The Paladin in the Abyss

After parting ways with Ferryman Demon Vexus, the group did not delay and immediately set out for the Oasis Fort. Building ships required a large number of bones? There happened to be a tremendously massive pit of corpses there, which could absolutely satisfy the Ferryman Demon's needs, and Lancelot's newly acquired trident had enough space to load them.

More importantly, he could also take this opportunity to investigate why Grazzt's army would appear from the direction of Oasis Fort. The antagonistic relationship between the Queen of the Succubus and Lord Wu'an was well-known, and Oasis Fort was the territory of Mekanshut. Although its relationship with Twin Bridges Town was originally like fire and water, there was no reason for the Succubus Queen to ally with one of her greatest enemies over a small town like Twin Bridges Town.

However, Lancelot also understood that even if he found out the whole story, it wouldn't change what had already happened; he had to suppress his desire for revenge and first settle the survivors of Twin Bridges Town before considering other matters. However, now there was a chance to achieve these two seemingly conflicting goals simultaneously, and the Human Knight was more than willing to do so.

The companions summoned their respective magical mounts (except for Bruto, who still rode on Lancelot's big black horse), and raced northward swiftly. Compared to the Shattered Mountain Range, the number of wandering creatures in the wilderness was significantly lower, and the group encountered several small teams of demon conscripts. These squads were usually led by a Middle Rank Tanari, tasked with filling their Lord's barracks (or food stores).

Lancelot had already noticed that demons' forms would change according to the Abyssal Lord they served. Ordinary Berserk Demons looked like demonized humanoid frogs, while those under Yenogu resembled some giant demonized gnoll. Now, these dark-skinned, slender Berserk Demons were likely the minions of Grazzt. Lancelot didn't mind venting his anger over his beloved's murder and the destruction of his home on them, but he knew it would only bring more trouble. With Lancelot's far superior perception ability, the group avoided these demon squads in advance, racing uninterrupted across the dusty terrain of the Plains of the Abyss.

They rode until midnight and rested at an unoccupied outpost. Twin Bridges Town and Oasis Fort were both Neutral Towns, with several special outposts between them. The outposts were encased with special barriers that prevented Fiends from entering without permission. Interestingly, these barriers were actually set up by the demon lords of these Neutral Towns as a means to attract planar merchants. Lancelot would bet his lifespan that those demon lords definitely left backdoors in the barriers and could breach through when necessary.

No matter, Lancelot could set up a few formations inside the barrier to make the outpost appear unused from the outside. A simple illusion, but very effective. Several times during the night, small demon squads passed by, but they never realized there were people inside the outpost, so the companions responsible for keeping watch didn't have to wake the others, allowing everyone to get ample rest.

The journey over the next two days was largely similar, and by midday on the third day, the companions finally arrived at their destination. However, their destination was not the gates of Oasis Fort but rather the entrance to a cave in the wilderness. The last time they visited Oasis Fort, they had left through tunnels behind this cave entrance, and now they needed to crawl back through here again.

"Ugh, the smell in this place is just horrible..."

Bruto exclaimed the moment he stepped into the cave, and Lancelot agreed with the dwarf's opinion. Truthfully, most areas in the Abyss smelled terrible, but poor ventilation underground made it even worse, especially when the place was littered with corpses.

"Plains of the Abyss is a dangerous place," Kalalin crouched on the ground, examining the pile of bones near the tunnel entrance. "Humans, Elves, Orcs, Gnolls... all sorts of mortal races. I didn't see any demon corpses, but that should be because they decompose incredibly fast, you know."

"Is that so..." Lancelot frowned, staring at a rock on the wall. "Look at this crack, palm-sized, more than a foot deep... Do you know any demon that could make such a mark?"

"Uh... Brezu Demon? Those guys love giant weapons, and their blood fury rage when injured is astounding," Kalalin scratched his head. "Of course, it could also be something else. Almost all Middle Rank Demons know the benefits of weapons; often, they simply can't find anything better than their claws. I'm not too familiar with melee combat. Is making such a mark impressive?"

"Whatever made it, I don't want to encounter it."

Lancelot shrugged, inserting his forefinger into a Dimensional Bag at his waist. When he withdrew it, there was a small bat clinging to the tip of his finger. With a sudden burst of silvery-glinting mist, the bat transformed into a young girl with golden hair and pale skin, clad in studded armor made from white dragon hide, a pair of unadorned cold iron shortswords sheathed at her waist.

"Good morning, little Aisha. Sorry to call you out at this hour, but we need your help now," Lancelot smiled at the young Wanderer girl. "Ready to stretch a bit?"

"It's fine, Brother Lancelot. As long as there's no fighting, I actually don't need to rest," little Aisha displayed a cheerful smile to the group, a stark contrast to her undead nature. "I could only come out during night watches for the past few days, so it was a bit boring... Is there anything I can do?"

"In this underground environment, my perception ability doesn't work well. We'll need you to scout ahead for us," Lancelot pointed to his head. "Stay about two hundred feet in front of us and maintain stealth at all times. You can try to disarm any traps or mechanisms yourself, but if you discover any enemies, use telepathy to inform me and don't act on your own!"

"Understood!" Little Aisha nodded emphatically and was about to turn and head deeper into the tunnel, only to be stopped by Lancelot again.

"Wait a moment." The Human Knight retrieved a golden mask from his pocket and showed it to the little vampire. "Did you bring this?"

Little Aisha paused briefly but quickly remembered—it was a gift from the Lord of the Dead. By wearing it, one became a forgettable passerby in the eyes of others, recognizable only by those who truly loved him or whom he intended to kill.

"Just in case, the male Succubus Lord of Oasis Fort knows me," Lancelot explained. "Everyone should wear them as well."

At that time, Cranvo gave each of them one. Besides the five present, there was another in the possession of Bruto's father, Barrend. Everyone took out the mask from their own luggage and put it on. The golden mask itself was extremely thin yet very hard, but upon wearing, it seemed to melt with the warmth of their skin, conforming completely to their facial features, leaving no discomfort except for a negligible weight.

Little Aisha had already donned her mask by then. Lancelot looked at her and noticed that her facial features indeed changed somewhat, appearing about five years older, but he could still easily recognize her identity. Noticing Lancelot's gaze, Little Aisha gave him a cheerful smile, then deftly turned and vanished into the darkness deep within the cave.