Those time travelers that year

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Of course, this was just a scare. After pulling the two of them down, Ciel directly teleported them to the bottom, completely ignoring the force of the fall.

However, this feeling was anything but pleasant for the two of them. To be honest, if their game characters weren't at level 90, things like heart attacks probably wouldn't happen to them; they might have even had a heart attack from that scare. Of course, compared to blaming Ciel, when Akatsuki saw Shiro about to drown, he was so frightened that he immediately jumped into the water and pulled him out.

"Akatsuki, Naotsugu, and Mr. Ciel, thank you!" Shiro coughed, spitting out several mouthfuls of water after being pulled from the water. Thanks to her powerful character attributes, she was unharmed; her HP hadn't decreased at all. After resting and drying her wet equipment and weapons, she continued on her way.

"Hmm! Right!" Just as they were about to continue walking, Charles suddenly spoke up to Cheng Hui, "Monsters will probably appear soon, so be prepared!"

"Mr. Charles, what did you say?"

"Ah! Don't you know? Those ratmen are social creatures. If the road over there hadn't suddenly collapsed, they would have been lying in ambush on the other side of the bridge."

"Such a thing is true!?" The three looked over in surprise.

“Is that so strange?!” Sharl retorted. “Social creatures are generally good at group action, whether it’s foraging or hunting. Goblins in the wild always raid in groups, and once they form a large enough tribe, they will even attack towns directly. And think about it, apart from those ratmen we saw at the beginning, have we seen any more along this road? Don’t tell me it’s because we took a detour, rats are everywhere!”

The three exchanged glances, their expressions changing. In the game, it wasn't like this at all; monsters spawned in fixed locations. But now that the game was real, and the tunnel was far more spectacular than in the game, it was hard to say for sure.

With the mindset of "better safe than sorry," the previous chat disappeared immediately after they moved forward again. As the assassin, Akatsuki expanded his reconnaissance range, while the shield warrior, Naoki, was vigilant about his surroundings, and the support, Shiro, was always ready to provide support at any time.

Only Ciel remained as relaxed as ever.

However, seeing the 1 million HP on his fake ID, the three were speechless! This was a genuine mobile boss, and an unbeatable one at that…

Soon, with a whooshing sound, a thin layer of purple mist enveloped the area.

"Looks like we're really unlucky!" Seeing the purple mist appear, Charles looked up. "We didn't walk into those rats' ambush; instead, we walked right into their nest!"

"What happened?" Naotsugu gripped his shield and sword. "Were we ambushed?"

"No!" Cheng Hui followed Xia Er's gaze upwards, then her face twitched, and she said in an awkward tone, "It's the boss!"

"Hey! What is that?" Naotsugu, who had also looked up at this moment, rang out in an exaggerated voice, "Blocking the steps, when?"

Above them was a huge ball of flesh with a tail of the same length. Of course, the ball of flesh soon fell to the ground, and then a super-huge ratman appeared in front of them.

I'm posting five chapters today, but because I have to go out for a while, the remaining chapters will be released a little later. However, I already have 10,000 words saved up, so five chapters are definitely on track... So, please give me your monthly votes! (≧▽≦)/

343. My grace grants you liberation.

This was an extremely, extremely, extremely large rat, or rather, a rat-man. It was very tall and large, at least ten meters high by sight. And when this mutated giant rat-man appeared, the entire tunnel was immediately filled with a thin purple mist. Staying in this mist for too long could very likely lead to infection with the plague.

However, these were nothing compared to what Charles was experiencing. Although the appearance of the giant rat-man brought with it a pungent, sewer-like odor that made Charles's face twitch, there was clearly no sewage or garbage dump here. He couldn't fathom how this enormous rat could have accumulated such a stench, enough to be used as a biological weapon. While the idea of ​​contracting a plague was utterly unbelievable to him, prolonged exposure to this stench still made Charles feel extremely nauseous.

Equally disgusting were the three people next to them, all wearing constipated expressions. It seemed their travel plans hadn't included any preparation for fighting monsters whose body odor alone could be considered chemical weapons. Although their level 90 character attributes could mitigate the effects of environmental factors, it only prevented them from receiving a direct debuff; the disgust was still disgusting.

Seeing that the team's morale seemed to be plummeting, Cheng Hui quickly put on a deadpan expression and pushed up his glasses. At the same time, the glasses, which had been enhanced with special effects, started reflecting light again even though there wasn't a bright enough light source. This made Xia Er, who was watching, wonder how likely it was that the adventurer in front of him was actually the pair of glasses.

As soon as Glasses—no, Cheng Hui—struck a pose, the Shield Warrior and the young assassin immediately calmed down and took a serious stance against the mutated ratman, assuming an attack posture.

"enormous body, but only LV68..." As adventurers, Shiro and his companions immediately noticed the identification displayed above the giant rat. Seeing the LV68 designation, the three breathed a sigh of relief. This level of boss wasn't difficult at all, at least not for them, who were LV90. "Eliminate it!" With Glasses's words, the battle began. Naotsugu was the first to step forward, a competent taunter at least. The giant rat immediately swung its long tail at the shield warrior, but Naotsugu, several sizes smaller, blocked the attack. Caught off guard, the assassin leaped high into the air and slashed its neck, causing the giant rat to let out a scream.

But before it could even try to shift its target, the shield warrior charged forward and unleashed an X-shaped attack, drawing its attention once again.

The level advantage here is simply too obvious. Although in this frustrating real-world setting there's no such thing as a significant level difference causing a miss, the damage reduction from level suppression still exists. After a few exchanges, the giant rat's HP was quickly halved. This is only because it's a boss; its HP is exceptionally high. Normally, even a level 70 character would need a team to handle it.

However, it is now being besieged by three level 90 adventurers, among whom are top-tier adventurers.

And the most dangerous part wasn't even those three. Although the shield warrior and assassin, aided by the warlock's support spells, had taken down a significant portion of the giant rat's health, it was clear that without the combined burst damage of multiple high-burst classes, the rat wasn't wiped out in one go. Instead, it let out a piercing scream, whipped its tail to force the assassin back, and then slammed its claw at the shield warrior with the giant shield. While it blocked the mutated ratman's attack, countless cracks appeared beneath its feet, causing the ground to cave in.

Just as Glasses was about to use magic to restrain the mutated ratman's movements, Charles, who had been watching them unleash a fierce attack that had the giant rat steadily retreating, suddenly vanished from his spot. The next instant, he appeared behind the giant rat, and then Rakuyo appeared in his hands, twin swords held horizontally, and he swung them down!

"By my grace, you are granted liberation!"

"Shar said softly, his voice not loud but echoing through the tunnel," Xia Er said. Then, his twin swords flashed, casting a ghastly light in the dim environment. Immediately afterward, the upper half of the mutated ratman's body exploded, most of its torso and half its head pulverized by the gruesome flash of light.

Has slaughtered prey

The level 68 boss was defeated. With just over half its health remaining, it was instantly killed by a backstab from Sharl, turning into specks of light and vanishing into the wind. After the mutated ratman died, the thin purple mist also dissipated.

Once back on the ground, Ciel said with a relaxed expression to the three people who had been turned into idiots, "Done!"

"What kind of damage is this?!" With a single strike, thanks to the system rules, Shiroe and the other two were completely petrified as they stared at the system notification displaying a staggering 666666 damage number. "This is illogical!" As the tank, Naotsugu was the first to exclaim, "This damage number is utterly illogical..."

Heavens behold, this tank with only a little over 10,000 HP was practically a squishy character, destined for instant death by this attack. In other words, facing this attack, which was practically a boss's one-hit kill, he was incredibly fragile. "This is out of the question, with panties..." Bang! The assassin delivered a flying kick, sending the guy flying.

"Ah ha! Ah ha..." Seeing the shield warriors and assassins start fighting again, Shiroe broke out in a cold sweat and said to Ciel, "Excuse me! Mr. Ciel, this..."

"It's nothing!" Charles didn't care about the commotion at all. He was just here for tourism, and he didn't mind the lively atmosphere at all; on the contrary, he quite enjoyed it. Actually, even if he hadn't intervened, given another minute or so, the three of them could have easily taken down the rat without getting hurt. "We should go, otherwise I'm not sure if those rats will keep coming back!"

"That's true..."

After a brief commotion, following Xia Er's statement that they didn't need any loot, Shiroe and her two companions simply took the coins and other items dropped by the mutated rat-man. It seemed the three of them didn't know much about this rat, so the one with glasses showed some interest in gathering information about the monster. However, having spent so much time in the dimly lit tunnel, everyone felt somewhat oppressed. So, after dealing with the large rat, they quickened their pace, and soon an upward staircase appeared before them.

Not long after they climbed the steps, a ray of light shone into everyone's eyes, and the sunset appeared before them.

Second update

344. Welcome to Yharnam

To reach another city where adventurers gather, one must cross a strait after emerging from the tunnel. This strait poses no challenge for Sharl, but for convenience, he didn't refuse Shiroe and the others' offer to let him cross on their griffins. Once the griffin, serving as his flying mount, had crossed the strait—the last obstacle on their journey—a completely different place appeared before them.

If Akihabara was a place of peaceful, sunny natural beauty, then this region, known as the Ezo Empire, is a frozen wasteland covered in ice and snow. This harsh environment also results in a higher average level for the monsters here. It's said that even giants exist in the more distant past…

Before long, the group arrived at their destination, Susukino, a city with a circular city wall situated at the junction of a mountain range and a forest.

"This city, how should I put it? It's really not your average mess!" Looking at the broken wood and damaged carriages scattered outside the city, Charles commented, "It seems you adventurers have a particular fondness for chaos!"

“That was a chaotic disaster!” Shiroe replied. “...I really want to explain, but I think it would be pointless to say anything.”

“Sometimes instead of just watching from the sidelines, it’s better to take action and change the status quo!” Charles patted Shiroe on the shoulder and said, “I can see that you seem to have the idea of ​​changing the status quo. If I were you, then go for it! Some things, you won’t know the outcome until you try them yourself.”

Let's hope so!

The group entered the city. The streets were sparsely populated, and the doors and windows were dilapidated, giving the impression of chaos and devastation. On the streets, only a few adventurers were going about their business, their minds blank and the atmosphere unusually tense.

"Akihabara may be a bit chaotic, but at least it's bustling with people!" Looking around, Charles didn't care about the scrutinizing glances directed at him. Instead, he commented with relish, "But this place is even worse. There's no life here, just pure violence and idiotic... decadence? Heh! I like the atmosphere here. I feel like I could start from the city gate and hack my way through the whole city without ever killing an innocent person!"

"If possible, please don't do that, Mr. Charles." Upon hearing Charles's words, Shiroe broke out in a cold sweat once more. He had no doubt that Charles was capable of hacking his way through the city. The 666666 damage numbers he had dealt in the tunnel not long ago told the three of them that Charles, who appeared handsome and even beautiful, was more like a super boss. 666666 damage—let alone adventurers like them, even the city guards would likely be instantly wiped out.

With 1 million HP, who knows how many people would need to team up and how many times they would have to wipe out to even have a chance of defeating him? Shiro felt helpless about this practically bugged individual; it was an unsolvable problem. Even top-tier shield warriors couldn't withstand Sharl's fatal blow. Moreover, he wasn't slow at all, much faster than Akatsuki, an assassin, and could use spells similar to spatial teleportation. This kind of character—high HP, high attack, high speed, capable of melee combat, and wielding magic—whose abilities so far are practically all-around boss-level, if not a bug, then it could only be blatant malice from the game itself.

"Don't worry, don't worry, I won't fight back unless someone attacks me first!" With a wave of his hand, Charles said easily, "...Then farewell! I've come all this way, I'm going to explore the place properly..." With that, without waiting for Shiroe's reply, he walked into an alley and disappeared.

……

He realized he was being followed. From the moment he entered the alley, Charles sensed that some men with ill intentions were following him. In fact, it wasn't just him; Shiroe and the others were too.

In cities where PvP is prohibited, adventurers will never initiate attacks against each other. However, this only applies to adventurers; conversely, adventurers are completely unrestricted in attacking the Earthlings, who are NPCs. This explains the overwhelming negative emotions that Sharl felt when he entered the city: anger, despair, sorrow, hatred… This immense negativity even began to affect everyone in the city, whether native inhabitants or adventurers.

This has led to the indigenous people becoming increasingly cowardly, while the adventurers have become increasingly reckless, to the point of having the power of life and death over each other.

“What’s that saying?” Charles stood at the end of the alley, adjusted his tricorn hat, and said without turning his head, “If you walk the night too often, you’ll eventually run into a ghost… You agree, right, those guys who have been following me for so long.”

"Hmph! Kid, you've got some skills!" Several mocking laughs rang out, and then five people came out from where Charles had come in, completely blocking the alley.

"...If I didn't have some skills, how could I dare to step into dangerous territory alone?!" Charles turned around with a smile as well. "So, what brings you all here to see me?!"

"Where did you come from? What are you doing here?!" one of the people on the other side questioned.

"Are you a city management officer?" Xia Er didn't answer his question, but instead asked a question.

"No! What's wrong?"

"You're not a city management officer, but you're impersonating one to enforce the law. Aren't you afraid of being retaliated against?"

"You!" the adventurer roared. "This is our guild's city! Do you want to die?!"

“I’m not one of you adventurers, so my life or death is none of my business!” Charles said, spreading his hands. “After all, I’m a man of the earth, not one of you 'monsters' who can’t be killed no matter what!”

"What!?" The adventurers were stunned for a moment, then looked at Xia Er and burst into laughter. "Hahaha, a mere Earthling dares to talk to us like that!"

"An NPC? I thought he was an adventurer from another city, but it turns out he was just an NPC."

"We've wasted so much time, let's just capture this guy and enslave him!"

"Honestly, why do humans always seem to unconsciously forget things?" Looking at these arrogant guys, Charles sighed and said, "Haven't you noticed?"

"What did you notice..."

"Tch, what are you pretending for..."

"HP!" Ciel chuckled, then drew Rakuyo's twin swords and gripped them tightly. "HP, if you still have any brains..."

"How dare you resist!" Seeing Charles draw his weapon, the men looked displeased, as if he had offended them in some way. They all drew their weapons and glared at Charles with hostility.

"...Wait, what is this?" However, one of them seemed to subconsciously glance at Xia Er, then noticed something was wrong and immediately shouted, "Level...why is this guy's level a question mark! And what's with that HP?!" As soon as he said that, the others immediately turned their attention back to the fake ID that Xia Er had created, and then stopped in their tracks because of the 1 million HP.

“Do you know why I lured you out?” Charles walked over, wielding two swords. “Because… you are my prey!” As he finished speaking, the world changed. The alleyway vanished in an instant, and the surrounding world seemed to be distorted. Then, a brand new Victorian street with a completely different style replaced it.

Then, a bright moon appeared in the sky above the Victorian streets, followed by the deep tolling of bells that echoed through the shadowy world...

"Welcome to Yharnam!" said Charles.

Three shifts

345. Yanan – Warm and hospitable!

Adventurers are unkillable; this is the belief held by the original inhabitants of this world. And it is precisely because of this invincible ability that, in the recorded past, the Earthlings were able to ultimately contain the various monsters that were constantly encroaching on the territories of intelligent races.

But are adventurers truly unkillable?

Ciel was curious to know whether, in a strange alternate world with rules different from this one, if he killed these adventurers, they would eventually be resurrected after their deaths.

Therefore, although the powers at their disposal were incomplete, creating an 'other world' similar to a bounded field was still quite easy. Now, the arrival of this other world has overridden the rules of the real world, and these adventurers happen to need to rely on some kind of system rule that governs this world to achieve a so-called 'immortality'!

In a world completely different from the outside, can these adventurers' immortality still be effective?

The answer is no!

Beneath the bright moon, the chilling glint of blades, like the moonlight itself, possessed a deadly brilliance and beauty. And dancing in this moonlight, wielding twin swords, was a grand feast of carnage. However, the guests invited here clearly had no desire to participate in this spectacle. Amidst the heart-wrenching cries of sacrifice, and against the backdrop of fire and lightning, this sudden encounter was drawing to a close in a remarkably swift manner.

The five adventurers, while not top-tier level 90 players with top-notch equipment and individual skill, were all around level 7 or 80. This level, while not comparable to the current elite adventurers, was far beyond the reach of the Earthlings of this world. However, the guy with the fake ID was clearly not among them.

The moment they made contact, the victim appeared. It was a warrior clad in armor, but his armor offered no protection. His defensive skills were neither used in time nor of any effect whatsoever. In the chilling flash of the blade, he was sliced ​​and cleaved like a butter cake, then fell into a pool of blood.

Then came the second one, a guy dressed like an assassin. In fact, this kind of fragile guy was killed even faster. It was just a flash of light from a blade that grazed him, and then that was it. Thousands of HP were wiped out in an instant, and his whole body disintegrated into pieces.

Next came an unfortunate fellow dressed as an archer and a mage; they died just as quickly, because they were equally fragile. Finally, one was left, dumbfounded, staring at the scene before them that was completely unexpected, utterly stunned.

"You see, I'm still very hospitable!" Charles said earnestly to the last remaining guy. "If there's anything I haven't done well in terms of hospitality, please forgive me. Of course, I won't go back and fix it..."