The Paladin in the Abyss

The impact of this iron anvil on the dwarven community of Twin Bridges Town greatly exceeded the expectations of Lancelot and Tijana. After Barrend and the Craftsmen Committee made the announcement, the entire blacksmith district was in an uproar.

The dwarves on duty did not leave their posts, for taking one's work seriously is one of Moradin's most important teachings. Though they had tears in their eyes as they swung their hammers.

On this day, Moradin's name was praised countless times, and Tijana's name came closely second. Some fervent dwarves had already regarded Twin Bridges Town as a final opportunity bestowed by the deities, and the appearance of this anvil further convinced them that Tijana was the one chosen by Moradin to save them.

Seven of the strongest dwarf warriors proudly stepped forward, taking on the responsibility of guarding this holy relic, just like the seven platinum guards of legend under Moradin's command. They would venture to the Shattered Mountain Range in search of a place neither too close nor too far to establish a temple for Moradin.

Although dwarves can be stubborn, they are not inflexible. They fully understood and were grateful for the succubus lord's decision. If possible, they would express their respect to the Father of Dwarves with the most magnificent architecture, but they also knew it was essential to keep a low profile to avoid attracting unnecessary enemies to the temple and Twin Bridges Town.

On the surface, the disruption this event caused quickly settled down. The demon residents and Blood War mercenaries of Twin Bridges Town merely heard that the god of the dwarves had performed a miracle in the Craftsmen's District, and they were indifferent. This is the Abyss— even if the deity themselves descended in person, they would be overwhelmed by the countless demons.

However, the Craftsmen's District was far from as calm as it appeared. The dwarves felt the gaze of the creator upon them once more, and now they worked with fervor, just as Moradin had taught them. Production in the Craftsmen's District had seen a significant increase in those days, with more and more blacksmiths joining the ranks to manufacture cold iron weapons.

Lancelot and Barrend secretly breathed a sigh of relief, believing that these positive signs would please Tijana. Barrend quickly finished the gauntlet, which was made of mithril and very light, able to prevent damage to the bearer from the holy weapon. According to his observation when he delivered it, Tijana's mood seemed to be very good lately.

Another item delivered along with it was a leather cover, which, when put on the Abyssal Lash, made the weapon look like an ordinary heavy whip. This meant that they could catch the enemy by surprise at a critical moment in battle. Needless to say, Tijana was very fond of this design.

In the following days, Barrend completed the great sword that Lancelot had requested, with Lancelot himself also contributing.

At Lancelot's direct request, the great sword was over seven feet long, with the grip itself exceeding two feet. The blade was single-edged on one side, with only the tip of the other side sharpened, making it more like a massive longsword.

The blade was half a foot wide at its broadest point, and one inch at its thickest. At a staggering weight of 50 pounds, an ordinary warrior would struggle even to swing it, let alone fight with it.

But Lancelot was quite satisfied with it—the weapon's design and power matched the dream of the little knight inside his heart. The little knight had been badly beaten by the little cultivator recently, and Lancelot decided to soothe his little knight with such a great sword.

The great sword always emanated the characteristic chill of cold iron, and Barrend gave it a very fitting name: 'Glacier'.

Due to Glacier's exaggerated size, carrying it on his back would be extremely inconvenient, so Lancelot had to store it in his Dimensional Bag. However, the next time he encountered a beast with a sizable form like the shark lizard, Lancelot looked forward to putting his new toy to use.

The final days of the month passed unremarkably. Lancelot focused on his cultivation, tirelessly working to improve his own prowess while diligently practicing several techniques said to be very practical for the Qi Refinement Realm detailed in the small bamboo slip—Qi Concealing Technique, Turtle Breathing Technique, and Shadowless Step.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Lancelot guessed that the world of Spiritual Cultivation was no safer than the Abyss, and the primary task for cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm was to survive.

Kalalin locked himself in his room, engrossed in academic research. His recent adventuring experiences had significantly improved his spellcasting abilities, and he could now barely cast a third-circle spell.

In the Scholar's own words, this meant that he would no longer simply be a spectator in battles. He could cast powerful offensive magic such as the Fireball Technique, or very useful support spells like Haste Spell and Flight Spell.

Bruto spent most of his time helping his father, occasionally asking for Lancelot's "guidance." Lancelot had to admit that Bruto was the fastest learner he had seen, although the Dwarf Warrior fought more like a Barbarian than a warrior.

Instead of forcefully changing this tendency, Lancelot patiently served as Bruto's sparring partner, helping him learn to make better use of his instincts and rage in combat.

Their collaborative work, six Cold Iron Longswords, were now stuck in the bare garden of Hagrid Manor, surrounded by the Enchantment Array set up by Kalalin. The "Patriot" Enchantment was completed through ritual magic, which was relatively easy.

The final step of the ritual was to stick the weapons to be enchanted into the ground. Seven days later, the enchantment would be complete, and within a hundred miles radius from the insertion point as the center, the enchantment would take effect. In this area, the weapons would possess magical power, becoming sharper and more precise.

Under the inspiration of Moradin's divine acts, the craftsmen under Barrend easily met the production targets set by Tijana. The old Dwarf naturally remembered the promise he had made to the Succubus Lord, so he did not relax at all and immediately began the next batch of production without stopping.

As the day drew closer for the clients of Twin Bridges Town to arrive, the Low Rank Demons of the town grew restless. Lancelot learned from Dingke that whenever these representatives from different forces congregated, Twin Bridges Town would hold a grand gladiatorial event, featuring participants such as Prime Demons, Coward Devils, and Quasimodo Demons.

The rules were simple. These Low Rank Demons would engage in a battle royale in the arena, with the last one standing being the sole victor.

For the Demons gathered here to compete for the craftspeople's output for the next three months, this was an insanely entertaining event. They would capture a large number of Low Rank Demons on their way here and place heavy bets on their slaves.

But not all participants were forced. There were always some mad souls who believed they could rise to great heights and shed their weak bodies in one fell swoop.

This notion was not unfounded. Those souls who were most evil and cunning in life, upon arriving in the Abyss and becoming Low Rank Demons, still retained fragments of their mortal memories. After figuring out the game's rules in the Abyss, they would do whatever it took to ascend to higher-ranked Demons, usually by scheming and betraying, to slaughter their kind en masse.

However, the ascension process for Demons was so excruciating that it could cause a soul to completely forget everything about itself, which was unacceptable for those Demons that still held on to memories of their former lives.

This is why some Demons volunteered to participate in these grand battles—it's a precious opportunity to bypass several ranks and directly promote to mid-level Demon status.

Lancelot even specifically asked Dingke if he was interested in participating, but the Quasimodo Demon expressed great reluctance, stating that if the master insisted, it wasn't impossible, but he felt he could serve his master better as is. Thus, Lancelot did not persist.

Finally, the day arrived for the clients of Twin Bridges Town to visit. Except for young Isabella who could only stay at home and sleep in annoyance, everyone else got up early to go out and join the spectacle.