Chapitre 18: Reforged: Chapter 18: The Mysterious Chessboard
Stormwind City... It was a bit different from what Duke had imagined.
In the game, Stormwind boasted massive white walls, and as soon as one entered the city gates, they were greeted by majestic music, accompanied by the explosive power of the statues of the five heroes on either side of the main avenue. The first impression was awe-inspiring.
However, the Stormwind City Duke found himself in now seemed ordinary.
The 24-foot-tall walls were clearly in need of repair, as Duke could see cracks in them. The tall arrow towers had large patches of peeling exterior walls, making one wonder how long they could withstand a trebuchet assault.
As a mage, he naturally had privileges. Instead of waiting in the long queue of commoners to enter the city, his carriage drove straight in through another gate.
Once inside the massive city gates, Duke did not find the huge lake that served as a moat in the game, nor did he find an inner wall.
At this sight, Duke couldn't help but laugh in disbelief.
For the Stormwind of this time, it had been nearly a thousand years since the last external enemy. Scattered monsters posed no threat to the heart of the human kingdom. Fortunately, the warriors of Stormwind still had powerful combat capabilities under the guidance of Anduin Lothar, otherwise the kingdom would be nothing more than an empty shell.
Even so, Stormwind was a deeply slumbering giant, oblivious to the fact that its limbs had been corrupted by a thing called 'nobility.' Only after almost being annihilated and enduring the First War against the orcs did Stormwind experience a rebirth.
Realizing that such a great human city was about to be consumed by war, the feeling of being sober while everyone else was drunk wasn't pleasant.
Next to him, Daniel and Itana, both inexperienced in the world, had their mouths wide open, as if they could fit an egg inside.
Their vastly different reactions amused old Norton, who asked Duke, "What's the matter? Disappointed by Stormwind City?"
"No... well, yes. In my memory, Stormwind should have had 50-foot tall pristine white outer walls, with blue and gold Alliance banners hanging from them. There should have been a 100-foot wide inner lake acting as a moat..." Duke recounted the Stormwind of his memory, using this world's standard units of measurement, unaware that an influential figure patrolling the walls had overheard everything. As the figure glanced at the landscape within the walls, he wore a thoughtful expression.
The carriage proceeded along bustling streets, and after leaving the noisy chaos of the Trade District, the convoy quickly crossed a small river and entered the Mage District, home to the Royal Academy of Magic.
As soon as they crossed the bridge, Duke heard an explosion.
"Another explosion?"
"This time, it's the laboratory of the intermediate mage, Balal."
"Damn! They should build a high wall. The citizens of the Trade District are scared out of their wits all day long."
Through the carriage window, Duke saw the Stormwind guards calmly dispatching personnel: some to maintain order, some to put out fires, and a few others running to the Cathedral Square to call for priests skilled in healing.
"Uh, well... you'll get used to it," Old Norton said sheepishly.
Duke suddenly felt that mages were a group of eccentrics who strayed further and further down the path of courting disaster.
Alright, thinking that he would soon be a part of this eccentric group, Duke suddenly found himself in a bad mood.
"At least, there's still the great Goblin Engineering in this world to take the bullet..." Duke muttered to himself.
Indeed, when it came to tinkering with mechanical devices and causing frequent explosions, none could surpass the small green-skinned goblins who were only as tall as a human's thigh.
The city was quite different from what Duke had seen in the game. In this timeline, Stormwind had a massive Royal Academy of Magic. The huge iron gate, adorned with gold filigree, stood nearly 33 feet tall and was more impressive than any college entrance Duke had seen in his world.
On the pristine white marble square, old man Norton was the first to step out of the carriage.
"Alright, young lads and lasses, we're here," the old man said, pointing to a library-like building beside the square. "Go in and report. Your information has already been sent ahead. Inside, you'll find a troublesome dormitory manager who will play a little game with you. If you win, you'll receive an extra reward. That's all I can say. Good luck."
Old man Norton's gaze shifted. "As for you, Duke. After you've arranged your dormitory, come to my laboratory for a visit. It's about the item you exchanged with me."
"Understood, High Mage Norton," Duke replied respectfully when others were around. After all, the old man's qualifications and status were well-established.
Climbing the nine steps, Duke and his companions entered the 'library'. They didn't see anyone; instead, the vast and hollow hall was empty.
A massive glass orb hung from the ceiling, emitting a soft light brighter than candlelight, which reminded Duke of energy-saving lamps.
"Over here... here!" came a voice that startled the trio, especially the more timid Itana, who let out a scream.
The oil paintings on the hall's walls had come to life, with painted figures waving at Duke and his friends.
It was evident that the same figure, a brown-hooded figure whose face was obscured, appeared in all the paintings.
"Hello, I am 'Raven,' the dormitory manager of the Royal Academy of Magic. I am a harmless ghost. I believe the mage who brought you here has mentioned me."
Duke and his companions shook their heads in unison.
"He didn't? Oh my! Who led you here? What a wicked sense of humor, almost scaring these lovely youngsters."
But they were already scared!
Duke felt Itana's ten fingers tightly grip his left arm like iron hooks, causing pain.
"Alright, you're scared, but this is the Royal Academy of Magic, not a library. Those without courage should become librarians," Raven said, gesturing to the young people who were then involuntarily sucked into three different paintings.
Feeling disoriented, Duke experienced the same sensation of traversing through space as when he arrived in this world, which made him extremely uncomfortable.
Regaining his senses, Duke found himself in a void surrounded by twinkling stars. In front of him was a massive chessboard, large enough for him to perform multiple flips and rolls without falling off.
The black and white squares indicated that it was a standard chessboard.
However, the pieces on the board were unique.
Two sides of giant chess pieces, each about the height of two people, were neatly arranged. The left side represented the Alliance with human-like pieces, and the right side resembled the Horde with orc-like pieces.
Duke suddenly recalled a game level — the chess event inside Medivh's Tower of Karazhan!
To be continued...
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone