon killed, Twin Bridges Town pays an additional bounty,¡± Alamir responded on behalf of Lancelot, ¡°Twenty Gold Coins for a small demon, fifty for a Beard Demon and Thorn Demon, a hundred for a Bristle Demon, five hundred for a Chain Demon and Bone Demon, two thousand for a Horned Demon, five thousand for a Desire Demon, ten thousand for an Ice Demon, fifty thousand for capturing a Desire Demon, one hundred thousand for a Demon Refinement...¡± ¡°Wow, that does sound pretty good,¡± Bruto¡¯s eyes lit up instantly, ¡°Did that Flame Demon mean this as a favor to Sonam, referring to the opportunity for us to make money?¡± ¡°On the contrary,¡± Lancelot spoke calmly, ¡°A dead mercenary receives no consolation money. This is meant to help Sonam save on expenses.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Bruto grimaced, ¡°Then we must smash their little scheme.¡± Following the group was the ¡®Destruction Horn,¡¯ Goel¡¯s brigade of Giant Bull Demons, and behind them was Black Armored Flame Demon General Babos and his massive legion. Before the portal disappeared on the horizon, another Flame Demon, covered in white flames, had also appeared. Lancelot remembered that Lord Wu¡¯an¡¯s Chief Ambassador had mentioned the three Flame Demon Generals were ¡®Barter the Slaughterer¡¯ Babos, ¡®Pale Blazing¡¯ Tu¡¯a, and ¡®Hammer of Burning¡¯ Taran; the latter presumably was the one yet to show up. The moving Demon Legion, rather than resembling an army, looked more like a group of nomads herding livestock. These ¡®livestock¡¯ were actually the Coward Devils, considered the lowest of Tanari ranks¡ªsomething foolish mortal Scholars might have opinions on, but who cared about their thoughts? To the residents of the Abyss, Prime Demons were mere mindless supplicants, twisted into grotesque, contemptible forms by the plane itself; whereas at least the Coward Devils had some intelligence, capable of thought, communicative in the language of the Abyss, and suited for long marches (unlike the Aberrant Demons, whose twisted joints and limbs only allowed them to limp). More importantly, Coward Devils had fairly strong bodies, strong enough that most denizens of the lower planes would need to swing their arms twice to kill one¡ªobviously more fitting as cannon fodder than those that could be dispatched with a single blow. Besides, if one could ignore the stench that might knock a mortal unconscious, the meat of the Coward Devils was actually quite good, though only while they were still alive. The role of shepherds was played by a special kind of Demon¡ªBabu Demons. These dark-skinned beings with barbs growing on the backs of their heads typically acted as Tanari conscription officers and, within the army, managed vast numbers of cannon fodder, herding them on marches, commanding their charges against the enemy, and killing any who hesitated or rebelled. The seemingly out-of-character role of the Babu Demon managers was partially explained by legends about their origin. It was said that Asmodeus¡¯s daughter, the Duchess of the sixth layer of Barto Hell, ¡®Succubus Queen¡¯ Graecia, once fought a duel with ¡®Lord Wu¡¯an¡¯ Grazzt. During the battle, the daughter of the Lord of Nine Hells stabbed Grazzt with a demonic sword, and the blood that dripped from the Abyssal Lord¡¯s wound fell to the grounds of the Abyss, birthing the first Babu Demon in the Multiverse. Due to the force of order contained in Graecia¡¯s demonic sword, Babu Demons naturally understood the value of order and excelled in satisfying their twisted lust for power by leveraging their master¡¯s authority while sparing the Higher Rank Demons from having to make good on their threats, thus securing a special status for Babu Demons within the Tanari community. However, the origin story of Babu Demons also corroborates another famous rumor from the Bottomless Abyss: that ¡®Lord Wu¡¯an¡¯ Grazzt was once a Demon Archduke dissatisfied with the power structures of Hell and thus came to the Abyss. After all, it was Grazzt¡¯s own blood, so the force of order in the demonic sword seemed quite far-fetched. But in Twin Bridges Town, Babu Demons were very rare, and Lancelot had never seen them perform their primary duties: dragging idling Demons into the blood wars. Meanwhile, Coward Devils were almost unseen in Tijana¡¯s forces, seemingly lacking any formation as cannon fodder. Normally, the ratio of cannon fodder to Middle Rank Demons in a Demon Legion wouldn¡¯t be less than five to one, but the garrison of Twin Bridges Town could be called a purely elite force, composed of Berserk Demons, Brezu Demons, Arrow Demons, and other Middle Rank Demons. Lancelot had never thought about the reasons behind this, but today he had a strange impression: perhaps the Tanari residents of neutral towns like Twin Bridges Town and Mogrondale were relatively mild-mannered, not as belligerent or easily provoked as regular Demons, as if they all had a special past that made them see the world and themselves differently from the Fiends familiar to mortals. One thing was undeniably certain¡ªTwin Bridges Town was much stronger than it appeared, perhaps because Tijana wanted to keep a low profile, or perhaps maintaining a large army of cannon fodder wasn¡¯t economical, or possibly because Tijana couldn¡¯t find a General she could trust. Lancelot himself tended more toward the last speculation. Chapter 638: 662 Waste Chapter 638: Chapter 662 Waste Although the members of the mercenary army were all from the mortal races, since the officers were all Tanari, many aspects were still modeled after the Tanari army, such as not having any formation requirements during the march. Everyone walked in a manner they preferred as long as they did not fall behind; there was also no logistics corps responsible for transporting military weapons and provisions, as seen in human armies. Each person appeared like a conscripted soldier with their own provisions and weapons, as if the only obligation of the employer was to pay the salary as per the contract. Honestly, Lancelot was somewhat unfairly blaming Tijana. It was clearly written in the contract that everyone was to provide their own weapons, provisions, and even ammunition. There would be healers with the army, but there was no guarantee they would be available when needed. All the mercenaries were aware of this, so they had all made the necessary preparations. Many had summoned their mounts, some through spells, and others through magic-imbued items. Summoning mounts was just a Second Circle spell, so magical items with similar functionality were not rare, though they weren¡¯t something that could be bought with just one week¡¯s salary. For warriors in heavy armor, it was unbearable to not have camels to share the load, and in order to save their mounts¡¯ strength, they would only give their equipment and weapons to the mounts and proceed on foot, lightly equipped. Ivendell did just that; the old Holy Warrior summoned a chestnut-mottled mare and hung his shield, longsword, and helmet on it. Lancelot could have also summoned a Nightmares warhorse, but after careful consideration, he decided against it, as compared to the others¡¯ mounts, his enhanced Nightmares was too ostentatious, and Lancelot did not want to draw too much attention, at least not outside of battle. Moreover, with his physical condition, even if he let Bruto ride it, he could briskly walk all day long. As for Bruto, he somehow managed to acquire that brass whistle engraved with mysterious runes, summoning a four-wheeled carriage pulled by two Nightmares¡ªa carriage that the group had initially taken when they went to rescue the Gray Dwarves miners. With great enthusiasm, Bruto invited everyone to board the carriage, but in the end, only the three Dwarf brethren and two Gnomes sat inside; for these shorter statured races, it was somewhat difficult to keep up with their companions¡¯ pace, while the others felt a bit embarrassed to squeeze into the already cramped carriage. The speed of the troop¡¯s advance was not slow. According to Lancelot¡¯s estimate, they could cover about five miles in one hour¡ªby the standards of mortals, this was nearly the pace of a forced march. However, when a group of horrific Fiends was following behind, people would invariably walk a bit faster. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± About two hours into their journey, Ivendell sought to converse with Lancelot, ¡°I have a vague feeling that Demons had lingered here recently. Has the Serpent Demon General dispatched any small scouting teams? Could there be an ambush waiting for us ahead?¡± ¡°It seems I am not the only one worried about this,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Maybe Sonam already has a plan, but I will ask her anyway.¡± Lancelot slightly quickened his steps, heading towards the six-armed Serpent Demon up front. Sonam¡¯s guards naturally knew who Lancelot was, and let him pass without any hindrance. ¡°What do you need, Prince?¡± Sonam said in a taunting tone when she saw Lancelot, ¡°Or do you have some brilliant ideas you wish to share with me?¡± ¡°Just call me by my name, General,¡± Lancelot touched his nose awkwardly, ¡°I have some questions... When the Tanari army marches, what methods do they use to ensure security in the front and avoid ambushes? I don¡¯t seem to have seen any scout teams dispatched, did I miss them?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking about that...¡± the Serpent Demon rolled her eyes, ¡°We generally let expendable troops like the Coward Devils march in front. If the enemy has bothered to set traps or ambushes on the road, they would all be wasted on them.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t have a Coward Devil squad,¡± Lancelot felt a foreboding sense, ¡°Could it be...¡± ¡°Ah, right, we are just cannon fodder for the allied forces,¡± Sonam revealed a sinister smile, ¡°What, does this scare you?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°But I don¡¯t like marching unprepared... What if the Demons have dug spike pits up ahead? Or set up Explosive Runes along the roadside?¡± ¡°A clever enough fellow should be able to avoid the traps, so those killed by traps are just incompetent mercenaries,¡± the Six-Armed Serpent Demon hissed in response, ¡°I don¡¯t see what your problem is?¡± ¡°This...¡± Lancelot was momentarily at a loss for words. If they thought like the Demons, Sonam¡¯s point was indeed valid, but he still wanted to argue, ¡°But since we¡¯ve spent a lot of money to hire them, isn¡¯t it a waste to let them die for reasons that could be entirely avoided?¡± ¡°Tijana is willing to prepay the first week¡¯s salary; that¡¯s what I call a waste,¡± the Six-Armed Serpent Demon scoffed at the Human Knight¡¯s view, ¡°And I¡¯ll make sure that anyone not worth two hundred Gold Coins doesn¡¯t survive till the next payday.¡± ¡°But how do you know who¡¯s worth it and who isn¡¯t?¡± ¡°I just know, don¡¯t forget where we first met,¡± Sonam narrowed her eyes, giving the Human Knight a threatening look, ¡°All the mercenaries who come to Twin Bridges Town have to report to me. I¡¯ve seen too many, I can tell just from their nostrils whether someone is qualified. Do you think I randomly assign members to squads? Certainly not. Those I deem unworthy are all shoved together. You can go to the front yourself and see if my judgment is correct. Of course, there might be one or two I misjudged, but given the number of incompetents around them, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard for them to prove themselves.¡± Lancelot felt a wave of despair, knowing that changing the Six-Armed Serpent Demon¡¯s mind was likely more difficult than killing her outright. As he felt helpless, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck him, recalling their initial journey escorting the Succubus Paladin to Androlina, when they saw the walls of Volcano Fortress in just three days. ¡°General, let¡¯s look at this issue from another angle,¡± Lancelot earnestly spoke again, ¡°How long do you estimate before we reach Volcano Fortress? Five days?¡± ¡°About that,¡± the Six-Armed Serpent Demon revealed a bizarre smile, ¡°What, are you already eager for battle? I am quite looking forward to your performance, Prince.¡± ¡°You misunderstand me,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°So, we¡¯re bound to encounter Bartez¡¯s army before the next payday, right? In that case, why not let those incompetents you mentioned die then? After all, Tijana has already paid...¡± Chapter 639: 663 Persuasion Chapter 639: Chapter 663 Persuasion Lancelot finally succeeded in persuading the Six-Arm Serpent Demon with a reason the other party could accept. A silent Arrow Demon standard-bearer was dragged out by Sonam, and the Serpent Demon General ordered it to act as the commander of the scouting mission, using its thirteen squads to ensure the safety of the road ahead of the army. Of course, Lancelot didn¡¯t expect it to be done very meticulously¡ªthose squads received only some vague instructions, such as ¡®watch out for anything unusual¡¯ and to scout ¡®just one or two hours ahead.¡¯ Although Lancelot was quite dissatisfied with this, he had no choice but to accept it, as this was already the limit of what the Demon officers could tolerate, certainly better than nothing at all. After walking for a while longer, it began to prove that his insistence was worthwhile. Traps that were dismantled (some already triggered with one or two unfortunate bodies) began appearing on both sides of the road¡ªif these traps hadn¡¯t been cleared in advance, not only could the number of casualties have greatly increased, but it would most likely slow down the marching speed, which was exactly what Sonam, and the Flame Demon Generals following behind, could least tolerate. The march continued for the entire day without stopping, as Demons do not need to eat to sustain life (though they can swallow anything for entertainment), so they certainly wouldn¡¯t consider the needs of a small group of mercenaries. Fortunately, everyone was an experienced Adventurer and had long since mastered the basic skill of eating on the move. As darkness began to fall, orders to set up camp finally came from the rear. This, of course, was not out of consideration for the mortal mercenaries. Although Tanari and all Fiends from lower planes had excellent dark vision, and Bartez could even see through magically-produced darkness. Therefore, even the Demons had to stop the army at night, vigilantly watching the surrounding darkness, wary of a Devil¡¯s ambush. Lancelot had been paying close attention to the messages passed back by the scouting squads and was quite surprised that, aside from the traps, the scouting squads hadn¡¯t seen any sign of Demons at all. Lancelot had anticipated some small-scale skirmishes, or even the complete loss of a scouting squad, but now this situation made him even more uneasy¡ªwithout a doubt, the Devil¡¯s scouts had the opportunity to devour an isolated squad. So what was the reason they didn¡¯t do so? Could it be that the Devil¡¯s Commander was planning some grand conspiracy, and to prevent word from leaking out, they strictly ordered their subordinates not to engage with the enemy? With such doubts in mind, Lancelot went to find Solheim, but the Six-Arm Serpent Demon had another theory. ¡°According to the intelligence before departure, there was only that legion that attacked Twin Bridges Town blocking our path. They left more than a thousand corpses outside Twin Bridges Town just a few days ago; now our allied forces outnumber them by twenty to one. Any conspiracy or tricks are futile,¡± said the Six-Arm Serpent Demon, coiling itself on a huge rock, looking down on Lancelot from above. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m praising you, human. If it weren¡¯t for you, Twin Bridges Town would have had the capability to bury the entire Devil Legion, and even the Deep Hell Demon Refiner wouldn¡¯t have escaped.¡± ¡°I have no doubt about that, but at what cost?¡± Lancelot shook his head. ¡°Additionally, how long do you think Volcano Fortress can hold out? A week, or a month?¡± ¡°Who knows? But from what I know about that guy Visuvius, as long as there is a wall left standing in Volcano Fortress, he will never give up resistance,¡± Sonam shrugged. ¡°If that really happens, it¡¯s no big deal. The Demon¡¯s army isn¡¯t going anywhere; without the protection of fortifications, they will either choose to fight us in the open field or have to tuck their tails and run away. I would even prefer the former.¡± ¡°Please excuse my bluntness, General, but I think you might be overly optimistic,¡± said Lancelot with crossed arms, looking up at the Six-Arm Serpent Demon, which resembled a statue of an Evil God. ¡°What if that crippled Demon Legion¡¯s only intent is to delay our arrival at Volcano Fortress?¡± ¡°Why would they do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe the Volcano Fortress has already fallen, and the Demons are hastily repairing the smashed city walls; maybe the reinforcements from Barto Hell have also set out, heading this way...¡± Lancelot fearlessly stared into the eyes of the Serpent Demon, ¡°Look at the traps we passed today, their intentions are already very clear. Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re outside the Nine Hells, death holds no deterrent for Demons¡ªif they need to sacrifice themselves to achieve a higher strategic goal, you know they won¡¯t hesitate for a moment.¡± ¡°...I have to admit, you¡¯re really good at persuading people, no wonder Tijana was attracted to you...¡± A new expression suddenly appeared on the Serpent Demon¡¯s face, ¡°Assuming the Demons really are as you say, wanting to slow us down as much as possible from reaching the Volcano Fortress, then thanks to your suggestion, their arrangements today have failed.¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t let our guard down, and since setting traps is pointless, they¡¯ll definitely think of other methods.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve fought with quite a few Demons, but I¡¯m not clear about how their armies fight or what common tricks they have.¡± Lancelot spread his hands, ¡°In that regard, you definitely have more experience, if... you¡¯re willing to talk about it.¡± ¡°Just the experience of a loser, when you¡¯ve survived in war long enough, you always walk into some trap; there¡¯s nothing to say.¡± Lancelot wasn¡¯t sure, but he thought he saw a brief moment of embarrassment on the six-armed Serpent Demon¡¯s face, ¡°But I understand what you¡¯re getting at. Tomorrow I will send out more squads, doubling the scouting range. Is that satisfactory, Your Highness?¡± ¡°I believe that¡¯s a very wise decision.¡± Lancelot nodded to Sonam, ¡°Thank you, General, please allow me to take my leave first.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The six-armed Serpent Demon waved her hand, and after the Human Knight had walked a good distance, she murmured to herself, ¡°Why thank me? Is it because those mortals who are irrelevant to him can die a few days later? A strange fellow indeed... But Tijana might be a bit right, the feeling of being thanked is indeed not bad.¡± That night, Lancelot did not meditate and practice Qi Cultivation as usual, but sat cross-legged like an Elf in meditation, while constantly paying attention to his surroundings. However, the night attack he was worried about didn¡¯t happen. The night passed safely, and as soon as the sky began to lighten, the first scouting squad set out to explore the condition of the road ahead. Just five minutes later, Lancelot heard a sudden cry of alarm, the painful neighing of horses, and someone¡¯s angry curse. Clearly, although the Demons had not launched an attack last night, they certainly hadn¡¯t been idle, and the road today was likely to be a difficult one. Chapter 640: 664: Be on Guard Chapter 640: Chapter 664: Be on Guard The process that morning was just as Lancelot had anticipated, they were walking through the wilderness, yet the surroundings looked as if they had been plowed over by a catapult, with upturned earth and exploded rocks everywhere. But by the afternoon, those traps seemed to have vanished suddenly, allowing the army to advance much faster. Lancelot briefly left the group and climbed to a nearby vantage point to overlook the scene below. He saw the winding Demon Legion, resembling a poison snake traversing a Gobi, so long that it nearly seemed endless, the distance between its head and tail already surpassing ten miles. In other words, if the mercenaries in the very front were ambushed, support would arrive very slowly, and even by human army standards, an ambush could end within fifteen minutes. This meant that in local areas, the numerical advantage that Sonam was so confident in might not exist at all, and as long as the demons¡¯ attack was swift enough, they could whittle down their opponents slowly like sharpening a pencil, yielding far greater results than a main force decisive battle would. Lancelot himself had done similar things before, which was why he knew this so well. And Sonam was not unaware of the dangers, but Serpent Demons, or indeed all High-rank Demons, had a completely different way of thinking. To them, the lives of subordinates were not worth fussing over, thus Sonam had said that if it weren¡¯t for Lancelot¡¯s interference, Twin Bridges Town could have completely buried that entire Demon Legion, without considering the huge losses her own side would suffer. As for the current situation, what if they encountered an ambush? The Demon Generals only worried about their enemies constantly hiding, and they had no patience for a cat-and-mouse game. As for the loss of cannon fodder? Those guys were expendables, just like an archer¡¯s arrows. When the battle was over, only elite infantry such as Berserk Demons and Brezu Demons would return with the Demon Generals, the surviving cannon fodder were to be disbanded (or rather, released) on the spot. With this mentality, it was no wonder the Demon Generals appeared so ¡®careless¡¯. Although he completely disagreed with this viewpoint, that didn¡¯t stop Lancelot from understanding how the demons thought. Only by knowing how the opponent thought could he try to persuade the Serpent Demon and subtly influence its value judgments. However, at the moment, his options were very limited. As the sun began to approach the horizon, Lancelot¡¯s unease grew stronger. It wasn¡¯t that his Spirit Perception sensed anything; rather, the changes in the surrounding terrain triggered his nerves as a veteran. On the right side of the road ahead was the wide Stygian River, and on the left was currently an open area, but in the distance lay a large forest of canine firs. Lancelot still remembered the scene from his first trip to the Great Abyss, if they continued to advance, that patch of canine fir would come ever closer to the road, which might be nothing for a small group of adventurers, but for an army, there was no more suitable spot for an ambush. After the army set up camp, he went to find Sonam again, but the Serpent Demon was not only unworried but also appeared quite excited. In her view, if the enemy was actually planning to come out on their own, what could be better than that? As for Lancelot¡¯s suggestion to change the marching route and bypass that forest, she flatly denied it. ¡°Use your brain, even if I agreed, would those three Flame Demon Generals agree? Understand your place, human, and stop bothering me with those impractical ideas!¡± Lancelot wasn¡¯t annoyed, as he himself knew the likelihood of taking a detour was slim. Immediately afterward, he proposed a second suggestion: to remind the entire army to be ready for battle, and to inform the main force in the rear of the potential ambush. After mulling it over briefly, Sonam agreed to Lancelot¡¯s new suggestion, since there was no harm in doing so, and since payday was still several days away, she was not in a rush to have the ¡®unqualified¡¯ mercenaries disappear from the payroll. When Lancelot returned to his squad members, Sonam had already sent word to the entire mercenary legion, everyone knew there might be an enemy ambush ahead. Each mercenary discussed this, reacting differently, some appearing fearless, some looking worried, and some seemed almost crushed by fear, perhaps ready to flee tonight. ¡°It was you who told the Serpent Demon, right?¡± Bruto immediately asked him as Lancelot approached, ¡°Is there really going to be an ambush?¡± ¡°It¡¯s highly likely,¡± Lancelot nodded, joining his companions seated around the campfire. ¡°If I were the commander of the Demons, that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯d do.¡± ¡°Knowing there¡¯s an ambush yet still moving forward feels terrible,¡± complained Tanya, the Half-elf, ¡°Being a mercenary leaves us no choice, it¡¯s really frustrating.¡± ¡°At least you know who the enemy is, and even which side of the road they will come from,¡± said the old Holy Warrior gravely. ¡°If you¡¯re prepared beforehand, then it¡¯s not an ambush.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t care where the Demons come from!¡± declared Flint, the Dwarf with bright yellow hair, firmly. ¡°We will hold our shields and stand our ground, and let no enemy pass, no matter how many come at us!¡± ¡°I like your optimism,¡± responded Tiflin, the Magician, absentmindedly, as she kept her gaze fixed intently on the campfire, as if there was something in the flames that captivated her. ¡°I heard that some Tiflin are Fire Readers who can occasionally glimpse the future in flames,¡± asked Rein, the youngest Gnome, curiously, ¡°have you seen something?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m a bit off my game today,¡± shrugged Musk, shifting her gaze from the fire, ¡°Apart from a bunch of burning wood, I haven¡¯t seen anything.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Another night of high alert passed uneventfully, and as the dark red sun of the Plains of the Abyss rose again over the horizon, the group resumed their march. Compared to the previous day, the mercenaries¡¯ steps were heavier ¨C not only due to the tense atmosphere but also because everyone was fully armed and ready for battle. Just as Lancelot remembered, the previously distant forest drew nearer to the road as they advanced. The monstrous pines, rising over fifty feet high and thick enough that it would take five or six people to encircle them, looked like a wall slowly closing in. Everyone kept a wary eye on the shadows behind these giant trees, fearing that a fully armed host of Demons might burst out suddenly. Just then, the advancing troops suddenly stopped. Lancelot¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but turning his head, he saw that the edge of the woods was still over a hundred feet away from the road, not an ideal distance for launching an ambush. ¡°Stay alert!¡± Sonam¡¯s voice, the Six-armed Serpent Demon, echoed in everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°Damn it, can someone tell me why we¡¯ve stopped? What happened up ahead?¡± Chapter 641: 665: Mirage Chapter 641: Chapter 665: Mirage ¡°There¡¯s no road ahead!¡± ¡°Turn back! There¡¯s no way through!¡± Shouts rose up intermittently from a few hundred feet ahead, stirring the crowd. Lancelot knew with a tap of his toe that this must be the work of demons, and thanks to yesterday¡¯s warning, many others had the same thought, instinctively gripping their weapons. ¡°What nonsense are you talking!¡± Sonam roared back, annoyed, ¡°Everyone shut up and stay put! Make way!¡± The mercenaries moved to the sides of the road, clearing a path for the Serpent Demon General, and as a member of the personal guard, Lancelot¡¯s squad followed Sonam forward. They soon discovered what had blocked their path: the previously flat road had turned into a large, muddy swamp, and two Tiflin mercenaries were at the edge of the swamp, struggling to pull a comrade who had sunk into the mire, while behind them, four mercenaries were pinning a cloaked human man to the ground. A Berserk Demon that seemed to be the leader was trying to aim his axe at the captive¡¯s continually struggling head. ¡°Damn it, Faleg!¡± the six-armed Serpent Demon strode forward and heavily hammered the top of the Berserk Demon¡¯s head with the hilt of his sword, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Which bastard dares to...¡± the Berserk Demon leader turned around furiously, but his expression quickly changed to fear, as a sharp sword tip stopped less than half an inch from his nose, and five other longswords were gleaming coldly nearby, ¡°...General...sorry...I didn¡¯t know...¡± ¡°Watch your tongue, it might say something that could get you killed,¡± the six-armed Serpent Demon coldly withdrew his longsword, ¡°Why are you executing this human?¡± ¡°This swamp has already swallowed three of my men and they¡¯re pulling out the fourth,¡± the Berserk Demon named Faleg answered sullenly, ¡°And this guy was part of the scout team. He told me just half an hour ago there were no obstructions ahead, no traps at all!¡± ¡°There were none half an hour ago!¡± the restrained human man shouted, ¡°This must be a demon¡¯s trick!¡± ¡°Nonsense, do you think I¡¯m an idiot? My ass knows it¡¯s Bartez¡¯s trick!¡± the toad roared back at the captive, ¡°But we proceeded because we relied on your words, so you deserve to die!¡± ¡°Enough, Faleg, let him go! We have paid him, and if he is to die, let it be at the hands of an enemy, not as your venting tool!¡± Sonam again smashed the hilt of her sword on the Berserk Demon¡¯s head, ¡°Can¡¯t you idiots see that it¡¯s just an illusion?¡± ¡°An illusion?¡± The Berserk Demon gave a hurt look, ¡°But General, the swamp...¡± Sonam didn¡¯t reply but simply continued walking forward. Strangely, although the swamp¡¯s mud wrapped around her serpent body, it didn¡¯t sink any further, and Sonam¡¯s movement seemed completely unaffected. She walked merely five or six feet forward, then bent down and picked up three bodies from the mud, and then effortlessly walked back with them. ¡°See? The swamp doesn¡¯t exist at all, it was just your hallucination!¡± the six-armed Serpent Demon threw the bodies towards the surrounding crowd, ¡°Give them a good slap, these idiots thought their noses and mouths were stuffed with mud!¡± Naturally, many were eager to help with that, and moments later, three bruised and swollen individuals walked up to Sonam, thanking her for saving their lives. ¡°...Hmph.¡± The Six-Armed Serpent Demon emitted a short nasal sound, acknowledging the thanks he had heard, while a mercenary bravely started walking into the swamp. However, they had only taken a few steps into the swamp when an accident happened again; their feet began to sink, causing them to shout in terror. Fortunately, those who were watchful had their guards up and stretched out hands (or spear tips) to pull them back from the swamp. ¡°This is indeed an illusion,¡± commented Alamir, standing next to Lancelot. ¡°Notice those who were pulled out¡ªthe mud on their bodies disappeared as soon as they left the swamp¡¯s boundary.¡± ¡°What kind of illusion can achieve this extent?¡± Bruto stared intently at the muddy area ahead. ¡°Even if you tell me it¡¯s fake, I still can¡¯t see any anomalies... and those people actually sank into it, just like a real swamp...¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see it either,¡± admitted the Elf Priest generously. ¡°That indicates it¡¯s a very high-level illusion. I¡¯ve heard that some mages who specialize in illusions can do this. For example, if there¡¯s a river ahead, they can conjure an illusion of a bridge. As long as the spell lasts, people can cross the bridge to the opposite bank as if it were a real bridge.¡± ¡°Then why can the Six-Armed Serpent Demon walk in there just fine?¡± ¡°Because the Six-Armed Serpent Demon, like other High Rank Demons, possesses the True Sight that sees through magical disguises,¡± shrugged Alamir. ¡°And for those who cannot do this, even if they clearly know it¡¯s fake, any slight doubt will subconsciously make them look for evidence that it¡¯s real, because we always tend to believe our eyes.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Bruto turned to look at Lancelot. ¡°Big brother, can you tell it¡¯s fake?¡± Lancelot did not speak but simply nodded slightly. Although he could confirm it was an illusion by sensing the spiritual energy, he had no idea how to dispel it. Just then, two figures resembling Succubi, dressed in tight red and black robes, squeezed their way from the back, bowing simultaneously to Sonam, and said: ¡°General, did you summon us?¡± ¡°Kels, Anasema, it¡¯s time for you to be of use,¡± the Six-Armed Serpent Demon pointed towards the swamp ahead. ¡°Dispel the illusion that covers this area.¡± ¡°Illusion? I didn¡¯t notice...¡± one of the Devilspawn began, but she was immediately interrupted by her companion¡¯s surprised exclamation, ¡°By the God of Disabilities, this is a Seventh Circle illusion¡ªmirage!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s the Seventh Circle or Seventy Circles of spells,¡± the tail of the Six-Armed Serpent Demon slapped the ground impatiently, ¡°My question is can you dispel it!¡± ¡°This is beyond our casting capabilities...¡± the first Devilspawn hesitated as she glanced at the swamp created by the illusion, ¡°but we can try. You must understand, this won¡¯t be easy, and it will require a bit of luck...¡± ¡°So what were you two up to, sleeping with five squads late into the night? Wasn¡¯t that supposed to make your magic more powerful?¡± Sonam¡¯s tone was bitter. ¡°Dispel this damned illusion, or I will personally sew up that slit between your legs!!¡± Chapter 642: 666: Burning Wood Chapter 642: Chapter 666: Burning Wood Perhaps Sonam¡¯s threat was a bit too terrifying, the two half-demons were clearly scared out of their wits, even the sound of their incantations trembled audibly. The spells they managed to cast were like tossing a bowl of water onto a burning house¡ªits effect almost negligible. Of course, amid the roars of the six-armed serpent demon, they immediately started a second attempt. At that moment, Lancelot suddenly smelled a particular foul stench. He turned back to find that the figures of Coward Devils had significantly increased in the crowd. The Demon Legion at the rear was unaware of what was happening at the front, still pressing forward relentlessly, causing the density of the surrounding crowd to increase at a dangerous pace. ¡°General Sonam!¡± Lancelot called out without hesitation, ¡°There are too many people here! Order everyone to spread out the formation!¡± The six-armed serpent demon turned its head back violently, its face almost twisted in anger. Although Lancelot was a man favored by Tijana, he had no right to speak to her in such a tone. Like all High Rank Demons, she could take the slightest offense as a serious insult and respond with the fiercest of reactions. However, at the same time, Sonam was also a battle-hardened Commander, with a keen eye for observation and tactically trained thought. As soon as she saw what was happening behind her, she immediately realized Lancelot was right; if a battle were to break out at this point, most would not be able to wield their weapons without harming their comrades. ¡®Everyone, spread out!¡¯ the voice of the six-armed serpent demon echoed in everyone¡¯s minds through mental command, ¡®Quick, quick, quick! Get moving!¡¯ ¡°We¡¯ll need to have a serious talk about your tone after this, Lancelot,¡± Sonam glared venomously at the Human Knight, then turned her head to roar at the two beautiful half-demon Spellcasters, ¡°Did I give you permission to stop? Continue trying! Keep at it until you succeed!¡± Meanwhile, the mercenaries who received the order also began heading toward the open space on the left side of the road. The crowd wasn¡¯t too dense yet, so it wasn¡¯t difficult to move, though everyone proceeded with extreme caution, fearing that the Demons might have set traps on this side as well. However, less than half a minute after the crowd began to move, the forest some hundred feet in front suddenly echoed with a series of strange screeches. The sound was similar to the whistling of arrows with whistles tied to their shafts, but they were not flying toward the crowd¡¯s location, instead, they streaked across the forest in front. The next second, a series of booming sounds erupted, and the tall Fang Tooth Shirt treetops suddenly burst into raging flames, as if they were torches soaked in oil. The fierce flames leapt into the sky, and in front of the crowd, it was as if a flame wall over a hundred feet tall had been erected, the heat wave scaring the mercenaries from moving any further. While everyone was in a state of panic, trying to understand what was happening, another strange noise came from the forest ahead. Different from the sharp screeching before, this time the sound was very deep, like giant boulders that were asleep underground, starting to snore, even drowning out the crackling sound of the flames consuming the branches. ¡°Ah, this is bad.¡± Lancelot suddenly sheathed his longsword and tightened the sword belt across his chest, ¡°Put away your weapons, and when it¡¯s time to run, stick close to me...¡± ¡°What?¡± Bruto asked subconsciously, ¡°Where is the enemy?¡± ¡°The enemy can¡¯t be defeated with weapons,¡± Lancelot shook his head, eyes fixed on the burning forest ahead, ¡°Musk, you were right...¡± ¡°Look at those trees!¡± he exclaimed, and at the same time, a terrified scream rose from the crowd, ¡°The trees have come to life, they are moving!¡± As the scream spread, the strange transformation had become all too apparent. Human-like faces, contorted with pain, emerged on the previously bare trunks of the Fang Tooth Pines, while several thick, grotesque branches that resembled arms stretched out from their sides. They creaked and bent down, pulling their roots out of the ground¡ªnow turned into two long legs. The burning treants emitted a deep, oppressive, desperate, and frenzied roar, taking large strides towards the crowd. The sight was profoundly horrifying, for each treant towered over fifty feet in height, twice as tall as the Frost Giants, and capped by a blaze of fire raging through their treetops, planting the same word in everyone¡¯s mind. Doomed. However, among the mercenaries and demons, there were those whose thinking was not of the common kind, madmen who, far from dodging, charged towards the treants. Facing those giant legs that swung like battering rams, they struck out fearlessly with their weapons, like brave lumberjacks¡ªthen were flung away like bugs. The luckier ones landed in the clearings beside them, with the worst injuries being just a few broken ribs, and were quickly helped up by other mercenaries; the less fortunate landed directly in the path of another treant, making a sound akin to a pizza dropped on the ground and stepped on by bare feet, before turning into pulp; or they stuck to the soles of the treants¡¯ feet, leaving a trail of horrifying bloodstains with each step they took. Despair sunk deep into everyone¡¯s hearts; that kind of power was simply not something muscle and steel could contend with, at least not with their mortal forms. ¡°Don¡¯t panic! They are not coming for us!¡± Lancelot suddenly shouted, his voice filled with a special kind of power that drowned out all the surrounding noise, ¡°They are heading for the Stygian River! Don¡¯t fight head-on, just clear the path!¡± In their panic, people subconsciously followed the orders they heard, especially since the voice sounded so stable and calm, it inspired trust. But as simple as the words were, the execution was not so easy. With the thick, choking smoke and the crowds in panic, avoiding the mad treants was easier said than done. Fortunately, the mercenaries had deployed in formation ahead of time, giving them some room to maneuver, and although the treants charged like massive windmills with intimidating momentum, their paths were not hard to predict. If they could remain calm, there was still a good chance to survive. But the demons left standing in their place, packed tightly together, were not so lucky. The rampaging treants swept through them like harrows plowing through the ground, scattering groups of demons into the raging Stygian River, then leaping in themselves. The submerged demons, like stones tossed into the water, were swallowed by the waves without a chance to struggle; most were lowly Coward Devils, but among them were also a number of Middle Rank Demons, who made no difference in their end, except for causing larger splashes. The mercenaries who had escaped death by a hair¡¯s breadth had no time to feel thankful; a new threat had already emerged. As the Fang Tooth Pines morphed into treants, many burning branches broke off from their bodies, leaving behind a swath of roaring flames. From within those flames, portals appeared, and numerous Serpent Demons in red cloaks emerged. They formed neat lines, and with confident strides, swiftly closed in on the mercenaries. ¡°Mercenaries!!¡± Sonam¡¯s shout, accompanied by the buzz of blades being drawn, rang out, ¡°Kill them all!!!!¡± Chapter 643: 667 Tearing Open a Rift Chapter 643: Chapter 667 Tearing Open a Rift The Demon army was like a moving wall studded with metal spikes, brutally crashing into a disorganized mass of mercenaries. Screams immediately rose in every direction, and even the best warriors among the mercenaries could barely defend themselves against the five or six blades simultaneously swinging toward them. Many more were cleaved into pieces on the spot, and even those who fought to strike a blow failed to achieve any results. But the mercenaries were not entirely powerless to fight back. Some clever Spellcasters timely unleashed terrain-altering magic that disrupted the enemy¡¯s formation; others used the bodies of their fallen companions as shields to successfully tear a rift in the Demon line, then poured all their effort into demonstrating their destructive capabilities. Unsurprisingly, the most outstanding performance belonged to the commander of the mercenary corps himself. Sonam stood tall, his six Cold Iron Longswords raining down like a torrential storm, chopping the Beard Demons who dared to approach him into pieces. From time to time, he also unleashed an unexpected and powerful sweep attack, clearing a large area in front of him. With a six-armed Serpent Demon tearing open the enemy¡¯s lines at the front, it was naturally much easier for those following behind. Four Succubi wielding Longswords and Shields charged out like shadows after the Serpent Demon, leading their squads to swiftly widen the breach, allowing more mercenaries to fight in a less disadvantageous environment. The strength of the Demons lay in their tacit coordination and strict discipline; when it came to individual combat capabilities, they were not necessarily much stronger than the skilled and mighty Blood War Mercenaries or Demons. Lancelot was, of course, one of them. Although he hadn¡¯t resorted to his most secret techniques, he was still fighting with all his might. Frostslash shimmered with an aquamarine light as it spun back and forth in front of him, and another sword shadow composed entirely of blue light danced alongside it, slashing at the enemy with almost no discernible difference from the original. Lancelot was like a high-speed meat grinder, any living being that came within the range of his weapons lost their ability to stand and walk within moments. The luckier ones died even before feeling pain and then discovered they had returned to Barto Hell, dragged out of some foul Blood Pool with hooks. Awaiting them was ninety-nine years of hard labor in mines or factories, along with a new notation in their records emphasizing that this individual was a defeated warrior, to be thrown to the very end of the list during assessments for promotion. Despite Lancelot¡¯s valiant struggle at the forefront, the fight was no easier for his comrades behind him. A shield wall formed by four Dwarves became the core of the squad¡¯s formation. They were like the rocks on a shoreline, stopping wave after wave of the enemy¡¯s assault, preventing the Demon infantry from advancing half a step. The Dwarf Hammerheads and War Picks swung out unexpectedly from under the Shields from time to time, each time shattering several purple knees. The Dwarves¡¯ main role was defensive, but it was their presence that allowed their comrades to enjoy a relatively comfortable combat environment. The old Holy Warrior Ivendell, other than Lancelot, was the most astonishing one in the team; he had blessed himself with Protective Magic before the battle began, and around his body flitted a shimmering Magic Shield. Combined with the Plate Armor he wore and the Shield in his hand, he was as sturdy as a turtle; and once the battle started, he directed Divine Power to continually issue undeniable, holy challenges to the enemies, then used the signature Combat Technique of Holy Warriors, Holy Slash, to melt one Demon after another. Another exceptional performance came from the half-elf Tanya. She wielded a pike that was two heads taller than herself, wrapped in shadows as dense as a moonless midnight. A casual swing could sever an opponent¡¯s weapon, followed by cleaving the still-dazed enemy in two. Thus, despite her seemingly unsophisticated farmer-against-a-wild-boar style of pike combat, the terrible destructive power of her weapon allowed her to defeat enemies effortlessly. Furthermore, the performances of several others were also noteworthy¡ªthe armorer Valen Belen activated his powered armor, turning himself into a mobile lightning storm that turned any approaching enemy into a clump of charred blackness. His younger brother Rein Belen summoned a mobile artillery piece with propellers, which could fly into mid-air and topple swathes of enemies with every blast. The monkey demon Jing was initially unsure of how to engage in the chaotic battle but quickly found her groove: smashing the skulls of enemies knocked down by her comrades with her staff. She seemed to consider it some sort of game, thoroughly enjoying herself, and if one were to count, her tally of kills might only be second to Lancelot¡¯s. In contrast to the others¡¯ vigorous activity, the two closely guarded spellcasters seemed to be slacking: the Tiflin magician Musk continuously fired white rays carrying a chill throughout the enemy ranks. These Frostlash spells, while not highly damaging and their slow effects easily resisted by demons, could extinguish the flames around the target and even cool down the surrounding temperature, making the battlefield environment more comfortable¡ªat least for the mercenaries. Beyond that, the frost rays could freeze any liquid on the ground¡ªbe it blood, bodily fluids, or poison. Should some unlucky soul focused solely on their opponent step on it, they would likely slip. That¡¯s when Alamir would kick them while they were down with an intensely hot ray of light, engulfing the unable-to-dodge enemy. Although still a combat technique, the Holy Fire Technique of the elf priest had changed dramatically since he escaped from the Succubus Palace. Now, the bright light he conjured was as hot as a basin of falling acid, able to severely injure a completely healthy Beard Demon with one hit. The drawback was evident, however¡ªas a priest, his attack frequency was somewhat slow, and while he possessed more powerful Divine Arts, those precious spell slots had to be reserved for treating injuries among comrades. Therefore, Alamir could only resort to using the Holy Fire Technique ¡®lazily¡¯. If the six-armed Serpent Demon was the beacon against the demonic attack, Lancelot was like a massive yet inconspicuous rock beneath the beacon. With their valiant efforts, the mercenaries gradually steadied their footing, engaging in brutal melee with the enemy. People continued to fall, but it was no longer a one-sided slaughter. Just then, Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception suddenly detected an overwhelming presence, like a vast whirlpool appearing amidst the raging waves, so commanding in its presence it was impossible to ignore. Turning his head towards Sonam¡¯s location, the sight that met Lancelot¡¯s eyes made his heart sink. There, striding arrogantly toward the six-armed Serpent Demon, was a colossal figure with wings, skin so red it was almost purple, and a body covered with armor-like scales. Despite the small mountain of demon corpses piled around him, Sonam couldn¡¯t help but shrink back in retreat, clearly extremely wary of the newcomer. After all, that was a Demon Refinement from the depths of Hell, a terrifying existence in Barto Hell only second to the Great Demon. Chapter 644: 668 Struggling to Support Chapter 644: Chapter 668 Struggling to Support Lancelot also noticed another detail: During the battle in front of Twin Bridges Town, the person fighting Tijana was a Demon Refinement clad in black armor, whereas the one who appeared now had skin covered in scales like armor. This meant that the force attacking them was not the same battered Demon Legion they had encountered at Twin Bridges Town, but another fully organized and well-staffed troop. However, at this point in the battle, it no longer mattered who the enemy was. Thanks to their fierce fighting just moments ago, the lines of friend and foe had become entangled. Lancelot was under much less pressure than before, allowing him to spare some attention for Sonam¡¯s situation. The newly emerged Demon Refinement wielded an extremely unique weapon, measuring over fifteen feet in length and somewhere between a massive scepter and a double-edged Beheading Axe. One could also describe it as a Standing Bell equipped with a handle; at the end of the handle was another relatively smaller crescent-shaped axe blade, enabling its bearer to execute all sorts of unexpected attacks, leaving no doubt about the terrifying destructive power of this exotic weapon. By contrast, even though Sonam had six arms, each ending in a Cold Iron Longsword especially effective against Fiends, she seemed significantly less imposing than her opponent. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked in a hoarse voice as she backed away. ¡°Greetings, Madam, the one about to kill you is the Earl Kabumore from Flagethoss,¡± the Demon Refinement said nonchalantly. ¡°Let me tell you what will happen next. Of course, you¡¯ll resist fiercely, but it won¡¯t change the outcome in the least. I¡¯ll cut out your heart and eat it, use magic to preserve your body, then I¡¯ll pull out every single tooth in that pretty little mouth of yours...¡± ¡°Go to Hell!¡± Enraged, Sonam launched an attack, with sword light slashing at the Demon Refinement named Kabumore from six different directions. The latter, as if expecting it, leaped backward and swung his gigantic weapon upwards, repelling the Serpent Demon¡¯s assault. ¡°...That way, I won¡¯t have to worry about getting scratched when I shove my precious into your mouth,¡± the Demon Refinement retorted with a fearsome slash as soon as he steadied himself. ¡°I can hardly wait to see that lovely white liquid flowing out of your eyes, nostrils, and ears, hahaha!!!¡± Clearly, the Demons were well aware of the emotional weaknesses of Demons: impulsiveness, anger, poor self-control, so they always tried to provoke their opponents into losing their cool before the battle even began. Sonam deftly dodged the Demon Refinement¡¯s slash, contorting her body strangely as the three longswords on one side simultaneously thrust at her opponent from below. The Demon Earl let out a strange laugh, flipping the direction of his weapon to bring the Moon Blade end down on the Serpent Demon¡¯s shoulder, in a stance that seemed unafraid of mutual harm. The Six-Armed Serpent Demon might have been high-ranked, but her physique was no match for the Demon Refinement. With superior agility, Sonam managed to retract her swinging arms just in time to block the Devils¡¯ blow at the last moment. Nevertheless, the back of her swords smashed heavily against her chest, and she was immediately sent flying backward through the air. ¡°For the glory of the Nine Hells!¡± The Demon Refinement roared victoriously, delivering a Heavy Slash that enveloped the entire figure of the Six-Armed Serpent Demon. However, he struck only an afterimage, as Sonam had timely invoked her short-range teleportation ability, narrowly avoiding the potentially lethal strike. ¡°Damn it, there¡¯s no way to fight like this...¡± Lancelot¡¯s sword-swinging suddenly burst forth, instantly knocking two Beard Demons to the ground, while he turned his head to shout to his companions, ¡°Alamir! You take command! I need to back up Sonam!¡± ¡°What?¡± The Elf Priest¡¯s voice sounded as if Lancelot asked him to bathe in public, ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re in the best position, and I know you¡¯re not busy at all.¡± Lancelot¡¯s figure flashed, and he was gone in an instant, leaving only his voice echoing in the original spot, ¡°Don¡¯t be stingy with your Divine Arts...¡± ¡°So big brother just left like that?¡± Bruto was somewhat stunned for a moment, but a Large Cleaver suddenly swung at him snapped him back to reality. The Dwarf slightly adjusted his stance, using the toad-like open mouth on his helmet to block the descending weapon¡ªit was probably the sturdiest part of his entire armor. Then, he thrust his Warhammer forward like a Dagger, accurately striking his opponent¡¯s knee. Although the hit didn¡¯t cripple the opponent, it forced the Beard Demon to kneel on the ground, and another iron-headed club suddenly extended from beneath the Dwarf and poked the Demon in the groin, making its body curl up like a cooked shrimp. Bruto swung his Warhammer again, this time directly smashing into the back of the Beard Demon¡¯s head. The Demon¡¯s head exploded like a watermelon, and purple brain matter immediately splattered all over the Dwarf¡¯s beard, while the base of his hammer was stuck with a palm-sized piece of skull with hair on it. ¡°Ew, that¡¯s disgusting,¡± the Dwarf glanced at his Warhammer and forcefully threw it at another Beard Demon rushing towards him, ¡°Here, take this, no need to thank me!¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Lancelot¡¯s silhouette was as fast as a leaf caught in a wild wind, and even if the Demons noticed his approach, they were too slow to intercept. In fact, many Beard Demons suddenly sported a line of blood on their bodies, and then split in half. Judging by the expressions of the victims, they had no idea what had happened. In front of him, a colossal Deep Hell Demon Refiner furiously unleashed a barrage of attacks, while Sonam, relying on the Serpent Demon¡¯s agility and extra four arms, struggled to hold on. The Longsword frequently collided with the Great Axe, sparking blinding flashes of light¡ªCredit must be given to the Longswords, which were crafted under Bruto¡¯s supervision and forged by Lancelot, for their outstanding quality. If there had been even a tiny flaw in the swords¡¯ structure... they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about after-sales service ever again. But now, it seemed the owner of the Longsword would collapse before her weapon did. Another violent collision twisted Sonam¡¯s three left arms into an odd angle, limply hanging at her side, most likely out of commission. ¡°Wahaha!¡± The Demon Earl let out a triumphant laugh, ¡°Is this your limit, Madam?¡± The more vicious the gaze of the Serpent Demon, the more intense the pleasure of the Demon Refiner. It raised its Great Axe, delivering a Horizontal Slash from left to right, intending to also break all the arms on the other side of the Serpent Demon. At that moment, the shadow behind it suddenly ¡®stood¡¯ up, and a dazzling cyan light tore through the darkness, illuminating the Human Knight wielding a sword. Lancelot was still ten feet away from the back of the Demon General but dared not advance any further. However, it didn¡¯t matter, as he had already set his sights on the target¡ªthe Demon Refiner¡¯s long tail, which resembled a python, sticking out from behind its buttocks. The light on the Longsword was as bright as a blazing sun rising in the middle of the battlefield, and he slashed at the Demon Refiner¡¯s tail as fast as Lightning. Chapter 645: 669: Dodge Chapter 645: Chapter 669: Dodge The tail of the Demon Refinement also had hard scales, like large pieces resembling plank armor, not only providing excellent protection but also making the tail¡¯s swinging as impactful as wielding a flail when the high-rank Demon moved it. Moreover, the Demon Refinement could control its tail just as easily as its arms, and under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for an enemy to land a cut on it. However, just now, the Demon Refinement¡¯s attention had been entirely on the Serpent Demon in front of it, while Lancelot, before entering the enemy¡¯s alert range, had used Shadow Jump to cover the last distance, seizing a less than half-second opportunity. When Lancelot swung his weapon down, the opponent had already sensed the threat behind it and started to make an evasive maneuver. What it did not realize, though, was that Lancelot had not intended to bring down a top-tier Demon with a single strike; instead, he aimed at severing one of its appendages, targeting the Demon Refinement¡¯s tail with all his might. The sensation transmitted through his hand reminded Lancelot of the Mithral Cage that held the Succubus Paladin, where a full-force strike had only managed to create a dent less than half an inch deep. However, he had now reached the Middle Rank of Foundation Establishment, and naturally, his strength was not comparable to before. More importantly, the weapon he now wielded was the former sword of Aira King Consort Filiniel, the divine artifact-level shortsword Starlight Strike, forged by Queen Movir herself. It was incredibly sharp and contained chaotic good properties that were a complete counter to Demons. Coupled with Lancelot¡¯s use of compressed True Yuan to drive the Sword Art, why wouldn¡¯t the Demon Refinement¡¯s tough tail break? Accompanied by a sound similar to a cleaver chopping through radishes, the scaly tail snapped off and fell to the ground. What remained on the Demon Refinement¡¯s buttocks was merely an ugly stump one-third its original length, with a smooth cut surface oddly appetizing. ¡°Aaaaahhhhhhh!!!¡± The strong, massive, and formidable Demon noble emitted a sharp, unbecoming scream of agony. While certainly not a fatal wound, the pain was comparable to having half a palm chopped off. Its original sweeping attack had completely deformed, switching the target from the Serpent Demon in front to the unseen enemy behind, but Lancelot, who wasn¡¯t near in the first place, had already stepped back, while Sonam also took the opportunity to initiate another short-range teleportation, creating a safe distance. Lancelot, having landed a successful hit, immediately stowed away the Starlight Strike and switched to Frostslash. Letting others know he possessed a divine artifact had no benefits, which was why he had previously fully stimulated the Qingyuan Sword Technique, ensuring the glaring green light on the sword blade ensured no one could make out the shape of the shortsword itself. At the same time, a dimensional rift opened above the head of the Barto Hell Demon Refinement, emitting a powerful suction force that pulled it inwards. This Demon noble from the fourth layer of Barto Hell, Flagethoss, showed a look of panic for the first time. It could definitely feel the upper plane¡¯s aura wafting from the rift, the most detestable place in the Multiverse for a Demon. If sucked in, who knew what awaited him on the other side? The Barto Hell Demon Refinement roared again as a fierce flame suddenly rose from the blade of its Beheading Axe, and then it violently threw it towards the dimensional rift. The axe, like an anchor dropped into the sea, spun and vanished, and with it, the suction from the rift drastically decreased until it completely dissipated. For this outcome, Lancelot wasn¡¯t particularly surprised. Starlight Strike had once forcefully sent away the Mother of Demons, but at that time, Cang Ye had already been severely weakened by Aira King Consort Filiniel and Princess Gwenhwyfar, while facing a still vigorous Barto Hell Demon Refinement, the power of this divine artifact was not enough to subdue it. ¡°I¡¯ll flay you alive!¡± The Demon Refinement roared furiously at the Human Knight and lunged at Lancelot. Without a weapon, it still had sharp claws and venom-filled teeth, which were just as deadly. True Yuan surged from Lancelot¡¯s Dantian, filling every meridian in his body. The Human Knight pushed his self-created Smoke and Shadows Dance to its limit, his movements as elusive as a reflection in water. The time spent with Tijana in the training grounds now proved its worth, and although there were several perilously close encounters, Lancelot miraculously evaded all attacks, his armor remaining unscathed. Truth be told, although the Demon Refinement¡¯s claw strikes and bites were more powerful, the speed of the Succubus Lord¡¯s longsword and whip was quicker, and Lancelot¡¯s Smoke and Shadows Dance was no ordinary technique. It was specifically enhanced for close combat and greatly augmented his evasion ability. Moreover, Lancelot had completely forsaken counterattacks, focusing solely on dodging his opponent¡¯s moves, resulting in the Demon Refinement¡¯s entire onslaught gaining nothing. Honestly, if Lancelot chose to run away at that moment, the enemy would have absolutely no chance of catching him, but he knew he could not leave. Although the battle was intense, the overall situation between the two armies was still a stalemate, and once the Serpent Demon fell, the mercenaries¡¯ morale would surely collapse, leading to a one-sided massacre. If they could delay, their chances of winning were actually quite good¡ªafter all, thirteen entire Demon Legions were behind them, with the nearest, the Flame Demon General Babos, able to arrive in half an hour at most. If the Demon Refinement hadn¡¯t fled by then, it probably wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. Another reason Lancelot dared to continue stalling was that he wasn¡¯t without a final resort. However, the Human Knight didn¡¯t want to reveal that secret just yet. Moreover, if he couldn¡¯t resolve the fight within the ten seconds of Transformation, his body would be left without a trace of True Yuan, which would be extremely dangerous. Unless he was truly desperate, Lancelot would never resort to his last-ditch secret. The Demon Refinement became even more uncontrollably furious, having already suffered the humiliation of having its tail cut off. It could only preserve its untouchable facade by immediately executing the offender. Yet, the subsequent failures felt like slaps across its face, completely shattering the Demon noble¡¯s pride and dignity. ¡°Are you really an Earl?¡± Lancelot also caught the shift in his opponent¡¯s emotions, ¡°Could it be that you gained that title by climbing into some Countess¡¯s bed?¡± The Demon Refinement did not respond, its originally purple-red face growing as black as charcoal, but it seemed to have regained its composure. It did not rush to attack again, but instead raised an arm, making a strange gesture. Suddenly, a three-foot-thick wall of fire rose around Lancelot, completely encircling the Human Knight. ¡°You¡¯re quite good at dodging, aren¡¯t you, flea? Try dodging this flame!¡± the Demon spat a mouthful of green venom into the fire circle, then turned its head to look at the Serpent Demon, poised and ready at the side, ¡°Madam, shall we continue... How does your arm feel? If it¡¯s better, let me smash it a few more times...¡± Chapter 646: 670: Fighting Fiercely in Blood Chapter 646: Chapter 670: Fighting Fiercely in Blood Sonam emitted a hissing growl and lifted her three right arms, positioning her longsword in front of herself. The Demon Refinement from the deep abyss didn¡¯t waste words either. He crossed the several dozen feet in two strides and swung his iron hammer-like fist toward the Serpent Demon. A fierce expression flashed across the face of the Serpent Demon. She chose not to dodge but raised her limbs to meet the demon¡¯s punch head-on. The scene she had hoped for did not occur. The opponent¡¯s fingers were covered in a thick layer of scale mixed with bony material, as hard as if wearing metal gauntlets. A punch knocked the six-armed Serpent Demon¡¯s longsword aside, and the second punch smashed into her face, the powerful force sending Sonam flying. She spun several times in the air before crashing to the ground. The gasps from the surroundings made the Demon Refinement from the deep abyss reveal a smug expression, as if his dignity had been restored with that powerful punch. However, his smile quickly froze, because the graceful and sinister body of the six-armed Serpent Demon shakily rose from the ground, looking far from being dead. ¡°Pah... Is this the best you can do?¡± Sonam turned her head and spit out a few small, sharp fangs, her eyes displaying contempt, ¡°Earl Kabumore from Flagethoss, looks like you are not quite up to it, did you forget to take your medicine before the battle?¡± ¡°Hmph... Nice last words.¡± Deep abyss Demon Refinement shook his arms and charged at the Serpent Demon with fists swinging again. Sonam no longer attempted to contest head-on but tried to dodge with all her might like Lancelot. Yet due to her larger size compared to the Human Knight, it wasn¡¯t long before she was struck by a claw, tearing a slit from her shoulder to her chest on her leather armor, revealing the skin underneath and her ample bosom. Trapped in a cage of flames, Lancelot became somewhat anxious. He initially wanted to pass directly through the firewall in front of him, but his Spirit Perception prevented him from doing so¡ª the flames summoned by the Demon Refinement weren¡¯t ordinary; they were directly from the purgatory of another realm, Barto, with a temperature more than double that of volcanic magma. Even with the physique of Lancelot at the Foundation Establishment Stage, he couldn¡¯t traverse such intense flames. Trying to fly over it was also impossible, as the temperature increased the higher he went. A dome-like barrier had formed over his head, and even if he wore the Transformation Ring, he couldn¡¯t escape through it with bat wings. Lancelot then toggled a special switch on his armor, activating the hidden Anti-Magic Stone inside. The result was disappointing¡ª the orange-red flames continued to roll, showing no sign of disappearing. These flames, although summoned by magic, were not a magic effect themselves and could not be dispersed by the Anti-Magic Field. He clenched his teeth, unable to delay any longer. It seemed he had no other choice but to resort to his last measure: transforming into the Flame Demon Form, immune to fire. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Alamir! Are you ready?!¡± Bruto firmly pressed his shoulder against his shield, struggling with all his might against the several large cleavers pounding on it. Beside him, three other dwarves stood shoulder to shoulder, their stances mirroring each other perfectly. After Lancelot departed, the squad had still stubbornly held their line, but their killing speed had significantly decreased, and from the distant flame portal, demons kept pouring out. With the numbers increasing on the other side, the four dwarves had completely given up on attacking, focusing instead on using their solid shields to prevent the enemies from advancing. As a small but sturdy race, the dwarves¡¯ resilience was fully displayed at this moment. Thanks to their well-developed muscles and lower center of gravity, the four of them stood firm like rocks buried in the earth, steadfastly refusing to move even when facing more than triple their number of enemies. On the flanks of the team, the old human Holy Warrior and a gnome armorer were fighting fiercely, covered in blood. Ivendell¡¯s longsword and shield blazed with dazzling golden flames, the Holy Fire dealing radiant damage, effective against all types of Fiends. Any demon in their right mind wanted to stay far away from him, but Ivendell could compel enemies within thirty feet to battle him with his holy words. This was a special skill of the Holy Warriors who had taken the Oath of the Crown, not a magical ability, so Bartez¡¯s resistance to magic was ineffective against it. Nearly no Beard Demon could resist his challenge; they rushed towards the Holy Warrior like moths to a flame. On the other side of the formation, Valen Belen seemed to have removed some restrictions from his powered armor, standing still like a lighthouse while continuously launching chains of lightning that could leap forward. Though each leap slightly diminished its power, it was still enough to severely injure any Beard Demon that came close, and if they dared to extend their metal weapons towards the constantly discharging gnome, they still had to contend with the Half-elf Cursed Swordmaster Tanya. Though Tanya¡¯s defensive skills were poor, if the enemy couldn¡¯t counter-attack, that disadvantage didn¡¯t exist. Moreover, from each enemy slain by her Shadow Glaive, a shadow-like Bound Spirit would rise from the corpse. Despite their reluctance, the spirits, subjugated by the curse¡¯s power, delivered touches filled with negative energy to their former comrades. Even a completely healthy Beard Demon became extremely weak upon touch, and if not for the short duration of these shadows, Tanya alone could have annihilated an army. However, whether it was the flames ignited through divine power channeled by the Holy Warrior or the lightning pulses released by the gnome armorer from lifting his armor¡¯s restrictions, neither could continue indefinitely. Once their power was depleted, the situation would immediately become extremely dangerous. The view returns to the center of the formation, where a green tentacle as thick as a baby¡¯s forearm and ending in thorn-like spikes sneaked through the gaps between shields like a blind poisonous snake, searching for gaps in the armor, and then fiercely stabbed into Bruto¡¯s side neck. The dwarf grunted in pain, but the force against his shield didn¡¯t relax at all. It was a Beard Demon¡¯s characteristic beard, whose stinging effect was similar to that of a venomous snake ¨C meaning, if one disregards the venom itself, the damage was not severe. Unfortunately, as a race created by the soul forger Moradin from stone and clay, dwarves naturally had resistance to toxins, so although the sting was painfully itchy for Bruto, that was all; it didn¡¯t affect his combat abilities at all. He freed his right hand and pulled out a small knife hanging behind his shield. With a swing over his head, the sly demon¡¯s beard was easily severed and with a snap, fell onto the already blood-muddied ground ¨C lying among more than a dozen other severed beards. ¡°Aaaaagh! Disgusting!¡± Bruto roared in anger, a sudden burst of strength emerging from within him. He aggressively pushed his shield forward, causing the three Beard Demons confronting him to fall to the ground. ¡°I can¡¯t stand this anymore! Damned Elves, how much longer do you need?!!¡± Chapter 647: 671: Divine Intervention Chapter 647: Chapter 671: Divine Intervention ¡®Goddess who reigns over love and beauty, Mistress of the Eternal Gold Pond, fiery-haired Madam filled with passion, your loyal servant Alamir calls out to you.¡¯ ¡®Just as I prayed to you this morning, we indeed were ambushed by enemy forces, numerous, skilled in martial arts, and steadfast in will. We have fought bitterly until now, but are nearly at the end of our resources... If you ask where that powerful Human Knight has gone? Hmm... He ran off to assist our Commander, which certainly relates to the Serpent Demon¡¯s chest armor being slashed open¡ªa truly chivalrous act...¡¯ The reverently kneeling Elf Priest heard the cries of his Dwarf companion, yet remained undisturbed, continuing to pray to the shield in front of him, bearing the Emblem of Shuni. ¡®You must understand, we are fighting as allies of the Demons. But this time, the enemy are Demons from the invasion of Barto Hell. Letting them dominate the lower planes would be a great disaster for the Multiverse. Throughout aiding the Demons, we have never committed any evil deeds, protecting Twin Bridges Town. In the chest of Tijana, the Succubus Lord, beats a noble and merciful heart...¡¯ ¡®Thanks to the Healing Divine Art bestowed by you, my companions have not fallen yet, but with the power I currently possess, it is truly impossible to alleviate the current crisis. My Goddess, please extend your hand to your loyal servant, dispel the shadows over my eyes, and show me the path forward...¡¯ By the time Alamir finished the first part of his prayer, the lady¡¯s Emblem on the shield before him was already glowing, and as the final sentence of the prayer ended, the light from the Emblem had become dazzlingly bright. A powerful Divine Power surged into Alamir¡¯s body, and in the blink of an eye, he mastered several new Spells, one of which he had never heard of, but was perfectly suited for the current situation. ¡°Behold the miracle, Demons!¡± the Elf Priest suddenly stood up, lifting the shield high above his head, ¡°In the name of the Lady of Love, I call upon you, dawn that scatters the darkness!¡± In front of him on the battlefield, suddenly there appeared a colossal column of light, its radius reaching thirty feet, enveloping about a hundred Beard Demons within it. Every Demon immediately let out agonized screams, their flesh beginning to dissolve, the effect seemingly identical to the Holy Fire Technique. But if the Holy Fire Technique could be likened to a bucket of water thrown from high above, then this Spell called ¡®Dawn¡¯ was like a massive waterfall, not only was its scope exaggeratedly large, but there was no sign of it ending any time soon. Unlike the Demons, the Devils maintained iron-like military discipline. Without orders, no matter what happened, they would never leave their position on the battlefield. Their only way out now was to charge through the mercenaries¡¯ line of defense, but since they had been unable to do so earlier, they surely couldn¡¯t now. The mercenaries, while fully resisting the Devils¡¯ charge, were shocked by the spectacle in the column of light. Those purple-skinned Beard Demons melted like wax figures near a heat source, even the strongest among them, had barely withstood it for more than a dozen seconds before collapsing, and half a minute later they had completely turned into a bubbling puddle of blood on the ground. ¡°By Moradin¡¯s beard...¡± Bruto, feeling suddenly no pressure at all, raised his head and instinctively stepped back a few steps, ¡°Elf, this is a bit... intense...¡± The column of light lasted a full minute before completely dissipating, leaving a fetid, viscous, purple-red swamp in the crowded battlefield. This swamp was made up of nothing but the dissolved flesh of the Devils, all thanks to Alamir, a priest under the Divine office of the Goddess of Love, Shuni. ¡°I told you, a miracle.¡± Alamir wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, ¡°Oh, watch out, here come new enemies...¡± The iron-blooded military discipline of Bartez was far from superficial; even though a slaughter that was terrifying even for the Fiends had just taken place before their eyes, they still stepped forward without hesitation. However, as the first Beard Demon stepped onto the swamp made of flesh and blood, its body began to tremble visibly, as if it were trying desperately to suppress some intense physiological reaction. ¡°Oh, Demon, even from this distance, I can still smell your fear...¡± Bruto whispered softly, ¡°Come to your Dwarf ancestor, let the ancestor send you back home with a hammer...¡± The Serpent Demon¡¯s jaw took another hard punch; the studded leather armor that had once covered its body had long since disappeared, leaving nothing but several scratch marks resembling sword wounds on its feminine body with six arms. Unfortunately, Kalalin had not come along with the team; otherwise, he could have ended a long-standing debate within the Dark Cult: Since the six-armed Serpent Demon has six arms, just how many pairs of breasts does she have on her chest? The Demon Refinement from the deep dungeon probably knew the answer long ago, as it showed absolutely no interest in admiring the Serpent Demon¡¯s torso. The demonic noble seemed to have recovered from its discomposure, waving its hands calmly, gradually cornering Sonam into a desperate situation. Just as another right hook was about to hit, the Demon Refinement unexpectedly retracted its fist, while its left hand shot out like lightning, grabbing the uppermost right arm of the Serpent Demon. The Demon¡¯s hand tightened like a vise, and the longsword held in that arm clanged to the ground¡ª that was the last weapon in the Serpent Demon¡¯s hands. ¡°It¡¯s time to end this, Madam.¡± The demonic noble spewed a terrible halitosis and then opened its cheetah-like maw, biting viciously into the Serpent Demon¡¯s left shoulder. However, just at that moment, the ground beneath the Demon Refinement suddenly split open, and a blinding sword light burst forth like a fountain, striking heavily at the root of its thigh. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!¡± The screams of the male Demon and female Demon almost rose simultaneously, the difference being that the female voice quickly faded, while the male voice reached another peak a few moments later. Lancelot emerged from the ground following the sword light, but his Frostslash could no longer penetrate deeper ¡ª the muscles of the Demon Refinement were almost as hard as Mithril, and even with the cold iron properties of Frostslash and the enhancement of the Qingyun Sword Art, he could not reach the Demon¡¯s thigh bone. But no matter, besides slashing, cutting is also an important attack mode for swords. Lancelot¡¯s movements were as smooth as milk spilled on cobblestones; with a light stamp of his foot, he had already jumped ten feet away, pulling his longsword in the process, making the Demon¡¯s screams even sharper. ¡°You human who deserves to be skinned alive and chopped to pieces!!!!!!!!!¡± The roar of the Demon Refinement seemed to carry a sobbing tone, recklessly charging at the Human Knight, ¡°I am going to kill you ahhhhhhhh!¡± Faced with the clearly completely deranged High Rank Demon, Lancelot didn¡¯t waste any words and decisively turned and ran. Chapter 648: 672 Leaving Without Saying Goodbye Chapter 648: Chapter 672 Leaving Without Saying Goodbye (First update, then revise; this sentence indicates that the revision isn¡¯t complete yet, and it¡¯s recommended to check back later) Running away in itself wasn¡¯t difficult, but if a ferocious beast capable of easily tearing you to shreds was chasing you, and you couldn¡¯t run too fast, having to always stay on the edge of being caught to keep the enemy hanging, then it truly tested the escaper¡¯s strength. In the bamboo slip given to Lancelot by Han Tianzun, a great deal of content was related to escaping: usable cultivation techniques, preparations beforehand, and practical experience... Everything came in handy at this moment. The human knight swam through the demon army¡¯s ocean like a fish, while the persistently pursuing Abyss Demon Refinement was like a gigantic whale, crushing anything in its path. Lancelot¡¯s objective was simple, continue to drag the enemy¡¯s high-rank combatants and take the opportunity to disrupt the demon ranks as much as possible. The two were like boulders rolling down a mountain; the Abyss Demon Refinement cooperated perfectly, knocking the Beard Demon Infantry around in disarray. Its eyes held only the detestable human knight, and even if Asmodis himself came, it wouldn¡¯t stop it from tearing the hated pest to pieces. Just kidding, of course. If the ruler of the Nine Hells really did arrive here, he would certainly degrade the demon earl directly to the lowest rank of lowly demon before subduing Lancelot, because its performance was simply too disgraceful¡ªLancelot¡¯s provocative words just now were not wholly at odds with the truth. Thanks to the movement technique Lancelot learned from the bamboo slip, enemies along the way were simply unable to hit him, and in the next second, they would be severely injured¡ª if not killed on the spot¡ª by the Abyss Demon Refinement charging behind him. The two almost crossed the entire battlefield, plowing through the demon¡¯s formation from start to end, which naturally greatly turned the tide of battle, giving the mercenaries an advantage in almost all positions. It¡¯s worth noting that on the battlefield, a neat array is itself a form of combat strength, especially for demons. Their most hated scenario is when formations are breached and the battle turns into a chaotic melee where friend and foe are indistinguishable. For this, they have a complete set of procedures to quickly reorganize their ranks, but that requires the commander¡¯s orders. Before new instructions are issued by their superiors, no one is allowed to deviate from their current task autonomously. But what if the commander clearly lost his reason? First and foremost, questioning superiors is an absolutely prohibited action; one must always believe that the leader is definitely right. If he exhibits madness, fear, cowardice, or even incompetence, that must certainly be intentional, with the purpose of paralyzing or deceiving the enemy. If you actually believe it, then you are a fool who will never have a chance for promotion. However, that doesn¡¯t mean that demons who become the victims of their superiors¡¯ schemes show any willingness in their sacrifice. Those Beard Demon Infantry who were knocked away by the Abyss Demon Refinement barely hid their anger; if looks had substance, the demon baron would have been pierced into a honeycomb by now. But they still quickly got up from the ground (if they were still able to do so), immediately re-engaging in battle like emotionless golems. However, the Abyss Demon Refinement was after all one of the beings closest to the pinnacle among demons, and before long, Lancelot sensed the Abyss Demon Refinement behind him. He turned around warily and saw the beast he had sliced in the groin staring at him viciously, yet its eyes had regained calmness. ¡°Human, you will pay for this,¡± the Abyss Demon Refinement spoke; the sound was like a feline creature tearing at its prey, ¡°Watch your back, human. If one day a dagger slashes through your throat, it will certainly be my revenge...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you demons value order the most?¡± Lancelot shrugged indifferently, ¡°So don¡¯t jump the queue, Earl Kabumore from Flagethoss. There¡¯s no shortage of people who want my life, and you¡¯re not even the strongest among them; so, be a good demon and wait your turn at the back of the line. Of course, maybe one day I¡¯ll take a tour through Barto Hell, and when I do, I¡¯ll make sure to visit you. Just don¡¯t hide and be too scared to meet me, okay?¡± ¡°You!¡± The Human Knight¡¯s arrogance was so over-the-top that it gave the Demon Refinement from Abyss a sense of absurdity, ¡°Do you even know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°I can assure you, what I¡¯m saying is far more realistic than your empty threats,¡± Lancelot chuckled, ¡°Besides, haven¡¯t you forgotten something?¡± ¡°What?¡± Lancelot didn¡¯t answer but suddenly charged at the Demon. Even though the Demon Refinement was perplexed by his erratic behavior, it met him head-on without fear, its hammer-like fist swinging viciously at the Human Knight. To the Demon¡¯s surprise, though, the Human Knight¡¯s ferocious strike turned out to be a feint. After duping it into action, Lancelot twisted like an eel and once again fled into the distance. The High Rank Demon was slightly taken aback by this odd maneuver, but just then, the space behind it was violently torn open, and a Black Armor-clad Barlow Flame Demon appeared out of nowhere, thrusting its Lightning Giant Sword quickly at the Demon Refinement. Caught off guard and reacting a split second too slow, it failed to evade and was solidly stabbed in the back by the giant sword. ¡°Hello there, Demon,¡± greeted the Flame Demon General named Babos in a cheerful voice, ¡°How long have you been in the Abyss? Do you like the weather here?¡± With a violent motion, the Demon Refinement pulled itself off the Lightning Giant Sword and, without looking back, ran towards the nearby Flame Portal. However, it hadn¡¯t gone far when a thin Flame Whip wrapped around its ankle, dragging the severely injured Demon Refinement back to its master. ¡°Aren¡¯t you Demons supposed to be quite polite? How could you leave without saying goodbye?¡± The Black Armor Flame Demon pressed a heavy foot onto the Demon noble¡¯s back, slowly raising the giant sword with both hands, ¡°Now, farewell. I hope you enjoy your time in the shithole that is Barto.¡± The Great Sword fell like a guillotine, decapitating the Demon Refinement, whose head rolled on the ground, stopping upside down at Lancelot¡¯s feet. The next second, the High Rank Demon¡¯s corpse began to melt, quickly turning into a puddling mass bubbling like a snake-like mud. The Flame Demon General looked up at Lancelot, seemed to recognize him but made no move to acknowledge him, and turned to join in the slaughter of the remaining Demons. Lancelot, curious, crouched down and touched the remains of the dead Demon Refinement (his Spirit Perception did not encourage him to do so, but it was not strongly warning of danger either). The mud-like remains reminded him of a serial killer¡¯s eyeballs, containing a strong chill and evil, which induced an intense feeling of nausea that made him immediately withdraw his hand. Lancelot looked up to find that the Demon army had begun an organized retreat. Most of the infantry had already left through the still-burning Flame Portal, while a small rearguard left behind was fighting a desperate resistance. Chapter 649: 673: Who Cares If They Live or Die Chapter 649: Chapter 673: Who Cares If They Live or Die After Barlow Flame Demon, more demon reinforcements appeared. Coward Devils, normally as meek as a flock of sheep, were now fiercely valiant, swarming over the remaining demons like ants to sugar. Berserk Demons and Brezu Demons brusquely pushed aside their comrades, seizing upon the slaughter¡ªan entertainment beloved by their kind¡ªespecially since there was little risk involved. Lancelot didn¡¯t linger, but quickly ran towards his companions. Cheers went up from all the mercenaries he passed, for everyone knew that their tight grip on victory was largely thanks to the Human Knight. Without Lancelot¡¯s recent astonishing act, demons and devils would be waging a vicious fight atop their corpses by now. Soon, he could see his comrades in the distance, and seeing that each of them was still standing, the tension he had been holding finally eased. Clearly, each had been through a fierce battle: the four Dwarves¡¯ shields looked like they could fall apart at any moment, stained red with blood, mostly that of their enemies but some of their own; Valen Belen appeared to be trapped in his power armor, with his brother trying to extricate him using a screwdriver and a wrench; the Half-elf Tanya was staring vacantly at the corpse of a demon in front of her, seemingly unaware that her hands, gripping the Shadow Glaive, were trembling violently. At the other end of the group, the old Holy Warrior Ivendell was also drenched in blood, his Longsword now replaced with a Beard Demon¡¯s pike, but a look of utter relief spread across his face, the former gloom that had enveloped him nowhere to be seen; Tiflin youth Glory was slumped on the ground, looking as though he had just escaped from a burning house, with his sister taking care of him nearby, yet not a single scratch was apparent on his body¡ªLancelot knew this was the hallmark of a Bloodsucker, a gift from his tragic past as a blood slave that let him absorb life energy from his enemies in battle. Only two people appeared unscathed, one of them was the demon monkey girl Jing, who was squatting on a protruding rock munching contently on a juicy peach. Her relaxed demeanor might mislead one to believe she hadn¡¯t exerted herself, but the iron stick beside her, both ends turned dark red, told a different story; the other was Alamir, the Elf Priest who was busy bandaging the Dwarves with clean dressings and ointments, judging by how spotless his attire was, it seemed that not a single enemy had died within ten feet of him. ¡°Ha! Lancelot! You¡¯re finally back!¡± Bruto waved at him enthusiastically; his neck swathed in bandages looked rather comical, ¡°I knew that big purple demon couldn¡¯t catch you!¡± ¡°It indeed didn¡¯t,¡± Lancelot replied cheerfully, approaching, ¡°It¡¯s great to see everyone¡¯s alright. Looks like you didn¡¯t miss me too much.¡± ¡°Sir Lancelot, the techniques you taught us were indeed very useful,¡± Rurik StoneShield¡¯s nose was as red as if he were drunk, obviously still not recovered from the excitement of battle, ¡°We were like rocks, not retreating even half a step!¡± ¡°But we were almost overwhelmed by those creatures that sting with their beards,¡± Flint Ruge added, his pale face complementing the large wound on his right shoulder, though the bleeding had stopped and the Elf Priest was carefully pouring a white powder around the wound, ¡°Thanks to Mr. Alamir, without his wide-reaching Light Magic, we would have been torn to pieces by the enemy by now.¡± ¡°I saw it too, but couldn¡¯t look closely as the battle was too intense,¡± Lancelot said, curious as he looked toward Alamir, ¡°What was that column of light about? I remember it doesn¡¯t have enough power to instantly kill a Beard Demon, but the range... That¡¯s really large...¡± ¡°The Goddess answered my prayer during the battle and bestowed upon me a new Fifth Circle Divine Art: Dawn,¡± responded Alamir with an expression of bliss, ¡°This Divine Art creates a column of light with a radius of thirty feet that can last up to a minute. You¡¯re right, if they ran straight out of the light column, the damage wouldn¡¯t be enough to kill a Beard Demon, but the devils¡¯ adherence to discipline prevented them from breaking formation and our mercenaries held them firmly at the front, allowing me to melt a considerable number of Fiends. Did you notice the dark-red marsh there? Those are all...¡± ¡°Uh, I get it, no need to say more,¡± Lancelot said, grimacing as he shook his head, ¡°I had no idea the devils would stick to rules to that extent...¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s Bartez that are the real mad ones,¡± Sonam¡¯s voice rose eerily, as she glided toward everyone with a spine-chilling grace, ¡°But compared to you, their madness is nothing at all...¡± ¡°Commander,¡± Lancelot gave a polite bow to the Serpent Demon, and the rest of the companions followed suit, ¡°How is your arm¡¯s injury?¡± ¡°The bones inside are broken into seven or eight pieces. It will take a few more hours for a complete recovery,¡± said Sonam, casually swinging her three left arms, ¡°I really don¡¯t know whether to call you brave or foolish for dares to provoke a Demon Refinement from the deep prison...¡± ¡°But if you had fallen, we would have been certain to lose,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Plus, my dodging and escaping skills are top-notch, as you¡¯ve already seen. With these two abilities, I¡¯m confident it wouldn¡¯t be able to kill me for a while.¡± ¡°Yeah, if not for you, I probably...¡± The Serpent Demon stared at Lancelot with a strange look, as if he had done something she found particularly irritating. ¡°No need to thank me,¡± Lancelot noticed immediately what the Serpent Demon was grappling with, ¡°We¡¯re comrades now, after all. It¡¯s right to help each other out.¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± the Serpent Demon¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously, but ultimately, she spoke softly, ¡°I owe you one... Alright. Hurry up and get your gear together; those two promiscuous whores have finally succeeded. The illusion up ahead has been dispelled; we¡¯re setting off momentarily.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lancelot was genuinely surprised, ¡°What about the wounded?¡± ¡°Those who can keep up will follow us; as for those who can¡¯t...¡± The six-armed Serpent Demon looked up at the vultures circling in the sky, ¡°Those birds will take care of them,¡± she said. ¡°Are you saying we¡¯re going to abandon the severely wounded?¡± Lancelot spoke in shock, ¡°Please forgive me, Madam, but I will never agree to do such a thing.¡± ¡°I am the commander of this army,¡± the Serpent Demon¡¯s face turned very frightening in an instant, ¡°Those severely wounded will only be a burden to us, slowing down the march. When the next battle arrives, they won¡¯t be of any help at all, so why should I care about their lives?¡± Chapter 650: 674: Convincing the Demons Chapter 650: Chapter 674: Convincing the Demons What is the essence of evil? Philosophers have long debated this, with one perspective proposing that good and evil are relative, depending on a set of moral standards most members of a community agree on. These standards distinguish right from wrong, honor from disgrace, and justice from injustice. Those who knowingly disregard these standards or even deliberately act against them are considered evildoers. Of course, the next question is, who decides these moral standards? What happens when different communities¡¯ standards conflict? Imagine a murderer who kills a frail child because he was convinced by a prophecy that the child would grow up to be a menace to all living beings, or a ruler who launches a world-engulfing war, leading to the death of countless soldiers and civilians, believing his rule would make the world a better place. In such extreme cases, how is evil defined? Deities seem to have answered this question, as they judge the souls of their followers and assess their actions in life. After warriors who firmly believe in their righteousness and perceive the other as evil die together, their souls could be welcomed by their respective faiths¡¯ deities. However, this merely pushes the problem further back¡ªthese two deities might be enemies, each considering the other a cancer of the Multiverse that must be eradicated. In light of this, another group of scholars believes that good and evil are objective standards; any action that harms, oppresses, tortures, or kills others is evil, regardless of whether the perpetrator seeks to gain some benefit or simply doesn¡¯t care about others¡¯ feelings. This group of scholars insists that the objective nature of an action should be clarified first, and then the actor¡¯s intentions should be considered. Ethicists could list a series of ¡®exceptional circumstances¡¯ like the right to self-defense, necessary violence to uphold the law¡¯s dignity, unintentional mistakes, and subsequent compensations, but these do not change the nature of the action itself. Of course, these are merely the viewpoints of mortals. Fiends born in the lower planes scoff at these notions. For them, killing, torturing, and betrayal are delightful activities that require no justification, as naturally entitled as mortals need to breathe. In Lancelot¡¯s view, abandoning injured soldiers in battle is an unacceptable evil, but for Sonam, questioning such behavior is as absurd as asking why one should use the sharp end of a spear to stab. ¡°Please forgive me, Madam, but I believe that if the team could rest a bit, treat the wounded, and send those who can no longer fight back to Twin Bridges Town, it would be very beneficial,¡± Lancelot said humbly, in a respectful tone, ¡°It won¡¯t take too long, and we can have the other Demon Legions move ahead.¡± ¡°...If it were anyone else, I would have used my longsword to silence him,¡± Sonam coldly stared at Lancelot, ¡°but considering your performance just now, I think you¡¯ve earned a bit of my patience. You¡¯d better have something concrete to say¡ªwhat¡¯s the benefit of doing so?¡± ¡°The benefit is that these people can return to their original worlds alive, with their purses full of rewards, recounting their adventures in the Abyss,¡± Lancelot quickly replied, ¡°They will describe the Mercenary Hall, training grounds, the marketplace, the taverns, as well as the rough Demon captains, the cunning and deceitful Demon soldiers, and the wise and brave Serpent Demon General¡ªI mean you.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Sonam impatiently shifted her body, looking ready to strike like a serpent, ¡°Where¡¯s the benefit in what you¡¯re suggesting?¡± ¡°There are many benefits, such as increasing the popularity of Twin Bridges Town, attracting more interdimensional merchants...but most importantly, we can build a better reputation among the mercenaries, making them believe that taking on commissions from Twin Bridges Town is profitable. They have the opportunity to earn money and live to take it back with them, thus, when Twin Bridges Town issues another call for mercenaries, more will come to join our army,¡± Lancelot explained. ¡°...Hmm, so you¡¯re saying, just by doing as you suggested, we can earn more people¡¯s trust?¡± Sonam looked somewhat persuaded, ¡°And when the time comes to betray them, we could reap even greater benefits?¡± ¡°Uh... If you must think that way, yes.¡± Lancelot helplessly touched his nose, ¡°But in the long run, maintaining a good reputation should bring more benefits...¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s not for you to decide.¡± The Six-Armed Serpent Demon relaxed its previously stiff body, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you then. I¡¯ve never done anything like rescuing injured soldiers before... Order in my name, but you don¡¯t have much time. As soon as the last soldier of the allied forces passes, the entire army must immediately set out to follow.¡± ¡°At your command, General.¡± Lancelot suppressed his excitement, respectfully bowed, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°...Hmph.¡± Sonam let out another snort and swam towards the Black Armored Flame Demon General not far away. Lancelot also secretly breathed a sigh of relief, turned around, and found that all his companions were staring at him with a strange look. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lancelot touched his nose, ¡°Surely no one opposes my proposal, right?¡± ¡°What did I just witness...¡± The old Holy Warrior¡¯s expression was almost blank, ¡°You actually convinced a Six-Armed Serpent Demon to agree to help the injured after the battle?¡± ¡°Even if you told me those Goat-Head Demons actually prefer eating fruit salads, I wouldn¡¯t be more surprised.¡± Rein Belen, the gnome with the green beard, shook his head solemnly, ¡°About demons, I think I may have many misunderstandings...¡± ¡°Trust me, your impression of them is mostly correct, it¡¯s just that Twin Bridges Town is an exception.¡± Alamir shrugged, ¡°And our captain is no ordinary person, he was just chased by a Demon from the Abyss... Lancelot, how many times have you saved us now?¡± ¡°This time doesn¡¯t count, because I brought you all to the battlefield.¡± The Human Knight shook his head, his face showing no hint of pride. He looked around, then in a flash, leaped onto a towering rock, and many eyes followed him. ¡°My friends!¡± he began with a vigorous voice, his voice spreading throughout the entire battlefield, ¡°Are you still alive?¡± A loud chorus of curses came back, mixed with a few sporadic cheers. ¡°Not bad, not bad, you can still make such noise, that means you¡¯re all doing fine, at least for the time being.¡± Lancelot nonchalantly waved his hand, ¡°I heard that Bartez is the most terrifying army in the Multiverse, has anyone seen them yet?¡± Chapter 651: 675: The Speech on the Rock Chapter 651: Chapter 675: The Speech on the Rock ¡°They¡¯re right at my feet!¡± ¡°Dead as can be!¡± ¡°I killed five! Who wants to give my axe a little kiss?¡± ¡°Shut up, look at my belt, count the number of heads hanging on it?¡± Cheers rose one after another, and the mood of the crowd surged instantly. Lancelot waited a moment to let the mercenaries¡¯ excitement die down slightly, then raised his voice again and said: ¡°Those residents of Barto Hell may be the most arrogant fellows in the Multiverse and indeed they had devised a perfect ambush plan, first with a complex Illusion Technique to block the way, then animate those huge trees to disrupt our formation, and finally have their infantry launch an attack, planning to drive us straight into the Stygian River... Tell me, did they succeed?¡± ¡°No!!!¡± the mercenaries shouted in unison, ¡°We drove them back!!!¡± ¡°Ah, yes, they were really unlucky to encounter us. The Demons thought we¡¯d throw away our weapons in fear and run, exposing our asses, backs, and the backs of our heads to them, how terribly mistaken they were! Faced with a sudden attack, we didn¡¯t run away but stood our ground like rock, letting the Demons shatter their own flesh, bones, and pride. Tell me, when you sank your weapons into their bodies, did you feel anything special? Are Demons really made of steel and immune to swords and spears?¡± ¡°No!!!¡± ¡°Other than the beard, it¡¯s all the same!¡± ¡°The blade goes in white, comes out red, no different from slaughtering pigs!¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t make it sound so easy, just now I was chased by a Demon Refinement from the deep pits for almost a mile, you all saw it, right? Clearly, it had a special interest in my ass, but as soon as I thought of all you bastards calling me ¡®Countess¡¯ behind my back, my legs just started running a bit faster...¡± Lancelot made a commonplace joke, but the mercenaries reacted as if it were the funniest joke they had ever heard in their lives, including the Demon commanders, who were rolling on the ground with laughter¡ªa very rare sight indeed. He waited a little while for the laughter to die down somewhat before continuing: ¡°I know, most of you joined this army for less than noble reasons, but let me tell you, this war is of immense significance, even affecting the fate of the entire Multiverse. The reason is simple, this place, the Bottomless Abyss, is considered by many the worst place in the universe and also the lair of the Demons, but now, the Devils from the Nine Hells of Barto have unprecedentedly invaded this plane and spread like wildfire, rapidly seizing vast territories. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that if Volcano Fortress, which we¡¯re about to rescue, falls into their hands, then all areas north of the Great Abyss will succumb to Devils¡¯ rule, and it would only be a matter of time before they conquer the Abyss entirely, after which nothing could stop the ruler of the Nine Hells from unifying the lower planes, and his ambition will surely not stop there. By then, we¡¯d have to pay taxes to even breathe, and get whipped for farting... Tell me, does anyone want to live such a life?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Everyone would be a slave to the Demons while alive, and after death, have their souls taken as fuel, can you accept such a fate?¡± ¡°No!!¡± ¡°Why so quiet?¡± Lancelot cupped a hand to his ear, ¡°Can¡¯t hear you!¡± ¡°No!!!¡± everyone roared together, including the Demons who had crowded around, ¡°Let the Bartez eat shit!!!¡± ¡°Good! That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Lancelot shouted, his volume matching that of the mercenaries¡¯ roars, ¡°The myth of the Demons¡¯ invincibility has been shattered. We defeated them here today, and next we will defeat them in the Volcano Fortress, and kick their sulfur-smelling asses back to Barto Hell! It will inevitably be a fierce battle, and only the strongest warriors will survive. But the fight just now has proved that each one of us is qualified!¡± Lancelot intentionally paused, allowing the audience to cheer to their hearts¡¯ content, then continued, ¡°To those who persevere to the end, Twin Bridges Town will never fail your loyalty. You will return to where you came from, laden with more gold than you can carry, and become living legends. I hope your names aren¡¯t too tongue-twisting, otherwise the minstrels will surely complain about not finding suitable words to rhyme. But before that, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to say goodbye to some comrades.¡± Lancelot lifted his Longsword and plunged it down heavily; the tip sank into the stone beneath his feet as if it were butter, and the somber atmosphere quieted everyone down, ¡°In the name of General Sonam, Commander of the Twin Bridges Town mercenary legion, I order! Everyone rest on the spot, and set off immediately after the main allied force passes. Those with healing skills, tend to your fellows¡¯ injuries, and bring those who can¡¯t continue fighting to me. They will be sent back to Twin Bridges Town afterwards. That¡¯s all!¡± Surprised voices arose among the mercenaries, many of whom were in a battle to the death for the first time, but the concept of treating the wounded after a fight was completely new to them. They turned to look at the six-armed Serpent Demon not far away, but she turned her back and didn¡¯t show any sign of disagreement. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Lancelot¡¯s voice rose again, ¡°Do you want me to come and bandage you up personally?¡± Upon hearing his words, the mercenaries finally believed it was true and sprang into action. Seeing this, Lancelot also jumped down from the boulder and returned to his companions¡¯ side. ¡°That was quite the inspirational speech,¡± Half-elf Tanya said to Lancelot with a weird look in her eyes, ¡°How did you manage that? I¡¯ve faced similar situations before, but all I could do was go blank and shout ¡®We won!¡¯ and ¡®Good fighting!¡¯ before ending it, which was really embarrassing...¡± ¡°It means your fight went rather smoothly,¡± Lancelot chuckled, ¡°If you lose a few more times, you¡¯ll have to learn to boost morale with speeches.¡± ¡°About the plight of the Blood War, and the fate of the Multiverse... are those things true?¡± The old Holy Warrior Ivendell took the initiative to speak to Lancelot with a very solemn expression on his face, ¡°Is the Volcano Fortress really that crucial?¡± ¡°At least the complete control of the area north of the Great Abyss by the Demons is true,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°To the south lies the hanging kingdom of the Wind Demon King Pazuzu, but the Demons could simply ignore it and complete the encirclement of the Great Abyss. After that, they might spend centuries cleaning the Abyss layer by layer, but unless some external force intervenes, it would be hard for the Demons to turn the tables.¡± ¡°So it is...¡± Ivendell nodded, his face showing a complex expression, ¡°I never thought that a simple mercenary commission could have such significant meaning.¡± ¡°If knowing this makes your sword-hand firmer, then good,¡± Lancelot said, glancing meaningfully at Ivendell, ¡°But don¡¯t go to the other extreme, my friend of the Holy Warrior. Our sole purpose is to lift the Demon army¡¯s threat to Twin Bridges Town. As for the rest, it¡¯s best not to hold on to too much passion, and definitely not to entertain any foolish notions of sacrifice.¡± Chapter 652: 676: Farewell Chapter 652: Chapter 676: Farewell By the time the second Flame Demon General passed by the mercenaries, Lancelot had obtained the precise casualty figures: four hundred and seventy-one dead, one hundred and twenty-two seriously injured. Among the mercenaries, there were less than ten who had the profession of priest, and it was naturally impossible to heal everyone with just these few, especially since they had exhausted their spellcasting abilities in the recent battle. Fortunately, stabilizing those with serious injuries was not difficult. It merely required proper wound treatment and then casting a zero-ring Divine Art known as ¡®Life Sustaining Art.¡¯ However, further treatment would have to wait until they returned to Twin Bridges Town. Moreover, Lancelot also joined in to help among the priests. Although he could not cast Healing Divine Arts, he had ample experience treating wounds, and when combined with a trace of pure True Yuan infused into the body of the patient, the effects could be comparable to the priests¡¯ spells. Almost every mercenary had suffered injuries, but compared to ordinary humans, the recovery abilities of the demons were significantly stronger. Even without any treatment, their injuries would heal slowly. Although the rate was not as exaggerated as that of trolls, by Lancelot¡¯s estimate, an ordinary Berserk Demon could recover from serious injuries to minor injuries in at most three days, and those with minor injuries could fully recover, evidencing their supernatural life force as Fiends. Aside from those killed or seriously injured, there were another two hundred and thirty with medium-level injuries. Either an arm was broken or an eye was blinded; while they still had some combat capability left, Lancelot decided to send them back to Twin Bridges Town along with the seriously injured, on the pretext that they required an escort. What surprised him was that Sonam readily agreed to this suggestion. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because the Serpent Demon had suddenly become kind-hearted (what a joke). Rather, she thought those people had become a burden and would have refused to allow them to continue following the troop even if Lancelot had not mentioned it. The mercenaries returning to Twin Bridges Town would receive the bounty for the enemies that had nearly cost them their lives, but their mercenary contracts would end there, and this might signify the end of their adventuring careers¡ªregenerating lost limbs was an effect achievable only by High Rank Divine Arts, which were extremely costly. If one hadn¡¯t been saving money during their adventuring days, they would likely find it difficult to afford such services. But this was the price of being a Blood War Mercenary. Thanks to metal tags carried by every mercenary to record their deeds of valor, the officers quickly compiled the precise kill-count: one thousand three hundred and sixty-two demons, all Beard Demons (of course, the Abyss Demon Refinement didn¡¯t count towards Lancelot). By the numbers, the mercenary legion had clearly won a splendid victory, even under the circumstances of being ambushed. This was more than enough to prove the formidable combat strength of the mercenaries¡ªadventurers daring enough to venture into the Abyss for money might be a bit mad, but their strength was certainly beyond that of ordinary low rank Fiends. If a Demon Legion had been ambushed just now, the casualties would have been horrendous¡ªthe demons would have slaughtered the weak, foolish, and uncooperative Coward Devils like chickens first, then used their superior numbers to surround and isolate the Middle Rank Demons who were used to fighting on their own. The only advantage on the demons¡¯ side would be the top-tier Barlow Flame Demons: completely immune to both flame and damage, they usually had the upper hand in battle against Abyss Demon Refinement, but this advantage wasn¡¯t significant enough to offset the loss of half a legion, not even a quarter. To Lancelot¡¯s surprise, the request of the mercenaries to rest on the spot did not require anyone¡¯s approval¡ªSonam simply ¡®informed¡¯ the Black Armored Flame Demon General of this decision, and he just shrugged his shoulders and moved on. The following demons cast curious glances at the mercenaries (mostly towards the pile of demon corpses aside) as they passed by, but none of them showed any interest in stopping to meddle in their affairs, and they continued on their noisy, clamorous way. About three hours later, ¡®Madam Spiderweb¡¯ Elmaris and her army of spider demons appeared in everyone¡¯s field of vision, and they were the last of the allied forces. Lancelot, pulling his own Six-Armed Serpent General, went forward to bid farewell to the departing wounded. Those who could still walk were wrapped in bandages, moving forward in silence, while on the flatbed carts behind them lay their seriously injured comrades¡ªonly a few would groan with each jolt, and even more were completely unconscious. Suddenly, a mercenary walking past Sonam stopped in his tracks, turned to face the Six-Armed Serpent General. ¡°Thank you, General.¡± The mercenary saluted solemnly, then nodded towards Lancelot, ¡°And you too, Prince. I will always remember you.¡± ¡®What is he doing?¡¯ Sonam¡¯s telepathy immediately echoed in Lancelot¡¯s mind. And the next mercenary who passed by did the same, adding: ¡°It has been an honor to fight alongside you, Madam. I wish you the best of luck.¡± More mercenaries made the same gesture, and the air of disdain that Sonam usually carried vanished suddenly; she froze as if petrified. ¡°They are expressing their gratitude to you, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Why should they thank me?¡± ¡°Because you did what a good general in the eyes of common people should do, something they did not expect you would do.¡± ¡°Just because I allowed them to tend to their wounds?¡± ¡°Yes, and for letting them organize a retreat to Twin Bridges Town instead of leaving them to die where they were.¡± ¡°Such a ridiculous reason... What should I do now?¡± ¡°Nothing, your presence is enough. Of course, it would be better if you nodded slightly as a return gesture.¡± So when the next mercenary bowed to her, the Serpent Demon lowered her chin by roughly the distance of half a finger. ¡°You fought well, and I hope we will have the chance to fight together again...¡± Sonam suddenly took it upon herself to speak, ¡°but by then, you had better be a demon, not in this vulnerable human body.¡± ¡°General...¡± The mercenary opened his mouth in surprise, his face revealing a bittersweet expression, ¡°I... thank you for your kind thoughts.¡± ¡°No need to thank me,¡± Sonam glared fiercely at him, ¡°move along now, you¡¯re blocking the road!¡± ¡°At your command!¡± the man replied loudly, striding forward with what appeared to be a lighter step. ¡°I did well, didn¡¯t I?¡± Sonam¡¯s voice echoed again in Lancelot¡¯s mind, ¡°He seemed quite pleased.¡± ¡°You did fantastically,¡± Lancelot encouraged sincerely, ¡°though they may not be accustomed to hearing such blessings about becoming demons.¡± ¡°I know,¡± the Serpent Demon¡¯s voice sounded like a child who had succeeded in a prank, ¡°but if they were demons, I wouldn¡¯t have to pay them.¡± Chapter 653: 677: On the Road Chapter 653: Chapter 677: On the Road After bidding farewell to the injured, the mercenaries set out again, but unlike before, they now walked in the rear of the army, no longer worried about the Demons¡¯ traps. Nonetheless, everyone¡¯s mood was still rather grim; after all, the size of their group had diminished by a third. Many faces they had just begun to get familiar with had vanished, and even the most self-centered were not fond of such abrupt changes. Moreover, marching behind a large horde of Demons was not a pleasant affair. First, the Coward Devils really smelled terrible, especially when tens of thousands of them moved together. The dark green mist rising from their skin would gather into a cloud of green, with an odor that could make one vomit the meal they had eaten the previous month. Additionally, the condition of the roads after the passage of the Demons worsened severely, resembling a freshly plowed field, full of overturned soil and holes as wide as bowls, requiring constant vigilance to avoid tumbling headlong. Yet the most disheartening aspect was the presence of corpses every few hundred feet along the road. These were not victims of some Devil¡¯s trap but had been brutally killed by other Demons, then trampled over by countless indifferent soles, ending up as disturbing, flesh-stained carpets stuck to the ground. Ignoring these unpleasant sights, the march itself was quite dull, especially for the mercenaries who had just endured a highly intense skirmish. Furthermore, advancing toward a battlefield where many deaths were inevitable did not excite anyone; it felt like a giant stone weighing on everyone¡¯s hearts. As if anticipating the somber atmosphere, the Demons had left some ¡®special surprises¡¯ for the mercenaries. A few hours later, someone suddenly screamed in terror. Lancelot turned around to see a group of people pointing in horror at rows of corpses by the roadside: the bodies were hung from lamppost-like poles, their limbs tied back, their eyes gouged out, leaving two black bloody holes on their faces, their bodies artistically cut with multiple wounds to ensure their deaths were as prolonged and painful as possible. In front of these corpses stood several colossal signs bearing inscriptions in blackened red paint: ¡°Greetings from Barto Hell!¡± ¡°Brothers, are you coming?¡± ¡°This is what happens when you oppose Bartez!¡± ¡°Keep moving; you¡¯ll soon be joining them...¡± The bodies belonged to none other than the mercenaries previously sent out for reconnaissance. Clearly, the Illusion Technique that had suddenly appeared not only blocked the main force Lancelot was in, but also these Scouts attempting to return. They were then caught by the Demons and turned into these ¡®welcome signs¡¯. A murmur spread through the crowd. After pondering for a moment, Lancelot quickly walked up to the corpses, used his back to shield the curious gaze of the mercenaries, and created a blue-green fire, igniting the bodies one by one. The True Essence Fire burned extremely hot, almost instantly reducing the bodies to ash without leaving a trace of bone. ¡°It¡¯s over, let¡¯s move on,¡± the Human Knight turned to address the onlooking mercenaries, ¡°We will avenge them.¡± The mercenaries silently complied. ¡®What were you doing just now?¡¯ Sonam¡¯s voice rang out again in Lancelot¡¯s mind, ¡®Those corpses hanging there have nothing to do with the mercenaries...¡¯ ¡®Because those people were mercenaries before, the same things could have happened to them, so they feel fear,¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t understand. They are already dead, burning their bodies won¡¯t change that.¡¯ ¡®Indeed, but by burning the bodies, it gives everyone the impression that the torment has ended, which will make them feel a bit better. Morale can affect combat effectiveness, you must understand this principle, General.¡¯ ¡®...Of course. So that¡¯s why you always pay attention to others¡¯ feelings?¡¯ ¡®Yes, General. By figuring out what others desire and fear, rewarding them when they perform well, and eliminating the sources of their fear, you can earn the gratitude, trust, and loyalty of your subordinates.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t need their gratitude or trust, those things are completely unreliable. As for loyalty, the threat of death is enough, why go through all this trouble?¡¯ ¡®When the situation is critical, and you have only a small group to intimidate, direct threats of violence indeed work better. However, those coerced by fear won¡¯t serve you wholeheartedly at all times. They are always looking for a chance to escape and will take off when the opportunity arises. Based on my experience, when long-term loyalty from many is needed, it¡¯s better to use the method I described. This way, not only will they serve with greater dedication, but they also won¡¯t abandon you when crisis strikes.¡¯ ¡®An interesting viewpoint.¡¯ Sonam fell silent, and Lancelot, lacking telepathic abilities, lost the connection at that point, but he knew there was no need to rush in changing the Serpent Demon¡¯s perspective. Although both regarded as evil creatures, the wickedness of Demons and Coward Devils is different. What drives Coward Devils to evil is their greed, the selfishness of placing themselves above everything else. Each Coward Devil burns inside with a longing for power, to become the ruler and make everyone serve them unreservedly. Demons, on the other hand, kill purely out of a physiological necessity. A Demon¡¯s body is a torture device; their skin festering, their organs sprouting tumors, their bones feeling like countless ants gnawing from within, tormenting the souls of sinners trapped in such bodies constantly, which is why they are always enraged and short-tempered, and why killing and destruction act like a hallucinogen for them, allowing a temporary escape from their miserable reality. The lower the rank of the Demon, the more severe the situation, and even by mid-high rank, their character becomes merciless, with killing becoming as natural as breathing. However, Elothysia once told Lancelot that even Demons carry a sliver of hope for redemption, as long as they learn how to understand the feelings of others. To the Succubus Paladin, empathy is the most crucial cornerstone of goodness; true empathy means sharing in the joy and pain of others. Of course, the outcome could tilt towards the good alignment, or descend even deeper into evil, depending on what kind of feedback is received from others. Elothysia was lucky; during her ¡®confusion¡¯ period, she happened to be in a peaceful and tranquil Human village on the Prime Material Plane, which offered her much assistance. As for Tijana... Lancelot was gradually realizing that he was just the final weight on the scale; the real catalyst for the transformation of the Succubus Lord was probably the Dwarf community that had been there since the birth of Twin Bridges Town. Chapter 654: 678: Approaching the Battlefield Chapter 654: Chapter 678: Approaching the Battlefield Three days after the encounter battle, or the fifth day since the team left Twin Bridges Town, Volcano Fortress finally came into the mercenaries¡¯ view. Even from tens of miles away, the silhouette of the black fortress was the most striking sight on the horizon. The main body of the fortress was completely hidden within the mountain, with only its walls, over eighty feet tall and made entirely of obsidian, exposed. Manually cut stones stacked together formed a resistance against Transformation System Spells, limiting what Spellcasters could do in siege warfare. Furthermore, the obsidian itself had a resistance to flames, rendering the demons¡¯ war machines that launched giant Fireballs ineffective against it. But even someone with no military knowledge could tell from an intuitive sense about Volcano Fortress that it was an impregnable stronghold. The only passage that permitted the passage of a large army was a stairway at the front with a slope of over sixty degrees, carving deep into the wall of the fortress. Any sane commander would not send troops to assault such a steep staircase, not to mention that at the top of the staircase there was a huge metal door. However, Lancelot, with his extraordinary vision, noticed that the demons had actually tried it before¡ªalthough there were no corpses on the steps, there were numerous Large Cleavers specific to Beard Demons scattered around, and apart from being defeated, there was no reason for them to discard their weapons. Speaking of which, the demon¡¯s army emphasized unconditional obedience to orders and could be resurrected in Barto Hell, so only they would undertake such a futile attempt. Suddenly, a large flock of vultures took flight in front of them; those birds with black wings swirled up into a tornado, then soared high and refused to leave, turning into a cluster of ominous clouds on the horizon. ¡°Those fellows must have smelled something,¡± Bruto frowned and said, ¡°just waiting to have our corpses for lunch.¡± As the army continued to advance, everyone began to smell another peculiar stench. This stench was so unique, mixed with rotting flesh, yellowish-green pus, and maggots¡¯ excrement, that it drilled into your nostrils as if a person with a tongue full of blisters had eaten a dozen rotten eggs before giving you a lover¡¯s kiss. That long, slimy tongue pierced from your mouth all the way to your throat, forcing an unstoppable urge to vomit. Most mortals, upon smelling this odor, would instinctively feel fear even though they had no idea what the smell represented, but it seemed their blood remembered that scent. As for the mercenaries, this smell was all too familiar; if you showed confusion, it only meant you had falsified your resume. The source of the stench soon came into view: a hill completely made of amassed corpses. Near the top, the bodies had turned into skeletons, likely the handywork of the vultures just seen, while the lower half was severely decomposed, leaking a large amount of foul-smelling liquid into a brownish-yellow pond formed around the base on the ground. If one could overcome the fear and observe a bit closer, it was easy to identify that all the remains belonged to demons. That hill was like a monument commemorating a significant victory the demons once had here and a warning sign indicating the consequences any creature might face moving forward. It was difficult for even the most seasoned mercenaries not to be impacted by that striking scene. Yet, they continued walking, no one stopping, because they were in a group that was still moving forward. After walking a bit further, Lancelot¡¯s ears twitched as he heard some unusual sounds in the wind. An Elf Priest, who had long ears and almost rivaling sensory abilities, looked at him with an inquiring expression. ¡°Yes,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°they have already started fighting ahead.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked the six-armed Serpent Demon, suddenly twisting his head to look at the Human Knight as he walked ahead. Unnoticed, Sonam had changed his previously disdainful attitude towards Lancelot and even began to rely on his opinions somewhat. ¡°This isn¡¯t a guess, I can already hear the sound of metal clashing.¡± Lancelot pointed to his ears, ¡°I suggest we order everyone to don their armor now; otherwise, we might be rushed in a while.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Sonam nodded, then using a wide-range sensory ability, he shouted to everyone around: ¡®Everyone stop!¡¯ The sensory ability was very effective for issuing commands, and the mercenaries immediately halted, looking at the six-armed Serpent Demon with some confusion. ¡°Anyone who needs to piss or shit, I¡¯m giving you three minutes to sort yourselves out,¡± the Serpent Demon shouted to everyone, ¡°What are you dawdling for? I¡¯ve already started timing!¡± A few mercenaries left the group, following the routine of the past few days, those who could stand went to the left, those who needed to squat went to the right. The air was originally so foul that the living smells they emitted were somehow comforting. ¡°Is everyone done? Very good, this way, no one can shit in their pants later, which would be very troubling for me because theoretically I shouldn¡¯t swing my longsword at any of you, at least not until the day after tomorrow. But I worry I might not be able to restrain myself. Now, everyone get your armor on and weapons in hand, because you will be fighting those sons of bitches from Bartez again soon.¡± Hearing this, the mercenaries quickly got moving, and some heavy, complex armor indeed took some effort to don. Lancelot also went over to help Alamir. He himself had put on his armor early, as his physique meant there was almost no difference for him whether he wore armor on a long march or not; in fact, being without armor made him uncomfortable. Five minutes later, the mercenaries who had sorted out their gear set off again and soon caught up with the group of Demon spiders ahead. About ten more minutes of walking, everyone¡¯s ears were filled with the roars of the beast called war¡ªa symphony composed of metal, flesh, and vocal cords that made anyone tremble and their heart race at the sound. The Demons walking in front of the mercenary troops suddenly stirred and then started running forward with all their might. Some of the mercenaries wanted to follow, but Sonam sternly stopped them. ¡°Maintain our current pace, you fools, save your energy for the fight,¡± hissed the six-armed Serpent Demon, his voice hoarse, hair-raising, and filled with malice, ¡°You¡¯re now fully equipped and at ease; what better state is there to meet death? But please, before you die, take down a few more from Bartez. You¡¯ve already been paid a week¡¯s wages; if you haven¡¯t killed even one before dying, perhaps the God of the Dead might send you back to this plane... of course, in the form of a human-faced maggot.¡± Chapter 655: 679: The Great Battle Chapter 655: Chapter 679: The Great Battle After turning over a small hill, the sounds of battle instantly became clear. As everyone lifted their eyes, they saw the sky dyed an oppressive deep red by the black smoke and flames pouring out of the volcano, with armies of Demons and Devils already locked in combat on the plains beneath. Directly ahead of the mercenaries, legions formed by Bull Demons and Spider Fiends marched toward the left and right flanks of the battlefield. Lancelot strode forward to join Sonam at her side and asked the Supreme Commander of this force: ¡°General, where are we headed next?¡± ¡°Stay put for now, ¡ª someone¡¯s got to be the reserve, right?¡± The six-armed Serpent Demon glanced at the Human Knight. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t be waiting long. Just enjoy the show for now.¡± The mercenaries¡¯ current position was slightly elevated, offering a comprehensive view of the battle. The Devils were evidently well-prepared for the enemy¡¯s arrival, forming neat ranks with dense long spears to receive the approaching Demon army. Lancelot also noticed that the Devils had stretched their line very long, with a withdrawn disposition at both wings, and several square formations in reserve behind their own lines ¡ª a flanking attack on them would require a long detour. The Demons were still arriving in droves, with the troops at the vanguard already engaging the enemy, and those arriving later desperately surging forward. Lancelot was quite disappointed to see that the Demons had not formed up properly; most units were charging wildly into the center of the enemy¡¯s formation, which was also the thickest part of the Devil line. On the battlefield, numbers do not directly translate into combat strength. No matter how large a unit is, only those at the forefront engage the enemy in combat. For a well-trained and coordinated army, soldiers in the rear have various methods to support their comrades at the front. But for a hastily assembled, untrained force, it is already quite an achievement not to hinder each other. Especially for Demons, it is hard to resist the urge to push a fellow Demon struggling under the enemy¡¯s attack. Don¡¯t they know the consequences of such actions? The one being pushed surely didn¡¯t expect it, its defense will turn into a mess, and then be chopped into pieces by the enemy. What an amusing sight that would be, ha! What did you say? It¡¯s my turn next? What does that mean...? There is a saying in the Abyss, two are definitely stronger than one, but three are not necessarily stronger than two, referring to the Demons¡¯ self-sabotaging bad habits. Within the melee of the dark green Coward Devil onslaught and the metal walls formed by the tips of spears, the colossal figures of the Barlow Flame Demons and Abyss Demon Refinement stood out starkly. In the very center of the battlefield was a clearing over a hundred feet in radius where two Flame Demons and two Demon Refinement had already become entangled in battle, with another Flame Demon and Demon Refinement each eyeing the fray, seemingly ready to join at any moment. The top Fiends in the fierce battle unleashed their power wildly, their Great Swords and Battle Axes easily tearing the ground asunder, the sound of their weapons clashing drowning out the noise of the entire battlefield. Even half a mile away, one could clearly sense the destructive power contained in the strikes. On the Demon side, those currently engaged in battle included the ¡®Bartez the Slaughterer¡¯ Babos, clad in Black Armor and wielding a Lightning Giant Sword, and another stark-naked Flame Demon General brandishing a giant Hammer of Burning ¡ª undoubtedly the one known as Taran. Their two opponents were also quite distinctive, one completely wrapped in metal chains, holding a lamppost-like Nail-headed Hammer; the other wearing Plate Armor adorned with numerous skull decorations and sporting an impressive red cape, holding both a Giant Shield and a spear glowing with a green light, looking incredibly tough and thorny. Four top Fiends were fighting fiercely, but unexpectedly, the slightly weaker Demon Refinement didn¡¯t seem to be at a disadvantage. The two Demons coordinated very tacitly, with the shield-bearing one focusing more on defense and the hammer-bearing one concentrating on launching attacks. The clearly divided pair occasionally switched roles, parrying the enemy¡¯s Great Sword with a sweep of the Warhammer, while the short spear, like a venomous snake, would thrust out from behind the Shield, making it unpredictable and unavoidable. On the other hand, the two Barlow Flame Demons were fighting entirely on their own, lacking synchronized attacks and unwilling to cover for each other, giving the impression that both were fighting two enemies at once, which seemed to put them at a disadvantage. While Lancelot was watching, the Demon Refinement wielding the spear and shield struck again, piercing a deep bloody hole in Babos¡¯s thigh. Just then, a sinister red glow suddenly enveloped the Flame Demon General, and the wound on its leg healed almost instantly. Lancelot shifted his gaze slightly and noticed a large group of long-robed Demonic Spellcasters not far away. The Healing Spell that was cast had come from one of them. Similarly, behind the Demon Refinements, there was a ready group dressed alike, prepared to make the same moves for their masters. These Spellcasters were guarded by their respective elite soldiers. Lancelot sighed internally, realizing that unless one side¡¯s healers prematurely exhausted their Magic Power, the battle would still have to be decided by the foot soldiers. The airborne battle was unfolding as well, but unlike the situation on the ground, the Demons had the advantage in numbers in the sky. The air force of the Nine Hells Legion was primarily composed of Thorn Demons, which Lancelot had seen before at Oasis Fort. These winged purple creatures had spiky tails behind them and wielded short spears similar to hay forks. However, before opting for hand-to-hand combat, they would first launch their flame-tipped tail spines from dozens of feet away. The air force of the Demons mainly consisted of Flomos, which were larger than four Thorn Demons combined, with far more physical strength than their smaller-sized Demon adversaries and faster flying speed. However, they still found themselves in clear distress in the battle for a simple reason: they lacked long-range attack capabilities. The tactically coordinated Thorn Demons could launch a volley from a distance and then quickly disperse. When the Flomos charged at a target, other Thorn Demons would provide full cover, and soon enough, giant ¡®porcupines¡¯ would fall from the sky like meteors, diving into the sea of Coward Devils, stirring up waves of red and green blood. The consequences of losing air superiority were that several large Horned Demons could now comfortably hurl flames at the heads of the Demons¡¯ forces. Lancelot had only recently learned that despite their developed muscles and impressive appearances, these Demons strongly disliked any task that might lead to injury¡ªthough there was no question about their own strength. The Demons¡¯ response was equally brutal. The final Flame Demon General, Tu¡¯a, who bore the title ¡®Pale Flame,¡¯ raised his arm, and white flames flew out from his palm, instantly engulfing a large number of Coward Devils. The Coward Devils immediately screamed agonizingly, and before an audience of onlookers, began to Transform¡ªsuddenly enlarging bones tore through the skin, eyeballs popped out of their sockets, and flesh bubbled like boiling water... Within just a few breaths, a new wave of Flomos was born, screeching as they took off, plunging the skies, already under Demons¡¯ control, back into contention. Lancelot glanced at his companions with a bit of unease and saw that Bruto seemed entirely oblivious to what had transpired, while Alamir was giving him an ambiguous smile. ¡°You don¡¯t need to explain anything to me,¡± the Elf Priest interjected. ¡°I know, that is the power you¡¯ve gained from love, Your Highness.¡± Lancelot decided to heave the other¡¯s advice, and firmly kept his mouth shut. Chapter 656: 680: Holding the Troops Still Chapter 656: Chapter 680: Holding the Troops Still On the plains before Volcano Fortress, a massive battle involving over fifty thousand soldiers was unfolding, with ten thousand demons of an invading army facing off against a force of demons four times their number. Before coming to the Abyssal Plane, Lancelot had fought half his life¡¯s worth of wars, but none of them could compare in scale to what he saw before him. Moreover, although he had participated in countless battles, never before had he found himself waiting in the reserves after the battle had started as he was today. Most of the time, the Rebel Army faced overwhelming odds, and as one of the most powerful knights under Albert¡¯s command, when had he not been among the first to set foot on the battlefield? Contrary to his expectations in this mercenary force recruited by the Demon Lord, he actually had the chance to stand by and watch. However, after watching for a while, Lancelot suddenly realized a problem and said to Sonam, ¡°General, that Abyssal Demon Refinement who led the forces to attack Twin Bridges Town, he seems to be missing here?¡± ¡°What?¡± The six-armed Serpent Demon frowned upon hearing this, squinting and surveying the battlefield for a good while before replying with uncertainty, ¡°Hmm... that fellow called Baboli does seem indeed absent, strange...¡± ¡°Could it be because of unfavorable combat outcomes that led to his dismissal?¡± ¡°Dismissal? Who here could dismiss him?¡± Sonam shook her head, ¡°That guy bragged proudly about his title as Viscount before Twin Bridges Town, and he was also the Commander of the first legion, which means he serves not Archduke Aphnas but one of the Great Demons from another layer of the Nine Hells. They lend their troops to the Blood War Commander at the behest of Asmodeus, which refers to that bitch Zariel who turned from Angel to Demon, but Zariel only has the right to command them, not to replace the commanders of the troops.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Lancelot, hailing from nobility himself, immediately grasped the situation, ¡°But how do we explain the current circumstances? If I recall correctly, the previous intelligence indicated that ¡®Destruction Flame¡¯ Visuvius had fallen into the demons¡¯ trap outside Volcano Fortress, with the three legions that marched with him nearly annihilated, and he himself had fled severely wounded after being surrounded by four Abyssal Demon Refinements. But we eliminated one Demon Refinement in the skirmish the day before yesterday, and none of the three present on the battlefield now are familiar faces...¡± ¡°Hmph, this bunch of Barto scum is planning some crafty scheme again, aren¡¯t they?¡± Sonam looked grimly at the battlefield ahead, where the battle had just begun, and the demons were still consuming their opponent¡¯s strength with cannon fodder, ¡°Let¡¯s see... the numbers seem to match up. That¡¯s indeed the scale of three Demon Legions.¡± ¡°The ambush by the Stygian River was carried out by a complete Demon Legion; in that encounter, they lost a general as well as at least a third of their soldiers,¡± Lancelot mused, ¡°And before that, the Demon Legion that attacked Twin Bridges Town also suffered losses of over half its life force. Combined, that¡¯s about the size of one legion...¡± ¡°Four minus one equals three, it adds up,¡± the six-armed Serpent Demon appeared satisfied with the resolution of this complex mathematical problem, ¡°Facing four Demon Legions might be difficult for the allied forces, but if there¡¯s only three left, we should be able to devour them!¡± ¡°But this doesn¡¯t explain the extra Abyssal Demon Refinement that appeared,¡± Lancelot cautioned, ¡°If this additional Demon Refinement general also brought a legion with him, then there should be four legions, not three. I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re likely to appear where we least want them, at the time we least expect it...¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Sonam raised her massive serpent tail and heavily slapped it onto the ground, ¡°Where could this place be that you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lancelot managed to suppress the urge to laugh, replying with a serious face. Sonam¡¯s action just now was like that of an angry little girl stomping her foot, and it was oddly cute, ¡°But I suggest we hold off on advancing and observe whether the situation will yield any new developments. You also said that if we¡¯re facing three demon legions, the alliance forces stand a good chance. If that¡¯s indeed the case, then the enemy will have to show their hand sooner or later.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± Sonam nodded, ¡°The mercenaries have managed to defeat a demon legion in a head-on battle before, and although many of them died, those who survived are tough... If those invaders from Barto Hell really have kept a legion in reserve, we should be able to handle them!¡± ¡°But there¡¯s another issue...¡± Lancelot¡¯s face showed hesitation, ¡°Can we really afford to hold off indefinitely? Does the alliance have something like a supervisory team in place?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± the six-armed Serpent Demon glanced at him, ¡°I am it.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Like shepherds, the Babu Demons were constantly driving the Coward Devils to charge forward, while the Beard Demons wielding large cleavers moved in unison to disembowel enemies. In front of the demon lines, the bodies of dead demons quickly piled up, the flowing blood soaking the dry, cracked ground, turning it muddy as if a heavy rain had just fallen. Although demon infantry were butchering the enemy at an alarming rate, they weren¡¯t without losses¡ªthere were simply too many Coward Devils, and there would inevitably be the occasional careless blow or exceptionally tough individual. Moreover, as the bodies stacked higher, some Coward Devils began to climb atop their comrades¡¯ corpses, leaping over the heads of the front-rank Beard Demons. While nearly all of them were killed before they hit the ground, their actions were enough to create chaos within the orderly, scale-like demon formations. By Lancelot¡¯s estimate, in just ten minutes, the demons had sustained a loss of at least five thousand Coward Devils, while the demon legion¡¯s numbers didn¡¯t even approach one-tenth of that figure. However, the situation quickly changed as some Middle Rank Demons, unable to contain their inner impulses and rage, began to join the charge alongside the cannon fodder. Here were not only common heavy infantry like Berserk Demons and Brezu Demons but also relatively Low Rank demons like Ghouls, Crafty Demons, and other types. Their large figures stood out among the diminutive Coward Devils, naturally becoming the focus of the enemy¡¯s attention. Still, their sharp teeth, lethal claws, and resilient physiques caused significant trouble for the demons. Most impressive to Lancelot were the Brezu Demons, these goat-headed humanoid demons shared his taste in weapons, favoring gigantic weapons even taller than themselves, such as Great Swords, pikes, tridents, and giant scimitars. Despite their skinny frames, looking like refugees fleeing famine, the strength within them matched that of a well-trained Human Knight, and their weapon skills earned Lancelot¡¯s praise. Moreover, once wounded in battle, Brezu Demons would enter a Berserk State known as Blood Fury, making their attacks more ferocious and seemingly impervious to pain, making it difficult to interrupt their actions. The downside was that this did not truly increase the life force of Brezu Demons, instead causing them to die more quickly due to reckless behavior. But before being completely killed, they were sure to take down a great number of enemies. When confronted with ranks of polearm-equipped enemies, there was no better demon for breaking through. Chapter 657: 681: Its Our Turn to Take the Stage Chapter 657: Chapter 681: It¡¯s Our Turn to Take the Stage Compared to the Brezu Demons, the more common Berserk Demons showcased a different style. Although Lancelot and Bruto made light work of these humanoid toads, skillfully dispatching them like a fishmonger slaying fish, Berserk Demons were actually one of the most troublesome types among Middle Rank Demons. First off, they were as muscular as a mound of flesh, with strength and stamina just slightly inferior to that of the Succubus; secondly, their skin was covered in spikes and horny plates, already very tough. If they had Lords willing to equip them with armor, letting a Beard Demon hack at one for half a minute might still not kill it. Therefore, a Berserk Demon could withstand quite a long while under attack, causing significant damage to the demon lines. Although their offensive capabilities paled in comparison to Brezu Demons, their brute strength was more than enough to tear apart enemies on the level of Beard Demons. However, despite Middle Rank Demons posing such a significant threat to the demons, their numbers were far too few, and they always became the primary targets for the Spellcasters to deal with. Lancelot noted that although nearly all demons had some innate spell-like abilities, the army¡¯s full-time Spellcasters were similar to those among the Demons, mainly comprising Devilspawn and Tiflin, seeming to indicate that mixing the bloodlines of fiends and mortals made it easier to produce offspring with exceptional magical talent. These Spellcasters wearing Mage robes and wielding Magic Wands were few in number, typically operating in groups of three, tucked behind the dense ranks of Beard Demons, strategically casting spells to provide protection for their warriors. Although most Demons also had resistance to magic, the devils, as their long-standing adversaries, had long since figured out a set of methods to counter them¡ªthe Berserk Demons were of low intelligence and easily fooled by Illusion Techniques; Brezu Demons themselves couldn¡¯t last long and would fall, so imbuing their targets with a temporary surge of life energy was a good choice; moreover, spells that altered terrain could effectively constrain the Middle Rank Demons, whose magical resistance could only protect against direct spell effects but was powerless against, for example, a magic-created ice wall. But as time passed and the battle gradually intensified, the Demons¡¯ crude tactics began to take effect¡ªcountless Coward Devils being used as cannon fodder were wearing down the devils¡¯ strength bit by bit, causing their weapon swings to become unavoidably slower and no longer synchronized, seeming on the verge of collapse. Lancelot could tell something was amiss from half a mile away, and the devils¡¯ Commanders were obviously well aware too; but as a species with a strong inclination towards order, they certainly had contingency plans in place, and every warrior knew exactly how to execute them. Without the need for a messenger to shout orders, the devils¡¯ mental link network was undoubtedly one of the best command systems in the Multiverse. Before Lancelot¡¯s incredulous gaze, the purple-gray metal dike began to change: sections of Beard Demons neatly stepped back in retreat, forming a subtle indentation in the line of soldiers, then stood their ground while their counterparts protruding on both sides began to fall back. If someone were looking down from high above at that moment, they would surely think the movement of the Devil Legion resembled the ebbing tide of the sea, retreating in an interweaving wave pattern that allowed them to rearrange their formation while preventing gaps from appearing during the movement¡ªin fact, the Demons¡¯ side was the one being stretched thin, with some local areas even facing being outnumbered. Lancelot was awestruck by the tactical play of the devils; such a level of coordination was beyond the capability of mortals, at least certainly beyond that of human armies. The main job of a Lord is actually the deployment of troops before a battle begins, as once an army engages with the enemy, aside from having already determined victory or defeat, issuing any command could lead to devastating consequences. This is also why reserve troops are so important, as they would be the only (and appropriate) means at a commander¡¯s disposal if a battle did not unfold as anticipated. The devils weren¡¯t simply retreating, either; from left to right, the speed of the retreat steadily accelerated, making their formation seem to be rotating sideways and backwards. At the same time, a reserve troop within the devils¡¯ formation, which had always been on standby, also began moving toward the right. However, because the extent of the retreat was greater there, the pressure was much less than on the rest of the formation. In theory, no support was needed at all on that side. ¡°General, have you noticed the movements of those Bartez?¡±, asked a Succubus Captain next to Sonam, ¡°Do they intend to flank the allied army¡¯s right wing from there? Should we go and support?¡± ¡°There¡¯s another possibility,¡± Lancelot also spoke up, ¡°They might also be worried about being flanked.¡± ¡°What?¡± At least five pairs of eyes focused simultaneously on Lancelot¡¯s face, the six-armed Serpent Demon looked at the Human Knight skeptically, ¡°Who can flank them? Us?¡± ¡°How many troops are left in the Volcano Fortress?¡± Lancelot pointed in the distance. ¡°You mean...¡± Sonam narrowed her eyes, but before she could finish her sentence, the metal gates of the black fortress burst open suddenly, and hordes of Demons poured out like erupting lava, racing down the steep stairs, led by the exceptionally burly Barlow Flame Demon. ¡°That¡¯s Visuvius! You really called it!¡± The six-armed Serpent Demon straightened up instantly, ¡°Mortals, are you all fed up with waiting? It¡¯s our turn to take the stage!¡± The response was a resounding cheer; the mercenaries had been spectators for too long and were impatient to join the fray. Without any further encouragement, everyone immediately followed the Serpent Demon Commander into the charge. Their attack was aimed at the far left of the Demon formation, a clearly correct choice to maximally tie up the enemy¡¯s forces, but there was a persistent discomfort in Lancelot¡¯s heart. Where had that missing Demon Legion gone? The enemy commander had also been closely watching the movement of these mercenaries; the moment they started to move, another reserve unit was promptly dispatched to reinforce the area, compelling Lancelot to focus his attention on the fight at hand. When they were less than thirty feet from the enemy lines, Sonam¡¯s figure suddenly disappeared, and in the next instant, the six-armed Serpent Demon had already appeared within the dense formation of the Demons. She swung her massive tail viciously around, instantly knocking over a swath of enemies, then her six Cold Iron Longswords whipped up a metallic storm, bringing a flurry of severed limbs and the ghastly screams of Demons. ¡°Is it you who¡¯s gone stir-crazy?¡± Lancelot laughed loudly and already reached the front of the Demon line. A faint green sword light flashed, and the weapons of dozens of Beard Demons transformed from Large Cleavers into long sticks, while the Human Knight himself crashed into them like a siege hammer, creating a huge breach in their lines. ¡°Big brother is really awesome!¡± The Dwarf¡¯s cheer rose from behind, accompanied by the sound of wind rushing fast. Lancelot tilted his head, and a spinning Warhammer whizzed past his ear, smashing a Beard Demon trying to stab him to the ground. ¡°Thanks!¡± Lancelot shouted, cleaving the Beard Demon¡¯s head in two with his sword, ¡°But he¡¯s not dead yet, so this one still counts as mine!¡± Chapter 658: 682: Worries Chapter 658: Chapter 682: Worries The Hand-Half Sword cleaved downward from a high position, blocked just in time by a Large Cleaver raised in defense. Twisting the wrist that held the sword, the blade traced a semicircle in mid-air, ready to strike again¡ª but would it be from the left or the right? The Defender chose the left and guessed wrong. The sword blade found the juncture between its shoulder and neck, then pierced the purple body, slicing through the trachea and the lobes of the lungs, and finally, the spinal column exhausted the remaining kinetic energy of the chop. The sword began to retract, but not before adding a horizontal pressure intentionally. The effect was marvelous, for the anatomy of the Beard Demon was much like that of humans; aside from the spine, there were no bones in the abdominal cavity, and after crushing the intervening ribs, it sliced through as smoothly as cutting through a piece of tiramisu. The Demon in front of him fell, its body splitting into two halves on the ground, but another enemy immediately took its place. The Human Knight struck once more from above with the same angle, but this time¡¯s foe was slower; the longsword cleaved straight through its neck, sending the head flying off like a kicked ball, unknown where it might eventually land. The third enemy appeared, shoving aside the headless carcass of its comrade, lunging straight at Lancelot. But to the Human Knight, the attacker¡¯s speed seemed as slow as mucous dripping from a nostril; he slightly shifted to the side, letting the ¡°mucous¡± pass by. Sounds of a heavy object hitting a shield came from behind, followed by the swoosh of a short-handled weapon, and then a sudden scream that abruptly ended. Lancelot didn¡¯t look back, knowing the Dwarves would handle it, while a new enemy emerged in front of him. Two Beard Demons attacked him from both sides simultaneously, moving in perfect sync, but it was unnecessary. Lancelot flicked his longsword upwards fiercely, knocking away both descending cleavers, then immediately smashed the sword¡¯s pommel into the face of the Beard Demon on his left, its speed as quick as a bolt of lightning. The pommel¡¯s counterweight easily crushed the enemy¡¯s facial bones, creating a dent the size of a fist on the Demon¡¯s face. The beard-like tentacles on the Beard Demon¡¯s chin reflexively jabbed towards Lancelot¡¯s forearm but were unable to penetrate the tough Mithril guard. Lancelot turned just in time to see a shield heavily smack into the waist of the other Beard Demon, throwing off its aim. He let his wrist relax, and his blade arched through the air in a crescent line, shearing off a wildly flailing hand of the Beard Demon. He turned back, eyes fixed on the next enemy, knowing that the red-eyed Tiflin youth would handle the rest. To avoid drawing attention, Lancelot had scarcely used any Spiritual Cultivator¡¯s abilities and fought purely with physical strength. Despite that, his speed and reactions were far superior to his opponents¡ª like an adult fighting a group of children under ten¡ª crushing any attempt at stealth or surprise instantly with his Divine Sense. Lancelot¡¯s movements were strikingly graceful, but no term described his combat better than massacre. Although not as flashy as a six-armed Serpent Demon, his efficiency in killing was undeniably rapid. The chilly Hand-Half Sword in his hands seemed to hold a special magic, with the bodies of the Beard Demons as fragile in its presence as crops in a field. Odder yet, as time passed, the blade became sharper instead of duller, maintaining its pristine condition no matter how many Demons it clove through, as if it too was drawing the Fiends¡¯ blood. Despite this, the Beard Demons kept rushing towards Lancelot incessantly, even though it was clear that these devil infantry stood no chance against the human knights, acting as cannon fodder just like the Coward Devils. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just him; among the mercenaries were numerous skilled fighters, and even on Sonam¡¯s side, it was mainly an abundance of Beard Demons dragging the fight out. This made Lancelot grow suspicious¡ªaside from the Commander being a top-ranked Demon of Barto Hell, were there no other middle-rank demons in the Demon Legion? The demons that had previously attacked Oasis Fort included Beard Demons, Steel Demons, Bone Demons, and Desires Demons; how come now there were only Horned Demons in the sky tossing ineffective fireballs, where had the other middle-rank demons disappeared to? Meanwhile, the squad of demons that had burst forth from Volcano Fortress finally arrived at the battlefield. Their numbers were few, but their leader was a Barlow Flame Demon, who could send dozens of Beard Demons back to Barto Hell with a single strike¡ªhis efficiency was much higher than that of Lancelot and Sonam. However, the only Deep Hell Demon Refiner in the demon army still did not move to confront the enemy but continued to stay in place, allowing the Barlow Flame Demon to vent his fury on the demon infantry. But it didn¡¯t take long for Lancelot to figure out why he would do that: in a two-on-two duel, the Demon Refiner could still slightly prevail thanks to skilled and coordinated teamwork, but in a one-on-one duel, a moment of inattention could lead to being killed on the spot. If the last Deep Hell Demon Refiner were to confront the enemy, achieving a draw would be considered good, and on the demon¡¯s side, there was still a Barlow Flame Demon watching the battle. If the Demon Refiner¡¯s two colleagues were to confront three Flame Demons simultaneously, it would most likely end disastrously. For a race like demons with a strong inclination towards order, the army wouldn¡¯t likely suffer morale loss due to sustained casualties, but if the commander were killed, that would indeed mean total defeat. But these were just Lancelot¡¯s thoughts, and reality soon proved different from what he had anticipated. Lancelot felt the ground shake as if a group of giants were marching. Instinctively, he looked in the direction of the vibrations and saw exactly how the demon ambush force had appeared¡ªthe ground between Volcano Fortress and the demon position suddenly cracked open, and numerous demons emerged, charging directly at the demons that had just flown over their heads. This time, it wasn¡¯t just Beard Demons. Among them were Legion Demons wearing metal masks and wielding pikes, Pain Demons in spiked leather armor swinging flails, Nightmare Knights clad in full plate armor summoning Nightmare mounts to charge, along with some whose names Lancelot couldn¡¯t even recall. These demons, having presumably endured underground for who knows how long, burst out with tremendous momentum in a charge that nearly collapsed the demons¡¯ troop, which might have begun fleeing if not for the Barlow Flame Demon holding the line. The moment Lancelot had always feared had finally happened, yet he felt somewhat relieved. The battle was far from over. The allied forces were merely at a disadvantage on the far right of their formation; overall, they still had the upper hand. As long as the mercenaries on the left flank could quickly break through, the outcome was still uncertain. Besides, their side had four top-level combatants, while the enemy had only three... Thinking this, Lancelot¡¯s heart suddenly sank. How could he have forgotten this? There must still be another Deep Hell Demon Refiner. Where was it? Chapter 659: 683: The Torn-in-Half Trump Card Chapter 659: Chapter 683: The Torn-in-Half Trump Card The lord of Volcano Fortress, one of the strongest Flame Demon Generals under Lord Wu¡¯an, ¡®Destruction Flame¡¯ Visuvius, realized that he had been played, a fact that filled him with extreme anger. Barlow Flame Demon had hoped to seize the opportunity to avenge his recent humiliating defeat, but he had stepped into another carefully prepared trap by the Demons, just like a clueless Bagula. Since he was trapped in Volcano Fortress, he had completely lost control over the area outside the castle walls. The enemy must have taken advantage of the night to stealthily bury themselves underground, those damned rats! But after all, Visuvius was a Barlow Flame Demon, and one of the few strongest in the Multiverse. Although the Demons could slaughter his subordinates, defeating Visuvius himself was not something they could achieve in a short time. The battle seemed to have turned into a contest of speed. If the Demons¡¯ ambush could first crush the demon forces on the right wing, it would surely greatly boost the morale of their allies and form a pincer attack on the central part of the enemy formation. For the same reason, if the coalition¡¯s most powerful mercenaries could break through the demons¡¯ left flank first, they could then circle around the narrow Demon formation and launch a frontal and rear attack. Even an army of Demons couldn¡¯t withstand an attack of that magnitude. But they were Demons, possibly the most cunning species in the entire Multiverse. If one thought they would be satisfied with a plan that had only a fifty percent chance of success, that would be a huge mistake. Feeling the ground shake once again, Lancelot looked up and saw another group of Demons emerging from underground. His pupils shrank suddenly, for among them was a familiar figure¡ªa Deep Hell Demon Refinement clad in black armor. There was no mistaking it, it was the very same Deep Hell Demon Refinement that had fought outside the gates of Twin Bridges Town with Tijana! After emerging from the ground, this group of Demons did something that shocked everyone: instead of heading towards the battlefield, they turned and ran in another direction... to be precise, towards the entrance of the massive black fortress. ¡°We¡¯ve lost...¡± The moment those Demons revealed their intentions, Lancelot knew in his heart that the outcome of the battle was already determined, even if he immediately summoned the Succubus Lord, it would definitely be too late. Visuvius fell into utter madness, desperately trying to shake off the enemies around him to go back and prevent the Demons from stealing his castle. However, the more he struggled to escape, the deeper he sank into the enemy¡¯s encirclement. The Demons made it clear that their goal was to keep him there at any cost. The second batch of Demon ambushers appeared even closer to the walls of the Volcano Fortress and, with no one to stop them, it took less than three minutes to charge to the metallic gates. The fortress did have some Low Rank Demons left to guard it, but the arrows they shot and the rocks they hurled were completely ineffective against the ferocious enemy. Nine giant Ice Demons shaped like mantises led the way, blasting the gate, forged from Abyssal Metal, with frost. Following them, twelve massive Horned Demons took turns diving at the now-cracked gate. A Black Armor-wearing Demon Refinement brought up the rear, its arms raised high wielding a giant Nail-headed Hammer, bellowing like thunder, he smashed into the splintered gate with all his might. With a crisp sound akin to a vase shattering, the gate cast from Abyssal Metal exploded outward, its shrapnel even slicing off half of an unfortunate Ice Demon¡¯s head, while also sending sprays of blood among the group of Low Rank Demons behind it. Visuvius, reputedly named ¡®Destruction Flame,¡¯ evidently lacked sound tactical acumen; even as an observer throughout the assault, the Demon Army outside the fortress could at best achieve a costly victory, and whether they could continue the siege on the Volcano Fortress was questionable. Perhaps desiring to share in the spoils of victory, or unable to suppress a thirst for revenge, it decided to join the battle outside the fortress at a time when the scales of victory already tilted towards the Demon Alliance. The already inferior number of fortress defenders dwindled as this impromptu attack whisked away nearly all the remaining forces, leaving nothing to prevent a small group of High Rank Demons from seizing control of the Volcano Fortress once the core defensive works were breached. The Black Armor-wearing Demon Refinement didn¡¯t even need to personally clear the remaining fortress defenders. With a flap of its wings, it soared to a towering watchtower, took a massive horn from its waist, and blew it with all its strength. It took several seconds for the horn¡¯s sound to reach the embattled fighters; though the tone was deep, it vibrated to the bone. Most of the combatants, unable to multitask like Lancelot¡ªwho dispatched his opponents with ease while remaining alert to distant developments¡ªwere too engrossed in fierce combat to react significantly to the ominous tone, at most glancing around in confusion to confirm there was no immediate threat, then refocusing on the carnage at hand. But the Demons, at least their commanders, were clearly waiting for this signal. New orders were issued, the Demon Army rearranged its formation and began a fighting retreat, while the few Spellcasters, with a handful of Guards, withdrew from the group ahead of time, hastening toward the distant black fortress. This reformation by the Demons actually constituted a retreat. With the loss of Spellcasters¡¯ support, the death rate of the soldiers surged, but by Lancelot¡¯s estimation, at least two-thirds of the Demon infantry would not be able to make it to the walls of the Volcano Fortress, and in an extreme scenario, the number of Beard Demons that could retreat into the fortress might be less than one-tenth. However, the Middle Rank Demons would at most lose half their number, and as top combatants, not a single Demon Refinement would perish; all could safely retreat into the Volcano Fortress. Considering that the Volcano Fortress, with only a Barlow Flame Demon in command, had previously resisted assault from four full-strength Demon Legions, now with roles reversed and protected by four Demon Refinements and an army with a high proportion of Middle Rank Demons, not even Lord Wu¡¯an himself could hope to quickly reclaim the fortress. In the end, the Demons were always clear about their goal¡ªthe Volcano Fortress, the most robust and strategically significant fortress in the northwest of the Plains of the Abyss. It seemed the Demon side had simplistically conflated rescuing the Volcano Fortress with defeating the Demon Army. Therefore, despite the evenly matched forces before the onset of hostilities (with the Demons at a disadvantage after that unsuccessful riverside ambush), these schemers from Barto Hell boldly feigned weakness, fully exploiting the home ground advantage by setting up ambushes in advance, successfully drawing out the defensive garrison cooped up in the fortress. They cleverly tore a card into two, ultimately capturing the impenetrable fortress in one fell swoop. Chapter 660: 684: A Higher Price Chapter 660: Chapter 684: A Higher Price Lancelot intercepted the enemy¡¯s attack with the guard of his sword, and as he twisted his wrist, the blade was pressured sideways. Under the leverage, his opponent took on several times the force Lancelot had applied to the weapon, forcing the large cleaver¡¯s tip to droop toward the ground. Before the Demon infantry could make their next move, the Human Knight twisted his wrist again. The guard, which had been perpendicular to the enemy¡¯s weapon, rotated ninety degrees, and the blade followed in an upper slash, slicing through the purple fingers and elbow, and at a certain angle, it turned from a slice to a thrust, finally embedding itself in the opponent¡¯s neck. With a forceful retraction, the Demon¡¯s head spun into the air, looking like a top flung away. The decapitated body fell straight down, and behind it, there were no more figures. Lancelot glanced in that direction, then immediately turned to assist his other companions. A Beard Demon was furiously hacking at Bruto¡¯s shield, while the latter was defending and regulating his breathing. Once he caught his breath, a counterattack would be imminent. Ignoring any potential protest from the Dwarf, Lancelot¡¯s Longsword stabbed out like lightning, jabbing into the Beard Demon¡¯s waist. The stab was not deep, but the sharp tip severed the enemy¡¯s abdominal oblique muscle on one side, completely disabling the Demon¡¯s fighting capacity. Meanwhile, an iron mace, coming from nowhere, swept across its ankles, flipping the Demon to the ground and exposing its vulnerable head to the Dwarf¡¯s mercy. ¡°Hey!¡± Bruto indeed raised a loud protest, but that didn¡¯t stop him from cracking the great coconut at his feet, ¡°I could have handled it myself!¡± ¡°Go help the others!¡± Lancelot, without looking back, threw out the words and flashed behind another Beard Demon who was facing off with Glory. The cold sword light flared, and the Beard Demon was shocked to find its weapon and the arm holding it falling of their own accord. On the matter of how to break through enemy lines, Lancelot had a wealth of experience, and what to do after creating a breakthrough was something he was quite familiar with. Although the Demons had already clinched the fruit of victory, the battle was not over. What Lancelot could do now was to make the enemy pay as high a price as possible for their victory. Under his relentless left and right charges, the breach in the Demon lines quickly widened, soon reaching an extent that could no longer be sealed. Several squads burst through the gap and attacked the enemy from behind. If anyone wanted to rack up battlefield achievements, this was the best opportunity, given that stabbing an opponent in the back was much easier. But these Beard Demons were not enough to satisfy him. Lancelot wanted more. ¡°Alamir!¡± ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± An Elf¡¯s response immediately came from not far behind, full of breath, evidently Shuni¡¯s Priest had taken good care of herself in battle, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°You command the squad, just like last time.¡± ¡°Er, what are you going to do again...¡± Lancelot did not immediately answer, because he was muttering mysterious spells, and his hands were making seemingly meaningless gestures in the air. A red flash of light crossed the air, and at the same time, a pungent smell of sulfur arose. A disproportionately large black warhorse appeared in front of Lancelot, with black skin, bulging muscles, and, signifying that it was no ordinary creature, flames around its neck like a mane. Unlike their previous encounters, the Demon horse bore no hostility towards Lancelot who had summoned it. In fact, realizing it was on a battlefield, it showed clear signs of excitement. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, this time I didn¡¯t forget to call you.¡± Lancelot patted the Nightmare¡¯s neck, and it responded with a pleased neigh, obediently crouching down to allow the Human Knight to easily mount its back. ¡°I¡¯m going hunting.¡± Lancelot explained to Alamir, who was still waiting for his answer, then squeezed the horse¡¯s sides with his feet and took off like an arrow shot from a bow. A bunch of stubborn, death-defying Demon infantry? There was no need to waste time on them, especially when there were far more valuable targets ¨C those Spellcasters who had broken away from their group early and were heading back to the Volcano Fortress. The Nightmare danced wildly, its flaming hooves streaking across the cracked earth of the Plains of the Abyss like a meteor, the fierce wind slapping Lancelot¡¯s face as it came toward him. This feeling was so familiar that he momentarily lost his bearings, but the bouncing flames ahead reminded him this was a battlefield on the lower planes. The mount beneath him was faster than any horse Lancelot had ever ridden, and he himself was stronger than he had ever been. The Human Knight¡¯s figure passed like a whirlwind beside three double-winged Demonic Spellcasters, and the next second, three plumes of blood sprayed into the sky. No one saw how he did it, and of course, he had no duty to explain. Lancelot had already locked onto the next group of targets, charging full speed ahead. As he swept by his prey, a ring of flowing light flashed beside him, vaguely resembling an azure lotus. But that lasted only a very short time; almost no one noticed it, except for three souls no longer bounded by flesh, who floated confused in midair, gazing at the rapidly receding figure of the Human Knight who had killed them. Not all Spellcasters were defenseless, but around Lancelot, there seemed to be a special force field where any magical effect would dissipate upon nearing him. The few Beard Demon guards could do nothing about it. The situation was extremely chaotic at the moment. In the middle of the battlefield, the last Demon Refinement and Barlow Flame Demon had joined the fray. Next to them, the Demon army was retreating as fast as possible, all the while struggling to keep their formation from being scattered by the endless tide of Demons. The mercenaries on the left flank had completely broken away from the main formation, with the remaining Demons encircled but still fighting desperately¡ªthey knew they had no chance of survival. Death was a release they dared not hope for compared to the punishment they would face upon being reborn in Barto Hell. On the right flank, the situation was the opposite; the former Lord of the Volcano Fortress was left with only a few subordinates, looking like a lion surrounded by hyenas, but his rage fueled an intense blaze within him, granting extra strength to the Barlow Flame Demon. This was a gift from the Abyss itself; as long as the rage burned, he would not fall. Thus, almost no one noticed the Nightmare Knight sweeping across the horizon, nor saw how he reaped the lives of one Demon Spellcaster after another like the Grim Reaper. Except for the Demon Refinement General standing on the walls of the Volcano Fortress, overlooking the battlefield. Chapter 661: 685: Duty and Responsibility Chapter 661: Chapter 685: Duty and Responsibility For Demons who practiced the strategy of utilizing elite forces, Spellcasters were one of their most important assets. When facing a Demon Legion vastly outnumbering them, the Demons relied on strict military discipline, dense formations, and efficient polearms to deal with Prime Demons and Coward Devils acting as cannon fodder. However, Middle Rank Demons were not so easy to handle, and Middle Rank Demon officers were also reluctant to put themselves in danger lightly. Therefore, the Demon armies were quite reliant on those Spellcasters loyal to the Nine Hells, using them to deal with targets that posed a greater threat to ordinary soldiers. And what Lancelot was doing was knocking out these ¡®high-value assets¡¯ one by one. Similar scenes had played out countless times in every corner of the Multiverse: After a major battle had been decided, the cavalry of the victorious side would slaughter the fleeing infantry, and often this phase was the stage with the highest number of deaths in a battle. Although the current situation was somewhat different, the pace of the killing was surprisingly similar. In less than three minutes, Lancelot had reaped the lives of fifteen Spellcasters leaving behind a swath of maimed and incomplete bodies. By the way, those Spellcasters loyal to Barto Hell, their afterlives had been doomed. The Demons were always happy to pay the reward immediately after signing the contract, which often stipulated that nothing could absolve either party of their obligations¡ªnot even death. In most cases, the dead cannot continue fulfilling contracts, so according to the general principles of dealing with debt disputes, the defaulter had to be liquidated for bankruptcy... But what valuable things could a dead person possibly have? Oh dear, of course, there is something trivial, something you might not even be aware that you possess... And you had already promised to sell it to the Demons, for which they even paid a deposit! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- To be fair, the Spellcasters certainly had enough abilities to protect themselves, and in most cases, they held an overwhelming advantage over professions that relied on muscle and metal for combat. However, this rule did not apply when facing that Human Knight riding a Nightmare steed. His movement speed was simply too fast; Fireballs and Ice Bolts aimed at him missed by a wide margin. Some tried to cast Protection spells on themselves, but neither the Stone Skin that turns skin into rock nor the Mirror Image that fools attackers had any effect on the fleeting glint of the Human Knight¡¯s sword. Even Invisibility Spells cast in advance were easily seen through, as if he possessed some kind of treasure granting True Sight. As for spells like Hypnosis, Blindness, Charm, and Fear, they were even more ineffective for a simple reason¡ªthe effective range of these spells was too short, and the Human Knight was too fast, never giving them the time to complete their spells. The only spell that seemed effective was one¡ªa 5th-circle Sculpting Energy Spell, Wall of Force. This spell could create an invisible wall spanning a total area of one thousand square feet; its actual shape and position were designated by the Spellcaster. Nothing could physically pass through this wall, and it was immune to any magical damage, including spells like Dispel Magic. Only a Disintegration Spell was effective against it, but Lancelot did not know that. Of course, the wall¡¯s invisibility had no effect on Lancelot; a wall that hindered the flow of nature¡¯s spiritual energy was as conspicuous as a black spot on a white wall. However, Lancelot soon discovered that even within the effective range of Anti-Magic Stones, the wall still stood firm, forcing him to immediately turn his steed to avoid colliding with it head-on. Luckily, not every Spellcaster had prepared this spell in advance, and even those who had didn¡¯t think to encase themselves like canned food. Thus, Lancelot was really only slightly hindered, and the way to deal with it was simple¡ªgo around it. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Atop the black fortress, the Demon Refinement enveloped in black armor became increasingly unsettled. It had just been basking in the glory of victory, but now it realized that if it left that Human Knight unchecked, there might not be a single Spellcaster who could make it back to the Volcano Fortress¡ªcompromising their plan to hold the fort and await reinforcements. The subordinates it had brought along were executing another slaughter within the Volcano Fortress, making it difficult to spare any forces. Thus, instinctively, it wanted to personally finish off that nightmare-mounted Knight¡ªif it were a Demon, it might have already leaped from the top of the tower. However, Demons, after all, view obedience to orders as sacrosanct; and although it was the one issuing commands as a prominent figure, the Demon Refinement was extremely loath to alter the plan at the last minute, especially since it had already completed the part it was responsible for in the plan. This thought struck a chord in the heart of the Demon nobility. Because of the previous failure at Twin Bridges Town, it had to assume the undignified role of an ambusher, confined underground for several days, trampled over by Demons above. While victory seemed inevitable, the credit had little to do with it, and it would count itself lucky to avoid the Archduke¡¯s punishment. But what if its fellow colleagues had made serious mistakes just like it had? Its mission was crystal clear: choose the right moment to strike, seize the Volcano Fortress with utmost speed. Whatever happened on the battlefield was not its concern. Though the mercenary Knight riding the Nightmare appeared formidable, one person certainly couldn¡¯t capture the colossal fortress beneath it, nor could they prevent the elite of the Demon Legion from retreating into the castle. But if he managed to eliminate all those Spellcasters... That would definitely be a dereliction of duty for the other three Demon General Refinements! Lancelot had actually been closely monitoring the movements of the Demon Refinement high above. The moment the enemy showed any intention of coming down to confront him, he would immediately rotate his bracelet and summon Tijana to the battlefield. The Succubus Lord had already proven capable of contending with the Demon Refinement clad in black armor. Lancelot was not without trump cards up his sleeve; if he could eliminate the Demon Refinement in a single fell swoop and reclaim the Volcano Fortress, it would not be difficult, offering the allied forces a significant chance to turn the tide. However, the outcome disappointed him. Far from reacting, the Demon General eventually disappeared into the castle¡¯s gaping entrance, as if he hadn¡¯t noticed Lancelot at all. Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself, how could that creature be so cautious? Was his intention too obvious? No matter what the enemy¡¯s scheme was, Lancelot didn¡¯t slow down in his pursuit of the fleeing foe. A quarter of an hour later, less than a hundred feet from the steps to the Volcano Fortress¡¯s entrance, he laid low the last Spellcaster trying to escape into the fortress. The staircase was already packed with numerous Middle Rank Demons, who seemed disinclined to intervene unless Lancelot set foot on the stairs himself. Lancelot lightened the reins, and the Nightmare cooperatively raised its hooves in an impressive display, then without looking back, turned around and left. None of the Demons noticed that near where the Human Knight had just stood, several delicate vines had sprung up, together with a few small green jade bottles. Chapter 662: 686: Theres Still a Chance Chapter 662: Chapter 686: There¡¯s Still a Chance Lancelot didn¡¯t take long to return among the mercenaries; they had already completely annihilated the enemy forces they first engaged and were now fiercely attacking the flank of another Demon Legion. The moment the Human Knight spotted the six-armed Serpent Demon, driven by the thrill of battle and facing his companion fighting desperately not far from the Serpent Demon, he found the right angle and spurred his Nightmare toward that direction. To equate Lancelot¡¯s current mount with an ordinary warhorse would be unfair. The largest horse he had ever seen hadn¡¯t been taller than six feet at the shoulder, whereas this Nightmare, enhanced by Abyssal Spiritual Qi, stood over seven feet tall, its muscles grotesquely bulging, even stronger than some seductive Demons might be. Therefore, when this demoniac steed weighing over two thousand five hundred pounds charged at a speed exceeding ninety miles per hour, it created a commotion akin to a rhinoceros with a javelin stuck in its rear. In the moment before impact, the Nightmare let out a piercing, frenzied neigh and instantly increased its speed by a fraction. The Demon infantry before Lancelot were struck and flung aside like bowling pins, and he himself was like a boulder launched from a catapult. After knocking down more than fifteen Beard Demons, the Nightmare finally lost its momentum, but it alternately raised its front hooves, smashing the head of an enemy who thought he had escaped disaster, thus adding another to its tally of kills for the day. ¡°Thanks, buddy,¡± Lancelot dismounted, and his hand-and-a-half sword instantly felled another foe, ¡°Your task is done for now, I can take it from here by myself!¡± The Nightmare let out a whiny neigh, full of complaint, and casually kicked another Beard Demon that was sneaking up from behind, sending it flying away. ¡°Ha, Lancelot! This big black horse isn¡¯t done playing yet!¡± Bruto¡¯s cheerful voice rang out next to him as the Dwarf was climbing over a demonic corpse whose shins had gone missing, ¡°We¡¯re about to win, it would be too cruel to send it back now!¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the exact opposite is true, but I like your positive attitude,¡± Lancelot sidestepped a swinging blade and lightly tapped his sword¡¯s tip on his opponent¡¯s knee. The Beard Demon fell to its knees beside him, and as Lancelot was decapitating it, he turned to his mount and said, ¡°We¡¯re fighting Demons; can you tell the difference?¡± The Nightmare again raised its hooves, knocking another Beard Demon to the ground, effectively answering with action. ¡°Alright then,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°I won¡¯t Dispel the summoning then, if you¡¯re happy, just go back on your own.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- As the battle group gradually moved toward the Volcano Fortress, the remaining Demon armies dwindled, but no matter how many of their comrades fell, these invaders from Barto Hell always maintained a tight formation, so there wasn¡¯t a significant increase in casualties. When the last Beard Demon stepped onto the steps of the Volcano Fortress, the size of the Demon army was only about one-third of what it was at the onset of the war, which was less than what the Demon Refinement Generals had planned, but was still within an acceptable range. The premise was that they could all indeed retreat into the Volcano Fortress. As the dense formation marched through, several Beard Demons felt as if they had crushed some type of container, but their calloused soles weren¡¯t injured, and since the column was moving, they couldn¡¯t stop to check what they had stepped on. However, just seconds later, something suddenly happened. Numerous vines as thick as water buckets sprang from the ground near the entrance stairs. These vines grew incredibly fast, swirling up like the thick smoke rising from a bonfire, quickly twisting into a low wall about five feet high, its surface covered with dagger-like spikes. The previously well-organized formation of the Demon Legion was truly disrupted now, with the soldiers in front still retreating on command, but pressing their comrades against the sudden wall of spikes, emitting piercing screams. ¡°This scene seems a bit familiar, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Alamir glanced at Lancelot, who was intently staring at the vines, his empty left hand gesturing a strange pose, ¡°Inspiration from Pascaler?¡± Due to limited space, the mercenaries had already retreated from the front line¡ªblocking a group of frenzied Demons was not a wise move. The suddenly emerged wall of Thorns proved incredibly effective; it blocked the Demons¡¯ route of retreat in the nick of time, preventing them from withdrawing into the recently seized fortress. Moreover, the Spellcasters who should have been in place earlier did no such thing around the stairway entrance, where they should have created a vast fire to provide cover, rather than allowing a damn Thorn wall to block the retreat of their comrades. Unfortunately, it was only the poor Beard Demon infantry that got blocked. Any Middle Rank Demon could easily jump over this low wall, and they did so without any hesitation. In the original plan, these foot soldiers were meant to be sacrificed, for if they survived, it could mean more competition at the same level for themselves. Of course, the high-ranking Commanders still issued orders to deal with those vines as soon as possible. Some Demon Spellcasters cast Dispel Magic on the vines, but were shocked to find it had no effect whatsoever. Burning them didn¡¯t work either, as the vines seemed to be full of water, making them impossible to ignite; hacking them with weapons was somewhat effective, but it was inefficient, although it seemed the best option available at the moment... As the Middle Rank Demons gradually left the scene, the dirge of death hastened. Despite the staunch resistance of the three Baro Flame Demon Generals at the forefront, this couldn¡¯t stop their infantry from dissolving like snow under a scorching sun. What drove the Demons even more to despair, was that just as they finally made a breakthrough in that wall of Thorns, the Thorns seemed to come alive again, wriggling and quickly filling up the gap... As the situation grew increasingly dire, the three Baro Flame Demon Generals knew it was time to give up. Covered by the last remaining thousand or so Beard Demons, they smoothly retreated inside the Volcano Fortress, while the remaining Demon rearguard, under the full-force attack of four Baro Flame Demon Generals, were slaughtered in less than ten minutes, leaving only the wreckage of bodies, blood that reached the ankles, and a nauseating stench behind. ¡°Did we win... maybe?¡± Bruto looked uncertain as he turned to Alamir, ¡°Why isn¡¯t there any cheering?¡± ¡°If you were a bit taller, you could see what happened before,¡± said the Elf Priest with a sigh of regret, ¡°But the enemy¡¯s remaining forces aren¡¯t many; perhaps the allied forces still have a chance...¡± Chapter 663: 687: After the Battle Chapter 663: Chapter 687: After the Battle The lid of the kettle began to clang and shake, and the monkey demon gently stretched her tail to hook the kettle over. She filled the teapot in front of her, and a beautiful amber liquid immediately appeared inside. ¡°Oh, this tea does look rather good...¡± Bruto said with an anticipatory tone, ¡°Its color is just like my beard!¡± ¡°That has nothing to do with whether the tea is good or not!¡± Alamir glared at the Dwarf irritably, ¡°You have to taste it to know!¡± ¡°I said it LOOKS good.¡± Bruto insisted, ¡°And if it TASTES good as well, that means the color resembling my beard is a good standard for judgment...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it will be ready soon.¡± The monkey demon poured away the first brew of tea, and the lake-colored liquid vanished swiftly down a specially designed groove on the table, then turned her head and glanced at Lancelot, ¡°Could you speed it up a bit, Sir?¡± ¡°Alright...¡± Lancelot nodded, the light from the hand holding the kettle growing a little brighter, causing the lid to rattle again. ¡°Too much, too much! Don¡¯t boil the water away again!¡± The monkey demon quickly removed the kettle, ¡°You were so formidable during the fight today, how come you can¡¯t even boil water properly now?¡± ¡°To be honest, compared to boiling water, today¡¯s fight was not challenging at all.¡± Lancelot shrugged, lowering his constantly raised arm, ¡°Last time, I was chased by a Barlow Flame Demon, while today it was either ordinary Beard Demons or Spellcasters showing me their backs...¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Bruto nodded, ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether to say the Demons are too stupid... ah, thanks, that¡¯s enough... or the Demon is too cunning. We clearly achieved a great victory, yet ended up with the original rescue target...¡± ¡°VISUVIUS! You are the biggest fool in the whole Multiverse since its inception! Today it¡¯s all your fault!!!¡± A thunderous roar came from a distant place, followed by a series of violent tremors, almost causing the tea, filled three-quarters in the cup, to spill out. Everyone looked at each other with some concern, until finally, Bruto was the first to speak: ¡°Those Barlow Flame Demons when they fight... they don¡¯t use weapons, do they?¡± The Dwarf asked Lancelot hopefull, ¡°Do you think they can settle who to listen to by fighting like this?¡± ¡°Sonam said Visuvius is the strongest among the four Flame Demons, so they probably won¡¯t...¡± Lancelot was halfway through his sentence when a particularly violent tremor struck, followed by an unsettling silence, ¡°...kill anyone.¡± ¡°I still can¡¯t understand why that Barlow Flame Demon would think of leaving the fortress to join the fight.¡± The old Holy Warrior Ivendell blew on his teacup and took a gentle sip, ¡°Hmm... I¡¯m not familiar with this beverage, but it¡¯s indeed very tasty... I mean, from where it was positioned, it should have been easy to see that the allied forces were gaining the upper hand. It just needed to be a little more patient...¡± ¡°Tanari have many characteristics, but patience is definitely not one of them.¡± The Half-elf Sorceress Musk, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up, ¡°In its view, everyone was busy slaughtering, like enjoying a feast, and it had been starving behind the walls of the Volcano Fortress for several days, just like Lancelot¡¯s Nightmare today... by the way, is that big black horse alright?¡± ¡°Not so good, half of its ear has been cut off, it has lost several teeth, and there¡¯s a fracture in the left front hoof.¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°I hope this serves as a lesson.¡± ¡°You are too kind to your summoned creatures.¡± The white-haired, red-eyed Half-elf Sorceress commented, with a semi-transparent ghost massaging her shoulders, the last Beard Demon she had killed that day, ¡°There¡¯s no need to consider their feelings, just give them orders...¡± ¡°Lancelot Sir... Sir!¡± A female voice suddenly came from outside the tent, ¡°Is Sir Lancelot here?¡± The curious gazes of his companions suddenly all focused on the Human Knight, and Lancelot, a tad embarrassed, scratched his head and replied: ¡°I am here, please come in.¡± The tent flap was lifted, and a Succubus clad in full plate armor appeared at the entrance. The visitor was one of the Serpent Demon General¡¯s Personal Guard Captains, a Succubus naturally impeccable in looks and figure, yet what was most striking about them was their completely different style of combat compared to the usual Succubus. One could imagine just how engaged they had been in the day¡¯s battle by the dense web of sword scars on their armor. ¡°The power of a role model is indeed strong,¡± Alamir muttered quietly at the side, ¡°Sometimes I even wonder if all the Succubuses who enjoy fighting and killing are all in Twin Bridges Town...¡± ¡°Sir, Lord Sonam has requested your presence,¡± she said. ¡°Requested my presence?¡± Lancelot was somewhat surprised, ¡°But wasn¡¯t she just summoned by the Flame Demon Generals herself?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly where you¡¯re headed,¡± the Succubus Warrior nodded, ¡°But she also said there¡¯s no need to rush, and to remember to don your armor before coming...¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound very promising... Thank you, Jing, I really like your tea, and please do invite me again if there is another chance.¡± Lancelot set down his cup and then grasped his helmet and stood up, ¡°Well then, everyone, I truly regret this, but please allow me to take my leave first. Respected...¡± ¡°Begar Shalo. Just call me Benny,¡± she said. ¡°Very well, Miss Benny. As you can see, I¡¯m ready now, let¡¯s go.¡± The two left one tent and then made their way through many others. This was the mercenary camp teeming with the sounds of weapon maintenance, clinking and scraping, the weakened moans of the injured, the wild laughter of those drinking, the painful cries from a fist connecting with a jaw, the panting of men and women (not always) satisfying primal desires, and a peculiar smell that one could associate with any of the aforementioned scenarios. This was the state of the mercenary camp after setting up, obviously more relaxed than before, as they had just won a battle that day, at least that was the feeling. Some mercenaries stood outside the tents for air, but upon seeing the approaching Human Knight, even those who were already drunk stiffened up in fright, bowing respectfully with a look of both fear and admiration in their eyes. The strong are respected everywhere, at least superficially. As the two proceeded, the surrounding environment quickly changed into another style. Filth, stench, camps piled with garbage, malicious insults and bullying... and... ¡°Hey~ gorgeous, where are you off to?¡± Two stinking, horned Berserk Demons blocked Lancelot and Benny¡¯s path, their eyes shimmering with unabashed lust, ¡°Forget this tin can. By the time he gets out of that armor, you¡¯ll be throwing up last week¡¯s dinner from the stench. Why don¡¯t you have some fun with us instead, check out these muscles my brother and I have, we¡¯ll make you feel lucky to be a Succubus...¡± Lancelot was about to say something, but his companion had already taken action. She took advantage of the unsuspecting target and plunged a dagger into one of their hearts, then spun around to face the other enemy. The Human Knight spared her the trouble, and even cheers rang out from the crowd of onlookers nearby, clearly very pleased with this display of slaughter. ¡°Thank you, Sir, but we should hurry on,¡± the Succubus Warrior nodded to Lancelot, ¡°The fate of Volcano Fortress is still waiting for you to save it.¡± Chapter 664: 688: Lords Manor Chapter 664: Chapter 688: Lord¡¯s Manor No tent could remain intact after a Barlow Flame Demon entered, so the spellcasters of the Allied Forces created a temporary palace for the generals to stay. However, the palace was far from exquisite; it looked like a huge pot turned upside down on the ground, with dark red light twinkling through the cracks in its walls, making one worry that the structure might collapse at any moment. ¡°Even if it does collapse, I¡¯ll have a big fellow to hold it up for me,¡± thought Lancelot as he walked into the temporary palace of the high command of the Allied Forces, accompanied by the guiding Succubus. The sounds of combat that had been audible moments before became clear as they turned a corner, and before Lancelot¡¯s eyes, the noise turned into a tangible scene. He found himself at the edge of a spacious hall where two enormous Barlow Flame Demons were engaged in intense hand-to-hand combat, while a third Flame Demon sat crumpled in a corner, his face swollen and bruised, his eyes filled with humiliation and resentment. Lancelot recognized the two combatants as the former Lord of the Volcano Fortress, ¡®Destruction Flame¡¯ Visuvius, and the one known as ¡®the Pale Fire,¡¯ Tu¡¯a. Observing them closely, Lancelot understood how Visuvius could have held the Volcano Fortress alone for so long ¨C Flame Demons typically stood around twelve feet tall, but Visuvius was nearly fifteen feet tall, a whole two heads taller than his kin, resembling the difference between a gorilla and a baboon in size. There was no suspense in the outcome of this uneven duel. Visuvius completely let Tu¡¯a attack as he pleased, not even bothering to raise his arms to defend himself. A few punches to his chin merely caused him to sway on the spot, but when he countered with a staggering hook, the ¡®Pale Fire¡¯ General¡¯s figure was hit so hard it seemed to leave an afterimage, and for a moment, Lancelot even wondered if his soul had been punched out. One had to admit, setting aside other factors, the sight of two Barlow Flame Demons brawling with bare fists was extremely spectacular. After all, they were Demons of the highest order, embodiments of brute force, savagery, and destruction. The visceral fight caused Lancelot¡¯s palms to sweat and his breathing to quicken as a senseless desire for destruction rose within him. Lancelot and Benny were not the only spectators. Around the hall, there were several giant stone chairs; the six-armed Serpent Demon Sonam sat in one of them, next to the Flame Demon General who had ¡°collaborated¡± with Lancelot before, Sonam¡¯s old acquaintance Babos. It was clear that Babos hadn¡¯t fought with Visuvius yet, and his expression indicated he had no interest in doing so anytime soon. The Succubus who had accompanied Lancelot discreetly pointed out Sonam¡¯s position to him, then quietly retreated. Despite ¡®the Pale Fire¡¯ Tu¡¯a¡¯s continuous efforts to counterattack, after being knocked down for the third time, he no longer had the strength to rise again. Visuvius grabbed his defenseless opponent, roared into his face, ¡°Say it again, whose fault is this? Answer me!!¡± Hot columns of fire spewed from his mouth, like an angry Red Dragon enveloping the other¡¯s head. But since both were Flame Demons, the fire could cause no harm. It seemed more like a visible case of bad breath¡ªhardly damaging, but highly insulting. ¡°Had enough, Visuvius?¡± Babos, seated on one of the stone chairs, said in a patient tone, ¡°You¡¯ve proved you¡¯re the strongest. Can you sit down now so we can discuss how to take back that fortress that belongs to you?¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s my fault too?¡± the burly Flame Demon glared at his counterpart seated high above. ¡°Come down here, and let me show you what truth is!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already seen the truth, no need to experience it again,¡± shrugged Babos, ¡°As for the loss of the Volcano Fortress... well, of course it¡¯s because those Bartez are too cunning. What else could it be?¡± ¡°Hmm... right!¡± Visuvius replied breathlessly, and Lancelot wasn¡¯t sure if he was simply taking the offered way out or if he really was that foolish. The former Lord of the Volcano Fortress sat on the largest stone chair, his gaze sweeping over his still unconscious kin, catching sight of the Human Knight still standing at the edge of the arena. ¡°Who is that? A mercenary?¡± Visuvius said, looking at Lancelot, ¡°Sonam, out of respect for your master, I won¡¯t kill him. Get him out of here quickly, don¡¯t let him hear our military secrets!¡± ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± Babos spoke again, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for him, I wouldn¡¯t be sitting here wasting time with you.¡± ¡°Who is he?¡± Visuvius looked at Lancelot with suspicion, ¡°What did he do?¡± ¡°When you were held up by that bunch of ice demons, steel demons, and domineering demons today, a knight riding a nightmare streaked across the field like Yeg¡¯s envoy, killing all the spellcasters who had been ordered to evacuate Bartez¡¯s forces early.¡± Babos answered calmly, turning his head to look at Lancelot, ¡°At that time, it was you riding on the back of that beautiful nightmare, fast as a shooting star... I¡¯m not wrong, am I?¡± ¡°He did that? A human?¡± Visuvius¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°I told you, he¡¯s fast.¡± ¡°Maybe you saw wrong, General Babos.¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°There are quite a few mercenaries who can summon nightmare steeds...¡± ¡°It couldn¡¯t have been anyone else.¡± The flame demon in the black plank armor shook its tattered wings, ¡°After all, it was with your help the day before yesterday that I was able to kill that demon refinement from the deep prison named Kabumore...¡± ¡°Kabumore was killed by you?¡± Visuvius¡¯s expression became even more astonished, ¡°That¡¯s impossible, Butcher, this isn¡¯t even its native plane of existence!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I stand corrected,¡± Babos rolled his eyes, ¡°I should say that it was sent back to Barto¡¯s cesspit, by beheading it. And this, of course, couldn¡¯t have been done without the help of this Sir here.¡± ¡°You flatter me, General, I was simply trying to survive the attacks from the deep prison demon refinement...¡± ¡°Cut it out, you would definitely be the very last of those mercenaries to fall, even if you were to die.¡± The Flame Demon General waved his hand, ¡°But what¡¯s most important is those thorns...¡± ¡°Those thorns were also your doing?!!¡± Upon hearing this, Visuvius stood up abruptly from the chair, ¡°Well done! I want to bestow a reward upon you!¡± ¡°That really has nothing to do with me.¡± Lancelot vehemently denied, ¡°It must have been some druid among the mercenaries.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to hear what the reward is?¡± Visuvius looked at the human knight skeptically, ¡°It¡¯s the one I¡¯ve worn close to my body for many years...¡± ¡°I am a knight, I absolutely cannot claim someone else¡¯s reward!!!¡± Lancelot¡¯s face turned green with insistence, ¡°Please keep your generous reward for the one who truly deserves it!¡± ¡°Hmph... you fools, what good does it do you to deny it?¡± The former Lord of the Volcano Fortress wrapped his loincloth back around himself with some annoyance, ¡°In any case, you still have some skill... So, what exactly is your relationship with Sonam?¡± Chapter 665: 689 Military Advice Chapter 665: Chapter 689 Military Advice ¡°First, Tijana is not my master, which is precisely why I¡¯m willing to serve her,¡± Sonam said coldly. ¡°Second, I have no association with this man...¡± That wasn¡¯t exactly true, for he still hadn¡¯t paid off the Cold Iron Longsword. Lancelot thought to himself, but of course, he wouldn¡¯t voice that thought. ¡°You might not have an association with him, but things are not that simple.¡± Another irritating voice rang out, like a crone feigning a little girl¡¯s voice, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that this Knight is the openly declared lover of the pearl of the Stygian River...¡± Lancelot lifted his head to look at the source of the voice. The stunning creature hanging upside down from the cobweb-laden ceiling had the lower body of a giant spider and the upper body of a beautiful humanoid female. Thick, elastic strands of silver-white spider silk continuously emerged from the swollen end of her abdomen, slowly bringing her terrifying form closer to the ground. ¡°Ogore also heard they kissed in full view, right after they chased away the attacking Bazu Demons,¡± another robust voice spoke up, coming from a Giant Bull Demon sitting directly on the floor across the hall, ¡°They say you tied yourself to the prow of a ship and chopped down all of the Bazu Demon¡¯s pontoon bridges with your sword. A lot of Bazu Demons fell into the Stygian River, is that true?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mainly thanks to the skill of the Ferryman Demon who steered the warship. I paid a hefty price for its service,¡± Lancelot bowed to the Demon Lords, ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you both.¡± ¡°Poor Tijana to fall in love with a mortal,¡± the Spider Demon gently helped the unconscious Tu¡¯a to her feet, ¡°and of all mortals, one that¡¯s short-lived, weak, foolish, arrogant, and fickle....¡± ¡°Mind your tongue, Ilmaris,¡± In Sonam¡¯s hands appeared six longswords shimmering with cold light in an instant, ¡°If you wish, I¡¯m quite willing to cut out your tongue and present it to Tijana, to see if it can still repeat what you just said.¡± ¡°How many do you want?¡± The Spider Lady opened her mouth, ejecting a pearly white, slimy, and wrinkled tongue, followed by a second and third... until it resembled a soggy mop. Those tongues were extremely flexible, capable of undulating like waves and performing various surprising movements. After showing off this bizarre skill, the humanoid spider quickly retracted her tongues and flashed an evil smile at the Human Knight: ¡°How about it, Sir Lancelot? I wonder if your Treasured Sword is sharp enough to cut a piece of tongue from my mouth?¡± ¡°That appears to be Lord Tu¡¯a¡¯s scabbard, and I cannot do the disreputable act of stealing beauty,¡± Lancelot smiled coldly, ¡°Besides, the sole purpose of my visit is to help deal with the Demon Legion threatening the Volcano Fortress, I have neither the responsibility nor the obligation to prove to you whether Madam Tijana¡¯s judgment is correct.¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s correct, perhaps too correct,¡± the Serpent Demon chimed in, his face wrinkling like a dried apple, ¡°How many Demons did the mercenaries kill with your help? Three thousand? Or four thousand? Damn it, we didn¡¯t budget for that much in enemy kill bonuses... While some eight-legged creatures, do you have to eat one opponent before going after another? Can¡¯t you just fight them all and eat together afterward?¡± ¡°Children are always hungry,¡± the female Demon shrugged indifferently. ¡°So you really are Tijana¡¯s lover, huh?¡± Visuvius finally couldn¡¯t hold back, its bell-like eyes glaring at Lancelot, ¡°Human, take off your helmet so I can have a look at your face!¡± Lancelot shrugged but complied, revealing the resolute countenance beneath his Helmet. ¡°How odd, your face doesn¡¯t look like gold coins, so how come Tijana fancies you?¡± the neighbor from Twin Bridges Town scrutinized Lancelot suspiciously, ¡°Could it be that you possess some special skill, like excreting gold?¡± ¡°I think you have quite a few misunderstandings about Lady Tijana,¡± Lancelot struggled to suppress the urge to roll his eyes, ¡°Isn¡¯t being handsome reason enough?¡± A brief silence fell in the hall. ¡°...I¡¯ve been her neighbor for hundreds of years, and I¡¯m pretty sure she has no interest in men,¡± the former Lord of the Volcano Fortress broke the silence, ¡°Otherwise, she would have given me a discount at some point.¡± An uncomfortable silence descended in the hall once again. ¡°...Anyway, that aside, who is stronger, you or Sonam?¡± Visuvius changed the topic as if nothing had happened, ¡°Who do the mercenaries actually listen to?¡± ¡°General Sonam is far stronger than I am,¡± Lancelot immediately responded, ¡°She is also the undisputed commander of the mercenary corps.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re more powerful than you look,¡± another unscathed Flame Demon General commented, ¡°so you can do some things your commander can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Sonam nodded in agreement, ¡°but gentlemen, Lancelot also has a particularly keen eye for tactics, allowing him to contribute to the discussion by offering... some different perspectives.¡± ¡°Oh, military advice from a human, what could possibly go wrong? Go on, speak your mind,¡± Visuvius shrugged and turned to shout to the center of the room, ¡°Tu¡¯a, Taran, how long do you plan to play dead? I won the battle, so I am the boss, it¡¯s over, now get off your asses and onto your own chairs, stop lying there like slobs!¡± The two Flame Demon Generals made no attempt to hide their resentment; their looks seemed to say that at the first chance, they would gladly stab the former Lord of the Volcano Fortress in the back. Lancelot couldn¡¯t help feeling speechless. Was Lord Wu¡¯an doing this on purpose for some reason? Or was this simply normal behavior among the Barlow Flame Demons? Regardless, as the only non-demon present, he had to bring the conversation back on track for the safety of Twin Bridges Town. ¡°Ahem, Generals, before we discuss what tactics to use, I¡¯d like to clarify some basics...¡± Lancelot cleared his throat, drawing everyone¡¯s attention, ¡°Firstly, how many troops do we still have? And how many does the enemy have?¡± The High Rank Demons couldn¡¯t help but look at each other, until Sonam spoke up: ¡°After today¡¯s battle, all the mercenaries who might have been affected in combat due to injuries have been taken care of by me. What¡¯s left is about a thousand men, but they are all mortals; they would do best with a full day¡¯s rest to be able to perform at their best in battle.¡± Lancelot silently nodded to himself. What Sonam referred to as taking care, actually meant sending back to Twin Bridges Town, totaling about six hundred people. Although the absolute number was not as high as the previous encounter, the proportion was actually larger, considering this was a head-on battle with the enemy that lasted much longer. Correspondingly, the outcome they achieved was much more substantial, with a total enemy kill count exceeding two thousand, almost half the size of the entire Demon Legion, and this didn¡¯t even include the Spellcasters taken down by Lancelot. Chapter 666: 690: Three Questions Chapter 666: Chapter 690: Three Questions ¡°We have just over a thousand left, six hundred of which are the main force.¡± Lady Web spoke with a cold tone, offering no further explanation. However, Lancelot understood that the ¡®main force¡¯ the Demon Lord referred to meant Middle Rank Demons like the Berserk Demon and the Brezu Demon. To simplify the strength comparison, roughly thirty cannon fodder were equivalent to one Middle Rank Demon. Therefore, even though a Demon Legion had more cannon fodder than main force, their strength determined their status in the eyes of commanders¡ªsimilar to expendable items like arrows and javelins. It¡¯s best to use up all these expendables before deploying the main force troops. ¡°Ogore¡¯s warriors are down to five hundred, but they¡¯re all skilled hands.¡± The bull demon spoke sullenly from the corner, ¡°Ogore originally brought five thousand; his warriors fought with all their might, unlike the spiders, who slacked off in battle!¡± ¡°Casualties have nothing to do with combat achievements, idiot,¡± Lady Web retorted without even glancing at the Destruction Horns, ¡°and who knows how many were trampled to death by you?¡± ¡°Enough, stop arguing.¡± Babos, who was watching the drama unfold from the side, waved his hand in boredom, ¡°The allied forces can still muster two complete legions, that is, six thousand men, of which about two thousand are Middle Rank Demons. As for Bartez¡¯s side, thanks to the thorn wall created by the will of the Abyss, less than three hundred low-rank infantry have retreated into the Volcano Fortress, but there are still about five hundred Middle Rank Bartez¡ªI¡¯ve counted them very carefully, unless General Visuvius leaves some garrison in the Volcano Fortress to consume some more enemies, that¡¯s the number.¡± Visuvius kept a dark face and remained silent. ¡°So, that means our strength totals one thousand mercenaries, four thousand four hundred low-rank Tanari, and three thousand one hundred Middle Rank Tanari; a total force of eight thousand five hundred,¡± Lancelot stroked his chin and slowly said, ¡°While our enemies number only eight hundred, including five hundred Middle Rank Bartez... So assume we engage in a decisive battle on the plains, the demons wouldn¡¯t stand a chance, right?¡± ¡°If we purely hypothesize, then yes, in the face of absolute power, no amount of clever strategy will help, but the demons know this too, which is why they would have already fled; such a confrontation will not occur,¡± Sonam replied with a cold tone, ¡°But don¡¯t forget, the enemy still has four Abyssal Demon Refiners, plus an impregnable fortress.¡± ¡°I know, but it¡¯s crucial to understand the strength comparison between the two sides. The next question, how long will this situation last? Is it possible for either side to get reinforcements?¡± Lancelot¡¯s question darkened the faces of the Demon Lords, and eventually, Visuvius was the first to speak: ¡°The nearest is Plague Town, I heard that it fell ten days ago. If those Bartez had sent out a distress signal today, reinforcements could arrive from Plague Town in three days at the fastest. As for our own reinforcements...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about reinforcements,¡± Babos decisively shook his head, ¡°Visuvius, you know the character of our Lord. If we fail, it would rather send a large army later to level the Volcano Fortress than send troops to rescue us.¡± ¡°And even if they set off now, there wouldn¡¯t be enough time,¡± Sonam added, ¡°It took us five days to reach the Volcano Fortress from Twin Bridges Town, and that was already the fastest route.¡± ¡°So, we must resolve the battle within three days,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Then onto the final question, great Destruction Flame, can you tell us... what weaknesses does your territory have?¡± ¡°Volcano Fortress is a perfect fortress!!!!¡± The former Lord of the Volcano Fortress suddenly erupted in intense flames as he roared at Lancelot, ¡°There is no way to breach it!!!!¡± The pressure from the roar of a Barlow Flame Demon was indescribable, and Lancelot felt an uncontrollable urge to turn and run. However, he quickly activated the Ice Heart Technique, forcibly suppressing the heart that was about to burst in his chest, and respectfully responded: Unless its lord is foolish enough to lead his army out himself. ¡°Unless its true master wants to reclaim it from the hands of a shameless thief.¡± ¡°Hmm, that is, of course...¡± Visuvius nodded in satisfaction and sat back down, ¡°But the Volcano Fortress is indeed a perfect fortress, it has no flaws or weaknesses!!¡± ¡°Hmm... If that¡¯s the case, what makes the Volcano Fortress so perfect?¡± Lancelot decided to steer the conversation differently with the Flame Demon, ¡°For instance, could we organize a flying unit to drop soldiers into the castle from the air?¡± ¡°Hahahaha, you think I hadn¡¯t thought of that?¡± Visuvius laughed loudly, ¡°Inside the Volcano Fortress, there is a powerful defensive formation, infused with special powers into the obsidian that makes up the walls. Any creature that approaches within a hundred feet of those obsidian walls will lose their ability to fly and fall straight from the sky. The only gap is the staircase at the front, but it has a special defensive structure and is always heavily guarded. It is even more difficult to attack from the air than from the ground, so taking the Volcano Fortress with flying units is impossible!¡± ¡°I see...¡± Lancelot touched his nose, ¡°Then may I ask where this powerful defensive formation is exactly located and what powers it?¡± ¡°Why do you ask that?¡± Visuvius eyed the Human Knight warily, ¡°Is Tijana putting you up to this?¡± ¡°I am merely considering potential strategies.¡± Lancelot looked somewhat exasperated at the Barlow Flame Demon, ¡°Though we can¡¯t fly in, I can still climb in. It might be too difficult and conspicuous for an entire army to climb, but it¡¯s different for one person. Moreover, currently the demons are understrength; they must have concentrated their main forces near the staircase, which should give me plenty of room to maneuver.¡± ¡°But even if you climbed up, you couldn¡¯t get in, aside from that front staircase, the Volcano Fortress has no other exits...¡± ¡°I know it sounds incredible, but during my adventures, I¡¯ve mastered some special skills, unrelated to my identity as a knight.¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a small crack in one of the walls, just enough for me to squeeze through using a little trick...¡± ¡°Really?¡± The former Lord of the Volcano Fortress still seemed skeptical, ¡°Even if what you say is true, I¡¯ll force you up there at knifepoint... But then what? You¡¯re just one person, what can you do after getting inside?¡± ¡°Firstly, I won¡¯t be alone. See this Dimensional Bag? I can have a few companions stay inside it initially, then let them out once I¡¯m at the Volcano Fortress.¡± Lancelot patted the pouch on his waist, ¡°This won¡¯t equal the strength of an army, but if we¡¯re clever enough, we can still cause significant disruption, like temporarily disabling that special defensive formation...¡± Chapter 667: 691: The Secret of Volcano Fortress Chapter 667: Chapter 691: The Secret of Volcano Fortress ¡°If that¡¯s indeed feasible, it¡¯s certainly a strategy, given the enemy¡¯s scarce numbers and the severe shortage of spellcasters,¡± Babos eagerly interjected, ¡°Even if just the four of us enter the city, we can almost guarantee victory. So, great Destruction Flame, where exactly is your defensive formation?¡± ¡°I would never easily hand over the secrets of the Volcano Fortress to this human!¡± Visuvius refused flatly. ¡°If Bartez consolidates his position in that castle, it won¡¯t concern you anymore,¡± Babos reminded, ¡°Even if the lord reclaims the Volcano Fortress later, do you think he¡¯ll hand it over to you?¡± ¡°That still won¡¯t do! I can¡¯t give it to such a weak human!¡± the former Lord of the Volcano Fortress shook its head, ¡°You all say he¡¯s very capable, but I don¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°Of course, my strength is no match compared to you generals,¡± Lancelot admitted candidly, ¡°But I¡¯m quite confident when facing any Middle Rank Demon.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The Flame Demon revealed a peculiar expression, ¡°Babos, bring me four Coward Devils!¡± ¡°Fine, but this is utterly a waste of time,¡± the Flame Demon General clad in black plank armor shook his head, ¡°Based on everything I¡¯ve seen, his strength is more than sufficient.¡± As they spoke, a Babu Demon with a hook growing from the back of its head had already walked in with four Coward Devils. The black-skinned Demon shepherd seemed extremely frightened, trembling incessantly, and the four Coward Devils brought in looked utterly petrified, probably thinking they were about to become a late-night snack for a High Rank Demon. Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled; if they wanted to test his strength, weren¡¯t these four Coward Devils a bit too disdainful? Visuvius quickly cleared up this misunderstanding. The former Lord of the Volcano Fortress belched, and from its wide mouth flew four tiny fireflies, which flickered unsteadily in the air, appearing harmless, but Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception advised him to stand back. The fireflies eventually landed on the Coward Devils, and in the next instant, these poor Low Rank Demons exploded like ignited kegs of gunpowder. Amidst the pungent smell of blood and the nauseating stench, four new Berserk Demons appeared, and Visuvius immediately commanded in an unquestionable tone: ¡°Kill this human, or I¡¯ll turn you all into Aberrant Demons!¡± All the Berserk Demons launched an attack on Lancelot without a second thought, giving him no chance to protest. In fact, even without the Flame Demon General¡¯s command, these giant toads would have naturally attacked the only human present, appearing to be the weakest link, and the newly promoted demons were eager to test their newly acquired muscles and claws. Before the first Berserk Demon could pounce on the Human Knight, a hand-and-a-half sword made of cold iron had already appeared in his hand. However, it was hard for Lancelot to find a reason to strike, as these demons were neither his enemies nor likely to have committed any wrongs (being just weak Coward Devils moments ago), and their attack, ordered by the Flame Demon General, wasn¡¯t sufficient to convince Lancelot to kill. Fortunately, with his current movement technique, these Berserk Demons couldn¡¯t touch him at all. Lancelot weaved through the ferocious bites and claw strikes of the giant toads with agility, light as a butterfly, while the Berserk Demons staggered like a bunch of drunken fat cats. As the demons grew impatient from their continuous misses, expanding their movements, the Human Knight cleverly executed a series of feints, causing the four Berserk Demons to crash heavily into each other and collapse onto the ground, unconscious. ¡°I suppose that should be proof enough?¡± Lancelot sheathed his longsword and turned to address the enormous Barlow Flame Demon. ¡°We are at war, and every soldier is precious...¡± ¡°Ah, yes, it¡¯s apparent, you are indeed formidable...¡± Visuvius wore a bored expression, idly twirling his finger in the air. A black ring of light appeared out of nowhere, as if his finger dipped into some dark, thick soup. With this motion, the four giant toads on the ground let out a bone-chilling scream in unison. Their bodies transformed in a grotesque manner¡ªmuscles suddenly shrank, skeletons collapsed, and the skin on their surfaces wrinkled as tightly as a wrung towel. Originally sharp claws split from the middle, tearing all the way to the base like torn paper, peeling off the flesh on the fingertips as well. The exposed bones, under the influence of some mysterious force, began to rotate counterclockwise, curling like a young girl¡¯s braids. After a few breaths, four Aberrant Demons were thus born. Merely glancing at their bodies elicited a strong sense of discomfort in Lancelot, as if it were his fault they were subjected to such torment. Perhaps the right choice had been to kill them earlier. But that wasn¡¯t true, the fault lay with Visuvius, a cold and ruthless, arrogant and foolish tyrant. Refusing to kill those Berserk Demons just earlier hadn¡¯t been wrong; but now... what he needed to do was to end these Aberrant Demons¡¯ suffering. A cold blade flashed like lightning, returning to calm in the span of a heartbeat. Accompanied by the clear sound of the sword sliding into its scabbard, the four Aberrant Demons¡¯ bodies slowly fell to the ground, each with a fist-sized hole in their chests, their hearts gone. ¡°They look disgusting.¡± Lancelot explained calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve grown tired of this pointless circus. My lords, may we return to the earlier discussion? About a fortress occupied by demons...¡± The hall briefly fell silent as everyone internally assessed whether they could match the human knight¡¯s earlier speed with the sword. Finally recalling the disgrace they had suffered, the former Lord of the Volcano Fortress spoke gloomily: ¡°Even if you managed to sneak in and luckily killed every Bartez you encountered, you still couldn¡¯t accomplish what you intend. I¡¯ve hidden the Defensive Formation inside the Lava Lake at the volcano¡¯s mouth; unless you¡¯re a Barlow like me, you simply can¡¯t get close to that formation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°Tell me how to get to the volcano¡¯s mouth; I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± The sturdy Barlow Flame Demon stood up from his stone seat, walked over to Lancelot, and peered down at the human knight with his eyes ablaze with burning flames, while the latter calmly looked back at him, like a statue devoid of emotion. ¡°Hmph... Not a bad look in your eyes, I¡¯ll give you a chance then.¡± The Flame Demon reached into his pants¡¯ pocket and took out a black, round-shield-sized emblem, tossing it to Lancelot before sitting back on his throne-like stone chair. ¡°What is this?¡± Lancelot quietly withdrew the Ice Heart Technique, the pressure of being stared at by a top-tier Barlow Flame Demon was no joke; without this cultivation technique, he surely would have run earlier. ¡°Consider it a key,¡± Visuvius said, propping his cheek with his fist. ¡°To enter my palace, anywhere in the Volcano Fortress, you will see that building. Behind the throne, there is a recess. Put the disk in there, rotate it counterclockwise once, and an entrance will appear on the floor. Go in, and let the temperature guide you forward.¡± Chapter 668: 692: Move with Me Chapter 668: Chapter 692: Move with Me The mercenaries on night watch all recognized Lancelot at first glance, allowing him to pass through the now quietening camp unhindered and return to his squad¡¯s tent. Standing guard at the door were the young Tiflin, Glory, and the blonde-haired Dwarf, Flint Ruge. Compared to when they first met, both had undergone clear changes¡ªGlory¡¯s aggressive youthful temperament had vanished, and he seemed much steadier, as if he had adapted to this world; whereas Flint no longer resembled a desperate runaway slave, his eyes now bore a confidence that came from muscle, shield, and cross pickaxe, the kind that belongs only to true warriors. Battle could change a person so quickly, Lancelot had seen it many times before. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re back,¡± Flint greeted him proactively, ¡°It¡¯s been quiet for a while now, who won in the end?¡± ¡°Visuvius, that guy is two sizes bigger than everyone else,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Did everyone rest up?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Glory lifted the curtain for him, ¡°Bruto is still telling tales of your previous adventures...¡± ¡°It was wise of you to step out for guard duty,¡± Lancelot chuckled and shook his head slightly, ¡°Come inside, I have some matters to discuss with everyone.¡± The three entered the tent just in time to see Bruto standing on the stone platform that Jing had used earlier for making tea, vividly describing the battle with the Giant Skull Demon. ¡°...Seeing that creature again nearly drove me insane. You can kill me, but why the hell did it have to corrode my beard? So, I grabbed its chain and ran backward without a word. Guess what? With the vines Lancelot created pulling at its nether regions, that thing couldn¡¯t reach me at all! Hey, big brother, you¡¯re back, how are things?¡± ¡°Finish your story first.¡± Lancelot smiled and nodded, gesturing for everyone to sit down, and took a seat himself beside Alamir on a stone bench. ¡°Alright! But if I miss anything, you¡¯ll have to fill in...¡± While listening to Bruto embellish their adventure tales, Lancelot thought about the next steps in their plan. Not long before, after a needless argument, the generals had to concede that the Human Knight¡¯s idea was indeed the best option, but Lancelot could not possibly take the entire team with him on this mission, which was far more dangerous than fighting alongside the main army and did not benefit from larger numbers. The Dwarf talked non-stop for a quarter of an hour before he finished, clearly satisfying both the audience and himself. Seizing the moment before he could bring up the Halfling and Red Dragon, Lancelot clapped his hands to draw everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Alright, story time is over, let¡¯s talk business. The generals have confirmed the next combat strategy, and I will play an important role in it...¡± ¡°...That¡¯s the situation. Our mission is to infiltrate an enemy fortress occupied entirely by Demons, reach the Throne Hall of the Central Palace without detection as much as possible, and then descend to the Lava Lake deep inside the volcano crater to disable the Defensive Formation beneath the magma. Although the allied forces will continue to send expendable troops to attract the enemy¡¯s attention, it¡¯s still an extremely dangerous operation, almost akin to a suicide mission...¡± ¡°One question, if the Defensive Formation is under the Lava Lake, how are you planning to ¡®turn it off¡¯?¡± Half-elf Tanya frowned and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to figure it out on the fly...¡± ¡°Well...¡± Lancelot leaned back, stretching his hand into the still-burning campfire, ¡°I assure you, that is absolutely the least problematic part of the plan.¡± ¡°You mean...¡± The half-elf¡¯s red eyes grew wider with the passing of time, and it wasn¡¯t just her¡ªothers looked as if they had seen a monster, too. It was known that even ordinary Demons could not endure in flames for such a long time, and Lancelot did not appear to be an elemental creature. In fact, in some cultures, his action was tantamount to announcing that he was an agent of the Nine Hells. ¡°I can attest that Lancelot has absolutely no connection with the Demons,¡± Alamir sneered, ¡°As for why he isn¡¯t afraid of fire... you¡¯ll understand once we reach that Lava Lake.¡± ¡°I can testify too,¡± the Dwarf said with a sly smile. ¡°You know, big brother, besides a Defensive Formation, could there be something else hidden under that Lava Lake...¡± Lancelot looked seriously at Bruto, but the latter was not intimidated and looked back placidly, seeming very sure of Lancelot¡¯s true intentions. ¡°Well, to say I had never thought about it, that would be impossible...¡± Lancelot finally conceded, looking sheepish, ¡°but Visuvius is nominally our ally, and I wouldn¡¯t act against an ally¡¯s interests, as long as it remains an ally.¡± ¡°Ah, that does make some sense,¡± Bruto sighed upon hearing this, ¡°but I bet if it were them, they would betray you without hesitation, even for the slightest benefit.¡± ¡°I have no doubt about that, because obviously we have very different moral standards.¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Going back to our earlier topic, due to the difficulty of this operation, we must split into two different squads, one following me to infiltrate the interior of Volcano Fortress to confront unknown dangers; the other remains outside the city, ready to launch a full attack once the Defensive Formation is breached. What do you guys think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going with you,¡± Bruto immediately responded, ¡°We¡¯ve become quite adept at working together, haven¡¯t we?¡± ¡°And me,¡± Alamir shrugged as well, ¡°having a Healer is always a good idea.¡± ¡°Facing danger is my unshirkable responsibility.¡± Ivendell straightened his back, ¡°And you have already seen my capabilities.¡± One by one, his companions spoke, all expressing their fearless attitudes towards the challenge. After everyone had spoken, Lancelot pondered for a while before slowly stating: ¡°As I said, this is a highly dangerous mission. Merely having passion and courage won¡¯t be enough; we also need special combat skills that can quietly eliminate the enemy. Bruto, Alamir, Jing, the three of you will act with me tomorrow. Ivendell, I¡¯m leaving you in charge of my team, leading everyone in tomorrow¡¯s battle to ensure everyone comes back alive to Twin Bridges Town... including yourself.¡± The old Holy Warrior was about to say something else, but the latter part of Lancelot¡¯s statement clarified his responsibilities, so he nodded decisively. It was the Cursed Swordmaster Tanya, however, who raised her hand to protest Lancelot¡¯s decision. ¡°Take me with you, I possess a special ability that can be very helpful in accomplishing the mission,¡± she said. ¡°Really?¡± Lancelot looked curiously at the white-haired red-eyed half-elf, ¡°What special ability are you talking about?¡± ¡°I can sever the mind-link within a certain range around me, and the affected individuals won¡¯t even realize it,¡± Tanya confidently explained. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want the entire fortress to know someone has broken in because you were a bit slow, would you?¡± ¡°I see...¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, ¡°I originally had another way to solve this problem, but your ability sounds better. Ivendell, do you mind if I take one more of your valuable soldiers?¡± Chapter 669: 693 Climbing Chapter 669: Chapter 693 Climbing While the other companions had already entered their dreams, Lancelot had not yet begun his daily cultivation¡ªcommunication through rotating bracelets and earrings wasn¡¯t very efficient, but there was so much he and Tijana wanted to say to each other. If it wasn¡¯t for the important matters awaiting them the next day, they would surely have talked all night long. Before dawn the next day, two figures slipped out of the mercenary camp. One of them was the human knight who had shone in yesterday¡¯s battle, while the other was the demonic monkey girl, Jing. As a true master of climbing, she would find a less difficult route for Lancelot, and she herself was also interested in challenging the high walls of that huge fortress. Besides saying goodbye to their comrades, the two did not alarm anyone else. Taking cover behind the rocks at the foot of the mountain, they stealthily made their way to the other side of the Volcano Fortress and lurked behind a large boulder close to the bottom of the city wall. As the setting sun over the Plains of the Abyss climbed above the horizon, the allied forces¡¯ attack began. All four Flame Demon Generals were present, though it was easy to see that the former Lord of the Volcano Fortress did not get along well with his three colleagues. Fortunately, the plan didn¡¯t require their unity; it was enough for the four highest powers of the demon¡¯s side to be there, ready to join the battle at any moment. The allied forces¡¯ action looked less like a siege and more like lining up to be slaughtered¡ªa horde of Coward Devils, driven by Babu Demons, charged up those steps like a slaughterhouse, only to soon turn into a mass of minced meat ¡®flowing¡¯ back down. However, the four Flame Demon Generals would also occasionally join the charge, killing a few unlucky defenders before retreating to their original positions before any opponent powerful enough to match them appeared. While inefficient, this strategy did seem viable because the defenders were indeed few. If the demons kept this up, after two or three days, those noble Demon Refinement Generals would have to come out to guard the gate themselves. Moreover, all low-rank demons have one characteristic in common: as long as there is a high-rank demon present, they will not flee. It was also something Lancelot had only recently learned: Whether inside or outside the Abyss, when a low-rank demon is killed, it will be reborn somewhere in the Abyss after one day (Note 1). However, there is an exception to this way of dying, which is being eaten by a higher-rank demon¡ªdemons who die in this manner are completely obliterated, with not even the Ninth Circle¡¯s prayer techniques being able to bring them back. In addition, demons may advance in rank for a variety of odd and unpredictable reasons, but one thing is certain¡ªwhen most of your kind think you are the strongest, the most cunning, and the most vicious one, you will have the chance to advance. If some of the believers are higher rank than you, then the likelihood increases. Clearly, the battlefield is the place where this happens most frequently. Despite the extreme pain of being killed, Coward Devils hate their weak bodies and low status even more. Although the battle on the other side was fierce, Lancelot needed to wait a bit more patiently, letting the fight attract as many demons as possible near the entrance of the castle to decrease his own chances of encountering enemies during his move. However, for a monkey, boredom is the least tolerable thing. While Lancelot was meditating and cultivating Qi behind the boulder, Jing had already gone up and down that eighty-foot high city wall several times. She also found several cracks that could be squeezed through. But Jing remembered Lancelot¡¯s instructions and did not rashly enter, instead marking the locations of these cracks and considering which one would be easier to take the human knight through. About two hours after the battle started, Lancelot caught up on the cultivation he had missed the night before due to passing notes and emerged from his meditation state. He looked up to find Jing watching him from above, upside down¡ªshe had inserted her iron staff vertically into one of the cracks in the obsidian and hung below it with her tail wrapped around the staff, as if it was just a branch sticking out from a tree trunk. Lancelot was just about to wave to her when his expression suddenly changed, and his body swiftly rushed towards the area directly beneath the demonic monkey. Jing hadn¡¯t figured out what was happening when the pulling force on her tail suddenly vanished. A sharp cracking sound reached her ears, and she began plummeting downwards. However, the monkey demon immediately proved that Lancelot¡¯s worries were unnecessary. She swung through the air with the iron staff curled in her tail, her body quickly reattached to the city wall. With a few taps of her hands and feet on the black surface, she descended rapidly like on a slide, and landed steadily in front of Lancelot. ¡°That¡¯s impressive,¡± he sincerely exclaimed, ¡°I really thought you were going to fall just now.¡± ¡°Heh heh, I¡¯m not one of those silly koalas, I won¡¯t get hurt by something like this.¡± Jing playfully winked at Lancelot, ¡°I¡¯ve already found several entrances, just waiting for you to come.¡± After saying this, the monkey demon turned to climb upwards, her movements smooth as if there were an invisible ladder placed on the shiny and even wall. A human knight naturally didn¡¯t possess such techniques, and obsidian, being resistant to magic power, also didn¡¯t allow True Yuan to ¡®stick¡¯ to it. However, since he couldn¡¯t affect that kind of stone, Lancelot could still affect himself, making his fingers as hard as iron hooks. If the monkey demon could climb it, so could he, albeit a bit more slowly. The height of eighty feet might not seem distant on the ground, but it is definitely dizzying when measured vertically. Although Lancelot¡¯s physical strength meant that he probably wouldn¡¯t be hurt even if he did fall, that innate sense of fear wasn¡¯t so easy to overcome. As he moved upwards, the sound of the wind high above whispered in his ears, as if inviting him to look back and enjoy the view behind him. Lancelot resisted the temptation, his gaze remained upward, and his focus stayed on the next rock point that needed to be hooked by his fingers. ¡°This is the place,¡± said the monkey demon girl, who had been waiting for him, pointing at an inconspicuous crack on the city wall, ¡°There¡¯s hot air blowing out from the inside; it must connect to the interior of the castle.¡± ¡°Hmm... Let me check...¡± Lancelot said he would check, but instead, he closed his eyes. After a few breaths, he reopened them and nodded at his companion, ¡°It¡¯s good. It seems like a guardroom inside. Let¡¯s go in through here.¡± ¡°How exactly should we do it?¡± Jing scratched her head (she was just that relaxed), ¡°Dig through this crack?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Lancelot chuckled, wedged one hand into the crack, and extended the other toward the monkey demon girl, ¡°Hold on to me. Make sure to keep your mouth shut, don¡¯t make a noise later, lest the enemy hears us...¡± (Note 1: According to the 5th edition Monster Manual, only Prime Demons have this characteristic; this is the author¡¯s own setting.) Chapter 670: 694: The Deads Conversation Chapter 670: Chapter 694: The Dead¡¯s Conversation Lancelot entered the shadow world, and the feeling was incredibly surreal. The surrounding scenery turned into shades of black, white, and gray and stacked upon each other in a very peculiar way. It was as if the world he had originally inhabited had always been contained within a gigantic fishbowl, and suddenly he found himself outside of it, transformed into a mass of shadow with area but no height. This bizarre state lasted for a very short time, as Lancelot expertly navigated through a narrow crack and entered a broader space. The colors of the environment rapidly returned, and he regained his three-dimensional form, along with the demon monkey girl he was pulling along¡ªthe latter had her mouth tightly covered with one hand and her eyes wide as eggs. Lancelot placed a finger to his lips, signaling his companion to stay quiet. The demon monkey quickly recovered from her shock and nodded at him to show she understood. The two turned their heads to survey the space they were in and discovered it seemed to be the interior of a watchtower. The stone walls around them had windows made of obsidian through which the outside scenery could be vaguely seen, but they hadn¡¯t noticed anything unusual about the obsidian city walls during their climb. The top of the watchtower was entirely covered in obsidian as well, but it surely couldn¡¯t withstand a full-force hit from Barlow the Flame Demon, assuming it could fly to that height and was aware of the structure inside the Volcano Fortress to know where to strike. Lancelot quickly confirmed there were no demons nearby, but signs of invasion were everywhere¡ªthe walls were splattered with dark red blood that hadn¡¯t yet gone black, and a putrid smell of rotting corpses pervaded the air. To their left, near the exit, lay the broken bodies of two Aberrant Demons, and to their right was a small desk with a Tiflin lying face down upon it, an arrow in his back. The arrow appeared to be entirely made of brass, as thick as a thumb. Whoever had shot it possessed remarkable skill, having pierced the victim¡¯s heart accurately. Lancelot noted that the Tiflin¡¯s right calf was a metallic prosthetic, clearly the result of an accident that had occurred a long time ago, unrelated to his murderer the night before. ¡°I didn¡¯t see any enemies on the street outside,¡± Jing reported quietly as she cautiously retreated from the exit. ¡°Can we bring the others out now?¡± Lancelot nodded and unfastened the Dimensional Bag around his waist, laying it on the ground. He then reached into the Magic Container and pulled his companions out, one by one. ¡°Ha! Lancelot, you¡¯ve got some nice things in this bag!¡± Bruto greeted Lancelot with a laugh and then turned to the still-bewildered Half-elf, ¡°What did I tell you? I knew Lancelot could handle it!¡± ¡°Keep your voice down; this is enemy territory,¡± Lancelot said somewhat helplessly to the Dwarf. ¡°The bag is little Ysha¡¯s bedroom; you didn¡¯t mess it up, did you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. Apart from accidentally breaking a chair, everything¡¯s fine, and I¡¯ve fixed it! Ah, a hammer is such a handy thing, it can be both a weapon and a tool...¡± the Dwarf took a deep sniff, ¡°Damn, it really stinks in here. What¡¯s that, a Tiflin?¡± ¡°A dead Tiflin who seems to have been a non-combatant,¡± Tanya said as she moved the body aside, revealing a parchment it had been lying on. ¡°This is... Abyssal Text. Can anyone here understand this?¡± ¡°Let me have a look...¡± Alamir leaned in, ¡°...on the second day of the siege, we observed a Bartez legion of about three thousand leaving toward the direction of Twin Bridges Town in the east, led by a Demon Refinement Officer from the deep Abyss... The rest is smeared with blood and unreadable. This Tiflin seemed to be a scribe, recording information visible from the watchtower. It¡¯s the kind of task ordinary demons are ill-suited for and the able ones are too proud to do.¡± ¡°Visuvius never mentioned there being civilians in the city,¡± Lancelot¡¯s expression grew grim. ¡°Alamir, can you make him speak? Perhaps we can gain some useful intelligence.¡± ¡°No problem, just give me a moment.¡± The Elf Priest carefully turned the body over, propping it up as if seated in a chair, then took a small piece of candle from a pouch on his belt, lit it, and placed it at the foot of the body. After completing the preparations, he grasped his shield bearing the emblem of the deity Shuni and begun to murmur mysterious spells under his breath. With the completion of the spell, the blue smoke rising from the candle swirled in a supernatural manner and ultimately all entered the corpse¡¯s nostrils. Lancelot was certain that something had returned to the body, and in the next instant, its eyelids suddenly opened, gazing blankly ahead with a pair of unfocused eyes. ¡°...you...hello...¡± Speaking with stiff, cold lungs was clearly not easy. The voice of the dead sounded distant, hollow, and full of echoes, as if originating from within a deep, dark cave. Alamir nodded to Lancelot, signaling he could start asking questions now, and also shook his outstretched palm, indicating a total of five questions could be asked. ¡°Who are you?¡± Lancelot thought for a moment and decided to start with the most basic question. ¡°Amnon...Peck...clerk...of Volcano Fortress...¡± ¡°Who killed you and the two Aberrant Demon guards at the door?¡± ¡°A Demon...Ogre...equally strong...with a halberd...and a crossbow...¡± ¡°How many civilians like you are there inside the Volcano Fortress?¡± ¡°...several hundred...cannot...fight...unable to...leave...¡± ¡°After the enemy breaks through the fortress, is there anywhere they can hide?¡± ¡°...west side...Lord Wu¡¯an...Temple...underground...¡± Everyone exchanged silent glances, confirming they had all heard this important piece of information. The Elf Priest waved a finger at Lancelot to remind him he only had one more question left, but Lancelot shook his head, indicating he had no further questions. ¡°I¡¯ll ask one,¡± Bruto shrugged. ¡°Do you have anything else important on you?¡± ¡°...inside...the coat...pocket...¡± After the last question was answered, the corpse¡¯s complexion quickly turned gray, and the body collapsed backward, void of strength, as the energy that had sustained its animation was completely depleted. Bruto sighed, stepped forward, and reached into the jacket pocket, quickly finding a particular item. ¡°What¡¯s this? A letter?¡± The Dwarf waved a rectangular envelope at the others, ¡°Clearly, this was very important to him, but it¡¯s no use to us now. Maybe I should just put it back...¡± ¡°Wait a minute, that¡¯s...¡± Something on the envelope caught Lancelot¡¯s attention. He grabbed the Dwarf¡¯s wrist, ¡°The emblem of Twin Bridges Town?¡± Chapter 671: 695: Inside the Volcano Fortress Chapter 671: Chapter 695: Inside the Volcano Fortress (Updated first, revision to follow) Lancelot took the envelope from the Dwarf¡¯s hand, and his companions crowded around as well. The symbol was pressed onto the surface of the envelope as a steel seal and wasn¡¯t particularly conspicuous, which was why no one had been able to spot it right away. ¡°Is this the emblem of Twin Bridges Town?¡± Jing asked curiously, ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen it on the flyers for recruiting mercenaries...¡± ¡°It should be authentic,¡± Lancelot said as he took out an emblem from his chest and compared it with the envelope, ¡°See, it¡¯s identical.¡± ¡°As expected of Prince Lancelot,¡± Tanya said with a hint of sarcasm, ¡°carrying the official seal around with you.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even know it could be used like this,¡± Lancelot scratched his head sheepishly, ¡°Let¡¯s see... The envelope has already been opened, so this shouldn¡¯t count as an invasion of privacy, right?¡± Inside the envelope was a thin piece of parchment, which Lancelot unfolded to read as Bruto read out the content from beside him. ¡°Settlement approval notice. Amnon Peck, your job application has been approved, citizenship granted concurrently, report with this document to the Mercenary Hall¡¯s market management section in Twin Bridges Town. Issued by Letisha.¡± ¡°Special approval is needed to settle in Twin Bridges Town?¡± the Half-elf asked in surprise, ¡°Is it really that popular a place?¡± ¡°For certain people, Twin Bridges Town is one of the few places in the Abyss where you can live a life with dignity,¡± Lancelot shrugged and turned the paper over, ¡°Hmm... this is...¡± ¡°Approved list of settlers.¡± The Dwarf continued reading, ¡°Amnon Peck, the applicant himself, a male Tiflin, note: disabled right calf; Anastasia Peck, the applicant¡¯s wife, a female Succubus; Calista Peck, the applicant¡¯s daughter, a female Succubus; Nimia Peck, the applicant¡¯s daughter, a female Succubus; Miller Peck, the applicant¡¯s son, a male Devilspawn... This Mr. Peck sure has a large family, planning to move with them all...¡± ¡°This is his hope for starting a new life, so it was treated as the most important thing,¡± Alamir said softly, shaking his head, ¡°Perhaps his wife and children are still alive, we could try to look for them.¡± Lancelot glanced at the Elf Priest and, without comment, carefully folded the parchment and put it back into the envelope. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said briefly and walked towards the exit. The group left the cramped room and stepped into the streets of the Volcano Fortress. Their nostrils were immediately filled with a distinct burnt odor; clearly, the place had just recently suffered a severe fire disaster. What had been burnt was not only various pieces of furniture but also the users of that furniture, the peculiar smell of roasted flesh turned everyone in the party pale, but luckily no one actually vomited. This was a city carved out of the mountain¡¯s interior, its primary building material being rock, but its style was completely different from Dwarf settlements¡ªDwarf architecture conveyed a sense of sturdiness, stability, full of blunt angles, flat walls, and symmetrical structures, while the Tanari Fortress was a typical example of Abyss style: rough, sharp, pointed, filled with aggression, one wrong approach and severe injuries would be suffered, no designs were made during construction, or the builders might have new ideas halfway through, firmly believing their new insights were better. Lancelot looked up into the distance and easily spotted their destination¡ªthe immense palace in the city center. It was the Flame Palace of Visuvius, a circular structure with its foundation raised significantly above the surrounding buildings, atop which was the volcano¡¯s crater. Scorching magma burst forth from deep within the palace like a fountain from time to time, but a magical field prevented the dangerous molten flow from descending into the city, allowing it instead to shoot upwards and out of the volcano. Everyone was almost bewitched by the wondrous and magnificent sight, but a sudden scream reminded them of where they were. ¡°Over there.¡± Alamir¡¯s ears twitched as he raised a hand, pointing to a secluded alley, ¡°About two hundred feet from us.¡± ¡°Jing, go up high and watch the surroundings,¡± Lancelot drew his hand half sword, ¡°Everyone else, follow me and stay alert!¡± Hearing this, the demon monkey girl didn¡¯t hesitate, with a few leaps she disappeared onto the roof eaves, while the rest followed Lancelot into the alley. The figure of the one being attacked appeared in everyone¡¯s sight soon after; it was a Succubus with broken wings hanging behind her like a dislocated arm, dressed in a tattered and dirty robe, clutching a large pouch in her arms. The fleeing Succubus kept looking back, unaware of the mercenaries in front of her. Lancelot gestured, and immediately the four of them hid in the shadows on both sides of the alley. The Succubus only realized their fully armed presence after running past them, freezing in place. This pause caused something to fall out of the bag¡ªit was just an ordinary onion. A struggle was evident on the Succubus¡¯s face, but the Human Knight motioned to her with an indisputable look to keep running, which she did without hesitation. The sound of their pursuers¡¯ footsteps came to them, two in total, sounding very heavy. Even though no enemy was in sight yet, Lancelot had already sensed their strength through Spirit Perception¡ªstronger than the enchanting fiend, a somewhat troublesome target. He swiftly gestured several signs, issuing a simple combat plan¡ªtwo enemies, one for him to handle, the others to take care of the second. The footsteps grew nearer, but then abruptly stopped about ten feet away. One of the enemies said something; although Lancelot didn¡¯t understand the language, he could feel a warning tone in it. He knew their ambush plan was foiled; Demons seemed to have a special ability to smell living creatures from a certain distance away. Lancelot knew he couldn¡¯t hesitate any longer; turning around, he vaulted out of the corner¡¯s shadow, silently thrusting his sword as he charged at the enemy. The two Demons in front, though on guard, were startled by the sudden emergence of the Human Knight, who also exuded a killing intent that even Fiends found chilling. In addition, his silent stance sparked an almost ludicrous fear in the hearts of the two Middle Rank fiends. As Lancelot charged, he also took in his opponent. It was a massive demon creature standing over nine feet tall with a waist measurement to match its height, the most notable feature being a pair of large tusks protruding from its mouth, much like an elephant¡¯s, covered in heavy metal armor. From the metal plating of the armor, many thin, long metal spikes protruded, but the tips of these spikes weren¡¯t sharp but rounded, like the heads of nails. There was no time for him to ponder the strange metal spikes¡¯ purpose, as within moments he arrived in front of his foe, his hand half sword thrust forward like a long spear, aimed straight for one of the Demon¡¯s face. Chapter 672: 696: Revenge of the Dead Chapter 672: Chapter 696: Revenge of the Dead Despite appearing very cumbersome, the agility of the Demons was not at all lacking. Lancelot was extremely fast, but after all, he launched his attack from the front, so the opponent had the time to react. The Demon barely turned its bald, flat head to dodge the Human Knight¡¯s longsword by a hair¡¯s breadth, but the sharp Sword Qi still immediately created a fine cut on its face. Before Lancelot could change from thrust to slash, the opponent spun its halberd, using the tail end of the handle to knock his sword blade aside, and counterattacked with a ferocious chop. Lancelot¡¯s figure flashed, and in an instant he moved to the side, letting the falling weapon separate him and another enemy, while dragging the Hand Half Sword behind him. One reason was to test the Demon¡¯s strength, the other to limit the opponent¡¯s ability to follow up with other moves. A piercing clang of metal on metal rang out; the Hand Half Sword failed to block the pike, the sword body being pressed to angle towards the ground. Fortunately, it also deflected the opponent¡¯s weapon, preventing an immediate pursuit. Lancelot¡¯s expression darkened slightly ¨C the enemy¡¯s physical strength was extremely formidable, on par with a grown White Dragon. If he tried to overpower it, he would inevitably lose. But why would he choose to overpower it? Strength was merely one factor in determining the outcome of a battle, and its weight was no greater than skill and speed. Lancelot suddenly stepped forward, his longsword striking like a venomous snake coiled on the ground, slashing at incredible speed towards the exposed armpit of the Demon. The blade of the sword moved too fast, and even if the Demon wanted to do something, its heavy body could not respond in time. Lancelot coolly drove Frostslash into his opponent¡¯s armpit, nearly severing an entire arm. After scoring a hit, the Human Knight didn¡¯t linger, but instead continued forward, circling to the enemy¡¯s side and rear, gaining a better relative position and evading another enemy¡¯s belated pincer attack. The Dwarf, with whom he had developed a very good understanding, also leaped out at this time, throwing his Warhammer with full force at another Demon. The Dwarf¡¯s strike was of a very high standard, the Warhammer smashing onto the Demon¡¯s head like a bolt of lightning, creating an impact as though it was hitting a solid bronze sphere, involuntarily making one¡¯s teeth ache. However, the resilience of these Demons was clearly extremely tenacious. After being dealt a blow to the head by the Dwarf, it merely staggered back, covering its bloodied face, without succumbing to death. Yet its troubles did not end there, as the Half-elf Cursed Swordmaster had already charged with the enormous Shadow Halberd in tow. Tanya kept her center of gravity very low, her figure as quick as a specter, and with her disheveled white hair and eyes flickering with red light, no one would question if she was the Grim Reaper¡¯s own Reaper. At the same time, Lancelot turned as well, once again thrusting out his longsword. Since the enemy was taller than himself, and its hunched body made it impossible for him to see the opponent¡¯s neck, Lancelot aimed for the gap between the enemy¡¯s breastplate and skirt armor around the lower back. A blue Sword Aura lit up on the sword blade; he was determined to land this strike, even if the enemy wore a layer of padding underneath¡ªit was necessary to take the opponent¡¯s kidney out. The longsword effortlessly entered the enemy¡¯s body, in fact, perhaps a bit too deeply. The Demon let out a wretched howl but didn¡¯t lose its combat ability; instead, it turned violently in pain, swinging its multi-bladed halberd in a sweep of astonishing power. Lancelot¡¯s complexion changed, and he immediately released his grip on the sword, rolling on the ground at once. The halberd swept just less than an inch above him, then slammed into the stone wall beside him with a resounding bang, sparking a shower of dazzling sparks, proving the tremendous force behind the strike. The Demon, missing its target, attempted to follow up with another attack but it still had a longsword embedded in its waist, especially a cold iron weapon that was particularly effective against Fiends. The fierce twisting motion it had just performed nearly caused it to be disemboweled, and copious amounts of black blood gushed from the gaps in its armor like steam from a boiling kettle. Despite the pain, the Demon swung another lethal slash toward the Human Knight who now stood empty-handed, but the knight¡¯s figure was like a feather. The wind brought up by the descending halberd had already pushed him to the side. Lancelot was somewhat annoyed with himself. He had underestimated his enemy¡¯s strength and then their resilience, leading to a situation where he had lost his own weapon¡ªwhich was really unacceptable. Hardening his heart, he forcefully stamped on the handle of the enemy¡¯s weapon with his foot, causing the halberd to fall loose from the Demon¡¯s grasp. A heavy stomp on the ground with his steel boots, and the Demon¡¯s weapon bounced up, landing perfectly in the hands of the Human Knight. His movements were as quick as lightning. The severely wounded Demon watched dumbfounded as the Human Knight before it seemed not yet to have grasped what had just happened. Naturally, Lancelot had no interest in conversation and, swinging the double-bladed halberd in his hand, he brought it down with full force on its former master. The Demon instinctively raised its arms in an attempt to block the fatal blow, but before its arms could close, its own weapon was already crushing down on its head. The two longsword-like blades of the halberd split the Demon¡¯s head into three parts. The left and right pieces immediately fell to the ground, while the center piece had not yet decided which way to fall. The weak point of Bartez lay in their heads, and such severe damage was of course enough to instantly kill this massive Fiend, its body clad in heavy armor slowly tilting forward like a felled tree. Just as the body was about to touch the ground, Lancelot¡¯s face suddenly changed dramatically, and he shot back in retreat, a green protective shield lighting up around him. In the next instant, countless thumb-sized maggots burst out from the large hole in the corpse¡¯s neck, their speed reminiscent of crossbow arrows. These flesh-eating worms flapped their mouths lined with three rows of sharp teeth in the air, eagerly looking for their next host, but the moment they came into contact with the green protective shield around the Human Knight, they were instantly shredded into pieces by myriad slivers of Sword Aura. Lancelot exhaled a sigh of relief, halting his swift retreat, but he laid eyes on a scene that made his breath catch: Another Demon had already knelt on the ground under the combined attack of Bruto and Tanya, with the Dwarf standing in front of the enemy, hammer raised high, ready to deliver the final blow. ¡°Bruto! Wait!¡± It was too late. The Dwarf¡¯s beloved Warhammer, a composite of Mithril, Mithril, and Cold Iron, traced a beautiful arc, eventually landing squarely on the Demon¡¯s shiny forehead. Lancelot, with his quick reflexes, immediately began forming hand seals, summoning a huge Soundproof Barrier. ¡°Ah!!!!¡± Bruto¡¯s scream rang out as expected, sounding both terrified and helpless, ¡°Ah! Ah!! Ah Ah Ah!!!!¡± Chapter 673: 697 Survivor Chapter 673: Chapter 697 Survivor Dozens of thick maggots clung to the dwarf¡¯s arms and face, gnawing at his skin like living slugs. Regardless of how much damage they were actually inflicting, the sight of one¡¯s body swarming with giant worms was enough to drive anyone out of their minds. Green sword Qi extended from Lancelot¡¯s fingertips, but Bruto¡¯s wildly flailing arms made it difficult to avoid hurting the dwarf. Suddenly, an idea struck Lancelot, and he called out to Alamir nearby: ¡°Quick! Hit this fellow with a Holy Fire Technique!¡± The elf priest was taken aback but quickly recovered. With a brief syllable and a simple gesture, he summoned a flame-like radiance that poured over the dwarf¡¯s head like a basin of hot water. The maggots immediately fell off, like overly ripe bitter gourds tumbling down on their own. Though it seemed to deal damage through high temperature, attacks with the Radiant Attribute actually worked by searing the flesh to overload the mind, which meant that even though most lower-plane creatures could somewhat resist flame damage, they had no defense against Radiant attacks. The dwarf was injured, but not fatally. And by the joy on his face, it was clear he¡¯d gladly take three more strikes just to be rid of those damned maggots. ¡°By Moradin above, I have been purified!¡± Bruto¡¯s expression was almost tearful, ¡°Rebirth feels so good...¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who purified you, not the Soulsmith,¡± Alamir retorted somewhat irritably, ¡°If you must thank a deity, you should be thanking the Lady of Fire.¡± ¡°Alright then, thanks to that kind lady...¡± the dwarf¡¯s eyes brimming with tears as he looked at the elf, ¡°It still hurts though, I really thought I was done for...¡± ¡°The pain you¡¯re feeling has little to do with the maggots,¡± Alamir rolled his eyes, ¡°They couldn¡¯t even bite through your skin, not a single wound on you. I should have realized it earlier, your skin is so thick...¡± As he spoke, two dark figures fell from above the alley, crashing heavily onto the ground. Upon closer inspection, the group saw that they were the bodies of two lesser demons, their heads smashed by some kind of hard, rod-shaped object. (Lesser demons, similar to Quasimodo Demons, are about 2 feet tall with humanoid bodies, bat-like wings, and tails with poisonous barbs, possessing the ability to become invisible) ¡°Just two little flies,¡± came the voice of the succubus girl from above, ¡°Carry on.¡± ¡°That monkey¡¯s pretty reliable, huh.¡± Bruto shrugged, then stomped hard on the carcasses of the worms lying around, ¡°Damn demons, how can they have these things inside them!¡± Quietly, Tanya extended her pike, poking at the massive corpse. Immediately, more maggots surged out from the demon¡¯s body, a sight resembling the poking of a cockroach nest, which made the dwarf leap back in fright, his facial expression almost twisted. ¡°The best way to banish fear is to face it,¡± the half-elf handed the pike¡¯s handle to Bruto, ¡°Try it yourself.¡± The dwarf glared at the half-elf in front of him for a moment, then snatched the pike and jabbed it repeatedly into the corpse. More worms were unearthed by his thrusts, but they died almost instantly upon leaving the demon¡¯s body. Suddenly, the corpse collapsed as if its internal support structure had vanished, and the armor was scattered by the unwavering dwarf, revealing what was inside. ¡°That actually...¡± Bruto squinted his eyes involuntarily, ¡°is a real nail?¡± Lancelot sighed internally. He had noticed earlier that the armor wasn¡¯t ¡®worn¡¯ on the Demon, but nailed on with thick nails as long as one¡¯s forearm. The maggots lived within such a decaying body as if in some sort of symbiotic relationship. ¡°Saw these kinds of Demons on the battlefield yesterday too, but had no chance to fight them,¡± Lancelot turned his head, ¡°that lady over there, do you know what these Demons are called?¡± Everyone followed the Human Knight¡¯s gaze and saw the Succubus who had run away earlier standing not far off, watching them warily. ¡°Of course, I know, those are Blood Armor Demons, specialized killers of Tanari known as Bartez assassins. Besides killing, it seems they¡¯re interested in doing other things as well,¡± the Succubus spat to the side, ¡°but as for who you are, I have no idea. You¡¯re definitely not the original inhabitants of this fortress.¡± ¡°Indeed, we are not,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°and we¡¯re also not your enemies.¡± ¡°Hm... perhaps I should say thank you?¡± the Succubus¡¯s expression softened a bit, ¡°You¡¯re special agents sent by the allied forces, am I right?¡± ¡°Since you guessed it, we can only silence you now, since the actions of special agents must not be exposed...¡± Lancelot¡¯s words made the Succubus¡¯s face change with fear, ¡°unless you can cooperate with our mission. After all, our goal is to rescue this fortress from the clutches of Bartez. You wouldn¡¯t oppose that, would you?¡± ¡°In a different situation, I might take this as sophisticated flirtation,¡± the Succubus placed a hand on her chest, showing a frightened expression, while subtly lowering her collar a bit more, ¡°please speak freely, I will certainly satisfy any request you have...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, just a few simple questions,¡± Lancelot said with a look of resignation, ¡°why don¡¯t we start with your name?¡± ¡°Gayka,¡± the Succubus ignored his hint, seemingly nonchalantly twisting her body, exposing more skin. ¡°What a pity,¡± the Dwarf shrugged his shoulders at the side, ¡°not Anastasia.¡± ¡°Anastasia is dead,¡± the Succubus replied with a somber expression. ¡°Oh? How did she die?¡± ¡°We all worked at a tavern called Barto¡¯s Ruins... Looking back, the name is indeed ironic, but it truly was the best tavern in town, even though it¡¯s now burnt down, because there simply isn¡¯t a second one,¡± Gayka said, approaching them while Lancelot was certain she used some kind of Technique to make her clothes shrink (he was not unfamiliar with such Techniques), ¡°Yesterday afternoon, those Bartez suddenly stormed in. I was just ¡®working¡¯ in the basement at that time... Anastasia was above me, and it sounded like she was nailed to the floor with a Long Spear. Her death was long, painful, and filled with humiliation¡ªI won¡¯t go into the details... After the Demons finished, they even set a fire. Luckily, being made of stone, the building itself didn¡¯t burn, so I, hiding in the basement, managed to escape. So it¡¯s a pity, if you were one of her usual customers, you won¡¯t be able to purchase her services anymore...¡± Chapter 674: 698: The Lords Lover Chapter 674: Chapter 698: The Lord¡¯s Lover The companions exchanged glances before Lancelot sighed softly and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that news...¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be sorry about? She¡¯s the one who died, not me.¡± The Succubus shrugged her shoulders, a motion that nearly caused her top to slide down, ¡°As elite agents sent by the allied forces, your mission shouldn¡¯t be to find a pitiful tavern waitress, right?¡± ¡°Indeed it isn¡¯t, we just happened to come across a Tiflin corpse, and the relic mentioned his wife.¡± ¡°Ah, that must be Amnon then, that cripple surely couldn¡¯t have survived the massacre.¡± Gayka curled her lip, ¡°You find a corpse and then think to go looking for the widow? Brilliant, I like the way you think...¡± ¡°You misunderstand, we have no intention of taking advantage of her.¡± Lancelot shook his head somewhat speechlessly, ¡°We found a letter on Mr. Amnon¡¯s body and planned to pass it to his widow, or their three children, along the way.¡± ¡°Ah... Amnon did have three children, but only the son is that Tiflin¡¯s offspring¡ªanyway, you couldn¡¯t tell who their father was just by looking at the daughters.¡± The Succubus flashed a wicked smile, ¡°If you¡¯re looking for those children, I happen to know where they might be...¡± ¡°You mean the sanctuary beneath the Temple of Lord Wu¡¯an?¡± ¡°You already know?¡± The expression on the Succubus¡¯s face clearly froze, ¡°The entrance there isn¡¯t easy to find, I could take you...¡± ¡°No.¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°We must head to the Blazing Palace first and take care of the Demon army entrenched in this fortress. After everything is over, we¡¯ll see if we can find those orphans.¡± ¡°What? No, you should go to the Temple first, where you can rest well without worrying about being found by the Bartez, and there are some very private rooms that could allow me to repay you for the lifesaving favor...¡± The Succubus¡¯s face clearly showed panic, and suddenly, Lancelot found his perception of the person in front of him had changed, as if she were a trustworthy old friend known for many years, and it would be extremely inappropriate not to fully oblige any request she made. However, that feeling lasted only a short time, like an illusionary realm crafted by a spell, initially very beautiful, but with a little attention, one could realize that the scene in front of them was not real. After returning to normal, that strange fondness became extremely absurd and laughable. If one had to describe it, it felt like inadvertently recalling someone liked many years ago and feeling deeply embarrassed about one¡¯s poor taste and unbelievable foolishness as a youth. Lancelot knew that the Succubus had just tried to use her Charm ability on him, and had pathetically failed. Gayka also realized this, her face now showing a genuine look of fear¡ªthe stronger the effect of the Charm ability to induce fondness, the deeper the hatred for the charmer once it ended. These alluring Fiends would not use this ability unless absolutely necessary, for if they did, they had to kill the charmed victim or leave them far behind before the effect wore off. Her worry wasn¡¯t unfounded, because the cold tip of a sharp longsword was already at her chest, making it hard for her to breathe. If the Human Knight holding the sword made the decision, her life would end instantly, and there was absolutely nothing that could change that. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that, and I can assure you, if it had been successful, your fate would be even worse,¡± Lancelot said, staring emotionlessly into the Succubus¡¯s eyes, exuding a cold killing intent, ¡°Unfortunately, we now have to conduct our conversation like this. From now on, you must honestly answer each of my questions, else you¡¯ll grow a longsword tip from your back. I hope you don¡¯t take this as a challenge... If you understand, nod your head.¡± Gayka slowly nodded her head, careful not to make any grand movements that might be misunderstood by the Human Knight. ¡°Have you ever collaborated with Demons in any form?¡± ¡°No, I hate them more than anything else.¡± ¡°Not a bad start. Why do you want us to go to Lord Wu¡¯an¡¯s Temple?¡± ¡°My wings are injured, and we may encounter other Demons on the way. I need your protection.¡± ¡°Understandable. What¡¯s in the bag? Food?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°For whom?¡± ¡°...The children.¡± ¡°...How many civilians are still hiding underground in the Temple?¡± ¡°Not many, about twenty or thirty... The Fiends started an indiscriminate massacre right after they breached the city. Those people are all fish that slipped through the net, like me.¡± ¡°Is that so... How can we enter the palace in the center of the city?¡± ¡°The Flame Palace is surrounded by a moat filled with magma drawn from beneath the ground. The only way to get in is through the main gate near the fortress¡¯s entrance, but it¡¯s certainly crammed with stinking, rotting Demon soldiers now... I¡¯m telling the truth! If you don¡¯t believe me, climb up to the rooftop and see for yourself!¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± came the voice of the monkey demon girl from above them, ¡°By the way, I only see three Demon Refinement now; the one in the Black Armor has disappeared again.¡± ¡°Is that so,¡± Lancelot frowned, ¡°Crossing that magma moat forcibly will probably make it hard not to get spotted...¡± ¡°There¡¯s another way...¡± the Succubus, with a blade pressed to her chest, spoke again, looking very scared but still continuing, ¡°Come with me to Lord Wu¡¯an¡¯s Temple. Among the survivors there, someone came out of the Blazing Palace after the city was breached, and by that time the palace¡¯s front door was already blocked by the Demon¡¯s forces. The only explanation is that there must be some covert passage...¡± ¡°This person who escaped... what is their identity?¡± ¡°The most favored concubine of Visuvius among his many lovers,¡± Gayka said with a weird expression on her face, ¡°However, her race might come as a surprise to you... She is a Bartez, an Enreyes, in other words, what you call a Succubus. But after the city was broken, she didn¡¯t go to see her own kind. Instead, she ran to the Temple and hid with us survivors.¡± ¡°That joke isn¡¯t very funny,¡± Lancelot¡¯s expression turned cold, ¡°After we get to the Temple and don¡¯t find this person, you¡¯re going to say that the Succubus has recalled her past identity, and the Demon forces surrounding the Temple are all her doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth!¡± the Succubus argued defensively, ¡°Think about it, an Enreyes, favored by the Barlow Flame Demon Lord, who can go wherever she wants in its territory, clearly not restricted in her movements... What would happen to such a person if she really fell into Bartez¡¯s army¡¯s hands?¡± Lancelot looked into the eyes of the Succubus, then sheathed his Longsword. ¡°Thank you for your cooperation. The situation is special now, and I¡¯m very sorry for the rudeness earlier.¡± Lancelot rubbed his wrist as he walked to the side, ¡°However, about this lover of Visuvius, I still need to confirm with someone else...¡± Chapter 675: 699: Theres a Battle Ahead Chapter 675: Chapter 699: There¡¯s a Battle Ahead Lancelot could only resort to Tijana, as although they still couldn¡¯t communicate directly through a mental link, the Succubus Lord was wearing an earring that synced with the rotation of a Human Knight¡¯s bracer. After last night¡¯s practice, the two had become adept at transmitting messages through rotation and pauses. Moments later, Lancelot returned to his comrades and said, ¡°Visuvius indeed had such a lover, but there have always been numerous rumors about her race, saying she¡¯s either a bird demon, a Fallen Aira, or a daughter of Mekanshut¡ªof course, there are also claims she¡¯s from Enreyes. If such a person truly exists, she should be able to help us. Please lead the way, Miss Gayka, it seems we must make a trip to Lord Wu¡¯an¡¯s Temple, and we will ensure your safety.¡± ¡°Let me make myself clear first...¡± the expression of the Succubus returned to one of distrust, ¡°if we encounter enemies, I will hide far away. Fighting is your business.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°but you must also follow my orders and not hinder us.¡± ¡°Understood, my Lord,¡± the Succubus tugged at her robe, covering her exposed body again, ¡°Follow me, this way...¡± They soon left the alley and were back on the stone streets of the Volcano Fortress. The repugnant smell in the air was still strong, and the group had just made a fresh contribution to it. Their surroundings were far from quiet; the magma fountain in the city center was constantly active, each eruption creating a loud sonic boom. Around them, buildings that had just suffered a great fire occasionally partially collapsed as if the appearance of Demons had corroded this city of Demons; shouts of battle echoed from behind, a noise made by the cannon fodder troops sent by the allied forces. Because they were quite far, it wasn¡¯t very clear, but these noises were enough to cover their hurried footsteps. The Succubus clearly knew the terrain very well, leading them on routes that were both hidden and had wide views, potentially giving them the upper hand if they encountered a Demon again. However, before that, the group saw many traces left by Demons: bodies without heads, heads without bodies, limbs mangled by sharp blades, corpses charred by fierce flames¡ªBruto even accidentally shattered one, mistaking it for burnt wood, and no one thought to remind the companion whose legs weren¡¯t particularly long. Lancelot noticed that the dead were mostly Devilspawn and Tiflin, with true Demons being scarce. In people¡¯s minds, Demons rarely massacred a settlement after conquering it; these interest-first Fiends weren¡¯t like the Tanari with their uncontrollable lust for slaughter. They coveted mortal Souls. Once in power, they had countless ways to coax mortals into signing contracts to sell their Souls, and killing them outright meant gaining nothing at all. Some Demon Archdukes even explicitly prohibited their subordinates from killing any mortals whose Souls weren¡¯t clearly owned, with violators considered violators of public property, subject to the famously rigorous trials of the Nine Hells. Of course, completely different rules applied in war, even for the strongly lawful Demon. Lancelot was very clear that the reason the Demons who had taken over the Volcano Fortress committed such atrocities was because they were short on troops and unable to spare forces to maintain order in the short term. Compared to collecting Souls, capturing the Volcano Fortress was a higher priority, so they chose the simplest and most brutal method to ensure internal security: kill all potential resistors, which allowed the Demons to commit all their forces to defense before the fighting resumed. In this respect, Lancelot also bore indirect responsibility for the massacre¡ªhe could be considered the prime orchestrator behind the near-annihilation of the lower ranks of the Demon Legion. Had he allowed an additional three hundred Beard Demons into the Volcano Fortress, the massacre might not have occurred, but of course, he felt no sense of guilt about this. If he did nothing and let the Demons establish a foothold in the Volcano Fortress, the mortal residents of the city would die anyway, and after death, their souls would still be enslaved by the Demons. The Flame Demon Lord was responsible for losing the city, and the Demon Legion was responsible for the killings, but whether it was the stupidity of the Flame Demon Lord or the brutality of the Demon Legion, it had nothing to do with him; he naturally wasn¡¯t responsible for the sins committed. Lancelot had been fighting battles for half of his life, and he had already thought through these principles. After walking a bit further, the Human Knight¡¯s expression changed, and he swiftly gestured to his companions. Everyone immediately drew their weapons, while the simian girl quickly disappeared onto the rooftop again, and the others formed a battle line. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked the Succubus guide, the only one confused, with a face full of bewilderment, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a battle ahead,¡± Lancelot answered briefly, ¡°and there are quite a few people involved.¡± After his companions were ready, the Human Knight quickened his pace. After running through two blocks, the sounds of battle became clearly audible. At the next street corner, outside a partially collapsed large house, they saw a small-scale battle. Six Beard Demons and two Hellhounds were attempting to breach the building, while four devilspawn with dark skin and wielding short spears were using the remnants of broken walls to resist the Demons¡¯ attack. Behind the devilspawn, there were several Tiflin civilians, surrounded by one wearing tight black leather¡ªa Succubus. Outside the building, in the open space, stood a Knight in full plate armor, enveloped by an unsettling black aura, seemingly the commander of this small Demon squad. When Lancelot and his companions arrived, the defenders were on the verge of collapse. The devilspawn could barely handle the Beard Demons, but they couldn¡¯t react to the Hellhounds attacking from below. One devilspawn was bitten fiercely on the leg by a Hellhound, shrieking as he staggered back, revealing a huge gap in the already faltering defensive line. Just then, Lancelot noticed the Succubus making a motion, and immediately a frenzied Tiflin charged forward, attacking the Hellhound with a short-handled dagger in his hand. His courage was drained the moment the beast¡¯s fangs sank into his flesh¡ª the over five-foot-long beast nearly tore off his forearm with the first bite, and buried its second bite into his neck. The previously retreating devilspawn managed to steady himself, using a spear tip to jab and hoist the Hellhound, throwing it far away. The beast fell heavily to the ground, but immediately got up again, ready to continue fighting, but the Tiflin who had just held it back couldn¡¯t get up¡ªtheir neck now bore a string of blood holes as thick as thumbs, clearly beyond saving. Chapter 676: 700 Hell Knight Chapter 676: Chapter 700 Hell Knight (Had drinks tonight, really running late, will update now and revise later, give me twenty minutes, and I¡¯ll delete this note after fixing this segment.) Lancelot knew that man didn¡¯t suddenly develop a sense of sacrifice, he had fallen under the charm abilities of the Succubus. He had just experienced the same thing himself, the only difference was that he had resisted, while that Tiflin had not. That being said, Kalalin had once mentioned that most Succubi would choose to flee at the first sign of battle. If flight was not an option, they would use their charm abilities to manipulate nearby creatures into fighting to protect themselves. Those war-hungry Succubi from Twin Bridges Town, represented by Tijana, were complete outliers. Some even suspected they were similar to other devils, actually another kind of Demon, but Kalalin was certain that this hypothesis had no basis, and Alamir confirmed this for him¡ªSuccubi from Twin Bridges Town were no different from those from other places, at least not physiologically. ¡°Charge!¡± Lancelot gave the command to attack and was the first to carry it out, which was how he differed from most commanders. The Human Knight charged into the battlefield like a meteor, delivering an unstoppable shoulder slash that cleaved the nearest Beard Demon from skull to groin. This impactful entrance left both sides briefly stunned, and that was exactly what Lancelot had aimed for. Without pausing, he stepped fiercely forward and his Longsword followed in an Upper Slash, striking between the thighs of the second Beard Demon. The enemy¡¯s body stiffened from the severe pain, which conveniently allowed Lancelot to smoothly retrieve his sword. Twisting the end of the sword hilt with his left hand, the blade drew a complete circle in the air before coming to rest in the Demon¡¯s chin, which bore snakelike pseudopods. Lancelot kicked away the corpse whose head had been split in two and turned to charge at a third foe. A Rune Greatsword swung abruptly to block his way, forcing Lancelot to immediately halt and change his attack into a block. The roar of clashing metal erupted the next second, the immense force pushing him back as his Steel Boots scraped flashing sparks on the stone ground, leaving two long black streaks. ¡°A worthy opponent, who are you?¡± the Demon squad commander spoke, using the common tongue, ¡°Why do you help these filthy wretches?¡± ¡°And who are you?¡± Lancelot placed the Hand Half Sword on his shoulder, ¡°How can you command a bunch of murderers from the Nine Hells?¡± ¡°Carnage is a means to establish order; chaos must be utterly shattered, and the noble Bartez share the same belief as I,¡± the Hell Knight replied in a harsh and cold voice. ¡°There is only one fate for those who oppose us¡ªcomplete annihilation. Yet clearly, you are different from those filthy commoners; you have the blood of nobility flowing in your veins. Kneel and swear fealty to the great Lord of Darkness, and all the sins you¡¯ve committed against the Nine Hells will be erased...¡± ¡°What a boastful claim.¡± Lancelot fought the urge to roll his eyes, ¡°The ¡®sins¡¯ I¡¯ve committed against Demons, I fear you have no authority to forgive...¡± While they conversed, the rest of his companions caught up and launched an assault on the remaining Beard Demons and Hellhounds. Seeing this, the Hell Knight performed a simple gesture, lighting up a red Scepter symbol on his forearm. In Lancelot¡¯s perception, the Demon Commander¡¯s image became extremely horrifying, as if many unseen hands wished to grasp his neck and limbs, making it hard to breathe, impossible to move. The power of this fear was so intense, even surpassing the terrifying presence of an ancient White Dragon, that Lancelot had to focus all his effort on running the Ice Heart Technique, squeezing all emotion from his consciousness, barely withstanding that force. However, while he could remain unaffected, the others weren¡¯t so lucky, and this Hell Knight¡¯s Fear ability had a special trait: ordinary Fear would compel the affected person to flee involuntarily from the source of their Fear, but the Fear he generated was so intense that it could leave people completely immobile. Needless to say, such an effect could bring about a considerable advantage during group combat, as the enemy would be forced to stand their ground and fight, rather than scattering like startled hens. At this moment, the Demon side still had four Beard Demons and two Hellhounds, and the Hell Knight¡¯s oppressive Fear was an area effect, rendering everyone incapable of movement. The situation turned extremely perilous instantly¡ªif Lancelot were to be delayed, those Low Rank Demons, who were not much of a threat originally, could now inflict serious harm on his companions. The Ice Heart Technique came with an additional benefit, granting the Cultivator an extremely calm state of mind when activated. Realizing the disadvantage his side was facing, Lancelot immediately thought of a countermeasure: pretend to be affected as well, making the Demon Commander believe he had the situation under control, betting that the latter¡¯s pride would prevent him from attacking right away and instead delegate the killing to his underlings. His gamble paid off. The knight enveloped in black mist stayed put, while three Beard Demons and one Hellhound lunged at the four individuals. Lancelot waited until the last moment to act, his figure flashing away from the Large Cleaver swung at him, but instead of taking the chance to strike back, he thrust his sword at another Beard Demon that was about to attack the Elf Priest. The Longsword pierced through the purple-skinned cheek, easily shaving off most of the Demon¡¯s head. Not far away, the Hell Knight roared in anger and charged over with his Greatsword, but he was too late to stop Lancelot from bisecting the Beard Demon in front of the Half-elf. The belated Greatsword finally fell, and taking advantage of the momentum from his charge, Lancelot spun around, his sword meeting his opponent¡¯s weapon. The grating sound of Metal clashing echoed once more, but this time it was the Hell Knight who suffered; he stumbled backward several steps, helplessly watching his adversary perform a graceful spin, cleaving the last following Beard Demon into two halves. As for Bruto, Lancelot had great confidence in the Dwarf¡¯s toughness, and if the Hellhound did manage to inflict any damage, it would only trigger Bruto¡¯s Berserk State under the pain¡¯s stimulation. In that state, the Barbarian would be almost senseless, his fighting spirit ignited to the point of lunacy, desiring nothing more than to smash any enemy within sight into a pulp, oblivious to the concept of fear. ¡°You dare to mock me!¡± the Hell Knight glared furiously at Lancelot, ¡°You despicable, shameless mortal!¡± ¡°Are you accusing me?¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, it seems the Abyss truly does change everyone...¡± ¡°Hmph, foolish. I had intended to offer you the glory of serving the Nine Hells, but now I¡¯ve changed my mind...¡± The Hell Knight caressed his Greatsword, and a golden light that Lancelot was very familiar with lit up on the blade, ¡°Complete death and destruction, that¡¯s what you deserve...¡± Chapter 677: 701 Chapter 677: 701 Although the Frostslash Technique was still fully activated, Lancelot felt a surge of surprise. The golden light was nothing other than the characteristic that appeared when Holy Warriors prepared to unleash their professional ability, Holy Slash¡ªa sight he had seen countless times during his journey with Elothysia. However, only those Holy Warriors who still adhered to the oaths they had taken could use this ability; once a Holy Warrior betrayed their oath and became an Oathbreaker, they would lose all their Holy Warrior abilities. (Note) Of course, the evil forces in the Multiverse that despised Holy Warriors would reward such fallen. The former Holy Warriors known as Dark Guardians, upon falling, would gain even more potent evil powers, like Enrique who once attempted to capture Elothysia. But why could this Hell Knight, who was clearly in league with demons, still summon the golden light of Holy Slash? ¡°Are you a Holy Warrior?¡± Lancelot squinted his eyes, ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°Because the oath I took is one of conquest,¡± the Hell Knight, lifting the Rune Greatsword that dazzled with blinding golden light above his head, proclaimed, ¡°Swords seize life, fear ends nations! I shall completely snuff out the enemy¡¯s hope, shattering all wills that dare to resist!¡± The Greatsword fell with an unstoppable force, and Lancelot found himself unable to dodge, only able to muster all his strength to forcibly block the strike. ¡°Boom!¡± As a Cultivator at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, Lancelot certainly wasn¡¯t so weak as to not be able to withstand a single strike from his enemy. Both figures in plate armor staggered backward simultaneously, almost at the same moment they steadied their stances, staring intently at one another. Lancelot felt a sweetness in his throat but forcefully swallowed back the blood that had surged to his mouth. Although he had blocked his opponent¡¯s weapon, his spirit felt as if it had been severely hammered by an invisible great mallet¡ªnot deadly, but far from bearable. Under the Hell Knight¡¯s heavy helmet, two groups of hot flames lit up as he continued to recite his oath in a frantic tone: ¡°The words I speak become the law, I tolerate no dissent! I shall conquer and rule with an iron fist, meting out the severest of punishments to those who resist!¡± Another slash that sealed all his escape routes came hurtling towards him, Lancelot clenched his teeth and once again waved Frostslash to meet it. His opponent¡¯s momentum was at its peak, but not yet enough to crush him; he believed that if he could survive this burst from the enemy, victory would ultimately be his. However, the enemy once again displayed unexpected strength. At the moment their weapons were about to meet, some supernatural force caused his opponent¡¯s Greatsword to deviate impossibly, bypassing Lancelot¡¯s weapon at a bizarre angle and striking directly on his left shoulder. The ear-piercing noise of metal being torn asunder rang out; even the Mithril armor was powerless against that formidable Rune Greatsword. Lancelot cried out in pain, his body flipping backward, heavily crashing into a wall dozens of feet away. A ghastly wound appeared on the left side of his body, as if sawed open, beneath the armor was torn flesh, and he could even faintly see bones glistening with a jade-like luster. Just then, a surge of hopeful and vibrant energy suddenly erupted in the center of the battlefield. It was Alamir¡¯s Divine Art: Beacon of Hope. Despite still being in fear, he had managed to complete this concentration-required Divine Art undisturbed. Steadfast courage and optimistic belief infused every ally¡¯s heart, and the fear effect that had troubled them until now was lifted. The dwarf let out a roar and, like a madman, rammed his helmeted head into the hellhound that had been pestering him. After a teeth-gritting, rock-crushing crisp crack, Bruto pushed away the exploded head of the hound and then hurled his Magic Warhammer toward the hell knight; nearby, the half-elf Cursed Swordmaster, dragging a pike taller than herself, charged forward. The color of the pike turned completely dark, but underneath Tanya¡¯s white hair, her eyes burned with a fiery red glow. The hell knight was forced to abandon his original pursuit. With a swing of his greatsword, he knocked the dwarf¡¯s warhammer to the side; then, turning his swords around, he easily parried the incoming pike, while simultaneously lifting his right leg, encased in heavy greaves, and savagely kicked the half-elf back. But when the third, unanticipated attack came, the Demon Commander¡¯s defense was finally breached. Jing leaped out from an extremely hidden position and smashed her staff toward the back of the hell knight. Her strike was as fast as lightning, yet looked light and seemingly without much force. The enemy thought the same, deciding to rely on his sturdy armor to bear this blow as he had to deal with the more threatening attacks from the front. He soon paid the price for his recklessness. The fox girl¡¯s strike indeed wasn¡¯t very powerful, but it contained a unique technique exclusive to martial monks¡ªStunning Fist. Despite its name suggesting a fist, it could actually be triggered with any martial monk weapon. Once it hit, it would stun the opponent, rendering them unable to control their actions momentarily. After Jing¡¯s successful strike, though her body paused mid-air, her tail curled the iron-headed staff between the enemy¡¯s legs. The stunned Demon Commander had no idea what was happening, but in the next instant, his legs were subjected to forces pulling in opposite directions, forcing him to fall flat on his back. Worse still, the ground beside him suddenly cracked open, and countless thick vines burst forth, instantly binding his limbs firmly to the ground, while the dwarf and half-elf charged again. Bruto leaped high, slamming his newly returned warhammer onto the hell knight¡¯s knee, instantly bending the outward-protruding joint backwards, while the half-elf¡¯s Shadow Glaive split his wrist, chopping off the right hand that held the sword. This Holy Warrior who had sworn from the beginning to become a Conqueror and serve a certain archduke Demon really was very strong, but his biggest difference from Lancelot was that he recklessly sacrificed the lives of his subordinates, whereas Lancelot prioritized the safety of his companions in battle. It was these seemingly easily fear-controlled allies who forcibly ended what could have been a long duel, and made the outcome unquestionable. The Demon Commander struggled to lift his head, watching Lancelot approaching him. In just a few breaths, the wound originally open on his shoulder had closed up again, only the split helmet still proving he had indeed severely injured the other just moments before. ¡°Victor, do what you must, for deceit grants you that right,¡± the area knight said with an indifferent tone, as if feeling no pain at all, ¡°but I assure you, this will not be our final outcome.¡± ¡°You just spoke two vows of conquest,¡± Lancelot reached into his dimensional bag at his waist and drew out a beautifully sparkling short sword, ¡°but as I understand, Demons are particularly obsessed with the number three, so there must be one last vow of conquest. Tell me, what is it?¡± Chapter 678: 702: Spoils of War Chapter 678: Chapter 702: Spoils of War Upon hearing this, the Hell Knight¡¯s face changed, but his answer was still grim: ¡°Power is above all else; it is the foundation of rule. I must constantly become stronger to meet any challenge, for those who fail deserve a fate of destruction.¡± ¡°Thank you for your explanation,¡± Lancelot nodded, pressing the dagger against his opponent¡¯s throat, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve become the one being conquered, do you still think that oath is reasonable?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh heh, I indeed lost, but my ideals have not,¡± the Hell Knight let out a ghastly laugh, ¡°You¡¯ve won, so of course, you have the right to kill me, go on and do it quickly...¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯ve already made a pact with a certain Demon Archduke, haven¡¯t you? Once you die in battle, your soul will be reborn in the Nine Hells, becoming a true Demon, and you would even obtain a rather high status, correct?¡± Lancelot made a very small cut on the other¡¯s neck, then stood up and stepped back, ¡°What a pity, but I don¡¯t intend to give you what you wish for...¡± The vines binding the limbs all loosened, but the Hell Knight was no longer able to stand. A dimensional rift appeared above him from thin air, emitting a strong suction force that pulled the powerless Demon Commander into it. The rift closed, and with it, the battle came to an end. The remaining Demons included a Beard Demon and a Hellhound, but after the Elf Priest had released the Beacon of Hope, the survivors trapped in that building surged forth and quickly tore the enemy to shreds. ¡°Where was he sucked into?¡± the demon monkey girl asked in amazement, ¡°The smell coming from that rift... is very interesting...¡± ¡°A prison located on some upper-plane dimension. Sending him there is better for the Multiverse than simply killing him outright,¡± Lancelot said with a smile, putting away the dagger, ¡°I wonder if a few years locked up in an upper-plane might make that madman¡¯s mind a bit more normal.¡± ¡°Speaking of which... are you really mercenaries?¡± Tanya bent over to pick up the Rune Greatsword that had fallen to the ground; its previous owner¡¯s hand was still tightly gripping the hilt, which the Half-elf pried off one finger at a time, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for my spear, this piece of loot would have been taken away with him.¡± ¡°Because I already saw you chopping that hand off,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Bruto, how about you? Did you get the wallet?¡± ¡°Err... I don¡¯t know what happened, but suddenly I had an extra bag in my hand,¡± Bruto threw a heavy leather pouch to Lancelot, ¡°But speaking of which, why didn¡¯t you come to help me just now? That damn dog¡¯s drool stank to high hell!¡± ¡°Because I believed you could handle it, and indeed you did,¡± Lancelot replied with a smile to the Dwarf, stashing the bag directly into his Dimensional Bag; then turned to the demon monkey girl and Half-elf Cursed Swordmaster, explaining, ¡°Once we get back to Twin Bridges Town, we¡¯ll divide all the loot.¡± ¡°Alright then,¡± Tanya said indifferently, shrugging her shoulders and handing the Rune Greatsword to Lancelot, ¡°And this, can you use it?¡± From the fight just now, Lancelot was certain that it was a very fine Magic Weapon but as soon as he took the territory Knight¡¯s weapon in his hand, he felt a strong sense of dissonance. This sword seemed to demand that its holder be a heartless enforcer, with only a fixation on order and a deep hatred for chaos, with no room for pity or sympathy¡ªand Lancelot obviously did not meet a single criterion, even feeling as though he was being scorned by the weapon. He suddenly realized that Starlight Strike seemed to also have a preference for its users, it was just that he happened to meet the requirements, which was why he had never noticed before. If he were to place these two weapons together, would they communicate in some way that was beyond his comprehension? Starlight Strike, as a Divine Artifact, was extremely useful when chopping people down, but he wondered how it would fare in an argument... As Lancelot thought this, he stored the Rune Greatsword in his Dimensional Bag as well. At that moment, a seductive voice suddenly rang in everyone¡¯s ears: ¡°Oh! My noble knight, your gallantry in battle is truly enchanting! To repay this life-saving favor, I am willing to do anything...¡± Lancelot turned his head to find a provocative figure clad in black, tight-fitting leather approaching him¡ªit was the Succubus who had just been surrounded by a cluster of Tiflin commoners. Her walk was very distinctive, capable of twisting her waist and hips with great amplitude, oozing seductive intention. However, the impression Lancelot had of her was deeper due to her recent act of having a follower ¡®volunteer¡¯ to sacrifice himself. ¡°Get lost, Syrevey, he¡¯s mine.¡± Gayka, who had been nowhere to be seen since the battle started, suddenly popped up, extending her hand to hold Lancelot¡¯s arm, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the knight, your pitiful butt would definitely have...¡± ¡°I only agreed to escort you.¡± Lancelot seemingly casually stepped half a pace to the side, just enough to escape the reach of the Succubus, but also didn¡¯t show much favor to the other Succubus, ¡°Ladies, please excuse me, I need to have a few words with some warriors over there.¡± ¡°Hehe, of course, you go ahead...¡± Syrevey kept a sycophantic smile on her face, but as soon as Lancelot walked away, she immediately turned to her own kind with a malevolent smile, ¡°I told you, how could a tavern whore hook up with such a strong backer?¡± ¡°How interesting, a complete whore accusing someone else of being a prostitute.¡± Gayka retorted sarcastically, ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, Syrevey, don¡¯t use those little tricks on the knight...¡± ¡°Oh? It seems someone¡¯s charm has failed, hahaha!¡± The Succubus in the tight leather burst into a schadenfreude laugh, ¡°Just you watch...¡± Gayka pretended to be angry and turned away so as not to let the other see the cold smile on her face. The four Devilspawn looked at Lancelot approaching them with complicated expressions; their looks contained both jealousy and fear. But after all, this was a world where respect was earned through power. Those Beard Demons had almost led them to a dead-end, and yet this Human Knight slaughtered the Beard Demons as effortlessly as if he were killing chickens. Such absolute power forced them to show respect. ¡°You fought well just now.¡± Lancelot began without any airs, his tone even, ¡°Can you introduce yourselves? And how did you survive the slaughter last night?¡± ¡°We thank you for your help, Sir. We are the four brothers of the Carrion Family; you¡¯ve already met our mother. The Carrion Family is the best producer of hallucinogens in this city, and those Tiflin are our... employees,¡± the most muscular and grim-looking one among the Devilspawn replied. ¡°When the city fell, we happened to be in a secret room, plotting how to get rid of our competitors. Obviously, the Demons did us the favor directly; if it wasn¡¯t for them also killing all the customers, we would have thanked them properly...¡± Chapter 679: 703: Demon God Temple Chapter 679: Chapter 703: Demon God Temple Lancelot didn¡¯t get any valuable new intelligence from these survivors, but they did like the idea of seeking refuge in the Temple of Lord Wu¡¯an. The group dealt with the enemy corpses in a rudimentary way, slightly concealing the traces of battle, and then hurriedly left. The size of the team had doubled in an instant, naturally increasing the risk of being discovered, but the situation Lancelot was worried about did not occur. The Hell Generals probably believed that the massacre had eliminated most of the threat and that one or two fish slipping through the net were not to be feared. Furthermore, with the Demon coalition army outside the city looking poised for a strong offensive, they had pulled all their forces to block the city gates. The main purpose of the Volcano Fortress was military, and its interior was less than half the size of Twin Bridges Town; roughly twenty minutes later, the group arrived at the Temple dedicated to the worship of ¡®Lord Wu¡¯an¡¯ Grazzt. Unlike other bigwigs in the Abyss, Grazzt paid very close attention to the material plane, often providing mortals with dark assistance or guidance and demanding their service and payback in return. Of course, in the material plane, worshipping an Abyssal Lord is inevitably a very covert activity, but there are no such constraints in the lower planes, and the former owner of the Volcano Fortress, Visuvius, was a subordinate of Grazzt, making the faith in Lord Wu¡¯an tantamount to a state religion there. Of course, as a demon, the temple of Lord Wu¡¯an naturally had nothing to do with words such as solemn, austere, or sacred. Lancelot realized this at first glance of the temple. It was a gigantic structure built of obsidian, shimmering with a dark light, its front shaped very much like the lower body of a woman with legs spread. The entrance door had been smashed by Demon doors, but Lancelot could easily imagine its originally wrinkled door frame. Passing through that desecrated entrance, everyone entered an even more bizarre space. Clearly, a great fire had just raged here, with the temple¡¯s interior furnishings charred black, but from the shattered crystal chandeliers on the floor, the shadows of square painting frames on the walls, and the charred remnants of sofas that only the frames remained of, it was still evident that the decorations here were once extremely luxurious. The only thing not destroyed by the fire was the Obsidian statues that could be seen everywhere, most of which depicted blush-inducing lovemaking scenes. But upon closer inspection, one could find unsettling details in these statues concerning the number of participants, races, genders, and instruments. ¡°This place is really not bad.¡± The Elf Priest gave an unexpected appraisal, ¡°Just from an artistic standpoint, those statues are very exquisite...¡± ¡°Damn, Elves, I never noticed how twisted you were before!¡± Bruto¡¯s face scrunched up like a mop upon hearing this, ¡°Don¡¯t forget you¡¯re a Priest of Shuni!¡± ¡°The core tenets of Lady Flame include the appreciation of beauty and art.¡± Alamir shrugged his shoulders, ¡°Even though the content they exhibit is somewhat heavy, they are just exquisite statues, you can¡¯t deny the emotions invested into them by their creators. Of course, they do indeed... display some very private desires.¡± ¡°How does Shuni view desires?¡± Lancelot became curious upon hearing this, ¡°Are all desires acceptable in the eyes of the Lady of Passion?¡± ¡°First of all, the Goddess doesn¡¯t believe there is a distinction between good and evil in desires. If you can satisfy your desires in a harmless way and without going against the will of others, then there¡¯s no problem,¡± Alamir explained seriously, ¡°In fact, desire is one of the most important sources of art. Without desire, art would be dull and mechanical. The birth of great works is always driven by desire, as priests of Shuni, we can appreciate any form of art and find pleasure in expressions that are either delicate, rough, frank, or abstract.¡± ¡°Nice words,¡± Bruto snorted by the side. ¡°Why can¡¯t you appreciate the way I look with the Transformation Ring on?¡± ¡°...Goddess above,¡± Alamir said with a forlorn expression, ¡°I beg of you to grant me a pair of eyes that have never witnessed that scene.¡± Atop the central dais of the great hall, there lay a Serpentine Greatsword embedded in a stone base. Lancelot guessed it was the altar symbolizing Lord Wu¡¯an, but at the moment, a complete human skin, seemingly peeled from a Succubus, was draped over it, an act that had clearly ¡®desecrated¡¯ the altar. Generally, purifying an altar would usually result in blessings from the symbolized entity, but Lancelot certainly wasn¡¯t mad enough to purify the altar of an Abyssal Lord. In fact, just by approaching the Serpentine Greatsword, he had felt an intense discomfort, as if his skin were cracking and his bones becoming fragile. Any injury sustained in this environment would be magnified. Fortunately, there were no enemies present, and after wreaking havoc, the Demons left contentedly. Gayka seemed quite familiar with this place. She walked up to the desecrated altar, turned a candlestick on its base, then pressed it downward. A low rumble emitted from some concealed mechanism beneath the floor, and a stone wall with a crucified Angel relief split open to reveal a secret chamber hidden behind. ¡°Ah, a temple of an Abyssal Lord, how could it not have a secret chamber,¡± Bruto crossed his arms and stepped into the secret room with everyone else, only to jump up like a startled cat the next second. ¡°Moradin above, what in the world is that!¡± Not just Bruto, the expression on almost everyone¡¯s face was unsightly. In the center of the secret chamber, atop a large bed, there was a skinned, bloody female corpse. The horns on the skull, bat-like wings on the back, and backward-bent legs indicated the deceased was a Succubus, likely the source of the skin draped on the altar. ¡°Ah, seeing this scene really is infuriating,¡± the mother of the Carrions lamented, ¡°We Tanari can¡¯t match the skinning skills of the Bartez... But if Klaira¡¯s body is here, does it mean they haven¡¯t found the entrance to the underground palace?¡± ¡°Another secret door?¡± Bruto asked with a twisted face. ¡°Aren¡¯t we already in a secret chamber...¡± ¡°Of course, this secret room is just a decoy, even filled with some cheap jewels to increase its credibility, causing intruders to think they¡¯ve discovered all the secrets,¡± Gayka said, lifting the bedsheet expertly, searching for some mechanism underneath the corpse, ¡°I¡¯m worried the Demons might come back, so I didn¡¯t move Klaira¡¯s body, keeping everything as is... Ha! Found it! Stand back, everyone, the bed is going to rise...¡± Chapter 680: 704: The Underground Palace Chapter 680: Chapter 704: The Underground Palace (Post now, edit later) A deep rumbling sound reverberated, much louder than the one before. The large bed holding the flayed female corpse slowly rose, and only when it almost touched the ceiling did a dark hole of an entrance reveal itself. Lancelot raised an eyebrow, for a considerable length of the column below the bed was solid, so even with his Spirit Perception, he had sensed something odd but had not discovered the existence of an underground passage beneath. ¡°The true temple of Lord Wu¡¯an, the master of forbidden pleasures, lies below,¡± Syrevey Cullion explained enthusiastically as they walked down the spiraling staircase in the secret passage, ¡°Under different circumstances, your visit here would leave a profound impression. Usually, this place is only open to devotees who have made significant contributions to the cause of Lord Wu¡¯an, allowing their most intense desires and cravings to be satisfied, experiencing pleasures they never dared to dream of... Of course, some ¡®products¡¯ created by our family can achieve a similar effect. Would you be interested in trying them, Sir?¡± Lancelot abruptly halted his steps and stared at the succubus with an icy gaze. ¡°Let me make myself perfectly clear,¡± his voice suddenly turned extremely sinister, ¡°Your last remark was a grave provocation. We both know that once you control a person¡¯s desires, you essentially enslave them. If you or any of my companions were to come into contact with any of those products of yours, I assure you I will make your death a thousand times more painful than that of the female corpse above your head. Do you understand?¡± The matriarch of the Carrion family opened her mouth, but only a husky whine came out, as the killing intent radiating from the human knight was too strong, as if an icy claw was squeezing her heart, preventing her from uttering even half a word. And it wasn¡¯t just her¡ªeveryone around was in a similar state, as if the air itself had solidified. Fortunately, this only lasted a few breaths as Lancelot closed his eyes and suppressed the boiling killing intent within him, and the atmosphere returned to normal. ¡°I... I am very sorry...¡± Syrevey struggled to squeeze a few words from her throat and shrank back, while Lancelot¡¯s gaze followed the curvaceous figure, with a look that had nothing to do with admiration. ¡°Ahem.¡± Another succubus spoke up to break the silence, using an absolutely serious tone that had nothing to do with schadenfreude, ¡°Sir, let us continue onward, the person you¡¯re looking for is down below...¡± The group moved forward, and after descending for nearly a minute, the light of an exit finally appeared ahead. Contrary to Lancelot¡¯s initial guess, the atmosphere in Grazzt¡¯s temple basement was not oppressive, and it did not give off an overtly evil first impression. This secret area, with more than fifteen feet of headroom, felt unusually spacious, and the air was filled with a faint, comfortable fragrance, almost enough to make one forget they were in the Abyssal Plane. There were sofas, daybeds, and rocking chairs placed on the thick carpet, each piece of furniture looked luxurious and comfortable enough to make one fantasize about the touch of resting upon them; deep black velvet that hung from the ceiling could easily create a private space, with its purpose being obvious. Walls and ceilings were all painted a pale gold color, adorned with intricate silver patterns that gleamed under the flickering candlelight, and the many large oil paintings and sculptures of half-human height that lined the walls added to the opulence, making it seem almost like a palace. However, despite the pleasing first impression, there was still an inexplicable sense of dissonance. This feeling came partly from the Tiflings with antlers and tails resting on sofas and daybeds, partly from their shocked and guarded glances towards Lancelot, but most of all from the artworks that enhanced the decorum of the surroundings. As soon as one¡¯s gaze lingered on those paintings and statues, it became immediately clear that they all share a common theme: each depicted a demon with dark skin, six-fingered hands, and a crown-shaped pair of antlers on its head being involved in some deed or another. In some paintings, he held the serpentine greatsword, his gaze fierce and intimidating as if he were about to crush an army¡¯s commander; others showed him surrounded by a horde of beautiful female creatures, each one¡¯s gaze filled with adoration and worship; some portrayed him standing with one foot atop an angel, poised to thrust his weapon into the enemy beneath; yet others had him smiling with open arms, as if about to embrace the viewer, the creator capturing his well-muscled body and sharply defined features with great allure. In Lancelot¡¯s mind, even the most narcissistic of monarchs would not decorate a room in this manner, and even deities might struggle to accept such superficial worship of themselves. But perhaps this explained the scene before him: although Grazzt¡¯s power reached the level of a true god, he was not a deity. However, following the principles explained by Alamir to Lancelot, if enough people believed he was, then perhaps Lord Wu¡¯an really did have the potential to ascend to godhood. ¡°Gayka!¡± Just as Lancelot was sizing up his surroundings, a few somewhat childish voices reached his ears. He turned his head and saw a group of children running towards them. Most of these children were not even as tall as his thighs, including Cambions and Tiflins, as well as downright Succubus girls. They surrounded Gayka, who had just emerged from the passage, chattering nonstop. ¡°Gayka, you¡¯ve been gone for so long! I¡¯m so hungry I¡¯m flat!¡± ¡°Sherlock said you must have been killed by a demon, and I gave him a good beating, knocked out two of his teeth! Did I do good?¡± ¡°Did you find my mom? Where is she now? Why hasn¡¯t she come for me yet?¡± ¡°How much longer do we have to stay here? I want out! I want to see a battle!¡± Lancelot looked at Gayka with some surprise. She shook the bag full of food in her hand at him and then squatted down, soothing the children who were becoming increasingly restless for her attention. ¡°Xeko, just wait a second, the food will be ready soon...¡± ¡°Sherlock was almost right, but luckily Sir here saved me. Let me see your fists, not bad, they¡¯re getting stronger...¡± ¡°Rigi, your mom said she¡¯s left you in my care, so from now on, I¡¯m your mom...¡± ¡°Be patient, Feld, we have to stay here a bit longer... Have you seen Miller? Or his two sisters? Go and find them for me...¡± ¡°As for you, Sir, the person you¡¯re looking for is in that room.¡± Gayka looked at Lancelot as if he was the last child that needed reassurance, ¡°Good luck. Did I ever tell you she has quite the quirky temper?¡± Chapter 681: 705 Chapter 681: 705 (Post first, revise later) ¡°Thank you,¡± Lancelot nodded to her, unable to help himself he asked, ¡°These children...¡± ¡°We succubi can reproduce, but children are pure burdens. Most people lose interest in these little ones within days or months, leaving them to fend for themselves,¡± Gayka said as she picked up the smallest succubus girl, ¡°Dors, come and say hello to this knight sir. He¡¯s a very strong hero, you know. He can kill those big-bearded terrifying demons with a single sword!¡± ¡°Wow, you must be such a wicked ass!¡± exclaimed the girl, not even three feet tall, her eyes wide with amazement, ¡°When I grow up a little more, I¡¯d be willing to do you for free, mmm mmm mmm...¡± ¡°Shut up, you little bitch, you¡¯re just supposed to say hello, not blurt out your wishes!¡± Gayka covered the little succubus¡¯s mouth with her hand, flashing an embarrassed smile at Lancelot, ¡°You see, these little ones really are quite a nuisance...¡± ¡°Why do you do this?¡± Lancelot¡¯s expression softened, ¡°Even risking your life to find food for them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all for profit, of course. It can¡¯t be out of compassion or pity, right?¡± Gayka shrugged theatrically at Lancelot, ¡°When these kids are big enough, they¡¯ll receive clients in my tavern, and I¡¯ll take a cut of the earnings...¡± ¡°You said you work at the tavern.¡± ¡°Being the boss is still work. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°No. What about Anastasia? Is she your partner?¡± ¡°She¡¯s also one I¡¯ve raised. I was very unhappy about her marrying that cripple. Why should that cripple get away without paying just because they exchanged a few totally insignificant vows? That cost me a good deal of income...¡± The succubus frowned in dissatisfaction, ¡°What¡¯s worse, those two fools actually got killed by demons, now I won¡¯t even have the chance to call her stupid anymore.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°But now that your tavern has been destroyed, what do you plan to do next?¡± ¡°First, see if I can survive,¡± Gayka said with a bitter smile, ¡°I hope you can get the information you want from Irina, and send those damned demons back to their home in Barto Hell as soon as possible. If you need any help, you can come to me anytime. Even if you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°I understand, thank you.¡± Lancelot bowed politely and headed with his partners towards the door indicated by the succubus. As they crossed the hall, the refugees seated on the sofas and couches quickly jumped up to make way, as if afraid Lancelot and his companions would find an excuse to extort them. Their concern was not unfounded; just a moment ago, the madam of the Carrion family had deliberately bumped into someone, and that extravagantly dressed person, upon seeing four Devilspawn with fresh blood on them, immediately took off two gemstone rings as an apology. However, Syrevey did not dare linger in Lancelot¡¯s sight for long, and with his followers, he hastily disappeared behind another door. Circling around the randomly placed furniture took the group some time, and at the end of the hall, there was another spiral staircase leading downward. This staircase was not nearly as long as the one they had just descended; they could see the light at the bottom exit as soon as they entered. The second underground level of the temple appeared much more simplistic, with a ceiling height of less than ten feet and both the floor and the walls paved with plain stone tiles. Magic lanterns suspended from the ceiling cast a dim blue light in all directions. Directly in front of the staircase exit was a corridor with many opened rooms on both sides, filled with a variety of torture devices, designed to bind a person in various painful postures. However, Lancelot¡¯s intuition told him the purpose of those devices was not solely for tormenting. At the end of the corridor, a large metal door was firmly closed, but Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception told him there was indeed a familiar scent belonging to a succubus just beyond the door. Lancelot raised his arm and politely knocked on the door with his forefinger, which was wrapped behind metal gauntlets. The crisp sound of the metal hitting echoed, and from that sound, Lancelot could discern that there was quite a spacious area beyond the portal. ¡°Who¡¯s outside?¡± a deep, raspy, lifeless-sounding female voice asked in the curiously accented language of the Abyss. ¡°A human.¡± Lancelot turned to glance at his companions, ¡°And a dwarf, an elf, a half-elf, and one more...¡± ¡°A shape-shifter!¡± ¡°Yes, a shape-shifter, or a monkey-man,¡± Lancelot shrugged toward the firmly closed gate, ¡°We are mercenaries hired by Twin Bridges Town, seeking to infiltrate the Flame Palace secretly; perhaps you could offer us some assistance.¡± ¡°...Who sent you?¡± ¡°Generals of the Demon Coalition, including your... lover, ¡®Destruction Flame¡¯ Visuvius.¡± A harsh metallic scraping noise followed, and the large door slowly rose upwards. The group stepped forward, quickly realizing they were at the bottom of a small-sized arena, with only a solitary figure in the spectator stands. At first glance, one might mistake that extremely beautiful figure as an embodiment of purity and grace, but at least Lancelot, Bruto, and Alamir could never mistake the creature for anything else¡ªa Enruiyesi, also known as succubus, whose ancestors had been Battle Angels tainted in combat with demons, and who, after being ostracized by their former comrades, followed their leader Asmodis to the place later to be known as Barto Hell. Not long after arriving in the Abyss, Lancelot had seen these beautiful Fiends and even had a confrontation with one of them. The succubus before him was quite different from the ones he had seen before. First of all, her wings were not black. Near the shoulders, they were a deep red resembling dried blood, then gradually lightening, turning a fiery orange-red at the tips. Secondly, she was not clad in full Plate Armor; instead, her lithe figure was wrapped in an almost transparent veil; she did not wear the signature horned helmet, leaving her messy, curly dark red hair to cascade over her bare shoulders. Most importantly, her eyes did not blaze with the angry flames that had left an indelible impression on Lancelot from her kin. ¡°Greetings, noble Enruiyesi,¡± Lancelot bowed courteously, ¡°May I ask if you are Madam Irina?¡± ¡°By the Nine Hells, the scent of blood on you is truly overwhelming,¡± the Fallen Angel rose from a reclined position, frowning at Lancelot, ¡°How many demons have you killed in the past week?¡± ¡°Not too many,¡± Lancelot scratched his head, feeling slightly guilty, ¡°In the heat of battle, it¡¯s hard to keep track.¡± ¡°It must be at least several hundred if not a thousand, you smell exactly like my so-called ¡®lover¡¯ when he returns from a campaign,¡± Irina¡¯s tone grew progressively colder, ¡°Every time I smell this odor, I feel like cutting off Visuvius¡¯s head and spitting a few times into that hollow shell.¡± Chapter 682: 706: Three Desires Chapter 682: Chapter 706: Three Desires Lancelot and his companions exchanged surprised glances. The attitude of the succubus named Ilina towards Visuvius seemed somewhat different from the rumors. ¡°We are mercenaries, fighting is our job.¡± Lancelot chose his words carefully, due to the ambiguous attitude of the other party, working hard to keep the conversation going. ¡°Surely, you are aware this place is the Abyss, where demons killed in battle do not truly die but resurrect in their native plane...¡± ¡°Hmph, sending a demon back to Barto Hell in that manner is not much better than actually killing them.¡± The succubus rolled her head around in boredom, ¡°But you are correct, in war you either kill the enemy or get killed by the enemy. It¡¯s not your fault that my kin failed to kill you.¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± Lancelot let out a slight breath of relief, ¡°Before we came, we¡¯d heard that Lord Destruction Flame was very fond of you...Maybe that is just what people perceive?¡± ¡°Appearances? Are you questioning me?¡± The fallen angel sat up straight, showing off her impressive figure and delicate features to the people below, ¡°Tell me, what have you seen?¡± ¡°Your beauty is beyond reproach.¡± Lancelot admitted generously, ¡°I mean, your view of Visuvius may differ from what people believe.¡± ¡°Hmph, in the great eyes of Destruction Flame, I am a beautiful, shiny, unique trophy, something to flaunt his achievements and power. With just a little more pandering, that egomaniac would obviously like me all the more...¡± ¡°But as I understand...¡± Lancelot crossed his arms in front of his chest, ¡°Visuvius later had nearly no restrictions on you, if you wanted to escape, there seemed to be plenty of opportunities.¡± ¡°I have my reasons for staying, and they are none of your business.¡± The succubus glared at Lancelot coldly, then stood up from her seat. Suddenly, she emitted an imposing aura. The previously seen despondency and negativity had vanished, replaced by an aggressive fighting spirit, as if she had transformed into a gleaming longsword. ¡°Let me guess your intention in seeking me out... Is it to ask how to infiltrate the Flame Palace to destroy the defensive formation submerged in the Lava Lake?¡± The succubus flapped her wings, leaping from the spectator¡¯s seat into the center of the arena, ¡°Too few demons have made it into the city. Once that formation is broken, with the current numbers, it will be impossible to withstand the demons¡¯ assault...¡± ¡°It appears you have foreseen this.¡± Lancelot spoke slowly, ¡°If you are willing to help us...¡± ¡°I am not.¡± Irina refused him bluntly, ¡°Helping you holds no benefit for me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°You didn¡¯t leave when you had the chance to escape, and after the city was besieged, you didn¡¯t seek out your own kind. May I assume, the demons who breached the Volcano Fortress are not your friends?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± The succubus¡¯s lips curled with a mocking smile, ¡°You have no idea how brutal demons can be towards ¡®fallen¡¯ kin... especially when the fallen one is an Enreyes.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why not help the alliance reclaim the Volcano Fortress?¡± Lancelot spread his hands earnestly, ¡°Although it¡¯s unlikely the demons will find this place for now, if the city remains in their hands, you will eventually be captured.¡± ¡°So what if I am?¡± The succubus stood in front of Lancelot, looking directly into the human knight¡¯s eyes, ¡°Helping you holds no benefit for me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lancelot finally understood her implication, ¡°What do we need to do for you to be willing to help?¡± ¡°This is the correct attitude when asking for help,¡± the Demon of Desire said with a weird smile, turning to walk to one side. She continued, ¡°Satisfy my three desires, and I¡¯ll give you the information you seek. How does that sound?¡± ¡°Desires?¡± Lancelot and his companions exchanged glances. ¡°What kind of desires?¡± ¡°Desires I can¡¯t satisfy in this city,¡± Irina replied as she patted a giant weapon rack in the corner, which was filled with various training weapons. ¡°What do you prefer? A hand-and-a-half sword?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Lancelot nodded, catching the weapon thrown to him. ¡°So the first challenge is to defeat you, right?¡± ¡°Not necessarily. It¡¯ll count if you make me happy with the fight,¡± the Demon of Desire shrugged and adopted a battle stance. ¡°But if you die before I¡¯m satisfied, then I¡¯ll kill your companions one by one until I¡¯m content. If anyone is still alive at that point, I¡¯ll tell them what my second desire is.¡± ¡°You!¡± Bruto couldn¡¯t hold back and a warhammer appeared in the Dwarf¡¯s hands. ¡°Big brother, let¡¯s take her on together, and after she¡¯s beaten down, we¡¯ll see if she talks!¡± The others also drew their weapons, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense. Lancelot opened his left hand and pressed down in the air, a gesture for everyone to relax. ¡°I want to challenge her alone. Bruto, Alamir, you must remember that I once had an encounter with Enruiyesi. That was pure luck that I barely escaped,¡± he tapped the heavy blunt sword with his heel, placing it on his shoulder. ¡°Although it didn¡¯t become a psychological shadow for me, I keep recalling the fight, thinking about whether there was a better choice for a certain attack or a defense...¡± ¡°Big brother, no need to say more, I understand,¡± Bruto put away his hammer and turned to walk towards the stands. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ll just enjoy the show from up there!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Lancelot nodded to his companions, then turned to look at the Demon of Desire dozens of feet away and said in a polite tone, ¡°Ladies first, please begin.¡± The impatient Demon of Desire answered with an attack. With a light leap, she jumped more than ten feet into the air and with a flap of her wings, pounced like a cheetah leaping from a tree. Lancelot was familiar with this signature dive-bombing attack. Back then, the Demon used this strategy repeatedly to charge at him, and due to his lack of strength, he would be overwhelmed in the subsequent changes of the assault, even getting hit so hard that he spat blood. But times have changed! Facing the Demon¡¯s stunning blow, Lancelot stood his ground firmly. A moderate amount of True Yuan flowed from his Dantian into his meridians, and the blunt sword in his hand traced a near complete counterclockwise arc before crashing with a loud boom against the enemy¡¯s weapon. The force of the Human Knight¡¯s sword obviously exceeded the Demon¡¯s expectations. She shook violently in the air, while the Human Knight had already rotated his sword and stabbed again at her abdomen. The speed of this thrust was so fast that the Demon had no time to defend and could only struggle to twist her body aside. At that moment, an unexpected change occurred. The Human Knight¡¯s thrust clearly missed, but his body followed the momentum and leapt up, letting go of the sword, allowing it to skewer the ceiling. Irina was startled by his strange behavior, but her complexion changed dramatically the next second¡ª An icy iron hand had already grabbed her ankle, followed by an immense force she couldn¡¯t resist. Chapter 683: 707 I Want to Eat Meat Chapter 683: Chapter 707 I Want to Eat Meat Speaking of which, Tijana and her group of maidservants¡¯ combat style was clearly closer to Enreyes, rather than other Succubi. They rejected the hedonism pursued by their kind and invested a vast amount of time into tedious training, strenuously developing muscles capable of fighting in heavy armor, as well as swordsmanship that would allow them to hold their own in the Abyss. Of course, most Succubi from Twin Bridges Town could still not compete with an Enreyes, but Tijana was definitely not one of those, and as her favorite practice opponent, Lancelot had amassed quite a bit of experience in dealing with these agile, winged humanoids. A very useful method was: to grab any part of their body and swing with all your might. Lancelot didn¡¯t even try to reach for the other leg; he knew he needed to be quick enough to slam his opponent into the floor, wall, or any hard surface before the counterattack came. But the succubus whose ankle he had grabbed didn¡¯t have this kind of experience and reacted just a little too slow¡ªreally only a bit, less than a fifth of a heartbeat, but that was enough to decide the outcome. The succubus¡¯s beautiful body was harshly thrown to the ground, making a sound akin to that of a slap. But it wasn¡¯t over; Lancelot¡¯s waist twisted like a waterwheel, flipping his opponent over his head, then slamming her on the other side of his body, and repeated the action as if he were a blacksmith and the succubus his iron hammer. Irina initially tried to fight back with her sword, but repeated impacts made all her strikes hit nothing but air. When her back hit the ground for the seventh time, she could no longer hold onto her sword¡¯s handle and let the weapon slip from her grasp. Lancelot showed no mercy, continuing to slam the succubus to the floor over and over, even after she had been disarmed. It was only when his opponent¡¯s body completely lost its strength, limp as a bag filled with soybeans, that he stopped and lifted the still devil. ¡°She¡¯s not dead, right?¡± Bruto¡¯s voice came from the stands, ¡°Big brother, you wouldn¡¯t accidentally... ¡°Of course not,¡± Lancelot said, cradling the near-death succubus in his arms, turning to walk towards his companions, ¡°Alamir, I need you to infuse some life energy into her...¡± ¡°Ah, these Enruiyesi are truly beautiful,¡± the Elf Priest sighed, ¡°especially when unconscious.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Lancelot placed Irina in a seat and turned to watch Alamir summon a stream of life energy with hand gestures, long spells, and a shield bearing Shuni¡¯s emblem, slowly infusing it into the succubus¡¯s body. ¡°You took a bit long with that prayer,¡± Bruto critically commented, ¡°Did you get the words wrong?¡± ¡°After all, she¡¯s a demon,¡± the Elf Priest protested, looking quite aggrieved, ¡°I had to explain the situation to the Goddess; even the simplest healing spell wouldn¡¯t come out if the Lady of Fire¡¯s not willing...¡± ¡°Are you telling me, every spell cast by a Priest needs personal approval from the Deities?¡± the Dwarf asked in amazement, ¡°Can They... handle that?¡± ¡°They¡¯re Deities,¡± Alamir replied with a mix of laughter and resignation, ¡°Of course, They can do things we mere mortals cannot...¡± ¡°......hmm...uhm...¡± As the Elf and Dwarf discussed the capabilities of the divine, the unconscious Irina finally began to open her eyes slowly. She tried to jump away like a startled cat but was forced to stop because of a hurt muscle. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± Lancelot, who had already caught his breath, said in a gentle tone, ¡°Feeling better?¡± ¡°Damn, how could you fight like that?¡± Irina grimaced, sitting up, ¡°And to be so skilled at it?¡± ¡°Because I have a wealth of experience,¡± Lancelot said with a slight smile, ¡°So, have your cravings for battle been satisfied?¡± ¡°Ah, at least for the short term, I don¡¯t want to fight anymore,¡± Irina rubbed her face, which, surprisingly, had not taken any hits, improving her mood by quite a bit, ¡°Well then, my second desire is... hunger!¡± ¡°Fantastic,¡± the Dwarf muttered to the Elf, ¡°I¡¯ve already guessed what the third desire is.¡± Alamir slyly ticked an eyebrow at him. ¡°Appetite, huh...¡± Lancelot Morassa stroked his chin, ¡°Thus, it seems about time for a meal. Do you have any special requests?¡± ¡°Of course, I want meat. And not the kind that goes ¡®baa¡¯, ¡®woof¡¯, or ¡®meow¡¯. I want the flesh of a wise creature, the kind that begs for mercy non-stop, you understand what I mean? Of course, it can¡¯t be Bartez¡¯s meat, I haven¡¯t fallen so low... and Tanari¡¯s stinking flesh won¡¯t do either. If you truly can¡¯t find anything better, Tiflin¡¯s young would do in a pinch, as their meat is quite tender.¡± The companions exchanged shocked glances, unable to hide their disgust. Indeed, they carried some dry food in their backpacks, including some decent jerky, but none that met the Demon¡¯s demands. The only one whose expression didn¡¯t change was Lancelot, who watched the other¡¯s eyes and asked gravely: ¡°A piece of flesh from a wise creature, not Fiends, and if they have Fiend blood, it must be a cub... Did I understand that correctly?¡± ¡°There¡¯s one more thing, that wise creature must already be dead, don¡¯t think about cutting a piece off yourself...¡± ¡°I have no such plan. Do you have any requests for how it¡¯s cooked? Would you like it grilled, fried, boiled, or steamed?¡± ¡°Whatever suits you,¡± the Succubus revealed an evil smile, ¡°but the more pain the prey suffers at death, the better their flesh tastes...¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Where¡¯s the kitchen?¡± ¡°Go out from where you came in, it¡¯s the third room on the right.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Lancelot patted his bottom and stood up, ¡°You won¡¯t wait too long, Madame.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°What an evil bitch,¡± Bruto complained indignantly once they were outside the Arena¡¯s door, ¡°Big brother, what do we do now? Do we just bypass the lava moat directly, or turn back and give that Succubus a good beating?¡± ¡°No need for either,¡± Lancelot shrugged and pushed open the door that Irina had mentioned, finding indeed a kitchen, ¡°We already have the ingredient she wants, just cook it up and bring it to her.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Bruto scratched his fuzzy head vigorously, ¡°When did you kill a Tiflin child?¡± ¡°I would never do such a thing!¡± Lancelot rolled his eyes, ¡°Do I need to remind you again? What¡¯s the best barbecue you¡¯ve ever had till now?¡± ¡°Of course, coming back from the Iron Ice Plains...¡± The Dwarf¡¯s eyes widened with sudden delight, ¡°Ah! I know, White Dragon meat!¡± ¡°What?¡± Tanya and Jingqi cried out in unison, ¡°How do you have White Dragon meat?¡± ¡°Because we killed a White Dragon, actually, just last week,¡± Lancelot shrugged again, turning to the Elf Priest, ¡°The Succubus¡¯ second desire shouldn¡¯t be a big problem, what worries me is what she might ask for next...¡± ¡°If the Succubus really makes such a request...¡± Alamir tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, ¡°then leave it confidently to a professional like me. Making sacrifices for the team is a very noble act, the Goddess will surely support me!¡± Chapter 684: 708: Shunis Servant Chapter 684: Chapter 708: Shuni¡¯s Servant ¡°What is this?¡± the Fiend looked at the plate in front of her with a dubious expression, ¡°It smells very... interesting.¡± The huge platter (which was the original dinnerware in that kitchen) contained more than a dozen kebabs, with skewers as thick as fingers, and each skewer was pierced with several palm-sized pieces of steak, their oily surfaces shimmering and their tantalizing aroma, making them look particularly enticing. ¡°Just eat it,¡± Bruto said rudely as he grabbed a skewer, ¡°It will definitely meet all your requirements...¡± Not just Bruto, but everyone started to dig in, seeing them relishing their food so heartily, the Fiend finally couldn¡¯t resist the temptation of the delicious flavors and also grabbed a skewer, and after a moment¡¯s hesitation, finally took a bite. ¡°What on earth is this...¡± Her eyes immediately widened, ¡°This is so good!¡± The texture of the meat was unlike any other meat Irina had ever tasted, although it was cooked by roasting, but after biting through the thin and crispy surface, the inner texture was surprisingly soft like marshmallow, and with a light press of the tongue, the evenly distributed fat within the muscle fibers could be squeezed out, the sensation like chocolate melting in the mouth. What was more special was that there was a distinct flavor within the meat, which made it completely devoid of any greasy taste; once the Fiend started, she simply couldn¡¯t stop, and after eating three skewers, she suddenly realized that there was no more room in her stomach, and except for her, even the fastest-eating demon monkey girl had just started on her third skewer, while the slower Dwarf was still wrestling with his second. ¡°It looks like you really enjoy it,¡± Lancelot said with a smile, leisurely enjoying his own portion, ¡°What do you think, are your appetites satisfied now?¡± ¡°Satisfied, burp,¡± the Fiend¡¯s face showed an embarrassed expression, ¡°What exactly did I just eat...¡± ¡°The meat of an adult White Dragon, which I personally killed,¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, ¡°This powerful and beautiful creature undoubtedly had intelligence and not a trace of Fiend blood, and of course, it fought fiercely without any hint of begging for mercy right until it was killed, which is the only part that doesn¡¯t meet your requirements. However, it seems that wasn¡¯t a necessary condition for your satisfaction.¡± ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s not,¡± Irina said longingly, glancing at the plate where two skewers remained, knowing she could eat no more, ¡°Who would have thought that I would have a chance to taste dragon meat, in Aphnas, that would be absolutely impossible...¡± ¡°Why?¡± Lancelot put the finished skewer back on the plate, ¡°Because of the Dragon Queen with five heads?¡± ¡°Yes, the Dragon Queen was once an ally of the Archduke; any attack on Dragons was prohibited unless you could ensure you wouldn¡¯t get caught...¡± ¡°Once?¡± Lancelot asked casually, ¡°You¡¯re talking about Bael, right? Zariel doesn¡¯t seem to get along with Tiamat, and there are no Dragons at all among the demonic forces that invaded the Abyss this time.¡± ¡°Of course, ever since...¡± The Fiend¡¯s expression suddenly froze, feeling she might have said too much and subtly changed the subject, ¡°Ever since I was captured by Visuvius, a lot must have happened that I¡¯m unaware of. The politics of the Nine Hells are like that, always changing; even two Archdukes who appear to be allies on the surface may well be fighting bitterly behind the scenes.¡± ¡°Is that so,¡± Lancelot continued naturally, ¡°this plane is quite the opposite, where almost any two Abyssal Lords can be assumed to be enemies. They only join forces against greater external threats, and as soon as the threat disappears, they immediately start fighting bitterly again over the division of spoils.¡± ¡°Hmph, such a bunch of incurable idiots...¡± Irina stood up, ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve satisfied two of my desires, only the last one remains.¡± Lancelot looked up, his gaze calm, and said firmly: ¡°Please give your orders,¡± ¡°Visuvius¡¯s love for battle and slaughter eclipses all else, in some ways, it¡¯s a very pure idiot.¡± The succubus began to untie the knot holding her semi-transparent robe, ¡°In this damned castle, everyone fears it, dreads it, and thus, they also fear me, not daring to come any closer... Extinguish the flames of desire in this body, that will be your final test.¡± Lancelot lowered his gaze, remaining seated, while Alamir beside him stood up and politely bowed to the fallen angel. ¡°I would be pleased to serve you, Madam,¡± the elf spoke softly, his voice sounding more magnetic than usual, ¡°From the very first moment I saw you, your beauty stunned me...¡± ¡°You?¡± The succubus turned to look at Alamir, unable to avert her gaze from him. The elf¡¯s entire being radiated a special charm that made it impossible to refuse any of his suggestions, ¡°Are you sure...¡± ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t say another word.¡± Alamir held out a finger and placed it on the succubus¡¯ lips, nearly causing her to lose her balance, ¡°All I want is you...¡± The absurdly illogical sweet nothings worked wonders; the succubus embraced the elf in one swift motion, her red wings fluttering, and their figures vanished into the private box opposite the stands. Soon, the sounds of waves crashing against rocks resonated, followed by what seemed like a dolphin stranded on shore, desperately trying to suck air into its vestigial lungs to stay alive. ¡°Damn, it feels like they¡¯re right in front of me...¡± Bruto said breathlessly, ¡°Lancelot, can¡¯t you create that soundproofing dome...¡± ¡°Just think of it as if they¡¯re fighting,¡± Lancelot replied coldly, his voice as if coming from an ice cellar, ¡°I have to listen carefully in case something goes wrong over there, so I can go support the elf immediately.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore,¡± the half-elf Tanya said as her face flushed red and she stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s just wait outside...¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯m enough here,¡± Lancelot nodded expressionlessly, ¡°Don¡¯t go too far, just wait for me in the kitchen we were in just now.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Three hours later. Alamir walked over to Lancelot, looking refreshed, while the latter watched him with a strange expression. ¡°What is it?¡± The elf asked shyly with a smile, ¡°Did I make you wait a bit too long?¡± ¡°Three hours! Three ¨C damned ¨C hours!¡± Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but lower his voice, with strong emotion in his tone, ¡°How did you do it?¡± ¡°Ah, is that so, my record has doubled again.¡± Alamir scratched his head sheepishly, ¡°It seems this life of dining in the wind and sleeping under the sky is quite beneficial to the body, plus a little fiery lady¡¯s blessing to her loyal servant... And of course, Ini really hasn¡¯t been released for quite some time. A worthy opponent, such opportunities don¡¯t come every day...¡± ¡°...All right, it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Lancelot covered his face with his hands, ¡°Where is she?¡± Chapter 685: 709: Hard to Distinguish Between True and False Chapter 685: Chapter 709: Hard to Distinguish Between True and False ¡°She¡¯s asleep,¡± Alamir shrugged. ¡°She¡¯ll need at least eight more hours to wake up, and she¡¯ll relive this beautiful dream for the rest of her life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Lancelot rolled his eyes. ¡°Have you forgotten? We still have questions for her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s already spoken to me,¡± Alamir pointed to a small door beneath the arena, ¡°Go through that door, and on the wall you¡¯ll find two sizes of candle holders, the third large one on the left and the sixth small one on the right are the switches for the secret passage. Turn the large one counterclockwise and the small one clockwise... at least that¡¯s what she told me.¡± ¡°Not bad...¡± Lancelot raised one eyebrow, ¡°Shall we set off now, or do you need a rest too?¡± ¡°Of course not, I¡¯m just like when I got up this morning, full of vitality,¡± Alamir said with a proud smile, then his expression turned serious, ¡°But before we set off, there¡¯s something I need to tell you about Ini...¡± ¡°Please, just call her Irina,¡± Lancelot struggled to restrain himself from rolling his eyes again, ¡°What¡¯s with her?¡± ¡°First of all, it should have been Archduke Bayer, the former Aphnas, who sent her to Visuvius¡¯s side...¡± ¡°Hmm, she did let something slip earlier... have you found out any new information?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just... afterward, she called out Bayer¡¯s name several times, and there were nonsense phrases like ¡®Forgive me, Archduke Bayer!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve completely fallen, Archduke Bayer!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Archduke Bayer!''¡± ¡°...Are you sure she wasn¡¯t deliberately saying those words to mislead you?¡± ¡°Impossible, she must have lost the ability to think by then, only the strongest thoughts would remain in her mind, and in such a state of incoherence, she wouldn¡¯t realize that she was voicing her own thoughts.¡± ¡°...How exactly did you do it?¡± ¡°Professional attitude,¡± Alamir spread his hands wide, ¡°You have to take this seriously, and not treat it merely as some kind of capricious entertainment...¡± ¡°Stop, let¡¯s leave this topic for now,¡± Lancelot sighed deeply, ¡°If the Succubus really is a spy sent by the former Archduke Aphnas, some of her strange behaviors indeed can be explained, like why she would hide from her own kind after breaching the city wall... But it raises new questions, with what purpose did Bayer send her to Visuvius? Did she complete her mission? If not, what stopped her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the second thing I wanted to tell you,¡± the Elf Priest frowned, ¡°She mentioned the treasury of Visuvius, which apparently contains something she¡¯s always been unable to obtain...¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Lancelot¡¯s interest was piqued by a word, ¡°Where is that treasury?¡± ¡°It¡¯s at the bottom of the Lava Lake where the Defensive Formation is buried. Visuvius seems to believe that no thief could approach its storage room, except for a Barlow Flame Demon like itself...¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± frowned the Human Knight. ¡°Any Demon could walk through the fire unscathed, and as a succubus, Irina would certainly be no exception. If she couldn¡¯t act in the past because Visuvius was watching, she should have had plenty of time after the fortress fell to take action...¡± ¡°My guess is that it¡¯s something very difficult to take away in a short time,¡± shrugged Alamir. ¡°At least she can¡¯t.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m referring to a Divine Artifact from the upper planes like the Starlight Strike. Such Holy Relics are no big deal for ordinary people, but in the hands of Fiends, they¡¯re like weighing several tons and will actively unleash power to harm the Fiend that holds them. Unless preparation is made in advance, it definitely can¡¯t be taken away quickly...¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± mused Lancelot Morassa, stroking his chin. ¡°Let¡¯s connect the dots: Irina is a spy sent by Bayer, and at the same time, she is reluctant to engage with the Demons who breached the Volcano Fortress, fearing that her kin would decide she has truly Fallen and hence treat her brutally. But according to your latest intelligence, Irina is on a secret mission to retrieve an important item, and given a succubus¡¯s status in Bartez society, she would surely get a chance to plead her case. Just bringing the Demons to Visuvius¡¯ treasury should easily prove her innocence...¡± ¡°That¡¯s the part that puzzles me too,¡± the Elf Priest furrowed his brows. ¡°Maybe she really has Fallen, thinking the capricious ways of Tanari is the true essence of life?¡± ¡°Why? A Barlow Flame Demon that never satisfies her?¡± Lancelot shook his head. ¡°There must be another reason... what she wants is what Bayer wants, and her reluctance to prove her innocence might just be because she doesn¡¯t want the item to fall into the hands of other Archduke Demons. And the Demon Legion that breached the Volcano Fortress is loyal to...¡± Both gazes hardened, the answer was now clear! ¡°The current Archduke of Aphnas, the Supreme Commander of the Demon Blood War Legion, who was once an Archangel, Zariel!¡± Alamir inhaled sharply. ¡°Our speculation that the item is a Holy Relic from the Heavens suggests its former owner could have been Zariel!¡± ¡°Hmm, the full story may go something like this... Visuvius, who once led an attack on Barto Hell, accidentally obtained a powerful holy item. At the time, it didn¡¯t understand what it was, simply taking it back to its lair in hopes of finding a way to harness the contained energy... Meanwhile, Bayer, the former Archduke who had been replaced by Zariel, had been searching for that item and deduced that it might have fallen into Visuvius¡¯ hands. Bayer sent out the spy Irina in hopes of stealing the item, and she was even willing to help us, the Demon alliance, to recapture the Volcano Fortress, but not to let it fall into the hands of those loyal to Zariel. Clearly, this item must have some special connection to Zariel, and it could play a special role in the fight against the former Archangel, hence why Bayer is so eager to have it...¡± ¡°A flawless deduction.¡± Alamir clapped involuntarily. ¡°With such little information, you managed to infer so much, and I can¡¯t find any flaws at all...¡± ¡°There are some,¡± Lancelot implied with a glance at the Elf. ¡°Think back carefully, did she really not mean for you to find out about the treasury? You yourself said it would be difficult for Fiends to take the item away, but it might not be any obstacle for us...¡± ¡°Err...¡± The Priest Shuni¡¯s face turned quite embarrassed. ¡°She did indeed mention the storage room beneath the Lava Lake very early on... but the part where she called out for Bayer must have been sincere!¡± ¡°Perhaps she just wanted to excite you more,¡± Lancelot shrugged. ¡°Think about it, it is quite thrilling indeed.¡± Chapter 686: 710 Tunnel Chapter 686: Chapter 710 Tunnel The companions surrounded a Stone Gate, watching as Lancelot summoned two emerald tendrils in the passage behind the door, each stretching towards the left and right walls to the larger and smaller candle holders, while Alamir spoke of their recent discovery. ¡°...That¡¯s the conclusion we¡¯ve drawn from those fragments,¡± the Elf said with visible pride, ¡°Impressive, isn¡¯t it!¡± ¡°We just need to destroy that Magic Formation, right?¡± the Half-elf shrugged indifferently, ¡°The owner of that treasury is eagerly awaiting outside the city, I certainly don¡¯t want a Barlow Flame Demon to suspect I¡¯ve stolen its possessions, not to mention being in a city surrounded by an army of Demons.¡± ¡°I agree with what Tanya said,¡± Lancelot interjected, continuing to make hand signs, ¡°However, I will still try to find that treasury and understand what the previous Archduke Aphnas was so eager to obtain, whether it can truly be useful to the current Commander of Demons. After all, even if we solve the predicament of Volcano Fortress now, the Demons can launch a new campaign as long as the battlefield of blood war continues at the Abyss, and Twin Bridges Town will always face the threat of war...¡± ¡°Ah, this is so boring,¡± Bruto twisted his neck out of boredom, producing a series of crackling sounds, ¡°Knowing there¡¯s a treasury and doing nothing about it feels too terrible.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already had enough trouble because of that treasury, remember who owned the last one we looted?¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°Wealth is external, what¡¯s most important is one¡¯s own strength...¡± As his words ended, the vines wrapped around the candle holders twisted simultaneously, and a low rumble sounded in everyone¡¯s ears. The feared arrows, poison gas, or falling rocks did not come. Instead, an entrance to a vertical shaft about five feet wide appeared on the floor of the passage, pitch-black with no bottom visible. Lancelot snapped his fingers, and a small Fire Lotus flew from his hands, slowly descending like a leaf, illuminating the dark shaft interior. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look all that deep,¡± Bruto commented with arms folded, ¡°At most it¡¯s about fifteen feet. I could jump straight down...¡± ¡°There¡¯s clearly a ladder right here,¡± Alamir pointed to the wall near the Dwarf¡¯s side within the shaft, ¡°If you... if you stand on your tiptoes, you could see it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go down first to take a look,¡± Lancelot stepped forward, ¡°You guys just wait for me...¡± ¡°Come on down!¡± the voice of the demon monkey girl suddenly came from below, ¡°It¡¯s quite spacious in here!¡± ¡°Uh, when did she get in?¡± the Dwarf looked puzzled, ¡°Haven¡¯t we been surrounding this entrance the whole time?¡± ¡°The moment you turned your head to look at me,¡± Lancelot sighed, ¡°What incredible speed... Well, it looks like there are no problems below, let¡¯s all go down.¡± One by one, the companions descended to the bottom of the shaft, discovering a stone tunnel before them. The tunnel¡¯s height exceeded ten feet, but its width was less than three feet, requiring both Lancelot and Bruto to turn sideways to pass through normally. Faint red light emanated from the crevices on both sides of the tunnel, and every member of the team had night vision, making this level of illumination more than sufficient. ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead,¡± Lancelot drew Frostslash, ¡°If anyone dares to block the way ahead, I¡¯ll stab him with the sharp end...¡± ¡°And me, I¡¯ll bonk it on the head from above!¡± Jing¡¯s voice once again came from an unexpected angle. Lancelot looked up to find the demon monkey girl hanging nonchalantly from the ceiling of the tunnel, her iron-headed staff coiled in her nimble tail. ¡°Awesome, a three-dimensional formation.¡± Lancelot shrugged at his companions and turned to enter the tunnel. Despite being at an unknown depth underground, the tunnel was far from quiet. The stone floor and walls were in constant vibration, the roar from the volcano itself; in certain areas, they even heard the muffled sound of metal clashing, as if Demons were battling ferociously right above them. Those sounds were almost tangible, incessantly squeezing the nerves of the group as they walked through the narrow tunnel. What was worse, as they moved forward, the dry air around them grew hotter and hotter, eventually reaching an unbearable level. Invisible hands of Fear had silently seized everyone¡¯s hearts, making their eyeballs congested, eardrums swell, and minds flooded with a powerful impulse to turn around and flee. ¡°Goddess, please help these pitiful companions beside me, let them feel a breeze as gentle as a lover¡¯s kiss...¡± The Elf Priest suddenly spoke aloud, and his Shield emitted a soft glow. A comforting breeze immediately blew through the tunnel, relaxing the companions¡¯ taut nerves at once. ¡°Praise Shuni!!!¡± Bruto almost burst into tears with excitement, ¡°That¡¯s definitely the best kiss I¡¯ve ever had! Wait a second, I¡¯ve never kissed anyone...¡± ¡°Alamir, I know a tough environment is an excellent opportunity for preaching, but that metaphor isn¡¯t quite appropriate,¡± Lancelot¡¯s calm voice came from ahead, ¡°From my experience, a lover¡¯s kiss certainly doesn¡¯t cool one down. Come to think of it, nothing a lover does would have that effect...¡± ¡°Damn it, shut up,¡± the Elf Priest hissed through clenched teeth, ¡°If you want me to teach you anything...¡± With the breeze blowing, the oppressive tunnel became much more bearable, and the group unknowingly sped up quite a bit. After about half an hour of continuous travel, the end of the tunnel finally came into view. Contrary to their expectations, the exit was not another vertical shaft but a grating on the floor. The tunnel had stealthily led to the ceiling of some room, and by simply pushing open the grille disguised as a ventilation duct, they could easily jump down. Lancelot had long been gesturing silently to his companions, warning them to keep quiet; he lay next to the exit, carefully sensing the situation below. ¡°Stay calm, don¡¯t speak.¡± His voice suddenly rang out, startling everyone because it sounded as if it was being whispered directly into their ears. ¡°This is my special Dharma Method, the sound goes directly to your ears, and no one else can hear it.¡± The companions quickly caught on and nodded at him to show they understood. ¡°There are two injured Ice Demons and three Bone Demons below, very tough opponents, but they¡¯ve all sustained severe injuries, so we should be able to handle them... provided we don¡¯t alert other enemies,¡± Lancelot looked at his companions with burning eyes, ¡°Tanya, what do you say? Can you cut off these enemies¡¯ psychic link?¡± Chapter 687: 711: Raid on the Demon Chapter 687: Chapter 711: Raid on the Demon The half-elf with white hair and red eyes hesitated for a moment, slowly nodding, but then made three awkward hand signals indicating she would be unable to join the fight. ¡°Hmm... We¡¯ll try to take down a few enemies quickly, so you can join in then, right?¡± Tanya immediately nodded in agreement, raising three fingers, meaning she could join the battle when only three enemies were left. ¡°Very good,¡± Lancelot nodded. He rummaged through his dimensional bag at his waist, finally taking out a small clay jar and handing it to the elf priest, ¡°Koula left few of these gadgets, we need to go to Mark City and ask her for more sometime... I¡¯ll create a soundproof barrier in a bit, you throw this flash bomb, and everyone else will follow me in launching a surprise attack. Focus on taking down the same target quickly to let Tanya join the fight too. Everyone clear?¡± As soon as Lancelot finished speaking, he swiftly covered Bruto¡¯s mouth with his palm, preventing the dwarf, who had instinctively wanted to respond, from making any sound. Everyone else simply nodded silently, indicating they understood the battle plan. ¡°Very good.¡± Lancelot released his hand from covering the dwarf¡¯s mouth and wiped it on the cloak over the other¡¯s armor, then gave Alamir a look, signaling that he could start. Seeing this, the elf took a gentle breath, carefully twisted the lid of the small clay jar half a turn, waited for two heartbeats, then let go, letting the small clay jar drop freely through the bars. A crisp sound emanated from below as the object hit the ground, and everyone couldn¡¯t help but visualize a scene where the room¡¯s enemies all simultaneously turned their heads to look at the source of the noise. In sync, Lancelot activated the Dharma Decree he had prepared in advance, enveloping the room below in a green luminous screen that blocked all sound, just before the clay jar could explode. Almost simultaneously with the appearance of the soundproof barrier, the flash bomb Koula had left behind also burst into a dazzling bright light. Lancelot flipped the grate covering the exit, leaped down, and upon landing, rolled to clear space for his companions. The moment he stood up, Lancelot quickly scanned his surroundings. It was a spacious stone hall, with bare walls and ceiling panels devoid of any decorations, a few haphazardly hewn huge stones being the only furniture in the room, as plain as a monastery and in stark contrast to Lord Wu¡¯an¡¯s ornately decorated temple. Five massive demons were scattered around the room, three of whom, Bone Demons, were clearly affected by the bright light, flailing wildly with their hook sickle spears while stumbling backwards; whereas the two Ice Demons seemed unaffected. Though caught off guard, their insect-like heads turned swiftly toward Lancelot as soon as he appeared, their goose-egg-sized compound eyes fixated on the suddenly appearing human knight. Lancelot was familiar with Ice Demons, having encountered them in an assassination attempt on Tijana during his return from Androlina. These 500-pound mantis-shaped assassins ranked even above Lust Demons in the hierarchy of the Nine Hells, and their strength fully matched their status. However, the two Ice Demons present were in extremely poor condition, their armor-like carapace riddled with collapses; one seemed to have lost an eye, its protruding mouthparts completely snapped off, while the other was missing an arm, waving a metal spear filled with notches in one hand. Lancelot immediately fixed on his target, springing forward as if propelled by a coil, his longsword shimmering green as he lunged at the one-eyed Ice Demon. Despite his rapid speed, the two demons, not being blinded, still managed a clumsy response. The enemy targeted by the human knight swiped his spear in front, while shifting his body diagonally backward, trying to counter the fierce charge of the knight. The Sword Blade clashed heavily with the spearhead, unleashing a cold, shrill screech; the force from the weapon revealed that the Ice Demon was still much stronger than Lancelot, although it was far less agile. The human knight twisted his body bizarrely, suddenly moving like a boneless cloth doll, instantly flanking the Ice Demon. His longsword traced a dazzling arc, aiming for the lizard-like tail of his foe. The Ice Demon barely managed to twist its body in time, the Sword Blade nearly grazing its tail. Nonetheless, Lancelot had achieved his goal: compared to before, his opponent had almost completely turned around, exposing its back directly under a square gap in the ceiling from which a dwarf¡¯s figure was just beginning to jump down. Lancelot¡¯s movements didn¡¯t pause for a missed strike; his body and weapon spun rapidly, and almost instantly, he delivered another Horizontal Slash, but this time in the opposite direction, striking the spear thrust by the other Ice Demon. Despite wielding the weapon with only one hand, the contained force was immense; Lancelot managed to deflect the attack, but his own weapon was knocked in the opposite direction. This outcome was within his expectations. The human knight adjusted his stance skillfully, reversing the direction of his longsword toward the original Ice Demon with even greater speed than before. This time, the foe couldn¡¯t keep up with his moves, and the green-lit Frostslash solidly chopped down on its left upper limb. Lancelot almost heard the crack of shattering carapace and the enemy¡¯s strange, shrill, non-human scream from the grip of his longsword. As an insect-type demon, the Ice Demon¡¯s carapace was essentially its skeleton, with soft muscle tissue underneath. Lancelot, having grown clearly stronger since their last encounter, severed the demon¡¯s entire arm with one strike, and the momentum of his blade carried it forward, creating a huge gash on the side of the demon¡¯s body. The Ice Demon displayed the stubborn resilience of a high-rank fiend. Hormones erupted within its body, immediately reducing the pain from the severed limb to a negligible level. Its remaining arm grabbed the spear shaft near its tip and stabbed it like a dagger toward the abdomen of the nearby human knight. Lancelot had truly underestimated his opponent¡¯s life force, not expecting it to counterattack immediately after such severe damage, while his own weapon was still stuck in the opponent¡¯s body, leaving no time to dodge. In that critical moment, he had no choice but to fully activate the Qingyuan Sword and Shield cultivation technique while trying to shift his body to avoid being stabbed in a vital organ. Chapter 688: 712: Block the Enemy Chapter 688: Chapter 712: Block the Enemy (More to be updated later) Just then, the long-awaited Warhammer finally arrived. Bruto charged to the rear of the Demon, swinging the Warhammer with all his might at the Demon¡¯s backward-bent knee. The hard carapace was especially vulnerable under the blunt-force Warhammer, and with one strike, the Dwarf knocked the Demon off balance, causing its nearly certain hit to miss Lancelot by a wide margin. Another petite figure drifted down from the air like a falling leaf, her iron club glowing dark red as it spun rapidly like a windmill, finally landing precisely on the unsuspecting Demon¡¯s head. Lancelot just turned around, dodging the yellow-green brain matter that spurted from the humanoid mantis, but Bruto wasn¡¯t so lucky¡ªhe was drenched in the disgusting pus, and half of the Demon¡¯s skull cap landed on his Helmet. ¡°Damn it!¡± Bruto flung the sticky keratinous piece far away, ¡°That¡¯s disgusting, ugh...¡± ¡°Hehe, sorry, sorry!¡± Jing¡¯s voice came from above, already hanging from the ceiling again, ¡°Watch your back!¡± The Dwarf quickly turned around and saw three giant Bone Demons charging towards him, swinging their scythe pikes, clearly having recovered from the blinding effect. Lancelot was already engaged in combat with another Demon, and the monkey girl was skilled in flanking and stealth attacks, so Bruto knew he was on his own now. ¡°Go help Lancelot!¡± With his stance ready for combat, the Dwarf shouted without even looking up. He could manage facing one Bone Demon, but facing three at once, Bruto could only hope that Lancelot would finish his opponent quickly to come to his aid. He raised his Shield to the height of his nose and stared intently at the approaching foes. Bone Demons might be one of the most terrifying forms of Demons, nearly twice the size of Bruto, looking like giant Zombies stripped of skin, with four semi-transparent insect-like wings on their backs and a scorpion-like tail. Despite their staggering steps and disheveled appearance, the Bone Demons looked injured but their scythe pikes were still dangerous and deadly. The Demon¡¯s scythe pike was a long-handled weapon with a curved blade similar to a fishhook that could be used for stabbing as well as slashing, combining both types of attack¡ªonce the curved blade hooked its target, it would drag them back like a speared fish, whereupon the Bone Demons would inject their lethal venom using their scorpion-like tails. Although they faced only a single small Dwarf, the three Bone Demons still displayed a high degree of synergy. As they entered the attack range, they slightly adjusted their rhythm, then simultaneously thrust their frosty pike heads, attacking from angles that made it impossible for the Dwarf to block all at once. Bruto¡¯s response was simple; if the small Shield couldn¡¯t block it, then it was time to switch to a larger one. The Dwarf let out a feral roar, activating the power of Titan¡¯s Blood within him. His eyes lit up with a piercing red glow, and his body rapidly expanded to match the height of a Bone Demon in almost an instant, though his bulk made him look much sturdier compared to the skeletal frame of the Demon. More importantly, every piece of his equipment, including his helmet, breastplate, leg guards, boots, warhammer, and shield, were all engraved with Runes that allowed them to change size in sync with the bearer, so he no longer had to strip off all his gear before transforming. The Demon¡¯s attacks were blocked by the Dwarf¡¯s door-sized giant shield, and the next second his counterattack was on its way. The warhammer, now as big as a chair, spun terrifyingly and slammed into a Bone Demon like a meteor, causing it to collapse like a brick wall, its shattered bones scattering everywhere. ¡°Piece of cake!¡± the Dwarf roared joyfully, ¡°Who¡¯s next!¡± He was evidently too quick to celebrate, as the other two Bone Demons showed no sign of faltering at their companion¡¯s demise. The scythe-bladed pikes that had just bounced off the shield shot out like lightning once again, this time easily bypassing the shield and hooking onto the Dwarf¡¯s back. To be fair, Bruto¡¯s increased size made him an easier target for his enemies, and the Dwarf still lacked a bit of combat experience. His armor still served its purpose, but the tips of the scythes found the small gaps in his armor. Bruto felt a piercing pain in his back that even caused his consciousness to briefly falter, and the next instant, he found himself pulled in front of the Demon, red spiked tails poised to strike him. But just as Lancelot had supported him earlier, Bruto now also received aid from his comrades. Alamir, bathed in light as bright as the full moon and looking like a warrior blessed by the gods, rode down directly on the head of a Bone Demon. The gold-cast spiked hammer in his hands smashed the Bone Demon¡¯s skull in, while an Elf with a shield easily blocked the incoming spiked tails. Tanya, unlike the conspicuous Elf Priest, wielded her pitch-black pike in a low-key manner. As she swung it, it moved like a dancing shadow, yet its sharpness was on par with any divine weapon. The Bone Demon¡¯s tail dropped off silently, its owner failing to realize instantly that it had lost its tail, the short stub left desperately swinging forward in a comical fashion. ¡°Good timing!!!¡± the Dwarf shouted in a pained grunt, throwing his body forward recklessly to break free from the scythe¡¯s hold. He tossed aside his shield and warhammer and violently charged at the Bone Demon whose tail had been severed, toppling the now unbalanced foe to the ground. Then he swung his frying-pan-sized fists, crazily smashing into the skull-like head of the Bone Demon. By the time he hit the tenth blow, the Titan Transformation wore off, and his body started shrinking back to its original size, but by then the Demon¡¯s head beneath him had turned into a pot of spilled thick soup on the ground. A hand clapped onto his back, then lifted him up. Bruto, catching his breath, turned around to find Lancelot looking at him with a face full of concern. ¡°You lost a lot of blood out your back,¡± the Human Knight explained, ¡°Sorry, I should have come over to help you sooner...¡± ¡°Hey, no worries, just a scratch!¡± the Dwarf tried to make a carefree face, but the attempt turned into a twisted and bizarre expression because of the pain, ¡°Aaagh... damn it... feels like it reached the bone...¡± ¡°Better take your armor off and let Alamir treat you properly,¡± Lancelot shook his head resignedly, ¡°We¡¯re lucky, none heard the noise in this room.¡± Chapter 689: 713 Chapter 689: 713 Even if Dwarves don¡¯t remove their armor, Elf Priests can still cast healing divine arts directly, but that is just an emergency measure during combat. If circumstances allow, it is still best to combine potions, surgical techniques, and healing divine arts, as this also conserves the priests¡¯ precious casting times for more critical moments later. Bruto grimaced as he undid his armor, revealing a shirt completely drenched in blood. After lifting up the shirt, everyone could clearly see two blood holes the size of fingers on the Dwarf¡¯s back. ¡°You¡¯re lucky, these demons didn¡¯t have time to poison their weapons, or your injuries would¡¯ve been a lot worse,¡± Alamir said as he pulled out two small bottles from his chest, ¡°First, I¡¯m going to clean your wounds with this holy water, and it might sting a bit...¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that your bath water?¡± Bruto asked with a face full of reluctance, ¡°You¡¯re not messing with me, are you, Elf...?¡± ¡°This is indeed my bath water, but it is also holy water because I soak in it while communicating with the Goddess, and the water contains remnants of holy energy,¡± Alamir said, shaking the bottle to show the tiny gold flecks in the liquid, ¡°You can even drink it directly.¡± ¡°Damn it, you¡¯re the doctor, just do whatever you say...¡± Upon hearing this, the Elf revealed a smile reminiscent of a peddler who had successfully sold a (questionable) product. He gently poured the liquid from the bottle onto the Dwarf¡¯s back, and the latter shivered noticeably at the contact but stubbornly made no sound, standing firm as a rock. A large amount of black pus and blood flowed from the Dwarf¡¯s wounds. Alamir nodded in satisfaction, murmured a few brief prayers under his breath, and his hands lit up with a soft white glow. ¡°Good lad,¡± the Elf Priest said, placing his hand on the injured back, ¡°Next, I¡¯m going to treat your wounds, which shouldn¡¯t cause any pain...¡± Bruto hadn¡¯t made any sound of pain before, but he couldn¡¯t help but let out a comfortable groan under the Elf¡¯s gentle touch. The wounds on his back healed at a visible speed, and when the Elf withdrew his hand, the bloody holes had completely vanished, replaced by patches of skin noticeably lighter in color. ¡°Ha, that feels absolutely amazing,¡± the Dwarf rotated his arms, confirming that the muscles on his back had fully recovered, ¡°Alamir, what was that move you just did? I¡¯ve never seen you use it before...¡± ¡°How could you have not seen it? It was just a common healing spell.¡± ¡°No, no, no, I¡¯m talking about the one you used during the fight, the one that made your whole body glow.¡± ¡°Protection Order,¡± Alamir shrugged, ¡°The effect of this spell is quite interesting; it makes it difficult for any creature of order to hit me with their attacks. Moreover, under the influence of the Abyss, its effect is enhanced, making it perfect for dealing with demons...¡± ¡°That¡¯s so powerful... why haven¡¯t I seen you use it before?¡± ¡°The Goddess just gave it to me this morning.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°She also bestowed upon me another magic that healed your injuries, so watch your words.¡± ¡°...I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Bruto shook his head, donning his armor again, ¡°Let¡¯s get going. The sooner we find that damned lava lake, the sooner we can turn big brother into... hmm? Where did he go?¡± ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Bruto turned his head in confusion, ¡°How did I... completely fail to notice you?¡± ¡°Maybe Alamir¡¯s magic made you too comfortable,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°While you were enjoying it, I took a little walk. This should be the Flame Palace¡¯s underground barracks. If we head out and into the diagonally opposite room, there are a few demons healing up, but we might try to sneak past them... What does everyone think? Should we clear out each room one by one or head straight for Visuvius¡¯s Throne Hall?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? Of course, we should take out every demon along the way!¡± Bruto blurted out, ¡°I hate leaving enemies behind me...¡± ¡°If possible, I¡¯d still prefer to avoid fighting as much as we can,¡± the Elf Priest said diplomatically, ¡°I have a limited number of spells I can cast each day, and once I¡¯m out of magic, not only will our combat effectiveness be significantly reduced, but we¡¯ll also lose the ability to handle unexpected events...¡± ¡°I support clearing out the enemies before we move forward,¡± Half-elf Tanya also shared her opinion, ¡°Most demons still in this palace are wounded and much easier to deal with than when they¡¯re at full strength, which is perfect for my pike to have a feast¡ª that Bone Demon earlier has already whetted its appetite.¡± ¡°Uh...¡± Bruto looked hesitant as he glanced at the Half-elf, ¡°Sorry, but you folks with elven blood are hard to understand... That last bit you said, is that some kind of metaphor, or... you mean it literally?¡± ¡°The latter,¡± the Half-elf grasped in the air, and a pitch-black pike appeared in her hand, ¡°A Cursed Swordmaster¡¯s weapon is a... special form of life. We draw shadow energy from the Fallen Shadow Demon Realm and shape them with our will into form, allowing them to have their own wills. Of course, as weapons, they care about different things than ordinary people. If I have to say, the blood of their enemies is their food, and they have a particular taste for demons.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Bruto shrank back a bit, ¡°What¡¯s its opinion on Dwarves?¡± ¡°Terrible texture,¡± the Half-elf with white hair and red eyes said with a strange smile, ¡°It says it would rather become an axe for chopping wood.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± the Dwarf pursed his lips, ¡°but why do I still feel a bit insulted...¡± ¡°Stop being touchy about weird things,¡± Lancelot shook his head in resignation, then looked at the last member of the team, ¡°Jing, what are your thoughts?¡± ¡°There¡¯s one thing we need to make clear first...¡± the monkey girl pointed at the corpse of the Ice Demon she had just headshot, ¡°These big guys might be wounded, but the bounty for killing them isn¡¯t discounted, right?¡± Aside from a certain Elf Priest, the eyes of everyone else lit up and were immediately focused on Lancelot. ¡°If I remember correctly...¡± Bruto spoke slowly, ¡°A lesser demon¡¯s bounty is twenty Gold Coins, a Beard Demon fifty, a Quill Demon one hundred, a Chain Demon and Bone Demon five hundred, a Horned Demon two thousand, a Lust Demon five thousand, and the head of an Ice Demon is worth...¡± ¡°Ten! Thousand!¡± Tanya¡¯s voice trembled, ¡°Oh damn, damn, damn...¡± ¡°We¡¯re a team, some defend, some heal, and others deliver the fatal blow,¡± Lancelot quickly responded, ¡°I propose we tally up all the bounties at the end and split them evenly across the team, how about that?¡± Instead of responding right away, the companions all looked simultaneously at the monkey girl¡ªof the two Ice Demons that had died, she had killed one of them. If they agreed to split the bounty, the little monkey would be the one taking the biggest hit. ¡°Of course, I have no problem with that,¡± Jing nodded decisively, ¡°In the wild, only a united monkey troop can grab the best forest. That¡¯s a principle I¡¯ve understood for a long time.¡± Chapter 690: 714: Useful Weapons Chapter 690: Chapter 714: Useful Weapons (First post, then revise) The companions crouched and carefully slipped out of the room. The violent volcanic activity filled the building with a rumbling roar, masking the noise made by several companions clad in heavy armor as they moved, but without the soundproof barrier created by Lancelot, the sounds of combat might still have alerted enemies in other areas. In the next room lay three Horned Demons, covered in wounds. Yet Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception told him that their aura hadn¡¯t weakened in the slightest, suggesting either a trap for adventurers attempting to take advantage of what seemed like an easy situation, or that they were in fact shirking, pretending to be injured to escape the fierce combat. After further observation, Lancelot concluded that the latter was the case. This wasn¡¯t hard to understand; Horned Demons (or Domineering Demons) were not fond of combat, especially in an environment where they couldn¡¯t use their ability to fly. Lancelot made several hand signals to his companions, conveying the number of enemies and the plan for combat. He certainly could have used Divine Skills to relay tactics in greater detail, but since the others didn¡¯t possess such abilities, they would be at a disadvantage when they needed to silently communicate future intelligence, without proficiency in sign language. After confirming that everyone nodded in response, Lancelot took out another clay jar and gestured toward Alamir. ¡°Start immediately,¡± he whispered to the Elf Priest who had drawn close, ¡°just like before.¡± Alamir nodded, gently twisted the lid of the jar half a turn, held it in his hand for a moment, and then threw it into the room. At the same time, Lancelot formed the Seal Handprint to cast the soundproof barrier spell using his True Yuan, completely enveloping the room where the battle was about to unfold. A dazzling white light exploded within the room, with the sound of the blast completely blocked by the soundproof barrier, its effect resembling a violent lightning strike in the distant sky, with the sound yet to reach everyone¡¯s ears. The companions rushed into the room, to be met by three huge figures clutching their eyes, wildly flailing their double-tined tridents. Lancelot burst forward in speed, quickly leaving his companions behind. After two steps, he leaped toward the central opponent; the others targeted the demon on the right, intending to quickly bring their foe down; the demon on the left was momentarily ignored, for even if it recovered before its companions were killed, it would hardly be able to aid the Horned Demon on the far right, at most trying to pincer Lancelot, who was confident that two flightless Horned Demons could not trouble him. The enemy Lancelot targeted tilted its head at the last moment with the aid of instinct, while also raising its weapon to try to parry. The longsword and the steel trident collided, emitting a harsh metallic clang accompanied by a spray of blood. Caught off guard, the demon could not mount a proper defense, and given that Lancelot had put all his physical strength into the strike, his sword overpowered the trident, cutting a giant gash into the Horned Demon¡¯s shoulder. With intense pain spurring it, the demon pushed its weapon upward with all its might, but this move was already anticipated by Lancelot. Instead of resisting, he used the demon¡¯s force to withdraw his sword, swinging the blade in a complete arc behind him, then slicing into the creature¡¯s body again from between its legs. Glimmering with green light, the longsword carved its way upward, splitting the demon¡¯s abdomen all the way to the chest before it was stopped by the ribcage. Even as a High Rank Fiend, the Horned Demon¡¯s life force was tenacious, but such grievous injury left it completely incapacitated, unable to even utter a curse, only staring with frenzied, venomous eyes at the person in front of it. Yet Lancelot¡¯s face was hidden behind his helmet¡¯s visor, offering the demon only the sight of steel armor performing a Dance of Death; it couldn¡¯t even be sure whether the armor enclosed a living being or some energy creature created by magic. Lancelot let out a wild roar as his longsword, stuck at first, moved upward again, a fountain of fresh blood gushing out from the demon¡¯s body, drenching the Human Knight in front of it red. After breaking through the last rib, the sword¡¯s ascent sped up, until it struck the demon¡¯s chin. After less than a half breath¡¯s pause, the head crowned with a pair of huge curved horns slammed into the ceiling of the room, a long spine dangling beneath it, resembling a festive balloon. The last Horned Demon had only just shrugged off the blinding spell, but instead of immediately attacking Lancelot, it turned and ran towards the exit without hesitation. Lancelot could almost hear its mental screams, but the Half-elf Cursed Swordmaster standing by his side intercepted all of that psychic energy, ensuring no nearby Demons would hear anything. Huge vines suddenly burst from the ground, and the dashing Horned Demon failed to notice them underfoot, tumbling headlong into the dirt. When it turned over, that fearsome Human Knight was already standing in front of it. ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t kill me!!!¡± the Demon screamed in the common tongue, ¡°Let me go, and I can give you wealth that you¡¯ll never be able to use up...¡± Frostslash pierced out like lightning, directly through the Demon¡¯s skull. ¡°Fear indeed is a very effective weapon.¡± Lancelot mused to himself, withdrawing the longsword from the Demon¡¯s body, then turned to look at his companions. The Dwarf was sitting on the corpse of the Horned Demon, arms crossed, watching it, while the rest of his companions were either cleaning their weapons or their armor, clearly having dealt with the enemy some time ago. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come help?¡± Lancelot complained to his companions, ¡°This one almost got away...¡± ¡°Your pose just now was too cool, I was afraid I¡¯d ruin the mood if I came over,¡± Bruto shrugged his shoulders and instinctively covered his nose, ¡°Don¡¯t come over here, did you take a bath in Demon blood or something? It smells too strong...¡± ¡°Uh...¡± Lancelot threw a pleading look at the Elf Priest, ¡°Alamir, help me out with some water to rinse off.¡± ¡°Stand still.¡± The Elf Priest rolled his eyes and made several gestures in the air, suddenly causing a localized downpour over Lancelot¡¯s head, rinsing off all the bloodstains from his body. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s continue, next room,¡± Bruto clapped his hands on his knees, getting up from the Demon¡¯s corpse, ¡°Just thinking about how much these guys are worth makes me feel especially good...¡± ¡°Hold on a second, Bruto, there¡¯s something,¡± Lancelot said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The Dwarf immediately stopped, asking tensely, ¡°Are there enemies coming?¡± ¡°No,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°There are only a few Flash Bombs left, I plan to save them for a critical moment...¡± ¡°Oh, so we... just charge in and start fighting?¡± Bruto looked at Lancelot puzzled, ¡°Why are you telling me this specifically?¡± ¡°Charging in directly is not the best idea, without the element of surprise, giving the enemy time to react makes them much harder to deal with.¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, ¡°I have an idea worth trying, if it works, the effect might not be worse than a Flash Bomb...¡± Chapter 691: 715: The Demons Desire Chapter 691: Chapter 715: The Demon¡¯s Desire The Horned Demon Yapolian looked at his slowly healing wound with a resentful gaze, cursing this accursed plane yet again. The detestable Abyss, where everything was saturated with a chaotic force that made it unbearable, prevented even his own body from recovering in the correct way. Another one of his kind lay in the same room, a war demon, a creature similar in appearance to the horned demons but distinct with their black skin, more developed muscles, scales as tough as chainmail, and a pair of large horns growing upwards. These powerful demons wouldn¡¯t take orders from anyone, except the Abyssal Demon Refiners and the Archdukes of Demons, whom the war demons would obey wholeheartedly, even carrying out humiliating or suicidal tasks. The war demon in front of him was severely injured; it had valiantly fought just before at the city gates, successfully stopping the Barlow Flame Demon who was emitting white flames¡ªthough that success lasted only about a minute. Just when it was nearly killed, the Legion Commander Samuel took over the fight, and this war demon was directly brought here, sharing the spacious resting room with the Horned Demon. Yapolian¡¯s curse only caused the other to turn its head and glance at him briefly, then it showed no further reaction, which only fueled his rage more. Although the status of horned demons was lower than that of war demons, Yapolian¡¯s case was a bit special because he didn¡¯t consider himself as just a horned demon, at least not once before. Yapolian vividly remembered his life before he became a demon. He had once been a minor tax official, traveling through the wilderness between villages, collecting taxes on behalf of the lords residing in their castles. It was a truly miserable time¡ªthe weather in the wilderness was unpredictable, sunny one moment and pouring rain the next, deadly snakes lay in the grass, lethal scorpions hid under rocks, not to mention the malevolent robbers in the forests¡ªand they were the worst of all. The peasants disliked him, the nobility looked down on him, even the filthy prostitutes dared to mock him behind his back... Fortunately, all that ended when he met his best friend, a little angel named Zaku. From this creature with bat wings, red skin, and cute curved horns, he learned how to ¡°properly¡± utilize the power he had, and how to secure a ¡°fair¡± compensation for his hard work within the ¡°permissible¡± limits of the rules. Of course, later on, he also cleared up some minor miscommunications about his identity, like when he was collecting the newlywed tax for the old and frail lord for the twenty-seventh time, but what did that matter? The truth was the truth, and it wasn¡¯t less correct because of who spoke it; otherwise, how could this young girl, screaming loudly, be lying in his bed? Yapolian was eventually killed in his sleep, but that only ended his mortal life. He was soon reborn as a more powerful, more charming, and even immortal creature¡ªa glorified Bartez. What¡¯s better, due to his exemplary performance as a mortal, Yapolian was granted the status of a Chain Demon, acquiring far more power than a mere tax officer ever could. In the millennia that followed, through endless networking, flattery, and carefully calculated betrayals, he continually climbed the power ladder of Hell, eventually reaching the position of an Anzu Demon, the highest rank in the Nine Hells¡¯ civil servant system, answering directly to the great Archduke of Aphnas, Lord Bayer. Yapolian even acquired a domain of his own, a stretch of the Stygian River flowing through Aphnas, where large numbers of new souls were washed ashore daily. His duty (or pleasure) was to instill the laws of the Nine Hells into the minds of the newcomers. This process included whipping, piercing, cutting, and burning, ensuring that any remnants of human nature and memory in these wretched souls were completely erased, and Yapolian, always meticulous in his duties, often personally carried out these crucial tasks. But as Bayer fell from power, Yapolian¡¯s situation suddenly became extremely difficult. He had tried to please his new master, but the former Seraph only cared about combat ability and had no interest in his managerial skills. Yapolian was first demoted to an Ice Demon for some absurd reasons (his territory was overrun by Demons, how could that be his fault?!), and then further demoted to a Horned Demon for his poor performance in battle. This significant blow almost crushed him, especially since combat had never been within his area of interest. Throughout the siege of Volcano Fortress, Yapolian had mostly been slacking off, fortunately, this did not make him stand out among the Horned Demons. Of course, he was still very happy to slaughter civilians, not to mention indulging in some additional pleasures¡ªthe Succubi were fantastic! They could be used both to satisfy carnal desires and as food, Yapolian even tried combining the two, and the result was incredibly thrilling; it had been a long time since he had felt such strong stimulation. All Demons possess a strong and enduring desire for power, which forms the basis of the entire Hell society and guides their actions fundamentally. However, occasionally, Demons might be briefly dominated by another type of desire, one that can only be satisfied by creatures like Enruiyesi, Succubi, or Water Fairies. Considering Enruiyesi¡¯s status in the Nine Hells, Succubi were obviously a more suitable choice, and some aristocratic Demons who claimed to have tried both stated that Succubi were much better in bed, at least you wouldn¡¯t feel like you were desecrating a delicate sculpture. Just as he was reminiscing about the pleasures of the previous night, a figure suddenly flew through the door and crashed heavily onto the ground. Yapolian, startled, immediately grabbed his Trident, while the Battle Demon also propped itself up on its Trident. However, they soon relaxed because the figure sprawled on the ground had wheat-colored skin, a graceful figure, wings of a beautiful bat, and flowing chestnut brown hair. ¡°Ha, a Succubus!¡± Yapolian exclaimed excitedly, ¡°This must be a new captive, brought to us warriors who have honourably been injured in battle...¡± He couldn¡¯t wait to run over to admire the beautiful face of the Succubus and the unmistakable fear on her face. But the Battle Demon got there before him, although it was seriously injured at the moment, Yapolian didn¡¯t dare object and just followed closely behind. The black-skinned Demon said nothing, standing silently in front of the Succubus, but had already started unwrapping the cloth around his waist. It¡¯s fine, Yapolian thought, once the Succubus starts being busy with her mouth, he would start enjoying from behind. Right then, the Succubus suddenly raised her head, letting the two Demons see her face¡ªa face with a radiant, confident smile, completely devoid of any fear, and below it hung a thick, dense, flame-like orange-red beard. The Battle Demon and the Horned Demon both experienced a brief, total, uncontrollable cessation of consciousness, just like the Demons in the other three rooms had reacted. Chapter 692: 716 Matched Status Chapter 692: Chapter 716 Matched Status ¡°*huff* *huff* Finally, it¡¯s dead,¡± Bruto said, gasping for breath as he sat on the ground, watching the black corpse gradually stop twitching. ¡°What on earth was this thing? It looked almost like a Horned Demon, didn¡¯t expect it to be so tough to deal with...¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for that heavy blow you delivered to its head at the beginning, we might have capsized in the gutter. We owe it all to you...¡± Lancelot struggled to pull his longsword out of the demon¡¯s skull, ¡°I don¡¯t know what it was, but it sure must be worth a lot of money, because its combat strength was simply too formidable. If it hadn¡¯t been already wounded, I¡¯m certain it would have been even more powerful than a Glacier Demon, definitely a big shot in the Demon Legion.¡± ¡°Because of those tricks you pulled off yesterday, now every demon in this city is a big shot,¡± Tanya leaned against the wall, taking out a water bottle and gulping down its contents, ¡°How many middle-rank demons have we killed now? Fifteen, or twenty?¡± ¡°Twenty-one,¡± the succubus girl¡¯s voice was somewhat muffled as her mouth was filled with peach flesh, ¡°Not counting this black big fella, our total bounty now stands at thirty-four thousand gold coins.¡± ¡°Haha, at this rate, in two days all the demons inside Volcano Fortress will be cleared out by us,¡± the dwarf laughed proudly, his fiery beard bobbing up and down with his movement, ¡°It would be even better with a mug of honey wine right now!¡± ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for drinking,¡± Lancelot shook his head, slinging his longsword back in place, ¡°All the rooms on this floor have been cleared, it¡¯s time to move on.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we just wait here?¡± Bruto suggested with a tone full of anticipation, ¡°We kill any injured demons as they come, easy and profitable.¡± ¡°If we drag this out, the demons will definitely notice that something¡¯s wrong,¡± Lancelot shook his head again, ¡°If a High Rank Demon Refiner comes, I won¡¯t be able to handle it...¡± ¡°Demon Refiner from the Infernal depths? Impossible, with those Flame Demon Generals at the city gates, they surely wouldn¡¯t dare to leave... Lancelot? What¡¯s wrong? Why do you have that expression?¡± ¡°I just had a very bad feeling,¡± Lancelot lifted his head, staring at a certain spot on the ceiling, ¡°It¡¯s like... it¡¯s like someone over there is watching me, someone whose gaze can pierce through rock and soil, seeing the real situation over here...¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound good,¡± Alamir¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, ¡°Even the True Sight possessed by High-Rank demons shouldn¡¯t have that kind of capability...¡± Just then, Lancelot¡¯s face changed, his Spirit Perception suddenly alerted him to a distinct magic fluctuation, and the source was the body of that black demon. He leaped up from his spot and shouted at his companions: ¡°Run! Run now!¡± Everyone was a bit slow to react, but Lancelot quickly pushed each person hard on the back, propelling everyone into action. ¡°What happened?¡± Bruto, who had started to sprint full speed, turned his head to ask Lancelot, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you moving?¡± The Dwarf didn¡¯t need Lancelot to explain the situation; he had already figured it out. Above the corpse of the black Demon, a gigantic dimensional rift appeared, unlike the oval-shaped portals that looked like holes burned through paper. This rift was a perfect rectangle, and a deep-hell Demon Refiner with purple-red skin, clad in black heavy armor, was sticking his head out. It was the same Demon General that fought Tijana outside Twin Bridges Town. ¡°Keep running, don¡¯t stop!¡± Lancelot¡¯s roar came from behind, ¡°This place is too narrow, wait for me in the castle¡¯s great hall!¡± No reminder was needed; the deep-hell Demon Refinement was one of the most terrifying creatures in the Multiverse. The mere sight of them was enough to awaken the deepest fears in any being, perhaps only the dreadful majesty of an ancient Red Dragon could compare with the frightful spiritual light of these top-level Fiends. Fortunately, its fear effect wasn¡¯t like that of the evil Holy Warrior who had made an oath of conquest¡ªit did not paralyze its victims but made them desperately want to escape from its presence. Perhaps because he had already faced these Low Rank Fiends before, or perhaps because he had already confronted this emotion too many times that day, Lancelot did not take long to regain his composure. He took the Great Sword Glacier out of his Dimensional Bag, his eyes fearlessly fixed on the enemy¡¯s dreadful form. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you, the Human Knight from outside Twin Bridges Town,¡± the Demon General communicated telepathically with Lancelot, ¡°I did not expect to meet you again, what a pleasant surprise.¡± ¡°Viscount Baboli from Barto Hell...¡± Lancelot slowly pointed the Great Sword towards the deep-hell Demon Refiner, ¡°you¡¯re going to pay for insulting Tijana...¡± ¡°Ahahaha, what? Just you?¡± Baboli laughed heartily, untroubled, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but what I just heard was too preposterous. I must have misheard, right? You came here for a Succubus?¡± ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s the problem?¡± Lancelot didn¡¯t mind chatting with the deep-hell Demon Refiner a bit more to buy as much time as possible, ¡°She promised me, after all, that if I killed you, she¡¯d keep me in bed...¡± ¡°Hahaha, you believe that? I bet she meant she would nail you to the bed with a Dagger, that would be keeping her promise, right?¡± The Demon chuckled as he looked at Lancelot, ¡°Don¡¯t be naive, mortal. Her promises are like bubbles in the Stygian River, reflecting pretty colors one second and ¡®pop¡¯ gone the next. If you want her, or any woman for that matter, the only way is to become her master, make her your slave. That¡¯s the only way you can truly have her, to do whatever you desire with her...¡± ¡°That sounds exactly like something a Demon would say,¡± Lancelot snorted with a shake of his head, ¡°All you know is domination and submission...¡± ¡°You¡¯re a Knight. How can you not understand the power that comes with authority?¡± The Demon spoke with a seductive voice, ¡°I quite admire you. You¡¯re strong, close to the limit for a mortal, and I can offer you a position and treatment that matches that strength. You would live in luxurious palaces, with a body that never ages, served by countless young and beautiful maids who yearn to satisfy your every need, even a touch would be considered a great honor; you would lead a powerful army, conquering one war-torn realm after another, where ignorant people would see you as the supreme ruler, offering their loyalty, wealth, and daughters to you... If you like, they can send their sons instead.¡± ¡°Thank you for the offer, all that sounds fantastic...¡± ¡°Really? Ha! Such a wise man. Then come, sign a pact with me, become a Hell Knight!¡± ¡°But all I want is Tijana,¡± Lancelot tilted his head, ¡°Killing you should please her, right?¡± Chapter 693: 717: Touch It Chapter 693: Chapter 717: Touch It ¡°Idiot,¡± the Demon Refiner of the Deep Prison shook his head, ¡°You mortals always manage to surprise me with your stupidity. Nonetheless, it doesn¡¯t matter, for I have seen fools like you before. But when you find a red-hot iron rod up your ass and your flayed body nailed to the scorching city walls, you will understand just how foolish it is to oppose Hell...¡± As his words trailed off, several streams of spiritual light from Teleportation Magic appeared around the Demon General, and from them emerged four fully armed Hell Knights. These Hell Knights donned black plate armor etched with intricate patterns, wielding heavy shields, meteor hammers, heavy long spears, or two-handed great swords; their emanating killing intent was thick enough to be tangible, like a chilling draft slipping through the crevices of the window on a winter night, involuntarily sending shivers down one¡¯s spine. However, even such an aura was not enough to cause Lancelot to waver. He even had the leisure to study the patterns on the knights¡¯ armor. On the breastplate of one of them was depicted this image: a knight holding a treasured sword with an infant swaddled at the tip of the blade, while a horned demon was holding both hands of the knight holding the sword, as if persuading him to thrust the blade down. Clearly, the relief depicted the pivotal scene of that knight¡¯s downfall, a conspiracy abhorred by both gods and men, and defying the natural order. Almost immediately, Lancelot could guess the general plot: a newlywed madam, the birth of an unexpected child, a disrupted line of succession... Although his family was a mere minor nobility from the countryside, that did not prevent Lancelot from understanding the darkest aspects of this class. The other Hell Knights¡¯ armor depicted similar scenarios, with patterns etched of various monstrous crimes that made it easy to deduce the reasons for their owners¡¯ fall. But this raised another question, why would they inscribe these on their armor? Could it be that the demons believe that aside from themselves, no one dared to directly confront such horrific Hell Knights? Lancelot considered several possibilities. Perhaps these knights wanted to boast of what they saw as achievements, or maybe it was a form of the sentence, condemning their souls to eternal slavery in Hell. Regardless of the real reason, Lancelot was merely curious, as he was no Holy Warrior who couldn¡¯t stand to see others suffer, brimming with an overwhelming sense of justice. He had no interest in helping these Hell Knights find redemption, at most he wanted to end their pitiful lives as quickly as possible. The four richly armored knights approached Lancelot in unison, their heavy weapons simultaneously lunging at him. They were strong and fast, and if thrown onto a battlefield soaked in blood, they would definitely be a squadron of walking meat grinders, perhaps even a six-armed Serpent Demon wouldn¡¯t be able to stop them. But where a six-armed Serpent Demon couldn¡¯t, Lancelot could, and he didn¡¯t even need to use the strength of a Spiritual Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage. The reason was simple: he was also a knight, the best kind. Although he had killed many demons and Monsters after coming to the Abyss, the total number wasn¡¯t as high as the knights he had defeated on the battlefield. Lancelot made a lightning-fast oblique step backwards, effortlessly dodging the initial thrust of the heavy long spear. Next, he executed an unexpected move: he slammed his pelvis hard against the spear shaft, swinging away the oncoming weapons from the other enemies, and with a half-turn, he unleashed a thunderous horizontal slash. To call the weapon in Lancelot¡¯s hands Glacier would be somewhat inappropriate. The weapon, forged from cold iron, was seven feet long, standing taller than Lancelot himself; at its thickest point, it was a full inch wide, looking more like a guillotine blade wielded by a giant executioner rather than a weapon that could be swung by an average-sized being. When Lancelot had his weapon custom-made, he was only in the mid-Qi Refinement stage, consumed by the image of the Demons wielding dual great axes. But now, his strength had changed so drastically from that time that the effect of his full-powered swings had exceeded the realm attainable by mortals. The sword blade, glowing a bright green, struck the rightmost Hell Knight in the abdomen, cutting through it as if it were a chopping knife through a bamboo node, severing the knight in two at the waist. The sword¡¯s light continued forward, slicing into the leg armor of a second knight and finally lodging into the pelvic bone. The bisected Hell Knight emitted a scream that did not belong to the realm of humans, and its two halves fell heavily to the ground, not spilling any blood but instead emitting copious amounts of black smoke, like a doused fire. Peering into the split armor, Lancelot saw a withered, waxen body that looked like a corpse that had been dead for many years. To be honest, Lancelot wasn¡¯t particularly surprised. Having landed his attack, he immediately switched to defense, spinning his body in the reverse direction along the same trajectory. His great sword whirled like the blades of a windmill at high speed, deflecting the weapons swung by two other enemies, and concluded his retreat with a horizontal slash from left to right, severing the wrist of another Hell Knight who wielded a chained hammer and sought to pursue him. Lancelot¡¯s moves, both offensive and defensive, had combined to not only prevent his four opponents from harming him but also to counter-attack with pinpoint accuracy, killing one and crippling two. His astounding combat prowess made the Demon Refiners of the Abyss unable to maintain their composure, as one of them, with a coarse curse, charged at Lancelot with a massive Nail-headed Hammer. To be honest, if Baboli had summoned four Horned Demons, Lancelot might have taken to his heels instantaneously, but since his enemies were also knights, why would he not meet them in battle? Aside from opponents like Tijana who could suppress him with speed, Lancelot feared no creature of similar stature, with just two arms and a head, even if humanoid. Defeating three foes only bolstered the confidence of the Human Knight, with his body, will, and momentum reaching their peak. Facing the oncoming Demon Refiner from the Abyss, the warrior spirit within Lancelot blazed fiercely, and in his current state, he had no intention of turning to flee. Even if he knew he couldn¡¯t win, he was determined to confront one of the Multiverse¡¯s strongest beings head-on! ¡®It can¡¯t kill me!¡¯ Lancelot roared inside his mind, ¡®It can¡¯t do it!¡¯ Resolved to fight, he moved with purpose. Like an arrow released from a bow, the Human Knight charged at the Demon Refiner with even greater speed. He raised his Giant Sword Glacier high above his head, and as he faced the formidable Demon General, Lancelot wielded his full strength, delivering an overhead slash with as much ferocity as his opponent. The great sword and the heavy hammer collided with a thunderous impact, and for a brief instant, it seemed as if the two were evenly matched. But then, a ring of Flame nova erupted from the Demon¡¯s weapon, and the intense shockwave pushed Lancelot harshly backward. The Demon Refiner followed up with a vicious tail spin, landing a solid hit on the Human Knight¡¯s body. Chapter 694: 718 Wrong Decision Chapter 694: Chapter 718 Wrong Decision Lancelot¡¯s body heavily slammed against the stone wall, and with a resounding boom, the wall unexpectedly collapsed from the terrible impact, throwing the Human Knight into the corridor outside. He struggled to rise from the ground, spitting out a large mouthful of blood. His appearance was both wretched and disheveled, yet there was a peculiar smile on his face, as if he were the victor of the recent clash. ¡°Hahaha, ahahahahaha!¡± The Human Knight even burst out laughing, his voice filled with satisfaction, not at all like someone who had just been beaten to the point of bleeding. ¡°Hmph, has the beating addled your wits?¡± The Demon Refinement grew impatient and flicked its tail, ¡°Face reality, your strength is as insignificant as an ant¡¯s...¡± ¡°Heh, if I am like an ant, then what does that make you, who couldn¡¯t kill me in one strike?¡± Lancelot picked up the Giant Sword Glacier that had fallen by his side, his gaze falling regretfully on a fist-sized notch that had appeared on the blade, ¡°Or is it that only you are subpar among the Demon Refinements, unable to crush even an ant?¡± ¡°In Hell, there¡¯s a special torture device prepared just for your kind,¡± the Demon General said with a grim expression, stepping toward the Human Knight. ¡°You¡¯ll certainly be surprised by how long your tongue can stretch...¡± The Demon Refinement quickened its pace, the huge hammer in its hand smashing forward like a battering ram, as if it really were a finger and the Human Knight the ant to be crushed. This time, however, Lancelot chose not to collide head-on. As the enemy made its move to strike, he abruptly leapt to the side and then, without looking back, ran in the direction his companions had retreated. The reason he had confronted the Demon Refinement head-on earlier was to gauge the gap between his peak condition and these top-tier Fiends. Although the result seemed like a collapse on contact, with the protection of his Protective True Essence, not a single bone was broken, and he suffered no internal injuries, which was much better than he had anticipated. But now that the purpose of his test had been achieved, Lancelot naturally didn¡¯t delude himself into thinking he could actually contend with the Demon Refinement. Following the lingering scent of his companions in the air, Lancelot dashed along the long stone corridor and then burst into a massive spiral staircase. Each step was half his height, likely a difficult climb for Bruto just a while ago, but for Lancelot, it was as if there was no difference from flat ground. His figure, like a weightless shadow, flashed to the top of the staircase in an instant, while the Demon Refinement behind him had only just made it halfway through the corridor. ¡°There¡¯s no escape for you!¡± The Demon General¡¯s jeering voice came from behind him, ¡°The flames of Hell are waiting for you, heheheh...¡± Ignoring the enemy¡¯s threat, Lancelot ran through another short corridor and charged into a spacious hall. It was clearly the Throne Hall of the former Lord of the Volcano Fortress, the corridor from which Lancelot emerged facing a massive stone throne. The throne itself bore no decorations, but the sheer size of its backrest, over ten feet tall, exuded an astonishing aura, fitting only for a true Demon King to sit upon. However, at that moment, what perched atop the enormous chair was a panting Dwarf, using the armrest as the perfect cover; his other companions also stood guard nearby, their faces vigilant as they eyed the corridor Lancelot had just come from. The hall was devoid of other creatures, but the exit at the other end of the hall stood open. Through the flame-shaped doorframe, Lancelot could see a long stone bridge, and at the end of that bridge was the entrance to the Volcano Fortress. A host of Demon figures were fiercely battling there; if they chose to keep running, it would truly be like sheep thrust into a pack of wolves, and it seemed his companions had nowhere else to run. ¡°Big brother, you¡¯re finally here!¡± Upon seeing Lancelot¡¯s figure, hope sparked in Bruto¡¯s eyes, ¡°You see, there¡¯s nowhere to run. Let¡¯s take our stand and fight it out with that creature here!¡± ¡°We¡¯re definitely not a match for those fiends from the abyss of Demon Refinement!¡± Half-elf Tanya vehemently opposed, ¡°We haven¡¯t reached the end of our rope yet! The demons at the city gate are there to prevent more demons from flooding in; as long as we¡¯re decisive enough in our breakout, it¡¯s entirely possible for us to make it out!¡± ¡°What about that disc Visuvius gave us?¡± Alamir pointed to a recess behind the throne, ¡°Maybe the secret passages of the Volcano Fortress can allow us to hide...¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need to use that,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°Just hold on a little longer, reinforcements are almost here. You guys go close that gate first, don¡¯t let the fiends notice what¡¯s happening over here...¡± His companions exchanged perplexed looks, unable to imagine what sort of reinforcements could be on the way, but their long history of adventuring together had instilled in them an absolute trust in Lancelot. As his companions acted, the fiend from the abyssal Demon Refinement strode confidently out of the corridor from which Lancelot had just emerged. It immediately noticed the several people running towards the exit and its face revealed a smug and cruel smile. ¡°It seems you¡¯re quite clear about the fate that awaits you,¡± the Demon General said to Lancelot, who remained in place, in a mocking tone, ¡°Those whom you regard as companions, for whom you¡¯ve desperately been trying to buy time to escape¡ªare they already deciding to abandon you? How does it feel to be betrayed? Not to worry, what awaits them is...¡± The dwarf, elves, half-elf, and shape-shifting beasts had reached the door, pairing up to pull the heavy obsidian gates closed. The thunderous noise of the closing door startled the fiend from the Demon Refinement, clearly not having anticipated this turn of events. Unlike the demons, the fiends were not merely battle-crazed lunatics. They constantly monitored their surroundings, paying attention to any signs of ambush, trap, or snare. If they found themselves in an unfavorable position, or if they realized the probability of victory was unacceptably slim, they would retreat without hesitation to conserve their strength, hiding and patiently plotting their revenge. Of course, Baboli wasn¡¯t about to flee just yet; after all, it had just herded the human knight and his companions into a dead end. The fact that the other side had voluntarily closed the door to the last exit, and to turn and flee oneself would be far too embarrassing. However, seeing the human knight looking confident, a nameless dread flitted through the fiend¡¯s heart, yet it decided to observe a little longer to see what exactly was the other side¡¯s game. And that became the last mistake it ever made in its long, ¡®demonic¡¯ life. A dazzling flash of white light suddenly lit up, illuminating the previously dimly-lit hall as bright as day. The Demon Refinement¡¯s complexion changed drastically, and it turned to flee back down the corridor it had come from, but sturdy vines that appeared out of nowhere completely blocked the way. Behind it, the mass teleportation was already complete, the hall crammed with towering demon figures, and among them, surrounded by a crowd, was a succubus clad in full plate armor, wielding a silver-gray whip¡ªTijana, whom Baboli had just clashed with not long ago. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for...¡± Tijana was saying her entrance line aloud when she turned to look at Lancelot; her voice suddenly stalled and she asked in a lower voice, ¡°You¡¯re hurt? What happened?¡± Chapter 695: 719 Siege Chapter 695: Chapter 719 Siege Lancelot felt an inexplicable sense of guilt, as Bessiah and Madam Viska¡ªTatyana¡¯s two six-armed Serpent Demons¡ªwere giving him an amused look, compounded by the unfriendly stares of several giant toads, creating an unnamed pressure around him. ¡°It was that guy who hit me!¡± Lancelot decisively lifted his arm and pointed at the culprit, ¡°This is inside the Flame Palace of Visuvius, where the Demon forces are resisting the onslaught of the coalition forces. They are unaware of the situation here...¡± ¡°Ah ha, isn¡¯t this Viscount Baboli?¡± As Tatyana turned her head, her face revealed a somewhat insane smile, ¡°What a pleasant surprise. I remember every single word you said to me in front of Twin Bridges Town very clearly. Now that you¡¯ve injured my man, how do we settle this account?¡± ¡°Tatyana, as long as you let me go, you can ask for anything,¡± the Demon Refinement drew back slowly, trying to stall for time, ¡°What do you want? Wealth? Power? Or favor from Hell? Recognition of Twin Bridges Town¡¯s neutrality? I can swear by the name of Asmodis that I¡¯ll grant you whatever you ask for...¡± Before Baboli could finish his words, the entire Throne Hall was suddenly enveloped by a pale blue crystal shell, and in Lancelot¡¯s perception, the ¡®continuity¡¯ between the hall and the outside world was completely severed by the shell. Although he didn¡¯t understand magic, he could roughly sense that the shell could block any form of Spell Teleportation, including high-level teleportation accomplished through magic beacons, meaning he couldn¡¯t use the emblem of Twin Bridges Town to make a forced escape¡ªnot to mention Tatyana was already approaching. However, before the crystal barrier appeared, Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception had already detected subtle magic fluctuations around Tatyana, and at the instant the magic took form, he was absolutely certain it was the handiwork of the Succubus Lord. Tatyana once introduced him to her various super magic abilities, which included Spell Instant Casting and silent spellcasting. The former could provide a decisive burst in fierce combat, while the latter could create a valuable advantage before combat even begins. ¡°Dimensional Lock...¡± the Demon Refinement looked grimly at the Succubus Lord, ¡°Killing me will bring you no benefits...¡± ¡°Killing you is the greatest benefit.¡± Tatyana snickered and shook her head. In the next instant, her figure vanished from the spot, and the silvery-metal Long Whip lashed out at the Demon Refinement¡¯s body like a bolt of lightning. Although Baboli reacted in time to dodge, the tip of the whip was too fast and still struck heavily on its leg, sending the tall Demon General stumbling. That whip strike was like the starting signal for attack. Led by the two Serpent Demon Generals, all the Demons present threw themselves at him. The Demon Refinement desperately tried to summon a ring of flame to protect himself, but he had barely managed to create a spark before the Succubus Lord extinguished it with an instantly cast counter-spell. The poor high-ranked Demon was like a lion surrounded by a pack of hyenas, able to incapacitate a Berserk Demon with a casual blow but at the cost of enduring attacks from ten other foes. What made it even more desperate was that these great toads, who should be low in intelligence, showed a level of combat savvy well beyond their normal standard. Although they were far from a Demon¡¯s acumen, they were indeed covering for each other, supporting one another, and they all wielded weapons made from cold iron. The Demons, already immensely powerful, when combined with the restraining effects of cold iron against the Fiends, were able to leave a series of wounds of varying depths on Baboli¡¯s arms and thighs with each attack. Although most were simply grazes to it, they quickly accumulated into serious injuries, not to mention the presence of two vicious six-armed Serpent Demons. Their longswords were as sharp as razors, targeting the existing wounds, and peeling the flesh from its arms like ripping fabric. ¡°Is this your limit, Baboli?¡± Tijana¡¯s mocking voice rang out in time, ¡°Let me remind you, with me here, don¡¯t even think about escaping this plane through death. Remember how you once threatened me? The same fate is about to befall you, and I¡¯ll ensure that all the Demons in the Abyss know of your plight...¡± Knowing it had no way out, the Demon of the Infernal Forge fought madly. It gnawed, clawed, thrashed its tail, and used its Nail-headed Hammer to strike at every target within reach, but this still couldn¡¯t alter the course of battle. Tijana, who had initiated the attack, had already withdrawn from the fray. She hovered in mid-air, ready to suppress any attempt at magic by the other party. Lancelot had also wanted to join in at the start but quickly gave up. On one hand, as soon as he showed an eager intent, he received a warning glance from the Succubus Lord. On the other, the Demons were showing great enthusiasm in their gang attack on the isolated Demon of the Infernal Forge. He would hardly get a few strikes in if he squeezed into the fray, and might even cause more chaos. The Demon General¡¯s condition worsened every second. Its movements became more uncoordinated, its breath weaker. With a skillful thrust from ¡®Serpent of the Scorching Sands¡¯ Bessiah, Baboli¡¯s black armor was pried off by the Serpent Demon, exposing its ulcer and pus-ridden body to the eyes of all the other Demons. ¡°Stygian River Pearl! Give me a chance!¡± Baboli shouted again, ¡°Whatever conditions you set, I will accept! You know the reputation of us Bartez, we keep our promises!¡± ¡°But you have nothing I want,¡± Tijana shook her head coldly, ¡°Warriors of Twin Bridges Town, kill it, this is your glory!¡± Upon hearing this, the face of the Demon of the Infernal Forge showed a look of desperation, and then its expression suddenly became fierce. It burst forth with astonishing power, spinning its body like a Giant Dragon, using its large bat wings and thick tail to repel all the Demons around, leaping up with this motion, its weapon aimed straight for the Succubus Lord in mid-air. Tijana didn¡¯t expect the opponent to burst out like this. She was slightly slow in dodging and was almost touched by the massive Nail-headed Hammer. Suddenly, a blinding green light shone beneath her, and a beam as thick as a barrel crashed into Baboli¡¯s chest, blasting the giant Demon figure towards the ceiling, allowing Tijana to dodge the oncoming Warhammer. The retreating Succubus Lord in mid-air fixed her gaze to see who was in front of her¡ªif not her lover, then who else? A substance secreted in her brain gave her a feeling of sweetness, but she forced herself to focus back on the battle at hand. She waved her hands continuously in the air, and in an instant, she had thrown three spells at the Demon General retreating from her. Chapter 696: 720 Revenge True Words Chapter 696: Chapter 720 Revenge True Words Lancelot heightened his vigilance the moment Baboli began to plead for mercy, for his Spirit Perception signaled that the Abyssal Demon Refinement was becoming even more dangerous. The instant he noticed the change in the demon¡¯s expression, he began to gather strength, ready to strike. Perhaps it was due to severe injuries he had once suffered, or maybe the curse of his enemies could never be completely erased that Baboli had to use armor to protect his morbid body. Lancelot¡¯s sudden strike caused much more damage than he had expected; his Great Sword carved out a massive bloody hole in the chest of the Abyssal Demon Refinement, now unprotected by the armor, and a torrent of black blood poured down onto the ground like a cloudburst. Driven by adrenaline, the Abyssal Demon Refinement didn¡¯t even feel the pain. It ignored the Human Knight who had inflicted the heavy blow, struggling to adjust its form in a vain attempt to approach the Succubus Lord by propelling itself off the ceiling, forgetting it was no longer protected by the armor that could reflect magic. Before it could touch the ceiling of the Throne Hall, Tijana¡¯s three spells struck Baboli¡¯s body. Thanks to the Demon¡¯s innate resistance to magic, the first two spells that hit the Abyssal Demon Refinement didn¡¯t take effect, but the last spell, emitting a deep blue Spiritual Light, clearly succeeded¡ªthe Demon General let out a piercing wail as its body suddenly went limp, dropping from the air like a sandbag. The effect of this magic seemed only to inflict intense pain without causing actual harm, but even the mightiest creatures become helpless once incapacitated. As the Abyssal Demon Refinement writhed in agony on the ground, Tijana prepared a visibly more complex spell¡ªgolden flames blazed in the eyes of the Succubus Lord, and the surging tide of magic power formed a tangible storm. And when she raised her Cold Iron Whip, used as a Magic Artifact, even sound itself vanished from the air. With a swing of the gift Lancelot had given her, a semi-transparent shadow of the whip fell upon Baboli. The whip shadow wound and tightened around him like chains, and the body of the Abyssal Demon Refinement shrunk under the spell¡¯s constriction, until it was smaller than an ordinary adult male. All the characteristics of an Abyssal Demon Refinement¡ªblood-red bat wings, long tail, and the head of a savage beast¡ªwere retained, making it appear as if it had been struck by a Shrink Spell. Yet the effect of this spell was far more than just reducing size; it also completely sealed away all of Baboli¡¯s power. The shadow of the whip solidified into tangible Abyssal Metal, binding the miniaturized Abyssal Demon Refinement securely: its hands bound behind its back, legs spread and pressed against its sides, it looked like a lamb ready for slaughter. Only then did the spell Tijana had cast to create pain finally come to an end. The High Rank Demon ceased its spine-chilling screams and instead began to sob pitifully. It struggled to lift its head, begging in a slurred voice, ¡°Stop... please stop... oh noble gem of the Stygian River... I will become your most humble, most loyal servant...¡± With a sneer, Tijana glanced at the bound Demon. Her sharp claws extended from her fingertips, and with a swipe through the air, a spatial rift appeared instantaneously. From that rift, Lancelot sensed a familiar aura, and the very next second, an assortment of gemstones of various sizes and colors emerged, spilling onto the floor like liquid from a leaking barrel. ¡°You will be shackled on a special frame and taken back to Hell...¡± Tijana¡¯s voice took on a peculiar tone, filled with a special kind of magic power. With each word she uttered, a gemstone silently disintegrated into a puff of smoke, ¡°... and I shall be wealthier than any king in the Mortal Realm...¡± ¡°No, no, no!!!¡± the Demon¡¯s voice trembled violently with fear, ¡°I beg you, don¡¯t! Don¡¯t!! Don¡¯t do it!!!¡± ¡°...because for just a single Gold Coin, even the lowliest Bartez could have you...¡± The Succubus Lord¡¯s emotionless voice continued as more expensive gems turned to ash with her words. Lancelot tilted his head, his eyebrows raised with interest beneath his helmet, for he felt a very special kind of energy fluctuation. He had experienced this fluctuation only on two occasions before: the first, when Elothysia obtained the echo of an oath in Melanthan¡¯s castle, and the second was at Hagrid Manor, when Tijana imposed the Styx Oath upon the assembly. ¡°What¡¯s this all about?¡± Bruto couldn¡¯t help but shrink his neck, ¡°What¡¯s the boss saying? I don¡¯t understand...¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? That Abyssal Demon Refinement insulted Tijana just like this in front of everyone before attacking Twin Bridges Town,¡± Alamir said with a concerned glance at Lancelot, ¡°But I have no idea why the Succubus Lord is repeating those words, though it¡¯s definitely not for the thrill of revenge... at least not just for that reason.¡± ¡°Revenge, one of the most primitive sources of magic in the Multiverse,¡± the white-haired, red-eyed Half-elf Cursed Swordmaster suddenly spoke, ¡°If someone once threatened to do something to you, when you are actually able to do the same to them, you can harness the power of True Words of revenge to cast an extremely powerful spell. It¡¯s a very wild force, and if one is not careful, it can consume oneself like a wildfire. Mortal Spellcasters know of this method, but they don¡¯t even have the courage to try...¡± By this time, the Succubus Lord had already circled the Abyssal Demon Refinement three times. The powdered gems, under some kind of magic power, turned into a gummy substance that wrapped Bruto¡¯s body firmly. Under Lancelot¡¯s worried gaze, Tijana made a series of complicated hand signs, then began to circle the Abyssal Demon Refinement in the opposite direction, saying at the same time: ¡°Through sacred revenge, I pronounce your fate: you shall be bound in Hell by a special instrument of punishment, and here I sacrifice wealth not even a King has possessed. For just a single Gold Coin, no matter how lowly the Tanari, or any other creature, they can have you... from behind. Because the dignity of a noble Demon is quite valuable, hence the front costs more¡ªtwo Gold Coins per use.¡± With Tijana¡¯s words, more gems fell out of the dimensional rift, instantly turning into a bright mist as they landed on a hot iron plate. The blob in the center of the hall grew larger and larger, while the Abyssal Demon Refinement, whether begging or cursing, was unable to utter a word, silenced by some unstoppable force. ¡°Before the end of your punishment, you shall remain imprisoned, neither dying nor able to use any form of magic or move any muscle in your body. You will regain your freedom only after you have earned me an amount of wealth equivalent to what was spent at this moment by honestly providing services to others. The total comes to... three million, seven hundred and sixty thousand Gold Coins. Damn, that much?¡± Chapter 697: 721: Coin-Operated Self-Service Machine (For Fiends Use) Chapter 697: Chapter 721: Coin-Operated Self-Service Machine (For Fiends Use) As Tijana¡¯s last word was spoken, the gelled substance enveloping the demon refinement burst forth a blinding light. Within a few breaths, the light vanished, and in its place stood a crystal cube more than five feet tall. Through the translucent material, one could clearly see the High-Rank Demon¡¯s folded body, with both head and buttocks exposed, conveniently positioned for use. Around the demon¡¯s head on the surface of the crystal were inscribed a circle of words in Abyssal, which were the very threats it had once made against the Succubus Lord; above there was a small crack, seemingly just the right size to fit a gold coin, also inscribed in Abyssal: ¡°Two gold coins per use.¡± A similar setup surrounded its buttocks, the price being exactly what Tijana had initially demanded. ¡®Tijana!¡¯ Although the demon refinement couldn¡¯t speak through vocal cords, it could still communicate with those around via telepathy, ¡®Release me! At once! I command you!¡¯ ¡°That tone sounds much more normal; your sobbing pleas from before almost made me feel pity,¡± the Succubus Lord said casually as she approached the demon, tapping lightly on its head twice, immediately silencing the annoying voice from everyone¡¯s consciousness, ¡°I am quite merciful, you know. If you can earn twenty gold coins a day, you¡¯ll gain your freedom in just five hundred short years...¡± Having spoken, she pulled out two gold coins and slipped them into the crack on the surface of the crystal cube. Due to some magic, the demon¡¯s mouth was forced open to its maximum, revealing bloodied gums lined with sharp, venomous teeth. ¡°Tijana...¡± Lancelot approached the Succubus Lord¡¯s side, unable to help but speak softly, ¡°Are you going to...¡± ¡°What are you thinking? I don¡¯t have any tools to commit a crime,¡± the Succubus Lord rolled her eyes at him and reached into the demon¡¯s mouth, ¡°Refining a demon¡¯s poison teeth can fetch a good price, I need to recoup some costs first.¡± ¡°Oh, okay then.¡± Lancelot scratched his head awkwardly, ¡°Please, continue...¡± ¡°You¡¯re just too adorable!¡± Tijana couldn¡¯t help laughing, then suddenly turned serious, ¡°Lift your visor, let me check your injuries...¡± ¡°Really, there¡¯s...¡± Lancelot couldn¡¯t finish his sentence because the moment his face was exposed, the Succubus Lord sealed his mouth with her red lips. ¡°Yiheihei!¡± Tijana let out a low chuckle, ¡°Fooled you!¡± Lancelot felt his face growing hot. He quickly scanned the surroundings, noticing everyone was pretending to look elsewhere. Thus, he steeled himself, touched the Succubus Lord¡¯s lips lightly like a dragonfly skimming water, then immediately lowered his visor again. ¡°What was that, a counterattack?¡± Lancelot refused to answer, retreating to the side feeling somewhat embarrassed. Tijana giggled and returned to her task, using her pincer-like claws to extract sharp fangs one by one from the demon¡¯s mouth. In just a short while, there were no sharp objects left in the High-Rank Demon¡¯s mouth, though the deep purple saliva clearly still contained potent venom, not suitable for contact with any part of the body unless one was immune to toxins. Unfortunately for the demon, the three major Fiend races of the lower plane: Bartez, Tanari, and Yugros, all possessed immunity to poison states and toxin damage. A voluptuous six-armed Serpent Demon swam over, its chest still heaving from a recently concluded fierce battle, yet a strange smile graced its face. ¡°We can¡¯t waste the money already spent; that¡¯s something you always say,¡± Madam Viska spoke in her usual haughty tone, ¡°Why not invite me this time, Tijana?¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll come from behind,¡± Bessiah¡¯s raspy voice arose on the other end, ¡°It¡¯s more formal that way.¡± ¡°Suit yourselves,¡± Tijana responded as she retracted her fangs and stepped back, ¡°But does it have to be now? There will be plenty of opportunities to have fun later...¡± ¡°It¡¯s more thrilling in such a setting,¡± the Succubi curled themselves up, stuffing their tail ends into the body of the Abyssal Demon Refinement, the Succubus Lord turned awkwardly, meeting Lancelot¡¯s gaze straight on. ¡°This guy... Do you plan to keep him in Twin Bridges Town? Isn¡¯t that a bit too conspicuous?¡± ¡°Well...¡± At these words, Tijana showed a troubled expression, but eventually nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s not suitable, although it would definitely become a landmark tourist attraction. I plan to cast a permanent random teleportation technique, so it will automatically teleport to another place every now and then... but of course, still within the Abyssal Plane.¡± ¡°...And the Gold Coins that were stuffed inside?¡± ¡°Of course, they will return to my treasury,¡± the Succubus Lord said with an expression that suggested it was only natural, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to go and disrupt the protective array of the Volcano Fortress? Get going then, the terrain here is good, with me guarding this place, even if the demons discover a battle, they won¡¯t be able to break in anytime soon.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll act swiftly.¡± ¡°Be safe,¡± Tijana waved nonchalantly, ¡°Come back soon.¡± The Human Knight didn¡¯t waste words; he gestured to his companions, and once again they gathered together. They squeezed through the crowd of Spectating Berserk Demons and approached the massive stone throne. Lancelot took out a black emblem, the size of a round shield, from the Dimensional Bag and embedded it into a perfectly sized hole at the back of the throne, then twisted it counterclockwise. A deep rumbling sound followed, and the floor behind the throne began to split to the left and right, revealing a pitch-black entrance with downward stairs. The companions exchanged glances and formed back into their battle formation, stepping down the stairs toward their ultimate destination for this journey. Of course, a certain someone with considerably shorter legs had to jump. As they descended, the surroundings became completely devoid of light sources. Even though all companions had vision in the dark, a bit of illumination would help them better observe the ground beneath them. The Elf Priest lifted his Hammer of Dissolution, a Magic Weapon that emitted a soft golden glow, allowing everyone to see the surrounding environment clearly. The style of this secret passage was completely different from the one they had entered earlier; the apparent difference was its much more spacious layout, and except for the stone material of the floor, the walls on both sides and the ceiling were all crystallized dirt, seemingly formed by a fire-spouting sandworm burrowing through the mountain. As the party continued downwards, many rooms appeared on both sides, all of them with iron bars on the outside, but the prisoners once held there had long since turned into bone piles; the shape of their skeletons made it hard to imagine what sort of creatures they once were, and the iron bars meant to hold them had corroded so badly that they could be easily pulled apart with a light tug. ¡°Should we search this area?¡± Bruto suggested enthusiastically, ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll find some good stuff...¡± Chapter 698: 722: Dwarfs Intuition Chapter 698: Chapter 722: Dwarf¡¯s Intuition ¡°But we have limited time,¡± Lancelot said, somewhat distressed, ¡°There are still three Demon Refinements in the Volcano Fortress. Although Tijana said it¡¯s not a problem, if the demons just hold one at the gate and the other two attack the Flame Palace, she definitely won¡¯t last long...¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just search quickly, it won¡¯t take too long!¡± Bruto hurriedly waved his hand, ¡°My intuition tells me there really are great things here! Give me five minutes... no, three minutes will be enough! And this isn¡¯t Visuvius¡¯s treasure vault, whatever it is won¡¯t know, so we can just take it directly...¡± Lancelot hesitated slightly. His Spirit Perception was mainly effective in detecting creatures with strong auras. It was also not bad for finding objects imbued with nature¡¯s spiritual energy, but Bruto had a better nose for finding precious metals and gemstones. If he said there were valuable items, they probably were. ¡°Alright, just three minutes,¡± Lancelot finally nodded, ¡°But be careful. This place is, after all, a prison for death row inmates and it seems to have been forgotten for a long time, all ideal conditions for producing strong curses. If you really find something, don¡¯t rush to use it or activate it. Wait until we¡¯re back in a safe environment to assess its effects...¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Bruto pulled out a pair of exceptionally heavy blacksmith gloves from his backpack, ¡°Made of asbestos, with four layers of lead lining inside. With these, even the stomach acid of a Giant Dragon wouldn¡¯t stop me from plunging my hands into it...¡± ¡°Giant Dragon¡¯s stomach acid might just corrode your hand, but it won¡¯t make arrows flying past turn and hit your face, or make shadows under your feet materialize and trip you up,¡± the Half-elf Cursed Swordmaster warned. ¡°It never hurts to be cautious.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, got it!¡± The Dwarf said this but had already started running. Trusting his strong sense of perception, he ran straight to a prison cell. With his hands, he easily created a large hole by pulling apart the already decayed metal bars. His companions crowded around and found a skeleton lying on the ground inside. The size was similar to an ordinary human¡¯s, but it had a head that resembled that of a Viper on its neck. Despite the creature clearly having been dead for years, its terrifying skeleton still evoked a deep unease in the watchers. However, this obviously did not stop the treasure-seeking Dwarf. He fiddled with the ashes beneath the skeletal remains and soon, a flash of gemstones caught everyone¡¯s eyes. Bruto hurriedly quickened his pace and soon pulled out a ring set with a deep green gemstone. In the darkness, the ring emitted a dim green light, indicating it was truly a magical item¡ªa reason it had resisted the ravages of time. All magical items, irrespective of the strength of spells attached, do not degrade over time unless left in a Dead Magic Zone, where they would deteriorate just like any ordinary artifact. But who would commit such a wasteful act? ¡°My intuition tells me that this thing was originally in the stomach of that body, and it fell out to the ground many years later,¡± Alamir commented with his arms crossed. ¡°If I were you, I definitely would not wear it on my hand right now.¡± ¡°In the stomach, huh? It¡¯s better than I expected,¡± Bruto chuckled and shook his head, then handed it over to Lancelot, ¡°Here, you keep it for now. Let¡¯s have Kalalin look into what it¡¯s used for later on.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Lancelot nodded. ¡°Is this the treasure you sensed?¡± ¡°No,¡± Bruto shook his head, ¡°But it should be nearby. I¡¯ll keep looking...¡± In the second room, there was nothing, and the Dwarf circled inside before eventually turning over a small pouch from a pile of ashes. ¡°Ha! A Dimensional Bag!¡± Bruto excitedly showed his discovery to everyone, ¡°There might be some good stuff in here!¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Lancelot suddenly spoke up to warn them, as his Spirit Perception had suddenly become very uneasy, as if he had just heard a terribly bad idea. Fortunately, the Dwarf¡¯s previous remark was merely seeking his approval, and he hadn¡¯t actually done anything yet. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruto asked, startled, throwing the bag onto the ground, ¡°Is there something wrong with it?¡± Lancelot didn¡¯t answer but produced a blue Sword Aura from his hand, slicing off a metal rod over four feet long from the gate at the entrance. He carefully grasped one end of the metal rod, using the other end to pry open the bag, and then slowly inserted the rod into it. Initially, the bag behaved like a normal Dimensional Bag, sucking in the front end of the metal rod, but it only went in about a foot deep before stopping. Then, Lancelot felt a pushing force in his hands as the bag ¡®spat¡¯ out the metal rod, and he also sensed a wave of cold spiritual fluctuation, as if the bag was very dissatisfied with this ¡®meal¡¯. ¡°By Moradin¡¯s beard!¡± the Dwarf exclaimed in surprise, ¡°What is this damned thing? I almost reached my hand inside it...¡± ¡°It definitely isn¡¯t a Dimensional Bag,¡± Alamir said with certainty, ¡°and I would never let any part of my body get close to that opening, not even a hair.¡± ¡°I have a pretty good guess where the prisoner in this room went,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°but this is indeed a magical object, perhaps Kalalin can tell us more...¡± As Lancelot spoke, he conjured a vine as thick as a finger from the ground. The vine, like a living rope, tightly bound the opening of the bag and continued to grow, passing the bag to the Human Knight¡¯s hand. Lancelot dared not store it in his Dimensional Bag but hung it on his belt. His True Yuan continuously energized the vine securing the opening, ensuring the vines stayed tight, and any abnormal movement from the bag would be immediately sensed by him. ¡°This should be fine now,¡± Lancelot gently patted the bag, ¡°How about it, Bruto? Do you feel anything?¡± ¡°Yes, this time I¡¯m absolutely sure!¡± The Dwarf affirmed vehemently, prying open the metal gate of the third cell. The prisoner this time seemed to be a human, at least there were no abnormalities visible on the skeleton. It wore handcuffs at the wrists, and Bruto quickly found the object that had attracted him since the start ¡ª a gemstone nestled in the skull of the corpse, radiating multicolored brilliance. The Dwarf grabbed the skull, shook it, and the gemstone fell out of the eye socket, caught in his hand. ¡°Ha! A Thief¡¯s Stone!¡± Bruto called out happily, ¡°And it¡¯s so big!¡± Chapter 699: 723: Thiefs Stone Chapter 699: Chapter 723: Thief¡¯s Stone Lancelot looked curiously at the Thief¡¯s Stone that the Dwarf handed over. The gemstone in front of him was as big as a quail egg, with an inner glow like a liquid rainbow¡ªit did indeed look very beautiful. However, his Spirit Perception did not sense any magic power fluctuations, and it hardly contained any of nature¡¯s spiritual energy. It seemed indistinguishable from an ordinary gemstone. ¡°It¡¯s called the Thief¡¯s Stone?¡± he asked, looking up at the dwarf who wore a proud expression, ¡°Why does it have that name? Is it related to the Wanderer profession?¡± ¡°Wanderer? No, no, no, it has nothing to do with them; this thing is used by those Mages,¡± Bruto shook his head repeatedly. ¡°I¡¯m not clear about its specific use; it should be some kind of spellcasting material... All I know is that a Thief¡¯s Stone the size of a fingernail is worth five thousand Gold Coins, and it can be found in any vein.¡± ¡°The most important use of the Thief¡¯s Stone is to cast the spell ¡®gemstone leap,''¡± Tanya suddenly spoke up. ¡°That is a Seventh Circle magic, a Spellcaster can attune to a Thief¡¯s Stone through the spell, and as long as they are on the same plane as the Thief¡¯s Stone, they can teleport to its vicinity with a preset trigger word. This is a very high-level teleportation effect; area-based dimensional barriers or anti-teleportation Arrays are ineffective against it. Direct countermeasures have to be set against the gemstone itself to prevent a Spellcaster from teleporting through the Thief¡¯s Stone.¡± ¡°That effect sounds somewhat familiar,¡± Lancelot said, rubbing his nose and recalling the Twin Bridges Town Emblem that Tijana had given him. ¡°But why is it called by that name?¡± ¡°Because you can initiate the teleportation just by uttering the preset trigger word. Even if someone¡¯s hands and feet are bound, as long as they can speak, they can still use it to escape. It¡¯s well-suited for those who like to sneak into treasuries or forbidden places,¡± explained the half-elf with a shrug. ¡°Moreover, this gemstone has a unique property: each Spellcaster can only attune to one Thief¡¯s Stone, but a single Thief¡¯s Stone can be attuned with countless Spellcasters, and a new attunement doesn¡¯t override the existing ones. A widely circulated story is about a guy named Phalos who sold a Thief¡¯s Stone to the Red Robe Mages of Sel. After the gemstone was delivered to Sel¡¯s treasury, he used it to slip in, reclaim the Thief¡¯s Stone and all the Spellbooks he could find, then made his getaway with Transfiguration.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Lancelot nodded thoughtfully. ¡°In a way, calling this thing a ¡®Stolen Stone¡¯ might be more fitting...¡± ¡°Indeed, if you¡¯re not an experienced Spellcaster, it¡¯s best not to keep a Thief¡¯s Stone that you come across accidentally with your other treasures. Nevertheless, this item is still better suited for escaping. There have been plenty of fools who wanted to replicate Phalos¡¯s feat¡ª their endings weren¡¯t particularly enviable,¡± Tanya pointed at the skeleton on the ground. ¡°Here¡¯s a perfect example.¡± Lancelot looked at the skeleton thoughtfully and suddenly realized he had overlooked an important detail. ¡°Bruto, take a look at those handcuffs.¡± ¡°Handcuffs?¡± The Dwarf turned with a puzzled look. ¡°What handcuffs?¡± ¡°Everything around us has rotted away, but those handcuffs are still intact; they must be special,¡± Lancelot stroked his chin. ¡°And this body could use Seventh Circle magic, which means he was a high-rank Spellcaster. What kind of handcuffs could restrain a high-rank Spellcaster?¡± Bruto finally got Lancelot¡¯s point and hurriedly stripped the handcuffs from the skeleton. At first glance, the dirty black shackles seemed worn-out and perfectly belonged in such an environment, but when the Dwarf blew away the dust on their surface with his formidable lung capacity, everyone discovered that the handcuffs were actually made of some sort of black crystal and were emitting an eerie black light. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, these should be a pair of anti-magic handcuffs,¡± Alamir said with a furrowed brow. ¡°There might be some other effects, we¡¯ll need to have Kalalin examine them closely.¡± ¡°What I¡¯m more curious about is when these handcuffs were put on his wrists,¡± Lancelot turned to Tanya and asked, ¡°Is it possible to perform a gemstone leap while wearing anti-magic handcuffs?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± the half-elf with white hair and red eyes nodded confidently. ¡°The spell is already complete when the spellcaster synchronizes with the Thief¡¯s Stone; uttering the activation word does not involve manipulating magic power, so it wouldn¡¯t be restricted by the handcuffs.¡± ¡°I suppose the story goes something like this,¡± Alamir crossed his arms and shared his view. ¡°Visuvius, or whoever was the owner of the Volcano Fortress at the time, did not treat this Thief¡¯s Stone as a treasure but tossed it into this cell. The skeleton over there was captured for some reason while he was alive and the handcuffs restricted his spellcasting abilities. As a last resort to escape, he spoke the prepared activation word, only to find himself transported into this very cell...¡± ¡°I agree with your latter hypothesis, but there¡¯s another possibility for the former,¡± Lancelot gently shook his head. ¡°Perhaps the person whose remains we see here once conspired with the Lord of Volcano Fortress to plan a theft, and meant to use the Thief¡¯s Stone to escape afterward. However, the Lord had prepared for the betrayal, and placed the Thief¡¯s Stone in the cell beforehand. What happened next is quite apparent; we are now looking at the skeletal remains, accompanied only by the handcuffs that symbolize betrayal and the ironically placed Thief¡¯s Stone.¡± Bruto and Alamir exchanged glances, tacitly maintaining silence. It was hard not to draw parallels between this skeleton and the relationship between the human knight and the Succubus Lord, but now was probably not the right time to discuss this topic. ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about,¡± Lancelot said with a light chuckle. ¡°If we disregard her race and only look at her actions, do you think Tijana is trustworthy?¡± ¡°Although the boss¡¯s cut is a bit hefty, she¡¯s been pretty solid so far,¡± Bruto shifted uncomfortably. ¡°But how does that saying go? A betrayal has not occurred because the price isn¡¯t high enough yet...¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with that principle; it¡¯s just a matter of how much is considered high enough,¡± Lancelot patted his companions on the shoulders. ¡°Even if all the wealth of the world were laid before me, I wouldn¡¯t consider betraying any one of you, and I hold the same confidence in Tijana.¡± ¡°Eh... ah...¡± The dwarf made a disgusted noise. ¡°That¡¯s so cheesy... Elf, your turn!¡± ¡°What¡¯s there for me to say? Of course, I support him,¡± Shuni, the priest, spread her arms. ¡°True love is the greatest power in the Multiverse; it can inspire the most shameful demons to perform the noblest acts. It might seem crazy to you dwarves, but I certainly don¡¯t see anything wrong with it.¡± ¡°Absurd,¡± Bruto sighed, giving his final verdict, ¡°Let¡¯s go, there¡¯s nothing left here to excite me...¡± Chapter 700: 724 Fire Elementals Chapter 700: Chapter 724 Fire Elementals (Updating first, revising later) The group continued downward along the staircase and soon encountered a fork in the road. Lancelot sensed briefly and quickly distinguished which path to take¡ªsince the end would feature a lava lake, naturally it was the fork where the fire-attribute spiritual energy was most potent. As a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage, with a spirit root of the fire attribute, finding the correct answer was not difficult for Lancelot. They encountered several more junctions after that, but as they grew closer to their goal, Lancelot¡¯s choices became increasingly straightforward. The temperature within the tunnel gradually rose, feeling less like they were traversing the depths underground and more akin to a blacksmith¡¯s district at noon, surrounded by the hiss of blazing forges and the flow of molten iron into molds. After descending further, the tunnel exit suddenly appeared before them. Passing through that gate, they found themselves on the edge of a massive cavern. The entire cavern was nearly as vast as the Flame Palace above, with an area near the tunnel exit consisting of a ¡®beach¡¯ made of black crystalline rocks. Some three hundred feet further was the ¡®shoreline¡¯. Continuing forward lay a magma lake that emitted fiery light, turning the whole cavern orange-red. A dock-like black bridge extended deep into the lava lake, and that dock was the optimal entry point for Lancelot to ¡®dive¡¯ into the lake. But before they could close in on that spot, there were some minor troubles to be dealt with. Wandering across that black crystalline sand were dozens of creatures made almost entirely of flames. These creatures stood over eight feet tall, with only vague humanoid outlines, though their robust arms were especially distinct. Additionally, they wore a pair of shackles-like bracelets on their wrists¡ªthe only things on their bodies that were not made of flames. ¡°Fire Elementals,¡± the half-elf cursed swordmaster slowly summoned her shadow glaive, ¡°These creatures have very low intelligence. A natural disaster is a more fitting description than a living being. Only weapons imbued with magic can harm them, which shouldn¡¯t be a problem for any of you, except Little Monkey. You¡¯ll need to activate your Peach Stick Spell first...¡± ¡°It¡¯s Peach Stick Spell,¡± the demon monkey girl corrected, ¡°That... fighting with them, will we catch fire ourselves...¡± ¡°Leave that to me,¡± the elf priest interjected, ¡°Once the battle starts, I will create a rain using my circle upcasting water conjuring spell. As long as you stay within thirty feet of me, I assure you nothing on you will catch fire and burn.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Lancelot nodded and squinted slightly, scrutinizing the flame creatures, ¡°What¡¯s with the bracers on their arms? That¡¯s definitely not something they were born with.¡± ¡°Indeed it isn¡¯t, elemental beings shouldn¡¯t be equipped with any gear,¡± Tanya frowned slightly, ¡°If I had to guess, perhaps those are the tools Visuvius uses to enslave these Fire Elementals. They¡¯re trapped here, serving as guards for the Barlow Flame Demon, since their fists of flame can¡¯t inflict any harm on the Flame Demon itself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably the case,¡± Lancelot agreed with the half-elf¡¯s opinion, then instructed his companions: ¡°Let¡¯s form a defensive formation, protecting Alamir in the center. I¡¯ll be in front, Bruto on the left, Tanya on the right, Jing, ensure our rear is secure first and foremost; if there are no enemies, you can support any one of us at will. Everyone, do not break formation to pursue, and keep within range of Alamir¡¯s water conjuring spell, understood?¡± ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Taking the Human Knight as the arrowhead, the group departed from the tunnel exit in a triangular formation. Within a few steps, a number of Fire Elementals noticed these intruders and, with a strange roar, swirled towards them like a whirlwind. Standing at the forefront, Lancelot faced the brunt of the attack as a fist of flame, as large as a helmet, hurtled directly at his face. As Lancelot was unclear about the strength and characteristics of the Fire Elementals, he did not wait until the last moment to strike. His longsword, gleaming with a cyan light called Frostslash, was swung directly, colliding with the fist composed of flame. The scenario Lancelot feared, where his sword would simply pass through the flame, did not occur. The body of the Fire Elemental was surprisingly solid, and its huge fist was sent flying by the slash, as if the sword had struck a Nail-headed Hammer. Though it was difficult to see from the outside how much damage the sword had done, the Fire Elemental seemed to have become even angrier. It raised its other arm to throw another punch, but by then, Lancelot had roughly discerned the enemy¡¯s capabilities. He retreated half a step diagonally back, dodging the attack with apparent ease, while his weapon traced a strange path, slicing into the Fire Elemental¡¯s forearm. The Flame Elemental¡¯s brass-bracered hand fell to the ground, and it let out a strange and anguished scream, clearly suffering immense damage. Seeing that the attack was effective, Lancelot spun his longsword over his head before chopping down once more, severing the enemy¡¯s other bracered arm. The Fire Elemental before him suddenly ¡®collapsed¡¯, countless tiny flames leaking out from its body like water from a punctured vessel, the Elemental deflating rapidly like a pierced ball. Just then, a suitable amount of rain fell on Lancelot¡¯s head, not only cooling him slightly but also completely eradicating his opponent from sight. ¡°Aim for the bracers!¡± Lancelot quickly shouted a reminder, ¡°That¡¯s their weak point!¡± While the next enemy had not yet advanced, Lancelot glanced back to see Bruto¡¯s neck-flames being doused by the rain. The Dwarf appeared to be having some trouble against the large, kneeless creature¡ªhe was desperately holding up his shield, striving to withstand hammer-like punches, one heavier than the next. Judging from the sparks flying, if it weren¡¯t for the rain summoned by Alamir, Bruto would have surely been set ablaze. In another direction, the Half-elf appeared much more at ease. It seemed as though some new power had awakened within her; when the Fire Elementals drew near, their flames inexplicably dimmed, and their movements slowed as if wading through a marsh, allowing Tanya to effortlessly poke several holes in them with her pike. Upon hearing Lancelot¡¯s tip, she quickly shifted her attack focus and soon severed a pair of bracers, with the Fire Elemental reacting almost exactly like the one Lancelot had defeated, vanishing completely in a few moments. ¡°No good, I can¡¯t hit them!¡± The Dwarf called out in frustration, ¡°Someone help me, my hammer can¡¯t do this!¡± Before he could finish his plea, aid from the demon monkey girl had already arrived. Jing transformed the ends of her iron-headed stick into crescent-shaped Spade Blades. Timing her strike perfectly with the Fire Elemental¡¯s fists hammering on the Dwarf¡¯s shield, she cut off both bracers in one blow, relieving the Dwarf from his predicament. Chapter 701: 725 No Need to Panic Chapter 701: Chapter 725 No Need to Panic The trouble with Fire Elementals lay in two aspects: first, their attacks had the characteristic of igniting anything flammable upon impact; second, they themselves were made of flames, meaning merely getting close could cause burn damage. In actual combat, the first issue could be resolved with an Elf Priest¡¯s Water Conjuring Spell, and as long as they were quickly eliminated, the threat of the latter wasn¡¯t so significant. Once they grasped the knack of it, the battle became much easier, and if one disregarded their ability to ignite, the combat power of the Fire Elementals was even less than that of a Berserk Demon (though Bruto would disagree). The group didn¡¯t take much effort to clean up all these enslaved elemental creatures and advanced to a spot only thirty feet away from the Lava Lake. The companions all stopped in their tracks, for the surrounding temperature had reached an unbearable level; even Bruto¡¯s beard had bent due to the high heat, making it look like a huge eggplant was growing on his chin. ¡°Big brother, this is as far as we go,¡± the Dwarf smoothed out his beard and pressed it back into shape. ¡°You¡¯ll have to go the rest of the way on your own.¡± ¡°What, don¡¯t you want to see the treasures inside Visuvius¡¯s vault?¡± ¡°I do, but I can¡¯t go,¡± Bruto sighed. ¡°We don¡¯t have your kind of ability...¡± ¡°Since we¡¯ve come all this way, it¡¯d be a shame not to take a look,¡± Lancelot laughed, ¡°Just wait for me a moment.¡± With that, he walked forward, stepping onto the black lengthy bridge that led deep into the Lava Lake. The terrifying heat had completely distorted the air, and magma occasionally splashed onto the bridge¡¯s surface, yet the Human Knight walked as if on plain ground, seemingly unaffected by any of it. After about fifty more feet, the bridge also came to an end, and Lancelot found himself at a dead end. He pulled out a huge Array Plate from his Dimensional Bag, the same one he had used at the top of the Glacial Fortress during the Body Infusion. Lancelot tossed the Array Plate gently into mid-air, then leapt up and settled down cross-legged in the center indentation of the Plate. Embedded in the Array Plate were sixty-four Upper Grade Spirit Stones, each with less than a fifth of their Spiritual Energy remaining, but he was inside a volcano this time, and relying on his own strength, he could draw on the surrounding Volcanic Aura, so there was no need to replace the Spirit Stones on the Array Plate. ¡°What¡¯s he up to?¡± Tanya asked with a puzzled look towards Alamir, ¡°Could it be that the Array Plate has properties that resist fire?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not what you think,¡± the Elf Priest replied with a smile, shaking his head. ¡°No matter what you see next, there¡¯s no need to panic...¡± As Alamir¡¯s words faded, the transformation had already begun. The Human Knight¡¯s skin turned red as if he were a cooked lobster, then his figure began to swell up rapidly as though inflating and was swiftly engulfed by sudden flames that emerged from nowhere. An instant later, a wild roar, like that of a primeval beast awakening from a long slumber, emanated from within the flames. The orange-red light gradually dissipated, and the Human Knight in the center of the Array Plate had vanished, replaced by a formidable Barlow Flame Demon, slowly stretching its muscular body and the enormous bat wings behind it. Despite the distant relative¡¯s prior warning, the Half-elf Tanya couldn¡¯t help but scream; after all, facing one of the most fearsome creatures in the Multiverse, a Barlow Flame Demon that appeared suddenly, was enough to unsettle anyone. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, that¡¯s Lancelot,¡± Shuni¡¯s Priest gently embraced her startled companion. ¡°I don¡¯t know how he does it, but he can.¡± A stunned Tanya¡¯s eyes widened as she scrutinized the colossal figure before her. She almost immediately believed Alamir¡¯s words, for although there were many demonized features, such as the curved horns on the forehead and the flames in the eye sockets, the face was still unmistakably Lancelot¡¯s and was easy to recognize. The Flame Demon took a moment to adjust to its new body, then, flapping its giant bat wings, stepped onto the Array Plate and flew in front of the group. Tanya felt a wave of heat wash over her, but it wasn¡¯t enough to cause any harm. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Bruto crossed his arms and looked up at the gigantic being. ¡°Are you filled with a longing for blood, a hatred for the living, and an uncontrollable urge to kill?¡± ¡°Add a bit of a destructive impulse,¡± Lancelot answered with a booming voice. ¡°You know, like when you see a perfectly intact window on a building and really want to throw a stone to smash it.¡± ¡°What? Why would you do that? I wouldn¡¯t want to destroy a perfectly good window...¡± ¡°Uh... maybe I didn¡¯t describe it clearly enough. What if all the other windows in the building were already shattered, and only one remains intact? Would you want to destroy that last one?¡± ¡°...Maybe, if I were some little punk with less than an inch of beard.¡± ¡°And what if you once lived in that house but were driven out for some utterly unreasonable reasons?¡± ¡°Okay, I see what you mean,¡± the Dwarf pursed his lips. ¡°You being able to talk about this so calmly must mean you¡¯re not affected by these emotions, right?¡± ¡°Not at the moment, but it might be a different story if I were in battle,¡± Lancelot nodded, pointing to his massive demonic skull. ¡°Don¡¯t move, I¡¯m going to include you in my Protective Aura, it might get a bit hot...¡± Four orange-red beams of light flew from him, enveloping his companions. Everyone felt like they had suddenly jumped into a hot spring, the scalding water engulfing their bodies, though they quickly adapted to the sensation since the surroundings were already very hot. ¡°Quite comfortable,¡± Bruto examined his glowing red palms. ¡°Does this mean I¡¯m immune to the damage of high temperatures now?¡± ¡°Well, probably...¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°How about... we test it first?¡± ¡°...¡± Fortunately, validating this was not difficult. Bruto walked to the edge of the Lava Lake, dipping his removed glove into the magma. After confirming there was no effect, he boldly stuck a finger in, followed by his palm and entire arm. After accidentally slipping, falling entirely into the magma, and then quickly clambering out, he finally felt reassured. ¡°Very good,¡± Lancelot nodded, while signaling the Elf Priest to stand down from preparing the Resurrection Technique. ¡°The Protective Aura has a limited range, everyone come onto my Array Plate.¡± ¡°How limited is ¡®limited¡¯?¡± Bruto brushed off the solidifying magma from his body, and with a push of his arms, he climbed onto the floating Array Plate. ¡°Fifteen feet? Thirty feet?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lancelot looked down at the Dwarf, who was only a quarter of his height. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and try again?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not...¡± Bruto gave an awkward smile, reaching out to grab a protrusion on Lancelot¡¯s knee pad, ¡°I think I¡¯ll just stay here.¡± Chapter 702: 726 : Submerge Chapter 702: 726 Chapter: Submerge The Array Plate was incredibly large, and even with a massive Barlow Flame Demon occupying some space, there was more than enough room for the four companions to sit comfortably. Unlike the situation on the Iron Ice Plains, the volcano that appeared out of nowhere in front of the Glacial Fortress contained an extremely rich concentration of nature¡¯s spiritual energy (to be precise, ¡®Abyssal Flavor¡¯ spiritual energy). Merely coming into contact with the erupting lava could transform a Frost Giant into a demon. That¡¯s why Lancelot was able to proceed with the Body Infusion. However, the spiritual energy here, though equally pure, was hardly sufficient for another Body Infusion, although it was enough to maintain his Flame Demon Form. The Array Plate carried everyone to the center of the Lava Lake, then slowly began to sink into the churning lava. Everyone¡¯s hearts leapt into their throats, but Lancelot¡¯s Protective Aura suddenly brightened, keeping all the lava at bay, outside the Array Plate. The lava near the ¡®surface¡¯ of the lake was very turbid, but as the Array Plate continued to descend, visibility slightly improved. For safety reasons, Lancelot did not descend too quickly. He continuously used his Spirit Perception to sense the surroundings, on the lookout for any anomalies. ¡°Damn, can¡¯t see anything clear here,¡± Bruto swiveled his head back and forth, grumbling discontentedly, ¡°Big brother, do you know where Visuvius¡¯s treasure chamber is?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just wandering blindly, trying to sense something special,¡± Lancelot admitted honestly, ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t your intuition for treasures remarkably accurate? Where do you think we should go?¡± ¡°Uh...¡± The Dwarf puffed out his cheeks, looked around again, then randomly pointed, ¡°Over there!¡± Lancelot did not question him and immediately tilted the Array Plate towards the direction Bruto pointed. He hadn¡¯t sensed anything either, so trusting the Dwarf¡¯s intuition seemed like a better choice than aimlessly chancing upon something. ¡°Hey, hey, hey? There really is something there!¡± In less than a minute of flying, the mischievous monkey girl, perching on the edge of the Array Plate, let out a cry of surprise. Everyone fixed their gaze ahead, seeing a vague circle of shadows that gradually became more defined as they got closer. It turned out to be a ring of black stones floating in the lava, carved into some sort of mysterious Runes, undoubtedly the protective array of the Volcano Fortress. ¡°Haha, told you my intuition is spot-on!¡± Bruto struck a proud pose, ¡°If not for me, who knows how long we¡¯d have to wander around this damned place...¡± Just as Lancelot was about to praise him, a sudden sense of weightlessness changed his expression drastically. The Array Plate, like a boat swept over a waterfall, began to plummet rapidly. The companions, who had been relatively calm, now cried out in alarm, immediately grabbing onto Lancelot¡¯s legs to avoid being flung into the surging lava outside. ¡°What¡¯s happening? What¡¯s happening?¡± The Dwarf¡¯s voice even had a hint of whining, ¡°Big brother! Do something!¡± ¡°Hold on tight to me!!!¡± Lancelot managed to shout, while he exerted all his strength to stimulate the True Yuan within his body, attempting to counteract the sudden suction force. His efforts had some effect; at least the Array Plate was no longer in freefall, but they were still descending rapidly. The circle of black stones soon flew over their heads. Suddenly, a noise like shattering glass came from below. The Array Plate seemed to have smashed through the roof of some structure, and after a few breaths, they crashed heavily onto the ground, tumbling everyone over. But at last, they had come to a stop. However, as they picked themselves up, each person let out a cry of surprise, because the sight around them was utterly unexpected¡ªa vision filled with shiny Gold Coins, gems reflecting dazzling light, and giant weapons glowing with Magic Aura. Compared to the ancient White Dragon¡¯s Lair they had visited before, the Lord of the Volcano Fortress¡¯s hoard was certainly no less impressive. Clearly, Visuvius was not a General obsessed solely with bloody battles. ¡°Great Father God...¡± Bruto slapped his own face, ¡°I¡¯m not dreaming, am I?¡± ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Alamir asked calmly beside him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then try harder, it¡¯ll only prove you¡¯re not dreaming if it hurts.¡± ¡°... Elves, do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± ¡°It seems this is Visuvius¡¯s treasury,¡± Lancelot began, ¡°Interesting, we haven¡¯t even started looking, and it has forcibly pulled us in.¡± ¡°This is too strange...¡± Bruto turned his head, his face suddenly showing a look of surprise and doubt, ¡°Hey, when did you change back?¡± ¡°There is some kind of force field here that isolates the energy of the volcano itself,¡± Lancelot raised his hand and pointed upward, ¡°Fortunately, that force also keeps the lava out, so I no longer have to forcibly maintain the Flame Demon form.¡± Everyone looked up and saw a large, round hole in the ceiling dozens of feet above them, clearly the result of their collision. A transparent force field prevented the lava from flowing in, otherwise, all the treasured collections of the Lord of the Volcano Fortress from several centuries would have perished in an instant. ¡°But what exactly drew us here?¡± Tanya looked around in confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t like entering a Demon Lord¡¯s storeroom in this manner...¡± ¡°It must be that.¡± Lancelot raised his arm, pointing to a corner of the treasury. Following the direction of his hand, they saw a white jade pedestal shaped like a small hill with several broken yet majestic columns at the top, surrounding four cylindrical Holy Thrones. A blue-green Treasured Sword that emitted a faint glow was planted in the Thrones, the majority of its blade buried within, and everyone could immediately feel the sacred aura it radiated. ¡°There seem to be some characters on the base...¡± Bruto squinted, examining the mysterious sword, ¡°Twisted and turned, it looks a bit like your Elven script.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Celestial script,¡± Alamir shook his head lightly, ¡°That sentence means: He who unites with this sword, exists shall also vanish...¡± The words of the Elf Priest seemed to trigger some Spell, and the sword suddenly emitted a burst of bright energy waves, quickly filling the room with a white light that blinded everyone. The light dissipated after a few breaths, but the scenery around them had completely changed. ¡°How did we... where is this?¡± Bruto muttered the question on everyone¡¯s minds: the shiny Gold Coins and beautiful gemstones had all disappeared, replaced by burning Flames, pungent gunpowder smoke, and the screams of terror. They found themselves on the edge of a small village under attack, everywhere ablaze with burning houses, trees, and fields. Villagers dressed as farmers ran wildly through the flaming streets, fleeing from the cackling Demons and hyena-like creatures pursuing them. Chapter 703: 727 Aldergran Chapter 703: Chapter 727 Aldergran (To be updated and revised later) In front of everyone lay a road paved with stones. From a fallen road marker on the ground, Lancelot deduced that the name of the road was Alder Road. It was the only street in the town, and the stony surface was littered with a large amount of debris and freshly killed corpses, with trickling blood reflecting the blazing fires from the buildings. Jackalweres were pillaging the shops along the road, while Demons were furiously destroying anything in their line of sight. Lancelot noticed that several individuals he had thought were Jackalweres were actually mutated Coward Devils, and some other recognizable Demons also had distinct Jackalwere features. At the end of the road, hundreds of feet away, stood something in this Illusory Mirror that caught everyone¡¯s attention the most. There was a statue at least four times taller than Lancelot, depicting an Angel in armor with its eyes blindfolded. The Angel had spread its wings and was holding a sword in a protective stance, and the companions immediately noticed that the sword in the statue¡¯s hand was the very one they had just seen in the Volcano Fortress. ¡°Look around,¡± Lancelot said calmly, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, we must be inside some sort of illusionary realm.¡± Upon hearing his words, everyone shifted their gaze from the nightmarish scene in front of them and noticed that the edge of the town was enveloped in thick fog, clearly not a natural phenomenon. It was then that a stern, cold voice of an ageless woman echoed in everyone¡¯s minds: ¡®This is Aldergran, a town once plagued by the Jackalwere Tribe. During an attack by the Jackalweres, a priest of Losanda led the townspeople to seek help from their god. The Lord of the Dawn, Losanda, responded enthusiastically, sending down the Angel Zariel who effortlessly repelled the Jackalwere attack. However, generations later, the Jackalweres returned, this time accompanied by filthy beasts from the Bottomless Abyss. The town is on the brink of destruction¡ªhurry and lend a hand!¡¯ No sooner had the woman¡¯s voice ended than the attackers on the street suddenly noticed the group, as if they had been invisible before. Several dozen Jackalweres were originally besieging a shop with its doors tightly shut and roof on fire, but their leader decided that Lancelot and his party were a more interesting target than the house. This Jackalwere captain was draped in clearly pilfered trinkets, looking like a monkey performing acrobatics at a rural market. However, its malicious expression and drooling wolfish maw were not at all endearing, not to mention it was pointing a filthy, large cleaver at the group, issuing an attack command to its underlings with a voice full of malice. The Jackalweres turned their heads together, dozens of murky grey eyes suddenly widened, shooting out an evil and crazed glow, then they pounced towards the group like wild dogs discovering wounded prey. ¡°It seems like we need to flex our muscles if we want to escape this illusionary realm,¡± Lancelot said, swiftly drawing the hand half sword from behind his back, ¡°Even if everything here is illusory, any injury we sustain will certainly have real effects, so everyone, stay sharp!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± The companions responded enthusiastically; they had faced Demon armies on blood-drenched battlefields, and a confrontation of this scale was not enough to scare them. Lancelot charged ahead without fear, his longsword swinging like a windmill, easily deflecting two feathered arrows shot at him, followed by a swift diagonal slash, which cut the leading Jackalwere and its weapon cleanly in half. Although the attack was visually stunning, it failed to affect the other enemies. Two jackalweres let out maniacal cackles and leapt over their companion¡¯s corpse, thrusting their filthy spears at Lancelot. Lancelot easily stepped aside, allowing the enemy¡¯s attack to miss entirely, and with a flick of his weapon, a hyena-like head spun into the air. The other enemy, distracted by Lancelot¡¯s movements, turned his head just in time to miss the Dwarf making a throwing motion and the hammer that killed him. Without waiting for the hammer to return to his hand, Bruto charged forward with his shield, toppling several enemies to the ground in succession. Compared to Lancelot¡¯s approach, Bruto¡¯s fighting style was far messier¡ªhe was quickly stained with a great deal of jackalwere filth¡ªbut it had to be admitted that this style was highly efficient against large groups of relatively weaker enemies. Coupled with his Dwarf Berserker Armor, which was covered in blades and spikes, he resembled a humanoid meat grinder rolling over the battlefield, leaving behind only mangled corpses. On the other side of Lancelot, the white-haired, red-eyed half-elf stepped confidently, reaping the lives of the jackalwere thugs with her Shadow Glaive. As a Cursed Swordmaster, her weapon was imbued with power from the Fallen Shadow Realm. A jackalwere she killed rose again in the form of a shadow, forced to submit to the swordmaster¡¯s will and claw at its former allies. On a nearby rooftop, two jackalweres huddled in an unignited area, clumsily loading their crossbows. Their awkward paws were clearly not well-suited to the task, but after several attempts, they succeeded. A jackalwere sentinel raised the crossbow, aiming at what seemed like the idle Elf at the back of the group, but an iron rod, appearing out of nowhere, smashed the first jackalwere¡¯s weapon, while the second, in shock, fired an arrow far off the target. The jackalwere did not realize they had been attacked but blamed the mishap entirely on its companion. It threw aside its weapon, turned around, and shoved its fellow to the ground with a threatening growl. The other jackalwere indeed showed a terrified expression, which pleased the first one immensely, and it barked aggressively several more times. Jing, perched on the nearby fence, watched the scene with amusement. When she saw the intent to pick up the crossbow from the ground, she flicked her tail and smashed her stick onto the jackalwere¡¯s head. The group¡¯s offensive was like a breeze sweeping away fallen leaves, and in less than a minute, the last standing jackalwere also fell. The door of the house that had just been under siege by the jackalweres creaked open, and out ran a middle-aged man dressed as a shopkeeper, his face blackened by smoke, clearly having been watching the commotion through a crack in the door. He ran up to the group, making a hasty bow, and said urgently, ¡°Kind Knights, you must be the reinforcements sent by Zariel! Jessa¡¯s prayers have been answered! She¡¯s hiding with most of the townsfolk in the church at the end of the road, please go help her!¡± Chapter 704: 728: Lead the Way Chapter 704: Chapter 728: Lead the Way Before the group could ask further, the man hastily ran away and disappeared into the dense fog on the edge of the town. Everyone looked at each other in confusion, but then a scream nearby forced them into action once again. On the street a few dozen feet away, an overturned wagon lay, with several Coward Devils, wolves in their heads and paws on the ground, trying to break through the wagon¡¯s panels. The scream¡ªa woman¡¯s¡ªcame from inside the wagon. Her only guard was a large Tibetan Mastiff, over five feet long and with fluffy fur, but it was clearly losing the fight against the wolf Coward Devils, and it was about to be overpowered. A group of ferocious demons, a helpless lady¡ªwhat situation could be more in need of heroic knights? Without a second word, Lancelot charged forward, followed closely by his companions. The Coward Devils, hearing the noise, turned their heads and instinctively bared their teeth in a threatening manner. However, they failed to see any fear on the face of the human knight¡ªhe had his helmet down. Lancelot¡¯s sword Frostslash swung swiftly, killing three Coward Devils with two strikes, while Bruto, Tanya, and Jing took down the remaining four together. After defeating the enemies, they tried to approach the wagon, but the severely wounded Tibetan Mastiff decided to stand in their way. Lancelot admired the loyal guard dog before him¡ªit surely knew their strength, yet it bravely stood up for its owner; such quality was rare even among humans. ¡°Oh, good doggy! We are not the bad guys, you know!¡± the elf girl stretched out her arms towards the guarded Mastiff, moving upwind so the dog could catch her scent, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, all the bad guys have been taken care of by us, woof woof~ woof~!¡± Jing, having once lived as a monkey in the forest, was experienced in dealing with wild animals. Her voice and actions quickly calmed the Mastiff, which turned to look at the wagon where its owner was, seemingly unsure what to do next. ¡°Madam inside the wagon, you can come out now,¡± Lancelot stood still and called out to the carriage, ¡°Those planks are not that stable, take the chance to escape now while there are no enemies.¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m fine here! I¡¯m not going anywhere!¡± a woman¡¯s voice shrieked in response, ¡°Just go, Poqi is enough to protect me!¡± ¡°If Poqi refers to this big dog in front of me, it can¡¯t fight any longer,¡± Lancelot frowned, ¡°I¡¯m sure it would loyally fight for you, but if another demon comes, it will surely be torn apart.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, just go! If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll let Poqi bite you!¡± Lancelot felt a surge of irritation and also pity for the dog. At that moment, Alamir came forward, raised an eyebrow at him, then began to speak in a soft, magnetic voice: ¡°Madam, we are a group of warriors passing through, heading to the church ahead to look for survivors. We are very strong, and if you agree to accompany us, I will personally ensure your safety. Please come out and join us.¡± With a creak, a young woman in her twenties tumbled out of the wagon¡¯s cabin. She looked dazedly at the smiling Elf Priest approaching her and walked over to him, saying: ¡°You... hello, beautiful Elf sir, I¡¯m Ella Deepwell. Those terrible demons killed my husband...¡± ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s truly dreadful,¡± Alamir expertly took her hands, ¡°My name is Alamir, a priest of Shuni. The situation is urgent, please make sure not to stray from my side. Once we reach a safe place, we can get to know each other better...¡± ¡°My goodness...¡± Bruto muttered softly to Lancelot, ¡°How did he do that? And what if it were an old lady inside?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a professional.¡± Lancelot replied concisely, turning his gaze forward again where the noise had resumed. Five guards dressed in filthy chainmail came towards them, their appearance clearly indicating they had just been in a fierce battle with Demons. However, the madness flickering in their eyes didn¡¯t suggest they were approaching to ask if anyone needed help as they brandished their spears and charged. ¡°Hey! Have you gone mad!¡± Bruto, positioned at the forefront, blocked the guards¡¯ attack with his Shield, the spears thudding heavily against it, the loud clang making a young woman flinch and be instinctively embraced by the Elf Priest. ¡°Don¡¯t kill them!¡± Alamir shouted to his companions, shielding Ella Deepwell with his left arm, ¡°Their minds are tainted by the demon¡¯s filth. Give me some time; I can restore their sanity!¡± The crazed guards, though nearly berserk, were technically no match for the group. Lancelot¡¯s Longsword swayed rhythmically, disarming an opponent with each strike. The disarmed guards still attempted to attack with their fists, only to be easily tripped and toppled to the ground by the group. Alamir¡¯s Divine Arts took a bit longer to prep, but when they were ready, the Shield engraved with Shuni¡¯s Emblem exploded with a golden light none had ever seen before, enveloping the struggling guards. They suddenly stopped struggling, then stood up blankly, appearing to have come to their senses. ¡°What happened to us?¡± ¡°You attacked us the moment you saw us.¡± Bruto replied curtly, ¡°Is this how this town of Edelgran welcomes Outsiders?¡± ¡°Edelgran... I¡¯m truly sorry. We were just fighting the attacking Demons...¡± the apparent leader of the guards (he had a nice feather on his shoulder) explained, ¡°but suddenly, we felt an intense craving to feast on humanoid flesh...¡± ¡°No worries, with Shuni¡¯s help, I¡¯ve restored you to normal.¡± Alamir gave the guards a handsome smile, ¡°You must have heard of Lady Fire¡¯s name, right?¡± ¡°Thank you so much... Shuni? Isn¡¯t she the goddess of love? Weren¡¯t you sent by Losanda?¡± the captain of the guard asked back, confused, then his expression changed, ¡°Oh no! The church! Jessa and the villagers are hiding there!¡± ¡°We were just fighting over there!¡± another guard explained anxiously, ¡°Once the Demons break through the church doors, everyone inside will surely be killed! My wife and daughter are both in there!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic, we¡¯re here.¡± Lancelot picked up his Longsword, kicked it onto his shoulder, and said, ¡°Lead the way.¡± Chapter 705: 729: Statue Chapter 705: Chapter 729: Statue The guards joined Lancelot¡¯s team, and together they marched toward the giant statue in the distance. Along the way, they killed numerous rampaging demons and wolfmen and rescued more villagers who had been trapped. However, after quickly expressing their thanks, these people quickly fled without joining the group heading to the church. The town was not large, and despite being occasionally delayed by sudden fights, it took only five minutes for everyone to arrive in front of Zariel¡¯s statue. This thirty-foot-tall statue, made of marble, stood on a base as high as Bruto¡¯s neck and bore an inscription in the common language: ¡°Zariel, Guardian of Aldergran. Pray to Losanda, and His radiance will protect you.¡± Behind the statue lay the Losanda Cathedral that the townspeople spoke of. This two-story stone temple was the largest building in the town, with sun-shaped carvings on its external walls, and its front oak doors were tightly shut, with all the round windows sealed by iron shutters. Lancelot didn¡¯t know much about Losanda, but according to what Alamir had once shared with him, this deity, also known as Lansendel, held a string of positive divine offices related to dawn, vitality, youth, and athletic pursuits. He was one of the mainstream beliefs among the material plane¡¯s humans, especially revered by young nobles, and was almost as popular among gods as mortals were, with a close alliance with Alamir¡¯s faith in Lady Fire. Meanwhile, Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception also alerted him that the statue of Zariel in front of him was actually a magical item, but he had no time to explore its secrets just yet¡ªa six-armed Serpent Demon was directing a squad of four Berserk Demons to take turns slamming against the temple¡¯s doors. Unless a miracle occurred, it was only a matter of time until the demons would break through. On hearing the commotion caused by the group, the Serpent Demon swiftly turned around. Everyone gasped, but for different reasons; the guards and the woman gasped out of sheer fright, while Lancelot and his companions were shocked by the appearance of this six-armed Serpent Demon¡ªstrictly speaking, apart from its thick serpentine lower body, it had nothing in common with the Solheim they knew: Instead of a beautiful, seductive, humanoid female head, it had an ugly wolf¡¯s face, and instead of six elegant, deadly arms, it had long claws covered with black hard hair like those of a wolfman. Of course, each of its claws held a dangerous longsword, and its aura was as formidable as a true six-armed Serpent Demon. The Berserk Demons that had been striking the church doors also stopped, as they would not exert their strength on lifeless doors when there were living beings present. Like the Serpent Demon, these servants of Yenogu had transformed dramatically in appearance, now resembling demonized giant wolves. Their mouths, once filled with fine, sharp teeth, now boasted canine teeth like daggers, and the skin¡¯s toad-like warts had burst forth into bone spurs, making them look not as nauseous as ordinary Berserk Demons but infinitely more ferocious. Lancelot stepped forward a few paces, swiftly giving his companions several hand signals to stay and fight where they were¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to reveal his strength too soon, fearing the consequences if the Serpent Demon and the Berserk Demons joined the battle together. ¡°Slaughter these resisters!¡± ordered the Serpent Demon to its subordinates in a raspy and cold voice, never expecting that the opposing group could fully understand the Abyssal language, ¡°Welcome the great Prince of Slaughter with their skulls!¡± ¡°Ha, now the fun begins,¡± Bruto said as he hammered his warhammer twice onto his shield, ¡°Come on! Whether you¡¯re a toad or a giant wolf, don¡¯t think you can take any advantage from your Dwarf granddad! Hoo-ah!!!¡± The wolf-like Berserk Demons let out a howling charge, rushing toward the group on all fours. The event Lancelot feared did not occur; the Serpent Demon merely stood far off, watching without joining the fight immediately. The foremost Berserk Demon leapt through the air when it was fifteen feet away from the Human Knight, like a tiger pouncing on its prey, already imagining the pleasure of snapping the human¡¯s neck and sucking the flesh from within that armor. However, before Lancelot could make a move, the enormous angel statue launched the first attack. Blinding light burst from the statue, burning all the approaching Demons and plunging them into temporary blindness. This condition wouldn¡¯t last long, at most only three heartbeats, but for someone, it was long enough. Apart from Alamir standing at the very back, no one managed to see Lancelot¡¯s movements clearly. His figure instantly disappeared from where he was only to reappear in front of a Berserk Demon, with his longsword plunged into the demon¡¯s heart; before the demon could realize its own demise, the Human Knight had already vanished again, with a flash of greenish blade light, another Berserk Demon was sliced in half at the waist. Lancelot¡¯s figure disappeared again, but this time it did not reappear in Alamir¡¯s view until a sharp swooshing sound reached his ears. The Elf Priest looked up to see the Human Knight descending from the sky, longsword pointing straight down ¡ª where the first Berserk Demon that had pounced toward him was struggling on the spot due to the earlier missed attack and sudden burst of light. The next second, the longsword pierced through the Berserk Demon like an icicle falling from the sky, while the body of the Human Knight swayed lightly like a leaf blown by the wind, smoothly landing on the ground not far away. ¡°Beautiful!¡± Alamir couldn¡¯t help but applaud, ¡°You didn¡¯t even dirty your armor, that¡¯s great!¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Lancelot smiled at his companion, ¡°Opportunities like that are too rare.¡± In that burst of action, he had killed three out of four Berserk Demons, leaving only Bruto¡¯s adversary ¡ª if he had taken that one too, the Dwarf surely would have been upset, and Lancelot was confident that Bruto could handle it. Indeed, just as he had anticipated, Bruto also seized the opportunity when the enemy was blinded, slamming his warhammer directly onto the Berserk Demon¡¯s wolfish face. With the Dwarf¡¯s current strength, being fully struck with a warhammer was no laughing matter; the Berserk Demon immediately toppled to the ground, limbs twitching uncontrollably, and although not yet dead, it could not defend against the Dwarf¡¯s subsequent heavy blows, soon dying under his hammer. ¡°Lord of the Dawn above...¡± the captain of the guard exclaimed in shock, looking at the relaxed Human Knight, ¡°Who exactly are you people?¡± ¡°Mercenaries.¡± The Elf Priest lowered his head, softly explaining to the young widow who had slumped into his arms, ¡°But occasionally, we also do good deeds for free.¡± Chapter 706: 730 The Female Priest of Losanda Chapter 706: Chapter 730 The Female Priest of Losanda The battle had almost ended as soon as it began, and when Bruto used his Warhammer to turn the last Berserk Demon into minced meat, the Serpent Demon used Teleportation Magic to escape. ¡°Well done,¡± that emotionless female voice echoed again in everyone¡¯s minds, ¡°Take a rest. You have one hour before the real fierce battle arrives.¡± ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Lancelot asked the captain of the guard seemingly offhandedly. ¡°What?¡± The captain of the guard looked back at him puzzled, ¡°The sound when the statue burst into light?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± Lancelot was now even more certain that this was an illusion aimed at him and his companions, ¡°This statue...why does it have such power?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the statue of Zariel, the Angel who once saved Aldergran,¡± the captain of the guard turned to look at the statue that had returned to normal, ¡°It has been standing here since I was born, but I¡¯ve never seen anything like what just happened... Surely, that must be a miracle of Losanda, right?¡± ¡°Back in the day, a Priest named Sando Star prayed to the Lord of the Dawn and summoned the aid of the Angel Zariel; he also organized the townspeople to erect this statue in memory of Zariel,¡± another guard chimed in, ¡°The current Priest of the church, Jessa, is a descendant of Sando. If anyone knows the secrets about this statue, it would definitely be her.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, that¡¯s right!¡± The captain of the guard clapped his hands, walked in front of the church, and called out loudly, ¡°Jessa! Jessa! It¡¯s Karadjo, open the door, the Demons have been driven away!¡± ¡°Karadjo? Is that Captain Karadjo¡¯s voice?¡± ¡°The Demons have been driven away? Has Zariel already come? Open the door quickly...¡± ¡°Wait, weren¡¯t they just going insane? Are you sure that¡¯s really Karadjo?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t sound like he¡¯s gone mad, let¡¯s still go and call for Jessa to come over...¡± With his acute hearing, Lancelot clearly overheard the conversation behind the door-panel. Moments later, a soft female voice came from inside the temple: ¡°Karadjo, what¡¯s the situation outside? Is there anyone else with you?¡± ¡°Esterlin, Javin, Teir, and Yarkrosh are all here, make yourselves heard...¡± The surviving town guards took turns greeting at the door, then the captain continued to shout: ¡°We¡¯ve encountered a group of brave Adventurers, actually, it was mainly them who repelled the Demons, uh, sorry, sir, I¡¯ve yet to ask for your name...¡± ¡°I am Lancelot. Accompanying me are the Dwarf Bruto, the Elf Alamir, the Half-elf Tanya, and the shape-shifting demon Jing...¡± ¡°And the beautiful Ms. Ella Deepwell,¡± added Shuni the Priest, ¡°as well as her faithful mastiff guard.¡± A louvered window next to the gate cautiously opened a crack, and Lancelot saw several pairs of wary eyes sizing up the situation outside. After a while, the battered door of the temple finally opened, and a forty-something woman in a white robe with golden trim stood in the doorway, behind her a large group of townspeople with unsettled souls. ¡°Have those werewolves and demons truly been driven away?¡± the female Priest asked in a gentle whisper, her eyes filled with hope. ¡°Yes, thanks to this Knight Sir and his companions!¡± the captain of the guard exaggeratedly waved his arms, ¡°Look at the bodies over there, I didn¡¯t even see how he did it...¡± Before he could finish, the townspeople in the temple rushed out all at once. They ran frantically to their homes, trying to extinguish the flames on their roofs or to salvage what possessions they could from the fire. The female Priest stood still, bowed deeply to Lancelot and said: ¡°On behalf of all the townsfolk of Aldergran, I extend to you our sincerest gratitude,¡± her voice was heartfelt and had a spring-like quality to it, ¡°I am Jessa Star, a Priest of Losanda. It must be the great Lord of the Dawn who heard our prayers and sent you to defeat those ruthless monsters...¡± ¡°First of all, we arrived here by chance, at least Losanda has not directly communicated any divine message to us,¡± Lancelot said, not wanting to undermine her faith, ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m afraid the demons have only retreated temporarily and could return at any moment...¡± ¡°Is that so...¡± visible disappointment flashed across the Priest¡¯s face, but she quickly regained her determination, ¡°It must be that Zariel has been delayed, and destiny arranged for you to come and support us first. If the demons do attack again, Zariel will surely come as well. Please rest for a while, warriors of Eldelange, and if there is anything you need, we will do our utmost to accommodate...¡± ¡°Honorable high Priest, could you provide a quiet, private room for Ms. Ella to rest?¡± Alamir asked with a polite voice, ¡°She has just suffered a great sorrow, the evil demons killed her husband...¡± ¡°Every person here has lost something precious today, but as long as we keep hope alive, things will get better,¡± the Priest replied solemnly, then noticed the emblem on the Elven Shield, her mouth twitched uncontrollably a bit, but she continued, ¡°There are many guest rooms on the second floor suitable for resting...¡± ¡°Thank you, kind Priestess, I see the radiance of Losanda in you...¡± Alamir said, supporting the grieving young widow and walking seriously into the temple. As they passed Lancelot, he gave a discreet wink, and the Human Knight silently returned a gesture, signaling to be mindful of the time. ¡°We have some questions to ask you,¡± Lancelot nodded to the Priest, ¡°About the attack, and that statue...¡± ¡°I will tell you everything I know,¡± Jessa turned to the side, ¡°But please come in first. It would be rude to have the heroes who just saved Aldergran standing at the doorstep...¡± Shortly after, everyone was seated in an east-facing drawing room within the temple. The furnishings here were quite luxurious, with tasseled decorations on the soft sofas and a large coffee table with a colored glass surface depicting the rising sun. Lancelot also noticed that these items bore signs of frequent use, suggesting that as the only divine officer of the temple, the Priest did not shy away from sharing these lavish yet comfortable amenities with the townspeople. ¡°I often hold salons here, where I also take the opportunity to explain the doctrines of the Lord of the Dawn to the townspeople,¡± the Priest said with a smile, as if guessing Lancelot¡¯s thoughts, ¡°I am very sorry, all the food in the temple was just distributed to the townspeople who came for refuge, so we can only offer you this tea...¡± ¡°Thank you, this is more than enough,¡± Lancelot laughed softly and shook his head, his expression then turning serious, ¡°About that statue, what can you tell us? During the fight, it suddenly emitted a bright light, instantly blinding the attacking demons, and it really helped us a lot...¡± Chapter 707: 731 Requests Chapter 707: Chapter 731 Requests (Update first, revise later) ¡°That is indeed the power of Losanda,¡± the priestess said with a proud smile on her face, ¡°Any activity by Fiends within fifteen feet of the statue will cause it to radiate holy light, a light so powerful it could even kill low-ranking demons...¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you rely on that statue for defense, instead of hiding inside the Temple?¡± Bruto asked with the loud voice typical of Dwarves, forming a stark contrast with the soft-spoken priestess, ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for us being here just now, those Demons would definitely have broken through the gate... Or is there something even more powerful defending inside the Temple?¡± ¡°Uh... I can cast some Healing Divine Arts, and I¡¯ve trained with the Hardhead Hammer, but most of the townsfolk are civilians with no combat experience,¡± Jessa said, her face flushing with embarrassment. ¡°Moreover, powerful Demons could withstand the statue¡¯s Holy Light for a very long time, long enough to kill us all...¡± ¡°So you chose to lead everyone in prayer inside the Temple, hoping that the Lord of the Dawn would send Zariel to save you again, like what happened generations ago?¡± Lancelot frowned subtly, ¡°I¡¯m not questioning your faith, madam, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s somewhat... unreliable? If every believer in danger could receive a response from the Lord of the Dawn, His teachings would surely have spread to every corner of the Multiverse by now...¡± ¡°I understand what you mean,¡± the priestess nodded, unfazed. ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to gather most of the townspeople to pray to Him, so we¡¯d be more likely to draw the Lord of the Dawn¡¯s attention. And a miracle did happen, didn¡¯t it? Otherwise, how would you have come to this town?¡± ¡°We...¡± Lancelot was momentarily at a loss for words; in a sense, they had indeed been ¡®sent¡¯ here, but the actual circumstances were probably not what she had in mind, ¡°As I said earlier, the Demons have likely only retreated temporarily, and I fear a much larger attack is imminent...¡± ¡°About that statue, I actually have a secret,¡± Jessa stood up, giving a bow to those present, ¡°Please wait here for a moment, honorable heroes.¡± After saying this, she left with an elegant stride, leaving the four to stand there somewhat bewildered. ¡°I really don¡¯t get you Humans and your faith,¡± the Dwarf complained with his arms crossed, ¡°If a horde of Orcs attacked a Dwarf village, you¡¯d be better off shouting Moradin¡¯s name before you smash an Orc¡¯s skull in. If anyone dares to hide in their house, quivering and begging the Father God for help, it¡¯s likely the Father God Himself would show up to hammer that embarrassing coward...¡± ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± Lancelot glared back nonchalantly, ¡°In the world I come from, we don¡¯t have these notions.¡± ¡°My apologies for the wait,¡± the priestess returned from outside, carrying an exquisite little box in her hands, ¡°These are Holy Relics passed down through generations within the Church. Please have a look...¡± The curious crowd peered into the box to find five shimmering Holy Emblems. The upper half of each emblem was a smooth amber, surrounded by threads of gold, while the lower half was composed of green enamel shards piecemeal into the shape of hills and fields. Altogether, the radiant emblems beautifully captured the image of ¡®dawn,¡¯ making it immediately clear which deity they represented. ¡°Wow!¡± While the Dwarf was generally disinterested in most forms of art, crafted wares of gold and jewels were an exception, ¡°The craftsmanship of these Emblems is truly amazing...¡± ¡°Because they are Holy Relics left personally by Zariel. Simply by wearing these Emblems and touching the statue while praising the name of the Lord of the Dawn, one can receive powerful blessings to aid in the fight against the Fiends,¡± Jessa said with pride, placing the box on the table, ¡°Each Holy Emblem can be activated once a day, for the duration of one hour. While anyone could receive blessings in this way, I believe only you, the heroes sent to Aldergran by Losanda, can fully leverage the power of the Emblems.¡± ¡°We really have nothing to do with Losanda...¡± the Dwarf muttered discontentedly, but the Human Knight patted his shoulder, signaling him to be quiet for the moment. ¡°Even without these Holy Emblems, we would protect this town from another Demon attack,¡± Lancelot promised the priestess, ¡°but I do have some reasonable requests, which I hope you can fulfill...¡± Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the Temple. Everyone immediately jumped up from their seats and ran toward the source of the noise. They saw that a large crowd of townspeople had already formed at the Temple doors. Upon spotting Lancelot and his companions, they subconsciously cleared a path for them, revealing in the center a flayed human skin, still attached to its skull. ¡°It just fell from the sky...¡± Someone in the crowd muttered an explanation to him. Lancelot, suppressing his discomfort, unfolded the skin no one dared touch and saw several pieces were carved out from its back, the vacant parts together forming the pattern of a flail with three heads. ¡°Yenogu...¡± The onlooking townspeople couldn¡¯t help but utter the name, their voices filled with fear. Lancelot frowned slightly and flicked his fingers, sending a few sparks flying from his hand that, upon landing on the skin, ignited into a fierce blaze, leaving only ashes in a few moments. ¡°Our church in Losanda is wealthy and generous...¡± The priestess¡¯s body trembled, but she managed to stand firm, ¡°Afterward, we will surely provide you with fair compensation.¡± ¡°I do not want compensation,¡± Lancelot shook his head, casting a stern glance at Bruto, who had suddenly become excited, ¡°I want every able-bodied, combat-capable townsman to take up arms and personally protect their own homes. I understand they have virtually no military training, but they should still know how to use Short Bows or pitchforks. And if collective prayer is indeed effective, Losanda must have already heard your calls. Shortly, we will defend against the Demon attack in front of the statue, holding the entrance to the Temple, and we hope to have the townspeople¡¯s support... Can you persuade everyone to do this?¡± The priestess¡¯s face finally flushed; she pursed her lips, then gave a slight nod before walking away. ¡°That¡¯s the way to speak.¡± ¡°I do not want compensation,¡± Lancelot shook his head, casting a stern glance at Bruto, who had suddenly become excited, ¡°I want every able-bodied, combat-capable townsman to take up arms and personally protect their own homes. I understand they have virtually no military training, but they should still know how to use Short Bows or pitchforks. And if collective prayer is indeed effective, Losanda must have already heard your calls. Shortly, we will defend against the Demon attack in front of the statue, holding the entrance to the Temple, and we hope to have the townspeople¡¯s support... Can you persuade everyone to do this?¡± The priestess¡¯s face finally flushed; she pursed her lips, then gave a slight nod before walking away. ¡°That¡¯s the way to speak.¡± Chapter 708: 732: Vine Javelin Chapter 708: Chapter 732: Vine Javelin Just as the woman¡¯s voice had predicted, the enemy launched another attack half an hour later. From the foggy boundary on the western side of the town, six fiendish creatures emerged, each as tall as a gorilla. Lancelot couldn¡¯t initially determine which type of demon they were until he noticed they were supporting themselves on their knuckles as they moved forward, confirming they were a variant of the Bagula, also known as the Ape Demon. Behind these Ape Demons followed dozens of Coward Devils that strongly resembled werewolves. If these cannon fodder were to wreak havoc in the town, it would be very troublesome, but if they followed the Ape Demons in an assault on the Temple, the Holy Light of the Zariel statue would take care of them. The residents of Aldergran had also made preparations for battle. All the windows on the second floor of the Temple were open, with several archers with hunting bows positioned behind each window; the ground floor hall was crammed with farmers wielding short spears and pitchforks. Priestess Jessa was surrounded by the town guards, standing outside the Temple gates. She wore scale armor that had seen some rust, clutching a fine Hardhead Hammer and a shield bearing the sun emblem. Lancelot was certain that he had seen these items on the walls inside the Temple, but at the time, he had thought they were merely decorative. Around Jessa¡¯s neck hung the beautiful Losanda emblem¡ªShuni, the priestess, declined her offer, claiming she already had the blessing of the Lady of Flame. Lancelot and his companions waited for battle in the small plaza in front of the Temple, where there was more room to maneuver, and most of the area was within the effect range of the Zariel statue. The moment it was confirmed that demons had arrived, several individuals with the sun emblem simultaneously placed their hands on the statue and said in unison, ¡°Praise Him, the great Lord of the Dawn, Losanda!¡± Lancelot felt as if he sensed a vast sea of energy, and then a small strand of energy was drawn out by the sun emblem, wrapping him from head to toe. This sensation was very similar to when he activated the Qingyuan Sword and Shield¡ªnot entering his body directly but forming a protective barrier on the surface that would automatically activate upon an attack. As for how effective it would be, Lancelot hoped he would never have to find out. The demons showed no interest in the houses that had just been extinguished from the great fires. Fresh blood and fear of the living were their favorites, moreover, there were people actively provoking them from the other side. The shrill sound of something cutting through the air resounded above the small town as a javelin trailing green afterimages descended from the sky, striking an Ape Demon as if guided. The javelin pierced through the massive body of the demon, and although it didn¡¯t kill it instantly, it caused severe damage. The blood spurted out as the demon struggled, staining an entire stretch of road red. ¡°Such a tenaciously alive beast.¡± Lancelot shook his head with a tinge of regret, formed a Dharma Decree with his left hand, and another tough, straight vine grew out from the ground in front of him. He pulled the vine out, a short Sword Aura emanated from his hand, and with a simple swing, he sharpened the tip of the vine into a fine point, crafting another javelin. The Dwarf looked on with envy, his own hammer throws in battle never reached beyond sixty feet on flat ground, while the Human Knight had effortlessly thrown his Javelin nearly three hundred feet, the power seemingly undiminished. Inspired by Lancelot, the archers on the second floor of the Temple began to attack, but the distance was still too far for them. Although the Fiends were large targets themselves, most of the arrows missed, though a few did land on some Coward Devils huddled together, causing some casualties. The Demons were enraged by this unexpected counterattack and charged toward the direction of the statue, except for the one that had been severely wounded by the Javelin. Before the Demons could reach him, Lancelot calmly threw his Javelin three more times, the last one when the enemy was less than fifteen feet away. As he released the Javelin, he drew the Giant Sword Glacier that he had planted in the ground, the blade almost chasing the tail of the Javelin, slashing out with a momentum that greatly boosted everyone¡¯s morale. The wolf-headed baboon Fiend raised its claws, attempting to deflect the incoming Javelin, but almost immediately realized how foolish that was. The Javelin lightly shattered its claws and then lodged into its shoulder, the terrifying force flipping the Demon over, while the Human Knight¡¯s Great Sword fell like a guillotine blade. Beside him, Bruto alone held off another Fiend; he had become quite adept at using his size to his advantage¡ªagainst the onrushing Demon, he first pretended to stand firm, then suddenly rolled forward at the last moment before impact, slipping between the large Demon¡¯s legs while executing a strange but skillful swing of his Warhammer, accurately striking the enemy¡¯s left knee. The next second, the Demon¡¯s huge figure toppled to the ground, its lower leg twisted into an odd angle. The elf-girl and the Half-elf Cursed Swordmaster took on the last Fiend that charged into the square, and their strategy was much simpler: dodge the enemy¡¯s most powerful charge, then attack from two different directions. Whichever of them the Fiend chose to attack would go on full defense, while the other would take the opportunity to strike with all their might. The Holy Light from the statue shone a little slower than everyone anticipated, but it ultimately arrived. Dazzling Golden Flames erupted from Zariel¡¯s statue, sweeping over every creature present, but Fiends erupted in uncontrollable shrieks as semi-transparent Golden Flames appeared only on them. The first three Fiends to charge were quickly brought down by the group, and the few hit by Lancelot¡¯s Javelin were heavily injured, allowing Lancelot to hold them all off on his own. As for the Coward Devils that served as cannon fodder, most were reduced to a mess of blood and mud after the first flash from the statue, posing no threat whatsoever. However, just then, new enemies appeared on the south side of the town. It wasn¡¯t just anyone, but the six-armed Serpent Demon with the upper body of a wolf, which had escaped from under their noses not long ago, followed by an army of over fifty wolf-headed creatures, charging toward them with a threatening momentum. ¡°Damn it!¡± Lancelot¡¯s swordplay suddenly exploded, holding back the relentless enemy while he shouted to the town guards and Jessa, who was surrounded by them, ¡°Leave that six-armed monster to me! Retreat to the Temple and secure the entrance!¡± Chapter 709: 727 Chapter 709: 727 Before the arrival of the Werewolf army, Lancelot and his companions united to kill the remaining three Fiends, so they could focus on the new enemies. For the Human Knight, ordinary Werewolves posed almost no threat, merely draining his energy. However, Lancelot could not afford to focus on these weak yet fierce creatures. He had to withstand the Six-Armed Serpent Demon, or else it would slaughter his allies and the residents of Aldergran, just as efficiently as he killed the Werewolves. The Serpent Demon had seen Lancelot fight before and knew how troublesome this Human Knight could be. However, the demon did not care about the lives of its companions like Lancelot did; as long as it could drain a bit more of the opponent¡¯s strength, it did not matter how many Werewolves died. Amidst this surge of beasts, Zariel¡¯s statue remained silent¡ªthough exceedingly fierce and almost ubiquitous in the lower planes, the Werewolves were indeed not Fiends but rather beasts influenced by demonic powers. Lancelot and his companions stood shoulder to shoulder, switching to the lighter Frostslash for the imminent battle. He needed to move and swing his sword as quickly as possible, rather than relying on the force of single attacks. The Temple¡¯s iron shutters were lowered again to shield against the crossbowmen in the Werewolf army, but they were not fully closed, leaving gaps for archers inside to shoot out. This certainly affected the vision of the archers, but when faced with such numerous enemies, accuracy wasn¡¯t as crucial. The armed townspeople played a considerable role every second, with Werewolves howling as they fell, trampled into a pulp by their comrades. Despite this, driven by a thirst for flesh, these beasts kept advancing, believing a feast of slaughter awaited them inside the temple... Until they crashed into the defense line formed by Lancelot and his companions. A greenish sword shadow appeared next to the Human Knight, who leapt with a loud shout into the dense masses of the enemy. The Sword Shadow, like lightning tearing through the sky, wove into a deadly storm around the Human Knight. Three Werewolves standing before Lancelot nearly exploded instantaneously, their severed limbs and shattered organs splattering onto other Werewolves, plunging the surrounding enemies into a brief stupor. And the Human Knight¡¯s longsword kept spinning, turning one Werewolf after another into pieces. His companions behind him also plunged into the battle. Most conspicuous among them was Bruto, a Dwarf, who entered a berserk state, shouting the name of Moradin, his Warhammer falling like raindrops, dealing death or grievous wounds to anyone it struck. Alamir and Tanya flanked him, one wielding the Hardhead Hammer shining with golden light, resembling a torch, where its strike melted flesh like wax. The other wielded a Pike shrouded in shadows. It held the power of the Fallen Shadow Netherworld, tearing enemy flesh and simultaneously gnawing at the souls of the victims. As was usual, the least conspicuous was Jing, the sprite girl. Some Werewolves didn¡¯t realize there were actually five enemies until just before their deaths¡ªuntil their groins were suddenly jabbed, and upon bending over from the severe pain, received a heavy blow on the back of their heads. Just as Lancelot¡¯s killing zeal surged, his Spirit Perception suddenly screamed as loudly as an alarm clock in deep sleep. Reacting purely on instinct, Lancelot rolled forward forcefully, barely dodging three sword blades that materialized out of thin air, the closest of which was less than an inch away from the top of his head. It was unclear whether it was due to his timely evasive action or some divine interference from Losanda that skewed the enemy¡¯s attack. The Serpent Demon, who had initiated the ambush with a blink, was evidently furious at missing its target. It issued a hiss, a sound like a blend of a wolf and a serpent, and swung its sword toward the Human Knight again. Lancelot quickly stood up from the ground as the jackal men by his side had already retreated in panic. These savage marauders knew all too well how formidable a Human Knight could be, and none wanted to be caught up in the fierce battle that was unfolding. Facing another sword blade slashing toward him, Lancelot focused his mind, and Frostslash lifted in a unique angle to the upper left, simultaneously parrying the opponent¡¯s three long swords. Having battled Serpent Demons several times before, he knew a key characteristic of these Demon Commanders in battle: although they had six arms, the arms on the same side performed the same actions when attacking. Seizing this pattern offered a chance to parry. The four weapons briefly collided, emitting a shrill metal clash before flying off in opposite directions. However, this time, Lancelot distinctly felt something different: during the confrontation, a particular force had aided him. He was supposed to be at a disadvantage, but the encounter ended in a draw, profoundly encouraging him. At that moment, Zariel¡¯s statue lit up again. Since Lancelot had deliberately chosen to stand with his back to the statue, he was unaffected; whereas the Serpent Demon, taking advantage of the situation, spun around, dodging the flash, and simultaneously swung its enormous snake tail at Lancelot. If it had been any other Human Knight, those clad in Heavy Armor and slow to move, they would have had no choice but to face the attack. But Lancelot was not an ordinary Human Knight. His body soared into the air with the lightness of a butterfly. When the Serpent Demon turned back around, Lancelot was temporarily out of sight. A dazzling green light shone above the Serpent Demon, which, with an upper body of a jackal man and the rank of a High Rank Demon, looked up, but it was already too late. The tip of Frostslash plunged into the half-open mouth of the Serpent Demon, and driven by the weight of the Human Knight it carved downwards, slicing open the Demon¡¯s body like a fish-gutting knife, exposing the gory innards within. The long sword finally stabbed into the ground, and with a light flip, Lancelot landed neatly beside it. The Serpent Demon still maintained its head-tilted posture, its dying eyes filled with disbelief. Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, reached into the open chest cavity of the Serpent Demon, found the still-twitching demon heart and squeezed it forcefully. The High Rank body collapsed like it had lost all its bones. Collapsing together was the morale of the jackal men army, their tails hanging between their legs heavy as if weighed down, their mouths emitting a sharp, fearful whine as they fled helter-skelter toward the outskirts of the town, like a swarm of rats fleeing a burning house. Just then, a wild and terrifying laughter pierced the air, causing everyone on the battlefield to involuntarily stop. Lancelot¡¯s heart sank as he turned to look in the direction of the sound, only to see a gigantic jackal man emerge from the mist to the west of the town. Its body was covered with healed scars and its fur clumped together in patches stained with blood. It wielded a flail with three heads, blood dripping from its gaping maw. From that same mouth also came a fierce, evil laugh, filled with a sense of brutality. Chapter 710: 731 Yenogu Chapter 710: Chapter 731 Yenogu (First post, then revise) Lancelot¡¯s heart slowly sank. That enormous figure could only be the notoriously fearsome ¡®Lord of the Jackalwere¡¯, Yenogu. Having been with Kalalin for so long, Lancelot had memorized details about several famous Abyssal Lords. The Destroyer, the Bloodthirsty Beast, the Slaughter Prince, the Lord of Ruins, the Lord of the Jackalwere, and also the lord of the 422nd layer of the Abyss. The legend goes that when Yenogu first rampaged across the Prime Material Plane, a group of greedy hyenas followed him, feeding on the corpses of those killed by the demon. Some of the food still contained Yenogu¡¯s corrupted blood, thus giving birth to the first Jackalweres. Nowadays, Yenogu blesses certain individuals among the Jackalwere tribes, dubbed ¡®Yenogu¡¯s Venom Fangs¡¯. Hyenas feeding on the corpses slain by these individuals might transform into new Jackalweres. It is generally believed that Yenogu is one of the weaker Abyssal Lords. Among all the Abyssal Lords, he might have been defeated the most, but that is still nothing compared to the countless atrocities he has committed in the Prime Material Plane. Due to the extensive presence of Jackalweres on the Prime Material Plane, these tribes almost always try to summon their deity, giving Yenogu plenty of opportunities to cause havoc there. His first action is to increase the numbers of a Jackalwere tribe as much as possible (depending on how many hyenas the tribe has raised), then he personally leads this fearsome army, sweeping through the countryside like locusts, burning all civilization-related buildings and facilities, massacring and devouring every living being not quick enough to escape. They spare no women, elderly, or children; all screaming beings are considered prime food, even including the rats hidden beneath the foundations of houses. For those keeping an eye on Abyss movements, whenever news arrives of a remote town being razed and all its inhabitants slaughtered, they pay attention to the local Jackalwere population to deduce whether it was another massacre orchestrated by the murderous beast. All the Jackalweres that had begun to flee stopped in their tracks, emitting excited squeals, nervously twitching their bodies, scratching the ground or the walls nearby with their claws and mouths, creating an unbearable cacophony. But not a single one dared charge at the people again, because their master had arrived. Before the master began his feast, how could the servants presume to eat? ¡°Boss, what do we do?¡± Bruto walked over to Lancelot, his voice somewhat wavering, ¡°This is an Abyssal Lord...¡± ¡°Running is no longer an option,¡± Lancelot said, pulling out the Twin Bridges Town emblem given to him by Tijana. It showed no traces of magical fluctuations. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, this isn¡¯t the real world.¡± ¡°I just called upon the Goddess at a crucial moment that was sure to elicit a response, but I received none,¡± added Alamir from the side. ¡°This also confirms Lancelot¡¯s deduction.¡± ¡°Wait a second.¡± Bruto interrupted the elves. ¡°You just said you went to... this so-called crucial moment refers to...¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shuni the priest shrugged, ¡°That moment...¡± ¡°...You continue.¡± ¡°Since this is not the real world, that Yenogu isn¡¯t the real Yenogu either.¡± Lancelot¡¯s hand tightened then relaxed on the hilt of Frostslash, an eager look on his face, ¡°No matter how powerful it appears in the battle to come, everyone must remember this and not give up thinking it¡¯s hopeless.¡± ¡°Ha! Of course not!¡± the Dwarf looked at Lancelot with an expression that suggested it was a matter of course, ¡°Even if it was a real guy!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± Half-elf Tanya couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°If we are killed in the Illusionary Realm, wouldn¡¯t our real bodies die as well...¡± ¡°Of course we are afraid,¡± Lancelot gently shook his head, his eyes fixed on the approaching gigantic Jackalwere, ¡°but a little fear can further stimulate the potential within us, which is exactly what we need next... Listen, I will hold off that beast. Everyone, stay back at least fifteen feet.¡± ¡°But then, who will kill it?¡± Bruto¡¯s gaze also involuntarily rested on the fearsome figure, ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s just up to my Flying Hammer, Alamir¡¯s Holy Fire, and those townspeople¡¯s Short Bows?¡± ¡°And Zariel¡¯s statue,¡± Lancelot said, patting the pedestal next to him, ¡°Now, fall back everyone, I need to make quite an impression if we want an Abyssal Lord to chase after me...¡± He slung Frostslash back over his shoulder and adjusted the Storage Bag on his waist to the left side of his body. He reached into it while bending down, posed as if about to spring into action, as though the Magic Container was not a storage but rather a sheath for a sword. His comrades felt a peculiar pressure, as if the Human Knight beside them had suddenly turned into a humanoid bomb with a ticking clock attached to his back. Following Lancelot¡¯s instructions, they began to slowly retreat, while the giant Jackalwere, covered in fragments of Shields, pieces of Metal Armor, the flesh of its victims, and scars from battles, continued to draw nearer. Its chilling laughter echoed in every corner of the battlefield, instilling fear in every living creature¡¯s heart. But Lancelot stood still, as if he had also turned into a statue. The Lord of the Jackalweres finally noticed the Human Knight, its sinister smile growing terrifyingly wide, splitting up to its ears amidst a dense array of fang-like teeth, a sign that it was offended. Accompanied by a sudden and sharp burst of angry howl, Yenogu charged forward, its towering frame over ten feet tall making it resemble a sprinting sabertooth, while the Human Knight in its path looked more like a helpless lamb, utterly unaware of what was about to happen to him. But of course, that wasn¡¯t the situation. When Yenogu was about thirty feet from Lancelot, it raised its right arm, about to swing its infamous triple flail. However, in that moment, the figure of the Human Knight suddenly flickered and Lancelot disappeared, while the large statue beside him lit up, emitting a burst of gold light stronger than any before. Yenogu¡¯s wails of agony started before the golden light faded, and the onlookers were shocked to discover the Jackalwere Lord clutching at its armpit, a massive amount of red blood gushing from between its claws like a fountain of fresh blood. Chapter 711: 732: No Match Chapter 711: Chapter 732: No Match (Post first, revise later) ¡°It¡¯s really tough...¡± The Human Knight standing behind Yenogu muttered to himself, habitually shaking off his weapon to remove any possible bloodstains from the sword blade. In Lancelot¡¯s hand was the Starlight Strike, the Holy Relic of the Aira Celestials, the sword of the late Queen¡¯s King Consort, and the technique he just employed was the Gathering Qi Slash, the most powerful bursting move in his arsenal. The Human Knight had played a little trick here, not drawing the Holy Sword in advance, but instead charging it up directly within the Dimensional Bag, catching the Abyssal Lord off guard. From the moment Yenogu appeared, Lancelot had been guessing what kind of enemy this was. Its bizarre adornments, its spine-chilling laughter, and all the rumors about it pointed to an unmistakable fact¡ªthe ruler of the gnoll was someone with a histrionic personality disorder (perhaps not by demon standards). It desired an entrance that would shock, cover in blood, and provoke intense emotions in all spectators. However, at this moment, the Abyssal Lord was not fully aware of his own abilities, and the Abyssal Lord¡¯s confidence (or arrogance) would inevitably lead to some degree of underestimation, meaning some exaggerated, flashy attacks with more show than practicality. That was Lancelot¡¯s best chance to injure the Abyssal Lord, and perhaps his only chance. Almost all of Lancelot¡¯s judgments were correct, except he had underestimated just how resilient the physical body of an Abyssal Lord could be. The timing and motion of his slash were perfect, and he had used the full strength and limits of his weapon. The part he struck was his opponent¡¯s right armpit, a relatively less protected area on any creature. However, the result was hardly satisfying¡ªhe not only failed to sever Yenogu¡¯s arm, thick as a tree trunk, but didn¡¯t even manage to disable it. The enemy¡¯s right claw was still tightly gripping the infamous flail known as ¡°Butcher,¡± and though it seemed affected, with the Abyssal Lord¡¯s physique, he probably wouldn¡¯t need long to recover. The special effect of the Starlight Strike did not trigger, which made Lancelot even more certain that this was just an Illusionary Realm. Yet, the giant gnoll in front of him looked, sounded, and smelled like a true Abyssal Lord, and his Spirit Perception similarly confirmed that this was the most formidable enemy he had faced so far. Yenogu slowly turned around, the killing intent and madness in his eyes reaching an extent that made one want to self-harm with just a glance. ¡°I will personally twist your head off; it will make a great ornament...¡± the Abyssal Lord began with an extremely rough voice, ¡°...I will use magic to keep you ¡®alive¡¯ and still able to feel your own body... A thousand hyenas will share your corpse, and you will watch with your own eyes, experiencing the sensation of skin, flesh, and bones being ripped apart and gnawed on by countless mouths...¡± ¡°Sorry, could you say that again?¡± Lancelot actually understood, but he didn¡¯t miss the opportunity to infuriate his opponent, replying directly in Abyssal, ¡°Your accent is too thick...¡± Upon hearing this, Yenogu exploded in rage, lunging at Lancelot with his mouth open like an attacking cobra, moving so quickly it was as if he had teleported over a short distance. It seemed Lancelot had succeeded in his most important goal¡ªprovoking this terrifying beast into an overwhelming hatred towards himself. Lancelot maintained the highest level of vigilance as he twisted his body in a strange manner, dodging to the side like a fish swimming in a lake, and completely avoided the Abyssal Lord¡¯s sneak attack. However, in the next second, he knew he had been careless¡ªthe three hammerheads of the flail swung towards him like lightning streaking across the sky, and it was clear that Yenogu¡¯s injury just now had been an act, and Lancelot had been unwittingly duped. The Human Knight tried to dodge again, deflecting the first hammerhead with his short sword, and the second one grazing past his scalp. But there was no avoiding the third, and all he could do was to let his Dantian output True Yuan like crazy, fully activating the Protective Sword Shield of the Qingyuan Sword Technique, hoping to fend off the opponent¡¯s attack with it. However, how could an Abyssal Lord¡¯s wrath-filled strike be something he could withstand now? Lancelot felt like he was back in a battle from over a decade ago, a time when he wasn¡¯t even a Knight, having been knocked off his horse by an older, more experienced enemy. His uncle had rushed over, chased the enemy away, and brought him back to the camp, but Lancelot would never forget the feeling of being struck by a nail-headed hammer. That feeling visited him again today, as the greenish glow around Lancelot shattered like a porcelain vase, and the Butcher¡¯s final hammerhead heavily collided with Lancelot¡¯s left upper arm. An overwhelming force that couldn¡¯t be resisted surged in, making Lancelot feel as if he had been hit by the tail of an adult White Dragon. He was sent flying backward. What was worse, when he tried to adjust his posture for landing, he was shocked to find his body extremely sluggish, and before he could act, he had already slammed heavily into the ground, and he barely felt any pain¡ªa bad sign, indicating that Lancelot had fallen into a state of paralysis. ¡°Big brother!!!¡± Bruto cried out in shock and, without hesitation, charged at full speed towards Lancelot to block the next attack for him. But how could a Dwarf be a match for Yenogu? The flail swung again, and the Dwarf managed to block only one of the three hammerheads with his shield; the other two struck his back and calf, sweeping him aside like a piece of cumbersome trash. Just then, Zariel¡¯s statue lit up once more, and the giant gnoll instinctively stopped in its tracks, raising its hand to shield its eyes. This provided an opportunity for the companions to mount a rescue. Alamir quickly reached Lancelot¡¯s side and placed his hand on the Human Knight¡¯s shoulder, casting the Divine Art most needed by those stricken with paralysis: Lesser Restoration Art. Lancelot felt a surge of vital energy flow into his body, and he could feel his body once more. Without the slightest hesitation, he stabbed with his sword again towards the Abyssal Lord, aiming for the spot he had injured before. Yenogu let out another high-pitched cry of anguish, this time with even more anger and pain than before. Without pausing to rest, Lancelot charged towards the Abyssal Lord once again, shouting at the same time: ¡°Retreat, all of you, let me deal with it!¡± Alamir did not need Lancelot¡¯s reminder and ran to Bruto immediately, keeping a distance from the Abyssal Lord, while Tanya and the Half-elf girl had already arrived by then. One was helping the Dwarf up and checking his wounds; the other was twirling a long staff in an impenetrable manner, deterring the eager gnolls around them from rash actions. Chapter 712: 733: The Light That Pierces Through the Mist Chapter 712: Chapter 733: The Light That Pierces Through the Mist The fury of the Abyssal Lord had clearly reached its limit, and facing the approaching Human Knight, it swung a claw strike from its empty left hand as quick as lightning. However, this attack, which was almost impossible to miss, hit nothing. Although Lancelot had poised himself as if ready for a desperate fight (his earlier thrust had undoubtedly convinced Yenogu of his intent), in reality, Lancelot had not even attempted to engage, his body was completely in a state ready to evade. The moment Yenogu¡¯s elbow began to move, Lancelot darted to the side. Realizing he had been tricked, the giant werewolf let out a roar of extreme anger, but just then, a barrage of arrows struck its back, abruptly cutting off its furious roar in a seriously off-key manner. The arrows came from behind the iron louvers of the Lord of the Dawn Temple, and it seemed the townspeople had finally recovered from the shock of seeing Yenogu, providing support in the way they could, after all, the Human Knight was fighting for their lives. Unfortunately, these non-magical attacks did nothing more than distract the Abyssal Lord and could not inflict any damage. Realizing this, Yenogu turned around, arrogantly lifting its chin and allowing the arrows from the Temple to hit his chest, a triumphant sneer on its lips. Worried that the Abyssal Lord might turn to attack the Temple, Lancelot stopped behind the giant werewolf, slightly adjusted the rhythm of his breathing, and then charged forward again, wielding the Starlight Strike. However, this was precisely what Yenogu had wanted. Its actions were all bait, simply to deceive the annoying Human Knight into thinking it would attack the Temple, so it could give him a hard hit as retribution for playing him. Unfortunately for him, Lancelot was thinking the same thing. The flail, switched to the left hand, swung out again, easily crushing the afterimage left by the Human Knight in midair, but that did no real damage. Lancelot still stood in his place, this time he even started retreating before Yenogu made any move, as if he hadn¡¯t moved at all. Meanwhile, the statue of Zariel lit up once more, the blinding golden light once again forced the giant werewolf to cover its eyes, but before the light dissipated, Yenogu bit fiercely into the air in front of him with his eyes closed, clearly expecting the Human Knight to take the opportunity to attack. And it guessed wrong again, Lancelot hadn¡¯t moved from his spot, making Yenogu look like a complete fool. ¡®So far, this has been easier than I thought,¡¯ the Human Knight thought silently, ¡®But how much longer can I keep this up?¡¯ The actual answer was: not much longer. After all, Yenogu was an Abyssal Lord, and while not particularly intelligent, it still had some tricks Lancelot could not predict. The giant werewolf chased the elusive figure of the Human Knight, wildly swinging its three-headed flail as if swatting flies. Lancelot used all of his Cultivation Power to evade, and although he quickly accumulated numerous superficial scrapes, he wasn¡¯t solidly hit again, as before¡ªuntil the flail ¡®transformed¡¯ into another weapon. In an attack that seemed fairly ordinary, the chains connecting two hammerheads suddenly shortened, and the chain on the third hammerhead unexpectedly elongated, effectively extending the reach of the attack by nearly a third. By the time Lancelot realized what had happened, it was already too late to dodge. The hammerhead, almost as large as a helmet, covered in spikes, and forged from abyssal metal, hit him again. This time it struck Lancelot¡¯s right thigh, flipping him over onto the ground. A strong sense of paralysis once again seized his muscles, and he struggled to stand up, but he was much slower than he wished to be. His comrades were recklessly charging toward him in the distance; however, it seemed they would not arrive any faster than the falling weapon of the werewolf lord. Lancelot knew it was time to resort to his last resort¡ªtransformation into Barlow Flame Demon. Although it would only last for a brief period and the aftermath would be difficult to explain, he had no better option. Just then, the kookily laughing Abyssal Lord shut its foul mouth and squinted at a light piercing through the mist in the sky. A pale blue, four-winged angel wearing a silver-white full suit of plate armor with a cloth blindfolding its eyes descended from the heavens, followed by a giant mammoth with golden fur and wings. The angel sliced through the chest of the enormous werewolf with a sword, then spoke a spell in a language Lancelot couldn¡¯t understand, summoning a portal behind Yenogu, as the golden mammoth charged forward violently. The Abyssal Lord tumbled into the portal, which promptly disappeared. A large number of well-equipped riders burst from the edges of the town¡¯s mist, swiftly clearing the battlefield of the remaining demons and werewolves; apparently, Lancelot and the town had been saved... at least it seemed so. ¡°Are you alright?¡± The angel reached out a friendly hand and pulled the human knight up from the ground. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself, I am Zariel, and this mammoth is my companion, Lulu. Your injuries are very severe, but don¡¯t worry, let me heal you...¡± A powerful surge of life energy flowed into Lancelot¡¯s body, instantly healing all the accumulated injuries. The mammoth then transformed into a small creature not much larger than a cat, flapping a pair of large ears used as wings, cheerfully flying around Lancelot, which seemed somehow familiar to the human knight. ¡°Thank you,¡± Lancelot gestured to Bruto and the others. ¡°These are my companions... Are you the owner of that statue, the angel Zariel who once saved this town?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s another angel who would mimic my style,¡± Zariel said, pointing at her eyes and turning to smile at the townspeople closing in around her, while the riders began to form lines behind her. ¡°Some matters prevented me from arriving here sooner, but thankfully you were here; otherwise, the outcome would have been unimaginable. My respects to you, Sir Lancelot, I will always hold you in high regard... But now that the matter here is settled, I must leave, as there is more evil waiting to be vanquished...¡± After she had spoken, the angel bowed to him, and the riders marched away from the town in neat steps as if under some command. Suddenly, aside from the angel and Lancelot¡¯s companions, everything around them stopped moving, as if time itself had frozen. ¡°Yenogu killed the people I swore to protect. I can stop it and others like it who are scoundrels. I have the opportunity to stop the tide of chaos from the Abyss and rescue many lives from the threat of demons, but doing so, I may have to abandon everything I stand for. Will you take my place and risk everything to save others?¡± Chapter 713: 734: An Unexpected Partner Chapter 713: Chapter 734: An Unexpected Partner (To be updated later) ¡°No,¡± Lancelot said decisively, shaking his head, a response that clearly surprised the Angel. ¡°But you just saved this town, even facing an Abyssal Lord for it...¡± ¡°If you ask me if I¡¯ve risked a great deal to save others, I would proudly tell you I have, many times,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°but you asked if I will, and to that I cannot give you a positive response. I won¡¯t always be busy saving others, nor will I demand to save everyone, but I will do everything in my power to protect those who are important to me... or other lives.¡± ¡°Is that so...¡± Zariel nodded thoughtfully, ¡°Thank you for your honesty. There is no right answer to this question. Although it is not what I expected, your belief can still make the multiverse a better place.¡± ¡°Thanks for understanding,¡± Lancelot smiled, ¡°This is all a test, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the Angel lifted the blue-green Treasured Sword in his hand, ¡°I wanted to see if you are worthy of possessing this sword.¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯m not the person you were hoping for.¡± ¡°Not entirely,¡± Zariel smiled again, ¡°But you have passed nonetheless. When you go out, you will be able to draw the Sword of Zariel from the Holy Throne and use it to fight evil...¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Lancelot raised his palm, ¡°I still have some questions. Who are you exactly? A Spirit Fragment left by Zariel?¡± ¡°No, I am not, although I wish I were,¡± the Angel revealed a peculiar expression, placing the Longsword between them, ¡°I am the Sword of Zariel.¡± ¡°I figured as much; I¡¯d guessed it long ago.¡± A male voice suddenly spoke, deep, elegant, and magnetic. The only problem was, it did not belong to anyone present. Lancelot raised his arm, looking at the shortsword in his hand with a strange expression, and asked his weapon: ¡°Starlight Strike? Are you talking?¡± ¡°Ah yes,¡± the pleasant middle-aged male voice spoke up again, followed by a whirl of twinkling stardust that appeared in front of Lancelot, eventually coalescing into the form of a male Elf with silvery hair, bronze skin, and a deep blue robe adorned with stars, ¡°At last we meet, Sir Lancelot. What a pleasure.¡± ¡°Hang on...¡± Lancelot¡¯s face was full of disbelief, ¡°You have sentience? Why speak to me only now?¡± ¡°For a sword that was buried underground for countless centuries, awakening takes time, and here I can manifest a tangible form,¡± Starlight Strike said apologetically, ¡°I also needed to observe what kind of person you are, and you¡¯ve seldom used me, so rarely that I began to doubt myself...¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, you obviously have no issues, it¡¯s just that most enemies don¡¯t require your intervention...¡± Lancelot scratched his head sheepishly, ¡°But since you¡¯re willing to speak with me, that should mean you¡¯re somewhat satisfied with your observations, right?¡± ¡°Of course. But a more pressing reason is that I need to speak in your favor in front of your companions,¡± the surface of the shortsword flickered, ¡°Greetings, Sword of Zariel, I am Starlight Strike, the treasured sword of the former Aira Celestial King Consort, Eskodel.¡± ¡°I have heard of you,¡± spoke the Sword of Zariel through the form of its former master, ¡°Legend has it that the Queen of Stars forged you with a fragment from the Stellar Realm; is that true?¡± ¡°Legends say so, but I also do not know if that is the truth, and I suspect you are no clearer on the process of your own creation,¡± the Elf chuckled, ¡°But this conversation isn¡¯t about me; it¡¯s about Sir Lancelot, my current master...¡± ¡°If a Holy Relic of the Aira Celestials holds you in such regard, I have no doubts about Sir Lancelot...¡± ¡°Things are not so simple,¡± Starlight Strike shook his head, ¡°Sir Lancelot is a highly skilled, staunch-minded, experienced warrior with a noble Soul full of kindness, righteousness, and compassion...¡± ¡°You flatter me,¡± Lancelot touched his nose with embarrassment, ¡°I¡¯m not as perfect as you say...¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten to your flaws yet,¡± the middle-aged Elf looked at him with a smile, ¡°First of all, your greed is beyond the imagination of ordinary people... Don¡¯t deny it, remember what you did on the Iron Ice Plains; a normal person would never even entertain such thoughts, let alone act on them.¡± ¡°Alright, I suppose you have a point,¡± Lancelot raised his hands, ¡°but I must defend myself, my greed has always been directed at enemies, and I never intended to keep all the spoils of war...¡± ¡°Hahaha, that is true, you are indeed generous with money, which is one of the reasons I like you,¡± the Elf laughed heartily, ¡°The second point... you¡¯re a bit lecherous, shall I elaborate?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Lancelot said, scratching his head awkwardly, ¡°but I think since you have observed me for so long, you must have also observed... the people I¡¯ve come into contact with, right?¡± ¡°Yes, and I was indeed startled at first,¡± the Elf¡¯s expression turned serious as he turned to address the Angel, who was curiously listening to their conversation, ¡°I must make this clear to you now... the Human Knight he now serves is a Succubus named Tijana, ruling over a Neutral Town called Twin Bridges Town on the Plains of the Abyss.¡± Zariel¡¯s face became momentarily blank, clearly not expecting to hear such information, but just as her expression was about to ignite with rage, the graceful Elf once again spoke: ¡°But this Succubus is also an anomaly among the Tanari; she appears to be... not so evil, even occasionally showing a glimmer of kindness.¡± ¡°What?¡± the Angel exclaimed in surprise, ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°I too am very curious and have tried to discover the reasons behind it, but the fact remains as such, and before her, I was briefly wielded by another kind Succubus Paladin who stabbed the infamous ¡®Mother of Demons¡¯ Cang Ye... That was truly a delightful experience,¡± said the middle-aged Elf with a not-so-elegant joke, ¡°My advice to you is to be patient, observe from the shadows like I did, and unless Sir Lancelot truly commits some evil deed that you cannot tolerate, do not rush to judgment.¡± ¡°...Thank you for your advice,¡± said the Angel, taking a deep breath, ¡°I will keep it in mind, let¡¯s go back...¡± ¡°Just one more moment,¡± Lancelot spoke up again, ¡°I have some other questions... this town, Aldergran, what is its true fate?¡± Chapter 714: 735: Memories of the Sword Chapter 714: Chapter 735: Memories of the Sword Hearing Lancelot¡¯s question, the Angel fell into silence for a long while before finally speaking in a sorrowful tone, ¡°That day, just like always, Zariel was monitoring the battle¡¯s progress in the Blood War...¡± The world around them shattered instantly, colors and light twisted beside them before reassembling into a wholly new scene. Everyone found themselves transformed into translucent phantoms, rushing through the smoky, crimson sky following the Angel ahead. Beneath their feet was a land covered with ruins, where Low Rank Fiends from the lower planes fought fiercely like two different colored tides, each swelling to engulf the other. Lancelot subconsciously thought this to be the Plains of the Abyss at some point in the past, but he quickly noticed several anomalies. The ruins on the ground, though long destroyed by war, could still be distinguished as once magnificent palaces, bustling cities, delicate gardens, and square fountains. These well-planned and designed buildings were exceedingly rare on the Abyssal Plane, with even Twin Bridges Town paling in comparison. Besides, among the battling factions, the Bartez side looked unlike anything Lancelot was familiar with. The Demon¡¯s ranks teemed with obese, swollen Low Rank Fiends positioned at the forefront of the formation, so many that they appeared to match the army size of the Demons they faced. Lancelot finally realized, this wasn¡¯t the Plains of the Abyss; this was Aphnas, the first layer of Barto Hell. Before the figure in front of them became its ruler, Aphnas was the Blood War¡¯s principal battleground. However, at this time, Zariel was clearly not yet an Archduke of Hell. She looked noble, beautiful, and pure. Desperately flapping her wings, she flew at full speed towards something ahead, as if a matter of utmost urgency was whipping at her back. A massive Portal appeared on the horizon, and Zariel rushed towards it in the blink of an eye. A small squad of Beard Demons guarded the Portal, who, upon seeing the Angel, bellowed loudly. Zariel savagely slashed her sword, carving a path of flesh before her; she dashed through in a flash. The other side of the Portal was a heavily guarded fortress, with numerous fully-armed warriors tensely watching the magic gateway¡¯s exit. Among them was Lulu, the golden elephant previously seen by the group. Upon recognizing the incoming Zariel, the guards visibly relaxed, while Lulu flapped her large ears and flew over. ¡°As soon as we received your message, Yael and the others left immediately,¡± Lulu tried to comfort the anxious Angel. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, by now, they should have arrived.¡± ¡°Come with me,¡± Zariel said, her voice seemingly unaffected by the small elephant. ¡°The prayers have stopped...¡± A flash of golden light, and once more the surrounding environment changed. Lancelot immediately recognized that they had finally arrived above Aldergran, although it seemed they were too late. The most direct evidence was the toppling of the grand Angel statue. Every house in the small town was ablaze, corpses littered the only street, and the temple doors, which had sheltered the townsfolk in the previous Illusionary Realm, were ajar¡ªLancelot dared not imagine the horrors inside. By the ruins of the destroyed Angel statue, a massive, hideous, and ferocious Werewolf looked up, issuing a mocking and malicious cackle at the Protectors of the small town who had just appeared. A powerful rage filled everyone as Zariel, like a meteor falling from the sky, charged towards Yenogu. A fierce battle broke out amidst the ruins of the town. It was evident that the Werewolf Lord, having succeeded in his intent, was not eager to fight the enraged Celestial Protector. After a few exchanges, he turned to flee, only to be viciously struck from behind by Zariel, falling into a Portal that appeared suddenly. The sound of galloping hooves rose; the mortal reinforcements had finally reached the small town. Sadly, unlike in the Illusionary Realm, they were far too late. A few riders, looking like captains, spotted Zariel. They wanted to approach but stopped at a distance, for this moment seemed not the best time for closeness. Zariel knelt on the ground, her beautiful wings drooping helplessly, tainted with dirtied blood and dust. Her shoulders trembled uncontrollably, and from her veiled eyes, red tears streamed unceasingly. ¡°I swear, for these innocent victims, I will put an end to the tide of chaos coming from the Abyss...¡± the Angel vowed in a chilling tone, ¡°...no matter what price I have to pay for it.¡± ¡°Ah, so this is the moment then,¡± Lancelot quietly said. ¡°Is this the spark that set everything in motion?¡± ¡®No.¡¯ The voice of the Sword of Toril echoed in everyone¡¯s minds, ¡®It is but the final straw that broke the camel¡¯s back.¡¯ The scene shattered again, and then it reformed into fleeting images, while an ethereal song rang in their ears: ¡± ¡°Angels lectured in the fervent city, proclaiming the destruction of evil in the universe,¡± ¡°The enthusiastic crowd responded with thunderous applause, firmly believing this to be the will of the gods;¡± ¡°People queued in long lines to join the ranks of the angels, with the mayor presenting armor and steeds;¡± ¡°Zariel personally taught the warriors swordsmanship, and they were known as Hell Riders;¡± ¡°The mighty host passed through the Portal, with songs wafting above them;¡± ¡°For the first time, the armies of mortals appeared on the battlefield of the bloody war, making demons and fiends tremble at their presence;¡± ¡°The riders easily crushed the legions of Tanari, as effortlessly as song passed through the air;¡± ¡°Bartez also retreated in trepidation, but their legions did not collapse;¡± ¡°Victory was within easy grasp until mortals betrayed out of fear;¡± ¡°The traitors fled the homeland of the demons, sealing shut the passage behind them;¡± ¡°The angel fought valiantly to her death, with the Lord of Darkness appearing before her;¡± ¡°¡®Thou canst end the bloodshed, by pledging loyalty to me.¡¯ ¡°Zariel lowered her noble head, for her heart had already died in the betrayal;¡± ¡°But might there still be hope of redemption if the remnants of the fireworks can be found?¡± ¡± The last scene froze on the image of Zariel kneeling before Asmodis, and then it gradually darkened. When the lights returned, everyone found themselves back in Visuvius¡¯s chamber, and the Treasured Sword planted in the Holy Throne was emitting a soft glow. ¡°¡®Go, Sir, draw her out.¡¯ Lancelot¡¯s voice resonated within with the sound of Starlight Strike again, ¡®I will not be jealous.''¡± Chapter 715: 736: Leaving the Lake Chapter 715: Chapter 736: Leaving the Lake (Post now, edit later) Under the watchful gaze of his companions, Lancelot approached the Holy Throne where the Sword of Zariel was embedded, took a deep breath, and grasped the hilt of the Treasured Sword. A smooth sensation filled his hand, yet Lancelot felt as though he was holding a mass of solid light, his entire body being infused with a sacred energy. Moreover, a soft whisper sounded in his ears, telling him that he was the chosen one recognized by the Sword of Zariel, that he must act immediately, and throw himself into the holy war to eradicate all evil forces in the Multiverse... Had it not been for the greatly enhanced strength of his Divine Sense as the host, Lancelot would have thought those whispers were his own thoughts. Nevertheless, holding the Sword of Zariel still placed a great deal of pressure on him. This was a Holy Sword forged from celestial metal and blessed by the gods, filled with the powers of goodness and order, a key weapon and major force capable of altering the balance between light and dark powers in the Multiverse. If he couldn¡¯t fully utilize this sword¡¯s intended purpose, continuously plunging it into the bodies of various Fiends, it would be akin to aiding the forces of evil, an unforgivable sin... Lancelot resolutely stuffed the aquamarine Treasured Sword into his Dimensional Belt; those thoughts that didn¡¯t belong to him finally disappeared... at least for the moment. It was truly a pity that the color of this sword matched his Cultivation Technique so well. ¡®You shouldn¡¯t have done that,¡¯ the voice of another Holy Sword echoed in Lancelot¡¯s consciousness, not speaking to him, ¡®Such tricks are useless against a Knight, only serving to annoy him, I never even tried them....¡¯ ¡®....¡¯ The Sword of Zariel did not respond, likely still irked by the companion¡¯s advice. Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but feel speechless. While it¡¯s often said that a weapon is a warrior¡¯s most important partner, having that partner actually talk was an extremely strange experience. He had no desire to have his weapons pick and choose who to strike in battle. If he couldn¡¯t take a dominant position in this relationship, Lancelot would rather not use a weapon with its own thoughts, no matter how powerful it might be. However, Lancelot had another big problem at the moment. As soon as he pulled out the Sword of Zariel, an invisible force dissolved, and the scorching Lava Lake, like a waterfall, poured from a hole in the ceiling, immediately melting some Gold Coins and gemstones on the ground below. Without a word, Lancelot tossed his Dimensional Bag to Bruto and swiftly rushed onto the floating Array Plate; the next second, the figure of the Barlow Flame Demon appeared again, wrapping his companions in the protective Spiritual Light flame, while using his body to block the large hole in the ceiling. Without needing to speak, Bruto immediately began stuffing the most precious treasures of the vault into the Dimensional Bag, and the other companions quickly caught on, lending hands in a flurry. Regrettably, even though Lancelot¡¯s transformed Flame Demon body could ignore the damage from flames, the hole in the ceiling was indeed too large and still expanding. When his companions had to stop, they had only managed to fill the Dimensional Bag with less than one-tenth of the treasure, though naturally, they took the most precious items. The companions one by one ¡®swam¡¯ back to the Array Plate. Bruto reattached the Dimensional Bag to Lancelot¡¯s waist, and almost immediately, Lancelot heard the near-hysterical screech of the Sword of Zariel and the voice of Starlight Strike trying to soothe its companion. Lancelot decided to ignore these voices for now, focusing on controlling the Array Plate to fly out of the vault. Once again in the midst of the Lava Lake, Lancelot rose upwards, guided by memory, and soon saw the circle of black boulders. This time nothing strange stopped him from approaching. Lancelot flew by the stones, releasing a pale-blue Sword Aura from his hand, effortlessly destroying the protective barrier of the Volcano Fortress. Feeling the power from deep within the volcano suddenly become violent, Lancelot hurriedly fluttered his wings, rapidly ascending toward the lake¡¯s surface. In less than half a minute, the Array Plate burst from the magma, while the lake below churned violently as if it were a boiling kettle. Having reached the shore, the Array Plate allowed his companions to jump down one after another, but Bruto, who landed last, felt Lancelot¡¯s body suddenly tense up, prompting him to instinctively look up at him. He wished he hadn¡¯t; the terrifying expression on Lancelot¡¯s face made the hairs on the back of Bruto¡¯s neck stand on end, and he instantly grabbed his Warhammer. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± the Dwarf asked hesitantly, ¡°Is there an enemy?¡± ¡°I hope not...¡± Lancelot also drew the Giant Sword Glacier, which, in his current state, looked like an ordinary One-Handed Sword, ¡°Otherwise we¡¯re really in big trouble.¡± While speaking, Lancelot maintained his Flame Demon form, and the lakeshore, covered with black crystal shards, suddenly lit up. A Portal made of flames then appeared in midair, and another Flame Demon figure stepped out from it. ¡°¡®Destruction Flame¡¯...¡± Lancelot slowly uttered the newcomer¡¯s name, ¡°General Visuvius, for you to arrive so quickly, this place must be very important to you...¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± The former master of Volcano Fortress, with a Lightning Longsword in hand that was swallowing lightning, said, ¡°How wonderful that you¡¯ve already come to terms with your own demise...¡± The figure of the Barlow Flame Demon suddenly vanished from the spot, and without a second thought, Lancelot turned around and struck with his sword, just in time to block the attack launched by Visuvius who had teleported behind him. The grating sound of metal clashing violently exploded in the air. Standing on the Array Plate, Lancelot took a significant hit, with both him and the Array Plate blown backward in flight, while Visuvius didn¡¯t even sway, laughing wildly as he charged again toward his transformed kindred, the Human Knight. Everything happened too fast, and before his companions could react, Lancelot was clashing swords with the formidable Barlow Flame Demon once more. This time he let the Array Plate fall to the ground, but still nearly collapsed under the struggle of strength. His sword¡¯s backlash heavily struck his chest, causing him to spew out a large mouthful of blood like liquid flame. ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re too weak!¡± Visuvius let out a triumphant laugh, raising the Lightning Longsword with both hands over his head and striking down at Lancelot, who had no other choice but to brace himself with Glacier, forcing a block against the opponent¡¯s powerful blow. The Giant Sword withstood the test and didn¡¯t shatter during the confrontation, but the Array Plate beneath Lancelot¡¯s feet couldn¡¯t hold up. With a crack, the Array Plate shattered into countless pieces like broken porcelain, while Lancelot felt the True Yuan force within him dissipating rapidly like snow under the scorching sun, soon to be completely exhausted. Chapter 716: 737: The Final Revenge Chapter 716: Chapter 737: The Final Revenge Ten seconds¡ªthat was the maximum duration Lancelot could maintain his Barlow Flame Demon Form without external energy replenishment. He was not a true demon after all, merely sustaining himself through the burning of his own True Yuan. Moreover, although he had taken on the form of a Flame Demon, his combat power did not reach the average level of a Flame Demon. Compared to top-tier powerhouses among Flame Demons like Visuvius, he didn¡¯t even have the ability to fight back. But Lancelot was not alone in the fight. His companions had by now all reacted. Perhaps it was because they had just faced an Abyssal Lord in the Illusionary Realm, or perhaps they had grown accustomed to the image of top-ranked demons, but when confronted with the formidable ex-Lord of the Volcano Fortress, they charged without hesitation to provide support to their trapped comrade. Alamir was not the first to respond, but his attack was the first to arrive. The Elf Priest held his shield high above his head, from which the Shuni Holy Emblem emitted dazzling golden light. Eight Holy Light Missiles, as large as Warhammers, whistled through the air and pummeled Visuvius¡¯s body in unison. Though all the Holy Light Missiles hit their target, Visuvius merely swayed slightly, appearing to be barely scratched. However, the Elf Priest¡¯s primary goal was not to inflict damage¡ªthe Holy Light Bullets that hit did their job: Visuvius¡¯s body began to emit a faint glow from the secret techniques, which had a guiding effect, making subsequent attacks on the target easier to land and more severe in damage. To ensure that this spell could work normally on a Flame Demon with Fiend resistance, Alamir directly used his highest Fifth Circle spell slot, and the result did not disappoint him. Right after the Elf Priest¡¯s spell hit its mark, Bruto¡¯s attack also arrived. The Dwarf simultaneously activated his berserker and Titan Transformation abilities, hurling his now enlarged Magic Warhammer with a frantic, reckless momentum. The Warhammer struck like a bolt of thunder, blasting into Visuvius¡¯s lower back. With the triple effects of berserker rage, Titan Power, and Divine Arts guidance, the Dwarf¡¯s blow achieved a notably impressive result: Visuvius let out a painful scream, stumbled, and the attack he was about to unleash on the Human Knight was interrupted. Lancelot would not miss such an opportunity. He decisively let go of the Great Sword and leaped forward like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey, grabbing onto Visuvius¡¯s waist. He then roared loudly, forcing his unsteady opponent down to the ground, and with a nimble twist of his body, Lancelot had already clutched one of Visuvius¡¯s large legs while his own feet were entwined around his adversary. In Lancelot¡¯s world, if two knights encountering each other on the battlefield couldn¡¯t decide the victor with their horses and Lances at the first engagement, they would often resort to wrestling skills to finish the duel. Lancelot, who had survived over a decade of military service, was naturally skilled in this area. But how could a High Rank Demon like Visuvius have any experience in this regard? By the time it realized it needed to struggle free, its limbs were already locked tightly by Lancelot, rendering escape impossible. In the final second before the Transformation ended, Lancelot exerted force throughout his body, and a series of crisp, teeth-gritting pops echoed from within Visuvius, followed by the Demon Lord¡¯s heart-wrenching screams. Its entire right leg was broken into five segments by Lancelot, the foot even twisted backward, clearly and utterly crippled. Lancelot¡¯s body rapidly shrank, and a strong sense of exhaustion surged, nearly causing him to pass out then and there. But he forced himself to bite his lower lip, regaining his consciousness with the sharp pain, and his other companions timely took over the battle. Ignoring the suddenly scorching hot body of the Barlow Flame Demon, the giant-form Bruto leaped onto the fallen Flame Demon. Not waiting for his Warhammer to return, he pummeled the opponent¡¯s head with his fists repeatedly; the white-haired, red-pupilled Tanya swung the pitch-black Shadow Halberd, repeatedly slashing at Visuvius¡¯s dangling arm; and Jing, the little monkey girl, was skillfully and swiftly bashing in between Visuvius¡¯s thighs with her red-glowing Iron Throwing Stick, now three times its original length, clearly convinced that this was a weak point of the Barlow Flame Demon and that attacking there would cause substantial damage. Under normal circumstances, with the Innate Armor of demons, Visuvius would have been able to withstand most of these attacks, but Alamir¡¯s simple and practical Divine Arts rendered that advantage invisible, and combined with Lancelot seizing the fleeting opportunity to knock down and cripple his opponent, their companions also brought out their own hidden strengths to give it a good beating. However, as one of the most powerful High Rank Demons, the Barlow Flame Demon would not surrender so easily, would it? Visuvius let out a wild roar, dragging its crippled right leg vigorously to the side, rolling off the Dwarf from its body, and also crushing the Cursed Swordmaster who couldn¡¯t dodge in time, leaving the latter severely injured. The massive demon propped up its upper body with its hands, seemingly about to flap its wings and take to the air, but suddenly, its movements came to a halt, as if time itself had paused. In its chest, the tip of a blue-green sword blade had emerged, and scorching blood was slowly dripping down the blade. Time rewound to a few moments earlier, just as Lancelot bit his lip, he felt the Dimensional Bag at his waist shake violently, and the hilt of the Sword of Zariel actually forced its way out of the bag¡¯s mouth. ¡®Quick! Grab me!¡¯ an excited female voice echoed in Lancelot¡¯s mind, ¡®Kill this Flame Demon, and I will acknowledge you as worthy to use me!¡¯ Lancelot certainly wasn¡¯t going to hesitate at this moment. Without any delay, he drew the Longsword, using the shadow created by the bright Lava Lake to employ the Shadow Jump ability, and took advantage of the instant the opponent tried to stand to launch a sneak attack. The Sword of Zariel was already exceptionally sharp, and its orderly and benevolent properties were even more the bane of demons. Coupled with the Sword Aura of green Yuan that Lancelot forcefully drew out from the last bit of True Yuan in his body, the sword easily plunged through the demon¡¯s heart like puncturing a cotton quilt, shattering the heart of the Barlow Flame Demon. Just when Lancelot thought it was finally over, his Spirit Perception suddenly began frantically signaling danger, but his already exhausted body couldn¡¯t react in time. A blinding white light flashed, as if a sun had suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the cave. Accompanied by a violent explosion and scorching blast waves, the frenzy swept through every corner of the space. Lancelot was blown into the sky like a kite with its string cut, while his companions tumbled violently like kicked balls, leaving long trails of blood on the ground studded with sharp crystals. Self-destructive Explosion, the Barlow Flame Demon¡¯s final and most cruel retaliation against those who had defeated it. Chapter 717: 738 Im Late Chapter 717: Chapter 738 I¡¯m Late The human knight¡¯s figure traced a high arc across the air, eventually crashing heavily into the boiling lava, stirring up a scorching wave. Although Lancelot¡¯s physical strength had surpassed that of a mere mortal after his Foundation Establishment, his True Yuan was now completely depleted, and the Flame Demon¡¯s Self-destructive Explosion had shattered his body. Plunging into the lava, survival was impossible. ¡°Big... Big... Big Brother!!!¡± Bruto, his face covered in blood, struggled to rise from the ground, completely ignoring his still-burning beard, almost delirious as he ran toward the lava lake, but he was immediately grappled by Alamir, who was less injured. ¡°Let me go!¡± the dwarf struggled desperately, ¡°Hurry and save Lancelot! Didn¡¯t you see? He fell down!¡± Normally, an elf priest would not be able to hold down a dwarf warrior robust as a bull, but Bruto¡¯s own injuries were extremely severe, and he was completely unable to break free from his comrade¡¯s grasp. ¡°Stop, my brother...¡± Alamir said in a sad but rational voice, ¡°Without Lancelot¡¯s help, we would turn to ashes the moment we touch that lava...¡± ¡°No! No!! No!!!¡± Bruto screamed frantically, his body collapsing to the ground, then he began to cry like a child, ¡°Now... Big Brother... not even a trace of remains left... why did this happen... why him...¡± ¡°There is still hope.¡± The elf priest extinguished the flames on the dwarf¡¯s body, sat next to him, and pulled the continuously shuddering dwarf into his arms, ¡°Only his physical body was destroyed, Lancelot¡¯s soul is still intact. He will not leave us just like that, the world still needs him...¡± ¡°Can Shuni resurrect him?¡± Bruto looked up, his eyes filled with hope, at the elf priest, ¡°The Fire-haired Lady is also a powerful goddess, right? It shouldn¡¯t be difficult for Her, right?¡± ¡°Gods cannot do so directly, but the Goddess can shelter Lancelot¡¯s soul.¡± Alamir nodded confidently, ¡°Lancelot did not worship any deity, but I will pray to the Goddess to accept our friend first. The Fire-haired Lady will surely not refuse. Lancelot will spend a wonderful time in the Goddess¡¯s beautiful garden, while we try to recreate his body. It won¡¯t be difficult as long as Tijana is willing to help...¡± ¡°But... but what if... Tijana is not willing?¡± The dwarf¡¯s face immediately clouded with despair, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the cost of such a spell is very high...¡± ¡°Impossible, unless we are all blind,¡± the elf said, his tone suggesting he was not as confident, ¡°If... I mean just in case... Androlina¡¯s Airas can probably help too, there are a few very powerful druids there...¡± Suddenly, Alamir and Bruto stopped speaking and turned to look towards the white-hot surface of the lava lake, expressions of surprise appearing on their faces. A greenish glow emerged from the boiling lava and swiftly drifted toward the shore. ¡°Hahaha! Look!!¡± The dwarf shouted excitedly, his face covered in tears and snot suddenly breaking into an ecstatic smile, ¡°That must be Lancelot!¡± Bruto¡¯s guess was spot on, the orb did indeed contain their knight comrade, though Lancelot was still unconscious. His head radiated a bright green light, forming a semitransparent sphere that kept the surrounding lava ten feet away from his body. The surface of the light sphere occasionally flickered with the pattern of a bamboo scroll, yet within the bright and dazzling magma, no one could notice this detail. The one pushing Lancelot toward the shore was none other than the Sword of Zariel, still firmly clutched in his hand. This treasured sword was emitting a flickering white light, pulling the human knight¡¯s body forward and soon they reached where Bruto and Alamir stood. The protective green light pushed the two companions backward, but then it completely vanished. Lancelot¡¯s body heavily fell onto the ground, covered with sharp crystals, and the Sword of Zariel slipped from his grasp and planted itself nearby. ¡°Big brother!¡± ¡°Lancelot!¡± Bruto and Alamir hurriedly ran over and turned Lancelot¡¯s body over. The Elf Priest quickly cast a simple Healing Divine Art, channeling a stream of life energy into their companion¡¯s body. Lancelot¡¯s tightly shut eyelids immediately twitched and then slowly opened. ¡°Thank goodness... thank goodness!¡± The Dwarf excitedly shook the Human Knight, ¡°I knew you¡¯d be fine!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who just now crazily wanted to rush into the lava.¡± The Elf also breathed a sigh of relief, jokingly teased, ¡°But I also felt you couldn¡¯t just be finished like that, there are too many villains in this world after you...¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like a compliment.¡± Lancelot grimaced as he sat up, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m not dead... Wait, where are Tanya and Jing?¡± ¡°Right there at the end of those two trails of blood.¡± Alamir pointed with his hand, ¡°I don¡¯t know if they passed out or died, but regardless of the situation, I can get them back on their feet... What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?¡± ¡°Something isn¡¯t quite right...¡± Lancelot¡¯s complexion looked very grim as he forced himself to stand and quickly walked toward the Half-elf and demon girl whose fate was unknown, ¡°Visuvius might not be dead... I mean, it may have prepared something in advance to prevent itself from being killed in the Abyss...¡± Lancelot¡¯s speculation was not only reasonable but also had direct evidence. Every time he killed a mid to high-ranking Demon, he could absorb some energy similar to Abyssal Spiritual Qi from the opponent, but after killing the Succubus at Oasis Fort, nothing had happened, and he later learned that the Succubus was likely resurrected in Shendiravir, hinting at a similar situation this time. Unfortunately, although he realized this, they were already in Visuvius¡¯ lair, in a secret chamber under the lair, to be exact. The Magic Artifact containing the essence of the former Lord of the Volcano Fortress was an unremarkable brass brazier, still left in the treasury they had just left (and destroyed). A magical item imbued with Flame Demon Essence, of course, would not be destroyed by magma, and while Lancelot had floated toward the lake shore, Visuvius was also reshaping his body in the deep part of the lake. Abruptly, the lake behind them began to erupt violently. In the storm of flames, a pair of huge red bat wings suddenly spread open, and the roar filled with a will to destroy echoed as Visuvius emerged from the rolling flames, looking completely rejuvenated, while on Lancelot¡¯s side, everyone was either dead or injured, with not even a shred of strength left to fight again. The former Lord of the Volcano Fortress had no intention of wasting words; flames gathered in its hand into a long whip, and then with a fierce sweep, the Flame Whip whooshed toward the trio. Lancelot instinctively tried to block, but realized he didn¡¯t even have a weapon, and could only use his bare hands to fend off the terrifying whip attack. A streak of white light flashed, and a sharp explosive sound echoed through the cave, but nothing hit Lancelot. Surprised, he looked up to find a beautiful figure standing in front of him, holding a bright silver whip in her hand. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m late.¡± The Succubus Lord didn¡¯t turn around, but Lancelot knew she was speaking to him, ¡°Leave the rest to me...¡± Chapter 718: 739 Technique Pa Chapter 718: Chapter 739 Technique Pa ¡°Tijana...¡± Visuvius¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously, ¡°how come you are here?¡± ¡°I am wondering the same thing,¡± the voice of the Succubus Lord was as cold as an iceberg, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, Sir Lancelot risked his life to rescue this stench-filled fortress from Bartez¡¯s grasp, and he has obviously succeeded. But why are you not fighting those demons who brought shame upon you, instead of turning up here directly?¡± ¡°He knows too many secrets that he should not, so he must die,¡± Visuvius raised the Lightning Longsword, pointing it directly at Lancelot who stood behind Tijana, ¡°Step aside, Tijana, if I say he must die, then he will surely die!¡± ¡°He is my man,¡± the voice of the Succubus Lord was as cold as an iceberg, ¡°If you want to kill him, then I will kill you.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± laughed the Lord of the Volcano Fortress, his booming laughter echoing, ¡°Just you? A succubus?¡± ¡°Yes, just me,¡± a strange golden light began to shine in Tijana¡¯s eyes, ¡°I hereby swear, I will completely obliterate you...¡± Some kind of mysterious power was ¡®activated¡¯ in the Succubus Lord¡¯s body, and the feeling that arose in Lancelot who stood behind her was eerily familiar; he had definitely encountered a similar situation before, and he was about to remember it... ¡°How can you have such power?!¡± Visuvius looked extremely surprised, exclaiming with disbelief, ¡°This is impossible!!¡± ¡°Oh, but it is possible, my dear neighbor,¡± Tijana¡¯s face revealed a sinister smile, ¡°We have been neighbors for hundreds of years, and yet you know so little about me...¡± ¡°Your man stole my treasure,¡± Visuvius suppressed his rage, ¡°Have him return the item, and I will pretend that nothing happened today...¡± ¡°Oh, get lost, you useless trash; from the moment you lost the Volcano Fortress, everything here stopped being yours. Whatever my man wants to take, he can take!¡± Tijana cursed back fiercely, then her expression suddenly turned suspicious, ¡°Wait a minute, why would you... Oh, damn it, Visuvius, the great ¡®Destruction Flame¡¯, you didn¡¯t just get... killed once, did you?¡± ¡°No!!!¡± The Barlow Flame Demon subconsciously denied immediately, but the ambiguous smile on Tijana¡¯s face was nearly unbearable for him, ¡°I tell you! No!!!¡± ¡°Well done,¡± Tijana didn¡¯t care about the almost erupting living volcano in front of her, turning her head to smile at Lancelot, ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to do this for a long time.¡± ¡°I tell you again! No!! No!!¡± Visuvius, enraged by Tijana¡¯s attitude, charged at the Succubus Lord, the Lightning Longsword held high above his head, continuing to roar angrily, ¡°I say no means no!!!¡± ¡°Look back and tell me how you did it,¡± Tijana¡¯s voice sounded directly in Lancelot¡¯s mind as her figure shot away from where she stood like an arrow released from its bow. All of a sudden, her empty left hand flashed, and almost simultaneously, she let out a brief, piercing scream. A deep blue magic aura then burst forth from her and struck the Barlow Flame Demon in an instant. Among all the spectators of this battle, probably only Lancelot had clear sight of what had just occurred: His succubus lover had, with incredible speed, made a series of hand gestures, and that short scream, if played back slowly, would have been a complete spell. Tijana had once explained to him about her various supernatural abilities, one of which was spell instant casting, and the deep blue spiritual light signified that it was an enchantment system spell. Lancelot also knew that enchantment system spells required the use of perception ability to resist, which happened to be one of the weaknesses of the Barlow Flame Demon. Moreover, although Barlow Flame Demons are extremely powerful, they are not legendary creatures; they only possess the Fiends¡¯ natural magic resistance and do not have the legendary immunity that would allow them to stand against such a powerful succubus magician like Tijana. The enchantment system spell took effect the moment it hit Visuvius. The immense body of the Flame Demon was fixed in mid-air and then plummeted straight to the ground. Tijana had, with just one spell, put her formidable opponent into a paralyzed state. But what happened next truly made Lancelot cry out in surprise. The Cold Iron Whip in the hands of the Succubus Lord suddenly radiated a blinding golden light, so dazzling that even the nearby lava lake lost its luster in comparison. Then, with a flicker of the whip, Lancelot first saw Visuvius¡¯s body torn open and his flesh melt and deform like wax exposed to heat, and only then did the thunderous sound of a sonic boom reach his ears. Even though it was executed with a whip, Lancelot was sure he wasn¡¯t mistaken about what Tijana had just used: Evilbane Slash! A signature combat technique of the Holy Warrior! The Human Knight was blown away by the revelation. What was going on? Was Tijana also a Holy Warrior? How was that possible? What was her vow? As his mind was crowded with questions, the battle between the Succubus Lord and the Barlow Flame Demon continued. Before Tijana could deliver a second strike with her whip, Visuvius barely recovered from the paralyzed state. It roared and swung its Lightning Longsword, but such a hasty counterattack had no chance of hitting the agile Succubus Lord, and its Flame Whip was equally ineffective against Tijana. Another deep blue magic aura flared up, and Barlow Flame Demon¡¯s attempt to resist the spell failed again, its body frozen in place once more. The follow-up ¡®Evilbane Whip¡¯ tore off its flesh from the right shoulder down to the waist, exposing the stark white bones beneath and the flaming core pulsating within the skeleton. Lancelot noticed another detail, Tijana wasn¡¯t using just any Evilbane Slash; it was an enhanced version that required the consumption of high-level spell slots. Holy Warriors, not being primarily spellcasters, have very limited spell slots; they wouldn¡¯t normally even use the regular version of the spell. Yet Tijana was using spell slots as if she had an inexhaustible supply, each strike being an enhanced version of the utmost intensity, quickly leaving Visuvius in a critically injured state. Moreover, she was continuously using her spell instant casting ability to hurl one spell after another at her opponent. The once-unassailable Lord of the Volcano Fortress was left powerless to retaliate under Tijana¡¯s relentless assault and was soon on the verge of death. ¡°Be careful!¡± Lancelot hastily called out, remembering his own recent encounter, ¡°It will explode upon death!¡± ¡°So, it was the Self-destructive Explosion that left you in such a miserable state,¡± Tijana replied casually, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a lot more experience dealing with this than you...¡± Chapter 719: 740: Healing Touch Chapter 719: Chapter 740: Healing Touch Tijana began preparing a complex spell, requiring lengthy incantations, mysterious gestures, and a black sapphire as large as a fist. The Barlow Flame Demon, already at death¡¯s door and completely incapacitated, couldn¡¯t even speak and could only watch helplessly as the Succubus Lord completed her magic. Purple lightning burst from Tijana¡¯s fingertips, fully enveloping Visuvius¡¯s massive body. Between the leaping sparks and blinding light, Lancelot saw the apparition of a Flame Demon appear and instantly get sucked into the black sapphire. The purple lightning then disappeared, leaving behind only Barlow Flame Demon¡¯s slack, dehydrated, ashy corpse, reminiscent of ashes after a campfire has been extinguished. Tijana tossed the gemstone in her hand and revealed a satisfied smile, then turned to Lancelot and said, ¡°See? You have to extract the essence of the Flame Demon first, so it won¡¯t trigger a Self-destructive Explosion.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to perform that spell.¡± Lancelot raised his arm and touched his nose blackened by the soot, ¡°Killing it on the first try was luck enough...¡± ¡°Well... come here.¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk. Open your mouth.¡± The next second, the Succubus Lord¡¯s red lips met Lancelot¡¯s, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her. Despite the hard armor, he could still feel Tijana¡¯s soft body and the slight tremble of her body at that moment. Along with the red lips came a smooth, small tongue, but this time it was somewhat different, the tip filled with life energy. Lancelot felt as if Alamir had cast a Healing Spell on him, the effect was exactly the same. Of course, the healing effect had taken place the moment they made contact, and what was left was... normal kissing between lovers. Their lips didn¡¯t part for a long while, until Tijana immediately turned away, not letting Lancelot see her expression, while Lancelot felt two scorching gazes from behind. He turned his head and saw the Dwarf and Elf embracing a Half-elf and a shape-shifter not far off. The Dwarf suddenly coughed violently, while the Elf¡¯s expression was much more natural, causing Lancelot to feel a bit embarrassed. ¡°How are they?¡± Lancelot casually changed the subject, ¡°They¡¯re not in any life-threatening condition, right?¡± ¡°Tanya¡¯s situation is quite severe, she was crushed by a Barlow Flame Demon first, then took the brunt of a Self-destructive Explosion at a close distance. Even with my Divine Arts helping, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll still have to stay in bed for a week or two,¡± Alamir shrugged, ¡°As for Jing, she just passed out, I¡¯m quite certain her evasive actions saved her from the main blast. A single Healing Divine Art would immediately wake her up, but I wouldn¡¯t recommend doing that for Tanya. Even if she woke up now, she wouldn¡¯t have any ability to defend herself; we might as well use the Feign Death Technique and put her in a Dimensional Bag until we¡¯re somewhere safe to take her out...¡± ¡°Not necessary.¡± The voice of the Succubus Lord rose from behind the group, She made a simple gesture with her hands and uttered a short word, and two bright red Magic Auras flew into Jing and Tanya¡¯s bodies. Both women let out a soft moan and opened their eyes at the same time. Alamir silently set down his Half-elf companion, while Jing, like a startled cat, made a vigorous leap and landed on top of Bruto¡¯s head. ¡°Get down from there,¡± the Dwarf grumbled, ¡°And don¡¯t pull my hair.¡± ¡°What is happening, Madam Tijana? What happened?¡± Tanya looked around, her face filled with confusion. ¡°Is that Visuvius¡¯s corpse? Didn¡¯t it explode?¡± ¡°Yes, both you and Jing were unconscious from the explosion, and Lancelot was thrown into the lava, but he floated back by himself afterward,¡± Alamir explained softly. ¡°Bruto and I remained conscious, but we weren¡¯t faring much better. Then Visuvius reemerged from the Lava Lake, clearly possessing some method of resurrection...¡± ¡°Fortunately, Madam Tijana arrived just in time, or today would have indeed been our end,¡± Lancelot said with a bitter smile as he shook his head. ¡°My lady, I did not expect you...¡± Suddenly, he realized that what Tijana was casually handling was none other than the green Sword of Zariel. Although in most cases, a weapon is just an item, Lancelot still felt a strange sensation¡ªas if the holy sword from the Heavens, longing to kill all Fiends, was a mere sheep in the hands of the Succubus Lord. Noticing his gaze, Tijana gave a slight smile, turned the sword handle around, and tossed the treasured sword to Lancelot. ¡°Keep her safe and better not to use her unless absolutely necessary, for she brings more trouble than utility,¡± the Succubus Lord said as she turned to face the other end of the cave entrance. ¡°I guess you have many questions, but now is not the time...¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Lancelot responded softly. ¡°Anytime, my lady.¡± As they spoke, several tall figures emerged one by one from the entrance of the cave, the three generals of the allied forces: ¡®Hammer of Burning¡¯ Taran, ¡®Pale Flame¡¯ Tu¡¯a, and ¡®Bartez Slayer¡¯ Babos. Following close behind and accompanying Tijana were two Serpent Demon generals, ¡®Scorching Snake¡¯ Bessiah and Viska ¡®Madam¡¯. All appeared to have just been in a fierce battle, their bodies covered with blood that had not yet coagulated, making it hard to tell whether the blood was their enemies¡¯ or their own. Upon seeing Tijana, all three Flame Demon generals were taken aback, clearly not expecting to encounter the Succubus Lord here, while the two Serpent Demons silently ¡®slithered¡¯ to stand behind Tijana. What surprised the Flame Demon generals even more, however, was the massive corpse of Visuvius on the ground. It was well known that Tijana was a powerful Magician, and the death of a Barlow Flame Demon involved an explosion, leaving a Flame Demon¡¯s corpse intact clearly indicated who had been behind this lethal strike. ¡°Madam Tijana,¡± Babos began cautiously. ¡°I did not expect to see you here; it seems we owe the recapture of the Volcano Fortress to your hidden aid.¡± ¡°If the Volcano Fortress truly fell into demons¡¯ hands, the downfall of Twin Bridges Town would be imminent,¡± Tijana answered with a feigned smile. ¡°It seems the battle above has concluded?¡± ¡°We killed all the Bartezi; none escaped,¡± another Flame Demon general spoke up, his tone flat. ¡°But a Demon Refiner is missing; I suspect it was killed in combat with the former lord of this place?¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Tijana said expressionlessly as she twisted her neck. ¡°Now that the Volcano Fortress has been recaptured, I wonder what ¡®Lord Wu¡¯an¡¯ has planned for it?¡± ¡°Hahaha, we annihilated four Demon Legions and executed all the Demon Refinement generals; our lord will surely be very pleased with this,¡± Babos laughed thunderously. ¡°As for the Volcano Fortress... its location is so crucial, it must be governed by a powerful yet cautious general who can also maintain the longstanding good relations with Twin Bridges Town, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Respected ¡®Bartez Slayer¡¯, your wisdom impresses me,¡± Tijana said, her face breaking into a sly smile. ¡°I completely agree.¡± Chapter 720: 741 Leaving Chapter 720: Chapter 741 Leaving Lancelot watched silently from the side, aware that Babos was considering taking over as Lord of the Volcano Fortress and seeking Tijana¡¯s support. Although her Twin Bridges Town was not under Lord Wu¡¯an¡¯s influence, it had always essentially provided logistical support for the Volcano Fortress. Gaining the Succubus Lord¡¯s endorsement would give Babos a certain advantage among the many candidates. Theoretically, the other two Flame Demon Generals were also possible candidates, but they seemed merely pleased by the fact of Visuvius¡¯s death¡ªgenuinely so, almost without attempt to hide it. Given the humiliation the former Lord of the Volcano Fortress had inflicted on them the previous night, such feelings were understandable, not to mention that they were Demons, creatures who rarely grieve for the death of their own kind, especially now that the Volcano Fortress had been reclaimed and the allied forces no longer needed Visuvius¡¯s formidable combat power. Babos continued to talk endlessly about future cooperation between the Volcano Fortress and Twin Bridges Town, the performance of the mercenary legion in this joint combat, yet Lancelot suddenly felt a strong sense of unease. This unease did not stem from his Spirit Perception but from Tijana, with whom he had reestablished a mental connection. Lancelot subtly turned his head, keenly observing the Succubus Lord¡¯s expression becoming rigid. After Barlow Flame Demon finished yet another round of pleasantries, she bluntly interrupted, ¡°Enough, esteemed General Babos, and Generals Taran and Tu¡¯a, since the battle here has ended, we should also depart. Sir Lancelot, the soldiers left in the Throne Hall will listen to you; take them to find Sonam.¡± ¡°As you command, my lady,¡± Lancelot replied in a calm tone, but also asked mentally, ¡®What went wrong?¡¯ ¡®Let Sonam hold position for now, wait for further news from me,¡¯ Tijana briefly replied, waving her hand to create a floating Portal behind her, ¡°So, farewell, Generals, and feel welcome to visit Twin Bridges Town... remember to bring enough coins.¡± The Succubus Lord¡¯s figure vanished into the Portal, along with two six-armed Serpent Demons. The three Flame Demon Generals looked at each other, seemingly puzzled by Tijana¡¯s hasty departure. ¡°Generals, please allow us also to take our leave,¡± Lancelot said with respectful demeanor as he bowed towards the Barlow Flame Demons. Now that Tijana was gone, being alone with the three Flame Demon Generals was somewhat pressuring. ¡°Of course, Sir Lancelot,¡± Babos responded quite politely, ¡°Sonam has kept the mercenary legion out of the siege; you will find her outside the city.¡± ¡°Thank you for the information,¡± Lancelot bowed again, gave his increasingly nervous companions a look, and led them hurriedly out of the increasingly hot cave. ¡°Babos, is there anything special about that human knight? Why be so... friendly towards him?¡± Despite having walked a distance, Lancelot¡¯s sharp hearing still caught the conversation of the Flame Demon Generals behind him. It was probably Taran, the weakest among the three, who had asked. ¡°He is Tijana¡¯s openly acknowledged lover, being friendly towards him is being friendly to the Succubus Lord,¡± Babos sounded as calm as a Flame Demon could be, ¡°As for the consequences of not being friendly, we have a ready example right under our feet...¡± ¡°Big brother,¡± Bruto¡¯s voice came from behind Lancelot, ¡°What was up with the sister-in-law? Why did she leave in such a hurry?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t explain, just told me to wait for her news,¡± Lancelot paused, ¡°I have a rather bad feeling about this...¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Perhaps due to the absence of the tension they had on the way there, the journey back seemed much quicker than the descent had been, and within less than a quarter of an hour, everyone had once again arrived at the Throne Hall of the Flame Palace. At this moment, the hall was already crowded with many Demons; Lancelot could easily distinguish those from Twin Bridges Town from those under Lord Wu¡¯an¡ªTijana had brought only the elite of the elite, whose equipment and demeanors radiated a distinctly different aura compared to the other Demons. In addition, most Demons at this moment were starting to provoke each other out of boredom, and a brawl of an entertaining nature seemed about to unfold. However, the soldiers from Twin Bridges Town merely watched with cold eyes, not because they had better discipline, but because they deemed there were no opponents worth fighting. As soon as Lancelot and his companions appeared, they immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Although the Human Knight had been very active on yesterday¡¯s battlefield, most middle rank Demons hadn¡¯t cared about other corners of the battlefield during the fight and barely remembered Lancelot. The Demons from Twin Bridges Town were different¡ªthis was their boss¡¯s man, the kind who had kissed him publicly. Three Berserk Demon captains approached, their eyes filled with surprise as they examined the Human Knight¡¯s mithril armor, riddled with holes from explosions, seemingly puzzled as to why the creature underneath was still breathing. ¡°Lancelot... Sir,¡± one of the Berserk Demons began with an unusually hoarse voice, ¡°Where is Lady Tijana? And General Bessiah and Madam Viska, where have they gone?¡± ¡°They have other matters to attend to and have already returned to Twin Bridges Town,¡± Lancelot explained calmly, ¡°She instructed me to join you with General Sonam, then head back to Twin Bridges Town together.¡± ¡°So...¡± another Berserk Demon captain interjected in a deep voice, ¡°does that mean you are our leader now?¡± ¡°Until I hand you over to General Sonam, yes,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Any problems?¡± ¡°None. Shall we depart now?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a problem... General Sonam should be just outside the city, but let¡¯s take a small detour first...¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Naturally, Lancelot was headed to the Temple of Grazzt¡¯s underground sanctuary. When he led a large group of people and reappeared in that ornately decorated underground chamber, it truly startled everyone present; the survivors there were still unaware of the situation outside. ¡°The alliance has retaken the Volcano Fortress!¡± Lancelot jumped onto a table and announced to the audience, ¡°All the Bartez have been... wiped clean, and you are safe now. But there is some bad news... Visuvius is dead.¡± Cheers erupted intermittently. ¡°...Well, a new Lord will soon take over, I guess it might be ¡®Bartez Slayer¡¯ General Babos,¡± Lancelot jumped down from the table and looked toward a familiar face struggling to make her way forward, ¡°Madam Gayka, have you found the children of Amnon Peck and Anastasia?¡± ¡°Only Calista and Nimia,¡± Gayka turned her head and gestured with her chin towards two Succubus girls who were not even four feet tall, ¡°As for Miller, that fool is dead. Said he was going to avenge his father, a total fool.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that,¡± Lancelot sighed, ¡°Our group will soon be returning to Twin Bridges Town, and if you wish, you may take them with you to settle there.¡± ¡°May I bring a few more children?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Lancelot answered softly, ¡°Bring all the children with you.¡± Chapter 721: 742: The Battle is Over Chapter 721: Chapter 742: The Battle is Over Lancelot and his party left early in the morning with nearly no one paying any attention; therefore, when he returned through the main gate of the castle they had recaptured, leading a large group majestically, all the mercenaries scrutinized this now legendary Human Knight¡ªand the young Succubi in his team with curious eyes. It must be admitted that some gazes were less than comfortable, but with a dozen fierce Berserk Demons accompanying them, these desperados could only look on. In fact, Lancelot had also intended to bring the Lust Demon hidden in the underground palace, but when he returned, the place was already empty. He wasn¡¯t particularly surprised by this; he would have escaped, too, if he were in the same situation, albeit he did regret that many questions would now remain unanswered. ¡°Lancelot...¡± Sir Sonam, the Serpent Demon, stood imposingly at the entrance of the Mercenary Camp, eyes narrowing unfriendly at the Human Knight, ¡°The one you found is too young this time, isn¡¯t it? That vampire was already the limit.¡± ¡°These are all civilians, two of whom are already residents of Twin Bridges Town...¡± Lancelot took out a letter he had found on the body of a clerk from Tiflin, ¡°It reads: Permission granted for Amnon Peck¡ªhe¡¯s already dead, and his wife Anastasia Peck¡ªshe¡¯s also dead, along with their three children¡ªonly two of whom are still alive, to settle in Twin Bridges Town, signed at the bottom by Radisha...¡± The Serpent Demon reached out with its upper right arm and took the note from Lancelot, who continued: ¡°As for the others, there are no such documents. When the city fell, Madam Gayka, the owner of the tavern in the ruins of Barto, hid these children in a secret chamber within Lord Wu¡¯an¡¯s Temple, luckily dodging the massacre when the Demons breached the city. She provided very valuable information during the mission, and in return, I agreed she could bring the children to settle in Twin Bridges Town... Will I need to provide a guarantee or pay a fee?¡± ¡°...No need,¡± Sonam nodded slowly, ¡°They are civilians, as long as they can support themselves.¡± ¡°Thank you, General,¡± Gayka promptly bowed in gratitude, ¡°I still have some savings, and should be able to set up a tavern; these children will make for very popular servers...¡± ¡°As you please,¡± Sonam shook her hand dismissively and handed back the letter to Lancelot, ¡°What¡¯s with these warriors?¡± ¡°They came through the teleportation with Tijana, and now they are under your command.¡± ¡°Is that so... Dylan, Bashir, Salron, have your men stand by in the camp, and bring these civilians too. Make sure they don¡¯t wander off and that no one else bothers them.¡± The Serpent Demon clearly knew these elite Berserk Demons, directly addressing them by name, and the big toads had no doubts about obeying the demon¡¯s orders. Once the crowd dispersed, leaving only Lancelot and his companions within twenty feet, the Serpent Demon finally asked in a low voice, ¡°Where is Tijana? Why didn¡¯t she come? The moment the barrier disappeared, Visuvius immediately used a teleportation spell to leave; did they run into each other?¡± ¡°The former Lord of the Volcano Fortress is already dead,¡± Lancelot said impassively. ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Sonam narrowed her eyes, ¡°That armor of yours...it¡¯s made of Mithril, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°How did Visuvius die?¡± ¡°His body was intact.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± Sonam nodded, ¡°Where were you then? By the Lava Lake where the protective array was set up?¡± ¡°Yes, not long after Sonam died, General Babos and others also arrived,¡± Lancelot hinted with a blink, ¡°Of course, Tijana arrived a bit earlier. They pleasantly discussed potential collaborations between the Volcano Fortress and Twin Bridges Town for a while, but Tijana seemed to suddenly receive some kind of... message, and quickly left with Bessiah and Madam Viska.¡± ¡°Some kind of message?¡± the six-armed Serpent Demon furrowed his brow, ¡°Did she command you to convey anything?¡± ¡°She asked me to bring those elite warriors to you, and then to rest here until her further message.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t even have time to bring the guards?¡± Sonam¡¯s expression was filled with confusion, ¡°So hastily...¡± ¡°Do you know what might have happened?¡± ¡°Hmph, I know only what you¡¯ve told me,¡± the six-armed Serpent Demon glared at him, ¡°But there¡¯s no need to worry too much, there¡¯s hardly anything on this level that could truly stump her. Since she asked you to wait, then wait, my beloved. If there¡¯s any new command, come tell me immediately!¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°Sir Lancelot?!¡± the old Holy Warrior Ivendell was shocked as he looked him over, ¡°Gods above, what have you been through?¡± ¡°A grueling battle...¡± Lancelot lowered his head, glancing at his tattered armor, ¡°The enemy had an unexpected self-destruct when they died.¡± ¡°As far as I know, only one type of Fiend explodes with that intensity upon death,¡± Ivendell raised an eyebrow, ¡°but logically, that kind of Fiend shouldn¡¯t be your enemy, at least not today...¡± ¡°You really overestimate them,¡± Bruto came up and clapped Lancelot on the back, ¡°Come on, take it off. I¡¯ll patch it up briefly for you. Isn¡¯t it uncomfortable wearing it like that?¡± ¡°The battle at the Volcano Fortress is over, isn¡¯t it?¡± Viska the Magician couldn¡¯t hold her silence any longer and asked Lancelot, ¡°I saw that the Demons have already taken control of the entire fortress... Why did the six-armed Serpent Demon just order us to stand by? What are the next arrangements?¡± ¡°What she meant to ask is, before we return to Twin Bridges Town to collect our weekly salary and killing bonuses, are there any activities that might lead us to our deaths?¡± Valen Belen, the elder brother among the Dwarf Tinkerers, pointed to a young Tiflin standing nearby, ¡°That boy has been feeling unwell since this morning, and his sister is quite worried about him.¡± ¡°Besides, who doesn¡¯t want to live well?¡± Flint, formerly known as ¡®Goldbeard¡¯, a Dwarf Miner, interjected gruffly, ¡°If I can make it back alive, I could drink for free for a year just by talking about yesterday¡¯s adventure...¡± ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any,¡± Lancelot gently shook his head, ¡°Perhaps we could soon...¡± ¡®Lancelot, can you hear me?¡¯ The sudden telepathy echoed in his mind, Lancelot made an apologetic gesture to his companions, closed his eyes, and concentrated, the image of the Succubus Lord swiftly emerged in his consciousness. ¡®Please speak, my lady.¡¯ ¡®Order Solheim to set off back, remind her to stay alert on the road. Twin Bridges Town was attacked, but I have dealt with it.¡¯ Tijana paused, ¡®Also, you and Bruto use the emblem I gave you to come back... and bring Alamir along.¡¯ Chapter 722: 743 Chapter 722: 743 ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The astute Priest immediately noticed Lancelot¡¯s distress and instantly guessed the reason, ¡°Did Tijana contact you?¡± Lancelot silently nodded his head, remained quiet for a long while, then turned to address the elderly Holy Warrior, ¡°Sir Ivendell, there is a matter I need to entrust to you...¡± ¡°Please command ... wait, you¡¯re not leaving again, are you?¡± Ivendell¡¯s weathered eyebrows furrowed, ¡°You know, as a Commander, you should not always leave the responsibility of leadership to others while you run around like a firefighter ...¡± ¡°I completely agree with you, but this time I have no choice.¡± Lancelot offered a helpless smile, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m entrusting the captain¡¯s duties entirely to you, and I will also hand over the mercenary badges of mine, Bruto, and Alamir to you. The bounty within is almost enough for an ordinary person to live a kingly life for the rest of their days. So you must swear to strive to ensure the safety of every member of the team to Twin Bridges Town and divide all the bounty equally among them. Can I trust you with this?¡± ¡°I can.¡± The old Holy Warrior nodded without hesitation, without any sign of questioning or bargaining, ¡°Duty to me is as sweet as nectar, and by the names of the gods, I swear to abide by the mission just entrusted to me by Sir Lancelot; if I violate it ...¡± ¡°I will personally hold you accountable.¡± Lancelot finished the oath for him, at the same time handing over his own emblem that represented the team captain. Bruto and Alamir, although unclear about the situation, also took out their emblems out of trust in Lancelot. Seeing that he had accepted them, Lancelot nodded and continued, ¡°Just east of the Mercenary Hall in Twin Bridges Town, there is a property called Hagrid Manor. Once you return to Twin Bridges Town, feel welcome to visit us there.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The old Holy Warrior¡¯s expression became solemn as he performed a standard Knight¡¯s salute to Lancelot, ¡°It has been an honor to fight alongside you, Sir Lancelot. I wish you all the best.¡± ¡°The honor is mine.¡± Lancelot returned the salute with equal formality, ¡°Bruto, Alamir, it¡¯s time for us to depart.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°Twin Bridges Town was attacked?!¡± The Elves, Dwarf, and the six-armed Serpent Demon exclaimed in unison, clearly shocked by the news. ¡°Yes.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°But the issue has been resolved. Tijana also instructed that Sonam should lead the mercenary legion back to Twin Bridges Town as soon as possible but to remain vigilant on the way; Bruto, Alamir, and I will return immediately through the teleportation emblems, as there seems to be something else they need us for.¡± ¡°Damn, who could it be? Someone managed to catch the exact moment they left?¡± Sonam took a deep breath, ¡°Could it be another Demon that¡¯s sprung up from nowhere?¡± ¡°The attackers came from ... Oasis Fort.¡± Lancelot answered somberly, ¡°Tijana only gave me this name without further explanation.¡± ¡°Those filthy, despicable, lowly, shameless sewer rats?¡± The six-armed Serpent Demon laughed angrily, ¡°Good, very good. Finally, there¡¯s a reason to erase that ghostly place from the map ...¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t Oasis Fort one of the allied forces?¡± The Elf Priest asked confusedly, ¡°We¡¯re on the brink of victory; what good would it do to stab us in the back now?¡± ¡°No matter, I don¡¯t care what those idiots with their heads filled with dog shit are thinking,¡± Sonam said through gritted teeth, ¡°Tijana has always been cautious because of Mekanshut¡¯s reaction and tolerated that tumor growing beside the trade route. If we get undeniable evidence this time, I¡¯d like to see how the whore Queen will continue to protect that disgusting necrophile!¡± ¡°I have a question ...¡± Bruto started, looking somewhat pale, ¡°Did Tijana specifically ask for Alamir and me to return with you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lancelot confirmed, ¡°You look pale, Bruto. Is something the matter?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know; I¡¯ve been feeling restless since a while ago...¡± the Dwarf bit his lip, ¡°When do we leave?¡± ¡°Now,¡± Lancelot patted his shoulder. The Dwarf¡¯s words had made him feel uneasy as well, ¡°General Sonam, I entrust these mercenaries to you. Do you remember our previous conversation? They are a valuable asset to Twin Bridges Town, you must bring them back alive...¡± ¡°Got it,¡± the six-armed Serpent Demon waved impatiently, ¡°Get lost.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- As the starting and ending points of the teleportation were on the same plane and not too far apart, everyone hardly felt any discomfort. With a flash of light and shadow beside them, they returned to the streets of Twin Bridges Town. Lancelot quickly realized he was in the middle of the smithing district¡¯s streets, surrounded by choking smoke, running Dwarves, and collapsed blacksmith shops. The Succubus Lord¡¯s figure was less than ten feet away, where Adrick Braunanwell, the Chief Commissioner of the Craftsmen Committee, and another Dwarf were urgently speaking to her, followed by two fully armed Succubus Maids. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Tijana turned the moment Lancelot appeared, ¡°Did you inform Sonam?¡± ¡°Yes, my lady,¡± Lancelot gave a knightly bow, ¡°General Sonam is aware of the situation in Twin Bridges Town, and the mercenary legion will set off immediately.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Tijana nodded, then turned to Bruto beside her, looking as though she wanted to say something but was at a loss for words. The blood drained from Bruto¡¯s face, and he asked with a trembling voice: ¡°Has something happened to my dad?¡± ¡°...I¡¯m very sorry.¡± Tijana struggled to squeeze the words from her throat, ¡°He was killed in the attack. Your father had become one of Twin Bridges Town¡¯s most important Grand Craftsmen, and I immediately had someone cast the Resurrection Technique, but all attempts so far have failed...¡± ¡°Derrick the younger also tried, to no avail,¡± Braunanwell added, ¡°The Divine Arts seem unable to recall Master Barrend¡¯s soul.¡± ¡°Where is dad now?¡± Bruto¡¯s face had completely lost its color, but his voice held an eerie calm. ¡°The Craftsmen Committee, it¡¯s now a temporary infirmary,¡± the Chief Commissioner quickly responded, ¡°the second basement level has a cellar for storing wine, your father and others awaiting resurrection... they¡¯re all there.¡± Without waiting for the Chief Commissioner to finish speaking, Bruto had already sprinted from his spot, frantic like a wild buffalo with its tail on fire. Alamir immediately looked at Lancelot, who gently nodded, and the Elf swiftly pursued in the direction the Dwarf had vanished. ¡°Sigh, Bruto cares deeply about his father¡¯s safety, which is why he came with me to Volcano Fortress.¡± Lancelot sighed deeply, ¡°For the Resurrection Technique to fail... Do you know the possible reasons, my lady?¡± ¡°I¡¯m very sorry...¡± Tijana repeated, ¡°There could be many reasons. Let¡¯s go there too, we can talk on the way.¡± Chapter 723: 744 Definition of a Mortal Chapter 723: Chapter 744 Definition of a Mortal Tijana dismissed her maidservant and walked shoulder to shoulder with Lancelot through the bustling streets of the blacksmith district. Beside them, Dwarven artisans ran back and forth, and occasionally a cry of alarm would signify the discovery of a new casualty under some rubble, followed swiftly by a pair of Dwarfs carrying a stretcher hurrying past. ¡°What do you understand about souls?¡± ¡°Before coming to this plane, I always thought it was just a concept,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Now I roughly know a soul is truly an existence separate from the body, it carries our consciousness, memories, and emotions...¡± ¡°Then, how do you comprehend the term ¡®mortal¡¯?¡± ¡°Mortal?¡± Lancelot pondered for a moment, ¡°Generally, it refers to those humanoid beings with limited lifespans that age as time passes... Occasionally, when I¡¯m lucky enough to win during sparring, you also use that term to remind me not to get too cocky...¡± ¡°Hehe, if it were merely a matter of strength, you wouldn¡¯t be considered a mortal by now...¡± Tijana said with a gentle smile, ¡°The soul is the essence of a mortal, without it, one cannot truly live but is merely a walking corpse. In fact, defining a mortal is directly related to the soul¡ªif a creature¡¯s body and soul can separate, then it is a mortal, and only mortals possess this duality. Some powerful wizards can even leave their bodies while still alive, without necessarily becoming more vulnerable.¡± ¡°What about beings like you?¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s me, those Aira friends you met in Androlina, or other inhabitants of the higher planes like Celestials, we are all beings of different planes. Our ¡®essence¡¯ and ¡®physical form¡¯ are unified, not possessing the duality of mortals, which means that if killed on another plane, there would be no body left to resurrect on the spot.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re instantly and completely reborn in your native plane, right?¡± ¡°For the most part, yes, but it¡¯s not always ¡®instant¡¯ or ¡®complete¡¯; there are far too many potential influencing factors...¡± The Succubus Lord shook her head, ¡°And if killed on our native plane, unless special arrangements were made in advance, it is a true death. Our essence would merge directly into the plane itself, leaving no possibility for resurrection, not even for deities.¡± ¡°So, resurrection techniques only work on the mortal dead?¡± Lancelot asked softly, although surrounded by various noises, it seemed as though only he and Tijana existed at that moment. ¡°Yes, death separates a mortal¡¯s soul from their body, and resurrection recombines the two.¡± The Succubus Lord looked into his eyes and nodded gently, ¡°Perhaps you¡¯ve heard that normally, when a mortal dies, the soul goes to the Domain of the Vague, waiting for an envoy of their life¡¯s deity to escort them, or to receive judgment from the King of the Dead...¡± ¡°And only under normal circumstances can resurrection techniques be effective?¡± ¡°Exactly. If a soul, for various reasons, doesn¡¯t reach the Domain of the Vague after death, resurrection will yield no results.¡± Tijana turned at the next street corner and signaled the Human Knight to follow, ¡°There could be many reasons, such as being trapped by some magic or relic, turning into a Resentful Spirit due to overwhelming emotions at the time of death, meeting with mishaps on the way to the Domain of the Vague, or already being judged guilty by the King of the Dead, serving a sentence in the City of Judgment...¡± ¡°Which situation does Master Barrend belong to?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have an answer to that,¡± the Succubus Lord sighed, ¡°I only know what it is not¡ªthe attackers have all been killed, and no magical items capable of storing a soul were found on them; the protective array of Twin Bridges Town is still in effect, preventing those items from being transported elsewhere. I also cast a highly advanced Divination Technique, confirming that the Dwarven Artisan¡¯s soul has left this plane. Your Elf Priest, capable of performing Fifth Circle Divine Arts, as a priest of a benevolent deity, if even his Resurrection of the Dead is ineffective, it also rules out the influence of the spellcaster¡¯s ability...¡± During their conversation, the two had already arrived at the door to the Craftsmen Committee. This round fortress was the largest building in the blacksmith district; now its hall was filled with injured dwarves. The stone floor was dirty with bloodstains, and some healers were busy providing treatment to the wounded, but there did not seem to be enough of them. As soon as the figure of the Succubus Lord appeared, everyone tensely stopped their actions and bowed to her, while Tijana simply waved her hand, signaling them to continue. ¡°Lady Tijana, and Sir Lancelot.¡± A succubus in a silky white robe approached them, her normally alluring attire now marred with irregular bloodstains, ¡°Is there anything you need from me?¡± ¡°You have done very well, Iyeta,¡± Tijana acknowledged her subordinate¡¯s performance, ¡°How are the wounded?¡± ¡°Thanks to the effects of the healing rings, those with serious injuries have stabilized, but because there are so few of them, it will take time for everyone to fully recover...¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve already issued a procurement commission. Should an event like this happen again, we will be better prepared. What about the situation downstairs?¡± ¡°Seven of the dead have been resurrected, leaving thirty-one. The priests have exhausted their energy and have all gone to rest. However, aside from Master Barrend, there were also cases where Masters Habik, Soladin, and Nan Fudo could not be resurrected.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Tijana¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°I¡¯ll go downstairs and take a look, you keep busy.¡± ¡°As you command, Lady Tijana.¡± Following the silent Succubus Lord, Lancelot descended into the cold cellar of the fortress. Compared to the noisy, chaotic hall, this place was as quiet as the world of the dead, partly due to the blue glow of the magic wall lamps on the walls, which also drew the heat from the air and brought the temperature of the entire cellar down to freezing. Naturally, this kind of environment was ideal for storing easily spoiled food, or corpses. It didn¡¯t take long for the two to find Bruto and Alamir; the dwarf sat expressionlessly beside his father¡¯s cold body, his eyes lifelessly staring into the air; the elf priest was crouched beside him whispering something, and at the sound of the human knight and Succubus Lord¡¯s footsteps, he looked up and gently shook his head. ¡°Seems like you can¡¯t do it either...¡± Tijana, with her arms crossed, looked around somewhat helplessly, ¡°This is troublesome.¡± ¡°...I want to know...¡± Bruto raised his head, as if awakened by the voice of the Succubus Lord. His eyes were as black as a starless night, his voice harsher than anyone had heard before, ¡°...is there any other way?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± the Succubus Lord nodded, ¡°You two make your own journey to the Netherworld.¡± Chapter 724: 745 Responsibility Chapter 724: Chapter 745 Responsibility ¡°Netherworld?¡± Lancelot had not expected this answer, ¡°Is it the same Domain of the Vague we were just discussing?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tijana nodded as if it were obvious, ¡°Since tugging on the rope brought no response, we should head to the other end to see what the problem is.¡± ¡°But as far as I know, death is the only way to the Domain of the Vague,¡± Alamir said curiously to Tijana, ¡°We aren¡¯t considering suicide as a means to reach that plane, are we?¡± ¡°What? Of course not!¡± the Succubus Lord gave the Elf Priest a dismissive look. ¡°Aside from death, there are three ways to reach the Domain of the Vague: the gods periodically use Divine Power to directly send envoys to the City of Judgment to guide the faithful away; demons, due to a treaty with the God of the Dead, can also use portals in the Nine Hells to travel there, as they work to persuade souls with wavering faith to join the demons; and the last method, the one you will use, involves using a portal that appears randomly in the Bottomless Abyss. However, the master of the Domain of the Vague does not particularly welcome visitors who come by this method because demons always take the opportunity to steal souls to replenish their armies, which are continuously depleted by various wars.¡± ¡°Then what are we waiting for?¡± Bruto sprung up suddenly from where he was, ¡°Let¡¯s set off at once! My father¡¯s soul must have been stolen by some Demon Lord! If we delay, he will be turned into a pitiable Abyssal worm...¡± ¡°Heh, you underestimate the resilience of a soul,¡± Tijana let out a cold laugh, then her expression turned serious. ¡°Unless willingly transformed, turning a soul into a creature of the plane is an incredibly slow process, even for the most efficient banshees, and it takes years to turn a hapless soul into a worm.¡± ¡°So what you¡¯re suggesting is that this was a targeted attack, aimed at crippling the production capabilities of Twin Bridges Town?¡± Lancelot frowned and asked, ¡°Molo made some arrangements in advance that prevented their resurrection?¡± ¡°There are other possibilities, such as whether serving a Demon Lord subjected them to special attention from the King of the Dead, or if touching a certain magical item has caused them to carry a special curse,¡± the Succubus Lord looked at the Human Knight, ¡°These questions can only be clarified by going to the other end of the rope.¡± ¡°What exactly do we have to do?¡± Bruto¡¯s voice was urgent. ¡°We get to the Domain of the Vague, find my father¡¯s soul, and bring it back. Is that it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too hasty, Dwarf. I will have someone continuously cast a preservation spell on your father¡¯s body to ensure it remains in a state that can be resurrected at any time. And I promise you, if you can retrieve his soul, even if it has been soaked in the waters of the Stygian River for a year, I will use my most powerful spell to restore him to his original state,¡± Tijana said directly to Bruto, offering a calm promise. Then turning to Lancelot, ¡°Once you find Barrend¡¯s soul, you will have succeeded halfway. Just remove any restrictions that prevent him from being resurrected, and your task will be completely accomplished. Do not take a soul from the Domain of the Vague on your own as it is a great offense against the King of the Dead, unless you are certain you will never face his judgment.¡± ¡°Judgment?¡± Lancelot became interested in the word, ¡°Is it the ultimate judgment one faces after death as the legends say?¡± ¡°... Priest, you explain.¡± ¡°The ultimate judgment might be an exaggeration because some souls undergo many such judgments...in different identities,¡± Alamir explained, spreading his hands to the audience. ¡°Once souls arrive in the Domain of the Vague, the first thing is to wait, wait for the envoy of the god they believe in to guide them. If the envoy believes that a soul¡¯s faith is not devout enough, it turns to the King of the Dead for judgment. Depending on what the soul did in the living world, the verdict might be to erase all memories and reincarnate; if the sins are grave, they might be cast into Hell, where Demons will punish them; some souls are too deranged, even for Demons, and are thrown into the Abyss like trash; and then there are those...extremely rare, very uncommon nonbelievers, you know, who become some kind of building material...¡± ¡°Blah blah blah, whatever,¡± Bruto muttered impatiently, waving his arms. ¡°No matter why my dad can¡¯t be revived, he¡¯s probably suffering right now. Lady Tijana, my dear sister-in-law, how much longer must we wait before we set out?¡± ¡°I understand how you feel, Dwarf, please believe me,¡± the Succubus Lord responded sincerely. ¡°But you¡¯ve just fought an epic battle. Your bodies have not recovered, your gear is badly damaged and needs repair, and I need to find a useable Portal and prepare any magical items we might need. All of this takes time. I suggest you go now, hand over your equipment for repairs to Adrick, then head straight to Hagrid Manor. Fill your bellies with whatever you like, then hit the beds. Remember to drink a healing potion, and maybe take a hot bath if necessary. As soon as I have definite news, I will contact you immediately.¡± Bruto glared at Tijana with a look of anger, but the Succubus Lord stared back undeterred. The Dwarf stomped his foot heavily and, without a word, headed out. Alamir, after giving Lancelot a meaningful glance, silently followed the Dwarf, leaving only the Human Knight and the Succubus Lord in the room. Of course, there was also Barrend, but the old Dwarf was now just a corpse, and his soul was not lingering nearby, so that didn¡¯t count. ¡°Please don¡¯t mind,¡± Lancelot started softly, ¡°Bruto is in a terrible state right now.¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mind,¡± Tijana shook her head. ¡°Though I already guessed the answer, I still have to ask, you¡¯re going with him, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°If possible, I¡¯d obviously prefer to stay more with you,¡± Lancelot turned to look seriously at his lover. ¡°But Bruto is a very important friend of mine; I can¡¯t just sit by and let him venture into the Land of the Dead alone.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Tijana lowered her eyes, ¡°Actually, you¡¯re taking on the responsibility that should have been mine because ultimately, the responsibility is mine. But I can¡¯t leave, or it is likely that more tragedies like this will happen...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to say that, my lady,¡± Lancelot paused, ¡°but I¡¯m glad you think this way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± Tijana shook her head and turned to look at the quietly lying old Dwarf. ¡°If...if the same thing happened to me...¡± ¡°You know the answer, my lady,¡± Lancelot answered gently. ¡°I would accompany you anywhere in the Multiverse.¡± Chapter 725: 746 Set Sail Chapter 725: Chapter 746 Set Sail ¡°It¡¯s touching, but I hope such a thing never happens,¡± the Succubus Lord smiled, ¡°I still have some time, and it seems I owe you some answers to your questions.¡± ¡°I am indeed very curious,¡± Lancelot nodded in acknowledgment, ¡°but you owe me no answers, my lady.¡± ¡°Damn it, we¡¯re at this point, and you still have this attitude?¡± Tijana suddenly pushed Lancelot against the wall, then kissed him fiercely, ¡°Tell me, what were you thinking when Visuvius¡¯s figure emerged once again from the Volcano Fortress?¡± ¡°To be honest, mainly about what chances there might be to turn the tables,¡± Lancelot gazed into her eyes, ¡°For a very brief moment, an idea flashed through my mind like a shooting star, making me realize I might never see you again...¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s enough,¡± the Succubus Lord revealed a sincere smile, ¡°Let¡¯s change the place...¡± She waved her hand, summoning a portal on the wall they were leaning against, and Lancelot felt a void behind him, then stumbled into softness. ¡°My lady,¡± Lancelot swallowed hard, looking up at Tijana with her hands on his chest, ¡°didn¡¯t we say...¡± He couldn¡¯t continue, as the Succubus Lord pressed her lips against his again, sealing his naive mouth completely. The two embarked on the long-awaited boat and headed straight into a storm that mere mortals couldn¡¯t possibly imagine. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Lancelot sat on the bed, still dazed by what had just ended. The exhausted Tijana was asleep behind him, the bedsheet stained with bright red blood. The Succubus Lord started off with great vigor, but soon revealed unbelievable clumsiness, handing over the helm back to Lancelot... Having been intimate with a virgin succubus was strange enough, but his mysterious breakthrough to the high rank of Foundation Establishment Stage was even more bizarre. There were some passages in the bamboo slip that Lancelot had skipped before. He needed to read those parts carefully later, as they should explain this situation. However, what had happened had happened, things were as they were, and he indeed felt great, and it probably wouldn¡¯t have any bad effects on Tijana... He had never practiced those Cultivation Techniques that could. Lancelot suddenly realized that a sleeping Succubus Lord was not a good thing for Twin Bridges Town¡ªtoo many accidents might happen during this time. So he sat back by the bed, gently took Tijana¡¯s wrist, and channeled a stream of pure Spiritual Energy into her. In just a few breaths, the Succubus Lord jerked open her eyes. After a moment of initial confusion, her expression changed abruptly, and she sat up from her lying position to ask Lancelot in a low voice: ¡°How long has it been like this?¡± ¡°Not very long. If we start counting from leaving that cellar, it¡¯s been less than three hours...¡± Upon hearing this, Tijana tightly shut her eyes, seemingly sensing something silently, while Lancelot unconsciously averted his gaze, not daring to directly view the alluring scene, although he was now familiar with every inch of the Succubus Lord¡¯s skin. ¡°Good, good, nothing unexpected happened again,¡± Tijana¡¯s voice finally rose, ¡°How could this... affair... be so dangerous? It even made me lose consciousness? I should have been more careful... Wait, did you wake me for a reason...¡± Lancelot turned and saw the Succubus Lord had already conjured a full set of evening dress, watching him with a wary look... and suddenly with a battle-ready Nail-headed Hammer. This couldn¡¯t be blamed on the Human Knight because the Succubus Lord continuing naked might have been better, but once she dressed, it presented a completely different kind of stimulation and enticement. ¡°Uh...¡± Lancelot¡¯s face turned uncontrollably red, and he quickly bowed his head, hurriedly dressing himself in a fluster, which slightly eased the awkward atmosphere in the room. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to... no, what I mean is, I¡¯m not saying I don¡¯t want to...¡± Lancelot felt his tongue twist in his mouth, and he had to give up trying to make his words sound less crude, ¡°Yes, I would be very glad to do it again, anytime and anywhere, even now. Do you have other matters to attend to at this moment?¡± ¡°I did have, but not anymore. ...¡± the Succubus Lord started to unbutton her evening dress, ¡°If I pass out again, wake me up immediately with the method you just used, understand?¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Tijana.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Why are you a Holy Warrior?¡± ¡°Because of an oath I once made.¡± ¡°Is it that simple?¡± ¡°It is that simple. However, rather than an oath, it might be more accurate to call it a pact. After all, anyone can make an oath, and some people do it several times a day, but only those oaths that are powerful enough to resonate with a native magic power in the multiverse are useful. And it¡¯s only through the actions and will of keeping that pact that one can gain more power.¡± ¡°What kind of oath did you make?¡± ¡°An oath of revenge.¡± ¡°Revenge for what?¡± ¡°My parents. Don¡¯t ask me about their identities; I can¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°Understandable. Then who is the target of your revenge?¡± ¡°I still can¡¯t say. Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, but I guess your enemy must be very powerful.¡± ¡°Yes, but I won¡¯t give up. Never.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°Thank you, but there¡¯s no need. I don¡¯t need that kind of promise.¡± Tijana sat up once again, this time much more determinedly, ¡°I have to go.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°To find the portal to the Domain of the Vague, and while I¡¯m at it, write a strongly worded letter of protest to Mekanshut to see how she¡¯ll react.¡± As she spoke, her aura completely reverted to that of the Succubus Lord. ¡°Leave your armor here, I will have someone fix it later. You can continue to rest here, but if you wish to return to Hagrid Manor, simply go down the stairs to the bottom floor after leaving this room and you¡¯ll find the training ground where there is a portal.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lancelot tilted his head and kissed Tijana fiercely again, but this time the kiss held the meaning of farewell. When their lips parted, the Succubus Lord gave his shoulders a solid push, causing Lancelot to fall back onto the soft bed again, while she herself turned and disappeared outside the door. Lancelot did not move at first, merely staring blankly at the complex and mysterious patterns on the ceiling. Gradually, though, the corners of his mouth began to curve up, which he then forcefully pushed back down. ¡®Erm...¡¯ the voice of an elegant middle-aged male Elf echoed in his mind, ¡®Could you take me out and separate me from the Sword of Zariel? The atmosphere in here is kind of weird...¡¯ Chapter 726: 747: Familiar Companions Chapter 726: Chapter 747: Familiar Companions Lancelot did not allow himself to dwell on the wonderful experience he had just had for too long. After dressing neatly, he left the room and walked down the spiral staircase. As Tijana had mentioned, the end of the staircase led to a training ground where the two often sparred. At the moment, three Succubus Maids were clanging away with blunt swords. Though they all wore thick protective gear and still managed to look quite appealing, such a sight was only possible in Twin Bridges Town. Upon Lancelot¡¯s arrival, all three succubi stopped and bowed in greeting to him¡ªthey had always done this, but the Human Knight was quite sure their attitudes were slightly different today, and it was certainly not his imagination. Of course, he was not foolish enough to ask them why. As usual, Lancelot respectfully returned the ladies¡¯ greetings and then walked into a special resting room next to the training ground, which housed the portal leading to Hagrid Manor. One of the benefits of his promotion to the High Rank of the Foundation Establishment Stage was that he no longer needed to intentionally concentrate his True Yuan on his ears to hear clearly what the maids whispered after he had disappeared. ¡°Why did Sir Lancelot come out so quickly? Didn¡¯t they...¡± ¡°Impossible! Didn¡¯t you see how Lady Tijana just looked? She was as light on her feet as if she were stepping on cotton! Have any of you ever seen her with that expression before?¡± ¡°Sir Lancelot... he¡¯s really just a mortal, right?¡± ¡°I guess he¡¯s actually a saint of some deity... remember the sudden snow on the Shattered Mountain Range earlier? They say it was the effect of Olul¡¯s descent, but Lady Tijana chased it away on the spot, and Sir Lancelot was there too...¡± ¡°Damn, I wish I had a man like that...¡± ¡°Ha, haven¡¯t you always been bragging about your Husky lover, saying beastmen are the best males in the world...¡± Lancelot shook his head slightly, speechless, and silently thanked Han Tianzun once again for imparting the Spiritual Cultivation Techniques to him. If it weren¡¯t for becoming a Spiritual Cultivator, having a relationship with a succubus would certainly be a life-threatening affair, even if there was no malice involved. By pressing a sequence of stones on the wall in a special order, Lancelot summoned a blue and white portal. Through this wondrous Spatial Magic, simply by stepping forward, he found himself once again in the garden of Hagrid Manor. It was now deep into the night, a dim red moon hung high above Oasis Fort, and the flowers from Androlina in the courtyard were blooming wildly, proudly displaying their beauty to the viewers. Sadly, their beauty was so out of place in this bleak, barren, and malevolent plane that the master of the place had to use a large-scale Illusion Technique to hide them. The lights were still on on the first floor of the manor. Walking down the cobblestone path, Lancelot reached the front door and knocked on the door panel, then patiently waited in place. A familiar set of footsteps approached rapidly, and Lancelot had already recognized to whom they belonged, just as the person had evidently recognized his usual way of knocking. The door was flung open, and a petite figure immediately threw herself into Lancelot¡¯s arms. ¡°Brother Lancelot!¡± the vampire girl exclaimed joyfully, shaking his body, ¡°how come you took so long to come back! Brother Alamir and Uncle Bruto have been here for ages...¡± ¡°Ha, how many times have I said this, Bruto is also a big brother, you can¡¯t think he¡¯s old just because he has a beard.¡± Lancelot chuckled as he ruffled little Isha¡¯s bright blonde hair, marveling, ¡°Eh, what¡¯s this, you seem a bit darker...¡± ¡°Ah, I knew it.¡± The little girl¡¯s expression immediately fell, ¡°It¡¯s all Countess Ancesta¡¯s fault, she had me under the sun for so long, it felt like my skin was burning, so painful...¡± ¡°And you endured it all?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Little Isha jutted out her chin, ¡°Now I can move freely under the sun! Fighting isn¡¯t a problem either! I just can¡¯t use any vampire powers...¡± ¡°You really toughed it out.¡± Lancelot hugged the proud little vampire tightly, ¡°It¡¯s all because you wanted to go on adventures with everyone, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hehe, no reason to leave me behind now, right?¡± Little Isha tidied her disheveled hair, her expression turning serious, ¡°Lancelot, was your adventure this time not going smoothly? Everyone seems so somber, I initially thought something had happened to you, but thankfully Alamir told me you were with Tijana...¡± ¡°It seems they haven¡¯t told you yet.¡± Lancelot sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside first...¡± Upon entering the living room, Lancelot was greeted by Kalalin whom he hadn¡¯t seen in a while, the Scholar was eagerly discussing something with Alamir. Hearing Lancelot¡¯s entrance, both turned their heads and greeted him with mugs full of golden beer. ¡°Wow.¡± Alamir gave Lancelot a smile that the latter immediately understood, ¡°Looks like someone had quite a good time... Did you use what I taught you before? How did it work out?¡± ¡°Hmm... pretty good...¡± Lancelot grabbed an empty mug, flipped the switch at the bottom of the barrel on the coffee table, and filled it, ¡°Where¡¯s Bruto?¡± ¡°He locked himself in his room as soon as he came back. After I heated the bathwater and went to call him, I found he was already asleep.¡± The Elf Priest shook his head, ¡°Uncle Barrend¡¯s death hit him hard. If it weren¡¯t for Tijana giving him a glimmer of hope, he might have already broken down.¡± ¡°Uncle Barrend... died?¡± Little Isha exclaimed in surprise, ¡°How did he die? Can¡¯t he be revived with resurrection technique?¡± ¡°During the battle at the Volcano Fortress, I summoned Tijana for help; otherwise, we would have all been burned to ash. But at that time, the delegation from Oasis Fort in Twin Bridges Town launched an attack, causing great damage in the blacksmith area, and that¡¯s when Uncle Barrend was killed.¡± Lancelot took a sip of his beer, ¡°However, we resolved our battle quickly, and Tijana rushed back to Twin Bridges Town the first chance she got and executed all the attackers on the spot. But afterward, when they tried to resurrect the dead, some could not be revived. Not only Barrend, but several other deceased, all important Grand Craftsmen of Twin Bridges Town, had similar issues.¡± ¡°Then... what do we do? Alamir just said there¡¯s still a glimmer of hope?¡± ¡°Yes, we plan to personally go to the Netherworld to investigate what exactly is wrong with these souls. We¡¯re now waiting for your sister Tijana to find the portal to that plane.¡± Lancelot directed his gaze towards the Scholar, ¡°Speaking of which, what kind of deity is the King of the Dead? Being in charge of divine office of death, he must be a deity from an evil alignment, right...?¡± ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Kalalin decisively shook his head, ¡°The current King of the Dead has been deified for just over a hundred years, and when he was still a mortal, he was a sincere, passionate, and friendly human warrior...¡± Chapter 727: 748 Chapter 727: 748 (Pre-update changes) ¡°Kalalin, wait a moment...¡± Lancelot suddenly remembered something, reached into the Dimensional Bag, and took out the Starlight Strike and the Sword of Zariel, ¡°Let me introduce you to two new companions...¡± ¡°Ah! By the name of the Lord of the Dawn! There¡¯s a Vampire here!¡± As soon as she was taken out, the Sword of Zariel roared in her echoing female voice, ¡°Warriors of justice, quickly go and destroy the evil!¡± ¡°Destroy your own head,¡± Lancelot pressed the Starlight Strike on top of the Sword of Zariel, ¡°You explain it to her.¡± ¡°My dear colleague, mind your manners. Miss Isabella is a well-educated, sincere young lady who was transformed and enslaved by an ancient vampire during a malicious attack. Only after her original master was defeated, did she regain her freedom and become Sir Lancelot¡¯s companion,¡± the Starlight Strike began in his elegant tone, ¡°If you were a bit more patient, you would realize that there is no evil in this room. Also, not long ago, you were held in the hands of a Succubus Lord, and you didn¡¯t seem to have the spirit you have now...¡± ¡°The situation was different then, Miss Tijana had just trapped a Demon Lord, and her hands were filled with holy power...¡± The bluish blade of the Sword of Zariel flickered slightly and she paused for a moment, then spoke apologetically, ¡°It turns out that she really is of a good alignment... Miss Isabella, I owe you a sincere apology, it seems I was indeed mistaken...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, as long as the misunderstanding is resolved.¡± Little Isabella smiled somewhat forcedly, ¡°I¡¯ll go get you two chairs...¡± ¡°Observe, judge, and then act.¡± Once Little Isabella returned, Lancelot placed the two holy swords upright, as if they were two seated companions, ¡°Don¡¯t get the order wrong.¡± ¡°How do these swords talk?¡± Scholar was still somewhat unresponsive, ¡°Did they awaken suddenly during an adventure?¡± ¡°Starlight Strike was always a conscious sword, it just wanted to observe us first, so it was playing mute,¡± Lancelot glared at the beautiful dagger, ¡°As for the Sword of Zariel, her method is a bit simpler¡ªshe directly pulled us into a very important memory of hers, where there was a town attacked by Yenogu, to see how we would react.¡± ¡°What? Yenogu? Are you talking about the Lord of the 422nd level of the Abyss? Wait... Sword of Zariel? Could it be the sword borne by the current Archduke Zariel?¡± ¡°When I was separated from her, she was a beautiful Celestial servant,¡± the Sword of Zariel answered gloomily. Kalalin¡¯s expression seemed to be suffocating in a sea of information, while Little Isabella by his side looked completely clueless¡ªshe just thought it was impressive that swords could talk. As for the names mentioned by Lancelot and Kalalin, though they sounded somewhat familiar, the young girl really had no concept of them. ¡°Ah, well, let me start then.¡± Lancelot gulped down a big sip of beer, then heaved a satisfying sigh, ¡°Huh... where to begin? The road to Volcano Fortress started rather smoothly, but it wasn¡¯t long before we encountered a multitude of traps...¡± Lancelot spent about an hour describing their adventurous journey, with the Elf Priest occasionally providing additional details. Kalalin, Little Isabella, and the Sword of Zariel listened intently, while Starlight Strike requested a mug of barley wine after Lancelot finished his second¡ªsimply by being inserted into a mug filled with the brew, visibly absorbing the liquid into its blade. ¡°It tastes much better than the blood of Fiends, Giants, and Ogres,¡± the Holy Sword commented. Lancelot also explained Tijana¡¯s true profession¡ªthe Succubus Lord had agreed for him to share this with the other companions since Alamir, Bruto, and the Sword of Zariel were witnesses, and she apparently wasn¡¯t planning on killing anyone to keep it secret. However, Lancelot still asked his companions to swear to keep the secret, as after all, being a Holy Warrior in this realm wasn¡¯t exactly a reputable occupation. The Sword of Zariel fell almost completely silent, distinguishable from a decorative weapon only when directly addressed¡ªadmittedly, she was indeed very beautiful, even to an ornate extent. Had Lancelot not personally thrust this treasured sword into a Barlow Flame Demon, he wouldn¡¯t have believed it was such a powerful Holy Relic. That said, it wasn¡¯t hard to understand the Sword of Zariel¡¯s silence; sitting beside her, Lancelot could almost hear her worldview shattering. A Vampire with good alignment, a Holy Warrior who was a Demon Lord, and a group of mercenaries who seemed sane yet called the Abyss home. If the rumors about the current Archduke Aphnas were half true, since its creation, the Sword of Zariel had been wielded by an Angel dreaming of racial cleansing in the Abyss, and for her, probably the easier (and more tempting) option would be to kill every creature in the room. But her essence, after all, was that of a weapon aligned with good, and knowing it could wrongly harm the innocent, she naturally wouldn¡¯t act rashly. ¡°...in the end, it still came down to you to sort everything out,¡± said Kalalin, shaking his head after hearing Lancelot¡¯s story, ¡°If I had been there, I probably wouldn¡¯t have made it past the Self-destructive Explosion.¡± ¡°If you had been there, you would have definitely reminded us to watch out for the Barlow Flame Demon and their tricky moves,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°and in the end, it was still Tijana who had to clean up the mess. I couldn¡¯t think of any way to turn the tables afterward...¡± ¡°Different as it may be, you guys actually killed a Barlow Flame Demon, which is a remarkable achievement,¡± Kalalin remarked cheerfully, ¡°Even if you had died right there, the Lord of the Dead would approve of you with a nod.¡± ¡°Ah, how could that be possible?¡± Starlight Strike interjected with a puzzled tone, ¡°Yago isn¡¯t that kind of benevolent person...¡± ¡°Yago? Who¡¯s that?¡± the Sword of Zariel unexpectedly spoke up, ¡°Isn¡¯t the Lord of the Dead Milko?¡± ¡°Ha, this is getting interesting!¡± Kalalin excitedly rubbed his hands together, ¡°Esteemed Starlight Strike, what can you share with us about the ancient Grim Reaper, Yago?¡± ¡°Seems like the role of Grim Reaper has changed hands,¡± bubbles emerged from the bottom of the mug holding the Aira Celestials¡¯ holy relic, and the water level dropped by about half a finger, ¡°Yago, the Lord of the End of All Things, the Scribe of Doomsday. It¡¯s said he has a face that is a cross between a human and a praying mantis, with lifeless yellow eyes in his eye sockets, and his nose and ears almost indistinguishable from the rest of his skull. Most of his form is hidden behind a lightless cloak, revealing only the dry, mummy-like, tightly stretched grey skin. According to the legend, the Night Lady Shael once visited this King of the Dead and returned complaining that conversations with Yago were always monotonous, boring, and overly formal. Everyone knows that the Lord of the End of All Things is not evil, nor malevolent, just a quiet, indifferent mover, whose quill pen records the deaths of all things in complicated and incomprehensible text.¡± Chapter 728: 749: The Tale of the Three Death Gods Chapter 728: Chapter 749: The Tale of the Three Death Gods ¡°This is all I understand about the King of the Dead. I have indeed been abandoned in this plane for far too long, but I still find it hard to believe that Yago could be usurped, after all, he was one of the oldest, most powerful deities in the multiverse... Dear Sword of Zariel, did you just mention a name Milko?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± The voice of the former Celestial guardian sword sounded a bit detached as if her attention hadn¡¯t been on this place just now, ¡°The God of the Dead Milko, the God of Tyranny Bane, and the God of Murder Baal, they are collectively known as the Triad of Death. In my recollection, the Triad of Death has always been a synonym for evil, it was they who brought many calamities to the Prime Material Plane...¡± ¡°How did they usurp Yago?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, ¡°Wasn¡¯t Yago one of the most powerful deities in the multiverse?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? This must be the most widely circulated story in the kingdom...¡± The Sword of Zariel paused for a moment, ¡°It is said that the ancient Grim Reaper Yago grew tired of his job very early on because death is always the same, and He was all too familiar with this. In the end, nothing could pose a challenge to Him, and without challenges, there was no fun, but Yago¡¯s duty, to record the end of all things, was still far at the end of time. Two thousand years ago, before the famous Arcane Empire Netheril was destroyed, there were three powerful humans, namely Bane, Baal, and Milko, who coveted the power held by Yago. For this they made an evil pact, determined to take the power of the Master of the End of All Things at any cost...¡± ¡°Mortals contending with deities?¡± Lancelot became even more intrigued by the story, ¡°How did they accomplish that?¡± ¡°It was a chaotic, dark era, the art of magic had only just been mastered by mortals not long ago, and the Goddess of Magic had not yet realized the destruction this power could cause in mortal hands. Of course, She came to realize it firsthand, but that is another story. In essence, Bane, Baal, and Milko joined together to adventure through the world, seeking powerful magic and divine artifacts to defy death. At that time, the great arcanists of Netheril had constructed a colossal Floating City, which opened a portal to the Outer Layer planes. They planned to send out armies through the portal to conquer the Outer Layer...¡± ¡°Uh...¡± Lancelot scratched his head, ¡°That sounds like a terrible idea. The elves from the world I came from had also once opened a portal to the Abyssal Plane during the ancient times...¡± ¡°Fortunately, the portal did not lead to the Abyss, but the divine beings that came out were not something mortals could contend with.¡± The Sword of Zariel continued her ethereal female voice to narrate the history, ¡°The great arcanists of Netheril came up with another method, to summon the adversaries of these beings, the lords from the elemental planes to aid in the battle. This method was effective, and it took about a hundred years for the people of Netheril to successfully expel almost all of the Outer Layer creatures, except for one, the great spear Melaram, who fled to the northern edge of the continent, and established his own dominion.¡± ¡°Let me guess... the three men, yet to become deities, defeated this Melaram?¡± ¡°Yes, by then Bane, Baal, and Milko were already the strongest beings among mortals. After defeating Melaram, they all obtained a portion of divine power, now possessing the true power to challenge Yago. Eventually, the three reached the Grey Wastelands, the plane sandwiched between the Scorched Flame Hell and Castery, where Yago¡¯s skeletal city was situated. They repelled endless skeletons, zombies, liches, all the obstacles Yago threw in front of them, and finally stood before the ancient God of the Dead. ¡®The Throne of Evil is mine!¡¯ Bane, the tyrant, shouted; ¡®Before you can lift a finger, I can destroy you!¡¯ Baal, the assassin, threatened; ¡®And I will forever imprison your soul!¡¯ Milko, the necromancer, assured...¡± ¡°How ridiculous.¡± Starlight Strike spoke with a scoff, ¡°With just the flick of a finger, Yago could reduce these three foolish mortals to a pile of dry bones.¡± ¡°On the contrary.¡± Contradicting Starlight Strike seemed to please the Sword of Zariel greatly, ¡°The Master of the End of All rose from His skeletal throne, politely saying to the three: ¡®This chair is yours now, I have tired of this empty privilege. If you want it, then take it, I promise to serve you, as your steward and mentor, until you are fully accustomed to your new roles.¡¯ Before the three dumbfounded mortals could react, He continued to ask: ¡®So, who among you wants to take over this throne?''¡± ¡°Truly befitting the Lord of the End of All Things,¡± Lancelot remarked with emotion. ¡°With just a few simple words, he made those three engage in mutual slaughter...¡± ¡°Indeed, the three immediately began fighting each other, greatly amusing Yago who, before the end of the universe, wished to enjoy the spectacle a bit longer. So, when the trio were close to mutual destruction, Yago interceded, ¡®After making such great sacrifices, do you really want to walk away empty-handed? Why not split this right into three and decide its distribution through a small contest?''¡± ¡°The three mortals, yearning for godhood, considered it and then agreed. Yago then took out the skulls of his three mightiest liches, and had the men roll them across the pale deserts of the Grey Wastelands. Whoever rolled the farthest would be the champion. The Goddess of the Hunt, Mara, had been watching the whole time, hidden. When the game began, she charged out to chase down the skulls, preventing the contest from proceeding unless they agreed to let her join as well.¡± ¡°I guess those three greedy mortals weren¡¯t willing to share the power they were about to seize,¡± Lancelot speculated with interest. ¡°Yes, and because the contest was ruined, Bane, Baal, and Milko started fighting once more, prompting Yago to step in to mediate again,¡± Sword of Zariel continued disdainfully, ¡°¡®Let the Goddess of Luck decide then, that way you won¡¯t have to share with that beast.¡¯ The three agreed once more, and Yago broke off one of his finger bones for them to draw lots, deciding victory with that method.¡± ¡°Bane drew the longest and triumphantly shouted, ¡®As the winner, I choose to become the ultimate tyrant with eternal dominion! I can create hatred and strife at will, and all shall eventually submit to my kingdom!''¡± ¡°Foolish,¡± Starlight Strike assessed. ¡°Mortals signify free will, and no deity, however powerful, can force all mortals to submit to them, something that the creators of each race have desired but failed to achieve.¡± ¡°Clearly, those three lacked such wisdom,¡± Sword of Zariel politely concurred with its senior, ¡°Then Milko, coming in second, declared: ¡®I choose to become the King of the Dead, and that makes me the true winner. Since all must die, even the deities, when you breathe your last, Bane, you shall belong to me!''¡± ¡°Still foolish,¡± Starlight Strike criticized again, ¡°No limitations prevent a deity from living till the end of the multiverse, and until then, the master of the dead can do nothing...¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity you weren¡¯t there beside them,¡± Sword of Zariel responded with a note of irony, ¡°And Baal, having drawn the shortest, said: ¡®I choose to wield death itself. Bane, I can destroy everything you possess and deliver it into Milko¡¯s hands; and Milko, without my permission, your kingdom will be empty, thus both of you must respect and obey me!¡¯ At that moment, Mara returned, and the three new deities had already emerged. She howled in dissatisfaction, but could do nothing, while a smile finally appeared on the expressionless face of Yago, for he knew, he had finally been liberated from tedium and boredom.¡± ¡°That one was a bit clever,¡± Starlight Strike finished off the ale in his cup, ¡°but I suspect Yago merely gave him the divine office of ¡®murder.¡¯ The divine office of death is far too significant, even fundamental to the existence of divine power. Even if Yago wanted to give it, the deities would never agree...¡± Chapter 729: 750 Soul and Divine Power Chapter 729: Chapter 750 Soul and Divine Power ¡°What¡¯s so special about death?¡± Lancelot immediately inquired, ¡°I thought the core of Divine Power was faith?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, faith is correct,¡± Starlight Strike responded with a profound tone, ¡°but do you understand how exactly faith is transformed into Divine Power? Here¡¯s a hint for you, only the faith of mortals is useful to deities, creatures from other planes may serve the gods, but their faith doesn¡¯t really mean much to the gods.¡± ¡°Because... souls?¡± Lancelot¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°Tijana just introduced to me earlier that only mortals possess the duality of soul and body...¡± ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s the soul. Ah, this ale is simply wonderful, could you fill me up again?¡± ¡°...Are you sure? This is already your sixth cup tonight.¡± ¡°No problem, I am just a sword after all, I can¡¯t get drunk...¡± ¡°Alright... let¡¯s continue our earlier discussion. Faith is indeed a matter of the soul, unrelated to the body, but is it just because one conceptually agrees with a certain god that this god¡¯s power becomes stronger?¡± ¡°Of course not. You should all know that gods take the souls of their devout followers to their Divine Kingdom after they die, right?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°It¡¯s said those followers become supplicants, enjoying bliss in the Divine Kingdom... but only the most devout are afforded this honor.¡± ¡°Depends on how you see it, because only when one is devout enough to a particular god, genuinely believing in the ideals they stand for, will that mortal¡¯s soul find the Divine Kingdom to be a pleasing place.¡± Alamir interjected, ¡°For example, the Goddess of Torture, Lovieta, believes that pain is the most comprehensive trial, that it can strengthen mental resilience, and those who endure torment receive true joy. Her Divine Kingdom resembles a dark dungeon, filled with torture devices equipped with iron hooks, thorns, spikes, branding irons, and a plethora of other varieties, most of which are self-service. If someone harbors even a sliver of doubt about Lovieta¡¯s teachings, in other words, if their mind isn¡¯t broken, they would obviously find the place dreadful, but for followers of the Goddess of Torture, that¡¯s their heaven, they can¡¯t wait to shout Lovieta¡¯s name every moment and whip themselves...¡± ¡°Do followers actually exist for such a goddess?¡± Lancelot¡¯s expression was as if he had just learned that someone enjoyed eating cockroaches. ¡°Of course,¡± the Elf Priest chuckled and shook his head, ¡°never underestimate the... free will of mortals.¡± ¡°Exactly, which is why there are so many deities,¡± the former sword of King Consort Aira continued, ¡°And as for the supplicants in the Divine Kingdom, I¡¯m sure you know, they will eventually become one with their god, which is indeed the origin of the name ¡®supplicant¡¯...¡± ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, the true source of Divine Power is actually through the fusion of souls?¡± Lancelot¡¯s expression changed abruptly, ¡°That sounds... somewhat...¡± ¡°Unsettling? Horrifying?¡± Starlight Strike flickered several times, lowering the water level in the cup by a noticeable amount, ¡°You¡¯ve got it backwards, actually. It was the fusion of souls with common tendencies that gave birth to the earliest gods of faith. As for those natural gods, like the Goddess of Magic Mistui, Goddess of Night Shael, Goddess of the Moon Suren, and the Lord of All Things¡¯ End, Yago, their birth had nothing to do with the faith of mortals...¡± ¡°But they also have worshippers, don¡¯t they?¡± Kalalin asked curiously, ¡°And Serenne, also known as Suren, has seen a gradual decline in strength over the past few centuries due to the dwindling number of faithful followers. Now she isn¡¯t even considered a strong Divine Power anymore...¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Starlight Strike asked skeptically, ¡°How do mortals know the power level of a god?¡± ¡°Through the... power they demonstrate in the Mortal Realm?¡± ¡°By that standard, the Father God of the Giants, Anum, must be on the verge of extinction, right? Mortals¡¯ estimates of a deity¡¯s power are mostly inaccurate; there¡¯s no doubt about that. Unless you¡¯re also a being of Divine Power, don¡¯t make random assumptions that one god is weaker than another. It¡¯s neither logical nor necessary. However, your first question does have an answer: Although the natural gods did not originate from faith, they have no fundamental difference from the gods of faith: they too can enhance their power through the fusion of souls. Honestly, that method is extremely effective. Hence, the natural gods also began to work miracles among mortals, calling upon individuals pleasing to them to become their priests and thereby spread their faith. This has led to some interesting phenomena, such as the natural gods becoming increasingly ¡®humane.¡¯ Remember Olul? As the God of Winter, he even had a daughter with the brute Solheim. I was truly shocked when I first heard the news... but that¡¯s just one of the impacts of fusing with the souls of mortal believers.¡± ¡°Now that you explain it that way, I think I understand,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Gods only accept the most devoted believers into their Divine Kingdoms because only fusing with those ¡®pure¡¯ souls that are right for them won¡¯t significantly impact their characters?¡± ¡°Exactly, forcefully fusing with souls that are too different from oneself could lead to severe consequences. There have been gods in history who have tried it¡ªthe result was that they had to split themselves in two just to barely preserve their sense of self. Back to the original topic: death, what exactly is its role in this system?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯ve had a bit too much to drink,¡± the Sword of Zariel said uneasily, ¡°All this stuff you¡¯re talking about tonight is verging on blasphemy...¡± ¡°First, I¡¯m stating facts. Which god did I blaspheme? The god of lies? Hmm, it¡¯s empty again... Ah, thank you, Sir. Second, I don¡¯t see any evil in it. Most gods don¡¯t intentionally ¡®harvest¡¯ souls¡ªthat¡¯s what Fiends do. They¡¯re simply trying to influence a soul¡¯s actions and beliefs during their mortal life. Indeed, some are good and some are bad, but don¡¯t mortals have the freedom to choose?¡± ¡°But do they truly understand the consequences of making the wrong choice?¡± ¡°Ah... here we go again.¡± Starlight Strike sounded somewhat cynical, and indeed he seemed a bit drunk, ¡°I¡¯ve heard such debates so often in my day that my ears could grow calluses. Gods of the order camp think they should directly eliminate the wrong options for mortals, while the gods of the chaos camp believe in teaching mortals how to make the right choices; both sides can come up with arguments to refute the other. One points to the sinners screaming in Hell, the other insists that free will is the most precious thing in a soul. From what I¡¯ve understood so far, hundreds of centuries have passed, and this debate has yet to be resolved. And I¡¯d bet that hundreds of centuries from now, when mortals are about to go extinct, there still won¡¯t be any conclusion.¡± (Note, the majority of the content in this chapter is the author¡¯s own creation and differs from the official setup. It does not apply outside of this book.) Chapter 730: 751: The Year of Turmoil Chapter 730: Chapter 751: The Year of Turmoil The Sword of Zariel fell into silence, making it obvious that, though her strength was immense, she was far less eloquent than her ancient kin. Moreover, Zariel was an Angel, serving the Lord of the Dawn, Losanda; whereas Aira was one of the three great Celestials, along with Bartez and Tanari, creatures of different planes. Though aligned with good, they were not existences of Divine Power. ¡°Based on what I just heard, death actually plays two roles,¡± Lancelot began, bringing the conversation back on track, ¡°First, death separates the souls of mortals from their bodies, much like ripe fruit falling from a tree, with the deities waiting beneath to collect it; second, it is precisely because of the presence of death that mortals know their time on earth is finite, driving them to live actively. Hence, when they depart from this world, their souls possess certain qualities, becoming the fruits that deities can ¡®consume¡¯...¡± ¡°Using food as an analogy is not quite fitting, because the relationship between the souls of mortal believers and Divine Power is one of integration, not consumption,¡± Starlight Strike patiently corrected, ¡°But, generally speaking, you¡¯re correct. That is the gist of it. So you understand why I say death is that important, right? Yago would definitely not give up the divine office of death. He might hand over divine offices related to death, like murder, disease, and Undead, but death itself will not be moved, and indeed, that is the case¡ªthe rules of death haven¡¯t changed at all from before I was buried underground, have they?¡± ¡°You got it right,¡± Kalalin said with sincere admiration, ¡°Baal¡¯s title is ¡®God of Murder,¡¯ which is obviously different from death itself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying,¡± Starlight Strike declared with pride, ¡°Yago couldn¡¯t possibly give up the divine office of death...¡± ¡°However, the current Lord of the Dead, Cranvo, also holds the divine office of death,¡± Kalalin said with a smile, ¡°Surely there must be some hidden story there?¡± ¡°What?!¡± Exclaimed the Priest indulged in the Holy Relic of Aira, as a large stream of bubbles emerged from his beer mug. It took him a while to continue, ¡°This Cranvo... how did He come into power?¡± ¡°About a century ago, a major event took place that affected the entire Multiverse...¡± Kalalin turned to look at Alamir, ¡°You must have been born when the Year of Upheavals arrived, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Alamir nodded affirmatively, ¡°But I had just come of age not long before then and was studying for my doctorate in art appraisal and art history at Silvermoon University, so I do not know much about the specifics...¡± ¡°Let me do the introduction then. As the event is not too distant in the past, there¡¯s plenty of firsthand information available...¡± The Scholar took up his own mug and sipped modestly, ¡°This story also involves the three deities of death: Bane, Baal, and Milko, although initially, mortals had no idea what had happened. It was the Year of Shadows, on the fifteenth day of the Month of Flowers, when people were shocked to see countless dazzling meteors falling from the sky. Their brightness was so intense that even the sun seemed to dim. What followed was something that terrified the Priests: the gods fell into silence, no longer responding to the prayers of their followers, nor granting any Divine Arts to the Priests; Arcane magic became dangerous and unpredictable, a simple Fireball Technique could summon a Barlow Flame Demon, and a cold ray might turn the target into a fearsome Undead; finally, a group of individuals of unbelievable strength appeared in the world, and devastating conflicts erupted between them. Believers soon recognized these individuals¡¯ true identities¡ªthey were their own worshipped deities, who had descended upon the mortal world...¡± ¡°This sounds too strange to believe,¡± Starlight Strike said incredulously, ¡°What caused all this? It¡¯s not like the beings of Divine Power had agreed to have a massive free-for-all in the material plane, right?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Scholar shook his head, ¡°Do you know the Supreme Deity Ao?¡± ¡°The Lord of Concealment?¡± Starlight Strike asked in surprise, ¡°Of course I know him, the master of all gods, but how do you know His name? He governs the deities¡¯ divine offices and never reveals Himself before mortals...¡± ¡°Indeed, if it weren¡¯t for the Year of Upheaval¡ªthis is what people later called the event¡ªmortals would not have known of Ao¡¯s existence,¡± Kalalin took another sip of his ale, moistening his parched throat, ¡°The Supreme Deity has a Holy Relic known as the Tablets of Fate. It is said that each tablet corresponds to a world within the material plane, recording the worshipped deities and their divine offices within that world. Milkou and Bane coveted Ao¡¯s Divine Power, believing that part of His strength stemmed from these tablets, so they stole two of them.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Starlight Strike seemed truly astonished, ¡°That¡¯s just... ogre-level stupid. The main purpose of the Tablets of Fate is for Ao to keep records, the old fella is a bit forgetful...¡± ¡°Er... I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear what you just said,¡± Kalalin said with a nervous smile, ¡°In any case, Ao was indeed very angry. He summoned all the deities before Him and demanded that the ones who stole the Tablets of Fate step forward immediately, right now. Of course, He received no response. This made the Supreme Deity even more infuriated. He loudly rebuked the gods for only thinking about fighting each other and enhancing their own power, while hardly caring for the mortals who worshipped them. With a sweep of his hand, He cast all the deities down to the world of mortals to stay with their followers, forbidding them to return unless the Tablets of Fate were recovered. Ao also severed the gods¡¯ connections to their Divine Kingdoms. That is to say, He reduced their powers to the level of saints... just like Olul, whom you defeated last time in the Shattered Mountain Range.¡± ¡°Ao¡¯s power is so immense?¡± Lancelot put down his cup, shocked, ¡°Even all the gods together cannot stand against Him?¡± ¡°Because Ao¡¯s divine office is to be God,¡± Starlight Strike replied from the side, ¡°All beings of Divine Power are under His dominion; there¡¯s no possibility of opposition...¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why He never heeds the prayers of mortals,¡± Kalalin said gently shaking his head, ¡°Deprived of Divine Power, the gods were no longer immortal, but they still practiced their doctrines. The God of Tyranny, Bane, hid one of the Tablets of Fate in Tanteris Port, while Tom, the god of courage and sacrifice, also descended upon that city. Bane sought to establish a brutal rule within the city but was immediately met with resistance from Tom, leading to an epic battle between them. Bane, better prepared, initially had the upper hand, but after absorbing the souls of a thousand willing sacrifices, Tom succeeded in killing Bane, only to be obliterated himself by Bane¡¯s last Breath of Death. However, later Tom was resurrected by Ao, for he died fulfilling his duties, and the Supreme Deity was very pleased with this.¡± (Once again, it should be noted that the Supreme Deity Ao in the official setting only applies to the gods of Toril; the setting in this book has been modified by the author.) Chapter 731: 752 Chapter 731: 752 ¡°The battle between Tom and Bane released energy that destroyed most of Tanteris Port, and also created a vast Dead Magic Zone¡ªwhere all magic would completely fail. The Anti-Magic Stones we found on those shapeshifters were produced in such a fall of gods. At that time, there happened to be a team of Adventurers right at the scene...¡± ¡°Let me guess, Cranvo was among them?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Kalalin nodded to Lancelot, ¡°But the future Lord of the Dead didn¡¯t gain any advantage from it. There were several key players in this team, besides the warrior Cranvo, there was the mage Midnight, the thief Shrek, and the priest Anton.¡± ¡°Sounds a lot like our group, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Lancelot sighed inadvertently, ¡°That Anton... whose priest was he?¡± ¡°At the time, he was... a priest of Shuni.¡± Kalalin looked apologetically at Alamir beside him, ¡°At least that¡¯s what I heard.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a secret in the kingdom.¡± The Elf Priest shook his head slightly, ¡°A regrettable misunderstanding. I want to emphasize that the Goddess of Love never abandoned her excellent priest, nor did she ever avenge Anton¡¯s betrayal. You continue, I will explain this matter later.¡± ¡°I have no doubt about it.¡± Kalalin immediately agreed, ¡°After all, it was a special era, when deities could not respond to their followers, the more favored followers were all the more likely to waver in their faith due to the loss of divine guidance. Incidentally, Cranvo and Midnight, who later became the Goddess of Magic, were a couple of close lovers at the time...¡± ¡°The later Goddess of Magic?¡± Starlight Strike exclaimed in surprise, ¡°One of the strongest deities in the Multiverse, the Goddess of Magic Mistui, was replaced too?¡± ¡°Old timer, you¡¯re out of the loop. The Goddess of Magic was replaced over two thousand years ago,¡± Sword of Zariel said solemnly, ¡°A great arcanist from Netheril, I think his name was Cassas, cast the only Twelfth Circle spell in history, attempting to steal the divine office of the Goddess of Magic...¡± ¡°That¡¯s the most foolish, craziest spell I¡¯ve ever heard of,¡± Starlight Strike¡¯s voice sounded startled, ¡°He actually tried to bear the burden of the Magic Net with his mortal body... I guess he exploded on the spot?¡± ¡°Yes, and Mistui was soon reborn in the body of a farmer¡¯s daughter. However, during the time from Her fall to Her resurrection, the Magic Net briefly stopped working, and all spells based on the Magic Net failed. The grand Floating Cities of the Netheril Empire fell to the earth as they lost power, and although the Goddess of Magic revived and rushed to help, she only managed to save three Floating Cities from their fate of destruction. This event marked the birth of the second Goddess of Magic, whose alignment shifted to Lawful, and she forbade the casting of any spells above the Tenth Circle through the Magic Net...¡± ¡°Humans.¡± Starlight Strike sighed, ¡°Compared to your all-too-brief lifespans, your ability to create trouble doesn¡¯t fall short of the Elves...¡± ¡°Our race has matured a lot.¡± Alamir protested with not much confidence, ¡°And if we¡¯re really talking about it, the Aira are the progenitors of the Elves...¡± ¡°Yes, so I am very aware of what you did to our kindred who remained in the Prime Material Plane. However, tonight¡¯s topic isn¡¯t us, dear Kalalin, tell me quickly, how did the Goddess of Magic die this time?¡± ¡°Unable to ¡®tidy¡¯ the Magic Net because she left her Divine Kingdom, the magic in the Material Plane became dangerous and unpredictable. Worried that the erratic magical energy would cause another tragedy like Netheril¡¯s, Misla, the name of the Goddess of Magic at that time, ascended the Heavens¡¯ Staircase, attempting to reach the Stellar Realm and return to her divine kingdom to manage the chaotic Magic Net...¡± ¡°Heavens¡¯ Staircase?¡± Lancelot immediately caught onto a new term, ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°A creation of the Goddess of the Moon, Serenne, with many entrances and exits, used by the gods to travel between the various Outer Layers and the Mortal Realm. Normally, mortals from the Prime Material Plane cannot see the staircase, but during the years of turmoil, a conspicuous entrance appeared on a mountain peak outside Deepwater City, seemingly waiting for someone to pass through, and it was on the night of Midsummer Festival, thirty-five days after the gods fell from the Heavens, that the Goddess of Magic ascended those steps...¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it said that no one can return unless they gather all the tablets? Didn¡¯t the Supreme Deity set some obstacle on the staircase?¡± Lancelot asked curiously. ¡°Yes. Ao sent Heim, the Guardian God, to stay at the Heavens¡¯ Staircase. Heim was allowed to retain all His divine power by Ao and was tasked to prevent any deity from passing through the staircase and returning to the Heavens, unless they brought the Tablet of Fate, and Heim loyally carried out His duties. Misla argued with Heim, claiming she had no reason to be connected to the theft of the Tablet of Fate, and she wanted to explain to the Supreme Deity personally, but Heim was unmoved. In anger, Misla attacked Heim, trying to make Him step aside, and Heim was forced to strike back...¡± ¡°And then killed the mighty Goddess of Magic, second in power only to Ao?¡± Starlight Strike asked incredulously, ¡°Heim... He actually took action?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kalalin nodded solemnly, ¡°At that time the Goddess of Magic was just a Saint, but Heim wielded all His power as a deity. With just one punch, the Goddess of Magic exploded, her essence scattering over the land, leaving no remains...¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what happened...¡± Starlight Strike remarked, ¡°The office of the Goddess of Magic truly is a dangerous one. What happened next? Was magic inoperative again in the Net...¡± ¡°It was different this time because the essence of the Goddess of Magic merged with the earth after her demise. Magic still functioned in some areas, and some specific spellcasters seemed to be completely unaffected.¡± Kalalin went on to say, ¡°One of them was the female mage Midnight from that adventuring party, as an elect of the Goddess of Magic, she had a part of the Goddess¡¯s essence in her, although at that time she herself was unaware of it. After obtaining the Tablet of Fate in Tanteris Port, the group planned to head for Deepwater City, ascend the Heavens¡¯ Staircase, and return the tablet to Ao...¡± ¡°I bet Baal and Milko have already set their sights on these people,¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, ¡°even without divine power, as Saints, Their strength is not something a group of mortal adventurers can contend with...¡± ¡°Under normal circumstances, that¡¯s true, but after obtaining the Tablet of Fate, more than one god set their eyes on this group of adventurers. The party¡¯s thief, Xirei, killed a mad Halfling serial killer en route, and took from him a fine longsword...¡± ¡°I¡¯d bet Bruto¡¯s beard that sword definitely has a problem,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°Most likely it even talks.¡± Chapter 732: 753: Year of Turmoil - Part 2 Chapter 732: Chapter 753: Year of Turmoil ¨C Part 2 (To update later; work is expected to continue for half an hour) ¡°That¡¯s really quite a gamble,¡± Kalalin said with a light laugh, shaking his head at Lancelot, ¡°but Bruto¡¯s beard is safe, for that sword is not just a powerful magic weapon; it is also the transformed God of Thieves, Mask, although Shrek himself doesn¡¯t know this.¡± ¡°Transformed by a god?¡± Lancelot looked at the Starlight Strike with a curious expression, ¡°Why would a god do such a thing?¡± ¡°I really am just a sword,¡± Starlight Strike, sensing Lancelot¡¯s gaze, immediately protested loudly, ¡°otherwise, why would I have been buried underground for so many years...¡± ¡°The death of the Goddess of Magic shocked all the gods, making them realize how vulnerable they and their kind were during this period,¡± continued Kalalin. ¡°Naturally, some gods wanted to quickly find the Tablets of Fate to end it all, while others thought about how to benefit from the crisis, and Mask was clearly among the latter.¡± ¡°And He saw something appealing in Shrek?¡± ¡°Indeed. According to the true teachings of Shrek, this future Prince of Lies was initially just a minor thief in the streets of Santiel Fortress, once captured by a powerful Frost Giant Tribe while trying to steal a certain treasure, and was saved by a group of mercenaries who were also seeking that treasure. Cranvo was also among those mercenaries, and the battle with the Frost Giants killed all of Cranvo¡¯s companions. The two later went to Arabel city, where they met Anton, and on their journey, they encountered the Mage Midnight. It is said that after witnessing Heim punch Misla to pieces, Shrek¡¯s heart was filled with envy and craving for such power, and upon learning about the mission concerning the Tablets of Fate, he was very eager to help, precisely to seize the moment to claim the Tablets of Fate for himself, and the God of Thieves, Mask, clearly saw the ambition in him.¡± ¡°Human ambition,¡± sighed Starlight Strike again, ¡°either creates miracles or disasters...¡± ¡°With such a weapon, many impossible things become possible,¡± Lancelot said, looking back at the Sword of Zariel, ¡°Without your assistance, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to kill a Barlow Flame Demon...¡± ¡°No, Sir, what really matters is the courage to swing the sword at the Barlow Flame Demon,¡± humbly responded the Sword of Zariel, ¡°If the wielder is a coward, no matter how powerful the weapon, it won¡¯t be able to exert any influence.¡± ¡°Okay, you two have complimented each other enough,¡± Kalalin chuckled as he interrupted them. ¡°At Tanteris Port, Shrek absorbed a part of Bane¡¯s power, and later on the way to Deepwater City, Baal launched an attack on this group of adventurers under Milko¡¯s orders, and Shrek killed the god of murder, Baal, with a stab in the back, absorbing most of Baal¡¯s power once again. If not for the weapon transformed by Mask, none of this would have been possible, and Shrek himself was completely unaware of it. He proudly named it the Deicide Sword, to boast of his achievements, but Mask had long been plotting how to betray him...¡± ¡°That¡¯s why evil never truly succeeds,¡± Starlight Strike commented. ¡°They are always scheming against each other, even when they temporarily cooperate, they still plan each other¡¯s betrayals in secret...¡± ¡°What about Zariel?¡± Lancelot asked thoughtfully. ¡°It seems she accepted Asmodeus¡¯s dark blessing out of an overly intense desire¡ªto completely eradicate demons from the multiverse. Under her command, devils launched an unprecedented attack on the Bottomless Abyss, a feat that no Archduke Aphnas had ever achieved before...¡± ¡°On the surface, it appears so, but all the glory and achievements are attributed to Zariel, while the cost is borne by the other seven great demons, except for the Lord of Darkness,¡± Kalalin waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Aphnas has long lost any production capability, it was the other great demons who deployed armies, provided supplies, and also had to care for those who suffered from PTSD due to the blood wars. Even to outsiders like us, the political situation in the Nine Hells is quite delicate, though the Great Demons still squabbled as usual; it all seemed like an act, but whom it¡¯s intended to impress is hard to say...¡± ¡°Zariel was once my partner, and my best friend,¡± the Sword of Zariel said in a somber voice. ¡°If there¡¯s even a sliver of hope, I want to secure her redemption...¡± ¡°I can promise you that,¡± Lancelot said softly but firmly. ¡°If there is indeed such an opportunity, I will definitely help you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sir, I believe in your promise,¡± the Sword of Zariel flickered. ¡°Please continue, Mr. Kalalin, what happened next?¡± ¡°Even though Baal failed, Milko continued to dispatch undead to hunt down the group, and Shrek took the opportunity to betray his own partners, attempting to steal the Tablet of Fate¡ªbut he failed, and the Tablet of Fate fell into Milko¡¯s hands. However, Midnight entered the Domain of the Vague and stole another piece of the Tablet of Fate from Milko¡¯s hiding place beneath the Lord of the Dead¡¯s throne. The final battle unfolded at the Black Rod Tower in Deepwater City, fought by Cranvo, Midnight, and Ilminster, another elect of the Goddess of Magic, confronting the Lord of the Dead himself at the top of the tower. Milko managed to silence the sounds around Ilminster, depriving the old Mage of his ability to cast spells, and transformed Cranvo¡¯s own sword into a giant serpent that tightly coiled around the warrior. Midnight fired a series of spell darts at the Lord of the Dead, but all were resisted by him...¡± ¡°He is a saint, after all,¡± Starlight Strike commented. ¡°Such low-level tricks are useless against Him.¡± ¡°Exactly. Milko laughed heartily at Midnight¡¯s futile attempts. He threatened Midnight with Cranvo¡¯s life, demanding she hand over the other piece of the Tablet of Fate, or he would kill her lover. Knowing the Lord of the Dead would never honor the deal, Midnight pretended to submit, but used the opportunity to unleash an extremely powerful Ninth Circle spell: Time Stop, which turned the tide of the battle. As Milko attempted to counter the spell, Ilminster charged at him, but did not launch an attack, briefly confusing the Lord of the Dead. However, the old mage¡¯s real intention was to render him unable to hear¡ªjust then, a Griffon rider circling the sky spotted the battle and dove at Milko. Milko was completely unprepared for this attack; he was seized by the Griffon and carried into the sky, and the bag containing the other piece of the Tablet of Fate was snatched back by Cranvo. The brave Griffon rider was almost immediately killed by Milko, but right after, another Disintegration Spell from Midnight hit, and simultaneously, Ilminster summoned a portal that sent the struck Milko miles away above the Sea of Swords...¡± Chapter 733: 754 Ao Appears Chapter 733: Chapter 754 Ao Appears (First update, then revise) ¡°What?¡± Lancelot and the two talking Treasured Swords exclaimed, ¡°Cranvo was killed? What happened afterward?¡± ¡°A while later, another Griffon Knight landed on the top of the Black Rod Tower, bringing healing potions for the injured Midnight and flew her to a mountain outside Deepwater City, trying to intercept Shrek. They did catch up with the thief, but Midnight had already lost the magic within her, missing the best chance to kill Shrek, allowing him to escape to the stairs of the Heavens while Heim blocked Midnight¡¯s next attempt.¡± ¡°Protector and Guardian God...¡± Lancelot sighed, ¡°What a pity, His divine office doesn¡¯t include judgement.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what Heim responded when Midnight questioned him,¡± Kalalin took another big sip of his drink, his face flushed with excitement, ¡°The events that followed are detailedly recorded in every library of the kingdom. Shrek said to Heim, ¡®I have retrieved the Tablets of Fate!¡¯ Heim took the tablets and replied, ¡®I know who retrieved these tablets, and so does Lord Ao.¡¯ Midnight then cried out, ¡®No! He is a liar! Shrek stole the tablets from us and killed a good man for them!¡¯ Heim coldly replied, ¡®As I just said, I know who has reclaimed these tablets.¡¯ Midnight weakly questioned, ¡®If you know everything, why did you accept his tablets?¡¯ Just then, Ao appeared...¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Lancelot was startled, ¡°The Supreme Deity Himself showed up? Right before the gaze of countless mortals? What does He look like?¡± ¡°Neither ugly nor handsome, aged somewhere between twenty and a hundred and twenty, with hair and beard as white as marble,¡± Starlight Strike interjected, ¡°His height varies depending on the situation, usually about two feet taller than the tallest person present.¡± ¡°Uh...¡± Lancelot gave Starlight Strike a strange look, ¡°It feels like you¡¯ve seen Him before?¡± ¡°The Aira are among the earliest intelligent beings born in the Multiverse, long before mortals even existed, and managing the universe wasn¡¯t much of a hard job. Ao often visited the Royal Court of Stars, where the Queen would greet this honored guest with her finest wines...¡± Starlight Strike gently twinkled, ¡°but after mortals appeared, we rarely saw Him, and later we heard He created gods to help Him manage the universe, but it seems He didn¡¯t get much relief. Ah, that robe was a gift from the entire Aira Celestial tribe!¡± ¡°What kind of robe is that?¡± Lancelot curiously continued, ¡°Is it immune to all physical and magic damage?¡± ¡°...Nice joke, haha,¡± the Holy Relic of the Aira Celestials dryly responded, ¡°Scholar, since you mentioned the Supreme Deity¡¯s appearance is detailedly recorded, then these records must have descriptions of His attire, right?¡± ¡°Of course. According to the records, the Supreme Deity wore a remarkable robe, outstanding enough to make him stand out in any court of mortals or deities. The robe hung like ordinary cloth, here creased, there wrinkled, but when you looked directly at it, you felt as though you were gazing into the sky. Its black was as deep as oblivion, the stars upon it arranged in a subtle pattern, bestowing upon the robe a magnificent and harmonious beauty...¡± ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Lancelot turned his head to stare at the Starlight Strike, ¡°Why do I feel...¡± ¡°Stop right there, it¡¯s the same material,¡± said the Starlight Strike with a somewhat proud tone, ¡°But if you think holding me can kill the great Supreme Deity, then you¡¯re as foolish as Milko thinking that stealing the Destiny Tablets would make him the new Supreme Deity. Ao wore that robe simply because it indeed looked good and greatly fitted His status, and it absolutely wouldn¡¯t cause a fashion clash.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you so much, you¡¯ve effectively dispelled a foolish thought I never had,¡± Lancelot rolled his eyes dramatically, ¡°Kalalin, please continue, I¡¯d rather hear what the Supreme Deity actually said.¡± ¡°Faced with the Mage¡¯s questioning, Ao answered in a firm, loud voice devoid of any sympathy, ¡®Because passing judgment is not Heim¡¯s duty, nor his privilege.¡¯ The Supreme Deity took the Destiny Tablets from Heim¡¯s hands, and Shrek dared to point directly at Ao, declaring to Him, ¡®It was I who brought the tablets to you!¡¯ Ao neither approved nor disliked the thief¡¯s words, and to everyone present, as well as the absent gods, He said, ¡®Yes, and that is their sum.¡¯ Then He clapped the two tablets together, and the Holy Relic that everyone was obsessed with turned into dust...¡± ¡°I told you,¡± the voice of Starlight Strike rose again hauntingly, ¡°Those tablets were just convenient for the old man to keep records, nothing more.¡± ¡°Everyone was shocked by Ao¡¯s action, even Heim jumped up, asking Ao in fear, ¡®Master, what have you done?¡¯ The Supreme Deity calmly explained to all present and absent deities, ¡®The tablets had no real meaning. I kept them as a reminder that I created gods to serve balance, not for you to twist it for your own benefit. You failed to understand this and misinterpreted the tablets as a set of rules, setting up a childish game for prestige and rank. And when the rules became inconvenient, you stole them...''¡± ¡°Haha,¡± Lancelot raised an eyebrow, ¡°Cods getting scolded by the Supreme Deity in front of mortals¡ªit¡¯s quite a rare sight.¡± ¡°Indeed, whenever I read this segment from the history books, I always regret not having witnessed it myself,¡± Kalalin agreed with a chuckle, ¡°The Guardian God tried to argue, explaining to the Supreme Deity who the real culprit of the theft was, but the Supreme Deity silenced him with a simple gesture, then continued addressing all deities, ¡®I know who stole the Destiny Tablets, Bane and Milkou have already paid for their crime with their lives. But all of you are guilty for you allowed worshippers to construct wasteful temples, blindly dedicating themselves to your names to the point where they couldn¡¯t even feed their own children, even spilling their blood on your fallen altars¡ªand this so-called lowly creature¡¯s worship was merely something you used to impress each other. These actions are enough to make me wish I had never created you.''¡± ¡°Ao paused for a moment, allowing his audience to ponder His words, then continued, ¡®But I did create you, and not without a purpose. Now, I will require you to fulfill that purpose. From today forward, your true power will depend on the number of your followers and their loyalty,''¡± he said.¡± ¡°From one end of the multiverse to the other, gods gasped in astonishment. In the distant lands, the god of storms and destruction, Talos, roared, ¡®By mortals?¡¯ Ao answered, ¡®Yes, and not just that: without worshippers, you will wither, and even cease to exist altogether. And after these events in the realms, winning the faith of mortals won¡¯t be easy, you must earn their worship by serving them.''¡± Chapter 734: 755: The Battle of Gods Chapter 734: Chapter 755: The Battle of Gods (Update first, then revise later) ¡°At that moment, Shrek, unwilling to accept his fate, yelled, ¡®No! All that I have been through was for...¡¯ Ao turned to the thief and roared, ¡®Silence! I don¡¯t mind being challenged, but don¡¯t make me feel like I made a terrible decision in choosing a candidate for the new god.''¡± ¡°Damn it,¡± Lancelot said as he pulled the flask from his lips, ¡°I¡¯m starting to dislike where this story is going.¡± ¡°The Lord of the Gods looked straight at the thief who stood before him, betrayed through murder, and asked, ¡®This is what you wanted, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Shrek stumbled as he ran up the steps, yelling ¡®Yes! Yes! Thank you, my lord, I will serve you well!¡¯ Ao let out a deep, cruel chuckle, ¡®Do not thank me, evil Shrek. Becoming the god of strife, murder, and the dead is no gift. You wanted divinity, you wanted great power, you wanted to control your own destiny, but you can only have two of these. You will have divinity and power in the Land of the Dead, and you may inflict all the sufferings of the mortal world as you please, but you will never again know satisfaction and happiness. What you most desire, Shrek, will never come to fruition. Now you belong to me, and you will serve me... and those who worship you. I am quite certain that before long, you will find the freedom you had as a mere street thief in Santiel Fortress sadly lacking.¡¯ ¡®That is... a very interesting judgment,¡¯ Lancelot scratched his head, ¡®Then what?¡¯ ¡®The subsequent details involve the current God of Magic, so they are only vaguely recorded,¡¯ Kalalin shrugged, ¡®Ao said that as a punishment for the theft, He caused Bane and Milko to dissipate, but Misla, the giver of magic, also disappeared, and even the Supreme Deity Himself could not bring Misla back. Therefore, He proposed making Midnight, who had inherited Misla¡¯s power, the new Goddess of Magic. However, Midnight initially refused, saying that becoming a deity was not her purpose in seeking the Destiny Stone, and she had no interest in corrupting herself like Shrek. Ao said, ¡®I have taken away a mortal for his viciousness and cruelty, and I thought to take another for her wisdom and sincerity.''¡± ¡®The old man is trying to balance again,¡¯ Starlight Strike interjected, ¡®He¡¯s really obsessed with this so-called balance, good and evil, chaos and order, as if the universe will fall into some terrible catastrophe once balance is lost...¡¯ ¡®So Midnight was persuaded just like that?¡¯ Lancelot inquired. ¡®It was Anton, the former Priest Shuni, who persuaded her. He told Midnight that she should accept it; otherwise, Shrek would truly win. Anton¡¯s words reminded her of the dead in the Domain of the Vague who had once helped her, making her realize that Cranvo¡¯s soul was in the Land of the Dead. So she told the Lord of the Gods that she accepted His proposal, and she would make sure Shrek would forever regret betraying his friends.¡¯ ¡®And then?¡¯ ¡°Then Ao raised his hand, and the heavenly ladder along with everything above vanished within a beam of light so dazzling that it momentarily blinded the tens of thousands of Deepwater City citizens who had been gazing upon the mountaintop. The column of light rose up among the cities sheltered by hundreds of gods, and every saint who had descended to the mortal realm returned to their homelands in the Outer Realms. Midnight became the new Goddess of Magic and, in order to minimize the chaos among her followers, she took Mistrala as her divine name and immediately healed the scars on Anton¡¯s face, who then became her first priest. Shrek inherited all the divine offices of the Triumvirate of Death, and Yago gladly accepted the reality of having a new master. The Cataclysm of the Saints thus came to an end, but its aftereffects...¡± ¡°Hold on a moment.¡± Lancelot held his forehead, ¡°What about Cranvo? From the story I just heard, he was killed by Shrek, So why is he said to be the current Grim Reaper?¡± ¡°Patience, I was just getting to that, but you interrupted me,¡± Kalalin said helplessly, giving Lancelot a glance, ¡°Just to be clear, what I¡¯m about to tell you doesn¡¯t have as many eyewitnesses as the final scene of the Cataclysm of the Saints. These are the accounts of the victors, namely Midnight and Cranvo¡¯s side, while Prince of Lies Shrek obviously has a completely different perspective. However, given his past actions, scholars believe the version told by Midnight and Cranvo to be closer to the truth. Shortly after Shrek and Midnight ascended to godhood, they nearly instantly clashed. Midnight summoned eleven great divine powers, accusing Shrek of shaking mortal faith by masquerading as other deities, and then killing them before they could recover their convictions. This way, he could arbitrarily punish them under the pretense that they were false believers, and Tom himself testified against him in the celestial court...¡± ¡°Do the gods also convene a court?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, ¡°Do they have the right to dispose of another god?¡± ¡°No, but if they can reach a consensus, they can summon the presence of Ao... You know, if a bunch of followers decide to call upon a deity together, no matter how foolish the reason, that deity will at least show up to some extent,¡± Kalalin shrugged, ¡°However, Ao refused to strip Shrek of his divine office. ¡®Spreading lies and chaos is Shrek¡¯s duty, and opposing him is your duty,¡¯ the Supreme Deity said. And so Midnight immediately issued an edict of ultimate sanction against Shrek on the spot, completely banning him from using the Magic Net because theoretically, as a once mortal female mage, she had every right to do so.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t Midnight strike at that moment?¡± Lancelot scratched his head, ¡°As one of the mightiest deities, the Goddess of Magic should have been more powerful than the trusted Lord of the Dead, right?¡± ¡°Ah, gods are a bit different from us; they can be both here and there,¡± Kalalin wracked his brain for the adjectives, ¡°You could think of them as having many torches circling their heads, with these torches casting many shadows. Some shadows go to answer the prayers of the followers, some grant divine arts to their priests, and others attend a hearing against themselves. Their true forms are always in their own Divine Kingdoms, and unless they have completely lost their minds, a god is almost impossible to kill within their own kingdom, and Midnight, who also had the responsibility of managing the Magic Net, couldn¡¯t just rashly go after Shrek to fight to the death. Otherwise, the Lord of All Gods might act first to strip her of her divine office...¡± ¡°Sigh, well, that makes sense,¡± Lancelot sighed, ¡°Being a god isn¡¯t that free after all.¡± ¡°Of course, divinity and divine office are bound together; to become a god means to undertake certain responsibilities,¡± Kalalin shrugged, ¡°And naturally, Shrek also wanted to avenge the humiliation from Midnight. Logically, he should have had an ace up his sleeve against Midnight¡ªthe soul of Cranvo. However, there was a problem: he searched every corner of the Domain of the Vague but couldn¡¯t find Cranvo¡¯s soul. It was as if someone had hidden the warrior away.¡± Chapter 735: 756: The Birth of a New God Chapter 735: Chapter 756: The Birth of a New God ¡°Kalalin¡¯s soul has been hidden away?¡± Lancelot frowned, ¡°Who did that?¡± ¡°Let us turn back time a bit, at the top of Black Rod Tower, how did Shrek kill Kalalin?¡± ¡°With that thing called the Deicide Sword...¡± Lancelot¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°The God of Thieves, Mask? Damn, you had already hinted at it to me...¡± ¡°Haha, yes, but Shrek himself was oblivious to this. It was that sword that made His position, and the Prince of Lies didn¡¯t realize until the last moment that he had always been deceived by lies.¡± Kalalin said with a chuckle, ¡°From the beginning, Mask planned to betray Shrek, aiming to steal His divine office. So, when He pierced Kalalin¡¯s body, He also concealed the victim¡¯s soul. Actually, making a soul undetectable to the Lord of the Dead is something only another deity can accomplish, which further fueled Shrek¡¯s paranoia, and He decided to create a Divine Artifact named Shrekonomicon as revenge against the deities.¡± ¡°Shrek...onomicon?¡± Lancelot scratched his head in confusion, ¡°From the story I just heard, it seems that thief prefers to hold a dagger for murder rather than a feather pen for writing.¡± ¡°Certainly not, but while inheriting the divine offices of the triad of death, Shrek also inherited the churches of the triad of death gods... at least those who were willing to swear allegiance to Him. Although He Himself couldn¡¯t use magic, those wizards who were once devotees of Bane, Baal or Milko invented special inks, parchments, and prayers, and by integrating these prayers into the text in a specific pattern, the Shrekonomicon could make anyone who read it believe everything written in it¡ªthat Shrek as the only True God was the truth of the Multiverse. This technique isn¡¯t really mysterious but it¡¯s extremely clever, because it¡¯s basically making the reader cast a spell on themselves, so there¡¯s no chance to resist, and it takes effect immediately.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t read things of unknown origin, keep that in mind.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°But such a Divine Artifact wouldn¡¯t be easy to create, right?¡± ¡°Correct, it is said that Shrek used hundreds of scribes, but each one went mad before finishing. Shrek hung these poor souls in chains in His palace and set them ablaze to torment them forever. It wasn¡¯t until Shrek kidnapped Lynda, perhaps the only kind soul in Santiel Fortress, that the Shrekonomicon was finally completed. Convinced by this Divine Artifact, He believed He could convert the followers of other deities to worship Himself, and according to the will of Ao, those deities losing their followers¡¯ support would gradually wither away and ultimately perish...¡± ¡°Could such a conspiracy really deceive the deities?¡± Lancelot¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°They couldn¡¯t possibly have no reaction to this...¡± ¡°Yes, when Shrek attempted to create this Divine Artifact, He had already caught the attention of Ogma¡ªthe patron of bards and the God of Knowledge. Meanwhile, Mask couldn¡¯t sit still either. If He let the Shrekonomicon be completed, the Prince of Lies might actually rewrite history. Thus, He used Kalalin¡¯s soul as leverage, demanding the cooperation of Midnight and Ogma, to help Himself defeat Shrek and take His place.¡± ¡°After Xirei was finished, the Prince of Lies wanted to test it first on Fzoul Chembryl, a former priest of Bane and also the Lord of Santiel Fortress. However, Chembryl had already read ¡®The True Account of Shrek,¡¯ a booklet authored in conspiracy by Mask and Ogma, also transcribed by Lynda, detailing the true exploits of Shrek. Subsequent events proved that Chembryl never abandoned his true master Bane...¡± ¡°So, Shrek ultimately ended up with this voluminous tome full of flattery about Himself,¡± Lancelot raised an eyebrow. ¡°I have a hunch that creating such a powerful and dangerous Divine Artifact was bound to go wrong somewhere...¡± ¡°Haha, you guessed right.¡± A happy smile appeared on Kalalin¡¯s face. ¡°Perhaps curious to see how he was praised in the Xirei, the Prince of Lies couldn¡¯t resist reading this grand work named after Him. And the Xirei, just as Mask had anticipated, worked on Shrek, too, though Shrek Himself didn¡¯t immediately realize it.¡± ¡°What happened next?¡± ¡°Shrek used the Deicide Sword to kill Lynda, and ordered Chembryl to publicly recite the Xirei at dawn the next day in Santiel Fortress, and then left in a state of triumph... However, Mask had secretly held back. Shrek had no idea that everyone around Him was secretly opposed to Him. Lynda was healed by Ogma and left with the Xirei and an Amulet of Non-Detection gifted by the God of Scribes, whereas Chembryl publicly read ¡®The True Account of Shrek¡¯ in Santiel Fortress, the most important center of faith for Shrek in the Mortal Realm. Meanwhile, another conspirator, the demigod Dandel, the devourer of mortal and divine nightmares from the Domain of the Vague, took the opportunity to release all the nightmares of the dead from the Land of the Dead¡ªmostly about being eternally tormented by Shrek. This immediately ignited a rebellion against Shrek. At this point, Shrek was hard-pressed to distinguish reality from the lies He had woven, and Dandel¡¯s release included Shrek¡¯s own nightmares, making Him believe that Cranvo had returned and was seeking revenge on Him. In madness and despair, Shrek snapped the Deicide Sword, which dealt a heavy blow to Mask but also released Cranvo prematurely, turning Shrek¡¯s own nightmares into reality...¡± ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Lancelot interrupted, although engrossed, he had noticed something amiss. ¡°The Deicide Sword, or Mask, only imprisoned Cranvo¡¯s soul, right? Does the Domain of the Vague have some quality that grants a physical body to souls?¡± ¡°As expected of you, noticing such a detail...¡± the Scholar commended. ¡°Yes, all souls in the Domain of the Vague automatically receive a new body that mirrors their best state whilst still alive. Cranvo picked up the remains of the Deicide Sword, sought justice from his killer, and Shrek, now engulfed in madness, was utterly unable to muster any resistance. Cranvo thrust the Sword Blade into Shrek¡¯s chest, and the scribes, burning with the Eternal Flame and hung from the ceiling, broke free of their shackles to completely engulf the Prince of Lies...¡± ¡°Is He dead?¡± Little Isha asked hopefully. ¡°No, Shrek is like a plague, a germ that even the combined fires of the entire lower planes can¡¯t destroy,¡± the Scholar shook his head gently. ¡°However, being affected by the Xirei and killed within His own Divine Kingdom greatly weakened Shrek¡¯s powers, preventing Him from immediately reshaping His physical form in the Multiverse. With Shrek gone, Mask severely injured, and the Land of the Dead unable to be without a ruler for even a day, Cranvo, on Yago¡¯s advice, ascended to the peak of Skeleton Tower and pledged to every soul tortured by Shrek that He would bring them each a fair judgment. The dead agreed, and the Power of Faith surged into Cranvo¡¯s body, and the new Lord of the Dead was thus born. He opened the gates of the Land of the Dead and allowed the deities to come and fetch their followers...¡± ¡°And atop Skeleton Tower, He passionately kissed Midnight, the first to rush in,¡± Shuni¡¯s priest added from the side. ¡°All under the watchful eyes of Ogma and Tom.¡± Chapter 736: 757 The End of the Story Chapter 736: Chapter 757 The End of the Story (Post first, amend later) ¡°So Shrek has not died, he simply lost his Divine office of the Dead?¡± ¡°Yes, because Ao amended the rules of Divine Power after the Years of Upheaval, and because there are still followers who worship him, Shrek did not die completely. However, due to the significant decrease in his followers and the loss of his most important divine office of the Dead, his power was greatly weakened. (Note 1)¡± Kalalin spread his hands, ¡°Furthermore, many gods who were killed during the Years of Upheaval have reappeared, thanks to the persistence of their followers. This includes the three gods of death who were killed, though their powers are much diminished...¡± ¡°Let me add a bit more detail,¡± Alamir raised his hand, ¡°Of course, all this is from the perspective of our Church of Shuni.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Lancelot looked at his glass which was now two-thirds empty, ¡°I¡¯m sure the Lady of Love has her share of gossip...¡± ¡°Oh, yes, no doubt about it.¡± The elf grinned, ¡°First, about Ao and Misla¡ªI¡¯m referring to the former Goddess of Magic, of course. Everyone knows that Ao killed Misla on the stairs of the Heavens, but many do not know that Ao always had a certain... affection for Misla. In fact, it was He who notified Misla in advance of the Supreme Deity¡¯s possible reaction, allowing the Goddess of Magic to distribute a portion of her Essence to some of her chosen people, and Midnight was among them.¡± ¡°And yet He still struck down the Goddess of Magic?¡± Little Yisa crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks in indignation. ¡°As a Guardian God bound to protect, and under the watch of all gods on Earth, Ao had no choice,¡± Alamir gently shook his head, ¡°When He had no choice but to fulfill His divine office, a tear fell from the Guardian God¡¯s craggy face to the ground, filled with His heart¡¯s agony and guilt. It is said that the tear turned into a gemstone, filled with wild and perilous energy. Although the Lady of Fire always found this lonely guardian to be too rigid and dull, among all the gods, only She was able to understand Ao¡¯s feelings.¡± ¡°Sigh...¡± Lancelot let out a sigh, ¡°That is indeed a tragedy. Anything else?¡± ¡°Yes, about Cranvo and Midnight.¡± Alamir rubbed his glass with his palm, ¡°Due to some misunderstandings, their relationship has deteriorated from what it used to be. Speaking of which, this matter is actually because of our former colleague Anton. Kalalin, you should know that the Book of Xirei eventually ended up back in Shrek¡¯s hands, right?¡± ¡°Yes, at Candle Castle, the greatest library on the Fayrun Continent,¡± Kalalin nodded with gravity, ¡°I¡¯m not clear on the details.¡± ¡°Shrek managed to have Anton read the Book of Xirei, which forced Midnight¡¯s High Priest to see everything through Shrek¡¯s perspective. In Shrek¡¯s view, Midnight was an evil, cruel, and bizarre harlot. Anton¡¯s self-consciousness was no match for this view, driving him into madness, and he soon took his own life in torment. Upon learning this, Midnight immediately rushed to the Domain of the Vague to demand the soul of their mutual friend from her lover, only to be rejected by Cranvo.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Little Yisa interjected impatiently once more, ¡°Is it because he was jealous of Anton and Midnight¡¯s relationship?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°I guess it is because of His duty, just like Heim.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Alamir shrugged, ¡°Xirei had destroyed Anton¡¯s faith in the Goddess of Magic, and when he committed suicide out of agony, that faith was not restored. As the King of the Dead, the ¡®Judgement of the Damned,¡¯ it is Cranvo¡¯s duty to punish the non-believers, meaning, He must press Anton¡¯s soul onto a terrible wall...¡± ¡°The Wall of the Faithless,¡± Lancelot pronounced the somewhat ominous name, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this concept before.¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s an ancient curse on the wall that binds the souls attached to its surface and inflicts great pain. Meanwhile, it forces those souls to constantly struggle; if they stop moving, the wall would gradually petrify them, eventually making them part of itself. In essence, the wall itself is an instrument of torture, intended to warn mortals who refuse to believe in the real existence of the gods. Xirei took advantage of a loophole in the rules. After Cranvo ascended to godhood, His first act was to turn the original eerie Skeleton Tower into a transparent Crystal Tower, aiming to show people that death is neither mysterious nor terrifying, and He would publicly judge every soul that stood before Him according to the rules agreed upon with the gods...¡± ¡°Which means, He¡¯s facing the same predicament as Heim.¡± ¡°Yes. The Lord of the Dead rejected the Goddess of Magic, His once lover, which deeply saddened Midnight. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t understand Cranvo¡¯s dilemma, but she realized that she and Cranvo were now on two completely different paths. Although a few years later, Xirei was brought before the great court of Divine Power, and Anton stood before the gods as a witness. Cranvo opened His heart to Anton, allowed him to see what Midnight was like in His eyes, thereby restoring Anton¡¯s sanity, and eventually he went to the heart of the Spell in the Divine Kingdom of the Goddess of Magic to enjoy the peace of immortality. This somewhat eased the relationship between Cranvo and Midnight, but did not return to the way it was, because the problem between them had not really been resolved: They are now gods bearing their duties, and if another conflict arises, their divine offices will leave them no room for turning back...¡± When Alamir finished speaking, the cozy drawing room fell into silence. Everyone stared at their cups, wanting to say something, but they couldn¡¯t find the right words. Finally, it was Lancelot who broke the quiet, lifted his cup, and spoke softly: ¡°To the King of the Dead, Cranvo, and the Goddess of Magic, Midnight, may They find a reason to walk together again.¡± His companions echoed, then drank the remaining liquid in their cups in one gulp. ¡°Ah, I think it¡¯s about time, time to return to my warm bed,¡± Alarin stood up, swaying slightly from the buzz, ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lancelot gently shook his head, ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡°Ah, which means, tonight might be the last night I spend with that bed, so I¡¯d better say a proper farewell.¡± Scholar staggered toward the stairs, ¡°Good night, my friends. May you all have sweet dreams.¡± (Note 1: As for the official history where Xirei kills Midnight and then she is resurrected in the 5th edition, I¡¯m pretending that never happened. The whole mess of the 4th edition is hereby deemed non-existent, just to clarify.) Chapter 737: 758: A New Adventure Chapter 737: Chapter 758: A New Adventure Before the sky had even begun to brighten and the sun hid shyly behind the horizon, Lancelot already opened his eyes in the chamber where he sat in meditation. He perceived a strong and familiar presence that had arrived at Hagrid Manor, slowly walking over the garden¡¯s low-lying grass. Lancelot stood up straight away and walked out of the chamber through the tunnel that served as its exit. After a night of meditation and cultivation, his clothes were as if enchanted to be spotless, and a faint luminescence on his skin gradually faded away, leaving him looking rejuvenated. When he passed the gym, which had been converted from an interrogation room, his figure caught the attention of little Isa, who was hanging upside down on a cross, practicing sit-ups. Faced with the girl¡¯s inquisitive gaze, Lancelot nodded gently, after which the vampire Wanderer silently flipped down from the rack, trailing behind Lancelot like a small cat. Shortly afterward, the two emerged outdoors to find the Succubus Lord admiring a strand of purple flowers hanging from a rack. Hearing the noise from the gate, she turned gracefully and revealed a happy smile to her knightly lover. ¡°Good morning, my lady,¡± Lancelot greeted the Succubus Lord politely yet intimately, ¡°I¡¯m pleased to see you enjoy these flowers.¡± ¡°Good morning, Lady Tijana,¡± little Isa, following behind him, lifted her dress and performed a curtsey expertly, ¡°Compared to you, these flowers are nothing.¡± ¡°Oh, dear, that does sound rather sweet,¡± Tijana was amused by the little vampire¡¯s compliment, ¡°Did you rest well last night, Sir Lancelot?¡± ¡°Wonderfully,¡± Lancelot raised his eyebrows, ¡°but I guess I¡¯m about to say goodbye to such comfort and wonderful times soon, right?¡± ¡°...Yes,¡± the Succubus Lord pursed her lips, seemingly about to point out that it was his own decision, but ended up saying, ¡°I wish I could spend more time with you too.¡± ¡°But Bruto can¡¯t wait,¡± Lancelot shook his head with regret, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside, everyone else is up too.¡± The trio bid farewell to the supernaturally beautiful garden in the morning light and walked into the manor. Just as Lancelot had said, Bruto, Kalalin, and Alamir were all already awake. The Scholar and the Elves were coiled on the couch, yawning, while the Dwarf sat on a stool with a serious expression, looking calm but the rapid twitching of his right leg betrayed his inner anxiety. Everyone stood up to greet the Succubus Lord, while Tijana waved her hand, saying: ¡°We¡¯re already well acquainted, let¡¯s dispense with such formalities from now on. Let¡¯s get straight to the point. With the help of the Abyssal Scroll you brought back, I¡¯ve found a suitable portal that can take you to the Domain of the Vague. Craftsmen have worked overnight to repair your equipment, which has already been delivered to my castle, and you¡¯ll be able to get your hands on it shortly. But before you set off, I still have a few matters to entrust to you...¡± ¡°Please give your orders, my lady,¡± Lancelot nodded earnestly. ¡°Firstly, after further investigation, I can be sure that this attack was aimed at those Grand Craftsmen, likely intended to strike at Twin Bridges Town¡¯s production capabilities. Although Lord Molo of Oasis Fort is quite clearly responsible, this move is far too foolish and differs greatly from his usual conduct, so there¡¯s likely another mastermind behind this. You may find some clues that reveal the true culprit during your search for Barrend¡¯s soul, but do not act rashly, nor draw hasty conclusions. Remember your most important task: recover Bruto¡¯s father¡¯s soul; other objectives are secondary. Understood?¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Lancelot answered solemnly, ¡°If I obtain any intelligence, I will inform you immediately.¡± ¡°Our mind link is unlikely to work across planes. If there is truly valuable intelligence, have Kalalin contact me using the Message Spell, he knows how to do it.¡± ¡°Second, I will first send you to the thirty-second layer of the Abyss, Sholo-Tovos, through the Dark Scrolls, and then you can use the natural portal on that plane to proceed to the Domain of the Vague. The lord of Sholo-Tovos, ¡®Eternal Hunger¡¯ Tulaglas, is currently in slumber, so it should not be too dangerous for you there.¡± ¡°I have heard that there is a special curse on that plane which gradually turns visitors bloodthirsty, craving for slaughter,¡± Kalalin said thoughtfully, ¡°And apart from leaving, there is no magical defense to prevent the curse from taking effect...¡± ¡°Yes, but you shouldn¡¯t be staying there too long to completely lose your mind,¡± Tijana spread her hands, ¡°The portal is on the peak of the highest mountain on that plane; you are not likely to miss it. However, teleportation via the Dark Scrolls may not be particularly precise, so be prepared for climbing...¡± ¡°How big can the error be?¡± Kalalin asked worriedly, ¡°If it¡¯s too far, I must rely on the power of magic...¡± ¡°There could be an error of up to a hundred miles, but since I have been to that plane before, it shouldn¡¯t be much,¡± the Succubus Lord shrugged, ¡°If you want to use magical aids, go ahead, but make sure not to stand out too much. The curse of that plane does not only affect outsiders.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t walk anymore, I¡¯ll carry you,¡± the Dwarf offered to the Scholar, ¡°Guaranteed to be more comfortable than riding a horse!¡± ¡°Lastly, regarding your actions in the Domain of the Vague,¡± Tijana interrupted her companions¡¯ jest with a stern tone, ¡°Remember, no conflicts are allowed there unless it is an absolute necessity for self-defense. Do not attack any creature of that plane unless it is a must. The only exception is Demons, aside from soul-stealing thieves, they have no other role in the Domain of the Vague. The current King of the Dead is an absolutely orderly deity, and you are in His Divine Kingdom, do not challenge the rules set by the host.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°We will remember.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried about the others; they don¡¯t have the ability to mess things up too badly,¡± Tijana glared fiercely at Lancelot, ¡°Five minutes to gather your things, and then we set off.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Bruto lifted a well-worn leather backpack from his feet, ¡°We are already prepared!¡± The others also nodded in agreement, including little Isa. She had already moved her sleeping box into Lancelot¡¯s Dimensional Bag in advance, naturally, the one without the Sword of Zariel. ¡°However, we can still make use of these five minutes, like having breakfast,¡± Bruto touched his stomach, ¡°I think father wouldn¡¯t mind waiting just a little longer.¡± ¡°Keep your appetites for now; we¡¯ll eat once we get to Sholo-Tovos,¡± Tijana shook her head, ¡°You will soon find yourselves hungry, eagerly wanting to taste some fresh, sentient beings¡¯ flesh¡ªWhite Dragon¡¯s would be nice, you already know that trick.¡± Chapter 738: 759 Xiao Luo-Tovos Chapter 738: Chapter 759 Xiao Luo-Tovos Lancelot stepped onto a deep red, soft land, and the feeling beneath his feet was quite uncomfortable, as if he were treading on the body of some gargantuan creature. What was even more disconcerting was that the ground would occasionally split open suddenly, like terrifying gaping mouths, with some kind of deep yellow, foul-smelling liquid at the bottom of the pits, beneath which one could vaguely see twisted, bizarre corpses. The sky of this realm was shrouded in a layer of gray mist, perhaps with a sun above the fog, but no indication of it could be seen from the ground. There were forests here too, although their appearance made one not want to approach them¡ªat these trees resembling beech trees with corpse-pale bark, were mouths like those of wild beasts, stuffed full of dagger-like wooden teeth, about three feet above the ground on the trunks. These mouths continuously opened and closed at a not particularly rapid rate, as if chewing on some creatures invisible to the naked eye in the air. ¡°Sholoto, in the language of the Abyss, means ¡®toothed anus.''¡± Bruto passed a slowly closing large pit on the ground with an expression of disgust, ¡°You have to admit, although the demons are mad, they are quite accurate in naming.¡± ¡°Look at those mountains, they look like a row of teeth.¡± Alamir raised a hand, pointing toward a mountain peak about five miles away, ¡°That should be our destination, right?¡± ¡°Yes, it seems Tijana wasn¡¯t too far off.¡± Lancelot¡¯s voice came from the front of the group, ¡°If all goes well, we should just need half a day to reach the top of that peak, the portal to the Domain of the Vague should be right there.¡± ¡°Everything here seems to be shaped with eating in mind.¡± Bruto spat vehemently, ¡°...Speaking of which, are you guys hungry? When are we having breakfast?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, at least not to a supernatural extent.¡± Suddenly, Lancelot halted his steps and twisted his head to look at the sky, ¡°But it seems some blind creatures have taken us for their breakfast...¡± Everyone looked up together, following the gaze of the Human Knight into the distance, only to see four ash-gray figures burst out of the fog and fly rapidly toward their location. The companions easily recognized them as Flomos, a type of adversary they were very familiar with; but as the shapes came closer, some abnormal details became apparent. ¡°Damn, what do the stupid birds here feed on?¡± Bruto, who had previously been eager, exclaimed in surprise, ¡°How did they get so big?¡± The Dwarf¡¯s remark was well founded; Lancelot, with his sharp eyesight, estimated that the wingspan of this group of Middle Rank Demons was nearly thirty feet, twice that of ordinary Flomos and more akin to a flying vehicle once described by a Gnome mechanic. Their forward-stretching bird claws gleamed with dangerous cold light, and their mouths emitted frenzied shrieks, revealing bloodthirst and excitement, as well as hatred driven by some kind of pain. Kalalin, the one with the longest range in the team, was the first to act. He pulled open a scroll, and four Magic Darts appeared in the air, immediately flying towards the enemy swarm still at some distance. Lancelot knew that it was just a First Circle Spell, Magic Missile, whose power was not particularly impressive, but its tracking feature made it an excellent choice when dealing with a target that moved too quickly for area-of-effect magic. However, the darts Kalalin produced this time were obviously different from the usual, being about twice the size in diameter and seem to contain a string of Runes written in Giant¡¯s Tongue. These darts, on activation, reminded one of overweight sparrows in deep autumn, but as they accelerated, they quickly gathered a formidable speed. The Flomo diving in midair dodged the incoming projectile with a quick sidestep, expending little effort. However, unseen to them, behind their backs, the projectiles turned around, tracing massive arcs in the air, and chased after the demons once again, their speed increasing, becoming even swifter and harder to evade. The magic dart exploded upon the backside of the last Flomo, the tremendous commotion leading Lancelot to wonder if the scroll¡¯s materials included any of Goblin Phil¡¯s products. Subsequent darts also arrived in quick succession, resulting in a series of impressive explosions in the sky. After the smoke cleared, the Flomo¡¯s backside was almost entirely gone, and it could no longer maintain stable flight. It tumbled down towards the ground. ¡°Haha! Success!¡± Kalalin waved his arms excitedly, ¡°Another original spell, what should I name it?¡± ¡°Name my foot!¡± Bruto shouted angrily, ¡°Hurry up and launch another one!¡± ¡°Uh, that was it.¡± Kalalin shrugged at his companion, ¡°It was just a prototype; I actually didn¡¯t expect it to succeed. But no worries, I¡¯ve proven some of my ideas are feasible. Just give me a bit of time, and I¡¯ll be able to make a bunch more...¡± ¡°Damn it, you must be joking with me!¡± Bruto gritted his teeth, his eyes fiercely fixed on the fast-approaching enemy, ¡°No, this guy is just too big!¡± Accompanied by a roaring bellow, the Dwarf¡¯s figure swelled rapidly, a result of the power from the Titan¡¯s Blood he¡¯d absorbed. The mutated Flomo¡¯s claws were simply too large, surpassing the width of his shield. If he didn¡¯t transform, it was likely they¡¯d both be snatched away, armor and all. His concerns were justified as the demon continued in its original plan, aiming for the Dwarf. Its sharp claws even pierced through the shield that grew alongside Bruto, but it couldn¡¯t drag the now enlarged (and heavier) Dwarf off the ground. Simultaneously, Bruto swung his magic warhammer fiercely. The Flomo attempted to block with its two front claws, but the distinct sound of bones cracking indicated a grave mistake. Elsewhere, Lancelot held his sword with both hands, crouching on the ground like a fully drawn bow, the tip of his sword angling upwards. Any creature of sound mind could tell that this human knight would be a problematic target. Yet the demons, driven mad by the scent of fresh flesh, dove down recklessly regardless. However, the moment a Flomo got within thirty feet of Lancelot, the human knight thrust out his longsword fiercely. A dazzling cyan aura extended from the tip of the blade, resembling a massive long spear, then quickly disappeared. However, the Flomo¡¯s chest now bore a bowl-sized, transparent hole, its organs completely shredded by the sword aura. The heart, the most crucial part of a demon, once destroyed, meant instant death. The massive Flomo fell as if suddenly boneless, plummeting down and landing on the ground with a soft thud. The last Flomo pounced towards the Elf Priest, who was very clear on what he had to do¡ªhe had already cast a special spell upon himself, enveloping his entire body in a golden, semi-transparent protective barrier. Chapter 739: 760: The Land of Devouring Chapter 739: Chapter 760: The Land of Devouring The Flomos that descended from the sky attempted to leverage its powerful talons to grasp the enticing elf, but it suddenly found itself unable to do so¡ªa mysterious magic effect prevented it from translating the thought of ¡°attacking that elf¡± into action. The demon tried to focus its will to counteract the spell effect, but the priest¡¯s conviction was stronger, forcing it to change targets. What Alamir had cast was a simple First Circle spell: the Sanctuary spell. The effect required that anyone wishing to attack the spell¡¯s protected target must first overcome the spellcaster¡¯s will in a contest, or else they had to switch their target or simply stand there like a fool. As an earthly representative of the divine, the priest¡¯s will was exceedingly strong, and even a demon with innate magic resistance found it difficult to prevail in such a contest. Of course, if the protected being launched an attack, cast a spell that affected the enemy, or inflicted harm on any creature, the Sanctuary spell¡¯s effect would consequently end. However, in the current situation, Alamir knew he needed to do nothing but hold on a little longer, as there were others in the group better suited to dispatch this enemy. Little Isa by his side had already prepared to evade; however, the Flomos showed no interest in the young girl and bypassed her to attack Kalalin¡ªbeing a vampire, Isa did not evoke the demon¡¯s craving for flesh. Lancelot, standing next to the scholar, naturally wouldn¡¯t stand idly by. He moved swiftly, blocking the way in front of Kalalin; his hand half sword swiftly flicked upward, sealing off the demon¡¯s line of attack. The cold iron sword blade clashed with the hard talons. Despite the terrifying momentum brought by the Flomos¡¯s dive, Lancelot, relying solely on his physical strength, blocked the strike, causing the demon¡¯s rush to dissipate like waves crashing against a rock. Had he activated the Sword Aura of the QingYuan, the opponent would likely have been cut in two immediately, but Lancelot believed he could save the True Yuan needed for that. Behind the demon, little Isa leapt lightly, her silhouette floating upwards like a nimble swallow, her dual short swords precisely stabbed into the joint where the vulture demon¡¯s wings met its back. Then with a vicious twist under gravity¡¯s force, the demon immediately let out a piercing shriek. It turned violently backward, but Isa kept a firm grip on the short swords embedded in its flesh, swung around in mid-air, and remained on the demon¡¯s back, rendering the Flomos¡¯s attack utterly futile. The opponent didn¡¯t have time to make a new move, Lancelot¡¯s attack was already there. His longsword, like a toxic snake, thrust into the demon¡¯s ribs and into its chest cavity, then swiftly withdrew; that brief moment was enough to seal its fate. The fight wasn¡¯t over yet; the giant-sized Bruto was still grappling with his opponent, but Lancelot knew it was only a matter of time before the Dwarf won. Not far from him, the demon that Kalalin had first hit fell into a large pit on the ground, which, like some monstrous feeding organ, swiftly closed with a rumbling sound, completely swallowing the prey delivered to its maw. ¡°Oh, damn,¡± Kalalin, pale-faced, watched as the Flomos vanished into the unknown, ¡°This place is really wonderful...¡± After witnessing that scene, everyone wanted to end the battle quickly, surged forward, and instantly tore the Dwarf¡¯s enemy to shreds. Feeling a slight tremor underfoot, everyone¡¯s face changed color, and they sprinted toward the distance, Lancelot going so far as to scoop up the still breathless Bruto from the ground and dash to the front of the group within a few strides. Behind them, the ground where they had stood seconds before cracked open, numerous soil-formed giant mouths appeared out of nowhere, like whirlpools on the sea, swallowing the still-steaming demon bodies below and extending toward the direction of the group as if a massive shark were swimming through a sea of soil in their direction. Fortunately, their speed was even faster, and after running several hundred feet, the ground finally calmed down. Everyone gradually slowed their pace, but they all looked like frightened birds, ready to sprint at any moment. ¡°This might be the worst place I¡¯ve ever been,¡± Alamir said, hands on his knees, yet still maintaining that characteristic elven grace, ¡°What did Tijana say again? The Lord of this Circle is still asleep, so it shouldn¡¯t be too dangerous?¡± ¡°We¡¯re all still alive, and no one is injured, right?¡± Lancelot said as he set down the Dwarf, who was biting his lips and looked about to vomit, ¡°¡®Eternal Hunger¡¯ Tulaglas, what kind of being is this really? Why is his territory so... strange?¡± ¡°¡®Strange¡¯ is the norm in the Abyss, don¡¯t be misled by the state of the Plains of the Abyss,¡± Kalalin shook his head, ¡°As for the Lord of this Circle... shall we talk while we walk? Standing still feels too awful...¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°If I say run later, you all must sprint forward with all your might, understand?¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°Trust my warning ability, it will be alright,¡± Lancelot said as he slung the Hand Half Sword back over his shoulder and stepped forward, ¡°Dear Kalalin, share your knowledge with us...¡± ¡°Numerous powerful Lords have been born in the Abyss, we¡¯ve all heard of the ¡®Demon Prince¡¯ Dimogorgen, ¡®The Undying Overlord¡¯ Orcus, ¡®Lord of the Gnolls¡¯ Yenogu, and ¡®Beast Roar Lord¡¯ Baphoment. But these are all Tanari Demons, the product of mortal souls that entered the Abyss,¡± Kalalin pulled out a short stick no more than a foot long from his magic backpack, swung it vigorously in the air, and it turned into a walking stick over four feet long, ¡°Before them, the Abyss was ruled by the Obyrith Demons...¡± ¡°So Tulaglas is an ancient Lord of Obyrith?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, ¡°Is it because he refused to follow the post-chaos leadership that he was driven from the Plains of the Abyss to this Circle?¡± ¡°Most of the lasting Obyrith Demons are indeed in such a situation, but Tulaglas is an exception; it appeared after Tanari had already dominated the Abyss,¡± the Scholar followed closely behind the Human Knight, carefully navigating around some suspicious bumps on the ground, ¡°If Tanari Demons are just a twisted reflection of their mortal pasts, then Obyrith Demons are the rage, bloodlust, and physiological need for destruction of the Abyss itself... at least, that¡¯s the mainstream view in the Dark Cult, and Tulaglas is the evidence of this view, a malicious presence, an embodiment of chaos, a manifestation of the endless hunger of the Abyss.¡± ¡°Sounds less like a Demon and more like some sort of calamitous Evil Relic,¡± Alamir commented with a smirk, ¡°Only nasty things like these in the Abyss... so why would it fall asleep? A group of legendary adventurers?¡± ¡°No,¡± the Scholar shook his head, ¡°The answer might sound incredible, but it was indeed killed by a team-up of the mortal enemies Dimogorgen and Orcus...¡± Chapter 740: 761 Tulaglas Chapter 740: Chapter 761 Tulaglas ¡°Two of the three giants of the Abyss actually joined forces?¡± Lancelot asked in surprise, but he didn¡¯t turn his head, focusing on the steep mountain path ahead, ¡°I thought they were always fighting nonstop and only formed a brief alliance when one of them became too powerful?¡± ¡°Yes, but Tulaglas... is different,¡± Kalalin followed closely behind, eyes intently fixed on the ground beneath his feet, ¡°The other Abyssal Lords see the ¡®Eternal Hunger¡¯ as a terrifying threat, which could disrupt their myriad schemes and even threaten their very existence. Tulaglas is like a cyst grown from the Abyss itself; such a close connection is something that neither Dimogorgen nor Orcus can match. If the Abyss itself can create beings capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with those Tanari Lords, then what stronger beings might emerge in the future from the disharmony churning within the Abyss itself?¡± ¡°So, the Demon Prince and The Undying Overlord put aside their conflict to deal with Tulaglas?¡± ¡°It sounds strange, I know, but during a lull in their endless war, they indeed joined forces. First, other Demon Lords who feared the Eternal Hunger sent a massive army to this plane, nearly submerging it. After the latter exhausted most of its power, spells, and cultists, the two Abyssal Lords stepped onto the battlefield together. Despite Tulaglas being immensely powerful, it stood no chance against Dimogorgen and Orcus joining forces. Using control over its own realm, Tulaglas tried to banish one of them or escape to the depths of the Stellar Realm using Teleportation Magic, but the Demon Prince and The Undying Overlord had anticipated this. They corrupted the magic of the Eternal Hunger, trapped it behind the walls of dimensions, and transformed its area into a dimensional prison...¡± ¡°A dimensional prison?¡± Alamir asked, somewhat surprised, ¡°Where? This plane?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± The Scholar turned his walking stick and pointed to the gloomy sky above, ¡°Right above us...¡± Everyone looked up curiously, scrutinizing the fog that seemed uniformly the same. At first, they saw nothing, but suddenly, a gust of brisk wind tore a small gap in the fog, revealing the scene at higher altitudes. ¡°What is that?¡± Bruto exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Another piece of land?¡± ¡°A demi-plane,¡± Alamir squinted, his gaze still fixed on the gap now re-covered by the fog, ¡°That must be the dimensional prison Kalalin talked about.¡± Lancelot saw more; he was certain that the terrain in that demi-plane closely mirrored the land beneath their feet, and their current location provided a clear view of the surrounding landscapes. What this meant, Lancelot couldn¡¯t discern, and he saw no creatures like the masters of this plane. Intuition told him that was definitely a good thing. ¡°Stop looking, you won¡¯t get any useful information,¡± Kalalin¡¯s voice rose again, ¡°And it¡¯s dangerous in itself. When you gaze at that prison, there¡¯s a very small chance that you¡¯ll attract the attention of Tulaglas...¡± ¡°And then?¡± Bruto shrank his neck, feeling inexplicably cold. ¡°No one knows,¡± Kalalin curled his lip, ¡°Every Scholar in the Cult who studied it ended up disappearing without exception. Just fine in the morning, greeting colleagues and discussing the latest findings, and then suddenly gone without taking any personal belongings or leaving any explanations ¨C just disappeared into thin air and no magical means could locate them.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, isn¡¯t your case similar?¡± Lancelot quickly turned back to check that everyone was still following, ¡°I remember you said that you summoned demons when you were reading a Scroll of Darkness, and your entire room was dragged into the Abyssal Plane...¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what happened,¡± Kalalin curled his lip, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for running into you and Bruto, I¡¯d just be another name on the long list of disappearances of the Cult.¡± ¡°Sounds like a terrible job.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± the Scholar chuckled, ¡°But knowledge is so tempting; even knowing the dangers, it still compels one to pursue it recklessly...¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a moth to a flame,¡± Bruto commented. ¡°I know some dwarfs who would do the same for gold, gemstones, or even a rich vein...¡± ¡°Sounds familiar,¡± said Lancelot without turning back. ¡°Damn, I didn¡¯t even realize it myself,¡± Bruto lifted his helmet back to his neck, wiping the sweat from his forehead, ¡°How much further do we have?¡± ¡°Less than half a mile. Vertically.¡± ¡°...Get breakfast out, please. Before I start gnawing on your ass.¡± The dwarf¡¯s threat was effective. Lancelot took out the white dragon meat that had been skewered with iron spikes beforehand, its inherent chill keeping it fresh. ¡°How well done?¡± ¡°Well done.¡± ¡°Rare.¡± ¡°Rare, thank you, brother!¡± A green flame sprang from Lancelot¡¯s hand, instantly cooking the skewer to his companions¡¯ desired doneness, and he handed them out to Alamir, Kalalin, and little Isha. As for Bruto, he had already grabbed the thickest skewer and started chewing on it¡ªhe had an inexplicable craving for completely raw meat. The food indeed injected new vitality into their bodies, and they unconsciously quickened their pace. They trudged along the mountain path, now steep, now gentle, for about an hour, and the contour of the mountaintop was now clearly visible in their sight. ¡°Come to think of it, this plane doesn¡¯t seem so dangerous,¡± Bruto¡¯s voice broke the silence again. ¡°Aside from those initial Flomoses, and the big mouths that sprouted from the ground unexpectedly. I guess those bizarre phenomena won¡¯t happen unless there¡¯s a corpse or blood on the ground?¡± ¡°A hypothesis worth recording,¡± Kalalin panted in reply. ¡°Once we stop, I¡¯ll write down your idea...¡± ¡°But why haven¡¯t any new enemies appeared?¡± Little Isha asked somewhat curiously. ¡°The mountains near Twin Bridges Town were packed with Flomoses, as many as the leaves on a big tree...¡± Everyone¡¯s steps halted abruptly, while Lancelot gently drew his hand half sword from his back, and both Bruto and Alamir took out their respective shields and weapons. The little girl had pointed out an issue they had all overlooked: in the Abyss, if an area was relatively safe, there was only one reason¡ªit belonged to some powerful entity. Chapter 741: 762: A Harsh Stab Chapter 741: Chapter 762: A Harsh Stab ¡°Do you feel something?¡± Bruto anxiously asked Lancelot. ¡°Nothing specific, but something is definitely off.¡± Lancelot closed his eyes and then opened them quickly, scanning the surroundings, ¡°Some presence has noticed us...¡± ¡°Tulaglas? Should we not have mentioned that name?¡± the Dwarf speculated nervously, ¡°I don¡¯t see anything strange around... some kind of invisible magic? Kalalin, can you detect it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not magical.¡± Lancelot shook his head slightly, ¡°I said noticed, not watched. Anyway, it¡¯s nothing good; we better leave this bizarre plane as soon as possible...¡± The group started moving again, this time with weapons and shields in hand, clearly more tense than before. After walking a bit more, Lancelot suddenly stopped again, causing Kalalin behind him to almost bump into him. ¡°What is it now?¡± Bruto instinctively lowered his voice, ¡°Any new discoveries?¡± ¡°The ground just trembled a bit.¡± Lancelot frowned, ¡°It¡¯s gone now, but it shouldn¡¯t have been my imagination...¡± He had barely finished speaking when another tremor came from below. This disturbance was significantly stronger than before, and everyone could clearly feel it. The intensity of the tremors increased rapidly, as if something was swiftly approaching them. Lancelot¡¯s expression quickly darkened, and he fiercely raised his longsword, pointing it straight at the ground, and shouted at the same time: ¡°Run! To the top of the mountain!¡± No one asked for further explanation; the four others immediately rushed out following his command. Something that had been dormant within the mountain was awakening, rapidly approaching their location, and it was certainly not some freak natural phenomenon. Moreover, Lancelot was not planning to passively wait for the attacker to make its move; he preferred to keep the initiative in his own hands. A few moments later, the Human Knight¡¯s longsword suddenly burst with a dazzling sword aura, and then he plunged it fiercely into the ground. Lancelot wielded about eighty percent of his strength for that strike, and he half-knelt on the ground, with only the hilt of Frostslash still visible outside. Although the Hand Half Sword itself was only several feet long, the Qingyuan Sword Technique¡¯s sword aura extended further, piercing deeper into the earth. As a Wood Attribute cultivation technique, the dense soil was like merely a lump of hardened cheese against the sword aura, barely impacting its power. Lancelot distinctly felt that he had indeed hit something, which brought a brief joy to his expression. However, in the next second, the Human Knight was thrown high into the air. The predator lurking underground burst through the surface, exposing its terrifying body. Lancelot circulated the True Yuan inside his body, swiftly adjusting his form in mid-air, evaluating the enemy he had ¡®stabbed¡¯ out. It was a terrible giant beast with the appearance of a worm, with a radius alone nearly ten feet, and the part he could see was fifty feet long, with more hidden underground. The monster¡¯s body was covered in ringed, purple chitin carapaces, which interlocked like plank armor, each segment boasted a saw-toothed bone spur that could either facilitate burrowing forward by rotating its body underground or crush an enemy¡¯s body like a meat grinder as it passed over. At the front of this horrifying body, there were neither eyes nor organs like noses or ears, just a gaping mouth split wide open, filled with densely packed, unusually white, sharp teeth. Having been in the Abyss for so long, Lancelot had come to understand one thing: a creature with an exceptionally clean mouth might prioritize personal hygiene, or it might be because its saliva had a strong corrosive quality. In any case, it definitely wasn¡¯t because it hadn¡¯t eaten for a long time and licked itself clean. When Lancelot had first arrived in this dimension, he and Bruto had encountered a huge sandworm lord, and the two had made a fortune from it. The purple giant worm in front of him, though similar in size to that sandworm, presented a completely different aura with its additional carapace and spikes. In the Human Knight¡¯s Spirit Perception, its presence was almost comparable to a six-armed Serpent Demon in a furious state. With its enormous gaping mouth, it could swallow the entire squad of five in one bite. If it were to launch a surprise attack from beneath their feet, the consequences would be unimaginable. Lancelot easily located the wound he had just inflicted. About thirty feet from the monster¡¯s head, a large amount of fresh blood was pouring out of a bowl-sized gap, looking just like the spring of an underground fountain. Clearly, the monster was furious at being wounded by Lancelot. With a terrifying twist of its body, it snapped towards the airborne, leverage-less Human Knight like a predatory snake. Had it been anyone else, dodging this attack would have been impossible. Although Lancelot had not yet reached the Golden Core Stage and couldn¡¯t use Imperial Qi to fly, making some maneuvers in the air was still no problem for him. His body seemed as if it was pulled by an invisible rope, suddenly accelerating downward, dodging the enormous mouth while his longsword plunged into the body of the giant worm once again. This time he specifically aimed for the seams of the armor on the beast¡¯s body, but the result did not meet his expectations. Lancelot felt as though he was thrusting into a piece of steel-like bone. Even with the empowerment of the Qingyuan Sword Technique, the longsword could only penetrate about a foot before it could go no further. As an experienced warrior, Lancelot knew there was no point in struggling against the opponent¡¯s armor. The same principle applied in this situation. His legs, abdomen, back, and shoulder muscles all exerted force at the same time, instantly pulling the half-stuck sword out of the enemy¡¯s body. He then immediately leapt aside, narrowly evading the armored worm¡¯s devastating crush roll. ¡°Lancelot!!!¡± ¡°Brother!!!¡± Shouts of alarm came from the distance. From their perspective, the Human Knight¡¯s figure resembled a small boat submerged by a giant wave, disappearing under the rolling form of the purple worm. Bruto instantly charged forward. Although he could no longer activate the power of Titan¡¯s Blood today, the Dwarf, in his Berserk State, had long forgotten what fear was. Filling his heart was only a pure and primal urge to destroy. But another figure moved even faster. Two huge bat wings extended from behind little Isa, her originally pale golden hair inexplicably turning almost translucent white. Although it was daytime on this plane, the thick clouds in the sky blocked the sunlight, allowing her to utilize some of the Vampires¡¯ powers. Further away, the Elf Priest was half-kneeling on the ground, softly chanting sacred prayers, the shield he supported growing ever brighter; and Kalalin pulled out five or six scrolls from his backpack, hesitated for a moment, then opened the thickest one... The peak was already near. Everyone knew that the Portal to leave was not far behind, and though the beast behind them seemed invincible, each of them was committed to the fight without hesitation. There were no grand reasons, no embarrassing excuses, and they hadn¡¯t even considered whether it was worth it... Their companion was in danger, and that alone was enough. Chapter 742: 763 Swallowing Chapter 742: Chapter 763 Swallowing Little Esha, who possessed the ability to fly, was the first to rush to the side of the giant worm, she flitted through like a swift, darting between the bone spurs on the monster¡¯s body, and the creature didn¡¯t even notice her presence. Upon seeing Lancelot¡¯s figure, Little Esha immediately aimed to fly towards him, but Lancelot¡¯s voice suddenly echoed in her mind. ¡®Don¡¯t come here, fly up high!¡¯ Little Esha was taken aback and her face showed a delighted expression¡ªformerly, at the bottom of the fissure in the Iron Ice Plains, in an attempt to steal control of those zombie giants, Lancelot accidentally formed a master-servant pact with Little Esha, and although he had never demanded anything of her as a master since then (to the girl¡¯s slight regret), this bond still had other uses, such as allowing direct mind link communication within a certain distance, which could bring a great advantage during combat. Even though Little Esha had immense trust in her Cold Iron Shortsword, she was also conscious that her weapon, less than two feet long, was unlikely to inflict any significant damage on the creature before her. With a slight change in the angle of her wings, the little vampire¡¯s figure instantly shot up more than fifty feet into the air, overlooking the entire battlefield from above. ¡®Brother Bruto is about to reach the monster, and Brother Kalalin has just conjured a gigantic magic hand...¡¯ Little Esha quickly reported the situation of the battlefield to Lancelot, enabling him to better plan his next move. On the other side of the armored worm, the frenzied dwarf had already raised his warhammer, and with a loud roar, he heavily smashed it onto a segment of the enemy¡¯s carapace. A grating sound of bone cracking was heard, and the carapace hit by the dwarf cracked like a wall smashed by a catapult, spurting out a small amount of dark-red viscous fluid. Against the hard armor, blunt weapons were indeed more advantageous than swords, especially when the target was a terrifyingly large insect. Stimulated by the pain, the giant worm violently turned its head, only to be solidly hit by a magic fist the size of its own head, which made it wobble and twist back around. ¡°Wow, Bigby¡¯s Hand.¡± The Elf Priest next to the Scholar raised an eyebrow in surprise, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could already make Fifth Circle spell scrolls.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Kalalin pursed his lips, ¡°I bought this scroll. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t exceed my spellcasting abilities by too much, so the chance of failure wasn¡¯t high...¡± Facing the monster¡¯s head advancing again, Lancelot, forewarned by Little Esha¡¯s hints, was already prepared. After a brief build-up of power, he swung his long sword, heavily slashing across the gaping maw of the giant worm, creating a terrible wound: the creature¡¯s lower jaw was nearly cut open down the middle, copious blood gushed out like a waterfall, and it emitted a deep, horn-like screech, a sound that spoke of both pain and rage. Lancelot felt elated, ready to press the attack, but his Spirit Perception suddenly issued a warning, prompting him to instinctively leap backward. Where he had just been standing, a flagpole-sized spike suddenly shot up from the ground, bearing a greenish glow that made Lancelot¡¯s flesh crawl, and in just a few short breaths, the ground around the spike had turned pitch black, a clear indication of the potent poison on the spike. Seemingly convinced that this strike was sure to hit the Human Knight, the giant creature had already shifted its focus elsewhere. On another side of its body, the carapace shattered by the dwarf exceeded ten feet in length, and the gigantic magic hand was poised with two fingers extended, as if it was about to jab at the spot broken by the dwarf. The worm, though lacking vision, was incredibly sensitive to danger; Lancelot¡¯s sword strike, though effective, hadn¡¯t truly compromised its fighting capacity. ¡°Brother! The monster is about to turn over!¡± The young Elsha warned again from her position high above, her vantage point allowing her a clear view of the lower half of the massive, elongated creature¡¯s body beginning to contract and twist. ¡°Bruto! Retreat now!¡± Lancelot immediately shouted, but the Dwarf, caught in a Berserk State, couldn¡¯t hear, nor could he comprehend his comrade¡¯s warning even if he did. He kept swinging his Magic Warhammer with all his might, but the next second, he saw that the wall he was trying to tear down had collapsed, swiftly submerging him completely. The giant worm¡¯s body rolled over the Dwarf, then completely shattered Kalalin¡¯s magical hand. It seemed to want to roll back over to ensure it had completely flattened the Dwarf, but before it could do so, a swift shadow rushed to the Dwarf¡¯s location, took off again, and left. It was young Elsha, holding onto the handle near the neck of the Dwarf¡¯s breastplate with both hands, flapping her massive bat wings behind her in a strenuous effort to fly upwards. Bruto appeared to be unconscious, with black and red blood seeping from his nose, mouth, and ears, most likely with multiple fractures all over his body, looking extremely tragic. Just then, a bright golden light suddenly appeared out of nowhere, enveloping the Dwarf in Elsha¡¯s hands. This was the Healing Divine Art that Alamir had prepared earlier, as a massive influx of life energy poured into the Dwarf¡¯s body, healing his most severe injuries first: changing his deformed bones, repairing his injured organs, mending his ruptured blood vessels, and stitching up his torn muscles, practically causing Bruto to open his eyes almost immediately. However, what met his gaze was a rapidly approaching gaping maw full of sharp teeth, at its center a dark tunnel-like hole, like an entrance to the Nine Nether Realm. Carrying the heavy Dwarf significantly impaired Elsha¡¯s flight capability, and from the gaping maw emitted an overwhelmingly strong suction force. Without giving them any time to react, both were instantly sucked into the belly of the giant worm. The gaping maw clamped shut, and with it, the figures of the two disappeared completely. Just at that moment, another figure leaped in front of the giant head of the worm ¨C it was Lancelot, who had run over in a frenzy. He had switched his weapon to the Giant Sword Glacier, and with it, he chopped at the upper part of the monster¡¯s gaping mouth like an axe chopping wood. After an unbearably loud and discomforting noise, Lancelot split the creature¡¯s mouth into four sections, which from a distance looked like some mutated flower, displaying its hunger to the gods above. Before the creature could bring its ¡®petals¡¯ back together, Lancelot¡¯s figure flashed as he intentionally dove into the monster¡¯s throat. ¡°What?¡± Alamir couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°What is he doing?¡± ¡°Solving the problem,¡± Kalalin replied calmly, ¡°That purple worm is finished. Prepare to cast the group Healing Divine Art.¡± Chapter 743: 764: Eat and Be Eaten Chapter 743: Chapter 764: Eat and Be Eaten The Purple Worm, a subterranean predator and one of the largest known creatures, is renowned for its plate-like carapace, deadly stinger, and a massive maw capable of swallowing large livestock. Like most underground creatures, their vision had nearly completely degenerated, yet they possessed extremely keen hearing and vibration perception abilities, allowing them to accurately understand everything happening on the surface. At the same time, their intelligence was even lower among animals, essentially no different from that of a regular worm. They resembled a pure, ravenous, perpetually feeding force of nature, which when combined with the unique curse of this realm, birthed the calamitous monster before everyone. However, as its size had increased, the corrosiveness of the acid inside it had not strengthened simultaneously, and the space inside its stomach had expanded significantly. If it had swallowed other creatures of this realm that had also grown due to the curse, this wouldn¡¯t have been problematic, but for Lancelot and his party from the outside world, this actually provided them an opportunity to struggle. Of course, before he recklessly jumped in, Lancelot hadn¡¯t thought much about all this. Inside the worm there was, of course, no light source, but this obviously couldn¡¯t pose any hindrance to Lancelot¡¯s vision. The spacious tunnel had a radius of at least five feet, surrounded by pink flesh walls full of creases and protuberances, covered with a sticky, semi-transparent layer of yellow digestive juice. A blue light enveloped Lancelot¡¯s body, preventing that disgusting mucus from touching his skin and propelled the Human Knight swiftly deeper inside. Within just a few breaths, he had spotted the figures of his two companions. Young Isa was clinging tightly to Bruto¡¯s back, apparently terrified, while the Dwarf was still struggling, heedless of the mucus that brought intense pain, trying to grasp a protrusion on the flesh wall, but evidently without any success. ¡°Bruto! I¡¯m here,¡± Lancelot shouted downward, ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± ¡°Big brother?!¡± The Dwarf answered in surprise, his voice indicating he could still struggle for a while. Lancelot¡¯s heart steadied somewhat, and he quickly formed a magical gesture with his hand, summoning a sturdy vine which wrapped around the Dwarf and swiftly pulled him to his side. Lancelot opened his arms, embracing Bruto and Isa together, his blue protective aura also enveloping his friends and instantly vaporizing all the disgusting mucus. ¡°Ha! Seeing you really brings relief!¡± Bruto yelled through Isa, ¡°But how did you get swallowed too?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I wouldn¡¯t have come in here if it wasn¡¯t to save you...¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s touching! Isa, did you hear that? He came specifically to save me!¡± ¡°...to save you both.¡± ¡°Hey, same thing. But what do we do next? How do we get out?¡± ¡°We¡¯re inside that big worm¡¯s belly,¡± Lancelot said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s the one that should be worried!¡± The vine that had wrapped around the Dwarf quickly grew longer, binding the three tightly together, freeing Lancelot¡¯s hands to do something else. He had intended to pull out one of the Holy Swords from the Dimensional Bag ¨C any one of them should have sufficed to carve a path out ¨C but a sudden inspiration struck him, and he decided to opt for another more ¡®direct¡¯ approach. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Lancelot gently tapped on Isa¡¯s newly turned golden hair, ¡°We¡¯ll be out soon.¡± Accompanied by a series of complex hand gestures, the protective aura around Lancelot suddenly surged, and a vague silhouette of green vines faintly appeared in the air. The next moment, countless vine tendrils as thick as arms surged out of the aura, each tipped with many round spores. These spores quickly grew into fist-sized mushrooms at a visible speed, then the caps of the mushrooms split in the middle, revealing rows of tiny mouths filled with fine, sharp teeth. ¡°Damn it, you now look like an octopus with a hundred tentacles.¡± Bruto¡¯s face, illuminated by the spiritual light, was as green as a summer meadow, ¡°I had forgotten you could do that.¡± ¡°I almost forgot too,¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°it must be that damn curse...¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Standing hundreds of feet away, Kalalin and Alamir were shocked to see the fearsome beast, as if struck by lightning, suddenly start convulsing violently. It coiled up like a cobra, made a motion as if to vomit, then, like a headless fly, smashed frantically against the ground, making the whole mountain shake as if in an earthquake, scaring the pair into running further away to avoid being affected by the monster¡¯s death throes. However, life visibly drained out of the giant armored worm, and it quickly collapsed to the ground, limp like a fish tossed onto the desert sand by magic. Less than a minute later, the creature completely stopped twitching, and to Alamir, the Priest of the Domain of Life, there was no doubt that the beast was thoroughly dead. The two exchanged a glance and cautiously walked forward. As they came within thirty feet of the worm¡¯s corpse, a segment of the carapace suddenly moved, nearly scaring them into running away¡ªhad they not seen the figure behind the carapace, they certainly would have. Lancelot walked out from the corpse of the worm, carrying little Isha in his arms and holding onto the still tightly closed-eyed Dwarf. Behind him still floated a cyan vine silhouette, with countless bucket-thick vines rapidly retracting, merging back into clusters of greenish lights that flowed into the silhouette. As all the vines retracted, the giant carcass collapsed like neatly arranged dominoes. Kalalin and Alamir looked intently and were surprised to see that none of the shells had any flesh left inside, as if devoured by some bloodthirsty locusts. ¡°The ability you got in the Fencer Troll¡¯s den?¡± Alamir raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Yes.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°I was actually planning just to dig a hole and get out...¡± ¡°How do you feel now? Any kind of... sense of satisfaction from having your desires fulfilled?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Lancelot said with a downcast face, ¡°I controlled the vines to consume, turn it into energy, not connect to my stomach... even if it did, I don¡¯t have a stomach that big.¡± ¡°We also transform what we eat into energy,¡± said the Elf Priest, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t move, let me heal your wounds...¡± After a brief rest, the group continued toward the mountain peak, and this time nothing else disturbed them. About half an hour later, what they were looking for suddenly appeared in front of them: a portal hanging in the air, internally pure white, the entrance to the Domain of the Vague. ¡°This is it, just like what Tijana saw in her Crystal Ball,¡± Lancelot turned to his companions, ¡°ready to enter the Land of the Dead?¡± No one spoke, but from their eyes, Lancelot knew everyone was ready. Chapter 744: 765 Domain of the Vague Chapter 744: Chapter 765 Domain of the Vague (First post, then revise) Just as he was about to step into the portal, Lancelot suddenly turned his head to look at the sky, his gaze penetrating the thick fog and spotting something unique. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Kalalin asked anxiously, ¡°Is there something not right?¡± ¡°No, nothing worth noting.¡± Lancelot shook his head. He had just felt a secretive call, a wave of admiration-filled spiritual fluctuation, an invitation to a gluttonous feast, a greeting from his own kind. His response was to pretend to ignore it, but he wasn¡¯t sure that would make any difference¡ª¡¯Eternal Hunger¡¯ Tulaglas had already noticed him, and all he could do was to leave that terrifying entity¡¯s sight as quickly as possible. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Lancelot nodded to everyone, ¡°Keep up.¡± Except for the first time he had come to the Abyss, this was the first time Lancelot used a portal connecting other outer layers. It felt completely different from his previous experiences, as if he himself were some fixed anchor, around which the universe spun in a supernatural manner. When the spinning stopped, even Lancelot could barely keep standing, while his companions without exception fell to the ground. Everything around them turned to pure white, as if they were in a room where the walls, dome, and ceiling radiated white light, looking in any direction seemed like staring directly at the sun, not as glaring yet devoid of any information about shape, distance, color, and position. And when he inhaled in surprise, Lancelot immediately started to cough violently, and others reacted similarly¡ªnot because the air contained some strange odor, but because the air was too pure, neither foul nor fragrant, utterly tasteless, and even dust-free, which was a stark irritant for those accustomed to the suffocating foul air of the Abyss. It was a while before everyone stopped coughing, and their eyes gradually adapted to the surroundings. To their surprise, they found themselves standing on an endless white chalk plain, and they were not alone¡ªwithin visible range, they saw at least a thousand figures, including large groups of hundreds, solitary wanderers, and more often small groups of three or five, either walking silently or standing quietly in place, waiting. It was unsettling that these people had physical bodies, ordinary appearances, and seemed no different from normal people; had they not been forewarned, Lancelot and his companions would never have believed that all these were indeed deceased. Furthermore, seeing so many ¡®normal¡¯ humanoid creatures at once was still something the group found unusual. Even in Twin Bridges Town, two-thirds of the pedestrians on the streets had at least one of antlers, bat wings, tails, or beast hooves, while here almost everyone was a normal mortal. Despite it making no sense, Lancelot and his group still felt an eerie sense of alienation, as if they truly did not belong here. Despite this, the surrounding crowd seemed to have no interest in this group of suddenly appeared outsiders. Some glanced at them but quickly shifted their gaze away, as if they had seen mere common stones by the roadside, not worthy of any attention. For Lancelot, this behavior confirmed his guess: there was no difference in appearance between these deceased and his own group, whether through their eyes or his own. The companions exchanged uneasy glances, seemingly uncertain of what to do next. However, one thing was clear: it didn¡¯t seem appropriate to keep their weapons at hand, so they subconsciously stowed away their blades, hammers, and shields. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Bruto asked in a hushed voice, ¡°Should we start casting spells to search for my father¡¯s soul right away?¡± ¡°Hold on a moment, let¡¯s figure out the situation around us first,¡± Lancelot¡¯s lips barely moved, but his voice clearly resonated by each companion¡¯s ear, ¡°I want to take a closer look at those ¡®dead,¡¯ it¡¯s time to test your acting skills...¡± ¡°How do we do that?¡± Bruto asked, puzzled. ¡°Just pretend you¡¯re someone who just woke up and is still groggy,¡± Alamir grinned, ¡°Simple, right?¡± ¡°Like that, huh... Alright, but don¡¯t blame me if it goes south...¡± As it turned out, the dwarf¡¯s concerns were entirely superfluous. When Lancelot led them to several dozen individuals standing in place, maybe only two turned to glance at them before bowing their heads and continuing their murmuring. Lancelot deliberately walked slowly, which didn¡¯t make them look suspicious at all here¡ªmost people were in that state. Coupled with his transcendent hearing, he easily made out every word these people said. ¡°Ogma! Lord of Knowledge, God of Wisdom! Binder of all knowledge, guardian of minstrels! Please take us away, we who dedicate our teachings to your cause, devote our lives to the faith of knowledge! Hear the cries of your worshippers, look! Here is the librarian Benito Hernandez who established the third largest public library in Xihartland; here is ¡®Thinker¡¯ Willow Parada, who spent his life studying historical documents from the turbulent years, exploring the connections between gods and mortals; here is ¡®Sage¡¯ Xueye Swan, who served the lords of Tillage Town loyally with his knowledge for a lifetime...¡± The prayer continued, extolling the loyalty of Ogma¡¯s followers, and listing each individual¡¯s achievements. Lancelot had no interest in listening further and slightly quickened his pace, soon leaving these people far behind. Suddenly, every soul on the white plain lifted their heads, gazing toward the bright sky above. A war chariot with a black base and gold trim roared across from the distant horizon, with red, blue, and green lightning leaping beneath its wheels. The driver was a bronze-skinned female warrior clad in demi-divine plate armor, her eyes aglow with sparking electricity. As she drove the chariot overhead, many figures on the ground suddenly flew up, all emitting excited cheers, quickly being sucked into the interior of the war chariot, but some on the ground started to collapse in tears, frantically chasing after the swiftly departing chariot in the sky, first pleading, then questioning why the Divine Envoy had abandoned them. ¡°Hmph, Talos,¡± Lancelot heard the group he had just passed murmuring in low voices, to his surprise filled with contempt, ¡°May He attain peace soon. Let¡¯s continue, the great Ogma will soon send His Divine Envoy. Don¡¯t waver in your faith...¡± Chapter 745: 766: Missed It? Chapter 745: Chapter 766: Missed It? (First update, then revise) ¡°It seems that was a Divine Envoy sent by the Lord of the Storm, Talos, to escort those devout believers, while those not accepted were judged by the Lord of the Dead,¡± Kalalin thoughtfully observed the followers of Ogma behind him, ¡°Come to think of it, if one day I also reach the end of my life, I wonder if the God of Knowledge would accept my soul?¡± ¡°Are you a follower of Ogma?¡± Lancelot curiously looked at the scholar, ¡°I¡¯ve never seem you pray to any god. Even Bruto mentions Moradin¡¯s name occasionally, although it¡¯s usually in... rather strong terms.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± The Dwarf nervously scanned his surroundings, ¡°In my heart, I truly respect the Father of Dwarves...¡± ¡°Not all gods want their followers to praise their name or donate great amounts of money to the church every day,¡± the Scholar earnestly said, ¡°The doctrine of Ogma clearly demands, ¡®Those who believe in me should spread knowledge and truth so that the broader masses can understand more.¡¯ I just don¡¯t know if knowledge about the Abyss and demons is also encouraged...¡± ¡°Does the God of Knowledge have some discord with the Lord of the Storm?¡± Lancelot recalled the reactions of those believers, ¡°I thought these dead had no feelings.¡± ¡°Another title of Talos is the Destroyer, his Divine office includes storms, earthquakes, forest fires, and various other natural disasters. Therefore, He despises all gods associated with civilization, and as Ogma holds the ultimate collection and dissemination of knowledge, He naturally dislikes the deity of destruction and devastation,¡± Kalalin shrugged, ¡°But here, everything must heed the King of the Dead, and envoys sent by Divine Powers must not act against the followers of hostile deities. Provoking the King of the Dead is definitely not worth it and unnecessary.¡± ¡°Did you guys notice that those people don¡¯t blink?¡± Isa¡¯s voice sounded a bit frightened, ¡°and they also don¡¯t have shadows...¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of,¡± Alamir made a scary face at her, ¡°Don¡¯t forget you¡¯re a vampire.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s find a place with fewer people.¡± Lancelot turned his head to scan the surroundings, then raised his hand pointing somewhere, ¡°There seem to be fewer people over there, let¡¯s go.¡± The companions began moving in the direction he pointed, the surrounding scenery almost unchanged, and without any landmarks to serve as references. The only proof that they were indeed moving was the other dead wandering the plains, and indeed the density of the crowd was continuously decreasing. Besides the carriage that thundered with tri-colored lightning they encountered earlier, they had witnessed another appearance of a Divine Envoy. It was a knight as large as a giant, clad in full plate armor, riding a chestnut war horse, holding a high-flying battle flag that depicted a red shield, emblazoned with an emblem of a burning longsword. Lancelot felt an inexplicable familiarity with this Divine Envoy and stated the deity the envoy represented without needing an introduction from Kalalin or Alamir: ¡°Tampas, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Kalalin nodded affirmatively, ¡°Lord of Battle, Foe Hammer... this deity has many titles, all battle-related activities are His Divine office. It¡¯s said that the earliest God of War had many, but Tampas defeated them all, or at least all of those known, and absorbed their powers to become the strong Divine Power He is now. Perhaps you felt His call? Theoretically, all great warriors are appreciated by Tampas, whether or not they have ever paid Him homage.¡± ¡°Haha, looks like I won¡¯t have to worry about being stuck to that legendary wall after I die...¡± ¡°Of course not, I can¡¯t speak for the other gods, but Lady Firehair will certainly welcome you with open arms,¡± Shuni¡¯s Priest smiled at him, ¡°Besides, I believe your powerful lover definitely won¡¯t let you die just like that... Unless your soul is hidden away, even if you were turned to ashes, she¡¯d find a way to bring you back. With her Spellcasting ability, that wouldn¡¯t be hard.¡± ¡°I quite like this body of mine, if possible, I¡¯d like to keep using it,¡± Lancelot shrugged lightly, ¡°Alright, there aren¡¯t many people here, let us begin.¡± The companions stopped walking as Lancelot mentioned, the density of the ¡®dead¡¯ around them was indeed very sparse, with less than a hundred people in sight, and absolutely no one else within a fifty-foot radius. ¡°Alright, let me find it, the scroll Tijana gave me...¡± Kalalin reached into his magic backpack, as usual, the item nearest his palm was what he was looking for, ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°Do you need me to do anything?¡± Bruto looked nervously at the suspicious-looking scroll in the scholar¡¯s hands, ¡°Provide a drop of blood? Or a few strands of hair?¡± ¡°Umm, no need.¡± Kalalin unrolled the scroll, ¡°This scroll already has Uncle Barrend¡¯s... nail, maybe.¡± Kalalin quickly read through the scroll and recited the trigger words for the spell. A greenish divination magic light shone, quickly flooding into the Spellcaster¡¯s eyes. It was evident from the changing expressions on the scholar¡¯s face that Lancelot guessed the results might disappoint Bruto. As expected, just a few breaths later, the light in the scholar¡¯s eyes gradually faded. He looked somewhat regretfully at Bruto and said: ¡°Uncle Barrend¡¯s soul is not here.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Bruto cursed fiercely, but then remembered something, somewhat hopelessly asked, ¡°Could it be that Tijana has already successfully resurrected him, so we just missed it?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± Kalalin shook his head heavily, ¡°Through this spell, I know not only that Uncle Barrend¡¯s soul isn¡¯t on this plane, but also that his soul casket never reached this plane.¡± ¡°Tijana mentioned before that dad¡¯s soul isn¡¯t in the Abyss either,¡± Bruto irritably scratched his head, ¡°Not on this end of the pipeline and not on that end, so where exactly is he?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible that someone tampered with Uncle Barrend¡¯s soul when he was killed,¡± Alamir said thoughtfully, ¡°Someone intercepted his soul on its way to the Domain of the Vague. The only explanation...¡± Chapter 746: 676 Fiends of the Domain of the Vague Chapter 746: Chapter 676 Fiends of the Domain of the Vague Lancelot whirled around, with Frostslash firmly gripped in his hand. Before that woman¡¯s voice had sounded, his Spirit Perception hadn¡¯t given him the slightest hint, which alone was enough to indicate how terrifying the owner of the voice must be. The figure that appeared before them was a woman with black hair and a well-proportioned body. She had a pair of thumb-sized horns on her forehead, which added an abnormal, otherworldly mystique to her already beautiful face; her skin was bronze, a color not uncommon among mortals, but it shone with a metallic luster that mortals could never possess. Beyond the horns, there were other characteristics that betrayed her fiendish identity¡ªsuch as the huge leathery wings on her back and a long, forked tail. At first glance, she could easily be mistaken for a Succubus, but everyone present was not misled by the particular scent that emanated from her. ¡°Demon...¡± Lancelot tensed, like a viper ready to strike, ¡°what do you want to do?¡± ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t draw that weapon. This is the territory of the King of the Dead, where any conflict is strictly forbidden...¡± The beautiful demon glanced at the longsword in the human knight¡¯s hand and arched her attractive eyebrows, ¡°However, you living souls, what brings you to the realm of the dead? Are you trying to imitate those three greedy mortals from the past?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s not my business. I just noticed you seemed to be in some trouble and thought I¡¯d come over and see if there was anything I could help with.¡± The female demon took two steps back, ¡°It seems my way of entering the scene has made you too nervous. Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Leya, and as you can see, I am a demon. As an official representative of Barto Hell, I offer those souls that are not accepted by the deities and those who still have unfulfilled desires in the mortal world another choice¡ªto join Barto Hell and become one of us. As part of the agreement between the Lord of Darkness and the King of the Dead, I do not lie to the dead, honestly answer all their questions, and ensure that the requests of the dead are met one hundred percent ...¡± ¡°But we are not the dead,¡± Lancelot quickly pointed out the trap in her words, ¡°So you don¡¯t need to be honest with us.¡± ¡°Ah, it seems you¡¯ve had dealings with demons before,¡± Leya smiled beautifully again, ¡°but I am not like other demons. I don¡¯t need to deceive you. Do you know why?¡± ¡°Because of your power,¡± Lancelot replied grimly, ¡°But there¡¯s a difference between not needing to and choosing not to. Stop playing word games with us, demon. Thank you for your enthusiasm, but we do not require your assistance.¡± ¡°Ah, I truly want to know which individual left such a bad impression on you.¡± The beautiful demoness took another step back, ¡°Since you don¡¯t need my help, then you can handle those guys on your own ...¡± A savage roar, laden with brutality, suddenly erupted. Lancelot turned his head and saw that about a thousand feet away, a portal edged with green flames had appeared out of nowhere, and dozens of ferocious demons were pouring out of it. These demons looked like Berserk Demons in their demeanor, but around their necks hung rotting, goat-like heads with evil red lights flickering in their eye sockets¡ªLancelot knew this meant the demons were affiliated with a specific Abyssal Lord, just like the followers of Yenogu they had encountered in Elgrand. The moment these abyssal inhabitants left the portal, they immediately howled and pounced on the nearest ¡®dead¡¯, who were mostly defenseless civilians; before they could react, these civilians were smashed to the ground with a punch, then stuffed into big sacks by the demons. Lancelot turned his head again, looking at the beautiful demon with bronze skin, but the latter only crossed her arms with a cold indifference, as if it was none of her business. ¡°Big brother, what do we do?¡± Bruto¡¯s voice, laced with suppressed rage, rose. It was clear that he urgently needed to vent, and if no one interfered soon, some souls would indeed be taken by the demons. The King of the Dead forbade any fighting within the Domain of the Vague, but faced with these invading demons, Lancelot could only hope the stories about the deity once called Cranvo were true¡ªthat behind His mask known as the Grim Reaper, there still beat a sincere and kind heart. ¡°Kalalin, can you shut down the portal?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t shut it down completely, but I can disrupt it for a while,¡± the Scholar answered quickly. ¡°Only, I need to get a little closer.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go. Bruto, stay with the group for now. You¡¯ll get your chance to move around soon...¡± The companions quickly formed into a combat formation and dashed towards the portal. These clearly non-¡®dead¡¯ individuals didn¡¯t immediately catch the attention of the demons, who were indulging in the plunder, relishing the process of inflicting pain and fear on others. It was only when their magic pouches could no longer contain more loot and they wanted to return to the Abyssal Plane that they suddenly discovered the path home was malfunctioning. ¡°Put down what doesn¡¯t belong to you!¡± A man¡¯s voice suddenly rang out. The demons turned their heads, only then noticing the group of ¡®heroes¡¯ who had seemingly appeared from nowhere¡ªone of them was holding something that sparkled with the rainbow light of Secret Techniques, clearly, he was the one disrupting the portal¡¯s function. No need for more words, the ram-headed Berserk Demons roared angrily and charged, eager to tear them to shreds. ¡°Alright, this should count as self-defense...¡± Lancelot grasped his sword with both hands, stepped forward, and pointed it straight at the oncoming enemy, while Bruto and Alamir stood firm on his left and right, their faces showing no fear¡ªwith their current strength, these few Berserk Demons in front of them were no match. Out of caution, the group planned to retaliate only after the enemy attacked, so if the King of the Dead pursued the matter, they could use self-defense as their reason. However, there was no rule stopping them from fortifying themselves with useful spells in advance: the Elf Priest had already cast Aid Spells on everyone, giving them an extra boost of life force; besides, he had unleashed a powerful Divine Art on his Hammer of Dissolution, making the Nail-headed Hammer shine like molten gold. Before engaging in continuous spellcasting, Kalalin also cast a Haste Spell on Bruto in advance. This would double his movement speed, likely countering what might be the stout warrior¡¯s only weakness. Chapter 747: 677: Top-Level Art Chapter 747: Chapter 677: Top-Level Art (Will update then revise) For those eager to begin the battle, the distance of less than a hundred feet that the Berserk Demons had to cover felt intolerably slow, although in reality it was but a few breaths¡¯ time. Finally, the Berserk Demon at the forefront made a fierce leap, covering the last stretch of distance. While opening its strong arms wide, it planned to tear apart the Human Knight before it¡ªthis was, of course, a terrible choice. The demon exposed its chest completely to its opponent, and without wings, there was no chance to dodge while mid-air. Lancelot certainly would not miss such an opportunity. His figure surged forward abruptly, like a crossbow arrow released from its trigger, his hand half sword thrusting forward like a long spear. He gouged out a fist-sized hole in the chest of the goat-headed Berserk Demon and then, as if pulled back by a rope, instantly returned to his original position. Aside from the physical prowess beyond human limits that came after Foundation Establishment, Lancelot did not employ any Spiritual Cultivator¡¯s powers in that strike. After all, there was a Demon watching nearby, and he did not wish to rashly reveal his true strength. The hefty body of the Demon crashed heavily to the ground, rigid as if it were a log, tripping up two of its kind following close behind. Bruto and Alamir obviously did not miss such an opportunity. The former rolled on the spot, crushing an enemy¡¯s knee with his warhammer before even standing up, and blocked the counterattack with his shield. The Elf Priest, without any flourish, swung his Hardhead Hammer¡ªin that instant, the Priest¡¯s magic weapon shone like a lighthouse in the night, and the demon struck began to melt like chocolate beside a furnace, its power was so great that even Lancelot could not help but look twice. ¡°Holy Weapon, Divine Arts of the Fifth Circle,¡± the Elf Priest shrugged at his surprised companion. ¡°Plus the ability of the Domain of Life Priest¡¯s Holy Strike and the Hammer of Dissolution¡¯s own effect, it¡¯s definitely not inferior to the Holy Warrior¡¯s Evilbane Slash... provided it hits.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Lancelot nodded, his longsword drawing a figure in the air before pulling back, causing another enemy lunging at him to lose balance and stumble forwards, then struck true by Alamir¡¯s Hardhead Hammer, known as the Fiend Melter. ¡°That¡¯s the way,¡± the Elf Priest said with a broad smile, ¡°Team cooperation always makes everyone¡¯s efficiency higher...¡± The female Demon standing not far away widened her eyes in surprise. The battle maneuvers of the Human Knight were elegant and swift, without a single superfluous motion, yet they seemed extravagantly gorgeous. With every move, those strong and fierce enemies were dissected as if by a chef¡¯s knife, and this succinct and poignant violence was a premier art form to the denizens of Hell. Even the female Demon, who preferred seducing mortals into falling, could not resist the unique charm radiated by the Human Knight at that moment. While the three companions were fighting hard, guarding, and Kalalin was continuously casting spells, there was also a concealed figure silently weaving through the battlefield¡ªthe Vampiric Wanderer, little Isabella, who had recently received special training from an ancient Vampire brought in by Tijana. Even Lancelot had barely noticed the girl¡¯s movements until he saw her appear behind a Demon that had just been hammered by a Dwarf, her fingers deftly slicing open the pouch containing the spoils of war, then fading into the interplay of shadows without a trace. The dead that fell from the Demon¡¯s magic container were only the size of a fist, like potatoes rolling out of a farmer¡¯s basket, but in less time than a heartbeat they returned to their full size, piling up into a small mound of people. Most of the liberated captives attempted to flee as soon as they could move freely; some Demons tried to recapture their prizes, but without those magic pouches, they couldn¡¯t hold on to anything. Additionally, their attacks had an effect Lancelot had completely not anticipated¡ªlimbs torn off, bodies ripped apart, even heads bitten off, but just a short while later, the destroyed body parts would reattach themselves to those people, looking as if nothing had ever happened, although the screams they let out while being dismembered sounded agonizingly real. ¡°Wow, did you guys see that?¡± Bruto exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Elves! Do you know what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Alamir lifted his shield high to block a weak strike from an unsteady enemy, ¡°They are all the dead! Not the Undead kind, but truly dead!¡± ¡°So what?¡± Bruto ducked low, moving behind another Berserk Demon Lancelot had blinded, ¡°Baby! I¡¯m right here, yes, turn around, eat my hammer!!!¡± ¡°Their! Bodies! Are nothing but the soul¡¯s! Echo with this plane!¡± The Elf Priest, with one hand holding the shield against the enemy¡¯s body and the other pressing the blindingly bright Nail-headed Hammer firmly against the opponent¡¯s chest, explained, ¡°Attacking them is like attacking a reflection in the water, although it looks like damage has been inflicted, but as soon as the water calms down, everything returns to its original state!¡± ¡°Uh... I think I understood that... Big brother, how many enemies are left?¡± ¡°Six,¡± Lancelot spun rapidly, then stabbed backwards at a strange angle, ¡°...now there are only five left. Kalalin, can you hold on?¡± ¡°I... am... reaching my limit...¡± The Scholar spoke tremblingly, sounding as if he had been holding some heavy object for a long time, ¡°Hurry up...¡± ¡°No worries, little Isha already cut open the enemy¡¯s pockets.¡± Lancelot, looking at ease, dodged twice in quick succession, causing yet another enemy¡¯s attack to miss completely, ¡°You can stop now.¡± Upon hearing this, Kalalin immediately dismissed the magic, and some kind of invisible backlash threw him dozens of feet into the air, then he fell back to the ground with a heavy thud¡ªfortunately, having been in the Abyss for so long, Kalalin¡¯s physical condition had greatly improved, and the moment he landed, he rolled instinctively, successfully minimizing the damage. The few Demons that were still alive were relatively more clever, and upon seeing that the Portal had started operating again, they turned and fled without a moment¡¯s hesitation, fearing that lingering would leave them behind their companions. Lancelot had no intention to pursue. He had done enough, and if the enemies chose to flee empty-handed, he felt no need to chase them down to the death. But while Lancelot was willing to let them go, there were others who were not. Chapter 748: 678: Crystal Tower Chapter 748: Chapter 678: Crystal Tower (Chapter 678: Post First, Revise Later) The deity wearing the silver mask swiftly eradicated the remaining Demons as easily as one might brush crumbs from a dining table. Afterwards, He cast a brief glance at Lancelot and his companions, made no further sign, and walked directly to the female Demon, speaking with a cold tone: ¡°You should leave as well.¡± ¡°Why?¡± the female Demon glowered at the expressionless silver mask, ¡°I haven¡¯t broken any rules...¡± ¡°Because even if you had, I would not be able to hold you accountable,¡± the Lord of the Dead said from on high, ¡°If the rules cannot punish you, then you cannot ask for the protection of the rules. Leave now, dark Princess, this is the realm of the dead, you will find nothing here that will aid your schemes and ambitions.¡± ¡°I was just here to relax,¡± the beautiful bronze-skinned Fiend said nonchalantly with a shrug, ¡°But since the host is unwelcoming, I must leave.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Tch... how dull.¡± The female Demon snapped her fingers, and a burning Portal appeared behind her, ¡°That Knight over there, if you ever come to Barto Hell, remember to call my name, I¡¯ll make sure to treat you well...¡± Lancelot remained silent, neither nodding nor shaking his head, but just silently watching her. The female Demon didn¡¯t mind, she turned gracefully and walked into the Portal, disappearing completely. ¡°As for you...¡± the Lord of the Dead turned his head, sweeping his gaze over those who likewise shouldn¡¯t be here, ¡°you will accompany me to the City of Judgment.¡± ¡°Great Lord of the Dead, we mean no harm by coming here...¡± Lancelot boldly spoke up, ¡°Besides, we just stopped those Demons from raiding your subjects...¡± ¡°I know.¡± The silver metal mask betrayed no expression, ¡°I am not taking you back to face judgment... mostly.¡± ¡°Great Lord of the Dead, I don¡¯t understand,¡± Lancelot made his tone as respectful as possible in front of a True God, but a sudden surge of intense unease rose in his heart, ¡°When you say ¡®mostly,¡¯ who is not included?¡± ¡°Her.¡± The deity lifted an arm and pointed with His gloved hand clad in Scale Armor at little Isabella, ¡°Undead, their mere existence is an insult to me.¡± ¡°What!¡± Lancelot exclaimed, his body instantly standing in front of little Isabella, ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡± The Lord of the Dead watched Lancelot expressionlessly, but the latter did not flinch under the mountainous pressure. After a moment, the Grim Reaper continued in an emotionless voice: ¡°I can promise you, as I have promised mankind, she will receive a fair trial.¡± ¡°But you said her existence is an insult to you,¡± Lancelot spoke in a suppressed voice, ¡°But Isabella didn¡¯t choose to become a Vampire, she is also a victim, and since then, she has never harmed anyone...¡± ¡°And she has never deliberately spread the Vampire¡¯s curse?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lancelot shook his head firmly. ¡°Then she is innocent.¡± The Lord of the Dead stood firm as a statue, ¡°Provided that all this is true. As the Grim Reaper, I can see everything a dead person has endured, do not try to answer for others, mortal, it¡¯s pointless. Moreover, considering what you did just now, I can offer you an immediate exit, but I can also see that you did not come to the Domain of the Vague with evil intentions, if you seek my assistance, you must follow me back to the City of Judgment.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, Lancelot,¡± Bruto suddenly spoke up, ¡°Since my father¡¯s soul hasn¡¯t been here, there¡¯s no need...¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t do this for me,¡± little Isabella bit her lip and stepped out from behind Lancelot, ¡°Judge me, Mr. Cranvo, I have nothing to fear! But since you¡¯ve won and promised help, you must deliver.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The silver mask nodded gently, ¡°Brave girl.¡± He made no special movement, but everyone was shocked to find everything around them rapidly moving away, as if they were standing on a bridge while the world below rushed by like a river. Soon, the surroundings were no longer the static white desert. From the horizon emerged towns, forests, fortresses, and fields that moved swiftly closer, and before anyone could discern any details, they sped away even faster. Yet one thing remained unchanged: a long line of countless dead forming a queue, and the real destination of their journey, a Crystal Tower more splendid than the Mother of Demons Cang Ye¡¯s Bone Castle, appeared at the end of the line, quickly filling everyone¡¯s entire field of view. Though prepared for impact, Lancelot still stood unflinchingly in place, gazing directly at the oncoming crystal wall. Just as the Human Knight anticipated, they passed through the outer wall and entered the interior of the high tower. The companions were entering a True God¡¯s Divine Kingdom for the first time and found it entirely unlike what they had expected. The interior of the Crystal Tower contained countless rooms, densely packed like a beehive, each room¡¯s walls mirrored crystal, reflecting every flaw of the person within. More strangely, in each room stood a Lord of the Dead donning a silver mask, and before Him stood each dead person, whether proud or humble, beautiful or ugly. Lancelot remembered Alamir once said that deities could have many avatars, listening to devotees¡¯ prayers, granting Priests Spells, meeting with other Deities, and performing their Divine office. Only under very rare circumstances would They concentrate all Their spirit and power in a single entity, thereby possessing immense power but temporarily unable to perform Their Divine duties¡ªan outcome surely undesirable to the Lord of all Deities, Ao. Eventually, they stopped at the highest part of the tower, an odd sensation flooding their minds as Lancelot knew they had reentered the real world. It was a very spacious hall, its walls entirely made of clear crystal, offering a view of the entire City of Judgment. The Lord of the Dead seated Himself on a lofty throne, and a figure in a hooded cloak and cloak, revealing nothing beneath but floating a pair of white gloves, soon appeared beside Him, allowing the onlookers to reluctantly imagine an invisible body. Chapter 749: 679: Curse or Blessing Chapter 749: Chapter 679: Curse or Blessing ¡°Just one of them, my predecessor.¡± The voice of the King of the Dead remained indifferent, but Lancelot suddenly realized that the other was deliberately imitating the way of speaking of that cloaked skeleton. At that moment, a special voice echoed faintly in Lancelot¡¯s heart, and his expression shifted slightly as he took the initiative to speak: ¡°Respected Arbiter of All Endings, an old friend of yours is with me, and it wishes to greet you.¡± Oh? My friend? The skeleton¡¯s tone seemed merely intended to convey politeness, that condescending inflection was all too familiar to Lancelot. I would certainly be pleased to meet this ¡®old friend,¡¯ but where might he be now? Lancelot reached into the Dimensional Bag at his waist and drew out Starlight Strike at a pace that would not cause any misunderstandings. A swirl of silvery mist appeared around the Aira artefact, and in just a few breaths¡¯ time, there appeared a male Elf dressed in a dark blue robe. He bowed with an extravagantly flamboyant gesture and spoke cheerfully: ¡°Hello there, Weaver of Spells, do you remember me?¡± It¡¯s you? I thought you had perished by Cang Ye¡¯s hand... ¡°Predecessor, who is he?¡± the King of the Dead asked in some surprise, ¡°A Sword Spirit?¡± This is the King Consort of the Queen of the Aira... ¡°The former King Consort.¡± ...It¡¯s indeed unfortunate to hear that, Eskodel, the former King Consort of Starlight Strike. ¡°The sword.¡± ¡°I have heard that name,¡± the deity with the silver mask nodded, ¡°Legend has it that he sacrificed himself in the Abyss to protect those innocent children and thus completed his own redemption...¡± It seems this Sir has found his sword in Androlina and brought it forth. What a pleasant surprise, my friend, I had thought I would have to wait until the end of time to speak with you again. ¡°I feel the same, and I¡¯ve recently heard quite a number of unbelievable legends about you... really, quite incredible.¡± The Elf transformed from Starlight Strike offered a meaningful smile, ¡°Do you still think being the Grim Reaper is a boring job?¡± The work itself is not boring; it¡¯s the way the work is done. And the same goes for you, my lord. ¡°I¡¯ve gained some insight into that, predecessor. Since these people include your old acquaintance, would you take this Vampire away? Although we hold different views on Undead creatures, I won¡¯t deny the rights you hold over them.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need, esteemed King of the Dead,¡± Starlight Strike replied courteously, ¡°Just look into this young girl¡¯s heart, she requires no one¡¯s protection.¡± I would never lay claim to that right either, lord. ¡°In that case, step forward then. These mirrors will reflect all your life experiences...¡± Upon hearing this, little Elizabeth¡¯s body trembled slightly, but still, she bravely stepped forward from behind Lancelot. ¡°Just a moment,¡± Lancelot suddenly spoke. ¡°Great King of the Dead, may we step aside?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°A lady always has her own secrets.¡± Lancelot shook his head. ¡°Besides death, no one has the right to pry into those secrets, and death itself should be silent.¡± ¡°...Hmm, I completely agree,¡± the Grim Reaper nodded gently. In the next instant, the area surrounding Lancelot became enveloped in utter darkness. ¡°Then please wait in the darkness for a moment; we will be done shortly.¡± In the complete darkness, time seemed to stop flowing. Lancelot silently counted his heartbeats, and before reaching thirty, everything around him returned to normal. His gaze immediately found the little girl; he was relieved to see her still standing unharmed in her spot, the only difference being the two crystal-clear tear streaks on her face, making her look especially pitiful. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± the Human Knight quickly walked to the little girl¡¯s side, asking in a gentle, soft voice, ¡°Did you remember some bad memories?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, brother, it¡¯s all in the past,¡± Little Elizabeth lifted her head, trying to muster a smile. ¡°Wait, the King of the Dead hasn¡¯t announced the verdict yet.¡± ¡°My conclusion is, innocent,¡± the voice of the King of the Dead timely rang out. ¡°Brave girl, you do indeed have a heart of gold.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡± Companions cheered as they rushed over and hugged Little Elizabeth tightly in the middle. It must be said, the darkness just then had been quite frightening, putting everyone¡¯s nerves on edge, fearing that upon the return of vision, the first thing they would see would be the little girl turned to ash. ¡°Thank you, Great King of the Dead.¡± Lancelot tried to keep his smile in check, bowing respectfully and as solemnly as possible to the divine presence on the throne. ¡°Thank you for making a fair judgment.¡± ¡°It is my duty, and fairness is what people deserve; there is no need for thanks,¡± the King of the Dead shook his head. ¡°Regarding the judgment of Elizabeth, I have not finished.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t you say she is innocent?¡± ¡°As an individual, she never killed the innocent, never spread unnecessary death in the world for her own benefit, never intentionally created any new Undead, and never preyed on intelligent beings out of desire. Thus, she is indeed innocent,¡± the King of the Dead spoke calmly. It might have been Lancelot¡¯s imagination, but the voice seemed less cold than before. ¡°However, the Undead are a group I have openly declared to strike down. Therefore, I shall perform the following transformations with Divine Power:¡± ¡°Her Vampiric Ability shall no longer be lethal, nor will she be able to create any new offspring...¡± ¡°Any being she kills shall be unable to be transformed into Undead by any means...¡± ¡°Her Soul shall carry my blessing and mark, and it shall not be destroyed by the spells of Necromancers...¡± As the Grim Reaper¡¯s words came out one by one, several points of light radiating Holy Power gently entered Little Elizabeth¡¯s body. She stood submissively with her head bowed, receiving the transformation that was both a curse and a blessing from the deity. When everything was completed, the little girl bowed respectfully on one knee and gently said: ¡°Thank you, Sir Cranvo.¡± ¡°No need to thank me, this is what you have earned,¡± the King of the Dead replied indifferently, then turned to look at the Human Knight standing nearby. ¡°As for you, Sir Lancelot, I¡¯ve heard your name many times...¡± ¡°What?¡± Lancelot was shocked upon hearing this. ¡°You mean...¡± ¡°Where we are is the final destination of all mortals on their earthly journey. As part of my duty, I read everything a Soul has experienced. Some of them have mentioned you: the mysterious Knight, the hero who saved Androlina, the champion Warrior of Twin Bridges Town, the Lord of Withering of Mogrondale... If one listens enough, they can piece together someone¡¯s rough journey. I must say, your story is particularly astonishing, but what puzzles me is that no one knows you from a year ago; it¡¯s as if you emerged from the Multiverse out of nowhere... I guess you fell into a deep sleep for some reason a long time ago and have only recently awakened?¡± Chapter 750: 680 Help Me a Favor Chapter 750: Chapter 680 Help Me a Favor ¡°You misunderstand, great King of the Dead,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°I come from a... different world where the deeds of gods exist only within religious stories, and though people do pray, they have never received a reply. To close a portal leading to the Abyssal Plane, I had no choice but to leave my homeland and embark on a journey with no return, which is why you have never heard of my past.¡± ¡°I see,¡± the silver mask nodded, ¡°Miss Elizabeth has informed me of your purpose in the Domain of the Vague. You are looking for Barrend Frostbeard, a dwarf who believes in Moradin. He was killed on the first layer of the Abyssal Plane, Pazunia, yesterday, wasn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Bruto immediately answered, ¡°But just now, Kalalin cast a Prophecy Magic, saying that my old man¡¯s soul has never reached this plane... What could have gone wrong?¡± ¡°Let me see.¡± The glowing eyes on the silver mask dimmed temporarily, ¡°Huh...¡± Lancelot¡¯s heart sank, knowing that if something surprised this being, the situation was far more complex than he had anticipated. What is it, my lord? What did you find? ¡°The souls of Barrend and several other dwarves have indeed not reached the Domain of the Vague. They... disappeared while passing through the Fallen Shadow Netherworld.¡± ¡°Where?¡± The dwarf¡¯s eyes widened, his voice full of disappointment and disbelief. The Fallen Shadow Netherworld, once known as the Shadow Plane, is where souls are immediately transferred after leaving the body, before arriving in the Domain of the Vague. According to Miss Elizabeth¡¯s memory, you have already encountered inhabitants from that plane. The Grim Reaper butler¡¯s voice rose directly in everyone¡¯s minds. Lancelot immediately understood what was being referred to¡ªValasti, the master of Androlina¡¯s Miasma Swamp, the dark weaver that resembled a giant spider. After killing it, the Eye of Sarezdon on Lancelot¡¯s wrist absorbed its essence, granting him many useful abilities such as Shadow Jump and Shadow Cloak. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, your next step is to go to that plane to continue your search for Barrend, is that right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lancelot answered before Bruto could speak, his expression solemn as he bowed in earnest to the being on the throne, ¡°Thank you for the information you have provided, great King of the Dead, it is very useful to us.¡± ¡°No, this is no longer a matter for you alone,¡± the deity in the silver mask shook his head, ¡°Ensuring that every dead soul is subject to a fair trial is the pledge that made me the King of the Dead. The key words of that pledge are not only ¡®fair¡¯ but also ¡®every¡¯. If people cannot anticipate what awaits them after death, they will go to great lengths to avoid it, and countless disasters in the mortal world arise because of this. Therefore, this is no longer your affair alone. As a god who oversees the dead and death, it is my duty to find out what caused Barrend¡¯s soul to disappear and to ensure that nothing similar will happen again.¡± The companions fell into a brief silence, taking a moment to digest what they had just heard; it was Lancelot who finally spoke carefully: ¡°Then, great King of the Dead, is there anything you need us to do?¡± ¡°Find out the reason behind Barrend¡¯s soul¡¯s disappearance and ensure something similar does not happen again.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Of course, I will help you,¡± the King of the Dead added a nearly imperceptible note of amusement to his otherwise indifferent tone, though Lancelot was not deceived, ¡°The secret adversary who caused all of this does not know that I am aware of the situation, which is a great advantage. However, if I were to directly dispatch an envoy, it would easily alert the adversary, possibly leading to unpredictable outcomes, such as the destruction of evidence or the forcible eradication of the very soul you seek...¡± ¡°No!¡± The dwarf roared in agony, ¡°We can¡¯t let that happen!¡± ¡°I agree.¡± The King of the Dead nodded, ¡°So, you are the best candidates for completing this task.¡± Lancelot¡¯s intuition told him that the face hidden under the silver mask must be smirking, there was no doubt about it. ¡°I understand.¡± Lancelot curled his lips, ¡°So, the help you were referring to is...¡± ¡°Before that, I¡¯d like to have a word with you alone.¡± The King of the Dead stood up from the throne, and Lancelot suddenly realized that everyone around him had disappeared, leaving only the King of the Dead approaching him. The deity stood before him, the emotionless silver mask staring at the Human Knight, and then lifted a hand, peeling the mask from his own face. In Lancelot¡¯s astonished gaze, a man with green pupils, gray-black hair, and a square jaw was revealed¡ªhis features were very firm, but Lancelot had seen many similar faces before because it was a face belonging to a warrior. ¡°Great King of the Dead...¡± ¡°Just call me Cranvo,¡± the green-eyed man shook his head, ¡°We both know you will never appear before my judgment seat.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind that. The reason I wanted to speak to you alone was to ask a favor of you...¡± ¡°Please, go ahead.¡± ¡°In Miss Elizabeth¡¯s memories, I saw some scenes that made me...nostalgic,¡± Cranvo turned and walked to the side, his cloak silently falling from his shoulders revealing the Chainmail Shirt underneath, ¡°Just as the Lord of the Gods once told Shrek, becoming a deity is not a reward but makes you miss the times when you were still mortal all the more. And I need to hold onto something so I don¡¯t forget who I really am...¡± The King of the Dead took down a five foot long greatsword from the wall, held the hilt with both hands, and swung out a flurry of sword moves, the tip of the sword stopping in the direction of the Human Knight. ¡°Let¡¯s have a proper fight,¡± the green-eyed man showed Lancelot a sincere smile, ¡°It¡¯s been a long...time since I¡¯ve danced.¡± ¡°With great pleasure.¡± Frostslash instantly appeared in the Human Knight¡¯s hand, dancing out the exact same flurry of sword moves, ¡°Perhaps...you¡¯d like to strike first?¡± ¡°Heh.¡± The King of the Dead¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, ¡°I¡¯ll warn you in advance, though you won¡¯t die from it, the pain will not be lessened one bit.¡± ¡°And what about you?¡± Lancelot tilted his head mischievously, ¡°Will you feel the same?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Stopping seven feet away, the deity ceased his approach and began to circle Lancelot in a counter-clockwise direction, ¡°And that is the very reason I asked for your help.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then I can assure you...your request will be fully satisfied...¡± Chapter 751: 681: Harvest Chapter 751: Chapter 681: Harvest Although Lancelot was very confident, without Divine Power¡¯s assistance, Cranvo was still an extremely fearsome adversary. Thanks to the enhancement of the flesh by Foundation Establishment and an outstanding training partner like the Succubus Lord, Lancelot had an advantage in agility and speed. Yet, Cranvo¡¯s strength was so exaggerated that he resembled an adult Giant Dragon in human form, making Lancelot suspect whether the other party was secretly using Divine Power to cheat. Of course, he still gave the former human warrior, Cranvo, enough trouble, forcing him to reveal at least seventy percent of his strength¡ªin a spar that was not a fight to the death, this already counted as going all out. Lancelot¡¯s Sword Blade touched the opponent¡¯s body more than once; even though it left no scars, the deity very honestly lowered the tip of his sword, signaling that he had lost that round. Any experienced warrior could sense the character of their opponent from their swordsmanship, and as the fight progressed, they grew to appreciate each other more¡ªthey had learned of each other¡¯s deeds through different means, and when the sparring finally ceased, they both felt as if they were old friends who had known each other for years. ¡°You fight well,¡± Cranvo said breathlessly, sitting on a high-backed chair he had just conjured, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had such a match, truly nostalgic...¡± ¡°You flatter me,¡± Lancelot responded, sitting directly on his Helmet as if it were a stool and massaging his wrist that had been struck several times by the opponent¡¯s heavy sword, ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe I was just exchanging blows with a deity so high above... I guess you haven¡¯t neglected your training since becoming a god?¡± ¡°You might not believe it if I told you...¡± Cranvo was about to say more, but the expression on his face suddenly changed, and in the next instant, Lancelot found himself back in the hall from before. The man who had just seemed so familiar was once again wearing a silver mask, transforming back into the King of the Dead as a powerful presence approached rapidly. Lancelot turned his head and saw a beautiful and majestic Goddess descending upon the place. The newcomer was a human female with soft, long black hair, skin that was fair and luminous. She was dressed in a deep blue silk gown with a short, dark cape draped over her shoulders, like the color of night, her waist encircled by a jeweled mesh belt, and her eyes shimmered with dangerous purple lightning. ¡°Mysterious Lady!¡± Kalalin¡¯s expression could truly be described as shocked, bowing with a deference Lancelot had never before seen to the arrival, ¡°What an honor...¡± ¡°Hmm? Hello...¡± The arrival seemed not to have anticipated such a reception in the Crystal Tower, but She immediately saw through the true nature of the greeter, ¡°A Scholar of the Dark Cult? Be careful, you¡¯re dabbling in very dangerous things...¡± ¡°Goddess of Magic Mistrala.¡± Cranvo addressed Her with a very formal tone, ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°Shuni. She said one of Her Priests had come to you and prayed with a will that nearly deafened Her, saying you were about to judge an innocent Undead.¡± The Goddess formerly known as Midnight surveyed the area, her gaze briefly resting on Alamir and the young Isa, ¡°What¡¯s happening today? Why is there a group of the living in your hall?¡± The King of the Dead had already made his judgment, deeming the innocent Vampire not guilty, yet still, he had stripped her of the ability to create new Undead... ¡°They came to my realm through a Portal of the Abyss, seeking a Soul that could not be revived.¡± The god seated on the throne, wearing a mask, shrugged, ¡°Since it is Lady Fire¡¯s request, why didn¡¯t She come in person?¡± ¡°Perhaps because death has parted too many lovers, or perhaps She dislikes the oppressive atmosphere here? Or maybe She harbors some fantasy, wishing to reconcile two people who were once in love?¡± The Goddess of Magic strode past Lancelot, staring directly at the silver mask on the throne, ¡°Sometimes I even wonder if that mask has already merged with your face, that if you took off the mask, beneath would be the same face?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve discussed this topic before,¡± Cranvo shifted imperceptibly. ¡°Cranvo, this is not what I wanted at all! I never asked for...¡± ¡°But you already are, as are we all,¡± the Grim Reaper interjected coldly. ¡°I am here to offer some aid to these mortals¡ªthey are in search of the missing soul of a Dwarven Artisan.¡± ¡°Good luck to them... wait, the dead are your domain, aren¡¯t they? You should be able to locate that soul right away,¡± the Goddess of Magic furrowed her brow. ¡°Or, have you already passed judgment on that soul... just like you did with Anton?¡± ¡°First, I merely had Anton get in line...¡± ¡°Is there a difference? When I asked for him, you refused to give him back to me!¡± ¡°Because those are the rules, otherwise we¡¯d become just like that madman,¡± the King of the Dead replied, unmoved. ¡°Second, that soul never reached the Domain of the Vague; it went missing while passing through the Fallen Shadow Netherworld.¡± ¡°Went missing in the Fallen Shadow Netherworld?¡± Mistrala¡¯s expression turned very serious, ¡°Why tell me this? Do you think Shael is behind it?¡± ¡°No,¡± Cranvo shook his head, ¡°My intuition tells me that our former companion is a more likely suspect.¡± ¡°Shrek?!¡± the Goddess of Magic exclaimed in surprise. ¡°Why would you think that? What exactly is going on?¡± The King of the Dead did not speak, simply gazing intently at his former lover. Lancelot realized that the two deities were likely communicating in some silent, more efficient manner. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is...¡± After a moment, the black-haired goddess spoke again, ¡°Shrek indeed is the type to get mixed up with demons, which is a very ominous sign.¡± ¡°Therefore, we must investigate all of this,¡± the King of the Dead nodded. ¡°To see what kind of conspiracy he is plotting.¡± ¡°...Yes,¡± the Goddess of Magic took a deep breath and then voiced her agreement. She turned her head, looking at the Scholar who had been respectfully lowering his head since a while ago, and spoke to him, ¡°Kalalin Master, please stand before me.¡± Kalalin walked over somewhat flustered, and the Goddess of Magic raised a palm toward him, on which appeared a spiderweb-like, exceptionally mysterious pattern that Lancelot couldn¡¯t understand at all. ¡°Tell me, what spell is this?¡± the goddess asked in a gentle tone, her eyes filled with encouragement. ¡°This is...¡± Kalalin¡¯s expression shifted slowly from confusion to fascination. After a long while, he cautiously responded as a child being called upon to answer a teacher¡¯s question, ¡°A 0-circle Sculpting Energy series of magic, Light Spell? Its essence is so complex?¡± ¡°Correct,¡± the Goddess of Magic¡¯s face broke into a satisfied smile. A small silvery flame flickered from the tip of her finger and gently touched the Scholar¡¯s forehead, ¡°Accept this gift, you will learn much more in the future...¡± Chapter 752: 682: Blessings Chapter 752: Chapter 682: Blessings ¡°Thank you, my Goddess,¡± Kalalin exclaimed with half a kneel on the ground, kissing the fingers of the Goddess of Magic, ¡°I will forever honor Your name...¡± ¡°Such formalities are unnecessary, assisting gifted spellcasters is my responsibility,¡± Mistrala said elegantly, bending down gently but firmly to help the Scholar stand, ¡°I am aware of every spell ever cast, and your talent for creating new spells is impressive¡ªI quite like that little trick called ¡®Smile of the Wind.¡¯ I hope this gift will make your ¡®creations¡¯ a little easier.¡± ¡°Silverfire,¡± Cranvo spoke from his throne, ¡°aren¡¯t you worried he will be recognized by Shrek?¡± ¡°Oh? You know of this? But worry not, aside from another who possesses Silverfire, no one will know he holds that power within him...¡± the Goddess of Magic replied in a displeased tone and then turned to look at Kalalin, ¡°However, an Elect¡¯s Silverfire is as conspicuous as a lighthouse, such power is unbearable for the common folk, I have only given a spark, as for how brightly it will burn, that depends on how far you can walk on the path of magic...¡± ¡°Cough cough!¡± Bruto suddenly coughed loudly, attracting the attention of everyone in the hall, ¡°Um... by the gods above... can any of you tell me what must be done to retrieve my father¡¯s soul? Why is this matter possibly related to Shrek?¡± ¡°You should not utter that name so lightly, at least not after you leave my Divine Kingdom, it could attract his attention,¡± Cranvo said seriously, ¡°As for why we suspect Shrek... Ordinary mortals are incapable of concealing a soul in a place I cannot find, not even the Demon Lord can do that, only a god has such power¡ªas the God of Thieves once hid me.¡± ¡°Whoever has hidden my father will be smashed to bits by my hammer!¡± Bruto stomped his foot fiercely, ¡°Even if it¡¯s a deity!¡± ¡°Do not let appearances deceive you, young Dwarf, while Shrek certainly plays a role in this affair, that does not mean he is the mastermind,¡± the Goddess of Magic warned, ¡°Whatever Shrek¡¯s true purpose is, the outcome will surely bring more destruction and calamity to the Multiverse... There are too many questions that urgently need answers, and your responsibility is great.¡± ¡°And I bless you all,¡± the King of the Dead stood up from his throne, pausing his gaze on each person, ¡°No magic or Divine Arts can imprison your souls, once dead, you will surely return to my realm, and afterward, you can be resurrected through the Divine Arts cast by your companions...¡± ¡°What if every one of us dies?¡± Although it was an ominous question, Bruto could not help but ask. ¡°...As the Grim Reaper, I have rules I must adhere to.¡± ¡°This is good enough for now,¡± Lancelot intervened, ¡°Great King of the Dead, esteemed Lady of Magic, what should we do next?¡± ¡°You all acted very swiftly, whatever the killer of Barrend intends to do with his soul, they certainly haven¡¯t had enough time to complete it. Next...¡± Cranvo turned his silver-masked face towards his companion, who nodded reluctantly. He continued, ¡°At midnight... Mistrala will send you to the Fallen Shadow Plane, the last place where Barrend¡¯s soul was seen. Use that spell you cast before once more; it should provide the next clue. Beyond that, you¡¯re on your own...¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Then please begin, we are ready.¡± ¡°Admirable courage,¡± the Goddess of Magic drew circles in the air with her finger while turning to look at the masked Grim Reaper, ¡°It reminds me of something familiar...¡± ¡°Courage takes many forms, my lady,¡± Cranvo answered indifferently, ¡°One day you will understand my...¡± ¡°Heh, will I? When¡¯s that?¡± ¡°We have time. Lots of time...¡± ¡°Uh...the portal, is it ready yet?¡± Lancelot spoke up, interrupting what seemed to be an argument between the two deities, ¡°Sorry, just wanted to say our goodbyes...¡± ¡°And... no fighting, alright? If you must argue, best do it in each other¡¯s arms...¡± the Elf Priest added from the side, but Lancelot quickly covered Alamir¡¯s mouth, shouting, ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s go!¡± The Elf Priest feigned a dramatic struggle, while Lancelot cooperatively ¡®forcefully¡¯ hugged him into the portal¡ªif this somewhat comical scene could slightly ease the tension between two former lovers, then Alamir¡¯s goal was reached. Passing through the interdimensional portal crafted by the Goddess of Magic herself was both a familiar and surprisingly natural experience¡ªit was as easy as if one were passing through an ordinary door. However, the difference between the two worlds was stark. Lancelot felt as if he stepped from the warmth of an indoor winter haven directly into an icy, snow-covered outdoors. Within a single day, the Human Knight had traversed three different planes, and of those, the Fallen Shadow Netherworld felt the worst: anyone arriving in this plane would immediately notice only three colors¡ªblack, white, gray. There were no sun or moon in the sky, nor any speck of star dust, only a gray chaos casting a trivial amount of light upon the land below. The group found themselves in a clearing, surrounded by a dark forest, standing on gray ground with grass that blended shades of black and gray¡ªall of which was extremely eerie. Lancelot¡¯s sharp hearing caught a subtle noise; he spun around, Longsword pointed in the direction of the sound. The fierce intensity of his aura frightened some shadowy creature there, which resembled a wolf and hurriedly fled. Bruto instinctively reached for his Warhammer, but Lancelot stayed his hand. ¡°To it, we are the intruders,¡± Lancelot explained to the Dwarf, ¡°Kalalin, is there anything you can tell us about this plane?¡± ¡°I only know some rumors and gossip, as you know, this isn¡¯t my field of study...¡± ¡°It seems you do know something. Go on, why does this place feel so... eerie? At first glance, it seems like a reflection of the material world, but I have a feeling it¡¯s different...¡± ¡°Your intuition is correct,¡± the Scholar stroked his chin, ¡°The Fallen Shadow Plane is indeed a mirror, but it only reflects the darkest aspects of all things...¡± Chapter 753: 683: Journey and Faith Chapter 753: Chapter 683: Journey and Faith ¡°What? What do you mean by that?¡± Bruto¡¯s hand continually rubbed the handle of his Warhammer, seeking comfort from the warmth, ¡°Honestly, this place feels more like the realm of the dead than where we just left...¡± ¡°It¡¯s not surprising you feel that way.¡± The Scholar nervously scanned the surroundings, ¡°As the saying goes, where there is light, there is shadow, and the precursor to the Fallen Shadow Netherworld, the shadow plane, was the shadow of the Prime Material Plane. Later, the Goddess of Night, Shael, in order to compete with the former Goddess of Magic, Straya, connected the shadow plane with the negative energy plane, thereby creating the Fallen Shadow Netherworld. Everything here originates from the real world, but what is displayed is its darkest, most evil version...¡± ¡°Are you saying that if there¡¯s a city in the real world, there would be a corresponding city here?¡± Alamir raised his Hardhead Hammer. Under normal circumstances, this magic weapon should shine as brightly as a torch, but now it emitted only a very faint light, a sight that made the Elf feel somewhat familiar. ¡°Yes.¡± Kalalin nodded, ¡°And not just cities, you might even recognize some familiar mountains, rivers, forests, and lakes, but the shadow plane has a way of distorting and corrupting them. As for what form that takes, we¡¯ll likely have to discover it for ourselves.¡± ¡°From the look of those trees, I can guess approximately.¡± Lancelot observed the almost pure black plants nearby, and even with his vision, could not discern any bark-like texture within the shadow of the tree trunks, ¡°But what concerns me most is potential dangers. What are the characteristics of the residents of this plane? What kind of enemies will we encounter? Is there anything in particular we need to be aware of?¡± ¡°Any creature that exists on the Material Plane might be encountered here in their shadow version. Compared to their normal versions, shadow creatures are more evil and more cunning, possessing excellent concealment abilities and can also launch attacks that have negative energy properties. This trait can directly damage the target¡¯s life force, but it has the completely opposite effect on little Isha...¡± ¡°Right.¡± Lancelot turned to look at the little vampire, ¡°How are you feeling now?¡± ¡°I feel... amazing!¡± Little Isha¡¯s eyes sparkled with surprise, ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s appropriate to say this, but it¡¯s like a fish finally returning to the water...¡± ¡°That¡¯s normal. What we usually refer to as life energy is actually Positive Energy, but for undead creatures like you, negative energy is your life energy, and the Fallen Shadow Netherworld is a plane dominated by negative energy, so you feel particularly comfortable.¡± Kalalin tried to flash a smile at little Isha, but found it difficult to make such an expression. ¡°You were trying to smile just now, weren¡¯t you?¡± Lancelot roughly recognized the Scholar¡¯s intention, ¡°I¡¯ve felt something odd since a while ago. It seems this plane not only drains the light and color but also suppresses all positive emotions.¡± ¡°Yes, for ordinary people, once they mistakenly enter the Fallen Shadow Netherworld, it is easy to become more and more desperate and ultimately fall into complete madness. Both the Priest and I have some spells that can help everyone resist this influence, but it will become more and more difficult over time.¡± Kalalin shrugged helplessly, ¡°Additionally, there exists in the Fallen Shadow Netherworld a type of demi-plane known as the Domain of Dread; its entrances have no distinguishing features, often after a strange mist, you find the environment around you has completely changed.¡± ¡°A demi-plane? Like the type that Tijana created?¡± ¡°Essentially... more or less. It¡¯s said that each Domain of Dread has some powerful and evil entity known as a Dark Lord, and those demi-planes are both their kingdoms and their prisons, and unfortunately, once travelers fall into one of these kinds of demi-planes, it is difficult to leave...¡± ¡°I¡¯d bet my beard that we¡¯re going to enter at least one of those damn places next.¡± Bruto said somewhat gloomily, ¡°We¡¯ve been talking for a while now; shouldn¡¯t we get moving?¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Kalalin said as he reached into his backpack and pulled out the scroll given to him by the Succubus Lord again. Generally, a scroll turns blank after being used once, but this scroll was special¡ªaccording to Tijana, the spell stored on it could be cast nine times before it would turn to ashes in an unquenchable Magic Flame. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± the Dwarf asked, finding it strange that the Scholar had suddenly started to daydream, ¡°Is there a beautiful woman drawn on it?¡± ¡°Your sense of humor is quite comparable to that of the King of the Dead,¡± the Scholar replied irritably, giving him a glare, ¡°Wait a moment, I can make some modifications to this scroll, and the effect will definitely be better...¡± ¡°You can do that sort of thing?¡± Lancelot asked, his eyes widening in curiosity, ¡°The power of Silverfire?¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Kalalin replied as his fingertips lit up with a pale blue glow, beginning to scribble on the scroll, ¡°Praise to the Goddess of Magic, her gift is like giving glasses to someone who is nearsighted¡ªit¡¯s incredibly useful...¡± ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re already a follower of the Goddess of Magic?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Kalalin nodded affirmatively, not pausing his hands, ¡°You know? My greatest dream was to become a true Wizard, but because of my innate talent, I couldn¡¯t achieve it and became a Scholar instead, and later joined the Dark Cult out of personal interest... It¡¯s hard to imagine the ecstasy and emotion I felt when the Goddess of Magic personally told me she liked the spell I created...¡± ¡°I know that feeling, my friend,¡± Alamir gently nodded in agreement, ¡°Only a true believer can understand.¡± ¡°Umm, can you explain a bit to someone like me... a pseudo-believer?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to describe that state in words if I must explain, it¡¯s somewhat like a feeling of souls connecting,¡± Alamir frowned as he spoke, ¡°In that moment, you clearly recognize that She understands your pain and desires, and you understand Her will and... some kind of grand aspiration. You realize that you are essentially no different from that sublime being, ready to merge at any time, and you look forward to that day coming soon...¡± ¡°That sounds... not quite...¡± Lancelot carefully chose his words, ¡°thrilling?¡± ¡°Every journey will end,¡± Alamir sighed profoundly, ¡°As a Divine office holder, perhaps I shouldn¡¯t say this, but as a mere mortal, only after knowing the destination can one truly enjoy the scenery along the way...¡± ¡°Understandable,¡± the Human Knight nodded, ¡°But what about those without faith? What¡¯s their situation?¡± ¡°They... either are complete madmen or possess a courage unimaginable to mortals,¡± the Elf Priest glanced at him, ¡°I don¡¯t think you quite fit the former case, but I¡¯m not particularly sure.¡± Chapter 754: 684: Recast the Spell Chapter 754: Chapter 684: Recast the Spell ¡°Alright.¡± Kalalin interrupted the two¡¯s philosophical discussion, ¡°Bruto, give me another drop of your blood...¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it wasn¡¯t necessary before?¡± The dwarf looked at the Scholar skeptically, ¡°Why are you asking for it now?¡± ¡°Because my abilities are limited.¡± Kalalin confidently answered, ¡°Anything that¡¯s connected can make the results of Prophecy Magic more accurate. As the son of a father, your blood is one of the strongest indicators. Moreover, blood itself holds special magic power. Even without any external force, some individuals with keen senses can directly sense the presence of their blood kin...¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll give it to you,¡± Bruto waved his hand impatiently, ¡°How much do you need? Should I slit my wrist?¡± ¡°No need, just a little will do, about as much as if you¡¯d smacked a mosquito that just bit you...¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy.¡± Bruto brushed back the hair from his forehead, ¡°These past few days have been so stressful, I¡¯ve broken out in several pimples... Ah, there, where should I smear it on?¡± ¡°...Here, inside the two concentric circles.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t that be too little? I have a few more...¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s enough!¡± Kalalin, holding back disgust, snatched the scroll back, ¡°It seems I truly don¡¯t possess the talent for studying Necromancy... Let¡¯s start, everyone come closer, I have made some additional modifications, and you should be able to see the general results too...¡± After the Scholar¡¯s series of complex hand gestures and mysterious spells, a white mist rose from the surface of the scroll. The mist hovered about five feet above the ground and then began to condense into a specific figure¡ªalthough many details were missing, the figure could roughly be recognized as a dwarf working in front of a forge. ¡°Dad!¡± Bruto shouted excitedly, ¡°Look at that Blacksmith Hammer-swinging pose, it¡¯s definitely him!¡± As soon as Bruto¡¯s voice fell, the misty dwarf suddenly stopped, turned its head, and seemed to look towards a disturbance off-screen. The next moment, the old dwarf charged toward a corner of the room, where armor, shields, and battle axes were stored, but he only had time to pick up a weapon before the enemy rushed into his space. The attackers were three Devilspawn holding short spears. The old dwarf bravely charged at the enemy, his axe embedded in the chest of the first one, nearly cleaving him in two. However, the weapons of the other two penetrated the unprotected part of his body, undoubtedly ending the life of the old dwarf. Another, slightly fainter shadow flew out from the smokey dwarf¡¯s body, signifying his soul had parted from the flesh. A ¡®thud¡¯ echoed in everyone¡¯s ears, Lancelot turned his head and saw that the noise came from Bruto using his warhammer. The young dwarf, with reddened eyes, stared intensely at the mist, the process of witnessing his father¡¯s death causing him extreme distress. His whole body trembled violently, clearly struggling to contain the surge of emotions. ¡°Uncle Barrend took down an enemy even when facing three,¡± the Human Knight said softly, comforting, ¡°He fought like a true warrior in his last moments. We all take pride in his glorious death...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if his death was filled with glory, I just want him back.¡± The dwarf finally broke down, crying out loud, ¡°Oh, Dad! Where are you... where are you! I need you to come back...¡± Lancelot sighed and decided not to say anything more, just patting the dwarf¡¯s constantly twitching shoulder. ¡°Wait, something doesn¡¯t seem right...¡± Alamir¡¯s voice drew everyone¡¯s attention back to the smoke image representing Barrend¡¯s soul, which was drifting endlessly in the void, ¡°Look, the weapon that killed him is still in his soul, but that¡¯s impossible. When the soul leaves the body, it shouldn¡¯t take anything with it...¡± Lancelot moved his feet and observed the two spears from another angle, indeed discovering some new evidence. ¡°Come over here, take a look at this.¡± He waved Alamir over, ¡°Focus on the bottom of the spear handle, yes, do you see the skull? Whose emblem is that?¡± ¡°The glowing skull, why does it look so familiar...¡± Alamir pondered with a frown, soon revealing an expression of sudden realization, ¡°I know now, these smokes can¡¯t show color, otherwise that glow would definitely be purple. That¡¯s exactly the emblem of Xirei... the Prince of Lies. It seems the King of the Dead¡¯s intuition wasn¡¯t wrong at all.¡± Just then, the dwarf made of smoke seemed to suddenly fall into water, changing from a drifting state to violent struggling. Subsequently, some kind of invisible force fiercely pulled it in a direction along with several other different dwarf figures, all eventually sucked into a large sack that appeared to be sewn from human skin. Kalalin¡¯s spell didn¡¯t end there, as the perspective continued to pull back, the audience saw who was controlling everything¡ªthree old witches, skinny, ugly, and severely hunchbacked, their elongated fingers tipped with sharp claws, under their rotting robes teemed disgusting tumors. The illusion made of smoke disappeared completely, and Kalalin, who had been casting with closed eyes since earlier, slumped, falling into the quick hands of Lancelot, gasping for air like a fish out of water. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Lancelot quietly passed a bit of True Yuan over, the effect being immediate, ¡°Did the spell end prematurely?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s all there is, we can only get so much information for now...¡± The scholar stood up straight on his own, ¡°I saw more details than you did, all three of those old hags are witches, a kind of evil creature with a profound scholarship in magic. Uncle Barrend¡¯s soul was intercepted by them, and it happens less than fifty miles from here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite close,¡± Alamir seemed to exhale a sigh of relief, ¡°I was worried before that we¡¯d have to travel halfway across the world to find the place...¡± ¡°After all, we¡¯ve been personally sent to this plane by the Mysterious Lady.¡± Kalalin said with pride, ¡°Just by knowing our intentions, She can open the portal in a region more advantageous for us to accomplish our mission...¡± The scholar¡¯s words suddenly stopped, for Lancelot abruptly raised his left arm, the gesture unambiguous: enemy presence, prepare for battle. The companions, through long-term shared adventures, had developed a high level of tacit understanding, everyone immediately readied themselves for combat while protecting Kalalin, the relatively least capable of self-defense, in their midst. ¡°Where?¡± Bruto asked in a suppressed voice, but Lancelot could hear that the dwarf was filled with rage eager to be unleashed. ¡°Every direction.¡± Lancelot rhythmically tapped his fingertips on the sword blade, producing a chime-like ringing, ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have stopped you earlier...¡± Chapter 755: 685 Wizards Arcane Arts Chapter 755: 685 Chapter Wizard¡¯s Arcane Arts Everyone had previously thought that this realm would strip away all color, but now they knew they were wrong¡ªin the dim dense forest, pairs of malicious yellow eyes lit up, and even the Elves and Dwarves, who possessed dark vision, struggled to see the owners of these eyes. Only Lancelot could make out that the enemy had the stature of large canine creatures, and their black skin almost merged with the surrounding shadows. Clearly, these monsters knew they outnumbered their opponents and held the upper hand. Monsters in the shadows began howling in unison, a sound like rough teeth gnawing on hard, dry bones, certainly one of the worst beastly roars anyone had ever heard. Normally, such sounds would evoke the deepest fear in mortals¡¯ hearts, freezing them in place like kittens gripped by the nape, but Lancelot kept rhythmically tapping his sword blade with his fingers, the sound, though not loud, clearly reaching his companions¡¯ ears, dispelling that terrible mental pressure into nothingness. ¡°Kalalin, Alamir,¡± Lancelot said in an easy tone, ¡°Conserve your spells, we¡¯re not through the day yet.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Kalalin nodded, ¡°But with that gift, I am a bit different now...¡± ¡°Really?¡± Although he couldn¡¯t see the other¡¯s face, Lancelot knew Alamir raised half an eyebrow, ¡°No matter what new tricks you have, in this environment, your performance can¡¯t be better than my Holy Fire Technique...¡± ¡°Oh ho ho, Priest.¡± The Scholar¡¯s voice was filled with anticipation, ¡°Today, I shall show you, a Divine Art Caster, how a wizard who has mastered the Arcane Arts through study and practice fights!¡± ¡°Is that so... then start your show!¡± The enemies in the darkness had completed their encirclement, and as the Elf Priest spoke, four or five beasts made of shadows pounced violently toward the group. Their bodies were still nearly indistinguishable from the dark environment, only the suddenly frenzied growling and the fast-approaching yellow eyes announced their arrival. Kalalin was clearly prepared, his arms shot over his head and palms opened, from each fingertip flew a small speck of light, which rapidly expanded upon leaving his fingers, eventually becoming as large as a Dwarf¡¯s fist. These orbs of light spun rapidly about ten feet away from the group, like torches swaying in a dance. Though their brightness was clearly suppressed, they were enough to reveal the attackers¡¯ appearance. These were huge black mastiffs, with shoulder heights exceeding two feet, weighing at least as much as half a grown human male, mouths filled with malicious, sharp teeth. But what really surprised everyone was that their bodies were covered with rotting wounds, some even with intestines dragging outside, or merely some flesh hanging from ghastly white bones, clearly all Undead creatures. Kalalin¡¯s Dancing Light Technique couldn¡¯t actually harm anyone, but those less intelligent enemies didn¡¯t understand that; they instinctively halted their rapid charge, diffusing the most deadly first wave of assault. ¡°Take my hammer!¡± The Scholar¡¯s spells didn¡¯t cause damage, but a Dwarf¡¯s Warhammer was a different story. Devoid of the shadows¡¯ camouflage and having halted their charge, Bruto certainly wouldn¡¯t miss such an opportunity. His Warhammer flew out like lightning, striking heavily upon the head of a shadow mastiff. With a thunderous explosion, the Undead beast¡¯s entire head was obliterated, leaving only a headless corpse on the spot. ¡°Aha, that¡¯s one point for me!¡± Bruto shouted excitedly, ¡°Lancelot, I¡¯m leading!¡± ¡°The lead at the start of the match means nothing,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°and besides, I¡¯m afraid this point of yours might not count...¡± In the astonished gaze of the Dwarf, the headless hound¡¯s corpse shakily stood up. Perhaps because it no longer had eyes, it no longer feared the swirling orbs of light and, driven by the Undead¡¯s instinct for flesh, lunged fiercely. The Warhammer had not returned to the Dwarf¡¯s hand, so Bruto could only helplessly raise his Shield in defense. Lancelot stepped forward, and two crossed flashes of sword light passed, instantly splitting the headless mastiff¡¯s body into four parts. The pieces that fell to the ground still twitched violently, but the energy that had been animating them deflated rapidly like air leaking from a balloon, and the limbs soon stopped moving. Although Lancelot easily dealt with this enemy, the remaining Undead hounds seemed to be stimulated and lunged again fiercely. Lancelot didn¡¯t dare to be negligent; his left hand quickly formed a Seal Gesture, and two cyan sword shadows appeared, circling his side like two swimming fish. They attacked together with him, dismembering every target he locked onto. From a distance, Lancelot appeared to have grown four extra arms, swinging three Hand Half Swords like a six-armed Serpent Demon, nearly making his companions who glanced at him drop their jaws in awe. With the Sword Shadow Split Technique of the Qingyuan Sword Technique, after Lancelot had broken through to High Rank, it finally had a bit of the Immortal Sect¡¯s flair. Although any enemy that came within seven feet of Lancelot was instantly shredded to pieces, the Human Knight couldn¡¯t cover every direction. But his back was not unprotected¡ªBruto and Alamir each defended a side, using their Shields to block the mastiffs¡¯ fangs and claws, and crushed any limbs that got past their Shields into a pulp. Meanwhile, little Isha weaved between the two, slashing off a dog paw here, pulling out some intestines there. The damage didn¡¯t look significant, but the effect was surprisingly effective. But the number of enemies was simply too many, and they were adept at using their advantage. If they missed a strike, they would immediately retreat back into the shadows to wait for another opportunity to strike, and the group couldn¡¯t possibly chase into those shadows, leading to a deadlock. ¡°Kalalin, where¡¯s your Magic? Didn¡¯t you say you were going to show me something eye-opening?¡± Alamir¡¯s Hardhead Hammer briefly burst out with a bright golden light, smashing a dog head gnawing at the edge of his Shield into a pulp, ¡°If you don¡¯t have any secret techniques up your sleeve, I¡¯m going to have to channel Divine Power!¡± ¡°Ready!¡± the Scholar shouted, his crimson hands forcefully slapped his chest, and he took a deep breath, ¡°Ha!!!¡± A ball of Flame burst forth from his mouth but wildly off target. The closest shadow mastiff on its flight path was still three feet away, and in the end, it collided with a black and silent tree, igniting the plant that seemed to be made of shadows. ¡°Is that it?¡± the Elf said, somewhat frustrated, ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to...¡± What happened next silenced the Priest. What flew out of Kalalin¡¯s mouth was not just a fireball but also a magical breeze. The breeze wasn¡¯t strong¡ªindeed, it was quite gentle and certainly couldn¡¯t push any enemies away, but it was perfect for feeding the flames. Furthermore, Kalalin had taken so long not just to create any ordinary breeze. The gust didn¡¯t simply dissipate; instead, it kept circling in the shadowy canopy, quickly creating a vast sea of flames that dispersed all the surrounding shadows and left no place for the hidden creatures to hide. ¡°How about that?¡± Kalalin called out to Alamir triumphantly, ¡°Can you see clearly now? Isn¡¯t this spectacle fantastic?¡± Chapter 756: 686: The Devotee Chapter 756: Chapter 686: The Devotee ¡°You sound like a true commander of Demons right now,¡± Alamir said somewhat speechlessly as he looked around the ring of flames surrounding them, ¡°Seriously, I¡¯ve always thought there was something wrong with your obsession with the Fireball Technique...¡± Despite the jesting, the Scholar¡¯s fire truly had an excellent effect. They were in an open area among the woods, so there was no need to worry about the flames spreading toward them, and the firelight not only scattered the shadows but also left the Undead hounds with nowhere to hide. Moreover, it dissuaded those creatures accustomed to the dark from turning back and escaping into the sea of fire, driving them all into a panic. Seeing that the enemy was fully revealed, Lancelot let out a roar like an enraged lion and charged fiercely into the crowd of enemies. Three hand-and-a-half swords, two feints and one real, spun around him in a whirl, while his opponents shattered like pottery upon impact. Utilizing the Human Knight¡¯s astounding momentum, his allies also erupted into action, cooperating seamlessly. It took less than a minute to slay the remaining twenty or so shadow hounds. In the end, Kalalin summoned a ghostly hand that glowed faintly and gathered all the chunks of corpses together, then threw another fireball to ignite the still twitching chunks of flesh. ¡°Speaking of which, have you guys noticed?¡± Bruto shifted his gaze away from the pile of fire, ¡°Apart from Lancelot, it seems like little Isha scored the highest...¡± ¡°Eh? Really?¡± The young girl, who had been staring blankly at the flames, was startled, ¡°Me?¡± ¡°I noticed it too,¡± Alamir nodded affirmatively, ¡°For Bruto and me to take down an enemy, we would have to smash them to pieces completely, whereas you just have to inflict a generally lethal wound, and the enemy would lie there motionless. Weren¡¯t there several nearly intact bodies just now? All those were your doing...¡± ¡°Is that so...¡± Little Isha scratched her head, her face suddenly revealing a look of realization, ¡°I get it! It must be because of the King of the Dead¡¯s judgment on me, right? ¡®Any creature killed by her shall not be transformed into Undead by any means.¡¯ That¡¯s what the King of the Dead said, didn¡¯t he? Does it mean that the corpses of any creatures killed by me would be immune to the control of undead energy? So that¡¯s why we had that situation just now?¡± ¡°Wait, is that the correct interpretation of that sentence?¡± Alamir looked completely bewildered, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit... preposterous?¡± ¡°Uh, I think it¡¯s alright...¡± Little Isha, somewhat puzzled, turned her head to look at Lancelot, ¡°Isn¡¯t the effect just preventing me from creating new Vampires? And Brother Alamir can also destroy Undead by channelling Divine Power.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the same,¡± the Elf Priest shook his head repeatedly, ¡°Firstly, I can only use that power twice a day, and then I must rest to recover; secondly, even though I can affect multiple targets, it¡¯s guaranteed to work only on low-level Undead such as skeletons, zombies, and ghouls. If it¡¯s used against higher-level Undead, especially intelligent Undead, the success rate plummets and it might not work at all. But just now... did you miss even once?¡± ¡°...No,¡± Little Isha pondered for a moment and eventually shook her head, ¡°But I won¡¯t make a rash move at an inappropriate time...¡± ¡°Damn it, Kalalin, look at this, she¡¯s the true Chosen One,¡± Alamir rolled his eyes, ¡°I think little Isha¡¯s ability must have some limitations, otherwise even legendary liches would have to tread lightly around her. If they got stabbed by her sword by accident, they¡¯d have to report to the Crystal Spire to the King of the Dead in the next second...¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, that really seems to be the case. If every time her Lethal Strike also carried the effect of destroying Undead, she would definitely be the bane of Undead creatures,¡± the Scholar looked at the little vampire up and down with amazement, ¡°Maybe you really are Cranvo¡¯s Chosen One!¡± ¡°What exactly does ¡®Chosen¡¯ mean?¡± Lancelot couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°I¡¯ve also heard you and Alamir mention terms like ¡®Silverfire¡¯ and ¡®Chosen of Mistrala¡¯ before...¡± ¡°As the literal meaning suggests, a Chosen is someone personally selected by a deity to execute the deity¡¯s will on Earth,¡± Alamir explained to his companions, ¡°I know this sounds a bit like our priests, but a Chosen doesn¡¯t need to have the profession of a priest. They can be warriors, wizards, rangers, or any other class. Chosen are usually bestowed with a certain Divine Power, such as the famed Silverfire, which is a gift given by the Goddess of Magic to Her own Chosen...¡± ¡°Is that what Mistrala gave to Kalalin before?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the Scholar lifted his chin proudly, but his expression quickly turned solemn, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, that bit of Silverfire mainly allows me to possess normal spellcasting abilities, at most it can only be considered the favor of a deity, far from the standard of a Chosen. You should know that the power of a Chosen can be comparable to that of a Demigod, their relationship with the main deity is like the moon to the sun, while followers can at most be compared to the stars in the sky...¡± ¡°Do you remember, after Cranvo issued the judgement, there were indeed some holy specks of light that flew into little Esha¡¯s body?¡± Lancelot recalled with narrowed eyes, ¡°But the term He used at that time was... ¡®transformation¡¯?¡± ¡°Right, considering Cranvo¡¯s attitude towards Undead after taking office, it¡¯s understandable that He would play word games,¡± Alamir nodded his head, looking at little Esha with some curiosity, ¡°Speaking of which, when the King of the Dead had you step forward, what happened then?¡± ¡°Well... First, a lot of images flashed through those mirrors at an extremely fast pace, all moments that were important in my life,¡± little Esha¡¯s voice grew inadvertently softer, ¡°After that the King of the Dead asked me a few questions, which I answered truthfully... You can¡¯t lie under those circumstances. Finally, He also spoke to me about the doctrine He advocates, and then you all reappeared.¡± ¡°Doctrine?¡± the Elf Priest turned his head and exchanged looks with his companions, ¡°What was it exactly, do you remember?¡± ¡°Death is also a part of life¡¯s circle, it¡¯s not an end, but another beginning; it¡¯s not punishment, but an inevitable part of life that is indispensable. Helping those who are about to die, allowing them to die with dignity; opposing views that extend life through unnatural means¡ªlike becoming Undead. We must respect the deceased, for it is their achievements that have made the world more prosperous, and to forget them is to forget the meaning of the living¡¯s endeavors...¡± The little Vampire spoke the doctrine fluently, leaving her companions exchanging looks¡ªfinally, it was Lancelot who carefully broke the silence: ¡°So, do you think what He said makes sense?¡± ¡°Makes a lot of sense,¡± the little girl nodded affirmatively, ¡°But I want to explain to Him that becoming a Vampire wasn¡¯t my choice, nor did I wish to extend my life by it, it¡¯s just that I later found this body to be very helpful to everyone in battle...¡± ¡°You can explain it to Him,¡± Alamir patted the little girl¡¯s shoulder meaningfully, ¡°Find a quiet moment, call upon the King of the Dead¡¯s revered name, and then say what you want to say. He may not respond, but He can certainly hear your prayers...¡± Chapter 757: 687: Camping Chapter 757: Chapter 687: Camping (Post first, edit later) After the Scholar dispelled the spell that maintained the breeze, the fire in the woods quickly diminished, and extinguished at a much faster rate than naturally possible, seemingly the pervasive shadows of this plane themselves possessing the power to suppress flames. The group did not linger at the spot, and promptly set off after a brief organization. As Kalalin had previously described, the Fallen Shadow Netherworld was a sort of dark, twisted reflection of the material plane, and thus there were roads and bridges here as well. Relying on the observations of little Isha, who transformed into a bat and flew up high, they quickly found a broad road and thereafter, Lancelot, Kalalin, and Alamir each summoned their own mounts and proceeded along the road towards the location where those ghosts had captured souls not long ago. Even on the Prime Material Plane, roads in the wilderness were not particularly safe, plagued frequently by robbers, wild beasts, or malevolent wizards, and this plane was even worse. The group hardly traveled a few miles without encountering a battle, mostly with roaming undead creatures, which, much like the Low Rank Demons of the Abyss, were ubiquitous, only here, their numbers were greater, and Lancelot could not scare them away just by exuding his presence. Fortunately, although the skeletons and zombies were irritating, they were not truly a threat to the group¡ªLancelot aside, the Dwarf¡¯s and Elf¡¯s hammers served as excellent blunt weapons against the undead creatures, not to mention little Isha who was continuously signaling from the air; otherwise, the efficiency of the battles would have been even higher. Occasionally, they also encountered some less aggressive passersby: once, they came across a small parade of undead led by a Death Knight riding a skeletal warhorse. Lancelot and his companions were ready for battle, but the other party calmly passed by them. The Death Knight even gave Lancelot a cold nod in greeting, and then disappeared into the mist along the road. ¡°That¡¯s really rare,¡± Bruto turned his head toward the direction where the undead had vanished, ¡°Back on the material plane, we¡¯d probably be beating our brains out...¡± ¡°In Candle Castle, there¡¯s an Archmage named Ulrand who wrote a book called ¡®Ulrand¡¯s Guide to the Fallen Shadow Netherworld.¡¯ It starts off with, before you continue reading this, repeat this sentence until it is ingrained in your minds: ¡®I do not understand the Fallen Shadow Netherworld, and I never truly will,''¡± Kalalin softly told his companions, ¡°The danger of the Fallen Shadow Netherworld lies in that, in many places, it looks very similar to the Prime Material Plane, and our subconscious might unconsciously assume that things will proceed in the way we are accustomed to, whereas the actual situation can be drastically different.¡± ¡°Uh, sounds complicated,¡± the Dwarf gloomily gazed at the Scholar, ¡°Can you explain it in a simpler way? Assume I¡¯m a five-year-old...¡± ¡°Remember that headless mastiff that could still attack?¡± the Elf Priest patted his companion¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Every time you think you¡¯ve defeated an enemy, recall that scene to make sure you haven¡¯t done enough.¡± ¡°Got it. That¡¯s the kind of answer I need.¡± Due to constant interruptions by battles, the group made halting progress for another three hours, advancing about twenty-five miles, and were now only about six miles from the location predicted by Kalalin¡¯s magic. However, Lancelot halted his companions, declaring the day¡¯s adventure over, and the team prepared to camp. The most vehement reaction came from Bruto, who was so close to the target and didn¡¯t want to wait even a moment longer, but Lancelot sternly refused the Dwarf¡¯s suggestion¡ªthe group was exhausted, the Priest, and Scholar¡¯s remaining spell uses had dropped to a dangerously low level, even Bruto himself could no longer enter a berserk state, and charging into battle against a strong enemy in such a condition was not wise. Although Bruto was desperate to save his father, he was still reasonable. Once it was confirmed that they could not proceed, he silently began to clear the campsite. The companions located a small hill far from the road, set up a campfire on the lee side, Alamir and Kalalin joined forces to erect a large tent that could accommodate three people to rest simultaneously, while Lancelot set up a formation that concealed scent, sound, and light, hoping to reduce the likelihood of a night raid. Before resting, Lancelot had Kalalin cast a Third Circle Message Spell to contact his lover, a Succubus from the Abyss. The spell could only convey twenty-five words, so he merely informed her that he had encountered the King of the Dead, found clues in the Gloomy Shadow Underworld, and indicated the suspects were three witches. Tijana¡¯s response was simple: all witches were notoriously cunning and dangerous creatures, suggesting ¡®kill first, investigate later,¡¯ and to take care. The Gloomy Shadow Underworld, a plane without day or night transitions, was always enveloped in a gray gloom, which could easily lead to a loss of the sense of time. Apart from Lancelot, the other four team members took turns keeping watch (three slept in the tent, little Isha slept in Lancelot¡¯s Dimensional Bag), while Lancelot, meditating by the campfire, stayed alert to the surroundings with a hint of Divine Sense. Lancelot¡¯s formation perhaps indeed had an effect; they spent seven hours safely, with everyone getting adequate rest. Kalalin and Alamir spent an hour preparing spells or praying to their respective goddesses, even little Isha mimicked them whispering in a corner, and Bruto, who was on the last watch, crawled back into the tent for some more sleep. When they set off again, everyone was in their best condition, although everyone seemed to be in a bit of a mood, all mentioning that although they couldn¡¯t recall the details, the oppressive atmosphere from their dreams still lingered in their minds. They rode for another hour and a half, experienced two low-intensity encounters, and finally arrived at their destination. But as Lancelot had anticipated, the witches had already left; only a stone circle, identical to the one seen in the prophecy magic, proved they hadn¡¯t misplaced their search. ¡°What do we do next?¡± Bruto looked discontented at the others, ¡°Kalalin, should we try that spell again? This time I can get you more blood...¡± ¡°No need,¡± Kalalin shook his head, ¡°Three witches are not creatures you encounter just anywhere; they must have some sort of base nearby. Let me find someone to ask...¡± Chapter 758: 688: Otherworldly Oathbinding Chapter 758: Chapter 688: Otherworldly Oathbinding ¡°Magic can do that?¡± Lancelot asked with some curiosity, ¡°What kind of creature will be summoned? An angel?¡± ¡°Angels, demons, mortals, even talking frogs¡ªwho knows,¡± Kalalin said with a shrug, ¡°The key is it meets the three conditions described by the magic: the ability to help us, the willingness to help us, and the capability of being summoned by the spell. But really, as long as these conditions are met, does it matter what we summon?¡± ¡°Indeed, it doesn¡¯t matter. Even if it¡¯s a stinking orc, I¡¯d accept it,¡± Bruto nodded somberly, ¡°So, what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s get started.¡± ¡°First, this spell, called Otherworldly Oathbinding, has a somewhat costly price...¡± Kalalin said somewhat sheepishly as he looked at Lancelot, ¡°It requires a rather precious gemstone as the casting material.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no problem,¡± Lancelot immediately reached into his Dimensional Bag and pulled out a handful of gemstones that twinkled faintly, ¡°Let¡¯s see, here I have diamonds, rubies, black sapphires, opals, emeralds... take your pick; we can¡¯t use these gemstones to make money anyway.¡± ¡°An opal will do,¡± Kalalin took a gemstone from Lancelot¡¯s hand¡ªone with a translucent waxy base and a surface sparkling with green and gold spots, ¡°Another thing is the casting might take a while, up to an hour to get a response. During this time, you must protect me from being interrupted, otherwise, we¡¯ll have to start all over...¡± ¡°That long?¡± Bruto looked even more somber, ¡°Damn it, my old man might be suffering in some dungeon, and all I can do is wait endlessly...¡± ¡°Be patient, my friend,¡± the elf patted the dwarf on the shoulder with his palm, then shook his body vigorously, ¡°All of us are as eager as you are to rescue Uncle Barrend, but rash actions without considering the consequences won¡¯t lead to good results. This could jeopardize not only ourselves but could also harm Uncle Barrend. Do you understand what I mean?¡± ¡°...Huh,¡± the dwarf took a deep breath and then nodded, ¡°I understand. I¡¯m sorry. Please start, Kalalin. Before your spell is completed, I won¡¯t let anything touch you.¡± ¡°He¡¯s already started,¡± Lancelot nodded towards the scholar, whose eye sockets were being filled with a deep red Magic Aura, ¡°Everyone, rest here for now. If I sense any enemies, I¡¯ll...¡± Lancelot didn¡¯t finish his sentence because a Portal with edges emitting black smoke had already appeared mid-air, and a figure with white hair was struggling to climb out of it. ¡°Ha! Didn¡¯t he just say it could take up to an hour?¡± Bruto, who had sat down, sprang up, ¡°Uh... wait, why is it you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± The newcomer was just as confused, ¡°Why would I come back early... and why are you here?¡± The one Kalalin¡¯s spell had summoned was none other than the white-haired, red-eyed Cursed Swordmaster, the Half-elf Tanya, a member of Lancelot¡¯s team during the battle at Volcano Fortress. She had infiltrated the interior of the fortress with the elite squad, disrupted the core defense matrix, and also helped defeat the suddenly-appearing Barlow Flame Demon¡ªat least for once. ¡°How¡¯s the team?¡± Lancelot responded with another question, ¡°Are the mercenaries on their way back to Twin Bridges Town?¡± ¡°Hmm, not long after you left, we set out. We¡¯ve already covered about half of our journey, and everyone¡¯s in good spirits,¡± Tanya turned her head, surveying the surroundings. ¡°But just now, I suddenly felt an incredibly compelling summoning, an almost irresistible call for help. With just a thought, I was brought here... I guess it was you who summoned me with magic, right?¡± ¡°To be precise, we hoped to summon someone who could offer assistance through magic, and it seems the Multiverse considered you the most suitable candidate,¡± Lancelot scratched his head and gestured towards the two Half-elves his companions hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°Allow me to introduce Kalalin, the Scholar from the Dark Cult we mentioned earlier, and this is little Isa, a...¡± ¡°Vampire. I remember her story quite well,¡± Tanya nodded politely to the two companions. ¡°Hello, I am Tanya Irilina, a Half-elf.¡± ¡°Hello, Miss Tanya,¡± little Isa greeted warmly, ¡°Lancelot has told us about your adventures. He said you can summon a pike made of shadows, indestructible...¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s nothing compared to his technique that makes a Sword Blade glow,¡± Tanya shook her white hair. ¡°Ah, such a familiar scent, the Fallen Shadow Netherworld... It seems you really are in great trouble. Come on, tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Do you remember that day when I suddenly had to leave early and handed over the captain¡¯s duties to Sir Ivendell?¡± Lancelot began slowly, ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, I received a mind message from Tijana, the Succubus Lord of Twin Bridges Town...¡± Lancelot took about ten minutes to explain the ins and outs of the situation, of course omitting most of the details about Cranvo and midnight. Tanya listened patiently, and after Lancelot finished, she nodded and said: ¡°I see, so what you¡¯re looking for now is a clue about the witch gathering, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Bruto nodded vigorously, ¡°Do you already know who they are?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know yet. But I know who to ask...¡± The Half-elf took off her gloves and placed two fingers in her mouth, blowing a loud whistle. Lancelot felt a very faint magical vibration in that sound. Then, he heard the sound of wings flapping from far to near and a black bird descended from the sky, landing on a stone in front of the Half-elf. Lancelot recognized it as a Raven, but what was different was its surprisingly large size, standing over three feet from claws to head. This beautiful bird had glossy feathers like black satin, a sharp beak that reminded one of a pickaxe, and a pair of black eyes sparkling with intelligence. It was now scrutinizing them with an evaluative gaze. Tanya made a respectful gesture to the Raven and then spoke a lengthy sentence in a strange language. After she finished speaking, the Raven nodded, gave everyone another glance, and flew away with flapping wings. ¡°It will be back soon with useful information,¡± the Half-elf explained to the group, ¡°We just need to wait a little while.¡± ¡°Tanya, you...¡± Alamir had a very strange expression on his face as if discussing a highly forbidden topic, ¡°...your master, could it be... that lady?¡± Chapter 759: 780 The Raven Queen Chapter 759: Chapter 780 The Raven Queen ¡°...You should have guessed by now.¡± Tanya said with a complex expression, looking at Alamir, ¡°After all, you are a true elf, and also a priest.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I hold no prejudice against you, nor your patron. After all, the Lady of Fire I worship is not a member of the elf divine system.¡± Alamir shook his head, ¡°Although you are a half-elf, some traits are quite obvious, such as your white hair, but clearly not of Zoel bloodline...¡± ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Bruto finally couldn¡¯t help it, ¡°Please stop speaking in riddles, explain it...¡± ¡°For those who understand the situation, knowing my heritage would not make it difficult to deduce the identity of my mentor. We were not familiar enough before, so I didn¡¯t reveal too much to you, but after everything we¡¯ve been through, I think I indeed owe you a clear explanation...¡± The half-elf gathered her white hair that draped over her shoulders, revealing her pointed ears adorned with seven or eight earrings. Lancelot also noticed that her skin had wrinkled a bit and was no longer as lustrous as before, as if she had aged over a decade in an instant; of course, this did not detract from her beauty, if anything, it made the half-elf even more charming than before. ¡°The elven part of my blood belongs to the Shado-Kai, also known as the shadow elves. They worship the Raven Queen, the listener of death, who is also my patron and mentor.¡± ¡°The Raven Queen?¡± Lancelot furrowed his brows in confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of this deity before... Why does Alamir seem to be so wary of Her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s something you¡¯ll have to ask the elf himself.¡± Tanya shrugged her shoulders, ¡°I¡¯m only half Shado-Kai and was brought up in human society since childhood. I¡¯ve only come to know a few other shadow elves. For a long time, the Raven Queen was just a mysterious mentor to me, and it was only after I left my homeland that I heard of Her title, and much later, connected the two.¡± ¡°The Raven Queen is involved in the earliest tragedy of our elf race, and indeed, the tales concerning Her are very much taboo.¡± Alamir spoke in a melancholic tone, ¡°First of all, let me emphasize, what I¡¯m about to recount is but a legend circulating among surface elves, inherently full of contradictions. If there is any part that seems incorrect, please feel free to point it out, I mean no offense to the Madam...¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Tanya waved her hand dismissively, ¡°You surely know more than I do.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll begin.¡± Alamir leaned back against a large stone, looking up at the gray sky of this plane, ¡°You must have all heard of Eilistraee, later known as Rose, who betrayed the chief god Corellon. The myth does not provide much detail, as if Corellon simply waved His hand and the once beautiful consort of the elf deities became an ugly spider demon, and those Zoel elves were thus exiled to the dark depths... However, history is much more complex than the legends, and I won¡¯t try to hypnotize you with a long sermon. Simply put, Rose¡¯s fall came long before the exile of the dark elves, and she later successfully instigated a civil war among the elves known as the Crown War. This terrible civil war lasted nearly three thousand years and ultimately led to the exile of the dark elves.¡± ¡°As for the Raven Queen, she was the queen of one of the many Elf Kingdoms on the land during that time, and her original name had long been forgotten in the river of time. Legend had it that she was a wise and kind queen, her subjects adored her more than the Elven deities. When the Elf Race fell into discord due to the fierce disagreements between father Corellon and mother Eilistraee, the once Raven Queen hoped to use the souls and Magic Power of her people to become a deity herself, so she could meet with Corellon and Eilistraee and implore them to regain their senses and stop the senseless conflict that brought countless disasters to the Elf Race.¡± ¡°This plot sounds somewhat familiar...¡± Lancelot Morassa stroked his chin, ¡°Let me guess, something terrible went wrong at some point?¡± ¡°Yes. Because of the queen¡¯s prestige, a vast number of Elves abandoned their original faith and started to worship her instead. These Elves, who called themselves the Shadar-Kai, believed that after the queen¡¯s ascension, she could unify the Elf Race and end the civil war. However, some evil wizards found loopholes in the ascension ritual. They discovered a method to siphon the power from the ritual. When the ritual was halfway through, the queen realized the wizards¡¯ conspiracy, and her anger poured out onto the thieves. By that time, she was already a Demigod, and her supernatural wrath corrupted the ritual itself, turning it into something even worse.¡± ¡°When the queen realized the mistake she had made, the twisted Magic Power had already tightly bound her, and she lacked the strength to break free. In her panic, the queen called to the souls of the Shadar-Kai for more power, but the vortex of Magic Power created by the ritual had become unstoppable. It dragged the queen and all the Shadar-Kai into the Shadow Realm, and the queen herself perished in a catastrophic explosion. Afterwards, in the ruins of her body and mind, the Raven Queen we know today was born, and those Shadar-Kai were transformed into what we now recognize as shadow wraiths.¡± ¡°Legend has it that the energy from that ritual continues to tear at the Raven Queen, preventing Her from forming any tangible body. To prevent herself from completely dissolving into nothingness, the queen used the last of Her remaining energy to gather all the memories of the dead about Her in the Shadow Realm to maintain Her existence. To this day, the shadow wraiths still collect memories of the dead from the Multiverse, especially those associated with strong emotions at the time of death, and bring them back to the fortress of memories of the Raven Queen. It seems the Madam has an obsessive desire to collect emotions and memories. By the way she acts, the Raven Queen doesn¡¯t seem like a deity, for She doesn¡¯t have a special Divine office or teachings She wishes to spread, yet She possesses many attributes of deities, such as granting Divine Arts to Priests and being wholeheartedly served by the shadow wraiths. Perhaps out of respect for the Elven deities, other gods maintain respect and distance from the Raven Queen, while the Elven deities themselves remain deeply secretive about Her, never mentioning Her.¡± ¡°That is all I know about the story of the Raven Queen... Tanya, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°I just heard a burst of laughter in my head,¡± the Half-Elf Cursed Swordmaster¡¯s expression was like she¡¯d seen a ghost. ¡°This has never happened before...¡± ¡°Really?¡± Alamir raised an eyebrow, ¡°Maybe She enjoys the story I¡¯m telling?¡± ¡°The Madam has other ways to show pleasure or satisfaction, but never like this,¡± Tanya shook her head vigorously. ¡°She has never revealed anything so clearly.¡± (Note: The above settings are from the 5th edition and might conflict with settings from a nonexistent version, please disregard that nonexistent version) Chapter 760: 781: Go Chapter 760: Chapter 781: Go ¡°How do you communicate?¡± Bruto asked curiously. ¡°You know, if I had an old man¡¯s voice in my head since I was a child, I would have gone mad long ago...¡± ¡°Partly because our communication is one-way, most of it resembles sleep-talking gibberish, only occasionally containing some useful knowledge,¡± the Half-elf shrugged. ¡°I know this sounds strange, but it¡¯s more like I sneaked into His mind, like a child who unintentionally wanders into an adult¡¯s room and nobody notices you, at least not at first... Does that make sense?¡± ¡°But later, He noticed you?¡± ¡°Yes, just as Alamir just mentioned, the mentor craves intense emotions, and when I opened the Lord¡¯s barn and saw the mountain of grain, thinking about my best friend who had sold himself to a band of robbers out of hunger a few days earlier, my emotions surged almost uncontrollably, and at that moment, my mentor spoke to me directly for the first time¡ªthe rest of the story is a long one. Essentially, whenever I collect intense emotions, whether my own or someone else¡¯s, the mentor shows satisfaction, and after accumulating a sufficient amount, she even grants me new powers and spells. However, I want to emphasize that she never asked me to actively generate any intense emotions, just to collect them...¡± ¡°But not all followers are like you,¡± Alamir interjected seriously. ¡°Many covet the Raven Madam¡¯s rewards, longing for His power and knowledge. Those people actively instigate conflicts, spread plagues, and create disasters, simply because pain and suffering generate intense emotions more easily, thus pleasing the tragedy¡¯s madam.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t deny that,¡± the Half-elf said with some pain, nodding. ¡°And that is also why many hold prejudices against the mentor and the Shadow-Kai. But I also believe that this is not the mentor¡¯s intention; she merely wants to escape complete destruction.¡± At this moment, the sound of wings flapping filled the air again, and a black shadow quickly approached from the horizon, soon landing again on the stone in front of the Half-elf. Lancelot keenly realized that, although very similar, this raven was not the same as the one before. The black bird opened its beak and emitted a series of unpleasant calls, containing seemingly complex transformations, and Lancelot sensed a faint mental fluctuation. The white-haired, red-eyed Half-elf leaned in to listen, nodding solemnly from time to time, and posed some questions in that strange language, to which the raven responded one by one. About five minutes later, this odd duo finally ended their communication, but the raven did not fly away, instead continuing to squat on the stone staring at them, as if waiting for their response. ¡°The ravens have indeed seen the three witches leave here not long ago,¡± Tanya said confidently to everyone. ¡°And they also know where those witches went.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Bruto stood up directly, starting to put on his Helmet. ¡°Can this beautiful bird take us there?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the Half-elf nodded again, ¡°but it¡¯s a place of no return...¡± ¡°A Sinister Realm?¡± Lancelot asked. ¡°Kalalin just discussed this phenomenon unique to the shadow planes with us yesterday.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Tanya turned to look at the Human Scholar. ¡°Did you tell them that within the Sinister Realm, not even the gods can know anything that happens there, and unless granted permission by the master, even death does not allow your Soul to leave?¡± ¡°What I know is limited to rumors circulating among scholars...¡± Kalalin answered, his face looking slightly uneasy. ¡°Not even death?¡± ¡°Yes, even death won¡¯t do, the ravens are very certain of that,¡± the Half-elf nodded. ¡°One of their duties is to bring the souls of the newly deceased who had intense emotions to the Raven Queen, allowing them to find peace in death. Unless the lord of the Ominous Realm is defeated, those trapped inside, whether dead or alive, can only leave then.¡± ¡°Is that so...¡± Lancelot pondered briefly, ¡°Do you have more information about the Ominous Realm that the witches are heading to?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the Half-elf nodded again, ¡°About a century and a half ago, that Ominous Realm had opened once. According to those who left from there, it¡¯s a place called Derrick Valley¡ªnestled between two giant mountain ranges, with fertile farmland and several villages scattered around a small town. The semi-plane¡¯s lord is a Lich named Peyton Derrick, the last bloodline of the Derrick Family. It cruelly ruled the valley named after its family, believing everything on that land, including the lives and souls of its people, belonged to it. About half a year after the semi-plane was freely accessible, the exit sealed again, and no souls have since left, at least not seen by the ravens.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Lancelot nodded lightly, turning to his companions, but before he could speak, Alamir quickly said: ¡°No need to ask, I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°If I refused, I would never be able to look into my soul again, for the gift the Mysterious Lady gave me is burning inside.¡± ¡°Wherever my brother goes, I go! I don¡¯t want to be alone anymore!¡± ¡°Guys! Thank you!¡± Bruto sobbed, ¡°Woohoohoohoo, big brother... I...¡± ¡°If our family were in the same situation, you would make the same decision,¡± Lancelot patted the Dwarf¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Now is not the time for tears; keep them for when we find Uncle Barrend. Tanya, I truly appreciate your help. Let¡¯s not delay, please lead the way.¡± The Half-elf didn¡¯t respond, but simply nodded towards a raven nearby. The black bird issued an unpleasant screech, flapping its wings as it flew into the air and circled not far above their heads. ¡°It wants us to follow,¡± Tanya explained. ¡°Can you still summon your mounts?¡± Guided by the raven, the group rode along a secluded forest path for about three hours. As they ventured deeper, the dark trees around them grew taller and more imposing, like withered giants using their twisted arms to completely cover the grey sky. If not for the constant cawing of ravens, they would have surely lost their way. Gradually, the fog drifting between the tree trunks became thicker and thicker, until the visibility was reduced to less than five feet. They moved forward for about another minute, and then the fog began to dissipate, but Lancelot immediately realized that the surrounding forest was no longer the same as before. (Sorry for the late update, couldn¡¯t slack off during the day and had to work overtime in the evening, only could write after getting home...) Chapter 761: 782: Demons Domain Heavenly Machine Chapter 761: Chapter 782: Demon¡¯s Domain Heavenly Machine ¡°Alright, we have entered,¡± Tanya reined in the black mare she had summoned earlier, ¡°Before we continue onward, there are some things that must be done...¡± ¡°We¡¯ve arrived?¡± Bruto, sitting behind Lancelot¡¯s hindquarters, twisted his head to look at the tall wall-like mist behind, ¡°I was wondering why the mist was so strange just now... hey, you came in too?¡± ¡°Do you think I would miss out on such a thrilling adventure?¡± A smile appeared on the Half-elf¡¯s face for the first time since they had arrived in the Fallen Shadow Netherworld, ¡°More importantly, if I hadn¡¯t followed you in here, when the summoning time ran out, I¡¯d be transported back to the place I was before, by then the mercenary legion would have certainly moved on, and traveling alone through the wilderness of the Abyss doesn¡¯t sound very enticing... You summoned me here; don¡¯t you think you¡¯re responsible for me until the end?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be modest; traveling alone in the Abyss would be terrible, but I¡¯m quite sure you could handle it,¡± Lancelot looked at the Half-elf earnestly, ¡°Thank you, Tanya, you are a precious friend and companion.¡± ¡°Captain, don¡¯t say that, it¡¯s making me quite embarrassed,¡± the Half-elf¡¯s grin brightened once more, ¡°And besides, venturing with you indeed brings rich rewards¡ªnot in material terms, although those are great too... The great battle before Volcano Fortress, our experiences in Elgrand, and the final fight with the Barlow Flame Demon, all of it was epic. The emotions, memories, and even some trivial souvenirs, like a piece of Obsidian shard I got from the shore of Volcano Lake, have greatly pleased my mentor, and in turn, she has blessed me with new knowledge, strength, and magic. I¡¯m a lot stronger now than before, just wait till there¡¯s a fight, and I¡¯ll show you all what I¡¯ve got!¡± ¡°Haha, that goes for all of us, you might not even get a chance to lift a finger,¡± Lancelot also revealed a confident smile, ¡°You just mentioned some things that must be completed, what are you referring to?¡± ¡°Divination,¡± the Half-elf took out a deck of black cards from the saddlebag hanging next to her, ¡°This will give us some hints, or clues, to help us overcome the enemies we will face in this adventure...¡± ¡°You know how to do that?¡± Bruto leaned forward with some doubt, ¡°How come I never saw you use it before?¡± ¡°Because the outcomes of my previous predictions were quite far from the actual circumstances,¡± the Half-elf admitted generously, ¡°According to legend, divination is meant specifically to help travelers trapped in dreadful realms find their way out, so it makes sense that it wasn¡¯t effective before. More importantly, my mentor just now suddenly repeated the word ¡®divination¡¯ three times; maybe she¡¯s trying to hint at something.¡± ¡°I see...¡± the Dwarf shrugged, ¡°Then let¡¯s give it a shot; it¡¯s just fortune-telling anyway, we won¡¯t lose a piece of flesh over it.¡± Hearing this, Tanya deftly dismounted and sat down next to a rock by the roadside, begin to shuffle the cards with not-so-practiced moves, while turning her head to the others and said: ¡°Who¡¯s going to try? Lancelot?¡± Bruto immediately slid down from Nightmare¡¯s hindquarters to facilitate Lancelot¡¯s dismount. The Human Knight sat opposite the Half-elf, asking curiously: ¡°What do I need to do?¡± ¡°In a moment there will be two sets of cards, the thicker deck is the minor arcana, the thinner one is the major arcana. When I¡¯m ready, you need to draw a total of five cards, three from the minor and two from the major. Place the two major arcana cards in the middle and the one farthest from you, the remaining three minor arcana cards go to your left, right, and the spot closest to you, forming a cross,¡± she explained. The Half-elf¡¯s fingers traced over the stone surface, as if struggling to recall something. After a pause, she continued: ¡°Once the divination begins, I¡¯ll see some illusions through the content of the cards¡ªthree places associated with the minor arcana where we should find something that could aid us, whether it be magical artifacts, useful information, safe locations, anything is possible... The major arcana card farthest from you will reveal a powerful being that could assist us in our fight against the darkness; and the final major arcana card, it will unveil some rarely known, yet crucial secrets about the ruler of Demon¡¯s Domain...¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Lancelot raised one eyebrow, ¡°then, let¡¯s begin.¡± ¡°Very well, let us...¡± Tanya¡¯s pupils suddenly rolled upward, her pale eyes fixating on Lancelot before her as her hands formed a strange gesture. A bizarre power caused the cards in front of her to levitate and spin rapidly around the stone they were sitting opposite each other on. Lancelot saw images of the warrior, the masked man, the monk, the beggar... Then, with a snap, the Half-elf¡¯s palms slapped together, and the fluttering cards instantly fell before her in two stacks, one tall, one short. ¡°...The Demon¡¯s Domain¡¯s machine of fate will reveal something, won¡¯t it,¡± the Half-elf¡¯s voice turned hoarse and frenzied, as if another soul was speaking through her mouth, ¡°You already know what to do, start with the thicker stack.¡± Lancelot briefly locked eyes with the other party before drawing the top three cards from the thicker pile, arranging them as previously instructed. Under the unnerving gaze of the other, he drew two more cards from the thinner stack, the topmost two, and placed one farthest from himself and the other in the middle of the stone. The companions all gathered around curiously, and the Half-elf gently waved her hand, causing the card to the right of Lancelot to mysteriously light up. ¡°This card speaks of history, ancient knowledge will help you understand the enemy.¡± Tanya¡¯s voice was still peculiar, and with a simple gesture, the card flipped over by itself for everyone to see clearly, revealing the image of a Priest. ¡°Knowledge is hidden in places of prayer and supplication, but such places are now abandoned, and the beasts cannot comprehend the value of books...¡± The Half-elf trembled as she spoke, as if chilled to the bone. Then she made the card closest to Lancelot light up, whispering: ¡°This card signifies hope, the guardians in the darkness, the allies you can rely on.¡± The card turned over automatically, and Lancelot¡¯s expression shifted slightly, for the image on the card was a raven¡ª if this referred to Tanya herself, it seemed unnecessary, didn¡¯t it? ¡°I see a tavern shrouded in smoke, adorned with many wolf heads. Go there, they are also looking for you.¡± Lancelot and his companions exchanged glances, no one spoke, and the card to the far left had already lit up. ¡°This card foretells power, it represents some kind of weapon, one that even the Lord of the Demon¡¯s Domain would fear...¡± The card flipped, revealing a beautiful young girl. She was dressed in lavish attire with a crown on her head, seemingly a Princess or a Queen. ¡°...¡± The Half-elf fell into a brief silence, then finally spoke in a somewhat surprised tone, ¡°I see one among the dead, right in your midst.¡± Chapter 762: 783: Interpretation Chapter 762: Chapter 783: Interpretation Upon hearing this, the group simultaneously turned their heads, looking towards the little Tanya, who first displayed surprise and then a look of resignation¡ªthis prophecy was too explicit, it definitely couldn¡¯t be referring to anyone else. The divination continued, and the card far from Lancelot lit up. Tanya¡¯s body trembled even more violently as she struggled to speak: ¡°This card... will reveal... a powerful ally...¡± The card slowly turned over as if reluctant, and Lancelot fixed his gaze on it, only to see an image of a woman with a horrified expression, albeit obscured by lines like cracks, resembling a portrait under shattered glass. ¡°Potential... powerful... ally... is a... legendary woman... but her mind... has gone mad...¡± The companions exchanged glances, currently clueless about the prophecy; however, by then, the last card had already illuminated, and the half-elf¡¯s trembling had far exceeded what a normal person could feign, as if countless birds were flapping their wings beneath her skin. Different from before, Tanya did not explain the meaning of the last card first but flipped it over directly, very hastily as if she was running out of time. Amidst the curious and fearful stares of the group, an image of a marionette appeared, its peculiarity being that despite the wide grin and exaggerated gestures which seemed quite humorous, the eyes gleamed with malice and cunning. ¡°Hehehe... tehehe... Yahaha!!¡± the half-elf let out a weird, frenzied laugh, ¡°How interesting, oh how amusing! The Lord of the Demon¡¯s Domain is already sealed? Who could accomplish such an incredible feat?¡± Suddenly, Tanya¡¯s eyes closed and her body went limp, falling backward, fitting perfectly in Alamir¡¯s arms behind her, while the cards floating mid-air also fell one after another, their patterns fading like ashes in the wind, instantly turning utterly blank. ¡°Tanya, are you alright!¡± Alamir shook the half-elf in his arms, and seeing no reaction, he immediately started to pray softly, ¡°Lady of Blazing Light, your humble servant beseeches your power...¡± ¡°No need, I am fine,¡± Tanya suddenly opened her eyes, her red pupils returned to their former place, ¡°What did I just say?¡± ¡°Phew, you scared me,¡± Bruto wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed in relief, ¡°You don¡¯t know what you just said?¡± ¡°I was in a trance, can you remember your own words in a dream?¡± ¡°Is that so... first, you said that we would be in...¡± Bruto scratched his head, looking at his companions for help, ¡°What kind of place was it?¡± ¡°In a place once for prayers and pleas, we can find ancient history there to understand our enemy,¡± Kalalin read from his notebook, ¡°But it is now abandoned, and beasts do not understand the value of books...¡± The Scholar spent a short while recounting the prophecy Tanya had just made in a trance, which seemed slightly eerie to the others since the Half-elf had just repeated the same content. ¡°Well, the first prophecy probably refers to some abandoned temple or church¡ªit shouldn¡¯t be hard to inquire about it in town,¡± Bruto scratched his head. ¡°The second should also be simple; we could just run through all the taverns, and as soon as we see any wolf-head decorations, we would know we¡¯ve found the place...¡± ¡°We could narrow down the area even further,¡± Tanya pondered with a frown. ¡°If there are many wolf-head decorations, it suggests there are many wolves nearby, and wolf packs generally roam the forests. We could start from the settlements near forests or ask around where wolf hunters are spotted.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± Bruto pursed his lips, ¡°I was actually looking forward to the challenge of visiting every tavern...¡± ¡°Tanya makes sense,¡± Lancelot nodded. ¡°As for the third one, it certainly refers to little Isha since she¡¯s a vampire and fits the description of ¡®one who is dead.¡¯ Moreover, carrying the Lord of the Dead¡¯s blessing, she can prevent the resurrection of Undead creatures, which is obviously advantageous in combat against high-level undead like Liches.¡± ¡°In that case, I think it¡¯s essential for you, Isha, to conceal that ability of yours to avoid alerting the mastermind behind this and allow them to prepare in advance,¡± the Half-elf turned to the little vampire beside him and said, ¡°Never let the enemy know until the very last moment of the final battle.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± Isha nodded seriously, ¡°If our enemies are Undead, I will not make a move.¡± ¡°Actually, I can also cover for you,¡± Alamir smiled slightly. ¡°By sprinkling Holy Water on the corpses and pretending to perform rites of exorcism, we can make others think it¡¯s me who stopped the Necromancy from taking effect...¡± ¡°It¡¯s still better to be cautious,¡± Isha¡¯s expression remained serious, ¡°Even if I don¡¯t attack directly, I still have many ways to help everyone during the fight...¡± ¡°Ha, this child has become clever!¡± Bruto pompously blew his mustache. ¡°Make sure you send a few enemy heads my way when the time comes! Don¡¯t just focus on your brother Lancelot; he doesn¡¯t need those few tokens of victory...¡± ¡°Having a young lady help you and you¡¯re not even embarrassed,¡± Lancelot laughed as he smacked the frog figure on Bruto¡¯s Helmet heavily. ¡°Next, the mad legendary female... how do we find her? Ask where there¡¯s a crazy woman? In places like these, I suppose everyone is more or less a bit mad...¡± ¡°We indeed don¡¯t have enough information right now, we¡¯ll ask around later to see if there are any pertinent rumors,¡± Kalalin remarked. ¡°The prophecy used the word ¡®legendary,¡¯ which means this person must have achieved some remarkable deeds; we can start from this clue.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± Lancelot nodded. ¡°As for the last one, ¡®The master of the Demon¡¯s Domain has been trapped,¡¯ this statement is quite straightforward; it isn¡¯t really a prophecy. The focus should be on the following question, ¡®Who could have achieved such an incredible feat?¡¯ ¡°We have these clues so far...¡± Kalalin tapped the edge of his notebook with the pen in his hand, ¡°First, Tanya mentioned that this place called Derrick Valley in the Demon¡¯s Domain was opened over a hundred years ago. According to what we¡¯ve heard before, unless the master of the Domain¡ªPeyton Derrick¡ªintended it, such a phenomenon only occurs when the master of the Domain is destroyed. As a Lich, Peyton certainly has many ways to deceive death, and just a bit of time would allow him to resurrect, which also matches the historical record of the exits being sealed again after half a year...¡± Chapter 763: 784 Chapter 763: 784 ¡°Second, according to the intelligence from the ravens, those three witches entered the Demon¡¯s Domain immediately after capturing Uncle Barrend¡¯s soul. I believe that they are likely able to come and go freely, at least they must have some form of collaboration with the master of the domain,¡± ¡°Is it possible that the witches have defeated the original Domain Lord and then took control over Derrick Valley?¡± Lancelot asked with a frown, ¡°And Peyton Derrick, the original Domain Lord, has become a puppet of the witches?¡± ¡°The witches most likely possess the knowledge on how to control a sealed Domain Lord, but I don¡¯t believe they have the power to defeat a Lich, and I can¡¯t think of any reason for them to do so,¡± Kalalin shook her head, ¡°And don¡¯t forget our third clue. Cranvo said that this matter is related to His predecessor, and we indeed found the emblem of that predecessor ¡ª right on the weapon that killed Uncle Barrend.¡± ¡°There are too many questions that need answers, and what we know now is too little,¡± Lancelot sighed, ¡°Can you cast that spell to locate Uncle Barrend again? We need to ensure Bruto¡¯s old man¡¯s safety before we think about how to get out of here.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Kalalin immediately nodded, ¡°But just a reminder, doing so will deplete my Fifth Circle spell slots for today, so don¡¯t expect me to be able to provide support with the strongest spells if a battle breaks out later.¡± ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± ¡°Good. Bruto, give me some of your blood, ordinary is fine.¡± This time, the dwarf didn¡¯t joke around. He drew a small dagger from his waist with a serious expression, took out a small flask of strong liquor from behind his breastplate to clean the blade, then lightly cut a half-inch long wound on the back of his hand, from which bright red blood immediately began to seep. Kalalin quickly retrieved a bundle of thick scrolls from her backpack and unfolded them to catch the dripping blood from the dwarf. After five drops, she gave a look to the Elf Priest beside her, who immediately pressed the bandage they had prepared in advance to the back of the dwarf¡¯s hand. The Scholar then activated the spell stored in the scroll, and a wisp of silver smoke surged forth. The smoke quickly coalesced to form the image of Barrend. Everyone looked intently and saw that the old dwarf had somehow regained a body; his hands were bound behind his back, his neck was chained, with the end attached to a heavy metal sphere. Compared to before, this time the smoke illusion showed more detail, and everyone could clearly see the wounds on the old dwarf¡¯s face, his back, and under his ribs, clearly indicating that someone had recently tortured him. Bruto abruptly tried to jump up from the ground, but a hand as large as a mountain kept him in place. Lancelot didn¡¯t turn to look at him, just said softly: ¡°Watch to the end.¡± The elderly dwarf in the illusion seemed to sense something, looking around strangely, of course finding nothing. The view gradually pulled back, and they saw a dungeon with dozens of cells, fierce guards, and a building reminiscent of a gang headquarters. The view continued to move, showing dirty streets, an old town, a glittering lake, and pathways through fields and forests, finally dissipating in the dimming shadow of trees. ¡°That town is roughly twenty miles away from here, and there¡¯s an established road,¡± Kalalin spoke rapidly, ¡°With luck, we could get there in two hours...¡± Kalalin hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Bruto had already dashed out like a wisp of smoke. Lancelot did not stop the Dwarf this time, but simply turned to the others and said: ¡°Mount up, we¡¯re leaving.¡± Lancelot, Kalalin, Alamir, and Tanya each leaped onto their respective warhorses, while little Isabella transformed into a bat and clung to the Human Knight¡¯s cloak. They easily caught up with the frantically running Bruto. Lancelot stretched out his hand, effortlessly lifting the Dwarf, who weighed nearly two hundred pounds, and with a skilled flip in midair, said Dwarf landed securely on the powerful haunches of his Nightmare steed. ¡°Lancelot, I...¡± ¡°Shut your mouth and be careful not to bite your tongue,¡± the Human Knight said without turning his head, ¡°Also, calm down; panic won¡¯t solve any problems. Our priority is to save people; once we get them out, then we can think about revenge. Later, you must keep a clear head at all times until I say it¡¯s time to act, understand?¡± Bruto didn¡¯t speak again, but he pounded his fist twice heavily on his companion¡¯s back, from which Lancelot deduced that he had gotten the message. The trees on either side of the road twisted grotesquely, their intertwining branches like Guards¡¯ crossed halberds, silently threatening the advancing party and yet indifferently standing by. The wild gallop attracted the attention of some malevolent beings in the forest; sneaky shadows drawn by the noise attempted to pursue the swiftly moving group but were quickly lost in the dust kicked up by the horses¡¯ hooves. Wailing wolf howls rose in the distance, while a flock of black ravens began to circle overhead, as though waiting diners anticipating the chef¡¯s next dish. About half an hour later, the group left the forest behind, and the road was flanked by clearly neglected farmland, where potatoes, wheat, and swedes grew like wild weeds. There was no sight of any farmers, the only figures were some roughly constructed scarecrows, their forms coated with crows that seemed to be watching a play. Lancelot noticed that after leaving the forest, the sky overhead was significantly brighter, despite still being devoid of any sign of the sun, the luminosity was now akin to an overcast day. Yet this level of light seemed to have no effect on little Isabella, who maintained her bat form and continued to hang from Lancelot¡¯s shoulder. As they continued forward, a grey city wall jutted out from the steep cliffs on either side of the road. The oppressive feel of its height, which exceeded thirty feet, was palpable, and in the middle stood a raised iron gate. Above the gate was etched a line of text, worn by rain and the passage of time, yet still discernible as the words ¡®Derrick Kingdom.¡¯ The only sentinels at the kingdom¡¯s gate were two headless Knight statues, their silent and ominous presence an unwelcome gesture to the newcomers. When Tanya, the last in line, had passed, a grating metallic sound suddenly rose, and everyone turned to find the iron gate had dropped with a painful screech, severing their way back. For any ordinary travelers, this eerie situation would undoubtedly have been terrifying, but for Lancelot and his companions, they only needed to exchange a glance to find the strength to continue. Beside the road stood a stele-like signpost, pointing to Bulger Village to the east, and to Barovia to the west ¨C the direction from which they could no longer return. In the distance, under the shadow of the dark clouds, the outline of a village was beginning to emerge. (Those who know understand~) Chapter 764: 785 Ambush Chapter 764: Chapter 785 Ambush Bulger Village was a gloomy place, surrounded by a solid fence made of logs, as if there was some terrible threat lurking in the wilderness. Many dark chains dangled from the top of the fence, each ending with a black silhouette. As the group approached, they realized those were all reanimated zombies, emitting a pungent tar odor, wriggling under the not-so-bright light like worms on a hook. Even though everyone was accustomed to grand scenes in the Abyss, this sight still touched a nerve. ¡°I don¡¯t like this village,¡± Bruto muttered, ¡°even I can feel the evil inside...¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the place where Uncle Barrend is imprisoned,¡± Kalalin spoke up, ¡°Shall we bypass it? The terrain to the south is flatter, the horses should be able to ride over it.¡± ¡®No! We must go in!¡¯ an almost zealous female voice echoed in everyone¡¯s mind, ¡®Evil must be purified!¡¯ ¡®Ignore her,¡¯ another graceful male voice rang out, carrying the distinctive elegance of the Aira Celestials, ¡®I will properly educate her.¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t want to go in either,¡± Lancelot gazed at the grim village, then turned to look at the hill to the south of the village, ¡°It feels very wrong, but I can¡¯t quite put my finger on why. Let¡¯s set off and stay alert.¡± The group left the road and maneuvered through the wilds surrounding the village. Inside the fence were stone watchtowers, with guards grimly watching them from the top, making no move, perhaps because the Human Knight¡¯s mount, a nightmare with fire blazing from its hooves, that iconic creature dismissed any foolish thoughts they might have had. Lancelot soon understood why he felt so uneasy. The hill was scattered with numerous tombstones, and a fog began to envelop them insidiously, obscuring their view of the distance. Fortunately, this did not cause Lancelot to lose his way. As a Spiritual Cultivator at the High Rank of the Foundation Establishment Stage, he could sense a very faint but undisturbed Spiritual Field, which allowed him to accurately identify directions even with his eyes closed. However, he still cautiously slowed down, letting his mount switch to a safer, slower pace, while carefully watching for any anomalies on the ground. Disconcertingly, most graves were dug up, the coffins half-buried in the ground, and many of the coffins were open and empty. Suddenly, a burst of firelight pierced the mist to their left, accompanied by a ghastly scream no living person could make. Lancelot sharply turned his head to find an undead hung by chains on the village¡¯s fence set ablaze, violently struggling within the orange-red flames. The next moment, his mount let out a panicked neigh, its front hooves rearing up high, almost throwing Bruto¡ªwho was sat on the horse¡¯s haunches¡ªoff. Fortunately, the Dwarf had earlier hooked his belt to Lancelot¡¯s saddle, which kept him firmly in place. Suddenly, the lid of a coffin by the road flew open, revealing a skeleton wielding a black short spear, viciously thrusting towards the nightmare¡¯s belly. Lancelot had been on high alert since the beginning of the skirmish, and the surprise attack came from the right. In an instant, he drew Frostslash, its tip neatly hooking the rusty spearhead and severing it from its shaft when it was still half a foot from the horse¡¯s body, sending it rolling to the ground. There was no need for the Human Knight to strike again; his enraged mount had already retaliated. The Nightmare¡¯s flaming hooves came down hard, the first blow kicked the skeleton¡¯s skull into the air, and the second crushed its breastbone completely. However, the screams from the village walls awakened more enemies. Amidst the rasping of bones against wood, hordes of skeletons and zombies crawled out of their shallow graves and surrounded the group in an instant. ¡°Take up arms! Prepare for battle!¡± Lancelot shouted, his voice inspiring calm and determination, ¡°Alamir! Channel the Divine Power! Everyone else, protect the Elf Priest and prepare to break out with me!¡± Everyone heard his command, including the Nightmare beneath Lancelot. The black demonic warhorse let out an excited neigh, leaping forward to knock down a skeleton dragging a long-handled Battle Axe. Then it opened its smoke-belching maw and spat out a ball of phlegm-like flames, setting another zombie in ragged chainmail ablaze. As the Nightmare was about to indulge itself against a third enemy, Lancelot finally pulled it back. He had to admit that he had been somewhat negligent here; a wild horse¡¯s temperament wasn¡¯t so easily trained. He had mostly used it as a means of transportation before, and there was much work to be done to make it a qualified warhorse. At that moment, Lancelot could only force the Nightmare to follow his intentions by using his strength, which was far superior to the beast¡¯s. Elsewhere, Bruto was the first to unfasten the buckle on his belt and rolled off the Nightmare¡¯s rear. Landing with his Shield, he crushed a skeleton, then got up and charged towards Kalalin, throwing his Warhammer as he moved; little Isa took to the air, transforming into a winged assassin girl, and dove at the nearest Zombie; and Kalalin, as a Spellcaster, chose to protect himself first¡ªhe conjured an Illusionary Technique around himself, creating four identical copies to confuse the enemy, and then prepared to cast a blurring spell to make himself harder to hit. Meanwhile, Alamir, protected in the middle of the group, was focusing on chanting his prayer. Although the gods could not actually hear his prayers here, they could still respond to his request to perform Divine Arts. The chestnut horse beneath the Elf Priest, a summoned creature of the Divine Arts, remained calm in the chaotic battlefield, allowing the Priest to maintain critical focus on his spellcasting. He didn¡¯t keep his companions waiting long, and the Shield bearing Shuni¡¯s Emblem shone with a dazzling golden light. Alamir held the Shield aloft and shouted, ¡°In the name of Lady Firehair, return to your graves!¡± Centered on the Priest, a vast Holy Energy surged outward, sweeping over the surrounding Undead creatures like a tsunami¡ªexcept for a little Vampire who had been favored by the Grim Reaper. The light twisted around her body¡¯s edges, bubbling like air in water. Ninety percent of the enemies collapsed under the Divine Power¡¯s assault, their animating energy dispersed, turning them back into an inanimate pile of dead matter; most of the remaining enemies also fled in panic, with only a few still making motions to attack the group. ¡°Bruto, get up here!¡± Lancelot¡¯s commanding voice rang out again, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Chapter 765: 786 Ominous Sign Chapter 765: Chapter 786 Ominous Sign As Bruto had promised earlier, he remained conscious during the battle, and as soon as he heard Lancelot¡¯s call, he immediately ran back and was hauled onto the horse by the latter. Meanwhile, little Ysa flew back to the Human Knight, turning back into a bat amid a puff of smoke, and attached herself to Lancelot¡¯s cloak. ¡°Is everyone all right?¡± Lancelot¡¯s gaze quickly swept over his companions, confirming that everyone was in good shape, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of this damned place...¡± In the distant, hazy fog, more dark shadows kept emerging from the ground. Fortunately, the Elf Priest¡¯s explosion of Divine Power had cleared a large open area, giving the mounts the space they needed to gather speed. Lancelot led the charge at the forefront, holding his Hand Half Sword Frostslash high. The aqua Sword Aura flickering on the blade allowed his attacks to extend beyond the weapon¡¯s physical length, and each time he swung his sword, a zombie or skeleton still dozens of feet away would be cleaved in two. Even if they managed to somehow ¡®reattach¡¯ themselves afterward, the group was sure to have run far away. Behind Lancelot, Bruto kept throwing his Magic Warhammer¡ªwith the Returning Enchantment it had, he could afford to do so without restraint. The Dwarf preferred the skeletal enemies, as the visual effect when the Warhammer hit them was very pleasing to the eye. Anyone participating in this activity could enjoy the sense of destruction, and Bruto even had the untimely thought that perhaps opening an Undead hunting ground in Twin Bridges Town would be a good idea, surely the Demons would like what he was doing right now. Behind the two, Alamir and Tanya took up positions to the left and right, with Kalalin closely following. The four formed a tight diamond formation, with the Elf Priest and the Half-elf Cursed Swordmaster clearing up any stragglers that made it through. As a Priest of the Domain of Life, Alamir actually had very impressive combat skills, especially in defense, which is why he usually took position on the left side of the formation. The left-hand shield-bearing Elf could play to his strengths better on this side. After cutting down dozens of disgustingly hideous foes, the companions finally completely burst out of that graveyard-like slope. The burning undead had disappeared behind the thick fog, while their wretched screams still echoed in their ears. After riding some distance further, they returned to their original dirt road, where Lancelot gradually slowed down the horses, eventually stopping at a crossroad. ¡°We should be safe here,¡± the Human Knight patted Bruto, and both dismounted one after another, ¡°Let¡¯s rest for a bit and let the horses catch their breath. Also, I need to have a word with this guy alone...¡± The companions dismounted, curiously watching as the Human Knight led the Nightmare away, disappearing beyond a small hill by the side of the road. ¡°What¡¯s he off to do?¡± Bruto asked, puzzled, ¡°The way he¡¯s acting, it feels like he¡¯s about to give the big black horse a beating, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Looks like it. That horse seemed to have its own ideas during the battle...¡± Alamir shrugged, ¡°Back to the matter at hand, what exactly happened just now? Did we just escape from a trap?¡± ¡°No doubt about it, that¡¯s exactly what happened.¡± The Half-elf pulled out a carrot from somewhere and stuffed it into his mount¡¯s mouth, ¡°I bet that if we had died there, our gear would¡¯ve been stripped by the villagers, and our corpses would¡¯ve become part of the trap, to rise again when the next victims passed by. If I were to score that scheme out of ten, I¡¯d give it a seven. It¡¯s a clever design, but it¡¯s a pity they met high-rank Divine Art Casters and a monster like Lancelot...¡± ¡°I hardly count as high-rank.¡± Alamir shook his head, ¡°A true high-rank Priest would¡¯ve unleashed a torrent of Heavenly Fire on the spot, turning that evil, Fallen village to ashes.¡± ¡°I like that idea.¡± Bruto pulled off a hand bone that had been clamped to his ankle since the fight and casually tossed it into the grass by the road, ¡°Hope big bro has the same thoughts... huh, what¡¯s that?¡± Everyone looked in the direction Bruto was pointing and saw an old wooden gallows creaking in a sudden cold wind. They were certain that thing hadn¡¯t been by the road before, and the broken noose on it fluttered in the wind as if a stall owner was waving them over. Across from the gallows stood another signpost, indicating that the road to the east led to Chadegory Town, Grey Pine Lake, and Derrick Fort, while the southeast would take them to Viliki Mountain. ¡°Has everyone rested well? Let¡¯s continue...¡± Lancelot emerged from behind the hillside, with his large black horse trailing behind him, nodding its head, ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s wrong with you all?¡± ¡°Big... Big brother...¡± Bruto¡¯s teeth seemed to be chattering, ¡°You... Look... Is that... me?¡± ¡°What?¡± Lancelot looked puzzled, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°The gallows... the corpse on the gallows... It looks like me... or rather my father... It is my father, right...¡± ¡°But there¡¯s nothing on it?¡± ¡°No... there is...¡± Lancelot glanced at the empty gallows, then back at the panicked Dwarf, his brow gradually furrowing. Suddenly, he reached out and gave a firm pat on the Dwarf¡¯s back, which startled him so much that he leapt up and clung to Nightmare¡¯s neck, only to be disdainfully placed back on the ground by the latter. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Bruto¡¯s voice was on the verge of tears, ¡°You almost scared my kidneys out!¡± ¡°Look again, is there anything on the gallows now?¡± ¡°Ah? What... what¡¯s going on... just now it was clearly...¡± ¡°It must be some kind of engraving Illusion Technique,¡± Kalalin spoke up, ¡°The first person to see it triggers the effect of the engraving, seeing their own image on the gallows. Since the spell has been activated, we won¡¯t notice anything unusual when we look again. If a lone traveler gets caught by this illusion, they could be directly terrorized into madness...¡± ¡°Who the hell would put such a thing here?!¡± Bruto cursed angrily, ¡°How does my madness benefit them? Isn¡¯t this harmful to others and oneself?¡± ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s exactly the purpose?¡± The Elf Priest gazed thoughtfully at the gallows, making a peculiar hand gesture. A blinding pillar of light enveloped the execution device, and when the light faded, the gallows had vanished. ¡°Both Kalalin and I have prepared spells to remove curses, and my High Rank Restoration Art can even lift some of the more potent negative effects. If you feel anything strange, you must speak out immediately, and the same goes if you think something¡¯s off with someone else,¡± Alamir said solemnly to his companions, ¡°Most illusions and curses can shatter one¡¯s mind, making the victim unaware they¡¯re affected, but if those nearby pay close attention, they can always spot the anomalies in time.¡± Chapter 766: 787 Chadegory Town Chapter 766: Chapter 787 Chadegory Town As the group continued forward, the muddy dirt road gradually turned into smooth, wet cobblestones, and the twisted trees receded from both sides of the path. A thin fog began to spread again, turning distant scenes into blurred shadows, and the air was always filled with a distinctive stench of rotting corpses. Where there was the stench of decay, there were naturally corpses. Thanks to his keen observation, Lancelot had noticed more than once the dead bodies lying by the roadside, their remains looked to have been gnawed on by wolves or other wild beasts. However, leftover arrows and bones crushed by blunt instruments were still silently explaining the cause of their deaths. In Lancelot¡¯s previous understanding, other than spreading plagues and polluting water sources, corpses themselves posed no threat, but that rule clearly no longer applied. Those long-dead bodies were occasionally awakened by the sounds of horse hooves, attacking them due to an instinctual craving for flesh and blood. Lancelot responded very decisively, ensuring they could never rise again. A massive shadow began to emerge in the fog, and after advancing about a hundred feet, the outline of the city wall became clearly visible. The black walls, built of broad stone bricks, seemed fairly sturdy but were only just over ten feet high, nothing compared to the defensive walls of Twin Bridges Town. ¡°This is it,¡± Kalalin whispered to his companions, ¡°Barrend¡¯s uncle¡¯s house is near the city wall, shouldn¡¯t be hard to find.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and get inside!¡± the Dwarf pressed in a trembling voice, ¡°anyone who dares to stand in our way will be smashed into a pulp by my Warhammer!¡± ¡°Be a little more patient, we¡¯re very close now,¡± Lancelot cautioned softly, ¡°don¡¯t act like you¡¯re going to kill and burn everything once we enter, behave like a normal person. Once we locate the place, first confirm the status of Uncle Barrend, then if possible, we¡¯ll devise a precise rescue plan that ensures success. Understood?¡± ¡°Understood,¡± the Dwarf answered glumly, ¡°just tell me when to take action...¡± The road led them to a gate in the city wall, equipped with double layers of iron bars, and two guards, armed with Long Spears, Shields, and breastplates, were cautiously watching, partly due to Lancelot¡¯s mount¡ªtheir recognition of Nightmares might be limited, but anyone could tell from the burning hooves and flame-like mane that the great black horse was of Fiend bloodline. What kind of person then, was Lancelot, who used such a creature as his mount? Despite this, when they rode up to the guards, the two men still raised their Long Spears to block the way. Lancelot noticed they wore dirty robes with a Battle Axe embedded in a skull emblem embroidered on them, recalling no gods having such an emblem, ¡°Who are you?¡± the guard, a Human with a broken nose, cautiously asked, ¡°What brings you to Chadegory?¡± ¡°Mercenaries,¡± Lancelot answered without hesitation, ¡°here seeking opportunities for employment.¡± The speaking guard turned to look at his companion, a Half-elf with dark brown hair, who seemed not quite satisfied with the answer. ¡°But you look like some noble lord,¡± the man hesitated before speaking again, ¡°and what kind of mercenaries would come to this cursed place looking for work?¡± ¡°What I was before is not important, and we did not come to these lands voluntarily,¡± Lancelot implied, ¡°Furthermore, a few swords for sale can always find a buyer. Surely there¡¯s no lack of such a demand in this city?¡± ¡°Of course not, sir, you will definitely find employers here. There are many here who would gladly pay,¡± the guard shook his head, ¡°Actually, the Skullcrusher Legion can offer you a decent contract right away. Our headquarters are in the square on Coffin Street, you can talk to the manager Marco, just say Old Tommy referred you, he will be very pleased to meet you.¡± ¡°The three major gangs?¡± Lancelot frowned. ¡°Who rules here?¡± ¡°In name, it¡¯s Baron Digal, the mayor, but he can hardly protect his own house. In reality, it¡¯s our Warhammer Legion that rules.¡± The man with the broken nose seemed to find confidence, unconsciously puffing up his chest. ¡°We are one of the three major gangs in the city, and, as you see, this Mist Gate is our Warhammer Legion territory... Well, the entry tax is one Gold Coin per person... and an additional silver coin for each beast.¡± At these words, Lancelot¡¯s mount grew furiously angry and snapped its mouth at the guard¡¯s face. Lancelot was quick to pull the rein, just in time for the guard to raise his Shield in defense. Though the Nightmare¡¯s mouth lacked Fiend-like sharp fangs, the iron-bound wooden Shield was insufficient to withstand the high temperature in its mouth. With a crisp crack, the guard stared dumbfoundedly at his Shield which now sported a palm-sized notch on the edge, through which one could see the icy gaze of the Human Knight¡¯s mount. ¡°I suggest you apologize to it immediately,¡± Lancelot said as he stroked the great black horse¡¯s mane, ¡°and then you might want to recall the details about the entry tax.¡± ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m sorry...¡± the man swallowed hard. ¡°I just remembered, it seems nobles are exempt from the tax, aren¡¯t they, Aimuti?¡± The other guard nodded stiffly, looking like a soulless puppet. Lancelot briefly surveyed the man, his brow furrowing slightly¡ªthrough his Spirit Perception, the Half-elf felt oddly strange, not quite alive, yet not Undead either. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Lancelot asked bluntly. ¡°He seems to have been silent since we arrived.¡± ¡°He¡¯s always... like this.¡± The man elbowed his companion. ¡°Say something, you foolish elf!¡± ¡°I am a Guard.¡± The Half-elf¡¯s voice was hoarse and unpleasant. ¡°You may pass.¡± Having said that, he moved aside, turning his head away from everyone. Seeing this, the man with the broken nose could only shrug and step back, opening the way for them. ¡°Thank you.¡± Lancelot nodded, gave a light nudge into his mount¡¯s flank, and the big black horse walked past arrogantly, spitting fiercely on the ground where the missing piece of the Shield lay. Despite the large size of the town named Chadegory, the stone-paved streets were deserted, the windows of houses along the street were covered with thick curtains, and the quiet air was filled only with the whistling wind, and faint, directionless screaming. Were it not for the occasional faint flames peering secretly at the newcomers through the slits, he would have thought it was a ghost town. ¡°This place is so bizarre...¡± Bruto murmured softly. ¡°Where are we going now?¡± ¡°Shopping,¡± Lancelot responded, channeling a bit of True Yuan to send his voice directly into his companions¡¯ ears. ¡°If you see that house, do not stop, and do not show any signs of anomaly, just follow me and keep moving forward.¡± Chapter 767: 788: Change of Plan Chapter 767: Chapter 788: Change of Plan After walking a bit farther, silhouettes finally appeared along the streets, guarding near what appeared to be very sturdy buildings. Beneath black capes shone armor with a metallic sheen, with their palms nonchalantly resting on the weapons at their waists, looking ready to face battle at any moment. As Lancelot sized up these people, they reciprocated with dangerous glances but did not step forward to stop the passing group. Lancelot also noticed that everyone wore a certain emblem¡ªthey had already seen the axe embedded in a skull, just like the two guards at the city gate; a skeletal hand stretching out from the ground with a tombstone in the background; crossed swords and battle axes with blood dripping from the sword blade; a human figure split from head to abdomen with a vague shadow rising from within... The emblems could be painted on robes, sleeve bands, shields, or even skin. Undoubtedly, these emblems belonged to some organization. The emblem with the axe embedded in a skull was already recognized by the group as the insignia of the Skull Crushers Legion, and indeed, those wearing this emblem were in the majority, at least for now. Lancelot soon realized another problem¡ªif every person in the city belonged to a gang, then the role of his party became quite delicate. Different forces would surely react differently; some might just secretly monitor their actions, some might want to test their skills, and others might even directly confront them to persuade (or threaten) them to join. The situation could become very complicated, and unless they planned to be enemies with everyone, they would eventually have to make a choice. The group made another right turn at the next intersection, keeping to the streets closest to the city walls. They had not gone far when they suddenly heard the sounds of a fight. A bear goblin and a half-orc were brawling in front of a three-story building with a red roof, seemingly vying for a gleaming scimitar. The scimitar flew out of the hands of the two brawlers and landed in the road ahead of Lancelot. This beautiful scimitar, forged from some silvery-gray metal and emanating a faint blue spiritual light, was clearly a fine magic weapon. However, Lancelot made no move, simply waiting patiently on the spot. The fight quickly concluded¡ªthe bear goblin covertly pulled a dagger from his boot and slit the half-orc¡¯s throat, the dark red blood instantly spilling onto the ground and quickly disappearing into the cracks between the cobblestones. The victor left his opponent¡¯s body where it fell, turned, and walked toward Lancelot and his group. He bent down to pick up his prize, his eyes constantly on the human knight, but the latter just watched him impassively, neither intimidated by his fierce gaze nor desirous of claiming the scimitar for himself, which somewhat disconcerted the bear goblin. ¡°Are you done with your business, sir?¡± Lancelot asked coldly, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, please step aside.¡± The bear goblin originally had other plans, but something in the voice of the human knight made him decide to stop there. He slowly backed away, while Lancelot looked up at the second-floor window of the building¡ªunder the slightly lifted curtain, several hand crossbows were aimed at his position, their black-coated arrowheads creating no reflection and hard for the average person to notice. But of course, Lancelot could not be fooled, especially in this relatively open environment. Just then, a loud explosion sounded not far away, followed by a chaotic exclamations of battle, drawing the attention of everyone present¡ªincluding those hidden behind the curtains. Lancelot¡¯s heart sank slightly; he suddenly had an ominous premonition that the explosion might have occurred at the building they were seeking. With this thought, he no longer cared for caution, threw the reins, and galloped toward the direction of the explosion, with his companions quickly following suit. In Abyss, there was a saying that if you worried something bad might happen, it surely would. After rushing forward two blocks, a large house already ablaze appeared in Lancelot¡¯s view, making everyone gasp, for they instantly recognized it as the building previously seen in the Prophecy Magic¡ªthe old Dwarf was locked in the dungeon on the second basement level... at least a few hours earlier. An assault on that house was underway, and although there was still resistance in the courtyard by the entrance, the attackers had breached the front defenses and broken into the building. The upper floors seemed to remain under the control of the defenders, from where arrows flew through inconspicuous gaps, toppling any attackers who were careless. Lancelot unexpectedly noticed that the attackers bore no distinctive emblems, which was completely contrary to what he had observed since entering the city. But there was no time to ponder that now. He led his group to the gate, then leaped off his Nightmare. ¡°Wait here for us to come out,¡± Lancelot instructed the great black horse, which nodded in understanding. Due to the characteristics of the Demon¡¯s Domain, these summoned creatures were also unable to return to their original planes and were trapped here like everyone else. ¡°Who are you?¡± challenged an Elf in chainmail who appeared to be a leader among the attackers, blocking Lancelot¡¯s way, ¡°Leave, this isn¡¯t your affair.¡± ¡°Oh, but it is, right in that building¡¯s dungeon,¡± Lancelot rested his hand on his sword hilt, his voice ice-cold as he spoke, ¡°Apart from that, everything else is none of our business. But if you continue to stand in my way, then it becomes your business.¡± Lancelot¡¯s move caused all the other attackers to gather around, but the Human Knight stood his ground, his eyes fixed on the Elf before him. The Elf glanced at Lancelot¡¯s armor, squinted slightly, and then suddenly stepped aside, yielding access to the entrance. ¡°Don¡¯t attack anyone without an emblem; they are our people,¡± the Elf explained indifferently, ¡°Good luck.¡± Lancelot silently nodded and stepped forward into the courtyard. No sooner had he entered the yard than several crossbow arrows were shot at him, though fortunately, the aim was not very good. Only one posed a real threat, which he easily deflected with his longsword before the second volley of arrows arrived; by then, he had already led his companions into the building, entering a narrow corridor. The battle here had clearly ended not long before, with blood still slowly trickling down the walls, and the wounded lying on the ground taking their final breaths. Lancelot noticed that most of the bodies on the ground wore a black armband with a crying skull painted in red¡ªan evident mark of the other faction involved in the conflict. Lancelot easily found a still-breathing human who was sitting against a wall in a pool of black blood, trembling as he clutched a wound on his stomach. Yet, it was apparent to anyone that death had already looped its noose around his neck. ¡°Where is the entrance to the dungeon?¡± Lancelot drew a healing potion from his belt and shook it in front of the man, ¡°Answer my question and this is yours.¡± Chapter 768: 789: Shattered Limbs Chapter 768: Chapter 789: Shattered Limbs ¡°Humph, humph, humph... You must be new here...¡± the dying man¡¯s face twisted into a sinister smile, ¡°Do you think death is the end? Welcome to Hell...¡± Suddenly, the man released his hand from the wound and lunged to choke Lancelot by the neck, but before his fingers could touch the Human Knight¡¯s skin, several cyan Sword Qi had already punctured several holes in his body¡ªthat was the Protective Sword Shield automatically activated. Having advanced to the High Rank of the Foundation Establishment Stage, Lancelot was now able to maintain this Cultivation Technique as long as he had enough True Yuan. ¡°What¡¯s going on with this guy?¡± Kalalin asked, somewhat worriedly, ¡°What did he mean by his last words?¡± ¡°Do I need to hit him once more, brother?¡± Little Isa offered proactively, ¡°Just in case he gets up again?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Uncle Barrend is waiting for us.¡± After passing through the porch littered with bodies, the group entered a hall where fierce fighting was in progress. No sooner had they emerged from the passage than a Fireball came hurtling towards them. With no time for any other action, Lancelot could only erect a Shield of pure True Yuan in front of him to take the full brunt of this signature plastic energy Spell head-on. The Fireball exploded with a bang, the powerful blast pushing Lancelot against the wall. However, thanks to his blocking, the erratic fire snakes did not harm any other companions, and Bruto was already holding up his Shield in front of him, his Warhammer swinging fiercely towards a bald Wizard on the second floor of the hall. Regrettably, there seemed to be some kind of invisible barrier in the air, blocking the Dwarf¡¯s impressively powerful Warhammer. However, when the Warhammer hit the transparent barrier, a strange ripple appeared midair, revealing the outline of the barrier. On both sides of the hall, wide staircases led upwards, and at that moment, dozens of people were fiercely fighting over them. Still, the attackers were clearly suppressed by the relentless bombardment of Spells from the Wizard on the high ground. ¡°Ha! You damned crows! Don¡¯t think you can break through my Positioning Wall!¡± the bald Wizard shouted down to those below, ¡°Come on! Taste this!¡± In his hand, a blinding Lightning appeared, ready to be thrown. Lancelot internally cursed, having previously experienced it, that in an enclosed environment like this, a ricocheting Lightning Spell could be a terrifying disaster. Just then, a short syllable was chanted from the other side of the hall. Suddenly, a deafening noise erupted around the Wizard, preventing him from maintaining his Spellcasting, and the Positioning Wall that had been blocking the attackers vanished. ¡°Well done!¡± someone yelled to the crowd, ¡°Charge!¡± Naturally, Lancelot and his companions had no interest in joining the battle for the staircases; they were looking for the entrance to the basement, and such a thing was not here in this great hall. While the Wizard above momentarily ceased fire, the group quickly ran across the hall, slipping through a partially ajar wooden door on the right. Behind the wooden door was a storage room cluttered with miscellaneous items. At least five people had fought here, but now they all lay on the ground. Alongside the bodies, several overturned wooden crates spilled out their unsettling contents¡ªcountless bones, seemingly washed with great care. ¡°There are no Dwarf skeletons here,¡± Bruto said uneasily, ¡°Right?¡± Lancelot did not answer his question, instead moving to a door leading to another room, which had a heavy bolt across it and seemed not to have been opened recently. ¡°No... don¡¯t go in...¡± The feeble moan arose from behind the group, and Lancelot turned to find one of the ¡®corpses¡¯ that had been lying on the ground sitting up. This was a Tiefling with pale red skin, their entire left face was a blur of blood and flesh, seemingly slashed multiple times by a blade. The Human Knight noticed that this person carried no emblem either, so he took out the healing potion again and unscrewed the lid, pouring it directly into the other¡¯s mouth. It was just an ordinary healing potion, whose effects couldn¡¯t compare with even the lowest level Divine Arts of Alamir, but it was enough to pull a person back from the brink of death. The Tiefling¡¯s pain was slightly alleviated, and with his still intact right eye, he sized up the group with a somewhat perplexed question: ¡°Who are you? I don¡¯t seem to have seen you before we set out...¡± ¡°We¡¯re not your enemies,¡± Lancelot explained simply, ¡°You just said not to go in there, why?¡± ¡°That door leads to the dungeon, it¡¯s filled with evil experimental creatures, very dangerous.¡± The Tiefling pushed himself to sit up with effort, ¡°How come you don¡¯t know? It was made very clear before the action that we must stop them from releasing the monsters in the dungeon, and to clear that area only after the rest has been secured...¡± ¡°The plan has changed, we need to get into the dungeon now.¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, ¡°Once we¡¯re in, you can put the bolt back in place, I don¡¯t mind.¡± The look in the Tiefling¡¯s eyes told that he hadn¡¯t quite grasped the situation at hand, but the group wasn¡¯t going to wait any longer. Bruto let out a low growl, lifting the completely wrought iron bolt with great difficulty, then violently pushed it aside. ¡°This thing must weigh at least two hundred pounds...¡± The Dwarf braced his knees, breathing heavily, ¡°What on earth is locked up inside?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll know soon,¡± Lancelot said, placing his hand on the doorknob, ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ve got this premonition that the old man is locked down there...¡± Lancelot pushed open the heavy wooden door, behind which was a round well, and to the right, a stone staircase without handrails spiraling downward along the wall. Several thick iron chains hung from the vaulted ceiling, most reaching the bottom of the well, but one chain ended with a cage, swinging before their eyes. ¡°Damn it, what is this place?¡± The Dwarf, with his dark vision, could easily see inside the cage, ¡°Look at those severed hands and feet, they¡¯re like unwanted spare parts...¡± ¡°Stay alert,¡± instructed Lancelot, switching Frostslash to his left hand, ¡°Stick close, and watch your step not to fall.¡± The party carefully descended the staircase, with Lancelot at the front, followed closely by the Dwarf. Then came Kalalin and Alamir, while little Isha remained in her bat form, hidden under Lancelot¡¯s cloak. They hadn¡¯t gone far down when they reached the base of the shaft. The scene that met their eyes made them momentarily feel as if they had returned to the Abyss: There were seven or eight dining-table-like stone slabs, each with a blood-drenched corpse on it, and beside the corpses were ¡®tools¡¯ such as bone saws, awls, hammers, and the like. On the ground next to the slabs were many iron cages, identical to the one they had just seen, likewise crammed with fragmented limbs. Chapter 769: 790 The Wrong Method Chapter 769: Chapter 790 The Wrong Method A slaughterhouse for the living¡ªthis was the term that simultaneously manifested in everyone¡¯s minds. The shockingly gruesome scene almost rendered them incapable of thought, but Lancelot still noticed some strange details. ¡°Wait, something isn¡¯t right,¡± his voice brought everyone¡¯s chaotic thoughts back to reality, ¡°Look at the joints of those corpses...¡± The group had only glanced at them before swiftly averting their gaze, barely observing those details. Reminded by his words, everyone immediately noticed the peculiarity; there were serrated, stitch-like fine lines at the joints of the corpses, and the way the chest, arms, and heads were joined together felt oddly uncoordinated, as if... ¡°These corpses have been assembled from limbs of different people!¡± the Elf Priest quickly concluded, with a tone filled with intense repugnance, ¡°What a desecration! Why would anyone want to use...¡± Just then, Lancelot caught a whisper of a faint, malevolent incantation. He swiftly turned his head and found the source was a stretch of wall not illuminated by torchlight. Upon closer examination, one could see several small cracks in the wall, which would allow someone hidden in a secret chamber behind it to spy into the room. Lancelot charged over, and a dazzling cyan light ignited in his palm. He struck down mightily on those cracks, and the Sword Qi burst forth from within him, surging into the cracks, while from behind the wall, agonized screams immediately followed. However, this didn¡¯t deal with all the enemies in the secret chamber, as the chanting continued, becoming even more hurried. Although the rest of his companions did not hear the incantation, they still immediately understood what was happening. They quickly ran over, searching for any mechanism-like devices nearby, but unfortunately, they found none in that moment. Meanwhile, the corpses that were previously lying on the stone slabs had begun to shakily rise to their feet, appearing as if they¡¯d just awakened from a deep slumber. Or rather, as if they had discovered themselves in the midst of a nightmare. Two complete assembled corpses stood up, and a third, due to improperly attached legs below the thigh, fell from the stone slab. These horrifying animated cadavers seemed to possess a certain intelligence; they grabbed the tools that had just been used to create themselves and lunged at the group with agility far surpassing that of typical Zombies. Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception warned him that these foes were far trickier than ordinary Undead creatures, so he turned around, deciding to first quell these unnerving monsters. Simultaneously, he heard the voice of little Isa in his mind. ¡®Brother, leave the enemies in the secret chamber to me!¡¯ ¡®Be careful, and if the opportunity isn¡¯t right, don¡¯t make a move.¡¯ ¡®Understood!¡¯ In the shadowy confines of the room, Isa, as a Vampire, could finally unleash her full strength. With a barely noticeable faint flash, she transformed from a bat into a dim mist and then drifted into the cracks in the wall. The brave Dwarf charged towards the enemy at this moment. Since he was already close, he didn¡¯t throw his Warhammer but instead used the cover of his Shield to ferociously ram into the enemy. Normally, given the Dwarf¡¯s strength and his ¡®height advantage¡¯, even Lancelot, unprepared, would be unable to withstand his charge; however, with a clink, the Dwarf himself staggered backwards several steps and finally sat down on his bottom, while the target he struck merely swayed on the spot and raised the Bone Saw in its hand to strike down at the Dwarf. Lancelot¡¯s figure flashed, and he instantly moved behind Bruto, lifting his Longsword at a tricky angle to parry the incoming blow while aiming for the enemy¡¯s elbow, and the Dwarf took the chance to roll to the side. The Human Knight, not holding back this time, slashed down forcefully at the monster¡¯s elbow with his blade radiating a dangerous blue light. To his surprise, Lancelot felt as if he were cutting not into flesh but into hard steel, as the Sword Blade sank less than half an inch into the body before it could go no further. What was more eerie was that the adversary seemed to feel no pain at all. Even as he was hit first, the Bone Saw still heavily smashed down onto the Longsword, with such force that Lancelot nearly couldn¡¯t hold onto his weapon¡ªknowing that his strength had already surpassed the limits of human flesh and that he could directly contend with Frost Giants, the sheer strength of this patchworked monster was not something ordinary Necromancy could achieve. Fortunately, Lancelot was never the type of warrior to rely solely on strength. His Longsword used the force of the blow to spin in the air and, before his opponent could raise their weapon to block, the point of the sword pierced the enemy¡¯s face. This move was typically used to puncture the faceplates of Knightly opponents, and it worked just as well on an enemy without a Helmet. Though the monster¡¯s body was extremely hard, it could not withstand Lancelot¡¯s thrust, which focused all his strength into a single point. The Longsword penetrated directly through the enemy¡¯s head, the tip prying open the back of the skull and pulling out a small clump of strange ochre gelatinous material. Lancelot¡¯s expression suddenly changed, and he exerted more force with his hands, lifting the adversary off the ground, swiftly spinning in the air, and then violently flinging it across the room. The monster staggered to its feet again with a fist-sized, clean hole in its face. It looked somewhat dizzy and struggled to regain balance, but it was far from being ¡®killed.¡¯ ¡°Moradin¡¯s beard, what in the world is this creature?¡± exclaimed the Dwarf as he stood up again, his face filled with astonishment, ¡°I thought I had run into a stone pedestal just now...¡± While the enemy was still at a distance, Lancelot quickly turned to check on the others. To his surprise, neither Tanya nor Alamir were at a disadvantage; the Half-elf had used her Shadow Glaive to slice off an enemy¡¯s legs, while the Elf Priest stood at a slightly farther distance, ceaselessly casting Holy Fire Technique. The enemy that could only crawl obviously couldn¡¯t catch up with anyone present, and with Tanya wielding a polearm, she could easily toy with her adversary. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Although the battle was still ongoing, Lancelot couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Could it be that Shadow Weapons are particularly effective against this kind of enemy?¡± ¡°No, because these creatures are flesh golems, and they fear fire.¡± Kalalin raised his hand and threw a Flame missile that exploded on the crawling enemy¡¯s body. The flames entered the monster¡¯s body as quickly as water soaks into a sponge, and it convulsed violently as if electrocuted. The Cursed Swordmaster¡¯s Pike also fell at this moment, effortlessly severing one of the monster¡¯s arms. ¡°I thought you could handle it, so I went to help her,¡± Scholar said with a he-he chuckle to the Human Knight, before throwing another Fire arrow that exploded on the other monster in the room that couldn¡¯t stand from the start, ¡°And it turned out to be true, didn¡¯t it?¡± Chapter 770: 791 Notes Chapter 770: Chapter 791 Notes ¡°Uh, about that...¡± Lancelot curled his lips, ¡°If there really is a shortcut, I wouldn¡¯t mind using it...¡± He formed a special hand sign, and a pale blue lotus emerged in his palm, floating towards the enemy whose face now bore a hole. The refinement of this Fire Lotus had improved considerably over the previous ones, transforming into a layer of blue flames that completely enveloped the flesh golem the moment it touched the enemy. Almost simultaneously, Lancelot¡¯s longsword reached its target, igniting several dazzling streaks of sword light within a breath¡¯s time. The creature, which had been quite troublesome moments earlier, seemed to suddenly lose its formidable magic power. Once the light from the sword faded, nothing but a pile of shattered limbs remained, utterly motionless. Lancelot turned his head and saw Tanya and Alamir had already joined hands in dealing with their opponents, while Bruto handled the one that couldn¡¯t stand up to begin with. Meanwhile, everyone heard a deep rumbling noise as the cracked stone wall parted to the left and right, revealing the scene within the secret chamber behind it¡ªa little girl struck a pose that seemed rather cool: arms wielding a shortsword stretched out on either side of her body, a chest that hadn¡¯t had the chance to fully develop proudly thrust forward, and a slightly tilted head bearing a cool expression, which, combined with the three corpses beside her, indeed looked very impressive. In the cramped space, a vampire¡ªnot one of those counterfeit vampire derivatives¡ªand a group of spellcasters who thought themselves safe stood no chance, of course. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lancelot stepped forward and lightly tapped the little girl¡¯s head, instantly ruining the masterful aura she had strived to create, ¡°Why kill them all? We should have kept one alive.¡± ¡°Uh, you didn¡¯t say beforehand. How could I think of that in the heat of the battle...¡± Isa pouted and fussed with her hair, ¡°And the one that¡¯s missing was killed by your slap, I only took care of two.¡± ¡°Alright, be more careful next time.¡± Lancelot turned and surveyed the interior of the secret chamber, which looked to be no more than ten feet in any direction and hardly different from a prison cell, ¡°Did you find anything useful?¡± ¡°This.¡± Isa pulled out a leather notebook from behind her, ¡°Found it on one of those guys, looks like a diary, check if there¡¯s any useful information in it.¡± Out of curiosity, the others crowded around as Lancelot opened the notebook and found that most of the entries had been erased by its original owner. However, the deletion had been done in haste, and several legible fragments remained. ¡®...Madam proposed some improvement schemes for their fear of fire weakness, which are truly ingenious creations¡ªonly she could do such a thing! However, since the ¡°parts¡± must be removed before full transformation, experiments using corpses can no longer be conducted like before...¡¯ ¡®...The new workbench is finished, and the carpenter who made it became the first subject of his own creation. The scene was messier than we had anticipated. Although we are quite accustomed to sawing arms off bodies, corpses do not protest. Madam says next time she will start the transformation at the throat, so we won¡¯t have to hear those annoying screams again...¡¯ ¡®...Bad news, the big shots upstairs are becoming alert to the disappearance of gang members. Today they added a bolt to the entrance of the shaft, claiming it was just a precaution, but from their shifty eyes, I know the truth. Not that it¡¯ll do any good, we have other exits, and it serves them right for not providing enough materials as they used to. Those who fail at their tasks deserve to be punished...¡¯ ¡®...We are very close to success, today¡¯s test subject had a distinct special reaction to his daughter¡¯s name, proving we are on the right track. Madam is truly evil, wise, and beautiful! I wish I could freely hold her face and gaze into her eyes...¡¯ ¡®...The shortage of materials is getting more and more severe. The efficiency of hunting outside the city is nothing like we had anticipated, and there¡¯s quite a lot to improve upon. Some colleagues volunteered to become test subjects, which sounds a bit insane, but we all understand that the body is merely a temporary inn for the soul, and death is nothing but changing rooms...¡¯ ¡°What is this nonsense?¡± Bruto frowned, ¡°Without a doubt, these people are all mad, and extremely wicked...¡± ¡°But you can still glean some useful information from a madman¡¯s ravings,¡± Lancelot tapped the notebook with his finger, ¡°At least we now know there¡¯s a ¡®Madam¡¯ involved, there¡¯s another exit, and the reason why Uncle Barrend was brought here. The notes also mention improvements made for their weakness to fire, and judging from the recent fight, either the improvements weren¡¯t actually successful or these flesh golems weren¡¯t the improved versions... Speaking of which, Kalalin, what exactly are flesh golems?¡± ¡°Theoretically, all golems are perfect soldiers devoid of consciousness, the need for food or emotions, existing solely to execute their creator¡¯s will,¡± the Scholar stroked his chin, ¡°They are made of common materials¡ªflesh, rock, metal, even gemstones, crafted through exquisite sculpting, stone masonry, metalworking, or surgery to shape the body, before a special technique infuses Soul Essence from the elemental plane of earth into them. Normally, golems lack self-will, blindly obeying their creator¡¯s commands, but based on that diary¡¯s contents, it seems the people here might have other ideas...¡± ¡°Are you referring to the part about having a reaction to their own daughter¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Yes. If I¡¯m not mistaken, their goal must be to ¡®swap¡¯ their own bodies with golems. As to why they would do this, I have no idea. I¡¯m a normal person; I can¡¯t comprehend the thoughts of a madman.¡± ¡°If we knew what the madmen have gone through, perhaps their thoughts wouldn¡¯t be so hard to understand.¡± Lancelot rapped his fist on the notebook and then put it away, ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ve been delayed long enough.¡± On the wall opposite the secret chamber was an exit sealed by iron bars, with a control lever next to it. Once they passed through the door, they entered another narrow corridor that had many open large doors on both sides, resembling the dormitories of workers, furnished with bedding, wardrobes and storage chests. However, there wasn¡¯t a single soul in sight. Lancelot was sure that if they searched thoroughly, they would probably find some valuable spoils, but a more pressing mission took precedence now. Chapter 771: 792: Mysterious Stone Statue Chapter 771: Chapter 792: Mysterious Stone Statue Lancelot unlatched the heavy door and led his companions cautiously inside. Behind the door was a rather spacious room lit by torches crackling on the walls, allowing everyone to easily see inside. The left half of the room was set up like a dining area, with four or five rectangular tables and chairs, enough to accommodate dozens of people dining at the same time; the right side of the room, however, was filled with life-sized statues of men and women. The craftsmanship was incredibly detailed but clashed somewhat with the surrounding environment. Opposite the room, there was a door wide open, leading down a set of stairs to the second underground floor of the building. According to the visions they had seen in the Prophecy Spell, Uncle Barrend was being held in a cell down there. ¡®Brother, there are people hidden behind those statues.¡¯ Due to an unexpected master-servant pact, Little Isha could communicate with Lancelot through telepathy, ¡®It¡¯s the scent of blood, I can smell it...¡¯ ¡®I know,¡¯ Lancelot silently replied while walking towards the statues with an appearance of no defense, reaching out to touch the chest of one of the statues while loudly saying, ¡°Guys, look, these statues are so lifelike...¡±¡® His voice drew everyone¡¯s attention, and they immediately noticed the hand signals Lancelot made under the cover of the statues¡ªthere were enemies nearby. The well-coordinated companions didn¡¯t show any signs of alarm, but they all tensed up quietly and kept their eyes on the shadows behind the statues. It didn¡¯t take them long to spot fluttering robes, protruding boots, and... Barely audible incantations. Lancelot suddenly kicked out fiercely, hitting the female elf statue in front of him. The statue flew backward, crashing into another statue and causing a domino-like chain reaction. Screams followed, coming from the cultists caught between the statues. Indeed, hiding fragile flesh and blood within a pile of solid, massive stones was not a good choice, especially when the stones were not particularly stable. For most spellcasters, casting magic is a complex and delicate process, involving incantations, gestures, materials, and willpower to harness the omnipresent raw magic power, twisting, entangling, reshaping, and vibrating it back in a specific way before releasing it at a specific spot for the desired effect. This is why mages need to spend a lot of time preparing spells in advance, even though the actual casting takes only mere seconds¡ªany disturbance during casting could lead to unpredictable, often disastrous outcomes. A burst of colorful magic aura lit up from within the statues. A hooded male human¡¯s hair caught fire, while a half-elf woman clad in black seemed to be gradually fading into nothingness. Meanwhile, three luckier ones were merely injured by the statues. They drew daggers that glowed green and, shrieking, rushed at the group. Lancelot thrust his longsword cleanly, slicing open an enemy¡¯s throat, while Bruto first used a shield bash to throw his opponent off balance, then slammed his heavy warhammer into the enemy¡¯s chest. The half-elf Tanya, using her deceptively sized halberd made a feint that tripped her opponent onto the ground, then she employed her skilled capturing technique, attempting to seize a living captive for the team. Just then, the human knight suddenly caught a strange scraping noise with his ears. He quickly turned his head to locate the source of the sound and discovered that a stone statue, close to Tanya, had suddenly come to life, raising its fist high, about to smash the unsuspecting half-elf. By the time it was too late to shout a warning, Lancelot¡¯s figure dashed forward in a leap, wrapping his arms around the half-elf¡¯s waist, rolling away with her from the attack trajectory of the statue. A sound similar to tomatoes being crushed echoed behind them. The half-elf turned her head and immediately understood the reason for Lancelot¡¯s previous action¡ªthe captive she had just seized exploded from the waist up, looking like a spilled dish of pasta, while two relatively intact legs indicated what the mass of pasta had originally been. A bizarre-looking stone statue was slowly retracting its fist, turning its gaze toward the two. Those were a pair of deep brown pupils in bloodshot white eyeballs, eyes that belonged to ordinary humanoid creatures, but they were set in a gray, lifeless stone face, which looked particularly eerie. But upon closer inspection, what was even eerier was not just the eyes. The statue¡¯s palms, arms, upper body, abdomen, thighs, and calves all had a subtle discoordination, like... ¡°This is a flesh golem!¡± Kalalin shouted loudly, ¡°Ignite!¡± A flame shot out from the scholar¡¯s fingertips and instantly hit the nearby enemy. However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, the flame simply bounced off the enemy¡¯s skin and then dissipated into the air, seemingly without any effect on the foe. By this time, Lancelot had already picked himself up off the ground. His longsword, exhaling a green sword aura, followed the scholar¡¯s flame arrow, striking directly at the target¡¯s chest. However, the area he pierced burst out with a shower of sparks, and the air was filled with the distinctive thud of metal clashing with stone. His sword had pierced the opponent¡¯s chest, but it had only left a two-inch long crack; for the golem, such damage was merely a superficial wound, nowhere near enough to bring it down. The attacks of his companions arrived at that instant. Bruto threw away his shield, swinging his warhammer with both hands at the knees of the bizarre flesh golem; Little Isha flashed to the enemy¡¯s side, her short dagger stabbing towards the enemy¡¯s armpit; even Alamir joined in, activating his Holy Strike ability. The Hammer of Dissolution radiated blinding gold light, fiercely striking the back of the monster¡¯s head. Everyone had intended to quickly finish off the enemy while it was disabled by Kalalin¡¯s flame spell, but the effect was far from their expectations¡ªLittle Isha¡¯s dagger penetrated only an inch into the enemy¡¯s body before getting stuck and could not be pushed further; Bruto¡¯s warhammer fared slightly better, the dwarf¡¯s full-force hit severely deformed the opponent¡¯s right leg, yet the golem strangely managed to maintain its balance and did not fall; the Elf Priest¡¯s hardhead hammer deviated from the target at the last moment (partly due to the dwarf¡¯s strike) and struck the golem¡¯s shoulder, but the holy powered hammer only made the creature sway slightly, the usual scene of corrupt flesh melting did not occur. As everyone was still shocked by the unexpected outcome, the enemy¡¯s counterattack arrived. The golem¡¯s upper body suddenly started to spin violently, its raised arms turning like windmills, the whistling sound of the air even making Lancelot¡¯s scalp tingle, and those surrounding it had no time to retreat. Chapter 772: 783: Start the Fight Chapter 772: Chapter 783: Start the Fight The flesh golem¡¯s arm was as heavy as a battering ram, landing a solid blow on Bruto¡¯s body. The dwarf spun violently in the air like a kicked ball before finally crashing into the wall at the other end of the room with a boom. It wasn¡¯t just him who was hit; Alamir was also unable to dodge in time. Unlike Bruto, the Elf Priest managed to raise his shield at the last moment, but the protection it offered was limited in the face of pure strength¡ªhe, too, was sent flying backwards and couldn¡¯t maintain his stance upon landing, tumbling several times before coming to a stop. The only companion to emerge unscathed was young Elisha, a cautious Wanderer who had prepared to retreat while attacking. Sensing something amiss through the feedback from her weapon, she didn¡¯t hesitate to let go, naturally avoiding the counterattack that followed. When the flesh golem swung its rock-like arm at Lancelot, he knew there was no way he could take the hit head-on. He adopted a parrying stance, but angled his sword in a specific way to deflect the opponent¡¯s strike. The maneuver worked fairly well; although he was pushed back rapidly, he managed to stay on his feet. After a few exchanges, Lancelot had a rough estimate of the strange flesh golem¡¯s strength¡ªit had the might of a giant, yet its size was equivalent to an average humanoid creature. Its body seemed to be assembled from different corpses, but it exhibited an odd petrification that made it as hard as metal and also fire-resistant, perhaps a so-called ¡®improvement.¡¯ But an enemy of this magnitude was not beyond his capacity to handle. Lancelot reached into the Dimensional Bag and pulled out the Giant Sword Glacier. ¡®Why don¡¯t you use me?¡¯ a somewhat dissatisfied female voice echoed in his consciousness, ¡®With my sharpness, I could definitely breach that monster¡¯s defenses...¡¯ ¡®Because what he¡¯s about to do doesn¡¯t quite match your noble temperament,¡¯ another elegant male voice responded, ¡®Watch closely. Whenever he takes out that great sword, it means he¡¯s ready to get rough...¡¯ The corners of the Human Knight¡¯s mouth curled involuntarily. He quietly circulated his mental method, and pure True Yuan gushed forth from his Dantian like floodwaters through the gates. It coursed through special routes in his meridians and finally converged on the great sword in his hand. The blade of Glacier lit up with a dazzling blue-white glow, indicating the pinnacle of resonance between the Qingyuan Sword Technique and the sword¡¯s Flame Enchantment. Moreover, two sword shadows identical to the great sword appeared by his side, moving in sync with Glacier¡¯s original form. Lancelot took a deep breath, then suddenly vanished from the spot. The golem¡¯s face clearly showed surprise, and it attempted to turn around abruptly, but it was too late. The Human Knight materialized behind the golem, the impressively sized Giant Sword raised above his head and brought down with the force of a farmer plowing the field. The tip of Glacier cleaved into the golem¡¯s skull top all the way to near the throat before halting, splitting the stone sphere-like head open like a winter melon, while the two sword shadows landed on the enemy¡¯s shoulders, each creating a terrifying gash about three fingers wide and inches deep. Lancelot focused his gaze and saw that the brain matter, which should have been gelatinous, had a grey-white, stone-like texture, still entangled within the split skull like a spider web. Furthermore, such a wound, which would be fatal to most creatures, failed to kill it; the bizarre golem had completed its turn and raised its fist towards Lancelot, as if the damage inflicted was merely to an ordinary limb. However, Lancelot had anticipated this situation. He withdrew his right foot, stepping just outside of his opponent¡¯s attack range, and his Great Sword simultaneously swung around like a windmill, slashing diagonally across the enemy¡¯s body once again. The destruction from this sword strike was considerable, nearly severing the golem¡¯s right arm at the base. But it was like an undead monster, still striving to attack Lancelot. He stepped back again, his weapon spinning in the opposite direction through the air before hitting the golem¡¯s body from the other side. Lancelot¡¯s three strikes were all-out attacks without reservation, combined with the synchronized assault of two sword shadows. In an instant, he had struck the enemy nine times in succession. Even the peculiar golem¡¯s resilience reached a critical point. The enemy stopped in its tracks, its body convulsing strangely as if it were a malfunctioning machine. Lancelot wasn¡¯t going to gamble on whether it had the ability to self-repair or not. His movements not only continued; they even sped up by a third, and within a few breaths, he completely dismembered the bizarre golem, its stone-like body parts scattered everywhere. After there was nothing standing higher than a foot in front of him, Lancelot finally stopped. He planted the Great Sword into the ground and turned his head to check on his companions¡ªthey were all too accustomed to his burst of power and had positioned themselves as far away from him as possible in the corners of the room. If they were caught by his sword wind, the consequences would be no joke. ¡°This guy should be completely dead now, right?¡± Bruto approached cautiously, the Elf Priest having already healed his wounds with Divine Arts, ¡°What exactly is this? Why didn¡¯t it work when Kalalin set it on fire just now?¡± ¡°Look at this...¡± the Scholar picked up half an arm from the ground, ¡°This is strange. It¡¯s clearly shaped like a human, yet it¡¯s actually made of stone. But if you¡¯re making a golem out of stone, there¡¯s no need to carve it to such a realistic extent...¡± ¡°Eh? But I really felt like I was stabbing into flesh just now...¡± said little Isha, puzzled, picking up her short sword from the ground, ¡°Wait a second, something smells off... Kalalin, brother, feel the elbow section, is that also made of stone?¡± ¡°What?¡± the Scholar did as suggested unconsciously, ¡°This is also... wait, no! This texture... this is flesh!¡± Kalalin rubbed forcefully at the joint of the dismembered limb, and his fingers immediately became coated in a grey-white pigment, and the area he was rubbing turned reddish-brown¡ªthe color of the ¡®normal¡¯ flesh golem they had encountered before. The Scholar exchanged a look of astonishment with his companions and then uttered a simple spell, lightly touching the severed limb. A pale blue shimmer of Transformation System magic flashed by, removing the grime on its surface and revealing the limb¡¯s original color¡ªthere was normal flesh at the junction of the upper and lower arm (obviously from two different bodies), which turned grayish-white about an inch later. Kalalin pressed on it to confirm it was indeed real stone. ¡°The paint seems to have been applied at the joints, making one mistake it for stone,¡± Kalalin announced his speculation to the others, ¡°But how was this achieved?¡± Chapter 773: 784: The Answer Chapter 773: Chapter 784: The Answer ¡°Let¡¯s come back to this later, okay?¡± Bruto said somewhat impatiently, waving his hand, ¡°We already know that the monster¡¯s weakness is its joints, that¡¯s enough...¡± ¡°Bruto is right,¡± Lancelot pulled the Great Sword from the ground and slung it over his shoulder, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Uncle Barrend is still waiting for us.¡± After speaking, he turned and headed down the steps, and his companions immediately followed. Nonetheless, Lancelot continued to ponder in his heart what exactly the contents of the note he had obtained meant. The note mentioned that the ¡®Madam¡¯ had proposed an improved plan targeting the weakness to fire, but this required removal before the ¡®part¡¯ was ¡®completely transformed.¡¯ If the petrified state of the golem limbs was the result of the improvement, then the unpetrified joints would correspond to the need to remove them before complete transformation. But if ¡®part¡¯ meant the dismembered corpse, the implications suggested in the note were rather horrifying¡ªthe people here could no longer use corpses for ¡®experiments,¡¯ a carpenter had his arm sawed off while he could still scream, and a certain ¡®sample¡¯ had reacted to his daughter¡¯s name... Just then, a vampire turned into a little bat and suddenly tugged sharply at his cloak, causing Lancelot to immediately stop in his tracks. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Before he could speak, Bruto at his back asked anxiously, ¡°Is there an enemy? Where?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s a trap ahead.¡± Little Isha reverted to human form amid a puff of smoke, ¡°Watch the wall over there, see those few black holes? Those should be arrow slits, and there are definitely triggers in some of the floor tiles ahead...¡± Lancelot realized he had been somewhat distracted just before, and with Isha¡¯s reminder, he also noticed more mechanisms: a tripwire painted black that was nearly invisible in the shadow; several suspicious-looking floor tiles, each potentially hiding a pressure sensor; some runes emitting faint magical fluctuations, seemingly capable of automatically detecting passing creatures. On the stairs¡¯ floor, walls, and ceiling, there were suspicious grooves, holes, and seemingly randomly placed debris everywhere. Unless one was very familiar with these arrangements, walking into them was not much different from committing suicide. ¡°It seems like there are many other traps...¡± the keenly perceptive Elf Priest also realized something was amiss, ¡°Isha, will it take a long time to dismantle all these traps?¡± ¡°At least fifteen minutes,¡± the little girl answered somewhat despondently, ¡°and I might still miss one or two more hidden ones...¡± ¡°That¡¯s too long!¡± Bruto exclaimed anxiously, about to rush forward, ¡°Let me go ahead. Forget the traps, Elf, just keep casting the Healing Spell on me...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty,¡± Lancelot quickly pulled the Dwarf back, ¡°We still can use the old method...¡± ¡°What old method?¡± ¡°Kalalin¡¯s old method,¡± Lancelot turned to look at the Scholar, ¡°How about it? No problem, right?¡± ¡°Of course not. Step back.¡± The Scholar¡¯s face was very excited. He pulled out a small clump of dark brown substance from his belt, clenched it in his hand, then began to draw circles in the air with his fist while chanting some arcane Spell. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s that smell?¡± the Dwarf suddenly sniffed, ¡°What did he just pull out?¡± Little Isha¡¯s face suddenly turned very strange. ¡°Bat droppings,¡± Alamir explained earnestly, ¡°a casting material for Fireball Technique. It can also be substituted with sulfur.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Bruto stroked his beard, then turned to look at the little vampire, ¡°Was that you...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my fault!¡± Little Ysa stomped her foot in frustration, ¡°I¡¯m already an Undead!!!!¡± ¡°...Oh.¡± The Dwarf nodded, ¡°I was wondering, Kalalin is pretty twisted but not that twisted.¡± The Scholar had already completed his spell by then, and a bright orange-red fireball appeared in his hand, about the size of a wine barrel, whereas the ones he had cast through scrolls before were only about the size of a helmet, and they seemed not so slow, either. The giant fireball wavered as it floated into the passage with downward steps, causing everyone to involuntarily step back again. After a long few seconds, a deafening roar echoed from within the passage, a visible shock wave passed before everyone¡¯s eyes followed by an impressive surge of flames, as if some trap¡¯s released gas had been ignited, resembling a Red Dragon belching. In addition to the loud explosion, the very focused Lancelot also heard some other noises¡ªmechanisms being triggered, hinges moving, bowstrings vibrating, blades slicing through the air, metal clashing with stone... He caught a lot of details, something he hadn¡¯t been able to do before. ¡°Oh oh oh!¡± Kalalin waved his arms excitedly, ¡°Friends, did you see that? How wonderful...¡± ¡°So the old method was this,¡± Bruto nodded slowly, in acknowledgment, ¡°but have you thought about what if the passage collapses?¡± ¡°Of course, fire another Fireball Technique,¡± the Scholar fluttered his eyebrows, ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, the Fireball Technique is... ¡± ¡°...the answer to all problems in the Multiverse,¡± his companions chorused, followed by a string of gleeful chuckles. Lancelot shook his head, slung the Great Sword back over his shoulder, and stepped into the still-burning tunnel. Dart traps and arrows packed the stone bricks on the steps, glittering under the firelight; beside the walls lay some huge metal plates, and the Human Knight was pleased to find them dormant; some metal spheres hung by chains from the ceiling, harmlessly dangling, making them easy for everyone to bypass... Kalalin was right, the Fireball Technique indeed was an answer to all problems in the Multiverse... at least one of the answers. The stairway wasn¡¯t too long, and they quickly emerged from the passage, reaching the second underground level of the building. The first thing they saw was two bodies of Cultists, presumably killed by the explosion triggered by the Scholar. There were a lot of cells sealed by iron bars, exactly as they had seen in the Prophecy Magic before. ¡°Dad! Where are you!¡± Bruto couldn¡¯t help but shout loudly, ¡°Barrend! Barrend Frostforge! Answer me!¡± ¡°Son?¡± A surprised shout came from a corner, ¡°Is that you? Bruto?¡± The Dwarf did not hesitate, dashed off with a swoosh, and the others quickly followed, coming upon a familiar old Dwarf figure within moments. ¡°My son, and Sir Lancelot...¡± Barrend, dragging the iron sphere tied around his neck, struggled to move closer to the metal bars, ¡°What brought you here?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to rescue you, old man,¡± Bruto wiped his eyes, his voice choked, ¡°Just a moment, I¡¯ll get you out...¡± ¡°To rescue me?¡± The old Dwarf was still full of surprise, but suddenly he remembered something, his face abruptly changed, and he spoke hastily, ¡°Wait a minute! There is a lady here, she is...¡± ¡°Welcome, strange visitors,¡± a cold, ghostly female voice rose behind them, ¡°What brings you to my research institute?¡± Chapter 774: 785 : An Unexpected Enemy Chapter 774: 785 Chapter: An Unexpected Enemy Lancelot¡¯s heart sank. There were too many prisoners around, and the other party had not revealed any killing intent before speaking, so his Spirit Perception sensed nothing. His companions, seasoned adventurers, immediately turned their heads towards the source of the voice the moment it sounded. They had expected to see an ugly old crone dressed in crude, dirty, tattered clothing adorned with decorations made from bones, intestines, and dead animals¡ªa witch. Rumor had it that these witches were masters of Magic, wielding countless dark arts beyond ordinary people¡¯s imagination, fully capable of explaining the various eerie phenomena in the dungeon. Moreover, according to what everyone saw in the Prophecy Magic, it was indeed the witch who had stolen old Bruto¡¯s soul and brought it to this dreadful realm. However, what appeared before them was an extremely beautiful woman with delicate features, hair as glossy as silk, and a black evening gown as noble as that of a queen, adorned with decorations made of gold and jewels. Yet her skin exhibited an eerie grayish-white hue, with green nails, lips, hair, and particularly enchanting emerald eyes... The moment Lancelot saw those eyes, he felt as if he had been struck by a Warhammer. This was not in the sense of feeling a strong pleasure at the sight of something beautiful, but rather literally as if he had been hit by a Warhammer¡ªpossibly wielded by a giant. He felt a curse begin to invade his body, and a pinprickling pain surfaced at his fingertips and toes. At the same time, he noticed that the woman¡¯s hair looked glossy for a reason: what looked like hair was actually numerous slender snakes, their bodies covered with fine scales, with triangular snakeheads at the ends, opening their venomous mouths towards the crowd. ¡°Don¡¯t look into the lady¡¯s eyes!¡± came Barrend¡¯s panicked voice from behind, ¡°She is a Medusa!¡± It was too late. Looking towards the enemy was an instinctive, subconscious reaction¡ªalmost always the right action in any situation. However, Medusa was an enemy one should never look directly at. Legend had it that merely making eye contact with her could curse any living being with petrification, and not even Medusa herself was exempt, which is why they removed all mirrors from their lairs and destroyed any reflective surfaces. Yet the Medusa before them didn¡¯t seem as powerful as legends suggested. Though everyone was affected by the curse of petrification, they did not immediately turn to stone. It was as if some power within them was resisting, giving them a chance to avert their gaze. In fact, most of those present felt an indescribable sense of familiarity as if they had been affected by a very similar effect before. Lancelot, with the strongest Divine Sense, was the first to recall the source of this familiarity¡ªtheir encounter with the true form of Cang Ye, the Mother of Demons, hidden behind a shroud in the Demon Capital Gaomendikolia when they looked into a Magic Mirror. Although he couldn¡¯t remember at all what he had seen, his body remembered the feeling, and unlike the last time, he wasn¡¯t powerless to react. Towering stone-like golems stood beside the Medusa called ¡®Madam¡¯, who took heavy steps forward and raised their fists to charge at the crowd. Lancelot forced his focus away from the swiftly approaching enemy, channeled the True Yuan in his Dantian through every Meridian in his body, and then, with a low growl, caused all his Meridians to constrict simultaneously and ¡°squeeze¡± the True Yuan into his flesh. The sensation was far from comfortable; it was as if Lancelot had been pierced simultaneously by numerous spears. The excruciating pain almost knocked him unconscious. That, however, was but a fleeting moment. The pain quickly subsided, and with it, the onset of petrification, restoring his full control over his body. While the others were still struggling to fight off the curse, Lancelot knew he could no longer wait. He pushed hard against the ground, launching himself forward like a cocked slingshot, his Great Sword spinning massively above his head and then intercepting the onrushing enemy with an imposing Horizontal Slash. The two golems simply raised their arms, clearly very confident in their petrified bodies and strength. The great sword clashed heavily with an arm, sparks and a loud bang erupted, and Lancelot was sent flying backward, barely stopping himself from knocking over a companion. However, his opponent was also forced to retreat several steps, halting the charge. Just then, a deep red glow lit up behind him, the work of Alamir casting a high-level Restoration Art on himself, this Fifth Circle Divine Art immediately halting the petrification effect on his body. Yet, apart from the Elf Priest, the others had no means of saving themselves. Although everyone was struggling to fight off the petrifying effect, their conditions were varied. The most severe were Kalalin and the young Esha, whose legs below the knees had turned to stone, unable to move any longer, while Bruto¡¯s body trembled with a low growl, looking like he was about to overcome the conflict. Contrary to Lancelot¡¯s expectations, the Half-elf Tanya seemed to be doing rather well; although she had not joined the group when they first encountered the terrifying face of Cang Ye, it seemed that the Cursed Swordmaster¡¯s body also contained some energy capable of resisting the curse, with a shadow dancing like flames around the stone areas on her skin, preventing the negative effect from spreading further. ¡°Lancelot! I can cast another high-level Restoration Art!¡± Alamir called out quickly, ¡°On whom should I use it?¡± On hearing the words, Lancelot hesitated, but he immediately made a decision in his heart. ¡°On Kalalin, we need his magic right now. Esha, use your vapor form and return to the Dimensional Bag!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± the girl¡¯s voice was tinged with clear panic, ¡°I can¡¯t concentrate!¡± ¡®In the name of the Savior of pure souls of Oasis Fort, Mogrondale, and Androlina, master of the Quasimodo Demon¡¯s king, Paladin of the Abyss,¡¯ Lancelot shouted through the mental link to the Vampire, ¡®vaporize your form, return to your tomb!¡¯ With a bang, his command took effect. Where the little Vampire had stood, there was now only a wisp of smoke that quickly wriggled into the Dimensional Bag at Lancelot¡¯s waist. Without waiting for the Elf Priest to cast the Divine Art to set the Scholar free, Lancelot charged out again¡ªhe had to suppress the two flesh golems and prevent them from approaching his companions who were fighting off the curse. However, the greatest threat to them had always been that Medusa, and apart from turning people to stone with her gaze, she clearly had other abilities. ¡°Look at me!¡± Medusa screamed, her voice carrying a magic power that made it difficult to resist, ¡°Look into my eyes!!!¡± Chapter 775: 786: Dark Assault Chapter 775: Chapter 786: Dark Assault Almost all mortal races hope to preserve eternal youth and beauty, and humans, whose lifespans are particularly short, are no exception. Driven by such desires, some explore the connection between the body and nature, others pray for the grace of gods, while some rely on the power of wizards or the Dragon Race. Then there are those who turn to the dark side of the Multiverse, offering sacrifices to Demon Lords or Archdukes of Demons, utterly disregarding the curses that come with their boons. According to legend, the Medusas, before they became non-mortal, were all women of astonishing beauty. They gained power, status, and common people¡¯s worship through their looks. However, the more benefits they reaped from their beauty, the more intense their fear of aging grew. Out of fear, or perhaps greed, these beautiful women struck a deal with some malevolent entity. They retained their physical attractiveness and even reclaimed their lost youth, becoming immortal beings living among mortals like demigods. Yet, as time passed, they ultimately paid the price for their arrogance and vanity¡ªtheir bodies became vessels of curses, their hair turned into nests of venomous snakes. They remained beautiful, but could no longer reap any benefits from it, for anyone still desiring Medusa¡¯s beauty would turn into a stele witnessing her downfall. Nevertheless, as part of their fall, these people, who were originally all beauty and no substance, also received malevolent boons. At the sound of the others¡¯ voices, even Lancelot almost couldn¡¯t resist the impulse to look at them again, not to mention his companions. In response, a surge of Spiritual Light flashed through Lancelot¡¯s mind, and he quickly focused on a black spot on his wrist and fiercely activated the power contained within. With the Human Knight at its center, a tangible darkness exploded out like a shockwave, squeezing out all the surrounding light. Even creatures with dark vision couldn¡¯t see through this fog-like darkness, so if anyone looked in Medusa¡¯s direction, they wouldn¡¯t be affected. A vicious curse came from within the darkness. Though they couldn¡¯t see anything, their other senses remained unaffected. Using their sense of smell for flesh, the two stone golems charged again, and their heavy footsteps let everyone know of the enemy¡¯s approach. However, the Human Knight who created the darkness wouldn¡¯t allow them to pass. Glacier, with a sharp whooshing sound, struck heavily against the chest of one enemy, then rebounded toward another. A massive collision sound erupted, and the terrible force pushed the Human Knight back several steps. Lancelot was fairly certain he had hit the enemy¡¯s swung fist, possibly even severing one or two fingers. The problem was, these strange artificial creatures didn¡¯t feel pain, otherwise the loss of fingers would have been enough to incapacitate them. At that moment, he felt a sharp pain from his Spirit Perception and heard two tiny, piercing whooshing sounds. Lancelot instinctively maximized his Protective Sword Shield, a substantial layer of greenish light appearing around him. In the next instant, the light shield vibrated violently like a struck bell, shooting out several beams of Sword Qi like long spears, slicing the two incoming Magic Feather Arrows into several fragments. A chill went down Lancelot¡¯s spine. Clearly, these two powerful arrows had come from the Medusa, each bearing a terrible curse. Had he not promptly gathered his True Yuan to reinforce the Protective Sword Shield, the consequences would have been unthinkable. At the same time, heavy footsteps sounded again; the flash of light from activating the sword shield had pierced through the darkness, making him an obvious target. Fortunately, after fighting single-handedly for so long, the Human Knight finally received his companions¡¯ support. After the Elf Priest removed the petrification effect, the Scholar completed his first Spell¡ªa gentle breeze summoned by the Spellcaster blew through the passage obscured by darkness. Four distinct chuckles followed: one familiar voice belonged to Lancelot, two others sounded like the mumblings of deranged lunatics, and the last eerie female voice held no pleasure, more like a vessel filled with evil and resentment that had been cracked open. The sound of laughter had barely begun when the Elf Priest raised the Shield emblazoned with the emblem of Shuni, and eight Holy Light Missiles, like flying hammers, shot forth from the Shield, flying toward the approximate locations of the two flesh golems. Ultimately, only three missiles hit their target, but that was enough¡ªAlamir had used a Fourth Circle spell slot to cast this originally First Circle spell, thus creating an Arcane Light bright enough to pierce the darkness. Bruto and Tanya, who had already begun their charge, immediately found their respective targets and fearlessly engaged the two formidable petrified flesh golems. The Dwarf took two steps as one, instantly reaching the underside of his opponent, his Warhammer smashing into the golem¡¯s knee from the side. After the hit, he didn¡¯t hesitate to roll to the side to dodge the enemy¡¯s powerful counterattack; the Half-elf adopted a similar tactic, her Pike aimed straight at the golem¡¯s joints. After striking, she swiftly retreated, not giving her opponent any chance to counter. This was the strategy the party had discussed just moments earlier. What was most disconcerting about fighting golems was their ability to completely ignore pain. The party was accustomed to the idea that if they could land the first blow, it was effective because the pain and damage inflicted would disrupt the opponent¡¯s counterattack, but golems simply disregarded this rule. Combined with their astonishing strength, this made them particularly troublesome. But golems were not notably agile, and this shortcoming was even more pronounced in the petrified flesh golems; with enough patience, they were not too difficult to engage in a drawn-out fight. Using the opportunities his allies had won, Lancelot switched back to Frostslash, the nimbler Hand-Half Sword better suited for targeting joint connections and less likely to accidentally harm companions. The whistling of the sharp blade filled the air again. The Human Knight held his breath and concentrated, his Longsword slashing back and forth through the air, and with two clanging sounds, two arrows aimed at the Dwarf were deflected to the side, unbeknownst to Bruto himself. ¡°We¡¯ll handle these two!¡± shouted the Dwarf confidently after landing another blow with his hammer, ¡°You go deal with that evil woman! And don¡¯t hold back!¡± ¡°Look out for yourself!¡± Lancelot continued to whirl Frostslash swiftly around his body, making his way toward the source of the malicious laughter in the deep darkness. The clashing sounds of metal incessantly rang out, each clash corresponding to an arrow he knocked aside, but this significantly slowed the Human Knight¡¯s advance. He advanced three steps only to retreat two, looking as though it would take minutes to reach the enemy¡ªassuming the foe didn¡¯t retreat while shooting arrows. But just then, a scream suddenly erupted, followed by a sound as if someone¡¯s mouth was abruptly covered. Receiving the signal, Lancelot¡¯s thoughts raced, and the surrounding darkness instantly retracted into the dark spot on his wrist. The noble figure ahead had already fallen to the ground, the throat slit wide open nearly to the spine, while a pale hand covered the eyes. Chapter 776: 788: The Crow Chapter 776: Chapter 788: The Crow ¡°Thank you,¡± Lancelot reached out and caught the longbow passed to him, ¡°My name is Lancelot.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I need to remind you,¡± the Elf still held on without letting go, ¡°this place is different from the world you came from, death isn¡¯t the end of life, although it indeed takes something away.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Should you meet that madam again in the future, don¡¯t be too surprised,¡± the Elf named Soveris let go of his hand and shrugged at the human knight, ¡°Of course, I believe you have the ability to finish her off once more, provided you don¡¯t use the same tactics.¡± ¡°Who exactly is this madam?¡± Bruto couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°A hateful, pitiful, and pathetic madwoman, who is also a prisoner of this valley, just like you and me,¡± Soveris answered meaningfully, ¡°That¡¯s all I can say for now. This building hasn¡¯t been thoroughly cleared, so please excuse me for leaving first.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Lancelot nodded, regardless of the other¡¯s motives, at least the attitude was friendly. The Elves led their subordinates away to search the remaining corners of the dungeon, while Lancelot and his companions retraced their steps along the path they had come. The doors that could be bolted from the outside were left open, and they made their way back to the surface unobstructed; their attackers, who wore no emblems, didn¡¯t hinder them but simply observed with curious eyes. The group exited the building, which, in its outward appearance, hardly hinted at its extensive underground. Three men dressed in silver-gray chainmail with black cloaks on top stood by their mounts, hand on battle axe and shield. Judging by the corpses nearby, they had already dealt with a few ill-intentioned individuals. Upon seeing Lancelot and his group emerge, these men silently stepped aside without a gesture. ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Lancelot said politely with a nod, ¡°May I ask you a few questions?¡± The three cloaked figures exchanged glances, and one of them lifted the hood, revealing the face of an Elf. Lancelot heard Tanya behind him take a deep breath; the reason was apparent¡ªthe Elf had pale skin, black hair, and grey pupils, with ears that bore more earrings than any half-elf, clearly another Shado-Kai, a resident of the Fallen Shadow Netherworld. ¡°Ask,¡± the shadow Elf¡¯s gaze lingered on his distant relative for a long time before turning to the human knight, ¡°but I don¡¯t guarantee I can answer.¡± ¡°Who owns that building?¡± Lancelot pointed to the house they had just exited, ¡°I noticed many guards wearing some kind of skeletal insignia.¡± ¡°That is the emblem of the Immortal Alliance, and that building is their main stronghold in Chadegory Town,¡± he answered. ¡°The Immortal Alliance?¡± ¡°One of the three major factions. Many people saw you entering just now, which means you¡¯ve become their enemy. But since you¡¯re still alive, they probably won¡¯t dare to act rashly for now,¡± he explained. ¡°Is that one of the three major factions? Didn¡¯t you just destroy their stronghold?¡± ¡°You should know what kind of strength they have,¡± the shadow Elf said meaningfully, looking at the human knight, ¡°You must have just arrived in this realm not long ago, right? In this cursed land, death does not grant you release. Every time after dying, you¡¯ll find yourself waking up naked in some forest, also having lost part of your memory. The Immortal Alliance possesses a way to prevent further memory loss, proclaiming it to be true immortality... as long as you join them. For the weak and desperate mortals, what they advertise is quite attractive, that is if you truly believe their tales.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe it?¡± ¡°I am a Shado Kay.¡± The shadow creature looked at Lancelot with a peculiar gaze, ¡°Hasn¡¯t your companion explained to you? Our souls belong to the Raven Queen, and the so-called immortality means nothing to us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m an orphan.¡± The Half-elf said briefly, offering no further explanation. ¡°You are lucky.¡± The shadow creature nodded, ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°At the city gate earlier, the guard told me they¡¯re part of the Skull-crusher legion, what about you? If I remember correctly, the last gang¡¯s name was...¡± Lancelot¡¯s expression suddenly became a bit odd, ¡°The Troublemakers Brotherhood?¡± ¡°Ha, haha, ha. That¡¯s the funniest thing I¡¯ve heard all day.¡± The shadow creature¡¯s lips briefly curled up but quickly returned to a dull straight line, ¡°We don¡¯t have a title, but others call us the Crows... Personally, I quite like the name.¡± ¡°I see... What do you know about ghost stories, then?¡± ¡°Ghost stories? What ghost stories?¡± The shadow creature squinted at Lancelot, ¡°Wait... I think I¡¯ve heard that there are tales about them in Raventown to the east, maybe you could ask around there.¡± ¡°We will.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°One last question, are there any lodgings in this town you¡¯d recommend where we can rest our feet?¡± ¡°Go down this street and turn left at the first intersection, you¡¯ll find a tavern called the Sleepy Sorcerer, where the food and drink are safe to consume, and the bedding is fairly clean, but the proprietor won¡¯t guarantee your safety. If money is no object, you can continue on and find an inn called Wolf King¡¯s Den. Don¡¯t cause trouble there; the owner has some powerful means.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Lancelot nodded again, ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t asked for your name, how rude of me...¡± ¡°Fashiti Dead Crow.¡± ¡°Lancelot. I hope to see you again, Mr. Fashiti.¡± ¡°You certainly will.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The Wolf King¡¯s Den was a tall two-story building with a gray stone base and overlapping tiles, with a few black cats watching from the dark red rooftop as people approached from the street; their gaze was as if eyeing a group of mice passing by. As Lancelot extended his hand to push the grand yet somewhat antiquated doors of the inn, they opened automatically inward. A tall, thin servant with sharp eyes glanced at them and said in a tone that offered little evidence of hospitable intent: ¡°Need to stable your mounts? One Gold Coin per day, per animal. If it¡¯s just for dining, two Gold Coins per hour, per animal.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be staying here tonight,¡± Lancelot spoke, pulling a few coins from his pocket, ¡°Is there an extra charge for feed?¡± ¡°No need, it¡¯s included,¡± the servant shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t take money, please go to the front desk to make the payment. This Nightmare should understand human speech, right? Have it follow me; the stable is on the other side of the inn...¡± Chapter 777: 789: Wolf Kings Den Chapter 777: Chapter 789: Wolf King¡¯s Den The facilities inside the Wolf King¡¯s Den were somewhat outdated, but one could tell they had been meticulously maintained. Just past the entrance was a bar room filled with tables and chairs, yet it wasn¡¯t very crowded, allowing Lancelot and his group to easily pass through. There weren¡¯t many guests in the inn, and most were dressed finely without carrying weapons, which made Lancelot¡¯s group seem somewhat out of place. A pleasing song rang from the side of the hall, turning heads to see a human dressed in an extravagant outfit performing by the fire, strumming a beautiful lute. The bard noticed them too and flashed a smile at these potential customers. Lancelot led his group through the hall to the other side where the bar counter was. A man of average build, with graying hair, and somewhat elderly stood there with a patient, polite but proud demeanor, waiting for them to approach. In another situation, Lancelot might have mistaken him for a butler of some great noble. ¡°Welcome, Sir Lancelot, and esteemed guests,¡± the man opened his clasped hands and nodded in greeting, ¡°Welcome to the Wolf King¡¯s Den, the finest inn in the entire kingdom. My name is Coke Fror, at your full service.¡± ¡°How do you know my name?¡± Lancelot touched his chin, ¡°We should be meeting for the first time.¡± ¡°Indeed, but a friendly reminder, it¡¯s best not to discuss important matters on the streets.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Then, do you have any rooms available here?¡± ¡°About that, I have some regrettable news. We only have a single room and a double room left. However, the large room designated for miscellaneous guests currently has no occupants and contains eight beds in total. We could offer the entire room to you, what do you think, Sir?¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± Lancelot pulled out a small pouch of coins, ¡°How much for one night?¡± ¡°Under normal circumstances, each bed costs twenty Gold Coins,¡± the man pointed to a price list on the wall, ¡°But, since we failed to host properly, you only need to pay me a hundred Gold Coins, and that includes meal charges too, though beverages will be ordered separately. Not now, you can pay when you check out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really cheap...¡± Bruto muttered softly, ¡°Much cheaper than that rip-off place in Mogrondale...¡± ¡°Although the facilities in the large room are relatively simple, they are absolutely clean and tidy, and very spacious.¡± Bruto¡¯s comment seemed to cause some misunderstanding in the man, who took a key from the price list and handed it to Lancelot, ¡°The room is right in front of you when you go up those stairs; if the noble guests have any dissatisfaction with the room, please raise it immediately. I will do my best to modify it until you are satisfied.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Fror, you are really kind,¡± Lancelot took the key, ¡°We¡¯ll come down for dinner in an hour, is that okay?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The man bowed slightly, then straightened up, reverting to his earlier polite yet proud demeanor, ¡°If you would like some drinks, feel free to look for me anytime.¡± ¡°I will definitely come.¡± Bruto said, looking back as he walked, while Barrend gently tapped on his head from behind. After unlocking the door, everyone entered the room they had rented. As Fror had promised, the room was indeed spacious and tidy, though it felt somewhat eerie, even after lighting the oil lamps beside the beds. Eight single beds were arranged in pairs, covered with wolf fur blankets and pillows, which felt quite comfortable to the touch. Each bed had a storage box for clothes and other items, and each had a nightstand at its head. At the end of the room was a bathroom with a bath, where incense was burning to mask any odors. ¡°This is a nice place.¡± Barrend looked around the room with satisfaction, ¡°Sir Lancelot, I didn¡¯t have time to say earlier, but I truly...¡± ¡°Wait a moment.¡± The Human Knight shook his head at the old Dwarf, raised a finger to his lips, then pointed at Kalalin. The Scholar pulled an amulet hanging from his necklace from inside his collar and murmured a spell, his eyes lighting up with a faint magical aura. After carefully checking every corner of the room with his spell-enchanted eyes, Kalalin nodded at Lancelot, confirming that there were no abnormalities in the room. Lancelot then pinched several Dharma Decrees and summoned a pale blue light curtain, enveloping the entire room within it. ¡°Now it¡¯s safe.¡± Lancelot nodded at the old Dwarf and pulled over a chair to sit, ¡°Uncle Barrend, I know you must have many questions, but let¡¯s first talk about what happened over the past few days. We were in a tough spot at the Volcano Fortress when Tijana came and dealt with a very powerful enemy for us, but soon after, she left in a hurry. Later, I found out that the Oasis Fort¡¯s delegation in Twin Bridges Town had launched an attack...¡± It took Lancelot about fifteen minutes to go through the whole story, including their experiences in the Crystal Tower. Although his tone was very calm and he didn¡¯t use any exaggerated adjectives, Barrend¡¯s mouth hung open from the first moment and stayed that way; after all, their adventures were incredibly bizarre, even though the old Dwarf was part of the story as well. ¡°So that¡¯s what happened...¡± After Lancelot finished, Barrend sighed deeply, rising solemnly from his chair and bowing to Lancelot, and to everyone present, including Bruto, ¡°My most sincere friends, thank you, thank each and every one of you. Bruto, my son, you really make me so proud...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, old dad.¡± Bruto said with reddened eyes, ¡°If it were me, you would have done the same thing...¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong, what makes me proud isn¡¯t that my own son would risk so much for me, that isn¡¯t something to be proud of.¡± The old Dwarf shook his head, ¡°That you have such a group of friends willing to adventure with you, that¡¯s what truly makes me proud. Cherish them, my son.¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯re too kind.¡± Lancelot chuckled, interrupting them, ¡°We don¡¯t need any more pleasantries, it¡¯s time to discuss our next move. Uncle Barrend, how do you feel? Did they torture you?¡± ¡°Just some superficial injuries, plus an empty stomach for too long.¡± The old Dwarf quickly grasped Lancelot¡¯s meaning, ¡°Give me an axe and enough food, and I can take care of myself, no problem.¡± ¡°Lancelot, bring out some of my spare equipment.¡± Bruto clapped his hands excitedly, ¡°Old dad, you should be able to move in plate armor, right?¡± ¡°You cheeky boy, dare to question your dad?¡± Barrend, annoyed, kicked towards Bruto¡¯s butt, ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know, you just toss your hammer around in battle. It¡¯s time for you to see a real Dwarf¡¯s cleave!¡± Chapter 778: 790: Is It Here? Chapter 778: Chapter 790: Is It Here? Bruto¡¯s spare gear included a brand-new set of Dwarf Heavy Armor crafted by Barrend himself, featuring resistance to shoving impacts; a Cold Iron Hand Axe, Bruto¡¯s own creation, unenchanted yet razor-sharp; a heavy Black Iron Tower Shield, one of the trophies found in the Succubus Palace¡¯s treasure vault, capable of absorbing flames, though Bruto found it too cumbersome and thus never used it¡ªnow it was just right for Barrend. As Bruto helped his father ¡°try on his new clothes,¡± Lancelot and the old Dwarf discussed the latter¡¯s experiences after his death, as in some ways, everyone was now acting as Cranvo¡¯s proxy, and there were many uncertainties surrounding Barrend¡¯s death that needed clarification. ¡°Death is indeed a very unique experience, like... falling from reality into a dream,¡± the old Dwarf recounted with a complex expression. ¡°They say that when a person dies, their soul lingers around for a while, watching friends shake your body, wailing heartbreakingly, and even having the chance to observe your own funeral. But none of that happened to me. The spears that killed me were like harpoons, and my soul was the fish impaled on them, immediately yanked out of the water.¡± ¡°What about those witches?¡± Lancelot asked softly. ¡°After they captured your soul, what did they do to you?¡± ¡°They did nothing,¡± Barrend shook his head. ¡°I never saw those witches you¡¯re talking about. When I regained consciousness, I found myself naked in a dense forest, surrounded by bodies already starting to stink. I grabbed some clothes, trying to figure out where I was, but soon those men with skull armbands captured me, it seemed they knew I would appear there... After that, I was thrown into that dungeon, waiting for an unknown fate. Luckily, you came before the executioner, ha! Truly Moradin¡¯s blessing!¡± ¡°Waking up naked in a dense forest?¡± Kalalin interjected, puzzled. ¡°That shadow spirit mentioned before that in this Demon¡¯s Domain, the dead are resurrected in that form... Could it be that after capturing Uncle Barrend¡¯s soul, the witches released him? What was their purpose?¡± ¡°We will find out,¡± Lancelot reassured his companions. ¡°To escape this Demon¡¯s Domain, those witches are our only lead, but there are more important questions to clarify before that. Uncle Barrend, we¡¯ll be fighting side by side next, and I need to understand your combat style and habits, and you need to understand ours...¡± As Baron previously claimed, the old Dwarf was no stranger to battle. Though he spent most of his time next to the forge, he also had experiences mining for new veins in the deep underground tunnels. The Dwarf tribe is a collectivist society, where every citizen has a duty to undertake public responsibilities; when armies of rat-men, orcs, or dark elves attack, everyone must take up arms and defend their home. Therefore, as a veteran, Uncle Barrend could skillfully use his shield to protect himself and cover his allies. The Dwarves¡¯ trademark move, the Low Slice, mastered expertly, was enough to severely injure any enemy who underestimated him. This combat technique, executed with a Short-Handled Axe, featured tricky angles, was difficult to deflect, and had a very quick launch, allowing for an immediate shift to a defensive stance¡ªa perfect match for the Dwarves¡¯ characteristics of shorter statures, exceptional strength, and sturdy constitution. Of course, Lancelot wouldn¡¯t immediately assign too critical a role to the new team member. During battle, Barrend would stand slightly to the left of the center, with Bruto next to him. When the latter entered his reckless rage, the old Dwarf would fill the gaps left by his son¡¯s charges, maintaining the integrity of the formation and providing a safer casting environment for Scholar. ¡°Right, didn¡¯t Tanya¡¯s prophecy mention a tavern?¡± Bruto suddenly said. ¡°What was it again? I remember it had something to do with wolves, and this place is called the Wolf King¡¯s Den...¡± ¡°¡®I saw a smoky tavern adorned with many wolf heads.¡¯ That was Tanya¡¯s exact words,¡± Kalalin interjected. ¡°She also mentioned reliable allies who are looking for us.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this just right?¡± Bruto slapped his thigh, ¡°The bartender downstairs mentioned Lancelot¡¯s name, and even offered us a discount...¡± ¡°But I noticed just now that there are no wolf head decorations here.¡± Lancelot stroked his chin, ¡°However, that elf named Soveris mentioned the Wolf Head Inn in Raventown, which sounds quite similar, and I also got a pretty good feeling about him...¡± ¡°Maybe the wolf head is just a metaphor? It could refer to a literal wolf¡¯s head or the leader of a wolf pack, the Wolf King.¡± Bruto insisted on his judgement, ¡°Tanya, what do you think? Is this the inn you saw during your divination?¡± ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, I don¡¯t remember the scene I saw while I was entranced.¡± The half-elf shrugged helplessly, ¡°But you¡¯re right, the results of divinations and prophecies are indeed very ambiguous, and often it¡¯s only understood in hindsight. My advice is to remain cautious, patiently look for other clues and signs, and never trust anyone until we have undeniable evidence.¡± The companions nodded in agreement with the half-elf¡¯s view. At that moment, Lancelot¡¯s expression subtly changed, and he made a gesture for silence to his companions, then gently waved his hand, removing the soundproof barrier that covered the room, and a clear knock was heard by everyone. ¡°Who is there?¡± ¡°It is I, your faithful butler, Coke Fror.¡± The voice they had heard just before resounded from outside, ¡°May I come in?¡± ¡°Of course, the door isn¡¯t locked.¡± ¡°Good evening, miss, and gentlemen.¡± The man with gray hair bowed politely to everyone, ¡°May I ask if you are satisfied with the room?¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern, the room is very good.¡± Lancelot nodded and returned the gesture, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Has dinner been prepared?¡± Bruto asked eagerly, ¡°I¡¯m almost starving!¡± ¡°As you wish, yes.¡± Coke tilted his head at the dwarf, showing a very professional smile, ¡°But there¡¯s another matter... the owner of the inn, Madam Giselle Endyarui, would like to have dinner with you all in her private drawing room. What do you say to that?¡± Chapter 779: 791 Chapter 779: 791 ¡°Baroness?¡± Lancelot raised an eyebrow, ¡°What does she want with us?¡± ¡°Madam Endier recently obtained a clue to an ancient temple, which likely contains the secret to lifting the curse from this land. She hopes to recruit some capable mercenaries to investigate, and you all seem to be suitable candidates,¡± the man smiled again, ¡°As for the reward, the Baroness is always very generous, and the cuisine specially prepared by the kitchen for this will certainly not disappoint you...¡± ¡°An ancient temple?¡± Lancelot looked back at his companions, ¡°What kind is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know much about it.¡± The innkeeper flashed his professional smile again, ¡°You should discuss the details with the lady herself.¡± ¡°Big brother...¡± Bruto whispered to Lancelot, ¡°Tanya mentioned something about it before...¡± ¡°If we go, are we obliged to accept the Baroness¡¯s contract?¡± ¡°Of course not, you have the full right to decide whether to take the job. Even if you refuse, the Baroness would be very happy to make some new friends.¡± ¡°Then please, lead the way,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°I¡¯m becoming more and more curious about this lady.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Under the guidance of the silver-haired Coke Fror, the group descended to the ground floor lobby of the inn, passing through the bar, the kitchen, and the storeroom, and then took a somewhat concealed staircase back up to the second floor. As the man opened a heavy door engraved with intricate patterns, they stepped into a room adorned with crystal chandeliers and bear skin rugs. The room was slightly smaller than the one they had rented, but it was still large enough to accommodate a spacious long table. The table was covered with a deep red tablecloth and was already set with utensils, knives, forks, silver candlesticks, and decorative vases. Two ageless-looking human women stood by the table, their expressions numb as if they had long lost all passion for life, and Lancelot was certain that none of them was the Baroness who had invited him and his companions to dinner. ¡°Please take your seats, the lady will be here shortly,¡± Coke gestured to the two maids; one of them immediately turned and walked deeper into the room, where there was another secret door, while the other opened a flap in the wall and pulled a rope behind it, ringing a crisp bell somewhere below. The party took their places on either side of the long table, with Lancelot sitting at the position closest to the head of the table, Kalalin next to him, and the elegant Elf Priest across from him. Just as they had settled in, a basket containing dishes appeared behind the flap, brought forth by Coke and the maid to the diners. ¡°Tonight¡¯s first course, stewed octopus tentacles with graveyard snail vegetable tower. The octopus was soaked overnight in sixty-degree warm oil before being pan-fried with five-year Upper Grade sweet vinegar, offering a wonderful and unique texture; the snails hail from Bulger Village¡¯s graveyard, a local signature ingredient, cooked with minced spring onions, butter, red wine, and walnut shells, for a lingering aftertaste,¡± the butler introduced with pride, ¡°These seemingly incompatible ingredients, when combined, create a surprising delight. Served with lemon, carrot, and red onion soup, it will surely whet everyone¡¯s appetite.¡± Lancelot gently sniffed, his Spirit Perception detecting nothing amiss, indicating that there would be no danger in consuming this dish. Though the ingredients and methods described by Coke might seem suspicious to most people, to companions who regularly adventured in the Abyss, this dish was far better than roasted Orc hind leg, deep-fried giant space hamster with tear sauce, or spicy mosquito bat wings with shredded silk, and indeed it smelled very tempting. ¡°Ah ha, then I shall not be shy!¡± Bruto grabbed the fork at once, but Barrend kicked his son hard under the table and whispered, ¡°You little brat, put the fork down! The hostess hasn¡¯t arrived yet!¡± ¡°Uh...¡± Though reluctant, the young Dwarf did as he was told. ¡°Is there any wine?¡± ¡°Please try this soup first,¡± Coke¡¯s face fell. ¡°Wine will be served later with the main course.¡± At that moment, Lancelot¡¯s expression shifted slightly, and he turned his head to look at the dark door where another servant girl had disappeared. Before any figure appeared, he smelled a perfume mixed with the scents of amber, musk, and sandalwood, intense yet gentle, not at all unpleasant, almost masking the stench of a severe wound putrefying. Of course, in this dining room filled with mixed aromas, only Lancelot, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, could detect that distinct odor. A lady in a deep red gown appeared behind the door, and everyone rose from their chairs to bow to her. The newcomer was a Human female, quite beautiful, with purple-dyed hair put up in a bun and wearing a long deep red strapless evening gown, her exposed skin white like solidified lamb fat and extra shiny and translucent under the candlelight. ¡°Honored guests,¡± Coke Fror straightened his spine, speaking in a very formal tone, ¡°the Baroness, Giselle Endyarui.¡± Although she looked very young, Lancelot knew that the actual age of the lady in front of him definitely did not match her appearance. ¡°Good evening, Sir Lancelot,¡± the visitor approached the Human Knight with a swaying gait, extending her right hand to him, ¡°Welcome to the Wolf King¡¯s Den, are you satisfied with this place?¡± ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, Madam Endier,¡± Lancelot took her hand, bowed slightly, and pretended to kiss her ring¡ªof course without actually touching it, ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to serve you. We¡¯re very satisfied with this place, and Mr. Fror¡¯s service has been particularly thorough.¡± ¡°Ah, how long has it been since I last met a noble who knows his manners?¡± the Baroness¡¯s voice sounded slightly hoarse as she glanced at the still neat dishes in front of everyone, ¡°Please, sit down and don¡¯t be shy.¡± After saying this, she took the lead and sat down, immediately picking up a fork and skewering a small piece of snail meat. Seeing this, the others also began to eat, and the sound of knives and forks clashing with plates rang out, accompanied by everyone¡¯s admiration for the food¡ªthe octopus tentacles tasted slightly sour, smooth yet chewy, and the snail was rich in flavor, very tender and soft, almost like a dollop of butter melting in the mouth. ¡°So, Madam Endier...¡± Lancelot paused from savoring the delicious food to converse with the hostess, ¡°I heard you are recruiting people to investigate an ancient temple. Could you tell us more about it?¡± ¡°Just call me Giselle,¡± the Baroness glanced at him, scooping a spoonful of soup to cleanse her palate, ¡°Before that, I would like to ask, how long have you been in this kingdom? How much do you know about the situation here?¡± Chapter 780: 792 Chapter 780: 792 Hearing this, the companions exchanged glances before Lancelot decided how to respond, but it was the baroness who continued: ¡°In Chadegory Town, there are two madams, one of whom is me, and the other you must have already met. Don¡¯t be nervous, Medusa is not my friend, though we also have no public conflicts.¡± The noblewoman delicately wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin, ¡°Few people know what lies beneath the headquarters of the Eternals Alliance, but I happen to be one of them, and those who come out alive from there are not ordinary individuals. So the conclusion is quite clear, you must have just arrived in these lands, and as for your motives... when you entered, there was only one dwarf in your party, not two, and from where I sit now, the two of them look quite alike.¡± ¡°That is Barrend Frostforge, and beside him is his son, Bruto Frostforge, two brave and experienced dwarf warriors.¡± Lancelot nodded and began introducing his companions, ¡°Beside me is Kalalin, a scholar well-versed in the lower planes; next to her is Tanya, also an excellent warrior; and the elegantly poised elf across from me is Alamir, who, madam, you may have noticed, is the priest of the fiery lady Shuni.¡± ¡°Good morning, you look absolutely lovely, madam,¡± Alamir praised sincerely, ¡°Even if a goddess herself were here, she would say the same.¡± ¡°Heh, that does sound sweet,¡± the baroness smiled slightly, ¡°Unfortunately, your god can¡¯t enter this place. However, as powerful adventurers like you, you must be thinking about how to cross the boundary mist and leave this cursed land, right?¡± ¡°You guessed correctly.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to guess.¡± Giselle shrugged her shoulders, ¡°If you want to leave, then there are some things you need to know...¡± ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the second course has arrived,¡± the butler¡¯s voice sounded behind Lancelot, ¡°May I...¡± ¡°I am speaking,¡± the baroness glared sternly at her servant, and Lancelot keenly caught a fleeting fierceness in her eyes, ¡°Just put the plates down. Where was I?¡± ¡°About certain things we must know.¡± Lancelot replied, while turning his head to thank the serving maid. The plate in front of him contained a piece of fish that resembled toast, apparently some kind of carnivorous fish from its texture. This white ingredient seemed to be cooked in a thick soup over a low fire, and Lancelot could smell garlic, parsley, goblin vine, and brandy; these flavors combined in a strangely appetizing way. ¡°Ah, yes, about the political situation of this land,¡± the baroness picked up her knife and fork and began cutting her food, ¡°Before it was forgotten by the world, this land was known as the Derrick Kingdom, and its rulers were a family of wizards named Derrick. The last king from that family, also the most outstanding and powerful wizard in history, Peyton Derrick, shortly after ascending the throne, discovered the secret of immortality and transformed himself into a lich.¡± ¡°But something went awry during the transformation ritual, and some dark energy leaked from the ritual, contaminating the land. Shadows enveloped the skyline, and a fog sealed the kingdom¡¯s borders. The people found they could no longer leave, not even in death¡ªwhether by suicide or homicide, whether drowned, burned, run over by a carriage, crushed by stones, or even sliced into countless pieces by a sharp blade, they would soon wake up naked in a secluded forest... at least most of the time.¡± ¡°Most of the time?¡± ¡°Yes, but occasionally, some people disappear completely after they die as if devoured by the dark powers of this land,¡± the Baroness put a piece of fish into her mouth, making a somewhat uncomfortable chewing sound, ¡°Although those inside cannot leave, those outside can come in. Some adventurers with noble beliefs have tried to rescue this land from Peyton¡¯s curse, and they indeed succeeded once.¡± ¡°I have heard of it,¡± Lancelot also swallowed a piece of fish, ¡°but that was over a hundred years ago.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, what¡¯s worse is that the king was resurrected after that, and he became even more powerful,¡± the Baroness shrugged again, placing the last piece of fish from her plate into her mouth, ¡°This completely shattered the will of the people. The Lich is indestructible, and they realized resistance was futile.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± Kalalin, sitting next to Lancelot, shook her head, ¡°Liches aren¡¯t truly indestructible. If you destroy their phylactery...¡± ¡°What if I told you that Peyton¡¯s phylactery is this very land? Even those resurrected, their bodies have become part of the phylactery?¡± Giselle¡¯s face revealed a mocking smile, ¡°What would you do then? Destroy this land and all the civilians living on it?¡± The group exchanged incredulous looks, suddenly finding the dishes less appetizing. ¡°So, esteemed Madam...¡± Lancelot crossed his arms, covering most of his face, his deep blue eyes barely narrowing as he looked towards the alluring noblewoman, ¡°What about that temple you mentioned earlier? What¡¯s special about it?¡± ¡°I appreciate your keenness, Sir.¡± Giselle raised her chin, presenting her perfect jawline to Lancelot, ¡°If the intelligence is correct, our king acquired the knowledge to become a Lich there. Perhaps, you could also find a way to end all this. Oh, our main course has arrived.¡± ¡°Double-smashed wolf meat, heavily seasoned with peppers and chili powder, accompanied by an exquisite Red Dragon sauce from the Wizard¡¯s Winery,¡± Coke Fror, with his grey hair, respectfully introduced, ¡°Medium rare, which is the best texture, please enjoy.¡± ¡°Thank you, Coke,¡± the Baroness sweetly said, as though the rebuke from earlier had never happened, ¡°So, what do you think, Sir?¡± ¡°We are... somewhat interested,¡± Lancelot leaned back in his chair, ¡°However, is there anything else we need to know about this kingdom¡¯s history and current situation?¡± ¡°That is all,¡± the Baroness fixedly stared at Lancelot, her right hand adjusting the collar of her dress, ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s something else you¡¯d like to ask?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lancelot struggled to hold back a laugh, ¡°You¡¯re generously willing to disclose such a crucial location to us, what kind of reciprocation do you hope to receive?¡± ¡°Ahahaha!¡± The Baroness suddenly threw back her head, a sharp laugh bursting from her mouth, ¡°My freedom, isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Chapter 781: 793 Intelligence Analysis Chapter 781: 793 Chapter Intelligence Analysis After the dinner party had ended, everyone returned to the rooms they had rented. Bruto immediately wanted to discuss the intelligence they had just acquired, but Lancelot, always cautious, had Kalalin check the room once more¡ªthis time, the scholar made a discovery under a pillow on one of the beds: a comb that looked perfectly ordinary. Yet, under the effect of Detect Magic, the surface of the comb flickered with a pale green Spiritual Light, indicating that it was imbued with a Divination spell. Kalalin took out a small lead-lined box from his magic backpack and tossed the comb inside, while Lancelot produced a strange talisman, moistened it with water, and affixed it to the outside of the lead box. It was the simplest of Spirit Sealing Talismans from the Talismans Technique. Its original function was to isolate the flow of Spiritual Power and prevent Divine Sense from detecting it. However, after testing, Lancelot and Kalalin confirmed that this talisman could also block the effect of magic¡ªnot rendering the spell entirely ineffective like an Anti-Magic Stone would, but merely preventing the sealed object from becoming the target of any spell; an ideal solution for the current situation. Only after confirming that nothing else had been overlooked did Lancelot finally relax into a chair, then turned to his companions and asked, ¡°What do you all think about what that baroness said?¡± ¡°Uh... I thought she was quite nice earlier, very enthusiastic towards us, and the meal was great too. It¡¯s just that her bare chin was a bit unsettling as it wobbled,¡± Bruto said, hugging his arms tightly across his chest. ¡°But according to you, it seems there is something off about this baroness?¡± ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a problem.¡± Kalalin shook his head. ¡°The hag, then? That baroness didn¡¯t mention a single thing about the hag from beginning to end. With the intelligence-gathering capabilities she displayed, I don¡¯t believe she¡¯s unaware of the existence of the hag.¡± ¡°Are you saying that she was actually acting with us today?¡± Bruto¡¯s eyes widened with surprise. ¡°I saw brother chatting quite happily with her...¡± ¡°Although it was a performance, it wasn¡¯t devoid of useful information,¡± Lancelot said with a smile, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°The dinner was quite delicious, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°True,¡± Bruto sighed. ¡°The meat was tasty, the wine excellent; I might just forgive her chin... so what¡¯s the useful information?¡± ¡°Alamir, what do you think?¡± Lancelot didn¡¯t respond directly but instead turned to look at the elf. ¡°You must have seen through it all, right?¡± ¡°Certainly, I am a priest, after all, discerning lies is my duty... especially from beautiful women,¡± the elf chuckled. ¡°From my observations, she only deliberately lied about one thing. I don¡¯t know what she hopes to gain, but it¡¯s definitely not her own freedom.¡± ¡°Wait, is that all?¡± Bruto scratched his head in confusion. ¡°Then why do you say...¡± ¡°A woman like Giselle Endyarui, who is not only smart and cunning but also exceptionally beautiful, knows very well how to gain the trust of others¡ªsincerity. So indeed, everything she said was true, but the key lies in what she didn¡¯t say; things like the hag, like what has been happening since the first time the Lich was defeated, like how she came to know about the ancient temple, and what lies there waiting for us...¡± ¡°...Women are truly terrifying.¡± ¡°Hey?¡± The half-elf raised his voice in protest, ¡°Isn¡¯t this all pretty basic?¡± ¡°Alas, my brain will never understand all this crap...¡± Bruto muttered with his arms crossed, ¡°So, what do we do next? Are we still going to that damned temple or what?¡± ¡°We still need to go...¡± Lancelot mused, ¡°Don¡¯t forget Tanya¡¯s prophecy, ¡®The knowledge that will aid us against our foe lies in a place of abandoned prayer.¡¯ I have a strong hunch that the location mentioned in the prophecy must be the ancient temple spoken of by the baroness. However, before heading there, I¡¯d prefer to find the tavern with the many wolf heads first, rather than blindly stepping into unknown peril.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, didn¡¯t I also mention a powerful ally?¡± The half-elf spoke up again, ¡°¡®A woman of legend, yet her mind has gone mad...¡¯ Doesn¡¯t it sound like the baroness could fit that description? I¡¯d swear on the Raven Queen¡¯s name that the baroness is not young, and who knows, she may have been standing by watching the last time the Lich King was defeated.¡± ¡°I agree with your judgment regarding her age.¡± Lancelot smiled and nodded, ¡°But ¡®her mind has gone mad¡¯ might not be accurate. The baroness may indeed be a legend, but I don¡¯t believe she¡¯s a lunatic, at least I saw no mad struggle... except for that sharp laughter when it came to talking about her repayment.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª As night fell, most of his companions had fallen asleep, while Lancelot sat meditating on the bed, slowing his breath and gradually entering a state of meditation. But just before starting his daily practice, he felt a sudden urge and switched to the state of Spiritual Sight. After advancing to the high rank of the Foundation Establishment Stage, while the scenery of Spiritual Sight was still made up of countless silver threads, the details were now richer than before. If he was patient enough, he could even count how many whiskers Bruto had¡ªthough of course, he wasn¡¯t that bored. Lancelot focused his attention, allowing his Divine Sense to extend bit by bit, searching for the innkeeper¡¯s room. After a little effort, he finally found the target underground. Giselle Endyarui emerged from a room with a massive bath, wrapped in a soft bathrobe. Incidentally, Lancelot was certain that the gentleman butler never mentioned such a facility in the inn. The baroness walked into a luxuriously decorated bedroom and stood in front of a large full-length mirror, then removed her robe. Lancelot instinctively wanted to look away, but doing so was pointless in the state of Spiritual Sight, and the situation immediately captured his attention. The upper half of the baroness¡¯s body was as beautiful as any young girl¡¯s, but the skin from the abdomen down was in a severe state of decay, covered in swollen pustules, open wounds, and holes resembling ant nests. Thankfully, the state of Spiritual Sight only allowed him to see contours made of silver threads, or the shock of such a sight might have made Lancelot vomit on the spot. The baroness clearly wasn¡¯t satisfied with her appearance, but her next move was even more bizarre¡ªshe retrieved a strange bone from a secret compartment behind the mirror that looked like a femur and began sucking on it vigorously, an expression on her face that made Lancelot doubt whether he had misunderstood something. More bizarrely, after smearing it with saliva thoroughly, the baroness inserted the bone into her hive-like lower body and masturbated with very violent motions. And with her movements, the terrible decay began to heal gradually. When her waist arched high and she collapsed trembling onto the bed, the rot had completely disappeared, making the baroness look like an ordinary woman again. Chapter 782: 793: Raven and the Wolf Pack Chapter 782: Chapter 793: Raven and the Wolf Pack If the Baroness considered that femur some kind of healing tool, her satisfaction clearly went beyond a single treatment session. She exhausted herself on that bone until she nearly passed out on the bed; the scene resembled less a peculiar fetish and more a sacrificial rite from some dark cult ritual. Lancelot could confirm that the femur held some special significance, perhaps even a holy relic of the noblewoman¡¯s secretly worshipped deity. He considered stealing the bone to examine it but quickly laughed off the idea. The revulsion wasn¡¯t the only reason; both the Scholar and the Priest had mentioned that objects related to the Evil God were extremely dangerous, with non-believers¡¯ merely touching them likely inviting powerful curses¡ªeven someone of his Foundation Establishment Stage might accidentally fall victim. For now, knowing of the bone¡¯s existence was enough to dispel Lancelot¡¯s last doubts about the Baroness. The next day, after everyone had breakfast, they settled their bill and left. The Baroness was nowhere to be seen; only the butler, Coke, politely bid them farewell. Lancelot thanked him for his considerate service and asked him to convey his regards to the Baroness and to inform her that his group would proceed to explore the ancient temple at an appropriate time. However, when they went to the stables to retrieve their mounts, an awkward situation arose: Lancelot¡¯s mount was missing, and the Night¡¯s Watch swore he had locked the paddock the night before. Lancelot didn¡¯t pursue the matter, as from the evidence it seemed the great black stallion had escaped the stable on its own. Considering it was a beast from Scorched Flame Hell, expecting it to meekly stay in a small ten-foot square room was perhaps unwise. Lancelot performed another summoning of his mount; amidst a red curtain of light, the massive Nightmare appeared again, a large wolf carcass still clutched in its jaws. Lancelot also shelled out an extra five hundred Gold Coins to buy Barrend a sturdy dwarf horse as a replacement ride. Unlike Bruto, the old Dwarf knew how to handle a mount, although in a fight, he still preferred to stand on solid ground. The streets of Chadegory Town were a bit more populated than when they arrived, but everyone still looked somber and hurried. Lancelot realized that the peculiar atmosphere from the day before was not the norm; the townspeople were likely aware of the impending conflict. Yesterday, every breathing being on the streets had been a spy, and his group had blithely walked straight into the storm¡¯s eye, likely causing quite a few leaders of spy organizations to lose some hair. Some looked at them warily, yet none interfered. Although except for those prisoners rescued by the ravens, no one knew what had transpired in the dungeon, many were convinced that the Nightmare Knight and his companions had been crucial to the ravens¡¯ victory. Thus, as long as Lancelot and his companions quietly stayed on the road, no one would bother them. Soon, they left the town smoothly and entered the mist-enshrouded wilderness again. The group headed towards Raventown to the east, and the road quickly changed from gravel to muddy paths, with the surrounding scenery shifting from overgrown fields to a threatening forest. Tall, ancient iron fir trees with gnarled roots embedded in the earth like claws grew here. Their interlocking branches resembled a gang of thugs huddling together, while the whispering winds through the leaves plotted how to punish those foolish enough to trespass on their territory. The ancient trees soon dispatched their emissaries: a pack of wolves with glowing green eyes. These predators initially trailed from a distance but soon gathered in greater numbers, while ravens began to circle overhead, their harsh caws sounding like a warning or urging the chef to hurry up with their lunch. ¡°Lancelot, there seem to be quite a lot of wolves around...¡± Tanya, who was riding second in the line, said anxiously. ¡°Those ravens are warning us that more wolves are approaching. I guess once there¡¯s enough of them, the pack will launch an attack.¡± ¡°Are the ravens really warning us?¡± Lancelot frowned slightly, ¡°Can you ask those ravens to tell the wolves that we¡¯re not easy targets?¡± ¡°...I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then if I start acting troublesome now, would it backfire and make the wolves even more aggressively retaliate?¡± ¡°These aren¡¯t ordinary beasts, they actually have considerable intelligence. If you can truly put on a shocking display, I think they will back down,¡± said Lancelot. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just warm up a bit, everyone else take a rest,¡± Lancelot tightened the reins and patted the neck of Nightmare, ¡°You too.¡± Nightmare snorted disdainfully. Lancelot dismounted and walked toward the wolf pack. The beasts instinctively backed away, but when the human knight got far enough from his companions, the wolves instantly attacked. However, Lancelot¡¯s figure flashed, and he disappeared from the spot in an instant. The wolves crashed into each other fiercely, teeth and claws inflicted severe damage on their own kind, and it took them a while to realize they were attacking each other. A fearful whimper came from not far away, and the wolves turned back in shock to find their strongest member was already under the foot of the human knight. Its limbs were immobile as if pinned down by a fallen trunk, with only its throat barely able to emit pleading whimpers. Lancelot drew Frostslash from behind, placed it against the captive¡¯s nape, looked over the immobilized wolf pack, and uttered calmly: ¡°Scram.¡± A putrid gust struck from behind, Lancelot pointed his longsword backwards without looking, and the blade skewered through a wolf corpse. Lancelot shook his head, flicked his longsword lightly, then drove it forcefully into the captive below, the sword qi directly severed the entire wolf¡¯s head. To deal with beasts, one must use a method they can understand. The human knight repeated the same action three times, and the wolf pack finally understood this was an enemy they could not possibly defeat, and in an instant, they fled with their tails between their legs. ¡°Done,¡± Lancelot held up five wolf corpses single-handedly, hanging them on Nightmare¡¯s saddle, ¡°You like eating these, right?¡± Nightmare snorted again; it preferred eating what it killed itself. ¡°Being picky, eh? I¡¯d advise you to behave,¡± Lancelot slapped heavily on Nightmare¡¯s neck, ¡°Don¡¯t go running out tonight, who knows what you might encounter. If those witches catch you, they¡¯ll surely blindfold you, strap you up, and make you grind like a mule every day!¡± Chapter 783: 794 Raventown Chapter 783: Chapter 794 Raventown After resolving the issue with the wolves, Lancelot and his companions had no more obstacles on their journey. Around noon, the road ahead forked, and a sign directed them to turn right towards the hills, where their destination was faintly visible through the mist. After less than ten minutes of walking, Raventown came fully into view. From its appearance, the town resembled an ancient fortress hidden in the mountains, with stone walls reaching twenty feet high, which looked incredibly sturdy. Several tall towers connected to the walls stood like silent watchers, guarding against the dangerous forest; however, at this moment, only black ravens were perched on them, having been the first to notice the arrival of the group, now making noisy calls from the tops of the towers. As the party approached the perimeter wall, the air seemed to warm slightly. The road was cut off by the town gatehouse, above which the words Raventown were carved unevenly, with the characters severely weathered. Though it was noon, the iron-clad double doors were tightly closed, warding off wolves, fog, and unknown dangers from the outside world and clearly denying entry. However, as the group approached, the large doors opened with a harsh creaking noise, and a familiar figure appeared before them¡ªSoveris Nightwind, the leader of the attackers from the day before, was standing in the middle of the gate to welcome them. ¡°Nice to see you again, Sir Lancelot, and all you brave Adventurers,¡± Elves greeted them warmly, ¡°Welcome to Raventown.¡± ¡°Pleased to see you, Sir,¡± Lancelot dismounted and bowed in greeting, ¡°It seems you knew we were coming?¡± ¡°Of course, the ravens informed me ahead of time. They even mentioned that you encountered a little trouble on the way, but I knew those wolves wouldn¡¯t pose a threat to a group like yours,¡± the brunette-haired Elf said with a smile, gesturing politely for them to follow, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the only place in town suitable for entertaining guests. You must be hungry, lunch is ready.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the deal with this land,¡± grumbled Bruto, following behind Lancelot, ¡°seems like someone is monitoring our every move...¡± ¡°Ah, please don¡¯t misunderstand, it¡¯s not aimed at you,¡± the Elf quickly explained, ¡°We keep an eye on all unusual activities nearby, so we aren¡¯t caught off guard by enemies. In this cursed land, caution is a necessity for survival.¡± ¡°But you welcome us with open arms,¡± Lancelot asked curiously, ¡°why?¡± ¡°Take a look around,¡± the Elf stopped and turned, ¡°tell me, what do you see?¡± Lancelot turned his head, surveying the quiet town. Most of the townspeople¡¯s houses were small wooden cottages with stone chimneys and thatched roofs, each with a vegetable garden nearby and pens for chickens, rabbits, and pigs, making them seemingly self-sufficient. Some of the townsfolk stood at their doors, eyeing the group curiously, comprising mainly of Elves and humans, as well as hybrids of the two races. ¡°I see a beautiful town,¡± admitted Lancelot, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have believed such a place existed in the Demon¡¯s Domain if I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes.¡± ¡°And I see countless families, husbands and wives, parents and children,¡± the Elf turned its head and continued towards the higher part of the town, ¡°In that Dungeon, I saw one of your companions embrace his father, who wore prison clothes. Thus, I also understood your purpose here and deemed you trustworthy, because only truly noble souls would risk their own safety to help a friend and come to this Cursed Land to rescue a loved one.¡± ¡°Haha, you Elves sure have a way with words!¡± Bruto said cheerfully, ¡°My big brother¡¯s character really is beyond reproach; you can safely entrust him with gold, gemstones, and even your wife!¡± ¡°The first two options are fine, but what¡¯s with the last one?¡± Lancelot looked at the Dwarf helplessly. ¡°To entrust something to me, you first need to have it, right?¡± ¡°I have no hopes for this rascal,¡± Barrend said huffily next to him. ¡°Just don¡¯t bring me a beardless Gnome!¡± ¡°Hahaha, they say it takes a hundred years to become friends with a Dwarf. It seems I have no issues with my judgment of you, Sir.¡± Following the Elves, the group arrived in front of a rather large wooden longhouse. Although there was no sign, the wolf¡¯s head hanging on the door and the clinking of mugs coming from inside told them they had arrived. Before pushing the door open, the Elf turned back to the group and said: ¡°You can tie up your mounts anywhere you like; we don¡¯t have thieves here... Of course, if they want to wander around on their own, that¡¯s fine too, as long as they don¡¯t cause any damage.¡± ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Lancelot stroked the long face of the large black horse. ¡°Can you promise to behave?¡± ¡°Neigh!¡± ¡°Alright, suit yourself.¡± For some mysterious reason, Lancelot understood what Nightmares was trying to convey, ¡°This beast wants to roam around outside the town... Let¡¯s not worry about it, let¡¯s go in.¡± Soveris smiled knowingly and turned to push open the tavern¡¯s gate. Outside the half-open door, the world was silent, cold, and unwelcoming, but inside the tavern, it was a completely different scene. Round tables were laden with rich food, flames danced excitedly in the fireplace, and farmers in coarse clothing chatted happily, occasionally clinking their frothy mugs of beer. For experienced Adventurers like Lancelot and his companions, it was just an ordinary countryside tavern. However, at this moment, being here brought a wave of long-missed relaxation that they hadn¡¯t felt yesterday at the Wolf King¡¯s Den, which was too upscale and not suited for these travelers accustomed to braving the elements. ¡°Old Black Bird! You here?¡± the bartender behind the bar noticed the new arrivals and warmly greeted them. ¡°Are these the guests you mentioned? Sit over there; I¡¯ve saved you spots!¡± ¡°Thanks, Ollie!¡± the Elf waved back, ¡°Bring the lunch over, put it on my tab!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s Ollie Buckman. Ever since the first Buckman arrived in Raventown over two hundred years ago, his family has been running this tavern,¡± the Elf said as he led the group to a table. ¡°In this sunless place, Buckman¡¯s homemade beer is one of the few things that can warm your soul, and unlike the cursed pastries sold by witches, it absolutely has no side effects... apart from those caused by excessive drinking.¡± Chapter 784: 795 The Other Half of the Story Chapter 784: Chapter 795 The Other Half of the Story ¡°Ghost ladies?¡± The word sparked the interest of all the companions as they exchanged glances. Bruto spoke bluntly, ¡°Where are those damned creatures? It was them who stole my father¡¯s soul here, and I have a lot of scores to settle with them...¡± ¡°Your father was not the first victim of the ghost ladies,¡± the Elves captain sighed, ¡°and now you are victims too, and there will be more to come.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true.¡± Bruto crossed his arms over his chest, ¡°Our strength is quite formidable, as you saw with the corpse of that Medusa...¡± ¡°I do not doubt your strength, but compared to those ghost ladies, I¡¯m afraid it is still...¡± Soveris shook his head, just as the pub owner approached, pushing a cart and interrupting their conversation. On the upper level of the cart were several baskets containing freshly baked bread, cooked potatoes, and a stack of roasted wolf ribs, with a small barrel of roughly five gallons of ale beside them, while the lower level was filled with plates and empty mugs. The pub owner was a rather strong middle-aged man with black hair and a thick beard, who greeted everyone with a warm voice: ¡°Welcome, friends from afar, are you hungry?¡± ¡°Not so much hungry, but indeed a bit thirsty.¡± Bruto sniffed deeply, his eyes becoming excited, ¡°Oh, oh, oh, your ale seems really good, I can even smell the fresh malt aroma...¡± ¡°Hahaha, did you hear that, folks? Even the Dwarf praises my ale! Here, this whole barrel is for you!¡± The man laughed heartily, hoisting the entire barrel onto the table, ¡°Put it on your account, Old Blackbird.¡± ¡°Uh, only this barrel...¡± The brown-haired Elves bent down, transferring mugs from under the cart onto the table, ¡°Any more and you¡¯ll have to pay yourselves, fifteen Gold Coins a barrel... Cheers, friends, to...¡± ¡°To Raventown,¡± Lancelot said softly, ¡°may it always be free from the scourge of evil.¡± ¡°To Raventown!¡± After a chorus of clinking mugs, everyone set down their glasses and let out satisfied sighs. Bruto took the initiative to pour ale for the others, while Lancelot tried to continue the conversation from before: ¡°Lord Soveris...¡± ¡°Please, just call me Soveris. ¡®Lord¡¯ sounds so awkward.¡± ¡°All right, Soveris,¡± Lancelot nodded in agreement, his expression serious as he continued, ¡°What exactly role have the ghost hags played on this land? If we hope to leave, must we deal with them?¡± ¡°Although I cannot be sure, it¡¯s very likely that is the case. After all, since their arrival, no one has successfully left... at least, not to my knowledge.¡± ¡°Since?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the Elves nodded, ¡°You may already know that the ruler of this Demon¡¯s Domain, the Lich King Peyton Derrick, was defeated by a group of adventurers more than a hundred years ago, causing the fog that sealed the borders to briefly dissipate. But soon after, it revived, didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°The Madam Baroness at Wolf King¡¯s Den did indeed mention it to us.¡± ¡°Oh? Then she didn¡¯t tell you what happened afterward?¡± Soveris frowned, ¡°About ten years after Peyton¡¯s revival, a group of strange old women came here. We now know that they were ghost hags, but back then they just seemed like a bunch of withered and odd humans, with an aged appearance incomprehensible to an Elf like me, and they appeared to threaten no one.¡± ¡°These old women didn¡¯t enter the town but instead took residence in the forest with their donkey-drawn caravans. Peculiar black smoke would rise from the depths of the woods, and afterward, one of the transformed ghost hags would emerge, pushing a small wooden cart through the streets, peddling their dreamy cakes. Those cakes were potent hallucinogens, sending whoever ate them to a paradise-like place where they could indulge in pleasure...¡± ¡°Hmph, a typical tempter¡¯s trick,¡± Alamir snorted with disgust, ¡°They first create a desire, then demand a reward upon success, and when the price becomes too high for the victims to afford, they demand an evil deed in exchange. Once the victim is irrevocably on the path of the Fallen, they then collect the true payment¡ªthe soul, usually through murder.¡± ¡°You are absolutely right, my kinsman, but we did not know that at the beginning,¡± Soveris said with a bitter smile, shaking his head, ¡°Instead, it was the Lich King who first sensed something was amiss. It sent envoys, demanding the ghost hags to stop providing those tools that could alleviate pain and fear¡ªas it thought of them. But the envoys the Lich King sent never came out of that forest, not a single one, whether they were feeble skeletons or formidable Death Knights.¡± ¡°Finally, on a pitch-dark night, the Lich led an undead army into the hags¡¯ woods. I still remember that night; fireballs illuminated the forest, lightning tore the sky apart, followed by a downpour, and then everything disappeared in a thick fog...¡± The Elf¡¯s voice trailed off with the memory, ¡°But when the sky lit up again, I was shocked to find that it was as if nothing had happened¡ªthe forest that had burned at night still stood tall, and the hags were nonchalantly pushing their carts and setting out once again. I wanted to delve deeper into the woods to continue the investigation, but a strong intuition told me I had to leave at once, or else face utter destruction...¡± His companions fell into a brief silence, unsettled by Soveris¡¯s revelations¡ªthe ghost hags were far more powerful than they had thought. Each Lich was once a legendary spellcaster, and becoming a Lich, aside from escaping death, did not impede their spellcasting abilities. Considering that Peyton Derrick was also the master of this Demon¡¯s Domain, its home-field advantage made it even more powerful; not even an Ancient Dragon might be its match. And yet the ghost hags had prevailed under such circumstances, so what might their true strength be? ¡°I wanted to ask earlier...¡± Kalalin spoke hesitantly, ¡°How many ghost hags are there?¡± ¡°There are thirteen of those old women,¡± Soveris turned to look at the Scholar, ¡°and I am certain each one is a ghost hag.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± the Scholar exclaimed incredulously, ¡°I have never heard of such a large gathering of ghost hags, even five is rare...¡± ¡°That is the reality. If you need, I can take you to identify them one by one,¡± the Elves shrugged and took a sip from his glass, ¡°Another fact is, ever since that great battle, the Demon¡¯s Domain hasn¡¯t been unsealed for even a second, but Peyton Derrick hasn¡¯t appeared again either...¡± Chapter 785: 796 Someone is Waiting for Me Chapter 785: Chapter 796 Someone is Waiting for Me ¡°As the master of Demon¡¯s Domain, Peyton Derrick really never appeared again?¡± Lancelot was truly surprised this time, ¡°Could it be... those witches stole the master¡¯s position and became the true rulers of this land?¡± ¡°My personal opinion? Yes, although ¡®master¡¯ isn¡¯t quite the right word.¡± Soveris sighed deeply, ¡°It was shortly after that when dead people could appear again, wandering naked through the forests while the hungry wolf packs disdained the fresh flesh. Now, this cursed land has become a prison; the prisoners are us mortals trapped inside, while the witches push their carts, loudly hawking in exchange for the Fallen souls with false promises of happiness and release. According to our observations, ordinary people can indeed resurrect unnaturally after death, but if their souls have sunk into depravity, the next death might bring a true end, vanishing permanently from this land.¡± ¡°No need to think about it to know, that kind of death is by no means a relief.¡± Kalalin interjected, ¡°The witches are the largest soul traders of the lower planes, selling facial worms transformed from evil souls, and buyers exist on both sides of the Blood War. Demons and Devils need these ingredients that can be transformed into lesser Fiends to keep the war machine known as the Blood War running...¡± ¡°What about Raventown?¡± Lancelot quietly asked, ¡°How do you survive in such conditions?¡± ¡°In the first few years, we had intense conflicts with the witches, and of course, there was no suspense¡ªwe were no match. The town was overrun by endless undead creatures, and the clan members who died in battle couldn¡¯t be resurrected... This is one of the reasons I¡¯m convinced that the witches are the true rulers of the Demon¡¯s Domain.¡± ¡°What happened later?¡± ¡°The surviving clansmen hid in the forests, licking their wounds like wild beasts, slowly regaining strength.¡± The brunette elf lifted his mug and gulped down a large swig of beer, ¡°Meanwhile, we continuously enlisted those with resolute minds, unwilling to submit. Finally, ten years after the fall of Raventown, we reclaimed our home...¡± ¡°What about those witches? Did they not care?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t care by then,¡± Soveris replied with a bitter smile, shaking his head, ¡°The truth is, they could take everything back any time they wished. That¡¯s why we¡¯ve kept a very low profile since then, avoiding any open conflicts with the witches and secretly aiding innocents who stray into these lands.¡± ¡°From what I just saw, the townspeople seem to lead a self-sufficient life.¡± ¡°Yes, our town walls provide a false sense of security, letting the townspeople pretend they live in a remote little town... Other than that, we can only pray, hoping some deity notices this dirty corner of the Multiverse.¡± ¡°You mentioned praying,¡± Alamir spoke up again, ¡°What is the state of faith here? Whose name do people call out when they pray?¡± ¡°To none, or anyone,¡± Soveris glanced at his compatriot, ¡°Your shield... if I remember correctly, that should bear Shuni¡¯s Emblem?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Alamir proudly lifted his head, ¡°As the spokeswoman for the Lady of Flames, spreading the truths of love and beauty throughout the Multiverse is my duty...¡± ¡°It seems your faith is very strong, that¡¯s good,¡± Soveris showed a peculiar smile, ¡°But due to the long absence of response from the gods, people here have gradually forgotten the names of deities. Still, some have held onto their faith; for instance, I still remember the whispers of the Father of Oaks, and the shadow spirits know they will return to the Lady in the Court of Ravens to show her the hardships they¡¯ve endured in this life...¡± ¡°What about death?¡± Lancelot asked casually, ¡°Do any worship a deity related to death?¡± ¡°A deity related to death? Here?¡± Soveris seemed amused, but he noticed the serious expression on Lancelot¡¯s face, ¡°During Peyton Derrick¡¯s reign, people naturally feared Milko, but that¡¯s in the past. In fact, there¡¯s a recent trend among mortals to worship Peyton himself as the True God who can bring them release. By the way, it¡¯s said that the Madam of the Wolf King¡¯s Den is the main benefactor of the Peyton Church. Is that what you¡¯re asking about?¡± ¡°That¡¯s helpful, thank you.¡± Lancelot nodded, but his heart was somewhat disappointed; he actually wanted to hear information about Shrek, but it seemed the Prince of Lies still preferred to manipulate everything from behind the scenes. ¡°Now, Sir Lancelot, it¡¯s my turn to ask a question,¡± Soveris set his mug down, wiping the foam from the corner of his mouth, ¡°What impression do you have of Raventown? Are you interested in joining us?¡± ¡°I like this place, it¡¯s very beautiful, and I agree with the way you go about things...¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°But, there are people waiting for me to return.¡± ¡°I recognize that tone... a woman?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°She must be very beautiful.¡± ¡°Worth staking my life for.¡± ¡°Okay then,¡± Soveris leaned back, looking drained, ¡°I¡¯m not doubting your capabilities, sir, but I¡¯ve heard similar talk many times before, and after they¡¯ve walked into that witch¡¯s forest, they never come back...¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going to look for the witches directly,¡± Lancelot shook his head, ¡°In the southern Gachituk Mountains, there¡¯s an ancient temple. Do you know of it?¡± ¡°An ancient temple?¡± The brunette elf frowned and thought for a moment, reluctantly speaking, ¡°I don¡¯t recall a religious place there, but there is an entrance to an ancient tomb, filled with undead, so we never ventured deep...¡± ¡°Is that so? What does the entrance to that ancient tomb look like?¡± ¡°A huge skull carved into the cliff, the entrance is the left eye socket... looking at your expressions, did I guess correctly? Who told you about this location?¡± ¡°The Madam in the Wolf King¡¯s Den.¡± ¡°Be careful, she¡¯s a very powerful spellcaster and must have some special motive... When are you leaving?¡± ¡°When I¡¯ve finished this beer,¡± Lancelot gestured with his half-empty mug, ¡°It¡¯s quite a long journey from here...¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s quite a distance on foot,¡± Soveris glanced at Lancelot, then at the others who had quickened their eating, ¡°Does anyone here fear heights?¡± Chapter 786: 797 Crow Statue Chapter 786: Chapter 797 Crow Statue Following Soveris, the group descended into the cellar of the Wolf¡¯s Head Tavern. Wooden pillars and beams supported the ceiling, roughly ten feet high, and a thin mist floated above the cold floor. The cellar was filled with racks holding massive wooden barrels, suspended with their bottoms about a foot off the ground, and the air was tinged with a light aroma of fermenting beer. Leading the party past these barrels of brewing beer, Soveris stopped in front of an ordinary-looking stone wall. He stooped down and fumbled beneath one of the barrels, then flipped a switch. With a series of clacking gear noises, a secret door in the wall swung open, revealing a much smaller room. Apart from a statue of a raven, there was no other furniture in the room, and near the ceiling, just behind the statue, there was a hole about three feet in diameter through which a slight breeze carried the scent of fresh air. The group curiously inspected the raven statue, which was crafted of some sort of black crystal, with two deep red gemstones embedded in its eye sockets, looking exceptionally exquisite. ¡°This statue...¡± Tanya locked her gaze on the raven statue the moment she entered the secret room, ¡°I can sense my mentor¡¯s presence...¡± ¡°Your mentor?¡± Soveris raised one eyebrow, ¡°The Raven Queen?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The half-elf nodded, her own eyes a shade of red, ¡°But since entering this Demon¡¯s Domain, I have not heard my mentor¡¯s voice again...¡± ¡°In that case, you demonstrate for everyone. Place your hand on the statue and say, ¡®Praise the Raven Queen.¡¯ Tanya did as instructed, and as her companions watched, a cloud of black smoke enveloped the half-elf. In just a few moments, a raven appeared in her place. The black bird looked up and let out a loud (though unpleasant) caw, fluttered its wings, and took flight around the secret room, clumsily flying back and forth beneath the ceiling. ¡°As you can see,¡± the brown-haired elf said, arms crossed, looking up as the bird flew overhead, ¡°this statue can transform a person into a raven. In that form, your journey will be much easier, and you can avoid the watchful eyes of the hags. Transforming back is simple, too¡ªjust land on the ground again...¡± No sooner had he finished speaking than the raven Tanya had transformed into crashed into the wall, then wobbled and plummeted down. With a muffled thud, the familiar figure of the half-elf reappeared in the room, grimacing as she rubbed her shoulder. ¡°...Transformed back,¡± Soveris shrugged, ¡°You were a bit too forceful just now. How does it feel?¡± ¡°It feels... amazing!¡± Tanya¡¯s face broke into a radiant smile, ¡°I want to try it again...¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s fine,¡± Soveris nodded, ¡°You can practice in the secret room and the cellar outside, as long as you like. When you feel ready, come find me upstairs and I¡¯ll fly you to your destination.¡± ¡°Thank you, Soveris,¡± Lancelot spoke sincerely, ¡°This is very helpful for us.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± The brown-haired elf sighed softly, ¡°I don¡¯t know if what I¡¯m doing is right. Reason tells me this is just another futile struggle, but a strange intuition also makes me think... maybe this time will be different...¡± ¡°Is your intuition accurate?¡± ¡°Quite accurate.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª When Lancelot recited the spell to activate the Raven Idol, he felt a cold but not malevolent force that twisted his form in a way that did not alter his ¡®Essence,¡¯ like a sophisticated Illusion Technique that convinced the world ¡®to believe¡¯ he had become a raven ¡ª including himself, and realizing this did not cause any separation. Lancelot flapped his wings and naturally took to the air, as if he had always mastered the skill of flying and had simply forgotten how while in human form. An hour later, Soveris reappeared in the chamber, his slightly flushed face indicating that he had finished the half-barrel of wine left by everyone else. ¡°Look at this,¡± the brown-haired elf took off the ring from his thumb, ¡°Pay attention!¡± He rubbed the back of his hand on the surface of the ring, activating some magic attached to it, and the grey-white gemstone on the ring began to emit rhythmic but dazzling flashes. ¡°I¡¯ve got you some traveling companions, but there might be quite a few of them, which could make you lose your way,¡± Soveris showed them the ring. ¡°In a while, I will slip it onto my claw, and when you see a flash, you¡¯ll know which one is me, so you won¡¯t get lost... Understand?¡± Seeing everyone nod, the elf didn¡¯t waste any more words. He twisted his neck in a strange way, and black feathers suddenly ¡®floated¡¯ out from his skin, and in just a few moments, a robust raven appeared in his place. His companions looked on in shock; the reason was simple, Soveris hadn¡¯t touched the Raven Idol at all; he had transformed into a raven on his own. ¡°You¡¯re a... Druid?¡± Alamir asked hesitantly, but Soveris, now a bird, could not answer. He cawed loudly at everyone, then lowered his head to thread his claw through the ring, flapped his wings, and flew out of the large hole at the top of the Raven Statue. ¡°Let¡¯s go as well,¡± Lancelot patted Alamir¡¯s shoulder. ¡°If we make it out of that ancient tomb alive, he¡¯ll surely come to find us for a talk.¡± His companions each touched the statue, transformed into black birds, and then flew into the large hole in the wall. The passage extended downwards at first and then entered a vertical shaft. They beat their wings eagerly, rushing into the light and instantaneously reaching the high altitudes. The crows that had been perching on the tower took notice of them, cawing as if urging the start of a play¡¯s opening act. Dozens of birds circled in the sky, and Lancelot easily spotted the one with the ring on its claw ¡ª the transformed Soveris, with a wingspan of over four feet, was much larger than the other ravens. It flew around the group twice to make sure everyone noticed him, then took off southward with powerful wing beats. Lancelot was no stranger to flight, having used Succubus form several times to fly over difficult terrain, but it was nothing like his current experience. In the form of a bird, he truly understood what real flying was, the indescribable thrill so strong that it cleared all distractions from the Paladin¡¯s Divine Sense, leaving him only to revel in the pure joy of freedom. The state of Enlightenment, which he had not entered for a long time, came upon him once again unexpectedly. Chapter 787: 798 Ancient Temple Chapter 787: Chapter 798 Ancient Temple Cultivators, upon breaking through to the Golden Core Stage, form a Golden Core in their bodies. Subsequently, their cultivation shifts from absorbing external spiritual energy to refining the Spiritual Power of their own Golden Core. The spiritual power generated from within themselves is essentially no different from the spiritual energy between heaven and earth, and cultivators can effortlessly achieve feats such as flying through the skies or commanding the wind and rain. Lancelot was not yet a Golden Core Cultivator, but the Cauldron Immortal Technique, created by the unfathomably skilled Spell Han Tianzun himself, contained aspects that, although appeared minor, could effortlessly resolve difficulties that have doomed countless cultivators. At this moment, merely by flying through the sky in the form of a bird, Lancelot experienced a glimpse of the enlightenment normally reserved for Golden Core Cultivators in their understanding of nature¡¯s spiritual energy. Almost unconsciously, he retracted his black wings and surrendered his body to the natural winds between heaven and earth. A mysterious scene unfolded; without flapping his wings, he still remained with the rapidly flying flock of ravens, moving as effortlessly as a fish swims through water. This state did not last for long. By the time Lancelot realized what had happened, it had already ended. Unlike his first Qi Gathering experience, this enlightenment did not result in a noticeable increase in his cultivation level. However, Lancelot¡¯s heart was filled with wild joy. With this slight enlightenment of a Golden Core Cultivator, his current state was akin to a cultivator who had fallen in realm for some reason and would find it much easier to attempt the Golden Core breakthrough again. Only then did he take the time to appreciate the scenery beneath his feet. The flock of ravens flew more than a mile high, overlooking a forest shrouded in shadows below, with a desolate, yellow-brown mountain range in the distance. Further away lay a wall of fog stretching into the sky, marking the boundary of The Domain of Horror. Unless the ruler of the Demon¡¯s Domain allowed it (or was slain), nothing could cross that mist, not even deities were capable of doing so. In their raven forms, their mere normal flight speed was comparable to Nightmares at full sprint, and because they were flying in a straight line in the sky, there were no sudden incidents to slow them down. Roughly after an hour, they had already arrived above the desolate mountain range. The leading raven, whose claw wore a ring, slowed down, searching its memory for the place. This area was very close to the edge of the Demon¡¯s Domain. The mountain range and sky several miles away were submerged in the boundless Wall of Mist, while the mountains below were covered in rugged rocks and devoid of any vegetation, showing no signs of life. If there were any secrets to be hidden, this would indeed be an apt location. After crossing a ridge, the destination they sought suddenly appeared before them. In the midst of an almost vertical cliff face protruded a skull stone statue as large as a three-story building. One eye socket of the statue was sealed, while the other was a dark abyss, unfathomably deep. The individuals transformed into ravens flew towards the empty eye socket. Upon landing, they reverted to their original forms, and several ravens from the flock joined them, transforming back into human shapes as well. ¡°How was it? The sensation of flying is quite pleasant, right?¡± Soveris nodded to Lancelot, ¡°We can only take you this far; from here on, you¡¯re on your own.¡± ¡°Thank you, Soveris,¡± Lancelot said solemnly, giving a Knight¡¯s salute, ¡°I will forever remember your kindness.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± the brown-haired Elf sighed lightly, ¡°If you really lift the curse from this land, that will be the best way to repay us. Good luck.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª They had walked less than thirty feet inside when the cave walls transitioned from rough, uneven mud to cut stone bricks. A cold wind blew out from the pitch-black passage ahead, carrying a rotting scent, and made it clear to everyone that the space in front was very broad. There was no light inside the passage, and except for the human scholar, the rest of the team had night vision abilities. Even Kalalin could see in the darkness through a Second Circle spell ¡°Dark Vision¡±, often even clearer than the others. However, ¡°Dark Vision¡± only allowed him to see in grayscale, without the ability to discern colors, so Alamir still raised his Hammer of Dissolution. This magic weapon radiated bright light like a torch, allowing everyone to see clearly up to forty feet ahead¡ªbeyond that, the light was swallowed up by the darkness that pervaded the passage. After moving forward a bit more, they entered a rather spacious stone hall. It was about forty feet wide and more than sixty feet long, with four robust pillars supporting the dome. At the top of each pillar were four exquisitely crafted gargoyle statues poised as if ready to attack. Across from where the group stood, on the wall, was a tightly closed gigantic stone gate with a tall statue on each side. The statues wore hooded cloaks covering their faces and held long-handled scythes, like guardians of ancient secrets. Lancelot keenly noticed that the weapons held by the two statues reflected metal in the darkness, and there were marks on the floor and walls that looked like cuts from heavy weapons. Just then, he felt the Dimensional Bag at his waist move, so he untied the rope that sealed the bag, and a beautiful vampire girl emerged from within. ¡°Yo, up at last?¡± he ruffled Isa¡¯s pale golden hair, ¡°You¡¯ve come at just the right time...¡± ¡°Where is this? Why is it all dark around here?¡± The girl looked around curiously, ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡± ¡°Not too long, it¡¯s afternoon now, and the fight with Medusa was yesterday,¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, ¡°Let me quickly fill you in on what happened while you were sleeping...¡± As Lancelot was bringing the newcomer up to speed, the others curiously explored the room. Kalalin and Alamir were studying the reliefs carved on the walls; Bruto was inspecting the statues holding the scythes out of a dwarf¡¯s curiosity for stonework; and Tanya was interested in the gargoyle statues on top of the pillars, craning her neck as she walked around below them. ¡°Guys, I think I know where we are...¡± Just as Lancelot finished talking to Isa, Kalalin¡¯s voice came from a corner. Lancelot turned his head to see the scholar and priest walking towards them with smiles of satisfaction at having uncovered a secret. ¡°Do you know the identity of the tomb¡¯s owner?¡± Lancelot asked curiously, ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°This is indeed a tomb, but its owner is someone else,¡± Kalalin shook his head, ¡°This is a temple dedicated to the Lord of the Dead, Milko.¡± ¡°The former Lord of the Dead!¡± Isa immediately corrected. Chapter 788: 799: Priority Target Chapter 788: Chapter 799: Priority Target ¡°Of course, Milko was the former Lord of the Dead, to be more precise, the one before the last,¡± Kalalin apologetically smiled at little Isha, ¡°I¡¯ve been suspecting it since we saw the entrance to this place because the skeletons are indeed Milko¡¯s emblem, and although the murals around this hall have been severely damaged, from some of the fragments, it is clear that various emblems symbolizing Milko were placed in revered positions, so I¡¯m certain this is a temple dedicated to worshipping Milko.¡± ¡°Before Milko¡¯s church was destroyed, giant tomb-like structures were indeed a very common type of Grim Reaper temple,¡± the Elf Priest also added, ¡°Unlike the current Lord of the Dead, Milko¡¯s core doctrine was that mortals should be filled with dread towards death, and being transformed into Undead was one of His intimidating methods. According to records, Milko could create any type of Undead, his minions included numerous Liches, Death Knights, and High-Rank Vampires, so it was indeed very likely that Peyton Derrick got the Secret Technique for transformation into a Lich here.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Do those murals reveal any useful information about how Peyton became a Lich?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the murals have been severely damaged; a very fierce battle must have occurred here,¡± Kalalin spread his hands helplessly, ¡°and from the still intact fragments, it seems to only show the initial construction of this temple¡ªmen and women built the magnificent temple and offered rich sacrifices in the hope of pleasing the Lord of the Dead...¡± Just then, a strange scraping sound reached everyone¡¯s ears, a mysterious force began dragging the scattered bones on the ground, then assembling them into several skeletons armed with bone Longswords and Battle Axes. Not only that, but three skulls ablaze with green flames also floated up unsupported in the air, emitting not only a burst of insane laughter but also three dazzling green Fireballs. ¡°Watch out! Dodge!¡± Lancelot shouted a warning to his companions, but he advanced instead of retreating, facing the attack with a green Light Shield. The Fireball crashed onto Qingyuan Sword and Shield with a bang, followed by a terrifying explosion, much more intense than any Kalalin had produced, Lancelot¡¯s Light Shield flickered twice and could no longer sustain itself, disappearing into the air. But he had ultimately blocked the spell, and the other two Fireballs were a bit off-target¡ªthey exploded about ten feet to each side of the four companions, the leaping flames scattering around like shattered plates. All of them had made the correct response at the moment they saw the Fireball coming: they dropped to the ground at top speed. Despite this, the scorching shockwave still swept over everyone there, causing serious area damage. Kalalin was in the worst state, barely escaping and almost half-cooked by his favorite spell; whereas agile little Isha displayed an incredible set of moves, dodging all effects of the explosion, completely unharmed. As for Bruto, the Dwarf was located on the other side of the room by the Stone Gate, far out of range of the spell. ¡°Hahaha! Turn to ashes, foolish intruders!¡± Three Skulls of Flame cried out harshly, convinced that their spells had completely destroyed everyone, but that was not the case. Before their laughter had fully dispersed, the Human Knight had already charged through the flames still drifting in the air, slashing at the nearest floating skull. Behind him, several Skeleton Warriors, looking quite formidable, had already risen, but Lancelot believed his companions could handle them; these spellcasting Skulls of Flame posed the greatest threat. The tip of his sword struck its target accurately, and a phantom Shield of Magic appeared around the flaming skull. However, Lancelot had struck with full force, and the shield shattered as easily as if it were made of paper, cleaving the skull behind it in two as well. The green flames, like the monster¡¯s life force, were extinguished instantly, and the skull split in two and fell toward the ground, turning to ash in mid-air. At the same time, a heavy thud came from Lancelot¡¯s side; turning his head, he saw that Bruto had thrown his Warhammer, hitting another Skull of Flame. Although the blow did not destroy the enemy directly, it had sent it spinning away like a kicked ball, eventually crashing heavily into a wall. On the other side, their companions rose from the ground; Alamir had completed a rapid Healing Divine Art while standing, summoning a beam of red light filled with life energy that enveloped Kalalin. It was just a First Circle Healing Word, and although it was very fast, its effect was only slightly better than that of a first aid bandage, so he immediately began preparing another powerful group Healing Divine Art. The others were also taking actions of their own: Tanya, grasping her massive Shadow Glaive, fearlessly charged at two Skeleton Warriors, each three heads taller than her, well aware of her current duty¡ªto buy as much time as possible for the Spellcasters; above her, tiny Isha, with two bat wings stretching from her back, swept across the hall¡¯s dome like a shadow, directly targeting another Skeleton Warrior¡¯s head; while Kalalin, not even bothering to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, quickly pulled a scroll from his backpack and unrolled it¡ªunder pressure, Scholars preferred to cast spells using scrolls. His hands began to emit dazzling blue light, and the last remaining Skull of Flame clearly noticed this. It opened its mouth again, sending out six Arcane Darts flashing with white light, perfectly designed to cause force field damage and ideal for interrupting the target¡¯s spellcasting. However, as soon as those darts appeared, the Scholar had already completed his spell, as if he had been prepared all along. Not only that, Kalalin also laughed smugly: ¡°Ha! Fooled you!¡± A translucent Protective Barrier appeared around the Scholar, ¡°Shield Technique!¡± The Magic Darts struck the Shield only to dissipate like raindrops falling into a lake, causing no damage at all. The Skull of Flame, frustrated, bellowed loudly, about to release another spell, but the Human Knight had already reached it. With a swing of his Longsword, he extinguished the floating skull, leaving it no chance to fight back. With the Spellcasters destroyed, the remaining giant Skeletons actually posed no real threat to the group. After Lancelot and Bruto joined the fray, the battle was completely over within a minute, leaving shattered bones scattered everywhere. Moreover, even the Skeletons that Lancelot had cleaved apart could not rise again, as Isha, with her agile skills, made sure to strike an additional blow before the negative energy animating these corpses dissipated, ensuring they would never stand again. Chapter 789: 800 Missionary Chapter 789: Chapter 800 Missionary After the dust had settled, the companions regrouped to discuss the recent battle. ¡°Did you guys feel that the undead creatures here seem especially strong?¡± Bruto leaned against a pillar, speaking breathlessly, ¡°A regular skeleton¡¯s attack is like a little squirrel throwing pine cones at me, but just now, one of them hit my shield with a Bone Hammer, numbing half my body. I¡¯m afraid their strength almost matches that of a Berserk Demon...¡± ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s the case,¡± Alamir agreed as he bandaged Kalalin, ¡°As a Priest of the Domain of Life, I can sense a very strong negative energy emanating from them. Even when I used my Divine Power earlier, the effect seemed greatly diminished.¡± ¡°There was something off about that Fireball Technique as well,¡± Kalalin remarked, his face covered in soot. Alamir¡¯s Divine Arts could restore his life, but not his scorched skin, ¡°In the name of the Goddess of Magic, I¡¯m certain those Burning Skulls had increased their Circle Rank by at least two. Thankfully they don¡¯t know any spells like the Death Cloud Spell or Swarm of Plagues, otherwise, you¡¯d be using Resurrection Art on me right now...¡± ¡°It¡¯s because this is a Temple of the Lord of the Dead,¡± Jing suddenly spoke, ¡°I can feel it, there¡¯s still a remnant of Divine Power from the Domain of Death here, enhancing all the undead... including myself.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Lancelot looked at Jing with a somewhat odd expression, ¡°Speaking of which, are you now... an elect of the Grim Reaper?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the girl pouted, ¡°But I did gain quite a bit of knowledge about the Domain of Death in my head...¡± ¡°I¡¯m familiar with that situation,¡± Lancelot chuckled, ¡°That knowledge must have been a great help in combat, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I found myself immediately able to recognize the types of undead and even recall their weaknesses... There¡¯s other stuff too, about Cranvo¡¯s doctrines, holy days, and the rituals and duties a junior Grim Reaper must master, including the eradication of malevolent undead. It¡¯s a really strange feeling, like... like... like a mouse forced to work for a cat... You understand what I mean, right, brother?¡± ¡°I think I get it,¡± Lancelot nodded with a barely contained smile, ¡°In a way, having a cat backing you up means you can strut around in front of the other mice... You said your mind is filled with a lot of knowledge about the Domain of Death? So, what can you tell us about Milko?¡± ¡°Milko...¡± Jing showed a contemplative expression, ¡°I only know that many of Milko¡¯s former priests joined the church of Cranvo...¡± ¡°I have heard something about that,¡± the Elf Priest, a scholar of divinity, spoke up, ¡°When Shrek replaced Milko, Milko¡¯s priests accepted the change calmly. They say it¡¯s merely a change of names for the deity, drawing a purple halo around the original skull crest. The same happened when Shrek was replaced by Cranvo. Perhaps because there wasn¡¯t much essential difference between the three Lords of the Dead, and they all appointed Yago as their Steward and assistant to help fulfill their duties...¡± ¡°No, no, there¡¯s a big difference!¡± Jing immediately objected, ¡°Milko emphasized the terror of death, instructing mortals to fear it, and was strongly opposed to resurrection magics, forbidding His priests from using them; whereas Cranvo emphasizes the fairness of death, instructing mortals to view death as a part of life, signifying the end of the old and the beginning of the new, not as a punishment. Cranvo does not oppose resurrection magics, and also forbids His church members from spreading death and destruction, instead requiring them to help people die with dignity when their time inevitably comes...¡± ¡°You¡¯ve put it so well!¡± Alamir couldn¡¯t help but clap his hands, ¡°You sound just like a qualified missionary already. If I hadn¡¯t already found my own deity, I definitely would have been persuaded by you...¡± ¡°Uh, really?¡± The little vampire¡¯s expression was somewhat strained, ¡°I just... know... and I also agree with these views...¡± ¡°It is precisely because you agree that He has chosen you,¡± the elf priest revealed a mysterious smile, ¡°That is how the gods select their spokespersons, and it¡¯s not as mysterious as people make it out to be.¡± ¡°What about Shrek then?¡± asked Lancelot, with some curiosity, ¡°How does He view death?¡± ¡°The Prince of Lies¡¯ creed is that one can stop at nothing for power and status, shallowly treating death as a mere tool for fulfilling ambitions rather than as a necessary, meaningful, and solemn affair of great import within the multiverse,¡± the little vampire showed a disgusted face, ¡°Compared to Him, Milko is as good as a newborn baby, whose only possible misdeed is pooping in the crib.¡± ¡°What a curious simile, did Cranvo feed you that one?¡± ¡°Uh...¡± Little Isha¡¯s face turned red in an instant, ¡°... I suppose he did.¡± ¡°It must be so.¡± Lancelot shrugged his shoulders, ¡°So, this is a temple of Milko, and it was here that Peyton Derrick learned the secret of his transformation into a lich... The timing makes sense, his becoming a lich happened long before Shrek became the Grim Reaper, very plausible. Does anyone else have any other findings?¡± ¡°I have some... perhaps insignificant little discoveries,¡± Tanya spoke up as well, ¡°There are four columns here, and there should be a total of sixteen gargoyle statues, but I¡¯ve only found fourteen; two are missing.¡± ¡°Are you suggesting that these gargoyles could actually come to life?¡± Lancelot frowned, ¡°I¡¯ve been worried about that too, but the battle just now would have been the perfect time for them to join in, and I don¡¯t feel any living essence from them right now...¡± ¡°Gargoyles are elemental creatures, you can sense that too?¡± the half-elf exclaimed, widening her eyes in surprise, ¡°Not all gargoyle statues in a site like this will move; only a few real ones are actually mixed in with the ordinary ones to confuse enemies. My guess is, those two gaps were the spots where the real gargoyles were hiding, but they¡¯ve already been destroyed in the previous battle. Someone has definitely been here before us...¡± ¡°Could it be the people sent by the baroness, but she just didn¡¯t tell us?¡± Little Isha interjected curiously. ¡°It¡¯s possible. Look at that stone gate; the people who came before us probably couldn¡¯t get it open, and the skeletons we fought just now might have belonged to them,¡± Lancelot turned to the dwarf, ¡°How about you, Bruto? Did you find anything like a mechanism for opening the gate during the battle?¡± Chapter 790: 801 Grim Reaper Envoy Chapter 790: Chapter 801 Grim Reaper Envoy ¡°No, there¡¯s absolutely no movable part.¡± Bruto placed his hands on his hips, looking up at the statue almost twice his height, ¡°I swear on my dwarf honor, there are absolutely no mechanisms inside these two statues, nor are they stone golems of any kind.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Lancelot moved behind the dwarf, stroking the stubble on his chin, ¡°These two scythes seem to be real... Can you pull them out?¡± ¡°I noticed that too, but no, I¡¯ve already tried,¡± Bruto shook his head. ¡°There must be some special structure inside the statue¡¯s palm that locks the handle of the weapon in place; it¡¯s a common stone-working technique...¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± Lancelot scratched his head, looking toward the somewhat trance-like vampire girl, ¡°This is the temple of the former Lord of the Dead, can you discern anything?¡± The undead blessed by Cranvo looked at the stone gate and the statues on both sides, suddenly speaking: ¡°In the name of the Lord of the Netherworld who oversees the dead, I command you to appear, guardians of the Reaper!¡± Her voice carried a unique rhythm, but after she finished speaking, it seemed like nothing had changed. Just as little Isha was about to try something else, two translucent, smoky skeletal faces suddenly appeared in the statues, speaking in a slow, hollow voice: ¡°Who... has awakened... the tomb guardians...¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Isha stepped forward, ¡°Can¡¯t you see the mark of the Lord of the Dead on me?¡± ¡°...Strange mark... but indeed belongs to the Lord of the Dead...¡± The reluctant skeletal apparitions spoke, then flew forward from the statues, revealing their cloaked and hooded figures floating in the air like ghosts, while the long scythes that the dwarf could not pull out earlier inexplicably appeared in their hands. Seeing the blades gleaming coldly, the human knight cautiously drew his Frostslash, and the others also raised their weapons, but Isha stood fearlessly in place, still circled by the two gruesome shadows. ¡°...Respected phalanges... we obey... command us... please...¡± ¡°What¡¯s behind this stone gate?¡± The calm vampire girl asked. ¡°...Sanctum...¡± ¡°Open the stone gate; we want to go in.¡± ¡°We cannot do it... the correct sacrifice must be offered... only then will the door open...¡± ¡°What is the correct sacrifice?¡± ¡°Fill the blood pool with fresh blood...¡± ¡°Offer skulls on the altar...¡± The two skeletal apparitions spoke simultaneously, pointing to the entrances of two passages on the side of the hall. Isha looked in the direction the apparitions were pointing, then turned to Lancelot and quietly asked: ¡°Brother, what else should I ask?¡± ¡°Who stood in front of the stone gate the last three times it was opened? How long ago was it?¡± ¡°...We only awaken when summoned and cannot perceive the passage of time...¡± The skeletal apparitions replied but did not deny answering because Lancelot asked, ¡°As for who was there when the door opened... the last time it was a group of old women... the time before that, Peyton Derrick... and before that, Peyton Derrick too... but he was not a Lich then...¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± Lancelot furrowed his eyebrows, ¡°What did Peyton come here for the second time?¡± ¡°...Don¡¯t know... if the sacrifice is correct... we open the door... if not... we kill...¡± ¡°It looks like we will have to find the answers ourselves...¡± Lancelot shrugged, ¡°This side is for blood, that side for skulls, right?¡± ¡°...Yes...¡± ¡°Very well. By the way, can you... uh, command the remaining undead creatures here not to attack us?¡± ¡°...No... they are the cursed ones... they can only fight ceaselessly... until they are destroyed... only then can they be liberated...¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lancelot nodded, ¡°Thank you. We¡¯ll see you in a bit.¡± ¡°...Any more orders? Respected knuckle...¡± ¡°That is all... Ah yes, one more thing.¡± Little Issa puffed out her chest solemnly, ¡°The Lord of the Dead is now named Cranvo, and His envoy should be formally addressed as the Harbinger of the End. Please remember these.¡± ¡°...As you wish...¡± ¡°Very well. In the name of the Lord of the Dead, you may leave.¡± After Little Issa finished speaking, the two skeletal shades flew backwards and eventually disappeared into the statues. Once again, tranquility was restored in the hall, and her companions looked at Little Issa with a new perspective, making her somewhat embarrassed. ¡°We¡¯ve got quite the unique group here,¡± Bruto remarked, ¡°a priest of the God of Love, a disciple of the Queen of Ravens, a devotee of the Goddess of Magic, and now an envoy of the Lord of the Dead. Am I the only one without some mighty backing here besides my old man?¡± ¡°Who said that, don¡¯t I lack it too?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that called lacking? Prince of Twin Bridges Town?¡± ¡°Tijana isn¡¯t a goddess...¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s more reliable than a goddess, able to help us when we couldn¡¯t defeat Visuvius...¡± ¡°Hmm, that does make some sense. But it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have someone behind you...¡± ¡°Do I? Who?¡± ¡°Me.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, not enough?¡± ¡°Damn, you got me...¡± Amidst the laughter, the group had already entered a passageway on the side of the hall. The darkness engulfed them like dense fog, keeping the light from the Hammer of Dissolution within fifteen feet; occasional icy droplets fell from the ceiling, striking their armor with grotesque clanging sounds; corners seemed to host shifting shadows, but a closer look revealed nothing, casting doubt on whether it was mere imagination or something truly there. Lancelot didn¡¯t waste effort pondering the cause of these phenomena, as he was well aware they were just a ploy to instil fear in the hearts of outsiders¡ªa taste very much in line with the previous predecessors of the Grim Reaper. However, once the appetizer was over, the main course was up next. Having left the narrow, eerie corridor, the group once again entered a rather spacious room. The moment the last person set foot inside, torches fixed on the walls suddenly ignited with blue flames, illuminating the scene within the room. ¡°Shit!¡± Bruto cursed involuntarily, ¡°Damn, what the hell are these? Scared me to death!¡± ¡°Torture chamber, obviously.¡± Lancelot answered in a chilling tone, his gaze sweeping over the room¡¯s Iron Maiden, stocks, sawing frames, and other torture devices. The last victims of these devices were still there, their flesh long gone, yet the group felt as though they could still see their twisted faces in death and hear their silent screams. Suddenly, all the skeletons¡¯ heads shot up and turned toward the group¡¯s direction. ¡°Ah, just as expected.¡± Lancelot instantly drew Frostslash, ¡°Everyone be careful not to shatter the skulls; we still need them as offerings later...¡± Chapter 791: 802 Ferryman of Cranvo Chapter 791: Chapter 802 Ferryman of Cranvo Most torture devices were not designed to kill a person, so when one is reduced to nothing but a skeleton, escaping the bindings of the torture devices became much less difficult. The skeletons hopped down from their respective devices, looking akin to a group of elders rising from their rocking chairs. A sinister black mist enveloped the bones of the skeletons, rendering their presence quite dangerous, but of course, it couldn¡¯t scare Lancelot and his battle-hardened companions. Striding with confidence, the Human Knight drew his sword and entered into the midst of his enemies. A skeleton wielding a Bone Saw swung at him, but was easily blocked¡ªthe force was not bad, somewhat close to Bruto¡¯s level, but still far from enough to deal with Lancelot. Without retracting his weapon, the Human Knight kicked out, his Mithril-forged War Boots striking like an Ogre¡¯s massive club, shattering the skeleton¡¯s frame with a single blow. At the same time, Lancelot released one hand from his sword and beckoned lightly in mid-air, causing the skull of the skeleton to fly over to him, which he casually hung on a hook dangling at his side. A whooshing sound came from behind, but Lancelot paid it no heed and directly slashed at another foe. A thud followed, along with the sound of something fragile hitting the ground¡ªit was Bruto¡¯s Shield Charge, one of his signature Combat Techniques. After felling his enemy, the young Dwarf pounced like a ravenous tiger, his Shield blocking the arm that could still swing, while his Warhammer fell like a Blacksmith at work, shattering bone with every strike until his opponent lay motionless. ¡°Mo! La! Din!¡± The characteristic battle cry of the Dwarves rang out, but it didn¡¯t come from Bruto, who was seeking his next target. The old Dwarf Barrend was holding his heavy Tower Shield, fending off a skeleton wielding a twin-bladed Battle Axe. This skeleton was taller than Lancelot, possibly a mighty Bear Goblin in life, wearing decayed chain mail and draped with a long-faded red cape over its shoulders. The twin-bladed Battle Axe made a loud clashing noise against the shield, but the old Dwarf stood firm like a rock on the shore, enduring the supernatural strength pouring into him from his adversary. But when the frequency of the attacks slowed slightly, Barrend swung his shield out like a door, pushing the weapon to the outer side of his body, and his Hand Axe flashed out with lightning speed, executing a perfect Crescent Slash at the knee of his foe, severing thigh from shin bones completely. After striking successfully, Barrend didn¡¯t overreach, swiftly retracting his weapon and readjusting to a defensive stance¡ªthis also perfectly blocked an unexpected slash from the skeleton as it stumbled and fell. The old Dwarf stood with his shield raised, patiently waiting for the body of his opponent to fully collapse to the ground before swinging his axe again, this time severing the enemy¡¯s skull from its spine. ¡°See that, lad?¡± Barrend shouted loudly, ¡°That¡¯s how a Dwarf fights!¡± Bruto couldn¡¯t answer because he was using his own head¡ªof course, wearing a Helmet¡ªas a hammer to ram into the chest of his foe. The effect was immediate; his helmet had been specially modified to prevent any slipping while headbutting, ensuring the force was completely transferred to his adversary. ¡°Hahahahaha! Try this on for size!¡± Bruto roared as he leaped out, knocking a skeleton holding up a sword to cleave him to the ground, and then, as if playfully, rolled around on the ground with his opponent, using his sharp-edged armor and his own weight to inflict damage. When he could no longer roll, he directly inserted his hand into the skeleton¡¯s body, forcibly broke off two ribs, and used his new weapon to repeatedly beat his foe, completely ignoring the skeleton¡¯s flailing arms. The young Dwarf had already entered a frenzied state, not stopping until all enemies in sight were eradicated. Barrend watched all this with his mouth agape, but the other companions had long been accustomed to Bruto¡¯s wild style of combat, and they made sure that such a state was not prematurely interrupted. Lancelot swung Frostslash like a metal storm in front of Bruto, two azure Sword Shadows dancing with his movements, exponentially magnifying the damage inflicted; the Elf Priest clad in plate armor guarded the other side, Alamir always fought with extra zeal against undead creatures, his attacks imbued with divine power, especially effective against such beings. At the same time, he also kept a close eye on Bruto and the other companions, ready to use the Healing Divine Art to reverse any unfavorable situation at any moment. Tanya played the role of a skirmisher, trailing behind the main battle group, ensuring that those that slipped through or did not die completely were made thoroughly dead¡ªconfirming this was sometimes not so simple, especially when your opponents were already deceased. Kalalin cast his self-developed Stone Fist Technique again (based on Mage Hand), controlling a magical fist wreaking havoc in every direction, effective albeit begrudgingly so. The last companion, a Vampire girl who was also a Wanderer, seemed to have vanished; even Lancelot would fail to notice the presence of his own sister if he didn¡¯t deliberately pay attention. However, every time she appeared, it was to deliver a lethal blow, softly whispering, ¡°Rest in peace, tormented ones.¡± All the undead slain by her sword let out oddly loud howls, and through a strange intuition, Lancelot believed those sounds contained a mix of ecstatic emotion. Moments later, there were no standing enemies left in the interrogation room, and from the ceiling hung a plethora of heads impaled by Lancelot on hooks. Some of the heads weren¡¯t quite dead yet, emitting terrifying screams, writhing in an attempt to bite, but all it took was a gentle tap on their foreheads with the back of Isa¡¯s sword for them to immediately quiet down, becoming like truly inanimate objects, while whispers of gratitude could faintly be heard by everyone. ¡°The dead should not suffer in such a way,¡± Isa explained softly, ¡°Even those burdened with astonishing sins deserve a just trial.¡± ¡°Then how would Cranvo judge those sinners despised by the gods?¡± Bruto asked with some curiosity, ¡°Would He also inflict torture?¡± ¡°No.¡± Isa shook her head firmly, ¡°The Lord of the Dead judges the sinners based on their actions and sends them to a specific plane, where souls similar to the sinners themselves reside. To different people, it can be heaven or hell, and definitely the place most fitting for them to stay.¡± Chapter 792: 803: How to Choose Chapter 792: Chapter 803: How to Choose After the battle had ended, the group conducted a quick search of the torture chamber, only finding some Gold Coins and a few low-value gemstones. Before leaving the room, Lancelot summoned a slender vine from the cracks between the bricks and strung together the dozens of heads they had seized, then stuffed it into his Dimensional Bag. The exit of the torture chamber was sealed by an iron gate, but the lock had already been destroyed by people who had been there before. With a bit of exertion, Lancelot lifted the heavy gate and held it until all his companions had passed through. Behind the door was a staircase leading downward into the unknown. The steps had concealed pressure traps, but fortunately, the bodies of the victims lying on top prevented the traps from resetting themselves, and Little Isha timely discovered the last untriggered trap. The exit of the staircase was another iron gate which seemed to be jammed by something, forcing Lancelot to take a rather violent approach to physically break through this barrier. After coming out of the staircase, the group entered a narrow corridor flanked by cell after cell, each with identical iron barred doors. Nearly every cell held a prisoner, from every race, whose reasons for incarceration had long been erased by the sands of time. Despite this, the torment of these prisoners had not ended, as they had been transformed into Undead, unable to find peace. Upon hearing the arrival of the group, they immediately lunged with howls, only to be firmly stopped by the cell doors. But not entirely stopped. The prisoners¡¯ palms, feet, and even heads fell off their bodies due to their violent motions and crawled along the floor towards the group. Though this was actually harmless, the companions still felt a shiver down their spines and quickly smashed these limbs into pieces. Hearing the howls of those who could not die, Lancelot knew that even if there were souls still trapped in those horrifying bodies, they had long gone completely mad from the endless torment in the dark dungeon. The Human Knight sighed, and although the cell doors meant that these prisoners were not actually a threat, he still drew his Longsword, planning to end their suffering. ¡°Brother, let me do it.¡± Little Isha noticed Lancelot¡¯s intent and gently grabbed his arm, to which he naturally had no objections. The girl blessed by Cranvo adopted a posture that could only be described as compassionate, and with her sword, she ended the existence of each Undead trapped in the cells, murmuring at the same time: ¡°Dead ones, listen to the gospel. The Lord of the Dead, Cranvo, has already established a covenant¡ªevery person shall receive a fair judgement after death, and those not judged should not suffer endless, cruel torture...¡± Before each execution, Little Isha would repeat that passage. While she did this, Lancelot silently observed the young girl¡¯s expression, making sure she truly meant those words. This stirred some complex emotions in the heart of the Human Knight; though the comparison might seem inappropriate, seeing a companion, akin to a younger sister, find spiritual solace felt like learning that a daughter was about to get married. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, brother?¡± Little Isha noticed Lancelot¡¯s expression, ¡°Did I do something wrong just now?¡± ¡°Ah, no, I was just thinking about a question...¡± Lancelot touched his nose, ¡°Suppose, just suppose, I found a way to escape the shadow of death, what would the Lord of the Dead think of it?¡± ¡°Escape the shadow of death?¡± the young girl blinked in confusion, ¡°Like me, become an Undead?¡± ¡°No, not like that, I know the Lord of the Dead¡¯s views on that, I mean, through some... more natural way.¡± ¡°Hmm... It seems the doctrine only states that one need not fear death, avoid death, or hastily seek death, nor embrace the path of the Undead. So, if you could achieve immortality naturally, Brother, then the Lord of the Dead would not view you with hostility...¡± Little Isha said, her face lighting up with anticipation, ¡°Can you really accomplish such a thing, Brother?¡± ¡°Eeh...¡± Bruto made a sound of disdain from the side. ¡°What if Cranvo doesn¡¯t like you and decides to deal with you? Whom would you choose then?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen!¡± the little girl puffed up, glaring at the young Dwarf. ¡°If... if the Lord of the Dead really makes that decision, then it means He is a bad god! I would definitely stand by Brother Lancelot¡¯s side!¡± ¡°Haha! I also believe that won¡¯t happen because I know what Cranvo... is like as a god.¡± Lancelot rubbed Isha¡¯s hair gently. ¡°But if He really makes that decision, it would mean that the divine office of the dead is about to completely suppress his remaining humanity. It means the mortal once known as Cranvo will vanish forever, and since I consider Him a friend, I would never allow that to happen.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the most ridiculous claim I¡¯ve ever heard,¡± Bruto chuckled and shook his head, ¡°but I like it, so remember to include me if that situation really arises.¡± ¡°You all...¡± the voice of the Elf Priest echoed faintly from the side, ¡°don¡¯t you think this topic is somewhat blasphemous?¡± ¡°What about it? Will you come when the time comes?¡± ¡°Are you joking? Of course, I¡¯ll come.¡± ¡°Kalalin?¡± ¡°I must go.¡± The Scholar laughed heartily. ¡°Besides, I might bring some powerful assistance, so don¡¯t forget about the Goddess of Magic and the Lord of the Dead... uh, Uncle Barrend, please do not make that face; we are just discussing some hypothetical situations... ¡± ¡°... I know quite a few Adventurers; many renowned ones even seek me out to custom-make their weapons.¡± The old Dwarf¡¯s shoulders sagged visibly, ¡°But there has never been anyone as crazy as you guys...¡± ¡°Oh Dad, if it weren¡¯t for this kind of madness, you¡¯d probably never see me again.¡± Bruto nudged his father with his shoulder, ¡°And, you¡¯re still not aware of Sir Lancelot¡¯s strength? Don¡¯t worry...¡± Amid their laughter, the group passed through several rooms that looked like Meditation rooms before finally entering a circular room. A quarter of the room was occupied by a small hill made of skulls, in front of which stood an altar crafted from black gemstones. Apart from that, there were no other exits in the room, and everyone was clear that they had arrived at the destination they were seeking. ¡°So, just place the skull on it, right?¡± Lancelot took out the string of skulls he had tied earlier from the Dimensional Bag, ¡°How many should I put?¡± ¡°Just put them one by one,¡± Bruto suggested. ¡°Keep putting them until the altar can¡¯t hold anymore, or until something special happens...¡± Chapter 793: 804: Mutation Chapter 793: Chapter 804: Mutation Apart from Bruto¡¯s suggestion, Lancelot couldn¡¯t think of any better solution. He untied the string of skulls he brought with him and one by one placed them on the black crystal altar. The top of the altar was large enough for him to pile up the skulls into a small heap. Lancelot placed nine, but when he was about to place the tenth, he suddenly stopped his motion, and he looked around uneasily, as if he suspected someone was secretly watching them. Everyone was confused by Lancelot¡¯s strange behavior. If there were enemies, he should have directly warned them, right? Perhaps it was something else that made the human knight feel threatened? ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruto immediately asked, ¡°Is anything amiss?¡± ¡°My intuition is telling me not to continue...¡± Lancelot said with an odd expression, looking down at the skull he was holding in his hand, ¡°You know, my intuition is always accurate.¡± ¡°Could it be because of this skull?¡± Bruto leaned in closer, ¡°You mean it¡¯s not entirely dead?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about the skull.¡± Lancelot took a deep breath, ¡°It¡¯s that something will happen once it¡¯s placed... Something very dangerous for us.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Bruto twisted his shoulders, rotated his neck, and lifted his shield and warhammer, ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°...¡± Lancelot¡¯s mouth fell open with surprise, and then he ended up with an expression of wry amusement. He patted Bruto hard on the shoulder, then turned to look at the others, ¡°We are likely in for a nasty fight, you all know what to do.¡± The companions exchanged glances, and each began to cast spells. The elf priest was the first to use Circle Upcasting, casting a Fourth Circle spell that could strengthen companions¡¯ life force. Then he summoned a glowing golden ghostly guard in the room, which would automatically attack approaching enemies, also a Fourth Circle Divine Art; to protect the more vulnerable Scholar, he also cast a Second Circle spell, Guarding Bond, which made the target easier to resist physical attacks and magical effects while close to the caster. The downside was that when the target took damage, the caster would suffer the same amount of harm. Finally, he focused his casting to perform the Blessing Art, a Divine Art that granted three targets a slight edge in all activities involving opposition. Alamir placed it on himself, Kalalin, and Barrend. As a Curse Swordmaster, Tanya also had spellcasting abilities. However, her spellcasting pattern was different from that of wizards and priests: the half-elf had pitifully few spell slots, only three in total, but all were Fifth Circle slots, which meant unless it was truly an emergency, she would never use her spellcasting ability lightly ¡ª but now it was time to use it. She cast a spell on herself called the Armor of Aegis, summoning a layer of armor that looked like frosted shadows over her body. Though originally a First Circle spell that could slightly enhance the caster¡¯s life force and deal minor frost damage to attackers, when cast with the power of the Fifth Circle, the effect became astonishingly potent. In Lancelot¡¯s perception, Tanya¡¯s life force had become as formidable as Bruto¡¯s. The Scholar first cast Mirror Image on himself, summoning three identical illusions around him¡ªthough perhaps it¡¯s inappropriate to say so since the one in the middle might not necessarily be his true form. He had many options for his next move: he could cast a Haste Spell on Lancelot to maximize the Human Knight¡¯s attack power, or he could cast an advanced invisibility spell on himself, which would greatly enhance his survival capabilities in the heat of battle. However, Kalalin¡¯s ultimate choice was to cast an advanced Invisibility Spell on himself, a Fourth Circle magic that, unlike its basic version, did not break the invisible state when attacking or casting spells. However, it only lasted for one minute. The Scholar did this, of course, as part of the strategy agreed upon with his companions beforehand. As soon as his figure vanished into thin air, Lancelot, who was already prepared, placed the last skull on the altar. After he let go, a certain red light lit up inside the black crystal altar. The light branched inside the altar, casting a web-like glow on the bottom of the skulls. In the next second, all the skulls were flung into the air as if someone had tipped over the altar. Everyone was startled, and Lancelot¡¯s first instinct was to draw his sword, but the skulls were not flying toward him¡ªthey were wobbling towards a pile of skulls at the other end of the room, quickly blending in and becoming indistinguishable. ¡°Huh... it seems like there¡¯s nothing to it...¡± No sooner had Bruto¡¯s words fallen than a low rumble suddenly filled everyone¡¯s ears. The tension on everyone¡¯s faces rose again, but with a bit of discernment, one could tell that the sound was coming from a great distance and only lasted for a few heartbeats before stopping. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s the sound of a mechanism operating,¡± Kalalin sighed with relief, ¡°If we go back to that hall we were in before, we might find that the stone gate is already halfway open...¡± ¡°Lancelot, it seems your intuition has failed... or perhaps it hasn¡¯t. The real danger might actually be beyond that stone gate...¡± The Dwarf wanted to say something more, but a strange pressure suddenly prevented him from speaking further. More abnormalities began to manifest in the room: Alamir¡¯s Hardhead Hammer, which had previously shone like a torch, dimmed in an instant as if it were a dying bonfire; in the dark air, numerous peach-colored light spots appeared, resembling jellyfish swimming in water, floating slowly and erratically through mid-air. In the eerie and tense atmosphere, the enormous pile of skulls in the corner of the room began to stir. Skulls, irregularly shaped like rocks tumbling down a hillside, bounced and rolled from higher ground, and a vast shadow gradually rose into the air, filling everyone with a sense of impending doom. In the next instant, those light spots suddenly flared up, as if someone sleeping had abruptly opened their eyes. In the center of the light points, a giant skull, over five feet in radius, materialized. Where the nose bridge should have been was an eye socket-like hollow, flickering with strange, malicious peach-colored flames; and below that lone socket was a large mouth brimming with sharp fangs and teeth, looking even more terrifying without flesh to cover it. ¡°Oh, damn,¡± the typically graceful and composed Elf Priest Shuni sounded as if she were being choked, ¡°That¡¯s a Dead-Eye Tyrant... we¡¯re done for...¡± Chapter 794: 805 Dead-Eye Tyrant Chapter 794: Chapter 805 Dead-Eye Tyrant Their companions had seen from afar an eye demon battling with demons in the Great Abyss during a previous adventure. The monster appeared as a massive floating meatball in the air, with its frontal part dominated by an eyeball that occupied a third of its face, and several octopus-like tentacles protruding from its body, each ending in a smaller eyeball. Lancelot did not recognize the monster before him, but his intuition told him it must have some connection with the eye demon. Indeed, this was the case: in some very rare instances, an eye demon, while sleeping, would send its consciousness to a corner far madder than its waking state, fantasizing about how it could continue to exist after death. Due to its powerful magic, once the eye demon reached a conclusion in this dream, its body would begin to transform¡ªits flesh would wither and peel away, leaving only a skeletal body with a large eye socket, and its energy-filled eyeballs would turn into flickering ghostly flames. Thus, a Dead-Eye Tyrant was born. Unlike the ¡®summoned¡¯ undead, the transformation of an eye demon into a Dead-Eye Tyrant was an active choice, similar to an Archmage opting to transform into a Lich to escape the shadow of death. This meant that they did not lose their pre-death consciousness or their magic abilities upon becoming undead creatures. If there were any differences, it was that having mastered the power of the undead made them far more dangerous and much harder to kill than before, for bones are much harder than flesh. The only question was, why would such a powerful monster appear in this place? Lancelot was curious about this, but the situation did not allow him further thought. The room¡¯s exit was very narrow, and it was already too late to run away. The only option available was to fight. Before the others had recovered from their shock, the human knight had already charged forward, swinging his longsword. The blade lit up with a dazzling Sword Aura, casting the whole room in a bluish-green light, and in the next instant, Frostslash heavily cleaved onto the massive skeletal monster, eliciting a shower of harsh sparks. This was not a good sign. Sparks do not fly when a scythe cuts through wheat; they only appear when objects of similar hardness collide violently. For most creatures, the skull is the hardest bone in the body, and for eye demons, even more so because it is the only bone they had. After transforming into a Dead-Eye Tyrant, their skulls became thicker and even harder. Lancelot felt as though he was chopping onto an iron anvil, and after the battle, he would definitely need to thank Barrend. If it had been an ordinary weapon, that hit might have broken the longsword completely, but Frostslash had only slightly deformed, a testament to the old dwarf¡¯s exceptional craftsmanship. However, although the strike only left a one-foot-long, half-inch-deep sword mark on the Dead-Eye Tyrant and fell far short of Lancelot¡¯s expectations, it was still very painful for the monster. It let out a miserable scream, its entire body shaking violently like a bell struck by a hammer, while Lancelot, without a moment¡¯s pause, swung his sword faster and faster, attacking with a frequency that surpassed human limits, not giving the creature any chance to counterattack. It wasn¡¯t just him, the rest of his companions all gathered around. The size of the monster meant everyone could attack from all angles at the same time, each person swinging their weapon, doing their best to inflict damage. However, if someone had been watching the fight, they would have noticed that apart from Bruto¡¯s warhammer, most of the attacks from the others hardly caused any damage since the monster¡¯s bones were extremely hard. However, as a legendary creature, the Dead-Eye Tyrant would not be defeated so easily. Lancelot had slashed his sword more than a dozen times when, in the moment he slowed his swordplay to catch his breath, the enemy¡¯s counterattack arrived. About fifteen feet behind him, a ghostly eyeball silently appeared and opened, emitting a deep blue beam. The speed of the beam was too fast. By the time Lancelot¡¯s Spirit Perception sensed the danger, the beam had already struck his back. Struck as if by lightning, a terrible paralysis spread through his muscles, instantaneously robbing him of control over his body. Simultaneously, the Dead-Eye Tyrant violently turned its body to face Lancelot, shooting another thick red beam from its huge eye socket burning with peach-colored flames. The beam, solid-like, struck Lancelot and fiercely pushed the unresponsive Human Knight backwards, slamming him into the opposite wall of the room. The material of the wall suddenly became eerie, as if a viscous shadow had covered it, from which many greasy limbs grew, tightly binding Lancelot¡¯s body. ¡°Big brother!¡± Bruto cried out, ¡°Elves! Go help him!¡± The Dead-Eye Tyrant clearly knew who posed the biggest threat to it. Ignoring the more fierce attacks of others, it continued to assault the Human Knight. The light spots floating around it lit up one after another, shooting multicolored rays at the tentacle-entwined Lancelot; some rays slowed him down, some made him fall asleep, and others even tried to turn him directly into a pile of dust¡ªthank heavens that one beam didn¡¯t work. After confirming that it had temporarily neutralized the Human Knight¡¯s threat, the monster then began to deal with the others. Bruto was about to swing his hammer again when his foot gave way, almost causing him to fall to the ground. The Dwarf instinctively looked down and discovered that his right foot was stepping on a large eyeball, slightly bigger than his foot. It wasn¡¯t just under his foot; the entire floor of the room was covered with eyeballs, and ghostly tentacles stretched out from them like imaginary reeds. Although they had no substance, their touch could cause a chill that seemed to emanate from the depths of the soul. Before his brain could process what he saw, a green beam hit Bruto, making the Dwarf feel as if his strength was suddenly draining away. The warhammer in his hand became extremely heavy, and he was no longer able to swing it as before. The Dead-Eye Tyrant seemed to have lost the subsidiary eyes at the end of its tentacles, but in reality, the floating light spots around it were those very eyes, now even more elusive, bizarre, and unpredictable. One by one, his companions were hit by different eye beams¡ªsome were thrown into fear, some had their life drained, and others¡¯ bodies began to slowly petrify. In front of the Dead-Eye Tyrant¡¯s storm-like magical outburst, it seemed like everything was about to end. However, there was still one among the companions who had been in the room since the battle began, yet the Dead-Eye Tyrant hadn¡¯t realized his presence even now. Chapter 795: 806 Kalalins Decision Chapter 795: Chapter 806 Kalalin¡¯s Decision Scholars are individuals with a certain level of learning who engage in specialized academic research. To some extent, the term is almost the antonym of warrior, as they mostly lead relatively peaceful lives, and their most intense conflicts are usually just verbal, occasionally involving poison, but rarely ever armor and swords. But for Kalalin, he had long passed too much time leading an adventurous life. Although everyone still called him a scholar out of habit, that title no longer accurately described Kalalin¡¯s abilities, just as Lancelot was no longer merely a human knight. This spellcaster, who had once been engrossed in knowledge related to the Abyss and demons and was still under an invisibility spell, silently approached his companion trapped against the wall and whispered in a volume only the two of them could hear: ¡°Lancelot, Lancelot! Can you hear me?¡± The human knight¡¯s head hung low, seemingly sunk into slumber, yet his lips moved imperceptibly, and the next second, Kalalin heard the other¡¯s somewhat weary voice in his ears. ¡°I can, go ahead.¡± ¡°The Dead-Eye Tyrant¡¯s weakness is its agility. Remember the fight we had with the Giant Skull Demon?¡± ¡°Using the vines to catch it?¡± ¡°Catch it, then shake it as violently as possible. Can you do that?¡± ¡°I can.¡± ¡°Good, get ready.¡± Dispel Magic is a Third Circle spell that can instantly terminate all magical effects on the target that are of the Third Circle or lower, but higher-level effects might not be terminated unless the spell is cast at a higher circle. As a scholar who had long relied on scrolls for casting spells, magic was not just an art of gestures, spells, rituals, and arcane knowledge for Kalalin, but also a rigorous discipline composed of symbols, formulas, and models. Thus, he had a deeper understanding of how to construct the high-circle version of a spell than an average wizard did. The scholar pulled a special scroll from his backpack. Even though he was adept at cost-saving techniques in scroll-making, this scroll had still cost Kalalin over ten thousand gold coins, merely because it contained a Seventh Circle version of Dispel Magic. Despite only being able to cast Fifth Circle spells himself, Kalalin, through his profound knowledge, had forcefully deduced this Seventh Circle version and had absolute confidence in its correctness after repeated checks. However, even though Kalalin had produced this scroll, he was incapable of casting it¡ªthe task far exceeded his casting abilities under normal circumstances, but the situation was not normal now. As soon as the Dead-Eye Tyrant appeared, Kalalin knew exactly what he should do with the spellcasting focus he had kept unused: he cast Cunning of the Fox on himself, granting him an advantage in all intelligence-based mental activities. Coupled with the blessing art bestowed by the elf priest before the battle began, Kalalin indeed briefly possessed the ability to cast Seventh Circle magic, but only with the spell scroll he had created himself. Since he was under the influence of a high-level Invisibility Spell, the Scroll Kalalin held in his hand was also invisible; even Lancelot could only sense his presence, completely unaware that the Scholar was reading the script on the scroll in preparation for casting. Once the reading was completed, the casting process was so swift that it took less than the time for two breaths. Suddenly, a dark red Magic Aura of the Protection System enveloped Lancelot. In the next second, all the magical effects that had incapacitated the Human Knight dissipated as if they were leaves blown away by a fierce wind, as though they had never existed on the treetops. The Dead-Eye Tyrant, reveling in its killings, grabbed Bruto with the deep red beam that had pushed Lancelot away, swinging the Dwarf back and forth like the head of a Meteor Hammer, wildly venting its destructive desires. The others were either barely alive, unconscious, or so weakened they couldn¡¯t stand up under the weight of their armor. The only one still struggling was little Isha, but her elusive movement technique was utterly useless in front of the Dead-Eye Tyrant ¡ª each floating point of light around its body had once been an eye of the Dead-Eye Tyrant, giving it a 360-degree field of vision, impervious to her stealth attacks. Despite this, the monster¡¯s field of vision still had one small blind spot, which was right beneath its body. The moment Lancelot was freed from the magical effects, the monster noticed the anomaly here. The Dead-Eye Tyrant violently turned around, firing three consecutive ocular beams towards the position of the Human Knight, who had already dashed forward, moving as fast as a phantom, leaving all three beams trailing behind him. While running, Lancelot formed a Seal Gesture. The stone tiles on the floor of this room were rather thick, causing a slight delay. Normally, had there been an eye of the Dead-Eye Tyrant focusing on the ground beneath itself, it might have noticed something unusual. Under normal circumstances, it indeed would do so, but in the midst of being attacked by so many, it had all its auxiliary eyes launch attacks, thus neglecting to watch its own position. The heavy marble floor tiles were violently lifted, and a massive vine as thick and branched as an oak tree burst from the ground, fiercely clawing upwards. The bulky Giant Floating One-Eyed Skull couldn¡¯t dodge at all and was ¡®caught¡¯ by the vine. Maintaining his high speed, the True Yuan in Lancelot¡¯s Dantian burst forth again, instantly causing the vines to extend and inflate like inflated balloons, tightly entangling the Dead-Eye Tyrant. Meanwhile, Bruto, freed from the control of the beams, crashed heavily onto the ground but the resilient Dwarf quickly jumped up. The next second, he saw a shadow on the ground ¨C it was his father, Barrend, who had been hit by several beams while trying to rescue Bruto and was now lying there, life hanging in the balance. ¡°Aaaaaah!!!!!¡± The Dwarf let out a furious roar, the power of the Titan¡¯s Blood inside him activated instantly, causing his body to swell dramatically. He took two steps in three, rushed to the base of the vine, and hugged it, then began shaking it with all his might, looking like a bear trying to shake a beehive off a tree branch. The Dead-Eye Tyrant randomly fired beams around, looking quite dangerous, but they all hit the ceiling and the walls. However, in a little while, it might come up with some other emergency countermeasure, so Lancelot pulled out his two most powerful weapons, ready to completely finish off this monster. ¡°Hey, is it finally our turn to enter the fray?¡± a refined male voice resonated in the room, ¡°But why did you switch me to the left hand? I came first...¡± ¡°Shut up. Because she is longer than you.¡± Chapter 796: 807: The Two Swords are Drawn Chapter 796: Chapter 807: The Two Swords are Drawn Two Divine Artifact Level weapons appeared at the same time, and the room instantaneously filled with an oppressive sharpness, as if even blinking might cut one¡¯s eyelashes. The Dead-Eye Tyrant, who was being flung around, sensed this as well and struggled desperately in the air, but Bruto, who had already entered a mindless Berserk State and had also activated Titan¡¯s Blood, erupted with astonishing power. Not even a Frost Giant at this moment would have hoped for any advantage against him, and the Dead-Eye Tyrant, who could only float by use of magic, had no way to break free from the Dwarf¡¯s rage. Lancelot exhaled a foul breath tainted with the metallic taste of blood, and the next second he vanished from his spot. One could see him racing along the walls of the room, his feet moving as if on flat ground. After predicting the trajectory of the flinging, he leaped outward forcefully, gliding through the air as if he had grown wings, and the swords he held inversely plunged into the vine-wrapped colossal skull of the Dead-Eye Tyrant like mountaineering picks. This powerful Undead creature released a heart-rending, unbecoming scream of misery, as if accusing reality of some mistake, while Lancelot¡¯s swords slid down as if piercing through soft snow, creating two terrifying gashes on the enemy¡¯s body. While falling, Lancelot¡¯s figure drifted back and forth like a falling leaf, narrowly avoiding the Dead-Eye Tyrant¡¯s dying counterattack. The moment he landed, his feet sprung up as if on springs, leaping up from the ground again, his mismatched pair of swords aiming straight for the occipital region of the giant skeleton. Once again, the sword blades breached the enemy¡¯s defenses, but this time Lancelot had prepared something else. From the tips of the two Divine Artifacts, dense Sword Qi erupted like a volcanic explosion, swirling back and forth inside the Dead-Eye Tyrant¡¯s skull, pulverizing its intricately crafted inner structure that no one had ever seen. The flame in the Dead-Eye Tyrant¡¯s solitary eye extinguished, and the magic power that kept its body floating in mid-air dissipated as well. Bruto, as if sensing the death of his foe, smashed the enemy for the last time onto an uninhabited expanse of land, and then stopped in his tracks. Lancelot performed a hand seal to release the vine tendrils that gripped like eagle claws, exposing the bizarre corpse of the Dead-Eye Tyrant. After confirming that the enemy could no longer harm them, Lancelot hurried to check on his injured companions. Thanks to the Elf Priest¡¯s Blessing Art and Aid Technique that strengthened life, not a single one among the companions had died, but they were all afflicted by several types of eye-beam rays, and their conditions were grim. The most seriously injured was the old Dwarf Baron, who had been hit by a Dissociation Ray and a Lethal Ray one after the other, and still breathing could only be explained as a miracle; the young Dwarf had ended his Berserk State and finally succumbed to exhaustion and pain, whimpering as he sat beside his father, loudly calling for Alamir to come and help. The Elf Priest himself wasn¡¯t in a much better condition, having been struck by Hypnosis and Petrification Rays in succession; had it not been for little Isha pushing him at the crucial moment, everyone would be moving a statue of an Elf into their Dimensional Bag by now. Nevertheless, he cast a simple Healing Spell quickly, stabilizing the old Dwarf¡¯s condition and at least getting him out of immediate life danger. The situations of Tanya and little Isha were somewhat better. The Half-elf¡¯s Magic Armor miraculously absorbed most of the negative effects, while little Isha relied on her exceptional agility to dodge the eye-beam rays, except for a pale blue Slowing Ray, which she quickly shrugged off. ¡°Truly, it has been a most pleasurable battle,¡± the elegant middle-aged male voice rang out again, ¡°How was the experience? Have you considered letting us ¡®breathe¡¯ more frequently in the future?¡± ¡°You certainly live up to your status as Divine Artifact weapons, truly unmatched in sharpness,¡± Lancelot said with a smile, ¡°However, it¡¯s regrettable that unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary, I would rather not trouble the two of you ¨C what if we attract the attention of some formidable entity that we cannot afford to provoke? I am sure you wouldn¡¯t want to fall into the hands of someone who intends to use you for evil schemes, right?¡± ¡°You need not worry about that, Sir Lancelot,¡± responded a somewhat frosty female voice from the other weapon forged of Heavenly Steel, ¡°No matter how powerful the evil, as long as one harbors the conviction of certain victory...¡± ¡°Having conviction in victory isn¡¯t enough, Sword of Zariel, you should be well aware of that,¡± Starlight Strike quipped, ¡°I know what you¡¯re longing for, but there¡¯s nothing wrong with staying hidden. We are weapons, the strongest kind at that, and if we constantly show ourselves, the truly valuable targets will either hide far away, requiring us to expend a lot of extra effort to find them; or they¡¯ll come fully prepared to deal with you, bringing misfortune upon your bearer...¡± ¡°But Zariel just...¡± ¡°Zariel herself poses a greater threat than you, so it¡¯s her that Asmodeus has his eyes on, not you. Besides, haven¡¯t I told you before not to mention the name of an ex around your current one...¡± ¡°Stop, stop!¡± Lancelot said, unable to hold back a smile and a sigh, ¡°What exactly do you talk to her about usually...¡± ¡°Life experiences.¡± ¡°The life experiences of the Aira clan? I think those might not be so suitable for others,¡± Lancelot shook his head helplessly, ¡°By the way, there wasn¡¯t a spatial rift just now, was there?¡± ¡°How should I explain this to you... You¡¯ve seen fishing, right? My special effect is basically hooking the fishhook onto the target, and the action of reeling in is actually completed by the Multiverse itself. In a closed semi-plane like the Demon¡¯s Domain, I still have the hook, but no line... does that make sense to you?¡± ¡°I understand. It seems that even you can¡¯t break the magical barrier of this Demon¡¯s Domain.¡± ¡°Who said that? Of course, I can... It would just open a portal to the Stellar Realm, but from what I¡¯ve observed, your group¡¯s mastery of magic isn¡¯t at the level required to travel in the Stellar Realm. So breaking through wouldn¡¯t make sense anyway...¡± Just then, Lancelot¡¯s expression suddenly changed, as his Spirit Perception sensed some kind of power re-emerging from the body of the Dead-Eye Tyrant. He turned his head, only to see the little Vampire already pouncing on it, plunging a cold iron dagger into the monster¡¯s gigantic eye socket. At that moment, the emerging power dissipated as quickly as air from a burst balloon. ¡°All¡¯s well now.¡± Noticing Lancelot¡¯s look, little Isha smiled at him, ¡°This guy¡¯s truly dead now.¡± ¡°What just happened?¡± Bruto asked, panting, ¡°Wasn¡¯t that thing already dead?¡± ¡°Undead creatures are already dead, you know,¡± the little Vampire replied matter-of-factly, ¡°But under normal circumstances, as long as their bodies haven¡¯t suffered severe damage, the Undying Energy controlling them can return at any time...¡±