The Paladin in the Abyss-Chapter 543 - 567 The Last Stop

Chapter 543: Chapter 567: The Last Stop Chapter 543: Chapter 567: The Last Stop After another half day’s journey, the group had arrived within less than two miles of the Glacial Fortress. Considering the risk of being exposed by getting any closer, Lancelot decided to halt their advance and led his companions to climb a nearby hill.

In the Temple of Moradin, he and Bruto had already seen this fortress, but the vision in the illusion approached from the sky, which was entirely different from the scene they were witnessing on the ground.

As a symbol of dominion over this plane, the Abyssal Lord’s lair was located at the peak of the highest mountain. A terrifying force had cleaved the mountain in two, and the Glacial Fortress was ‘wedged’ between the split peaks. The main body of the fortress was a gigantic ice block with a radius of over two hundred feet, its base more than five hundred feet above the ground, looking from afar like a tooth clamped between two fingers.

From Lancelot’s professional perspective, if that fortress were built on the ground, it would definitely be the easiest fortress to breach he’d ever seen. Its entrance was too wide, allowing attackers to spread out their formation effectively, and inside there were no multi-layered defensive works or towers for archers to shoot arrows from, not to mention the lack of guards.

But because of its suspended structure, if attackers didn’t have the ability to fly, they could only climb the steep mountains on either side. Even now at dusk, both peaks were still sparkling, indicating that their surfaces were mostly smooth ice, making reaching the fortress via this route akin to a suicidal act.

And if attackers had the ability to fly (or could deploy soldiers by air), don’t forget that all giants are skilled at throwing stones. The boulders they hurled not only had tremendous power but also astonishing accuracy, not to mention that in the fortress’s defense there was an absolute ruler of the skies:

Svafnir, an ancient White Dragon with a body length of over a hundred feet. It might be the only companion Kostcheqi truly trusted, guarding this treasure-filled fortress while the Abyssal Lord was trapped in the Nine Hells.

“That guy is just too big…” Bruto let out a dispirited sigh, “Even if it lay still and let me hit it, I’d probably die of exhaustion before killing it…”

...

“If you’re still holding on to dreams of dragon-slaying, you’d better find another target,” Alamir squinted his eyes, scrutinizing the giant beast, “Ancient White Dragons are not something we can handle. Lancelot is right; we must find a way to lure it away and slip in before it returns, find the breastplate that Tijana wants, and then rush out and use Teleportation Magic to leave as quickly as possible.”

“Why do we have to rush out again?” Bruto asked, puzzled, “Why not just leave directly after grabbing the stuff?”

“Any stronghold of a decent size has an anti-Teleportation Array. Without the ‘key’ given by the person who set up the array, Teleportation Magic can’t get in or out,” Alamir glanced at Lancelot, “Twin Bridges Town also has this setup, but do you remember how we always go back? Take out that emblem, say Tijana’s name three times… because of that, I knew you two definitely had a thing.”

“Really?” Lancelot scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, “Maybe the gift I gave her when we first met was exactly to her liking…”

“That’s partly the reason, since nearly all female creatures like Diamonds, with hardly an exception,” Alamir shrugged, “But it’s mostly because of the charm you exude I guess, based on my… experience, no Succubus can resist that kind of allure.”

“Charm?” Lancelot was a bit confused by the Elf’s words, “What are you talking about?”

“It’s that knightly quality,” Alamir shrugged his shoulders, “A strong body hidden beneath armor, every action bound by various oaths. Although not as rigid as a Holy Warrior, they will never yield on their principles… The more you are like this, the more they look forward to you breaking free from the shackles you’ve placed on yourself, and unleashing all your energy upon them…”

“Uh…” Lancelot awkwardly turned his head, “I’ve never… How do you know so much?”

“I am Shuni’s Priest, after all. In the entire Multiverse, you couldn’t find a better psychologist of love than us,” the Elf Priest smirked, “Not to mention I’ve had that tragic experience… To survive in such an environment, you have to stay sharp, clearly knowing everyone’s thoughts around you.”

“That’s all in the past, my friend,” Lancelot patted the elf’s shoulder, his gaze just then catching sight of something else, “What’s that under the fortress? A fallen tower?”

“Is there a tower there?” Kalalin, who had been busy taking notes, suddenly looked up, “Damn it, I can’t see clearly… Can you describe what the tower looks like?”

“Uh… It’s a gray tower, which should have been carved from a single massive stone, but now it’s broken into several pieces, half buried in the thick snow,” Lancelot shrugged, “It looks no different from any watchtower you’d find in a town… Anything else you want to know?”

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“Can you see the top of the tower?” Kalalin asked, biting the end of the feather pen in his hand, “Does it resemble three spheres joined together?”

“Only half a sphere remains, but its original shape was probably just as you described,” Lancelot looked at Kalalin in surprise, “How do you know about the tower?”

“I should know,” the Scholar nodded, “Though it appears poorly guarded, historically, Kostcheqi’s Treasure has only been stolen once.”

“Really?” Bruto’s interest was also piqued, “What did the thief take?”

“A crown studded with gemstones,” the Scholar gently shook his head, “Three days later, Kostcheqi led an army down upon the thief’s city of escape. It killed half the city’s inhabitants, retrieved the stolen crown, and took the city’s tallest tower as a keepsake of conquest. If your description is correct, that tower is the same one the Prince of Wrath took as his spoils. It is indeed a wondrous feeling, as if the histories recorded in ancient books suddenly became reality…”

“Do you know what my first thought was after hearing this story?” The Dwarf folded his arms across his chest, shaking his head, “It only killed half of the city’s inhabitants? Why? Did it have a change of heart?”

“Of course not. An army led by a Celestial servant arrived just in time and drove the Prince of Wrath back to the Abyss. However, the city was destroyed, and most of the dead could not be brought back to life,” Kalalin shrugged his shoulders, “Now we must do the same, and Tijana is surely aware of the potential consequences… It seems that the armor really is of extraordinary significance to her.”

“It’s a relic of the Platinum Guards!” Bruto exclaimed with a particular fervor in his voice, “You’re not a Dwarf; you simply can’t understand the tremendous importance it holds…”