Spellcasting Gods

"Oh—damn it! Could they have brought a bunch of fermented manure?" Oufger Copperhammer took several steps back and complained loudly.

As for his battle partner with a keen sense of smell—the brown bear Nisha—she had already run to the bedside and tucked her huge head into the blanket.

Zhang Cheng held his breath, ignoring the pungent stench, and gently poked at the black, viscous substance inside the cannula with a stick. After a few minutes, he muttered to himself, "Razor Swamp bat droppings plus the blood of a man trapped in a mad boar? What a strange combination. It seems the Royal Apothecary Association has come up with a new idea."

Without a doubt, the Forsaken have never given up on studying the even more destructive plague.

This time, they set their sights on Razor Hill and the swamp.

According to the game's questline, the dung of the Razorfen Downs bats seems to drive the quilboars living there into a state of frenzied killing. Horde players can accept an interesting quest in Undercity: collect bat dung.

But reality seems even more terrifying than the game: the Royal Apothecaries Association directly purchased large quantities of a mixture of blood and bat guano from the affected boarmen through greedy goblins.

The fifty black wooden crates were enough for them to extract the substances they wanted and then add them to the magical plague to launch an attack on the Alliance army holding out in the Arathi Highlands, or the Scourge army in the Eastern Plaguelands.

"Master?"

Seeing that the other person was lost in thought and did not respond for a long time, Adam couldn't help but call out to him.

"Oh, I'm fine. Let's leave the task to that. Leave the rest to me. Don't forget to return this jar, and make sure the goblins don't notice anything is missing."

As the last word fell, Zhang Cheng placed the draft on the table without hesitation, then activated the teleportation rune and disappeared into thin air under the watchful eyes of several people.

More than thirty seconds after he left, the dwarf finally came to his senses, grabbed the draft, and shouted excitedly, "My God! Twenty-six thousand gold coins are in our hands just like that?! Is today our lucky day?"

“Adam! I feel like something’s not right!” Daisy wasn’t blinded by the huge sum of money and reminded the team leader in a low voice.

The latter nodded without hesitation: "I know! We'll cash this bill at daybreak tomorrow, then take a boat from Treasure Bay to the wetlands. Remember, no one is allowed to tell anyone what happened today."

"understand!"

"Don't worry, boss, I don't want to be on the goblin's wanted list yet."

"Haha! With this money, we can all take a good rest for a while."

……

Just as the adventure team was intensely discussing how to distribute this unexpected windfall, Zhang Cheng had already traversed the entire Eastern Continent and appeared in the teleportation chamber of Dalaran.

The mage on duty noticed the violet ring on his hand and greeted him with a smile, "Welcome back, young mage..."

Chapter 0289 The Envoy of Stormwind

"Thank you! Could you please tell me the current location of Archmage Anslem Ruinvivor? I have something very important to report to him," Zhang Cheng asked, feigning seriousness.

Since he didn't know how long he had been gone, he wanted to use the information he had to ascertain the current situation in Dalaran, especially how many of the Kirin Tor mages had returned, and whether the Council of Six had been reorganized, etc.

The mage on duty hesitated for a moment, but still answered truthfully: "His Excellency the Archmage is currently in the Central Tower, speaking with an envoy from Stormwind. Lady Jaina seems to be there as well."

"Oh? Jaina is here too..." A hint of doubt flashed in Zhang Cheng's eyes. He quickly left the teleportation chamber and strode towards the mage tower in the city center.

On the way, he discovered that many of the buildings that were originally under construction along the main road of Dalaran were now nearing completion, and many arcane golems shimmering with purple light had begun patrolling the new streets.

Although the mages are still busy laying out complex magical runes to give the magical city even stronger and more perfect defenses, to the untrained eye, the reconstruction of Dalaran is finally nearing its end.

Merchants eagerly gathered in front of the trading hut, trying to buy the shops and properties listed for sale, as well as the magical potions and items made recently.

For a moment, Dalaran seemed to have returned to its prosperous state before it was destroyed by the Lich King Arthas...

Just as Zhang Cheng was about to walk through the crowd, a woman dressed in a white priest's robe suddenly rushed out from the crowd and grabbed his arm tightly.

Out of instinct, a faint violet light immediately emanated from the palm of his other hand.

It goes without saying that in a split second, the Arcane Missiles were already prepared, ready to deliver a fatal blow to the opponent.

"Don't be nervous! It's me!" The woman sensed the fluctuation of arcane energy and quickly took off her hood, revealing a small nose and emerald green eyes.

"Sophia?"

After seeing the other person's appearance clearly, Zhang Cheng immediately showed a surprised expression.

The beautiful female assassin belonging to the Syndicate was dressed as a nun. A white robe, symbolizing purity and nobility, covered her curvaceous figure. Her short black hair had grown much longer and was draped loosely over her shoulders. If the two hadn't been so close and he hadn't felt the dagger hidden under the white robe, he might not have recognized her.

“Damn it! My name is Nancy now! Remember that! Stop talking nonsense and come with me…” Sophia dragged Zhang Cheng into an empty alley not far away without saying a word.

As soon as she steadied herself, she demanded with a serious expression, "Where have you been all this time? And how is that Forsaken apothecary who turned into an abomination?"

"Hehe, looks like you've recovered quite well. Tell me first, what's with this outfit? Are you planning to switch careers and become a priest?" Zhang Cheng teased with a smile.

"You still have the nerve to ask? If you hadn't abandoned me at the Holy Light Chapel, why would I be forced to wear this disgusting outfit and have to keep smiling every day to spread the so-called faith of Holy Light?"

When the matter was brought up, Sofia immediately felt furious, her face filled with a gritted-teeth expression.

"Hahahaha! Since you don't like it, why don't you leave? I believe the priests of Holy Light Chapel wouldn't force anyone to work for them. Also, what's with the dagger fixed to your outside thigh? Is there some danger in Dalaran?" Zhang Cheng glanced meaningfully at the bulge under the female assassin's robe.

Sophia rolled her eyes and explained, "Dalaran may be safe for you, but it's not safe for me at all. You know, a group of mysterious guys from Stormwind have been asking around about the Syndicate these past few days. I suspect they're from MI7."

"Hmm? Are you sure?" A strange look flashed in Zhang Cheng's eyes.

He wasn't quite sure what purpose this intelligence-gathering and assassination organization, belonging to the Stormwind Kingdom, had in suddenly appearing in Dalaran.

Was it because of Varian Wrynn's disappearance?

Or did the Forgotten Ones' dangerous experiments attract Matthias Shore's attention?

"I'm not sure! All I know is that they are the most elite thieves, and I would never mistake that scent of one of their own. Otherwise, why do you think I would be so nervous?"

As she spoke, Sofia kept glancing around the shadowy areas of the alley, as if assassins wielding sharp blades might leap out at any moment.

Zhang Cheng ignored the other person's somewhat neurotic behavior, stroked his chin and thought for about two or three minutes, then muttered to himself in a voice only he could hear, "That thing finally happened, huh? Looks like I came back just in time..."

"What happened? What happened?" Sophia asked impatiently.

"No, it's nothing, at least it has nothing to do with your Syndicate. You can continue to play the nun for a few more days, and I'll send you away after I've dealt with my troubles." After saying that, Zhang Cheng imitated the Holy Light believers of Azeroth, bent down and gently kissed the back of the female assassin's hand, then quickly walked out of the alley and disappeared into the deep entrance of the central tower.

Unlike his last visit, this time he found that the once empty hall was now filled with many unfamiliar faces, some of whom were even high elves with pointed ears.

Clearly, with the reconstruction of Dalaran, more and more living mages are returning from all over the world, intending to restore the former glory and honor of the magical kingdom.

As an outsider, Zhang Cheng did not greet anyone, but simply maintained a reserved smile and walked alone into the conference room at the top of the tower.

However, before he could push open the door and go inside, he heard a deep and magnetic voice from a middle-aged man coming through the crack in the door.

“Miss Jaina Proudmoore, if it weren’t for you inviting His Majesty the King to meet with the Warchief of the Horde, how would all of this have happened? Now tell me, how am I supposed to explain to Prince Anduin his father’s disappearance? How am I supposed to explain to the subjects of Stormwind that their revered King’s disappearance has nothing to do with the Horde?”

“Madias, you have to believe me. Varian’s disappearance is a conspiracy, a conspiracy to incite war between the Horde and the Alliance. Thrall was absolutely not involved. What we need now is not to blame each other, but to calm down and find out who is behind it all. Besides, didn’t you just say that the Defias Brotherhood seems to be involved as well?” Jaina’s voice followed closely behind.

"Hmph! You don't need to worry about MI7's affairs; I'll handle everything. All you need to do is give me an explanation, and give the entire Stormwind Kingdom an explanation. One last reminder: don't forget that your race is human, your identity is that of a princess of Kul Tiras, and the most prized disciple of Archmage Antonidas of Dalaran. Yet you're defending a bunch of barbaric orcs—it's utterly disappointing..."

Chapter 0290 Argument

"Barbaric? Is this how you evaluate our allies in the Holy War at Mount Hyjal? Don't forget, without their help, Archimonde the Defiler would have destroyed the entire world long ago, and no one in Azeroth would have survived. As for an explanation, I will give you one sooner or later. Whoever orchestrated this conspiracy will personally taste my wrath..."

Before Jaina could finish speaking, she suddenly sensed faint arcane energy emanating from outside the meeting room. She immediately frowned and shouted, "Who? Who's outside?"

"Excuse me, madam, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation. I have something very important to report to His Excellency the Archmage." With that, Zhang Cheng pushed open the door and walked in, bowing to everyone in the room.

After the greetings were completed, he began to gather a large number of short-haired men around thirty years old standing opposite Jaina.

Without much ornate decoration or expensive necklaces and rings, this envoy from Stormwind wore only an inconspicuous black leather armor, with a blade hanging from his belt that was hard to tell whether it was a long dagger or a short sword.

The only thing worth noting is his eyes, which are like stars in the night sky, seemingly able to see right through a person from the inside out in an instant.

Without a doubt, the man Jaina referred to as Matthias was none other than Matthias Shaw, the infamous leader of MI7 and a legendary assassin in the game.

Although this "big shot" did not have the same fame as the tragic protagonist Arthas, nor did he become a hero who saved Azeroth like Thrall, Tyrande, and Malfurion, what he did was no less than what they did, and perhaps even better.

If we consider Regent Bolvar Fordragon as the stabilizing force that calmed the turbulent situation in Stormwind during Varian's disappearance, then Matthias Shaw is the hero who fought against Onyxia, the black dragon princess, in the shadows to ensure that the throne was not usurped.

Although this dangerous game is rarely known to outsiders, it is depicted in the game through a series of tasks.

"Zhang? When did you come back? Where did you go when you suddenly disappeared?" Archmage Ansrem Ruinvivor asked, frowning.

Although Dalaran had never restricted the personal freedom of mages, such sudden appearances and disappearances still aroused his suspicion.

"I'm so sorry, Master. There was a small accident during my experiment, and I was teleported to a completely unfamiliar place. I barely managed to escape." Zhang Cheng, who was prepared, sighed with a helpless expression.

“Accidental teleportation? I warned you long ago that the space around Dalaran is very unstable, so don’t conduct such dangerous experiments outside the mage tower. Anyway, tell me, what did you discover this time?” Ansrem Ruinvivor shook his head noncommittally.

Seeing that the Archmage didn't seem inclined to delve deeper, Zhang Cheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said with a serious expression, "This time it was goblins! On the way back, passing through Booty Bay, I noticed that the wealthy Rivigaz was transporting some strange black boxes. Driven by curiosity, I secretly checked the contents of the boxes when the guards weren't looking, and found that it was a kind of boar-man blood mixed with Razorfen Downs bat guano."

“Razorfen Downs?” Matthias Shaw’s eye twitched involuntarily.

"Hmm? Do you know anything?" Ansrem Ruinvivor quickly turned his gaze to the leader of Stormwind's SI:7.

“As far as I know, a lich called Amenaar currently controls Razorfen Downs and the Highlands, and is using evil necromancy to infect the quilboars who inhabit the area,” Matthias Shaw answered without hesitation.

Kalimdor may not be strictly within MI7's sphere of influence, but thanks to its vast intelligence network, it can still learn about some events happening in the western continent.

"What?! A lich is entrenched in Razorfen Downs and the swamp?! Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" Jaina jumped up from her chair.

Keep in mind that Theramore is only about two weeks' journey from Razorfen Downs and Dustwallow Marsh. If it were the restless undead, they could cross Dustwallow Marsh and launch a sneak attack in five days at most.

Matthias Shaw pursed his lips and replied in a rather disdainful tone, "Miss Proudmoore, my intelligence is only provided to Alliance members. But what about you? You first killed Admiral Daelin, and then caused the disappearance of the King of Stormwind. Forgive my bluntness, but your behavior is more like that of a Horde spy than an Alliance member, so my intelligence will not be shared with you."

"you!"

The repeated attacks began to annoy even the usually mild-mannered Jaina, especially since the other party had reopened her deepest wounds.

"Enough! Shut up! This isn't the place for you to argue!" Ansrem Ruinvivor loudly stopped the two from escalating their conflict, then continued to say to Zhang Cheng, "Go on, tell me everything you know."

“As you wish, Master.” Zhang Cheng glanced meaningfully at Jaina, whose chest was heaving violently. “Actually, it’s nothing. Do you remember the research conducted by the Royal Apothecaries of the Forsaken? The contents of the black box were most likely ordered by them. You should know very well what goblins are like. If there’s enough profit, it’s not impossible for them to even open a portal to welcome the Burning Legion.”

"You mean the Forsaken are amplifying their magical plague?" The archmage's eyes flashed with a terrifying light.

“Yes, to be precise, they have never given up. You have to understand, for a group of living dead, there is no joy at all. On the contrary, they are tormented by the memories of their past lives all the time. The only thing that drives them to live is revenge, revenge at any cost.” Zhang Cheng emphasized firmly.

In the eyes of many in the Alliance, the Forsaken led by the Dark Queen were few in number and constantly suppressed by the Scarlet Crusade and the Scourge, so they were not a threat at all. However, as a transmigrator, he knew very well how terrifying these fanatical Avengers were.

Moreover, there is currently a ruthless dreadlord in Undercity. If there is any period in the Forsaken's behavior that is the most depraved, it is undoubtedly the present moment.

Of course, as an executioner who slaughtered tens of thousands of civilians, Zhang Cheng did not feel qualified to comment on the Dark Queen's actions. All he wanted to do was ensure that the alliance could gain a slight advantage in future confrontations so that he could better utilize the system for his own benefit.

"Alright, I understand. You can wait outside for a bit." Ansrem Ruinvivor waved his hand gravely...

Chapter 0291 Vicious Advice

Zhang Cheng stood at the door for about fifteen minutes. The first person to come out was none other than the famous Gianna Proudmoore.

The most outstanding new generation of female mages in Azeroth looked exhausted, as if she were in pain and feeling guilty.

Clearly, Varian Wrynn's disappearance was a huge blow to her, especially since the already fragile peace agreement between the Alliance and the Horde had now been destroyed.