Paladin VS Duergar Warlord

As the first rays of sunlight spilled over the mountain col, Anse felt a sudden stir and abruptly sat up.

He hadn't slept well; after completing the attunement with his staff, he found it impossible to drift off. Memories of his past life and the day's battles churned in his mind, leaving him in a state of agitation.

Previously, he had been too consumed by crisis to dwell on things, but the moment he stopped, his mind began to wander. How could anyone adapt to the concept of transmigration so quickly?

Still, he had been a weary, monotonous laborer in his past life, while now he was a practitioner of wondrous magic. By comparison, this life was far more interesting.

"You're awake." Brat's voice drifted from nearby.

Anse followed the sound and spotted him in a tree not far away.

He was crouched on a branch, clutching his longsword while gazing into the distance, looking as though he had been there for a while.

"So early?"

"It's enough. I sleep quite soundly. Besides, if I stayed any longer, the mosquitoes would have drained me dry." Brat flipped down from the branch.

"Are there mosquitoes?" Anse asked, puzzled.

"You have Dragon Bloodline; how would insects dare to get close to you?" Brat shot him a sidelong glance.

"I see." Anse chuckled softly, never having expected his bloodline to have such an effect.

"We need to set off early. Dust Eagle Mountain isn't large, but it's not easy to traverse." Brat took some food from his bundle to share with Anse, then handed him a mostly empty cloth bag. "Put this in your pack. In case we get separated, you won't go hungry."

He had long since realized that Anse lacked any experience in wilderness survival and felt a bit uneasy.

"What about you?" Anse didn't take it.

"Please don't question the survival skills of a veteran Adventurer," Brat emphasized deliberately.

"You keep it; I have more in my pack." Anse shook his head slightly.

He might be inexperienced, but he wasn't brainless—all his good supplies were tucked away in his personal pack.

"Fine." Brat glanced at his pack and cautioned him once more, "When fleeing, food is more important than anything else. Sometimes, even Dragon Coins can't buy a loaf of bread."

"Thanks for the reminder." Anse nodded.

Dragon Coins were the common currency of Faerun, exchangeable for 10 silver coins or 100 copper coins (alloy coins), and a single copper coin could buy roughly a pound of wheat.

Breakfast consisted of cold water, bread, Gaud Cheese, and Smoked Turkey Strips. The two ate their fill; they couldn't afford to lack strength for fighting or fleeing.

By the time they finished, the sky was bright. The pair packed their things, immediately descended the mountain, and then continued east along the Chongsa River.

Dust Eagle Mountain was no more than two or three kilometers in diameter and a few hundred meters high. With no ferocious beasts about, many residents often cut through the mountain for convenience, resulting in a network of small trails.

The two moved cautiously, staying on guard for a long time, but they didn't see a single soul—let alone Underdark Creatures.

Only a few rotting corpses served as a reminder that this place was far from safe.

It was the Month of Summer Tides, July, and the sweltering heat caused the bodies to reek quickly.

"At least a day old. Humans did this." Brat seemed unfazed.

Underdark Creatures were unfamiliar with the terrain and couldn't have found such a hidden spot in such a short time.

Anse kept his lips pressed together, saying nothing. After a day of adjustment, he could observe the corpses without changing his expression, but the fermented, putrid stench was truly unbearable.

After more than half an hour, the terrain began to level out.

Crossing a small, barren hill, the view suddenly opened up. A dense cluster of buildings appeared ahead, mostly low-slung, gray, dilapidated, and crowded, lacking any real planning.

On the riverbank hundreds of meters away, a high bridge spanned the Chongsa River, packed so tightly with buildings that it looked less like a bridge and more like a commercial alleyway built atop the Dragon Rock in the riverbed.

This was the famous Flying Dragon Bridge, and the magnificent fortress in the center was the Flame Fist Fortress.

It was a vital transportation hub; across the bridge lay the Livington District, while on this side was the Twin Song District, with the Pig's Trotter District to the north.

Inheriting the original owner's memories, Anse was familiar with all of this and felt no great surprise.

Taking advantage of his height, he scanned the Twin Song District. He saw no signs of Underdark Creatures, though there were quite a few humans lingering about.

"Looks like the Underdark Creatures haven't been here yet." Brat turned to look at Anse, his eyes filled with inquiry.

"Let's go." Anse didn't hesitate and led the way down the mountain.

The two hurried northeast along the edge of Dust Eagle Mountain, neither venturing deep into the urban area nor making contact with the people hiding inside the buildings.

A long, narrow avenue connected the Twin Song District and the Pig's Trotter District, flanked by low slopes.

Rounding the foot of the mountain, a clearly paved road appeared ahead, winding toward the left before being obscured by the mountain mass.

At the same time, a cacophony of noise slammed into Anse's eardrums: whistling, screams, roars, the clash of weapons...

"Something's wrong!" Brat paused, drawing his longsword with a soft click.

"It's Duergar." Anse's heart sank; he heard both Undercommon and the Goblin Language.

The two softened their footsteps and crept closer. As the noise grew louder and the road turned, a chaotic battlefield came into view.

Over a dozen humans were fighting more than thirty Duergar Slaves. The battle was fierce, and the ground was littered with corpses and gore.

Anse squinted. Seeing such a brutal battle for the first time, he felt both nervous and strangely exhilarated.

"The Duergar have actually reached this far." Brat's expression was grim.

Anse realized it too—the Pig's Trotter District was likely off-limits now.

"Leading them are paladins of the God of Justice; they... the situation is dire." Brat quickly surveyed the battlefield.

Anse looked closely and discovered that, aside from humans, the human side also included halflings and dwarves. Their attire was inconsistent, suggesting a team cobbled together in haste.

At the very front were two human paladins, their swords and shields gleaming with Holy Light, stubbornly holding back an enemy force several times their size and barely stabilizing the front line.

The Duergar side consisted mainly of goblins, interspersed with tall hobgoblins and bugbear officers. There were a dozen or so orcs, while four or five Duergar stood in the rear, not yet directly engaged in the fight.

"I know them. Land and Zahir from the Church of the Final Hope in the Twin Song District," Anse said in a low voice.

The original owner had grown up in the Outer City and was very familiar with the Church of the Final Hope, having often played there as a child.

"Should we help?" Brat looked at Anse, waiting for him to make the call.

A rational analysis suggested they should step in to help. If the Duergar won, they would inevitably occupy the Flying Dragon Bridge, and then no one would be able to leave.

But everyone valued their lives; why risk their necks if they could just run?

"Don't be hasty." Anse focused his attention on the few Duergar.

[Duergar Warlord, Dwarf, Challenge Rating 6]

[Bugbear Officer, Goblinoid, Challenge Rating 3]

His eyelids twitched, and he felt the urge to retreat.

Level 5 was a watershed; for instance, a mage could master third-circle Fireball, causing their strength to skyrocket.

Professionals between levels 5 and 10 were the backbone of major organizations. City guard commanders were generally of this strength and were known as elite professionals.

Challenge Rating was different from character level; it took a standard adventuring party of four to defeat a monster of the same Challenge Rating.

Even a Young Black Dragon only had a Challenge Rating of 7.

Anse suppressed his anxiety and turned his gaze back to the human side.

[Land, Human, Level 6 Paladin (Oath of Devotion)]

[Zahir, Human, Level 5 Paladin (Oath of Devotion)]

"This fight is winnable!" After weighing it for a few seconds, Anse decided to help after all.

Duergar suffered from sunlight sensitivity and were weaker in daylight. Most importantly, paladins would not betray their teammates; even if they were defeated, they would hold back the enemy's main force to the bitter end.

Anse pulled Brat over and pointed out the stronger enemies one by one, signaling him to be extra careful.

"We're going in."

"Stay behind me." Brat bared his teeth in a cold grin, gripped his sword with both hands, and charged forward first.