Spellcasting Gods

Zhang Cheng's eyes lit up slightly, and he bent down to take the bone necklace that felt a little prickly to the touch and examined it carefully.

He soon discovered that this thing was a hybrid of druid and shaman magic, and most likely originated from Zul'Gurub, the troll city deep in the rainforest.

Although the craftsmanship is quite crude, the necklace contains the soul of a strong black panther.

Whenever the transformation is activated, the wearer merges with the Black Panther's spirit, with the former taking control and dominating, while the latter helps the former complete the part of instinct and body coordination, so that the wearer will not be unable to adapt to the new body after transforming from human to beast, resulting in uncoordinated movements.

It must be said that although many races in Azeroth currently regard trolls as symbols of primitiveness, savagery, and bloodshed, their research into supernatural powers is by no means inferior, especially in the areas of souls, shapeshifting, and sorcery, far surpassing any other faction or organization.

“This is a very interesting little gadget, I’ll take it. Also, do you have anything else interesting here? Bring it out, money is no object.” With that, Zhang Cheng took out the bank draft that the wealthy Rivigaz had given him earlier.

The dwarf glanced at it only once, then immediately jumped up excitedly and began to talk at length about the spoils he had acquired during his adventure in Stranglethorn Vale.

In no time, he had sold nearly a third of the items on his stall. More than half of them were totems, stone statues, and wood carvings containing various mysterious powers, as well as a small amount of viscous liquid that emitted a pungent odor. Whether it was poison or healing herbs to be applied to wounds was unknown.

Finally, at the other party's strong recommendation, Zhang Cheng also bought a double-barreled mithril shotgun made by dwarven craftsmen, along with two hundred rounds of ammunition.

Don't assume that the guns and cannons in Azeroth are powered by black powder, maroon powder, and smokeless powder, just like on Earth.

On the contrary, the so-called gunpowder here has nothing to do with chemistry on Earth, but is a special energy crystal that occurs alongside minerals.

By stimulating the arcane energy contained within this crystal to produce a violent explosion, the projectile can gain unimaginable thrust and speed.

Some people who are well-versed in runes will even carve magical runes onto gun barrels and bullets to give them additional damage, such as fire, frost, lightning, shadow, holy light, etc.

In short, the firearms and engineering of the world of Azeroth are simply another application of magical energy.

Zhang Cheng stuffed all the things he bought into his magic pouch, then waved the bank draft in his hand and asked the dwarf, "Could you please take me to the bank in Booty Bay? I don't have any cash on me. In return, I'll treat you to a meal at the best inn."

"Hahahaha! I couldn't be happier! Follow me! Oh, by the way, my name is Ofg Copperhammer, a seasoned hunter. This is my good friend Nisha. It's a pleasure to meet you, generous mage." The dwarf laughed as he packed up the items from his stall, secured them to the back of the large brown bear, and headed straight out of the market.

"My name is Zhang Cheng, and it's a pleasure to meet you." Zhang Cheng politely introduced himself.

With Nisha, a huge brown bear, leading the way, the two squeezed out of the crowded market without much trouble.

Standing on the fish-smelling dock, the dwarf who called himself Ofg Copperhammer raised his thick arm and pointed to a heavily guarded wooden building not far ahead: "Look, that's Booty Bay Bank. You'd better go alone; I don't want to be questioned by those green-skinned dwarves."

"Thank you very much, please wait here for a moment." With that, Zhang Cheng strode towards the service window.

Before he could even get close, two goblins wielding short swords and shields blocked his path. One of them, looking very wary, said, "Human, please hand over your weapons. According to the laws of Booty Bay, no one is allowed to bring weapons near the bank."

"Relax, friend, I'm just here to cash a draft." Zhang Cheng raised his hands and waved the special paper in his hands that was shimmering with a magical aura.

"Oh my god! One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand! Thirty... thirty thousand gold coins! Am I seeing things?" The goblin who spoke first stared wide-eyed, drooling uncontrollably.

The other goblin wasn't much better off. He forcefully shoved his companion aside, forced what he thought was a friendly smile, and gave a perfunctory bow: "I'm terribly sorry, esteemed sir. I apologize for my colleague's rude behavior. Welcome to Booty Bay Bank. We offer the best financial services in all of Azeroth. Whether you want to deposit, withdraw cash, or invest, we are your unique choice."

"Is that so? Do I still need to hand over my weapon now?" Zhang Cheng asked, his lips twitching.

Watching the little green guy's amazing face-changing performance, he suddenly had the illusion of walking into a 21st-century bank. At least in the bank, the specialists in charge of various investments, financial management, and insurance had no different attitudes than the goblin in front of him.

"Hand over your weapons? No, no, no, of course not. A valued customer like you has no need to abide by laws specifically designed for paupers. In Booty Bay, money is the best law. As long as you are rich enough, you can ask Lord Rivigaz to change the laws at any time." The goblin hurriedly shook his head, explaining with a fawning expression.

"Money is everything, huh? This is quite an interesting city..." Zhang Cheng muttered to himself, pursing his lips. Then, ignoring the two goblin guards following behind him, he handed the draft to the clerk at the counter.

After clarifying the amount to be withdrawn, the latter quickly went into the back vault, dragged out a box full of gold coins, and then made a series of complex modifications to the bill of exchange.

After everything was settled, Zhang Cheng dragged the heavy wooden crate out of the bank and shouted towards the dwarf's location, "Oufg Copperhammer! Come and lend a hand! I can't carry all these gold coins by myself!"

"Haha! Don't rush! I'm here!" The hunter excitedly ran over with his short legs and opened the box.

Upon seeing the neatly arranged gold coins, he immediately shouted with joy, "Hooray! With this money, my adventure team has enough funds to purchase supplies and continue deeper into the jungle in search of the lost city of Zul'Gurub!"

Chapter 0287 Commission

“Zul Ghrab?” Zhang Cheng keenly picked out a key word.

According to his knowledge of Azeroth's history, this troll city has not yet appeared before the world.

To be precise, since the consciousness and soul of the Blood God Hakkar have not yet been released, what happened in Zul'Gurub is still unknown. All that is known to the outside world is that deep in the Stranglethorn Vale, there are a series of ruins left behind by the ancient troll civilization, and that is all.

This means that not just anyone knows that a troll city called Zul'Gurub is hidden deep in the rainforest, let alone consciously seek it out.

Oufger Copperhammer was clearly unaware of the seriousness of the matter. He squatted down, picked out his share of the box, stuffed it into his crocodile-skin backpack, and replied without looking up, "Yes, that's right, it's Zul'Gurub. We were recently commissioned by a mysterious person to go deep into the jungle to gather information."

"That sounds interesting. Could you tell me more about it?" Zhang Cheng gently stroked his chin, a look of interest on his face.

“Perfect timing. Didn’t you say you were going to treat me to a big meal? Let’s eat and talk.” The dwarf unceremoniously hoisted the leather bag stuffed with gold coins onto his shoulder and strode toward a uniquely designed tavern in the distance.

The hotel is unique because it was converted from a dilapidated sailboat. The interior is not decorated in a fancy way, and the food and drinks are quite ordinary. The only thing worth mentioning is that it is cheap.

Watching the other person stuffing mouthfuls of slightly burnt fried fish and roasted meat from an unknown animal into their mouths, Zhang Cheng had absolutely no appetite and even quietly pushed the cheap beer in front of him aside.

After eating until he was about 80% full, the dwarf let out a satisfied burp, picked up his cup, and gulped down the cheap ale. Wiping the dirt off his beard, he said with lingering relish, "Actually, it's nothing much. About a month ago, a mysterious figure suddenly appeared in Booty Bay. He never shows his true face, but appears every now and then to recruit adventurers to go deep into the jungle to gather information. Any team or individual who can provide unusual information can receive excellent weapons, equipment, potions, and magical items."

Zhang Cheng nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "How long is each period of time?"

"Hmm—he appears about once every two weeks. The last time he appeared was three days ago, so if you want to see him, you'll probably have to wait two weeks," Ofg Copperhammer replied with a shrug.

Just as the two were talking, a commotion suddenly broke out at the entrance of the tavern.

A middle-aged human man wearing chainmail and with short brown hair walked in, followed by a young human girl who looked to be in her early twenties and two short dwarfs.

Upon noticing these people, Oufger Copperhammer immediately stood up and shouted, "Hey! Guys! Over here!"

"Damn it! Ofg! You've sneaked off to eat all by yourself again! Tell me honestly! How much of the spoils did you sell?" The human uncle rushed over, snatched the wine jug from the dwarf's hand, and tilted his head back to gulp it down.

The two short dwarfs didn't know the meaning of politeness and grabbed the remaining fried fish and meat patties from the plate to eat voraciously.

"Adam! You bastard! Give me back the flask! And you guys, that was for Nisha." Oufger Copperhammer jumped up, trying to stop his companions' shameless behavior.

Unfortunately, due to his short legs, he couldn't reach the human uncle who had already raised the wine jug high, let alone catch the dwarf who was known for his agility.

In the blink of an eye, the leftover food on the table was completely wiped clean, leaving not even a scrap of meat.

After a few minutes of playful bickering, the group finally quieted down.

Adam, who appeared to be the leader, tossed aside his empty flask and said to the dwarf, "Oufger, who is this gentleman? Aren't you going to introduce him to us?"

“Him? He’s the mage I met at the market just now, and he generously bought almost a third of our spoils.” Ofg Copperhammer answered without hesitation.

"A mage?" Adam subconsciously raised his eyebrows and looked at Zhang Cheng, who was sitting motionless in place.

He quickly noticed the magical ring on the other man's finger, a symbol of his membership in the Kirin Tor Council, and hurriedly stood up and bowed: "Hello, sir, I can hardly believe that I have met a mage from Dalaran in Booty Bay."

After all, most formal mages in the Alliance, especially in human society, often possess corresponding noble titles and status.

Unless one never intends to return to human society, it is perfectly normal and basic courtesy to show respect to a monk.

“Please don’t stand on ceremony. I only ended up near Booty Bay because of some unforeseen circumstances. If you don’t mind, could you introduce me to your teammates?” Zhang Cheng smiled as he glanced at the girl and the two dwarfs in the group.

"Of course, it's my honor. This beautiful girl is called Daisy. She used to be an apprentice at the Paladin Training Camp, but was expelled for some special reasons. She currently has two healing spells and sword and shield combat skills. The two short guys are twins, the older brother is called Cliff and the younger brother is called LaHail. They are quite excellent thieves. As for me, I am a warrior who is skilled in using two-handed swords."

Although Adam didn't understand why a mage would be interested in his adventure party, he still gave a brief introduction.

"Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, and a half-baked Paladin, the team composition seems pretty good..." Zhang Cheng muttered to himself, squinting his eyes.

After considering for a few seconds, he suddenly lowered his voice and suggested, "I have a very lucrative job here. I wonder if you'd be interested?"

"A commission?"

How generous is the reward?

Adam and Ofg Copperhammer asked in unison.

The only difference is that the former is concerned with content, while the latter is more concerned with revenue.

Zhang Cheng smiled meaningfully and placed the modified draft on the table: "As long as you can complete my task, all this money is yours."

"All...all?!" The dwarf's breathing suddenly became heavy.

There was no way he could be anything but heavy-handed. Others might not know the value of this bill of exchange, but he knew very well that even after deducting the amount withdrawn, there were still 26,000 gold coins inside, enough for each member of the team to receive a large sum of money.

But Adam was not tempted by the money at all. He interrupted his companion who was about to reach for the draft and asked with a serious expression, "Master, could you please tell us the contents of the commission first?"

"Heh, you're very cautious. I like cautious people. You know, about fifty black wooden crates were unloaded from a ship today. First, I want to find out what's inside the crates. As for the next step, we'll decide based on what's inside..."

Chapter 0288 The Secret in the Box

As night fell, the once bustling Treasure Bay gradually quieted down. Although many shops in the night market were still open, most people had already fallen asleep, with only a few drunken sailors wandering aimlessly around.

Through the small window of the hotel room, Zhang Cheng quietly admired the beautiful night view of the neutral city. After a while, he smiled and said to the restless middle-aged man, "Relax, this matter is not as dangerous as you think. My only worry is that those two little dwarfs might do something unexpected and unnecessary."

“No, they won’t. Cliff and LaHale may like to play pranks and jokes, but they would never mess up something serious,” Adam quickly defended his teammates.

He didn't know why, but ever since he accepted this lucrative commission, he had a bad feeling, as if something terrible was about to happen.

“In that case, what else do you have to worry about? I swear, everything I did today was for the Alliance. You should know that the goblins have been using the guise of neutrality to secretly provide the Horde with all sorts of war supplies, especially to the Forsaken who are based in Undercity. If this shipment is related to them…” Zhang Cheng deliberately dragged out his words.

He believed that the other party, with their intelligence, should be able to realize his subtext.

Sure enough, Adam's face instantly darkened upon hearing the word "Forsaken," and he lowered his voice to ask, "Your Excellency, do you mean that those boxes might contain some..."

"Shh! Don't say it out loud, you understand." Zhang Cheng put his finger to his lips, making a shushing gesture.

After all, the matter of the magical plague is still somewhat of a secret and it's not appropriate for outsiders to know about it.

"I understand! Don't worry, no matter what happens, we will assist you in completing this task," Adam said confidently, patting his chest.

As a veteran who had experienced two orc wars and the Scourge invasion, he understood better than anyone the importance of defending the Alliance. Only by maintaining unity and strength could he ensure the safety of his family and friends and resist all kinds of threats.

Of course, this is exactly the result Zhang Cheng hoped for.

Just as he was about to say something, two sneaky, short figures suddenly slipped in through the crack in the door, one of them carrying a sealed earthenware jar.

"Cliff! LaHale! How did it go? Did the guards spot you two?" Adam asked anxiously.

“Aha! I didn’t alert anyone at all! Look, I’ve stolen the stuff.” With that, the slightly taller dwarf placed the pottery jar on the table.

The shorter one wasn't to be outdone, waving his jingling money bag and boasting, "Those goblins are as stupid as pigs, they didn't even notice their wallets were missing. I think maybe we can try stealing from the bank vault in Booty Bay."

“Idiot! The bank vault in Booty Bay is protected by magic! It will trigger an alarm before you even get close!” Daisy, the only woman in the team, rolled her eyes in annoyance and then gave the dwarf a hard knock on the head.

Ignoring the playful fighting, Zhang Cheng carefully cast a detection spell.

In less than a second, the unassuming pottery jar immediately emitted a strange black mist, exuding an aura of extreme evil and madness.

Sensing something amiss, Adam quickly closed the doors and windows and asked in a very tense tone, "Master, what is it?"

"It's not certain yet, but I think it's definitely related to forbidden magic." With that, Zhang Cheng pried open a small hole in the sealed pottery jar.

moment!

A pungent stench filled the air, and Daisy, who was always very clean, quickly covered her nose and mouth, forcing herself not to vomit up her dinner.