The Paladin in the Abyss-Chapter 653 - 677: On the Road

Chapter 653 -677: On the Road

After bidding farewell to the injured, the mercenaries set out again, but unlike before, they now walked in the rear of the army, no longer worried about the Demons’ traps. Nonetheless, everyone’s mood was still rather grim; after all, the size of their group had diminished by a third. Many faces they had just begun to get familiar with had vanished, and even the most self-centered were not fond of such abrupt changes.

Moreover, marching behind a large horde of Demons was not a pleasant affair. First, the Coward Devils really smelled terrible, especially when tens of thousands of them moved together. The dark green mist rising from their skin would gather into a cloud of green, with an odor that could make one vomit the meal they had eaten the previous month. Additionally, the condition of the roads after the passage of the Demons worsened severely, resembling a freshly plowed field, full of overturned soil and holes as wide as bowls, requiring constant vigilance to avoid tumbling headlong.

Yet the most disheartening aspect was the presence of corpses every few hundred feet along the road. These were not victims of some Devil’s trap but had been brutally killed by other Demons, then trampled over by countless indifferent soles, ending up as disturbing, flesh-stained carpets stuck to the ground.

Ignoring these unpleasant sights, the march itself was quite dull, especially for the mercenaries who had just endured a highly intense skirmish. Furthermore, advancing toward a battlefield where many deaths were inevitable did not excite anyone; it felt like a giant stone weighing on everyone’s hearts.

As if anticipating the somber atmosphere, the Demons had left some ‘special surprises’ for the mercenaries. A few hours later, someone suddenly screamed in terror. Lancelot turned around to see a group of people pointing in horror at rows of corpses by the roadside: the bodies were hung from lamppost-like poles, their limbs tied back, their eyes gouged out, leaving two black bloody holes on their faces, their bodies artistically cut with multiple wounds to ensure their deaths were as prolonged and painful as possible.

In front of these corpses stood several colossal signs bearing inscriptions in blackened red paint:

“Greetings from Barto Hell!”

“Brothers, are you coming?”

“This is what happens when you oppose Bartez!”

“Keep moving; you’ll soon be joining them…”

The bodies belonged to none other than the mercenaries previously sent out for reconnaissance. Clearly, the Illusion Technique that had suddenly appeared not only blocked the main force Lancelot was in, but also these Scouts attempting to return. They were then caught by the Demons and turned into these ‘welcome signs’.

A murmur spread through the crowd. After pondering for a moment, Lancelot quickly walked up to the corpses, used his back to shield the curious gaze of the mercenaries, and created a blue-green fire, igniting the bodies one by one. The True Essence Fire burned extremely hot, almost instantly reducing the bodies to ash without leaving a trace of bone.

“It’s over, let’s move on,” the Human Knight turned to address the onlooking mercenaries, “We will avenge them.”

The mercenaries silently complied.

‘What were you doing just now?’ Sonam’s voice rang out again in Lancelot’s mind, ‘Those corpses hanging there have nothing to do with the mercenaries…’

‘Because those people were mercenaries before, the same things could have happened to them, so they feel fear,’

‘I don’t understand. They are already dead, burning their bodies won’t change that.’

‘Indeed, but by burning the bodies, it gives everyone the impression that the torment has ended, which will make them feel a bit better. Morale can affect combat effectiveness, you must understand this principle, General.’

‘…Of course. So that’s why you always pay attention to others’ feelings?’

‘Yes, General. By figuring out what others desire and fear, rewarding them when they perform well, and eliminating the sources of their fear, you can earn the gratitude, trust, and loyalty of your subordinates.’

‘I don’t need their gratitude or trust, those things are completely unreliable. As for loyalty, the threat of death is enough, why go through all this trouble?’

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‘When the situation is critical, and you have only a small group to intimidate, direct threats of violence indeed work better. However, those coerced by fear won’t serve you wholeheartedly at all times. They are always looking for a chance to escape and will take off when the opportunity arises. Based on my experience, when long-term loyalty from many is needed, it’s better to use the method I described. This way, not only will they serve with greater dedication, but they also won’t abandon you when crisis strikes.’

‘An interesting viewpoint.’

Sonam fell silent, and Lancelot, lacking telepathic abilities, lost the connection at that point, but he knew there was no need to rush in changing the Serpent Demon’s perspective.

Although both regarded as evil creatures, the wickedness of Demons and Coward Devils is different. What drives Coward Devils to evil is their greed, the selfishness of placing themselves above everything else. Each Coward Devil burns inside with a longing for power, to become the ruler and make everyone serve them unreservedly.

Demons, on the other hand, kill purely out of a physiological necessity. A Demon’s body is a torture device; their skin festering, their organs sprouting tumors, their bones feeling like countless ants gnawing from within, tormenting the souls of sinners trapped in such bodies constantly, which is why they are always enraged and short-tempered, and why killing and destruction act like a hallucinogen for them, allowing a temporary escape from their miserable reality.

The lower the rank of the Demon, the more severe the situation, and even by mid-high rank, their character becomes merciless, with killing becoming as natural as breathing.

However, Elothysia once told Lancelot that even Demons carry a sliver of hope for redemption, as long as they learn how to understand the feelings of others. To the Succubus Paladin, empathy is the most crucial cornerstone of goodness; true empathy means sharing in the joy and pain of others.

Of course, the outcome could tilt towards the good alignment, or descend even deeper into evil, depending on what kind of feedback is received from others. Elothysia was lucky; during her ‘confusion’ period, she happened to be in a peaceful and tranquil Human village on the Prime Material Plane, which offered her much assistance. As for Tijana… Lancelot was gradually realizing that he was just the final weight on the scale; the real catalyst for the transformation of the Succubus Lord was probably the Dwarf community that had been there since the birth of Twin Bridges Town.