The Paladin in the Abyss

"This sounds great, but we all know that it's not fair," Kalalin stared at Lancelot, "Although I hate to admit it, you are stronger than all of us, and if we are to judge by merit, at least half of the spoils should belong to you."

"Ordinary treasure means little to me," Lancelot walked over to the pile of loot, bent down, and picked up an Earth Crystal, "What I need are gemstones like these, they are to me what potions are to others, consumables."

"But they aren't all that valuable, although they are not common," Bruto shrugged his shoulders, "And basically, you're the one who found them among those more precious gemstones. Since you can use them, they might as well all be yours."

"If it weren't for you, we would have died at the hands of that Succubus, not to mention escaping from the Demon," Kalalin looked at Lancelot very seriously, "Sometimes I wonder if you would have it easier without us."

"To me, you are far more important than you imagine," Lancelot shook his head, "A mortal can easily be assimilated by the chaos and evil essence of the Abyss, but with you, my dearest friends, we can fight together against these corrupting and fallen forces."

"Ah, that's really touching," Bruto rushed over from his seat, "Let's have a hug of friendship!"

"Uh, I think..." Before Lancelot could say anything, he was embraced by the sturdy Dwarf and found the hug unexpectedly pleasant. He patted Bruto on the back, smiling, "Alright, alright, I can hardly breathe now. Remember what we said? We will definitely find a way back home."

Bruto hugged Lancelot tightly once more before finally letting go. The corners of his eyes seemed a bit moist, but Lancelot was sure he must have seen it wrong.

"Ahem," the Human Knight cleared his throat, "Kalalin, can you identify the properties or curses on these equipment?"

"No problem. The 1st circle Magic Identification Spell is made for this. This spell can clarify any magical effects and curses attached to an item," Kalalin pulled out several scrolls from his pocket, "I can cast this spell four times a day, it'll take several days to identify everything. Where do you want to start?"

"Does anyone have a preference?" After Tijana had taken some, there were still ten pieces of equipment left on the pile of gemstones, lying there quietly.

"That hammer," Bruto pointed at a Hardhead Hammer, "That glowing one there, I've had my eye on it for a long time, let's see what effects it has?"

Kalalin nodded, rolled out an Identification Spell scroll, activated the magic within, and then placed his hand gently on the hammer.

"This is a rare weapon, the Hammer of Dissolution," Kalalin's eyes focused on a spot in the air where there seemed to be nothing, as if reading text invisible to others, "When striking a Fiend or Undead with this hammer, it will also trigger an additional Radiant Damage, slightly more powerful than a regular Priest's Holy Fire Technique.

Weaker or critically wounded enemies might even be directly killed by this damage, and when held in hand, it will light up the surroundings like a torch."

"Wow, it sounds pretty good," Bruto was a bit conflicted, "But it seems a bit light, and the hammer I have now is quite good."

"Can I use it?" The Elf Priest couldn't help but say, "It sounds quite suitable for me."

"Take it then," Bruto said with a chuckle, "It's good for self-defense for you, and with it, you could also help deal with the minor fiends."

Lancelot also nodded, and so Alamir stretched out his hand and took hold of the Hardhead Hammer. The hammer immediately emitted a bright and soft glow when he grasped it, making the original pile of gemstones glitter brightly.

"Put it down, put it down," Bruto grumbled discontentedly, "Are you trying to blind us?"

Alamir laughed and put the Hardhead Hammer away, and the room finally returned to its normal brightness.

"Let's take a look at this next." Kalalin picked up a pair of gray boots and cast an Identification Spell again.

"Ah, these are Boots of Speed." The Scholar concluded almost immediately, "Once you put them on, your movement speed will never be lower than an average human's, and it won't be slowed down by wearing armor or other impediments. These seem very fitting for you, Bruto."

"But I don't like their name," the Dwarf lamented, "how about giving them to Koula? That Halfling's short little legs could sure use these."

"Makes sense," Lancelot nodded, "Koula, do you like these boots?"

The Halfling ran over excitedly and immediately swapped her boots for the new pair, clearly unconcerned with the implication of cowardice in the item's name.

"Oh oh! They really do feel great," Koula ran circles around the table, "haha, it's like my legs have gotten longer!"

"It's not that your legs have grown, but your stride has increased," Lancelot observed Koula's movements for a while before drawing a conclusion. "Let's move on to the next item. How about this necklace?"

"This is an Amulet of Adaptation," Kalalin concluded quickly, "It allows the wearer to breathe normally in any environment and provides advantages against various magically created noxious gases."

"I don't need it," Lancelot shook his head, "Does anyone else need it?"

Both Bruto and Alamir shook their heads in turn, Koula seemed interested but felt she shouldn't take another item since she had already taken the boots.

"Then I'll take it for myself; as a normal human, I don't have much resistance to toxins," Kalalin said with a smile, taking the necklace, "Besides, with it, I won't have to worry about gagging on foul odors when casting spells."

"Where shall we use the last Identification Spell of the day?" Lancelot's gaze scanned the remaining items before he picked one out, "Let's look at this belt."

"Wait a moment," Kalalin again cast the Identification Spell, placing his hand on the belt, but after a short while, he threw the belt to Bruto with a strange expression, "Dwarf, this belt is yours."

"Eh?" Bruto caught the belt with a puzzled face, "How can you be so sure I'd like it? What does it do?"

"It's a rare magical item named the Dwarf Belt, most likely crafted by a Dwarf," Kalalin explained, "It significantly strengthens your constitution, but not beyond that of a young dragon; it grants knowledge of the Dwarven language, darkvision, and resistance to poison like a Dwarf. Additionally, the wearer will appear especially charming in the eyes of Dwarves."

"Well, the belt is quite stunning, but these effects are also great for you; why must it be mine?"

"Because it has one very special property." The Scholar seemed to be holding back a laugh, "Wearing it gives you a fifty percent chance each day to grow a Dwarven-style beard. If you already have a beard, it will make your beard noticeably longer and thicker."

"By Moradin!!!" Bruto let out a delighted shriek, "Are you sure this is only a rare item? This is a Divine Artifact!" Your next read awaits at empire

Kalalin rolled his eyes; he knew this would be Bruto's reaction. Lancelot had long expressed no interest in growing a beard, and he didn't want one either, while none of the Elves sported facial hair. For Koula and little Isha, the two females, this was more like a terrifying curse.

"Thank you all, I'll happily take the belt," Bruto beamed as he immediately put on the belt, then added a bit reluctantly, "If anyone of you needs it, I'm not opposed to lending it for a couple of days, huh."