The Paladin in the Abyss-Chapter 460 - 484 Return

Chapter 460: Chapter 484: Return Chapter 460: Chapter 484: Return Lancelot couldn’t help but feel somewhat surprised, not because Tijana had taken the initiative to speak to him, but because of what the Succubus Lord had blurted out in her moment of urgency—”This is really important to me.”

Considering the peculiar social structure of Twin Bridges Town and many details that were abnormal, he had long suspected that the Dwarven deities and the Succubus Lord shared some special relationship, and Tijana’s obsession with the missing relic of a Platinum Guard probably wasn’t just about using the holy relic to motivate the dwarven residents beneath her.

The mind of the Human Knight raced like lightning, thousands of thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, but he showed nothing, simply nodding his head.

Tijana seemed to regret her slip of the tongue a bit as well, but seeing that Lancelot had no reaction, she also let it go. The others in the temple had gathered around due to the commotion, and the Succubus Lord, with a calm face but a chilly tone, said:

“What happened in the temple today, you shall not speak a word of it outside, understood?”

“Rest assured, Lady Tijana,” the Chief Commissioner immediately replied, “We understand the importance of this matter without needing your emphasis!”

“Swear by the name of Moradin!” Tijana pressed unyieldingly, “If anyone leaks this information, their soul shall endure eternal torment in the flames of Hell!”

“Is that really necessary…” the Temple Guards complained unhappily, but under the stern gaze of the Succubus Lord, they still took the oath one by one.

...

“Good, remember the words you just said. It’s alright if you don’t remember, as all your Father Gods certainly have.” Tijana waved her hand, then cast a spell again, summoning a bright blue Portal, “Let’s go!”

Stepping through that Portal, Lancelot, Bruto, and three dwarven commissioners returned to the blacksmith area of Twin Bridges Town. The exit of the Portal was in a modest little room in the Craftsman Hall, and aside from a few panicked rats scurrying away, no one saw their arrival.

They re-entered the exhibition hall where the Cross Pickaxe had originally been displayed; several dwarves were repairing the facilities Tijana had damaged in her rage. Startled by the arrival of the Succubus Lord, these dwarves immediately hid to the side, stammering that the work they were doing had absolutely no ill intentions.

Tijana paid no attention to those dwarves. She walked up to the empty pedestal and put the Cross Pickaxe back in its place.

“Praise your generosity! Great Lady Tijana!” the three commissioners praised in unison immediately. They clearly breathed a sigh of relief, seemingly having not harbored much hope that Tijana would continue to display this dwarven relic.

The Succubus Lord glanced at them, then raised her hand to release a complex spell. A crystalline, transparent bone claw, much like clear crystal, emerged from the base, firmly grasping the Cross Pickaxe. Without trying, Lancelot could guess that the grip of the bone claw was incredibly secure; without Tijana’s consent, the dwarves couldn’t dream of taking it again.

“Any objections to these arrangements?” the Succubus Lord turned and said to the watching dwarves, her words naturally followed by a breeze stirred by many fuzzy heads nodding at the same time.

“Very good.” Tijana nodded, then turned to the three commissioners who had returned with her, “I’m assigning you a task to investigate if there are any enchantments that could add flame damage to weapons. Don’t worry about the cost, report back immediately to me in the castle once you have something.”

“Flame damage?” The expression of the Chief Commissioner shifted quickly from confusion to delight, “Understood, I will get on it immediately…”

“You know what you can say and what you can’t?” Tijana narrowed her eyes threateningly, and the latter nodded repeatedly, not waiting for permission before darting off.

“Such an innocent fellow,” the Succubus Lord shook her head, not minding the other’s rudeness. She turned to Lancelot, her expression much softer, and spoke directly to the Human Knight using telepathy:

“I still need to gather some more information, and I will come to find you later. You can tell your companions about today, and have them prepare.”

“I understand.”

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Tijana nodded slightly, then suddenly spread her wings and flew off into the sky.

“What did she say to you?” Bruto dared to speak only now. “I know you were just communicating through telepathy; I’ve seen it too many times…”

“It’s roughly the same as what I told you earlier,” Lancelot shrugged, “Let’s head back.”

An hour later.

All members of Lancelot’s small adventure team gathered in his underground cultivation room, even the normally resting Isa was called up.

Besides the Qi Hiding Formation that enveloped the entire building, Lancelot had also set up a Soundproof Formation to prevent the leakage of sound and a Thoughtless Formation to stop divine sense investigations (according to Kalalin’s tests, this formation could interfere with Divination techniques), eliminating all possibilities of being eavesdropped on.

Once everyone was present, Lancelot detailed their encounter today, and with a memory enhanced by his divine sense, he accurately recounted every detail he saw in Tijana’s illusion—including the number of folds on the White Dragon’s neck.

“Lands covered in snow and ice, fortresses built within glaciers, an aging White Dragon, wandering Frost Giants… you must have seen a scene from the Iron Ice Plains of the Abyss 23rd level,” Kalalin was the first to speak after Lancelot finished. “How coincidental…”

“Iron Ice Plains?” Lancelot realized he had heard this name just recently. “The other day your companions mentioned news of an Abyssal Scroll, is it located on these Iron Ice Plains?”

“Exactly, that’s why I said it was coincidental,” Kalalin shrugged, “But since our talk, I’m not so enthusiastic about retrieving that Cult Holy Relic anymore… Though, of course, it would still be good to take it back on the way.”

“We didn’t see any particular giants in the illusion…” Lancelot recollected the scenes he witnessed in the illusion. “I remember your cult’s companions mentioning that Kostcheqi—the Abyssal Lord of that realm—had been captured by Zariel?”

“Yes, the Prince of Wrath was defeated in his last attack on the Nine Hells. Many planar travelers report that Kostcheqi is being held at the bottom of a filthy tar pit, securely bound in place by numerous strong iron chains that can block the Magic Net. Zariel took his hammer, and his swearing can be heard miles away. If you get closer, he will communicate with you via telepathy, first in the Giant’s Tongue, then switching to the Abyssal Tongue, ordering you to bring his hammer, release him immediately, and asking for nothing in return.”