Chapter 123: An Era Comes to an End

Chapter 123: An Era Comes to an End

The abyss's dark silence was as still as water, a streak of red extended through the cracks in the sky above, like an eerie blood python.

Nightmare Street, in front of a spacious open area, more than two hundred Black Magic Guards stood in formation.

Two blazing bonfires illuminated their fierce faces.

Uniformly orcish, sturdy, and fierce.

On the raised platform ahead, Carol raised his arm and shouted, "Black Magic Guards! Tonight, you will follow me and charge into the Harriman Manor, kill all the men and Fox Guards, plunder all their wealth and women!"

"Roar!"

The Black Magic Guards roared in unison, deafening!

"Remember, capture Diana alive, present the head Charlotte cuts off, a reward of a hundred thousand copper coins!" Carol shouted again.

"Capture Diana alive! Kill Charlotte! Slaughter the Fox Guards!"

The Black Magic Guards responded loudly.

At the forefront of the last row, Gabriel stared at Carol with a stern gaze, raising his hand mechanically.

"Distribute the elixir!" Carol waved his hand.

Dozens of orcs came forward carrying bottles of red magic elixir and distributed them to each Black Magic Guard.

"Before the battle begins, drink the Crimson Flame Elixir, fight for the Jardson family, and bring glory to you!" Carol waved his hand, "Move out!"

The Black Magic Guards set out, with around fifty hired Black Magic Guards led by Gabriel at the forefront, about a hundred meters ahead.

Carol sat in the center, surrounded by his guard of Black Magic Guards.

In the middle of the formation were the magicians.

Fragile-skin magicians needed protection from their teammates in battle, as they easily became targets for the enemy.

Leaving Nightmare Street, the group moved silently through the darkness, heading straight for Street where the Harriman Manor was located, traversing various streets and alleys along the way, silencing anyone they encountered.

"It's going so smoothly, it seems that the Harriman family was completely unprepared. By the time we enter Harriman Manor, they might still be sound asleep in their beds," Carol's eyes glinted in the darkness as he thought with satisfaction.

Diana was an exceptional beauty, but she never gave him a good look. Tonight, as they stormed into Harriman Manor, she would become his trophy.

Passing through the long alley ahead and crossing another intersection, they would arrive at Harriman Manor's Street.

Carol looked at Gabriel, who was leading the way at the front, his sturdy figure making Carol feel a hint of pressure.

This bear was the strongest among the recruited Black Magic Guards, but not as easily controlled as a Wolverine.

In this operation, Gabriel and his Black Magic Guards were responsible for clearing obstacles and charging ahead.

Even if they all died, it didn't matter.

Even if they didn't die, after this operation, there would be no need to keep that bear around.

The alley was quite long, about six or seven meters wide.

Gabriel led dozens of Black Magic Guards at the forefront, a hundred meters ahead of the main force. Their speed was not slow, but their footsteps were light.

His gaze fell on a red ribbon tied to a nearby pillar, and he whistled softly, quickening his pace.

The two Black Magic Guards on either side understood and accelerated their steps as well.

Just as the vanguard team reached a hundred meters from the pillar with the red ribbon, a signal flare suddenly shot into the sky.

Within the hundred-meter radius where the main Black Magic Guard force was located, the ground instantly cracked, and thick vines shot out from the ground, entwining the legs of the orcish soldiers.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Loud explosions followed one after another as buried magic landmines detonated, sending the unsuspecting orcs entangled by vines soaring into the air.

At the same time,

On the rooftops on both sides of the alley, hundreds of Fox Guards appeared.

Poisoned arrows aimed at the bewildered Black Magic Guards, arrows pierced heads and chests.

Dozens of magicians finished their incantations, and a dense barrage of magic rained downfireballs exploded, ice shards rained, lightning struck, and vines entangled.

The sound of screams filled the entire alley, only to be drowned out by even more intense explosions.

"Magic shields! Magical barriers! Concealment!" Carol shouted anxiously, raising his magical shield, but his face was still cut by flying stones, leaving a bloody gash.

The Black Magic Guards were in a dire situation; they were caught off guard by the magic mines, arrows, and a series of magical attacks.

In the narrow and open alley, there was nowhere to hide, and more than half of them were either dead or injured.

Especially the fragile-skin chicken magicians, they were wiped out instantly.

The remaining orcs raised their massive shields and magical barriers, cutting the vines that emerged from the ground. They barely managed to hold their ground.

Arrows landed on the massive shields, making dull thudding sounds, but they couldn't penetrate the enchanted steel shields.

Carol's eyes turned bloodshot; this was a carefully planned ambush. Magic formations, archers, and magicianshis Black Magic Guards had lost half their numbers.

The remaining half were injured, particularly those struck by arrows, as the poison had begun to take effect.

It wasn't that Carol was not cautious enough; no one could have anticipated that the enemy would bypass the vanguard and directly target the main force.

Their primary targets were the magicians within the ranks of the Black Magic Guards.

Without the support of magicians, they lost their long-range shooters in this battle and were subjected to various interferences from the enemy's magicians.

Their numerical advantage had now been completely reversed.

Panic began to spread among the Black Magic Guards; even though they held massive shields, witnessing many of their comrades die before them left them with lingering fear.

Gabriel and the orcish soldiers turned around, looking at the devastated alley and the heavily injured Black Magic Guards. Their eyes showed astonishment and a hint of relief.

Being able to survive in the abyss for hundreds of years, the strength of the Harriman family was not to be underestimated.

"Fall back!"

Gabriel waved his hand, and the Black Magic Guards drew their weapons, cautiously watching the Fox Guards on both sides, slowly retreating to Carol's side.

The Black Guards who were about to fight desperately were equally shocked by this scene.

Caught off guard by Gabriel's attack, Carol was already severely injured. Now, facing both Diana and Gabriel, his defeat was inevitable.

Seizing the opportunity, the Black Guards who followed Gabriel attacked.

Caught off guard, the Black Guards who had yet to recover from Carol's defeat were cut down before they could react, their lives lost.

The impenetrable shield formation crumbled from within.

The defectors among the Black Guards tied red ribbons around their arms.

The fox guards took advantage of the situation, encircling the remaining Black Guards.

"You treacherous bastards!"

Carol watched this scene, his rage evident.

Then, as Gabriel caught up, he delivered two punches that crushed Carol's head, ending his life.

Three minutes later, the battle officially ended.

Except for Gabriel and the defector Black Guards under his command, all the Black Guards that Carol had brought were wiped out, not a single survivor left.

"Clean up and make sure it doesn't disrupt business tomorrow morning," Diana and Baddy instructed.

"I, Miss Diana, am personally going to pick a valuable item from the Jardson Family's treasure vault as a reward for myself."

"Miss Diana, my brothers and I..." Gabriel reverted to his human form, addressing Diana.

"Tomorrow, talk to Roland. He will honor all the conditions he discussed with you," Diana said calmly, then mounted her horse and departed.

The Black Guards exchanged glances, all looking at Gabriel.

With Carol and the two hundred Black Guards defeated, although they contributed to this outcome by defecting, they understood that even if they had remained loyal to Carol, they might still have died tonight.

But Gabriel promised them a vial of anti-aversion potion and five hundred thousand compensation for assisting the Harriman and Duru families in their downfall.

Now that both families were powerful, could they obtain the rewards?

"Everyone, Miss Diana has arranged accommodations for you. You can stay for the night and see Lord Roland tomorrow," Baddy stepped forward, speaking to Gabriel.

"Alright, we'll take your offer." Gabriel nodded and led the Black Guards to follow Baddy to their lodgings.

...

On the other side.

The back alley of the Duru Estate.

The battle here was even more intense.

The battle between seventh-level powerhouses had far-reaching consequences.

The buildings in the three alleys had almost all been reduced to ruins. If the Duru family hadn't cleared the area in advance, the casualties would have been incalculable.

Bodies of Black Guards lay scattered on the ground, and the Duru family guards had also suffered losses.

At this moment, a ten-meter-long giant tiger was on the brink of collapse. It was kneeling on the ground, its front legs supporting its body, glaring at the two elderly men across from it with a sense of unwillingness.

"I've been planning for three hundred years, and I can't accept this!" Elton growled, blood flowing from his seven orifices. He had sustained severe internal injuries and was on the brink of death.

"If you want to blame someone, blame yourselves for provoking that physician, that youthit's not wise to mess with him."

Alfred's chest bore a similarly horrific wound that exposed his bones, but his condition was relatively stable.

At least, he was still able to mock.

However, the situation of the Duru family's elders was far from favorable. His face was as pale as paper, and he could only stand with Joseph, the clan chief, supporting him.

"Charlotte?" Elton's expression showed confusion.

Alfred took a step forward and whispered in his ear, "That's right, he's the one who developed the anti-aversion potionThe Miracle Apothecary."

"It's him!" Elton's eyes widened.

But before he could say anything more, Alfred's tail had already wrapped around his neck and then tightened abruptly.

Accompanied by the sound of bones shattering, the tyrant Elton met his demise!

This also marked the end of the Jardson family's centuries-long rule over the abyss.

Both inside and outside the Duru Estate, cheers erupted time and again.

The malignant tumor that had plagued the abyss most viciously had finally been removed. The sky seemed to have brightened a bit.

Alfred swayed and was supported by the Duke.

"Roland, please treat my father's injuries," Duke said to Roland, who was currently treating the elder's injuries.

"We have our family physician. Let's go back and have him treat you," Alfred turned around to leave.

"Your injuries must be treated immediately; otherwise, it might not be in time if you wait to go back," Roland approached, reciting an incantation. He began by cleansing the wound and then used healing magic to quickly close it.

...

Nightmare Street continued to be a battlefield.

The remnants of the Jardson family tried to mount a final resistance but were overwhelmed by the merciless onslaught of the three major families.

The enslaved were freed, and the apothecaries responsible for making the potions were arrested.

All members of the Jardson family present were executed on the spot.

The Jardson family's treasure vault was taken over jointly by the three families.

...

Unlike the tumultuous scene on Nightmare Street, Tova Street was exceptionally calm tonight.

All Black Guards had been moved elsewhere, and the potion dealers had been sent to Nightmare Street to defend. Even the once-bustling Ziba Tavern had its doors shut at the moment.

A figure draped in a black robe silently appeared in the tavern's backyard. With a swift motion, a black longsword pierced through the gap in the door and cut through the thick iron rod that barred the entrance.

The tavern's entrance was pushed open silently, and Charlotte stepped in.