The Paladin in the Abyss

"I'm fine, it's just that this kind of scene is quite rare." Kalalin said rather sheepishly, pointing towards the bustling scene in the distance and quietly explaining to everyone:

"Under normal circumstances, demons loathe any sort of physical labor, yet in the Abyss, there are various magnificent engineering constructions that are too complex to be explained by magic. Therefore, scholars have always been very curious and proposed many hypotheses about the construction methods of these massive facilities. The scene before us at least proves one of them: through large-scale mental control, High Rank Demons can drive Low Rank Demons en masse, forcing them to fulfill their grand plans."

"I must say, it's quite ironic." Elothysia also frowned as she looked towards that direction, "My kin, with their immense strength, only seem to have a constructive role when under mental control."

"They seem quite passionate about their work and certainly wouldn't welcome us passing through." Bruto guessed, "So what do we do? Just storm through?"

"I don't like that idea," Koula quietly opposed, "We would be overwhelmed."

"There are over a hundred mutated Kas demons there, and even if we really wiped them all out, we would most likely be exhausted." Lancelot Morassa stroked his chin, "And the cannon fodder's master wouldn't let us go back to eat well and rest before coming to find it."

"What a hassle, can't these ultimate demon lords just stay quietly in the deepest part of their lair and wait?" Bruto muttered, "So what do we do? Try to sneak in? I can't move silently and unnoticed in heavy armor like you and the Elves can, like a cat."

"That's a simple and practical technique which I highly recommend you master as soon as possible." Alamir shrugged, "Lancelot, how about your Sensory Ability? Can it help us find a surreptitious route in?"

Lancelot closed his eyes but quickly reopened them and spread his hands, "No use, the enemy's numbers are too great, and they're too close together; I can only sense their rough locations. How about I try another invisibility and high-altitude reconnaissance, like I did before at Oasis Fort?"

"I don't recommend doing that," Kalalin shook her head, "Several of the Flomos we took down before had mutations in their eyes, and they might have developed the ability of True Sight. These aren't the neckless Berserk Demons—if even one inadvertently looks up, you'll definitely become the target of everyone while you're in midair. Moreover, they are always moving, so by the time you come down, the distribution of enemies would have changed."

"Boss, let me do it," unexpectedly, Cromwell suddenly spoke up, "Scholar, just cast Levitation Skill on me; a floating skull is small and inconspicuous, and no one will notice it. Through a mental link, you can get my vision in real-time, and from above, it shouldn't be hard to find a lightly guarded path to slip in."

"The Levitation Skill only lasts ten minutes, and once the spell ends, he will fall back to the ground," Kalalin reminded, "We must hurry, and traverse this large 'construction site' before that."

"Don't worry, friends, there will definitely be no problem," the skull assured everyone, "If the time is almost up, I'll just find a crack in the ceiling to wedge myself in, and you can come get me after you're done!"

"Let's do that," Lancelot nodded in agreement after a brief moment of thought. Upon hearing this, Kalalin pulled a scroll from Howard's convenient bag and then chose a large rock for cover, ensuring the Spiritual Light emitted during the spellcasting wouldn't be detected by the Demons in the distance.

Accompanied by a pale blue glow, Cromwell began to rise like a balloon—higher and higher. His vision, through a mental link, was transmitted to Lancelot's Divine Sense.

It was quite a marvelous experience, akin to gaining an additional sense. With just a slight focus, Lancelot could also see the scene from the skull's eyes. From Cromwell's perspective, he quickly identified a route weakly guarded by the enemy. Lancelot motioned to his companions and took the lead, stealthily making their way into the area.

They first passed through an area reminiscent of a quarry where Kas Demons with mutated arms were working, processing mud and rocks into regular rectangular blocks. They were all concentrated on their work, with only the occasional demon coming to fetch materials, making it relatively easy to slip through this area.

The group crouched and moved quickly, the only significant noise being the scraping sounds of Bruto's armor. Fortunately, the noise of material processing itself was loud enough that the work-engrossed Demons didn't notice them.

The floating skull also moved with the actions of the partners below, allowing Lancelot to see the conditions ahead clearly. The next area was a building still under construction with a very deep foundation, suggesting it would be a massive structure. Most of the demons were busy underground, with materials not yet used messily piled around the edges, providing good cover for the sneaking party.

Once again, the group smoothly passed through this area. Between them and the ominous grand hall were numerous low, spherical buildings. These buildings, with their chitinous exterior walls resembling insect carapaces, gave off a rather repulsive feel. Lancelot's Spirit Perception sensed a significant number of Demons ahead, likely resting inside.

Demons themselves do not need sleep, but they can still feel fatigue. Even though the mentally controlled demons wouldn't complain, it was necessary to let them rest occasionally to maintain work efficiency.

Crossing this area could be tricky as Cromwell didn't possess the ability to see through the roofs, making it impossible to see the situation underneath. These temporary, nest-like buildings surrounded the entire hall, and Lancelot couldn't find any route to bypass them. Thus, he silently drew Frostslash, ready to ensure a quick and quiet death for the enemy in case they ran into one or two unexpectedly. Find adventures on My Virtual Library Empire

A faint sound of swords being drawn was heard, and the others also took out their weapons. Except for Alamir, just holding his remarkable Hardhead Hammer caused it to glow like a torch, making it difficult to avoid attracting attention.

After observing for a short while longer, Lancelot decisively moved forward, his attention focused on both the high-altitude view from the skull and his own Spirit Perception, trying to avoid rooms that might contain enemies.

However, it was still unlikely they wouldn't encounter any enemies. As they passed one of the small houses, they ran head-on into two mutated Kas Demons coming out from inside.