The Paladin in the Abyss

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Lancelot held Frostslash in his right hand, resting the blade on his shoulder; with his left hand, he formed a spell at his chest and summoned dense vines on the ground ahead.

He had become extremely proficient in this minor Wood System Divine Skill. The vines he summoned were of moderate hardness and good toughness. Whether it was Bruto's Dwarf heavy boots or Koula's leather boots, stepping on them was very comfortable, and it was like walking on a thick layer of grass, making no sound at all.

Under Lancelot's lead, the group cautiously made their way deeper into the dense forest, continually taking a large, circuitous route. Everyone was already accustomed to this, knowing Lancelot's unique sensory ability could help the team avoid many unnecessary battles.

The only one filled with puzzlement was Dong Quan, who felt very safe on the back of the Succubus Paladin, which sparked his suppressed curiosity. His big eyes swept over the members of this strange team, full of questions he wanted to ask.

But he also knew that he must keep quiet at this time. If he accidentally alerted the enemy and delayed the rescue of Lilu, he would truly have to commit suicide to apologize.

Lancelot indeed had avoided two small Troll tribes. Although they seemed quite relaxed just now, it was because the number of enemies was not large. He had just seen with his own eyes that when these monsters' arms were chopped off, the severed limbs would still crawl over to attack. Once the Trolls gained a numerical advantage, the situation would become troublesome.

Suddenly, his expression shifted, and he raised his arm to signal his companions to stop. Following that, a small bat silently flew through the tree canopy and with a thud, transformed back into a young girl dressed in tight-fitting clothes.

"Your friend, does she have bright red hair?" Before anyone else could speak, Little Issa hurriedly asked Dong Quan.

"Yes, yes, yes!" the child on the back of the Succubus Paladin nodded excitedly. "Did you see her? Is she still alive?"

"She's still alive, but things don't look so good, two Trolls are constantly hitting her," Little Issa's face showed a sorry expression. "I think she's not in mortal danger for the moment. That creature, Valasti, won't eat her."

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Kalalin asked curiously, "Did you see that Valasti?"

"Yes!" Little Issa nodded, her face showing traces of fear. "It looks like a spider as big as a house, only, its claws turned into octopus-like tentacles. I found that creature when it was talking to a mirror half-buried in the swamp. On the other side of the mirror was a woman, who seemed very pleased that it had captured an Aira and said someone would be sent soon to escort the prisoner."

"A woman?" Kalalin's face showed a suspicious expression, "What did this woman look like, did you see her clearly?"

"No, I dared not get any closer than about eighty feet, fearing being discovered." The little Vampire shook her head. "If it weren't for the extremely sharp hearing I have in bat form, I couldn't have heard the details of their conversation."

"We must move faster." Scholar's expression became very serious. "The main body is still very far away. To restrain a creature from the Shadow Realm from craving flesh with just a few words, this woman's identity must be extraordinary…"

"You suspect the woman in the mirror could actually be… the Mother of Demons?" The Elf Priest's eyes burned with high spirits. "For the glory of the Lady with fiery hair, I…"

"Aside from Shuni's sympathy, you won't gain anything if the Mother of Demons herself actually shows up," Kalalin interrupted him. "Even her underlings wouldn't be so easy to handle, which is why we need to act quickly, before the enemy's reinforcements arrive and end the battle."

"No need to rush to sacrifice your life for your god, Elf." Bruto shrugged. "I believe He wouldn't want you to die in a fight where you stand no chance."

"Er, I didn't mean that," Alamir said awkwardly. "I just wanted to express... courage, you know..."

"Kalalin makes sense, we really should act quickly. Don't forget the child is still undergoing torture," Lancelot crouched down, smoothed out an area of the ground, and spoke to Little Isha, "How far is the monster from the captive? Are there any other enemies nearby? You draw a diagram..."

"The little girl named Lilu is held in a Troll camp, with only two guards while the rest of the Trolls are scattered around, about twenty in total. Perhaps because they too are somewhat afraid of the monster, the camp and the monster's swamp are about two hundred feet apart, in this direction of the camp..."

Little Isha once again displayed the skills she acquired from her nightly training in Tijana's castle; with a few simple strokes of her dagger on the ground, she clearly outlined the enemy's camp.

"The most important thing is to ensure the child's safety," Lancelot said, stroking his chin. "We need to rescue her first, and if we can avoid fighting that monster, all the better. But if it dares to chase after us, we won't be polite."

"Trolls are afraid of fire, and the monster fears light, should we take the opportunity to set a fire?" Bruto suggested.

"This is a swamp, the humidity is too high, the only combustibles are the Trolls themselves," Alamir shook his head. "I say, we still need to rely on the bright light summoned by Divine Arts... "

"Lancelot, can you make these vines dry out?" Koula suggested from the side. "My fire glue can stick to the surface and burn... "

"Eh? Let me try..."

Lancelot thought for a while. Unlike during the Qi Cultivation Stage when he only knew the effects but not the causes, he had gained a more sensitive perception of Spiritual Energy's operation since entering the Foundation Establishment Stage. Before, he had made the vines thicker and harder by increasing the intensity of the Wood System's energy, but if he suppressed the Water System's energy to the lowest...

With a thought, the vines around him quickly dried out and twisted, even making a creaking sound, looking as if they might ignite any moment.

"I swear..." Alamir couldn't help but curse, "Lancelot, you too are blessed by the Elves, but setting the forest on fire is not okay... "

"Look at the trees around us, they grow even more twisted than those near Hagrid Manor. Perhaps sprinkling some fresh blood on them would turn them into withered monsters," the Dwarf immediately countered the Elf. "Brother, I support you. That monster likes to hide in the shadows, right? Let's burn his entire nest down and see where he can hide then!"