Those time travelers that year

...

.

Instead of joining the academy's mages to deal with the 'mana dragons,' Charles traveled to Labrynxian with a young female mage possessing expert-level spellcasting skills. The mage accompanying him was named Ovira, a genuinely young and beautiful woman.

She introduced herself as a Brightonian, but grew up in the College of Winterhold. Her best magic is transformation magic, with minor knowledge of destruction and restoration magic. As for summoning, she's terrible... well, terrible only in that she can only summon elemental creatures. Her strongest summon is an ice spirit, and she can't summon weapons or use necromancy.

However, Ciel didn't think her strength was weak at all. In fact, this girl's spellcasting and combat abilities completely surpassed those Aurors who ambushed him in the HP world. After all, in terms of strength, the Elder Scrolls world far surpasses the HP world.

However, in Sharl's opinion, the female mage seemed somewhat shy, or perhaps the crisis at Winterhold had put too much pressure on her; she hadn't spoken much along the way, which Sharl could understand. In the game, the one who solves all problems is Skyrim's most powerful scourge—the Dragonborn. Of course, that's not necessarily the case in reality. At least our Dragonborn friend is currently too busy searching for the Howling Rune while also mediating the war between the Imperial Army and the Stormcloaks in Skyrim. It's said that they will soon be negotiating a temporary ceasefire at the invitation of the Greybeards, and it's estimated that the Dragonborn won't have time to deal with the Winterhold problem at that time.

Not everyone is as thick-skinned as the Dragonborn, able to calmly face beheadings, dragons, and all sorts of monsters and demons in Skyrim.

“Miss Ovira…” After a day’s journey, while camping, Charles said kindly to the mage, “I think you need to relax. Next, we’re going to a ruin. As you should know, the ruins in Skyrim are not friendly to visitors!”

"Huh?... Ah!?" The mage snapped out of her reverie and replied, somewhat bewildered. "...Uh, what did you say? Mr. Gretel?!"

“Sigh!” Charles sighed, leaning closer to stare into the mage's grey eyes. “I say, Miss Ovira, don’t worry too much about Winterhold. With master-level spellcasting instructors around, the situation won’t get much worse! Any instructor could easily defeat that Thalmor based on his spellcasting skills alone. If it weren’t for the power of the Eye of Magnus, do you think he could defeat an instructor from the academy?”

"Furthermore, I don't believe that a creation left behind by a god of magic could be easily controlled by a mortal. So, do you understand? Don't be too nervous; if the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up..."

"Uh, um... I understand." The mage lowered her head and answered softly.

“Alright! Miss Ovira, you should go to your tent and get some sleep!” Nodding, Charles felt he had given all the necessary reminders. He figured this chosen heir to Winterhold wouldn't be a hindrance when they reached Labryntian. Although he could probably manage on his own, as long as he didn't run into a GM like Ovira who was unreasonable and only cared about the plot. “I'll set up some magical rune traps near the camp, just in case we get disturbed by wild monsters or stupid bandits…” With that, Charles turned and walked to the side, frantically throwing magical runes onto the ground.

However, unbeknownst to Charles, the young mage secretly peeked at his retreating figure after he turned away. A strange blush and a hint of annoyance graced her cheeks… or perhaps it was just the firelight in the camp…

Destined to be alone for life...

——————————Divider Line——————————

Labryncien was once a very prosperous city in ancient times. According to the few documents preserved in Skyrim, the city was enormous. Even Solitude cannot compare in size in modern Skyrim; perhaps only Markarth, built on dwarven ruins, can be considered comparable.

In the ancient Nordic era, when the people still practiced dragon worship, Labrynxian was a magnificent city. But all cities are eventually swallowed by history; the only difference is the time. Over countless ages, this once-glorious city was buried in the mountains, mostly covered by rock. Only a small section remains exposed, and these remnants sometimes serve as resting places for travelers, but no one dares to attempt to enter. It is said that decades ago, this ruin was still accessible, but everyone who went inside never returned alive. Only when a mage sealed the gates of the ruins did it finally bid farewell to its visitors.

Recently, with the entire province of Skyrim descending into turmoil and war raging everywhere, this ruin located in the territory of Morthal has become even more desolate. Even the most audacious bandits avoid it, as there is simply no profit to be made here.

As a result, this place actually became the territory of the trolls.

35. Labrincien

Trolls exist in many worlds. They appear in Dungeons & Dragons and World of Warcraft, the difference being that the former is merely a monster, while the latter is a genuine intelligent being (although many wild troll tribes still retain the cannibalistic practice). In Skyrim, however, trolls are not civilized beings. These humanoid creatures have long, muscular arms with fingers "welded" with sharp claws. Their large mouths are filled with serrated teeth, and their skin is covered in a thick layer of bushy fur.

It's worth noting that trolls are omnivorous, so any unfortunate traveler who encounters them is bound to face a fight. What's most disgusting is their incredibly thick hide; ordinary swords are ineffective against them, and even if they are injured, their self-healing abilities allow them to quickly recover. Coupled with their aggressive nature, countless humans perish at the hands of trolls every year. These creatures are resistant to cold and electricity, but their resistance to fire is remarkably weak. Research by scholars and mages has revealed that trolls have a high fat content, making them highly flammable. Therefore, when facing trolls, it's best to treat them like ghouls. Experienced and capable lords, upon learning that trolls have migrated to their territory, will usually organize a small force with enough torches to drive them away or kill them. Incidentally, troll fat has always been a valuable raw material for alchemy.

It's clear that during this chaotic period of civil war in Skyrim, the lord of Morthal doesn't seem to have enough manpower to deal with these trolls, or perhaps he's unwilling to expend manpower and resources in this desolate wilderness for a few trolls. Besides, this isn't an economic or trade area, and presumably no foolish merchant would choose to camp here. Letting these somewhat dim-witted trolls stay here is better than letting them be occupied by some peasant-born "outlaws" who then fight against the lord.

……

Along the rugged mountain path, crumbling architectural ruins stand everywhere—bricks, stone pillars, statues… Compared to the tombs in the Coldfall Mountains, Labrincien is much better preserved; at least the exposed ruins still retain intact walls. If an army were stationed here and given some minor repairs, it would be a perfect military fortress, better than most of the castles in the current Sky Province.

Of course, this area belongs to Morthal's territory, so any garrison other than Morthal's would likely be illegal. Besides, like Winterhold, it's a desolate place with few visitors. Even bandits wouldn't want to stay here long. Moreover, those who have roamed Skyrim know that it's best to avoid things like ancient ruins...

Over time, this place became deserted, a den of wild monsters, and now it's inhabited by a group of trolls. When Sharl and the mage finally arrived at the ruins of Labrynxian after several days of travel, they were immediately greeted with a warm welcome. The only condition was that they didn't drool like starving ghosts.

The trolls, estimated to number four, spotted the intruders the moment they stepped onto the stairs and crossed the archway outside the ruins. Without a word, the trolls charged towards them. Of course, these creatures weren't fast; even an ordinary person could escape by gritting their teeth and running for their life.

But do the two guests really need to run away?

The answer is no!

The mage seemed about to cast a spell, but Sharl was faster. In Sharl's view, there was no need to summon a fire demon to deal with these trolls; he simply created an obstacle blocking their path. Then, a large fireball slammed into the trolls' faces. The exploding fireball unsurprisingly ignited their fur, blasting them away. Of course, the thick-skinned trolls didn't succumb to this explosion—enough to obliterate a poorly equipped Nord barbarian—but instead, with a defiant spirit, they tried to bypass the invisible barrier and continue on to Demacia. However, they quickly discovered that there was a barrier in front of them, and invisible barriers on both their left and right sides blocked their path, even blocking their rear.

Then, a rune shining with a red light suddenly appeared beneath their feet. It was the [Flame Rune]. When the trolls accidentally stepped on it, flames exploded and were blocked by the barrier. However, the flames rolling within the barrier were like an oven, instantly turning all the trolls into charred remains.

“That way we won’t be able to get the troll’s fat,” the mage said.

“We don’t need these things…” Charles shrugged. “Consider it a free favor to solve some problems for the nearby lords.”

After dealing with the trolls lurking outside the ruins, the two arrived directly at the gates of Labryntian. This city, buried beneath rocks and mountains, was sealed by a spell. Although this sealing spell merely locked the gates—a simple shattering curse would suffice for Sharl—it was best to avoid wasting his energy.

Before entering the ruins, the sorceress seemed to want to make thorough preparations. She carefully organized her magic scrolls, various potions, and magical items, placing the potions and scrolls in easily accessible locations, and then gripped her staff tightly. Staffs in Skyrim cannot be used for casting spells like wands in the Harry Potter world, but they are enchanted to store a spell and the energy required to cast that spell repeatedly.

The mage held a staff imbued with a fireball spell, allowing her to cast it without consuming her own mana. After all, while destructive spells are powerful, they also consume a significant amount of mana.

"Don't you need to prepare anything?" the mage asked.

Charles spread his hands empty and said, "No need. After all, these staves are less useful than I can do myself, and the magic cast with staves can't be controlled..." If he were to unleash his full power, he could probably single-handedly overturn a car in Skyrim. He wasn't lacking in large-scale damage spells, but the consequences were uncertain. At least Charles wasn't confident that he could jump into a rain of fire without taking damage after casting a Rain of Fire.

The ruins were originally sealed by the young Chief Wizard of Winterhold, and the young mage had already obtained the key left behind by the Chief Wizard before the newcomers arrived. After the ring was hung, the magical energy that had sealed the ruins' entrance instantly dissipated, and the two pushed open the door and entered.

36. Bone Dragon

"While I was certain there were a horde of ghouls down there, I didn't expect it to be haunted so soon after we entered!" Charles exclaimed. The two had barely entered the ruins when several semi-transparent blue figures suddenly appeared, huddled together, casually arguing and talking amongst themselves. In short, these sudden appearances of ghostly figures truly startled the mage from Winterhold, and she still looked pale.

“What we just saw… well, it was probably just an image reflected from the residual magic within the ruins.” The mage took a deep breath and said, “The chief mage was inside… this must have happened when the chief mage was young, meaning he was here decades ago. The others are also mages from Winterhold…”

“But only the Chief Mage remains in Winterhold, meaning everyone else perished!” Charles said. “It seems this ruin isn’t exactly friendly to outsiders!”

"This is terrible!" the mage complained, reaching out to push open another iron gate in the ruins.

In places like ruins, the larger the site, the greater the danger. This seems to be a generally accepted fact. A dilapidated wooden hut, no matter how run-down, wouldn't pose much of a danger, at most just a lot of cobwebs. Of course, if something like Kayako appears, that's a different story. Similarly, it would be abnormal for Sharl not to find something like Kayako in the ruins of Skyrim.

Labryncien was a city from the First Age. Although few records remain, it was undoubtedly a stronghold of the Cult of Dragons at that time. In Skyrim, anything even remotely connected to the Cult of Dragons was invariably inhabited by wights. You didn't even need to descend deep into the ruins to know that a vast horde of wights awaited visitors.

The first place we entered was a plaza spanning over a thousand square meters. Before the city was buried, this might have been just an open-air square or altar, but now it was nothing but deathly silence, and a huge pile of skeletons. A group of moving skeletons wielding various weapons. The scattered bones indicated there were at least a hundred skeletons here. There were also some skeletons draped in tattered black cloaks, surrounded by a cold magical aura. Clearly different from the ordinary skeletons dancing and wielding swords, these skeletons were obviously mages with spellcasting abilities in life.

As the door was pushed open, the sound of a door opening and footsteps echoed through the long-silent ruins. The skeletons, who had been aimlessly wandering the plaza, immediately turned their gazes towards it. The feeling of being stared at by hundreds of blue-rimmed eyes was unpleasant; even Char felt a chill run down his spine, and the mage from Winterhold shuddered. However, the skeletons seemed oblivious to their feelings. Upon spotting the enemy, several bowstrings twanged, accompanied by a flurry of arrows. Simultaneously, skeletons wielding swords and shields, and others with battle axes, charged towards the open door.

[Guardian Ring] A master-level healing spell was unleashed. Centered on Shar, a golden circle over ten meters wide appeared, radiating light. Every skeleton that approached this area was instantly engulfed in azure flames. Then, the undead, who shouldn't have been afraid, turned and fled. Those who didn't run were blocked by an invisible barrier. While the golden circle could keep the skeletons out, it couldn't stop the incoming arrows, but that problem was solved by the mage's enchantment.

"Master-level spells, I'm so envious!" the mage whispered. "I still don't know any master-level spells."

“Even if you knew it, it wouldn’t be of any use!” Charles shook his head. “Master-level spells consume a lot of energy. I can handle it, but you might not. You’ll almost exhaust your mana after casting just one spell.”

Master-level spells look powerful, but they are actually terrible to use. Although they are powerful, the consumption is too terrifying. Only Charles himself can withstand the consumption. If a native mage casts a master-level spell, almost half of his power will be wasted.

The Guardian Ring blocked the skeletons' attack, but it couldn't intercept long-range attacks. Neither the arrows fired by the skeleton archers nor the Frost Spells cast by the black-cloaked skeletons were within the Guardian Ring's range. However, this was overcome by a barrier; Sharl and the female mage simultaneously activated the barrier and immediately counterattacked with spells.

In such densely packed situations, the [Fireball] spell is most effective. A single, high-temperature, exploding fireball can instantly wipe out several skeletons—at least for the female mage. If it were Sharl, a single fireball could cover an area equivalent to a [Guardian Ring], the resulting shockwave and fireballs enough to instantly kill more than ten skeletons; even the aftershocks could shred any skeleton. He added something else to it…

"I don't think I've done anything useful!" the mage muttered, stopping her casting of [Fireball]. Her casting speed and spell power were far superior to Charles's; before she could even throw a fireball, Charles had already cleared the area with two consecutive fireballs. "Don't you think I should conserve my mana?"

"Of course, ladies always have privileges."

Some skeletons posed no threat to the two; in fact, the fragile skeletons were easily dealt with, and the hundreds were quickly wiped out by the continuous flames and explosions. Seeing this, the mage seemed relieved; everything appeared to be going smoothly. However, Charles didn't think so. At least in his perception, the black, circular crater at the very center of the plaza contained a massive creature—one that could even make him feel threatened.

"Roar!!" Just as Xia Er was about to clear out all the skeletons, a low roar resounded. Immediately afterward, the ground beneath his feet began to tremble, and the giant circular crater in the center burst open with a crash, revealing a massive skeleton.

"Wait, what's that?!" Ovira exclaimed in shock upon seeing the monster bursting from the map. "Why is there a dragon's skeleton here?!"

“That’s not surprising. After all, this used to be a stronghold of the Dragon Worship Cult.” Charles narrowed his eyes, looking at the bone dragon that broke through the map as an undead. “Don’t forget what the Dragon Worship Cult’s doctrines are. It’s not surprising that a dragon is buried here.”

"No. Wait a minute, why? Why can this dragon be resurrected as an undead? Even a master-level [Death Servant] couldn't turn a dragon's remains into an undead!"

“It’s very simple. A dragon’s soul is unkillable. In Nirn, apart from the Dragonborn, humans cannot kill dragons. They can only kill the dragon’s body, but not its soul. After the body dies, the dragon’s soul remains in the dead body…” Shar explained. “At this point, the dragon still has the possibility of resurrection, and can even be resurrected from death after a long period of time. The dragon scourge that has recently plagued Skyrim is actually caused by resurrected dragons.”

"Therefore, a skeletal dragon is not unusual. As long as the dragon's soul is willing to take the form of a skeleton, it can be turned into an undead."

37. The Great Cataclysm

Dragons were the most powerful creatures in Nirn, second only to the demons dwelling in the Oblivion Realm. Even the demons themselves might not have been able to match them. In the past, when dragons surrounded the land, even the demon gods had to bow their heads. It could be said that dragons were the true rulers of the world, at least they once were. However, times have changed. The age of dragons has long since ended. Alduin, after his fall, was banished to the other side of time. The other dragons either perished in battle or went into seclusion, disappearing from history. When history becomes a story, and when a story is elevated to mythology, how many people can believe that these former rulers have returned?

Although rumors had long circulated in Skyrim that the dragons had returned and the last dragonborn had emerged to fulfill their destiny, how many people had actually witnessed these creatures soaring through the skies? Of course, they had now, but Ovira, the mage from Winterhold, preferred to believe it was merely an illusion. Only when truly facing these creatures called dragons could she feel the fear within her. It was the difference between the upper and lower levels of the food chain. This world wasn't a technologically advanced, magic-free world; it was a true fantasy world…

Dragon's Might...

Charles had seen the black dragon soaring across the sky, the extraordinary Alduin. Just watching Alduin fly by had almost extinguished any thought of resistance in Charles. The dragon's might emanating from this skeletal dragon was simply unpredictable compared to Alduin's; the difference was too vast. Having experienced Alduin's oppressive aura, Charles felt absolutely nothing towards this skeletal dragon. However, the mage had only read about dragons in books and scrolls; this was her first time actually seeing one.

"This is no time to be dazed!" Seeing the female mage gripped by fear, Charles had to use [Soothing] to calm Ovira down. "This bone dragon is now an undead creature; it can't break through the [Guardian Ring]!" The spell worked, and the mage finally overcame her fear. Just as Charles had said, even a bone dragon couldn't break through the master-level spell [Guardian Ring]. This twenty-meter-long bone dragon, which had burst from the ground, clearly couldn't fly here and could only crawl forward. But when it reached the edge of the [Guardian Ring], it had to stop. The spell resisted the undead creature's abilities, stopping it. No matter how much it roared and howled, it couldn't advance another step.

"So we're safe?" the mage asked.

“No, oh!” Charles replied, “Don’t forget that dragons are not beasts. On the contrary, if you have read any records about dragons, you will know that these creatures have a roar called the Dragon Roar.”

"But all that's left are bones!"

"Who told you that you can't scream when all that's left is bones?"

The bone dragon raised its head, and with a deep roar, a blue-white light shone from its skeletal jaw, instantly lowering the surrounding temperature below zero. Seeing this, Charles disregarded everything else, grabbed Ovira, and pulled the mage into his arms.

“Fo- Krah- Diin

【Dragon Roar - Breath of Frost】

A torrent of frost surged from the bone dragon's mouth. Clearly, the master-level [Guardian Ring] was unable to withstand this icy tide, passing directly through it. Beneath the frost, everything was frozen solid, the area around the entrance completely covered in a thick layer of ice crystals. The breath of frost swept out from the doorway, turning the outer room into an ice cave.

But at the end of the plaza, before the passage leading down, a plume of black mist appeared out of thin air, and then Charles emerged from the mist, arm in arm with the mage. Just before the bone dragon was about to unleash its frost breath, he pulled Ovira aside and used [Phantom Shift] to teleport away from the direction of the breath's attack, instantly crossing the entire plaza and arriving before the passage leading to the next level.

"Huff, huff!" Ovira, who was being teleported along with Sharl, looked up in the direction of the bone dragon, her face showing obvious panic.

"Alright. It's all over!" Charles patted the mage in his arms and said, "I'll stay and finish this guy off. You go ahead."

"but……"

“It’s alright. If it’s just a bone dragon, I can handle it.” Charles released Ovira. “Don’t say any more. I remember you know expert-level transformation magic. Remember to use [Ebony Armor]. With that, basically no ordinary swords or blades can harm you. Also, remember to summon a Frost Servant to clear the way…”

Roar! The bone dragon's breath attack ended, but it also noticed that the two little insects had disappeared. However, the bone dragon immediately rediscovered its target and turned to rush towards Xia Er.

"Go!" Urged on by Charles, the mage gritted her teeth and ran towards the stairs leading down. After the mage disappeared from sight, Charles turned around, looked at the bone dragon charging towards them like a heavy truck, and sneered. "I forgot, there's another dragon here! And a dragon whose soul cannot be obtained, meaning dragonborn can only devour dragon souls from fully resurrected dragons..."

"...So, I might not need the soul of the dragon lich!"

"?? ??, ???, ?? ??? ??? (Sinful sulfur, dark demons, burning all things with karmic fire)" [Fiercefire Curse - Flame Demon]

Amidst rolling flames, a blazing fire demon, wielding a flaming greatsword in one hand and a flaming whip in the other, strode out from the scorching inferno to meet the charging bone dragon. Demon and dragon, two of the most powerful monsters, even at the pinnacle of fantasy, clashed head-on. The bone dragon bit into the fire demon, tearing through its fiery body, but the fire demon's flames, reaching thousands of degrees—enough to melt gold and iron—had no effect on the bone dragon's skeleton. However, the fire demon's flaming sword pierced directly into the bone dragon's body; without the protection of its scales, the greatsword became embedded in the dragon's chest cavity. Although the flames had little effect on the bone dragon, the flaming sword, constructed from the [Sword of Binding], was still effective. Unfortunately, even with the support of Sharl's magic, the fire demon could only manage a stalemate with the bone dragon.

“It’s not that exaggerated in the game!” Charles watched the Balrog and the Bone Dragon locked in combat. To prevent the Bone Dragon from using its Frost Breath, he ordered the Balrog to bombard the Bone Dragon’s head. The effect was widespread; at least for now, the Bone Dragon couldn’t utter a Dragon Roar. But this only meant neither could gain the upper hand, and during this time, Charles couldn’t sense whether the Bone Dragon possessed a soul. “It doesn’t make sense! Even ghouls have remnants of their souls. A Bone Dragon that can use a Dragon Roar… it doesn’t make sense! Otherwise, how could Lord Au revive these already-dead minions…”

"Wait, this skull dragon broke through the ground." A flash of inspiration struck Xia Er, who seemed to understand something. "The dragons that President Obama resurrected were all already reduced to skeletons buried in the dragon tomb, and I remember they were also skeletons when they were first resurrected. It was only President Obama's dragon roar that gave these resurrected dragons flesh."

Charles turned his gaze to the spot where the skeletal dragon had emerged from the ground.

"I see!" In Sharl's perception, there was indeed a faint trace of soul power where the bone dragon emerged, or rather, a soul was buried there, and the bone dragon was merely a manipulated puppet. No wonder the Dragonborn couldn't absorb the bone dragon's soul here in the game; this bone dragon simply didn't have a soul. It was merely a manipulated skeleton, its soul not actually resurrected. Or rather, without Alduin using the resurrection shout, it was powerless to revive! "Then, let's clean up the mess!"

"? ??? ?? , ? ?? . (Elemental chaos, calamity for all living beings)" In the distance, the Flame Demon was pinned against the stone wall by the Bone Dragon, but the Flame Demon's flaming sword pierced directly into the Bone Dragon's neck.

"??, ??? ?. (The sky collapsed and the earth cracked, black wings swept across the sky.)" From beneath Xia Er's feet, a black shadow spread out, and at the same time, the square began to shake.

“??? ??? ?, ?? . (The earth cracks in all directions, and flames engulf it in the apocalypse.)” Cracks spread throughout the space, and bright red light surged from the fissures.

“? ?, ???. (The storm gathers in the sky, the end of time.)” The bone dragon roared, slamming the fire demon aside. Seemingly sensing the deadly danger, it turned its head towards the chanting Shar. Frosty breath flashed in its mouth, but before it could open, the fire demon used its fiery whip to wrap around the bone dragon's head and pull it backward.