The Paladin in the Abyss

Lancelot's hearing clearly captured these dialogues, but the distinct aura of the creature, so different from that of an ordinary fiend, intrigued him even more. He nodded at the green demon named Sagla and opened his mouth to ask,

"Was your previous employer the former Lord of Withering, Satugura?"

"Yes," the tall demon admitted gruffly. "I took his gold, a lot of it."

"So are you seeking revenge on his behalf?" Lancelot grew even more curious. Although the nature of the Yugoroth Demon Tribe was not as chaotic as that of demons, they were still a type of fiends from the lower planes. While they had always been known to sell their loyalty for a high price, avenging a dead employer was still too bizarre for them.

"But he's already dead," Lancelot pointed out the obvious fact. "I believe your employment relationship with him has ended."

"But I feel like it's my responsibility to do something for him," the Necaross demon named Sagla shook his head. "If you kill me, my essence will return to Scorched Flame Hell and be reborn there immediately. Although it would cost me some strength, at least I would have done what I could."

"Very well." Lancelot nodded, his hands clenching Glacier as he slightly crouched down, readying himself for the battle. "Then come, let's see what you've got."

"Hmm!"

With a grunt, the massive fiend made its move. But unlike the previous challenger, it did not charge forward; instead, it took a powerful flap of its wings, retreating swiftly and creating distance from Lancelot. Meanwhile, it recited a mysterious spell and the light of magic brightened in its hands.

Lancelot was about to take action, but he recognized the fluctuation of that magic and halted his motion, standing still to let the opponent complete the spell.

In just a few breaths' time, a pillar of earthy yellow light shot out from its hands, striking Lancelot with the speed of lightning. The spell was none other than 'Dispel Magic,' the same one Elothysia had used against Bruto. Looking at its thickness and power, it was evidently much stronger. If Lancelot indeed had any magical enhancements, this spell was bound to strip them away completely.

"It's Dispel Magic! There is no immunity effect, it's fully effective!"

"It's over, Lord Lancelot was too careless!"

"Could it be that he didn't actually know about this spell?"

"Damn, that green-skinned got lucky. I should have gone myself!"

...

Unlike the reactions of other spectators, Lancelot's companions were very calm about it because they were well aware that the Human Knight's strange "Bloodline Power" had nothing to do with magic. He had once discussed the nature of his power with Scholar Kalalin, who explained to him the core of how magic works—the Magic Net.

In simple terms, the spells cast by Spellcasters don't directly affect the real world; instead, they first affect the Magic Net, which then alters reality. All effects that dispel magic or prohibit magic in an area work by severing the connection between the target and the Magic Net. But Lancelot's myriad of miraculous abilities, whatever their principles might be, are certainly not implemented through the Magic Net, so dispelling magic on him would be completely ineffective.

One of the main reasons Lancelot deliberately took the Dispel Magic was to make everyone understand that his strength had nothing to do with magic. As the saying goes, "There are only thieves who steal for a thousand days, not ones who guard against theft for a thousand days"; he definitely didn't want to be constantly on the minds of fools wishing to make a name for themselves.

The Yugros Demon Sagla was much more cautious than his predecessor. Even though his Dispel Magic had clearly taken effect, he did not rush to attack, but immediately started preparing another spell. Enjoy exclusive chapters from My Virtual Library Empire

He might not have been in a hurry, but Lancelot had no interest in dragging this out any longer. The Human Knight charged toward the enemy at such a blistering speed that he even left afterimages behind, and in just a few strides, he was right beneath his opponent.

In the absence of magic, his speed made the jaws of all the spectators drop to the ground. However shocked the audience might feel, they couldn't understand the pressure Sagla was facing. Although the Human Knight was two heads shorter, his entire body was ensconsed in Mithril Heavy Armor, and hurtling towards the Yugros Demon at bullet speed gave him the eerie sensation he would be crushed into a pulp the next second.

Lucky for him, he was already flying in midair, so he wouldn't be hit directly. Sagla steadied his mind and completed the spell in his hands as swiftly as possible. A blue light enveloped his airborne body and created three identical illusions by his side, making it impossible to tell which one was his real self.

This was the very Mirror Image that Kalalin had once used, originally intended as an emergency measure for mages not skilled in close combat. However, when a demon with three hundred pounds of muscle used it, the effect was, naturally, extraordinarily effective.

The moment the spell was successfully cast, Sagla felt a surge of relief. In his mind, when facing a non-spellcasting enemy, as long as he dispelled their magic first, then successfully cast Mirror Image, he was at an absolute advantage. The enemy would be defeated long before figuring out which one was the real body.

Unless facing enemies like the Serpent Demon with more than four arms, he basically couldn't lose.

These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. The flying Yugros Demon looked down just in time to see Lancelot crouching, preparing to leap towards him.

"What is he trying to do?"

This was not only the question in Sagla's mind but also the doubt of all the spectators. They found out the answer in the next second. The Human Knight stomped down, and the ground sank like the surface of a giant drum before immediately springing back, propelling Lancelot like an angry frog to the same height as his opponent in an instant.

This was an original Cultivation Technique based on the Earthquake Technique. Having battled flying demons in the Great Abyss, he needed to jump time and again, and naturally began to use his True Qi instead of relying solely on physical strength.

He had tried many methods, and though none were ideal at first, after achieving Foundation Establishment, his sensitivity to nature's spiritual energy increased greatly. It didn't take long before he mastered the art of casting the Earthquake Technique in a clever way that used the force of the earth itself to "launch" him into the air.

Seeing the Human Knight suddenly right before him, Sagla's confidence vanished. Nonetheless, he was a battle-hardened veteran who had "died" many times over. His Battle Axe moved first, cutting ahead, and instantly his true body plus the three illusions each brought down an axe on the rapidly approaching Human Knight.