The Paladin in the Abyss-Chapter 661 - 685: Duty and Responsibility

Chapter 661: Chapter 685: Duty and Responsibility

For Demons who practiced the strategy of utilizing elite forces, Spellcasters were one of their most important assets. When facing a Demon Legion vastly outnumbering them, the Demons relied on strict military discipline, dense formations, and efficient polearms to deal with Prime Demons and Coward Devils acting as cannon fodder. However, Middle Rank Demons were not so easy to handle, and Middle Rank Demon officers were also reluctant to put themselves in danger lightly.

Therefore, the Demon armies were quite reliant on those Spellcasters loyal to the Nine Hells, using them to deal with targets that posed a greater threat to ordinary soldiers. And what Lancelot was doing was knocking out these ‘high-value assets’ one by one.

Similar scenes had played out countless times in every corner of the Multiverse: After a major battle had been decided, the cavalry of the victorious side would slaughter the fleeing infantry, and often this phase was the stage with the highest number of deaths in a battle. Although the current situation was somewhat different, the pace of the killing was surprisingly similar. In less than three minutes, Lancelot had reaped the lives of fifteen Spellcasters leaving behind a swath of maimed and incomplete bodies.

By the way, those Spellcasters loyal to Barto Hell, their afterlives had been doomed. The Demons were always happy to pay the reward immediately after signing the contract, which often stipulated that nothing could absolve either party of their obligations—not even death. In most cases, the dead cannot continue fulfilling contracts, so according to the general principles of dealing with debt disputes, the defaulter had to be liquidated for bankruptcy…

But what valuable things could a dead person possibly have?

Oh dear, of course, there is something trivial, something you might not even be aware that you possess… And you had already promised to sell it to the Demons, for which they even paid a deposit!

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To be fair, the Spellcasters certainly had enough abilities to protect themselves, and in most cases, they held an overwhelming advantage over professions that relied on muscle and metal for combat. However, this rule did not apply when facing that Human Knight riding a Nightmare steed.

His movement speed was simply too fast; Fireballs and Ice Bolts aimed at him missed by a wide margin. Some tried to cast Protection spells on themselves, but neither the Stone Skin that turns skin into rock nor the Mirror Image that fools attackers had any effect on the fleeting glint of the Human Knight’s sword. Even Invisibility Spells cast in advance were easily seen through, as if he possessed some kind of treasure granting True Sight.

As for spells like Hypnosis, Blindness, Charm, and Fear, they were even more ineffective for a simple reason—the effective range of these spells was too short, and the Human Knight was too fast, never giving them the time to complete their spells.

The only spell that seemed effective was one—a 5th-circle Sculpting Energy Spell, Wall of Force. This spell could create an invisible wall spanning a total area of one thousand square feet; its actual shape and position were designated by the Spellcaster. Nothing could physically pass through this wall, and it was immune to any magical damage, including spells like Dispel Magic. Only a Disintegration Spell was effective against it, but Lancelot did not know that.

Of course, the wall’s invisibility had no effect on Lancelot; a wall that hindered the flow of nature’s spiritual energy was as conspicuous as a black spot on a white wall. However, Lancelot soon discovered that even within the effective range of Anti-Magic Stones, the wall still stood firm, forcing him to immediately turn his steed to avoid colliding with it head-on.

Luckily, not every Spellcaster had prepared this spell in advance, and even those who had didn’t think to encase themselves like canned food. Thus, Lancelot was really only slightly hindered, and the way to deal with it was simple—go around it.

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Atop the black fortress, the Demon Refinement enveloped in black armor became increasingly unsettled. It had just been basking in the glory of victory, but now it realized that if it left that Human Knight unchecked, there might not be a single Spellcaster who could make it back to the Volcano Fortress—compromising their plan to hold the fort and await reinforcements.

The subordinates it had brought along were executing another slaughter within the Volcano Fortress, making it difficult to spare any forces. Thus, instinctively, it wanted to personally finish off that nightmare-mounted Knight—if it were a Demon, it might have already leaped from the top of the tower.

However, Demons, after all, view obedience to orders as sacrosanct; and although it was the one issuing commands as a prominent figure, the Demon Refinement was extremely loath to alter the plan at the last minute, especially since it had already completed the part it was responsible for in the plan.

This thought struck a chord in the heart of the Demon nobility. Because of the previous failure at Twin Bridges Town, it had to assume the undignified role of an ambusher, confined underground for several days, trampled over by Demons above. While victory seemed inevitable, the credit had little to do with it, and it would count itself lucky to avoid the Archduke’s punishment.

But what if its fellow colleagues had made serious mistakes just like it had?

Its mission was crystal clear: choose the right moment to strike, seize the Volcano Fortress with utmost speed. Whatever happened on the battlefield was not its concern. Though the mercenary Knight riding the Nightmare appeared formidable, one person certainly couldn’t capture the colossal fortress beneath it, nor could they prevent the elite of the Demon Legion from retreating into the castle. But if he managed to eliminate all those Spellcasters…

That would definitely be a dereliction of duty for the other three Demon General Refinements!

Lancelot had actually been closely monitoring the movements of the Demon Refinement high above. The moment the enemy showed any intention of coming down to confront him, he would immediately rotate his bracelet and summon Tijana to the battlefield. The Succubus Lord had already proven capable of contending with the Demon Refinement clad in black armor. Lancelot was not without trump cards up his sleeve; if he could eliminate the Demon Refinement in a single fell swoop and reclaim the Volcano Fortress, it would not be difficult, offering the allied forces a significant chance to turn the tide.

However, the outcome disappointed him. Far from reacting, the Demon General eventually disappeared into the castle’s gaping entrance, as if he hadn’t noticed Lancelot at all. Lancelot couldn’t help but mutter to himself, how could that creature be so cautious? Was his intention too obvious?

No matter what the enemy’s scheme was, Lancelot didn’t slow down in his pursuit of the fleeing foe. A quarter of an hour later, less than a hundred feet from the steps to the Volcano Fortress’s entrance, he laid low the last Spellcaster trying to escape into the fortress. The staircase was already packed with numerous Middle Rank Demons, who seemed disinclined to intervene unless Lancelot set foot on the stairs himself.

Lancelot lightened the reins, and the Nightmare cooperatively raised its hooves in an impressive display, then without looking back, turned around and left. None of the Demons noticed that near where the Human Knight had just stood, several delicate vines had sprung up, together with a few small green jade bottles.