Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Thank Goodness I'm Not the Protagonist
Diablo—of course, Alex was very familiar with this series. The magnificent magic, the cult-like visuals and settings, combined with endless grinding, formed the impression most players had of this world.
However, anyone who had studied this world in-depth would know that it only appeared to be enjoyable on the surface.
In fact, true to its name, this was a dark world filled with death and destruction, a place where there was no hope for redemption.
Humanity's struggles could only bring temporary peace, which would inevitably be shattered before long, just as surely as the sun would rise and the snow would melt.
More importantly, this was a world that was very unfriendly to its protagonists.
In the game, it might seem like the protagonists could overcome any danger, but the reality was that almost none of the protagonists in the three Diablo games had a good ending.
In the Diablo series, the three protagonists had tragic fates.
The warrior inserted Belial's soul stone into his own head, trying to use his strong will to suppress Belial's evil soul. Predictably, he was corrupted by Belial, fell into depravity, and ultimately became a tool for Belial's resurrection.
The other two fared no better—one was turned into an evil spirit after death, while the other succumbed to evil influences, becoming a boss defeated by the protagonists of the second game.
And of course, the successors in the second game also met unfortunate ends—dreaming of killing the demon king and marrying the princess was just a daydream for these characters. They either disappeared or were killed.
In other worlds, the protagonist's halo is a lifesaver, but in this world, it is a death sentence!
Because of this, upon understanding this world, Alex's first reaction was relief...
'Thank goodness I'm not the protagonist!'
If he remembered correctly, he had arrived in the third Diablo game. The current plot was at the beginning—a meteor had fallen from the sky and struck Tristran Cathedral.
Lia, Brendon Cain's granddaughter, gathered militia to find her grandfather, and at this moment, the protagonist Nephalem made a dazzling entrance, embarking on a one-way journey...yes, a one-way journey.
Although Alex's memory of the plot was not very clear, he believed that the unlucky Nephalem would have no good ending in the future.
Even defeating Belial wouldn't matter—this world was fundamentally hostile to protagonists.
They might be killed by an assassin sent by an old friend, suffer fatal injuries due to magic going out of control, or be corrupted by evil forces and turned into a boss for the next generation of protagonists to defeat...
With such an unlucky protagonist halo, whoever wants it can have it—Alex certainly didn't want it.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
Just as Alex finished drinking his meat soup, a series of urgent footsteps approached. A militia member burst into the inn.
"Alex! Captain Rutherford wants you to go to the gate immediately! Those damned undead have appeared again! We must hold them off!"
"I got it!"
Upon hearing this, Alex quickly stood up and followed the militia out of the inn. The rain had stopped by now, and a few people could be seen around, but they looked nervous and uneasy.
Alex had no time to worry about them; he arrived at the gate where Captain Rutherford, now in a different outfit, was directing other militia to build barricades. Seeing Alex, Rutherford waved him over.
"Quick, Alex, come help us. We just repelled a wave of undead, and they...damn it!"
Before Rutherford could finish, the barricade on the right side was smashed with a "bang," and several undead slowly walked in, their eyes glowing as they staggered towards the gate.
Seeing this, the other militia members became tense, gripping their weapons tightly and watching the monsters with bated breath.
At the same time, Alex heard a "ding" sound and a system notification appeared in front of him.
[Scene Mission Triggered: Guardian]
[Dark and evil forces have arrived. The flame of civilization flickers like a candle in the wind. The trial of the apocalypse is coming. All you can do is accept the challenge and face the dark future (resist the undead's assault and protect the town. Success rewards: +1 skill point, +1 dimension point).]
Finally, a mission!
Seeing the mission in front of him, Alex drew his Soulrend. However, looking at everyone else's readiness, he couldn't help but feel puzzled.
Alex's understanding of this world was limited to the game, its plot, and its settings. As for the strength of the monsters in this game, he wasn't very familiar.
To Alex, these undead didn't seem particularly threatening. They were very slow and unlike the zombies in worlds like Resident Evil, they didn't mutate or evolve.
Maybe the elite bosses with auras could be somewhat threatening, but these stumbling undead? Did they really warrant such caution from a seasoned warrior like Rutherford?
Despite his confusion, Alex focused his attention, keeping a vigilant eye on the undead before him.
He knew he had just arrived in this world and his understanding was definitely not as deep as veterans like Rutherford. Since they were so tense, he wouldn't let his guard down either.
Better to be safe than sorry.
Although the undead were slow, their purpose was clear. They walked straight towards the gate. Even Alex gripped his longsword tightly, swallowing nervously, feeling his heart start to pound.
This was his first serious battle since arriving in this other world, and he didn't know how well he would fare.
Alex still had four activations left of the Lich King's soul stone, but he wasn't about to use it now—undead were just beginner monsters in the Diablo world. Using the Lich King against them would be like using a cannon to kill a mosquito.
"Charge!!"
As soon as the undead entered the attack range, Rutherford roared, raising his sword and charging at the undead. Alex gritted his teeth, gripped Soulrend's hilt tightly, and swung at the undead in front of him.
"Thud!!"
What the heck!!
As soon as Alex struck, he was dumbfounded. He finally understood why a bunch of undead, walking slower than old grannies, could make a veteran warrior like Rutherford so tense.
One word to describe it—hard!
These things were incredibly tough!!
Although Soulrend's special abilities couldn't be used without the activated soul stone, it was still a top-tier sword.
When Alex had fought those Silver Knights, Soulrend cut through their armor like it was butter. But now, his strike against the undead felt like hitting a tire! Soulrend only cut into the muscle and then got stuck!
Where did these rock-hard undead come from?
But Alex was in for more surprises.
"Roar—"
The undead, though slow, were not sitting ducks. It roared and reached out for Alex. He quickly pulled back his sword and blocked with it.
However, when the undead's claws hit Soulrend, Alex felt a powerful force slam into him, sending him flying!
"Oomph!!"
Alex crashed into the gate behind him, feeling like his whole body was falling apart. He finally understood why these slow, lumbering undead could wipe out a militia team.
Aside from their slow speed, these bastards had no weaknesses!
Seeing Nephalem slice through undead in the game, Alex had thought they were pushovers.
But now he realized they might not be as bizarre as Resident Evil's mutated zombies, but their hardness and strength made them as tough as Tyrants!
"Alex! Get up, don't let them surround us!"
Hearing Captain Rutherford's shout, Alex gritted his teeth, rolled to his feet, and raised Soulrend to face the undead again.
This time, Alex was smarter. He didn't try to go head-to-head with the undead. He had noticed that in the Diablo world, undead were strong and heavily armored, but slow.
So instead of attacking first, he let the undead strike at him, then seized the moment it raised its arms to swiftly cut off its hands.
This time, Soulrend finally showcased its legendary power. Though the undead's arms were also very tough, Alex's full-force strike managed to sever them completely.
Without its hands, the undead was like a toothless tiger. It still tried to attack Alex, but he had learned his lesson and swiftly decapitated it. The undead shook a few times before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.
At least there's a way to deal with them.
Seeing the undead fall, Alex finally breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly picked up his weapon and ran towards the other undead.
Captain Rutherford and the other militia were still struggling with the undead. A quick glance told Alex why they were having such a hard time.
Their weapons were inadequate!
Even with Soulrend, Alex found it challenging to cut through the undead. These people were using standard-issue weapons, making their task even more daunting.
Alex saw Captain Rutherford hacking at an undead multiple times, only managing to leave a few shallow cuts, like chipping away at a stone slab with a knife!
"Captain Rutherford!!"
Hearing Alex's shout, Rutherford glanced over. Seeing the fallen undead at Alex's feet, his eyes lit up, and he nodded at Alex.
Stepping forward, he swung his sword to keep the undead in front of him occupied. Alex seized the opportunity to move behind the undead and decapitated it with a single strike.
The other militia, experienced as they were, saw that Alex's weapon could deal with the undead. Without hesitation, they took on the role of tanks, coordinating with Alex. Before long, the group of undead was wiped out.
"Phew…"
With the last undead down, Alex wiped the sweat from his forehead. He watched as wisps of white, mist-like energy floated from the corpses, forming ghostly faces that were then absorbed into Soulrend. At the same time, a series of system notifications appeared before Alex.
[Soul Power +10... Soul Power +13... Soul Power +12...]
Done!
Seeing the notifications, Alex finally relaxed. He had been worried about completing Soulrend's task, but it seemed it wouldn't be difficult after all.
"Ding."
As Alex absorbed the soul power, another system notification sounded in his ear, and a line of text appeared before him.
[Scene Mission "Guardian" Progress One Completed]
[User has received a skill reward]
[User has received Dimension Point +1]
[Please choose a skill]
[Frost Strike] [Crusader Strike]
Choose?
Alex was momentarily stunned. These skills belonged to the Death Knight and Paladin in game he played. He could understand Death Knight skills, but why Paladin?
Then Alex slapped his forehead, silently cursing his own stupidity. The soul stone he had embedded was Arthur's. Before becoming the Lich King, Arthur was a Paladin.
But... which one to choose?
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