The Paladin in the Abyss

"Why does it sound not like a compliment to me?" Lancelot said through gritted teeth, but then he laughed too, "I'm human too... just a more experienced one."

"Did you come from another world?" Dong Quan curiously looked at these unfamiliar faces, "Are you here to protect us kids who never grow up? Thank you so much, it's such a trouble to have you help us upon our first meeting..."

"Well, to be precise, she came to join the Protector team, and we are the mercenaries escorting her here," Lancelot said, pointing at Elothysia, "As you can imagine, most places in this plane are hostile towards a kind-hearted succubus like her."

"Ah... Can't you all stay?" The young Aira showed a regretful expression, and even the wings on his back drooped down dejectedly.

"He has someone else he needs to protect," Elothysia gave him a faint smile, "But for now, we will protect you. I heard you live in a place called Melanthan; how far is it from here? How can we take you back?"

"Lilu and I live in Clone Well's Gift, on the eastern side of Melanthan. It takes me half a day to fly from here to Clone Well's Gift, and another half a day from there to Melanthan..." Dong Quan's voice got softer and softer as he spoke, eventually becoming as light as the chirping of insects, "We actually ran so far away, we were really careless..."

"This distance is too great, we can't let him return alone, he might encounter other dangers on the way," Kalalin shook his head and said to Lancelot, "I'm afraid we must take this child with us into battle."

"It seems we have no choice," Lancelot nodded in agreement, "Elothysia, the child is in your care then, no problem, right?"

But the succubus paladin did not immediately answer; instead, she looked straight into the eyes of the young Aira, her voice trembling slightly as she asked:

"Will you trust me?"

"Yes! Of course!" Dong Quan nodded without hesitation, "Is there anything I need to do? I will cooperate well..."

"Thank you..." The child's trust seemed to move Elothysia deeply. She fumbled in a pouch at her waist for a while, finally pulling out a long rope, and said to Dong Quan, "Why don't I carry you on my back?"

"But, but I might be a bit heavy..." Dong Quan's face turned red, showing an embarrassed look.

"No problem, sister is very strong!" Elothysia turned around, "Climb on, be careful not to press on my 'winged magic'."

"Okay!" Although a little embarrassed, Dong Quan obediently climbed onto the succubus's back. The four-foot-tall child weighed less than fifty pounds, and the succubus, who had undergone warrior training, had no trouble carrying him. With the long rope, she securely tied Dong Quan's body to her own, ensuring he wouldn't fall off during battle.

Her technique was very skilled, as if she had done similar things in the past, and it wasn't hard for Lancelot to see that the 'long rope' was actually the whip, a weapon favored by typical succubi, just with the handle removed. In a previous conversation, Elothysia had mentioned that as a symbol of breaking with her past life, she decided not to use the charming powers of succubi anymore, and also put away the whip, opting instead for the longsword, the symbolic weapon of paladins.

What was once a symbol of punishment and enslavement became a means of protecting an innocent child; it was undeniably symbolic.

"What's the matter? Remember something?" Lancelot asked Clone Well, who had been looking somewhat troubled since they met the young Aira, appearing deeply preoccupied.

"No, no new memories have emerged for now, but I feel like I'm very familiar with this kind of creature," the skull said, filled with self-doubt.

"You weren't an Aira in a previous life, were you?"

"How could that be? Look at me, this is clearly a human's skull."

"There's only one Aira child here, maybe the stimulus just isn't enough," Bruto interjected from the side. "When we get to Melanthan, with a few hundred Aira people moving around you, maybe you'll remember something." Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire

"All right, let's set off too. The sooner we find the enemy, the more hope there is for that captured child's survival."

"I hope it's a monster with standards," Bruto shrugged. "I mean, before it officially devours that child, it would heat a pot of water and prepare all sorts of spices and ingredients..."

"Trust me, monsters don't care about that stuff," Kalalin said with a grim face. "And a creature from the Shadow Realm definitely wouldn't make fire."

"If that child has truly been harmed, we'll make sure her killer pays the price," Lancelot waved his hand. "Let's go, everyone stay alert and watch for my warning gestures."

Everyone nodded in agreement and then set off again in battle formation. Taking the lead was Lancelot, his Divine Sense fully extended, attentive to the breath of any enemy nearby; because they were protecting Dong Quan, the Succubus and Scholar walked side by side in the middle of the team, ready to provide support for their companions at any moment; securing the rear were Shuni, the Priest in Heavy Armor, and the floating skull.

Bruto took position on the left flank. A charge from this side would avoid the enemy's shielded left hand, inflicting maximum damage; Koula stood on the right wing of the team, the petite Halfling would quickly sneak into the blind spots of the enemy's field of vision in the shadows either before or after the battle started, delivering a lethal blow to any unsuspecting enemy when necessary.

The soft and wet terrain slowed down their pace. Lancelot, struck by inspiration, performed a spell, summoning thick vines to cover the difficult terrain, significantly increasing the team's speed.

"Wow!" Elothysia heard Dong Quan's surprised whisper at her side, "Is that human a Child of Nature? He can actually control the power of plants!"

"Whether Lancelot is a Child of Nature, I'm not sure, but he is indeed very powerful," the Succubus Paladin turned her head and smiled at the Aira child. "He has many more amazing abilities. You'll see."

"That's amazing..." Dong Quan exclaimed, then a mischievous smile appeared on her face, "Then is he your boyfriend, big sister?"

Lancelot, walking ahead, twitched his ears but said nothing.

"Haha, no, big sister already has a boyfriend, and he's a guy with wings," Elothysia glanced at the Human Knight ahead. "And he's a lot more handsome!"

Lucky for Lancelot, who was at the very front of the group, otherwise everyone would have seen his eyes rolling up to the sky.