The Paladin in the Abyss

Accompanied by the explosion of the Fireball thrown by the two-headed Ogre, the red-eyed mercenaries surged forward like a tide, attacking the Demons that were escorting the Succubus Paladin.

For Lancelot and his companions, the scene evoked a distinct feeling, these mercenaries, for merely thirty thousand Gold Coins, dared to attack a six-armed Serpent Demon?

Perhaps the numerical advantage gave them confidence; indeed, it seemed so. The Berserk Demon infantry were immediately embroiled in a bitter struggle, and two Succubi were surrounded. The weapons these mercenaries wielded were also peculiar; the 'gift' from the Tiflin merchant appeared to specifically counteract the Demons' Innate Armor, creating deep, bleeding wounds with a mere scratch.

But when a few mercenaries actually launched their attack on the seemingly injured Serpent Demon, the situation reversed in an instant. A few flashes of cold light, and in a blink, several dismembered bodies lay on the ground.

Lancelot, hiding aside, was closely observing the enemy's movements. He noticed that when the Serpent Demon attacked, all its arms swung at once, and even though such attacks seemed bewildering, Lancelot saw that the strikes from the arms on the same side of its body all aimed at common points. To an experienced Swordsman, such sword moves were not unblockable.

But among these mercenaries, there was no such Swordsman. The battle seemed to pause for a moment, everyone shocked by the carnage the Serpent Demon caused in an instant. A few mercenaries who had planned to join the siege abruptly halted, as if a bucket of cold water named death had been poured over their heads, startling them awake from their daydreams of how to spend their bounty in revelry.

But the Serpent Demon Ashap would not stand still. She stretched her sword-holding arms, flinging the blood off her weapon, her massive tail slithering forward along the ground, a sight enough to awake the deepest fears in the hearts of mortals.

Two humans watched the Serpent Demon approach, but their trembling legs were unable to move, as if bound hand and foot like living sacrifices, waiting in place for their imminent fate.

Cold light flashed, and two more heaps of shattered bodies joined the others on the ground.

The Demons' morale rose with the Serpent Demon's performance, while clear wavering appeared among the mercenaries. The less intelligent Ogres continued to fight fiercely, while the more 'clever' humans and Zoel had already begun to attack with less conviction.

"A bunch of trash!"

Mercenary Leader Guarado knew it was time to enter the fray himself. He let out a roar, his bare upper body showcasing a wolf-head tattoo, as he charged at the Serpent Demon with his massive Warhammer.

The Serpent Demon fearlessly met her enemy, her left arms trying to block the attack, while her right arms swept towards the unprotected body of her opponent.

Yet, the Barbarians' immense strength foiled her plans. At the moment of the weapon clash, the Serpent Demon realized she couldn't withstand the furious blow of the Barbarian; her other arms quickly changed direction, hoping to mitigate the attack, but it was too late.

The Serpent Demon could only dodge aside, avoiding a direct hammer blow to the head, but the Barbarian's weapon struck her right shoulder hard, distorting half her body.

The towering Barbarian let out a triumphant roar as he swung a sweeping blow, ready to finish off the Serpent Demon, but suddenly, the enemy vanished from his field of vision.

Lancelot, watching from a distance, saw it all clearly. The Serpent Demon's body bent backward sharply, her back nearly touching the ground, while her gigantic tail swept forward like a whip, aiming directly for her opponent's lower body.

Caught off guard, the Barbarian was knocked to the ground, and then the serpentine body coiled around him like a vine, binding him tight.

"Damn it! Release me!" Guarado angrily slapped at the serpent's body, but that only made the coils tighten even more. He felt a choking sensation, as if all the air in his lungs was being squeezed out.

"Oh~ Keep screaming!" The Serpent Demon couldn't reach her enemy wrapped behind her, but that didn't stop her from letting out a triumphant laugh, "I love the screams of prey before their death; that is all you can do now!"

It was as if the Serpent Demon's words reminded the Barbarian; he tore a small pouch from around his neck and took out a potion. Lancelot was certain it was the mysterious bottle given to the Mercenary Leader by the Tiflin merchant.

Tightly coiled by the serpent's body, Guarado could hardly swallow, but Magic Potions didn't need to be 'digested' to take effect. In fact, most potions only needed to touch the tongue, and that was exactly what was happening now.

Guarado's body began to grow larger, and his entire body burst into violent flames, the high temperature contained within unbearable for the Succubus, who had no choice but to fling the Barbarian away harshly.

The moment he made contact with the ground, the Barbarian executed a skillful breakfall, rolling to dissipate most of the force, and then he stood up.

Transformed, the Barbarian had become a Giant, standing more than twice the height of the Serpent Demon, looking like a deity. He took two steps forward in a sprint, then leaped fiercely, launching a sky-covering assault on the Serpent Demon.

This exaggerate attack, of course, could not hit the nimble Serpent Demon. Despite being severely injured, she barely rolled to the side, avoiding the blow.

"You're quick on your feet, but how many times can you dodge?" The Mercenary Leader felt a great power coursing through his body, a feeling he relished immensely, and he couldn't wait to vent the destructive urge in his heart.

A Berserk Demon focused on brawling with two Gray Dwarves became his victim. The Giant's hand scooped up the Berserk Demon, then, grabbing one of the frog's legs with one hand, he tore the unfortunate Demon in half. He himself hadn't noticed, but the Serpent Demon, with her True Sight eyes, saw that the wolf-head tattoo on his chest had transformed into a Demon's head.

"Fool, the stench of Barto on you makes me sick," the six-armed Serpent Demon chuckled coldly, and then, in a flash, vanished from the spot.

"Hahaha! Coward! You actually ran away!" Guarado was stunned for a moment, then burst into triumphant laughter. He looked towards the prisoner cart, ready to claim his spoils of war, only to find the figure of the Serpent Demon appearing beside the camel-like beast pulling the cart.

"Think being big is impressive?" said the Serpent Demon with a sneer, casually unfastening the frame attached to the beast, "How about something bigger to play with?"

Lancelot immediately sensed a very familiar magical fluctuation emanating from the beast, the same kind felt when wearing the Transformation Ring.

"Roar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

A deafening roar erupted, and where the camel-like creature had lain, there was now a giant Demon over fifteen feet tall. This Demon had bull-like massive horns, a gorilla-like build, and thick red hair all over its body, blazing like flames.

Lancelot recognized it as the Giant Bull Demon, a terrifying Demon that could be used as a siege weapon, with strength even greater than that of the six-armed Serpent Demon. These simple-minded Demons, misfits among the ruthlessly evil, often seemed somewhat straightforward, with many Abyssal Lords even keeping them as pets. Your journey continues on empire