The Diablo series—Alex was certainly familiar with it. Majestic magic, sinister visuals and settings, coupled with endless grinding, formed most players' impressions of this world.

But any player who had delved deep into it knew this world only seemed enjoyable on the surface. In reality, as its name suggested, it was a dark world filled with death and destruction, with no hope of redemption.

Humanity's struggles only brought temporary peace, which was inevitably shattered before long, just as the sun rose and the snow melted.

More importantly, this was a world very unfriendly to its protagonists. In the games, the protagonists appeared unstoppable, defeating gods and demons alike. However, throughout the three Diablo games, few protagonists met a good end.

In the first Diablo, the three heroes suffered tragic fates. The warrior implanted Diablo's soulstone into his own head, trying to suppress Diablo's evil soul with his willpower, only to be corrupted and turned into a tool for Diablo's resurrection.

The other two heroes didn't fare any better; they either died and became evil spirits or succumbed to corruption, ultimately becoming bosses slain by the protagonists of the second game. As for those successors, they also met grim ends, never enjoying the fairy-tale ending of killing the demon king and marrying the princess. They either disappeared or were killed.

In other worlds, the protagonist’s aura was a lifesaver, but in this world, it was a death sentence! Realizing this, Alex's first reaction was relief—thank goodness I am not the protagonist!

If he remembered correctly, he had crossed over into Diablo III. The story was just beginning, with a meteor crashing into the Tristram Cathedral, Leah summoning the militia to find her grandfather Deckard Cain, and the protagonist Nephalem making a dramatic entrance, starting their inevitable journey down a doomed path.

Although Alex didn’t remember the plot of this game very clearly, he was certain that the unfortunate Nephalem wouldn’t have a good ending. Even if they defeated Diablo, this world’s inherent malice towards its protagonists would ensure their downfall—either assassinated by old friends, fatally injured by out-of-control magic, or corrupted by evil forces to become a boss for the next generation of heroes.

Who would want such a cursed protagonist’s aura? Alex certainly didn't.

"Boom, boom, boom...!!"

Just as Alex finished his meat soup, urgent footsteps echoed, and a militia member burst into the tavern.

"Alex! Captain Rumford wants you at the gate immediately! The damn undead have appeared again! We must hold them off!"

"Got it!"

Hearing this, Alex quickly stood up and followed the militia out of the tavern. The rain had stopped, and a few people were visible around, all looking tense and anxious. However, Alex had no time to worry about them.

Arriving at the gate, he saw Captain Rumford, now in a different outfit, directing other militia members to build barricades. Upon seeing Alex, Rumford waved him over.

"Quick, Alex, help us! We just repelled a wave of undead, but they... Damn it!"

Before Rumford could finish, the barricade on the right was shattered with a "bang," and several zombies staggered in, their eyes glowing as they wobbled towards the gate. Seeing this, the other militia members grew even more tense, clutching their weapons and watching the monsters with bated breath.

At the same time, a system notification sounded in Alex's ear, displaying a line of information before his eyes.

【Scenario Task Triggered: Guardian】

【Dark and evil forces have descended, the flame of civilization flickers like a candle in the wind. The end is near. All you can do is accept the challenge and face the dark future (Repel the undead attack, protect the town, mission success grants +1 skill point, +1 dimension point)】

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Finally, a mission!

Seeing the task, Alex drew his Frostmourne, though he couldn’t help but be puzzled by everyone’s fearful expressions. His knowledge of this world was limited to the game, its plot, and settings. As for the monsters' strength, he wasn’t very clear.

But to Alex, these zombies didn’t seem particularly dangerous—they moved slowly and lacked the mutations and evolutions seen in worlds like Resident Evil. Perhaps elite bosses with auras might pose a threat, but these slow-moving zombies? Surely they couldn’t be causing such a seasoned warrior like Rumford to be so nervous?

Despite his doubts, Alex remained vigilant, focusing on the zombies ahead. He knew he was new to this world, with less understanding than veterans like Rumford. If they were so tense, he couldn’t afford to relax.

After all, caution was always wise.

The zombies moved slowly but purposefully towards the gate. Even Alex tightened his grip on his sword, Frostmourne, feeling his heart pound. This would be his first real battle since arriving in this world, and he had no idea what to expect.

Although Alex could activate the Lich King’s soulstone four more times, he wasn’t going to use it now—these zombies were basic enemies in the Diablo world. Using the Lich King here would be overkill.

“Charge!!”

As the zombies entered their attack range, Rumford yelled and swung his sword at them. Alex gritted his teeth and swung Frostmourne at the zombie before him.

“Thud!!”

Oh my gosh!!

As the sword struck, Alex was stunned. He finally understood why these slow zombies had Rumford so on edge.

In a word—tough! These zombies were tough!

Even though Frostmourne, without its soulstone’s powers, was just an exceptional sword, it had previously cut through armored silver knights like butter. Yet now, it felt like chopping a tire—the blade embedded in the zombie’s muscle and got stuck!

Where in the world would there be zombies this tough?

But Alex's surprise didn't end there.

"Roar—"

Although the zombie moved slowly, it wasn't a sitting duck. It let out a low growl, then lunged at Alex with its arms outstretched. Alex hurriedly pulled back his sword and held it in front of him. To his shock, when the zombie's claws struck Frostmourne, a powerful force sent Alex flying.

"Ugh!"

Alex crashed into the gate behind him, feeling like his body was about to fall apart. He finally understood why these shambling, turtle-paced zombies could wipe out an entire militia squad. Besides their slow speed, they had no other weaknesses!

In the game, the Nephalem could slice through these zombies like they were soft targets. Alex had thought they were easy to deal with. Now, he realized that while these zombies might not be as bizarre as the mutated ones in Resident Evil, their sheer toughness and strength were on par with tyrants!

"Alex! Get up! Don't let them surround you!"

Hearing Captain Rumford's shout, Alex gritted his teeth, rolled to his feet, and raised Frostmourne to face the zombie again. This time, Alex was smarter. He didn't go head-to-head with the zombie. He had realized that while the zombies in Diablo had great strength and defense, they were slow.

So, he waited for the zombie to attack first. As the zombie raised its arms, Alex swiftly swung his sword, chopping off the zombie's hands. Frostmourne finally demonstrated its power. Although the zombie's arms were tough, Alex's full-force strike severed them completely.

Without its hands, the zombie was like a toothless tiger. It tried to attack Alex again, but Alex had learned his lesson. He decapitated the zombie with a single stroke. The zombie staggered for a moment, then collapsed, lifeless.

There was a way after all.

Seeing the zombie fall, Alex breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly grabbed his weapon and ran toward the other zombies. Captain Rumford and the militia were still struggling against the zombies. One glance was enough for Alex to understand why they were losing.

Their weapons weren't good enough!

Alex's Frostmourne had difficulty cutting through these zombies. The militia had only standard weapons, which were far less effective. Alex saw Captain Rumford hacking at a zombie, his sword leaving only shallow cuts after four or five strikes, as if he were chipping away at a stone slab.

"Captain Rumford!"

Hearing Alex's call, Rumford looked over. Seeing the fallen zombie at Alex's feet, his eyes lit up. He nodded at Alex and took a step forward, swinging his sword to distract the zombie. Alex seized the opportunity, moved behind the zombie, and decapitated it with a swift strike.

The militia members, seeing Alex's weapon was effective, quickly took on the role of tanks. With their cooperation, the zombies were soon wiped out.

"Phew..."

With the last zombie down, Alex wiped the sweat from his forehead. He noticed wisps of white mist, resembling faces, rising from the zombies' bodies and being absorbed into Frostmourne. At the same time, system notifications appeared before Alex's eyes.

【Soul Power +10… Soul Power +13… Soul Power +12…】

Done!

Seeing the notifications, Alex breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried about completing Frostmourne's task, but now it seemed manageable.

"Ding."

As Alex absorbed the soul power, another system notification sounded. More text appeared before his eyes.

【Scenario Task "Guardian" Progress One Complete】

【User receives skill reward】

【User receives +1 Dimension Point】

【Please choose a skill】

【Frost Strike】【Crusader Strike】

Choose?

Alex was puzzled. These skills belonged to Death Knights and Paladins in World of Warcraft. He understood the Death Knight skill, but why a Paladin skill?

Then Alex realized his mistake. He was using Arthas's soulstone. Arthas was a Paladin before becoming the Lich King.

But... which skill should he choose?