The Paladin in the Abyss
Chapter 871 - 848: Helping with Enlightenment

Chapter 871 -848: Helping with Enlightenment

Just as predicted by Alamir, after Lancelot ‘dealt’ with the undead knight who was once a King’s Iron Guard with a mouthful, there was no more obstruction ahead. Combining Kalalin’s map records and Lancelot’s spirit perception, they advanced as if they were in an uninhabited area, all the way to the edge of the Stygian Lake with its black waters.

Since they came from a different direction this time, the several buildings they had explored last time were now located across the small lake. The lake was not particularly wide, with a diameter of about half a mile. Walking around the lake would still take quite a while, but they were not yet sure if it was necessary.

Misty fog shrouded the lake’s surface, making it difficult to see the scenery on the other side. However, everyone realized something was amiss—the last time they left, they had nearly been buried in the ruins of the tower, yet now that tower stood tall again on the shore, silently watching the ominous black lake.

“I don’t like that tower,” Bruto sat on a charred log, propping his chin with the handle of his warhammer, “Should we go tear it down again?”

“If we really need to,” Lancelot shrugged and turned to the half-elf beside him, “So, Tanya, any feeling—?”

“Still nothing,” The half-elf replied sullenly but suddenly stopped, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Aha! Got an inspiration?”

“It seems the mentor… wants to tell me something…” Tanya’s already pale face lost all its color as she spoke hesitantly, “Sir Lancelot, could you… accept my sensory sharing? I fear I still cannot understand what the mentor intends…”

“Sure, I can, but…” Lancelot scratched his head, “Are you sure an outsider can understand what your mentor wants to express?”

“I’m not sure, but if the answer is yes, you are the most likely to succeed,” Tanya nodded earnestly, “Please!”

“Alright,” Lancelot nodded to Kalalin beside him, “Do it.”

“Gladly at your service, please sit down, both of you.”

The scholar rarely made a joke, but now he did, with an exaggerated gesture taking out a bundle of scrolls from his bag as if he were a high-end restaurant’s waiter presenting the week’s chef selections. After a brief silent chant and a few simple syllables, he conjured a faint green magical aura, binding the human knight and the half-elf with a divination spell.

When the spell took effect, Lancelot had a marvelous feeling as if he were both standing still watching Tanya and looking at himself through Tanya’s eyes, like seeing another person reflected in a mirror. However, this was not Lancelot’s first time experiencing such sensations and he quickly adapted to that unique perspective.

Sensory sharing not only shares vision, but also hearing, smell, taste, and skin touch, even including the subject’s emotions. At this moment, Lancelot could clearly feel the half-elf’s anxiety and fatigue, along with a cautious expectation.

“I’m ready,” He nodded at Tanya, “You can start anytime.”

“Okay.”

Tanya exhaled softly and slowly closed her eyes. Lancelot mimicked her action to avoid his own vision interfering with what was coming from the half-elf. Moments later, his vision brightened up again; the world became fragmented, and countless colored blocks flew before his eyes like leaves caught in a gale, accompanied by an unbearable, metallic screech.

Unexpectedly, the little bamboo slip in Lancelot’s sea of consciousness was activated, emitting a cyan light that protected the human knight’s mind and served as a heavy anchor, restoring stability to his divine sense amidst the chaotic storm.

Now Lancelot understood why Tanya’s mentor had shown her several omens, but she could not extract any useful information. It was like tearing a parchment into dozens of pieces and casting them into the air; even with specialized training, one could not discern any pattern.

Tanya deciphering ‘Witches’ Forest’ was likely a fluke; any more would be beyond her abilities.

But in fact, this was the most famous feature of the Crow Queen—almost incomprehensible, but not entirely insane. Her ascension ritual was just a step from success but slid into a dreadful end due to a series of incidents. She should have perished in the vortex of magic power, but although not yet a deity, she was no longer mortal, surviving from that horrific event.

However, while she survived, the Crow Queen could no longer communicate normally, manifest any form, or even retain her original name within the multiverse. Yet the loyal shadow spirits did not abandon their former Queen, whom they worshiped as a deity, collecting mortal memories to sustain her existence.

Over time, the Crow Queen finally gathered enough power of faith to bestow divine arts upon her followers and establish spiritual links with some gifted individuals. But one thing remained unchanged: her intentions were difficult to comprehend, as if she had become an entirely different being, living in a vastly different world, experiencing feelings unimaginable to ordinary people. Scholars likened understanding the Crow Queen to establishing a mental link between a spellcaster and a deep-sea octopus through a spell.

Yet Lancelot felt something peculiar at this moment: perhaps the Crow Queen had actually lost her perception of time and space, not knowing what speed to express herself nor the correct sequence of content, thus appearing incomprehensible to mortals. Deities transcend time and space (at least when they are deities), so they could directly communicate with the Crow Queen’s essence, hence Cranvo said he had allied with her.

Lancelot naturally could not yet transcend time and space, but during his cultivation, he often emptied his mind, quietly contemplating the ‘Tao’ within them, gaining some minor insights. Now, he instinctively employed techniques from his cultivation, sensing everything around him in a mysterious way.

Bit by bit, the world around him began to assemble like a jigsaw puzzle, and the previously chaotic colors started to exhibit a special pattern.