Those time travelers that year

Just as the Wandering Swordsman and the Druid were struggling to withstand the increasingly powerful attacks of the two Night Elf Heroes, a golden streak of light streaked across the dark night sky outside the city and fell into the battlefield.

This was a golden 'comet'. After falling from the sky, it instantly annihilated eleven or twelve wolf spirits. Then, the golden 'comet' bounced and struck the 'werewolf' entangled with the 'druid'. This 'comet', imbued with powerful magical energy, blasted the werewolf, which was frantically tearing at the 'druid', away. After blasting away the 'werewolf', the 'comet' attacked the 'Hell Lord' who was pressing the 'Wandering Swordsman'. Caught off guard by the comet's sudden attack, the 'Hell Lord' was caught off guard and unable to activate his 'Shield of No Light'. He was then caught off guard and, after being pressured for a while, the 'Wandering Swordsman' seized the opportunity to strike. This turned the tide of the battle.

And finally, as fate would have it, after obliterating another unfortunate wolf spirit, the 'comet' flew off to another corner of the outer city...

--------split line--------

"It seems the Abyss provides a significant boost to these [Heroes]!" Hiding atop a tower, Xia Er watched the distant battle. When he saw the [Hell Lord] and [Werewolf], their combat power suddenly surging after being possessed by the Abyss, Xia Er gained a new understanding of the Abyss. This thing truly lives up to its reputation as something capable of destroying a world. It's only because these [Heroes] possess such strong resistance and willpower that they've managed to turn something that can corrode matter and drag a world towards destruction into their own buff.

Even the warlock who was previously killed by Sharl was only affected by the Abyss's influence on his emotions. This was also due to Sharl's own actions, which provoked Gadin's anger. If it weren't for Sharl's actions at the end, when Gadin unleashed his ultimate attack, creating human pus through the Abyss's materialization to disrupt his spellcasting, Sharl would likely have been in serious trouble if he had taken that powerful attack!

"Wait! What's that!?" Just as Charles was watching the Dire beat up the Radiant, a golden 'comet' streaking across the sky from outside the city caught his attention. "That's... a spell?! The Prophet's ultimate... Holy crap!"

The golden 'comet' blasted away a dozen or so wolf spirits, then knocked the [Werewolf] and [Hell Lord] off balance, negating their previous advantage. Miraculously, the golden 'comet' then hurtled towards the tower where Xiaer was located.

I was inexplicably dragged into this mess!

This was Charles's first thought, and then, regaining his senses, he hurriedly began to set up a defense. However, it seemed he was a little too late; the golden 'comet' arrived in front of Charles in an instant, blasting through the makeshift force field wall in front of him and breaking through its own defensive force field. Then, it crashed into Charles.

With a deafening roar, the tower where Ciel was located was blasted apart by the golden 'comet,' burying Ciel entirely in the ruins of the collapsed tower...

129. Happy New Year!

"Cough cough cough..."

In the ruins of the collapsed tower, a deafening explosion erupted, scorching flames bursting forth and shattering the piled-up rocks. The intense heat even turned the ground into a lava field, and right there in this lava field, a disheveled man with a hand on his shoulder emerged from the flames, walking back to the surface from underground.

"Cough cough... This is such an innocent bystander... cough cough..." Charles looked disheveled and gloomy. The golden 'comet' that had just struck him had shattered the barrier he had created with speed and power beyond his expectations. If it weren't for his defensive stance at the last moment offsetting some of the golden 'comet''s power, and if he hadn't used the [Dark Pact] at the critical moment to sacrifice a portion of his life force to create a shield that neutralized the golden 'comet', the outcome wouldn't have been so pleasant.

Now, having only lost one-fifth of his life force, he can easily replenish it by consuming the pre-stored healing stones. However, for Sharl, this was an extremely unfair situation, as he was inexplicably attacked by the [Prophet's] ultimate move.

"Seriously, what bad luck, what bad luck, what bad luck..." Charles cursed under his breath. "Damn it, what did I do to you? Ugh, I'm being dragged into this for no reason. Damn it, this...this...this, what the hell..."

Being hit head-on by a powerful attack, and seemingly at its peak, left Charles, who had been hoping to reap the benefits, completely caught off guard and utterly innocent. He was truly suffering in silence. He hadn't shown any intention of engaging the Radiant heroes, focusing instead on subtle maneuvers and waiting to finish them off after both sides had fought to the death. But unexpectedly, the Prophet's ultimate attack targeted him directly, slamming it into his face.

“【Prophet】…” Charles gritted his teeth, his face grim. He had never experienced anything like this in previous worlds. If he had been insulted, he wouldn't have had much to say; after all, you're bound to get your shoes wet eventually. The smooth sailing of the previous worlds and the main world had indeed made Charles somewhat proud and complacent. But this time, being hit in the face by a stray bullet had jolted him awake to the danger. This world wasn't like the previous ones, full of hidden secrets, where as long as you didn't deliberately seek death, there wasn't much danger. But this world was different; there was no so-called 'plot' for him to refer to, and anything could happen. This time he was just hit by a stray bullet; who knows, he might be caught in the crossfire of someone else's machinations someday.

If it weren't for the defensive stance of the [Hero] that helped him mitigate some of the damage, followed by the shield erected by [Dark Pact], and finally his body strengthened by Medea's Noble Phantasms [Titan's Ointment] and [Urn of Youth], he wouldn't have been able to withstand it so easily. Although he's a spellcaster, his physical attributes are comparable to those of melee-type [Heroes]—in other words, he has a lot of health.

Although he knew the Prophet was outside the city, thinking of the chaotic battlefield inside and the potential for easy kills, Charles gritted his teeth and decided to postpone his pursuit of that chicken-killing maniac. However, he'd deal with the bastard after this was over.

However, Xia Er, whose face was covered in stray bullets, was unaware that a certain chicken-killing maniac and another toxic tree were being sniped by another Dire hero. The Skeleton King, with two lives, magic immunity, and good equipment, was giving the two Radiant heroes a sound beating!

……

Let's shift our focus back to Charles, who was caught in the crossfire.

At this moment, the stray bullets from the Prophet's unintentional [Nature's Wrath] ultimate ability have completely wiped out the early-game advantage of [Hell Lord] and [Werewolf], who were also affected by the attack. Caught off guard, the two Dire heroes, who were struck by the golden 'comet' and hadn't activated their survival skills like Sharl in a panic, were brutally hit in the face.

Besides, the situation where Xia Er had secretly supported the two [Heroes] with buffs before being hit by stray bullets, which had initially put [Wandering Swordsman] and [Druid] under immense pressure, has now reversed. [Hell Lord] is doing relatively well; his newly activated defensive skill [Shield of Darkness] negated [Wandering Swordsman's] second [Storm Fist], even reflecting some damage back to [Wandering Swordsman]. The two [Heroes] are now fighting fiercely again, but this time, [Hell Lord] is no longer able to gain the upper hand.

But the situation is not good for the werewolves!

Just after the two Dire [Heroes] were hit by stray bullets, a white light shone from the other side of the battlefield, followed by the whistling of hooves. White horses appeared from the white light sweeping across the battlefield. Then, a herd of horses made of light roared across the entire battlefield.

The white light dispelled the darkness and struck the two Nightmare heroes. It also sent the wolf pack summoned by the werewolf flying. After the white light swept across the battlefield with its shockwave, the wolves that had been harassing the bear spirit were swept aside. Without the wolves' harassment, the druid's giant bear companion instantly returned to the druid's side using magic, and then slapped the werewolf across the face.

Clearly, the Druid's combat effectiveness varies drastically depending on whether their partner (or rather, their "baby") is present or not. So, after their bear companion returned, the shameless two-on-one Druid started beating up the werewolf! Especially when a certain cultist, whose luck suddenly turned on him, kept engaging in bondage play...

At this moment, the Guardian of Light, radiating white light, officially joined the battle. Now it's three against two! The Guardian of Light, now part of the fray, unleashed another shockwave, striking the Hell Lord, then used Mana Drain on the Werewolf. Next, it cast Chakra Magic, quickly replenishing the Wandering Swordsman's almost depleted mana.

Seeing the situation was dire, the Werewolf and the Hell Lord immediately planned to withstand the opponent's damage and blast this unexpected troublemaker to smithereens. However, just as they lunged forward, the Guardian of Light advanced and raised his white staff. Then, a dazzling flash of light erupted.

【Blinding Light】(PS: In a certain dimension, at the same time, an old man with a white beard shouted at a demon: Eat my Great Flash!)

The blinding light momentarily blinded the two Dire heroes and blasted them away. Then, the pursuing Wanderer and Druid seized the opportunity to attack the two blinded Dire heroes relentlessly.

Suddenly, the two Dire heroes found themselves in a precarious situation.

Happy New Year, everyone!! I'm trying to add more updates today, and the hunting story is also being updated today. I hope you will continue to support the author in the new year.

130. Nightmare Retreat

"That's enough!" The [Hell Lord] forced the [Wandering Swordsman] back a step with a single sword strike. Then, pulling on the reins of his skeletal warhorse, he turned and fled! Upon hearing the [Hell Lord]'s words, the [Werewolf] also forced back the [Druid] and the Bear Spirit who were attacking him, then turned and leaped away to escape.

Of course, the Radiant side was unhappy about the escape of the two Dire [Heroes]. Faced with the fleeing Dire [Heroes], the three Radiant [Heroes] immediately gave chase. The fall of this city might be a defeat for the Dire, but the loss of two [Heroes] would be a huge blow to the entire Dire force. Seeing an opportunity to potentially capture the two Dire [Heroes], the three Radiant [Heroes] present wouldn't let it slip by.

[Storm Fist] Facing an opponent who chose to flee, [Wandering Swordsman], who had been constantly pressured and would likely have been in dire straits if [Prophet] hadn't used his ultimate skill, Stray Bullets, to break through, unleashed a merciless punch at the retreating [Hell Lord]. Golden lightning formed the shape of a fist, hurtling towards the retreating [Hell Lord].

Thunder erupted, but even after being hit by [Storm Fist], [Hell Lord] managed to take the damage head-on. He used [Shield of Darkness] to remove the stun effect of [Storm Fist], and then his speed suddenly increased significantly, leaving the three Radiant [Heroes] behind him. In no time, he disappeared into the complex street environment of the city.

Similarly, on the other side, the Druid and the Keeper of the Light also failed to completely capture the Werewolf. Before the Druid and the Keeper of the Light's attacks could land, the figure flickered and vanished from its spot in an instant.

"Shadow Blade!" The Druid, his face ashen, watched the Worgen vanish completely and exclaimed in embarrassment, "Damn it! They tricked us!"

"Does either of you have a [Gem of True Sight]?!" The [Wandering Swordsman] turned to the two [Heroes]. "Or, [Dispersion Dust]!"

"I don't have any!" The Druid shook his head, and then the Guardian of Light also indicated that he did not have any items that could see through invisibility.

"They escaped with their lives!" The Wandering Swordsman angrily slammed his greatsword into the ground, muttering, "Damn it..."

"I have a bad feeling!?" Guardian of Light said uneasily. "Why!? The Lord of Hell and the Werewolf are here to ambush us, and there are only two of them. It seems more like they're just stalling for time than fighting us to the death..."

"Oh no!" the Druid cried out suddenly. "The Prophet and the Treant Protector are still outside the city!"

Upon hearing this, the other two heroes narrowed their eyes. Delaying was perhaps the right move; the Hell Lord and the Werewolf's reckless attacks on the Wandering Swordsman and the Druid seemed completely unconcerned about being surrounded by the other Radiant heroes. Now it appeared more like they were trying to slow down the Wandering Swordsman and the Druid, their two main combat heroes.

"Go! Hurry, we can still make it!" The Wandering Swordsman decisively pulled the greatsword out of the ground and rushed out of the city. The Keeper of Light and the Druid exchanged glances and followed closely behind the Wandering Swordsman, heading out of the city.

…………

"Huh?! They've left?" After being hit by Brownian motion projectiles created by [Prophet's] ultimate ability, Sharl resigned himself to his bad luck and began treating his injuries. Thanks to [Dark Pact], which sacrificed some of his life force to create a shield, Sharl was only slightly injured, and his lost life force was quickly restored using the healing stones he had previously stored. However, after treating his own injuries, Sharl was surprised to discover through surveillance that the [Heroes] of the Dire and Radiant factions hadn't chosen to fight to the death; instead, they had each left the battlefield.

First, the [Hell Lord] used an unknown item to accelerate his escape, then, out of the Radiant [Heroes'] sight, activated a teleportation scroll and vanished in a flash of light. Next, the [Werewolf] withdrew from the battle, disappearing before the [Keeper of Light] and [Druid] could stop him, using an invisibility item. After that, the Radiant [Heroes] seemed to say something, then, one by one, their expressions changed drastically as they ran towards the outskirts of the city.

"What's wrong?!" Charles frowned, a sense of unease creeping over him. He closed his eyes and sensed the abyss surrounding the two Dire Heroes. The abyss wasn't just for buffing them; it could also be used as a covert attack or a means of reconnaissance. He'd tricked and defeated the two heavily equipped Warlocks, Gadin, in the same way. Now, he planned to use the abyss's power to find the two vanished Dire Heroes.

"I can't sense the [Hell Lord], oh, so it's gone too far?!" After sensing for a while, Xia Er still couldn't pinpoint the [Hell Lord's] location. It seemed that if the distance was too great, it would be beyond his perception range. "Then why? The [Werewolf], after going invisible, is still in the city?! No! That's not right, its location seems different!" The [Hell Lord] left directly, but the [Werewolf] stayed behind and hid. This doesn't seem normal at all. "What exactly is it... um..."

Just as Charles was pondering the possibility that the werewolf had left behind, the scene before him startled him. At that moment, snowflakes began to fall from the once-dark night sky, and the temperature began to drop slowly and imperceptibly. Charles's expression darkened. He reached out and caught a falling snowflake. As his hand touched it, a chilling sensation reached his senses. With his current physical abilities, he could actually feel the cold of snow?!

"Something's wrong! This snow is strange..."

"No, I have a feeling something dangerous is about to happen here, I can't stay here!"

"Wait a minute, is the [Werewolf] currently located in that underground black market?!?"

"Could it be..."

——————————Divider Line——————————

In the forest outside the city, the Prophet and Treant Protectors were struggling against the Skeleton King's attacks. After activating the Black King Bar, a powerful artifact, the Skeleton King completely ignored the Treant Protectors' spell attacks and relentlessly beat the two Radiant heroes. The Treant soldiers summoned by the Prophet were no match for the Skeleton King and were quickly hacked to pieces.

However, the Black King Bar's effect didn't last long. When it ended, the Prophet, despite his severe injuries, used the Unholy Scythe on the Skeleton King, turning him into a frog. Although the effect was brief, the Treant Protector used Mekansm to heal during that time. Simultaneously, he accelerated his own healing with Leech Seed and Living Armor.

The spell effect of [Evil Scythe] was quickly dispelled, and [Skeleton King] was freed from his restraints, coldly watching the two Radiant [Heroes] make their death throes.

Just as the Skeleton King was about to step forward and finish off the two Radiant Heroes' struggle, he suddenly paused, turned his gaze towards the city, and sneered, "Consider yourselves lucky!" He glanced at the alert Prophet and Treant Protector with a chilling look, took a step back, and was then enveloped in a teleportation light.

131. The Forbidden Spell About to Fall

How is this going?

Watching the Skeleton King disappear into the light of the teleportation spell, the exhausted and wounded Prophet and Treant Protector were momentarily stunned. However, they quickly realized that three heroes were rapidly approaching the city, making no attempt to conceal their presence. Soon, aided by the acceleration of Battle Cry, the three Radiant heroes who had originally attacked the city arrived in the forest outside.

Of course, the three Radiant heroes who rushed to their aid were nearly scared to death when they saw the collapsed forest and the earth cleaved open by the sword. However, they breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the Prophet and Treant Protector were badly injured but had not been killed.

"[Prophet] What happened? Was it an attack by the Nightmare?" [Wandering Swordsman] asked.

"...Thank goodness you came back quickly! Huff...huff..." The Prophet gasped for breath, saying thankfully, "Just now, when you stormed the city, the Nightmare's Skeleton King appeared before us, and we almost lost our lives!" As he spoke, the Prophet glanced at the Treant Protector with lingering fear. At this moment, the once lush Treant Protector's body was mostly cleaved open by sharp blades, and almost half of its leaves had fallen off. If the Treant Protector, as a Nightmare Hero, had not been made of flesh and blood, then even with the greatest luck, he would have been finished by now.

"Anyway, I almost got killed by the [Skeleton King]! What about you guys?"

"...It's a long story!" Keeper of Light shook his head. "The Wandering Swordsman and the Druid were ambushed in the city by the stealthy Lord of Hell and the Worgen. If it weren't for your Wrath of Nature hitting them, they probably would have been in serious trouble!"

"What are the Nightshade thinking?!" The Prophet frowned. "They came all this way, but then gave up halfway, and even chose to disperse their forces to deal with us. If the Hell Lord, the Werewolf, and the Skeleton King all attack me and the Treant Protector together, we'll probably be returning to nature's embrace today!"

"Similarly, when ambushed," [Wandering Swordsman] interjected, "if [Skeleton King] had been there at that time, the three of us would probably have had to consider how to escape! But, the only ones who attacked us were [Hell Lord] and [Werewolf]..."

"By the way! Where are Nag and Ovina?" the Prophet suddenly asked. "Where did those two little ones go? I can't find them anywhere."

“Old friend! They…” the Druid sighed, “…they, they all died in battle! One fell to the blade of the Hell Lord, the other was torn to pieces by the werewolf…”

"...This, sigh..."

"We were careless after all!" said the Guardian of Light. "It's all our fault. We have to take full responsibility for the deaths of those two brave and outstanding young people..."

"But right now, the most urgent task is to completely take control of this city. We don't have much time to be sentimental. Once the Nightshade regroups, we'll be in even bigger trouble."

"Let's go into the city first! We'll take control of that deactivated defensive magic. Then, even if the Nightshade forces come with a large army, they won't be able to break through the defenses without at least six heroes gathered together."

"Walk……"

——————————Divider Line——————————

"Sure enough, the Dire were ambushed by the Radiant. How could they not have a backup plan..." Secretly following the [Werewolf] into the city's underground black market, relying on the abyss on the [Werewolf]'s body, Xia Er stayed far behind the [Werewolf], making sure that he was not discovered by the Dire [Hero].

Although the now battered and bruised werewolf is far less powerful than before, that doesn't mean he can be careless in the underground environment of the Sharl. He has to be careful not to cause the entire underground space to collapse by using destructive spells on a large scale. However, when facing a strength-based Nightmare hero, ordinary spells are probably useless. The hero's melee ability is off the charts; summoning his minions to gang up on him would more likely just give the hero an opportunity to heal himself.

Having already been hit by the stray bullets from the Prophet's ultimate ability, Shar had no intention of engaging in a melee combat contest with a Nightmare melee-type hero in a disadvantageous terrain.

Watching the werewolf hide beneath the darkness, silently licking his wounds as if waiting for something, confirmed to Xia Er, who was also cautiously hiding in the black market, that these Nightshade heroes definitely had a backup plan, perhaps even the kind that left the five Radiant heroes above them.

But how can that be done? Relying solely on a single [Werewolf] while leaving the five Radiant [Heroes] with both control and damage output vulnerable, they could easily be controlled and counter-killed if not careful...

Furthermore, in terms of their current state, the werewolf might not necessarily be in a better position than the aforementioned adversaries!

"...Wait, what's that!?" Just as Sharl was pondering the meaning of the werewolf's actions, a chilling feeling came over him. Above the underground black market, it felt like something was about to fall into the city. The feeling was the same as the incomplete Chaos Sacrifice spell from the warlock, bringing Sharl a sense of deadly threat.

"So that's how it is!" Charles's face showed a look of sudden realization. "A wide-range, forbidden spell-level magical attack! They're planning to abandon this city, no, it should be said, since they can't get it, they'll destroy it."

"Using the lives of tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of civilians in a city as 'sacrifices' to bury the five Radiant [Heroes]..."

……

In the city, the returning Radiant Heroes easily annihilated the last resistance. Then, they went to the magic tower that controlled the city's defenses, entered the tower, and reactivated the deactivated defensive magic.

In an instant, a spatial teleportation ban was imposed centered on the city, preventing anyone from teleporting without permission. Of course, the only ones currently prohibited from teleporting were the Night Elves. Conversely, for the Radiant, who controlled the city's defenses, occupying this location would cut off the Night Elves' frontline forces' retreat and also become one of the strongholds for attacking the Night Elves.

Under the control of the two spellcaster heroes, [Guardian of Light] and [Prophet], magical energy was extracted from the city, forming a seemingly unstable golden portal. Through the efforts of the two spellcasters, it became a portal capable of transporting large numbers of soldiers.

However, this teleportation portal is anything but stable, though it can at least transport several thousand soldiers to this side. Several thousand soldiers might not be much to a [Hero], but they can be used to control the city's defensive structures. Before that, if the defense mechanisms hadn't been shut down, and most of the defensive structures, especially the magic towers standing along the city walls, hadn't been forced to shut down due to the loss of their power source, then the Radiant [Heroes] wouldn't have been able to attack a well-defended city with just their own strength.