Your Majesty's money, why don't you engrave my name on it?

“This is the only way,” Lilindra knew better than Bella, but she had no other choice. “So, I have an idea. If you agree, we should all be happy; if not, then we’ll have to risk our lives to take this sword underground.”

"Perhaps you are not so obsessed that you would search the entire underworld to take it away before our survivors can sacrifice it to the goddess."

If Patrick were still the owner of the Long Poem of Guardianship, the paladins might actually have done so, but with Raslaufer and the others... the risks would probably far exceed the value of the sword itself.

"Then tell me, what's your idea?"

“It’s actually very simple. We’ve already fought one battle,” the matriarch of the Evans family stood up, but she didn’t intend to make a move. “However, it wasn’t us versus you.”

"We are powerless, so we must appeal to the gods. But the goddess does not appear easily, so we have sent messengers. If any of you can defeat Rose's handmaid in a duel, then you will have proven your strength, and the goddess should not blame me."

“And if you can’t do that, then you can’t keep the sword—after all, I’ve already brought her here.”

Having said that, before anyone could respond, the dark elf raised her hands, and a cluster of candles was lit in her palms, while the surrounding light dimmed at the same time, as if only this eerie light remained in the world.

"Stop! What are you doing?!" As a fellow clergyman, Bella was all too sensitive to this change. She immediately tried to swing her stick to interrupt the other party's ritual, but as Lilindra herself said, the object she was summoning had already appeared here. Her ritual was merely to help it change locations, quickly and without any interference.

"Hehehehehe—" The cold wind blew away the night air, and a graceful dark elf figure was projected into a black mist, but the elf's laughter was completely different from that of a dark elf.

"Lilindra, what a brilliant idea you've come up with! But now, tell me, since you've summoned me, why don't you help me kill them?!"

As those sinister words echoed through the still-warm woods, everyone present felt immense pressure, and several of the more seriously injured mercenaries fainted on the spot.

“I have summoned you here to hear the will of the Goddess,” the matriarch said, slowly stepping back. “I believe that the Goddess has the final say.”

The eerie dark elf figure seemed to freeze for a moment, and when it spoke again, an even greater terror enveloped the area within hundreds of meters, silencing even the noisy fairies.

“Mistress… you have given your permission. I will fight the strongest among them. If I win, they will all die; if I lose, the sword will be returned to them, but you must ensure that it does not fall into the hands of those surface elves.”

"If you cannot do this, the proposal will be rejected. If you later change your mind, you will be destroyed before the evil spirits under the sun are wiped out."

Although it came from the mouth of that eerie figure, everyone understood that it represented its mistress—a being who stood shoulder to shoulder with the gods.

“That’s my sword,” Angelita said. “It belongs to me, and I will not give it to anyone else.”

"But since you've made so many demands, I have one condition too! Uncle Raslaufer must get plenty of rest before the duel begins; only then will it be fair!"

"After all, he was completely unharmed before the whole chaos started."

To Angelita's surprise, Sylvia suddenly chimed in, "This is to let the goddess know our efforts. Almost half of the Evans family died today, and even the martial arts master Zorian, who was once blessed by the goddess, died at his hands—their piety should not be underestimated."

The "Laure's handmaid" was silent for a moment again: "Yes, after all, it's a battle with no suspense no matter what."

"Human, begin your rest! This will be the last time you enjoy the air of this world, because you cannot defeat me!"

"is it?"

Two beams of healing magic shone from Raslaufer's body at the same time. He licked his slightly chapped lips and reached out his hand. Angelita quickly fetched him a water bottle.

“Reslaufer…” Dahl shook his head and looked at Doble, “Don’t agree to that. How could you possibly defeat the servant of God?”

"Don't accept this duel! Let's all fight side by side, maybe we can still survive!"

Looking at the aging lion, Raslaufer suddenly laughed and pointed to Dahl's adopted son beside him.

"You've really gotten old, Dahl, so old that you don't even have the courage to stand by and watch anymore? Look at your adopted son, he's really looking forward to this!"

"The old lion has experience, but he's too cowardly—come on! I'll show you what your old man was like back in the day!"

"You in the fog, come out! Your head will be the best offering to your master!"

Chapter 360 Dark Elves and Spiders

“Mortals… are pathetically arrogant,” the figure in the mist chuckled, and suddenly, a flash of cold light burst through the mist, heading straight for Raslaufer’s face.

Swift, fierce, and cunning—each trait was at the pinnacle of what ordinary people could perceive. When Raslaufer raised his sword to parry the attack, he quickly made a series of judgments.

This "thing" may look like a dark elf, but in reality, it seems to follow a more...unpredictable technique. So much so that even Leslaufer dared not fully trust his experience and intuition, and needed to be fully alert to ensure that he did not fall behind at the very beginning of the battle.

However… that alone doesn’t seem entirely unacceptable. Reslaufer felt the feedback from the sword, and although his movements had gradually shifted from defensive to offensive, he remained wary. After all, this thing was nominally a messenger of the gods; if even that male dark elf possessed a bunch of random trinkets, it certainly wouldn’t hesitate to use similar methods to achieve victory.

Otherwise, judging from the skills they've displayed so far, this battle would probably be rather easy.

“He’s just a mortal, it’s surprising that he has such martial arts skills,” the so-called maid, who was hiding her face, laughed mockingly. But after exchanging another blow with Leslaufer, she quickly retreated. “So, if I were to use magic, how would you deal with it?”

"Freeze!"

Only at this moment did the hazy, indistinct figure finally reveal a small part of its features: its wrist immediately rose, and along with the magical glow in its palm, a pair of blood-red eyes on its head looked at Dubler with a sinister and triumphant gaze.

After all, it's just a mortal warrior; its power comes from blessings, something even a true spellcaster might not be able to achieve.

Just as Rose's maid gripped the dagger in her other hand, preparing to rip out Raslauver's heart as if offering him as a helpless sacrifice, she suddenly saw a spirit appear near Raslauver, taking the place of the mercenary and blocking the spell that could control the body!

"That's impossible!" it blurted out, shouting in exasperation. It wasn't that it didn't believe such a thing existed; on the contrary, it knew that such a possibility existed!

But it shouldn't appear on a mortal in the material plane!

"How did you do that?!" The blood-red gaze fell on Leslaufer, as if its touch carried a deadly poison, burning Leslaufer's flesh and causing it to hiss.

However, Leslaufer was not one of the dark elves, and this intimidation and haughtiness had no effect on him.

“You wouldn’t know.” He laughed, though he himself didn’t understand why these kinds of spells had almost no effect on him, but seeing these spellcasters dumbfounded as he closed in was indeed a special kind of enjoyment.

Rose's maid had no time to think, for the mercenary's greatsword was already hurtling towards her like a mountain. She dodged to the side, barely managing to avoid it, while simultaneously extending her arm, attempting to graz Raslaufer's body as the two weapons passed each other. Unfortunately, all she managed to produce was a series of sparks.

Even magical weapons are not always effective against heavy armor—especially when the opponent has several layers of protection underneath.

However, although Leslaufer was not hit, his eyes narrowed slightly: "Your arm... didn't seem to be this length just now."

No wonder he felt something was off during the fight! If it weren't for this close call, he would have had almost no chance to discern the opponent's dazzling moves!

No matter how slender and delicate an elf is, how could one arm be longer than a two-handed greatsword plus his own arm? Just a moment ago, it seemed like the opponent had four elbows!

"I've been discovered, but I never intended to hide it in the first place..."

Despite being exposed, Rose's maid showed no anger. Instead, she pounced again. This time, however, what struck the sword Raslaufer was not a dagger, but rather sharp, spear-like limbs covered with barbs and poison!

"Taste the body bestowed upon you by your mistress!" In an instant, the maid transformed into a ferocious giant spider, its eight legs rising in turn, its power and presence more than twice as strong as before—almost eight times stronger!

Raslaufer felt as if he were being besieged by an eight-man pikeman squad, and that squad would absolutely not break up or run away!

"This...you worship an evil god!" Mary stared in disbelief at the sudden change and shouted at the dark elves, "What kind of thing are you worshipping?!"

“Show some respect, little girl,” Lillendra frowned at Mary, “or should I teach you a lesson to make you more cultured? We are followers of the goddess Rose. As the Spider Queen, not only Her handmaids, but even mortals like us are allowed to use the sacred form of the spider. What’s so strange about that?”

However, this permission is sometimes a blessing, but more often it is like a punishment—male dark elves who question the dark elf society that Rose created and even try to rebel often lose their original appearance and become a terrifying creature that is neither spider nor elf.

They would be stronger, more loyal, more fanatical, more dangerous, and more despicable. Even the other dark elves often paled in comparison to such freaks. However…

The goddess's attendant would not naturally become like that; she was a completely divine and wholesome giant spider.

Lillendra and her daughter Sylvia looked at Rose's handmaid with a touch of infatuation, who had completely gained the upper hand in terms of physique and imposing presence, almost forgetting their complex emotions—they didn't necessarily want her to win.

As a deity of deception and shadow, Lolth is sensitive and suspicious. If this handmaiden wins, Lolth's favor will certainly not extend to the Evans family again. But what about punishment? Will it come? How severe will it be? No one knows. No dark elf dares to presume to guess the thoughts of their ruler—nor can they.

That was God, after all. Although Rose had no place on Heavenly Mountain, what a treacherous world the Abyss was! His spider web was woven there.

However, while the gods themselves are powerful, it does not mean that their messengers are equally invincible. Just then, Rose's handmaid finally found a weakness in Raslaufer with her eight single eyes. Overjoyed, she brandished the pair of spider spears at the front and plunged them fiercely into the gaps in Raslaufer's armor.

"Die!"

Chapter 361 The Mist Corrodes the Bones

The spider was unlike any giant creature the group had encountered before; it was quite similar to the adamantine golem, yet it possessed a far greater agility.

Raslaufer's greatsword struck the reptile's exoskeleton, but gained almost nothing except white marks. On the contrary, the limbs could easily pierce through Dople's armor.

Seeing the opponent suddenly attack, Raslaufer forcibly twisted his body, barely dodging the most fatal parts of his body. However, his left arm and right leg were immediately pierced by the limbs. The barbs surged into the flesh like a pack of wolves, and tiny barbs that were almost invisible to the naked eye mixed with the poison went straight into the blood!

"Hehe, you're finished!" the maid shouted in a strange voice, lifting the mercenary on her lap high and swinging him back and forth triumphantly. "I've been observing you for a long time, this is your real weakness! Even if you manage to dodge and survive, you're still—ah!"

A piercing scream and a dark glint of light appeared and disappeared almost simultaneously. Raslaufer fell heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of foul blood that glowed with an eerie green light. However, the two limbs that had been holding him up were now hanging on his body, while the giant spider lost its balance and staggered backward.

In front of it, two limbs that could only "wriggle" and the blood-dripping sword in Raslaufer's hand still told the story of what had happened.

"Hellfire Iron, no, no!" In an instant, all eight eyes turned red. "You destroyed the body my mistress gave me! I want you dead, I want you dead!"

"Pfft—" As soon as the monster regained its balance, countless spider webs spread out in the air. These webs had no visible support, yet they firmly stuck Leslaufer to them like a moth. "Human! You will become the sweet juice I taste—it will be the taste of revenge!"

"Old Lei!" The bard panicked when he saw the spider, now with only six legs, rushing towards Leslaufer, who had been bound like a dumpling in an instant. "Zhengling, think of something! Old Lei is going to be eaten!"

No matter how skilled Raslaw was, he still needed hands and feet. Now that he was tied up, it seemed like he had no chance of resisting.

“No,” Daisy was astonished to find that the devil flatly rejected the suggestion. “Break the rules Rose set? If you want to die, don’t drag me down with you! Besides… something’s strange.”

“What else is so strange—” Daisy hadn’t finished speaking when a bright and dazzling flame suddenly lit up on the top of the spider maid’s head, which had already extended its mouth and, from everyone’s perspective, almost covered the upper body of Raslaufer!

"I knew something was wrong—"

"Juice? I'll treat you to lava instead!" Leslaufer's maniacal laughter sent shivers down the spines of the goblins, and even the dark elves trembled with fear. "How does this fire feel!"

It comes from purgatory!

Rose's maid never expected her prey to have such a chance to resist. Her entire head exploded in an instant, and the surrounding spider webs were not spared either. Green hellfire raged in all directions, immediately freeing the trapped Raslaufer. The man's feet had barely touched the ground when he suddenly sprang up and slashed at the spider that was also falling from the sky with his knife!

Giant creatures like reptiles often survive even after being headless, and Raslaw had at least seen ordinary giant spiders, so he would never make such a careless mistake.

However, he underestimated the power of Rose's handmaid, or more bluntly, he underestimated or was completely unaware of the goddess's power.

When his sword slashed into the hard shell again, the feeling inside was completely different from before. Just as Dobulle tried to get away immediately, the spider's skin suddenly burst open. As infernal fire flew, a thick, almost black mist burst out and completely enveloped the mercenary!

"What is this thing again?!" This time, it wasn't just Mary who was surprised. How many people present had ever seen anything like this before? Especially the mercenaries, who risked their lives every day, yet this thing could change its form again and again without any logic!

Compared to the people outside, Raslaufer, shrouded in the mist, was truly in danger this time. The mist was merely a form without substance; no matter how he swung his sword, he was only wasting his energy and couldn't possibly harm the mist itself in the slightest.

On the contrary, this strange fog constantly emitted a strange odor, while corroding Reslaufer's equipment and even his skin. Although his Hellfire Blade could still hold on, his armor was rapidly dissolving and falling off. In the metal shells that had not completely dissolved and fell to the ground, pieces of flesh that had also been corroded were constantly boiling and churning.

Without needing a mirror, Leslaufer knew his predicament—his hand, now held together by only a layer of fascia, was supporting only half of his intestines.

Pain? Raslaufer could hardly be sure whether it was a bodily response or his own imagination. In his mind, only one thing remained—to summon the flames of those demons once more.

Swords and blades couldn't hurt this bastard, but surely the flames could! But no matter what he thought, the flames remained motionless, as if they were dead!

Does this mean he's going to die here today?

Just as those previously dull spirits gradually took over his entire world and even began to grow increasingly ferocious in his vision, a flame suddenly ignited within his almost melted skull, accompanied by a familiar yet unfamiliar voice.

"Look, look, who is summoning my power? And who said it was useless?" The voice was so charming and alluring that even with Leslaufer's current appearance, it couldn't be ignored. "Don't you know that there are limits to using other people's power each day?"

"It's you, Intihith!" Raslaufer was shocked. The devil who could have his arm severed? How could she have done that...?

"Intihis?" the voice laughed. "How adorably naive. Perhaps you should study the occult or something, at least figure out the source of your power, right?"

"To be honest, I shouldn't have helped you, since we haven't even signed a contract. But you managed to scare Belial. Just for that, you should stay by my side, hehe."

"Not to mention, your opponent this time... in terms of affiliation, is an enemy of the Nine Hells—but it's really too extravagant for me to make this move."

"So, let's make a deal: you gather all the souls you have, one thing from them, and help me kill three bastards."

"You live, it dies."

Chapter 362 The Devil's Assistance

At this moment, Raslaufer was no longer able to speak normally, but that did not prevent the devil from understanding his thoughts. Soon, a relieved smile appeared on that alluring red face.

“Very well, of course you would choose that – but there’s no need to be angry, after all, it’s not all for me.”

Within the mist, the demon, whose status and power far surpassed Intihith's, merely flicked her finger, and the spirits around Raslaufer, which had gradually become ferocious, trembled like mice before a cat, obediently obeying her commands.

Those originally almost colorless spirits suddenly became brightly colored, as if someone had splashed paint on them, and within these colors, there was a faint surge of elemental magic.

The red spirits seemed to be burning with flames, while the blue and white ones were surrounded by lightning and frost. Some were protected by a light like angels descending to earth, while others displayed a faint blue color, as if they had just crawled back from the realm of the dead...

Among them, the most dazzling are undoubtedly those spirits burning with flames.

"Hmm, I've accumulated quite a few over this period, haven't I?" The devil licked his lips with the tip of his tongue. "Some of them are even of rather good quality. You really know how to give me little surprises every now and then~"

"Do you understand now? These essences are meant to help you defeat it. It's just a pity that these abyssal maggots have no respect for fire, cold, or electricity, so I'll reluctantly take this part."

"Anyway, since I'm here, the rest is enough for you to take care of it."

The affected fingers flicked again, and the three elemental-colored essences instantly vanished from Reslaufer's sight, while the rest swirled around him. Most astonishingly, the grass-green essences suddenly and actively protected Dopler's body, effectively isolating him from the pervasive toxins. Beneath this "essence armor," Reslaufer's consciousness gradually cleared, and even his almost completely corroded body began to recover rapidly!

"This is..." Only after uttering this word did Raslaufer belatedly realize that he had almost fully recovered!

"Toxins? Don't those spiders love using this stuff?" The devil chuckled contemptuously. "Now it's isolated, and the other elemental spirits will attack alongside your weapon until they're all used up."

"That's all I can do to help. Now, let's talk about what I need."

Rose's handmaiden form of mist nullifies all non-magical damage and is also able to counter many common spells, making it an almost insurmountable disaster for mortals, but demons obviously don't care much about it.

She also believed in Raslaufer's abilities; as long as the damage could be effectively inflicted, the fog was nothing more than that—in fact, if this weren't a duel, she wouldn't even have needed to come out.