The Paladin in the Abyss

"Wait, we haven't placed our bets yet," the annoying voice of the male Succubus rang out again. "I even collected a special soul in advance for this."

"The winner has the right to bid first, just like before, right?" asked the Arachne Elf named Kavalan.

"How boring that would be." Molo looked at the Arachne Elf askance. "Why don't we make it interesting? The loser also gives up their corresponding share, how about that?"

"Hmm, that's a big gamble. I'm afraid someone can't afford to play!" Kavalan implied, glancing at the Minotaur on the other side.

"Why is the spider looking at Pami? Does the spider think Pami can't afford to play?" the Minotaur bellowed. "As long as you dare, Pami will keep you company to the end!"

"Then it's settled." Molo turned to the dark-skinned offspring of Grazzt. "Great Prince Kailon, won't you join us for some fun?"

"Firstly, I'm just an unremarkable one among my father's many offspring, lucky enough to be remembered by him, and don't deserve to be called great," Kailon glanced at the male Succubus, then turned his head towards the Lord of Twin Bridges Town. "Lady Tigana, our past cooperation has been very smooth, and I come with the same sincerity this time.

You must also be aware of what it would mean for your Twin Bridges Town if the Volcano Fortress were to fall."

"You will definitely be satisfied with today's harvest." Tigana nodded, then raised her hands and clapped them together.

This was a prearranged signal. The Dwarven Artisans by Lancelot's side began to pull out various weapons from their backpacks and threw them into the arena.

A rain of metal gleaming with cold light descended, and the ground of the arena was instantly filled with a dense forest of weapons, as a chilling atmosphere immediately arose.

The sharp-eyed Lancelot spotted the distinct cold reflection unique to Cold Iron Weapons.

This was a tradition of the Twin Bridges Town gladiatorial tournament. The gladiators would use these weapons to kill each other, making the fighting more bloody and exciting, while it also served as a clever marketing ploy to help indecisive potential buyers make up their minds.

"Roar! Tijana! Tijana! Tijana!"

Urgent cheers erupted around the arena as the audience chanted the name of Tijana. For visitors unfamiliar with the situation, they would be shocked to discover that the soldiers and residents of Twin Bridges Town had an extraordinary fervor for their Lady.

A flurry of intense Spiritual Light flashed by, and Tigana activated a large-scale transportation using the Defensive Formation of Twin Bridges Town, suddenly causing the Prime Demons and Coward Devils captured by various factions to appear in the arena.

Also, dozens of Low Rank Demons jumped in from the spectator stands, volunteer enthusiasts for this deadly game.

Most contestants were at a loss due to the sudden change in the environment, and the thousands of mouths roaring at them left them standing frozen in place.

But a few quick-witted ones immediately sprang into action. The first to make a move was a Prime Demon, one of the lowest level of Demons, with a bloated and corrupted body only three feet tall but with sharp claws at the tips of its hands.

It suddenly leaped onto the back of a Coward Devil, plunging its claws deeply into the back of the Devil's head. The Coward Devil didn't even have time to cry out before it collapsed.

Carnage ignited the entire arena in an instant, and the demons who had reacted to the chaos clawed at one another, engaging in a vicious melee.

It was a complete free-for-all, with the Prime Demons being souls that had recently descended into the Abyss, still retaining relatively clear memories from their mortal lives. Therefore, they fought with more resolve, decisiveness, and ferocity than the Coward Devils. However, the Coward Devils were physically stronger and had sharper teeth.

Relying on their physical advantage, many of them gained the upper hand during the struggle.

Initially, nobody thought to use weapons. They relied on their claws and teeth, fighting each other in a primeval and savage farce. Eventually, someone being choked and pinned down by a Coward Devil groped about and touched something hard, activating a fragment of their memory.

The Prime Demon suddenly gripped the hilt of the dagger and plunged it into the throat of the Coward Devil pinning him down. With a twist of his wrist, he hooked out the Coward Devil's windpipe, spraying blood all over his face.

Along with the blood that splattered across his face came a strange energy. It was as if the Prime Demon had understood something, and he shoved the body off himself, brandishing his weapon towards the next enemy.

More and more gladiators picked up the weapons scattered on the ground, be they Prime Demons or Coward Devils, most retained some human memories. In these life-or-death moments, memories of how to use various tools of murder awakened in these fallen souls.

Weapons were far more efficient at inflicting damage than fangs and claws, turning the battle into an even bloodier spectacle. Limbs and blood occasionally flew by, prompting screams from the audience.

But Lancelot noticed that, seemingly subconsciously, not a single demon picked up a Cold Iron Weapon.

The first Prime Demon to fight was now struggling with a hand axe, yet he displayed skilled combat tactics. As a Coward Devil armed with a longsword lunged at him, the Prime Demon awkwardly shifted his bulky body to dodge while slyly leaving a foot behind to trip the oncoming Coward Devil. He then pounced on the fallen foe, severing the Coward Devil's head with his axe.

"Good!!"

On the high platform, the male Succubus Lord of Oasis Fort shouted his approval. The Prime Demon, emanating the Magic Aura of Oasis Fort, was one of Molo's sent-out fighters.

"This one, Litt, was a serial killer in his previous life. Look at his cunning tactics!" Molo announced proudly, like a rich second generation showing off a new toy. "Such a cruel fellow he was. Never left a single survivor during his robberies, not even the mute babies. I didn't even have to guide him at all; I just lent him a bit of power!"

Just then, the Prime Demon who had just performed the decapitation suddenly stood still as if paralyzed by something.

Molo was initially taken aback, then his face lit up with joy,n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

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"So soon?"

Before their eyes, the Prime Demon's body seemed to boil over as energy burst from somewhere within, tearing through flesh. Pain flickered in its eyes, and the next second, even its eyeballs burst.

A bewildered Prime Demon attempted to take advantage of the chaos, but as soon as it got too close, its flesh appeared to dematerialize and was sucked towards that writhing mass of flesh, merging into one with it. This spectacle caused the other demons to keep their distance from the strange clump.

For demons, there is no such thing as dying from a surge of power. This indicated that the Prime Demon had accumulated enough energy but lacked the technique to suppress it, hence it evolved right there on the battlefield.