The Paladin in the Abyss

(Tired, not yet revised, will check again at noon tomorrow)

"Sir Lancelot, please wait a moment," the vampire girl already moved behind Medusa suddenly said, "He will be ready soon."

"Making a lady wait, what an uncouth fellow... What exactly are you doing here?"

"I think you do not have the right to question, madam."

"Even after all I've done for you?"

"Yes," little Isha nodded coldly, "Considering everything you have done, madam."

"Then tell him to hurry up," Medusa turned her face away, "You owe me one, you know that yourselves."

The snake-haired gorgon turned stiffly around, not hiding her discontent, and the snakes on her head seemed to sense their owner's mood, viciously displaying their fangs and forked tongues to everyone. She beckoned to the flesh golems, these soulless constructed beings clumsily moved over, six of them combined in a way beyond everyone's imagination into a human-like throne, making Medusa look like a member of the Royal Family on an outing.

Facing such a demonstrative act, everyone could only choose to ignore it while remaining vigilant. On the other side, the vine controlled by Lancelot was still continuously growing, and the speed of absorbing water was getting faster. Five minutes ago, this lake seemed almost full, but now a large part of the lake bed was exposed to the air. In another five minutes, this lake filled by Stygian River water might be completely drained.

Though still seated on her luxurious throne, Medusa stretched out her neck, carefully observing the lake bed covered with black sludge. Even if her reactions were slow, she could guess that these people wanted something buried at the lake's bottom. But to her disappointment, she didn't notice anything suspicious that could help her deduce the human knight and his companions' purpose.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, the lake was completely drained in less than two more minutes, exposing the witch's arrangement. Under the tower used to capture souls, a pipe stretching from thin to thick extended directly to the maze-like facility at the bottom of the Stygian River lake. The maze was composed of a metal cage with dense mesh, and several water-bucket-thick pipes led to the storage warehouse for "catches." An outsider might easily mistake this as a kind of fishing facility, but the companions knew very well what would be put into that maze and what would come out—they had seen it firsthand.

Not only Medusa, but the companions were also searching the lake bottom, although they knew what they were looking for, they still found nothing.

"What does that thing look like?" Bruto tugged Alamir worriedly, "Why does it feel... like nothing is there?"

"I have seen that thing in the temple before, about the size of a helmet, can be of any color, depending on the emotions contained within the memories stored in it," the elf priest answered softly, "Maybe it's buried under the sludge, otherwise it can't be unseen for something that big..."

"Lancelot has already found it…" Tanya suddenly spoke, unable to hide the excitement in her tone, "I can feel it… the mentor can feel it..."

Perhaps hearing their conversation, the castle formed by vines began to shrink rapidly, as fast as Bruto's first cup of ale each day. The vine shrank smaller and smaller, gradually revealing its true shape, and Lancelot's figure, sitting cross-legged, emerged from the vine's cover. The brilliant divine light in his eyes flashed briefly, unnoticed by Medusa who had deliberately turned her head away.

The vine eventually shrank into a rod-like object about nine feet long, lying horizontally on Lancelot's legs. Its rugged surface twisted like a snake but seemed unable to grow smaller. Lancelot placed his hands on the vine and gently closed his eyes, carefully feeling the plant that had drunk the Stygian River water.

Silence. Oblivion. Bearing everything. Endless. The end of all things. The end itself. Unstoppable will.

The human knight swallowed lightly, feeling as if he had created something extraordinary with the combined effects of the mysterious green liquid and Stygian River water.

The mysterious vine continued to squirm in his hands, waiting for its creator to determine its final form. Lancelot's mind moved, the vine immediately responded, twisting, stretching, deforming, compressing, and finally transforming into a trident with an ancient design, then completely quieted down.

"Lancelot, did you…" Tanya eagerly ran to him, her face full of expectation, anxiety, and hesitation.

"Rest assured," Lancelot nodded to her, "But wait a moment, we need to clear some accounts with the people first… What a pleasant surprise, Madam Kesme, I thought we would never get the chance to meet again..."

"No need for false courtesy with me, knight, I prefer you pointing your sword at me."

"Of course, I can't deny that, madam," Lancelot nodded with a smile, "Since that's the case, I will be straightforward. Why help us, Madam Kesme? Is there something you need us to do?"

"So, you admit owing me a favor..."

"Although we could have solved those troubles ourselves, you did help us," Lancelot replied calmly, "Though I wish everyone could help others without expecting anything in return."

"I'm afraid I'm not such a person."

"Then you must have a very compelling reason to extend a hand to those who once killed you."

"On this land, murder is not an unresolvable conflict..."

"Elsewhere too," Bruto couldn't help but interject, "Because in most cases, the dead have no chance to express dissatisfaction."

"When we met last time, you captured me without any explanations and forced me to submit with weapons," Medusa pressed her dark glasses against her face, but Lancelot was not intimidated by the threatening gesture, "I didn't do anything threatening then..."

"Reason."

"...I need a chance."

"What chance?"

"A... chance for redemption," Medusa took a deep breath, "Only the True God can change my fate, and the Cranvo you serve, I am certain He is a True God, so I helped you... Do you understand what I mean?"

"You can totally pray to Him yourself, sincerely," Lancelot shrugged, "Besides, I don't think redemption can be granted..."