The Paladin in the Abyss

Chapter 341: Chapter 355 Rumors in the City of Demons@@novelbin@@

Lancelot turned his head and noticed that the one speaking to him was a large goblin, dressed as a warrior, leaning against a corner of the wall. After ensuring he had caught Lancelot’s attention, he simply nodded before shifting his gaze elsewhere.

The three exchanged glances, curiosity evident in their eyes, and approached the large goblin. Seeing them come over, the goblin did not speak, but started walking to one side. This was not the pace of someone fleeing; it was clear he expected the trio to follow.

Only a few dozen feet away, the group arrived at a semi-enclosed corner of the hall. Two walls, like membranes of semi-transparent matter, shielded them from the prying eyes of others in the hall and subdued the clamor from outside considerably.

The large goblin spread his hands to show he was unarmed, but Lancelot, with his experience, could tell that if necessary, the goblin could quickly draw the twin scimitars hanging at his waist.

“I sell information, perhaps you want to know what I have,” the large goblin warrior said succinctly.

Bruto looked at the large goblin with its flat nose, red skin, and strong muscles with an unfriendly gaze. Dwarves have always had ill relations with goblins and orcs; to the Dwarf Kingdom and its castles, normal goblin tribes pose a threat similar to a few mice in a storeroom, while armies of large goblins are as threatening as their kin, the Gray Dwarves.

Unlike the foolish and weak goblins, large goblins are not at a disadvantage in size and strength compared to an average human, but what truly makes them dangerous is their strict discipline and their unparalleled thirst for battle.

A large goblin tribe is essentially a legion, with each individual possessing a military rank that determines their status within the tribe. In large goblin culture, those of lower rank must unconditionally obey those of higher rank to achieve glorious victory through battle and conquest.

Just like Demons, such strict military discipline makes them very dangerous, even if they are far outnumbered by ordinary goblins and not as strong as the burly bear goblins. Occasionally, one or two large goblins escape this harsh hierarchical system to become wandering individuals, relying on their skill in combat and clear minds to make a living.

“I guess you’re looking for a well-paying job but don’t want to be cannon fodder for the Demons’ legions,” the large goblin said to Lancelot in a low voice. “You three are new faces here but haven’t shown a hint of unease—you must be experienced Adventurers, am I right?”

“So what can you offer?” asked Lancelot, shrugging without denying the other’s assumption.

“More ‘free’ job opportunities,” the large goblin said with an ugly grin. “Want to hear about them? Just ten Gold Coins each, barely the cost of a drink.”

“Sounds good,” Lancelot quickly took out some gold, “Tell me, what’s the highest bounty you have on hand?”

“The highest bounty?” The large goblin furrowed his brows, “A group of Zoel nobles from Keth-Nazar are hunting a deserter. The Matriarch of the family has promised a reward of ten thousand Gold Coins for the mercenary captured alive, and three thousand for a corpse. They’re also willing to pay for any information related to the fugitive, with the price depending on the value of the information itself.”

Lancelot felt Acheron change his stance slightly behind him.

“Interesting,” he nodded, “Does the deserter have any distinctive features?”

“It’s said he can’t grow hair because of some curse, so he usually wears a hat—that’s the most noticeable feature,” the large goblin shrugged, then patted the weapons at his waist, “His preferred weapons are two scimitars like mine, as well as a dagger hidden in his boots.”

“We’ll keep an eye out,” Lancelot pulled out a few more gold coins, “So, do you know any interesting rumors?”

“One gold coin for each.”

The Human Knight flicked his finger, and a gold coin flew towards the great goblin, who caught it in his hand.

“Prompt.” The goblin’s face bloomed into another smug smile, knowing that they had been paid an unreasonable price, but Lancelot didn’t care about it. Ordinary gold and silver had become worthless to Spiritual Cultivators, and only a few gemstones containing nature’s spiritual energy were of any use to him.

“A large-scale war is about to break out soon, Ulgog has been planning for a long time, and the demons are very well prepared for battle. I’m afraid they’re looking to resolve the issue once and for all this time.”

Lancelot tossed another gold coin.

“Many demon generals are dissatisfied with Ulgog’s increasingly unassailable position, especially ‘Bonebreaker’ Abbarhas, whom you just talked to his Conscription Officer. Rumors say that Bonebreaker is planning some sort of action to prove to the Mother of Demons that he is a better candidate for Commander-in-chief, but it’s certain he won’t succeed with his abilities.”

“Interesting,” Lancelot nodded but wasn’t surprised. In terms of overall strength, demons were like natural disasters, and no force in the Multiverse could rival them. What stopped them from conquering everything was their own chaotic nature—they would betray their peers over trivial benefits and were quite vindictive, keeping the Bottomless Abyss in a state of perpetual civil war.

It had to be said, this was the fortune of other races in the entire Multiverse.

“Anything else?” Lancelot brought out another gold coin, tossing it to the great goblin.

“The big spider in Miasma Swamp has been killed, which makes Sniel, who had always had territorial disputes with it, very happy. He is the Commander of the ‘Soul Wail’ legion. What makes him happier is that the one who did the deed blew themselves up while being pursued, meaning he gets to save a hefty bounty.”

“How much was the bounty?” Bruto couldn’t help but ask. The dwarf had been severely bitten by that dark weaver, and if it weren’t for Lancelot’s timely intervention, he might have ended up dead right there. Although they were pressed for time, with the seductress demon squad sent by the Mother of Demons already closing in, they didn’t have the chance to properly scavenge the monster’s body, but this didn’t stop the dwarf from being curious about the missed wealth.

“A hundred Soul Coins, which is ten thousand gold coins,” the great goblin shrugged.

Lancelot suddenly felt a twinge of irritation, even though he had just told himself that gold and silver were of no use to him, it didn’t seem to be entirely true now. It mainly depended on the amount.

“That’s all for now,” Lancelot decided not to ask anymore, “Thank you for the information.”

“Welcome to come again,” the great goblin nodded and strode out.

Watching his retreating figure, Lancelot felt a sense of familiarity but couldn’t remember where that feeling came from.

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