บท 8: Reforged Chapter 8: Ambushed
Countless innocent young ladies sent flirtatious glances towards Duke, who was still somewhat stunned, showing off their youthful beauty.
As an annual trial, it wasn't just the examiners present; many students who had already successfully entered various academies came to help.
These freshmen and sophomores from the Warrior Academy, Rogue Academy, and other major academies were all bewildered.
Outsiders enjoyed the spectacle, while insiders observed the details.
For example, Itana, a second-year female mage apprentice from the Mage Academy, had just arrived and was so shocked that her soul was almost scattered.
"How is this possible... This power is already comparable to [Pyroblast]! Did Duke really achieve the effect of [Pyroblast] using the spell model of a Fireball?"
"Is he a mage apprentice? I'm afraid many official mages can't produce this kind of power, right?"
"My goodness, if this gets out, who knows how many people's glasses will be shattered, and how many hearts will be frightened!"
"Genius, no wonder the teacher said he's a true once-in-ten-thousand-years genius."
"Damn it, I, as an intermediate apprentice, have started to admire him! It's over, it's over. Maybe Duke will surpass me in no time and become a high-ranking apprentice, no, no, no, maybe he'll soon become an official mage."
Itana enviously watched Duke, who had become the center had of attention.
In fact, not only the commoners and apprentices, but the Mage Academy teachers were also boiling with excitement after receiving the magical message. They all rushed to spread the news, venting their excited emotions.
"Hahaha! We finally have another genius. Dalaran has Kel'Thuzad, Rhonin, and Kael'thas, while we've only had Khadgar. Now we finally have a promising young fellow."
The old mages were ecstatic.
Stormwind City was not a place where magic prevailed. In terms of overall mage level, it lagged far behind the human mage holy land of Dalaran.
But the two sides never stopped competing. Khadgar was the personal disciple of Stormwind City's Court Archmage Medivh and was barely able to compete with the genius disciples taught by Antonidas, the leader of the Dalaran mage organization Kirin Tor.
However, Khadgar alone was no match for the batches of geniuses coming out of Dalaran.
Now, they all seemed to foresee the rise of an extraordinary genius.
Others were extremely excited, their blood boiling.
Duke, however, had no real sense of it.
What glorious future? What high positions and great wealth? Duke had no real feeling for any of it.
All he felt was that his mind had become a tangled mess because he had inadvertently heard the phrase, "Praise the great King Llane Wrynn!"
Of course, there was also the term "Court Archmage Medivh."
At that moment, Duke's face turned pale.
Llane Wrynn - King of Stormwind City. Importantly, if Duke hadn't misremembered, at this point in the timeline, a man named Gul'dan had unified all the orc tribes, formed the Horde, and was preparing to launch an attack on Azeroth through a large portal known as the Dark Portal.
King Llane would die during the first large-scale orc invasion, and Duke's Stormwind City would be conquered by the Horde, the entire city and even the entire kingdom destroyed in an instant.
If the appearance of Alleria had merely confirmed to Duke that the timeline was before the Dark Portal incident, this time he was absolutely certain that the major event was almost upon them.
King Llane would die during the first large-scale orc invasion, and Duke's Stormwind City would be conquered by the Horde, the entire city and even the entire kingdom destroyed in an instant.
If the appearance of Alleria had merely confirmed to Duke that the timeline was before the Dark Portal incident, this time he was absolutely certain that the major event was imminent.
Duke knew that he had to act, but what could he do? As a mage apprentice, his powers were limited. Yet, he couldn't just stand idly by and watch the upcoming disaster unfold, knowing that it would claim countless lives, including the King's.
As the others around him continued to celebrate and marvel at his extraordinary magical abilities, Duke's thoughts were racing. He needed to find a way to change the course of history, to save Stormwind City and its people from the impending doom that awaited them.
Perhaps, he thought, he could seek the guidance of the Court Archmage Medivh, or even his teacher, Khadgar. They were both powerful and knowledgeable mages who might have some idea of how to prevent the disaster.
But first, Duke had to figure out how to approach them with this information. After all, how could he possibly explain his knowledge of these future events without sounding completely insane?
As he pondered his options, Duke knew that he couldn't afford to waste any time. The Dark Portal could open at any moment, and once it did, the lives of everyone in Stormwind City would be at risk.
Determined to make a difference, Duke decided that he would do whatever it took to save his city and its people from the approaching darkness. It wouldn't be an easy task, but he couldn't stand by and do nothing. The fate of Stormwind City rested on his shoulders, and Duke was prepared to rise to the challenge.
Recalling all this, Duke was feeling quite overwhelmed.
Becoming a mage was undoubtedly a cause for celebration. However, with the large-scale war fast approaching, Duke felt the urgency of time for the first time.
Running would be of no use.
War would sweep across the entire world, from Stormwind City to Ironforge, to Stromgarde, to Alterac, to Lordaeron. It could be said that almost no place in the world would be safe.
And it wasn't just the Orc Wars. The Lich King's Scourge, the Burning Legion led by the demon lord Sargeras, and a host of other chaotic enemies would visit Azeroth in the future. It wasn't something one could simply avoid by hiding.
To avoid dying and becoming a ghoul, the only way was to become stronger!
Stronger than anyone else!
Even influencing the course of the wars to come!
To become a hero of the world, or even a leader of the world!
Duke didn't know when the First War with the orcs would arrive or if the accursed Dark Portal had been opened yet. The completely different calendar system in this world left him with no way to gauge the time. Most importantly, the system's assessment of the current world of Azeroth's compatibility fluctuated around 80%.
That meant there were many, many variables.
Duke cast aside his distractions. He knew that as a time-traveler with no noble status, he could only tread the path of a mage. He had to either stand firmly in this world as a hero or become a ghoul – there was no third option!
The night was deep, and Duke could hear voices from the nearby Northshire Abbey mentioning his name. The commoners excitedly discussed everything about him from the day.
"Phew! It feels great to be a person of importance," Duke mumbled to himself, leaning on the windowsill.
At that moment, someone chimed in, "True! It's a shame it only lasted half a day."
"Uh... ahem—" Duke couldn't react in time, and he suddenly felt an intense pain in the back of his head.
[Sap]!?
A rogue?
Accompanying the pain was a strong dizziness, making Duke lose his sense of direction.
In the next instant, his neck was attacked, and a sharp dagger pierced through the skin of his nape. However, Duke felt no pain, only a tingling numbness in his brain.
[Mind- numbing Poison]?
Duke wasn't stupid; he knew he had been ambushed by a rogue – a highly skilled and experienced one at that. He didn't know if there were levels in this world, but through the system, Duke saw a large skull marked above the attacker's head, indicating they were not someone he could fight.
The assailant was cautious, treating him like a professional mage.
With no chance to retaliate, Duke was kicked down in the next moment, his mouth instinctively opening wide to breathe. However, something was shoved into his mouth at that moment.
"Ugh..." Duke let out a muffled cry of discomfort.
Before passing out, he saw a stranger's face, covered below the nose with a black cloth.
Who... are... you?
Duke's mouth moved, trying to ask, but he couldn't utter a single word.
The attacker's face under the cloth seemed to sneer, offering no answer. They hoisted Duke up and swiftly jumped out the window like the wind.
To be continued...
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