The Paladin in the Abyss

Chapter 208 Tools

"You have already pointed out one of the reasons why the Hall of Sorrow holds a transcendent status." Kalalin smiled, "There, the soul judges known as the Lords of Sorrow transform souls into low-rank Prime Demons, Coward Devils, or Aberrant Demons—depending on whether the armies of the Abyss need food, slaves, or food for slaves. And those souls that are most greedy, most evil, and most ambitious have a chance to receive special attention and be directly endowed with a higher form."

"Sounds like a huge military camp," the Dwarf said as he walked and kicked a stone by the roadside, "The Abyss is so vast, can't demons spring up everywhere? How does it come to have such an exalted status?"

"Capturing wild demons is a time-consuming and laborious task, while the Hall of Sorrow produces Tanari at a speed much faster than the Abyss itself, and it can systematically send them to the blood war legions that need them." The Scholar patiently explained, "Most of the Tanari Lords maintain a surface respect for the Hall of Sorrow because to tear their faces would mean becoming the target of all in the Abyss, and all its enemies would temporarily set aside their disputes and unite—something that is almost impossible under normal circumstances. Therefore, even the Demon Prince Dimogorgen would not lightly choose to publicly confront the Hall of Sorrow."

"How come the political struggles among demons are also so complicated." Bruto lamented, "Can't they be like us Dwarves where the King, Generals, and ordinary soldiers and craftsmen all work hard at their respective duties, smithing normally and occasionally aiming at the skulls of Orcs and the knees of Giants? Such a life would be so much easier and more enjoyable."

"It seems you don't like staying by the forge all the time," Lancelot joked.

"It's normal for a young person to be a bit restless," Bruto's defense was rendered unconvincing by the thick beard on his chin, "By the way, Lancelot, We've been walking all day, right? Your divination method doesn't seem very reliable."

"I... never said it was definitely going to work..." Lancelot estimated the time, "Shall we prepare to camp?"

"Here?" Bruto looked doubtfully at their surroundings; they were flanked by narrow incline paths not five feet wide, with nearly vertical rock walls on the left and an open, bottomless void on the right.

Lancelot smiled and drew out his Giant Sword Glacier. He had practiced the Qingyun Sword Art to the third stage, reaching the peak of the Qi Refinement Realm. As a Wood System cultivation technique, it might be relatively weaker against metal weapons and armor, but it was formidable against rock and earth...

A dim green light emerged. Under Lancelot's full force, the Sword Aura extended more than ten feet from the tip of his sword, resembling a giant long spear in a heavy infantry formation.

"Could you all step back a bit?" Lancelot said to the people behind him, then he thrust the Great Sword into the rock wall as easily as a fork into cheese.

"Look how focused he is, we better not disturb him, haha." The skull let out a dry laugh, "Maybe you could mention it to him later?"

"Let's not, he seems to be enjoying himself."

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In just a short while, Lancelot had carved out a platform over thirty feet wide on the near-vertical cliff face, spacious enough for everyone to comfortably start a fire and cook.

"You're lucky it didn't collapse," Bruto said, circling around like a foreman, using his professional Dwarven judgment to confirm that the cave wouldn't become his tomb in a few hours.

The group already had extensive experience in outdoor camping. They expertly set up tents, started a campfire, Alamir conjured a large barrel of clean water using Divine Arts, Kalalin cast a warding spell from a scroll, and Bruto took out a small hammer, beginning maintenance on everyone's weapons and gear, saying:

"Finally, we can rest a bit. It might sound strange, but I feel much safer here than in the inn last night. Koula, what are we having tonight?"

"I bought some Abyss chicken from the kitchen of Tears of Lazzaka. How about roast chicken for dinner tonight? You can compare it with what we had at the inn last night and see which is better."

"Do we even need to ask?" Bruto jumped up, "It's definitely from Tears of Lazzaka... No comparison to yours!"

The Halfling chef's response was to throw a chicken claw at him, which the Dwarf easily batted into the fire with his hammer, sending out a delicious aroma.

"What should we do tomorrow? Continue forward or go back to check?" Kalalin asked Lancelot, who was helping Koula rotate the spit, from which the spice-covered Abyss chicken emitted an enticing aroma.