The Paladin in the Abyss-Chapter 624 - 648: Selecting Candidates

Chapter 624: Chapter 648: Selecting Candidates

Three people walked over to the empty long table, nodded in greeting to the unsmiling Arrow Demon sitting nearby, and then took their seats. Solheim pulled out a Magic Staff with a Ruby embedded at the top, then widened his massive maw and engulfed the entire head of the staff in his mouth.

The sight was truly horrifying, not just for the Dwarf and the Elves, but Lancelot was also startled. Although the Serpent Demon had a head resembling that of a humanoid female, it became something entirely different when it opened its mouth—it’s not every day you see someone whose mouth can stretch wider than their head, swallowing an object thicker than their own neck.

The Six-Armed Serpent Demon quickly retrieved the Magic Staff, with the Ruby on its head now shining very brightly, like a magical torch that had been lit. She then tapped the Magic Staff on the Magic Formation in the center of the room, causing the lines on the ground to light up instantly, emitting a deep red glow like blood.

“This looks pretty evil,” Bruto muttered under his breath, “not to mention being ogled by a bunch of Demons afterward, most people couldn’t stand such a scene.”

“Of course, those who dare to earn money in this plane aren’t ordinary people,” Alamir retorted, “Besides, they should have expected what was coming, shouldn’t they?”

As a blue-white light flashed, everyone’s gaze turned to the Magic Formation at the center of the room. Dozens of figures appeared, men and women, most of them Devilspawn with antlers and tails, and among them was an Ogre standing close to nine feet tall. Each one was in full battle gear, including the Ogre. These beings are legendary for their stupidity, but seeing its properly donned and neat appearance, its intelligence was likely much higher than its kin, as getting dressed and staying tidy is no easy feat.

“Hey! That big guy looks like a tough one, I want him!”

“Back off, I saw him first. He’s mine!”

“I’m always at the front, following me he can be of the most use!”

Clearly, the Ogre was to the Dark Officials’ taste, as the atmosphere turned very lively in a flash. However, the experience wasn’t so great for the mercenaries who had just arrived; they were suddenly in one of the most terrifying planes of the Multiverse, surrounded by hundreds of Demons, all of them shouting at them in some strange, coarse language.

Just when the fervor in the room was about to blow the roof off, a sharp, ear-piercing, intolerable sound of metal scraping abruptly filled the air. The cold Killing Intent it carried made one’s hair stand on end, and some Demons were even frightened off their seats, yet no one went to mock their loss of composure.

“Keep quiet, you swineherds; I haven’t killed anyone today, and I’d rather not have an excuse to start,” Solheim, stretching out her six arms, each clutching a Longsword, was the one who had created that dreadful noise. “Good, now keep your mouths shut tight. I am the only one who gets to talk now. I’ll let you know when you need to speak.”

Everyone stiffly nodded their heads, no one wanting to challenge the Commander’s authority. Only then did the new mercenaries notice the Six-Armed Serpent Demon behind them. The terrifying sight of Solheim, along with the relentless emanation of cold Killing Intent, nearly made them lose their footing, as their violently shaking weapons clanged against each other’s Metal Armor, producing a continuous series of crisp jingles.

“Relax, mercenaries, there are no enemies in this room,” Solheim communicated through a range mind telepathy, allowing anyone to instantly understand her without worrying about the language barrier, “Give me a response, nod if you understand, so I know I’m not talking to a bunch of idiots.”

The mercenaries glanced at one another and hesitantly moved their chins, but no one sheathed their weapons. Thankfully, Solheim didn’t care about that.

“Good, now please walk to your right and wait in that corner, the next batch of mercenaries will be coming in.”

Under the deathly threat of the Six-Armed Serpent Demon, the teleportation proceeded with great efficiency. About a quarter of an hour later, the corner designated for the mercenaries to wait in was nearly packed with about a hundred people, and it looked like there was no room for more. Seeing this, Solheim put down her Ruby Magic Wand and once again spoke to everyone through mind telepathy:

“You will be assigned to a commander, and you will follow his orders during the march and battle. The commander has the authority to issue three commands, namely ‘Charge,’ ‘Follow me,’ and ‘Hold this position.’ Anyone who disobeys will be executed immediately.” Solheim then picked up a metal badge and waved it in front of the mercenaries, “Soon, your commander will give you one of these badges. Activate it by dripping a drop of your blood on it. It will indicate your identity, serve as your record of military achievements, and act as your pass. I don’t have time to answer your questions. Take it and go get your first week’s pay on the first floor, where someone will answer your queries. Now, come up in order, starting with you, that green-skinned orc, come to the center!”

“Me! Tanto!” the orc displayed his well-developed muscles and the Great Axe on his back to the audience, “Tanto only fights with the strong!”

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“Good, tough guy, let’s hope you don’t wet your pants in the heat of battle,” Solheim said with a wicked smirk, “Alright, swineherds, you can speak now. Who wants him?”

Four or five demons immediately stood up, indicating their interest to the Six-Armed Serpent Demon. Solheim casually assigned one of the Berserk Demons, who proudly made a crude gesture to his comrades, then tossed a metal badge to the orc.

“Good, now exit through that door, get your pay and take a walk around this town. I suggest you spend all the money you just got on equipment that will help you survive and return here before dark to report. Next!”

The second one to come up was a Minotaur with a giant club, followed by a Tiflin Wanderer dressed as a thief, a bear goblin warrior in Chainmail, another Tiflin Wanderer, a bald human Shield Bearer, and a Devilspawn Gunner in Plank Armor… It was not hard to see that most of the demon commanders preferred warriors with big muscles and a fierce appearance, and the rare Spellcasters were also highly sought after. The least popular were the Wanderers, as almost no one wanted these lackeys with a lacking ability to fight head-on, though their numbers were few.

Soon, the first pair of ‘bundle-sold’ mercenaries appeared. When it was the turn of a Tiflin female in a long robe, she pulled a slender Tiflin boy onto the stage with her, they seemed to be siblings.

“I am a Blood Sorcerer, capable of using Third Circle Magic,” the female Tiflin announced loudly in fluent Abyssal, “I must stay with my brother. Whoever wants me will have to take the two of us together!”