The Paladin in the Abyss

Lancelot's heart was still beating frantically. In this battle, he truly pulled out all the stops, holding nothing back. He was fortunate to have detected the fluctuations of the Teleportation Magic in advance and launched a preemptive attack while the enemy was unprepared.

He then made his initial advantage snowball, never giving the enemy a chance to turn the tables, and in the end, seized on the fatal error made by the opponent due to their intent to retreat.
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But in reality, Lancelot had expended a great deal. This was the first time he had gone all out since becoming a Spiritual Cultivator, and his control of power was far from perfect. If the fight had dragged on, he might have run out of True Qi and been unable to maintain his suppression over the enemy.

Had the Succubus realized that these few Succubi were merely humans affected by Transfiguration, the situation would have been even more perilous. They possess a series of potent Enchantment Control System spells targeted at humans, and Lancelot did not want to test whether his mental techniques for controlling emotions could withstand the enchantment.

He reached into his breastplate and extravagantly pulled out an Upper Grade Spirit Stone crystal to recover his True Qi quickly. Upper Grade Spirit Stones had a much swifter recovery rate than Middle Grade, and with such a big haul today, there was no need to be stingy now.

While recovering his True Qi, he turned to say something only to realize that Bruto and the others were still in shock.

There was no helping it; Lancelot's performance just now had been terrifying. Despite Kalalin's Haste Spell's influence, that overwhelming might had broken through the limits of mortals, making one wonder if this Succubus form of Lancelot had become something else.

"Alright, alright, it's all taken care of," said Lancelot in a relaxed tone, bringing back a sense of familiarity for everyone.

He picked up the Dimensional Bag from the ground, peeked inside through the opening, and was nearly blinded by the radiance of the treasures.

"We've really hit the jackpot today, we should head out. If we don't leave now, I'm afraid others will come," he declared.

Only then did the group snap out of their trance, with Alamir giving Lancelot a thumbs-up and saying in admiration,

"I've really seen something today. Too bad Koula's still asleep; she loves thrilling battles the most."

"Boss, your Magician bloodline is just too strong. Maybe one morning we'll wake up to find your head has turned into a dragon's. I promise I won't be surprised," Bruto shrugged his shoulders. "Too bad my hammer didn't hit. Seems like Moradin didn't want me stealing your spotlight today."

"I believe there will be plenty of opportunities for that hammer to come in handy in the future." Lancelot re-shouldered Frostslash. There was no place for Glacier, so he had to carry it in hand for now. "Let's go."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Bruto looked at him doubtfully. "We went through so much trouble to kill that thing, don't miss out on checking if she had any good stuff on her."

Lancelot slapped his forehead and hurriedly ran to inspect the shattered corpse on the ground.

Two rings embellished with gemstones adorned the left hand of the Succubus. Closer inspection revealed a faint Spiritual Light flickering, a hallmark of magical items. Lancelot stripped them off for Kalalin to investigate their effects later.

Kalalin had previously educated them with lots of adventurers' knowledge (though Scholars have virtually no experience in adventures, they possess abundant theoretical knowledge).

Such unknown magical items should not be equipped carelessly, especially the spoils from evil creatures, as many are cursed with effects like having to kill someone daily, pain under sunlight, or hearing insane whisperings leading to mental instability. Moreover, most can't be removed once worn.

Since the right half of the Succubus had been teleported to an unknown location, naturally there wasn't a ring for him to pull off. Lancelot guessed that the Succubus was probably teleported back to its own lair; he wondered what it must've been like for its underlings to suddenly see a third of their boss's body materialize out of thin air—probably a mix of shock and delight.

Imagining such a scene, Lancelot couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He had to admit the fight had been quite exhilarating, although, he speculated, had he been on the losing side, he might not have felt the same way.

Just as Lancelot was about to get up and leave, Alamir approached. Suppressing his disgust, he glanced at the corpse and hesitantly said,

"Succubi are fond of hiding things inside their bodies. The Succubus might have had the same habit. Don't you want to check again?"

Lancelot, Bruto, and Kalalin looked at the nearly naked corpse on the ground and simultaneously turned their questioning gazes towards the elf.

"Er, maybe I'm just too familiar with these demons," the elf said helplessly as he walked toward the mutilated body. "Gentlemen, I suggest you avert your eyes..."

...

A minute later, the completely stripped body of the Succubus was cast aside, and everyone looked awkwardly at a sticky bag in Alamir's hand—an actual Dimensional Bag.

"I still haven't developed the habit of looting bodies right after killing enemies," Lancelot lamented internally. Back in the military, one only needed to fight; nobody would carry treasures on them, and magical items were mere legends. Cleanup after a battle was someone else's job, and he had almost missed out on this valuable find.

The Elf Priest's face stiffened as he cast a First Circle Divine Art, the Water Conjuring Spell, and a stream of water appeared out of thin air. Alamir used the water he had summoned to clean the surface of the bag, then opened it to peer inside, while the others watched his actions intently.

"Uh, there's nothing else here, just a set of cleric equipment." He turned the Dimensional Bag inside out, a move that would spill all of its contents. Instantly, a cleric's robe, a set of chainmail, a uniquely designed Nail-headed Hammer, and a Shield fell to the ground. Seeing nothing unusual emerge, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Alamir, who had turned the Dimensional Bag right side out again, tossed it to Lancelot and asked, "I can use these equipments, right?"

"Of course," Lancelot replied, accepting the Dimensional Bag. He probed it with his Divine Sense and, confirming it was empty—but with quite a bit more space than his current one—stowed the Great Sword Glacier inside it and then tied the new bag around his waist. The one already filled with treasures was tucked into his chest.

"Look, this shield has the emblem of Tir." Kalalin pointed at the pattern of a warhammer and scales painted on the shield. "This is probably what the Succubus used to disguise itself as someone else."

A glow emanated from Alamir's hand as he gently touched the shield's face, transforming the pattern of the warhammer and scales into the portrait of a lady with fluffy hair.

"Now it bears the emblem of the Lady of Love, Shuni," said the elf with a shrug, donning the rest of the equipment.