The Paladin in the Abyss

Tijana had quickly left, giving Lancelot a meaningful look before she departed, to which Lancelot responded with a serene smile.

Everyone enjoyed the meal immensely, all agreeing it was the best dinner since they had arrived in the Abyss. Kalalin's magic wasn't perfect, as he hadn't managed to completely transform all the alcohol, resulting in young Esha, who had just gotten up, ending up drunk, much to the shame of the undead.

Kalalin found the process of carrying Esha's breathless body to the tomb and then placing it into the wooden coffin eerily reminiscent of a certain Evil God's sacrificial ritual.

Lancelot stood on the patio outside the dining room, glass of red wine in hand, looking over the brightly lit main area of Twin Bridges Town.

The air contained a kind of invisible magic that suppressed the propagation of sound, making the surroundings quite silent, allowing him to clearly hear his own inner voice.

What was Tijana doing at this moment? Would those words about friendship and respect linger in her heart?

He had some guesses about Tijana, but was not yet certain. Was her attitude toward the vast mortal races of Twin Bridges Town purely driven by maximizing benefits, or was there another reason?

Out of his sight, Tijana sat atop the spire of her massive castle. She had transformed back into her Succubus form, her large wings relaxed and spread behind her, bathing in the glow of the Abyss's red moon, creating a beautiful and harmonious scene.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

In the deepest dreams of some fortunate ones in the Multiverse, they could vaguely see this beautiful shadow, and then it was etched into their minds forever, leaving them in a daze for months to years.

But if someone could get a little closer, they would notice the Succubus's eyes aimlessly staring into the void.

"Mother, I wish you were here…"

Bruto walked up to Lancelot, looked up at him for a while, and seeing no response, he gently coughed.

His cough caught Lancelot's attention, and then he spoke, "I saw how she smiled at you tonight, I think you have a chance."

"What are you talking about?" Lancelot laughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject, "Did you need something from me?"

"It's like this…" Bruto spoke hesitantly, "you've also heard, my old man probably doesn't have time to help us with that Sonam deal anymore, it looks like we have to do it ourselves."

"We?" Lancelot quickly caught the key word.

"I definitely can't handle it myself." Barrend had already gone back, and Bruto candidly admitted, "But together, maybe we have a chance."

"What help can I offer?" Lancelot asked curiously.

"My craftsmanship indeed still needs a lot of … um, learning," Bruto said, showing a slightly embarrassed smile, "but there's one part in the forging process that, well, can work miracles with the right effort."

"Forging?" Kalalin had come over by then.

"Exactly, looks like you know a bit too," Bruto spread his hands to his companions, "My skills in other steps aren't proficient, resulting in me having to forge repeatedly to ensure quality."

"So with Lancelot's extraordinary strength, you could produce weapons of normal quality?"

"It might even be better than normal." The Dwarf rubbed his hands excitedly. "Lancelot, when you first fought the shark-lizard creature and smashed its helmet, how long can you swing the hammer with that same force?"

"That level..." Lancelot raised an eyebrow, "depends on how much water I had to drink at the time, and my bladder's tolerance, I guess."

Bruto clapped his hands, "Done!"

"I can help too." Kalalin suggested, "I happen to know a simple Enchantment that's perfect for clients like Sonam."

"You know Enchantment?" Bruto looked at him skeptically, "I haven't even mastered that Technique yet."

"It's different, the Enchantment power during forging is much stronger, and the effects are different too." Kalalin explained, "The Enchantment I know is called 'Patriot.' It allows the weapon to exert extra power when defending a designated area, weakens the bearer's power if it falls into an enemy's hands within that zone, and is useless elsewhere."

"That's really suitable." Lancelot nodded, "I believe Sonam would also like it."

"Great, such effects are enough to compensate for other flaws." Bruto finally revealed a relieved smile as he headed to his room, "Get some rest everyone, we need to pour our strength into it tomorrow."

Lancelot and Kalalin exchanged smiles and returned to their own rooms.

He took a deep breath and sat down cross-legged. The night was still young, and his cultivation had just begun.

Little Isabella woke up in the late night, but she was noticeably better than before. Blood had temporarily appeased the curse she bore; she even had breakfast with everyone in the morning and then rested in the crypt.

After breakfast, Lancelot and Bruto headed to the Craftsmen's District, while Kalalin stayed home studying Magic and scrolls. The Enchantment would have to wait until after the crafting was complete, so he had nothing to do for now.

It was easy to find Barrend in the Craftsmen's District. The newly promoted master craftsman was assigning tasks to a bunch of Dwarfs, as Tijana's production quotas allowed no room for negotiation.

Bruto took a moment to briefly explain their situation to Barrend. Taken aback, Barrend led them to a small workshop.

"This isn't suitable for mass production, but it's free right now." The old Dwarf checked the forge and bellows to ensure everything was working, then helped light the fire. "You should have enough materials, get anything else you need from Uncle Darak. Let me emphasize once again, temperature, temperature, temperature! Don't take your eyes off the furnace, focus!"

"Got it, old man." Bruto answered, feeling a bit guilty and unable to look Barrend in the eyes.

"If you have any problems, don't hesitate to ask me!" Barrend advised again, then nodded to Lancelot and went back to his tasks. Time was becoming ever more precious for him; once large-scale production began, it might be a long while before Bruto could see his old man again.

"Let's get started." Bruto clapped his hands and pointed to the bellows near the forge, "You sit there first..."

Lancelot resignedly acknowledged one fact, he was indeed Bruto's human power source. He mechanically operated the bellows, moving his hands as fast as possible to make the flames in the furnace burn fiercer.

He quietly channeled a thread of True Qi into it, satisfied as he felt the temperature inside the furnace rise even faster.

"The efficiency is just different with a big guy doing this." Bruto, unsuspecting, excitedly watched the color of the flames, "Put some muscle into it, we might even start working before everyone else, haha!"