The Paladin in the Abyss

"No, you foolish Elf, just throw that thing away!"

"Dwarves, truly they have no sense of humor at all." The Elf shrugged, crumpled the Hell flyer into a ball, and tossed it away. "At least we should be grateful for avoiding an unnecessary battle..."

"That's not for certain." The Dwarf cautiously glanced at the Human Knight. "I think someone might need a little outlet right now..."

"I'm not foolish to that extent," Lancelot replied sulkily, "and even if I wanted to vent, I'd only direct my anger at the culprit who destroyed Twin Bridges Town."

"Aha!" Bruto thumped his Warhammer on the ground. "So our target this time is Grazzt himself?"

Lancelot pressed his lips tightly, said nothing, and turned to head in a certain direction, and the companions naturally set out with him.

"Lancelot, I'm not trying to object, but we're talking about Lord Wu'an, and this is especially the Abyss..." Kalalin spoke with some concern. "There's ample evidence that an Abyssal Lord is akin to a deity in their domain... Of course, I know you're strong, but..."

"I'm well aware of the gap between myself and the Abyssal Lord," Lancelot said calmly, his voice carrying no hint of anger. "I promise I won't seek revenge recklessly. If I fight that Demon, it'll only happen when I choose the time and place and have prepared thoroughly..."

"I understand, that's all I needed to hear." Kalalin nodded and patted Lancelot on the shoulder. "But remember, you are not alone."

Lancelot stopped, turned back, and met the firm gaze of his companions.

"Thank you."

He nodded, turned again, and continued walking.

——————————————————

Due to the constantly changing nature of the Abyss, there is no very detailed map, making it challenging for the group to deduce their current location. However, it's certain they've returned to the Plains of the Abyss, as a Devil army just passed right in front of them.

Of course, Lancelot didn't just pick a direction at random. With his Transcendent Sensory Ability, he could hear the sound of rapids striking rocks about five miles away by focusing slightly. In the Plains of the Abyss, the only thing capable of producing such a sound is the Stygian River. Once they reached the river, they could summon the Ferryman Demon Verxius piloting the Bone Duke and use it to reach Twin Bridges Town.

Perhaps due to the looming threat of Barto Hell, they encountered no major trouble along the way, except for some nearly beast-like Abyssal Fiends (resembling a giant mouth with claws) and the Chasm Demons that sensed they had found prey. Lancelot didn't even need to act against these Demons, as Bruto seemed eager to show off in front of his father. Whenever an enemy appeared within range, he would throw his Warhammer at it, smashing the target into pulp, adding a touch of brightness to the mundane and dull landscape of the Plains of the Abyss.

These minor incidents hardly affected the group's progress, though their speed was noticeably slower than usual, due to the presence of a non-Adventurer in their ranks — Bruto's father, Barrend. The old Dwarf, accustomed to working by the forge, was robust but not skilled in such long-distance treks in the wilderness, so others slowed their pace to match his, fortunately not in too much of a rush.

After traveling for about an hour, the silhouette of the Stygian River came into view. From a distance, the river with its black waters looked like a giant snake sprawling on the Plains of the Abyss. The surging waters were like the snake's writhing body, and the waves cresting on the river surface suggested venomous white scales, producing an instinctive Fear in those who saw it.

However, for Lancelot's group, the Stygian River was no longer so frightening — they were quite familiar with it, knowing exactly what dangers lurked therein, so there was no Fear born of the unknown.

The Stygian River has two main hazards: one is its memory-erasing effect, the other, it can cause 'almost everything' to sink. The former isn't as terrible as it sounds; getting splashed by Styx Water doesn't instantly turn you into an imbecile, but rather temporarily makes you forget who you are, why you're there, what you were about to do... The effect may be less impactful than getting whacked on the head with a stick. Even if you fall into the Stygian River and are completely submerged, as long as companions pull you out immediately, you'd lose at most only a week's memory. Clearly, compared to falling into lava, losing a week of memory isn't an unacceptable price.

As for the other danger of the Stygian River, the team had also found a way to cope: hiring a Ferryman Demon to navigate. These Low Rank Yugros Demons are familiar with every inch of the Stygian River, possessing supernatural sailing techniques that ensure the boats they commandeer never sink. Their fares are not exorbitant (for those who make a living from adventuring), and if passengers are willing to pay quadruple the fare, they secure the Ferryman Demon's... loyalty during the service.

A little pricey, but well worth it.

However, for a 'crazy' band of adventurers like Lancelot's, their approach was bolder and more straightforward — commandeering a warship from the Barto Hell navy and gifting it to the Ferryman Demon in exchange for absolute loyalty (don't put all bets on this), permanently free service, always on call. The validity of this agreement lasts as long as Lancelot lives, though the Fiend who made the deal with him likely hasn't grasped the gravity of the situation yet.

After another half-hour of walking, they finally reached the bank of the Stygian River. Lancelot found a suitable stone, stood atop it, and blew the bone horn given by Ferryman Demon Verxius. Within a minute, a massive bone warship appeared from the thin air over the river, anchoring firmly by the stone where Lancelot stood.

"Sir Lancelot, it is a great honor to be summoned by you once more..." Ferryman Demon Verxius greeted Lancelot with uncharacteristic respect. "How may I serve you?"

"What's with you?" Lancelot looked curiously at the hooded skeleton. "I thought you'd be surprised and disappointed to see me still alive..."

"You jest, Sir, I'm certain I'll have the privilege of serving you for many, many years..."

"What's going on?" Lancelot frowned. "Your behavior... there's a big issue here."

"Uh..." The Ferryman Demon paused awkwardly, then after some time, quietly explained, "I can see that you and your companions are blessed by the Lord of the Dead and the Raven Queen at the same time..."