The Paladin in the Abyss

Facing the scantily clad Succubus with stunning looks, Lancelot couldn't help feeling parched and his heartbeat sped up.

He struggled to move his gaze away from that beautiful face, but the body of the Succubus was even more blood-stirring.

The verses of the Ice Heart Spell naturally came to his mind, and the True Qi inside his body circulated in tandem, completely calming him down. He refocused his attention on the Succubus's face, but his gaze had become pure.

Tijana noticed his wandering gaze, which made her turn her head, just in time to meet Lancelot's eyes.

She realized these pale blue eyes were looking at her without any impure thoughts, as if merely appreciating a beautiful piece of art. She had been very familiar with this kind of gaze, but it had been hundreds of years since someone had looked at her this way.

She carefully sized up this tall, dark-haired human male with strong self-control, and involuntarily licked her lips.

This action nearly made the Berserk Demons around them shoot fire from their eyes, but the Dwarves seemed indifferent to it. Barrend cleared his throat and said,

"Honored lady, we are a group of skilled craftsmen seeking shelter. Is there any use you have for us? But we must clarify in advance that no matter what your conditions are, we will not surrender our freedom."

"Ah, shelter, Twin Bridges Town indeed provides such service, and I'm not interested in your freedom." Tijana moved her gaze away from Lancelot, which finally allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief; something in the Succubus's gaze earlier had made him want to turn and run.

"I only need you to hammer these metal ingots into the specified shapes. In fact, there are already quite a few Dwarves in the city, and they are free to leave whenever they wish."

"What is the cost for them to become residents of Twin Bridges Town?" Barrend was still cautious.

"Talk to your kin first, they will probably use many pleasant words to describe me. When you've decided you still want to stay, come find me." Tijana's gaze returned to Lancelot. "You haven't introduced yourself yet, is this how you show courtesy to a lady, Sir Knight?"

"My name is Lancelot, honored lady." Lancelot gave a knightly bow. "At your service."

"Ha ha, had I not known you better, I would have taken that statement seriously," Tijana laughed lightly, her wings stretched behind her, obscuring her smile and her exposed body, leaving only a pair of beautiful eyes looking at Lancelot.

Lancelot was somewhat at a loss, and could only bow formally again.

"So, do you also wish to become a resident of Twin Bridges Town and receive my..." Tijana's wings suddenly opened wide. "protection?"

"If you permit it." Facing this striking scene, Lancelot feigned calmness and nodded, then slightly tilted his nose up.

"You don't really need my protection, you were just being polite with me earlier."

Tijana began circling around Lancelot, her tail wrapping around his waist like a snake.

"Unlike these Dwarves, you only need a haven, to occasionally return here, deal with the spoils of your adventures, repair equipment, purchase supplies, find the next quest or employer," she whispered hotly into Lancelot's ear, coming close with her head. "And to relieve the stress accumulated in this dreadful world, or perhaps something else."

Lancelot took a step forward, escaping the increasingly bold tail.

"Take your time wandering around this city, and you'll find it perfectly meets your needs," the Succubus said, her wings beating as she rose into the air. "Then come to my castle, I have a special task for you. Completing it will earn you the right to come and go freely here."

Lancelot watched Tijana's figure gradually disappear into the sky and sighed:

"So this is the legendary Succubus, indeed they possess an irresistible charm."

Bruto gave him a pitiful look:

"You haven't fallen for her charm, have you? I've heard that thing is really tricky, and you humans often fall for it without realizing."

Lancelot, surprised, retorted:

"What do you mean 'you humans'? Don't you feel your heart racing too?"

"Not at all," Bruto shook his head. "Just imagine your perfect partner in your mind, then double her height and compress her width to a third."

"Okay, they're definitely not your type," Lancelot shrugged and began walking towards the bridge. "But you have to admit she's pretty."

"Indeed, very pretty, that's how they make their living," Bruto said, stepping forward and gazing up with a look of disdain at the Berserk Demons serving as guards along the bridge. "It's said that Demons originate from the souls of mortals who fell into the Abyss, so the Succubi have the same deadly allure to them, throwing themselves upon this to curry favor with the Demon Lords."

"That requires some serious diplomatic skill, hard to imagine a Demon having the patience for that."

"No, women are born with it and enjoy it, even among the crazy race of Demons," Bruto said gravely. "Never trust the words of a being without a handle; their sweet nothings are like beautiful bubbles that ultimately leave you with nothing."

"Sounds like you've got plenty of stories," Lancelot said, barely holding back a laugh.

"Yes, hopefully, we'll find a tavern here, or we definitely won't be settling in this place."

As they spoke, the group had already crossed halfway over the arch bridge, and Twin Bridges Town was now fully in their view.

Despite being naturally protected by the Stygian River, Twin Bridges Town still boasted towering city walls, although they looked very decrepit and seemed to have been breached not long ago. At the end of the bridge was a massive gate; after passing through a narrow and dark passage, the group entered the interior of Twin Bridges Town.

The first thing that caught their eye was a crowded and chaotic street made of broken paving stones, and the buildings on both sides fully reflected the chaotic nature of the demons, each constructed haphazardly, bizarre and ugly, each appearing as designs that survived numerous wild attempts, clearly lacking anything resembling a city planning bureau. Despite this, Lancelot noticed some less unconventional structures including taverns, shops, and brothels, obviously operated by non-Demonic races (or possibly less crazy among the Demons).

At the end of the street was a small square with a rather exquisite statue in the center, depicting a Succubus leading an army like a commander, Lancelot recognized that Succubus as the likeness of Tijana.

Just as he was about to examine the details of the statue, he suddenly felt his Spirit Perception triggered. His right hand shot backward, grabbing a claw that had reached into his pocket.

The claw was attached to a small, grey-skinned Demon, gradually fading from invisibility, looking at the person who caught him with a face full of fear.

"Oh, great," Bruto raised an eyebrow. "A Quasimodo Demon thief."