The Paladin in the Abyss

Chapter 109 Rapid Descent into the Deep Pit

A group of people circled around the pit on the ground that seemed not yet fully solidified and entered the interior of the slave enclosure.

Along the walls of the pit, a descending passageway was built that spiraled around several times, appearing to reach all the way down to the bottom. An eerie layer of black mist hovered above the pile of skeletons at the bottom, obscuring the details of the pit's depths from their vantage point. For Lancelot, who knew all too well what lay beneath, the black veil offered little comfort.

"What's down there?" Bruto asked curiously, staring at the bottom of the pit, "Seems like there's something dense and numerous?"

"There, lies the pit of corpses." The werewolf Reap stroked his chin, "Just to give you a heads-up, there are billions of skeletons down there, filling up the entire bottom of the pit. It's a scene of horror you blokes from the Prime Material Plane haven't even seen in your nightmares. If any of you are scared of seeing skulls or have claustrophobia, you'd better find a blindfold now."

The group exchanged silent glances, and it was Bruto who eventually spoke:

"And what's with this layer of black mist?"

"I don't know, the resentment of the unjustly dead? Souls that can't leave? With so many corpses piled up, isn't it normal to have some strange phenomena?" Reap shrugged, "The sun in the Plains of the Abyss is weak. Even at noon, its light can't dispel that black mist."

"Has this black mist always been so thick?" Kalalin asked, frowning as he looked towards the bottom of the pit, "I mean, it's almost tangible."

"Seems thicker than when I was here last time." The werewolf scratched his head, "To be honest, I haven't paid much attention to it. Whenever I sneak in here, there are troubles more worthy of my attention than this black mist."

"Where's the entrance to that secret passage?" The goblin Phil approached one side of the path, examining the interior of the slave enclosure, "We're not going to have to go down to the very bottom, are we?"

"If the entrance were somewhere else, it'd have been discovered long ago." The werewolf replied and urged the group to move on, "Let's get going. If we walk fast, it should take us about half an hour to get to the bottom."

"Go down?!" Phil let out a cry of despair, and Koula, who was about the same height as him, also showed a fearful expression, "Do we have to circle around and around? Isn't there any shortcut or something?"

"Sure, you can just jump down." The werewolf said sarcastically to the goblin, "But I don't see any wings on you."

"But Sir Lancelot has wings!" Koula raised his hand excitedly, "We can all climb into his Dimensional Bag and wait until he flies down, then he can let us out!"

"When you entered it before, you were in a state of suspended animation. Can living people also go into a Dimensional Bag?" Lancelot asked curiously.

"No problem, as long as the oxygen inside hasn't run out." Kalalin answered assuredly, "The new Storage Bag you have is pretty much empty, right?"

Lancelot nodded. Kalalin was referring to the Storage Bag Alamir found in the body of the Succubus, which now only contained his Giant Sword Glacier and nothing else.

"If all of us go in, the oxygen inside should last for about one minute." Kalalin said cheerfully, "Pay attention to the time when you fly. When it's about time, let us out for some air."

"Alright, I'll stick one hand into the bag later. If you guys feel stuffy, just pull on my hand."

"Awesome! You're really a genius!" Phil exclaimed in excitement as he hugged Koula and spun around, eliciting giggles from the latter.

"I feel my way of thinking was too narrow," the Werewolf shook his head, "This thing has so many uses. I've definitely got to get a Dimensional Bag for myself."

"Haha, being an Adventurer means you have to learn to adapt on the fly," Bruto said with a chuckle. The young Dwarf now considered himself an Adventurer.

"We're about to go underground and might even encounter some battles," Kalalin pulled out a bag filled with bottles and vials from beneath his robe, "I have here some Antitoxin Potions and Night Vision Potions. Drink up if you need them."

"Ha, us Dwarves are born with night vision and poison resistance. Keep your potions for the others," Bruto said nonchalantly, walking towards the Dimensional Bag that Lancelot had placed on the ground, "I'm going in first. Hurry up, everyone." Find your next read at empire

Aside from Koula and Kalalin, everyone else present had night vision capabilities. The Halfling picked up two potions, saying somewhat sheepishly:

"Thank you, Mr. Kalalin. I'm sorry for the trouble. I'm quite skilled at making potions myself, and I'll definitely return the favor someday."

"Don't mention it," Kalalin winked at her, "I'm sure I'll be drinking plenty of your potions in the future."

The Antitoxin Potion was much more popular. Except for the Dwarf, nearly everyone drank a bottle, Lancelot included.

The dark green, semi-transparent potion left a memorable impression with its taste—like a blend of bitter melon, lemon, and mint leaves. But once it was swallowed, it brought an incredibly strong sensation of coolness, as if even the air taken into the lungs was much fresher.

One after another, the group jumped into the Dimensional Bag. Even Kalalin, who was still wearing the Transformation Ring and carried the form of a Succubus, went in—the Scholar had never practiced using the wings of a Succubus' body, so jumping down was about as effective as holding an umbrella.

Lancelot picked up the Dimensional Bag, reaching one hand inside. Someone tapped on the back of his hand—it was Kalalin's since it was a Succubus claw and matched his current state.

He walked to the edge of the road and leaped down with a bound.

In mid-air, the Succubus Knight dove down the curved edge of the large pit like a swallow. By slightly adjusting the angle of his wings, he could change the direction of flight, which was a technique he had just mastered.

As he descended, he noticed Demon Guards patrolling the path that circled the pit walls. These Demons were checking each cell, and when they found one filled with Coward Devils or Prime Demons—who were cannon fodder for the battles—they were immediately released and driven to run upward.

From time to time, some Demons would notice Lancelot flying past, but after a mere glance, they would look away. Succubi held a special status in Demon society—wherever they wanted to go, they went, and no one interfered. Under normal circumstances, these Demons might have tried to show off their masculine charms to the Succubus, but at the moment, no one had time to pay attention to her.

In less than a minute, Lancelot reached the bottom of the pit.

From this distance, the bottom of the pit was like a desert made of bones. Lancelot spared a moment of sympathy for the mental state of everyone and proceeded to pull each of his companions out of the Dimensional Bag, one by one.