The Paladin in the Abyss

Olul's incarnation extended her hands toward the Magic Sphere entrapping Lancelot, a blue magic aura shimmering in her palm, but someone was faster than her actions. A terrifying tremor suddenly erupted from underground; the earth rolled like a sea whipped by ferocious winds, tipping Olul's incarnation onto the ground and causing the two Magic Spheres containing Lancelot and Bruto to roll away from their creator.

This was Tijana's technique, and it was clear that such Ice Magic Spheres could not trap the powerful Succubus Lord. Moreover, as the target of this earthquake spell was the ground, Tijana could choose the ability of Spell Instant Casting without worrying about the strong spell resistance of a True God's incarnation.

Although he could not hear the outside sounds, Lancelot could see the Succubus Lord hovering in the air, occasionally stopping to hurl colorful spells, then swiftly flying away. Olul retaliated with Ice Cone Darts, each transforming into a shrieking, self-destructing Ice Demon Bat, crazily charging at Tijana like moths to a flame.

The two seemed evenly matched and, for the moment, paid no attention to the prisoners trapped in the Ice Magic Spheres. However, Lancelot was not about to sit idly by. Although his body was immobilized, as long as his consciousness was not comatose, his Spiritual Cultivation still afforded him the capability to resist.

Lancelot concentrated hard, carefully sensing the magical power that trapped him. In a profoundly mysterious manner, he perceived the essence of his prison and realized that with unwavering willpower, he could break free from the magical bonds. He visualized his Divine Sense coalescing into a Great Sword, striking fiercely at the chains wrapped around him.

The Magic Sphere that trapped Lancelot vibrated intensely, almost bouncing off the swamp-like ground, yet it did not shatter. Though it was a failed attempt, it greatly bolstered the Human Knight's confidence; he knew he was close, and with a few more attempts, he was certain to succeed.

Just then, a furry hand suddenly grabbed the Magic Sphere he was in and quickly moved in a direction away from the intense battle between the two women, while the oblivious Goddess of Ice, facing away, either did not notice or could not afford to care.

It was Reap who had been lurking all along. As an experienced Wanderer, the Werewolf knew how to handle combat well. Against relatively weaker foes, he would face them head-on with his twin swords, easily resolving the fight with his enhanced strength and agility in his beast form; but facing formidable adversaries such as High Rank Demons or a True God's incarnation, he would resolutely hide, patiently waiting for the optimal moment to act.

The Werewolf grabbed an Ice Magic Sphere with one hand and sprinted across the seismic ravaged battlefield, hiding behind a massive black rock. Once he confirmed his temporary safety, he quickly set the Magic Sphere on the ground, his hands already purple from the sphere's chill.

Reap tried to communicate with the prisoner inside, but unfortunately, Lancelot could only see his lips moving up and down, unable to hear any sounds. However, the Werewolf seemed unfazed; he set the Magic Sphere down on the ground and made a fist gesture, then rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a tightly wrapped flat bottle containing a thick, orange-red liquid.

The bottle contained Fire Gel, an alchemical substance that would ignite instantly upon contact with air, one of the most common items for adventurers. The Werewolf unsealed the bottle and poured its contents over the two Ice Magic Spheres, which immediately caught fire.

The seemingly indestructible Magic Spheres trembled violently in the flames; Lancelot then launched another willpower assault, shattering the Magic Sphere that trapped him. Freed from the magic's bonds, his body quickly returned to its original size, falling to the nearby ground. He skillfully rolled to extinguish the flames sticking to him and then swiftly stood up.

"Thanks," he nodded at the Werewolf, "I owe you one."

"Don't mention it; you did more for us back at Oasis Fort," the Werewolf grinned, showing his teeth, then glanced at the other Ice Magic Sphere, "What's with this guy, why hasn't he come out yet?"

Lancelot knew that his ability to quickly escape was because he had discovered the trick, whereas the Dwarf might have to wait for the Magic Sphere to completely melt. Noticing that the Ice Magic Sphere was not melting quickly under the effect of the Fire Gel, he decided to slightly intensify the flame's strength.

Lancelot took a deep breath, then puffed out a breath full of Abyssal Aura toward the burning Magic Sphere.

Despite being extra careful, Lancelot still had not controlled his strength well. The ice sphere exploded almost immediately, and the burning dwarf instantly returned to his normal size, being blasted dozens of feet into the air amidst agonizing screams before crashing down into the nearby snow.

"I didn't kill him, did I?" Lancelot scratched his head, "What are the requirements for a priest's Resurrection of the Dead? Intact corpse, death not exceeding seven days?"

"I think you still don't understand dwarves well enough," Old Reap said, leaning relaxed against the boulder behind him.

"Wahaha! I finally got out!" Before the werewolf could finish speaking, Bruto burst out of the snow, "Thanks, big brother! I feel a lot warmer now!"

"See?" Old Reap shrugged at Lancelot, then patted the boulder behind him, "I suggest we wait here for a while. That avatar of Olul is definitely no match for Tijana..."

"Waaaaah! For the glory of Moradin!!!"

He couldn't finish his sentence because the dwarf, already brandishing his hammer and shield like a bull with a lit tail, charged out. Lancelot gave him a chuckle and pulled the Giant Sword Glacier from the Dimensional Bag at his waist.

"It seems you don't know the dwarves that well either."

The last word escaped him, and the Human Knight also charged out. Although a few seconds behind the dwarf, he almost instantly caught up with him and overtook Bruto.

"Aaaaahhhhhhh!!!!"

Inspired by the dwarf, Lancelot also let out a loud battle cry, but he wasn't quite sure what to shout. He had no deities to believe in, lost his lord to swear fealty to, and shouting 'For Tijana!' would be too embarrassing, especially since the Succubus Lord herself probably wouldn't appreciate it—Lancelot really had a knack for provoking enemies far stronger than himself.

The biggest difference between the Multiverse and the world Lancelot was familiar with was that creatures powerful enough rarely died for good. There were too many ways to avoid accidental death and even Resurrection of the Dead was not a surprise. Thus, in most cases, letting those who suffered heavily know Lancelot's true identity was not a good idea.

After much thought, the Human Knight decided to follow the method recommended by Lord Han in the little bamboo scroll. He took another deep breath and shouted out as loud and joyously as he could:

"In the name of Moro, the 'necrophiliac' of Oasis Fort, die!!!!"