The Paladin in the Abyss-Chapter 534 - 558 Death Curse

Chapter 534: Chapter 558 Death Curse Chapter 534: Chapter 558 Death Curse “Her back was covered with densely packed red roses, adorned with golden and black spots on their petals, and the sharp thorns along their stems pointed downwards—these were the blood-sucking plants known as Demon Palace Roses that everyone had seen in Androlina. The roses were gently swaying as if caressed by a light breeze, which looked quite charming.

However, there was no airflow within the cave; that trembling was nothing more than the quivering produced by the rapid bloodsucking.

Matriarch Fencer tried to turn over, but her plump belly made her resemble a roly-poly toy, always rolling back to a prone position regardless of her struggles; she attempted to reach back and pluck the roses, but her long-term poor diet had completely deformed her arms, barely allowing her to touch the top of her head or her waist.

The one controlling these Demon Palace Roses was none other than the little vampire, Isabella. Since taming these bloodsucking plants with Lancelot’s help, she often practiced controlling them during her ‘rest’, and this time they finally proved useful.

As the petals of the Demon Palace Roses became increasingly vivid, life visibly drained from Matriarch Fencer’s body at an alarming rate. After surpassing a certain threshold, the flesh previously cut off and discarded by everyone suddenly began to wriggle, turning into bloated white maggots that rushed towards Matriarch Fencer like ants discovering honey, effortlessly passing through the magical protective barrier and voraciously tearing into her succulent innards.

In her final moments, Matriarch Fencer’s scream was so filled with intense pain that Lancelot had to summon a Soundproof Barrier to block the unbearable wailing.

In a mere few breaths, the maggots devoured all her flesh, ending her insatiable appetite once and for all, leaving behind only a massive skeleton. The maggots then began to self-ignite, their plump bodies melting like wax in the flames, and eventually, apart from some charred spots and an indescribable stench, no evidence of their existence remained.

...

Lancelot shook his head, about to say something, when suddenly Isabella let out a piercing scream. Through their mental connection, he felt the girl’s thoughts become extremely chaotic, as if she instantly descended into madness.

It wasn’t just her mind that was out of control. The young vampire swiftly drew the two short swords at her waist and turned to stab them towards old Reap who was nearby. Fortunately, he was already on alert to her erratic behavior and responded immediately. Twirling his cloak, he blocked the incoming attack and retreated ten feet away.

‘Hey, what’s wrong with you!’ the werewolf shouted, ‘I am not your enemy!’

But Isabella paid him no attention and immediately chased after old Reap again, clearly having succumbed to madness. The werewolf was not foolish either; without hesitation, he turned tail and ran, unwilling to engage with the young girl.

Their weapons were both short swords, extremely dangerous for close combat as it was nearly impossible to pull punches. As a temporary member, old Reap naturally paid close attention to the team’s dynamics, and he was well aware of the relationship between the young girl and Lancelot. Staying in place to fight, whether he won or lost, would do him no good, so turning to run was indeed the best choice.

‘Isabella, stop!’ Lancelot called out.”

Lancelot called out urgently, and at the same time, he issued commands through the mental link as the master, but as expected, they were completely ignored. Through the mind connection, he could clearly feel that some much stronger magical power had taken over the little girl’s will, and his own commands were like stones thrown into the sea, stirring not even a ripple.

“The death curse, it’s the Matriarch Fencer’s death curse!” Alamir, who was supporting the Dwarf at the other end of the cave, yelled, “First, we need to get her under control!”

As soon as Lancelot heard this, he understood. He stabbed Frostslash into the ground and quickly formed Dharma Seals with both hands. Immediately, dozens of vines as thick as arms burrowed out from beneath little Isabella’s feet. Some bound her hands and feet, others coiled around her body, tightly wrapping around every muscle, and one even thrust into the little girl’s mouth, in case she tried to harm herself by biting her tongue.

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Of course, these vines neither had hard thorns nor biting mushrooms on them, and their surfaces were soft and smooth, ensuring they did not cause any harm while restricting her movements. The bound Isabella continued to struggle fiercely, and Lancelot had to instruct the vines to tighten even more until she could no longer move at all.

All of her companions gathered around, looking worriedly at the tightly bound little vampire.

“Under normal circumstances, she could break free by turning into a bat or a mouse, but it seems she can’t even think to do that right now,” Bruto said, covering his shoulder, somewhat worried, “Elf, what did you say caused this? The death curse?”

“Yes, through a special means, a Spellcaster can place a spell on themselves or someone else, and this spell is only activated upon the death of the one it’s placed upon, with the spell-bearer being the killer of that individual. Mages prefer magic protections that enable them to live longer, and this technique is more commonly employed by those Priests that worship the Evil God,” Alamir explained as he walked up to the immobile Isabella and carefully pried her eyelids open. “Take a close look at her pupils. Do you see a V-shaped symbol inside? That’s a sign of being influenced by an incantation, indicating that she must execute a predefined command. I guess it’s either to avenge the dead or to kill everyone present.”

“Is there a way to remove it?” Lancelot asked bluntly, “She must be suffering right now…”

“Having a brother as gentle as you, it actually isn’t too bad,” the Elf Priest teased with a smile, poking the elastic vine, “A simple exorcism spell will do, just give me a moment, and it’ll be all set.”

Alamir knelt down on the spot, his hands supporting a Shield bearing the Holy Emblem of Shuni, and he began to recite complex prayers. The Emblem on the Shield grew brighter with his voice, and in front of it, a light sphere formed, flickering on and off. The Elf Priest stood up with the Shield, and the light sphere moved along with it.

“Everyone, look, this is the power of the Lady of Love!”

Alamir announced proudly to everyone, then carefully pushed the sphere of light into Isabella’s body. Lancelot almost immediately felt the little girl stop struggling, and a stream of black mist also emerged from her body at the same time. But for some reason, a smaller sphere of light emerged with the mist, disappearing into the Elf Priest’s Shield.

Isabella slowly opened her eyes, and behind the pale blue pupils was the soul everyone recognized. She tried to speak whimperingly but found her mouth stuffed with a thick and robust vine.