The Paladin in the Abyss

With a steep angle, ravens swooped down from high altitude. At about a hundred feet above the ground, they released their claws, dropping the objects they had been holding—not their eggs, but hard stones.

Even though Lancelot knew these black birds were allies, he couldn’t help but shrink his neck, wondering about the accuracy of those ravens. His worries proved unnecessary. Although the nearest stones flew just three feet above his head, every single one hit outside the city walls where a mob of skeletons and zombies were gathered.

The falling stones caused devastating damage to the enemy—due to the combined effect of dive bombing and gravity, the stones gained incredible kinetic energy, each one as powerful as a Dwarf’s Flying Hammer. No undead soldier remained standing in the area swept by the rocks, shattered like plates crashing to the ground.

The area extending a hundred feet from the city walls was a bombardment zone, easing the defenders’ pressure as no new enemies appeared at the walls. This was temporary, of course, as farther enemies charged across the battlefield, but the defenders got a brief respite to bandage wounds or drink a healing potion.

The previously calm and collected Lich was visibly unsettled. He rose from his bizarrely shaped bone throne, waved his hands in the air, and several crimson rays shot from his dry fingertips. The rays thickened as they extended, sweeping the sky like a lighthouse beam, instantly igniting any ravens caught in their path, reducing them to ashes in less than a second.

The Lich’s spell was too powerful, and the ravens scattered in panic to avoid further strikes. Lancelot realized relying on these birds was no longer an option. If they performed another group dive, the alerted Lich might obliterate all of them, as large grouped targets were perfect for a spellcaster.

Endless waves of the undead army surged forward like a tide, reaching the city walls of Raventown again in less than half a minute. Peyton Derrick, somewhat displeased, sat back down, convinced that no more issues would need his intervention.

But that was, of course, impossible.

Ten minutes later, the defenders were again in peril, but this time it wasn’t Lancelot’s turn—Alamir, a Priest of the Domain of Life, was the expert against these undead. He intentionally distanced himself from his comrades and walked to the densest area of enemies, then activated the priest’s unique Divine Power channeling ability.

"In the name of Lady Firehair!!" Alamir raised his shield etched with the holy emblem high, "Return to your graves!"

Shuni may not know the situation of her beloved proxy in the Demon Domain, but when Alamir called upon Divine Power, Lady Firehair responded without hesitation. A special portal opened within the Elf Priest, releasing overwhelming Divine Power centered on him. Within a thirty-foot radius, all undead fell instantly, as the divine energy expelled the negative forces animating their dead bodies.

The Divine Power channeling could last for a minute, during which no low-level undead could approach. The Elf Priest, seizing the moment, began casting another complex spell.