The Paladin in the Abyss

Chapter 37 Frostslash

The next morning, Lancelot and his two companions arrived at the craftsmen's quarters located in the blacksmith district, where Barrend was already waiting for them.

The old dwarf was also fully armed today; he wore a set of plank armor, donned a Dwarf Giant Helm with pointed horns, had a folding shovel and a Dwarf Cross Pickaxe at his waist, and carried a Heavy Steel Shield on his back.

"Hey, old man, your gear looks pretty impressive. It's been a while since I've seen you dressed up like this," Bruto said with a face full of excitement, like a child eager to go out and play with his father.

"Back in my youth, I also crushed a few Orc skulls!" Barrend said with a laugh, "I might not be as agile as you young people anymore, but after all these years of blacksmithing, I still have some strength."

"Dad, I doubt your gear will see any action this time." Bruto said arrogantly, "Lancelot has been giving me special training these past few days. You just stay safely behind me!"

"You little rascal has grown up, eh? But don't be too confident; your old man still has a few tricks up his sleeve," Barrend scolded with a smile. Then he turned to Lancelot, "Sir, your weapon is ready, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

With that, he retrieved a long, narrow object wrapped in thick leather from the corner of the room and handed it to Lancelot.

With the enthusiasm of a warrior for a new weapon, Lancelot eagerly unwrapped his new toy. What appeared before him was a beautiful longsword, slightly shorter than 4 feet.

The blade was sheathed in a black leather scabbard, complete with a sword belt; the crossguard, slightly curving toward the tip like a pair of bull's horns, was thickened; and the hilt was tightly wrapped in circles with dark red leather, ending in a metal sphere that served as a counterweight.

Lancelot gripped the hilt and drew the blade partway from the scabbard.

"Uh, could this be?" Kalalin expressed with a surprised look.

The drawn portion of the blade was about four fingers wide and much lighter in color than typical metal weapons. As he drew the blade, it emitted a cold light, making it seem as though the temperature in the room had dropped.

"This is definitely my masterpiece. The handle is wrapped with fire serpent skin, providing a good grip; the end ball is removable, allowing you to easily replace it with any shape you desire or any magical item with special effects," Barrend said proudly, lifting his chin, "Go ahead and give it a try, Sir Lancelot."

Lancelot completely drew the weapon, casually swung it to feel its perfect balance; then, he lightly flicked the blade and listened to its crisp ring, like a joyful bird.

"This is definitely one of the best weapons I've ever seen," Lancelot gratefully nodded to Barrend, "What's its name?"

"This weapon is forged from cold iron, naturally imbued with a chilling effect, so I've named it 'Frostslash.'

"That's a very poetic name, and it suits it well. But where did you get the cold iron from? Aren't we just about to set out to look for Cold Iron Ore?"

"When I applied to the Craftsmen Committee to access the mine records, I told them that I was looking for Cold Iron Ore. They only knew that this ore could be treated as regular iron ore, except that it requires a bit more temperature and time."

"I told them about the special properties of cold iron, but it must be processed using a special technique. They said it was fortunate, and there was still a little cold iron in the storehouse, if you want to access these records, then prove the value of this cold iron first."

"When I brought this sword before them, they almost immediately realized the value of the ore and said they would support my expedition fully. This time we just need to locate the vein, then they will organize the manpower for mining, and I just have to craft these ores into longswords, axes, hammers, or any form Lady Tijana desires in the shop."

"This is really great." Lancelot carefully strapped his longsword onto his back, now with two sword hilts protruding over his shoulder, one of them was his original six foot long great sword and the other was the newly acquired four foot long longsword 'Frostslash'.

"Dad really plays favorites. I want one too," Bruto complained loudly.

Barrend waved his hand and knocked on his son's head, "You've used up all the mithril Lancelot gave for your hammer. That stuff is more precious than cold iron ore, and you don't even show gratitude!"

"Uh, right." Bruto sheepishly smiled and stopped talking.

"Have you found a place that might have cold iron ore?" Lancelot asked the question that everyone was concerned about.

"I've found one, but I need to test this youngster first." Barrend knocked on Bruto's head again, "Brat, do you remember where cold iron ore is most likely to appear?"

"On the shady side of the mountain, the mine shaft must be deep enough and relatively new, without any associated hematite, and..." Bruto grimaced, holding his head, "There was one more thing I remembered, but it's all your fault for hitting me too hard, Dad. I can't think of it now."

"It's that the mine shaft shows no signs of magma flow! That I can knock it out of you shows you don't remember well enough!" Barrend almost roared into Bruto's ear.

Sparing Bruto, he turned to Lancelot and said:

"I've found several suitable mines, the most appropriate is an ancient mine that existed before Twin Bridges Town was established, no one can say for sure how deep it is, but it's at least ten thousand feet deep. Records indicate that cold iron was found there before, and I suspect there might be a significant ore vein waiting for us to discover."

"That sounds amazing." Lancelot shrugged, "Where's this mine located?"

"Right at the foot of the Shattered Mountain Range to the south, about a two-hour journey from here, still within the dominion of Twin Bridges Town.

The mining difficulty has been increasing over the years, and now very few mining teams go there; many sections of the mine have become lairs for subterranean creatures." Barrend frowned, "In fact, a twelve-man mining team, though composed of annoying gray dwarves, was supposed to have returned three days ago.

Though we all serve the Succubus Lord of Twin Bridges Town, it would be best if we could locate them."

"Gray dwarves? What are they?"

"A bunch of lunatics," Bruto succinctly explained.

"They were once one of us, but have since fallen, and vehemently despise us who still adhere to the faith of Muradin," Barrend sighed, shaking his head. "Even in the demons' homeland, they fiercely resist working under the same roof as us."

"It's because of their tragic experiences. Driven by a yearning for subterranean riches, they dug too deep and encountered an evil race capable of controlling the minds of creatures, which then enslaved them for several generations." Kalalin explained. "Ironically, they finally gained freedom with the help of the Evil God disguised as 'Asmodeus,' the ruler of the Nine Hells.

The suffering of enslavement and the pernicious guidance of the Evil God permanently changed the gray dwarves. From slaves, they turned into slave masters, just as wickedly as their former masters."

"This is a perpetual disgrace for our dwarf race, reminding us not to let greed blind us," Barrend lamented. "But there are always foolhardy ones who can't remember, like this one in front of you."

"At least we still have a chance to rectify this mistake:" Lancelot clapped his hands, "Is everyone ready? Let's set out, then!"