The Paladin in the Abyss

"Hey! Don't just hang there trying to look cool, Lancelot!" Bruto's voice came from above him, "Hurry back, the roast chicken is still on the fire!"

"Do you need help?" Elothysia flew up to his side, followed by a fluttering little bat. She noticed Lancelot's serious expression and quickly asked, "Is something wrong? Did you get hit by the Dark Guardian's Fallen Touch? My Holy Healing can dispel those negative effects..." "I'm fine," Lancelot shook his head, gesturing with his fingers to have the vines lower him back to the ground.

"What happened?" Kalalin asked concernedly, the Scholar keenly picking up on the Human Knight's recent peculiar behavior.

"I saw Enrique fall into a pitch-black cave, the entrance was an illusion in the rock wall," Lancelot explained to everyone, "Although it was just a brief glimpse, the mouth of the cave was so dark it seemed like it could suck in all the surrounding light, very much like how the Lord of Withering described the Eye of Sarezdon."

"Really?" Bruto jumped up excitedly, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go down there right away!"

"Hold on," Lancelot shook his head, "Kalalin, you have to come down with me to check it out, and bring that Magic Wand the fox gave us."

"Alright," Kalalin nodded decisively.

A moment later, Elothysia looked on, somewhat speechlessly, at the two Elves heading down, while the others behind her had no particular reaction, having become accustomed to such oddities.

"Is it just me?" the Succubus Paladin asked the others, "Do they seem rather happy to put on the Transformation Rings?"

"What's so great about looking like that." Bruto took out his own ring, "Let me show you what I look like after transforming..."

"What..." Elothysia hadn't finished speaking when she suddenly saw another Elf with a big beard in front of her. The Succubus Paladin was stunned for a moment, then her facial expression changed drastically, and soon her hands flashed with a dark red light as she pointed at Bruto and shouted:

"Dispel Magic!!!!!"

With a 'bang', the bearded Succubus disappeared and a confused Dwarf stood in its place.

Down below, Lancelot and Kalalin landed on a natural stone bridge, with the cave that swallowed Enrique nearby. The illusion at the entrance was indeed hard to notice from afar, but up close, it was not too difficult to see through.

The Scholar pulled out the Magic Wand, which had been used once before, closed his eyes and focused slightly to activate its Detect Magic. But he immediately opened his eyes again, staggering back several steps as if he had been dazzled, nearly falling off the bridge, saved only by Lancelot's timely grip.

"What's wrong?"

"Detecting Aura as strong as the sun," Kalalin shook his head, indicating he was fine, "The Divine Artifact is inside. What do we do now? Should we go in and check it out?"

"I don't like this idea one bit..." Lancelot glanced at the cave's mouth again, "Let's head back first. The cave isn't going anywhere; if we're going in, we'll do it tomorrow."

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"How's it going?"

When Lancelot and Kalalin returned to the camping platform, Bruto was sitting by the fire, gnawing on half a roast chicken. The Dwarf greeted them quite naturally, without a hint of embarrassment.

"You started eating without waiting for us?" Lancelot shook his head helplessly, "We found it, it's in that cave. But most likely, we're already very tired today, let's rest for the night and go in tomorrow."

"Hey, I'm not tired at all." The Dwarf patted his chest, "I could take on a hundred more Flomos."

"Even a hundred Coward Devils would keep you busy all day," Lancelot shook his head, "Casting magic and divine arts depletes spiritual power, Kalalin and Alamir must get enough rest to use those magical powers again. The cave is most likely the lair of some ancient Lord of Obyrith, inside you'll want these companions whose palms can glow to be in their best condition."

"Fine, but it really is a hassle." Bruto threw the chicken bones into the fire, "Muscles are more reliable…"

"Dwarf." The Elf shrugged helplessly on the side.

Lancelot spent the whole night meditating, holding a middle-grade Tier Earth Crystal in his hands. The night passed without incident, and when the illuminating fungi within the Great Abyss brightened again, the True Qi inside him had completely recovered.

He opened his eyes and turned to look at the Succubus Paladin who had been curiously watching him from the start.

"You emitted a very peculiar aura while you were resting, quite like… like what you mortals refer to as a mother's feeling, making one feel strangely warm and familiar." Realizing that he had noticed her peeping, Elothysia explained somewhat embarrassingly, "I know it's odd for me to say this because my own mother never gave me that kind of feeling; she grew tired of me just a few days after giving birth."

"I wasn't resting, but cultivating. I can absorb the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth, and here in the Abyss, I naturally absorb the Abyss's Spiritual Energy. Maybe it's that aura that gave you a sense of familiarity because, strictly speaking, the Abyss is truly the mother that gave you life." Lancelot said with a smile, but then his expression became apologetic, "I'm sorry to hear about your experiences as a child. I was lucky to have an ordinary but happy childhood, which is a very precious memory for me."

"After setting down in the Prime Material Plane, I've encountered many human children, and they've shown me what I missed out on." The Succubus Paladin also showed a shallow smile, "Sometimes I even wonder if I am overestimating my evil nature? If I had a pair of normal parents and grew up in an environment full of love and peace, would I still take deception, tormenting, and indulgence for granted?"

"Have you come to a conclusion about that?"

"No, but I believe the answer is no." The Succubus shook her neatly trimmed short hair from side to side, "The power of love is great. If it can change me, it can certainly change others too. Especially children, even if they do have an evil nature, I believe their upbringing plays a much bigger role."

"I hope so." Lancelot nodded, ending the conversation.

The rest gradually woke from their slumber, including a certain Vampire who was struggling with jet lag. The young girl was very interested in exploring the cave, and after Lancelot stressed the possible dangers, he did not insist further.

After a simple breakfast, everyone got their equipment ready, making the final preparations before departure.