The Paladin in the Abyss

"No," Lancelot shook his head, admitting he knew nothing about those names.

"Haha! That's because I've flattened all those places!" Phil laughed heartily, clapping his hands with a face full of pride.

Old Reap made a grand introducing gesture towards the goblin, giving Lancelot a 'you get it now' look.

"Before the action starts, I certainly need to hide far away." Old Reap sighed, "Now, let me introduce the distribution of guards and the patrol plans inside the fort. I have a map here…"

An hour later, the three of them came out of Old Reap's tavern, their minds crammed with information about Oasis Fort.

The operation would begin the next night. Tonight, Lancelot would first familiarize the dwarfs with the environment, while Phil would deal with the goods they had brought and prepare some explosives.

Although many demons possessed exceptional dark vision, escaping at night was still much easier than during the day, and there would be fewer mortals on the streets after dark. If it ultimately became necessary to use Phil's explosives, they could at least try to minimize casualties.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Lancelot asked Phil how he was preparing explosives since he hadn't brought any dynamite. Phil rattled off more than a dozen names, all common household items. The goblin claimed that with the right techniques and purification, they could all be turned into ingredients for explosives.

The plan was for Lancelot, Kalalin, and Bruto to enter the Succubus Palace to find the Cross Pickaxe, while Phil and four dwarfs disguised as guards would loiter nearby. Once the target was acquired, Lancelot would use a small device given by Phil to signal him, and the goblin would immediately detonate the pre-placed bomb, blowing a huge hole in the Succubus Palace.

But this big hole wasn't for Lancelot to escape, it was to create an atmosphere of panic. Then, they just needed to follow the fleeing crowd, casually exiting the Succubus Palace.

Of course, this was the best-case scenario. If a battle occurred, the four dwarf warriors would need to provide reinforcements. However, Lancelot indicated his confidence in fighting his way out; the dwarfs would just need to meet him at the entrance, and it was crucial not to expose themselves too early.

If, after leaving the Succubus Palace, the Oasis Fort's patrol was already alarmed, then they would have to rely on Phil. The goblin would have preemptively filled a road with remote-controlled bombs, blowing up any enemies following them to the skies. Eventually, they would find a sewer at the end of the road to completely lose the guards.

Accompanied by several dwarf warriors, Phil sold the iron ingots they had transported, then pretended to buy some mining supplies needed by Twin Bridges Town and swaggered back to their lodging yard.

These goods were naturally the materials he used to make potent explosives. Upon returning to the yard, he instructed the dwarfs to move all the goods to his room, then he firmly closed the door and began his dangerous manufacturing work.

Meanwhile, it was finally time for Lancelot to confront Bruto.

"Ah!!!! What kind of cursed magic is this!!"

Bruto let out a scream in front of the mirror in the room. Had Lancelot not set up a soundproof barrier in advance, he might have frightened the goblin, who was busy mixing explosives, into an accident.

The mirror reflected a very attractive succubus, with a graceful figure, beautiful eyes, chestnut hair…

And a fiery red beard.

Lancelot and Kalalin exchanged despairing looks. A bearded succubus was indeed too much of a shock. Lancelot felt a stinging pain in his eyes, like immersing his hands in the Stygian River for a minute and then immediately rubbing his eyes.

Could the stubborn nature of dwarfs be so resilient that even transformed into a succubus, their beards stubbornly remained on their chins?

If one were to list the ten things the meticulous and humorless dwarf race despised most, magic, demons, and provocative clothing would certainly be top-ranking, and now these three things were all happening to Bruto at once, plus the gender-altering effect that kept the beard intact.

"Uh, but I must say, the Succubi here look much prettier."

Lancelot and Kalalin's expressions turned horrified.

"A Succubus should look like this!" A deep, seductive voice rang out as Bruto, transformed into a Succubus, adjusted his stance in front of the mirror, admiring his graceful body. He glanced at the two, who stood like statues beside him, "Such a wonderful thing, and you didn't tell me about it sooner! Do you really see me as such an old-fashioned person?"

"I was wrong." Lancelot sincerely apologized, "I know you think you look great now, but for the sake of our mission, I'm afraid we still need some disguise."

"How about a masked kerchief?" Kalalin suggested, "It would cover the beard and add a sense of mystery."

"But a Succubus should look like this!" the Dwarf emphasized discontentedly, but still took the kerchief, wrapping it around starting from his nose, leaving only his eyes visible.

"Much better," Lancelot nodded, pleased that the situation was resolved in such a strange way.

"Let's go, didn't we say we need to get familiar with the surroundings tonight?" Bruto walked towards the door enthusiastically, only to be pulled back by Kalalin.

"Uh, aren't you forgetting something?" He pointed at Bruto's fingers.

"What's wrong?" Bruto looked at Kalalin, puzzled but then understood the Scholar's hint, "Shouldn't we all wear the rings when we go out? That way, no one will recognize us."

"A Succubus - such Demons are very noticeable on the streets," Kalalin patiently explained, "If you can't flirt very proficiently with those who approach you, you'll quickly be found out."

"But Tijana wouldn't be like that."

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"Tijana's identity is different, she is the Lord of Twin Bridges Town. Besides, she has killed quite a few careless folks before, do you want the Guards to think you are such a special Succubus too?"

"Alright, fine." Bruto reluctantly removed the ring, and with a flash of magical light, he transformed back into the Dwarf.

But his complexion suddenly changed, and he clutched his chest, stumbling backward several steps.

"Are you alright?" Lancelot rushed to support him, asking with concern.

"I... what was I thinking just now, how could I have such strange thoughts." The Dwarf looked dazedly at the air, seemingly both confused and frightened by his recent transformation.

"You weren't charmed by yourself, were you?" Lancelot incredulously asked, blurting out.

"Exactly, exactly! It must be that!" Kalalin clapped his hands together, "The power of Charm must come from Tijana's hair. Although the Dwarf had seen Succubi many times before, he never felt anything due to his beard. It's only now that he saw a Succubus fitting their aesthetic for the first time that he was charmed."

Lancelot shook his head, still remembering the stun he felt when he first put on the Transformation Ring and saw himself as a Succubus in the mirror.

"Let's go, we've already delayed too long."