The Paladin in the Abyss

A streak of magic flashed by, and Tijana's massive wings on her back disappeared, replaced by a beautiful deep black evening gown that tightly wrapped around her graceful figure.

Walking along a scarcely populated path, the Queen of the Succubus moved forward, with Lancelot quietly following behind, enjoying the serenity of the atmosphere.

The silhouette ahead was like a rose with thorns, and now his distance from this rose was neither too far nor too close, perfect for fully appreciating Tijana's beauty.

Lancelot suddenly realized that the reason this road was scarcely populated was that it led to the eastern district inhabited by Vampires. The vicinity of the Vampires' hive was always shrouded in fog and deathly still, causing both humans and Demons to stay away involuntarily.

"You're a very interesting fellow," Tijana suddenly spoke up, just as the atmosphere of solitude was starting to become somewhat ambiguous.

"May I take that as a compliment?"

"Hmph." The light laughter of the Succubus floated from ahead, causing Lancelot's mind to sway uncontrollably. "You did well today, but a bit too showy. In my plan, your mere presence was enough to make that guy doubt himself, and having Sonam find an excuse to chop up his retinue would have been enough to make him run away crying, but it seems you took care of it all by yourself."

"It sounds like a perfect plan, much more prudent than my adventurous act."

"Hahahahaha, I always thought you were a very serious guy, but I didn't expect you to pull off such a scheme."

"You flatter me," Lancelot said, somewhat embarrassed, "serious people are not commonly found in the Abyss, right?"

"Hmm, but I do know one, the person I respect the most."

Lancelot was a bit surprised, half because Tijana actually knew such a person, and the other half because she could feel respect at all.

"What kind of person is that?"

"A very stubborn fellow," Tijana's expression became somewhat melancholic, "Let's not talk about these old matters anymore. I think I must reward you, as Cold Iron Weapons have become an important bargaining chip for Twin Bridges Town, and you were the one who facilitated this."

"You're giving me too much credit; it's mainly the work of the Frostforged clan."

Tijana suddenly stopped, looked at him with surprise on her face.

"What's wrong?" Lancelot asked, puzzled.

"The whole thing is mostly your achievement, and I've said I would reward you, so why deny it?"

Lancelot stood there stunned, not expecting that such a subconscious behavior would perplex the Demon. After pondering for a while, he cautiously spoke:

"My purpose in doing this was not to seek your reward, and others have made many contributions to this matter. To comfortably accept the main credit in such a case would be an expression of arrogance."

"Arrogance is one of the seven deadly sins spoken of by you humans, isn't it? But is acknowledging one's own achievements considered arrogance?" the Succubus persisted, "Besides, if it wasn't for my reward, then what was your purpose?"

"I know this sounds contradictory, but the origin of arrogance is indeed the infatuation with oneself. We try to avoid boasting about our achievements because it can easily create an illusion of being omnipotent, which in turn can lead to rash actions when facing real challenges."

"Even with one's true achievements? For example, I, who single-handedly established Twin Bridges Town, repelled countless attacks, and the number of humans I sheltered is probably no less than those so-called saints. Nowadays, Twin Bridges Town can determine the surrounding situation solely through trade and intelligence, simply because no one dares to face my army.

Doesn't that warrant some boasting?"

"This is indeed a great accomplishment, and I also admire it deeply," Lancelot nodded, "but you must also remain clear-headed and not let past achievements cloud your judgment, so that you don't overestimate your own strength when facing future enemies, or overlook the strength of these mortals that you protect due to arrogance."

Lancelot's words plunged Tijana into silence. A contemplative look appeared on the succubus' face, as if recalling whether there had been any shadows of arrogance in her past.

"I will give some thought to what you said," Tijana finally spoke, "Your wisdom impresses me more than your swordsmanship, knight."

"Thank you for your praise," Lancelot nodded, "If life is likened to a journey, strength determines the speed of advancement, while the heart determines the direction."

"An interesting analogy, but demons have infinite lives. If not for my rewards, what is your purpose?" Tijana laughed, her smile a mix of ambiguity and provocation, "Is it to please me?"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"If I said no, I would definitely be lying. As the lord of Twin Bridges Town, it is my honor to please you." Taken aback by the succubus' sudden advance, Lancelot was momentarily at a loss but quickly organized his thoughts. "However, my main goal is to help my friends, the dwarves of the Frost Forge clan, to establish a firm footing here in Twin Bridges Town."

Tijana stared intently into Lancelot's eyes, and he met her gaze without flinching.

Let her look, the Succubus Lord is so beautiful, such an overt opportunity to admire her is rare indeed.

Of course, in order to avoid any strange reactions, Lancelot silently repeated the Ice Heart Spell to himself and endeavored to keep his eyes from wandering.

Unexpectedly, the succubus was the first to back down from this ambiguous stare, shifting her gaze away. She turned and continued walking forward.

"You asked Molo for the mountain crystals, right? What do you need those for?"

Lancelot hesitated for a moment and decided to wield the theory that Kalalin and his colleagues had concocted: "I have awakened a special bloodline power that can absorb the energy contained in those gemstones, much like drinking a mana potion."

"You are also a magician?" Tijana turned back in surprise to look at him, "You seem to have never shown a magician's abilities before."

"My situation is a bit special," Lancelot scratched his head and pulled a silver coin from his pocket, "Have I told you about the teleportation channel I passed through when I came to the Abyss?"

…

"You really are an interesting fellow," Tijana remarked once more, then tossed a bag toward Lancelot.

Lancelot caught it and found it contained ten Upper Grade Spirit Stone-level mountain crystals.

"I don't have any more to spare. These gemstones aren't particularly attractive, and merchants rarely use them to replace cumbersome gold coins. If it weren't for the blacksmiths needing them, I probably wouldn't be able to offer even one."

"Thank you very much," Lancelot expressed his gratitude with a formal bow to Tigana. This was truly a great help; Tigana had given him these ten crystals at once, allowing his reserve of Upper Grade Spirit Stones to reach thirty-three, already one-third of the number required for Foundation Establishment.

"It's what you deserve," Tijana smiled, "If needed, I know where you can find more."

"Where?"

"The Succubus Palace in Oasis Fort."