The Paladin in the Abyss

Bruto roared as he went up to meet the enemy, swinging his chipped shield fiercely, knocking one of the hounds to the ground, followed by his hammer coming down and smashing the enemy's dog head into a shattered apple.

The other Abyss hound had no intention of helping its companion, it lunged towards the people at the back who were not wearing armor, its eyes red with hunger and madness.

Lancelot had already drawn the Kiss of Deadly Poison, ready for another throwing attack.

Just then, Kalalin suddenly raised his right hand, and a ring on his ring finger emitted a strong flash, the nearby beast let out a pained howl, covering its eyes as it fell to the ground.

By this time, Bruto had already arrived, and with one hammer blow, he completely eliminated this potential threat.

"Kill the one with the most heads first!"

Kalalin yelled at Lancelot.

Lancelot didn't think twice, directly throwing the Kiss of Deadly Poison he was holding in his hand.

The dark green dagger accurately hit the heart of the two-headed Abyss hound, nailing its body firmly to the ground. The two-headed demon dog's limbs twitched violently in the air a couple of times, then it moved no more.

All the Abyss hounds immediately stopped fighting, tucked their tails, and ran away completely.

"Not bad," Lancelot swung the Great Sword, flicking the blood clean off it. "You're much more useful than you claim to be."

"The leaders generally have the most heads among these creatures. Once you deal with the leader, the rest will scatter. That's the power of knowledge." Kalalin grinned, pointing to the bodies of the Abyss hounds on the ground, "These creatures are beasts, not demons, hence their flesh remains after death instead of dissipating quickly like demons. Their hide is great material, whether for making boots, handbags, or belts, and it's a shame to waste it."

Upon hearing this, Bruto took out a dagger and skillfully started skinning. Lancelot, curious, asked:

"What was that just now? Are you a spellcaster?"

Kalalin shook his head in response.

"Strictly speaking, scholars are not spellcasters. Scholars don't have the magic talent required to become a mage, but we have mastered the technique of casting spells relying on items like scrolls."

"What does it mean to cast spells relying on scrolls?"

"The essence of magic is reshaping the Magic Net to affect the world. The main reason scholars are not like mages is due to insufficient control over the Magic Net, unable to cast spells quickly in battle like mages can. Scrolls, however, allow the operations needed on the Magic Net by a spell to be 'prepared' in advance, and during usage, simply performing the final step of injecting magic power can release the spell."

"But it looked like you were using this ring just now, right?" Bruto pointed at Kalalin's hand, curious about the seemingly ordinary ring.

"Scrolls are generally single-use but are inexpensive; repeatedly usable magic items require much higher costs and effort." Kalalin extended his right hand, and people then noticed the fine patterns engraved on the ring. "This ring contains the Flash technique, which can create a bright light, very effective against enemies close enough, provided they have eyes."

"Quite impressive," Lancelot said with interest, looking at the ring. "So, you're saying that with proper preparation, Scholars and Mages aren't much different, are they?"

"No, the gap is still quite significant," Kalalin replied with a bitter smile. "Scholars learn Magic much slower than Mages. A magic apprentice could master Third Circle Spells after about two years of training, while a Scholar's apprentice is still struggling to cast a First Circle Spell."

"Uh, sorry to interrupt, but what do you mean by 'Circle'?" Lancelot curiously asked.

"You can cast the summoning horse spell and you don't know about this?"

"Not at all," Lancelot shook his head. "The Elves taught it to me, I just meditate, make gestures, and recite incantations as they told me to, and if I'm lucky, a saddled horse appears before me."

"Hmm... maybe you actually have a talent for magic," Kalalin said enviously before continuing, "The Circle Rank of a spell can be simply understood as the level of the spell, the highest Ninth Circle spells require a lot of preparation and expensive materials, but their effects are very powerful, offering spells that can change reality like 'Wish', or spells that can transport someone out of this plane like 'Gate'. On the other hand, Cantrip Spells are very simple, but can still be effective in the right situations like the 'Flash' I just used."

"So, you're saying, if you keep getting stronger, you could one day cast that 'Gate' spell, to get us out of this Abyss world?" Bruto quickly grasped the point, looking hopefully at Kalalin.

"Unfortunately, it's almost impossible for Scholars to master Ninth Circle Magic," Kalalin shook his head. "The strongest Scholar I know could barely cast an Eighth Circle Spell, and he had to spend a full month preparing for it in advance and then spent three days in bed due to the physical toll."

"Ah, well," Bruto's face showed disappointment. "At least we know how to leave this damned world, find a high-level Spellcaster, right?"

"A high-level Spellcaster could indeed do that," Kalalin nodded. "But don't forget, high-level Spellcasters are incredibly powerful and convincing them to help isn't easy, especially not in the Abyss."

"What's the highest Circle of Magic you can currently master?" Lancelot was more concerned about Kalalin's strength.

"My limit is two Second Circle spells and four First Circle spells. Cantrip Spells are not limited, but I still need to prepare scrolls in advance, and I must have a full rest before I can restore my magic power," Kalalin confessed somewhat sheepishly. "However, we have an advantage, most spells can be memorized in our minds, we don't need to carry a spellbook like Mages do, and due to a lot of practice and prior preparation, Spells cast through scrolls by Scholars are slightly more powerful and harder to resist."

"How powerful are the Second Circle Spells?" Bruto asked curiously.

"Well, Acid Arrow is a typical Second Circle Spell, and with my capability, I can release three Acid Arrows at once, which... just about seriously wounds a Coward Devil," Kalalin admitted somewhat sheepishly. "I know, it's not even comparable to Sir Lancelot's recent display of combat ability, but my primary focus is on academics, not just enhancing fighting power."

"If you sacrifice offensive capabilities, do you have any supportive or self-protective spells?" Lancelot's expression became serious.

"Among the Cantrip Spells I've mastered, there's 'Mending' which can repair equipment; 'Detect Poison' to check if an object or area is poisonous; a First Circle spell similar to your horse summoning called 'Mount'; 'Grease' which greatly increases your movement speed, ideal for escaping; 'Protection from Evil' which is effective against various evil beings; and even one that can double your height and strength, called 'Enlarge Person'."

At this moment, Kalalin realized the implication in Lancelot's words and his expression turned solemn. He continued:

"I can only cast two Second Circle spells per day, so I must choose carefully. The Second Circle spells I've mastered include the previously mentioned 'Acid Arrow,' 'Wind Creation Spell' that can summon a strong wind, 'Levitation Skill' to free a willing subject from gravity, 'Invisibility Spell' to make a person or item disappear along with its counter 'See Invisibility,' and several other spells that enhance teammates' strength, agility, and other attributes."

"All very useful." Lancelot smiled brightly, "So, Mr. Kalalin, may I formally propose you join my adventure team? On one hand, you wouldn't have to worry about how to obtain residency in Twin Bridges Town anymore, and on the other, our adventures could fully satisfy your curiosity about demonology."

"I was just wondering how to approach you about the same thing," Kalalin smiled as well. "It would be my pleasure, Sir Lancelot. I believe I can definitely be of help."