The Paladin in the Abyss

"What kind of place is Twin Bridges Town? Is there anything special about it?"

Barrend's eyes lit up with longing as he answered:

"Twin Bridges Town is one among the few neutral towns in the Abyss, and it's the closest to us. It lies just beyond the foothills on the other side of the Shattered Mountain Range. We should be able to see it once we get over this hill."

The word 'neutral' caught Lancelot's attention, and he asked with confusion:

"Neutral Town? Neutral between whom and whom?"

"Between Demons and Devils, of course. Didn't you know?" Bruto looked at Lancelot oddly, then remembered something and apologized with a smile, "Sorry, I forgot you're new here. Old man, better you explain."

"I've heard of Devils." Lancelot answered, "They don't get along with Demons?"

"It's more than just not getting along. If one day all the Demons in the Abyss vanished completely, the first suspects would definitely not be the Holy Warriors from Mount Heaven." Barrend stroked his gray white beard. "Although both Devils and Demons are incarnations of ultimate evil in this universe, they severely clash over many doctrines."

"How does one differentiate evil from evil?" Lancelot asked curiously.

"If there are distinctions within the good alignment, there are naturally also distinctions within the evil alignment."

"Wait, could you first explain the distinctions within the good alignment?"

"Well, the simplest example: A just Judge and a robin-hood-like thief. They're both good people, with kind hearts, the latter mocks the former's prudishness and naivety while the former believes that regardless of whom the stolen items come from, or how they're handled, theft must be punished by the law."

"An interesting view, but most people probably aren't that extreme, right?"

"Indeed not, but to some extent, everyone has some inclinations," Barrend spread his hands, continuing, "Perhaps that's why we're mortal. Unfortunately, Demons and Devils happen to be at these two extremes."

"Could you elaborate?"

"You guys go and sort out our stuff first, see what else we can use." Barrend first turned to speak to the other Dwarfs, then found a rock to sit down on. "Let me briefly tell you what I know." (Author's note: Those familiar with the setting may skip this part)

"Demons represent chaos; they simply desire the destruction of the world, tearing apart anything that has a semblance of order. They are a group of powerful madmen, their intentions changing from one second to the next, and you can't expect them to follow any rules or strictly implement any plan, but mind you, they are crazy, not stupid. High-level Demon Lords control the lower-level Demons mostly through violence and magic, but this is quite limited. There are a few high-level Demons known as Abyssal Lords who control one or several layers of the Abyssal worlds. These high-level Demons are constantly fighting each other in an eternal and bloody conflict but might only unite temporarily against the Devils."

"Devils, on the other hand, represent order; they aim to conquer the whole world, to own the soul of every being. They live in a plane called Barto Hell which supposedly has nine layers, thus it's also called the Nine Hells. To achieve their goals, Devils can spend years planning and even longer executing those plans. They have a strict hierarchical structure and at the pyramid's apex is Asmodeus—the supreme ruler of the Nine Hells and, legend has it, the strongest and first fallen among the beings created by the gods as angels to fight Demons. Devils are rational, respect rules, but they're keen on exploiting loopholes in these rules. Unlike Demons that simply wish to destroy mortals, Devils enjoy dealing with mortals, trading in power, wealth, or beauty, employing every conceivable method to fulfill mortal desires, but their only true desire is the mortal's soul."

"For Devils, the most important part is the brain, as their power derives from their scheming nature; it is the source of their Magic Power. For Demons, on the other hand, the most important part is the heart, as their power comes from their destructive essence, the heart is the fountain of their life. For lower-level Demons and Devils, it doesn't matter much, destroying any part can kill them, but when facing higher-level foes, one must be careful not to make a mistake."

"The Bottomless Abyss and Barto Hell are both lower planes, and teleporting across these two planes is quite easy. The long war waged by the demons and demons to destroy each other is known as the Blood War. From what I understand, the current war situation has the demons at an advantage. They have established several fortresses in the homeland of the demons and are continuously attacking. It is said that the demons have also once invaded Barto Hell, but I have my doubts about this, as it's quite strange to imagine these Tanari cooperating."

"However, the demons are far from losing this war because demons can be directly born from the chaotic energy in the Abyss, making their numbers nearly infinite and easy to replenish. Demons, on the other hand, cannot do this as each new demon needs a fallen soul, which often leads to them facing a shortage of forces."

"Therefore, the profession of Blood War Mercenaries exists. They are from the upper planes of mortal races, coming here in pursuit of wealth, power, or merely being deceived, serving one side of the Blood War, which is why neutral towns like this exist."

"A neutral town is typically ruled by a powerful Succubus. Succubi are born directly from the projection of mortal lust in the lower planes and, by your human standards, each is incredibly attractive and seductive, merely seeing them can arouse your primal desires. Most Abyssal Lords have one or more succubi as lovers or advisors, and demons have found succubi incredibly effective at tempting mortals into falling. Whether they are demons or devils is still debated, but both sides can tolerate their presence, which is very rare in the lower planes."

Lancelot was utterly engrossed, as these pieces of information were not in the knowledge left to him by the elves. He remembered another question and hurriedly asked:

"By the way, are we in the first layer of the Abyss?"

"Correct, this is the topmost layer of the Abyssal Plane, named the Plains of the Abyss. The Plains of the Abyss is the largest layer in the Abyssal Plane and the battlefield of the eternal Blood War."

Lancelot pondered for a moment; a neutral town was immensely enticing to him. He could obtain information, supplies, and even refuge there. If he wanted to survive in the Abyss for a long time, a neutral town that welcomed him would be very helpful.

"A neutral town sounds perfect for me right now. Can I come with you?"

"Of course, no problem!" Bruto interjected happily.

"The Abyss is full of dangers. To have a powerful and noble knight like yourself accompany us would be our pleasure," Bruto's father added more seriously. "But we are not in a rush to leave; we might still stay here for a few days."

"What? Why not leave immediately? Is there something else you haven't handled yet?" Lancelot asked, puzzled.

"Haha, look around you, there's a group of Dwarves and a mine here," Bruto answered with a laugh. "And to be honest, this is a really good mine. If the demons would treat us a bit better, there would be no need for whips. Just two days, no, three days, and we can arm everyone here."

Lancelot asked, genuinely surprised:

"Can you start work right here?"

"With a Cross Pickaxe and Blacksmith Hammer, we can start work anywhere. There are ore materials here, magma for heat, and a true master—I'm talking about my old man. Speak now if you have any requests; it will cost you later."

"What nonsense are you speaking?" Bruto was again soundly punched by his delighted father. "Don't mind this lad's nonsense, Sir Lancelot. If you have any needs, you can approach me anytime. Dwarves never forget those who lend a hand during tough times."

"You're too kind. I really don't have anything to offer as payment right now," Lancelot said, scratching his head awkwardly. "I would like to turn this fellow's mouth into a short sword or a dagger. Also, this armor might need some maintenance. If you could make the moving parts quieter, that would be great—charging head-on in the Abyss might not be a good idea."

"Making weapons from special materials is my forte. We've also found some excellent copper ore and Dragon Scale Charcoal here. Just a small technique is needed to make your armor as smooth as if it were oiled," the former best blacksmith of Rivet Fort proudly said. "Just you wait and see."