The Paladin in the Abyss

Chapter 207 The Well of Darkness

"This doesn't seem like something Demons would do, does it?" Bruto expressed his growing interest, "Aren't they inherently chaotic? How can they fulfill a duty for so long?"

"They are direct creations of the Abyss," Kalalin shrugged, "I advise you not to ask too many questions, at least not here."

The Dwarf wanted to say something more, but in the end, he held it back. If the ground beneath their feet were to slant any further, walking would indeed become impossible.

The group quickly left the Portal of the Land of Thousand Eyes, uninterested in exploring the Eye Demons' plane beyond the portal, and the bloodied flesh in front of the portal would soon attract other local residents.

They traversed mountain paths, tunnels, and stone bridges, occasionally killing some oblivious Frols or Kas, extracting one or two low-value gemstones from the rock faces, but they gained no clues about the Eye of Sarezdon.

The closest they came was when they found a cave blocked by numerous metal bars, continuously emitting a stream of pitch-black water. Lancelot indeed sensed something special, but Elothysia immediately dampened their enthusiasm.

"That is a portal to the seventy-third layer of the Abyss, the Dark Well," the Succubus Paladin looked uneasily around, "We better leave this place quickly."

"Is this the entrance to the Dark Well?" Upon hearing this, Kalalin's reaction was similar to Elothysia's, barely glancing at the so-called portal. Instead, his gaze swept around as if worried about the sudden appearance of a powerful foe similar to a portal's guard, "Lancelot, we better listen to her and leave here quickly."

"What kind of place is the Dark Well?" Little Isha's question mirrored the curiosity of the others. Soon after leaving the corpses of the Eye Demons, Lancelot had let out the overly anxious little Vampire, who then fully embraced a sightseeing mode, thrilled by the rugged and magnificent landscapes of the Great Abyss.

"Shall we discuss it while we walk?" Kalalin cast a sincere look at Lancelot, and the Human Knight immediately nodded, patting Bruto on the shoulder to signal the Dwarf to keep moving.

"The Dark Well is a prison layer." Only after the pitch-black entrance had disappeared from their sight did Kalalin start to explain, "It is said that in that layer, an icy-blue sun hangs forever in the sky while the land is a boundless wilderness of stone. Numerous wells dot the surface, filled with cold black water. Once thrown into a well, even beings as powerful as an Abyssal Lord cannot escape on their own."

"What kind of beings are imprisoned there?" Lancelot was curious, "I mean, who would lock up their enemies there? For most Demons, killing their targets outright seems like the most preferred option."

"Of course, if one could truly and permanently eliminate an adversary, any Demon Lord would do so without a moment's hesitation," Kalalin said with a smile to Lancelot, "The problem is that beings like demons and angels, these transcendent species, are different from you and me...mere mortals. It is not easy to completely kill them, especially those powerful enough to have acquired some worshippers. A recent example is 'The Undying Overlord' Okus. He was once killed by the Goddess of Vengeance of the Dark Elves, and his name was almost erased from the entire Multiverse. Yet, thanks to a few faithfully devoted Liches and Priests, this fearsome Abyssal Lord returned and reclaimed his former territories and status."

"Wow, so you're saying, killing a powerful enemy who might resurrect is basically no different from letting him go," Bruto said wide-eyed, "After that, you still have to keep an eye on whether he has resurrected, always ready to jump out and surprise you..."

"Exactly," Kalalin nodded, "But if imprisoned in the Well of Darkness, things are much simpler. The pitch-black water of the well completely strips the prisoners of their power. Other than being able to communicate with the outside world through mental connections, those locked inside lose all capacity to cause trouble. They also cannot commit suicide in the well; even if they do, their soul, essence, or whatever substance that represents their being will continue to be imprisoned there, unable to go anywhere."

"It does sound like a very reliable method," Lancelot remarked as he looked down the road ahead while listening to Kalalin's explanation, "So what kind of beings are locked up in there?"

"Some of the more well-known ones include Ma Yuan, the God Slayer who has killed over ten deities, existing solely to prevent the gods from becoming too arrogant and complacent; Abeloth, the World Devourer, a serpent said to spell the end of all things, whose followers recite a scripture daily to ensure the World Devourer cannot gather any strength to escape; and Eberron, 'Lord Wu'an's' most important ally and General before ruling over Azgralath, who after nearly a millennium of imprisonment, has likely turned his loyalty into rage towards Grazzt..."

"And also Samael Amor, the former Queen of the Succubus," Elothysia added, "who was also a former lover of Dimogorgen. If one day you decide to confront the Demon Prince, it would be wise to seek her aid."

"Let's hope we never have to seek her help," Lancelot shook his head, yet he was also curious, "But if someone outside helps, is it possible for a prisoner to escape?" Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire

"It's very rare, but not unprecedented, which is why many scholars who study the history of the Abyss can recount every such instance from memory," Kalalin shrugged, "As Elothysia mentioned, these prisoners often possess their former foes' or masters' deadliest secrets. So, you can imagine how heavily guarded those cells are. Ordinary worshippers could never 'fish' someone out from inside, unless it is a direct order from the Hall of Sorrow or some powerful divine force discreetly stirring things, which might enable a prisoner's release."

"The Hall of Sorrow?" Lancelot turned his head in surprise, "From what you're saying, it seems to hold great power, even able to command an Abyssal Lord to release a prisoner?"

"The Hall of Sorrow is the four hundredth layer of the Abyss," Kalalin hesitated for a moment and looked towards Elothysia, "Maybe you should explain this part?"

"When I was... just a regular succubus, I visited that place several times," the Holy Warrior hesitated before speaking, "If we successfully captured a particularly evil soul, it could be handed over to the Soul Judge of the Hall of Sorrow, and the reward received was much better than what my former master provided. I'm sorry, I actually don't know much about it, maybe you should continue."