Diablo traveled through time and became a necromancer

The wind and snow howled over the camp on the Arreat Plateau, but inside the heavy animal-hide tents, it was warm as spring. Wu Ye awoke naturally from a deep sleep, a long-lost sense of peace washing over his soul like a gentle spring.

Magical temperature-regulating runes shimmered on the tent walls, shielding it from the biting cold of minus twenty degrees Celsius. His 280 points of physical strength, granting him robust vitality and frost resistance, made him virtually immune to the chill. He stretched his limbs, his joints cracking slightly, and abundant energy surged within him—this was the first complete rest since entering the Crystal Passage, undisturbed by nightmares.

"Hoo..." Wu Ye let out a long sigh and lifted the heavy snow bear skin blanket. In the corner of the tent, the high priest's holy light flickered like breath, dispelling the last trace of the remaining chill; Skeleton Brother stood quietly by the door, his dark bone armor gleaming with a cold, hard luster in the dim light, his greatsword leaning against his side, like an ancient guardian.

He pulled back the tent flap, and a biting wind, carrying snowflakes, rushed in, only to be weakened by the ice resistance barrier into a cool touch the instant it touched his skin. Amidst the clamor of the highland camp, barbarian warriors silently sharpened their battle axes, while mages huddled around makeshift fires, the arcane light dancing on their fingertips more rapidly than usual. The air was thick with the scent of rust, tar, and a stifling anxiety—though the lava behemoth's onslaught last night had been repelled, the cracks in the ice wall remained, and Baal's shadow still loomed over the land.

"I need to fill my stomach first!" Wu Ye rubbed his rumbling stomach. After continuous high-intensity battles and mental strain, a hot meal was more comforting to the soul than any potion. He turned back to the tent and rummaged through his storage space for a treasure—a portable magic stove and a pile of frozen ingredients.

"Hehe, let's make a 'frozen stew' today!" He enthusiastically piled frozen potatoes, wilted green peppers, and frosted tomatoes onto the work surface. The High Priest floated over curiously, holy light illuminating his busy figure: "Master, are you about to cast that... 'cooking magic' again?"

“That’s called the art of living!” Wu Ye snapped his fingers smugly, skillfully shaving off the frozen parts of the potato with a bone knife. When ice shards hit his face, he grimaced and complained, “Tsk, the refrigerator at this altitude is more powerful than a damn freezer!”

Heat the pan with cold oil, then sauté minced garlic until fragrant. The frozen slices of meat sizzle as soon as they hit the pan, the aroma of the caramelized fat instantly dispelling the chill outside the tent. While stirring, Wu Ye directed Skeleton Brother to open the tent flap a crack to let in some ventilation and prevent the fumes from becoming too strong. The High Priest, in perfect harmony, used holy light to dispel the cold winds trying to get in.

As the sweet and sour flavors of tomatoes, the soft texture of potatoes, and the smoky aroma of meat mingled and simmered in the pot, Wu Ye scooped up a spoonful of the thick broth, tasted it, and squinted his eyes to reveal a satisfied smile: "It's done! This tastes so good, even a god would have to eat three bowls!" He served a bowl to the high priest, while he himself, holding the pot, ate his hearty meal with hot wheat cakes amidst the howling wind and snow.

II. Walking along the wall, dancing on the ice peak

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Wu Ye packed up his tent and looked north again. The [Echoes of the Mountains] totem in his arms pulsed with a steady warmth, subtly echoing the direction of the "Ancient Path" entrance marked on the magic map. He decided to change his strategy—instead of traversing the open tundra, he would follow the towering mountain walls covered in dark blue ice. This way, he could use the mountains to block some of the wind and snow, reducing the risk of encountering large demon patrols, and the frozen remains of ancient creatures and ice crystal fissures on the mountain walls would provide some cover.

"Skeleton Legion, assemble! Mountain Wall Mode, advance in stages!" Wu Ye waved his bone staff. A ghostly blue magic circle flickered, and hundreds of elite skeleton warriors, their eye sockets blazing with soul fire, silently lined up. The skeletons at the front, wielding reinforced bone shields, formed a tight, arc-shaped line, like a moving white bone wall, slowly advancing along the mountain wall; the skeletons in the middle row gripped bone spears and blades, ready to strike at any moment; the archers and mages in the rear occupied the slightly higher ice cliffs on the flanks, their soul fire arrows and bone spears poised to fire. The skeleton warriors and the high priest flanked Wu Ye like black rocks and a holy beacon, protecting him from the sidelines.

In the wind and snow, this silent tide of bones moved steadily northward along the contours of the mountain wall, like a death dance on an icy peak.

Before long, the "old friends" arrived as scheduled.

First came a pack of dire wolves nesting in the ice crevices. These fel-corrupted giant wolves, with fangs like icicles and fur thick with frost, immediately let out a mournful howl upon spotting Wu Ye's team, swarming out of the ice crevices and attacking their flanks!

"Frontline, raise your shields! Hold the charge! Archers, take aim at the joints!" Wu Ye calmly gave the orders via mental link. The skeleton warriors' bone shields steadily blocked the charge, ice shards and bone fragments flying everywhere! The soul-piercing rockets from the rear seemed to have eyes, accurately piercing the wolf pack's knees, instantly shattering their charging formation. The skeleton warrior swept his greatsword, [Storm Strike] crackling with electricity, cleaving the alpha wolf that was trying to flank in half! The battle was clean and swift, leaving only a few pools of rapidly freezing, dark green wolf blood on the snow.

Then, at a corner covered by a swarm of giant ice mushrooms, they encountered an even more troublesome enemy—the Ice Crystal Spitters. These plant-like demons, rooted in the ice, constantly condensed icy energy in the crystals at the center of their crowns, unleashing dense spikes of ice like machine guns!

"Slow down! Dodge!" The sled team's speed plummeted as they nimbly weaved through the jagged ice pillars. "Mage Corps! Fireball! Burn those 'dandelions'!" The skeleton mage unleashed a blazing fireball, the clash of ice and fire creating a sizzling explosion! The ice crystal jetters trembled violently, their flower crowns charred black. The skeleton brother swept his greatsword, the sword energy tearing through the snow and ice, shattering the giant ice mushroom and the remaining jetters blocking their path! A path was cleared.

The most thrilling encounter occurred while traversing a narrow ice rift valley. On either side were towering ice cliffs covered in thick layers of blue-purple crystal. As they reached the middle of the valley, a sudden, deafening cracking sound came from above!

"Watch out for falling ice!" The high priest's holy light flashed, and he raised his shield! Countless huge, sharp ice shards rained down from the ice cliffs on both sides! Interspersed among the ice shards were dark green fel runes—another trap left behind by Nihlathak!

"Bone Wall! Multiple Bone Walls!" Wu Ye reacted with lightning speed, his bone staff flashing! *Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!* Several incredibly thick bone walls instantly rose diagonally, forming a slanted protective canopy! *Boom! Crash!* Huge icicles slammed into the bone walls, producing a deafening roar! The bone walls trembled violently, cracks spread, and ice shards and fragments cascaded down like a waterfall, pounding against the skeleton's bone shield below! Fortunately, the bone walls absorbed most of the impact, and the team escaped the icy zone unscathed.

"That old fox who won't leave!" Wu Ye spat out a shard of ice, his eyes icy cold.

After cleaning up the battlefield, Wu Ye bent down to pick up a few broken gems on the ground that were emitting faint magical fluctuations. Suddenly, an indescribable sense of strangeness gripped him!

It wasn't the fel energy fluctuations of a demon, nor was it a physical threat. It was a feeling of being watched. Cold, ancient, and scrutinizing, as if emanating from the depths of a mountain wall, or cast down from leaden clouds overhead. The feeling was fleeting, yet it sent chills down his spine!

"Who?!" Wu Ye whirled around, his bone staff instantly pointing in the direction he sensed, and shouted sharply! The aura of the [Aging] curse unconsciously spread out!

The wind and snow howled, swirling up a cloud of snowflakes. Before him lay only jagged black ice cliffs and hanging, eerie blue icicles; there was no one in sight. His spiritual energy spread out like a spiderweb, meticulously scanning every inch of the ice wall, every shadow, yet he could detect no energy fluctuations or signs of life. The [Echoes of the Mountains] totem in his arms remained warm and steady, offering no warning.

"An illusion?" Wu Ye frowned, but the chill in his heart lingered. This feeling was even more...deep and ancient than when Baal spied on him in the dream of the Hall of Pain. It wasn't as if it were a specific "being," but rather some kind of...fragment of consciousness remaining within this mountain range itself?

"Master?" The high priest floated to his side, the holy light gently sweeping across the surroundings. "What do you sense? The holy light detects no evil."

Skeleton Brother silently turned around, his empty eye sockets looking in the direction Wu Ye had just pointed. He slightly raised his greatsword, and his jaw opened and closed silently, as if confirming something.

"It's nothing," Wu Ye suppressed his unease and gripped his bone staff tightly. "The wind and snow are probably too strong, making me a little nervous. Let's keep going!"

The group set off again. The wind and snow seemed to intensify, the howling wind echoing like an ancient ballad between the ice walls, or like a deep murmur, telling the ancient secrets of the Arreat Mountains. Wu Ye's gaze swept over the remains of strange creatures frozen for millions of years on the mountain walls; their empty eye sockets seemed to pierce through time and space, silently staring at this tiny group that had ventured into the heart of the mountains.

He quickened his pace. The entrance to the ancient path was not far ahead, but this icy path clinging to the mountainside seemed even more unpredictable than he had anticipated.