Spellcasting Gods

It has a coat of tan fur, and excluding the tail, it is about 1.8 to 2 meters long. It has typical feline features and looks very similar to a cougar.

It goes without saying that this uninvited guest was none other than the famous mountain lion of Hillsbrad Foothills...

Chapter 0005 Testament

Seeing the large cat so close to him, Zhang Cheng broke out in a cold sweat. Before the freezing effect wore off, he quickly gathered magic power and turned it into a harmless sheep.

"What..."

The mountain lion was clearly bewildered as to why its body had suddenly shrunk and why its sharp claws and teeth had all disappeared, a look of confusion in its eyes.

However, Zhang Cheng had no intention of giving it time to think. He raised his leg and kicked it off the second-floor platform.

The mountain lion, which had been attacked, immediately returned to its original shape in mid-air. With the excellent balance of a feline, it easily flipped over and landed steadily on the ground.

The moment it landed, an ice arrow radiating bone-chilling cold descended from the sky, instantly tearing apart its yellowish-brown fur and freezing the blood vessels and muscles near the wound, forming a large patch of terrifying frostbite tinged with purple and red.

Although there is no bleeding, frostbite is actually much more serious than bleeding.

Just look at the mountain lion's pained expression and its sluggish movements to know how badly it is hurting. It opens its mouth full of sharp teeth and roars angrily.

"roar!!!!!!!!!!!"

Standing on the second-floor balcony, Zhang Cheng completely ignored the beast's furious emotions and focused intently on guiding his magical energy. In the blink of an eye, orange-red flames erupted from his hands.

next second...

boom!

A blazing fireball flew through the air at incredible speed and slammed into the mountain lion's belly, followed by a violent explosion.

The scorching flames almost instantly charred the mountain lion's thick fur, while the explosion tore open the soft muscles of its abdomen, revealing its bloody and mangled internal organs.

Under the relentless attack of ice and fire, the king of the forest was plunged into a life-or-death situation, with no chance to resist or escape.

Without a shred of pity, Zhang Cheng followed up with an Frostbolt and a Fireball. Only after confirming that the Mountain Lion could no longer make any moves did he stop, turn around, push open the door, and enter the cabin.

As this was his first time using magic in combat, he didn't feel unfamiliar or unskilled as he had expected. It was as if it were an innate talent that he didn't need to think too much. As long as he had a thought in his mind, the mysterious arcane energy in his body would naturally react accordingly.

Perhaps this is one of the advantages of simplifying the class template; unlike a true Azerothian mage, he doesn't have to spend years, or even decades, studying profound theoretical knowledge before gaining any combat power...

With a variety of uncertain guesses in mind, Zhang Cheng entered the room, which was covered in thick dust, and immediately noticed the corpse on the bed.

Because of the long passage of time, the body had long since lost all its moisture, leaving only a shriveled husk, but for some reason, it miraculously did not rot.

On the table next to the body was a piece of paper covered with the alphabet of the Common Language of the Alliance, probably a suicide note or something similar.

Besides that, there were only books and notes densely packed on the bookshelves, and a wardrobe and wooden box at the foot of the bed.

It must be said that such a simple place is hardly like the residence of a noble monk.

After all, the real Azeroth is completely different from the game, especially for classes like mages that require a lot of time to learn and accumulate experience; it's impossible for hundreds or thousands of them to appear.

Take Dalaran, which is currently under reconstruction, as an example. There are about three thousand civilians, of whom only one hundred and twenty are mages belonging to the Kirin Tor Council. Although this is far from the entire strength of the Kirin Tor Council, it is not difficult to see how scarce the number of mages is.

"What a pitiful fellow, may your soul rest in peace..."

While staring at the mummified corpse and muttering to himself, Zhang Cheng picked up a piece of paper with messy handwriting, wanting to see what the person couldn't let go of before passing away, and why he had to leave a suicide note.

After reading only a few minutes, he was both amused and exasperated. The first half of the suicide note was almost entirely filled with hatred and scathing insults towards Arthas.

As the saying goes, "the deeper the love, the deeper the hate," Jason had always believed that Arthas could lead Lordaeron to unprecedented prosperity and strength. However, he never expected that this prince would fall into the terrible death knight before he could inherit the throne. He even killed his own father, slaughtered the people he swore to protect, and completely destroyed the once glorious kingdom.

The stark contrast between his past and present made it impossible for him to accept, both psychologically and physically, so he chose to transform all his emotions into hatred.

The latter half, however, is a confession of his unspoken admiration and secret love for Jaina.

Like many men in Dalaran, Risen was once captivated by Jaina Proudmoore's beautiful appearance and incredible magical talent.

Among his many suitors, he was too insignificant, so insignificant that no one noticed the feelings hidden deep in his heart, which only surfaced in the last ten minutes before his death.

From the words in the suicide note, along with the remaining memories in his mind, Zhang Cheng quickly realized that this mage named Ruisen was actually a typical person with high intelligence, low emotional intelligence, and a little bit of inferiority complex.

His nerves were both sensitive and fragile, which is why he became despondent after the blow and completely lost hope in life.

After reading the suicide note, which was neither a catharsis nor a genuine expression of emotion, Zhang Cheng sighed softly and went to the bookshelf to start flipping through the heavy, thick notebooks.

Before long, he was captivated by the bizarre and wonderful magical knowledge, and he lost track of time. When he was hungry, he would make a magical bread to satisfy his hunger; when he was thirsty, he would make some magical water; and when he was sleepy, he would lie down on a chair not far away and take a nap.

For the next two weeks, he was completely immersed in the ocean of magical knowledge, and through the legacy left by Risen, he finally gained a clear understanding of the mage profession.

In Azeroth, the term "mage" doesn't just refer to the mage class that players can choose in the game, but rather to more than a dozen different branches, including Shadow, Necromancer, Arcane, Fire, Frost, and so on.

Strictly speaking, both the earliest warlocks in the human world and the necromancy of the Cult of the Damned were actually the result of some powerful mages researching the spells of the Orcish Shadow Council.

Although their initial goal was to defeat the enemy more quickly, as their research deepened, they were gradually tempted by the powerful force and eventually fell into becoming the Burning Legion or the minions of the Scourge.

This means that Zhang Cheng, whose body is filled with arcane energy, can also acquire abilities beyond his professional template through learning.

Because Risen personally experienced the destruction of Dalaran, he took a large amount of rare and precious information and books with him when he fled. Now, all of this knowledge has become nourishment for Zhang Cheng's growth.

He devoured the wisdom of countless outstanding mages, building his own magical theoretical system from scratch, even forgetting the passage of time...

Chapter 0006 Caravan

Just as Zhang Cheng was fully immersed in learning the theory of magic, a caravan that had set off from Hainan Town was approaching the cabin in the woods.

The group was not large, consisting of only five carriages, five coachmen who also served as laborers, two guards wearing leather armor and carrying longswords and shields, and a cute girl of about thirteen or fourteen years old with long blonde hair.

Despite the high commissions required to hire guards, old George, the caravan owner, reluctantly hired two skilled local warriors to ensure his goods wouldn't be attacked by undead, beasts, or syndicated criminal organizations.

Of course, there were two main reasons for doing this. First, some of the goods on the vehicle were quite special. If they could be safely transported to their destination, he would not only receive a generous reward, but also establish close ties with the mages of the Kirin Tor Council. He did not want the opportunity he had worked so hard to obtain to end up being a pipe dream.

Secondly, he wanted to send his beloved youngest daughter to settle in Dalaran, which was under reconstruction, and if possible, to become an apprentice under a mage.

Of course, it would be even better if I could marry a noble monk.

It is important to know that since the undead who called themselves "the Forsaken" took over the ruins of Lordaeron, the inhabitants from Alterac Valley to Hillsbrad Foothills have been suffering terrible attacks at all times.

Last month alone, at least six poor farmers on the farm were killed in a sudden attack by the undead.

Only under the protection of the magical shield did Dalaran have no record of civilian casualties. Those damned undead couldn't even get close, let alone rush in to kill anyone.

Old George was a businessman, but also a very pragmatic man.

In his view, the meager military strength of Nanhai Town was simply insufficient to protect his life and property, so he naturally had to find another way out.

In fact, three months ago, he had already sent his eldest son to Stormwind City further south to manage the shops, while his second daughter went with her husband to Menethil Harbor in the Wetlands to run a leather business.

Although the children are scattered all over the place, making it quite troublesome to see each other, it is still much better than the whole family getting together and being wiped out.

Don't think this is a joke. For ordinary people who have just experienced the Scourge and the Burning Legion's invasion, they understand the fragility of life most deeply. Therefore, nothing is more important than protecting yourself and your family...

“Hey! Dear employer! It’ll be dark in two hours. Where are we going to spend the night? Don’t tell me you’re planning to camp in the wild.” A male guard who looked to be in his early thirties suddenly stopped, turned around and asked loudly.

Old George touched the back of his thinning hair and replied in a slightly tired voice, "Don't worry, I'm not foolish enough to expose the caravan to those damned undead in this dangerous season. Just a little further on, we'll see a small cabin where a reclusive mage lives. We can stay the night there."

"A reclusive mage? I've been in South Sea Town for half a year, how come I've never heard of him?" Another slightly younger guard looked puzzled.

"Hahaha! What's so strange about that? That gentleman doesn't seem to like socializing, so he rarely goes out, but all the merchants and travelers who frequently pass through this area know about the cabin in the woods. We only need to offer a small gift, or rather, daily supplies, to gain his protection," old George explained with a hearty laugh.

“I see…” The young guard nodded thoughtfully, then exchanged a subtle glance with his companion.

The latter gestured for everyone to calm down and continued to follow silently at the back of the group. When no one was paying attention, he threw a round metal badge on the ground.

About ten minutes later, after the caravan had gone far away, a petite, veiled woman suddenly emerged from the bushes.

Without a word, she immediately picked up the badge and examined it closely. She quickly noticed the small print on the back and muttered to herself, "A reclusive mage? Did he escape from Dalaran when the catastrophe struck? Or has the Kirin Tor Council taken notice of our activities? No! This must be reported to the Duke immediately..."

Before Hua could finish speaking, another masked man stepped out, snatched the badge, and asked with a sneer, "What? Are you scared?"

"Damn it! Give me the badge right now! Also, tonight's operation must be stopped. You have no idea who our enemy is!" the masked woman shouted angrily.

"Hmph! If you're a coward, just say so! I knew a woman like you was no good for the organization. Perhaps pleasing men is what you're best at, isn't it?" With that, the man suddenly drew his dagger and, with lightning speed, ripped off the woman's mask.

moment!

A beautiful face, tinged with a hint of danger, was bathed in the glow of the setting sun.

With short black hair, emerald green eyes, a small nose, and alluring red lips, paired with shapely, tight-fitting leather armor, she resembled a thorny rose, reminding anyone who wanted to pluck her to be prepared for possible injury or even death.

"you wanna die!"

The woman was clearly enraged. She drew the short sword from her waist and pounced like a leopard.

She has undoubtedly undergone highly professional combat training, and every attack she makes is aimed directly at vital points. If her opponent is not careful, he will die instantly.

"That's right! Hahahaha! That's right! Do you know what I like most about you? It's because you have a more rebellious spirit than ordinary women. I like women who can fight back the most because it brings a lot of extra excitement and a sense of conquest." The man calmly brandished his dagger, parrying, blocking, and dodging while teasing her.

His fighting skills were even more superb. He not only dodged all the attacks without missing a beat, but also took advantage of the gaps in the attacks to launch counterattacks. In just two or three minutes, he had completely torn off the woman's leather armor and clothes, exposing large areas of fair and alluring skin, especially her chest, which was almost completely exposed.

"You bastard! You'll remember this!"

The woman knew that if she continued, she would only suffer a loss, so she threw the short sword in her hand, turned around and disappeared into the bushes, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

The man showed no intention of giving chase. He merely raised the dagger to his nose, sniffed it, and muttered to himself with a look of enjoyment, "What an intoxicating fragrance! My dear Sophia, whether it's you or the entire organization, they will all belong to me sooner or later. The great Alterac nobility will, under my leadership, regain its former status and glory. Anyone who dares to stand in my way will be eliminated..."

Chapter 0007 Mission

"Interesting, so this is arcane energy?"

Gazing at the bottle emitting a mysterious violet glow, Zhang Cheng smiled faintly.

Although he had not slept for over forty hours, he was unusually excited.

Thanks to the vast amount of knowledge he gained from books, he was finally able to extract pure arcane energy without the need for a simplified job template.

To put it simply, it's about making the mana in the game more tangible, forming a mysterious substance that's hard to define as either gaseous or liquid.

Don't underestimate this; for a mage in Azeroth, being able to extract pure arcane energy means being able to create magical items.

Take, for example, the enchanted robes worn by many spellcasters. The faint arcane runes on them are the result of arcane energy and high-quality silk threads being processed in a special way.

In addition, there are arcane runes, various spell dust, magic shards, immortal essence, and so on, all of which originate from these colorful primordial arcane energies.

It can be said that if a mage masters the skill of extracting primal arcane energy, he will never have to worry about money for the rest of his life. He only needs to extract some arcane energy every now and then and sell it to merchants, and he can easily obtain a rich reward.

Of course, due to limitations in his own strength, the arcane energy extracted by Zhang Cheng was not very pure and could only be used to make some basic magic materials.

Just as he was about to practice making a magic wand for himself according to the method described in the book, he suddenly heard a series of clanging and banging noises outside the house, followed by a man shouting in Common, "Honorable Wizard, I am Old George. Are you home?"

"Old George?"