The Paladin in the Abyss-Chapter 599 - 623 Contractual Obligations

Chapter 599: Chapter 623 Contractual Obligations Chapter 599: Chapter 623 Contractual Obligations Lancelot brought the horn to his lips and blew gently, producing no discernible sound, yet the vibration in his hands assured him that the magical item had activated. Seconds later, a dirt-yellow portal lit up on the surface of the nearby Stygian River, and a double-masted schooner, with a figurehead brandishing a sword as if craving for demons, emerged from it, swiftly approaching the bank where everyone was stationed.

“The Bone Duke sends his regards, Sir,” a Ferryman Demon on the ship’s side hailed the group, and Lancelot recognized him as Vexus, who had signed the contract with him, “As agreed in the contract, we’ve come when summoned. What’s that ahead? A siege battle in progress? I see why you need a ship now, come aboard quickly, and then tell me where you want to go…”

“Indeed, we need a ship, but not for travel,” Lancelot led his companions onto the skeletal warship, approximately a hundred feet long and fifteen feet wide. He pointed in the direction of Twin Bridges Town and told the Ferryman Demon, “Please head that way.”

“But that’s a battlefield,” the corpse-like face of Vexus showed a look of surprise, “What are you going to do there?”

“Destroy those pontoons,” Lancelot replied succinctly, “with this warship.”

“Absolutely not!” the Ferryman Demon exclaimed immediately, “The ship will be smashed to pieces!”

“I will take care of splitting those pontoons; you just need to keep the ship moving forward.”

...

“No!” the Ferryman Demon almost screamed, “We never hire ourselves out to fight!”

“Under the terms of our contract, you are to provide your services for free when I’m in need. Since there’s no payment involved, it can’t be considered a hiring. Moreover, while the contract stipulates that you can refuse to join battles, you cannot refuse to steer the ship to a location I demand, as long as that place is accessible by navigation, and I also know its exact location,” Lancelot glared at the Ferryman Demon with a resolute look, “Right now, I don’t need you to join the battle, just to drive the ship in that direction… Or would you rather face the consequences of breaking the contract?”

The expression on Vexus’s silent face was close to fury, yet it showed that the Human Knight had indeed found his weak spot. However, as a former commander, Lancelot understood the importance of carrot and stick. Seeing that the threat had taken effect, he immediately added:

“I know what you care about most, the ship beneath our feet, am I right? But don’t forget how it came to be, we managed to bring you the first one, we can bring you a second. Also, if I remember correctly, Lord of the Styx, Charon, once set rules that anyone using the Stygian River must pay a price, Tijana makes an offering to Charon every month. But look at those pontoons, what have the demons paid for them? Have they shown any respect to the Lord of the Styx?”

The Ferryman Demon’s eye sockets suddenly blazed with fire, and it turned swiftly, striding towards the ship’s helm, muttering coldly:

“Of course, I will honor the contract, but if the ship falls apart, you’re on your own, as I have no obligation to rescue anyone in the water… especially not in the Stygian River.”

“Listen up, guys,” as the vessel began to move, Lancelot hurried to instruct his companions, “I’ll be at the bow responsible for destroying those pontoons. If demons jump aboard, you’ll have to handle them on your own. Kalalin, Alamir, how many spells do you have left?”

“I hardly used any,” the Elf Priest answered with a relaxed expression. “You don’t have to worry about healing, just be careful not to fall overboard.”

“But I’ve used up most of my spell slots in the fight with the White Dragon,” Kalalin looked much more anxious, “Now I only have enough mana to cast three First Circle magics and two Second Circle magics…”

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“No problem, later everyone just protect Kalalin well, and you, act on the situation. Have you been practicing with the slings? But first, you need to get us a Twin Bridges Town flag…”

The Scholar paused, then immediately understood Lancelot’s intention. He pulled a small piece of wool from his belt pouch, made a special hand gesture towards the sky, and instantly, an illusionary flag with the Emblem of Twin Bridges Town, five feet on each side, appeared on the mainmast.

“Well done,” Lancelot nodded, “Everyone, get ready, let’s go and end this battle!”

“Yes!!!”

The combatants on both sides naturally wouldn’t fail to notice the skeletal warship that had appeared out of thin air, but the common Demon soldiers thought it was a fallback plan by their officers, and since the warship was still a distance away, it had not yet entered Twin Bridges Town’s defensive range. More attention was still occupied by the Three-Headed Dragon, the flying units engaged in battle were temporarily unable to spare any forces, and they were also confused about the intentions of these large lizards.

The leading Blue Dragon, Tajiana, didn’t leave them guessing for long. She deliberately flew past a Fireball launched by a piece of war machinery, pretending to be enraged by the grazing projectile, and led the Green and Black Dragons in a sudden dive. When she was less than a hundred feet from the ground, she extended her neck and spewed out a thick bolt of Lightning Breath, striking the war machinery below like a thunderbolt.

Blue Dragons have the longest Dragon Breath range among the colored Dragons, and Green Dragons have an even broader conical Dragon Breath. Awkwardly, the Green Dragon’s Breath was poison damage, and both the war machinery and the Demons themselves were immune to poison damage.

But as the smartest among the colored Dragons, when Breath attacks were ineffective, the Green Dragon could still use magic to solve the problem. Iserli spouted a string of strange syllables, a spell chanted in Dragon language, and two light green beams shot out from her eyes onto a piece of war machinery just about to fire. Accompanied by a dazzling flash, the war machinery turned into a pile of ash on the spot, with the same effect as the Disintegration Spell that Tijana cast with her super-magic ability.

Flying in the rear was Vinelika. Black Dragons can breathe out strong acid, a type of damage very effective against both Fiends and mechanical creatures. However, as a young dragon, Vinelika’s Breath had only a thirty-foot range and relatively less power, but together with her sharp teeth and claws, it was enough to destroy a piece of war machinery.

The Demon Legion didn’t have many siege weapons to begin with, and nearly half were destroyed in the Dragons’ first round of attack. Under the leadership of Tajiana, the three Dragons did not linger in battle and immediately flew high into the distance as if to disengage from combat, but in reality, they were waiting for their Breath to recharge before launching another attack.

The sudden aggression of the Dragons shocked everyone; no one could ignore such a level of power. For the Demons, it was a pleasant surprise, but for the Fiends, it was sheer horror. Even the common Beard Demon soldiers could see that the tide of battle was quickly turning against them, but without new orders, they could only continue to follow their previous commands, waiting for their turn to set foot on the pontoon bridges to arrive.