The Paladin in the Abyss-Chapter 694 - 718 Wrong Decision
Chapter 694 -718 Wrong Decision
Lancelot’s body heavily slammed against the stone wall, and with a resounding boom, the wall unexpectedly collapsed from the terrible impact, throwing the Human Knight into the corridor outside. He struggled to rise from the ground, spitting out a large mouthful of blood. His appearance was both wretched and disheveled, yet there was a peculiar smile on his face, as if he were the victor of the recent clash.
“Hahaha, ahahahahaha!” The Human Knight even burst out laughing, his voice filled with satisfaction, not at all like someone who had just been beaten to the point of bleeding.
“Hmph, has the beating addled your wits?” The Demon Refinement grew impatient and flicked its tail, “Face reality, your strength is as insignificant as an ant’s…”
“Heh, if I am like an ant, then what does that make you, who couldn’t kill me in one strike?” Lancelot picked up the Giant Sword Glacier that had fallen by his side, his gaze falling regretfully on a fist-sized notch that had appeared on the blade, “Or is it that only you are subpar among the Demon Refinements, unable to crush even an ant?”
“In Hell, there’s a special torture device prepared just for your kind,” the Demon General said with a grim expression, stepping toward the Human Knight. “You’ll certainly be surprised by how long your tongue can stretch…”
The Demon Refinement quickened its pace, the huge hammer in its hand smashing forward like a battering ram, as if it really were a finger and the Human Knight the ant to be crushed. This time, however, Lancelot chose not to collide head-on. As the enemy made its move to strike, he abruptly leapt to the side and then, without looking back, ran in the direction his companions had retreated.
The reason he had confronted the Demon Refinement head-on earlier was to gauge the gap between his peak condition and these top-tier Fiends. Although the result seemed like a collapse on contact, with the protection of his Protective True Essence, not a single bone was broken, and he suffered no internal injuries, which was much better than he had anticipated.
But now that the purpose of his test had been achieved, Lancelot naturally didn’t delude himself into thinking he could actually contend with the Demon Refinement. Following the lingering scent of his companions in the air, Lancelot dashed along the long stone corridor and then burst into a massive spiral staircase. Each step was half his height, likely a difficult climb for Bruto just a while ago, but for Lancelot, it was as if there was no difference from flat ground. His figure, like a weightless shadow, flashed to the top of the staircase in an instant, while the Demon Refinement behind him had only just made it halfway through the corridor.
“There’s no escape for you!” The Demon General’s jeering voice came from behind him, “The flames of Hell are waiting for you, heheheh…”
Ignoring the enemy’s threat, Lancelot ran through another short corridor and charged into a spacious hall. It was clearly the Throne Hall of the former Lord of the Volcano Fortress, the corridor from which Lancelot emerged facing a massive stone throne. The throne itself bore no decorations, but the sheer size of its backrest, over ten feet tall, exuded an astonishing aura, fitting only for a true Demon King to sit upon.
However, at that moment, what perched atop the enormous chair was a panting Dwarf, using the armrest as the perfect cover; his other companions also stood guard nearby, their faces vigilant as they eyed the corridor Lancelot had just come from.
The hall was devoid of other creatures, but the exit at the other end of the hall stood open. Through the flame-shaped doorframe, Lancelot could see a long stone bridge, and at the end of that bridge was the entrance to the Volcano Fortress. A host of Demon figures were fiercely battling there; if they chose to keep running, it would truly be like sheep thrust into a pack of wolves, and it seemed his companions had nowhere else to run.
“Big brother, you’re finally here!” Upon seeing Lancelot’s figure, hope sparked in Bruto’s eyes, “You see, there’s nowhere to run. Let’s take our stand and fight it out with that creature here!”
“We’re definitely not a match for those fiends from the abyss of Demon Refinement!” Half-elf Tanya vehemently opposed, “We haven’t reached the end of our rope yet! The demons at the city gate are there to prevent more demons from flooding in; as long as we’re decisive enough in our breakout, it’s entirely possible for us to make it out!”
“What about that disc Visuvius gave us?” Alamir pointed to a recess behind the throne, “Maybe the secret passages of the Volcano Fortress can allow us to hide…”
“We don’t need to use that,” Lancelot shook his head, “Just hold on a little longer, reinforcements are almost here. You guys go close that gate first, don’t let the fiends notice what’s happening over here…”
His companions exchanged perplexed looks, unable to imagine what sort of reinforcements could be on the way, but their long history of adventuring together had instilled in them an absolute trust in Lancelot.
As his companions acted, the fiend from the abyssal Demon Refinement strode confidently out of the corridor from which Lancelot had just emerged. It immediately noticed the several people running towards the exit and its face revealed a smug and cruel smile.
“It seems you’re quite clear about the fate that awaits you,” the Demon General said to Lancelot, who remained in place, in a mocking tone, “Those whom you regard as companions, for whom you’ve desperately been trying to buy time to escape—are they already deciding to abandon you? How does it feel to be betrayed? Not to worry, what awaits them is…”
The dwarf, elves, half-elf, and shape-shifting beasts had reached the door, pairing up to pull the heavy obsidian gates closed. The thunderous noise of the closing door startled the fiend from the Demon Refinement, clearly not having anticipated this turn of events.
Unlike the demons, the fiends were not merely battle-crazed lunatics. They constantly monitored their surroundings, paying attention to any signs of ambush, trap, or snare. If they found themselves in an unfavorable position, or if they realized the probability of victory was unacceptably slim, they would retreat without hesitation to conserve their strength, hiding and patiently plotting their revenge.
Of course, Baboli wasn’t about to flee just yet; after all, it had just herded the human knight and his companions into a dead end. The fact that the other side had voluntarily closed the door to the last exit, and to turn and flee oneself would be far too embarrassing. However, seeing the human knight looking confident, a nameless dread flitted through the fiend’s heart, yet it decided to observe a little longer to see what exactly was the other side’s game.
And that became the last mistake it ever made in its long, ‘demonic’ life.
A dazzling flash of white light suddenly lit up, illuminating the previously dimly-lit hall as bright as day. The Demon Refinement’s complexion changed drastically, and it turned to flee back down the corridor it had come from, but sturdy vines that appeared out of nowhere completely blocked the way. Behind it, the mass teleportation was already complete, the hall crammed with towering demon figures, and among them, surrounded by a crowd, was a succubus clad in full plate armor, wielding a silver-gray whip—Tijana, whom Baboli had just clashed with not long ago.
“We’ve been waiting for…” Tijana was saying her entrance line aloud when she turned to look at Lancelot; her voice suddenly stalled and she asked in a lower voice, “You’re hurt? What happened?”
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