The Paladin in the Abyss-Chapter 549 - 573 Steps

Chapter 549: Chapter 573: Steps Chapter 549: Chapter 573: Steps The structure of Gorgiad Fortress was not complex; on one side, near the cliff, stood the main tower, approximately eighty feet tall, which, along with walls on three other sides, enclosed a large square. At two corners of the walls stood tall towers, and the group was currently in one of them. Several giants, now zombies with javelins stuck in their bodies, were staggering out from another tower, seeming to indicate the guards inside had been dealt with.

In the center of the fortress square was a large hole with a radius of ten feet, surrounded by piles of broken bodies—some fresh and some long deceased. Another area filled with numerous corpses was on the east side of the square, which should have been a teleportation portal, but it had been destroyed. Dangerous magical energy still lingered around the collapsed pillars, with harmless flashes of lightning and sparks occasionally bursting into the air.

At this moment, apart from their own group, there was not a living thing on the square. Lancelot silently took a count in his heart and realized that at least two hundred giant zombies had been utterly destroyed, yet the number of enemies they had killed was less than half that. The surviving guards had retreated into the fortress’s main tower, sealing the doors tightly. The giant zombies were slamming against the main tower’s gates and walls using every part of their bodies, but it seemed very ineffective, unlikely to make any progress, at least not anytime soon.

“That tower doesn’t even have a single window; it’s clearly a prison. Solheim’s little brother is definitely locked up in there,” Bruto turned his head to Kalalin, “Scholar, can your magic handle that gate?”

“No,” the Human Spellcaster spread his hands decisively, “this fortress itself was built with supernatural powers and has effects that resist transformation system magic. It can only be forcibly broken by some incredibly powerful spells, but all I have are Fourth Circle spell-casting abilities, and I only know one ‘Arcane Eye’ for scouting, so…”

“Don’t look at me, I can’t either,” Alamir raised both hands, “I’m a Priest of the Domain of Life. I might be able to do something about those undead giants, but destroying a stone gate really is beyond my expertise…”

“Looks like it’s down to Lancelot, after all,” Bruto looked at the Human Knight, “What do you say, big brother, can you handle it?”

...

“Maybe, but attacking the main tower through the gate will come at a very high cost. The guards inside can attack from every angle, and these giant zombies aren’t enough to fill it up,” Lancelot shook his head, pointing to a staircase at the junction of the fortress wall and the main tower, “We can climb up there onto the roof and see if there’s any entrance that leads inside the main tower.”

The companions immediately sprang into action, descending the tower stairs to the walls and quickly making their way to the staircase. From a distance, it looked ordinary, but upon approaching, they realized these steps were not designed for those of their stature; each step exceeded six feet, slightly taller than the figurine of a toad atop Bruto’s head.

“I hate giants,” Bruto grumbled, “and now I hate them even more.”

“Need a hand?” Lancelot lightly leaped onto the step and turned, extending his arm to the Dwarf, “Grab my hand and I’ll pull you up.”

“I don’t need it…”

Visit frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓ for the b𝘦st novel reading experience.

Bruto did not accept Lancelot’s offer but chose to face the challenge head-on. He backed up two steps, then with the momentum of a running start, made a powerful jump and grabbed the edge of the step; pushing with force, he stood atop the first step.

“There are six more steps,” Lancelot reminded him, “Are you sure you don’t need my help?”

“Dwarves never shy away from a stone’s challenge,” Bruto once again refused Lancelot’s offer, “I will complete this on my own!”

“Then you go ahead,” Lancelot said helplessly with a shrug, “but if you fall down, I’ll just throw you back up there….”

As he spoke, the Dwarf had already successfully climbed to the second step. Lancelot shrugged again and turned to check on the others.

The most at ease was naturally little Issa, who could turn into a bat and fly up there. She was now sitting on the edge of the highest step, giggling at her companions below. Alamir and old Reap also encountered little difficulty; the former’s agile skills allowed him to easily climb the steps in heavy armor, while the latter turned his palms into sharp claws that could gouge a hole in the stone steps with a swing.

The only one having some trouble was Kalalin. Though his adventurous life had made him much stronger over time, for a Scholar, slipping and falling (and not being caught by Lancelot) could have dire consequences. A broken neck or a head injury would not be a pleasant experience.

But a simple First Circle Spell could solve his current predicament. Thanks to his magic backpack, Kalalin always carried all the scrolls he might need, naturally including the Jump Spell he needed now. After casting the spell on himself, he lightly leaped onto the first step, then the second, the third, and soon joined the ranks of his other companions.

“Come on, Bruto!” the Scholar shouted with some pride at the Dwarf, “You’re the only one left!” “You’re a head taller than me, and you still needed a spell to get up there, what’s there to be proud of?” the Dwarf, having just climbed onto the fifth step, seemed out of breath, “And besides, Lancelot hasn’t gone up yet either….”

“I’m afraid you’ll fall and bring down the whole wall,” Lancelot spoke gloomily, “Come to think of it, that might also be a way into the main building….”

“Ah!!!!” Accompanied by a loud roar, the Dwarf finally threw himself onto the rooftop, “Damn Giants, your stairs cannot defeat me!”

“I’m pretty sure the stairs didn’t have that intention,” Lancelot said helplessly, then turned to survey the surrounding environment, “Sigh, I don’t seem to see anything that looks like an entrance….”

The roof of the main building was pitted with holes, and stones were scattered everywhere, as if boulders often fell here. No doubt the fortress’s defenders must have stood here and thrown stones at attackers—every giant was a humanoid trebuchet.

“Here! There’s a crack here!” Suddenly, old Reap’s suppressed voice called from not far, “I can see inside!”

Hearing this, everyone gathered around to see a large indent next to the Werewolf, with a crack at the bottom a foot long and about three fingers wide at its broadest point.

“Not even half my foot can fit into this place,” the Dwarf said as he pulled out his hammer, “but no worries, just give me a moment, and I’ll make it big enough….”