The Paladin in the Abyss-Chapter 492 - 516 Entering the Tower
Chapter 492: Chapter 516: Entering the Tower Chapter 492: Chapter 516: Entering the Tower After bidding farewell to the Ferryman Demon and its new battleship, Lancelot led everyone towards Kai-Oine. Despite having seen it before, standing on the edge of that colossal fissure and looking down, everyone was still deeply shocked by the supernatural and malicious sight before them. The tower, shaped like a vertebral column, rose from the seemingly bottomless fissure on the ground, as if the earth was giving the sky an obscene gesture.
With the black spot left on his wrist by the Eye of Sarizdon, Lancelot could check the distribution of portals in the Great Abyss at any time, and since the Iron Ice Plains were relatively shallow layers, he decided not to go to Mogrondale but to take the route through Skeleton Tower into the Great Abyss and then directly to the portal leading to the Iron Ice Plains.
But at the entrance to Kai-Oine, they were stopped.
“Turn back immediately,” the guard at the entrance, two bulky Demon Gods with unfriendly eyes, said to the group of adventurers, “or don’t—with you looking quite delicious, hehehehe.”
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“I am Lancelot, former Governor of Mistfield,”, Lancelot stared fearlessly at the demon two heads taller than him, “Can’t even a former Lord of Withering enter Kai-Oine?”
“You are that Human Knight?” the bulky demon looked skeptical, “Do you have any proof?”
“Of course I do…”
...
Lancelot reached behind his back, the bulky demon curiously brought its bald head closer, but what met it was a punch so powerful it could split gold and crack stones. The bulky demon didn’t even see Lancelot’s punching movement, and its huge body was blown away, legs and arms twitching strangely as it stretched out, knocked unconscious by the punch.
“There’s my proof,” Lancelot turned to look at the other bulky demon, “Do you think it’s sufficient?”
Not far from them, a large number of Marg demons heard the commotion and ran out from the barracks. Their eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty light, eager to join in what seemed like a lopsided slaughter. However, the scene before them made them hesitate to attack immediately, because the bulky demon facing off with the Human Knight hadn’t made a move yet.
“A very convincing proof.” The other bulky demon looked at its unconscious companion with a schadenfreude gaze and respectfully stepped aside, “You may of course enter the tower, great Lord of Withering. Do you want me to tell those idiots behind me, or do you want some fun?”
“Thanks, but there’s no need, my time is precious.”
Lancelot nodded and strode towards the interior of the tower, with his companions following behind, leaving all those dumbfounded Marg demons behind them.
“Hey, big guy, that punch was truly satisfying.” Bruto was the first to speak up, “I thought you were going to bribe that guard…”
“Bribery is also a viable option, after all, we are not short of money,” Lancelot shrugged, “but seeing that tower put me in a bad mood… punching that guy felt much better afterward.”
“I used to just go by ship the few times I came here, this is my first time entering Skeleton Tower,” Old Reap was quite interested in the scene that had just unfolded, “Looks like the rumors about you in Mogrondale aren’t all boastful after all.”
“Rumors and reality are always far apart,” Lancelot shrugged and walked down the stairs towards the center of the hall, “but here in the Abyss, maybe reality is the even crazier version.”
“Agreed,” the Werewolf nodded, following everyone down to another grand hall, “Is every floor of the tower like this? How far do we have to go?”
“The structures are quite similar, but their uses are vastly different. There are cells, torture chambers, meditation rooms, and magic laboratories. We need to go down about three hundred floors, and you’ll see,” Lancelot continued to descend the stairs and answered, “But don’t let your curiosity lead you away from the stairway. Those blades that suddenly shoot out from the floor gaps are quite tricky to dodge.”
“Three hundred floors!” the Dwarf let out a wail, “Kalalin, have pity on my short little legs. Isn’t there some magic that can make this easier for me?”
“Actually, there is. I can cast a Jump Spell on you,” the Scholar said with a sinister grin, “It’s just a 1st-tier minor spell that can triple your jumping ability for an hour.”
“That sounds great,” the Dwarf showed keen interest, “Are there any… side effects?”
“None, besides looking a bit silly when you jump,” Kalalin shrugged, “So, want to give it a try?”
“Hurry up!”
At this, the Scholar chuckled, took out a dried grasshopper leg from his pouch at his waist, chanted a spell quietly, and the grasshopper leg transformed into a ball of light in his hand before merging into the Dwarf’s body.
“Done,” the Scholar clapped his hands, “Give it a try now.”
Hearing this, the Dwarf tried a tentative jump, and sprang out like a coil, flying far away, and with another jump, he directly hopped onto the platform of the next floor.
“Haha! This is too much fun!” Bruto’s face, full with beard, was crammed with smiles, “I’ll go down a hundred floors first and wait for you guys there!”
“It’s exactly as I thought; with the enhanced jumping power, the Dwarf looks like a minimized Berserk Demon,” Kalalin spread his hands towards the others, “And with that helmet of his, he looks just the same.”
“Did you just cast that directly?” Lancelot noticed another detail, “Usually, you need a scroll, don’t you?”
“Yes, I just discovered a few days ago that I can now perform tricks and cast 1st-tier spells like a Mage,” the Scholar said with a shy yet proud smile, “The Abyss is indeed a very dangerous place, but it’s also a place where one can quickly grow stronger…”
“Indeed,” Lancelot strongly agreed, “provided that one can survive.”
After roughly half an hour of continuous traversal of the stairwell, before everyone’s knees started protesting, they finally reached their destination. The exit would lead them to a path flanked by cliffs and precipices, involving half a day’s walk and likely several fights with wild Demons. Since everyone was already tired, they decided to rest for the night before heading out.
They found an empty large hall, and Lancelot took out a special handkerchief, spread it on the floor. Everyone entered Tijana’s created demi-plane through the Portal on the handkerchief, including a certain young girl who had slept through the day. They had prepared comfortable bedding, ample food supplies, and a fully-equipped bathroom in advance inside, where everyone could get ample rest and relaxation, everyone except Lancelot himself.
For the Human Knight, the demi-plane was nice, but it hardly contained any nature’s spiritual energy, which was unacceptable for him as resting was equivalent to cultivation. Moreover, Tijana had repeatedly emphasized how expensive creating such an ‘entrance’ was and how severe the consequences would be if it were lost. Therefore, someone had to stay outside to guard it, a responsibility that naturally fell to Lancelot himself.
