The Paladin in the Abyss

Oasis Fort was located north of Twin Bridges Town, about 500 li away. By the normal speed of a carriage, it would take approximately two days.

The journey went smoothly for the most part because there were no unsolvable troubles, yet small-scale robberies were incessant. The Abyss was hardly a peaceful place, and the first layer, Plains of the Abyss, where they were, could be considered very livable compared to other layers, where almost all evil races could be found.

The robbers they encountered included large goblins, hyena-men, orcs, ogres, and even a two-headed giant, but they were all easily dispatched by the Dwarf warriors. Lancelot didn't even need to lift a finger.

Like all goblins, Phil did not like Dwarfs, and Dwarfs had the same sentiment towards goblins, so most of the time it was Lancelot and Kalalin who sat in Phil's first carriage, diligently playing the role of guards for the Goblin merchant.

Phil's view of his fellow tribe members who blocked the road to rob was no different from others; he would first 'politely' ask them to leave, and if they refused, he would draw his weapon to force compliance.

The only difference was that his taunting in the Goblin language was always particularly limited, and his slingshot and dagger looked far more threatening than he did himself.

The caravan also witnessed groups of Prime Demons and Coward Devils, these pitiful Low Rank Demons wandering aimlessly on the ground, loudly arguing with each other in their unclear language.

Kalalin was very interested in this situation. According to him, normally, these wild Low Rank Tanari were always in a state of being chased, either by a conscription team or a food requisition team, depending on the situation of the war.

Normally, a Serpent Demon would be responsible for the conscription work in a region, but perhaps because that guy named Wisk was killed, these newly born demons had not yet had the opportunity to experience the cruelty of 'demon' life.

Even though these Tanari demons had a brief respite, they still did not dare to attack the guarded caravan. These lowest-level demons were not mad enough, and their desire for blood and battle was not enough to overcome their fear of death.

But the Abyss also gave birth to some native demons, and these mad creatures did not care as much.

The demons born from mortal souls were called Tanari, and if you overcame your fear and observed their forms carefully, you would find that they still had some human-like features, such as having their heads on their necks, and having two legs below the waist.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

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However, these native demons of the Abyss were more abstract in appearance, with spherical or columnar bodies randomly sporting uneven numbers of mouths, eyes, and claws, screaming wildly and trying to attack everything around them.

Fortunately, although the demons encountered in the wild were dangerous, they were almost mindless, merely acting on instinct.

This was when Lancelot's seven-foot Great Sword 'Glacier' came into play. This massive weapon possessed a primitive beauty in Lancelot's hands, especially when he sliced those grotesque, disgusting-looking, and wildly acting foes in two, always eliciting envious admiration from the Dwarfs.

Iados's team of Goat Demons did not travel with them, to avoid being spotted by the patrols of Oasis Fort as something unusual. After the team set off, Lancelot never saw those tall, gaunt demons again in his field of vision.

This provided him with an opportunity to hone his Divine Sense and Spirit Perception. After practice, his unclear sense range of Spirit Perception had reached almost one li, and any creature strong enough to enter this range would trigger his Spirit Perception, allowing him to detect them in advance.

The frequent battles slowed the pace of the caravan, and by the afternoon of the third day, they finally reached the gates of Oasis Fort.

Since it was named Oasis Fort, naturally, it was because there was an oasis here.

Lake water, safe for direct consumption, gushed from beneath the ground, forming a small lake about an acre in size and turning its surroundings into a lush oasis. Most of the surface of the Plains of the Abyss consisted of red wastelands, with dry and barren land, but the chaotic essence of the Abyss determined that it could accommodate all possibilities, though they were dire.

This had been a water source for many creatures strayed into this realm and also a landmark and supply point on the trade route from the more prosperous north to Twin Bridges Town. Since the clean water source was of little value to demons, no powerful force had occupied this place until the establishment of Oasis Fort.

The greedy Molo, relying on slaves and magic, had enclosed the entire oasis with walls, monopolizing the precious water source for himself.

When Lancelot and his group entered Oasis Fort, they had to pay an 'entry tax' of 300 gold coins each, demonstrating the succubus's remarkable ability to extort wealth.

But the wool eventually comes off the sheep. Despite Molo's full-effort slander, the weapons, armor, and iron ingots produced by Twin Bridges Town were among the most popular goods in the Abyss. If they could be transported to demon legions in the north lacking ironware, the profits could be more than tenfold, sufficient to make many greedy merchants overcome any risk.

Phil, who knew the ins and outs, led the caravan to a secluded inn. The owner, a taciturn Devilspawn, showed an unmistakable look of surprise upon seeing Phil, seemingly an old acquaintance of the goblin.

He opened his mouth to say something, but Phil plugged it with a bag of gold. He shut up, handed Phil a brass key, and actually stepped right out the front door.

"Dealing with clever folks is easy. All right, this will be our temporary base for the coming week."

After settling the team down, Phil went out to sell the goods meant to distract others while Lancelot and Kalalin followed the goblin outside, playing the role of guards. The hot-tempered dwarves stayed in the inn to guard the goods.

The marketplace in Oasis Fort was much more chaotic compared to Twin Bridges Town, with its nauseating stench and garbage everywhere making a poor first impression.

Another characteristic was the large number of slaves, wearing chains and covered with scars from long-term abuse, which made Lancelot clench his fists tightly, but he was very clear about what he could and could not do.

This cruel scene was not enough to make Lancelot lose his reason, but it did strengthen his resolve to defend Twin Bridges Town.

Phil quickly struck several deals, arranged delivery times and locations with the other parties, then pretentiously left the filthy market satisfied, light-footedly signaling his desire to grab a drink.

Lancelot was certain that no one was watching them, but he agreed with the goblin's caution. If anyone reported them to the guards for suspecting their actions as abnormal, it could bring unnecessary trouble.

Naturally, grabbing a drink was a pretense; all those activities were to cover their real purpose: to connect with Tijana's informant in Oasis Fort.

Before laying out detailed plans for their next steps, they needed to gather enough intelligence.