The Paladin in the Abyss

Chapter 309: Chapter 313: The Destination of the Soul

“The most dangerous aspect of a banshee is her wail, this terrifying attack can only be resisted through sheer resilience; those who can’t withstand it will instantly find themselves on the brink of death,” Kalalin continued to expound. “Lancelot and Bruto should not have much difficulty resisting this attack, but I fear others may not fare as well. As a spectral entity, a banshee can move through any tangible material, so we must be wary of her stealth attacks.”

“I will constantly sense nearby evil creatures, ensuring she won’t find an opportunity to strike,” declared the Succubus Paladin with a solemn expression.

“Good,” Kalalin nodded, “Apart from that deadly wail, a banshee’s touch is also extremely dangerous and can directly drain the life energy from living beings. Eloyisa, Clone Well, one of you is undead, the other… not living, so you should be immune to such attacks.”

“Why do I feel like you’re insulting me?” The skull glared at Kalalin, baring its teeth, “She can’t hit me, and I can’t hit her, is that what you mean?”

“In a bit, Kalalin will cast a Levitation Spell on you, and you can be our eyes in the sky,” Lancelot nodded, “We rushed out this time and weren’t fully prepared. Later, we’ll get some Holy Oil to anoint on your head…”@@novelbin@@

“Ha ha! Boss, that’s a great idea!” Clone Well exclaimed joyfully. “A headbutt with holy properties, simply the nemesis of the undead!”

Lancelot paused, originally intending to say that Kalalin should also cast a Light Spell on him for an area attack. After a moment’s thought, he decided to keep that latter half of his sentence to himself.

“And then there’s the horrifying visage of the banshee, which might freeze some in sheer terror, leaving them at her mercy. But we’re seasoned enough; a face that’s a bit more terrifying shouldn’t scare us off,” shrugged Kalalin. “Overall, Alamir’s Holy Fire Technique and Elothysia’s Evilbane Slash should be the most effective in attacking her. Of course, there’s also your ability, Lancelot, to make your Sword Blade glow. Since it worked against spectral demons before, it should be just as effective this time.”

“I have a question…” Eloyisa timidly raised her hand, “If… I mean if… that shadow was cursed by evildoers to become like that, if we kill the banshee, won’t her soul be utterly dispersed? How can we purify her then?”

The group exchanged glances, and finally, Alamir spoke up. The Priest spread his hands and addressed everyone:

“Let me explain the matters concerning the soul, as this falls under my expertise as a Priest. First, I have a question for you all—do you think the soul is tangible or intangible?”

“That goes without saying, it’s intangible,” the Dwarf blurted out, his eyes wide. “Moradin, according to his own form, crafted a puppet from rock, metal, and gemstones, and then blew air onto his creation to cool it, but at the same time, he breathed a soul into it, and thus the first Dwarf was born…”

“There are few races with as detailed a creation myth as the Dwarves,” Alamir nodded. “Indeed, for a considerable length of time, people believed the soul to be intangible.”

“But that isn’t true,” Elothysia shook her head, “Back when I served Baro, I had repeatedly brought souls back from the Prime Material Plane to the Abyss…”

“In the form of a soul’s shell, right?” the priest nodded, “As mortals began to master the power of magic and came into contact with deities and the outer planes, they gained a deeper understanding of the soul. Researchers soon discovered a phenomenon that, whether in the sacred realms of the gods or the terrible torture chambers of Barto Hell, the soul must rely on some kind of vessel to exist. Even for those ghosts who do not wish to leave the Prime Material Plane after death, clerics can always find a specific item. As long as it is destroyed or purified, the soul can no longer remain in the world.”

“I’ve heard similar theories,” Kalalin interjected, “the soul is like a balloon, and our body is the weight tied beneath it. Once the body is gone, the soul will float away unless there’s something else to ‘pull’ it down.”

“That’s a very vivid way to put it, and basically the gist of it,” the Elf Priest said, turning to Little Isha, “The female demon’s curse is the weight that traps her soul in place; our attacks cannot harm her soul.”

Hearing this, the young girl nodded somewhat understandingly, as the priest’s words contained a lot of information, and she needed some time to digest it.

“So the divine kingdoms, are they what mortals refer to as heaven?” This time it was Lancelot who curiously spoke up, “What happens to a soul in these divine realms?”

“It becomes a petitioner, receiving a new body, usually very similar to its former self, but a better, healthier version,” Alamir spoke with some longing, “What each person values differs, hence each god’s divine kingdom is different too, and some of these kingdoms may seem like paradise to you. ”

“In the Father God’s creation, the Dwarf home, lies the richest veins in the universe, filled with countless rare metals and gemstones, and endless ale to drink!” Bruto exclaimed excitedly, “Praise the great Father God!”

“…Some, not so much,” the Elf Priest shrugged helplessly, “If you worship a deity of the war domain, then after death, endless battles await you, representing your god on the glorious battlefield, fighting, dying, and being reborn over and over again. But if you worship the Lady of Fire, you will go to a land with a pleasant climate and picturesque scenery, becoming the best version of yourself, surrounded by countless equally handsome, charming, beautiful, and enchanting petitioners, and you will be forever immersed in the wonderful taste of love…”

“Uh, I think I get your point, but what happens to those who die without any beliefs?”

Lancelot asked the question he was most curious about. From the day he became a spiritual cultivator, he was destined not to worship any deities because spiritual cultivation itself is a path of defying the heavens and changing fate. For powerful beings, one can admire, resent, or be jealous, but must never worship, otherwise, one would have a flaw in their mental state and fail to achieve greatness.

“Legend has it that at the very depths of the Netherworld, at the end of the Stygian River, there is a ‘Wall of the Faithless.'” The name made the Elf Priest shudder, “The shells of the faithless souls are forever immersed in the Stygian River, with no divine envoy capable of ‘fishing’ them out. The faithless are eventually stopped by that wall, smeared on it like a clump of mud thrown against the wall, gradually covered by newcomers, becoming part of the wall, forever imprisoned there.”

“It’s not necessarily forever,” Kalalin added, “It’s said that the demons often sneak into the Netherworld, chipping away bricks and mortar from the wall before the Grim Reaper’s servants can stop them. After all, the endless blood war is like a monster that devours everything, and the demons always need more fodder.”

“True story,” the Succubus Paladin assured everyone.

COMMENT
0 comment

Vote
3 left

SEND GIFT