The Paladin in the Abyss

Lancelot still found it odd, his Spirit Perception hadn't detected the approach of a powerful enemy, but the next second an eerie spatial fluctuation suddenly appeared, and he realized that some indescribable, extremely sinister presence had arrived.

The surrounding shadows seemed to become thicker, the burning vines not so far off weren't as bright, and a dark mist had spread at some point, plunging everything beyond twenty feet into complete darkness. Since this darkness was caused by the mist, even creatures with dark vision couldn't see clearly into the distance.

Because they had previously fought the Giant Skull Demon wielding the Eye of Sarizdon in the Great Abyss, the group instantly noticed the change in light and darkness. They recalled what Dong Quan had said before—Valasti, the master of the Miasma Swamp, was said to have the ability to control shadows, and it must be it that had come.

Lancelot instinctively stepped back, wanting to stand closer to his companions, but he met resistance from behind as if he were pushing against a wall, and to his surprise, he couldn't move an inch backward.

The Human Knight turned his head in astonishment and saw that a web of shadows had enveloped them all. Lancelot tried moving his body and found it extremely difficult to move in any direction except for one. He immediately realized the reason for this: Valasti, the prime culprit behind this phenomenon, was in that particular direction.
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Clearly, the bizarre creature from the Shadow Realm didn't fear close combat; it must be very confident in its brawl abilities to use such a power that left its opponents with no choice but to charge at it.

Fortunately, the shadow web wasn't entirely solid. With their extraordinary strength, Lancelot and Bruto successfully retreated to the doorstep of the stone hut where their companions were.

"You shall all, die..."

A chilling whisper arose in everyone's minds, trying to inject the emotion of fear into their hearts. But the Holy Warrior in the team immediately activated her Guardian Halo, helping her companions resist the negative suggestion.

"Cowardly creature!" Bruto yelled, "Come out and let my warhammer flatten you!"

As if responding to the Dwarf's challenge, something indeed charged at them—it was the Trolls they hadn't known where had hidden before. Without the threat of fire, these beasts, who were more resilient than cockroaches, fearlessly launched themselves at the intruders, planning to turn the group into the contents of their stomachs.

Lancelot and Bruto were not frightened by these defeated minions; they fearlessly met the enemies, keeping them all at bay outside the stone hut's door. But the strange shadow web made their combat movements severely inconvenient, and whenever they tried to move in another direction, they were blocked by what felt like walls of solid shadow, giving them the unpleasant sensation of fighting in a narrow alley.

Fortunately, the shadows only blocked the spread of light and didn't truly suppress the flames. After Lancelot and Bruto knocked down one Troll after another, Kalalin and Koula behind them accurately threw flasks of fiery gel, preventing these creatures, as troublesome as Undead, from getting back up again.

During the battle, Lancelot gradually felt that this enemy wasn't so terrifying after all, just a creature that used some strange abilities to play tricks and deceive. With his own strength, if he were to charge forward, perhaps a few strikes would be enough to severely wound his opponent.

But just as these thoughts began to surface, a small bamboo slip in Lancelot's Sea of Consciousness emitted a chime-like ringing, instantly snapping him back to reality. The previous thoughts had actually been secretly 'implanted' into his consciousness by the enemy, and had it not been for the protective bamboo slip guarding his mind, he would have unsuspectingly fallen for the opponent's trap.

However, Bruto beside him didn't have this ability. Yielding to his rising excitement, the Dwarf entered a near-berserk state, and upon realizing there were no enemies in front of him, he let out an angry roar and recklessly charged in the only direction he could move freely.

"Bruto! Come back!"

Lancelot's movement was delayed by the Shadow Web, and he failed to stop the Dwarf. His loud warning was completely ignored by the latter. The enemy's bizarre mental suggestion was clearly meant to lure the adversary closer, and Bruto was sure to encounter great danger. Lancelot gritted his teeth and also raised his sword to charge forward.

If he didn't follow, the Dwarf's life might very well be lost here today.

The charging Dwarf truly felt there was nothing to fear from the monster, believing himself to be an avatar of Moradin, with his Warhammer able to smash any enemy. This, however, was just the effect of the suggestion technique, a Second Circle spell of the Enchantment System, which only planted a tiny seed in the target's mind. With a little external stimulation, the victim could develop it into an unshakable belief.

Within a few breaths, Bruto had charged up to the enemy and saw the true face of the Master of Miasma Swamp. Its entire body was enveloped in a thick, liquid-like darkness, with a huge form made up of two oval-shaped masses of flesh joined together, numerous thick, slimy tentacles extending from its sides, making it look like a nauseating combination of an octopus and a spider.

The smaller mass of flesh must have been the monster's head, the upper part densely covered with black eyeballs, and the lower part a gaping mouth with two sharp fangs more than a foot long, dripping with pitch-black venom.

The monster's terrifying figure, like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguished the fire in the Dwarf's heart. His emotions swiftly shifted from extreme confidence to extreme panic, and instinctively, he wanted to retreat. But the shadows behind him suddenly became solid-like, freezing him in place.

The monster didn't miss the Dwarf's momentary panic caused by fear. Two tentacles shot out like venomous snakes, coiling around the Dwarf and sending him towards its mouth. Bruto could only let out a scream of terror, which was all the bound Dwarf could manage.

The sharp venomous fangs easily pierced Bruto's shoulder armor. Just like the spiders of the Prime Material Plane, this creature first used its fangs to incapacitate its target, then injected digestive juice into the prey, turning its flesh and blood into a 'thick soup' to be consumed in a slurping feast.

Bruto's originally piercing screams suddenly became weak as if all the strength had been drained from his body, while the monster opened its large mouth, extending a soft tongue towards the bloody hole punctured by its fangs.