The Paladin in the Abyss-Chapter 765 - 786 Ominous Sign

As Bruto had promised earlier, he remained conscious during the battle, and as soon as he heard Lancelot’s call, he immediately ran back and was hauled onto the horse by the latter. Meanwhile, little Ysa flew back to the Human Knight, turning back into a bat amid a puff of smoke, and attached herself to Lancelot’s cloak.

"Is everyone all right?" Lancelot’s gaze quickly swept over his companions, confirming that everyone was in good shape, "Let’s get out of this damned place..."

In the distant, hazy fog, more dark shadows kept emerging from the ground. Fortunately, the Elf Priest’s explosion of Divine Power had cleared a large open area, giving the mounts the space they needed to gather speed. Lancelot led the charge at the forefront, holding his Hand Half Sword Frostslash high. The aqua Sword Aura flickering on the blade allowed his attacks to extend beyond the weapon’s physical length, and each time he swung his sword, a zombie or skeleton still dozens of feet away would be cleaved in two. Even if they managed to somehow ’reattach’ themselves afterward, the group was sure to have run far away.

Behind Lancelot, Bruto kept throwing his Magic Warhammer—with the Returning Enchantment it had, he could afford to do so without restraint. The Dwarf preferred the skeletal enemies, as the visual effect when the Warhammer hit them was very pleasing to the eye. Anyone participating in this activity could enjoy the sense of destruction, and Bruto even had the untimely thought that perhaps opening an Undead hunting ground in Twin Bridges Town would be a good idea, surely the Demons would like what he was doing right now.

Behind the two, Alamir and Tanya took up positions to the left and right, with Kalalin closely following. The four formed a tight diamond formation, with the Elf Priest and the Half-elf Cursed Swordmaster clearing up any stragglers that made it through. As a Priest of the Domain of Life, Alamir actually had very impressive combat skills, especially in defense, which is why he usually took position on the left side of the formation. The left-hand shield-bearing Elf could play to his strengths better on this side.

After cutting down dozens of disgustingly hideous foes, the companions finally completely burst out of that graveyard-like slope. The burning undead had disappeared behind the thick fog, while their wretched screams still echoed in their ears. After riding some distance further, they returned to their original dirt road, where Lancelot gradually slowed down the horses, eventually stopping at a crossroad.

"We should be safe here," the Human Knight patted Bruto, and both dismounted one after another, "Let’s rest for a bit and let the horses catch their breath. Also, I need to have a word with this guy alone..."

The companions dismounted, curiously watching as the Human Knight led the Nightmare away, disappearing beyond a small hill by the side of the road.

"What’s he off to do?" Bruto asked, puzzled, "The way he’s acting, it feels like he’s about to give the big black horse a beating, doesn’t it?"

"Looks like it. That horse seemed to have its own ideas during the battle..." Alamir shrugged, "Back to the matter at hand, what exactly happened just now? Did we just escape from a trap?"

"No doubt about it, that’s exactly what happened." The Half-elf pulled out a carrot from somewhere and stuffed it into his mount’s mouth, "I bet that if we had died there, our gear would’ve been stripped by the villagers, and our corpses would’ve become part of the trap, to rise again when the next victims passed by. If I were to score that scheme out of ten, I’d give it a seven. It’s a clever design, but it’s a pity they met high-rank Divine Art Casters and a monster like Lancelot..."

"I hardly count as high-rank." Alamir shook his head, "A true high-rank Priest would’ve unleashed a torrent of Heavenly Fire on the spot, turning that evil, Fallen village to ashes."

"I like that idea." Bruto pulled off a hand bone that had been clamped to his ankle since the fight and casually tossed it into the grass by the road, "Hope big bro has the same thoughts... huh, what’s that?"

Everyone looked in the direction Bruto was pointing and saw an old wooden gallows creaking in a sudden cold wind. They were certain that thing hadn’t been by the road before, and the broken noose on it fluttered in the wind as if a stall owner was waving them over.

Across from the gallows stood another signpost, indicating that the road to the east led to Chadegory Town, Grey Pine Lake, and Derrick Fort, while the southeast would take them to Viliki Mountain.

"Has everyone rested well? Let’s continue..." Lancelot emerged from behind the hillside, with his large black horse trailing behind him, nodding its head, "Hmm, what’s wrong with you all?"

"Big... Big brother..." Bruto’s teeth seemed to be chattering, "You... Look... Is that... me?"

"What?" Lancelot looked puzzled, "What are you talking about?"

"The gallows... the corpse on the gallows... It looks like me... or rather my father... It is my father, right..."

"But there’s nothing on it?"

"No... there is..." fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

Lancelot glanced at the empty gallows, then back at the panicked Dwarf, his brow gradually furrowing. Suddenly, he reached out and gave a firm pat on the Dwarf’s back, which startled him so much that he leapt up and clung to Nightmare’s neck, only to be disdainfully placed back on the ground by the latter.

"What are you doing?" Bruto’s voice was on the verge of tears, "You almost scared my kidneys out!"

"Look again, is there anything on the gallows now?"

"Ah? What... what’s going on... just now it was clearly..."

"It must be some kind of engraving Illusion Technique," Kalalin spoke up, "The first person to see it triggers the effect of the engraving, seeing their own image on the gallows. Since the spell has been activated, we won’t notice anything unusual when we look again. If a lone traveler gets caught by this illusion, they could be directly terrorized into madness..."

"Who the hell would put such a thing here?!" Bruto cursed angrily, "How does my madness benefit them? Isn’t this harmful to others and oneself?"

"Perhaps that’s exactly the purpose?"

The Elf Priest gazed thoughtfully at the gallows, making a peculiar hand gesture. A blinding pillar of light enveloped the execution device, and when the light faded, the gallows had vanished.

"Both Kalalin and I have prepared spells to remove curses, and my High Rank Restoration Art can even lift some of the more potent negative effects. If you feel anything strange, you must speak out immediately, and the same goes if you think something’s off with someone else," Alamir said solemnly to his companions, "Most illusions and curses can shatter one’s mind, making the victim unaware they’re affected, but if those nearby pay close attention, they can always spot the anomalies in time."