The Paladin in the Abyss

All this ended in the blink of an eye, and Lancelot had just run back to his companions. Seeing the threat temporarily relieved, he hurriedly helped Koula back to her feet.

Even though the mutagen greatly enhanced the Halfling's physical attributes, it primarily boosted her agility and speed, not her resistance to impact. In the critical moment just now, Koula had no choice but to take a heavy hit from the thick tentacle, which sent her flying and seemingly broke two of her ribs, resulting in quite a serious injury.

Bruto had also recovered from his daze by this time, and the first thing he saw was the Halfling's seriously wounded state. The Dwarf pulled his shoulders in, pressing his lips together tightly, not uttering a single word, but he was well aware that it was his own string of mistakes that led to his companions getting hurt. This filled the proud young Dwarf with both self-reproach and anger.

"Hey, don't put on that face, you make it seem like I'm already dead," the Halfling said with a smile to the Dwarf, "Don't worry, I'm an Alchemist, you know? I even use healing potions to wash my face. You know what that means, right?"

After speaking, the Halfling reached for her backpack, but the movement caused pain in her injured area, involuntarily bringing out a pained expression.

Bruto didn't say a word, but stepped forward to help her take off the backpack and supported her back.

"Look at this, a healing potion!"

Koula took out a bottle filled with red liquid from the backpack and introduced it cheerily to everyone. She then twisted off the cap, tilted her head back, and gulped down all of the potion.

The potion took effect very quickly, and the Halfling's injuries visibly improved to a minor state. She stood up again, patted the Dwarf's shoulder (now Bruto was half a head shorter than she was), and said in a joking tone:

"Taking hits head-on really isn't pleasant. Next time, you do it. I prefer dealing with unguarded enemies that can't fight back."

Bruto nodded imperceptibly and then turned around, picking up his shield to keep watch over the surrounding darkness.

"Dwarves really are like rocks," Koula said, spreading her hands to another female member of the team, who shrugged her wings and gave back a comforting smile.

"That Fireball Technique worked pretty well earlier, but the monster didn't stay away," Lancelot said to everyone, "Let's keep moving forward. Everyone, be careful."

"Okay!"

The group responded in unison (except for a certain Dwarf who was still sulking), and then resumed their combat formation heading south.

They hadn't gone far when that eerie Shadow Web appeared again, the invisible barrier preventing them from moving forward. Lancelot knew that unless they completely dealt with the Dark Weaver, they wouldn't be able to leave this dense forest.

After reminding his companions to be wary of enemy ambushes, Lancelot charged once more towards the direction of the beast. However, the result was the same as before; the instant Koula's Flash Bomb exploded, the Dark Weaver would immediately perform a Shadow Jump to escape.

Unlike previous occasions, the monster had now seen Lancelot's speed and understood that his companions were not weak, so it just jumped away from afar, no longer trying to attack the other members of the team.

Due to the Dark Weaver's swift execution of Shadow Jump, Lancelot's repeated charges were but futile efforts that drained his stamina. This wasn't a significant problem for the human knight bolstered by True Yuan, but the tactic effectively immobilized the team.

Each time Lancelot drove the enemy away, it took less than half a minute for that eerie Shadow Web to materialize again, forcing them to wait in place. Clearly, the monster knew it couldn't defeat the formidable adventurers by itself and was simply biding time, waiting for the Mother of Demons to send reinforcements. Once they arrived, Lancelot and his companions would be in serious trouble.

"Damn this stupid spider and its eighteen generations of ancestors!" Suddenly, Bruto, who had been silent as a winter melon, erupted in a loud curse, as if swearing could provoke the creature into combat.

But the more agitated he became, the more patience the enemy seemed to have. The Dark Weaver was like a seasoned hunter toying with its prey.

"Boss! We've got trouble! The enemy's reinforcements are coming!"

Clone Well's voice suddenly resonated within him, prompting Lancelot to anxiously ask:

"What's approaching? How far away are they?"

"Little Isha just spotted them, twelve demons with large pincers, probably Seducers, coming from the northwest. They'll be at your location in about ten minutes."

"Understood, make your way to me as fast as you can."

Seducers, the main force among middle rank demons, served as squad leaders in the Blood Battle Legion. Though Lancelot's power had grown substantially after Foundation Establishment, taking on two or three might not be a problem, but facing twelve all at once, coupled with the Dark Weaver's ability to restrict their movement, they stood no chance.

It seemed he would need to use that emblem. Regardless of his reluctance, and how he might appear in Tijana's eyes, he knew which was more important—the lives of his companions or his own ego. In such a simple question, he knew the answer.

Yet, he still had ten minutes. Lancelot decided to try once more. The monster probably didn't know that reinforcements were close, still leisurely playing their game of advance and retreat. When the effect of the Shadow Web manifested again, Lancelot committed all his strength without reserve, charging forward with the mindset of a desperate gambit.

This sudden burst of speed startled not only the enemy but also his own teammates. Koula fumbled and threw the first Flash Bomb, but whether due to a rushed mistake or the unfortunate lot of a defective device, the ceramic bottle bounced twice on the ground, and nothing happened.

Unable to wait for the expected blast, Lancelot pressed on regardless. Utilizing the momentum from his charge, his Frostslash sword glowed brilliantly blue as he fiercely struck at the enemy.

Unexpectedly, the Dark Weaver, which had always managed to escape in time, now stayed in place, its movements marked by apparent panic. Lancelot's longsword easily sliced through the Weaver's defensive tendrils and penetrated the shadow barrier protecting its body, finally landing a solid and deep cut on the creature, leaving behind a significant wound.

A rush of confidence surged through Lancelot, and he didn't pause for a moment, his longsword swiftly following up with a Horizontal Slash. Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire

However, at that moment, Koula's second Flash Bomb exploded. Amid the intense white light, the creature initiated another Shadow Jump to flee, leaving behind only a trail of grey blood hanging in the air, which vaporized and disappeared with the sudden onslaught of brightness.