Spellcasting Gods

Otherwise, his current knowledge of magic and alchemy would be insufficient to deal with such a profound and complex subject.

To be precise, he didn't even know the basic components of the dark green gas-liquid mixture in the bottle.

Just as Zhang Cheng was eating the steaming stew and pondering what to do next, Garrick suddenly burst into the house and shouted, "Master, the room is ready. You can go and rest anytime after you've eaten. Also, the mayor asked me to inform you that three fine horses have been fed fresh oats, and they will definitely be in top condition tomorrow morning."

"Okay, thank you. Go ahead and do your thing. I'll go to sleep after I finish eating. You know, I didn't sleep well at all last night, so I have to make up for it today." As he spoke, Zhang Cheng pointed to his heavy dark circles under his eyes, then raised his glass and took a small sip of the town's homemade wine.

Although the inferior liquor produced using primitive methods did not suit his taste, he concealed it well and showed no sign of it.

“Then you should get some rest. I need to get ready too. I’ll leave with you tomorrow.” Garrick, completely oblivious to anything amiss, nodded slightly and then turned to leave.

No sooner had he left than old George, who was sitting across the table, cautiously inquired, "Sir, are you really planning to get involved in this matter? When I passed through Southshore, I heard that some people were also secretly investigating the plague, but they have never been able to return since they left Southshore."

"Oh? You know?" Zhang Cheng looked up, slightly surprised.

“Yes, I know a little bit. Among the Forsaken, there’s an organization that calls itself the Royal Apothecaries’ Guild. They’re very mysterious and often capture living people as test subjects. Anyone who tries to investigate them in depth inevitably dies. You saved my daughter’s and my lives, so I hope you meet with misfortune,” Old George said sincerely.

As a businessman who constantly travels between towns, he has access to far more information than the average person and understands just how dangerous the world can be.

"You're quite something, actually knowing about the Royal Apothecaries' Guild in Undercity. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing, and I know who the enemy I'm about to face is." Zhang Cheng deliberately pretended to be nonchalant, quickly finished the food on his plate with his head down, and then pushed open the door and walked into the bedroom without looking back.

Old George sighed softly, downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, said nothing more, simply took his daughter's hand, and walked into the guest room next door.

Having not slept a wink all night, he was now utterly exhausted and just wanted to get some sleep so he could ride a fast horse early the next morning and deliver the precious arcane crystal to Archmage Ansrem Ruinvivor, lest any further mishaps occur.

However, Old George obviously didn't notice that the moment Zhang Cheng stepped across the threshold, he froze for a moment, a very strange expression on his face, before closing the door.

The reason was simple: he saw a young and beautiful girl on his own bed, and the girl was only wearing thin silk underwear, the barely visible curves adding to her charm and allure.

"Who are you? Don't tell me Frank sent you. I don't think any woman in this remote little town could afford silk." Zhang Cheng said with a smirk as he admired the beautiful scenery.

After all, he wasn't the kind of idiot who couldn't resist a woman. His first reaction to any beautiful woman who offered herself to him was to be wary, rather than pounce on her and use his lower body instead of thinking.

“Quite a keen eye. Now I understand why the Duke values ​​you so much. Come, come to bed. I have a little gift for you.” The woman licked her lips and extended an invitation.

Clearly, she was none other than Sophia, who had been ambushed by a succubus not long ago.

Influenced by evil magic, she completely abandoned her proud self-esteem and became a sexy stunner who could ignite men's passion with just a snap of her fingers.

However, Zhang Cheng was clearly not buying it and remained calmly in place, replying, "There's no need to go up. Just take out the gift. Of course, if the gift refers to you, then please leave the room. I'm exhausted and need a good night's sleep, not waste my remaining energy on a woman. Who knows if you might suddenly stab me in the heart with a dagger when I'm least expecting it?"

"Hehehe, you're actually afraid of a naked woman? Should I praise your caution or laugh at your cowardice?" Sophia chuckled, rolled off the bed, and tossed a yellowed book at her.

Out of caution, Zhang Cheng did not catch it directly with his hands, watching as the thick book fell to the ground with a thud.

Looking at the ominous images on the cover, he immediately frowned and asked, "What is this?"

“As you can see, it’s a book, a book that records how to summon and control demons. We noticed that you seem very interested in the ritual of summoning Voidwalkers, so we sent it as a gesture of goodwill,” Sophia explained in a seductive voice as she swayed her slender waist closer.

While speaking, she deliberately leaned close to him, letting her faint perfume waft out.

Whether it was his imagination or not, Zhang Cheng felt that after smelling this scent, his interest in that area suddenly surged.

This change set off alarm bells in his mind. He pushed the other person away without hesitation and warned, "Don't come any closer to me, or I guarantee you'll either end up as a charred corpse or an ice sculpture."

"Wow, how ruthless! I'm starting to like you more and more. How about this: you pretend to join the Syndicate, and then we'll team up to take down the Duke. You can be the leader, and I'll be your assistant and lover. What do you say?"

"Sorry, I'm not interested. You've given me the gift, you can leave now. I'll give you ten seconds. If you're still not out of my sight after ten seconds, you'll understand how serious the consequences of angering a mage are." Zhang Cheng raised his head, his eyes flashing with a chilling light.

It goes without saying that he's already starting to see Sophia as an NPC in the game, and if she doesn't leave, he definitely won't show any mercy just because she's a sexy woman...

Chapter 0022 Resisting Temptation

"Alright, alright, I'm leaving now. What an unromantic guy. Maybe you'll only understand the pleasures of being a man in a few years." Sophia raised her hands in surrender, grabbed the leather armor and clothes still at the foot of the bed, and leaped out of the window, disappearing from sight in less than three to five seconds.

Although she was currently bewitched by evil magic, it did not affect her intelligence or judgment, especially since the magical energy rapidly gathering in the room was something even an idiot could detect.

Perhaps in the next second, a devastating spell will come hurtling in, and no rational person would choose to stay put.

Watching the other person leave, the cold glint in Zhang Cheng's eyes slowly faded. He bent down to pick up the book that had fallen to the ground and carefully turned to the first page.

Written in a crooked, common human language: "Do you crave power, young man? If so, come to me, and I can give you power greater than arcane magic—Marez Kaul."

"Hahaha! Simple and straightforward, I like it." Zhang Chengshi couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Others may not know who Marez Kaul is, but he knows very well that she is an orc warlock who outwardly serves the Syndicate but secretly pledges allegiance to a mysterious organization called the Argus Restoration, which seems to have intricate connections with the Burning Legion.

This means that even without looking at the contents, he knows that it must contain a lot of forbidden knowledge related to shadows, fel energy, and demons. Once he succumbs to temptation and becomes deeply involved, he will soon become a minion of the Legion.

Gul'dan, the founder of the Shadow Council, gradually succumbed to this temptation and fell into depravity, almost ruining the future of the orcs.

Feeling the evil energy slowly boiling on the pages, Zhang Cheng stuffed the book into his backpack without a second thought, not even bothering to glance at it. At least until he had a certain level of relevant knowledge and discernment, he would never read its contents.

You have to understand that Azeroth isn't like a martial arts novel where you can find a secret manual and master unparalleled skills.

In this world rife with conspiracies and intrigues, if you find a book brimming with mysterious power by the roadside, the most likely outcome is not gaining immense power, but rather being bewitched and brainwashed by the demons of the Burning Legion or ancient evil gods, ultimately becoming their slave.

As a mage who has already acquired arcane power, Zhang Cheng doesn't think it's necessary for him to take such a huge risk now to study fel energy and shadow energy, or even to deal with demons.

After putting away his books, he quickly locked the doors and windows, then lay sprawled out on the hard wooden bed, still wearing his clothes and shoes, staring intently at the wooden planks above him. Before long, he drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, when he opened his eyes, he could already hear the noise outside. He got up and opened the window, and the first thing he saw was busy farmers. They were harvesting the grain in the surrounding fields in an orderly manner under the protection of the militia.

Although everyone knows that at the current pace it is impossible to complete the arduous autumn harvest before the first autumn rain arrives, they are still doing their best to race against time.

Because if rain wets the mature wheat ears, the grains will soon mold and rot.

In peacetime, they might use methods like airing to avoid such situations.

But now, let alone drying grain, even stepping outside the walls could lead to an attack by the Forgotten Ones, leaving them to watch helplessly as the fruits of their hard work for half a year vanish into nothingness.

Looking at these ordinary people who have endured so much suffering, Zhang Cheng suddenly felt that he was quite lucky. At least in that parallel Earth, which was both familiar and strange, he didn't have to worry about a madman who would try to conquer or destroy the world every now and then.

Just as he was feeling a strange sense of melancholy, Garrick appeared by the window, leading a sturdy black horse, and greeted him with a slightly excited tone: "Good morning, Master Mage, it's great to see you up already. You know, the undead hate the morning sun the most, so they rarely come out during this time, making it the perfect time for us to set off."

"What about breakfast? I haven't had breakfast yet," Zhang Cheng teased, half-jokingly.

“Look, Aunt Maggie made these pork pies by hand. I’ve prepared them for you so you can eat them on the road.” Garrick casually tossed a leather pouch from the saddle over.

Zhang Cheng took it and opened it, finding it stuffed with more than a dozen baked pasta pieces, each about the size of an adult man's palm. They were probably fresh out of the oven, as they were slightly hot to the touch. He broke one open, and the delicious and tempting meat filling was immediately revealed.

Without a second thought, he took a bite and finished it in a few bites. Then, wiping the crumbs from his mouth, he asked without looking up, "Where's Old George? Has he arranged everything for the caravan?"

“You mean that businessman? He got up much earlier than you. He arranged everything an hour ago. Look, he’s waiting for us.” With that, Garrick pointed to the town gate.

Old George was giving instructions to a coachman, while his lovely little daughter followed beside him, looking around with curiosity.

“Alright, let’s head to Dalaran now.” Zhang Cheng grabbed his belongings, pushed open the door, and mounted his black horse with one foot in the stirrup.

For many people living in modern society, horseback riding may have become a kind of entertainment sport that only the rich can enjoy, but for him, who lived on the grasslands for a period of time when he was a child, it was as simple as eating and drinking.

In the blink of an eye, he spurred his horse to the gate.

Mayor Burnside, who had been waiting for a long time, quickly pulled a bulging envelope from his pocket: "Mage, I have written down all the unusual behavior of the undead recently. Please help me pass it on to the Kirin Tor Council. I hope it will help us to break the magical plague."

"Don't worry, I swear I will personally deliver it to the archmages." Zhang Cheng gave his assurance without hesitation.

In fact, he needed something like this to divert attention and thus conceal his true identity.

"Thank you very much. Finally, please allow me to wish you a safe journey." Mayor Burnside bowed deeply.

Zhang Cheng nodded slightly in response from his horse, then led the way through the city gate, galloping at a steady pace in the northwest. Fully armed Garrick followed closely behind, while old George and Jenny rode together at the very back. Before long, they disappeared on the horizon.

Looking at the dust rising in the distance, the scribe Horace Whitestead suddenly asked, "Bourneside, my old friend, do you think that young mage can help us through this crisis?"

“Don’t ask me, old friend, I don’t know either. But I know he’s our only hope now…” the mayor sighed, lowering his voice to mutter to himself…

Chapter 0023 Ambush

As we all know, a horse can run at a speed of up to 60 kilometers per hour, but it usually can't maintain that speed for long, at most a few seconds to half a minute before slowing down.

When traveling by horse, the speed is usually maintained at around 20 to 30 kilometers per hour. After running for one or two hours, you will stop to rest for a while. In a 12-hour day, you can travel a maximum of 80 to 100 kilometers. If you are determined, you can barely manage 150 to 200 kilometers.

As for the saying "a horse that can travel a thousand miles a day," it's an exaggeration. No horse can actually run five hundred kilometers a day.

Of course, all of the above common knowledge about horses only applies to the Earth where Zhang Cheng was born.

As for the horses of Azeroth...

Well, in his eyes, this thing could no longer be called a horse, but rather a different kind of creature that looked very similar to a horse.

Because the black horse he was riding had been running at full speed for five and a half hours without slowing down at all. It was as if it had inexhaustible energy. No wonder it could carry a knight in full plate armor to charge the enemy and even complete the pursuit mission.

It's important to understand that on medieval battlefields, horses could only carry heavily armed knights at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour for a limited number of charges before collapsing from exhaustion.

Why is there such a big difference between horses? They're both horses.

After all, from the outside, the horses in the world of Azeroth are nothing special except that they are taller, stronger, and have more solid frames. But only after riding them yourself can you feel the monstrous power hidden in their veins and muscles.

Ignoring the pain from the chafed skin on his inner thighs, Zhang Cheng turned around and shouted to the young man behind him, "How far are we from Dalaran?"

“It’s going to be another two hours or so! Are you tired? Do you want to stop and rest for a while?” Garrick also shouted, raising his voice.

“No, no need. Let’s keep going. The closer we get to Silverpine Forest, the more vulnerable we are to attacks from the Forsaken. Conversely, the sooner we reach Dalaran, the safer we will be.” Zhang Cheng shook his head vigorously, refusing the other party’s offer.

It wasn't that he didn't want to stop and relax his body, which was about to fall apart, but for some reason, he had a bad feeling about it.

Logically, if the Forsaken wanted to use the town as a huge plague testing ground, they would have sent people to keep an eye on it 24 hours a day and cut off contact with the outside world if necessary.

But now, having run so far in one go, they haven't encountered an ambush, which is really puzzling.

As the saying goes, the best way to take revenge on someone is not to kill them outright, but to make them live in constant fear of dying.

In Zhang Cheng's view, the reason why the Forgotten Ones haven't launched an attack yet is that they want to create a similar effect to wear down his vigilance and energy, which is why he won't give them any opportunity to take advantage of him.

Time flies, and two hours passed in the blink of an eye...

Accompanied by the crisp sound of hooves, three strong horses galloped along the foot of the majestic Alterac Mountains toward the scenic shores of Lake Lordamere.

Just as the violet shield rose over the magical kingdom of Dalaran, three Forsaken riding deathhorses suddenly sprang out of the woods.

Two of them were dressed in fine chainmail and carried hunting bows made entirely of the bones of unknown creatures, making them clearly different from the Forsaken they had encountered before.

As a semi-gaming enthusiast, Zhang Cheng immediately noticed the insignia they wore on their chests and shouted a warning: "Watch out! These two guys are members of the Forsaken's elite force—the Undead Sentinels!"

"Undead...undead sentinels?" Old George shuddered involuntarily, holding his daughter tightly with one hand and lashing his horse with the other, forcing his slightly tired mount to make a final sprint.

Anyone familiar with the Forsaken's army organization will know this clandestine organization, which is on par with Stormwind's SI:7.

Their role is mostly not in direct combat, but in carrying out a series of important tasks such as assassination, sabotage and surveillance. Each of them is an elite among elites, personally commanded by the dreadlord Varimathras. They are cold and ruthless in their actions and are capable of anything.

Upon seeing the enemy, Garrick didn't hesitate; he immediately drew his bow and fired an arrow at the nearest Forsaken.

"Heh heh, you overconfident fool." The Forsaken sneered, drawing his bow with lightning speed and releasing a black-glowing arrow.