The Paladin in the Abyss

Several Succubus Maids were also in the corner, and they were equally unsettled by the recent commotion, currently huddled together and discussing something.

One of the Succubi looked up and saw Alamir, her expression briefly stiffened before she sternly began,

"Alamir! Why have you returned? And you brought guests here?"

Instantly, the group of Succubi turned their heads, they only glanced at Lancelot and the two wrapped in cloaks for a moment before their attention settled on the Elf.

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The looks in the eyes of the Succubi were very complex, with concern, disdain but mostly, there was an unabashed desire.

"I bet every Succubus here has slept with an Elf," Bruto murmured to Kalalin, who nodded ever so slightly in agreement.

"I need to recover, and the three distinguished guests insisted..."

The Elf had just begun speaking when she was abruptly cut off by a gesture from the Succubus.

"Alright, alright, do as you please. Do you know what happened above? What's with these strange vibrations?"

"I'm not sure," Alamir shook her head, "Everything was normal before we came down."

While the Succubus was talking with the Elf, Lancelot had already quietly made his way to the center of the room, near a countertop, feigning curiosity as he surveyed the resting area.

Kalalin, who had been keeping an eye on Lancelot's movements, naturally understood the signal. Under the concealing folds of his large cloak, a palm-sized mini scroll quietly unfolded, already primed with the spell "Minor Illusion."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

On the countertop was a case made of crystal, inside which lay their target, a Cross Pickaxe, casually tossed with no particular care. Aside from the faint luminescent glow on its surface, the pickaxe didn't seem extraordinary at first glance.

But Lancelot's Spiritual Sense told him that this item was far more special than it appeared.

He reached into his bosom, touching a small orb, and with a bit of force, he crushed it into pieces.

This small orb was the tool given to him by Phil for communication; the moment he crushed his, another orb would shatter simultaneously on Phil's side.

Immediately after the orb was crushed, nothing happened. Externally, Lancelot maintained his composure, but internally, he was fully alert.

Who knew what kind of commotion Phil could create, but he had to be ready to act in a mere instant.

Yet, after almost ten seconds passed with no occurrence, he had already been standing there for quite some time, and several people in the room were casting strange glances in his direction.

Suddenly, a violent tremor far beyond Lancelot's expectations arrived, accompanied by a deafening boom. Everyone was knocked to the ground, and Lancelot also took the opportunity to dive onto the countertop, but quickly rolled back onto the floor.

And the case on the countertop was now empty.

Kalalin's spellcasting had also been interrupted by the unexpected shock, fortunately, everyone was affected, and no one noticed Lancelot's actions.

After recovering from the brief jolt, Kalalin on the ground immediately activated the scroll, and only then did an illusion of the Cross Pickaxe appear in the box, thankfully aside from the four with ill-intentions, no one noticed that the pickaxe had briefly vanished.

The continuous booming overhead was still ongoing, and it seemed to be getting closer and closer to them. Lancelot's face suddenly changed, and he rolled violently to the side.

There was a "crack" sound like that of breaking bones, and the ceiling of the small hall incredibly collapsed, a huge stone with a radius exceeding three feet, glowing red from heat, fell violently from above, smashing a large pit in the ground.

The weight of this huge stone was at least thirty tons, and its surface was still burning with fierce flames, casting light on Lancelot's pale face. He had been in the Abyss for some time now, but this was definitely the closest he'd come to death. If he stayed put just now, even with his Foundation Establishment, he probably would have been a goner.

However, this also meant that the pedestal which originally held the Cross Pickaxe was shattered into pieces, crushed under the huge stone, conveniently providing cover for their movements.

Everyone looked up to see what seemed to be an interrogation room upstairs, a naked man tied to a chair, with a Succubus holding a whip standing behind him. From a certain part of the man's body, the 'interrogation' didn't seem too painful.

These two were just as shocked, looking at the people below as if Lancelot and his group had rudely interrupted their private 'game'.

Above the interrogation room was an even smaller hole, peering through it revealed the great hall they had entered when they first came to the Succubus Palace, furnished with dining tables and a stage. Screams, roars of anger, and even excited growls came from above, chaotic and jumbled together.

Lancelot was sure that something major must have happened at Oasis Fort. The plan was just to blast a hole through an unguarded segment of the outer wall of the Succubus Palace, at most collapsing an entire wall, certainly not including the boulder that almost claimed his life.

"We're under attack! Come out and fight!"

While the people inside the room were still staring at each other, a hoarse and ferocious voice suddenly rose directly from the depths of their hearts.

This was a High Rank Demon using its wide-range Sensory Ability to shout out to all the Demons nearby. Lancelot was startled, what exactly had happened?

He touched another small sphere in his pocket, assuring himself his worries were unfounded. That sphere was from Phil, meant to warn him in case their team encountered trouble.

The other Demons in the room jumped up, but their reactions varied. The Succubi seemed panicked, flitting about like headless flies, not knowing what to do.

Fighting was generally not the Succubi's forte, they preferred to provoke jealousy-fueled conflicts among suitors. If fighting was inevitable, their tactic typically involved using their Charm ability to control someone, having this temporary ally take a hit for them so they could flap their bat-like wings and take off.

But the Berserk Demon Guards let out excited roars, some even entering Berserk State, casually tearing a nearby human slave to shreds as if just to vent their destructive impulses.

These giant toads leapt straight out of the large hole in the ceiling, howling as they charged outward, as though fearing the fight would end too quickly, and they'd miss out.

The remaining slaves were either foolishly standing still or smartly taking the chance to slip away. This chaos was a rare opportunity to escape; if not now, then when?

Lancelot patted the confused Alamir to get his attention.

"It's time we left."

"Oh, yes, of course!" The Elf quickly regained his composure, "Follow me!"

He ran to the side of the room, next to a gargoyle statue, and pulled the entire sculpture backward. A secret door on the wall immediately opened up, leading to a rather spacious spiral staircase winding upwards.

"This staircase leads directly to the stage of the great hall. Let's go this way!"