The Paladin in the Abyss

Upon receiving the summons from Tijana, Lancelot's heart muttered discontentedly. What kind of mission would require his presence? Could it be that the Succubus Lord had discovered the location of an Earth Crystal or a Cold Water Crystal or some other gemstone he needed and was preparing him for another looting spree?

Despite his doubts, Lancelot quickly gathered his companions. He left a note for little Esha, who was still sleeping in her coffin (weighted down with a small bag of gemstones), and then set off for the red castle at the center of Twin Bridges Town.

The companions trailing behind him looked quite different from a month ago. Bruto wore his belt every day, and now his large beard made him appear to be three hundred years old, although it was still the fiery red color of a young Dwarf, knotted into three braids with a thick one in the middle and two thinner ones on the sides.

Aside from that, he also donned a majestic red cloak. This cloak was more than just decorative; it was one of the spoils they conquered from the Succubus Palace, which gave the wearer an advantage in resisting spells—a very satisfactory piece of equipment for a Dwarf who despised all magic.

Kalalin, on the other hand, had replaced his scroll-case with a backpack worn over both shoulders. This, too, was a magical item, but it hadn't come from the Succubus Palace; rather, Kalalin bought it from the market for five thousand Gold Coins.

Such a large sum of money indicated the backpack's extraordinariness. Named the Convenient Bag by Howard (meaning the inventor was called Howard), it had three Dimensional Pockets—one large and two small—allowing for storage of approximately twelve cubic feet or one hundred pounds of items.

This backpack's storage capacity was only about one-fifth that of a Dimensional Bag, but it had a very special ability: when you wanted to take something out, the first item you touched would be the one you were seeking. This feature was extremely important for a Scholar like Kalalin, who relied on scrolls for casting spells.

To be prepared for various situations, they had to carry many scrolls, and searching for the right one among a pile on the anxious battlefield was incredibly awkward. Enjoy more content from empire

Koula also had the same type of backpack as Kalalin's, but hers was filled with all sorts of prepared potions, alchemical ingredients, as well as a complete set of cooking utensils, spices, and ingredients. She wore an exquisite suit of dark red leather armor, which she purchased from the market for three thousand Gold Coins.

Made from the skin of a Fire Serpent—a creature from the plane of Fire Elementals—not only did it provide good protection, but it also resisted damage from flames.

On her back was a cloak that seemed to endlessly change colors with the surrounding environment. This was yet another spoil from the Succubus Palace that allowed the wearer to better conceal themselves. Named the Elf Cloak, it clearly suited Halflings more as Koula, besides being a chef and an Alchemist, was also a Wanderer, though they say her level wasn't much better than little Esha's.

So when Lancelot saw the two Cold Iron Daggers strapped to her waist, he wasn't too surprised. Incidentally, those were Bruto's work. Although not the prettiest, the quality was acceptable, and most importantly, Bruto charged her merely a nominal fee for the materials—the Halfling was now completely broke.

Apart from her leather armor and backpack, alchemy ingredients were also a significant expense, and Koula had a great passion for tasting the delicacies of Oasis Fort. If Lancelot's mercenary group didn't start getting some work soon, she would have to consider whether to look for a job as a cook.

Even Eckmond had updated his equipment—a helmet adorned with several small swords arranged into a wing-like decoration, which was also a trophy gained from the Succubus Palace.

Besides providing excellent protection, it had a daily ability: by uttering a command, those small swords comprising the wings would detach from the helmet and transform into sharp longswords, spinning at high speed around the helmet.

Additionally, Eckmond's mouth was fitted with a set of false teeth that glimmered with a cold light, another creation of Bruto. After becoming an adventurer, Bruto's enthusiasm for forging only increased, much to the mixed worry and pride of his father.

However, the most surprising transformation was that of Alamir. Lancelot had heard that the elf had placed an order for a suit of armor with Bruto's father, and he had assumed it would be a medium armor like scale or chain mail.

Instead, the priest was now clad in a new, well-crafted, beautifully designed full body armor, complete with a thick, covered great helmet, making him look more like a knight than a priest.

"As long as they can afford it, Shuni's priests will dress in the strongest protective armor available," Kalalin explained in response to Lancelot's puzzled look. "But don't doubt their courage—they are simply risk-takers who want to avoid scars, or the wasteful use of precious healing divine arts on themselves."

"I actually don't care much about scars, but the teachings of the Goddess require believers to take care of their bodies," Alamir's muffled voice emanated from behind the face mask.

"The design, pattern, and ornamentation of this armor were all my own making, which includes an 'equilibrium' enchantment effect, allowing me to gain a reactive force to stay standing if I'm about to fall, and the cold iron trait also keeps the wearer cool even under the scorching sun."

"That's so good! Make me one too when you have the time..." Lancelot praised sincerely. The effects sounded amazing, and indeed, Alamir looked very handsome in it.

"No problem, I've kept the design sketches, so you can take a look when you'd like," Alamir said cheerily. "It's just a bit pricey, it cost me 7500 gold coins, and Mr. Barrend said that it was already at cost price."

"That expensive!" Lancelot exclaimed instinctively. As a knight, he was extremely sensitive to the price of armor. Normally, a knight's full body armor set would cost around 1500 gold coins, and even that was often the most valuable possession in a small noble family in the countryside, typically passed from grandfather to father, and father to son.

Lancelot, due to his background, actually had little concept of the prices of daily necessities such as bread, eggs, or soap, but this suit of full body armor finally provided him with a tangible sense of the prices in Twin Bridges Town. When Lancelot was young (or any boy who dreamed of becoming a knight), wealth was not measured in gold coins, but in full body armor.

This manor is worth 5 sets of full body armor, that warhorse a half set, his father's annual income a third of a set, and so on.

Fortunately, it was also easier to make money in the Abyss—more precisely, there were more opportunities. Besides, apart from spending on purchasing equipment, there really wasn't much else to use it for.

During their conversation, the group had already arrived at the gates of Tigana's Castle. The Berserk Demon guards looked at this fully armed party of mortals with unfriendly eyes, but after the Succubus who led Lancelot over communicated with them briefly, the Berserk Demon guards shook their heads, gesturing for everyone to enter.