NOVPUBChapter 374 -388: Front Somersault
The demons were taken aback by the force of the succubus鈥檚 charge. How could such a creature, seemingly only keen on playing pranks and seducing mortals into decadence, be so fierce? And why was its weapon a longsword rather than a whip?
Despite their astonishment, the Brezu demons didn鈥檛 feel fear in their hearts. However, they still adopted a more cautious strategy: they leaped backward, dragging their weapons in front of them, ready to counterattack the moment their enemy鈥檚 strike missed.
Lancelot inwardly commended his opponent鈥檚 response. Most creatures in the Abyss had muscles developed to a grotesque degree but rarely possessed the skill to wield those muscles effectively. The ram-headed Brezu demons were an exception.
If it had been the old him, he would have adopted the standard swordsmanship response: a low sweep to ward off the opponent鈥檚 lower strike followed by an upward jab and then a returning Horizontal Slash. If the enemy dared to press the attack recklessly, this move could make them pay dearly; and if the enemy gave up on counterattacking, both parties would return to an even stance.
The only problem was, by doing so he would have lost the advantage of his charge and being one against two, reaching a stalemate with one enemy was meaningless.
The greatest enhancement from Foundation Establishment was in the strengthening of the body, allowing him to turn techniques that once existed only in his imagination into reality. After his strike missed, Lancelot didn鈥檛 slow down at all. The tip of his sword supported him against the ground as he flipped forward, completely avoiding the enemy鈥檚 jab and the other demon鈥檚 Horizontal Slash.
...
He spun nearly half a circle in the air, then viciously kicked out, hitting the ram-headed demon square in the face. Although his war boots had been transformed into sandals by the effect of the Transforming Ring, their mithril composition hadn鈥檛 changed. Combined with the momentum of the charge and Lancelot鈥檚 own strength, the Brezu demon鈥檚 head exploded like a flowerpot hit by a slingstone, and the dark purple brains, like clods of dirt from the pot, maintained their rough shape as they spun away.
Lancelot鈥檚 other foot kicked the demon鈥檚 chest, sending the headless corpse flying far away. He then rolled on the ground, dodging another slash from behind.
He quickly got up and faced the remaining Brezu demon. The opponent was shaken by his astonishing performance and cautiously held its weapon in front, assuming a defensive posture, while roaring in a hoarse voice:
鈥淲ho are you! To dare steal from the castle of the Mother of Demons, surrender now, or prepare to experience the torture of flaying and deboning!鈥
鈥淲hat Mother of Demons, is her husband the Demon Prince? Only the Queen of the Succubus, Mekanshut, is worthy of that title!鈥 Lancelot bluffed casually. Of course, he was well aware that the enemy was actually stalling for time, waiting for reinforcements, and that was exactly what Lancelot hoped for.
This was the perfect place to perform the act of escape for an audience, and those pursuing demons would be his spectators.
After that round of combat, Lancelot had already charged out of the tower鈥檚 exit and was now standing on a bridge less than ten feet wide, with the ground at least five hundred feet below him. The sky was mostly dyed a dark red by the light of fires on the ground, with the remaining areas showing a dense, deep blue, utterly devoid of any starlight.
潡堭潣凁潣潡?co
Beneath him lay the Mother of Demons鈥 Bone Castle. From the outside, the castle鈥檚 shape resembled a giant hand of bone and looked terrifying, yet also strangely fragile. However, from what he had seen inside, that was clearly an illusion; the castle was very sturdy, and no mortal siege engine could hope to shake it.
Because this castle wasn鈥檛 built by mortal hands.
Kalalin had once explained to him that an Abyssal Lord who had conquered an entire plane possessed a power akin to that of a god鈥攖he ability to alter reality. Although not to the extent that the gods could within their Divine Kingdoms, it was still enough to create horrific environments and structures to their own liking.
The castle was built on a plain littered with skeletons, and beyond it, a wilderness filled with lava and thick smoke, a place where even demons seemed hesitant to tread. On the edge of the Skeleton Plains, there were many sinister entrances, leading to an unknown underworld.
It was clear that Lancelot was no longer in Androlina. Based on the knowledge Kalalin had previously shared, this place was likely the 600th level of the Abyss, ruled by the Beast Roar Lord Baphoment, an endless labyrinth.
Yes, despite the Mother of Demons鈥 castle being here, the ruler of this level was not Cang Ye. The Mother of Demons hardly ever left her Bone Castle, and Baphoment did not interfere with matters within Cang Ye鈥檚 territory. The two Abyssal Lords had never officially established an alliance, but if either was attacked within the endless labyrinth, the other would lend a hand.
Tijana had already told Lancelot that the Mother of Demons was not in the castle, and he had also overheard the conversation between the two patrolling tempter demons. From the information at hand, it was apparent that the demonic side was very well-prepared this time, and while the Protectors were on alert, they were still thinking along the same lines鈥攖rying to obtain the demons鈥 battle plans, distinguishing which force was the main thrust and which was a feint, then making targeted deployments and concentrating their superior forces鈥
But there were no feints; every route was a main assault. The forces of good in Androlina were bound to suffer greatly this time, and there was even the risk of annihilation.
Would Lancelot sacrifice his life to protect those innocent Aira children? Elothysia might, but he would not, at least not when there was no hope of victory. However, in ensuring the safety of himself and his companions, he was very willing to exert his utmost effort to seize every possibility of turning the tide.
Through his Spirit Perception, he sensed a large number of demons surging up the spiral staircase he had just passed, now less than two hundred feet away from him.
The goat-headed demon opposite him continued to curse incessantly, at one moment demanding his surrender, and at another describing the various tortures the captured succubus would suffer, but his feet were constantly moving toward Lancelot鈥檚 left, trying to occupy a better angle. Lancelot鈥檚 body suddenly sank into a low crouch, readying for attack, and his opponent immediately froze, watching his every move intently.
This was a very standard swordsman duel, something Lancelot was all too familiar with. Generally, rookies would blindly rush to attack, while experienced warriors would prefer to defend first, waiting for their opponent to expose a weakness then strike to kill, which is why battlefields often saw two 鈥渢in cans鈥 staring each other down for a long time, neither wanting to make the first move.
But for a veteran like Lancelot, there were plenty of ways to make the defender commit a mistake, like a feint that demanded a response.
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